《The Transcendent Immortal》


 Chapter 1-For What Do You Live

    "Everyone wants to live forever. But if he really can''t die, he will live to see everyone close to him dies one after another. In the end, he will have no one to care for and there will only be him and loneliness..."


    On the edge of a camellia-grown cliff stood a 16-year-old youth in white. The cold wind from down the cliff was touching his face and making noises on his clothes. The lonesome silhouette did not fit in this world at all.


    It was beautiful dusk with wind and evening glow. And it was a shame that a human could not fly on a sword and see the most beautiful scene of this world like an Immortal. The youth took two more steps ahead as some broken stones were brought rolling by his feet and fell to the endless abyss without resounding.


    He gave a sigh and took back the hesitating final step. It''s not that he had not jumped from here, he just survived from that suicide. Although his internal organs were all broken after that jump, he was fully recovered for no reason in seven days. He failed to die.


    "Chen''er..."


    At this moment, a middle-aged man''s voice rose from behind. The youth turned around and realized that there had been a man standing in the pavilion in front of him.


    The middle-aged man''s sideburns were grey, and he looked drained. It seemed that he was exhausted both physically and mentally. The youth slowly walked to him and asked gently, "Father, have you implored them again...?"


    The middle-aged man sighed and said with a bitter voice, "Chen''er, I''m sorry. I''m too weak to protect you..." He could not help giving another sigh before he could finish his words.


    The youth turned pale and said with a smile, "It''s fine. Don''t worry..."


    They said no more. The setting sun stretched their silhouettes longer and longer as if there was no end.


    The youth was Xiao Chen, the fourth young master of the Xiao Family in Cloud City. However, there was another piece of memory in him which belonged to thousands of years ago.


    At that time, there was rich Spiritual Qi in that world, and everybody could cultivate True Energy and fly on a sword. He was a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect, which was recognized as the best sect in the Immortal''s Practice, and also the one and only disciple of Ling Yin, the Immortal Miaoyin. His talent had been peerless since he was a child. When many cultivators were trying to figure out the Core Forming Realm, he had already reached the Realm which they could never reach in a lifetime.


    With his talent, he should have reached the Great Completion Realm and then survive the Ordeal to become an Immortal, ignore his destiny, and become an Immortal King of a region.


    However, a sudden incident ruined everything. He was framed. People contended that he colluded with the Devils and killed fellow brothers. He was convicted and his Nascent Soul was destroyed as a result.


    During that frame-up, only one person dared to believe and protect him against the public opinion. It was his master, Ling Yin. On the day of his execution, Ling Yin, with unmatched power and skill, managed to cheat those supreme deities and secretly sealed his Soul into the Samsara Jade which was the greatest magic treasure in Archean times.


    When he woke up again, he found himself in swaddling clothes, crying. When he came to realize that thousands of years had passed, he looked through every available historical record and ancient document. It turned out that he could not find any trace of his last era. Everything had changed.


    Not even a single word was related to that era, as if it completely disappeared at a certain point. Those Immortal Kings and Devil Kings who claimed to be undestroyable, along with the earthshaking wars between them, had all become myths and legends among storytellers.


    Having gone through a Samsara, his Fortune was halved. Everyone had his Fortune. One with good Fortune might be born in an imperial family, while he who had a poor Fortune might turn out to be a beggar in the streets.


    Therefore, nobody could imagine that as a peerless talent in his previous life, he didn''t even have a Spiritual Meridian in this life. This meant that he could not even generate a martial artist''s Internal Strength, not to mention absorbing Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth. He was worse than common people.


    "Chen''er, what''s your plan?" Xiao Yifan finally broke the silence with a low voice.


    "I..." Xiao Chen was awakened from endless memories, but he did not know what to say.


    Xiao Family had been an Ancient Clan of Martial Arts for thousands of years. Every family member was able to practice martial arts. If a member failed to reach Onefold before 16 years old, he had to be banished out of the family. It was a Clan Rule that could not be changed.


    All these years, Xiao Chen lived like a walking joke. Although he was a young master of the Xiao Family, some cleaners could look down on him in his face.


    Xiao Yifan sighed and said, "Those old men are your grandpa''s cousins. They are the ones to make decisions in this family. I can only beg your grandpa to not send you to some barbaric places out of the Nine Provinces."


    Xiao Chen turned around and didn''t say anything but looked at the opposite cliff. Clear spring water rushed down to the valley from both cliffs as water smoke rose in between. The sunlight shone on the mist, reflecting rows of brilliant rainbows.


    Therefore, this place was named as Rainbow Bridge. It''s said that Immortals lived on rainbows. But how could a common people ascend to a rainbow before they became an Immortal and be able to fly?


    Even in the era of his previous life, it was hard for an ordinary human to become an Immortal. Not only did it take abundant Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth but also an excellent talent. However, he lost both in this life.


    "Everyone in the world wants to be an Immortal, but few of them can make it. It''s just like this Rainbow Bridge. I can only stand and watch..." Xiao Chen sighed, ready to turn around and leave.


    At the very instant he took a step, an earthshattering thunder rose from behind and shook the Rainbow Pavilion. Both of them were startled. It was in the early spring in March, and thunders in this period of time couldn''t be so loud.


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw a dazzling radiance rising in the west. The white radiance stretched 30,000 meters high as it almost blocked the setting sun.


    Then, a cyan light glowed in the skyline and the clouds were rolling. Xiao Yifan murmured, "What''s happening? Why is the weather so strange?"


    They saw golden light glowing in the skyline as bolts of lightning and thunders raged. Two beams of light respectively in cyan and white flit through the changing clouds. They split up and collided from time to time, and each time they met, they seemed to be able to split heaven and earth.


    Xiao Chen was shocked deeply. This was not some strange weather. If he was right, there were two Cultivators fighting in the sky!


    But how could this be? He could not feel the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth. If the Spiritual Qi was gone in this world, how could they cultivate to a Realm that could enable them to fly?! Was the Spiritual Qi still here?


    The two beams of light were moving toward Xiao Family''s place where numerous mountains stood. The brilliant radiance and roaring thunders shook the entire mountain and countless Xiao Family disciples who were practicing martial arts in the mountain.


    Xiao Chen was finally awakened. In his previous life, he had experienced countless fights between Immortals and Devils. Nobody else here was more aware of the horrible power in a fight between cultivators. Everything could be crushed under the shockwave of magic spells. Even a Tenfold martial artist would be instantly destroyed into nothingness under the shockwave.


    "Father! Get out of here!"


    However, it was too late. A row of residual shockwave dashed toward them as Xiao Chen threw himself on his father. He then heard a huge rumble from behind, and the cliff was shattered into dust; the camellias were turned into ashes.


    Even Xiao Chen was 20 meters away from the explosion, his blood was running fast and his heart was beating violently as he heard drones and saw stars. The disciples hurried here and witnessed the fight. They saw two beams of light colliding again and again with destructive, imposing aura.


    Some disciples were scared and paled. They trembled and fell onto the ground. They had been practicing martial arts all their lives and had never seen such a strange scene.


    Some clever youths seemed to realize something. At this point, they forgot that they used to mock at Xiao Chen and looked at him, saying, "Hey! Undead Chen! Is this the Immortals fight that you used to say?"


    The two beams of light were getting closer to them. With a huge rumble, the peak of a mountain was sliced off smoothly, and then, masses of broken stones were sent flying to the Rainbow Pavilion.


    A dozen elders rushed here and immediately exerted their Internal Strength to block the stones while yelling, "Get out of here!"


    Most disciples ran for their lives, except for some daring ones. However, some unlucky disciples were hit by the stones. They spat blood and were sent flying far away.


    At this point, two figures appeared in the sky. They stood opposite on their swords as the sea of clouds kept rolling under. One person had white hair and beards, wearing a cyan robe and holding a Duster. He looked like an Immortal Elder came down from heaven.


    The other wore a white dress dancing with the wind and held a white Immortal''s Sword. She stood high in the sky with her eyes as sharp as lightning, and looked like the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens.


    The Xiao Family disciples were stunned. Gosh, someone in this world actually cultivated to become an Immortal! The Immortals did exist! To them, only an Immortal was able to fly on a sword and casually broke a mountain.


    Although many people had heard stories about the Immortals from storytellers, they looked at the two Immortals with admiring eyes. They had been practicing martial arts all their lives. Even if they attained to perfection, could they fly on a sword? Could they block a single Sword Qi from an Immortal?


    Some people were still running to the Rainbow Pavilion to see what was going on. Xiao Chen shouted at them, "Stand back! Keep away from here!"


    Xiao Yifan was already stunned, mumbling, "Chen''er, what''s going on?" At this moment, he forgot his identity and remembered that Xiao Chen had always talked something about becoming an Immortal.


    All of a sudden, things in the sky changed again. The two people engaged again and released dazzling golden light. The violent Sword Qi directly cut off the top of four or five mountains; grass and woods were instantly ravaged into ashes.


    Due to the short distance, many disciples were instantly blown away by the strong wind from the fight. Everybody now felt doomed. If the two people had gotten closer to the Xiao Family, this Ancient Clan of Martial Arts with thousands of years of history would have been destroyed in the blink of an eye.


    A red-robed elder looked frightened and couraged himself to shout at the sky, "Distinguished Immortals, please pity and spare us humans, don''t fight here..." Before he could finish his words, a row of residual Sword Qi directly sent him off.


    In the eyes of the Immortals, humans were just like small insects. The two Immortals in the sky could not hear his words at all.


    Xiao Yifan finally came to his senses. He pulled Xiao Chen to leave this dangerous place. However, Xiao Chen got rid of him.


    "Father, you go ahead."


    Xiao Chen turned around and looked at the sky with keen light in his eyes. As a flying sword controlled the energy of heaven and earth, all these were the Immortals'' magic spells he used to be familiar with.


    He shouldn''t pick himself up. He had to ask them what happened to him! Why could they generate the True Energy and cultivate to the Realm that enabled them to fly, yet he, knowing the most genuine cultivate method and could not feel the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth!


    In the eyes of those humans, the two people in the sky might be the Immortals. But he was clear that the two people were just at Core Forming Realm, not even the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and rushed to the mountaintop.


    Xiao Yifan turned pale in fright and shouted, "Chen''er, come back!" He moved his feet and played the lightness skill, trying to catch Xiao Chen. However, an unexpected row of Sword Qi shockwave fiercely blocked him back.


    Xiao Chen turned around and said, "Father, go home! I must go there!"


    "Don''t! You''ll die!" Xiao Yifan clearly knew that his son wanted to become an Immortal. But how could they mortals do this?


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "No, I won''t die." Then, he sped up and rushed to the mountaintop.


    He didn''t know whether he would die or survive. He just knew that there would not be another chance if he missed this one. He didn''t want to be expelled from the family or let his father live in the shadow of the others.


    The thing he hated most was to live a mediocre life!

 Chapter 2-The Fight between the Immortals

    Many Xiao Family disciples saw this and started to chatter, "Is Undead Chen crazy? Is he trying to die again? Yeah, it can''t be wrong. He failed to commit suicide last time, and he must be seeking death from the Immortals!"


    Xiao Yifan had already been scared as hell. Regardless of the danger, he ran his Internal Strength and rushed to Xiao Chen like a lightning bolt. However, a 30-meter-long Sword Qi with white radiance suddenly descended from above and blocked him back again.


    With a huge rumble, the Sword Qi cut off the path between the Rainbow Pavilion and mountaintop, revealing a 30-meter-wide gorge. As good as his lightness skill was, he was not able to cross the gorge under the strong wind.


    Seeing the only son madly running to the mountaintop with the possibility of being killed every second, he almost collapsed, shouting, "Chen''er, come back! I''ll go beg for the elders! They won''t kick you out of the family..."


    But Xiao Chen could not hear a thing. Even if he heard the words, he won''t turn back because this was his only chance. He had to get to the highest mountaintop to let the Core Forming Realm Cultivators notice him.


    All of a sudden, a boulder smashed at him. The Xiao Family disciples down below cried out in horror. Xiao Yifan was even frightened out of his wits. The moment the boulder crushed Xiao Chen, his heart died as he trembled and fell on the ground. He murmured, "Chen''er... Chen''er..."


    In the distance, every Xiao Family disciple stared agape. Although they had usually bullied Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen was one of the Xiao Family. Their hearts ached upon seeing his miserable death, possibly because they had no one to bully anymore.


    However, after a short while, the boulder moved as Xiao Chen crawled out. Despite the wounds all over his body, he was still alive. Everyone gasped upon seeing this. Xiao Chen''s "Undead Body" lived up to its reputation.


    Xiao Yifan''s face lit up as he shouted, "Chen''er, hide! Quickly!"


    But Xiao Chen could hear nothing but buzzing sounds. He only wanted to do one thing! It was to reach the mountaintop as fast as he could because the two Core Forming Realm Cultivators might leave here any minute.


    He shook his feet and continued frantically rushing to the mountaintop. The Xiao Family disciples were shocked and shouted, "Hey! Don''t go there, Undead Chen! We won''t bully you anymore!"


    A dozen elders'' faces also changed. They were not worried about his death but his offending the Immortals. One of the elders shouted, "Xiao Chen, come back! We can give you three more years!"


    The wind was howling as the stones were showering. Xiao Chen could not hear a word. Even if he did, he would not turn his back. This was his only chance. The two Immortals would not notice him unless he reached the top.


    However, when he proceeded for just 250 meters, another stroke of power violently pushed him against the stone wall hard.


    Well-built as him, he could not help spurting out a mouthful of blood. But he did not stop and continued running to the top. He had to get there as soon as possible before they left!


    Xiao Yifan stopped shouting and seemed to realized something. Xiao Chen was definitely not doing this to commit suicide, and he must have a plan.


    At this moment, he just silently watched his son being blown away by the strong wind and then rose up time and time again. He now became certain that if his son survived today, his son would definitely amount to something!


    He prayed inwardly, "The moment this kid was born, there was an ominous sign in the sky. Good gods in heaven, I pray to thee, please spare my son. I''m willing to trade my life with his..."


    In about half an hour, Xiao Chen finally made it to the mountaintop. He was exhausted and heavily wounded; his white clothes were stained with blood. But the two Immortals did not notice him, who was just an insignificant existence.


    "Please stop fighting!"


    Although he knew this was ridiculous, he had the slightest hope and shouted the words in the common language of thousands of years ago.


    The result was obvious. The two people ignored him. He then shouted again with the language in this life, and they still ignored him.


    He shouted again and again. However, the two engaged Immortals would not risk their lives to answer him. Therefore, he picked up a piece of stone and threw it to the sky, trying to catch their attention. But he did not have the strength to throw it high enough. Even if he did, the stone would be shattered by the strong wind.


    The Xiao Family disciples were dumbstruck. "Is he really crazy?" A dozen elders looked worse.


    Finally, Xiao Chen''s strength was drained as he weakly fell on the ground. He just watched the fight in the sky, ignoring the scattering Sword Qi falling aside that could destroy him into nothingness.


    The fight in the sky now became more violent with turbulent True Energy, and numerous mountaintops were sliced off. All of a sudden, a few rows of Sword Qi in different colors appeared in the sky, and each of them was more than 30 meters long. They then instantly combined into a white, huge sword. This sword was the enlarged version of the woman''s sword.


    The huge sword glowed with a dazzling white radiance as if it contained the power that could destroy heaven and earth. It slashed downward and the sky darkened. The cyan-robed elder swiftly moved fingers and chanted spells to transform the duster in his hand into a huge golden net that covered the incoming Sword Qi.


    The woman''s face turned pale because she was feeble after having spent too much True Energy. The cyan-robed elder caught the chance and swept his duster, casting out six rows of white radiance. He kept chanting spells as the white radiance instantly surrounded the woman in white.


    "Oh no!" It was too late for the woman to escape as she was trapped by the six light beams, which were covered with partly hidden and partly visible talismans. No matter how hard she stroked, nothing happened on the light beams.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes shone as he immediately recognized the Sixfold Trap Formation, which was specifically used to trap people. In his last life, he was proficient at formations, hence he was able to recognize this formation on sight.


    The cyan-robed elder''s eyes burst out cold light, and he said, "Miss Mu, my sect holds no grudge against you. Why did you steal our Closing-sky Mirror!?"


    The woman in white smiled coldly and said, " What? Transcendent Immortal Tianyun, you hunted me from Violet Manor to this Human World, only for this?" She stroked at the light beams after saying so.


    The cyan-robed elder said coldly, "Save your strength. This formation is the exclusive skill of our sect, and nobody had ever escaped from it. Hand over the Closing-sky Mirror and I won''t punish you since it''s the first time that you do this. Otherwise, after three quarters, you will be turned into blood and perish!"


    Xiao Chen was frightened upon hearing this. As a Cultivator, this old man had a heavy murderous aura. His words were true though, this woman stood no chance of surviving today.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen started to recall the method to crack this formation. He then waved his hand and the woman inside the formation finally noticed him in a miserable condition.


    The opportunity had come! He raised his volume as much as he could and shouted, "Miss, listen! The Qian (Heaven) is ?, the Kun (Earth) is ?, the Li (Flame) is ?, and the Kan (Water) is ?..."


    Numerous Xiao Family disciples down below were dumbfounded. "What is he talking about? Is he teaching the Immortals how to fight? He must be crazy for sure!"


    Suddenly, the cyan-robed elder looked at him coldly. He then swept his duster as the clouds dispersed and an unmatched power dashed downward.


    In the frightened cries of countless disciples, a figure suddenly flew toward the mountaintop and then flashed back. Subsequently, with a huge rumble, the mountaintop was completely smashed.


    When the crowd came to their senses, Xiao Chen was already in the Rainbow Pavilion, and an old man in a light red robe stood beside him. This man was Xiao Chen''s grandfather, Xiao Changfeng, who was also the chieftain of the Xiao Family, and his martial arts achievement was unfathomable.

 Chapter 3-The Previous Era of Cultivators

    "Distinguished Daoist, you''re more or less a Daoist Senior, and how could you attack a child with such a powerful attack? Don''t you think that this was disgraceful?" asked Xiao Changfeng in a calm face.


    The cyan-robed elder was shocked. He didn''t expect a martial artist in this Human World who was able to save someone from his attack and dared to speak to him calmly. It seemed that this man could not be underestimated.


    Thinking of this, his abdomen suddenly ached. The woman in white sneak-attacked him, and the sword directly pierced through his abdomen. He almost fell from the sky.


    Thanks to his extraordinary cultivation, he immediately responded and punched out two fire dragons that hit the woman''s abdomen.


    "Puff!" The woman in white could not dodge the dragons and spurted out a mouthful of blood, almost falling from the sky just like the elder.


    At this moment, many Xiao Family disciples cried out. It seemed that the woman broke out from the formation after hearing Xiao Chen''s tips.


    The Sea of Qi in the cyan-robed elder''s elixir field was damaged, so he knew that he could not stay here anymore and immediately escaped in form of a row of sword radiance.


    The woman tottered on the sword and fell toward the Rainbow Pavilion. "Poom!" With flying dust and soil, she hit the ground. The disciples were stared agape at this. Nobody had expected that even an Immortal could be injured and fell from the sky. Nobody dared to go near her.


    Xiao Chen immediately rushed to the place where the woman fell and saw her face sometimes turned white and sometimes turned red. He then said, "If I''m right, you are hit by the Fire Cloud True Qi. Please don''t run any cultivation method now!"


    The woman raised her head with a flicker of doubt on her face. Xiao Chen said, "Lead the True Qi from the Spirit Storehouse Acupuncture Point to the Spirit Ruin Acupuncture Point and then to the Spirit Seal Acupuncture Point. In the end, export the True Qi through the Hidden Gate Acupuncture Point. Please don''t rush."


    The woman hesitated upon hearing this, but then sat cross-legged to run her True Qi. After a short while, a figure flashed here. It was a youth in his 20s. He was Xiao Yuan, the First Young Master of the Xiao Family and also Xiao Chen''s cousin. In the martial arts test when he was 16, his strength reached Fourfold and broke the hundred-year-record of Xiao Family.


    "Fairy, I''m Xiao Yuan. You''re seriously injured, and there are many good medicines in Xiao Family. Do you need some..."


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, "Don''t disturb her!"


    Xiao Yuan was pissed off. "Since when could you, such a loser, talk to me like this?" But regarding the presence of this beautiful woman, he could not lose his temper here. He continued, "Fairy, you''re seriously injured. If you don''t take medical care in time..."


    The woman in white said coldly, "Let him be quiet!"


    Xiao Chen glared at him and said, "Did you hear that? Shut up!"


    "You!" Xiao Yuan was angry and about to push Xiao Chen away. But he dared not to move when he felt the cold light in the woman''s eyes.


    A few moments later, the woman took a deep breath and looked much better. Xiao Chen was glad to see this because it seemed that she was fine at the moment. He said, "I''ve got a question..." He wanted to ask why he couldn''t feel the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth and cultivate like her.


    "Many thanks." The woman glanced at him and then stood on her feet, looking over at a place in the south-east where was covered by dark clouds. It was the Ancient Tomb of the Xiao Family located in the back of the mountain, and it was extremely bleak there all year round.


    "I''ll stay here to heal myself, and I don''t want anyone to disturb me during this period." After saying so, she rode on a sword radiance and flew to the tomb.


    Looking over at the Ancient Tomb, Xiao Chen sighed, "Thank god! She didn''t fly away directly."


    Xiao Yuan''s eyes were cold as he clenched his fist and made his knuckles crackle. Xiao Chen shot him a cold glance, saying, "What are you glaring me for? She told you to shut up." After saying so, Xiao Chen walked toward the Rainbow Pavilion as if nothing had happened.


    While looking at Xiao Chen''s back, Xiao Yuan''s eyes became more and more resentful. "If it weren''t for this bastard standing in my front, how couldn''t that fairy look at me? Xiao Chen, I will definitely let you be expelled from Xiao Family..."


    The Ancient Tomb in the back of the mountain was the top forbidden place in Xiao Family. No disciple was allowed to enter. Those who disobeyed the order would be punished to face the wall for 10 years or be derived from his martial arts. The guards stood 300 meters away from the tomb since the woman in white was healing in there.


    Three days later, Xiao Chen appeared at the entrance of the tomb and slipped in. He had been trying many ways to sneak to the tomb without being found out by the guards. Although he knew the serious consequences of doing this, he could never let this chance, which he fought for effortfully, went away.


    He saw rows of tombstones were neatly arranged, stretching far. The further he proceeded, the colder he felt. He had not practiced martial arts, so he was already shivering without Internal Strength to block the coldness.


    He did not know for how long he had walked when he heard a faint voice from a cave, "We haven''t met before. Why did you risk your life to help me?"


    Xiao Chen was overjoyed and immediately went to the cave. He then saw her sat cross-legged, cultivating. Her complexion looked much better than that of three days ago. Seeing a dozen bottles in different colors lying aside her, he walked there, took the lid off, and placed the bottle close to his nose to smell one after another.


    "Don''t you know that it''s impolite to ignore others or touch others'' belongings?" The woman frowned and said.


    Xiao Chen raised his head, frowned and asked, "Did you make all these elixirs?"


    The woman shook her head and pointed to a white jade bottle, saying, "Only this one. I looted the other elixirs from the disciples of the sect that old Daoist Tianyun belonged to."


    "No wonder. You took the wrong medicine. Some of these will only aggravate your injuries."


    "Okay." The woman said in a slight voice.


    Xiao Chen felt a little speechless. After a short silence, he asked, "Miss, how should I call..." The woman almost asked simultaneously, "What are you?"


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and said, "Some of them call me Loser Chen, while some others call me Undead Chen. But my name is Xiao Chen."


    In his previous life, Ling Yin also named him Xiao Chen. Back then when he was abandoned at the foot of Mystic Cyan Mountain, Ling Yin picked him up and raised him.


    "My name is Mu Chengxue. Tell me, what were you asking me before?"


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and spoke the words he had repeated in his mind for countless times. "Many years ago, maybe seven or eight thousands of years, the Immortals and Devils were in constant fights. Those Immortal Kings and Devil Lords who claimed that they were undead and undestroyable, where did they go eventually? Were they dead?"


    After a long silence, Mu Chengxue shook her head and said, "You''re not the only one, we all want to know the answer to this question. But that was in the previous era of Cultivators, and that era had gone a long time ago. There was no record left. The most abstruse and mysterious cultivation methods of that era were all lost. Many people wanted to obtain those ancient cultivation methods, but nobody has found one in thousands of years."


    "Did you just said that it was the previous era, and that era has ended..."


    Xiao Chen weakly sat on the ground. He had always assumed that only time passed, and he could still meet his master someday. It had never occurred to him that the era had ended...


    The word "ended" meant that everybody died, even the Immortals and Devils. Was it really because his Soul was kept in the Samsara Jade that he survived the calamity?


    He kept shaking his head. "No! It''s impossible! Master had already cultivated an Immortal Body. Master was so powerful. It''s impossible for him to die! She must have survived!"

 Chapter 4-The Spiritual Meridian

    Mu Chengxue saw him shaking his head and said in a low voice, "Just give up. Those ancient cultivation methods have already gone with the end of that era." She thought that Xiao Chen was only looking for those ancient cultivation methods.


    Xiao Chen said nothing. Ancient cultivation methods? Wasn''t his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method the most abstruse ancient cultivation method? But he had tried countless times to cultivate and nothing worked. He could not feel any Spiritual Qi at all.


    "Why can you cultivate to Core Forming Realm, while I can''t feel any Spiritual Qi?" He asked the question he wanted to ask the most.


    Mu Chengxue was dumbstruck while looking at him. She then said, "I thought you were a man who knows a lot about cultivating. But how can you ask such a simple and even funny question?"


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, "Funny? I really don''t know."


    Mu Chengxue shook her head and said nothing.


    "Tell me. What exactly is going on? I really don''t know." Xiao Chen lost his patience.


    "All right, give me your hand."


    Xiao Chen pulled up his sleeves and stretched out his hand as she said.


    Mu Chengxue placed two fingers together as a slight amount of white radiance glowed on the fingertips. She then pressed two fingertips on his wrist. A moment later, her eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter. Finally, she said, "You don''t even have a single Spiritual Meridian. How can you feel the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth?"


    "Spiritual Meridian? What is it?" Xiao Chen was confused. When he cultivated in the Mystic Cyan Sect, he had never heard of something called Spiritual Meridian.


    Mu Chengxue shook her head and realized he knew nothing. "The Spiritual Meridian is the basics of a Cultivator. One must have at least one Spiritual Meridian to feel the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth. One who has three Spiritual Meridians enjoys an excellent talent. One who has six are peerless. One who has nine are saints. One can have 12 Spiritual Meridians at most, and nobody completely had 12 Spiritual Meridians in thousands of years."


    After having listened to her for a while, Xiao Chen asked a question he hated to ask. "Do you mean that I can''t cultivate only because I don''t have even a single Spiritual Meridian?"


    Mu Chengxue nodded and said, "You can say so."


    Xiao Chen seemed to been struck by a thunderbolt out of the blue. Back then, he had never heard of this Spiritual Meridian, and everybody could cultivate. Even one with the worst talent could cultivate to Qi Refining Realm in eight to ten years, and then work harder to reach Foundation Building Realm. Those with better talent could reach Core Forming Realm or even Nascent Soul Realm. His talent was peerless in that era, but now...


    He felt a bit helpless. Was there really a heavenly law that ruled the common people? He shouldn''t have been alive now. Was the god punishing and torturing him now only because he survived that calamity?


    He stood on his feet and then staggered out of the cave. He finally got the answer he always wanted to know, but the truth was so cruel.


    "You helped me to break through that formation. I can give you a layer of Mystic Skill. Within a month, I''ll make you able to beat any cultivator lower than Foundation Building Realm," said Mu Chengxue behind him.


    "No, thanks..." Xiao Chen said in a weak voice.


    Mu Chengxue sighed and then murmured while thinking, "How can he have not a single Spiritual Meridian? Something''s not right! I just feel his... Is he... Hey! Wait! Come back!"


    She suddenly raised her head in shock. But Xiao Chen had already vanished without a trace.


    Returning to Purple Bine Pavilion where he lived, Xiao Chen punched at a big banyan tree, making the leaves rustling.


    "Why!"


    He yelled at the sky and then punched at the tree again and again until he smashed the tree bark and left his hands covered with blood.


    "Why! Master, where are you?" "Why did you save me? Why did you make me suffer like this? Tell me..."


    After waking up from the long sleeping, thousands of years had passed. This was actually the most painful thing to him, yet he had no one to talk to.


    "Why did you leave me alone in this world? Why can''t I die even if I wanted to? Master, kill me, please..."


    He howled desperately and clenched the tree trunk with both hands. His fingers wedged into the tree bark as blood was flowing down the trunk. But this didn''t matter, because the wounds on his fingers would surely be healed in three days without a visible scar.


    "Young... Young Master! Bad news!"


    At this moment, an urgent voice came from outside. Xiao Chen turned around and saw a red-shirted girl running to him hurriedly. This girl was named Lil Ruo, and his mother bought her from a villain down the mountain many years ago. This girl was his maid, but Xiao Chen had treated her as his sister since he was a kid.


    "Take your time, Lil Ruo. What''s the matter?"


    "Uncle Yifan... Uncle Yifan..." Lil Ruo could not catch her breath and say the words.


    Xiao Chen grasped her shoulders. "Calm down. What happened to my father?"


    "Uncle Yifan is having words with some elders in the main hall. They are about to pick up a fight! Young master, go stop him quickly. Uncle Yifan can''t defeat those elders!"


    "What!?"


    Xiao Chen immediately rushed outside his residence. The Conference Hall of the Xiao Family, Fly Cloud Hall, was located in the Fly Cloud Court. Before he reached the hall, he already heard a violent quarrel from inside. Countless Xiao Family disciples had already thronged outside the hall, pointing at the hall and chattering.


    In the hall, Xiao Yifan and some elders already looked flushed. Xiao Yifan thundered, "What''s the matter with three more years? Huh? Your coffins will be ready in three years or something?"


    "Everybody knows that your son is a loser! He can''t do anything even if given 10 more years!" A red-robed elder refuted angrily.


    Another elder continued, "Xiao Yifan! Don''t act on your wish only because you''re the son of the chieftain! Even though you''ve grown up and had a say in family issues, we are your seniors! Mind your manner while speaking to us!"


    Xiao Yifan snarled, "I am talking to you in a manner! My Chen''er is about to reach Onefold. What''s so wrong about three more years?"


    "It''s not that we don''t give him time! The Clan Rules have been set! We have made exceptions time and time again! Are you even taking the rules seriously?" snarled the red-robed elder.


    "Enough!"


    Just at this point, a cold thunder came to the hall as Xiao Chen stepped in. The red-robed elder pointed at him and said to Xiao Yifan, "Look! Your son is here now! Did you just said that he is about to reach Onefold?"


    He then used his hand as a knife to cut off the corner of a fine sandalwood table, and then handed it over to Xiao Yifan, saying, "Let him break this piece of sandalwood and I''ll give him three more years!"


    Xiao Chen walked forth, snatched the sandalwood, and smashed it to the ground. He snarled, "Enough! I, Xiao Chen, will no longer make things difficult for you elders! After grandpa''s birthday this month, I''ll leave!"


    Xiao Yifan looked at him and said, "Chen''er..."


    Xiao Chen swung his sleeves coldly and said, "Father, you don''t have to beg them! Don''t you know about their secret, filthy plans?" After saying so, he looked at each elder with cold eyes that could even freeze people.


    Of course, they wanted Xiao Chen gone so that Xiao Yifan would have no successor, and then they could naturally split Xiao Yifan''s businesses.


    The red-robed elder said in a deep voice, "Xiao Chen, you don''t practice martial arts and all you can do is playing instruments, painting, or writing. How can you blame the other people? And you''ve always been thinking of becoming a Cultivator. How can you become a Cultivator when you can''t even reach Onefold?!" He then swung his sleeve too.


    Many disciples were watching at the door of the hall. A youth from afar walked through the throng. It was Xiao Yuan. He crossed his arms and smiled coldly, saying, "Since you are expert at the instrument, chess, calligraphy, and painting, what are you doing in our Xiao Family? If words get out, the others may think that Xiao Family starts to sell paintings and calligraphy works."


    His words aroused laughter among the crowd, while Xiao Yifan looked more terrible. But because Xiao Yuan was first brother''s son and also a genius in Xiao Family, he could not talk back.


    At this point, a cold voice of a woman rose from outside, "Since you''ve got what you want, there''s no need to hurt the others by saying those things."


    The air suddenly became frozen.

 Chapter 5-Dragon Roars Above the Clouds

    The crowd turned their heads and suddenly became quiet, not daring to make a sound. Even those elders in the hall suddenly became humble, saying, "Fairy, your esteemed arrival to the Xiao Family. What can we do for you..."


    It was Mu Chengxue. She ignored everyone and only looked at Xiao Chen, saying, "I''m leaving."


    Xiao Chen knew that she must come here to say something to him, and walked to her, whispering, "Let''s talk outside."


    The two people left the hall under the crowd''s surprising eyes. In the square, Xiao Chen said, "Miss Mu, thank you very much."


    Mu Chengxue shook her head and said, "Do you need me to warn them to not make things difficult for you in the future?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "No, thanks." Warning them would not help. After she left, those people would still do what they wanted to do.


    "Do you need me to give you a layer of Mystic Skill? I don''t know what your Onefold or Twofold means, but this layer of Mystic Skill can make sure that you are invincible in a month." Mu Chengxue looked at him and continued.


    Xiao Chen knew why she wanted to help him this much because he once was a Cultivator too. He clearly knew that a Cultivator had to finish karma, otherwise, there would be consequences in his future cultivating. In the worst case, she would have an Inner Demon which would possess her and then lead her into the Devil''s Practice.


    Helping her break through the formation in that day was the Cause, while helping him in return was the Effect. If she could not finish the karma, she would definitely fail to Survive the Ordeal, and eventually, she would become a Rogue Immortal. Xiao Chen said, "Miss Mu, you don''t owe me anything, really."


    Mu Chengxue did not reply. Having walked for a few moments, she stopped and said, "Do you really want to cultivate, even if this will kill you someday in the future and make you doomed eternally."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said bitterly, "I wish someone can kill me now. There''s no need to wait."


    "Alas, take it or leave it. It''ll be hopeless for me to become an Immortal if I can''t finish this karma..." Mu Chengxue sighed and suddenly punched at his chest.


    "Puff!" Xiao Chen spurted out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying. This punch almost broke all of his bones and muscles. The Xiao Family disciples shouted as they did not know what happened.


    However, it was not over yet. Mu Chengxue infused 11 streams of Palm Strength into his body.


    Xiao Chen could only hear some vague words, "Since I was a child, I''m able to see something that the others can''t. You do have Spiritual Meridians, and you have full 12 Spiritual Meridians. It''s just somebody had sealed them after your birth, and your Destiny was forcibly changed by some supreme magic power..."


    "I now have spent 30% of my Life Span to unseal your Spiritual Meridians. It''s on to you to change your Destiny. By the way, this Human World doesn''t fit you. Come to Violet Manor someday. Maybe only in the Violet Manor can you solve the questions in your heart..."


    When Xiao Chen heard the last word, he finally lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself lying on the bed with his father beside, who clearly had not slept for some days.


    "Chen''er!"


    Xiao Yifan wept with joy upon seeing his son''s waking up. Xiao Chen felt his head heavy and dizzy. In his dreams, he seemed to have heard Mu Chengxue''s words many times. "You do have Spiritual Meridians. It''s just somebody had sealed them after your birth..."


    "Father, I''m fine now. Where''s Miss Mu? Is she gone?" He got up and asked eagerly because he still had so many questions for Mu Chengxue.


    "Is her surname Mu? Why did she hurt you that day?" Xiao Yifan also asked eagerly.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "No, she was not hurting me. She helped me..."


    At this moment, he suddenly felt a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi around. This is the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth that he was so familiar with back then!


    He was extremely excited. When he saw his father''s haggard face, he said, "I''m okay now, father. You must be tired, please go back and take some rest."


    Xiao Yifan was still a bit concerned about his son. Although Xiao Chen''s injuries used to cure themselves for no reason, he was hurt by an Immortal!


    "I''m fine now, really. Don''t worry about me anymore, father." Xiao Chen shook his head and said. He now really wanted to know if he really could feel the Spiritual Qi, and he had to do some qi circulation.


    "Well, I''ll let you take some rest then. I''ll come by later."


    Xiao Yifan sighed and left. At the door, he suddenly turned around and looked like he wanted to say something. Xiao Chen frowned and said, "Anything else, father?"


    Xiao Yifan smiled and said, "It''s okay. Uhh... The marriage between you and Huangfu Xin''er may be..." His voice dropped gradually.


    "What about the marriage?" Xiao Chen asked, frowning.


    "Nothing. You have a good rest." Xiao Yifan smiled and went out of the room.


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows relaxed. Huangfu Family was one of the four major families, and the marriage between him and Huangfu Xin''er was made a long time ago. However, since Huangfu Family knew that he could not practice martial arts, they intended to cancel this marriage. Although they had not mentioned this issue in these years, they showed less courtesy to Xiao Family.


    But this did not matter now. It''s important to make sure if he really can cultivate now. He then immediately jumped up from the bed, rushed to the courtyard, sat down cross-legged, and started to run the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method.


    In a flash, the Spiritual Qi around him rushed into his body as if a heavy rain met a long-drought land. The 12 Spiritual Meridians glowed a faint white radiance.


    "Hahaha..." Xiao Chen burst out laughing. "It''s back! It''s finally back!"


    He then clenched his fist so tight that even cracked knuckles. Mu Chengxue''s words rose in him again. Somebody deliberately sealed his Spiritual Meridian and even changed his Destiny. Who made him suffer for 16 years? He really wanted to tear that person apart into pieces now!


    Mu Chengxue even spent 30% of her Life Span to save him. The Life Span was something more precious than a human''s life. A human''s life had a limit, and Cultivators too.


    To become an Immortal, a Cultivator had to reach the next Realm in a limited period of time. If he failed to do so, he would lose the chance to become an Immortal in this life, and he had to spend the Fortune with an amount of a lifetime to go through the Samsara. Of course, he could not do this forever. When his Fortune ran out, his soul would completely vanish.


    Xiao Chen let out a long sigh. It took 30% of Mu Chengxue''s Life Span to get her karma even. She did not owe him anymore, but he owed her now. This was another karma, and he had to finish it himself in the future.


    Flowers were blooming in the courtyard, and the breeze made Xiao Chen feel comfortable. He pondered for a moment and decided to reach Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm first.


    He then continued to run the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. Mystic Cyan Sect was claimed to be the strongest sect in the Immortal''s Practice, and its cultivation methods were so mystic and excellent. He had already borne those rhymes and pithy formulas in mind, so he did not even need to recall them as if the method could run itself.


    One hour later, his body reached an excellent state. Now, even if he closed his eyes, he could still feel everything around him. He clearly saw those daffodils by the pond dancing with the wind and sending ripples on water. He clearly saw those carps got startled and quickly dived deep.


    This was exactly a Cultivator unleashing his Divine Sense and observe the surroundings with his heart.


    A moment later, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and stood up slowly. It normally took ordinary human months and even years to cultivate from Body Refining Realm to Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm. But with 12 Spiritual Meridians and his mastery of the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, it only took him less than one hour.


    At this point, he just felt infinite power in his body. While slightly running the method, a stroke of white radiance from by True Qi appeared in his palm. He then slapped downward with that palm. The white radiance turned into a golden dragon and dashed to the ground. An earthshattering dragon roar resounded above Xiao Family.


    It was like a volcano that had slept for a thousand years. When it erupted, it was unstoppable. The entire courtyard and half of the mountain started to shake. If he let this palm strength spread, it would instantly ravage this Purple Bine Pavilion. Xiao Chen led it toward a wall, which then instantly collapsed under the impact of the Palm Strength. The dust flew about for a long time.


    This was Dragon Roar Palm, a basic palm style of the Mystic Cyan Sect. The Dragon Roar Palm had nine styles, and this was only the first one.


    The dragon roar went away like muffled thunder. Many elders who were practicing martial arts felt this fierce power and immediately locked the source of it. They then rushed to the Purple Bine Pavilion.


    They were all shocked when they saw several deep cracks on the ground, the completely collapsed wall, and Xiao Chen who stood among the scattering broken stones with his clothes dancing with the wind.

 Chapter 6-Huangfu

    Xiao Yifan was the first to rush into the courtyard. He then pressed Xiao Chen''s shoulders, looked around alertly and said, "Chen''er! What happened? Was it that Miss... That person has come back?"


    Xiao Chen was so excited just now, and he did not expect that he would make such a big noise. He knew that he could not explain this. If he claimed that he had made such damage, nobody would believe him and his father would be laughed at again. He then pretended to be surprised, saying, "I just came back from the Rainbow Pavilion. I don''t know what happened neither."


    Xiao Yifan was still vigilant about the surroundings. He said, "Come live in the Water Immortal Pavilion for some days. You can''t live here anymore."


    "There''s no need, father. From now on, you don''t need to worry about me."


    At this moment, several elders came in and started to check around the damages in the courtyard. When that red-robed elder, who let Xiao Chen break a piece of sandalwood, noticed the trace of Palm Strength on the ground, his face was instantly filled with shock.


    The Palm Strength should have spread around, but it was forcibly led to one place while spreading so that the entire courtyard was saved. In this world, who could wield the Palm Strength at will like this except for the chieftain? He said, "This... The attacker is at least Sevenfold, right?"


    The other elder seriously looked at Xiao Chen and asked, "Are you sure that you haven''t seen anyone?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "Seniors, don''t you worry too much. The Xiao Family is the strongest of the four major families. Nobody dares to invade us."


    If these words came from some elder or outstanding young man, they would sound domineering. But it was Xiao Chen that said this. The fun-watching juniors of the Xiao Family snorted, especially Xiao Yuan, who gave a flick of his sleeve and left without another look at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen ignored those people, turned to his father and asked, "By the way, father, what day is it today? Have I missed grandpa''s birthday?" He had been asleep for too long and did not know what day it was.


    Upon hearing his stupid words, the crowd laughed at him again. Xiao Yifan glared at those juniors, turned his head and said, "It''s March the 17th. You''ve been in a coma for half a month."


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Father, don''t worry about me. It''s fine here. You can go back."


    Everyone had left, except for Xiao Yifan. He stood in the courtyard as if he had something to say but could not say it. Xiao Chen''s brow slightly furrowed, saying, "Father, what''s wrong?"


    Xiao Yifan smiled and said after a short while, "Uhh... Chen''er, the Huangfu Family''s people will come here tomorrow. If you are not feeling well, you don''t need to see them tomorrow..."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "It''s fine. I''ve recovered. I''ll go meet them tomorrow."


    Xiao Yifan was stunned. Usually, when Xiao Chen heard this news, he tried to avoid seeing them. But why did he become so confident this time? It seemed that he had completely changed since he woke up.


    "Okay."


    At dusk, Xiao Chen looked at the sunset, pondering. He had not received any message from Huangfu Xin''er. She used to send him letters every month. "Has she been very busy lately?"


    Huangfu Family was far away in Liu Province. About a hundred years ago, the two families'' chieftains decided to unite two families by marriage. Back then, the two chieftains were so close and wanted to unite two families forever. However, in the following dozens of years, Huangfu Family had not had a daughter. The two chieftains still wanted to make this marriage happen when they died.


    Finally when it came to Xiao Chen''s generation, Huangfu Family had a daughter, Huangfu Xin''er. They were about at the same age, and naturally, their marriage was made certain so as to fulfill the two chieftains'' wish.


    This was supposed to be a happy event, but god played a joke on them. When Xiao Chen was 10, he was diagnosed that he was born without meridians and could not practice martial arts. This cast shadows on the two families for a long time.


    Since then, seniors of the Huangfu Family were getting cold toward Xiao Family. Every time they came here, they talked coldly to Xiao Chen and gave him the cold shoulder. However, Huangfu Xin''er remained the same to Xiao Chen.


    The next morning, Xiao Chen washed his face, cleaned his teeth, and wore clean clothes. When he was about to go out, Lil Ruo walked into his courtyard and saw his hair disheveled, saying, "Master, you can''t go there like this. Let me tie your hair up first."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and nodded. He had never tied his hair himself, and Lil Ruo usually helped him do this.


    She neatly took out a comb and his usual hairpin from the drawer and started to tie his hair carefully while saying, "Master... Do you like that miss of Huangfu Family very much?"


    Xiao Chen smiled. How should he say?


    For him, perhaps it was more of gratitude toward Huangfu Xin''er. After he came to this world, he had been scoffed and looked down by countless people only because he had no Spiritual Meridian and could not practice martial arts. Except for his parents and a few others, there was only one people supported him throughout. That person was Huangfu Xin''er.


    Were it some other daughters from big families, they would definitely give up the marriage upon knowing his incapability of martial arts. Instead, against Huangfu Family seniors, Huangfu Xin''er resolutely wrote down these words¡ªOnly this man shall I marry, ''til the end of my life.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen smiled. Lil Ruo asked no more upon seeing his smile.


    "It''s done. Master looks awesome today..." She smiled and said.


    Xiao Chen nodded, stood up, and walked out of the room. At the gate of the courtyard, he said, "I may not come back for lunch. Don''t mind me. You can go to my mum''s place for launch."


    "Okay, I will. Don''t worry about me, master..."


    This time, on his way to the Fly Cloud Hall, Xiao Chen was not that nervous like before. He was not that Xiao Chen anymore, and he welcomed the challenges from Huangfu Family. He wanted to see what kind of trouble Huangfu Zhe, the second uncle of Huangfu Xin''er, would make and then embarrass that man.


    Many Xiao Family juniors had already crowded outside the hall, whispering. Xiao Chen was already used to this and walked straight into the hall with his head up. Just as usual, his grandfather sat in the main seat with Xiao Family elders and his father on the left, and Huangfu Family''s people on the right.


    The different thing was the heavy air in the hall. Nobody talked cheerfully like they used to and people just looked at the ground. There was not even a maid in the hall, so people could just watch the tea turn cold. Huangfu Xin''er still didn''t come, instead, a handsome young man who looked like an Immortal arrived.


    There was a slight aura of an Immortal on him, and many girls outside looked at him with enchanted eyes. However, his face looked somewhat domineering as if he looked down upon everyone.


    Xiao Chen was shocked slightly upon seeing this man. This was a Cultivator with Spiritual Meridians, and he might have reached Foundation Building Realm. He quickly walked forth and saluted to Xiao Changfeng who sat straight with dignity. He then saluted to a teal-robed middle-aged man and said, "Uncle Huangfu."


    This man was exactly Huangfu Zhe. He looked at Xiao Chen and nodded slightly. A maid in green stood beside him with her head down. She held a good-looking case with both hands. What was in that case?


    Xiao Chen said no more. He walked to his father and sat down beside. He glanced sideways at his father and found him look terrible.


    At this moment, that domineering young man beside Huangfu Zhe finally stood up. He slightly glanced at Xiao Chen and asked Xiao Changfeng, "Is he Xiao Chen?"


    Xiao Chen''s brow furrowed. This man was so rude. How could this man ignore him like this? Xiao Chen stood up and said, "Yes, I am. How should I address you?" As his voice fell, Xiao Tianqi immediately glared at him and said, "Sit down!"


    The young man looked at him and said casually, "Qin Xiu, Skygale Sect Leader''s Pro-disciple."


    As his voice fell, many Xiao Family members looked shocked. No wonder the elders treated him courteously. It turned out that he was a Cultivator.


    They knew that there were some Cultivators'' sects, and they knew that Skygale Sect was one of those sects. People just took those sects as Daoism sects and those cultivators were just dreaming if they thought they could turn Immortal. People thought that those sects could not match their martial arts families. It was not until that day, when they saw people fighting in the sky, did they realize that Cultivators were a real deal.


    They did not know about Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Building Realm, or Core Forming Realm. When they heard "Cultivator", they just took it as an Immortal that could fly in the sky.


    "What brings you here, brother Qin?" Xiao Chen said faintly. He did not avoid Qin Xiu''s eyes because although in other''s eyes, he might be an Immortal, while in his, Qin Xiu was just a Cultivator in Foundation Building Realm.


    Qin Xiu found Xiao Chen had not flustered like others when their eyes met and could not help frown and said, "Xin''er has been officially admitted into our Skygale Sect three months ago. I heard that you and her have an engagement. Needless to say, you know that Immortals must end their Human World karma. So, I hope you can break off your engagement..."

 Chapter 7-The Foundation Building Realm

    There was a bang. Qin Xiu had barely finished when Xiao Yifan had crushed the teacup that he held in his grasp. Tea spattered everywhere. The muffled voices of curious whispers began to fill their surroundings by onlookers outside the hall who were taken aback by the scene.


    In the hall, Xiao Changfeng lifted his hand as he cast a look at Huangfu Zhe and spoke dryly, "This was decided many years ago by the chieftains of both families. Is the chieftain of your family informed of this decision?"


    Huang Fuzhe replied, "Naturally. Even my father himself had deemed this decision inappropriate. Yet, as mentioned by young master Qin here, young Xin''er has, despite our many reprimands, been accepted as a Cultivator in the mystic arts. But we were informed that young Xin''er possesses six Spiritual Meridians¡ªan extraordinary rarity which is the testament to her potential... hence..."


    The people outside the hall erupted into an uproar. Not even Xiao Yifan could suppress the change in his expression as he beheld with the bewilderment of the phrase "Six Spiritual Meridians". The words left many of the younger kin of the Xiao Family astonished, for they had not trusted in the notions of Immortals until their witnessing of the duel at the Rainbow Pavilion. The revelation of Huangfu Xin''er''s potential left them without any doubt that she could one day become one of the fabled Immortals.


    Huangfu Zhe waited for the commotion outside the hall to simmer down before he continued, "In fact, this is not completely against the wishes of the two patriarchs of both families. Even though our families are not being able to join together in matrimony with young Xin''er and Nephew Xiao, but I trust the younger ones in the future will surely be able to."


    With the message that they only wanted Xiao Chen''s and Huangfu Xin''er''s betrothal to be called off, Huangfu Zhe had ultimately added another blow to the insult and shame felt by the Xiao Family.


    With a face white as frost, Xiao Chen sneered coldly and replied, "Do you deem the betrothal so lightly that you dismiss the entire matter with only one sentence?"


    Qin Xiu retorted coldly, "Too right you are, and since it is a matter of utmost importance, it is only fitting that the betrothed of my junior sister Xin''Er must be a person of a similar bearing. Do you have six Spiritual Meridians? Or do you have at least one?"


    Xiao Chen could only laugh weakly without uttering anything. Huangfu Zhe gave a light sigh and turned to the servant girl beside him, "Please convey the message left to you by the Young Lady, Lan Xiang."


    "Yes." The servant girl stepped forward impishly. Without being able to look at Chen Xiao, she squeaked fearfully, "The Young Lady had s-said... said that she would expect her future husband to be a person of honorable character and proud bearing... if only Young Master Xiao Chen c-could, could..." Lan Xiang''s voice trailed off as she did not dare continue any further.


    "Continue." Xiao Chen''s body began to tremble.


    "The Young Lady would give Young Master Xiao Chen three years. In three years, the Young Master would only have to reach Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm and enroll himself into the Skygale Sect... only then... only then, the Young Lady w-would... would... Otherwise, she hopes that the Young Master would forget about her..."


    A blanket of silence lingered across the entire hall and none who stood outside dared to say anything. Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm was the elementary cultivation stages of Immortality. No ordinary mortals could ever hope to achieve such Realm easily.


    "Hehehe..."


    From the midst of the drifting silence, came the mocking laughter of Xiao Chen before he snarled angrily, "Is that what she truly said!?" The servant girl was hardly a stranger to him: she was Huangfu Xin''er''s personal attendant; the servant closest to her who would never dare lie of such matter. Still, Xiao Chen could hardly bring himself to swallow the words sent to him by Huangfu Xin''er herself.


    Lan Xiang shuddered with fear. She stole a fearful look up, only to look into the frosty eyes of Qin Xiu who scared the living daylights out of her as she stammered, "Those are the words of the Young Lady, sir... The Young Lady did mention that she would never marry a complete w-wretch... A-and, and she said..."


    At this, the lids of her eyes got red and moist as she began to breathe heavily. It was apparent that Qin Xiu had coerced her to recite the words which were never the wishes of Huangfu Xin''er.


    "Hahaha..." Xiao Chen threw his head backward and began to laugh. There was a sharp agony in his heart as if a blade had driven through it. "Is this truly the wish of Xin''er herself?" "So she is mindful of it after all... Hehehe... Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen... Do you know how pitiful you are now?"


    Sitting quietly at the seat of honor in the hall, Xiao Changfeng had yet to utter a word. Huangfu Zhe threw another light sigh and said, "I am aware that the matter is grave tidings, especially to Nephew Xiao Chen. Hence, I have brought with me a Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves as a token of apology." "Present the item, Lan Xiang."


    "Yes." The servant girl wiped her eyes dry and produced a brocade box. She walked up the hall and opened the box, releasing torrents of blinding white radiance that poured from within the box and blinded everyone present. It was only when all of them had regained their sight that they could finally glimpse upon a little tree that fully blushed in a jade emerald luster with nine pearly flowers hanging from its boughs.


    "The ingestion of this plant will allow its user to enjoy immense growth in his or her powers, immunity from sicknesses and diseases, as well as the possibility of the cultivation of a Spiritual Meridian," Huangfu Zhe explained with a tone of finality. Clearly, the Huangfu Family had not expected that Xiao Chen will be able to reach Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm in three years.


    The many younger disciples and kins of the Xiao Family thronging outside the hall could only watch with eagerness at the box and its content. The present was also proof that the Huangfu Family had ties with Immortals. The consumption of the plant would allow its user the opportunity to pursue the dream of Immortality.


    But Xiao Chen had not even looked at the box. Instead, he feigned a cold giggle, "I am afraid I must object, Uncle Huangfu. My response might displease you, but I do not intend to agree to call off the betrothal unless Xin''er speaks to me herself!"


    "Xiao Chen! Silence!" Being afraid that Xiao Chen''s insolence might anger the Immortals, Xiao Tianqi shouted at once.


    Xiao Chen turned around and smiled coldly as he said, "With the presence of my father today, I trust that the matter of my conjugal affairs should no longer concern you, Uncle."


    Xiao Chen''s sharp reply left Xiao Tianqi speechless. Xiao Chen immediately turned to Huangfu Zhe and smiled thinly, "I have three years to reach Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm, is it not?"


    Huangfu Zhe beheld Xiao Chen with muted silence, feeling a distinct difference to the young man before him. Beside him, Qin Xiu sneered, "As was mentioned in the message left to you by Junior Sister Xin''er. But for her sake, I will have you break off the matrimonial promise today no matter what, for you are a wretch not worth waiting for."


    Xiao Chen shot him with a cold glare immediately and said, "Who are you to decide if I am worth it or not? You, a mere practitioner of the mystic arts who has only reached Lv 3 Foundation Building Realm?"


    The steely words of Xiao Chen sent a ripple of bewilderment and confusion across the hall and the many younger kins of the Xiao Family outside. They might have heard of the terms "Spiritual Meridian", the "Foundation Building Realm" and the "Qi Refining Realm". Listening to these words spoken before them was like myths and fairy tales springing to life before their very eyes. Yet, how was it possible that Xiao Chen seemed familiar with the mysteries of the Immortals?


    Even Qin Xiu could hardly suppress his body from trembling with shock. How was it possible that this useless wretch could easily perceive the level of his cultivation? He immediately composed himself and strode forth, saying, "A mere practitioner of the Foundation Building Realm? Would you like to test my prowess yourself?" With that, he channeled his True Energy and swiftly summoned a strong gale of wind that churned and howled furiously in the hall.


    The rest of those present who was weaker in powers and strength were instantly sent into fits of nauseating agony as they began to lose consciousness and their blood churning violently within them. In the midst of the harrow throes, one could not help wondering, was this the powers of one who pursued Immortality? The Cultivator had incapacitated so many of them without even lifting a finger.


    With his eyes set with determination and resolve, Xiao Chen could hardly wait as he spoke without an ounce of fear in his voice, "So be it then."


    Qin Xiu was slightly taken aback with surprise. "This boy... he is different from the other mortals. What is he? Is he also a Cultivator? But how is it possible that I am not being able to sense his powers?"


    He took a step forward. With a twirl of his fingers, an Immortal''s Sword materialized and hovered before him in mid-air. But the sword did not cast any shadow on the ground.


    "This is Stifled Light, the thirteenth on the Tome of Legendary Weapons. Duel with me if you dare, and I will concede to your demands if you are able to trade three blows with me."


    Outside, the younger disciples and kins of the Xiao Family could only watch with their breaths held in silence. It was beyond any more doubt that the person was one of the Immortals that he was able to suspend a sword in mid-air by only his will.


    Xiao Chen stepped forward and called out loud, "Is there anyone who will lend me his sword!"


    The disciples and kins outside could hardly believe their ears, has he gone mad in accepting a challenge by an Immortal? No mortal could possibly hope to survive one blow by an Immortal, much less three blows! But just then, everyone''s gazes were immediately drawn towards a green sword hanging over the seat of honor in the hall.


    With a lift of his hand, Xiao Changfeng sent the sword flying from its scabbard and into his grasp with a shrilling ring. He had used his Internal Strength to draw his sword from afar!


    "Chen''er, take this sword!"


    Xiao Chen reached forth and caught the hilt of the sword. It was called Teal Blade, a blade with extraordinary sharpness that it could easily cut strands of hair and even slice through steel. A gift from the Emperor of the Dynasty of the Nine Provinces when he had visited three hundred years ago, the sword had since then became the heirloom of the Xiao Family. In his hand, the blade quivered with excitement as if it has a consciousness of its own.


    "Three blows! Here I come!"


    Xiao Chen brandished his sword and threw himself forward, performing a few elementary strokes of the Mystic Cyan Swordplay. The blade of his sword danced through the howling winds, its dazzling movements filled the hall as if Xiao Chen had conjured a multitude of swords. The cold glimmer from its razor-sharp edge and the force of its movements slashed mercilessly through the air that the intense pressure from his strokes grazed the cheeks of everyone present, threatening to rip and tear at their very flesh.


    Unruly mayhem of surprise and confusion erupted inside and outside of the hall, "Since when has he learned how to fight! From where had he learned such complex sword techniques!"


    Everyone was confused and perplexed. Xiao Yifan could hardly believe what he was witnessing and all colors have left Xiao Yuan''s face for he so well knew that his strength of the Fivefold could hardly allow him to wield such complicated swordplay.


    Huangfu Zhe was also shaking with shock. Never did he expect Xiao Chen to have wielded such prowess.


    Qin Xiu''s eyes narrowed as he studied his opponent, how is it possible that this wretch has mastered such powerful sword techniques? It was clear that his opponent''s skills with the sword were far superior to his. With a tug of his finger, he controlled Stifled Light with his will and sent it forth like a white ray of light, its tip striking hard against Xiao Chen''s sword.


    There was a loud clang as sparks flew. The clash of the blades sent forth a strong shockwave, its force so terrible that the tablewares immediately shattered. Liquids of tea were thrown in all directions, splattering and splashing everywhere.


    Several elders of the household were nearly thrown backward by the force of the wave. Recovering themselves frantically, they shared a swift look amongst themselves because this was at least the strength of a Sevenfold martial artist! "Since when did Xiao Chen possess such capabilities?"


    Outside, the rest of the disciples and kins of the Xiao Family were all astounded. Xiao Yuan''s expression was especially hideous as he refused to believe what he was witnessing! For years he had reveled in being the greatest of the younger generations of the Xiao Family, but now, he was clearly being inferior to a useless stooge that he had always looked upon with disdain and contempt!


    The furious blows from Xiao Chen''s sword generated shrilling winds as the clangs of the clashing blades continued. In a mere blink of an eye, the two fighting men had exchanged more than ten blows. Yet, Xiao Chen was still composed and calm with his strokes. With a sudden burst of speed, a teal blue flash of light tore straight through the air and lunged viciously at Qin Xiu''s throat.


    Everyone present, inside and outside of the hall, drew a sharp breath, "Sword Radiance! That is Sword Radiance! He has released Sword Radiance!" Xiao Yifan and Xiao Changfeng watched wordlessly with concentrated effort. Only a swordsman with powers over the Sevenfold could conjure Sword Radiance with his or her Internal Strength.


    Qin Xiu felt a tingling, cold sensation down his spine. He swiftly channeled his True Energies and Chen Xiao began to feel a huge force bearing down at him from his opponent. His sword could no longer pierce forward as if being thwarted by a force with the strength of a mountain. But before he could react, the sword in his hand snapped, its blades shattered. The shards of his broken blade were thrown backward and impaled themselves into one of the great pillars of the hall.


    Xiao Chen was thrown into the air and he crashed into the ground, remaining on his feet. He tasted the sweetness of blood in his mouth, feeling intense pain from his insides. Defiantly, he swallowed the mouthful of blood. With his remaining strength, he struggled to maintain his balance, using his already broken sword to steady himself, refusing to collapse to his knees and surrender his final ounce of dignity.


    Such was the difference between the strength of the Qi Refining Realm and the Foundation Building Realm. Silence hung over the hall and the outside like a deathly apparition for none dared to speak. For three hundred years, the Teal Blade of the Xiao Family has struck fear into its foes that dare incur its wrath. Yet, it remained nothing but a mere instrument of common quality before the divine weapons of Immortals.


    Qin Xiu heaved a breath before he jeered, "Let¡¯s go, Uncle Huangfu." He began to leave, only to pause briefly as he passed by Xiao Chen and sneered, "What use is there if your sword move is only swift? My powers allow me to easily crush you to bits with a merest lift of my finger."


    Xiao Chen did not reply. It was true that a Cultivator of the Foundation Building Realm could easily slay another warrior of the Qi Refining Realm. He was no longer that gifted disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew from outside the hall and his hair, which was earlier tied together by Lil Ruo, flailed wildly in the wind.

 Chapter 8-The Zither Spiri

    t


    Then again, despite his failure to defeat his opponent, Xiao Chen had withstood more than three blows from Qin Xiu. The onlookers of their brief duel were still in a dazed stupor when a deep and chilly voice rose from the hall, "Hold it..."


    The voice roused everyone back to their senses as they looked towards the source of the voice: the Master of the Xiao Family, Xiao Changfeng. Qin Xiu turned to him and asked, "Master Xiao, is there anything I can be of service? Are you also interested in a duel with me? I would be pleased to be able to spar with you."


    "Take your things and leave."


    Xiao Changfeng''s voice boomed as he flailed the sleeve of his robes. The force channeled from him whisked the brocade box from the table and threw the box towards Qin Xiu. Sensing that something was wrong, Huangfu Zhe had tried to warn Qin Xiu, but he was too late.


    Qiu Xiu stretched his arm forward to receive the box gliding towards him only to find that the force propelling the box at him was as powerful as a mountain. The box slammed into him, nearly throwing him off his feet that he struggled to maintain balance, staggering backward until he reached the entrance of the hall. Qin Xiu felt a dreadful chill. How was it possible that a mortal warrior possessed such powerful strength?


    Xiao Changfeng shot him a disdainful glare before he turned to Huangfu Zhe, who had turned pale with fear and his back drenched with cold sweat. To his guest, the Master of the Xiao Family said, "In truth, the matter of matrimony was but a mere proposal made in jest by the two Patriarchs of our families centuries ago. There shall be no need for us to put any more stock of seriousness into this matter. There shall be no need for any more matrimonial arrangements in the future." He then instructed a servant girl, "See the guests out the door."


    Xiao Chen raised his head and looked at his grandfather. He full well knew that his grandfather was only trying to protect his reputation by annulling the entire matrimonial arrangement to save him the shame of being rejected.


    With no intent to tarry any longer, Huangfu Zhe and Qiu Xiu hastily took their leave. As they walked down the hill, Huangfu Zhe could feel his entire back wet from the perspiration of his fear. The visit to the Xiao Family to call off the marriage arrangements were actually a scheme concocted by him and Qin Xiu. Both Huangfu Xin''er and the old Master of the Huangfu Family were, in fact, oblivious of the annulment. Huangfu Zhe felt a creeping fear, "I have incurred the displeasure and anger of the entire Xiao Family for your sake, my young friend. Things will turn worse if the Master of my family and Xin''er are to receive wind of this..."


    Qin Xiu stretched and flexed his arms as he thought about Xiao Changfeng''s earlier gesture. Callously, he replied, "Have no fear, Uncle Huangfu. Junior Sister Xin''er is gifted with six Spiritual Meridians. My teacher will surely pass on his seat to me if I am able to have her hand in marriage. I will have enough authority and power to support your rise to be the next Master of your household then! As for this Xiao Chen..."


    For a fleeting moment, there was a brief but unmistakable hint of malice in his eyes. Qin Xiu turned to the servant girl trailing behind him, "Surely you will know how to behave yourself in front of Junior Sister Xin''er? Otherwise..."


    The servant girl shuddered with fear, not being able to raise her head and look at Qin Xiu in the eye. Huangfu Zhe gave a weak laugh, his thoughts wandered back to the duel earlier where Xiao Chen had displayed a strength never before seen in him. He could not help feeling regretful now. He paused and spoke to Qiu Xiu, his hands clasped together with respect, "I will first convey my thanks for the help that you will be giving me in the future then."


    ¡­


    The Fly Cloud Hall of the Xiao Family residence was still filled with hushed whispers following the departure of the guests. Xiao Changfeng spoke to his grandson, "You must be exhausted, Chen''er. Go and have a rest."


    Xiao Chen rose to his feet. He was still dejected by his loss. "Yes..." He turned, walking out of the hall with the broken sword still held tightly in his grasp. Another bout of excited and curious murmurs and mumbling rose once more from the midst of younger kinsmen watching outside.


    "A-are, are you still well?" A pleasant-looking girl, clad in green, stood in front of him.


    One could almost feel the heat from the countless burning stares looking at her. It was Xiao Wan''er, a fine-looking lass who had reached the Threefold at the age of fifteen. This made her well-adored in the household as her beauty mesmerized many other lads in the Xiao Family.


    But Xiao Chen hardly noticed her as his paces continued, his heavy steps slowly treading out of the square outside the hall. His leaving figure, sunken and dejected in the billowing winds, was so akin to the broken sword he held as his silhouette traipsing away.


    Watching him leave, Xiao Wan''er felt her eyes growing moist as she thought of the cheerful young lad she had met many years ago.


    Xiao Chen was once a bright young man; a budding prodigy in the household who had great intellect and a bright mind. There was nothing that he could not learn. This, plus his position as the Fourth Young Master of the household, made him popular with the rest of the female disciples and kins of the family. But things had turned dire for him when it was later known that Xiao Chen could not practice martial arts. People began to treat him like a pariah, all of whom included Xiao Wan''er herself.


    Lil Ruo was busy tidying up Xiao Chen''s books in the Purple Bine Pavilion when she heard approaching footsteps. She walked toward the door and saw that the Young Master had returned so soon. Noticing his pale expression, she immediately hastened to him, asking, "What happened, Young Master? Why are you back so soon? Have you forgotten something..."


    She had barely finished when Xiao Chen spat a mouthful of blood. The final stroke by Qin Xiu had sent a jolt of shock though him that nearly burst his heart.


    With a frightful wail, Lil Ruo immediately held him, crying on the verge of tears, "What happened, Young Master?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head weakly, "All is well..." He noticed a cut on her hand and asked, "What is wrong with your hand?"


    There was fear and worry in her eyes which had turned red and moist. Hastily, Lil Ruo replied, "I am fine, master. It was just a minor cut I got when I was wiping your zither."


    Xiao Chen frowned, "Have I not said many times that you are not to touch that zither?"


    "Y-yes, Sir. I will never go near that zither any more. Please, Young Master, let me help you into the Pavilion," said Lil Ruo anxiously.


    Shaking his head, Xiao Chen took her hands off him as he said, "That will not be necessary. I need some time alone. Go to my mother."


    Knowing full well of her Young Master''s temperament, Lil Ruo did not dare defy him, nodding and replied, "Yes..." The Young Master was to be left alone every time he wanted some private time lest he grew angry.


    Xiao Chen waited until Lil Ruo has left and ambled towards the large banyan tree in his courtyard. With a hand on its trunk, he spat another mouthful of blood. He punched hard at its trunk and began to roar with laughter while throwing his head backward, "Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen! Thousands of years have passed and you are not even a match for a Cultivator of the Foundation Building Realm!"


    Just then, from behind his back, he heard the cheery voice of a boy calling to him, "It seems that my confidence in you is indeed misplaced if you are not being able to take just this much of adversity."


    "Who is it!"


    Xiao Chen spun swiftly, feeling the gust of chilly breeze fluttering through his hair. But there was no one to be seen. He sped swiftly into his house, only to find it empty as well, save for the reddish-purple Jade Zither on his table.


    The Jade Zither looked very ancient. It was a gift from his mother, Su Qing, when he was seven. He had set his eyes upon it when he saw it in a market and strangely, he had refused to leave without it then.


    More so, the zither would allow no one but him to play it. There have been also people who have had their fingers cut when trying to play it.


    The boyish voice rose once more, "Look no further. Here I am. I am the Archaean Zither Spirit."


    The voice had come from within the zither.


    The voice from the zither resonated with him strongly, for it was a voice that he would never forget. There was a sudden urge to shed tears.


    "Look no further. I am the Archean Zither Spirit."


    The familiar voice echoed across the empty courtyard, bringing back memories of Xiao Chen''s past when he was still a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect thousands of years ago. Ling Yin had then given to him a Jade Zither, the sacred Archean zither, the Fuxi Zither. In the zither resided a Zither Spirit whose name was Evernight, the one who would then become one of his closest friends.


    Slowly, the air in the little cottage shimmered and the figure of a young man materialized from thin air. Hovering at a foot over the ground, the silver-haired young man, whose locks grazed his shoulders was clad in light-colored robes that oddly resembled the shade of the moon. Countless runic symbols adorned his strange robes as his dark-purplish eyes and his pale expression belied his weathered experiences and life.


    "It really is you, Evernight..."


    Xiao Chen could no longer hold back the swelling emotions. Never did he expect that they would be able to meet each other again in this unfamiliar world after millennia of separation.


    But what followed was a cold reply; a freezing chill thousands of years old.


    "Have some respect, you wretched fool! I am the Archean Zither Spirit!"


    The smile on Xiao Chen''s face froze, he had shared the same features as his past incarnation, yet why was Evernight unable to recognize him? No, not only did Evernight failed to recognize him, he had lost all of his memories.


    Evernight was the Spirit of the Fuxi Zither; an entity damned to live forever in the Fuxi Zither. He could never leave the zither lest his being would begin to fade. But with the mystery of the disappearance of the Fuxi Zither still yet unsolved, he could only reside in another zither and delay his slow, but eventual demise.


    But what had happened so many years before the Immortal Kings and Deities have all disappeared? Even Evernight, who had long freed himself from the torments of the Six Paths of Samsara had been weakened to such pitiable state.


    "Tell me, Evernight. What happened many years ago? How is it that you now reside in this ordinary zither? What of my master?"


    "Many years ago... The Fuxi Zither... Your master..." Evernight stammered, his expression turning confused with bewilderment, "I can remember no more... I only know that I am the Archean Zither Spirit..."


    At this, his face turned serious, "I have sensed everything that has transpired earlier, boy. Your opponent is of the Foundation Building Realm, but it seems that you have hardly progressed at all."


    Xiao Chen felt a faint shudder, feeling the sting of the Evernight''s words. Indeed, even before the sun had risen, Xiao Chen was already up. Yet for all his efforts, he could only reach the peak of Lv 1 and no more, as if something was wrong with the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method.


    "There is no way that, with your present state, you will ever pass through all three stages of the Qi Refining Realm in three years; in fact, you might not even succeed even if you have ten years. Instead, you might even grow weaker and plunge back into the Body Refining Realm. I heard that the Huangfu girl has six Spiritual Meridians. With her admission into the Skygale Sect, she will attain the Foundation Building Realm in less than one year."


    Xiao Chen''s body trembled at this revelation. It was, in fact, his deepest fear, for he had surmised the reason for his bogged down progress in his powers.


    Despite its potency, the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method required a substantial amount of natural Spiritual Qi as the basis, like how a huge vessel requires the buoyancy of seawater to keep itself afloat. The lands were teeming with natural Spiritual Qi from both heaven and earth thousands of years ago, an abundance of resources that had helped him then.


    But now, the Spiritual Qi was but a mere speck of its former richness.


    The notion reminded him of Mu Chengxue''s message to him, that he would one day visit the Violet Manor. Immediately, Xiao Chen asked, "Where is this Violet Manor?"


    Evernight cast a longing look out the window and said, "You have to realize that the world consists of many different regions. If one were to look at the Human World as Lv 1 Cultivators'' Area, then the Violet Manor would be Lv 2 Cultivators'' Area, albeit greater and richer in resources. Each of these regions can be viewed as domains of their own and there are nine of them. What say you? Do you think you will be visiting all nine of them?"

 Chapter 9-The Mystic Diabolic Enchantmen

    t


    In just the blink of an eye, Xiao Chen could vaguely feel the distinct changes in the environment of this world. Knowing that the Violet Manor was his best option to enhance his powers, he asked, "Do you have any way of leading me to this Violet Manor?"


    Evernight glanced at him and said, "The Mu girl you met not long ago has powers of the Core Forming Realm. Even she could hardly withstand the might of her enemies from the Violet Manor who have pursued her here in the Human World. What do you, a Cultivator of the Qi Refining Realm, can do? Remember, you possess twelve Spiritual Meridians. That alone makes you a widely-coveted nourishment."


    "What can I do then? Am I to remain a useless fool for the rest of my life, now that Miss Gu had removed the seals from my Spiritual Meridians? One way or another, I must make it there!"


    Evernight gave a light snort and he said, "There are Cultivators'' sects and covens here in the Human World, but they are mostly hidden from sight and their strongholds are protected by magical enchantments and barriers. That is why most common mortals know nothing of them. But once every few years, a select few disciples who have displayed promising talents are chosen to be sent to the Violet Manor. Surely you will know how to go from here?"


    Xiao Chen finally understood: Evernight had suggested that he enroll himself into one such Immortal sects and try to gain entry into the Violet Manor. He would also be able to learn the cultivation methods of the sect he would later join and use it to reach the Foundation Building Realm. It was a very good plan that he could kill two birds with one stone.


    Like a huge sea-going vessel that could never travel on shallow waters, his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method could never again function adequately with the thinning Spiritual Qi in this environment. He would now need another cultivation method; a little boat, for him to traverse the smaller stream until his large vessel can once again be used in the greater seas.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes flashed, renewed with hope and resolve. He must reach the Violet Manor; the greater seas where he can once again use the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method to its greatest efficacy! He must find out what happened thousands of years ago and find his master, Ling Yin!


    Just then, he heard quick footsteps pattering outside. Evernight immediately retreated back into the zither. Just as Evernight had vanished, the door of his little cottage swung opened and in came a lady, looking twenty of age, although she was, in fact, a woman over thirty years of age. She was Xiao Chen''s mother, Su Qing.


    "What happened, Chen''er?" Su Qing asked, immediately reaching for his wrist.


    Xiao Chen immediately withdrew his hand, "I am well, Mother..."


    Su Qing''s eyes immediately narrowed into a cold glare, "Was it the people from the Skygale Sect who had injured you?"


    Xiao Chen felt himself shudder, why was his mother unafraid of the name Skygale Sect, unlike the rest of his kin? His mother''s family name was Su, but the Xiao Family had a law set by one of their ancestors, that no one from the family is to fraternize with anyone surnamed Su.


    Thus, Xiao Chen''s parents faced harsh and terrible repudiation when they were together. In a fit of rage, his father had then left the family with his mother. It was until three years after Xiao Chen was born, only then they all returned to the Xiao Family.


    "I am well, Mother. Worry no more..."


    Su Qing sighed. Her chin rose gently as she scowled at him, "You silly child. Do I not know that you have always kept things from me? From where does your power come from?"


    "I-I, I..." Xiao Chen stuttered, not knowing how he should explain everything. He hastily changed the subject, "A-ah... Yes! I remember that the Elegant Pavilion has a new stock of jewelry from the Western Regions that came last month. How about we visit their store for a look someday?"


    It was only in the afternoon when his mother finally left, relenting at last for not being able to wriggle the truth out of him. Xiao Chen heaved a breath of relief. But he had always been puzzled for he had never heard of his father speaking about his mother''s family and he had never once visited his mother''s family even in the festive seasons.


    The sun was creeping away into the hills when he suddenly had an urge to explore the ancient crypt to see if Mu Chengxue had left anything behind. With his skills, he easily slipped past the two guards at the entrance.


    A deathly chill reigned eternally in the ancient crypt of the Xiao Family. Neither beasts nor vermins dared disturb the slumber of the occupants within. The hoary blanket of moon glow upon the stones of the ancient necropolis added only to the ghastly atmosphere that lingered. Xiao Chen went straight to the cave where Mu Chengxue once hid in and found a white jade bottle. There were seven or eight healing elixirs in it.


    "She had mentioned that only the elixirs in this bottle were personally refined by her. Did she leave this here for me, knowing that I would return?"


    He stowed the jade bottle into his robes. He had merely mentioned about the matter in jest to Mu Chengxue, yet now things had taken an odd turn and culminated in a costly favor for him.


    He slapped his forehead suddenly. He had completely forgotten to ask her about her origins. How would he be able to locate her in the sea of people in the Violet Manor if and when he reached there?


    He shook his head and sighed. But just when he was about to turn and leave, he sensed a sudden turbulence of auric energies churning in the cave. It seemed to come from under the ground.


    Warily, he crept slowly deeper into the cave. Through the veil of darkness, he could vaguely see eight tombstones, each engraved with strange runic symbols. The eight tombstones were erected in a hexagon, each in the positions of the eight trigrams on the Bagua symbol. In the center of the stone formation was a round, stone sarcophagus.


    The strange anomaly seemed to have come from the stone sarcophagus. Xiao Chen carefully traipsed past the tombstones and stepped before the sarcophagus. The stone surface of the coffin was battered with dents and scratches; all of which were hallmarks of its age.


    He placed a hand on the sarcophagus and released his Divine Sense to peer inside. But a sudden torrent of force erupted from within and blocked his Divine Sense, sending a jolt of shock into him that he nearly fainted.


    Xiao Chen lurched a few steps backward that he nearly knocked down one of the tombstones. He swiftly bowed and clasped his hands with respect and apologized, "Please accept my apologies, Senior, for my brash intrusion of your rest."


    Just then, a hoarse, shrilling voice squealed from within the stone coffin, "You will never be able to keep me here, Xiao Ning! The end for the Xiao Family will come when I once again see the light of day..." The hollow voice echoed from deep within the ground, sending shivers of chill down Xiao Chen''s spine.


    But Xiao Chen did not fully catch the gruesome roar of anger, hearing only "Xiao Ning", "once again see the light of day" and a few other staggered words. Was Xiao Ning not the earliest patriarch of the Xiao Family? Who was the person buried here?


    It took him some moments before he regained his senses. The voice of the dead person resting here must be a residue of his former powers. He must have been extremely powerful that his powers still guarded his corpse even after thousands of years since his demise.


    But then he thought, "Can a warrior so powerful die? Had my master escaped the deadly pitfalls of the Samsara after the great upheaval which had befallen the land?" Xiao Chen could not help but feel a melancholic gloom.


    Moments passed as night came slowly. Xiao Chen was beginning to leave when the cognizance of his Divine Sense alerted him to several cubicle alcoves hewed from the stone of the cavern walls. In these crude shelves fashioned from stone were many ancient books and manuscripts which were covered with layers of dust and soot. Xiao Chen walked closer and removed a book from one of the alcoves. He looked closely at it and found its title, "Heavenly Sky Palm".


    "The Heavenly Sky Palm; at its earliest its strokes fall with the grace of a peaceful dove, but powerful forces are hidden within each stroke. Its strength peaks when its user is against stronger opponents. The ending strokes contained nine different Palm Strengths; each stronger than the one before, wielding indomitable strength that could lay waste to even Earth and Sea."


    As he read, he could hardly hold himself from shaking apart. This was the martial discipline that Xiao Yuan had used, although he was still not yet adept in utilizing this discipline to its fullness. Xiao Chen recited and memorized the pithy rule of the Heavenly Sky Palm and began riffling through the pages of other books he found. At length, he came across another old book, covered also by a thick film of grime.


    The words "The Mystic Diabolic Enchantment" were on the face of its cover. Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed with curiosity. As he was once a student of a Cultivators'' sect, his interest was piqued at the "Diabolic" word he saw on the cover of the book. He flipped opened the book.


    But when he opened the book, the rest of the pages swiftly turned as if being blown by a strong wind. The words from the book floated off its pages and melded together into a black mass of smoke which suddenly shot into his forehead.


    In his fright and panic, Xiao Chen tried to throw the book as far as he could. He calmed himself and began channeling his powers using the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, trying his best to clear his minds of all thoughts. But the vile cultivation methods contained in the strange book earlier were so deeply imprinted into his mind that he could not forget about them.


    "The First Diabolic Shift: your blood is your palm."


    "The Second Diabolic Shift: your auric energy is your fist."


    "The Third Diabolic Shift: your soul is your blade."


    Just then, he began to feel his True Qi beginning to flow differently. He remembered a lesson he had learned so long ago: the inversive flow of one''s True Qi could see one falling into the dark side. He immediately collapsed to the floor, sitting cross-legged and began to recite the Mystic Sacred Writ. Moments passed and finally, he was able to suppress the tempestuous True Qi churning within him.


    By then, the back of his robes was wet with sweat. Gasping for breath for his luck, he realized that he was but mere inches away from being corrupted. He cast a look at the evil book he had thrown away earlier and thought of the perils which might befall humanity if its secrets were to leak outside.


    Summoning his True Qi, he blasted the book into bits.


    The night was almost here when he left. In the shadowy dearth of light, Xiao Chen slipped past the guards and returned to the Purple Bine Pavilion. Three days passed without any events. Every day he tried meditating and training, still, there has yet to be any noticeable increase in his powers. Instead, the methods from the evil book that he had inadvertently riffled through would beckon to him bewitchingly, troubling and unsettling him


    He was frowning at his plight when Evernight''s voice called out to him, "There was a person who had come two days ago. I heard that he had chosen three amongst your kin who possesses Spiritual Meridians. Only three of your kin. Do you not want to have a look?"

 Chapter 10-Plo

    t


    "What!"


    Xiao Chen leaped to his feet instantly, "Why did you not tell me about this earlier!" With that, he immediately rushed out the courtyard and went straight to his father.


    "Yes. I think it is Perfected Immortal Zixu, the leader of the Three Pure Sect. It appears that even our family has someone who is blessed with the fortune of becoming an Immortal. We will not have to fear the Huangfu Family anymore," said Xiao Yifan with a smile.


    "Is the leader still here?" Xiao Chen asked anxiously.


    "He left two days ago. There was news of a strange and evil flower that consumes the souls of humans. He and your grandfather had left with Master Lingjue of the Sanctum of the Arcane Spring to investigate this matter."


    Xiao Chen frowned with dismay. He was hardly interested in evil flowers. He then asked again nervously, "Who are the three persons that Perfect Immortal Zixu had chosen?"


    Xiao Yifan pondered and replied, "There is Xiao Han, Xiao Wan''er, and lastly, your cousin, Xiao Yu..."


    Xiao Chen could feel his body quivering with disappointment. Had the fortune of being an Immortal just slipped past his fingers? Xiao Yifan noticed the gloomy look upon his son and said, "They will be leaving in a few days. Your sister sends for you. She might want to say her goodbyes before her departure."


    "I see..." Xiao Chen responded, his voice heavily laced with gloom. Before long, the somber-looking Xiao Chen meandered into a courtyard filled with beautiful blooming flowers. Falling leaves showered gracefully in a soft breeze that filled the garden with the scent of fragrances from the flowers, which are refreshing to both mind and soul of anyone who steps into this utopian paradise.


    Just then, Xiao Chen felt a swift force boring down on him from behind. He swiftly spun on his heels, only to find the tip of a short, green sword stopped before his forehead. The point of its tip glimmered with a cold flash and holding the hilt of the sword, was a young girl, looking seventeen of age.


    Her skin was fair as snow and her eyebrows were distinct dark lines. Clad in flowing robes of purple, her hair was hung straight down her back. She stood in the midst of the shafts of light, as if a sacred and celestial glow had been cast upon her purple robes.


    She was none other than Xiao Yu, the Third Young Lady of the Xiao Family, Xiao Chen''s cousin who was three months his senior.


    Xiao Yu giggled heartily, "Why are you not evading my stroke, boy? Word has come to me that you now can fight. This is perfect timing! Come, spar against me!"


    It was hardly a secret to everyone within the household that the Third Young Lady was an avid lover of the martial arts. She was profoundly skilled in wielding the sword, with mastery of the weapon that might even put Xiao Yuan to shame, for the latter would never dare behave pompously in her presence.


    Xiao Chen lightly pushed away the blade of her sword and asked, "Why is it that you have sent for me, Sister?"


    Xiao Yu sheathed her sword and giggled gently, "An old Taoist master came two days ago and said that I am born with Spiritual Meridians. He wants to take me as a disciple. Hmph, surely my father''s own swordsmanship is stronger than the skills of a little Taoist shrine."


    Xiao Chen lifted his head, "But that is no ordinary Taoist shrine... That is a Cultivators'' sect..."


    Xiao Yu broke into a roar of laughter, "Be that as it may, I have no intention of joining them. Ah! What a coincidence! You can go in my stead!"


    "Sister..."


    Then it dawned upon him. Xiao Yu had sent for him not to say her final goodbyes, but to allow him to go in her stead, knowing full well that Xiao Chen had always been interested to study the mystics of Immortality.


    Despite some may question the veracity of deities and the supernatural, none would hardly forgo the chance of pursuing immortality and everlasting life. Many have schemed and plotted against one another only for the one chance of such an opportunity and fortune of extreme rarity. Yet, here it was, a person who would give up her own chance for him...


    "Fret no more, boy. Xiao Han and Xiao Wan''er are also chosen. You will have to sit for a test before you will be truly accepted. I have long been irked by Xiao Wan''er and her antics; her trailing behind and swooning over Xiao Yuan every day. Make sure that you are better than both of them."


    Xiao Chen broke into a light smile and replied, "Of course. Thank you so much, Sister."


    Xiao Yu threw an arm over his neck and pulled him to her. She said, "Remember: bring back the Huangfu girl as your wife after three years and remember to return the favor to that Qin Xiu for the humiliation that he had given you."


    Xiao Chen forced a smile in return; even Xiao Yu had heard of this news. He then returned to the Water Immortal Pavilion, where he relayed the news to his parents. Xiao Yifan was overjoyed by it but Su Qing turned morose and morbid.


    "You cannot go!"


    The sudden shriek caught Xiao Chen and his father, as well as Lil Ruo who was cleaning in the living hall, unaware that they jumped in unison. Xiao Chen turned to his mother and found that all colors have left her; her face deathly pale. Never before he had seen her in such a state for more than ten years.


    "Mother..."


    "I have been very clear! You must not go! Why must you leave to study the ways of Immortality! You will remain at home and go nowhere!"


    Su Qing rose to her feet suddenly and roared angrily.


    Xiao Yifan was also bewildered and shocked for he had never witnessed his wife in such a rage. It took him a moment to recover before he strode over and spoke to Su Qing gently, "Why the tantrum, my wife..."


    Su Qing looked at him and said, "Never before I have defied your will and never again I will dare spurn your instructions. But I must insist this time." Swiftly, she called to the sentinels standing guard outside, "Men! Escort the Young Master back to the Purple Bine Pavilion! Bar him from leaving the Pavilion in a month!"


    Two guards stormed from outside the hall. Xiao Yifan pointed to two of them and commanded, "Halt! Stop right there!" He held Su Qing and slowly led her aside and coaxed her into the seat of a chair. With a gentle smile, he said, "Look, my wife. Look at how our son has grown. We must understand that we cannot keep him by our side for long. He needs to see how great the world is and realize his own potential..."


    But he had barely finished when Su Qing retorted sharply, "Say no more, husband. I will never consent to him leaving us."


    Xiao Chen could hardly believe his ears. Why? Why had his mother forbidden him from studying the ways of the Immortals? How would he be able to find out what happened thousands of years ago and locate his master if he was indeed forbidden from going to study the mystic arts of Immortality?


    He dropped to his knees and said, "I am sorry, Mother. I have made my mind. I can only ask for your forgiveness as an unfilial son if you still intend to stop me..."


    "You!" Su Qing''s face paled even more. Xiao Yifan grimaced with agony, "Ah! What are you doing, my son! Get up!"


    Lil Ruo too frowned with distress, "Please get up, Young Master. Please do not anger Lady Su any more." Even she was shocked by Su Qing''s sudden change in demeanor.


    "I am sorry, Mother. But I will not get up until I have your consent."


    In a fit of rage, Su Qing snatched the feather duster Lil Ruo was holding and stomped towards Xiao Chen, screaming, "You would not get up, eh?"


    Xiao Chen kept silent. Xiao Yifan barked to the two guards, "What are you looking at! Back to your posts!"


    "Yes, Sir!" The two guards replied and immediately slinked away.


    Overcame with intense fury, Su Qing was about to whip Xiao Chen with the feather duster when Lil Ruo immediately threw herself in between with a cry and tried to shield Xiao Chen from his mother''s furious strokes, "No, Lady Su! Please!"


    Su Qing thrashed her sleeves and threw the feather duster to the ground before she left. She came back moments later, "Listen to me, my son. The pursuit of Immortality is not like what you think. You know nothing of the terrible costs that follow..."


    Xiao Chen raised his head, "I know, Mother. The journey in pursuit of immortality is but a most perilous undertaking. But there are questions in my heart that require answers; questions that only be solved this way, lest I will regret my entire life."


    Hours passed as the sun was finally creeping back into the bosom of the western mountains. Su Qing''s pale white lips moved finally, "Up you get..."


    "M-mother... You allow me to go?" Xiao Chen gasped with joy.


    Su Qing did not reply. Xiao Yifan threw a look at Lil Ruo, who understood his tacit gesture and came over to help the Young Master to his feet. Xiao Yifan laughed and said, "Let me cook tonight."


    He then prepared an entire tableful of dishes. But none of them could lift their chopsticks to eat. Tears rolled silently down Su Qing''s cheek and into her bowl as she struggled to stifle the sadness of seeing her son go.


    ... ...


    Later in the night, a silvery moon hung in the sky. Xiao Chen gazed at the luminous orb perched up high. He could not sleep, wondering on the reason for his mother''s unrelenting refusal to allow him to learn the ways of the Immortals. Suddenly, he remembered of what Mu Chengxue told him, that somebody had deliberately sealed his Spiritual Meridians using powerful sorcery and had altered his Destiny.


    A thought came to him suddenly that made him sit up: could it be that the person is Mother? No, it is impossible that his mother would have such incredible powers. But what could be the reason behind her intransigent refusal? Who could she be actually...


    Through the entire night, Xiao Chen remained wide-awake. Two days then passed without any events. On the third day, a disciple from the Three Pure Sect came to the residence to lead the three prospects to the stronghold of the sect.


    In the Water Immortal Pavilion, Su Qing, her face blank and expressionless, asked again, "Are you certain of this, my son?"


    Xiao Chen nodded wordlessly, conveying his resolve. On his back, he was carrying a case which contained the Jade Zither.


    Xiao Yifan led his son aside and slipped to him a Well-being Talisman. He whispered to his son, "This is made by your mother for you. Inside, it contains a piece of the heirloom of our family, the Blood Jade. It was cleaved into four halves and one of it is for you."


    Xiao Chen accepted the Well-being Talisman from his father. But as soon as he touched it, he instantly felt a most familiar sensation. He projected his Divine Senses and found that it was a fragment of a Samsara Jade!


    The Samsara Jade was a very, very old Blood Jade, a treasure that could last for ages and protect the soul of its wielder. Ages ago, it was his teacher who had then sealed his soul into the Samsara Jade. But never did he know that it was broken and it had also ended up in the Xiao Family!


    By then, he could not help feeling fearful and worried. What was going on with him? His reawakening in this age was definitely not by chance, but an intricate plot concocted by somebody unknown!

 Chapter 11-Three Pure Sec

    t


    Xiao Yifan noticed his son''s bad look and asked carefully, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen recovered his sense and forced a smile. "Nothing." At this moment, he didn''t know why he felt like he had lost his soul. This was not a coincidence but someone''s arrangement.


    "Master, let''s go. Don''t let the Immortal wait for too long."


    Lil Ruo had packed their stuff. She would follow Xiao Chen as a maid. She would neither join the Three Pure Sect nor take the test.


    Xiao Chen nodded and walked to her when Su Qing called him to stop. She sighed and took out something like a badge.


    "I know I can''t talk you out of this now. Be careful out there. If some senior made things difficult for you, just show him this thing."


    Xiao Chen took over the badge and did not know what it was made of. Also, it was carved with a super complex pattern that he did not know of. He nodded and said, "Okay. Mother, trust me, I''ll be fine."


    ...


    Many elders in the Fly Cloud Hall were very courteous to a youth in white who was at his 20s. He carried a long sword on his back and sat still on a chair. He nodded to the maid who sent him a cup of tea and looked very punctilious.


    Many people had crowded outside the hall. Xiao Wan''er had a beaming face. She wore a pink dress today and looked like a little princess adored by people. A youth in teal clothes stood beside her, and he was about the same age as Xiao Chen. He looked cold and kept silent as if he were a piece of 10,000-year-ice. His name was Xiao Han.


    Xiao Chen walked into the hall and greeted that senior brother from the Three Pure Sect. Then, they were about to set off.


    A dozen elders and many Xiao Family disciples saw them off at the mountain gate. Xiao Wan''er turned around and waved to the crowd, saying, "Go home, my friends! See you!"


    The youth in white also turned around and said with a warm smile, "Seniors of the Xiao Family, please go back now."


    There was already a carriage waiting at the foot of the mountain. After they boarded the carriage, Xiao Wan''er opened the curtain and waved goodbye to the crowd until she could not see them.


    The youth in white from the Three Pure Sect smiled gently and said, "I haven''t introduced myself yet. My name is Cheng Ying. Just call me Senior Brother Cheng."


    Xiao Wan''er immediately sat upright and smiled. "Brother Cheng Ying, a pleasure to meet you. I''m Xiao Wan''er, you can call me Wan''er."


    Xiao Chen put his zither box beside and smiled slightly. "Senior Brother Cheng, well met. I''m Xiao Chen."


    Xiao Han looked at the blue sky as he moved his lips, uttering a cold voice, "Xiao Han."


    Cheng Ying nodded and looked at Lil Ruo, asking, "How should I address you then?"


    Lil Ruo was always afraid of strangers, now she dared not to say anything with her head down. Xiao Chen smiled and said, "This is my sister. She''s used to living with me. She will accompany me there and won''t take the entrance test."


    It was a beautiful day in spring. After the carriage rode off the city, grass and orioles welcomed them as groups of butterflies danced among the flowers. Xiao Wan''er said with a smile, "Brother Cheng Ying, why don''t we travel on the flying sword?"


    Cheng Ying was quite embarrassed and smiled, saying, "My cultivation is rather low. I can only ride the sword near the mountain gate of our sect."


    All along the way, Xiao Wan''er had asked many weird questions. She seemed to want to get close to Cheng Ying, but instead, her questions always made him look awkward and even flushed from time to time.


    "About the Spiritual Meridians. I''m not sure how many you''ve got, junior sister. You''ll know when we get back in the sect where you''ll get tested."


    "Alright..." Xiao Wan''er nodded and asked again, "Can we be apprenticed as soon as we reach the sect? Can I be apprenticed to Senior Brother Cheng Ying?"


    Cheng Ying scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, saying, "You will take the test first when you get there. Our sect will only recruit five Inner Disciples and 50 Outer Disciples. The competition is pretty intense. Good luck to all of you..."


    Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Han with his split vision and found that man confident. Xiao Chen was sure that Xiao Han''s achievement in martial arts was higher than that of Xiao Yuan. He believed that Xiao Chen had been keeping a low profile.


    Xiao Wan''er asked again, "The Violet Manor that Senior Brother Cheng Ying mentioned, where is it? Is it a place for Immortals to live in?" She looked so innocent when she spoke.


    Cheng Ying smiled and said, "No, it isn''t. It''s a place of Cultivators'' sects. The Spiritual Qi there is much more abundant than in this Human World. If you can reach the Foundation Building Realm, you''ll have the chance to be sent to the Violet Manor, people that can be sent there are limited every time though."


    "Got it!" Xiao Wan''er nodded and asked again, "Senior Brother Cheng Ying, what level are you in the Foundation Building Realm?"


    Cheng Ying scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "The truth is that I haven''t reached the Foundation Building Realm yet. I''m now at Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm."


    "Awesome!"


    "Barely. The truly awesome one is Senior Brother Mo Yu. He''s at Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm now, and he''s the most promising disciple to be admitted to the Violet Manor."


    "Wow! How powerful Senior Brother Mo Yu is!" Xiao Wan''er bore this name and Violet Manor in her mind.


    Three days had passed, and the carriage had left Cloud Province. On their journey, Xiao Wan''er was the most talkative one. In contrast, Xiao Han basically did not say anything but gaze at the blue sky hour after hour.


    They were close to entering the realm of the Serene Province, where green hills lay and clear streams flowed. Numerous towering mountains pierced through the clouds. The most famous one was Lingtai Mountain because the Three Pure Sect was situated there.


    A long time ago, the Three Pure Sect was yet to be known to the world. Then, someday, someone on a bridge saw a man flying through the reflection on the river. He was scared as hell and then asked around. It turned out that there was a Cultivators'' sect on the mountain. From then on, the Three Pure Sect was known by more and more people.


    As a result, countless people entered into that mountain, with the hope to find Immortals and seek Dao. However, the clouds and mist were so thick that people could not find their way. In recent hundreds of years, the Three Pure Sect had started to recruit disciples on a big scale.


    At this moment, in a small square pavilion on the mountain, an old man with white beard and hair was looking at the motions on the astrolabe in his hand. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter as the stars moved on the board. At the same time, his hand started to shake.


    A woman in white floated to his side like a ghost. Yes, she floated here without touching the ground.


    "Senior brother, what are you studying?"


    "Who is it?!" The old man was startled as his hand shook and tossed the astrolabe. However, it bounced back against the wall and hit his face. He turned his head and stared at the woman in white, frowning. "Third Junior Sister? What are you doing here?"


    "I''m here to ask you whether the new batch of disciples this year has arrived or not. You don''t need to be nervous."


    The woman in white was very beautiful but as cold as frost. She kept looking at the astrolabe when she spoke. Then, she frowned slightly. "Haven''t you sealed this astrolabe 16 years ago? Why do you take it out again?"


    The old man turned his head back. He looked at the astrolabe and sighed. "Third Junior Sister, did you still remember that sudden and bizarre incident in the sky?"


    "Do you mean the 9 planets went into a straight line? And then they turned into a strong light and fell into the territory of Cloud Province?"


    The old man nodded as his brows furrowed tightly. He said, "Do you still remember the eight words that were revealed on this astrolabe? ''The Demon God reincarnates, the Annihilation shall come''. Nothing has happened all these years, but three days ago when I was looking at the stars, I found they were aligned in the way the astrolabe has shown! Then I took it out and confirmed that they were the same. Moreover, the ominous star has been moving toward us over the past three days. I''m afraid something bad is about to happen..."


    The woman''s eyebrows tightened as she said, "Are you saying that the Skygale Sect is going to annihilate us once and for all? They have the backup in the Violet Manor. I''m afraid that we can''t win if we confront them head-on."


    The old man gave her a cold glance and said, "I''ve told you to read some books. Do you know anything about The Annihilation Times? The Annihilation Times is the end of the entire cultivation world. All cultivators will go into the Samsara and start all over again. As mighty as the Skygale Sect is, they will be doomed!"


    The woman nodded slightly and said, "I see. Since everybody is going to die, what are you worrying about then?"


    "You..." The old man did not know what to say. He gave another long sigh, stroked his beard and went back to the issue, saying, "The last Annihilation Times should have come 7,000 years ago during the last cultivators'' era, but for some unknown reason, the Annihilation was solved. There was no record about that at all. If it did come this time, every creature on this planet would perish. I''m afraid those superior Immortals in the Violet Manor could barely save themselves, not to mention saving us Rogue Immortals in this Human World. It''s a shame that we have sent so many excellent disciples there all these years."


    The woman stood with both hands on her back, turned around and looked at the sky, saying, "It sounds reasonable. That''s why we say ''The heaven and earth have no love, and everything on earth is like forging dogs.''"


    The old man was so angry upon hearing this and said, "I''m begging you. Would you please read some books? It''s ''forage dogs'', not ''forging dogs''!"


    The woman nodded slightly again and said, "It''s just one word. Not a big deal. But since you are my senior brother, you make the call."


    "You..." The old man was speechless again. He stroked his beard and sighed. "The new batch of disciples is almost here. I just hope that there will be some with good talents."


    "Rest assured, senior brother. Those with good talents have already joined the Skygale Sect and Cold-billow Sword Sect. You don''t need to bear any hope..."


    "You! Third Junior Sister! Can you say something nice?! Don''t we have talented disciples?"


    The woman said, "You are the senior brother. You''re right about everything..."


    "Anyway, no matter what, the entrance test this time must be more difficult. We have to pick elites among elites. Otherwise, in the Nine Provinces Swordsmanship Competition next year, we Three Pure Sect would end up in last place again. At the end of the day, our sect was the only sect that inherited the Immortal King''s legacy back in those years..."


    The old man sighed incessantly, while the woman smiled coldly and said, "The Immortal King''s legacy. The Three Pure Sect has been an underdog for so many years, but no Immortal King ever comes back here."


    ...


    It was early April now. In the east of the Lingtai Mountain, there was small town hundreds of kilometers away. It used to be a small village a long time ago, but now it had expanded into a larger-scale town with fiscal support from the Three Pure Sect.


    Every three to five years, Lingtai Town would be bustling with an event, which was the Recruiting Ceremony of the Three Pure Sect. Thousands of people came here to take part in this event. Most of them came from noble and aristocracy families, and others from merchant families.


    The reason why this Recruiting Ceremony had drawn so many people was not that the Three Pure Sect was the most famous sect; instead, its requirement was low. People could join the sect with only one Spiritual Meridian. Some other sects like the Skygale Sect required people to have at least three Spiritual Meridians.


    Many who had three Spiritual Meridians were still rejected, but they would rather wait for a few more years than join the Three Pure Sect. Therefore, even there were many people here to take the entrance test, most of them were mediocre. Even, some people without a Spiritual Meridian came here for fun.


    Of course, there were numerous sects for cultivators in this Human World. Only the Three Pure Sect, the Skygale Sect, the Nine-cloud Sect, and the Cold-billow Sword Sect were counted as the four major sects. Why weren''t they three major sects? The Three Pure Sect was so weak, and how could it be recognized as a major sect?


    Was it because the legends had that its founder was anointed by an Immortal King who descended to the Human World a thousand years ago?


    At dusk, Xiao Chen and the others arrived in the town. People were hustling in the bustling streets. Many people were peddling things like Secret Spirit Elixir, 100% Pass Pill, I''ll Pay You If You Fail Herb... Anything went.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled upon hearing this. He suddenly stopped walking as his split vision noticed something.

 Chapter 12-Shangguan Yan

    Xiao Wan''er saw him stop walking and asked, "Cousin Xiao Chen, what''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen suddenly turned his head and looked into the distance, but he saw nothing special. It seemed that he had mistaken something. He smiled and said, "Nothing. Maybe I''m thinking too much. That Ghoulish Woman can''t be here."


    Upon hearing "Ghoulish Woman", Xiao Wan''er''s back turned cold and instantly had goosebumps as if she had been in a nightmare.


    Cheng Ying looked at a nearby inn and said, "Alright, I''m going back now. You can spend the night in that inn and there will be a senior brother here to pick you up in the morning."


    Xiao Wan''er looked at him and said pitifully, "Senior Brother Cheng Ying, do you have to go now?"


    Cheng Ying smiled slightly and said, "Yes. I have to go back to make reports. Don''t wander in the night. There will be someone to pick you up tomorrow morning."


    "Uhh... Will it be you?"


    Cheng Ying scratched his head and smiled, saying, "It''s up to the elders. Don''t worry, my brothers are all good people. Junior Sister Xiao, you can do it. I''ll wait for you in the Three Pure Sect." After saying so, he rode the sword and flew away in a row of sword radiance gracefully.


    "Alas! Someone has been working so hard to have a backer in the sect. But it now seems to be in vain!" Xiao Chen put both hands at the back of his head and walked to the inn idly.


    Xiao Wan''er stamped her foot angrily and said, "Cousin Xiao Chen, how can you say that to me? I did this for us!" She then followed Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Han was still cold and said nothing. He looked at Lil Ruo, who carried many packages, and suddenly asked her, "Can I help you?"


    "No, no, no. Thanks!" Lil Ruo replied hurriedly.


    The inn was packed with people as there was no available seat on all three floors. The shopkeeper''s wife was a charming beautiful woman. Xiao Wan''er made it to the counter and said in a sweet voice, "Sister, we''re brought here by Senior Brother Cheng Ying. Are there rooms available?"


    The shopkeeper''s wife was overjoyed upon being called "sister". A customer beside said, "Hey, little miss, would you have some self-discipline? Whichever brother has brought you here, that doesn''t work. We are here before you!"


    Xiao Wan''er looked at the entrance and saw one of her company leaned against the door, whistling, while the other was standing there gazing at the sky like a piece of ice. She stamped her foot angrily and said, "Are you just going to stand and watch?"


    The shopkeeper''s wife giggled and said, "Little sister, don''t hurry. Let me take a look." She then looked through the ledger and said with a smile, "It happens that there are two rooms left on the second floor. Here are the keys." She then took two keys out of the drawer.


    The crowd in front of the counter was not happy about this. "Hey! It''s not fair, lady!"


    Xiao Chen ignored them, rushed to the counter and took one key, saying, "Lil Ruo! Let''s go!" He then took Lil Ruo to the stair.


    Xiao Wan''er said, "What about me?"


    "You? You can make do with that ice face for tonight. You can also come to my room."


    "This... This can''t work!"


    However, Xiao Han had already taken the other key and left.


    "Hey! You two can''t bully me like this!"


    ...


    Anyway, they had a discussion. She and Lil Ruo shared a room while Xiao Chen and Xiao Han the other.


    They put their stuff in their rooms and went downstairs for dinner. There was a huge clamor. People were boasting to become Inner Disciples or something alike.


    Especially the Three Princes. They were the princes from the State of Zhao, the State of Qi, and the State of Yan, and they briefly addressed themselves as the Three Princes. They gave up the chances of sitting in the throne only to become Immortals.


    Prince Yan said loudly to the crowd, "In my point of view, you don''t need to daydream about being Inner Disciples. With three princes here, do you think that you stand a chance?"


    Prince Qi followed, "State Counselor said that I''m the reincarnation of an Immortal and have six Spiritual Meridians. Brother Yan was right. You can go home now. Don''t waste your time."


    Prince Zhao said, "They are both right. If anyone of you turns against the State of Zhao, you can wait for an army that will take you down! My army, a hundred thousands of soldiers, is waiting for my command outside this town. Talk to me if you dare."


    Although most people present came from nobles and merchant families, their backgrounds were not as powerful as the Three Princes'' and nobody dared offend them. The shopkeeper''s wife at the counter shot a cold glance to the three princes and said, "Three morons..."


    Xiao Wan''er frowned and whispered, "Cousin Xiao Chen, they are so noisy..."


    "If you are a princess, you can go argue with them. Don''t say that you know me." Xiao Chen said casually.


    Xiao Han was drinking alone without saying anything. When Xiao Chen found out that he had almost finished a jar of wine, Xiao Chen fetched a bowl, poured some wine, saluted to him and drank a toast.


    Lil Ruo asked, "Master, you don''t drink..."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''m afraid that this ice face can''t get up in time and make troubles for me."


    "It''s you that won''t get up in time, not me." Xiao Han suddenly spoke.


    With a chuckle, Xiao Chen waved to the counter and said, "Two jars of wine, please. The strongest wine."


    The Three Princes were talking in a loud voice, which annoyed the others. But nobody dared to let them be quiet. All of a sudden, a bell rang out of nowhere. Then, Prince Zhao shouted, "Holy smokes! Madame, why is there a spider in your wine?"


    Xiao Chen spat out the wine in his mouth. Xiao Han said with a cold voice, "Drink yours. It''s fine." He then drank another bowl of wine.


    The shopkeeper''s wife moved to Prince Zhao like wind and asked, "Kid, what did you say?"


    "I said that there''s a spider in your..." Prince Zhao did not dare to continue.


    The shopkeeper''s wife stamped her foot on the bench, and she looked like a gloomy huge mountain. "Kid, say it again..."


    "How... How dare you! I am the prince of the State of Zhao. My ar-army is..."


    "Somebody, there''s someone who doesn''t want to pay." As her voice fell, two bruisers with kitchen knives came to her out of nowhere.


    "Who dare to eat without paying in the Dragon Gate Inn?! You''ve got balls!"


    Prince Zhao swallowed his saliva in fright and said with a forced smile, "Uhh... I''m sorry. It was just a mistake..."


    The shopkeeper''s wife then waved and said, "It''s fine now everyone, please continue." She then walked to the counter.


    However, Xiao Chen did not dare to touch the wine jar anymore. Before long, there was another scream. Prince Zhao spat out a big number of spiders to the table, and Prince Yan spat out numerous centipedes to the table. As for Prince Qi, he spat out some unknown bugs.


    The crowd was scared and ran away upon seeing this. Xiao Wan''er and Lil Ruo''s faces changed. The shopkeeper''s wife frowned and said, "What the hell is going on!"


    Xiao Chen''s mouth twitched. "We''re done. That Ghoulish Woman really is here. How does that saying go? Being haunted by an imp, who goes from heaven to earth and follows you forever..."


    Before he finished his words, a delicate little girl with an angel-like face appeared close to his face on the left side, twinkling. "Xiao Chen, are you talking about me?"


    Xiao Chen turned his head as a faint scent hit his nostrils. He forced a smile and said, "Hi! Miss Shangguan, long time no see!"


    This girl in a yellow shirt was Shangguan Yan, the very daughter of the Shangguan Family. She looked at Xiao Han and said, "Ice face, you are here too."


    Xiao Han put his bowl on the table and stood up, saying, "Sorry, I have something else to do. I''m going to the toilet first." He then walked out.


    "Me too. I''ll go to the toilet." Xiao Chen followed him.


    Shangguan Yan turned her head and looked at Xiao Wan''er, saying, "Sister Wan''er, you are..."


    "Uhh, I forgot to wash my clothes." She then rushed upstairs as if she had seen a ghost.


    Shangguan Yan finally looked helplessly at Lil Ruo with his pitiful big eyes and asked, "Sister Lil Ruo, am I really that horrible..."


    Lil Ruo nodded blankly.


    All of a sudden, the shopkeeper''s wife flashed to her and said sullenly, "Little girl, I know it''s you!"


    Shangguan Yan''s big, pitiful eyes twinkled and then she said, "Sis, you wronged me..."


    The shopkeeper''s wife reached out her hand and said, "Are you still arguing?! Give me the bell!"


    Shangguan Yan put her head on her hand and twinkled, saying, "No... Sister, please. I know I''m wrong, alright?"


    "It doesn''t help. Give it to me! I''ll give it back to you tomorrow!"


    "Sis, you see, I''ve got the bell on me. What if I accidentally shake it when I take it out, and then maybe, this inn would no longer be able to host anyone in a dozen days. This is not good, right? Sis, please, I won''t do that anymore..."


    "You! You little girl. I concede!"


    "Tee-hee, sis, don''t get mad at me. I keep the bell for your sake."


    A moment later, Xiao Chen and Xiao Han quietly walked back. They looked at each other and thought, "Strange. Why did nothing happen to this place?"


    Shangguan Yan glared at them and narrowed her eyes, saying, "What are you two sneaking around? Come greet me now!"


    "Aha! Uhh, brother ice, it seems that I''ve drunk too much. I''m so dizzy right now."


    "Aha! Yeah, I''m so dizzy too. Let''s go to our room and take some rest."

 Chapter 13-The First Round of the Entrance Tes

    t


    The night had passed. There had not been a centipede or a spider in the room. Xiao Chen felt his head heavy when he woke up. Maybe he really had drunk too much yesterday.


    Xiao Han glanced at him and said, "Can you do it? If not, you''d better go home. Then you won''t be embarrassing yourself in public."


    "Humph..." Xiao Chen turned over and jumped up from the bed.


    "Speaking of which, I dreamed that Shangguan Yan will be there in the test..." After his voice fell, the two youths both shivered.


    "It''s early in the morning! Don''t tell ghost stories!"


    A total of four senior brothers came to arrange the people who were here for the entrance test. However, there were about three or four thousand people here, making the four senior brothers'' job more difficult. Thanks to their aura of Immortals, nobody dared to cause trouble. The chaos and clamor lasted only for a few moments, and then the order was restored among the crowd.


    The large group of people marched to the Lingtai Mountain in the east. Two hours later, they came to an empty area in a valley. Numerous mountains towered in the distance, and one of them pierced through the clouds. It was the Lingtai Mountain.


    The crowd had waited here for about 30 minutes. The fog was so thick that they could barely see what lay ahead. Suddenly, four rows of sword radiance descended here and turned into four youths in white. They stood on their swords and looked down at the crowd as if they were looking at creeps.


    Xiao Chen looked at the four youths and found out that they were just at Lv 3 or 4 Qi Refining Realm. Also, they could only ride on swords with the help from the formation of the sect.


    Thousands of people, who were chattering just now, instantly became quiet under the aura of Immortals.


    Then, two of the four youths landed on the ground with gentle faces. The other two deadpan youths kept still in the air.


    Over 90% of the participants came here themselves, and the left was introduced here like Xiao Chen and his company.


    In the utter silence, a senior brother on the ground said with a gentle smile, "Everyone, don''t be nervous. I think you already knew the rules before you are here, and I''ll speak no more about the rules. After the entrance test, you will take a Spiritual Meridian test. So I hope you won''t make other plans."


    A senior brother in the air said coldly, "It means that those without Spiritual Meridians can get the fu*k off now. Don''t try to be some fishes in troubled waters! Otherwise, I''ll throw you into the mountains to feed those wolves!"


    His words scared many participants. The senior brother on the ground smiled bitterly and said, "He''s just joking. Anyway, you have to have a Spiritual Meridian to join our sect. Do your best in the test because those who get the highest scores will be more likely to directly become Inner Disciples."


    The one in the air scanned the crowd and noticed a 70-year-old hunchback old man. He said coldly, "Hey, that grandpa over there, your grandson has arrived. The wind is too big here. Please go home."


    The hunchback old man shivered and said, "Uhh... Senior brother, I''m here for the entrance test..."


    "What!"


    The crowd booed and looked at the old man.


    The senior brother in the air was shocked for a moment before saying, "Come on! Grandpa! You''re almost over 70 years old! What''s the point for you to cultivate?"


    The hunchback old man giggled, revealing the remaining few teeth. "My wife told me that I have 12 Spiritual Meridians. Then here I am. Hahaha..."


    "Please! Grandpa! This is not a place for fun. Please go home!"


    Another moment later, the senior brother in the air noticed a bald man and said coldly, "Hey! Hey! Hey!" "That monk, I''m talking about you! Stop looking at the others! Which temple are you from? Don''t you know that we are a Daoism sect? Are you here to make troubles?"


    The bald man shivered and said, "Senior... Senior brother, don''t get me wrong. I''m bald since I was a child."


    "Bald? It''s too bad for the sect''s image. Go, now!"


    "Hey! Hey! Hey! That fatty over there! Stop eating! You are so fat that you might even break the sword when you stand on it. Go, go, go!"


    "Your honored Immortal, don''t get me wrong. I''m here to serve my young master. I won''t take part in the test..."


    Just like this, after a round of selecting, there were only less than 2000 people left, and their talent was rather good since all of them had Spiritual Meridians.


    At this moment, the Three Princes triplet stepped forth as each one of them took out a letter and handed it over to the senior brother on the ground. The senior brother took a look at the letters and was a bit shocked. He then nodded and said, "So you''re introduced by the Forth Elder. Good."


    The three princes immediately looked cocky and glanced at the crowd. Prince Yan said to the other two princes beside him, "Since we''re already Cultivators, shall we adopt nicknames that are cool and unvulgar?"


    Prince Zhao said, "Sounds great. What about the Three Swordsmen?"


    "Good! The Three Swordsmen! Cool enough!"


    The crowd snorted and said, "Is it proud to be introduced? Humph! Three cunts!"


    At this moment, Xiao Wan''er walked forth with her hands on her back. She looked so cute and adorable that men around her kept staring at her. She asked in a sweet voice, "Senior Brother, isn''t Brother Cheng Ying here?"


    "You... Do you and Senior Brother Cheng Ying know each other?" The disciple on the ground was a bit surprised.


    The truth was, there were five major elders in the Three Pure Sect, and Cheng Ying was the Pro-disciple of the Third Elder. The fact that the Third Elder sent Cheng Ying to pick up Xiao Chen and the other two people proved that the Perfected Immortal Zixu, the Sect Leader of the Three Pure Sect, paid much attention to the Xiao Family.


    Among the disciples of the Three Pure Sect, their status could be ranked from low to high as follows: Outer Disciple, ordinary Inner Disciple, elder''s Pro-disciple, elder''s Core Disciple, and Sect Leader''s True Disciple. The people in front of the crowd were only ordinary Inner Disciples.


    Xiao Wan''er giggled and said, "Yes, we do. A few days ago, it was the Perfected Immortal Zixu that invited us here!"


    "You mean... The Sect Leader introduced you here. So are you the Xiao Family members?" The disciple on the ground looked surprised and then looked at Xiao Chen and Xiao Han.


    Immediately, the crowd uttered with discontent, "Humph! What is this?! You even claimed fair competition. It turns out that there''s something going on behind the scene!"


    The disciple in the air swung his sleeve and said coldly, "No matter who introduced you, you will be tested! Now begins the first round of the test! Team up on your will! Three people for each group! Go, go, go!"


    Xiao Wan''er giggled and ran to the other two companies. "Shall we have a nickname too? What about the Three Heroes in the Wind and Dust? I''m the Woman with the Red Duster. You are Li Jing. Ice Face is Qiu Ranke. What do you think?"


    "Humph. Not interested." Xiao Chen turned around, while Xiao Han was still standing there, gazing at the sky.


    "You! Hum!" Xiao Wan''er stamped her foot in anger.


    A moment later, the participants had all teamed up. The disciple on the ground said with a smile, "Well. Let the first round begin. Who''s first?"


    "Of course it''s us, the Three Swordsmen!" The three princes swaggered forth.


    Lil Ruo pulled Xiao Chen''s sleeve and said, "Young master, shall we go?"


    "No. Just let that three cunts be the first. We can just watch what happens."


    The disciple on the ground smiled lightly and said, "Good." He then waved his arm as the clouds and fog dispersed. An endless abyss came to their sight. A strong iron chain connected both sides of the abyss, swaying with the wind. Some white cranes were flying above the chain. The crowd could not see the other end at all, which was frightening.


    "What! What the heck is this?!" The Three Princes were scared as hell and held each other in their arms. The crowd booed. "This... We can''t ride on a sword like you. How can we pass?!"


    "What if we fall and die? Is the Three Pure Sect responsible for this?"


    "If you fall and die, it is your destiny! Those who can''t pass this can leave now!" The disciple in the air thundered coldly. He looked very impatient.


    The disciple on the ground smiled and said, "He''s just joking. We will catch you if you fall. This is only the first round. The last round will need you to reach the top of the mountain. Of course, even if you cannot pass all rounds, you still stand a chance to join the sect. You just need to do your best."


    The crowd looked up to the top of the mountain out of their sight. How could they take the final round if they couldn''t even pass the very first round?


    The disciple on the ground smiled gently and said, "Okay. The first round now begins. The three princes, please get ready. You only have 30 minutes to get to the other end. The quicker you finish; the higher scores you''ll get. By the way, no magic tool is allowed in the test. Otherwise, your score will be counted as zero." After saying so, he lit up an incense stick in his hand.


    Prince Yan hurriedly shouted, "Don''t, don''t, don''t hurry! We are not ready yet!"


    That incense stick burned much faster than a normal one did. In the blink of an eye, it had already burned 20% of it. Prince Zhao shouted, "Have you bought fake incense sticks? How can it burn so fast?"


    Prince Qi''s voice cracked, saying, "Let''s go, brothers! Time is running out!" He then climbed up to the chain. The other two princes also followed.


    After they climbed for about 16 meters, the chain suddenly swung violently. Prince Yan screamed and fell off directly as the crowd screamed in shock.


    The disciple in the air frowned and looked extremely impatient. He moved his fingers quickly to cast out a spell that turned into a row of sword radiance dashing downward and taking Prince Yan to the other end. In the first round, naturally, he failed and got zero points.


    Prince Zhao, who was behind him, also fell off the chain carelessly. Prince Qi made it halfway on the chain but fell off when two cranes suddenly came to peck him.


    "Alas..." The disciple on the ground shook his head and sighed. "Next group."


    Xiao Han went forth and directly played lightness skill. He passed smoothly and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The disciple''s eyes lit up upon seeing this. The crowd clamored, "He can play lightness skill! It''s not fair! His score must be deducted! This is pure cheating!"


    The disciple in the air looked impatient and thundered coldly, "If you don''t agree with him, you can go home, practice lightness skill for ten years and then come back!"


    Xiao Chen stepped forward and pointed at Lil Ruo, saying, "This is my sister, and she won''t take the test. Senior brother, would you send her to the other end later?" His words meant that he would definitely pass the chain.


    The disciple on the ground knew that he was introduced by the Sect Leader. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Sure thing."


    "Many thanks." Xiao Chen then stepped to the chain, when Xiao Wan''er suddenly said, "Cousin Xiao Chen, take me there."


    Xiao Chen turned his head and said, "What? You can also play lightness skill."


    "But... But I''m scared..." Xiao Wan''er trembled and looked at the bottomless abyss.


    "I don''t have time for you."


    After saying so, he jumped onto the chain. His move looked even swifter and cooler than that of Xiao Han. Illusions appeared one after another. His move was as swift and elegant as a moving wyrm. This was exactly the Immortal-override Steps created by Ling Yin herself. Xiao Chen changed a bit and made himself look like a beautiful young man.

 Chapter 14-The Illusion in the Zither

    When Xiao Chen reached halfway, he used his Divine Sense to sweep backward and noticed that Xiao Wan''er dared not to step on the chain. He shook his head and sighed. He went back, held her slim waist with his arm, and then smoothly went to the other end.


    "How can he do this?! This is cheating! His score must be deducted!" The crowd clamored again.


    The disciple on the ground coughed and said, "They are a group, so this is not cheating."


    A moment later, Xiao Chen landed on the opposite cliff. Xiao Han looked at them coldly and said, "You''re so slow. I thought that you fell off."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and put Xiao Wan''er down. She blushed and lowered her head, saying, "Cousin Xiao Chen, thank you..."


    She had never expected that she had to ask a favor from a man who she used to look down on.


    Four hours later, every participant had reached to the other cliff. Without a doubt, Xiao Chen and the other two people scored 10 points each. Xiao Chen looked down to the abyss and whispered to himself, "I hope that Ghoulish Woman fell off and additionally, that disciple failed to catch her..."


    Just as his voice fell, a voice as crisp as a silver bell rose behind him. "Xiao Chen! Are you talking about me again?"


    Xiao Chen was startled upon hearing this. He then turned around and forced a smile, saying, "Hi! Miss Shangguan, long time no see!"


    Shangguan Yan giggled and her eyes twinkled, saying, "Don''t be so courteous. We will soon be fellow brothers and sisters. Rest assured, I, your senior sister, will be on your back."


    "Fellow brothers and sisters..." Xiao Chen felt as if a dark cloud had been moving toward him.


    The Shangguan Family was also a martial arts family and as famous as the Xiao Family. However, hundreds of years ago, an expert from south-west taught the Shangguan Family some notorious Poisonous Witchcraft.


    Shangguan Fei, Shangguan Yan''s father, and Xiao Chen''s father were most intimate friends. But when Xiao Chen was young, Shangguan Yan summoned a black centipede to bite him, and this childhood shadow had followed Xiao Chen until now.


    At this moment, in a small pavilion on the top of the Lingtai Mountain, four people sat on futons. A big mirror at the center of them was presenting live about the situation down the mountain.


    One of them was a young woman in white, and she was the one who flew into this pavilion before. She was Bai Ying, the Third Elder. Beside her was the Second Elder, who held an astrolabe in his hand. The other two were the Forth Elder and the Fifth Elder.


    The Second Elder stroked his beard and said, "Alas, it seems that the participants this time are mediocre as well..."


    The Third Elder, Bai Ying, said casually, "Don''t hurry. This is just the first round. Besides, some of them looked like they''ve practiced martial arts. At least they''re above the Body Refining Realm."


    "I agree, but it eventually depends on how many Spiritual Meridians they have..."


    ...


    Half an hour later, other two disciples arrived in front of the crowd. One of them carried a bundle of bamboo slips. He opened it and said, "Okay, now comes the second round. The subject of the second round is... Hum? zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting?" He rubbed his eyes at the end of the announcement to make sure that he had not read it wrong.


    "What?! What are you doing? Zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting? What''s next round about? The Four Books and Five Classics?" The crowd booed.


    The disciple glared at the junior brother beside him and said, "Idiot! Have you taken the wrong slips?"


    The junior brother said with a bitter face, "No... It seems that the Second Elder added this round to make the test more difficult and to enhance the average cultural quality of the disciples..."


    Xiao Han and Xiao Waner frowned tightly, while Xiao Chen remained silent and smiled. He was exactly expert at this subject. Since young, he had practiced calligraphy and painting with his mother and learned to play chess from his grandpa. As for the zither, which ranked the top of the four arts, he could claim that he was the best zither player in this world, second to none.


    Back then, Ling Yin, who was known as the Immortal Miaoyin, personally taught him zither techniques. In those days, Ling Yin played the flute and Xiao Chen played the zither by her side, and they had suppressed countless monsters and demons in this way.


    When the crowd was about to fall into chaos, a disciple stepped forth and said with a cough, "Everyone, relax. This subject is not about its literal meaning. It''s about four dreamlands. Even if you can''t do zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting, you may be able to do them in dreamlands. Everyone gets to choose a dreamland. Let this round begin now."


    After finishing his words, he waved his arm backward as the clouds and fog dispersed, revealing four caves. Each cave was covered by a formation. A Jade Zither was on the first curtain; a chess board was on the second; a calligraphy paper was on the third, and a magnificent landscape painting was on the forth. In this painting, numerous mountains pierced through the clouds, and all kinds of rare animals whistled in the woods. It looked so lively as if it had been alive.


    Everyone chose a dreamland that they were familiar with. Xiao Wan''er clenched her fists and hesitated for a long time before she entered the painting dreamland. Xiao Han kicked a stone which then bounced here and there and finally stopped in front of the calligraphy dreamland. He shook his head and entered the calligraphy dreamland.


    Xiao Chen played the zither the best among the other three arts; hence he entered the zither dreamland. As soon as he stepped into the curtain, the surroundings suddenly changed. He was on the edge of a cliff, and cold smoke suffused around him as if it had been a fairyland. Countless isles and palaces were floating in the air as cranes flew by from time to time. Also, numerous rare birds and animals rambled in the mountains down below.


    His eyes got moist because this was exactly the Violet-night Peak where he and his master lived back in those days. There were seven peaks in the Mystic Cyan Sect, and the Violet-night Peak was one of them.


    All of a sudden, a zither sound rose. Xiao Chen looked in the direction it came from and found a youth that looked exactly like him sitting on the ground. The youth wore pure white clothes with a red jade badge hanging on his waist. In front of him was the Jade Zither, which glowed colorful lights and had complicated carvings such as roaring dragons and phoenixes. The seven strings seemed to be both virtual and real just like illusions.


    All of a sudden, the sea of clouds churned up and rushed to opposite sides. A figure appeared in a beautiful stance. It was a fairy in teal clothes riding on a sword.


    "Master, you are here," said the youth in white.


    The teal-clothed fairy nodded slightly and said, "Your destiny is riddled with puzzles that I cannot solve. Have you made any progress these days?"


    The youth shook his head and smiled bitterly. "The Zither Spirit of this Fuxi Zither was born conceited. He said that I''m too weak... He was so angry and he hasn''t said anything to me over the past days."


    The teal-clothed fairy nodded and said, "Chen''er, don''t be discouraged. Evernight is an ancient spirit. It''s really hard to be approved by him. Play another song for me."


    "Okay!" As his voice fell, he reached out his hands as the wind blew into his sleeves and made his hair dance. His fingers then moved miraculously as the music floated to the end of heaven and earth. The zither sound was long-standing and resounded for a long time.


    This song seemed to have lasted for thousands of years.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes gradually turned red. He wanted to scream but he could not make a sound at all. At this moment, he was so close to his master, but it seemed that they were so far away and couldn''t reach each other.


    All of a sudden, the Jade Zither appeared in front of him. Although he knew that he just needed to casually play some notes to pass this round, he just wanted to look at his master, even only for 30 minutes.


    Finally, time was up, and he was teleported out of the dreamland.


    Many participants had already come out. Xiao Wan''er picked the painting dreamland and narrowly scored five points. Xiao Han met his luck and scored seven points. As for Xiao Chen, he lingered in the zither dreamland and was counted as fail with zero points.


    Xiao Wan''er saw Xiao Chen''s red eyelids and asked in a low voice, "What''s wrong? Aren''t you good at zither?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t say anything. Xiao Han smiled coldly and said, "The illusions in there were generated from people''s hearts. Maybe he has seen something that he wants to see forever."


    A disciple in charge of the test said loudly, "Okay. Quiet. You''ve done well in this round about the burden within. It seems that you haven''t carried many burdens in your hearts. In the next round, please be careful because you might get hurt. The next round has 30 points in total." He waved his arm, and then eight dark caves appeared on the cliff.


    "You have to go through the cave in 90 minutes. You can enter the caves at the same time, but you''re not able to see or listen from each other inside the caves. One more thing. If you fail this round, you''re out, and you have to wait for the next entrance test."


    The crowd immediately started to chatter upon hearing this. The disciple''s words meant that they either pass the caves or go home. After 90 minutes, half of them might get eliminated. Many participants rushed into the caves.


    Xiao Wan''er clenched her fists and said anxiously, "What now? If we fail this round, we won''t have another chance!"


    Xiao Han snorted coldly and walked to the third cave, when Xiao Chen said, "That one is a dead-end. I recommend the fifth cave."


    The disciples looked a bit shocked upon hearing this.


    Xiao Chen collected himself and then walked to the fifth cave with a smile. Xiao Wan''er said, "Wait!" And she caught up with him. Xiao Han hesitated for a while and also walked to the fifth cave.


    The rest of the participants hesitated for a while and rushed to the fifth cave.


    After everyone had entered the caves, a disciple shook his head and said with a smile, "Running fast won''t help. This Qimen Dunjia Formation is not about the speed you''re at."


    Another disciple said with a smile, "Speaking of which, you narrowly passed the cave when the three incense sticks almost burned out."


    "Humph! You''re no better than me last time. Shall we have a race riding the sword? Let''s see who gets to the other side first?"


    "Why not? The loser will serve the winner for three months!"


    As his voice fell, they rode on two rows of sword radiance, one went to the left and one went to the right, heading to the other side of this mountain.

 Chapter 15-Luo Shangyan

    In fact, this cave was also a dreamland, but it was equipped with Qimen Dunjia Formation. As long as one broke the formation, he could be teleported to the other end.


    It was dark inside the cave, but there was a dim light from the formation. The path was constantly changing. Sometimes sharp stones fell from above, and sometimes a stone wall might suddenly appear to block one''s way. The most dangerous situation was that the ground would suddenly become a bottomless abyss.


    Many people went round and round and then showed up in a dead-end which indicated that he was eliminated. Some people were scared and lost their bearings. When they reached the place where they set off, they were angry and kept cursing.


    However, Xiao Chen was an expert at formation, and this complex and dangerous Qimen Dunjia Formation was just a children''s maze game to him. He turned three steps into two steps, moved horizontally and then jumped vertically, and casually broke through this formidable Qimen Dunjia Formation of the Three Pure Sect.


    A vast scene suddenly came to Xiao Chen''s sight. It was a green valley with folds of flowers, dancing butterflies, and running streams. Beyond the valley stood many mountains.


    The bright lights made him narrow his eyes. He took a deep breath and instantly felt refreshed. A voice resounded from his left, "Haha! Junior brother, I''m faster! You will pour and clean the chamber pot for me in the following three months!"


    "Nah! I am the winner!" Another voice rose on Xiao Chen''s right.


    Two rows of sword radiance fell on the ground at the same time. When they noticed Xiao Chen, they stared agape at him. "You! How can you be faster than us? When did you get here?! Have you cheated?"


    Xiao Chen pointed backward and said with an innocent face, "I just got here."


    The two disciples looked at each other for a long time as if they had lost their souls. This had broken the record of the Three Pure Sect in hundreds of years. It even took Senior Brother Mo Yu, who had the best talent in the sect, 30 minutes to get here.


    After a long time, the two disciples came to their senses and then almost bent their knees. They both said loudly, "Master! Please accept our highest respect!"


    At this point, in the small pavilion on the top of the Lingtai Mountain, the Second Elder laughed with the astrolabe in his hand, "Hahaha! This is what a disciple of a Cultivators'' sect should look like! It seems that I, Xingzhen Zi, am going to have a successor! Hahahaha! This kid is mine. None of you can take him from me!"


    The Forth Elder immediately said, "Bullsh*t! You already have so many disciples. Don''t you worry that they might revolt?"


    The Fifth Elder stroked his beard and frowned, saying, "What''s the background of this kid? Can he be a spy sent by the Skygale Sect or Cold-billow Sword Sect?"


    The Second Elder, Xingzhen Zi, laughed in tears and said, "He ain''t no spy. He''s the fourth young master of the Xiao Family. Sect Leader went to the Cloud Province to visit the Xiao Family and asked their chieftain to conduct an investigation on that Soul-consuming Evil Flower."


    The Third Elder, Bai Ying, sighed and said, "It seems that I haven''t had a Core Disciple yet..."


    The Second Elder laughed harder upon hearing this. He then said, "Third Junior Sister, you haven''t even reached the Core Forming Realm. Who wants to follow you?"


    Bai Ying stood up with her hands on her back and said with a slight smile, "You''re talking as if you could defeat me."


    The Second Elder blushed upon hearing this. Although he was at the Core Forming Realm, he was not confident enough to defeat his junior sister who was only at the Foundation Building Realm. He waved his hand and said, "Come on. You said that you won''t have a male disciple."


    "Things change. You should continue to chatter. I''m leaving." She then walked out. The Second Elder shouted, "Hey! Don''t cheat, junior sister! You can''t interfere with the test!"


    "Who said that I''ll go intervene?" As her voice fell, she disappeared in the clouds with sword radiance.


    The Forth Elder stroked his beard and said, "Brother Xingzhen, don''t count your chickens before they hatch. Did you forget that he failed the second round?"


    The Second Elder glanced at him and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "Do you still remember the Inner Demon that our master used to talk about? I think that this kid carries too many burdens. If he falls into the swamp of his burdens, there will be an Inner Demon in him. Then, he is very likely to fall into the Devil''s Practice..."


    "Humph! Stop it! Don''t you think that I''ll give this kid to you just because you said so..."


    At this moment, a stern-looking old man came to their back and said, "What are you talking about?"


    The three elders immediately stood up and said respectfully, "Senior brother, greetings."


    This man was the First Elder of the Three Pure Sect and was in charge of penalties. When the Sect Leader was absent, he made the calls in the sect. He looked at the mirror and then looked at the Second Elder, saying, "A senior from the Violet Manor just arrived."


    "What!?"


    The three elders trembled and looked nervous and scared. Xingzhen Zi said hurriedly, "Does he come here for that incident in the sky 16 years ago?"


    The First Elder nodded and said, "Yes. You come with me."


    ...


    Down the mountain, the third round finished. There were 2,000 participants before, but only less than 300 remained. The crowd was not that noisy now.


    Xiao Chen came out first and scored 30 points. Xiao Han came out in 30 minutes and scored 20 points. He was injured, and it seemed that he broke out of the formation by force. Xiao Wan''er came out in an hour and scored a dozen points.


    The rest of the participants narrowly passed and scored few points. Xiao Chen now ranked the first and was way ahead of the others. It was a pity that he failed last round, otherwise, his score would have been perfect.


    Dusk was falling. A disciple stepped forth and glanced at Xiao Chen. He said, "You have passed three rounds. The following round was dangerous, so the Pro-disciples of the five elders will lead you."


    The crowd cheered upon hearing this. They had a tough day, so they were overjoyed to know that Pro-disciples would lead them through the final round.


    Before long, a row of sword radiance came from the top of the mountain and then turned into a handsome young man. His eyebrows looked like swords and his eyes shone like stars. His body glowed a faint white radiance as if he had been an Immortal from heaven. Many participants were stunned upon seeing him.


    A dozen disciples on the ground greeted him respectfully, "Senior Brother Mo!"


    This person was exactly the Core Disciple of the First Elder, Mo Yu. He scanned the crowd with his eyes and nodded casually.


    A dozen people followed on their swords. There were men and women, and they were all in the flower of their youth. Cheng Ying, who picked Xiao Chen and the other three people, was also here. The ordinary Inner Disciples saluted to the comers.


    The comers all landed on the ground and stood in a line. A teal-clothed miss was the last one that arrived. She looked the youngest among them, only about 18 years old. Those Inner Disciples called her "senior sister", but their voice did not sound respectful, instead, they were sarcastic. Especially those Pro-disciples, some of them even snorted and said something unbearable.


    However, the teal-clothed miss just frowned and pretended to ignore their words. The sadness among her brows was deep and hard to erase.


    Xiao Chen''s heart shook when he saw her. He knew how this felt. Back in the Xiao Family, he was a young master, but some servants could even humiliate him in his face.


    At this moment, someone nearby asked in a low voice, "Who is that senior sister?" "Why does she look gaunt?"


    "She''s Luo Shangyan, the sole disciple of the Sect Leader."


    "Wow! The True Disciple of the Sect Leader! She must be something!"


    "Humph! She''s not. She''s nothing but a lose... Never mind."


    Xiao Chen''s heart shook again. "Luo Shangyan?"


    A moment later, an ordinary Inner Disciple stepped forth and said, "Everybody, quiet. The following round will take you three days. You will be divided into 15 groups led by 15 senior brothers and sisters. Remember, your results not only matter to you but also to your group leaders because it would somehow decide if they can be sent to the Violet Manor in the future. So, please do your best. The group which finishes in the first place can have a privilege, which is to let the group leader pick one person to directly become an Inner Disciple."


    As his voice fell, another disciple said, "Let me introduce the senior brothers and sisters." He then walked to the group of the 15 people and started to introduce them one after another. "This is Wen Qingyu, Senior Sister Wen of the Forth Elder. She''s now at Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm..."


    "This is Cheng Ying, Senior Brother Cheng of the Third Elder. He''s now at Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm..."


    Finally, he walked in front of Mo Yu and saluted with a smile before introducing. "This is the Core Disciple of the First Elder, Mo Yu, Senior Brother Mo. He''s now at Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm!"


    As his voice fell, the crowd exclaimed, while as Mo Yu smiled as if he was already used to this. Luo Shangyan seemed to have been forgotten by that disciple as he stood still, pointed at her and said, "She''s the True Disciple of the Sect Leader, Luo Shangyan. She''s at Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm."


    "What? How can the Sect Leader''s disciple be only at Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm?"


    The crowd started to chatter. Even some ordinary Inner Disciples were higher than Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm. Luo Shangyan looked at the ground and said nothing, while the other disciples, such as Wen Qingyu, just smiled coldly.


    An ordinary Inner Disciple raised his hand and said, "Okay, everybody quiet. Now, please walk to the senior brothers and sisters you want to follow..."


    Before his voice fell, most of the crowd rushed to Mo Yu. Mo Yu was already used to this and started to pick participants with high scores.


    Some knew that their scores were too low to stay in Mo Yu''s group, so they walked back toward Wen Qingyu, Cheng Ying, and the others. As for Luo Shangyan, no one went to her side. Although she was the Sect Leader''s disciple, nobody wanted to follow a Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm disciple since this round decided if they could join the sect."


    Xiao Wan''er walked forth too. Cheng Ying saw her and smiled, saying, "Junior Sister Xiao, you''re here."


    Xiao Wan''er also smiled gently and said, "Senior Brother Cheng Ying..." She then lowered her head and walked to Mo Yu. Cheng Ying''s smile froze slowly.


    Xiao Wan''er clenched her fists as she took her steps forward. She gnashed her teeth, turned around, walked back, and then said with a sweet smile, "I think I''ll still follow Senior Brother Cheng Ying''s lead!" She then waved to Xiao Chen and Xiao Han, saying, "What are you doing there!?"


    "Good. Good..." Cheng Ying smiled gently.


    Xiao Han shook his head and walked to her, while Xiao Chen stood still. Mo Yu looked at him and said, "That junior brother over there, come to me."


    Everyone looked at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen looked at Mo Yu and said, "I''m sorry." He then walked to Luo Shangyan and said with a smile, "Senior Sister Luo, nice to meet you. My name is Xiao Chen!"

 Chapter 16-A Night in the Cave

    "My respects, Senior Sister Luo! My name is Xiao Chen!"


    Luo Shanyan was slightly surprised as she raised her head to look at him. Softly, she murmured, "H-Hello... Junior Brother Xiao." Her head drooped swiftly down again.


    Everyone was stunned. As the leading candidate, joining Mo Yu would be the best course of action for him. But what was he doing? Did he not want to complete the trials and fully become a disciple?


    A few of the other Inner Disciples noticed Mo Yu''s frosty glare and hastily spoke on Xiao Chen''s behalf, "If some of you can go to Senior Sister Luo for the sake of balance."


    Xiao Wan''er stomped her feet in anger and said, "Hey! We came here together! Why are you not with us!"


    "It''s probably... Because he once shared a similar fate to hers..." Xiao Han mumbled suddenly.


    But as directed by the Inner Disciple earlier, three other people reluctantly came to join Luo Shangyan. This made the rest assume that the three people were rejects that had been sent to Luo Shangyan''s group.


    "Oh my God! Why does it have to be you three! How is it possible that you three are even alive! It does not suit you here! Come now, let''s not wear that frown on your faces. It is you who will be harassing me with trouble in the next round!" Xiao Chen could not believe that the three wretched fools were able to make it.


    Luo Shangyan''s head rose again, "I am sorry. It is all my fault. Please forgive me, Junior Brothers." With that, her head sank back down again.


    Prince Zhao said with a bitter-looking face, "We know you are the strongest, Big Brother Zhao. There is much that I will have to depend on you in the future..."


    Xiao Chen gave him a strong slap at the back of his head and said, "Cheeky boy! Behave properly when you are speaking to your Big Brother!"


    Prince Yan and Prince Qi followed suit and bowed to Xiao Chen. Their hands clasped tightly before them as a sign of respect, saying, "Our noble lineages hardly matter here, Big Brother. Please, we beg you. Please help us in joining the Three Pure Sect."


    Xiao Chen waved dismissively, "All right, all right. I will do what I can, but only so much. The Teacher chooses as he wills. Go along and stand aside." He wiped the sweat off his forehead, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine. Softly, he murmured to himself, "I hope that Ghoulish Woman has gone to some other group."


    "Are you speaking about me, Xiao Chen?"


    Lo and behold, Shangguan Yan reappeared behind his back like a wraith who would never rest until she possessed him.


    Xiao Chen could only smile bitterly, "Ah! Miss Shangguan! It seems that not even the complexities of Qimen Dunjia can hinder you..."


    Shangguan Yan giggled sheepishly like an innocent angel. She then smiled at Luo Shangyan, saying, "Greetings, Senior Sister Luo. My name is Shangguan Yan."


    Luo Shangyan smiled and nodded in return, saying, "Hello, Junior Sister Shangguan."


    The three princes were mesmerized by the charms of the angelic beauty who had suddenly appeared, thinking, "Even though we have all been forced into this wretched group, at least there is still sweetness in the midst of our sorrowful outcome, heh heh heh..."


    There was the sound of bells ringing softly through the air suddenly. Xiao Chen felt another chill over his back, swiftly followed by the terrified screams and howls by the three Princes, "Oh my God! Where did all these spiders come from! They are crawling all over me!"


    A half hour passed, finally, everyone was all divided into different groups. It was beyond any question that Mo Yu''s group was the strongest with a full complement of thirty of the best disciples. The weakest of the groups was Luo Shangyan''s, which has only six people; three among them could almost be considered as non-entities.


    From the heart of the boisterous crowd, an Inner Disciple stood forward. He raised an arm and called out, "All right then. Silence, everyone! The next test will thus begin: you will all start from here and make for the mountain, atop which is the stronghold of our order, the Three Pure Sect." As he spoke, he pointed at a peak which stood out from a line of mountain ridges in the distant.


    "You have three days. There will be demons and monsters lurking about, as well as various traps and formations designed by our Elders to ensnare you. Listen closely to the directions given to you by the Senior Brothers and Sisters leading your group and do not leave the group without permission, otherwise, you might be lost or in danger. The rest of the details will be relayed to you by your Senior Brothers and Sisters. Now come one by one this way."


    Led by the leading Senior Brothers and Sisters, the few hundred prospects shuffled slowly towards the gorge. It was a huge and wide valley with many different paths, where the fifteen groups each scattered and set off on their ways.


    After traveling for almost an hour, the shades of twilight began to thicken. Even as they grew closer and closer to the domain of Immortals, the creepiness of the dark woods still managed to burrow fear into their hearts.


    "No, no, no... I can run no further..." Prince Yan panted, out of breath.


    "I suggest we look for a place to rest. I am hungry. We have three days after all. There''s no need to hurry," said Prince Qi who was also gasping for breath.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "The price of attaining Immortality is never cheap. We still have a long way to go. Politics and intrigues in the royal court might suit you more, I think."


    Prince Zhao, who was also chuffing, hugged a tree to steady himself. He said, "All the riches and power in the world is nothing without everlasting life... Without the perpetuity of Immortality, we would still be nothing but dust when we perish... The journey of pursuing Immortality may be hard for us mortals. But are you not a mortal yourself? Surely we can also achieve our dreams if you can..."


    Xiao Chen clapped his hands approvingly, "Well said indeed! Alas..." His voice suddenly ended. Instead, he channeled his powers and flicked his finger, sending a projectile of True Qi from his fingers that shot through the air and struck the tree that Prince Zhao was holding on too, instantly killing a venomous snake.


    Prince Zhao leaped with shock at the sight of the serpent, "Oh, Mother! Where did the snake come from!"


    Luo Shangyan immediately drew her sword, her brows furrowed in alarm. "I am sorry, it is my mistake that I have not noticed the snake." She cast a curious look at Xiao Chen, eager to know the contents of his unfinished sentence.


    "Alas, I am no mortal." Xiao Chen revealed bluntly.


    He had just finished when a thunderclap boomed from the skies, frightening Prince Zhao who whimpered, "We are in the domain of the Immortals... We must be careful of what we speak, lest we would be assailed by lightning from the sky..."


    Trying to mask his embarrassment, Xiao Chen feigned a cough and said, "Let us stop with the chatter and continue."


    As the darkness of night was upon them, they finally found a cave where they thought they could stay for the night. The three Princes were about to enter the cave when Luo Shangyan exclaimed, "Wait! There is a magical formation set here by the Elders!"


    The three immediately scampered backward, saying, "God, no! Are the Elders so sadistic!"


    Luo Shangyan''s head shook as she said, "No. This is also a test. My points will also be deducted if you have fallen into the trap. Let me see if I can break it." With her sword, she shot a few Sword Qi projectiles at the mouth of the cave. The auric bolts flew and struck harmlessly upon a shimmering wall of light that materialized before the cave.


    Minutes passed as night beckoned. The cries of crows could be heard through the gloom of the coming darkness. Yet, still, the magic that guarded the entrance of the cave could not be broken. Beads of perspiration glistened on Luo Shangyan''s forehead. "I am sorry. It seems that I am unable to undo the magical formation conjured by the Second Elder."


    "Ah... What can we do then? I heard that the demons will come out of their hiding place in the night to hunt for preys..." Fear and panic were beginning to appear on the faces of the three Princes.


    "I am sorry. It is all my fault. My cultivation is so low that it now brings trouble to us. I am sorry..." Luo Shanyang said, her head hanging with disappointment over her shoulders.


    "No matter. Everything will be all right. Demons are nothing to be afraid of, in truth," said Prince Zhao with a giggle as he scratched the back of his head.


    Xiao Chen walked to Luo Shangyan, shaking his head softly as he smiled. He held her wrist and raised her arm, aiming at the mouth of the cave and channeled his powers, sending bolts of True Energy that shot forth and shattered the magical defenses of the cave.


    "Junior Brother Xiao... You..."


    Xiao Chen smiled thinly in response and said, "I have once studied a little on magical formations."


    The three Princes then scoured the surroundings for firewood and lit a small fire in the cave. Luo Shangyan then revealed to them the details of their current test, "At dawn tomorrow, we will start to look for something called the Octarine Core. The more we find, the more points we have. Of course, we will also have to prevent conflicts from our fellow disciples."


    Xiao Chen''s brows rose inquisitively, "Prevent conflicts with others? Does it mean that we can steal or plunder for the Cores?"


    Luo Shangyan''s head dipped slightly as a tacit nod, gesturing her muted approval. Her head then rose as she continued, "But we are all fellow disciples of the same order, nonetheless. This rarely happens, unless..." At that, her head sank once more.


    "Unless what?"


    But Luo Shangyan kept her head down, giving no more answers. Xiao Chen then understood that her Octarine Cores must have been taken away by her fellow disciples last time. He smiled assuredly, "Worry not, Senior Sister Luo. We will not have any ''unless'' happen again."


    "Indeed! Be at ease, Senior Sister! With our combined efforts, we will guard our Octarine Cores well!" The Three Princes voiced their agreement, through their mouths full of food.


    Xiao Chen looked at them and saw them eating some strange fruits. He asked them, "From where did you find these?"


    "Ah! We found these when we were foraging for firewood. Why don''t you have one? It is sweet to the taste," said Prince Zhao as he took another bite on his fruit with a hand offering one of the fruits to Xiao Chen.


    "Ah! This is bad!" Luo Shangyan exclaimed suddenly, her hand over her mouth. "I am so sorry! It is my mistake! I have neglected to inform you that you must not simply eat the fruits around here."


    "What happens if we eat them?" Prince Zhao asked, his eyes blinking with interest.


    Xiao Chen pointed at Prince Yan who was at his back. Prince Zhao turned and looked, only to find Prince Yan dancing wildly, his hands flailing about, "Hahahaha! I am the most beautiful person in the world! Come you all! Prostrate yourself before me and give me your allegiances!"


    Frightened, Prince Zhao yelled, "You! Insolence... Hahahaha! I am the most beautiful person in the world, not you..."


    "Preposterous! Only I am the most beautiful person under all heavens! You two should come and accompany me to bed!" Prince Qi screamed as he, too, began to dance and stripping off his clothes.


    Xiao Chen slapped his forehead with disgust. "What profanity and misbehavior! Ghoulish Woman, deal with them if you please."


    Shangguan Yan clasped her hands together before her chest. Shaking her head, she cast a spell. There was a soft chime of ringing bells and all three princes collapsed into a deep slumber.


    "What... What happened to them?" Luo Shangyan asked anxiously.


    "No matter. I have cast a sleeping curse on them."


    ...


    It was deep into the night when the stars above glittered brightly. Shangguan Yan had already fallen into sleep, leaning on the wall of the cave. Xiao Chen noticed that Luo Shangyan was still awake. "Why are you still not asleep, Senior Sister?" Xiao Chen asked.


    "No matter. Go ahead and rest. I am remaining on guard."


    Xiao Chen stared at her, taking note of the faintly trembling eyelashes in the flickering glow of the firelight. He asked, "Are you a native of the Serene Province, Senior Sister?"


    Luo Shangyan threw another branch into the fire, shaking her head. "I know not myself. My teacher found me by a river."


    Xiao Chen felt a sore in his heart, is it so, he mused to himself. He was once an orphan too in his past incarnation. His teacher, too, had found him left alone in the mountains.


    The pair fell into a reverie of their past recollections as a lethargic voice rose from the heap of sleeping princes, "Halt! Drumstick! Don''t move..."

 Chapter 17-Conflic

    t


    The heads of the silent pair, roused from their stupor, raised curiously. It was Shangguan Yan who was talking in her sleep. They shared a quick chuckle. The deep-asleep Shangguan Yan continued, "Bite him, Xiao Hei! Yes! That is it! Bite him! He who is so stingy that even forbids me from touching his zither..."


    Xiao Chen''s face fell, did she even dream of sicking her vermins on him? He rose to his feet and straggled to the sleeping Prince Qi. He took off the already half-removed robe from the asleep prince and draped it over Shangguan Yan.


    The following morning, Xiao Chen found himself awaken by the cacophony of clamorous bickerings.


    "Wake up, you two pigs! Where is my clothing? Who had removed my clothing! Argh!"


    "Argh! Whose clothes are these! They are filthy! Take them off me at once!"


    "Ah! Please, my lady! No spiders, please! It is not I who have left them there!"


    "Argh! Not me either! Help, Senior Sister Luo!"


    "Please calm down, Junior Brothers! Argh, no! Don''t throw the spiders here!"


    Xiao Chen rubbed his eyes and yawned. He said, "So much vim and verve so early in the morning. Do you intend to hail for the demons who might be up this early? Damn! Whose shoe is this thrown at me!"


    Hence, Prince Qi wore a robe so badly tattered and Prince Yan a shoe which had been cloven in half. The two wailed as they scampered out of the cave, crying about their predicament of being beggar-like.


    Prince Zhao had long foreseen the calamity and had long fled outside.


    Hours later, Xiao Chen followed some footsteps, presumably left by wild beasts, and found a shrubbery that has several sparkling beads hanging on its boughs. These are the Octarine Cores, which he had already collected some before by using similar methods.


    "You''ve found another one! You''re great, Senior Brother Xiao!" The three princes rushed over to him with joy. Noticing that something was wrong, Xiao Chen''s brows puckered with suspicion. "You three, come back at once!" Xiao Chen barked.


    But the three princes were filled with a rapturous fervor that they could barely hear Xiao Chen''s distressed warning.


    The sky around them darkened suddenly. Prince Zhao mumbled, "What is this? The sky is dark suddenly? It''s beginning to rain!"


    But Prince Qi''s legs were on the verge of giving way as he poked at Prince Zhao''s shoulder and gestured him to look above. The latter''s head looked up, only to find a huge bear with the size of a small mountain looming over them. Its jaws were wide opened like a tunnel; its saliva dripping hungrily from its mouth...


    "Fly, you fools!" Xiao Chen leaped forth with the speed of a lightning bolt, using his Immortal-override Steps to reach before the three princes in the blink of an eye. He swiftly swung his arms and whisked them off into safety.


    "ROAR!" The gigantic bear slammed its paw down furiously. Its razor-sharp claws could even put a blade to shame. Xiao Chen felt a gust of strong wind striking him face-first. Every shred of flesh on his face was screaming in pain, prodding his reflexes to react as he, too, struck towards the incoming blow with his palm. There came a sudden ringing in his ears as the two forces collide, followed by a terrible bang. Dust and dirt were tossed into the air and the trees shook. Xiao Chen could not maintain his steadiness and was thrown backward for meters.


    But the gigantic bear was not only strong; it was extremely fast as well. Without waiting for him to fall on the ground, it had lunged forward at him, its claws well-prepared to tear him into shreds alive.


    "Careful, Junior Brother!"


    Luo Shanyang began chanting incantations; the sword in her grasp turned into a flash of green light that shot out of her hand and charged at the bear, piercing its right shoulder, leaving a spurt of blood in its wake.


    "ROAR!" Enraged, the gigantic bear made a swipe at Xiao Chen, who had just dropped to the ground. He immediately mustered all his True Energy and attacked with both his palms. Two golden silhouettes in the semblance of dragons spewed from his arms, surging at his enemy. The Dragon Roar Palm struck true, hitting directly upon the bear. Yet, it seemed to have done him no harm.


    "Get back, Junior Brother!"


    Luo Shangyan cried to Xiao Chen as she channeled more speed, directing her green sword up into the air which then rained a hail of auric blades down at the monster. The Sword Qi projectiles skewered through the bear, its furry torso becoming wet with blood. Fearful of the pain of death, it turned on its heels and fled.


    Xiao Chen''s face had gone pale. Panting hard for breath, he had completely exhausted his True Energy after using three successive Cyan Dragon Roars. Luo Shangyan hurried over to help him, saying, "Are you hurt, Junior Brother Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen only shook his head. He asked, "Why couldn''t I damage the monster?"


    "That is a monster in the form of a gigantic bear. It has the power of Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm, and its defensive capabilities are the highest in all Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm monsters."


    Xiao Chen nodded as he finally understood. "Is it so..." He was, nevertheless, a Cultivator with only the power of Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm. There was hardly any way he could do anything against an enemy of Lv 4.


    The three princes behind them were already frightened to the verge of wetting their pants. Just then, a voice came from not far away, "What a coincidence. I''ve found some more Octarine Cores."


    Xiao Chen looked over. It was Mo Yu who was leading a band of more than twenty followers. Xiao Chen knew that he must have sensed their battle with the monster and had come to see if he could pillage or plunder anything. His formidable strength and the sheer number of his group made him an opponent to be avoided now. Xiao Chen feigned a thin smile, "Ah! It is Senior Brother Mo Yu. The monster had just been driven off by me and Senior Sister. Feel free to collect these Cores. We already have enough for ourselves."


    Mo Yu face darkened, having sensed that Xiao Chen was mocking him. He had wanted to defeat Xiao Chen in the contest for the Octarine Cores as a pretense. But Xiao Chen had effortlessly evaded conflict with him.


    Just then, Prince Qi rushed from behind. Xiao Chen immediately held up and arm to keep him in place and whispered to him, "This person is powerful."


    Instead, Prince Zhao, too, came from behind and roared, "Impudent fools! Do you know who we are?"


    "Ah?" Mo Yu responded as he picked an Octarine Core, "Three... worthless wretches surely?" But he had not waited until he finished; with a few flicks of his fingers, he sent a Sword Qi bolt that struck into the ground, causing a crevice to split open and squirted a spurt of mud into Luo Shangyan.


    "Be careful, True Disciple of the Sect Leader."


    Mo Yu sneered coldly. There were barbs in his words and his stroke was a blatant effort to embarrass Luo Shangyan. The band of twenty other fresh prospects behind him began to laugh scornfully, seemingly pleased by the assumption that they possessed greater potential and having found a good and promising leader in Mo Yu.


    Xiao Chen glared frostily in return at them. They could tolerate not having the Octarine Cores. But Mo Yu''s humiliation to Luo Shangyan was clearly aimed to improve the status of his followers. Knowing that this would only embolden them to also harass Senior Sister Luo in the future, Xiao Chen decided to act. He employed the Immortal-override Steps and hurled himself forward in a flash.


    But his sudden movements surprised even Luo Shangyan herself, "Junior Brother! No!"


    Xiao Chen''s stroke had begun. The force of his Dragon Roar Palm swept forth with the strength of the raging ocean, causing raging winds to blow. Caught unawares, the band of twenty persons was still basking in their dreams of bullying other fresh members when a huge force slammed into them and sent them tumbling backward.


    Seeing his chance, Mo Yu pounced at Xiao Chen. He channeled his True Energy and struck at Xiao Chen, who responded with a stroke of his own. The Palm Strengths of the two met, sending a shockwave that rippled across the woods. Xiao Chen felt an overwhelming force boring down on him that his arms ached to the point of bursting. Despite the invincibility of the Dragon Roar Palm technique, he was still no match for Mo Yu''s overpowering strength. He somersaulted out to safety and began to retreat.


    Seeing that he now had his quarry on the run, Mo Yu, enraged with anger, immediately made pursuit. But Luo Shangyan leaped to the front of Xiao Chen, blocking his way with her sword drawn. In an icy voice, she snarled, "That is enough, Mo Yu. How can you terrorize a new fellow disciple with your powers!"


    There was nothing but silence in that instant. Mo Yu''s minions clambered to their feet, eyeing Xiao Chen warily. "This person has fundamental skills. Is he really a fresh prospect?"


    With a face dark as coal, Mo Yu responded, equally frostily, "Very well. You have good fundamentals in your skills. Pity. Sometimes the wrong way will often see one into a quick and unfortunate end, no matter how good your fundamentals are..." He shot another glare, glimmering with cold malice before he turned and left with his minions.


    "Are you all right, Junior Brother?"


    Luo Shangyan waited until Mo Yu to leave with his lackeys. She then turned swiftly to Xiao Chen. Without adequate skills of their own, the three princes hardly knew anything about Xiao Chen''s condition. She, however, knew that Xiao Chen must have forcefully withstood the force of Mo Yu''s earlier stroke and must have been internally injured. She wanted to channel some True Energy into him to help him heal but Xiao Chen raised a hand to stop her, "I am all right."


    "You have overestimated yourself. He is of Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm," said Shangguan Yan who strolled into sight, twirling a set of bells between her slender fingers.


    Prince Zhao cursed bitterly, "If only I have my army of ten thousand men..." But he fell silent instantly under the stern glare of Luo Shangyan.


    She then produced a jade flask and poured out two little elixirs. Shangguan Yan shook her hand to Luo Shangyan, "There is no need, Senior Sister. This boy has the gift of an Undead Body. He had even survived a fall off a precipitous cliff near his home."


    Xiao Chen smiled in reply and returned to Luo Shangyan the elixirs, "Indeed. My wounds will heal by itself. I have a moniker called Undead Chen. No wounds, heavy or light, will be able to hinder me."


    At first, Luo Shangyan was still worried about Xiao Chen''s injuries. But even she began to ease as she listened to the antics of the two. Xiao Chen cast a gaze in the direction that Mo Yu and his band of merry men had left. The true test of his strength and resolve to achieve Immortality would not be the present trial they are going through now, but the delicate handling of his rivalry with Mo Yu. There would most certainly be deceits and intrigues even in an Immortal sect this small. He would best keep to his heart that he was no longer the premier disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect, but an ordinary, fresh entrant into the study of Immortality from the common masses.


    After less than half an hour of respite, the group set off once more. With Xiao Chen''s prowess in dealing with magical formations, there were hardly any magical barriers that could thwart their progress. When dusk came later that day, they have already found about 50 to 60 Octarine Cores. With the last shred of light before the sun sank, they finally found a cave where they could take shelter for the night.


    Xiao Chen had also found various herbs that were rare in the outside world. These were intrinsic ingredients used to refine elixirs that could replenish one''s True Energies.


    The orange luminous from the dancing fire lit up the inside of the cave.


    "I am so hungry! Brothers, shall we not hunt some wildfowls? Surely we cannot expect to survive only on wild vegetables?" Prince Zhao asked, mournfully cradling a bundle full of vegetables in his arms.


    "Nice suggestion!" The two other princes leaped up joyously. Luo Shangyan frowned and growled, "It is getting dark. Do not tarry outside. Moreover, you will never find any wildfowls in these woods."


    "Would you be interested in snakes?" Shangguan Yan asked suddenly as she came in. There was a serpent coiled around her arm, its tongue flicking incessantly. The three princes collapsed to the ground in shock, hugging one another for support.


    "Are we up for a spectacle tomorrow?" Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows and asked curiously.


    "Ask my snake," said Shangguan Yan who caressed the head of her snake, "Be good, Xiao Hua. Do not run off into the dark, lest some bad people catch and slaughter you for food."


    Strangely, the snake seemed to understand every word she said. It nodded in reply.


    The next morning, the group set off again. By the afternoon, they encountered some other groups and there were whispers among them. "Did you hear? There was news that Senior Brother Mo Yu''s group were assailed by a snake demon. When they woke up in the morning, their cave was filled with snakes. It was a terrible sight in there."


    "Indeed. There have also been words that many were bitten by venomous snakes and have to be sent up the mountain for rescue."


    "Wow... This is terrible."


    The three princes were shivering with fear as they heard the news and felt a chilly breath down their necks. After the group in front of them drifted further, Luo Shangyan stopped suddenly. With a stern glance at them, she said, "Do not agitate those people again, please?"


    Shangguan Yan impishly stuck out her tongue and Xiao Chen smiled playfully in reply. The "snake demon" must have been the handiwork of Shangguan Yan. Luo Shangyan cast a look at him and said, "You are not only armed with the fundamentals of the skills of Immortality but also have the powers of Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm, no?"


    "What!" The three princes jumped in surprise. In unison, they cried, "So Senior Brother Xiao is already ahead of us on the journey of becoming an Immortal! No wonder you had mentioned that you are not a mortal."


    Xiao Chen nodded before he turned to the three princes, "Do not leak this information, lest I fail to join this Sect."


    Moving as one, the three princes immediately clasped their hands together and yelled, "We three so swear, that we will act as if we know nothing of this matter!"


    The few continued their journey for another six hours until dusk came. By then, they had collected almost a hundred Octarine Cores and they were inching closer and closer to the peak of Lingtai Mountain. There was one more day before the test would end.


    Just then, they heard the sound of giggles coming from behind. Luo Shangyan instinctively threw herself before Xiao Chen and the others defensively.


    "I would never have thought that you are faster than we are, Senior Sister Luo." It was a girl, clad in robes of voluptuous red. There were a company of twenty people following her.

 Chapter 18-The End and The Beginning

    Luo Shangyan kept silent but her fingers remained on the hilt of her sword warily. The young woman in red laughed chirpily as she strode closer to them. Silkily she said, "Surely there is no need for such tenseness when a Senior Sister meets a junior of hers?"


    Xiao Chen observed the person, remembering that she was called Wen Qingyu, a disciple of the Fourth Elder, and a Cultivator of Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm. He tugged at Luo Shangyan''s sleeve and simply said, "Let us leave, Senior Sister. The night is upon us soon."


    Wen Qingyu cast a simple look to her subordinates. At once, more than ten of them immediately leaped into the way of Xiao Chen and his companions. With a frigid voice, Xiao Chen growled, "What do you want, Senior Sister?"


    Wen Qingyu giggled and looked at Luo Shangyan, "Oh my! Look at this, Senior Sister. Does he not have a temper, this little apprentice of yours? Does he not know any manners?"


    Looking at the bunch of ten people standing in their way, Prince Zhao came forward, showing a jade medallion, "Impudence! I am the Prince of the State of Zhao! Are there any citizens of the State of Zhao here? Come forward at once!"


    Four people slowly slithered away from the group blocking the way. Spurred by this, Prince Yan, too, came forward with his jade medallion, "Those from the State of Yan, leave at once!"


    "Anyone from the State of Qi! Do you still value your life!?" Prince Qi too flashed his jade medallion.


    The three princes stood at the front of the companions. Only two remained in their way; both of them were Tibetans. But cowering before the difference in number, they swallowed hard and drifted back to Wen Qingyu''s side miserably.


    Prince Zhao turned and glared at Wen Qingyu, "You refused to lead us, Senior Sister Wen, even we are endorsed by your own master. But what do you intend to do now?"


    Unabashed, Wen Qingyu remarked off-handedly, "You only have yourselves to blame. You are the ones who have followed the wrong lead!"


    "Curse you! Then why did you refuse to lead us? We would have been forced to return if not for Senior Sister Luo!" Prince Zhao barked and spat onto the ground.


    Wen Qingyu stared at them coldly, "Do you think you three useless wretches are worthy of learning the arcane crafts of the Immortals? Enough squabbling! I want 50 Octarine Cores. Surrender them or none of you shall hope to reach the top of the Lingtai Mountain!"


    "That is so imposing of you, Senior Sister Wen. So, do you intend to shed some blood here if we refuse to surrender our Cores?" Xiao Chen asked simply, his expression still calm and composed.


    "The gazes of the Elders do not reach this far... Don''t you ever think that I lack the nerve for committing murder..." Wen Qingyu hissed insidiously.


    "Why do you not try and see if you can..."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes took on a deathly look. Luo Shangyan might have long been giving in too much to the dogged bullying and coercion of her peers. But the rules would be changed, starting from now. He would never give in to duress and intimidation. With already a rivalry with Mo Yu, Xiao Chen was confident that one more would hardly be too many. Anticipating another bout of combat, he focused and channeled his powers to all his main aperture points.


    The Mystic Cyan Sect had a method called the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements. It allowed its user to enhance his powers for a short duration albeit with a terrible cost after its use: the spell would consume and damage its user''s heart and meridians. Hence, all disciples of the Mystic Cyan Sect were prohibited from practicing this spell. But it was by chance long ago, that Xiao Chen had once managed a glimpse on this forbidden skill.


    Luo Shangyan placed her hand on his shoulder and channeled some of her True Qi into him and dispersed the True Qi that was accumulating and concentrating within him. She then replied to Wen Qingyu, "All right then. We will surrender our Cores to you, but only twenty of them."


    Wen Qingyu shook her head, "No no no, Senior Sister. You do not hold the cards here. I do."


    "We are, after all, fellow disciples of the same order," said a voice suddenly, "Surely there is no need for such animosity. Senior Sister Luo has but so few of them. Please do not inconvenience them, Senior Sister Wen. You can have my 50 Cores."


    From afar, they saw a young man dressed in white garb. There were more than ten people following closely behind him, including Xiao Wan''er and Xiao Han. It was the group led by Cheng Ying.


    Wen Qingyu turned and smiled frostily at him, "My oh my... It is Junior Brother Cheng. What makes you think you are worthy to barter with me?"


    Cheng Ying shook his head, "Please, Senior Sister Wen. Please trouble them no more." He gestured towards Xiao Chen and said, "That young man, our Junior Brother Xiao, is, after all, the person endorsed by the Sect Leader himself."


    "Ah? So, he is the one endorsed by the Sect Leader himself. That explains his haughty temperament," Wen Qingyu remarked, her face turned cruel suddenly. "But what makes you think that I will look kindly upon a person he endorsed when I look upon his own True Disciple with disdain and contempt!"


    "The Sect Leader is presently absent from the fastness of our stronghold. Please trouble Senior Sister Luo no more, or I''ll have to offend you," said Cheng Ying.


    Luo Shangyan frowned and said, "Please, Junior Brother Cheng... Say no more..."


    Wen Qingyu threw her head back and shrieked in laughter before she fell silent and beheld them with a cruel stare, "Well then, let us see how a Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm Cultivator offends me!" Her Immortal''s Sword shot out of its sheath and shot at Cheng Ying like a white flash of light. Its tremendous speed and intensity whipped the fallen leaves into the air, shuddering the branches and boughs of the trees in the woods. Even the onlookers witnessing their duel could feel the sting of its intensity prickling upon the flesh of their cheeks.


    Cheng Ying recited some incantations and his fingers twirled as he performed some magical seals. His sword flew out of its scabbard too, meeting its match in mid-air and clashed with it, sending a strong shockwave that shook the woods. Feeling a powerful force like a huge and indomitable mountain before him, Cheng Ying was being forced back. Not being able to hold on, he was sent flying backward for meters.


    "You! You have reached the stage of Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm?" Cheng Ying gaped with disbelief at Wen Qingyu. Despite the difference of merely one level, the gap between the strength of both stages was vastly different; Level 6 was one of the intermediates stages of the Qi Refining Realm whereas Level 7 was in its late stages.


    "Hahaha!" Wen Qingyu broke into another bout of maniacal laughter, proud of her strength. She returned into her icy demeanor and spat, "How dare you, a mere Cultivator of Level 6, to speak haughty words before me. Your master is but merely Level 8 of the Foundation Building Realm. Even if she is here today..."


    But her voice had not fully escaped her throat, when a cold voice came from the boughs of the trees above, "So here I am. What do you make of this?"


    A woman clothed fully in white stood proudly and sternly while remaining perfectly steady despite standing on a branch. It was Bai Ying, the Third Elder of the sect. Wen Qingyu immediately turned pale. She bowed hastily and clasped her hands as a gesture of reverence, "My respects to you, Third Elder!"


    Cheng Ying came up to his mentor with his head drooping unto his chest, saying, "Master..."


    From her perch, Bai Ying looked down at him indifferently, "Did you intend to ride to a damsel''s distress with that paltry skills of yours?"


    Her words pricked deeply into him that his head sunk even lower. Through the thick of the leaves, he could almost make out the profile of her face. Absent-mindedly, he murmured, "Master..."


    Bai Ying shot a look at him, frowning, "You silly one. Hold your horses. You are still far away from truly becoming my disciple."


    Xiao Chen then regained his senses; he had erroneously mistaken her for his former master. He too bowed and apologized, "My apologies, Elder. I have mistaken you for somebody else."


    Bai Ying was however amused and she broke into a faint giggle, "Silly one. But you are an interesting one, I suppose. Surely you will not address any girl as wife and tell her that you have mistaken her for someone else later?"


    Xiao Chen remained speechless. But when he looked up again, she had already gone.


    Wen Qingyu wiped off her cold sweat. Knowing better than to remain, she hurriedly led her band of minions and left. Cheng Ying came over to Xiao Chen and his companions, "Are you all well?"


    Luo Shangyan shook her head. "We are. Thank you so much earlier, Senior Brother Cheng."


    "Don''t mention it. The sun is setting soon. Let us stay together for now."


    As they continued, Xiao Chen slipped a question to Cheng Ying, "Is that your master earlier, Senior Brother Cheng? She looks so young."


    Cheng Ying chuckled in reply, "She is close to a hundred years old actually. But she had managed to achieve bodily immortality so long ago, hence she managed to maintain her youth."


    Xiao Chen was amazed by this. "Is this true that even mortals are able to achieve bodily immortality?" Xiao Chen was positively certain that he had heard Wen Qingyu mentioned that she possessed powers only of Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm.


    Hearing this, the three princes and the followers of Chen Ying''s group were also astounded. "This is true immortality indeed!" cried the princes.


    Cheng Ying laughed. "Nay," he said, "This is still far from true immortality. In truth, my master''s cultivation is the lowest among the five Elders. But she is the only one that achieves bodily immortality. Most Cultivators of the Core Forming Realm, including the legendary Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators, have been no closer to achieving this feat. I myself know little of this."


    "Bodily immortality, eternal youth... Now that I think of it, Mother, too, seems to never age..." Xiao Chen shuddered, remembering how insistent his mother was to forbid him from pursuing the Immortal''s practice. Before he left home, she had slipped to him a strange medallion. He shook his head hard, trying to purge all disturbing thoughts from his mind.


    The following day, Cheng Ying''s group went on their separate ways. It was the final day. Lingtai Mountain was within reach now. Looking up at the cloud-filled mountains, Xiao Chen could not help feeling excited. His goal of joining the Three Pure Sect and making another step closer to immortality was within sight.


    But this time, his true purpose was not to achieve true immortality and unravel the mysteries of immortality but to find out the secrets about his past and locate his master. He knew full well that his journey to his objectives would surely be a strenuous and precipitous climb.


    With Xiao Chen''s knack of clearing traps and magical barriers, the companions made their way unhindered. By noon, they have reached near the peak of Lingtai Mountain. Even the three princes, given their usually loquacious disposition, were silent now; their minds were filled with thoughts of their own.


    The three princes could not have been more aware. It was only due to Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan that they had made it this far. They would never have survived the ordeals on their own. Were they truly unfit for the practice of immortality? Were they, as others had mentioned, truly useless and good-for-nothing wretches?


    Slowly and gradually, they began to question the purpose of coming here.


    Xiao Chen spun and looked at them. He laughed loudly. "Why are you not talking to each other?" He asked them. "Are you secretly plotting against each other to join the sect?"


    The three princes awakened from their dull lethargy and hurriedly waved their hands in denial. "No, no, no! Together we''ve come and together we will leave. We will not remain even if one of us fails..." But their voice trailed off. The three sighed and their heads sagged sadly.


    Luo Shangyan had remained silent all the while. She full well knew herself; it was inevitable that more than half of the fresh aspirants would be culled when the three-day test ended.


    Xiao Chen broke into huge laughter. "You are indeed the Three Swordsmen! To think that you share such brotherhood!" But he turned serious suddenly, "Indeed, I have once mentioned that countless trials and tribulations abound the road to immortality. But there..." He pointed up at the peak where mist and fog veiled its mystics from their naked eyes, "... Is the end yet also a beginning. With steeled resolve, even a mortal can achieve immortality!"


    His words resonated deeply with the three princes. They rose their heads and nodded, renewed with hope and inspiration.


    At length, they were close by the foot of the main peak. Two bolts of Sword Qi rained from the sky suddenly before them and transformed into two men; one clothed in green and the other in white. The pair rushed forward at the companions and addressed Luo Shangyan respectfully, "Senior Sister Luo."


    Xiao Chen looked closely at them. They clearly held Luo Shangyan in higher regard than the rest.


    Luo Shangyan nodded at them, "My greetings to you both, Junior Brothers."


    The three princes came forth and asked expectantly, "Have we passed the test? Are you here to receive us?"


    The young man in green smiled and spoke nicely to them, "Indeed, we are disciples of the Three Pure Sect."


    This was strange. Were the disciples here not of the Three Pure Sect? Could there be disciples of other sects around, such as the Cold-billow Sword Sect or the Skygale Sect as well?


    The other man in white smiled faintly, "Junior Brothers. You are all blessed with extraordinary physical qualities and Spiritual Meridians. It is destined that you should join us."


    The three princes leaped with joy, hugging each other tightly with exuberance. Prince Yan even sobbed happily, clenching his fist as he looked into the eastern sky, "I have not disappointed you, Father! I am now a student of the arcane arts!"


    The three were formerly worried and distressed that they would not pass the test; and the admonishment, the contempt, and disdain that they had suffered during the test had hardly helped with their confidence and spirits. The praises of the two men were the spurs that stimulated them.


    The man in green snickered and said, "Shall I lead you three back to the sect?"


    "Now? Of course!" Prince Zhao cried out loud.


    But Xiao Chen felt something was not right. He stretched an arm and yelled, "Now wait just one minute!"

 Chapter 19-Yu Yifeng

    The man in white looked at him, his expression still pleasant and friendly, "I assume you still have questions, Junior Brother?"


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed as he studied the two newcomers. "Questions? Of course, I do. If I might ask, who among the five Elders are your masters?"


    "This..." The two men shared a look, brief and embarrassed. The man in green answered, "To speak the truth, we are actually Outer Disciples of the Three Pure Sect." He then pointed at a shorter peak beside the main peak.


    "Outer Disciples..." The sudden revelation caught the three princes unawares that they began to look sullen as if a pail of icy cold water had been poured over them.


    The man in white then continued, "We may be Outer Disciples, but we are not much different from the Inner Disciples of the order. There are ample opportunities for us to be promoted as Inner Disciples."


    Seeing that Xiao Chen was looking derisive, the man in green remarked, "We are aware that you have excellent results in your tests. But there are more than a handful of others who have displayed greater potential than you. Our Sect accepts only five fresh Inner Disciples and fifty Outer Disciples per intake. But let it be known that we will never accept not even another once the tally is full."


    Prince Qi asked sharply, "What do you mean?"


    The man in white replied, "It means that you may reject our invitation to be one of us, the Outer Disciples. But we will find others who might be interested until the count of 50 is met. By then, your only chance of gaining entry into the Sect would only be that five openings for new Inner Disciples."


    So, this was the conundrum: they could elect to continue further and seek to enroll as Inner Disciples, but this will see them forfeiting the final chance of being Outer Disciples. However, if anyone were to stop and leave with the pair now, they would directly become Outer Disciples.


    Luo Shangyan stood silently without uttering a word. Prince Yan was the first to move, shifting closer to the men in white and green, whispering to his companions, "I think their offer is acceptable. Should we just..."


    Prince Zhao and Prince Qi listened quietly. But seconds later, they too relented, "Senior Brother Xiao, Senior Sister Luo... Our apologies..."


    Xiao Chen heaved a long and heavy breath, gazing up at the densely-clouded peak. "The journey in pursuit of immortality has never been for the faint-hearted who lack the needful resolve and will. Let us press on, Senior Sister," Xiao Chen said to Luo Shangyan.


    "Ah, I hardly care if this is the end or not. I am only curious to see how the top of Lingtai Mountain looks like," said Shangguan Yan nonchalantly. With that, the three companions continued their upward hike.


    The companions, now with only three remaining, went on without words. Luo Shangyan was especially silent. Xiao Chen gave a little laugh, "Trouble yourself no more with sad thoughts, Senior Sister. Everyone has a choice of their own and they made theirs, knowing that being Outer Disciples might suit them better. We do not force others to walk the same path as we do."


    Luo Shangyan shook her head gloomily; still refusing to say anything. But suddenly, they heard the sounds of huffing and puffing coming from behind them, "Senior Brother Xiao, Senior Sister Luo! Wait up!"


    It was the three princes. Xiao Chen laughed enthusiastically, "I thought you have already become Outer Disciples! Why have you returned? Are you here to see us off?"


    Prince Zhao held to a tree as he panted hard. Finally, when he regained his breath, he said, "We have decided! It is just as Lady Shangguan here had said, we do not care if we are accepted as disciples or not. But we will step onto Lingtai Mountain ourselves and behold with our own eyes a stronghold of the Immortals!"


    "Hear hear! We have gone through thick and thin to reach this far. We must at least see it on our own lest we might have regrets! It is a sacrilege for us, the Three Swordsmen, to just walk off!" Prince Qi quipped as well.


    "Hahaha!" Xiao Chen laughed to the sky heartily.


    Even Luo Shangyan emitted a stifled giggle. Her eyes were red and moist. "This is good. It is a blessing that you had not left with them," said she.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" The rest of the five companions looked at her incredulously.


    "Nothing. Let us continue our journey," said Luo Shangyan as she giggled again.


    At the foot of the mountain, the young men in green and white were still there. The man in green was the first to speak, "Argh... This is a silly idea by the Second Elder to have concocted such a lame plan to test the will of the fresh aspirants! We have even failed to lure away the three morons! Who else can we fool now?"


    "Could it be that you have spoken too much, and they have noticed something wrong?"


    "That is impossible. Hush! Look, somebody''s here! Let us prepare again to fall from the sky!"


    The two young men leaped onto their Immortal''s sword and took into the skies once more.


    Two hours later, Xiao Chen and his companions finally reached the peak of Lingtai Mountain where they found that they were surrounded by a sea of clouds rolling about around them and silhouettes of divine cranes flying freely in the sky. Into the distance, they could see that there were four other mountain peaks which were of equal height and the five mountain peaks were connected by steel chains. There were majestic and imposing halls build upon these peaks. Marble fences line around buildings of scarlet-red walls and fresh-colored roof tiles. This was the sacred domain of the Immortals.


    They were at the first of the five peaks. Standing here, Xiao Chen could feel the Spiritual Qi emanating richly around him; a huge contrast to the grounds below where mortals reside.


    The three princes were breathless by the beautiful and extraordinary sight before them. "So, this is where the Immortals live... Our journey has not been for naught..."


    "My congratulations to all of you. You are the first group to complete the test," a cheerful voice came from within the thick clouds and mists.


    A young man, looking like a true Immortal, appeared from the plumes of clouds. He flailed his sleeves and dispersed the incessant clouds around him. It turned out that they had reached a large square where many young men and women in white robes have congregated. Silent without a word, they regarded Xiao Chen''s and his companions'' arrival quietly. Some nodded with approving smiles.


    "G-greetings... Immortals." The three princes felt their knees giving way. The sudden appearance of so many Immortals made them feel so uncomfortable that they could barely speak.


    A disciple, a girl, covered her mouth as she suppressed a laugh. She whispered to a Senior Brother beside her, "The three men are so silly. They addressed us as Immortals."


    Dusk was nearing as another couple of hours passed. The setting sun cast a golden luster upon the clouds that looked as if they were burning brightly in gold. The 14 other groups, too, have arrived. What was formerly a thronging mob of 300 aspirants was nothing more than a crowd of a little more than 100 now.


    All of a sudden, two bolts of sword radiance fell from the sky and landed in front of everybody and transformed into two men, one in green and another in white. Everyone was shocked by their sudden appearance, "Y-you! Why are you both here!"


    The two men roared in laughter, "Hahaha! Congratulations to you all. You have passed the test. The rest who failed are now on their way down the mountain.


    Only now did everyone understood as they felt relieved and thankful that they have not made the decision to follow these two men earlier. It was a test to lead them astray. Those that followed them were immediately eliminated from the test. It was as Xiao Chen had said before, the road in pursuit of immortality was tough, and only failure would wait for those who lacked the needful resolve and will. The Three Pure Sect did not require anyone whose heart would waver; hence the test was set by Xingzhen Zi, the Second Elder of the sect.


    The three princes could feel cold sweat running down their backs. Xiao Chen smiled thinly; he had long seen through the ruse. Outer Disciples would hardly possess the powers of Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm. He looked around and found both Xiao Wan''er and Xiao Han.


    There was but only one person who was sulking despite the reverie around him: Mo Yu. His lackeys numbered 29 when the test began, but now, there were only a little more than ten left. Despite being fully informed about what might come during the test, he could only watch as his flock was led astray into ruin lest he disobeyed his orders.


    "Well then. We will now announce the final score for your performances in this test." The two men in green and white announced.


    Mo Yu broke into a vicious smile. Despite losing more than ten men, his group still has close to one thousand Octarine Cores. He was definitively certain that he would gain the first place.


    Each Core would represent one point. It was beyond any doubt that Mo Yu''s group managed to gain the most points. The score was divided equally to all members of his group, including those who were eliminated, all of whom received 30-plus points. The group with the lowest score was expectedly Xiao Chen''s group who managed only a measly 200 points. But due to their relatively low number, each of them received close to 50 points.


    Hence, the groups with the least members would look to benefit greatly compared to larger groups.


    The man in green laughed and continued, "All right. Next, we have the group who has achieved the highest place in this test, Senior Sister Luo''s group! Some applause, everyone!" The two began to clap their hands.


    But no one else responded. All was quiet across the entire square save for the lone and ludicrous clappings by the two men that slowly faded as even their smiles slowly froze. Everyone was motionless, gaping with disbelief.


    Cued by the silence, Mo Yu''s angry voice tore through the square, "Have you lost your mind? My group has 900 points and they have only 200. Why is it that they are the highest placed group?"


    Surprised by the sudden outburst of rage, the man in green hardly dared to answer. His companion, the man in white, replied weakly, "Please be calm, Senior Brother Mo. It was a sudden amendment of the rules by the elders three days ago, that the highest placed team will be decided based on the average points of a group''s members."


    "Why did you not inform me of this earlier!"


    "I did try to... But you were not listening, Senior Brother..."


    "Wretched fool! Go to hell!"


    Without so much as a look at the bickering two, the three princes erupted into a euphoria of joy. Their group had achieved the highest place; even if all of them failed to be selected by the Elders themselves, Luo Shangyan would still be able to name one of them to become an Inner Disciple.


    Excited and agitated murmurings and chatters could be heard throughout the square. A voice came suddenly, cutting through the air like a blade, "Are these the ones who have passed the test?"


    Everything fell into silence. They could hear only the light pattern of footsteps approaching before a young man in his early 20s, dressed fully in white, appeared. Over his back, he carried two Immortal''s swords, one red and one white. With eyes as clear as dew and a cheerful face as bright as the sun, the young man radiated strongly with the auric presence of an Immortal.


    With a gift of keeping everyone silence with ease, none of the current disciples of the Three Pure Sect dared utter a word before him. Not even Mo Yu dared to squeak. Tame and docile like a lamb, he gasped, "Perfected Immortal Yu."


    The young man smiled gently, his demeanor graceful like the fleeting breeze, and answered, "Don''t, I deserve not this title. Just call me Senior Brother Yu." He walked to the steps of the square and looked at the remaining aspirants, nodding approvingly.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed as he studied the stranger. Who was this man? Why did he look so familiar to him? He seemed to remember the two swords from his past, yet he knew not when or how.


    At this moment, a hushed voice nearby asked, "Who is that person, Senior Brother?"


    Another disciple, the senior brother of the one who had asked, motioned for him to be silent. Carefully, he said, "An Immortal had come from the Violet Manor a while ago. This man might be one of his disciples. He may look young, but his powers are well above our Elders."


    "Ah... So, he is one of the Immortals from the Violet Manor..." The younger disciple stuttered with surprise and amazement.


    Xiao Chen kept his head down as he raked his memories for any recollection of the young man. But everything was sketchy; some were clear as day and some were chaotic until he finally remembered. "Brother Yifeng?" Xiao Chen gasped.


    It was a faint but accidental spasm that escaped his lips. But it did not go unnoticed by the young man in the chilly silence in the square. He came slowly over. Everyone held their breaths as they watched him stop in front of Xiao Chen.


    "Are you... are you Lil Chen?" The young man asked suddenly.

 Chapter 20: Spiritual Meridian Tes

    t


    Xiao Chen raised his head and said happily, "Brother Yifeng! It''s really you!"


    "I didn''t expect to see you here either. It''s been ten years. You''ve grown so tall. How is Senior Changfeng?" The man pressed his shoulder and looked apparently happy.


    The crowd was shocked upon seeing their intimacy. Mo Yu looked more and more terrible, uneasy and terrified.


    Their friendship began a long time ago. This man was called Yu Yifeng, and his master was a good friend of Xiao Changfeng. On Xiao Changfeng''s birthday ten years ago, Yu Yifeng happened to have some business to do in the Human World, hence he visited the Xiao Family to celebrate the birthday. Xiao Chen met him then.


    Yu Yifeng was a low-key person and did not show his aura of an Immortal in front of the mortals. Ten years ago, Xiao Chen naturally could not tell if Brother Yifeng was a Cultivator or not. He could never expect that Brother Yifeng was exactly the Cultivator that he would search for a few years later. As for Xiao Changfeng, there was only one word to describe him¡ªunfathomable.


    At this moment, Xiao Wan''er ran here and giggled, saying, "Brother Yifeng!"


    Yu Yifeng looked at her and asked, "You are?"


    Xiao Wan''er giggled and said, "I''m Brother Xiao Chen''s sister."


    People nearby gasped and thought, "The backing of this pair of brother and sister was too strong! With their relationship to this man, they will definitely become elders'' Core Disciples. What are they taking the test for? Are they here to show off?"


    Yu Yifeng nodded and looked at Xiao Chen, saying, "Lil Chen, you can do it." He then jumped back above the stairs with a tap of his foot-tip. He looked at the two people in teal and white and said, "You can continue. I won''t bother no more."


    "Yes, yes, yes. Farewell, Senior Brother Yu." The two people were still scared. In their eyes, those who came from the Violet Manor were true Immortals. If they could talk to a true Immortal, it was a ten-year blessing.


    After Yu Yifeng left, the Three Pure Sect disciples were relieved. They now had a different look toward Xiao Chen and the other two companies.


    Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed tightly. The truth was that he did not want to meet Yu Yifeng at this point. He joined the sect by his strength, not relationship. But now people had seen this, and there would be misunderstandings.


    The two people in teal and white stepped forth and said with a cough, "Everyone, please go back and have some bath. Tomorrow, you will take the Spiritual Meridian Test, and elders will decide who will stay in the sect."


    No one chattered. Many people peeked Xiao Chen and thought, "This guy has the highest score and performed the best. He can join the sect even without that relationship. Anyway, there will still be four numbers available."


    Then, the disciple took the participants to the temporary dormitories, when an urgent voice rose from behind. "Young Master! Young Master!"


    Xiao Chen looked over to the source of the voice and saw Lil Ruo. She rushed to his front and asked while gasping, "Young Master, have you passed?"


    Xiao Chen stroked her sweaty hair by her ear and said with a gentle smile, "Yes, I have."


    The temporary dormitories were located on the mountainside, consisted of numerous small yards. After Xiao Chen took his bath, he wore clean clothes and plunged into the bed. These days were tiring, and he finally could have some rest.


    He gazed at the ceiling for a long time, as a trace of worry merged between his brows. After tomorrow, he would join the Three Pure Sect and acknowledge a master. However, he still thought himself as a Mystic Cyan Sect disciple and the sole disciple of his master Ling Yin. Acknowledging another master without informing was a major disrespect to his current master.


    "Master, where are you exactly..."


    Early in the next morning, the air on the mountain was exceptionally fresh and fragrant with vegetation and flowers. Xiao Wan''er and Xiao Han had gotten up early and prepared themselves. Upon seeing Xiao Chen walking out of his room, Xiao Wan''er leaned forward with her hands on her back, giggled and said, "Brother Xiao Chen, good morning!"


    This time, she called him "brother" instead of "cousin". Maybe sometime later, she would directly address him as "brother".


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Morning." Back in the days when he was still a "loser", Xiao Wan''er looked down on him just like the others. However, she was his kin after all, hence he held no grudge against her.


    He noticed Xiao Han''s cold face and jested, "Hey! Ice face, it''s early in a new day, why are you looking deadpan? Somebody owes you money or something? Or is it that your creditor came to you this morning for his money?"


    Xiao Han suddenly sighed and then gazed at the blue sky and white clouds for a long time. Finally, he said something astonishing, "The Way of the Heaven. What is the Way of the Heaven?"


    Xiao Chen''s body shook a bit. He looked around and said in a low voice, "How dare you say such thing here? Do you still want to join the sect?"


    All of a sudden, he felt this person strange. The Xiao Family was such a big family that it had countless collateral families. Xiao Han came from a collateral family, but Xiao Chen did not know which. It was as if Xiao Han had never appeared in his memories.


    Two hours had passed, and the disciple who was supposed to pick them up had not come. Xiao Wan''er sat on a little bench with hands supporting her head. She looked so boring. Suddenly, she stood up as if she had thought of something interesting.


    "You two, which elder do you think will accept us?"


    Xiao Han did not answer. Xiao Chen, who was leaning against a pine tree, yawned and casually said, "Whatever. It doesn''t matter." He would not stay here forever.


    "How can you not care about this matter?"


    Xiao Wan''er rubbed her chin and said to herself, "The First Elder had the highest cultivation level, but he is too stern. I won''t be his disciple. The Second Elder is a kind person, but he is obsessed with astrology and Bagua; this is annoying. The Third Elder is the youngest one and she should be the best option for me. However, her words are so sharp that no one can retort her. Also, her cultivation level is the lowest..."


    Xiao Chen suddenly moved. "The Third Elder. That woman resembles my master..." He smiled and said, "Forget it about it. You don''t even know if they want you or not in the first place. How can you nitpick?"


    "Humph! They will recruit me! Didn''t you see that those elders spoke so courteously to Brother Yifeng yesterday? If Brother Yifeng had told them to recruit us..."


    "What? How can you think this way?" Xiao Chen crossed his arms on his chest, turned to her and said seriously, "Xiao Wan''er, remember this. In the path of cultivating, you can''t depend on the relationships just like before in the Xiao Family. The path to becoming an Immortal..." He suddenly shook his head and said, "Never mind. You don''t deserve my time."


    Xiao Wan''er ran to him, grabbed and shook his arm, saying, "Tell me. Tell me. You used to talk a lot about this. You must know about this very well. Tell me about it, would you?"


    Xiao Chen looked at her and shook his head. "Then I''ll just tell you one sentence, and you''d better bear it in mind. For I am abstracted from the world, the world from nature, nature from the way, and the way from what is beneath abstraction."


    "Abstracted from the world, the world from nature... What do you mean? For example?"


    "For example?" Xiao Chen moved his fingers, pretending to calculate some numbers. "For example, a disciple will come to pick us up in two hours."


    "Really!?"


    Then, two hours had passed. A cold breeze blew through the courtyard and brought them a piece of leaf.


    Four hours had passed, and Lil Ruo was falling asleep.


    Six hours had passed, when a voice rose at the gate, "You... Haven''t you slept well last night?"


    Xiao Wan''er opened her eyes. The tree shadows were slightly tilted. This was already 3 p.m. in the afternoon. She said, "Finally, senior brother. I thought you have forgotten us..."


    The disciple scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, saying, "No, how can it be? It''s just that the elders had so many issues to deal with today. Let''s go take the Spiritual Meridian Test now."


    Xiao Wan''er knocked Xiao Chen with her elbow and whispered, "You said that it''ll be only two hours, you liar..."


    All of the newcomers had gathered in the square. Many Three Pure Sect disciples and Yu Yifeng were also present. It seemed that they came here to supervise this test and make sure that nobody cheated.


    In front of the stairs stood a black stone which was about a man''s height. It was covered with talismans, and there were 12 apertures on its top. A palm print was carved in its front, and the participants would have to place their hands on it without carrying any magic tools.


    Xiao Chen and the other two people were the last to arrive here, hence they were the last in line to take the test.


    A 16-year-old youth walked to the stone carefully, and he looked hesitant. He then placed his hand in the palm print. A short moment later, a one-foot-long beam narrowly emitted through one aperture on the top of the stone. The white light looked a bit grey and turbid.


    "One beam. Medium. Next."


    The two people in teal and white yesterday were here to hold the test. The teal one recorded the results, while the white one kept order. Behind them was a high platform where Yu Yifeng and an elder in charge of the Spiritual Meridian Test. Many Three Pure Sect disciples, including Mo Yu, Wen Qingyu, Luo Shangyan, and Cheng Ying, were down below the platform.


    The youth resentfully walked back. The chance for him to join the sect was basically gone. The Spiritual Meridian had quality ranks. The purer the beam, the higher the quality rank; vice versa.


    Then, a young girl walked to the stone. And the light beam was kind of pure and about three feet long.


    "One beam. Upper. Next."


    That girl was overjoyed upon hearing this and ran back bouncily.


    Most of the following 40 participants had only one Spiritual Meridian. Few of them had two Spiritual Meridians, but the quality was all Lower. The elder on the platform had sighed and shaken his head many times. Yu Yifeng also smiled and shook his head, telling the elder not to worry.


    Mo Yu smiled coldly and said, "I''ve seen this coming. What can a bunch of losers do? They are nothing but leftovers of the other sects..."


    Before he finished his words, the crowd exclaimed in the square. There were five pure white beams emitting a few feet high. This was once seen in a century.


    The elder in charge of the Spiritual Meridian Test was so excited that his hands were shaking, and he almost burst the tea cup in his hand.


    "Gosh! Five Upper Spiritual Meridians. Senior Brother Mo Yu only has four, right? Who is that girl exactly?"


    The clamor lasted for a long time. The two people in teal and white were in a dazed stupor for a few moments before they came to their senses and said, "F-five beams! U-upper!"


    Shangguan Yan smiled gently and turned around as her long hair flew up and suffused a faint scent. It was none other than her who had five Spiritual Meridians.


    "She... She even has five Spiritual Meridians!" Xiao Wan''er clenched her fists and said.


    Xiao Chen placed his hand on his forehead. He had not expected that this Ghoulish Woman could have such a good talent. The god was not fair. He was also worried about what would he do later. Evernight used to warn him that he''d better not let the others know he had full 12 Spiritual Meridians; otherwise, it would lead troubles to him. But he could not resist the mystic power of that black stone.


    The test continued. Some people had good talents with three Spiritual Meridians. It was finally Xiao Wan''er''s turn. She looked very nervous and walked forth. When she saw four pure white beams, she jumped up with excitement.


    Xiao Chen put his hand on his forehead and said, "What a loser."


    The elder in charge of this test kept smiling. Xiao Han walked to the stone and then caused a sensation among the crowd. There were six 10-feet-high pure white beams dashing to the sky!


    The two people in teal and white were already dumbfounded. "Six beams. Upper. Is there anyone else?"


    "Young master, it''s your turn." Lil Ruo pulled Xiao Chen''s sleeve.


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled. He walked forth calmly, when Yu Yifeng smiled, Luo Shangyan clenched her fists, Shangguan Yan looked at him with great interest, and Xiao Han gazing at the blue sky.


    Xiao Chen straightened his clothes, coughed gently, and placed his right hand in the palm print. A short moment later, nothing happened. He then placed his left hand in it, and still, nothing happened at all.


    The crowd started to chatter. Mo Yu crossed his arms on his chest and smiled coldly. Yu Yifeng frowned. Xiao Wan''er was confused.


    The chatter became louder as a few drops of cold sweat appeared on Xiao Chen''s forehead. "What''s happening? Mu Chengxue had already unsealed me." He then placed his right hand in it again, and nothing happened. The crowd instantly booed him.


    The elder on the high platform was about to say something, when Luo Shangyan said loudly, "Wait! He must have Spiritual Meridians!" She remembered that day when he fought against that giant bear. He showed a sign that he was at the Qi Refining Realm. How could one cultivate to Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm without a Spiritual Meridian?


    All of a sudden, the stone suddenly shook, and then 12 beams dashed to the clouds as if they could break through the firmament. People could not see the end of the beams.


    "Uhh! What''s happening?! How can this be?!"


    The square was filled with exclamations. The elder in charge of this test broke his teacup in his clench.Yu Yifeng suddenly turned pale.


    The 12 beams were neither turbid nor pure white. They were pure black! The darkness was so thick and full of demonic senses!

 Chapter 21-The Destiny

    The two people in teal and white stepped back far away from the stone. Xiao Chen was also scared as hell and wanted to take his hand back. However, it seemed that his hand had been cauterized on the stone. He was not able to take his hand back.


    All of a sudden, the black stone vibrated violently and then shattered with an earthshaking boom. This stone contained a great amount of Mystic Power, so its explosion was catastrophic. Yu Yifeng had seen this coming. He pointed two fingers at Xiao Chen as a beam of white radiance dashed forth and instantly changed into a radiance curtain that shrouded Xiao Chen.


    Then, he flashed to Xiao Chen in a beam of light and pressed on Xiao Chen''s wrist.


    After a long time, the crowd in the square was still restless. Yu Yifeng released Xiao Chen''s hand and said loudly, "Everyone, do not panic. The test stone had gone wrong just now. Junior Brother Xiao has six Upper Spiritual Meridians."


    His words carried more authority than that of the Spiritual Meridian Test elder, and the crowd accepted this reasonable explanation. The elder then said with a smile, "Yes, indeed. This stone had not been maintained for a hundred years, so it''s normal for it to go wrong."


    The two men in teal and white did not make comments. One of them said, "Now, please wait for a moment. I''ll show the test results to the elder."


    Xiao Chen was still a bit distracted. He was really scared by those 12 beams of black light. Yu Yifeng pressed on his shoulder and said, "It''s fine. It''s just a test stone that had gone wrong. You go back now."


    "Okay." Xiao Chen nodded and walked to the crowd below. Xiao Wan''er giggled and said, "I knew it. You''re as good as Brother Xiao Han. It''s a shame that I only have four Spiritual Meridians. But it''s fine anyway. Shall we go to the town tomorrow to celebrate? It''s on me!"


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, "Okay." Xiao Han was still there quietly gazing at the sky.


    At this moment, the Three Princes walked here, and one of them said, "Senior Brother Xiao, impressive!"


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, saying, "Yoo too."


    Each of the three people had two Medium Spiritual Meridians, which was not too bad.


    Dusk fell one hour later. The two people in teal and white walked back to the crowd with a bundle of bamboo slips in their hands. Everyone started to concentrate because the names of those who would join the sect must be written on those slips.


    The one in teal opened the slips and read, "The following 50 are qualified Outer Disciples. Liu Han, Wang Yue..."


    Many people listened attentively and were extremely nervous. They wanted to hear their names now because it was impossible for them to be an Inner Disciple."


    Some talented disciples were also nervous. On the contrary to most people, they did not want to hear their names now. Xiao Wan''er was one of them.


    The man in teal finished reading the names as Xiao Wan''er sighed with relief. Her name was not on this list. The Three Princes jumped with joy. One of them said, "After all these, we''re Outer Disciples!"


    Xiao Chen''s brow furrowed tightly as he stared at the man in white.


    The man in white opened the bamboo slips in his hand and said, "The following five people have better talents, hence they will directly become the Pro-disciples of the First Elder." He then looked at the slips and said, "Tang Yu."


    "Here!" A 17-year-old youth raised his hand.


    "Zhao Lingfei."


    "Here! Here!" A 17-year-old girl jumped and waved her hands.


    "Shangguan Yan."


    Shangguan Yan smiled gently and nodded her head.


    Xiao Chen''s brows knitted tightly. There were three of them, but now there were only two names left!


    "Xiao Wan''er."


    "Here!" Xiao Wan''er raised her hand and immediately looked at the other two people beside her, frowning.


    The disciple in white nodded and said, "Xiao..." He then looked carefully at the bamboo slips, when everybody looked at Xiao Chen and Xiao Han.


    "Xiao Han."


    The disciple in white smiled and said, "Congratulations on your Inner Disciple qualifications..."


    "Wait!"


    A cold voice interrupted him. Xiao Chen walked forth with a gloomy face. The disciple in teal said, "Junior Brother, take it easy... Don''t start a fight here..."


    Xiao Chen grabbed the bamboo slips from the disciple in white and then read it. A few seconds later, the knuckle of his finger cracked. The disciple in white smiled bitterly and said, "Junior brother, you can come here next time..."


    "Next time. Hehe. So am I not even qualified for Outer Disciples? Hehe..." Xiao Chen smiled coldly. He looked sullen and scary.


    Nobody had expected this. Xiao Chen had an outstanding performance from the beginning. Even though he could not be an Inner Disciple, why was his name not on the Outer Disciples'' list?


    Luo Shangyan walked to him quickly and said, "It''s okay. Our group finished the first in the test, so I can appoint one person to become an Inner Disciple..."


    The disciple in teal smiled bitterly and said, "Senior Sister Luo, the elders canceled this privilege temporarily. So you..."


    "What?!" Luo Shangyan could not quite believe this.


    The disciple in white said, "All right, brothers and sisters, you can go back now. Tomorrow, you will formally take the entrance ceremony. By the way, to those who failed to join our sect, please don''t be discouraged. We will recommend you to the Skygale Sect and many others."


    The crowd sighed and shook their heads. It was a joke that the Skygale Sect would want a reject from the Three Pure Sect.


    The Three Princes walked forth and asked, "Senior Brothers, have you mistaken?"


    Xiao Wan''er and the others also walked forth. Shangguan Yan asked, "May I pass him my qualification?"


    "Uhh..." The two disciples in teal and white looked embarrassed. "Is this a joke?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I was just asking."


    "I want to see your elders!" Xiao Chen growled.


    "Uhh... Elders are not available for anyone today," said the disciple in teal.


    "Then I''ll wait for tomorrow! If they''re not available tomorrow, I''ll wait until the day after tomorrow! I won''t leave until I meet them!"


    At this moment, Yu Yifeng came along. The two people in teal and white were scared and dared not to look at him, lowering their heads. The disciple in white said in horror, "This is the elders'' decision. We can do nothing about it..."


    "Okay." Yu Yifeng uttered one word before he walked to the hall where the elders stayed.


    One after another, many people had left. There was a young man standing alone in front of the stairs. His silhouette in the dusk looked so lonesome.


    "Young Master, let''s go home..." Lil Ruo walked to him with two packages in her hands.


    Xiao Chen did not say anything.


    ...


    Yu Yifeng walked into a hall. There was only the Forth Elder here, and he was frowning. Upon seeing Yu Yifeng, he hurriedly stood up and walked forth.


    "Xiao Chen''s physique is extraordinary, and he is very suitable to become an Immortal. Why do you reject him?"


    "Uhh..." The Forth Elder looked embarrassed.


    "It''s my decision." An elder''s voice rose from the back hall.


    "Martial Uncle Qingfeng... Why?" Yu Yifeng could not believe it.


    A cyan-robed elder with a zither box on his back came from the back hall. Despite his silver hair and beard, there was no wrinkle on his face. He looked at the Forth Elder and said, "Forth Elder, would you?"


    "Aye, Senior Zither Saint." The Fourth Elder clasped his hands and then left the hall.


    The cyan-robed elder looked at Yu Yifeng and said, "Sit down."


    Yu Yifeng said nothing and sat down. The cyan-robed elder waved his arm as a light curtain appeared in their front. There was a vision on the curtain: the mountains were collapsing, the water of rivers was running backward, the earth was sinking, the sun and moon were cracking, and the stars were shattering. This was a vision of the end of the world.


    Yu Yifeng was frightened while seeing this. The cyan-robed elder canceled the curtain and said, "This is the last Annihilation Times more than 40,000 years ago. None of the Immortals had survived from it."


    Yu Yifeng took a deep breath and asked, "Does it have something to do with Lil Chen?"


    The cyan-robed elder said, "Can''t you tell that there is something wrong with this kid''s Destiny?"


    Yu Yifeng''s head lowered and he said, "Sorry, my cultivation might be too low to tell."


    "All right then. Let me show you this."


    The elder waved out another light curtain again.


    Yu Yifeng looked shocked as his breath hastened for quite a while.


    "Can you tell now?" The elder waved again to cancel the light curtain.


    Yu Yifeng fell silent for a long time. They then had been talking for a whole night. The next day when the sunlight fell upon them, the elder said, "His Destiny was already set by someone a long time ago. You are not able to change it. I am not able to change it. He is not able to change it."


    Yu Yifeng moved his fingers to calculate something and then said, "Then why did you save him 16 years ago? I don''t believe this! Destiny can be changed by another person, only if he meets someone with a Destiny that can prevail over Xiao Chen''s Destiny!"


    "Whose Destiny do you think in this world can prevail over his Destiny?"


    "Then find someone who shares the same Destiny as his! Destinies can generate each other, whereas they prevail over each other!"


    Both of them stopped talking. After a long time, the cyan-robed elder said, "If this works, what about you 600 years ago? Why did you have to enter the Samsara by killing yourself with a saber? Yifeng, you should go back now. Your business in this Human World is done. As for the issue about the demonic flowers, I''ll go investigate with your Martial Uncle Xiaoyao. You don''t need to worry about it, and tell Senior Brother Qingchen not to worry about it."


    With a long sigh, Yu Yifeng stood on his feet and said, "I''m leaving. Take care, Martial Uncle." He then turned around and left.


    ...


    Xiao Chen had been standing in the square all night. The high humidity on the mountain had moistened his hair. Due to his relationship with Yu Yifeng, the Three Pure Sect disciples dared not to mock him or expel him. Most of them just passed him by with their heads down.


    Lil Ruo also had stood all night to be by his side.


    "Junior Brother Xiao..."


    A soft voice rose from behind. It was Luo Shangyan.


    "My apologies, Junior Brother Xiao. I''m not able to help you."


    Xiao Chen found her look fatigued and assumed that she might have talked to the elders all night. He smiled gently and said, "It''s fine..."


    "You can leave now. The elders will never see you..." Luo Shangyan''s voice became lower and lower.


    "It''s hard for a mortal to become an Immortal. It''s so hard. Heh..." Xiao Chen gave a cold smile and was about to leave, when a voice rose from the distance, "Lil Chen."


    It was Yu Yifeng. The disciples around, who were preparing for their morning classes, greeted him respectfully upon seeing him.


    "Brother Yifeng..." Xiao Chen''s dry lips moved.


    Yu Yifeng smiled gently and wanted to say something. But instead, a white sword flew out from his back. It was white throughout, and the sword body and hilt were unified. The sword was glowing with a faint white radiance which made it look sacred and bright.


    Everyone looked at the sword. This was an ancient divine sword. The swords they rode on could not compare with this one at all.


    The white sword seemed to have a spirit as it slowly fell on Yu Yifeng''s hands. He said, "This sword is named ''Unsullied''. Those who are unsullied within will not be tempted by the unrighteousness." He put the sword back in the sheath, handed the sheath over to Xiao Chen, and said, "From now on, you are the master of this sword."

 Chapter 22-Sunset Peak

    "From now on, you are the master of this sword."


    The moment he touched the hilt, Xiao Chen felt a sense of coolness and tranquility was going through his body. The resentment, unwillingness, and many other negative emotions in him dispersed instantly, and his mind suddenly became clear. This was exactly a state of mind that a Cultivator needed.


    Everybody looked at the sword with jealous and envious eyes. Mo Yu was also here. While looking at the sword, his eyes shone with blazing light.


    "Brother Yifeng, are you... Are you giving this sword to me?"


    Yu Yifeng nodded and said, "This sword has gone through thousands of years. And there is a Sword Spirit in it. I hope you can treat it well. Don''t stain it with too much blood."


    After saying so, he moved his fingers and then rode on a row of sword radiance to the skyline. He said from the distance, "Three days later, in a place 10 kilometers east of the Lingtai Town, you will wait for someone."


    Xiao Chen looked over at the sky as if it were a dream. A few moments later, Lil Ruo said in a low voice, "Young Master, where are we going now?"


    "Lingtai Town." Xiao Chen smiled and then strode down the stairs.


    Three days later, he came to the place 10 kilometers east of the Lingtai Town. A river ran through this place and reflected the blue sky and white clouds. A small stone bridge of primitive simplicity stood over the river. It had withstood 500 years of wind, rain, and sunshine.


    He found an empty space beside the bridge and placed the Jade Zither. Then, he told Lil Ruo to light two sticks of sandalwood on both sides. Finally, he started to play the zither.


    He started with C Major, which sounded solid and calm as if it were a stream slowly flowing under the moon. He then played A Major, which was a high-frequency sound. Then, he played D Major, and the music sounded like pouring rain.


    The music was abundant with highs and lows. The sound of the seven scales spread out as if it was peeling off the veils of his Destiny, one piece after another. In a short while, hundreds of birds had gathered here. Some of them were hovering, while some stood on his shoulder and squeaked with the rhythms.


    Near midday, a crisp bell-ringing sound rose from afar. It was a light-red carriage slowly approaching him. There were numerous and complicated decorations on its hood, and five bells in five colors were hanged on it. The window curtain was made of fine silks, and it looked dazzling under the sunlight.


    The driver was a gaunt old man in his seventies, but the motor was a snow-white unicorn with four hooves that seemed to be stepping on seven-colored auspicious signs.


    The river blocked the carriage''s path, and the only bridge was slightly narrower than the carriage''s width. It seemed that the carriage could not cross the river.


    A touching voice rose behind the curtain. "Uncle Tan, who is playing the zither here?"


    Her voice sounded soft and sweet, as if it were the drizzle in March, or as if it were the most beautiful woman whispering close his ear. Xiao Chen was touched.


    The driver looked over and said, "It''s a youth. He might have missed the test."


    There was no answer inside the carriage. A moment later, a white wrist unveiled the curtain. It was a girl who looked only 15 or 16 years old, and she looked free from mundaneness.


    The girl was getting off the carriage, and every move from her looked so gentle. She was clad in a white dress, and her black locks lay straight on her back. Although there were women beautiful enough to make fish sink and geese settle or to shut out the moon and put the flowers to shame, they were too mundane in front of this girl.


    While standing in the breeze, she looked at Xiao Chen quietly. There were ripples in her eyes as if she were a fairy expelled from heaven only because of her earthly thoughts.


    "Uncle Tan, you can go back." The girl then walked to the stone bridge.


    Xiao Chen was still picking the strings and delivering every note clearly. He suddenly said, "Miss, it''s the Lingtai Mountain ahead of you. If you''re going to take part in the test, I''m afraid that you''ll wait for another three years."


    He raised his head after finishing his words. But at the very instant he laid eyes on the girl, he suddenly felt his heart stung. The incomplete picture in his mind was broken into pieces again.


    Suddenly, a figure in his deep memory flashed by and disappeared as his heart was stung again. This was a pain that came from the deep of the soul and memory. This was a pain that he could never be able to mend it.


    The figure was also clad in white. As hard as he tried to recall in memory, he could not remember her face. That figure was just like the figure in the dream of his last life.


    "I''ve never heard of the melody, but it sounds familiar to me. Can you tell me the name of this song?" The girl suddenly asked.


    Xiao Chen came to his senses and immediately pressed on the strings to stop the music. He said in his clearest voice, "This song is called ''Veils of Destiny''."


    He composed this song thousands of years ago. He used to play it in the mountains near the streams, and every time he played, hundreds of birds would come to sing along with the music.


    The girl nodded slightly, walked to the other end of the bridge, and then continued to walk as her figure faded away.


    It took Xiao Chen a while to come back to his senses. He now felt as if he had lost something. He definitely had not met that girl, but she was just so familiar to him. "Is she the ''someone'' that Brother Yifeng had mentioned three days ago?"


    At dusk, Xiao Chen took back his zither and was ready to go back to the town, when a row of sword radiance fell to the ground rapidly.


    "Junior Brother, wait!"


    Xiao Chen turned around and found it was the disciple in teal. He asked, "What''s the matter?"


    The disciple in teal walked forth and said with a smile, "Junior Brother, don''t hurry. The elder had said that you can become a disciple on the Sunset Peak.


    "Sunset Peak?" Xiao Chen frowned and said.


    "Hehe, the Sunset Peak is the Outer Gate of our sect."


    "Okay. Lil Ruo, let''s go to the Cold-billow Sword Sect."


    "Hey, hey, Junior Brother, don''t go."


    "Is there anything else?" Xiao Chen turned around and asked.


    "Uhh... The truth is, the Outer Gate is not that bad as you think." The disciple said with a bitter smile.


    Lil Ruo pulled his sleeve and whispered, "Young Master, shall we just go to the Sunset Peak? There may be too many rules in the Inner Gate. I worry if you will suffer from those rules."


    The disciple said with a bitter smile, "Yeah! That''s right! You can take your sister together to the Outer Gate. But you can''t take her to the Inner Gate."


    On second thought, Xiao Chen found it reasonable to join the Outer Gate. His aim is to get the cultivation method that could guide him to cultivate to the Foundation Building Realm. By then, he would be able to go to the Violet Manor. He said, "All right. But to be clear, I won''t share a room with the others, neither will my sister."


    The disciple smiled and said, "Rest assured, Junior Brother. Someone had already arranged a residence for you."


    Xiao Chen nodded and thought, "This man was so different than before. This must have something to do with that girl from the carriage. Who is she exactly?"


    The Sunset Peak was not as lofty as the other peaks on the Lingtai Mountain. It looked rather small. However, it stood in a secluded valley with clear streams aside and was surrounded by mountains. It looked quiet and deep, and it was more worldly, unlike the main peak, the lonesome and cold Teal-dragon Peak.


    There were hundreds of disciples on the Sunset Peak, and they were not as occupied as those Inner Disciples. Normally, if they had nothing to do, they would go fishing, hunt some rabbits and have a barbeque, and even sneak down the mountain and abandon themselves to brothels in nearby towns. Many Sunset Peak elders would pretend to act as nothing happened. Because as long as those disciples paid enough "tributes" to them, they would not make things difficult.


    Moreover, most of the Outer Disciples came from aristocrats or rich families. They had plenty of money to spend. Although all of them looked a bit depraved, they were progressive within. The competition was intense, which usually led to bloodshed. All of them were looking forward to joining the Inner Gate.


    Before sunset, the disciple in teal brought Xiao Chen to the peak. Many disciples greeted the disciple in teal, while many others chattered about Xiao Chen. It was not a common scene that an Inner Disciple brought someone to the Outer Gate.


    As for those newcomers who met Xiao Chen before, they looked shocked and started to chatter.


    "He has gone. Why does he come back?"


    "Who is he?"


    "He scored the highest points in this test. But for some reason, the elders didn''t pick him."


    "Ha! It turns out he''s some unlucky person who failed to join the Inner Gate."


    "Hush, Senior Brother. This man is something. Haven''t you seen that he is brought here personally by an Inner Disciple?"


    All along the way, Xiao Chen had seen many people point at him, which made him feel bad. Also, he had seen some scattered houses on the hill.


    Those were dormitories for Outer Disciples. The expenses on the Sunset Peak were high. A 10m2 small house would cost 1,000 taels of silver for a year. Even in a big city like Cloud City, 1,000 taels of silver was enough to build a decent mansion.


    But it didn''t matter since people here were rich. Money was not an issue to them.


    About an hour later, Xiao Chen arrived at a quiet little courtyard far from ordinary disciples'' dormitories. He opened the door and a beautiful scene came to his eyes: simple rockeries, clear pond water, beautiful willows, and blooming flowers. A gentle breeze brought some white petals to his hair and shoulder.


    "Wow! Young Master! This place looked more beautiful than the Purple Bine Pavilion in our home!" Lil Ruo said with joy.


    Xiao Chen nodded and he noticed that there were many Snow Chaste Trees in this courtyard. Their flowers were white with light fragrance. When the wind blew by, they danced in the air like snow flowers in winter.


    It should be a woman that had lived here before.


    "Senior Brother, may I ask who lived here before?"


    The disciple in teal scratched his ear and said with a smile, "Junior Brother, ask no more. This is your place now, and nobody will come to bother you."


    "Okay." Xiao Chen stepped into the courtyard when he suddenly felt the existence of abundant Spiritual Qi, which was almost as rich as that on the main peak. He was shocked upon finding out that someone had set up a formation here in order to gather the Spiritual Qi in the valley into this courtyard. It seemed that the previous owner of this place was of high status, definitely not some Outer Disciple.


    One more step forward, his eyes suddenly lit up.

 Chapter 23-Ye Shaochong

    Two wind chimes were hanging on the eaves of a house. The style of the wind chimes resembled the one hanging on that girl''s carriage.


    "Who on earth is that girl? We don''t even know about each other. Why did she help me like this?" Xiao Chen was confused.


    "Okay then, I''m leaving, Junior Brother. Remember to take the entrance ceremony tomorrow morning." The disciple in teal said.


    Xiao Chen smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay. Farewell, Senior Brother Teal Clothes."


    The disciple coughed and said, "I''m not Teal Clothes. My name is Qing Shi." He then flew to a high peak on the sword radiance.


    "Ah..." Xiao Chen yawned and stretched. It had been so long since he left home, and he finally settled down. Lil Ruo said, "I''ll go boil some water for Young Master."


    "Okay, good." Xiao Chen nodded and was going to the house when footsteps suddenly rose outside.


    "Nobody lives here anyway. Don''t waste it. We brothers, the three of us, can live here. Nobody knows who lives here. If someone asks, we can just say that the elders arranged it."


    "Sounds good. As a prince, I can''t live in that kind of woodshed."


    Xiao Chen coughed and cleared his throat. "Who said that nobody lives here?"


    "Is it... Is it Senior Brother Xiao''s voice?"


    The Three Princes rushed to Xiao Chen with joy and said, "Senior Brother Xiao, it''s really you! Why did you come back?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "I think that I''m just bounded with you three people. We are fellow disciples from now on."


    "That''s great. With you on our back, we can bully anyone!"


    "Alright, alright. You three can go back now. You can take part in the entrance ceremony again with me tomorrow."


    The three princes left when Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. One of the advantages of staying in the Outer Gate was that he would not be haunted by Shangguan Yan. While thinking of this, he suddenly felt a gust of evil wind blowing on his back. He swiftly turned around and fortunately it was just wind, not Shangguan Yan.


    Two hours had passed, night fell and stars shone. Xiao Chen lay on the couch when a silver-haired youth suddenly appeared in his room.


    "Evernight, why did you come out?" He stood up and asked.


    Evernight glanced at him and then walked to the window. Gazing at the numerous stars, Evernight said, "This place is abundant with Spiritual Qi, so it''s a good place for you to cultivate. But, kid, don''t forget your ultimate goal."


    "I know." Xiao Chen nodded his head. He carried a mystery of thousands of years. He had to reach the Foundation Building Realm as soon as possible to go to Violet Manor. There could he solve the mystery and find his master.


    "So, you''d better not have too many karmas with people here. You will leave this place eventually. If you have some affairs with some women here, there will be one more ordeal in your next life."


    "Okay, I know this..."


    The next morning, Xiao Chen went to the gathering place of Sunset Peak disciples. His entrance ceremony could basically be ignored, but the major event today was the "Apprenticing Ceremony" for the 50 new Outer Disciples.


    Of course, this was not a real Apprenticing Ceremony because the Outer Disciples didn''t have masters. The ceremony today was for an Outer Disciple to find an Inner Disciple to take charge of himself; to put in simple, was to find a backer.


    Each of the five elders sent his disciple to Sunset Peak, including Mo Yu, Wen Qingyu, Luo Shangyan, and the others. The Sunset Peak disciples, even the elders here, treated them respectfully.


    Without a doubt, most of the 50 disciples went to Mo Yu''s line. Wen Qingyu looked unhappy. Maybe it was because her own master introduced the three princes yet she treated them coldly; as a result, she might have been scolded by her master.


    At this moment, she saw the three princes walking forth and shot them a cold glance. She then said impatiently, "You three, come over here."


    Prince Zhao looked at her, snorted dismissively, and then walked to Luo Shangyan. "Hi, Senior Sister Luo, please take care of me henceforth!"


    "You!" Wen Qingyu angrily gnashed her teeth.


    Needless to say, Xiao Chen joined Luo Shangyan''s side. She was a bit shocked upon seeing him.


    After the ceremony, the elders'' disciples left on their swords, while the Outer Disciples could only stand and watch them leave. Then, many senior disciples started to lecture newcomers, saying things like respecting your master and senior brothers. Those senior disciples established their positions by saying so.


    They were disciples from the last session, or even last few sessions, so they had higher cultivation levels and stronger social networks than newcomers, who could only quietly listen to lectures. If any one of the newcomers disagreed, he would be slapped in the face by those seniors without fighting back.


    Of course, those newcomers who had just joined Mo Yu''s crew would be spared from physical contacts.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. Those "seniors" were just at late-stage Body Refining Realm. Fortunately, none of them came to lecture him.


    Thinking of this, two youths walked to him. When they were about to say something, the three princes took out the jade plates and asked, "Are you from the State of Qi, the State of Yan, or the State of Zhao?"


    "Uhh..." The two youths looked at the jade plates and walked away, looking for someone else to lecture.


    Prince Qi''s face looked quite proud with his thumb up. He pointed at Xiao Chen and said, "This one is our Senior Brother. Leave us alone. Senior Brother Xiao''s cultivation is at Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm. How dare you scums come to lecture us?"


    His voice was pretty loud, hence many people looked at them. Many seniors thought that they were challenged and surrounded Xiao Chen.


    "Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm? Why don''t you say that you''re at Lv 1 Foundation Building Realm?"


    The three princes looked disdainful and were about to retort, when Xiao Chen glared at them and said in a deep voice, "Shut up! Don''t make trouble for me!"


    At this point, a man in red who was leaning against a big tree narrowed his eyes with his arms crossed on his chest. He spat out the grass in his mouth and said to the two people beside him, "Go ask his name."


    The two men immediately nodded respectfully and then walked over to Xiao Chen. The others made the way upon seeing the two men coming.


    One of the two men walked in front of Xiao Chen, glared at him and said in a loud voice, "Hey! What''s your name?"


    Prince Qi stepped forward and pointed back with his thumb, saying, "My Senior Brother, Xiao Chen. Remember that."


    The man nodded and said, "Xiao Chen? Okay then, come to the back of the mountain later." He then tilted his head, gesturing the other to leave.


    "Sorry. No time."


    The man paused, turned around slowly, and asked, "What did you say?"


    Prince Zhao raised his head and said, "My Senior Brother said ''no time''! Do you hear...?" Before he finished his words, he was sent flying backward by a Shadowless Kick.


    Prince Qi and Prince Yan rushed to help him up. Prince Zhao held his chest and said with hatred, "Senior Brother, he dares to hit me..."


    Xiao Chen glared at him and said, "You deserve it! I think it''s not hard enough!"


    "Not hard enough?" That man narrowed his eyes and punched at Prince Zhao in a flash. His move blew up a gust that caused people nearby to retreat rapidly.


    This punch was weak, even weaker than that of Xiao Yuan. Xiao Chen raised his hand to hook his arm and took advantage of that man''s momentum to throw that man 16 or 17 meters away, stirring up dust. This was Xiao Family''s martial arts technique¡ªdeflecting one thousand pounds with only four ounces of energy.


    The crowd exclaimed upon seeing this. The other man ferociously charged at Xiao Chen and then was thrown back to his company in the same way.


    The crowd was exclaiming. They were not admiring Xiao Chen''s technique but the fact that he dared to touch those two men.


    "It seems that the newcomers this year are dominant."


    As the voice fell, a figure in red suddenly attacked from Xiao Chen''s back. Xiao Chen''s Divine Sense was swift enough to found the figure, and then he turned around rapidly and punched out. The two attacks met, stirring up dust and soil. Under the shock wave, two big trees nearby were shaking and many people were sent flying.


    The crowd exclaimed, "He can even trade a punch with Senior Brother Ye!"


    Xiao Chen took back his hand. He looked fine on the outside, but the True Qi in his body became extremely turbulent under the blow. He could judge that this man had reached Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm.


    The man in red squinted and said, "Not bad. But you''d remember this: my name is Ye Shaochong. On the Sunset Peak, if I want you dead at 1 a.m., you won''t breathe after 5 a.m. If you really want to die, I''ll grant your wish."


    "Hehe, Ye Shaochong, what else can you do except for bullying the newcomers?"


    At this point, a man in green walked here in the distance with a dozen people following behind him.

 Chapter 24 Purple Mini Cauldron

    Ye Shaochong was a bit shocked. He looked at the youth and said with a cold smile, "What is it, Zhuo Wuhen? You North Mountain people want a fight?" As his voice fell, more than 20 youths had rushed to his back.


    Zhuo Wuhen raised both hands, saying, "A fight? Your men had crossed the line!" Then, the men behind him threw out two youths, who were beaten black and blue. The two men said in a weak voice, "Brother... Brother Ye, sorry."


    Ye Shaochong nodded and smiled coldly, saying, "Good! Very Good! Brothers, slash them to death!"


    The fight was about to be triggered. The newly came sisters were scared to death upon seeing this. All of a sudden, a cold voice rose outside the crowd, "What are you doing?"


    A youth in white walked toward the scene. Everybody greeted respectfully, "Senior Brother Wu."


    Wu Yue looked at the two leaders and then scanned the crowd with his eyes, saying, "Newcomers, assemble!"


    Dozens of newcomers quickly lined up in four rows. Xiao Chen thought, "The Outer Gate is just an Outer Gate. There''s nothing but chaos and foul atmosphere. This place doesn''t look like a Cultivators'' sect at all; it''s just some ghettos in Jianghu." He shook his head, sighed, and walked to the line with the three princes.


    "Now, please follow me to the Treasure Pavilion. Everyone can pick a treasure or sword of your likes."


    As a noble and decent sect, even the Outer Gate of the Three Pure Sect could not be stingy. The crowd was overjoyed upon hearing this and exclaimed, "We can even pick magic treasures!"


    After 30 minutes, the crowd arrived at a place called Treasure Pavilion. An old man in gray was sitting at the door, smoking tobacco in a long-stemmed Chinese pipe. A small sandalwood desk stood in his front, and a purple little ancient Chinese cauldron was on the desk for tobacco ashes.


    Everyone was excited. Wu Yue walked to the door and said in respect, "Elder Wu, the newcomers are here."


    Elder Wu now looked up and scanned the crowd quickly.


    Except for the five major elders, there were many other elders in the Three Pure Sect. In the Inner Gate, there were Elixir Room Elder, Sword Tower Elder, and Cultivation Method Elder. They barely deserved the name "elder". But the elders in the Outer Gate were just out of disciples'' courtesy.


    Prince Qi said in a low voice, "This Elder Wu must be something. He looks imposing."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "If you stay here for decades, you can also sit in that chair."


    "Really?!" Prince Zhao was thrilled at first. But he immediately realized something as he froze. Couldn''t he become an Inner Disciple in decades?


    Elder Wu knocked some tobacco ashes into the mini cauldron, coughed and said, "All right, the Three Pure Sect is showing its generousness by giving you magic treasures for free. Come in and everyone could only pick one treasure. You''re not allowed to steal. Now go inside."


    Dozens of people immediately rushed into the room. However, they were disappointed, whining, "What... What the heck are these?"


    It was only a small room with scattered sabers, spears, swords, and halberds. Some of them were even broken and rusted. There were also some broken mirrors, broken flag with a corner cut-out, broken folding fans. Were these treasures? The crowd did not stop whining.


    Xiao Chen could not help laughing. "Do they call this place Treasure Pavilion? This is a junkyard."


    Prince Zhao complained, "Elder, what kind of wasted things are these? The Skygale Sect gives Spiritual class treasures. We don''t ask for Spiritual class, but at least you should have some Normal class treasures."


    "Yeah! I heard that the Cold-billow Sword Sect gives Grand class treasures." Someone followed.


    There were quality ranks to those items like swords and magic treasures. From low to high, the ranks were: Normal, Grand, Spiritual, Sacred, Immortal, Divine, Primordial, etc. Xiao Chen''s Immortal''s Sword, Unsullied, was at least an Immortal item.


    The crowd chattered about how good the Skygale Sect and Cold-billow Sword Sect was, and did not notice that Elder Wu''s face had become sullen. Finally, he knocked the cauldron with the bowl of his pipe, and his pipe was broken.


    "The Skygale Sect is good. The Cold-billow Sword Sect is good. Why don''t you go there? What are you doing here in the Three Pure Sect?! If you want to pick one item, then pick; otherwise, shut up and get lost! Nobody is begging you to stay here. The sect still runs without you!"


    "Alas... Forget about it. Let''s just pick something. The summer is coming, at least we can pick something to kill mosquitoes."


    Prince Zhao said in a sad face, "If I had known this, I should''ve secretly brought my father''s Shangfang Sword of State." He then picked up some unknown thing and said, "What the heck is this? It''s rusted. Is it a big-headed sword? Shall I use it to cleave, shear, or stab? Would you tell me how to use this thing?"


    Elder Wu said angrily, "That''s my spatula to cook! Put the fu*k down!"


    "Okay, so this is the legendary spatula." Prince Zhao threw it away and picked something up again, saying in a loud voice, "Damn! What is this? There''s mud on it. Don''t tell me that this is used to cook! Or you will show me how to cook with this."


    Elder Wu was pissed off as his face changed. He thundered, "That''s the hoe I use to dig vegetables! You..." He then madly kicked him away.


    The crowd burst out laughing. Prince Zhao stood on his feet and dared not to touch anything again.


    Then, everybody "gladly" picked something they "liked". Xiao Chen walked to Elder Wu, looked at the purple mini cauldron and asked, "Elder Wu, would you give this to me?"


    Elder Wu glanced at the mini cauldron filled with ashes and asked, "This is just an ashtray to me. Do you want it?"


    Xiao Chen nodded his head.


    "Alas. All Right, my pipe is broken anyway. I''ll go buy another set of smoking gears. I''ll give this to you, along with its lid." Elder Wu then took out a purple round lid from the cabinet beside him. It looked like the original pair to the mini cauldron.


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, saying, "Many thanks, elder." He then took up the mini cauldron. The crowd was laughing at him, "A random sword is better than this. Are you stupid?"


    At the noisiest moment, in walked a young man in white. He carried three big packages which suffused with the fragrance of herbs.


    Elder Wu immediately raised his hand to gesture silence. He then smiled to the youth in white and said respectfully, "What''s the matter?"


    The young man looked gloomy and said, "Where are Elder Liu and Elder Song? Why can''t I see them in this broad daylight?"


    Elder Wu''s back was drenched with cold sweat. He smiled and said, "Uhh... Maybe... They..."


    "Humph!" The young man threw the three packages to the desk and said, "Refine these medicinal materials this month. The elder of the Elixir Room needs them next month. Do it as quick as you can! Are you clear?"


    Elder Wu''s face was full of bitterness. He said, "Uhh... Last month, we just had..."


    "What?" The young man glared at him.


    "Nothing. Rest assured, we''ll definitely refine these in this month."


    "Humph!" The young man swung his sleeve and scanned the crowd before he left on the sword.


    After the man left, Elder Wu finally let out a sigh of relief. He shook his head while looking at the three big packages. The crowd dared not to say anything and left the room one after another.


    "Well, you can go back now. Let''s call it a day. You have classes tomorrow, and everyone will have to attend." Elder Wu waved his arm and said weakly.


    At noon, Prince Zhao said, "I''m so hungry. Let''s go. The mess hall seemed to be open today."


    The disciples then walked to the mess hall of the Sunset Peak. The hall was clean and tidy inside, and the cooks were not bad. People were satisfied with this place. However, a few moments later...


    "What? 20 taels of silver for a plate of shredded potato? Are you kidding me?"


    "32 taels of silver for a dish of vegetables? Are you so poor that you even rob disciples?"


    Looking at the swinging little wood plates that hung on the roof beam, the disciples felt desperate.


    A cook smiled and said, "Nobody forced you to buy our meal. The vegetables on the Sunset Peak contained rich Spiritual Qi. You''ll live a longer life after having our meal."


    "Why don''t you say that we''ll directly become Immortals after having your meal?"


    The disciples were still not buying it. The mess could not bully them just because they were Outer Disciples. Could they charge such an expensive price to those talented Inner Disciples?


    At this point, three well-dressed people swaggered into the hall and said, "No money? How can you cultivate without money? I want Sliced Beef in Chili Oil, Braised Carp in Brown Sauce, Sauteed Shrimps, Steamed Chicken, and Fried Loquats with Noodles..."


    The crowd in the hall stared agape at him. "Can you eat them all?"


    "If I can''t eat all of them, I''ll just throw them away! The State of Zhao is vast in territory and rich in natural resources. We''re wealthy enough to do this." He then whisked the lower hem of his robe and sat on the bench. However, before his buttocks touched the bench, he hurriedly stood up again, giggled and said, "Senior Brother Xiao, you sit first."


    A man nearby sneered and said, "With you as a prince, the people in the State of Zhao can hardly earn a living and then starved to death with corpses all over your land."


    "How dare you!" Prince Zhao slapped the table, and stood up again.


    Xiao Chen coughed and knocked the table with chopsticks, saying, "He who doesn''t fight with the others will make no mistake. This is the first commandment of cultivating. Bear it in mind."


    "Hehe, Senior Brother is so right."


    A few moments later, the waiter brought up a plate of unknown things. Prince Zhao looked at it and asked, "Why are here only Fried Loquats? Where are the noodles?"


    The waiter glanced at him and said, "Noodles? Nah, we don''t have noodles. The other food materials are not delivered yet either. We''ve only got this." He then walked back.


    "Ahem, you have a good meal. I''m going back now."


    After saying so, Xiao Chen left. Fortunately, when he returned to the courtyard, Lil Ruo had already prepared a full table of meals for him.


    Xiao Chen asked in surprise, "Where did you get the pots, bowls, gourd ladle, and dishes?"


    "He-he. I borrowed these from Elder Wu this morning."


    "All right." Xiao Chen moved his chopsticks and thought, "Although Elder Wu looked tough, he is a nice person." He then thought of the purple mini cauldron, took it out from his chest, and put it on the table. The sun happened to slant through the window, and a tiny stream of purple smoke suddenly rose from the mini cauldron.

 Chapter 25 Elixir-Refining Technique

    "Hmm? Young Master, where did you get this mini cauldron? Why is it puffing smoke itself?" Lil Ruo asked in surprise.


    "Hehe, it''s nothing. Let''s eat." Xiao Chen smiled and said. He picked up a piece of vegetable with his chopsticks and put it into her bowl.


    In the afternoon, Xiao Chen had washed the mini cauldron clean. He put it on the table and sized it up again and again. Just now, he tried to burn it, smash it with stone, and even slash it with Unsullied. But none of the actions dealt a trace of damage to the cauldron. He did not know what material it was made of. It looked like wood, yet it was incredibly hard.


    He was now exactly in need of a cauldron to refine elixirs. He shook his head with a smile and said, "I might as well name you Wonder Wood Cauldron."


    Although his attainment in alchemy was not as high as that in formations, his elixir-refining technique was not bad. He took out some herbs that he collected in the mountain during the test several days ago, and adeptly split them into several batches.


    Two hours later, the elixir was refined. He opened the lid as the fragrance of the elixir immediately suffused the room.


    Xiao Chen was happy and surprised as if he had gotten the most precious treasure. The special material of the Wonder Wood Cauldron enabled his Divine Sense to easily penetrate the cauldron to control the duration and degree of heating; moreover, it took him much less time to refine an elixir. He really had run into a treasure.


    The elixir he refined was called Energy Pill, an elixir used to restore True Qi. He had noticed a problem while he was fighting against that giant bear a few days ago¡ªhis True Qi was always insufficient.


    His cultivation was only at Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm, so his True Qi storage was not big enough. However, it took a considerable amount of True Qi to play the Dragon Roar Palm. In a fight, his True Qi would run out after playing several moves of the Dragon Roar Palm.


    But he also knew that the Energy Pill could not fundamentally solve the problem. The most important thing was to increase his cultivation as soon as possible. Otherwise, he could not even defeat Ye Shaochong, not to mention the Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm Mo Yu.


    It was almost at dusk; Elder Wu was still worriedly gazing at the three big bags of medicinal materials. At this moment, Elder Song and Elder Liu finally came back. Upon seeing them, Elder Wu immediately stood up and growled, "Why do you two come back so late?"


    Elder Liu forced a smile and said, "Something went wrong on the way." He then noticed the three bags on the table and exclaimed. "What is this?"


    Elder Wu sighed deeply, threw his hands up, and said, "Tell me about it. The Nine Provinces Swordsmanship Competition is coming. The elder of the Elixir Room wants more Energy-fortifying Pills. He said that we have to refine these three bags of materials by the end of the month."


    "There''s only 20 days left. It''s not enough!" Elder Song said hurriedly.


    "Then what? The elder of the Elixir Room is a Rank Two pharmacist. Even the five major elders dare not to offend him. What''s your plan? Return these bags to the Black Dragon Peak?" Elder Wu turned the whites of his eyes up and said.


    "Alas. We can''t even have a rest. And they didn''t pay us enough Spiritual Stones every month. What now? How about leaving them to the disciples?"


    "Are you joking? If they fail to refine the elixirs, we, three miserable old men, will stay on the Sunset Peak for the rest of our lives!"


    "Alas..." The three elders sighed in unison.


    The next day, before dawn, Xiao Chen was already sitting cross-legged under a Snow Chaste Tree and was running the cultivation method to absorb the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth. Thanks to the richer Spiritual Qi in this place, his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method was working at a certain extent. If he were a ship, his home would be a pond-turned lake, it now could basically carry him but was unable to let him sail.


    When he was concentrating on cultivating, he suddenly heard footsteps from the outside. This courtyard was quite remote, why were there people even before it was dawn? He listened attentively and then vaguely heard the conversation of two or three men.


    "Have you heard? The Skygale Sect recruited a disciple with six Spiritual Meridians. She''s called Huangfu Xin or something."


    "Are you sure? Six Spiritual Meridians? How is it possible?"


    "How is it not possible?" The Sect Leader, Tiangu Zi, had personally married her to his first disciple, Qin Xiu. It''s said that they will get married after this Nine Provinces Swordsmanship Competition. They will fete every sect with a grand wedding ceremony and show off their strengths."


    "That sounds fair. Qin Xiu is in the Foundation Building Realm. In the last Nine Provinces Swordsmanship Competition, none of the disciples from the Nine-cloud Sect or Cold-billow Sword Sect could defeat him. I think Mo Yu is nothing in front of him. Mo Yo can only put on airs in front of us."


    "All right, all right. Stop talking. Let''s go back now lest the elders notice us missing."


    As the footsteps fading away, Xiao Chen clenched his fists tightly, cracking knuckles. He then punched the Snow Chaste Tree as the petals rustled and fell to the ground.


    "Skygale Sect... Qin Xiu..."


    At the crack of dawn, Xiao Chen was holding a broken sword in his room. This was the very sword that Qin Xiu had broken in the Xiao Family, the Teal Blade.


    A few moments later, the sun had risen. He went outside and found the sunlight a bit dazzling. The dews hanging on the grasses were glimmering under the sunlight.


    Also, there was the palm print he left on the Snow Chaste Tree.


    "Young Master, you''re up so early." A door creaked open, and then Lil Ruo walked out. She was inhaling the fresh mountain air.


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled slightly, saying, "Yes. I have classes to attend to later. I''m leaving now. See you."


    "Well, come back early at noon, Young Master."


    On the way, he met the three princes and saw them looking listless with heavy dark circles. They looked as if they had over-indulged themselves. He said, "At such a young age, how can you be so listless? What have you done last night?"


    Prince Zhao said with a bitter smile, "What else can we do? We had three plates of Fried Loquats, which led to a whole night''s toilet war..."


    "Are we still going to eat that thing today?" Prince Qi asked feebly.


    "Yeah. It''ll be fine if we eat more of them. Cultivators should be able to eat all kinds of food and can digest all kinds of hazardous things..."


    Xiao Chen shook his head. With Lil Ruo, he didn''t need to worry about his diet.


    The Sunset Peak had liberal arts courses. The classroom was a big hall and not far from the mess hall. It looked pretty imposing. When the dozens of students had seated, in walked a teal-robed elder with two children behind him. One child held a thick stack of notebooks and the other carried a parcel.


    The teal-robed elder walked to the front of the hall, swept around to count the numbers, and took a notebook from the child on his left. He said, "You can call me Elder Song. Now begins the first class, the rules of the Three Pure Sect."


    He licked his finger, opened the notebook in his hand and said, "The first commandment: Honor the teacher and respect his teaching, and no cheating or killing the teacher. The second commandment: Recognize the good and the evil, and no associating with disciples of the devil''s sects. The third commandment: Respect and love fellow disciples, and no fighting or bullying..."


    In the end, the students were all sleepy after an hour of his lecturing. Finally, Elder Song had to cough heavily to wake up the three students who had fallen asleep.


    "Fried... Fried Loquats!" Prince Zhao suddenly raised his head, rubbed his eyes, looked out of the window and murmured, "Is... Is the class over?"


    The students around chuckled. Elder Song walked to him and threw the notebook on his desk, saying, "Young friend, please read aloud what I just lectured!"


    "Okay..." Prince Zhao stood up and noticed the two friends beside winking at him. He coughed and said, "First, recognize the good and the evil, no fighting or bullying master..."


    The classroom burst out laughing. "Laugh not!" Elder Song glared at the others and thundered. "The three of you, go back and copy the sect rules 100 times. Hand the copies over to me tomorrow morning." He then angrily walked back to the front of the hall.


    At this point, a red-robed elder in and then he walked to the front of the hall barehanded. At that time, he moved his fingers to conjure a palm-sized ancient Chinese cauldron and many other miscellaneous items on the desk.


    Every disciple''s eyes lit up. It was much more interesting to see so many things appear out of nowhere like magic than to listen to the dry sect rules.


    Xiao Chen was also a bit shocked. What was going on? After a Cultivator reached the Nascent Soul Realm, he would be able to generate his Violet Manor Nascent Soul. Smaller Violet Manor Nascent Soul could be used to store items, and bigger ones could trap an enemy or temporarily hide himself to escape from enemies. Some Cultivators could even cultivate their Violet Manor Nascent Souls into a Plane in his body. But this elder couldn''t have reached the Nascent Soul Realm.


    The red-robed elder coughed and said, "You can call me Elder Liu. As disciples of a Cultivators'' sect, the elixir-refining technique is essential. Now, I''ll tell you something about it."


    He said a bunch of esoteric theories and then picked up the cauldron, saying, "As you can see, this is only a normal mini-cauldron. But, the secrets of the heaven and earth lay inside it. Now, I''ll show you how to refine an elixir."


    After saying so, he threw the cauldron up and it suspended in the air. The students exclaimed upon seeing this. This was the psychokinesis of the Immortals.


    "The mortals need fire to refine elixirs. But as Cultivators, we use the power of our Energies." Elder Liu sent some medicinal materials and minerals into the cauldron while speaking. He then channeled his Energy through his arms, and white smoke started to emit from the top of the cauldron.


    He carefully controlled the duration and degree of heating while he was introducing the alchemy techniques because otherwise, a minor mistake might turn the materials in the cauldron into charred coke, and embarrassed himself in front of all the new disciples.


    About one hour later, his forehead sweated heavily and the students were watching attentively. Half an hour later, the cauldron started to effuse the fragrance of elixir.


    Elder Liu smiled and said, "Done! Unlid!"


    Xiao Chen sighed inwardly. It was supposed to be an elixir of good quality, but this elder was not calm enough and hurried in the final step. As a result, the temperature was not high enough, and the outcome was useless.


    A rough but spherical elixir in greyish white slowly floated out from the cauldron. The students acclaimed upon seeing this. This was amazing. Those messes now became an elixir.


    Elder Liu took the elixir and said with a smile, "This is the rudimentary Qi-refining Pill. You can smell it." He then gave the elixir to the child beside him.


    The child gave the elixir to a student, who then passed it to other students to have a close look. Everyone praised it. Finally, when it was passed into Prince Zhao''s hand, he sized it up and asked, "Can I eat it?" At that moment, he was ready to throw it to his mouth.


    The faces of Elder Song and Elder Liu changed upon seeing this. Elder Liu said, "Don''t!"


    Prince Zhao frowned and said, "What? Are they meant to be eaten?" He again wanted to throw it to his mouth.


    Elder Liu shouted, "You can''t eat it! This one is for demonstration only. I saved many steps in the progress. It will do nothing good for your body. Give it to me."


    "Okay. I won''t eat it then." Prince Zhao returned the elixir to the child.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled inwardly. It would be more than useless to take this elixir. The proportion of the materials was totally wrong. Taking this elixir would be worse than having a plate of Fried Loquats.


    The two elders secretly wiped some cold sweat. Elder Liu looked around and said with a smile, "Now, I want to ask one of you to come here and demonstrate."


    The students lowered their heads upon hearing this. Who could learn such a complicated skill after only having watched it once?


    Elder Liu''s eyes moved slowly in the crowd and found that Xiao Chen was not as nervous as the others. He smiled, walked to Xiao Chen, looked at Xiao Chen and the girl beside him, and finally said to the girl with a smile, "Would you please demonstrate to the others?"

 Chapter 26 Divine Vessel

    "Me?" The little girl asked with disbelief, pointing to herself. She shook her hand hurriedly, saying, "No... I cannot..." She looked to Xiao Chen beside her and said, "Why not you, Senior Brother Xiao? I don''t know how. Neither can I use psychokinesis nor do I know how to manipulate Energies..."


    However, Xiao Chen only smiled gently to her and said, "Have no fear. Go ahead."


    With no other choice left, the girl walked reluctantly up the hall, her head hanging from her shoulders but still, she dared not look down. Elder Liu giggled gently, "There is no need for such tenseness. I have some Fire Manipulation Talismans. You will not have to use any Energy." He flicked his wrist and conjured a stack of red talisman strips in his hand.


    "Oh... Okay..." The girl kept her head down as she observed the heaps of items clumped together, feeling nauseous and dizzy for not knowing how to proceed.


    "Four grams of mica, two grams of sulfur, two grams of liquefied mithril..." Xiao Chen recited the names of the materials that he recognized and their quantities. Both Elders Song and Liu raised their head and stared at him.


    By his instructions, the little girl placed the items one by one into the cauldron. She then slapped a Fire Manipulation Talisman unto the surface of the cauldron. It burst into flames swiftly and a fire began burning underneath.


    All seemed well at first until crackling sounds rose from in the cauldron. The girl started to fidget fearfully, afraid that the cauldron might explode. She started to creep farther and farther away from it.


    "Calm yourself. Lower the three-tenths of the flames and add two grams of Flame-dousing Ore with four grams of silver flakes," said Xiao Chen from below.


    The girl immediately did as she was told and deposited the items into the cauldron. However, in her rushed hastiness, she made a mistake. Xiao Chen calmly commanded, "Add another eight grams of Eriocaulon Herb and four grams of quartz."


    The little girl tried her best to follow his instructions. Within seconds, the cauldron returned to normal. But in her panic, she made even more mistakes and wrongly pasted the talismans. Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "It is ruined. There is no need to carry on anymore."


    "Ah..." The girl dejectedly placed down a talisman in her hand.


    With his psychokinesis ability, Elder Liu lifted the lid of the cauldron. Ribbons of jet-black fumes escaped from the cauldron. A robust and putrid stench began to fill the entire hall, making many to avert themselves away with their noses pinched.


    The girl peered into the cauldron and found only blackened soot in its bottom. On the verge of tears, she mumbled, "I-I am sorry, Elders... I''m too stupid for this..."


    Elder Liu placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, saying, "It is all right. I''m sure you''ve done the best you could. Down you go." He gave Xiao Chen a fleeting glance.


    The young girl returned to her seat, her eyes moist and red. She looked at Xiao Chen and muttered, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao. My name is Wang Yue. I saw you during the test..."


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled encouragingly to her although he did not say anything.


    Elder Liu then instructed two acolytes to clear the table. He then spoke to those below, "One must never be hasty when it comes to refining elixirs. Do you have any questions?"


    The students looked at each other. Not knowing what had happened at all, none knew enough to ask any questions.


    Xiao Chen''s voice broke the silence, "I have one, Elder."


    "You have a question?" Elder Liu asked with some surprise. He remained calm again and coughed once, saying, "Ask away then. May your question be instructive and informative to everyone."


    Xiao Chen asked, "I would like to know, Elder, from where did you conjure the items?"


    Curious prattles and whisper rose from the crowd. The way that the Elder had conjured the items out of thin air was astounding indeed; a quaint method used without the help of any magical artifacts or tools.


    Elder Liu smiled pleasantly and replied, "I see. Very well. This was supposed to be tomorrow''s subject. But since you''ve asked, I suppose I can tell you a little about it. Cultivators can create a pocket dimension within their bodies. It is called the Divine Vessel."


    He fell into another two hour-long oratories about the complexities of the technique. By the time he ended, it was already afternoon, and everyone was still bewildered and befuddled by his explanation.


    All in all, the Divine Vessel was a dimensional space created by Cultivators in their own bodies to store items. The technique was slightly different to the Violet Manor Nascent Soul, where living organisms could also be stored within.


    Storage of items within one''s Divine Vessel would also continually consume one''s True Qi. With more things one stored within himself, the higher the strain he would bear. Hence, Cultivators would sometimes toss pieces of things away when they were running for their lives from enemies. This was to reduce the stress on his True Qi so that he could concentrate his powers on fleeing.


    Xiao Chen had been listening closely, nodding as he reflected upon the intrinsic differences of cultivation methods after more than thousands of years since his past incarnation. The technique of the Divine Vessel was unheard of in those days. Cultivators of that age had to painstakingly reach the Nascent Soul Realm to attain the ability to store items at will; otherwise, they would have to depend on magical artifacts or tools.


    Seeing that noon had passed, Elder Song raised a hand and announced, "So ends the morning session today. You will attend the evening session after your meal at the mess hall. The evening session will begin after an hour. Do not be late."


    "An hour is hardly enough for me... I want to go back to have a nap..." Prince Zhao grumbled.


    Elder Song scowled at him, "It is always you and your petty businesses!"


    Prince Zhao waved a hand dismissively, "All right... All right..."


    Xiao Chen gazed up into the sky. There was not enough time for him to return from his courtyard. He could only proceed straight to the mess hall. He thought of the deep-fried loquats they had yesterday, feeling a sudden dread.


    "Come on, Senior Brother Xiao. I guess the deep-fried loquats are ready by now," said Prince Zhao who came to him.


    Xiao Chen''s head sank. "From where did they find so many loquats in this time of the season?"


    Just then, a bright and soft voice came from outside the window, "Heh heh! Here I am, Young Master!"


    Xiao Chen turned his head. It was Lil Ruo. She had come, wearing a bright emerald-green dress and holding a purple food carrier.


    "Wow! What a pretty little girl!" A few of the other disciples who had not left could not help exclaiming.


    Unlike most other servant girls in the Xiao Family, Lil Ruo had never been charged to menial housekeeping duties. Her smooth little hands, her clean and gorgeous clothing with jewelry, and her beautiful appearance made her no different to a doted daughter of a wealthy and prosperous family.


    "How kind of you, Sister Lil Ruo, to have come with food for us." Seeing that she came with a food carrier, the three princes rushed forward.


    Lil Ruo quickly put herself in front of the food carrier and said, "This is for my Young Master..."


    "Ah... So be it then, let us go. I guess the deep-fried loquats are ready now..." Prince Zhao waved a hand and left for the mess hall with his two companions.


    Xiao Chen walked out and smiled at her, "Why are you here?"


    "I know that you must be busy with your studies, seeing as you have not returned. Heh heh heh."


    As they spoke, they slowly moved toward a tree and sat under the cooling shade of its thick boughs. Lil Ruo opened the food carrier and the aroma of delicious food wafted into the air. There were fish, chicken, and duck. Not far away, a few other disciples looked on enviously as they nibbled at their baked buns which have already shriveled and dried, saying, "I too should have brought my servant girl here..."


    Xiao Chen asked incredulously, "Where did you find so many ingredients for all this?"


    "Heh heh... I asked Elder Wu''s disciple to help me get them from the town nearby."


    "I see. But are you not eating?" Xiao Chen asked as he lifted his chopsticks.


    "I have already eaten, Young Master. Please eat on. You have been so tired lately. You''ll need all the nourishment."


    As he ate, Xiao Chen asked, "How much money do we still have, Lil Ruo?"


    "Ah... We still have a hundred taels of silver left, I guess..." Lil Ruo replied meekly.


    "I see..." Xiao Chen replaced the drumstick in his hand back into the food carrier.


    "Why, Young Master? Why are you not eating? Have I cooked the food poorly?"


    Xiao Chen laughed lightly, "Nothing. I''m full." With only a hundred taels of silver left and the expensive cost of items from Lingtai Town, they would run out of money in a month...


    Lil Ruo smiled, "Money is hardly a problem, Young Master. I will write a letter next month. Uncle Yifan will send someone here with the money."


    "I see..." Xiao Chen nodded and smiled. But he was already 16, hardly the age where dependence on his family for money seemed appropriate. He would need ways to make money on his own...


    "Young one, your name is Xiao Chen, is it not?" Elder Liu came suddenly to him.


    Xiao Chen quickly wiped his hands clean and rushed to his feet with a smile, "Indeed I am, Elder. How can I help you?"


    Elder Liu smiled in return and spoke cheerfully, "Nothing. I am merely curious. Have you studied elixir refining before?"


    "Ah... Actually..." But he had barely managed to answer, when Lil Ruo rose to her feet, giggling, "Of course! There is nothing that my Young Master does not know..."


    Xiao Chen nodded sheepishly, still smiling, saying, "A little. There were a few books in the library of my family that I have read before."


    "I see," said Elder Liu who nodded. He smiled again and said, "I will not disturb you then."


    "With your leave, Elder." Xiao Chen smiled back to him respectfully.


    All around him, the other disciples began to talk and blab about what happened, "Did you see that? The Elder went over to speak to him? Do they know each other? Surely they are not relatives, are they?"


    The three princes then came back for the evening classes. Each of them was full, slowly chanting, "Deep-fried loquats with noodles; an insanely delicious caboodle..."

 Chapter 27-Sky-gazing Gorge

    Elder Wu later too joined the disciples in the evening lessons. The three Elders together lectured the disciples with various theories and knowledge. The lessons continued until dawn, when Elder Song instructed two acolytes to distribute to everyone a thick booklet.


    "These manuscripts contain theories on cultivation methods of the Body Refining Realm, some explanations and descriptions of elixirs, methods of magical formations and barriers, as well as some other basic skills and techniques. Memorize them well, young ones. There will be a written test for all of you seven days later."


    Everyone cradled their thick and heavy manuscripts, feeling sullen. Would they be able to memorize everything in seven days? Not to mention comprehending them.


    Later on, Elder Song opened a pouch that an acolyte had brought to him and poured out some green-colored crystals which are in the size of a person''s thumb. He said, "These are Spirit Stones. You will receive three stones each month. On most occasions, you use them by absorbing the spiritual energies from these stones. But there are also other uses for them mentioned in the manuscript you hold." As he spoke, he motioned an acolyte to distribute them.


    The disciples received the stones. Some were excited, however, some remained indifferent. Elder Song then said, "Do not take these Spirit Stones lightly. Although they are just Rank One stones, they are integral in helping you rise into the Qi Refining Realm quickly. Take good care of them and don''t give them to others easily."


    Listening to this, the disciples fell into a cacophonous hubbub, talking and chattering with the precious stones they held tightly to. Prince Zhao fiddled with the stones in his palm and said, "How do we use this? Do we ingest them directly?"


    Elder Song glared at him, saying, "Be my guest. But not here, please. I do not intend to be the one taking care of your funeral arrangements."


    Hearing this, Prince Zhao was so shocked that he nearly tossed them away as if they were poison.


    In truth, the Spirit Stones were magical resources that came with finite supply even in the Three Pure Sect. They were treasures beyond any equal, and no one would ever trade them for gold, save for extraordinary magical treasures, Immortal''s Swords, or magical talismans.


    Most people would amass more and more Spirit Stones to trade for magical treasures or Immortal''s Swords from Inner Disciples of the sect. Quarrels and fights because of Spirit Stones were hardly rare as they tend to take place at least a few times every month.


    At sunset, the fresh recruits were returning to their dormitories when they were stopped by a few other older disciples.


    "Junior Brothers and Sisters, we have an offer to make. We are willing to pay a good price for your Spirit Stones. I am willing to pay for 200 taels of silver for each Stone. Is anyone interested?"


    "I am willing to pay 300 taels of silver a piece."


    "I am willing to pay 400 taels for each Stone."


    Some of the younger disciples began to stir. Despite their wealthy origins, the things and food sold at the mess halls here were terribly expensive. To some of them, the Spirit Stone looked useless other than its beauty and glittering flashes.


    Prince Zhao sneered and said, "300 taels and 400 taels of silver? Are you dealing with beggars and tramps here? Come to me! 1000 taels of silver! That is my price! Sell all your Stones to me! I will buy as many as you have! There will be no limit!"


    His loud cries irritated a good many older disciples. A dozen of them came over to him, seething with anger. He hurriedly showed his jade medallion, saying, "What do you want? I am a Prince of the State of Zhao! What are you doing?"


    "A Prince? Not even the Emperor amounts to anything here!"


    Xiao Chen took a step forward and spoke pensively, "That is enough. The Elder had ordered us to keep our Stones well." He then turned to the three princes behind him and said, "Let''s go."


    Back at the courtyard of their dormitory, Lil Ruo had finished boiling water for him. She had even prepared a table full of delicious food. Xiao Chen said, "We would best save some money for the future. I know that these ingredients do not come cheap." Before he had finished, he noticed something was different with Lil Ruo. The hairpin on her head was no more. As was the bracelet that she had normally worn. He sighed and said no more.


    That night, he took out the three Spirit Stones. He channeled some Energies into one of the Stones. Immediately, the spiritual energies from the Stone flowed into his body and turned into an ordinary piece of gem.


    "I-is... Is that it?"


    The use of the stone felt dear to him. The spiritual powers of the Spirit Stones were helpful to him, but he could still use the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method to absorb the Spiritual Qi from nature. It would be waste to even use another piece of the Stone. He then decided that he would continue enhancing his powers with the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method until it became no use to him. The Spirit Stones would be accumulated and kept until then.


    The next seven days passed quickly. The written test was nothing more than child''s play to him. Even the three Elders were amazed by the answers he had provided for the questions in the examination for some of which were unknown even to them.


    He had but merely riffled through the pages of the thick manuscript for information on the Divine Vessel technique. It was then tossed to Lil Ruo who would once in a while read it in leisure. He then found out that Lingtai Mountain had a number of main peaks. The Dragon Peak is the first, followed by the Star-plucking Peak, the Moon-gazing Peak, the Oak Crane Peak, and the Shrouded Peak; all of which were resided by the other Elders.


    But the biggest conundrum he now faced was that his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method was once again useless. Having reached the bottleneck of Lv 1, the level of his cultivation would have risen if not for the fact that he still lacked that last ounce of energy.


    The aura in the courtyard is getting thinner and thinner day by day. It might have been due to the absence of its former occupant, hence there was no one to man the magical formation that drew all Spiritual Qi from nature. Xiao Chen himself knew not where the magical formation was.


    He had only slept for four hours daily for the past seven days, rising even before the sun was up to continue his training and meditation. His resolve and will were continually renewed whenever he saw the broken sword by his bed.


    With the end of their written test, the disciples were now into the actual phase of training for the Body Refining Realm. The purported training was actually a long marathon around the rear mountains from morning to noon. There will be an hour''s time for a break before the disciples continued their marathon until dusk.


    For three days they ran and everyone was badly exhausted by the ordeal. The three Elders stood at the top of a mountain, overlooking the disciples'' progress as their robes fluttered in the mountain breeze. Shaking their heads and sighing in dismay, they said, "It seems that only the one called Xiao Chen makes the cut."


    "From where does he come from? There are whispers that he should have been one of the new Inner Disciples. For reasons unknown, he has ended up here."


    "What is wrong? Are you not happy about this? Finally, there is a glimmer of hope for us Sunset Peak. Moreover, he is a courteous young man; unlike that pompous Ye Fei."


    "Well well well. You both have so much free time to start gossiping, eh? How about thinking about the two large bags of medicinal herbs? We have slightly more than 10 days till the end of the month."


    "Alas..."


    The three Elders sighed in unison before they leaped onto their Immortal''s Swords and took into the skies, flying down to a clearing at the foot of the mountain.


    "All right then. This is it today. There shall be no more running tomorrow onwards."


    "What? There''s no more running? That is great!" Whoops and cheers erupted at the notice that the disciples would no longer need to run tomorrow like a jubilee celebration.


    But in truth, everyone''s physique had been greatly improved. Those with good potential had reached Lv 4 or Lv 5 of the Body Refining Realm; those with lesser potential had reached Lv 2 or Lv 3 at least.


    "Let''s go somewhere good. Follow closely and don''t get left behind." As soon as he finished, Elder Song, with the two other Elders immediately used the Sky Treader technique, flying swiftly into the distance.


    "Huh, we still have to run after all..."


    After an hour''s journey, the crowd, led by the three Elders, reached a secluded little valley. The valley was full of blooming flowers, green vines winding tightly around trees and wood, a gurgling brook flowing with water, and butterflies fluttering. There were a number of older disciples too around. All of them were sitting cross-legged, meditating and training. Noticing the arrival of the three Elders, they rose to their feet to greet them.


    Xiao Chen instantly felt a robust amount of Spiritual Qi around him. The ambiance of Spiritual Qi in the courtyard he lived in simply could not compare to the richness of the spiritual energies here. Elder Song then spoke to them, "This is Sky-gazing Gorge, a place where many of our disciples come here to cultivate. I am sure that you can feel the abundance of Spiritual Qi in the vicinity, no? Training here for one day would do you more good than training outside for three days."


    "Indeed. I feel it too. What a strong atmosphere of Spiritual Qi around here." Everyone was overjoyed.


    Elder Song coughed once to draw the crowd''s attention and said, "The Sky-gazing Gorge is only open for twelve hours a day. One can only enter during dawn and must leave before dusk."


    Elder Wu said, "You can now look for a spot to train and meditate. There will be no disturbances today."


    He had barely finished and everyone each found a spot where they sat down and meditate. Only Xiao Chen had noticed Elder Wu''s final sentence: There will be no disturbances today.


    Elder Liu cast a look at the main peak which was covered with clouds and said, "Do you know why is this place called Sky-gazing Gorge?" As he spoke, he pointed to the main peak of Lingtai Mountain and continued, "There. Every time when dusk comes, the main peaks of Lingtai Mountain appear as if they are grazing the shadows cast by the twilight. But, we could only watch from below."


    Elder Song then said, "Hence, practice hard as you can. Strive for an early promotion to be an Inner Disciple and tarry here no longer..." With that, he sighed heavily once more.


    The three Elders then leaped onto their swords and took into the skies, flying into the mountains.


    Xiao Chen sat down too. The Body Refining Cultivation Method of the Three Pure Sect had long been useless to him. He could only use the Qi Refining Cultivation Methods of the Mystic Cyan Sect. He projected his Divine Sense around him and found that some older disciples were rising, eager to come over.


    "What are you doing?" The older disciples were muttering among themselves. "Did you not hear the words of the Elder earlier that they are not to be disturbed today?"


    Xiao Chen smiled thinly, ignoring all these distractions.

 Chapter 28 The Fight for the Spirit Stones

    At sunset, a disciple rang the bell, calling, "It is dusk. Please leave the Sky-gazing Gorge."


    The older disciples all required no further prodding as they began to shuffle away. But the new disciples were all hesitant to leave and eager to spend more time there. The disciple who rang the bell barked at them, "Dusk is here! Do you not hear me!"


    "Aye. Let us go." Reluctantly, they got up and began to leave too.


    As they went back, the three princes were especially excited. Prince Zhao said, "I feel that my powers have risen to another level. I am sure that I am getting closer and closer to Senior Brother Xiao."


    Prince Yan peered at him, his eyes narrowed, saying, "What level were you?"


    "Level 1!"


    "..."


    "By the way, this is a very good place indeed. Shall we come earlier tomorrow?"


    Xiao Chen stared strangely at him and said, "You may come early as you will. But be careful."


    "Why the caution? Are there wild beasts or predators here? Surely these animals would hardly be of any harm to us, not with so many Senior Brothers and Sisters present," said Prince Zhao, roaring with laughter.


    Xiao Chen said no more, smiling only in return.


    The second morning, Xiao Chen did not depart for the Sky-gazing Gorge. Instead, he meditated in his own courtyard for he could still draw some Spiritual Qi he needed for the moment. Seeing him still there, Lil Ruo asked, "Are you not going to the Sky-gazing Gorge, Young Master?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and answered, "I intend to let the three unlucky fools to suffer a little. I might go after a few days."


    At sunset, the three princes did come to him, sad and dejected.


    "Boo hoo hoo... Help us, Senior Brother! We were bullied!"


    "Ah? But who would dare to bully you three, the most eminent princes?" Xiao Chen was practicing his skills with his Unsullied. He returned his sword back to its sheath as he replied to their complaints.


    From his robes, Prince Zhao took out an elixir. Bitterly, he grumbled, "It was all that Ye Shaochong. He had forced us to trade for each of these elixirs with the price of one Spirit Stone. He even ordered that it is compulsory for us to trade our Stones to him every month lest we are forbidden from entering the Sky-gazing Gorge! Damn, who does he think he is? The master of the Sky-gazing Gorge?"


    Xiao Chen took the elixir from him and had a brief look. It was an elixir of common quality. Even he could easily refine more than tens of them at the cost of not even one or two taels apiece. He said, "You will only get sick if you consume such rubbish." And he tossed the pill aside.


    "You had just tossed away a Spirit Stone!" Prince Zhao wailed out loud, looking in the direction where Xiao Chen had tossed the elixir.


    Xiao Chen turned to him and asked, "Did you not mention my name?"


    Prince Yan, who was sobbing, replied, "We did! But he said even you will have to comply with this command. And you have to buy two elixirs each month!"


    Prince Qi then asked, "How about coming with us tomorrow, Senior Brother Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen stared at him and replied flatly, "What is there for you three to fear when you have already paid your dues?"


    "Of course we do. It seems that he''s picking on us on purpose. He will surely harass us again."


    Xiao Chen threw a look into the horizon, enjoying the view of the sunset and he said, "Very well. I will come with you tomorrow morning." As he spoke, Unsullied shot out of its scabbard, shearing off a little branch which had stretched over the wall.


    "Wow! You can now control your sword with your Spiritual Qi, Senior Brother!"


    ...


    The following morning, Xiao Chen walked out of his cottage, only to find the three princes already waiting for him. Seeing that Xiao Chen had brought his sword out today, the concerned Lil Ruo tugged at his sleeve, saying, "Please do not get into trouble, Young Master..." She immediately turned and glared at the three princes, "You three! Do not ever think of instigating my Young Master to fight for you!"


    Xiao Chen caressed her hair gently and smiled at her, saying, "Have no fear. I will be fine." He then set off for the Sky-gazing Gorge with the three princes.


    Filled with abundant Spiritual Qi, the fertile valley had attracted more than eight to nine hundred disciples cultivating there. Most of them were clustered at the northern and southern parts of the gorge which were lined by a few white birch trees, leaving a large tract of empty space in the center.


    The newer disciples were mostly at the spot where the three Elders had first brought them to; which was at the South. Xiao Chen and his companions went over there too and looked for a place to sit.


    Before long, four young men, all clothed red, came over to them and asked them coldly, "Are you new here?"


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes slowly. Nonchalantly, he replied, "What do you think?"


    The three princes began to feel tense and worried. Everyone else, especially the newer disciples, pretended as if nothing was happening, preferring to remain silent and continue their meditation. Some watched warily but did not show any reactions.


    With no patience for banter, the leader of the four tossed an elixir to Xiao Chen and growled, "This is for this month; the price is one Spirit Stone. You will buy one again next month. Every month."


    Xiao Chen snatched the elixir from mid-air, looked at it, and threw it aside, "My apologies, Senior Brother. I have no need for such trash."


    "You insolent pup!" Angered, the red-clothed young man snarled, "Do you really not know the rules here or are you playing dumb?" His three lackeys stepped forward and stood menacingly around Xiao Chen.


    The rest of the newer disciples were all watching wide-eyed now. A fearful voice came from a girl suddenly "There is only but ten more days to the next month. Please, Senior Brothers... C-can, can you leave him be?"


    It was the same timid girl who had shared a table with Xiao Chen before, Wang Yue. But she had only just finished when another girl beside her immediately jerked her sleeve and gestured her to stop.


    The young man in red barked at her, "Who are you to speak in my presence! Silence!" He shot a furious stare at Xiao Chen, saying, "I have given you the elixir. In one way or another, you will surrender your Spirit Stone!"


    "Ah? And if I refuse?" Xiao Chen asked unequivocally.


    "You!"


    Flaring with rage, the young man in red drew his sword. Not even his upperclassmen dared to display such insolence to him. More so for a new freshman who had just entered the membership of their order. However, his sword had not yet escaped its scabbard when a white bolt of light flashed by his eyes. He could almost feel the deadly chill off the blade of an Immortal''s Sword which hung at a mere hair''s breadth away from his neck. One more inch and his blood would stain the ground.


    The commotion attracted even the upperclassmen. Many of the older disciples began to look at them now, whispering and murmuring anxiously.


    "The control of a sword with his Spiritual Qi! He has great finesse and skill! Has he reached the powers of the Qi Refining Realm?"


    "Is he a new disciple? He should have been one of the Inner Disciples, with potential such as his!"


    Cold sweat began to wet and drench the young man''s red robes. Stuttering with fear, he said, "Y-you, you... W-what do you want?" His hand was still gripping the hilt of his sword, but he could never dare move an inch.


    "Begone." Xiao Chen simply said. He did not even cast a look at his intruder. Unsullied shot back into his scabbard with a clear and raspy ring, demonstrating Xiao Chen''s impeccable precision in his control of his sword.


    "Very good! Just you wait!" The young man spun on his heels and quickly left with his lackeys in the direction in which he came from.


    The rest of the other newer disciples all came up to him, "Have you indeed reached the Qi Refining Realm, Senior Brother Xiao?"


    Pride and smugness were apparent across the three princes'' faces. Prince Zhao held up a thumb and laughed, saying, "Naturally. With Senior Brother Xiao here, no one will dare disturb us anymore. If only you knew that before entering the order, Senior Brother Xiao was already a..."


    Xiao Chen swiftly shot him a glare, signaling him for silence.


    But the huddling crowd had not dispersed when another band of more than ten men approached them. Every one of them was exuding a murderous aura; all of them clearly had the experience of shedding blood. The one leading before them was none other than Ye Shaochong.


    With a series of metallic clangs and clinks, followed by the sharp whistling of wind, more than ten Immortals'' Swords hung in mid-air; the sharp tips of their sword glinting ominously at Xiao Chen and his companions.


    "Levitating your sword? You think learning it makes you great?"


    The swords hung in mid-air, trembling and humming incessantly. The tip of the sword flashed dangerously under the sunlight like a serpent sticking out its forked tongue. The younger disciples, all of whom who have never encountered such a standoff, went pale and were petrified. The excited chatters went dead, and a still silence followed.


    With his face becoming absolutely bloodless white due to the pallor of panic, Prince Zhao threw himself before Xiao Chen. Ye Shaochong rushed forward and smacked him hard on the prince''s cheek. He then raised an arm and pointed to Xiao Chen behind, "What guts you have, wretched boy! You dare brandish your weapons in my territory! Do you love death so much that you wish to taste it?"


    Xiao Chen''s face grew dark. His Unsullied trembled, jittery in resonance to its master''s boiling wrath. Seeing this, Prince Qi too threw himself forward, grabbing at the hilt of the sword to keep it from flying out.


    Prince Yan stammered, "P-please... Please. Let us negotiate with civility. We are students of an esteemed Immortal sect, not a brigand of robbers and thieves."


    Ye Shaochong was already of Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm, whereas even the weakest of his lackeys was in the intermediate phase of Lv 1. Noticing the odds, Prince Zhao ignored the stinging pain on his cheek and took out a Spirit Stone from within his robes. He handed it to Ye Shaochong, saying, "Here we go. There''s no need for animosity now. We will pay our dues next month."


    Ye Shaochong studied the Spirit Stone he received, as if weighing it with his hand. Smiling insidiously, he sneered, "At least there''s someone here who still has some wits."


    He cast another look at Xiao Chen, "I care not of your origins. I once told you, you live or die by my command at the Sunset Peak. Come at me if you dare. I too will love to enjoy some playtime." He waved his hand, calling along with his lackeys as he began to turn.


    "Hold up..." Xiao Chen growled.

 Chapter 29 The Princes Who Peddled Elixirs

    Ye Shaochong stopped in his tracks and slowly turned. He flashed a deadly glare so terrifying that everyone felt a chill down their spine.


    Noticing that the tinderbox might be setting off, Princes Qi and Yan threw themselves at Meng Qi trying to hold him back while Prince Zhao went to Ye Shaochong with a welcoming smile, "All is well, all is well, Senior Brother Ye. We will pay our dues of Spirit Stones next month with no delay."


    Ye Shaochong smiled wickedly, "Smart. Remember, I am king here. You can get all the help you want. I will be here waiting for you." When he had finished, he turned and walked off smugly.


    A while later, both Princes Qi and Yan were rubbing Xiao Chen''s chest to soothe his anger, "Be calm, Brother Xiao. There is no need to sully your hands with such trash..."


    Prince Zhao came over and sighed, "We only wanted you here to accompany us, Senior Brother Xiao. Your presence calms us. We did not expect you to go against him on our behalf..."


    Xiao Chen looked at the slap mark on his face and said, "I''m sorry. Wait for me. I''ll reach Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm soon enough."


    Not long after that, two young men in white approached them. One of them spoke first, "Are you Xiao Chen? Our leader, Brother Qi, likes you. He is interested to know if you are interested in joining our clique, North Mountain?"


    Prince Zhao, who had fallen into a sullen mood, leaped with surprise, "Are you the clique who are rivals with that wretched Ye Shaochong?"


    One of the young men in white nodded, "Indeed we are."


    "Good, good, good..." Prince Zhao grew excited. But before he could continue, Xiao Chen replied flatly, "I''m sorry. I''m not interested in your offer."


    The young men nodded, "We''ll take our leave then. Please consider our offer. You can only do so much, being alone. The North Mountain clique will welcome you anytime." They then leave briskly. They could not stay long in the southern side of the gorge.


    Two cliques of disciples reigned in Sunset Peak. Ye Shaochong lorded over the southern side of the Peak while the northern gang, North Mountain, was led by Zhuo Wuhen. Disciples unaffiliated to any of the gangs were required to pay one Spirit Stones each month. Those who did were not required to pay, but they owed complete compliance to the will of their leader.


    It was a tradition that even the three Elders would never intercede, for they too have once joined such gangs during their days as disciples.


    At length, Prince Zhao said, "Let us not trouble ourselves with all this bedlam, Senior Brother Xiao. We must increase our powers and advance to become Inner Disciples."


    Xiao Chen made no reply. The current world they live in was the same everywhere: the biggest bully ruled with absolute power. Without power, anyone would be able to have their way over them. At his family''s residence he had encountered Qin Xiu from the Skygale Sect, and now at the Sunset Peak, Ye Shaochong was here to torment them. He did not forget that there was still a certain Mo Yu who ruled the ranks of the Inner Disciples with tyranny.


    He was no longer a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect. There was once a time when the mere mention of his tutelage with Immortal Miaoyin of the Mystic Cyan Sect would have sent all foes fleeing.


    However, how things were different now that even a mere Cultivator of the Qi Refining Realm dared to antagonize him. Hence, he knew that there was no other way. He must become stronger; so strong that all would speak of his name with fear. He would want to be like Brother Yifeng, whom even the five Elders fear.


    "I''m going back," he said as he rose to his feet, leaving the gorge.


    "So be it then. Let''s go. We''re leaving too," said the three princes who followed behind.


    As they walked, Prince Zhao sighed heavily, exasperated, "Do not fret! We have few people with us now. Wait till we have more people with us. I still have legions of hosts at my command..."


    "Keep that figment of imagination to yourself! I have not even seen before the shadows of your so-called legions!" Prince Yan teased.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly at their banter, waving his hand and conjured a Spirit Stone. Prince Zhao gaped at this, "Oh my God! You are extraordinary, Senior Brother! In such a short time, you have mastered the Divine Vessel technique!"


    Xiao Chen smiled and tossed the Stone to him. Prince Zhao scratched his head, Is he hinting for me to try out the technique myself?


    For some time, he stood there, wondering until he remembered, he had given one of his Spirit Stones to Ye Shaochong earlier. Hastily, he spoke, "The Spirit Stone is yours, Senior Brother! I will not accept it!" He shoved the Stone back into Xiao Chen''s hand.


    Back at the courtyard, Lil Ruo saw that Xiao Chen was back early today. She anxiously looked to see if he was injured, gasping with relief when she finally found that he was well. Giggling, she said, "Let me cook something for you, Young Master."


    "All right." Xiao Chen smiled and nodded. He went to his room and laid on his bed; his eyes fell on the broken sword that hung over his bed. He laughed to himself, "Power! I need power!"


    The Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method would never be able to help him unless he could find some place with a richer concentration of Spiritual Qi. He took out two more Spirit Stones and absorbed their energies, feeling the slight increase in his powers.


    He would need at least twenty more such Stones if he wanted to reach Lv 2 successfully. Still, with only three Stones distributed to him each month, from where could he find twenty pieces in a short time? Moreover, he did not have much money left...


    Suddenly, an idea came to him in a flash. He rushed outside and called, "Lil Ruo! Lil Ruo! Stop cooking! I need you to head to the town to buy me some things!"


    Lil Ruo sped out from the kitchen and wiped her hands, asking, "What do you need, Young Master?"


    Xiao Chen said to her happily, "Listen closely. I need you to buy all these medicinal herbs for me. Get as much as you can..." He then continued reciting a list of the herbs to her. Fearful that she might forget any, he wrote her a list that she could refer to.


    "Oh, oh! Understood. I will go right away."


    He then returned to his bed, a smile hanging across his face, thinking, "It is near now, Ye Shaochong... Just you wait... Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm is in my grasp now..."


    Lil Ruo finally returned at sundown, her forehead doused with sweat as she returned with packages of medicinal herbs. Xiao Chen received the bags from her and told her, "All right. Go have some rest now. There shall be no more work for you today."


    Xiao Chen went back to his room. He would then begin brewing three different elixirs: Qi-refining Pills, Energy Pills, and Energy-fortifying Pills. Qi-refining Pills, as the name suggested, helped disciples of the Body Refining Realm and the Qi Refining Realm enjoy huge increases in their powers; a supplement which has always been popular amongst the students of the arcane arts in the Sunset Peak.


    Energy Pills were used to restore one''s True Energy ¡ª a most commonly-used elixir among the disciples. Energy-fortifying Pills were used to strengthen one''s mastery of their present realm, being used mostly in conjunction with the ingestion of Qi-refining Pill for better efficacy.


    For one entire night, Xiao Chen busied himself with brewing dozens of Energy Pills and more than ten Energy-fortifying Pills, along with three Qi-refining Pills. He held in his hand a pearly-white elixir and studied it as if the pill had a rapturing allure.


    It was one of the Qi-refining Pills. One could quickly rise to Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm within two hours of ingestion. One might even consume a little more to rise up to Lv 3 swiftly.


    He shook his head, as if waking up from a trance, and filled the elixirs into three different jade flasks. The words of his master, Ling Yin, echoed in his mind from his memories from thousands of years ago, "Remember, Chen''er. Elixirs may increase your powers tremendously for a short time. Then again, these are foreign supplements nonetheless. They will never be as effective and potent as the powers that you obtain on your own through painstaking training and meditation. You will understand me fully when you reach certain levels one day."


    Elixirs such as Qi-refining Pills, Foundation Building Pills, Core-forming Pills, Nascent Soul Pills, Nirvana Pills, and Apotheosis Pills were all widely acclaimed as the rarest and most potent of all elixirs, for they could instantaneously increase one''s levels of power. This was precisely the reason that they were most popular among Cultivators of the arcane arts.


    However, be it a Foundation Building Pill, or even a Core-forming Pill, Xiao Chen would never consume any of them.


    With his wares packed and ready, Xiao Chen brought the items with him to the Sky-gazing Gorge, where he found the three princes already there meditating. They saw Xiao Chen coming and immediately left him space.


    An hour later, Xiao Chen peered around and found that most disciples of the Sunset Peak were already present. He turned and whistled to the three princes and motioned them to him. Feeling curious, they crept to him and whispered, "What is it, Senior Brother Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen looked around to make sure no one was looking and quietly produced the three jade flasks. He snuck the bottles to Prince Zhao and breathed quietly to him, "Take and sell these."


    Prince Zhao almost jumped with shock, his eyes wide as ever, "You are smuggling forbidden medicines!"


    Xiao Chen scowled at him and hastily motioned for silence, "To hell with your forbidden! These are common Qi-refining Pills, Energy Pills, and Energy-fortifying Pills!"


    Prince Zhao shook his hand, "No, no, no, no! I am a Prince! You want me to go peddling elixirs? My father will kill me if word of this travels back to the State of Zhao!"


    Xiao Chen''s face turned dark, "So you''d have me, a Young Master of a wealthy family, to sell them instead?"


    Prince Zhao gulped hard.


    "Are you going or not?"


    "All right then! I''ll go!," Prince Zhao roared, vexed, as he threw the other two flasks to his companions, "You two! Come with me!"


    Hence, Prince Zhao found an old and battered pot and began beating on it with a branch as he moved into the crowd of disciples huddled together, yelling, "Everyone, everyone! Come and have a look and not miss our offer of the day!"


    "Silence! Be quiet!"


    He then moved to another group of disciples.


    "Hi there! Come, have a look..."


    "Begone!"


    "Ahem. Very well..." Prince Zhao continued wandering around before he moved to the deserted area at the center of the gorge. He took out a Qi-refining Pill and called out loud, "Everyone! Elixirs freshly-brewed from the Elixir Room of the Black Dragon Peak! We have anything that you could possibly need: Qi-refining Pills, Energy Pills, and even Energy-fortifying Pills! Reasonable and honest prices!"


    He yelled for quite some time, but only a few people raised their heads to looked at him before returning to their meditation with their heads shaking.


    It was until close to noon, when the three princes returned to Xiao Chen, their throats hoarse from all the yelling. Still, none of their wares were sold.


    "What an embarrassment! Nobody is buying anything!" Prince Zhao grumbled as he threw the broken pot to the ground.


    Xiao Chen frowned, the three elixirs he had brewed were supposed to be selling well, especially the Qi-refining Pills. Why were his fellow disciples not interested?


    Just then, a young man came to them and asked quietly, "Are you selling Qi-refining Pills?"

 Chapter 30 Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm

    Xiao Chen''s head rose and saw that the young man was a disciple who was his senior with powers that have long stagnated in the level of Lv 9 Body Refining Realm.


    Reinvigorated with fervor, Prince Zhao hurried to pick up the broken pot he tossed aside and began knocking on it again, "Heh! Excellent, brother! This is a true Qi-refining Pill from the Elixir Room of the Black Dragon Peak! We are honest purveyors of medicinal needs. Moreover, you can truly feel being a real man..."


    Pouting doubtfully, the young man asked, "Can I first have a look?"


    Prince Zhao put his broken pot aside and showed him a Qi-refining Pill, "Look closely! This is a grand production by the Elixir Room! It has the seal of the Elixir Room as authentication!"


    The young man held the elixir to his nose and sniffed. He could neither confirmed its authenticity. However, this had also attracted many of the other disciples who snuck closer to have a look at the purported goods from the cellar of the Elixir Room.


    "Did you say that these came from the Elixir Room? Surely this cannot be true. How could the elixirs from the Elixir Room be sold here?"


    Still banging on his broken pot, Prince Zhao, still yelling at the top of his voice, heard this and quipped, "Good question there, brother! It is not possible for one to get their hands upon such quality goods from the Elixir Room! We have channels of our own, you see..." With that, his eyes squinted knowingly, "Well, you know, eh..."


    Prince Zhao returned to banging on his broken pot as he then continued crying, "Heh heh heh! Come come come! Come have a look! Hot and fresh buns from the Elixir Room... Oh, no! It''s elixirs!"


    The young man frowned, "How much for this elixir?"


    Prince Zhao paused and replied, "Do not worry, brother. Our goods are top-notch; only for three Spirit Stones! Also, since it''s our opening day, you will be receiving one Energy-fortifying Pill and three Energy Pills as a reward for your support!"


    "Three Spirit Stones? That''s a tad expensive, don''t you think? The gang from the southern mountain sold three elixirs for only one Spirit Stone."


    Everyone huddled around them began to talk and discuss. They were still doubtful that the elixirs were true products from the Elixir Room otherwise they would have even paid ten Spirit Stones.


    Xiao Chen rose to his feet and smiled to the young man, "Take it, Senior Brother. Consider it a gift from us for our opening day."


    Hearing this, Prince Zhao immediately spoke into Xiao Chen''s ear in a hushed tone, "That''s three Spirit Stones, Senior Brother Xiao! We should at least charge him for one Stone! Surely there''s no need to just give it away for free?"


    Xiao Chen only smiled in return. The young man asked sheepishly, "Are you really giving this to me for free?"


    "Indeed. Just take one and try its effects," said Xiao Chen with a welcoming gesture, smiling.


    "Very well. You have my thanks, Junior Brother." The young man stowed away the elixir and walked away, eager to sample the elixir which he received for free. The crowd too began to scatter.


    Prince Zhao frowned dolefully, "Perfect, Senior Brother. Not only we have not sold anything the entire morning, but you have even given one away for free. We should just call it quits. I think you''re hardly material for ambitious endeavors."


    Xiao Chen only wore a smile, but he gave no reply.


    At noon, everyone took out the food that they brought along and began eating and drank only plain water. Due to the considerable distance to the mess hall and the limited hours that the Sky-gazing Gorge was open, many elected to spend more time on their training rather than traveling.


    From afar came a clear voice like ringing bells in the air, chirping joyfully to him, "Heh heh, Young Master!" It was Lil Ruo who came with his food.


    Xiao Chen frowned as he noticed everyone watching jealously. He whispered to her, "Why are you here?"


    Wearing a white dress that made her stood out, Lil Ruo hopped gracefully to him like a dryad from the fables. Smiling, she said, "I have asked for permission from Elder Wu. He said I could come and deliver food to you, Young Master."


    "I see." Xiao Chen replied, nodding. Lil Ruo handed him the food carrier. Prince Zhao peered over to pry on its contents, his mouth salivating with hunger. Princes Qi and Yan feigned a cough and recited some incantations, conjuring a bun which they had set aside earlier.


    The mouths of the rest of the other newer disciples around them were wide-opened with amazement, "Wow! You all know how to use the Divine Vessel technique!"


    Prince Zhao was pleased with himself, saying, "Nah. It''s just a simple trick!" He made a few hand seals, only to find himself stuck midway. He cried frightfully, "Oh my God! I''m stuck! You two! Come help me!"


    "Arg, you bothersome fool. We can''t even eat in peace." With their buns stuffed into their mouth, Princes Qi and Yan came over and placed their palms on his back and channeled some of their spiritual energies into him. Finally, Prince Zhao was able to remove his bun from his Divine Vessel.


    The princes looked at their dried and shriveled bun which was anything but fresh and soft. Prince Zhao ogled hungrily at the steam wafting from Xiao Chen''s lunch in the food carrier and gulped. He giggled and said, "Urm, Senior Brother Xiao... My bun is cold and hard that it''s too difficult to eat. Can I leave it to warm in your carrier for a moment?"


    Shaking his head lightly, Xiao Chen pulled out three chicken drumsticks from the food carrier with a smile and handed to them three.


    The evening passed swiftly without any incident. Xiao Chen had not asked the three princes to continue peddling their wares after their lunch. At his cottage that night, he brewed another round of elixirs. The following morning when they returned to the Sky-gazing Gorge, they found that the entire Gorge was noisy with a loud din.


    "I have finally reached Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm! Hahahaha!" It was the young man who had received the elixir without any charge from Xiao Chen yesterday, dancing jubilantly in the midst of curious and astounded onlookers.


    Seeing that Xiao Chen had arrived, more than a dozen of people rushed and surrounded him.


    "Do you still have the Qi-refining Pill from yesterday? I want ten of them!"


    "Me too! I want ten too!"


    "Ten! Do you think you''re buying vegetables from a market!" Prince Zhao took a breath and began shouting, "Come come come! New elixirs, fresh from the boilers of the Elixir Room! Each for five Spirit Stones!"


    "Five? I thought you were selling for three apiece?"


    "Yesterday? That was our opening day promotion. It''s five Stones for each elixir. We have only three for sale, first come first served!" Prince Zhao continued bellowing at the top of his voice.


    "I want them!"


    "They''re mine! No one else!"


    "Is it true that you have only three? Please give me one! I''ll pay 10 Stones for them!"


    Thus, Xiao Chen returned to his cottage with tens of Spirit Stones that night. Holding two more flasks, Prince Zhao continued howling, "We have Energy-fortifying Pills and Energy Pills too! Also from the Elixir Room! Come and get them! This is our clearance sale! Three more days and it''s no more!"


    Hence, for the next few days, Xiao Chen made quite a haul. Tens of people waited at the entrance of the Sky-gazing Gorge each morning, waiting for Qi-refining Pills. Even his Energy-fortifying Pills and Energy Pills were also for sale, even though the sales of these other two paled in comparison to the Qi-refining Pills.


    Soon, everyone at the Sunset Peak, including those from the gangs of the southern mountain and North Mountain, came to know of the new disciples selling elixirs from the Elixir Room. Xiao Chen then also gave some Energy Pills and Energy-fortifying Pills to his fellow new disciples, earning him respect and friendship that many of them looked to him as their leader.


    Everyday, Lil Ruo came without fail, delivering food to him.


    Somewhere else, at the territory of the southern mountain gang, a few young men were grumbling bitterly, "Damn! From where did this new source of elixirs sprout from? Our elixirs are selling badly! How are we to report this to Brother Ye!"


    "What can we do? There are no rules forbidding others to sell elixirs! But this is terrible! They are selling so cheaply that everyone is going to them!"


    At sunset, Xiao Chen and his companions began leaving. He now has enough Spirit Stones to help him increase his powers. He must find ways to reach Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm as soon as possible.


    Following behind him, the three princes were chattering merrily. Prince Zhao called to him cheerfully, "Can we have one of those Qi-refining Pills, Senior Brother? We too want to reach the Qi-refining Realm as early as we can!"


    "No." Xiao Chen replied bluntly. Wearing a serious expression, he spoke to them, "You can have the Energy-fortifying Pills or the Energy Pills. As much as you want to. But not the Qi-refining Pill. Not even one."


    Prince Zhao replied mournfully, "Please don''t be so stingy, Senior Brother. We know that the Qi-refining Pills do not come cheaply. How about..."


    "No," said Xiao Chen, his head shaking, "These are powers that you should achieve through training and meditation. It would be best if you do not depend on foreign augmentations that are not yours, to begin with. You will regret one day if you indeed enhance your powers using these elixirs."


    Prince Zhao listened intently, nodding, "Oh... You seem to have a point. But I still want to try one..."


    This was the very conundrum that Cultivators faced: many knew the consequences of using elixirs such as Qi-refining Pills to increase their powers, but not many could withstand the temptation of enjoying a sharp climb in their powers. Moreover, there have only been a handful few who had reached high levels in their pursuit of the arcane arts of the Immortals. Hence, elixirs that bestowed upon its users abrupt rise in their powers such as Qi-refining Pills and Foundation Building Pills have always been most heavily sought among all other elixirs and medicine.


    Xiao Chen shook his head again, "Very well. I can let you have the Qi-refining Pills. But be warned: you should reach the Qi Refining Realm on your own strength, not with foreign help, especially if you can help it. Remember." He looked for three Qi-refining Pills which appeared to be the best of his handiwork and handed to them.


    "One more thing. I will be trying for Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm soon. I will not be coming with you to the Sky-gazing Gorge tomorrow." He finished and turned immediately towards the direction of his cottage.


    Even though he now has a huge amount of Spirit Stones, he would still need to assimilate the spiritual energies on his own fully. On that night, he consumed close to thirty Spirit Stones.


    Then he continued his meditation in the courtyard, sitting cross-legged outside as he flushed all vital meridians in his body. By noon, two white radiance burned over his shoulders, both left and right, its fumes rising into the sky.


    Immediately, he could feel a surge of power churning within him. Even though Lv 1 Qi-refining Realm was but only one step below Lv 2, the gap of power between both Levels were distinctly huge.


    He struck at a massive boulder with a stroke from his palm. His stroke struck it far away, throwing it dozens of meters behind before it exploded in mid-air, reducing into dust.


    "Finally... Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm..."


    Seeing that he was deep in his meditation, Lil Ruo had been keeping herself out of his way. Now that he was up, she ran out of the door, exclaiming happily, "My congratulations, Young Master!"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly to her. Suddenly, frantic footsteps could be heard from the outside. Two people had come to his cottage. One of them was Wang Yue, who had once shared a table with him during their lessons. Another was a girl who looked almost the same age.


    Xiao Chen''s brows rose curiously, noticing their hastiness, "How can I help you, Junior Sisters?"


    "T-this... this is bad!" Wang Yue was panting so hard that she could hardly speak. The girl accompanying her spoke, "Something has happened! At the Sky-gazing Gorge!"

 Chapter 31 Evil

    Xiao Chen turned furious, "Speak clearly! What happened!"


    "The princes, Prince Zhao! Ye Shaochong has taken them!" Wang Yue said, worried and agitated.


    "What..." Xiao Cheng waved his hand, summoning to him his Unsullied that tore out of his cottage through the window. It flew to his hand, and Xiao Chen sped out of the courtyard.


    "Young Master!" Lil Ruo cried from behind. Yet Xiao Chen was no longer in sight.


    With his Immortal-override Steps, Xiao Chen increased his pace. A quarter-hour later, he reached the Sky-gazing Gorge, finding that everyone was standing at the center region of the valley. There was a crowd of people watching and murmuring to each other.


    There were a few trees at the center which the crowd formed a ring around. There he saw the three princes tied to the trees, hanging from the trees'' branches. There was another rowdy mob standing around them. There was Ye Shaochong, the leader of the mob, who hissed menacingly at the princes, "Very good, eh? How dare you peddle your wares in my territory without asking for my permission?"


    "Ptui!" Prince Zhao spat a mouthful of blood at him and snarled, "Ye Shaochong! Kill me today if you dare! I will make sure that your entire family is executed if I were to abandon my studies here one day! None of your kin will be left!"


    "Execution of my family?" Ye Shaochong smirked and delivered a blow with his fist to the prince''s abdomen.


    "Argh!" Prince Zhao vomited blood once again, no longer being able to speak. Hanging beside him, Princes Qi and Yan were so terrified that their faces were deathly pale, speechless with fear.


    "Heh heh! Slice off his hands! Let the message be loud and clear: I, Ye Shaochong is king here!" He motioned to two of his minions, who drew their sword and began swinging their swords at Prince Zhao''s arm.


    Just when everyone held their breaths, a white flash zipped through the air. There were two loud clangs; the swords of Ye Shaochong''s two minions broke. Like a lively serpent, the white flash veered and circled around the three large trees, snipping off the ropes that held the three princes.


    There was another flash: it was the fleeting shadow of a stranger appearing out of nowhere. He took hold of the falling Prince Zhao and snapped the ropes binding him into shreds with his spiritual powers.


    Prince Zhao slowly opened his eyes, his breath still weak and slow, "Senior Brother Xiao..."


    "Speak no more!" Xiao Chen channeled some of his True Energy into him. Blood trickled out of his ears, nose, and mouth; this told Xiao Chen that Prince Zhao had suffered some internal injuries.


    Xiao Chen took out some of the healing elixirs that Mu Chengxue once left him and slipped one into the prince''s mouth.


    "You again, boy?" Ye Shaochong paced imperiously towards them.


    Xiao Chen cracked his knuckles and slowly placed Prince Zhao on to the ground. He turned slowly, his gaze so hollow and deadly that everyone nearby could not help shivering.


    Ye Shaochong snickered, "Heh heh... I once said, there are surely people who are tired of living. So well then..." He had not finished, but he lunged forward.


    "Oh!" Everyone held their breaths. Everything then happened so swiftly in a blink of an eye.


    "To Hell you go!" Xiao Chen roared. He leaped into the air and landed a kick into his opponent''s stomach, sending him into a crash meters away. Crashing into the ground, blood oozed incessantly from Ye Shaochong''s mouth.


    The newer disciples who have been cowering not far behind swiftly came forward. Some helped remove the ropes that bound Princes Qi and Yan while some other rushed to help Prince Zhao up. Xiao Chen stood there alone. A wisp of black fumes appeared to be whirling over his forehead as his eyes took a dark purplish hue; even the twelve Spiritual Meridians in his body began to exude twelve dark and sinister True Qi auras.


    Winds began to blow and howl as if in resonance to the growing presence emanating from him, both terrible and terrifying. Disciples, old and new alike, were shuddered by the change in his demeanor. The Xiao Chen now reminded them of a word most feared by all - Evil!


    "Kill him!" Ye Shaochong cried. Dozens of his minions drew their swords and pounced at Xiao Chen.


    "Heh..." Xiao Chen let out a sinister hiss. Unsullied shot into the air as a white bolt of light, weaving through the mob and left nothing but blood and carnage in its wake. Screams and shrieks filled the air as the putrid stench of blood filled the nostrils of everyone watching. More than half of the dozen men have their ears severed; some even had their limbs cloven off.


    Ye Shaochong could hardly believe what he saw; his eyes wide and his face swept with panic and terror. He had never been so afraid in his life. He felt nothing but regret, knowing that he should not have angered Xiao Chen.


    "Rest with peace in Hell!" Xiao Chen snarled. Like a bolt of lightning, he appeared before Ye Shaochong and delivered a blow to his quarry''s face with his fist.


    Ye Shaochong frantically raised his arms, hoping to shield himself from the blow. Yet his powers ¨C lV 2 Qi Refining Realm ¨C that derived from the use of Qi-refining Pills rather than scrupulous hard work were no match for Xiao Chen''s. Sounds of cracking bones filled the air; it appears that the bones of his wrist were crushed.


    Relentlessly without an ounce of mercy, Xiao Chen landed blow after blow upon the face of his prey that Ye Shaochong''s face was bloodied and battered. Everyone watching the spectacle was stunned into silence with fear and awe.


    "Heh... Let me help you become a common man, instead of leaving you here to be a bane to all that walks this lands!" Xiao Chen spat dangerously. He channeled more True Energy into his arms and began to strike at his vital points.


    There were gasps from the crowd, "He intends to destroy Ye Shaochong''s Spiritual Meridian!"


    Just then, two young men in white rushed out from the midst of the thronging onlookers, "No more, Junior Brother! Stay your hand!"


    Xiao Chen glowered at the two, noticing that they were followers of Zhuo Wuhen. Coldly, he growled, "What is this? Are you here to beg mercy for him?"


    "No! Please listen to me, Junior Brother. You can hew at his limbs and sever his arms, but you must never destroy his Spiritual Meridian lest you will be branded as one of the dark side!"


    "I see..." Xiao Chen rose to his feet. The black aura that was swirling over his forehead was no more, and his eyes had returned to normal. He threw a look at Princes Qi and Yan and barked, "Beat him to his death! I will revive him when he is close to death! Let the beating continue when he is revived!"


    Without further encouragement, the two princes dashed forward and began pummeling Ye Shaochong. Recovering slowly after being fed some elixirs, Prince Zhao too got to his feet and scurried over, giving Ye Shaochong more than a dozen slaps on his cheeks, "You insolent dog! Not even my father, the king, had ever beaten me! Also, you even slapped my face!" He continued landing blows on Ye Shaochong''s face.


    Before long, Ye Shaochong fainted from the abuse, his life hanging on a thread. Xiao Chen cast the unconscious Ye Shaochong a sharp glare and flicked an elixir into his mouth with his fingers, "Continue!"


    The brutal spectacle stunned everyone present. This was simply too appalling! That was Ye Shaochong! The kingpin of the entire southern side of the Sunset Peak!


    There he stood, Xiao Chen, so stern and overbearing that Ye Shaochong''s merry men could not dare move. Minutes passed and the beatings began to slow down; the princes were exhausted from the exertion. They sat on the ground, breathing hard. Despite his face bloodied and mangled, Ye Shaochong whimpered, "F-find... f-find my brother..." He had barely finished and he blacked out for good.


    A few young men bolted forward and carried Ye Shaochong off. Strong winds continued billowing as the grass was damp and moist with all the blood that came from him.


    From within the crowd of onlookers, some began to bleat and whine with fear, "He is finished. Ye Fei will be coming out any moment now when his solitary training is complete. By now, he should be at Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm..."


    Xiao Chen stepped towards the crowd. His voice thundered, "Listen well! From this day forth, this area in the center is my domain! Anyone who angers me will not be able to escape my wrath!"


    The crowd swiftly sundered and everyone quickly left, fearful of spending another moment in the central region. Whispers could be heard warning some of the junior disciples, "This person has a strong murderous aura! Anger him not if you may!"


    The three princes walked up to Xiao Chen. Prince Zhao was the first to speak. He said quietly, "Err... Senior Brother Xiao... You looked very cruel and frightening just now..."


    Xiao Chen heaved a long and heavy breath, wondering to himself as well, "Why was I so overcame with such a strong lust for blood? I have never encountered such before. Moreover, the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment had roused on its own..."


    "Let us go now. We shall linger no more today."


    Then again, this was hardly the first time that blood was spilled at the Sky-gazing Gorge. There have been numerous conflicts years ago between the northern and southern gangs of the Sunset Peak that have resulted in severed limbs and maiming. Still, no Elders would intervene unless lives were lost or any disciples'' Spiritual Meridians were destroyed.


    That night, Xiao Chen rolled on his bed. He could not sleep as the scenes from the incidents in the day replayed in his mind again and again. "Why have I became so cruel?" He asked himself.


    Cruelty and malice would creep into his heart sometimes ever since he inadvertently found the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment in the ancient catacombs of the Xiao Family. Many times he had tried to forget about the cultivation method, still, he could not; as if the learnings of the accursed skill had been etched deep into his mind.


    He woke up the next morning, sweating profusely from a terrible nightmare. In his dreams, he saw a man sharing his exact appearance, wielding a demonic halberd. Evil aura in the form of black fumes circled and coiled around him like a serpent as he inflicted carnage and destruction upon the Mystic Cyan Sect!


    "M-master!"


    "Are you up, Young Master?" Lil Ruo''s voice came from the outside, "You are still not yet an Inner Disciple, Young Master. You do not have a Master yet."


    Beads of cold sweat covered his haggard face. Wiping off the sweat he muttered, "So it is only a dream, eh..."


    He did not go to the Sky-gazing Gorge at day. The entire day he seemed troubled and daze for the nightmare that he encountered in the night seemed so true to him as if it was a true memory. He could see the halls collapsing into ruin and the peaks of the mountains that the stronghold of the Mystic Cyan Sect crumbled into despair. All his fellow disciples were sprawled on the ground, lying dead in pools of blood, bloodied and cleaved; even his own Master was...


    "What''s wrong with you today, Young Master? You even held your chopsticks upside-down..."


    Xiao Chen awoke from his stupor and feigned a smile, "It''s all right. Ah, yes. What day is it, Lil Ruo?" He had been so busy with his training and meditation that he had not kept track of the dates. He had been here for almost a month.


    "It is the twenty-six of April today. Heh heh. We have been here for a month without knowing it, Young Master," said Lil Ruo, giggling.


    Xiao Chen nodded. It was the end of the month. There was an errand that he must complete today.

 Chapter 32 The Ploy

    At nightfall, Xiao Chen slipped quietly out of his room. He was about to leave when Lil Ruo''s voice came from the chamber next door, "Where are you going so late in the night, Young Master?"


    "Ah, nothing special. I am only going for a nighttime stroll. Off you go to bed."


    A little over an hour later, he reached the abode of the three Elders. Noticing that the candles were still burning in their abode, he went to their door and knocked gently, "Good evening, Elders. I am Xiao Chen. I have something to speak to you of."


    "Xiao Chen?" A voice croaked from within the house. There was the loud creak of a door opening; it was Elder Song.


    Xiao Chen peered into the house. There he saw Elder Liu, with beads of perspiration upon his forehead, as he was brewing medicine and elixirs. Elder Wu was at one side, going through a list where on the table before him sat a large package still opened.


    Elder Song said to him, "It is late, Xiao Chen. We will speak tomorrow."


    "Are you three brewing elixir? I may be able to be of help." Xiao Chen replied with a smile.


    Elder Wu turned to him and muttered softly, "Let him in, Song."


    Xiao Chen beamed faintly as he walked into the abode. Elder Song immediately shut the door behind him and asked, "How are you going to help us? Are you good in brewing medicine?"


    Xiao Chen bobbed his head lightly and said, "I know a thing or two about it."


    This made Elder Liu stopped in his tracks. He stopped what he was doing and came over. He was aware that Xiao Chen was adept in brewing medicine, yet he was still worried for he had not personally witnessed Xiao Chen''s prowess.


    Knowing that action spoke louder than words, Xiao Chen produced a Qi-refining Pill, one that he had concocted with meticulous care days ago. The pill blushed with a golden and smooth luster without any defect. There was even a faint layer of white radiance sparkling upon its surface.


    Elder Wu''s aged eyes sparkled with interest. He immediately took the pill and examined it, exclaiming, "Is this a Qi-refining Pill?" He handed it to Elder Liu, saying, "Look, Liu."


    Elder Liu took the pill and studied it too, his expression changing. Elder Song asked him, "How is it? Would you be able to make one?"


    Elder Liu gave no reply. Moments passed before his head rose as he held Xiao Chen with a stare, "Did you make this yourself?"


    Xiao Chen only nodded silently. Elder Liu''s expression took another change, mumbling, "This is a Qi-refining Pill of high quality. I am afraid the Elder of the Elixir Room is the only person in the entire Three Pure Sect capable of producing an elixir of such excellence..."


    Hearing this, Elder Song and Wu were aghast with shock. They look incredulously at Xiao Chen as Elder Liu stammered, "Who are you?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and simply said, "The truth of my identity hardly matters. What matters is that I can brew elixirs with these herbs for you in three days." His finger was pointing at the giant bag of herbs on their table.


    Elder Liu asked frantically, "Is what you said true?"


    Xiao Chen giggled, "It is the duty of a disciple to assist his teacher with his problems."


    However, Elders Song and Wu did not share the same enthusiasm as Elder Liu. They both glanced at each other doubtfully. Brewing the three bags of medicinal herbs into elixirs were tasks charged to them by their overseers. Completion of the task would mean that they would not have to tolerate any punishment. However, nothing came without its cost, the Elders full well knew. The boy''s appearance at this very hour, when their need was most dire, would surely hold unspoken mysteries.


    Elder Song first spoke, "Young man. Speak your terms. What do you want from us? We will help you as long as we''re able to."


    Xiao Chen smiled cheerfully, "I will be blunt then. I need the pithy formula for the cultivation methods of Lv 2 to Lv 9 of the Qi-refining Realm and Lv 1 of the Foundation Building Realm."


    The three Elders were dismayed to hear this. Elder Song bolted to the windows and looked if anyone was prying. Elder Liu, mortified with shock, said, "Forget about it. Return to your lodgings, Xiao Chen. We cannot help you."


    Being also a disciple of a Cultivators'' sect in his previous life, Xiao Chen fully understood their reservations. Impartation of skills and cultivation methods of higher levels was a capital sacrilege in the arcane world. Offenders of this supreme law would at least be sentenced to a 10-year long vigil of reflection; some might even have their powers completely stripped and expelled from the sect, never again to set foot into the arcane world. Only those with the bearing and position, like his own Master, Ling Yin, could escape with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.


    "I understand the gravity of my request, Elders. Still, I will swear to keep this a secret between us. No one else needs to know about this."


    Elder Liu grimaced, "Be that as it may. Still, us three will hardly be able to escape scrutiny if anyone were to notice anything."


    Xiao Chen then said, "Rest at ease, Elders. I am but a very subtle person..." However, he had barely finished when Elder Wu interjected with a bitter laugh, "Subtle? What about your thrashing of Ye Shaochong yesterday? Do you call that subtle?"


    "Err..." Xiao Chen could find no way to justify himself.


    Elder Song came over to him and said sourly, "We will speak no more of this, Xiao Chen. Go back and rest. You will not have to help us with our herbs and we have not had this conversation..."


    "Ah..." Xiao Chen sighed. It seemed that the three Elders lacked the nerve to help him. However, he smiled to them, "No matter, Elders. Let me help you with the herbs nonetheless. Consider it as repayment for your care and favor towards Lil Ruo."


    "But this..." His sudden gesture left Elder Wu speechless.


    Xiao Chen, still wearing a pleasant smile, said to them, "Rest at ease, Elders. Give me three days. You have will the completed elixirs then." With that, he left, bringing with him the large bag of medicinal herbs on their table. Even though he had failed to enlist the three Elders to help him, he would still extend the favor to the Elders for Lil Ruo''s sake. Moreover...


    The three Elders waited until Xiao Chen was far. Their backs were wet with cold sweat. Elder Song was the first to break the silence, speaking softly, "This boy... His origins are mysterious... Surely he''s not a spy of the evil folk?"


    Elder Liu snapped, "And you''d think that spies of the evil folk would be that open and direct as the boy?"


    Elder Wu could only sigh before he spoke, "At any rate, word of this must not escape! We are now all in the same boat now, now that he''s helping us with the brewing..." He gave another long sigh and glared at Elder Liu, "You! Have a care with your tongue, Liu! It''s public knowledge now that you always fall asleep and speak silly things! You were caught dozing off when you were delivering elixirs to the Black Dragon Peak last month! Let Song handle the deliveries next time if you can''t help it!"


    ... ...


    For the next three days, Xiao Chen went to the Sky-gazing Gorge to train in the day. In the nights, he would busy himself by brewing the elixirs for the Elders. By the third night, he returned to the abode of the three Elders, carrying with him a package of freshly-brewed elixirs.


    Still feeling slightly embarrassed for troubling him, Elder Wu said, "No matter what, we are grateful for your help, Xiao Chen. We will warn Ye Shaochong severely for his transgressions. But there is another person that you should never anger. We will smoothen things for you."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently to them, "Understood, Elders. I will not inconvenience you. It is late now. I suppose I''ll take my leave for now." He bowed to them and left.


    When Xiao Chen had left, Elder Wu wore an approving smile. "The boy is not half bad," he said, "At least he treats us with respect, unlike the wretched and arrogant Ye Fei. Have a look at the elixirs, Liu."


    Elder Liu immediately opened the package. He was stunned for a moment before he spat, "Damn it!"


    "What''s wrong! Surely the boy did not fool us?" The other two immediately scurried over and looked for themselves. Elder Song flared with anger, "Damn it! We''ve fallen for the boy''s bloody ploy!"


    The pills in the package were so perfectly produced that they had no defects. Still, the pills were clearly superior in quality to the ones the Elders themselves concocted. Elder Liu frowned with dismay, "My God! How are we going to explain ourselves if the Elder of the Elixir Room asks about this? Can we just say that the first two bags were made hastily in a rush? We do not have the skills to produce such quality!"


    "Vile boy! What else can we say but this? Does this mean that we will always have to ask the boy for help whenever the Elder of the Elixir Room demands such quality?"


    "The damned boy had led us into a fix... Why is he here at the Sunset Peak of all places..."


    ... ...


    The silvery moon hung high over Xiao Chen who was smiling to himself as he strolled back to his cottage on the path through the woods. The walk back invigorated him until he sneezed suddenly.


    At the same time, in a cave at the rear mountain, tendrils of Spiritual Qi swirled and coiled around aimlessly through the glimmering shafts of moonlight that flooded upon a figure kneeling on the ground. It was Ye Shaochong, who was severely bashed by Xiao Chen days before.


    "Brother... You must help me. The boy is arrogant and conceited. He has crippled our influence and undermined our elixir business, driving us from the Sky-gazing Gorge. Look at my injuries, brother! These are all his handiwork! Many of our men have also suffered greatly under his oppression."


    The chilly night wind blew by. There was another figure, sitting quietly in the cave with his face unseen. A hollow and ghastly voice came from him, "You worthless slouch. On your feet."


    "Yes, Brother," said Ye Shaochong, who only dared to rise on his brother''s command.


    "Hmph! How many Spirit Stones have you collected this month? Do you think that I am not aware of the Stones that you have fleeced every month!"


    Ye Shaochong shuddered with dread, "N-no, Brother. I would never dare to... The number of Stones that we''ve collected this month is halved, all thanks to that Xiao Chen!"


    "Half? What will we hand to Mo Yu with only half the usual number? Do you think that he would offer you protection, if not for the Spirit Stones that you pay him every month?"


    "B-but... but what can I do? Should I send the boys out to scrounge for more?" Ye Shaochong asked, his voice quivering.


    "You will not have to trouble yourself with Mo Yu! Hmph! Let him revel in his glory days while he still can, this Mo Yu! Tell of me this Xiao Chen. Where is he from? Who led him?"


    Ye Shaochong hectically replied, "He''s one of the new disciples this year. The useless weakling, Luo Shangyan, seemed to be his leader through the trials."


    "Ah? A new disciple... it seems that the new disciples do not know their place in my absence..."


    "Indeed, Brother! Indeed! With Xiao Chen acting as their ringleader now, the lot of them now refuses to pay up their dues!"


    "Hmph!" There was an unpleasant howl by the winds followed by a huge bang. A large boulder at the entrance of the cave was smashed to bits. Ye Shaochong shivered, trembling with jitters as he threw himself aside from the blast.


    "Very well... It is time for me to show myself lest everyone forgets of my terror..."


    "Indeed, Brother! Indeed! You should long have come out! Zhuo Wuhen and his gang have been especially insolent of late. They too have also taken our territory and have given the men some beatings..."


    "Zhuo Wuhen... His end shall arrive when I, Ye Fei, complete my solitary training!"

 Chapter 33 Ye Fei

    Xiao Chen returned to his courtyard and found Lil Ruo standing alone outside in the moonlight. Her long streaming hair veiled her pretty face, falling on her shoulders. Xiao Chen asked her, smiling, "Why are you not resting in your room, Lil Ruo?"


    "I am afraid, Young Master... I could not sleep knowing you''re not around..."


    Xiao Chen laughed softly and went to her. He reached out and stroke her hair, saying gently to her, "All is well. Off you go to bed."


    Lil Ruo looked up and him, her long eyelashes trembling now and then as she murmured, "Young Master... I..."


    ... ...


    The next morning before the sun was up, Xiao Chen was already meditating and training outside in the courtyard. The supply of Spiritual Qi there was hardly enough for him to increase his powers, but they were sufficient for him to strengthen his mastery.


    He continued for another quarter of an hour until the sun began peeking over the mountain peaks. There was the creaking of a door opening. Lil Ruo came out slowly, still wearing a dress of white, her hair let down over her shoulders. Softly, she asked, "Are you going to the Sky-gazing Gorge again, Young Master?"


    "Yes. I will go when the sun is up," said Xiao Chen who turned over to face her with a smile.


    "Oh..."


    Dawn had only come, but the Sky-gazing Gorge was already filled with almost all the disciples there to train. They returned to their respective places and continued their meditation, as was Xiao Chen and his companions, who did not go to the empty areas at the center of the gorge.


    With the abundance of Spiritual Qi, he could consume as much of it as possible to try for higher levels. At noon, Lil Ruo came with a food carrier as she usually did, only this time, the food carrier was noticeably larger than the one she used before.


    "What a kind girl you are, Sister Lil Ruo. Every day you come bearing food for us." Prince Zhao was the first to scoot over to her. This time, Lil Ruo no longer put herself in between of him and the food carrier anymore.


    The mouth-watering aroma of the delicious meat escaped into the air as soon as the lid of the carrier was opened. Princes Qi and Yan each took a bite off their drumsticks, chewing ravenously while Prince Zhao chomped furiously on an entire chicken.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and laughed, "I''m beginning to wonder if you are really princes."


    Mumbling incomprehensibly through his food, Prince Zhao said, "I have almost gone sick after living only on dried buns... By the way, you have great cooking skills, Sister Lil Ruo. Why don''t you become one of my consorts when I stop my studies here?"


    A shade of red burned on Lil Ruo''s cheeks that instant as she turned away from him, "No way!"


    Prince Zhao placed down the chicken he had eaten halfway and continued, "I am serious. I will ask my father to write a letter seeking a union by marriage between our families..."


    The scarlet patch on Lil Ruo''s face grew redder and redder by the moment. Frantic with embarrassment, she hastily changed the subject, "Eat up, Young Master or the food will get cold." She opened the bottom level of the food carrier. There were fish, duck, and chicken inside; all neatly sliced and arranged with an assortment of beautiful fruits. There was also fruit juice that she had made herself.


    "Wow..." The three princes were astounded. Prince Zhao spoke sourly, "It''s no wonder people always say the grass is greener on the other side. Not even my own sister has treated me with such kindness..."


    Once he had finished devouring the chicken, Prince Zhao licked at his fingers as he then said, "We will be given a break next year to go home. How about coming to see me, Senior Brother Xiao? You can bring Sister Lil Ruo along. I''ll show you around the palace."


    Princes Qi and Yao both quipped as well, "You can also come to visit us, Senior Brother."


    Prince Zhao interjected, "The imperial chef of my court makes very good deep-fried loquats; very much better than the ones we have here..." He turned to Lil Ruo, "Have you tried any deep-fried loquats here? They''re good to be eaten with noodles."


    Feeling absurd and silly, Lil Ruo gasped, "I-is... is that even edible?"


    The after-lunch banter continued joyfully only to be broken by a deafening crash. Pandemonium and chaos followed swiftly.


    "What''s going on!" Xiao Chen exclaimed as he stood himself before Lil Ruo to shield her from danger.


    There were people frantically running around and screaming at a distance away from them. A young man in robes of white was tossed suddenly into the air, with blood pouring from his mouth. Xiao Chen recognized him. He was Zhuo Wuhen, the leader of the gang, North Mountain, who possessed the powers of Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm.


    Zhuo Wuhen fell back to the ground. Immediately, a wraith-like figure appeared and kicked him up for meters into the air. The figure then took into the air and landed another kick that smashed Zhuo Wuhen back into the ground once more, throwing dust and earth into the air.


    Blood gushed uncontrollably from Zhuo Wuhen''s mouth. Still, he taunted frostily, "You dare kill me here, Ye Fei?"


    "Not here," said another man who face was dark with malice. With eyes as pitiless as a predator and a nose as sharp as a hawk''s beak, the person hissed ominously, "But I can slice off your arms." He waved his hands, and two bolts of white radiance shot forward.


    There were two loud sickening crunches and down came Zhuo Wuhen''s two arms. Blood poured from his wounds like a geyser as he screamed in agony.


    "And your legs."


    There came another two projectiles that severed off Zhuo Wuhen''s legs. Blood splattered horribly everywhere. The crowd watching the gory spectacle stirred uneasily and nervously as screams filled the air. Some of the people from the North Mountain gang began running out of the Gorge.


    Never had Lil Ruo ever witnessed such butchery and carnage. Her face had gone pale with panic, her body trembling. Xiao Chen covered her eyes hastily, saying, "See no more!"


    Ye Fei took a step towards and crowd and ordered, "Take him away and throw him into the ravines. Let''s see if he''ll be able to survive." A few of his minions strode forth and lifted Zhuo Wuhen, now barely clinging to his life, and his severed limbs away.


    Dazed with fear, no one dared utter anything. Not even the sound of one''s breathing could be heard. Ye Fei hissed wickedly, "From this day forth, the North Mountain gang will exist no more! Your dues are hereby increased to two Spirit Stones each month!" He then cast an evil look at the group of new disciples.


    Xiao Chen felt a jolt of panic, What a strong murderous aura! That deadly glare! He is coming for me!


    Having long swept by fear, all colors had left the three princes'' faces. None of them, with the rest of the dozens of new disciples behind them, dared to heave a breath.


    Leading his men close behind, Ye Fei came over. Ye Shaochong was trotting along behind too; his injuries almost fully healed. As they came closer to the new disciples, Ye Shaochong snarled, "On your feet, all of you!"


    The dozens of new disciple all rose immediately obediently with their heads kept low.


    "Hand over all your Spirit Stones! You will all pay three Stones starting from this month! I''ll have a finger of yours if you are short by one; an arm if you''re short of two!"


    No one dared make a sound in the face of Ye Fei''s overwhelming presence as they hurriedly emptied themselves of all their Spirit Stones. One of the new disciples risked a look up at him, begging pitifully as with a quivering voice, "Err... I have used up my Stones for last month... Can I pay up with the rest next month..."


    "You may..." Ye Fei replied coldly.


    "Thank you so much..." The disciple said. However, he had barely finished when a kick sent him meters away, spewing blood incessantly.


    "Try...." Ye Fei growled, ending his sentence.


    Xiao Chen cracked his knuckles but Prince Zhao immediately held his arm.


    Ye Fei turned and stared furiously at him, "Are you Xiao Chen?"


    Xiao Chen shot back coldly, "I am..." The two words had barely left his lips when he felt a strong force striking him into his abdomen, sending him crashing into a tall white birch tree which broke in half.


    "Young Master!" Lil Ruo cried, badly shocked and distressed. She immediately sped to him. Xiao Chen spat a gulp of blood and pushed her away. Through the pain, he gasped, "Leave now!"


    Ye Fei hissed wickedly, "Leave? None will be leaving here alive!" He took a step closer to the wounded Xiao Chen. Lil Ruo immediately threw herself before her Young Master; her arms stretched wide to shield him vainly, crying, "Go away!"


    With a flail of his sleeves, Ye Fei sent another blow at her. Knowing that Lil Ruo, who was hardly a Cultivator with enhanced physical strength, would never be able to survive a strike so brutal, Prince Zhao dove forward to protect her, shouting, "Sister Lil Ruo!" The blow struck him with a loud bang.


    "Arghhh..." Prince Zhao crashed heavily to the ground, motionless. Through his bloodied mouth, he murmured subconsciously, "Father..."


    His eyes then closed shut.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes almost burst out of their sockets with rage. Yet he was still incapacitated by the blow that Ye Fei had landed on his dantian. Screaming with terror, Princes Qi and Yan immediately rushed forward.


    "Heh heh! Xiao Chen! To Hell you go!" Ye Shaochong screamed as he lunged forward, seeing his chance to stab Xiao Chen when the latter is motionless.


    "Ahhh!" Xiao Chen yelled as he mustered all his spiritual powers. The sight of Prince Zhao, looking lifeless and dead, filled him with rage and resolve. The sky shook suddenly. It was the unmistakable roar of a dragon. The golden silhouette of a dragon coiled around his arms and struck at Ye Shaochong with a colossal bang, throwing him off his feet as the latter spat a mouthful of blood.


    In that very instant, Ye Fei chanted some incantations and conjured a sword out of thin air. He directed the sword with his powers, sending it like an arrow at Xiao Chen''s throat. The ferocious stroke tore through the air, threatening to snap at Xiao Chen''s neck like a venomous serpent. But what would have been Ye Fei''s triumph stopped short with a loud clang. The tip of his sword stayed three inches away from Xiao Chen''s neck, not being able to move any further for it was Xiao Chen''s hand which had held its blade.


    Blood trickled down one drop after another from the tip of the sword. Xiao Chen''s veins were swelling under his skin that they looked like they could burst anytime. Intense pain was all over him as if he was on fire. He had used the forbidden technique of the Mystic Cyan Sect, the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements!

 Chapter 34 Murder

    "Uh Ah!" Xiao Chen growled like a beast. With some clashes, he broke Ye Fei''s longsword into seven or eight pieces.


    Ye Fei''s face changed. Losing the Immortal''s Sword would cause panic to a cultivator. He channeled his True Energy madly to punch at Xiao Chen. The violent Qi turbulence made everyone nearby hard to breathe as they immediately stepped back.


    "Uh Ah!" The veins in Xiao Chen''s face stood out clearly. Regardless of the horrible side effects which might follow at a later time, he punched all out. The two palms met violently with a huge rumble as the shock wave spread around, shattering the big trees nearby into ashes and causing the stones on the hill to roll down.


    The blow was earthshattering. Everyone''s faces changed upon seeing this. "He... He can even trade a blow with Ye Fei!"


    Ye Fei was knocked back for tens of meters, and he looked terrible. He had never expected that Xiao Chen''s strength could surge several times stronger in such a short period of time. He bit his finger and waved it, casting out a bloodred radiance that formed into a bloodred huge sword in the air.


    "Blood-sacrificing Sword!" He barked as the huge sword whistled toward Xiao Chen in a ferocious manner. The airwave it brought along sent everyone nearby flying. Lil Ruo''s face changed and she shouted, "Young Master!"


    "Ah!!!" Xiao Chen snarled and channeled all of his True Energy into his hands which were moving in the shape of the Eight Diagrams. This was the Heavenly Sky Palm of the Xiao Family.


    A fierce gale blew stones to the air and the mountains and earth were shaking as if he was controlling the energy of heaven and earth. With a battle cry, the Palm Strength of the Heavenly Sky Palm moved to the incoming huge sword like a volcanic eruption.


    With a huge rumble, the sky changed, the earth crackled, and the hills nearby were shattered under the airwave. The Heavenly Sky Palm became stronger when it met strong opponents. The following nine strokes of the Heavenly Sky Palm were unstoppable and instantly crashed the huge sword into nothingness.


    Ye Fei spat out a mouthful of blood as he raised both hands to block the first Palm Strength. With a boom, the impact almost broke his internal organs. Before he could channel his Energy again, the second Palm Strength followed. Finally, when the fifth Palm Strength hit him, he could no longer hold it. A mouthful of blood spurted out from his mouth again as he was sent flying back for 30 meters.


    The Heavenly Sky Palm also had consumed Xiao Chen too much Energy; as a result, a mouthful of blood spurted out from his mouth again.


    The mountains gradually stopped shaking. The crowd went pale while looking at the cracks on the ground. Ye Shaochong lay prone on the ground, and he was scared as hell. The huge noises of the fight had also alarmed the three elders on the other side.


    Xiao Chen staggered to Ye Fei, who was lying on the ground 30 meters away with spilling blood on his mouth. Lil Ruo rushed to Xiao Chen hurriedly with tears all over her face, saying, "Young Master, don''t go further..."


    Xiao Chen sent her away with a swing of his sleeve. At this point, he was shrouded by a murderous aura, determining to kill Ye Fei even if he would be kicked out from the Three Pure Sect!


    Ye Fei looked at the approaching Xiao Chen with his cold, murderous eyes. He chanted a spell and then a red little flying sword dashed out from his sleeve, targeting at Xiao Chen''s neck.


    The little flying sword flew incredibly fast and approached Xiao Chen in the blink of an eye. With a clash and sparkles, the Unsullied flew in front of Xiao Chen and blocked the little sword.


    Ye Fei looked horrified and said in tremor, "What are you going to do? This is the Three Pure Sect! Don''t kill me. From now on, I, Ye Fei, will never offend you and stay away from the Sky-gazing Gorge."


    He was seriously injured by the Heavenly Sky Palm and could not run his True Energy at the moment. He just needed to stall and wait for the three elders to come. Also, he was now determined to kill Xiao Chen.


    "Heh heh..." Xiao Chen''s mouth curved a ruthless smile. He growled, "You don''t have the chance!" As his voice fell, the Unsullied turned into a row of white radiance and moved to Ye Fei''s throat.


    Ye Fei''s pupil shrank as the sword approached him and he felt a sheer murderous aura. At this point, three rows of sword radiance flew here from afar. "Xiao Chen, stop!"


    Ye Fei, who saw his silver lining, yelled, "Elders, save..." However, before he could utter the last word, blood splashed as his head flew into the air. His eyes and his mouth remained wide open.


    The crowd afar were scared dumb, and the elders'' faces changed terribly. They stammered, "Xiao Chen... You..."


    "Heh heh..." Xiao Chen smiled coldly as his eyes fell on Ye Shaochong. Ye Shaochong trembled and shouted madly, "Elders, help!"


    "Swoosh!" The Unsullied turned into a row of white radiance and dashed to him. When it reached only one meter away from him, it was blocked away with a clash, sparing his life. Elder Wu''s sword was broken into two pieces.


    Ye Shaochong was so close to death. He was so scared that he wet his pants and hurriedly rushed to Elder Wu''s back.


    This stroke had failed, and Xiao Chen knew that he had lost the chance to kill Ye Shaochoing. The side effects of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements was also about to come. All of a sudden, he felt fire raging inside his body as everything turned black before his eyes¡ªhe lost consciousness.


    In the morning three days later, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed in a neat and delicate room¡ªhe was in his room. He wanted to turn and sit up, only to find a sharp pain attacking him as if his limbs and bones were forcibly put together by someone else. He could not move at all.


    "You are just recovered. Don''t move."


    In came a young girl clad in green. A cyan-colored sword was hanged on her waist, and a green butterfly-shaped jade hairpin was on her bun. It was Luo Shangyan.


    "Senior Sister Luo..."


    Xiao Chen shook his head and tried to recall what happened three days ago¡ªhe regardlessly ran the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements and seemed to have killed Ye Fei. He could not recall what happened next. He asked hurriedly, "Where''s Prince Zhao?"


    Luo Shangyan shook her head and said with a sigh, "He was just passed out by the hit. The three elders had been treating him with their Energies. I think he''s fine now."


    Xiao Chen was a bit relieved. He thought that Prince Zhao was killed by Ye Fei. At this moment, two rows of sword radiance fell in the courtyard and turned into two youths in white.


    "Senior Sister Luo, the First Elder summoned you and Junior Brother Xiao to the Three Pure Hall."


    "Okay, got it. We''ll go later."


    "As soon as you can." The two people then flew to the Black Dragon Peak on sword radiance.


    "Senior Sister Luo..."


    Luo Shangyan walked back into the room, sat beside the bed, shook her head and sighed.


    "Don''t worry. I''m taking the responsibility for my doings. I won''t bring troubles to you..."


    Luo Shangyan said nothing in return. After a long while, she looked at him and said, "Are you feeling better now?"


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Yes, I''m fine now." He then got off the bed.


    A moment later, they went to the courtyard where Luo Shangyan was about to ride her sword and took him to the Black Dragon Peak. Lil Ruo suddenly went out of the room and said, "Young Master..."


    Xiao Chen turned and said with a smile, "It''s okay. I''ll be back soon ..." After saying so, he stepped on the sword. Luo Shangyan then chanted some spells and the sword turned into a row of teal light, carrying the two people to the Black Dragon Peak.


    The mountains in the Lingtai Mountain were precipitous and the peaks were close to each other. Looking down from above, they looked like serval huge swords pointing straight at the sky. Luo Shangyan worried if Xiao Chen would fall from the sword, so she tightly held his arm.


    Xiao Chen stood at her back. When her hair flew to his face, he was touched while smelling her scent. He could not help recalling thousands of years ago when Ling Yin taught him how to fly on a sword, she was also holding his arm. He and his master soared between heaven and earth, but now he was not able to do this just yet. A sense of unutterable bitterness rose in him.


    The Three Pure Hall was located on the Black Dragon Peak and looked dignified. Everybody in the hall looked solemn. The elders and some disciples stood on the left and right. Elder Wu, Elder Song, and Elder Liu, who came from the Sunset Peak, lowered their heads and dared not to utter a word.


    The Elder sitting straight in the front of the hall looked stately. He was the First Elder, Yan Li, who took charge of the penalties. Behind him were some burning incense sticks which were making offerings to the patriarch figure of the Three Pure Sects.


    In walked Luo Shangyan, and she clasped her hands and said in a low voice, "Elder, Junior Brother Xiao is here."


    Yan Li waved his hand, gesturing her to step aside. He then looked at Xiao Chen and thundered, "Xiao Chen!"


    "Here." Xiao Chen was not frightened by the voice. He just felt feeble, hence his voice was not loud.


    At the moment, many Inner Disciples had gathered outside the hall, muttering in low voices, "Is that man Xiao Chen? I heard that he killed someone in just a month. The Sunset Peak really is utter chaos..."


    Xiao Wan''er, Xiao Han, and Shangguan Yan were also in the hall. Shangguan Yan stood behind the Second Elder and looked at Xiao Chen with great interest. Xiao Han stood behind the Fourth Elder, deadpan. Xiao Wan''er stood behind the Third Elder, Bai Ying, clenching her fists with Cheng Ying by her side.

 Chapter 35 Interrogation

    The First Elder looked sternly at Elder Wu, Elder Song, and Elder Liu, and said in low a voice, "Read out the No. 3 rule of the sect."


    Elder Song immediately got up and said, "Rule No. 3, be fraternal and no privately savage is allowed in the sect. If someone dies because of excessive behavior¡­" In the end, his voice gradually dropped, thus Yan Li urged harshly. "Louder!"


    Elder Song shuddered all over his body and immediately raised his voice and said, "If someone dies because of excessive behavior, the murder should be removed his accomplishments and be expelled from the sect!"


    The air was silent and no one dared to speak in the hall. The regulations of the Three Pure Sect were clear but only worked for the Inner Gate. The Outer Gate had always been chaotic, and few of them would do things according to the regulations. Generally, the Inner Gate would not manage affairs of the Outer Gate. All the matters were handled by the three elders. However, this Ye Fei was not an ordinary disciple. He was introduced by the First Elder personally.


    Xiao Wan''er''s face turned pale. The First Elder looked coldly at Xiao Chen. "Do you have anything else to say?"


    Xiao Chen raised his head, "I have! On that day, they provoked me first, and I warned them many times before, but they could not stop provoking me!"


    The First Elder smiled coldly, "What a provocation! That''s why you killed him? To stand up for others? Good skill! How awesome!"


    "Then please, can the First Elder tell me what I should do? They wanted to kill me that day, could I just waited and died? Am I, Xiao Chen, not a human being? Should I die in their hands?"


    The First Elder''s face fell and he was obviously fury. All the disciples at the outside quivered. The First Elder had already completed the fourth level of the Core Forming Realm. If Xiao Chen continued to contradict himself like this, even 10 lives would not be enough for him today.


    Elder Wu got up quickly and said with his hands cupped before his chest, "First Elder, please calm down. It was our fault, and we have led to this great disaster..."


    Luo Shangyan also hurried to step out. She stood by Xiao Chen''s side and said, "Ye Fei and Ye Shaochong had bullied fellow younger brothers for a long time. That day, they provoked Junior Brother Xiao first, and then Junior Brother Xiao accidentally killed Ye Fei..."


    "Luo Shangyan, it''s none of your business here. Step down!"


    "Junior Brother Xiao belongs to my leadership. If the elders are determined to punish him, please punish me as well."


    The First Elder smiled coldly. "He-he, Luo Shangyan, are you threatening me as a disciple of the Sect Leader?"


    Luo Shangyan lowered her head and said, "I dare not..."


    "Humph!" Flicking off his sleeve, the First Elder looked coldly at Xiao Chen. "Then let''s put aside this matter for now. On that day, someone saw you practice a strange skill which was likely a devil one. How do you explain that?"


    No one spoke. Then, Xiao Wan''er suddenly stood up and whispered, "To answer the First Elder, that is an ancestral cultivation method of our Xiao family, not a Devil''s Practice..."


    Cheng Ying, who stood by her side, constantly winked at her and motioned her to come back.


    "Hey hey..." The First Elder sneered unceasingly. As the Enforcement Elder of the Three Pure Sect, all disciples were afraid of him. If it was Luo Shangyan alone, it was nothing; however, all the new disciples seemed to like to challenge him. This time he was fury.


    "Junior sister, come back!" Cheng Ying already cried out.


    A moment later, the First Elder forcibly suppressed his anger and waved his hand and said, "Fine, Xiao Chen, our Three Pure Sect is too small for a great immortal like you. I think you should go."


    Luo Shangyan looked up at once and said urgently, "Please take back your order, First Elder! Junior Brother Xiao is personally introduced by the master. Besides, the master is now investigating the incident of magic flowers with the master of the Xiao Family. I''m afraid it is unreasonable for you to expel him rashly..."


    The First Elder sneered. "Luo Shangyan, are you threatening me now? By dragging the master into this?"


    "I dare not. It''s just a matter of great importance. Please wait for the master to make the decision when he returns, First Elder..."


    At this moment, the Third Elder Bai Ying, who had not spoken all the time suddenly spoke. "First Elder, I think Shangyan is right. Xiao Chen is guided by her, so Xiao Chen is kind of a disciple of the master. It is better to wait until the master comes back."


    The First Elder looked at her and said, "Third Elder, this child is violent. I''m afraid he is not suitable to stay in our Three Pure Sect any longer."


    Bai Ying smiled faintly. "He is violent? I think there is really something unusual. If the two disciples with the surnames of Ye have no one behind them, even if they were bold, they dared not run amok in Sunset Peak. What do you say, First Elder?" Then she looked up at him.


    The First Elder narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"


    The Second Elder next to her repeatedly winked at her. "Junior Sister! Stop!"


    Bai Ying smiled and said, "If I recalled it correctly, the two disciples should be led by your big disciple, Mo Yu, aren''t they? They were both at the Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm and should already be qualified for the Inner Gate. Why did they stay at Sunset Peak for so long?"


    The atmosphere instantly became dignified, and everyone stopped talking. It seemed that the matter was already slightly beyond the scope of today''s matter. At this moment, Shangguan Yan suddenly said, "Is there a hidden intrigue in it? Or a big conspiracy?"


    She sounded innocent but the atmosphere in the temple became more solemn. The Second Elder quickly turned around and shouted. "Don''t talk nonsense!"


    Shangguan Yan stuck out her tongue and stopped talking. Then the two elders smiled and said to the First Elder, "She has always been outspoken. Senior Brother, please don''t take it personally. I think it''s better to call it a day. We''ll wait until the master comes back."


    A moment later, the First Elder rumbled. "Fine, then wait for the master to come back."


    Everyone inside and outside the hall felt relieved. Luo Shangyan wiped cold sweat off his forehead, walked to Bai Ying, and whispered, "Thank you, Third Martial Uncle."


    Bai Ying smiled and said nothing. Then Luo Shangyan walked back to Xiao Chen and pulled his sleeve. "Let''s go. I''ll send you back."


    When the two went outside the hall, Xiao Chen said, "Thank you, Sister Luo..."


    Luo Shangyan bowed her head and did not speak. At this moment, an enchanting woman in red walked toward him. It was Wen Qingyu. She smiled and said in an odd voice, "Gosh! Elder Martial Sister, this time you picked up a handsome Junior Brother and left Cheng Ying behind."


    Xiao Chen looked up and his eyes flashed with cold light. "What are you talking about?"


    Luo Shangyan bowed her head and pulled his sleeve. "Let''s go..."


    Returning to the courtyard on Sunset Peak, the two entered the room. Xiao Chen closed the door and window and turned around. He said, "Senior Sister Luo, can you give me all the mental skills of the Qi Refining Realm?"


    He felt that he could not stay any longer in the Three Pure Sect. The elder sister in front of him was the only one he could trust in the Three Pure Sect.


    Luo Shangyan raised her head and her face changed obviously. She said, "You are unable to get Lv 2 Qi Refining Realm until next year. What are you going to do now? If the elders know..."


    Xiao Chen smiled. "It''s fine, I''m just asking... It''s getting late. Let me send you out."


    The two of them went to the courtyard. When Luo Shangyan was about to leave on her sword, suddenly a sword light fell and countless petals scattered in the courtyard.


    "Mo Yu! What are you doing here?" Luo Shangyan immediately pulled out her sword beside her waist and stood in front of Xiao Chen.


    Mo Yu smiled faintly, "Why? Do you have to be so nervous to see me?"


    Luo Shangyan frowned and said, "The First Elder has let it go. What are you doing here?"


    Mo Yu sneered, "Yes, my teacher can''t say anything, but anyway Ye Fei was under my leadership..." In the middle of the sentence, he darted two cold glances at Xiao Chen as if he wanted to freeze him with his look.


    Xiao Chen smiled. That was their plan... He understood now. They put on a good show to kill two birds with one stone.


    Luo Shangyan took a step forward and laid her sword in front of her chest. "I warn you, don''t behave in such a way. When the master comes back, there will be a decision!"


    Mo Yu looked at the green sword in her hand and smiled gently. "It is the master''s Shadow Sword. Unfortunately, with your poor skills, I advise you to get out of the way obediently!" Then he flicked his sleeve and directly pushed her away.


    "Senior Sister Luo!"


    Xiao Chen''s fingers pinched, and the Unsullied Sword whistled. It broke the window and flew out. Mo Yu smiled coldly, stretched out his hand, and broke off a branch. With a flurry, the branch in his hand, like a sharp sword, blocked Xiao Chen''s sword with two clanking sounds.


    Later, the branch poked a few acupuncture points on Xiao Chen''s wrist lightning fast. Xiao Chen had just recovered from a major injury and could not hold the sword in his hand. His sword fell, as he wanted to retrive it, Mo Yu swept with the branch and pushed him away again.


    Mo Yu caught the falling Unsullied Sword in mid-air, and his eyes were flashing with blazing light. With a smile, he said, "What a good sword! What poor swordsmanship..."


    At that time, Luo Shangyan hurriedly ran to catch Xiao Chen, and then glared at Mo Yu. "The Unsullied Sword was given by Senior Brother Yu to Junior Brother Xiao! Give it back to him!"


    At the same time, Lil Ruo also ran out of the house to find out what had happened.


    Mo Yu smiled coldly. "You are a murder. I naturally have to take away the weapon. As for Yu Yifeng, he desendes to the mortal world in every 10 years, do you think this boy can live until the next time he arrives?"


    Just then, a woman''s voice came from the sky. "Brother Mo, you can''t keep it if it''s not yours. Please return it to its owner."

 Chapter 36 The Princess Arrives

    Mo Yu''s solemn expression immediately eased and he smiled faintly. "So it''s Junior Sister Li..."


    "I won''t repeat my words a second time. It''s up to you to choose, Senior Brother Mo." That voice once again resounded but faded completely after.


    Cold sweat gradually beaded in the space between Mo Yu''s eyebrows as if he was under increasing pressure. Xiao Chen raised his head to look far into the horizon but saw no one. However, he found the voice earlier to be somewhat familiar. It sounded as if it belonged to the girl he met by the little bridge.


    "Give me back my sword!" Luo Shangyan said coolly.


    Mo Yu clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles creaked. With a flick of his sleeves, he sent the Unsullied Sword flying and the sword ended up stabbing the wall. Then he made his exit on his flying sword.


    Luo Shangyan immediately walked to the wall to retrieve the sword and return it to Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen sneered while staring at the snow-white and flawless Unsullied Sword. "I couldn''t even protect my own sword. Hehe."


    Luo Shangyan sighed. "His cultivation is in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. It''s not your fault. I''ll find a way to hand you the mental technique of Qi Refining Realm this month..." She then left on her flying sword.


    Just then, Mo Yu stood on the side of a certain cliff in the biting cold weather. He clenched his fists with such force that his knuckles creaked. Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk..."


    "Who?!" Mo Yu abruptly turned around and saw a masked man sauntering over to him. He looked around nervously before saying in a low voice, "This is the Black Dragon Peak! Don''t you want your life anymore?"


    The masked man smiled faintly. "I dare to come here even when the old Taoist of the Violet Manor is around, let alone now that he''s not here."


    "What are you here?"


    "Nothing much. I''m just here to tell you that it''s just a shabby sword, but look at how envious you''ve become. You better remember not to ruin your proper business..."


    "I know what to do, I don''t need you to tell me rubbish here!"


    ...


    When the new moon hung overhead the summit three nights later, the blade of the sword, the cold radiance, as well as the silent murderous intention filled the courtyard. The whizzing of wind resounded incessantly. Holding the Unsullied Sword in hand, Xiao Chen wielded the Unsullied Sword in his hand like he was performing a chaotic sword. The shadows of the sword were a daze and the point of the sword moved soundlessly. The rustling leaves in the courtyard fell, each leaf cut into seven or eight pieces by the Sword Qi. The ground was scattered with such cut leaves.


    "The unsullied person possesses supreme sereneness... What constitutes demonic ways and what constitutes the right path? Kill, kill, kill!"


    Suddenly, a black Qi flashed on the space between his eyebrows and he performed his swordplay at an accelerated pace. Strong winds rose from all directions and whistled incessantly. Moments later, the shadows of the branches of the Snow Chaste Tree trembled and a petal immediately floated to the ground.


    Quiet sounds of footsteps came from behind him. Xiao Chen abruptly turned around while thrusting his sword. The sharp end of the blade stopped short of Lil Ruo''s midbrows by a hair.


    "Young Master, this is already the third day. Why don''t you go back to your room for a rest? If you keep going, you''ll suffer Qi-deviancy Derangement..." Lil Ruo''s voice turned hoarse and the rim of her eyes reddened. She began tearing up.


    The black Qi on Xiao Chen''s mid-brows gradually dissipated. He muttered, "Is this already the third day...?" Then he abruptly fainted.


    Ever since he lost to the twig in Mo Yu''s hands three days ago, he had spent the past three days diligently training his swordsmanship. He did not shut his eyes even once during this time.


    This afternoon, Prince Zhao, as well as Second Princes of Qi and Yan, was seated inside a guest room inside a tavern in Lingtai Town. A moment later, an imposing old man walked into the room.


    "Your humble servant greets Your Highness!"


    Prince Zhao raised his hand and said coolly, "Did you find it?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. Ye Family is an aristocratic family in Cangzhou with a military background. The Master of the family, Ye Lingtian, is the prefectural magistrate," the old man replied respectfully.


    Prince Zhao''s eyes narrowed. "Cangzhou? Is Cangzhou is still plagued with neverending disasters? My Royal Father sends them provisions for disaster relief every year. Don''t tell me the disasters are still not under control."


    The old man asked deferentially, "What do you mean, Your Highness?"


    Prince Zhao slammed his hand on the table and said coolly, "Ye Family sure has the gall! Misappropriating the provisions for disaster relief is a crime punishable by death! Send someone to covertly investigate them. If they misappropriated the provisions, execute all three generations of their family!"


    "This..." The old man was evidently shocked.


    "Hm? Don''t tell me it''s impossible."


    "This humble servant will immediately send someone to your bidding," the old man replied deferentially. After a moment of silence, he added, "Your Highness, I think it''s better for you to return and stop cultivating to be immortals. It''s simply too dangerous here. I simply don''t feel comfortable leaving you out here all alone..."


    Prince Zhao raised his hand. "You don''t have to worry about me. Oh, by the way, how is my Royal Sister recently?"


    "The Princess has been whining about coming to see you, Your Highness. She even sneaked out of the palace last month but His Majesty promptly sent his men to stop and bring her back..."


    Prince Zhao placed his hand to his forehead. "Tell her not to come. I''m not even in the Qi Refining Realm now. We''ll talk again after I attain that realm."


    ...


    On the three princes'' way back to Three Pure Sect this afternoon, Prince Zhao said, "This matter must not be revealed to Senior Brother Xiao. Understood?"


    "Don''t worry. We''ll definitely not let Senior Brother Xiao find out."


    "Hmph! There is no part of this massive land that doesn''t belong to the Emperor! Ye Fei and Ye Shaochong have truly gone blind! I''ll have their whole family executed and wiped out their nine generations of descendants!"


    Seven more days passed, with Xiao Chen practicing his swordsmanship each day before dawn. He did not go to the Sky-gazing Gorge either and waited only for Luo Shangyan to bring the mental technique for the Qi Refining Realm. His mood improved considerably after thinking how he would soon enter the Foundation Building Realm.


    Today, he was practicing in his courtyard when the three princes hastily came to his door. With an anxious expression, Prince Zhao said, "Senior Brother Xiao, this time you must really help me!"


    Xiao Chen put his sword behind his back and frowned. "What is it?"


    "My... My Royal Sister is here!"


    One hour later.


    "Brother, is this where you''re staying? It''s not scenic but it''s rather quiet and secluded, I suppose."


    "Err... Yes, yes, yes. Hurry up and go in, Younger Sister."


    "Huh? Who are they?"


    "Oh, this is Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Brother Qi, and Junior Brother Yan. That''s the maid that the Elder assigned me after noticing my great aptitude. Ahem, aren''t you all going to greet the Princess?"


    They saw a delicately-dressed, 15 or 16-year-old girl standing at the gate of the courtyard. Her eyes were as beautiful as limpid autumn waters and her skin was as white as winter snow. Her hair was combed neatly behind her back and her jade hairpin swayed gently in the wind. She wore a thin dress of a green jade color with a light muslin tied around her delicate waist. Her waist was so slender it seemed like they could grasp it with their hand.


    Second Princes Qi and Yan shook their heads and dragged the tails of their sentences. "Commoner¡ª greets the Princess..."


    "Oh... Never mind, never mind! You may dispense with the curtsying and stand up!"


    ...


    Xiao Chen chuckled and replied, "There''s a beautiful woman in the north who is both exceptional and independent. One look at her causes people to lose their city, one more look causes them to lose their country. I''m Xiao Chen. I''ve long heard of the Princess and now that I finally see you today, I''m blessed for three lifetimes."


    With a reddening face, Princess Zhao shifted closer to Prince Zhao and said quietly, "Brother, is that your Junior Brother Xiao? He looks so unsophisticated..."


    ...


    "Err... Younger Sister, I''ll show you the Cloud-boring Sword Qi that I successfully learned just recently." With an awkward smile, Prince Zhao placed two fingers together and pointed them at a certain wall. Xiao Chen immediately triggered his True Energy and flicked in the direction in which Prince Zhao pointed at. With a thump, a hole appeared in the wall of the courtyard.


    "Wow! You''ve become so powerful, Elder Brother!" Princess Zhao began to clap and cheer.


    Prince Zhao looked smug. "Of course! Don''t you know who''s your Elder Brother..."


    "But isn''t your Three Pure Sect a little too small?"


    Prince Zhao coughed and then pointed at a mountain peak high up in the clouds. "See that? That''s where ordinary disciples cultivate. This place is where elite disciples..."


    "Why would elite disciples cultivate in such a short and tiny mountain peak..."


    "Ahem. Anyway, when are you planning to leave, Younger Sister?"


    "Return? I still haven''t had my fill of playing out here! I''ll go back in another month or two..."


    "Ah, no..."


    Thus, the four of them ended up spending their afternoon like that. Lil Ruo then made them a table full of dishes.


    "Brother, your maid''s cooking skills are terrible. How can she compare to the great cooks in our imperial kitchen..."


    "Ahem. It hasn''t been so long since Lil Ruo came. She''ll be fine once I instruct her a little..."


    "Then why is the maid also sitting with us? She really has no idea of the rules..."


    "Ahem. Yes, yes, yes. Lil Ruo, you may leave!"


    Xiao Chen''s expression was very dark. Prince Qi and Prince Yan lowered their heads and busied themselves with eating, pretending like they had heard nothing at all.


    After dinner, Prince Zhao said pleadingly, "Younger Sister, consider it as me begging you. Please go home. Royal Father will be very angry if he finds out that you''ve sneaked out of the palace. Moreover, if neither of us is in the palace, who will talk to our Royal Mother?"


    "Please don''t! I finally managed to sneak out after much difficulty; how can I return so quickly..." Princess Zhao''s eyes darted all around as she spoke. She grinned when she noticed the Jade Zither on the desk. "Oh? Brother, since when did you start playing the zither?" She then ran over.


    Xiao Chen''s expression darkened and he yelled, "Don''t touch that zither!"


    Princess Zhao turned her head and said in confusion, "What''s wrong? I know how to play the zither and I''m also very good at it..."


    Prince Zhao immediately tugged on Xiao Chen''s arm and said with a sheepish grin, "That''s right. My sister knows how to play the zither. She won''t damage it..."


    Before he even finished his sentence, Princess Zhao had already run over to the zither. Just as she was about to strum the strings to test its tone, Xiao Chen frantically yelled, "You must not touch it!"


    Unfortunately, it was too late to stop her. Princess Zhao''s slender, jade-like finger was already touching the zither but it made no sound. Instead, it was her who screeched.

 Chapter 37 Leave the Mountain

    "What''s wrong, Younger Sister?" Prince Zhao hastily walked over to Princess Zhao. When he grabbed her hands for a look, he saw a very thin cut on her middle finger. Purple blood was flowing out of the wound.


    "Sob... It hurts so badly. Why is it so painful..." Princess Zhao was in so much pain that tears were flowing freely from her eyes.


    Xiao Chen immediately walked to them. He clearly saw a wisp of black Qi rising from the zither string and entering Princess Zhao''s finger. It was a very dense Death Qi! Of course, with the others'' superficial knowledge, they could not see this Qi.


    He picked up her hand and immediately ushered energy into her body to force the Death Qi out. Stunned, Prince Zhao cried, "Y-Y-You! How audacious! Let go of my sister''s hand at once!"


    Princess Zhao blushed and immediately pulled her hand away.


    "Oh, I apologize. I offended you in a moment of urgency. Do you feel a little better now, Princess?"


    "It seems like... it''s not hurting much anymore..." Princess Zhao replied quietly. She then glared at the zither. "Brother, your zither bit me! I want to smash it!"


    "Dear God! Can you stop causing a fuss, my little Princess?" Prince Zhao immediately hugged her but despite her petiteness and delicateness, she possessed incredible strength.


    Princes Qi and Yan held their foreheads and pretended that they did not see anything. Xiao Chen said helplessly, "Come on, let''s go out. There''s a Demon inside this house."


    "Ah! So there''s a Demon here!" The moment Princess Zhao heard that there was a Demon lurking here, she was so frightened that she ran out of the courtyard until she was under the sunlight.


    Thus, when afternoon rolled around, Prince Zhao finally managed to scare the little princess enough with mentions of Demons, spirits, and hobgoblins and force her to go home. When Prince Zhao returned to the courtyard, he smiled wryly at them. "That... I''m very sorry, Senior Brother Xiao. My sister is just that mischevious..."


    "Hmph!" Xiao Chen walked away with a flick of his sleeves.


    "That... Brother Qi and Brother Yan..."


    "Hmph!" Prince Qi and Prince Yan also flicked their sleeves and walked out of the courtyard.


    "That... Younger Sister Lil Ruo..."


    "Hmph!" Lil Ruo stomped her feet and went back inside the house as well.


    "Er... Fine. It''s all my fault..."


    When night fell, Xiao Chen entered the house and looked at the Jade Zither. "That was a little excessive, Evernight. She''s just a little girl. Why take her so seriously?"


    Evernight materialized out of the zither and looked at him, "You think it is I who did it?"


    "Who can it be if not for you?"


    Placing her hands over her chest, Evernight raised her head with a laugh. "What a joke! Now that I''m no longer in the zither, why don''t you find someone to try it?"


    Xiao Chen''s expression turned solemn. "What do you mean, Evernight? Are you saying that this zither..." He suddenly recalled how ferocious the wisp of Death Qi that came out of the zither was. How could Evernight possess such dense Death Qi?"


    Evernight gave a cold laugh and said scornfully, "Youngster, I suppose you don''t know the origins of this zither."


    "Speak." Xiao Chen looked incredibly somber. The zither had always been strange since it was brought to the Xiao Family Manor. No matter who strummed the strings, no one made any noise. Their fingers would be cut as well. The zither was very bloodthirsty. He initially thought that it was Evernight being protective of the zither but that was evidently not the case.


    Evernight looked at the Jade Zither that was of deep sandalwood color on the table and said slowly, "This zither is named the Jade Ornament of Ninth Heaven. It has many owners over the years and each one would suffer a violent death without exception! That''s why its murderous aura doesn''t dissipate and it becomes so bloodthirsty. It''s also why there''s such a dense Death Qi inside!"


    Xiao Chen''s heart jumped. Jade Ornament of Ninth Heaven! He had also heard about the legendary zither of the Lei Clan. The Master of the Lei Clan had spent all of his efforts over a lifetime to build the zither called the "Jade Ornament of Ninth Heaven" but when the zither was completed, the entire clan suffered a great calamity and the zither also went missing after. The later generations then recorded its legend in books.


    "That''s right! The Master of the Lei Clan had spent all of his efforts over a lifetime to make the zither. He didn''t expect that the moment he unleashed the zither, there would be a blood moon in the sky and safflowers everywhere. More than a hundred old and young Lei clansmen met a violent death in a single night! Their grievances were all concentrated in this zither!"


    Xiao Chen was deeply startled. Wouldn''t that make this zither the most fearsome zither in the world?


    Evernight snorted, "Why would there be such a dense Death Qi hidden in the zither otherwise? Once someone with Living Qi, his or her predestined lifespan will surely take a hit. Yet a youngster like you is able to restrain the Death Qi of the zither..."


    Restrain the Death Qi of the zither...


    Suddenly, a chill ran through Xiao Chen''s entire body and he felt as if he had been submerged into an icehouse. Only Death Qi could restrain Death Qi, something that Living Qi could never do. Yet why was he able to restrain the zither''s Death Qi? Could he possibly be...


    Everyone had died thousands of years ago, yet why was he alone the survivor? This was not a coincidence but a shockingly great scheme!


    The next morning, Luo Shangyan brought him two books that were copied by hand and said in a quiet voice, "This is the mental technique for the third and fourth level. Use them for the time being. I''ll come up with a way to get the rest."


    Xiao Chen accepted the books and felt that any words that he could say now would only be superfluous. "Thank you, Senior Sister Luo," he said gently.


    Luo Shangyan did not reply. She walked quietly to the door and left on her flying sword.


    With the latest cultivation methods as well as his 12 Spiritual Meridians, his cultivation improved by leaps and bounds. Three months quickly passed him by, with Lingtai Mountain welcoming the intense heat of July. The Senior and Junior Sisters had all started wearing thinner clothing. When dusk approached every day, the fragrance of plum blossoms would permeate the mountain. It was a beautiful scenery indeed.


    Out of the blue, a sword radiance crashed into his courtyard. It was Xiao Chen''s flying sword that had made its return. He was already in the Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm now and Luo Shangyan had already passed him the mental technique for entering Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm.


    The only problem was that the Spiritual Qi in the Sky-gazing Gorge was no longer sufficient for him. He needed to go somewhere with an abundance of Spiritual Qi or he would be hard pressed to make any dramatic improvements in his cultivation. Even though there was only one level of difference between Lv 6 and Lv 7, their gap was like heaven and earth. Being in Lv 6 meant he was in the middle stage, while being in Lv 7 meant he was in the later stage. It was as if there was a great chasm between them.


    Meanwhile, no major incident took place in Three Pure Sect in the past three months save for Sect Leader, Perfected Immortal Zixu, has yet to return after leaving to investigate the Soul-consuming Evil Flower. Neither had he wrote a letter to the sect. These days, heavy fog would often shroud Lingtai Mountain as the five Elders strengthen the defensive formation near the mountain gate.


    Similarly, Xiao Chen had also written a letter home and learned that his grandfather had also not returned. It was the same over at the Sanctum of the Arcane Spring. The three moguls of the Human World seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    "You''re back, Young Master?" The door opened with a creak and Lil Ruo walked out of the house. "Xiao Wan''er and Xiao Han came to find you earlier in the afternoon."


    Xiao Chen frowned. "Why did they look for me?"


    "I don''t know. They left after seeing that you weren''t around."


    "Hm, I understand." Xiao Chen nodded and looked up. He saw black clouds enveloping several of the peaks as if it was signaling something.


    Early next morning, Xiao Chen was preparing to go out when two sword radiance in the sky landed and transformed into two people dressed in green and red respectively.


    "Hehe! Brother Xiao Chen!"


    Xiao Wan''er ran over to him, almost bouncing and skipping happily as she did. She was dressed in a refreshing red dress today and her elegance appearance was incredibly attractive. Meanwhile, Xiao Han continued wearing his cold poker face.


    It had been three months since they last met. Xiao Chen said with a chuckle, "Why are you two here?"


    Xiao Wan''er giggled as she made a spin around him. "You got taller again, Cousin Brother. How''s your cultivation? I myself have entered Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm, you know," she said with a smile.


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly. "How can I compare to you people who are in the Inner Gate? I''m still at Lv 1."


    "Ah? Why would it turn out that way..." A regretful expression crossed Xiao Wan''er''s face.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. Being in the Inner Gate, these two were able to cultivate in a place with abundant Spiritual Qi. Moreover, their aptitude was decent as well. Xiao Han''s cultivation had also reached Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm. Xiao Chen smiled and asked, "Well, why are you looking for me?"


    With a grin, Xiao Wan''er came close to him and whispered into his ears. Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. It turned out that Xiao Wan''er had gotten bored staying up the mountain and had been looking to go outside and play.


    Thus, the three of them sneaked down the mountain and arrived at the great valley where they had the first round of the examination. This time, the Elders had even employed the use of Sight-obscuring Formation and the entire place was left deserted. It looked incredibly thrilling.


    Xiao Wan''er said happily, "Cousin Brother, you''re still unable to operate a flying sword, right? It''s fine. I''ll bring you over! Hehe!" She unsheathed her flying sword and landed on it with a light jump. She extended a hand to Xiao Chen. "Come! Don''t be scared!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile and grabbed onto her hand. He jumped with ease. When he landed, the blade immediately trembled and sank considerably. Xiao Han frowned. "Will you be okay? If you fall, I won''t be able to save you."


    "Hmph! Stop looking down on me!" Xiao Wan''er snorted. She swiftly performed some seals and her sword flew unsteadily toward the other side. Xiao Han cautiously flew next to her, not daring to leave them behind and flying over by himself.


    When they reached the center of the valley and the power of the formation became weaker, Xiao Wan''er became a little nervous. She said quietly, "Don''t be scared, Brother Xiao Chen. Hold my waist." She then released her grip on Xiao Chen''s hand and began to use both of her hands to cast a spell.


    Xiao Chen wrapped his hands around her slender waist and found her skin to be very soft and smooth. Instantly, a burst of fragrance assailed his nostrils. When they almost reached the other side, the blade of the sword abruptly shuddered violently. Xiao Wan''er was so startled that she yelped.


    Xiao Chen secretly poured True Energy into the sword at once. "Your flying sword is manipulated by your heart. Just think of what lies below as a flat ground and you''ll have nothing to fear."


    Moments later, they finally reached the other side safely. Xiao Wan''er grinned and said, "I''m great, aren''t I, Brother Xiao Chen?"


    "Yep." Xiao Chen nodded with a smile.


    The three of them immediately headed for the nearby Lingtai Town. On their way there, their cheerful conversation was punctuated by easy laughter. They were not as reserved as they were in Three Pure Sect. Xiao Chen said, "Oh right, how are your lives in the Inner Gate?"


    "How else do you think our lives would be? Those Senior Brothers and Sisters would order us around just because of their seniority. They don''t respect us in the slightest! It''s so infuriating!" Xiao Wan''er said, fuming.


    "Especially that Wen Qingyu and Mo Yu! They... Sigh!" Xiao Wan''er heaved a heavy sigh before looking at Xiao Chen. "Cousin Brother, how nice would it be if you can defeat them? We wouldn''t have to be bullied all the time..."


    Xiao Chen did not reply. After they arrived at the town, they took a tour around the place and entered a tavern for their meal when afternoon rolled around. Just as they were having their meal, a green-clothed girl suddenly walked in with a little bottle gourd in hand. They watched her put the gourd down on the reception desk with force and said loudly, "Shopkeeper, fill this gourd up! I want the best aged Shaoxing wine!"


    She drew the attention of everyone inside the tavern but it was not because her voice was too loud. Rather, she possessed a peerless beauty. She wore a bluish-green dress that hugged her slender waist snugly. Her exceptional beauty made her look unlike someone of this world.


    Moments later, the shopkeeper forced a smile. "What''s this bottle gourd of yours, young lady? Even after we pour two large jars of the wine inside, it doesn''t seem to be filling up."


    "Stop with the nonsense! Keep going! Eight more jars and it''ll be full!"


    Xiao Chen wore a solemn expression. Just a moment ago, he detected a wisp of Demonic Qi!

 Chapter 38 Soul-consuming Evil Flower

    Moments later, Xiao Wan''er grinned. "Where are we going to play later, Cousin Brother? I heard a group of foreigners recently arrived in several of the nearby towns. I heard they put on great acrobatic performances."


    Xiao Chen did not respond. Suddenly, he heard a strange cry coming from the shopkeeper. "Dear God! You haven''t paid, young lady!"


    "Put it on my account first! I''ll come back and repay you!"


    "Oh dear. We run a small business here and shouldn''t have credit systems..."


    Thus, the shopkeeper sent for two burly men to stop the green-clothed girl. The girl bellowed at them coldly, "Move aside!" When she finished her sentence, she flicked her sleeves. With the resounding of two clanging noise, the two burly men flew out and fell on the street outside. They were foaming in the mouth and twitching all over. Embedded on their respective chests was a serpentine-shaped needle emitting a sinister and cold glint.


    "My God. Girl, it''s already bad enough that you didn''t pay your bill. How could you injure my men? We''re under the protection of Three Pure Sect, you know..."


    "Three Pure Sect? What''s Three Pure Sect? Is it very strong?"


    With a thud, Xiao Wan''er slammed her hand on the table with a loud thud and rose to her feet. She walked toward the girl in the green dress and said in anger, "Where did a girl like you come from? How ill-bred!"


    By now, a crowd had gathered outside the shop. The shopkeeper noticed that Xiao Wan''er seemed to be wearing the apparel of Three Pure Sect and asked, "Young lady, are you a Sword Immortal of Three Pure Sect?"


    Xiao Wan''er replied coolly, "Correct!" She then glared at the green-clothed girl with wide eyes. "Little girl! Pay up if you know what''s good for you!"


    "Little girl?" The green-clothed girl raised her head with a smile. "When I was born, I think you''re not even reincarnated yet!"


    "You!" Xiao Wan''er was burning with anger. She unsheathed the sword tied to her waist with a clanging noise and performed a set of introductory swordsmanship of Three Pure Sect. In a split second, cold radiance burst forth from all around her. The sword wind was biting cold. The Sword Qi in the air charged at the green-clothed girl to attack her.


    "Hmph!" The green-clothed girl snorted and flicked both of her sleeves. She yelled, "Ten Thousands of Flying Leaves and Flowers!"


    In a flash, a gale began to whizz. However, numerous green leaves abruptly appeared in the air. Despite being tender leaves, each leaf was a sharp blade capable of shattering gold and snapping jade. They crushed Xiao Wan''er''s Sword Qi in an instant. Then, the crowd saw the green-robed girl moving her wrist and a green blade flew at Xiao Wan''er in an undefendable manner.


    Just then, Xiao Chen''s feet moved and he dashed in front of Xiao Wan''er like a bolt of lightning. He placed two of his fingers together and the people could only hear a loud collision. What was left was a serpentine-shaped needle that emitted a sinister and cold glint.


    "Young lady, why go so far as to kill just for a disagreement? Please hand over the antidote." While speaking, he tossed the needle pinned between his fingers.


    The two burly men outside were still foaming at their mouths, their faces alternating between green and purple. The green-clothed girl laughed coldly. "Antidote? I never carry any antidote on me..." She reached into her sleeves to her chest area, intending to shoot a poisonous needle at Xiao Chen. If Xiao Chen made even the slightest movement with his wrist, he would feel a tremendous force swiftly traveling from his wrist to all over his body. He would instantly feel numb all over and lose all movement.


    It was Xiao Chen who moved in an instant and blocked all the acupoints in her body with a speed as quick as lightning. Everyone was stunned as they could not see what had happened at all. The green-clothed girl was equally as astonished. "This person is so swift!"


    Left alone on the sidelines, Xiao Han busied himself with downing the alcohol. "And you still say you''re in Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm..."


    This method of sealing one''s acupoints belonged to Mystic Cyan Sect. No matter how the girl tried operating her martial arts, she was unable to break through the seals. Moments later, tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed, "To think a person born with such upstanding looks would bully a weak girl like me! Hurry up and unseal my acupoints!"


    Her beautiful eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke. The way she spoke, one would think she had suffered a great injustice. If she cried for help, even a steel-hearted person would soften after hearing her.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly at her. "You''re not weak at all, young lady. If you still refuse to hand over the antidote, please don''t blame me for being uncourteous..."


    The green-clothed girl raised her head to glare at him. "You dare! If my Sister Bai finds out that you bullied me, she''ll surely turn you into mincemeat!"


    "Then, please excuse my rudeness," Xiao Chen said. Just as he was about to touch her chest area, a strange power abruptly pushed the door open. In the next moment, the green-clothed girl disappeared from where she stood and reappeared next to a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.


    The man possessed a pair of maroon pupils and had his hair tied neatly behind his back. Both sides were black with purple going through the middle. His long robe was a mixture of purple and white fabrics. His lapel was woven from snow-white wool and feathers. Hanging from his waist was a palm-sized Zijin gourd.


    Shaking his head helplessly, the man said to the girl, "Xiao Qing''er, you''re being a bully again. Had I known this earlier, I wouldn''t ask you to buy the wine on your own." He made a light pat on her shoulders as he spoke and the True Qi that Xiao Chen planted on her instantly dissolved.


    Once the girl was released from her binds, she immediately cried, "Damned barbarian! He''s the one bullying me! Aren''t you going to help me kill him?!" She pointed at Xiao Chen, wanting no more than to chop him into eight pieces to ease the hatred in her heart.


    The red-eyed man shook his head as he knocked on the space between his eyebrows with his fingertips. There seemed to be a deeply melancholic look on his face. "How many times have I told you to call me Brother Yi Tong?" He then turned to look at Xiao Chen with a faint smile. He said softly, "Don''t you know that men and women should observe propriety? How does your action earlier differ from the actions of Dengtu Zi?"


    Xiao Chen''s expression darkened when he realized that he could not detect even the slightest hint of this man''s breath. He replied, "I was acting out of desperation to save lives earlier. I have no intention of offending this young lady. Everyone here can be my witnesses." The crowd affirmed his words one after another after hearing this.


    The red-eyed man laughed. "Life and death are ruled by fate. How can you force it? Moreover... Sometimes, it''s not necessarily a good thing to live too long a life..."


    He shook his head after reaching the end of his sentence. "Forget it. Xiao Qing''er, give them the antidote." The girl pouted after hearing this and said, "I refuse! It''s his fault for bullying me!" She raised her head as she spoke.


    The red-eyed man shook his head with a small smile and gave her a light pat on the back. Two white pills immediately shot out from inside her sleeves and flew into the mouths of the two men lying on the ground outside. After the two men swallowed the pills, the green hue of their complexions faded by more than half.


    "Damned barbarian! You know nothing but bullying me! When we go back, I''ll tell Sister Bai that you''re drinking again!" The green-clothed girl stomped her feet in anger.


    The red-eyed man smile as he shook his head. "Where''s the money I gave you?"


    "Lost it!" The green-clothed girl had her arms crossed in front of her chest and her head raised. She was evidently furious at him for refusing to help her and taking the outsider''s side instead.


    The red-eyed man smiled helplessly and felt for a piece of gold on his chest. The shopkeeper immediately waved his hand when he saw this and said, "It''s fine! It''s fine!"


    "When it comes to trade, the most crucial thing is not taking unfair advantage of each other. Consider the remainder of the money as compensation for your place." The red-eyed man flicked the piece of gold over and said in a leisurely manner, "Life such is long and dull..." He walked out after finishing his sentence. The green-clothed girl stomped her feet in anger before following after him.


    Moments later, Xiao Wan''er walked back to Xiao Chen and said furiously, "They''re too arrogant! Are we just going to let them off like this?"


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "What else? Even if your master comes here, he might not be able to defeat that man earlier." He glanced in the direction that the two people earlier left in. Those two ought not to be humans, particularly that man. There was not even the slightest hint of living breath in him.


    For some reason, Xiao Chen felt that he was particularly sensitive to dead breaths.


    Shortly after, the three of them also paid their bill and stepped onto the street outside. Before they could travel far, they heard a burst of clamor coming from the far end of the street. When they looked in that direction, they saw everyone wearing frightened faces as they screeched and fled in all directions. There seemed to be a person going ballistic among them, wantonly causing destruction. With a lift of his hand, a building would collapse.


    "There''s trouble! Let''s go over and take a look!"


    The three of them immediately ran over. There, they saw an exceptionally tall and large man with blue veins protruding over his entire face. His pupils had turned a maroon color like a beast that had gone mad. He had hurt quite a few people and purple blood was flowing from all of his victims. That was an indication that Death Qi had invaded their bodies!


    "Evildoer! Taste my sword!" Xiao Wan''er bellowed. Her sword turned into a golden blade of light that flew toward the man. With a roar, the man waved his massive hand and shockingly sent her sword flying.


    "Take care!"


    Xiao Chen and Xiao Han drew their swords and inserted themselves in front of her at the same time.


    Just then, several golden blades formed out of Sword Qi came flying from a distance and pierced the man''s body. The man howled and finally collapsed on the ground. Two streams of sword radiance arrived at the same time and transformed into two elderly men. They were none other than Fourth Elder and Fifth Elder of Three Pure Sect.


    Seeing this, Xiao Han immediately went up to them and saluted them. "Master! Fifth Elder!"


    The two Elders turned their heads to look at them. "Why are you three here?" However, they had no time to pay too much mind to this. They immediately absorbed the innumerable Mystic Power within the man''s body.


    The man''s muscles and flesh gradually began to contract and he returned to his original appearance. Then, a strange safflower slowly bloomed on his chest. The flower, with its four connecting petals, was as red as blood. The pistil and stamen in the center of the flower were black. It looked strange indeed.


    "Soul-consuming Evil Flower!" The expression of the two Elders changed at the same time.


    The crowd was frightened listless. How could such a strange flower bloom on a human''s body? Could the man be a Demon? The mayor immediately went up and saluted the Elders. "Immortal Elders! Please save everyone!"


    The two Elders did not speak. Their expressions were incredibly grim. They did not dare to hastily pluck the flower because the man would instantly die once the flower wilted.


    Suddenly, a breeze swept them. The safflower shook a little in the wind and slowly left the man''s chest like it had a wisdom of its own. It dissolved into dust along with the wind while the eyes of the man gradually lost all life. There were now fresh layers of black Qi on his face.


    It was Death Qi! It was a very dense Death Qi!


    Others would not have been able to see this Death Qi yet Xiao Chen could. His heart jumped in surprise and he suddenly recalled the two people at the tavern earlier.


    "It''s them!"


    Xiao Chen looked at the other end of the street and vaguely saw the backs of those two people. He immediately moved, dashing toward them. However, he could no longer find any trace of those two people after a while.


    When he returned to the scene, someone had already taken away the man''s darkened and dried corpse for cremation. Fourth Elder looked at the three of them with a frown. "Why are you three here?"


    "I..." Unable to answer, Xiao Wan''er lowered her head.


    "Forget it. Let''s first return and talk about this then."


    Soon after, the three of them returned along with the two Elders. Xiao Chen was frowning when he returned to the courtyard. The Soul-consuming Evil Flower that he saw in Lingtai Town earlier gave him an incredibly bad premonition.


    That Evil Flower seemed like it was only harming people but he could feel that someone was using the flower to collect countless living souls. The Evil Flower was an instrument for collecting souls!

 Chapter 39 Spiritual Qi Gorge

    Early in the morning on the next day, Xiao Chen was still planning to head for the Sky-gazing Gorge for his cultivation. Even though there was too little Spiritual Qi there for him, it was better than nothing. Just as he was about to set off, Luo Shangyan whom he had not seen for more than a month suddenly came to his door.


    "Senior Sister Luo!" Xiao Chen was overjoyed. Just as he was about to question her for not coming over for so long, his smile immediately faded after seeing the melancholic look on her somewhat sallow face. He presumed hat she was worrying over Perfected Immortal Zixu not returning after so many days.


    "Did your cultivation improve recently?" Luo Shangyan asked.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "I''m still stuck at Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm. The Spiritual Qi in the Sky-gazing Gorge is insufficient for me."


    Luo Shangyan had long become immune to the speed of his cultivation progress. She said, "It''s true that the Spiritual Qi in the Sky-gazing Gorge isn''t enough for you to break through the late stage of your Qi Refining Realm. I''ll take you to the Spiritual Qi Gorge at the Black Dragon Peak today. It''s the place with the richest Spiritual Qi."


    Xiao Chen was a little stunned. She would take him to the cultivation gorge for Inner Disciples? This was obviously something he should be overjoyed about but he could not bring himself to feel happy no matter what. "What''s wrong, Senior Sister Luo?"


    Luo Shangyan shook her head and said after a long pause, "I might not be around in the sect sometime later. You must take good care of yourself in the future."


    Alarmed, Xiao Chen held her shoulders. "You''re leaving? Where are you going?"


    Luo Shangyan sighed. "It''s been four months since my master has gone missing without news. I went to see First Elder yesterday to ask him to send people to search for my master, but he rejected the request..."


    "So you''re planning to go and search for him on your own?"


    Luo Shangyan nodded, "Master is the one who raised me. No matter what, I''m worried about him. When he was out for a long time in the past, he would send me letters. It''s too strange this time..."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Wasn''t he going to find his own master as well? But that was easier said than done, considering his insufficient strength. "Senior Sister Luo, listen to my advice. Perfected Immortal Zixu has such mystical Dao Arts while Master Lingjue has profound Buddhist Arts. Coupled with my grandfather, they could be considered peerless in the mundane world. They''re definitely safe. Perhaps they''re at a critical juncture of their investigation and outside contact is inconvenient."


    When Luo Shangyan did not reply, Xiao Chen continued saying, "Senior Sister Luo, trust me. Give it more time. If they still don''t return by then, why don''t I go with you to find them?"


    This Senior Sister of Three Pure Sect was the person kindest to him as well as his most trusted person. He did not want anything to happen to her. He had seen what the Soul-consuming Evil Flower was capable of yesterday. Never mind Luo Shangyan, not even he necessarily had the means to deal with it.


    Moments later, Luo Shangyan finally nodded. "I''ll take you to the Spiritual Qi Gorge first. If you don''t get into arguments with other people, they won''t be saying much either."


    The two of them then walked until they reached the courtyard. Luo Shangyan took out her flying sword. Just as she was about to pull him up on it, Xiao Chen laughed. "I can now operate my own sword."


    Luo Shangyan immediately shot him a light glare and Xiao Chen promptly grasped what it meant. His cultivation was borne out of "illegitimate means". Naturally, he must not let others see him.


    Thus, like last time, Luo Shangyan operated her sword with him in tow and flew toward the Black Dragon Peak. The Spiritual Qi Gorge was situated in the back mountain and while its size was similar to the Sky-gazing Gorge, the difference in their Spiritual Qi was like heaven and earth. Xiao Chen could immediately feel the abundance Spiritual Qi that he had never experienced before. It was to the point that the Spiritual Qi was enough to support his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method.


    He could not help feeling tempted. The Foundation Building Realm was imminent!


    The disciples under the five Elders would come here to cultivate as well. There were more than several hundred people already here in such a massive cultivation gorge.


    Some of the disciples at the mouth of the gorge frowned after seeing Luo Shangyan bringing an Outer Disciple in. Even if she was Sect Leader''s True Disciple and had the right to bring anyone in, there would after all be a little less Spiritual Qi with the addition of another Human Qi.


    Facing the inquiring gazes coming from all around, Luo Shangyan gently tugged on Xiao Chen''s sleeve. "Don''t speak. Just walk."


    Just then, a male disciple in Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm stood up and said unhappily, "Senior Sister Luo, we won''t oppose to you bringing someone here but he''s just an Outer Disciple of perhaps Lv 1 or 2 Qi Refining Realm. Isn''t it a little unnecessary for him to come here?"


    Luo Shangyan replied coolly, "You''re not qualified to comment on who I bring in."


    It had been so long since she was made Sect Leader''s True Disciple but it was her first time using its dignified status. It caught everyone off guard as well. Someone then sneered in a cold voice and said, "Forget it. Let her do what she wants. There are innumerable pretty men who ride on their women''s coattails. We''ll see how many she can bring in."


    "You!" Xiao Chen was about to fly into a rage. Luo Shangyan tugged on his sleeve. "Let''s go."


    "Tch, she dares bring in a disciple when her quality is just so-so." Sarcastic comments from all around were unceasing. In the beginning, they would still somewhat fear her status. Now that Sect Leader had not returned after so long, these people had become completely unrestrained.


    Xiao Chen did not find their attitudes strange. It was just like when he was living with the Xiao Family. These people were envious of Luo Shangyan for being Sect Leader''s True Disciple.


    30 minutes later, the two of them arrived next to a scenic but secluded small mountain. All around there were birdsongs and fragrant flowers. Even though it was midsummer, the air was still unbelievably cool and refreshing. Xiao Wan''er, Xiao Han, and Cheng Ying happened to be there as well.


    When Xiao Wan''er saw them, she cried out in astonishment, "Brother Xiao Chen, why are you here?"


    Xiao Han was cultivating with his eyes closed on the sidelines. He said coolly, "If he''s here, then he''s here. What''s there to make a fuss about? Do you want everyone to know he''s here?"


    Xiao Wan''er immediately clasped her hand over her little mouth. Luo Shangyan chuckled. "This is great. You three can cultivate together."


    With a smile, Xiao Chen immediately looked around his surroundings. Xiao Wan''er asked, "Who are you looking for, Cousin Brother?"


    Xiao Chen chuckled and clutched his chest, thinking to himself that it was fortunate that the Ghoulish Woman was not here. Just as he was thinking this, he felt a burst of cold wind behind him.


    "Xiao Chen, are you thinking of me?"


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said nothing. It was a small world, indeed. He turned around and replied, "Hi, how are you, Miss Shangguan..."


    The beaming Shangguan Yan, with her hand winded around Luo Shangyan''s arm, looked just like a fairy in the woods. But no matter how Xiao Chen looked at her, he could only think of her as a ghoul. This must be the reason why fewer people come to this area to cultivate.


    "That''s enough banter. Let''s all focus on our cultivation with calm hearts. Don''t bother the other disciples nearby." Just then, Cheng Ying opened his eyes with a chuckle.


    Thus, they stopped all conversation. Xiao Chen, in particular, did not wish to put off his cultivation any longer and quickly found a small piece of ground to begin. He fell into meditation and used the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method to absorb the abundant Spiritual Qi around him.


    The so-called act of Qi Refining involved drawing the Qi into one''s body. With the addition of tempering, one''s human body would essentially become an Ancient Chinese Cauldron. Thus, to cultivators of Qi Refining Realm, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth was undoubtedly the most important thing for them.


    An hour later, Xiao Chen opened his eyes slightly and found that Shangguan Yan had somehow shifted next to him. He said quietly, "Hey, Ghoulish Woman! Stay far away from me lest the insects on your body crawl up to me."


    Shangguan Yan''s small eyes widened. "Try saying that again! I wouldn''t mind sending Little Flower, Little Red, Little Green, and Little Purple up your body."


    A shiver immediately ran down Xiao Chen''s spine. He thought to himself that it was a good thing that he was engaged to Huangfu Xin''er. Otherwise, with his father''s close friendship with Shangguan Fei, he might end up getting engaged to this Ghoulish Woman...


    Shangguan Yan glanced at him before saying in a low voice, "What are you thinking about? Let me tell you. Even if you''re the only man left in this world, I wouldn''t marry you."


    Xiao Chen sneered and shot her a smug sidelong glance. "What a joke. If I, this Young Master, am the only man left in the world, shouldn''t I be picking my wife carefully? Do you think I''d still choose you? You''re dreaming."


    "You! Forget it. I have something important to tell you..." Shangguan Yan came close to him as she spoke and muttered something into his ears.


    Xiao Chen''s expression changed slightly and he said in a solemn voice, "You must be mad to dare to even provoke Mo Yu. Even with a wave of his hand, he could crush you to death!"


    "Hmph! He was just too arrogant. Moreover..." Shangguan Yan suddenly lowered her voice as she cast Xiao Han a glance. "Last month, he slapped Ice Face."


    "What did you say?!"


    "Hmph! Wasn''t it because of your matters three months ago? He had no choice but to exercise his anger on Ice Face."


    Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Han. Xiao Han would never tell him anything and kept everything buried in his heart. However, it was true that Mo Yu was being a little too outrageous. Did he really think that the members of their Xiao Family that easily bullied...


    "Let me also tell you this. Mo Yu would sometimes act mysteriously. I once saw him standing by the cliff alone at midnight, talking to himself..."


    Xiao Chen''s expression turned solemn and he said in a low voice, "He''s not talking to himself. He''s using a type of secret technique of the southern shamans. He''s passing on his voice through a thousand miles... Either way, don''t provoke him anymore. You can argue again after obediently improving your cultivation."


    His expression turned grimmer and grimmer by the time he reached the end of his sentence. It seemed that Mo Yu really was not a simple character. With Sect Leader missing, it was Mo Yu''s master who monopolized the authority in Three Pure Sect. No matter what, Xiao Chen knew he must improve his cultivation as soon as possible.


    For some reason, he kept getting a bad feeling about this. Something major might happen in Three Pure Sect in the foreseeable future.

 Chapter 40 Cultivation Plate

    In the next seven days, Luo Shangyan took Xiao Chen to the Spiritual Qi Gorge every day and the latter successfully advanced into the Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm.


    He waited for a long time that day but saw no sign of Luo Shangyan. The three princes came instead. Their cultivation had reached Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm after working hard for several months and they had also found a place for themselves at the Sky-gazing Gorge. The gorge was no longer divided into north and south, only three colonies that they headed respectively. The three of them even divided their domains, which they jokingly dubbed "three-feet triangle".


    Yet another three days passed and Luo Shangyan was still nowhere to be seen. Xiao Chan could not help getting worried about her. He was afraid that something had happened to her.


    Today, when it was almost noon, Luo Shangyan finally showed up. Xiao Chen hastily ran over to her. Noticing her pale complexion, he asked, "You''re injured? Who injured you?" His knuckles creaked as he spoke.


    Shaking her head, Luo Shangyan felt for the jade plate on her chest and handed it to him. "This is the cultivation plate. Even without me bringing you in in the future, you can show this plate and no one will stop you."


    Xiao Chen accepted the jade plate that was still carrying her warmth. He raised his head and said, "Are you leaving now? I''ll come with you!" Even if he could no longer cultivate in Three Pure Sect, he would never let Luo Shangyan venture the outside world alone and put herself in danger.


    Luo Shangyan shook her head with a smile. "That''s enough. I''m not going to leave. It''s just that with this jade plate, it''ll be easier for you to go in and out of the Spiritual Qi Gorge. Let''s go. I''ll take you there."


    Luo Shangyan was evidently failing short of her usual grasp of the sword. The flying sword kept shuddering. Xiao Chen''s frown turned deeper and deeper, though it was not because he was worried about falling. "Senior Sister Luo, are you injured? Please tell me who injured you."


    Luo Shangyan chuckled. "There''s no such thing. It''s just that I''m a little tired now that my breakthrough is imminent."


    Xiao Chen was silent for a moment before saying, "Senior Sister Luo, out of everyone in Three Pure Sect, you''re the one who treats me the best. If there''s something going on, please don''t hide it from me. Let alone doing something for my sake..."


    Luo Shangyan laughed softly and interrupted his sentence. "Don''t worry. It''s nothing, really..."


    Xiao Chen nodded and stopped questioning her. However, he could tell from her frown that something had certainly happened.


    Moreover, the five Elders had once again reinforced the defensive formation around Lingtai Mountain in recent days. They even went as far as to cut off several large chains that connected the gorges outside. It seemed like they were foreshadowing upcoming events.


    After arriving at the Spiritual Qi Gorge, Luo Shangyan hastily left without saying much. Watching her departing figure, Xiao Chen knew with a doubt that something had happened. Otherwise, she would not have been so anxious.


    It was not until somewhere between three to five pm that seven or eight people suddenly came from a distance. The leader of a group was Wen Qingyu. She bellowed, "Stand up!" It was uncertain who she was addressing but from her gaze, it was apparent that she had targeted her words at Xiao Chen.


    There were quite a few people nearby who were drawn here because of her bellow. Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes and said placidly, "Senior Sister Wen, do you have advice for me?"


    A male disciple behind Wen Qingyu glared at him with wide eyes. "We''re asking you to stand up! Didn''t you hear us?!"


    Xiao Chen flashed them a faint smile before gradually rising to his feet. He looked at the male disciple. "I''m up. What do you want to do?"


    "Oh? So, an Outer Gate disciple like you also dare to come up here?"


    By now, Cheng Ying had also stood up. Frowning, he said, "This is a cultivation gorge. Senior Sister Wen, you better not provoke trouble here."


    Wen Qingyu cast him an indifferent glance. "Where do you see me provoking trouble? I''m targeting the subject, not the person. He''s just an Outer Disciple but he has been coming here for several days. He''s refusing to leave now, is it?"


    Xiao Chen said placidly, "What''s wrong? Did my presence here disturb you? Or is this gorge your family''s?"


    "Impudent! Is this how you speak to your Senior Sister?" The male disciple from earlier immediately roared at him.


    Xiao Wan''er said quietly, "It''s Senior Sister Luo who brought him here. What does it have to do with you?"


    Xiao Han had also opened his eyes. He said in a cold voice, "Senior Sister Wen, we dare not question your grudge against Senior Sister Luo. But if you lose your temper on your Junior Brothers and Sisters, don''t you find that to be disgraceful?"


    The male disciple from earlier blurted out, "Yo? What''s wrong? It has only been several months since you joined but you''re already disrespecting your Senior Sister, are you? In several more months, won''t you be disrespecting the five Elders as well?"


    Shangguan Yan sneered. "You speak as if we''re like some people. Do you want us to commission statues of our seniors, bring them home, lit three oil lamps and worship them day and night?"


    The male disciple shot her a glare. "What are you saying?" He then looked at Xiao Chen. "Did you really believe that you have Luo Shangyan as your backer? She''s not around now. Tell us straight: are you leaving or not? Do you think an insignificant Outer Disciple like you have the right to come here?"


    XIao Chen chuckled. When Senior Sister Luo was still around, he held back because he did not want her to make things difficult for her. However, these people were now taking a mile after he gave them an inch. "Then why don''t you tell me what constitutes as having the right to come here, Senior Brother?" he said placidly.


    "Sure! Then I''ll tell you right now!" The male disciple suddenly attacked Xiao Chen with his palm, his momentum incomparably fierce. Chen Ying and Xiao Wan''er were stunned.


    Xiao Chen laughed coldly. Perhaps this man''s speed appeared impressive to bystanders but to him right now... With a thump, he sent the male disciple flying with a kick.


    The crowd immediately became dumbstruck.


    Xiao Chen laughed. "A slave should have the manner of a slave. The master has not even spoken yet. How improper for you to cause so much fuss on the sidelines."


    Wen Qingyu''s gaze turned cold. Judging from Xiao Chen''s speed earlier, she estimated that he was at least in Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm. "I''m untalented. I''ll have you guide me, Junior Brother," she said coolly before unsheathing the sword tied to her waist with a clanging sound.


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Sounds good, but don''t complain that I''m bullying you. I don''t need the Unsullied Sword." He turned to look at Xiao Wan''er and said, "Cousin Sister, please lend me your sword."


    Xiao Wan''er immediately sent her sword to him without a word. Xiao Chen caught the sword and performed a little trick with it as he did. Displaying a secret sword art with the sword in his left hand, he said placidly, "Please, Senior Sister."


    Wen Qingyu''s gaze was terrifyingly cold. Xiao Chen was disrespecting her in front of everyone. By then, quite a few people nearby had gathered here. Not only was Wen Qingyu in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm, but her swordsmanship was also publicly acknowledged to be exquisite. Many people wanted to see how this Outer Disciple, who had caused a rather large crisis some time ago, deal with her.


    With a bellow, Wen Qingyu thrust her sword. She was performing a set of swordsmanship called the "Heart-piercing Swordsmanship". A single thrust of her sword would produce seven to eight trembling blade tips. No matter how her enemy evaded her attacks, it would be impossible to escape a rain of swords that filled the whole sky.


    Furthermore, her enemy now was not far from her and the power of the sword hit at once. Under the sunlight, the swords appeared like tens of thousands of golden serpents. The swords were so dazzling that the crowd gasped and sighed in admiration at her great improvement in swordsmanship.


    Xiao Wan''er and the others panicked when they saw Xiao Chen standing still without moving his sword. Just as everyone was anticipating for a clash, he finally moved with the sound of whistling winds like that of pan pipes and soft animal cries. His sword moved gently and softly, leaving his sleeves floating about. Unexpectedly, he looked like a handsome fairy dancing.


    Naturally, this was the impression that bystanders had. What Wen Qingyu saw was streams of bitingly cold Sword Qi that filled the whole sky, Sword Qi that was neither avoidable nor escapable!


    This swordsmanship was the invention of Ling Yin, called the 33-fold Jade Pan Pipes Swordsmanship. He could only unleash the third or fourth fold at the moment but even so, there were few swordsmanships in this world who could withstand this one.


    The clanging sounds of swords resounded incessantly. Cold sweat continued to dampen Wen Qingyu''s back. She felt like she had been caught in a rain of swords herself. If she was even the slightest bit careless, the Sword Qi would immediately injure her.


    She was forced into taking steps back in retreat again and again. The swordsmanship she was performing became increasingly chaotic until it failed to take proper shape. With a tap of Xiao Chen''s sword on the acupoint in her wrist, she lost grip of the sword in her hand and the sword was sent flying. The sword ended up nailing a large tree with a stabbing sound and its handle swung continuously in the air.


    "What?! Impossible! Didn''t he use only one movement? Senior Sister Wen has never lost when it comes to swordsmanship alone!" Shocked voices reverberated all around.


    Xiao Chen retrieved his sword and placed it behind his back. "Senior Sister Wen, you''ve let me win," he said placidly.


    Wen Qingyu was deathly pale as she continued to mutter to herself, "Impossible, impossible..."


    She had always prided herself on her peerless swordsmanship but Xiao Chen''s swordsmanship earlier did not give her even the slightest chance to retaliate. If he had wanted to kill her earlier, would it not be as easy as snapping his fingers...


    "Clap, clap, clap..." Right then, a burst of applause came from outside the crowd. Then, a man''s voice followed. "How interesting, for an Outer Disciple to have such exquisite swordsmanship..."


    The crowd immediately cried respectfully, "Senior Brother Mo!"


    The man who showed up was none other than Mo Yu. Cheng Ying and the others immediately frowned. No matter how exquisite Xiao Chen''s swordsmanship was, he was undoubtedly no match for Mo Yu who was in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm.


    Similarly, Xiao Chen felt a chill in his heart. The last time he saw Mo Yu, the latter was a mere cultivator in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. However, he could now vaguely feel that Mo Yu was showing signs of entering the Foundation Building Realm. The speed of Mo Yu''s progress did not lose to his own in the slightest!


    Mo Yu walked to the front of the crowd and sneered. "I gave Luo Shangyan a warning a few days ago, forbidding her from bringing people in. Looks like she''s treating my words like wind past her ears..."


    Everyone was so frightened that they could not speak. As long as it was Mo Yu speaking, no one in the crowd would dare interrupt him, not even the Pro-disciples of the five Elders.


    Just then, Cheng Yi walked out and said quietly, "Senior Brother Mo, Senior Sister Luo has made Junior Brother Xiao a cultivation plate. So he can come here to cultivate..."


    Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that true?"


    "Hang on!" Xiao Chen''s expression changed. He then took out the jade tablet that he kept on his chest and said solemnly, "You said that she made me a cultivation plate. What do you mean?"

 Chapter 41 Li Mixue

    In reality, not all Inner Disciples had the right to enter the Spiritual Qi Gorge. The Pro-disciples of the five Elders were the only ones free to enter as they wished. The rest of the Inner Disciples required a cultivation plate to enter and the plate was valid for a month. To obtain the plate, they must either use a large amount of Spirit Stones to buy it through connections or win on the battle platform each month.


    The crowd began to discuss in low whispers. "Did Luo Shangyan get beaten up on the battle platform so badly the other day just for this person?"


    "Toward the end of the battle, she looked like she had cast her life aside. She actually went and battled a Lv 6 disciple..."


    Xiao Chen clenched the jade plate in his hand and the rims of his eyes gradually reddened. How could he not tell that she had sustained grievous injuries? How could he cultivate here with a clear conscience...


    Mo Yu chuckled. "So what if he has a cultivation plate? Does that mean that everyone can just make a cultivation plate and bring someone from outside the sect up here?" He fixed a cold glance at Xiao Chen. "Hand over the cultivation plate and then scram out of here."


    Xiao Chen''s expression swiftly turned dark and his robe shook without the wind. If not for this man, Senior Sister Luo would not be forced to go to the battle platform and sustain such great injuries...


    He raised his head and said solemnly, "Mo Yu, you better not take this too far. If I can kill Ye Fei, I can also kill you. If I put my life on the line in a fight, you have no hope of surviving..."


    Mo Yu''s eyes narrowed. "Oh? Is that so? Then I''m really interested in giving it a go and see how impressive your Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm is."


    The crowd fell into shock. "What?! He''s in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm? How long has it been since he came to the sect? No wonder he could win against Senior Sister Wen!"


    Xiao Wan''er and Cheng Ying were also astonished. They felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck them in their hearts. Xiao Han was the only one who was serene as if he had long known about this.


    "Hehe, try me then..." Xiao Chen''s expression was increasingly dark as a murderous aura soundlessly extended from within him. Everyone in the vicinity could feel a chill down their backs.


    Just then, a cold female voice resounded from outside of the crowd. "Since he has a cultivation plate, I think Senior Brother Mo better not make things difficult for him."


    Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a white-clothed girl slowly walking over. She wore no expression on her face. With her sleeves gently swaying in the wind, she looked like a fairy from heaven who had been banished to the Human World.


    For a moment, many of the male disciples felt a deep sense of shame over their inferiority in looks and they all looked away from her. Mo Yu smiled. "So it''s Junior Sister Li."


    The girl was the one that Xiao Chen met at the end of the bridge. She cast Mo Yu an indifferent glance without saying a word. She was perhaps the only one out of all Three Pure Sect who dared to act this way with him.


    With a cold laugh, Mo Yu promptly walked to the other side. When he passed by Xiao Chen, he said in a low voice, "Insects remain insects at the end of the day. If you climb to a place that you don''t belong in, prepare to get trampled..."


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists and his sleeves trembled without the wind. "Then you can try me..." he said coldly.


    "Hehe. I''m the one who placed the Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm disciple..." Mo Yu gradually walked away from him, leaving behind only these words.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles creaked. It was Mo Yu who deliberately arranged for a person to injure Senior Sister Luo.


    Moments later, the crowd scattered as well. Xiao Chen walked to the girl and said softly, "Thank you for your help earlier, Senior Sister. How should I address you?"


    The girl glanced at him and shook her head. "I''m Li Muxue. There''s no need for you to call me Senior Sister since I can''t be considered an official disciple of Three Pure Sect."


    Xiao Chen was taken aback by how generous with words this girl was with him. He immediately smiled. "Thank you very much for preparing a cultivation ground for me the last time, Miss Li." By now, it was impossible for him not to guess that the courtyard was this girl''s former dwelling place.


    When Li Muxue did not reply, Xiao Chen continued, "Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Li?"


    He felt that this girl had a motive of her own to help him again and again. Similarly, he did not wish to owe favors to this girl as well. It was just right to settle the karma between them.


    However, the moment the words left his mouth, he saw the girl''s beautiful eyebrows forming a frown. He could not help feeling regretful. Perhaps she did not have any motive in helping him and his words might be a little premature. He chuckled and said, "I''m sorry. I''m being impolite."


    Li Muxue was still not speaking. A moment later, she sighed and turned around to leave. From afar, he could hear her saying, "You can''t help me..."


    "You can''t help me..." Watching her gradually retreating figure, Xiao Chen suddenly felt agitated. Her words seemed to carry a sense of helplessness borne out of too many worries.


    When evening arrived, Luo Shangyan showed up to bring him back. No one mentioned what had happened earlier and Xiao Chen naturally would not bring it up either. When they reached the mouth of the gorge, they saw figures moving on top of a spacious bluestone platform at a distance. "Senior Sister Luo, is that the battle platform?" he asked.


    Luo Shangyan turned to look at him with a slight frown. "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "One day, I''ll definitely step onto that platform."


    Today was like any other day before it, with everyone going to the Spiritual Qi Gorge. This time, Luo Shangyan''s complexion had improved a little. However, just after nine am, two white-clothed disciples entered the gorge.


    The two of them looked like they were in a great hurry. One of them yelled, "The five Elders summon everyone to the public square at once!"


    In a flash, many people who were meditating and cultivating opened their eyes one after another. They asked the people around them, "What happened? Why are the Elders summoning us in such a hurry?"


    "I have no idea. I just came here too."


    Naturally, Xiao Chen and his friends also got the message. Luo Shangyan wore a deep frown. "What happened?"


    Shangguan Yan looked like she wanted no more than to see the sky collapse on them. "Hehe! Looks like there''ll be a good show to watch!"


    Xiao Chen glared at her. "Why are you so happy? If the sky collapses, you can run either."


    "Tch! Since you''re so tall, you''ll be the first to get crushed if the sky collapses!"


    "That''s enough arguing from you two. Let''s hurry and see what''s going on." Under Luo Shangyan''s leadership, the group swiftly walked toward the mouth of the gorge.


    After leaving the gorge, they came across other disciples coming from different places on their way back. They were all rushing to the public square of Three Pure Sect and discussions between them went on endlessly.


    "What happened?"


    "I heard that three people from Cultivator''s sects of the Violet Manor have arrived."


    "People from the Violet Manor? Which sect are they from? What are they doing here?"


    "I heard it''s Skygale Sect. Yes, it''s Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor. It seems like their Sect Leader''s disciple wants to marry Junior Sister Li."


    Xiao Chen''s expression stiffened. Skygale Sect! In the past several months, he had more or less understood the condition of the large sects. Skygale Sect was the strongest of all large sects, owing to their internal sect within the Violet Manor. To be frank, Skygale Sect of the Human World was actually the Outer Gate of Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor. Every year, they would send several disciples with good aptitudes to the Violet Manor.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles creaked. The memories of Qin Xiu coming to the Xiao Family and forcing him to terminate the engagement were still fresh in his mind. He had always kept the snapped sword on his bedside, all so he could constantly remind himself of the humiliation he suffered that day!


    Before long, nearly all the Inner Disciples of Three Pure Sect had assembled in the public square. They formed neat lines under the guidance of their respective Senior Brother and Sisters. The disciples numbered almost a thousand. Behind everyone''s backs were two or three hovering flying swords that emitted dense cold light. The momentum of these disciples could not be described as weak. If ordinary little devils were to come across this scene, they would immediately flee.


    Five platforms made of jade and Taoist lotus flowers hovered on the host section of the public square. They were different from platforms of Buddhist lotus flowers. These were shrouded in a layer of faint white light. The people occupying these platforms were none other than the five Elders of the sect.


    There was another tall platform next to them, where three youngsters were seated. One was dressed in white, another in green, and the last one in red. Seeing as they were given the privilege of sitting alongside the five Elders, they were presumably the three people from Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor.


    Xiao Chen saw Li Muxue standing by her lonesome in the crowd, her head lowered. She looked as if her worries could not be solved. Suddenly, Xiao Chen recalled her words yesterday, "You can''t help me..."


    "Senior Sister Li." He walked over and greeted her.


    Li Muxue immediately turned her head away. "Don''t talk to me..."


    Initially stunned, Xiao Chen promptly sensed a cold gaze directed at him. He turned around to look and saw that it was the white-clothed young man glaring coldly at him, seemingly because he was speaking to Li Muxue.


    He suddenly remembered that on his way here, he had heard many people saying that the Sect Leader''s disciple of Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor wished to marry Li Muxue. It seemed that the disciple was this white-clothed young man.


    Back then, it was Qin Xiu. Now, it was this Sect Leader''s disciple who had come out of nowhere. His hatred for Skygale Sect had climbed to a peak. He met the young man''s cold gaze with a faint smile. He then joined Li Muxue''s side and pulled her hand with a smile. "Let''s go, Senior Sister Li. It''s windy here."


    His words prompted terrified cries from quite a few people in the vicinity. Even Li Muxue herself got a terrible shock and she immediately withdrew her hand.


    Above the tall platform, the white-clothed man''s gaze turned colder and colder. It was cold enough to freeze someone even though it was only July. Next to him, the green-clothed man who looked a little older put pressure on the white-clothed man''s hand and shook his head.


    Meanwhile, the red-clothed man appeared to have TRANSLATION ERROR. He looked at Second Elder and pointed at the crowd below. "These are all the disciples you have in Three Pure Sect? I thought you were being modest earlier. Now that I witness them myself, I see that all of their aptitudes are indeed mediocre. They''re so much inferior to the disciples of our Skygale Sect."


    Second Elder gave a hollow laugh and did not reply. First Elder''s face had turned green. If not for the fact that these three came from the Violet Manor, he would have long kicked them off the platform.


    "Well, that''s not important. I''m here today just to meet a disciple of your Three Pure Sect." The red-clothed man trod upon the air, walking toward a battle platform in the distance in a casual manner. The crowd below him was startled. He could walk in the air without even drawing support from magic treasures or Immortal''s Swords. Could he have attained the Foundation Building Realm?


    The red-clothed young man arrived on the battle platform and laughed. "Come on. I''m Xu Hao, here to fight on behalf of my Senior Brother. If I win three battles against you all today, we''ll be bringing Li Muxue back with us today." When he finished speaking, his two companions also arrived in the vicinity of the battle platform.


    Based on the rules of Cultivators'' sect over hundreds of thousands of years, a sect disciple could only marry a disciple of another sect after winning three successive battles. It would not be possible otherwise, even with the permission from their respective parents.


    Similarly, if Xiao Chen wanted to marry Huangfu Xin''er right now, he must challenge and win three battles against Skygale Sect of the Human World before he could take her away.


    Xu Hao took off the sword tied to his waist with a smile and pointed at the crowd with the sheath. "Don''t say that I''m bullying your Human World sect. If you can last ten movements against me, I''ll consider it your victory," he said, smiling.


    The crowd immediately burned with rage. Even if they were from the Violet Manor, did they have to be this condescending? In a flash, everyone''s gazes fell on Mo Yu.


    First Elder''s expression had long turned unsightly. "Mo Yu, why don''t you seek guidance from this friend from the Violet Manor?" he said in a solemn voice.


    Mo Yu wanted nothing more for these three men to take Li Muxue away but since his master had made this request of him, he had no good excuse to decline it. With a shift of his body, he reappeared on the platform.


    Second Elder frowned. "Senior Brother, will this work?"


    First Elder''s expression remained ashen as he raised a hand. "There''s no harm trying. Even though these three are in the Foundation Building Realm in the Violet Manor, the transworld seal on the Violet Manor and the Human World hasn''t completely collapsed. There are many restrictions in our world still and these three won''t be able to exercise all of their power."


    Over on the platform, Mo Yu''s robe swayed despite the fact that there was no wind. He said coldly, "I''m Mo Yu. Please guide me, Senior Brother!"


    Xu Hao cast him a sidelong glance before laughing. "You''re the Sect Leader''s disciple?"


    Mo Yu burned with fury. Being unable to become the Sect Leader''s disciple was his greatest regret. He replied solemnly, "I''m not!"


    "You''re not? If you''re not, then scram! You don''t have the right to fight me. Get the Sect Leader''s disciple to come up!"

 Chapter 42 Dragon-beheading Ar

    t


    A commotion immediately swept the crowd. The green-clothed man who came with Xu Hao frowned. "Junior Brother Xu, no matter what, this is the sect of Junior Brother Ouyang''s fiancee. Speak politely."


    Xu Hao titled his head with a smile. "It''s fine. It''s just a little sect of the Human World." He then looked at Mo Yu. "What are you doing here still? I told you to call the Sect Leader''s disciple to come up here!"


    Mo Yu clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles creaked. In his entire life, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this. With a dark expression, he said, "Why do you have so many things to say? Have you thought of how you want to die?" He began making a chant incantation and an Immortal''s Sword emitting a dense and cold radiance appeared in his hand. He promptly thrust the sword at Xu Hao.


    A gale immediately erupted. Mo Yu''s Sword Qi was exerting a great pressure but Xu Hao merely wore a cold smile. The latter lifted his hand and before the sword was even unsheathed, a stream of white light struck Mo Yu with a thump. The impact was so great that Mo Yu''s sword could not help shuddering, causing the humming sound to reverberate without an end.


    Taking advantage of all this clamor, Xiao Chen turned to Li Muxue beside him and said, "Miss Li, I''m sorry for offending you earlier. Do you know the two other people?"


    Li Muxue was watching the battle on the platform with rapt attention. When she heard his question, she turned to him and replied, "The one in green is Qianye Li, the eldest disciple of Tianyun Zi of Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor. The other one is... Ouyang Yu." Her voice turned quieter toward the end of her sentence. Evidently, she was unwilling to marry Ouyang Yu.


    Tianyun Zi? Xiao Chen fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he recalled it was the old Taoist that fought with Mu Chengxue at the Xiao Family Manor! Back then, Mu Chengxue had called him Perfected Immortal Tianyun!


    Just then, a loud noise came from the battle platform. It was the sound of Mo Yu flying out of the platform. The crowd immediately cried out in surprise and the expressions of the Elders also changed. Mo Yu did not even last five movements!


    Several disciples swiftly went up to help Mo Yu to his feet but the latter pushed them away with a flick of his sleeve. His eyes were so wide that his skin looked like they were about to crack. He forcefully swallowed the blood that was rising up his throat.


    Xu Hao laughed out loud. "That''s enough! There are still seven movements left. Hurry up and ask Sect Leader''s disciple to come out. Let''s not delay any more time!"


    He was implying that three of their disciples need only to last 10 movements against him altogether, not one disciple lasting 10 movements. Everyone glared at him in anger but if not even Mo Yu could win, wouldn''t Luo Shangyan be humiliating herself if she went up? Xu Hao could probably send her flying with a spit of his breath.


    The Elders frowned deeply. Second Elder said, "The Sect Leader''s disciple is currently not here..." Before he could finish his words, an unassuming figure flew up the platform. It was none other than Luo Shangyan.


    "The 13th Generation disciple of Three Pure Sect, Luo Shangyan! Please guide me!" Her eyes were like electric when she spoke. Her hands were pressing on the hilt of her sword. With her sleeves swaying in the wind, she looked just like a fairy of clear waters.


    Xiao Chen''s expression changed. "Senior Sister Luo!" Beside him, Xiao Han stopped him. "The five Elders are here. There won''t be any problem."


    While his words might be true, Xiao Chen was still ill at ease. Even though four out of five Elders were in the Core Forming Realm, Xu Hao was from the Violet Manor. He did not even respect the five Elders.


    Xu Hao sized up Luo Shangyan before laughing. "Yo! I didn''t expect there to be a person with such abundant Spiritual Qi in the Human World. Why don''t you also come with me after I win three battles today?"


    With an ashen expression, Luo Shangyan unsheathed the sword tied to her waist with a clanging sound. The platform immediately lit up with a green light. It was none other than the Sect Leader''s Shadow-undertaking Sword.


    Xu Hao blinked at the sword before tilting his head toward his two companions below. He said with a smile, "Senior Brother Qianye, this is the Shadow-undertaking Sword, isn''t it? I heard it can match up to Qin Xiu''s Stifled Light Sword..."


    Qianye Li frowned. "Take care!"


    Xu Hao grinned. With a lift of his sword and a thumping sound, he forced the retreat of Luo Shangyan''s oncoming sword with the impact. Luo Shangyan swiftly regained firm footing after taking several steps back and quietly invoked an incantation art.


    The blade of the Shadow-undertaking Sword trembled and a half-feet long illusion came out of the sharp end of the sword. The first illusion produced two illusions, and the two illusions produced four. In the end, there were tens of swords that nearly enveloped half of the battle platform. It was impossible to distinguish the real sword from its illusions and neither was it possible to judge the location of the sword power.


    This was precisely the essence of the Shadow-undertaking Sword. The opponent would see only sword illusions but not the source of the sword power. Even if Xu Hao''s cultivation was higher, he would still find it hard to escape the rain of swords that filled the sky.


    Below the platform, the disciples acclaimed when they saw Luo Shangyan unleashing such exquisite swordsmanship. However, Xu Hao merely chuckled and his sword was still sheathed. The crowd heard a thump and Xu Hao''s sheath accurately hit the true Shadow-undertaking Sword, returning it to Luo Shangyan''s hand.


    Xu Hao grinned. "Little beauty, I''ve already yielded to you with two movements. I can''t do so anymore." He then sent his sheath flying. With a whizzing sound, it turned into a golden light that hit Luo Shangyan on the abdomen.


    Having just suffered grievous injuries a few days ago, there was no way for Luo Shangyan to withstand this attack. She was sent flying before blood could even spray from her mouth. Xu Hao''s sheath bounced back and accurately returned to his sword.


    "Senior Sister Luo!" Xiao Chen cried out in alarm. Ignoring Xiao Han who was trying to stop him, he leaped up and caught Luo Shangyan in midair.


    Luo Shangyan''s heart meridians were damaged after getting injured several days ago and had yet to recover completely today. Coupled with the attack earlier, her heart meridians were close to cracking completely and she continued to cough up blood.


    Xiao Chen swiftly took out the healing elixirs that Mu Chengxue gave him back then from his chest. Without caring how many elixirs he took, he stuffed them all into her mouth to help usher in True Energy into her body.


    Over on the platform, Xu Hao gave a strange laugh. "I''m sorry, little beauty. I didn''t know you''re already injured, or I wouldn''t have been so heavy-handed..."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were bloodshot as he violently whipped his head around to shoot the man on the platform a terrifying look. Luo Shangyan held tightly onto his arm. "Don''t... I''m fine." She coughed up blood again after she finished speaking.


    Fifth Elder immediately flew down from the jade platform and sealed several crucial acupoints on Luo Shangyan''s body. Cheng Ying and the others had also rushed over. Xiao Chen placed Luo Shangyan in Cheng Ying''s arms and with a shift of his body, he reappeared on the platform in what was essentially a split second.


    Except Third Elder Bai Ying, the expressions of the three remaining Elders on the jade platform changed. "Why is it him?"


    Xu Hao looked at Xiao Chen with a smile. "Are you also the Sect Leader''s disciple? Tell me your name."


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles creaked. His voice was solemn as he replied, "The Outer Disciple of Sunset Peak, Xiao Chen!"


    "Outer Disciple?" Xu Hao burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that his eyes were brimming with tears. He looked at the Elders on the jade platform and his voice was a little unclear from all his laughing. "Don''t... Don''t tell me that there''s no one else in Three Pure Sect? You''re sending even your Outer Disciple?"


    Bai Ying, who had long become irritated with this man, sneered. "Yes. Why don''t we make a bet? If you can win the Outer Disciple of Three Pure Sect today, I''ll carry your chamber pot for three months!"


    The moment these words left her mouth, everyone from Three Pure Sect was stupefied. Second Elder coughed. "Third Junior Sister, can you be a little more careful with your words? You''re still in front of so many disciples, after all."


    Xu Hao once again laughed heartily and pointed at her. "Great beauty, those are your own words. Why don''t you serve me for three months as well?"


    Instead of being furious over his impolite words, Bai Ying was all smiles. She nodded and said, "Deal. If you lose, I want you to crawl out of this place."


    "Alright! That''s a promise!" Xu Hao raised his head with a smile. He then pointed at Xiao Chen with his sheath. "There are five movements left. If you last that many movements, I''ll consider it your victory."


    "Hehe. Sure." Xiao Chen''s expression was dark as he sneered. He unsheathed the Unsullied Immortal''s Sword that Yu Yifeng gifted him. In an instant, tens of thousands of white lights rose into the air. They were so dazzling that many disciples could not even keep their eyes open.


    Below the platform, Qianye Li''s expression immediately shifted. "It''s Ranked 11th Yu''s Unsullied Sword! Why is it in his hands?!"


    Ouyang Yu''s expression changed as well. "Senior Brother, you''re saying that the sword is the Unsullied Sword belonging to the one ranked 11th on the Big Dipper List?"


    Qianye Li did not reply. He bellowed at the platform, "Be careful, Junior Brother! It''s an Unsullied Sword!"


    Xu Hao looked a little dumbfounded. He muttered, "This... This is an Unsullied Sword?" Before his voice had even faded, Xiao Chen was already swinging his sword at him. In an instant, a strong wind came from all directions. White sword light of three Chinese feet long abruptly rose from the Unsullied Sword.


    Xu Hao was so alarmed that his face lost all color. He immediately raised his sheath to resist Xiao Chen''s attack. With a thump, his sheath was cut into countless fragments. He himself could not stand recoiling from the eruption. He could not help feeling shocked. How could a man of the Human World possess such impressive power? It was undoubtedly thanks to the Unsullied Sword.


    Below the platform, the crowd''s acclaim was deafening. The eyes of several of the Elders brightened as well. Second Elder caressed his beard with his hand and nodded continuously. On the other hand, First Elder was wearing an incredibly gloomy expression. When Mo Yu heard the thunderous cheering, he only found it to be ear-piercing.


    "That''s one movement!" Xiao Chen bellowed in a solemn voice. He followed up with another sword movement, causing a storm that filled the entire sky. With a change in his expression, Xu Hao hastily performed seals and chanted incantations. The sword in his hand transformed into a stream of white radiance that whizzed as it flew toward Xiao Chen.


    The two swords collided and instantly caused a thunderous noise, so loud that the eardrums of the people below the platform nearly split. After the collision, the swords flew back to the hands of their respective owners. Xiao Chen took a step back. Since his opponent''s strength was above his, a head-on battle would spell disastrous consequences for him...


    Xu Hao narrowed his eyes. Naturally, he was able to understand the profoundness of the collision earlier. His opponent was merely borrowing the strength of his weapon and was not his rival whether it was in terms of pure power or swordsmanship. After pondering over this, Xu Hao tossed his sword high up into the sky and bellowed, "Heaven-executing Sword!" A massive sword of about ten Chinese feet made out of golden radiance abruptly appeared in midair.


    In an instant, the clouds parted and the mist scattered. The clouds within ten miles of the platform were scattered by this force.


    Qianye Li''s expression abruptly shifted. "Stop, Junior Brother!" What Xu Hao performed earlier was the most abstruse and ultimate meaning of the swordsmanship of Skygale Sect. How could Xu Hao use the swordsmanship when he was only in the initial stage of the Foundation Building Realm? Moreover, there were still restrictions on the Human World.


    Though Xu Hao heard him, he chose to ignore him. He continued to perform seals and chant incantations. The great exhaustion of his energy had turned his face deathly pale. Due to his overexertion, his body was even starting to shudder.


    With a deafening rumbling sound, the massive sword formed out of golden radiance in the midair abruptly cut down like it was cleaving heaven and earth. Even the disciples who were standing on the ground could feel the terrifying force concealed in the massive sword and their faces all paled. If this sword hit, the entire Three Pure Palace might end up getting destroyed! Was this the technique of the Cultivators'' sect of the Violet Manor...?


    The expressions of the Elders changed as well. Was this the might of Skygale Sect, known to be the strongest sect? Even their mere disciple could fully unleash such a technique? There was no such talent in their Three Pure Sect.


    In their opinion, even a cultivator in the Foundation Building Realm would find it difficult to withstand such a terrifying force, never mind Xiao Chen who was still in the Qi Refining Realm. Second Elder was about to fly over at once when Bai Ying stopped him, her eyes focused on Xiao Chen. "I believe in him."


    When the massive sword was only several tens of Chinese feet away from the ground amid the whistling gale, several of the large trees in the vicinity of the battle platform ruptured after failing to withstand this great force. Their branches and leaves flew wildly in the air.


    The strong and ferocious sword power nearly caused Xiao Chen breathing difficulties. Suddenly, he leaped with his body emitting countless white rays of light and stood still in midair like he was an immortal. The Unsullied Sword swiftly spun around him and eventually transformed into sword radiance of seven different colors. Together, they pierced the sky.


    "Dragon-beheading Art!" Following his roar, the seven sword radiance converged in a flash and turned into a Sword Qi made of white radiance that was nearly a hundred Chinese feet long. There was no one on the ground who was not shocked. They had never seen such a technique in their entire lives. What he had performed was the Dragon-beheading Art of the Mystic Cyan Swordplay, a technique designed to behead evil ancient dragons.


    The eyes of the Elders were wide open. In fact, they were even trembling a little. That Sword Qi that spanned nearly a hundred Chinese feet long was actually even more powerful than Xu Hao''s Heaven-executing Sword. Since when did they have such a disciple under them?


    When the sword cut down, it was like a sword that pierced through a halo. Its Qi was vast enough to shroud mountains and rivers. Even the battle platform started shaking. Qianye Li and Ouyang Yu''s expressions changed dramatically. Though they wanted to stop their companion, it was already too late.

 Chapter 43 Twig as a Sword

    Following the thunderous rumbling, two streams of Sword Qi collided and an earth-shattering power erupted. Countless cracks appeared on the battle platform in an instant, shrouding the place with smoke and dust that lingered for a long time.


    Below the platform, everyone had been shocked out of their winds for a long time. The astonishing sword had widened their horizons. It took them quite some time to recover their senses and when they did, booming acclaim resounded.


    Sweat was already dotting Second Elder''s forehead and his breathing was quickening. That peerless technique was absolutely borne out of Three Pure Sect!


    It took a long time but the smoke and dust that shrouded the platform finally dissipated. The crowd saw Xu Hao clasping his chest with one hand. Blood was flowing out of the corner of his mouth. The sword in his other hand had been snapped off.


    Xiao Chen had also made his way back onto the platform. His face was deathly pale. He had exhausted a great portion of his strength in forcefully using the abstruse Dragon-beheading Art of Mystic Cyan Sect and there was no way for him to consume Energy Pills under everyone''s watchful gaze. Fortunately, Xu Hao looked as if he had consumed nearly all of his True Energy.


    "Tell me how many movements it had been."


    His cold voice reverberated far and wide and the crowd immediately shouted, "What movements? He has already lost! There''s no need to fight anymore! Crawl out of here!"


    Xu Hao''s eyes were terrifyingly cold as he bellowed, "Shut up! Who said I lost?" He pointed his sword at Xiao Chen. "You''re just relying on your Legendary Weapon! If I have a Legendary Weapon as well, do you think you''ll be able to stand there and talk to me..."


    Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, Xiao Chen abruptly threw the Unsullied Sword in his hand at Xu Hao and said placidly, "Fine! Then I''ll lend you my sword!"


    The crowd below the platform cried out in surprise. "Junior Brother Xiao! What are you doing?! Why would you listen to a person like him?!"


    Even Bai Ying''s expression changed when she saw Xiao Chen toss his sword, but it was not because she was worried about him losing or her having to carry that man''s chamber pot for three months. Rather, since when did their Three Pure Sect had a courageous disciple like him? If she got him to join her side...


    Next to her, Second Elder coughed after seeing her lovesick expression. "Third Junior Sister! There are so many disciples watching! Can''t you restrain yourself?"


    "If I personally guide this youngster, he''ll certainly be extraordinary in the future. Then we''ll just happily decide that! We don''t have to wait for the Sect Leader to return."


    "..."


    On the platform, Xu Hao caught the Unsullied Sword and his gaze immediately turned fiery hot. He gently wiped the snow-white blade with his fingers. He did not expect that he would one day be able to grasp a Legendary Weapon.


    Thanks to Fifth Elder''s spiritual help and Xiao Chen''s elixirs, Luo Shangyan was now looking a lot better. She gently picked up the Shadow-undertaking Sword and yelled, "Take my sword, Junior Brother Xiao!"


    Xiao Chen stretched his hand. "No need!" He then leaned over and ascended in quick steps to pick up a twig. He pointed the twig at Xu Hao. "I''ll use this twig as my weapon and experience an esteemed sect''s profound movements." His deep resentment was evident while he was talking.


    The crowd was startled to see the twig that was mostly bare except for several ruined leaves. At the moment, the True Energy of both men was nearly completely exhausted and they had become no different than regular martial artists. The one holding a sharp blade was clearly at an advantage. Never mind a twig, even the Sect Leader''s Shadow-undertaking Sword was worthless in front of the Unsullied Sword. Just what exactly was Xiao Chen trying to do?


    Rather than getting angry, Xu Hao was smiling instead. He bellowed, "Sounds good. You''re the one who''s digging your own grave!" He thrust the sword at Xiao Chen, producing layers upon layers of sword shadows that made it difficult for others to distinguish between the real thing from the illusions.


    It took Xiao Chen just one glance to detect the source of the sword power. With a single step, he thrust the twig at the blade in an unassuming manner. Immediately, a gentle power was transplanted onto Xu Hao''s wrist and he felt a numbing sensation throughout his arm. Just as he was about to invert the blade and cut off Xiao Chen''s twig, the twig swept to the side to avoid his blade and tapped on the acupoint in the center of his chest.


    The chest acupoint was one of the most important acupoints in the human body. Even though Xu Hao knew that a twig had no way of injuring him, he still instinctively jumped backward. Xiao Chen took advantage of the moment to close into him and hit him on the shoulder with the twig.


    Xu Hao immediately swung his sword in acceptance of the battle, yet failed to anticipate that it was merely Xiao Chen''s trick. In reality, Xiao Chen aimed at his chest acupoint a second time with such great speed and nimbleness that the crowd below acclaimed.


    Even though the twig''s gentle movement appeared mediocre and powerless, it was enough to cause Xu Hao''s entire body to turn numb. He glanced at the Unsullied Sword in his hand and once again unleashed the swordsmanship of Skygale Sect.


    In a flash, the two of them had exchanged more than 10 blows. Everyone under the platform secretly sighed in admiration for Xiao Chen''s extraordinary swordsmanship as they watched the battle dumbstruck. For him to be able to battle this long with only a twig in hand meant that the outcome of this table was obvious. There was no point in battling anymore. In a flash, everyone began cheering.


    Hearing the thunderous acclaim, Xu Hao became increasingly anxious. Though his swordsmanship was no match for his two Senior Brothers, he was nevertheless using a Legendary Weapon. How was it that he could not even handle an opponent who was using only a twig? This humiliated and infuriated him. He could not help increasing the speed in which he wielded his sword but at the same time, he was also opening himself wide for attacks and lost his defense.


    Xiao Chen followed along the direction in which Xu Hao thrust the sword and the twig gently flitted across the blade to tap on Xu Hao''s wrist, transferring a secret force over. Xu Hao''s wrist numbed and the Unsullied Sword immediately flew out of his hand.


    "Oh!" Everyone under the platform cried in surprise.


    Startled, Xu Hao was about to reach out to grab the hilt of the sword when he heard a sneer. He immediately a burning sensation on his face. Xiao Chen had actually hit him on the face with the twig, leaving behind a red mark.


    "You!" Xu Hao could not restrain his anger. However, when he raised his head, he felt an itch on his neck. It was the twig restraining his movement. If the twig had been an iron sword, blood would have already gushed out of him then.


    "Good! Good! That was simply beautiful!" Unprecedented acclaim burst out of the crowd below.


    "You''re too attached to the sword in your hand. If a sword lies in your heart, even a flower or leaf could be your sword." Xiao Chen threw the twig on the floor with a sneer. Unexpectedly, the ordinary twig became embedded in the incomparably solid bluestone.


    The cheers once again drowned the sound of discussion.


    "This youngster''s aptitude is close to perfection. Once the battle is over, let''s hold the Apprenticing Ceremony..."


    "Third Junior Sister! It''s not possible for an Outer Disciple to directly become a disciple of an Elder!"


    On the platform, Xu Hao laughed weakly before turning around and slowly walked down the platform. He walked to Ouyang Yu and said softly, "I''m sorry, Senior Brother Ouyang..."


    "It''s not your fault. He''s using the Rank 11th Yi''s Unsullied Sword. Looks like he has the assistance of someone from Yuqing Sect." With a light tap with the tip of his foot, Qianye Li landed on the platform. He flashed Xiao Chen a small smile. "Your swordsmanship is exquisite indeed. I''m Qianye Li. Since I''m untalented, I wish to seek your guidance as well."


    Everyone below the platform began to protest. "The three battles are already over! Stop being shameless, you people from the Violet Manor! Don''t you find it embarrassing?!"


    Only when the protest began to weaken, did Ouyang Yu said, "It''s our loss, Senior Brother Qianye. Let''s go." He then cast a glance at Li Muxue.


    Qianye Li smiled faintly. "Are you named Xiao Chen? Very well. I forgot to tell you that you must definitely come and congratulate Junior Brother Qin and Junior Sister Huangfu during their wedding feast next year." Then, with another tap of his foot, he flew off the platform.


    Xiao Chen''s body trembled as he clenched his fist tightly. "Hehe. Wedding feast, you say? I''ll definitely be there."


    Since it was their loss, the three of them no longer had any face to stay. They immediately walked out of the public square. Just then, a cold voice resounded. "Wait."


    Qianye Li turned his head. "I wonder what other command do you have, Elder Bai?"


    Bai Ying was already on her feet above the jade and lotus flower platform. Next to him, Second Elder repeatedly tried to signal her with his eyes. "Junior Sister, sit down!"


    Ignoring him, Bai Ying said coolly, "Did you forget our bet earlier? The one who loses must crawl out of this place!"


    The several hundred disciples below were unafraid of this incident being blown out of proportions. All of them cried, "That''s right! Crawl out of this place!"


    Qianye Li''s expression darkened. "You people belong to an insignificant little sect of the Human World. Don''t think that you can act fearlessly just because you have the support of Yuqing Sect..."


    Bai Ying''s gaze turned chilly. "Is that so..." Before her voice even faded, three streams of white radiance burst forth and flew speedily. Qianye Li immediately used his kungfu to resist the attack but he was nevertheless one step too late. With three successive thumps, the three of them fell to the ground.


    Second Elder''s expression changed greatly. "Third Junior Sister! What are you doing?!"


    Bai Ying flicked her sleeves coldly. "Though my gambling disposition is bad, I detest people with gambling disposition even worse than mine!"


    The several hundred disciples below began cheering her words without thinking of the consequences. Qianye Li wore an incredibly dark expression as he sneered. "Very well, Three Pure Sect." He then picked up the two people beside him. Together, they transformed into sword radiance and pierced the air.


    Second Elder held his forehead with a terribly anxious expression on his face. "Third Junior Sister, oh Third Junior Sister! You''ve gotten into huge trouble this time!"


    Bai Ying said earnestly, "Confucius says to accept your loss if you agree to the bet. That''s the most fundamental standard for a human being. Moreover, Senior Brother Sect Leader is probably coming back soon. What''s there to be afraid of?"


    By now, Xiao Chen had already returned to Luo Shangyan''s side. Li Muxue walked over to him and said softly, "Thank you..."


    Xiao Chen chuckled but said nothing. Just as he was propping Luo Shangyan up and was about to leave, a cold voice suddenly came from the jade platform. "Wait. Who said you can leave?"

 Chapter 44 The Deposed Crown Prince

    "Wait. Who said you can leave?"


    The boisterous atmosphere immediately became frozen after the cold voice resounded. Xiao Chen looked at the jade platform and said placidly, "I wonder what command you have for me, Elder?"


    The rest had also turned their stern gazes to First Elder. He looked grave and stern. His might was on full display despite not being angry. He said coolly, "Putting aside the origin of your swordsmanship, where did your Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm cultivation come from? Speak!"


    Everyone trembled while Second Elder frowned. Sure enough, what he was most worried about previously had finally come.


    Xiao Chen replied, "I trained hard and practiced diligently. Don''t tell me that it''s wrong?"


    Discussions sprang up among the crowd. They had neglected the most important issue in this whole affair. It had not been half a year since Xiao Chen entered the sect so logically, it was impossible for him to obtain the technique for Qi Refining Realm. So where had his cultivation come from?


    First Elder sneered. "How capable! You actually learned cultivation method in secret. Do you know your crime?" He turned to look at Fourth Elder beside him. "Recite the rules of our sect!"


    Fourth Elder raised his head. "First Elder, this child is intelligent and gifted. Why don''t we just let it go..."


    Luo Shangyan gripped her hands so hard that her palms were sweating. Her complexion, which had recovered some color earlier, paled again. She suddenly fell to her knees. "I''m the one who secretly taught him the cultivation method. Please punish me..." Toward the end of her sentence, her voice became so quiet that it was almost inaudible.


    Seeing this, Xiao Chen immediately pulled her to her feet. He looked at the jade platform and said in a cold and fearless voice, "I''m the one who asked it of her. This has nothing to do with her. If you want to punish someone, just punish me!"


    Mo Yu, who was standing on the sidelines, kept laughing coldly as he watched. First Elder scoffed. "Hehe! You two are pretty capable, aren''t you? Luo Shangyan, as the Sect Leader''s disciple, you deliberately violated the rules and your crime is trifold! Since the Sect Leader isn''t here today, I''ll punish you on his behalf!"


    The crowd below the platform shuddered after hearing these words. Seeing as Xiao Chen had defeated the three men from the Violet Manor and avenged Three Pure Sect, many of them began pleading for him. "We implore you to merciful, First Elder! He''s the one who defeated the person earlier!" With one of them taking the lead, more followed suit.


    Li Muxue had also stepped out of the crowd to say, "First Elder, please consider the fact that..." Before she could finish her words, someone interrupted her.


    In the many years since First Elder took the helm of the punishments, no one had ever dared to plea for leniency in front of him. He concealed his anger at seeing so many people pleading for him to be merciful and looked coldly at Li Muxue. "Princess, we''ve already resisted Ouyang Yu on your behalf. I suppose it''s not your place to interfere in the private affairs of Three Pure Sect?"


    Everyone immediately turned to look at Li Muxue after hearing his words, all wearing looks of astonishment. Could she be a Princess of the Wang Dynasty of the Nine Provinces? Unlike small vassal countries like Qi, Yan, and Zhao, the Wang Dynasty of the Nine Provinces was the only major dynasty of the Human World.


    Li Muxue did not try to speak anymore. Just then, Bai Ying suddenly laughed. "How strict indeed! You''re always saying that the aptitude of the disciples of our Three Pure Sect is inferior to other sects, but now that we finally found a good one after much difficulty, you''re calling for blood and murder. Don''t you think you''re being a walking contradiction? Or is there something that you''re worried about?"


    Second Elder shot her a glare. "Junior Sister! Don''t talk to Senior Brother like this!"


    First Elder snorted. "What? Can he belittle the rules of the sect just because he has a great aptitude?"


    Bai Ying waved her hand. "I don''t want to argue with you. In short, don''t dream about expelling him from the sect. If worse comes to worst, I''ll accept him as my Pro-disciple. You can consider it as me passing the cultivation method to him in advance. That should be fine, right?"


    "Hehe. Third Elder, are you treating the rules of our sect as child''s play?"


    Bai Ying chuckled, "I don''t know if he has gone against the rules of the sect. I on;y know that rules are dead while humans are living. This child has an incredible aptitude. It might not necessarily be impossible for us to send him to pursue his cultivation in the Violet Manor next year."


    The moment these words left her mouth, Mo Yu''s expression changed drastically. "The list of disciples entering the Violet Manor has long been determined! I''m so close to attaining Foundation Building Realm! What do you mean, saying that you''ll send him to the Violet Manor?"


    Bai Ying cast him an indifferent glance. "Even a crown prince can be deposed. If you wish to go, then you must race ahead of him to attain the Foundation Building Realm.


    Her words were carefree and indifferent yet blue veins were protruding on Mo Yu''s face. He clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked. "Bai Ying, you better not force me..."


    "Presumptuous!" Second Elder suddenly bellowed, causing countless disciples below the platform to jump in fright. Mo Yu had actually dared to address an Elder by name.


    Bai Ying gave a cold laugh. "Force you? If you''re the one who went up for the last round, then I would''ve to carry the chamber pot for the man for three months! If worse comes to worst, I might even need to serve him!"


    Mo Yu''s knuckles creaked as he said solemnly, "Fine..." With a shift of his body, he walked out of the public square.


    By now, First Elder''s expression was so dark that it was unsightly. Bai Ying could not bring herself to bother about understanding him. She looked down and said, "From today onward, Xiao Chen is a disciple of my Full Moon Peak! Who''s unsatisfied with this can come up and talk to me!"


    No one said anything. Even though this Elder had the worst cultivation among the five, no one had actually seen her fight. They only knew that she had invented a set of cultivation methods called the "Singing of the Wind and the Moon". It was rumored to be extraordinary.


    Moreover, many people here had been bullied by Mo Yu for a long time. Now that someone who could rival him had shown up after much difficulty, they were feeling more overjoyed than unsatisfied.


    First Elder said solemnly, "Junior Sister, I don''t think it''s up to you alone to dictate what happens in Three Pure Sect?"


    Bai Ying spread out her hands. "Oh? Then we''ll decide with a vote between the Elders." She turned to look at Second Elder. "You support me, right, Senior Brother? I''ll take your silence as agreement."


    She turned to Fifth Elder. "Fifth Junior Brother, you lost our bet last time and still owe me a favor. I''ll take that you''re agreeing as well." Then, she turned to look at Luo Shangyan. "Since the Sect Leader isn''t around, Shangyan will vote in his place."


    Finally, she turned to look at First Elder. "It''s now four-against-two. Is there anything else you want to say? Nothing? Then I''ll consider that you agree as well. Five-against-one. Pass!"


    The disciples below the platform were dumbstruck. Even though she was an Elder, the saying that all women were unreasonable still rang true. When it came to a war of words, Bai Ying was undoubtedly peerless.


    "Hmph!" First Elder snorted in anger and then stormed off in a huff.


    "Tch." Bai Ying sneered. She then turned to look at Xiao Chen. "Xiao Chen, from today onward you''ve been promoted from an Outer Disciple to a disciple of my Full Moon Peak. Are you willing?"


    "I''m willing!"


    "Good. We''ll just do without the Apprenticing Ceremony and the rest since it''s so troublesome. Sigh! I''m so sleepy. I''ll go back and take a nap first." With that, Bai Ying disappeared out of sight.


    Xiao Chen was stupefied. It took him a moment before understanding that even though Bai Ying seemed eccentric, she was actually a shrewd person. During the test in the forest the last time, he had called her his master out of nowhere. He suspected that she had already found out that he had a master then. She was simply making things easier for him by forgoing the Apprenticing Ceremony.


    Xiao Chen smiled, feeling touched. To be honest, there was some similarity between her and his master in terms of their appearance. Otherwise, he would not have become so absent-minded as to call her his master. As for the Violet Manor matter that she mentioned earlier, it seemed that there was only one place on that list. He planned to ask about it next time.


    Cheng Ying walked over to him, laughing. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Xiao."


    Xiao Chen nodded with a smile. "Thank you. I''ll send Senior Sister Luo back first." He then looked at Luo Shangyan. "Senior Sister Luo, let''s go."


    The wind-swept Li Muxue looked gorgeous with her fine black hair dancing in the air. Watching their retreating figures, layers upon layers of ripples appeared in her pupils. Xiao Chen''s every expression when he used all of his strength to unleash the Dragon-beheading Art was carved deep into her mind.


    At this moment, Mo Yu stood for a long time atop the summit of a cliff. He looked dissatisfied, with an ice-cold murderous intention peeking through his pupils.


    The incident today had instilled a profound sense of defeat in him. It was not because he had lost to Xu Hao. It was only logical as Xu Hao''s cultivation was higher than his. Rather, he was dissatisfied because he had lost to Xiao Chen.


    In Three Pure Sect, he was like a prodigy and a crown prince high up on his pedestal. The disciple entering the Violet Manor had long been decided to be him. There was no suspense at all. However, Bai Ying had actually said in front of everyone that she wanted to send Xiao Chen to the Violet Manor.


    Like what she said, even a crown prince could be deposed. Right now, Mo Yu felt that he was one such deposed crown prince. It was both pitiful and pathetic. He said gloomily, "Xiao Chen, I won''t let you get what you wish..."


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Just then, a voice that carried a hint of sneering suddenly resounded from behind him.

 Chapter 45 Bai Ying

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You were still able to strut in front of him just several months ago but all you can do is use tricks behind his back..."


    Mo Yu suddenly turned around after hearing the familiar voice. His eyes turned cold. "What are you here?!"


    "I''m here to check on a stray dog, of course."


    A figure materialized out of thin air and hovered several meters away from Mo Yu. The person was clothed in black and had his face covered, concealing his looks.


    Mo Yu clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked. "Who are you referring to...?" he asked in a terrifyingly gloomy voice.


    "You, of course. Don''t you think that you''re like a stray dog right now?" the masked man replied with a faint smile.


    "You seek death!" Mo Yu abruptly invoked the True Energy within his body and threw an explosive punch at the man. The whistling of wind resounded but just as his fist was about to hit the masked man''s body, the latter suddenly disappeared into thin air. Then, in a flash, he reappeared behind Mo Yu and sent him flying with a kick.


    A loud thump reverberated in the air. Mo Yu crashed into a large stone, causing it to the shatter into pieces. He sneered and lay on the ground, not even feeling like getting back on his feet.


    "Hehe, you want me to fight me? You''re still lacking 10 years of cultivation. You''ve overestimated your capabilities." The masked man''s voice was hollow as if it had come from another domain.


    Mo Yu wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth and sneered. "It''s not up to you to teach a member of the Mo Family a lesson!"


    "Mo Family? The legends of your family have long become a part of the past. Without me, you''re just rubbish." With a flick, the masked man sent a black pill flying. It landed next to Mo Yu''s thigh. Then, with a flick of his sleeves, the masked man disappeared.


    Looking at the dark pill lying next to his thigh, Mo Yu clenched his fists even harder. Then, with a punch, he crushed the block of stone next to him into smithereens.


    When night fell, he returned to his courtyard in low spirits. In the dark of the night, a figure stood amidst the shadows. It was a green-clothed old man with a head of snow-white hair and hands clasped behind his back. Mo Yu immediately raised his head. "Grandfather! Why are you here?!"


    The green-clothed old man turned around, revealing his incredibly imposing expression. He said solemnly, "Yu''er, what''s wrong with you? Are you unable to accept such a small setback?"


    Mo Yu lowered his head, unable to express the bitterness in his heart.


    "Raise your head! Tell me! Tell me what''s your surname!" the old man suddenly bellowed in a solemn voice.


    "I''m... I''m surnamed Mo..."


    "Speak louder!"


    "I''m surnamed Mo!"


    "Very good." The old man walked over to him and pressed down on his shoulders. "Remember that before one can become strong, he''s bound to experience countless obstacles. If one can''t even overcome such insignificant setback, he''ll forever only be stuck as other people''s stepping stones! This is like every single person in the Human World!"


    The old man raised his head after speaking, looking at the mountain range that was shrouded in darkness. "Back then, our Mo Family is one of the six large ancient aristocratic families of the Violet Manor. Our ancestors had ruled over the universe. Never mind mere Core Forming Realm cultivators, cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm, Nirvana Realm, Apotheosis Realm, and Grand Completion Realm, even the legendary Immortal King, had to show some respect to our Mo Family!"


    He then exhaled a long sigh. He looked at Mo Yu and said with heartfelt emotions, "Unfortunately, our family encountered that person and ended up landing on the Human World. Our clansmen suffered great ordeals, unable to ever return to the Violet Manor. On the other hand, you''re the only one in our family to possess a complete True Dragon Bloodline! Only you have the capability to enter the Violet Manor! Only you can break that person''s control and allow our clansmen to return to the Violet Manor!"


    "I... I understand!" Mo Yu said, his fists tightly clenched.


    The old man nodded. "Your opponents shouldn''t be dwellers of the Human World, but the other five clans of the Violet Manor, especially that Su Family..." His eyes became filled with hatred when he brought this up. "With the cultivation method of our Mo Family, you''ll be able to swiftly enter the Core Forming Realm when the time reaches. Perhaps even the Nascent Soul Realm, Nirvana Realm, Apotheosis Realm, and Grand Completion Realm! When you return to the Human World again, you''ll realize that everyone here, including Bai Ying, could do nothing but look up to you!"


    Mo Yu clenched his fists tightly. "I''ll definitely not disappoint the hopes of our clansmen!" "I''ll definitely fight for the quota for the Violet Manor this time!"


    The old man nodded and said with his eyes closed, "Is that person called Xiao Chen...?" Then, he spoke as if he was muttering to himself, "Be careful of him. Of the six ancient aristocratic families, there''s a Xiao Family..."


    Mo Yu replied, "I''ve once sent someone to investigate his identity. He''s just the child of a martial arts aristocratic family, not enough to cause concern."


    The old man gave a gentle nod. "Alright. It''s getting late. I need to go back. Oh, I''ve also invited a person to come here to help you." With that, he turned around and left.


    "Invited someone to come here and help me? Who is it?"


    "You''ll find out when the time comes. I want you to also stop communicating with those people from small demonic sects, lest you taint your status." The old man then disappeared in the dark of the night.


    Three more days passed. Today, under Cheng Ying''s guidance, Xiao Chen basically toured the entire Full Moon Peak. Compared to the other main peaks, the Full Moon Peak could only be described as "disgraceful". Not only was its hall shabby and its servants pitifully few, even the mess hall had not been lit up for quite a few years. The disciples could only have their meals at the mess halls of other peaks.


    However, the one good thing about the place was how quiet and secluded it was, especially at night. The bright moon would hang overhead, so close that it almost seemed within reach. Under the moonlight, there would always be a beautiful white-clothed woman in the Full Moon Pavilion, sighing to the moon.


    Just like that, she would stand alone in the pavilion, sighing to the moon. It was a great contrast to the Bai Ying in front of everyone on any other day. Perhaps this person was her true self and she was using appearances to conceal her heart, fragileness, sorrow, uneasiness...


    ...


    Even though Xiao Chen was now an Inner Disciple, he was still more used to living in the little courtyard atop the Sunset Peak. When the three princes heard that he was promoted, they happily brought a group of "subordinates" to congratulate him. These days, even the Elders Wu, Song, and Liu treated him with deference.


    Today, when noon had just passed and the shadow of the trees was slanting, Xiao Chen changed into neat clothes. He thought to himself that he was being too impolite for not paying Bai Ying a visit even after three days had passed. After allowing Lil Ruo to neatly comb his hair, he headed for the Full Moon Peak.


    Xiao Chen could be considered as rather familiar with the terrain of the Full Moon Peak. Passing through a small palace, walking along a promenade, crossing over several flower-viewing pavilions, he finally arrived outside a small house. He knocked on the door. "I''m Disciple Xiao Chen. Are you there, Third Elder?"


    Moments later, a voice thick with sleep came from the rear of the house. "Oh, oh. Come in."


    Xiao Chen pushed the door lightly and entered the house at once. Immediately, a delicate fragrance assailed his nostrils. His heartbeat quickened and hot blood rushed to his head as he flushed with excitement...


    He saw Bai Ying reclining on a small carved couch and slowly fanning herself with a little fan. Her two snow-white thighs were on display and her slender waist could be faintly discernable, even her chest...


    I...! Even if it''s summer, you shouldn''t expose so much of yourself! Xiao Chen turned around at once and said incoherently, "I... I don''t have the intention of offending you! Please don''t blame me, Elder!"


    "Who?!" Just then, Bai Ying had fully awakened from her state of drowsiness. When she saw that it was Xiao Chen, she said unhurriedly, "I thought a wolf from the mountain had barged in..."


    While speaking, she was already walking toward him. Standing behind him, she yawned and said, "Youngster, what''s up?"


    Xiao Chen carefully turned around. The fiery emotions that he had firmly suppressed suddenly rushed to his head once again when he saw her bare feet in front of him. She had yet to pull up the lapel sliding off her left shoulder. He said awkwardly, "Can... Can you first fix your clothes, Elder? In case someone sees this and misunderstands..."


    "If there''s no desire in your heart, you bear no guilt. But in the past 10 years, no one has dared to barge into women''s rooms. Youngster, you''re quite daring, aren''t you? Who told you to come in?"


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly. "Didn''t you tell me to come in earlier, Elder?"


    Bai Ying rubbed her temples. "Oh, is that so? Since you''ve come in, then just let it be."


    Xiao Chen glanced at the messy little room, the mirror standing on its slide on the dressing table, the small sword lying messily below the desk, as well as clothes that he was unsure if washed or unwashed thrown on the wooden bench. Where could he find a place to sit?


    Noticing him observing her room, Bai Ying immediately took a step back in retreat. "Youngster, I''m telling you not to look anymore. I don''t have any magic treasure for you. You..." Her voice turned quieter and quieter.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly, unable to find words. Was this truly one of the five Elders of Three Pure Sect? Moments later, he said, "That''s right! Third Elder..."


    Bai Ying glanced at him. "Aren''t you going to call me your master?"


    "This..." A difficult expression crossed Xiao Chen''s face. Bai Ying waved a hand. "Sigh, forget it! Us cultivators aren''t concerned about trifles." She then came closer until she was right up in front of his face. "That person must be very important to you?"


    Since things had come to this point, Xiao Chen believed that Bai Ying had long guessed the truth. It was no longer necessary to hide it from her. He heaved a sigh. "Yes. She''s the one who treats me the best in this entire world. But I don''t even know where she is right now. The only goal that keeps me alive is to find her, even if I end up with my body and soul destroyed..."


    Gradually, Xiao Chen sank into a state of deep emotions. It had been a millennium and the Immortals and Devils had long been destroyed. He still had no idea if his master was dead or alive. Everything that happened back then left not even the slightest clue. Where should he go to find her...


    "Could this be the legendary master-disciple romance? Did you fall in love with your own master? What a breach of societal norms..." Bai Ying stared fixedly at him and came a little closer.


    Xiao Chen immediately waved his hand and smiled bitterly. "That, well, you misunderstood. It''s not what you''re thinking, Elder!"


    Bai Ying came right up to him with an expression that cried "deep murderous aura". Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Tell me her name and sect. I''ll go and exterminate her now, so you can break free from your desires..."


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly but he was soon sighing. "It''s not that I''m unwilling to tell you. It''s just that there are too many complications in this matter. You won''t believe me even if I tell you."


    "Oh, is that so?" Bai Ying''s tone suddenly turned solemn, even somewhat cold. "So your goal in coming to Three Pure Sect is entering the Violet Manor?"

 Chapter 46 The Sinful Cause of your Last Life

    "So, you came to the Three Pure Sect only to go to the Violet Manor?"


    Her voice was cold. Xiao Chen trembled and raised his head, only to find Bai Ying''s cold eyes. "Sh*t. Have I said too much? She''s an elder at the least..."


    Bai Ying smiled gently. "Relax. I''m just teasing you."


    Xiao Chen let out a sigh of relief. Bai Ying turned around and looked at a big tree that stood lonely outside the window. She said, "You want to go to the Violet Manor. Mo Yu also wants to go there. But only one of you can go."


    "Only one person can go?"


    "That''s right. Seven years ago, the Sect Leader fought for this quota." Bai Ying turned and looked at him quietly, her face serious and solemn. "So, only one of you can go to the Violet Manor. If you lose the competition to him, I won''t be able to help you then."


    "Would you mind telling me something more about sending disciples to the Violet Manor?" Xiao Chen asked seriously.


    Bai Ying walked to the table, threw the jumbled clothes to her bed, looked at him and said, "Sit down. I''ll tell you about it nice and slow."


    Xiao Chen immediately sat down. Then, Bai Ying started to talk with a flow of eloquence until it was nearly dark.


    "The thing you need to know is that the Spiritual Qi in the Human World is thin and not suitable for cultivating. But, only a few people were able to go to the Violet Manor. The Three Pure Sect had been declining gradually. Although the sects in the Violet Manor were not willing to accept our disciples, we tried hard to earn some quotas. Every sect wants to send their outstanding disciples to the Violet Manor, do you know why?"


    Xiao Chen''s brow furrowed tightly. He asked, "Why?"


    Bai Ying looked at the setting sun and said, "They hope that their disciples can be powerful someday. If one of the disciples sent there reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, the sect will be dominant in the Human World. If one of them reaches the Nirvana Realm or even the Apotheosis Realm, the sect will be able to open the Transport Formation that can send all of its members to the Violet Manor. But..." She smiled bitterly at this moment.


    "But what?" Xiao Chen asked, frowning.


    Bai Ying smiled gently, sighed, and said with a sad tone, "Let''s not talk about those disciples the Three Pure Sect had sent to the Violet Manor over hundreds of years. There are countless disciples sent there by the other sects, but how many of them came back after they became powerful? They forgot who they were and where they came from. They felt embarrassed, even shamed, to say that they came from the Human World..."


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist and said, "How can they do this..."


    Bai Ying smiled and said, "Of course, few of them can reach the Nascent Soul Realm. The Violet Manor is much more ruthless than the Human World. The Foundation Building Realm cultivators are nothing but jokes in the Violet Manor because they were nothing in front of the Core Forming Realm Cultivator cultivators. As for the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, they can casually kill any low-leveled cultivators. Therefore, more than half of those disciples had already been killed in beefs and vendettas..."


    Looking at the setting sun, Xiao Chen asked, "In hundreds of years, none of them had reached the Nascent Soul Realm?"


    "There was one. Hundreds of years ago, the Seven-star Sect sent a genius to the Violet Manor. Not only had he reached the Nascent Soul Realm but also the Nirvana Realm. But, he had made too many enemies there. In the end, his soul was demolished; what''s worse, his enemy asked an Apotheosis Realm expert to directly ravage the Seven-star Sect."


    Xiao Chen was stunned. It seemed that the Violet Manor was indeed ruthless. He asked, "Then who was the one that our sect sent there?"


    Bai Ying touched her chin and thought for a while before she said, "The last time? It was about seven years ago. That one was good talented and she had reached the Foundation Building Realm in only three years after joining our sect. She should have at least reached the Core Forming Realm by now. I suppose she won''t come back to intervene this time, right...?"


    At the end of the conversation, she suddenly became very dignified and said, "No matter what, you have to work hard to earn the quota. I always feel that Mo Yu is somewhat ill-intended. You have to be careful about him."


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Got it. Many thanks, elder, for reminding me."


    Bai Ying waved her hand and turned to walk to the dresser, searching for something. She then ransacked the bed and the wardrobe before muttering. "That''s strange. I remember that I have put it here the day before yesterday. Where is it now..."


    Finally, she found several neatly stacked books under a pile of messy clothes. She took them to Xiao Chen and said, "Here. These are the cultivation method of Lv 8, Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm and Lv 1 Foundation Building Realm. Besides, this is the exclusive cultivation method that I created. Take them back and read them carefully."


    Xiao Chen was a bit touched while holding the books. He raised his head and smiled, saying, "Many thanks. If I find my master and get her approval, I will definitely come back and call you master in front of you."


    "Good luck then." Bai Ying said with a smile.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. Although she looked like his master, they were completely different. His master always looked cold and stern, while the Third Elder was easier to approach.


    Bai Ying noticed that Xiao Chen was looking at her like an idiot. She got close to him and said, "What, have you just thought it through? That you won''t go find your master and stay with me forever?"


    "Emm... I still have some work to do. I''m leaving now."


    Looking at his back, Bai Ying shook her head and said, "Running away like a dog. Am I really not as good as your master? Hehe..."


    A few moments later, the Second Elder''s voice rose outside her room. "Alas, Junior Sister..."


    "Sh*t." Bai Ying frowned and said, "Uhh, Senior Brother, I''m busy cultivating now. We should talk tomorrow..."


    "Alas. Come out. I''m not here to denounce you."


    Bai Ying walked out after hearing this. The Second Elder glanced at her room and sighed, "Alas. Can''t you just clean up your room?"


    Bai Ying stretched herself and said, "I''ve been sorting out cultivation methods for that kid. I have no strength to clean the room. But you know what, he didn''t even want to call me master. Alas..."


    The Second Elder gently eyed her and said, "All right, all right. I''m here for business."


    "What business? Is Yan Li so angry at me that he got sick lying on the bed?"


    "Ahem. The things happened in your dream. I''ve worked it out."


    "You''ve worked it out?" Bai Ying immediately turned serious as her face became slightly pale. She murmured, "That nightmare has been troubling me since 16 years ago. In recent years, it almost stopped haunting me. But several months ago, it came back again. Especially these days, as soon as I closed my eyes, it..."


    "I don''t know where it was in the dream. I just saw the hall collapsing, the peaks breaking down, and blood flowing like a river. A black gas shrouded that man who killed everyone on sight. In the end, he called me master. It''s so horrible..."


    Bai Ying turned pale and started to speak incoherently. The Second Elder sighed and said, "I''m afraid it''s because of... The Sinful Cause you had in your last life!"

 Chapter 47 A Day with Junior Sister

    It was already dusk when Xiao Chen returned to Sunset Peak with the books in his hands. As usual, Lil Ruo had already cooked a table of dishes for him. After dinner, Xiao Chen started to study the cultivation methods in his room.


    Having studied all night, Xiao Chen had to admit that the cultivation methods in this world were good in their own ways. For example, there were five elements in the Immortal''s magic. The wood and water magic were mainly healing magic; the fire and metal magic were mainly attacking magic; the wood magic was mainly defensive magic. Except for the five elements, there were also wind magic, thunder magic, ice magic, etc. There was even dark magic which was mostly practiced by Devils'' sects.


    However, to cultivators, the ultimate goal of practicing all these various cultivation methods was the same¡ªto achieve immortality and become an Immortal King or Devil Lord. This goal was no different than that of thousands of years ago.


    Closing the book, Xiao Chen took a deep breath. The higher the cultivation level, the more difficult the cultivation method was. He could not comprehend the method in a short time, so it was now hard to improve his cultivation level. He had to ask for Bai Ying''s advice sometime.


    He looked at the blue sky through the window and took a short break. When the day turned completely bright, he rode on the sword and flew to the Black Dragon Peak where Luo Shangyan lived.


    Luo Shangyan was expert at healing magic, plus the elders had been healing him with their energies, Xiao Chen almost recovered. Luo Shangyan told him that he did not need to worry about his injuries. Xiao Chen then went to the Star-picking Peak.


    The library of the Three Pure Sect was located on the Star-picking Peak, where the Second Elder usually cultivated. He had more disciples than Bai Ying. Xiao Chen was not in a hurry to cultivate but eager to know what happened thousands of years ago. Since he was now an Inner Disciple, he naturally needed to have a look in the library.


    He had gone through countless historical records in the Xiao Family, but the history the records covered was short and few of them were about cultivators. The most important thing was that the Xiao Family had only a history of 1,000 years. Someone called Xiao Ning established the Xiao Family. There were few records concerning Xiao Ning, and none had recorded where Xiao Ning ended up in.


    The library of the Three Pure Sect was only open to Inner Disciples. The doorkeeper was an old man in purple. Some deep and shallow wrinkles crawled on his face like withered vines, and his eyes were deeply sunken in their sockets like that of zombies. He looked somewhat frightening.


    Many female disciples did not dare to read books here. They normally borrowed books and left without asking anything. Xiao Chen walked to the old man, saluted respectfully and said with a smile, "Greetings, elder. I''m a disciple from the Moon-watch Peak."


    It was just a matter of manner to address him as "elder". In fact, the disciples all knew that in a small place like the Three Pure Sect, the highest cultivation of those elders was just the Foundation Building Realm; some elders had not even reached the Foundation Building Realm.


    The old man in purple looked up at him, waved and said, "Go on."


    Xiao Chen nodded, smiled and walked inside. Before he went further, the elder said, "Wait!"


    Xiao Chen turned around and said respectfully, "Elder, is there anything else?"


    The old man looked at him for a long time before shaking his hand and said, "Nothing. If you are looking for historical records, they are on the third right shelf at the end of the path. Don''t mess up the other books."


    Xiao Chen was a bit stunned. "How does he know what I''m looking for?" He smiled and replied. "Many thanks, elder." He then walked inside.


    The library was huge. The bookshelves were arranged neatly and this place looked like a maze. There is a lighting formation in each area, so it was not dark inside. Also, there were sandalwood desks and chairs for disciples to read books here.


    According to the instruction of the old man in purple, Xiao Chen found the area where historical records were kept. He saw a dozen smiling youths around the desk in the corner.


    "Junior Sister Li, I know a lot about history. Just ask me if you have any question. Why are you reading alone?"


    "Junior Sister Li, he''s lying. I''m expert at ancient language. There are no ancient characters that I cannot understand."


    A girl in a white dress was sitting at the desk. It was Li Muxue. In order to read clearly, she kept her hair on the back of her ear, which made her look more charming. To those "kind helps" from the others, she just smiled back and then continued to read the book in her hand.


    Xiao Chen did not know that she also liked to study history. He went over and said, "Miss Li."


    Li Muxue looked up and smiled, revealing two pear-like dimples and saying, "Mr. Xiao."


    Xiao Chen glanced at the book in her hand and read. "2,300 years B.C. It doesn''t come to me that Miss Li is also interested in history."


    Li Muxue smiled with a slight blush on her face, saying, "Yes. However, the characters in the book are too difficult for me to understand. Can you help me?"


    "Sure." Xiao Chen smiled gently and sat beside her. The characters were derived from the common characters in his last life, so he could understand them more or less.


    "Alas, Junior Brother Xiao is here. We''re done here. Let''s go." A dozen youths left dejectedly.


    In Xiao Chen''s last life, people used Immortal Century to number the years. Nowadays, people used Open Century to number the years. It was now more than 2,000 years in the Open Century, but the historical records here regarding the earliest times were about 4,000 years before Open Century. Therefore, this world had about 7,000 years of history.


    Xiao Chen could not help feeling emotional. Waking up from a dream, he saw 7,000 years pass. It should be the last years of the Immortal Century in about 5,000 years before Open Century. Unfortunately, there was no record here regarding that period of time.


    "Miss Li, have you seen some historical records regarding 5,000 years before Open Century?"


    Li Muxue shook her head and said, "No. I can hardly understand the characters used in 4,000 years before Open Century. How are you also interested in such ancient histories?"


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. How should he explain? Should he say that he came from that era?


    By noon, the two people left the library for launch in the mess hall. Many male disciples looked at the back of them and felt chagrined, saying, "Damn. My Junior Sister Li is brought away by someone just like this. He just can read some ancient characters..."


    The two youths chattered and smiled on their way. They were not that restrained as before. Li Muxue smiled and said, "Brother Xiao, thank you for helping me translating those characters. You can call me Muxue now. Miss Li is too awkward."


    Xiao Chen smiled, saying, "Sure thing."


    Near the mess hall, many male disciples outside looked shocked upon seeing them walking here together. "What the hell? Why isn''t Junior Sister Li alone today?"


    On the Star-picking Peak, Li Muxue was a goddess to countless male disciples. People had so many dreams about her. She was almost like a campus belle thousands of years later?


    A male disciple holding a bouquet of flowers looked blankly at the two youths as they walked into the mess hall. A gentle breeze came to him. Listen, something broke.


    The mess hall on the Star-picking Peak was more generous than that on the Sunset Peak. The shredded potato did not sell by pieces, and boiled sweet potato was worth only one tael of silver. The most important thing was that strange dishes such as Fried Loquats did not exist here.


    They randomly took their seats as all kinds of eyes fell on them.


    "Holy...! How can Junior Sister Li have lunch with that ugly guy?!"


    "Come on! He''s way more handsome than you. The thing is that he''s an expert." A junior sister placed her head on her hands and said like a fangirl.


    "Hmph, don''t you act like a fangirl. Just think how much weight you''ve gained recently."


    "Zhang Cuihua! Our friendship is done!"


    "Junior Sister Li, don''t be fooled by those playboys who look nice on the outside but are filthy, dirty, mean, despicable, and obscene on the inside..."


    Facing the strange eyes and comments from around, Xiao Chen felt uncomfortable all over. Was this the price of dinning with Li Muxue?


    At this point, a voice as clear as a silver bell rose from the outside. "Strange. I don''t know what my cousin is up to these days. I haven''t seen him in the Spiritual Qi Valley lately..."


    "I think he''s dating with someone..."


    Xiao Chen lowered his head and said, "Damn. The Ghoulish Woman is here. Just pretend you saw nothing. Eat your dishes."


    "Are you talking about me, Xiao Chen?"


    With a gust of evil wind, Shangguan Yan instantly appeared behind him.


    "Hi, Miss Shangguan. What a coincidence!"


    "No, it''s not a coincidence." After saying so, Shangguan Yan noticed Li Muxue and her mouth suddenly opened wide. "How can you two be together? Are you..." Her index fingers poked at each other as she smiled wickedly.


    Li Muxue''s face flushed as she turned her head away, saying, "Sister Shangguan, stop talking nonsense..."


    "Humph! I knew it! Cousin, you must give me an explanation. Why are you two together? No wonder I can''t see you these days!" Xiao Wan''er also came here, stood akimbo and said angrily.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and said, "Uhh. Don''t get this wrong. This morning, Muxue and I were..."


    "Humph! What did you just call her? And you said it''s just a misunderstanding? You''re such a playboy. How can you forget Huangfu Xin''er so soon!"


    Xiao Han shook his head and sighed. He said to the waiter, "Give me a boiled radish, and no hollow radish."


    "It''s not like that, sister. Let me explain."


    Xiao Wan''er crossed her arms and raised her head, saying, "Don''t explain to me. Explain to Senior Sister Luo!"


    "What! That kid dares to cheat on Junior Sister Li..." Countless cold eyes immediately fell on him.


    Xiao Chen was feeling confused and desperate. He smiled bitterly and looked at Li Muxue, asking, "Have you finished your meal?"


    "Yes!" Li Muxue nodded. Her flushed cheeks looked like two pieces of red clouds.


    "Let''s go then."


    "Damn you, kid! Stop! Don''t go!"


    After 30 minutes, the two youths finally left that gossipy place. Xiao Chen leaned against a big tree as he let out a long sigh. Li Muxue''s face was still red. She looked at him and said, "Uhh... I''m sorry, brother Xiao. Are you going to the library later?"


    "Yes!" Xiao Chen thought that there were still so many things he needed to figure out, even though there were no records regarding his last life. Many things had happened in recent years. Especially a thousand years ago, the Barrier between the Violet Manor and the Human World once collapsed, leading to extreme chaos on both sides, which took cultivators a hundred years to completely repair the Barrier.


    Although this seemed irrelevant to what happened in his last life, still, there might be some faint connection between them.


    They went to the library again. Xiao Chen found some records about the six ancient families in the Violet Manor and the five ancient sects, which made his eyebrows furrowing tighter because he saw "Xiao" in the six ancient families.


    "Ah! Brother Xiao, look!" Li Muxue pointed at a page and exclaimed.

 Chapter 48 South King

    Xiao Chen immediately took over the historical record in her hand and looked at them carefully. This record regarding the history 1,000 years ago was written in common language.


    "A member of the Xiao Family colluded with the Devils and betrayed the Xiao Family, which made the Five Major Sects hunt him down. In the end, he and a miss from the Su Family went missing..."


    Xiao Chen''s hands shook slightly while reading the words in a low voice. This was the historical record of 1,000 years ago when the Xiao Family in the Human World was established. Were there some connections?


    Li Muxue noticed that his face turned a bit pale and asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. Things were getting complicated when he knew that a miss from the Su Family was gone missing. It seemed that the Su Family was one of the Six Ancient Families in the Violet Manor. A thousand-year ancestral discipline of the Xiao Family forbade associations with members of the Su Family. Were there some connections?


    He took out the Well-being Talisman that Xiao Yifan gave him when he took off from the Xiao Family. A fragment of the Samsara Jade was kept in the talisman. The Samsara Jade was now the heirloom of the Xiao Family, but it was Xiao Chen''s ornament back then and his master kept his Soul in it. Why was it now an heirloom of the Xiao Family?


    The only reason he could come across was Xiao Ning!


    If Xiao Chen was right, Xiao Ning was the traitor the record mentioned, who established the Xiao Family in the Human World and passed on the Samsara Jade to the day Xiao Chen woke up!


    This issue now became an infinite fog. Xiao Chen just felt that things were really getting complicated. "Who made this plan 1,000 years ago? Did that man do this only to bring me to life? It must be none other than my master. But where is my master exactly?"


    As vast as it was, the world was just a chessboard, and us minor mortals were nothing but chess pieces.


    No matter what, Xiao Chen was now more certain that his master was alive and lived in a place he was not yet able to reach.


    In a word, Xiao Chen now had hope. What he needed to do now was to become stronger and stronger. One day, he would find his master and solve all these mysteries which might be unbearable and he could never imagine.


    "Brother Xiao, look. What is this painting about?"


    When he was lost in thoughts, Li Muxue suddenly interrupted him.


    Xiao Chen took the book she handed over. This was an ancient book of rubbings at least 5,000 years ago. The characters on it were derived from those of the Immortal Century and Xiao Chen could only understand a little part of them. However, there were six paintings of totems, and he was familiar with one of them. It seemed that he had seen it somewhere, and there was a "Su" written under the totem.


    "Chen''er, if you have troubles with some seniors in the future, just show this thing to them." The badge his mother gave him suddenly came across his mind!


    Quickly, he took out the badge and checked the patterns on both the badge and the painting. They were exactly identical.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen was extremely shocked. No wonder his mother had tried to prevent him from cultivating; no wonder she did not look older in a dozen years; no wonder his grandfather treated her kindly. Was she really a member of the Su Family, one of the ancient families in the Violet Manor? Why did she come to the Human World?


    "Hm? Brother Xiao, why is the pattern on your badge identical to that on the book?"


    "I don''t know." Xiao Chen shook his head and tucked the badge. He could only ask about this issue when he returned to the Xiao Family.


    As dusk approached, the library was about to close. The two youths walked out of the library. When they passed by the guard, an old man in purple, Li Muxue greeted him kindly, "Grandpa Zi Mo, we''re leaving."


    Xiao Chen also saluted as if he was an acquaintance to the old man. The old man nodded and said, "See you, Lil Xue."


    The disciples left the library one after another. When there was no one left, the old man in purple sighed and said, "These bunch of kids. I''ve told them not to mess around in here."


    After saying so, he swung his sleeves as the bookshelves shook, and the books scattered on the floor instantly returned to where they belonged. In such a big library, the books were placed neatly as if nothing had happened.


    In the following three days, Xiao Chen came to the library every morning. Li Muxue also came. She seemed to be very interested in ancient histories and she might be in search of something.


    In these three days, the two youths had so many topics. Li Muxue also happened to be good at playing the zither, so they were getting close to each other. Xiao Chen also translated an ancient book of Water healing magic spell, and he was told the issue between her and Ouyang Yu.


    It turned out that Ouyang Yu was the son of the North-conquering General of the Dynasty of the Nine Provinces. The North-conquering General commanded a massive army, hence this was a political marriage and also Li Muxue''s fate. However, she fought for her own life and found shelter in the Three Pure Sect. She did not know if she could escape from her family again.


    At dusk, the two people left the library and walked side by side along a blossomy path, chattering and smiling. Li Muxue smiled and said with a bit blush on her face, "Brother Xiao, thank you so much for these days. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known that so many things had happened in the past thousands of years."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. He did not know why his heart stung upon seeing her. From time to time, a glamorous figure would flash in his mind after he laid his eyes on her, yet he could not clearly look at the figure''s face.


    "You''re welcome. I also wanted to know those histories."


    Li Muxue smiled gently and picked up a white flower as if she were a dancing butterfly. She looked at the flower in her hand and frowned, saying, "Unfortunately, I haven''t found the place I wanted to know from those records..."


    Xiao Chen''s face froze. "What place? Tell me."


    Li Muxue raised her head and said, "Truth is that it''s just a place frequently occurred in my dreams. Its name seems to be Mystic..." Her voice suddenly stopped, so did her feet. She looked blankly ahead.


    "Mystic what?" Xiao Chen''s brow furrowed and he looked serious. He then also looked ahead and found a dignified, middle-aged man not far away. A beautiful woman stood beside him, and the Second Elder, Xingzhen Zi, was also present.


    "A Xue..." The middle-aged man uttered Li Muxue''s nickname and looked very serious. Then, they walked toward the two youths.


    Li Muxue tightly clenched Xiao Chen''s sleeve and looked at the slowly approaching middle-aged man. "Father," she whispered before lowering her head.


    Xiao Chen was a bit shocked. It turned out that this man was her father. Judging by his dominant and extraordinary appearance, his achievement in martial arts was definitely high, and higher than Xiao Chen''s father or even Xiao Chen''s uncle Xiao Tianqi.


    The woman gave Xiao Chen a slight glance and asked, "Lil Xue, who is he?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and clasped his hands, saying, "I haven''t introduced myself yet. I''m..."


    The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop Xiao Chen and looked at Li Muxue, saying, "What now? Are you not going to come home just yet?"


    Li Muxue turned pale and said, "I..." Before she could finish, the middle-aged man swung his sleeve and said, "Although Ouyang Yu only come back to the Human World once a year, you two had an engagement."


    Li Muxue turned pale, suddenly raised her head, and said in a strong voice, "No! Am I born a chess piece of yours? If so, I don''t need a false title as ''princess''! I should be the master of my own life!"


    The middle-aged man had never seen her speaking fiercely like this, hence he looked even more terrible. He thundered, "Nonsense! Since there was history, marriages had been arranged by parents and matchmakers, and it had never been changed. You will never be able to make decisions of your own. What''s more, your marriage is the intention of His Royal Highness!"


    The Second Elder smiled and said, "All right, all right, Muxue, if you want to say something, just say it in a proper manner to the South King."


    Tears were about to burst out in her eyes. She looked sideways and said, "I will never go home! I have fallen for someone already! I will never, ever, marry Ouyang Yu!"


    A sense of anger flashed on South King''s face as he glimpsed at Xiao Chen subconsciously. He then gestured with his hand and said, "Come! Bring the princess back!"


    As his voice fell, two figures instantly flashed in front of Li Muxue and said, "Princess, please."


    Li Muxue moved her fingers and chanted spells, and an Immortal''s Sword suddenly appeared in her front. She then said in a low voice, "How dare you!"


    "Humph!" The South King snorted and said, "Lv 6 Qi Refining Realm. It seems that you''ve achieved something!" As his voice fell, the Immortal''s Sword shook and fell on the ground with a noise. Li Muxue chanted spells again and nothing worked.


    Xiao Chen bent over to pick up the sword and handed it back to Li Muxue. If he was facing members of the Skygale Sect, he could do something to stop them. However, they were her parents, hence this was not an issue he could interfere.


    When he handed the sword to Li Muxue, there was a jade note hidden in his hand. A cultivator could inject his spiritual power into a jade note, and he could instantly sense the location where it was shattered.


    He used his Divine Sense to telepathize to Li Muxue, "If something happened, crush this jade note."


    Little tricks like this could cheat the South King and the others, but not the Second Elder with Lv 3 Core Forming Realm. He shook his head and sighed, not saying anything.


    When the crew left, the beautiful woman suddenly stopped and said, "You go first. I''ve got some words to that young man." She then walked in front of Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Hello, auntie."


    The woman looked at him casually and said, "You should know who you are and who A Xue is. Therefore, I don''t want you to see each other again."


    Xiao Chen said, "Maybe there is some misunderstanding. There''s nothing between me and..."


    The women raised her hand and interrupted him. "There is no misunderstanding indeed. You should be aware that Ouyang Yu is not only the son of the North-conquering General, but also another identity that you Three Pure Sect can''t afford to mess with." She then turned and left.


    The cool wind shook the flowers and leaves.


    "You Three Pure Sect can''t afford to mess with. When did I say that I''m only a member of the Three Pure Sect?" Xiao Chen smiled and rode on his sword, flying back to the Sunset Peak.


    The next day, Xiao Chen also went to the library. When he left the library at noon, the old man in purple at the gate noticed that Li Muxue did not come and said to him, "Young man, tell you what, happiness is something that you fight by yourself..."


    Xiao Chen turned around and said with a bitter smile, "Senior Zi Mo, you''re making fun of me again."


    Through these days, he had become more and more familiar with this old man. He found that the old man was not strict at all and interested in making fun of people.


    He did not go back to the library in the afternoon. After so many days, it was time to ask Bai Ying some questions about cultivating. After all, Mo Yu was the major opponent to him.

 Chapter 49 Wisdom-Forsaking Technique

    After arriving at the Moon-watch Peak, Xiao Chen had almost searched the entire peak, including Bai Ying''s cabin and the Moon-watch Pavilion, yet he did not find her. Finally, he asked a female disciple and was told that Bai Ying left three days ago.


    "Did she say when she would come back?" Xiao Chen asked anxiously. In the entire Three Pure Sect, only she could teach him. The reason he was not in a hurry before was that he thought he could ask her any time. However, she was now gone.


    "Uh... She did not."


    "Okay then..."


    The huge peak now seemed empty. Xiao Chen sighed, walked around for a bit, and reached the Moon-watch Pavilion at the Fullmoon Cliff.


    The Moon-watch Pavilion and the Rainbow Pavilion of the Xiao Family were of the same size. The difference between the two was that the Moon-watch Pavilion stood on the edge of the cliff with nothing around, making it look pretty scary. In front of the pavilion was a spacious, empty area that was suitable for practicing swordplay. Every time the moon rose, this was the place closest to the moon.


    "Alas, why did she leave right when I need her... Where did this woman go exactly?"


    Facing the cliff, Xiao Chen sighed. All of a sudden, a cold voice rose from below, "Damn kid, which woman are you talking about?"


    "Sh*t! There''s someone down there!"


    Xiao Chen immediately went to the edge of the cliff and found a cave below. Bai Ying stood on a prominent rock in front of the cave with her dress dancing with the wind. From this angle, Xiao Chen could just shamelessly see two higher peaks on her bosom when blood rushed to his head.


    "Oh my beloved Elder, don''t take things too hard. Please don''t jump. There are so many senior brothers and sisters waiting for you to come back!"


    Bai Ying shot him a glance and said, "Kid, what''s your business here?"


    "Elder, please come up here first. I feel I''m offending you by talking to you from above..." Xiao Chen pinched his nose to prevent a nosebleed from happening.


    "You just can''t give me some break. I''m not going to commit suicide. I''m just surviving the ordeal." As she spoke, she ascended slowly.


    "Surviving the Ordeal? Elder, are you going to become an Immortal?"


    Bai Ying glared at him and then lowered her head, saying, "Senior Brother said that the inexorable fate of mine is coming, so I have to hide somewhere to survive from it..."


    "Senior Brother? Is he the Second Elder who holds an astrolabe all day and muttering things?" Xiao Chen smiled and said, "It can''t be that serious. Do you really believe that thing exists?"


    Bai Ying suddenly raised her head to look at him seriously, saying, "His astrology has always been accurate. If he said that my inexorable fate is coming, then it will come definitely. He also said that it''s an ordeal of life and death, unless..." She sighed at this.


    "Unless what?" Xiao Chen asked. He would have really bought her words if he hadn''t seen many things.


    Bai Ying shook her head and sighed. "Nevermind. Since you''ve found me, I think I can''t hide from it now. Tell me, what''s your problem?"


    "What? It''s you that made a sound to let me find you, isn''t it? And you let me find you so easily, don''t you think that you treat this issue so lightly?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Of course it''s about cultivating. Those cultivation methods that you gave me, I can''t understand some parts of them. My progress in cultivating was stuck."


    Bai Ying looked at him and said seriously, "Didn''t you find that you''ve progressed so rapidly over these months? Have you noticed that your cultivation has become unsolid?"


    Xiao Chen was shocked. That was right. In these months, he was in such a hurry to upgrade his cultivation level. He had not consolidated his cultivation before upgrading to the next level.


    It was just like building a highrise. Although the foundation on the ground was well built, the building would collapse eventually if he tried to get work done faster in the late stage. It was impossible for him to rebuild the building.


    "Moreover, you don''t have too many chances to fight. In the Three Pure Sect, any Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm cultivators had gone through hundreds of fights. But you haven''t fought once in the arena of the Cultivating Valley."


    Xiao Chen turned serious. It seemed that he did lack fighting. Last time when he fought Xu Hao, it looked easy but the truth was that he fought hard.


    "If you continue to cultivate like this, your cultivation would be more and more unsolid. You won''t stand a chance to defeat Mo Yu." Bai Ying mercilessly crushed him.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and said, "Then what now?"


    "The only way is to undo your cultivation and cultivate over again."


    "Undo my cultivation? Cultivate again? What? Are you mad? Are you joking? You must have undone your cultivation many times, hence your level is so low."


    "I''m not kidding you." Bai Ying looked very serious and said, "This is my exclusive cultivation method called ''Wisdom-forsaking Technique''."


    After saying so, she looked at a cloud in the sky and continued, "In the Foundation Building Realm, I''ve already undone my cultivation three times. Although I''m now only at Lv 8, I can defeat a Core Forming Realm cultivator. It''s a shame that Cheng Ying is a fool and refused to practice my Wisdom-forsaking Technique. Otherwise, he won''t be afraid in front of that Mo Yu."


    Xiao Chen''s mouth twitched twice. "Wisdom-forsaking. I think that you''ve just undone too much cultivation to use your mind properly. Now you just want to pull someone else into the water..."


    Although it was not impossible for her to defeat a Core Forming Realm cultivator, Xiao Chen thought this method was not reliable. It took him so many time and effort to upgrade to this level, how could he casually undo so much cultivation?


    Bai Ying frowned and said, "What, you don''t believe me?" Then, a few rows of white radiance suddenly appeared in her hands and then dashed to the major acupuncture points of her body.


    Xiao Chen was scared and jumped. "I believe you! I believe you! Elder, don''t do this! Don''t undo your cultivation in front of me!"


    A moment later, Bai Ying stopped and took a deep breath. She said, "Who told you that I''m undoing my cultivation? I''ve temporarily sealed my cultivation. I''m now only at Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm."


    Xiao Chen sensed her level and found it true. He said, "And?"


    "And? You, with Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm cultivation, will fight me. Of course, you can also use the same move that you dealt with Xu Haotian."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Humph, don''t look down on me. My cultivation is not catalyzed by taking pills like Mo Yu and the others."


    Bai Ying reached out her hand and said, "Kid, you''re confident enough. Then try me. But we will make a bet first. If you lose, you will pay for my dishes in the following months."


    Xiao Chen snorted and said, "Okay. What if you lose?"


    "Then you can do whatever you want," Bai Ying said seriously.


    "What... Take this!"


    Xiao Chen suddenly ran his True Energy as the wind blew around fiercely. Then came a dragon roar. Among all his moves, the Dragon Roar Palm was the most adept one. Two golden dragons in dozens of meters long whistled forth in an unstoppable manner, bringing a huge amount of mud to the air all along their paths.


    Bai Ying shook her head and smiled. She put two fingers together and pointed ahead, when the wind stopped instantly and the dragons disappeared. Xiao Chen''s heart sank to his feet. Although he saved 30% of his strength in case of hurting her, his move should not be shattered this easily.


    While thinking of this, he ran his True Energy again. This time, he used Gold Break, an ancient move of the Xiao Family Martial Art. His fist was shrouded by a golden radiance, and he threw himself to her like a meteor. Under the huge energy turbulence, the trees nearby kept shaking.


    Bai Ying smiled gently and said, "Interesting. Practicing both Immortal skills and Martial Arts." Then, she punched out a huge palm print in the air that blocked Xiao Chen''s fist.


    Xiao Chen suddenly felt as if he smashed against a giant mountain and could not move forward at all. His heart sank. How could he fail to break a Lv 5 cultivator''s move? While he was wondering, another wave of overwhelming strength crushed on him. He could not resist this strength and was instantly sent flying backward with a rumble.


    Falling on the ground, Xiao Chen held his chest and was about to spurt out a mouthful of blood. Bai Ying was shocked and said, "Kid, are you okay?" She then instantly moved to his side and held him.


    "Haha! Of course I''m fine!" Xiao Chen smiled wickedly and punched with both hands. In such a short distance, plus her unawareness of a sneak attack, he thought that she would be definitely unable to block this attack.


    However, Bai Ying sneered coldly and instantly moved to his back like a phantom. She then picked him up and threw him to a big tree. "Bam!" The tree was smashed from the middle.


    "Kid, you are too young to play tricks in front of me. Tell you what, I''ve undone my cultivation six times."


    Xiao Chen struggled to stand on his feet and patted off the dust on his clothes. Just now, she was indeed at Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm. But her strength and speed were way above his. It seemed that his Lv 7 cultivation was truly unsolid.


    "Elder, please accept my respect!"


    "There''s no need of courtesy. In the following three months, you will be paying for my meals." Bai Ying smiled and said. Normally, she did not smile in front of a crowd.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. It seemed that he would refine elixirs and sell them again. Her Wisdom-forsaking Technique was indeed special.


    "Elder, when will you teach me the Wisdom-forsaking Technique?" Xiao Chen had already decided to undo his cultivation. It was better than an unsolid cultivation.


    "You don''t even want to call me master. People won''t know it''s me who taught you this skill. So, why would I?" said Bai Ying seriously.


    "Well... Um... It''s not like that..." Xiao Chen said, embarrassed.


    "I am your master, so it''s on me. A disciple should not refute his master."


    "Uh, fine... When shall we start?"


    Bai Ying moved her fingers and said, "Let me count the days first."


    "What for?"


    "People pick dates to hold weddings. So I will do this too." Bai Ying said seriously and continued to move her finger, saying, "Hum... Tomorrow, I''ll have steamed crabs. The day after tomorrow, boiled prawns. Two days after tomorrow..."


    "..."


    "I''ve finished. Let''s begin seven days later."


    As a result, Xiao Chen rushed back to Sunset Peak and gave all of his pills to the three princes to sell. The next noon, he went to the mess hall on the Star-picking Peak with Bai Ying.


    "What the...! No way! This ugly guy come here with the Third Elder!"


    "Are they secretly in love with each other?! I''m going to tell the First Elder!"


    Xiao Chen silently lowered his head, pretending that he had heard nothing.


    "Lil Chen, is it that hard to have lunch with me? Don''t wear a sad face. Smile. Haha." Bai Ying placed her head on both hands and said in an amiable way.


    Xiao Chen raised his head and tried to smile, saying, "Elder, order whatever dishes you like."


    "Hum, good!" After saying so, Bai Ying waved to the window and said, "Old Liu, I want five plates of crabs, two plates of braised beef, one plate of..."


    Xiao Chen secretly raised his head to look at the price tag hanging on the wall. His heart seemed to be bleeding.


    Whispers rose from around. "What? When has the Third Elder become this rich? Did she win a bet?"


    As a result, this was what happened one hour later.


    "Third Elder, it''s 134 Spirit Stones in total. Are you paying now, or charge it to the Second Elder''s account?"


    Bai Ying wiped her mouth and gave Xiao Chen a charming smile, saying, "Good disciple, pay for your master now."


    "I... Who is your good disciple? Don''t address me casually!" Xiao Chen smiled like a gentleman and asked, "Elder, have you finished?"


    "Oh? Old Liu, I want two more plates of crabs to take away!"


    "What the...! Look what did I say..." But Xiao Chen still took out 200 Spirit Stones like a gentleman.


    Anyway, Xiao Chen had managed to live seven days of spending a huge number of Spirit Stones. Today was the day Bai Ying taught him the Wisdom-forsaking Technique. However, something happened in the Three Pure Sect.


    The disciple who was sent to the Violet Manor last time was back.

 Chapter 50 Chu Hanyan

    The Three Pure Sect had sent many disciples to the Violet Manor, yet none had ever come back. This time, that disciple''s coming back stirred the Three Pure Sect. Five major elders went to greet her, and even Outer Disciples came to the Black Dragon Peak. This felt like a celebration.


    "I heard that Senior Sister Chu had come back? She must have reached the Core Forming Realm I guess."


    "Yeah. She also had brought her fiance here. I heard that he is the young master of the Yang Family, one of the ten major families in the Violet Manor."


    "Well, that''s something!"


    People had crowded both sides of the square, waiting for her arrival. The five elders stood side by side at the entrance of the square. Except for Bai Ying, whose brow furrowed tightly, the other four elders were beaming.


    Xiao Chen stood beside her. He was the only disciple standing beside elders as if Bai Ying asked him to stand by her side.


    Soon after, under the lead of eight Inner Disciples, two people were walking slowly toward the stairs. The one on the left was a seductive and fascinating woman, while the man on the right was handsome and imposing with sharp brows and eyes.


    Many disciples in the square stared agape at them. They whispered, "Is that Senior Sister Chu? Seven years later, she now looks beautiful..."


    That woman was the Three Pure Sect disciple sent to the Violet Manor seven years ago. She was Chu Hanyan, the First Elder''s major disciple, Mo Yu''s Junior Sister, and the strongest disciple back then in the Three Pure Sect. In less than three years after joining the Three Pure Sect, she reached the Foundation Building Realm, which was a miracle in the history of the sect. Now, she was at early Core Forming Realm.


    The First Elder was overjoyed and said, "Hanyan! You''re back!"


    Chu Hanyan smiled gently and said, "Master, it''s been so many years. How are you?" While speaking, she did not even look at the other four elders.


    "I''m doing fine!" The First Elder was overjoyed beyond expectation. He then looked at the handsome man beside her and asked with a smile, "How should I address this young man?" Although he knew who this man was, he asked in courtesy.


    The man clasped his hands and smiled like a gentleman, saying, "I''m Yang Shaochen from the Yang Family. Nice to meet you, elder. I''ve engaged with Hanyan, and I come here to inform your honored sect."


    A thousand years ago, the six major ancient families in the Violet Manor had gradually become silent. Now, they basically disappeared in the Violet Manor. Now there was only the saying "ten major families". The Yang Family was one of the ten major families, and its strength was far stronger than that of the Skygale Sect.


    All disciples talked in low voices. Although a man who wanted to marry a woman from a sect must challenge the sect''s disciples and win three rounds, in front of this man, this was but a joke. This man was apparently at middle Core Forming Realm. Even the elders might not stand a chance to defeat him, not to mention the disciples.


    "Good! Good!" The First Elder laughed and said.


    Chu Hanyan looked extremely prideful. She glanced at Bai Ying and Xiao Chen, giggled and said, "Aha! The Third Elder. Is that your fiance? He looks too young for you." She then looked at Xiao Chen and said, "I wonder, which family in the Violet Manor does this young master come from? The Han Family? The Su Family? The Zuoqiu Family? Your cultivation, which level are you in the Core Forming Realm?"


    Xiao Chen felt that this woman was disgusting. He smiled and said, "I''m Xiao Chen. I am not a young master, and I''m only at Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm."


    "Hahaha. It turns out that you''re a kid..." Chu Hanyan put her hand on her mouth and chuckled.


    Bai Ying glared at Xiao Chen. "You should ignore her. Why did you tell her that you''re not?"


    Yang Shaochen was shocked. "The Xiao Family?" Chu Hanyan noticed that something happened to him and asked, "Shaochen, what''s wrong?"


    Yang Shaochen smiled and said, "No... Nothing." He glanced at Xiao Chen while speaking.


    The other elders found embarrassment in the air. The Second Elder smiled and said, "Hanyan, go to the hall and have a rest."


    The group of people then walked to the Receiving Hall on the Black Dragon Peak. The disciples were envious of Chu Hanyan. One could share the same position as an elder once came back from the Violet Manor. Now, the disciples were more eager to go to the Violet Manor.


    It was now August, the hottest season of the year. The cicadas started to sing on the branches of the trees. The temperature was rising. Due to lack of resources, it was impossible for the sect to spend countless stones to run the Cooling Formation. Chu Hanyan kept fanning her face with her hand, saying, "It''s so hot. I should''ve brought some Core Forming Realm ice formation keepers with us."


    Yang Shaochen, who stood beside her, immediately took out a folding fan and fanned it for her with a smile. Bai Ying glanced at Xiao Chen, as if she was saying, "Go get a fan and fan it for me too!"


    Xiao Chen looked at her as if he was saying, "Where can I get a fan? Besides, you can''t compare me with him. He is the young master of the Yang Family! Me? I''m just your miserable disciple!"


    Chu Hanyan noticed that they were eye-contacting. She smiled and took out a box, saying, "Third Elder, this is a Cooling Bead, collected from the East Sea. Here, take it. This Lingtai Mountain was steaming people, and the sunlight was too harmful. It will be too bad for your skin to be damaged."


    Bai Ying sneered and said, "Keep this kind of things yourself. I don''t need it."


    Chu Hanyan giggled and said, "It''s fine. Shaochen has so many of it in his home. But it''s rare in the Human World. Third Elder, you''re not young now. You should take good care of yourself. Nobody will care about you when your skin turned yellow. Hahahaha..."


    Bai Ying was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. Although she had cultivated an Immortal Body and her face would remain forever, she hated people saying she was old, not to mention that a little girl said this.


    The other elders were leading the way in front of them, and they pretended that they heard nothing. Back then, Chu Hanyan did not respect her. Now that she came back from the Violet Manor, reached the Core Forming Realm and married into a wealthy family, she was probably ignoring her.


    The group of people finally reached the hall. The First Elder immediately sent disciples to fetch Spirit Stones to set a Cooling Formation. The cooks from the other peaks had also rushed here. To welcome Chu Hanyan, the sect must serve a decent banquet.


    The Outer Disciples from the Sunset Peak were brought here by Elder Wu, Elder Song, and Elder Liu. The three princes were so excited. Prince Zhao stepped on the other two people''s shoulder and climbed on a big pagoda tree. He then shouted, "Senior Brother Xiao..."


    Xiao Chen turned his head; through the window, he saw Prince Zhao waving at him. He hurriedly winked at him to let him get down from the tree and don''t make troubles here.


    Chu Hanyan glanced outside the window and said casually, "Whose disciple behaved so poorly. What is he yelling at?"


    "Sorry. Sorry." The Fourth Elder smiled and turned his head. All of a sudden, two rows of fierce light shot at the tree. Then, three horrible shrieks rose. Prince Zhao fell off from the tree and crushed the other two people.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Three naughty boys. They totally deserved it."


    Chu Hanyan looked at the door and murmured, "Where''s Lil Yu? Why is he not here?"


    Just as her voice fell, a cheerful voice sounded outside. "Senior Sister!" Mo Yu rushed into the hall.


    Chu Hanyan immediately stood up, walked over and pressed his shoulder, saying in a delighted voice, "Lil Yu!" "It''s only been seven years. You''re now even taller than me."


    Mo Yu was overjoyed. A few days ago, Mo Yu''s grandfather said that he had invited a person to come back to help Mo Yu. Mo Yu did not expect that the person was Senior Sister Chu. He said happily, "What brings you here today?"


    "Humph, I heard that you have some enemies here. So I came back to check out who are so bold to do this." Chu Hanyan shot a cold glance to Bai Ying while speaking. She then pulled Mo Yu to Yang Shaochen and said, "Lil Yu, this is your brother-in-law."


    Mo Yu quivered slightly. This man was a few years older than him, but his cultivation was even higher than that of the First Elder. He immediately clasped his hands and said, "Brother-in-law!"


    Yang Shaochen smiled gently, stood up, and waved his hand as a brocade box appeared. "Inside this box, is the Core-forming Pill refined by my father. It''s the first time that we meet. Please take this." After saying so, he opened the box as a white, dazzling radiance burst out and a scent of elixirs pervaded the room.


    After a few moments, the white radiance dimmed, and an elixir with a faint white light lay in the box. The disciples outside were already salivating. This was a Core-forming Pill, one of the most precious elixirs!


    A Core-forming Pill was the dream of Core Forming Realm Cultivators. It was extremely hard to refine, and only a pharmacist higher than Lv 4 was able to refine it. The status of a normal Lv 4 pharmacist was higher than that of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!


    The Yang Family was indeed a big family in the Violet Manor. Countless disciples outside the hall were envious of Mo Yu. They thought that they should''ve made good acquaintance with Senior Sister Chu. Mo Yo was also shocked. A Core-forming Pill, which the elders did not have the luxury to take! The only Core-forming Pill existed in the Human World!


    Chu Hanyan poked him with her finger and said, "What are you looking at? Pay your gratitude to your brother-in-law!"


    Mo Yu finally came to his senses and said thanks.


    The First Elder stroked his beard and said, "It''s so generous of Mr. Yang. I thank you for my disciple."


    Yang Shaochen smiled like a cool breeze and said, "Elder, you are being courteous." He then took out a larger brocade box from his Divine Vessel, walked to the First Elder and said, "I''ve also prepared an insignificant gift for elder. Please don''t laugh at it."


    "Oh." Countless disciples outside all were surprised. What had he prepared for the First Elder? It must not be something ordinary. Was it a magic treasure or an elixir?


    Yang Shaochen slowly opened the brocade box, and an aura of the Immortal pervaded the hall. The First Elder could not help trembling upon seeing the thing inside the box.


    Yang Shaochen smiled and said, "This is an Immortal Glossy Ganoderma of 2,000 years. It''s just a little token to show my respect."


    While staring at the Immortal Glossy Ganoderma inside the box, the First Elder started to tremble more intensely. It was hopeless for him to join the Nascent Soul Realm since his life span was limited. But with this Immortal Glossy Ganoderma, he could live at least 100 years more. So, he would definitely reach the Nascent Soul Realm, and he would be able to live another 200 years by then.


    The Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder were also stunned. When they came to their senses, they became ecstatic at the thought of the First Elder sharing the Immortal Glossy Ganoderma with them.


    "This... This is too much. I can''t take it!" The First Elder said hurriedly.


    Yang Shaochen smiled gently and said, "I''m grateful that you had taken good care of Hanyan. So, please don''t refuse this Immortal Glossy Ganoderma. Otherwise, it''ll make me feel uncomfortable."


    A piece of Immortal Glossy Ganoderma had made everybody envious.


    Chu Hanyan slowly walked forth, smiled and said, "Master, just take it."


    "Alas... Uh... Thank you so much then, Mr. Yang."


    A moment later, Chu Hanyan smiled and said, "By the way, master, when are you sending Lil Yu to the Violet Manor? Are you still waiting for the next spring?"


    The First Elder nodded and said, "Yes. The Violet Manor only receives people in spring. Lil Yu can prepare himself nicely in these months."


    Chu Hanyan smiled and patted Mo Yu''s shoulder, saying, "Have you heard? You are the only hope of our sect. Not everyone can enter the Violet Manor. So you will work harder in these months."


    "Yes, Senior Sister!" Mo Yu was overjoyed. He glanced at Xiao Chen and Bai Ying, sneering in his heart. "Humph. You''re trying to fu*k with me? A prince is forever a prince, and a palace maid will never be able to abolish him."


    "Wait, who said that he will be the only one to be sent to the Violet Manor?" A cold voice suddenly sounded as Bai Ying stood up.

 Chapter 51 The Essence of the Wisdom-forsaking Technique

    "Who said that he will be the only one to be sent to the Violet Manor?"


    Inside and outside the hall, everyone''s eyes fell on Bai Ying, who kept calm and composed.


    The First Elder immediately thundered, "Junior Sister! A few years ago, we''ve already decided to send him to the Violet Manor. You don''t need to say anything now!"


    The Fourth Elder followed and said, "Yeah, Senior Sister. We should wait for the Sect Leader to come back and let him go fight for a name from the Daoist League of the Five Provinces. Then, we can send Xiao Chen to the Violet Manor seven years later. Xiao Chen''s natural endowments and cultivation were far behind those of Mo Yu. Surely we should send Mo Yu to the Violet Manor this time."


    "Haha." Bai Ying smiled coldly and said, "Natural endowments and cultivation? Far behind Mo Yu? Time has not come yet, why are you so sure?"


    Chu Hanyan smiled and said, "Oh? Third Elder, what do you mean then?"


    Bai Ying smiled coldly and said, "It''s always been sending the most capable one to the Violet Manor. Back then, you''ve also fought against a hundred disciples to win the name to enter the Violet Manor. Now, when it comes to Mo Yu, he can go there because of you? If words spread out, it''ll be a huge shame to us Three Pure Sect."


    Mo Yu smiled and said, "After so many words, the Third Elder is just not convinced of me. Well then, in the next spring, let''s see who is eligible to enter the Violet Manor."


    He used to be slightly worried about Xiao Chen. But now that he had the Core-forming Pill, he would definitely reach the Foundation Building Realm in a month, even Lv 3 Foundation Building Realm. Plus the help of Chu Hanyan, he was secure in the knowledge that he had strong backing.


    Chu Hanyan smiled and said, "Good. I heard that the Third Elder like to make bet with people. Why don''t we also make a bet?"


    Bai Ying smiled coldly and said, "Okay. If Xiao Chen loses, I will destroy my Spiritual Meridians and quit cultivating!"


    The Second Elder''s face changed, and he thought of the inexorable fate that he had calculated for her. He immediately shouted, "Junior Sister! Shut up!"


    Xiao Chen''s face also changed. Not just him but every disciple outside. What would happen if one destroyed his Spiritual Meridians? His face would turn old immediately and he would only have three years to live!


    Now that Mo Yu had a Core-forming Pill and Chu Hanyan''s assistance, it was very likely of him to reach middle Foundation Building Realm. Xiao Chen''s progress could never be faster than that of Mo Yu. This was a hopeless bet. Bai Ying would definitely lose!


    Chu Hanyan threw her head up and laughed. "Third Elder, you''re indeed just like people says, the one who wins and loses it all. Bravo!"


    Bai Ying smiled coldly and said, "If you lose, your name will be removed from the Three Pure Sect. Even if you can reach the Nascent Soul Realm or the Nirvana Realm, the Three Pure Sect doesn''t need someone who doesn''t even respect elders!"


    "Shut up!" This time, it was the First Elder. His robe was moving itself, which meant that he was truly angry now. After so many years, a disciple who had achieved something finally came back to the Three Pure Sect. She would definitely reach the Nascent Soul Realm or even the Nirvana Realm in the future. Moreover, she had the Yang Family on her back. How could the sect afford to offend her?


    Chu Hanyan reached out her hand and said, "Master, don''t be angry. I will make a bet with the Third Elder."


    The Fourth Elder smiled obsequiously and said, "Hanyan, don''t bother yourself arguing with the likes of her. This is a good day, let''s stop talking about her now." He then waved to the outside and said, "Somebody! Serve the dishes!"


    Bai Ying swung her sleeves and went out. Xiao Chen followed her.


    The three princes, Luo Shangyan, and Xiao Wan''er were waiting outside. Prince Zhao asked, "Brother Xiao, what happened?"


    Xiao Chen saw Bai Ying''s sullen face, shook his head to let them ask no more.


    Prince Zhao scratched his head and said after a while, "Let''s go. This wretched banquet, we don''t need this. Let''s go back to the Sunset Peak."


    After leaving the square, Bai Ying tapped her foot, ascended into the air with both hands at her back. She flew to the Moon-watch Peak with her dress dancing as if she was the real Immortal in this world.


    A moment later, Xiao Chen also returned to the Moon-watch Peak and went to the Fullmoon Cliff. This was an independent cliff where many flowering cherries stood. The pedals danced with the wind, and it looked like a realm of red in a dream.


    Bai Ying sat in the pavilion, placed her head on her hand, thinking. Xiao Chen put both hands on his back and walked slowly toward her, looking at her.


    One night, he saw Bai Ying sighing to the moon for quite a while as if there was something weighing on her mind. He did not know why she did this, and he just felt sorry for her. Maybe she was just hiding something in front of people by acting weirdly, and she refused to share what was in her mind to the others.


    Then, he should not ask about it.


    A moment later, Bai Ying raised her head and said, "Why are you not having that feast there. What are you doing in this cold place?"


    Xiao Chen just smiled and took something from his back, saying, "Look! Such a big crab. There''s also shrimps from the East Sea..." He held a big oilpaper package in one hand and two big, beautiful jars of wine in the other.


    Bai Ying snorted and said, "Good boy. Come, drink up this jar of wine with me first!" She then slapped off the seal of the jar, and her move looked like a man.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and picked up a wine jar, saying, "A toast to my master..."


    "Wait!" Bai Ying suddenly raised her head and looked at him blankly, saying, "You... What did you just call me?"


    Xiao Chen said nothing and smiled. He knew that back in the hall, she was not quarreling just to vent her spleen. She was trying to earn him a chance to enter the Violet Manor. Therefore, what did it matter if he called her "master"? If his master, Ling Yin, knew this, she would not blame him for doing this.


    "Humph! Damn kid. I heard nothing if you don''t answer me!"


    Two hours later, Xiao Chen was already drunk, and he lay on the stone table, muttering, "Master, I''ve found someone that resembled you very much..."


    Bai Ying looked at him and smiled. "If you can''t drink, don''t drink too hard. Now you''re saying things that hurt feelings."


    By four p.m., Xiao Chen finally woke up in a daze and felt headache. He had the same feeling every time after he drank, even for a cup of wine.


    "Are you awake?"


    Bai Ying stood straight on the top of the cliff with both hands on her back and her dress dancing with the wind. Xiao Chen looked in a vague vision, mumbling, "Master... Is it you?"


    Bai Ying turned around and looked at him. Xiao Chen now became fully sober and smiled awkwardly, saying, "Sorry... My fault."


    "From tomorrow, I''ll start training you. You should move to the Moon-watch Peak. Now go home and get prepared." Bai Ying swung her sleeve and flew away.


    "By the way, if you can''t ride on the sword, let Cheng Ying send you down. Don''t fell off and kill yourself before your duel with Mo Yu. That''ll be a joke."


    The sound and her figure faded away slowly. Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled before he took out the Unsullied and rode on it toward the Sunset Peak.


    Back on the Sunset Peak, Xiao Chen had many things to do. He could not bring Lil Ruo to the Moon-watch Peak, so he had to ask the three elders to take care of her. He would be undoing his cultivation for a few months, so he had to arrange everything properly. He decided to leave the Zither in the yard, so as to let Evernight take care of Lil Ruo.


    The news regarding his duel with Mo Yu six months later had spread throughout the Three Pure Sect. Everybody in the Inner and Outer Gate knew it now, that the duel would be a life and death battle.


    The moon rose to the top of the mountain in the night, and the moonlight was as clean as water, shrouding the entire Lingtai Mountain. Everything looked quite mysterious. In a yard on the Black Dragon Peak, the candlelight was still on. The two people who sat face to face were Chu Hanyan and Yang Shaochen.


    "Do you really think that there was a huge Earth Spiritual Meridian under this mountain?" Yang Shaochen looked at the beating candle fire and asked.


    Chu Hanyan nodded and said, "It can''t be wrong. Otherwise, there would not be such abundant Spiritual Qi in the Lingtai Mountain. It''s a pity that those old guys don''t know how to utilize it."


    Yang Shaochen shook his head and said, "Just now, I went down there. There were a few formidable formations of forbiddance. If I hadn''t quit in time, my body and soul would have been destroyed."


    Chu Hanyan raised her head and said, "It must be left by the Sect Leader. Zi Xu, this old Daoist really is something. We''re lucky that he''s not here."


    "Is he very strong?"


    "What do you think?" Chu Hanyan sighed suddenly.


    Yang Shaochen brow furrowed and said after a few whiles, "By the way, when I was down there, I felt that a piece of Divine Sense was locked on me. Was it your Second Martial Uncle? I don''t think that he''s able to do this."


    "It can''t be Xingzhen Zi." Speaking of this, Chu Hanyan''s face changed and she said, "Was it... Shaochen, you can leave here tomorrow. I''ll take care of this place."


    Yang Shaochen noticed her serious looks and asked no more. He said, "Well then, you take care of yourself in these months. I''ll send men to bring elixirs to you. By the way, why are you helping that Mo Yu this much? Is he really just your junior brother?"


    Chu Hanyan looked at the wick and said, "I''m afraid that you still don''t know his true identity. That Xiao Chen was just humiliating himself. As for Bai Ying, I''ve long hated her..."


    "Xiao Chen... I felt that this person is not simple." Yang Shaochen narrowed his eyes.


    "Humph. You think too much. It was true that the Xiao Family was the strongest among the six ancient families. But the true Xiao Family had long perished. The current Xiao Family in the Violet Manor is nothing but an ordinary ciltivators'' family. As for that Xiao Chen, he is nothing but a normal kid from a martial art family in this Human World."


    ...


    The next morning, after everything was ready, Xiao Chen went to the Moon-watch Peak on his sword. Bai Ying was already waiting for him on the Fullmoon Cliff. When he arrived, he was stunned to see two hill-sized black rocks there. He said in surprise, "Holy... Was there a rain of meteorites last night? Where did they come from?"


    "Your knowledge is so limited. They are two pieces of black iron ores. It took me much effort to move them here."


    "Two pieces? Two hills I reckon."


    Xiao Chen could not imagine how a delicate woman like her managed to move these two huge things here.


    "Kid, stop talking nonsense. Now, take them as Mo Yu and punch them."


    "Okay"


    Xiao Chen immediately walked to the black iron ores on the left, ran all of his True Energy, and punched out with Gold Break. With a rumble, nothing happened on the black iron ores; instead, his arm was numb under the impact.


    Bai Ying shook her head and said, "Now, do you know how weak you are?"


    "..."


    "All right. Let me introduce the Wisdom-forsaking Technique now. Know this, after you undo your cultivation, your strength will definitely surge, and you will keep doing this. It''s just like a cultivator conducting deliverance by weapons to enter the Samsara. Every time after he does this, his cultivation will definitely be stronger than that of his last life. Until one day, he breaks the limitation of life and death, and then becomes an Immortal..."


    Xiao Chen was quite confused. But he had gotten the main picture. It was just like making steel. A fine piece of steel must be refined many times. "Only she can try this kind of creative cultivation method. Did she create this method under desperation?"


    Ordinary cultivators thought that strength grew with cultivation levels, but she went into a circle at a certain level and did not stop doing this until she could not improve at that level. So, if she cultivated all the way to Core Forming Realm like this, she could defeat anyone at the same level.


    "Don''t think that it''s easy. Let me tell you, that when you are undoing your cultivation, you can''t have any sympathy. Otherwise, you will fail, which will lead you to Qi Deviation. This is the true essence of the Wisdom-forsaking Technique," said Bai Ying seriously.

 Chapter 52 The Ambush of a Powerful Enemy

    Xiao Chen was a little stunned that he wasn''t allowed to harbor feelings of regret. To be honest, he found it to be a pity to suddenly give up his skills and return to the Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm.


    "What do you think? Have you thought it through? If you''ve decided, I''ll help you undo your cultivation. Remember that you can''t harbor other thoughts, especially thoughts of regret, or both of us will be harmed."


    "Hang on, hang on! I''m still preparing!"


    Xiao Chen immediately sat down cross-legged and started taking deep breaths. He tried his best to adjust his emotions. It was just a matter of having his cultivation undone. It wasn''t like he wouldn''t regain his cultivation. Moreover, when he recovers his cultivation in the future, he would even be much stronger than he was right now. What was there to feel pity about?


    "Come on! I''m ready!"


    "Great! Here I come!" Bai Ying sat down in front of him cross-legged.


    "Hey! Why are you taking off your clothes?" Xiao Chen immediately closed his eyes.


    "Ahem, well, I must take off my clothes. I can''t have foreign objects standing in my way. You''re not allowed to open your eyes or harbor other thoughts. Do you hear me?"


    "How I can not harbor other thoughts when you''re like this?!"


    Thus, an hour later, a sweat-drenched Xiao Chen said in a small voice, "E... Elder, have you put on your clothes yet?"


    "Idiot, open your eyes and see! Since when did I take off my clothes? I was just trying to distract you earlier so you wouldn''t feel regret and render our efforts in vain."


    Xiao Chen carefully opened his eyes. Only then did he exhale a sigh of relief. "So you were tricking me. I was even so nervous for so long..."


    "Tsk, tsk. Kid, your imagination sure is wonderful. Youngsters like you... Tut, tut..."


    "Can you not behave this way?! You made me think of that!"


    "Forget it. How do you feel?"


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. His cultivation had returned to Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm, the level he was in back when Ye Shaochong''s gang bullied him. He couldn''t help smiling wryly. "I''ve spent all these months cultivating in vain."


    "Wrong! It''s definitely not in vain! Either way, train intensively for the next three months and return to Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm. From now on, you can only sleep four hours a day. I''ll supervise your training the rest of the time."


    "That''s... That''s not the case?" Xiao Chen felt as if a dark cloud was rapidly gathering rapidly overhead, but he was already stranded on a thief''s boat. What could he possibly do?


    Time passed so quickly that in a flash, it was already late autumn and everything was on the verge of death. Only the cherry blossoms on the Fullmoon Cliff were suspended in eternal springtime. Amid the rain of flowers, two sword radiance shuttled back and forth in midair.


    "Hey, master! Be careful!" Xiao Chen thrust his sword. Bai Ying chuckled as she blocked his attack horizontally while using as a twig as a sword. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen''s used too much force in his thrust. The biting cold Sword Qi snapped the twig in her hand with a creak.


    Bai Ying felt a sudden spell of dizziness. She gently closed her eyes and slowly fell down from midair. Startled, Xiao Chen made a sharp turn of his body to embrace her and slowly fall to the ground.


    "Wake up, master. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have been so heavy-handed."


    Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed as he stared quietly at the woman in his arms. He was obviously aware that the Unsullied Sword was an ancient Legendary Weapon and that her health had been so poor lately that she would often faint for no reason. Why did he still use so much force earlier?


    Sighing, he carried her inside the Moon-watch Pavilion and gently placed her on a bench.


    In the span of three months, Xiao Chen''s cultivation had returned to Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm. He undid his cultivation at Lv 5 and 6 respectively and had long crushed the two large black iron ores into smithereens.


    His current self was far superior to him at Lv 7 three months ago. He could even command the air space for a short time.


    An hour later, Bai Ying woke up with a loud scream. Xiao Chen turned and saw the cold sweat dotting her face. He walked over to her. "What''s the matter?"


    Bai Ying looked up with a deadly pale face. When she saw him approaching, she looked as if she was staring at something terrifying and retreated rapidly. "Don''t come here!"


    Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks and frowned. "Did you experience that frightening dream again?"


    It took Bai Ying a long time before she fully awakened. She murmured, "I always have a hard time opening my eyes each time I''m trapped in a nightmare. It''s like that person is in front of me. My mind is always in a disorder. I''m sorry for what I did earlier..."


    Xiao Chen went over to her and wiped the cold sweat on her forehead. "You''re tired. Let''s not practice swordsmanship today."


    Bai Ying nodded. "Come to the cave behind my house in three days. I''ve prepared some things for you. Moreover, you''ll have to start preparing to enter the Foundation Building Realm. Mo Yu is already Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm. If you''re unable to enter that realm, you''ll face great risk."


    The next day, Xiao Chen went to Fullmoon Cliff to perform sword-dance on his own for a long time. When he saw no sign of Bai Ying, he returned to Sunset Peak on his flying sword. There were few chances for him to go back ¨C it was only once a month. Naturally, Xiao Ruo couldn''t be happier to see him. When the three princes saw a sword radiance falling in his courtyard, they knew that he must have returned and also rushed over.


    The five of them talked and laughed in the courtyard. It was if they had returned to the days when they first met. When afternoon rolled around, Xiao Chen finally found some silence. He carried the Jade Zither to the small cliff outside his yard. Facing the mountains and rustling autumn, he played the zither all by himself, song after song. No one came to him.


    "To think that you have the mood to play the zither here when your decisive battle is so close at hand." Just then, a moving voice came from behind him.


    Xiao Chen found the voice to be very familiar and immediately pressed onto the string to stop the song. He turned around and said, "Muxue, why have you returned?"


    Li Muxue, still dressed in clothing whiter than snow, strolled over to him. She smiled sweetly and said, "Of course, I returned after hearing that you''re dueling someone."


    Xiao Chen felt immense joy in his heart. He got up and walked over with a smile. "This lowly commoner feels deeply honored to have the monarch come all the way here."


    Li Muxue shot him a harmless glare. "In just a short three months that we didn''t see each other, your mouth has gotten worse." She walked to the Jade Zither behind Xiao Chen. "What an unusual zither..."


    "Don''t touch that zither!"


    However, Xiao Chen had barely gotten the words out when the strings under Li Muxue''s fingers suddenly let out a resounding echo. The sound was clearly audible.


    Xiao Chen hurried over and took her hand. "Are you all right? Does it hurt?"


    Li Muxue blushed and quickly withdrew her hand. She looked up and said, "What''s the matter? This zither has a very good tone."


    Xiao Chen was surprised. Evernight once told him that there was a dense Death Qi hidden inside the zither. The Qi of the living had no way of countering it for only Death Qi could counteract Death Qi. Therefore, no one could play the zither. But why was she able to...


    While he was still engrossed in his thoughts, Li Muxue sat in front of the zither and began playing it. The sound of the zither was erratic, sounding unreal yet real at the same time. It was hard to distinguish an illusion from reality. It was like a dream, just like when Zhuang Zhou dreamed of butterflies. Zhuang Zhou didn''t know if he had dreamt he was a butterfly or he was a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling so stupefied that he got lost in his thoughts. He had always been proud of his unrivaled zither skills and didn''t wish for anyone in the world to be on par with him. The song that Li Muxue played sounded both unreal and real. He felt as if he was dreaming. He couldn''t help feeling shocked. He often dreamed of his master, Ling Yin, and the dreams had always seemed so real. Was it he who dreamed of his master or was it his master who dreamed of him?


    "You... What''s the name of this song?"


    Li Muxue smiled faintly and turned around. "Nice, isn''t it? It''s a song I learned in my dream, called ''Dreamlike Life''. Thinking about it, it''s somewhat similar to your mysterious song."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Just who was this girl...


    Suddenly, a violent formation began shaking, creating gusts of fierce winds. Then, they saw several sword radiance streaked across the sky to fly in the direction of the Black Dragon Peak at top speed. Xiao Chen''s gaze stiffened when he noticed that the sword radiance didn''t belong to the swordsmanship of the Three Pure Sect. He said solemnly, "Someone broke into the Black Dragon Peak!"


    Li Muxue also saw the sword radiance in the sky. Her expression became solemn. "Let''s go and have a look!"


    Xiao Chen immediately returned the zither to his house and the two of them set off for the Black Dragon Peak on their flying swords.


    What greeted them was the scurrying shadows atop the Black Dragon Peak. The disciples all had unsheathed their flying swords and the five Elders, except Bai Ying, were already here. Suspended in midair was a figure dressed in green as he looked down at the thousands of people below.


    The man stood upright in midair. His robe billowed on his own without the presence of any wind. It was as if all it took was one look from him to break the spirits of everyone here. He frightened countless disciples of the Three Pure Sect into silence. Even their flying sword fells to the ground under the pressure of such a strong aura.


    First Elder took a step forward. His voice subtly trembled as he said, "Perfected Immortal Yunyin, what do you mean by breaking into the Three Pure Sect today? My Senior Brother will return in a few days. If you have any business with us, please come back in a couple of days."


    The man suspended in midair flicked his sleeves coldly. "Don''t try and frighten me with Taoist Zixu. If he could return, he would''ve already! Hurry and hand over Bai Ying and the one called Xiao Chen! Or do you want me to do it myself?"


    The moment he made this remark, countless disciples standing beneath him felt that disaster was imminent. It was the result of the competition three months ago. This man was one of the four Elders of the Skygale Sect of the Human World. His cultivation was already in the Core Forming Realm, two levels higher than the cultivation of First Elder.


    There was a rule against aggression among Cultivators'' sects. One wasn''t allowed to enter another sect without authorization. However, it was only relatively speaking. The Skygale Sect was the strongest sect. Someone from the sect could enter any sect he wanted, for who would dare stop him?


    Moreover, the grand defensive formation of the Three Pure Sect was effective only against members of Devils'' sects. It was incapable of stopping Perfected Immortal Yunyin who similarly belonged to the Cultivators'' sects. Masters like him were free to come and go as they pleased.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin flicked his sleeve coldly. "I''m giving Zixu face today, but if you still don''t hand them over, I''ll definitely purge the Three Pure Sect from this world when the other three Elders of the Skygale Sect arrive!"


    The four Elders felt cold sweat drenching their backs. The man''s words were true. Without their leader, the Three Pure sect confronting the Skygale Sect would be tantamount to throwing eggs at stones.


    Standing behind Perfected Immortal Yunyin was a male and a female disciple. The two disciples wore cold smiles as they looked down at the disciples of the Three Pure Sect. It was as if they were looking down at ants. The male disciple sneered and said, "Elder Yan, I think you''d better hand them over as soon as possible lest you cause the death of all your disciples later."


    Right then, an idle voice came from outside the square. "What''s with all the noise? You''re disturbing my nap..." Bai Ying walked over, yawning.


    First Elder trembled all over and immediately glared at her. "You injured his disciple three months ago! Hurry and apologize to Perfected Immortal Yunyin!"


    Bai Ying yawned before casting an indifferent gaze upward. "Casualties are a non-factor in a duel among members of Cultivators'' sects. What''s wrong? Is the senior stepping up because the junior couldn''t win?"

 Chapter 53 Gaining the Upper Hand with a Show of Strength

    Everyone was familiar with Bai Ying''s sharp tongue. The atmosphere instantly stiffened after her words and the air seemed to have gone completely still. People couldn''t help trembling with fear after detecting the cold, murderous aura coming from Perfected Immortal Yunyin. They didn''t even dare to exhale.


    First Elder was particularly affected. He felt cold all over as if he had been thrown into an icehouse. Second Elder immediately addressed the man in midair with a smile. "Please contain your fury, Perfected Immortal. Our Junior Sister has always been this way. She has no intention of offending you." He shot Bai Ying meaningful looks as he spoke, indicating her not to annoy the man anymore.


    He might not fear Yunyin but he represented the Skygale Sect. If a fight broke out when their Sect Leader wasn''t around, their side stood no chance at all.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin scoffed. "I''m not angry! Where''s the one who wounded my Inner Disciple, Xu Hao?"


    "Here." Xiao Chen had also arrived in the square and swiftly joined Bai Ying''s side.


    "You''re Xiao Chen?" Yunyin immediately looked at him coldly. The moment their eyes met, Xiao Chen felt a sudden sharp surge of Qi and blood. He felt as if his five viscera and six bowels were close to shattering and nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Bai Ying swiftly raised her arm, using her long sleeve to block Yunyin''s line of sight. "Perfected Immortal Yunyin is also one of the Elders of the Cultivators'' sects. Don''t you found it beneath you to cast a mental attack on someone of the younger generation?"


    It took a while for Xiao Chen to recover. He couldn''t help feeling horrified. Was this the difference in their strengths? The man could easily kill him with a single look.


    By then, Luo Shangyan, Xiao Han, and the others had gathered. Mo Yu and Chu Hanyan had also appeared from the other side. Perfected Immortal Yunyi''s expression darkened as his gaze swiftly fell on Chu Hanyan, surprised that she was able to attain the Core Forming Realm at such a young age. Could Chu Hanyan be the disciple that the Three Pure Sect would send to the Violet Manor?


    The other Elders on the ground took notice as well. Chu Hanyan was perhaps the only one who could strike a little fear into Yunyin at the moment. First Elder immediately greeted her. "You''re here, Hanyan."


    Chu Hanyan nodded at him before turning to look coldly at the man in midair. "How should I address you, senior? Why did you break into the Three Pure Sect today?"


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin trembled ever so slightly, thinking she had indeed returned from the Violet Manor and that her identity wasn''t so simple. He couldn''t help feeling a little frightened. "Xiao Chen hurt my Inner Disciple. I must bring him back to my sect for a trial."


    Chu Hanyan glanced indifferently at Xiao Chen before replying coolly, "Sure. However, if you dare destroy even a stalk of a flower or a blade of grass in the Three Pure Sect today, I''ll definitely pay your sect a visit someday."


    Her words were even more dignified than First Elder and caught by Perfected Immortal Yunyin by surprise. This girl was certainly under the tutelage of someone significant in the Violet Manor. It was better for him to not provoke her. Besides, his only purpose today was to take Xiao Chen away. "I''m only here to take people away and will not damage your sect in any way."


    The moment he made this remark, all the disciples in the square were secretly relieved. Simultaneously, they gained a new-found respect for Chu Hanyan. The Skygale Sect might be able to disregard the Three Pure Sect but they had to be respectful of her.


    This was the reason why, in the past hundreds of years, the major sects had tried to send their outstanding disciples to the Violet Manor.


    Right then, the male disciple standing behind Perfected Immortal Yunyin moved forward on his flying sword. He looked at Xiao Chen. "Let''s go. If you''re innocent, we''ll send you back."


    Xiao Chen''s heart went still. These people must have discovered that he possessed twelve Spiritual Meridians. Once he went with them today, he would certainly not return.


    "Wait a minute. He''s my disciple. Who are you to take him away as you please?"


    Bai Ying looked up to shoot Perfected Immortal Yunyin an icy glare. First Elder immediately reproached her. "Silence! Didn''t you hear that he''ll be sent back as long as he''s innocent?"


    Bai Ying sneered. "Do you really think of yourself as the head of all immortals in the Human World, to break in and take away a person as you please?"


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin replied coolly, "Oh? Elder Bai, does this mean you''re unwilling to hand him over?"


    Bai Ying smiled. "I can hand him over, but only according to the rules. You can make your demand after defeating me, his master."


    A commotion instantly broke out in the square. Perfected Immortal Yunyin was already at Lv 6 Core Forming Realm, only one step away from entering the late stage of the realm. Not even First Elder had the courage to charge forward. Wouldn''t she, who was merely in the Foundation Building Realm, be digging her own grave? After all, casualties were a non-factor in a duel between members of the Cultivators'' sects.


    Second Elder''s expression changed drastically as he recalled the great calamity that he had previously deduced for her. He said hastily, "Junior Sister! You mustn''t!"


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin smiled coolly. "I''ve long heard of Elder Bai''s one-of-a-kind skills in the entire cultivation realm. This is fine, too. I''ll experience for myself Elder Bai''s invention, the Wisdom-forsaking Technique."


    He looked at the two disciples behind him. "Go down and watch carefully. Elder Bai rarely gets into duels with others. Take this opportunity to observe carefully." His words were laced with obvious sarcasm.


    "Yes! Master!" The two immediately flew to the ground on their swords and looked at Bai Ying with obvious disdain.


    Xiao Chen didn''t say much either. He was worried that the old Yinyun would take advantage of Bai Ying''s recent weakness to heavily injure her. He immediately offered her the Unsullied Sword. "Master."


    "No need. Why would I need a Legendary Weapon to deal with a scum who uses elixirs to build his cultivation?" Bai Ying pushed his sword away. Then, with a point of her toe, she flew up a big tree. When she returned, she had a twig about two-thirds of a meter long in her hand.


    Everyone below was dumbfounded. The master and disciple were truly alike. Moreover, she even called an Elder of the Cultivators'' sects a scum. She was probably the only one who would dare to say so.


    Bai Ying looked at Perfected Immortal Yunyin and saw that he was livid. She smiled and said, "Don''t misunderstand me, Perfected Immortal Yunyin. I''m not aiming at you. I mean that everyone in your Skygale Sect is a scum!"


    "You!" Perfected Immortal Yunyin suppressed his anger. He thought, "You''re merely trying to affect my mood by deliberately angering me with your words. But isn''t that too naive of you?"


    With a clanging sound, an Immortal''s Sword glowing with golden light floated in front of him. He saw that the blade and hilt of the sword were fused together and appeared to be gleaming under the sun. This was the Golden Clouds of Heaven and Earth Sword, an Upper-grade Spiritual Treasure. The sword perfectly harmonized the Origin of Heaven and Earth Arts that Yunyin cultivated and gave him a significant boost in power.


    In the battle between good and evil in Qishan that year, Perfected Immortal Yunyin swiped all of his enemies with this sword, killing countless demonic members of the Devils'' sects. That battle made him famous and lifted him to the position of an Elder of the Skygale Sect.


    Countless disciples below could feel the terrifying power of the sword. When they looked at a winding branch in Bai Ying''s hands, they couldn''t help being aghast.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin sneered. "Since you like to gamble, why don''t we make a bet today? If you win against my Golden Clouds Sword with a branch today, I''ll let you deal with me as you please..."


    Bai Ying sneered before he could even finish and pointed the branch at him. She said coolly, "You sure talk a lot! I have only this to say: If you lose, scram!"


    The disciples of the Three Pure Sect had long become familiar with her powerful aura and sharp words. Even their Sect Leader seemed to have gone into closed-door cultivation and hid for half a year because of her words.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin couldn''t be any more furious than if he tried. He said in a low voice, "So be it..."


    The other Elders frowned deeply. First Elder immediately made a magical twirl with his fingers and a massive shadow suddenly enveloped the ground. The clouds high up in the sky dispersed to reveal a floating island. It was a cloud platform created out of a formation, meant to be used for duels between people at the rank of Elders. Battles involving people in the Core Forming Realm were no ordinary battles. Once it broke out, it was likely to involve innocent people. Thus, the battle platform must be set at a high altitude.


    When Perfected Immortal Yunyin raised his head to look at the floating island, he couldn''t help hesitating. This was the Three Pure Sect. The common saying went that strong dragons were no match for local snakes, after all. What if these people join hands to attack him?


    "There''s no need to worry, Perfected Immortal. Though the Three Pure Sect is small, we wouldn''t use treacherous methods like members of the Devils'' sects," First Elder said.


    The Cultivators'' sects had always been distinct from the Devil''s Practice. Since the Three Pure Sect had given their assurance, Perfected Immortal Yunyin naturally put aside his worries. He moved his fingers to cast a spell and then flew toward the floating platform.


    With a deepening frown, Xiao Chen said in a small voice, "Can you do it? If you really can''t, I''ll just leave with them." It wasn''t that he was worried that Bai Ying couldn''t defeat the enemy. Rather, she had been in a trance lately and her health was weak. He was worried that Yunyin, the old Taoist, would take the chance to kill her.


    Bai Ying chuckled. "Just watch, boy, lest you don''t accept the greatness of my Wisdom-forsaking Technique." She made a little tap with her toe and leaped up to the floating platform in the sky.


    Xiao Chen clutched his fingers. His eyebrows were so tightly knitted that a drop of cold sweat appeared. A terrible sense of foreboding lingered in his mind. He looked at Mo Yu and Chu Hanyan, who stood at a distance. Both wore indifferent expressions.


    Second Elder, Xingzhen Xi, had already placed a Mirrored Grand Formation near the floating platform. The formation would clearly reflect the movements of the two people in the vision of everyone below.


    Bai Ying stood beautifully amid the wind, with the branch in her hand pointed at the ground. There was no emotion on her face. With her fluttering clothing, she looked a fairy of the mirrored lake.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin looked solemn, worrying over why his opponent appeared so confident and composed. Could it be that her companions would cause trouble later? He couldn''t help feeling a little regretful at this moment. They were currently above Lingtai Mountain. He shouldn''t have acted so rashly. He should''ve gone outside of the mountain for the match but he was too ashamed to bring that up now.


    "Are you ready?!" Bai Ying suddenly bellowed.


    Her voice nearly startled Perfected Immortal Yunyin, who swiftly recovered his senses. He couldn''t help feeling a twinge in his heart. Why was this person still so calm in the face of an opponent in the Core Forming Realm? Could she be hiding her strength all along and that she was already in the late stage of the Core Forming Realm?


    The more he thought about it, the more chaotic his mind became. He continued to move his fingers to cast spells. His Golden Clouds Sword emitted a cry and instantly transformed into a long golden light that charged at his opponent. All of a sudden, a strong gust of wind swept the floating platform and Sword Qi stormed the area. The clouds within a few miles of the platform scattered in an instant.


    The overwhelming might of the Core Forming Realm excited the disciples below. A realm-transcending challenge was something that they wouldn''t even dare to dream about. In a flash, they broke into enthusiastic discussions.


    "Is it finally beginning? No doubt he''s an Elder of the Skygale Sect! That attack alone is enough to surpass a great number of people!"


    "There''s no way that Elder Bai could withstand that attack, right? Will the outcome be decided with a single move? Sure enough, the Core Forming Realm and the Foundation Building Realm can''t be discussed in the same breath."

 Chapter 54 Heavenly Punishment Sword

    Over on the floating platform, Bai Ying sneered in the face of a sudden attack of sword might. A burst of True Energy flowed from her palm into the tree branch, immediately enveloping the latter in a soft white light. Her torso plunged forward. Not only did she not dodge this sharp, severe Sword Qi, but she even charged straight at it.


    Underneath the platform, everyone gasped when they saw her employing such a suicidal battle strategy. Even the expression of Perfected Immortal Yunyin, whose victory was well within grasp, faltered. He wondered if she was hiding some kind of treasure. Why would she dare to use a piece of rotten wood to fight against his Golden Clouds of Heaven and Earth Sword?


    The collision of the branch with the Golden Clouds Sword produced tens of thousands of green specks of light, as if dead trees had encountered springtime. The specks of light scattered, eliciting exclamations from the disciples below. "I''ve never seen Elder Bai fight! So she''s an expert of wood-related magic spells!"


    Bai Ying bent the branch ever so slightly and borrowed the rebound force to fly backward. The specks of green light floating in the air converged and formed Sword Qi that blasted at Perfected Immortal Yunyin.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin couldn''t help feeling a jolt of shock. He never thought that she would so easily nullify his blow and even use her own strength to launch a counterattack. He ducked frantically, habitually looking around him as he did so. He was quite a sorry sight at the moment.


    Though he saw only a vast expanse of white clouds, he knew perfectly well that the people below could clearly see what had happened on the platform. He couldn''t help frowning. It seemed that this woman wasn''t as easy to deal with as rumored.


    Considering this, he once again cast a spell. The clouds all around abruptly rolled, every piece of cloud turning into a tangible-looking flying sword. In a flash, hundreds of them were pointed to Bai Ying.


    "He produced swords out of Qi!"


    "My God! He was able to produce so many swords at once!"


    Below the platform, exclamations resounded continuously. The capability to produce a sword out of Qi was a mark of a person who had entered the Core Forming Realm. First Elder frowned. Even he could only produce between thirty to fifty swords out of Qi at a time. Yunyin''s expertise with magic skills was, as expected, above his own.


    "Heh. What''s the use of having so many swords? It just looks good, at best," Bai Ying mercilessly retorted while gripping the tree branch.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin sneered. "Fine. Go ahead and try them then!" He launched the hundreds of swords at her.


    The hundreds of Sword Qi crisscrossed as they rained down, leaving no room for her to dodge. A storm of clouds and winds gathered high up in the sky, nearly completely obscuring the view of those below. Even so, they could feel the power of the terrifying Sword Qi as it wreaked havoc on the floating platform.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin continued to wear a mocking smile on his face. "Bai Ying, oh, Bai YIng. You dug your own grave. I might not have perfected my Ten Thousand Loops sword tactic the way my Senior Brothers did but how could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator like you escape with your life?"


    Moments later, the killing vortex of the Sword Qi finally came to an end. A cold voice hidden behind the clouds and mist could be heard saying, "I said, what''s the use of having so many swords? It''s all show and no substance."


    When the clouds dispersed, they saw Bai Ying standing in her pristine white clothing, untouched even by fine dust. Countless green leaves swirled around her. The dense Sword Qi earlier didn''t even touch a single corner of her clothing.


    "What? How can she be completely intact?!"


    Numerous disciples under the platform were stunned. Chu Hanyan narrowed her eyes and thought to herself, "Sure enough, this woman has true skills." She looked at Mo Yu who stood beside her and frowned out of worry.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s face was full of horror. "No! Impossible! There''s no way you''re left completely intact! Just what kind of tricks did you people use on this floating platform?!" His eyes were full of cold fury.


    "With your Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivation, how could you not tell if we''ve done something to the platform?" Bai Ying replied placidly, branch still within grasp.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s expression darkened. Truth to be told, he had carefully examined the platform and realized there was no chance for anyone to tamper with it. However, she was a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator. How could she block his sword tactic?


    "I don''t believe it!"


    With a bellow from Perfected Immortal Yunyin, the overlapping Sword Qi rose again. This time, it carried an even greater momentum, calling forth a storm on the platform. Nearby, an electric arc fell from amidst the clouds. He had unexpectedly added a lightning-related magic spell to the foundation of the Sword Qi attack.


    In just half an hour, Perfected Immortal Yunyin had used all the magic skills in his arsenal but none of his attacks could even touch a strand of hair on Bai Ying''s head. She could transform like a supernatural being and divide into multiple beings. Her true power was immeasurable. Could this be her rumored creation, "Singing of the Wind and the Moon"?


    The Three Pure Sect disciples below were dumbfounded. Their impression of Third Elder had always been that of a lackadaisical person who was all talk and no action. This time, their impression of her had completely renewed.


    Just now, the woman floating like a deity on the floating platform came and went like the wind. She was untouchable like the reflection of the moon on the water.


    "She defeated even the Sect Leader during our inter-sect competition all those years ago. No one could break her Singing of the Wind and the Moon skill." Second Elder stroke his beard as he shook his head with a wry smile.


    Xiao Chen was so stupefied that he fell into a trance. "Why does her Singing of the Moon and the Wind skill look so similar to master''s Immortal-override Steps?"


    Up on the floating platform, Perfected Immortal Yunyin was panting evidently due to the excessive consumption of his True Energy. Now, even commanding his flying sword felt like a challenge. On the contrary, Bai Ying who stood before him looked calm and composed as if nothing had happened.


    "The True Qi reserves of a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator like you can''t even rival the reserves of a Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator like me! Hehe!"


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin raised his head and said bitterly, "You''re merely relying on your wood-related magic spell to recover your True Energy. What do you have to be proud of?"


    "Hehe! It''s no big deal to defeat a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator who relies on elixirs. I''ll even feel ashamed if this is publicized."


    Bai Ying made a casual wave with her hand as she spoke, infuriating Perfected Immortal Yunyin. She was obviously a mere Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator while he was obviously a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator. Though he didn''t have much combat experience, how could he fail to take down a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator?


    Impossible!


    All of a sudden, the clouds above the floating platform underwent a drastic transformation to swirl around the platform. The veins on Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s face protruded as dazzling golden lights shot out of him. The lights made him look like a celestial being.


    Everyone below the platform lost heart to see that he was overdrawing his body''s True Energy. Regular cultivators would experience a decline in their cultivation after exhausting their True Energy. For example, one must release all the True Energy in one''s body in order to void one''s cultivation.


    "I have no need for my Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivation if I can''t even defeat a Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator like you!"


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin was acting like a madman. The entire floating platform shook with a bellow from him. The endless golden lights were so dazzling that many people below couldn''t open their eyes.


    "Hehe! You''re jumping the wall from all that pressure?" Bai Ying still looked as carefree as ever.


    The disciples below were all horrified. The might of a power produced from overdrawing one''s True Energy was unimaginable, yet Bai Ying still dared to provoke her opponent. She truly didn''t want to live anymore!


    Xiao Chen''s forehead was gradually drenched in sweat. The racing of his heart became more and more intense.


    All of a sudden, a massive, hundred-foot-long sword glowing with golden light appeared in the sky. It was none other than the unique skill of the Skygale Sect, the Heavenly Punishment Sword. The moment the sword plunged, the sky was eclipsed. Even the sun was overshadowed.


    The sword had yet to fall, but the vast and unparalleled Sword Qi had caused the entire floating platform to tremble violently. The fact that it looked as if the platform would collapse and fall at any time resulted in countless disciples below seeking shelter.


    "Hehe! Bai Ying, I''ve used two levels of my cultivation. Today is the day you die!" Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s expression was frosty. This attack was brimming with murderous aura but he had merely used two levels of his cultivation. Even so, it wasn''t something that the average cultivator couldn''t withstand.


    Bai Ying smiled coolly and once again poured a layer of True Energy into the tree branch, making it look like a dazzling Immortal''s Sword. She pointed her sword to the sky and casually recited a spell. All of a sudden, a mighty Suddenly, a gush of force surged from the edge of the blade toward the sky.


    It was also at this moment that she shook her foot. She looked as if she was about to topple. She covered her forehead with one hand as if she would faint at any moment.


    "What''s wrong? What wrong with Elder Bai?!"


    "Sigh. She''s nevertheless still in the Foundation Building Realm. Looks like she''s no longer able to withstand the Sword Qi..."


    The discussions under the platform were unceasing as the mood turned chaotic. Suddenly, a murderous intention emerged in Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s eyes. "Hehe! Even the heaven is helping me!" He once again injected the Heavenly Punishment Sword with another level of cultivation. This sword would definitely claim Bai Ying''s life!


    Xiao Chen''s expression abruptly shifted. "No¡ª" Following a long whistle, he flew toward the floating platform like an orb of white light.


    "What? Has he gone mad? That''s the might of Core Forming Realm! Is he trying to dig his own grave?!"


    Following the resumption of the discussions, the Elders paled as well. That was the might of a Core Forming Realm Cultivator cultivator''s True Energy! The moment when Xiao Chen came into contact with even the smallest sliver of the power, his body and soul would be destroyed in an instant!


    Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan, and the others also turned pale in a flash. Mo Yu frowned. Was this his opponent? Xiao Chen wasn''t even afraid of the might of a Core Forming Realm cultivator. The more he mulled over it, the more he found himself no match for Xiao Chen. He snorted coldly. "What brute courage! So be it if you die!"


    As Xiao Chen drew closer and closer to the floating platform, the fierce winds nearly tore him apart. He held on by using all of his True Energy and managed to reach for Bai Ying. "Hold on, Master! Your disciple is coming to save you!"


    With a roar, the Heavenly Punishment Sword high up in the sky finally approached. The vast and unparalleled Sword Qi could tear everything and everyone apart. How could Xiao Chen, a disciple in the Qi Refining Realm, be able to withstand it?


    "Puff!" He spat a mouthful of blood after facing a vicious surge of the Sword Qi. He slowly fell down but he continued to hold onto Bai Ying. His eyes were full of unwillingness.


    He was already seeing Bai Ying as his master Ling Yin at that moment, but were things ending just like this...


    While in a daze, he seemed to have returned to the day the death sentence was carried out at the Execution Tower. He heard the words Ling Yin told him back when she protected his soul ringing next to his ears: "Chen''er, wait for me to enter the Grand Completion Realm in a thousand years. We''ll meet again then, once again..."


    Didn''t they agree to meet again...


    Ten feet, five feet, three feet...


    The Heavenly Punishment Sword was getting so close to Bai Ying that her death seemed all but certain. The disciples on the ground held their breath. Suddenly, Bai Ying raised her head and two flashes of light flitted across in her pupils. Then, with a flick of her left sleeve, she rolled over the falling Xiao Chen and brought him to the edge of the floating platform.


    She pointed the branch in her right hand to the sky and a layer of pale green Qi shield instantly took shape. Only a loud bang was heard the moment the Heavenly Punishment Sword fell on the floating platform. The entire platform sank more than ten feet and nearly collapsed.

 Chapter 55 The Turbulent Wind Precedes the Mountain Storm

    The surging leftover force finally dispersed, leaving Bai Ying standing with her dress dancing in the wind. The branch-as-sword in her hand had completely ruptured but she, along with Xiao Chen, wasn''t harmed in the slightest.


    The disciples on the ground were dumbstruck that she was able to withstand such a shocking blow. Perfected Immortal Yunyin was gasping so hard that his footing was already unstable, a consequence of using his life''s True Energy. His cultivation had fallen from Lv 6 to Lv 3 Core Forming Realm.


    Xiao Chen, finally breathing a sigh of relief, walked over and whispered, "Master..."


    Bai Ying shot him a fleeting glare. "Idiot, what are you doing rushing up here? Do you have no confidence in me?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Perfected Immortal Yunyin making a sneak attack and cried out, "Be careful!"


    Scoffing, Bai Ying used one hand to protect him and the other to hit her opponent with her palm. With a resounding bang, Perfected Immortal Yunyin was sent flying. He couldn''t even keep the Golden Clouds Sword in his hand and it ended up getting stuck in the soil on the edge of the floating platform.


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin spat out a mouthful of blood and covered his chest with his hand. He murmured, "Impossible... You''re merely in Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm... How is it possible..."


    Bai Ying went up to him while wearing a faint smile. "Yes, I''m only in Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm but a palm attack of the Core Forming Realm is enough to clap ten cultivators of the Foundation Building Realm to death. These damned settings that god knows who created are useless when it comes to me! Even if ten of people like you¡ªsomeone who owes his cultivation to elixirs¡ªcomes, I can slap all of you to death!"


    The disciples on the ground held their breath after hearing such domineering words. To clap ten of Perfected Immortal Yunyin to death! Xiao Chen shook his head with a wry smile. The rest might assume that Bai Ying had it easy earlier, but only he knew how many times Jacaranda had gone through such perils. Even one careless move would spell her death.


    However, enveloped in such a domineering aura, an ashen-faced Perfected Immortal Yunyin believed in her words. Even his facial muscles began to twitch. Finally, he heaved a long sigh.


    Bai Ying brushed her sleeve aside coldly. "A cultivator ought to be indifferent to the outside world and its worldly affairs as well as comply with the will of heaven. However, nowadays, some people knew only to be ruthless in the pursuit of fame and gain. In order to achieve a realm breakthrough, they''re eager for quick success and immediate benefits, so they start indiscriminately consuming elixirs. The final result is countless scums like you!"


    Her intense words caused countless disciples below to reflect deeply about life. One''s lifespan was limited but many people had mediocre aptitudes. In their lifetime, they had no hope of breaking through to the next realm and thus could only rely on taking elixirs. Even so, was a realm catalysed out of elixirs truly useful...?


    When Perfected Immortal Yunyin shuddered, Bai Ying sneered. "Let me gift you the following eight words as well: Don''t seek death and you won''t die!"


    Xiao Chen, who stood nearby, coughed. "Master, there are only seven words..."


    "It''s the same!" With that, Bai Ying rolled her sleeves and carried him to the edge of the floating platform. When she drew near, she turned her head and smiled. "Since you''re so desperate to quickly improve your accomplishments, why don''t you go to the Dark Yin Sect to learn the devil''s ways? Not only could you consume as many elixirs as you want, but you could also absorb someone else''s cultivation for your own. Hahaha..."


    Amidst a burst of laughter, Bai Ying walked to the edge of the floating platform with Xiao Chen in tow. With a clanging sound, she summoned the Golden Clouds Sword stuck in the soil and left a messy Perfected Immortal Yunyin alone in the wind. He was still thinking about her words just now, that it was better for him to learn from the Dark Yin Sect. He could even absorb someone else''s cultivation for his own use...


    "Why don''t you go to the Dark Yin Sect to learn the devil''s ways? Why don''t you go to the Dark Yin Sect to learn the devil''s ways?" These words emerged in Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s mind again and again...


    "Moreover!" Suddenly, Bai Ying turned her head again. "I might only be in Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm, but don''t forget that I''m the only one in the entire Human World who has become an Immortal."


    With that, Bai Ying took Xiao Chen down to the square. Countless disciple on the ground looked infatuated. Since when did Third Elder become so cool? Her words earlier left Perfected Immortal Yunyin not even the slightest room to retort. That was simply too cool of her!


    However, she couldn''t maintain her coolness long enough for the time it took to drink a cup of tea. The next moment, she went up to Second Elder with the Golden Clouds of Heaven and Earth Sword. "It''s made of pure gold, Senior Brother. Help me estimate the price. How much can I sell this for to the Cold-billow Sword Sect?"


    Second elder was so shocked that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He scolded her, saying, "Hurry and return the sword to Perfected Immortal Yunyin!"


    Bai Ying earnestly replied, "This is the spoils of war that I won. There''s no rule against taking away an opponent''s magic treasure in the competition between Cultivators'' sects..."


    Xiao Chen lowered his head. Sure enough, this was more like Bai Ying. It was impossible for her and master to be the same person. If he had to think their similarities, then the only one was that both of them disagreed with the method of improving one''s cultivation via elixirs.


    Second Elder was so angry that his beard quivered. He grabbed the Golden Clouds Sword from her hand and flew to the floating platform. He respectfully handed the sword to Perfected Immortal Yunyin. "Please excuse my Junior Sister''s rudeness just now. I hope you wouldn''t blame her."


    Perfected Immortal Yun Yin sneered repeatedly. "Hehe! Still water sure run deeps in the Three Pure Sect! I''ll come and retrieve this sword in three months!"


    With a flick of his wide sleeve, he turned into a white light and flew far into the distance. Naturally, the two disciples that he brought with him was too ashamed to linger around. They silently mounted their flying swords and chased after their master.


    Looking in the direction of the gradually vanishing sword radiance, it seemed as if a sly cloud had gathered in that spot. Second Elder frowned deeply. Their relationship with Perfected Immortal Yunyin had truly worsened to a point of no return. Their Sect Leader wasn''t around and the other party said he would return in three months to retrieve his sword. What should they do if the old freaks of the Skygale Sect came out of their seclusion...


    The Skygale Sect had always claimed to be the best among the Cultivators'' sects in the Human World but their disciple had suffered embarrassment here and the disciple''s master suffered even greater humiliation. This news would likely be spread far and wide in the cultivation circle of the Human World. This wasn''t good news for the Three Pure Sect.


    Second Elder landed on the ground. First Elder said with a frown, "Forget it. Go out and hand him the sword."


    Second Elder understood that the task of returning the sword was, in fact, the task of escorting him safely out of the territory of the Serene Province. They couldn''t allow anything else to happen to Perfected Immortal Yunyin in the Serene Province.


    ...


    With the support of his two disciples, Perfected Immortal Yunyin traveled slowly through the Serene Province with his flying sword. The male disciple said, "Master, are we letting Xiao Chen go just like that? He''s the one that the Lord of the Violet Man specifically named."


    "Hehe! There''s no hurry!" A stern look crossed Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s eyes. "When your grandmasters come out of seclusion in three months, we''ll wash the Three Pure Sect clean with blood! When that time comes, we''ll refine all their disciples into mediums for the Bloody Souls Grand Formation and send them all to the Violet Manor. Hehe..."


    Right then, a voice suddenly came from behind them. "Please halt, Perfected Immortal."


    When Perfected Immortal Yunyin turned around and saw Second Elder of the Three Pure Sect, he wondered if the latter overheard him and was currently chasing after him. However, he didn''t believe Second Elder had the courage to do so. He said with a frown, "I wonder what other matter Second Elders has."


    Second Elder saluted him with a smile and acted deferentially as he replied, "Earlier, Junior Sister said that you''ve taken something extra with you when you left."


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin was immediately on alert. Though he was seriously injured, Xingzhen Zi''s cultivation was only in Lv 3 Core Forming Realm. He had nothing to fear and thus, said solemnly, "Oh? What is it?"


    "It''s your life, Perfected Immortal..."


    Perfected Immortal Yunyin¡¯s expression changed greatly. Before he could even react, he felt a sharp pain in his elixir field. His abdomen was torn open and blood gushed out of his wound. He muttered, ¡°You... You...¡±


    His two disciples, long gotten frightened out of their minds, quickly helped him up. Xingzhen Zi looked gloomy as he held a golden ball dripping with blood in his hand. It was Perfected Immortal Yunyin''s Jindan.


    "Go!" At this moment, Perfected Immortal Yunyin didn''t hesitate to use all of his life''s blood essence and used an escaping trick to flee with his two disciples. He knew that he couldn''t escape death now that his Jindan had been stolen but he must return to the Skygale Sect alive and tell his Sect Leader everything!


    In the midair, a strange smile appeared on the face of "Xingzhen Zi". Then, the man transformed into a black mist and drifted toward a wicked cloud in the sky.


    Second Elder, who had come on First Elder''s command to escort Yunyin, arrived half an hour later. This was the real Xingzhen Zi. When he smelled blood in the air, he immediately maneuvered his flying sword to land on the ground. His expression suddenly changed when he spotted the bloodstain on the grass. "Oh no..."


    In the next seven days, wicked clouds shrouded the vicinity of Lingtai Mountain. The Elders of the Three Pure Sect reinforced the Devil-sealing Grand Formation near the mountain gate. The formation was left by the ancestors of the Three Pure Sect. While regular devil practitioners would lose their soul as soon as they came near, it was useless against those from the Cultivators'' sects.


    Then, under the joint efforts of the Elders, the Ten-mode Heaven and Earth Formation of the Three Pure Sect was lay down to guard the entire mountain gate. These few days, both Inner and Outer Disciples could see golden lights flitting across the sky. It was the spiritual power that the formation gave off.


    Nowadays, the entire Lingtai Mountain was placed under the protection of formations. No corner was left unguarded and all the chains leading to the outside were also cut off.


    Three days passed since then. The Elders were perpetually frowning in worry, but the disciples were ignorant of the fact that danger was quietly approaching. They remained boisterous as they happily chattered about the realm-transcending battle ten days ago. Meanwhile, for the match between Xiao Chen and Mo Yu three months later, those who looked down on the former also began noticing him. It wasn''t impossible to win a realm-transcending challenge!


    One early morning, Bai Ying called Xiao Chen to the stone cave behind her house. He could smell a medicinal fragrance from a distance. When he walked in, he couldn¡¯t help feeling stunned. He saw a lot of carefully-refined medicinal herbs floating inside a large wooden barrel. Considering how expensive these medicinal herbs were, wasn''t it too extravagant to take a bath with them? No wonder she was always about being poor. Her money was all spent on this.


    "Kid, go in and soak for four hours first."


    Xiao Chen was so moved that his tears were almost flowing (though, it was likely because of the medicinal fragrance). When Bai Ying saw his eyes reddened, she looked hesitant. "This medicated bath won''t enhance your cultivation but it''s absolutely indispensable. How can a mortal withstand his cultivation being undone again and again? Therefore, it''s necessary to take a medicated bath and temper the body."


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly. "Then can I get Elder Bai to turn around first?"


    "I''m your master and cultivators aren''t concerned about trifles." Bai Ying propped her chin on her hands, with her elbows on the rim of the barrel. She looked at him seriously and asked, "Or do you think it''s a waste to soak in these medicinal herbs alone?"

 Chapter 56 Under the Back Mountain

    "Or do you think it''s a waste to soak in these medicinal herbs alone?"


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling a jolt in his heart as he stared into her bewitching eyes. In his mind, a shameful scene took shape...


    Xiao Chen shuddered and yelled, ¡°Please! No matter what, you''re still an Elder of the Three Pure Sect! Can you stop trying to take advantage of your disciple all the time?!"


    "What I mean to say that you can salvage some of them for next time if you think it''s too wasteful. What are you thinking..." Bai Ying waved her hand with a yawn. "Forget it. I''m going back for a nap. Yell if you need anything. Bye."


    Xiao Chen hung his head, shook his head, and sighed. "This woman..." But when he turned around to look at the barrel full of herbs, he couldn''t help getting a warm feeling in his heart. In the past few months, she would make him cough up money whenever they went to the mess hall. So she had been saving her money to prepare all these herbs for him...


    Xiao Chen removed his clothes and entered the tub. He immediately felt a pain rising in him as if there were 10,000 needles pricking his skin. Moments later, he felt as every inch of his skin and internal organs were burning as if he was in a furnace.


    White smoke rose from his head as sweat slid off his face. There were several times on the surface was fluent. He nearly jumped out of the barrel on several occasions but then he would think of Bai Ying. If a delicate woman like her could bear it, this amount of pain felt insignificant. Compared to the heartache he felt when he saw Yunyin slamming his sword on her head that day, this pain was nothing.


    Four hours passed and the sun was rising high outside. Xiao Chen had nearly jumped out in an instant and noisily splashed water all over the place.


    Right then, he felt like a newborn. He looked at his hands, which had cast off to reveal a layer of newly-born skin. His body had been different from ordinary people in the first place and his fighting ability was impressive. Thus, he was nicknamed the "Undead Body" among the Xiao family. Now, after the medicinal bath, he was confident that he could block Immortal''s Swords and magic treasures with his palm alone in the future.


    "Not bad. You lasted for an entire four hours," said a faint voice. The voice came from the cave entrance.


    "I...! Pervert! Peeping tom!" Xiao Chen swiftly put on his clothes. Bai Ying walked in with a solemn expression and sized him up. "Not bad. Had I known this earlier, I would''ve thrown in more heart-burning grass."


    "What? You threw in heart-burning grass?"


    Xiao Chen wanted to swear at her. There was no use for the heart-burning grass in a bath. The only effect was giving the user a crushing pain. This woman had deliberately added the grass into the bath!


    Bai Ying shook her hand. "That''s enough. Stop that resentful look. If I don''t throw in some heart-burning grass, what if you fall asleep while soaking? Wouldn''t that render your effort useless?"


    Her words might be reasonable but Xiao Chen still wanted to throw her to the ground, and then do a little something...


    "Forget it. Let''s go, kid. I''ll treat you to the signature dish exclusive to the Moon-watch Peak: ''Dragon Soaring Over Four Seas''."


    Would a fire finally be lit inside the mess hall of the Moon-watch Peak? But why did Xiao Chen feel like the dish would be a complete mess after learning its name?


    Just like that, an hour passed.


    "Please! Elder Bai, stop fooling around. Let''s hurry and go before the mess hall of the Star-picking Peak closes its doors..."


    "Oh, let''s not. It''s so expensive to eat at the mess hall of the Star-picking Peak. Besides, look at how cute this mudfish is. Look, look. It''s even opening its mouth to smile at you..."


    "I... You''re the only one who finds it cute! Moreover! Look how tragic its death is! How is it smiling?!"


    ...


    "Ahem. Forgive my disturbance." Right then, a disciple of the Black Dragon Peak appeared at the door.


    Bai Ying turned around. "A disciple of the Black Dragon Peak? What business do you have?"


    The refined-looking disciple of the Black Dragon Peak replied a little awkwardly, "Oh... Well, First Elder requests both Third Elder and Junior Brother''s presence at the Three Pure Hall."


    Bai Ying frowned. "Is it severe? Did he say what for?"


    "Oh... It seems to be about Junior Brother and Senior Brother Mo. He requests that Third Elder come immediately without delay."


    "Understood."


    The two of them arrived at the Three Pure Hall half an hour later, where the rest of the Elders were already present along with Chu Hanyan and Mo Yu. There was already a crowd of Inner Disciples gathered outside the hall.


    Fourth Elder coughed and got up. "Here''s the case. Since three months have passed, we hope to hold the first competition between Xiao Chen and Mo Yu. Of course, the competition isn''t about battling."


    Xiao Chen glanced at Chu Hanyan. The Elders must have been so busy that they had exhausted themselves in recent days. Where would they find the leisurely mood to hold this competition? It seemed like she was the one who proposed it. Hehe, she could do as she pleased.


    Bai Ying also took a nonchalant glance at Chu Hanyan. "Oh, whatever. Counter water with arms, soldiers with an earth weir..." A disciple next to her whispered, "Third Elder, it''s ''counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir''..."


    "It''s the same!" Bai Ying raised her hand. "Let''s talk about the rules of the competition!"


    Chu Hanyan took a step forward. "The rules are very simple. The competition will last for three days. The two of them need to go down the back mountain to collect Three Immortal Leaves. The one with the bigger collection wins."


    Many people outside the hall began whispering. There were many prohibitions under the back mountain. It was an extremely dangerous place. Even the Elders wouldn''t visit under normal circumstances.


    There was a small smile on Mo Yu¡¯s face. Looking confident as ever, he turned his head to look at Xiao Chen. ¡°What do you think? Do you dare to answer my challenge, Junior Brother Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen glanced at him and flashed him a faint smile. "Why not?"


    Seeing that both sides had no objection, Second Elders got up and solemnly said, "The back mountain is the forbidden territory of the sect. Furthermore, there are many prohibition formations placed by successive Sect Leaders over the years. Both of you aren''t allowed to go near dangerous areas or your souls would dissipate. Do you hear me?"


    "I understand!" the two men said in unison, looking at each other as they spoke. There was a barely detectable murderous glint in Mo Yu''s eyes but Xiao Chen wasn''t afraid in the slightest.


    Early the next morning when the two of them were ready, they came to the edge of a cliff in the back mountain under the company of the Elders and many other disciples. Their clothing flapped noisily as they faced the cold mountain wind.


    Many disciples had begun discussing in quiet voices, speculating on the winner this time. Some said that Xiao Chen had shown an astonishing performance from the beginning while others said that Mo Yu had built sufficient cultivation. Moreover, he had a good grasp of the terrain after spending all these years near Lingtai Mountain.


    In short, everyone had their own opinion. They only closed their mouths after First Elder raised his hand, indicating for silence. With a solemn look, he said, "The competition begins now. Remember not to go near dangerous areas or secretly battle down there!"


    With that, the two men stepped on their flying swords and flew in two different directions.


    The mountain wind whistled. First Elder stared at Chu Hanyan who stood on the edge of the cliff and sighed softly before turning around to leave.


    Bai Ying stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she looked in the direction that Xiao Chen fell. The white mist was so dense that she couldn''t see anything. No trace of emotion could be seen on her face. Standing next to her was Luo Shangyan, Li Muxue, Xiao Wan''er, and the rest.


    It took Xiao Chen exactly half an hour to fall to the ground from the towering peak of Lingtai Mountain. He found himself in what seemed like an ancient forest, where the trees that reached high to the sky were covered in vines. The ground under his feet was damp and the air was filled with the smell of rotting greenery.


    When the sun rose, this place was bound to be suffocating. Xiao Chen immediately covered his nose with his sleeve before using his lightness skill to venture out of the forest. Gradually, he no longer felt the pull of the formations of the Three Pure Sect. Neither was he able to use his flying sword.


    Two hours later, he arrived at a clear creek flowing between two mountains. He squatted down and carried water to his mouth with his hands. He then took out the Nine Streams Talisman and recited a spell. The talisman turned into nine streams of red lights that penetrated the water.


    This was the talisman that he rushed overnight to create, used to lay down a formation. The Three Immortals Leaves were necessary items in the making of Spirit-recalling Elixir. He wasn''t in a hurry to collect those leaves. Instead, he was waiting for his enemy to come out of his hiding place. This competition was certainly not as calm as it appeared.


    By the time sunset rolled around, Xiao Chen had no idea where he was. He could only be sure that he was still inside the parameters of Lingtai Mountain. On his journey, he found that there were restrictive formations placed in many places. The formations were so incredibly powerful that even he was helpless against them.


    Right after he took a few mouthfuls of water to drink, he heard the rustling of leaves in the forest behind him. However, there was no breeze in front of him.


    "Hehe, are you finally making an appearance?"

 Chapter 57 Hun

    t


    Xiao Chen turned around. Seven masked, black-clothed men stood in the small forest earlier but they were in a sorry condition. There were burn marks on their clothes. Evidently, they had suffered attacks before.


    "Hehe. How did you like the taste of my Nine Yang Explosive Formation? Did you guys have a good time?" Xiao Chen chuckled.


    He had been planting talismans on the ground as he walked, laying an offensive formation. When his enemies accidentally step on it, it would be just like stepping on landmines.


    The seven black-clothed men looked positively murderous. Evidently, they were beyond annoyed. The leader said coldly, "Stop resisting and maybe I can consider letting you have an easy death."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "That depends on whether you have that ability." He dared to conclude that these were assassins that Chu Hanyan hired from the Violet Manor. This so-called competition was naturally a trap that Chu Hanyan set to eliminate him.


    This was an incredibly clumsy trap that he had no need to fear since several thousand years ago.


    "Give it a try then!" the leader of the black-clothed men yelled. With the flash of a cold glint, he slashed Xiao Chen with his sword.


    "Shh..." Xiao Chen placed a finger on his lips and then chuckled. "Listen to what sound it is." As his voice fell, a loud bang resounded. Nine streams of red light soared into the sky from inside the forest as blaze trailed. The force sent the leader of the black-clothed men and the two subordinates standing behind him flying.


    Upon seeing this, the other four men gripped their machete and attacked at lightning speed. However, Xiao Chen was even faster. He immediately seized one of the men''s machete and slammed it on another man''s shoulder, spilling his blood.


    "What''s wrong?! Didn''t they say that he''s only in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm?!" one of the black-clothed men shouted.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "Correct. I''m merely in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm."


    To be fair, these seven assassins were in the initial stage of the Foundation Building Realm in the Violet Manor. However, they were subject to restrictions in the Human World. Those from the Violet Manor could not unleash the entirety of their cultivation. Moreover, they were also not used to the insufficient Spiritual Qi in this world and their cultivation suffered an even greater decline. Eventually, their strength was equal to those in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm or Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm.


    "Well, now the anti-hunting begins. Remember to hide well. I''ll come back and find you guys at night." Xiao Chen smiled before disappearing in the vast twilight.


    One of the black-clothed men was terrified. "Quick! Notify the other teams at once! We made a calculating error. This person is at least in the Foundation Building Realm and even has strange weapons in his arsenal!"


    They could only assume that Xiao Chen possessed some sort of powerful magic treasure to be able to bury an offensive formation and move as unpredictably as a ghost.


    The night came quietly, the endless darkness swallowing up the last glimmer of the horizon. The hunt had begun.


    Xiao Chen was like the shadow moving in the middle of the night, acting more like an assassin than actual assassins. During his journey, he had already slit the throat of one of the assassins and casually tossed the body into the river.


    It was true that his method was gruesome and bloody but the failure from his previous life told him that showing mercy to his enemy would only bring harm to himself and even implicate people dear to him.


    Since these people were assassins, then they must be equally prepared to be assassinated. More importantly, Xiao Chen wanted to see how Chu Hanyan would react after the men she sent all died while her opponent returned unscathed after three days. This competition was becoming more and more interesting.


    In the woods next to a small canal, four figures were visible in the moonlight. They were watching their surroundings raptly with their machete in hand. Their gaze like that of an eagle, not letting of any movement in the wild.


    One of them said earnestly, "Why isn''t there news from the other side? Is it not an accident? Don''t tell me that something happened. I heard that our target this time isn''t simple..."


    Another person replied, "It''s nothing. He''s just a Qi Refining Realm cultivator of the Human World..."


    Xiao Chen, who stood some ten feet away, overheard their conversation. He moved soundlessly in the darkness with his breath suppressed as he waited for the best timing to attack.


    Suddenly, when the clouds in the sky covered the moon, a murderous aura quietly spread throughout the forest. killings in the forest spread quietly. Xiao Chen threw a stone-bullet into the river as he trekked under the shadows. The plopping sound was particularly ear-piercing at night.


    The four cold lights immediately swung their machetes in the direction of the river, causing water splashes to fill the sky. However, at the next moment, they heard only a thudding sound as one of them fell.


    "Fourth Brother! Fourth Brother!"


    "The target is nearby! Stay alert! Don''t make a noise..." The words came to an abrupt end. Evidently, the one who was speaking had collapsed. It was to the point that the other two could feel hot blood splashing on their faces.


    The remaining two stood with their back against each other. They could feel a chill that traveled straight to their bones. Right now, the clouds were covering the moon, preventing them from seeing anything. However, their opponent came and went quietly like a ghost.


    Right then, the two seemed to have fallen into an endless nightmare. They had always been the one to take others'' lives but this time, they finally tasted the feeling of their lives being taken.


    "Are... you a human or a ghost?!" Blood splashed before the voice could even resound. Yet another person had fallen.


    "Second Brother!" The last man standing was in a state of mental confusion. He slashed maniacally at his surroundings with his machete in hand. In the blink of an eye, four men had been reduced to only one. Fear gradually occupied his heart.


    Moments later, the dark clouds that shrouded the sky finally dissipated. Suddenly, the man saw a face in front of him. With a single gasp from him, he thrust his machete.


    Xiao Chen put two fingers together and caught the machete with a clang. Using some force, he snapped the machete in half. He then consecutively directed the force of his fingers at the man, sealing his cultivation. He said coolly, "Now I''m the one asking questions and you''re the one answering them!"


    The man looked as pale as a piece of paper as he trembled all over. He thought to himself that this target could come and go like a ghost and was even equipped with such profound skills. He nodded in a daze.


    "How many people did you come with this time?"


    "Twenty-four people!"


    Xiao Chen sneered. Chu Hanyan sure showed him enough respect, to send twenty-four people here. He asked coolly, "Did Chu Chuanyan tell you that you could consider letting me live if I beg for mercy?"


    In a trembling voice, he replied, "She told us not to bother and kill you directly..."


    "Hehe! Go to hell then!" With the flash of a cold glint, the man''s head separated from his body.


    Under the cover of whistling winds in the moonless night, Xiao Chen immediately changed to another location and killed another four people. Cultivators these days could no longer project their Divine Sense, yet he could. Thus, the dark night was his best weapon and protective screen.


    Before dawn, he found a hiding spot. When night arrived, he continued to hunt. On the noon of the third day, he went to a brook to wash away the blood on his body.


    Looking at the reflection of his expressionless face in the water, Xiao Chen was stunned. Was this truly him? He recalled what Yu Yifeng told him before leaving: "There''s a Sword Spirit in this sword. Don''t stain it with too much blood..."


    However, he had now become so addicted to killing. It seemed to have started from killing Ye Fei that day. From time to time, the anti-devil Mystic Diabolic Enchantment would emerge in his mind. Each time he was confused, a murderous intention would be born...


    He was engrossed in his thoughts when there was a sudden gust of wind behind him. With his sharp Divine Sense, Xiao Chen immediately rolled to his side. Two loud sounds of collision resounded as the splashed water in the brook rose three feet high, sprinkling all over him.


    "You''ve killed so many of us. Don''t you think you should pay with your life now?!"


    Facing the sudden emergence of six men, Xiao Chen¡¯s first thought was to run. He immediately unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and ran in another direction.


    These six men were unlike those he had killed in the past two days. They were at least in the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm, with one of them even reaching the peak of the realm. It was impossible for him to handle them.


    The cold wind hit his face as he dashed madly, sending the leaves in the forest flying. These six men were out of Xiao Chen''s expectations. He had planned to return to the mountain today, but these people had suddenly appeared to block his way. They were elite assassins. Without his Immortal-override Steps, they would have long captured him.


    Obviously, these were men that Chu Hanyan sent in an emergency. She was determined to prevent him from returning.


    One hour later, the six men were still chasing after him. Xiao Chen was busy looking for a path so as to avoid entering the prohibitive formations while evading the glint of swords and Sword Qi coming from behind him from time to time. He was panting at this point. He hastily reached for an Energy Pill from his Divine Vessel and swallowed it.


    The six men behind him were incredibly vexed. Every time they were about to catch up, their target would consume an elixir, increase their distance again, and proceed a break-neck pace. The stalemate continued for more than two hours. Seeing as the sun was about to set, the six men began to worry. They would no longer be able to find their target once it was dark.


    Xiao Chen also understood that he needed only to run until it was dark. However, the one problem he had to face now was that he had run out of Energy Pills. His remaining True Energy could only last him for an hour before he would have drawn the energy from his body. The consequences would be grave and he wasn''t willing to do so.


    So, he began throwing out all the useless things in his Divine Vessel to maximize the use of his True Energy. Seeing this, one of those six men said, "He''s about to exhaust his True Energy! Hurry and chase after him!"


    Half an hour later, Xiao Chen came to a dead end. There was a cliff in front of him and to make things worse, there was also a prohibitive formation there. Once he got near, his body and soul would be instantly destroyed.


    "Haha! He has nowhere to run!"


    The six men swiftly sealed off all of his exits but dared not to approach the cliff. The calm-looking Xiao Chen summoned the remains of his True Energy in anticipation of a desperate fight for his life.


    At the tensest moment, a small voice suddenly came from behind a bush. "Did... did you guys come here to capture me? Xian''er doesn''t want to go back with you..."


    This sound was as light as the rain and sounded incredibly moving as if there was heavenly music playing next to one''s ears. Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling stunned that he failed to detect the presence of another person next to him. Immediately, he used his Divine Sense to sweep his surroundings. He saw a white-clothed girl squatting inside a bush about a foot away. She was clutching the Three Immortal Leaves in her hand. There was a little dirt smeared on the corners of her lips.


    "Who is it?!" the leader of the six black-clothed men yelled. He slashed at the underbrush, causing the flash of a dazzling cold glint. The girl looked like she was at death''s door but Xiao Chen immediately threw himself at her. He rolled several times on the ground with her in his arms, dodging the man''s sword.


    The girl was so frightened that she was shaking. Several of the Three Immortal Leaves in her hand fell out of her clutches. In a trembling voice, she said, "Xian''er... Xian''er doesn''t want to go back with you..."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes turned cold. He glared at the man who attacked earlier. "It''s one thing to kill me but you wouldn''t even let a girl go! Hehe, looks like it''s not a mistake to kill you people!"


    The leader sneered. "You could barely protect yourself, but you still wish to save someone else. You two can die together then!" He slammed the sword, causing the flash of a drawn-out sword radiance in the air. The light was dazzling.


    The wind whistled and the soil splashed. It was impossible for Xiao Chen to withstand this attack. He picked up the girl next to him and immediately moved his fingers to cast a spell. Then, he jumped off the cliff.


    It was now a gamble whether he could break the prohibitive formation with all the knowledge he had acquired in his life. However, when he fell into the formation, all he could feel was pain all over his body. He felt as if his soul was torn into pieces. The girl cried, "Elder Brother, don''t be afraid. I''ll help you."


    She casually moved her fingers to cast a spell, immediately producing a white radiance that enveloped Xiao Chen.


    The six men standing on the cliff were stunned after seeing Xiao Chen holding the girl and jumping off the cliff. One of them asked, "What should we do now?"


    The leader replied, "This immortal formation was something that an immortal emperor lay down a millennium ago. Even if a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would see his soul destroyed if he enters the formation. He''s dead. Let''s go. We only have to report the completion of our mission."

 Chapter 58 Murong Xianser

    It took Xiao Chen a long time before he sensed that he had fallen to the ground. He was surprised to find himself unscathed, only a little weak due to the great loss of his True Energy. Recalling the tense moments earlier, he recalled that the girl seemed to have broken the formation. He turned his head and finally got a clear look at the girl''s appearance.


    Her eyebrows resembled the willows in March and her pupils were like pools of limpid autumn waters. Tied around her waist was a light green ribbon with two tiny golden bells. She looked just like the incarnation of an ancient immortal.


    For a time, Xiao Chen couldn''t snap out of his senses. He muttered, "Far away on the hill of Gu Ye there dwelt a deity-like person whose flesh and skin are as smooth as ice and as white as snow; her manner is elegant and delicate as that of a virgin; she doesn''t eat any of the five grains..."


    The girl looked at him with a big pair of eyes. "Elder Brother, what are you talking about? My name is Murong Xian''er. What about you?"


    "Murong Xian''er... What a beautiful name." Xiao Chen was still somewhat spellbound.


    "Hehe. Xian''er thinks it''s beautiful as well. Unfortunately, I can''t remember who gave me the name. Oh right! Elder Brother, you haven''t told me your name."


    Only then did Xiao Chen recovered his senses. He cupped his hands in greeting. "Please apologize for my lack of manners. I''m Xiao Chen of the Mystic Cyan Sect. Nice to meet you, Miss Murong. Thank you so much for your help earlier..."


    The girl''s big eyes blinked. She interrupted him to say, "Have you met me before? When? Where?"


    Xiao Chen was stunned. This girl in front of him appeared very naive. "Why did you appear in this forest alone, Miss? Where are your parents?"


    Murong Xian''er blinked. "Parents? Who are ''parents''?"


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling dumbstruck. Could it be that she didn''t even know who her parents were even after being born for so long? He continued to ask, "Where is your home?"


    "Home?" Murong Xian''er mulled over it as she rubbed her chin. She then pointed to the white clouds in the sky. "There."


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smiled. She was indeed an innocent little girl. However, she was able to break open the prohibitive formation earlier...


    "Hehe. Brother Xiao Chen, I''ll take you to the bottom. There are many deers and bunnies down there." Murong Xian''er happily pulled him by the hand down a path. Tall grasses lined both sides of the path. It seemed that this path was formed after getting trampled.


    "Wait a moment, Miss. Where are you taking me?"


    "Hehe! Brother Xiao Chen, you''ll find out later."


    Half an hour later, Xiao Chen came to a bluish-green valley blanketed in flowers. Though it was late autumn in October, it seemed like it was March in the Human World. The flowers bloomed as brightly as if they were embroidery on brocades and the grass grew long and wild.


    There were many fruit trees near him that he had never seen before. There were also many strange fruits of bright red and orange on the trees. Butterflies flitted around the flowers that grew in abundance under the trees.


    In the distance, he saw a bluish-green lake that seemed to be filled with many ambers as well as a herd of multi-colored deers drinking water beside it. This place was actually a paradise.


    This wasn''t a superficial paradise but a real one. Xiao Chen could tell from the rich Spiritual Qi here. The Spiritual Qi existed in such abundance that it could even rival the Immortal Century from thousands of years ago. Compared to this place, the Spiritual Qi of Lingtai Mountain was basically negligible.


    "Hehe! Brother Xiao Chen, don''t you think this place is beautiful?"


    Xiao Chen nodded woodenly. ¡°It''s beautiful...¡±


    He couldn''t have expected that such a place would exist under Lingtai Mountain. It was surrounded by mountains and was enveloped in a prohibitive formation. It seemed that no one was allowed in while preventing the leaking of its Spiritual Qi. But why would there be such abundant Spiritual Qi here?


    "Then can you not leave, Brother Xiao Chen? Xian''er lives here alone. No one talks to me..."


    Xiao Chen looked at her in a daze, surprised that she actually lived alone. This was simply unbelievable.


    Murong Xian''er giggled as she whispered into his ear. "You''re the only one I''m telling this to, Brother Xiao Chen. There are people who want to capture me but they won''t be able to find me once I run here. Hehe! Don''t you think Xian''er is smart?"


    Xiao Chen smiled. "Yes, you are..." He wondered about the identity of this girl.


    "Then why don''t I stay behind and accompany you from now on? That way, you don''t have to be afraid when bad people come..."


    Xiao Chen looked at the strange scenery around him and shook his head. "I''m sorry, Xian''er. I can only stay here for three months. I''ll have to leave after three months..."


    Though he wanted to stay in a place with such abundance Spiritual Qi for as long as he could and break into the Nascent Soul Realm, it was impossible. There were many things waiting for him to do out there. Moreover, he would be battling Mo Yu three months later. He must enter the Violet Manor.


    In addition, he had a feeling that a catastrophe was awaiting the Three Pure Sect. He didn''t feel comfortable leaving Lil Ruo and the others out there.


    "Sob... Xian''er has been waiting for a long time. You just came here but are you leaving already, Brother Xiao Chen..."


    Murong Xian''er''s tears filled her eyes as she refused to let go of his arm. Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling heartache. Why? Why would she be so attached to him when they had just met for the first time?


    And why would he have special feelings for her? These weren''t feelings between a man and a woman. Rather, it was as if they had known each other thousands of years ago.


    Time flew so quickly that it felt as if all it took for three months to pass was the snapping of one''s fingers. There was neither spring, summer, autumn, nor winter in the Jade Valley. The flowers never wilted in here but outside, it was already snowing.


    In the Moon-watch Pavilion, a white-clothed woman stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she stared in the direction of the back mountain, where Xiao Chen had flown down from on his flying sword.


    The sound of someone stepping on snow suddenly came from behind her. It was Li Muxue. "Rest assured, Third Elder. He''ll definitely come back."


    In the past three months, the Three Pure Sect had sent many disciples to search for Xiao Chen. However, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Most of the rumors were that he accidentally stepped into a prohibitive formation and had his body and soul destroyed.


    The happiest ones were none other than Chu Hanyan and Mo Yu. Today, Mo Yu would be participating in the ceremony to enter the Violet Manor. The entire Three Pure Sect was boisterous with safflower hung under the beams of the roofs. The sound of firecrackers sent a shockwave through the sky as the beating of gongs reverberated in the air. It seemed that they had forgotten the other disciple who went to the bottom of the back mountain.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes in the Jade Valley. He was now in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. With such rich Spiritual Qi here, it wasn''t that he couldn''t break into the Foundation Building Realm. Rather, he had dissipated his cultivation three times according to the method Bai Ying taught him. He thought that consolidating his cultivation was much better than breaking into the Foundation Building Realm.


    Today was finally the day for him to leave the valley.


    "Xian''er!"


    Murong Xian''er, who was playing with a herd of multi-colored deers in the distance, ran over after hearing him yell. Xiao Chen gently stroked her hair with a smile. "Do you remember what day is it today?"


    Murong Xian''er blinked with her large pair of eyes. Biting her fingers, she replied, "What day is it?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. "It''s the day that we step out."


    "Ah!" Murong Xian''er opened her mouth wide. "I would''ve completely forgotten about it if you don''t bring it up, Brother Xiao Chen! Are you off to battle the bad guys?"


    The two of them had gotten very close after all the time they spent together. Xiao Chen learned that she seemed to be experiencing amnesia and that she had no cultivation whatsoever. However, not even she could explain why she could easily break the prohibitive formation.


    "Goodbye, little deers and little bunnies! I''ll come back and see you all later..."


    Xiao Chen chuckled as he watched Murong Xian''er wave at the group of small animals. He had decided to bring her out of this valley. Even though he had no idea if it was the right decision, he nevertheless made his decision. There seemed to be an inexplicable sentiment between him and Xian''er.


    Before they left, he plucked many spiritual fruits and put them into his Divine Vessel. He was worried that Xian''er wouldn''t eat the food of the common mortals after going outside.


    They came to the same cliff they had fallen off of last time. This time, Xiao Chen could maneuver his flying sword without drawing support from the formation placed on the mountain gate as Murong Xian''er had broken the prohibitive formation. The two swiftly made it up the cliff.


    Once he broke out, Xiao Chen felt like he had entered a different world. It was a little cold and the Spiritual Qi was basically negligible. He had gotten used to the nourishment of the rich Spiritual Qi in the valley. Thus, the Spiritual Qi outside was nothing to him. He also had no need to worry about his cultivation. No one under Lv 7 Foundation Building Realm would be able to defeat him.


    Murong Xian''er jumped around excitedly along the way, acting like a fairy in the forest. When she saw the Three Immortal Leaves, she would pick them up and put them directly into her mouth.


    Xiao Chen would''ve been surprised had it been three months ago. That was because the Three Immortal Leaves were a kind of medicinal herbs that could restore spiritual power. They were particularly effective. Most people who consume them directly would experience bleeding in their seven apertures and die within forty-five minutes.


    However, Murong Xian''er looked fine no matter how much she ate. The leaves looked like they had no effect on her either. It seemed like she just purely loved the taste of it.


    Chuckling, Xiao Chen wiped the mud off the corners of her mouth. They had casually picked up some Three Immortal Leaves along the way. Half an hour later, he detected people nearby and immediately pulled Murong Xian''er behind a big tree. He indicated for her to be quiet.


    With his current cultivation, he could sense people around him even if they were far away. The footsteps gradually came close. From the sound of it, there were two people.


    "It''s already the groundbreaking ceremony today but Senior Brother Mo is still worried and made us search on such a cold day. That person is long dead. How can we find him?"


    "Forget it. We can take a stroll and then go back."


    Xiao Chen swept the two people with his Divine Sense. Judging by their clothing, they ought to be disciples of the Black Dragon Peak. Their conversation indicated that Mo Yu had sent them here to find him.


    Xiao Chen suppressed the breath of his Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm cultivation with a chuckle. Then, he held Murong Xian''er''s hand and walked out to met the two disciples. Their mouths fell open. For a long time, they couldn''t find words.


    "Xiao... Xiao... Junior Brother Xiao! You! You! You!"


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "You don''t have to be surprised, Senior Brothers. I left this place because I had something urgent to attend to and just came back today. Why are you two here?"


    The two looked at each other and thought, "So he''s still in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm." One of them laughed and said, "In the past few days, the Elders had been sending people to find you, Junior Brother Xiao. We''re glad that you come back unscathed." He was stunned when he noticed Murong Xian''er hiding beside him. What a beautiful little girl.


    Xiao Chen smiled. "This is my younger sister."


    Murong Xian''er tugged on his sleeve tightly and said timidly, "Brother Xiao Chen, are they bad people?"


    Xiao Chen stroked her forehead and smiled softly. "They''re my Senior Brothers. How can they be bad people?" He then smiled at the two men and said, "My younger sister is shy around people. Please forgive us for offending you, Senior Brothers."


    "It''s no problem. Junior Brother Xiao, let''s go back now."


    "Sure. Please lead the way, Senior Brothers."


    On their way back, Xiao Chen observed the two people with his Divine Sense. The two of them kept exchanging looks. Undoubtedly, they bore him no good will.


    Right then, both of them shared the same thoughts. "He''s merely in Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm. With our Lv 8 cultivation, it''s not impossible for us to kill him if we work together. He mustn''t be allowed to return to the Three Pure Sect today..."


    Thinking about this, one of them took the lead in attacking and thrust his sword without any warning. However, when the sword was three inches away from Xiao Chen''s temple, it froze in the air. Seeing this, the other disciple stepped on his flying sword and struck Xiao Chen.


    Everything happened in a split second. Murong Xian''er was so frightened that she screamed. With a sneer, Xiao Chen sent her to another place with a gentle force and then moved his fingers to cast a spell. With the clanging of metals, the two swords flying in the air snapped in half and fell to the ground.


    "What?!" The two were so shocked that their faces turned pale. They turned around and began running. Xiao Chen yelled coldly, "Come back!"


    Xiao Chen stretched out both of his arms and demonstrated the Substance Spell of the Mystic Cyan Sect in an instant. It was as if the two men were caught by a suction. They were caught by the space in the air after running a mere two or three feet away.

 Chapter 59 Earth Spiritual Meridians

    "You... You''re in the Core Forming Realm!"


    The face of one disciple was twisted in horror as he questioned Xiao Chen in a trembling voice. Wasn''t this sort of psychokinesis ability exclusive to Core Forming Realm cultivators?


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "Guess." He then planted force into the multiple areas of their bodies with his fingers. With her hands over her eyes, Murong Xian''er cried, "Don''t kill, Brother Xiao Chen!"


    "Don''t worry, Xian''er. I won''t kill them."


    The two disciples could no longer move and the Mystic Skill in their bodies were also sealed. With their faces as pale as ash, they trembled out of shock. "What... What do you want to do to us?"


    Xiao Chen laughed. "Nothing much. You two wanted to go back as soon as possible to notify them, but do you think it''s possible? Rest assured. Your acupuncture points will be automatically unsealed after twenty-four hours."


    Xiao Chen had used the sealing technique of the Mystic Cyan Sect. They had no way of breaking through the technique with their cultivation. Xiao Chen then took the hand of Murong Xian''er and smiled gently at her. "Let''s go, Xian''er."


    Once they walked some distance away, Murong Xian''er suddenly stopped and whispered: "Brother Xiao Chen, I suddenly don''t want to visit the outside world. Why don''t we go back to the Jade Valley and play with the deers and bunnies?"


    Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks and felt a sudden ache in his heart. Xian''er was ignorant of the world and the sinister hearts of humans. For her to encounter something like this as soon as she came out, he feared that it would leave her traumatized. He really shouldn''t have gone out of his way to meet those two earlier.


    He smiled gently at her. "Don''t worry, Xian''er. Can you pretend that you didn''t see what happened earlier?"


    "But Xian''er is scared... Those two are bad guys who want to kill Brother Xiao Chen. I don''t want to lose Brother Xiao Chen..." Her tears swiftly flowed as she spoke.


    Xiao Chen squatted down and wiped the tears brimming in her eyes. He said softly, "Don''t be afraid. There are actually even more good people outside. Why don''t I take you to see a good person now?"


    Murong Xian''er looked up at him. "Really? Don''t lie to Xian''er."


    "Hm. I''m not lying to Xian''er." Xiao Chen took a fairy fruit from his Divine Vessel and handed it to her. He then took out the Unsullied Immortal''s Sword and brought her to the Moon-watch Peak.


    Half an hour later, the flying sword landed on the Fullmoon Cliff. Xiao Chen smiled at the white-clothed woman with her hands clasped behind her back and walked over. ¡°Master.¡±


    "Hm, I know. I''ll go over later." Bai Ying was still looking in the direction that Xiao Chen traveled on his flying sword.


    "Elder¡ªBai!" Xiao Chen once again yelled.


    Bai Ying trembled ever so slightly before slowly turning around. She stared at him just like that for a long time. She belatedly noticed Murong Xian''er hiding behind him and asked, after a long pause, ¡°Kid, did you have a fortuitous encounter?"


    Xiao Chen was very disappointed over her reaction. Shouldn''t she become ecstatic, rush over to hug him, and cry, "Wicked kid, I thought you were dead..."?


    Murong Xianer hid behind him and said timidly, "Brother Xiao Chen, is this sister the good person that you talked about?"


    "Brother Xiao Chen? Sister? Kid, since when did you have a younger sister?" Bai Ying walked over to them.


    Murong Xian''er pulled tightly onto Xiao Chen''s sleeves. Xiao Chen smiled. "Don''t be afraid. She''s the person who treats me second best in the world."


    "Oh..." Only then did Murong Xian''er finally dare to step out and handed Bai Ying the fairy fruit in her hand. "Sister, this is for you."


    Bai Ying took the fruit and looked at it. "This is..."


    Xiao Chen caressed Murong Xian''er''s hair and said softly, "Xian''er, go and play on your own for a while. Don''t go near the cliff. I have something to tell this sister."


    "Okay!" Murong Xian''er nodded cleverly before running off to the side to make a snowman.


    Xiao Chen and Bai Ying went to the Moon-watch Pavilion, where he told her about everything that happened over the past three months. Bai Ying was stunned after hearing his tale. She then looked at the fairy fruit in her hand in a daze. "Wow! I didn''t realize there''s such a great thing below the Three Pure Sect!"


    Xiao Chen jumped in a knee-jerk response. "Please! That''s not the point! Why don''t you care about your disciple''s life and death? I was almost killed earlier, you know!"


    "Stop the nonsense, kid. Hurry, give me several tens of catty of the fruits."


    "Do you think this is cabbage? Moreover, they belong to Xian''er. Don''t even dream about taking them."


    Xiao Chen coughed twice. "Well, let''s talk about business. What exactly is the place below?"


    Bai Ying''s expression gradually became more serious. She mulled over it for a long time before replying, "It''s said that there''s a large Earth Spiritual Meridian down there. One thousand years ago, an Immortal King descended to the world of mortals sealed the place with an Immortal-killing Formation. Moreover, he even had people establish the Three Pure Sect to guard it..."


    She didn''t seem to quite believe her own words at this point, either. "Dear God. I always thought Senior Brother made it up as a joke. I didn''t think it would be true. So, it''s an Immortal King who personally ordered for the establishment of the Three Pure Sect. No wonder it was considered one of the four major sects despite how bad it was..."


    "Thousand years ago? The descent of an Immortal King? Earth Spiritual Meridian?"


    It seemed that a lot of things happened a thousand years ago. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression gradually turned solemn. He knew a thing or two about the Earth Spiritual Meridian from reading ancient texts.


    It was rumored that when heaven and earth were first opened, it came with twelve Earth Spiritual Meridians. This led to a dispute between the six worlds and continuous warfare. In the end, a great deity won seven Earth Spiritual Meridians for the Human World, making the Human World the place with the richest Spiritual Qi.


    However, several large-scale wars broke out between human cultivators who wished to dominate the power of the meridians. Some of the Apotheosis Realm and Grand Completion Realm experts joined the wars as well.


    "But I''m more interested in your younger sister, Xian''er." Bai Ying glanced at Murong Xian''er who was building a snowman before continuing, "Not even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators could get close to the Immortal-killing Formation. Just what is the origin of this little girl?"


    Xiao Chen had no answer to that for now. He himself was confused. He thought that his grasp of offensive formations had exceeded that of others but unexpectedly, he was nothing compared to Xian''er.


    In the past three months, he had deliberately laid down a lot of formations, but Murong Xian''er broke them all with the slightest of touches. He felt that he mustn''t let too many people find out about that Xian''er had such an ability.


    Half an hour later, Bai Ying said, "That''s enough, kid. If you don''t go over to the Black Dragon Peak now, I''m afraid that Mo Yu will take the quota."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Two months later, I''ll find a way for Xian''er to enter the Violet Manor. Now I''ll send Mo Yu and Chu Hanyan a surprise."


    Soon after, the two of them walked out of the pavilion and went to Murong Xian''er. Xiao Chen smiled gently at her. "Let''s go, Xian''er. I''ll take you to an even more interesting place."


    Thus, a short moment later, the three arrived at the Black Dragon Peak. The boisterous square was full of joy and enthusiasm. Mo Yu, dressed in a crimson robe, looked overjoyed. He was receiving etiquette on the high platform. Once the ceremony was over, he would formally become the disciple who would enter the Violet Manor.


    Besides the five main Elders and Chu Hanyan, the other elders were also present below the platform. Everyone wore wide smiles. Mo Yu, now in Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm, was fully deserving of the right to enter the Violet Manor. No one could dispute it.


    The disciples assembled at the square included all the Inner and Outer Disciples, all of them feeling incredibly envious of him.


    Right at the liveliest moment, when the salute was about to rise to the sky, a sudden laugh came from outside the square. "Since it''s so lively today, I must really come to offer my congratulations..."

 Chapter 60 The Decisive Battle on the Floating Platform Part 1

    Chapter 60 The Decisive Battle on the Floating Platform (Part 1)


    Everyone quieted down upon hearing this bright laughter. All of them turned to stare outside the square and the sound of discussions immediately exploded.


    "What happened? Isn''t that Xiao Chen, the one who disappeared three months ago?"


    "How did he come back? Isn''t he already dead?"


    ¡­


    The expression of the Elders changed. Mo Yu, who stood atop the high platform, instantly turned pale. He looked at Chu Hanyan under the platform and saw that her face had long lost color.


    "Hehe. Looks like some people aren''t very happy to see me back." Chuckling, Xiao Chen looked at Mo Yu who stood atop the high platform.


    Mo Yu''s pale face turned red. He bellowed at the Elder responsible for the ceremony, "Continue the ceremony! Why are you stopping?!"


    "Wait a minute." Right then, Bai Ying entered the square from a small path in the rear while holding Murong Xian''er''s hand.


    Murong Xian''er appeared both excited and afraid to see so many people in such a short amount of time. She ran next to Xiao Chen and pointed at Mo Yu, who stood atop the high platform. In a loud voice, she said, "That''s the bad guy. He ordered people to kill Brother Xiao Chen¡­"


    The moment these words left her mouth, everyone exchanged looks of dismay. The sound of discussions grew even louder as they looked at Mo Yu. Mo Yu''s face switched between white and red as he hastily retorted, "Why are you all looking at me? Are you going to believe a little girl''s nonsense?"


    He was so frightened that his soul had basically left his body at this point. What did it mean that Xiao Chen returned alive while the two people he sent didn''t? If those two were interrogated and forced to rat him out, wouldn''t he lose his standing at once? There was that incident three months ago as well. Wouldn''t he be expelled from the sect at once? He could only depend on Chu Hanyan now.


    However, he thought too much. If Xiao Chen wanted to win, he would do so openly and honorably on the platform. He had no need to use such strategies. Thus, he didn''t do anything like interrogate those two earlier.


    By then, Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan, Xiao Wan''er, as well as the three princes had run over to him. Xiao Chen raised his hand, indicating that he would speak to them after everything was done. He couldn''t explain everything in such a short while.


    Unlike others, Chu Hanyan was a lot calmer. She said placidly, "We''ll hold the decisive battle promised six months ago since you''re back, Junior Brother Xiao."


    Sweat drenched Mo Yu''s face as he hastily made his way to her. "Senior Sister Chu!"


    It wasn''t until Chu Hanyan shot him a look that he finally recovered his senses. What was he afraid of? His cultivation was in Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm. Just what exactly was he afraid of?


    This was the so-called guilt of a criminal. The things he did with Chu Hanyan had occupied his mind and he was afraid that they would be exposed that his mental state was in disorder. He only felt relief after recalling that he was already in Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm.


    He chuckled. "Senior Sister Chu is right. Since you''re back, then we must have a fair duel. I think we don''t have to wait anymore. We''ll just do it tomorrow."


    Right then, the Elders finally spoke. First Elder was the first to ask, "Xiao Chen, what is going on?"


    Xiao Chen had already thought of an explanation. It didn''t have to be complicated. Since this incident involved quite a few people, he was sure that the Elders were unwilling to trace the source either. "It''s nothing much. I accidentally entered a prohibitive formation that day and was confined in a valley. I only managed to break out of the formation today."


    It didn''t matter if his explanation was reasonable. If the persons involved weren''t willing to probe, there was no meaning for others to doubt him.


    Thus, the ceremony for Mo Yu''s entry into the Violet Manor was stopped. Their fair duel would occur tomorrow. The winner would be qualified to enter the Violet Manor two months later.


    Xiao Chen still had many things to deal with and had no time to linger. First, he gave his friends a brief explanation of his experience in the past three months. Of course, he omitted the part where Chu Hanyan sent assassins after his life as well as where he went to a place with an Earth Spiritual Meridian. He also basically invented a story about Xian''er.


    He then returned to the Sunset Peak to visit Lil Ruo as well as to inform Evernight that he had returned safely. Finally, he had a "celebration" with his friends to wish for his victory tomorrow.


    Many people gathered at the table. Xiao Chen knew that these happy times were limited. He decided that he would visit his parents at his family home before leaving. There was also something that he must ask his father how did the Samsara Jade become the Blood Jade passed through the generations in the Xiao family.


    He would also definitely meet Huangfu Xin''er before leaving. He wanted to ask her if it was truly her wish to break off their engagement back then! If it was, he wouldn''t say a word about it and turn around to leave. If it wasn''t¡­


    "Hey, little miser, don''t you forget about us after going to the Violet Manor. If you have the chance, bring us in as well." Shangguan Yan suddenly interrupted his line of thoughts.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "Sure thing. The day I enter the Nascent Soul Realm, I''ll definitely unseal the path and let you all come over."


    "Go to hell!"


    "I''m not joking. When the time comes that I don''t have demons like you with me, I think things would be a lot less interesting."


    All of them talked and laughed without holding back. Today happened to be the beginning of mid-December. The sky was clearing up to reveal a boundless vista. However, in the distant horizon, a cluster of wicked clouds was slowly approaching without anyone''s notice.


    The cold wind swept the night without a sound. Xiao Chen was lying on a soft couch under a thick quilt. He found the comfort a little unfamiliar. Thoughts ran across his mind until he gradually fell asleep.


    The next day, he arrived at the Black Dragon Peak and found everyone present. Even the Outer Disciples were here. Xiao Chen wasn''t nervous. So what if Mo Yu''s cultivation was in Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm? He had merely relied on elixirs to do so in the past few months.


    The moment their shoulders brushed past each other, Mo Yu sneered and said in a low voice, "I remember telling you this a long time ago: an ant who climbs to a place where it doesn''t belong must prepare to be trampled on¡­"


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly at him. "My reply is still the same: You can try me¡­"


    The disciples around them could feel their intense rivalry and couldn''t help feeling a shiver in their hearts. Soon after, Xiao Chen walked over to the spot where the five Elders were seated in the square while holding Murong Xian''er''s hand. "Xian''er, stay next to Elder Bai, okay? Don''t run around."


    "Okay. Don''t worry, Brother Xiao Chen. Xian''er wouldn''t run around." Murong Xian''er nodded cleverly.


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled at Bai Ying before saluting Second Elder next to her. He could ignore the three other Elders but Second Elder had a good relationship with Bai Ying. Naturally, he must salute him.


    Second Elder felt a jolt in his heart. Though this child''s cultivation was only in Lv 9, his breath wasn''t weak. From the look of things, this child had received the true impartation of his Junior Sister. He immediately gave Xiao Chen a small smile.


    Right then, a fit of acclamation resounded behind them. It was Mo Yu appearing from high up in the sky and flying toward the floating platform. Drawing support from the formation of the mountain gate, he trekked across the sky. This was the trademark ability of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator.


    His wide sleeves floated in the wind, making him look like an immortal descending on earth. Countless female disciples below swooned. When the three princes saw this, naturally they fought back. Prince Zhao took out a one-sided banner and raised it high up, yelling, "Good luck, Senior Brother Xiao!"


    Then, nearly a thousand Outer Disciples yelled in unison, "Good luck, Senior Brother Xiao! Good luck, Senior Brother Xiao!"


    Their voices were incomparably orderly as if they were soldiers on the battlefield. Evidently, they had practiced this before. Their voices swiftly surpassed the screaming of the three hundred female disciples.


    More than ten female Inner Disciples stamped their feet in anger. They yelled, "Why are you Sunset Peak people making so noise?!"


    Prince Zhao scoffed. "What''s wrong? Are you guys the only ones allowed to cheer? We can''t cheer?"


    Just as emotions were about to explode in the square, cries of surprise resounded from another direction. Xiao Chen was trekking across the sky toward the floating platform as well.


    "What''s going on?! Isn''t he only in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm? How can he trek across the sky?"


    The eyes of more than ten of the ordinary Inner Elders brightened. They nodded secretly. Though this child was only in Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm, his figure was a lot firmer than Mo Yu''s.


    Moments later, the audience below finally became silent. The two people atop the floating platform slowly approached the center, where two Immortal''s Swords were inserted to the ground. To ensure the impartiality of this duel, no one was allowed to use his own magic treasure or Immortal''s Sword.


    After the two of them retrieved their swords, Mo Yu went on the offense without saying a word and unleashed a set of First Elder''s unique technique, the Cloud-engulfing Swordplay. Sure enough, he managed to display a power that was capable of engulfing mountains and rivers. The shadows of his sword overlapped and filled the sky. The sea of clouds around him immediately rolled over alongside the wind produced by the sword.


    Under the platform, everyone could watch the duel unfold with exceptional clarity through the mirrored image. Cries resounded immediately. Tens of Elders stroked their beards as they watched calmly. Though Xiao Chen had a firm grasp of his Qi refinement, Mo Yu nevertheless had a Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm cultivation. From the look of things, Xiao Chen''s chance of victory was small.


    Facing the Sword Qi that surged like violent waves of a turbulent sea, Xiao Chen concentrated on using his sword without showing any expression. Bai Ying''s words yesterday rang next to his ears: "Kid, Mo Yu is definitely superior to you in terms of explosive power since he has Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm cultivation. But when it comes to endurance, he''s far beneath you. So you must take up as much time as possible and wait for him to exhaust his True Energy¡­"


    With a clanging sound, Xiao Chen split open a burst of Sword Qi that attacked him. He made a point with the tip of his foot and flew more than ten feet backward. Mo Yu sneered and once again attacked, unleashing one killing technique after another.


    Their fight continued for half an hour. Xiao Chen remained wandering on the platform without going on the offensive. The voices below the platform resounded continuously. "What is he doing? If he can''t win, then he shouldn''t fight! Why bother running around?"


    The three princes were getting worried. Prince Zhao said, "What do you people know? This is what we call ''releasing the kite''! This is the most brilliant battle tactic!"


    "Tsk! Stop bullshitting! If he can''t win, just say so!" Naturally, he invited mocking replies.


    Right then, two disciples atop another high platform acted as if they had understood something. "Senior Brother Mo has powerful offensive means. He''s like an unstoppable army going down south. But look at Junior Brother Xiao. He has been retreating all along and had no way of fighting back under Senior Brother Mo''s rain of attacks. Is this the disparity between a Qi Refining Realm cultivator and a Foundation Building Realm cultivator¡­ Ah! Hurry and look! Junior Brother Xiao is finally fighting back¡­"


    Above the floating platform, the situation was finally changing. This time, Xiao Chen no longer dodged Mo Yu and answered the latter''s attack with his sword. In an instant, their swords met with a clang and emitted countless sparks.


    Unexpectedly, Mo Yu took two steps in retreat. He sneered and said solemnly, "Don''t think that you caught my Achilles'' heel. Let me tell you this. I''ve already sent people to kill those two yesterday. They can never come back and be your witnesses¡­"


    Xiao Chen laughed. He had never thought of using any sort of trick. People who sin would inevitably receive heavenly punishment. He had no need to expose Mo Yu''s ugly side.


    "Do you think I''ll similarly use thug-like methods to deal with people who use elixirs to catalyze their cultivation like you?" Sneering, Xiao Chen summoned enough True Energy to send Mo Yu flying a foot away.


    Immediately, surprised cries broke out below. The one who was explaining earlier was dumbstruck. "What?! Junior Brother Xiao actually sent Senior Brother Mo flying with a single move?"


    Mo Yu couldn''t help feeling startled after regaining his footing. The force in the attack earlier was absolutely not of Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm! This bastard had been hiding his strength to wait for him to exhaust his True Energy!


    Xiao Chen laughed coldly. "Then, Senior Brother Mo, I''m going to start fighting back now. Are you ready?!"

 Chapter 61 The Decisive Battle on the Floating Platform Part 2

    Chapter 61 The Decisive Battle on the Floating Platform (Part 2)


    As his voice fell, the long sword in Xiao Chen''s hand turned into a row of golden radiance and dashed out, bringing up a huge wave of wind. Mo Yu lifted his sword to block the attack. However, he had consumed too much energy before, so he could barely block this incredible attack. "Clan!" Finally, his Immortal''s Sword was broken into two pieces, and he was sent flying backward.


    The crowd burst into an uproar, and people exclaimed one after another. The First Elder trembled as cold sweat appeared between his brow. Chu Hanyan stood by his side, and her face also changed slightly.


    As for the dozen ordinary elders beneath them, they could not believe what they just saw. How could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator be sent flying by a Qi Refining Realm cultivator?


    Mo Yu landed on the ground, and he was still in shock. That blow was even mightier than his Lv 5 Foundation Building Realm attack. How could this be?!


    Xiao Chen smiled casually and said, "Men like you, who take pills to increase cultivation, will never understand why."


    "Humph. Is that so?" Blue veins stood out on Mo Yu''s forehead, and his eyes became horrifying. Suddenly, he thundered, "Earth Devil''s Blaze!"


    In a flash, the whole Floating Platform turned into a sea of fire. The blaze dashed into the sky with tumbling black smoke. Even the crowd on the ground felt the heat.


    As a result, cheers rose again. The eyes of the First Elder and the others burst out approving light. Among the disciples, only Mo Yu could wield Fire magic spells so well.


    "Humph. Are you going to fight with magic now? Unfortunately, I happen to know a little bit about Water magic spells."


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and jumped into the air. He then punched at the platform twice. In a split second, dragon roars shook the sky as two blue water dragons more than 100 meters long descended from the sky in an imposing, unstoppable manner.


    Looking at the two giant water dragons in the sky, the crowd was struck dumb. They then exclaimed, "Gosh! What spell is this? Can''t it be some long lost ancient spells?"


    This was the second move of the Dragon Roar Palm from the Mystic Cyan Sect: Water Dragon Roar.


    Mo Yu was horrified. How could there be such a powerful Water magic spell? Before he could think more, the blaze on the platform had been put out. Among the rising white mist, a figure rushed downward from above. Mo Yu could not react until he was kicked away.


    All the people on the ground held their breath. Xiao Chen''s attack just now was so quick.


    "Humph. You can defeat me in neither swordsmanship nor magic spells. As for martial arts? Humph. You can give up."


    Xiao Chen walked to him slowly with a smile on his face. It seemed that he had overestimated Mo Yu before. He supposed that Mo Yu''s cultivation was no higher than Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm and was too unsolid.


    "Hehehe..."


    Mo Yu wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth, and his face suddenly became very gloomy, while darkness appeared between his eyebrows. He said coldly, "Is this all you got?"


    Before his voice fell, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Xiao Chen, and kicked at Xiao Chen''s abdomen.


    Xiao Chen''s body twisted. Before he could react, he was already sent into the air. He felt like his bones were broken.


    "Whoo!" The crowd exclaimed again. The elders'' faces also changed. Mo Yu''s ophryon turned dark, and a faint, black air shrouded his arms. This was absolutely not a Cultivator''s skill! This was an evil, strange skill.


    "Let you taste my Blood-turning Devilish Skill!" Mo Yu smiled coldly and appeared behind Xiao Chen again.


    "Blood Devil Spell!" As his voice fell, countless rows of blood-red sword Qi rained down. Smoke and dust spread all over the platform, so the crowd could not see clearly what was happening above. But judging from the shaking degree of the platform, the sword Qi there were definitely unbearable for a normal cultivator.


    Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan, and some others had their hearts in their mouths. Murong Xian''er was also looking at the Floating Platform, murmuring, "Brother Xiao Chen..."


    Moments later, the platform quieted down. A bleak voice rose from above, "Humph. He''s dead. I, Mo Yu, win."


    Li Muxue and the others instantly turned pale. Tears burst out in Murong Xian''er''s eyes as she said, "Brother Xiao Chen..."


    No one spoke in the square, and there was no wind. Under such a formidable sword Qi attack, even if Xiao Chen had his "undead" body, he could not hold it.


    A gust of wind suddenly blew away the smoke and dust. At the next moment, the square burst out a heaven-shaking cheer and acclaim. No one could believe that Xiao Chen was still standing under such a horrible attack!


    A dozen ordinary elders were so excited that their bodies kept shaking. Even they could not block that kind of damage.


    Mo Yu''s face was full of horror and he kept mumbling, "Impossible! No way! How can you still be alive! Even if you are not hurt by the sword Qi, how could you withstand the death Qi of the Blood Devil Spell!?"


    Xiao Chen wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered coldly, saying, "Dead? Haven''t someone told you that I''ve got a nickname called ''Undead Body''? Things like death Qi is my favorite..."


    "I don''t believe it!" Mo Yu looked mad. He gave a battle cry and charged to Xiao Chen with his hand shaped as a claw.


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly and said, "It''s over." After saying so, he started chanting spells.


    "The 13th Devil-vanquishing Print of the Mystic Cyan Sect, Mystic Sky Print!"


    As his voice fell, a huge square, gold seal suddenly appeared in the air, and the runes on it were looming. The seal was dazzling and looked divine.


    Under the radiant light, Mo Yu felt his whole body was stinging. He hurriedly raised his sleeve to cover his eyes.


    Xiao Chen still kept the hand gesture that cast the print. He thundered coldly, "Bastard! You''ve practiced Devilish Skills. Today, Yi Chen, the first disciple of Immortal Miaoyin from the Yaoguang Temple on the Violet-night Peak of the Mystic Cyan Sect, will cut off your devilish root!"


    As his voice fell, the huge seal descended to Mo Yu. "Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle." His body had a light noise as teal smoke rose from it. His face twisted and he shouted, "No! Please let me go! Please..."


    The First Elder''s face changed and said, "Xiao Chen! Mercy!"


    When there were only three meters left to Mo Yu''s body, the seal stopped descending. Xiao Chen swung his sleeve and said coldly, "Today, I''ll spare you. You should do what you should do!" He then stepped down to the square.


    Under the leading of the three princes, cheers rose one after another.


    Mo Yu lay on the Floating Platform, seriously injured with blood stains all over his body and hair unkempt. A figure suddenly flew above. He raised his head and muttered, "Senior Sister Chu, I..."


    Chu Hanyan looked at him and shook her head, saying, "I''m going back to the Violet Manor. You take care of yourself." Her tone had a deep disappointment. She then rode on the sword, flying away.


    "Senior Sister Chu! Don''t leave me here!"


    Mo Yu wanted to get up and go after her, but he was drained. He then laughed madly before he shot a cold glance to the square and said coldly, "Humph. You forced me to do this..."

 Chapter 62 Raid of the Devilss Sects

    The square had already burst into an uproar. Countless Outer Disciples went congratulate Xiao Chen. Those who supported Mo Yu turned and left the square.


    "Brother Xiao Chen!" Murong Xian''er rushed to him with tears in her eyes. Xiao Chen wiped off the tears at the corners of her eyes and said softly, "It''s okay. Don''t cry."


    "Gosh! Such a beautiful girl. Brother Xiao, is she your junior sister?"


    A dozen elders were whispering, "The final move of that kid. Is that the long lost ancient skill? Where did he learn that?"


    "Who knows? I seem to have heard him talk about Yi Chen, the disciple of the Immortal of the Yaoguang Temple..."


    Seven days passed quickly. Today was the ceremony of Xiao Chen''s winning the name to be sent to the Violet Manor. It was not that noisy and bustling as last time with Mo Yu, and the Outer Disciples did not come up.


    The ceremony was very simple. It was mainly about informing Xiao Chen the things he needed to know about entering the Violet Manor. Two or three months later, the Three Pure Sect would open the Teleportation Formation, and there would be men in the Violet Manor to receive Xiao Chen. At the end of the ceremony, Xiao Chen took an oath that he would never do something to humiliate his master and sect or to turn against the righteous course.


    After the ceremony, Xiao Chen went back to Bai Ying. She smiled at him and sighed, saying, "Alas. Although I hate to part with you, I''ll still have to see you off..."


    Xiao Chen had a bitter smile. She said this as if she was marrying her daughter to someone. He said, "Rest assured. I will definitely come back to see Elder Bai!"


    Bai Ying smiled and looked at a piece of dark cloud that suddenly gathered on the horizon, saying, "The disciples sent there before had also said this..."


    "If I said I will come back, I will definitely come back!"


    Xiao Chen turned serious. He''s been here for about a year. He had never noticed that he had already developed some emotional ties to the Three Pure Sect, especially to Bai Ying, Luo Shangyan, and the others. He suddenly felt unwilling to leave.


    "Brother Xiao Chen!"


    Accompanied by Luo Shangyan, Li Muxue, and some others, Murong Xian''er rushed to him, bouncing. Xiao Chen stroked her hair and felt glad that she had forgotten the bad things that happened after she went out of her residence.


    Xiao Han, Xiao Wan''er, and some others also went to him and said, "Cousin, congrats. Please come back often!"


    Xiao Chen smiled and nodded. "Sure..."


    As his voice fell, the whole Lingtai Mountain suddenly shook violently as golden light shone in the sky and thunders rumbled.


    "What happened?" Every disciple was shocked and then rushed to the square.


    Bai Ying''s face changed and said, "Somebody is trying to break the defense formation of our sect!"


    "Brother Xiao Chen, what''s the matter?" Murong Xian''er tightly pulled Xiao Chen''s sleeve and said.


    Xiao Chen pulled her to his back in order to protect her. He always had had a bad feeling. It seemed that something bad was finally going to happen today.


    The mountain kept shaking. Judging from the offenders'' aura, his cultivation was apparently not low. Now that the Sect Leader was out there investigating the Demonic Flowers, and there had been no news from him for a year, the five elders were panic.


    The First Elder calmed down and yelled, "Every disciple, ready to form a sword formation! Foundation Building Realm disciples, follow me to reinforce the defensive formation."


    Before his voice fell, a huge rumble sounded. Right after that, three rows of sword radiance fell to the square. All of the defensive formations of the Lingtai Mountain were broken by these three men in a split second.


    "Elder Yan, long time no see. Isn''t the Sect Leader, Zixu, here in the sect?"


    The First Elder''s body shook. He said with shivers, "Perfected Immortal Dao Feng, you''ve destroyed the defensive formation and broke into the Three Pure Sect. What do you want?"


    The comer was the three major elders of the Skygale Sect: Daofeng, Gongye, Changle. All of them were at the late Core Forming Realm, and they''d just ended their seclusions.


    Perfected Immortal Daofeng swung his sleeve and said, "How dare you ask me? Three months ago, it was Xingzhen Zi that destroyed the gold elixir of Yunyin!"


    Everybody''s faces fell upon hearing this, and they looked at the Second Elder. He stepped forth and said calmly, "I''m afraid that there''s a misunderstanding. That day, I did follow them. But I did this to make sure that Perfected Immortal Yunyin can leave safe and sound. But on my way, I''ve noticed a huge amount of blood in the grass. I''m afraid..."


    "Nonsense!" Perfected Immortal Gongye had a bad temper. He said coldly, "Two disciples of our sect saw this personally. You destroyed Yunyin''s gold elixir. If Yunyin did not manage to use Earth-fleeing Skill to escape, the disciples would also die in your hands!"


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows furrowed tightly. The Second Elder was never a man who liked killing. There must be something going on. Bai Ying snorted coldly and said, "People can always find an excuse to blame someone. The Skygale Sect has been planning to destroy our sect for years. But today, with only three of you here..."


    Before she could finish, the First Elder immediately thundered, "Shut up!" He then looked at Perfected Immortal Daofeng and said, "There must be something wrong. In my humble opinion, we should report this issue to the Immortals'' League in the Violet Manor and let them investigate. You have broken our formation, which is already a violation of the regulation of the Immortals'' League!"


    The First Elder had no choice. Without the Sect Leader, he could only hope that the three comers fear the Immortals'' League. If they really ended up in a fight, the elders might survive, but many of the 2,000 disciples would die.


    Daofeng and the other two people fell silent. They had their purposes here today. How could they report this to the Violet Manor?


    There was utter silence. All of a sudden, someone exclaimed, "What happened?! I can''t run my True Energy!"


    Among the crowd, an elder went pale in panic. He was an ordinary elder of the Three Pure Sect.


    "Me neither!"


    The whole square gradually fell into chaos. The Fourth Elder, Fifth Elder, Second Elder, and First Elder realized that they could not run their True Energy one after another. The First Elder went pale and pointed at Daofeng, saying, "You! Are you really going to ignore the law of the Immortals'' League and shed blood in our place?"


    Bai Ying looked terrible because she was also not able to run her True Energy. It seemed that the Mystic Skill of every elder of the Three Pure Sect was sealed at the same time.


    Nearly thousands of disciples began to panic. Now that their elders'' cultivation was sealed, they might very well end up dead. Xiao Chen held Bai Ying and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Her forehead was covered with cold sweat, her face pale. She shook her head and said, "We are under the effect of the Illusive-Immortal Incense, and we can''t run our True Energy in four hours. There''s a rat in our sect." She then looked at the Daofeng and the other two people, saying, "No wonder today you openly came here to challenge. It turns out that you''ve already arranged someone in our sect."


    Perfected Immortal Daofeng frowned and said, "Don''t you speak nonsense. We have nothing to do with this."


    At this moment, a voice rose from below, "Report!" A youth in white rushed uphill in a hurry and said, "We are under attack down the mountain! There''s a large number of the Devil''s sects'' members! All disciples on Sunset Peak have been killed!" He then started to sob.


    "What?!"


    Everybody''s faces changed. The fifth elder''s body shook, and he almost could not stand straight. The First Elder looked pale and terrible. He pointed at Daofeng and said, "You... You even collude with the Devil''s Practice!"


    Daofeng and the other two people also trembled, their faces changed suddenly. Perfected Immortal Gongye said, "Don''t make an unfounded attack on us. We came here on ourselves. We''ve never colluded with the Devil''s Practice!"


    Xiao Chen could only hear a drone in the ears. He instantly rushed to the youth in white who had reported the message and grabbed his collar, saying, "Did you just say that everybody on the Sunset Peak was killed..."


    The young man''s face was already covered with tears. He blankly nodded his head.


    Xiao Chen loosened his grip as he felt his vision spinning and he could not stand straight. Three princes and Lil Ruo were all on the Sunset Peak...


    "Hahahahaha..."


    A burst of laughter came from the skyline as a piece of dark cloud gathered quickly. There were a large number of people on the cloud wearing strange clothes and holding weird weapons. Obviously, they were not from a Cultivators'' sect.


    In a flash, darkness shrouded the Lingtai Mountain which was bright and clear before. Countless dark clouds gathered here from all directions. In the rolling dark clouds, countless people suddenly appeared. Before long, they had surrounded the Black Dragon Peak.


    These people moved quickly, so they came prepared.


    The faces of the disciples on the square changed. Those standing on dark clouds were all evil men from the Devils'' sects! Since when did so many of them come to the Three Pure Sect?!


    A few other pieces of dark clouds quickly approached, and there were only a few people standing on it. The leading character was a bewitchingly pretty man in red with red hair and lips. Beside him was a man in a black cloak. A black fog covered the area under his hood, so people could not see his face.


    There was also a voluptuous woman with exposed clothes who kept smiling.


    Behind them were a few disciples of the Devils'' sects. They carried several big black bags, which showed countless faces as horrible shrieks rose from the inside.


    The First Elder trembled and said, "You... You are the Mystic Dark Sect!"


    The man in red laughed to the sky and said, "It''s been 60 years since the war on the Mount Qi. I didn''t expect that First Elder Yan still remembers us. Hahaha!"


    The Mystic Dark Sect was the strongest Devils'' sect on Mount Qi. Back then, the Cultivators'' sects had joined forces, encircled Mount Qi, and annihilated them. They had been recovering their strength over these years hiding outside the Nine Provinces. Now, they had come back.


    Several elders'' faces were completely pale. They could not run their True Energy in four hours. How could their disciples withstand the attack of these evil men?


    "Speaking of which, it was Perfected Immortal Daofeng that had tremendously helped our sect." The sexy woman on the cloud looked at Daofeng and said in a charming voice.


    Perfected Immortal Daofeng now realized that Yunyin died in the hands of the Mystic Dark Sect. They planned to let Daofeng break the defensive formation of the Three Pure Sect.


    The Anti-devil formation of the Three Pure Sect was especially effective for those who practiced the Devils'' cultivation methods. Usually, they would immediately perish once they approached the formation. Even those high-level Devils'' cultivator could not break it.


    The man in red smiled gently and said to the First Elder, "Yan Li, the souls of a thousand disciples on the Sunset Peak are in my hand. Are you still not going to tell us the crack method to the Immortal-slaying Formation?"


    The bags in the hands of several disciples carried all souls of the Outer Disciples from the Sunset Peak. Horrible shrieks kept rising from the bags, making people''s hair rise on end.


    Xiao Chen now realized that these people wanted to utilize the Earth Spiritual Meridian below the Lingtai Mountain. The sexy woman said with a smile, "It''s all right if you don''t tell us. The souls of two thousand disciples of yours are enough to break the Immortal-slaying Formation."


    Upon hearing this, the disciples on the square started to panic. Many of them unleashed their Immortal''s swords. However, the man in red waved his hand, and all flying swords were broken.


    "You have 30 minutes to think about this." The woman smiled and casually snatched two Inner Disciples. Before the two disciples could scream, their souls were collected to the black bags.

 Chapter 63 Devil

    The remaining nearly one-thousand-strong Inner Disciples were plunged into despair and panic. Xiao Chen carefully guarded the people behind him. He was no match for the demon followers of the Devil''s Practice atop of the dark clouds. Meanwhile, the coquettish man and woman were at least in the later stage of the Core Forming Realm. The mysterious cloaked man who had been silent all along was even more unfathomable.


    First Elder slapped on a sheepish, bitter smile."It''s fate that the Fortune of our Three Pure Sect has run out, but can you tell me how did you all drug us with the Mystical Immortal Fragrance?"


    The coquettish man smiled gently. "You must direct that question at your dear disciple."


    A disciple of the Devils'' sects appeared from behind him. The man slowly took down the hood of his cloak. It was Mo Yu. Right then, he had the mark of the devil''s seal between his eyebrows as well as black lips. He had clearly fallen for the Devil''s Practice.


    "How could it be Senior Brother Mo?!"


    Everyone was in disbelief. First Elder was even trembling. Not even in his wildest dreams would he have imagined his most trusted disciple would be a spy of the Devil''s Practice.


    "Yu''er... You! You...!" He spat out a mouthful of blood. Fourth Elder, who stood next to him, immediately supported him before shooting Mo Yu a glare. "Mo Yu, the Three Pure Sect has treated you well. How could you do such a thing?!"


    "Treat me well?" Mo Yu looked up and burst out laughing. He then gave Fourth Elder a sharp look. "You people forced my hand! I''m the one who''s supposed to enter the Violet Manor but I don''t need you to send me there now. The Sacred Sect will send me to the Violet Manor, hahaha..."


    Countless disciples below began pleading with him. "Senior Brother Mo, please consider the fact that we were once disciples of the same sect and let us go! Did you forget that you personally brought us into the sect...?"


    However, Mo Yu turned a deaf ear and scanned the people below coldly. Xiao Chen clenched his fingers so tightly that they creaked from the pressure. He hated himself for not killing Mo Yu on the Floating Platform. It was his fault for being soft-hearted then and harmed the three princes and Lil Ruo...


    Moments later, Mo Yu looked coldly at Dao Feng and the other two. "Three Perfected Immortals of the Skygale Sect, you can leave now. This doesn''t involve you anymore."


    Dao Feng and his two companions hesitated. The coquettish man and woman were easy to deal with, but the cloaked man terrified them. They had no choice but to drop their goal today.


    Perfected Immortal Dao Feng looked at Mo Yu before pointing to Xiao Chen. "We won''t participate in the affairs of your sect, but we must take this person away."


    Mo Yu sneered, "Don''t think that I don''t know what the hell your Skygale Sect is up to. You can''t take him. Choose one or two from the rest as a thank-you for today."


    Perfected Immortal Gong Ye was furious, "Two? Are we a charity case?"


    "Like it or not, it''s up to you! If you don''t want it, scram!" Mo Yu bellowed coldly. He couldn''t even be bothered to give them a second look.


    Perfected Immortal Dao Feng raised his hand and stopped Gong Ye from talking. "Fine. We''ll take two." He then scanned the crowd.


    The disciples were looking at Dao Feng and the other two, hoping that they would be chosen to be taken away. However, Dao Feng''s gaze didn''t fall on them but on Murong Xian''er and Luo Shangyan standing behind Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen instantly knew something bad was about to happen. He couldn''t stop it even though he wanted to. Dao Feng crossed the distance and swiftly captured Murong Xian''er and Luo Shangyan.


    "Ah! Brother Xiao Chen, save me!"


    "Xian''er! Senior Sister Luo!" Xiao Chen made a move, about to chase after them. The coquettish man in the midair lifted his sleeve, producing a burst of strong wind that sent him straight back. "Only two can leave. The rest must stay!"


    Dao Feng looked at the Elders, "From today onward, these two are the disciples of the Skygale Sect. They no longer have anything to do with the Three Pure Sect." The three of them immediately stepped on their swords and directly flew up the sky.


    "Xian''er!" Xiao Chen''s eyes widened but there was nothing that he could do. Xiao Han tugged at him and said softly, "Maybe it''s the safest outcome for them to leave now."


    Xiao Chen turned around and looked at Mo Yu who hovered in midair, his eyes full of anger. He wanted nothing more than to break Mo Yu into pieces. Mo Yu sneered at him and said, "I told you a long ago that when an ant climbs to a place that it doesn''t belong to, it must prepare to be trampled. You''re now being trampled by me."


    "I''ll kill you!" Xiao Chen rose into the sky and hit him with his palm. However, before he could approach, the coquettish man flicked his sleeve and sent him flying back.


    "That''s enough. It''s been half an hour. Elder Yan, have you thought it over?" the coquettish man asked placidly while looking at First Elder.


    First Elder smiled miserably. "Hehe! Back then, the Immortal King tried to prevent you Devil practitioners from stealing the Spiritual Meridian. Did you think the Immortal King will leave a loophole?"


    "Is that so? Well, excuse me. We''ll have to take the souls of 2,000 of your disciples and see if we can break the formation." The coquettish man casually moved his fingers to cast a spell, conjuring a large pouch out of thin air. In a flash, he summoned the souls of more than twenty people.


    "Stop!" Bai Ying yelled. Out of the twenty people whose souls were stolen earlier, one of them was her disciple, Cheng Ying.


    Xiao Wan''er hid behind Xiao Chen and clasped her mouth as she witnessed Cheng Ying''s soul being taken away. She tried her best to not make a sound as she cried.


    "Stop?" Mo Yu sneered. With a stretch of his hand, he crossed space to grab Bai Ying''s neck. "Bai Ying, oh, Bai Ying. You didn''t think you''ll fall to this state, did you? If you kneel down and beg me now, perhaps I can spare your life."


    Bai Ying shot him a sharp glare. "Mo Yu, you bullied your teachers and destroyed your ancestors. The heavens will not look kindly upon you. When the Sect Leader returns one day, he''ll punish you even if he has to chase you to the ends of the earth!"


    Second Elder was panicking as well. "Mo Yu! Let go of your Martial Uncle!"


    Mo Yu ignored him and continued looking at Bai Ying. "Are you referring to Old Taoist Zi Xu? Who knows if his bones have even turned to ashes by now. Maybe he can''t come back anymore..."


    In the end, he sniffed Bai Ying''s neck and took a deep breath. "How fragrant. I wonder if your Immortal Body tastes better than those of ordinary women..."


    "What... What are you trying to do?!"


    "Of course, it''s to have a taste of you. I''m sure you''ve had your fun with your little disciple several times. Why don''t you let everyone see what you really look like today..." Mo Yu smiled wickedly. He stretched out his hand, wanting to tear the clothing covering her chest.


    Right then, a cold voice came from the ground. "Let her go..."


    Everyone felt a freezing coldness near instantly, a cold murderous intention. It came from Xiao Chen.


    Black mist shrouded Xiao Chen as he let his True Qi flow. He was currently activating the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment that he accidentally learned when he was at the Xiao family''s ancestral tomb.


    He instantly released a burst of powerful Devil Qi, so strong that it was almost suffocating. Right then, he looked more like a devil than those people atop the dark clouds in the air, like a devil from the ancient times!


    Everyone was terrified. What the hell was going on?! How could Junior Brother Xiao enter the Devil''s Practice as well? This time, the mysterious cloaked man who had been silent all this time finally moved.


    Mo Yu looked up and burst out laughing. He pointed to the Elders below. "See? Did you see? The person you''re sending to the Purple Manor is also a person following the Devil''s Practice! Hahaha!"


    The Elders had long gone pale. No one, including Bai Ying, spoke. Only Xiao Chen''s cold voice reverberated, "I said to let her go..."


    "What if I don''t?" Mo Yu sneered.


    "Die!" Xiao Chen spat. In an instant, he rushed into the air. The coquettish woman immediately tried to stop him but didn''t expect herself to be thrown to the ground with a single punch. The man with her was sent flying while vomiting blood after suffering a palm attack.


    Mo Yu''s expression changed drastically. Then, the mysterious cloaked man finally made his move. He instantly appeared in front of Xiao Chen and their palms met, targeting bursts of dense black Qi at each other.


    Xiao Chen retreated about three feet away and said coldly, "Give me your name!"


    The cloaked man said in a low voice, "The Dharma Protector of the Xuanyin Sect, Feng You!" The sound was incomparably hollow and so much black Qi swirled under his hood that his face couldn''t be seen. This person wasn''t an ordinary person who had gone to the dark side but a true devil. He was a genuine devil practitioner.


    "Leave everyone''s souls behind and get out of here," Xiao Chen said in a cold voice. Even though he was operating the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment, he knew what he was doing because he was able to maintain his rationality.


    "That will have to depend on whether you have this ability," Feng You said. Suddenly, he divided into three, producing two doppelgangers.


    Two doppelgangers possessed the complete strength of the main body. Feng You had no need to act personally as the two doppelgangers were enough to keep Xiao Chen fully occupied. Right now, he was carefully observing Xiao Chen, trying to figure out why the latter possessed such a familiar smell. It was the smell of that person.


    Below, the Elders also experienced a drastic change in expression. They had never heard of a terrifying person named Feng You in the Xuanyin Sect.


    The battle had gone on for half an hour. Xiao Chen was completely helpless against Feng You''s two doppelgangers. He made yet another transformation of the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment, once again producing the overwhelming devil Qi. This time, the black mist didn''t just shroud him; it filled the entire sky. Even his pupils gradually turned a dark purple. His breath immediately exploded, magnifying by several times. With a wave of his hand, he instantly killed twenty of the disciples of the Devils'' sects near him.


    Xiao Wan''er and others had long become dumbfounded by then. Who was that man in the sky? Was it the Xiao Chen that they knew or was it a devil?


    With a sneer, Feng You muttered to himself, "So it''s true..." Then, he retrieved his two doppelgangers and personally attacked Xiao Chen.


    Following a thunderous explosion, dark clouds gathered in the sky. The shock of the collision sent Xiao Chen flying more than ten feet away. He clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "What''s wrong? Back then, that person didn''t even hesitate in inviting death in order to help that woman resurrect you. Is that all you''ve got?"


    Xiao Chen steadied himself. "What are you talking about?! What resurrection?!"


    "Hehe. Looks like you don''t know anything. That''s fine too." While speaking, Feng You launched two fierce palms at Xiao Chen. The latter was completely helpless against the attacks and spat out blood once again. This person''s Palm Strength was likely above the Nascent Soul Realm!


    Right then, Xiao Chen was a little unsteady on his footing. He couldn''t make another transformation of the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment again or he would really fall to the dark side. He was trying his best to make his mind clear with the Mystic Sacred Writ but was distracted after hearing the person''s talk of resurrection.


    "Answer me!" Xiao Chen charged at the man with a roar. He triggered three changes in his Mystic Diabolic Enchantment and the demonic fire flared monstrously. This time, he shrouded the entire Black Dragon Peak with his devil Qi.


    Feng You took the blow and couldn''t stop himself from taking several steps back.


    Xiao Chen''s consciousness was a little blurry at this point. However, when he looked at the distant Bai Ying, it was like seeing his master Ling Yin. He mustn''t let his mind fall into disorder, never. His master was still in the enemy''s hands. He mustn''t let his mind fall into disorder!


    "Soul-as-blade!" With a loud shout, an a-hundred-feet-long black demonic sword suddenly appeared in the sky. Dark clouds gathered and lightning thundered. It was none other than the third transformation of the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment, the Soul-as-blade. It was a fatal attack that used true souls as a sacrifice.

 Chapter 64 The Infiltration Plan

    Everyone standing on the ground immediately turned pale. If this sword fell, it would likely destroy the entire square in an instant. No one would be able to survive.


    The incomparably vast sword fell like the wind amidst a backdrop of thunder. In a flash, it eclipsed heaven and earth. The entire Lingtai Mountain began shaking. The dilapidated houses and temples collapsed under the impact of this mighty force. Countless disciples of the Devils'' sects in the air were cut by the power on the edge of the soul blade before they could flee.


    A loud explosion resounded as the sword finally fell, instantly producing countless cracks in the floor of the square and filling the sky with dust. Feng You clutched his chest after this attack, looking as if he had suffered a heavy injury. The countless disciples of the Devils'' sects turned into a bloody fog under the remnant force of this impact.


    However, the Three Pure Sect disciples on the ground didn''t suffer any harm whatsoever because a Barrier suddenly appeared above them.


    Two sword radiances appeared in the sky, one blue and the other purple. They swiftly landed on the square and turned into two white-bearded elders. One was dressed in a green robe, carrying a zither case. The other was dressed in a purple robe. It was the old guardian of the library on the Star-picking Peak.


    The Elders of the Three Pure Sect finally relaxed after seeing the two people. Feng You sneered, "So the two Perfected Immortals of the Three Pure Sect have arrived. It''s been a long time, Zither Saint Qing Feng, Unfettered Gentleman Zi Mo."


    Qing Feng said coldly, "This isn''t a place that you should come to." When he reached the end of his sentence, he suddenly slammed his Cloud-piercing Palm on Feng You. With a ripping sound, the latter''s cloak was torn into countless fragments and a little mannequin slowly fell to the ground.


    "So it''s a doppelganger puppet. Here I was wondering how could he come to the Human World..." Zi Mo said to himself. Then, with a twist of his hand, the bag containing the souls of thousands of disciples fell into his hands. The rest of the disciples of the Devils'' sects hastily fled. Mo Yu had stealthily left a long time ago, once he had the hunch that things were about to go wrong.


    Xiao Chen, still shrouded in black mist, staggered toward Bai Ying step by step. "M... Master..."


    Bai Ying''s face had gone deathly pale since a long ago. He looked at him and murmured, "You''re the devil... the devil in my dream..." She subsequently fainted. Xiao Chen wanted to pick her up but his vision turned black and he passed out beside her. The black fog gradually dispersed.


    "Sigh..." Exhaling a long sigh, Qing Feng walked to the both of them. "Senior Brother, I''ll leave this to you. I''m bringing this child to Sky Mountain."


    Zi Mo looked at Xiao Chen, who fainted on the ground. "This youngster is good-natured. You''re not going to kill him, are you? Or are you going to seal his Spiritual Meridian again this time?"


    "Sigh..." Qing Feng sighed once again. He rolled up his sleeves and picked up Xiao Chen. He was about to turn around and leave when Li Muxue rushed up to him. "Elder, wait!" She looked at Xiao Chen. "He''s not a devil..."


    Qing Feng didn''t reply. He turned into a sword radiance and pierced the sky. Zi Mo said, "It''s okay, Lil Xue. My Junior Brother has always been soft-hearted..."


    Right then, First Elder walked over to them. He looked at the Soul Pouch in Zi Mo''s hand and said in a trembling voice, "Is there... hope for them?"


    "They''ll live after we return their souls to their bodies. It''s not difficult to do."


    ...


    After an uncertain amount of time, Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes. He heard the sound of zither beside his ears while he was unconscious. The sound of the zither was carefree and as soothing as the river flow. It was incredibly calming.


    "Master!" He sat up in shock. Just now, he had a dream that he incarnated into a devil that killed everyone in the Three Pure Sect.


    Suddenly, a terrible pain exploded within his body. He was surprised to find that he could no longer operate his True Energy. He looked around and found himself in a small bamboo house about ten meters wide. The walls were bare. Though the house was simple and crude, it was also pure and free from vulgarity. Outside, the melodious sound of zither flowed like spring water.


    He slowly recalled what happened that day. He had used the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment and eventually displayed the heaven-defying, life-robbing move of it...


    Moments later, he slowly got down from the bed. He picked up a bamboo stick on the ground and staggered to the door. He pushed the door open gently and felt a fragrant air hit his face. Two or three peach blossom petals drifted into the room with the wind.


    In front of the house was a forest of peach blossom trees. Inside the forest, an old man sat cross-legged in front of the Jade Zither. The gray hair that fell loosely on his shoulders danced in the wind. His blue and white Taoist robe was untouched even by the tiniest speck of dust.


    "You''re awake."


    "Did you save me, Senior?"


    "You haven''t recovered yet. Go back to your room and have a rest."


    Seven days later, Xiao Chen felt a little better but he still couldn''t trigger his True Energy. When he walked out today, he saw two newly-built houses on the left and right of the bamboo house. In front of the houses was a peach forest. Behind was a bamboo forest. Though the three bamboo houses were crude, they carried an air of inexplicable tranquility and serenity.


    In the distance, the clear creek babbled. On both sides of the creek were towering mountain peaks. The spring water seemed to be pouring from the dome, accompanied by the singing of orioles and sunshine. It turned out that this place was close to the top of the mountain.


    When he found Qing Feng, he made a gentle salute. "Was it you who sealed my Spiritual Meridian, Senior?" Though he had fainted that day, he didn''t completely lose consciousness and vaguely heard Zi Mo''s words.


    Qing Feng pressed on the string of zither and ended the song. "That''s right."


    "Can you tell me why?"


    Back then when he learned from Mu Chengxue that someone had deliberately sealed his Spiritual Meridian, he wanted nothing more than to rip the perpetrator to shreds. He had changed his mind now. Instead, he had gained some respect for the man in front of him.


    Qing Feng took a deep breath. "Sit down. I''ll tell you slowly."


    Two hours later, Xiao Chen stood up with a myriad of expressions crossing his face. Finally, he gave a respectful salute. "I see. Thank you for saving my life back then."


    "I''ve removed the devil Qi in your body. You must never use Devilish Skills again in the future, especially the three transformations of the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment. Do you understand?"


    "I understand."


    More than a month passed. It was now March in the Human World. The peach blossoms were bloomed even more brilliantly. With Qing Feng''s help, Xiao Chen''s skills were restored to their original condition.


    Today, he must leave this place and return to the Three Pure Sect. Even though he had learned that everyone was fine, he still wanted to go back and take a look. More importantly, he wanted to go to the Skygale Sect to rescue Luo Shangyan and Murong Xian''er.


    Back at the Three Pure Sect, he was glad to hear that the three princes and the rest were able to live despite the damage to their souls. Meanwhile, Lil Ruo wasn''t captured that day. Xiao Chen found Bai Ying in the Moon-watch Pavilion and walked over with light steps.


    "Master..."


    What happened that day was still vivid in his mind. Bai Ying tilted her head. "I''m not your master."


    "Then I''d better call you Elder Bai."


    "Stinky brat..."


    Xiao Chen smiled. Seeing Bai Ying that day was like seeing his master, Ling Yin. However, he knew that they couldn''t be the same person.


    ...


    "You''ll be leaving for the Purple Manor in another seven days. Have you thought it through?"


    "Yes. I must go and rescue Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er."


    Xiao Chen learned not only what happened these few days, but also the identities of Qing Feng and Zi Mo. As members of the Three Pure Sect of the Purple Manor, it was impossible for them to demand Luo Shangyan and Xian''er from the Skygale Sect on his behalf. Doing so might cause a feud between the two sects within the Purple Manor.


    Next, he looked for Xiao Han and the rest. Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Wan''er and solemnly said, "Let''s move separately. I''ll go to the Skygale Sect while you guys help me take Lil Ruo back to the Xiao family house. Remember, Xiao Wan''er, you''re a cultivator now. The chieftain isn''t here now, so you must protect the Xiao family house until I come back."


    "But... Cousin Brother, aren''t you coming back with us?" Xiao Wan''er was now in Lv 5 Qi Refining Realm. She was basically peerless in the martial arts circle of the Human World but she was used to relying on someone else.


    Xiao Han held a map in his hand. "The Skygale Sect is far on the South Sea, but you can''t handle it alone. Let me go with you."


    "I''m going too! I''m going too!" Shangguan Yan appeared very excited.


    Li Muxue frowned. "I know some healing techniques. Why don''t I go with you as well?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "I''m infiltrating the place this time and secretly taking the hostages away, not swaggering in. I''ll surely attract attention if I go with so many people."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''ve made a comprehensive plan during your absence." Xiao Han laid the map flat on the table and pointed to a small spot near the South Sea. "This is Sang Town. The townsfolk will send supplies to the Skygale Sect every month. This month happens to be the day the sect recruit new members. We can easily infiltrate in and return to Sang Town with the cargo ship one month later."


    Later on, they agreed that Xiao Wan''er would return to the Xiao family house with Lil Ruo while Xiao Chen, Xiao Han, and Shangguan Yan would infiltrate the Skygale Sect for the rescue mission. Li Muxue would be providing support at Sang Town in case there was any change in plan.


    The next day, the party set off immediately. Three days later, Xiao Chen and four others arrived in Sang Town. The town was located in the South Sea. There were countless people who go out to sea every year to search for immortals and seek advice but few returned.


    Many large ships were docked at the pier, one of which was engraved with a Yin-and-Yang cosmological diagram. They exchanged looks and found a nearby inn to stay. The staff of the inn was so terribly busy recently that it took them more than thirty minutes to send several dishes up to their room.


    The ground and first floor were full of diners engaged in enthusiasm conversations. These people came from all over the world and their topic of discussion was mostly about the recruitment of the Skygale Sect.


    When night fell, it gradually quieted down outside. The waves lapped on the shore, one after another. Xiao Chen, Shangguan Yan, and Li Muxue was sitting in the room. Before long, Xiao Han returned with a package in hand.


    Inside the package were some easy-to-use props and three delicate small bamboo slips, each with a name written on it.


    "The number of new students in the Skygale Sect has been determined. Here are three identification bamboo slips."


    Xiao Chen picked up a bamboo slip with the name "Han Chen" on it and frowned. "Did you kill these three people?"


    "They won''t survive anyway." Xiao Han''s tone was placid. He then looked at Xiao Chen. "The Skygale Sect has been recruiting more and more disciple lately but these people all disappeared. They were said to have been sent to the Purple Manor but do you think that''s possible?"


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help worrying about Huangfu Xin''er after hearing his words. It had probably been a year since she entered the Skygale Sect.


    The next day, the sound of a bugle horn came from the pier before dawn. They immediately felt refreshed. Xiao Han looked at Li Muxue. "Princess, you''ll have to suffer a little for now. If we don''t return after a month, please go back and inform Senior Zi Mo."


    Li Muxue shook her head. "It''s no big deal." She then looked at Xiao Chen. "Please be careful."


    Outside, the sky was still a sea of azure. They could see numerous dimly-lit figures lining up in the distance, heading for a big ship. It was the big ship with the Yin-and-Yang cosmological diagram. Xiao Chen and the other two joined the queue. There were people at the pier checking the bamboo slips and people were only allowed to go up the ship after passing the examination.


    When it came to their turn, the examiner suddenly raised his hand. "Wait."

 Chapter 65 Huangfu Xinser

    Raising his guard, Xiao Chen put on a smile. "Senior Brother, is there a problem?"


    "Are you the Han brothers?"


    "Yes. I''m Han Chen. This is my brother, Han Feng," Xiao Chen replied with a smile as he pointed to Xiao Han next to him.


    "Hm, not bad. Go on in."


    The three people successfully entered the cabin. The cold sea wind assailed their noses with the pungent fishy smell. It wasn''t until dawn that the ship left the shore and sailed into the endless sea. There were about four to five hundred people on board. Besides the sailors and some seniors of the Skygale Sect, the rest of them were this year''s new disciples.


    This wasn''t like the recruitment of the Three Pure Sect. Most of the recruits were outstanding ones from smaller sects. They had more or less some foundation in cultivation, with some even reaching the middle-stage of the Qi Refining Realm. This caused everyone to look at one another with some arrogance.


    The ship sailed on the sea for an entire day and night. The wind was calm and the waves were quiet. The Senior Brothers of the Skygale Sect were constantly talking to the recruits, either telling them the deeds of their sect and the Purple Manor or teaching them some basic training methods. They didn''t put on airs and were rather easy-going.


    When dusk fell, the hull suddenly shook violently. Everyone became a little uneasy. Then, a dozen senior brothers stood up to maintain order. "Don''t panic, everyone. Please remain on your seats and don''t run around."


    "Roar!" Suddenly, there was a deafening roar and the whole ship shook even more violently. The sea that was calm only minutes before had given rise to tall waves that rose hundreds of feet high. It was as if the sea was demonstrating that the heavenly power of nature shouldn''t be easily violated.


    Just as everyone was alarmed, a shadow of lightning in the water swam toward the ship. There was a loud bang and the whole ship was nearly overturned by the unknown creature. Everyone screamed and began fleeing in a panic.


    Suddenly, there was a loud crash and a legendary weather-controlling dragon came out of the water. The dragon was twenty feet long, with green scales, five claws, and a bearded horn on its head. No one had ever seen such a fierce beast before. For a moment, they were completely petrified.


    Xiao Chen noticed that than the dozen of Skygale Sect disciples weren''t in a hurry and presumed that this rain-summoning dragon to be a sort of mythological animal that was responsible for protecting the mountain. It wouldn''t truly hurt anyone. It seemed like they were about to reach the Skygale Sect.


    "Roar!" Following yet another roar, a column of water of dozens of feet high crashed on them. The impact shook the hull and nearly overturned the ship again. Water columns attacked one after another. Before long, a foot-deep of water had accumulated inside the cabin. If this continued, the ship would soon sink.


    Everyone had been deathly terrified since the beginning. The dozens of Senior Brothers realized that something seemed to be wrong. One of the more courageous ones ran up to the deck and saluted the dragon. "Please calm down, Dragon Lord! The ship is full of new disciples of our sect this year."


    With a loud bellow, the dragon finally stopped attacking. It swam to the front of the ship quickly and looked at the new disciples inside one by one through the porthole. The disciples were so terrified to see such a large dragon head that they didn''t even dare to breathe. After a long time, the dragon appeared to not to have noticed anything and returned to the bottom of the water with a roar.


    With calm restored in the sea, the crowd was finally relieved. The dozens of Senior Brothers had been so nervous that they were sweating, unable to comprehend why the Dragon Lord would act so abnormally today.


    "Don''t be afraid, everyone. That was the divine beast of the Skygale Sect earlier. It''s welcoming all of you Junior Brothers."


    A young man exhaled slowly. "Er... It''s better to have less of such welcomes." Everyone burst into laughter. It seemed like they didn''t realize that they had almost died in the sea.


    The ship sailed for a little longer before they saw an island. At first, it was only the size of a millstone. It wasn''t until the ship got near that Xiao Chen discovered that the island was as big as Cloud City.


    Hundreds of people set foot on the island one after another. The scenic island was covered in lush greenery. In the center was a large mountain. Some buildings on the mountain were hidden in the clouds. That was probably where the Skygale Sect was located.


    Looking at the looming buildings amidst the clouds, Xiao Chen''s frown gradually deepened. Was Huangfu Xin''er up there? He hadn''t seen her for more than two years. He had no idea how she was doing. whether she had entered the Foundation Building Realm, whether she still remembered what she once said...


    He shook his head and put aside these emotions. His main purpose this time was rescuing Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er.


    One of the Senior Brothers stepped forward. "Be quiet, everyone. We must ascend the mountain before dark. There are various Barrier formations placed along the way. Stay close and don''t leave the team."


    Thus, under the leadership of more than a dozen of Senior Brothers, hundreds of people marched up the mountain. Xiao Chen couldn''t help wondering whether the Skygale Sect was really so desperate for disciples that they would omit the examination.


    At the same time, the faint sound of zither resounded in a certain courtyard on the mountain.


    "Today I long to part with the willow trees; my words are accompanied by tears. He meets a stranger by a chance but doesn''t get to know her. There are no affectionless people in this world, only those who have no feelings for you..."


    Every line of the song was sung in such a broken-hearted way as the melody drifted far away. Under a tree, a young woman in a green dress played the zither with rapt attention. The gentle breeze caressed her sorrowful brows.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard. A red-clothed young woman of seventeen or eighteen, with a green frosted sword hanging from her waist, came in. Behind her was another five or six young men and women.


    The sound of zither stopped.


    "Huangfu Xin''er! Who allowed you to play zither here?" the red-clothed woman shouted.


    "Su Wan, I''m playing zither in my own courtyard. What does it have to do with you?" the young woman replied placidly as she raised her head. She was none other than Huangfu Xin''er.


    Su Wan sneered, "Your courtyard? Don''t you know your name isn''t on next month''s entrance list for the Violet Manor?"


    "What did you say?"


    Su Wan gave a strange laugh. "Before, you have Senior Brother Qin watching out for you. Now he has returned to the Violet Manor and Master is still in retreat. You''d better be obedient and give up the spot to enter the Violet Manor."


    "Impossible." Huangfu Xin''er refused succinctly.


    Glaring at her, Su Wan unsheathed the sword hanging from her waist. She pointed it at Huangfu Xin''er. "I''m the eldest daughter of the Su family. What''s a disciple of a fallen aristocratic family like you worth? You dare tell me no?"


    Following the flash of a cold glint, Huangfu Xin''er drew a frosted sword from the bottom of her zither. She said coldly, "What''s wrong? You want to try my Stifled Light?" Her sword looked almost imaginary and no shadow of the blade could be found on the ground.


    Su Wan smiled coolly. "I can''t believe Senior Brother Qin even gave you his Stifled Light. How on earth did you a little vixen like you captivate Senior Brother Qin?"


    "Su Wan! Stop spouting nonsense here! There''s only friendly affection between me and Senior Brother Qin!"


    "Huh! Friendly affection? Who''s the one who sang ''There are no affectionless people in this world, only those who have no feelings for you'' earlier? Tsk, tsk. What a shameless little bitch..."


    "Shut up! Senior Brother Qin didn''t write that song!"


    "Huh! That means you''re flirting around behind Senior Brother Qin''s back..."


    "Shut the hell up!" The Stifled Light moved without producing a shadow. Huangfu Xin''er could no longer endure the woman and thrust her sword. Su Wan failed to dodge in time and with a tearing sound, the Sword Qi carved a small incision on her shoulder.


    Seeing this, the two young men behind Su Wan slammed their palms on Huangfu Xin''er. Two sounds of collision resounded as Huangfu Xin''er took the blow of two palm attacks. She took a few steps in retreat and clutched her chest as she coughed incessantly.


    "Quick! Kill this little bitch for me!" Su Wan was furious.


    The two young men besieged Huangfu Xin''er, forcing her to back up all the way to the corner of the wall. She blocked one of the men''s attacks with her Stifled Light but was unable to block the other''s sneak attack. In no time at all, she suffered multiple palm attacks. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.


    "Let''s see if you''ll keep playing your damn zither!" Su Wan picked up the Jade Zither on the stone platform and was about to throw it on the ground.


    Huangfu Xin''er cried out, "No!" She weaved past the two young men with her sword and charged at Su Wan. Unfortunately, the two other women rushed up and stopped her.


    With a thud, the Jade Zither fell to the ground and snapped in half with the seven strings still bound tightly together. Huangfu Xin''er immediately turned pale.


    "I''ll kill you!" Huangfu Xin''er erupted in fury as her murderous aura flared and eyes turned bloodshot. She thrust her sword in the space between Su Wan''s eyebrows. The latter, having never felt such a heavy murderous aura in her life, couldn''t help feeling stunned. She was so shocked that she forgot to lift her sword to resist.


    With a thump, sparks flew. However, it was a young man''s sword that swiftly cut across space and allowed itself to be snap into half by the Stifled Light. The interruption caused a slight change in direction of Huangfu Xin''er''s sword, causing Su Wan to lose only several strands of hair.


    Su Wan, who had narrowly escaped death, immediately recovered her senses and slammed her palm on Huangfu Xin''er''s abdomen. She attacked so swiftly that Huangfu Xin''er was unable to escape. The latter coughed up a mouthful of blood as she was thrown twenty feet away.


    After seeing that Huangfu Xin''er was badly hit, a woman rushed to Su Wan''s side and whispered, "Sister Su, why don''t we just let things slide for now? We''ll be in trouble if Master finds out."


    Su Wan glared at Huangfu Xin''er. "You''d better be careful. If you mess with me, the Violet Manor will have no place for you no matter how large it is. You need to understand who I am!" She flicked her sleeves and left with her companions.


    Amid the gentle breeze, Huangfu Xin''er staggered back to her previous spot. She picked up the broken Jade Zither and brought it back to the stone table. However, it couldn''t be put together no matter how hard she tried. Finally, her tears fell silently, drop by drop on the tail of the zither where two words were engraved: "Xin, Chen."


    ...


    The wind was strong and cold at the foot of the mountain.


    Everyone was climbing the steps when Xiao Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks. Behind him, Shangguan Yan crashed into him. She frowned. "Hey! The one in front! What did you suddenly stop?!"


    "Oh, sorry about that." Xiao Chen smiled. Just now, he felt a sudden sharp pain in his heart. He looked at the top of the mountain. They were about 400 to 500 steps away from the square, where many people had already gathered.


    When everyone arrived at the square, the Senior Brothers did a head count before leading them to the dormitory. Finally, there was a welcome banquet.


    Xiao Chen and Xiao Han were assigned to the same room. They were tidying their room when they heard a sudden roar of joy from the square at the foot of the mountain. The welcome banquet must have begun.


    Shangguan Yan sneaked into their room. "Hey, are you two going to the welcome banquet? Looks like the Skygale Sect is a lot livelier than our Three Pure Sect."


    "Shh..." Xiao Chen made a gesture of silence and looked around warily. Xiao Han said, "You don''t have to be nervous either. It''s a good idea to familiarize ourselves with the environment first."


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Go ahead. I''ll take a rain check. Remember to be careful when you talk."


    After both of them left, Xiao Chen went out of the courtyard alone. The bright moon was rising and the sea was sparkling, reflecting the sea breeze blowing from the bottom of the mountain. He didn''t know where he was going. He made a cursory sweep of his surroundings with his eyes and seemed to have spotted a beautiful shadow standing on the top of a mountain somewhere. In the blink of an eye, the person was gone.


    Just as he was seeking a path to continue moving forward, a voice came from behind him, "Are you new here, Junior Brother? Why aren''t you attending the welcome banquet?"

 Chapter 66 Seeing Without Knowing

    Xiao Chen turned around and saw a man in white with a folding fan in his hand. He was not that Qin Xiu who had come to the Xiao Family. Xiao Chen said, "I was on my way there, but I just lost my bearings since it''s my first time here."


    The man said with a smile, "There are many formations and Barriers on the island. One will perish if he makes a minor mistake and enters a dangerous formation. Please, follow me." He then turned and started to lead the way.


    Xiao Chen nodded gently and said, "Many thanks. How should I address you, senior brother?"


    "I''m Chu Biefu. You can call me Senior Brother Chu."


    "Many thanks for Senior Brother Chu''s reminding me just now."


    "You''re welcome. What should I call you then?"


    "Han Chen." Xiao Chen quietly followed. He dared not speak too much in case of exposing his identity. The man in front of him had high cultivation of at least middle Foundation Building Realm and was much stronger than Mo Yu.


    Chu Biefu said a lot on the way, and Xiao Chen carefully answered him. Xiao Chen found that this man was shrewd and deep, and doubted if this man had suspected him. Arriving at the square, Xiao Chen said goodbye with his hands cupped and walked into the crowd.


    After spotting Shangguan Yan and Xiao Han, he walked to them. Shangguan Yan saw him and snorted, saying, "Humph! You said that you won''t come!"


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and sat down beside them. He looked around and found many performers, including singers, dancers, and friendly matches of martial arts and swordplay. However, under the air of harmony, he always felt that there was murderous intent lurking everywhere.


    The Skygale Sect had been recruiting hundreds of disciples in every year, yet there were only 1,000 disciples in the sect. Where were the other disciples? It was impossible for the sect to have them sent to the Violet Manor. Besides, on his way here, he had not seen an elder yet.


    At this moment, a Senior Brother''s loud voice interrupted his thoughts. "Junior Brothers, there will be a freshman competition seven days later. The winner will be awarded a piece of Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves and the name of being sent to the Violet Manor."


    The crowd cheered upon hearing this, but Xiao Chen frowned deeper. "The Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves? When the Huangfu Family''s member came to the Xiao Family to cancel the marriage, they seemed to have brought a piece of this."


    It was extremely difficult to find the Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves in this world. One who had a Spiritual Meridian would grow another Spiritual Meridian after taking this medicine. One who had not Spiritual Meridian would grow one after taking this.


    Thinking of this, he became more and more uneasy. He asked, "Senior brother, who was the winner last year?"


    The senior brother said with a smile, "It was Junior Sister Huangfu. So, she can be sent to the Violet Manor this year."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. It was Huangfu Xin''er indeed. Did she win the Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves for him?


    After the meeting was over, Xiao Chen and Xiao Han returned to the dormitory. Xiao Han noticed that something was going on in his mind and asked, "What, are you thinking where Huangfu Xin''er is now?"


    "Never mind. Let find Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er first."


    Seven days passed quickly. Today was the day of the freshman competition, and the island became very busy and bustling. Every newly joined disciple had to attend, including Xiao Chen.


    The square was crowded with people. There were several arenas in the square, and each arena was surrounded by people. The rule was very simple. It was an elimination match, and participants drew lots for turns.


    At the loudest moment, a white figure in the distance stepped on the air toward the square and landed on a stone pillar. The man held a folding fan and looked unrestrained. It was Chu Biefu. He said loudly, "Due to the fact that the Sect Leader is in seclusion, and the other elders are in the Violet Manor for business, they won''t recruit disciples this year. But I here appeal that everyone should do his best in this competition. At the end of the competition, I, and the other five junior sisters and brothers will recruit one disciple each."


    Tiangu Zi had seven True Disciples. Now that Qin Xiu was back to the Violet Manor, there were only six True Disciples. The crowd felt resentful upon hearing this, but it was also good to be disciples of these six True Disciples.


    Xiao Chen wondered if Huangfu Xin''er was one of the six True Disciples. When he was deep in thoughts, the competition began with a heaven-shaking sound of beating the gongs and drums.


    By noon, Xiao Chen had won his place in the round of 32, and he did have a game in the afternoon. When the crowd was still in the square, Xiao Chen went back to the mountain at his convenience.


    He wanted to take advantage of the situation where few people were on the mountain to find Luo Shangyan and Xian''er. When he walked past a courtyard, he heard a sound of fighting.


    "I''ve said that I won''t give away the name!" In the courtyard, Huangfu Xin''er supported her chest with one hand and held the Stifled Light in the other. There was blood bleeding from the corner of her mouth. Apparently, she was injured.


    "Senior sister, you''ve mistaken us. We''re just here to learn some swordplay from you." In front of her stood eight disciples in purple who all held longswords in their hands, smiling.


    Huangfu Xin''er smiled coldly and said, "Learn some swordplay? Do you really think that anyone can come to my place and be presumptuous after Senior Brother Qin had gone?!" After saying so, she madly wielded her sword as countless sword shadows appeared in the air.


    Several disciples in purple immediately gathered together and made a formation to block the falling sword Qi. One of them saw her concentrating on casting sword spells, rushed to her and punched at her abdomen.


    "Puff!" Blood spurted out from her mouth as she took a few steps back. Then, four disciples charged to her with swords.


    At this moment, a dazzling white radiance flashed as several clashes rose, seven longswords were cut off in an instant.


    Suddenly, a figure stood in front of Huangfu Xin''er and glared at the seven disciples coldly, saying, "Learn some swordplay? Do you have no shame?" As his voice fell, a cold light flashed. Before the seven disciples could see things clearly, their sideburns were cut off.


    "Begone!"


    The seven disciples knew things had gone south and rushed out hurriedly. Xiao Chen turned around and could not utter a word for a while. After two years, she became much more gaunt. His heart stung suddenly upon seeing this.


    "Who are you? Are you a freshman this year?"


    Now that Xiao Chen had changed his looks and used True Qi to alter his voice, Huangfu Xin''er could not recognize him.


    Xiao Chen didn''t speak. He put two fingers together and rapidly pressed on her waist. Huangfu Xin''er was startled and hurriedly put her hand back, saying, "What are you doing?"


    "Was your lung injured one year ago?"


    "You don''t need to mind my business. Please go..."


    Xiao Chen stopped talking and sighed. He walked to the gate of the courtyard, turned around and said, "I''m Han Chen."


    At night, the moon was cold, and the air was silent. Xiao Chen tossed and could not sleep. He was still thinking about the issue today. He had thought that Huangfu Xin''er had a good life here, but it turned out the opposite.


    "Do what you want to do. Leave Senior Sister Luo and Murong Xian''er to me and Shangguan Yan." Xiao Han noticed that Xiao Chen was awake and said in a low voice.


    "Thank you..."


    In the meantime, in a room of a courtyard, candlelight flickered, casting two shadows of human on the window.


    "My Senior Brother Qin had personally arranged Huangfu Xin''er to enter the Violet Manor. It was not easy to remove her name. Moreover, if my master finishes his seclusion, he will be mad at this."


    "Then what about my cousin''s training? Chu Biefu, don''t forget that I have something on you."


    Chu Biefu smiled gently and said, "Junior Sister Su, even only for the sake of you being a family member of the Su Family in the Violet Manor, I dare not to refuse you."


    Su Wan snorted coldly and said, "It''s good for you to know this. I just want to pass my family''s training exam. You''d better come up with a solution!"


    "Don''t worry. I do have a plan." Chu Biefu then whispered something to her ear. Su Wan''s eyes turned cold after hearing this. She said, "Don''t let me down then. Humph, Huangfu Xin''er."


    The next day was the last day of the freshman competition. There were six people sitting on the high platform. They were the six True Disciples of the Sect Leader, Tiangu Zi. Huangfu Xin''er was surely one of them.


    In order to avoid attracting too much attention, Xiao Chen and the other two company deliberately lost at the round of 16. Now was the most intense moment of the competition, but Xiao Chen only cared about Huangfu Xin''er and the woman in red sitting beside her.


    The crowd burst into an uproar when there were two people fighting. Both of them were experts, and they moved decisively and ruthlessly. Soon, people could tell who was winning. However, the losing one, who was seriously injured, still did not give up and fought with full effort.


    Many people were shocked by his persistence. On the high platform, Su Wan looked at Huangfu Xin''er and giggled before saying, "Junior Sister Huangfu, do you feel familiar about this scene? Last year, it seemed that you also fought desperately for a piece of Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves? It''s really a pity that eventually, someone still had canceled the marriage!"


    Huangfu Xin''er looked deadpan, looking at the arena quietly.


    But Xiao Chen had heard all these words. He could only feel his heart was messed up. Was the injury of her lung left in that fight? Did she really fight the Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves for him?


    But back then, it was people from her family that came to cancel the marriage. At this moment, Xiao Chen realized that Huangfu Xin''er was not aware of this, and she had never said things like requiring him to reach Lv 3 Qi Refining Realm in three years. It was the plot by Huangfu Zhe and Qin Xiu.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt that he owed her a lot.


    The last fight was incredibly fantastic. The injured one won the game in the end, and cheers from below were everlasting.


    After a while, when the crowd became quiet, Chu Biefu stood up and said loudly, "This competition was excellent. Then, I and the other five junior sisters and brothers each will pick one of you."


    The crowd burst out cheers again. Countless young girls looked at the handsome, unrestrained youth on the platform, hoping that he would pick them. However, after scanning the crowd for a while, Chu Biefu''s eyes finally fell on Xiao Chen.


    "You. Are you willing to acknowledge me as your master?"


    "Whoo!" The crowd was surprised. Someone immediately said, "He was eliminated in the round of 16! How can Senior Brother Chu pick him?" Xiao Chen looked around and clasped his hands, saying, "I''m sorry!"


    The crowd was even more shocked. The smile on Chu Biefu''s face gradually became stiff. Xiao Chen clasped his hands again, tapped his feet, and landed in front of Huangfu Xin''er.


    "Can you be my master?"

 Chapter 67 Acknowledge As Master

    "Can you be my master?"


    The sudden question shocked Huangfu Xin''er. She came to her senses after quite a while and uttered. "You..." She finally nodded her head.


    Su Wan sneered and scanned the crowd. She did not want to take a disciple but it was the rule. She casually pointed at a person down below and said, "You."


    Shangguan Yan raised her head, pointed at herself and said, "Me? Are you sure about that?" Su Wan frowned and said, "Cut the bullsh*t. Come and salute to your master!"


    "Aye, master!" Shangguan Yan rolled her eyes and walked up while shaking her head. Su Wan was extremely impatient and said, "I picked you, which means I think highly of you. But what do you mean by your expression?"


    Then, the other four True Disciples had also picked their disciples and were saluted. Chu Biefu then said, "The freshman competition is over now. Three days later, the disciples recruited last year will have a qualifying trial to the Violet Manor. You can come and watch the games."


    After saying so, the freshmen were quiet, yet the other disciples of the Skygale Sect went into an uproar.


    "Isn''t the name of going to the Violet Manor set a few months ago?"


    "What the hell is going on here?"


    Su Wan smiled coldly and gave Huangfu Xin''er a glance. Huangfu Xin''er instantly turned pale with cold sweat on her forehead. She raised her head and looked at Chu Biefu, saying, "Senior Brother Chu, isn''t the names set already?"


    Chu Biefu smiled and said, "Due to some personnel changes a few days ago, it is necessary to re-select again. Junior Sister Huangfu, are you okay with this?"


    Huangfu Xin''er now looked more terrible. She had just been injured, and the injury before recurred. How could she win three days later?


    Xiao Chen also had found out the scheme within. He whispered to her ear, "Fear not. I''m here with you."


    Huangfu Xin''er was startled and then looked at the one beside her. It was the disciple she had just accepted, but why his simple words had made her feel at ease?


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and nodded to her, telling her not to worry. He then glimpsed at Su Wan and thought that this woman must have been making troubles for Huangfu Xin''er. However, now she accepted Shangguan Yan as her disciple, she would suffer a lot.


    "Senior Brother Chu, my master says that she''s okay with this."


    Chu Biefu looked at him and nodded without saying anything.


    The dusk fell gradually, and Xiao Chen followed Huangfu Xin''er up the mountain. All along the way, there were trees, grass, the scent from flowers, and dancing colorful butterflies. The sound of the waves and seagulls rose from afar. The two people kept silent.


    Suddenly, a weird voice rose from behind. "Wow, look at the handsome little disciple you''ve picked there."


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw the True Disciple that picked Shangguan Yan today. He said, "I don''t care who you are, but you''d better leave my master alone."


    Su Wan glared at him, saying, "How dare you to speak to your martial uncle like this?!" She then looked at Huangfu Xin''er and said coldly, "Junior Sister, it seems that the little disciple you''ve received has poor manners. You''d better teach him well. If someday he lost an arm or leg, don''t say that I haven''t warned you!"


    Xiao Chen shot her a cold glance and said, "I think it''s you that don''t know the manners." Huangfu Xin''er pulled his arm and said, "Let''s go, Han Chen."


    When they arrived in the courtyard, Huangfu Xin''er turned and said, "Senior Brother Chu''s cultivation is far beyond mine. But why did you refuse him?" Xiao Chen did not answer, so she continued, "You shouldn''t have turned him down in front of so many people. Su Wan was right. You really don''t understand things." She then turned and walked into the room before she came out with a fire-red jade plate.


    "You chose me to be your master, and I haven''t got anything valuable to gift you. This is the Fire-heart Jade. It came from the fire stones in the wild north. It can keep you warm. Take this."


    Xiao Chen didn''t refuse. He took it over and instantly felt warmth.


    "I''ll tell you some sect rules and basic cultivation methods first."


    Huangfu Xin''er had been lecturing for three hours, and night already fell. The light gradually dimmed in the courtyard, so they could not see each other''s faces clearly.


    "Let''s call it a day. You can go back now."


    Xiao Chen nodded and turned to leave. When he walked to the gate, Huangfu Xin''er suddenly said, "By the way, the back mountain is a forbidden area of our sect. Ordinary disciples cannot go anywhere near there."


    "Got it."


    When Xiao Chen returned to the hillside not far from his dormitory, the night completely shrouded the place. The full moon rose from the sea level and made the sea flash.


    The next day, Xiao Chen went to Huangfu Xin''er''s courtyard and saw her fixing a broken zither. His hasty steps suddenly stopped, and he stood like a piece of wood at the gate. The zither was the one he gave to her.


    "How was it broken?"


    Huangfu Xin''er was startled and then hurriedly took the zither into the room. She came out a moment later and said, "Let me teach you some other skills today."


    An hour later, Xiao Chen had not heard what she said and kept thinking about the broken zither. He asked, "Was it Su Wan?"


    Huangfu Xin''er raised her head and said after a while, "Don''t offend her. Her cousin will come in a couple of days. That man has high cultivation which is higher than my Senior Brother Qin. As for me... I may not be able to go there, which is also good. In this case, they won''t trouble you after I''m gone."


    In these days, Xiao Chen had more or less understood the disputes in the Skygale Sect. He asked, "Do you want to go to the Violet Manor very much?"


    Huangfu Xin''er raised her head as a sense of sadness flashed on her face. She smiled and said nothing.


    "I''ll help you." Xiao Chen walked behind her and directly placed his palms on her back. Huangfu Xin''er was startled and shouted. "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t talk!" Xiao Chen ran his True Energy and pushed them into the wounds of her lung. The wounds had not been healed for a long time.


    Ten minutes had passed. White gas was rising from Xiao Chen''s head, and a thick layer of sweat cover his forehead. The lung wounds of Huangfu Xin''er were so deep that he could not heal them for a moment.


    He took back his palm and said, "Your injury is very serious, but I''ll think of some way to cure it." Huangfu Xin''er looked blankly at him, saying, "Who are you exactly?" She had never expected that his disciple''s cultivation was far above her, not even lower than that of Qin Xiu.


    Xiao Chen stood up. At the moment, he really wanted to tear off the mask on his face and remove the True Qi in his throat, but he could not. Once he lost something, he lost it forever. It was just like two lines, if they were parallel, they would never cross again.


    In the afternoon, Xiao Chen took the broken zither back. In the third day, he fixed it and sent it back to Huangfu Xin''er.


    "I''ve fixed it. There are still some defects though, but the tone is still the same."


    The island lacked for materials, otherwise, he could restore its former look. She took over the zither and smiled gently, saying, "Thank you."


    The breeze in the courtyard made them feel comfortable. Xiao Chen looked at the "Xin Chen" carved on the side of the zither. He carved the "Xin" on it, and Huangfu Xin''er carved the "Chen" on it.


    He smiled gently and said, "Would you play a song? I''d like to hear you playing." Huangfu Xin''er nodded and placed the zither. As her fingers picked swiftly on the strings, an extremely gentle music sounded.


    The sound of the zither was resounding with the intent of the player, and it felt like the half-moon under the cover of some clouds. After the song ended, its content was still lingering in the courtyard just like the breeze, bringing Xiao Chen into his memories.


    "Look at this master and disciple, they are in a leisurely and carefree mood!" All of a sudden, an unfriendly voice rose from the outside. A red figure appeared, followed by a disciple in purple.


    "So are you." Xiao Chen looked at the figure and said calmly.


    Huangfu Xin''er stood on her feet and pulled Xiao Chen behind her, saying coldly, "What are you doing here?"


    Su Wan smiled faintly and said, "Don''t be nervous, junior sister. I''m here to tell you that tomorrow''s matches had been arranged, and this is your opponent." She then heavily tossed a thing to Huangfu Xin''er.


    Xiao Chen moved in a flash and took that thing with two fingers. It was a bamboo note with three words on it: Ling Yuxuan.


    "Thank you for your kindness."


    Su Wan snorted coldly. She planned to let Huangfu Xin''er fail to catch the bamboo note and make her look bad in front of Xiao Chen. The disciple in purple behind her stepped forth and smiled, saying, "I''m not worthy to be your opponent, please don''t hurt me too much tomorrow."


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, "She will. You can leave now." Xiao Chen sized up the disciple and found his cultivation was at about Lv 7 or Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm. Huangfu Xin''er had not recovered yet, so she might not win.


    Ling Yuxuan darted a disdainful look to Xiao Chen and snorted coldly. He then left with Su Wan.


    After they walked far from the courtyard, Su Wan said, "She seems to have recovered a lot. Your brother will leave a few days later, let him give you another two layers of Mystic Skills, okay?"


    Ling Yuxuan smiled and said, "Cousin, she''s nothing but a weak girl. I can finish her in two moves. If not for Qin Xiu, I already make her..."


    Su Wan raised her eyebrow and asked, "What?" Ling Yuxuan sneered and said, "Nothing. Cousin, don''t get mad."


    Su Wan snorted and said, "It''s all on my father. My life at home was easy, but he insisted me to train in this Human World. Then, troubles just kept coming!"


    ...


    In the courtyard, Xiao Chen helped Huangfu Xin''er sit down and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll push more cultivation to you." Huangfu Xin''er shook her head and said, "It won''t work. Ling Yingfeng had his cultivation transferred to him, I can''t beat him anyway."


    Xiao Chen''s brow furrowed. "Is he the one you told me before? The cousin of Su Wan?" Huangfu Xin''er nodded and said, "The Ling Family is a big cultivators'' family in the Violet Manor, and they have some connections with the Su Family." She then raised her head to look at Xiao Chen, saying, "Han Chen, who are you exactly? I always think that you resemble someone a lot..."


    Xiao Chen did not answer her and asked, "Is that Ling Yingfeng strong?"


    "Have you heard of the List of Experts in Heaven and Earth?"


    "What?"


    "It''s a rank of experts in the Violet Manor. There are 36 experts on the Heaven List, and 72 experts on the Earth List. Those who rank on the Earth List are extraordinary experts, and those who rank on the Heaven List are even rarer and stronger. You are a hot-tempered person. If you meet someone on the List, just don''t offend them."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Are you worrying about me?" Huangfu Xin''er frowned and said, "I''m serious. Don''t tease me. A few months ago, that Ling Yingfeng managed to be ranked 29th on the Heaven List."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Aye, master!" Huangfu Xin''er lowered her head and said, "Your cultivation is far higher than mine. I feel bad to hear you call me master..."

 Chapter 68 Fight on Masters Behalf

    When dusk came, Xiao Chen went back to the dormitory. Xiao Han saw him come back, closed the doors and windows and said, "I went to the forbidden area in the back mountain. Senior Sister Luo and Murong Xian''er might be kept in there. But the security is too much for me to get in. There will be a competition tomorrow, I guess the security of that place will be relaxed."


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows furrowed tightly. "Tomorrow..."


    "I know what you''re thinking. You go ahead. Leave this to me and Shangguan Yan."


    "But can you two handle it?"


    Xiao Han smiled and said, "Rest assured. Besides, your woman will be bullied tomorrow by Su Wan, Chu Biefu, and the Ling brothers. Aren''t you going to take care of them?"


    Xiao Chen let out a long sigh and said, "My engagement with her had been canceled..."


    "Then you just leave her alone? In the entire Skygale Sect, she had nothing but you. Back then when she knew that you can''t practice martial arts, she risked her life to earn a piece of Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves for you and got injured."


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I got it. You must be careful."


    At night, the moon was cold and there was nothing but silence. Xiao Chen could hardly sleep on the bed. He was now only at Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm, but his actual strength was equal to that of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator. He could play the first two moves of the Dragon Roar Palm, but he did not know if he was able to play the incredibly powerful third move, Dragon''s Wrath.


    The power of the Dragon''s Wrath was far beyond that of the Cyan Dragon Roar and Water Dragon Roar. Also, the amount of True Qi it consumed was far higher.


    By the morning of the next day, it was almost the busiest day recently in the Skygale Sect. No matter the new recruits or the senior brothers and sisters, all of them gathered in the square of the mountain gate. On the high platform, Xiao Chen stood next to Huangfu Xin''er. He saw her being uneasy before he said, "Don''t worry."


    Huangfu Xin''er raised her head and nodded while looking at him. She did not know why this new disciple who she had only met for a few days could calm herself down as if she did not need to be afraid of anything with him being around.


    Su Wan looked at them sideways and snorted.


    Now, Chu Biefu started to read the names of the participants. The qualification trial was different from freshmen competition, and not everyone could get to fight on the arena. The participants were all last year''s candidates, and they were all experts. The fights in the trial were more intense than that of the freshmen competition.


    The matches started one after another. By noon, Xiao Chen also became uneasy. He was not worried about Huangfu Xin''er''s match, he was just wondering if Xiao Han and Murong Yan had rescued the hostages.


    At this moment, a loud voice interrupted his thoughts. "The last match is Ling Yuxuan versus Huangfu Xin''er!"


    As the voice fell, the crowd burst into an uproar. This was a match that a purple-clad disciple cross-class challenging a True Disciple of the Sect Leader. Everybody held their breath and concentrated, looking forward to this match.


    Under the eyes of 10,000 people, a purple figure fell on the arena. His speed was so fast that a lot of people stared agape at him. It was Ling Yuxuan with the corner of his mouth curved. He looked at Huangfu Xin''er on the platform and said with a smile, "Martial Uncle, it''s your turn now."


    Huangfu Xin''er''s face grew paler. She sat in the chair and did not stand up because she knew that she would definitely fail this fight. The fact that she was defeated by a purple-clad disciple would make her live in shame in the sect since she would stay in the sect after this fight.


    The crowd started to chatter while seeing that she did not go to the arena. Xiao Chen patted on her shoulder and whispered, "Don''t be afraid." As his voice fell, he flew to the arena.


    "This match, I''ll fight on my master''s behalf!"


    The crowd clamored, and Huangfu Xin''er looked shocked. She also did not expect this. Su Wan frowned and looked at Chu Biefu, who then shook his head, gesturing her not to speak. He then looked at a cold-faced youth in white who sat beside him and said respectfully, "Senior Brother Ling, what do you think?"


    "There is no rule that says a disciple can fight on his master''s behalf." A disciple said loudly.


    "There is also no rule that says I can''t, isn''t it?" Xiao Chen looked around and said.


    Several disciples who presided the trial looked at each other. It was the first time that a disciple fought on his master''s behalf, but there was no rule that forbade this. They could not make the call, so they looked at Chu Biefu on the high platform.


    Chu Biefu coughed and said, "Han Chen, the participant of today''s match is your master. Don''t mess around in here. Get off there, now!"


    Xiao Chen turned around and said with a clasp of his hands, "My master feels uncomfortable these days. As her disciple, if I can''t help her, how can I face the other brothers and sisters!?"


    In the cultivators'' sects, what cultivators valued the most was the respect to masters. Xiao Chen''s words were persuasive. Many people who were against him now nodded one after another. Even some purple-clad disciples said to their students, "You see? This is the example you need to learn from."


    Having known each other for only a few days, Huangfu Xin''er also had not expected that Xiao Chen could say this. She could not help weeping. Although she knew that his cultivation was far beyond her, she worried that Xiao Chen would offend Ling Yingfeng by doing this. She felt uneasy now.


    Chu Biefu coughed softly and looked at the man in white beside him, asking, "What do you say, Senior Brother Ling?"


    The man in white was Ling Yingfeng. He was still expressionless at the moment and nodded lightly. Chu Biefu immediately faced the arena and said, "Han Chen''s behavior should be complimented. We will make an exception today and allow him to fight on his master''s behalf."


    "Great!" Cheers rose from below. Ling Yuxuan''s mouth was curved. "You''re just at middle Qi Refining Realm. You''re not qualified to fight me."


    Xiao Chen said casually, "You will know after we exchange some moves."


    Ling Yuxuan snorted coldly and started to move. He punched forth, and a golden light shrouded his fist with crackles and a strong wind. The crowd gasped because they did not expect the fight to be so intense at the beginning.


    Xiao Chen was a bit shocked. The strength his opponent showed was about Lv 7 or Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm. He could not fight with full effort in case the Skygale Sect paid attention to him. He played the Immortal-override Steps and left a fake illusion at where he stood, while he had already secretly moved to the other''s back.


    "Swoosh!" Ling Yuxuan''s fist hit Xiao Chen''s illusion. Some people screamed while Huangfu Xin''er''s heart tightened. She did not relieve until the illusion disappeared.


    Ling Yuxuan found that his fist had no feedback, so he instantly knew that he did not hit the real body. He turned around and felt a fierce wind coming at him. He then cast a Barrier with both hands in front of him to block Xiao Chen''s blow. He was shocked and thought Xiao Chen was not an ordinary disciple.


    "I underestimated you."


    He suddenly ran all his True Energy into his arms and punched out. Xiao Chen parried away and pointed at his wrist. Ling Yuxuan felt his body was limp and numb all over and quickly took his hands back.


    Xiao Chen''s move was as fast as lightning, so the audience did not see what had happened and just know that Ling Yuxuan took back his hands. However, Ling Yingfeng''s eyes were so sharp that he saw it and knew that his brother was hit.


    Ling Yuxuan''s eyes turned cold. Facing an opponent with lower cultivation level, he failed to hit the target twice and could not touch his opponent at all. He was a bit upset about this. He then gave a battle cry while moving his fingers, and three rows of golden light suddenly appeared in the air, moving toward Xiao Chen. This was the Three Talents Formation of the Taoist.


    The audience was shocked. They did not expect that he could cast out a formation with his own True Energy.


    The Three Talents Formation emphasized the points of heaven, earth, and human. Most of Ling Yuxuan''s strength came from Ling Yingfeng, so the weakest point of this formation was the human point. Xiao Chen was so expert at formations, so he found out the weak point of this formation at first sight. He pointed at the human point of the formation, and a vacancy appeared in the Three Talents Formation as the other two rows of golden light disappeared immediately.


    Upon seeing the formation was broken, Ling Yuxuan''s face changed. He ran his True Energy and attacked with a set of fist moves. Golden light burst out on the arena with constant crackles. The crowd held their breaths, waiting to see how Xiao Chen would avoid this rain-like fist shadows.


    However, Xiao Chen did not want to dodge the attack. He channeled his True Energy into his palm and punched at the overwhelming fist shadows. The crowd gasped with cold air and thought this man acted in a brash way by doing this. People were worried about him.


    Although Xiao Chen was in the midst of Ling Yuxuan''s aura, he was unstoppable. He looked just like a boat in the sea that rode on the waves. "Poom!" After breaking layers of body-protecting Qi, he punched at Ling Yuxuan''s chest.


    Ling Yuxuan covered his chest and retreated. When he tried to run his True Energy, he felt his elixir field painful as hell, and his face suddenly looked ashen. The faces of Su Wan and the other people on the platform fell upon seeing this.


    Xiao Chen knew that Ling Yuxuan''s True Energy was not cultivated on his own, so he secretly pushed some True Qi into Ling Yuxuan''s body. With three different kinds of Qi inside Ling Yuxuan''s body, he would definitely get backfired soon.


    "You! What have you done to me!" Ling Yuxuan held his abdomen tightly with his face shifting between red and ashen and his forehead sweating.


    Xiao Chen walked over and said lightly, "What''s not yours will never be yours!" As his voice fell, he was about to punch at Ling Yuxuan when the drum rang.


    "The third quarter of noontime is now. The two participants will stop and continue at 3 p.m.!"


    A figure flashed as Su Wan landed on the arena. She glared at Xiao Chen and then helped Ling Yuxuan off the arena. Xiao Chen smiled coldly and flew to Huangfu Xin''er.


    Huangfu Xin''er took out a silk scarf from her chest and wiped off the sweat on his forehead, asking, "Are you alright?"


    Xiao Chen smelled the aroma from the scarf and was suddenly refreshed. He smiled and said, "I''m fine." He just worried about Xiao Han and Murong Yan.


    When they went to the back hall to rest, Xiao Chen saw Huangfu Xin''er frowning. He said with a smile, "It''s okay. Don''t worry."


    Huangfu Xin''er raised her head and said, "Let''s just give up. They will definitely..." Xiao Chen interrupted. "Trust me. I''m fine."


    "Can you tell me who you are exactly?"


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said, ¡°Believe me. Even if everybody in the Skygale Sect was against you, I wouldn''t."


    Two hours later, the drums and cheers rose from the square again. Xiao Chen felt Ling Yuxuan''s aura had surged, reaching to that of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator which was far stronger than before. He thought, "I''m afraid that I can''t hide my strength anymore."


    With the ring of the gongs and drums, Ling Yuxuan launched his attack first. He charged to Xiao Chen and punched out. "So fast." Xiao Chen parried away and thought. Before he could react again, he felt a gust of wind coming from his back¡ªLing Yuxuan went around behind him.


    "Bam!" Xiao Chen cast out a True Energy shield that blocked the blow, and he was sent flying backward for tens of meters. Before he could steady himself, he felt like numerous figures had surrounded him. He then tapped with his foot to rise to the air tens of meters. When he felt a pressure above his head, he looked above and saw three rows of golden light falling to him.


    He could not borrow force in the air, so he fiercely blew with his mouth to let him fly backward. All of a sudden, he felt the pain on his back¡ªhe was kicked by Ling Yuxuan.


    The audience exclaimed incessantly. Within two hours, Ling Yuxuan''s strength had improved this much. Huangfu Xin''er''s brow furrowed tightly. Su Wan sneered and said, "Junior Sister, it seems like your little disciple will definitely lose."


    Huangfu Xin''er glared at her and said, "Blood-firing Pill is forbidden in a competition. You''re so mean!"


    Su Wan snorted and said, "Mean? Humph! After Senior Brother Qin left, you are having a romance with this little disciple of yours."


    Huangfu Xin''er turned pale and said, "Nonsense!"


    "Humph, nonsense? Why are you afraid of me saying this?"


    On the arena, Xiao Chen was beating continuously. He glanced at the platform and found Huangfu Xin''er quarreling with Su Wan, when Ling Yuxuan kicked at his chest again.


    Ling Yuxuan approached him and smiled with pride. "What, are you going to continue? I''m the Young Master of Ling Family in the Violet Manor, and I''ve got infinite extraordinary pills. You? What are you? Degenerates like you in this Human World, you will never have the chance to rise! Die!" As his voice fell, he ferociously kicked at Xiao Chen''s face.


    Xiao Chen retreated meters back to dodge this heavy kick. His heart sank and realized that his opponent had taken some forbidden pills. In this case, he could not hide his strength anymore.


    All of a sudden, there were gusts of wind whistling on the stage. Around Xiao Chen, a faint white radiance appeared. The crowd under the arena exclaimed, "What''s going on?"


    "Has he hidden his strength before?"

 Chapter 69 Ling Yingfeng

    Ling Yuxuan had also felt Xiao Chen''s surging aura and wondered if Xiao Chen had also taken some pills. He then charged toward Xiao Chen like a gust of wind.


    He had moved rapidly before, but he was nothing now since Xiao Chen stopped hiding his strength. Xiao Chen chanted some spells as numerous illusions appeared on the stage.


    Ling Yuxuan punched at one illusion as he felt the strength of his arm was pulled into a marsh and disappeared instantly. Before he could react, he felt he was lifted into the air¡ªhe was thrown away by Xiao Chen.


    The audience exclaimed. Xiao Chen made a comeback with only one move. Ling Yuxuan punched backward in the air so that he wouldn''t fell off the stage. When he landed on the stage, he dashed to Xiao Chen like a lightning and punched out. "Poom!" The fist and the palm met as they both felt their arms numb.


    But Xiao Chen moved more swiftly. Before the first Palm Strength went away, he punched out again. Ling Yuxuan could not block it, so he moved aside when Xiao Chen kicked at his abdomen, sending him flying meters away.


    Xiao Chen had combined the ancient high-end Xiao Family martial arts with Immortal Skills, while Ling Yuxuan had increased cultivation only taking pills. So, the strength between the two was obvious.


    Ling Yuxuan had been knocked back twice, so he looked bad at the moment. A clear voice rose from the high platform. "Take the sword!"


    A teal light dashed to the arena as Ling Yuxuan jumped to take the Teal Frost Sword which was an Immortal class weapon. But Su Wan had not enough cultivation to wield it properly, and she could only play less than 20% of this sword''s real power.


    However, Ling Yuxuan had taken the Blood-firing Pill to surge his cultivation, so the Teal Frost Sword burst out teal radiance on his hand. "Swoosh! Swoosh!" The frenzied sword shadows moved toward Xiao Chen as Ling Yuxuan wielded the Ling Family''s swordplay. The ferocious sword Qi was unstoppable and brought up the original Qi around the arena. It looked like a light smoke and fog surrounded the arena.


    The crowd watched attentively. Xiao Chen jumped back because he dared not to block the sword Qi. Ling Yuxuan''s mouth curved because he had a Legendary Weapon in his hand. He thrust the sword to Xiao Chen continuously. Fortunately, Xiao Chen also had a set of Immortal-override Steps. Although he could not attack head-on, he moved back and forth like a phantom. So, Ling Yuxuan could not hit his target for a moment.


    After 15 minutes, there was no winning or losing side on the arena, but Ling Yuxuan had a Legendary Weapon, which was a huge advantage. Xiao Chen would not fear if his opponent held a normal weapon, but the sharpness of this Teal Frost Sword could tear the skin apart painfully by a slight touch of it.


    He also had an Immortal''s Sword, the Unsullied, and he could take it out any moment. But the Unsullied was the weapon of Yu Yifeng. The relation between the Skygale Sect and Jade Qing Sect had not been good. So, if Xiao Chen took out the Unsullied, there would be more troubles when people saw it.


    Just as he was thinking about a solution, a voice rose from the high platform. "Use my Stifled Light!" As the voice fell, a row of white radiance dashed toward the arena. Xiao Chen leaped and caught the Stifled Light thrown by Huangfu Xin''er.


    Stifled Light was shadowless, and its blade was silent. Xiao Chen did not expect to wield this sword considering the fact that Qin Xiu used this sword to defeat him one year ago.


    A sword flower danced madly and silently, and the crowd could not tell his swordplay. With a series of clashes and sparkles, the sword moves of Ling Yuxuan were broken instantly. The swordplay of the Ling Family was sharp, but it''s not flexible. Xiao Chen had an agile mind and his swordplay was constantly changing like an unseen ghost.


    "Good!" The crowd saw Xiao Chen wielding a sword like an expert, plus his profound cultivation, they burst out in cheers.


    Ling Yuxuan frowned and realized things were going south. He said in a deep voice, "Who the heck are you? There are not many people who dare to offend the Ling Family!"


    Xiao Chen ignored him and moved his sword in an upward curve, cutting off a wisp of hair from his temples. Ling Yuxuan was startled and leaped backward for meters. If that stroke went closer, the sword might cut off his ear instead of his hair.


    "Die-trying!" Ling Yuxuan was incensed, so his moves became disorganized. He attacked madly, but Xiao Chen pricked upward with his sword as the Teal Frost Sword left Ling Yuxuan''s hand and flew away, sticking into a stone pillar on the verge of the arena.


    After losing the weapon, Ling Yuxuan became panic and was distracted when Xiao Chen placed the tip of his sword at his throat. It only took a slight push of sword radiance to take his life away.


    Cheers burst out under the stage. Su Wan and some others looked sullen. Xiao Chen said coldly, "What now? Do you think that I''m qualified to fight you now?"


    Ling Yuxuan lost his previous sharpness and smiled coldly, saying, "It doesn''t matter if you win. Your master will never be able to go to Violet Manor. And I''ll just be punished by my family for a failed training trip."


    A cold light flashed in Xiao Chen''s eyes. "What did you say?"


    "I said, you will die on this arena!" While Xiao Chen was distracted, Ling Yuxuan retreated as a cold light flashed in his sleeve, A teal knife dashed to his abdomen.


    "Clan!" The knife was caught by Xiao Chen''s two fingers. Huangfu Xin''er was so worried about him on the high platform.


    Ling Yuxuan smiled coldly and said in a low voice, "You can defeat me, but Huangfu Xin''er, that little bit*h, will never have peace from today. My brother is here, you can kill me and see what happens."


    "Is that so?" A murderous intent flashed as Xiao Chen punched at Ling Yuxuan''s chest. "Poom!" Ling Yuxuan flew backward. He had never expected that Xiao Chen dared to do this while his brother was present.


    Before he could steady himself, Xiao Chen kicked at his abdomen. "Poom!" Dust was brought about all around as Ling Yuxuan burst out a mouthful of blood. The crowd could not help gasping. They now knew how light Xiao Chen attacked before.


    Su Wan hurriedly flew over, pulled out the Teal Frost Sword from the stone pillar and thrust at Xiao Chen from behind.


    "Puff!" With a body-protection layer, the sword could not touch his body. He turned around and thundered, "Get off!" He then punched her off the arena.


    The sudden change made the audience exclaim. Chu Biefu noticed that something was wrong and shouted, "Stop!" Xiao Chen turned a deaf ear and still thrust at Ling Yuxuan''s throat with his sword. "Clash!" A white radiance flashed and knocked off the Stifled Light in his hand.


    "A murderous aura. You are so good at this." Ling Yingfeng instantly stood in front of Ling Yuxuan and said coldly.


    Ling Yuxuan endured the pain and shouted, "Brother, kill him for me!" Ling Yingfeng shot him a cold glance and said, "You loser. Get off now!"


    Seeing Ling Yuxuan stepping out of the stage in a terrible look, the disciple who presided the trial knocked at the gong and drum in his hand and shouted, "The trial is over! Han Chen won!"


    "Wait!" Ling Yingfeng reached out his hand and said. Chu Biefu realized that things were getting out of hand and hurriedly flew over, saying with a clasp of his hands, "Han Chen has just joined the sect. It''s my fault that he hurt your brother. Senior Brother Ling, please forgive him!"


    Ling Yingfeng did not look at him and said coldly, "My father is a good friend of Perfected Immortal Tianyun. Relax, I won''t make things difficult for the Skygale Sect. I just want to say that today''s trial is not over!"


    Chu Biefu looked at Xiao Chen and then looked at him, asking, "Then what do you want?"


    Ling Yingfeng finally gave him a look and said, "Junior Brother Chu, surely you haven''t forgotten that I''m also a listed disciple of the Skygale Sect in the Violet Manor?"


    "Uh..." Chu Biefu had seen this coming. He just worried that Ling Yingfeng might kill Han Chen in the competition. Although this Han Chen''s background was uncertain, Han Chen enjoyed a promising talent. It would be a pity to have Xiao Chen killed. The Skygale Sect would also be ashamed if this happened. Chu Biefu did not know what to do.


    Huangfu Xin''er burst out cold sweat upon seeing Ling Yingfeng was about to fight Xiao Chen. She shouted. "Han Chen! We concede. Don''t fight anymore! Come back quickly!"


    Xiao Chen looked at her and calmly looked at Ling Yingfeng, saying, "I''ll take it."


    The square boiled. Ling Yingfeng was ranked 29th on the Heaven List of the Violet Manor. His cultivation was unfathomable and close to Core Forming Realm. Even if there was a limitation in the Human World, it was impossible for a Qi Refining Realm disciple to defeat a Core Forming Realm expert.


    Ling Yingfeng said coldly, "You''ve got balls! Relax, I won''t fight with full strength!" Xiao Chen looked him casually and said, "You don''t need to do this. I just hope that there won''t be another listed disciple later!"


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes were cold. He knew that Xiao Chen was satirizing him. The crowd was shocked. Xiao Chen''s words were overconfident. Ling Yingfeng''s cultivation was even higher than that of the First Senior Brother!


    "Then, junior brother, please." Ling Yingfeng stood with his hands on his back and said with a casual tone.


    Xiao Chen also said no more. He moved forth and played the Gold Break from the ancient Xiao Family martial arts. A golden light shrouded the fist, but he felt like he had hit on cotton. Ling Yingfeng''s figure then gradually disappeared.


    Xiao Chen knew that this was the shadow left by his opponent, and this punch was just a try-out. He did not plan to hit on target. However, he felt a strong wind coming at his back. He turned around, only to find that he was kicked.


    This kick was extremely heavy. Xiao Chen did not steady himself until he moved backward for meters. Before he could see things clearly, his jaw was kicked, and then he was sent into the air. He could not borrow any strength in the air, so he hurriedly cast a body-protecting Qi. "Poom!" Before he landed, Ling Yingfeng kicked at him again. This time, Xiao Chen steadied himself at the verge of the arena.


    The three continuous attacks had happened in almost a blink of an eye. The crowd could not see what had happened. From the beginning to the end, Ling Yingfeng had always put his hands behind his back.


    At the moment, everyone had this thought, "He is indeed a cultivator who ranks on the Heaven List. He is undefeatable."


    Xiao Chen wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth. "Is this the strength of the cultivators on the Heaven List? What''s the rank of Brother Yifeng?" Thinking of this, he turned into three shadows and charged toward his opponent.


    Ling Yingfeng did not flash or avoid, just smiling coldly. He was still standing with his hands on his back. When the three shadows arrived at him, he kicked off the two shadows and then clenched at Xiao Chen''s neck with accuracy.


    Xiao Chen was lifted up in mid-air, and he could not exert his strength at all. His face flushed, suggesting that he almost could not breathe. Ling Yingfeng smiled coldly and said, "All these little tricks of yours. How dare you play them in front of me?" As his voice fell, he felt a shadow coming at him when he knew that he was tricked. It was a trap.


    "Poom!" Xiao Chen''s real body appeared in the air like a ghost. He kicked at his opponent''s face, and Ling Yingfeng was knocked sideways for meters, and the illusion on his hand also disappeared.


    "He! He actually hit it!" The crowd exclaimed.


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly and said, "It''s not over yet." He moved his fingers to cast a spell, and then the stage was filled with illusions. No one could tell which one was the real Xiao Chen. This was the Immortal Illusive Steps of the Immortal-override Steps.

 Chapter 70 Dragons Wrath

    "Interesting."


    Ling Yingfeng wiped off the blood on his mouth and finally ran his Mystic Skills. All of a sudden, his body was covered by a dazzling golden light. With a roar, all the illusions were broken, and Xiao Chen also felt dizzy.


    The crowd could not help retreating. They were all stunned by the aura from Ling Yingfeng. It seemed that Xiao Chen''s kick had completely pissed him off.


    All of a sudden, Ling Yingfeng turned into golden light and dashed to Xiao Chen like a sharp radiance out of the sheath, even space around seemed to be torn apart. Huge airwaves rushed off the arena as the crowd stumbled before they could avoid.


    Xiao Chen''s fighting desire had also been lit up, and every single drop of blood in his body became rampant. The Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method appeared in his mind as a white radiance shrouded his body, making him look like a god of war. He punched out and hit Ling Yingfeng''s palm. "Rumble!" The crowd had already gone away from the stage, but they still felt like their eardrums were broken.


    Numerous tiles on the ground were overturned, and dust flew about on the arena. Xiao Chen stepped back for meters and felt like his arm was broken. Before he could react, his opponent arrived at him again. He then instantly ran his True Energy and punched out.


    The verge of his palm burst out golden light, as if this palm contained the power of heaven and earth. Even the swords of the crowd started shaking.


    "Boom!" A huge amount of dust rose into the air, and the crowd could not see clearly on the arena. When the dust fell, they saw two people standing on the stone pillars on both sides of the arena.


    The long hair of the two people dancing with the wind. They looked at each other, and their eyesight nearly froze. They both gave battle cries and then punched at each other. With a rumble, the pillars under their feet collapsed instantly.


    After trading blows with his enemy, Xiao Chen felt like the bones of his body were falling apart. Finally, he spurted out a mouthful of blood. The red scattered in the broken stones under his feet.


    In the dust and smoke, Ling Yingfeng slowly walked to him and stared at him coldly, saying, "You''re strong, but you met me." After his voice fell, he punched out. Xiao Chen couldn''t dodge, so he was knocked off and crashed into a stone pillar.


    Ling Yingfeng could have knocked him off the arena, but obviously, that was not what he wanted. Xiao Chen leaned against the pillar as blood kept spilling out of his mouth. Ling Yingfeng walked to his front and looked down at him, saying, "Countless minor people like you die every day." As his voice fell, he kicked at Xiao Chen''s head.


    "Poom!" Xiao Chen raised his hand to block the kick and said coldly, "Is it? One day, you will find out that you''re killed by that kind of minor people." He then unleashed the Cyan Dragon Roars.


    Suddenly, a dragon roar shook the sky and earth. Everyone panicked and thought that this move was cast out by Ling Yingfeng. It was not until he was sent flying backward did they realize that Xiao Chen let out that dragon roar.


    Although Ling Yingfeng''s cultivation was much higher than that of Xiao Chen, he underestimated Xiao Chen too much. In such a short distance, he was sent flying away for meters even with a body-protecting layer.


    "Han Chen! Just concede! I don''t want to go to the Violet Manor!" Huangfu Xin''er''s voice rose from the high platform. Xiao Chen looked up and saw her concerned expression. He almost cried. Back then, she risked her life to fight for a piece of Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves for him. Couldn''t he do something for her? He then quickly decided to use the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements.


    The Immolation Spell of the Three Elements was a forbidden method of the Mystic Cyan Sect. It could surge one''s cultivation and had a serious side-effect afterward.


    The wind howled on the arena, bringing dust and sand about. The sand flew into many people''s eyes, but they still struggled to look at the arena. Many exclaimed. "Is he going to risk his life?"


    On the high platform, Su Wan''s breath gradually became rapid. She finally understood why Ling Yuxuan was defeated by this man. This man had been hiding his strength from the beginning.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes turned red, and every inch on his body seemed to crack open. After using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, his current cultivation was at Foundation Building Realm. But he did not know how long it would last. He then charged forth and punched at Ling Yingfeng.


    "Rumble!" This punch looked like it contained the power of wind and thunder. It forced Ling Yingfeng to back off. The crowd was extremely surprised.


    All of a sudden, Ling Yingfeng stopped retreating and punched out. The two palms met as everything changed suddenly, even the crowd felt the ground shaking. It turned out that he was not just retreating, but secretly running Mystic Skill to give a fatal attack.


    When Xiao Chen was flying backward, he played a move of the Heavenly Sky Palm. Huangfu Xin''er looked stunned and thought, "Why this palm style looks so familiar..."


    The Heavenly Sky Palm was the exclusive skill of the Xiao Family. It could become stronger while facing stronger opponents, and the following nine palm strength would become stronger one after another. Ling Yingfeng did not know this. He madly ran all his True Energy and punched out. The two palms met when he felt his body trembling. Then, the nine waves of palm strength kept coming at him, one wave stronger than the other. Finally, he could not withhold, hence being sent flying backward.


    Xiao Chen was also badly hurt by the blow. After landing on the ground, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The crowd, even Chu Biefu and some others, were already stunned. Xiao Chen could trade blows with a cultivator ranked on the Heaven List, which meant that he had already won.


    Ling Yingfeng looked extremely sullen and terrible. He madly ran his True Energy, and as an arrow off the bowstring, he instantly dashed in front of Xiao Chen and punched down at Xiao Chen''s head.


    The crowd was startled. Chu Biefu shouted in horror. "Senior Brother Ling, mercy!" Ling Yingfeng, of course, ignored him. Today, he must kill the man in front of him!


    This palm was about to squash the brains out of Xiao Chen''s head. All of a sudden, there came a sound "Pop". A white light was emitted from his head and sent Ling Yingfeng flying backward for meters. The crowd was shocked again.


    Ling Yingfeng looked shocked after he stood straight. "You! You even have more than six Spiritual Meridians?"


    If one had more than six extremely pure, natural born Spiritual Meridians, the meridians would protect the owner at critical moments. Even if he was the young master of the Ling Family and had an excellent foundation for cultivating, he only had four Spiritual Meridians.


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes narrowed, and a keen light flashed through them. Apparently, he wanted to kill Xiao Chen and then took the Spiritual Meridians away. Although he could not turn Xiao Chen''s meridians into his own, they were the rare tonic for cultivation, far better than those so-called panaceas.


    With a flash of cold light, a row of air blade whistled to Xiao Chen''s neck, carrying the power of wind and thunder. Xiao Chen parried aside and channeled True Qi into his palm, sending another air blade to his opponent. All of a sudden, his elixir field ached as he directly fell to the ground. This move had consumed too much energy, so the side-effect of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements came in advance.


    Ling Yingfeng waved his hand, sending two air blades forth. Xiao Chen hurriedly dodged sideways as the air blades glanced off his shoulder. "Poom! Poom!" They sheared through the stone pillars behind him.


    Before he came back to his senses, numerous air blades came at him at the same time. Xiao Chen knew that he must finish the fight before the side-effect as soon as possible, so he madly ran his True Energy and did not dodge them anymore. He punched at them. "Poom! Poom! ..." The two were both bounced back for a few steps by the palm strength.


    Ling Yingfeng realized that it would be hard to defeat this man. If this fight startled Tiangu Zi and made him finish the seclusion, it would be impossible for Ling Yingfeng to kill Xiao Chen and then took the Spiritual Meridians away. He then bit blood out of his finger and drew madly in front of him. On the high platform, Su Wan was stunned. She knew that this was the forbidden skill of the Ling Family, the Blood Yin Incantation.


    Although Xiao Chen did not know what he was doing, he thought it must be some kind of secret skill to surge cultivation and he could not let his opponent successfully cast this spell. He then charged forward and punched out.


    Ling Yingfeng used another hand to block the attack while kept drawing formations. In order to keep drawing the formation, he even got hit by Xiao Chen''s palm strength.


    A moment later, the center of the formation he drew flashed an evil red light that dashed to the point between his eyebrows. His pupils then turned crimson as his cultivation surged twice stronger than before. He then gave a battle cry which shook Xiao Chen''s Qi and blood and sent Xiao Chen flying backward.


    "Kid! It''s over!" With the red eyes, Ling Yingfeng looked terrifying. He sent out a print with one hand as a flickering blood hand suddenly appeared in the air and moved toward Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was not scared by the ghost claw and instantly cast out a spell with both hands. A light circle then moved to the blood hand, trying to cover it. However, when the light circle was about to wrap the hand up, he suddenly felt a huge pain in his elixir field. He could not control the light circle because of this, and the blood hand then quickly strangled him. He could not move at all.


    "Kid! Weren''t you so powerful just now?"


    Ling Yingfeng was a young master of the Ling Family and also had a place on the Heaven List. He had been prideful and thought highly of himself. After fighting with a nobody for so long and being sent flying away a few times, he was already incensed. He then punched at Xiao Chen''s abdomen.


    "Puff!" This blow was fierce and heavy. Xiao Chen spurted out a mouthful of blood because he was already injured before and the side-effect was about to come.


    "Do you concede or not!?" He then punched again and again. Being strangled by the ghost claw, Xiao Chen could not get away. In seconds, blood had spread out on Xiao Chen''s body.


    Huangfu Xin''er''s eyes had already turned red, and tears burst out from her eyes. She shouted, "Stop fighting! Han Chen, concede now! I''m not going to the Violet Manor!" Nothing changed. She then said to Su Wan, "I''m begging you. Please let your cousin stop!"


    Su Wan laughed harder. She snorted and said, "Now you know that you should beg me?"


    "What are you begging her for?!" Xiao Chen thundered. His eyes opened so wide as if they were about to break. He could not care for the side-effect and madly ran his True Energy to send the ghost claw away. He then leaped backward for ten meters and kept chanting spells.


    All of a sudden, the whole square was full of gusts of wind as numerous clouds gathered in the sky. An earth-shattering dragon roar sounded, and a huge dragon head appeared from the clouds, looking down at the crowd. It looked terrifying.


    "The third move of the Dragon Roar Palm! Dragon''s Wrath!"

 Chapter 71 Universal Mystic-Yin Formation

    Dragon, an unknown ancient creature, carried a suffocating aura which made countless people fear from the very depth of their hearts. People even wanted to kneel in front of the dragon.


    Ling Yingfeng looked shocked, and he looked at the dragon head at the low altitude. Suddenly, the dragon kept roaring. Xiao Chen pushed out with both arms as several golden dragon shadows flew toward Ling Yingfeng while switching their positions. Ling Yingfeng hurriedly ran away, but it seemed that the dragon shadows had spiritual wisdom and instantly caught him up, flying through his body.


    Ling Yingfeng suddenly turned pale and shook intensely as blood kept rushing out of his mouth. A few moments later, several dragon shadows dispersed, and he was still standing. The dragon head in the air finally roared and showed expression of extreme anger, bringing itself down to the arena. It was even about a hundred meter long.


    "Gosh! Is this the long-lost ancient dragon-taming divine method?"


    Everyone held their breath, and many people even lay prone on the ground and did not dare to look up. Su Wan was already scared to death. Chu Biefu finally came to his senses, shouting, "Han Chen! Stop! You can''t kill him!" He knew that Ling Yingfeng was the young master of the Ling Family. If Ling Yingfeng was killed here, there would be infinite troubles to the Skygale Sect.


    The dragon was still roaring, and Xiao Chen did not plan to stop at all. However, when the dragon was 15 meters away from the arena, it finally dispersed. Xiao Chen staggered and fell to the ground. He had used the last stroke of his True Qi, yet he still could not finish casting the Dragon''s Wrath.


    Ling Yingfeng''s body did not stop shaking. Just now, he was so close to death. When he saw Xiao Chen falling to the ground, a murderous intent flashed through his eyes. However, he also fell down as soon as he took a step. He was seriously damaged by the Dragon''s Wrath, and the side-effect of the Blood Yin Incantation was coming too.


    Xiao Chen was pale and covered in blood. He struggled to get up from the ground. Then, he coldly looked at Ling Yingfeng who could not stand up and said, "You lose."


    Several figures on the high platform flew over quickly. Su Wan and some others helped Ling Yingfeng to leave quickly. Huangfu Xin''er landed beside Xiao Chen, held him, and asked, "How are you?"


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and saw a few glistening tears hanging from her long eyelashes. He said, "Don''t worry, I''m fine. I''ll just need to rest for two days." Before his voice fell, her face suddenly changed before she murmured, "It''s you..."


    Before, Xiao Chen had been holding his throat with True Qi. At the moment, his True Qi ran out, so his voice was restored. However, before he noticed it, she had recognized him.


    "It''s me..." The two people met again in such a scene. Although they had countless words to say, they did not know where to start.


    Huangfu Xin''er had a mixed feeling and could not speak. Xiao Chen wanted to say something, but he suddenly blacked out.


    Two days later, Xiao Chen woke up leisurely and did not know how he had gotten over the past two days. His abdomen had been in great pain, and his consciousness was sometimes vague and sometimes lucid. While sleeping, nightmares kept coming at him. He had dreamt of his identity being discovered which led to the death of Huangfu Xin''er. He also had dreamt of him becoming a demon and killing everyone...


    "You''re awake." Huangfu Xin''er heard something from the room, gently opened the door, and walked in. Xiao Chen looked at her pale face, he did not know what to say.


    "Why on earth did you come to the Skygale Sect?" Huangfu Xin''er gently moved her lips and asked.


    Xiao Chen kept silent. He came for Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er. But why did he hesitate now? Was it true that their distance had become so far? Or, did he subconsciously come here for Huangfu Xin''er?


    "There''s nothing going on these two days. You should have a good rest. It''s safe to have two friends outside guarding for you." Huangfu Xin''er said while turning around to leave.


    "Wait! Will you stay with me for a while?" Xiao Chen stopped her.


    "Um." Huangfu Xin''er nodded, turned, and sat in front of him.


    The two were silent. Were it before, they would be very happy to see each other and would have endless topics. But now, after the engagement was canceled, there were misunderstandings, and everything had changed.


    At this moment, in another room.


    "Cousin, are you really going back?"


    "It is a matter of great importance. I must go back as soon as possible and inform the elders of the family."


    Su Wan looked upset. She looked at Ling Yuxuan and kept his head down and asked, "What about your brother?"


    Ling Yingfeng snorted coldly and swung his sleeve. "I''ve already told him to concentrate on training. He earned this! His training is failed, and he will be punished after getting back. There''s no one to blame!"


    Ling Yuxuan looked up and said, "Brother, sorry..."


    "What about that boy? Do you just let him go?" Su Wan was very unhappy.


    Ling Yingfeng turned a straight face and said, "That kid has an unusual background. The skills he played that day were very strange. He might come from the Ancient Immortal Clan. I''ll report the matter to the family master. You two, remember, don''t provoke him again!"


    Su Wan snorted coldly. "So what? He hasn''t even reached the Foundation Building Realm. Can''t you just kill him? Besides, how can the Su Family be afraid of him?"


    "You know nothing! If he really is a member of the Ancient Immortal Clan, do you know how horrible a force is behind him? You''d better not offend him again!"


    "Humph!" Su Wan raised her head and said no more. Ling Yingfeng looked at Ling Yuxuan and said, "I''m leaving. You take care of yourself!" He then swung his sleeve and went out.


    For a few moments, Ling Yuxuan raised his head and looked at Su Wan, saying, "What should I do, cousin? I don''t want to get punished when I get back..."


    Su Wan pondered for a moment, and her eyes narrowed and gave off two beams of cold lights. "Don''t be afraid. I have another plan. In recent days, I found that the two people who came with him were very unusual. They often went to the forbidden are on the back mountain at midnight."


    ...


    In the room, Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin''er sat quietly. He did not mention a word about his purpose here or his history. They just talked about what had happened to them within a year.


    A moment later, Xiao Han came in. Huangfu Xin''er stood up and said, "You have a good rest, I''m going back..."


    Xiao Han shook his head, sighed, closed the door and window, turned around and said, "You have made too much noise this time. We have been suspected."


    Xiao Chen frowned, "Still no news?"


    Xiao Han shook his head. "There''s a sword grave in the forbidden area at the back mountain, but there are also many restraining formations. Shangguan Yan and I couldn''t get through them. If she hadn''t put sleeping poison on the two guards last night, we would have been found."


    "Time is running out. I''ll go with you tonight."


    At night, a curved moon was in the sky and the air was cold on the mountain. The shadows of the wood branches looked scary. The three people had gathered at the appointed place, and Shangguan Yan had already cast a sleeping poison to the guards of the back mountain.


    "What took you two so long to come here! This place is spooky and scared me to death!"


    "Shh." Xiao Chen immediately made a gesture of silence.


    After walking for a mile, they saw two ghost fire dancing ahead. The two ghost fire precisely revolved around a central point. Xiao Chen settled down and immediately recognized that this was the Two-Yi Formation. He said, "I''ll break the formation. You stay here."


    Two ghost fire had sensed that there was a stranger coming and revolved faster while the fire became stronger and shone brighter around. Xiao Chen concentrated and chanted spells as two beams of white light moved from his fingertips to the two fire. The fire was immediately put out.


    "All right, let''s go."


    He was very good at formations back then. Such an easy formation was nothing in front of him. The three people proceeded for a while, and a figure suddenly stopped their way. Shangguan Yan was immediately startled, saying, "I''ve used the sleeping poison. What happened?!"


    "Those who trespass on the forbidden area will be killed without exception!"


    That man was a foot above the ground, his eyes and voice were empty. Obviously, he was not a real person but a formation spirit.


    The formation spirit was a spiritual build derived from a formation. If the one who made the formation did not have profound cultivation, he could not produce a formation spirit by his own energy. This formation spirit right here did not have its own consciousness and relied on the formation to work. It should be some kind of low-leveled formation spirit.


    Xiao Chen shook his hand, gesturing the other two not to approach.


    "I repeat. Those who trespass on the forbidden area will be killed without exception!" The formation spirit was about to attack seeing the three comers did not want to retreat.


    "Warning is invalid! Kill!" A beam of white light suddenly dashed to them. Xiao Chen stood the frontmost and immediately hold up a defense barrier to block the white light.


    The light was dazzling and reflected all around like it was daytime. Xiao Chen worried this might caught the others'' attention and said in a deep voice, "It''s a formation spirit. You hold it. I''ll go break the formation."


    Xiao Han and Shangguan Yan immediately stepped forth and block the attack together. Xiao Chen used his Divine Sense to scan around and found four hidden formation points. It turned out to be a four-square vertical and horizontal formation. He immediately injected a spiritual force to the north formation point and then drew a virtual seal to the west formation point. Two formation points were broken instantly, so the other two left also broke themselves. The formation spirit also disappeared.


    Shangguan Yan was sweating all over. She finally relieved, but she also wanted to quit. "Such a formation spirit is already so hard to deal with. I don''t know what lies ahead. Why don''t we come back tomorrow?"


    "No. Two formations were already broken. The others will definitely suspect with time being." Xiao Chen said decisively.


    The three people walked west for a while and were stopped again. After they broke the formation, they went on a secret path. Xiao Chen noticed that there was a strong evil air ahead that was filled with a demonic aura. The further they went, the heavier the evil air became. He said seriously, "This place is unusual. Strange things are everywhere. Be careful."


    Xiao Han looked dignified, and Shangguan Yan was also afraid to say more. They carefully looked around. While proceeding, they felt a coldness attacking them.


    It was early spring, a season when the flowers and trees were the most prosperous. However, the nearby grass and woods were withering with a faint smell of death in this place.


    After another 30 minutes, the view in front of them became clear. It was a cave, in front of which hung eight Tai Ji-printed huge swords. They kept switching locations. Xiao Chen immediately stopped and put the other two people behind him.


    "Be careful! It''s the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation!"


    The Universal Mystic-Yin Formation was a high-end formation. Qian, Kun, Li, Kan, and the other four locations switched constantly. It was useless even broke one or two formation points.


    Xiao Chen concentrated and sensed the continuous flow of evil Qi from inside the cave. How could such a strange place locate in an Immortals'' sect? It seemed that the Skygale Sect was indeed unnormal. He said, "I''m afraid I can''t break it through with my current capability. What now?"


    Xiao Han''s eyebrows furrowed tightly. He stared at the eight huge swords in the air. He and Shangguan Yan had not gone this far before, so he did not know that there was such a high-end formation here. He did not know what to do either.


    After thinking for a moment, Xiao Chen said, "Xiao Han, you and I will work together to restrain three locations: Qian, Kun, and Xun. Shangguan Yan, you rush into the cave as fast as you can." He then looked at Shangguan Yan behind him.


    "Me?" Shangguan Yan pointed to her nose and shook her hand, saying, "No, no, no. I''m not going. It''s so dark and creepy in there." Xiao Chen said, "What if I tell you maybe there is some kind of extraordinary Ancient Chinese Cauldron of refining poison in there?"


    Upon hearing the cauldron, her eyes burst out keen light. But looking at the dark cave, she was still a bit scared. Xiao Han said, "Forget it, don''t force her. Why don''t we go back and think about the countermeasures first and come back tomorrow night?"


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Alright. I''ll go back to study the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation."


    When they got back, Xiao Chen found some yellow paper, drew a dozen seals on them, and began to practice the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation. Xiao Han was not proficient in formations and he could not understand what Xiao Chen was doing, so he just stood by and watch. After a long time, Xiao Chen still could not figure out a way to break it. It was too late at the moment, so they cleaned themselves and went to bed.


    The next morning, Xiao Han already went out. When Xiao Chen was about to go out, Huangfu Xin''er came to him.


    Xiao Chen saw her face abnormal and he was stunned. "What''s wrong?"


    "Have you been to the forbidden area last night?"

 Chapter 72 Blood Pond

    After a short silence, Xiao Chen nodded. "Two months ago, Daofeng caught two friends of mine."


    Huangfu Xin''er''s eyes looked shocked. "You mean Elder Daofeng? They went back to Violet Manor a month ago."


    Xiao Chen frowned. "Xian''er and Senior Sister Luo, have they been taken to Violet Manor?" He asked, "Had you heard that they had brought some people back?"


    Huangfu Xin''er shook her head. "Disciples have always been afraid to ask about the elders'' matters. Did Elder Daofeng really catch your friends? How is that possible?"


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist. "I saw it with my own eyes. It can''t be wrong!"


    A moment later, Huangfu Xin''er sighed. "Maybe it was not just me who found you last night. Don''t go there today, okay? My master set the formations. He will know when his formations are broken. He is about to end his seclusion, so I don''t want you to take risks again."


    "I''m sorry, Xin''er. Can I take you away from here?"


    After last night''s incident, he felt more like it that there were something wrong going on in the Skygale Sect. It was not good for Huangfu Xin''er to stay here.


    "I..." Huangfu Xin''er stopped her words and lowered her head. "Where can you take me to? Our engagement had been..."


    At night, the cold wind blew through people''s skin, and a crescent moon hung above the vague sea. Xiao Chen stood on the top of the cliff, facing the sea. It seemed that the tide was rising tonight. When it ebbed tomorrow, the ship that sent goods to the island would come. In half a month, they had search through the entire Skygale Sect, and the only place that they hadn''t checked was that cave.


    Just as he was lost in thought, two figures came quietly behind him. Shangguan Yan patted on his shoulder, trying to scare him. But unexpectedly, he turned and said calmly, "Are you ready?"


    Shangguan Yan pursed her lips, saying, "Humph! Why haven''t I scared you!" Xiao Han said, "Time won''t wait. Let''s go."


    They came to the cave last night, and the eight huge swords were still hanging there, switching positions constantly. The talismans on them were shining dimly. Xiao Chen had already prepared everything. He took out eight yellow seals and threw them into the air. They then immediately stuck to the swords.


    He then kept chanting and casting out prints, while the talismans on the yellow seals burst out lights. The switching speed of the eight swords gradually slowed down. Xiao Han saw this and immediately put his hand at Xiao Chen''s back, sending True Qi to Xiao Chen. So did Shangguan Yan. A few moments later, the eight huge swords stopped moving as the talismans on the swords disappeared.


    "I can only temporarily stop the operation of this formation. We have to be fast." They entered the cave and immediately smelled a pungent air of blood.


    The further they proceeded, the heavier the smell. Xiao Chen held up a light curtain to shine the path. "Ah!" Shangguan Yan shouted. There were numerous blood ponds around, and each of them was connected by a ditch.


    Xiao Chen was startled. This was not a sword grave, and he did not know what these blood pools were used for. But he was sure that it was human blood. The Skygale Sect did such things against reason and nature. It did not deserve to be a cultivators'' sect. He asked, "Do you know what these blood pools are used for?"


    Xiao Han pondered for a while and said, "Last time in a night, I heard something like sending blood souls to the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor."


    Blood soul? Xiao Chen squinted. "Are these people going to open the blood soul formation to resurrect someone?" "Through hundreds of millions of human beings and the power of the ancient fierce formation, bring the dead to life... The Blood Soul Formation!" In the memories of his last life, it seemed that there was indeed such an evil formation.


    The Skygale Sect built an Outer Gate in the Human World and recruit countless disciples. However, only a few disciples were able to enter Violet Manor. Where did the other disciples go? They might have become the blood souls in these ponds and were sent to the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor, turning into the spirit medium for opening the Blood Soul Formation.


    Xiao Chen''s back started to chill. This Skygale Sect was really evil. Didn''t Huangfu Xin''er know about this? Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er...


    While meditating, Xiao Han suddenly pulled him and pointed to the northwest, saying, "There seems to be a hidden path."


    Xiao Chen looked over and found the trace of being chiseled on the stone wall. They then walked over and found a hidden mechanism that opened the stone door. A rancid smell suddenly came to their faces. In front of the three was an artificially dug tunnel. It was dark inside, and there seemed to be many unknown creatures crawling and rustling.


    Xiao Chen and Xiao Han looked at each other and asked Shangguan Yan in unison, "Are you waiting here or are you coming with us?" Shangguan Yan shivered, pinched her nose and said, "Of-of course I''ll go with you! I am not afraid!"


    The tunnel was dark and damp. When the three men entered it, the rancid smell became heavier, making them want to puke. Shangguan Yan took out a handkerchief and covered her nose and mouth, while the two men held their breath. The further they went, the softer the soil became. They could even hear some creaking sound after they trod on the soil.


    "Be careful, we may be stepping on countless corrupted corpses." Xiao Chen warned. Shangguan Yan was behind them and instantly scared, her face turning pale. She stood on tiptoe, tightly holding his arm.


    After proceeding for a few moments, the tunnel gradually became spacious, and the smell of corpses also became heavier. There was even some ghost fire dancing on the walls. Suddenly, Shangguan Yan screamed as she paused and closed her eyes tightly.


    Xiao Chen turned around and asked, "What''s the matter?" Shangguan Yan slowly opened her eyes, shivering. "I... I seem to have stepped on something..." She then slowly looked at her feet. "Ah!" She then jumped to Xiao Chen.


    It was a heavily corrupted head. The skin and flesh on the face were basically eaten, and countless maggots crawled out of the eye sockets. There was a hair bun above the head, and a green pearl flower was stuck into the bun. It should have been a woman''s head.


    Xiao Chen''s face became blank. He put Shangguan Yan down, squatted down slowly, and pulled out the pearl flower. The jade on the flower was a small butterfly.


    "This is... the hairpin of Senior Sister Luo?"


    "Ah-" A long roar resounded in the tunnel. Xiao Chen''s eyes turned red instantly. After a long time, he only uttered three words, "Senior Sister Luo..."


    At this moment, he wanted to kill every one of the Skygale Sect!


    "No, don''t get too excited." Xiao Han saw some clues and pulled him up from the ground. "Stop watching. There are so many hairpins in the market. Besides, it''s cold in the past two months, so the body can''t corrupt so fast..." After saying so, he used internal strength to shatter the head on the ground.


    Suddenly, there came a scratching sound from the other end of the tunnel. The sound became denser and denser as many unknown creatures in the darkness rushed toward the three people. Xiao Han''s face froze. "Watch out! It''s the corpse-eating mole cricket!" He sent out some internal strength from his hand and shattered some crickets as their blood splashed.


    Those corpse-eating mole crickets were about a half a palm''s size. Looking over, it was a black mass. There were about more than 10,000 of them. Shangguan Yan was scared and stepped back. Suddenly, countless crickets emerged from the ground. Xiao Chen smiled coldly as True Energy ran through his body. A fierce roar instantly shattered the crickets around into dust.


    The crickets afar dared not to proceed and went underground one after another. Shangguan Yan''s heart beat very fast. She said, "What are they..." Xiao Han calmed himself and said, "It''s all right. Let''s go." He looked at Xiao Chen again and saw him staring blankly. He asked, "Are you all right?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t speak and went forward. They went to the end of the tunnel and saw stone steps were going upward at an angle. Xiao Han led the way and stepped forth. In front of him was a circular stone temple.


    "What''s on that stage?" Shangguan Yan shouted.


    Xiao Chen looked over and saw a palm-sized black small cauldron hanging on the stone stage. It was surrounded by some secret magic, and there was gas emitting outward as if the cauldron was refining something.


    The three people went close. Xiao Han looked at Xiao Chen and asked, "There are formations around the stage. Can you break them?"


    "Why can''t I?" Xiao Chen said coldly. He then punched at the stone stage. The palm power was vigorous and instantly shattered the entire stage. Xiao Han leaped and caught the black cauldron.


    Shangguan Yan rushed forth and snatched the cauldron from Xiao Han. She held it as if holding the most precious treasure, saying, "Didn''t expect that there really is a treasure..."


    "This should be the cauldron for refining souls." Xiao Han said and looked around. He then looked at Xiao Chen, saying, "Don''t worry, Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er may be sent to Violet Manor. I don''t know what they are after, but I''m sure that the Skygale Sect won''t just refine them into blood souls. They should be safe at the least."


    "Forget it. Let''s go back."


    The three people went back to the blood ponds when Xiao Chen suddenly stopped and gave Xiao Han a look, saying, "Don''t you think there''s something wrong?" Xiao Han turned and asked, "What?"


    "From the very beginning, have things been going a little too smoothly?"


    Xiao Han looked frozen and thought for a moment before saying, "Sh*t!" He then rushed to the entrance of the cave. When he was about to get out, he seemed to hit on a formless wall and was bounced back to the cave.


    "It''s the barrier of the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation. The formation started operating after the eight swords stopped moving. We can''t go out now. It seemed like someone set us up." Xiao Chen walked over and said slowly.

 Chapter 73 Tiangu Zi

    Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yan''s face suddenly became bitter. "It turns out to be a trap. What should we do? When the sun rose, they will surely come and kill us."


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly. "I want them to come here." Xiao Han''s face froze, and he said, "It''s not time to act on impulse. We can''t underestimate the Skygale Sect. If Tiangu Zi comes, we won''t survive."


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly, sat on the ground, and started to run the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. The other two looked anxious and tried countless times to break through the formation, yet they failed. Even if nobody came and they were stuck here for two or three months, they would starve to death.


    "Can you break through the barrier?"


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and said slowly, "The formation is set outside. Unless there''s someone out there to cooperate, I don''t know how."


    The moon gradually moved and two hours passed. Shangguan Yan sat on the ground, saying, "Boo-hoo... I don''t wanna die here."


    Four hours passed, the sky became blue and it was almost dawn. Shangguan Yan stood up and ran to Xiao Chen, shaking his shoulders, saying, "Stop meditating. It''s almost dawn, do something!"


    Xiao Chen got up and walked to the entrance of the cave. He sent some finger strength to the eight swords outside. However, with the barrier, the finger strength could not penetrate at all. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. A figure was rushing here. Shangguan Yan hurriedly hid behind him.


    The figure wore a green dress, came to the cave, and looked anxious. It was Huangfu Xin''er.


    "Why are you here? Get out of here!" Xiao Chen said nervously. If someone found her here, she would be regarded as an accomplice.


    Shangguan Yan stretched out her head, saying, "Martial Uncle, don''t go! I and your disciple are stuck in here. Please help us out."


    Huangfu Xin''er looked at the eight huge swords in the air and sent out a white radiance through her fingertip to one of them. The radiance hit the sword, but the seal Xiao Chen left on the sword stayed still, and she was even bounced back for a few steps.


    "Don''t mess around!" Xiao Chen shouted. He thought for a moment and then said, "Hit the Li position."


    Huangfu Xin''er then sent a finger strength to Li position. This time, she was not bounced back, and the seal on the sword moved a bit.


    "Then hit the Dui position."


    Huangfu Xin''er nodded and sent a white radiance to Dui position. "Poom!" Her body shook as her blood and qi boiled. The seal did not move, and the seal on Li position stuck to the sword tighter.


    "What''s wrong? Aren''t you very proficient in formations?" Shangguan Yan asked in a hurry.


    Xiao Chen gave her a grumpily look and said, "Do you think it''s easy to break through a formation? Unless you can stop the flow of time, otherwise, the eight formation points are constantly switching, if you make one mistake, the other hits are all wasted! Get aside and don''t disturb me!" He then used his fingers to calculate, saying, "Hit Kan position."


    One hour passed, and the day was bright. A ray of morning sun shone into the cave. Huangfu Xin''er was pale and soaked in sweat.


    After many failures, there were only Qian position and Zhen position left to deal with. If he made a mistake, they would have to start over again. Xiao Chen''s forehead was covered in cold sweat. He had simulated the switching patterns countless times and then said, "Zhen position!"


    Shangguan Yan said hurriedly, "Wait! Are you sure?" Before her voice fell, Huangfu Xin''er had already sent a finger strength to Zhen position. With a sound, the seal on it fell, so did the other seals on seven swords.


    "Rumble!" The eight swords started to run again. Huangfu Xin''er looked happy and was relieved. The three people went out of the cave as Shangguan Yan looked at the swords with hatred, saying, "I will break you down!" She then bent over to pick up the stones on the ground.


    "Stop playing and go!" Xiao Chen immediately grabbed her wrist and was about to turn around when Xiao Han said, "It''s too late. Prepare for a fight."


    Dozens of figures flew over. The leading one was Chu Biefu, and Su Wan and Ling Yuxuan followed him.


    "Junior Sister, how are you going to explain?"


    When Huangfu Xin''er was about to say something, Xiao Chen pulled her to his back and looked at Chu Biefu, saying, "I''m taking her away today."


    Chu Biefu snorted coldly. "You sneaked into my Skygale Sect. What are you after? I happen to want to know." As his voice fell, he moved his fingers as rows of golden sword Qi appeared suddenly.


    Xiao Chen propped up a piece of defense barrier to cover them up. Dozens of people charged to them upon seeing this, and Xiao Han unleashed his Immortal''s Sword to block them.


    Shangguan Yan shook her bell as poisonous insects and fierce ants gathered from all directions. Xiao Chen held up the barrier to block the falling sword Qi while engaging with Chu Biefu.


    The battle became more and more intense, and True Energy was turbulent around everyone. The quiet mountain had an unpeaceful morning. From afar, many Skygale Sect disciples heard the noise and rushed over. Xiao Chen kept Chu Biefu busy while the others were breaking through the tight encirclement under the lead of Xiao Han.


    The four retreated while fighting all the way to the big square of the mountain gate. More than a thousand people had surrounded the square, and every one of them held a sword. Some of them formed up a sword formation, while some others were concentrating on chanting spells. Obviously, they''ve prepared everything.


    Under the rising sun, the swords were dazzling. Numerous swords dashed to Xiao Chen like golden snakes in unison. Xiao Chen unleashed his Unsullied which then instantly cut off the incoming swords. He was not a killing machine and did not want to kill the disciples. The real arch-criminal was Tiangu Zi and the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor.


    The four people retreated to the center of the square as numerous people surrounded them. Some of them were even high-leveled. It seemed that the four people had nowhere to go now.


    All of a sudden, from the skyline in the west, several rows of golden sword radiance whistled here. It was Chu Biefu and some others in a sword formation, and Su Wan was also there. Underneath, countless disciples also formed some huge sword formations and moved toward the four people in the center.


    At this point, the overwhelming sword Qi made Xiao Chen feel great pressure. These people could share their True Qi after they formed sword formations, but there would be some point that they ran out of True Qi. He then cast out another defensive barrier to block the incoming sword Qi and shouted, "I''ll hold them off. Xiao Han, you take them down the mountain!"


    "Cut the crap! You will die if you stay!"


    All of a sudden, a row of sword radiance flashed from the mountain top to the ground, turning into an old man in a teal robe. Chu Biefu and everyone else in the square bowed down and said, "Greetings, master! Congratulations on your seclusion!"


    Xiao Chen cursed inwardly. "Sh*t. Is this Tiangu Zi? Judging from his aura, he seems to be at late Core Forming Realm."


    Tiangu Zi looked at Huangfu Xin''er coldly and said, "Xin''er, what''s going on?"


    Huangfu Xin''er lowered her head. She knew that she could not explain whatever she said.


    Su Wan smiled coldly and walked to Tiangu Zi, saying, "Master, she betrayed our sect and worked with those people."


    Tiangu Zi looked more terrible. "Xin''er, is that true?" "When your grandfather sent you here, he expected you to cultivate well..." Before his voice fell, Huangfu Xin''er raised her head as two lines of tears fell from her cheeks. "I''m sorry, master."


    "Humph!" Tiangu Zi swung his sleeve and said, "I''ll talk to you later about this matter!" He then coldly looked at Xiao Chen and the others, saying, "How should I call you?"


    "There''s no need. I''m taking her away today." Xiao Chen pulled Huangfu Xin''er behind his back and said calmly.


    "Then you can try!" Tiangu Zi suddenly swung his sleeve as gusts of wind blew on them. Xiao Chen ran his True Energy to block, but he just felt like his internal organs were about to break. "Slash!" The face mask was shattered into pieces.


    Fortunately, no one here had seen Xiao Chen before, so Tiangu Zi did not know who he was. Tiangu Zi asked in a deep voice, "I''m going to ask again. Who are you!" He then punched out again. This punch was incredibly ferocious. Before the palm strength arrived, Xiao Chen already could not bear it.


    Huangfu Xin''er rushed in front of Xiao Chen and stretched out her arms, saying, "Master, no!"


    Tiangu Zi was shocked as he took back his palm strength, saying "Are you really going to turn against your master?" He then swung his sleeve as a soft force rolled her aside.


    Not far, a murderous intent flashed in Su Wan''s eyes. Before Huangfu Xin''er landed, she thrust out her sword. Xiao Chen''s eyes were sharp. He sent his palm strength to the ground to make him rose into the air, and he moved to Su Wan, trying to catch her.


    When Su Wan saw Xiao Chen coming, she leaped back in the air, retreating backward. Chu Biefu shouted hurriedly, "Junior Sister, watch out!" He leaped forth and flew over.


    It looked like Chu Biefu was trying to help her, but in fact, he blocked her way back. He wanted her to die. Su Wan did not know what to do when Xiao Chen had caught her wrist. She felt her body numb all over and could not run a slight amount of True Qi.


    "Get out of the way, all of you! Or I''ll kill her!"


    Chu Biefu said hastily as a keen light flashed through his eyes, "Don''t hurt my junior sister!"


    Xiao Chen held Su Wan hostage and returned to Xiao Han and the others. Su Wan could not use her strength, so she could only shout, "I''m the big miss of the Su Family in Violet Manor! If you don''t let me go, I''ll let all of you die!"


    "You shut up!" Xiao Chen pushed some strength to her and then looked at Tiangu Zi, saying, "Everybody back off!"


    "Young friend, we can still talk. Let her go!"


    If anyone else was being held hostage at the moment, Tiangu Zi would not be this nervous. But this Su Wan was really something, and he could not let anything happen to her in the Skygale Sect.


    Seeing Tiangu Zi moving, Xiao Chen quickly said to Shangguan Yan, "Cast the most dangerous poison on her!"


    Shangguan Yan said nothing, hurriedly cast some poisons on Su Wan, and then hid behind Xiao Chen.


    Tiangu Zi went closer but he dared not to save the person. Xiao Chen shouted, "One more step and I''ll immediately kill her!"


    Su Was now had poisons on her and saw the one who held her hostage became mad, she was extremely pale and dared not to speak.


    "Go down the mountain!"


    They then went to the foot of the mountain. When they heard a horn from the sea far away. They immediately rushed to the shore. Xiao Han flew to the ship a killed two Skygale Sect disciples on the ship with one stroke, scaring the sh*t out of the sailors.


    "I''ll let you go! Release my disciple, now!" Tiangu Zi and the others followed. Su Wan saw that she would be brought to the ship, she looked terrified and her eyes turned red. She cried, saying, "Master, save me!"


    "When we are safe, we will naturally let her go!" Xiao Chen said and then carried Su Wan to the freighter. Huangfu Xin''er and Shangguan Yan also flew to the head of the ship.


    "Xin''er! Are you going with them?" Tiangu Zi followed but dared not to board.


    Tears almost flowed out of Huangfu Xin''er''s eyes. She kneeled on the ship and kowtowed to him, saying, "Master, I''m not a good disciple!"


    "Sail! Anyone defies, die!" Xiao Han turned to the cabin and thundered. A dozen sailors were scared out of their wits. They dared not say much and drove the ship away from the shore.


    Tiangu Zi followed but he suddenly paused and covered his chest, his face looked terrible. It seemed that he was still in seclusion, and his original qi was damaged when he hurriedly came out from seclusion.


    "Master, are you all right?!" Chu Biefu hurriedly held him.


    Tiangu Zi shook his hand and looked at the departing freighter. His eyes froze. "Xin''er is willing to go with them. I think I know one of them now. I''m afraid it''s about the matter one year ago. A child in the Human World even dares to make troubles in our Skygale Sect. After these days when I recover..."

 Chapter 74 The Devil of the Xiao Family

    As the ship sailed farther, the island gradually lost in their sights. Huangfu Xin''er stood at the head of the ship, gazing at the direction of the Skygale Sect. Her dress danced with the wind.


    "The wind is so big here. Come inside with me." Xiao Chen stood beside her, thinking that her feeling toward the Skygale Sect was exactly the same as his toward the Three Pure Sect.


    "Although my master had been harsh, he treated us very well."


    Huangfu Xin''er entered the cabin as Su Wan glared at her, saying, "B*tch! Finally, I''m in your hands. Are you happy now?" She then glared at Xiao Chen and the others, saying, "I warn you! I am the big miss of the Su Family. If you do something to me, none of you can escape! Including your families!"


    No one paid attention to her. Xiao Chen walked over and frowned. "The Su Family in Violet Manor?"


    Su Wan sneered and said, "You''re afraid now? I tell you, once I die, the life and death light in my family will go out. When my father comes, none of you will be able to leave the sea alive!"


    Xiao Chen didn''t speak. He took out the badge his mother had given him and handed it to her. "Have you seen this?"


    Su Wan froze and then suddenly raised her head. "This is my family badge! Where did you steal it?"


    Xiao Chen took back the badge and felt nothing but chaos. "Is mother really a member of the Su Family in Violet Manor? Then this Su Wan is most likely to be my cousin..."


    Su Wan shouted, "I''m asking you! Where did you steal this badge?"


    Xiao Chen ignored her and looked at Shangguan Yan. "Watch her."


    Shangguan Yan smiled insidiously and walked toward Su Wan. "Master, it''s cold outside. Let''s go and sit inside."


    Su Wan''s eyes were full of fear and she could not help retreating. She shivered and said, "You... I''m your master! What do you want? Are you going to kill your master?!" Shangguan Yan giggled and said, "I''m paying respect to my master. I''m afraid of my master catching a cold outside!" She then pulled her into a cabin.


    Xiao Chen felt dizzy and weak. He then also entered a cabin. An hour later, Xiao Han came in. "Our Xiao Family has a thousand-year rule that we can''t associate with people surnamed Su. But your mother is surnamed Su. Isn''t that Su Wan your cousin?"


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows furrowed tightly. "Shangguan Yan is not solid. I''ll go check her out in case something happens."


    "What? Are you worrying about your cousin so soon?"


    The two people went to Shangguan Yan''s room and heard crying from the inside. After opening the door, they were shocked.


    "What are you doing!"


    Su Wan''s arms and legs were sliced with many wounds, where poisonous insects were crawling on them. Her face was also full of wounds. At the moment, her face was expressionless, and her mouth was open. She kept shivering, her eyes wide open, and tears were flowing down.


    "I... I will kill you."


    Shangguan Yan hurriedly hid her dagger and rightfully said, "After so many days, can''t my little babies suck some blood?"


    Xiao Chen''s face looked terrible. He swung his sleeves to send the insects away from Su Wan and then helped her up. Fortunately, the scars were not deep. Applying some spiritual medicine on the scars could make sure that they wouldn''t leave any trace.


    Su Wan glared at him, saying, "I will definitely kill you..."


    All of a sudden, the ship was shaking intensely as people could not stand straight. Through the windows, they saw white billows surging to the sky as a 60-meter-long flood dragon dashed out of the sea.


    "Roar!" A heaven-shaking roar scared the sh*t out of the sailors. Xiao Chen and the others quickly went to the deck as numerous water columns rolled toward them.


    "Hold tight! Don''t fall!" Xiao Chen propped up a defensive barrier to block the water columns. This sea is boundless. With their current cultivation, it was impossible for them to fly over the sea on their swords, and they would definitely die if they fell into the sea.


    Huangfu Xin''er also rushed out. She saw it was the dragon of her sect and then hurriedly send some True Qi into Xiao Chen''s body to help him resist the attack. However, one column after another, Xiao Chen felt that he could not stand it. He turned his head and said, "You go back to the cabin. Don''t come out!"


    "This thing is the spiritual beast of the last sect leader, Yunya Zi, of the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor. You can''t withstand it alone!"


    When they were talking, the flood dragon stopped sending water columns and rushed to the ship. Xiao Chen cursed inwardly. If such a huge thing hit the ship, the ship would definitely be torn apart. He moved his fingers to cast out a sword spell, and Unsullied turned into a white radiance and then moved toward the dragon''s head.


    Although Unsullied was an ancient Legendary Weapon, it could not deal much damage to the dragon. The dragon rushed up quickly and in the blink of an eye, it was already 60 meters from the ship.


    Billows after billows of water crashed against them, the ship shook more intensely. Before the dragon hit the ship, the ship might be turned over by the billow. Xiao Chen ran his True Qi and punched out the Cyan Dragon Roars. A dragon roar sounded as numerous 300-meter-high water columns blasted out of the sea.


    The flood dragon''s body trembled upon hearing the dragon roar, and it dared not to rush forth anymore. It floated on the sea with half of its body in the water and carefully looked at the small ship. Suddenly, a teal light flashed as Su Wan rode on her sword and landed on the flood dragon. Just now, she took advantage of the chaos and broke the acupuncture points that Xiao Chen sealed. Now she just escaped without a second thought.


    That flood dragon roared and then turned back to the Skygale Sect. The sea quieted down. Now that they''d lost the hostage, Xiao Chen feared that Tiangu Zi might catch up. So, he ordered the sailors to sail as fast as possible.


    Xiao Han also sent internal strength under the water. The freighter then moved as an arrow that left the string, scaring the sailors and making them pale. Finally, at dusk, the ship returned to the dock of Sang City. They dared not to stay and left immediately.


    Li Muxue had already ordered the fastest carriage to pick them up. They did not have the time for meal and immediately set out.


    "Didn''t you find Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said nothing. Li Muxue looked at Huangfu Xin''er and asked, "You are?"


    "This is someone''s childhood friend. They said everything to each other since childhood..." Shangguan Yan said quickly. But before she could finish her words, Xiao Chen glared at her, so she stopped talking.


    The night fell, and there was no moon or star tonight. Everything was quiet outside, and there was only the sound of wheels of the carriage. The driver said, "Princess, it''s Huainan Town 50 kilometers ahead. It''s not safe to travel at night. Shall we rest for a night?"


    "Okay."


    Several people lit a white light by their True Energy inside the carriage. A few moments later, Xiao Han asked, "Where shall we go next?"


    "Let''s go back to the Xiao Family." Xiao Chen looked at the badge in his hand. It''s been a year, and they ought to go home. He then looked at Huangfu Xin''er, asking, "Are you coming?"


    Huangfu Xin''er shook her head. "I want to go home."


    "All right. I know two seniors. When the matters are dealt with, I will definitely think of some way to let you enter Violet Manor. Let me send you back to Liu Province tomorrow." Xiao Chen did not know what to say. Maybe her only wish now was to enter Violet Manor.


    "I..." Huangfu Xin''er moved her lips and lowered her head. Eventually, she said nothing.


    Two hours later, they arrived at Huainan Town and settled in a small tavern. After having meals, they returned to each other''s room. Xiao Chen looked at the pitch-dark sky. For no reason, he started to worry about something.


    However, at this point, in the Xiao Family in Cloud City, everything looked like dead. The doors were all closed tightly. This was because recently the ancient tomb in the mountain back of the Xiao Family was filled with evil Qi. And dark clouds covered that place. At night, horrible voices could be heard there.


    "Xiao Ning... You can''t keep me here... When I see the daylight again, your Xiao Family will perish."


    It seemed that the voice came from under the ground. Although no one could hear what was said clearly, they were all terrified as if the end of the world was coming. All the guards had been evacuated, and no one dared to approach the tomb anymore.


    ...


    In the next morning, Xiao Chen woke up and found Huangfu Xin''er was gone. She only left a note in his room that wrote: "Don''t miss me". He then rushed out of town, heading Liu Province. After rushing for 15 kilometers, he finally found a girl dressed in green ahead. He ran forth and asked, "Why did you go alone?"


    Huangfu Xin''er turned around, her eye sockets red. She sobbed, "It''s fine. I just wanna go home and have a look."


    Xiao Chen sighed softly and wanted to say: "Go back with me." But he said, "I''ll send you."


    Huangfu Xin''er sobbed, shook her head, and said with a smile, "It''s really okay. You go back now. Don''t keep your friends waiting for too long."


    Having found her determination of going home, Xiao Chen sighed and said, "All right."


    When the two arrived at the next town, Xiao Chen found a carriage. Before leaving, he also did not know what to say and could not give too many promises. "You can come to me anytime in the future. Take care of yourself." Then, he took out a piece of jade note and handed it over to her.


    "Okay." Huangfu Xin''er took the jade note, forced a smile, and nodded.


    Xiao Chen stood in the wind for a long time as the carriage stretched their distance longer. They could not go back. He had things that were painful to say and did not want to part. As for Huangfu Xin''er, her memories became vague, but she could not forget the scenes happened in the Skygale Sect.


    "Can you be my master?"


    "Your cultivation is far higher than mine. I feel bad to hear you call me master..."


    The scene of that day appeared in his mind, that he went up to recognize her as his master and she did not know what to do.


    Suddenly, there came a warmth from his chest. Xiao Chen took out the Fire-heart Jade.


    "You chose me to be your master, and I haven''t got anything valuable to gift you. This is the Fire-heart Jade. It came from the fire stones in the wild north. It can keep you warm. Take this."


    He sighed, put it up, turned and went to Huainan Town.


    When he returned to Huainan Town, Li Muxue saw him upset and felt sorry. She asked, "Have you caught up?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "She''s gone."


    They said no more, took the carriage, and went to the Xiao Family in Cloud Province. All along the way, Xiao Chen felt a little uneasy. He told the driver to drive faster. The uneasiness did not come from Huangfu Xin''er but his parents.


    Four hours later, a huge noise suddenly rose from outside. The carriage stopped suddenly, followed by the driver''s trembling voice. "Daoist priest... Why do you stop me?"

 Chapter 75 Corpse Puppe

    t


    "People inside, come out. Don''t let me force you."


    A cold voice sounded outside. Xiao Chen was stunned. This voice was... Gongye Zi who came to the Three Pure Sect to take Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er away!


    The driver said in tremor, "Is there some misunderstanding? There are just some family members inside..." His voice stopped suddenly, and then came a sound of falling to the ground. Apparently, he lost his life.


    Xiao Chen rushed out of the carriage and saw the driver lying in blood. He looked coldly at Gongye Zi, wanting to say: "Why you won''t even spare an ordinary man?" But he thought of those blood ponds in the Skygale Sect. They have killed so many lives, and how would they care about one or two ordinary people?


    Gongye Zi said coldly, "It''s really you. If you understand things, come with me. Or..." He then punched at the carriage. "Pow!" The carriage broke into pieces as Xiao Han and others flew out in an instant.


    Li Muxue exclaimed upon seeing the driver in blood. She then tightly covered her mouth. Xiao Chen quickly made up his mind. He pulled her and rushed into the woods. Xiao Han and Shangguan Yan also followed. It was impossible for them to fight Gongye Zi.


    "Master, shall we go after them?" A disciple asked.


    Gongye Zi raised his hand and said, "Two of you go back and tell the sect leader to take men to ravage the Xiao Family and then refine all of them into blood souls."


    "Yes, Master." Two disciples immediately headed for Sang City, while the other four stayed.


    "You follow me into the woods to arrest them. Don''t mind the others, but you have to take that Xiao Chen alive. Don''t let them escape this time!" After saying so, Gongye Zi played Sky Treader Technique and rushed into the woods.


    The ancient trees in the forest were towering. The further into the woods, the more twisted the path became, and steep mountains stood far ahead of them. Xiao Chen and the others had rushed for about 30 minutes, and they had no idea where they were. Xiao Chen said, "You go back to the Xiao Family. You go to the Three Pure Sect to inform the two seniors."


    "What about you?"


    "I''ll distract that old Daoist." He then looked at Li Muxue beside him. "Muxue, you go too!"


    "You can''t handle them alone. I''ll stay."


    While speaking, the sound of the enemies came close. Xiao Han and Shangguan Yan said no more and rushed to Cloud Province. Li Muxue did not want to part, so she went into the deep woods with Xiao Chen.


    As they went further, the air became weirder and weirder. There seemed to be unusual turbulence came from the depth of the woods. "Rumble!" With a thunder, Gongye Zi and the four disciples had caught up.


    Xiao Chen hurriedly chanted a spell as several rows of Qi blades moved backward, bringing up the grasses and woods. Gongye Zi ran his Qi to block, only to find that there seemed to be some unseen restraint that made him unable to wield half of his strength.


    Xiao Chen also had noticed this. Without hesitation, he pulled Li Muxue and ran to the deep woods. Both sides had run for an hour, and their speed gradually became slower now.


    They saw evil Qi surging into the sky ahead of them, and it looked extremely weird. Xiao Chen decisively pulled Li Muxue and ran forth, but Gongye Zi and the others stopped.


    "Master, it''s the border of Falling-jade Glow ahead. Shall we keep pursuing?"


    Gongye Zi frowned and looked solemn. "Go. But remember not to damage a single flower or tree in there. Don''t startle the host here."


    One hour later, Xiao Chen and Li Muxue ran into a quiet valley. The grasses and woods around were prosperous, the birds were singing, and the flowers were fragrant. It was completely different from the sullen forest before. Li Muxue suddenly exclaimed, "Brother Xiao, what''s that!"


    Xiao Chen followed her eyes and saw a figure standing 30 meters away. To be exact, it was not a human being but a zombie. The skin of that zombie was dark all over as evil Qi suffused from it. Its face also looked extremely scary.


    In such a beautiful place with abundant Spiritual Qi, how could such an evil being exist here? There was definitely something wrong, and there must be some sorts of demons in here. Xiao Chen whispered, "Don''t startle this thing. Get around."


    The two people were just about to make a detour when they heard thunder behind them. Gongye Zi and the others had caught up with them. The zombie was also startled and then charged to them in a flash.


    The zombie was as fast as lightning and rushed to them. Xiao Chen shouted, "Watch out!" He carried Li Muxue to parry aside. But Gongye Zi did not know that there was an evil thing. He punched out. "Pow!" The grasses and woods were brought about.


    Gongye Zi took two steps back. He was shocked. He didn''t expect this monster to be so indestructible. Before he could run his energy, the zombie roared and charged to them. A middle Foundation Building Realm disciple could not parry, and the zombie directly cut open his chest with two claw attacks. He died instantly as his eyes turned black.


    Seeing this thing so formidable, Xiao Chen thought it was definitely not a normal zombie. He was so scared about what happened just now. If he reacted a little bit slower, Li Muxue would die. Thinking of this, he pulled her and rushed forth.


    After running for one hour, they had met many zombies similar to the one they met before. But Xiao Chen left them to Gongye Zi. With a wind noise, Gongye Zi caught up again.


    He was in terrible condition all over and looked incensed. Obviously, he was extremely mad about Xiao Chen. If he did not plan to catch Xiao Chen alive, he already killed Xiao Chen. He had four men at the beginning, but now there was only one left. Apparently, the other three people were killed by the zombies.


    "Now where can you run!"


    Gongye Zi thundered and attacked in a flash. Xiao Chen ran all his energy and cast out the Cyan Dragon Roar. Suddenly, the dragon roar shook the sky, spreading five kilometers away.


    "Pow!" The two palm strength met as their bodies shook. They both took several steps back. Gongye Zi had dealt with many zombies before, so he now seemed to be insufficient of True Energy. That was the reason why Xiao Chen could evenly trade the blow with him.


    "Brother Xiao, watch out!" At this point, Li Muxue suddenly exclaimed.


    Xiao Chen had yet to react, only to see a black shadow flashed in front of him. At the next moment, he was in the air, and the sharp pain in his left rib almost made him faint.


    After falling on the ground, Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at the black shadow nearby in horror. It was a zombie with surging evil Qi and was much stronger than the zombies before. His body was invulnerable against swords and spears, but this zombie directly broke three or four of his ribs with only one punch.


    "Brother Xiao!" Li Muxue was panicked and hurriedly pushed True Energy into his body to heal the injury.


    "Go... Go..." Xiao Chen looked pale as cold sweat burst out. He struggled to mutter, regardless of the pain.


    The zombie''s eyes were all red, and its face looked extremely horrifying. It suddenly turned its head and shot out two beams of red radiance. Gongye Zi trembled and immediately dodged aside. But the disciple beside him failed to move. He was directly cut into three pieces by the red radiance before he could even scream.


    Gongye Zi looked horrified. He hurriedly took out a seal from his chest, immediately bit the tip of his tongue and spat the blood essence to the seal. The seal burst out dazzling golden light and instantly made him disappeared into the ground to escape.


    "Roar!"


    The zombie roared, turned around, and walked to Xiao Chen. Li Muxue trembled and almost cried in horror. She stood in front of Xiao Chen, saying, "You... Don''t come here!"


    "Go... Now..." Xiao Chen was as feeble as ever. Obviously, his internal organs were all broken under the blow. This zombie might be as formidable as a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.


    When the zombie''s eyes were about to shoot out another two beams of red radiance, a woman in white descended from the sky. She gathered her True Energy at her fingertip and instantly cast out a barrier that blocked the red radiance.


    She then chanted a spell as a white light hit the zombie. "Boom!" The zombie''s body burned in a golden fire and was instantly burnt into a pile of black ash.


    Xiao Chen was too heavily injured as his consciousness gradually became vague. In a blurred vision, he saw two people walking to him. They seemed to be the man and a woman in the tavern of Lingtai Town when he, Xiao Wan''er, and Xiao Han sneaked down the mountain.


    Xiao Chen wanted to make a sound, but he just blacked out completely. When he woke up, he found himself lying in a small room with Li Muxue beside him, her eyes red.


    "Muxue..."


    Li Muxue heard the noise and looked up. "Brother Xiao, you''re awake!"


    Xiao Chen was still pale at the moment, but his pain had eased a lot. The broken bones seemed to have been re-connected by some magic. He struggled to sit up on the bed. "Where is this?"


    "This is Falling-jade Glow. Sister Bai saved us. Don''t move. I''ll pour you a glass of water."


    A moment later, a clear voice sounded outside the house. "Brother Xiao. Are you awake?"


    It sounded familiar. Li Muxue went to open the door and saw a man in a purple and white gown standing outside. The man was handsome. His pupils were like fire, and his skin was white as if it was make-up. A purple-gold gourd was hung at his waist.


    "We''ve met before, remember?" The man smiled gently.


    Xiao Chen recalled for a moment and remembered that it was the man called Yi Tong they met in the tavern in Lingtai Town when he, Xiao Han, and Xiao Wan''er sneaked down the mountain. He smiled and said, "Brother Yi."


    Yi Tong smiled and entered the room, saying, "Your injury is fine. Sister Bai said it would take two days to recover. So, in these days, you might need to stay in this shabby room."


    "Sister Bai? Is she the white woman he saw before he fainted? Casually destroying a zombie with the strength equals to that of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, this kind of strength is so remarkable. It seems that my injury was also healed by her."


    "I haven''t thanked her yet. Where is she now?" Xiao Chen felt a little strange. They had never met before, so why did she save him?


    Yi Tong smiled and said, "It doesn''t matter. Sister Bai said that she would come to you when are recovered. As for the monster that attacked you, it''s a Corpse Puppet with more than 100 years'' hatred."


    "100 years Corpse Puppet?"


    "Correct. The Corpse Puppet is the cruelest one in the Puppet-refining Technique, and it must be refined by a living human. A Corpse Puppet with 10 years'' hatred was basically invincible in the Human World, not to mention one with 100-year-hatred. We also don''t know why they appeared in our Falling-jade Glow recently."

 Chapter 76 The Major Demon that Xiao Ning Sealed

    Two days passed quickly. Xiao Chen''s injury was almost completely recovered. He went out of the room and found out that the Falling-jade Glow was built in a valley. The ground was flat, and there were houses, chickens, dogs, farmlands, and canals.


    There were children, white-bearded old men, and countless men and women everywhere. This was a Utopia far away from the mundane life. These people looked like ordinary people, but they carried a faint demonic aura.


    An hour later, Yi Tong took him to a bamboo forest. Deep in the forest, a zither sound rose. After walking for a moment, there was a quiet pool at the end of the forest. Beside the pool was a bamboo room, and two red lanterns were hung under the eaves. The plaque on the door had five nice-looking words in red: Still Waiting For The Parted.


    The zither sound obviously came from the room.


    "Lil Tong, is it Mr. Xiao?" The music suddenly stopped, and then a woman''s voice rose.


    "Yes."


    They entered the room and saw the room was furnished in a neat and elegant way. A jade zither was placed on a bamboo table, and in front of the table sat a fairy-looking woman in white. Without make-up, she still looked more beautiful than countless Immortals. Beside her was a 15 or 16 years old girl clad in teal.


    Xiao Chen said with his hands clasped, "I''m Xiao Chen. Sister had saved my life. My gratitude is beyond words." He saw the woman was in her 20s. She was slightly older than him, so it was of good manner to call her sister.


    The woman''s name was Bai Susu, and she was the owner of this room. She looked at Xiao Chen as her eyes were full of unspeakable sadness as if the place between her eyebrows had infinite sorrow. She sighed softly and said, "18 years passed so quickly. You''ve grown so quickly in the blink of an eye."


    "What?" Xiao Chen didn''t understand what she said. The young girl in teal shouted, "Yeah, yeah, yeah! It''s him that bullied me in the tavern! The barbarian also did not help me! Sister, help me teach him a lesson!"


    Of course, Xiao Chen recognized that the girl was the who had hurt people with a poisonous needle in the tavern. Bai Susu gently glared at the girl and said, "Qing''er, watch your manner to the guest." She then looked at Xiao Chen again, saying, "Sorry, my sister is born with a naughty nature. Mr. Xiao, please don''t mind her."


    Xiao Chen gave a bitter smile and said, "No, no, no..." If he had known this young girl had a sister with horrible cultivation, he would never dare offend this girl.


    They chatted for a while before Xiao Chen got up and clasped his hands, saying, "Thank you, Sister Bai, for your help in these days. I won''t bother you no more..."


    "Are you leaving so soon?" Bai Susu raised her head, the sorrow between her eyebrows became deeper.


    "I have family issues to attend to. I really dare not to delay."


    In fact, Xiao Chen really wanted to stay for more days. He had never seen this woman in front of him, but he felt close to her. Unfortunately, he had been tied up with issues recently. He had to deal with them as soon as possible.


    "All right. There are many barriers on Falling-jade Peak. Lil Tong, see Mr. Xiao off."


    Two hours later, Yi Tong had sent the two people out of the woods. Xiao Chen clasped his hands and said, "Brother Yi, see you."


    Yi Tong nodded with a smile. "Well then, see you soon. I''ll buy you a drink someday."


    "Good!" Xiao Chen smiled. Somehow, he also felt very close to this Yi Tong, even though they almost ended up fighting when they first met.


    He and Li Muxue went to the town nearby and found a carriage. The most important thing right now was to go back to his home as soon as possible. He always felt more and more uneasy in his heart.


    When Yi Tong returned to the Falling-jade Glow, he and Bai Susu stood on the top of the cliff. Yi Tong looked at the purple-gold gourd on his waist, asking, "Is he really the one big brother risked his life to resurrect?"


    "Yes. He is the one that your big brother would rather sacrifice his own life to resurrect."


    Bai Susu took a deep breath, and her eyes suddenly turned cold. "Tomorrow, send men to the Skygale Sect and tell them by the name of Spirit Silence Room that if they dare to do anything to Xiao Chen, the Skygale Sect will be no more in this world!"


    At the same time, two white-haired old men stood on the top of a high mountain in Cloud City, their clothes dancing with the wind. One of them looked at the direction of the Xiao Family. He was Gongye Zi.


    Next to him, the old man in teal robe said, "Gongye Zi, listen to me again. If you vent your anger on the mortals, things will be difficult if the Immortals'' League heard it. Not to mention that this Xiao Family..."


    Gongye Zi raised his head, his face full of murderous aura. "That kid made me lose 30% of my Life Span for nothing. I will refine all his family into blood souls! If things do happen, I''ll take the blame!"


    ...


    The carriage arrived at the Cloud City at dusk. At this point, Xiao Chen suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if his heart had been hollowed out. He murmured, "Mother..."


    He pulled up the curtain and saw evil Qi was surging above the Xiao Family with dark clouds. It was a sunny day, so the black clouds must not be raining.


    Thinking of this, his body turned cold as coldness rose from his heart. He then flew out of the carriage and sprinted to his home. Li Muxue saw this and quickly followed him.


    But at the moment, on the high mountains of the Xiao Family, murderous sounds shook the sky. Countless guards of the Xiao Family lay on the mountain path, and blood flowed like a river in the Fly Cloud Court. Corpses and head scattered everywhere, and countless houses turned into ashes under the raining sword Qi.


    Xiao Tianqi was covered in blood, and his face was overwhelmed with horror. He looked at the old man in red robe and said in tremor, "Why... Why is this..."


    The old man in red was Gongye Zi. He snorted coldly and said, "Why? Because your man has offended the man he should not offend!" He then swung his sword to some women hid behind the tree. Blood splashed. Those women fell down heavily before they could even scream.


    A disciple next to him immediately opened the Soul-collecting Bag and collected the souls of those women. Some old men, children, and women far away were too scared to move.


    Xiao Tianqi''s body trembled. He thought that this man should be a cultivator. Last year, Xiao Wan''er, Xiao Han, and Xiao Chen left the family. Now that the former two had returned, but Xiao Chen had not. Xiao Chen might have made some huge trouble outside.


    "We are all ordinary people. Senior, how can you let us go today?"


    Gongye Zi smiled coldly. "Let you go? Murderous intent has taken over me. Even the Buddha cannot stop me!" As his voice fell, a blood column suddenly splashed beside him. The disciple who held the Soul-collecting Bag was beheaded by a flying sword from the outside.


    Then, some rows of white radiance flashed as seven or eight disciples were instantly beheaded by a flying sword. Finally, a figure flashed. Xiao Chen landed in the court. His eyes were thoroughly red, and his face was filled with murderous intent.


    Xiao Tianqi finally saw him coming back and said in tremor, "Xiao Chen! How did you offend the senior? Confess to this senior quickly!"


    Xiao Chen sneered and said, "Confess? I''ll kill this old fu*ker today!" As his voice fell, he thrust his sword to Gongye Zi as a white radiance dazzled. "Clash!" The long sword in Gongye Zi''s hand was broken.


    The Unsullied was an ancient Legendary Weapon. How could a normal cultivator''s sword resist it? Gongye Zi''s eyes immediately burst out keen light. He threw away half of the remnant sword in his hand and hit Xiao Chen with a punch.


    This punch was no ordinary attack. It made the ground keep shaking. Xiao Chen struggled to take this punch and felt his body was about to collapse. Although Gongye Zi had lost a great amount of original Qi, he was a Core Forming Realm cultivator. How could Xiao Chen, a Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm cultivator, resist the damage?


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were filled with blood streaks at the moment. As long as he survived today, he would definitely ravage the Skygale Sect someday!


    Gongye Zi had also noticed the hatred in his eyes. So he decided that Xiao Chen must be dead today. He then punched out as Li Muxue also arrived.


    "Wait! Senior, you''re also a member of a cultivators'' sect. You''ve killed so many people today, are you not afraid that the Immortals'' League will know?"


    Gongye Zi smiled coldly and said, "If I''m afraid, I won''t come!" While speaking, he punched at Xiao Chen.


    Two figures flashed. They were Xiao Han and Xiao Wan''er. They joined forces and managed to block this attack.


    Xiao Chen looked at the two people beside him and asked, "Where are my parents?" If his parents died today, it would not be enough to only ravage the Skygale Sect.


    "I don''t know." Xiao Han said coldly. He controlled his flying sword to attack Gongye Zi.


    While they stayed to hold Gongye Zi, Xiao Tianqi found a girl in purple. She was the Xiao Chen''s cousin, Xiao Yu.


    "Yu''er, listen to me. Today is about the survival of the Xiao Family. Only you have the power to open the seal of the ancient tomb in the back mountain. Listen to me carefully. You will enter the cave of the tomb, and then break the eight steles..."


    Xiao Yu listened, her face looked confused. She did not understand what he was saying. However, the faces of the elders beside changed. "No! Never! That seal is..."


    Xiao Tianqi shook his head. Now was the decisive moment of the 1,000-year-existence of the Xiao Family. The elders noticed that he was determined to do this and said no more.


    "Yu''er, come! I''ll pass you the spell!"


    Xiao Yu leaned over and listened intently. After passing the spell, Xiao Tianqi said, "Once the seal is opened, you must immediately leave the tomb as far as possible!"


    Xiao Yu nodded and dared not to hesitate. She immediately ran to the tomb in the mountain back. At this moment, the ancient tomb was surging with evil Qi, and the black clouds above were rolling as if it was the end of the world.


    In the Fly Cloud Court, Xiao Chen and some others were fighting against Gongye Zi. But they were losing. Suddenly, an earth-shaking evil roar rose from the mountain back. People could not even stand straight and fell to the ground.


    At the moment, dark clouds were rolling over the tomb. That piece of black cloud quickly moved to the tomb, and then countless bolts of lightning rumbled and struck down. But they did not disappear, instead, they were dazzling in the air and shone the mountain back of the Xiao Family bright as day!


    "It''s the Heavenly Punishment!" The sudden scene shocked everyone!


    When a power which was stronger than the limit of the area appeared, the Nine-heaven Mystic Thunder would fall! This was the Heavenly Punishment. It also applied to the process of a cultivator ascending to Immortal, or using the golden needle to survive the Thunder Ordeal.


    Everybody stared agape at the lightning which was soul-shaking. All of a sudden, an overwhelming aura swept over, making people feel a sense of suppression in the chest and unable to breathe.


    "It''s the Devil Qi!" Xiao Chen was more than shocked. He was so familiar with the aura of that man. It was the Devil Qi from thousands of years ago.


    At this moment, Gongye Zi also became uneasy. He stopped engaging Xiao Chen and the others because this aura was so horrible.


    All of a sudden, a piece of dark cloud moved to the Fly Cloud Court rapidly. Countless thoughts flashed through Xiao Chen''s mind at this moment. He suddenly thought of the cave in the tomb that he trespassed before and the stone tomb surrounded by eight steles. This man was the host of that tomb!


    Now, he was certain that it must be the great patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Ning, who set numerous seals to imprison that great demon under the stone tomb and made an oral instruction to his family not to unseal under any circumstances. However, thousands of years later, his instruction was gradually mistaken as "Do not unseal unless there''s no other choice."


    "It''s been 1,000 years! Xiao Ning! Can you seal Gu Feng the mighty me?" A man''s voice suddenly rose from the dark clouds.

 Chapter 77 Su Tianxiao

    The crowd was still in fear when the dark cloud approached. As the black gas around the cloud gradually dispersed, a man with his hair cascading down on his shoulder appeared. He stood on the dark cloud and looked like a demon lord of the nine heavens, making people want to bow.


    Just now, the Xiao Family members had heard Xiao Ning from this demon''s mouth. They were so scared. Seeing the demon standing proudly in the air with a deep hatred in his eyes, they felt doomed.


    The great demon, Gu Feng, turned his head as two beams of cold light burst out from his eyes that could even pierce through people. The crowd saw his cold eyes and were scared as hell. They moved away from their eyes and dared not to meet his eyes.


    "Which demon are you?" Gongye Zi was so scared and burst out shouting.


    "Hum?" Gu Feng looked at the ground with his eyes which were as sharp as two ice arrows and ready to pierce through Gongye Zi. Gongye Zi trembled and finally came to his senses. He then rode on the flying sword, escaping northwest.


    On the cloud, Gu Feng suddenly opened five fingers while saying "die". Gongye Zi, who was 300 meters away, instantly turned into a blood mist. The other Skygale Sect disciples saw this and dared not to breathe. They were so scared and fell to the ground.


    "Where is Xiao Ning?"


    The crowd had already been scared to death by him. No one dared to make any noise at the moment. Gu Feng saw that no one answered, and then he waved his hand to the ground as a streak of black smoke rose to his head. He closed his eyes and meditated for a moment. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and said, "Xiao Ning! How can you die! We still have a duel to be finished! How can you die!" He then roared for a long time and scared the souls out of the people.


    "Such a strong Devil Qi..." In Xiao Chen''s mind, the voice of Evernight rose.


    Xiao Chen looked at the Jade Zither in his Divine Vessel and said, "Evernight? Are you awake? You can also feel this person''s Devil Qi?"


    "I just woke up. I can''t last long. You go first, son. I''ll come out in shape and deal with him."


    "No!" Xiao Chen''s voice was adamant and undebatable. He then looked at the cloud, saying, "Senior, Gu Feng, I have some words..." Before he finished, a cold light came from the cloud. "Who are you?"


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were determined and did not avoid. He said, "I''m Xiao Chen..." Although he hated the Devil''s Practice, he was not foolish enough to provoke Gu Feng as Gongye Zi did.


    "The descendants of Xiao Ning? Die!" After saying so, he sent out a wave of Devil Qi to Xiao Chen. Suddenly, some sounds of the zither rose as the Devil Qi dispersed.


    "Hum? Such a strong strength of soul..." Gu Feng said to himself. He then raised his hand as a huge black hole appeared in the sky. The black hole descended as if it was about to consume everything.


    Only in an instant, the black hole had covered the Fly Cloud Court.


    Silence. A deathly silence.


    When the black hole disappeared, the Fly Cloud Court almost collapsed as a blood mist shrouded the place.


    A gust of foul wind blew as the blood mist dispersed. In the Fly Cloud Court, the Skygale Sect disciples had all turned into a blood mist in that black hole while the Xiao Family members stayed intact.


    "Good! The blood curse is still there! You said that you are not afraid I break out! Xiao Ning, how dare you lie to me! You mean hypocrite! You..." Gu Feng stood on the cloud and kept cursing.


    Suddenly, he thundered, "Violet Manor Barrier! Open!" He then waved both hands in the void as the void was torn apart for a 10-meter-wide rift. Inside the rift was nothing but chaos. Obviously, the other end of the chaos was the Violet Manor.


    Xiao Chen saw that he was about to leave and hurriedly sent a divine message into the air: "Wait! Why do you hate Xiao Ning so much?"


    Gu Feng turned his head and shot out two beams of cold light from his eyes, saying, "Xiao Ning is the most despicable person in the world. He agreed to have a life-and-death duel, but he secretly let the five major sects ambush me and took the chance to hurt me badly. I have to revenge!" He then stepped into the void.


    After a long while, the crowd came to their senses as if they had been through a Samsara. Those who died today were mostly children, old men, and women.


    Xiao Chen thought of his parents and rushed to the ruins. He used his Divine Sense to sweep around and found his parents in a half-collapsed house. Tears were falling from Xiao Yifan''s face. He held Su Qing in his arm. A sword pierced through Su Qing''s heart. He could not tell if she was dead.


    "Mom!" Xiao Chen''s eyes almost burst out, and he madly ran over. Xiao Yifan''s eyes were filled with blood streaks. His body had seven or eight wounds. He incoherently said, "Chen''er, you''re back! You''re back..."


    Xiao Chen immediately sent True Energy into his mother''s body. At this point, Li Muxue and the others also arrived. Li Muxue was good at healing spells, so she immediately cast it out.


    After a long time, the night was deep as the new moon hung at the mountain top. Su Qing finally woke up slowly under Li Muxue''s healing, but her face was still extremely pale. She caressed Xiao Chen''s face and smiled, mumbling, "Chen... Chen''er... You''re back. I miss you so much..."


    Xiao Chen clenched her hand tightly as tears poured down on his face. "Mom, it''s my bad. I shouldn''t have gone out and caused trouble..."


    Xiao Yifan wept with joy when he saw her wake up. Suddenly, Su Qing''s face became extremely frightening, as if she had seen some of the most terrible things. She kept saying, "Coming... Coming..."


    Xiao Chen quivered upon seeing this. It''s said that before people died, people would see the Black and White ghosts from the Underworld. He hurriedly held her up, saying, "Who''s coming? No one. Mom, what have you seen?"


    Su Qing''s face looked so horrified. Her body kept shaking. "Now! Hide me quickly!" As her voice fell, the sound of footsteps rose from outside.


    When the crowd turned around, they saw a middle-aged man with a majestic air.


    The cold-faced man looked into the room and walked forth. Xiao Han and some others moved over, trying to stop him. However, when they were one meter away from him, they could not go any further as if that man had an invisible strength all over his body that kept everyone out.


    Xiao Chen rushed forth and stood at the door. He said coldly, "Who are you? What do you want?" That man finally stopped and just stood there quietly looking at him without saying a word.


    However, this made Xiao Chen nervous because he could see through this man''s cultivation. His Divine Sense was countless times more acute than that of normal cultivators. If he could not see through one''s cultivatoin, then this man either had no cultivation or this man''s cultivation was far beyond his.


    Obviously, this man was much stronger than Gongye Zi. He might be at the Nascent Soul Realm.


    When Xiao Chen wanted to ask again, Su Qing''s thin voice sounded behind him. "Chen''er... He... He''s your second uncle."


    Xiao Chen was stunned because he had never heard of the family of her mother. Also, with such profound cultivation, could he be from the Su Family in the Violet Manor?


    Su Tianxiao said coldly, "Get out of the way. Do you want me to ask you?" His calm words contained majesty. Xiao Chen trembled and retreated to his mother. Xiao Yifan''s face had already frozen.


    "Second brother..." Su Qing lowered her head and dared not to look at him. Su Tianxiao snorted coldly and swung his sleeve. Then, he sent some True Energy to her body. Only for a moment, she looked much better.


    "Humph! When I saw your life-and-death light flashing, I knew something had happened to you." Su Tianxiao then coldly looked at Xiao Yifan, saying, "Back then, I entrusted my sister to you. Is this the way how you take care of her?"


    Xiao Yifan couldn''t argue with his head down. It was Su Qing that blocked the stroke for him. Xiao Chen flashed in front of his father. He looked at this uncle who descended from the sky and said nothing.


    Su Tianxiao flicked his sleeve and looked at Su Qing. "Third Sister, you''ve been out for so many years. Father had always talked about you. In the festivals of every year, he ordered men to cook your favorite dishes. But you''ve never come back..."


    Su Qing lowered her head. "I..."


    Su Tianxiao said coldly, "What, are you still not going to come home and see him?"


    Su Qing suddenly raised her head and then shaking it. "No! I won''t go back!" She knew that if she went back, she would never be able to go out again. The Su family also had a thousand-year-rule that forbade associations with people surnamed Su.


    Su Tianxiao flicked his sleeve and said, "Twenty years ago, I let you go. Today, as your brother, I can''t let you decide!" Xiao Chen flashed in front of his mother and said, "Mom doesn''t want to go with you. I won''t let you take her away."


    Su Qing hurriedly pulled his sleeve and said, "Chen''er, don''t talk to your uncle like this..."


    Su Tianxiao swung his sleeve coldly. "Third Sister, you really have raised a good son! Among the youngsters of our family, none of them has his courage."


    Obviously, he had already heard of Su Wan''s issue. As his voice fell, the energy in the air suddenly became turbulent. Xiao Chen''s chest felt stuffy and then he could not move at all.


    So were the others. None of them could run True Energy or move. This was the Imprison Technique of the Su Family, which bound up people with a strong will of mind.


    Su Tianxiao walked to Su Qing and dragged her to the outside.


    "Chen''er! Fourth Brother!"


    Su Qing kept struggling as tears fell from her face. But she could not get away from Su Tianxiao. Xiao Yifan kept shouting. "Sister Qing!" But he could only helplessly watch her wife being taken away.


    Xiao Chen kept chanting the Mystic Cyan secret spells. Finally, he broke free from the imprison technique. But Su Tianxiao had already cast a seal and disappeared with Su Qing out of thin air.


    A moment later, the imprison technique automatically disappeared, so the others could also move now. Xiao Chen silently looked at the crescent moon in the sky and stood silent for a long time.


    Xiao Yifan came out slowly. Xiao Chen turned around and saw his father''s wounds. He said in a decadent voice, "Father, you go back first. I will definitely bring mom back..."

 Chapter 78 Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell

    An hour later, on the top of the Xiao family''s mountain, the north wind was cold. Xiao Chen slowly walked to an ancestral temple with an ancient look, and the true patriarch of the Xiao family, Xiao Ning, was enshrined and worshipped in there.


    In vague, he could see the portrait of Xiao Ning behind the shrine. The portrait was lifelike with knife-shaped eyebrows and star-shaped eyes. Xiao Chen walked in slowly, wiped off the dust on the table, and gazed at the portrait on the wall.


    The wind blew in, hitting the walls as if it was sobbing to the man in the portrait about the slaughter down the mountain a few days ago.


    The portrait rattled in the wind. Xiao Chen sighed and was about to turn and leave when he glanced at a thin line of words at the lower right corner of the portrait. He was shocked because the words were not written in modern language but the ancient characters thousands of years ago. Although the forms of the words were different, he recognized them.


    "I''ll be waiting for you at the Heartless Temple..."


    At the moment he read out the words in a low voice, a row of light suddenly dashed to the place between his eyebrows.


    Xiao Chen''s mind immediately came up with a fragmentary picture. It was a decadent palace, in where a woman in white leaned against a stone pillar. She was obviously injured. Although the picture was fuzzy, he was sure that this woman was definitely not ordinary people.


    The woman seemed to whisper something, "Brother Ning... You went to answer the duel-call of Gu Feng. Don''t go back, because the five major sects and the Xiao family have regarded you as a traitor... I... I will not go back to the Su family either. Let''s go to grassland and pasture sheep there. And we won''t let the matters from this world trouble us again..."


    The picture gradually faded away, and Xiao Chen felt a shock in his heart. This was a divine thought from a thousand years ago. Through the incomplete information in the divine thought, he vaguely deduced something.


    Both Xiao family and Su family were ancient families in Violet Manor, and they might not share a good history. A thousand years ago, Xiao Ning met a woman from the Su family who was the owner of this divine thought. They loved each other on first sight and made a decision to grow old together. Naturally, they were strongly opposed at that time.


    With time being, Xiao Ning went to fight Gu Feng, who was the great demon being kept in current Xiao family''s tomb, and then the five major sects might have ambushed Gu Feng. This divine thought could not give the answer of how Gu Feng was sealed or where had Xiao Ning been to. But one thing for sure, Xiao Ning didn''t go back to the Heartless Temple to find this woman.


    Suddenly, an idea flashed through Xiao Chen''s mind. Maybe after Xiao Ning sealed Gu Feng, he wanted to find this woman in the Su family but ended up being set up by someone and was killed by the five sects and various families. So, he was not able to find that woman in the end...


    "I''m waiting for you in the Heartless Temple..." Xiao Chen repeated these words. This portrait of Xiao Ning in front of him might be drawn by this woman. However, he found out this secret a thousand years later. A thousand years had passed, and things had already changed. Was that woman still waiting in the Heartless Temple?


    The five major sects and those ancient families... That great demon, Gu Feng, said that it was Xiao Ning who let the five sects ambush him. But the truth was obviously not like this. What on earth had happened a thousand years ago? Why Xiao Ning had the Samsara Jade? Xiao Chen felt that there might be some connections to his rebirth. Xiao Ning must not be dead! He must be in somewhere!


    The moon fell to the west. Xiao Chen still could not understand it. Maybe he could figure out all these riddles after he went to the Violet Manor! He then left the ancestral temple. When he passed by the guest house down the mountain, he saw Li Muxue still standing in the courtyard and gazing at the half moon.


    "Muxue, why are you not sleeping?"


    Li Muxue turned around and smiled gently. "Brother Xiao, is uncle better?"


    "Yes, he''s fine now. You''ve consumed too much True Energy before. Go to rest in the room. Tomorrow morning, I''ll let men send you to Chuyun City."


    Li Muxue did not speak. She looked at a flowering tree in the courtyard. The flowers were pale white, just like the light snow in winter. She smiled gently, saying, "Brother Xiao, actually, snowflakes have a beautiful name called Yet-ending Flowers..."


    Yet-ending Flowers... Yet ending...


    Xiao Chen''s body gently quivered. He only felt incredible pain in the brain. From the deep memory, that glimpse of a figure seemed to appear again. That figure was clad in a snow-white dress and slowly walked to him. But the brilliance disappeared in an instant.


    Who on earth was that person? Why did his heart feel so painful!? It was as if a piece of his memory was wiped off forcibly.


    "In fact, I really want to watch the snow falling with Brother Xiao again..." Li Muxue said quietly, with a hint of inaudible sadness in her words.


    Xiao Chen finally came to his senses. He smiled and said, "It''s okay. We have plenty of time in the future. After I went to Violet Manor, I''ll manage to let all you go there."


    The next morning, Xiao Chen asked two guards of the Xiao family to escort Li Muxue home. He then went to the hall to discuss the following matters with all the people. Xiao Wan''er had sent a spiritual message to the Three Pure Sect for help. The sect should have received the message by now.


    When people were discussing, a sky-shaking roar rose from outside. Everybody trembled and hurried outside. But when they saw an old man in a teal robe with a white beard, they were frightened. It was Tiangu Zi!


    "Where is the one who killed my junior brother?" Tiangu Zi thundered and then landed in the Fly Cloud Court. Obviously, he had noticed that Gongye Zi died last night.


    Xiao Chen cursed inwardly and then said to Xiao Han, "You take the people to retreat!"


    "No one can escape!" Tiangu Zi thundered and ran his energy when the hearts and meridians of three or four Xiao family martial artists were broken.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes turned red. "You sent men to slaughter my family days ago and even killed them in my face. I''ll kill you to comfort the dead even if it would cost my life!


    With a sudden gust of wind, Xiao Chen sent out the Heavenly Sky Palm. Tiangu Zi ran his energy as thunders rumbled and the sky changed. A large number of tiles under both people''s feet were turned into dust.


    Tiangu Zi stood straight on the ground, while Xiao Chen was bounced back for a few steps. He was shocked and thought this man was stronger than before. He said to Xiao Han in a deep voice, "You take people away! Now!"


    As his voice fell, he unleashed the Dragon''s Wrath. Instantly, black clouds appeared above him as a huge dragon head emerged at the end of the clouds.


    As the dark clouds were gathering at low altitude, all Xiao family members were scared. Xiao Yifan also heard the noise and rushed here. Upon seeing this, he shouted "Chen''er" and then rushed over.


    Xiao Chen shouted, "Don''t come here!" The dragon head in the clouds roared and then charged downward. Tiangu Zi squinted and uttered, "Hum?" He then kept moving his fingers to cast spells. When he uttered "break", a huge radiance ascended and immediately cleared the clouds. The huge dragon in the air also dispersed.


    Xiao Chen''s chest felt stuffy as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Xiao Yifan hurriedly held him, but he shook his head, pushed his father away, and glazed at Tiangu Zi.


    Tiangu Zi squinted and said, "How did my junior brother die? Tell me!"


    Xiao Chen''s looked deadpan and said coldly, "The murderer will always be killed. He deserves to die a hundred times!"


    Tiangu Zi was furious. "Then I''ll slaughter your Xiao family again today!" He then ran his energy as layers radiance appeared around his body. People felt the pressure from this aura and then charged to him.


    Tiangu Zi swung his sleeve as a mountain-like power struck forth. People were sent flying backward with spilling blood in their mouth.


    Xiao Chen stood straight and spat out some blood in his mouth. He coldly looked at Tiangu Zi and said, "You are bullying me with the power of Core Forming Realm. I haven''t even reached the Foundation Building Realm. Do you dare fight me again three years later?"


    Tiangu Zi was filled with murderous aura and said coldly, "Three years? You don''t have the chance! I''ll show you what a Core Forming Realm Cultivator looks like to let you die in peace!"


    After saying so, the energy around him moved. People felt their hearts were shaken as if they were fixed instantly. They could not move their feet at all.


    "Heaven-slaying Sword!" As Tiangu Zi roared, the sky and earth seemed to be in turmoil. After he chanted some spells, a 300-meter-long golden sword suddenly appeared in the sky.


    Its massive divine aura refused anyone to resist it!


    Xiao Chen was completely unable to move and could only look at the sword descending to him. Every inch of his skin was about to be torn apart by the mighty aura. At this moment, he finally realized how weak he was in front of a Core Forming Realm expert. He was like an ant and could not resist one blow.


    The Heaven-slaying Sword was a top skill created by a grandmaster of the Skygale Sect. This skill had been strengthening Skygale Sect''s position in Violet Manor. Back then in the Three Pure Sect, Xu Hao was not able to wield the power of this sword. However, it was different to be cast out by Tiangu Zi, a late Core Forming Realm cultivator.


    This sword seemed to be able to destroy heaven and earth. When the Sword Qi was about a hundred meters away from the ground, the halls and rooms in the Fly Cloud Court collapsed under the mighty power, rumbling. Blood spilled out from many people skin, and countless people had completely fainted.


    "Am I dead this time? Am I really going to die this time? Master..."


    Xiao Chen gradually became unconscious under this power. The ground 10 meters around him was sinking as the crackles quickly spread to the entire Fly Cloud Court. If this sword hit them, nobody could survive.


    All of a sudden, there was a loud whistle in the sky. A spiritual beast with two wings flew over quickly. Then, a woman in white leaped into the air and stood 30 meters in front of him.


    At this moment, the surrounding quieted down, the buildings stopped collapsing, the huge sword in the air seemed to have stopped moving, and even time seemed to stop. A thin voice rose. "Five more flowers of grass and woods. Six lone snow flowers..."


    Xiao Chen was shocked again before he came to his senses. It was none others than Li Muxue, who had already left yet now returned.


    "Muxue! Don''t!"


    Xiao Chen''s eyes almost burst out. He wanted to rush forth, but he could not, as if everything was fixed at a certain point.


    Only that thin voice still hovered slowly between heaven and earth. "So, the snowflakes have another name called Yet-ending Flowers..."


    "Muxue, don''t!" At this moment, Xiao Chen was finally able to move. He madly rushed to Li Muxue, but when he was three meters away from her, he was bounced back by an invisible mighty power around her body.


    Li Muxue was hanging in mid-air. She seemed to have cast some forbidden spell that turned her life into power. Countless rows of radiance rapidly circled around her. At this moment, she looked like the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens, as dazzling as ever. It seemed this was the only color left in heaven and earth.


    Tiangu Zi quickly chanted spells, and the huge sword finally moved down. However, when it was 15 meters away from Li Muxue, it suddenly exploded. Then, Tiangu Zi spat out a mouthful of blood and moved back for a few steps.


    The radiance around Li Muxue''s body gradually dispersed, and the wind gradually stopped. However, she slowly closed her eyes like a piece of withered leaf or a piece of white snow that fell slowly.


    The magic spell she cast was the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell, which could turn one''s life into power. And she blocked this sword.


    Xiao Chen looked at the falling figure from the sky and immediately rushed forth. But at this very moment, he had a splitting headache as numerous pictures flashed through his mind. Those pictures were just like what happened today.


    That was the memory of his last life. At this moment, that piece of erased memory was finally woken up. That girl looked almost exactly the same as Li Muxue, and she was called Flower Yet-ending...


    Last time on the Mystic Cyan Mountain, that girl called Flower Yet-ending blocked a destructive punch from Perfected Immortal Qingxuan just like Li Muxue did today.


    ...


    "Muxue!" Xiao Chen came to his senses, rushed to the air, and caught Li Muxue. She lay in his arms, dying. She said slowly, "Brother Xiao... The truth is that my wish is really minor. I just... just want to watch the snow falling with you..." Before she finished speaking, her hands softened.


    "Don''t die! Don''t die! Ahhh! Wake up!"


    "Muxue, wake up..."


    As if there was only this tearful voice left among heaven and earth, the people in his arm could not respond however he mourned.


    In the distance, Xiao Wan''er and some others couldn''t help crying. The wind was blowing gently as it also carried voices of sobs.


    All of a sudden, a green sword radiance dashed over and turned into a cyan-robed elder, landing on the ground. It was Perfected Immortal Daofeng. He looked at the mess in the courtyard when a chillness went through every corner of his body as if some major calamity was coming at him.


    Tiangu Zi saw his frightened face and frowned, asking, "Junior brother, why are you here?"


    Perfected Immortal Daofeng shook his head and looked at the courtyard with a blank face, murmuring, "Senior brother, you''ve just brought big trouble on yourself. I''m afraid that even the patriarch in Violet Manor cannot protect you..."

 Chapter 79 Histories of the Last Life

    "What?! You said the people of the Spirit Silence Room..."


    Perfected Immortal Daofeng whispered something to Tiangu Zi. Tiangu Zi''s face changed dramatically and turned pale and terrible. He then took out his Immortal''s Sword which sheared through his left arm. Blood splashed around as he completely cut off his arm.


    The Xiao family disciples were frightened and wondering what he was doing now.


    Tiangu Zi said in tremor, "I''ve committed a heinous crime today. I cut off my arm to offer my apology!" He then was about to turn around when he heard a cold voice. "Humph! Are you going to leave just like this?"


    All of a sudden, a black air appeared between Xiao Chen''s eyebrows, and his eyes gradually became dark purple. Perfected Immortal Daofeng noticed the tide was turning and suddenly thrust his sword to Tiangu Zi''s heart.


    "This man deserved to die! Now, one life for another!" After saying so, he slapped on Tiangu Zi''s head and destroyed his body and soul instantly.


    "This man is dead. I''m leaving now." He then rode on the Immortal''s Sword and left. For a moment, none of the Xiao family disciples knew what had happened.


    Xiao Chen looked blankly at the person in his arm, shouting, "Muxue! Muxue!" However, her body was turning cold.


    Xiao Chen immediately pushed some True Energy into her body, but it felt empty. She was really dead...


    "Ahhhh!" With an earth-shattering long howl, a cold wind blew in the Fly Cloud Court. Then, gradually, snowflakes danced in the air. One piece after another, they were white and flawless.


    "Muxue! Muxue! Wake up! Wake up now! It''s snowing! It''s snowing..." Xiao Chen smiled while crying. However he sobbed, the person in his arms could never see the falling snows.


    He finally understood now. Whoever he was holding in his arms, Li Muxue, or Flower Yet-ending''s reincarnation¡ª


    The affection had been deep into the bones.


    The big snow continued for a day and night, and Cloud City became all white. People said that this was a snow of good fortune and a good sign. Families hung up the big red lanterns, celebrating with joy. Firecrackers and gongs rang out together, adults made meals in the kitchens, children made snowmen in the snow and had snowball fights...


    In the Fly Cloud Court, Xiao Chen still held Li Muxue in his arms and kept pushing True Energy into her body to keep her body temperature warm. However, he was covered with layers of snow. He never moved an inch, and nobody could talk him out of this.


    All of a sudden, two rows of sword radiance from the skyline, one teal, and one purple, fell into the Fly Cloud Court. Elder Zi Mo and Qing Feng came on the news.


    Qing Feng quickly grabbed Li Muxue''s wrist and sent some True Qi into her body. After a short while, he shook his head.


    Zi Mo frowned upon seeing this. He sighed and said, "Little junior sister! Little junior sister! I can''t even protect your only disciple. I''m of no use in this world! I''d rather die!" It sounded sad.


    Qing Feng sighed and looked at Xiao Chen, saying, "You get up first."


    Xiao Chen looked blank. "Seniors, can you save her?"


    "Her soul has dispersed. How can we save her?"


    "Her soul has dispersed... No, it''s impossible..." Xiao Chen kept shaking his head. Suddenly, he blacked out.


    When he was in a coma, he seemed to have heard someone calling his name softly in his ear. That person seemed to be Flower Yet-ending or Li Muxue. When he opened his eyes and saw the person in front of him, he could not touch her at all. He then madly ran after her, but the distance between them could never be shortened.


    He finally woke up from the nightmare with sweat all over his body. The snow outside had stopped. Looking at the snow on the branches, Xiao Chen''s memory gradually became clear.


    Until now, he finally understood why he couldn''t remember the figure in the glimpse in his mind. The figure was a woman in a devils'' sect thousands of years ago called Flower Yet-ending.


    Because at that time, Ling Yin cheated him and made him take a Love-killer Pill which was refined by Nirvana Flower. No matter Immortals or demons, whoever took the Love-killer Pill would forget the person in his deepest memory.


    The story began a long time ago. At that time, he was just a Mystic Cyan Sect disciple who only wanted to eliminate the devils and protect the Daoist. He was young and arrogant. One day, he sneaked down the mountain with four senior brothers to hunt down some remnants of the devil''s practice, but he did not know that he was in the trap of his enemy.


    It was a great blow to him at that time. His best friends, the other four senior brothers, were all died in the battle. At the last moment, he crushed the jade note that Ling Yin gave him. Lin Ying arrived in time and saved his life.


    Since then, he depressed. Ling Yin could not bear seeing him like this, so she let him go out of the sect to travel and train, and to release the sorrow in him. That decision contributed to this unblessed relationship. He made acquaintance with the daughter of the sect leader of a Devils'' sect, Flower Yet-ending.


    After Xiao Chen went down the mountain, he played around. Every time he arrived at a beautiful place, he played zither or eliminated villains for local people. One month later, he had already felt a lot better and planned to go back to the Mystic Cyan Mountain. However, he passed by a place called Beautiful Immortal Mountains on his way back. He found this place beautiful, and there were more than a hundred kinds of birds. He was so happy and forgot to go back. He then found a bamboo woods and continuously played zither for three days and nights.


    The spring water in the bamboo forest passed by and rattled. In the last day, Xiao Chen sat beside the spring and played zither. The resounding music made hundreds of birds dance and sing, depicting a picture of a hundred birds singing to a phoenix.


    "Swoosh!" A pebble suddenly flew from behind him. The pebble came so fast that it knocked off the bird standing on his shoulder with a bang. Xiao Chen suddenly turned his head and said, "Who!"


    It was a girl about 15 or 16 years old. She wore a beautiful white dress and was too far for Xiao Chen to see clearly. "This person threw a stone from 300 meters away, and she even precisely hit the target. Moreover, I haven''t noticed her. Her cultivation is definitely not below mine. But she seems to be a bit ruthless."


    The girl slowly approached him with light steps when Xiao Chen saw her face clearly. It was unmatched and moving like an Immortal in heaven. Xiao Chen felt ashamed under her beauty. But she kept looking at the sky and did not look at him, which made him feel even more ashamed. He said, "The bird did not offend you. Why did you kill it?"


    The girl suddenly turned her head, and a pair of eyes which were as clear as water fell on his face. She had a vague smile and said, "I''ve been listening to someone playing zither for three days and nights here, but these birds kept chirping incessantly. Does it matter that I hit them?"


    Xiao Chen said unhappily, "Everything had a life. Chirping is the nature of birds. You can''t change that. So, why do you have to hurt them?"


    The girl looked up at the sky and said, "You play your zither, and I kill with stones. This is also our nature. Can you change it?"


    "You! You are unreasonable!" After saying so, Xiao Chen took the zither and left. After walking for 2,500 meters, he saw that the girl was still following him. He turned around and said, "What do you want by following me?"


    The girl said, "Is this path only for you to walk? Can''t I also walk on this path?"


    Xiao Chen thought that there was no reason to speak with this person and ignored her. He switched a path, but the girl was still following him. After a long time, she said, "Hey! The one in front of me! Your zither skill is mediocre, dare you compete zither skill with me? The one who loses will do three things for the winner!"


    Xiao Chen thought this absurd and ignored her, kept walking. The girl said again, "You must be afraid of losing and dare not to compete with me, right?"


    Xiao Chen turned and said, "I dare!" He loved playing zither and thought himself to be the best zither player. This girl provoked him like this, how could he not have the desire to compete?


    When the girl heard this, a cunning smile flashed through her face. She smiled and said, "Okay then, wait for me here for three days. If you leave, you lose!" She then flashed out of the bamboo forest like a smoke.


    Xiao Chen sat on the ground and actually waited here for three days. At noon, footsteps sounded from afar. He raised his head and saw that girl coming. He thought this girl was a sincere person and she was not fooling him. He walked close to her and found her face pale, and her clothes had bloodstains. He asked, "Why are you injured?"


    The girl said nothing and sat opposite him. Xiao Chen saw the jade zither in front of her. It was the famous zither, Ancient Sound, which was the most precious treasure of the Immortal-saving Clan. Did she actually...


    Just as he was about to ask, the girl said, "The Immortal-saving Clan members are so mean. I said I want to borrow their zither for a while, they didn''t agree and even beat me. Then I just had to kill the zither guardian and borrow the zither by force!"


    "You!" Xiao Chen was shocked. How could they casually borrow their most precious treasure? She even killed ten guardians of the zither keeping pavilion. Although the Immortal-saving Clan was not some major sect, it was an Immortals'' sect and shared the Immortal''s Practice with the Mystic Cyan Sect. What she had done was no different from a member of the Devil''s Practice.


    The girl frowned and said, "You''ve got a famous zither. I can''t defeat you with a normal zither. All right, let''s begin!"


    Xiao Chen swung his sleeve and stopped talking. He sat down, and a self-composed melody, the Mortal''s Song, slowly started. The girl also stretched out her slender fingers and gently picked the strings on the zither.


    In a zither competition, the one who first disturbed the other''s rhythm won. The zither skills of the two youths were extraordinary. With time being, when they knew that there was no one winning, they both pushed True Qi into their zither sounds.


    Xiao Chen saw that her face was getting paler and paler, and thought she must have been hurt badly before. Was he taking advantage of her now? He also saw her left palm turned slightly dark, which reminded him of the Heart-damaging Palm of the Immortal-saving Clan. When someone was hit by this palm, the poison would penetrate into his internal organs. If the poison had spread throughout her body, nobody could save her. He said hurriedly, "Alright, girl, this game is a draw between you and me. Please stop playing quickly!"


    The girl raised her head and said, "What draw? If you can''t defeat me, just concede." Then, the sound from her zither became more intense. Xiao Chen thought that if he continued like this, she would definitely be poisoned all over. He then deliberately played a wrong tune.


    The girl immediately cheered. "Haha! You lose!" Xiao Chen swung his sleeve, took up his zither, and left. The girl shouted behind him, "Hey! What are you doing!? Do you want to cheat?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t really want to leave. He just pretended to act like this to make his following move look more natural. He turned and said, "I''ll help you to drive out the poison in your body, and then you will go to the Immortal-saving Clan with me to confess your sin, and let them handle you."


    The girl raised her head. "What did I do wrong? Why should I let them handle me?" Xiao Chen said, "You took their zither away and killed their people. Isn''t that wrong?"


    The girl said, "They didn''t lend me the zither. They deserved to die!"


    "You!" Xiao Chen was somewhat displeased. "What you had done is no different from a devil or demon!" The girl glared at him and said, "I am a demon. What are you going to do? Kill me?"


    Xiao Chen knew that he couldn''t reason with her. After a short while, he calmed down. He thought that her life was the most important thing at the moment. If the poison kept spreading in her body, even an Immortal could not save her. He walked over and said, "Let me drive out the poison in you first."


    The girl stepped back and slapped on her own chest to make the poison spread faster. Her face looked paler instantly. Xiao Chen exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"


    The girl said, "Just let me die! You did it anyway!"


    Xiao Chen thought this girl was unreasonable and extremely eccentric. She went to the Immortal-saving Clan to take the zither and was hit by the Heart-damaging Palm of the clan members. Did he have anything to do with this? He said, "Why is it?"


    "Why it isn''t? If I didn''t have the zither competition with you, would I go to the Immortal-saving Clan to rob their zither? If I didn''t go there for the zither, would I be surrounded and attacked? If you came to help me, would I be hit by the Heart-damaging Palm?"


    Xiao Chen just thought she was talking nonsense by using lame arguments and perverted logic. But on second thought, it seemed that she was right about everything. If his desire of winning did not arise in him, nothing would happen. He said, "All right. I harmed you. Can I drive out the poison in you now?"


    The girl stepped back again and said, "I don''t want you to do that! You cursed me as a devil! Unless you admit that you are wrong!"


    "Ridiculous! I do things a clear conscience. Where am I wrong?"


    The girl said, "Okay! Then it''s my fault!" She then punched at her chest again. Xiao Chen looked shocked and hurriedly said, "Stop quickly, miss! I was wrong! I shouldn''t have called you a devil!" The girl chuckled and asked, "And?"


    "And what?"


    "All those Immortal-saving Clan members were unreasonable. Do you think they deserve to die?"


    Xiao Chen''s face fell. "Miss, you are wrong about this. They..." Before he finished his words, the girl raised her hand and was about to punch herself again. Xiao Chen immediately changed and said, "They deserve to die!" But in his mind, he thought, "Alas! Xiao Chen! You, as a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect, even said unorthodox things like that. After you go back to the sect, you should confess to your master for your sin."


    The girl smiled and agreed to let him drive out the poison in her. Xiao Chen sat behind her and kept thinking that the words he had said were just expediency. He then ran his True Energy and pushed two strokes of thick True Qi into her body.


    Gradually, he felt something wrong. She didn''t seem to have been injured or got hit by the Heart-damaging Palm. Before he could do something, his True Qi was continuously sucked away by her. Xiao Chen was startled before he stood up and stepped back. He then pointed at her, saying, "You! You lied to me!"

 Chapter 80 Departure

    The girl covered her mouth and sniggered. "You fool. When did I say I''m injured? It''s you that kept saying it." She then laughed, walked to Xiao Chen, wiped his face with her left palm and made his face black.


    Xiao Chen smelled a faint inky fragrance. Therefore, the reason why her palm was black was that she put ink on her hand. He was so angry that his body shook, but he could not vent his anger to a little girl. He thought this girl was extremely weird and eccentric. He said nothing, swung his sleeve, took the Ancient Sounds and left.


    The girl shouted behind his back, "Hey! Where are you going?"


    "I''ll return the zither to the Immortal-saving Clan. Don''t follow."


    The girl laughed and could hardly breathe. She shouted, "Don''t forget, you lost and still owe me three things! Remember my name. I''m Flower Yet-ending!"


    Xiao Chen paid no attention to her. Then, he went to the Immortal-saving Clan to return the zither. He did not realize that this trip had planted trouble for himself in the future. Later in the trial of the Mystic Cyan Sect, the Immortal-saving Clan testified that he colluded with a woman of the Devil''s Practice, saying that he robbed their zither together with that woman.


    Since the departure in the Beautiful Immortal Mountains, the two youths'' unblessed relationship did not come to an end. A lot of things happened. Xiao Chen gradually found himself unexpectedly had feelings for her, but also found the identity of her¡ªthe daughter of a leader in the Devil''s Practice. Until the major issue happened, Xiao Chen was found guilty of colluding with devils. On the day of the trial, Flower Yet-ending suddenly rushed to the Mystic Cyan Mountain and bore all those false charges for him.


    Flower Yet-ending was a member of the Devil''s Practice, and every member of the Immortals'' sects wanted to kill her. That day, Xiao Chen would even destroy his cultivation to take her away. He held her and walked in the midst of sword rain. No one could stop him.


    The sect leader of the Mystic Cyan Sect, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan, sensed the issue while in seclusion. He rushed out and found Xiao Chen had lost control. He then punched at Xiao Chen.


    The cultivation of Perfected Immortal Qingxuan was so profound, and this punch was so powerful. At this moment, Flower Yet-ending used the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell to block the punch for him, just like Li Muxue did that day.


    Finally, Xiao Chen was disheartened and jumped off the 3,000-meter-high cliff with her. Later, Ling Yin saved Xiao Chen, but no one knew where was Flower Yet-ending. After this incident, Xiao Chen''s Nascent Soul was destroyed, and he was imprisoned, waiting for the autumn trial. He was so painful about Flower Yet-ending''s death and wanted to die. Ling Yin could not bear seeing him like this, so she tricked him and made him take the Love-killer Pill to forget everything about Flower Yet-ending.


    As for the issues later, Xiao Chen was still unable to escape his fate. In the execution day, on the Immortal-slaying Platform, Ling Yin used her mighty magic to trick everyone and saved his Soul with the Samsara Jade. As for what happened later, or if he had woken up again, he really could not remember.


    Memories of thousands of years ago hit his mind again and again. In fact, until today, he did not hate his grandmaster, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan. Once Xiao Chen conducted the deliverance by a sword and failed. Perfected Immortal Qingxuan then spared his cultivation to reform Xiao Chen''s body and Soul. Truth be told, that punch from Perfected Immortal Qingxuan on the trial was even less than 10% of his power. He did not want to kill Xiao Chen at all.


    What he hated was the man who framed him and the Immortal-saving Clan which showed righteousness and morality on the surface but was actually dirty and filthy! Who was behind the all these? Xiao Chen thought of someone.


    Qianyu Nishang.


    Qianyu Nishang was a woman he met on his way back to the Mystic Cyan Mountain after he returned the zither. She was about the same age as his and said she wanted to join the Mystic Cyan Sect. Xiao Chen did not think much and led her to join the sect.


    But Ling Yin said that she would only have one disciple in her life. Therefore, Qianyu Nishang did not become Ling Yin''s disciple but joined another school. Because Xiao Chen led her in, so she was very close to him, and he often talked about training experience with her.


    Qianyu Nishang was incredibly gifted. Only in a few months, her name had spread all over the continent in the Immortal Century. She was like a legend, and she was likely to be more famous than Xiao Chen.


    They often discuss their cultivation methods. There were seven schools in the Mystic Cyan Sect


    Later, one of the evidences when Xiao Chen was framed up was that the Mystic Cyan Sect disciple was killed by the cultivation method of the Yaoguang School. Ling Yin was the creator of this school, and she only had Xiao Chen as her disciple. Ling Yin was the master, so no one suspected her. Therefore, the only possibility was Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen thought about it carefully. Although he only told Qianyu Nishang a little about the Yaoguang School''s cultivation method, she might be able to learn the essence of it because of her strong talent. Therefore, she must be a part of the scheme. Maybe this was why she came to the Mystic Cyan Sect!


    Xiao Chen did not know when the cold wind blew in from outside the window. Xiao Chen''s clenched his fist, cracking knuckles. He smiled coldly and said, "Qianyu Nishang, you must have ascended to the heaven''s realm and escaped from that major calamity. You must have not expected that I was reborn after thousands of years..."


    "Are you up, Young Master?" Lil Ruo''s voice came from the outside.


    Xiao Chen opened the door and went out, looking at her with a smile. Unexpectedly, in just one year, so many things had happened. He still remembered the scene when they went to the Three Pure Sect.


    "Lil Ruo, I''ll be leaving after some time. You..."


    "Are you going to Violet Manor?"


    Xiao Chen nodded his head. As a cultivator, he should have cut off his thoughts on the mortals. In his last life, he had nothing to worry about. However, in this life, he had so many relationships and burdens.


    "Where are the two seniors?" Xiao Chen asked.


    "They are in the Water Clear Pavilion."


    In the Water Clear Pavilion, the two elders were sitting beside the bed. Li Muxue was quietly lying on the bed, and her face looked a bit alive as if she was just asleep.


    Zi Mo sighed and asked, "Why would we lie to him?"


    Qing Feng took a deep breath and sighed, "The Destinies of the two kids are against each other. If they continue like this, one of them would definitely die. Only by separating them could they avoid the calamity. This time, Muxue had the Blood Jade that Junior Sister gave her to keep her Soul. Next time, alas..."


    "When are you going to restore her Soul?"


    Zi Mo looked at Li Muxue on the bed and said in a low voice. But Xiao Chen heard it while entering the courtyard.


    "Seniors! Did you say that Muxue still can be saved?"


    Xiao Chen couldn''t wait to rush into the room. Zi Mo glared at him and said, "Kid, there''s nothing for you to do here. You can just focus on going to Violet Manor!"


    "No! Tell me, senior, can she still be saved?"


    Qing Feng sighed and said, "People have three souls and seven spirits. She still has three souls, but there''s one spirit missing, and this spirit is in charge of memory. I''m afraid that she will never remember you again in her life."


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help stepping back and feeling dizzy. This was good. Since they knew each other, he had never done anything for her, instead, she had risked her life for him many times.


    It''s a good thing that she could forget him, no matter if she was the reincarnation of Flower Yet-ending or not. At least this would not make him owe much more to her or to Yet-ending.


    Three days later, after seeing Li Muxue wake up, Xiao Chen left quietly and went to Liu Province. When he knew that Huangfu Xin''er was not at home, he went to the Three Pure Sect.


    Back in the courtyard on the Sunset Peak, he still remembered every flower and tree. He said goodbye to the three princes and went to Moon-watch Peak. Bai Ying was still sitting alone in the Moon-watch Pavilion.


    "Kid, you''re finally back."


    Xiao Chen smiled, holding two wine jars in his hand. Bai Ying stood up and said, "Forget it. We have important business today. We''d better not drink. Let me tell you a story."


    "What story?"


    "Legends had it that in the ancient times, Jiutian Xuannv saved one person by picking off one of her Immortal bones. After that person finished Samsara, he had a part of Jiutian Xuannv''s memories and thought that he was the reincarnation of her..."


    Xiao Chen smiled and understood the meaning of her story. Bai Ying smiled and said, "Kid, remember to come back often, even if you can''t find the person you are looking for."


    "Rest assured. If one day I have nowhere to go in the Violet Manor, I will come back."


    "Stinky brat..."


    He had a lot of things to do there. First, he had to rescue Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er. They must have been brought to the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor by Daofeng and the other two people.


    An hour later, he went to the mountain back of the Three Pure Sect. Some elders had already opened the transmission formation. Zi Mo said, "Kid, there''s been chaos in the Violet Manor, so nobody will receive you there. You will go to the Jade Qing Sect after you get there, okay? I have roughly calculated the position, and you should be teleported to somewhere near the Jade Qing Sect in Qing Province."


    Yu Yifeng was in the Jade Qing Sect, and Xiao Chen was aware of this information. He nodded and said, "Okay."


    A few moments later, he said good-bye to several elders again. Finally, he looked at Bai Ying, and then turned and went into the channel of the formation.


    Once he entered the formation, the entrance of the channel suddenly closed. Zi Mo suddenly shouted, "No! Sh*t! I forgot one thing! It''s going to be bad..."

 Volume 2 The Violet Manor, the Mystic Realm Chapter 81 The Violet Manor, the Mystic Realm

    After a certain time, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and felt he was at the bottom of the water. He ran his energy, stamped his feet, and went out of the water. All of a sudden, infinite Spiritual Qi came to him¡ªhe was in a river.


    He saw luxuriant woods on both shores and countless strange flowers. In the distance, there were numerous towering mountains, and one in the north-west was even piercing through the clouds and looked shiny under the sunset...


    So, this was the Violet Manor...


    The Spiritual Qi here was countless times more abundant than that of the Human World. He could not help feeling hot-blooded as if he returned to thousands of years ago.


    The Spiritual Qi here was so abundant that it was almost the same as that in the continent of the Immortal Century, and it could fully support his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. Before long, he would make the legend back then happen again.


    "Master, wait for me. I will definitely find you..." Xiao Chen lay on the river, looking up at the clear sky and flowing down the river.


    Suddenly, a faint voice sounded in his mind. "Kid, I might be in sleep in this period of time..." He then stopped talking.


    "Evernight! Evernight!" Xiao Chen shouted for a few times, and there was no response. He recalled that the teleporting channel seemed to have something wrong. If Evernight did not protect him with Soul power, he might not have survived from the tearing power of the space.


    Now, the Fuxi Zither was lost in nowhere, and the Soul of Evernight was weakened every day. Every time it spent its Soul power, it would fall into a short sleep. The Fuxi Zither had to be found as soon as possible, or Evernight would disappear one day.


    Xiao Chen was lying on the surface of the river, flowing down the river. Suddenly, a cold voice came from the downstream. "Remember to keep your mouth shut about this matter. Please help me wash the blood off my clothes first."


    Judging from the voice, it was a young woman. Xiao Chen gradually floated down the river. He vaguely saw a beautiful woman with long hair was washing off the blood stains on her shoulder. The river just covered her chest, and this scene was so beautiful.


    On the shore, a dozen young women in uniform were on guard, each with exquisite figure and a sword hanging at the waist.


    "Who!" The woman in the river suddenly thundered. Obviously, she had noticed Xiao Chen''s aura. She said no more, put her two fingers together, and sent out a sword Qi to Xiao Chen.


    The surface of the river instantly stirred up two sprays with 30 meters high, as if someone cut at the river with a sword. Xiao Chen rapidly parried away. He was almost cut into two pieces by this sharp sword Qi. He said, "Miss, calm down, I just happened to drift by. I didn''t mean to peep at you."


    "Don''t let him live. Kill him!" The woman shouted as a dozen swords in silver light whistled to him. Xiao Chen hurriedly dived into the river to dodge them. But before he came to his senses, he felt a huge power came from under the water. Before he could swim away, he was sent into the air and felt dizzy.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. Foundation Building Realm! But they could almost match those Core Forming Realm cultivators in the Human World! Unlike the Human World, there was no forbiddance in the Violet Manor. If the water had not removed half of its power, his internal organs might have already been torn apart. He just glanced at her unintendedly, and he had not seen too much of her. Was that woman too ruthless?


    Xiao Chen knew perfectly well that it was useless to explain at the moment. He stepped on the water in the air and immediately used the Immortal-override Steps. When he landed on the shore, he instantly punched out two Cyan Dragon Roars to send the women in front of him. Then, he rushed into the woods.


    "Kill him!"


    A dozen women on the shore had mediocre cultivation, so they could not catch up with Xiao Chen who was using the Immortal-override Steps. As for the woman in the river, when she put on her clothes, Xiao Chen had already disappeared.


    After running for 17 kilometers, Xiao Chen finally dared to stop and take a break. Fortunately, the woods were towering and covered the sunlight. Even if they rode on swords, it would be hard for them to find him.


    He had not expected that he would be hunted down by women on the first day he got here. Evernight was indeed right. The Violet Manor was where the experts lived. Without the forbiddance in the Human World, he could not underestimate the power of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator.


    Thinking about this, he fell down powerlessly into the grass. Suddenly, his hand seemed to have touched something.


    When he got up, it was the head of a man, and its wound had a smooth cut-out. Obviously, that man was beheaded by a flying sword. Looking around, there were no less than 20 dead bodies of men and women. The clothes on seven or eight women''s bodies were the same as the ones he met before.


    "Damn! Zi Mo, that old man, where the hell he send me to? Didn''t he say the Jade Qing Sect in Qing Province?!" Xiao Chen cursed inwardly, chose a direction, and ran away.


    However, the jungle seemed to have no end. No matter how far he ran, he could not see the end of it. The sun fell, and the jungle became creepy. Xiao Chen could only pray that he would not meet another group of Foundation Building Realm cultivators.


    While thinking of this, a cold conversation rose ahead. Xiao Chen immediately stopped moving. According to his previous experience, he should immediately leave in this situation. However, when he was about to turn around, two cold voices from a man and a woman came to his ears at the same time.


    "Stop! One more step and I''ll cut off your leg!"


    After all, he was not in the Human World now, and he had to believe the words of two Foundation Building Realm cultivators. He slowly turned around and saw two groups of people were confronting each other. The leaders of the two groups were a man and a woman. The woman was about 18 years old and dressed in a red skirt which was embroidered with phoenix totem. The man was clad in teal and about 24 years old. The distance between the two people was about 15 meters, and the people behind the leaders dared not to move.


    Xiao Chen complained inwardly. Why did he meet this kind of issue soon after he came here?


    "You can continue. I''m just passing by..."


    "Fool, shut up! Come pick up the thing for me!" The girl in the red skirt said.


    Xiao Chen saw a round golden bead lying on the ground between them. When he walked closer, he immediately felt the strong fluctuation of spiritual force from that bead. There was vaguely a dragon''s image inside the bead. This was an Internal Elixir of a dragon!


    It turned out that they were fighting for this bead. The two groups were close in strength, so whoever got close to that bead would be killed. Therefore, none of them dared to move first.


    At present, he was in a dilemma. It was better to risk some chances than die! Xiao Chen stretched out his hand as the dragon pill moved and flew to his hand quickly.


    The people on both sides were shocked. They did not expect that this man seemed to have mediocre cultivation but could skillfully use the psychokinesis. If one of them could use this skill so adeptly, they did not need to confront each other here for such a long time.


    Seeing that the dragon pill went to Xiao Chen''s hands, the man''s eyes became cold. He said coldly, "If you know the situation, give me the dragon pill quickly!"


    Xiao Chen especially disliked the tone and manner of this man''s speech. For him, this dragon pill was not even a treasure. The abundant Spiritual Qi in Violet Manor was enough, and there was no need to cultivate through external things. He swung his sleeve and said coldly, "So, are you asking for me or threatening me?"


    "You!" Seeing a Qi Refining Realm cultivator talking to him like this, the man was so angry and wanted to immediately go kill this kid and snatch the dragon pill. But under the eyes of the group of people in front of him, he dared not to move.


    The girl with a red skirt said, "Fool, don''t listen to him. If you give it to them, they will kill you first!"


    Xiao Chen said, "This man is too tough. If I will give it to someone, I will give it to a beauty." He then put the dragon pill into his chest and went closer to the girl.


    The girl was so happy to hear that, while the man''s eyes became colder. "If you give the pill to her, we the Skygale Sect will hunt you down to the end of the world!"


    Xiao Chen was shocked. The Skygale Sect! It turned out that they were members of the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor. On account of the Skygale Sect, he would never give it to them. The girl said, "Don''t be afraid. The Teal Jade Sect will protect you, and they will not harm you! Come quickly and give me the dragon pill!"


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly in his heart. "Give it to you? If I give it to you, you run away, and I will become a lonesome soul in this mountain? Do you really think of me as a fool?"


    The Skygale Sect member saw that things were going south and suddenly sent out a finger force. Xiao Chen parried away. The girl unleashed her flying sword which then left a wound on the man''s shoulder.


    "Die-trying! Kill them!"


    The man yelled as the men behind him quickly rushed forth, and the two groups of people started a melee. The sword radiance flashed all over. Xiao Chen quickly decided to run away while they engaged. When he was about to use the Immortal-override Steps, he suddenly felt an extremely familiar aura behind him. It was a sense of long-lost intimacy...


    The Fuxi Zither!


    Xiao Chen suddenly turned around and saw that the girl had a jade zither in her arms. The zither body had complicated carvings, and the seven strings had seven colors. It was really the Fuxi Zither...

 Chapter 82 Liu Fenghuang

    At this moment, it was as if the histories of thousands of years ago flashed through his mind again: the scene when Ling Yin gave him the Fuxi Zither, and the scene when he first saw Evernight coming out of the zither and took shape...


    Suddenly, the surroundings quieted down. No sound could be heard, and no sword radiance could be seen. The only thing existed among heaven and earth was only that jade zither. But with time being, Xiao Chen gradually noticed something wrong. The zither body and the six strings were vague. So, they were just virtual images, and only the C major string was the real one.


    This was not the Fuxi Zither but the C major string of the Fuxi Zither!


    "Do you think that with your ability, you can unleash the ancient power of this zither?!" The man shouted and then punched at the girl.


    The young girl held the zither in her arms and heavily played the C major string. However, the string only quivered for a moment, making a sound that was almost inaudible. Even so, the man was bounced back for a few steps. The girl looked pale and was gasping for breath. Obviously, she did not have enough cultivation to play this zither. She just had consumed almost half of her True Qi by that stroke.


    When a dozen people were about to attack them, the people beside the girl suddenly gathered into a single line, sending their True Energy to the girl in the front.


    The girl''s aura instantly surged times stronger than before. She played the string, and the string just made a slightly bigger sound than before. But a dozen people were sent flying backward.


    Just as the second stroke was about to sound, the man gnashed his teeth and said with hatred, "Go!" A dozen people suddenly disappeared.


    The truth was that the girl was not able to play that string again. She was just pretending to play in order to scare them. The people behind her all looked extremely pale. When they saw the enemies had gone, they sat down and started to run the cultivation method.


    Xiao Chen slowly walked over and asked, "May I ask which sect you belong to, miss?" The girl said, "I''m from the Teal Jade Sect. You?" She then put the zither into her Divine Vessel.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Then that''s a coincidence. I''m on my way to join the Teal Jade Sect. Would you help introduce me?" He had planned to leave in chaos, but it was now impossible to leave. He would have to get that string of the Fuxi Zither, whatever it took!


    He had carefully observed before. Although her zither only had one Fuxi zither''s string, it had incredible divine power. If he could have it, he would be more confident to defeat the Skygale Sect in the future. Moreover, the Soul power of Evernight was decreasing, so he had to find the Fuxi Zither. After all, it belonged to him back then.


    In order to show sincerity, he immediately took out the dragon pill from his chest and handed it over. The girl took over the pill and looked very happy, saying, "Of course! My father is the sect leader!"


    "Oh?" Xiao Chen pretended to be surprised. "It''s a pleasure to meet you today! I wonder how I should address you?"


    The girl blushed and smiled. "I''m Liu Fenghuang. I am not as famous as Senior Sister Chu and Senior Brother Duan." Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Senior Sister Liu not only looks beautiful but also is surprisingly modest."


    Hearing this, Liu Fenghuang''s face became redder under the sunset glow. She was born beautiful, but all the male disciples in the sect were dull and had never praised her appearance. As an 18-year-old girl, a praise on her appearance was much better to hear than some bullsh*t about her progressing cultivation.


    Moreover, Xiao Chen looked handsome and spoke in a good manner. He was so much better than those male disciples in her sect. Unconsciously, her heart had gradually come closer to this stranger she had known only for less than 30 minutes.


    Not far away, an older-looking female disciple got up and walked beside her. She coughed softly, glanced at Xiao Chen and asked, "I don''t know what to call you, young friend?"


    This woman looked at most in her twenties. She seemed old by calling him a young friend. Xiao Chen smiled, clasped his hands and said, "I''m Han Chen."


    The woman said, "Oh. You said that you want to join our sect. Where are you from?"


    Xiao Chen was stunned by this question. He had just arrived here and did not know places. He made up a name and said with a smile, "I''m from White Water County. My father met an Immortal when he was young, so he knows a bit about cultivation method. He found out that I''m pretty talented, so he wanted me to join a Cultivators'' sect."


    The woman''s eyes narrowed, and her cold, electric eyes swept over him. "Since you came from White Water County and wanted to join our Teal Jade Sect, why are you here in the Dragon Meridian Mountains?"


    "Is there really a place called White Water County? Where is the Teal Jade Sect? Where is the Dragon Meridian Mountains? I should''ve asked more from that old man Zi Mo."


    Liu Fenghuang said hurriedly, "All right, all right! Senior Sister Shen, don''t ask anymore! Junior Brother Han just came here. Don''t scare him away."


    The woman glanced at Xiao Chen before she stepped aside. Liu Fenghuang giggled and said, "This is my senior sister, Shen Qian. She is just this kind of person, don''t mind her."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and was finally relieved. He was about to ask something about that Fuxi Zither string, but now that Shen Qian was suspecting him, he could not ask that.


    "Sister Liu, where are we going next?"


    "Wait for my Senior Sister Chu. She should be coming soon..."


    Before her voice fell, a white figure suddenly appeared and thrust her sword at Xiao Chen. If Xiao Chen had not vaguely sensed a murderous aura, he could never dodge this stroke. Upon seeing this, Liu Fenghuang opened her arms and stepped in front of him, saying, "Senior Sister Chu, what are you doing?"


    Xiao Chen did not expect that the comer was the woman he met in the river before. This person had extraordinary cultivation which was about middle Foundation Building Realm. There was no forbiddance in here, so it was easy for her to kill him.


    Chu Lingjiao looked at her and then glared at Xiao Chen, coldly saying, "This bold rascal peeped me before..."


    Xiao Chen felt a strong murderous intent from her eyes which was not because he peeped her but a sheer murder. She might have misunderstood that he had heard something from her. But she already wanted to kill him, and this kind of issue could never be explained. He said hurriedly, "It''s a misunderstanding! I was being hunted by someone and jumped into that river. I just floated by you, and I was definitely not intended to peep Senior Sister Chu..."


    At present, he had only one protection, which was Liu Fenghuang. Once she left him, this woman surnamed Chu would definitely kill him because she was certain that he had heard something.


    Liu Fenghuang finally met a person who praised her beauty and could wield the psychokinesis so adeptly. She said, "Yeah, Senior Sister Chu, this must be a misunderstanding. Don''t be angry. Just now we were able to get the dragon pill thanks to Junior Brother Han. By the way, have you seen Brother Duan?"


    "Senior Brother Duan..." Chu Lingjiao glanced at Xiao Chen while speaking this name. She shook her head and said, "I haven''t met him since we parted."


    Before long, three male disciples came running from the other side of the jungle. They looked in a rush, and one of them carried a cloth bag that wrapped something. That man said, "We''ve found Senior Brother Duan. He..." He then unwrapped the bag. It was a head.


    Several female disciples were shocked. Liu Fenghuang also looked shocked. She murmured, "Brother Duan..."


    Xiao Chen clearly saw the head, which was exactly the one he had touched while escaping. Now, he was quite certain that the death of Brother Duan had something to do with this Sister Chu.


    Chu Lingjiao let out a long sigh. "Brother Duan must have been ambushed by them. Junior Sister, don''t be sad. We will definitely revenge him!" Liu Fenghuang choked with sobs. She wiped off the tears on the corner of her eye and said, "Yes. We have to revenge Senior Brother Duan."


    "By the way, I heard that you''ve brought the ancient divine zither with you?"


    Liu Fenghuang sobbed and nodded. "Yes."


    "Why are you so careless? What if the Skygale Sect takes it away? Give it to me now, and I will keep it safe."


    Liu Fenghuang nodded and was about to take out the Fuxi Zither string, when Shen Qian came up. She looked at Chu Lingjiao and said coldly, "Senior Sister Chu, have you forgotten the rules of our sect? Nobody can touch the divine zither except for the sect leader."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled gently. "I was in a hush and afraid of losing the divine zither, so I forgot this rule. Thanks for reminding me, Junior Sister Shen." She then looked at Liu Fenghuang and said, "Junior Sister, you can''t lose the divine zither. Keep it safe."


    Liu Fenghuang wiped her eyes and said softly, "It''s okay. It''s safer for you to keep it." She then was about to take it out again when Shen Qian quickly stopped her and said, "Junior Sister Liu! Do you want to make Senior Sister Chu be blamed by our master when we go back?"


    Standing aside, Xiao Chen did not know what to say. Did Liu Fenghuang trust Sister Chu too much, or was she simply too innocent?


    Shen Qian glanced at Chu Lingjiao again and asked, "There''s still something that I don''t understand. How did you and Senior Brother Duan get seperated?"


    After her voice fell, everyone looked at Chu Lingjiao at the same time. Chu Lingjiao said calmly, "What, are you suspecting me?" As her voice fell, a dozen figures flashed over. They were the female disciples with her before.


    Liu Fenghuang stepped forth and said, "All right, all right. Senior Sisters, stop arguing." She looked at Shen Qian and said, "We can''t blame Senior Sister Chu on this matter. We will seek our vengeance on the Skygale Sect."


    Shen Qian gave her a look. "Junior Sister, we can''t conclude like this."


    Chu Lingjiao said, "Who else would it be if it were not Skygale Sect members that did this?"


    Shen Qian''s eyes narrowed. "Senior Sister Chu was sure that the Skygale Sect did this. Have you seen it with your own eyes?"


    "Then do you mean that I''m lying?"


    For a moment, the people on both sides were at daggers'' points. Xiao Chen gently coughed and said, "Sisters, please listen to me. Now..."


    Before he could finish his speech, the two women shot cold glances at him in the meantime and said, "What are you? Shut up!"

 Chapter 83 The Divine Power of the String

    "Me?" Xiao Chen pointed to his nose, shook his head and sighed. He then walked to Liu Fenghuang and said, "Alas, forget it. Senior Sister Liu, let make some room for them to kill each other, so that the Skygale Sect can come to clean up the mess."


    Liu Fenghuang knew what he meant and said quickly, "Yeah, Junior Brother Han is right. The Skygale Sect is nearby. Let''s stop fighting each other, okay?"


    "Humph!" Shen Qian swung her sleeve and went back. She raised her head and saw the night was coming, saying, "The monsters in the Dragon Meridian Mountains at night are incredibly fierce. Let''s find a safe place to camp and wait for someone to bring the Flying-cloud Stone here." She then took the people and walked forth.


    Not everyone could ride on a sword. Some normal disciples in many sects needed the Flying-cloud Stone to travel. It was a travel tool.


    Before long, the sky became completely dark. The crowd found an empty place, took out some flints, and set up some fires.


    The firelight cast some ferocious shadows behind them. Liu Fenghuang crouched under a big tree, lowered her head and said nothing. Xiao Chen sat down beside her. He wanted to get close to her because she was his only protection at present. He had felt the light murderous intent from Chu Lingjiao, and Shen Qian was also very suspicious.


    Also, he could ask her everything about Violet Manor. It turned out that Violet Manor was really big. Except for those unknown areas, there were four continents and the Middle Continent. He was now in the East Divine Continent, where many states and cultivators'' powers existed.


    He was now at the border between Zhou State and Qing State in the eastern continent. Of course, this was just the outer rim of the Dragon Meridian Mountains. Deep in the mountains, there were countless unknown dangers. So, few people had entered that area. The Qing Province belonged to Qing State and was hundreds of kilometers away.


    An hour passed, the people who was supposed to bring the Flying-cloud Stone here that Shen Qian said had not come yet. The mountains became colder, and some thin fog gradually appeared in the distance. They could even hear the deep roars from the depth of the mountains. They sounded like the roars of ancient fierce beasts.


    There were many rumors about the Dragon Meridian Mountains. It was one of the ancient ruins, and many unknown ancient creatures lay in the center of the mountains, such as dragons. Some people even claimed that they had seen the ancient dragons.


    This was no news to Xiao Chen, and he did not doubt that the dragons existed in this world because the Dragon Roar Palm was a palm style that the founder of the Mystic Cyan Sect created to deal with ancient ferocious dragons. Unfortunately, it was too abstruse, and gradually, many disciples could not understand the true essence of this technique and few of them practiced it as Xiao Chen did.


    Another hour passed, and the moon rose to the top of the sky. It was nearly midnight. Liu Fenghuang yawned and said, "Junior Brother Han, maybe the Senior Brothers who are supposed to bring the Flying-cloud Stone will come tomorrow when it gets bright. You should get some sleep first. I''ll wake you up when they come."


    Many disciples around leaned against the trees and had fallen asleep. Only a few people stayed guard outside. Xiao Chen smiled gently and said, "It''s okay. Senior Sister, you get some rest first. I can still hold it." Not far away, Chu Lingjiao was awake, so he dared not to sleep.


    "Okay." Liu Fenghuang nodded, leaned against the tree, and gently closed her eyes.


    Another two hours passed, and the moon gradually sank to the west. Many fires around also had gone out, and only the one in the middle was still making a crackling sound. The disciples around were basically asleep, and even some uttered words while sleeping. Not far away, Chu Lingjiao and Shen Qian, also leaned against the big trees and closed their eyes. But obviously, they were not asleep.


    Liu Fenghuang had already fallen into a deep dream. Her head gradually leaned against Xiao Chen''s shoulder as a faint fragrance of her hair went into his nose. Xiao Chen turned his head and looked at her quiet little face and trembling eyelashes. It seemed that she did not have any shrewdness. Unconsciously, he had some good feelings toward her.


    With a yawn, Xiao Chen also could not resist the sleepiness. It took him so much energy to travel here from the Human World. Gradually, he fell asleep. Didn''t know how long it had been, some noise rose in his ears. He opened his eyes and found Liu Fenghuang missing. The fires around were all put out, and there were figures flashing in the distance with vague battle-cry.


    Being shocked, Xiao Chen jumped up to a tree. Under the light moonlight, he finally recognized who were fighting. One party was the Teal Jade Sect members, while the other party was a bunch of men in black with their faces covered. More than half of the Teal Jade Sect members were killed. Obviously, it was because of the men in black raided them.


    Xiao Chen was shocked upon seeing Chu Lingjiao engaging three men in black while Liu Fenghuang and Shen Qian together fighting a man in black. That man was so familiar. Xiao Chen''s divine sense was extraordinary, so he recognized at a glance that the man was Qian Yeli, the one who came to the Three Pure Sect with Ouyang Yu and Xu Hao.


    Now, this person had reached late Foundation Building Realm, so Liu Fenghuang and Shen Qian were struggling to fight him. Suddenly, Liu Fenghuang chanted a spell as a virtual-looking jade zither appeared in her arms. But the zither made no sound after she played it. There might be some forbiddance in the Fuxi Zither. She had played it once in daylight, yet she could not make it sound at all.


    Qian Yeli noticed this and pushed Shen Qian away. He then moved to snatch the zither. Liu Fenghuang was startled and leaped back, but she could not get out of the effective area of the palm strength. She hurriedly shouted, "Senior Sister Chu!"


    Chu Lingjiao was not far from her and wanted to rush to her, but she was stopped by the three men in black. With her cultivation, she could never get rid of them. Xiao Chen noticed some clues and said inwardly, "Not good." He did not want Liu Fenghuang to get hurt, and if the sting fell into Qian Yeli''s hand, it would be hard to find back.


    He moved as an arrow off the string and punched at the back of Qian Yeli. "Poom!" Qian Yeli was caught unguarded. At night, he also could not see Xiao Chen''s face.


    Liu Fenghuang saw Xiao Chen come and said urgently, "Junior Brother Han, get aside. I can''t protect you at the moment!" Before her voice fell, Qian Yeli came at her again. It seemed that he did come for the string. Behind him, Shen Qian was engaging five or six men in black and could not get away.


    Xiao Chen shouted, "Sister, give me the zither!" Before Liu Fenghuang could react, her zither had been taken away by Xiao Chen.


    In an instant, a feeling of connection with the ancient blood returned to Xiao Chen again. For thousands of years, this feeling had never faded for a second, even though it was just one string.


    Xiao Chen could not think much. He held the zither and heavily played three times on the C Major string. Suddenly, the mountains collapsed, and the earth shattered as an overwhelming power rushed forth. Qian Yeli was the first to get hit and was immediately sent flying backward while spitting a mouthful of blood.


    More than 20 men in black were also sent flying backward by this sudden power. The Teal Jade Sect members were not hurt by the zither sound and just felt a slight quiver of their hearts because the zither sound was sent from Xiao Chen''s heart, and Xiao Chen only targeted at the men in black.


    The three zither sounds faded away like thunders, but the remaining power was still oppressing. Everyone stood blankly on the ground before Qian Yeli shouted, "Fall back." More than 20 men in black then escaped into the woods.


    "Stay!" Shen Qian flashed forth and caught one of them. She pulled off his black mask and thundered, "Who are you!" The eyes of the man moved as he suddenly took out a dagger, trying to stab it to her belly.


    Chu Lingjiao shouted, "Careful, Junior Sister!" She unleashed her flying sword as the sword flashed and cut the man''s head off. Shen Qian turned her head and glared at her. "You!" But she could not say anything. Chu Lingjiao seemed to have saved her, but she might want to kill that man to leave no trace.


    "Junior Brother Han, are you all right?" At this point, Liu Fenghuang''s voice broke the silence.

 Chapter 84 The Murderous Intent in the Cold Nigh

    t


    Xiao Chen looked pale and could not speak. He did not expect that three zither sounds had consumed all his True Qi.


    Shen Qian hurried over and said, "Junior Sister, put up the divine zither quickly!" Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled gently. He handed zither to Liu Fenghuang. This was not the time to turn against the Teal Jade Sect. It would need a long plan to take back the string.


    Chu Lingjiao also came over and said, "I didn''t expect that junior brother can play the ancient divine zither." A cold glance swept over Xiao Chen, as if it was a warning or praising, wanting to get close to him.


    Xiao Chen didn''t like this feeling very much and did not say anything. Shen Qian turned her head and said, "I didn''t expect either. We''ve got so many people on watch tonight, but they still raided us. Senior Sister, do you know who they are?"


    Chu Lingjiao smiled gently and said, "What a question, Junior Sister. Maybe you know them?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t want to take part in the fight between these people and walked to a tree with Liu Fenghuang. He asked, "Senior Sister Liu, are you hurt?" Now, the only one he could talk to was this "Senior Sister" who he only had known for less than one day.


    Liu Fenghuang shook her head. "I''m fine. What about you? I didn''t expect that you can play the zither three times in a row. Dad will be very happy to know."


    The Fuxi Zither was the ancient divine zither. If one was not blessed or had no fortune with it, he would never make it ring, no matter how powerful he was. The current sect leader of the Teal Jade Sect, Liu Yunzheng, could only make it ring once in each time. Even so, this made the Teal Jade Sect''s position unshakable in the Zhou State.


    The people''s shadows were moving. Many people were cleaning up the mess. They had over 30 members before, but now there were less than 20. More than half of the people left were Chu Lingjiao''s people. At the moment, everyone became alert, and nobody talked. They could not go further into the Dragon Meridian Mountains, so they could only wait for someone to bring the Flying-cloud Stone here.


    Xiao Chen looked at these people, and many people were injured. He could not run his True Qi at present, and he did not know what might come next from the deep woods. However, the horrible things were usually not those unknown beasts but human heart.


    The human was unpredictable. Chu Lingjiao and her people had no casualties and were silent. Their eyes looked like that of the eagles and falcons, watching every move around them.


    Xiao Chen was now certain that the issue just now had something to do with her. Maybe this person also wanted to take the Fuxi Zither string. If she really decided to kill, Shen Qian''s side stood no chance of winning. Also, he could not play the Fuxi Zither now. Could they really make it to daylight and wait until the men came with the Flying-cloud Stone? If this person started to kill, he could only take Liu Fenghuang into the mountains.


    After calculating everything, Xiao Chen quietly ran his cultivation method to recover his True Energy. Time passed by slowly, and every minute felt like one year long. He could only pray that Chu Lingjiao was afraid of the Teal Jade Sect.


    "In order to avoid another raid, we should change a place." Shen Qian suddenly stood up and said.


    "You''re so right. I also want to do this." Chu Lingjiao also said.


    Everybody then packed their stuff and then marched toward Zhou State for five kilometers. This time, no one set up a fire. Half an hour later, the crowd was closing their eyes for some rest. A woman beside Chu Lingjiao suddenly stood up when Shen Qian immediately opened her eyes and said coldly, "Junior Sister, where are you going?"


    Chu Lingjiao looked at the female disciple and said, "Sit down."


    "Okay." The female disciple replied and immediately sat back.


    Although Xiao Chen closed his eyes, his Divine Sense had looked through everything around him. At this point, Chu Lingjiao stayed put, which did not mean that he was safe. Instead, she was waiting for the best opportunity. Shen Qian suddenly said, "Before long, the Immortals League Competition. I think that Senior Sister Chu will attend, right?"


    Chu Lingjiao said faintly, "Yes, one month later."


    Liu Fenghuang sighed and said, "Although we''ve got the dragon pill, Senior Brother Duan is gone. It''s hard to say if we still can keep the Spiritual Meridian..." She then let out a long sigh.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. Spiritual Meridian? Was there an Earth Spiritual Meridian in the Teal Jade Sect? Chu Lingjiao smiled gently and said, "You don''t know about that. We do have a junior brother who can play the divine zither, don''t we?" She then looked at Xiao Chen, her eyes somewhat meaningful.


    Everybody''s eyes fell on Xiao Chen. Nobody had paid attention to this guy from nowhere until the three zither sounds arose. He could even make the zither sound three times in a row. Who the hell was he?


    Looking around at those eyes, Xiao Chen did not know why Chu Lingjiao made everyone pay attention to him. Was she trying to test if he could still make the zither sound again? It must be! The reason why she did not make a move was that he was the only threat to her!


    Sure enough, Chu Lingjiao suddenly said, "Why don''t junior sister take out the zither and see if Junior Brother Han can still make it sound. If some people came to attack us again, we could rely on Junior Brother Han to fight."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank, and he said inwardly, "Shit!" At present, his cultivation had not recovered yet, so he could not make the zither sound. Shen Qian said, "Just now, he had already made the zither sound for three times in a row, and we saw it with our own eyes. So, there is no need for him to try again, right?"


    Xiao Chen said, "Sisters, I appreciate your compliments. I''m not that talented, and I only know a little about music. I didn''t expect that I can make the divine zither sound either. I think I''m just lucky." He was not sure if he could scare Chu Lingjiao by saying this.


    Chu Lingjiao smiled gently as a cold light flashed through her eyes.


    The murderous intent! Xiao Chen''s Divine Sense was far more sensitive than that of ordinary people. Even if it was impossible to detect, he could still feel it. At this point, she finally had the intention to kill him!


    But he was the only one who felt Chu Lingjiao''s murderous intent. Shen Qian, Liu Fenghuang, and the others were not aware of this at all. His heartbeat became more intense, and he tried to calm himself down. The one with the highest cultivation was Chu Lingjiao. Although Shen Qian and the others were alert, Chu Lingjiao could kill all of them with one stroke.


    However, he could not directly remind them that. Otherwise, they would not believe him, and Chu Lingjiao would have the excuse to kill him first. He then hurriedly sent a Divine Sense to the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant. "Evernight! Are you there?"


    However, Evernight had consumed too much Soul power before to protect him from the tearing power of the space, so it had fallen into slumber, and might not wake up in a short period of time.


    All of a sudden, the light around dimmed as a dark cloud gradually covered the moon. The cold wind blew from around as the murderous intent arose! She finally was about to move! Xiao Chen even saw her cold pupil. The first one she planned to kill was him!


    Suddenly, a heavy growl came from the distance. Everybody was shocked, and even the earth seemed to be shaking. The crowd immediately panicked. "What''s going on? What is that voice?!"


    There were many legends about the Dragon Meridian Mountains. There was even a rumor that said once there was a Nirvana Realm expert, joined forces with a dozen Nascent Soul Realm experts, went into the center of the mountains to look for ancient artifacts. But in the end, none of them came out.


    At the moment, everyone felt a little fear from the bottom of their hearts. The unknown existence just now was far more powerful than them. Shen Qian frowned and said, "Leave, now!" Before her voice fell, a row of sword radiance dashed from her back. "Slash!" It left a wound on her shoulder. If she hadn''t noticed in time, that flying sword had already cut off her head.


    Before everyone could react, dozens of figures suddenly flashed in all directions. In an instant, three or four Teal Jade Sect disciples were killed. Xiao Chen was shocked. He just had put all his attention on Chu Lingjiao, so he hadn''t noticed these people approaching.


    Shen Qian turned around and wanted to unleash her flying sword when she was punched from her back. "Puff!" She spat out a mouthful of blood. Suddenly, it was dark all around, and people could not see things. The dark cloud finally covered the bright moon.


    With the Divine Sense, Xiao Chen rushed to Liu Fenghuang, grabbed her, ready to take her into the mountains. Suddenly, a flying sword came from behind. It was not targeted at him but Shen Qian who stood beside him.


    Shen Qian was seriously injured at the moment and was not able to avoid this sword. Xiao Chen swung his sleeve and brought her to him. "Slash!" The flying sword penetrated a disciple''s head.


    While taking two women, Xiao Chen rushed forth madly. He didn''t stop until he had run for 20 kilometers. Fortunately, the dark clouds had covered the moon; otherwise, they could never escape from them. Now, the three people were gasping for breath. After a short while, Liu Fenghuang exclaimed, "Shit! Senior Sister Chu is still there!"


    Xiao Chen hurriedly covered her mouth and made another gesture of silence. Shen Qian looked at Xiao Chen coldly and said in a low voice, "Who are you exactly?"


    Xiao Chen gave her a look. "Who am I? If it had not been for me, you would have been killed by that woman surnamed Chu!"


    "How is it possible! Senior Sister Chu..." Liu Fenghuang heard him say the one who attacked Shen Qian was Chu Lingjiao, and she could not believe it. Shen Qian looked around and said, "Leave here first."


    The three people then walked forth. But Shen Qian was heavily hit by that punch, and she had just run 20 kilometers, so she could hardly stand on her feet. After they found a cave, she adjusted her breath for a long time and finally forced the extravasated blood out of her body as she spat out the blood.


    Liu Fenghuang held her and said, "Do you need the dragon pill?" Shen Qian waved her hand and said, "No. Keep it safe."


    Xiao Chen was guarding at the entrance of the cave. Shen Qian was seriously injured now, so it was impossible to ride on swords.


    "The men who will send the Flying-cloud Stone, when will they come?"


    Shen Qian cast a glance outside the cave and saw the sky blue. It was almost dawn. She thought, "The message had been sent a long time ago. If it still doesn''t come before daylight, there is only one possibility. The helpers were killed on their way."


    "I don''t know. Just wait for another moment. If they haven''t arrived when it gets bright, we will figure out a way to leave the Dragon Meridian Mountains first."


    Xiao Chen shook his head and meditated on the spot. When he played the Fuxi Zither before, he had consumed so much energy that he now only had recovered 20% or 30% of his cultivation.


    It was almost dawn when suddenly a dark spot appeared in the skyline. The black shadow grew bigger and bigger and suddenly approached them. It looked like a small island that was shrunk countless times.


    Xiao Chen hurried back to the cave and said, "Look! Is it the Flying-cloud Stone?" As his voice fell, the cave dimmed suddenly. The mini island was hanging outside the cave and covered most of the light.


    "Junior Sister Shen, Junior Sister Liu, are you all right?" A clear voice of a man rose from outside.

 Chapter 85 Gu Hanxuan

    Xiao Chen turned around and saw a white shirt man standing on the edge of the feiyunshi, behind him there are several ordinary male disciple, willow phoenix rushed to the mouth of the cave, the previous injustice suddenly turned into tears and cried out: Xiao Chen turned around and saw a white-shirted man standing on the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone with a few male disciples behind him. Liu Fenghuang rushed to the entrance of the cave. Her previous grievance suddenly turned into tears. She cried and said, "Senior Brother Gu, you''re finally here. Senior Brother Duan..."


    " Alas ......" The gu man with a sigh and said: "Alas..." The man let out a long sigh and said, "Sister Chu had told me before. You... Alas. Come here first."


    Xiao Chen a listen to ChuLing jiao has joined with them, immediately filed a warning in front of the willow phoenix, gu man was puzzled, asked: When Xiao Chen heard that Chu Lingjiao were with them, he immediately became alert and stood in front of Liu Fenghuang. The man surnamed Gu was puzzled and asked, "Who is this?"


    Shen Qian busy came out and said: " This is Junior Brother Han. Thanks to him, Liu and I were able to escape." Gu man nodded, handing Xiao Chen slightly: Shen Qian hurried out and said, "This is Brother Han. Thanks to him, Sister Liu and I were able to escape." The man surnamed Gu nodded and clasped his hands to Xiao Chen, saying, "If so, many thanks to Junior Brother Han for taking care of my junior sisters. I''m Gu Hanxuan."


    Xiao Chen also returned a gift: " Next Han Chen." Shen Qian way: " Brother Gu is very kind. Let''s go." Xiao Chen also saluted back, saying, "I''m Han Chen." Shen Qian said, "Brother Gu is very kind. Let''s go." She flew onto the Flying-cloud Stone before her voice fell. Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment and also jumped up with Liu Fenghuang.


    Some disciples controlled the stone as the stone flew to the skyline. Xiao Chen saw that the Flying-cloud Stone was moving fast but he could not feel any resistance of air flow on it, and there were even some flowers and plants growing on the stone. He could not help but sigh that although thousands of years had passed, today''s cultivating methods were unique.


    However, he did not know that the Flying-cloud Stone was rarely seen in small sects which could not afford the expenses of Spirit Stones and various maintenance on the stone. Therefore, the Flying-cloud Stone was a symbol of identity in Violet Manor.


    Of course, there were also many rich people buying some small Flying-cloud Stones, which could carry four or five people, to show off everywhere. So, many people talked about Flying-cloud Stone after meals and teas.


    Gu Hanxuan saw Shen Qian pale and asked, "Is the injury okay?" Shen Qian shook her head. "It''s okay. The attacker''s palm strength is strange. Now I just can''t lift the True Qi."


    Gu Hanxuan slightly nodded. "Then go back and let Miss Luo have a look."


    "Miss Luo!" Xiao Chen exclaimed at once. The surname Luo was very rare. He immediately thought of Senior Sister Luo. Gu Hanxuan looked at him. "What''s wrong, Junior Brother Han?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "No... nothing!" Liu Fenghuang said, "Miss Luo has excellent medical skills. She is proficient in many healing spells."


    Xiao Chen was a bit lost in thought. Senior Sister Luo was indeed proficient in many healing techniques, but now he was afraid of arousing suspicion and could not ask more questions.


    After flying for a moment, they talked about the Immortals League Competition a month later. Xiao Chen had heard Shen Qian mention this before, but he did not know about this very well. He thought it was not a usual meaningless competition. He asked, "What is the Immortals League Competition?"


    Gu Hanxuan gently smiled. "It''s a long story. I''ll talk to Brother Han later."


    Xiao Chen nodded and did not continue to ask. An ordinary disciple said, "I heard that they will send disciples on the Heaven List this time." The other said, "So what? Senior Brother Gu is now firmly the number one on the Earth List. It doesn''t matter if they send two disciples on the Heaven List."


    There were 36 people on the Heaven List and 72 on the Earth List, but it was not right to say that the highly ranked Earth List disciple could not defeat the lowly ranked Heaven List disciple. Gu Hanxuan gently smiled and said, "As long as Senior Brother Yu does not come." Xiao Chen heart turned cold, and he asked, "Is it Yu Yifeng?"


    As long as there was no enmity between two cultivators'' sect, disciples in one sect would call the disciples in the other sect with higher cultivation Senior Brothers and Sisters to show respect.


    Gu Hanxuan smiled and said, "Yes, Brother Yu ranks 11th on the Heaven List. No one could reach that rank for many years. Therefore, he is called Yu Eleven. Does Brother Han know him?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t expect that Brother Yifeng was upright and had such a high cultivation. He hadn''t seen him for a year, and he didn''t know how Yu Yifeng was now. Yu Yifeng might not know that he had come to Violet Manor. He gently smiled. "I have certainly heard of Senior Brother Yu."


    Liu Fenghuang also put aside the previous melancholy. She smiled and said, "Senior Brother Yu had naturally become famous when he reached Core Forming Realm at a young age."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and suddenly reminded of Mu Chengxue. She was also at Core Forming Realm. What was her ranking? He asked, "By the way, do you know someone called Mu Chengxue? What is her ranking?"


    "Mu Chengxue?" Gu Hanxuan frowned. "Never heard of this name." The rest shook their heads, saying they had never heard of it.


    Xiao Chen unavoidably had some doubts. Mu Chengxue''s cultivation was not low. How could no one know her? He asked, "Then do you know the top ten on the Heaven List?"


    The Heaven List and Earth List were the rankings of youths, and there was no old man involved. If Brother Yifeng could only be ranked 11th, how incredible were the top ten?


    Gu Hanxuan squinted, saying, "The top ten are very mysterious. They seldom come out and walk around. I only know one who is ranked seventh. He''s called something like None-flower Dust."


    "None-flower Dust? Is Brother Gu talking about the ''one leaf of flower, one leaf of dust, the flowers fell for one night without leaving dust'', the None-flower Dust?" Liu Fenghuang asked with interest.


    Gu Hanxuan nodded. "It is true. This person had reached Core Forming Realm a long time ago. It seems that he has not been out for years."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed. None-flower Dust? Not only was his name strange, but it also seemed that even his slogan was targeted at him. He might have thought too much.


    Two hours later, they had traveled countless miles. The Flying-cloud Stone landed outside a town. The crowd got off the stone one after the other. Gu Hanxuan chanted a spell as the Flying-cloud Stone and the things on it shrank smaller and smaller. Finally, it became as big as a millstone and flew to the clouds on its own. It was really mysterious.


    Gu Hanxuan gently smiled. "Teal Stone Town is not far from the mountain gate. We should walk back on foot, or our master would blame us for wasting the Spirit Stones. We could also meet Junior Sister Chu."


    Xiao Chen glanced at the path ahead. Finally, he would join the Teal Jade Sect. The most important thing now was to find a way to get the string of Fuxi Zither first.


    When several people entered the town, Xiao Chen saw a lotus pond and a small bridge along the river. They had everything. This town was no different from the towns in the Human World. The only difference was the shops on both sides of the street.


    The merchants here mostly sold items such as Spirit Stones and demonic beasts'' Internal Elixir. Of course, there were also some elixir refining materials. Many materials not found in the Human World were very common here.


    The common currency in Violet Manor was also silver. Of course, it was only aimed at ordinary families. Like some cultivators'' sects, the exchange of things depended on the Spirit Stones. Therefore, Spirit Stone was the most important thing in Violet Manor. The source of Spirit Stone was mostly developed by professional teams that went deep into the mountains and forests to mine, refine and then sell it. Of course, the grades of the Spirit Stones were also different.


    Sure enough, Violet Manor was more suitable for cultivation. It was not only rich in Spiritual Qi but also had everything needed. Most importantly, the world was vaster.


    Turning pass a few streets, they entered an inn called "Immortal Stays". Chu Lingjiao, a dozen female disciples of her, as well as some male disciples of the Teal Jade Sect were all present at the moment.


    Everyone got up in succession to greet Gu Hanxuan. Chu Lingjiao also walked up and asked Liu Fenghuang in concern, "Junior Sister, I don''t know where you went last night. Have you been hurt?"


    Liu Fenghuang smiled gently and shook her head. Shen Qian said in a cold way, "Thanks to Sister Chu, she is not dead yet."


    Gu Hanxuan knew perfectly well that the two women were against each other before. He did not say much and called Xiao Chen to sit down. At the moment, the shopkeeper was also busy greeting him warmly. The Teal Jade Sect was quite famous in the local area. Ordinary people looked at them as if they were gods. They had never seen so many disciples walking together. Therefore, the waiters in the store stopped greeting other guests and came here one after another.


    They asked for a few tables of dishes. Xiao Chen was full of sorrow, so he could not eat much. Liu Fenghuang also told Gu Hanxuan during the meal that Xiao Chen could play the string and was particularly skilled in moving objects by will.


    Including Gu Hanxuan, the rest of the male disciples were also very surprised. Gu Hanxuan did not expect that such a seemingly ordinary young man could play the zither three times in a row. He was at Lv 6 Foundation Building Realm, yet he could not even make the zither sound. In the entire East Divine Continent, no one could make the divine zither sound three times in a row.


    The power of the divine zither lay in the player''s cultivation. If a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator could continuously play the zither, the zither sound would be enough to seriously injure or even kill any Core Forming Realm expert. If a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could continuously play the zither, its power would make the gods cry and shake heaven and earth. This was the reason why the Teal Jade Sect had an unshakable position in Zhou State.


    But until today in the Teal Jade Sect, only the sect leader, Liu Yunzheng, and Liu Fenghuang could barely make the zither sound. Liu Yunzheng''s strength was only at middle Core Forming Realm.


    For the moment, all the male disciples left their bowls and chopsticks and went to surround Xiao Chen. Even Gu Hanxuan also became a lot more polite to Xiao Chen. The politeness before was purely a senior brother''s politeness, but it had turned different now.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and could not explain to them why he was able to play the so-called archaic divine zither in their mouths. This was his own jade zither back then! The Fuxi Zither was ranked second in the artifact rank back then, and its function and power went far beyond this.


    After the meal, Gu Hanxuan went to the counter to pay the bill. The shopkeeper insisted not to accept anything. Finally, Gu Hanxuan left a piece of sycee before they left the inn.


    After leaving the Teal Stone Town, they went west for about a dozen miles. They saw a huge, towering mountain peak. The peak was covered with clouds and mist. There were many grass and woods, countless strange flowers and plants, and a mountain spring passing by. This was the Teal Jade Mountain, and the Teal Jade Sect was there.


    When they reached halfway on the mountain, Gu Hanxuan broke the seal of the barrier. The scenery around them changed instantly. The mountain road was rocky a moment ago, but at this moment, it turned into bluestone steps that led far to the mountaintop.

 Chapter 86 Teal Jade Sec

    t


    Xiao Chen immediately felt some rich Spiritual Qi. Compared with the outside, the Spiritual Qi here was purer. Presumably, this was also a land of bliss. After ascending the steps, they arrived at the main square of the mountain gate. Looking back, he saw that on his way here, countless bluestone swords dangling in mid-air with faint golden runes around.


    Gu Hanxuan gently smiled. "They are the barrier seals of our sect."


    Xiao Chen nodded and walked after him for miles. After passing through the square, a disciple hurried to report. "The master is waiting in the hall. Please go immediately, Senior Brother."


    Gu Hanxuan nodded slightly. "Okay, I see." He then pointed to Xiao Chen, saying, "This is Junior Brother Han. Take him to the side hall to rest."


    Xiao Chen looked up and saw three grand halls not far away and numerous pavilions and towers in the distance. Although this Teal Jade Sect was not as good as the Mystic Cyan Sect, it was much bigger than those sects in the Human World. The disciple showed him the way and said, "Junior Brother Han, come with me."


    Xiao Chen nodded and went with him. This was not the top of the mountain. There was still some distance from the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain was where the elders stayed in seclusion. Ordinary disciples cannot go up there. After arriving at the side hall, the disciple sent men to serve tea and brought some melons, fruit, and snacks in person. The disciple saw that the First Brother was very polite to this person, so he naturally did not dare to neglect Xiao Chen as if Xiao Chen was a guest of honor.


    Xiao Chen only took a sip of tea gently and did not eat the snacks in the dish. It was not because of his vigilance; after all, the Teal Jade Sect was also regarded as a noble and decent sect. He felt that he should be polite when he first came to someone else''s home so as not to lose his courtesy.


    The disciple who sent him here was quite easy-going. Seeing that he was rather restrained, the disciple kept talking with him. At the moment, in another hall, a dignified, middle-aged man was sitting in the front of the hall. He was Liu Yunzheng, the current leader of the Teal Jade Sect.


    "Greetings, Master!" Underneath him, Gu Hanxuan and the others who just walked in saluted one after another. Only the Junior Sister Liu Fenghuang skipped up.


    Liu Yunzheng gently knocked on her forehead, and his doting heart was beyond words. He pretended to be angry and said, "You left without telling me. Wait and see how your father will punish you." Liu Fenghuang wrapped around his arm, reached out her tongue, and didn''t talk.


    Liu Yunzheng gently coughed, looked down and said, "Hanxuan, why isn''t your Junior Brother Duan back?"


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the hall became solemn, and people were silent. Liu Fenghuang''s expression also quickly dim down. Gu Hanxuan frowned, hesitated for a long time and said, "It''s my fault. I failed to provide adequate protection. Please punish me, master..." He then told the man about Duan Feng''s murder.


    "You said Feng''er, he... he!" Liu Yunzheng looked full of grief. He constantly shook his head and sighed. "For a dragon pill, my Feng''er died..."


    Liu Fenghuang also had red eyes. She sobbed, "It''s all my fault. I insisted to go down the mountain with him..."


    "I am also responsible for this, please punish me, master." Chu Lingjiao said as she knelt down. And then Shen Qian and Gu Hanxuan also knelt down.


    Gu hanxuan, Duan feng, Chu Lingjiao, Shen Qian, and Liu Fenghuang were Liu Yunzheng''s disciples. They had more than ten years of relationships. No wonder Liu Yunzheng was so sad to hear the bad news.


    "Nevermind, I can''t blame you, get up now..." Liu Yunzheng''s face was still very bitter. He looked blankly and said, "The Skygale Sect..."


    There was still no evidence to prove that the Skygale Sect did this. Even if it was proved, they could do nothing. Because the Dragon Meridian Mountains was the border between Zhou State and Qing State. No matter how many people were killed or injured in there, they were not allowed to seek revenge without permission. This was the contract set by the two states earlier.


    Liu Yunzheng kept shaking his head and sighing. He saw Shen Qian pale and asked, "Qian''er, you had been hit by that strange palm method, how are you now?" Shen Qian said, "I''m fine. Thank you for your concern."


    "All right, let Miss Luo take a look for you later. It will also be good."


    Gu Hanxuan took a few steps forward, clasped his hands and said, "There is another thing that I should report." He then told the matter that Xiao Chen was able to play the divine zither.


    "There is such a wonderful person!" Liu Yunzheng suddenly stood up from his chair. Obviously, he couldn''t believe that someone could make the zither sound three times in a row. He asked, "Where is he now?"


    "Master, wait a moment. I will invite him here immediately." Gu Hanxuan then went outside of the temple. If it was an ordinary people, he would not personally go invite. But Xiao Chen was no ordinary people, and even Liu Yunzheng thought highly of him just now.


    After a while, Xiao Chen followed Gu Hanxuan into the hall and saw Liu Yunzheng at the head of the hall. He said in a good manner, "I''m Han Chen. A pleasure to meet you, sect leader." Liu Yunzheng hurriedly went down and said, "No need for so much courtesy, young friend. I just heard my little girl say that you can play the ancient divine zither?" He then looked at Liu Fenghuang.


    Liu Fenghuang immediately offered the jade zither. Liu Yunzheng took it over and handed it to Xiao Chen.


    The news that someone could play the zither three times in a row had spread fast. Now, outside the hall, numerous disciples had gathered. Xiao Chen took over the zither, gently played the C Major string, but there was no sound at all. Liu Yunzheng eyebrows tightly knitted up at once. "What''s going on?"


    Liu Fenghuang was also full of expectation before. After seeing this, she said hurriedly, "Previously, in the Dragon Meridian Mountains, Junior Brother Han played the zither three times in a row, and Senior Sister Shen also saw it. You can ask her if you don''t believe it." She thought for a while and said, "I know, it''s because Junior Brother Han was also injured last night."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "To be honest, sect leader, I played this divine zither last night, and it really cost me too much energy. We were ambushed later, and now I have no energy left." In fact, his energy had been restored by half, which was enough to play the Fuxi Zither. However, he just felt that he had not yet fully won Liu Yunzheng''s trust and cannot reveal it. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to touch the Fuxi Zither in the future.


    Liu Yunzheng slightly nodded. He wanted to test whether Xiao Chen had energy now, but he thought it was a bit disrespectful. Besides, there was no reason that his disciples would lie to him. So, he said, "It doesn''t matter. I also know that those people have strange methods. These days, you can run your cultivation method on your own to see if you can recover. If you really can''t, I will ask someone to restore your energy."


    He then put up the zither and asked again, "Anything else happened these days?" Xiao Chen said hurriedly, "I didn''t mean to offend Sister Chu earlier. So I hereby apologize to Sister Chu." He then performed a deep bow to Chu Lingjiao.


    Along the way, he had noticed Chu Lingjiao''s faint murderous intent from time to time. By saying so, he let everyone know that if something happened to him, then it must be Chu Lingjiao''s doing.


    "Oh?" Liu Yunzheng slightly doubted and asked Chu Lingjiao, "Lingjiao, is this true?" Chu Lingjiao gently smiled and said, "It''s okay. It''s all a misunderstanding." She then smiled to Xiao Chen and said, "Forget about it, Junior Brother Han. We are family in the same sect now."


    "Very good, very good!" Liu Yunzheng kept nodding and then said to Xiao Chen, "It is indeed a blessing of His Highness for our Zhou State to have such a talent like you, young friend." "Zhou State", and "His Highness" made Xiao Chen out of breath. Of course, Xiao Chen also understood what this meant.


    Liu Yunzheng then said to Liu Fenghuang, "Fenghuang, send Junior Brother Han to take a rest in Wind-riding Pavilion, and then send a few more people to clean the fallen leaves in the courtyard." Originally, it was supposed to be done by ordinary disciples, but he let Liu Fenghuang do this, which seemed to have some special meanings.


    Liu Fenghuang was quite into this new junior brother, so she smiled and happily said, "Junior brother, let''s go." Xiao Chen smiled gently and followed her. Liu Yunzheng said to Gu Hanxuan and the others. "You all go back and prepare for the Immortals League Competition a month later."


    It was not until everyone had gone that Liu Yunzheng looked at the empty square in front of the hall and sighed. The laughter and smiles here now would lack one person''s contribution.


    "Feng''er, I will revenge you..."


    After a sigh, he looked over at the direction Liu Fenghuang and Xiao Chen went, and thought although he lost a beloved disciple, he gained such an extraordinary man. As long as this man was willing to wholeheartedly stay in the Teal Jade Sect, not only the Teal Jade Sect but also the whole Zhou State would become more unshakable after this man became stronger. And this would credit to his Teal Jade Sect. This was to kill two birds with one stone.


    Xiao Chen stood beside Liu Fenghuang. He had a very sharp Divine Sense and had heard many disciples talking about him all the way.


    "The man seems to be the new disciple of master. I heard that he can play the divine zither three times in a row."


    "Three times in a row? It can''t be true! Even the master can only play once. The elders can''t even make it sound."


    Xiao Chen did not care. About 15 minutes later, he came to the Wind-riding Pavilion. He saw unsophisticated rocks in the courtyard. The pond water was clear and the peony was in full bloom. It was fragrant and elegant and very similar to the Purple Bine Pavilion in his home.


    Leaving aside his deep sadness, the two people went to a small pavilion, followed by several disciples who began to clean the entire courtyard and bring some daily supplies. They worked until the afternoon before the entire Wind-riding Pavilion was tidied up.


    Looking at the full bloom in the courtyard, Xiao Chen asked, "Senior Sister Liu, who lived here before?"


    Liu Fenghuang''s head suddenly lifted, and a sense of bitterness flashed through her brows. She then giggled again and changed the subject. "Hee hee, it''s good to have you here, Junior Brother Han. I will no longer be a little Junior Sister. Some people call me senior sister now. Senior Brother Mo is so annoying. Every time he saw me, he called me little Junior Sister incessantly."


    She then got up and patted her chest, saying, "But don''t be afraid. If he dares to bully you, tell me and I will help you out."


    As her voice fell, a joyful voice rose on the top of the pavilion. "Little Junior Sister, you are speaking ill of me again. I have heard all of it."


    Xiao Chen was surprised that someone was on the pavilion. Why didn''t he notice at all when this person came here. Was his cultivation too low? Or this person''s cultivation was far above his?


    After a light wind, a blue figure suddenly appeared in the pavilion. It was a young man aged 23 or 24. Liu Fenghuang was so angry that she stamped her foot. "Senior Brother Mo, you always sneak around and suddenly come out. It''s so scary! You''re so annoying!"


    The man in teal smiled and turned to Xiao Chen, saying, "Is this the newly joined junior brother today? How should I address you?"

 Chapter 87 A Familiar Figure

    Xiao Chen got up and asked, "I am Han Chen. How should I address you, Senior Brother?" He saw that this man''s cultivation was on the second to third level of the Foundation Building Realm--it was even lower than Gu Hanxuan''s. How then did he manage to avoid his Divine Sense? He must have some special way of practicing his cultivation!


    The man in teal smiled and said, "My name is Mo Yaozhui. Remember, it''s: Do, not, come, after, me!" Upon saying this, he turned around and a gleaming teal hair clasp suddenly appeared in his hand. The entire hair clasp flashed with flowing light, looking obviously quite extraordinary.


    "Dang dang dang! Look at this, Little Junior Sister! Look what your Senior Brother got you again on his trip!"


    Liu Fenghuang stared at the hair clasp in his hand with unblinking eyes. After a long time, she finally exclaimed. "You... you... you! Have you gone to that place again?... Dad will punish you severely if he learns about this!"


    "Ah, ptooey!" Mo Yaozhui spat to his side a few times and said, "Your Senior Brother found this treasure only after searching high and low outside. What a thing to say, Junior Sister... "


    Xiao Chen finally understood everything, standing by the side. So this man had been a thief in the past! No wonder he could sneak up to where Xiao Chen was without notice. Mo Yaozhui once claimed that he could steal just about anything in this world--nothing could escape his plunder. He would even leave a letter to remind the owner when stealing certain items.


    He was only caught a few years ago by Liu Yunzheng when he came to the Teal Jade Sect to steal the Fuxi Zither strings. After that, he was taken into the Sect and broke himself of this bad habit.


    The three of them chatted and joked in the courtyard and soon the sun set in the west. After Liu Fenghuang and Mo Yaozhui left, Xiao Chen sauntered around the courtyard, halting his steps now and then, sighing to the trees and the flowers. Finally, when it was deep into the night with no one around, he took out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant from the Divine Vessel and started to play under the moonlight.


    From outside the courtyard came a sudden rustling. Focusing his eyes, Xiao Chen immediately stopped playing and said in a nonchalant voice, "Senior Sister Chu is visiting late at night. Please come in." Under the moonlight, an elegant figure darted in and soon appeared a couple of meters in front of Xiao Chen.


    "Junior Brother Han, you are in high spirits."


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "Senior Sister Chu is here so late at night. I''m sure you''re not here to hear my clumsy playing." Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly as well. She shifted her dainty feet and approached him, a quietly elegant scent wafting to his nostrils.


    She was dressed in a thin, green silk blouse, her long hair cascading to her shoulders. Neither her figure nor her countenance was anything one could nitpick on from this world. Yet to Xiao Chen, she resembled the most lethal poison in the world at the moment. He smiled gently and asked, "What advice do you have for me, Senior Sister Chu?"


    Chu Lingjiao''s figure trembled. Soon she was sitting by his side, smiling faintly. "Junior Brother Han, your playing surpasses even the most sublime tunes of this mortal world. Though your Senior Sister is not capable, I would like the pleasure of another tune." As she spoke, her cheeks flushed and her eyelashes fluttered. She looked even more illicitly intimate under the moonlight.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently, taking in her faint body scent. He recalled that erotic scene by the river days ago, wondering if she would now play the femme fatale after failing to kill and silence him. Immediately, he started plucking the zither strings and playing a tune extempore.


    It was a soothing, peaceful tune, intending to let her know he had no intention of getting involved in their disputes. After the tune, Xiao Chen smiled indifferently. "Senior Sister Chu, I wonder if you like my tune?"


    Chu Lingjiao gave a faint smile. "Junior Brother Han has indeed extraordinary abilities in playing the zither. I have to hand it to you. Very well, I shall not disturb your rest." Afer saying this, her figure shifted and she appeared by the gate of the courtyard. She turned her head back before leaving. "Does Junior Brother Han know who used to reside in this abode?"


    "Oh? Please enlighten me, Senior Sister Chu."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled radiantly and her figure quivered. She had disappeared in a flash.


    A long time passed. Xiao Chen finally heaved a sigh of relief when he could no longer sense her presence. A large portion of his back was already drenched with sweat. Had I not told her through my playing that I would not become her enemy, he thought to himself, she might have struck and killed me. As his inner strength had not recovered, she would have no trouble slaying him.


    For the next few days, Xiao Chen stayed in the Wind-riding Pavilion, practicing his skills. Chu Lingjiao did not visit him again. Liu Fenghuang, on the other hand, would pester him early each morning to go to this place or that to have fun. This morning, he had just stepped out of his room when Liu Fenghuang started prancing in again.


    "Hee hee, Junior Brother Han, have you recovered your strength?" She mumbled a chant incantation and soon the Fuxi Zither materialized in her arms.


    "Not yet. I will try to play." Xiao Chen went over and received the Jade Zither into his arms. Before gaining Liu Yunzheng''s trust, he realized that he could maintain contact with the zither by pretending he had not recovered.


    His fingertips moved but he was still unable to play. He sighed quietly. "It''s true that I can''t play this divine zither until I''ve recovered. Please take this zither back, Senior Sister."


    Instantly, Liu Fenghuang pulled a grim face. She kept the Jade Zither and spoke in a soft voice. "Well, even Senior Sister Shen has recovered. Why haven''t you, Junior Brother Han... ?" After she said this, she suddenly brightened up and smiled. "But never mind. My dad says he will have someone help you recover your strength tomorrow."


    Xiao Chen''s heart missed a beat. Was Liu Yunzheng finally getting someone to test him out? Now that his strength had recovered, it had shown faint signs of reaching the Peak of Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm... if he found someone whose cultivation vastly exceeded his, he would not be able to conceal the truth.


    As he worried and reflected over this, he heard Liu Fenghuang''s sudden exclamation. "Wow, Junior Brother Han, is that your zither? It looks so unique!" Xiao Chen now recalled that he had not kept his Nine-heaven Jade Pendant since last night. He turned his head and found her running over to the Jade Zither. He cried out to her, "Senior Sister, don''t touch that!"


    It was too late. Liu Fenghuang had started plucking its strings. No sound emitted from the zither, but Liu Fenghuang gave an ear-piercing scream instead. She pulled back her hand as if struck by lightning.


    Xiao Chen hurriedly dashed over and grabbed her hand to examine it. Her fingertips had been cut, yet bizarrely, not a single drop of blood had oozed out. All her blood had been sucked in by the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant.


    Liu Fenghuang''s eyes suddenly filled with tears. "It''s so painful. What happened... ?"


    The Nine-heaven Jade Pendant was the most ferocious zither in the world. It not only could cut a person''s fingers, but could also inject a deadly qi into the wound within an instant. The person who had cut his finger would suffer unbearable pain. Xiao Chen wanted to force that deadly qi out from her with his inner strength, but suddenly realized that it would be exposing himself. He said, "Mobilize your inner strength quickly and force the blood out."


    Liu Fenghuang immediately did what she was told. After a while, her entire palm was covered with dark purplish blood. The pain subsided a little. Xiao Chen wiped the blood from her palm and asked gently, "Does it still hurt?"


    Liu Fenghuang''s pretty face turned crimson and she quickly withdrew her hand. She said in a whisper, "No... not anymore."


    Although she was the daughter of the Sect Leader, only a few senior brothers were genuinely concerned about her since she was a child. Most of the male disciples were just trying to please her. Yet when she saw Xiao Chen''s anxiety, he looked almost as if he was really concerned. She asked, "By the way, Junior Brother Han, what''s wrong with your zither?"


    Xiao Chen turned back, looked at the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant and sighed. "The owners of this zither have all encountered hideous deaths. This zither now only feeds on blood to injure its player. Senior Sister Liu, you must never touch it again."


    In the face of this innocent young girl, he must still deceive her in every way. Yet he must have treated Liu Fenghuang as his first friend since arriving at this strange place.


    "Oh!" Liu Fenghuang exclaimed in alarm. "Do you mean you are in grave danger yourself, Junior Brother Han?"


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. "It doesn''t matter. This zither cannot hurt me." He continued, "Another 20 days and it will be the Immortals League Competition. Senior Sister, go back and prepare for it. Don''t come looking for me here in the future."


    "Alright." Liu Fenghuang nodded her head and said, "Get well too, Junior Brother. Tomorrow, Dad will get someone to help you recover your inner strength."


    Xiao Chen nodded and smiled. He saw her out of the courtyard, watching her figure retreat and sighing softly and helplessly in his heart. "Xiao Chen, you''re here for the zither strings. You cannot bear any feeling for even a flower or a tree here, or they will fetter you on the way in the future."


    While he was in the Human World, he had borne much feelings for Li Muxue, Huangfu Xin''er and so many other people. Had it not been so, he would not have experienced such deep melancholy, having to play the zither to the moon to relieve his loneliness.


    Another twenty days or more to the Immortals League Competition. He had learned from Liu Fenghuang how this competition had begun. Several decades ago, before the Zhou State and Qing State were divided in the East Divine Continent, the two states used to be one until riven by all sorts of disputes.


    Immediately after they broke into two, the two states used to war with each other, year after year. Even the religious sects from both sides fought each other furiously for the Zhou State''s Earth Spiritual Meridian. Finally, the two states agreed to hold an Immortals League Competition once every three years. The side which won would hold on to the Spiritual Meridian for three years. The elders did not take part in the Immortals League Competition. Had they done so, with Core Forming and even Nascent Soul superiors participating, it would cause a bloodbath and grave havoc to the living.


    The Zhou State had won the competition five times in succession. Rumor had it that the Qing State had gotten a large number of Heaven List warriors to take part this time, even a young recluse superior ranked in the top 10. It looked like the Spiritual Meridian would switch ownership this time.


    Xiao Chen had wanted to win Liu Yunzheng''s trust in the past days, so that the latter would entrust him with the Fuxi Zither strings for the upcoming Immortals League Competition. If he could create a little chaos there, he could take the opportunity to escape. Right now, however, he had no way of knowing whether Liu Yunzheng really wanted to get someone to help him recover, or he was just testing him out. If Xiao Chen were to arouse his suspicions, the loss could not make up for the gain.


    So he decided not to hide his true strength anymore.


    Suddenly, he saw a figure streak past in the distance. That figure aroused in him a feeling of deja vu. He trod on toward that spot.


    He was not familiar with the terrain of Teal Jade Sect. Had it not been Liu Fenghuang out taking him for saunters in the past few days, he would not have recognized the way. As he went after the figure, it seemed at times close by and at times far off, finally disappearing into a white-walled building with green tiles.


    Xiao Chen sprinted up in one breath and saw the place the figure disappeared into. Nearby was the gate of a courtyard, with two guards standing by. From their uniforms, he could tell that they were Imperial Palace Guards.


    How could there be imperial troops in Teal Jade Sect? As he wondered to himself, puzzled, a guard yelled out to him, "Who is it? Don''t you know you should not be here?"

 Chapter 88 A Threa

    t


    "I''m sorry, I''m a new disciple. I lost my way and will leave right now." Xiao Chen cupped his fists slightly and turned to go after these words.


    That figure just now was really too familiar. He wanted to use his Divine Sense to probe into this courtyard premise, but sensed a formation barrier around. He did not want to alarm and alert anyone unwisely.


    Back at the Wind-riding Pavilion, he still could not remember who that back resembled. Early the next morning, Liu Yunzheng came to see him. "Han Chen, have you recovered somewhat after these days?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Master. I have recovered a little in the past few days, but I need some more time torecover completely ." He had already acknowledged his teacher two days ago in a ceremony, so he was nominally a disciple of the Teal Jade Sect. Naturally, he must not forget his etiquette.


    Liu Yunzheng cracked a smile. "Never mind. Today, I have asked someone to take a look at you." Xiao Chen''s heart sank. What will happen will happen, won''t it?


    Liu Yunzheng said to the person outside, "Miss Luo, please come in."


    Miss Luo! Xiao Chen was startled.


    From the doorway slowly emerged a woman in white, her light flowing attire bearing not a speck of dust. Her peerless beauty hid a long history, it seemed.


    Xiao Chen''s sight seemed to freeze at that very moment, leaving only a slight breeze rustling in the courtyard in his ears. He recalled scene after scene from the past. Wasn''t she Luo Shangyan? She had been taken away by the Skygale Sect members. Why had she appeared here?


    Luo Shangyan saw him too and nearly called out "Junior Brother Xiao." Xiao Chen immediately cupped his fists and said, "I am Han Chen. My greetings to Senior Sister Luo!" So the figure that he saw from the back yesterday was really her.


    Why had she appeared here? Where was Xian''er? Although Xiao Chen was full of questions and wanted to query her, he could not, since Liu Yunzheng was still by his side. Liu Yunzheng asked softly, "What''s wrong, Miss Luo?"


    Luo Shangyan came to herself somewhat and came nearer. "Nothing. I will feel the pulse of Junior Brother Han first."


    Xiao Chen''s heart pounded wildly and he stretched his wrist out. Why did this Senior Sister Luo look so different and unfamiliar? What had happened in the past two or three months?


    After a long time, Luo Shangyan finally withdrew her fingers and said slowly, "Junior Brother Han has suffered from the same forceful palm blow as Senior Sister Shen. But his inner strength isn''t as powerful. He needs time to recover. I will go back and look for ways to help him recover faster."


    Xiao Chen did not say anything. He had not suffered any palm blow in the first place.


    "So, we shall have to trouble Miss Luo," Liu Yunzheng said quietly.


    Luo Shangyan smiled gently. "I owe my life to Uncle Liu. You don''t need to be so courteous to me, sir." Her words clearly told Xiao Chen that Liu Yunzheng would not do anything to harm her.


    Xiao Chen said hurriedly, "Let me escort Senior Sister Luo out."


    Luo Shangyan turned around. "Junior Brother Han must recover quietly. Make sure you do not mobilize your inner strength and use it forcefully. I will be here to see you tomorrow." Liu Yunzheng said, "Han Chen, stay in your room. I will see Miss Luo out."


    As he saw the figures of the two leave, Xiao Chen remained quiet. He could ask everything tomorrow. He could not sleep throughout the night, turning and tossing. The image of Luo Shangyan in the day kept rising in his mind.


    After a troubled night, at dawn the next day, a disciple came hurriedly to report, "Miss Luo says she can''t come today. She would like me to give you this message: recuperate quietly and make sure you do not mobilize your inner strength forcefully." He turned to go after the message, but Xiao Chen shouted for him to stay. "Wait! What happened to her?"


    "Miss Luo just asked me to bring you this message. I know nothing about the rest." The disciple completed his message and left.


    Xiao Chen sat back on the stone bench and hit out his palm at a huge banyan tree several meters away. The blow shook and rustled the leaves. He thought: so she wanted me to stay and recuperate quietly, not to mobilize my strength with force. She really meant for me to stay obediently and not try anything rash. "Why do I feel that she has no freedom in Teal Jade Sect, as if she is a prisoner guarded by so many Imperial Palace Guards? What really has happened?... "


    "Ho ho, has Junior Brother Han recovered his strength?" A figure quivered and Chu Lingjiao landed in the courtyard.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "Senior Sister Chu cannot be here today to hear my playing, I think?" Chu Lingjiao approached him slowly and asked in a quiet voice, "Do you know that Luo girl?"


    "Senior Sister Chu must be joking. I saw her yesterday for the first time."


    "Oh? Since you don''t know her and your inner strength has recovered, why are you so anxious that she should be here?"


    Xiao Chen coughed quietly and smiled nonchalantly. "Let''s talk business. What is the purpose of your trip this time, Senior Sister Chu?"


    Chu Lingjiao smiled radiantly and with a lovely demeanor, plucked a leaf down casually. She said gently, "I''m sure Junior Brother Han knows that it''ll be the Immortals League Competition soon?"


    Xiao Chen got up and smiled. Closing two fingers tightly together, he clipped the leaf lightly over from her fingers. He looked at it and smiled faintly. "Lavish competitions like these are the arena for my Senior Sisters. A lowly Qi Refining disciple like me has no chance to attend it."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly and took the leaf back from his two fingers. "Don''t be too modest, Junior Brother. In the entire East Divine Continent, you must be the only one who could play the divine zither three times in succession."


    Xiao Chen smiled quietly and took in a deep breath. "Tell me, what is your purpose for seeking me out, Senior Sister Chu?"


    Chu Lingjiao also wiped the smile away from her face and lowered her voice. "Junior Brother, you are a smart person. I will not talk in a roundabout way." As she said this, her gaze became focused. "The divine zither is mine. You can have Luo Shangyan. We must make our move during the Immortals League Competition. Otherwise, neither of us shall succeed."


    Xiao Chen''s heart missed a beat. So, she wanted to cooperate with him! Although an extra ally would raise his chance of success, their cooperation was simply too difficult. They did not have a shred of trust between them. So he said softly instead, "Senior Sister Chu, I''ll pretend not to have heard you. I did tell you I don''t wish to get involved in your disputes."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled gently. "I''m afraid that by then, the matter will no longer be in your hands." She moved toward the gate after these words, and suddenly waved her arm by the time she reached it. The leaf in her hand streaked toward Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen dodged and the leaf brushed past his shoulder. "Su!" went the leaf through the tree behind him, twice their size. A faint milky latex flowed out from the trunk. By the time he turned his head back to watch, Chu Lingjiao had disappeared. He snickered in his heart. "Are you threatening me?"


    He was now at the Peak of Lvl 9. Although he was not certain whether he could succeed in Foundation Building, he had mastered the wonderful skills of the Mystic Cyan Sect. He had cultivated them several times. Even at Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm, he could match an ordinary fighter at the Foundation Building Realm.


    His only worries now were Luo Shangyan and Murong Xian''er. Luo Shangyan was alright for the moment. How about Xian''er?


    When he thought about this, he felt a great bitterness in his heart. He had taken Xian''er out from the Emerald Valley and yet could not take good care of her.


    The next day, he overheard footsteps from outside his room. When he opened the door, he discovered Luo Shangyan there. He was about to open his mouth to speak in joy when he suddenly detected the presence of four Palace Guards outside the yard. They were no ordinary guards, but Qi Refining cultivators.

 Chapter 89 Yu Wenmu

    Luo Shangyan shook her head, motioning him not to speak. Xiao Chen could guess a little and asked her to take a seat in his room. He instantly set up an Audio Barrier at the window and the door. They could hear what was outside, but no one outside could hear anything from within.


    "Senior Sister Luo! How did you end up here? Where is Xian''er? Wasn''t she with you?" This was the biggest question for Xiao Chen at the moment. Luo Shangyan shook her head and sighed. "Too much to say at one go... "


    "It''s alright. Speak slowly."


    Luo Shangyan sighed quietly and began to speak with that lovely voice of hers. "When Sister Xian''er and I were sent to Skygale Sect in Violet Manor, we heard along the way that we would become some blood soul sacrifice. Luckily, some disputes arose one night among them, and both of us fled in the chaos. But after that, we got separated. Later, someone came after me to kill. I was heavily injured and saved by the Sect Leader of the Teal Jade Sect... "


    Xiao Chen could just about make out what happened. Xian''er could not be traced for the moment. Luo Shangyan had been saved by the Teal Jade Sect. So why were the palace guards guarding her now?


    "How about you? How did you end up here?" Luo Shangyan suddenly broke his line of thought.


    Xiao Chen trusted her very much and slowly recounted the events of the past days to her. He even told her about his mission to take the Fuxi Zither strings. Luo Shangyan was so shocked she could not speak. She darted a glance outside the doorway hurriedly.


    "By the way, Senior Sister Luo, why are these people guarding you so closely?" Xiao Chen was quite puzzled. Since Liu Yunzheng had saved her, why were palace troops guarding her? They seemed not to allow her contact with anyone outside.


    Bitter grievance flashed across Luo Shangyan''s eyes. She shook her head and sighed wordlessly. Xiao Chen asked anxiously, "Tell me, what has really happened?"


    Luo Shangyan continued to shake her head and sigh. She begged him not to ask more. At this moment came the voice of a guard. "Miss Luo, time to go."


    Luo Shangyan rose. "I have to go." Xiao Chen hurriedly stopped her. "Wait. Don''t tell them I''ve recovered my strength. That way, you can visit me again."


    Luo Shangyan gave a slight smile and nodded. She trod to outside the room. A long time passed. Xiao Chen still could not understand. At the Three Pure Sect in the past, she would never keep anything from him. Yet, just now, he could see so much helplessness in her eyes.


    This kind of feeling made him feel terrible. Following that, half a month passed. Luo Shangyan came to visit him a few more times. Every time, it was the same: the moment he asked about herself, she would either evade the topic or have a very helpless look in her eyes. This feeling made Xiao Chen feel terrible.


    And Liu Fenghuang visited him a few times more as well. She would pester him, just like in the past, to visit this place and that for fun. On this day, Liu Yunzheng visited him again. Xiao Chen knew that it was soon to be the Immortals League Competition. He could no longer hide the fact that he had recovered his inner strength. If he continued to keep it a secret, he would arouse suspicions concerning Senior Sister Luo.


    "Thanks to Senior Sister Luo''s careful treatment, I have already recovered my strength."


    "Good, good!" Liu Yunzheng was very pleased. He said, "Just in time. His Highness the Third Prince is here today. He''d like you to come to the hall for a chat."


    The Third Prince... the first people Xiao Chen thought of were Prince Zhao and his brothers. But the Third Prince could not have been them. He must be the Third Prince of the Zhou State. So he left with them for the side hall at the mountain gate square.


    Before he had reached the hall, he could see from a distance a tall, ferocious divine beast standing outside. The beast had a dragon head and its entire body was cloaked in fiery flames. The savage animals and beasts within the distance of several dozen kilometers had all fled far away. This was none other than the legendary kirin.


    When he reached the hall, he found a young man in finery holding a tea cup in his hand, savoring the tea carefully. When the young man heard the approach of the two men, he gave a faint smile. "You are here, Sect Leader Liu."


    Liu Yunzheng bowed slightly. "Greetings to Your Highness." Then he said to Xiao Chen, "This is the Third Prince of our great Zhou State, Yu Wenmu."


    Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. This man was not only the Third Prince of the Zhou State, he was also a cultivator. His inner strength might be even higher than Gu Hanxuan''s. Xiao Chen cupped his fists slightly and said, "I am Han Chen. My salute to Your Highness."


    Yu Wenmu put down the tea cup in his hand gently and looked at him with indifference. He said to Liu Yunzheng, "Oh? So this is that Young Master Han whom Sect Leader Liu claimed can play the divine zither?"


    Liu Yunzheng smiled slightly. "Yes, indeed. Han Chen is a newcomer to the Teal Jade Sect and doesn''t know much etiquette. Please don''t take offense, Your Highness." He said this because he saw that Xiao Chen did not bow to pay his obeisance to the prince.


    Yu Wenmu smiled gently too. "Nothing to take offense about." Saying this, he walked toward Xiao Chen and said before him, "So, Young Master Han can play the divine zither. It is truly a blessing of our country."


    Xiao Chen replied, "You flatter me." He thought to himself that this prince had a far haughtier air than Prince Zhao and his brothers. He seemed to be trying to put him down.


    Yu Wenmu continued to smile faintly and spoke to Liu Yunzheng. "I haven''t seen Shangyan for days. Is she doing well?" Liu Yunzheng answered, "My daughter has already gone to fetch Miss Luo. Your Highness, please just wait a while." Just when they had finished speaking, two persons entered from the outside. They were none other than Liu Fenghuang and Luo Shangyan.


    When Luo Shangyan saw Xiao Chen with Yu Wenmu, she was stunned. Then, she knelt and make her obeisance to the prince. "My greetings to Your Highness."


    Yu Wenmu beamed with a radiant smile. He strided out a broad step and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Shangyan, we will get married once the Immortals League Competition is over. How can you still address me in these formal terms?"


    "Shangyan dare not dispense with her etiquette." Luo Shangyan said lightly. When she had finished, she cast a gaze on Xiao Chen from the corners of her eyes.


    Xiao Chen too gazed at her without a word. So this was what she was unwilling to speak about. He could sense that she was very unwilling. Yet in this Violet Manor, no one could dictate his own destiny.


    Liu Yunzheng saw the odd look in his eyes. It was really disrespectful for him to stare at Luo Shangyan, so he coughed lightly and said, "Han Chen."


    Xiao Chen recovered with a start. Yu Wenmu helped Luo Shangyan up and supported her as they walked to his front, smiling. "I have heard that this Young Master Han could play the divine zither. We have come to see him play."


    Liu Yunzheng immediately took out the Fuxi Zither strings, and it materialized into an illusionary Jade Zither. Only the C major string was physically tangible. The other six strings and the body of the zither were translucent.


    Xiao Chen took over the Jade Zither and walked wordlessly to the doorway of the hall. Many disciples had gathered outside by the sides of the square. They were here because they wanted to know if the rumor that he could play the divine zither was true.


    Liu Fenghuang was chuckling by the side. "Junior Brother Han, way to go!"


    Xiao Chen pretended not to hear her. He held the Jade Zither horizontally and gathered his qi to his abdomen''s elixir field. With his right fingers, he plucked forcefully at the C Major string. The string arced mightily under his pluck. The disciples all gasped in surprise and started streaming toward his sides.


    The body of the zither suddenly turned and glittered with scintillating light, almost as if dragons and phoenixes were flitting overhead. It seemed that an ancient bloodline had been invoked. Even the other six zither strings had turned solid and tangible. Liu Yunzheng''s heart could not help but skip a beat.


    Gradually, the zither body became brighter and brighter. Its white rays awed even the rising sun. Xiao Chen now resembled a heavenly deity whom no one could fix a gaze upon.


    Then, an extremely strong force spread out, shaking the entire Teal Jade Mountain. Its horrific power could not only be felt by these disciples at the mountain, but even by certain elders who were in seclusion at the mountaintop. Even these elders opened their eyes.


    This was nearing the power of the Nascent Soul Realm. Liu Yunzheng cried out to himself that something was wrong. Once this string had been pluck, its lapsed power would destroy the entire Teal Jade Sect. He wanted to speak to forestall the act but it was already too late.


    With a resounding strumming sound, Xiao Chen suddenly released the zither string at a colorful cloud in the horizon. The heavens and earth suddenly took on a dim complexion. A powerful, earth-shattering force hurtled up toward the sky, almost tearing up all the space around it. Every disciple in the square covered his ears in great pain. Resounding with thunderous booms, the entire Teal Jade Mountain was shaking violently. Countless roof tiles fell, and many buildings in disrespair collapsed.


    The surging thunders boomed farther and farther away, the aftermath of their terrible force causing repercussions in their hearts. It was fortunate that Xiao Chen aimed the zither string at the sky. Had he aimed it at the mountain gate square, the consequences would be dire.


    Yet the sky, once streaked with colorful clouds, was now entirely clear. At this moment, not a single cloud could be seen over ten thousand kilometers. The cloud layers had all been shattered. Everyone was stunned. Even the kirin lay prostrate on the ground, its body trembling.


    After a long while, scanty applause started to ring out in the hall. Yu Wenmu had left the hall. Liu Yunzheng seemed to wake from a dream, gazing at the inconceivable Xiao Chen at the doorway.


    "I did not imagine that Young Master Han possesses such divine prowess. It is a true blessing for our country."


    Xiao Chen answered, "You flatter me, sir."


    Yu Wenmu smiled faintly and turned to speak to Liu Yunzheng. "We will have Young Master Han attend the coming Immortals League Competition. A positive outcome is imminent."


    Xiao Chen''s plucking of the zither string had made Liu Yunzheng tremble a little, even now. He cupped his fists lightly. "That goes without saying."


    Yu Wenmu did not seem to take the matter to heart. He raised his head slightly and walked toward Luo Shangyan. Twisting his fingers with his illusionary prowess, a small brocade box appeared in his palm. He opened it gently and soon a light scent permeated the place. In it was a snowy white pill enwrapped in a faint white halo. Immortal qi seemed to linger around it.


    "This Core-forming Pill was painstakingly refined by my master. It can help you break into the Foundation Building Realm."


    The disciples who had not recovered from the previous incident now all completely awakened. The pill had been concocted by Perfected Immortal Liku from the Nanzhan Subcontinent. This was the reason why it was so extraordinary. Even in Violet Manor, such Core-forming Pills were rare. Furthermore, this pill was of the highest pedigree. It might seemed extravagant for someone to use it to break into the Foundation Building Realm. Many disciples standing outside were already drooling.


    Luo Shangyan gave the box a gentle push and rejected it. "It is such a precious gift. I do not dare accept it."


    Liu Yunzheng looked at her first, and then at Xiao Chen. He found their expressions rather peculiar. Smiling, he said, "Miss Luo, you will soon be married to His Highness. You''d better not reject his kind intentions."


    No one noticed the trace of animosity flashing across Xiao Chen''s eyes.

 Chapter 90 Cooperation

    Yu Wenmu smiled faintly and placed the brocade box in Luo Shangyan''s hands. "Sect Leader Liu is right. We don''t need to stand on ceremony." And then he said to Liu Yunzheng, "Since Young Master Han is taking part in the Immortals League Competition this time, it''s better for me not to. I am on the cusp of breaking through. My master has ordered me not to exert too much inner energy."


    "Oh?" Liu Yunzheng''s face was wreathed with smiles. "Your Highness is about to break into the Core Forming Realm? Congratulations!"


    "I have to take my leave now." Yu Wenmu seemed to be quite indifferent about things. He smiled faintly at Luo Shangyan with these words. With his chest and head held high, he strode out of the hall, his hands behind his back. He did not even deign a look at Xiao Chen while passing him by.


    Beckoned gently with a whistle, the kirin clambered over. Yu Wenmu jumped onto its back with a light leap. The kirin raised its head and bellowed, striding out toward the horizon.


    Xiao Chen turned and re-entered the hall. He returned the Fuxi Zither strings to Liu Yunzheng. Liu Yunzheng said to him, "Han Chen, you''d better trained diligently in the coming days at the Wind-riding Pavilion. I will send a few disciples over to wait on you."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. Was he sending men to guard him? He answered, "Thank you, Master."


    Liu Fenghuang said with a titter, "Junior Brother Han, you are so awesome just now! You scared His Highness''s beast mount so much that it dared not get up." Liu Yunzheng put on a cross face. "Fenghuang, don''t talk nonsense!"


    Liu Fenghuang stuck out her tongue and spoke softly at Xiao Chen''s ear. "Although I don''t like His Highness for his bit of haughtiness, he isn''t weak in cultivation. He is ranked 26th on the Heaven List."


    Xiao Chen began to ponder a little. Ranked 26th on the Heaven List. And Ling Yingfeng was only 29th! It looked like this man was even more powerful in cultivation than Ling Yingfeng. It seemed that he spoke about his teacher too...


    Liu Yunzheng coughed and said, "Fenghuang, bring Miss Luo back to take a rest." Liu Fenghuang nodded and pulled Luo Shangyan outside. Xiao Chen said, "I shall take my leave too, sir."


    "Wait!" Liu Yunzheng called him back.


    "Master, what other instructions do you have?" Xiao Chen turned back and addressed him.


    Liu Yunzheng hesitated for some time. Actually, he was most worried that Luo Shangyan would develop feelings for Xiao Chen while helping him recover. The strange looks in their eyes gave him more reason to worry. One was an eccentric genius who could rouse the potential of the divine zither. The other was the Third Prince of the Zhou State.


    He could only blame himself for letting Yu Wenmu see Luo Shangyan one month ago. And he should not have let Luo Shangyan treat Han Chen too, a month later.


    "Nothing. Have a chat with me, won''t you?" Liu Yunzheng knew it was too late to say anything else. He smiled and said this instead.


    Liu Yunzheng only allowed him to leave when Liu Fenghuang returned. Returning to the Wind-riding Pavilion, Xiao Chen could only let off a quiet sigh. It would be even more difficult for him to see Luo Shangyan in the future. He cast a look in the direction of the courtyard she resided in. Then his figure shifted as he moved out.


    Now that his inner strength had completely recovered, it was not difficult for him to circumvent the guards and penetrate the formation barrier. He disguised his aura and started to execute the Immortal-override Steps. His Divine Sense sweeping before him, he tried to locate the room where Luo Shangyan was. He approached its door lightly and knocked.


    Normally, no one would knock at her door. Usually, the guards would be yelling outside if anything happened. Luo Shangyan immediately guessed it was Xiao Chen. She opened the door hurriedly and dragged him in.


    "Why are you here? It''s very dangerous."


    Xiao Chen was silent for a long time before letting off a gentle sigh. "Leave with me. I''ll bring you away during the Immortals League Competition."


    Luo Shangyan did not say anything. She watched herself quietly in the bronze mirror. After a long time, she answered softly, "Go. Don''t come and see me again."


    "Senior Sister Luo!" Xiao Chen could not believe his ears. Was the person before him that Senior Sister Luo of the past? It had only been three months. Why had she changed so much?


    Luo Shangyan turned back her head and smiled gently at him. "Junior Brother Xiao, many things are predestined. You can''t change it. It''s fate."


    Xiao Chen could not quite understand what she meant. Surely, she could not say it was fate which made her marry Yu Wenmu! He said, "You are obviously unwilling. Why must you force yourself? The only thing that Yu Wenmu can give you is the title of a Princess Consort!"


    He could not understand why she had changed so much in a matter of three months in Violet Manor.


    Luo Shangyan smiled plaintively. "But you, what can you give me?"


    In the room, both were silent. Her question rendered Xiao Chen speechless. He moved his lips but ended up saying nothing. Then, he turned and smiled. "You''re right. I''m no Prince. I cannot give you a Core-forming Pill too."


    Listening to these words, Luo Shangyan''s face turned even paler. Her body trembled slightly. Before Xiao Chen could leave, she went forward to grasp his arm. She sobbed. "That''s not what I mean... "


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw tears welling in her eyes. His heart ached suddenly and he wanted to give himself a slap. She had once risked searching out the skills of the Three Pure Sect for him. She had even won him a Training Tablet at the Battling Platform. Why had he said this and made her sad?


    Luo Shangyan suddenly fell upon his shoulder and started weeping. It was as if all her grievances of the past days were turning into tears. They gushed out without any restraint.


    Xiao Chen pulled her gently into his arms and said to himself, "Oh, Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen, you know full well these are not her thoughts. You know full well that she did this so that you would not get implicated. Why must you say something to break her heart? Hasn''t she suffered enough for the past few days... ?"


    After a long time, Luo Shangyan finally raised her head. She continued to sob. She had no news of her master who had raised her and instead was brought to Violet Manor by a strange turn of events. She had undergone ordeals of death. She could find no one to speak about all her sufferings. The only friend she was left with was Xiao Chen.


    "Do you really have to do this? Zhou State is far bigger than you think. And the true power of the Teal Jade Sect is beyond your present imagination... "


    Xiao Chen understood she was referring to the Fuxi Zither strings. He had told her everything. The only thing he left out was the fact that he was a Mystic Cyan Sect disciple in his last life--that this Fuxi Zither was a gift from his master.


    With a gentle sigh, he wiped the tears from her face. He headed out of the room and strode on the mountain path. His mood was low. He could never forget the helpless look in Luo Shangyan''s eyes just now.


    If only he was still that Mystic Cyan Sect disciple at the Nascent Soul Realm of the past... if only his Master Ling Yin was still around! Then Yu Wenmu would not matter, the Zhou State would not matter...


    His footsteps shifted and soon Xiao Chen headed for Chu Lingjiao''s courtyard.


    "Why are you so free to visit me, Junior Brother? Your earth-shattering pluck of the string just now was a real eye-opener for me!"


    Chu Lingjiao sat under a flowering tree, gently wiping the cold, shining Immortal''s Sword in her hand. Xiao Chen walked over and cut the chase. "Do you have a comprehensive plan for the Immortals League Competition seven days later?"


    Chu Lingjiao raised her head and looked at him. She smiled lightly. "Of course I have a comprehensive plan. Have you got yourself ready, Junior Brother Han?"


    "You must guarantee Luo Shangyan''s safety. If she suffers even a graze, don''t even think about getting the divine zither."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled quietly and enchantingly. Her smile was faint. "Draw your ear closer... "


    He drew closer, guiding his ear to her lips. After 30 minutes, he returned to the Wind-riding Pavilion. He must certainly bring Luo Shangyan away this time. Even if it meant opposing the entire Zhou State.


    After he did his breathing exercises, he stood up and hit the ground with a palm. The shock sent tremors across the entire Wind-riding Pavilion. He was about to break into the Foundation Building Realm and the feeling of his Qi Refining Realm welling to its acme returned to him again.


    The Spiritual Qi was plentiful at Violet Manor and his cultivation speed far exceeded that in the Human World. Thanks to the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, he could fight a Core Forming Realm warrior once he began Foundation Building. If he drew on the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements and executed the Dragon''s Wrath, he might even slay a Lvl 1 cultivator in the Core Forming Realm.


    One more thing. The training methods of the Heaven''s Talisman was still in his recollection. Once he executed the Three Devil''s Turns, he could even kill any Core Forming Realm superior!


    These were all his trump cards for the moment.

 Chapte 91 The Palace

    Night had just fallen. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, mobilizing the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method around his body over and over again. He did this to stabilize his Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. He was thinking: had I simply left in the day, and Senior Sister Luo not pulled me back, maybe, just maybe, two of us might not meet again...


    Sudden footsteps resounded from the outside. Xiao Chen knew who it was even without using his Divine Sense. He left his bed lightly, pushed open the door and went out. He cupped his fists. "I wonder why Master has visited me so late in the night?"


    Liu Yunzheng smiled lightly and entered the house with him. After some time, he pressed down on the back of his hand and said, "Han Chen, you have been with the Teal Jade Sect for almost a month. Tell me, how have your Senior Sister Liu and Senior Brother Gu treated you these days?"


    Xiao Chen wondered if it was that daytime matter. Did he see something wrong in his and Senior Sister Luo''s eyes? He gave a slight smile. "All my senior brothers and sisters have treated me well."


    No one needed to mention how Liu Fenghuang treated him. Gu Hanxuan also visited him before and taught him some sect skills attentively. He did not treat him like an outsider, nor was he haughty. Even Shen Qian had changed her attitude toward him somewhat. And Mo Yaozhui had never treated him like an outsider either.


    Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. After some time, he asked again, "Actually, there are times when even I cannot make the decisions. As for you, your prospects are limitless... isn''t that so?"


    Xiao Chen understood what he meant. He just needed to add that a true man would need a wife. He nodded and smiled as well, without saying a word. Liu Yunzheng took out something from his bosom. It was that dragon pill. He said, "You have been here for a month. I have nothing to give you as your teacher. This dragon pill can help improve your cultivation greatly."


    "But..." When he thought about how Liu Fenghuang and the rest almost lost their lives earning this dragon pill, Xiao Chen got up in a hurry. "It''s too precious. Your disciple dare not accept it."


    Liu Yunzheng gave a gentle smile and placed the dragon pill in his hand. He continued smiling. "Your Senior Brothers Gu and Duan... " When he mentioned "Senior Brother Duan", a look of grief flashed across his face. He continued, "And your Senior Sisters Chu and Shen, Senior Brother Mo... I have given all of them gifts a month after their acceptance into the Sect. How can you be any different?"


    "Errr... thank you, Master!" Xiao Chen could no longer reject.


    Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. He got up. "I shall not interrupt your training. I take my leave." Xiao Chen answered, "I will see you out, sir."


    Liu Yunzheng shook his head and smiled. When he reached the door, he turned back again. "By the way, we need to visit the palace in three days'' time. I will arrange two disciples to be with you these few days. You can either ask them to do something, or make them leave." After he said this, he left the courtyard.


    Watching his retreating figure, Xiao Chen did not know what to think. Was it he himself who was at fault these days? It seemed that Liu Yunzheng was not at all on his guard against him. It was he himself who had been over-vigilant. Now that so many heroes were on the rise, Liu Yunzheng had to prop the sect up entirely on his own. It was not easy. Besides, there was that Third Prince, who obviously thought poorly of him.


    He shook his head forcefully and told himself again and again, "Your mission here is the zither strings. You cannot harbor any feelings for a flower or a tree here!"


    At this time, in the Zhou imperial palace.


    Yu Wenmu told everything he saw at the Teal Jade Sect to his father Yu Wenji, the Emperor. Yu Wenji did not look too pleased. The latter flicked his sleeve and said, "If he were such a rare talent, why did you not treat him well? Why treat him so coldly?"


    Yu Wenmu said indifferently, "No, it''s just that I don''t like the way he looked at Shangyan. After all, he''s just a divine zither player. Once he loses the divine zither, how different is he from a commoner?"


    "You!" Yu Wenji shook his head and sighed. "Mu''er, there are times when you are really not sensible. The Qing State is getting more and more powerful, and our surrounding countries are all glaring at us covetously. Once our country loses the Spiritual Meridian, we will find it hard to regain it. We must try to pacify and recruit all kinds of talents now... "


    "Very well, Father. I''m here for the Immortals League Competition. If you are not happy with me, I shall return to the Nanzhan Subcontinent tomorrow."


    "You!" Yu Wenji could not help shaking his head and sighing. "Very well. Your Second Elder Sister will be back soon. Visit her if you can spare the time."


    ¡­


    Three days passed very quickly. Teal Jade Sect was immensely busy today. All its disciples had rushed off to the mountain gate square. According to the past rules, every participating sect must prepare itself at the palace three days before the competition.


    Xiao Chen was among the crowd. He heard the disciples disputing among themselves.


    One said, "I heard that the Qing State has got the No. 7 on the Heaven List, None-flower Dust, to take part!"


    Another was surprised. "You can''t be serious! You mean that None-flower Dust whom they quipped "a blade of flower, a blade of dust, a nightfall of flowers without dust"? If he''s here we don''t have to fight. Our Zhou State is sure to lose!"


    That earlier disciple said in a whisper, "But seriously, with all his abilities, that None-flower Dust can even beat our Master for fun... "


    Although the two said in a whisper, Xiao Chen heard everything. He wondered if that None-flower Dust was really as powerful as they claimed. Liu Yunzheng was already in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm. Could that man be at the Peak of the Core Forming Realm, or even in the Nascent Soul Realm? All the fighters in the Heaven List were young superiors. What kind of a monster was this man?


    After nearly an hour, all the disciples gathered at the mountain gate square. Liu Yunzheng summoned the Flying-cloud Stone. More than twenty disciples mounted up the stone. Those below them cheered them on. "Senior Brother Gu! Senior Sister Chu! You must return in triumph!"


    The three disciples representing Teal Jade Sect this time were Gu Hanxuan, Chu Lingjiao and Xiao Chen. Since Xiao Chen was a new disciple, very few sent him off with cheers. However, a few female disciples were screaming below. "Junior Brother Han! All the way! We''re waiting for you here!" Their cheers were not less rousing than those male disciples cheering Chu Lingjiao on.


    Liu Yunzheng gave a cough and said to the disciples below, "When I am not around these days, the elders shall take care of all sect business!" When he had finished, he moved his fingers to cast a spell. The Flying-cloud Stone immediately soared up to the horizon.


    On this trip to the palace were not only Liu Yunzheng''s Core Disciples, but also Luo Shangyan. Yet Xiao Chen could faintly discern that she was avoiding him, intentionally or unintentionally.


    After about two hours, the Flying-cloud Stone landed on a busy metropolis. It was the capital of the Zhou State, White Cloud City. It was much bigger than even Cloud City in the Human World.


    Two columns of Zhou State soldiers stood guard at the city gate, inspecting all who seeked to enter the city. Not only were all the participating sects from the surrounding countries gathering here for the Immortals League Competition, an idle assemblage was here as well. There would be a motley mix of every conceivable person in the city for the next few days.


    Upon entering the city, one could see households everywhere hanging colored lanterns, setting off firecrackers and hitting gongs. Old people and children were scattering flowers along the streets, welcoming every sect participating in the competition. The Earth Spiritual Meridian held the fate of the country, hence all its participating sects enjoyed peerless privileged esteem.


    With the army leading the way, the twenty-odd contingent from the Teal Jade Sect soon arrived at the city center, where the imperial palace was. Seen from a distance, its ornamented balustrades and jade terraces seemed endless. One have to admit that the palace of Violet Manor was much more imposing than the palace of the Human World.


    Even more different was the fact that the top of every building was encircled with some Taoist secret sorcery. The Human World simply could not compare with it. It seemed that even in the palace, there were many cultivators. Xiao Chen began to experience a faint worry, wondering whether Chu Lingjiao''s schemes could succeed.


    Some moments later, an attendant brought them into a grand hall named the Xuanyuan Hall. Liu Yunzheng brought only Xiao Chen and the other Core Disciples in. The rest stood guard outside.


    Leaders and disciples of the other sects were already in the hall waiting, When they saw Liu Yunzheng enter, they all greeted eagerly, "Oh, so Sect Leader Liu is here! Bring him in quickly!"


    "Sect Leader He, Sect Leader Xu... how are you doing?" Liu Yunzheng smiled and greeted each in turn.


    Seats were already prepared well in advance in the hall. Xiao Chen and the rest all left for the left hall with the Sect Leader to take their seats. A middle-aged man opposite smiled and said, "I have heard that Sect Leader Liu has gotten himself a disciple who can play the divine zither. It is truly a thing to be delighted over!"


    Liu Yunzheng smiled lightly. "Don''t laugh at me, Sect Leader He. I have heard that your top disciple has almost broken into the Core Forming Realm. That counts as something to be delighted indeed."


    Sect Leader He guffawed and looked very glad. "My good friend, you are too modest." With that, a young man in white beside him rose and beamed a smile. "Chenyi pays his respect to Sect Leader Liu."


    Xiao Chen glanced at him carefully. This man must be in the later stages of the Foundation Building Realm. His cultivation exceeded even Gu Hanxuan''s, who was the highest from their side. Liu Fenghuang spoke into his ears in a low voice, "Junior Brother Han, you will surely be renowned throughout the Zhou State after the Immortals League Competition."


    Xiao Chen gave a slight smile. Maybe, just maybe.


    Suddenly, from outside the hall came a loud cry. "Perfected Immortal Zhang from the Penglai Island!" Every Sect Leader, regardless of which sect they were from, all rose to their feet. They all cupped their fists in the direction of the doorway. "Our greetings to Perfected Immortal Zhang!"


    From the outside of the hall sauntered in a cyan-robed elder with the bony demeanor of an immortal. Three disciples followed behind him, two men and a woman. They were all strutting with uplifted bosoms and raised heads. An arrogant air could be sensed in their eyes. Four of them walked to the foremost seat in the right hall. Only then did the cyan-robed elder smile. "No need for such ceremony, Sect Leaders." As he said this, he gave his robe sleeve a downward wave and sat down.


    "How is Perfected Immortal Zhang these days?"


    "Perfected Immortal Zhang has just come out of his retreat. I''m sure your cultivation has reached a new realm!"


    All at once, the Sect Leaders started congratulating him. Liu Fenghuang spoke close by Xiao Chen''s ear, whispering. "Penglai Island is the biggest sect of the Zhou State. This Zhang Qinglian once tried to ally all the sects and factions to become their Alliance Leader... "


    Liu Yunzheng''s countenance darkened and he shouted out in a deep voice, "Fenghuang, shut up!" He thought that Zhang Qinglian had such an unfathomable cultivation; even if she spoke in a lower voice, he would have heard her. He immediately stood up and smiled obsequiously. "With Perfected Immortal Zhang helping us after his retreat, I''m sure the Zhou State will triumph again in the upcoming Immortals League Competition."


    Thanks to the single-handed power of Penglai Island, they had managed to hold on to the Earth Spiritual Meridian after the last Immortals League Competition. So many were the talents of the Penglai Island, they referred to themselves as the foremost Immortals'' sect in the country. Though the other sects were unhappy, they did not dare challenge them.


    Zhang Qinglian gazed at him and his eyes narrowed. "Oh? I''m sorry for my ignorance, I wonder who this young friend is." When he proposed the alliance years ago, Liu Yunzheng had valiantly opposed it. How could he have not recognized him? He simply wanted to embarrass Liu Yunzheng.


    Liu Yunzheng smiled awkwardly at the slight. "I''m sorry for my lack of talent. I am the Sect Leader of Teal Jade Sect..." Before he had finished, Zhang Qinglian nodded deliberately. "Oh, so it''s Sect Leader Liu. I heard that there is another young talent emerging from your Sect again. I wonder if Sect Leader Liu brought along with you that divine Archean zither?"


    During the last Immortals League Competition, Liu Fenghuang had tried to play the divine zither, but his inner strength was not up to the task. The upshot was for all to see. He made a fool of himself. Zhang Qinglian referred to this matter again so as to ridicule him, as everyone could see now for themselves.


    All at once, the faces of Liu Fenghuang and her fellow disciples fell. Even the Teal Jade Sect disciples outside the hall felt so ashamed that they could not raise their heads. Liu Yunzheng looked even more embarrassed. An awkward silence reigned. Quite unexpectedly, Xiao Chen spoke up with a nonchalant smile. "Of course my Master brought the divine zither along. Perfected Immortal Zhang, you don''t need to worry about that on our behalf."

 Chapte 92 Ye Wuhen

    In the hall, there was a sudden and total hush. All the company eyed this previously unknown young man silently. Every disciple from every sect had to ingratiate themselves with Zhang Qinglian, yet this man had said something so indifferently and carelessly. He seemed to hold no respect for the Penglai Islanders.


    Even Liu Yunzheng was a little surprised. He did not expect his most taciturn disciple to openly offend Zhang Qinglian before the crowd.


    Zhang Qinglian smiled lightly. "Oh? This young friend must be that divine zither player? Well, well, heroes emerge from the young indeed."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Perfected Immortal Zhang flatters me. I am simply lucky. How can I compete with those truly capable people from your sect?"


    Penglai Island had always claimed to be the foremost Immortals'' sect. They claimed that their disciples would not improve their cultivations through the use of external items, and mocked the Teal Jade Sect''s absolute reliance on a divine Archean zither. Yet not every one of their disciples obeyed this rule. Hence, the evident sarcasm in Xiao Chen''s words.


    All at once, the atmosphere in the grand hall became even more tense. Liu Yunzheng had not expected Xiao Chen to provoke the Penglai Islanders now and again. He bellowed in a deep voice, "Han Chen, don''t be rude."


    "Oh, so this young junior from the Teal Jade Sect must be quite capable too?"


    Suddenly, a voice rang out which sounded like a laugh, yet not. A man in white stood up beside Zhang Qinglian. He smiled quietly as well. "I am Ye Wuhen. I only managed to break into the Core Forming Realm last month through good luck. I am quite fond of melodies and music. I wonder if this junior brother could enlighten me?"


    There was an immediate uproar from both in and outside the hall. It was certainly surprising that he had broken into the Core Forming Realm, and at such a young age too! He must surely be considered a supremely talented elite with a limitless future.


    Zhang Qinglian pretended to speak in a low voice. "Wuhen, sit down right now! Must you act like some brat with poor breeding who doesn''t know the etiquette?" Ye Wuhen gave a slight smile. "You are right, Master." And he sat down again.


    Liu Fenghuang could tell that the man with poor breeding he had referred to was Xiao Chen. She was about to lose her cool when Liu Yunzheng gave her a glare, frightening her enough to calm her down.


    At this moment, a loud cry arose from outside the hall. "The arrival of His Majesty... "


    All the people rose to welcome him. It was none other than Yu Wenji, the Emperor of the Zhou State. Behind him was the Empress, followed by the Third Prince, Yu Wenmu. There was beside him a ravishing beauty, Princess Xuanyue.


    Yu Wenji extended his hand toward the people from both sides of the hall and smiled. "Everyone here is a warrior of our great Zhou State. There''s no need for ceremony. Sit down please! Sit down at once!"


    The Empress and Princess Xuanyue nodded and smiled at the Sect Leaders from both sides. Only Yu Wenmu held his head up high, lifting his chest and looking conceited. He seemed not to notice anyone from the hall. Finally, when he strode over to his secondary seat at the head of the hall, he gave Zhang Qinglian and his chief disciple Ye Wuhen a smile and a nod.


    Following that, Yu Wenji started to inquire after the health and the well-being of the people concerned. One could tell that he valued them very much. Although he could muster a million-men army, Violet Manor was quite different from the Human World. He could not rely on ordinary soldiers to ensure the prosperity of his country. It was all thanks to the support from these Immortals'' sects that he could hold on to their state''s Earth Spiritual Meridian. They even had a huge part to play in defending the state.


    Finally, Yu Wenji''s gaze landed on the Penglai Islanders. He smiled at Ye Wuhen. "I heard that Young Master Ye has long broken into the Core Forming Realm. That''s something which deserves much congratulations. I also heard that Young Master Ye has peerless zither playing skills. Shall I beg you to play us a tune today?"


    All eyes in and out of the hall gathered and rested on him. They have long heard about Ye Wuhen''s unrivaled zither playing skills. His zither melodies could morph into Sword Qi and decapitate an enemy. However, none of them had ever seen that happen. A loud cheer rose from many among the crowd.


    Ye Wuhen rose and smiled nonchalantly. "Thank you all for your indulgence. I suppose I don''t have a choice now but to show my incompetence." With these words, he casually conjured up a Jade Zither in his hand. The body of the zither looked sleek and luscious, with elegant ornamentation. Its seven zither strings had immortal qi, making it difficult for anyone to fix his eyes on the instrument.


    "This zither is named the Fuxi Zither. Legend has it that the zither was crafted by the Archean Emperor, Fuxi. The "civil" and "military" strings were procured from two savage dragons during the archean age... "


    Xiao Chen could not help but sneered inwardly. That zither of yours is a piece of junk, Immortal grade at best. How dare you counterfeit my great Fuxi Zither!


    From the lowest grade to the topmost, Jade Zithers were divided into Ordinary, Grand, Immortal, Divine... The Fuxi Zither belonged to the Primordial Supreme grade. There was only one such zither in the world.


    Ye Wuhen spoke for a long time. Finally, he glanced at Liu Yunzheng, either intentionally or unintentionally. "Of course, my zither here cannot compare with Sect Leader Liu''s divine Archean zither."


    Xiao Chen snickered in his heart. Of course, you should know that very well. It can''t be better than my Fuxi Zither!


    Ye Wuhen ended his speech and sat down on the floor. He placed the Jade Zither between his legs and started plucking its strings with his fingertips. A few ethereal notes slowly floated into the air, and everyone felt their spirits invigorated. No one expected his melodies to have such an effect.


    Gradually, the sound of the zither became less ethereal and more substantial. Ye Wuhen''s hands began to pluck faster. The key changed from C Major to G Major, rising in pitch and becoming progressively more urgent. It resembled the noise of storming hooves and steely weapons. All present started to gaze at one another and nod. They were unstinting in their admiration.


    Just at this moment, the zither melody suddenly changed, like a shift in the clouds and the wind. Two semi-substantial Immortal''s Swords appeared overhead in the hall. Everyone''s heart missed a beat, fearing that the swords might drop down upon their heads. Yet neither swords fell. They started clashing with each other in the air, flashing with lightning and sparks every now and then. The swords made incessant clangings...


    When the music finally ended, everyone woke as if from a dream. Cheers broke out continuously from in and outside the hall. Ye Wuhen got up and smiled lightly. He did not return to his seat but headed in Xiao Chen''s direction.


    "I heard that Junior Brother Han can play the divine zither. I''m sure you are well versed in melodies and music too. Why don''t we invite Junior Brother Han to play us a tune and open our eyes?"


    Yu Wenji gathered his absolute concentration with a start. He glanced toward Xiao Chen. When he made Ye Wuhen play the zither, he was really trying to incite Xiao Chen to play. He wanted to know what Xiao Chen''s true abilities were.


    Liu Fenghuang remembered that Ye Wuhen had reached the Core Forming Realm and realized that her Junior Brother Han could never match the feat of conjuring up two Immortal''s Swords, even if his zither playing skills were exceptional. Wasn''t he trying to bully him? She rose and said, "If my Junior Brother Han were to play the divine zither, the entire hall would collapse! Are you willing to pay then?"


    Liu Yunzheng glared at her. "Fenghuang, no nonsense from you!" Ye Wuhen smiled indifferently. "It doesn''t matter. I shall lend my Jade Zither to Junior Brother Han."


    Xiao Chen finally got up and replied nonchalantly, "I don''t need to bother Senior Brother Ye. Naturally, I have prepared a Jade Zither myself." With these words, he walked to the center of the hall and started to take out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant from the Divine Vessel.


    The company watched them. One was a long renowned Heaven List cultivator. The other, an upstart who could play the divine zither. They all mumbled to themselves, "Well, we are in for a great show."


    The Nine-heaven Jade Pendant was crafted out of heavy yin wood by Clan Chief Lei. Its entire body seemed dull and lackluster, not as sleek and magnificent-looking as Ye Wuhen''s zither. It even had a faintly eerie appearance.


    Ye Wuhen took a look at the almost comical Jade Zither and smiled. "I''m sure this zither has an exceptional provenance. Why don''t Junior Brother Han enlighten us about its provenance and distinguishing features?"


    Xiao Chen smiled nonchalantly. "My zither isn''t made by any archean emperor and has no provenance. But it does have one distinguishing feature."


    "Oh? Do tell us, Junior Brother Han. What feature can such a dark and somber zither have?"


    Xiao Chen started to pluck its seven strings lightly and smiled indifferently. "My zither''s distinguishing feature is that I, and only I alone, can play it. No matter how highly accomplished his cultivation is, another player will cut his finger if he tries to play it wilfully. It doesn''t matter if he is in the Core Forming or Nascent Soul Realm."


    An uproar erupted from in and outside the hall. They thought: well, maybe this was a divine Archean zither. Yet no one believed that this ordinary, quite ugly looking zither would be so selective about its player.


    Xiao Chen continued smiling gently. "Why? Does Senior Brother Ye doubt my words? Well, you can have it to try and play." And he handed the Jade Zither over.


    "Well, I do wish to try, really." Ye Wuhen smirked coldly and took the Jade Zither over in his hands.

 Chapter 93 A Zither Competition

    Liu Yunzheng frowned deeply and thought to himself that Ye Wuhen was such accomplished cultivator, it was impossible he could not play such an ordinary zither. What was Han Chen up to? Liu Fenghuang knew all about the uniqueness of the zither. She placed her lips close to her father''s ears with a grin. "Don''t worry, Dad. We are in for a great show."


    Liu Yunzheng was still rather puzzled, staring closely at Ye Wuhen. He saw Ye Wuhen placed the zither horizontally about his chest. His fingertips pluck at the A Major string but no sound emerged.


    Everyone gasped in surprise. Was it really like what the Teal Jade Sect lad had said? That no one else could play this zither? Ye Wuhen''s face color changed. He gave the E Major string another pluck, but still no sound emitted.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Well? Does Senior Brother Ye believe my words now?"


    Zhang Qinglian''s face looked horribly grim. Yu Wenji looked at Xiao Chen meaningfully, nodding all the time. Ye Wuhen gave a cold snort and pulled the C Major string upward forcefully. Suddenly, there was a horrendous shriek. He had flung the zither away.


    Xiao Chen''s figure shifted and he caught hold of the Jade Zither. He smiled. "I''ve told you that you must not play this zither wilfully, or you will get hurt. Why doesn''t Senior Brother Ye trust my words?"


    Ye Wuhen''s facial color was terrible. He mobilized his True Energy hurriedly and a dull purplish stream of blood darted out from his fingertip. Liu Yunzheng found it inconceivable. He wondered why this zither of Han Chen was so peculiar. Even if not every one could play the divine Archean zither, that zither at least would not injure its player.


    The company, too, found it hard to believe. Ye Wuhen had reached the Core Forming Realm, yet he was injured by a Jade Zither string!


    Ye Wuhen endured the intense pain boring into his heart and asked in a deep voice, "What is the name of your zither?"


    Xiao Chen wiped the smile from his face. "Listen hard. This zither is called the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant. It was crafted by a senior zither maker a century ago in exchange for his life."


    "The Nine-heaven Jade Pendant! Well, well! I''m sure Junior Brother has marvelous, exceptional playing abilities. I am incompetent, but I would like to exchange pointers with you!"


    "Fine! That''s exactly what I intend too. Please spare me later with your fingers, Senior Brother Ye!"


    Although Xiao Chen did not really regard himself as a Teal Jade Sect disciple, the members of the sect all treated him well in the past month. When the Penglai Islanders derided Liu Yunzheng, he took the opportunity to give vent to their anger.


    Liu Yunzheng''s face color changed. "No, Han Chen! Come back!" He thought that Ye Wuhen''s cultivation surpassed Xiao Chen''s too much. Revenge was imminent given the man''s intense resentment.


    Xiao Chen answered, "Master, you don''t have to worry for me." Liu Yunzheng stood up. "Come back! This is an order! Are you going to defy your Master?"


    At this moment, Yu Wenji stepped down. "You don''t have to worry, Sect Leader Liu. It''s just a contest between sect members. I''m sure they will know when to stop." Liu Yunzheng continued, "But..."


    Yu Wenji stretched out his hand and smiled. "They won''t overdo it and will know when to stop. Rest assure, Sect Leader Liu."


    Right now, he wanted more than anyone else to know Xiao Chen''s true strength. After all, the Qing State had gathered many Heaven List cultivators, according to rumors. If Xiao Chen could play the divine zither, he could well be their side''s final trump card.


    Liu Yunzheng sighed and glanced at Xiao Chen. In the end, he did not say what he had intended. He knew very well Xiao Chen was fighting for him, to vent his anger. He was not afraid of offending the Penglai Islanders. After all, he had offended them greatly over the matter of the alliance years ago. He was afraid they would take the opportunity to get rid of Xiao Chen.


    Liu Fenghuang no longer grinned as before. Her brows started to knot themselves into a deep frown. She came before Xiao Chen and whispered, "If he tries to injure you, shout loudly for my father to intervene."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Don''t worry, Senior Sister Liu. He cannot hurt me with his zither skills alone."


    The company all left for the square outside the hall. They seemed to be watching a show more exciting than even the Immortals League Competition. Xiao Chen and Ye Wuhen sat motionless in the center of the square, 15 meters away from each other. Ye Wuhen spoke. "After you, Junior Brother."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. "Since it was you who first extended the invitation to compete, you''d better go first."


    Ye Wuhen spoke no more. He pushed his hands outward. Waves of zither melodies started to drift across to the other side, at times rousing, at times low and muffled. The rousing notes sounded like lofty mountains reaching into the clouds. The low, muffled notes sounded like flowing streams, relentless and continuous.


    Layers of sound waves rose and fell incessantly. Xiao Chen sat on the ground, his eyes slightly shut. His left hand pressed down on the strings but his right hand froze. Suddenly, the middle finger of his right hand plucked a string, emitting a distinct note, like a falling leaf drifting onto a stream.


    Although Ye Wuhen''s tunes were tight and dense, Xiao Chen''s single note could be heard so distinctly by everyone.


    Ye Wuhen suddenly raised his head. A strange glimmer flashed across his eyes. Suddenly, the zither notes started to change, going up to the A Major. There were seven or eight high-pitch notes, almost hitting C sharp Major.


    The keys of a zither were C Major, D Major, E Major, G Major and A Major. Even higher were the C sharp Major and A sharp Major.


    The zither notes suddenly began to soar, like a stream surging with phenomenal waves, morphing into a swelling ocean. Yet Xiao Chen continued to close his eyes, concentrating. Now and then, he would pluck a string. The note would travel and seep through the opposition''s gap, like a dried leaf drifting to the ocean. The mounting waves kept surging on but could not sink the leaf, only bobbing it up and down.


    Ye Wuhen''s face gradually flushed crimson. His ten fingers started to pluck with greater rapidity; even his pinkie began plucking. All at once, the zither notes hurled themselves at Xiao Chen like a torrential tempest. The notes were all interconnected, without a gap for the wind to break in, and absolutely rigid.


    Many outside the square were reeling from the sounds. A few more ordinary guards had collapsed and passed out. The Third Prince and Princess Xuanyue erected an Audio Barrier to protect Yu Wenji and his empress. Liu Yunzheng and the rest saw that Xiao Chen was still refraining from plucking. Their hearts were all in their mouths.


    Ye Wuhen saw that Xiao Chen could still withstand it and leapt up suddenly. He gave the seven strings a strong tug with a concentration of qi. The seven strings become even tighter and their pitches soared even higher. "Zheng zheng zheng!" went the ugly noises made by the zither. It kept soaring higher and higher, almost into the stratosphere. He seemed to leave Xiao Chen with no way to retreat.


    When the tune ended, he landed slowly onto the ground and took on a cross-legged position. The zither strings could not withstand his plucking. Three strings had broken.


    Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes tightly shut. Blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth. He had not plucked his zither again ever since his opponent urged his tune. At this moment, he resembled a dead man. A smile gradually showed up on Ye Wuhen''s face.


    "Junior Brother Han!" From outside the square came a concerned voice. It was Luo Shangyan running in. She wanted to examine Xiao Chen''s injury, but was stopped by Liu Yunzheng.


    Liu Yunzheng was at this moment also extremely anxious. He cried out, "Han Chen! Han Chen! Can you still hear me, your Master?" When he saw that there was no answer, he said to Liu Fenghuang beside him, "Go and get your Junior Brother Han back, quick!"


    Liu Fenghuang now emerged as if out of a dream. Zhang Qinglian, on the other hand, was looking very pleased. On the face of Yu Wenji was a slightly disappointed expression.


    At this point, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes. A profound gleam shot out from the depths of his eyes. He seemed to be another person altogether. Everyone outside the square looked a little surprised. Ye Wuhen''s countenance was drained of color. He could only mumble out a "You... " and could say no more.


    Xiao Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered coldly. "Your zither notes are very tightly packed, but you shouldn''t have aimed for higher notes and broken your strings. Since a zither has its own life too!" With his last word, he started to move his hands.


    "Really? The last time, someone said to same thing to me. Later, I shattered and dispersed his soul completely. I''d like to see how you can compare with him..."


    Xiao Chen sat there, concentrating. His hands started to pluck lightly and slowly, the notes in D Major, calm, collected and soothing. They were like a breeze under a pine tree, invigorating the mind and the senses. Then, the tune slowed and changed into C Major. Every note was plucked with a lingering pluck. The melody was leisurely, like a clear, cleansing breeze.


    Yet Ye Wuhen''s face turned gradually into a coppery green color. A large portion of his back was drenched with sweat. There was too much hostility in his zither playing, permeating with strife and slaughter. He could never have played something so soothing and leisurely as Xiao Chen''s now.


    Suddenly, the melody soared, changing from C Major into E Major. Ye Wuhen''s face changed color again. He realized that his opponent''s playing seemed like dense, oppressing layers of clouds, making him breathless. As he tried to collect himself, suddenly the zither soared again, this time into the clouds. "Zheng zheng zheng" went its incessant sounds, like rampaging horseshoes and steely weapons one could not withstand. The key had changed into A Major.


    Ye Wuhen was momentarily stunned. He seemed to envisage the zither sounds, dense as clouds, morph into the gigantic mouth of a monstrous beast, gnawing at him.


    Greatly shocked, he started to mobilize his inner strength forcefully, his body retreating 10 meters away rapidly. In a daze, he seemed to see the zither player before him not as a young man in white, but as a black shadow behind him.


    The black shadow was nearly 10 meters, his disheveled hair flowing to his shoulders. His pupils were purplish and his face, a lingering black mass, like a demon from the nine heavens.


    Ye Wuhen''s face turned a hideous, ashen color. He tried to shut his eyes forcefully, but when he reopened them, the scene around him had changed. He seemed to be suspended a few kilometers in the air. Rampaging slaughter and strife resounded in his ears. A column of golden light struck out at him from a distance, and he gave a horrendous scream.


    The golden column of light was morphed from the Sword Qi of an Immortal. All around him suddenly emerged armed Immortals with swords, together with countless great demons trodding the air. Magical weapons swarmed the sky. Dead bodies rapidly piled up.


    Ye Wuhen bent and looked down. He saw corpses piled up sky high, blood flowing into streams, the noise of slaughter ringing in his ears. Countless Immortals and Devils had been slain. Suddenly came a massive boom. Blood spluttered everywhere. The heavens and the earth seemed to be quaking.


    He saw in the distance the earth sundering and collapsing, mountain chains toppling, the sunset sinking. Even heaven and earth seemed to be breaking down. He seemed to have reached the era of Annihilation...


    Nightmare! An immersive nightmare! Ye Wuhen''s face showed absolute terror. He had never seen such a scene before, and he suddenly recalled the lost-long legend. When the Immortals and Devils fought, the six realms would collapse. Heaven and earth would be annihilated...


    At this moment, however, he heard the zither. Its notes soared and plummetted, becoming a long, leisurely melody. He raised his head to look and realized there was another person in the sky. It was still that same man, Han Chen, who was competing in zither playing with him. The man now had a blood red jade bangle at his waist.


    His Jade Zither had changed too. It was now flowing with scintillating light, with complex carvings and ornaments. Its seven strings shimmered with a lingering, white halo, now illusionary, now substantial. It was that divine Archean zither of the Teal Jade Sect.


    At this moment, the Immortals stopped, the Devils stopped. All seemed to be listening to his wondrous melody, as if it was the only thing in the heavens and the earth. Ye Wuhen''s eyes began to dim...


    ¡­¡­


    In the palace, after a few zither notes, Xiao Chen ended in the C Major. The final notes were like a clear breeze lingering in a courtyard, persisting protracted in the listeners'' ears. They saw Ye Wuhen sit motionless where he was, his eyes glazed over. He suddenly toppled backward.


    The crowd kept gasping in shock. For a brief moment, no one knew what had happened. Zhang Qinglian''s figure quivered, and he moved to prop Ye Wuhen up quickly. He realized that his disciple''s face was dim and colorless and his eyes clouded. He was obviously quite badly injured.


    He was his proudest disciple ever. Immediately, rage seized his heart. A murderous intent flashed across his eyes. He hit out a palm at Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 94 Xuanyue

    There was a complete upheaval. A mighty, massive force hurtled over to Xiao Chen. Even the cobblestones along the way were overturned. In no way could he have avoided this palm blow.


    Liu Yunzheng had long realized that Zhang Qinglian would kill. His figure shifted. In the blink of an eye, he had intervened before Xiao Chen. He pushed out his palms and there was a huge boom. He was thrown 10 meters away, landing on the ground, vomitting blood. His cultivation was merely in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm, while Zhang Qinglian''s was in the later. How could he have withstood this blow?


    "Father!" Liu Fenghuang''s face turned ghastly pale as she sprinted over. Xiao Chen could no longer bother about anything else. He too sprinted over and helped Liu Yunzheng up, together with the other Teal Jade Sect disciples.


    Liu Yunzheng vomited a mouthful of blood. He could no longer speak. Xiao Chen left him in the hands of Liu Fenghuang and got up, glaring at Zhang Qinglian. "Your old good-for-nothing! How shameless you are, to sneak an attack!" At this moment, he had really wanted to kill Zhang Qinglian, but he lacked the capability to do so.


    Yu Wenji too hurried over. "Don''t be angry, Perfected Immortal Zhang." He knew Zhang Qinglian was in the wrong but did not openly reproach him. After all, Penglai Island was not only the largest Immortals'' sect in the Zhou State, they had helped him hold on to the Spiritual Meridian at the last Immortals League Competition. The only thing he could do now was to pacify them.


    "Hurry! Get the imperial physicians here!"


    After Yu Wenji sent men to fetch the imperial physicians, he strode over to Liu Yunzheng''s side immediately. "Are you alright, Sect Leader Liu?"


    Liu Fenghuang covered her mouth, her tears streaming down. Liu Yunzheng wanted to speak but was stopped by Luo Shangyan. "Don''t talk, Uncle Liu."


    After she said this, Luo Shangyan conjured up a white radiance on her palm and imparted True Energy continuously into Liu Yunzheng''s body. Soon, a few imperial physicians arrived. They carried Liu Yunzheng to a palace hall. On the Penglai Islanders'' side, Zhang Qinglian brought Ye Wuhen to seek treatment.


    Those left behind in the square were all staring at one another. They had seen the zither competition and their eyes were not playing tricks. Even Ye Wuhen had lost! Was the cultivation of that lad from the Teal Jade Sect already at the Core Forming Realm?


    Four hours later, Xiao Chen was still keeping guard outside a room in the palace. During this time, the Zhou Emperor had visited them several times. Liu Fenghuang and Luo Shangyan walked out. Liu Fenghuang''s eyes were still red. Luo Shangyan said, "Uncle Liu''s vital organs aren''t injured. He will recover after a night''s rest. Go back and rest too."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Soon, two attendants arrived from the palace to bring them to the courtyard for a rest. While they were passing by the imperial gardens, he saw strange flowers and rare plants everywhere. The blossoms were vying with one another in resplendence. There were numerous waterside pavilions. The pathway twisted and turned; there were artificial mounds on one side, amidst flowing springs, green pines and cypresses.


    After treading through the imperial gardens, they arrived at a guest lodge. Xiao Chen dismissed the two attendants and sat alone in the yard, watching the leisurely blue sky and white clouds. His mind was still floating with the scene: Liu Yunzheng, throwing caution to the wind, dashing out to take Zhang Qinglian''s palm on his behalf.


    Suddenly, footsteps resounded from the outside. Xiao Chen said indifferently, "Why are you looking for me?"


    Chu Lingjiao stepped slowly into the yard. She stared at its strange, rare plants and flowers, and gave a slight smile. "Just a few days more. I hope you won''t change your mind just because of what happened today."


    "I know what to do. You don''t need to remind me. Go back. Don''t come looking for me these few days."


    Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly. "I hope so." She conjured up three white pills on her palm. "Take one pill every day, 24 hours apart. for three consecutive days."


    Xiao Chen took the pills and instantly swallowed one. "I got it. You can go back." Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly again, turned and left the yard.


    When she had gone, Xiao Chen exerted his inner strength and forced out the pill lodged in his throat.


    It was almost dusk. Two palace maids sent in food containers with dainties and titbits over. There was supposed to be a banquet this evening, but it was called off because of the Teal Jade Sect and Penglai Island.


    Xiao Chen ordered the two palace maids to place the containers on the table and leave. After their departure, light footsteps rang out from the outside again. They halted at the door, to be followed by an enchanting voice. "Young Master Han, can I come in?"


    Xiao Chen knew who it was. He immediately got up and smiled gently. "Please come in, Princess Xuanyue."


    Princess Xuanyue wore a smile as she entered slowly. Although her beauty was ravishing, enough to send cities toppling, she had a noble and elegant bearing. Her white skirt did not carry a speck of dust. Two light-colored orchids adorned the front of her garment, setting off her faintly indistinct collarbones. She had more quietness in her than Li Muxue.


    Xiao Chen gazed at her and immediately made out that her cultivation had reached the middle stages of the Foundation Building Realm. Yet her manner of practice differ largely from an ordinary cultivator''s. He smiled gently. "Could Your Highness tell me the purpose of your visit?"


    Princess Xuanyue shook her head and smiled. She looked subtle and alluring. She sat by his side and said quietly, "I hope Young Master Han won''t take what happened today too much to heart." Her voice and tone were sweet and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate. She would sent ripples in anyone''s heart who heard her. No one could reject her. Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "You worry too much, Princess. The Immortals'' sects are all one. We will help each other and rally together."


    Princess Xuanyue nodded and smiled. "It is the true blessing of our great Zhou State to have Young Master Han think so. I wonder if you are married, Young Master Han?"


    Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. Was it because of Senior Sister Luo again? He smiled lightly. "I am of humble birth. I hailed from a remote rural village by the mountains, so I am not married."


    Xuanyue smiled resplendently. "Young Master Han is such a handsome talent. There are many officials'' and nobles'' daughters who aren''t married in the palace. If you have a person in mind, do let me know."


    Her final words had a touch of seriousness amid her cheeky tone. Xiao Chen wondered if she meant him to distance away from Senior Sister Luo, or to stay in the palace. Since you are so keen on my marriage, why don''t you marry me instead?


    Of course, he said this only to himself in his heart. Outside, he only smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Princess."


    Xuanyue smiled faintly too. "Then, I shan''t interrupt Young Master Han''s rest." With these words, she rose to go. Xiao Chen said, "Let me see you off, Princess." Xuanyue nodded and smiled. She did not refuse him.


    Now, the sun was almost setting. The two left the lodge and chatted and joked genially along the way. As they passed by the imperial gardens, the dusk clouds reflected the elegant butterfly streaks amid the blossoms. At times, the summer insects hummed, accompanied by water burbling. They sounded like a wondrous melody.


    At the waterside pavilions, disciples from the other sects, as well as sons and daughters of noblemen and court officials, were watching fish and admiring the flowers. Everyone gasped in envy when they witnessed Xiao Chen strolling along Princess Xuanyue''s side.


    When he had sent the princess out of the imperial gardens and returned, it was already dusk at the lodge. Countless stars made their appearance, and a crescent moon hung in the sky, like a willow leaf or an eyebrow.


    "Xuanyue... Xuanyue... there''s a nice ring to the name." Xiao Chen nodded lightly and spoke to himself. Before he had finished, he shook his head violently. "Xiao Chen, what wild thoughts are you having!"


    Although he said this to himself, within his mind still floated the smiles and frowns of Princess Xuanyue just now. Even in the Violet Manor, such women were rare.


    For some reason, Xiao Chen felt that she had a very unique air about her. Could it be because her cultivation method was different from a common cultivator? This feeling reminded him suddenly of someone else.


    Qianyu Nishang!


    Qianyu Nishang was a girl he met along his way after returning the zither at the Immortal-saving Clan and returning to Mystic Cyan Mountain. He met her after Flower Yet-ending. He guided Qianyu Nishang into the Mystic Cyan Sect, so she could be called his Junior Sister.


    There were seven branches of the Mystic Cyan Sect. Qianyu Nishang was accepted into the Tianxuan branch. They often studied various kinds of training and cultivation methods together. The cultivation method Xiao Chen discerned from Xuanyue just now seemed to be from the Tianxuan branch!


    "How did the Mystic Cyan Sect''s cultivation methods survive? What have you done, Qianyu Nishang...?"


    With a loud crash, the stone splintered. Xiao Chen had shattered with a mighty blow the green stone table beside him.


    Watching the crescent moon in the sky, Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. "Xuanyue, who are you really? How are you related to Qianyu Nishang...?"


    Suddenly, a storm cloud gathered and covered up that crescent moon in the sky. He had quietly made his decision. He must find some means to force Xuanyue''s hand, so that she would reveal the cultivation method she was practicing!

 Chapter 95 The Immortals League Competition

    Time passed very quickly. Three days were soon over. Early morning, as the first rays from the sun shone into the imperial palace, the entire palace resounded with gong and drum strikes. Musical instruments were played. Led by two contingents, each with a thousand soldiers, even noblemen and court officials got out of their sedans to see the warriors off by foot.


    The venue of the Immortals League Competition was not the palace, but 9 kilometers away east, at a place named the Wind Floating Platform.


    When the wind and the clouds rose, ten thousand heroes would acknowledge allegiance!


    At the Wind Floating Platform laid out of green stone, 64 flags fluttered noisily in the air. There were many colors: red, blue, green and indigo. Each bore a green dragon, white tiger, red sparrow, black tortoise or other totem.


    The Qing State sects were already waiting. On the high platforms sat the Qing State ambassador on one side, and the Zhou Emperor, Empress, Third Prince and Princess Xuanyue on the other, together with several officials.


    Beyond these two high platforms, an army made up of several thousand men stood guard. Beyond this army were onlookers: commoners of the White Cloud City and other sectless cultivators.


    The warriors were all in high fighting spirits. Although the Zhou State had won several times in succession, rumor had it that the Qing State had sent out many young superiors from the Heaven and Earth Lists to participate this time. Earlier, Xiao Chen had heard from Gu Hanxuan that Yu Yifeng would not be here. Although the Jade Qing Sect was in the Qing State, they were only concerned with destroying demons and upholding the Way. They had never been involved in the two states'' disputes.


    This placed the Zhou State in a great advantage. After all, Yu Yifeng was ranked 11th on the Heaven''s List. If he had taken part, no young Zhou cultivator could rival his eminence.


    This was also a good thing for Xiao Chen. After all, he could not fight Brother Yifeng finally, could he? Now, all he hoped for was that None-flower Dust''s attendance was a mere rumor. Otherwise, even had he employed the Fuxi Zither strings, he might not take him down.


    The wind surged and the clouds rolled on. The battle drums were struck thunderously. The presiding officers from both sides started to examine today''s competitors, making sure they had not taken any illegal pills.


    The rules of the Immortals League Competition were very simple. The competitors fought three rounds and the side that won two won the overall competition. One round was held every day; the competition would be held for three consecutive days. During each round, the states would send out eight contestants to fight and eliminate their oppositions on the spot.


    Every competitor had two chances to compete. If they competed in the first round, they must choose between the second and the third day''s competition. If a competitor lost in the first round, he would have no chance to participate in the next.


    There were a total of eight duels in each round. The winner of the first duel could stay on to compete, or step down to take a rest. Even if that winner lost the next duel, he could still take part in another round. In short, the last person left standing on the platform won for his camp.


    The arrangement of the Teal Jade Sect was for Xiao Chen to compete on the first day. He ought to be able to win easily. Then, with his divine zither, he would take part in the third. Gu Hanxuan and Chu Lingjiao had higher cultivations. They would take part in the second day''s competition. If they won, they would compete in the third too.


    After finishing examining the competitors, a Core Forming Realm Cultivator stepped up onto the Wind Floating Platform and pointed his sword at the heavens. A swift and fierce Sword Qi soared toward the sky, breaking through the cloud layers and scattering down many drops of golden rays. This signified the beginning of the first round.


    Two human figures flashed and leapt onto the Wind Floating Platform at the same time. After cupping their fists in respect, they started to execute their most lethal moves.


    Xiao Chen surveyed the place from under the platform. He discovered three familiar figures from the Qing State. One was Ling Yingfeng, whom he fought originally at the Skygale Sect. The next was Qian Yeli. The third, surprisingly, was Ouyang Yu.


    Presumably, they were representing the Skygale Sect. Yet from where they stood, they appeared not to be the first day''s competitors. Hence, he should not need to face them in today''s battles.


    Liu Fenghuang squeezed past the crowds, a fruit bowl in her hands filled with peeled mandarin oranges and peeled apples. She reached his side and said with a grin, "Junior Brother, give your best later!"


    Xiao Chen turned back his head and smiled at her, nodding. Liu Fenghuang answered, "Taste these. I peeled them myself." Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Thank you." He was just about to take a mandarin orange when he discovered a shadow streaking over from the corners of his eyes. He pulled her over and they leapt to one side.


    "Peng!" went a thud. The place they had stood on was almost ruptured by a competitor flying down from the platform. The fruits on Liu Fenghuang''s plate were all scattered. She glared at the platform and cried loudly, "What on earth!?"


    Immediately, however, her voice was drowned by uproarious cheers. The competitor remaining on the platform was from the Zhou State, so the person thrown down onto Xiao Chen must have been a Qing State competitor. As he clambered up embarrassedly, Liu Fenghuang crashed the plate on his head. "How tiresome! Must you fall here of all places?"


    The man shrieked hideously and passed out.


    The scene had been taken in by the Qing State. A few cultivators started to yell. "Hey, what are you people doing!" To forestall any unnecessary trouble, Xiao Chen pulled Liu Fenghuang and dashed away into the crowds.


    The second and third duels were won by the Zhou State as well. There were eight persons remaining from the Zhou State, but only five from the Qing. They won on their first strikes and had a massive advantage. For a short moment, everyone from the Zhou State was jubilant. The smile on Yu Wenji''s face became more radiant.


    However, no soldier wins all the time. In the next three hours or so, the situation shifted. Only two were left from the Zhou State, while the other four were from the Qing. Yu Wenji started to knit his brows in deep worry. Xiao Chen walked over to Liu Yunzheng and signaled that perhaps he ought to go up for the next duel.


    Liu Yunzheng had already recovered from his injury. He motioned for him not to be tense. As long as he won his first duel, even had he lost the subsequent ones, he could still take part in the third day''s competition.


    A tense and fierce battle ensued. The Zhou State lost again, but managed to exert the opposition''s energy quite a bit. Right now, only Xiao Chen had not fought someone from the Zhou side. Liu Yunzheng nodded at him. "Go." Liu Fenghuang also said, "All the way, Junior Brother!"


    Xiao Chen spoke no more. He nodded slightly and leapt up to the platform. Right now, he was the only competitor from the Zhou State, while there were four from the Qing. Few people were now optimistic about their chances, and they all shook their heads and sighed.


    Yu Wenji''s face also clouded with gloom. Princess Xuanyue whispered at his ear, "You don''t need to worry too much, Father. Perhaps Young Master Han might win."


    Over at the Qing side, Ouyang Yu saw him and gasped. "How come this man is here?" Both Qian Yeli and Ling Yingfeng by his side were equally perplexed, but they were not as surprised.


    Xiao Chen cupped his fists slightly to show his respect. "After you." Although this opponent had the middle stage strength of the Foundation Building Realm, he had exerted his inner strength too much in his earlier duels. Xiao Chen was confident he could win.


    The man said no more and with a wave of his arm, sent two streaks of fierce Qi blade over. Xiao Chen stood on his tiptoes and took off several meters into the air. He aimed the Cyan Dragon Roars at his earthbound opponent. The dragon roars resounded instantly throughout the heavens and the earth. The other man quickly mobilized his True Energy to ward off the blow to one side. The floor tiles started to splinter, strewing small pebbles. He failed, however, to notice the sudden attack from Xiao Chen from mid-air.


    With a loud loud, Xiao Chen kicked the man''s lower jaw. The man started to stumble backward for almost 20 meters. Shocked gasps arose from outside the platform. "Might he be a Realm 2 martial artist?"


    Martial arts were divided into Realm 1, Realm 2, Realm 3, Realm 4... they were equivalent to the Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Building Realm, Core Forming Realm, Nascent Soul Realm. Most people nowadays are Taoist cultivators, making ancient martial artists even more mysterious. Xiao Chen''s speed and palm style just now did in fact greatly resembled an ancient martial artist''s.


    Cheers began to break out unceasingly from under the platform. Even Yu Wenji gave a loud cheer. Xuanyue frowned and said to herself, "Why did his palm style just now so resembled our sect''s highly accomplished Dragon Roars?"


    The man opposite him wiped the trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. He stared at Xiao Chen coldly. Suddenly, he mumbled an urgent chant incantation. Countless dazzling Sword Radiances hurtled in from all directions, trying to hack Xiao Chen. The wind surged and clouds rolled, the sword radiance hurt the eyes. Xiao Chen knew he could not pit his True Energy with his opponent''s. He started executing the Immortal-override Steps, leaving behind a streak of illusionary shadows, re-appearing before the man out of nowhere.


    The man had previously suffered a setback and was now wary. His feet shuffling, his body shifted backward 20 meters. Yet Xiao Chen did not go after him. Instead, he kept moving fingers to cast a spell, chanting incantations. Suddenly, six light columns soared into the sky, trapping the man within a formation.


    "An Array Formation! An Array Formation! This man can set up an Array Formation instantly!" Shocked gasps did not cease to be heard from outside the platform. Yu Wenmu, the Third Prince, narrowed his eyes. "An instant formation? How interesting. But a formation can only trap an opponent within and will exert True Energy. It is flashy but useless. What good is it?"


    At times, Xiao Chen executed mysterious, powerful ancient martial arts, at times Taoist magic spells. He gave one the sense of being unfathomable. The man was trapped within the formation. Although he could no longer suffer any injury and seemed almost to gain an advantage, being trapped did not look good. He tried hitting out at the formation points to release its True Qi to break free.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and repeated his chant incantations, moving his fingers. Nine red light columns appeared inside the six light columns. It was the Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formation, a fire-style attacking formation. The company started to gasp again. "A formation within a formation! A formation within a formation!"


    Trapped inside the man realized that serious trouble was at hand. Yet it was already too late. With a resounding boom, the nine red light columns instantly exploded. Since they were surrounded by the Sixfold Trap Formation, their True Energy could not be released. The man would have to withstand all the extreme heat.


    When the smoke and dust had gradually dissipated, he could be seen collapsed within a pile of rubble, his skin almost completely incinerated. Had Xiao Chen injected more True Energy in just now, he would have perished.


    Two cultivators immediately flew up to the platform and supported him down to undergo treatment. Loud cheers erupted from the Zhou side, naturally. This fight was far more exciting than the previous few. The Teal Jade Sect''s spirits had been roused. "Did you see that? Our Junior Brother Han can beat an opponent even without using the divine zither."


    Liu Yunzheng''s eyes narrowed slightly. Formerly, he did not overly question Xiao Chen''s origins. It wasn''t anything strange for someone to acknowledge another master with skills from a previous one. Yet now, it looked like this Han Chen had too much to hide.


    An old man stroked his beard, smiling on the high platform. He spoke to the sides. "It doesn''t look like cultivation skills of the Teal Jade Sect. Can anyone tell me which sect his cultivation skills hailed from?"


    "Can''t tell."


    When the rousing cheers had faded away from all sides, two figures streaked up and landed on the platform. Xiao Chen asked nonchalantly, "Are you fighting me together?"


    The rules of the competition stipulated that the remaining competitors could not fight an opponent together. One said, "Junior Brother has indeed open my eyes just now. I''m sure you will not object?"


    Xiao Chen thought that although these two were only in the early stages of the Foundation Building Realm, they had not exerted any True Energy earlier on. They might be more troublesome to dispatch than the first. He said, "It doesn''t matter. Two of you can strike together first, Senior Brothers."

 Chapter 96 Condensing Sword with Qi

    Both men smiled at each other. One of their bodies shifted, assaulting Xiao Chen''s front like a streak of lightning. The other leapt into the air and attacked his head from mid-air.


    They had discerned clearly Xiao Chen''s moves. Furthermore, they were fast. If Xiao Chen dealt with the earthbound fighter, he would have been sneak attacked by the other from mid-air. Likewise, he would be assaulted by the one on the ground had he paid attention to his airborne companion.


    Sure enough, after pushing the man on the ground, Xiao Chen was hit by his airborne companion on his shoulder. He was fortunate to be protected by his Mystic Skill and did not suffer any serious injury. However, now he was shackled hand and foot. He could not deal with both men simultaneously.


    Unless he could conjure up a doppelganger outside his own body through his willpower. This doppelganger must have the same abilities as himself. Yet only a Nascent Soul cultivator could do this. And his Mystic Green Skills needed to reach the Core Forming Realm before he could execute it.


    The two worked flawlessly in tandem with each other. Although Xiao Chen was nimble, he was soon at a disadvantage. He was very nearly hurt by a few vicious Sword Qi in his carelessness. The Zhou State warriors beneath started to yell angrily, "Hey, two fighting one! It''s not fair!"


    Those from the Qing State yelled back as well. "In the last match, didn''t you people do the same?"


    No matter what the din was outside, Xiao Chen could not allowed himself any distraction. He gradually found himself in a fix, his every stroke and movement restrained by both men. He could not execute his skills at all.


    Under the platform, Luo Shangyan frowned deeply, her hand clutched tight. Xiao Chen''s heart sank. He could hide no more. He had not dared to use too much of his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method or the Yaoguang School skills as he realized shrewdly that Xuanyue''s eyes were already shining with a peculiar light.


    Right now, he moved his fingers slightly to cast a spell and started to execute the Immortal Illusive Steps from the Immortal-override Steps. Illusionary shadows streaked here and there. It was almost impossible to tell which was his true body. The two men immediately lost their advantage. Shocked gasps broke out from beneath. "The Illusionary Duplication! The long-lost Illusionary Duplication! Could he be a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan?"


    The Immortal-override Steps was an original creation of Ling Yin. There were 36 stances. It was most marvelous for attack, defense, or simply to escape an enemy. Yet a touch of feminine grace could be detected from its body movements. But Xiao Chen was so gifted; he changed the stances so that he resembled a handsome young man instead.


    Surprised gasps rose and fell from under the platform. The two men could not tell which of the one dozen shadows was his true body. Their flying swords hacked wildly and they were soon injured by Xiao Chen, their defense lapsing.


    Xiao Chen''s form resembled a phantom. At times he leapt up and at others he shifted sideways on the platform. There were times he merged with the illusionary forms, at others he split into three. Indeed, he was as unpredictable as a deity or a demon. The two men opposite him began to panic. They felt as if they were sneak attacked by countless foes. Dodging one form, they realized it was unreal, yet had they stood still, it might turn out to be the real Xiao Chen himself.


    Far away on the high platform, Yu Wenji was beaming and cheering loudly. By his side Princess Xuanyue, however, started to frown deeper and deeper. She asked herself, "How did he even learn the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust skill, which hasn''t been imparted to an outsider before? He seems to execute it exceptionally! Where did this man come from... ?"


    The battle lasted for 30 minutes. The two Qing State cultivators finally lost and were hurled down the platform. A commotion rose among the crowd. Only a single cultivator was left from the Qing State. From his earlier duels, it looked as if Xiao Chen would easily defeat his final opponent.


    However, they did not realize that beneath his seemingly easy conquest, the battle was really full of risky strokes and moves. Now, even Xiao Chen had exerted much of his True Energy. He would be at a grave disadvantage were he to fight on.


    Suddenly, a figure flashed and a cyan figure landed on the platform. It was none other than Ouyang Yu. He approached Xiao Chen a little and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Ah Xue? Is she here? Where is she?" When he saw Xiao Chen leap up the platform, he began to search frantically for Li Muxue''s figure but did not find her.


    The thought of Li Muxue wrenched Xiao Chen''s heart. He said coldly, "I want to know that as well. Where have the Skygale Sect taken her?"


    "Taken who? I don''t understand you!"


    "Alright, stop talking and draw your sword now!"


    "You!" Ouyang Yu was quite enraged. "Don''t think that I can''t beat you. This is the Violet Manor, not the Human World! There are no restrictions here!"


    "Then you can try," Xiao Chen answered coldly. He observed the man and realized that he must be at Lvl 3 Foundation Building Realm. There were no restrictions in the Violet Manor. He had exerted too much of his True Energy earlier and was not confident now. He only wanted to enrage his opponent to disturb him psychologically.


    Upon seeing the two men freeze, those under the platform began to talk. "What happened to them? Did they know each other? Were they former enemies?"


    Suddenly, a deep, vigorous voice resounded on the high platform. "It''s 11! Stop the fight and recommence at one o''clock!"


    There were to be two hours of rest and the extra hours benefited Xiao Chen greatly. Ouyang Yu waved his robe sleeve coldly. "Don''t disappoint me in the afternoon." He stood on his toes and floated down the platform.


    Xiao Chen too turned to step down. He walked down to where the Teal Jade Sect disciples were. Ten of them immediately clustered around him. Even Liu Fenghuang was grinning. "Are you hurt, Junior Brother Han?"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and shook his head. He walked over to Liu Yunzheng''s side and cupped his fists. "Master." Liu Yunzheng nodded. "Well done. You''ve worked hard."


    Yu Wenji and the rest also came forward, one after another. It seemed that the Zhou State was about to lose when Xiao Chen turned the tide. Victory today would depend on the final duel. The Penglai Islanders were naturally very displeased. Many of them started to look disdainful. "That''s because we did not step out to fight. How else could you have hogged the limelight?"


    Penglai Island was the strongest and their three competitors would take part on the second and third day. Even the best Qing fighter today out of the eight was only in the middle stages of the Foundation Building Realm. Their best warriors were reserved for the next two crucial rounds. They thought that they would easily win the first. They had not anticipated Xiao Chen''s interference.


    Two hours passed quickly. The first day of the Immortals League Competition had reached a most intense climax. The competitors from both states went up the platform, saluted each other and began to strike.


    Xiao Chen had recovered his True Energy somewhat. His palm blow was exceptionally powerful, overturning the floor tiles, causing large fragments to fly. Ouyang Yu was unwilling to be outdone. Their palms clashed and the winds and clouds turned violently. Waves of qi began to overlap; those closer to the Wind Floating Platform began to feel a massive wave of energy spreading to themselves.


    "Ice Freezing Skill!" Ouyang Yu suddenly took out an Immortal''s Sword and moved his fingers to cast a spell at the sword. The surrounding temperature began to drop drastically. A 20-centimeter thick sheet of ice began to form on the platform instantly. Even Xiao Chen''s feet were caught in the ice.


    "Gold Break!" With a bellow, Xiao Chen executed a stroke from the Xiao family''s ancient martial arts. His fist blew the ice half a meter away apart. Splinters of ice swirled in the air. Xiao Chen executed another stroke, almost sweeping away ten thousand soldiers. The shreds of ice in the air instantly transformed into countless blades, whistling toward Ouyang Yu.


    "A mountain of peace!" Ouyang Yu chanted an incantation. With a buzz, several icebergs emerged all around him, blocking off the ice shreds assailing him.


    "Sky Incinerating Sun!" Xiao Chen finally executed the fire-style magic arts of the Mystic Cyan Sect. The flames rose to 10 meters high, its dark smoke billowing. The entire Wind Floating Platform seemed wrapped in fiery flames. Numerous people felt the unbearable scorching sting on their faces and retreated backward.


    When the fire had subsided, they saw Ouyang Yu''s entire body wrapped in an Ice Barrier. Suddenly, a sword radiance flashed. An icy sword streaked out to hack at Xiao Chen. Its coldness was quite extreme and it seemed to freeze the air wherever it went. Xiao Chen ducked and the flying sword skimmed past his shoulder. All at once, a chill entered his body. Even his hair and eyebrows froze with a thick layer of icicle.


    "It''s cold frost! Cold Frost Sword!" All at once, someone yelled out below in astonishment.


    Cold Frost Sword was ranked 17th in the Tome of Legendary Weapons. Only a Mystic Ice Body could practice it. Otherwise, the practitioner would suffer the counter-effect of the chilling cold assaulting his heart. Ouyang Yu had just such a rare Mystic Ice Body.


    Xiao Chen did not dare understimate him. He hurriedly chanted an incantation and erected a Defense Barrier all around his body. He did not dare to face the sharp edge of the Cold Frost Sword since its coldness was too extreme. Soon, he was in a disadvantageous position.


    The Qing warriors cheered relentlessly while Yu Wenji began to frown deeply. This duel decided the outcome of today''s battles. But Xiao Chen had no weapon to ward off the cold frost. There was really no help for it.


    Originally, his Unsullied Immortal''s Sword in the Divine Vessel was ranked 7th, far above Cold Frost. However, the Unsullied Sword was a gift from Yu Yifeng and the Jade Qing Sect was from the Qing State. If he had flashed it out, they might suspect him to be from the sect.


    Ouyang Yu went on a fierce offensive. Xiao Chen could not parry Cold Frost directly and his entire body was covered in a layer of ice. His actions slowed gradually. Suddenly, his fingers moved and he cast a spell. Immediately, a half-illusionary, half-substantial Immortal''s Sword appeared in his hand.


    With a loud ding, it struck out and parried the stroke from Ouyang Yu''s Cold Frost Sword. Astonished gasps arose from below. "Condensing Sword with Qi! Has he reached the Core Forming Realm?"


    Condensing Sword from Qi was a skill of a Core Forming Realm Cultivator. Yet this sword which appeared right now in Xiao Chen''s hand was a real Immortal''s Sword condensed out of True Qi.


    Array Formation... Illusionary Duplication. And now, Condensing Sword with Qi. This anonymous young man seemed to give them so many astonishments from the start.


    The crowd from the Zhou State burst into cheers. He was turning the situation around again.

 Chapter 97 Drunken Words

    Ouyang Yu also frowned. He frowned not because Xiao Chen had condensed an Immortal''s Sword which could ward off the cold frost, but because he felt from the bottom of his heart that his opponent was better than he was, although he did not like to admit it. His sword whizzed through the air, aiming between his opponent''s brows.


    Xiao Chen leapt back several meters and flicked the Immortal''s Sword in his hand upward, warding off the stroke. The Immortal''s Sword he had condensed out using his Mystic Cyan Skills could not last long. He needed to defeat his opponent quickly. Ouyang Yu drew back Cold Frost and realized that a flying sword assault was of no use. He turned and made a sword gesture with his left hand. With his right, he brought his sword forward to stab. Suddenly, he was flicking and lifting the blade. Although his sword strokes seemed frantic, it had its own set of rules. Almost immediately, he blocked off Xiao Chen''s escape routes at both sides.


    Every sword stabbed out was accompanied by the sound of wind and snow, leaving behind streaks of shadow. Ouyang Yu started to execute his strokes with greater rapidity. Most people could no longer see them clearly; they felt as if snow and wind were swirling in the air, and every splinter or flurry seemed an extremely vicious Sword Qi. Although Xiao Chen''s condensed Immortal''s Sword could parry off Cold Frost, it could not ward off the impenetrable Sword Qi.


    Below, many were already nodding to themselves. "The sword skills of the Skygale Sect are indeed unique and powerful."


    "The reason why I master this Fierce Wind and Flying Snow skill was because Ah Xue enjoys a snow scene! Have you ever understood her?" Ouyang Yu had already regarded Xiao Chen as his rival in love. Before he had finished his words, his sword had stabbed out.


    Xiao Chen was momentarily distracted. His arm was grazed. Liu Fenghuang knitted her brows and yelled, "Go all the way, Junior Brother Han!" Liu Yunzheng beside her said in a deep voice, "Don''t distract him! He is memorizing the other man''s sword strokes!"


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen flicked the Immortal''s Sword in his hand upward and struck off the Cold Frost Sword. Quickly afterward, the sword shadow multiplied into three, warding off the Sword Qi assault from both sides. Ouyang Yu''s heart sank. "Has he seen through my moves?"


    Xiao Chen''s sword pierced forward and deftly avoided the other man''s attack. Then, he turned the stab into an upward flick. With a loud whizz, he left a grazing wound on Ouyang Yu''s shoulder. Astonished gasps resounded from under the platform. "He has managed to break through such impenetrable sword moves!"


    It was not over yet. After that upward flick, Xiao Chen immediately switched the sword into his left hand. With another whizz, Ouyang Yu''s other shoulder was also grazed. Following that, Xiao Chen kept changing his sword skills. It was more deft and ingenious than Ouyang Yu''s impenetrable sword moves. None of his sword stabs were false strokes; every one landed on his opponent''s body.


    The audience below cried and gasped unceasingly. They had never before witnessed such wondrous sword skills. Soon, a dozen gashes appeared on Ouyang Yu''s body. These were his final two strokes: one, an upward flick sending Cold Frost from his hand into the air; the other, the sword inching a few centimeters before the latter''s throat, before the man could react.


    At this moment, had Xiao Chen exhaled his True Energy and sent Sword Qi streaking forward, the man would be dead. Ouyang Yu gave a sigh. He regretted having pitted his sword skills against Xiao Chen''s. No matter what, he was no match to him in the sword. Although he did not want to, he had to admit, "I have lost."


    Clamorous cheers broke out from under the platform. Amid the cheers, Ouyang Yu recalled his Cold Frost Sword from the distance. His lonely figure retreated, his back disappearing into the crowds.


    Yu Wenji also got up and exclaimed about the wonderful performance. Not only did Xiao Chen win, it also meant victory for the day. Following that, they needed only one win out of the next two rounds.


    Watching the lonely silhoeutte disappear into the crowds, Xiao Chen put away his Immortal''s Sword. Fresh blood dripped out from his arm.


    Liu Fenghuang instantly soared up to the platform and rolled up his sleeve. She discovered seven or eight sword gashes on his arm and gasped in shock. "You are wounded!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "I''m fine." His heart was still recalling Ouyang Yu''s words. He had never understood Li Muxue, just like he did not bother to understand Flower Yet-ending in the past.


    The first day of the competition was over. Xiao Chen fought four men alone and turned the tide. He won for himself instant fame, across the streets and alleys of White Cloud City. Even small children composed catchy tunes after him.


    In the evening, the Zhou Emperor, Yu Wenji, held a victory banquet to celebrate their first triumph. Even sects which had not participated in today''s duels congregrated in his palace. Many Sect Leaders toasted Liu Yunzheng to congratulate him. Such an outstanding talent had emerged from his Teal Jade Sect. They would surely be highly regarded by the Zhou State. All of them had to ingratiate and play up to him. Only the Penglai Islanders looked unhappy.


    In the palace, the fragrance of good wine permeated as pipes and strings played melodies together. A dozen beautiful dancers stood in the center performing a dance. Songs and dance went on unabated. Over at Xiao Chen''s side, a few dancers handpicked by Yu Wenji were urging him to drink. Soon, Xiao Chen was tipsy.


    When the songs and dance ended, Yu Wenji said delightedly, "Young Master Han is truly a talent of our great Zhou State. I wonder what request you have?" He wanted to reward Xiao Chen for turning the tide today, and also spur the other sects to greater glory through this.


    Xiao Chen pushed aside the wine vessel brought to him by a dancer and got up unsteadily. "Your... your Majesty! I do have a request you could grant."


    Everyone was a little surprised. Mere courtesy made the Zhou Emperor mention a reward before the company. But Xiao Chen was just a little disrespectful to urge a reward before everyone. Hopefully, his request would not go too far.


    Yu Wenji laughed and said, "Speak up, Young Master Han. I can agree to anything." He said this to show his generosity and to remind him not to ask for anything excessive.


    Liu Yunzheng vaguely realized something and whispered, "Sit down, Han Chen! Don''t be disrespectful!" Xiao Chen seemed not to have heard. He eyed Luo Shangyan sitting beside Yu Wenmu and saw her lowering her head and was silent. He spoke up loudly. "I beg Your Majesty to play the matchmaker and marry Miss Luo to me!"


    His words shocked everyone in the palace. Even the instrument players were stupefied and put down their instruments. The smile on Yu Wenji''s slowly froze. Liu Yunzheng stood up. "Han Chen! Stop your nonsense! After the Immortals League Competition, I will pass the divine zither over to you! Sit down, quick!"


    "Please give us your blessings!" Xiao Chen ignored Liu Yunzheng and spoke out again.


    This time, even Luo Shangyan had raised her head. Liu Fenghuang, on the other hand, bowed hers down, a grieved expression flashing across her face. Chu Lingjiao knitted her brows tightly, the look in her eyes turning colder and colder.


    Everyone cast a look at the Third Prince, Yu Wenmu, sitting in a secondary seat at the front. Although he had not officially proposed a marriage to the Teal Jade Sect, their relationship was long known throughout the Zhou State. Right now, he smiled lightly and asked, "Is Young Master Han drunk?"


    "I''m not!" Xiao Chen waved his robe sleeve with a downward flick and stared coldly at him. "Senior Sister Luo has never... " Before he had finished, Liu Yunzheng bellowed out at Liu Fenghuang. "Your Junior Brother is drunk! Send him back to rest!"


    Before Xiao Chen could speak again, Chu Lingjiao had inched to his side. "You are drunk. I''ll bring you back for a rest." Then, she pulled him out of the palace hall.


    Back at the lodge, Chu Lingjiao gave him a forceful push into his room and shut its door and windows with a loud thud. She said coldly, "What do you mean by this?"


    Xiao Chen had had too much to drink. His brain was already inebriated and falling into a swoon. He placed his head squarely on the bed and said no more. He was thinking just now: as long as he could prevent the marriage of Luo Shangyan and Yu Wenmu, he would not need to run from the Zhou State, or implicate the Teal Jade Sect. Why was he so concerned now about the sect... ?


    Chu Lingjiao snorted coldly. "You will only alert them unwisely! Just two more days! You''d better not make any more errors!" With that, she whisked her sleeve and left. She was very angry. It had been a settled deal. Xiao Chen''s act made her feel betrayed.


    Xiao Chen stared quietly at the ornamental carvings of the ceiling. The words of Luo Shangyan that day resounded in his ears again. "And you, what can you give me instead...?"


    Over at the palace, Yu Wenmu was pacing here and there in his room after the banquet. He was livid. "He is too puffed up with success!"


    Xuanyue smiled quietly. "Why are you so angry? Father hasn''t agreed to his request." Yu Wenmu answered, "But... there were so many people today! He said that before such a big company... "


    "Alright, you''d better calm down. I will take care of the rest."


    ¡­


    The following day, Xiao Chen slept until late noon. For the past few days, Liu Fenghuang would wake him up in the early morning. She did not come today.


    After rinsing his mouth and a wash-up, he saw the shadows slanting. It was already one. This was the day when Gu Hanxuan and Chu Lingjiao would step out to fight. There would even be Core Forming Realm Cultivators on the platform from the Qing State. He wondered about the situation at the Teal Jade Sect. Xiao Chen changed into another attire and went out of the palace, heading toward Wind Floating Platform.


    Today, the Zhou State had lost consecutive duels and not won. Even the two disciples from Penglai Island had lost. Yu Wenji looked absolutely miserable. Xiao Chen saw Liu Fenghuang in the crowd and cried out to her, "Senior Sister Liu!"


    Liu Fenghuang acted as if she did not hear and tried disappearing into the crowds. Xiao Chen pushed his way through and grabbed hold of her. "Why didn''t you answer me? Have you seen Senior Sister Chu?" He knew Chu Lingjiao should be competing today but did not see her despite searching the entire place.


    Liu Fenghuang turned her head back and forced a smile. She seemed to be hiding something. "Junior Brother Han... Senior Sister Chu... I haven''t seen her today either."


    Xiao Chen saw her strange look and asked, "Why didn''t you come and wake me today?" Liu Fenghuang hummed and hawed. "Oh... I thought you were already here."


    Xiao Chen did not pursue the matter. After a long while, Liu Fenghuang lowered her head and then lifted it up again. Finally, she asked in a soft voice, "Do you like Miss Luo?"


    "What?" Since there was such a din around them, Xiao Chen did not hear her clearly. Liu Fenghuang gave a smile. "No... nothing!"


    Xiao Chen saw that she was behaving extremely strangely today. He was about to ask her about the duel situation when a loud crash sounded in the crowds. Another person from the Zhou State had been hurled down from the Wind Floating Platform. Yu Wenji was the face of misery and sadness. He did not want to watch on.


    Xiao Chen focused his eyes and gazed upward. He saw that it was Qian Yeli standing on the platform. The man had a cultivation roughly Lvl 7 Foundation Building Realm. After that, he heard Liu Yunzheng shouting loudly in all directions. "Lingjiao! Where are you?"


    Liu Fenghuang dashed over. Liu Yunzheng asked, "Have you seen your Senior Sister Chu?" Xiao Chen too walked over. "I haven''t seen her today either."


    She would be the next to go. Liu Yunzheng became more and more anxious, even a little angry. He said to the few disciples beside him, "Go and search her out now!"


    Gu Hanxuan answered, "I''m afraid it might be too late." He cast a glance at the Wind Floating Platform. The presiding officers were already quite impatient. He had to take part in the next duel and could not stand in for Chu Lingjiao.


    The surrounding company all started to talk among themselves. Many cast a look in the Teal Jade Sect''s direction. Liu Yunzheng flicked his sleeve. "Ai! She... why has she gone away at this moment?"


    Liu Fenghuang said, "Why don''t I compete on Senior Sister Chu''s behalf?" She was already at Lvl 3 Foundation Building Realm. Although Qian Yeli was already at Lvl 7, he had exerted much during his last few duels. If Liu Fenghuang won this duel, even if she lost later, Chu Lingjiao could still compete the next day.


    Liu Yunzheng said, "I''d rather let your Senior Sister Shen go instead!" Liu Fenghuang grinned. "It''s alright, Dad. You must believe me!" With these words, she swept a gaze at Xiao Chen from the corners of her eyes. Then, she stayed on no longer and soared up to the Wind Floating Platform.


    "I will fight this duel on Senior Sister Chu''s behalf!"


    Xiao Chen watched her faint figure and felt vaguely that she had fought on Chu Lingjiao''s behalf because she preferred not to stay with him. Although Qian Yeli''s cultivation was higher, he had exerted too much energy in the last few duels. There should be no problem.


    At this moment, a nonchalant voice rang out. "Junior Brother Qianye, you are tired. Go down and take a rest. I shall fight this duel." Before his voice had settled, a figure had landed on the platform.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. Bad news! It was Ling Yingfeng, whose cultivation was at the Peak of Lvl 9, Foundation Building Realm. He might even have broken into the Core Forming Realm. Xiao Chen felt that this man''s gaze was icy, as if aiming revenge on himself!

 Chapter 98 A Crushing Defea

    t


    The rules of the competition stated that victors did not need to continue. They could choose to step down and rest, only returning to the platform for the final duel.


    Qian Yeli nodded. "In that case, I will leave this duel to Senior Brother Ling." After this, his figure shifted and he drifted down the platform.


    The crowds were still deep in discussion. One was at the first stages of the Foundation Building Realm. The other, its Peak. It was a total mismatch. She had better admit defeat.


    Ling Yingfeng smiled quietly. "After you, Junior Sister Liu." As he spoke, he gazed over to Xiao Chen either intentionally or unintentionally.


    Liu Fenghuang gave a clear shout. She brandished her Immortal''s Sword and hacked at him. Ling Yingfeng lightly flicked at the blade and sent it flying backward. Everyone below gasped. There was no way she could defeat him!


    Still, Liu Fenghuang did not give up. Once again, she executed the skills of the Teal Jade Sect. Suddenly from the mid-air came countless sword shadows, like a shower of swords raining on Ling Yingfeng. This was originally the sect''s superior sword skill. Liu Fenghuang did not executely it poorly, but the gap between them was too great. Ling Yingfeng chanted incantations a little and erected a golden barrier around himself. Instantly, those countless sword shadows vanished into nothingness.


    After 30 minutes, Liu Fenghuang was utterly breathless and yet she could not hurt Ling Yingfeng even a bit. All the onlookers were wondering to themselves: Ling Yingfeng could have easily defeated her. Why did he only defend and not attack?


    Suddenly, at the periphery of the Wind Floating Platform soared light columns into the sky. The light columns were linked by a indistinct light screen. Ling Yingfeng had set up a formation and sealed up the Wind Floating Platform. Right now, no one from the outside could enter, nor could anyone escape from within. Yet the competition rules only stipulated a win for the one who threw his opponent down the platform. What did Ling Yingfeng mean by this?


    Oh dear! Xiao Chen vaguely detected something and shouted, "Senior Sister Liu! Get off the platform and admit defeat now!" It was too late. Ling Yingfeng streaked like a shadow toward Liu Fenghuang and she could not evade his attack. With a loud boom, she was thrown backward, slamming against the light screen at the edge of the Wind Floating Platform, then bouncing back in.


    "Poom!" There was another loud thud. Liu Fenghuang''s belly had been kicked by Ling Yingfeng. Her feeble body flew away uncontrollably.


    Before the crowd could react, Ling Yingfeng placed his foot on Liu Fenghuang''s back from mid-air. Everyone could hear the sound of bones crushing. Liu Yunzheng turned completely pale. "Stop!" He was about to dash up the platform when the voice of the presiding officer resounded. "Sect Leader Liu! I''m sure you know the competition rules!"


    This man was in the later stages of the Core Forming Realm. His voice was naturally very intimidating. The rules of the competition permitted no intervention by anyone unless a competitor admitted defeat or was thrown down the platform. Yet, right now, Ling Yingfeng had sealed off the Wind Floating Platform. Obviously, he wanted to torment Liu Fenghuang.


    Although Xiao Chen did not know any emnity between the two, he knew that Ling Yingfeng was simply showing off to him. With every attack on Liu Fenghuang, he would smirk coldly at Xiao Chen. He wanted him to witness Liu Fenghuang''s excruciating torments, to avenge his brother Ling Yuxuan at the Skygale Sect in the Human World.


    "Stop at once, Ling Yingfeng! Come after me tomorrow if you have the guts!" It was Xiao Chen who had roared out this time. Ling Yingfeng continued smirking and pretended not to hear. He unleashed another fist on Liu Fenghuang''s abdomen.


    "Puff!" Liu Fenghuang spew a mouthful of blood. She could not even talk, let alone defend herself. As she tottered unsteadily, Ling Yingfeng gave her another kick. She soared backward and again, dashed herself against the periphery light screen, bouncing back.


    "Stop! We admit defeat, admit defeat!" Liu Yunzheng''s enraged eyes were about to tear open. The rules of the competition, however, stipulated that only a competitor could admit defeat. The others had no right to speak for them.


    At this moment, Ling Yingfeng did not give Liu Fenghuang even a chance to admit defeat. He poked wildly around her body and sealed her speech acupuncture point.


    He smirked coldly at Xiao Chen and suddenly started to hit Liu Fenghuang'' major acupoints. He was trying to destroy the foundation of her cultivation and maim her for life.


    Liu Fenghuang''s face showed extreme pain. She kept throwing out blood but could not cry out. The presiding officers on the platform frowned. "Should we go down to intervene?"


    Yet the rules of the competition forbid any external intervention. This rule had never been broken before in the past century. Just as they were still hesitating, a dragon roar suddenly resounded. Two blue ice dragons soared up to the platform and instantly broke through the barrier formation at the periphery. A figure streaked up.


    It was Xiao Chen. He executed another Water Dragon Roar at Ling Yingfeng. His other arm grabbed Liu Fenghuang and they soared down the platform together. Once below, he immediately imparted True Energy into her body.


    Liu Fenghuang''s body was now drenched in blood as she collapsed limp into his arms. Her breath was extremely shallow. Liu Yunzheng soon came and took out a jade bottle from his robe linings. He poured all the pills into her mouth.


    "Oh, no! She is too badly injured! Get Senior Sister Luo here!" He glanced in all directions but could find no trace of Luo Shangyan anywhere.


    "Miss Luo is in the palace! She isn''t out yet!"


    "Go back to the palace!"


    Right now, Xiao Chen could not be bothered about the duels. He left quickly with Liu Yunzheng to the palace to find Luo Shangyan. Luo Shangyan was surprised. "Why was she so badly injured?"


    "Don''t ask, Miss Luo! Save my daughter, quick!"


    Luo Shangyan did not ask more. She started to treat her. After four hours, Liu Fenghuang recovered a little. By now, all the others had returned to the palace. Unquestionably, the Zhou State must have suffered a crushing defeat today. Even Gu Hanxuan had not beat Ling Yingfeng.


    Chu Lingjiao returned from nowhere. Liu Yunzheng was too concerned about Liu Fenghuang''s injury to question and reprimand her. Xiao Chen, however, could vaguely guess her schemes a little.


    Night was falling. Luo Shangyan was too exhausted and went back to rest. Xiao Chen continued staying by Liu Fenghuang''s bed.


    "Junior Brother Han... will I still be able to practice in the future... ?" After Luo Shangyan''s afternoon treatment, Liu Fenghuang had recovered somewhat. She was still unable to mobilize her inner strength. She fell into his arms and wept.


    Xiao Chen caressed her back gently and said in a soft voice, "You will. Don''t let your thoughts go wild. Senior Sister Luo will come again. She says it will only take one or two days to treat you." His eyes gleamed coldly as he said this. Ling Yingfeng, I will let you pay for this!


    Liu Fenghuang continued to sob. After a long time, the door suddenly opened. Luo Shangyan stood by the door, staring blankly at them. Liu Fenghuang quickly pushed Xiao Chen aside upon seeing her enter.


    Xiao Chen got up and said, "Senior Sister Luo, sorry to trouble you." Luo Shangyan nodded but did not speak. Xiao Chen continued, "I must return now. I won''t be back." He stared at Liu Fenghuang again before leaving the room.


    After leaving, he did not return to the lodge at once. Instead, he went to Chu Lingjiao''s place.


    "Where did you go in the day?"


    Chu Lingjiao smiled lightly. "What''s wrong? Are you aching for your dear Senior Sister Liu?"


    "You have been her Senior Sister for years. Aren''t you concerned about her at all?"


    Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly, wiping the sword in her hand. "I am concerned about the divine zither. Why should I care about her?"


    Xiao Chen said coldly, "You deliberately disappeared today so that she could fight in your stead? And get injured?"


    Chu Lingjiao gave a titter. She seemed to have overheard the most amusing joke. She laughed. "Let her fight in my stead? You think I''m as crazy as you, to play such childish tricks?"


    "Hmmph!" Xiao Chen flicked his robe sleeve angrily and was about to go, when Chu Lingjiao called out after him. "There''s one day more. You''d better not try anything stupid. Follow all my plans."


    "You don''t have to remind me!" Xiao Chen remarked coldly and left.

 Chapter 99 Battling Ling Yingfeng

    The third day''s competition would be the most tense. On this day, storm clouds congregated in the sky. It was almost as if the dark clouds were oppressing the city, trying to shatter it.


    This round determined who the final victor of the Immortals League Competition would be. It decided the master of the Spiritual Meridian. Due to their defeat the day before, Yu Wenji and the rest wore a solemn expression. They all went to the Wind Floating Platform to await the day''s first duel.


    Right now, the most powerful competitor from the Zhou State was Ye Wuhen, at the first stages of the Core Forming Realm. Only Xiao Chen was left from the Teal Jade Sect. The better fighters from the Qing State, however, had not yet competed. The Zhou State''s predicament was not optimistic.


    As the Sword Qi soared into the air, two human figures shifted and went up the platform. The Zhou State sent out Xiao Chen. Qian Yeli would have fought for the Qing State, but the one standing on the platform right now was Ling Yingfeng. He smiled nonchalantly. "Junior Brother Qianye has something on. We will switch places. I''m sure you won''t object to this arrangement, Junior Brother Han."


    Xiao Chen said coldly, "This suits me well!"


    It was actually an oppressive day. The onlookers below were suffering from spells of low spirits. This duel immediately roused them. One was a famous Heaven List Cultivator, the other a mysterious dark horse and this year''s upstart. Who would emerge the winner? Many people started to cheer loudly.


    Ling Yingfeng smiled lightly and said, "Did you enjoy yesterday''s duel?"


    Xiao Chen''s finger joints started to crack as he remarked coldly, "Why talk so much? Let''s fight!" With these words, he unleashed a Cyan Dragon Roar at the man.


    The dragon roar shook the heavens. Ling Yingfeng could sense that its power far exceeded that which he had witnessed in the Human World. He did not dare underestimate it. Instantly, he condensed a Barrier. Unexpectedly, however, his back was kicked and his body slammed forward.


    Astonished gasps rose under the platform. It was a false illusionary move by Xiao Chen. His true form had gone behind him instead. Ling Yingfeng steadied himself and sneered. "How interesting. Your skills have improved."


    "I will repay you with interest for what you did yesterday!" As his voice resounded, he executed the Immortal-override Steps again. In a flash, he had streaked before his opponent. Ling Yingfeng could not tell which was his true form. He hit out a palm behind himself forcefully. Before he had unleashed the palm, however, his left ribcage had been kicked and he lost his balance. Thanks to his high cultivation, he managed to steady himself at once. However, he did not expect Xiao Chen to kick him again, sending him into the air.


    Unceasing gasps broke out from below. Three consecutive attacking moves, and a Heaven List Cultivator could not reply! They did not know that Xiao Chen had already executed his Immortal-override Steps to the extreme. He knew that his inner strength could not match Ling Yingfeng''s at the Peak of the Foundation Building Realm. He could only win using the peculiar movements of the Immortal-override Steps.


    However, in doing so, he could not deploy his True Energy for other magic spells. His attacking prowess was greatly compromised. Although the three attacks seemed ferocious, they did not constitute much damage to Ling Yingfeng.


    Ling Yingfeng steadied himself and his gaze turned gradually cold. Although he was not seriously hurt, Xiao Chen had made him look bad. He cried in a deep voice, "Lad, it''s all ending now!" With these words, he moved both hands to cast a spell. Instantly, his body was enwrapped in a golden sheen, lighting up the dark surroundings.


    The raging wind began to howl. The surrounding True Energy started to fluctuate. Ling Yingfeng seemed to merge into a streak of lightning, bolting immediately toward Xiao Chen to assault. Xiao Chen did not dodge. Their palms clashed directly as heaven and earth changed complexions. The entire Wind Floating Platform quaked. Below them, many were feeling the force. So these two men were getting serious! They all began retreating backward for fear of getting hit.


    "Poom!" There was another massive thud. The Wind Floating Platform shook again, as if it was collapsing. The True Energy from its surroundings tremored unceasingly and turned into a chilling strong wind, whipping the faces of close bystanders.


    Xiao Chen had mobilized his True Energy to its extreme. After two palm blows, he felt his Qi weaken. The other man''s cultivation exceeded his by too much. It was a most unwise tactic to fight directly. Ling Yingfeng stood composed on the ground and sneered. "What''s wrong? Are you losing steam already?"


    Xiao Chen did not answer. He soared up with a powerful leap 100 meters into the air. Dragon Roars were heard resounding in the sky, as a dazzling white radiance enveloped Xiao Chen''s entire body. He appeared like a war deity, accompanied by golden dragon images. Like a meteor, he streaked down upon Ling Yingfeng on the ground.


    Helped by his upward leap, he had executed the Dragon Roar Palm to the extreme. Below him, all the people exhaled a cold breath. If he hit down, wouldn''t the entire Wind Floating Platform be wrecked? Even the presiding officers on the higher platforms felt its terrible force. Yu Wenmu and Princess Xuanyue combined their forces and erected a Barrier to shield Yu Wenji and his Empress.


    Ling Yingfeng frowned somewhat. His opponent''s palm strength loomed over the entire Wind Floating Platform and there was no place to hide. Suddenly, his hands began to move as he cast a spell. A light screen emerged above his head. Below it, faint talismanic inscriptions scrambled. By now, Xiao Chen''s palm strength had landed. There was a clamorous boom. The entire Wind Floating Platform started to quake. Faint cracks began to appear at certain spots.


    The powerful force overwhelmed the place. The entire Wind Floating Platform was shrouded in smoke and dust. Wild gales blew under the platform. Many could not open their eyes. After a long while, the dust and smoke finally dissipated. Xiao Chen was still midway in the stance of striking his palm down from the air, while Ling Yingfeng was trying desperately to keep his light screen from shattering.


    Suddenly, there was a crisp, clear sound. The light screen above Ling Yingfeng''s head had shattered. Sparks showered down like raining stars everywhere. The light screen was the Ling Family''s most formidable Big Dipper Barrier, but it had been shattered into smithereens by Xiao Chen''s palm blow.


    Ling Yingfeng''s countenance turned ghastly pale. Although the Big Dipper Barrier had shielded him, he felt Xiao Chen''s shattering palm had churned all the blood and Qi within himself. He bellowed and sent his True Energy surging, throwing Xiao Chen out in the process.


    Xiao Chen landed and steadied himself. A streak of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a momentary boom. Soon, dense raindrops the size of soy beans began to fall.


    It was raining! Both men on the platform were soon completely drenched. The onlookers below forgot to look for a place to take shelter. Those with umbrellas put them up; the rest condensed a Qi shield above their heads.


    "Lad, you are very strong. Unfortunately, you met me! I don''t believe you can execute the Ancient Forbidden Arts today!" Ling Yingfeng''s gaze was icy, as he enunciated each word clearly.


    Xiao Chen was completely drenched. The hair from his temple stuck to his face and rain trickled relentlessly down his chin. That palm was already the greatest attacking move he could muster. Yet it could only break through Ling Yingfeng''s shield... unless he executed Dragon''s Wrath.


    He was not certain whether he could execute Dragon''s Wrath completely. If his attempt resembled the last time when he failed, he would be unable to avenge Senior Sister Liu and might even end up like her after exerting all his True Qi.


    Right now, he was struggling internally. This battle would decide not only if he could avenge Liu Fenghuang, but also the state''s victory. He knew what to do later, but for the moment, he could only help the Teal Jade Sect win this duel, and the Zhou State win the Immortals League Competition. He needed to pacify the Zhou Emperor so that he would not get too mad at the Teal Jade Sect later.


    "Come! Let me see an ant''s greatest power!" Ling Yingfeng broke his line of thoughts. He assaulted like a streak of lightning. Xiao Chen mobilized his energy and forced it out. Their palms clashed and a huge boom resounded. Even the raindrops in the air were vaporized by their palm strengths.


    Their strokes became swifter and more powerful. They mobilized their True Energy to the extreme. The mists on the platform grew thicker as more raindrops became vaporized. A moment later, a white fog had enveloped the platform. No one could see the two. They could only hear sounds emerging from the fog.


    Countless people started discussing. This was the first time such a thing had happened. Right now, no one could see the battle situation. The presiding officers on the high platforms stared at one another. Some shook their heads, others nodded. No one knew what they were saying. Perhaps it was to decide whether to halt the competition and continue after the rain.


    Just when a presiding officer was about to shout for them to stop, numerous dark clouds began to congregate low in the air. These sudden dark clouds were very different from the storm clouds just now. Everyone stopped their discussions at once, as though sensing an ancient power amid the clouds.


    The presiding officers began to frown. "Where is this force from? Is someone trying to interfere from the outside?"


    More and more dark clouds gathered and they edged down lower and lower. Suddenly, a massive dragon head appeared in their midst, its eyes bulging angrily, eyeing all the people. Everyone panicked. "A dragon! It''s a dragon! How come a dragon is here?"


    Everyone was quite awed by the dragon, an ancient life form known only in mythology. Only a few presiding officers with higher cultivations knew that someone had employed mystic arts. The dragon was an illusion, not a true form.


    Suddenly, fierce gales began to rage. The vapors on the platform dissipated. Everyone could now see clearly what was on the platform.


    They saw Xiao Chen mumbling incantations, and an immobilized Ling Yingfeng trapped seemingly by some mystic arts. Although the Dragon''s Wrath was very powerful, its force could be broken when executed for too long. Xiao Chen decided to burn his boats. On one hand, he executed the Dragon''s Wrath; on the other, he tried to temporarily trap his opponent with the Mystic Cyan Seal.


    All of a sudden, that great dragon roared from the clouds and started to swoop down at Ling Yingfeng. Those below the platform began to yell and gasp. "An Ancient Forbidden Art! So he is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan! Their disciple!"


    The Ancient Immortal Clan! How this name evoked awe! According to legend, most Immortals and Devils perished during an ancient war, leaving only a small number who survived. They were now called the Ancient Immortal Clan. Their magic arts were infinitely subtle, their cultivations profound and unfathomable.


    The Ancient Immortals rarely appeared amongst mortals. Their emergence today would surely cause an upheaval in the entire Violet Manor. For a long time, there was the saying, "When the feather surfaces, none dares to defy it."


    It was said that a certain sect of the Ancient Immortal Clan would send out disciples to prepare for an Immortal''s Practice Conference. The token for the others to assemble was a feather. Any sect defying this token and failing to attend would pay the price.


    Xuanyue''s expression became more and more solemn. Even she had not seen before the magic spells Xiao Chen was executing right now.


    On the platform, Ling Yingfeng''s eyes bulged wide. "I don''t believe! I don''t believe you can execute an Ancient Forbidden Art!" Saying this, he broke free from the seal and soared down the platform, launching himself on his tiptoes. When he reached to the periphery, however, he suddenly bounced back upon encountering a Barrier.


    It was the Barrier Formation erected by Xiao Chen. He said icily, "I''ve told you! Today, you will pay back with interest what you did to Senior Sister Liu yesterday!"


    "Dragon''s Wrath!"


    Everyone was left breathless by this terrible suppressing force. The massive dragon finally landed. WIth a mighty crash, the entire Wind Floating Platform collapsed. Pebbles broke loose everywhere. The crowd all condensed Barriers to shield themselves from the larger stone pebbles straying out from the Wind Floating Platform.

 Chapter 100 Leng Ningfeng

    When the smoke and dust had settled, the rain stopped too. The storm clouds dispersed and the sky was clear for thousands of kilometers. Rays of golden light shone down. A rainbow arched in the horizon.


    Xiao Chen stepped toward Ling Yingfeng lying in the rubble. His gaze was icy like a cold sword.


    Ling Yingfeng was already badly injured. Blood gushed out from his mouth. He was about to utter the words, "I admit defeat" when Xiao Chen stabbed a few fingers at his body, sealing his speech acupoint.


    "You want to admit defeat? That''s too easy!" Xiao Chen suddenly trampled a foot heavily on his face. Ling Yingfeng''s face was covered with blood. He clenched his teeth. "Lad... there will be no place for you in Violet Manor in the future!"


    "The Ling family? What''s so great about that?" After these words, he stamped another foot on his shoulder. "Crack!" He seemed to have crushed his shoulder blade.


    "What a pity Senior Sister Liu isn''t here to see this for herself!" He raised another foot and trod on his other shoulder.


    Two shoulder blades completely crushed. Ling Yingfeng shrieked hideously. He could not utter the words "I admit defeat." Most of the onlookers could guess that Xiao Chen was taking revenge. Some blamed him for his cruelty, others started to cheer.


    On the high platforms, the presiding officers exchanged stares amd nodded. One yelled, "Enough! Han Chen has won this duel!"


    One must stop the moment the presiding officer ordered him to, or it would be considered an infringement. Below, two figures whizzed up and supported Ling Yingfeng away. One of them turned back his head and said coldly, "You got guts!"


    Xiao Chen ignored him. He had exerted too much energy and found it tiring even to speak now.


    Since the Wind Floating Platform had been wrecked, they had to switch to another venue for the next duels. Xiao Chen was sent away to rest. If all the Zhou competitors lost in their subsequent duels, he could still compete in the final duel.


    The duels did not halt today at noon, but continued until three in the afternoon. WIthout Ling Yingfeng, the Qing State lost almost every match thereafter. They only won when a Heaven List Cultivator appeared, but the man was later defeated by Ye Wuhen in the Core Forming Realm.


    Right now, over at the Zhou side, only Ye Wuhen and Xiao Chen remained. A mysterious competitor had not fought for the Qing State. Xiao Chen''s heart turned heavy as he remembered the aforementioned None-flower Dust. If he was as described by hearsay, Xiao Chen would not be able to defeat him, even with the help of the Fuxi Zither.


    Suddenly, a cyan figure shifted and a figure landed on the platform. After that came a frivolous voice. "Oh ho, looks like I must show off my skills after all... "


    Xiao Chen focused his gaze and found a man with a devil-may-care expression on his face. Was this None-flower Dust? His cultivation seemed to be only in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm, not as terrifying as rumored. So the top ten on the Heaven List was just so-so!


    At this moment, the crowds began to boil over with excitement. The Zhou competitors raised clenched fists to object. "Is that Leng Ningfeng from the Wuwang Wind Cloud City? How can the Wuwang Wind Cloud City be considered part of the Qing State?"


    Xiao Chen was slightly surprised. Wasn''t this man None-flower Dust? He asked Liu Yunzheng beside him, "Master, who is that man?"


    Liu Yunzheng gazed at the platform with a worried look. "Leng Ningfeng from the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. He is ranked No. 12 on the Heaven List..." With that, he turned and looked at Xiao Chen. "Are you confident of defeating him?"


    Xiao Chen pondered for a while and nodded. He thought that this man''s cultivation was only in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm. He could still win with the Fuxi Zither string.


    The discussions among the crowds became louder and louder. Leng Ningfeng smiled frivolously. "Looks like some people don''t welcome me. Had I known this, I wouldn''t have come... "


    At this moment, the Qing ambassador stood up. "Although Wuwang City is an independent city, it still lies within the boundaries of our Qing State. How can he not count?"


    His words were impossible for anyone to refute. Wuwang Wind Cloud City did indeed lie within the Qing State. It was not under its control, however.


    Leng Ningfeng laughed lightly. "Alright, alright! Don''t argue!" He turned back his head and looked at Ye Wuhen, smiling. "How many moves do you want me to concede you? Ten? Twenty?"


    His words meant he was completely slighting Ye Wuhen. Ye Wuhen was among the top 20 cultivators on the Heaven List and was conceited. He said coldly, "Not even one! After you!"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled. "You mean it? Here I come!" As his words fell, his body suddenly disappeared from where it was. The next moment, he had already appeared before Ye Wuhen. He struck out a palm. His gentle palm blow threw Ye Wuhen backward, vomitting blood. He could no longer stand.


    The whole place became totally silent. Everyone gaped with staring eyes. Ye Wuhen had collapsed under the platform and was throwing up blood continuously. After some time, the Penglai Islanders finally came to themselves and helped him away.


    The Zhou State had been totally defeated. Yu Wenji''s face darkened rapidly. At long last, they would lose the Earth Spiritual Meridian. Just when the presiding officer was about to announce the victory, a distinct voice resounded. "There''s still me!"


    The crowd glanced in the direction of the voice. They finally recalled Xiao Chen, who had won the first duel. The rules stipulated that he could still fight the last. A glimmer of hope began to surge on the Zhou side.


    Liu Yunzheng said no more. He handed the Fuxi Zither over and the Jade Zither materialized. Xiao Chen stood on his toes and soared up the platform.


    The crowds began to shout loudly and cheer him on. The gloom on Yu Wenji''s face lightened a little. Leng Ningfeng smiled. "The Divine Archean Zither? Ho ho, I am quite interested."


    Xiao Chen said quietly, "You''d better not get too interested. Perhaps I will disappoint you." Leng Ningfeng smiled lightly. "Oh? You two speak in remarkably similar ways. Well, the Spiritual Meridian from the Zhou State is something we want. If you prefer to come looking for death, I cannot help you."


    Xiao Chen pondered. Why did Wuwang City want the Earth Spiritual Meridian? He smiled indifferently. "Brother Leng''s cultivation surpasses mine by too much. How about conceding a move or so to me?"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled lightly. "For the sake of the divine zither, I shall concede you three moves." As his words fell, the ambassador from the Qing State immediately shouted. "Leng Ningfeng, finish the fight quickly! Don''t delay official business!"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled faintly. "It doesn''t matter. I''d like to see what''s so great about this divine zither." When he finished, he made a gesture of "After you" to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen smiled indifferently. "Then watch!" He leapt backward nearly 20 meters and plucked the C Major string. Rays of white radiance emerged as wild gales swarmed the platform and under. All the True Energy from kilometers away to converge here.


    The entire land began to quake. The Jade Zither in Xiao Chen''s hands became dazzling bright, emitting a colorful radiance. Even his body appeared like a heavenly deity through the reflected light, almost overpowering the sun in heaven.


    Terrifying power began to gather infinitely. Even the presiding officers on the high platform began to pale. It was nearing the power of a Nascent Soul! They had not expected anyone to exert the potential of the Divine Archean Zither of the Teal Jade Sect to such a degree. For a brief moment, everyone was flabbergasted.


    The smile on Leng Ningfeng''s face had long vanished. He began to frown deeper and deeper. He had not expected the zither to show such great powers in his opponent''s hands. Yet, since he had agreed, he could only defend and not attack. He condensed a force out from his fingertip and started to draw a formation on the ground. From that formation came a condensed Barrier, wrapping him in its midst.


    "Zheng!" A zither note sounded. Xiao Chen finally let the string loose. A sound wave turned into a white radiance, several kilometers wide, aimed toward Leng Ningfeng in assault. Everywhere it went, it sent pebbles flying. Its unrivaled power quaked the earth incessantly. Those nearby had already hidden themselves in the distance.


    The substantial sound wave hit Leng Ningfeng''s body and instantly broke through his Barrier. His attire had torn somewhat and the ground below him cracked. Yet he still stood where he was, immobile. He had not toppled over.


    "Impossible!" Astonished gasps arose from all directions. The zither note just now could heavily injure any Core Forming Realm Cultivator. Yet why did he look completely unhurt?


    Xiao Chen was quite puzzled too. He was not wondering why his zither note had not hurt him, but why there was a fluctuating Devil Qi from the man when he sounded the note. This Devil Qi was very peculiar, carrying in it a faint whiff of Immortal Qi.


    The man was a Fallen Devil!


    A Fallen Devil was a Cultivator who had been infected by Devil Qi, or had strayed into the Devil''s Practice for some reason. He would possess the strengths of both an Immortal and a Devil.

 Chapter 101 Winning the Honor

    In the distance, the Qing ambassador saw that both men had stopped. He yelled, "Why are you standing still? Defeat him quickly!"


    Leng Ningfeng stretched out his hand and stared coldly at Xiao Chen. "I have told you I will concede you three moves! There are two more! After you!"


    Xiao Chen gave a little start. If he had sneaked an attack on Xiao Chen, he would have caught him unawares. Although he was a Fallen Devil, why did he sense that this man prefered not to associate with despicable people?


    However, he ought not worry about this man''s character now but how he should play his next two notes. That earlier string pluck had exerted almost half his True Qi. If he could not vanquish him with his next two plucks, he would surely lose.


    "Why? Have you run out of energy to pluck your zither strings?" Leng Ningfeng smiled faintly upon seeing him freeze by the zither.


    Xiao Chen ignored him and settled his Qi to his abdomen''s elixir field. He placed two fingers again on the zither string. True Energy started to fluctuate all around. Surprised gasps rose from under the platform. "Is he plucking the second string?" The Qing side were extremely anxious. They yelled, "Leng Ningfeng! Why are you standing still?"


    Xiao Chen understood that with his second pluck he would exert almost all his True Qi. If he could not uproot him, it would be the same for the final pluck. Was he only capable of unleashing the Fuxi Zither''s potential this much?


    As he pondered, he released the zither string. Immediately, a powerful force hurtled over, causing further cracks to the platform. Yet Leng Ningfeng still stood rooted to the spot. Although he seemed a little injured, his injury was not serious.


    "One final pluck. If you can''t kill me, the one to fall will be you."


    Xiao Chen kept panting. The two string plucks had exerted too much of his True Energy. If he plucked again, he would fall down without the other man retaliating. This man exhibited the strengths of both Immortals and Devils. Was he only a middle-stage Core Forming Realm Cultivator?


    Outside, Liu Yunzheng and the rest looked solemn. If this final string pluck could not down Leng Ningfeng, the Zhou State would surely be beaten. Looking at Xiao Chen now, he seemed to lack the energy to send out his third note.


    Just at this moment, Xiao Chen was seen leaping into the air. He plucked a zither string facing the duel platform. This was beyond everyone''s expectations. What was he trying to do?


    Incessant booms resounded. The duel platform was about three meters high. The tremendous force now disintegrated it into smithereens. Before the crowds could react, Xiao Chen played another zither note. He plucked this string with every ounce of his energy at Leng Ningfeng.


    There was merely a brief instant between the two notes. The platform suddenly collapsed. Leng Ningfeng''s body suspended in mid-air as the power of the divine zither assailed him. He raised his arms and struck back forcefully. However, he had no concrete backing to help his strike. His entire body was thrown dozens of meters backward.


    Xiao Chen landed on the same spot on the platform. His pallor was extreme and he seemed to have used up all his internal True Qi. Leng Ningfeng, on the other hand, had crashed outside the duel platform.


    "I don''t need to make you collapse. I just need to hurl you off the platform."


    The crowds finally understood. He had taken advantage of the competition rule stating that a competitor would be the loser once he landed outside the platform. Hence, the strike to throw his opponent off. Although this was opportunistic guile, they must still consider him the winner.


    Leng Ningfeng smiled faintly. "I''ve underestimated you, lad! Very well! Since I can concede you three moves, I can afford to lose as well. I hope to see you again in the future!" With these words, he gave his sleeve a downward flick and suddenly disappeared.


    The Zhou side immediately started to rejoice wildly. The gloom on the faces of Yu Wenji and his men lifted as they guffawed continuously. The Qing competitors did not concede defeat. They all rose and yelled, "Obviously, he had used some outside item to assist him! You can''t count this duel!"


    The crowds quietened down. The rules of the competition stipulated that no one could compete with the help of an outside item, mainly referring to pills. Yet this rule also disqualified the use of divine weapons, they reasoned. In other words, the rule would disqualify Xiao Chen''s Fuxi Zither string.


    The Qing side began to clamor, while the retorting voices on the Zhou side gradually weakened. They made a strong case out of it. If he had not used the Divine Archean Zither, Xiao Chen might not have survived three moves.


    Suddenly from amongst the crowd came a stirring, sonorous voice. "I have already passed down my divine zither to my disciple Han Chen. It now counts as his personal magic weapon. So how can it be an outside item?"


    Xiao Chen turned his head and gazed over. It was Liu Yunzheng stepping out. Every cultivator had a choice of his own weapon. Most of them chose Immortal''s Swords, but some others preferred something rare and peculiar. He made everything sound reasonable. Gradually, the dissenting voices from the Qing side were silenced.


    Xiao Chen could vaguely sense that Chu Lingjiao had got someone to incense the Qing competitors, forcing Liu Yunzheng to reveal this secret. Liu Yunzheng would have no more reason to reclaim the divine zither after that. These were all part of her ploy. Just as well though; this suited Xiao Chen.


    What followed would be the matter concerning Luo Shangyan. If he could keep her from marrying Yu Wenmu, he would not need to run away from the Zhou State or implicate the Teal Jade Sect. Now, he no longer needed to leave the sect, since the zither string was already in his hands. He had won great honor for the state; it now depended on the Emperor to grant his request.


    In the evening, dance and songs continued uninterrupted in the palace. It was a scene of bustle and excitement. Other than Zhang Qinglian, who had left with his disciples claiming an urgent sect matter at home, the other Sect Leaders had all congregated in the hall.


    Yu Wenji''s face lit up with joy. "Everyone has worked hard in the past three days. Your support is a blessing from Heaven... " He kept mouthing compliments and his eyes finally landed on Xiao Chen. "Of course, Young Master Han is one astonishing talent... "


    After his words, Xiao Chen did not want to make himself look too modest. It was true he had turned the tide on the first and third days. Otherwise, they would have lost all three rounds as well as the Spiritual Meridian. They would have lost much face and the surrounding states would be eager to trouble them. It would mean endless warfare for the Zhou State.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and rose to cup his fists. "Thank you, Your Majesty for your care and concern. I still have that same request. I beg Your Majesty to marry Miss Luo to me... "


    With these words, the atmosphere in the hall froze as in the last time. Yet faintly, there seemed a difference. No one dared to comment about Xiao Chen now.


    Yu Wenji too smiled. "There''s no hurry. Why don''t we talk about this again after tomorrow''s victory banquet?" As the sovereign of this state, it took a lot for him to concede so politely. He knew that if he fell out with Xiao Chen now, the other sects would be unhappy. They might not assist him at the next Immortals League Competition.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "In that case, let me thank Your Majesty first." Then, he sat lightly back on his seat.


    Liu Yunzheng knitted his brows deeply. He said no more. Chu Lingjiao''s gaze was so cold that it terrified everyone who saw her. Yu Wenmu was infuriated but kept his anger well hidden.


    After the banquet, Xiao Chen returned to his lodge. Just when he was about to step into his room, he sensed a swift, fierce Sword Qi assailing him from the back. He turned around at once and with his palms, clipped the Immortal''s Sword soaring toward him. A figure entered the courtyard. He frowned and asked, "Did you try to kill me?"


    Chu Lingjiao''s gaze was extremely icy. She edged forward and grabbed her Immortal''s Sword. She asked coldly, "What were you trying to do? You think you can keep Liu Yunzheng from getting implicated through this?"


    "I prefer one less trouble than one more."


    Chu Lingjiao tittered. Then, her gaze turned cold again. "You really think Yu Wenmu is so simple? You will only be alerting them unwisely!"


    Xiao Chen sighed. He said no more. It was true they had an agreement before coming to the palace. Yet, after Liu Yunzheng had blocked off Zhang Qinglian''s palm and nearly died for him, and again when he handed him the divine zither, Xiao Chen had undergone a subtle change. He had not detected the change in himself, but he did not want to implicate the entire Teal Jade Sect just because of Luo Shangyan.


    Seeing him silent, Chu Lingjiao said coldly, "They have kept Luo Shangyan somewhere secret. I''m helping you. You''d better not try anything funny again!" With these words, she shook her robe sleeve, turned and left the courtyard.


    Xiao Chen gazed at the crescent moon in the sky, sighed and returned to his room.


    At this moment, Princess Xuanyue was sitting quietly on the other side of the palace. Yu Wenji paced back and forth in his room, a worried expression on his face. "What now? He has made this request... I can''t agree, can I? I thought he only knew how to play the divine zither. I hadn''t expected the sheer power of his zither. I didn''t know he is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan either, like you say... should I talk to Mu''er?"


    Xuanyue answered, "There''s no need to worry, Father. You can''t agree to his request. It would shame the entire Royal Family. And you ought to know your son''s temper very well."


    "What then? If tomorrow, he... he... Perfected Immortal Zhang isn''t here with us. What shall we do?"


    Yu Wenji''s brows knitted in a deep frown. He was already thinking the worse. If Xiao Chen left the Zhou State because of this, they would lose a remarkable talent... He had a divine zither as well. Leng Ningfeng could withstand him thanks to his mystic arts. Who else from his side could? The rampaging army? They would all be dead the moment his zither note sounded.


    Xuanyue sighed but did not speak. In her mind rose the scene where they sauntered down the imperial gardens together. She did not expect him to be a possible disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan.


    Yu Wenji said, "Shall I get Sect Leader Liu to reclaim his divine zither?" Xuanyue frowned. "Father, are you serious? Sect Leader Liu handed him the divine zither in front of everyone. How can he claim it back now?"


    "Then... then what shall we do?"


    Xuanyue kept silent for a long time. Then she said, "We have no choice but to send someone to the Nanzhan Subcontinent in the night. Invite Third Brother''s Master, Perfected Immortal Liku, over as our guest for a few days... "


    ¡­


    By noon the next day, Xiao Chen had packed everything and was preparing himself to visit the palace hall. It was the day of the Victory Banquet. The Zhou Emperor had disallowed arms into the hall. Even magic treasures in Divine Vessels had to be emptied out. There was no precedent for this. Many sect members were resentful as they emptied out their magic treasures and put away their Immortal''s Swords.


    As he neared the grand hall, two inspecting guards stopped him. "Young Master Han, on His Majesty''s order, you cannot bring magic treasures and weapons into the hall."


    Xiao Chen extended his arms. "I haven''t brought any." The two guards were cultivators and they looked to be a dilemma. "Well... "


    Xiao Chen knew that they wanted to search his Divine Vessel. Although a Divine Vessel could carry items, but it was different from a Violet Manor Nascent Soul. A Violet Manor Nascent Soul could disguise everything within it, but items in a Divine Vessel could be detected using mystic arts. Others could even steal from it while its owner was asleep.


    Xiao Chen nodded and stretched out his arms. "Very well. You may search me."

 Chapter 102 The Banquet at Hong Gate

    "Thank you, Young Master Han, for your kind understanding."


    The guards began to employ their mystic arts to search. After some time, they nodded and smiled. "This way please, Young Master Han." Xiao Chen nodded and strode into the grand hall.


    The Divine Archean Zither was really just a zither string from the Fuxi Zither. Naturally, he could hide it in the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant. When the two guards saw no divine zither in his Divine Vessel, they let him in.


    Liu Fenghuang had almost completely recovered from her injury. She sat beside Liu Yunzheng. Xiao Chen did not see Luo Shangyan. He walked over to the Teal Jade Sect disciples and paid his respect to Liu Yunzheng. "Master." This might be the last time he addressed him thus.


    Liu Yunzheng nodded, smiled and made him sit. After some time, the other sects started to enter and take their places. Finally, Yu Wenji and his Empress, together with Princess Xuanyue, strolled in. Only the Third Prince, Yu Wenmu, was missing.


    The banquet lasted for nearly two hours. The sovereign enjoyed himself with his subordinates. They toasted one another and mingled merrily. 12 ravishing dancers graced the center of the hall. They were not only gorgeous to behold, their dance postures were entrancing, carrying on their bodies a faint, refreshing scent which invigorated the senses. Many young disciples were bewitched. They wanted to edge forward to take in their scent.


    During these two hours, Yu Wenji did not mention Xiao Chen''s request at all. Finally, two persons walked into the hall. It was the Third Prince, Yu Wenmu, accompanied by Luo Shangyan.


    The grand hall quietened down at once. The 12 dancers retreated to one side. Liu Yunzheng''s face began to change color slightly. Luo Shangyan cast a glance at Xiao Chen. She did not look for long, but turned her glance elsewhere instead.


    Yu Wenmu beamed with happiness. He raised a wine goblet and smiled at the company in the hall. "After tonight''s banquet, I hope that the Sect Leaders can stay to attend my wedding with Miss Luo three days later." Then, he downed the wine.


    The atmosphere in the entire hall froze. Yu Wenji and Princess Xuanyue blanched slightly as well. They knew that he tended to go to the extremes, but did not expect him to do this in Xiao Chen''s face. He had totally embarrassed Xiao Chen and was forcing him to revolt.


    When the company finally came to themselves, they all raised their goblets to congratulate him. "Our congratulations to Your Highness, over your marriage with Miss Luo! We wish you two external bliss!"


    The Teal Jade Sect members too stood up, all except Xiao Chen. Liu Yunzheng kept motioning him with his eyes. "Han Chen!"


    Xiao Chen pretended not to hear. He ignored the company holding up their goblets. All at once, everyone''s eyes were upon him. They heard him say quietly, "I''d rather not take the wine."


    The atmosphere turned even more tense. Yu Wenji looked ghastly and embarassed, while Xuanyue said quietly, "Young Master Han, you have rendered us great service at the Immortals League Competition. I have discussed with His Majesty. We will make you a marquis in three days'' time. You will have a city as a gift."


    Ennobled as a marquis and receiving land as a gift! This was such a lavish honor. In other words, decades and even centuries later, there would be another aristocratic family in the land, the Hans. The others were all green with envy.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "I am just a rustic commoner. I do not deserve such great honors. Has Princess Xuanyue forgotten her promise the other day?" As he said this, he cast a nonchalant glance at her.


    Xuanyue did say that he could inform her about which noble lady he had fallen for. She did this merely to win him over. Right now, she really wished that he had fallen for some noblemen''s daughter. Unfortunately, it wasn''t so!


    "A gentle and graceful maiden will always be courted by gentlemen. Young Master Han is still young. I can understand. But Miss Luo knew my third brother before you. Surely, you can''t be so unreasonable, Young Master Han?"


    Xiao Chen gave a loud snicker. Luo Shangyan immediately cast a glance at him and shook her head. She was advising him not to speak. Xiao Chen ignored her. "Unreasonable? He forced her to marry him the moment they met. Was this reasonable? Ho ho! Besides, what made Princess Xuanyue so sure that Miss Luo hadn''t known me first?"


    "Enough!" A cold voice rang out. Yu Wenmu could endure no more. He glared madly at him. "You had merely won at the Immortals League Competition. You think you are someone great? Do you think that without you, Han Chen, our state cannot survive?"


    Xiao Chen''s mind began to replay the scenes when he sneaked into Luo Shangyan''s room. The helplessness in her eyes, the grievance. And her words, "What can you give me instead... "


    He knew nothing he said now mattered. He rose, cast a glance at Luo Shangyan and said quietly, "Senior Sister Luo... "


    Luo Shangyan slowly raised her head and walked over to Yu Wenmu''s side. "I''m sorry, Your Highness." After these words, she strolled lightly over to Xiao Chen. Yu Wenmu was someone eager to win in everything. She had submitted to him to repay Liu Yunzheng''s debt in saving her. She did not want to get the Teal Jade Sect into trouble by rejecting Yu Wenmu. She had also experienced too much. Her heart had gradually turned cold.


    Yet now, the sudden appearance of Xiao Chen reinvigorated her hopes. She knew that even if she gave in to Yu Wenmu, he would not let Xiao Chen off.


    Yu Wenmu''s gaze became colder and colder. "I always get what I want... " Before his speech was over, he had brandished out an icy Immortal''s Sword. The company shuddered. The eyes of Liu Fenghuang gradually reddened, thanks to either the tense atmosphere, or to something else.


    Yu Wenji did not talk them out of a confrontation. He thought that this man was too impudent. Mu''er had to exercise some royal authority. Xiao Chen smiled indifferently. "I''m afraid it''s no longer in your hands, Your Highness."


    "Is that so...?" Yu Wenmu''s eyes turned colder. He strode a few steps forward and suddenly blanched. His Immortal''s Sword gave a clang in the air and fell to the ground.


    The rest of the people were equally stunned. "What happened? Why can''t we mobilize our True Energy?" The faces of Yu Wenji and the others paled. Princess Xuanyue shouted to the outside guards. "Protect His Majesty!" Immediately, a huge company of guards armed with sabers dashed in, some shielding Yu Wenji and his Empress, the rest guarding outside the grand hall.


    Princess Xuanyue''s face took on a deathly white pallor. She said to Xiao Chen, "Han Chen! What are you doing?" Xiao Chen sneered coldly. "You people forced me to. I won you the competition, risking my life. So how did you treat me? By taking precautions against me all the time! And you want Sect Leader Liu to reclaim the divine zither too!"


    When he said this, he snickered. "I just want to show the others this is not a Victory Banquet, but a Banquet at Hong Gate!" With these words, he condensed Qi out from his fingertips and his True Qi soared up to a beam column. A terrible shriek rang out. A man in black fell down from the beam. A bloody cavity was between his brows. He had been slain.


    The faces of everyone instantly turned pale. The Emperor had ordered them to leave their magic treasures and weapons behind, yet he had hidden so many assassins in the hall. The act made many resentful.


    "There are three more!" Xiao Chen exerted his Qi again and three golden radiances streamed up the palace beam once more. "Ch-ch-ch" went the noise. Instantly, they penetrated the skulls of three Foundation Building Realm Cultivators.


    Many had never seen such powerful finger force before. They blanched. "God Slaying Finger! The long-lost God Slaying Finger!"


    "You!" Princess Xuanyue''s face turned deathly pale, looking even more ghastly. She had to glance over to Liu Yunzheng.


    Liu Yunzheng''s countenance had long changed color. "Han Chen! What are you doing?"


    Xiao Chen smirked coldly at him. "Sect Leader Liu, I forgot to tell you, I sneaked into your Teal Jade Sect only to lay my hands on your divine zither." He said this to distance the Sect from him. He did not want to implicate it too far.


    Tears welled up in Liu Fenghuang''s eyes. She asked in a choked voice, "Junior Brother Han, are you telling the truth...?" Xiao Chen sneered coldly. "Liu Fenghuang, you are so naive! Do you think I regard you as my Senior Sister, even though I call you one? I just wanted to win your father''s trust!"


    Liu Fenghuang could help herself no longer. Tears streamed down her eyes. She still mumbled, "I don''t believe, I don''t believe... "


    When the rest in the palace heard that he was an infiltrator into the Teal Jade Sect and would no longer be restrained by Liu Yunzheng, they panicked even more. Since they could no longer mobilize their True Energy, they were no different from ordinary people. He, on the other hand, was holding the divine zither. If he wanted to slay everyone, no one could stop him...


    Suddenly, an icy voice rang out. "Junior Brother Han, time to go." Chu Lingjiao had stood up. Liu Yunzheng stared at her with disbelieving eyes. He mumbled, "Lingjiao, you too... "


    Liu Fenghuang too raised her head. "Senior Sister Chu, are you also... " Chu Lingjiao smiled faintly. "Sect Leader Liu, how does my special Illusive-Immortal Incense smell like?"


    When the company heard the name "Illusive-Immortal Incense", their faces turned as pale as death. Liu Yunzheng''s body started to shiver. "So you are... you are from Heartless Palace!"

 Chapter 103 None-flower Dus

    t


    "Heartless Palace!"


    The name shook everyone''s hearts. The unique Illusive-Immortal Incense from Heartless Palace was different from an ordinary Illusive-Immortal Incense. Once you inhaled it, you would not be able to exert your True Energy for several hours, no matter how highly cultivated you were.


    Suddenly, sword radiances streaked out. The 12 ravishing dancers had reverted to their original attires. The company cried in alarm, "They are really from the Heartless Palace! Really from Heartless Palace!" For a brief moment, everyone felt an imminent disaster about to descend on their heads. Although the Heartless Palace did not belong to the Devil''s Practice, they had no contact with the other sects. Their eccentric temperament meant that their every disciple would kill at the drop of a hat.


    Finally, they realized when they had been poisoned. The wine was laced with the incense, the scent from the dancers'' bodies as well. The poison would take effect the moment Chu Lingjiao chanted the incantation.


    Xiao Chen took out his Fuxi Zither string and glanced at the countless soldiers outside the hall. "Make them all retreat! I don''t want a bloodbath today!" As he spoke, he placed a fingertip on the C Major string. Rays of golden rays surged out at once.


    Xuanyue got up. "Han Chen! Are you going to betray the Zhou State? You should know that numerous Zhou cultivators will come after you even if you managed to leave today!"


    The crowd heard her and their bodies trembled. Was she trying to throw everyone into the fiery pit? If Han Chen decided to kill them, what should they do?


    Xiao Chen sneered coldly. "Thank you for reminding me, Princess Xuanyue." And he aimed the Jade Zither at all the Sect Leaders in the hall. Everyone instantly began to panic. Although they were the heads of their sects, their lives were now hanging on a thread.


    "Han Chen! What are you doing? We haven''t offended you, have we? If you kill us today, don''t expect another day of peace!"


    "Young Master Han, stop at once! The Yongshang Sect will never go against you!"


    "Neither will the Wind Resisting School... "


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and slowly released the zither string. Suddenly, he aimed his clutching fingers at the head of the hall. Xuanyue was instantly drawn to him by a seemingly irresistible force.


    The company in the hall all exhaled a cold breath. Princess Xuanyue was not only alive but quite far away. Yet he could still draw her to him with such practiced skill. This man''s prowess was truly unfathomable.


    "Princess Xuanyue, I happen to have something to inquire of you. Why don''t you leave with me?"


    Xuanyue struggled helplessly and recalled that cultivated, gentle man at dusk the other day. Now, he had completely changed. She glared at him. "Han Chen! You have disappointed me greatly!"


    Yu Wenmu said hatefully, "You''d better release my sister, now! Or I will kill you another day... "


    Before he had finished his words, Xiao Chen focused his sight and started to pluck a zither string lightly at him. A mighty force gushed out, overturning all the fruit plates and wine goblets in the hall. Yu Wenmu crashed brutally on the wall. Even Yu Wenji and his Empress almost toppled over.


    Xuanyue''s face turned pale. "I will leave with you! Don''t hurt them!"


    Xiao Chen did not answer her. Carrying the Fuxi Zither in his arms, he strode out. When they had retreated to the door, Luo Shangyan took out a brocade box from her robes. It was the Core-forming Pill that Yu Wenmu had given her the other day. She left the box on the floor and retreated out of the hall without a word.


    When they saw the group leave, nearly a thousand imperial guards move forward in array. Although Xuanyue had been taken hostage, she was still calm. She shouted to the troops gathering in the square. "Everyone, stay behind and protect His Majesty and the Sect Leaders! Don''t come after us!"


    The troops did not dare disobey. They retreated to the sides, allowing them to pass. Once outside, they retreated westward to the city suburbs. A few from the palace trailed them from a distance. The inhabitants of the city did not know what had happened. They recognized Xiao Chen as the great warrior from the Immortals League Competition. Why was he holding the princess hostage? Curious busybodies followed them from afar.


    Once outside the city, Xuanyue asked coldly, "Where are you taking me?"


    Xiao Chen eyed the surroundings warily. "Naturally, we would like Your Highness to bring us out of the country. And I have one more thing to inquire of you."


    "Han Chen, you still have a chance if you turn back now. But if you insist on betraying the Zhou State... "


    Before she had finished, an old but vigorous voice rang out from the distant horizon. "Young man, it''s best to head back to the shore. Don''t be too stubborn... " Once the voice descended, a sword radiance landed 30 meters away from the company. An old man with white beard and bony, Immortal-like demeanor appeared.


    Xuanyue''s face beamed with joy. "Senior Liku!"


    The night before, the Zhou Emperor had sent men on the swiftest Flying-cloud Stone to fetch him from the Nanzhan Subcontinent. Decades ago, when the Zhou and Qing States were still one, this man was their State Counselor. After the split, he did not stay but left for the Nanzhan Subcontinent to start a new sect. He immersed himself in cultivation and took on the Taoist name of Liku.


    Xiao Chen realized that he was in trouble. This man''s cultivation must be near to the Nascent Soul Realm. Facing someone like him, he knew that even the Fuxi Zither could not move him one bit. He could only use Xuanyue to save his skin. He clutched her throat and said coldly, "I don''t care who you are! Get away at once! Or I will be merciless!"


    By now, Yu Wenji and the others had arrived at the distant city gate. They saw that Perfected Immortal Liku had finally arrived. Yu Wenji shouted, "State Counselor! Save my daughter, quick!"


    Liku nodded slightly at him and turned around. He said to Xiao Chen, "Young friend, since you are a citizen of the Zhou State, how can you be rude to your sovereign? Release Princess Xuanyue at once."


    Xiao Chen did not wish to get into an argument. He shouted, "I want you to go away! Once I am safe, I will naturally release Her Highness... " Before he had finished these words, his arm started to feel numb. Xuanyue had jabbed a finger at him on the sly.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. When did she force the Illusive-Immortal Incense out of her body? He cried out, "Grab her!" It was too late. Xuanyue had wrenched herself free and had streaked away like a sword radiance. She landed beside Liku and saluted him with a bow. "We are sorry to make Your Eminence come out of your retreat."


    Xiao Chen understood that he was in serious trouble. Xuanyue was not incapable at all. She could force the Illusive-Immortal Incense out of her body using mystic arts. Since he no longer had a hostage, he took out the Fuxi Zither string.


    Liku focused his gaze on the half-illusionary, half-substantial Jade Zither in his arms. He asked, "Is this the zither crafted by the Archean Emperor Fuxi, which possesses his divine prowess? It had ended up in the mortal world after the war between the Immortals and the Devils. Are you holding the C Major string in your hand?"


    Xiao Chen heard him explain the Fuxi Zither''s origins and was even more stunned. By his side, Chu Lingjiao was also knitting her brows. She blamed him for what he did days before. Why else would the Zhou State invite this man over? She did not know what to do.


    Liku nodded again. "If you don''t answer me, I take it that I am correct. This zither string belongs to the Zhou State. You''d better return it to its owner."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Unless he woke to find it all a nightmare, he could never hold on to the zither string. If this man took away his zither string, he would not kill him. He would still remember Xiao Chen''s meritorious service in the last few days. Yet to kill him now would be as easy as turning a palm.


    He had finally located this zither string. How could he let him have it now? Just when he was at a loss, someone in the distance started humming a tune. "A blade of flower, a blade of dust, a night shower of flowers leaving no dust... "


    As each word descended, the voice seemed to creep a little closer. With the final word "dust", a man in white appeared in the air.


    This man''s countenance seemed carved out of jade and it was as pretty as a picture. He was a most handsome man of the mortal world. His complexion was as fair as a maiden''s. In his hand was a feather fan with ornamental flowers, as he descended slowly from mid-air. The moment he landed, all the dust on the ground dispersed away.


    Xiao Chen was astounded. Was this man the No. 7 Cultivator None-flower Dust? He could not discern his cultivation at all. Was he here for the zither string?


    Liku gave an expression of slight surprise. Then, he smiled. "Oh? Is this young None-flower? We haven''t met for ten years. How are you?"


    In the distance, the crowds bustled with excitement. Numerous girls gave a scream at the city gate. Was this the most handsome and graceful man in the world, None-flower Dust?


    None-flower Dust smiled faintly and looked at him. His voice was tender as a girl''s. "Oh? Perfected Immortal Liku? Look, it has been ten years. You still look so old and I, so young... "


    Liku glanced at Xuanyue by his side and ordered her to return to the city at once. Then, he smiled again at None-flower Dust. "You are right. Unfortunately, I have something I need to attend to. Why don''t we reminisce again another day?" His body shifted as he streaked toward Xiao Chen.


    A white shadow flashed. None-flower Dust had blocked Liku''s path. He waved the feather fan in his hand gently, smiling nonchalantly. "How can you leave just like that? We have scarcely met. After all, our last fight ten years ago ended in a draw. Why don''t we continue today?"


    All these took place in the blink of an eye. Xiao Chen had not even seen what had happened. None-flower Dust stood rooted to the ground. The figure which had blocked Liku''s path was a double.


    Chu Lingjiao tugged at his robe sleeve, whispering, "Now''s the best time to go!"


    Liku saw that Xiao Chen was about to leave. He yelled out in a deep voice, "We''d better choose another day to reminisce!" His body whizzed and he edged near Xiao Chen. He was about to extend his hand to grab the Jade Zither, when another white shadow stopped him. Yet None-flower Dust seemed still rooted to the spot.


    He could conjure up two separate doubles so quickly, one after the other. Xiao Chen was astonished. How high was his cultivation, really? He could not dwell on this question. Chu Lingjiao pulled him away as they dashed into the forest.


    Behind them, Liku had been detained by None-flower Dust. He could not come after them for the time being. Together with Luo Shangyan and the 12 Heartless Palace disciples, they continued running for 10 kilometers. Xiao Chen had kept his Jade Zither into the Divine Vessel. When he turned back to look, he could no longer see Liku and None-flower Dust. Another girl in red blouse had come after them. It was Liu Fenghuang.


    Liu Fenghuang stared at the two and said in a soft voice, "Junior Brother Han... Senior Sister Chu..." Chu Lingjiao smiled quietly. "Little Fenghuang, are you still addressing me as Senior Sister?"


    Xiao Chen spoke. "Go and wait for me over there. I have something to say to her. I will be there shortly." Chu Lingjiao smiled indifferently. "Hurry up. That None-flower Dust might not be a match for Liku." She glanced at Luo Shangyan. "Let''s go together, Miss Luo."


    Xiao Chen knew that she had made Luo Shangyan accompany her because she feared that he would run off with the zither. He said to Luo Shangyan, "You go too, Senior Sister Luo. I shall be there shortly."


    The others left. Xiao Chen stared at Liu Fenghuang. "I''m sorry I deceived you. My motive all along was the divine zither. I know you won''t believe me, but this divine zither was once my companion many years ago."


    Liu Fenghuang choked back tears. "Junior Brother Han, come back with me. My father won''t blame you... " Xiao Chen sighed. "My surname isn''t Han but Xiao. My real name is Xiao Chen." Then, he took out the dragon pill from the Divine Vessel and handed it to her. "You''d better return this dragon pill to Sect Leader Liu... "


    Liu Fenghuang''s eyes were full of tears. She continued to choke. "Junior Brother Han... "


    Xiao Chen sighed. "Be careful in the future. Don''t trust another person too easily... " He turned to go after these words. After walking 15 meters away, he turned back his head and discovered that she was still standing at the same spot. He said again, "I am going to Jade Qing Sect in the Qing Province. You can look me up if something is up."


    This time, he no longer stopped. He pushed himself forward on his tiptoes. He believed that Liu Fenghuang would not reveal his whereabouts to anyone.

 Chapter 104 The Return to Dragon Meridian Mountains

    Chu Lingjiao and the others were waiting ahead. They had summoned a Flying-cloud Stone. When they saw him, they did not say anything. The company leapt up the Flying-cloud Stone and soared toward Dragon Meridian Mountains.


    At dusk, the Flying-cloud Stone finally landed in the Dragon Meridian Mountains. The company went into the forest below. Chu Lingjiao said, "Well, I have brought your friend out. Can you let me have the divine zither now?"


    Xiao Chen walked to Luo Shangyan''s side and sighed. "Senior Sister Chu, I''m sorry, I cannot let you have the zither."


    "What!" Chu Lingjiao''s countenance changed. The 12 Heartless Palace disciples saw this and instantly surrounded the two.


    "This zither is too important to me. I cannot let Senior Sister Chu have it. But I can do you a favor in future to thank you... "


    Before he had finished, Chu Lingjiao had yelled out coldly. "I don''t need you to do me a favor! I just want the divine zither!" Xiao Chen shook his head. "I''m sorry, I can''t let you have it."


    A murderous intent began to gleam slowly in Chu Lingjiao''s eyes. "You want to go against Heartless Palace? You should know the consequences... " Xiao Chen continued to shake his head. "I wouldn''t dare. But I still cannot let you have the zither."


    Suddenly, an array of sword radiances glittered. The 12 Heartless Palace disciples had brandished out their Immortal''s Swords. Xiao Chen gazed at them and said, "Senior Sister Chu, you should know that I can beat Ling Yingfeng at the Immortals League Competition. I have the divine zither. Do you think you people can beat me?"


    Chu Lingjiao smirked coldly. "Even if we can''t, I gave you three pills days ago. You think they are just antidote pills to the Illusive-Immortal Incense?"


    "I know. That''s why I did not swallow them," Xiao Chen replied nonchalantly. He conjured out something on his palm. They were the three white pills.


    "You!" Chu Lingjiao looked ghastly. For a brief moment, she could not speak.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "I''m sorry, but we need not become enemies." Chu Lingjiao sneered coldly. "An excellent ploy! An excellent ploy indeed!" She waved her robe sleeve disdainfully. "Let''s go!"


    One disciple answered, "But Master has ordered Senior Sister to lay her hands on... " Chu Lingjiao shot her an icy glance. "I said leave! Didn''t you hear?"


    The disciple did not dare disobey her. She cupped her fists slightly. The 13 of them leapt up the Flying-cloud Stone quickly and disappeared into the distance.


    Xiao Chen gave a gentle sigh. He eyed the sinister-looking forest in the night. Chu Lingjiao had left him here. It would be hard to travel even on a flying sword. They might even stray into the depths of the mountains. He glanced at Luo Shangyan. He had brought her out without asking her permission. Was she really willing to come? Did she regret their departure at all?


    Luo Shangyan raised her head. "Where shall we go next?"


    Xiao Chen thought for a moment. "To the Qing State, the Jade Qing Sect at the Qing Province. I have a close friend there." He remembered when he came to Violet Manor, the two elders had wanted him to stay first at the Jade Qing Sect. After a month of troubled events, he had finally returned to the Dragon Meridian Mountains.


    Just as well. He could then get Brother Yifeng to send men to search Xian''er out. Everywhere was a sea of faces. He could never locate her by himself.


    Luo Shangyan nodded gently. "I will go where you go."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. He thought to himself that the Zhou State was a vast state. There were several thousand kilometers between this place and White Cloud City. They might not guess where he would be now. Right now, their most important task was to find a way out of the mountains. He asked, "Senior Sister Luo, can you travel on a sword?"


    Luo Shangyan raised her head. "Why do you still address me as Senior Sister Luo...?"


    "Errm?" He always addressed her this way after being accepted into the Three Pure Sect. He was used to it.


    Luo Shangyan smiled slightly. "Never... never mind." She thought for a moment and said, "I am still at Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm. I cannot fly on a sword."


    "Alright." Xiao Chen nodded and took out the Unsullied Sword from the Divine Vessel. He magnified it two times. The body of the sword trembled as Xiao Chen strenuously tried to control it. Was it because he hadn''t travelled on it for so long?


    "Chen... Are you, are you alright?" Luo Shangyan asked, gazing at his continually swaying Immortal''s Sword.


    "I''m alright. We can probably travel for nearly 20 kilometers." Xiao Chen said this and pulled her up the sword. When they stepped on the sword, however, the sword sank with a loud clang. It could no longer ascend to soar.


    "What happened? I could still fly on it in the Human World!" Xiao Chen was quite startled. He could travel on his sword without the help of Mountain Gate Formation in the Human World. The Spiritual Qi in Violet Manor was even more plentiful. How come he couldn''t fly on it now? Could the requirements for sword flying here be higher?


    Luo Shangyan looked somewhat embarrassed. "Let''s wait until tomorrow to decide... "


    "Very well. We have no other choice."


    Two of them searched out a small cave. They were afraid to be discovered by their pursuers and did not start a fire.


    It seemed to be the seventh or eighth month in Violet Manor. The Dragon Meridian Mountains was unusually cold. Xiao Chen sat at the mouth of the cave, staring fixedly at the lone moon in the sky. Cold gales kept blowing over from the mountains.


    Without noticing it, he had been in Violet Manor for over a month. Were Father and the others doing well in the Human World?


    Xiao Chen sighed quietly. After an eventful month, he had gradually realized that the present cultivators were no longer as good as the past. They could no longer execute many skills like the Divine Sense. The Immortal''s Practice was really declining. As a man from the past with ancient cultivation methods, should he feel blessed or sorrowful?


    He smiled lightly. Suddenly, someone draped a perfumed, gauze shawl over his shoulders. He turned and smiled. "Senior Sister Luo, aren''t you asleep? Don''t worry, I will keep guard."


    Luo Shangyan did not say anything. She sat gently by his side.


    "By the way, Senior Sister Luo, tell me in detail what happened over the last months." Formerly, he lacked a chance to ask her this. Now, Luo Shangyan could take the opportunity and relate slowly.


    Luo Shangyan nodded. She started to relate the happenings over the last months. They talked until dawn, as if they could go on forever.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists. Skygale Sect nearly destroyed the entire Xiao family... although Tiangu Zi was dead, the Skygale Sect in Violet Manor was still standing...


    Luo Shangyan saw a brutal, terrifying expression in his eyes. She said quietly, "Junior Brother Xiao, you are getting tired. Go in and have a rest."


    Xiao Chen nodded and left a Divine Sense outside near the cave opening. He helped her in. The two of them slept in each other''s arms. Early the next day, Luo Shangyan woke before he did. She went outside the cave to fetch some clean water.


    After a wash-up, they went to the cave opening. Xiao Chen gazed into the distance and surveyed the scene. He saw meandering mountains looming endlessly. Where they disappeared into must be the depths of the Dragon Meridian Mountains.


    He heard that there was an Archean ruin there. He began to associate it with the Immortal Century Continent where he had resided. After several millennia, the lay of the land had changed. Mountains had disappeared into rivers, seas had turned into solid land. He wondered if he could still find the former lands where he had lived. Or the ruins of Mystic Cyan Sect.


    He wanted to go into the depths of the mountains badly. Yet, right now, he could not. He could not risk Luo Shangyan. The two of them relied on their memory and made their way out of the Dragon Meridian Mountains. They encountered a few intercepting demonic beasts along the way and Xiao Chen took the opportunity to slay them. He took their Internal Elixirs. Finally, at dusk, they ended up at a Qing State border town.


    Dense crowds had congregated in the town and it was teeming with people. It was quite different from what a border town should be. Something big must have occurred here recently.

 Chapter 105 Lingyun Citadel

    Two of them entered the town. Xiao Chen sold the low-grade Demonic Beast Internal Elixirs and earned several dozens silver ingots. By now, they were extremely tired. The inns that they looked up had no rooms. At long last, they settled in a small inn.


    They ordered a few random dishes. Soon, this small inn at the corner of the street filled up. The hall was bustling and people talked loudly.


    "Haven''t you heard? A disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan turned up at the Immortals League Competition!"


    "I have! He set up formations, condensed his Qi into blades, conjured up illusionary doubles... he even summoned an archean dragon in the end. Oh ho, the disciples of the Ancient Immortal Clan are all turning up. Looks like our continent will be very lively these days!"


    "But I heard that he betrayed the Zhou State yesterday. Seemed to be forcing Princess Xuanye to marry him. He and the Zhou Emperor fell out... "


    Xiao Chen almost spew out the rice in his mouth. Gossip had spread even faster than him running for his life. He raised his head and saw the solemn look on Luo Shangyan''s face. He picked up a piece of fish and put it in her bowl, saying quietly, "It''s alright. Take your meal."


    After the meal, he ordered the inn''s waiter to buy him a large Violet Manor map from an outside store. When they returned to their room, Xiao Chen spread out the map on the table and scrutinized the territories on it. His expression became more and more solemn. Luo Shangyan saw him knit his brows. She asked, "What''s wrong? Will we take long to reach Qing Province?"


    Xiao Chen exhaled a deep breath. He rolled up the map and shook his head, smiling, "Not really. We''ll take about half a month on horse carriage."


    He was worried not about this matter. He had discovered that the territories on the map--the East Divine Continent, the West He Continent, the South Zhan Subcontinent, the North Lu Continent, plus the Middle Continent--the geographical locations of all these five continents seemed to him like a massive, Archean Formation.


    Luo Shangyan smiled quietly. "Sister Xian''er is very sharp. She will be fine. You don''t need to worry too much."


    Since their encounter at the Teal Jade Sect, Xiao Chen had rarely seen her smile so radiantly. He smiled lightly and nodded. "You''d better go and rest. We need to resume our journey tomorrow."


    There were two beds in the room. He was afraid that Yu Wenmu might come after them and had chosen to stay in the same room. Luo Shangyan went up the bed and placed her head lightly on the embroidered pillow. She watched his back as he faced the night sky at the window, gazing up fixedly. After a long time, she asked softly, "Junior Brother Xiao, shouldn''t you go to bed?"


    Xiao Chen turned around and smiled gently. "I''m not tired. You sleep first."


    Moonlight shone on one side of the young man''s face, revealing his faint melancholy. Luo Shangyan acquiesced quietly, then gently shut her eyelids. By now, she had understood that he had intervened requesting a marriage from the Zhou Emperor to stop her from marrying Yu Wenmu. Maybe there was a corner in his heart no one could get in...


    She was right. Right now, Xiao Chen had locked up his heart. No one could get in. Ever since he recalled Flower Yet-ending, he had locked up his heart.


    He turned around slowly, facing the lone moon in the high sky. He sighed gently in his heart. "It''s been several millennia. Are you still alive, Yet-ending... ?"


    Moonlight was all over the place, turning into a melancholy which could not be undone.


    The next morning after breakfast, they went to the town to look for a horse carriage. It seemed that lately, many were hiring horse carriages. The merchants took the chance to jack up the price. After all, not everyone could afford a Flying-cloud Stone. There was no way out but to pay.


    Xiao Chen had limited silver. They could not hire a horse carriage alone and had to travel in a group. About a dozen people soon squeezed into the carriage. It was no problem for himself, but Luo Shangyan was too beautiful. The eyes of his fellow travelers would rest either intentionally or unintentionally on her. A few even tried to edge closer to her in the swaying carriage.


    Xiao Chen felt disgusted but would rather not make any trouble. He let Luo Shangyan sit on the outermost seat and interposed himself in between.


    They needed to travel through many towns and a few large cities to reach Qing Province. Their next stop would be a middle-sized city, Lingyun Citadel.


    Along the way, although there were green mountains and emerald waters to keep them company, it was still quite boring. Seven or eight of these strangers began to chat.


    "I heard that at the Immortals League Competition, a disciple from the Ancient Immortal Clan injured the young master of the Ling Family badly."


    "He''s not just badly injured! Both his arms are maimed. What kind of feud was between them?"


    "Tut, tut, tut... he has almost reached the Core Forming Realm. A pity, what a pity!"


    The company began to shake their heads and sigh. Xiao Chen pressed Luo Shangyan''s hand and did not say a word.


    "The Ling Family will not let him off, I''m sure!"


    "But what can they do? He''s a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan. No matter how powerful the Lings are, they can only create a din in the Qing State. Can they get their man from the Ancient Immortal Clan?"


    "Shh... don''t talk nonsense when you reach Lingyun Citadel later. You might get beheaded!"


    "Alright, alright, let''s change the subject. Some upheavals are mounting in the Qing State recently. I bet that Wuwang Wind Cloud City would suffer a bloodbath in a few days. Bodies will piled up high in the city."


    "You''re right. An Ancient Immortal Clan ruin! God knows how many of their magic treasures and skills are hidden inside! So nearly ten thousand people have turned up there in the past few days? Perhaps even Nascent Soul Cultivators might show up to fight!"


    Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. He had always suspected Violet Manor to be the Great Divine Continent several millennia ago. Now, he had overheard something about an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin... how could he be unmoved?


    "I beg your pardon. The Wuwang Wind Cloud City and the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin you were saying refer to... ?"


    Everyone turned their heads and scrutinized him like at something amusing. One spoke. "Are you serious? You don''t even know the Wuwang Wind Cloud City?"


    "I really don''t." When he heard at the Immortals League Competition that Leng Ningfeng was from the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, no one spoke about the city at length. He was interested in the ancient ruin. If he could discover some place he once knew, he would be able to locate the Mystic Cyan Sect ruin using his former memory.


    Another said, "Wuwang Wind Cloud City is an independent city in the Qing State, located in the middle of a desert. News came from the city a few days ago that an oasis, 15 kilometers west to the city, has been discovered. It seems to be an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin, several millennia old."


    "Thank you for your information." Xiao Chen became very agitated. He tried to speak calmly. He had a faint premonition that all these past secrets would soon be revealed. His Master had protected his Soul at his "execution"... yet he could not understand why the Immortals and Devils had perished. Or why he had awakened several millennia later...


    If even the Immortals and Devils had perished, who else had the power to resurrect him in the Samsara again, millennia later? Even more importantly, why resurrect him... ?


    All of a sudden, he thought of the heavens and earth as a vast chessboard and mortals as chesspieces. In fact, at the Heaven Mountains, Qing Feng had told him about decades ago.


    It was a silent night. Xiao Yifan was carrying the infant Xiao Chen up the mountains. His Soul was battered and he was about to die. Yet before he came, someone had sent a stone coffin with another infant inside there too. Qing Feng was an expert in Soul sorcery. He immediately transferred the soul of the baby into Xiao Chen''s body...


    Now, Xiao Chen recollected the scene in detail. It might not have happened this way. Another terrible possibility seized him. Elder Qing Feng might have lied. He might not have transferred the soul of that baby into the body of the baby in his father''s arms, but the other way round!


    He was that baby in the stone coffin! That was why his body was so different from other mortals''. His wounds could heal by themselves. His was an Undead Body!


    A bone-chilling cold coursed through his entire body, making him shudder. Luo Shangyan saw him turn ghastly pale and whispered, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen finally recovered after a long time. He shook his head. "No... nothing!" He quietly made up his mind. He had to visit the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin no matter what, even if it meant a few days'' delay. He vaguely sensed that some interesting secret would be discovered in the ruin.


    After passing through a few desolate towns, it was near dusk. The carriage entered Lingyun Citadel. He had heard from the passengers in the carriage that the Ling Family was the overlord of Lingyun Citadel. Although Lingyun Citadel seemed to be part of the Qing State, it was really under the family''s control.


    Never mind. He would only stay for one night and would leave the next dawn. Besides, there were nearly a million inhabitants there. No one would notice a young, ordinary couple.


    Once they arrived, they found an inn to stay. After a meal, Xiao Chen arranged for Luo Shangyan to take lodgings in the farthermost room on the second floor. He told her not to walk around. Just before dusk, he left hurriedly to buy some materials to disguise himself.


    After turning a few blocks, Xiao Chen did not discover any store selling these materials. He could not ask the people since it would give them the impression he was doing something improper.


    After turning a few more blocks, he still did not find a store. Instead, two familiar faces walked toward him. One had the bearing of a rich man''s son. The other was a pretty girl, dressed in an alluring, light yellow skirt.


    Xiao Chen was stunned. They were none other than Ling Yuxuan and Su Wan. Ling Yuxuan was Ling Yingfeng''s younger brother. Ling Yingfeng had been soundly thrashed by Xiao Chen at the Skygale Sect in the Human World. Su Wan had been disfigured by Shangguan Yan. Yet, he could not see any trace of a disfigurement on her face now. The medical skills of the Su family were indeed exceptional.


    He did not need to know why they were here. But if he turned to go now, he would surely attract attention. He quickly turned his head toward a small jewelry stall.


    "Young master, we are a branch of Lingliufu. Our goods are genuine, our prices reasonable. Please choose whatever you like." The peddler greeted him warmly.


    Xiao Chen''s gaze shifted here and there on the dazzling, resplendent jewelry. Yet his Divine Sense was behind on the two persons.


    "I sneaked out this time and need to go back tomorrow. An aunt turned up at my home some days ago. Well, I don''t like her! I must find a way and throw her out!" Su Wan was frowning, speaking in a dissatisfied tone.


    Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. The aunt she spoke about must be his mother. So Mother had returned to the Su family at long last. He could not help but frown upon recollecting the girl''s tone.

 Chapter 106 The Ling Family

    Ling Yuxuan guffawed. "Since you don''t wish to go back, you might as well stay with the Ling Family... " He pulled her arm.


    Su Wan jerked his hand loose and frowned. "I am your cousin. You''d better not get fresh with me! You''re already so old. Time to get married!"


    Ling Yuxuan placed his hand on the back of his brain. "What''s the hurry? My elder brother isn''t married as well, is he?"


    "Talking about your elder brother, what happened to him? Who was that Han Chen or Xiao Chen?"


    Two streaks of cold light gleamed out from Ling Yuxuan''s eyes. "He''d better not meet me. Or I will crush his bones and send their dust flying!"


    "You? With your skills? Tut, tut! Even your elder brother can''t beat him... "


    "Hey, what do you mean?... What do you mean by ''with your skills''? If it wasn''t because of the Restriction in the Human World, I would be Lvl 2 Foundation Building Realm!"


    "Can''t be bothered with you. I''m going over there to look at the jewelry."


    "Hey, why are you looking at a roadside stall? Our family owns so many jewelry shops... "


    Xiao Chen was startled. That woman was walking in his direction. Before he could turn to go, Su Wan was already beside him. Xiao Chen turned his face to one side. But he could not turn too much as Ling Yuxuan was still on the other side.


    Two of them were only at the early stages of the Foundation Building Realm. He did not have to worry that he could not beat them. He was just afraid those old devils from the Ling Family might come after him. There were a dozen cultivators in the later stages of the Core Forming Realm, together with a superior near the Nascent Soul Realm, still in retreat. They controlled the local officials and if they tried to hunt him down here, he could not escape.


    As he pondered, the impatient voice of Su Wan rang out in his ears. "Are you buying anything? If you aren''t, don''t stand in the way and block me."


    "Oh, so sorry, Miss." Xiao Chen pressed his True Qi to his throat and lowered his head, moving aside. Ling Yuxuan strode over and gazed at his retreating figure. His eyes narrowed. "This man... "


    Xiao Chen hurried back to the inn and dashed upstairs. He did not know whether Ling Yuxuan had seen his face. They could not stay in Lingyun Citadel any longer. He would rather search out a cave and stay there rather than risked being discovered.


    When he reached the farthermost room, he pushed open the door forcefully. The door bar could not withstand the push and gave way, breaking into two.


    "Senior Sister Luo! Hurry... "


    "Ah!" Luo Shangyan gave a scream, startling everyone in the inn. She was standing beside a bathtub, quickly covering herself with a piece of clothing. She was all a-flutter like an alarmed deer as she shouted, "Turn back!" She was nearly in tears.


    "Ah, sorry, so sorry!" Xiao Chen came to himself and quickly turned around, slamming the door shut forcefully.


    "Don''t turn back... until I shout for you to!"


    Luo Shangyan flurriedly grabbed her undergarments beside the bathtub and put them on. She next went to the head of the bed and put on a white skirt hanging on the bedpost. Her heart was still throbbing. After a long time, she finally said, "I... I am done."


    Xiao Chen turned around gingerly and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs closed tightly. She dared not raise her head and her face was flushed, like crimson clouds at dusk.


    "Pack up at once and leave. I will explain later."


    At the same time, in the most prosperous belt in the eastern part of the city, there were a few imposing, linked mansions--the Ling Family mansions. Five elders sat in a grand hall. A cyan-robed elder''s face was flushed with rage. "But of course! The one injured isn''t your grandson! Of course, you won''t be upset!" With a slam, he shattered the teacups into dust.


    Another elder in gray pulled a long face. "Fourth Elder, it''s not right to look at it in this way. If he really is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan, we will be stirring up a hornet''s nest. We may end up as dead as our ancestors."


    "What disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan? I think he was just lucky to have stumbled on an ancient manual!" The cyan-robed elder was still raging.


    Another red-robed elder was also bad tempered. He yelled, "Stumbled? Try stumbling on one yourself! If he really is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan, Ling Yingfeng should not only be badly injured, he should even have died! Don''t think we don''t know... it was Ling Yingfeng who had provoked the man that day! Who can he blame?"


    The cyan-robed elder''s temper immediately flared. He got up and bellowed, "Ling Aotian! You are jealous of my grandson''s potential! Very well! All of you can hide behind and not look that boy up! I will go and take revenge myself!"


    That red-robed elder got up as well and pointed at him. "Fine! Go ahead! If you can, poke a hole in that hornet''s nest! I''ll see who can deal with it later!"


    "I''m already so old and I couldn''t care less! I don''t care whether he is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan or a heavenly king! I must crush that lad''s bones and make their dust fly!" With these bellowing words, the cyan-robed elder turned to go.


    "Stop!" Another black-robed elder cried out to him. That elder''s brows were knitted in a deep frown. "Nobody goes! Let''s first wait for the House Master to come out of his retreat!" Then, he said to those outside, "Carry down the orders! If anyone acts rashly, he will be punished according to family laws! No one will be let off lightly!"


    ¡­¡­


    Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan had packed up their things in the inn and were about to leave. A cold voice rang out from the outside corridor. "Don''t bother to go." As the voice descended, a dozen or so Foundation Building Realm Cultivators who had disguised their aura suddenly blocked the door.


    Xiao Chen realized they were in trouble. He had been so intent on packing their luggage that he had not detected these men. He had not expected them to converge so fast. He hurled out a palm which quaked the entire inn, causing tremors. Then, he grabbed Luo Shangyan and barged through the window, landing on the streets.


    He had chosen the outermost room to forestall such trouble. As the two scrambled away, the dozen or so Foundation Building Realm Cultivators went swiftly after them, led by Ling Yuxuan.


    When they approached the city gate, Xiao Chen grabbed someone''s mount and flew up its saddle with Luo Shangyan. They galloped to the city gate. Behind them, Ling Yuxuan yelled, "Close the city gate!"


    The garrison guard heard the order and saw what happened. He immediately ordered his men to close the gate. Xiao Chen saw that the unfavorable situation and hit a Cyan Dragon Roar out with his palm. The dragon bellow shuddered the sky. The few soldiers closing the gate were hurled backward.


    Once they got out, it was an expanse of boundless, level land. There were no mountains or rivers. Dusk had not fallen and there was no place for them to hide. He clipped his legs tightly around the horse''s belly and spurred it on to gallop.


    With a whizz, a cold radiance assailed his back. With Luo Shangyan in his arms, Xiao Chen ducked to one side, evading the flying sword. Then, another flying sword streaked to assault. It whooshed and lopped off the horse''s leg.


    The horse immediately fell forward. With Luo Shangyan in his arms, Xiao Chen soared up. His hand turned and condensed a Qi blade, hacking at the vanguard cultivator. Before the man could shriek, his entire arm had been severed off by the sudden Qi blade. Blood spurted out at once.


    Relanding on the ground, Xiao Chen held his breath and concentrated. There were 14 or 15 assailants but they had not converged, standing at different spots in several clusters. He could not fight his enemies with the Fuxi Zither. Each note could at best destroy a cluster. His present cultivation only allowed him to play three notes. If he failed to destroy them in three notes, he would have completely exerted his True Qi. The consequences would be dire.


    Obviously, these assailants had realized this. That was why they had dispersed themselves in clusters and kept a distance from him, fighting him with flying swords.

 Chapter107 An Out-of-the-body Experience

    "Let''s go." Xiao Chen thought no more. With his present cultivation, he could not fight 15 early-staged Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. He pulled Luo Shangyan up and dashed away. If they could survive until dusk, these assassins would then be unable to release their Divine Sense. Then, it would be far easier for them to escape.


    After running for nearly an hour, the sky finally darkened. A mountain chain appeared. Yet several men were still after them. Clenching his teeth, Xiao Chen dragged Luo Shangyan and dashed into the mountain forest. If he had executed the Immortal-override Steps, he would have shaken them off. But now he needed to evade the flying swords and had to take care of Luo Shangyan. They could only run at the same speed as the assassins.


    Luckily, the sky had dimmed and there was a large mountain ahead. When night had completely fallen, they could escape. A strong wind assaulted him from behind. Xiao Chen condensed his Qi into a blade and cleaved backward with a Sword Radiance. The 3-meter long Sword Radiance lopped off a large tree trunk behind with a loud whoosh. One cultivator had not managed to dodge and was thrown several meters away by the force.


    Xiao Chen focused his eyes and surveyed the scene. He realized that there were only four assassins left. The one leading them was Ling Yuxuan and he smirked coldly. "Ha! Even your elder brother had failed to beat me! You are useless and looking for death!" As he spoke, he guarded warily against the other three assailants'' flying swords, trying to quickly recover his True Energy.


    Ling Yuxuan''s countenance rapidly darkened. Since he was usually indulging in women and wine, his cultivation was far inferior to his elder brother Ling Yingfeng''s. He could do what he liked only because his grandfather was an elder of the clan. He hated anyone who called him useless. He also harbored a deep grudge against Xiao Chen for ruining his adventure in the Human World.


    He started to sneer from extreme anger. "Hey hey! My brother told me that you have at least six Spiritual Meridians in your body. I shall take them all today!" He mobilized his True Energy vigorously and hacked at him with a swift and fierce Sword Qi.


    Slashed by the Sword Qi, huge branches fell. Xiao Chen was surprised. This man''s inner strength had soared since the last time they met in the Human World. He did not dare underestimate him. A white radiance streaked out from Xiao Chen''s fingertips as he condensed his energy, countering the surging Sword Qi from Ling Yuxuan.


    Ling Yuxuan''s attack had been countered. He bellowed angrily, "Why are you all standing still?"


    The other three cultivators obeyed his order and started to strike from three directions with their swords. Cold radiances shot out in all directions, lighting up the entire forest. Xiao Chen was afraid that the others would arrive soon. He did not dare delay and started to draw three talismans. He mobilized his inner True Energy to the extreme. Beside him, Luo Shangyan realized that he was about to collapse. She condensed a white radiance and injected True Energy into his back.


    Boosted by Luo Shangyan''s healing arts, Xiao Chen immediately revived. He brandished out his Unsullied Sword quickly. Its Sword Qi was over three meters long and he swept it with a horizontal flourish. "Zheng zheng zheng!" went the sword, severing the three cultivators'' swords.


    Although these three cultivators were on Lv 1 or 2 Foundation Building Realm, they had stayed in the Ling Family for too long. They lacked combat experience. After their Immortal''s Swords were destroyed, they panicked and forgot to use their Qi to erect a defense shield.


    A murderous intent flashed across Xiao Chen''s eyes. He quickly mobilized his True Energy. The Unsullied Sword immediately turned into a 10-meter long white arc. With a whoosh, it lopped off two cultivators'' heads, one after the other. Blood spurted three meters high.


    The remaining cultivator was stunned. He came to himself and threw off the broken sword in his hand, looking to run. Yet he lacked experience, exposing his back for Xiao Chen to strike.


    Xiao Chen snickered coldly and the Unsullied Sword began to quiver through his will. It whizzed and penetrated the man''s back. Fresh blood splattered on the grass and trees all around.


    By now, even Ling Yuxuan had reacted. Xiao Chen had slain three Foundation Building Realm Cultivators in a short period of time. His opponent''s foundation had surpassed his expectations. He began to regret his carelessness.


    However, it was too late. The Unsullied Sword in his hand, a murderous smile spread across Xiao Chen''s lips. He strode step by step toward him. The Unsullied Sword had already slain three men in succession, yet its sword body was still sacred and spotlessly white, carrying a faint sheen without a trace of blood.


    His silent, murderous intent permeated the entire forest. Ling Yuxuan knew he was ready to kill and his voice quavered in deep shock. "What do you want? I am the young master of the Ling Family! If you kill me, prepare to be pursued forever... "


    "Ha ha! If I let you off, would the Ling Family thank me with tears? Die!" His murderous desire surged and he slashed his sword at his body. Suddenly, a white belt-like item snaked forward extremely rapidly. Even Xiao Chen with his extraordinary Divine Sense could not evade it.


    It zipped across and bound around Xiao Chen''s body. It seemed to be a rope glowing with a white sheen. The rope became tighter and tighter. Xiao Chen could not wrench himself free. Even his inner True Energy had been controlled by the rope. He could no longer mobilize it.


    As he struggled desperately, an icy smile tugged at the corner of Ling Yuxuan''s mouth. "Even if a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator is bound by this immortal rope, he can''t escape. Ha ha! Hand your Spiritual Meridians to me quietly... "


    Xiao Chen''s heart missed a beat. Was this the legendary Immortal-Binding Rope, which could bind an Immortal King or a Deity King? He was too careless. Powerful cultivating families like the Lings would certainly have one or two useful magic treasures.


    Not far away, Luo Shangyan''s face paled with fright. "Junior Brother Xiao!" Her snowy-white arms started to wave as a white radiance streaked across to the Immortal-Binding Rope. Yet after reaching it, the white radiance was absorbed and did not do anything.


    Ling Yuxuan smiled wickedly. He glanced over to her. At the inn, she had put on her clothes in a hurry and was looking a little disheveled. After their escape, Sword Qi had slashed through her attire, revealing her naked flesh in the gentle breeze. In the dim dusklight, she looked dreamy and alluring.


    Seeing Ling Yuxuan''s wicked gaze, Luo Shangyan quickly pulled her clothing together. Ling Yuxuan gave a lusty smile. "Such a pretty little thing. Well, let your young master enjoy himself first... " Then, he said to Xiao Chen coldly, "After 30 minutes, the Immortal-Binding Rope will use up all your True Energy. Then I will deal with you!"


    Cold sweat kept trickling down Xiao Chen''s forehead. The man was not raising a false alarm. Not only could he not move now, his inner True Energy kept dissipating. He yelled, "Senior Sister Luo! Run!" He knew that Luo Shangyan was still at Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm and belonged to the healing branch like Li Muxue. She could not fight Ling Yuxuan at Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm. If she ended up in his hands, the consequences would be dire.


    Ling Yuxuan smiled evilly. "Run then. It will be more interesting when an eagle pounces on a hare. I''ll shred the layers of your clothes one by one... " With these words, his figure shifted and he pounced on Luo Shangyan.


    Shocked, Luo Shangyan quickly ducked to one side. Yet how could she be faster than Ling Yuxuan? She had just gone a few paces before he grabbed her wrist. In her panic, she condensed out a white radiance, striking Ling Yuxuan with her other hand''s fingertips. However, her inner strength was too weak. She could not injure Ling Yuxuan. Instead, this itchless, painless sensation excited him even more.


    Ling Yuxuan smiled evilly and quickly sealed her True Energy, making her an ordinary girl. Xiao Chen knew what would happen next and cried hoarsely, "You beast! Stop!"


    Ling Yuxuan became more and more excited. He pulled Luo Shangyan nearly 10 meters close to where Xiao Chen was. "Hey hey, I heard that you betrayed the Zhou State because of this pretty thing... Hey hey... " Then, he ripped off one of Luo Shangyan''s sleeves.


    Her snowy-white shoulder with its faint arc was exposed to the air. Ling Yuxuan''s eyes took on a reddish cast. He ripped off the lower half of her skirt and left her jade-like legs naked in the breeze.


    "Stop! Stop!" Xiao Chen''s eyes were bloodshot. He was like a bound-up, raging dragon. The parts of his body trussed tightly by the Immortal-Binding Rope was dripping with blood. The more he struggled, the tighter the boundage. A short while later, his whole body was already distorted.


    Ling Yuxuan began to roar with laughter. Luo Shangyan''s entrancing face was already pale with terror. Tears kept streaming down but her inner strength had been sealed. She could not struggle. If she was ravished in front of Xiao Chen, she would rather die. She tried to bite her tongue off. Ling Yuxuan''s gaze flashed like lightning. He seized her lower jaw and sealed the acupoint on her throat. It would be impossible for her to bite off her tongue now.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Bellows reverberated throughout the entire forest. Xiao Chen struggled strenuously. But the Immortal-Binding Rope kept tightening its grip. One could faintly hear the sound of crushing bones.


    Ling Yuxuan''s smile became more terrifying. He sealed Luo Shangyan''s acupoint. "Lad, you caused my training to fail and let someone disfigure my cousin. Today, I will make you suffer before you die... " As he said this, he started to strip off Luo Shangyan''s clothes.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were splitting apart. A black Qi flashed across the area between his brows. He seemed to recall Ling Yin''s instructions again. "Chen''er, if you are ever bound by someone else''s magic treasure and your opponent''s cultivation isn''t much better than yours, try the meditation method of the Yaoguang School. Make your Soul come out of your body from its third layer. But your Soul cannot leave for too long, or it can never return and will linger around heaven and earth forever... "


    At this moment, Xiao Chen no longer struggled blindly. He shut his eyes, quietly mobilizing his energy, using the Mystic Cyan Sect''s Yaoguang meditative method. From the third layer, his Soul emerged.


    Ling Yuxuan did not hear anything behind him. He turned his head and found Xiao Chen''s eyes shut. He grinned hideously. "Hey hey! Can''t bear to watch? Try plugging your ears as well!"


    By now, Luo Shangyan''s skirt had almost been completely torn. She was left with two pieces of undergarments. Her arms and her legs, fair as lotus roots, were all exposed. She could no longer move. Neither did she struggle. She only closed her eyes weakly as tears coursed down her face.


    Ling Yuxuan acted as if deranged. His hideous laughter reverberated throughout the entire forest. Suddenly, a black shadow streaked out from Xiao Chen''s body. Ling Yuxuan''s smile instantly froze. He shouted in grave shock, "What the... " Before his voice had faded, this dark shadow had edged forward.


    "The Soul out of the body! Who... who are you really?" Ling Yuxuan''s face paled. He no longer bothered with Luo Shangyan. He raised his Qi to erect a defense.


    "Someone you can''t afford to offend!" The black shadow gradually materialized, becoming translucent, with the exact look of Xiao Chen. Before he had finished, he had converged Qi out from his palm into a blade and loped off Ling Yuxuan''s arm.


    Blood splattered everywhere. Ling Yuxuan almost passed out from the pain. Luckily, he had a Foundation Building Realm cultivation. He turned and tried to run.


    "Can you run?" Xiao Chen''s Soul gave a cold bellow. The force overwhelmed the heavens and the earth and converged. Huge crumbs of earth overturned. The force pressed Ling Yuxuan from every direction, almost shattering his bones and tendons. He spewed out a mouthful of mouth and fell limp to the ground, unable to move.


    The power of a released Soul was only second to the Deliverance by Weapons. The price to pay was the exertion of the cultivator''s Soul. Its extraordinary power was horrendous.

 Chapter 108 Refining Spiritual Meridians

    Luo Shangyan heard the noise and opened her eyes. She watched the half-illusionary, half-substantial Xiao Chen, who now resembled a Deity or a Devil. She said hesitatingly, "Junior Brother Xiao... "


    Xiao Chen finally came around. His Soul could not leave his body for too long, or he might not be able to return and would be left scattered. He turned back to look. His body was lying quietly in the mud. The Immortal-Binding Rope had loosened.


    The Immortal-Binding Rope could only bind a living thing. As long as the person it bound was still alive, it would never come loose. Although a Cultivator could execute mystic arts to make his Soul come out of the body, his body would still be alive. Why had the Immortal-Binding Rope come loose? Was his body...


    He had no time to carefully ponder. He quickly shifted his Soul back into his body. He finally opened his eyes after a long time. Ling Yuxuan''s Heart Meridians had been shattered by his blow. Blood gushed out incessantly from his mouth. He would soon die.


    Xiao Chen walked quickly over, removing his clothing to cloak Luo Shangyan. Then, he turned around coldly. "You want my Spiritual Meridians so badly, but I will take yours instead!" With these words, two black mists entwined Ling Yuxuan''s body.


    Taking another person''s Meridians was strictly prohibited by the Immortals'' sects. Xiao Chen''s method came not from the Mystic Cyan Sect or the Three Pure Sect, but from the Devil book Heaven''s Talisman, which he had discovered by accident in the Xiao Family Tombs.


    Ling Yuxuan''s whole face contorted. "Stop! Our Ling Family won''t ever let you off... "


    Although his Heart Meridians had been shattered, he could still recover after a year or so of recuperation. If his Spiritual Meridians had been forcefully ripped out, his foundation would be lost. Henceforth, he would be a maimed invalid, better off dead.


    Xiao Chen turned a deaf ear and was still executing the mystic arts from Heaven''s Talisman. Ling Yuxuan''s heart gradually turned cold. "I beg you! Don''t take my Spiritual Meridians! I guarantee that the Ling Family will never bother you again... "


    "Too late!" Xiao Chen gave a loud roar. Black Qi gyrated around his entire body and his eyes were purplish, like a great Devil''s. Even Luo Shangyan by the side stared in shock.


    After seizing someone else''s Spiritual Meridian, he could not use it directly but must refine it. His cultivation would then soar. After refining Ling Yuxuan''s Spiritual Meridians, Xiao Chen was certain to break into the Foundation Building Realm.


    The contortions on Ling Yuxuan''s face became more and more gruesome. Finally, he yelled, "Save me, Grandpa!" "Poom!" He crumbled a jade piece in his hand into pieces.


    Xiao Chen gave a start. It was a jade note. Those old devils from the Ling Family would soon be here. In his haste, he released his True Energy even faster. Finally, two half-illusionary, half-substantial white radiances streaked into Ling Yuxuan''s elixir field. Ling Yuxuan''s face dimmed and he could no longer move.


    Xiao Chen rapidly absorbed the two Spiritual Meridians into his body. He knew that they could no longer stay. He grabbed Luo Shangyan and tried to run. From the corners of his eyes, he saw the Immortal-Binding Rope and grabbed it quickly as well, putting it into the Divine Vessel. Then, they dashed away into the depths of the forest.


    By now, night had completely fallen. The stars and the moon were dim tonight. They could not make out anything in the mountains. Aided by his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen skirted around obstacles and ran all the way for nearly 20 kilometers. Only then did they dare stop for a rest.


    After a day of escape, they were exhausted. Yet they could not rest. Those men from the Ling Family would come in pursuit anytime. If the pursuers were only at the Foundation Building Realm, it would be alright. If they were Core Forming Realm Cultivators, however, two of them would perish in these vast mountains.


    "Now what?" Luo Shangyan asked, gripping his hand tightly and surveying the ghastly forest all around them.


    Xiao Chen was about to comfort her when he felt a scorching sensation course out from his elixir field. It ran around his entire body, burning him like a stove. He felt terrible. Luo Shangyan did not know anything about him seizing the Spiritual Meridians and asked nervously, "What''s wrong?" She was about to condense a white radiance into his body.


    Xiao Chen hurriedly pushed her away. "No!" He knew that it was because of the two Spiritual Meridians. If he failed to refine them in time, they would clash inside his body, probably causing irremediable injuries to himself.


    Today it was his first time using this method. He did not know how long it would take to refine two Spiritual Meridians. If the Ling Family superiors arrived now, the consequences would be dire. He immediately sealed the True Qi barging around his body with a Cyan Mystic Sect skill. Then he dragged Luo Shangyan along and ran.


    With every step he took, another part of his body seemed to sear. Gradually, he felt that every inch of his skin was incinerating. He finally collapsed near a cave.


    Luo Shangyan quickly helped him up. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his face turning red and white by turns. She did not dare inject True Energy into his body or there might be a contrary effect. Suddenly, eagle screeches rang out in the sky. Lifting up her head, she found four or five eagles circling overhead.


    "Oh no, the hunting eagles of the Ling Family!" Xiao Chen turned deathly pale. The eagles had arrived, meaning that his pursuers were close by.


    Just as expected, from the distance the woods started to shake, rustling noisily. Suddenly, out streaked several figures into the forest. Since the two of them were in white, they could still be easily spotted although the night was dark. These people had discovered them at once.


    Several gleaming flying swords attacked noiselessly. Luo Shangyan quickly erected a Barrier, but could not block off these flying swords from these Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. Xiao Chen bore with the extreme pain and flashed out his Unsullied Sword. Its body hovered in mid-air, shuddering incessantly without striking out.


    Luo Shangyan grabbed its hilt and executed the superb swordplay of the Three Pure Sect, hitting the assailing flying swords away. Xiao Chen clenched his teeth. "Senior Sister Luo, hold them for the time being!" Then, he leaned against a tree trunk, coursing True Energy around his body, cross-legged.


    They were three Foundation Building Realm Cultivators from the former band of assailants. If it weren''t for the Unsullied Sword, Luo Shangyan could never hold them back. Even with it, she had come perilously close to getting injured.


    Sword Qi streaked here and there in the forest. Huge clumps of trees were lopped off in the trunks. Nearby, numerous ferocious birds and beasts darted away in fear. Facing the three men, Luo Shangyan soon suffered gashes thanks to their Sword Qi. Her white clothes were soaked in blood. Had she not been of the healing school, she would have long collapsed from exhaustion.


    Xiao Chen concentrated and shut his eyes loosely. Plumes of white Qi emerged from the top of his head. He had coursed his True Energy to the extreme, but it was not at all easy to refine another man''s Spiritual Meridians. The two Spiritual Meridians were like two wild horses loosed from their reins, slamming continuously against his abdomen''s elixir field. Yet they could not rush out. Xiao Chen could not guide them out either.


    Over at Luo Shangyan''s side, the situation had become more alarming. She could vaguely sense she was about to collapse. One cultivator finally noticed Xiao Chen leaning against the tree. He released himself from the fight and tried to stab Xiao Chen between his brows.


    Luo Shangyan turned ghastly pale. She wanted to stop the man but it was too late. The chilling, 10-meter Sword Radiance reached an inch before Xiao Chen''s forehead. Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes. Two profound gleams shone out from his eyes. The Sword Radiance swerved inadvertently to one side.


    Following that, a boundless force emanated from Xiao Chen''s body. Even the woods around started to shake. The cultivator blanched in shock. "You are in the Core Forming..." Before he could finished his words, an invincible palm force had shattered him into a mist of blood.


    The other two cultivators had not realized what had happened during this brief instance. Yet Xiao Chen''s sudden outburst had struck terror into their hearts. They were hesitant to move forward. At this moment, the eagles in the sky started to screech again. Five or six dark shadows streaked in from the distant woods.


    When the two cultivators saw help arrive, they heaved a sigh of relief. One of them shouted, "Kill him!" The five newcomers behind them instantly formed a Seven Star Big Dipper Sword Formation with the other two.


    All at once, seven white radiances broke through the sky. Every radiance was 10 meters long. All around, fierce gales began to blow. Several trees were uprooted and thrown into the distance. Xiao Chen walked up slowly behind Luo Shangyan. His one arm supported her shoulder, while his other gently lifted her arm clenching the Unsullied Sword.


    "Senior Sister Luo, let me teach you how to fight with the Unsullied Sword."

 Chapter 109 The Death Deser

    t


    As Xiao Chen''s voice faded, seven strange radiances emitted from the sky. Each was over 30 meters long. They intertwined rapidly and merged into a gigantic half-illusionary, half-substantial sword.


    The gigantic sword was dazzling, lighting up the entire forest like daylight. It immediately eclipsed the brilliance of the Seven Star Sword Formation at the opposite end. As he mouthed the word "Cleave!", the gigantic sword seemed to cleave the heavens apart. The sword cleaved down to the ground. Before its Sword Qi had arrived, huge crumbs of earth flew away thanks to the shattering force.


    True Energy surged all around. Even space seemed to have been sundered. The seven cultivators were terrified. It was a power in the Core Forming Realm!


    With a huge boom, the earth was severed, revealing a 100-meter long ravine. The entire mountain shuddered. Rolls of thunder boomed into the distance. All that was left of the seven cultivators was a mist of blood.


    Luo Shangyan was flabbergasted. Her voice quavered. "Have you broken into the Core Forming Realm?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. The force from his body gradually dissipated away. He had finally refined the two Spiritual Meridians, but had only reached Lv 3 Foundation Building Realm. He could execute the power of a Core Forming Realm Cultivator only thanks to his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. Every disciple from the Mystic Cyan Sect could release immense amount of energy in a short period when they hit a new level. However, this was only temporary; their powers would soon return to normal.


    Right now, Xiao Chen was at Lv 3 Foundation Building Realm. He no longer feared ordinary Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. However, since Ling Yuxuan had crumbled the jade note, those old devils from the Ling Family would soon arrive. He tugged Luo Shangyan along. "Let''s go."


    The two of them dashed forward. Luo Shangyan had sustained a few injuries after battling the three cultivators. Xiao Chen discovered to his surprise that her wounds could heal as quickly as his observation. Soon, not even a scar could be seen.


    His healing speed was already quite fast. The speed with which Luo Shangyan''s wounds healed was even faster. It seemed that she had a very special constitution.


    After dashing for 15 minutes, Xiao Chen faintly discerned a nearby pool ahead. Without a word, he pulled Luo Shangyan into the water. He was not so panicky that he had jumped in without thinking. To escape those bastards, they must hide their body auras with mud water.


    They soaked themselves in the mud water before getting out of the pool. They continued to flee. No hunting eagle went after them. By midnight, after traversing a few mountains, the mud on their bodies had dried. Yet they still shivered in the mountain forest.


    The danger had not gone. They caught their breaths and continued to run until the sky turned blue. Quite unconsciously, they had run for a whole night. They did not know where they were right now. Both of them were exhausted and weak. Their eyelids seemed as heavy as lead. They only wanted a place to sleep for the night, be it the Ling Family or the Zhou State. Come what may, they did not want to run anymore.


    With these thoughts in their minds, they discovered a cliff on what seemed to be a soft meadow. They snuggled up against each other, drifting into their dreams.


    When they awoke, it was already late morning. The sun was sky high. They had come to a lush Emerald Valley. There were numerous lakes all around, stretching into the horizon like emerald ambers studded on a meadow.


    There were many fruit trees on the meadow, laden with bright red and purple fruits. Under these trees, strange and rare flowers and plants girded. Butterflies fluttered gracefully amid the grass and flowers. All sorts of birds were chirping on the trees. They did not expect to end up in this earthly paradise after a night''s running.


    Suddenly, there were strange vocalizations. Seven or eight deer were standing nearby, together with numerous white hares and hedgehogs. They all watched the two quietly, their eyes unblinking. They were not afraid of human beings.


    Gradually, more and more deer and white hares converged from everywhere. They seemed to be observing something amusing, staring at these two humans caked in mud.


    They eyed each other, both caked in mud, and started to laugh. After a night''s running, they felt a soothing relief in this earthly paradise, breathing in its refreshing, flowery scents.


    Luo Shangyan was by nature a beauty. Although caked in mud with disheveled hair, she still possessed a prepossessing allure. Xiao Chen was quite different. His face was mud-spattered and his hair totally unkempt. It was furthermore adorned with dried leaves and twigs. He looked like a handsome beggar.


    "Alright, don''t look. Let''s wash up first." Luo Shangyan smiled lightly.


    The two came to a small, emerald-green lake. A thin mist hovered above the water. When they had washed away all the mud on their faces, Luo Shangyan began to blush. "Why? You hate to leave this place and want to stay? What are you looking at?"


    "Er... " Xiao Chen came to himself and moved behind a big tree. After a while, deer and white hares began to congregate around him, staring with some interest at this "uninvited guest."


    However, the hedgehogs stayed by the lake, staring at Luo Shangyan with unblinking eyes. Luo Shangyan did not bother herself with these animals. She took off her clothes and went into the lake. The lake was not deep, reaching only to her chest.


    The lake rippled. Luo Shangyan rinsed the mud off her hair and body and came ashore to wash her clothes as well. She dried her wet clothing with her True Qi. Then, she strode to Xiao Chen after putting her clothes back on.


    "I''m done!"


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw her cheeks slightly flushed. Although she was wearing his oversized clothes, they did not hide her allure. He smiled gently and walked over to the lake to take a bath.


    After he returned to the tree, he saw her teasing a few deer and white hares. These small animals really communicated well with humans and were not shocked by their presence. Xiao Chen smiled lightly and suddenly recalled Emerald Valley, where he had first met Xian''er.


    Of course, he could not roast these small animals and eat them. He grabbed a few fruits from a tree branch.


    He had broken into the Foundation Building Realm and had mastered the Seizing Method to perfection. He could seize an item in a 10-meter radius with his willpower alone. He could even capture a living person from a distance, if that person''s cultivation did not exceed his by much.


    As his cultivation skills became more adept, he could execute more magic powers. The Mystic Cyan Sect used to be the foremost sect in the Immortal''s Practice. Its arts were wondrously profound. He had committed many of its arts to his memory. If he could improve his cultivation, he would be able to execute them fluently.


    After eating the fruits, their spirits recovered. They stared all around them and could not see the land''s end. Although the scenery was breathtaking, they must still quickly leave. Those Qing Family pursuers were not here yet but they might soon discover this place.


    Luo Shangyan waved at the small animals and smiled gently. "Little deer, little hares, I will come back next time and then we will play!"


    They re-orientated themselves and went forward. The small animals were still reluctant to part, following them for a long stretch. Finally, when they realized that the two humans were really leaving, they saw them off by sight.


    The valley was vast. They only left it after nearly three hours. Xiao Chen took out the map from the Divine Vessel and laid it flat on the ground. He roughly located where they were and they continued to walk for an hour, guided by the map. However, they discovered that the surrounding Spiritual Qi had gradually turned thin as they proceeded.


    Not only had everything turned desolate, the earth had turned into yellow sands. After a while, the mountains and rivers had completely disappeared into a boundless desert. Dried bones seemed to emerge from the sands. They stared at each other. "The Spiritual Qi in Violet Manor ought to be richer than in the Human World and not so thin."


    Although it was noon, they were no longer in the quiet valley bearing the scent of flowers and the sounds of chirping birds. Under the blazing sun, the yellow sands became like scorching fire rocks. The two of them were drenched in sweat. They had not prepared any water from the valley. If they could not get out of this desert, they would be the first cultivators to die from thirst.


    Xiao Chen''s lips were faintly cracking. Their map had not marked out this desert. He wondered if they should take another route. But the desert was very windy and their trails had already been covered. If they headed back now and lost their way, the consequences would be dire.


    Just as he was still hesitating, the distinct sounds of bells rang out in a distance. Xiao Chen cast his sight far out and discovered nearly 30 people emerging out of a dune. Those heading this caravan were leading a few camels. They were jubilant. "It''s a camel caravan! Senior Sister Luo, let''s head over there quickly!" He pulled Luo Shangyan and they raced toward the dune.


    Only when they came close did Xiao Chen realize that they were no traders, but martial artists. They had also discovered them. The one in front waved. "Young man, come quickly over here!"


    Seeing that they were not bad people with evil intents, Xiao Chen walked over with Luo Shangyan. He cupped his fists at them. "I am Xiao Chen. This is my wife." He pointed at Luo Shangyan.


    The one in front was a burly man with bristly beard all over his chin. He seemed like a wicked man from the martial arts world, but his face looked quite amiable when Xiao Chen approached him. He heard him guffaw twice. "Brother Xiao, you certainly have guts, bringing your wife to this death desert!" He unfastened a water bottle on the camel and flung it over.


    Xiao Chen caught the water bottle and smiled lightly. "Thank you, elder brother. How should I address you?" The burly man clapped his hairy chest. "I am Hu Han. Just call me Brother if you don''t despise me." Then, he pointed at nearly 30 men behind him. "These are all my brothers."


    Xiao Chen cupped his fists slightly at them. "So it is Brother Hu." He handed the water bottle to Luo Shangyan beside him. He thought that these men must belong to the same gang, quite different from Cultivators'' sects. These men all resembled to a certain degree fighters who wandered around the martial arts world.


    The company resumed their journey, gazing out at the boundless desert. Xiao Chen asked, "Where are you going, Brother Hu?"


    Hu Han laughed. "To Wuwang Wind Cloud City, of course. I heard that there is an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin there. Although we are not from Cultivators'' sects, it''s good to join in the fun. Maybe we can pick up a couple of treasures missed by the others."


    Xiao Chen nodded. He thought to himself that he had planned to go there earlier too. Well, they could go with this caravan. Hu Han asked, "Where you are going, Brother Xiao?"


    "My wife and I are traveling around sightseeing. Perhaps we can follow you to the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin!"


    Hu Han chuckled. "Very well. But lately, many cultivators have left for that place. You have a beautiful wife. You''d better be careful!"


    Xiao Chen remembered the time when Ling Yuxuan harbored evil intentions on Senior Sister Luo. If those Cultivators were all flocking to the ruin, it would not be a friendly place. He gazed over to Luo Shangyan and saw her cheeks burn like two smouldering clouds. He laughed lightly and said to Hu Han, "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Hu."

 Chapter 110 Wuwang Wind Cloud City

    The desert seemed boundless. After walking for four hours, they finally arrived at a desolate former forest. Many rotten and withered trees were buried in the sands. Xiao Chen lifted his head and stared up at the crimson clouds. Dusk was about to arrive. They could not walk out of the desert today, it seemed.


    Hu Han gave orders behind him. "Brothers, we will camp here tonight and leave the next morning." The more than two dozen men behind did not voice any dissent. Instead, they began to work.


    They had relied on these men during the journey. Xiao Chen did not want to sit and do nothing. He let Luo Shangyan sit below a withered tree and went alone to haul some dried wood and stone slabs. Hu Han saw that he looked well mannered and cultivated, yet had such enormous strength. He smiled. "Brother Xiao, you must be a martial artist too, aren''t you?"


    Xiao Chen put down a large stone slab and smiled lightly. "I have trained with my father as a boy."


    The company made the place comfortable. The sky had completely darkened. The sky was clear in a desert and the stars and the moon looked exceptionally bright in the night. Seven or eight were left to build a fire. The rest went around to sprinkle herbal powders to repel night attacks from poisonous insects from the desert.


    "Brother Hu, this death desert has only formed quite recently, hasn''t it?" Xiao Chen asked, examining the broken tiles in his hand.


    "Yes. I heard the old people say that it only formed 100 years ago. In the past, this used to be a lovely, scenic spot."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Along the journey, he had discovered building ruins in many places. Although the place might not have been prosperous, it could not have been so lifeless. How did it lose its vitality 100 years ago...?


    "But the Wuwang Wind Cloud City is a true miracle. It was built in the desert, yet it''s a lively place, with nearly 200,000 inhabitants. It seemed that their City Master has some great magical powers. He can ensure the survival of all living things within a 5-kilometer radius. The city residents all worship him."


    Xiao Chen''s spirits revived. "Oh? Is there such a divine person?" He remembered that Leng Ningfeng seemed to care for the Zhou State''s Spiritual Meridian. Had their City Master appropriated a Spiritual Meridian nearby with his magic powers?


    Why was this man converging the power of the Spiritual Meridians, without concern for the lives of the living? What was his plot?


    As night fell, it became more silent. Save for crackling noises from the pile of firewood and the snores of some men, there were no other sounds. It was deathly still.


    Once someone reached Xiao Chen''s realm, he could go a night or two without sleep. But Luo Shangyan was a little tired. She gradually fell asleep on his shoulder. Suddenly, the noise of rustling resounded. The noise approached from afar, becoming more and more distinct.


    Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes. He swept his Divine Sense forward. Many unknown creatures were scuttling here on the ground. He was about to sound a warning when Hu Han got up vigorously and pulled out his saber on his belt. He yelled. "Guys! Wake up! The sandworms are here!"


    Everyone heard his voice and awoke with a start. They pulled their sabers out on their belts and converged in the center. Hu Han saw that Xiao Chen and his wife were still outside. He shouted loudly, "Brother Xiao! There''s danger! Come here, quick!"


    Luo Shangyan had also awakened. Xiao Chen pulled her to the center of the circle. Under the moonlight, the level desert started to undulate. Countless creatures seemed to rush in, making their hairs stand on ends. Astonished cries kept ringing out. "What happened? Why are there so many sandworms?"


    They knew that the death desert could spawn many sandworms, some as long as an arm, but not so many as to attack a caravan. Besides, they had sprinkled a lot of herbal powder on the nearby sands.


    Suddenly not far away, gravels began to overturn. A large creature gushed out from underground. It was a ringed worm nearly 10 meters long, as thick as a bucket, dull red in color. It had no eyes or head, only a disc-like projection full of cold, white fangs at the top.


    Xiao Chen was stunned. What kind of a monster was this? The others all blanched with horror. "How can a sandworm be this big?"


    Their voices had not faded away when 20 to 30 large sandworms streamed in from all around them. The company''s hairs stood on ends. They had never seen such gigantic sandworms before. These could even engulf a human. Luo Shangyan was so shocked that she went terribly pale. These creatures were so disgusting. Red juice dripped out from their huge, disc-like mouths.


    Saber in hand, Hu Han said calmly, "Don''t panic! Keep together!"


    Before he could finish his words, a sandworm had attacked swiftly. Those farthest out in the circle hacked at the worm, but their sharp blades could not sever its body. Instead, they rebounded off its soft body. The company was shocked. They could easily sever an ordinary sandworm, but these mutants seemed impenetrable.


    Hu Han exclaimed in shock. "Be careful!" It was too late. The sandworm had swallowed a man whole. The man could not dodge in time and had been engulfed. Suddenly, a silver sword radiance flashed. Blood splattered everywhere after a whoosh. The sandworm had been severed into half. One half fell to the ground, the lower half quickly scurried into the sands.


    The company was still in shock when dozens of sandworms attacked together. Xiao Chen focused his attention and chanted incantations. The Unsullied Sword turned into thousands of long brilliant radiances, making whizzing noises. Blood seemed to rain. These mutant worms had been completely destroyed by the sword radiances.


    The newly emerging sandworms no longer dared to come forward. They slinked back like the tide, just the same way as they had arrived.


    Only now did the company realize that these peerless Sword Qi were from Xiao Chen. Hu Han was the first to react. He bent his knees and bowed down to Xiao Chen. "Sigh! I have wandered in the martial arts world for over 20 years. Yet I cannot tell that you are from an Immortals'' sect!"


    Xiao Chen quickly helped him up. "Brother Hu, let''s first put this aside. Let''s see if the brother over there is all right."


    More than two dozen people immediately went searching for that half worm. They cut it open. Luckily, the man had not yet been digested, He only suffered a great shock. His body was curled up like a ball, shivering incessantly.


    After this incident, they could no longer stay. The company stayed at another place. Hu Han and the others became even more respectful of Xiao Chen. They had always regarded Cultivators'' sect members as deities. They could seize items from a distance, fly on a sword, decapitate someone thousands of kilometers away with a sword, summon the wind and the rain... they could do almost anything.


    "I wonder if Brother Xiao is from the Jade Qing Sect, or Skygale Sect?"


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and shook his head. Neither. He was from the Mystic Cyan Sect. Had it been several millennia ago, if an ordinary person had asked him about his sect, he would declare proudly, "I am from the Mystic Cyan Sect, hailing from Yaoguang Temple."


    Then those people would say with great awe, "So you''re the disciple of Immortal Miaoyin from the Mystic Cyan Sect. No wonder your cultivation is so great at such a young age."


    He could only reflect on this downcast now. He turned around and saw that Luo Shangyan''s face was still ghastly white. He asked, "Senior Sister Luo, are you still scared?"


    The company had first heard him say that she was his wife. Now, they heard him address her as Senior Sister. They thought to themselves: perhaps there was a ruling in their sect prohibiting fellow disciples from falling in love. So they had to elope.


    Seeing the gazes around her, Luo Shangyan''s pretty face blushed. She said softly, "No... no."


    The night was over. Thanks to this incident, no one had much rest. But they had to move on immediately, or they could not reach Wuwang Wind Cloud City on time, by dusk.


    All along the journey, Hu Han became even more devoted and polite to Xiao Chen. He made the latter feel somewhat uncomfortable. At dusk, they finally saw an ancient fortress soaring into the clouds in the distance. There was a small city below the fortress. Outside, green hills and emerald water skirted, very different from the lifeless atmosphere of the death desert. This must be Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    As they neared the moat, Xiao Chen immediately sensed the rich Spiritual Qi here, but also felt a vague feeling of discomfort. It was difficult to describe. There seemed to be a gigantic formation binding all the nearby Spiritual Qi.


    Once they reached the city, they saw teeming crowds and a bustling, lively scene. Other than its inhabitants, the others were cultivators from everywhere. Some were sect members, but more were independent cultivators without a sect. They must have all come for the ruin.


    The most conspicuous building in the city was the ancient fortress, on a high mountain in the west. Clouds and fog shrouded the ancient fortress, giving one a feeling of profound mystery. Hu Han smiled. "This is the City Master Fortress."


    Xiao Chen nodded. For some reason, he felt that this place give him an unspeakably peculiar feeling. He said, "Brother Hu, you may not like what I say, but I hope that all of you can steer clear of the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin. I sense something odd going on there."


    He knew that most of them who were visiting the ruin would be cultivators. A man in the early stages of the Core Forming Realm strode past him. Xiao Chen did not want these twenty-odd men to die for nothing.


    Hu Han smiled. "Of course. We will only be around the ruin, not inside." Xiao Chen nodded gently. "Then, my Senior Sister and I will take our leave here." He cupped his fists at the company.


    The others also cupped their fists. "May we meet again?"


    After saying goodbye to Hu Han and his company, it was already late. Xiao Chen found an inn to lodge in. Thanks to its geographical position, traders often stopped by the city for a rest. As a result, there was an abundance of inns here. Still, Xiao Chen had to search a long time before he found an inn with a few rooms left.


    After their meal, he went into their room. Xiao Chen opened the window in the west and gazed out at the partly hidden, partly visible ancient fortress. He was wondering about the person who resided there...


    Luo Shangyan walked to his side and said quietly, "This fortress is very strange." Xiao Chen turned around. "You can see that too?"


    Luo Shangyan nodded. "The Spiritual Qi there is most abundant, yet it seemed bound by something."


    This was exactly Xiao Chen''s thought. The City Master in the fortress had bound an Earth Spiritual Meridian with his mystic art. He shook his head. "Senior Sister Luo, after visiting the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin tomorrow, we will leave this place."


    He did not want to have anything to do with the City Master. He could sense vaguely that the man was very powerful. He could bind an Earth Spiritual Meridian with his powers alone.


    Everyone has their own matters to see to. Just like why he had to know the reason behind the Immortals and the Devils'' demise, millennia ago. Xiao Chen also wanted to know the reason why he was resurrected, and to locate his Master. He did not wish to interfere with anyone--so long as the person did not affect him.

 Chapter 111 The Ancient Immortal Clan Ruin

    After shutting the window gently, Xiao Chen returned to the desk. He was quite embarrassed to find only a small bed in this room. All the other rooms had been taken. He smiled. "Senior Sister Luo, rest well tonight. I will sit in the room and contemplate our next move."


    Luo Shangyan glanced at him and said, "You didn''t rest last night either. Will you be fine?" Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. "I will."


    At this moment, in the fortress on the west mountain, a handsome man in red was surveying the people below him with an indistinct smile on his lips. A cyan-robed man approached him from a path behind. He said blandly, "The news you have released about the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin has brought many cultivators here."


    The cyan-robed man was Leng Ningfeng, who had represented the Qing State during the Immortals League Competition. The handsome man still gazed down below him, like a supreme Immortal overlooking all sentient souls. He smiled indifferently. "Let them come, the more the merrier. Let them be my sacrificial offerings."


    Leng Ningfeng stretched his tired back and continued blandly. "I''ve heard though that what you did these years have attracted the attention of the Ancient Immortal Clan. Thousand Feathers Sect seemed to have noticed you."


    "Oh?" A solemn expression finally appeared on the handsome man''s face. Then, he answered nonchalantly, "The Thousand Feathers Sect? Their patriarch once sealed a powerful, dead Devil millennia ago, hoping that he could not reincarnate himself. He spent a huge amount of spiritual force but now this force has been depleted. They want to deal with me now. Let them, if they will overestimate themselves... "


    Leng Ningfeng shook his head and smiled. "Looks like there is no one in this world who can frighten you a bit." The handsome man smiled quietly. "What can terrify a man who is already dead for a hundred years?"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled gently. "Unless it is someone who can play a few notes on the Fuxi Zither, and who is proficient in many formations?"


    "Oh? Are you telling me that that man has come to Wuwang City too?"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled lightly and did not reply. After a long time, he finally sighed. "It''s been seven years. If she finds out that everything you have done was for her, will she think you a devil or an angel?"


    The handsome man smiled. "It no longer matters. The important thing is, that a man who should be dead can finally die in peace."


    Leng Ningfeng smiled and sighed again. "Well, it seems to be eternal farewell this time. But don''t worry. After your death, I will take care of her for you, Mu Luo."


    The handsome man smiled gently too. "Thank you, Ningfeng." Then, he watched the gradually darkening sky and said, "Night is falling again... "


    ¡­¡­


    At daybreak the next day, Xiao Chen left with Luo Shangyan for the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin, 15 kilometers away. There were many cultivators along the way, most in the Foundation Building Realm, although some were in the Core Forming Realm. He did not see anyone in the Nascent Soul Realm.


    As they approached, he began to get more agitated. Was this Ancient Immortal Clan ruin a place he knew millennia ago? The two of them strode quickly and arrived within two hours. Gazing from a distance, they saw a misty oasis before them.


    It wasn''t strange that there was an oasis in a desert. What was strange was the mist around this oasis. It was definitely not Immortal Qi, but he could not tell what it was. As they neared, they realized that this oasis was far bigger than the Wuwang Wind Cloud City itself. Why had it escaped detection earlier? There was only one explanation. Someone had hidden it within a Barrier using his magic powers.


    One might as well call this a plot rather than an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin. Xiao Chen felt a faint disappointment. He was afraid that he might miss the only clue to the millennia-long mystery. He might even expose Senior Sister Luo to danger. Yet, there seemed to be a familiar aura inside which communicated with his own, giving him a sense of warmth and intimacy.


    Many people hesitated like him. Many stood outside the oasis, or had stepped out immediately after stepping in. Some had even set up camp outside, started a fire and cooked.


    "Those who went in days ago aren''t out yet, eh? It''s so hot. Shall we go in and have a look?"


    "What''s the rush? Let''s wait a bit longer. Wait for them to kill each other off. Then we can grab what''s inside."


    "Wait a bit longer? It''s so hot out here. If we wait any longer, the treasures will all be gone... "


    It was now summer and they were in a desert. Xiao Chen''s back was already drenched with sweat. Yet he continued to hesitate. Luo Shangyan understood his dilemma and tugged gently at his sleeve. "Don''t worry about me. Let''s go." Gazing at her, Xiao Chen nodded. "Alright. Don''t ever leave my side."


    The two of them held each other''s hand and walked into the oasis. Once inside, after nearly two kilometers, they seemed to be in a whole new world altogether. The temperature had plummeted. Even the sky had changed color. It was no longer reddish but pure blue, like a lake.


    The Spiritual Qi all around was rich and abundant. Ancient trees soared into the sky. There were countless strange and rare plants and flowers. One particular flower towered over even an adult man. Its petals were garishly red, with a strange scent.


    For some reason, Xiao Chen found this place unspeakably bizarre. This could not have been an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin as rumored.


    If it was, they should see dilapidated palaces and buildings despite the passing of the years. They strolled on unconsciously for another six kilometers. Then, he detected the faint stench of blood. The more they went, the heavier the stench. There were many dead bodies by the wayside.


    From the appearances of these corpses, they must have been people who had entered the oasis lately. The wounds on their bodies were smooth and direct. They had been slain by flying swords. It must have been a carnage between two feuding sects. What was strange was that these bodies all seemed shriveled, as if their blood had been sucked dry.


    Suddenly, the ear-deafening sounds of a carnage rang out nearby. Xiao Chen raised his head and gazed out. He suddenly detected two bands of fighting cultivators in a wood, each with around 100 men. They were all expert fighters. Flying swords swarmed the sky and everyone was executing magic powers. The alarming upheaval had almost wrecked the entire wood.


    Xiao Chen had no idea where these people were from. He was afraid that he might get implicated into the fight and pulled at Luo Shangyan to leave. Suddenly, he heard a voice chanting, "Amitabha... "


    Looking back, he discovered a red-robed young monk stepping over in mid-air from the other end of the wood. He landed among the fighters. He had a bronzed complexion and looked muscular and robust. If he hadn''t been a Buddhist monk, he might be mistaken for a butcher.


    A brown rosary was in his hand as he said slowly, "Please stop, almsgivers. Don''t lose your sanity because of the Demonic Flower. There are no magic treasures here... "


    Before he could finish, a cultivator with bloodshot eyes pointed at him and cried out hatefully, "You bald ass from Wuyin Monastery! You have trailed us for a day and a night. What do you want? So what if we slaughter one another?"


    "Amitabha... " The monk chanted Buddha''s name and continued, "Living in the three realms is like living in a burning house. Everyone with a physical body suffers. As a monk, I really don''t want to see more slaughter and sin... "


    The two men beside him heard his longwinded yabber and pointed their swords at him. "You stinking bald ass! If you yabber anymore, we will send you to see Buddha himself!"


    "Amitabha... " The monk shook his head. "Stubbornness is an illusion. Why should you almsgivers cling on to an illusion... "


    The people from both sides could not stand it anymore. Before he could finish, dozens of Immortal''s Swords soared into the sky, hacking at him.


    Greatly shocked, Xiao Chen immediately exclaimed, "Be careful, Your Reverend!"

 Chapter 112 The Underwater Palace

    Suddenly, the monk put his palms together and chanted Buddha''s name again. A faint golden sheen began to screen his entire body, as if a golden Buddha had descended to earth. This was quickly accompanied by incessant tolls. The golden sheen shielded his body, forming a massive, translucent golden bell.


    Xiao Chen heaved a sigh of relief. This was the supreme art of the Buddhist sects, the Golden Bell Shield. At the same time, he was quietly astounded. This monk looked only a little older than himself, yet his cultivation was so profound. He must be in the middle stages of the Sarira Realm.


    Buddhist Sects also had their own realms. The Sarira Realm was equivalent to the Core Forming Realm. After that came the Golden Body Realm, the Inner Demon Realm, the All Shining Realm, the Imperishable Realm... they corresponded to the Nascent Soul Realm, the Nirvana Realm, the Apotheosis Realm, and the Grand Completion Realm.


    More than 200 people realized that they could do nothing to the monk. Their attention turned to the lad who had turned up from nowhere. One bellowed, "Another stinking lad from nowhere! Are you the one who have hidden the magic treasures?"


    Xiao Chen thought that these men had long been butchering one another. He could not be bothered to answer them. Suddenly, a flying sword came hacking at him. He condensed True Qi on his fingertips and deflected the sword away, shouting angrily, "Are you serious about fighting? Very well, I shall kill you all!" He mobilized the True Energy inside his body forcefully. Wild gales began to soar all around.


    Luo Shangyan saw his gaze turned red and his face full of murderous intent. She had never seen him so horrifying before. She pulled at his sleeve immediately and asked, "Junior Brother Xiao! What has happened to you?"


    Xiao Chen waved his arm and pushed her away. He proclaimed in a deep voice, "I shall kill them all!"


    "Amitabha... " The monk shook his head. "Almsgiver, you have been infected by the Demonic Flower... " Then, he made a seal. A golden light streaked down from heaven and surged into Xiao Chen''s Tianling acupoint.


    This was the Buddhist art of Sobering Enlightenment. Xiao Chen finally recovered somewhat. He shook his head and wondered why a fierce intent to kill had surfaced in his heart. He glanced at the enormous flower beside himself and said in a deep voice, "So that''s why!" He hacked his sword at it and severed its stem. Where he hacked, red juice resembling blood flowed out.


    When he saw that Xiao Chen was all right, the monk continued to talk the men out from fighting. "Did you see that, sirs? There are only Demonic Flowers here which urge you to kill, not magic treasures. Please don''t fight anymore, sirs."


    A small fraction of the people had recovered, but the majority were still deluded. They all yelled, "Bald ass! It must have been you conspiring with that lad to trick us! Hand the magic treasures over and we will spare your lives!"


    In an instant, the fighting resumed. Countless flying swords were released into the air. They were about to descend on this side. The monk gave a look of despair and suddenly roared like a lion. Crests of matchless sound waves surged out. The 100-odd men covered their ears in agony. "Damn! It''s that Lion''s Roar again! What can you monks from the Wuyin Monastery do but roar?"


    When the roar had faded away, the rest slumped to the ground. The monk suddenly sat down cross-legged and started to expound Buddhist lore with great patience. Dozens were already terribly vexed. One shouted, "Enough, enough! I''ve heard this story about the monk feeding his flesh to the eagle 180 times! Are you done? Fine, we''ll quit fighting!"


    The monk stood up and started to beam. "Verily, verily, you almsgivers have finally understood Buddha''s pains that day... " The people realized that he was about to lecture again. They cried out in unison, "Enough, enough, we have understood! Amitabha, the Buddha is all merciful and compassionate... "


    The monk was overjoyed. "Good, good. Why don''t I tell you another story? Once... " The crowd began to shout together, "Stop, stop! We know! Once, the Buddha met a person on a bridge... "


    The monk kept nodding and smiled. "Good, good... "


    The people finally put away their weapons. However, no one had discovered that the blood which had seeped into the earth was streaming underground toward Wuwang Wind Cloud City slowly.


    After the 200-odd company had all departed, Xiao Chen walked to the monk and put his palms together. "How should I address you, Reverend?"


    The monk said, "My dharma name is Xu Gu... " Then, he fixed his eyes on Xiao Chen for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "You have a heavy air of aggression about you, sir. I''m afraid your inner demon has overpowered you for too long. No wonder that Demonic Flower could infect you so easily... "


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. It was true that ever since he had read the Devil Book, he had suffered from a mania for blood. He had unconsciously moved away from the teachings of his Master Ling Yin, who advocated compassion for all living beings.


    "Please point me a way out, Reverend."


    "Amitabha... " Xu Gu sighed and said, "Sir, your Inner Demon has been with you for too long. I''m afraid you cannot exorcise it at once. Why don''t you follow me back to the Wuyin Monastery, where there will be Buddhist lectures that can release you from suffering... "


    Before he had finished, Luo Shangyan had walked over and stood between them. She snapped. "You are blabbering nonsense, monk! How can my Junior Brother Xiao have an inner demon?"


    Xiao Chen whispered, "Senior Sister Luo, don''t be rude to the Reverend." Xu Gu asked, "What is your surname, sir?" Xiao Chen answered, "My name is Xiao Chen. Where are you going, Your Reverend?"


    Xu Gu put his palms together and shook his head, sighing. "The world is obsessed with greed everywhere. Naturally, I have to talk these people out from killing. More than 1,000 must have died here. Are you here for the non-existent magic treasures as well, Mr. Xiao? Listen to my advice. There are no magic treasures here. Don''t believe in hearsay... "


    Xiao Chen said, "Thank you for reminding me, Reverend. I am not here for the magic treasures." Then, he put his palm together again. "In that case, we shall take our leave. May we meet again?"


    Xu Gu was perplexed. "Aren''t you going back with me to the Wuyin Monastery, Mr. Xiao?" Xiao Chen looked slightly embarrassed. How could he end up a monk like him for no rhyme or reason?


    Xu Gu nodded slightly. "Everyone has his own aspirations. But acquaintance means we are fated to meet. Allow me to gift you our six-syllabled mantra: Om ma ni pad me hum. If your inner demon strikes again, you can chant this mantra quietly to yourself. It will suppress the demon for a while."


    Xiao Chen put his palms together. "Thank you, Reverend."


    "Take care, Mr. Xiao. I will go now." With these words, Xu Gu pointed in a direction and pinched his fingers. He turned instantly into a golden shaft of light and left.


    After he had left for some time, Xiao Chen finally muttered, "Wuyin Monastery... " Luo Shangyan looked at him. "You aren''t going to be a monk there, are you?"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "This floating world is like a dream, only that I haven''t woken yet. Senior Sister Luo, let''s continue to see what''s ahead!"


    They continued for more than 10 kilometers. The oasis seemed boundless. Gradually, Xiao Chen realized that the weak aura associated with himself had become closer and closer. But he searched the surroundings and failed to detect the source. Finally, he realized it had emanated from a medium-sized black pool.


    Although sunlight could not shine into this ancient forest, the pool water should not have been so black. It seemed to be a bottomless pool. However, the aura did emanate from the bottom of the pool. Xiao Chen bent down and gently touched the water. A bone-chilling cold coursed through his entire body.


    If the pool was this cold, it ought to have frozen long ago. Yet at this moment, there was no sign of any ice. He must admit that it was certainly very strange.


    "Senior Sister Luo, I''m going down to the bottom of the pool to take a look. Wait for me here. Don''t walk off." He had made up his mind to go down and look. The aura was too familiar. He must investigate it.


    Luo Shangyan was very worried. She knitted her brows. "But the pool water is so cold and it seemed bottomless. Are you sure you must go?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Yes. Wait for me here. Don''t come down." With a splash, he jumped into the pool.


    The bone-chilling cold seemed to have frozen him instantly. Luckily, he could withstand it with his True Qi and a magic art. He did not need to surface for nearly four hours.


    After he dived in, it became darker and darker. Gradually, the light from above could no longer be seen. It was pitch black everywhere. Xiao Chen kept swimming in the direction of that weak aura. He lost count of the time but finally he saw a few gleams of starlight. He started. How could there be starlight at the bottom of a pool?


    He immediately swam in the direction of those lights. As he dived down, it became more and more spacious. When he neared his target, Xiao Chen finally saw what those "starlights" were. They were certain luminous objects.


    Suddenly, he felt the increased pull of gravity. His body fell quickly to the luminous area. With a plonk, he fell out of the water. He was astounded. There was no water at the bottom of the pool. Water was simply hovering above. It was quite unbelievable.


    Even more unbelievable was the fact that this was a palace ruin. The luminescent objects were bony remains. Everywhere around this palace were scattered bones, scintillating with white light. They seemed like jade. He remembered the Rogue Immortals in the Human Realm. There were the remains of dead Rogue Immortals!


    Rogue Immortals were Cultivators who had passed the Nascent Soul, Nirvana, Apotheosis and Grand Completion Realms. After the Great Completion Realm, they must survive the Ordeal. If they succeeded, they would turn into real Immortals and soar to Heaven''s Realm above. They would be released from the cycles of life and death. They could continue cultivating and become Immortal Lords and God Kings.


    If they failed in their Ordeal, they would turn into Rogue Immortals on earth. Then they could no longer cultivate. Even then, their powers far surpassed a Grand Completion Realm Cultivator. They would be nearly invincible throughout the mortal realm. Here were the dead remains of 20 to 30 Rogue Immortals in this palace. Who could have such insane powers to have slain two dozen Rogue Immortals?


    Xiao Chen had a feeling of coming apocalypse. If the Immortal Lords and God Kings from Heaven''s Realm had descended to earth, they would suffer from the Restriction. They would not be able to fully execute their powers, so it was impossible for them to slay so many Rogue Immortals. In other words, this wasn''t the doings of Heaven''s Realm immortals. Could there be such a terrifying presence on earth...?


    As he wondered in surprise, a faint voice rang out at his ears with a sigh. "So, young man, you have finally discovered this place... "


    "Who''s that?" Xiao Chen turned his eyes in every direction, sweeping his gaze around in alarm. His Divine Sense swept every corner of the palace but could detect no human figure. He gave an unconscious shudder.


    "Ahem... don''t be afraid, young man. I''ve been dead for a thousand years and can pose no threat to you... " The old voice rang out again.

 Chapter 113 A Dense Fog of Mystery

    Xiao Chen focused his eyes and was on his guard. He asked, "Could you show yourself, sir?"


    "Ahem, am I not in front of you...?"


    The old voice rang out again. Xiao Chen finally noticed a white skeleton before him. Its remains were more complete than the others.


    "It''s been a thousand years. There is almost nothing left of my Soul. I can no longer show myself. The outside Barrier had been shattered too. This palace has finally revealed itself to the eyes of men... "


    Xiao Chen gave a start. So it was this old man who had sealed the oasis with his Soul power. His remnant Soul was still so powerful after his death 1,000 years ago! This old man must have been a great wizard. Xiao Chen asked, "Please, sir, who were these people who had died here?" For now, this was his most urgent question.


    "This palace was called the Shao Palace. They, like me, were servants of this palace."


    Xiao Chen''s heart missed a beat. In the present world, even a Grand Completion Realm superior would be quite invincible. Yet the owner of this palace was so powerful that he had dozens of Rogue Immortals as servants!


    The old man seemed to sigh again. "Young man, have you heard of the Divine Archean Dragon, Yinglong, or the Evil Archean Dragon, Qiongtian?"


    Xiao Chen reflected carefully. These two dragons must have been presences from a mythical era, from several thousand or tens of thousands years ago. The heaven and earth must have just emerged from their chaotic, primordial state.


    The old man sighed. "Yinglong was formed from the clear Qi of the heaven and the earth. His presence was a blessing to all living creatures. Qiongtian was formed from brutal Qi, causing havoc everywhere. Both these dragons could devastate the heaven and the earth. They battled for ten thousand years. Yinglong was originally a benign dragon, but it was later infected with Qiongtian''s aggression due to their long battle. Ten thousand years ago, their battle caused the heaven and the earth to collapse. They had reduced each other''s powers greatly. They were in the throes of death. Just at that moment, the great god Fuxi came across them. He did not wish to see them fight again and got rid of their aggression, turning them into the civil and martial strings of the Fuxi Zither. They are the C sharp Major and D sharp Major strings... "


    Greatly astonished, Xiao Chen''s heart began to surge. He did not know the origins of the Fuxi Zither was so special. The Civil and Martial strings were formed out of two devastating dragons! Even so, the Fuxi Zither had ranked below the Samsara Jade on the Divine Weapons List.


    The old man continued. "Later, the great god Fuxi ascended to Heaven''s Realm and left the Fuxi Zither on earth. Several millennia later, the Fuxi Zither somehow came apart. Its seven strings were separated from its body..."


    Xiao Chen''s astonishment continued unabated. The Fuxi Zither had not come apart millennia ago, on the day he was executed on the Immortal-slaying Platform. It must have happened later. He asked, "So, you are saying that the owner of this palace had guarded the two strings for several millennia?"


    The old man replied, "You are only partially correct. The Shao Palace existed for several millennia until 1,000 years ago, when a great Devil barged in to seize the zither strings. Our Master would rather die than surrender them, but he was no match for the Devil. He was badly injured. When the Devil failed to find the strings, he killed everyone here in rage... "


    Xiao Chen was quietly stunned. Was this Devil''s powers so terrible? He could not have been that great Devil from the Xiao Family Tombs, Gu Feng. A lot of things seemed to have happened 1,000 years ago: Xiao Ning sealing Gu Feng in and was later maligned, pursued and killed by the five major sects. Carrying the broken Samsara Jade with him, he founded the Xiao family in the Human World. Why had he done that? Who gave him the Samsara Jade? Were all these linked to himself? He asked, "Please, sir, tell me if that Devil managed to lay hands on the zither strings."


    The old man smiled and spoke with great satisfaction, "Hey hey! Our Master knew several millennia ago that the Devil would come. No matter how highly skilled that Devil was, he could never have guessed that our Master was that very string itself... "


    "What!" Xiao Chen had not guessed that either. His Master had claimed that he was defending the zither strings, yet he was formed out of the zither string itself. His brilliant ploy fooled everyone. No wonder that Devil could not locate the zither strings. Yet who was that Devil? Why must he try all means and ways to seize the Fuxi Zither?


    He was about to ask more about that Devil when the latter suddenly said, "Young man, you have heard a lot from me. Aren''t you going to tell me something about yourself?"


    "Me?" Xiao Chen pointed at his own nose. What should he say? That he was from several millennia ago, or that he was a former owner of the Fuxi Zither?


    The old man smiled. "Young man, it looks like you don''t know yourself. Do you know that you are, like me, a remnant Soul?"


    "What?" Xiao Chen was taken aback again. He was still alive. How could he be a remnant Soul?


    "Hey hey! Looks like you really don''t know. Haven''t you noticed anything odd about your body? Haven''t you realized that there isn''t a single whiff of life in this body of yours?"


    "Sir, you mean... "


    A spine-chilling cold instantly overwhelmed Xiao Chen. He seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss. He kept falling but could not reach the bottom. Suddenly, he remembered Ling Yuxuan''s Immortal-Binding Rope. After his Soul came out of his body, the Immortal-Binding Rope had come loose. It confirmed the old man''s words. His body was without life.


    In fact, he had detected his physical oddity for a long time. It did not seem like his own body. It was like a manufactured body, possessed by a Soul.


    Every time he suffered an injury, his wounds would heal within an extremely short period of time, without even the trace of a scar. He did not need to mobilize any True Energy to heal himself.


    For an ordinary man, it might seem a great blessing. Yet, a spine-chilling cold overpowered himself gradually. His body had been manufactured by someone else. Despite his every effort, a Mind would emerge out from this body after it reached a certain level, to engulf his willpower. So, he was merely helping another person after all!


    He was certain that he was that baby in the stone coffin. He was not of the Xiao lineage. Who had been masterminding this? Was it only to resurrect himself, or to make Xiao Chen work on this body?


    The heartwrenching chill rendered him powerless gradually. He had died millennia ago. It was not fate which had resurrected him. It was a mastermind. Why did he do this...


    The old man suddenly smiled. "Young man, don''t be too pessimistic. Perhaps things aren''t as bad as you imagine them to be. Might it be that you could not enter the Samsara, so someone had to painstakingly resurrect you?"


    "Might be that I couldn''t enter the Samsara, so someone had to painstakingly resurrect me?"


    A hope gradually flared up in Xiao Chen''s heart upon hearing these words. In other words, he was not helping someone else after all. Maybe someone did want to resurrect him? But who could that person be? In his previous life, he was an orphan, with only a doting Master. It must have been her! But why had she refused to see him...

 Chapter 114 The Mu Family Village

    "Ho ho, young man, your Soul is very powerful. It has not been destroyed after so many millennia. Can you tell me who you are?"


    "Who I am... " Xiao Chen muttered. "I don''t know either. I was a baby when I was rescued by my Master. Later, someone maligned me as a descendant of the Devils... only Master believes in me. She is the kindest person in this world... "


    He spoke and the rims of his eyes gradually turned red. His voice also turned hoarse. "But now, Master doesn''t know where I am. She doesn''t know if I am alive. To be honest, sir, this Fuxi Zither was a gift from my Master many millennia ago. She wanted me to put living beings of this world before myself. I must not harbor any evil thoughts. But I killed so many people that day, so many... "


    "Oh?" The old man''s spirits revived. "So you were the former owner of the Fuxi Zither? No wonder you can find your way here... "


    Xiao Chen wiped his eyes and put aside his sad emotions. He cupped his fists. "I know that my request may seem a little pertinent, but I hope that you can give me the C sharp major string. One of my friends is a Zither Spirit of the Fuxi Zither. If I cannot put the Fuxi Zither back again, his Soul power will gradually dissipate and completely disappear... "


    "Ho ho... " The old man chuckled. "Young man, I know you are not lying, you are the former owner of the Fuxi Zither. I can die in peace now after handing you the zither string... " As he said this, a zither string, glowing with white light, hovered before Xiao Chen''s eyes.


    Xiao Chen took the zither string. His heart was still palpitating. He said, "Thank you, sir."


    The old man sighed. "Well, well, it''s been 1,000 years. I have kept my promise to my Master. Our Master expended all his spiritual force in his battle with the Devil. I shall leave the zither string with you. You''ve been here a long time. Go back now. I will seal this place completely with my remaining Soul power... "


    Xiao Chen put the zither string into the Divine Vessel and gave a low bow. "In that case, I shall go, sir." Then he soared up on the tip of his toes. He surged out to the pool water and after a long time, finally resurfaced. He climbed ashore and dried his clothes with his True Qi.


    "What happened? Are you alright?" Luo Shangyan saw that he had finally emerged. She hurriedly went to help him up.


    Xiao Chen smiled. "It''s too cold below. There''s nothing there. Let''s go."


    They went back the same way they came. Suddenly, six figures blocked their way. They were six Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. One yelled, "Lad! Hand the magic treasures over and we will spare your life!"


    Xiao Chen saw that their eyes were bloodshot and knew they had been infected by the Demonic Flower, giving them a killing lust. These were middle-staged Foundation Building Realm Cultivators, much more powerful than Ling Yuxuan and his minions. They had better combat experiences too. It was difficult to deal with them.


    Just while he pondering, one of them suddenly brandished out his sword and hacked. "Crash!" The 3-meter long sword radiance severed several trees beside him into smithereens. Xiao Chen was astonished. The power of a middle-staged Foundation Building Realm Cultivator could not be underestimated. He was about to flash his Unsullied Sword out when a sword radiance streaked out from the horizon. A suave white-robed man landed.


    Xiao Chen composed himself and realized that the white-robed man was in the final stages of the Core Forming Realm. He was an even more difficult preposition than these six. One of the six yelled, "We saw this lad first! So scram!"


    "Oh?" The white-robed man had a faint, indistinct smile on his face. Suddenly, he condensed Qi out on his fingertips and out streaked a 10-meter long Sword Radiance. With a whoosh, these Foundation Building Realm Cultivators were all reduced to a mist of blood, before they could even react.


    Xiao Chen was not surprised. This was the power of a Core Forming Realm Cultivator. He could slay six Foundation Building Realm Cultivators easily. It was only that Core Forming Realm Cultivators at the Immortals League Competition could not employ killing strokes. Likewise, a Cultivator nearing the Nascent Soul Realm could kill Core Forming Realm Cultivators easily, while a Nascent Soul superior could easily slay a Cultivator nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.


    "Lad, hand me your magic treasures!" The white-robed man turned to him and said.


    Xiao Chen did not answer. He took out his Fuxi Zither, now strung with two zither strings. Its power exceeded its former. The white-robed man''s eyes sparkled with delight. "It is indeed a treasure!" He stretched out his arm to seize it.


    Xiao Chen quickly retreated three steps and pluck the C Major string forcefully. Immediately, shafts of white light soared into the sky. True Energy rapidly condensed from the surroundings. The white-robed man was quite astonished. The glitter in his eyes became brighter. He was about to attack to Xiao Chen when Xiao Chen released his fingertip''s True Energy. Instantly, a tremendous force hurtled over.


    Wild gales began to resound noisily, overturning the earth everywhere. Countless ancient trees reaching into the sky were uprooted. The white-robed man did not expect this. He quickly defended himself but was still thrown more than 30 meters backward by this immense force. He lay prone on the ground, vomiting blood.


    Xiao Chen''s face was deathly pale. The Fuxi Zither''s power had increased but he had also expended more energy as a result. He was afraid that his zither note would alert the Cultivators nearby. He quickly pulled Luo Shangyan and they ran. After about half a kilometer, three streaks of radiances descended from the sky, landing before them.


    This time, however, Xiao Chen reacted with joy. He cried out, "Brother Yifeng!" Then, he saw a woman in white beside him. He stared at her in a daze for a long time, then muttered, "Miss... Miss Mu!"


    Three persons were Mu Chengxue, Yu Yifeng and Monk Xu Gu, standing before him from left to right. Yu Yifeng glanced at Mu Chengxue and smiled gently. "So you know Chen as well."


    Mu Chengxue nodded. Her glance fell on Xiao Chen. She did not say a word.


    Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name and said, "Mr. Xiao, we meet each other again. It''s only been a short time. Have you decided to come with me to the Wuyin Monastery?"


    Yu Yifeng smiled quietly. "This is Senior Brother Xu Gu from Wuyin Monastery. He is the one who told me that you were here, so I came over to have a look." Xiao Chen said, "I have met Senior Brother Xu Gu already."


    Yu Yifeng nodded. "This is no place to stay. We''d better get out first." Then, he said to Xu Gu, "Senior Brother Xu Gu, are you coming with us?"


    Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name again and sighed. "The murderous desire here is quite strong. I will stay to convert these people... Amitabha!"


    Yu Yifeng put his palms together at him. "Then, we shall take our leave first." He said to Xiao Chen, "Let''s go outside and talk."


    With Yu and Mu in the front, no ordinary cultivators dared to provoke them. When they reached the desert outside, the winter seemed to disappear into summer again. Yu Yifeng summoned a Flying-cloud Stone and they all leaped up. Finally, Yu Yifeng asked, "Martial Uncle Qing Feng sent me a message and told me that you have come to Violet Manor more than a month ago. Why didn''t you come to the Jade Qing Sect?"


    "Err... " Xiao Chen grinned. "I was held back by some matter in the Zhou State." Mu Chengxue said, "Oh? So you were that Han Chen, who stormed away with the beauty?" As she spoke, her gaze shifted over to Luo Shangyan and rested there.


    Xiao Chen smiled bashfully. "So you two know everything." Yu Yifeng turned to face Luo Shangyan. "How should I address you, Miss?"


    Luo Shangyan replied, "I am a disciple of the Three Pure Sect, Luo Shangyan." Yu Yifeng nodded. "Years ago, I went to visit Perfected Immortal Zixu once. You were then still very young. You must have forgotten me."


    Luo Shangyan immediately raised her head. "Do you know where my Master is now?"


    Yu Yifeng sighed and shook his head. "I have heard. Old senior Changfeng, Perfected Immortal Zixu, Master Lingjue... the three of them went three years ago to investigate the Soul-consuming Evil Flower and then had disappeared together. No one has heard of them since."


    Xiao Chen did not wish to upset Luo Shangyan and changed the topic. "By the way, Brother Yifeng and Miss Mu, what have brought you here?"


    Yu Yifeng looked at Mu Chengxue and said, "Actually, we have been trying to locate Miss Mu''s elder brother for years."


    Xiao Chen stared at Mu Chengxue and saw a dejected look on her face. The present trip must have been a fruitless one too. No wonder she tried to steal the Closing-sky Mirror from Skygale Sect. The Closing-sky Mirror could reveal everything that had happened in a particular location. She must have needed it to trace her elder brother.


    No one spoke. At last, Yu Yifeng said, "Miss Mu, my Master has asked me back over an urgent matter. I will search for your brother with you after this. Don''t worry. We will locate him."


    Mu Chengxue nodded and smiled. "It''s time you go back. Your two young disciples have missed you."


    Xiao Chen felt his spirits rise. He had not expected Brother Yifeng to have taken in disciples. He, on the other hand, was still the same muddle-headed boy. He smiled. "How do you feel about being a Master?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head and smiled. "I just hope they aren''t so playful as to pull out my Master''s beard again. I will still be the one getting scolded... " After he said this, he realized that Xiao Chen had turned despondent, all a sudden. He asked, "Chen, what''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen lifted his head and smiled. "No... nothing!" He suddenly remembered that he was a naughty boy too when he first went up Mystic Cyan Mountain. He had tugged his grandmaster Perfected Immortal Qingxuan''s beard too. Perfected Immortal Qingxuan was the Sect Leader of the Mystic Cyan Sect. No one had the guts to do this for several centuries.


    The Flying-cloud Stone soared for an hour. Yu Yifeng gazed ahead. He said, "If I''m not wrong, it''s the Mu Family Village ahead. Miss Mu, it''s been a while since you came back. Since it''s along the way, why don''t we all drop by for a visit?" Then, he said to Xiao Chen, "Let''s wait till tomorrow before we leave for the Jade Qing Sect together."


    Xiao Chen nodded. He had wanted to go to the Jade Qing Sect in the first place. His grandfather was an old friend of Perfected Immortal Qingchen. He ought to visit him on this trip to Violet Manor. Moreover, he needed Brother Yifeng''s men to search Xian''er out.


    They soared for another 20 or so kilometers and landed in a peach blossom wood. The entire wood was full of flowering peach blossoms. Their scent invigorated the senses. Xiao Chen felt a little strange. It was the height of summer. Why were peach blossom trees blooming so resplendently?


    Mu Chengxue''s mood took a turn for the better. She inhaled a deep breath and smiled. "Every time I return, these peach blossoms will flower so beautifully. They look like they will never wilt."


    Yu Yifeng said, "You''re right. Spiritual Qi lingers here everywhere. This must have been the reason."


    Spiritual Qi lingered here everywhere? Xiao Chen stared around him. Why did he sense a lifeless, gloomy air? He was very sensitive to death and lifelessness.


    As they talked, the trembling voice of an old woman rang out from the other end of the wood. "Is it Xue? Are you back?" An old woman, over 70 years of age, staggered in on her walking stick.


    "Aunt!" Mu Chengxue gave a joyful cheer and dashed over.


    Yu Yifeng smiled gently. "Miss Mu was brought up by this aunt. She is a close kin. Let''s go over and greet her."


    Xiao Chen focused his eyes. Was it so? Why did he sense something odd about this old woman?

 Chapter 115 Thousand-feather Order

    The old woman narrowed her turbid eyes and sized up Xiao Chen and the other two as they slowly drew near. She asked Mu Chengxue, "Little Xue, are they your friends?"


    Yu Yifeng saluted her with a gentle smile. "Madam, I paid you a visit last year with A Xue. Don''t you remember?" The old woman stared at him for a long time before nodding. "I''m old now. I can''t remember very well."


    Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan promptly introduced themselves. The old woman appeared delighted and said, "It''s windy here in the woods. Let''s have a seat inside the house."


    What greeted them after walking out of the forest of peach trees was a small village with a creek passing through it. Numerous married women were on the riverbank, drawing and transporting water home for cooking. There were also many children catching dragonflies by the field.


    Their arrival turned quite a few heads. "Has Little Xue come home?"


    Mu Chengxue greeted them one by one. Several children ran over and looked at Xiao Chen and the rest. One of them asked wide-eyed, "Sister Xue, are they your friends?"


    Yu Yifeng chuckled and squatted down to carry the child. "Little thing, this Older Brother caught a dragonfly for you last year. Did you forget me already?"


    The child grinned from ear to ear, revealing a set of tiny, white teeth. He scratched his head. "Hehe. I forgot."


    After entering the house, the old woman swiftly lit the fire and began cooking. Mu Chengxue and Yu Yifeng went to help out in the kitchen. Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan sat inside the house for a moment before going out. The small village enveloped in the radiance of sunshine was the picture of peace and tranquility. So, there was a place like this in the Violet Manor.


    The child from earlier suddenly ran over to them and looked at them with a grin. "Hehe! Older Brother! Older Sister! Will you come and pick flowers with me?"


    Xiao Chen squatted down and rubbed his hair. "It''s getting dark. Shall we do it another day?" The child pointed to the other side of the village. "The flowers are really pretty, you know? They''re so red and every flower has four petals."


    Luo Shangyan laughed. "Come on. Play with the child a little!" She held the child''s hand. "Let''s go. I''ll come and pick flowers with you."


    Smiling, Xiao Chen shook his head and followed them. When they reached the other side of the village, they searched for a long time but saw no sign of the red flowers that the child mentioned. The child rubbed his head and his small face became colored with confusion. "I remember it''s full of flowers here..."


    Seeing that it was almost dark out, Xiao Chen said, "Oh well. The flowers will blossom again tomorrow. Let''s go back."


    After returning to the village, they saw that the old woman had finished preparing a table full of dishes. Though they weren''t luxurious dishes, they carried the extraordinary taste of home. After the meal, Mu Chengxue prepared rooms for them to rest.


    The night came and went. The next day, Xiao Chen walked out of the house and stretched himself while facing the sun. The child from yesterday ran over to him again and Xiao Chen smiled at him. "You''re up so early as well?"


    The child''s large eyes blinked. "Older Brother, are you Sister Xue''s friend?" Xiao Chen was stunned. Didn''t he just tell him yesterday? Why did this child become such a stranger after just one night?


    The child grinned and said, "Older Brother, many flowers have blossomed over there. They''re really pretty, you know? They''re so red and every flower has four petals. Let''s go and pick them?" He pointed to the same spot by the village entrance.


    Once again, Xiao Chen was shocked. What was wrong with this kid? Didn''t they fail to find anything yesterday? Moreover, it felt as if the child had forgotten him overnight.


    Right then, Mu Chengxue and the rest walked out of the house. She walked to the child and squatted down to rub his head. "That''s enough. I''ll pick flowers with you the next time I come back. Don''t disturb this Older Brother anymore."


    The four of them then took their leave. Excluding the forest of peach trees yesterday, Xiao Chen had the inexplicable feeling that something was off with this village. After climbing onto the Flying-cloud Stone and traveling for several miles, he turned around. However, he couldn''t see the forest of peach trees and the village no matter how hard he looked.


    It wasn''t until noon that the Flying-cloud Stone reached the boundary of Qing Province. The province wasn''t a city; rather, it was the collective name for adjacent cities. Southeast of the province was a mountain range that extended forever into the distance. One of the mountains was a lofty, majestic one that soared straight into the skies. It was the home to the Jade Qing Sect.


    After reaching the feet of the mountain, Xiao Chen looked up and saw white jade stairs that seemed to lead straight to the firmament. The sides of the stairs were adorned with pine and cypress. Many palaces atop islands hovered high above through the support of mystic arts. This place was countless times larger than the Teal Jade Sect. It looked just like a miniature Mystic Cyan Sect.


    After climbing about a thousand steps, they found themselves still a considerable distance away from the mountain gate square. However, green clouds had gradually risen all around them. In the distance, green mountains overlapped to form a continuous range. Herons would flit across from time to time, leaving behind white feathers in their wake.


    The quartet only made it up to the top of the stairs after approximately 15 minutes. When they looked up, they saw a memorial arch carved out of jade at the mountain gate with the words of "Jade Qing Sect" on it. The arch glistened under the sunlight.


    Two young Taoists flanked the memorial arch. When they saw the quartet, they immediately said respectfully, "Senior Brother Yu." Yu Yifeng nodded at them. "Is Master inside the hall?"


    The Taoist on the left replied, "Master has been waiting in the Harmonious Radiance Hall after finding out that Senior Brother Yu is returning today." He gestured for them to go in.


    "Alright." Yu Yifeng nodded and addressed the one behind him. "Xiao Chen, let''s enter the main hall first. Master is very kind so you don''t have to be nervous later." Xiao Chen chuckled and followed him in.


    The Jade Qing Sect covered a vast expanse of ground and boasted of countless halls and pavilions. Xiao Chen spotted two of the most magnificent halls. The one in the east was called the Harmonious Radiance Hall while the one in the west was the Similarly Mortal Hall. The two main halls were like reflections of each other and could be considered the throne hall of immortals.


    Upon entering the Harmonious Radiance Hall, they saw an elderly man that emanated the air of an immortal seated at the central spot of the hall. Flanking him was two child Taoists, with one holding a horsetail whisk and the other holding an Eight Divinatory Trigram Sword. The elderly man sat upright and still. His eyes were limpid like a fairy and he subconsciously emitted a sense of magnificence. However, the beard under his chin was a little sparse.


    Seated in a line on both sides of the hall were the Elders and young disciples of the Jade Qing Sect. Yu Yifeng speedily walked into the hall and bowed in greeting to the elderly man seated in the central spot. Then, he introduced Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan behind him.


    The elderly man was none other than the Sect Leader of Jade Qing Sect, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. He wore a faint smile and nodded at them, not losing the manners of an elder. "So it''s Changfeng''s heir and Zi Xu''s disciple. Please take a seat, you two." Then he addressed Mu Chengxue. "Ms. Mu, please take a seat too."


    Xiao Chen, Luo Shangyan, and Mu Chengxue immediately returned the greetings and followed Yu Yifeng to sit down on the left of the hall. Yu Yifeng asked, "I''m curious as to the reason you summoned me back this time, Master."


    With a faint nod, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen picked up a delicate feather from the table next to him. If one was observant, one would notice that the two words carved on the quill: "Thousand-feather."


    "It''s the Thousand-feather Order!" Yu Yifeng jumped to his feet.


    Xiao Chen had never seen Yu Yifeng this solemn before. He asked in a quiet voice, "Senior Brother Yifeng, what''s Thousand-feather Order?" Being in front of everyone, he naturally couldn''t refer to Yu Yifeng as Brother Yifeng due to etiquette. Yu Yifeng turned his head and explained, "Junior Brother Xiao, you may not know this. There''s a saying in Violet Manor that goes ''once a feather command is made, no one dares to disobey it''."


    "Oh?" A sliver of confusion crept into Xiao Chen''s mind. He wondered what kind of person had the ability to command all Cultivators'' sects with a single feather.


    "It belongs to a sect named Thousand Feathers Sect within the Ancient Immortal Clan," Yu Yifeng added.


    "Thousand Feathers Sect!" Xiao Chen''s expression changed as if he had thought of something. "Thousand Feathers Sect, Thousand Feathers Sect... Qianyu Nishang (T/N: "Qianyu" means Thousand Feathers")!"

 Chapter 116 The Clues of Demonic Flowers

    Yu Yifeng noticed Xiao Chen''s strange expression and asked, "What''s wrong? The Thousand Feathers Sect has existed for countless millenniums. Have you heard of them, Junior Brother Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. "N-no!" Yet, he thought to himself, "It''s been several thousand years. Qianyu Nishang, oh, Qianyu Nishang. Don''t tell me that you left the Mystic Cyan Sect back then and had gone on to establish your own sect."


    Yu Yifeng nodded and continued questioning Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. "Which date has they decided on?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen put down the feather in his hand. "Two months later, Widespread Wintriness Sect in Wu Province. Since your two Martial Uncles are still in isolation, I don''t plan on attending. I''ve just discussed this with all your Elders earlier; we plan on sending you to Widespread Wintriness Sect in two months'' time."


    Yu Yifeng saluted him. "Your disciple accepts your order!" Then, he asked, "How many sects are the Thousand Feathers Sect summoning this time? What is the reason?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen narrowed his eyes and his face took on a pensive look. Only after some time passed that he slowly said, "The reason appears to be about the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers. Several days ago, they seemed to have traced the tracks of the Devil''s Practice..." Before he could finish his sentence, a shocked Luo Shangyan cried out, "Soul-consuming Evil Flower!"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen knew the reason she was this worried was that Perfected Immortal Zi Xu had disappeared last year while investigating the flower. He immediately gave her a subtle nod, indicating for her to put her mind to ease for now, before continuing, "There''s another matter. Several days ago, we received news that the Widespread Wintriness Sect had apprehended a female Demon not long ago. The female Demon seemed to have something to do with the Devil''s Practice. The sects of the Orthodox Path are going to gather then. Yifeng, you''ll attend the meeting as a representative of the Jade Qing Sect. When the time comes, you must act with the utmost decorum."


    Yu Yifeng saluted him. "Your disciple understands!"


    Quite a few young disciples inside the hall cast him envious looks. This Senior Brother of theirs was the Sect Leader''s most favored disciple. If they could attend the meeting as a representative, how amazing would that be! What they didn''t know was that the large sects appeared to be working together yet were secretly trying to outwit one another. It was a tough challenge to socialize with members of such sects. Yu Yifeng had a deep Tao understanding that allowed him to shoulder this heavy burden. It wasn''t a burden that ordinary disciples could handle.


    Right then, a middle-aged man stood up and saluted toward the front of the hall. "Sect Leader, this is no small matter. Shouldn''t we send a few more disciples?" Perfected Immortal Qing Chen gave a small nod. "Your words are reasonable, Junior Brother. Then let''s send another four disciples."


    Instantly, the eyes of many young disciples lit up. Then, an elderly man stood up. "Senior Brother, I think we should send an Elder as well. The Thousand Feathers Sect is an Ancient Immortal Clan. I fear Yifeng and the rest can''t handle them."


    He had just finished talking when another elderly man beside him laughed. "Old Zhou, don''t tell me that you haven''t put down your reluctance to leave the mortal world and that you want to go yourself. Who doesn''t know that the female disciples of the Thousand Feathers Sect are all as beautiful as flowers?"


    The elderly man surnamed Zhou glared at him. "Bah! "Old Ding! You don''t speak nicely, do you? I''m just worried about Yifeng and the others!"


    There was no malice in their words; both of them had merely gotten used to bantering. Now that they were displaying such a "childish" manner in front of so many disciples, the disciples couldn''t help laughing.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen shook his head, smiling. "That''s enough. Please stop joking around, Junior Brothers..." His expression gradually turned solemn and his frown deepened. "I fear the Thousand Feathers Sect didn''t gather all sects just to investigate the Devil''s Practice. Could it be that they''re trying to exploit the sects..."


    The Elders could tell that he was worried. In a flash, people stopped talking and silence fell over the hall. The mood became solemn. However, out of the blue, two voices came from outside the hall at the same time.


    "Grandmaster! Junior Brother made a tear in my skirt!"


    "Grandmaster! Senior Sister wiped mud on my face!"


    Two children of both genders ran inside unsteadily. Both looked about ten years old. The boy''s entire face was smeared with mud while the girl''s lilac-colored skirt was torn in quite a few places.


    Yu Yifeng felt an instant stab of headache after seeing these children bursting into the hall. He got up and yelled, "Hanxi! Ziling! Don''t make a scene here! Hurry up and leave!"


    The children burst into tears after seeing him and ran over to him. They said in unison, "Master! You finally came back! Junior Brother/Senior Sister keeps bullying me!" They then hugged each of Yu Yifeng''s legs while staring at each other in anger.


    "You''re the one who wiped mud on my face first!"


    "It''s you who tugged on my skirt first!"


    Yu Yifeng was incredulous. Many young disciples covered their mouths to hide their laughter. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, who was seated in the central spot in the hall, coughed. "Hanxi! Ziling! Listen to your Master and go out for now!"


    The children turned their heads to take a look around the hall. However, not only did they disobey the order, they even ran over to him. Seeing this, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen immediately placed his hand under his chin to protect his beard. The two child Taoists beside him also stepped forward to stop Hanxi and Ziling.


    Xiao Chen was dumbfounded. So it was Brother Yifeng''s two kid disciples who had forced a magnificent Nascent Soul Realm expert as well as a Sect Leader to use two child Taoists as guards! Regardless of how many talented people emerge in the Jianghu each day, it seemed that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen didn''t lose to them in the slightest.


    From the looks of things, the meeting was as good as over. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had no choice but to say, "We''ll end the meeting here and continue on another day. Please return, Elders." He hastily shot Yu Yifeng a look. Only then did Yu Yifeng hurriedly ran over and caught the children, each in one arm. He then ran out of the hall.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help laughing. Just as he was about to excuse himself, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stopped him. "Xiao Chen, come over." Xiao Chen nodded and walked over to him. "Do you have orders for me, Perfected Immortal?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen coughed once and plastered on an awkward smile. "Has my two Junior Brothers been well in the Human World? Yifeng said that they''re the ones who sent you to the Violet Manor."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Seniors Qing Feng and Zi Mo are both doing very well. They often mention you in our conversations."


    "Zi Mo?" Perfected Immortal Qing Chen looked confused. Mu Chengxue, who hadn''t left the hall yet, laughed. "The Unfettered Senior uses the pseudonym ''Zi Mo'' in the Human World."


    "I see..." Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded. He exhaled a sigh. "So Unfettered Junior Brother ultimately can''t let it go. I''ve sent Yifeng to invite him back many times, but he refused me each time. Sigh..."


    Xiao Chen thought to himself that the old man Zi Mo often bantered with his disciples, to the point that it was a little ridiculous. It was difficult for him to associate Zi Mo with a Senior and expert of the Violet Manor. He wondered what kind of past they shared but naturally, it wasn''t his place to ask.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen chuckled. "Did you learn anything related to your grandfather in the past year?" Xiao Chen sighed. "Last year, Grandpa, Perfected Immortal Zi Xu, and Master Lingjue went off to investigate that Demonic Flower. Then they were never heard from again..."


    "Sigh..." Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sighed. Luo Shangyan walked over and said, "Could it be that they were kidnapped by the demons that released those Devil Flowers?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen pondered this for a long time before replying, "It''s hard to say. But if they''re able to capture them three, the opponent surely isn''t simple. As far as I know, your Master has achieved the peak of the Core Forming Realm many years ago. Is that right?" Then, he looked at Xiao Chen. "Changfeng too. If it''s about martial arts alone, not even I can win over him."


    Xiao Chen was well aware that his grandfather possessed unfathomable martial arts. Just who exactly had the ability to capture and imprison him along with Perfected Immortal Zi Xu and Master Lingjue?


    Suddenly, he thought of someone: the demonic man named Feng You who came to the Three Pure Sect back then. No one could defeat him even though he was merely using puppets. Perhaps only someone like him had such an ability.


    Right then, Yu Yifeng entered the hall. "Soul-consuming Evil Flower eats away at one''s soul. Could it have something to do with the Administration of Heaven?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen''s expression gradually became solemn. Xiao Chen asked, "What''s the Administration of Heaven?"


    "It''s a spiritual organization and one of the three main forces of the Violet Manor," Mu Chengxue answered.


    Currently, the known top-notch forces in the Violet Manor were the Administration of Heaven, the Spirit Silence Room, and the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. Together, they formed the Immortals'' League.


    "Administration of Heaven..." Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was silent for some time. Finally, he shook his head. "The Administration of Heaven is a deeply mysterious organization. No one knows how many years it had been around or even where it is. The only thing we know is that they trade in souls. If one is willing to hand over one''s soul to them after death, they will do something for the person while alive. However, they won''t take the initiative in killing and stealing souls. More importantly, what they need are the souls of cultivators. To them, the souls of ordinary people are completely useless."


    Xiao Chen was deep in thought for a long time. Then, who exactly was the one who spread the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers? Where would the gathered souls be transported to? Where were his grandfather and the rest now? All these had turned into mysteries that couldn''t be unraveled. He said, "Perfected Immortal, I have a presumptuous request. I wish to go to the Widespread Wintriness Sect with Senior Brother Yifeng two months later."


    On the one hand, he could see if there were any clues of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers there. On the other hand, he wanted to see exactly what the Thousand Feathers Sect was and if it was truly established by the Qianyu Nishang. Luo Shangyan said, "I''m going too!"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded. "Sure. Then, three of you, please stay in the Jade Qing Sect for the time being. I''ll get Yifeng to handle the arrangements." Then, he smiled at Mu Chengxue. "Ms. Mu, you''ve been to the Jade Qing Sect once. You don''t have to restrain yourself."


    Mu Chengxue nodded with a smile. From the looks of it, she had also decided on participating in the Immortal''s Practice Conference two months later that the Thousand Feathers Sect called for. The group left the hall together. Outside, Xiao Chen chuckled and said, "Brother Yifeng, looks like your two little disciples really make you worry. How did you end up under your tutelage?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head with a smile. When he heard Xiao Chen mention his two little disciples, his smile gradually subsided. He sighed. "The Devil practitioners have been wreaking chaos everywhere they go, unleashing great torment on the common folk. I brought Hanxi and Ziling from the northern part of Qing State several years ago. Their parents were both killed by demons." Toward the end, his voice carried a deep hatred.


    Xiao Chen, who could empathize with his feelings, didn''t continue asking. Back then, he was also like Yu Yifeng and swore to always go against the Devil''s Practice. He had vowed to cleanse the world of devils.


    Later on, Yu Yifeng arranged for them three to become neighbors in the same courtyard. Here, they weren''t as restrained as they had been in the Teal Jade Sect. The people here were also a lot more easygoing. At night, Xiao Chen wanted to refine the Immortal-Binding Rope that he obtained from Ling Yuxuan into a magic treasure that he could use. Thus, he looked for Yu Yifeng and asked him if he knew any place suitable for him to concentrate on his cultivation.


    He knew the Immortal''s Practice Conference two months later would undoubtedly be a gathering of experts. Since he was going with the Jade Qing Sect disciples, he had the responsibility not to bring shame to their sect.


    He also told Yu Yifeng about Murong Xian''er and expressed his hope that the Jade Qing Sect help send someone to find her.

 Chapter 117 Cultivation in Deep Concentration

    Yu Yifeng took him to a place called Bright Moon Valley located in the back of the mountain. The view of the valley was gorgeous. Flowers of all kinds blossomed beautifully and there were more Spiritual Qi here than in most places. He began letting go of all distracting thoughts and began his mental cultivation. Cultivating here for a day was as effective as cultivating in other places for three days. This place was supposed to be open only to the sect''s disciples, but Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had personally given his permission for Xiao Chen and the other two to enter as they wished.


    In the days that followed, Xiao Chen cultivated inside the Bright Moon Valley in deep concentration. Each day, he would only return after the moon hung high in the sky. One day, after seeing how determined he was, Mu Chengxue couldn''t stop herself from laughing at him. "Hey! Why are you working so hard? Don''t you know that your Senior Sister Luo is forced to wait for you until late at night every day?"


    "Ah?" Before Xiao Chen could digest the meaning of her words, Luo Shangyan''s face had already reddened. She said in a low voice, "Sister Mu, don''t say nonsense."


    "Eh... Hehe." Xiao Chen laughed dryly. "Why don''t you both come with me today? Spiritual Qi is in abundance there. I feel like I''ll break into the 4th level of Foundation Building Realm any time now."


    Mu Chengxue immediately waved her hand. "Forget it. If Yu Yifeng''s Senior and Junior Brothers see me, they won''t be able to concentrate on their cultivation. I don''t want to harm them and have their Masters blame me. I can''t bear the responsibility..."


    Luo Shangyan burst into laughter. "Not only are you pretty, but your cultivation is high too! Of course, many men will like you!"


    Xiao Chen laughed. "Well... It''s their fault for not having a firm mentality. That''s why their cultivation isn''t as high as Brother Yifeng''s."


    Mu Chengxue had the feeling that there was something off with Xiao Chen''s words but couldn''t pinpoint what. She said, "Hey! Stop overworking yourself. Do you want me to give you a few Foundation Building Pills?"


    Xiao Chen shook his hand. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Ms. Mu, but I think it''s better for me to cultivate on my own merits."


    "I''ll go with you. I feel like I''m about to break into the Foundation Building Realm," Luo Shangyan said.


    Xiao Chen turned to smile at her. "Sure thing!" Mu Chengxue shook her head. "I lost my conversation partner today. Sigh! I better look for Yu Yifeng''s two little disciples and play with them."


    Luo Shangyan grinned. "Looks like Brother Yifeng is quite idle these two days!" Mu Chengxue shot her a mysterious smile. "Xiao Chen calls him Brother Yifeng and you copy him in doing so. Oh well, forget it. Go ahead, you two. I won''t disturb you anymore."


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile and left for the Bright Moon Valley with Luo Shangyan. Even though he met Mu Chengxue last year and even incurred a debt of karma with her, he wasn''t very close to her. However, after becoming neighbors for the past few days, they began talking more to each other.


    He also learned something else. Mu Chengxue became acquaintances with Yu Yifeng seven years ago but her memory seemed incredibly poor. She couldn''t remember how she met Yu Yifeng. It was as if she couldn''t even remember all that happened seven years ago very well. It was hard to imagine that a young woman would have such a terrible memory.


    After arriving at the Bright Moon Valley, they saw that there was a considerable number of disciples meditating and cultivating. The disciples segregated themselves by gender to prevent any untoward incidents. After spending several days here, Xiao Chen had gotten close to a few male disciples. When they saw him entering and with a Junior Sister as pretty as a fairy following behind him, they immediately surrounded him. "Junior Brother Xiao, you''re so early today. Eh? Who is this Junior Sister next to you?"


    Luo Shangyan smiled gently. "I''m Luo Shangyan. I''m his Senior Sister, not Junior Sister." While speaking, she deliberately glanced at Xiao Chen.


    "Wow! So, it''s Senior Sister Luo! Nice to meet you, Senior Sister Luo! I''m Zhang San..."


    "I''m Li Si..."


    "I''m Wang Er..."


    "Ahem, ahem. Senior Brothers, you''d better return to your cultivation." Xiao Chen tugged on Luo Shangyan''s hand and hastily pulled her away to the spot where he had been cultivating in the past few days.


    Luo Shangyan whispered into his ear, "Looks like Sister Mu is right on point..."


    Xiao Chen knocked on her forehead. "Oh, you! That''s quite enough! Focus! If there''s anything you don''t understand, you can still seek Perfected Immortal Qing Chen''s guidance these few days." Then, he sat down cross-legged on the ground and began operating the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method to absorb the Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth.


    Luo Shangyan wasn''t as assiduous as he was. After meditating for a while, she wanted to look around the valley with him. However, she didn''t feel comfortable disturbing him after seeing how focused he was. She sat in front of a stone wall by herself and stared at the blossoming flowers and fluttering butterflies in the distance. She gradually sank into a daze.


    Two months swiftly passed. There was an abundance of Spiritual Qi in the Bright Moon Valley and Xiao Chen was more talented than most people in the first place. His cultivation was now in the 7th level of the Foundation Building Realm. Even Yu Yifeng was terribly shocked. Meanwhile, Luo Shangyan had entered the Foundation Building Realm as well.


    Meanwhile, there was still no news of Murong Xian''er. In the past two months, Xiao Chen had personally left to look for her but in the sea of people out there, he didn''t know where to even start looking.


    Today was the day they would depart for the Widespread Wintriness Sect in the Wu Province. Thus, the two of them didn''t go to the Bright Moon Valley. After getting ready, they stepped out of their rooms. Yu Yifeng had also arrived at their courtyard. Seeing them, he asked, "Where''s Ms. Mu?"


    The door creaked open and Mu Chengxue walked out of her room. She was dressed in her usual white clothes, though she looked a little lost. Yu Yifeng thought that she didn''t look too well and walked toward her. "What''s wrong? You didn''t sleep well last night?"


    Mu Chengxue raised her head to look at him. Suddenly, she asked, "Who are you?"


    Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan were stunned. From the way she acted, she didn''t seem like she was joking around. Luo Shangyan asked quietly, "Sister Mu, what''s wrong?"


    Mu Chengxue turned to look at her and then at Xiao Chen. "Sister Shangyan, Xiao Chen, are we going to the Wu Province today? The one going with us is..." She shook her head with all her strength. Finally, she looked at Yu Yifeng and said apologetically, "Just now... I don''t know what''s going on. My mind is a little hazy."


    Yu Yifeng smiled. "I thought you''re joking with me. Forget about it. Master and the others are waiting for us at the square. Let''s leave now."


    Xiao Chen joined Mu Chengxue''s side and asked quietly, "Are you really fine?" To be frank, he noticed that Mu Chengxue seemed to be somewhat muddle-headed these days. Moreover, her gaze earlier looked as if she had truly forgotten about Yu Yifeng. Why would she remember him and Senior Sister Luo but not Yu Yifeng whom she had known for seven years?


    Mu Chengxue smiled. "I''m completely fine. You''re overthinking. Let''s go!"


    When the four of them arrived at the mountain gate square, they saw that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, several Elders, as well as a considerable number of disciples, were already there. A Flying-cloud Stone that was neither large nor small was hovering in the air. Two men and two women were standing atop the stone, all of which were already in the Core Forming Realm.


    Xiao Chen was reminded of the Immortals League Competition. Sure enough, the Jade Qing Sect''s decision not to participate was a right one. Considering how four random disciples were already in the Core Forming Realm, Zhou State had basically no chance of success.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, "Yifeng, you must be careful and take good care of your juniors." Yu Yifeng saluted his Master. "Yes, Master."


    Seeing that Yu Yifeng was about to leave, the two children, Hanxi and Ziling, looked incredibly reluctant. One hugged his leg while the other tugged on his sleeve, refusing to let go.


    "No. I don''t allow you to go, Master."


    Yu Yifeng shook his head with a sigh. Then, he smiled. "That''s enough. You two, be obedient and listen well to your Grandmaster. You''re not allowed to argue or be mischievous."


    "We won''t argue anymore so don''t go, Master. Once you leave, it''ll be so long before you''ll come back again..."


    Yu Yifeng squatted down and caressed the two children''s forehead. "That''s enough. I''ll be back swiftly this time. Be obedient and go back."


    Ultimately, Hanzi and Ziling reluctantly watched him leap onto the Flying-cloud Stone. They reminded Xiao Chen of his Master and he sighed before following suit.

 Chapter 118 Familiar Place

    There were eight of them going to the Widespread Wintriness Sect. The reason why the sects were all gathered there wasn''t that the sect was comparatively larger but that its location in the middle of the East Divine Continent made it a convenient place to convene.


    After the Flying-cloud Stone left the Jade Qing Sect, Yu Yifeng looked in the direction of the mountain gate and sighed. "I''m really an irresponsible Master. I''m always away nearly all year round..."


    Xiao Chen patted him on the shoulder with a chuckle. "It''s okay. When they''re older, they''ll understand that their Master is the one who cherishes them the most in the world."


    Yu Yifeng turned his head around and smiled. "It''s been so long but I still don''t know what sect and master you are under. From what Unfettered Martial Uncle said, your cultivation techniques don''t belong to the Three Pure Sect."


    Xiao Chen smiled with a rather bitter expression. He didn''t reply.


    The East Divine Continent was so large that its size was equivalent to that of several plains in the Human World. Even though the Flying-cloud Stone that they were riding was speedy, it still took them half a day to get from Qing Province to Wu Province.


    Watching the mountains, rivers, and creeks below, Xiao Chen gradually sank into a daze. Wasn''t this the same kind of scenery that he saw when he traveled on flying swords with his Master back then? Was the land below truly his native land, the Great Divine Continent?


    When Mu Chengxue noticed how he stood by his lonesome at the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone, staring dazedly at the ground below, she laughed. "Hey! Be careful over there! If you fall, you won''t be able to climb up, you know?"


    "Ah! Is it that dangerous?" Xiao Chen replied, having recovered his senses. He was currently unable to use a flying sword in the Violet Manor. If he fell down, there wouldn''t even be a skeleton left of him. Yu Yifeng laughed. "She''s kidding. There''s a protective Barrier around the Flying-cloud Stone. You won''t be able to fall."


    "Oh?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t know how long they had flown for he was immersed in staring at the terrain below. He kept hoping that he could find any places that resembled those from millenniums ago. However, what he saw disappointed him again and again. After the passage of thousands of years, the topography of the land had long changed. The mountains and lakes had been flattened; the vast seas had turned into mulberry fields.


    However, in a moment of carelessness, he saw a certain mountain ridge. From this angle, the mountain ridge looked like a fairy that was dancing lightly and gracefully. The rims of his eyes gradually reddened as he yelled, "Stop!"


    His words startled everyone. Yu Yifeng walked over to him and saw Xiao Chen''s reddened eyes. "What''s wrong?"


    "Get down now! Stop flying! I want to go down!"


    "Keep calm. We''ll go down now." Yu Yifeng couldn''t understand Xiao Chen''s sudden strangeness but ordered his two Junior Brothers to stop the stone from moving forward and maneuver it downward.


    Their current location wasn''t considered a part of Qing State. It was desolate for several hundred miles around them. Seeing that Xiao Chen''s emotions were gradually calming, Yu Yifeng asked, "Chen, what did you see?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t reply. He was certain that the ground under them was the Beautiful Immortal Mountains, the place where he met Hua Weiyang back then. There wasn''t much change in the terrain here even after the passage of thousands of years. So the Violet Manor was truly the Divine Continent from all those years ago.


    The Flying-cloud Stone slowly moved toward a bamboo forest. They saw that there were no less than one hundred species of birds here of all colors imaginable. The cry of the birds made for a beautiful choir of sounds. They weren''t startled even after facing humans. There was even a stream of clear spring passing through the forest. Flowers of all kinds bloomed in abundance on the riverbank, all of them unnameable.


    One of the female disciples gasped. She couldn''t help herself uttering, "What a beautiful place! No wonder Junior Brother Xiao is badgering us to come down! Hehe. Let''s all go down and take a look." While talking, she didn''t notice that the rim of Xiao Chen''s eyes was completely red.


    "Why, why has this place not changed at all... It''s been several thousand years! Weiyang! Is it you?! Have you been guarding this place all this while?"


    Back then, that beautiful woman had breached the Mystic Cyan Sect alone for his sake and shouldered all the baseless charges against him. She had used a forbidden technique to block a life-threatening palm attack for him and ended up jumping down a cliff. He remembered how she had spoken to him in a gentle voice at that moment, saying, "Three requests. You still owe me one more... I want you to live well..."


    The roaring sound was so violent that the beasts beneath them fled everywhere and the Flying-cloud Stone shook fiercely. This shocked everyone. Yu Yifeng immediately caught hold of him. "What''s wrong with you?!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. When the Flying-cloud Stone was 20 meters away from the ground, the Barrier dissipated, and he shocked everyone by jumping down just like that. The two female disciples were so surprised that they cried out. Yu Yifeng instantly unsheathed his Immortal''s Sword and transformed into a sword radiance that charged toward Xiao Chen. He managed to catch Xiao Chen in midair.


    "Xiao Chen! What are you doing?!" Yu Yifeng didn''t expect Xiao Chen to be this agitated. Even if the latter was now at the 7th level of Foundation Building Realm, an injury was still possible after falling at this height.


    After landing on the ground, Xiao Chen remained silent and walked forward by himself. Every stalk of flower and blade of grass here were the same as back then. He could even find the spot where he and Hua Weiyang had their zither competition. He slowly took out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant and started playing. It was still the same piece of music from back then; the only difference was that there would no longer be anyone coming here to hear him play the zither.


    It was as if the voice from back then was ringing next to his ears. "Hey! The one in front! Your zither skill is mediocre. I dare you to compete zither skills with me. The one who loses will do three things for the winner!"


    Finally, tears slid down his cheeks without a sound, falling drop by drop on the strings of the zither. The sound of the zither gradually became quieter and melancholic.


    The rest dared not to stay too far away lest he made even more shocking actions. Neither did they stayed too close to him. One of the female disciples said quietly, "What''s wrong with him? He was fine this morning. Why don''t you go over and check on him, Senior Brother Yu?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head. "Let him be. We''ll wait for him outside the forest." He led the rest out of the forest.


    It took a long time before Xiao Chen returned to the group. He smiled at them. "Hehe! I''m sorry. This place is so beautiful that I couldn''t control myself. I made you guys wait."


    The two female disciples exchanged glances, wondering what exactly was wrong with him. Yu Yifeng gave him a small nod. "Let''s go then. Since you like this place, we''ll stop by again on our way back."


    Xiao Chen didn''t follow after them. He shook his head and said, "Go on without me, Brother Yifeng. I''m not going anymore."


    Luo Shangyan and the rest instantly looked solemn. Frowning, Yu Yifeng replied, "It''s desolate for hundreds of miles around. I won''t feel at ease leaving you here. We''ll accompany you to wherever you want to go. It''ll be fast with the Flying-cloud Stone."


    Xiao Chen turned around and walked in the southeast direction. "300 miles ahead. I want to go there and take a look." Based on his memory, 300 miles southeast of the Beautiful Immortal Mountains was the location of the Mystic Cyan Mountain.


    "300 miles? We''ll get there in no time at all. Let''s go," Yu Yifeng said.


    Xiao Chen became even more somber after returning to the Flying-cloud Stone. He understood very well that it was impossible that the Mystic Cyan Sect would still exist. Otherwise, no one would be ignorant of such a large sect. He must put on a mask of happiness right now because he couldn''t explain anything to anyone.


    Luo Shangyan stood next to him without saying a word.


    This time, Yu Yifeng maximized the speed of the Flying-cloud Stone. This allowed them to cover a distance of 300 miles within an hour. The only thing was that the clouds were thick under them, preventing them from seeing anything. Xiao Chen asked that Yu Yifeng lower the stone until their line of sight gradually cleared up and then gradually fogged up again.


    Right now, he was crying in his heart, "Mystic Cyan Sect! I''m back! I''m back once again!" He gnashed his teeth and tried his best to control his emotions. Mystic Cyan Sect, Mystic Cyan Sect. He finally returned to the Mystic Cyan Sect that had occupied his thoughts for days and nights. Even though he was framed here and his Nascent Soul was destroyed, he still considered himself a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    However, the Mystic Cyan Sect had long ceased to exist. The only thing around was a land of ruins. The seven peaks of the mountain range had sunken significantly. The halls built on top of them had long fallen and buried under the rubbles. He could faintly see edges of buildings peeking out but even those were covered in thistles and thorns. The islands hovering thousands of feet above had long crashed down.


    The rest experienced great changes in expression. Yu Yifeng said, "Could those be vestiges of an Ancient Immortal Clan? My God! It''s so vast! How unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!"


    Xiao Chen could no longer suppress his emotions. He screamed, "Why?! Why?! Why is it like this?! Ahhhh!"


    His roars thundered over the densely forested ridge that the wild beasts could be seen fleeing, frightened and afraid of Xiao Chen''s deafening rumbles that even shook the hovering Flying-cloud Stone. Everyone was terrified as the flying stone conveyance rocked and shuddered. Yu Yifeng clambered over and held him down. "What is it with you!" He screamed over the tumult.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "I want to go down." Before this, he had alway harbored a trace of hope that the Mystic Cyan Sect might still exist, hidden somewhere in silence and secrecy. However, the sight of the ruins below had dealt him so great a blow, as if they were heralding a woeful tiding that he would never dare imagine: the Mystic Cyan Sect had long ceased to exist.


    "Alright!" This time, Yu Yifeng held firmly onto him to prevent him from abruptly jumping off the stone.


    The seven peaks of the Mystic Cyan Mountain were originally individual peaks but due to the fact that the mountain had sunken, the peaks seemed to have conjoined. The ruins on them made it hard for Xiao Chen to distinguish which hall was which.


    Everyone was dumbstruck. Never had they imagined that the land under them would be this vast. However, the rocks and rubbles were scattered everywhere. The original path had been destroyed. There was no way for them to go down and travel on foot.


    Xiao Chen found the Violet-night Peak by tracing his memory. However, the Yaoguang Temple atop the peak had long crumbled. A large part of the building was buried in the mountain and even its plaque was crushed. The two lotus ponds flanking the temple were destroyed a long time ago.


    This was where he and his Master lived back then. He never imagined that it would one day become like this. It was as if all of his memories had been destroyed along with this ruined hall.


    "Brother Yifeng, I want to go down and take a look. Please lower the Flying-cloud Stone a little."


    Yu Yifeng hesitated for a moment. "This place is full of towering rubbles that makes it hard to walk. It won''t be easy for the Flying-cloud Stone to move down either."


    To be frank, it wasn''t that the Flying-cloud Stone couldn''t land. Earlier, he detected the briefest burst of Devil Qi coming from the foot of the mountain. Even though it was only for a moment, the Devil Qi seemed very powerful. How could a Devil Qi surge from the vestiges of an Ancient Immortal Clan? This made him feel ill at ease.


    Silence lingered for a moment. Seeing the indescribably miserable expression on Xiao Chen''s face, Yu Yifeng sighed and ordered the others behind him, "Stay here. I''ll go down with Junior Brother Xiao to take a look." He took out his Immortal''s Sword and traveled downward with Xiao Chen.


    When they reached the ground, Xiao Chen burst into tears. He took every step incredibly slowly as he gently caressed the outer wall of the destroyed hall. He recalled the first time he came to the Yaoguang Temple all those years ago and how he had been dumbfounded for a long time after seeing the magnificent sight here. He also remembered the terrible hunger he felt when his Master sent him to pick lotus seeds. He ended up digging up lotus roots and ate them all. Then, his Master punished him by banning him from leaving the mountain for a month.


    Yu Yifeng quietly watched him a short distance away while staying vigilant. When they landed earlier, he didn''t seem to detect that burst of Devil Qi coming from the foot of the mountain anymore.

 Chapter 119 Off the Cliff of Fallen Divinity

    For a little more than half an hour they lingered, before Xiao Chen and Yu Yifeng rode on the latter''s sword as they flew to the Hall of Celestial Authority, once the abode of Perfected Immortal Qingxuan who was the head of the sect during his time. They glided further down to the Immortal-slaying Platform; it was there where he was once bound to the massive column of stone that used to stand in the center of the square that served as the execution post for wrongdoers about to meet their fate. The column was no more; broken into halves, its grandeur spent, as it laid half-submerged in dirt and filth.


    Xiao Chen sighed heavily, his wearied steps slowly bringing him to the edge of the Platform, a precipitous crag that hung precariously to such abyssal depths that even an Immortal would perish if thrown off the cliff and plummet down; hence its name, the Cliff of Fallen Divinity.


    It was here where he and Hua Weiyang had leaped to their death, he remembered, as the recollections of his former life began to revisit him in his first return after thousands of years, unreeling before his very eyes as if it was yesterday.


    "Xiao Chen! How dare you plot against your own Senior and Junior Brothers with those of the Devil''s Practice! What have you to say in the face of concrete evidence!"


    At a loss for words, Xiao Chen, with his face ashen and white, could only manage to stutter as he shook his head in vain denial, "No! Impossible... I am not in league with them... I did not kill one of our own..."


    "We of the Immortal-saving Clan are the witnesses! Together with the evil woman of the Devil''s Practice, they had infiltrated our stronghold to make off our treasure and regalia, the archean zither and had killed 13 of our guards!"


    Xiao Chen jeered wickedly in response, "The Immortal-saving Clan... You of the Immortal-saving Clan!"


    "Xiao Chen, the traitorous disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect, has conspired with evil folks of the Devil''s Practice and has committed the murders of his own kin! He is hereby sentenced to the destruction of his Nascent Soul and will remain incarcerated forever! Let the judgment commence!"


    "Wait!" A shrill, cold voice boomed from behind. A young lady in white had stormed in, wielding a powerful artifact that could only be a treasure of the Devil''s Practice.


    "Evil demoness! How dare you barge through the doors of the Mystic Cyan Sect! Apprehend her!"


    Xiao Chen turned back to see who it was, and found Hua Weiyang trampling past the defenses, her face stern and fearless even as she came alone, walking towards the sturdy column of the Immortal-slaying Platform.


    "The thirteen deaths from the Immortal-saving Clan, the twelve deaths from the Mystic Cyan Sect, and the eighteen deaths from the Gorge of the Lofty Breeze... all of these deaths are my doing! Me, Hua Weiyang! Take me or kill me! Here I am, yours for the taking!"


    An uproar erupted instantly around her; four Elders threw themselves at her and without any effort, they pinned her down and had her chained to the stone column on the Platform. One by one, they drove fourteen Stakes of Excruciation into her body, subjecting her to excruciating pain and coerced her to disclose the location where the Devils'' sects were hiding.


    As the fifteenth Stake of Excruciation was driven into the Hua Weiyang''s flesh, the young woman thrashed once in agony and all hell broke loose. Xiao Chen, succumbing to the urges of his emotions, tapped into the dark side of his powers and butchered three Elders of the Immortal-saving Clan with another seventeen disciples added to the toll, before he left with Hua Weiyang in his arms.


    His mentor, Ling Yin, had not expected things to have taken such a dire turn. It was too late now; for Xiao Chen, in his frenzied state, was beyond anyone''s control, even his teacher''s. It took the master of Mystic Cyan Sect, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan, who sensed the tumult and upheaval raging outside the chamber where he sealed himself for solitary retreat, returned with all the haste he could muster. In his fury, he cast a blow at Xiao Chen, only to have Hua Weiyang enchant herself with the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell, an Ancient Forbidden Arts which should never be used unless under critical need, and took the blow for Xiao Chen. As life ebbed out of her, she crumbled into Xiao Chen and whispered gently to him, "You still owe me one last favor... And this I command you... Live well for me..." With the final iota of her strength, she shoved him away and cast herself off the Cliff of Fallen Divinity.


    Her selflessness drew Xiao Chen back to consciousness and reality as he watched his beloved hurtling off the cliff to her doom. Devastated beyond salvation, he leaped off the jagged rocks of the precipice and followed her down the chasm of their end, where he caught and wrapped his arms around her tightly as they braced themselves...


    Ling Yin was subsequently able to rescue him and tricked him into consuming a Love-killer Pill, causing him to lose all memory of the person he once loved, Hua Weiyang. Still, there was no evading judgment for the slaughter he had wrought in his berserking madness and he was sentenced to death. Still, unbeknownst to everyone, Ling Yin was able to preserve his Soul by using mystical and powerful methods heretofore unknown to others.


    ...


    "Our stay here is delaying our journey, Chen. Shall we return?" Yu Yifeng''s voice rang in Xiao Chen''s ears, disrupting his train of recollections.


    The mountain breeze howled and lashed relentlessly, as if the countless souls of those who had plummeted to their deaths from the top of the Cliff were wailing at him. Xiao Chen turned, and his eyes set upon the broken columns of the execution post now half-buried in the ground. He could still see Hua Weiyang being brutally chained to the monolithic granite pillar as she endured the throes of suffering when the fourteen Stakes were driven into her.


    And this was all the doing of one person¡ªQianyu Nishang!


    It was discovered that the numerous deaths were caused by techniques of the Yaoguang School. He had only shared his studies of the techniques of the Yaoguang School with her. She had meticulously schemed to procure membership into the Mystic Cyan Sect and devised such a plot to frame him! Could she also be a pawn in a bigger and wider web of deceit?


    Then again, even if he now wielded the power to unearth all those who were involved in the intricate and insidious plot and reduce them to cinders, the fact remained that Hua Weiyang was no more. Despite Li Muxue''s uncanny resemblance of her and their striking similarities, deep within Xiao Chen''s heart, he knew that they could never be one and the same.


    "I would like to go down the cliff to have a look, Brother Yifeng."


    Yu Yifeng peered down the dark and bottomless abyss. He was still apprehensive about the Devil Qi that he was certain he had felt emanating from the depths beneath him earlier on the Flying-cloud Stone. Still, he nodded. He cast his sword, and they both rode the sword down into the menacing darkness.


    A damp and icy wind whistled out of the crevasse, prickling on their skins as they plunged into the depths. As they glided down, the rocky and jagged face of rocks gave way to a dense and lush forest at the bottom of the ravine with trees bearing strange blood-red fruits. Xiao Chen surveyed the surroundings; this was bottom of the ravine where he and Hua Weiyang had fallen into. But before he had crashed into the bottom, Ling Yin had intercepted him halfway when he had lost consciousness. He found himself back within the chambers of the Mystic Cyan Sect when he woke up later. But what of Hua Weiyang? Did she survive the fall, he wondered...


    "Come here, Chen! Look, there are words here!" Yu Yifeng came calling to him suddenly.


    Xiao Chen turned and scurried over. Yu Yifeng was standing before the face of the cliff, the weather-worn surface cracked and crumbling due to age. But there were fading words which had endured the erosion of time; a message which had waited long enough until its intended recipient finally arrived.


    His eyes grew wet and moist while he exclaimed with laughter, "She''s alive! She''s alive!"


    Even at the bamboo copse earlier, Yu Yifeng had noticed that Xiao Chen was behaving out of his norm. He was hardly surprised to see Xiao Chen shedding tears despite being apparently filled with joy. "Xiao Chen, what is the message here? You are able to read this?"


    The message was left in the runic script used only thousands of years ago. Sprawled on the wall of the cliff, the message said, "I am at the Loveless Valley..."


    Xiao Chen was certain that this was the message Hua Weiyang had left him thousands of years ago. He wrestled against his churning emotions, muttering with elation, "Do you know where lies this Loveless Valley, Brother Yifeng?"


    "Loveless Valley?" Yu Yifeng pondered for seconds before he shook his head. "I''m afraid I have not heard of this place..."


    The smile on Xiao Chen''s face froze, turning brittle, as the fervor in his heart subsided as a chilly frost gripped him. He reached and felt the barbed surface of the rock, his fingers caressing longingly on the words. Beats of still silences passed quietly, until he began to giggle, deranged and demented.


    What good was there if Hua Weiyang had indeed survived the fall? Thousands of years had elapsed since then; all the might of the invincible Immortal Kings and Sages of Heaven were nothing before the unsparing washing away of Time. It was impossible for her to remain alive now.


    The cleft spanning thousands of years between them had separated them indefinitely.


    "AARRGHH!" Xiao Chen roared with all his strength in agony, the echoes of his despondent and futile voice clamoring off the walls of the cliffs and sent multitudes of frightened beasts and birds in the vicinity fleeing about.


    "Curse the Heavens! Return to me the millennia that you have robbed me! Give me back Weiyang!" His blood-shot eyes started from their sockets as he pounded repeatedly on the rock face, causing rushes of cascading stones and sand to roll off the rugged surface as if an earthquake was taking place.


    Suddenly, a monstrous voice boomed from under their feet like a rumble of thunder shaking the earth. Yu Yifeng felt a chill of fear zipping down his spine as the same aura of Devil Qi he felt before rose again. "Stop! Chen!" He yelled at Xiao Chen.


    But his frantic cautions fell on deaf ears; Xiao Chen, still entranced in his maniacal hysteria, continued pummeling at the wall that a crack, stretching more than a few meters, began to open on the solid face of the cliff. Until a shrill voice came from underneath their feet, "Heaven has forsaken me; Heaven has betrayed me; With my corrupted soul; I''ll reforge my body anew..."


    The voice disappeared as quickly as it came, like a shadow that flitted by momentarily. Xiao Chen regained his senses, being roused by the unearthly voice. He looked at Yu Yifeng behind him. "Was that you speaking to me, Brother Yifeng?"


    Yu Yifeng was deeply worried beyond words. But Xiao Chen had awakened was all that mattered. "Let us leave. It is not safe here," he said as he drew his sword and released it before he pulled Xiao Chen and rode his sword out of the gorge.


    Higher and higher they flew as Xiao Chen looked back at the gorge which slowly melted out of sight. He sighed heavily. Just then, the same hollow voice rang again from the bottom of the Cliff of Fallen Divinity, "Heaven has forsaken me; Heaven has betrayed me..."

 Chapter 120 Xiaoyue

    Before long, as they flew farther and farther away, the view of the gorge slowly melted into the scene of lush and dense forests below their feet. Relieved at being able to make it out safely, Yu Yifeng finally asked, "What was wrong with you just now?"


    Xiao Chen did not answer, merely shaking his head; his eyes were still trained towards the thick copse of forests far away, his mind still lost in the painful reminiscences of his past.


    Yu Yifeng sighed wearily. "I do not profess to know about your history, my friend. But one should not dwell on the past. Many things are pre-destined that mere grit alone would do nothing to change them. Appreciate what you have presently. There''s no point in brooding on your pains and regrets, lest you dishearten those who are waiting for you."


    He paused for a beat, as if allowing his words to sink in. "You might have not noticed that Sister Luo had wandered alone to the brook at the bamboo grove earlier. Her eyes were inflamed, as if from weeping."


    "Senior Sister Luo..." Xiao Chen''s mouth opened as if he wanted to say something. But he merely breathed gloomily. "Brother Yifeng, please," Xiao Chen said suddenly, "Can you keep what that has happened here a secret?" The once-majestic stronghold of the Mystic Cyan Sect was nothing but ruins and rubbles, still, he wished that it could remain there, peacefully in slumber eternally without being disturbed.


    Yu Yifeng nodded. "Persistence is nothing negative, but there should be moderation, lest it becomes a fixation that grips and devours you. There was once a friend of mine; he became too obsessed with the object of his pursuit, that he took the fateful step that past the point of no return..." He stopped, and a distinctive hint of misery fleeted by.


    "Were you referring to a former junior of yours?" Xiao Chen asked, his head raising slightly, "He who formerly wielded the Unsullied."


    Yu Yifeng turned to face Xiao Chen. "Was it Sister Mu who told you about this?" There was a faint smile on his face before he continued. "She was the one person I''ve spoken to about this. Wunian commanded greater potential than I. It''s a pity that he succumbed to his obsession that in the end, he..." Yu Yifeng''s voice faltered again.


    Mu Chengxue had recognized the blade in Xiao Chen''s hand as the Unsullied a month ago. It was then, she told him of Yu Yifeng''s history. Knowing that it was a painful memory to Yu Yifeng, Xiao Chen decided to change the subject. "How did you and Sister Mu met?" he asked.


    Yu Yifeng smiled benignly. "Seven years ago," he replied, "I discovered her unconscious outside a small hamlet in Qing Province and I brought her back to the Jade Qing Sect. Her memory was blurry when she woke up that she even failed to remember her name..."


    They continued talking, as they slowly approached the Flying-cloud Stone that was waiting. The rest of their companions heaved breathes of relief. They were worried at the delay and were anxious to go down to check on them, but no one dared to disobey their Senior''s commands. Two of Yu Yifeng''s juniors exclaimed with joy, "Did you discover anything down there?"


    Yu Yifeng landed on the Flying-cloud Stone. "There was nothing down there," he lied, shaking his head, "It''s getting late. We should hasten for Wu Province as soon as possible."


    Another junior, a girl, giggled. "Of course, we do not want the rest of the other sects to grumble that we of the Jade Qing Sect are proud and snobbish folk." Another junior, a boy this time, quipped, "I''d wager that your true purpose of wanting to reach Wu Province early is to visit the local bazaar, am I wrong?"


    "Of course! It''s not that we get to come out frequently like Senior Brother Yu! We should enjoy as best we can while we''re at it!"


    The disciples began bantering playfully, but Xiao Chen sat at a corner. His eyes peered into the distance as he tried vainly to search for the vestiges of the Mystic Cyan Mountain they left behind. Then again, Brother Yifeng might be right, he mused. There was no point in moping in the past. Obsession in the incidents that had transpired before. He would only be consigning himself into a never-ending vicious cycle of pain and misery. But with the recollections of his former life as vivid as yesterday, the herculean attempts to forget and not fret on his bitterness was hardly easy as it seemed.


    "If I were to die one day, please bury my remains here, Brother Yifeng."


    The chatters and bickerings atop the flying slab of stone instantly died down as a dead silence hung over them and everyone''s stares rested on Xiao Chen. Yu Yifeng frowned dismissively. "Speak nothing of such ominous nonsense."


    Xiao Chen felt the weight of everyone''s stares on his back. "Heh heh!" He feigned an impish snicker. "I was just teasing you all! Come on! There''s no need to be this serious!"


    It was past mid-day when they arrived at Wu Province, no thanks to the momentary dawdling halfway. The bustling city paid no heed to the arrival of their Flying-cloud Stone; the city-dwellers of the locale had enough of their share of witnessing countless conveyances of similar nature flocking to and fro the metropolis every day. The stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect perched up high on a mountain tens of miles outside the city. With its proximity to the city, there was no lack of disciples who slipped out to loiter and lull in the city with immaculate frequency.


    The company did not stop at the city, heading instead directly for the stronghold. There were disciples waiting outside, charged to receive any guests. At the sight of the party from Jade Qing Sect arriving, the disciples stepped forth and led them inside to the main square, where two rows of banquet tables lined the flanks of a large aisle in the center of the square like a long and wide path that coursed to a great dueling dais hewn from rhyolite.


    The entire square was teeming with about a thousand people from sects and guilds of various denominations as leaders and chiefs talked and exchanged greetings amidst the huge hubbub of chatter and laughter, adjoined by their students and disciples while enjoying an exquisite feast of the finest delicacies.


    Their arrival was hardly unnoticed¡ªa few leaders and representatives of other schools and sect rose to their feet to greet them. "Ah, it''s young Yu! Did your teacher Perfected Immortal Qing Chen not come?"


    "My teacher is still occupied by some business, and hence he has requested me to attend this meeting in his stead," Yu Yifeng replied reverently, returning their gestures with appreciation.


    Xiao Chen scanned the crowd, hoping to see no one from the Teal Jade Sect here; he was afraid of meeting Liu Yunzheng and Liu Fenghuang, hoping not to deal with the embarrassment and awkwardness that would ensue. But Fate seemed to be in his favor: there was no one from the Teal Jade Sect, save for a familiar face he never relished to meet: Ling Yingfeng.


    But Ling Yingfeng too had realized his presence. A cold glare shot from his eyes and he was about to stand up, only to be held down by an elder beside him, cloaked in grey, who shook his head warningly to him.


    But that did little to evaporate Ling Yingfeng''s death stare. Xiao Chen shot a brief look and turned away. Even though he had indeed divested the Spiritual Meridian of Ling Yingfeng''s brother, it was the latter and his cohorts who had tried to kill him in the first place. He would never accept that he was in the wrong for being the victim of that incident that had nearly cost him his life.


    A recognizable voice rang into his ears suddenly, "Amitabha..." Xiao Chen heard the voice chanted as the chuckles of Yu Yifeng followed immediately, "Heh heh! Greetings, Master Xuan Ji and Senior Xu Gu."


    Xiao Chen peered over the shoulders of those in front and saw the same monk, Xu Gu, whom he had encountered at the oasis in the desert. Beside him was an old priestly monk dressed in red garb.


    "Brother Xiao, come! Meet Master Xuan Ji of the Wuyin Monastery," Yu Yifeng introduced with a smile.


    Xiao Chen bowed to them, placing his palms together before his chest. "My respects to you, Master Xuan Ji." Xiao Chen could not help but suspect if this was an assembly of the Immortal''s Practice. Even those of Buddhist sects were here, he thought, and this Xuan Ji monk wielded considerable powers himself.


    The reserved Xuan Ji merely nodded with a gentle smile in response. Xu Gu chanted another "Amitabha" and began addressing Xiao Chen. "It is fated that we should meet again, Master Xiao. You should reconsider my offer of joining our order..."


    Xiao Chen''s head jerked upwards. "Look at the weather!" Xiao Chen exclaimed on a feeble attempt to change the subject to the climate, "The sky is dry, and the sun is bright with no clouds to menace us with rain and storm..."


    Xu Gu giggled. "You jest, Master Xiao," he said, "I see not the sun hanging over us today..."


    As the light-hearted chaffing continued, the company slowly shuffled to an empty table close to the dais. Master Xuan Ji of the Wuyin Monastery evidently commanded much respect from his colleagues, as many leaders and chiefs tendered their greetings to him with reverence.


    Less than half an hour later, a rosy-cheeked elder with beards of snowy-white ambled up the dais. He addressed the crowd of guests with a warm smile. "Welcome, everyone! As you all know, we gather here today at the summons of the Thousand Feathers Sect, the remnants of the Ancient Immortal Clan, for a meeting of all following and schools of the Orthodox Path. In addition, with everyone here today as witnesses, we would commence the execution of a demoness that we had apprehended two months ago..."


    He had barely finished, when voices from below the dais rang, "I say, Master Sikong! Surely this is no sham this time? The last time you caught a demoness, it turned out to be a common woman whose grievances had even bothered the emperor who blamed you for badgering the public!"


    A round of laughing jeers rose like a tide from the seated guests, as Sikong Yun''s fresh cheeks grew redder still with chagrin while ridicules and scornful mockery were pelted upon his gnarly self. He feigned a loud cough to regain the attention of the crowd. "Err... It was my mistake the last time. But this time we are positive..."


    The raucous laughter took some time to die down and another voice spoke, "You mentioned that this meeting was called at the behest of the Thousand Feathers Sect. Where are they? The night is upon us, Master Sikong. Surely this not a farce with a phony token with feathers plucked from birds?"


    Sikong Yun''s cheeks burned bright-red as he managed a weak smile. "You just love teasing me, Junior Hu," he croaked hoarsely, "I would never dare to forge a fake Thousand Feathers Mark..."


    His frail voice was suddenly swept by a hollow voice that seemed to echo from the distant horizon, "I am Omnipresent, Omnipresence is Me; I have long arrived..."


    The unearthly voice thundered from nowhere and everywhere, hollow and deep, yet angelic and divine at the same time, ringing in the ears of everyone seated around. The voice resonated strongly with everyone''s inner spirits; some male disciples began to writhe and melt, stirring passionately at the beautiful and melodious voice as if the kingdom of Heaven had come.


    Standing under the plaque bearing the name of the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect was the lanky figure of a young woman. With every movement, her figure shimmered, leaving a cascade of her illusion spilling in her wake as she walked with the grace of a swan, stepping onto the dais and beheld the crowd before her.


    Hers was a beauty that no other women possessed; an allure that would make all men swoon with desire for. Her coal-black hair was pulled back into a tail behind her back and her sparkling eyes, distant and captivating like the stars in the twilight sky above them, made her all the more a fairy among mortals. Clad in a dress of emerald green, she held in her grasp what seemed to be a horse-tail whisk, was in fact a sword; a weapon which magnificence was contained in the sheath in which the sword rested.


    There she stood, a prima donna with equal opulence to the moon; her form slender and lithe, mirroring the grace of a willow tree; her skin fair and pure as the white of first snow, and her serene elegance, as calm as a gentle brook in the fall. Scores of men were deeply mesmerized by her as those handsome and dashing watched her with longing in their gazes, while those who look common and haggard felt their confidence withered, averting their eyes away with abashment.


    Even as the host and leader of this stronghold, Sikong Yun could hardly resist being respectful to her. "Lady Xiaoyue," he addressed her, his head dipping slightly with awe.


    This was Xiaoyue, the renowned prodigy of the Thousand Feathers Sect whose fame was hardly unknown. Scarcely twenty years of age, she was rumored to command powers that even eclipsed that of her own teacher, Perfected Immortal Su Nian.


    Xiaoyue nodded imperceptibly in acknowledgment, her expression calm and emotionless like a pool of still waters. Like her name, one could only stare at her as how one would gaze upon the moon, distant and aloof.


    Xiao Chen''s stare was transfixed upon her. Noticing this, Yu Yifeng whispered to him, "This is the student of the Perfected Immortal Su Nian, the leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect."


    Xiao Chen made no reply. His eyes remained riveted on the figure standing atop the podium, his hands now slick with a layer of sweat. He would have thought that this young woman and Qianyu Nishang were one and the same, if not for the difference in appearance. The aura and the poise that she exuded greatly resembled the Qianyu Nishang of old. Both were similar, if not equal, in the divine splendor that percolated from their sacred persons like goddesses from Heaven.


    Thousand Feathers Sect? Was this indeed the order that Qianyu Nishang had founded with her own hands after eschewing herself from the Mystic Cyan Sect? But why did her Thousand Feathers Sect endured, while the Mystic Cyan Sect was now ruined and devastated?


    Xiaoyue stood proudly atop the platform. Even though the crowd, she felt his stare, sensing that he was different from anyone else present. She looked at him, nodding gently to him.


    Just then, a group of five strode up to the center aisle; the leader was a beautiful lady in white, whose eminence and stature was no less remarkable herself, flanked by two pairs of male and female disciples.


    Xiao Chen looked intently at the group of newcomers. He had never expected that Xuanyue, Princess of Zhou State to be present. She too, had noticed his presence although she made no indication of it. She paced straight towards the platform, stopping at the bottom of the steps leading up. With the four of young men and women behind her, they bowed and greeted, "Senior Sister."


    That explained it, Xiao Chen mused. He had always felt a whiff of familiarity from Xuanyue. Her identity as one of the disciples of Thousand Feathers Sect lent much credence as to why he had seen a lot of Qianyu Nishang in her.


    However, this would refute the claims that Xuanyue was the heir of the Ancient Immortal Clan. She was, at most, an Outer Disciple of the Thousand Feathers Sect. Rather, Xiaoyue possessed the stock and heritage to be acclaimed as the progeniture to the demised ancient caste of Immortals. Barely reaching twenty, Xiaoyue wielded powers and strength outshining any of her peers while cementing the rumors that she would inherit the keys to the Sect in the near future. Across the landscape of the Orthodox Path, the elder generations addressed her as "Lady Xiaoyue", while the younger crop of students and disciples looked to her as "Fairy Xiaoyue".

 Chapter 121 The Ancient He Family

    Yu Yifeng said lightly, "Lil Chen, you once asked me about the five major sects, right?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Yes. Why?" He did mention it in Jade Qing Sect because he thought of the great devil running out of the Xiao Family''s ancient tomb, Gu Feng, who seemed to have many connections with the five major sects.


    Yu Yifeng said, "The five major sects dominated the whole Violet Manor a thousand years ago. The sects nowadays did not exist back then. The Thousand Feathers Sect is the most long-lasting one which seems to have existed for thousands of years. Therefore, the Thousand Feathers Sect is the leader of the five major sects. The other one is Wuyin Monastery. As for the other three sects, they have been long-forgotten 1,000 years ago."


    Xiao Chen slightly nodded. It turned out that Wuyin Monastery was also one of the major five. No wonder those sect leaders were respectful to Master Xuan Ji. Xiao Chen suddenly thought of the message in the ancestral temple of the Xiao Family. It seemed that a lot had happened 1,000 years ago...


    At this moment, Sikong Yun coughed and cleared his throat. "Everyone, please be quiet. Now, let Master Xiaoyue tell you about the issues."


    The crowd might ignore him, but once they heard Master Xiaoyue, they immediately became quiet. Xiaoyue nodded slightly and said, "I rally you here today to discuss the issues regarding the Soul-consuming Evil Flower of the Devil''s Practice. My sect already has some clues after some investigation days ago. There might have been missing disciples recently in your sects. The flowers have something to do with it..."


    Before she finished speaking, the crowd went into an uproar. Recently, many disciples had gone missing for no reason. People could hardly avoid the sneak attacks of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers, so they hated the flower deeply. After some discussions, the crowd quieted down and continued listening.


    At this moment, there came a burst of deafening laughter from under the steps of the square. Many young disciples were shocked by the laughter, and their qi and blood became turbulent. The comer obviously had strong cultivation.


    "Who!" If someone even laughed in this conversation, he must be here to provoke. The crowd glared at the mountain gate.


    They saw three people slowly walking up the stairs. The one on the left side is a handsome young man in a white shirt with a folding fan in his hand. The one in the middle was a skinny, gaunt man with a protruding forehead and high cheekbones. His ears are also very big, so he looked very ugly.


    The one on the right was even weirder. He was about three meters tall and looked like a walking hill. The color of his body was close to that of dark copper, and there were various scaring scars. Some chains coiled his body, and he had a huge bell on his shoulder which weighed at least 700 kilograms judging from its quality.


    The man walked barefoot with chains around his ankles. Every step seemed to be able to crack the stone bricks and shake the whole square.


    Some female disciples were scared by this man. Only the one in white looks normal, and the laughter came from him. He smiled and said, "You''re having a big meeting of the Immortal''s Practice. I, the He Family from the Middle Continent, came here myself. Don''t blame me!"


    "He Family! What the hell is going on!?"


    While the youths here were wondering, the faces of the old people had changed. The He Family was an Ancient Clan of Martial Arts suddenly popped out hundreds of years ago. They dominated the entire Violet Manor as they showed up and held countless cultivators'' sects in awe.


    One of them used Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash and continuously killed 4 Nascent Soul Realm experts. Even though hundreds of years had passed, many people were still afraid of that.


    Back then, every cultivator''s sect hated to talk about the He Family, a taboo subject. Two hundred years ago, they started to snatch cultivators'' Spiritual Meridians, which was a huge violation in Violet Manor, and made numerous cultivators'' sects angry, so a dozen of them joined forces to eliminate the He Family.


    That battle was a massacre under the murky sky over the dark earth. Blood ran into a river as corpses piled up into hills. More than 20 sects suffered a great loss and finally destroyed the He Family. Since then, they disappeared in over 200 years.


    However, today, three people showed up and claimed to come from the He Family. This made everybody shocked. Were they staging a comeback? Nowadays, the cultivators'' sects were declining, and several well-known experts had not fully reached the Nascent Soul Realm yet. If they came to seek revenge, who could stop them?


    Everyone''s faces changed and could not respond. On the stage, Sikong Yun''s face looked worst. Because the Widespread Wintriness Sect was one of the sects which destroyed the He Family. But now they didn''t even have one Pre Nascent Soul Realm expert. Besides, the sects now confronted and intrigued against each other, so they were no longer as united as they were hundreds of years ago. If the He Family came to seek revenge now, the hundred-year-history of the Widespread Wintriness Sect might be destroyed in one night.


    The only back he had now was the Thousand Feathers Sect. He said, "This is the meeting among righteous sects held by Master Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect. What are you doing here?"


    The young man clad in white smiled gently, turned a blind eye to the people on both sides and walked straight to the stage. He smiled lightly and said, "I reckon this is the Fairy Xiaoyue, who ranks the 10th on the Heaven List. You are a beauty indeed!"


    The second sentence sounded impolite, and his eyes were very frivolous. Many young disciples at the scene glared at him. However, Xiaoyue had learned the essence of Daoism, so she looked deadpan and said lightly, "It''s just a name."


    Xiao Chen was slightly shocked. "This Xiaoyue is even the 10th on the Heave List. She ranks higher than Brother Yifeng. Can''t underestimate her."


    The young man in white laughed and folded his fan. "I admire you. You are not after those names. I just wonder. You are at such a good age, do you get lonely when you sleep alone? My name is He Xunke. Would you..."


    His words became more and more presumptuous as many male disciples stood up and reprimanded. Being ignored, Sikong Yun has already been pissed off. He thundered, "This is the meeting of the Immortal''s Practice. Don''t you dare..."


    Before his voice fell, the crowd felt tremble under their feet. The tall man beside He Xunke tramped on the ground heavily and looked at Sikong Yun like a beast. Sikong Yun could not continue.


    He Xunke smiled lightly and said, "I''m not talented, but I came here to ask for some friendly exchange from you Taoists."


    After his voice fell, the crowd went into an uproar. He was so arrogant and said filthy words to Xiaoyue, which made many young disciples angry. Many had stood up, but they were immediately pressed down by the elders of their sects.


    He Xunke laughed to the sky, when a youth in yellow flew to the stage. He moved swiftly and was covered by a vague white radiance, which was the Body-protection Qi formed by a cultivator''s True Qi. His cultivation might be in the early Core Forming Realm.


    "I''m Zhang Liansheng. I''m also not talented, so I come to have some exchange with Brother He!"

 Chapter 122 A Fight between Immortal and Martial Arts

    Those youths who had been pressed down by their elders acclaimed one after another. He Xunke shook his head and smiled with disdain. "He Kui, I''ll leave this one to you."


    The tall man was called He Kui, who might have made some mistakes while cultivating some method so that his body was unnormal. He nodded, roared like a beast, and jumped to the stage. The moment he landed on the stage, dirt flew about, and the stage, which was made of fine granite, was shaking.


    Sikong Yun and Xiaoyue both flew off the stage. Didn''t know if she intended or not, she landed not far from Xiao Chen. Xuanyue and the others followed her. Xuanyue glanced at Xiao Chen and did not speak.


    However, Xiaoyue noticed that Xiao Chen had been looking at her. She turned her head, nodded and smiled at Xiao Chen, which looked pretty friendly. Xiao Chen did not respond and slowly moved his eyes away. He thought, "Qianyu Nishang. Alas, Qianyu Nishang, you framed me thousands of years ago. Who would have thought I meet your descendant today. Is this the arrangement from heaven?"


    While sighing at the inconstant matters in this world, a huge noise came from the stage. The fight had begun. Zhang Liansheng held a sword in his right hand and cast out a sword spell with his left hand. A row of three-meter-long Sword Qi appeared and dashed forth like a fogbow. The dazzling light on the stage made many people close their eyes.


    Everyone nodded inwardly. The strength of a Core Forming Realm cultivator was indeed formidable. He Xunke just smiled and shook his fan. Suddenly, He Kui roared deeply like a beast in the woods, stood in the horse stance, and lifted the huge bell above his head. "Clang." With a huge noise, his body did not move, but that strong Sword Qi disappeared.


    Zhang Liansheng was shocked. Although he did not use his full strength, his Sword Qi shouldn''t have disappeared like that. He was just about to cast out another Sword Qi when his feet trembled. He Kui charged to him like a moving hill. The stage shook for every step he took.


    Zhang Liansheng knew that cultivators should never get close to a martial artist in a fight, not to mention this monster''s body was extremely strong as the sword could not deal damage. He retreated quickly and chanted a spell as a thin lightning arc fell down and hit He Kui''s back. However, it only caused a wisp of smoke and did not stop the monster.


    Zhang Liansheng couldn''t help but feel frightened and moved faster on the stage while chanting spells. Sword Qi, ice blades, and various spells kept hitting the monster, but to no avail.


    Zhang Liansheng became anxious. If they keep doing this, his True Energy would run out, but the monster seemed to have infinite strength. He suddenly felt a black shadow coming at him while thinking¡ªit was the huge bell flying to him.


    The top of the bronze bell was tied with an iron chain. The bell was about 700 kilograms, but He Kui wielded it at ease. Zhang Liansheng quickly ran his qi to punch at the bell. "Bam!" His armed turned numb.


    Before he came to his senses, the bell came at him again. This time, he failed to avoid and was sent flying by the bell. The crowd exclaimed in shock. When falling on the ground, blood bled out of Zhang Liansheng''s mouth. If it weren''t for his body-protection qi, he would''ve been killed with shattered bones.


    Ignoring the pain, Zhang Liansheng threw out his sword which turned into a beam of sword light. The beam was about three meters long and looked like a rainbow in the sky, dashing toward He Kui. "Clash!" With some sparkles, the sword was bounced off 1 inch from He Kui''s body.


    The crowd now found out that a golden light covered his body, which was the Body-protection Qi formed by the internal strength of a martial artist. This monster even reached Realm 3, which equaled to the Core Forming Realm in Immortal''s Practice and the Sarira Realm in Buddhist''s Practice.


    Zhang Liansheng cursed inwardly and called back his sword. He Kui suddenly jumped into the air and throw the bell to the ground. Zhang Liansheng ran his True Energy as the sword in his hand shone a dazzling light. He was going to block to falling bell.


    Everyone was shocked. Despite his Core Forming Realm cultivation, taking an attack from a Realm 3 martial artist was not wise. Many female disciples looked away and dared not to see the upcoming blood scene.


    As they expected, although that sword looked formidable, it was shattered into pieces while hitting the bell. Zhang Liansheng turned pale and spurted out a mouthful of blood.


    It was well known that the Immortal''s Sword of a cultivator was his own magic treasure. It was closely related to him, so he would be damaged if the sword was destroyed.


    He Kui growled. With a wave of his hand, a chain dashed out from his arm. Zhang Liansheng had just been seriously injured, so he could not dodge at this moment. As he moved his feet, the iron chain had tied his feet up.


    He Kui swung his huge arm and spun the poor man in the air. Then, he smashed Zhang Liansheng to the ground. "Boom!" The dust flew about as many people exclaimed. Was he still alive?


    However, it was not over. He Kui let out a cry and smashed the poor man again and again for eight times. Many female disciples had already turned pale with fear and closed their eyes one after another.


    At the moment, Zhang Liansheng was covered in blood and was already dying on the ground. An elder thundered with widened eyes, "Stop! Are you going to kill!?" But he dared not to save his man. These three people might have helpers since they came here. He worried that the old monster of the He Family was also here.


    He Kui ignored him, walked forth, and raised his bronze bell above his head. He was going to smash it on Zhang Liansheng''s head. This smash would definitely turn his head into minced meat. The female disciples were scared to death. At this moment, He Xunke smiled and said, "Never mind, Junior Brother. Save his life." He said this as if Zhang Liansheng''s life was just depended on his words.


    Upon hearing this, He Kui stopped, grabbed Zhang Liansheng, and threw him to where his fellows stood.


    The same-leveled fight between a cultivator and a martial artist ended with the miserable defeat of the Immortal''s Practice.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help but sigh gently in his heart. "Is the Immortal''s Practice really declining nowadays? Thousands of years ago, it was the prime of the Immortal''s Practice. There had also been fights between cultivators and martial artists back then. But the martial artists could only fear and submit to the cultivators. Now, it''s the other way around." He did not want to see this as a person came from ancient times.


    He felt pity for Zhang Liansheng''s Core Forming Realm cultivation. If Zhang Liansheng had one or two advanced techniques, he wouldn''t have been defeated like this. If Xiao Chen had Core Forming Realm cultivation, he was sure that He Kui''s strong body would be destroyed under the Dragon Slay.


    At this moment, a clear voice rose from the stage. "Shen Nianxue from the Thousand Feathers Sect. I''d like to trade some blows with you!"


    Xiao Chen looked up and found out it''s the woman in white who stood beside Xiaoyue and had the same cultivation as Zhang Liansheng. He would like to check out if the Thousand Feathers Sect used the same skills of the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    A beautiful woman and a monster stood on the stage, which was not a good match. But many people started to cheer because it would be nice for the Thousand Feathers Sect to deal with this. He Kui was so brutal in that fight and made the crowd very angry.


    But He Kui didn''t know to cherish women. In his eyes, there was only the living or the dead. Some male disciples secretly started to worry. If this fairy from the Thousand Feathers Sect was also abused by this monster, they would go there and save this woman if things went south.


    "Roar!" He Kui growled and swung his arm as the huge bell whistled to Shen Nianxue. The crowd gasped upon seeing this. However, it was not as they expected. "Bam!" The bell hit the ground as the hard granite was cracked open.


    Shen Nianxue seemed to disappear out of thin air and then appeared behind He Kui. Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed. This quite resembled the Immortal-override Steps.


    At this moment, a voice which sounded like a smile rose under the stage. "Since it''s the fairy from the Thousand Feathers Sect, I should keep company."


    It was He Xunke. As his voice fell, he suddenly appeared on the stage and blocked the sword thrusting to He Kui. He Kui turned around, nodded, and got off the stage.


    "Fairy, please. I''m not that brutal to women as my Junior Brother." He Xunke smiled and said while looking at her breast. He looked like a rogue.


    Shen Nianxue''s cultivation was lower than that of Xiaoyue. She was slightly pissed off by the uncourteous words from the other and thrust out her sword with a girlish battle-cry. Dozens of teal Sword Radiance suddenly appeared in the air, locking down the major acupoints of He Xunke''s body. It seemed that she also knew about martial arts because she knew the important parts of a martial artist.


    He Xunke was not panic, and he was not in a hurry to counterattack. He smiled and left an illusion as he moved backward for meters. Then, he casually swung his folding fan and easily destroyed countless Sword Qi.


    Shen Nianxue''s brows furrowed slightly. It''s not because the man easily blocked her Sword Qi but his eyes still rested on her breast. She snorted coldly and ran her True Energy madly as a dazzling golden light covered the Immortal''s Sword in her hand.


    The swordsmanship she played now was also much sharper than before. The sword shadows flurried and the sword radiance burst out. Her moves had no weakpoint, and this was not some normal move as before but the move channeled by her True Energy with a unique technique. The wind started blow fiercely on the stage as the sand and stones flew about.


    People close to the stage felt a horrible energy fluctuation and retreated one after another in case the Sword Qi hurting them. The people far away just held their breath and watched carefully. Everyone sighed that the swordsmanship of the Thousand Feathers Sect was so exquisite.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed. Was she playing the technique of the Thousand Feathers Sect?

 Chapter 123 The Fairys Turn

    Each Sword Qi contained strong energy, and one would die if he''s not careful. Facing the overwhelming Sword Qi, He Xunke stayed calm and kept smiling. He suddenly tilted forward and rushed forth like a meteor.


    The crowd was greatly puzzled. Instead of avoiding, he was trying to block head-on. Was this not suicide?


    However, it was not as they expected. Although the Sword Qi was sharp, they went sideways when they were one inch close to He Xunke. The crowd sighed at this amazing technique which could deviate Sword Qi.


    Shen Nianxue also did not expect this, and it was too late for her to take back the sword. He Xunke pointed at her waist with his fan. Her body trembled as if being hit by a bolt of lightning, and she lost balance and fell to the ground.


    But she did not fall down. He Xunke quickly held her waist as her face flushed. The female disciples of the Thousand Feathers Sect had always been clean and untainted. How could she be held by a man in front of so many people? She was afraid that she might not be able to enter the Inner Gate to learn advanced cultivation method again.


    Thinking of this, she became mad and spiteful as she thrust her sword to his throat. He moved backward for meters to block the incoming Sword Qi. Shen Nianxue then madly launched a series of attacks, so her moves revealed many weak points which weakened her defense. Under the stage, Xiaoyue still looked deadpan and said coldly, "All things leave behind them the obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are harmonized by the breath of vacancy."


    Shen Nianxue was just humiliated, and now she had lost a common heart. She ignored Xiaoyue''s words and attacked ruthlessly. Each of her moves was aimed to kill. But He Xunke kept calm and broke numerous Sword Qi. He then pointed at her waist as she felt numb on her wrist and cannot hold the sword. The sword flew away.


    As a result, she became even angrier and punched out with both hands. The overwhelming palm strength immediately brought about a storm which made people close to the stage feel suffocated. He Xunke smiled gently and turned into an illusion. He immediately appeared in front of her and pointed at her shoulder. Shen Nianxue felt her arms numb and cannot channel palm strength.


    She was furious and was about to fight again with qi strength. He Xunke flicked his fingers and sent out a stroke of air dashing toward her lower abdomen. Shen Nianxue snorted softly which sounded extremely seductive and made people think about those things. She felt both ashamed and furious. She wanted to attack again and found her body numb after taking two steps. She did not know what kind of secret skill made her unable to stand still.


    He Xunke moved forth and held her in his arms again. His lips almost touched her face, and he said gently, "Junior Sister Shen, don''t run your cultivation skill by force, or you will be hurt." He smiled and said, "What are you cultivating for? You are so pretty, should we become two love birds and fly away together?"


    Shen Nianxue felt both angry and ashamed, but she had no strength at the moment and could only watch him do this to her. She wanted to die.


    Many young disciples under the stage cursed. An Outer Gate disciple of the Thousand Feathers Sect could not stand this any longer. He flew to the stage and thrust his sword at He Xunke''s back.


    A cold light glimmered at the tip of the sword. This attack was aimed to cool his heart. However, He Xunke suddenly punched backward with a golden light covering his fist. The fist turned into a 3-meter-long golden light and hit the long sword of that male disciple. The sword was shattered into countless pieces, and the male disciple was sent flying backward with his mouth spurting blood.


    The crowd did not expect that He Xunke could wield such an explosive strength which was no weaker than that monster''s. They were shocked that the pure strength of martial artists was way stronger than that of cultivators.


    Some young disciples saw that he was still holding the junior sister of the Thousand Feathers Sect and flew to the stage one after another. He Xunke laughed and pushed Shen Nianxue away. He punched at the young man who flew up first as his fists burst out a dazzling light with the power of wind and thunder. "Rumble!" The young man was sent flying backward for 30 meters with blood bleeding from ears and nose.


    The rest did not dare to move forward. He Xunke laughed to the sky. A dazzling golden light covered his body as if he was the god of war descended from heaven. He laughed and said, "You so-called Immortal''s Practice. Are you just a bunch of losers? Hahaha..."


    Many disciples were furious and kept cursing, yet they dared not to move forward. Indeed, they were no match for this martial artist under the same level.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and sighed in his heart. The Immortal''s Practice indeed declined, along with cultivation method and the heart of Daoism. Thousands of years ago, the cultivators created numerous legends; now, there''s no way back to the peak.


    Shen Nianxue was extremely pale. She picked up her sword, walked to Xiaoyue, and said gently, "Senior sister, I''m sorry..."


    Xiaoyue did not look at her and said simply, "From now on, you don''t need to go back to the Thousand Feathers Sect."


    Everyone quieted down. Being expelled from the sect only because of a defeat? Shen Nianxue''s face became paler, and she said urgently, "Please forgive me! Junior Sister!"


    Xiaoyue''s beautiful face had no expression. She did not speak again. Shen Nianxue burst out in tears. Suddenly, she laughed with sorrow and lifted her sword, trying to cut her neck. The crowd exclaimed, and Xiaoyue had no intention to stop her. Blood was about to splash when Xiao Chen sent out a row of True Qi to knock away the sword with a clang.


    He really did not understand. She was simply being held twice by a man. Did she have to be expelled? Did she have to kill herself? What kind of sect is this Thousand Feathers Sect?


    Shen Nianxue''s face shed floods of tears. She kept crying and looked so pitiful. Although many people wanted to ask for mercy at this moment, but they gave up upon seeing Xiaoyue''s cold face.


    Many people turned their eyes to Master Xuanji from the Wuyin Monastery. He was the oldest one present and had the highest prestige, so maybe he was the only one to ask for mercy. However, Xuanji just put his palms together and chanted the name of Buddha. The Wuyin Monastery and Thousand Feathers Sect were both ancient sects. He knew the rules of the Thousand Feathers Sect very well that no one could ask for mercy.


    "Are you still going to stay here?" At this point, Xiaoyue suddenly said coldly.


    Shen Nianxue sobbed twice, and her next move surprised everyone. She slowly untied the waistband and took off her clothes.


    There were only two underclothes left as her white skin exposed. But she did not stop and kept untying her underclothes while sobbing. All elders ordered their disciples not to look at her.


    This was the rule of the Thousand Feathers Sect. Every disciple expelled from the sect could not take anything away, not even clothes. No wonder she wanted to suicide. To be naked in the public was more painful than death.


    Xiao Chen also did not expect this. He reached out his hand and used the psychokinesis to grab a big banner from the stage which then fell on her body under his will.


    "Senior Sister Luo, please take her out of here first." Xiao Chen whispered and gave a glance at Xiaoyue when he spoke. At the moment, Xiaoyue still looked deadpan as if she was a cold-blooded fairy high above the world and did not care about people.


    Xiao Chen could not imagine a woman to be heartless like this. What kind of sect Qianyu Nishang had established? The other female disciples just stood and watch silently. The horrible thing was not the heartless rules but the coldness between fellows.


    Luo Shangyan held Shen Nianxue and went down the mountain, but Xiaoyue did not even look at her as if the junior sister who had spent a decade together was just a passer-by. She looked at the stage and said, "The ancient martial art of the He Family. Is that so?"


    He Xunke laughed to the sky and said, "Exactly. I heard a long time ago that fairy Xiaoyue''s sword, Autumn Water, ranks the third on the Tome of Legendary Weapons. Do I have the honor to trade some blows with you?"


    Everyone was surprised and looked at the duster sword in Xiaoyue''s hand. It turned out this was the legendary ancient sword, the sword of patriarch Qianyu, Autumn Water. But this sword had never been unsheathed in over a thousand years, so nobody knew what it was like.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes gradually became blank while resting on the duster sword. He suddenly smiled coldly as many people heard this and looked at him with confusion. Some people were hostile to him because they thought he still hated Xiaoyue because of what she did to Shen Nianxue.


    Xiaoyue also glanced at him. But she did not care much and left an illusion as she appeared on the stage. Nobody saw how she moved to the stage.


    Xiao Chen still couldn''t help smiling coldly. Yu Yifeng looked at him and was confused. He asked with furrowed brows, "Junior Brother Xiao, what''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said nothing. "Autumn Water, Autumn Water. This is exactly the sword I gave to Qianyu Nishang."

 Chapter 124 Coalesced Colors Equal to Dus

    t


    On the stage, He Xunke smiled gently and said, "Fairy, please!"


    Xiaoyue did not answer and appeared behind his back, but the figure where she stood before was still there. The crowd exclaimed, "It''s the advanced method of the Thousand Feathers Sect, Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust!"


    He Xunke''s brows furrowed. "What the... Is this some clone technique?" He suddenly turned around and swept to the Xiaoyue at his back with the power that could break a tree. But he felt like he hit the water, and the fan crossed her body without obstruction.


    He Xunke smiled coldly. "It really is just an illusion." But the duster came to him out of nowhere. Although it looked soft, it had the strength that could break metal and stone. "Poom!" He failed to dodge it and was sent flying for meters.


    On the ground, he panicked. It was just an illusion. How could an illusion attack him? Before he could think further, the Xiaoyue behind him attacked with duster again. He failed to avoid again and was sent flying for a dozen meters.


    He wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth and smiled. "This technique is indeed unique. What is it?"


    The two figures of Xiaoyue merged into one, and she walked forth, leaving an illusion for each step. She said lightly, "The colors coalesces, and the dust equals. This is the mystic uniformity. This Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust created by the patriarch of our sect is not for you to understand. You are nothing but a martial artist."


    The crowd nodded upon hearing this and approved her. This was the essence of Daoism. Xiao Chen just smiled coldly in his heart. "It turns out Qianyu Nishang even learned my master''s Immortal-override Steps. Humph! It turns into the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust of the Thousand Feathers Sect. Heihei!"


    He Xunke smiled coldly. "Pleasure to see this!" Then, a golden light covered his body, and his hair stood on end. He no longer looked like that white-faced childe before.


    "Whether color or dust, I''ll crush you into ashes!" He roared and charged to Xiaoyue like a 3-meter-long golden radiance.


    He charged in an imposing, fierce manner as if he was a volcano that has been deposited for thousands of years. Even the crowd felt their faces were burning and thought it was a horrible power. Even a Core Forming Realm cultivator would be blown to ashes under this punch.


    However, Xiaoyue stood still and swung her duster, saying, "For I am abstracted from the world£¬the world from nature£¬nature from the way£¬and the way from what is beneath abstraction." After her voice fell, a soft white radiance appeared at the end of the duster. The radiance gradually spread out and shrouded He Xunke''s body as the golden light dimmed and disappeared.


    This was an overpowered attack, but it became soft at the end. He was shocked and thought, "What happened? Why I feel my internal strength weakened?" Before he could think further, he was sent flying away by the duster again for meters.


    "Roar!" A deep roar suddenly sounded under the stage. The monster flew to the stage and punched at Xiaoyue in the air. Xiaoyue lifted the sheath and drew a circle to him as a water column appeared and dashed to the monster''s shoulder.


    "Slash!" Blood splashed. He Kui could not be damaged by a sword before, but now, his shoulder was pierced through by the water column and had a bowl-sized hole of blood. It looked like a blood rain, and the crowd retreated one after another.


    "Nothing under heaven is softer or weaker than water, and yet nothing is better for attacking what is hard and strong," Xiaoyue said lightly as another water column dashed forth. He Xunke was frightened and said, "Third Brother, retreat!" He then waved his arm as the folding fan flew forth. "Clan!" The fan was instantly shattered into pieces.


    The frame of his folding fan was refined for 49 days by the Northern Dark Iron with Outer Meteorites. It was formidable and could easily break a normal cultivator''s flying sword. But now it was shattered into countless pieces by the water column.


    Xiao Chen sneered repeatedly. This water column was indeed the cultivation technique of the Tianxuan School of the Mystic Cyan Sect, the 3,000 Weak Water. If one practiced it into extreme, it would be indestructible and could dissolve the target''s True Energy.


    He Xunke roared as a giant illusion of a golden lion appeared beside him. Finally, he used the advanced technique of the He Family. He roared deeply and pounced to Xiaoyue like an angry lion. In the meantime, the skinny man under the stage also attacked from her back, turning into a golden ape.


    Two fierce strength brought about gales around, and many people could not open their eyes because of it. However, Xiaoyue stood still and swung her duster. The wind on the stage instantly stopped. He Xunke and the skinny man slowed down as if they were walking in the water, shaking and crumbling.


    "The best of men is like water; Water benefits all things and does not compete with them," Xiaoyue said as she swung her duster. The air current turned into two water column which hit the two men. "Poom! Poom!" The two men kneeled on the stage.


    The crowd burst out heaven-shaking applause. They sighed that this was the true essence of the Daoism, that they had learned so little. That was why they failed to defeat the ancient martial arts of the He Family.


    "Do you two want to continue?" Xiaoyue asked lightly.


    He Xunke and the skinny man looked at each other, and then they turned into two rows of golden light and moved to Xiaoyue with one from the left and one from the right. Xiaoyue swung her duster and stepped forth lightly. An illusion immediately appeared at her back. Before long, there were numerous illusions on the stage, and the two men could not hit the real Xiaoyue.


    Being affected by the 3,000 Weak Water, the two men''s internal strength kept draining. They exchanged glances and wanted to retreat. Just as they tramped on the stage to fly off the stage, an illusion hit them back.


    The illusions looked exactly the same as Xiaoyue, and they felt like hitting the air while punching the illusions. But, the illusions could actually damage them. He Xunke was soaked in sweat. He planned to establish some reputation today, yet he was defeated by this woman. He regretted that he had not figured out her strength before going on the stage.


    "All things under heaven sprang from it as existing, and that existence sprang from it as non-existent. I am nowhere, so I am everywhere."


    There are more and more illusions on the stage, one every half-inch, and each had the same attack damage as Xiaoyue''s. This was beyond common sense. He Xunke and the other one were trapped and could not get out, while as the crowd was already staring agape.


    Xiao Chen sneered repeatedly in his heart. "Is that all you have learned from my master''s Immortal-override Steps?" At first, he hoped that someone would defeat the He Family brothers. But now, he wished that the two men could win. So, he said in a low voice, "To observe the key of things in a free or bounded state of mind. I am everywhere, as I am nowhere."


    He Xunke was stunned upon hearing this, but then he understood why the illusions had the real Xiaoyue''s attack damage. He shouted, "Third Brother, you go east, and I go west!"


    However, when his voice fell, the skinny man quickly went south with a tacit agreement as He Xunke went north. This was the so-called "make a feint to the east and attack in the west."


    In fact, none of these illusions had actual attack damage. The amazing part of the Immortal-override Steps was that the real body could instantly switch positions with an illusion. So, it was Xiaoyue herself that attacked them. When He Xunke shouted to flee to the east and west, Xiaoyue moved to the illusions in the east and west, but did not expect that they went south and north.


    He Xunke landed on the ground and said, "Fairy Xiaoyue is indeed powerful. I will definitely marry you someday!" He then laughed, helped up the dying He Kui with the skinny man, and left quickly.


    The crowd was cursing this man that he was shameless. Only Xiao Chen noticed an eyesight full of murderous intent from the stage. Xiaoyue tipped on the stage with her foot and lightly floated to his side. She smiled gently and said, "I wonder who Mr. Han''s master is?"


    She had heard from Xuanyue that Xiao Chen could play the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust. Just now, she heard that he point out the key to this method with only one remark, so she was now certain that it was true. The Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was the most advanced technique of her sect, and only the successor of the sect leader was qualified to practice it. It had never been leaked to the outside. How did this man learn it?


    She had also noticed that Xiao Chen took the banner from a distance and adeptly covered it over Shen Nianxue from a distance. She did not have such a good command of psychokinesis.


    Xiao Chen pretended to ignore her and looked at the blue sky while stroking his beard. But he sneered coldly in his heart. "Who is my master? Humph! Even your patriarch, Qianyu Nishang, saw me back then, she had to call me senior brother respectfully."


    It''s well-known that Xiaoyue rarely talked to someone, but now she was asking someone with a smile. This was shocking. But they were mind-blown on that disdainful look on Xiao Chen''s face. Many people frowned, and someone wanted to say that he was being rude.


    Xiaoyue knew Daoism well and was not angry about this. Even if she was angry, she would not show it. She still smiled and said, "I heard that Mr. Han won the Immortals League Competition of the Qing and Zhou states. You are indeed different."


    Xiao Chen showed his strength in the Immortals League Competition and betrayed the Zhou State. This issue had already spread around with multiple versions. Some said that he was the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan, and some said that he wanted to sleep Princess Xuanyue. Now they looked surprised that the characters of the story were present.


    They also understood why he was ignoring Xiaoyue now. They thought that he was still unhappy about the Shen Nianxue issue. Many people, even some female disciples, did not blame him for being impolite. Indeed, Xiaoyue was too harsh on Shen Nianxue.


    Now, Xiao Chen turned his head and pretended to be surprised. "Are you talking to me?"


    Yu Yifeng''s face looked very embarrassed. "Is he still upset about Shen Nianxue?" He smiled obsequiously and said, "Sorry, this is my junior brother. His surname is Xiao, not Han."


    Xiaoyue smiled gently. "So, it''s Mr. Xiao. I heard Junior Sister Xuanyue talk about you. I reckon your skills are not learned from Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, right?"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and did not speak. At this point, a cold smile suddenly rose. It was Ling Yingfeng, who stood up and smiled coldly. "Perfected Immortal Qing Chen does not have skills as advanced as his."


    Many people were confused upon hearing this. The four famous experts nowadays: Perfected Immortal Qing Chen of the Jade Qing Sect, Yunya Zi of the Skygale Sect, Master Xuantong of the Wuyin Monastery, and Master Liku of the South Zhan Subcontinent. They were all half-step to the Nascent Soul Realm. Why did this man say that Xiao Chen was more powerful than them?


    Some people could tell the other meaning of his words and waited for him to continue. Some people started to guess. The four experts were well-known and highly respected, but the Violet Manor was so big, and there must be some unknown hermits. The master of Xiaoyue, Perfected Immortal Su Nian, was a hermit. No one knew his cultivation. Did Xiao Chen also have a hermit master?


    Ling Yingfeng snorted coldly and wanted to say something when an elder pulled him down and said, "Yingfeng, sit down. Today, the cultivator''s sects are gathered. We will settle the issue regarding your brother."


    The crowd was puzzled. Some people heard gossip that his brother, Ling Yuxuan, was disabled by someone two months ago, and they now started to tell the other people.


    The words quickly spread around, and the crowd was no longer quiet. At this moment, a vigorous voice rose from the sky which almost broke people''s eardrums.


    "This is the humble He Chentian. I''m here to learn something from you Taoist friends!"


    Many people felt a huge power closing in. They looked over and found a black point becoming bigger and bigger. It was a man stepping toward them in the air.

 Chapter 125 He Chentian

    The man landed on the ground and immediately crushed several bricks of granite which were hard as iron. Every step he took, the tile under his feet cracked.


    Everybody felt suffocated. This man''s martial arts achievement was far beyond that of the former three people, which might be at late Realm 3. A normal Core Forming Realm cultivator could not compete with him at all.


    What was even more horrible was that the man was so young. He looked like he was about 25 years old. His brows looked like blades, and his eyes looked like cold water. His two cold eyes looked like two blades placed at the shoulders. Many people could not help but shuddering at the moment.


    On his back was a broadsword which was 1.5 meters long and 0.4 meters wide. It was wrapped up by some strips of cloth, and only the blood-red hilt was exposed.


    ¡°Who dares to fight me?" He walked step by step to the stage and scanned the crowd as if he was searching for prey. Right now, nobody dares to answer the challenge because they had witnessed the three people''s strength before.


    Although some elders were slightly angry, they felt inappropriate to fight a young man. If they lose, they would be humiliated.


    He Chentian scanned the crowd recklessly, and his eyes finally rested on Xiaoyue. "Are you Xiaoyue?"


    Xiaoyue said lightly, "Yes. What does Brother He want?"


    He Chentian took out the large broadsword and pointed at her, saying, "Can you fight me?!" Although the broadsword was wrapped by cloth strips, it gave off a peculiar smell. His look and tone were also extremely arrogant as if he ignored all cultivators present.


    Xiaoyue felt the strength of this person and smiled lightly. "I can since Brother He asked me, but..."


    Before she could finish, He Chentian slashed at her. The broadsword burst out a 3-meter-long red radiance even wrapped by cloth. "Poom!" Dust flew about, the ground Xiaoyue stood was cut open.


    "If you can then just fight! Where comes all those bullshit!" He Chentian then slashed at her again. The crowd dodged hurriedly. Xiaoyue swiftly moved meters away and said with a smile, "Brother He, there''s no need to hush. I mean, if you want to fight, I have a better candidate to recommend to you."


    She then pointed to Xiao Chen. "If you win a woman, there''s no honor. But this man, Brother Xiao, is the winner of the Immortals League Competition two months ago."


    Xiao Chen was shocked and cursed inwardly. He Chentian''s achievement in martial arts was high, and he could not defeat this guy. Xiaoyue said this not because she was not happy with the issue before but wanted to see Xiao Chen''s techniques and to kill Xiao Chen through this guy''s hand.


    Xiao Chen immediately smiled and said, "My cultivation is so low. How can I match a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan? Brother He, you''d better fight her. She easily defeated three of your members just now."


    Xiaoyue smiled and said, "You are wrong. Just now, you told the essence of what I have learned for my life. You really hide your strength very well."


    He Chentian repeatedly looked at the two people, considering which one to fight. Finally, his eyes fell on Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen cursed inwardly that this guy was so dumb. Couldn''t he tell that the woman is using him to kill someone? Xiao Chen said hurriedly, "Brother He, have you considered it thoroughly? I am no one, but Master Xiaoyue ranks the 10th on the Heaven List!"


    He Chentian''s eyes fell on Xiaoyue again. She smiled, "Brother Xiao is too humble. Back then, you defeated the 12th on the Heaven List with only three zither sound. How can you be no one?"


    Seeing the two recommending each other, some people could tell that Xiaoyue was forcing Xiao Chen to fight because she had no reason to be afraid of a martial artist. People were also looking forward to seeing the true strength of this mysterious youth who recently made his name.


    At this moment, a faint voice was heard. "If "Brother He really wants to fight, I would like to be your opponent." Yu Yifeng, who sat beside Xiao Chen, stood up.


    Xiao Chen was surprised and thought, "This man has a profound martial arts achievement, and that broadsword had a peculiar smell. Brother Yifeng had no experience in fighting martial artists, so it may be difficult for him to fight this guy. He came here to represent the Jade Qing Sect in this meeting, and there would be many things waiting for him to deal with. So, nothing wrong can happen to him." Xiao Chen stepped forth and said, "I don''t think so. It''s Master Xiaoyue who holds this meeting. If Brother He wants to make your name, the one you need is right there."


    "Cut the bullshit! You two come together!" He Chentian thundered and slashed at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen cursed inwardly, "You ignorant person! I''ve said so much to you to no avail. Do you think I''m really scared of you?!" He then punched out with both hands as two golden dragons instantly appeared and hit the sword. "Rumble!" The huge noise almost broke people''s eardrums.


    Everyone was shocked. Turning the palm strength into dragon illusions. Was Xiao Chen really a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan who practiced both Immortal skills and martial arts? The crowd cheered and was thrilled about this fight. Only Sikong Yun looked bitter. This was his place. Who would pay for his loss?


    Xiaoyue frowned. It was just like Xuanyue said, this man could even play the Dragon Roars of her sect. She was so confused. The Dragon Roars and Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust were the same, only the sect leaders could practice them. Who the hell was this man...


    Xiao Chen saw her standing by idly away with no intent to fight, so he yelled, "What are you doing?!" Xiaoyue smiled gently and said, "Brother Xiao is proficient in both Immortal skill and martial arts. I don''t think I need to participate."


    He Chentian heard that Xiao Chen practiced both Immortal skills and martial arts, so his fighting desire became stronger. Xiao Chen cursed again at this stupid man and retreated toward Xiaoyue while blocking the sword radiance by his palm strength.


    Xiaoyue saw this and floated away quickly. Xiao Chen had to block the incoming saber radiance, so he could not follow her. He Chentian seemed to have locked up Xiao Chen and had no intent to attack Xiaoyue.


    "Didn''t you say that she and I fight you together? What do you mean by chasing me?!" Xiao Chen cursed and finally used the Immortal-override Steps. After leaving an illusion, he appeared 30 meters away.


    The crowd was shocked. "Why can he also play the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust?!" Everybody was shocked at the moment and focused on Xiao Chen. But no one had noticed that the eyes of Xiaoyue were getting colder.


    He Chentian slashed at the illusion and then saw Xiao Chen was 30 meters away. He roared and charged forth in a golden radiance. Xiao Chen was frightened. This guy was not only powerful but also fast. He hurriedly leaped backward for 30 meters. "Rumble!" A big hole appeared at the place he stood before, even the tiles nearby were sent flying away.


    This made Sikong Yun painful. If these two kept fighting, the Widespread Wintriness Sect would be ruined. But he could not say anything right now, so he could only smile bitterly.


    Xiao Chen landed and saw the man stop attacking, so he said, "Hey! Big man! Why are you only attacking me?!"


    He Chentian smiled coldly and said, "Because you interest me more!" He then slashed again. This strike was far more powerful than before. The red sword radiance reached 24 meters long as if it was splitting heaven and earth.


    The nearby energy became unstable and strong wind was whistling. The tables and chairs could not stand this power and were shattered. Everybody felt the horrible power of this strike. Xiao Chen said in a deep voice, "I''ll let you enjoy your interest on me!" He then channeled his True Energy as a golden radiance shrouded his body. Then, two 30-meter-long golden dragons roared out.


    However, the two golden dragons did not disappear after rushing out as before, but were connected to his arms as if his arms had now turned into two golden dragons.


    Xiao Chen lifted his left hand as a golden dragon coiled the saber radiance, and waved his right hand as another dragon dashed forth. "Rumble!" With a huge noise, He Chentian was sent flying for more than 30 meters.


    The crowd was exclaiming.

 Chapter 126 Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash

    At the moment, the two golden dragons seemed to be attached on Xiao Chen''s arm. The golden dragons moved as he waved his arms. He Chentian was completely unable to cope with this. The crowd exclaimed repeatedly. This method of controlling the dragon shadows was what they had never seen before.


    Xiao Chen combined the Dragon Roar Palm and psychokinesis together; so, he naturally could control the palm force by his mind. Xiaoyue stood in the distance, and her eyebrows furrowed tightly. He could control the two dragon shadows formed by palm force so freely. Such a profound method was what the Thousand Feathers Sect did not have.


    Also, Yu Yifeng was confused at the moment. This method was by no means the method of his Martial Uncles, Qing Feng and Xiaoyao Zi.


    Xiao Chen removed his palm force, looking at He Chentian who just fell to the ground. He said in a deep voice, "Are you still interested now!?"


    "Hey hey!" He Chentian wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and suddenly rushed at him. Xiao Chen inwardly scolded. "This person is a monster. He''s still attacking in such injuries!"


    He had just consumed too much energy while using the two dragon shadows. So, at the moment, he was not sure if he could take the enemy''s desperate strike. He channeled his qi to block the next strike. However, this time He Chentian did not slash but moved his hand up and down. It seemed that he was going to use some palm technique.


    Xiao Chen was a bit shocked. "Why does this move look so familiar? This is... The Heavenly Sky Palm of the Xiao family!" Why could he play the exclusive skill of the Xiao family?


    Before he could think carefully, the weak palm force had come at him. The essence of the Heavenly Sky Palm was that it looked ordinary at first. But once it was blocked, the nine following palm force became stronger and stronger. Even if a Core Forming Realm cultivator casually took the palm, he might be destroyed by the following nine palm force.


    He knew perfectly well that he could not take the palm force. He immediately moved his hands in a yin-yang tai chi shape, which was the way he slowly realized before to crack the Heavenly Sky Palm.


    The palm force was absorbed into yin-yang tai chi and dissipated in an instant. When people saw him so easily dealt with this attack, they all secretly admired him. But they did not realize that the risk just now had actually reached the extreme. If there was any accident in resolving the palm force, the subsequent nine palm force would be triggered, and the consequences would be unimaginable.


    He Chentian''s eyes narrowed as a murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"


    Xiao Chen coldly snorted and thought, "You asked who I am. I also want to ask who you are. How can your family have my Xiao family''s palm style?


    "I don''t care who you are! Since you can crack the He family''s palm method, you must not continue to live in this world!"


    He Chentian said and channeled his internal energy fiercely as numerous golden light covered him. He slashed as the blood-red saber radiance became more than 30 meters long. This strike had the power of destroying heaven and earth. Countless people were sent away by the sudden gust of wind. Sikong Yun''s face was pale and miserable. This strike might destroy half of his mountain gate square.


    In the distance, Xiaoyue was still watching quietly. Yu Yifeng and Mu Chengxue frowned tightly. Xiao Chen unleashed the Unsullied and chanted spells carefully to cast the Dragon Slay of the Mystic Cyan Sect. Suddenly, seven rows of sword radiance appeared and then merged into one. It became 30 meters long and dazzling as it moved to the red, evil radiance.


    The sword radiance of the Dragon Slay had almost materialized, and the crowd sighed at it. They reckoned that it was almost comparable to the unique skill of the Skygale Sect, the Heaven-slaying Sword. With a rumble, the sword radiance and the saber radiance crashed as the power spread around. Countless tables and chairs were sent into mid-air and turned into powder, and the whole square was shaking at the moment.


    Most of the spectators panicked and retreated behind the elders. The power of the two men had much exceeded their expectations. Xiao Chen was standing upright and looked like an immortal who descended to the world. He was wrapped in a white radiance, and still kept the posture of sending out the radiance.


    And He Chentian also maintained the attacking posture with a smile on the corner of his mouth. The fighting spirit on his face grew stronger. Suddenly, with some noise, the cloth which wrapped the hilt of his saber was torn apart. Finally, the saber was revealed. It turned out to be a blood-red evil saber. Its blade was full of dark red lines which frightened people.


    "Blood Lotus Demon Blade!" Many elders exclaimed upon seeing it.


    This was the Blood Lotus Demon Blade of the He family. Hundreds of years ago, it was the legendary weapon which killed countless cultivators. It was once called "Immortal Slayer" and terrified countless cultivators.


    He Chentian smiled and said, "You are good. It''s been a long time since someone could make me unsheath this Immortal Slayer. Kid, you are strong! I''ll use your blood to sacrifice the saber today!"


    Xiao Chen felt the horrible power contained in that demon blade. He had just cast out the Dragon Slay, of which the consumption was not small. At the moment, even with the Unsullied, it was absolutely difficult for him to fight against this blade. But now he had nowhere to retreat. He Chentian had approached him step by step.


    "Dominant Sky¡ªTen-fold Slash!"


    He Chentian roared madly as the red radiance of the demon blade surged 9-meter-high. He swung the saber in a downward arc as it burst out more than 30 meters of red radiance. It was as if the saber split heaven and earth. Suddenly, the wind was blowing madly, and dark clouds were rolling.


    Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash was the top technique of the He family. Back then, a talent of the He family played this technique. When he performed the 7th strike, he had already killed four Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Although He Chentian''s command of saber technique was far inferior to that of the talent, its horrible power made everyone panic.


    Dark clouds were rolling, and the thunder was grumbling. When the red radiance was 30 meters away from the ground, the strong power had made everyone out of breath. Xiao Chen remained calm. Suddenly, he roared as a huge white flame burned on his body. The crowd was shocked. They could tell that he was burning his essence energy in exchange for unparalleled power.


    A cultivator could burn his own essence to transform into power in a critical moment. Yu Yifeng did not expect him to be so desperate. He cried out and flew over with Mu Chengxue to protect Xiao Chen.


    The first strike of the Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash finally fell. The sand and stones were flying on the square, and the ground cracked open with numerous gaps. The crowd had already retreated far away. Yu Yifeng and Mu Chengxue joined forces to form a barrier which finally blocked this unparalleled strike.


    However, it was not over. The second strike followed. The momentum of this one was even stronger than that of the previous one. All the nearby trees burst out, and the people were shocked as their blood and qi surged up. Many weak cultivators suffered tinnitus and eyesight dizzyness, and fainted directly to the ground.


    Xiao Chen and the other two people stood in the field, so they took the most powerful blow. Although together they held up a barrier to block the strike, they all felt a severe shock and could not stand straight. The third strike followed, this time, it was impossible for them to take it. When they were about to be destroyed, suddenly there came a sound of Buddha''s name not far away: "Amitabha..."


    Then three people were covered by a translucent big golden bell. The third strike of the Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash fell. With a humming sound, the three people remained intact in the bell.


    The three people together looked over and saw Master Xuanji chanted a spell with his hands folded, and then the bell dissipated slowly.


    He was indeed one of the four holy monks of the Wuyin Monastery, and the crowd all sighed at his profound Buddha technique. He Chentian sneered and performed the fourth strike. Xiao Chen calmed down and chanted some spells. Immediately, three golden dragon shadows appeared in the sky. But they did not attack He Chentian. They stayed around the three people. This was the fourth style of the Dragon Roar Palm of the Mystic Cyan Sect: Dragon Stealth


    Although the Dragon Stealth was above the third style, the Dragon''s Wrath, it did not have attack damage. Instead, it protected the caster to resist the strong attack of the enemy.


    The fierce saber radiance instantly arrived as cracking sound kept rising. Xiao Chen immediately cast out the third style, Dragon''s Wrath. Dark clouds were rolling in the air, a dragon roar from ancient times shocked people''s souls. Everyone''s feet quivered. They looked up and saw a huge dragon head looming in the dark clouds. They could not help but gasp.


    "Roar!" The dragon roared and dashed down to the fifth strike from He Chentian. The powerful ancient dragon breath was suffocating, and the blood-red saber radiance made people tremble. The two forces collided in mid-air, which broke the limit of space. The shockwave spread around like an avalanche as countless people were sent flying. All the tables, chairs and trees were turned into sawdust swirling around the sky under the collision of the two forces.


    Before the crowd came to their senses, He Chentian performed the sixth strike. But suddenly, a mouthful of blood gush out of his mouth when he wielded halfway, and he could not continue. Xiao Chen also looked pale. While the other party had not yet stood steady, Xiao Chen instantly played the Immortal-override Steps, rushed to the front of He Chentian, and punched out several Cyan Dragon Roars. The dragon roar resounded as He Chentian could not use his saber to resist. Seven or eight palms hit in his chest as he spat out blood multiple times and flew backward.


    A burst of applause rose from the crowd. Xiao Chen knew perfectly well that at the moment, he could not give He Chentian any chance to breathe. Again, he fiercely channeled the True Energy in his whole body, and punched out with both hands. A majestic mighty force dashed out with several golden dragon shadows. He Shen hurriedly lift his saber to resist. But he was previously damaged by the Dragon''s Wrath and some punches, so at the moment he couldn''t resist the incoming storm-like attacks. He felt his body became light, and he was floating in the air. He could no longer hold the Blood Lotus Demon Blade as it left his hand.


    "Even though the Immortal''s Practice has been declining, it is not up to you to destroy it!" Xiao Chen thought of the ruins of the Mystic Cyan Sect, and the rage in his heart surged to an extent of mad abandoning. Regardless of running out of True Energy, he sent out several palm force again.


    Every palm force had the power to shake a mountain, He Chentian was unable to resist after being damaged, and he fell to the ground like a blood man. Xiao Chen reached out his hand to cast the psychokinesis as the Blood Lotus Demon Blade 30 meters away whistled to him. He held the hilt and stuck it to the tough granite, but it was not even inserted into it. He said in a deep voice, "I''ll take this knife. From today on, its name is Demon Slayer!"


    "Bravo!" Several young disciples began to cheer, while Xiaoyue''s eyebrows furrowed as she was thinking something in the distance.


    He Chentain sneered twice when three figures flew here. They were He Xunke and the other two people who had left. He Xunke saw everything here and hurriedly held He Chentian, saying, "Boss!"


    He Chentian pushed him away, wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth, and said to Xiao Chen with a cold smile, "Immortal Slayer is yours for the time being. I will come back to retrieve it another day!" He then swung his sleeve and led the three men down the mountain.


    Walking at the foot of the mountain, He Chentian snorted and said, "Didn''t expect that this boy is really capable of tying with me. He''s got something."


    He Xunke looked at him and said in a low voice, "Boss, you are hurt like this. You still call it a draw..."


    "Hmm?" He Chentian glared at him and stopped him from uttering the words left.


    On the mountain, because of the battle just now, the mountain gate square looked terrible. Sikong Yun''s face almost turned into a balsam pear. Due to excessive consumption, Yu Yifeng was recovering Xiao Chen''s energy by running the cultivation method. Xiaoyue walked over and gently smiled. "Xiao Xiong, are you ok?"


    Xiao Chen''s face was still a bit pale. He said with a smile, "With the blessing of the fairy, I''m not dead."


    Xiaoyue smiled gently and said, "In that case, would you please tell us who your master is?" As soon as the crowd heard what she said, they all turned around one after another as they wanted to know the background of this mysterious young man who suddenly appeared.


    Xiao Chen smiled. "What if I don''t say?"


    "How dare you!" A female disciple of the Thousand Feathers Sect immediately shouted aloud. The Thousand Feathers Sect claimed to be the leader of cultivator''s sects, and no one dared to disobey their words. However, this time, it seemed that they met a person who intended to act against them.

 Chapter 127 Its Easy to Find a Stick to Beat a Dog

    Xiaoyue had quite a deep comprehension of Daoism, so she was not pissed off by it. With a smile, she floated to the stage like a fairy walking on water. At this moment, she turned back to that cold fairy. She said lightly, "This time I summoned you mainly because of the issue of the Soul-consuming Evil Flower..."


    Everyone listened attentively when she said this, and many of the older generations also looked solemn. Recently, many people from many sects disappeared without any reason. They all suspected that it was related to the flower, but the person who spread the flower behind the scene was so mysterious that no one was able to find him.


    Xiao Chen also frowned. His grandpa and Perfected Immortal Zixu together went to investigate the flower, but they had never gone back, and so far there had been no answer. Who was spreading Soul-consuming Evil Flowers behind the scene? Deliberately collecting the souls of so many ordinary people, what was the purpose of this...


    Xiaoyue continued, "A few days ago, some disciples in my sect found a place called Wuwang Wind Cloud City. The nearby spiritual force fluctuated abnormally. Recently, there have been many natural anomalies. I suspect that someone tried to open the Blood Soul Formation..."


    Before she finished, the crowd under burst into chaos. Put Wuwang Wind Cloud City aside, the Blood Soul Formation needed countless blood, souls, creatures as media to open, and the purpose of opening it was often to revive a dead person.


    "Bastard! The Wuwang Wind Cloud City is actually doing things against reason and nature!"


    Recently, disciples of various sects had been missing continuously. Many people are outraged at this moment. Xiao Chen''s eyes are slightly narrowed. He passed through the Wuwang City before and did find some differences. However, it did not seem like what Xiaoyue said. Why did she point the spearhead to Wuwang Wind Cloud City?


    Xiaoyue nodded slightly to let the crowd quiet down. She then continued, "Therefore, I plan to go to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City with you in three days to confirm whether this is true."


    "Okay! We are willing to listen to the fairy''s command! If it really is Wuwang Wind Cloud City that killed our disciples, I will not let this go!"


    "We would also like to listen to the fairy!"


    The morale of the audience was high, and many people raised their fists to show approval. However, most of them were just shouting slogans. There were not many people who really intended to provoke Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    Yu Yifeng said in a low voice, "There is something really strange about that Wuwang Wind Cloud City. The Thousand Feathers Sect wants to take advantage of everyone''s efforts to deal with them. It seems that I have to go there in three days."


    Xiao Chen said, "Are you going?" Mu Chengxue followed, "I also want to go again. Junior Brother Xiao, are you not planning to go?"


    Before Xiao Chen replied, Xiaoyue on the stage had moved her eyes to him. She smiled lightly and said, "Brother Xiao has many profound techniques. I wonder if you will join us on this trip."


    The crowd also turned their eyes to him. Xiao Chen''s complexion had greatly improved. He got up and smiled gently. "It is incumbent on me to take part in this course of justice to eliminate the devils." He thought, "You push me to the forefront and put me in a dilemma. I will just go with you and see what your Thousand Feathers Sect really wants to do. And then it will be convenient for me to ruin your plan!"


    "Okay! Brother Xiao deserves to be a member of the Immortal''s Practice!" Immediately, many people praised him one after another. He had defeated He Chentian just now, which earned a great honor for the Immortal''s Practice. At the moment, he just showed no hesitation, so people regarded him as a hero.


    Except for the Ling Family members there, especially Ling Yingfeng, their faces looked uglier.


    Xiaoyue nodded and looked at Sikong Yun aside. "Sect Leader Sikong, do you still have something to say?"


    Sikong Yun had a bitter face since the incident. Upon hearing her mentioning his own issue, his sorrow turned a bit into joy. He hurriedly said, "I had just captured a demon woman two months ago. I planned to have a demon-slaying meeting this month..."


    Xiaoyue nodded slightly, and she seemed not caring this much. She said, "Then wait for us to come back this time." Sikong Yun wanted to say something, but he still nodded his head and said, "Well then."


    Xiaoyue faced the audience. "I don''t know if you have any other issues, my Taoist friends?"


    She said this just because of the manner, and the crowd also understood that nothing can compare with this trip to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. So, no one spoke at the moment.


    Xiaoyue nodded slightly, saying, "In this case, in the next three days, please prepare..." Before her voice fell, a sound abruptly rose in the crowd. "Wait! I do have an issue."


    The crowd looked over and saw that the young master of the Ling family, Ling Yingfeng, walked out. The Ling family also had a very important position in the East Continent. For a while, they were puzzled. They looked at a gray-robed old man not far behind him. The gray-robed old man was Ling Yuanshan, the second elder of the Ling family.


    Ling Yuanshan looked dignified and did not utter a sound to stop this man. Ling Yingfeng walked to the stage, gently smiled, and saluted. "Fairy Xiaoyue, I don''t know whether Perfected Immortal Su Nian is alright. My family master always mentioned him before he went into seclusion."


    Xiaoyue looked at him and nodded with a smile. "It turns out to be Brother Ling. Your family master has been in seclusion. I guess I haven''t seen Senior Ruoxu for ten years?"


    Ling Ruoxu, the master of the Ling family, had been in seclusion for several years. His cultivation was unfathomable. Everyone was greatly surprised. They did not expect him to know the master of Xiaoyue, Perfected Immortal Su Nian. At the moment, their fear toward the Ling family increased.


    Ling Yingfeng nodded and smiled. "My family master will be out of seclusion in a few days."


    Xiao Chen sneered coldly in his heart. "Is this guy borrowing the hand of the Thousand Feathers Sect to put pressure on me?"


    Xiaoyue smiled gently and said, "Brother Ling, you said you have an issue just now. I don''t know what it is?"


    Ling Yingfeng withdrew the smile on his face, turned around and looked at Xiao Chen with a chillness flashed through his eyes. He then stamped his foot to fly on the stage, turned around to face the crowd, and said in a severe and righteous way, "Taking the Spiritual Meridian of others to improve cultivation, this is what the devils do. And every one of the Immortals'' sects would kill such devils. In the past ten years, we have never heard of such things. My brother, Ling Yuxuan, has no enmity with others. But, just two months ago, his Spiritual Meridians were taken by someone..."


    Before he finished speaking, the crowd burst into an uproar. Everyone looked angry, and there was no lack of cursing.


    Taking people''s Spiritual Meridians in the Violet Manor was a big taboo. Back then, the He family wantonly took the meridians, so they became the target of the public and were eventually destroyed by various sects of the Immortal''s Practice.


    Xiao Chen sneered coldly in his heart. Back then, Ling Yuxuan brought people to kill him in the first place, and this man still said that Ling Yuxuan had no enemy. Arousing the resentment of these outsiders who did not know the truth, Ling Yingfeng really had a good means of doing this. "Didn''t you want to take my meridians back then?"


    Ling Yingfeng pretended to be resentful, and only continued after the audience gradually quieted down. "The man who took my brother''s Spiritual Meridians is still at large. Now, he is even attending Fairy Xiaoyue''s meeting!"


    "What! The man is here!?" The discussion resumed. This time, the noise was even louder. Everyone began to speculate.


    Yu Yifeng sighed. "How could this happen?" His eyebrows furrowed tightly when he spoke. Obviously, he still didn''t know the person Ling Yingfen talked about was sitting beside him.


    Ling Yingfeng saw that he had successfully aroused public indignation and gradually turned his eyes to Xiao Chen. The noise of the crowd gradually decreased, and everyone followed his eyes to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen sneered, "Hey hey..." "It''s easy to find a stick to beat a dog."

 Chapter 128 A Fight Out Of Wrath

    He spoke this sentence very loudly, so that everyone present heard it clearly. Yu Yifeng''s brows furrowed tightly. "Brother Xiao, what''s the matter?"


    Xiao Chen stood up, looked at Ling Yingfeng in the eyes, and said word for word, "Yes, I took the Spiritual Meridians of your brother Ling Yuxuan!"


    Everyone''s faces changed. They had never thought this popular mysterious youth turned out to be a killer who took somebody''s Spiritual Meridians. Yu Yifeng turned pale, and his voice trembled. "Lil Chen, is what you said true? You really took Ling Yuxuan''s Spiritual Meridians..." His voice became heavier. Obviously, he was angry.


    Xiao Chen turned around and gave him a glance. He felt a pain in his heart. Yu Yifeng was brought up by Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. He was educated to take the whole world as his own duty. Xiao Chen was also taught this in Mystic Cyan Sect back then. But now, was he going to fall into the Devil''s Practice step by step...


    He didn''t speak and turned around. Facing numerous cultivators, Xiao Chen said calmly, "However, the fact is not as he said. That day I passed through Lingyun Citadel and stayed only for one day. I didn''t expect Ling Yuxuan to hunt me down with more than ten men for a hundred miles away..."


    At present, he said exactly what happened at that time and didn''t mention Ling Yuxuan''s ill attempt to Luo Shangyan. At the moment, many people were quiet and thinking quietly.


    There was no lack of smart men among these thousands of people. So, it was impossible for everyone to believe all the words of Ling Yingfeng. What''s more, people knew what kind of man Ling Yuxuan was and the means of Ling family. This upright young man would never take away people''s Spiritual Meridians for no reason. If Ling Yuxuan provoked him first, then he just did something extreme and didn''t commit any great sin.


    The reason why Xiao Chen had so many supporters was that he attended the meeting with the Jade Qing Sect today. Also, his sentence "Even though the Immortal''s Practice has been declining, it is not up to you to destroy it!" in the fight with He Chentian expressed the feelings of everyone here.


    Looking at the crowd gradually went silent, Ling Yingfeng''s face looked worse. At this moment, a strange voice suddenly sounded under the stage. "I don''t think so. Taking the Spiritual Meridians is the method of the Devil''s Practice. The Ling family is noble and decent. You said Ling Yuxuan wanted to take your Spiritual Meridian, what evidence does you have?"


    Everyone looked around and did not see anyone utter a word. Then, the gray-robed old man, Ling Yuanshan got up and said, "The fellow was right. The Ling family had a history of nearly 1,000 years, and we had never had any contact with people in the Devil''s Practice. Yuxuan was even less likely to have the method of taking Spiritual Meridians. Is it too far-fetched for you to say that he wanted to take your Spiritual Meridians?"


    Only Senior Sister Luo and he knew the matter of that day. But Senior Sister Luo was nobody, so her words weighed little, and it was useless for her to stand up and say something. Xiao Chen knew perfectly well that he could not argue with them now. He said, "Then let''s put this matter aside. Ling Yuxuan brought people to kill me, is that reasonable?"


    If Ling Yuxuan did this out of hatred, which caused him to be taken Spiritual Meridians, it also made some sense. Some people present nodded, while some shook their heads. At the moment, people who still supported Xiao Chen mostly had a close relationship with the Jade Qing Sect.


    At this moment, the strange voice rang again. "Hey hey! Then I would like to ask this. Since you are a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect, why do you have the method of taking Spiritual Meridians? Has the Jade Qing Sect degenerated into colluding with the Devil''s Practice?"


    His words were really harsh. Many people had turned their heads to Yu Yifeng. Although not only the people of the Devil''s Practice could have the method of taking Spiritual Meridians, Yu Yifeng naturally needed to explain this since this matter was already related to the Jade Qing Sect.


    When Yu Yifeng was about to talk, Xiao Chen swung his sleeves and said, "I am not a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect!" As soon as his voice fell, people booed. People supported him earlier for the sake of the Jade Qing Sect. But now that he said in front of the public that he was not a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect, those people could not defy the just cause of this world. Some even turned against him and directly turned to support the Ling family.


    In fact, Xiao Chen also knew that the person in the dark was trying to force himself to say so. It seemed that person intentionally targeted at him. But every time the person finished speaking, his breath was gone.


    Seeing the situation was going out of control, and someone was about to capture Xiao Chen, Yu Yifeng got up and said, "Brother Xiao is the disciple took by my martial uncles, Xiaoyao and Qingfeng, in the Human World."


    As soon as he finished speaking, those who were ready to move immediately withdrew. The Jade Qing Seven were all-powerful and invincible. Although Xiaoyao Zi and Qingfeng now lived in the Human World, Huashang and Yanluo had left the Jade Qing Sect, and there were only three out of seven led by Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, the title of Jade Qing Seven still shocked people present.


    Ling Yingfeng sneered, "Hey hey. It turns out to be the close disciple of Qingfeng Zi and Xiaoyao Zi. What a great background!"


    In fact, it was true. If Xiao Chen was just an ordinary disciple of the Jade Qing Sect, it was not enough to make people fear him. But if he was the disciple of Qingfeng and Zi Mo, it became another matter. People didn''t need to offend two of the Jade Qing Seven for Ling family. Besides, it was Ling Yuxuan who started unreasonably first.


    At this moment, the strange voice rose again. "Hey hey! When did Zither Saint Qingfeng and predecessor Xiaoyao Zi command the method of taking Spiritual Meridians? Could it be that over the years, they have been meeting people in the Devil''s Practice?" The people looked over the voice, but still couldn''t find the speaker.


    "Who is it? Get the hell out of there!" Xiao Chen finally became furious and sent out his True Energy. A mighty force spread out around him.


    Qingfeng and Zi Mo had done him a favor. Someone slandered their reputation here, which was definitely not possible for him to tolerate. The overwhelming True Energy had spread out. "Puff!" Someone spurted out a mouthful of blood and took a few steps back.


    Everyone was fine, and only this person was injured, because he was the one who spoke before. This person used the Secret Voice Technique to make sounds. He did not need to speak, but he had to consume True Energy. He was performing this technique, and his True Energy could not match Xiao Chen''s, so he was naturally injured.


    Xiao Chen swung his sleeve and used the psychokinesis as the man was immediately caught by a mighty force. Xiao Chen looked carefully and only felt like he had not seen this man. He didn''t remember when he had provoked this man. His face was full of murderous intent, and he thundered, "Who did you just say is the people of the Devil''s Practice?"


    The man wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Hey hey. You took people''s Spiritual Meridians, so you are the people of the Devil''s Practice? What? Are you going to kill me? You can stop me from talking, can you stop everyone in this world? Hahaha..."


    "Shut the fuck up!" Xiao Chen was furious. He hated the Devil''s Practice the most in his life. Thousands of years ago, he was framed for colluding with the Devil''s Practice. At the moment, he was so pissed off that he gradually lost his mind. He raised his hand and was about to slap on the man''s head in front of the crowd.


    "Lil Chen, don''t!" Just at this critical moment, a row of sword radiance came and blocked his palm force. The next moment, Yu Yifeng appeared in front of the man.


    Yu Yifeng turned around and gave the man a cold look. "Who sent you here to talk nonsense?"


    "Disciples of the Jade Qing Sect kills people at will. You are impressive! What a murderous intent!" At this moment, an energetic-looking old man slowly walked out of the crowd.


    Yu Yifeng looked over and clasped his hands, saying, "It turns out to be Perfected Immortal Zhang. A pleasure to meet you."


    The veteran was Zhang Qinglian from Penglai Island. Presumably, he bore a grudge against Xiao Chen since the last Immortals League Competition and Ye Wuhen''s zither fight with Xiao Chen. Therefore, he had just ordered his disciple to use the secret sound technique to continuously incite Xiao Chen.


    Zhang Qinglian laughed coldly. "You are being too polite."


    Xiao Chen sneered. He had already offended Penglai Island, so he was no hush to offend again today. Suddenly, his eyes shone, and he took out the new loot, Blood Lotus Demon Blade, from his Divine Vessel with a clash.


    The red radiance on the blade was still glowing. Xiao Chen pointed at Ling Yingfeng on the stage and said one word after another. "I did take your brother''s Spiritual Meridians. What are you going to do to me?"


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes narrowed, and his whole body was instantly filled with murderous intent. He said in a low voice, "Very well! Today, I, Ling Yingfeng, will do justice to my younger brother in front of predecessors!"


    Xiao Chen laughed to the sky and said, "Justice? Ha ha! Your brother''s life is a life, and mine is not, is this what you mean?!"


    Ling Yingfeng swung his sleeve and instantly covered himself with a layer of golden Body-protection Qi. All the people took a gasp. It turned out that he also reached the Core Forming Realm.


    "It is useless to say more! Come on up!"


    Xiao Chen''s murderous intent was also becoming heavier and heavier. He said in a low voice, "It''s only a fight of life and death. There''s no telling of victory or defeat!" With a stamp of his foot, several tiles were smashed. He flew to the stage as people nearby were shocked by his surging murderous intent.


    Yu Yifeng wanted to persuade him back, but it was too late. Xiao Chen had already slashed at Ling Yingfeng. The red blade radiance was about 24 meters long, which was no less than He Chentian''s. After sending out three or four strikes, the stage suddenly burst with stones and dust as smoke and dust covered the stage.


    In fact, even if he had made many enmities all along, he had never thought of a complete wipe-out, nor had he deliberately retaliated against someone. Because he had always been worrying about his master, Ling Yin, and always wanted to find out the secrets of thousands of years ago. So, he had no time to take care of his enemies. However, this time, the Ling family had provoked him many times, which had completely pissed him off.


    In an instant, the stage which was made of granite had been destroyed by more than half. The radiance on the stage kept flashing, and many people had retreated far away from it. Xiaoyue had already retreated to a distance. From the beginning to the end, she had not said anything. Because Xiao Chen had her sect''s exclusive techniques, and there are too many secrets in him. She did not want to kill him for the time being.


    As for Sikong Yun, he was discouraged and gave up on this. He could only let the two people fight for life and death. It''s not a big deal because he could spend more money on an artisan to repair the square in these days.


    The situation on the stage was intense. Xiao Chen aimed to kill with his every attack. Everyone under the stage had already turned pale. Even Ling Yingfeng did not expect Xiao Chen to make such rapid progress in cultivation. Xiao Chen had just fought with He Chentian, but now he could still wield such horrible power.


    This made him angrier because he believed that Xiao Chen had refined his brother''s Spiritual Meridians to achieve current strength. Thinking of this, he fiercely pushed the True Energy of his whole body, and the palm force formed a huge golden palm print in mid-air. It then collided with red blade radiance. Suddenly, heaven and earth lost color, and the entire stage started to tremble.


    The shock wave stacked under the stage. Even those who stood far away felt the horrible power and strong murderous intent.

 Chapter 129 Blood Yin Incantation

    Although Xiao Chen''s intention of killing was gradually increasing, he has not lost his mind because of this. The True Energy he spent in the previous battle with He Chentian had not been fully recovered. It was a really bad idea to fight a Core Forming Realm cultivator now. The palm just now seemed easy, but in fact, it nearly caused his True Qi to invert.


    He had consumed too much energy at the moment, so it was not easy for him to cast Dragon''s Wrath again. Obviously, Ling Yingfeng had also found out this point. His feet stamped back fiercely, crushing several floor tiles, and he suddenly arrived at Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning.


    The cultivators watching the fight was surprised. This speed and strength did not match that of an early Core Forming Realm cultivator in any way. Xiao Chen suddenly thought of something. Back then in the Skygale Sect of the Human World, when he fought against Ling Yuxuan, Ling Yingfeng gave Ling Yuxuan extra True Energy, and Ling Yuxuan took banned drugs.


    Why couldn''t Ling Yingfeng also do this? It seemed that someone had given him extra True Energy earlier. No wonder he challenged Xiao Chen so fearlessly.


    Even so, Xiao Chen was still unafraid. He fiercely thundered, and the Demon Slayer instantly became incredibly red as if it had senses. The blade was brought down with destructive power, and nearby people felt the ferocity of this strike.


    "Rumble!" The two forces collided again. Both of them were shaken back for several steps, but after all, Ling Yingfeng had higher cultivation. He immediately stood steady and raised his hand again to attack.


    The golden palm print grew bigger and bigger in mid-air, and Xiao Chen gasped heavily. He hurriedly lifted his blade to resist and only felt that the momentum of this palm was more surging than before. Before the palm force arrived, every inch of his skin was like being torn apart.


    With a loud noise, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade blocked the palm. Xiao Chen''s arms became numb, and he immediately felt his internal organs were going to be shattered. He was shaking and crumbling, and there was no chance for him to fight back. The audience secretly felt sorry for him. Eventually, this person was no match for Ling Yingfeng who was in the Core Forming Realm.


    "I''ll use your life to get justice for my brother today!" Ling Ying thundered and launched another palm.


    Xiao Chen had been disgusted with this person to the extreme. This man kept saying justice. Should Xiao Chen stretch out his neck to let this man''s brother kill him that day!?


    Thinking about this, Xiao Chen cried out madly, and he immediately channeled the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements. Numerous rows of golden light burst out and made him look like a god of war of the nine heavens. The sudden surging aura made everyone present gasped.


    "Die!" Xiao Chen thundered and madly brought down his blade. This strike was much more powerful than before. More than 30 meters of blade radiance made everyone''s faces change.


    With a huge rumble, not only was the palm force destroyed by this strike, but even the stage was nearly split into two pieces as numerous cracks were stretching out. Had it not been for Ling Yingfeng''s timely avoidance, he would have been severely injured by this strike.


    "Today, it''s either you die or me!" Ling Yingfeng stamped on the ground lightly and drew back more than 30 meters. He suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The blood essence gathered in front of him and did not disperse, quickly forming into a blood-red formation.


    The crowd didn''t know what was happening, but Ling Yuanshan''s face changed dramatically. He shouted hurriedly, "Yingfeng! Don''t!"


    However, Ling Ying Feng did not listen and kept chanting. Suddenly, the sound of a wolf howling and ghost crying came out from the formation, and then the formation turned into countless images of death spirits. This was exactly the Ling family''s forbidden skill, the Blood Yin Incantation. It used the power of the netherworld to increase cultivation in a short time, but it shortened the performer''s life span.


    "Then you will die!" Xiao Chen''s eyes became redder and redder, and he was full of murderous intent. He had a faint tendency of being possessed. After a fierce roar, he immediately moved 3 meters in front of Ling Yingfeng and brought down his blade, trying to split the enemy in two.


    However, when the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was moving, it was blocked by a huge ghost claw that suddenly appeared. It was exactly the same ghost claw which Ling Yingfeng cast out to tie him in the Skygale Sect of the Human World.


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes became dark red, and he suddenly punched at Xiao Chen''s chest seven or eight times. Each punch had the power to crack a mountain and break a stone. Even though Xiao Chen had a strong body-protection qi, he was knocked back flying. The rest of the power spread everywhere, causing gusts of wind. Many people couldn''t open their eyes because of the sandstorm.


    "Hey hey! Kid! It''s over!" Ling Yingfeng grinned grimly. Suddenly, his body burst out countless strange red beams, and his aura also surged a lot. Everyone was taken aback, because his current cultivation was even close to late Core Forming Realm. Ling Yuanshan''s face became more and more ugly.


    "Go to hell!" Ling Yingfeng thundered, and his face became ferocious. Plus the red demonic beams around his body, he looked like an evil spirit who came out from hell. He stamped his foot as the ground collapsed by nearly two feet, and then he rushed to Xiao Chen like a meteorite.


    The immensity of power almost distorted the space on the stage. What everyone saw was distorted, except for Xiao Chen, who was in it and saw it clearly. He could neither take this blow nor dodge it. Should he invert his True Qi and use the Heaven''s Talisman?


    Since he had unintentionally seen the Heaven''s Talisman, he had been acting more like a demon, and his killing intent had been getting heavier and heavier every day. If he used it again today, he might really fall into the Devil''s Practice, and there would be no turning back. What about Brother Yifeng? Did he want Brother Yifeng to see him fall into the Devil''s Practice and then kill him?


    At this moment, an exclaim suddenly sounded under the stage, "Junior Brother Xiao!" As her voice fell, a beautiful shadow flew to the stage. It was Luo Shangyan who had come back after sending Shen Nianxue down the mountain.


    Hearing the familiar voice, a chillness went through Xiao Chen''s body. He shouted, "Senior Sister Luo! Don''t come here!" He wanted to fly over to stop her, but suddenly found himself unable to move, because his feet were bound by a ghost claw.


    He seemed to have seen the most horrible thing coming, and he almost had tears. "Don''t come here! No!"


    At the moment, the whole stage was enveloped by the power of Ling Yingfeng. With the capability of Lv 1 Foundation Building Realm, Luo Shangyan would definitely be demolished if she came here. Xiao Chen''s eyes opened widely as if he had seen the situation which Li Muxue cast the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell to block Tiangu Zi''s strike for him...


    Ling Yingfeng also noticed that Luo Shangyan was flying to the stage. A grimace flashed through his face as he took back the palm flying to Xiao Chen which then flew to Luo Shangyan.


    The unparalleled palm force caused gusts of wind onstage and off-stage. The palm would definitely destroy Luo Shangyan. Nobody had expected this, so everyone exclaimed.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were about to crack as he roared, "Ling Yingfeng! If you dare to kill her, I will slaughter your whole family!"


    However, Ling Yingfeng seemed to have gone mad. He did not hear Xiao Chen at all and still controlled his palm to move to Luo Shangyan who had long been transfixed. She just wanted to protect Xiao Chen and didn''t expect Ling Yingfeng to suddenly attack her. Also, she didn''t expect Ling Yingfeng''s strength to be so horrible. At the moment, she was in mid-air, and there was no way to avoid it.


    "No!" Seeing Ling Yingfeng getting closer and closer to Luo Shangyan, Xiao Chen let out a cry that almost tore his heart apart. His voice was so loud that people''s eardrums were almost splitting.


    ******


    The Transcendent Immortal has gone so far, and it''s inevitably being put onto the shelves. The first climax of the book is also coming. How was the Mystic Cyan Sect destroyed? What exactly was the demonic howling that came from the Mystic Cyan ruins? Where was the powerful Sect Leader, the Perfected Immortal Qingxuan? Where had Weiyang ended up? Was Ling Yin still alive or not?


    Did Junior Sister Qianyu really frame Xiao Chen back then? Or had she always been helping Xiao Chen secretly? She had handed down the ancient sword which Xiao Chen gave to her, the Autumn Water, from generation to generation. What was the purpose of the existence of the Thousand Feathers Sect? Or was there a great secret? What would happen if Xiao Chen and she meet again on the ninth heaven in the future?


    The Soul-consuming Evil Flower; the Ruin-return Realm where gods and devils were exiled; Ling Yin''s location; the secrets of Xiao Chen''s life, etc. All will be solved one by one in the follow-up!


    Everyone, please trust Gu Yi. The Transcendent Immortal was conceived by Gu Yi for several years before it was written. It has been revised repeatedly and has its own unique settings and plots. Junior Sister did not frame Xiao Chen, and someone was behind all these schemes.


    Thank you all!

 Chapter 130 Recognizing the Owner by Dropping Blood

    Everyone was shocked by the roar. The next moment, a surging power from Xiao Chen''s body was sent out, and the entire stage was shaking. The ghost claw on the ground was suddenly shattered, and then he rushed to Luo Shangyan like a meteor.


    In a flash, he flew over and sent Luo Shangyan back with a swung of his sleeve, while Ling Yingfeng''s palm completely hit on his back.


    "Puff!" A mouthful of blood gushed out as Xiao Chen fell back to the stage. Blood was still bleeding from his mouth. The punch had almost broken his heart and meridians. But at the next moment, something strange happened.


    All his blood drops gathered together and flowed to the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in his hand. The red radiance of the blade suddenly surged countless times as the blade also started to vibrate. A faint, horrible voice rose from the inside. "Blood..."


    The people''s faces changed. It was not because of the strange voice came from the blade. They saw Xiao Chen''s eyes turned purple, and his body was surrounded by countless red beams which were connecting to the red radiance of the blade as if Xiao Chen and the blade had become one.


    The red radiance was glowing more and more brilliant as if it became the only color between heaven and earth. Everyone''s faces were shone red, and finally, someone could not help but cry out, "Recognizing the owner by dropping blood! It''s recognizing the owner by dropping blood!"


    Every Legendary Weapon had its own spirit. Recognizing the owner by dropping blood was the most mysterious and evil way of Legendary Weapon''s ownership recognition. Unless there was a great fortune, it was impossible for a Legendary Weapon to recognize its owner by blood drips. Once the process was done, this weapon would accompany its master for life, and no one else could wield it at all.


    The Blood Lotus Demon Blade was accidentally acquired by the ancestor of the He family, but it had never recognized its owner for hundreds of years. Its name was also taken by the ancestor of the He family, but its real origin was unknown.


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes narrowed, and he punched at Xiao Chen, whistling. The massive palm force directly caused the nearby tiles to fly. Xiao Chen was not afraid at all. A sly smile appeared on his mouth. He lifted the blade as the whole stage trembled. When the blade fell, it looked like a long rainbow and kept whistling. Everyone was shocked upon seeing and hearing this.


    The dazzling red radiance was more than 30 meters long, and it collided with the golden palm print. There came the sound of rumbling. More than half of the stage collapsed, the whole square was suddenly filled with dust. Cultivators who were close to the stage were sent backward by the two strokes of power.


    Although this was not a war once seen in a century, it made countless people secretly admire them. The power demonstrated by the two men did not belong to a normal Core Forming Realm cultivator. At this point, Ling Yingfeng''s clothes were almost broken. Xiao Chen''s strike was incredibly fierce. If he hadn''t cast the Blood Yin Incantation, he would''ve become another dead spirit under that blade.


    In the distance, Ling Yuanshan saw things were going south, and he worried that the Blood Yin Incantation cannot last any longer. He hurriedly shouted, "Yingfeng! Get down!"


    Ling Yingfeng''s eyes are fierce, and he was cracking the knuckles of his fingers. He thought that he was the young master of the Ling family, yet he had been defeated by an unknown youth again and again. How could he be willing to get off the stage? He roared as a layer of golden light wrapped up his body instantly. Like a mad angry beast, he rushed toward Xiao Chen.


    The heavy and fierce force sent the sand and stones on the stage flying. Facing the unparalleled power, Xiao Chen turned a blind eye, and the corner of his mouth curved in a weird, horrifying smile. The next moment, a suffocating murderous aura spread out around him. A dense murderous aura instantly filled the whole mountain gate square. Everyone was appalled. How could a person have such a heavy murderous aura?


    The murderous aura did not come from Xiao Chen but the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in his hand, as if a demonic spirit that had been sleeping for thousands of years was awakened. Suddenly the sky was getting dark, and numerous large dark clouds were gathering, blocking the sun. It was as if the day instantly fell into the eternal night.


    Fear rose from the bottom of everyone''s hearts. It was dark all around. On the stage, a red beam and a golden beam were rapidly approaching. Xiao Chen raised his blade and brought it down. The red blade radiance was nearly a hundred meters long, and it looked like it fell from the sky. The bloodthirsty blade radiance moved to Ling Yingfeng quickly and was about to annihilate this man''s body and soul.


    With a huge rumble, the blade radiance and palm force met like two meteorites from outer space collided. The whole stage collapsed instantly. The shock wave spread around and turned the flowers and trees in the square into dust in a split second. Fortunately, the elders had propped up barriers in time to protect their disciples.


    After a long time, the dark clouds gradually parted. Xiao Chen still had purple eyes, and his body was full of red demonic radiance. Ling Yingfeng was lying in the rubble, and his chest was cut with a nearly two feet long horrible wound with blood. Blood was spilling out like a spring. Obviously, he could no longer fight.


    However, Xiao Chen''s murderous intent did not disperse. Instead, it became heavier and heavier. He held the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and walked step by step toward Ling Yingfeng like Wuchang of the nether world. His murderous intent almost turned into substance and made everyone under the stage dare not move. But everyone knew that if he killed Ling Yingfeng today, the Ling family would never let this go.


    "Amitabha..." Just then, a Buddha''s name rang out like a long-echoing bell from an ancient temple in a remote mountain which lingered at everyone''s ears for a long time.


    Xiao Chen knew this was the Mind-clearing Mantra of Master Xuanji. Suddenly, he felt a clearness in his heart, and the red radiance immediately dispersed. His eyes also gradually restored to the original color, and his murderous aura gradually dissipated. He coldly looked at Ling Yingfeng and said, "I''ll save your life today. You take care of yourself!"


    The reason why he had so much murderous aura was because he saw Ling Yingfeng attacking Luo Shangyan. After saying so, he turned and walked away from the stage. Just as he had taken a few steps, Luo Shangyan suddenly screamed, "Be careful!"


    His Divine Sense was so sharp that he turned and swept with his blade. A 3-meter-long red radiance flew out. "Slash!" Blood splashed. Ling Yingfeng, who wanted to sneak attack, was hit by this strike, and his arms were cut off. Many female disciples who had not yet responded screamed aloud.


    "Just can''t let you live!" Xiao Chen thundered as his murderous intent surged again. He raised his blade and was going to cut off Ling Yingfeng''s neck. Suddenly, a figure flew over and blocked his blade¡ªit was Ling Yuanshan.


    Ling Yuanshan, the second elder of the Ling family, was sophisticated, and he reached late Core Forming Realm many years ago, which made him an enemy not be underestimated. He said coldly, "Young man, don''t push everything too far!" When he said this, he had moved a hundred meters away with the half-dead Ling Yingfeng and the broken arms.


    "Hey hey." Xiao Chen sneered. "Push too far?" "If I hadn''t noticed in time, wouldn''t I have died now?"


    In the distance, people came to their senses. Many elders whispered to their disciples, "This man is too fierce and cruel to approach him in the future, let alone provoking him."


    At this point, Xiaoyue, who had been standing in the distance, walked over with light steps and said lightly, "Since it''s a battle of life and death, we won''t interfere with the death or injury. What I didn''t expect is that Brother Xiao has so many hidden secrets." When she spoke, her eyes swept over the Blood Lotus Demon Blade intentionally or unintentionally.


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly and said in a low voice, "Your Thousand Feathers Sect also has no less secrets..." Before he finished, Xiaoyue''s face had a slight change but immediately recovered. She said with a light smile, "Brother Xiao, are you ok?"


    "Don''t need you to worry about me." Speaking of which, he tapped his toe gently and flew over to Yu Yifeng. While passing by Sikong Yun, he said apologetically, "I''m sorry, Sect Leader Sikong, for ruining your place a lot." Sikong Yun shook his head and smiled bitterly. He did not speak.


    Landing beside Yu Yifeng and the other people, Luo Shangyan immediately held him and pushed True Energy to his body. In fact, at the moment, he was already at the end of the buff, and the side-effects of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements was about to attack him. Yu Yifeng seemed to notice this and immediately said farewell to Sikong Yun. Then, he took out the flying sword, carrying Xiao Chen down the mountain to the city of the Wu Province.


    Originally, they should stay in the Widespread Wintriness Sect for these three days. But due to the incident just now, it was not good to let Xiao Chen continue to stay here. Mu Chengxue also took out her flying sword, carried Luo Shangyan, and followed up. The rest of the people stayed here, waiting for the arrangement of Xiaoyue.


    Even though the sun is falling, the city of Wu Province was still full of people. The four of them found an inn and rented a separate yard. The side-effects of Xiao Chen''s Immolation Spell of the Three Elements finally arrived. Luo Shangyan had a good healing ability, so after six hours, he got a little better.


    At this point, it was already dark at night. The bright moon was hanging high in the sky, and its clear light sprinkled all over the courtyard like water. Xiao Chen opened the door and walked out. His face was still a little pale. He looked at the lonely moon in the sky and sighed softly.


    "Creak." The door of the west room gently opened. Luo Shangyan paced out slowly and saw him laden with anxiety. She asked lightly, "Why haven''t you rest? Are you feeling better?"


    Xiao Chen turned his head. The moonlight fell on her face and drew the outline of a beautiful face. He smiled and said, "I''m fine now."


    Luo Shangyan gently walked beside him and whispered, "Still thinking about what happened today?"


    Now that he had completely turned against the Ling family, they would never let this go. But he did not worry about this matter. He shook his head and said, "Elder Sister Luo, don''t be as rash as you were today."


    Since thousands of years ago, he had lost too many people. He did not want to lose anyone else around him. When he saw Ling Yingfeng punch at her today, he almost wanted to die.


    Luo Shangyan didn''t speak. After being silent for a long time, she said, "I heard Brother Yifeng say what you''re going to do. Three days later, I plan to go with you to Wuwang Wind Cloud City."


    Xiao Chen nodded his head, thinking that she probably heard about the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers. Last year, Perfected Immortal Zixu was investigating the matter and disappeared, so she was eager to find out.


    However, he himself did not think that Wuwang Wind Cloud City had anything to do with the flowers. He thought this was only an excuse for Xiaoyue to deal with Wuwang Wind Cloud City. Recently, many cultivators had disappeared. This might not be Wuwang Wind Cloud City''s doing.


    But why did Xiaoyue want to deal with Wuwang Wind Cloud City? He vaguely felt that the Thousand Feathers Sect had hidden too many secrets. This was a sect founded by Qianyu Nishang thousands of years ago. What exactly were the hidden secrets? Was it related to himself?


    Why did Qianyu Nishang establish such a sect thousands of years ago, and what exactly happened thousands of years ago? Out of the five major sects, why were there only Thousand Feathers Sect and Wuyin Monastery left now?


    There were so many questions that he must find out.

 Chapter 131 Qianyu Ascended

    Seeing Xiao Chen''s eyebrows furrowed, Luo Shangyan asked, "What are you thinking?"


    Xiao Chen came to his senses, shook his head, and smiled. "Nothing." He asked again after a short silence, "By the way, where is Miss. Shen?"


    "I took her to the city and left."


    Xiao Chen nodded, thinking that the sect rules of this Thousand Feathers Sect were merciless. There was no friendship between the fellows. Suddenly, he thought of Qianyu Nishang. Wasn''t she just such a person? If she had even a little bit of friendship, how could she frame him up with others? He gave her the Autumn Water in vain. Thinking of this, his heart felt very bitter, and he couldn''t help sighing.


    Three days passed quickly, and the story that Xiao Chen fought two experts in one day had already been widely spread in Wu Province. Summoning the dragons, the Legendary Weapon recognizing him as owner, and the previous doings in the Immortals League Competition, which are now widely known to all. Even the women and children knew about these.


    There were even rumors that he had surprised some reclusive cultivators, and the He family and Ling family had sent experts to capture him.


    Xiao Chen just laughed off these rumors and ignored them. Yu Yifeng visited him several times during this period. The people gathered in the Widespread Wintriness Sect again this day. Although they had asked for an artisan to repair the mountain gate square, the traces left by the great battle of that day were still shocking.


    Xiaoyue and others were standing on the high platform. On this trip to Wuwang Wind Cloud City, the most outstanding young people from all sects were picked, and the older generation did not go together. They stayed in the Widespread Wintriness Sect as reinforcements.


    Ye Wuhen from Penglai Island, Xu Gu from Wuyin Monastery, and other rising stars were in the lineup. There were other young experts from various sects, with a total of 14 people, all of whom reached Core Forming Realm. Plus Xiao Chen and his three companions, there was a total of 18 people.


    Such a lineup was very strong even in the entire East Divine Continent, enough to eliminate any small faction. But Xiao Chen was not optimistic. Even if there were more than a dozen Core Forming Realm experts, it was far from enough to deal with Wuwang Wind Cloud City. He didn''t know what tricks Xiaoyue was playing. He saw Mu Chengxue preoccupied and asked, "Miss Gu, what''s the matter?"


    It took her a long time to react. She shook her head and said, "No... Nothing."


    Xiao Chen saw that she was disturbed, and it was not good for him to continue questioning. He learned from Yu Yifeng that she had been searching for her elder brother for several years without any result. She should be distraught about this matter. Back then, she unsealed his Spiritual Meridians, so he should do whatever he could to help her.


    Half an hour later, everyone was ready to go. The elders of every sect had already told their disciples not to conduct direct confrontation with Wuwang Wind Cloud City, and they should go back to report when they were sure that it''s really related to the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers.


    These people were the best in their sects, so they were somewhat frivolous and arrogant. They agreed with their mouths, but nobody knew what they thought in their hearts. Now, they were going to need a leader. There was no doubt that they elected Xiaoyue. However, Xiaoyue had ceded this position to Xu Gu from the Wuyin Monastery.


    On the side of the Jade Qing Sect, Yu Yifeng arranged some matters to his four junior brothers and sisters, and set foot on the Flying-cloud Stone together with Xiao Chen, Mu Chengxue, and Luo Shangyan.


    The 18 people, stood on the Flying-cloud Stone and flew to Wuwang Wind Cloud City under the eyes of all. It''s now autumn in the Violet Manor. Overlooking the mountains and rivers below, everyone was relaxed and felt happy. Soon, they began to chatter.


    Everyone was talking and smiling. Ye Wuhen from Penglai Island did not talk to Xiao Chen and his companions. The disciples from other sects seemed to forget their elders'' warning and walked to Xiao Chen''s side one after another, chatting with him. Only a few female disciples seemed to be really frightened by the murderous aura Xiao Chen had before. They took him as a mad killer and kept away from him.


    Xiao Chen was always easy-going and got to know these people very well soon. However, whenever someone asked him about his master, he always avoided the topic. Over time, people stopped asking.


    About two hours later, Xiao Chen saw Xiaoyue standing alone on the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone. Her clothes were dancing with the wind, making her really look like a fairy from the nine heavens. He gently smiled and said, "Fairy Xiaoyue, I don''t know if I should ask you this question."


    "Oh? Brother Xiao, you can ask anything. It''s all right." This made Xiaoyue a little surprised. For a long time, she always felt that Xiao Chen had deep hostility to herself. She didn''t expect him to take the initiative to talk to herself at this moment with such soft tone.


    Xiao Chen smiled and asked, "I wonder who the founder of your sect was?" Although he had concluded that the Thousand Feathers Sect was founded by Qianyu Nishang, he still cannot help asking himself.


    After hearing this, the crowd was somewhat surprised. They thought he was going to ask about the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, but they didn''t expect him to ask such a question out of nowhere. A handsome young man smiled and said, "Doesn''t Junior Brother Xiao know that the Thousand Feathers Sect was founded thousands of years ago by Fairy Nishang?"


    Another youth smiled. "Fairy Nishang reached Grand Completion Realm thousands of years ago, then survived the Ordeal and ascended to heaven. I heard my master say that a thousand years ago, Fairy Nishang had come down to earth."


    Xiaoyue smiled gently, which looked graceful and touching, saying, "Just as the two senior brothers said, my sect was founded by Patriarch Qianyu. I wonder why Brother Xiao asked this question."


    Xiao Chen gently smiled. "I was just asking casually. Fairy should not take offense." In the heart, he sneered, "Junior Sister. Alas, Junior Sister. You set me up back then which destroyed my Nascent Soul. But you ascended to heaven and had broken the shackle of life and death? Hey hey! What will you look like when you see me again one day?"


    However, the thought that Qianyu Nishang was now an Immortal King but he was still struggling between Foundation Building Realm and Core Forming Realm made Xiao Chen feel everything boring. Back then, Qianyu Nishang''s cultivation was lower than his. She called him "Senior Brother". Thousands of years later, she had become a real immortal, but he had not even reached Core Forming Realm. When could he retaliate for himself and Weiyang...


    Something suddenly occurred to him. Since Qianyu Nishang could break the shackle of life and death and ascend to heaven, why couldn''t his master also ascend to heaven? His master''s cultivation was far above hers. This meant that his master was also alive...


    The more he thought about it, the more he could not control his enthusiasm. He really wanted to go to heaven and meet his master at once. However, one thing instantly chilled him.


    That was the mystery of his resurrection. If no one wanted to resurrect through his body, then it must be his master who wanted to resurrect him. But now that so many years had passed, why hadn''t his master come to see him? Had he done something wrong back then? Or, was his master no more...


    The most desperate thing was not the distance between heaven and earth but the separation of the living and the dead and the impossibility of meeting each other in one''s life.


    "Ah!" Thinking of this, Xiao Chen couldn''t help but roar, which shook the Flying-cloud Stone.


    The crowd immediately looked back after gaining their footing and saw that his eyes were faintly tearful. They were greatly surprised. Why was it that he was fine just a moment ago and suddenly became a different person?


    While passing through the bamboo forest and ancient fairy ruins, Yu Yifeng noticed that he became quite strange from time to time. Now seeing him act like that again, Yu Yifeng quietly asked, "Junior Brother Xiao, what''s the matter?"


    Looking at a dozen people''s surprised eyes, Xiao Chen smiled. "It''s all right. I just thought the Ling family bullied me so much and couldn''t resist it."


    Of course, no one believed his words. Had he not kicked the shit out of Ling Yingfeng that day? It''s just not good for them to ask more questions at the moment.

 Chapter 132 The Cold-billow Labyrinth

    Xiaoyue looked deeply at him in silence, her gaze bespoke the doubts and suspicions swirling deep within her. The Flying-cloud Stone reached the barren and desolate desert after four hours of flying. Even the passing of summer did little to decrease the blistering swelter of the desert that stretched far into the horizon; a flat wasteland of death and despair.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted morosely as he peered off the edge of the flying slab and saw bones being uncovered by the swirling dust and sand.


    Before long, they noticed the silhouette of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City amidst the vague mist of the desert, the only sign, and the concentration of life across the expanse of hundreds of miles that festooned with nothing but deathly emptiness.


    As they approached, dark clouds loomed ominously over the entire city. The pall of gloom enveloped the city in a wretched shade, hardly giving off any sign of rain. "Senior Xu Gu," Xiaoyue asked, "Do you see anything wrong with the city?"


    "Alas, I had noticed just moments earlier. The Earth Spiritual Meridian that passes through here has been blocked off and bound. What I see now only confirms this."


    The rest of the crowd seated aboard the flying conveyance began to shift uneasily. Who would have such might and power to be able to block off and seal an Earth Spiritual Meridian? This would explain the death and despair that now tormented the surrounding areas. What a hateful act that the person had done to claim the Earth Spiritual Meridian for his own use that the rest of everywhere was condemned to rot and decay.


    At Xu Gu''s suggestion, everyone agreed to land the flying conveyance. They would approach the city on foot to prevent alerting the enemy. It was a trek hardly a little more than ten miles; yet with every step they took, Xiao Chen sensed that the sinister feeling of the strong evil Qi emanating from the city only grew stronger and stronger.


    Besides the disturbing feel of the evil Qi, he could also pick up the stench of decay. His extraordinary sensitivity towards the deathly Qi tingled his spine even as the rest of the others had yet to feel anything. An unutterable foreboding dread hung over him as they drew closer and closer to the city.


    Slowly, they filed through the city gates and found the city lively and noisy, overrun by merchants and hawkers peddling their wares and calling out to prospective customers with burning fervor. It was a scene no different from any other cities and towns outside. But they swiftly noticed an odd-looking fortress protruding proudly atop a precipice at the west, overlooking the entire city. It was there, they could distinctly feel, that the strong evil Qi emanated from.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted again, "I''ll recommend diplomacy first; we should first meet and greet the master of the fortress."


    With everyone else''s nodding assent, they moved towards the hill. As they walked up the hill, towering trees flanked either side of the path on their way up, bearing strange and peculiar-looking fruits. The company enjoyed the soothing of rich Spiritual Qi that filled the atmosphere around them as they walked until their trek was barred by a magical barrier. But there was yet any proof that the master of the city had anything to do with the Devil''s Practice, and destroying the defenses of the barrier would do little to help diplomacy.


    Just when the company was troubled at what to do, two figures, one white and the other black, appeared. They perched atop a hanging branch, dressed in identical clothing save for their contrasting colors, peering down smugly at the group. From their demeanor, they appeared to be the watchers of the fortress.


    Xu Gu stood before the company, with his palms clasped together respectfully. With a bow, he spoke to them, "I am a student of the Wuyin Monastery. My name is Xu Gu." He paused and gestured towards Xiaoyue, saying, "And this is Master Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect." He paused again before continuing, "We wish an audience with the master of the city. Can you please convey to your master of our visit?"


    The man clad in white standing on the left snorted coldly and hissed, "The Master will receive no guests for three days!" The man in black beside him uttered in an equally steely voice, "Begone to where you came from!"


    How dare you!" Ye Wuhen snarled, resisting his urge to pounce upon the two wardens. Over 10 people standing here were the young elites of all schools of martial sects of the land, yet the two watchers showed them nothing but insolence and contempt. Only Xiaoyue, Xiao Chen, and a few others remained silent and calm, watching with impassive stares.


    Xu Gu chanted another "Amitabha" and implored, "Please, gentlemen. We have come a long way to discuss grave matters with your master. Please convey our wish to meet him. We will not keep him from his business for long."


    "What is wrong with you, monk?" The man in white chuckled coldly, "I have said very clearly. Be it the Wuyin Monastery or the Thousand Feathers Sect, your presence is not wanted here! Leave now at once and never return!"


    "You insolent pup!" Ye Wuhen bellowed, his eyes flaring with anger. Fueled by what happened before, he harbored intense hatred to the name of the Wuwang City. "Senior Xu Gu!" he yelled, "Why are you being so polite to them? We have so many of us here! We need not be afraid of a puny Wuwang City! We should just charge on ahead since they refuse to meet us!"


    "Hahahaha!" The man in black guffawed loudly, throwing his head back. "You can try! Be my guest!" He flailed his sleeves, and with his companion, they disappeared into thin air.


    Xiao Chen eyed Ye Wuhen angrily and cursed his foolishness quietly. Did he forget about how easily he was defeated by Leng Ningfeng? Xiao Chen turned to Xu Gu and asked, "What do you think we should do now, Senior Xu Gu?"


    Xu Gu remained silent, pondering about other options. But Xiaoyue remarked, "We have come a long way. There''s no turning back until we''ve seen this matter resolved." She was implying that we should storm our way up, Xiao Chen noticed.


    That was not without reason: she, Xu Gu and Yu Yifeng were the strongest among the rest of the company. Mu Chengxue, Ye Wuhen, and the others were nowhere near their levels of strength.


    Moreover, the rest of the company agreed to what she said. Being the younger crop of elites in the land, each of them walked and talked with a note of pride in their voices. Never would they so easily admit defeat to two mere wardens and withdraw without a fight!


    But suddenly, a hollow but deafening voice, booming from the mountaintop, echoed down the slopes towards them. "Hail, friends from afar. The Master of the city welcomes you all..." The voice had barely faded and the magical barrier before them immediately dissipated.


    This was strangely irregular. It was a definite show of disdain at their visit earlier. What had prompted the sudden reversal? Was the Master unnerved by the might of the company? Ye Wuhen snorted contemptuously, taking the first step ahead.


    "Everything still feels strange to me," Xiao Chen spoke, "It''s prudent that we maintain constant vigilance and be wary of traps." Ye Wuhen overhead him and turned back, shooting him a cold and angry glare. With another scoff, he marched uphill.


    The rest of the company filed behind him, following his lead up the path. About seven to eight miles into their hike, the lush and tranquil surroundings earlier at the middle of the hill gave way to rough and uneven terrain with rocks and gravel littering the path. Dried and shriveled thorns and briars lined along the path, encroaching into their way like serpents that threatened to snap at their ankles. It was as if they had walked through a wormhole and reached another world, for there was nothing but lonesome bleakness around them.


    A good many of the female disciples that came along had the hems of their skirts torn by the thorns that their shins could be seen through the tattered fabric. They would have been bleeding if not for the protection of their True Qi.


    Xiao Chen went to the front and took the lead. With the Unsullied, he hacked and hewed at the thorny branches, clearing a way for Mu Chengxu and Luo Shangyan behind him. The female disciples, seeing this, smiled at his chivalrous gesture.


    But the dire conditions of the road did not improve as they climbed further; the pebbles and gravel began to grow larger in size, further aggravating the company''s walk uphill and the branches and stalks of the thorns and briars seemed stronger and sturdier now that they began to entangle themselves upon anyone who walked near like ravenous vines.


    Even Ye Wuhen''s clothes were frayed and ripped by the barbed vegetation lurching in on the company slowly. Incensed, he began yelling loudly, "Did you not want to meet! Come meet us then! Enough with the cloak and dagger!"


    But the same hollow voice echoed from the mountaintop once more, saying, "You have before nightfall to escape the Cold-billow Labyrinth. Fail to do so, and you''ll remain here for eternity and serve the bidding of the City Master!"


    "What are you talking about? What Cold-billow Labyrinth!" Ye Wuhen shouted into the air as any vestiges of the voice''s presence swiftly retreated with the wind, "Show yourself and explain!"


    If Ye Wuhen was indeed awaiting a reply, only the frosty howling of winds responded. He could bridle his anger no more, punching with rage at several boulders, reducing them to bits and pieces.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu muttered again, "Please be calm, Brother Ye. There''s no need for distress and anger. We''d better start thinking of a way to escape this place..."


    But the frantic screams from one of the female disciples robbed their attention. Everyone looked back, peering down the path which the company had come from and found everything behind them had vanished. They could no longer see the dense and placid forest they had come out from, as if the company had been cut off from the world, trapped in another dimension.


    "What is happening to us?" Panic cries began to arise. A young man drew his sword, and was about to step on his sword to fly. But his sword clattered to the ground helplessly. There was a magical enchantment here that restricted anyone from flying!


    A few other swordsmen followed suit, drawing their swords and trying to fly, yet none of them could resist the strength of the enchantment and fly! Some began to panic. Being cut off from the rest of the world, not even their jade notes could work; there was no way they could send word to their own respective schools and sects to call for help.


    "Please remain calm," Xu Gu beseeched everyone, before turning to Xiaoyue and Yu Yifeng, "Master Xiaoyue and Junior Yu, I suggest the three of us lead the way to cut a path. Everyone else will follow behind and be careful not to do anything rash."


    With them three spearheading the front, the rest of the company that followed behind peered intently at the thorny patch around them, although everyone failed to note anything out of the ordinary. Xiao Chen gripped the Unsullied tightly, walked closely beside Luo Shangyan warily. The wardens mentioned about three days, he remembered suddenly. Was the Master of the city trying to hold them off for at least three days here while he planned to accomplish something? He noticed Mu Chengxue''s dazed look and whispered softly to her, "What''s wrong, Miss Mu?"


    "N-no... Nothing..." Mu Chengxue replied, shaking off her lethargic drowsiness, "I just felt slightly dizzy..."


    Xiao Chen nodded, saying nothing. He felt something strange about her ever since entering this city. The company continued searching for their way out for another hour and slowly found their way out of the vast thorny briar patch to discover a completely different scenery unfurled before them. They had wandered into a lush gorge filled with blossoming flowers that bloomed lavishly despite the beckoning autumn season. The tender and refreshing scent of wild flora and fauna filled the air, while birds chirped cheerily of love and romance around the gorge.


    The gentle gurgling of a flowing brook could be heard from afar as they ventured deeper into the valley. A majestic ring of mountains encircled the gorge, looming like silent sentinels that watched over the palace complexes that stood in the thick of a forest paradise. Xiao Chen took a deep breath, taking in a refreshing gulp of air as he contemplated the difference between the harsh tangle of thorns and spikes that tormented them earlier and this bizarre utopia that they had stumbled upon. But when he turned his head, Senior Sister Luo who was supposed to be at his side was missing!


    He turned another round, and found everybody had vanished! He was alone! He began yelling for everyone but got no reply, save for the echoes of his own voice resounding off into the gorge.


    "What is going on? Where am I?"


    He had been careful all the way, still, he did not know how he fell into the trap, although he was certain that nothing of what he could now see and feel was not part of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    All of a sudden, he heard the sound of someone crying.


    "No... Please... They are my Senior Sisters... I cannot kill them..."


    The voice sounded oddly familiar to him. He crept towards the voice and saw the figures of a few strangers ahead. An aged Taoist priestess, looking grim and cold, had a little girl, looking about thirteen to fourteen of age, standing her. It was Xiaoyue in her early teens! Before them both, stood a pair of female disciples that looked slightly older than the little girl.


    Xiao Chen instantly understood: the gorge he had found himself in was the surroundings of the stronghold of the Thousand Feathers Sect. The entire company had fallen into an illusory enchantment, including him. He was witnessing the inner-most secret of Xiaoyue, the one memory that she had hidden within herself, away from the knowledge of anyone else.


    He had never liked Xiaoyue since the moment she had callously expelled Chen Nianxue from her order when they had first met at the Widespread Wintriness Sect. But he could not help feeling sympathetic towards her now. Did she also have a painful past that she did not wish to speak of?


    He instinctively began to wander closer. The old priestess and her students made no notice of him. "Such are the rules," Xiao Chen heard her saying, "These are the unbreakable tenets set by our founder thousands of years ago. They have broken the laws and they are to be executed. Perform the coup de grace and spare them of any more pain; else they would suffer even more if I were to exact judgment myself!"


    This must be Perfected Immortal Su Nian, Xiao Chen gasped with surprise, momentarily stunned. What ruthlessness, he grimaced, that she was now forcing Xiaoyue to execute her own beloved seniors with her own hands.

 Chapter 133 Shadows from the Pas

    t


    The two female disciples grew frightened with despair, their faces watery pale as tears flowed down their faces. Sobbing hard, they struggled to stifle their sobs as they resisted any urge to beg for leniency. Xiaoyue, choking with tears, croaked, "Please... Teacher... N-no! Let me do it!" She drew the sword that hung from her waist and walked slowly towards the two other girls.


    The blade of Xiaoyue''s sword shone coldly as she brandished her weapon, her seniors begging with soft and weepy whimpers, "P-please... Junior Sister... P-please n-no..."


    Tears rolled down Xiaoyue''s cheeks. "I-I¡¯m sorry... seniors," she gasped as she sank her blade into the chest of one of the girls.


    Xiao Chen could watch no more. He shook his head grimly and sighed. But with another step, the scene before him fleeted away, replaced with the view of another memory. He saw two young men, both clad in white, standing before each other face-to-face. There was an inexplicable yet uneasy tension between them. One of the men, Xiao Chen had recognized, was Yu Yifeng, while the other was the same Leng Ningfeng that he had encountered during the Immortals League Competition.


    "Wu Nian," Yu Yifeng beseeched painfully, "Please... Come back..."


    "Wu Nian? The Wu Nian that Brother Yifeng had told me so much about?" Xiao Chen mused with surprise. Leng Ningfeng was Wu Nian, once the fellow student of Yu Yifeng; his former junior who had succumbed to the call of the Devil''s Practice and joined them.


    "Yu Yifeng," Leng Ningfeng snorted frostily, "You were the one who had tried to save me, yet, you are the one who wished to kill me today! There is no coming back for me!" An Immortal''s Sword materialized in his hand: the Unsullied!


    "The Unsullied," he said, "you had given to me as a gift. I now return it to you; our friendship is no more, and I will not hesitate to strike you down the next time we meet!"


    As he finished, Leng Ningfeng immediately morphed into a bolt of light that shot into the air. Yu Yifeng remained rooted at where he stood, quietly looking at the Unsullied that he now held with sorrow in his eyes.


    Xiao Chen felt a tug in his gut, a sorrowful sadness that seemed to radiate from the Unsullied now kept in his Divine Vessel. So this was the past that Brother Yifeng had never once spoken to anybody, he wondered silently.


    The scenery before him blurred once more. Before long, another scenery opened up before him. He was standing in front of a quiet hillside village. It was the same Mu Family Village that he had passed by before. There, he saw Mu Chengxue walking on a path that coursed in the middle of a dense field of crops. The little Mu Chengxue, now a little girl at about eleven or twelve of age, was marching with her lips pursed, glowering and pouting angrily at a handsome boy walking beside her, a youth that seemed to be sixteen or seventeen.


    "I have said many times, Ah Xue (Mu Chengxue''s name)," he said to her, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice, "You are not to learn any arcane skills! You ought not to even think about it!" "But I want to be powerful enough to protect everyone," Mu Chengxue grumbled, "I want to be able to defend you, Big Brother!"


    "Hmph!" The young boy threw his sleeves and turned to leave. "We of the Mu Clan had been living here in hiding for centuries. We would be in mortal danger if anyone knows that we are learned in the ways of the Immortals!"


    "Oh..." Mu Chengxue replied reluctantly through her pursed lips, "All right then... I''ll do as you say. I''ll not learn any knowledge and skills of the Immortals... Don''t be angry, Brother..." But she looked up, only to find her brother had vanished suddenly. Growing worried and panic, she began crying out for him, "Brother! Where are you! Where have you been?"


    For some time, Mu Chengxue ran along the path in the fields, shouting for her brother. But there was no reply. She crumbled to her knees and began to cry. "Please, Big Brother! Don''t be angry at me!" she wailed in a heartrending cry, "I will not touch anything that you forbid! Please come back, Brother..."


    Not far away, Xiao Chen could hardly believe his eyes, blinking them profusely. He had been watching the conversation between Mu Chengxue and her brother, but even he did not notice how her brother had vanished. Rather, it was as if he had never existed at all. But he did realize that there were unexplainable gaps in Mu Chengxue''s memories as if the recollections were fabricated and forcefully planted into her mind, instead of true events of her past.


    The image before him faded and blurred into a collage of distorted colors. Xiao Chen felt a melancholic knot in his gut building suddenly. The illusions revealed the memories of others, save for himself. Where were the memories of his own past? Just when he was feeling mournful, the swirling masses of colors stopped and revealed a monolithic but quiet hall. His head raised absent-mindedly and saw the plaque bearing the words "Yaoguang Temple" upon the eaves of the huge chamber.


    Whorls of cool mists slithered lazily around the pillars around him, and cranes, looking lofty and majestic, fluttered in the skies outside, imposing upon a vista of stalwart mountains that stretched far out of view. Finally, Xiao Chen heaved a long breath. The illusory domain of his own memories. He was finally back at Mystic Cyan Mountain. For once, he could once again set his eyes upon his master without being in a dream.


    But everything around him: the familiar feeling and the tingling of his senses to the surroundings... Everything felt so real to him, that he could not hold himself back. He began pacing towards the hall when a crisp voice yelled at him from over his shoulders, "Hold!"


    It was a voice that rang as frosty as the first snow, yet he could almost feel the warmth that could only come from the person who shouted to him. His eyes grew red and moist. Xiao Chen wrestled against his welling emotions, turning slowly as the image of the woman, dressed in green robes that flittered in the mountain breeze, whose fair features he would never forget came into view...


    Silence pervaded the air between them as if time had stopped momentarily. "Master," Xiao Chen fought against the spasms of empathy and uttered, "Chen''er has returned..." With every syllable that escaped his lips, tears fought to fall out of his eyes.


    Sadly, this was not a reunion that was meant to be. Ling Yin could hear nothing that he said. She was a mere relic of his past while he lived in the present time. The call that she shouted was not for him, but his younger self in the memory.


    A young boy, looking about ten years old, snuck a wicker basket behind his back. His clothes were covered with grime and soot was daubed on his face. A couple of live carp fishes sprang in protest in his basket, trying to escape his capture. The boy was none other than the little Xiao Chen of his own past.


    "How many times I have warned you against leaving the grounds without permission," Ling Yin scolded the little Xiao Chen crossly, realizing the wicker basket hidden behind him, "What''s more, why are you endangering the lives of innocent animals! What have I always taught you?"


    "But I''m not going to slaughter them..." The little Xiao Chen muttered meekly, "I was going to release them into the stream here so that they can accompany me when I''m training..."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes only grew wetter by the moment as he relived his own memories from a third-person view. There was no one in the Yaoguang Temple at the time, save only him and his mentor, Ling Yin. As the chief of the Violet-night Peak, her responsibilities had kept her from coming regularly to the main hall of the stronghold, leaving the young Xiao Chen to train and meditate alone, hence his desire to keep some animals to accompany himself. It not until Ling Yin had presented him with the Fuxi Zither, where he had the Zither Spirit, Evernight, as a friend to stay by his side.


    "Master..." Xiao Chen gasped, moving a few more steps closer to his mentor. They were so close, yet he could no longer touch her and feel the warmth of his parent-surrogate. His heart was filled with emotions at being able to see her again, yet he felt equally empty at the same time; the distance between them so vague and undefined.


    Suddenly, it dawned upon him: he could experience the illusions of his memories and that of others that would also mean that others might be able to peer into his past as well! He could not suffer anyone prying into his past, most ominously Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect!


    He began to feel distressed, his heart began racing with fear. He needed to erase the illusions of his memories, no matter how he refused to. Even if the Ling Yin was only an illusory rendition, he still wanted to keep on gazing upon her.


    Slowly, the images began to dwindle once more. The kaleidoscope of colors coalesced and gave way to another scene. He found himself still atop the Violet-night Peak. A voice, as gentle as a bird yet clear as a bell, called from behind, "Heh heh heh! What''s this, Senior? Has the Master sentenced you to another punishment?"


    He would never forget the voice. A voice that summoned his anger as he flexed his fingers and cracked his knuckles with fury. He turned and saw a gorgeous young woman. Who else would it be, but Qianyu Nishang!


    Not far away he saw himself, now almost adult, with features identical to himself now.


    "Why have you come, Junior Qianyu? My Master will be back any minute now! You should not be here!"


    "Heh heh heh! There''s no need for fear! I''d just overheard Master Qingxuan mentioned that they still have a business! Martial Uncle Ling Yin will not be back for some time! Let''s slipped off the grounds for some fun!"


    "B-but... I''d be dead if my Master were to return and find me missing..."


    Xiao Chen scoffed. What were your aims, Qianyu Nishang? What are your designs for trying to approach me?


    "I think I''ll pass, Junior Sister... I''ll come to see you in a day or two. I have something for you."


    Xiao Chen felt his anger began to burn to such a point that the knuckles of his clenched fists cracked under the tension. He knew what it was, the gift that his former self wanted to present to Qianyu Nishang: the sword, Autumn Water that he had gone through great trouble and risk to obtain.


    With a burst of his True Energy, he cast a blow upon the phantasmal depiction of his former romance with Qianyu Nishang, reducing into nothingness. He could no longer bear to watch, while at the same time, it was a scene that he hoped that Xiaoyue would never see.


    Just then, a deafening sound echoed through the empty space around him, a noise so strong that the entire domain constructed by the enchantment that held them began to shake and shudder. The sound seemed to originate from the illusory domain that replayed Xiaoyue''s memory.


    But Xiao Chen detected a distinct familiarity that accompanied the loud and terrible noise. The horrifying noise that came from Xiaoyue''s memory illusion... It suddenly reminded him of Qianyu Nishang. But why her, he asked himself.

 Chapter 134 Den of the Mutated Vampire Bats

    Xiao Chen picked up his pace and bolted quickly towards the illusory domain of Xiaoyue''s memory. Even before entering, an overwhelming gust of Devil Qi rammed into his face. It was so strong that he could have sworn that it was the strongest Devil Qi that he had ever encountered.


    The sky above the stronghold of the Thousand Feathers Sect began to fill with palls of dark clouds, blotting the sun from the idyllic floral terraces of the lush valley. Everyone inside the gardens was terrified by the sudden culmination of darkness hanging ominously overhead. Perfected Immortal Su Nian, with a group of seven elders, took into the sky, riding on their swords and began to assume orderly positions over the skies of a mountain peak. The eight of them, Xiao Chen realized, were defending the peak with a formation, the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation.


    "What is going on, Sect Leader! The will of Master Qianyu, the Founder, had claimed that the one buried below is a person who had died thousands of years ago! She mentioned that there''s no way the person will return to live! But what''s going on!"


    Perfected Immortal Su Nian''s expression turned grim. "C-could it be... Somebody had breached the Samsara and supplanted the souls of others in order to resurrect the person below..." she murmured deeply. Swiftly, she regained her stern demeanor, barking loudly, "The strength of the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation is waning! Hear my call! Join your powers, everyone! We must seal the true form of the person!"


    Xiao Chen could hardly stop himself from trembling faintly. The ring of mountains outside the valley formed a geographical array in the form of the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation. The true and actual Universal Mystic-Yin Formation, in fact. Most possibly a meticulous arrangement by the founder of the sect, Qianyu Nishang, to hold the seal that restrained the person underground. But who could it be? Why was she so fearful of a person who had been dead for thousands of years that she had to use such one of the most powerful and oldest formations, the Universal Mystic-Yin Formation to maintain the seal?


    Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed suspiciously. He was certain that it was Qianyu Nishang''s aura that he had felt before entering this illusion. Was he mistaken somehow? And who was this person now sealed underground? But the terrifying voice that echoed from underground that sounded like the shrilling howls of Qianyu Nishang. Could it be...


    The growing dread within him pulsated strongly as his frown deepened into a grimace. He did not know who it was that was sealed underground, but an ominous foreboding crept up his spine, one that gave him a strange feeling. There was more to the seal itself that held the person underground. More so, when everyone from the Thousand Feathers Sect knew nothing of the identity of the person entombed underground.


    He could tell, that the person sealed and imprisoned underneath their feet, was neither a monster nor anyone from the ancient past. From the sharp, earsplitting cries, it was clearly a woman, one who must have been closely related to Qianyu Nishang and one whose existence she could not tolerate, or even...


    Xiao Chen felt an urge to step closer to find out. But before he could move, a booming voice resounded imperiously from the edges of the horizon like a thunder, chanting a verse from Buddhist scriptures, "All things in the immaterial realm are in essence formless; so are the things that presently assumes form..."


    It was Xu Gu''s voice! Xiao Chen sensed sudden clarity taking hold of his addled mind as he was jerked back into consciousness. Everyone was back around him, looking at each other with confused and puzzled looks. Some did not even realize what had happened, Xiao Chen noticed, but Xu Gu, being the most resolute and stalwart of the entire company, was the first to break the spell of the enchantment.


    Yu Yifeng, Mu Chengxue, and a few others looked evidently sorrowful; they must have just revisited their painful memories. But Xiaoyue, her face pale as death, was trembling as if she had witnessed something terrifying.


    "Is something wrong, Master Xiaoyue?" Xu Gu feigned a cough to regain her attention.


    Xiaoyue jumped, awaken from her stupor. But she swiftly recollected herself and re-assumed her lofty demeanor. With a thin smile, she responded, "I''m fine. We have all fallen under the spell of an enchantment earlier with fabricated illusions to deceive us. We must take heed not to fall for the schemes of our enemy and be careful!"


    But Xiao Chen was unfazed by what she said. He was still wondering about the identity of the person trapped underneath the stronghold of the Thousand Feathers Sect. In truth, Qianyu Nishang, once his junior in the Mystic Cyan Sect, had no reason to build an order of her own. What was her purpose then of starting the Thousand Feathers Sect? Although they were all thrown into a motley of illusions, Xiao Chen was sure that these were true memories of respective individuals in the company. What he had witnessed about Xiaoyue''s memory filled his heart with a premonition that whatever it was that was imprisoned at the stronghold of the Thousand Feathers Sect, it would not be long before word of its existence escaped and the entire world would know.


    A young man in purple stepped out of the crowd. Xiao Chen recognized him as the scion of the Master of the Priory of the Mystic Winds, Lu Jiangxing. The Priory enjoyed quite a reputation in the East Divine Continent with a strong following of students and disciples. But Lu Jianxing spoke with a sickly expression, "What she said is true. We must be wary of the treachery that abounds this place. We must stay together and not wander alone." He ended with a smile towards Xiaoyue.


    Did he also witness Xiaoyue''s memories earlier during the illusion? Xiao Chen could not help but wonder.


    Dusk was nearing. The company had exhausted too much time being trapped in the illusions. If what the voice that echoed from the mountaintop had said was true, the company would be in mortal danger if they were still in the Cold-billow Labyrinth when night came.


    But with their escape cut off and with the lack of a consensus, everyone''s gazes traveled to the only de facto leader of the group, the monk Xu Gu. His fingers were twirling a set of dark-brownish prayer beads. "Since we''re all trapped here. I''m afraid that our only option is forward," he said finally, "but we must be careful to not wander alone."


    But his leadership restored confidence and hope to the company. Ye Wuhen flailed the sleeve of his shirt, yelling, "I refuse to believe that a small fortress such as this Wuwang City has to power to keep us here for long!" Proudly, he began to take the lead, walking at the front of the company.


    The rest of the company trailed behind his footsteps, maintaining constant vigilance to any dangers that might be lurking around them, although not without doubt and suspicion towards their own, for some were afraid that their secrets might be revealed to others while being trapped in the illusions.


    After another 20 miles, the company reached before the mouth of a cave. The entrance of the cave, naturally sculpted by nature, was flanked by tall, precipitous cliffs hanging overhead with no other way to advance. "The exit must be at the other side of this cave," Xiaoyue spoke first, "but I suggest that we send a small team to scout for dangers before the entire company moves in."


    She was volunteering to be one of the warriors to help reconnoiter the cave and ensure safe passage of the rest. But no one else would dare come forward, their feet shuffling uneasily with their heads hanging over their shoulders. Most of the company were already badly shaken after their torturous ordeal being tormented by the hallucinations of their memories. Many of them would have remained trapped in the enchantment of not for Xu Gu''s Lion''s Roar technique.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted, "Allow me to accompany Master Xiaoyue into the cave."


    But Xiaoyue immediately stopped him. "No, Senior Xu Gu," she said sharply, "you are more needed out here." That was true, Xu Gu was needed to lead the company outside if Xiaoyue were to lead the scouting party. Instead, Xiaoyue turned to Lu Jianxing, saying to him, "The Priory of the Mystic Winds is well-acclaimed for your conveyance magic. Will you come with us? Your magic can quickly transport yourself out here to warn the others if anything happens inside."


    "Th-this is..." Lu Jianxing mumbled incomprehensibly, hesitant to volunteer himself. Ye Wuhen stepped forward and offer himself. "Hmph! I would like to see for myself if this cave can swallow us alive! Those who are afraid of dying need not come forward!"


    "You!" Hearing the mockery, Lu Jianxing snarled with rage at him. But knowing better than to say anything else, he too stepped forward and struggled enough courage and resolve and said, "Very well. I''m interested to explore the cave too!"


    "So be it," Yu Yifeng spoke suddenly, "Junior Brother," he said to Xiao Chen, "You will stay here. I''ll go in too." But he was about to take a step to the front when Xiao Chen held him back. "No," Xiao Chen said suddenly, "Brother Yifeng, it''s better that you stay here to protect Miss Mu and Senior Sister Luo. I''m the one who should go."


    With the Fuxi Zither and his Immortal-override Steps, Xiao Chen was sure that he could withdraw to safety if anything happened.


    "I see," Yu Yifeng responded, "Very well. Be careful." He nodded gently to Xiao Chen. Luo Shangyan approached them and said, "How about I come with you?" she asked Xiao Chen, but he smiled in return. "It''s all right, Sister. Don''t worry."


    With two more volunteers, Qin Xinyan of the School of the Savage Flames and Liu Chengfeng of the Order of the Silvery Moon, an altogether of six people made up the scouting party. They trailblazed the uncharted darkness of the cavern, while the rest of the twelve people remained at watch outside.


    The scouting party traveled in complete darkness for almost half a mile and they began to hear the drip-drop of water falling from the roof of the cave. The ground beneath them began to feel soft and damp as the air in the caverns began to smell foul and fetid like rotting flesh.


    Xiaoyue conjured a faint radiance and illuminated their way ahead. With the light, the party saw that the cave walls were covered with layers of green, sticky sludge. They could have sworn that they detected minute movements fidgeting within the translucent green muck but they quickly averted their eyes, for the sight was too disgusting to behold.


    The party of six gripped their weapons tightly, tense like a nocked arrow as they shuffled slowly into the further depths of the cave. The further they ventured, the terrain of the subterranean morass grew tougher and difficult. They began to feel harder to breathe as the air began to thin, but fortunately, as practitioners of arcane skills, the lack of oxygen in the cave was a but a little obstacle to their journey.


    But nothing had happened in their one-hour trek thus far. All was fine, although the party had noticed many rocks in the cave that festooned with red liquid. Nothing was out of the ordinary until now. "This looks like a normal cave," Lu Jianxing grumbled, "Perhaps you have just been too careful, Master Xiaoyue. I suggest we turn back now to call for the rest."


    "Since you say it''s just an ordinary cave, why were you hesitant to come forward earlier, Brother Lu?" Qin Xinyan teased him, "Are you afraid to go on?"


    The School of the Savage Flames and the Priory of the Mystic Winds were both schools from the north of the East Continent. Yet despite their outward camaraderie, webs of deceit and intrigue were not uncommon between schools of the same area. "What are you trying to say? Speak clearly!" Lu Jianxing barked indignantly, "Why were you not the one to step forward first if you''re so brave yourself?"


    "There are people who speak only with their forked tongue since they do not wield enough ability themselves," said Liu Chengfeng suddenly, siding with Lu Jianxing, "There''s no need for Brother Lu to be angry at the nonsense they spew."


    Qin Xinyan was about to retort angrily, when Xiaoyue hissed suddenly, her brows frowning anxiously. "Silence! The three of you! Listen!"


    The three squabbling men instantly fell silent, their attention returning to the front. Screeching sounds came suddenly from the darkness before them, growing in strength and intensity; a wave was approaching them like the tide.


    "It''s only a few harmless bats," Ye Wuhen grumbled, but Xiaoyue growled again, her brows furrowed as she tried to listen intently, "Be careful, these are not your usual bats!"


    Her voice had just rung when a black shadow shot past them like a black bolt of lightning. With a loud "Bang", the dark ghostly figure slammed into the wall of the cave just behind her with such force that the wall began to crack.


    Everyone came closer for a look, and to their horror, it was a gigantic vampire bat! The mutated chiroptera had the wings the size that of an albatross'' and a completely dark-crimson body. Its eyes were two green-ghoulish orbs the size of a lantern and its fangs, sharp and huge, were the size of an elephant''s tusks.


    This was the object that had lunged for but missed Xiaoyue! Despite the strength and gigantic girth of its mutated body that could have shattered the wall, the bat was also insanely fast!


    The gigantic bat clambered back to its feet, readying itself for another assault. But before it could pounce, Xiaoyue brandished her sword. With a sharp "Clank" and a gleam of sword radiance of her weapon, the mutant bat was instantly cleaved into halves.


    But their troubles were only just beginning. The party found themselves surrounded by multitudes of vampire bats, filling the air with a revolting stench that almost made them vomit.


    "Careful!" Xiaoyue screamed. The Autumn Water was still sheathed, hanging from her waist, but with her horse-tail whisk, Xiaoyue was able to slay more than ten mutated vampire bats with just her skills and her horse-tail whisk in a matter of seconds.


    Xiao Chen too had slain hundreds of bats with his Unsullied. It did not take long for the party of six to slaughter almost one thousand bats, their carcasses now in heaps of more than meters tall. The six were still uninjured, but their clothing was in a miserable state: both bloodied and tattered.


    Appalled by the dilapidation of her clothing and the foul-smelling blood upon her, Xiaoyue fell into a fit of rage, her strokes becoming more ferocious and violent. Still, one after another, waves and waves of bats assailed them with inextinguishable wrath, washing in upon the six like the unstoppable tide.


    "Argggh!"


    An anguished cry broke their silence amidst the din of carnage and blood. Lu Jianxing''s arm holding his sword was bitten; the bats'' long and formidable fangs were strong enough to have even penetrated his defensive True Qi!


    Incensed with anger, Lu Jianxing smote hard on the head of the bat with his fists, crushing the skull of the animal which had dared to hurt him. But the wound where he was bitten was beginning to look black and charred.


    "This is bad! The bats are venomous! We have to retreat!"


    Screaming the order to retreat, Xiaoyue remained at the back of the withdrawing party as rearguard. The party fought back as best as they could, retracing their steps back towards the entrance. But even as they straggled backward, another wave of screeching noises erupted from the direction of the entrance: the movements that they noticed earlier squirming in the green luminous sludge were vampire bat hatchlings!


    With torsos as strong as an oak, and speed as quick as lightning, the innumerable horde of bloodthirsty bats stampeded at them like thrashing bulls. The party moved as quickly as they could, reaching the mouth of the cave finally. But the bats did not follow them; their pursuit stopped short when they saw sunlight. But the party looked wretched and pathetic by the time they escaped from the cave.


    "What happened inside? There''s only five of you, where''s Brother Lu?" Yu Yifeng and the others rushed to them when they got out.


    Xiao Chen jerked his head back. Lu Jianxing was missing! But they had rushed out together all the way. How did he get himself lost? "Master Xiaoyue," he asked her, "You were at the rear when we were retreating, are you not? Did you not notice Brother Lu?"


    "Huh! Brother Lu is still inside?!" Xiaoyue gasped with horror as her gaze bored deep into the darkness of the cave.


    Xiao Chen did not reply; chuckling quietly to himself he instead mused, did she used the confusion to kill Lu Jianxing? Did she kill him because she had discovered he was witnessing her memory?


    But if that was true, he would have to be more careful in the future himself, Xiao Chen realized, for Xiaoyue might have just murdered a Core Forming Realm cultivator right under his nose with great ease! This could mean that her powers must be more than what she allowed...

 Chapter 135 The Cave Passage

    "Please slowly, Master Xiaoyue," said Xu Gu, his palms clasped together before his chest, "What did you see inside the cave?"


    As she frowned dejectedly, Xiaoyue began to relate to the rest of the company of their encounter with the sea of mutated vampire bats. "Oh no, what shall we do now?" One of the female disciples cried in dismay.


    "Heh heh heh heh!" A sneering giggle rang suddenly. It was Liu Chengfeng of the Order of the Silvery Moon. He was eyeing Qin Xinyan, the student from the School of the Savage Flames, contemptuously. "Brother Xiao, Brother Ye, and I were at the front, helping to clear our way," he said loudly with a wicked grin, "Brother Qin, you were retreating with Brother Lu beside you. Did you fail to notice him, a person and an adult, disappearing too?"


    Qin Xinyan retorted with a cold glare, embittered, "Are you accusing me? It was chaotic in there! How did I know that he was with me? Are you accusing me of not saving him on purpose?"


    "I do not know whether if it was on purpose," Liu Chengfeng hissed vilely and said, "but I do know that the School of the Savage Flames and the Priory of the Mystic Winds are hardly the best of allies. Surely it would be in the School''s favor to first eliminate the potential heir to the seat of the Sect Leader of the Priory, no? Heh heh heh heh!"


    "You!" Qin Xinyan snarled. But he did not lunge at his accuser. Instead, he recollected himself and began to snicker viciously. "What about Lady Xiaoyue?" He barked loudly, for the benefit of everyone in the company. "She was acting as rearguard during our retreat? Are you accusing her of this treachery as well?"


    "Please, quarrel no more, gentlemen," Xiao Chen spoke suddenly, "What matters now is the rescue of Brother Lu. I had managed to observe a magical barrier, one that is created by all of our collective strength, might be enough to repel these monster bats despite their ferocious size and speed."


    But there was no way of knowing if Lu Jianxing still lived. For all they know, he might already be dead. But Xiao Chen had specifically broached the issue in order to rekindle the embers of hope for the company to keep going on. Moreover, he wished to convince the company to move together to prevent further deaths. Any more casualties would do little to improve the chances of his and his friends'' own survival.


    Qin Xinyan and Liu Chengfeng fell silent, although that did not stop them from casting scathing glares at each other. With scornful chuckles from each of them, their squabble was ended. Despite Xiao Chen''s relatively obscure origins, the recent prominence of his name was enough to sway the hearts of the company that most of them agreed to his suggestion.


    "I am inclined to agree with you, Brother Xiao," said Xu Gu, lending further weight to Xiao Chen''s voice, "We must try to find Brother Lu as soon as possible before leaving this place. There is no need for further quarrel."


    He assumed the leadership of the company, leading the rest of the sixteen behind him as they reentered the cave. Once inside, the company pooled together their powers to erect a magical force field. For all their viciousness and fury, the scourge of the mutated bats could do nothing to penetrate the defenses of the stout magical shield that the company poured in all their might to sustain.


    But the bloodthirsty scourge of darkness was hardly undaunted by the magical force field; a savage horde beyond number, they kept pouring on the company with unstoppable vehemence. Wave upon wave, the black tide of carnage rained onslaught upon the magical barrier, testing its limits and hoping to find a chink or a crack that might undo the entire shield. The company could barely look through the dark blur of wings and torso that hammered upon the force field with single-minded determination. Yet still, the magical shield remained intact, much to the comfort of the few female disciples whose face had already gone pale with fright and horror.


    Xiao Chen stayed close to Luo Shangyan. He was ready in case the magical barrier faltered; with two of its string recovered, the Fuxi Zither would allow him enough time to make off safely with his friends. At the head of the company were Xiaoyue and Xu Gu who advanced abreast of each other boldly, undeterred by the never-ending surges of the bats'' assailment. They killed as many of the bats they could as they continued their pace, while not forgetting to call for Lu Jianxing.


    Yet for almost an hour they pressed on, the company had found no traces of Lu Jianxing, having instead attracted more mutated vampire bats. But everyone began to share the same dreadful notion, although none dared to voice it: if Lu Jianxing had survived earlier, he could not be possibly alive now. He would have long been gnawed to death by these cannibalistic bats.


    "This cannot continue! There''s no end to the bats'' attack! Our True Energy would be utterly spent if we''re to go on!" Xiao Yue''s voice resounded from the front of the company over the din of the multitudes of chiropterans battering unceasingly on the magical shield. It was in fact the thoughts of everyone in the company, that the search for Lu Jiangxing had become nothing but a lost cause.


    Swiftly, everyone agreed to her proposal to retreat. But Liu Chengfeng griped with disdain. "We were only here at your summons, Lady Xiaoyue. And now you wish to abandon Lu Jianxing?"


    But everyone was hardly surprised by his outburst: the Order of the Silvery Moon and the Priory of the Mystic Winds were close allies and both Liu Chengfeng and Lu Jianxing were good friends to each other. It was only understandable that Liu Chengfeng did not want to call off the search.


    "Please do not misunderstand, Brother Liu," said Xiaoyue from the front, "We''ve canvassed this entire area. Brother Lu would have responded to our calls if he is around. He is not here, that much is plain. Staying here will not help the search save to attract more of these rabid vermins!"


    "I concur," said Qin Xinyan sharply, "Brother Lu might have long escaped. He is skilled in the magic of conveyance. Staying here will only exhaust our True Energies. Heaven forfends if our powers were to run out and the magical barrier will no longer hold."


    With the vote against him, Liu Chengfeng could only respond with a defiant snort. But he said no more. The company began scuffling towards another side of a fork in the cave. But after 30 minutes of retreating, they began to realize that the number of bats that carried on attacking them had dwindled. Some distance later, the bats no longer pursued them.


    At last, the company opted to stop for a brief respite. They broke off the magical force field and quickly meditated to replenish their True Energies. Minutes passed until Liu Chengfeng stormed towards Xiaoyue. "Lady Xiaoyue," he said to her, "I still fail to understand how you had missed Lu Jianxing when you were acting as rearguard when the scouting party was retreating earlier."


    Xiaoyue''s eyes opened slowly from her meditation. "It was too dark," she said blandly, "and I was too pre-occupied with defending the party against the vampire bats. I really don''t know how and when did he get missing."


    "Liu Chengfeng," Qin Xinyan growled, "What are you trying to imply? Are you accusing Lady Xiaoyue of treachery?" "Do not be hasty, Brother Qin. I would like to ask you the same too," Liu Chengfeng retorted, "With Lu Jianxing''s skills, it''d be impossible for him to be left behind, unless someone had willed it so."


    "Heh heh heh heh!" Qin Xinyan guffawed mockingly, "So you''re suggesting that I had betrayed him?"


    "Could it be that Lu Jianxing had witnessed something that he shouldn''t have when everyone was caught up in the illusions?" Liu Chengfeng began to grin coldly, his gaze shifting towards Xiaoyue. "Would you agree with me, Lady Xiaoyue?"


    "As I said earlier, the illusions were merely hallucinations fabricated by the secrets of our own hearts," Xiaoyue responded, "There is not an ounce of truth in it. Why the satirical and accusing tone, Brother Liu?"


    Xu Gu interjected suddenly, muttering an "Amitabha" again. "We are still in danger, everyone. There is no need for strife among us," he beseeched everyone and said, "Please hear me out. Getting out of here is the most pressing matter for now. Please, no more quarrels until then."


    Xiao Chen had opted not to say anything. If Xiaoyue had truly murdered Lu Jianxing because the latter had witnessed her memory, he would have to be extraordinarily careful of the woman himself, in case she had discovered that he had also peered into her past as well.


    Suddenly, Luo Shangyan tugged at his sleeves gently, interrupting his thoughts. "Junior Brother Xiao," she called him, "Look! There seems to be a passage there."


    Everyone heard her and they channeled more True Energy into the radiance of light they conjured, directing the illumination towards the direction she was pointing at. Her discovery was true; there was indeed a passage deliberately hewed out of the rock, a tunnel that was as wide as three men abreast to each other.


    "Perhaps Brother Lu had discovered this passage too, and he might already be waiting for us at the other side," quipped one of the female disciples hopefully, despite everyone''s dashed beliefs. It was highly improbable that Lu Jianxing would have survived, but just like the girl, everyone in the company only wanted to leave this place as quick as possible.


    "It seems that this might just be our exit," Xu Gu muttered, peering intently into the darkness of the tunnel, "Would you walk with me at the front, Brother Xiao?"


    "Very well," Xiao Chen replied, nodding his head.


    The two men led at the forefront with the rest following behind. The deeper they ventured, the more certain they were that the tunnel was cleaved by the skillful hands of stonemasons and smiths for some unknown purpose. But as they walked, the noxious malodor of rotting flesh stung in the nostrils of everyone in the company that many had to hold their breaths.


    Xiao Chen had also realized that the ground beneath their feet was beginning to grow soft and lumpy, that he could almost feel the ground cracking whenever he stepped on it. He thought of the Skygale Sect in the Human World suddenly. During the time when he infiltrated the sect''s sword grave at the back mountain with Xiao Han and Shangguan Yan, he had encountered the same feeling and perception when he walked in the passage leading to the grave. A passage where the remains of human sacrifices were left to rot and decay after their blood and soul had been harvested by the Skygale Sect.


    Hence the dreadful chill now creeping up his spine, that the ground of the passage he now walked, was build up by the countless remains of dead people as well.

 Chapter 136 The Chamber of Cadavers

    A frightened scream from one of the female disciples after an hour''s trek confirmed Xiao Chen''s suspicion: one of the girls had found scraps of bones and teeth under her feet; the company''s journey in the tunnel was filled with reverberating noises of bones being crush under their feet.


    The company could hardly believe that they had trodden upon a path literally laid out with the remains of countless dead people that even as practitioners trained in arcane skills, some of them, especially the female disciples, began to vomit with disgust.


    Xiao Chen was the only one unperturbed by the horrific epiphany; it was not his first time encountering such a spectacle, although he did not expect that the master of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, like the leader of the Skygale Sect before him, was trying to set up the Blood Soul Formation to resurrect a dead person.


    Activating the Blood Soul Formation would require a price of countless human souls in addition to a vast amount of spirit energy. That would explain the reason the Wuwang Wind Cloud City had seized control of an Earth Spiritual Meridian.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu muttered mournfully, his palms still clasped before him as his head shook sideways. "I cannot believe that the Wuwang Wind Cloud City had committed such an abomination..." He sighed with a slight note of defeat.


    "So it is true then; they are one of the Devil''s Practice..." Xiaoyue muttered in a frigid voice.


    But a sudden tremor in the tunnel cut her off; rocks and boulders shook above them, threatening to crash down on them. "We must leave. NOW." Xiao Chen said, his hands swiftly performed several seals and his hands were immediately shrouded with a faint white radiance. He slammed his palms upward, helping Luo Shangyan keep away from the falling rocks..


    There was no more time to think what else was under the feet; the company sped on as quickly as they could. There was no way they would survive the collapse of the tunnel, Core Forming Realm cultivators or not.


    Everyone jostled against one another, shoving and nudging off others for their own survival as the shaking grew stronger. At last, they made it out of the tunnel. The company found themselves in a subterranean hall, filled with hundreds of neatly-arranged stone sarcophaguses.


    Deafening crashes boomed from over their shoulders; the tunnel had caved in and the earthquake had stopped. Looking back the now-collapsed tunnel where they came from, the company could not help shedding cold sweat with their close shave with Death. A few more paces slower, and they might have already been dead.


    But when Xu Gu began to make another headcount, they found only sixteen people remaining: Liu Chengfeng was missing.


    At the mention of Liu Chengfeng, strange stares fell almost simultaneously upon Xiaoyue. Everyone had heard Liu Chengfeng''s argument with her earlier about Lu Jianxing''s disappearance.


    Xu Gu breathed heavily. But before he could barely say anything, the same disembodied voice boomed over the air again, "Interesting. I suppose it''s Heaven''s will that you were able to make it this far. I''d thought that the Primordial Phantasm was enough to ensnare you all; it seems I was mistaken.


    "Devious evil! What are you; man or ghost! Show yourself if you dare!" Ye Wuhen, being the most ill-tempered of the company, was the one to yell.


    "Nay, I am neither man nor ghost. But nobody enters the Chamber of Cadavers and walks out alive. Feel free to inspect the contents of the sarcophaguses yourselves; you might find some occupants that you knew before..."


    After these words, the voice vanished like it was never there. The eyes of everyone in the company shifted slowly to the rows of sarcophaguses before them. Nobody could verify the claims that the voice made, but there had been no less of disappearances of warriors, swordsmen, as well as other practitioners of the arcane arts through the years. Were they all here, lying dead and disheveled in these coffins?


    But Xiao Chen felt a tug in his gut somehow. Not only did he noticed the hundreds of stone sarcophaguses arranged on the ground, but his eyes were also looking with an unspeakable dread at another three which was hovering up high in mid-air in the middle of the hall.


    Just only last year, his grandfather, Perfected Immortal Zixu, and Master Lingjue had embarked on an ill-fated journey to investigate the situation of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers and no word was heard from them since and no one had ever seen them. The sight of the three sarcophaguses hanging in mid-air only strengthened the feeling of foreboding welling up inside him.


    Instinctively, he turned to look at Luo Shangyan. She too, was staring hard at the three stone coffins looming over them, her eyes were wide open, held fixed in expectant horror. "Senior Sister Luo," he whispered to her, "Perfected Immortal Zixu is a powerful person himself. Moreover, he has my grandfather and Master Lingjue with him. With their powers and abilities, I cannot imagine them being trapped here."


    Luo Shangyan only nodded silently, while a few curious but confused stares looked at Xiao Chen, not knowing what he was talking about.


    "There must be means of egress from this great hall. We should not approach the stone coffins lest we awaken something undesired. Just concentrate on looking for an exit," Xiao Chen said to everyone. Despite his throbbing curiosity to find out the identity of the people that could be lying within the three stone coffins, Xiao Chen could not bring himself to do so; Luo Shangyan would instantly crumble if his fears indeed come true.


    These were stones best left unturned, he mused; at least Senior Sister Luo would continue her life with hopes that the person she sought might still be around. Luo Shangyan might even lose the sheer will to continue living if news of her beloved teacher''s death were to come now.


    It was a sentiment Xiao Chen could not have known better: he himself furtively harbored hopes and wishes that his teacher, Ling Yin still lived. It was a hope that had fueled him until now. He sometimes wondered if he would plunge into darkness and despair if he were to discover his teacher''s death. Maybe he would also lose any hope of living.


    The company came to a unanimous agreement, leaving safely was the paramount decision for now. There was no need to disturb the coffins and invite more trouble. But just when the company was about to begin searching, a huge bang shook the chamber; a stone lid was tossed into the air and a figure began to emerge from one of the stone coffins.


    An air of chilly deathliness accompanied the climb of the figure out of the sarcophagus as he stared only in the direction of his front with his blank and lifeless eyes. This was a corpse of a person long dead for many years. No, Xiao Chen realized, this was not even an ordinary corpse. It was a Corpse Puppet; akin to the one he had encountered at Falling-jade Glow.


    Yi Tong had once told him before when he visited Falling-jade Glow that a Corpse Puppet with a grudge of more than a decade alone was already very powerful. The one before him, he pondered, would at least carry a two-decade grudge for it to emanate such aura.


    "Careful," he cautioned the others, "Cadavers like this feel no pain at all, and ordinary weapons are utterly useless against it." But it was as if the corpse had heard him; without allowing him to finish, the Corpse Puppet had leaped into the air, lunging at the company with lightning speed!


    Standing at the forefront of the company, Ye Wuhen, undaunted by the advancing enemy, cast forth a stroke from his palm. The Corpse Puppet slammed his palms into Ye Wuhen''s and with its unholy strength, Ye Wuhen, despite having the powers of the Core Forming Realm, was forced a few steps backward from the force of the clash.


    Everyone was surprised; they could not believe that a mere cadaver that looked like a simple corpse could possess such strength. They put forth everything they could, all their skills and strength, emptying their bags of tricks, but nothing they did could either lay a scratch or dent on it. The Corpse Puppet was as sturdy as the strongest of steel or diamond.


    Xu Gu''s magical artifact appeared in his grasp; the Mace of Exorcism. The mace flew out of his hands, turning into a bolt of golden flash and smote upon the reanimated corpse with fury. But the powerful Buddhist artifact merely bounced off the corpse''s body with a huge clang as if the mace had struck on a bell. "Brother Xiao," Xu Gu turned to Xiao Chen and said, frowning at his failure, "You seem to know this thing. Do you know of any way to deal with it?"


    Xiao Chen remembered one of Yi Tong''s advice to him: the weak spot of most Corpse Puppets was mostly at their hearts. However, this Puppet was very much stronger than the ones he had seen in Falling-jade Glow; this Puppet might have greater endurance than the ones he had seen before. "I think..." he began to speak hesitantly, "I think we should try aiming for its chest; a blow to its center chest."


    Everybody cast everything they could, aiming for the center of the Corpse Puppet''s chest. It was as Xiao Chen had suspected, the weak spot of the corpse was also as strong as he expected. But with everyone''s help, a hole was finally blasted open for Ye Wuhen to finally kill the corpse for good with a stroke to its heart.


    Still panting hard from the fight, the company reflected upon the extraordinary endurance of the corpse despite its low offensive capabilities. It was not a fight that a single Core Forming Realm cultivator could win, they realized.


    "What is that thing, Brother Xiao?" Xu Gu asked him, "What makes it so strong?"


    Xiao Chen could now feel the stares of everyone on him. "You don''t say, Brother Xu Gu," he muttered, "What we''d just killed, was a Corpse Puppet; the strongest of all puppets that could be animated. It is an abomination of extreme evil, being constructed by a still-living person. That very Puppet carried at least two decades of grudge in it, hence its unimaginable sturdiness."


    He heard astonished gasps and hushed murmurs rising from within the company now peering at him. But he was hardly surprised by their reactions; most, if not all, of the company were young elites of the present world. It was only understandable that they had not heard of such a diabolical contrivance from the mouths of their elders. "Amitabha... Very well... Never have I ever imagined that anyone could be capable of such monstrosity..."


    But the company''s relief was only short-lived. More than ten stone sarcophaguses began to tremble violently. The company began stepping backward with wary apprehension as if a trap could be triggered if there were any sudden or quick movements. It had taken the company great effort to put down a single Corpse Puppet; another dozen of the hellish miscreation would be nothing but disaster for them! "Back together, everyone," Xu Gu ordered sharply and he immediately invoked the Golden Bell Shield enchantment upon every member of the company.


    A cascade of explosions erupted over the lineups of stone coffins as more than ten heavy stone lids were flung into the air. Like the single Puppet before them, figures of a group of Corpse Puppets sat up from within the stone caskets and stood up before they lunged as one at the company.


    "Allow me to purify you!" Xu Gu bellowed bravely. He aimed a finger at his advancing foes, and three golden bolts of rays spewed from his fingers like arrows that smashed into the chest of three Puppets. One of the Wuyin Monastery''s most carefully guarded techniques, the One-Fingered Rumination!


    Armed with their earlier success, the rest of the company now knew where to strike, focusing their attacks on the chests of the attacking undead. Within minutes, the company managed to obliterate every one of the Puppets. But there were only brief moments for the company to breathe a respite: dozens of Puppets sprang out of their coffins to avenge their fallen comrades.


    "Hmph! There are at most a little more than a hundred of these rotting filth! I''ll take a leaf out of the monk''s book to purge all of you!" Ye Wuhen snarled with a steely voice; he began weaving in the midst the charging legion of undead, gyrating around the decaying cadavers with the deadly strokes of the swordsmanship of the Penglai Island as his blade, like a silvery serpent eager to sink its fangs into its prey, punched deeply into every chest it found.


    Xiao Chen remained on guard, clutching the Unsullied tightly in his grip as he defended Luo Shangyan from any Corpse Puppet that might come his way. His focus was not on the ordinary Corpse Puppets now being handled by the rest of the company, but the three stone sarcophaguses that were still in mid-air.


    The strange feeling that he perceived about the three hovering stone coffins reminded him of the hundred-year-old Corpse Puppet that could have killed him and Muxue if not for the timely intervention of Bai Susu.


    And yet, a voice within him was screaming to him, warning him that the bodies that laid within the three stone coffins were the very bane of my existence: three hundred-year-old Corpse Puppets.


    It took less than an hour that a hundred or so Corpse Puppets finally all crumbled and disintegrated. The company was exhausted from their exertions, despite their crushing triumph. But like a death-bell tolling in a funeral, the middle of the three sarcophaguses still suspended in mid-air began to shake.


    A ripple of a wholesomely evil Qi swept forth; filling with everyone within the entire subterranean chamber with shivering apprehension and forlorn hopelessness. Even before the lid of the stone box began to shift, the whole company could already sense the awful and terrifying aura from its occupant. Everyone began to retreat, huddling together for support.


    Xiao Chen''s forehead was drenched with cold sweat by now. The greatest of his nightmares since stepping foot into this chamber was about to come true. It was as good as certain that the Corpse Champion now waiting to emerge possessed a grudge of more than a century.


    A cadaver with the grudge of more than six decades was already an immensely invincible monster, more so for one with a century''s worth of hatred. The Corpse Champion now preparing to emerge possessed enough strength to best perhaps a warrior close to the Nascent Soul Realm, Xiao Chen reckoned.


    "Make no mistake, that..." he said, gesturing towards the shuddering stone coffin, "... is at least a Corpse Champion with a century-old grudge. Its power is beyond my ability to measure."


    That was the best that he could do, in addition to producing the two strings of the Fuxi Zither as the silhouette of a phantom zither, an illusory Fuxi Zither came into view before him.


    The trembling of the stone coffin hardly reduce; instead, it only increased, shaking so violently that its lid was propelled with the force of a sonic boom. A figure stepped out of the coffin, standing in the midst of the eddying dust a young and handsome man that floated in mid-air.


    However, unlike the rest of the corpses earlier, the young man''s complexion had not the dead-like ghost-white paleness that the rest of his lifeless counterparts held. He looked exactly like a living person, although none of the company would doubt that he was already dead. He was not only a Corpse Puppet, but a Corpse Champion.


    Beads of sweat began to rain down the faces of everyone in the company as they held their breaths in the tense silence; a silence before a storm. The mere aura of the Corpse Champion alone was sufficient to make everyone cower; the company slowly shuffled backward, save for one person, who slowly moved towards the front, approaching the Corpse Champion with scuffling paces.


    She gazed up dazed and bewildered at the dead man. Slowly, Mu Chengxue opened her mouth, and she softly called, "Brother..."

 Chapter 137 The Ancient Sword Autumn Water

    Step by step, Mu Chengxue approached the Corpse Champion with a heavy pace. Everyone could hardly believe their own ears, wondering if there was something wrong with their hearing. She had just called the dead man her brother! Confused and puzzled, the company could not understand what was happening; only Xiao Chen''s and Yu Yifeng''s expressions turned grim.


    Realizing what was happening, Yu Yifeng was the first to react. "Miss Mu! Come back! It''s dangerous!" He exclaimed frantically.


    But his desperate warnings fell on deaf ears; as if she had heard nothing from him, Mu Chengxue only continued walking towards the corpse slowly, her face now drenched with pouring tears. "Brother..." she gasped between her convulsive sobs, "It''s me... It''s your sister..."


    What a horrific twist it was that a long-lost brother and his sister who had yearned for years to see him again had to meet in such fashion. Was this one of the difficulties in their life that they had to traverse, or was this simply a demonstration of the cruelty of Fate?


    The Corpse Champion descended from the air and gently landed on the ground. But he merely regarded Mu Chengxue with a lifeless and empty stare. The young man standing before her was no longer the brother who once doted on her.


    "It''s me, Brother.... Your sister..." Mu Chengxue begged desperately as she wrestled against her spasms. But her sorrowful pleas was met only by a cold-blooded strike from the Corpse Champion.


    A flash of white appeared just in time to wrap around her, shielding her from the callous strike from the reanimated corpse. Yu Yifeng had appeared out of nowhere to whisk Mu Chengxue off her feet while he responded with a blow of his own. The palms of both man and undead met, and Yu Yifeng was forced for dozens of meters backward.


    Landing back on the ground, Yu Yifeng immediately placed Mu Chengxue down and began channeling his powers to heal himself. The short exchange was enough to throw the flow of his internal energies off-balanced.


    There was hardly anyone who was not surprised; Yu Yifeng was among the strongest in the company, with Xiaoyue and Xu Gu on par with his strength. But a mere blow from the Corpse Champion was almost enough to wound him. How powerful could the Corpse Champion possibly be? The company instantly began to feel a fearful dread at the direness of the situation looming over them like a specter.


    "You will all... have to die..." The reanimated corpse croaked with a hollow and chilling voice, sending a shudder across the entire company. Before they could even react, the Corpse Champion, like a predator set on its prey, pounced at them with the speed of an arrow. He reached the first man in a blink of an eye, immediately punching him so hard that the poor man was tossed into the air with blood splattering everywhere.


    It was almost unbelievable and surreal that a Core Forming Realm cultivator was so ignominiously tossed aside by the Corpse Champion like a ragdoll.


    "Steel yourselves," Xiaoyue screamed loudly, rallying the company, "We charge together!" She flailed her horse-tail whisk and conjured columns of water that shot at the Corpse Champion. Bracing themselves, the rest of the company emptied their bag of tricks, unleashing every technique they knew on possibly one of the most powerful foes they had ever encountered.


    "NOOO! Please do not hurt him!" Mu Chengxue woke up from her stupor and screamed, "He''s my brother!" She leaped to her feet and was about to throw herself between the company and the Corpse Champion.


    But Xiao Chen pulled her back. "Have some sense, Miss Mu," he said to her, his head shaking to accentuate what he said, "That corpse is no longer your brother..." Then again, Mu Chengxue''s sentiment was one that he shared too; he might also behave in the same way if it was Muxue or his Senior Sister Luo was to end up in a similar fate.


    "No! Impossible!," Mu Chengxue wailed in a mournful frenzy, "No! He''s my brother! My brother, Mu Luo!"


    Xiao Chen could only sigh. He left her in Yu Yifeng''s arms and watched. It was the least he could do, that he would not lay a hand on the zombie who was once her beloved brother in her presence.


    Luo Shangyan too was ridden with sadness and pain; during her time at the Jade Qing Sect, it was Mu Chengxue who had accompanied her and made her days seem shorter. They had spent much time talking to each other and it was then when Luo Shangyan had discovered Mu Chengxue''s endless search for her brother. In times like this, she could only help console her sobbing friend.


    More than ten Core Forming Realm cultivator pitted against a single Corpse Champion, but more than half of the company was swiftly incapacitated while the Corpse Champion remained powerful and spirited. None of the company''s attacks could do any good against it. "Yu Yifeng! Xiao Chen!" Xiaoyue howled, her voice shaking with panic, "What are you waiting for!"


    With the survival of the company at stake, Yu Yifeng knew that there was no other way, even if the Corpse Champion used to be Mu Chengxue''s brother, Mu Luo. He was about to leap into the fray, when a hand pressed on his shoulder. "No, Brother Yifeng," Xiao Chen said to him, "Let me go. You should stay here at Miss Mu''s side."


    Xiao Chen understood that if Yu Yifeng was in any way involved with the death of the zombie who was once Mu Chengxue''s brother, the incident would drive a wedge between Yu Yifeng and Mu Chengxue forever.


    Without allowing Yu Yifeng to answer, he squeezed the Unsullied that Yu Yifeng had given him into the hands of Luo Shangyan. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade shimmered into view and he gripped at its hilt, preparing to go to battle. "NOO!" Mu Chengxue shrieked; she had seen with her own eyes Xiao Chen''s prowess with the Demon Blade. Fearing the worst for her brother, she shook off Yu Yifeng and rushed to stop him.


    But Xiao Chen spun on his heels and turned to face her suddenly. He knew that Mu Chengxue would try to stop him, and hence he had prepared something. Mu Chengxue charged at him but she was stopped and trapped in a magical force field, the Sixfold Trap Formation! He sighed and said to her through the barrier, "I am very very sorry for what I''m might do, Miss Mu..." The pangs of guilt throbbed within him; he would never forget how she had helped break the spell that sealed his Spiritual Meridian, yet now, he was going to repay her by killing her closest family in her presence.


    But he knew full well that he had no other choice; Yi Tong had once told him that there was no way to restore a person after being made into a mindless Corpse Champion that knew nothing but carnage and destruction. The Corpse Champion now fighting against the rest of the company was no longer Mu Chengxue''s brother from the very beginning.


    Mu Chengxue ripped the Twilight String from its scabbard and hacked desperately everywhere, trying vainly to weaken the points of the magical force field in a frivolous attempt to free herself. But despite having briefly learned how to disable magical barriers from Xiao Chen, there was simply no way she could break his spell.


    Xiao Chen rose into the air. He swung his saber with his might, and a crimson wave of energy shot from the arc of his saber, whistling through the wind as it sliced through the air, slowly growing in length to over ten meters. The Corpse Champion immediately sensed danger and turned to see the auric blade coming at him. Its emotionless eyes studied the incoming blow and it punched at the air into the direction of the incoming blow and dense and black mists began to form suddenly in the air.


    The black mist was the evil Qi from its own body, in the form of dark gaseous fumes. Its corrosive properties immediately dissolved the blow from Xiao Chen''s saber, much to the shock and disbelief of everyone present.


    The situation was direr than he had expected, Xiao Chen realized. Not only it was strong and invincible, but the Corpse Champion had displayed some degree of intelligence; a trait that none of the hundred or so ordinary Corpse Puppet they had encountered earlier possessed. This Corpse Champion was more powerful that he would care to admit, perhaps even stronger than the hundred-year Corpse Puppet that he had seen at the Falling-jade Glow.


    Without waiting for everyone to recover from their shock and bewilderment, the Corpse Champion emitted a feral howl suddenly, its eyes turning maniacal red as if they were burning. Two red beams of light shot from his eyes, setting everything in its path ablaze and left only destruction in its wake. "Careful!" Xu Gu cautioned and chanted a spell. Six shafts of golden light shot down from the sky and protected everyone, at least for now.


    Xu Gu''s technique had managed to buy everyone a few valuable seconds. But despite every spell, skill, and weapon they used against the Corpse Champion, their reprisals seemed only like useless fireworks to the invulnerable monster. The company''s attempt with reckless abandon to deal the Corpse Champion a fatal stroke only served to remind them again and again how impregnable was its defenses. Although the monster''s movement speed had turned slow and sluggish, but it was all they could do, despite everything they unleashed at him.


    Not even the Xiaoyue''s 3,000 Weak Water technique, formerly a cultivation method of the Tianxuan branch of Mystic Cyan Sect, could penetrate its indestructible hide. This was potentially the most powerful foe that everyone in the company had ever encounter. As hopes for their survival began to crumble, the rest of the company looked to Xiao Chen, Xu Gu, and Xiaoyue, hoping that the three would be able to perform miracles.


    "The fiend''s a true brute indeed!" Xu Gu muttered, pulling his face into a fatigued frown, "Everything we threw at him was literally useless! Any ideas now would be greatly appreciated, Brother Xiao!"


    Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed into a troubled grimace. The Dragon Slay technique of the Mystic Cyan Sect, if used with the Demon Blade brought to its awakened state by bathing it with his own blood, might work. But the fact that the monster was once Mu Chengxue''s brother made him hesitate, more so, as he could still hear Mu Chengxue''s heartrending sobs and cries amidst the din of the battle.


    "Please stand back, the both of you," Xiaoyue said to them suddenly as she raised her horse-tail whisk.


    Xiao Chen could feel everyone''s stares training upon her. The horse-tail whisk housed the Autumn Water, the personal weapon of the founder of the Thousand Feathers Sect and the heirloom of the order. Through thousands of years, the Autumn Water had passed into the hands of numerous heirs to the order''s leadership but never once had its blade seen the light of day. Was Xiaoyue becoming desperate?


    Xiao Chen found himself frozen to the sight of the horse-tail whisk Xiaoyue held. Through fire and steel, he had risked even my own life to procure this sword for Qianyu Nishang millennia ago, he reflected. Would the Autumn Water finally awake from its thousand-year slumber? Still, Xiao Chen felt an inexplicable knot in his stomach.


    "On this day, I, Xiaoyue, a disciple of the hundred and thirty-seventh class of our esteemed order, hereby request the Founder''s sanction to use the might of her hallowed blade! May my actions please the Founder''s spirit!"


    Xiaoyue took into the air. A faint radiance of white as pure as snow cloaked around her that she appeared like a fairy from Heaven as she began chanting, weaving a spell that the radiance began to shift, settling finally and focusing on the sword still sheathed in her horse-tail whisk while she struggled to grip at the hilt of Autumn Water that was convulsing violently like a bucking horse.


    Even before its blade was revealed, everyone present could already feel its might. With a sudden whistle, the Autumn Water shot from its scabbard. Thousands of rays of white flash sprayed from the blade of the sword, pouring into the darkness like an unstoppable tide and illuminating the entire subterranean hallway like it was day that every iota of darkness was blotted out.


    A huge force of spiritual energy surged forth, sending a chill down Xiao Chen''s spine that he began to shudder uncontrollably. There was no mistaking the rich and familiar aura radiating with such intensity! This was the very same Autumn Water that he had gave Qianyu Nishang! She had imbued the sword with her True Energy!


    He channeled every ounce of his strength into his senses and magnified his sight. There! The unmistakable runic symbols at the end of the blade, just above its hilt! He could make out the engravings of his and Qianyu Nishang''s names in ancient runic scripts as he felt the same stinging ache in his heart. Why! Xiao Chen screamed within himself. Why did she betrayed him, and yet she still kept their names etched upon her sword! Why did she not erase them!

 Chapter 138 Egress

    "Hahahaha..." Xiao Chen emitted a peal of frenzied giggles as he watched dazedly at the unsheathed Autumn Water in its magnificent grandeur, his face filled with melancholic misery.


    His weird and insane laughter caught everyone by surprise. The whole company was captivated by the divine splendor of the Autumn Water only to be distracted by his sudden change of demeanor. The brief episode did not go unnoticed by Xiaoyue; but being in the thick of battle against a foe so powerful, she could not afford being disturbed. With a flick of her finger, the Autumn Water answered her call with a high-pitched ring and shot towards the Corpse Champion in a blinding flash of light!


    The epic charge of the Autumn Water at its foe was so awesome that the Corpse Champion could feel the raging intensity of its force. For the first time in this battle, it sensed danger closing in. The zombie channeled its powers, the evil Qi exuding from its foul person billowed like a strong gust of wave that rode forth to meets its adversary. But the imbued strength of Qianyu Nishang was not to be underestimated; the bolt of brilliant light shot with the force of an exploding star, flooding the hall with the radiance of a burning sun and disintegrating the rest of the corpses now lying on the ground into dust.


    "NOOO!" Mu Chengxue screamed, her eyes blood-streaked with maniacal frenzy. With all her True Energy, she forcibly broke the spell of Xiao Chen''s magical barrier.


    "Arghh!" Xiao Chen gasped and spat a mouthful of blood. He had left a shred of his consciousness within the spell of his magical formation to prevent Mu Chengxue from breaking free from his hold. But the sight of the Autumn Water had distracted him enough for Mu Chengxue to succeed in freeing herself, hence the rebound of her force upon him.


    With a fleet-footed step, Mu Chengxue dashed to the front, with vain hopes that she could stop the charge of the Autumn Water. Sadly for her, it was but merely a naive and fruitless endeavor; the streaking bolt of light that was the Autumn Water was traveling at such an impossible speed that it easily shattered the magical barrier that the Corpse Champion had used his evil Qi to construct, penetrating past its defenses and shot cleanly through the zombie, boring a large hole in its chest.


    "NOOO! NOOO! BROTHER!!!" Mu Chengxue howled with anguish as she ran forward, leaping into the air to catch hold of the falling body of her brother.


    Despite their triumph against a foe so evil and powerful, the company received their victory with their heads hanging over their shoulders in the midst of Mu Chengxue''s grieving sobs and gasps. The Autumn Water''s final coup de grace had punched so huge a hole in the corpse''s chest that its heart was gone and it could no longer return to life.


    Tears poured down Mu Chengxue''s cheek like a sorrowful deluge. "Brother..." She panted through her sobs as she hugged at the body of her dead brother tightly.


    With a heavy heart, Xiao Chen began to move slowly towards her. His thoughts wandered to his teacher. Through forest and fen, he had been searching for her. How would he take the news, if one day word of her demise were to indeed reach him?


    He shook his head, dispelling these thoughts from his mind. He reached beside Mu Chengxue. But suddenly, he saw the corpse beginning to move! The body of the Corpse Champion looked at Mu Chengxue and smiled. "Xue, it is you..." His voice faded swiftly into the breeze, as did the dust of his crumbling body that nothing of him was left in the end.


    Everyone was amazed by the corpse''s final moment of lucidity and its last words, especially Xiao Chen. Each and every fragment of a person''s soul had been gone if the person had been turned into a Corpse Puppet. What was left would only be a mere lifeless puppet with utterly no recollection of its past. But how did this Corpse Puppet recognize Mu Chengxue in a rare moment of clarity? Unless....


    A flurry of thoughts coursed through his mind. Confused and perplexed, Xiao Chen could not explain the sudden phenomena he had just witnessed. Instead, he felt a sudden murderous desire to kill burning from his front. It was Mu Chengxue who was just in front of him!


    She turned slowly, her face filled with hatred and anger. Without any notice, she leaped towards Xiaoyue, her sword threatening to snap at the latter''s neck!


    "I''ll kill you!"


    But Xiaoyue had anticipated her intent; with the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust technique, she easily evaded Mu Chengxue''s stroke, leaving merely a mirage in her wake. "He was no more your brother than a mindless puppet of this Wuwang City," Xiaoyue spoke with a steely voice, trying to urge Mu Chengxue to choose reason over rage, "I am not your enemy, nor I am the person who had brought such fate to you and your brother! It is the Wuwang Wind Cloud City that you should seek vengeance from!"


    Driven by her witless rage, Mu Chengxue paid no heed to Xiaoyue''s words; she continued chasing after Xiaoyue with her sword like a snake with its fangs bared. The clash threw up dust and winds into the air of the underground hall, as the glint of steel shone through the thick, grubby mist.


    Still, Xiaoyue, with her agile and nimble footwork, left only illusory phantoms for Mu Chengxue to sink her sword into as she easily maneuvered to safety like a dancing specter again and again. Her voice could be heard, cold and frosty like ice, saying to her pursuer, "Do not test my patience, Miss Mu. You''ll be sorry for it!"


    Xiao Chen could no longer bear to watch anymore; he leaped into the fray, and blocked Mu Chengxue''s path. "Please, Miss Mu," he said to her, "Please stop now."


    Mu Chengxue was so near to accidentally hitting him when he intervened. "Move away!" She spat at him, her voice full of venom.


    "Please listen to me, Miss Mu," Xiao Chen shook his head, indicating his resolve. "Your brother might still be alive. I''m not saying this to merely console you. There are reasons to suspect that the corpse is not your brother''s."


    "What do you mean?" She snapped, her voice trembling with doubt and suspicion. But her grip on the hilt of her sword did not loosen.


    "I myself cannot be fully sure what is going on. But I am positively certain that if your brother had been turned into a Corpse Puppet, it''s impossible for him to retain any emotions and memories of you. He''d never be able to smile to you."


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted suddenly, breaking his silence. "There is more to this entire intrigue than meets the eye, Miss Mu. Please calm down. What matters now is getting everyone out of here safely."


    Yu Yifeng and Luo Shangyan came over to help console her. At last, she returned her sword to its scabbard, although her hatred for Xiaoyue was still evident.


    "Well then, let''s get started. Please look around, everyone. See if there are any avenues of exits here," Xu Gu ordered. His eyes remained transfixed on the two remaining sarcophaguses still hanging in mid-air. This made everyone look up too, wondering if the two remaining stone coffins housed any more powerful and evil Corpse Puppets.


    But this huge underground hall was protected by enchantments and the stone coffins were too high up in the air for Xiao Chen to cast forth his Divine Sense to find out the contents of the coffins. With the lack of success, he said to his companions, "Let''s first concentrate on finding an exit."


    The company broke up into and scattered around the hall, examining every nook and cranny for any concealed entryways. Moments later, everyone heard Xu Gu''s calls. He had found a stone door a little more than three meters wide. The stone door, being almost identical to the walls of the cavern, would have not been discovered, if the battles earlier did not cause the dust and soot to fall off the thin grooves.


    Xiao Chen walked to the door. He projected his Divine Sense and found that not only the stone door was extraordinarily thick, a passage, pitched dark and empty, laid just behind the door. The mechanisms of operating the stone door were all on the other side, hence throwing a wrench into any way of opening the door.


    The frown he wore on his face was enough to convey his beliefs that opening the door would be no simple feat. Ye Wuhen sneered from behind. "It''s just a stone door. Do you even lack the strength to break it down?" He strode forward with his palm raised, about to strike on the stone entrance.


    Xiao Chen''s arm rose quickly to stop him. "There''s no need for hastiness," he said to Ye Wuhen.


    "What''s this? You''re giving me orders now?" Ye Wuhen growled in return. Embittered by his loss to Xiao Chen before, Ye Wuhen had nothing but deepest hatred and contempt for him.


    But Xiao Chen made no attempt to exchange barbed words with him. He turned to the rest of the company. "A long and dark passage lies just at the other side of the door. But I''m afraid that breaking this door down by force might trigger any traps or contrivances that may breed new trouble, such as the collapse of the roof of the tunnel we came in earlier."


    The mention of the tunnel caving in earlier sent a disquieting queasiness across the company, rousing old fears and insecurities as some began nodding their heads. "How can you tell that a long and dark passage lies just at the other side of the door," Ye Wuhen scoffed, "You''ve been here before?"


    Xiao Chen ignored him again. The Core Forming Realm cultivators of the present age, unlike thousands of years ago, did not have the ability to project their Divine Senses. Knowing that explaining himself would only be a waste of time and effort, he continued speaking to the rest of the company. "Is there anyone among us who is exceptional in fire-based magic spell?"


    "My skills maybe trivial, but I might know a thing or two about fire-based magic spell," Qin Xinyan responded, stepping out of the crowd. It was common knowledge that students of the School of the Savage Flames were particularly learned in fire-based magic. Still, no one could see what Xiao Chen was planning to do.


    "Very well," Xiao Chen nodded to Qin Xinyan and said, "If you would please, Brother Yan, I''ll need you to burn the stone door with as much True Energy as possible. The rest of the company and I will help to channel our True Energies to you."


    "So be it!" Qin Xinyan remarked. He had been observing Xiao Chen throughout the journey and had found himself fascinated by his charismatic and enigmatic behavior that he wished to make his acquaintance, and this was his opportunity to be on Xiao Chen''s good side. He stepped closer to the stone door, and channeled his powers to unleash the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird upon the stone slab.


    Fiery silhouettes of two miniature dragons formed and looped along his two arms, coiling towards his hands before they turned into jets of flames that roasted the stone door. Despite not being a flammable object, the stone door remained shrouded by ravenous flames so strong that everyone could feel the simmering heat. Xiao Chen stepped towards Qin Xinyan, placing a hand on his back and funneled his True Energy to the latter. A few others followed suit and transmitted part of their True Energies to him as well.


    With the boost given by the members of the company, the flames grew stronger and wilder. Before long, the stone door began to turn red, glowing with heat and energy. The blistering swelter made everyone sweat profusely. Only Ye Wuhen remained at a side, watching with glee, anticipating Xiao Chen''s failure. Was he trying to melt the stone, he mused. What foolishness, he cursed again.


    Qin Xinyan continued incinerating the stone door for a quarter of an hour until Xiao Chen was satisfied that the door was now sizzling hot. Sweat drenched everyone''s faces that were red as raw meat from the torridness. Still, the door yielded no signs of melting.


    "That is enough," Xiao Chen muttered, dislodging his hand from Qin Xinyan''s back and everyone else did the same, backing away for a few paces to get as far as possible from the swelter.


    Xiao Chen looked at Xiaoyue. "This is where you come in, Lady Xiaoyue," he said to her.


    Xiaoyue made no reply, as if she had long anticipated Xiao Chen''s plan. With her horse-tail whisk, she drew a few circles in the air and conjured columns of water that spurted on the stone door that was glowing red-hot like burning embers.


    Streams of water splashed on the stone door, sending white plumes of steam hissing angrily and floated into the air. A few other cultivators skilled in water-based magic spell too began to douse the door. Before long, the entire underground palace was filled with translucent mists of steam that swirled around the company and the stone door began to cool.


    "Thank you so much, Lady Xiaoyue," Xiao Chen quipped with a smile. He walked to the door and gave a little push, and the massive stone door began to crack and splinter all around.


    Gasps of amazement rose from the company. The massive and invulnerable stone door had been broken into pieces just by burning and rapidly drenching it with water as if a bolt of lightning from Heaven had smitten upon it.


    It was a plan he had concocted during his childhood when he was still unable to practice wushu at his home. Being unable to pummel stones and rocks into pieces and fragments like the rest of the other children in the family, he would first heat up stone slabs before pouring water upon them. He himself had almost lost count of the times he had cheated everyone in the family with this trick.


    This earned Xiao Chen several praises for his creativeness; most people had been so engrossed in training and meditation to enhance their own powers that they had completely overlooked simpler ways to leverage things to their advantage. Xiao Chen''s witty plan had not only prevented the whole subterranean palace from caving in, it had also easily opened the path for the company to continue their journey. But only one person alone scoffed with disdain, "Just luck and simple wittiness."


    With the stone door now out of the way, it was as what Xiao Chen had revealed: the stone door was the entrance to another long and dark tunnel. "It seems that this is the way out," Xu Gu said, "We must be extremely careful."


    With him and Xiao Chen leading at the front, the rest behind conjured a faint radiant light that illuminated the way. Through the darkness, the path wound and curved incessantly as if they were walking inside the bowels of a giant serpent. For a little more than an hour''s walk, what appeared to be a long and endless journey had finally come to an end: there was a faint glimmer of light at their front at last! A glimmer of hope!


    The Cold-billow Labyrinth had delayed their journey for so long that it almost felt like an eternity inside. The company picked up their pace and hurried towards the faint flickering light, only to find that it was the light that came from beneath another stone door. With a quick inspection, Xiao Chen concluded that it was merely an ordinary stone door. With a powerful slap, he destroyed the door, and sunlight flooded into the tunnel, temporarily blinding the whole company.


    "Here they are! Hold them!"

 Chapter 139 Xiaoyues True Purpose

    The company emerged from the tunnel to find themselves surrounded by a mob of armed men with jet-black garbs that indicated that they were the sentinels of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. Xu Gu muttered an "Amitabha" and was about to greet the guards politely, when Ye Wuhen rushed forward, swinging his sword and immediately drew first blood by killing the first two guards before him.


    The rest of the company, equally incensed by their tormenting ordeal in the Cold-billow Labyrinth, too brandished their weapons, charging towards the black guards of the Wuwang City. Despite their greater number, the guards merely possessed strengths of the Foundation Building Realm. Before long, the company made short work of them, with most of the guards either dead or badly injured.


    Qin Xinyan pulled one of the guards by the cuffs of his robes, snarling to him, "Where is the master of the city!" A glint of malice flashed in the guard''s angry eyes; he produced a dagger hidden in his robes. But Qin Xinyan had anticipated a hidden attack. As a reprisal to the guard''s suicidal retaliation, Qin Xinyan smote at the guard with a fiery stroke from his palm, engulfing the man in flames that swiftly burned him to death and reduced him to ashes and soot.


    Only after their brief clash, the company realized that they were standing in a large patio filled with beautiful flowers and plants. The scenery and atmosphere would have been tranquil and refreshing if not for the blood-spattered cobblestones due to the fight. But the garden and the guards would mean that the company must have reached into the confines of the fortress.


    Xu Gu beheld the aftermath of the fight, the bodies of the dead that laid strewn on the ground. "Amitabha..." He sighed, his palms coming together reverently before his chest. "What have we wrought..."


    He had barely finished lamenting the carnage when a cheerful giggle rang from overhead. A figure, fully clad in green, floated down from the sky and landed gently on the ground. Yu Yifeng was the first to recognize the newcomer; his expression the first to change from being surprised to morosed. It was Leng Ningfeng, once known as Wu Nian, Yu Yifeng''s formerly junior.


    "Yu Yifeng the Eleventh," Leng Ningfeng''s frosty gaze first fell on Yu Yifeng and said, "It has been too long."


    "Wu Nian..." That was all that Yu Yifeng could manage to say; he was filled with pain and anguish at the sight of his former friend, the one who was once as close as a brother to him. The sudden reunion conjured up myriads of memories, most prominently the day when he ultimately decided to defect to the Devil''s Practice.


    "Hahaha!" Leng Ningfeng guffawed in response, throwing his head back. But as quick as he was to laugh, he instantly retorted with a chilly glare at his former best friend and sai, "That is a name I am no longer called by." He turned to address Xiaoyu. "And this saintly lady, surely you are Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect?"


    "So I am," Xiaoyue replied silkily, "Will the City Master meet us now?"


    "Come with me then, since you wish so badly to meet him!" Leng Ningfeng boomed with a sarcastic chuckle. He threw the sleeve of his emerald-green robes imperiously and turned on his heels before proceeded to move towards the outer cloisters of the patio.


    But a good many of the company were hesitant to follow him. The trials of the Cold-billow Labyrinth and the agonizing night they had suffered made them extremely distrustful and wary if this was another ruse by the City Master.


    "Fret not. We''ll go together," Xiaoyue said, instilling confidence to the rest.


    They filed out of the patio. As they strode on, the company found that the innards of the fortress were a stark contrast to the view of the grim and dystopian monolith from outside.


    The company encountered a picturesque scene as they walked: meticulously constructed pavilions and gazebos, bridges that arched over a slow, gurgling stream of crystal-clear water, topped with a gentle breeze that refreshed anyone whose face the wind caressed as it passed, painted the tranquil scene of a lost paradise upon a canvas of lush greeneries and proudly-blossoming flowers.


    The company would have wanted to stop and rest while they enjoyed the view and revitalizing atmosphere if not for the uneasy tenseness in their hearts. They followed Leng Ningfeng until they reached an antechamber. Intricately-carven pieces of furniture adorned the little hall with a table encircled by neatly-arranged chairs. Desserts and refreshments were waiting on the table, as if their arrival had been announced. Standing dutifully at the side, were four female stewards, servants of the fortress''s staff.


    Leng Ningfeng did not stop; instead, he led the company into the main hall, where a partition screen, embellished with a painting of birds paying homage to a phoenix, sat the end of the hall. The phoenix was finely depicted in the painting, its likeness immensely realistic that one could almost feel its grandeur and majesty permeating just by looking at it.


    But there was no one else in the hall, aside from the four servant-girls. "Where is the City Master?" Ye Wuhen asked them. But before they could answer, the hollow voice of a man resounded from the other side of the partition screen, saying, "Still, you''ve come."


    "Enough with the theatrics! Show yourself!" Ye Wuhen barked angrily.


    But even Xiao Chen could not hold himself from gasping with surprise. He had not sensed the presence of another person when the company had entered the hall despite a quick probe with his Divine Sense. From behind the partition screen came a man completely robed in red with a Chinese straw hat that obscured his face.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu recited respectfully with his palms pressed together, "This must be the lord of the city. We have two members of our company lost and missing. If you would please, my lord, let us know of their whereabouts."


    "The time for it will come when it is due," replied the man in red, revealing a thin smile from under his hat, "Do you Buddhists not preach much about Fate? Why the rush when all things are pre-ordained, dear monk?"


    "My apologies for my brashness," Xu Gu muttered.


    "So, if you would please, Lady Xiaoyue," said the man in red abruptly, turning to Xiaoyue with his smile still visible, "Let us cleave to the matter at hand: please reveal the true purpose of your visit."


    Suspicious and puzzled stares trained upon Xiaoyue immediately. The manner of the man in red''s speech seemed to insinuate that she had another hidden agenda rather than the matters of vanquishing evil and the investigation of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers.


    But Xiaoyue remained casually cool and calm. "You have erected the Blood Soul Formation and had caused the death of countless lives." She countered with a silky but harried voice. "I believe it is safe for me to guess that the bones and remains of innumerable dead people in the tunnels that honeycombed this mountain are your handiwork? This alone is reason enough that we of the Orthodox Path can no longer sit by and watch you continue your devilry!"


    "Hahahaha!" The man in red roared in laughter. "Countless of lives? Their lives and deaths are no concern of mine!"


    "You!" Somebody had snarled angrily from among the company. The red-robed stranger''s capricious and lofty declarations angered almost everyone in the company. But no one dared to lay the first strike, fearing his yet unrevealed strength as well as any other hidden contrivances that he might still have.


    "Leng Ningfeng, you may withdraw. I''ll handle things here myself," the man in red muttered, flashing a thin smile to him. Leng Ningfeng made no response. He spun and began walking towards the exit. But when he brushed by Yu Yifeng''s side, he smirked and disappeared, only to reappear once more at the exit of the hall and promptly drifted out of sight.


    The man in red shifted his attention back to Xiaoyue. "You have gone through great lengths to muster such a force against this Wuwang Wind Cloud City, Lady Xiaoyue," he uttered with a stiff tone, "Would I be wrong to guess that your true purpose here is for that Earth Spiritual Meridian?"


    "You have seized the Earth Spiritual Meridian for your own and have caused great devastation everywhere," Xiaoyue retorted again, her voice calm but tense, "This alone is grounds for us to act against you? You dare question our justice?"


    "Amitabha," Xu Gu interjected gently and said, "What you''ve done, my lord, has indeed caused great damage to both land and lives. Despite being neck-deep in sin, it is still not too late for repentance. The Lord Buddha does not wish that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." The Blood Soul Formation must not be activated again, even if the Wuwang Wind Cloud City''s former transgressions were to be overlooked, lest more deaths would continue pouring in.


    "Hahahaha!" The man in red erupted into another fit of maniacal laughter. "What nonsense! Don''t make me laugh!" Immediately, his laughter died the next second as he shot a scathing glare at Xiaoyue. "You have done well to fan the flames of blame upon us, Lady Xiaoyue. But do you dare deny that the Thousand Feathers Sect are also after this Earth Spiritual Meridian?"


    Sensing the incredulous and wary glares focusing upon her, Xiaoyue did her best to keep herself calm. "This man is trying to create discord among us," she growled, "Pay no heed to what he says! The millennia-long dignity and history of the Thousand Feathers Sect will never be so easily sullied by mere slander!"


    "Say no more, lord." Qin Xinyan stood forward suddenly, his voice steady with resolve. "The Thousand Feathers Sect is the titular leader of the Orthodox Path. That is common knowledge to all."


    "As expected of the student of the great Perfected Immortal Su Nian!" The man in red declared, still wearing his watery smile. "Indeed, the resemblance between teacher and student is uncanny..." There was a distinct change in his tone suddenly. "But Su Nian sent you here alone... Is she still in solitary meditation, or it is as I have suspected: the residual magic of the sealing barrier of your stronghold is failing? Is she, along with the other old hags of your order, are now so terribly occupied, so head over heels in this crisis, that she had to send you, a budding youngster to do her bidding?"


    If the man in red had been trying to prod Xiaoyue, his attempts have finally borne fruit. The very mention of the failing magical barrier sent a shudder into her, puncturing her composed and serene facade. "I do not know what you''re talking about, lord," she hissed and said, her voice now jittery and nervous unlike before, "My teacher has long remained in solitary training; she had long decided to no longer trouble herself in the affairs of the mundane world."


    At the back of the company, Xiao Chen continued taking in the entire episode with interest. So everything that he had witnessed about Xiaoyue in her memory was true, he mused. The Universal Mystic-Yin Formation at the stronghold of the Thousand Feathers Sect was failing and Xiaoyue''s true purpose, as revealed by the man in red, was to seek an Earth Spiritual Meridian to help replenish the magical powers of the Formation.

 Chapter 140 Blood Soul Formation

    Xu Gu put his palms together devoutly and turned to face Xiaoyue, saying: "If your sect really encounters difficulties, Master Xiaoyue can just say it. We as fellows should all work together to help your sect tide over the difficulties." As fellows of the righteous course, he also did not want Xiaoyue to hide something from everyone.


    Xiaoyue''s face changed and quickly said, "Brother Xu Gu, you must not listen to this person. I..." Before she finished speaking, the red-robed man burst out laughing. "If she is willing to say, why did the leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect incite the other four sects to kill the person surnamed Xiao thousands of years ago?"


    When he said this, other people in the hall were at a loss. But Xiao Chen''s face changed. Thousands of years ago, many things happened in the five sects. The big devil, Gu Feng, was sealed by the true patriarch of the Xiao family in the Human World, Xiao Ning, who was surrounded and killed by the five major sects. "The person surnamed Xiao" might refer to Xiao Ning. Who exactly was this person? How did he know so much?


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name, and the look on his face seemed to become quite serious. He said, "It''s been a thousand years since this happened. Why should you bring up the matter again?"


    Xiao Chen stepped forth and looked very dignified. "Although I don''t know who you are, I''d like to ask you, what happened in those days? The person whose surname was Xiao, was he called Xiao Ning?"


    Upon hearing the word "Xiao Ning", not only did Xiaoyue''s face change but also that of Xu Gu. His face changed greatly, and he read the scripture constantly in a small voice.


    The red-robed man smiled gently and said to Xu Gu, "Buddhist Sects are supposed to teach people to be kind, but in those days, you people forced one person to become a demon. Master, are you confessing to Buddha now?"


    Xu Gu was still reading scripture, while Xiao Chen''s body has trembled slightly. Back then, Xiao Ning must have suffered great injustice. He took the Samsara Jade fragments and came to the Human World to establish the Xiao family. Who was behind all these? This surely had something to do with his resurrection. But Xiao Ning''s current location was completely a mystery. Xiao Chen asked, "Please tell us what happened in details."


    The red-robed man smiled gently. "The matter of that year was too far away. I only know that Xiao Ning was entrusted by someone to do one thing, but the Thousand Feathers Sect tried hard to stop it. As for the reason, surely Fairy Xiaoyue should know more than I do." As his voice fell, he cast his eyes on Xiaoyue''s face.


    At the moment, Xiaoyue''s face had already changed greatly. She said in a quavering voice, "Back then, Xiao Ning was willing to degenerate, betrayed the Xiao family, and worked with the Devil''s Practice. There was no reason not to kill him. What were we stopping him for?"


    "Hey hey hey hey..." Xiao Chen suddenly laughed in a low voice. It seemed that there was an ancient Xiao family in the Violet Manor indeed, but this Xiao family had nothing to do with him! On the contrary, Xiao Chen felt very disgusted that they forced Xiao Ning to fall into the Devil''s Practice.


    Luo Shangyan turned and saw him look horrible. She quietly asked, "Junior Brother Xiao, what''s the matter?"


    Xiao Chen ignored her and said to Xiaoyue coldly, "Fairy Xiaoyue, was that true?"


    Xiaoyue didn''t expect him to mess up at this point and didn''t know how he learned the name Xiao Ning. She said to the red-robed man, "Who the hell are you?"


    The red-robed man smiled gently. "Who I am is not important. The important thing is, do you and the Thousand Feathers Sect really think you can deceive the world? Thousands of years ago, your patriarch sealed a dead man, hoping that he would never be reincarnated. But you didn''t know that after thousands of years, the spirit energy of the seal was running out. And if that man is resurrected, your sect will be doomed. Therefore, you have targeted at us, Fairy Xiaoyue, am I right?"


    After hearing this, people were shocked. Was such a big issue true? The Thousand Feathers Sect had been hiding this matter for thousands of years?


    Xiaoyue''s face turned extremely pale, and she said in a quavering voice. "What are you babbling about here! Who the hell are you? Where did you hear these?"


    The red-robed man smiled. "I''m just a dead man, and naturally, I heard these words from another dead man."


    The crowd was confused by his words and did not know what was going on. Xiaoyue then immediately said, "Do you hear him? How can we believe this person since he has no logic?"


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name and said, "We cannot change the past, but today, we are determined not to allow you to open the Blood Soul Formation."


    The red-robed man smiled. "In two days, the Blood Soul Formation will open. You can''t stop it."


    Just then, a cold voice sounded, "I don''t care what formation you want to open, I just want to know one thing!" The crowd looked over the voice. Mu Chengxue walked forth.


    Mu Chengxue walked to the front of the crowd, and her dagger coldly pointed at the man. "Tell me! Where is my brother?"


    The man quietly looked at her dagger and gently smiled. "Like hair in the morning and turns into the snow by night. The sword in your hand is called Twilight String. It is a pair to the Morning Song. The Morning Song has long been lost, and your brother has long been dead..."


    Mu Chengxue looked like she suffered an electric shock. Her body quivered, and the arm which was holding the Twilight String trembled. She said in a quavering voice, "You... You killed my brother..." As her voice fell, she thrust out her sword.


    The red-robed man floated sideways, and the Sword Qi hit and shattered the screen behind him. Yu Yifeng said hurriedly, "Miss Mu! You must not be provoked by this person!" When speaking, he moved to her side instantly to prevent the red-robed man from attacking her.


    However, the red-robed man did not seem to make any moves. Mu Chengxue pushed Yu Yifeng away and thrust at the red-robed man again. This time, her sword technique became sharper. Dozens of rows of sword radiance appeared in the hall. Suddenly, the hall was blustery, and the tiles were rattling.


    Dozens of rows of sword radiance flew to the man. But something surprising happened. The unparalleled sword radiance unexpectedly passed through the man''s body as if hitting the air.


    Xiao Chen seemed to be aware of something. At this moment, a torrent of evil qi came from the southeast. All the people were frightened and went out of the hall one after another. Looking over to the southeast, they saw a huge red radiance rising up into the sky and connecting the clouds.


    Xu Gu exclaimed, "Oh, no! It''s the Blood Soul Formation!" Looking back, the red-robed man in the hall had already disappeared.


    At this time, people finally understood that the red-robed man was just an illusion. His real body was activating the Blood Soul Formation somewhere. No wonder he let Leng Ningfeng go first. He said those words just to delay the crowd.


    "Master Xiaoyue! Go stop it!" After saying so, Xu Gu moved his fingers, turned into a beam of golden light, and rushed to the red radiance. The place was no longer restricted, so the rest of the people took out their flying swords and followed.


    A dozen people arrived at the place where the red radiance was located. They saw Leng Ningfeng and the red-robed man standing on both sides of the formation, chanting. Countless blood was drawn from the ground and poured into the red radiance. In a flash, the heaven and earth lost color, and the whole sky was shone red.


    Xiao Chen was incredibly shocked. Was this the Blood Soul Formation? Charged by countless creatures, the most ruthless formation in ancient times!


    "Please, stop it quickly!" Xu Gu thundered and turned into a golden light, rushing toward the two people. Xiaoyue''s heart was tied to the Earth Spiritual Meridian. If the Blood Soul Formation consumed the power of this Earth Spiritual Meridian, her trip would be in vain. She also rushed over instantly.


    However, when the two men were 20 meters away from the red radiance, they were suddenly sent back by a mighty force. If the formation had not been activated, they could still work together to stop it. At this moment, the formation had already been activated, and it was impossible for them to break through the barrier outside the formation.


    At this moment, people in the city below the mountain also saw this towering red radiance. Nobody knew what had happened. When many people looked at the red radiance, gradually lost their senses, and wisps of smoke rose from the top of their heads and moved toward the red radiance, people panicked and realized that the huge red radiance was collecting people''s souls.


    At the moment, there was a constant sound of horror in the city. Countless people began to flee outside the city. However, many people''s souls were collected before they ran out.


    The homeland now became an inferno. Countless people began to pray on the ground for their city master to save them. But they still did not know it was the city master they worshipped that was destroying all these.


    The evil Qi on the mountain was surging, and the wind whistled madly. The red-robed man turned his back to everyone and laughed in a low voice. "It''s been a hundred years! A hundred years!"


    Xu Gu shook his head and sighed. Xiaoyue also knew perfectly well that it was difficult to change the situation now. The power of the Spiritual Meridian was gradually dissipated, and the power of the Blood Soul Formation became stronger and stronger. Leng Ningfeng said, "It''s okay now. I''ll stop them, and you can start."


    The red-robed man nodded, and the spiritual force around gradually gathered to the red beam, and the previous barrier also gradually dissipated. Upon seeing this, Xiaoyue moved and wielded her Duster toward the red-robed man. Leng Ningfeng moved lightly and instantly blocked the blow.


    "If you want to stop him, stop me first." While speaking, his True Energy shook, and the aura of both immortal and devil immediately sent out from his body. Compared with before in the Immortals League Competition, he was many times stronger. The crowd exclaimed, "It''s the Fallen Immortal!"


    The Fallen Immortal could also be called Fallen Devil. It had the strength of both Immortals and Devils. Ye Wuhen was in fear. If this one had used all his strength in the Immortals League Competition, Ye Wuhen would have died already.


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name, and the Mace of Exorcism immediately turned into a golden light and flew to Leng Ningfeng. He also moved and punched with King Kong Palm.


    In mid-air, a golden palm print appeared instantly, stirring up the energy around. Leng Ningfeng smiled coldly and pointed at the void with his finger. A row of white radiance knocked back the incoming Mace of Exorcism and then turned into a black fog that rushed at the golden palm print.


    The two forces collided with each other and made a loud bang, which buzzing in people''s ears.


    Xu Gu and Xiaoyue both had reached the state of transcendental holiness. However, at the moment, they were still struggling to deal with Leng Ningfeng who could release the power of both immortal and devil. Yu Yifeng said, "Wu Nian, do you really want to help the bad?"


    Leng Ningfeng smiled. "As I said, I haven''t been using this name for a long time. You can come together!"


    Yu Yifeng was educated from an early age that the people in this world was of top priority. Today, he must not watch the people in the city below the mountain die. "Swoosh!" He took out his Immortal''s Sword. But when he was about to move forward, he suddenly found that Mu Chengxue standing beside him had become somewhat abnormal.


    "Miss Mu! What¡¯s wrong?"


    Mu Chengxue''s face suddenly became blank, and her eyes were strange while looking at him. At this moment, the red-robed man spoke.


    "A Xue, have you been looking for me?"


    This time, the voice was no longer as empty as before. It was a clear voice from a man.

 Chapter 141 The Resurrected

    "Brother ... brother?" Twilight into snow was awake for a few minutes, some can''t believe I just heard the voice.


    The red-robed man gently turned around and slowly took off the hood on his head, showing a beautiful face. Everyone gasped. The man looked exactly the same as the Corpse Champion they had seen in the underground palace.


    Xiao Chen''s previous speculation was indeed true. This was Mu Luo, Mu Chengxue''s brother. But he did not expect that Mu Luo was the master of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. Why was he opening the Blood Soul Formation?


    At this moment, he found something. Although Mu Luo looked like a living person, he had no trace of life at all. He was a soul body! The Corpse Champion they saw before was his body. He actually refined his own body into a Corpse Puppet. He had gone through so much effort to activate the Blood Soul Formation. Was he trying to resurrect himself?


    Mu Chengxue walked over step by step. She finally saw her elder brother who she had been searching for so many years. What she had seen in the underground palace had almost made her collapse. However, seeing her elder brother''s well-being, why was it that she had no joy at all? Why did this elder brother look like a devil?


    Hearing the constant horrified, mournful voices coming from under the mountain, Mu Chengxue thought about the bones and Corpse Puppets in the Cold-billow Labyrinth. She had never expected that her brother who cared for her so much had become such a devil. Her voice trembled slightly. "What are you doing all this for?"


    "Ha, ha, ha, ha ..." Twilight los sink a voice laughed, laughter is some terrible, scalp pins and needles, only heard him say: "why? My brother did all this for you, didn''t he? Snow ... "He said in the end, his voice is not as terrible as before, but full of tender feelings and care.


    Mu Chengxue''s body trembled, and she mumbled, "For me..."


    Twilight los smiled, and then look become very sad: "Snow, we both have 143 people, died as early as one hundred years ago ..."


    Mu Chengxue''s body shocked as if she was struck by lightning. The crowd was also shocked. All of them did not realize that Mu Luo was actually a person who had died for a hundred years. Xiao Chen was a bit shocked. He seemed to have seen something coming.


    "No... It can''t be... Mom and the others, they are living well. Last time I went back to visit them..." Some broken pieces of memory flashed in her mind. Gradually, her voice became inconsistent, and her tears burst out like a broken line of pearls.


    Mu Luo lightly sighed and said, "A Xue, you also didn''t survive the disaster. I used the Ghost Talisman Technique of our family to save your soul. The Mu Family Village was just a fake memory I instilled into your mind. They are not real..."


    Xiao Chen''s body quivered slightly. No wonder he felt very strange when he went to the Mu Family Village last time. It''s a pity that he didn''t even find out that it was a dreamland. Mu Luo''s skill was undoubtedly strong.


    Mu Luo looked mournful and continued, "Although I saved your soul, you are only half alive. Your memory will be reset every seven years, and after each reset, you will not remember everything that happened last time, including everyone you know..."


    "No... No... It''s not true. You are lying!" Mu Chengxue burst into a flood of tears. She kept shaking her head and was on the brink of collapsing.


    Although all the memories about the Mu Family Village were made by Mu Luo, even the memory about Mu Luo were fake, for her, everyone in those memories was alive since her childhood. How could she accept such a sudden fact at this moment?


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name, putting his palms together. "The dead are already dead, and they should go into the Samsara. Mr. Luo, why are you so persistent and do such a thing against common sense..."


    "Haha......" Mu Luo laughed to the sky. "Why so persistent... I cannot resurrect all my family member, but I must resurrect my junior sister!"


    As his voice fell, the red radiance of the Blood Soul Formation became more brilliant. Mu Chengxue could not control her body and floated up, moving toward the formation. The sad voices under the mountain became bigger as more people''s souls were taken into the formation, including the guards in the castle.


    Xu Gu''s face changed. "You ignored countless beings. I will not allow you to commit evil acts!"


    Mu Luo smiled coldly and said, "Countless beings? A hundred years ago, when the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers were taking my family members'' souls, where were you people? Why didn''t you come to save us?! I watched all my family members die, and I watched my dearest sister die! How could I close my eyes at night! Ah!"


    This was the resentment he had for 100 years!


    Xiao Chen''s body shook. It turned out the Mu family was also the victim of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers, and the whole family were killed. What exactly was this flower...


    "So many excuses!" Xu Gu thundered and rushed over while turning into a row of golden light. Leng Ningfeng moved as overwhelming devil Qi stopped Xu Gu. He then turned his head to look at Mu Luo, saying, "Quickly! What are you talking to them for?"


    Mu Luo said no more and concentrated to run the formation. Immediately, the red radiance became more brilliant. Xu Gu thundered, "Everyone! Today, we must stop this person!"


    However, except for Xiaoyue, no one came forward to stop them. They came today for the disappearance of disciples and the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers. But the two issues had nothing to do with this Mu Luo. They did not want to risk their lives again.


    As for Yu Yifeng and Xiao Chen, they knew if Mu Luo continued, there would be no living people under the mountain. But if they went to stop this man, Mu Chengxue would definitely perish and could not enter the Samsara forever. The choice between one person''s life and countless people''s lives became so difficult at this point.


    At this point, Mu Chengxue gently said, "Brother, stop. Do you want me to live with sin..."


    Mu Luo was shocked and stopped running the formation. He mumbled, "What? A Xue... Are you telling me to stop? I''ve planned this for a hundred years. How can I stop!" He shouted with a mad look on his face, and continued to run the formation.


    All of a sudden, a sarcophagus flew over from the back mountain. The eyes of every one were fixed on it. It was one of the three sarcophaguses in the underground palace.


    The lid slowly opened, and a woman with snow-white clothes slowly floated out of the sarcophagus. The woman''s eyes were closed gently, and she looked exactly identical to Mu Chengxue. The crowd was shocked. Was this the true body of Mu Chengxue 100 years ago?


    Mu Chengxue also couldn''t believe it. Her body gradually became translucent, and she finally turned into a soul body. Presumably, it was because of the Ghost Talisman Technique. Neither Xiao Chen nor Yu Yifeng noticed that Mu Chengxue was a soul body before.


    In the air, Mu Chengxue gradually lost her consciousness and merged with her true body. This was the most incredible part of the formation¡ªto resurrect a dead person.


    But the true body could neither open her eyes nor wake up completely. Mu Luo''s face changed. "How is it possible! Is the Soul power of tens of thousands of people not enough!? Why is it not enough to activate the Blood Soul Formation?"


    "Amitabha..." Xu Gu chanted Buddha''s name and said, "Such an evil deed turns out in vain. Mr. Mu, you should stop quickly to save innocent people!"


    "Impossible!" Mu Luo thundered and moved his fingers as another sarcophagus flew over from the back mountain. It was the third sarcophagus in the palace.

 Chapter 142 Parted Forever

    All eyes were on the third sarcophagus. People were guessing who was the one inside. Xiao Chen also looked dignified.


    With a bang, the coffin lid went up into the sky, and two people floated out of the sarcophagus. Everybody exclaimed because the two people turned out to be Lu Jianxing and Liu Chengfeng who had previously gone missing.


    Xiao Chen was slightly shocked. Did he misunderstand Xiaoyue? The two men were captured by Mu Luo undetected?


    At the moment, Lu Jianxing and Liu Chengfeng looked panic-stricken and were constantly shouting for help. But they seemed to be bound by some limitation, so they were completely unable to move and involuntarily moved to the red radiance.


    Mu Luo looked crazy, and he laughed in a low voice. "They have innate Spirit Soul. I will take them! Thank you for sending such a good sacrifice!"


    "Stop!" Xu Gu thundered, but he was engaged by Leng Ningfeng and couldn''t go away. Xiao Chen wanted to save the two men by using psychokinesis. But when he saw Mu Chengxue unawakened, he gradually canceled the idea of saving people.


    Xu Gu moved, punched Leng Ningfeng away, and then rushed to Liu Jianxing and Liu Chengfeng like a dow of golden radiance. But it was too late. The two people were thrown into the formation and instantly became a part of the red radiance.


    Xu Gu''s face changed and punched at Mu Luo who then swung his sleeve and instantly sent out a mighty power that pushed Xu Gu 30 meters away.


    With a hundred years of resentment, his strength could not be underestimated.


    The formation had absorbed the souls of Lu and Liu, and red radiance became more and more brilliant. A faint, deep whistle rose as if it came from ancient times. Numerous beams of red radiance left the formation and moved down the mountain. There was more wail on their path, because more and more souls were taken.


    Mu Chengxue finally opened her eyes, but she looked confused as if she was a newborn. Presumably, she had no memory at the moment.


    Everyone gasped. Resurrecting a person that died a hundred years ago, this was against the law of nature, but it actually succeeded. People were also on guard, fearing that this ancient formation would suck their souls as well.


    However, Mu Chengxue was not completely resurrected now because she had no consciousness at this point.


    There was a smile on Mu Luo''s face, and then he became mournful. He whispered to himself, "I said I would meet you again in a hundred years, but A Xue, I can''t really meet you after all..."


    Next, he made a move that shocked everyone. He leaped into the center of the formation. Only with his own soul could truly, completely resurrect Mu Chengxue.


    "This man has gone mad!" Some people couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Leng Ningfeng looked back, and his eyes were somewhat confused. He whispered, "This time, are we parting forever..."


    Mu Luo smiled gently. "Ningfeng, please take care of A Xue in the future. There is one more thing, remember to do it as I said..."


    Leng Ningfeng didn''t speak until a moment later. "I know. This time you can finally die peacefully. Goodbye. No, this time, we will never see each other again."


    Mu Luo smiled, and his figure gradually began to dissipate in the big formation. At this moment, Mu Chengxue was finally awake, and all her memories were restored. She shouted, "No!" She rushed down to the eye of the formation. However, when she reached about three meters away from the formation, she was bounced off by a mysterious force.


    Mu Luo''s figure was fading, and eventually, it disappeared.


    "Ah!!!" Mu Chengxue let out a heart-breaking scream and fainted.


    There was no one to run the Blood Soul Formation, and the red radiance gradually dispersed. Only the wind over the mountain roared like a sad melody, wailing in heaven and earth.


    Xiao Chen felt very heavy at the moment, not because of Muluo and Mu Chengxue but the thought of his master and himself. He was also resurrected by someone. But who was the one? Was it his master? Did his master end up like Mu Luo?


    The words of Ling Yin seemed to be ringing in his ears: "Chen''er, wait for me. A thousand years later when I reached the Grand Completion Realm, we will meet again. We will..."


    His tears dropped. Even though he was a big man already, it did not matter. Two lines of tears just flowed down his face without warning. At least Mu Chengxue saw her brother at the last moment. But him? Thousands of years have passed, and it seemed hopeless to see his master.


    Luo Shangyan saw him look sad, so she gently pulled his sleeve.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and sighed. "Sometimes, it''s not all about perseverance. If you don''t do it, then what are you living for? Perhaps, to all the people in the world, Mu Luo committed a heinous crime; but to himself, he hasn''t done anything wrong."


    The sound of wailing at the foot of the mountain also gradually decreased. More than half of the people''s souls were taken away. Only a small number of people survived, and they also bend over aside the dead bodies of their relatives and wept bitterly.


    Xu Gu folded his hands, shook his head, and sighed. "Sinful. Such a sin..."


    Leng Ningfeng ignored everyone and went straight to Mu Chengxue who passed out. He gently picked her up and was about to leave. Xiaoyue stopped him and said coldly, "Do you want to leave just like that after killing so many people?"


    Leng Ningfeng said lightly, "Then what are you going to do? The power of the Spiritual Meridian has been exhausted, and you cannot kill me. Then fairy, do you want to know where he learned those words before?"


    Xiaoyue''s face changed slightly, and she did not speak. Leng Ningfeng smiled and then whispered to her ear, "The Skygale Sect. A person who has been dead for a thousand years." As soon as his voice fell, he stamped his foot and floated toward the sky, saying from a distance, "The words have been brought to you. I''ll see you later, fairy!"


    Yu Yifeng''s heart was heavy, and he did not stop this man from taking Mu Chengxue away. Xiao Chen''s eyebrows were slightly wrinkled. Although Leng Ningfeng''s voice was low, he still heard it clearly. A person in the Skygale Sect who had died one thousand years ago. Did it mean the founder of which the Skygale Sect had been trying hard to resurrect?


    Xiao Chen vaguely felt that many things happened one thousand years ago may have something to do with his resurrection. He turned to look at Xiaoyue and saw that her face looked dignified. She seemed to be thinking about something.


    This trip to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, they did not find a clue about the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers, and even lost two Core Forming Realm cultivators. It might be hard to explain to the Priory of the Mystic Winds and Order of the Silvery Moon. But Mu Luo was dead, so they couldn''t find anyone to blame. Xu Gu walked to the side of Xiaoyue and asked, "Master Xiaoyue, what about now?"


    Xiaoyue came to her senses, saying, "Now we go back to the Widespread Wintriness Sect and tell everyone about this trip." With a twist of her fingers, the Flying-cloud Stone flew over, and the crowd set foot on it one after another. Xu Gu could only sigh as he looked at the ruins at the foot of the mountain.


    Xiao Chen stood on the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone with his hair dancing with the wind. After this trip, he was going to find a way to go to the Su family to meet his mother. However, he can''t go for the time being. The events of 1,000 years ago had much to do with him. Now, it seemed that only the person of the Skygale Sect who died 1,000 years ago knew about the detailed process of that year. Now he had some clues and must not miss it.


    This time, he was really going to set foot to the Skygale Sect. He must find out what happened in those days, why he was resurrected, whether his master was still alive, and the person in his deepest memory, Hua Weiyang. He vaguely felt that maybe she was still somewhere out there. "I''m in the Loveless Valley." It was the handwriting she left on the wall of the Cliff of Fallen Divinity. But where was this cliff exactly...


    All kinds of thoughts, just like the dazzling wind at the moment, wrapped up his mind.


    "Senior Sister Luo, I''m going to investigate some things next. Will you go back to the Jade Qing Sect with Brother Yifeng first?" He suddenly turned around and said.


    Luo Shangyan looked up and said, "Can''t I go with you?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. What he was going to do next might be very dangerous. He could not guarantee the safety of anyone around him, so he could not let her take risks with him.


    Half a day later, the Flying-cloud Stone had arrived the Widespread Wintriness Sect. The tree shades crossed each other on the ground, and the yellow clouds in the horizon were moving slowly. The sun was setting. A dozen people descended. Several Widespread Wintriness Sect disciples saw them come back so soon and immediately went to inform others.


    However, for the dozen people who went to Wuwang Wind Cloud City this time, although it was only less than two days, it felt like a long time had passed. The line of people went to the mountain gate square and they felt heavy. When their sect elders saw that they had returned unharmed, they all went forth to ask questions.


    The four disciples of the Jade Qing Sect also came along. Not seeing Mu Chengxue, a female disciple asked, "Brother Yu, where is Sister Mu?"


    "Miss Mu..." Yu Yifeng had a heavy heart and could not continue. Xiao Chen then said, "Miss Mu can''t come because she has other issues."


    The elders of the Priory of the Mystic Winds and Order of the Silvery Moon also came along. They did not see Lu Jianxing and Liu Chengfeng. An elder of the Priory of the Mystic Winds asked anxiously, "Master Xiaoyue, where are the two men?"


    "Brother Lu and Brother Liu..."


    Xiaoyue then told what happened in the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. Of course, she did not tell the secret of the Thousand Feathers Sect. She also had discussed with the others on their way back. In order to comfort the Priory of the Mystic Winds and Order of the Silvery Moon, they would not tell the truth. They would turn the two men into heroes by telling others that the two men sacrificed themselves to save the others at a critical moment.


    For a moment, the people felt both sad and angry. The two men were young and excellent, but they could never come back. Many people gnashed their teeth and lambasted. Even some people looked at the Jade Qing Sect with hostility. After all, they were with Mu Chengxue.


    The Order of the Silvery Moon knew perfectly well that it was obviously unreasonable to hold Jade Qing Sect accountable at the moment. The two elders just kept shaking their heads and sighing. However, one of the elders from the Priory of the Mystic Winds had a very fierce temper and immediately blamed Yu Yifeng. There was no lack of curses.


    Facing the accusation, Yu Yifeng just lowered his head and kept silent. Beside him, a junior sister could not stand this and immediately argued. "What are you babbling about! The culprit in this matter is Mu Luo. What is wrong with my senior brother?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head and sighed. "Junior Sister Han, stop it. I will plead with the master when I return." For the sake of the fellow friendship with Leng Ningfeng and Mu Chengxue, he stood and stared Mu Luo to activate the Blood Soul Formation. And he watched Lu and Liu die. These were his sin.


    The elder of the Priory of the Mystic Winds did not let him go, claiming that Yu Yifeng deliberately let Mu Chengxue go. Otherwise, he would go to the Jade Qing Sect and ask Perfected Immortal Qing Chen for justice.


    Xiao Chen took two steps forward and spoke pensively, "Elder, it''s enough. This matter was beyond our control. Were you there, it would not be possible for you to prevent it."


    "You!" The elder was about to lose his temper. But when he thought of the horrible scene a few days ago that Xiao Chen held the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and almost demonized, he finally dismissed the idea.

 Chapter 143 Demon Slaying Even

    t


    At this moment, Sikong Yun walked over and sighed. "Alas, you must not hurt the relationship between fellow sects. You can keep quarreling, and it will not help. The most important thing now is to make concerted efforts to deal with the people of the Devil''s Practice. At noon tomorrow, I will behead the demonic woman in front of all heroes in the world to comfort the two passed heroes."


    All this point, people remembered his demon-slaying event. No one cared about this before. But after this matter, everyone hated the people of the Devil''s Practice. Many people had raised their fists to echo as if they were venting their anger to the demonic woman.


    Finally, Sikong Yun had the attention of people. He was so delighted and said to Xiaoyue, "Why don''t we let Master Xiaoyue hold the demon-slaying event tomorrow?"


    Xiaoyue was depressed now because she did not get the Earth Spiritual Meridian this time. She did not care about the event at all. Besides, she was extremely worried about one thing. According to the words of Leng Ningfeng, Mu Luo learned the secret of her sect from a man in the Skygale Sect who died a thousand years ago.


    She had a faint premonition that something bad was about to happen. At the moment, she had to hurry back to the Thousand Feathers Sect to tell her master about it. When she was about to refuse, the crowd shouted loudly together. "Master Xiaoyue, please hold the demon-slaying event and kill all demons in the world!"


    Facing the rising mood, it was not good for her to refuse now. She thought one day of delay was just fine, so she said in a clear voice, "Then I''ll take it. Tomorrow, I will hold the demon-slaying event."


    The crowd shouted approval loudly. Xiao Chen completely did not care about the event. He walked to Yu Yifeng and whispered, "Brother Yifeng, do you want to stay?"


    Yu Yifeng nodded and whispered, "It''s not a good time to leave. Let''s go together after tomorrow."


    Xiao Chen thought it would be better to leave together since they came together, but it seemed not good to leave himself. So, he nodded and said, "Okay."


    That night, Sikong Yun arranged the accommodation. The Jade Qing Sect disciples lived in a small yard. At the dead of night, Xiao Chen opened the door and walked out. The wind was breezing, the moon was clear, and the shades of the trees crossed on the ground. A late night in autumn was so quiet.


    Too many things had happened recently. Xiao Chen could not fall asleep. He wanted to take out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant and play a song, but he was afraid of disturbing others to rest. So, he paced back and forth in the courtyard for a while. Suddenly, there was a gentle sound of footsteps outside the courtyard. His Divine Sense was stronger than that of ordinary people. Even if the sound was subtle, he could hear it clearly. He thought, "Who is out there at such a late night?"


    He listened attentively and heard two people talking nearby. One people said, "The demonic woman is so beautiful. No one has more spirit energy than her. Isn''t it a pity to kill her like this?"


    The other one said, "What? You have pity on her and want to let her go?"


    The previous man said, "Give me one hundred balls and I still dare not do it. What is the background of the demonic woman? The Ten-square Universe Formation jointly set by the four elders could not trap her. She nearly escaped last month."


    The other man quipped, "Tut-tut. I''m sure that our master can''t even escape from the Ten-square Universe Formation set by the four elders. Could it be that our master was too old and had a poor sight which mistook a fairy as a demonic woman? Remember last time? Master insisted that the concubine newly accepted by Ministry Councilor Zhang was transformed from a fox demon. Eventually, he went to the emperor to solve the issue and embarrassed himself."


    "Poof... OK, hurry back and send a message to the Skygale Sect. It''s been a long night of trouble. I am exhausted."


    The two men''s footsteps faded away. Xiao Chen looked dignified. He heard them talking about fairy and demonic woman. Did they mean the demonic woman to be killed tomorrow? And the two of them said that they would send a message to the Skygale Sect. Would the Skygale Sect members come tomorrow?


    Xiao Chen didn''t know what happened after the death of Tiangu Zi. If they had found out it was related to him, there might be a fierce battle tomorrow.


    But today, he would not fear anyone again, even Yunya Zi, the last Sect Leader of the Skygale Sect.


    Xiao Chen slept late last night, so he woke up at noon the next day. Yu Yifeng worried that he was tired these days, so he didn''t come to wake him up. Luo Shangyan waited outside and heard the noise in the room. She asked in a low voice, "Are you awake?"


    Xiao Chen felt the light outside was slightly dazzling. Presumably, it was getting late. He asked, "Senior Sister Luo, what time is it now?"


    "It''s already noon. I''m afraid you''ve been tired for the past two days, so I didn''t wake you up."


    Xiao Chen nodded his head and said, "Wait for me." He got up quickly, put on his clothes, washed his face and teeth, and pushed open the door. He saw Luo Shangyan standing in the yard under an apricot tree and said, "Let''s go to the square at the mountain foot."


    The two people immediately walked to the square down the mountain. When they still had some distance to go, they heard the noise coming from the square. They stepped up their pace. When they arrived at the square, they saw that the square was crowded with people. It seemed that the number of people was more than that of the days before.


    In the west, a young girl was tied to the Demon-tying Pillar on the high platform. The young girl was dressed in white without dust. She wore a green ribbon around her waist and two small bells hung on it. At first glance, Xiao Chen only felt somewhat familiar with the costume. But at the moment, because she was facing him with her back, he could not see the face of the girl.


    Two disciples of the Widespread Wintriness Sect stood at the left and right of the Demon-tying Pillar. Not far away were Sikong Yun and Xiaoyue. Xiaoyue''s face was deadpan, and she did not speak. Instead, Sikong Yun had a malicious face and kept threatening, "Tell me! What are you evil people doing here in the East Continent?"


    The girl kept shaking her head and crying. "I am not a demon, I am not a demon..."


    This voice... Xiao Chen''s body shook. He turned into a white beam and flew to the platform. He then punched twice to send the two Widespread Wintriness Sect disciples away.


    Facing such a sudden scene, everyone was surprised. Many people were confused. "Isn''t he the warrior who went to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City? What is he doing now?"


    Yu Yifeng and Luo Shangyan also did not expect him to suddenly make such a move. They shouted in unison, "Junior Brother Xiao!"


    Sikong Yun was concentrating on interrogation, so he was frightened by the sudden move. It took him quite a while to realize the situation. He thundered, "What are you doing!" Xiaoyue was also confused and then immediately cast puzzled eyes.


    However, to all the voices outside, whether in doubt or rebuke, Xiao Chen turned a deaf ear and walked step by step to the front of the young girl. The young girl looked up and saw him. Two lines of tears suddenly fell like pearls on broken lines.


    "Brother Xiao Chen..."


    The girl was Murong Xian''er. Her appearance remained the same, but there were two more fluffy white fox ears on her head.


    Xiao Chen''s bones were cracking. He channeled True Qi to his palm and then slashed the chain. The chain made of steel was immediately broken. Murong Xian''er immediately went to his shoulder and cried.


    Luo Shangyan was stunned in the distance. She didn''t expect that Murong Xian''er was captured by the Widespread Wintriness Sect.


    Xiao Chen patted her on the back and said softly, "All right, it''s okay now. I won''t let anyone hurt you." It was him that brought her out, but he failed to protect her. Xiao Chen felt very guilty now.


    He had always had a special feeling for Murong Xian''er as if they knew each other thousands of years ago. He slowly turned his head and looked at Sikong Yun and others. Two icy arrows of eyes shot out in an instant. Everyone could not help shuddering.


    He said in a low voice, "You, how dare you!"

 Chapter 144 Fight the Widespread Wintriness Sec

    t


    Murong Xian''er escaped from the chaos a few months ago and disappeared later. It was not clear why she fell into the hands of the Widespread Wintriness Sect.


    Even though the Widespread Wintriness Sect did not deliberately capture Xian''er, they held Xian''er in prison for two months, which was unforgivable. Xiao Chen tried to suppress his anger and asked Murong Xian''er, "Xian''er, did they hurt you?"


    Murong Xian''er sobbed and shook her head.


    Xiao Chen finally was relieved. He turned his head and coldly looked at Sikong Yun. "Sect Leader Sikong, I will take her away today. Do you want to stop me?"


    Was there any reason why Sikong Yun should not be angry when he was threatened by a young man in front of the public? But he hid his anger and did not let it out. He said in a deep voice, "Do you know what you are doing? Evil things had harmed countless people. She was an evil spirit. Do you want to associate with the evil''s practice?"


    Were it not for his fear of the mysterious background of Xiao Chen, he would not have said so much nonsense at this moment. He had already ordered his disciples to capture and kill Xiao Chen on the spot.


    Murong Xian''er grabbed Xiao Chen''s sleeve, shook her head, sobbing. "I''m not some evil spirit. I''m not..." She looked so adorable and poor, which made many young disciples'' heart softened.


    Xiao Chen gently wiped away tears from her eyes and nodded with a smile. "Of course I know." In fact, he also had found out now. Murong Xian''er seemed to have a very powerful spiritual energy in her body. But her spirit energy was extremely pure, and she was definitely not some evil spirit.


    He then coldly looked at Sikong Yun. "Sect Leader Sikong, which eye of yours sees her as an evil spirit?" After his voice fell, many elders reprimanded one after another. As one of the younger generation, how could he be so rude to an elder?


    Yu Yifeng also stood up and said with a clasp of his hands, "Sect Leader Sikong, are you mistaken? I think there is not a trace of evil qi in this girl."


    Sikong Yun coldly snorted and looked at him sideways. "How can there be a pair of fox ears on people''s head? Have you also been cheated by this evil spirit''s beauty? If your master heard what you said today, what would he think?"


    Yu Yifeng said nothing. Xiao Chen said, "Brother Yifeng, this matter has nothing to do with you. Today, I will take Xian''er away. No one can stop me!"


    Before his voice fell, a cold voice suddenly sounded in the crowd. "What a speech!" Then, a shadow flashed as a young man dressed in purple stood in front of him.


    His name was Ji Wuming, and he was a Core Disciple of Sikong Yun. His talent was not bad, but he joined the sect too late, so his cultivation had not yet reached the Core Forming Realm. Therefore, he did not get to join the trip to Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    However, he thought that his strength was stronger than Xiao Chen''s. Xiao Chen had stolen his show many times. Therefore, he had been holding a grudge against Xiao Chen these days. He even wanted to defeat Xiao Chen in front of the world to vent his grudge.


    Xiao Chen gave him a cold look. "You want to stop me?"


    A cold light flashed in Ji Wuming''s eyes. Without saying a word, he suddenly punched toward him. This punch was as fast as the wind, plus the two people were very close, Xiao Chen definitely could not parry. The crowd could not help but think, "He''s indeed the True Disciple of Sikong Yun."


    However, Xiao Chen took a step back while carrying Murong Xian''er. In an instant, he had moved meters away. He said coldly, "Get lost!" He swung his sleeve as a majestic force rushed to Ji Wuming with dragon roars which suddenly destroyed Ji Wuming''s palm force.


    Then, a golden dragon shadow suddenly appeared in mid-air and moved toward Ji Wuming. Ji Wuming could not cope with it, so he was hit in the abdomen. Suddenly, he spurted out a mouthful of blood and flew backward.


    Sikong Yun flashed and caught his disciple in mid-air. He then shot a cold glance at Xiao Chen. His murderous intent was obvious.


    Xiao Chen swung his sleeve and said coldly, "I said, no one can stop me today!"


    As his voice fell, and there was a vigorous old man''s voice from the mountain. "Young man, it is better not to speak crazy things like this. You should know that there always are people stronger than you."


    As the voice fell, four rows of sword radiance descended from the sky. Suddenly, they turned into four old men with white hair and beard. The four men stood side by side looked like sages. One was clad in a cyan robe, one in a white robe, one in a red robe, and one in a black robe.


    When the disciples of the Widespread Wintriness Sect saw the four men coming, they said in unison, "Elder!" Even Sikong Yun''s voice and looks were very respectful.


    These four people were the four elders of Teal Dragon Pavilion, White Tiger Pavilion, Vermillion Bird Pavilion, and Xuanwu Pavilion in the Widespread Wintriness Sect. They usually didn''t ask about the affairs in the sect and were single-mindedly meditating life and death. However, their prestige was even higher than that of Sikong Yun, the sect leader.


    The cyan-robed elder nodded slightly. "Today, the four of us expected that there might be minor problems, so we just came down to have a look." He then turned to look at Xiao Chen and asked, "I wonder how I should address this young friend?"


    Xiao Chen stood straight and raised his head, saying with a cold face, "My last name is Xiao, and surname is Chen."


    The cyan-robed elder nodded and said, "The younger generation is getting better. You can leave today, but the girl next to you stays."


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly and shook his head. "There is no possibility."


    A cold light flashed through the cyan-robed elder''s eyes. He said lightly, "So, you''re forcing the four of us to stop you."


    The four men had reached late Core Forming Realm, which meant Xiao Chen stood no chance to win. At this moment, Master Xuanji from the Wuyin Monastery stood up and said with his hands folded, "In the humble opinion of mine, although this girl is different from ordinary people, there is a clear qi in her body. It''s not the foul qi in an evil spirit. Would you like to suspend this issue?"


    Sikong Yun immediately stood up and said, "Master Xuanji, the evil things have always been treacherous and cunning and are most adept at disguise. Today, no matter how happens, we should eliminate this demonic woman. We''d rather kill the wrong target than letting it go!" His speech was so vehement only because Xiao Chen pissed him off.


    After hearing this, Master Xuanji just kept shaking his head. "Amitabha, good, good..."


    The crowd was also surprised. How could Sect Leader Sikong say such thing today? If he really killed the wrong person, he was no different than a member of the Devil''s Practice. The cyan-robed elder coughed and immediately shot a glance at him. Sikong Yun now realized his words were inappropriate and then withdrew.


    The cyan-robed elder said, "As Master Xuanji said, let''s call it a day. This girl has to stay here, and we''ll observe her for a few days. If she is really a demon who has infiltrated into our East Continent, we will definitely not let her go!"


    His words made a concession for both sides, but Xiao Chen laughed to the sky. "Ridiculous! Why should my Xian''er be detained by you? Are you dominators of this world? It''s up to you to decide everything?"


    "Stubborn!" The cyan-robed elder thundered heavily and immediately split from the other three elders. At the moment, all four of them took out their magic weapons. The cyan-robed elder had a bamboo flute, the white-robed elder had a five-string pipa, the old man in red had a big umbrella with Vermillion Bird pattern, and the old man in black had a small tower.


    The four magic weapons were dazzling and obviously extraordinary. Murong Xian''er''s body quivered, and her eyes showed fear. The four people could not keep her with their formation but trapped her with these four magic weapons in the past two months, so she was naturally afraid at the sight of them.


    Xiao Chen said, "Xian''er, don''t be afraid. I will never let them hurt you again today." He then turned around and said coldly, "You think you all have a magic weapon. Don''t forget that I also have one!" He then chanted incantation and took out the Fuxi Zither from his Divine Vessel.


    In a flash, there were seven different, dazzling beams in the sky. The four elders'' magic weapons immediately lost their luster under the brilliant light. Now there were two strings, so the Fuxi Zither became more real and extraordinary.


    Everyone felt the ancient divine power that emanated from the zither, and many people recognized the zither in Xiao Chen''s hand was the treasure of the Teal Jade Sect. It seemed that the rumors were true. They then shouted, "It''s the ancient divine zither!"


    The four elders'' faces changed one after another. Although they were in the depths of the Widespread Wintriness Sect, they also heard a little about the rumors before. The potential of this instrument was fully stimulated in Xiao Chen''s hands. On that day, Xiao Chen easily walked away from Zhou State''s palace with this instrument.


    Sikong Yun''s face looked terrible. He actually had ignored this. Normal Core Forming Realm cultivators could not resist the full blow of this zither at all.


    Xiao Chen held the zither in his arms and said coldly, "Today, I just want to take the people away. If you insist on stopping me, don''t blame me for being heartless!"


    "Hum!" The cyan-robed elder swung his sleeve. "Let''s see how ruthless you are!" He then started playing the flute. It was a song called "stepping on the surging waves of a great sea". The sound of the flute immediately made everyone''s head heavy, and the unparalleled sound wave stirred up the energy around.


    Xiao Chen took Murong Xian''er and leaped backward. The place he stood before was immediately blown by a sonic blast. The hard granite was immediately turned into bits, flying all over the sky. Xiao Chen was surprised. "This old man''s strength should not be underestimated."


    Before he could think further, another sound wave arrived as he parried away. He was holding the zither in one hand and Murong Xian''er in the other hand, so he had no chance to fight back. At this moment, the white-robed old man also held his pipa and began to play it.


    It was a song called "all-around ambush". Everyone felt extreme pain in their heads. Everything, whether trees or boulders, turned into dust on the path of the sound wave. Xiao Chen had no where to run on the stage. It was really like falling into an ambush in all directions.


    Luo Shangyan looked scared in the distance. But she knew that she could not help by going there. She might be a burden to Xiao Chen.


    Seeing the two old men were about to attack, Murong Xian''er said hurriedly, "Brother Xiao Chen, you can put me down, they can''t hurt me!"


    Xiao Chen also knew perfectly well that he could not keep dodging. He swung his sleeve and send Murong Xian''er to a safe corner. Then, he immediately turned around and pulled the C sharp major string of the Fuxi Zither. Suddenly, the sky and the earth changed color, and the wind roared. Numerous white beams instantly appeared as if all the energy around him had been gathered.


    The whole square was shone dazzling, and Xiao Chen was just like the god of war. Many people present had only heard about how powerful the divine zither was, but they had not really seen it. At the moment, they were on the spot and felt mind-blown under the great power of the Fuxi Zither.


    Many palaces had begun to shake, and the four elders did not expect this energy to be so powerful. Xiao Chen slowly aimed the string at the cyan-robed elder. The old man immediately turned pale upon seeing this. He turned around and was about to escape. However, as fast as he could be, he could not make it before Xiao Chen release the string.


    "Swoosh!" It was as if the sound rose in the skyline, a vast and unparalleled force dashed to the cyan-robed elder. It shattered everything on its path.

 Chapter 145 Fighting the Four Elders

    The cyan-robed elder sensed a huge force behind. He instantly turned around and punched out two palm strength together which were enough to seriously damage any early Core Forming Realm cultivators. But facing the power of the Fuxi Zither, it was like a centipede shaking a tree.


    With a loud bang, the old man was hit by the sound wave. He felt his internal organs were splitting. He spurted out a mouthful of blood and flew backward for about 60 meters.


    People were shocked. The cyan-robed elder was the Teal Dragon Elder of the Widespread Wintriness Sect, and he was the strongest of the four elders. However, he was so vulnerable under the strength of one string.


    "Teal Dragon Elder!" Many disciples ran over quickly. Sikong Yun and the other three elders looked terrible.


    Xiao Chen stood proudly on the stage and said lightly, "How about that? Would you like to try the zither sound again?"


    The old man with pipa in his arms narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Your blow did have tremendous power. But if I''m right, you should have consumed a lot of True Energy as a result."


    Indeed, as he said, in order to achieve the most shocking effect so that everyone could be afraid of him, Xiao Dun almost spent more than half of his True Energy. Otherwise, it was impossible to seriously damage the Teal Dragon Elder who was in late Core Forming Realm. At this moment, it was impossible for him to perform such a blow again.


    He smiled lightly. "What? Would you also like to try?" He then put his finger on the string as several white beams shot out in an instant.


    The white-robed old man''s face changed, and he took a few steps back and said seriously, "Are you sure? Even if you can injure us with the zither, do you think it is possible for you to leave here when you run out of True Energy?"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "If I have the four elders as accompany on my path to hell, it does not seem lonely to me." At this moment, while he was having a conversation with this man, he quickly restored his True Energy. If he could restore a bit more True Energy, he could deal a huge damage to another person.


    The red-robed Vermillion Bird Elder narrowed his eyes and saw what Xiao Chen was thinking at the moment. He cried out, "Senior Brother, don''t talk to him anymore!" After that, the umbrella in his hand stretched out and was thrown to the sky. The two phoenix patterns on the umbrella now had come alive. They chirped and flew up to the sky with fire around them.


    Everyone was shocked. The two phoenixes hovered in the sky and suddenly swooped down toward Xiao Chen. The stage suddenly turned into a sea of fire. Everyone nearby felt a sudden heat and ran to the distance.


    Knowing that the two phoenixes were item spirits in the umbrella, Xiao Chen dared not underestimate them. At the moment, he channeled 70% of his True Energy to his finger and then stroke on the string. A mighty power rushed forth and sent the incoming flames back.


    The fire was turning back, and the elders had already expected it to be like this. They immediately parried to somewhere else. The massive fire went back and instantly turned the nearby grass and woods into coke.


    The whole mountain gate square was covered with white smoke, and countless things were burned. The cultivators who watched the battle from afar were all shocked in their hearts. The Vermillion Bird Elder''s spirit energy couldn''t hold long, so he immediately recalled the two phoenixes to his umbrella and shouted, "This man has run out of True Energy. All disciples, listen to my order and quickly take him down! If there is any resistance, kill him!"


    Hearing the elder''s command, about forty Widespread Wintriness Sect disciples flew toward Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen stroke the string again, which sent the dozens of people back. But he felt something went wrong is his Qi Sea. It seemed that he ran out of his True Qi.


    The latter two strokes were not as powerful as the first one. People also saw that he was no longer powerful. Many people were ready to move, especially Penglai Island members and Priory of the Mystic Winds members.


    Zhang Qinglian, the sect leader of Penglai Island, whispered in Ye Wuhen''s ear, "Wuhen, this man is with the devils. You know what to do later. Be sure to kill him with one stroke to serve the justice of the Immortal''s Practice."


    Clearly, he was still holding a grudge about the issue in the Immortals League Competition, but he spoke in such a righteous way. A cold light flashed in Ye Wuhen''s eyes, and he said in a low voice, "I understand."


    On the stage, Xiao Chen put the zither back to his Divine Vessel. He knew that it was impossible to use the zither any more. Otherwise, he would not be able to hurt the three people and would plunged himself into the danger of running out of True Qi. At the same time, he was keenly aware of the people in the distance who were about to move. He thought it was because he had been so hot recently and had the skills from thousands of years ago. It was just like the saying, "an innocent man commits a crime when he holds a treasure." He might be targeted by these people.


    But these men were not enough to frighten him. His only worry was Xiaoyue, who had been watching the battle from distance. This woman hid her strength deeply. She must have noticed that he had entered her memory illusion when they were in the Primordial Phantasm. She did not make a move because she was waiting for the best opportunity.


    At the moment, he left 30% of his vigilance to guard Xiaoyue. When the Vermillion Bird Elder and the other two elders were about to attack, a white shadow flashed as Yu Yifeng landed on the platform.


    Yu Yifeng said with a clasp of his hands, "Three predecessors, there''s no need to fight anymore."


    Vermillion Bird Elder, who had the fiercest temper among the four, immediately gave him a cold look. "Yu Yifeng, this matter has nothing to do with you. For the sake of Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, we won''t make things difficult for you. But this man hurt my senior brother. It is impossible for him to leave today! Even if Qingfeng and Xiaoyao Zi are here!"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head and said, "Predecessors, you are highly cultivated men. Why should you mess with the younger generation?"


    "Hum!" Vermillion Bird Elder swung his sleeve and looked coldly at Xiao Chen, saying, "Look at his unruly manner, does he think he''s one of the younger generation? I will teach him how to respect the elders today!"


    "Haha!" Xiao Chen laughed to the sky and then shot him a cold glance. "Old thing! Are you worthy to call yourself an elder in front of me? You are less than 100 years old. It''s not your turn to teach me a lesson!!" Xiao Chen had always been like this. If a man respected him, he would respect the man back, and vice versa.


    "You!" Vermillion Bird Elder was so angry that he sent out the Flaming Palm. Golden flames appeared on the edge of his palm, and the flames went a foot high, which could not be underestimated. Yu Yifeng instantly moved in front of Xiao Chen, ran his energy, and sent out the Ice-congealing Palm.


    The two palms clashed. With a bang, Yu Yifeng''s body shook. He felt his wrist was dislocated and quickly retreated a few steps.


    Vermillion Bird Elder''s attack was enough to seriously damage any early Core Forming Realm cultivator. Yu Yifeng could narrowly get even with him, which was quite amazing.


    Xiao Chen hurried to hold him up and asked, "Brother Yifeng, are you okay?" Yu Yifeng shook his head to tell Xiao Chen not to speak again. There was still room for maneuver in this matter. Xiao Chen should not say things to provoke those three people again.


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Of course, he was at ease and had no scruples because he was alone. However, as the first disciple of Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Yu Yifeng had to be careful and vigilant in everything. The overall situation was the most important thing for him.


    However, he saw clearly what happened just now. Vermillion Bird Elder knew Yu Yifeng was blocking him, but he still had spared no energy on his palm, which made Xiao Chen very angry.


    Xiao Chen took a step forward and said coldly, "Today, I have no intention to be an enemy to you. Xian''er is my old friend, and I must take her away. If you still want to stop me, then I have to..."


    While saying, a part of the True Qi in his body became manic and restless, and there was a sign of reversal.

 Chapter 146 Gritting Battle

    A distressed frown began forming on Yu Yifeng''s face. Something was wrong, he realized. "What are you doing, Lil Chen?" He asked Xiao Chen, but the latter merely shook his head. "Help me take care of Senior Sister Luo, Brother Yifeng." With a light push imbued with his inner strength, Yu Yifeng was sent off the dais with a whisk of wind.


    He would never have wanted Yu Yifeng to witness him using the Heaven''s Talisman. But there was hardly any choice; there was no way he would leave without Murong Xian''er.


    He walked slowly to Murong Xian''er. She seemed to feel something welling from within him. Her eyes began to tremble with dread, her little head shaking profusely, "No, Big Brother Xiao Chen... No..."


    But Xiao Chen merely smiled gently at her as his hand caressed lovingly on her cheeks. Softly, he said to her, "Fret not little Xian''er. Big Brother will allow no harm to come to you..."


    He turned away from her, his demeanor instantly changing so precipitously that everyone standing below the dais instantly felt his sharp and icy glare as if the temperature of the surroundings had plummeted instantly.


    "I will no longer repeat myself. Nothing will stop me from leaving with her..."


    "What if we decide to?" An equally chilly voice rang suddenly from a corner, piercing through the silence that hung over the crowd.


    Everyone instantly turned their heads, eager to look at the origin of the voice. Zhang Qinglian of Penglai Island, wearing only a dispassionate expression, continued indifferently, "Today is the day where almost every sect, school, and order within the Orthodox Path assembled together. The Penglai Island might only be one of the lesser schools congregated here today, but we would never allow any evildoers from the Devil''s Practice to do as they please!"


    He began to address the crowd now looking at him. "Hear me, everyone! It is no secret that the cursed Blood Lotus Demon Blade, has openly recognized him as its master. The cursed blade itself is an object of great evil. Surely it is obvious why he was chosen? Yet now he openly defends an evil being of the Devil''s Practice! Do I need to say more?"


    Heads began swinging back toward the dais. Almost everyone was present during the incident of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and they had definitely felt the malicious and murderous aura radiating from him then. Some within the crowd begin to doubt Xiao Chen''s allegiance, swayed by Zhang Qinglian''s rousing slander. Brutish and impatient cries began clamoring from everywhere around the dais, shouting, "The Devil''s Practice has been a scourge to all mankind! Let no evildoers go!"


    If Zhang Qinglian had intended to incite anarchy, his actions were beginning to bear fruit: rowdy and angry protestors began shouting for Xiao Chen, incensed with a stirring bloodlust, branding him as one of the evil entities of the Devil''s Practice to crucify him. But they were cordoned off only by the flock of cultivators who were with him during the Wuwang Wind Cloud City expedition.


    "He must be a spy from the Devil''s Practice!" Zhang Qinglian''s loud roar boomed amidst the hubbub of the noisy crowds, his final straw to ignite tinderbox.


    "Master Zhang!" Yu Yifeng shouted immediately, "You are a respectable person, the leader of a sect! How can you spew such falsehoods without any shred of evidence!"


    "Evidence, you say? Look at yourself, Yu Yifeng! Why are you willing to go to such lengths to protect him? Could he be one of the dirty linens of the Jade Qing Sect?" Zhang Qinglian hissed devilishly.


    The rages of two of Yu Yifeng''s female juniors immediately turned red. Seething, one of them shouted, "What nonsense! You are an elder! Do you not know how to govern your mouth?"


    But Zhang Qinglian was hardly perturbed by her remark; he wanted to provoke the members of the Jade Qing Sect so that they would behave inappropriately before the eyes of the rest of the Orthodox Path.


    "Heh heh heh heh..." A chilly giggle rang suddenly from atop the dais, the outbreak of hubbub and noise immediately died down as everyone below stared up and saw Xiao Chen guffawing, his head thrown back in a deranged euphoria. "So what if I''m one of the Good? So what if I''m one of the Evil? All of you, the so-called Orthodox Path, so easily sentenced death to an innocent girl with no proper investigation! Is this how the forces of Good behave?"


    He reached for Murong Xian''er''s hand and tugged it, pulling her close to him. Beginning to march forward, he growled, "Nothing will stop me from leaving!"


    "You may well try!" The Elder of the Vermillion Bird bellowed. He spat an order to his underlings guarding below, "Arrest him!"


    More than forty disciples of the Widespread Wintriness Sect were already waiting to spring into action. At the elder''s cue, they immediately surrounded Xiao Chen, forming an array of swords, a ring of steel threatening to strike at him.


    Zhang Qinglian''s eyes twinkled with malice; this was his chance for vengeance. "Hearken me, disciples of Penglai Island!" He called loudly, "No evildoers are to escape today!" A chorus of assent rose from the crowd as Ye Wuhen, with another seven to eight students of Penglai Island, emerged from within the mob to reinforce the array of swordsmen.


    More and more people got past the blockade of Xiao Chen''s former comrades, only to supplement the formation of swordsmen now circling around Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er like hungry sharks waiting to strike. Unfazed by the commotion demanding for his judgment, Xiao Chen simply laughed. "Good! Very good! Very good indeed!" He yelled, "I have never offended any one of you, yet you draw your blades against me! Very well then! Then blame me not for any reprisals from me! Come at me, all of you!"


    "Insolent pup!" Ye Wuhen snarled, "Can''t you see that you are standing on a knife''s edge! So be it then, if death is what you seek!" Since his loss to Xiao Chen, Ye Wuhen had only the deepest jealousy and contempt for his rival. With an opportunity to avenge himself for his ignoble defeat, he conjured a sword in mid-air and grabbed at its hilt before stabbing straight at Xiao Chen.


    The blade sped dangerously towards Xiao Chen, its tip gleaming coldly. But Xiao Chen, hardly perturbed, merely threw his sleeves at the incoming strike. A strong pressure pummeled into Ye Wuhen, crashing him backward like a powerful hammer! What force was this! Many immediately gasped. The stroke sent a rippling shockwave, shaking the entire platform and shattering the marbles of the dais. Devil Qi! He was indeed one of the Devil''s Practice!


    Tendrils of foul energies like black fumes swirled around him like jet-black serpents that slithered around him in a protective manner. Xiao Chen, standing tall and proud despite the adversity posed against him, beheld the rabble that sought to defy him with a frosty glare. With his Devil Qi, Xiao Chen had Ye Wuhen held in an invisible vice-like grip. "You shall die..." He was heard hissing thus. But he suddenly remembered that they were formerly comrades during the expedition to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. With a fleeting outburst of compassion, the intent to kill Ye Wuhen quickly faded. Xiao Chen slammed a stroke into Ye Wuhen''s chest, merely incapacitating him.


    The boisterous atmosphere instantly plunged into a deadening silence. There was none who did not fear Xiao Chen''s overwhelming power pulsing through the air of the square, but even more trembled at the chilly tingle felt after sensing the murderous and malicious aura now flooding the whole courtyard. It was evident that Xiao Chen could have easily killed Ye Wuhen if he so wished. Still, he had decided to show him mercy.


    The rest of the mob who were earlier clamoring for his blood had fallen silent, watching with gaping amazement at the man who lorded over them with the sheer might and semblance of demons of Hell! Gripped by fear and awe, the mob began to recede slowly down the steps.


    Far away from the dais, Yu Yifeng and Luo Shangyan could hardly believe what they were witnessing, their faces aghast with bewilderment and awe. Murong Xian''er hid behind Xiao Chen''s back, gasping between her convulsive sobs, "Please stop, Big Brother Xiao Chen... Please..." as the horrors of her former demonic mutation returned to haunt her.


    Xiao Chen marched forward imperiously as if he had heard nothing. Channeling his powers again, Xiao Chen sent forth another seismic wave of Devil Qi, the corrosive tide sweeping across the floors of the square. But the blow was stopped; a group of elders held a defensive line against the advancing wave of death. Upon their own lives they swore, that Xiao Chen must never be allowed to walk free.


    Zhang Qinglian had witnessed with his own eyes how his prized student had so effortlessly defeated by Xiao Chen. Not knowing if Ye Wuhen was still alive, Zhang Qinglian wrestled against the agony of grief. He understood that he alone was hardly a match for Xiao Chen in his present state. "Slay all villains and evildoers!" He cried, stoking the flames and instigating the mob further, "Raise the banner of the Right and Just!"


    "Very good! I will draw first blood by first butchering you!" Xiao Chen heard him and roared, his anger erupting. His fists smote at Zhang Qinglian''s direction and a barrage of black fumes materialized in the shape of a gigantic fist streaked towards the latter.


    "NOOO! Xiao Chen!" Yu Yifeng screamed at his friend. There would be no turning back for Xiao Chen if he had indeed killed the leader of the Penglai Island Sect. But there was simply no one who could now stand against Xiao Chen in his present state.


    Just when the fist-like silhouette of black fumes almost crashed into Zhang Qinglian, a blinding furor of steel gleamed, dispelling the black fumes with concerted efforts. It was the group of elders from the other sects! Together as one, they had stopped Xiao Chen''s strike and saved Zhang Qinglian from immediate death. "How dare you try to commit murder here!" One of them sneered coldly, "Have you forgotten our presence!"


    Xiao Chen took one ominous step forward, stomping hard on the flagstones of the dais, crushing them into bits and pieces. "You lot were the ones who dared offend me first!" He channeled more power with the accursed Heaven''s Talisman technique, his consciousness still clinging desperately to his last shred of sanity. The growing malice in his chest, his consequence for using the Heaven''s Talisman, was threatening to corrupt him! His eyes traveled for a fleeting moment to Yu Yifeng. The quick glimpse of his friend and the only brotherly figure to him supplied him with another shot of motivation to not let the murderous grudge within him to grow.


    "Lame excuses!" The Elder of the Vermillion Bird retorted. He was earlier stunned by Xiao Chen''s display of his might earlier. But Zhang Qinglian''s instigations and the sight of more people protesting against Xiao Chen filled him with resolve to act. He traded quick looks with his two colleagues, and they leaped off the dais to rejoin another group of Core Forming Realm cultivators.


    The group of more than ten cultivators began chanting; their spell beginning to form and weave a magical forcefield that shrouded over Xiao Chen like a dome. The barrier was so powerful that Xiao Chen, despite his invincible might, was unable to break free.


    "Amitabha..." Master Xuanji lamented from afar. His head was shaking sadly as he sighed, himself laying witness to a reenactment of the fateful incident that had taken place thousands of years before, as the lore of the distant past went.


    "ARGHHH!" Xiao Chen roared with all his might, his hair now flailing wildly about his shoulders as his semblance began to take a more feral change into one akin to a demented beast. He hammered and beat around with all his might, trying hopelessly to shatter the magical formation that held him, but to no avail. Outside, the group of more than ten cultivators continued reciting the incantations to continue upholding the integrity of the barrier, an incessant warble of chants that caused only pain to Xiao Chen.


    "AARRRGGGH!" Xiao Chen bellowed with agony, his eyes bloodshot and maniacal. He tried frantically to cover his ears but it hardly helped to keep the voices from assailing him from all sides. Catcalls and whoops of joy rang from the crowd that watched from outside, cheering for the elders to continue their magic that never stopped tormenting Xiao Chen.


    Watching Xiao Chen in pain, Luo Shangyan wanted to leap onto the dais to help him, but she was held back again and again by the female Jade Qing Sect disciples. Murong Xian''er, long drenched in tears, threw herself into the air. She invoked her magic, herself swathed in a soft and gentle radiance like a fairy from Heaven.


    Her eyes were clenched closed as she too, began weaving a spell of her own; her fingers performing hand seals and her lips uttering magical words of command. A brilliant shaft of light hit upon the outer periphery of Xiao Chen''s magical prison, slowly weakening its strength. But her actions did not go unnoticed; Sikong Yun, who was watching from a distance, realized what she was doing. He immediately understood that Murong Xian''er was trying to help free Xiao Chen. With a flutter of his robes, he disappeared from where he stood, racing quickly in mid-air toward the unwary Murong Xian''er.


    The little girl was only too concentrated in working her magic, that she did not notice Sikong Yun upon her until the last moment. With a merciless grip he clenched her throat tightly, Sikong Yun yanked her away violently and landed on the ground, dragging her with him. "DO NOT HARM HER!" Xiao Chen roared from his captivity, "SPILL BUT ONE DROP OF HER BLOOD AND I''LL MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF YOU SURVIVES!"


    But Sikong Yun instead tightened his grip on the poor Murong Xian''er''s throat. "Sever your own meridian channels, knave!" He hissed insidiously, "Or I''ll first begin by slaughtering this witch!"


    Xiao Chen could only blindly watch as Murong Xian''er suffered in pain, his eyes almost bursting out of his head in fury. "Big Brother..." She choked, "Don''t worry about me... There''re two points in the Southeast; three points in the Northwest, switch both ''Li'' and ''Kan'' positions..."


    "Silence!" Sikong Yun barked. He jabbed hard at one of her acupuncture points, preventing her from speaking any more.


    "ARRGGGH!" Xiao Chen howled. With the ferocity of a demonic beast from the depths of Hell, his fists bashed relentlessly at the barrier with all the Devil Qi he could muster. With each bash, he sent quivers of shock pulsating through the entire mountain. Like a battering ram trying to bring down a tower, the intensity and sheer power of his strokes tested the defenses of the barrier to its limits that the elders had to continue weaving more magic to quickly replace the layers that crumbled.


    "SHATTER!" Xiao Chen thundered again, unleashing another barrage of dark energies so strong that cracks began to form on the dome of the magical forcefield.


    The last stroke almost collapsed the integrity of the barrier. The crowd was held to a tense and uneasy silence. It took the collective strength and efforts of more than ten elders of the Core Forming Realm to keep on restoring the magical barrier. Yet now, the magic of the barrier which they had so perilously sustained was beginning to show signs of deteriorating! Was Xiao Chen''s present strength nearing the Nascent Soul Realm? The depths of his limits were simply unfathomable!


    The expressions of the elders, previously proud and stern, were now replaced with those of worried and fearful. Some of the warriors leaped from the crowd and began injecting their True Energy to help to supplement the reparations of the magical barrier. But before the magic of the barrier could restore itself, Xiao Chen emitted another savage roar, sending forth another shockwave of Devil Qi.


    The magical barrier that the elders had so painstakingly tried to preserve immediately shattered like brittle ice. They, with the tens of warriors that had tried to help them, were immediately thrown backward by the extraordinarily strong wave of raw power, their mouths gurgling with blood spewing from their guts.


    When the clouds of dust subsided, everyone below was aghast to see a lone figure still standing tall upon the dais. There was Xiao Chen, terrible and fearsome to all, his body engulfed by a huge ball of hellish flames. The palls of Devil Qi radiating from his person hardly diminished, instead, they permeated from his very self with the strength of the tide. Slowly, Xiao Chen turned to face Sikong Yun, his eyes gleaming with icy hatred.


    "Release her..."

 Chapter 147 Good against Evil

    Sikong Yun trembled with blind fear and panic that he could hardly move an inch. He could almost see the face of Death peering down at him; with a mere lift of his finger, Xiao Chen could have easily reduced him into dust and ashes.


    "Release her, I say..." Xiao Chen growled again, moving slowly toward him like a fearsome beast regarding its prey. Step by step, he moved at a glacial pace toward Sikong Yun, while time seemed to have paused as everyone shared the same frightening shiver running down their spines.


    Sikong Yun shook himself conscious, awaking himself from his momentary stupor with a quivering spasm while instinctively releasing his hostage. Xiao Chen stared at him coldly with the disgust of one looking at an insect and hissed, "Leave."


    Sikong Yun heaved a breath of relief; he quickly scampered off the dais, thankful that his dear life was spared.


    Xiao Chen approached Murong Xian''er with a benign smile; a stark difference to the fearsome monster he was just seconds before. "Xian''er," he said gently to her, "I''ve promised to never let any harm come to you."


    But Murong Xian''er only stepped farther away from him. She was afraid, as if Xiao Chen was a terrifying stranger. Her fear was not without reason; he no longer looked human. His eyes were so red that they almost looked purple, and his self reeked so strongly of the poignant stench of Devil Qi. His smile began to froze, looking confused. "Why, Xian''er? I am your Big Brother Xiao Chen... Do you not remember me?"


    "I-is that really you... Big Brother?" Murong Xian''er stammered fearfully, still trembling with apprehension at the grotesquery of Xiao Chen''s appearance. But they were interrupted by a powerful force shaking from the eastern horizons.


    Something, or someone powerful was coming. The diffusing force of the intruder was so great and astounding that everyone in the square could have crumbled to their knees and prostrated themselves reverently. For the first time since the fight began, Xiao Chen felt an inexplicable feeling of dread. His brows creased with anxiety at the growing sensation and he turned, seeing a white cloud racing through the air, festooned with radiant inlays of multi-colored lights.


    The white-pearly cloud zipped through the air and came to a stop over the top of the square before it dissipated, revealing a sagely old man. He floated majestically in mid-air, overlooking the whole plaza filled with people gazing up at him. His robes fluttered in the high winds and Xiao Chen suddenly realized, that the old man was able to fly without using any artifacts or swords!


    A peal of cries from the crowd began calling out to the old man. Sikong Yun screamed loudly at the old man, calling him "Senior Yunya!" as if his savior had just arrived. He had sent word yesterday to the Skygale Sect about Murong Xian''er, informing them that she was the witch of the Devil''s Practice who had escaped from the Skygale Sect. But never did he expect that they would send Yunya Zi, a reclusive master of the arcane arts nearing the Realm of the Nascent Soul.


    With strengths nearing the legendary Nascent Soul Realm where one would be able to fully assimilate the forces of Nature into one''s self, Yunya Zi reigned supreme, suffering almost no equal to his indomitable might. He was the former leader of the Skygale Sect before abdicating the leadership of the sect to his student, the present leader of the Skygale Sect, Tianyun Zi.


    But Xiao Chen had only the deepest loathing as a dark grudge welled up within him. The Skygale Sect! The name rang in his mind like a tolling bell; the ones who had abducted Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er!


    The boiling anger rising within Xiao Chen made the Devil Qi curling around him grew stronger and denser. Yunya Zi noticed the churning foul energies that emitted from the young man standing atop the dais. But he paid no heed to Xiao Chen; prideful of his seniority and strength, Yunya Zi wore a lofty air of condescension as he looked down at Sikong Yun. "Master Sikong," he commanded, "Where is the person you mentioned?"


    "There!" Sikong Yun pointed hastily, "That is the witch that I''ve written to you about!" His finger jabbed straight at Murong Xian''er.


    Yunya Zi''s gaze immediately trained upon her, his eyes gleamed with greed. "Very good!" He roared gleefully, "Fortune is with us! So she has escaped here!" He swung his sleeves, his hand sweeping forth in an arc, conjuring a wind of brilliant lights, formed by his True Energy, that was about to engulf Murong Xian''er whole and whisk her away.


    Xiao Chen too flailed his sleeve, his hand sent forth a volley of Devil Qi. The blow met head-on with the radiant gale summoned by Yunya Zi and immediately canceled out each other, dispelling into nothingness. The strength of the blow surprised Yunya Zi, who had rarely suffered insolence and rebuffs from others. "Who are you?" He barked at Xiao Chen, "You dare offend me?"


    "Hmph..." Xiao Chen scoffed, "A mere cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm, yet you dare display such impudence..."


    But Yunya Zi was nevertheless a well-seasoned person; knowing better than to blindly succumb to his rage, he suppressed his anger. Still, he could hardly resist returning Xiao Chen''s impertinence with a frosty glare that was enough to convey his displeasure. "I have heard word that the Human World''s branch of the Skygale Sect was been utterly uprooted," he replied with a steely voice, "Was that your handiwork?"


    "Of course it was; including the death of your student, Tiangu Zi!" Xiao Chen declared.


    "What!? He''d slain even Master Tiangu Zi?" Murmurs, screams, and gasps rolled through the crowd. The next moment, everyone in the square felt the brimming aura of rage and malice churning from overhead.


    "And a job well done, you murderous knave!" Yunya Zi bellowed, his limbs shivering with suppressed anger. The air around him began to change; even the weather turned dark and dreary in response to his swirling agitation. He was known to be a teacher who doted on his students like they were his sons, being notoriously partisan toward them. He neither knew about the incidents at the Human World, nor did he know what had happened to Daofeng and the others, although he had long suspected the worst. But with Xiao Chen now claiming responsibility of the annihilation of the Skygale Sect at the Human World, he was beginning to lose control of his fury.


    "An eye for an eye!" Yunya Zi howled. He smote hard at Xiao Chen''s direction, sending a powerful blow down toward the ground. Everyone else on the ground went pale; a stroke from a skilled champion nearing the Nascent Soul Realm was so forceful that the flagstones of the square began bursting into splinters even before the stroke fell. Trees and plants around them instantly disintegrated into bits and pieces, disappearing into scuds of dust and soot thrown up by the winds caused by the incoming strike.


    But Xiao Chen remained standing atop the dais, dauntless even as the deadly volley of pure energy headed for straight at him. He responded with a stroke of his own, sending forth another salvo of Devil Qi that took on the form of a titanic palm. The two bursts of raw energy met in mid-air and were swallowed whole by a deafening explosion. The explosion created a black hole, a ravenous vortex that sucked and drew in everything into its limitless bowels, churning up winds and gusts of swirling debris that flew aimlessly around the square.


    This was a duel between juggernaut; one that no common mortals could intervene. The crowds immediately dispersed from the square, fleeing for their lives as early as they could before they ended up only as collateral.


    But high up in the sky, even Yunya Zi himself could hardly mask his surprise and amazement at Xiao Chen''s might. Realizing that Xiao Chen could well one day become a threat, he knew that Xiao Chen could never be allowed to walk away alive. Determined to spill blood today, he sent forth another blow.


    Xiaoyue had been watching from afar, her mind addled with confusion, shock, fright. From a distance, she studied the now-mutated Xiao Chen who was but a mere inch from completely transforming into a monster as a fear, long dormant in slumber, crept out from the depths of her heart and returned to haunt her. She remembered the words passed down to her by her predecessor and teacher, before hers before her; the secret instructions passed down through the generations of the Thousand Feathers Sect leadership: "Woe unto the Thousand Feathers Sect, if THAT PERSON so attains resurrection."


    "But it can''t be..." She murmured to herself, unable to believe her eyes, "That was merely a vision that the Founder had witnessed from the Mirror of Kunlun millennia before. It''s cannot be true..." She repeated herself softly in denial while trying to calm herself down and regain her composure. But her efforts were futile; every time Xiao Chen howled, she could hardly resist shuddering.


    In no time, what had been a handsomely-furnished square was now merely a heap of rubble with debris sprawled everywhere. The many-pillared halls of the stronghold, once the crown and pride of the Widespread Wintriness Sect, was reduced into nothing but a necropolis of ruins. Despite the anguish of the losses incurred, Sikong Yun could only hope that Yunya Zi could quickly defeat and slay Xiao Chen lest the nightmare now unfolding before his very ends would only end with the utter devastation of the Widespread Wintriness Sect.


    Yet the two combatants had exchanged close to a hundred blow, still, the gritting battle has yet to show any signs of ending. Remaining afloat in mid-air, Yunya Zi invoked layers and layers of magically-woven shields of blinding radiance and had them wrapped around himself while he looked more and more the semblance of an immortal from Heaven.


    Xiao Chen remained standing, warily on guard as his long hair streamed wildly in the wind caused by the simmering Devil Qi swirling around him. They both watched intently at each other with utmost concentration; one hovering in mid-air, divine and terrible, while the other looking up at his foe, resilient and unyielding. A duel between two personifications of both Good and Evil.


    But never did anyone realized that Xiao Chen had two different kinds of True Qi within his self. One was the pure and sublime True Qi that he had amassed using the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, while the other was the foul Devil Qi spawned by the twelve Spiritual Meridians within him. Like the contrasting Yin-Yang motifs on a taijitu symbol, the two True Qis were utterly opposite in essence to each other. But for now, it was the Devil Qi that was distinctly in possession of the upper hand.


    Yunya Zi''s browed creased as he summoned his might and he thundered, "Come forth, I summon you, Heaven-slaying Sword!" The sky turned pale, as if cowering in the face of an insurmountable aura released by Yunya Zi''s freshest conjuration: a gigantic sword of gold that hung in the air!

 Chapter 148 The Devils Three Turns

    An intense pressure weighed down on the whole mountain, making it increasingly difficult for everyone to breath. This was the Heaven-slaying Sword, the most potent magic combat magic of the Skygale Sect. It was created thousands of years ago by the founder of the Sect, and since then, it has remained the cornerstone of the Sect''s identity in the Violet Manor.


    Yunya Zi swung the magically-constructed sword of gold, slashing down callously at his foe, the stroke sending a shudder across the mountain. Xiao Chen gazed up at the incoming strike. He recognized the aura of the crushing tension bearing down on him. This was the same technique that Tiangu Zi had once used; the one that had almost reduce Li Muxue into cinders!


    "Is this the best you can do? Show me what you can!" His voice thundered, the Devil Qi emanating from his self churning wildly. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade materialized in his grasp. His sabre began to gleam scarlet-red as if it was bathed in blood, ringing like a monstrous beast''s howl as Xiao Chen unleashed the Dragon Slay technique. He swung his blade, and a dark crimson gash streaked through the air, striking at the Heaven-slaying Sword now falling on him.


    The blows from both sword and sabre met and exploded, creating a large rip in the continuum of space and time. The explosion of the two blows imploded, sending forth an overwhelming shockwave and billowing waves of dust while many in the square were thrown off their feet by the force.


    Winds continued thrashing wildly around them as if the weather itself was unsettled by the magnitude of the battle. Yunya Zi glided down to the ground gently. Xiao Chen, maimed and bloodied, spat a mouthful of blood down his tattered clothing. He staggered unstably, struggling to maintain his balance by using his sword to keep himself up.


    "Big Brother!" Murong Xian''er screamed from a distance. She was about to leap into the air to come to him, but Xiao Chen raised an arm quickly to stop her. "Don''t come here!" He yelled, before another gulp of blood spewed from his mouth. The Dragon Slay technique was still paler in comparison to the sheer might of a warrior nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Yunya Zi marched toward Xiao Chen proudly. "On this day," he declared coolly, "You shall die! And your blood I''d offer to the souls of my dead student!" He raised a hand, readying himself to deliver the final coup de grace but a loud voice called suddenly, "Stay your hand please, Senior Yunya!"


    Yu Yifeng flew over to help, but Yunya Zi spat, "Not even your teacher will be able to save him now! Leave!" His stroke veered abruptly away from Xiao Chen, instead, striking straight at Yu Yifeng.


    The stroke hit him cleanly. Being struck by a force so powerful whilst in mid-air, Yu Yifeng was thrown backward, crashing to the ground. "Brother Yifeng!" Xiao Chen cried, and shot a scathing glare at Yunya Zi.


    But he was badly wounded by the stroke from the Heaven-slaying Sword. In his present state, he was no match for Yunya Zi. But they were interrupted by the notice of another four approaching auras. Four shafts of light shot through the sky and onto the ground, turning into another four elderly men, the Four Elders of the Skygale Sect.


    Their arrival seemed sudden, for Yunya Zi was surprised to see them. "Why are you here?" He asked them, and the Elder of the East Chamber, the leader of the four, bowed and reported themselves, "We''re here at the Leader''s behest, Honored Immortal."


    "I see," Yunya Zi muttered, his head nodding faintly, "Tianyun Zi is worried about me. Never mind." He motioned toward Murong Xian''er, who was standing not far away. "Take the girl first and go back," he instructed the four before returning his attention to Xiao Chen. "I must finish him today," he eyed hatefully at Xiao Chen, "Lest he becomes a powerful enemy of the Skygale Sect in the future!"


    Unlike Zhang Qinglian and some others of insidious character, Yunya Zi at least maintained the decency of voicing his thoughts aloud instead of trying to justifying his motives with falsehoods.


    Then it dawned upon Xiao Chen: the Skygale Sect were here for Xian''er! She embodied a strange but rich spiritual energy which made her the perfect energy source for the Skygale Sect to erect the Blood Soul Formation for their founder''s resurrection! They had been unable to secure an Earth Spiritual Meridian like the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, hence they had to set their sights on Xian''er.


    With the orders of their former leader, the four Elders immediately flew toward Murong Xian''er. Being cultivators of the Core Forming Realm, it took but merely a blink of an eye for them to reach her. Xiao Chen lunged over and swung his blade at the Elder of the West Chamber who was at the rear of the group. The older man retaliated with a blow from his fists only to be knocked back and wounded by his greater strength. The Elder stared at his foe with disbelief, finally understanding why Yunya Zi wished Xiao Chen dead.


    He had not expected that with strengths to be able to survive Yunya Zi''s blow, Xiao Chen would at least possessed powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Xiao Chen''s second stroke was about to fall when Yunya Zi bolted over to help. With his bare hands, Yunya Zi caught hold of the blade of Xiao Chen''s sabre and delivered a flurry of punches and blows, hitting Xiao Chen squarely in the chest, causing more blood to spew from the latter''s mouth.


    "Just bring her back!" Yunya Zi barked at the four Elders, "I''ll handle him myself!" As he spoke, he channeled his powers, preparing to unleash a second barrage of the onslaught on Xiao Chen. The latter struggled to his feet, wiping off the blood from the edges of his lips. "You''ll never leave with her! Not in a thousand years!" Xiao Chen spat adamantly. He summoned another rush of True Energy and disgorged another torrent of Devil Qi that fanned out toward all directions around him.


    "First Diabolic Shift! My blood as fists!"


    From every wound and gash on Xiao Chen''s battered self, blood began seeping out and accumulated into a large dark-crimson floating blob hovering before him. The gigantic globule of blood morphed into the shape of a huge palm, pulsing with a scary and terrible power within. "NO! Big Brother Xiao Chen! No!" Murong Xian''er screamed again, her expression aghast with panic.


    Yunya Zi stared intently with his unblinking eyes at the palm-shaped mass of blood, realizing its danger. He summoned another burst of True Energy and smote hard, sending an auric projectile at the bloody mass. His blow contained so much power that it threw up scuds of winds and dust in its wake. But before it reached near the bloody palm-shaped mass, it disappeared! Yunya Zi''s eyes widened with shock! His energy projectile was dissipated completely merely by the sheer force radiating from the mass of blood! But before he could evade, the gigantic palm charged toward him at break-neck speed!


    With a deafening bang, the bloody mass slammed into Yunya Zi, throwing him off his feet. Yunya Zi crashed into the ground and spat blood from his mouth. The four Elders, having apprehended Murong Xian''er, were about to leave when they witnessed the scene and immediately turned back.


    "The girl has abundant spiritual energy! Go with haste!" Yunya Zi shouted hoarsely, "I''ll handle this myself!" He summoned every ounce of True Energy, readying himself but Xiao Chen had released the Second Diabolic Shift.


    The Devil''s Three Turns that Xiao Chen unleashed today, were utterly stronger than the Devil''s Three Turns that he had performed at the Three Pure Sect. The four Elders raced back to help their former leader. But a golden titanic fist materialized in mid-air suddenly. A mighty and electrifying force radiated strongly from the tightly-grasped hand, threatening to pulverize everything in sight. "Go! I''ll stop him!" The Elder shouted and immediately morphed into a ray of light that shot straight at Xiao Chen.


    "No! Come back!" Yunya Zi squealed at the top of his voice. But he was too late; the golden fist was a gargantuan conjuration of Xiao Chen every shred of True Qi he could muster. The fist coursed with pure destructive intensity, waiting to carnage like a volcano ready to erupt.


    The golden fist smote mercilessly upon the Elder of the South Chamber, completely disintegrating him. Shocked gasps and horrified yelps rose from among the crowd in the square. Never could anyone had believed that a single stroke could have easily reduced a warrior of the Core Forming Realm into dust.


    "Heaven-slaying Sword!" Yunya Zi screamed, his eyes bloodshot and maniacal. He conjured his most potent technique again, infusing more power into this version that even the sky was flooded gold by its brilliance.


    "Third Diabolic Shift! My soul as a blade!"


    Xiao Chen released a feral howl. The cloudless weather that spanned for miles immediately gave way to dark cumulonimbuses that swallowed the sky hole with rays of lightning flashing sporadically as the sky groaned angrily above. The silhouette of a wicked-looking sabre appeared in mid-air, its girth and presence dwarfing the prominence and the size of the Heaven-slaying Sword.


    The crowd was seized with a panic dread of confusion and turmoil. The might Xiao Chen displayed was far beyond their imagination. The common folk of the city of Wu Province at tens of miles away, all noticed the demonic silhouette looming precariously above the peak. Pandemonium and anarchy were everywhere. No one below knew what was happening, although they felt difficulty as they breathed as a result of the heavy and tense pressure of Xiao Chen''s boiling powers.


    Yunya Zi, now horrified with shock, murmured, "Impossible... It''s his soul..." He had never expected that his foe was able to use his own soul as a source of power. Fearing the worst, he knew this was a stroke that he could never be able to weather.


    "This is what your Skygale Sect owes me, Yunya Zi! I''ll have your life as compensation!"


    With a savage howl, the colossal sabre came down with the force of like a mallet upon an anvil, striking upon the peak with a force that could have torn open the earth. The impact of its stroke ruptured the very fabric of time and space, causing a vortex to appear.


    But before Xiao Chen launched his final strike, his eyes wandered to Luo Shangyan and the sobbing Murong Xian''er. A kaleidoscope of images from his past passed before him; he remembered his teacher from thousands of year ago and thought of Li Muxue and Hua Weiyang. The sight and memory of his loved ones almost made him hesitated as he wondered if he would still be able to see their faces again.


    The Devil''s Three Turns were a discipline of techniques that expended the spirit and vigor of its user. It was almost impossible for a person to survive after unleashing all Three Turns.


    But he knew full well that he had no other choice.


    The catastrophic force of the Third Diabolic Shift destroyed everything in the square, reducing them into dust even before the blade of the gigantic sabre hit its mark. The foundations of the great halls and towers perched atop the mountain began to give way and crumble before the explosion from the strike annihilated what was left, turning rubbles and debris into soot and grime.


    The entire mountain shook violently and dust rose into the air like smoke from a furnace. There was no way of knowing if there were any collateral damage or losses of life. Minutes passed as the scuds of dust began to die down. The entire square had been cloven into two, people began to realize, and in its center, a huge chasm was formed by the destructive force of the blow. Yunya Zi laid sprawled on the ground, panting for life. He was drenched in blood, still clinging to his dear life.


    "Big Brother Xiao Chen..." Murong Xian''er gasped before she fainted out of shock.


    Everyone else who had survived the devastating impact was still dazed and bewildered until Yunya Zi''s hoarse voice pierced through the silence, "He must not leave alive!" With this cry, everyone immediately understood: with only a single blow to kill a warrior of the Core Forming Realm and a stroke with his sabre to seriously wound a grandmaster nearing the Nascent Soul Realm, Xiao Chen''s name would henceforth be widely-known across the whole Violet Manor!


    Prompted by the vain command by Yunya Zi, the three surviving Elders sprang into action. Woe would follow the Skygale Sect as long as Xiao Chen remain. But he was standing motionless in the wind, his face pale as Death. The Elder of the East Chamber was the first to notice his opportunity. He vanished, only to reappear suddenly before Xiao Chen, and landed a blow with all his might.


    The blow hit the now defenseless Xiao Chen, tremendously powerful, enormously strong, that he was sent crashing backward, collapsing to the ground like a fallen leave, almost dead and disheveled.


    "Junior Brother Xiao!" Luo Shangyan''s shrill cry came from afar. A few disciples of the Jade Qing Sect were restraining her, holding her back from rushing over to Xiao Chen.


    Murmurs and gasps of incredulity and shock filled the onlookers. Even the Elder of the East Chamber could hardly suppress his amazement. A stroke with his full might would have been able to blast any Core Forming Realm cultivator into nothing but a mist of blood and viscera. But not only did he failed to kill Xiao Chen, instead, there also was not even a bruise or mark on Xiao Chen''s body which was as sturdy as the strongest steel!


    The Elders of the West and North Chambers hurled themselves at Xiao Chen and were about to land another barrage of blows on him when a hollow voice echoed loudly from the distant horizon, "A leaf and flower, a sheaf of dust, let the flowers fall and leave no dust..." The voice, ringing far and distant at first, suddenly chimed so clearly as if the voice itself was speaking into everyone''s ears. Still, there was no sight of the origin of the voice.


    "Hahahaha! I, the None-flower Dust, am come again!" The voice boomed again, "Strike as hard as you will, the three of you old sniveling seniles, and I will return the same favor to you, ten times over!"

 Chapter 149 Gui Xian

    Frightened by the warning, the three Elders held back their strokes. "What are you doing?" Yunya Zi croaked through his coughs of blood, "Kill him!"


    Urged by their leader, the Elder of the East Chamber was the first to attack. His fist had nearly reached Xiao Chen''s head when an invisible force slammed into him with the force of a mountain. The insurmountable blow sent the old man tossed into the air, choking up blood from his mouth.


    "Hmm... Your powers have enhanced... That''s what you get after absorbing almost ten year''s of Liku''s powers, I guess..."


    The same indifferent voice resounded again, although the speaker was still nowhere to be seen. But everyone present was more surprised by the contents of what he said. Perfected Immortal Liku was but a warrior renowned across the lands, powerful in his own right. Was it true that this Elder of the Skygale Sect had indeed usurped part of his powers?


    The Elders of the West and North Chambers traded a quick look. They charged at Xiao Chen, their movements quick and forceful that even the winds heaved and huffed as if in response. But before they could reach Xiao Chen, they were also pummeled by invisible forces like how the Elder of the East Chamber was beaten.


    "My words have fallen on deaf ears, it seems!"


    The voice rang again, this time laced with cold fury. A handsome man, whose enchanting features as elegant as the purest of jade, appeared out of thin air. Gliding gently to the ground with the grace that even the fairest of maidens would plead inferior to, None-flower Dust, the Seventh of Heaven''s List flicked open his fan casually, the tail of his speckless robes fluttering like the feather''s of a peacock''s rear.


    Whispers and murmurs began rolling through the crowd of onlookers. None-flower Dust might not be an official member of the Devil''s Practice, but there was still the unmistakable whiff of malevolence about him. As one of the most potent warriors of the land who possessed the might to deny the will of the Immortals'' League, it was plain that he was here to retrieve Xiao Chen.


    He drifted lithely toward Xiao Chen like a butterfly circling a withering flower, chuckling with disapproval. "You just love to force things through even when there''s zero possibility of winning," he sighed, chastising Xiao Chen''s brashness with a shaking head. "What a reckless abandon... Heavens... You''re fortunate that I still owe a certain someone a favor..."


    The Devil''s Three Turns'' temporary enhancement to one''s strength was undeniably great and powerful, but it was not without a terrible price; one that not even the drawbacks of using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements could lightly compare. In his present state, Xiao Chen was so close to death that he was merely awake through sheer will alone lest he would have long fainted. Still, despite his incapacitation, he could still feel everything that was transpiring around him.


    None-flower Dust halted his ramblings and waved his arm, flailing his sleeve and whisked Xiao Chen into his arm. He began to turn and leave, when Yunya Zi, still panting and heaving wearily, yelled, "Stop him! He must never leave!"


    None-flower Dust stopped in his tracks and regarded Yunya Zi frostily. "Yunya Zi," he called out to the older man with an amused expression, "Look at yourself. You''re looking into the face of Death yourself. Still, you wish ill upon others?" With a derisive snicker, he began walking away.


    Just then, the air in front of him flickered and a few figures appeared before him, barring his way. "If you would please, Master None-flower! This evil man must answer for his crimes!"


    "Hahahaha!" None-flower Dust merely guffawed. "Who are you and why should I heed your words? I am None-flower Dust. I come as I may, and leave as I will. Nothing will stop me." With a kick, he took into the skies and flew away, heading east.


    The three Elders of the Skygale Sect drew their swords and rode on them, tearing through the sky in pursuit. But None-flower Dust merely chortled with disdain. With a gentle wave of his feathered fan, a gust of wind blew suddenly, engulfing the three Elders and buffeted them with a fury that cast them back to where they came from.


    "Dreams are sundered as my sword glittered, the spring blossoms withered ere the year departed..." None-flower Dust''s voice sang softly as his figure grew smaller in the distance and finally flitted out of sight.


    Gradually, Xiao Chen faded into unconsciousness, his last thoughts being the safety of Murong Xian''er. He could no longer speak and he knew nothing of why None-flower Dust would help him again and again.


    Three days later, None-flower Dust and he ventured into a quiet and tranquil mountain valley. Despite being late into autumn outside, spring was in a perpetual stasis in the valley. Lush greeneries and colorful flowers bloomed proudly in the cheerful chirps of birds professing their songs of love. There was a lagoon in the valley and beside it sat three little cottages build side-by-side. With lightness skill, None-flower Dust skimmed over the meadows and the surface of the water, reaching the cottages with hardly an effort. Three times he shouted, "Gui Xian!" (Literally, Wraith Immortal)


    Thrice his voice resounded off the mountains, but there was still hardly any response. "Old man," None-flower Dust muttered, at last, smiling slyly, "On the count of three, I will burn down your shabby huts if you still refuse to see me."


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "Three!"


    On the third count, None-flower Dust opened his palm and conjured a blue speck of flames. A hoarse and frailed voice croaked from inside of the cottage on the middle. "Oh my! Oh my! Come on now, Little None-flower!" The feeble voice of an old man called hurriedly, "Heaven forfend if you should burn down my house! I''ll never rest till I have my revenge!"


    The wooden door creaked opened almost immediately, allowing None-flower Dust to enter. They walked through the threshold and found the insides of the cottage festooned with an assorted array of medicinal weeds and spices hanging from the eaves, while the air inside reeked of the aroma of herbs. But there was no one to be seen.


    The frail voice of an old man croaked again. "Why are you here with a dead man? Is that a body you are giving me as compensation for burning down my house last time?"


    "You speak too much," None-flower Dust snapped, placing Xiao Chen on a bed. He turned to speak at the old man again, "Save him."


    A figure slowly came into view, ghostly and spectral. With hairs and beards as white as snow, the translucent body of the old man shimmered as he moved toward the bed to inspect Xiao Chen. He was no longer human, but merely a soul body. He checked Xiao Chen''s pulse and chuckled. "Ah... He''s in a terrible state."


    "Can you save him?" None-flower Dust pressed, his brows creasing into a frown.


    Gui Xian snickered, his face beaming with pride, "Of course I can. Did I not save you too when you were almost dead yourself? Come to think of it, I had..."


    "Enough with your blather! Get to work!"


    "Why the hurry? You could''ve let me finish." But Gui Xian paused suddenly and sighed. "What a pity... What a pity if he can be saved..."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Heh heh heh heh!" The eyes of Gui Xian twinkled as he studied Xiao Chen''s body. "Oh my, an indestructible body..." he lamented longingly, "The fabled indestructible body... If only I have one like his..."


    He carried on mumbling incomprehensibly, peering with yearning at Xiao Chen''s body. "This man is protected by the Spirit Silence Room," None-flower Dust snapped, "I''d suggest against harboring any malevolent intent on him. Not unless you wish to incur the wrath of Bai Susu."


    "Ah... I see..." Gui Xian sighed with dejection, "What a pity... A pity indeed."


    "How long do you need?" None-flower Dust pressed again.


    "His soul is as good as tattered... But each of his soul''s fragments will return in every seven days. It will take only forty-nine days for his soul to be restored. But..."


    "But what?" None-flower Dust asked seriously.


    "But I''m afraid all of his powers will be no more."


    None-flower Dust''s forehead wrinkled with distress. "Is there no other way?" He asked. "Of course there is. This is but mere child''s play to me!" Gui Xian barked indignantly with pride.


    "Very well then. I''ll leave him with you. I''d best be off then." None-flower Dust said and vanished, reappearing outside the door. He disappeared again, this time for good, but he left a lingering message that echoed hollowly into the valley, "Take care. There might be others who have found you by now."


    "I''ll be thankful enough if you were to leave me alone, you rascal?" Gui Xian hissed irately.


    Forty-nine days passed by like a blur. The gentle, cooling breeze heralded the passing of autumn. Xiao Chen opened his eyes finally. He had woken up several times before but each time his eyes opened, he remained dazed and fuzzy only to lose consciousness again. He stared blankly as he finally regained his vigor and feel his strength returning to his fingers. The voice of an old man called out to him suddenly, "You''ve woken up finally, boy."

 Chapter 150 Administration of Heaven

    Xiao Chen struggled to push himself up and looked around. The walls of the cottage were bare and empty, save for the strange and odd-looking herbs and spices hanging around. He took a long swig of breath; his first since a long time, and took in the scent of medicine and herbs. But there was no one around him. Gui Xian''s disembodied voice rang again. "Lie down and don''t move around," he snapped before his spectral form appeared.


    Xiao Chen immediately realized that Gui Xian was merely a soul. He had only just regained consciousness, hence he failed to pick up his presence. He clasped his hands together in salute. "Were you the one who saved me, senior? How should I address you?"


    Gui Xian giggled. "They call me Gui Xian," he replied, "I suppose you can also address me as such."


    "I see. It''s Senior Gui Xian," Xiao Chen said, his head nodding, "Was I out for long?"


    "No more or lesser than forty-nine days, boy."


    "Forty-nine days eh..." Xiao Chen murmured to himself. He remembered how None-flower Dust had saved only him at the stronghold of Widespread Wintriness Sect. Yunya Zi must have taken Murong Xian''er back to the Skygale Sect by now.


    He must go immediately to the Skygale Sect, Xiao Chen realized. He was about to push himself up when Gui Xian stopped him. "You were repeating a name when you were unconscious. A name called Xian''er? She must be important to you?"


    "I have to save her!" He would never forgive himself if Murong Xian''er was sacrificed for some insidious schemes. He rolled off the bed. "Ah! What a reckless young man!" Gui Xian berated him, "Try walking for a few steps. Let''s see if you have enough strength to rescue others."


    Indeed, Xiao Chen was still too weak; in only two steps, he felt shaky and powerless. Gui Xian''s ghostly figure appeared beside him to help him to a seat. "There''s no helping it. You have just woken up after a grave injury after all. You need to rest for at least three days before you fully regain your strength."


    Impatient and brash, Xiao Chen would never have wanted to delay Murong Xian''er''s rescue if he could help it. But Gui Xian was right: he needed rest. With no other choice, he began his recuperation as bidden by the ghost physician. On the third day, Xiao Chen went outside. He smote furiously at the face of a cliff. The impact of his stroke shook the whole valley that birds and beasts were frightened, scurrying to and fro with fear.


    "For the love of Heavens! First, there''s None-flower Dust, and now you! Please do not try to demolish my humble abode!"


    Xiao Chen turned to face the ghostly form of Gui Xian approaching him. The former smiled impishly. "My apologies, Senior Gui Xian," said Xiao Chen, "To have distressed you." Not only Gui Xian had saved him from death, rather, his powers had also increased substantially, reaching Lv 9 of the Foundation Building Realm. It would not be long before the Core Forming Realm, he mused with elation.


    "Whatever," Gui Xian muttered with a note of resignation, waving him off. "Go save this Xian''er of yours."


    Xiao Chen nodded. It was imperative he made haste. He had hardly been idle for the past three days. Gui Xian had revealed to him that they were in a remote valley at the far western edges of the East Continent. He would have to traverse tens of thousands of miles to reach the stronghold of the Skygale Sect at the eastern side of the Continent, a journey that would take at least two days even with a Flying-cloud Stone.


    But Xiao Chen noticed Gui Xian''s dismal frown before leaving. The ghost physical seemed troubled. "What is wrong, Senior Gui Xian?"


    Gui Xian gave no reply, sighing only instead. "I have wished to leave this place myself," he said, after pausing for seconds, "I expect my enemies to have found me by now. It may be time for me to burn everything off, after so long of staying here. Still, I have grown fond of this place..."


    Xiao Chen realized his sorrow and reluctance. He needed to save Xian''er as quickly as possible, but he could not leave without finding out Gui Xian''s plight; not after the ghost physician''s kindness toward him. "Who are these enemies of yours, senior?" Xiao Chen asked. Gui Xian was a person with sufficient skills of his own to protect himself. The enemies must be powerful and strong, to be able to drive him into hiding.


    Gui Xian shook his head. "It is a debt of mine toward them. Something that you should not concern yourself with..." But before he could continue, his body shuddered and his pale spectral face grew even deathlike. "Heavens... They are here..." He gasped with horror.


    All of a sudden, Xiao Chen too felt a strange, tingling sensation that made his hair stand. A voice, distant and hollow, boomed over the lagoon of the valley, "You have long eluded us, Liu Yuanyu. Would you still refuse to keep your promise?"


    "Who is there?" Xiao Chen growled. But he had barely finished when two figures landed on the ground with a thud. They were both clad in black hooded cloaks, with dark mists swirling at their faces, obscuring their features from being observed. Not only were their movements agile and nimble, but Xiao Chen could also feel their unmistakably strong soul power.


    "Despite my best efforts, still you manage to find me," Gui Xian muttered, sighing. "Come with us then, if you will!" One of the hooded men hissed.


    Xiao Chen placed himself in front of Gui Xian defensively. "Apologies, gentlemen," he said dispassionately, "Senior Gui Xian has shown me great kindness. I cannot let you take him away."


    "And who do you think you are? You''d best mind your own affairs," said the other man in black coldly who immediately shot him a cold glare.


    "Please leave us," Xiao Chen said again, shaking his head, "As I said before, I will not allow Senior Gui Xian to be taken away."


    "And pray to forgive our disrespect and brusqueness, if you still wish to interfere," said one of the hooded men, hurling himself immediately at Xiao Chen, brandishing two jet-black chains out of thin air.


    Xiao Chen released a strike of his own with his two palms, sending two projectiles in the shape of golden dragons that sprouted out of his arms and hit at the two chains, propelling them back as the dragon silhouettes'' roars thundered loudly.


    But he could not help feeling puzzled by the techniques of the assailant which were specially for the incapacitation of soul bodies. This might explain Senior Gui Xian''s fear for these people and how he could sense their presence.


    Realizing that they did not have the upper hand, the other man in black garb charged at Gui Xian, trying to attack him directly from the back. Xiao Chen rushed quickly at him using the Immortal-override Steps, leaving on a mirage in his wake, while he intercepted the other intruder. Their blows met with a loud bang, and the intruder was being thrown backward by Xiao Chen''s superior power.


    The man staggered to maintain his balance. Noticing that Xiao Chen had used a movement technique similar to the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust, he hissed frostily, "Are you a student of the Thousand Feathers Sect?"


    "I am no student of the Thousand Feathers Sect," denied Xiao Chen, shaking his head, "I have vowed to not let Senior Gui Xian be taken away. But if you two wish to escalate things any further, rest assured that I will do my utmost to stop you both."


    He channeled all of his True Energies, releasing them in one go that his powers rippled from him with a shockwave so strong that Gui Xian''s three cottages almost collapsed. The spectral physician was greatly surprised; the eruption of power came not from Xiao Chen''s True Energy, but in fact, his Soul Power.


    The two hooded men too were surprised themselves, even though their features were masked. One of them gasped, "Your soul..."


    Xiao Chen''s Soul Power was powerful beyond anything they had ever seen. The hooded men shared a quick look and whispered hushly to each other until one of them spoke. "Your soul is powerful," he said to Xiao Chen, "Still, there is only so much that one can do. But if you have need of us, please do not hesitate to contact us, the Administration of Heaven."


    Xiao Chen''s squinted at the revelation. Indeed, as he previously suspected, the two men are one of the Soul Wardens of the mysterious organization, the Administration of Heaven.


    The Administration of Heaven was a secretive organization that dealt with souls. This included granting a person a wish in exchange for his or her soul.


    "Very well then. Consider this a courtesy from the Administration of Heaven to you," said one of the Soul Wardens, "Liu Yuanyu shall remain free, at least for now." With that, the two hooded men immediately vanished into wisps of dark fumes and were gone.


    Xiao Chen waited for their presence to truly dissipate before he turned to face Gui Xian. "They''re gone now, Senior," he said, "Where would you go from here?" He could almost guess the reason of the Soul Wardens'' visit, but he knew better than to prod.


    Gui Xian remained silent for seconds, save for the sour look of sullenness as the painful memories of his past returned to him. "I, Liu Yuanyu, was once known as the most potent physician in the Middle Continent," he admitted, "But I had mistakenly saved the life of a dying man. Little did I know that my kindness had instead incurred the wrath of the man''s nemesis; a man who harbored deep hatred unto the man I saved. He hated me for what I did and butchered all thirteen members of my family..."


    He choked, unable to continue any longer. What brutality, Xiao Chen mused. "What happened next?" He asked again.


    "Naturally, I wished revenge for my dead loved ones. But I did not realize at the time that the person was extremely influential himself in the Middle Continent. Not only did my plans for vengeance failed, but I had also troubled many of my friends badly. Until one day, I met someone. He told me that he would arrange for the death of that person, so long as I promise to hand over my soul to them after my death."


    Xiao Chen nodded quietly in response; the rest of Gui Xian''s story could not be clearer. The Administration of Heaven was indeed a powerful organization with wide and terrible reach. He heard Gui Xian sighing again and the ghost of the old man continued his tale. "But when the deed was done and its cost came due, I regretted making the promise. To hand over my soul would mean that I will never be able to enter into Samsara for a rebirth. I wanted to wait for my loved ones and to see them attaining rebirth..."


    Tears of sadness trickled down his creased face. "There are things that we humans have no control of, Senior," Xiao Chen consoled him, sighing to himself, "You can only pray for the serenity to accept them."


    Gui Xian shook off his tears and smiled weakly, "Don''t you try outsmarting me, you rascal. Wait up. I have something for you." He turned and went inside one of his cottages and came back moments later with a cloth bundle.


    "Go east after exiting this valley. You''ll reach a little town twenty miles. There''s a transport agency there where you will be able to hire a Flying-cloud Stone. Take this money and Spirit Stones. You''ll need them."


    Xiao Chen was reluctant to accept the gift, but he knew that he would need them. He smiled benignly, "Thank you so much, Senior."


    "I have matters to take care of," Gui Xian waved him off, "Go with haste. But be careful. Your quest to the Skygale Sect abounds with danger."


    "Thank you for your words of caution, Senior." Xiao Chen bowed and said his thanks, skirting by the edges of the lagoon and slowly walked out of the valley. He traveled for twenty miles, just as how Gui Xian had bidden him to, and found the little village that was filled with crowded people. He looked for the transport agency and negotiated a ride to Jing Province for ten Tier Two Spirit Stones.


    He rode on normal Flying-cloud Stone that could bear about thirty passengers. The flying conveyance made several stops at different cities and towns, dropping and collecting passengers that traveled around.


    During his journey, he overheard snippets of news about his exploits at the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect. But the news that began to spread was hardly pleasant.


    "Have you heard about the monster Xiao Chen? There were rumors of him wreaking havoc at the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect! Some people were saying that Senior Yunya Zi, who was trying to protect everyone else, was gravely injured by him!"


    "Ah! Justice will befall that monster soon! I''ll be the first to cast the first stone if I were to encounter him!"


    Xiao Chen listened quietly to the twisted stories about him, with anger boiling within. He had used the forbidden techniques only because he was forced to. But this had enabled the insidious parties to twist and distort facts to their favor and brand him as an evil monster out to destroy innocent lives. Yunya Zi''s sinister scheme of trying to erect the Blood Soul Formation was not only kept under wraps, instead, but he was also being hailed as a hero!

 Chapter 151 An Upsurge in Rumors

    The one beside Xiao Chen saw Xiao Chen''s face full of resentment and said, "Brother, don''t get angry. One day, we will eliminate all these demons!"


    It took Xiao Chen quite some time to realize that the person is talking to him. He smiled and said, "Yes, the people of the Devil''s Practice are harmful to the common people, and every one of the Orthodox Path should kill them on sight."


    This was Ling Yin''s teaching in those days, but now he even felt so hypocritical when he talked about it.


    Just then, a common-looking young man came along and looked at the others with thievish-looking eyes. He then put his hand on his mouth and said in a low voice, "Shh, truth be told, the Skygale Sect is also not peaceful recently. I heard that there is always an abnormal aura coming out of the mountain recently. At night, some people can even hear the strange sound from the mountain, which scares everyone in the Jing Province..."


    Another one said, "Really? Where did you hear that? You can''t say things like this casually!"


    Xiao Chen was shocked. It seemed that the Skygale Sect had not yet activated the Blood Soul Formation; otherwise, it would have caused a stir in the whole East Continent. In this case, Xian''er is still safe at present. It''s just too difficult for him to save her on his own.


    Although Yunyazi has been injured seriously by him and could not recover in a year or two, the four elders were guarding it. Plus, there were Tianyun, the old Taoist, keeping the sect and many other Core Forming Realm experts.


    He suddenly thought of a coup. Since the Skygale Sect had now attracted the attention of some cultivators, why not pushing it further to lead all cultivators in the East Continent to the Skygale Sect? At that time, it would be much easier to take advantage of the chaos and rescue Xian''er.


    Thinking of here, he deliberately showed surprise and whispered to himself, "Are those... Those rumors turned out to be true..."


    When some people heard "rumors", they came over to Xiao Chen. A person asked in a low voice, "Brother, what rumors? You tell us clearly."


    At this point, Xiao Chen deliberately showed a face which looked like he unintentionally divulged some secrets. "Ah... Nothing, nothing!"


    The more he said so, the more people wanted to know what it was. A short-tempered person asked, "What exactly do you want to say?"


    "Alas..." Xiao Chen sighed, revealed a very sorry expression, and said, "I met a friend last month who told me that he escaped from the Skygale Sect..."


    He then told them about the fact that the Skygale Sect wanted to activate the Blood Soul Formation, secretly captured many cultivators to use them as the spirit medium, and killed countless people. The crowd was agape upon hearing these. Finally, someone could not help saying with anger, "The Skygale Sect has done such unethical things in order to resurrect Patriarch Guanshan and dominate the Violet Manor. The people of the Orthodox Path cannot allow it!"


    Of course, there were also people who were skeptical. "Brother, what you said just now is really unbelievable. I wonder if you have any evidence to prove it?"


    The common-looking youth said, "Evidence? The abnormal aura recently from the Skygale Mountain is the best evidence."


    Someone said, "In this case, it seems to be true. It just came to my mind that days ago, the Skygale Sect members seemed to be hunting disciples from other sects. Those disciples escaped, and the Skygale Sect had to kill them."


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly in his heart. He did not care whether these people believe it or not. One person could pass the words to ten others, and the ten others could spread the words to hundreds. Within three days, the attempt of the Skygale Sect to open the Blood Soul Formation to revive its patriarch would surely be spread throughout the whole East Continent.


    He had seen through the human mind. People just did not want stronger opponents. So, no matter what the cause was, people would go stop the Skygale Sect from resurrecting Patriarch Guanshan.


    When they arrived at the next town, the Flying-cloud Stone had to be re-filled with spirit energy. Xiao Chen bought some sugars, found some kids, taught them the ballad he had composed about Skygale Sect activating the Blood Soul Formation, and let them sing the ballad in the city.


    He did the same thing in the following stops of the Flying-cloud Stone. He just wanted to let everyone know that the Skygale Sect''s attempt to resurrect its patriarch is not groundless. At that time, it would attract the attention of all sects, and they would fight against the Skygale Sect in unison. He could then take advantage of the chaos to rescue Xian''er.


    At dusk on the second day, the Flying-cloud Stone arrived at a small town hundreds of miles away from Jing Province but refused to continue moving to Jingzhou. The officers returned people some of the ticket money and drove the stone back. Presumably, it was because of the recent rumors about the Skygale Sect.


    However, this was good for Xiao Chen because the Skygale Sect had attracted many people''s attention by now. In the following time, he was not in a hurry to go to Jing Province. He was going to push it further.


    These three days, he was busy running around, spreading disadvantageous news about the Skygale Sect everywhere. He did not do this in vain. At least, the Skygale Sect had attracted the attention of the emperors of Zhou State and Qing State. Many cultivators from all sects were already rushing to Jing Province.


    At the moment, the sun was setting in the west. Xiao Chen stood on the top of a small hill 50 miles from Jing Province. The oncoming mountain wind made his clothes rattle. The setting sun pulled the shadow behind him long as if there was no end.


    Looking at the direction of Jing Province, his mouth curved vaguely. "Skygale Sect, you took Xian''er away and slaughtered my Xiao family. Now, I just get a little interest back."


    Just then, there suddenly came the noise of a fight from the foot of the mountain. Xiao Chen looked over and saw four or five people were hunting two people down. He immediately narrowed his eyes. Although he was far from them, he saw clearly the clothes of the four or five people, which suggested they were disciples from the Skygale Sect.


    It seemed that the person before was right. There must be great chaos in the Skygale Sect. Some cultivators captured by them took advantage of the chaos and escaped, and then they were hunted down and killed.


    Xiao Chen moved and used the Immortal-override Steps as he floated down the mountain and instantly landed in front of the people. The two people who were being hunted saw someone come and shouted as if they saw life-saving hope, "Help, righteous man!"


    Xiao Chen coldly looked at the opposite five Skygale Sect disciples and said lightly, "The Skygale Sect?"


    The leading character was nearly at Lv 7 Foundation Building Realm. His eyes shot two cold beams of light, and he said coldly, "Exactly. Who are you?"


    "Xiao Chen."


    As his voice fell, the five disciples were scared as hell. Before they could react, Xiao Chen waved his hand, and four sharp air blades flew out and immediately took four lives.


    The two people behind Xiao Chen were also scared upon seeing this. This person indeed killed others decisively. Although they had not heard about Xiao Chen before, this was the best time to escape. They exchanged glances and fled to the distance like smoke.


    The Skygale Sect disciple left was already frightened out of his wits. His life was in the hand of Xiao Chen at the moment. He said in a quavering voice, "You... What are you going to do..." While speaking, he stepped back.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes were cold and looked like two killer swords. He walked forth step by step and said coldly, "What''s your name?"


    After hearing this, the man seemed to have won the pass to avoid death. He was secretly glad that he was useful to Xiao Chen. Now he let out a little sigh of relief and said with respect, "I''m Han Yu, the Sect Leader''s True Disciple."

 Chapter 152 Tianyun Zi

    Xiao Chen nodded. "Then you can die!" As his voice fell, a sharp air blade flew out and immediately took Han Yu''s life. Until he died, he still kept his eyes wide open.


    Looking at the five bodies with eyes open on the ground, Xiao Chen took a deep breath. When did he become so clean and quick in killing people? Was it his hatred toward the Skygale Sect? Or he had run the Heaven''s Talisman again and again, which eventually generated the Inner Demon?


    He shook his head because he didn''t have time to think about these problems at the moment. He took out the face-shifting item from his Divine Vessel he already prepared and turned himself into Han Yu''s appearance. He then put on Han Yu''s clothes, took the jade badge in Han Yu''s arms, got rid of the five bodies, and went to Jing Province.


    It''s time now. The cultivators of all sects were heading for the Skygale Sect. What he needed to do now was to infiltrate the Skygale Sect and took the chance to rescue Murong Xian''er.


    After about 20 miles of running, he came to a small forest. It was already dusk, and there was only a little light in the sky which could not go through the leaves. In the dim light, Xiao Chen saw several figures standing in the distance. They seemed to be arguing about something and then started fighting without too many words.


    All of a sudden, a powerful aura came over as a large area of trees were shattered into dust by the Sword Qi. Xiao Chen was frightened and thought that the people had high cultivation. It was too late for him to run. Those people moved to him while fighting.


    They moved incredibly fast like lightning flitting in the woods. Many trees fell along their path. Xiao Chen jumped onto a big tree. He tried to look carefully, but the light was dim, so he couldn''t see them. He could only hear someone shouting, "Tianyun Zi, you don''t deserve to be a cultivator since you have done such thing against reason and nature! We will not let you survive today!"


    ÄÇÈË˵°Õ£¬ÊÖÉÏÏɽ£Ò»»Ó£¬Ò»µÀ½£ÆøºáÅü³öÈ¥£¬Á¢Ê±ÓÖÓдóƬÊ÷ľµ¹Ï£¬Ò»Ãû°×ÐëÀϵÀµ±¼´ºá½£ÔÚÐØ£¬×èÏÂÕâµÀ½£Æø£¬Ö»ÌýËûµÀ£ºAs his voice fell, with a wave of his Immortal''s Sword, a row of Sword Qi dashed forth as a huge area of trees fell instantly. An old man with a white beard immediately placed his sword before the chest and blocked the Sword Qi. He then said, "Since you believe in rumors, it doesn''t matter what I say now."


    He then channeled his True Energy madly and swung his sword as a huge area of mud was sent flying. The sword radiance was about a dozen meters long, dazzling, and immediately shone the whole forest bright as day.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed. He immediately recognized the old man was Tianyun Zi who fought with Mu Chengxue before. He sighed that the old man''s strength was extraordinary. One against four late Core Forming Realm experts, yet the old man was not in a disadvantage.


    Just then, the four men also launched attacks together. A cold light flashed, and a row of sharp Sword Qi moved toward the tree Xiao Chen stayed on. When the tree was shattered, Xiao Chen immediately fell down. One of the four people thundered, "Who!"


    Tianyun Zi also looked at him and shouted, "Han Yu, why are you here!?"


    The man thundered again, "There''s also a young one!" As his voice fell, he punched out. Instantly, the strong wind blew, and a huge golden handprint moved to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was attacked as soon as he stood straight on the ground. This was the punch of a late Core Forming Realm expert. He did not run the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements at the moment, so he could not resist it at all. At this moment, something unexpected happened to him.


    Tianyun Zi flashed, without considering the attack of the other three people, and rushed to the front of Xiao Chen. He then punched back. Two palm force collided, and there was a loud bang. The grass and trees around were shattered, and both of them took a few steps back.


    Xiao Chen was horrified. If the old man came a second later, he would be dead or seriously injured. At this point, the other three men''s palm force also arrived. Tianyun Zi''s body shook with True Energy, and he punched back. But one could not fight four after all, he was hit in the chest, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.


    "Go!" Without further ado, Tianyun Zi took Xiao Chen and left. Although he was injured at the moment and was carrying another person, he was still walking like a flying bird and was already 300 meters away in the blink of an eye.


    The four men behind were not slow either and caught up in an instant. Every few steps Tianyun Zi ran, he would spit out a mouthful of blood. It seemed that he was already injured before, and the blood was not completely caused by the previous palm.


    Xiao Chen was now on tenterhooks. Just as the saying "when disaster strikes, everybody runs for himself." If Tianyun Zi dropped him off later, he would be killed in an instant. No, he must let the four men engage Tianyun Zi, and then he would take the chance to escape. After making up the plan, he uttered loudly, "Ah!"


    Tianyun Zi''s eyebrows furrowed. "What''s the matter? Are you hurt?"


    Xiao Chen pretended to be in pain and used True Qi to block his throat so that his voice became the same as Han Yu''s. "I''m fine. Master, you don''t have to worry..." He saw the four people were catching up, and he fiercely shouted, "Master, be careful!" Before his fell, he pushed Tianyun Zi fiercely and then rolled into the bushes.


    This was exactly what he had already planned. If Tianyun Zi really cared about this disciple, Tianyun Zi would certainly come to save him. If Tianyun Zi did not come to save him, he would be slowed down a lot after being pushed by him.


    As he expected, Tianyun Zi moved, trying to catch Xiao Chen. But before he reached Xiao Chen, the four people behind were rushing to him. Although Tianyun Zi was seriously injured at the moment, his peak Core Forming Realm cultivation meant something. He swung his sleeve back as an overwhelming force swept over. All woods and grass were turned into dust. The four people were caught off guard and were sent flying backward.


    "Go!" With a roll of sleeve, he took Xiao Chen away. Tianyun Zi moved hundreds of meters in an instant. The night fell quietly, and it was dark all around. Crows were cheeping on the branches, which was good for him. In the cover of night, they quickly got rid of the four people.


    He could not ride on a sword now because it would greatly expose his aura. Once they caught up with him, it would be extremely dangerous. After running for 40 or 50 miles, they went by a broken temple. Tianyun Zi stopped, put Xiao Chen on the ground, and spurted a mouthful of blood.


    Xiao Chen hurriedly held him and pretended to ask, "Master, how are you?" Tianyun Zi wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth and shook his head. "I''m fine. Let''s talk inside."


    The two men entered the ruined temple and closed the doors and windows. Tianyun Zi sat down on a futon, took some breath, and asked, "Han Yu, why are you here?"


    He did not think much about this before because he was in danger. Now that he had been injured seriously and had enemies outside, it was even more impossible for him to think if this disciple was a fake.


    Xiao Chen had already thought of his speech. "Some people ran out, the four elders sent disciples to arrest them. But we met some strong opponents on the way. Those junior brothers, they have..." Speaking of which, he pretended to look grief and sighed.


    "Alas..." Tianyun Zi also sighed, and his face looked very bitter. He shook his head and said, "It''s all because of my mistake in an instant..."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. What mistake? Did he bring forth the resurrection of Patriarch Guanshan? However, the Skygale Sect might have planned this for hundreds of years. This should not be his idea. Xiao Chen asked, "Master, who hurt you before?"


    Tianyun Zi shook his head and sighed. "Don''t mention it!" A moment later, he said, "Tonight, I will run the cultivation method to recover my injuries. We will go back tomorrow when I recover. You guard the door. If you sense the aura of those people, you must let me know." He then closed his eyes and started to run cultivation method.


    "Okay. Master, rest assured." Xiao Chen nodded and said.


    More than two hours passed, and the four men did not come. Crows outside the house kept cheeping, and the cold wind was blowing. The dead trees and twigs nearby kept shaking and looked like dancing ghosts with sharp teeth.


    Xiao Chen slowly turned around. The moonlight poured onto Tianyun Zi''s face through broken doors and windows. He looked a little pale, and the skirt of his chest was stained with blood spots.


    All of a sudden, a cold flashed in Xiao Chen''s eyes. He knew that at this moment, Tianyun Zi had entered a critical moment of running the cultivation method and could not sense the surroundings well. If Xiao Chen sent a palm at this moment, he would definitely be killed.


    The murderous intent in him was growing as he walked to Tianyun Zi step by step. When he rose his hand and was about to slap the man on the head, he suddenly saw the blood this man''s skirt.


    This man was injured to save him. Was he really going to kill this man now? To tell the truth, it was Yunya Zi who owed him. Why had he become so murderous now?


    "No, this man is the sect leader of the Skygale Sect. Back then, his junior brother, Tiangu Zi sent men to slaughter my Xiao family. I can never let this go!"


    A cold light flashed in Xiao Chen''s eyes. When his palm was about to fall down, Tianyun Zi suddenly said, "Han Yu..."


    Xiao Chen was frightened and instantly took a few steps back, asking, "Master? What''s the matter?"


    "Alas..." Tianyun Zi shook his head and sighed. "You have been my disciple for almost ten years, haven''t you?"


    Xiao Chen was shocked. "Did this man just sense my murderous intent?" If his strength had been restored, it''s easy to kill Xiao Chen. "I have been taught by you for many years, and I dare not forget it all my life."


    "Alas..." Tianyun Zi sighed and slowly opened his eyes. "A few days later, you and your Senior Brother Qian and Ouyang can leave the Skygale Sect."


    Xiao Chen thought Han Yu''s two senior brothers must be Qian Yeli and Ouyang Yu. Now he pretended to be shocked and asked, "Why?"


    Tianyun Zi sighed. "Now, the Skygale Sect has become the target of the public. If those people know what we have done in the past hundred years, I''m afraid no sect would support us. A thousand years of inheritance will be destroyed after all..."


    Xiao Chen sneered inwardly. "Now you know you should regret?" "It''s too late!" "Everyone has to pay for what he has done. You Skygale Sect killed so many people, and you deserve this a long time ago."


    Although he thought so, he said, "How is it possible? The Patriarch Guanshan will soon be resurrected. Then, they are nothing."


    Tianyun Zi looked very bitter upon hearing this. He said after a long time, "It''s a pity that 20 years ago, I made a mistake..."


    Xiao Chen was thinking about the meaning of this. "Does it mean that Patriarch Guanshan cannot be resurrected at all? All they''ve done over the years is in vain?"


    Thinking of here, he almost laughed. It would be great if Patriarch Guanshan could not be resurrected. If this old monster was really resurrected, who knew what degree of incredible cultivation he had?

 Chapter 153 The Skygale Sect of Violet Manor

    A night had passed, Xiao Chen didn''t try to kill Tianyun Zi because he was worried that Tianyun Zi had been alerted. And then Tianyun Zi looked better on his face. Maybe he would soon recover from the injury. A bright light came in from the outside. Tianyun Zi stood up and said, "Well, Han Yu, let''s go back."


    Xiao Chen had been running around for days and did not sleep last night, now he was getting sleepy. After Xiao Chen nodded, they both went outside. Since Tianyun Zi had recovered, he would not afraid of those people anymore. His flying sword showed up as soon as he chanted the incantation.


    It was only hundreds of miles from the Skygale Sect in Jing Province that he flying sword could arrive in a short time. Xiao Chen looked around and saw a mountain covered with gloomy clouds, which must be the position of the Skygale Sect. It seemed that the Blood Soul Formation would be started today and he must save Xian''er before that.


    The closer the flying sword was getting to the Skygale Mountain, the louder the noise from the mountain they could hear. Some cultivators must have broken in because they could see there were some Barriers been destroyed.


    They finally reached over the mountain gate square. Looking down from the airspace, there were crowds of people on the square. They were divided into two sides, one was the disciples of Skygale Sect, and the other was the cultivators from other sects. The two sides were at loggerheads. However, since there was no leader in the Skygale Sect, all the disciples were confused except some older people who were still calm in the face of danger.


    Tianyun Zi quickly chanted the incantation and landed the flying sword. These disciples saw their Sect Leader finally return and couldn''t help crying and rushing to him.


    Xiao Chen looked at the mountain gate and saw a lot of familiar people. Yu Yifeng, Xiaoyue, Master Xuanji from the Wuyin Monastery and Zhang Qinglian from the Penglai Island all came here today. Besides, there were many masters from other sects. It seemed that the Skygale Sect must be sanctioned today.


    Two disciples of the Skygale Sect rushed here, they were exactly Qian Yeli and Ouyang Yu. When Tianyun Zi saw them coming, he quickly asked, "Where are the Honored Immortal and four Elders?"


    Qian Yeli replied, "Founding Master and Elders were on the back mountain at this moment."


    At this time, someone shouted out loudly at the mountain gate, "Tianyun Zi! Your Skygale Sect people are not qualified to cultivate Tao! What you had down recently are intolerable! I command you to release these people you had caught right now!"


    "Amitabha..." Master Xuanji read Buddha''s slogan and folded his hands together. He said, "The sea of bitterness is endless, repent and the shore is at hand. If Leader Tianyun still goes on your own way and start the Blood Soul Formation, isn''t it a disaster to a hundred thousand common people in the city of Jing? You will put them to death!"


    Then Xiaoyue, peaceful on the face, stepped forward and said calmly, "The man should return to dust after he died. You can''t obey the rules and sacrifice so many lives to help him revive. This is antithetical to our Tao."


    For these two, Master Xuanji was one of the four divine monks from the Wuyin Monastery, while Xiaoyue was the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan. What they had said was more effective than the one who shouted at the mountain gate. At a time, people were full of rage.


    At this moment, the whole mountain gate square jolted and a blood red evil ray rushed to the sky from the back mountain. Everyone was surprised, "It''s the Blood Soul Formation! Stop it, quickly!"


    Tianyun Zi also changed his face. After he asked the Elders and disciples to stay here and defend these people, he turned to a sword radiance rushed to the direction of the back mountain.


    Xiao Chen suddenly became worried, Xian''er would be in danger! Without any hesitation, he stretched his body and rushed to the back mountain either. Qian Yeli and Ouyang Yu were just behind him.


    When they arrived at the open space of the back mountain, they saw Yunya Zi and the four Elders, follow the five elements'' directions, sitting outside of the Blood Soul Formation. Since the Elder of the South Chamber had been killed by Xiao Chen, there was a substitute on his position. Besides, there were more than ten Core Forming Realm cultivators guard them.


    A sarcophagus was putting in the middle of the formation with a red ray over it. The enormous leafy plants had withered, like what they had experienced in the Wuwang Wind Cloud City last time. Murong Xian''er was fettered by the mysterious spell. She floated in midair with her eyes closed, and the spirit energy inside her was transfused to the middle of the formation.


    Looking at the sarcophagus in the middle of the formation, a mixture of emotions spread over Tianyun Zi''s face. He asked, "Master, are you sure you ought to do this?"


    Yunya Zi suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at Tianyun Zi coldly. "Tianyun, do you even realize what you''re saying?"


    Tianyun Zi closed his mouth. Now Xiao Chen and others had arrived. When Xiao Chen saw that Xian''er was floating in midair, he almost couldn''t resist the impulsion of saving her immediately. However, these protectors were so strong that he was afraid to be not easy to succeed.


    When he was extremely anxious, a loud noise came from the back. It must be the people of Orthodox Path broke in. Yunya Zi said, "Tianyun, stop them!"


    Tianyun Zi looked at the sarcophagus in the middle of the formation again. He had no alternative but to stop these interlopers, with Qian Yeli and Ouyang Yu behind him. Xiao Chen said, "I''m going to protect the Founding Master." He rushed to the nearby of Murong Xian''er with his foot merely touched the ground. "Xian''er, hold on. I will save you right away!"


    Master Xuanji was the first one who arrived here. He read Buddha''s slogan and folded his hands together. The people of Orthodox Path behind Master Xuanji suddenly rushed to Tianyun Zi and started a fight with him. Although Tianyun Zi was at the peak of Core Forming Realm, he couldn''t resist so many people with himself alone. The protectors noticed his situation and went to help him immediately.


    However, today, the people who gathered in the Skygale Sect were so strong that they could not even be competed with those who gathered at the Widespread Wintriness Sect. Yuheng Zi, one of the seven in the Jade Qing Sect, also came here. His strength ranked No.2 in the seven cultivators. And he had been at the peak of Core Forming Realm for many years. As everyone can imagine, today''s lineup was extremely strong.


    In a moment, the Skygale Sect was defeated. Yunya Zi winced. His hand smacked on the ground and pushed himself to the battlefield. As a potential Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he wounded or killed everyone he could touch, even he had not recovered from the bad injury.


    Many common Core Forming Realm cultivators stepped back and left Master Xuanji, Yuheng Zi and other masters defend against the enemy in the front. Since the Blood Soul Formation had lost energy from one cultivator, it suddenly became dim. Xiao Chen became serious, it was exactly the best chance to rescue Xian''er. He jumped and leaped up to midair, and destroyed the constraining around her with a hit by his palm.


    The people of Skygale Sect were surprised to see that. Yunya Zi had also noticed his movement and shouted, "What are you doing!"


    Xiao Chen kept silent with his eyes looked at them coldly. Although his appearance was the same as Han Yu, Han Yu would never dare to look at Yunya Zi with such expression. All the people were surprised. Yunya Zi recognized him right away. "It''s you!" he shouted. And a hit by palm was coming.


    Xiao Chen moved quickly and escaped to the direction of Master Xuanji. He removed the True Qi in his throat and shouted loudly, "Master Xuanji! I''m Xiao Chen!"


    He didn''t know why this old monk, had a little conversation with, turned out to be the most credible person at this moment. Maybe it was because he had seen these people of Orthodox Path through that day at the Widespread Wintriness Sect. On that day, only the old monk stepped forward to defend him.


    "Amitabha..." Master Xuanji read Buddha''s slogan. He moved quickly behind Xiao Chen and hit Yunya Zi who was chasing after Xiao Chen by his palm. The palm strength shaped a huge golden palm in midair. As soon as their palm strength hit together, a frenzied windstorm rose up and crushed plants around into dust.


    Everyone was shocked. Is it true that Master Xuanji has entered the Golden Body Quasi Realm, which was also the Nascent Soul Quasi Realm£¿

 Chapter 154 The Unknown Pas

    t


    As soon as Xiao Chen had stood on the ground, Yu Yifeng approached him and asked, "Lil Chen, is that you?" Xiao Chen nodded and took off the mask on his face. He looked at Murong Xian''er who was still fainted in his arms and said, "Brother Yifeng, today we must not allow that man to succeed in resurrecting."


    Although he wanted to know the truth about what happened a thousand years ago, he knew that if this old monster really came back to life, all the people of Orthodox Path that gathered in the Skygale Sect today would not survive.


    Tianyun Zi looked at Xiao Chen, he didn''t expect that this "Han Yu" was a fake one. Yunya Zi and Master Xuanji just had a quick fight with each other, both of them didn''t expect the other person''s cultivation to be as good as himself.


    Since the Blood Soul Formation had lost its spirit energy resource, it was continuously becoming dimming. The Elder of the East Chamber said hurriedly, "It''s time to open the sarcophagus. Honored Immortal, please come back now!"


    Yunya Zi glanced at the sarcophagus in the middle of the formation, he couldn''t care about Xiao Chen more. As soon as he told the disciples of the Skygale Sect to stop all the interrupters, he went back to the formation point.


    Five white radiance from the five people, who were standing on formation points, intersected in the middle where sarcophagus lied. Suddenly the wind and clouds changed their colors, the red ray became dazzling, and the whole sarcophagus trembled.


    Everyone''s face changed greatly. They all knew that if the Patriarch Guanshan were to be revived, the Violet Manor would no longer be peaceful in the future, and all the people who came to the Skygale Sect today would also die here.


    "Stop them, quickly!" Yuheng Zi, one of the seven in the Jade Qing Sect, shouted loudly. He took the lead in turning into a sword radiance and fly to the Blood Soul Formation. To his surprise, Yunya Zi suddenly bit the tip of his tongue, and the blood spurting from his mouth which formed a blood curtain in mid-air stopped Yuheng Zi.


    Yunya Zi sacrificed his cultivation and made the blood curtain with his half-life skill. It was too difficult to be broken through, and everyone could only watch the Blood Soul Formation start helplessly.


    "Time has come, may the spirit of the deceased come back to us!" Yunya Zi shouted loudly. The five people uttered imprecations under their breath. The sarcophagus shook more fierce and burst into a loud noise all of a sudden. The sarcophagus lid rose to the sky, and a sudden burst of evil Qi filled the air.


    The Orthodox Path people turned into pale complexion while the disciples of the Skygale Sect was cheering up. Only Tianyun Zi showed a changeable look on the face.


    Under the joint efforts of several Core Forming Realm masters, the blood barrier was finally broken. Yuheng Zi immediately turned into a white radiance and hit the sarcophagus. The power was so strong that the sarcophagus was torn apart. But something unexpected happened. The sarcophagus was empty and nothing was there.


    "What''s going on? Where is the real body of the Founding Master?" Suddenly, all the disciples of the Skygale Sect were in a panic, like headless flies, scurrying around.


    The four Elders and other people changed their faces either. Yunya Zi looked at Tianyun Zi coldly and asked, "What happened?"


    Tianyun Zi seemed to have already known that there was no real body of the Founding Master in the sarcophagus. His face fluctuated. Just then, someone burst into a few loud laughter in the middle of Orthodox Path crowd. Everyone followed the voice only to see a middle-aged man came out slowly.


    "Master, You''ve been hiding it for nearly twenty years. You still want to hide it now?"


    Everyone was surprised to hear him call Tianyun Zi ''master''. Who the hell was he? Tianyun Zi shivered slightly and said, "You are..."


    "Aha!" The man leaned back and laughed. "Master, can''t you really recognize me?" He sneered and tore off the mask on his face.


    "Father!" Ouyang Yu could hardly believe his eyes and cried out. He never expected that his father would be here, and called his Master "Master".


    That man was Ouyang Yu''s father, Ouyang Tian. He laughed and shook his head, saying, "Yu, there are many things that I have never told you."


    Many years ago, the head disciple of Tianyun Zi disappeared. Ouyang Tian was the head disciple who disappeared that year.


    Once there was a madman broke into the Skygale Sect at night, no one could stop him. The man took away the spirit gathering coffin that sealed the true body of the Founding Master. The Sect Leader tracked the man with sixteen elite disciples and eventually let the man escaped to the Human World. The leader told them that the true body of the Founding Master had been transferred to another sarcophagus. However, it seemed to be not true. Where was the true body exactly? It might have something to do with this Ouyang Tian.


    Tianyun Zi had already changed his face. Ouyang Tian sneered. "Didn''t expect that I was still alive? If Master had fought harder at that time, perhaps today I would not have the chance to see you again. Unfortunately, things are always unexpected. I did not die, but became a general of the Dynasty of the Nine Provinces in Human World."


    Ouyang Yu''s body trembled and he looked at Tianyun Zi. "Master, what''s going on? Father said..." Ouyang Tian said coldly, "Yu, you still call him ''master''? It was he who was trying to kill me¡ªyour father!"


    Ouyang Yu shivered as if he had been shocked by electric. No wonder, when Master came to take him as an apprentice, his father refused to go back to have a meet on the grounds of having something to do in the imperial court.


    Tianyun Zi shook his head and sighed. "Well, everything is the evil consequence of a slight error in my thought."


    Yunya Zi had vaguely guessed some clues. He looked at Ouyang Tian and said coldly, "What happened? Say it!"


    Ouyang Tian sneered, and then his face dimmed as if recalling an extremely painful event. He said slowly, "The madman took away the spirit gathering sarcophagus at that night. My master should have found another sarcophagus to preserve the real body of the Founding Master. But he didn''t. He asked me to throw the body into the cold pool behind the mountain!"


    Before he finished, all the disciples of the Skygale Sect were shocked and took a deep breath. The Sect Leader was deceiving his teacher and destroying the ancestor! At the same time, they also felt great sadness. It had been nearly a thousand years since the plan of reviving the Founding Master start, but it was finally destroyed by internal troubles.


    It turned out that Tianyun Zi''s heart for Dao had not vanished. He never wanted to revive the Patriarch Guanshan. However, Yunya Zi and the four Elders were still in the Skygale Sect. Although he was the Sect Leader, he was just a puppet. Yunya Zi was extremely angry. "Tianyun, how dare you!"


    Ouyang Tian continued, "This was a mystery between us. We followed the madman to the Deep Hatred Sky and the man jumped into it with the spirit gathering sarcophagus. However, my master attacked me and pushed me into the Deep Hatred Sky either. I never expected that my honored Master would have murdered me to prevent divulgence of his secret..." He laughed here, but the laughter was extremely miserable.


    The Deep Hatred Sky was a Barrier between the Violet Manor and the Human World. Once a person with low strength entered, his or her soul would be scattered and be dead immediately. Everyone was silent when they heard this, only Ouyang Yu shook his head and said slowly, "No, this is not true..."


    "Amitabha..." Master Xuanji read Buddha''s slogan and folded his hands together. He said, "Preparing for a thousand years, but in the end, how can we expect that it was just an illusion like the reflection of a flower in the mirror or of the moon in the water. Moreover, lots of people had sacrificed their lives in vain, it shouldn''t be like this."


    Xiao Chen suddenly recalled what Qingfeng once told him, that many years ago, a mysterious man went to him with a sarcophagus and Xiao Chen was the young baby in that sarcophagus. "Was that sarcophagus the spirit gathering sarcophagus? Was it the man who came to the Skygale Sect and took away the spirit gathering sarcophagus?


    "Of course, it must be. The spirit gathering sarcophagus can prevent the dead''s spirit from being vanished. That man took away the spirit gathering sarcophagus intended to prevent my spirit when passing through the Deep Hatred Sky!


    "But what is this all about? Whoever wants to revive me? "Or it was just someone who wanted to borrow a body to reborn?" He had a vague feeling that the mysterious fog was getting heavier.


    Just then, there was a loud sound like thunder in the distance, and a huge rock at the entrance of a cave was shaken into pieces. Right after the sound, countless cultivators with broken clothes and messy hair came out from the cave in the leading of Yu Yifeng. While Ouyang Tian appeared and attracted everyone''s attention, Yu Yifeng sneaked into the cave and relieved cultivators that had been caught before.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on these cultivators, and then they found out there were indeed some disciples of their own sect who disappeared a few months ago. These cultivators were all used as spirit mediums. Suddenly, the crowd became angry and criticized the Skygale Sect for their evils.


    These cultivators went to their own Elders and couldn''t help breaking down into tears. They were telling how the Skygale Sect treated them recently and how their Senior Brothers being refined alive.


    These cultivators were filled with great sorrow and fury, especially for those who had lost their own disciples and were desperate to slaughter the entire Skygale Sect. And all the disciples of Skygale Sect bowed their heads. Their biggest pillar, Patriarch Guanshan, could not be revived. At this moment, the only thing they could do was to accept sanctions.


    The faces of Yunya Zi, Tianyun Zi, and Four Elders become pale. They knew that what they had done in recent years was intolerable. At this moment, facing hundreds of masters, there left no room for resistance. And the mountain was probably blocked by people from all the other sects.


    Master Xuanji shook his head and sighed. He looked at Yuheng Zi and asked, "What will you going to do about it?" As a disciple in the Buddhist Sects, he was kind and gracious all the time. Even if the Skygale Sect did such a thing, he could not kill their disciples all.


    However, the Elders from other sects standing behind him did not think so. Since some of them had lost their beloved disciples, the only thing that could release their hatred was to slaughter them all.


    Yuheng Zi said, "This was led by Yunya Zi and some other people. The rests, who were bewitched, could not be sanctioned."


    When these ordinary disciples were relieved to see a turning point, Xiaoyue stepped forward and said, "I don''t think so. What they have done was the same as the Devil''s Practice, it''s reasonable to kill them all and thus prevent our people from persecution!"


    She was without even a little sympathy when she was talking. Xiao Chen was a little bit worried. Since there were thousands of disciples in the Skygale Sect, someone must be unwitting victims. Even for Xiao Chen would show some sympathy to them, how fierce hatred did Xiaoyue had towards the Skygale Sect that she wanted to kill them all?


    Hearing this, some other cultivators of the Orthodox Path echoed her in succession, "I agree with Master Xiaoyue. These people have done all kinds of evil. So, all of them must be killed and we should spare none!"


    The call was more powerful and someone had been ready to start the fight. Things were getting out of control. At this moment, the abyss of the back mountain came a voice that seemed to had come from the ancient times, "Who wants to extinguish my Skygale Sect..."


    That voice was like the thunder of the sky, and everyone''s eardrums were almost cracked. Everyone felt a tremor in the heart. Xiao Chen was surprised and thought, "Is it the Patriarch Guanshan?"


    A horrible Strong Qi came up from the bottom of the abyss, and everyone felt suffocated including Master Xuanji and Yuheng Zi who were masters among these people. This was the Qi of a true master, which alone had already made a lot of weak cultivators tremble on the ground.

 Chapter 155 Patriarch Guanshan

    "Brother Xiao Chen..." At this point, Murong Xian''er woke up. Apparently, she was awakened by the powerful aura. Seeing Xiao Chen hold her so tightly at this moment, she found herself blushing. Then, seeming thinking of something, she couldn''t help but say, "This aura seems so familiar. It belongs to that bad guy..."


    Xiao Chen saw that she finally woke up, his brows creasing into a frown. "Xian''er, are you awake? You said that the bad guy..." Before his voice fell, spurts of black Qi were suddenly sent up from the deep bottom of the abyss. The black Qi was not the Immortal Qi. It was more likely to be the Devil Qi!


    Yuheng Zi shouted out loud, "Be careful! Back off!" He immediately led the crowd to retreat back. Suddenly, a sky-shaking devil roar sounded, and then a black ball of mist welled up from the bottom of the abyss.


    Everyone felt the powerful strength of the unknown existence in the black mist. Right then, a spooky and frightening voice came from within the black mist, "1,000 years! I''ve been waiting for 1,000 years!"


    Xiao Chen was shocked. "It is Patriarch Guanshan indeed. It seems that Patriarch Guanshan is not a member of the Immortals'' Sect, but a devil! His body was ruined many years ago. I''ve never expected that his spirit would quietly wake up."


    Even countless Skygale Sect disciples here were seized with panic because they also had never thought that the patriarch they were anxious to resurrect would turn out to be a devil.


    The black mist suddenly floated toward the crowd. Even if it was only a ball of mist at the moment, every single one of the crowd could feel two cold beams of light shot from the eyes in the mist and then fell upon Ouyang Tian and Tianyun Zi.


    "Back then, was it you two who conspired to push my true body into the abyss?"


    Yunya Zi was really afraid that a great disaster was going to arise, so he explained in a hurry, "Grandmaster, please don''t be that angry. The two of them did this only because of a moment of aberration..." Before he even finished his sentence, the spirit in the mist immediately shot him a cold glance. "A nice body. I''ll take it!"


    Then the black mist abruptly turned into a wisp of smoke and went into Yunya Zi''s body from the middle of his eyebrows. Only a moment later, Yunya Zi looked like a changed person and he started to laugh madly.


    The people were so alarmed that all their faces lost all color. "It was the Spirit Possession! The Spirit Possession!" The so-called Spirit Possession was to occupy the other''s body with a strong soul and then wiped out the body''s original will. Yunya Zi had the strengths near the legendary Nascent Soul Realm but he was instantly possessed by Patriarch Guanshan. One could imagine how evil this Patriarch Guanshan could be.


    A chill rose from the bottom of everyone''s heart. They couldn''t help but take a few steps back. Patriarch Guanshan shot Ouyang Tian two rows of cold light with his eyes. "You deserve to die!" As his voice fell, he pinched in the air before anyone could even react. Immediately, Ouyang Tian was pinched into a blood mist.


    "Father!" Ouyang Yu burst out a cry as he felt his vision spinning. Yet his father, once alive and well, was now dead. With two streaks of blood light rising in his eyes, Ouyang Yu immediately unleashed his Cold Frost Sword and slashed at Patriarch Guanshan.


    In a cold snap, the eyebrows of quite a few people nearby were covered with a faint layer of hoar-frost, and they all felt a bone-chilling cold. Two profound gleams shot out from the depths of Patriarch Guanshan''s eyes, and he said, "Are you also going to kill your master?" As his voice fell, he punched out. Instantly, a large number of pebbles broke loose everywhere. The power of his punch was enough to shake the sky.


    "Watch out!" Tianyun Zi deeply cared about his prized student. He flashed forth and traded a punch with Patriarch Guanshan. In a flash, mountains fell and the earth split. Tianyun Zi spat out a mouthful of blood. Not only were his internal organs all broken under the blow, but also his soul was severely damaged.


    Everyone was deeply startled. "The cultivation of Patriarch Guanshan is undoubtedly higher than that of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator! No one can defeat him today." Just at this moment, Tianyun Zi was seen moving his fingers repeatedly to cast spells. All at once, his soul was out of his body! Then he escaped toward the western sky while carrying Ouyang Yu.


    To keep his soul, he took it out of his body. This was exactly a common method in the Cultivation World. Patriarch Guanshan became extremely angry, but he seemed unable to go after them. So he reached out his hands and instantly took seven or eight souls of the Skygale Sect disciples nearby.


    "I finally wake up today. My disciples and grandchildren, sacrifice yourselves for me!" He then immediately swallowing up the souls. After that, his powers seemed to have reached a higher level.


    The crowd turned pale with fright. "This man is really close to a devil. His means are so brutal that he even won''t let his disciples go." Thus, all the Skygale Sect disciples nearby were fleeing in all directions with great fear. However, whoever escaped, his soul would be taken.


    Patriarch Guanshan''s aura soared and he laughed to the sky. It was then that he noticed a person in the crowd. This person was Murong Xian''er exactly. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Little girl, it was you..."


    Murong Xian''er quivered slightly. She looked at him and murmured, "You are, you are..." She seemed to feel very familiar, but she couldn''t remember anything. Xiao Chen was shocked. "Patriarch Guanshan was someone from a thousand years ago. How did he know Xian''er? What on earth is the background of Xian''er?"


    "Hey hey! Little girl, don''t you remember me? Back then, you also contributed to setting me up!" Patriarch Guanshan then launched a blow to her. With a shift of his body, Xiao Chen picked her up and dodged the sharp attack.


    Patriarch Guanshan squinted and bellowed, "Kid! Who the hell are you? How dare you stand in my way!"


    Xiao Chen landed on the ground, then he said coldly, "I don''t care who you are, but if you want to hurt her, there is no possibility." He knew that the strength of his opponent was already at the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if he used the Devil''s Three Turns once again today, he would not be able to handle him. However, even he need to conduct deliverance by weapons and release the power of his soul, he would never let Patriarch Guanshan hurt Xian''er a tiny bit today.


    Murong Xian''er kept shaking, and she mumbled, "Brother Xiao Chen, we can''t beat him. Let''s go..."


    Patriarch Guanshan narrowed his eyes and then stared at Xiao Chen as if he was sizing up a treasure. After a long time, he burst out laughing. "It seems that God is not blind. He sends me such an unexpected great gift today. Haha! Kid, I''ll accept your body!"


    "This man actually targets me!" Xiao Chen cursed inwardly and then shouted, "You wants everyone''s body, why don''t you go to hell?" After saying this, he kicked up a rock beside him and hit it in the Body-protection Qi of Patriarch Guanshan. All at once, the rock was turned into a cloud of dust.


    Patriarch Guanshan was furious and he thundered, "Good boy! I''m a bigwig from a thousand years ago. How dare you disrespect me?"


    Xiao Chen snorted and said, "It was only 1,000 years ago. What''s so great about that? I''m from the previous era. How dare you call yourself a bigwig? Fucking bullshit!"


    Patriarch Guanshan was extremely angry and he shouted, "You are all going to die today!" Then, a gigantic sword more than a thousand meters long popped up in the sky. It was his self-created Heaven-slaying Sword.


    The sword''s unparalleled strength made the whole Skygale Mountain trembled. Countless boulders rolled down the mountain. The faces of Master Xuanji, Yuheng Zi, and the others changed dramatically upon seeing this. Then, together they immediately held up a barrier to block the strike.


    Even so, when the sword cut down, there were still many cultivators could no longer able to withstand the force and they turned into a mist of blood all in a sudden. At this moment, a beam of dazzling white radiance suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was Xiaoyue who unleashed her Autumn Water.


    The two forces both contained the power that could destroy heaven and earth collided. In a flash, the sky was eclipsed and almost the whole Skygale Mountain collapsed. Some of the cultivators turned into blood mists under the impact of the two forces. Some cultivators were buried in the mud and gravels. Some unsheathed their flying swords just in time. However, under the collision of the residual force, they were still seriously injured.


    A sense of anger flashed on Patriarch Guanshan''s face. "Autumn Water!" He then shot Xiaoyue with a cold glare. "You are the heir of Ye Yuexuan, the bitch from the Thousand Feathers Sect!"

 Chapter 156 A Discussion

    Holding Murong Xian''er in his arms, Xiao Chen was standing on the flying sword that Yu Yifeng took out, and he was also surprised. Even thousands of years passed, the power Qianyu Nishang left on Autumn Water could still fight against Patriarch Guanshan who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm.


    At the moment, Xiaoyue was also bounced back violently. Blood still gushed uncontrollably from her mouth. The skirt of her chest was stained with flower shape blood spots. She uttered loudly, "Go!"


    All the people immediately escaped to the distance. Patriarch Guanshan flew into a great rage, but he couldn''t leave the place. Then with a wave of his hand, he quickly printed four marks of the devil''s seals between the eyebrows of the four Elders.


    "The four of you, listen to my order. I need countless souls and Spiritual Meridians to rebuild my body. Now I am going to transfer a layer of cultivation to you. You should take the Spiritual Meridians of all the cultivators in Violet Manor to me within a month!"


    After the four Elders were printed with the marks of the devil''s seals, their auras instantly surged times stronger than before. However, their pupils were turned into purple-black. Then the four Elders answered in unison, "Yes!"


    There were six or seven hundred people of the Orthodox Path came to Skygale Sect today, but only less than 30% of people left, which was a great loss. However, the most worrying thing was not this, but Patriarch Guanshan.


    Patriarch Guanshan could reach the Nascent Soul Realm just when he was resurrected. His strength in the future would be even more unimaginable. At present, he just could not leave the back mountain of the Skygale Sect. But once he reformed his body, he could come and go anywhere freely. Then the whole Violet Manor would become a living hell. Even someone as powerful as Perfected Immortal Qing Chen or Master Xuanji couldn''t withstand a single blow of him.


    They escaped more than 100 kilometers before they stopped. Just when they stopped, Xiao Chen was about to say something but a young man sputtered, "You are the people of the Devil''s Practice. Don''t say anything! If you hadn''t irritated the man just now, would so many people die?"


    For a moment, many people glared at Xiao Chen furiously. At this point, Xiaoyue stepped out and said, "You are wrong. If it were not for Brother Xiao who informed me in advance, I wouldn''t have known that the Skygale Sect was planning this secretly. So, in a way, I should thank Brother Xiao for going into such a dangerous place to get the truth." Speaking of this, she nodded at Xiao Chen and smiled.


    Xiao Chen unavoidably had some doubts. "Why did this woman speak for me? Besides, I have never told her anything. Oh, right. She must want to use my strength to get rid of Patriarch Guanshan. I think Patriarch Guanshan must know a lot about the big issue happened one thousand years ago, so the Thousand Feathers Sect has to kill this person who worries them the most."


    Xiaoyue then continued, "As for all the things happened at the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect, they were all caused by misunderstandings. Brother Xiao is not one of the Devil''s Practice. He merely has cultivated a mental cultivation method which is rarely practiced by others."


    She was a disciple of the Thousand Feathers Sect within the Ancient Immortal Clan. Thus, her words carry even more weight than Master Xuanji from the Wuyin Monastery. After hearing what she said, many people put down their previous ill feelings toward Xiao Chen.


    She then added, "I believe everybody knows that the ancient cultivation method Brother Xiao has is especially effective for Patriarch Guanshan. I assume that we will have to rely on Brother Xiao in the future, won''t we?" Speaking of this, she smiled at Xiao Chen once again.


    Xiao Chen sneered inwardly. "What an excellent ploy! If I don''t help you in the future, then are you going to tell the entire world that I am one of the Devil''s Practice?"


    Of course, he would deal with Patriarch Guanshan, or else the Violet Manor would have no peace. More importantly, he sensed that the man had great hostility toward Xian''er. Meanwhile, the man even tried to take his body. By those two reasons alone, he must kill Patriarch Guanshan.


    It was just that he especially disliked the way Xiaoyue behaved. So he decided that he must make Patriarch Guanshan tell him what exactly had happened one thousand years ago and how many secrets the Thousand Feathers Sect had hidden. He then said with a smile, "You flatter me. The rise and fall of the world is everybody''s concern and business. It is my bounden duty to eliminate the devil."


    Then they had a discussion. The Thousand Feathers Sect belonged to Ancient Immortal Clan so there should be no outsiders in and out. The Wuyin Monastery was a peaceful and quiet place of Buddhism, nor should it be disturbed. However, at present, it was necessary to find someone to preside over the whole situation. Then, the Jade Qing Sect in Qing Province was the only candidate left. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was well-known and highly respected. So he was now the hot favorite to lead.


    Time wouldn''t wait. Yu Yifeng summoned the Flying-cloud Stone at once and they immediately rushed to the Jade Qing Sect. The two immortal-halls named Coalesced Colors and Dust looked shiny under the sun. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and all elders were already waiting in the Coalesced Colors Hall.


    On the left-hand side of Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stood a handsome gentleman with a folding fan in his hand. He looked like a man of twenty-seven or eight. This man was not someone else, but Moxuan Zi who was the fifth in the Jade Qing Seven.


    Compared to his two Senior Brothers, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Yuheng Zi, Moxuan Zi had weaker strength. But because he achieved bodily immortality in his early years, his appearance had remained unchanged for 100 years.


    An atmosphere of solemnity pervaded the hall. Yuheng Zi had already informed Perfected Immortal Qing Chen by using the mystic art: Faraway-voice Transfer. Upon seeing all the people of the Orthodox Path walking in, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen immediately got up and went out to welcome them.


    After greeting a few words, they immediately started to talk about the most important thing at present. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned deeply with a worried look on his face. Moxuan Zi aside wearing a slight smile said in a rare clear voice, "Senior Brother, it is indeed as you said that the Skygale Sect was resurrecting Patriarch Guanshan for real."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded slightly. The others in the hall also looked extremely worried. "Now Patriarch Guanshan has reached the Nascent Soul Realm just when he woke up. At this time, even if the four holy monks Xuantong, Xuangui, Xuanji, and Xuanle of the Wuyin Monastery are gathered together, they cannot guarantee that they can successfully take him down. What''s more, once Patriarch Guanshan rebuilds his body and reaches the Nirvana Realm, he will be even less likely to meet his match at that time. Unless..."


    "Let me discuss this matter with my two Junior Brothers first. Please wait for a moment." After Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said this, he went to the back hall together with Yuheng Zi and Moxuan Zi.


    When they arrived at the back hall, Moxuan Zi said, "You called Senior Brother Yuheng and me to discuss this matter with you in private. I suppose you must have got a comprehensive plan already."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded and said, "If the three of us work together to fight with Patriarch Guanshan, what will happen?" Moxuan Zi chuckled. "The Annihilation Times is yet to come and our seals have not yet removed, the result is obvious. We''ll no chance to win."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded. "Just because of that, I plan to ask Junior Brother Qingfeng and Xiaoyao as well as Junior Sister Huashang and Yanluo to come back."


    Yuheng Zi was stunned and he said with his brows knitted, "Are you planning to make the seven of us work together? You can call Senior Brother Qingfeng and Xiaoyao back, but I''m afraid that Junior Sister Huashang and Yanluo will never come back."


    Qing Chen, Yuheng, Xiaoyao, Qingfeng, Moxuan, Huashang, and Yanluo, the Jade Qing Seven. In the past, these seven people were all-powerful and invincible. But only because of all kinds of pasts, now in Jade Qing Sect there were only three people left.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sighed and shook his head. "This is not a problem. The most critical thing is that even the seven of us work together, we will definitely not be rivals to Patriarch Guanshan. We can only have a chance to win if we turn on the Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation and pour the lifetime''s energy of the seven into one person."


    After hearing this, Yuheng Zi was greatly shocked and said, "How is this possible? If there are any mistakes, not only will the seven of us lose all our energy, but the body and soul of the person who carries all the energy from the seven of us will be destroyed instantly."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sighed. "If it is not for the moment of life and death, will I have taken such a big risk?" They were really at the point of life and death now. If Patriarch Guanshan was resurrected, he will bound to destroy countless cultivators'' sects, including the Jade Qing Sect.


    After a while, Yuheng Zi calmed down and asked, "Then, do you have anyone in mind? Is it Yu Yifeng?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen shook his head and said, "Although Yifeng''s physique is extraordinary, I''m afraid he can''t bear the lifetime''s energy of the seven of us. After all, he had entered the Samsara by killing himself with a saber in his last life."


    Yuheng Zi frowned and said, "Then who else in the Jade Qing Sect can take on this great responsibility besides Yifeng?" Moxuan Zi smiled a little and said, "I suppose you have already got someone in your mind. Is it that Xiao Chen?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded. But Yuheng Zi immediately objected, "No! Absolutely not! The person''s background is still uncertain. Besides, that day at the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect, he..."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen reached out his hand to stop him and he continued, "There is no other person in the world who can bear the energy of the seven people except him. It seems that you don''t know that this person has twelve complete Spiritual Meridians."


    Upon hearing this, not only did Yuheng Zi feel greatly surprised, but even Moxuan Zi, who always stayed indifferent, changed his face slightly. "I have never heard of anyone who has twelve complete Spiritual Meridians in nearly a thousand years."


    Yuheng Zi kept shaking his head, "No, it''s too risky. Patriarch Guanshan is enough for us. If the power in this person''s dark side burst out again, may I ask who else in the whole world can subdue him?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned because it was also his concern. He said, "This person is a descendant of Changfeng. From time to time, I have heard Yifeng mentioned that he is a person of good conduct and he will never be one of the Devil''s Practice. Only it seems that there has accumulated an irrepressible rage in his heart for a very long time..."


    Yuheng Zi was still quite opposed to this. Moxuan Zi said, "Two Senior Brothers, you are only worried about this, but have you neglected one thing?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, "What''s the thing? Just tell me about it." Moxuan Zi said, "Xiao Chen is not a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect. According to the ancestral law, how can he accept the energy of the Jade Qing Seven?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen suddenly realized it. He slapped his forehead. "Ah! I actually forgot all about this. Then what do you mean, Junior Brother?"


    Moxuan Zi smiled gently. "I have never received a disciple in my life, so how about making him a disciple of mine?" After hearing this, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen nodded slightly. "In this way, it''s feasible."


    "Hey! It''s..." Yuheng Zi still kept shaking his head and sighing. Moxuan Zi said, "Brother Yuheng, you can''t just focus on one side of a thing all the time. Since people are born, they all have two sides, the good and the evil. Haven''t we committed to lead people to good? If this person really has a dark side in his heart, we may help him to defuse it."


    After hearing his words, Yuheng Zi no longer said any word. Then they went back to the hall and Perfected Immortal Qing Chen instantly told everyone all the things. Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately started to chatter. Not to mention that they should gather the Jade Qing Seven first, it was not a small matter to turn on the Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation and pour all the energy of the seven into one person. If anything happened, all of them would be doomed eternally.


    What surprised Xiao Chen the most was that he had never thought that they actually plan to pour all the energy of the Jade Qing Seven into his body. If he couldn''t withstand it, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    At this moment, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stepped down and walked up to him. He asked, "Xiao Chen, can you take on this great responsibility?"


    Xiao Chen came to his senses. "It shows that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen trusts me. But what if I can''t withstand the energy of the seven?" Suddenly, he remembered what his master Ling Yin had told him, "Chen''er, cultivators should take the well-being of the whole world as his top priority, and his life and death are the second. If he comes across the great calamity of the whole world, he should never retreat..."


    He could not help feeling hot-blooded. "Now this matter is related to the fate of all the Immortal''s Practice in Violet Manor. Who else can do it? Even if there are many dangers, how can I refuse?" So he said resolutely, "I can!"

 Chapter 157 An Inexplicable Sharp Pain in the Heart.

    For a moment, everyone''s eyes fell on Xiao Chen. Since this young man came into sight, numerous rumors appeared. People held different judgments on Xiao Chen, but at this moment, all the people turned their focus on him.


    He was going to deal with Patriarch Guanshan. Not to mention the fact that the majority of the people didn''t have the ability, but who among them could have the courage and responsibility to proceed without hesitation?


    Xiaoyue paced toward him and smiled tenderly. "Welcome to become one of the Orthodox Path, Brother Xiao. It is a blessing to the world."


    Xiao Chen smiled slightly. "You overpraised, Fairy Xiaoyue." This matter was no longer his own business. It was now related to the safety of the entire East Continent. The eyes of Perfected Immortal Qing Chen reminded him of his grandmaster, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan.


    At that time, in order to get him back from death, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan didn''t hesitate to defy the laws of nature by using his cultivation. His grandmaster rebuilt his Immortal Body and reunited his soul. But in the end, he failed his grandmaster.


    At this time, hearty laughter came from the head of the hall. Shaking a folding fan gently, Moxuan Zi looked unrestrained. He instantly won the hearts of many female disciples outside the hall. He smiled gently and said, "In that case, Xiao Chen, do you want to become my disciple?"


    "Acknowledge, acknowledge my master?" Xiao Chen stunned for a long time before he could react. Others in the hall also realized that if Jade Qing Seven were going to pass on their strength to him, he must first become a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect.


    It was a great chance to become a disciple of the Jade Qing Seven! In addition, Moxuan Zi had a high level of cultivation to use and he was only half a step away from the Nascent Soul Realm. Moreover, he also managed to achieve bodily immortality in his early years. Thus, he would achieve the Immortal Realm in the future.


    Moxuan Zi asked with a gentle smile, "Why? Don''t you know that before you receive the strength of the seven of us, you should first become a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect?"


    Lots of female disciples outside the hall envied him very much. There were so many people would rather acknowledge Martial Uncle Moxuan than Perfected Immortal Qing Chen who was the Sect Leader as their master. It was a pity that this Martial Uncle Moxuan was too free and easy, so he was not willing to accept any disciple in his life.


    However, under the eager expectations of everyone, Xiao Chen shook his head slightly. "I''m sorry, this... I absolutely can''t do this." He understood that though Moxuan Zi looked like only a few years older than him, Moxuan Zi was actually far more than 100 years old. He should call him Senior if they only considered the age in this life.


    But he couldn''t take Moxuan Zi as his master. No matter how much time had passed, he would have only one master for all time. His master was Ling Yin. The things with Huangfu Xin''er and Liu Yunzheng were only matters of expediency, which didn''t count at all. However, this time, in such a solemn situation, things were different. Therefore, he couldn''t do it.


    Everyone cast a doubtful look on Xiao Chen. It was the first time that Moxuan Zi tried to take a disciple, but he was refused in front of so many people. However, Mo Xuanzi was always so big-hearted that he would never hold a grudge against Xiao Chen because of this. He then smiled gently. "Why? You can just tell us."


    Xiao Chen was always modest. He shook his head and sighed. "To tell you the truth, I have already had a master. Although my master''s current whereabouts were unknown, I will find her whatever happens. So... I''m really sorry."


    Moxuan Zi shook his head and smiled. "I see. I did this without careful consideration."


    The rest of the people now also understood what had happened. Acknowledging another master without informing was a major disrespect to his current master, which was also a big taboo in the Immortals'' sect. This person remained unaffected by the outside world and his loyalty to his master was really plausible. Many people nodded and praised him secretly.


    Yu Yifeng frowned. He thought to himself, "I''ve never heard Lil Chen mention that he has a master. He lived in the Xiao family since childhood. How can he have a master? But his cultivation methods seem to be handed down from ancient times. Could it be..."


    He suddenly remembered the moment when they encountered the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin on their way to the Widespread Wintriness Sect, Xiao Chen''s acts and expressions all suddenly became extremely abnormal. At that time, he also said some ravings, for example, Xiao Chen even asked him to bury him there after he died. Could it be that... Could it be that... Yu Yifeng''s back was full of cold sweat and he didn''t dare to continue thinking about it.


    At this time, Xiaoyue stepped forward. She always wanted to know who Xiao Chen''s master was and why he knew the cultivation method in her sect. She smiled lightly and said, "I guess that your master must be extraordinary. Can you tell us who is your master?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Sorry, I really can''t tell you this."


    It was not a strange thing that Xiao Chen didn''t want to say the name of his master. Yu Yifeng turned to face Moxuan Zi and said with a clasp of his hands, "So, what shall we do next, Martial Uncle Moxuan?"


    Moxuan Zi smiled and said, "It doesn''t matter. We can invite your four Martial Uncles here first."


    Then, after the others finished discussing, some of them left without delay because they had to hurry back to deal with affairs in their own sects. Now, there was only Xiao Chen and some others left in the hall. Yu Yifeng said, "Junior Brother Xiao, Miss Luo must be very happy if she knows that you are back. Are you going to see her with me now?"


    This was exactly what Xiao Chen thought at this moment so he said good-bye to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the others. When he was about to leave with Murong Xian''er, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen suddenly said at the head of the hall, "Can you please stay here a little longer, Miss Murong?"


    Murong Xian''er turned around and cast a look at him. Then she glanced at Xiao Chen at her side. Xiao Chen smiled gently. "Perfected Immortal Qing Chen has grasped mystic cultivation methods. If you can get his advice, you will gain endless benefits in the future." He knew that there was an abundance of Spiritual Qi in the body of Xian''er. Even he could not be compared with her on that. It was only that she couldn''t grasp the main points in cultivation. If she could get the advice from Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, she would make astounding advances in her cultivation in the future.


    "Oh..." Murong Xian''er let go of his sleeves and nodded. Xiao Chen smiled softly. He saluted Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and said, "Then thanks for the trouble." After that, he left the hall with Yu Yifeng.


    Despite being late into autumn, the mountains and trees were still lush. The edge of the cliff was full of dogwood. Xiao Chen couldn''t help but sigh secretly, "Another Double Ninth Festival passed. How are my parents at home? Is everything okay with the three princes? Brother Yi, whom I met before long and who likes drinking, is he alright now? Well, I don''t know the answers."


    "And Bai Ying, is she still sighing to the moon every night?"


    "Right, Lil Chen, do you know None-flower Dust before?" At this time, Yu Yifeng suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    Xiao Chen frowned and he shook his head. "He helped me once when I got out of the Zhou State." Actually, he still didn''t figure it out that why None-flower Dust whose cultivation was unfathomable helped him again and again.


    As they were talking, they came to the last small yard. They happened to meet Luo Shangyan who was walking out of the yard. They stared at each other for a long time before Xiao Chen murmured, "Senior Sister Luo..."


    Yu Yifeng smiled gently. "You two talk and I should go back to see if my master has any other instructions." After that, he turned back.


    Xiao Chen saw that several doors in the courtyard were decorated with dogwood. He guessed it must be the custom of the Three Pure Sect. Then he said, "Senior Sister Luo, let''s go inside and I''ll talk to you in detail."


    They then went into the courtyard. Xiao Chen told her all the things happened in the past month. He brushed over the things about Patriarch Guanshan in case she would feel worried.


    Somehow he always felt something big would happen in the near future. His feeling might be related to the things happened a thousand years ago or even related to the destruction of Immortals and Devils as well as his resurrection. He couldn''t tell how exactly he felt. It felt as if all his friends would be separated soon, so he would cherish the ever-decreasing period of time he could spend with them.


    All in a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. This pain without warning made him lose in his thoughts for a long time.

 Chapter 158 Disasters Happened Everywhere

    Luo Shangyan saw that Xiao Chen was fine just now, but all of a sudden, he turned pale. So he hurriedly asked, "What''s wrong?"


    After a long while, Xiao Chen finally came to his senses. With a gentle smile, he shook his head and said, "No, nothing. It''s probably because I''m too tired these two days."


    At this time, the sunset glow tinted the dusk. A crisp bell-ringing sound suddenly rose outside the courtyard. Xiao Chen knew that Xian''er was coming. He got up and said, "Xian''er? Why don''t you let Perfected Immortal Qing Chen teach you more knacks?"


    "Tee-hee!" Murong Xian''er rushed to him, bouncing. Now that she looked almost the same as those ordinary girls without the two fluffy ears on her head. She giggled and said, "Grandpa Qing Chen has taught me a lot of funny tricks."


    After that, she moved her fingers quickly to cast out a spell and pointed in the air. In an instant, an Immortal''s Sword was formed. Though this sword was made from the True Qi, it had almost materialized. Xiao Chen could not help but be surprised. "Condensing Sword with Qi is the skill only Core Forming Realm cultivators can have. Xian''er usually looks so childlike and unworldly. How much strength does she have exactly?"


    Aside Luo Shangyan was also a little surprised. Looking at the Immortal''s Sword flying about in the air, Xiao Chen nodded. Murong Xian''er pulled his arm. She blinked her big eyes at him and said, "I''ve known Brother Xiao Chen for years. Only I can call him Brother Xiao Chen."


    Xiao Chen looked at her, smiling gently. "She looked so innocent all the time no matter what she has experienced. It''s a pity that I failed to protect her before."


    In a flash, he remembered that when they were in the Skygale Sect, Patriarch Guanshan actually recognized her. "Did she appear a thousand years ago? What is her origin?"


    Night fell quietly. Xiao Chen stood on top of the cliff with his sleeves ballooning in the wind like a fairy. He looked at the curved moon rising from the horizon. Xiao Chen was full of sorrow because he really didn''t know how many more quiet days he could have.


    Right then, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Yuheng Zi, and Moxuan Zi were still at the Coalesced Colors Hall. Yuheng Zi frowned tightly. He paced back and forth in the hall and said, "Senior Brother, in your opinion, do you still plan to transfer the energy from the seven of us to Xiao Chen? Now he has already got a trace of evil in his heart. Did you forget how Wu Nian fell into the Devil''s Practice?"


    "Alas..." Perfected Immortal Qing Chen shook his head and sighed. "Junior Brother Yuheng, you haven''t changed after so many years. If you had a little more trust in Wu Nian in the past, how could he..." He shook his head and stopped here.


    Yuheng Zi said, "Forget it!" "Anything you say, Sect Leader. I do not care!" He then swung his sleeve and went outside of the hall.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen shook his head and sighed. Moxuan Zi said, "Senior Brother Yuheng has an abhorrence of evil. You don''t have to be angry about it, Senior Brother Sect Leader. Speaking of which, that little girl Murong, did you find something special about her?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen narrowed his eyes. "In your opinion..."


    Moxuan Zi smiled gently and walked to the door of the hall. Looking at the stars in the sky, he said, "The world is so big. Even if you and I have reached such a high level of cultivation, what we see may be only the tip of the iceberg. That girl, I''m afraid she is the legendary..."


    The next day, Yu Yifeng went off to the Human World to get Qingfeng and Zi Mo back. Originally, Xiao Chen planned to go to the Human World with Yu Yifeng because he wanted to visit his father and many friends. However, he had to make plans for future things with Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, so he stayed at the Jade Qing Sect.


    Seven days passed quickly. In the past seven days, quite a few sects were destroyed almost every day. The four Elders who were infused with Patriarch Guanshan''s energy were almost half-devilized and they seemed invincible. Each sect they went, they would kill all its disciples and took their souls. They would also take the Spiritual Meridians of the Sect Leader and those elders by force.


    Now that the East Continent had already fallen into chaos and everyone was frightened. Wherever the four Elders of the Skygale Sect went, blood flew like a river and the land was naked of grass. Many cultivators came to the Jade Qing Sect for help.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sat at the head of the hall with knitted brows because if things went on like this, the last goal of Patriarch Guanshan must be the Jade Qing Sect. Xiao Chen also had some misgivings. Yesterday he heard that Penglai Island in Zhou State was destroyed. In the end, Zhang Qinglian conducted the deliverance by a sword and then blew his own soul up. Yet, he seemed to have done no harm to the four Elders. One could imagine the incredible degree of the strength the four Elders had.


    His biggest concern at this moment was the Teal Jade Sect. Although he only stayed at the Teal Jade Sect for a month, Liu Yunzheng and others treated him very well. Especially Liu Fenghuang, she could be said his first friend since he came to the Violet Manor.


    When he was indulging in anxiety, suddenly a disciple came to report from outside. Obviously, another sect was wiped out. The disciple rushed in, followed by a girl in red. Xiao Chen immediately stood up. "Senior Sister Liu!"


    The girl in red was exactly Liu Fenghuang whom he was worried about a moment ago. The eyes of Liu Fenghuang were very red and her tears had already stained her face. The moment when she saw Xiao Chen, she murmured, "Han... Junior Brother Han..." She fainted and sank to the ground before she could finish her words.


    Xiao Chen moved in a flash and hurried to hold her up. Then they went to the back of the hall. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen pushed some True Energy into her body and she finally woke up slowly.


    As soon as Liu Fenghuang woke up, she couldn''t help crying again. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen comforted her, "Miss Liu, take it slow. Don''t worry." Xiao Chen also said, "Senior Sister Liu, speak slowly. How about your father?"


    Liu Fenghuang sobbed twice and cried. "Nothing is left... The Teal Jade Sect is gone... Senior Brother Mo escorted me out, but he was so seriously hurt that he also..." Speaking of which, her voice was choked with sobs.


    In fact, since the appearance of Liu Fenghuang, Xiao Chen had already known that she might be the only one of the Teal Jade Sect who finally escaped. However, upon hearing this bad news, he still couldn''t help but feel a pain in his heart. If he hadn''t taken the Fuxi Zither string, Liu Yunzheng would have escaped unscathed with his several True Disciples by using the power of the Fuxi Zither...


    Suddenly, he remembered the scene when Liu Yunzheng gave him the dragon pill that night. At that time, Liu Yunzheng said to him, "Your Senior Sister Chu, Senior Sister Shen, and Senior Brother Mo... I gave all of them gifts a month after their acceptance into the Sect. How can you be any different?"


    Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen clenched his fists tightly, cracking knuckles. He really wanted to kill Patriarch Guanshan immediately. At this point, another disciple came to report from outside in a hurry. The disciple walked to the side of Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and whispered a few words to him. After hearing the words, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen immediately felt refreshed. He walked outside with Moxuan and Yuheng instantly after he arranged everything here.


    Xiao Chen more or less guessed that Qingfeng and Zi Mo had arrived, then he said, "Senior Sister Liu, have a good rest. I''ll avenge the death of Sect Leader Liu!" After that, he immediately went out.


    In the Coalesced Colors Hall stood a cyan-robed old man with transcendent demeanor. Several elders there seemed to be very respectful to him. Many young disciples whispered together outside the hall, "Is him Martial Uncle Qingfeng?"


    Qingfeng and Zi Mo had left the Jade Qing Sect for years. Those disciples who newly joined in recent years had never seen them. No wonder they couldn''t recognize them at the moment.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen went to the hall and hurried to greet him, "Junior Brother Qingfeng, you are really back!"


    Qingfeng smiled gently. "We have not seen each other in decades. How are you, Senior Brother?" Then he gave a nod of greeting to Yuheng Zi and Moxuan Zi behind him and said, "Senior Brother Yuheng, Junior Brother Moxuan."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was so excited that his tears were nearly flooded his eyes. He said a stream of words, "Good! Good! It''s good to have you back!" Numerous disciples outside the hall were totally amazed and they thought to themselves, "Sect Leader has never been so excited!"


    Yuheng Zi shook his head and sighed. "Junior Brother, you and Junior Brother Xiaoyao walked away without saying a word. Aye..." In the end, he didn''t know what to say.


    At this moment, the four of them got together again. When they looked back, they found that they were so high-spirited when they were young. In those old days, all demons would immediately flee far away in a hurry once they heard the name of the Jade Qing Seven.


    At this time, Xiao Chen also came out from the back hall. Seeing that Qingfeng was there, he immediately went forward and clasped his hands to greet, "Predecessor Qingfeng!" Xiao Chen was always very respectful to Qingfeng since he learned that Qingfeng saved him when he was a little baby.


    Qingfeng nodded with a smile. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen looked out of the hall and asked, "What about Junior Brother Xiaoyao? Why isn''t he here?"


    When his voice just fell, a slightly playful voice sounded outside, "Well, grandpa Zi Mo is coming!"


    Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Chen''s whole body trembled, and instantly he felt like crying but he couldn''t shed a tear.

 Chapter 159 Mu Shaoai

    Soon, there was an odd voice outside the temple, "Xue''er, don''t push an old guy. If you push me again, I will leave!"


    When the Perfected Immortal Qing Chen heard the voice, he was extremely happy. He hurried to the gate of the temple with Xiao Chen behind him. They saw a beautiful woman in white dress outside was pushing a comical strange old man in a purple dress to through the gate.


    Qing Chen was so happy that he cried£¬ignoring his identity and image and hurried to receive them. "Brother Xiaoyao, you finally come back!"


    All the disciples were amazed¡ªWas this strange old man the legendary Martial Uncle Xiaoyao? This was so ridiculous! Xiaoyao must be, in their eyes, a master with an elder''s presence like Qingfeng. Who could imagine that he was such a comical and strange old man?


    When Zi Mo saw Qing Chen coming, he cried and ran away immediately. Qing Chen moved in front of him quickly and stopped him. "Junior Brother, after so many years, still run away as soon as you see me?"


    Zi Mo blinded his eyes with his hands and cried strangely, "Ah! I have seen nobody, nobody! Damn Yu Yifeng cheated me that you are not here, damn it..."


    The disciples were so surprised that their chins were almost falling to the ground. Was that really the Martial Uncle Xiaoyao, one of the seven masters, not some old riffraff from the city Qing?


    "Ah ah!" At this moment, they heard a big laugh from the inside temple. Mo Xuan moved his body in front of Zi Mo quickly, smiled and said, " We haven''t seen each other for so many years. Senior Brother, you didn''t change at all. Aren''t you afraid of disciples'' jokes?" Then, Mo Xuan took Zi Mo in the temple.


    "Let me go! Let me go! Little Xuan, let me go!" Zi Mo was screaming when he struggled. Although Moxuan Zi looked young, his seniority was not young. In the whole Jade Qing Sect, only Zi Mo dare to call him Little Xuan.


    Numerous disciples in the vicinity were already shocked as if the whole world were watching the farce. Except for Xiao Chen, he only saw the woman in white, whose beauty could barely be caught in a dream. She was not Hua Weiyang, but Li Muxue.


    Li Muxue sensed his eyes and went up to him. She smiled softly and said, "Sir, have we ever met before?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and shook his head. "No."


    Before he left the Human World, Qingfeng told him that Li Muxue''s seven souls had lost the soul of the memory, and it was impossible to recall him again in this life. Otherwise, he would not come to the Violet Manor with such ease.


    "Then why do you keep looking at me like that?"


    "I''m sorry, I apologize."


    When he just saw Li Muxue suddenly appear, his heart seemed to be broken with a hole, with only pain in it. But now, in the face of cold and strange words, he seemed to have lost his heart with only an empty chest left.


    Li Muxue smiled softly at his word and turned around. She walked towards a flower tree and picked flowers from it, like a dancing fairy. At this time, people around had just noticed her. Many young men had already been crazy about her. How could there be such a charming woman in the world?


    A handsome man came over and gently plucked a white-and-red flower from the tree for her. He recited, "Pick flowers when they are in full bloom. Don''t wait until the flowers are gone and only the branches are left." He handed her the flowers in his hand, smiled and said, "I''m Mu Shaoai. May I know your name, my lady?"


    Li Muxue took the flowers he handed over and smiled softly. "My name is Li Muxue."


    "Ah!" Mu Shaoai showed a surprised expression, and then turned into joy. "Your name and I all contain a word of ''Mu''. Maybe this is our fate."


    Li Muxue looked at him. She put her hands behind and smiled softly. "What do you want to say?"


    Mu Shaoai coughed twice and laughed. "Miss Li must be the first time to come to our Jade Qing Sect, right? Shall I show you around to familiarize you with the environment?"


    Li Muxue looked up at the white clouds in the sky and replied, "Okay." Mu Shaoai was overjoyed. He gave an elegant and graceful posture. "Lady first."


    Looking at their backs, many male disciples said with hatred, "Let the lustful man take the lead again!"


    Xiao Chen sighed and asked one of the people beside him, "Senior Brother, who is that Mu Shaoai?" The man replied, "He is a famous girl killer here! He promised to make every girl in the city Qing sad for him."


    Xiao Chen shook his head. It turned out that Mu Shaoai was not a good person. He turned around and went to the temple. Seeing that Qing Chen was discussing something with several other junior brothers, it was better not to disturb them. He went back to his residence on the mountain.


    Back to the small yard, it seemed that Luo Shangyan and Xian''er were not here. He suddenly felt that the autumn wind was sorrowful and lonely as himself. After a while, he came to a small pavilion on the edge of a cliff. Looking from the pavilion, half the Jade Qing Mountain could be seen. Through the clouds, he could also see the looming city Qing in the distant.


    Even though he was in a bad mood at this moment, he couldn''t help but be moved by the landscape. He brushed at the lower hem of the dress and sat in the pavilion. He took out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant, and the hands plucked light and slow. A very soft sound was swaying in the mountain valley.


    Qin, in the tune of Gong, was soothing like river flows. The song was the Recall of Fate in Mortal Life which he played when they first encountered at the bridgehead. However, the music was still there, the lovers couldn''t recognize each other anymore. Thus there was some bitterness in the rhyme.


    "Oh..." When he was sulking, there was a sudden sigh behind him, and a young boy''s clear voice followed, "It was the decision that you have made yourself before. What''s the use of your self-pity now?"


    Hearing this voice, Xiao Chen was overjoyed. The previous sense of alienation was thrown away. He turned around and said, "Evernight!"


    Floating in the air, several feet away from the ground, he put his arms on the chest and shook his head. "Kid, I haven''t seen you for only a few months, when did you become so sentimental?"


    Xiao Chen was happy at the moment. He wondered if he should tell him that he had retrieved two strings of the Fuxi Zither. Evernight fell to the ground and walked slowly to the edge of the cliff. He looked at the distant scenery and said, "Of course, there are many people who are infatuated for a lifetime. However, she is probably the only person in the world who will never be reincarnated because of a man. Kid, cherish it."


    Xiao Chen was nervous in the heart, who was he talking about? Weiyang or Muxue? When he decided to ask him the meaning of his words, there were sounds of footsteps not far from here. Evernight said, "Someone is coming, I''m back to the qin." Then he entered the qin immediately.


    "Miss Li, there is the Wangxian Pavilion, one of the three great sceneries of the Jade Qing Sect. Shall I show you around?"


    "All right."


    Those who came here were Li Muxue and Mu Shaoai. When Mu Shaoai saw someone was already in the pavilion, he showed a pity face. "It''s unfortunate, someone is already here."


    For some reason, Xiao Chen was now disgusted to even hear the voice and tone of the man. So, he intended to hold the qin back. Mu Shaoai stepped forward and said politely, "Junior brother, could you please leave us some spaces for a while?"


    Xiao Chen''s brow wrinkled. He was disgusted with Mu Shaoai''s appearance in front of Li Muxue. "I came here first, why should I leave?"


    Mu Shaoai was not angry but still smiling, which made him looked quite graceful. Li Muxue smiled and said, "Well, that''s okay, Senior Brother Mu. Let him stay here, we can go anywhere else!"


    Mu Shaoai smiled softly. "Miss Li is so considerate, please." Then he put on an invitation pose.


    Watching the two of them drifted away, he recalled the disgusting look of Mu Shaoai as he pretended to be. Xiao Chen gritted his teeth with hatred. It took a long time for him to utter two words, "Sick! Hypocritical!"

 Chapter 160 The Letter sLoves

    After scolding with Mu Shaoai, facing the cold wind from the cliff, Xiao Chen felt empty in his heart. He counted the past bit by bit which would always come to mind when it was quiet at night. Had Muxue really forgotten them at all? Of course, since she had lost the soul of memory, how could she still remember Xiao Chen. Even if she remembered, Xiao Chen could do nothing at all...


    At this time, he heard a weird voice from the top of pavilion, "Kid, if I were your, I would court her back!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head and showed a bitter smile. He said, "Predecessor Zi Mo, what are you doing here instead of discussing in the temple?"


    "Oh, they kept speaking something about that lives are in misery and suffering. I am nearly bored to death, so I slipped out."


    Zi Mo had come to him unconsciously when he was speaking. "Kid, although Qingfeng doesn''t think you two can achieve it, I think so! This time I brought her to the Violet Manor. How would you like to thank me, kid?"


    "Oh..." Xiao Chen sighed deeply. "What should I do, she had already forgotten me..."


    Zi Mo would slap his hand on the back of his head before Xiao Chen finished speaking. "Kid, don''t complain here. If I were you, I would slap Mu Shaoai and take her away."


    Speaking of this, Zi Mo''s face looked a little gloomy that he seemed to have recalled a memory of the past a long time ago. He signed and said then, "My junior sister and I used to always come to this Wangxian Pavilion together a long time ago..."


    Xiao Chen had never seen him so serious, so he couldn''t help but get goosebumps. He thought Zi Mo was talking about the last two of the seven masters. Xiao Chen didn''t know what had happened to them before, that they had finally completely isolated from each other all their lives. Was it also for the letter "love"?


    Zi Mo sighed and said, "Love is a word that has never been understood since ancient times. There were so many saints missed the chance to achieve true Tao because they couldn''t escape from this word. But if a person was missed, he or she would be lost by them forever. What was the sense even if they became immortals?"


    What was the sense even if they became immortals? This sentence suddenly bumped into Xiao Chen''s heart like a big bell and made his heartache. In the past, he devoted himself to the immortality cultivation and didn''t care about the world of mortals until he met Hua Weiyang. If he hadn''t met her, maybe he''d already achieved his Tao and become a God King or Honored Immortal now.


    But even to this day, he had no regrets. How about Qianyu Nishang? She had already entered the world of immortals Because she could be ruthless. But after thousands of years being alone in the cold world, hadn''t she felt regret at all?


    Presumably in the last mythological era, the fairy who took the immortal medicine and finally stayed Guanghan Palace alone must have been regret, or she wouldn''t feel that there were only the blue sea and sky accompanied her lonely heart.


    Unconsciously the sun was sinking. Xiao Chen vows and said, "I learned a lot from what predecessor said today."


    Zi Mo swayed his hand and sighed. "In two days, I have to go and ask my two sisters to come back. The younger sister Yanluo is easy to deal with, I am afraid that the sister Huashang is difficult to invite."


    Xiao Chen had no idea about what happened to these seven masters. The Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation must be started by all of the seven, no one can be missed. Xiao Chen said, "If there is anything I can do for you, please tell me."


    Zi Mo signed and nodded his head. "Okay. It''s late, you should be back."


    When Xiao Chen returned to his yard, Murong Xian''er was talking with Luo Shangyan angrily. He smiled and asked, "Who annoyed my Xian''er?"


    Seeing Xiao Chen came back, Murong Xian''er ran to him immediately. She hugged his arms and said, "Welcome back! I just saw sister Muxue, but she was strange. I talked about you with her but she kept saying that she didn''t know you. I was so angry!"


    Xiao Chen smiled slightly and touched her head, saying, "Well, don''t mention me with her anymore."


    "Humph! And the Mu Shaoai is an asshole. When he saw me, he dared want to..." Speaking of this, her face turned red.


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows frowned. "What did he want to do?"


    After a detailed inquiry, Xiao Chen knew that Mu Shaoai was exactly the same as what others had said, a bad lecher, who intended to pay the court to Luo Shangyan last month.


    Xiao Chen shook a banyan tree in the yard with a big bang. After a while, he calmed down. Luo Shangyan asked, "What happened to you and Junior Sister Li?"


    Murong Xian''er replied for him quickly, "Sister Muxue have fallen in love with Mu Shaoai..."


    The more Xiao Chen listened, the more distress he suffered. He shook his head to indicate her to stop talking.


    when it was quiet at night, Xiao Chen looked at the crescent moon on the sky alone. "Since she couldn''t recognize me when we met, why would I keep thinking about her."


    However, whether consciously or unconsciously, Yu Yifeng arranged Li Muxue to live near Xiao Chen''s yard.


    The next day, Qing Chen was discussing with someone in the Coalesced Colors Hall about how to invite Huashang and Yanluo, which seemed to be not easy. And the Patriarch Guanshan was making more troubles which had burned these people''s heads.


    Sitting in the yard, Xiao Chen intended to start cultivation. Then he heard the voice of Mu Shaoai from nearby. It was obvious that he went to see Li Muxue. So he shut down his auditory sense and turned to a deaf man for good.


    In the third day, Xiao Chen intended to visit Liu Fenghuang. As soon as he came out form the yard, he saw that Mu Shaoai was standing in front of Li Muxue''s yard with a joyful expression.


    With a squeak, the wooden door opened and Li Muxue came out from the yard. She was in a light green dress which made her more charming. She said, "You are so early, where are we going today?"


    Mu Shaoai smiled lightly and said, "There was a beauty that I couldn''t forget about her since the first time we met. I couldn''t help missing her crazily even for a one-day-parting..." Then he moved his fingers and showed a bunch of colorful flowers like magic.


    "Junior Sister, this is for you."


    Li Muxue was surprised and received his flowers. She said unconsciously, "How beautiful the flowers are! Did they come from your magic?"


    Mu Shaoai smiled slightly and replied, "This kind of flower named the Charming Beauty and only one color of the flower blooms each hour. If you want to gather all twelve colors, you should wait for twelve hours." What he meant by that was that he spent the whole night collecting the flowers.


    "If you like, I will collect them for you every day. Now let''s go, I will bring you to an interesting place today." When Mu Shaoai finished, he would take Li Muxue''s hand. However, Xiao Chen moved to them quickly and fended off Mu Shaoai''s hand.


    Mu Shaoai was confused at him. He asked, "Junior Brother Xiao, why you did this?"


    Xiao Chen replied coldly, "Now the whole East Continent was facing great danger. You choose to put your attention on the little tricks instead of cultivation. Don''t you feel sorry for your master? What exactly are you intended to do on this Jade Qing Mountain, learning or picking up girls? Don''t you know that a cultivator should be entirely at peace like water? Being such half-hearted, when can you achieve the Tao?"


    After scolding at him, Xiao Chen felt more comfortable. Then he dragged Li Muxue away.


    "Come with me! Don''t contact him anymore!"


    The ridiculous words made Mu Shaoai totally in a mess.


    Dragging by him with no reason, Li Muxue didn''t struggle to free herself until they arrived at a quiet bamboo grove. She was a bit angry and asked, "What are you doing? Who are you? Do I know you?"


    Xiao Chen turned to her. When he saw the Charming Beauty in her hand, he suddenly became angry and said, "Do you like magic tricks? I can do it either!" Then he took her flowers, crumpled them into a mess and throw them to the air. The colorful petals fluttered and fell down.


    "See, the blossoms scattered by the fairy."


    Li Muxue was amused by him and burst into laughter. "You call this a magic trick? You are quite interesting. But do I know you? You just dragged me away."


    She made him became angrier. He said, "Do you know what kind of man he is? Is it good for you to stay with such a person all day long?"


    Her smile had gone. She turned her head and said, "Humph! What kind of man he is? At least he would not sneak away without a message." In the end, her eyes got wet.


    Xiao Chen felt pain in his heart. "Di-did she got her memory back? Or she had never lost the soul, and I was cheated by Qingfeng that she only wanted me to forget about her..."


    "Muxue, I..."


    "Don''t call me Muxue! Do I know you? Call me Miss Li!" Li Muxue raised her head and tears fell down her cheeks.


    "Muxue, I''m sorry!" Xiao Chen could no longer suppress the mood at this moment and hold her tightly.


    "I''m sorry. I won''t leave you alone anymore."


    People always didn''t know what was precious before they lost them. He was very sad at the moment, just as in that year, if he could be braver, maybe Weiyang would not...


    Hearing this, Li Muxue burst into tears and asked, in a choked voice, "What are you doing? Let me go, I haven''t forgiven you. Xiao Chen, do you really want me to forget you? Even if someday I forget you, won''t you remind me..."


    "No... I was just afraid. I was afraid that I will lose you eventually, just like..."


    "Just like how I lost Hua Weiyang." The love came from nowhere, but the affection was becoming deeper. Later he learned that she was the daughter of the devil''s leader, and finally, they were separated by death.


    At this time, a sword radiance suddenly fell down.


    "Junior Brother Xiao, Martial Uncle Qingfeng wants you to..."


    When Yu Yifeng saw the scene, he turned around in a hurry. Xiao Chen released Li Muxue quickly. He coughed and asked, "What does Predecessor Qingfeng want me to do?"


    "Martial Uncle Qingfeng wants you to go to the Coalesced Colors Hall." After he finished, he turned into a sword radiance and went down the mountain.

 Chapter 161 Knowing the Truth

    Xiao Chen wiped off the tears on Li Muxue''s face and said softly, "Predecessor Qingfeng asked for me, and it''s about the Patriarch Guanshan. Shall I go first?"


    Li Muxue nodded and said, "I''m with you."


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. "Are you going to go like this? Maybe Predecessor Zi Mo might say that I am bullying you again."


    "Humph! Are you not?"


    When the two people returned to the yard, Li Muxue washed away the tears on her face, and the two went down the mountain, heading the Coalesced Colors Hall.


    When they arrived at the Coalesced Colors Hall, the atmosphere was solemn, and everyone¡¯s face was dignified. Xiao Chen and Li Muxue stood in the middle. They first bowed to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen who was at the head of the temple and then greeted several other people.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, "Save the courtesy, Xiao Chen. Please sit down."


    Xiao Chen and Li Muxue walked over and sat next to the two elders, Zi and Qing. The Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said again, "This time, the calamity in the East Continent is almost as serious as the one in the Middle Continent before. The person who was full of Devil Qi just destroyed a few sects and then went missing. But Patriarch Guanshan wants to bloodbath the whole East Continent..."


    Xiao Chen knew that the person mentioned must be Gu Feng who ran out from the ancient tomb in the back of his family''s mountain. It was very much related to Xiao Ning, his true ancestor, and what happened thousands of years ago.


    Outside and inside the temple, many people had indignation in their hearts after hearing this. A true devil still had his mercy, but Patriarch Guanshan, who was also a cultivator, actually did such a thing against human nature.


    Qingfeng nodded and faced Xiao Chen, saying, "So, Xiao Chen, I discussed with several brothers. And we decide to let you ask Huashang sisters back."


    "Me?" Xiao Chen pointed to himself, and he was somewhat puzzled. He thought that there are now five people out of the Seven Sons. Why they let him do this since there were so many choices?


    Yu Yifeng said, "Junior Brother Xiao, there''s something you don''t know. Martial Uncle Huashang established a sect named Heartless Palace in the Falling Flowers Valley decades ago. They have never been in contact with other sects, especially the Jade Qing Sect members. So, you are our only hope."


    When Xiao Chen heard Heartless Palace, he was stunned. Chu Lingjiao was one of the Heartless Palace! Last time in Zhou State, they seemed to have made enemies. Was it really good for him to go to the Heartless Palace?


    Li Muxue said, "I will go with you."


    Just then, a clear voice came from outside the hall. "It''s better for me and Junior Sister Li to do this."


    Everyone looked back¡ªit was Mu Shaoai walked in. He entered the hall, and his eyes were fixed on Li Muxue. Zi Mo squinted at him and said sarcastically, "You? Are you going to die there? Get lost!"


    "You¡­¡­"


    Mu Shaoai was the great disciple of Yuheng Zi. His talent was not bad, and he entered the Core Forming Realm a few years ago. So, he was more or less self-conceit. Although he knew that Zi Mo was his Martial Uncle Xiaoyao, he felt greatly unhappy being humiliated in front of so many people.


    Zi Mo stood up and said, "What? Go on!" Although he looked funny in normal days, his cultivation was the most unfathomable one in the Seven Sons. No one knew how strong he was. So, what he said had a certain majesty, and Mu Shaoai was shocked and unable to speak at the scene.


    Yu Hengzi coughed and said, "Shaoai, you step back."


    "Yes, master." Mu Shaoai now had reason to step back, so he immediately stepped back with a clasp of his hands and walked out of the hall.


    Zi Mo was still angry. "Damn it. How dare he refute back to me!"


    Yu Hengzi smiled obsequiously and said, "Junior Brother Xiaoyao, why bother with the disciples." Although he said this, he knew in his heart that Xiaoyao Zi had never been able to get along with himself before. He came back this time and remained the same.


    Then, everyone agreed that tomorrow, Xiao Chen and Li Muxue would go to the Heartless Palace and ask Huashang back. Getting out of the hall, Yu Yifeng stopped him and said, "Little Chen, My Martial Uncle Huashang''s temper is perverse. You must not mention the names of other Jade Qing Sect members in the Heartless Palace. You can only mention Martial Uncle Qingfeng. Tell her that Martial Uncle Qingfeng let you invite her."


    Xiao Xiao was puzzled by this. Was the relationship between the Seven Sons so bad? Where was the friendship of the past? Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Okay, I get it."


    In the night, the wind was clear, and the moon was bright. It was late autumn, and the weather was getting cold. Xiao Chen went to Qingfeng''s residence and saw him stand in the courtyard with his hands at his back and sighed at the moon. Xiao Chen coughed and said, "Predecessor Qingfeng."


    Qingfeng nodded. "Come in." It seemed that he already knew what Xiao Chen came to him for.


    Xiao Chen entered the courtyard and clasped his hads. "There are some things that I don''t know. Predecessor Qingfeng, please tell me." Qingfeng nodded slightly and said, "Speak."


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and silenced for a long time. He finally asked, "In fact, I was the baby in the sarcophagus, right?"


    Qingfeng was silent as if he recalled the scene of that cold night. He said after a long time, "That night, your father came with a baby. I wanted to transmit the soul of the baby in the sarcophagus to the baby in your father''s hands. But it turned out that no matter what I did, it did not work. Seeing two babies dying, I had to transmit the soul of the baby in your father¡¯s hands into..."


    Although Xiao Chen had already expected the truth, he trembled upon hearing this. He asked after a long time, "Does my father know about this?"


    Being silent for a moment, Qingfeng nodded.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart hurt, but he was rather moved. Back then, he couldn¡¯t practice martial arts at the beginning, and his father went around and searched for medicine. He also recalled that his father always squabbled with several elders for him. He couldn¡¯t help but weep.


    His mother probably still didn''t know about it. But in any case, he would only recognize them as parents, and he was their biological child!


    With a sigh, Xiao Chen clasped his hand. "Thank you, predecessor, for telling me the truth tonight. Please don¡¯t tell anyone about this."


    He knew that this matter involved too many things. The sarcophagus that carried him back then was the spirit gathering sarcophagus carring the body of Patriarch Guanshan which was stolen by a mysterious man from the Skygale Sect. Once this matter spread around, Xiao Chen was afraid that it would cause a big trouble.


    Qingfeng nodded. This was also the secret that he had hidden in his heart for many years. Xiao Chen clasped his hands and said, "Then I will not bother you from rest." After that, Xiao Chen went out of the courtyard.


    Walking on the mountain road back to his yard, the cold wind blew his face, and his heart was somewhat cool. It was almost half a year since he came to Violet Manor, but he never visited his mother at the Su family. He had to find a way to visit the Su family.


    There had always been a faint worry in his heart. He always felt that there would be a major event happening in the near future. It''s either related to the destruction of the Mystic Cyan Sect thousands of years ago or related to his resurrection after thousands of years. He did not know how much time was there left for him to reunite with family and friends.


    At the same time, in another temple, Yu Hengzi''s eyebrows were deeply furrowed. Mu Shaoai walked back and forth in the hall, saying, "Master, are you really going to inject your cultivation into that Xiao Chen? Let''s not talk about his unclear background. Last time he was in the Widespread Wintriness Sect, he became very devilish and hurt a lot of people. Base on this issue, how can we trust him?"


    Yu Hengzi took a deep breath and said, "I know. But this is your Sect Leader''s decision."


    Mu Shaoai said with hatred, "Sect Leader. Sect Leader. Sect Leader again! He favored Yu Yifeng, it''s fine. But now he wants to push your cultivation into an outsider, only because that man is a descendant of his friend? I''m not worse than Xiao Chen in talent and strength. I''m not worse than Yu Yifeng."


    Yu Hengzi glared at him and swung his sleeve. "Do you know which aspect of yours is worse than that of Yu Yifeng? A cultivator should be as quiet as water. But you are so anxious when you encounter something. You won''t achieve anything great like this! How can you lead the Jade Qing Sect in the future?"


    Mu Shaoai lowered his head and said, "Master, you are right." After a while, he looked up again and said, "But master, you saw it today. That Xiaoyao Zi humiliated me in front of everyone. Obviously, he did it against you..."


    Before he finished speaking, Yu Hengzi hurriedly looked out and found nothing in the wind and grass. He turned his head and thundered in a low voice, "Shut up! Who taught these to you?"


    Mu Shaoai''s body trembled, and now he knew what he said was sowing dissension among the elders. It was a big sin. According to the Jade Qing Sect rules, he had to face the wall for ten years to regret and confess. So, he immediately lowered his head.


    Yu Hengzi said, "Nevermind. I know what to do about it. You go back now."


    "Yes, master." Mu Shaoai clasped his hands and left the hall. When he got outside the door, he even felt the moonlight and tree shadows were annoying. A cold light flashed through his eyes, and he said deeply, "Xiao Chen..."

 Chapter 162 Falling Flowers Valley

    In the early morning of the next day, Xiao Chen prepared everything, opened the door, and walk to the yard. Autumn was comfortable, and the sun was shining. He was about to call Li Muxue to go to the Coalesced Colors Hall when the voice of Murong Xian''er rose from behind. "Brother Xiao Chen, are you leaving?"


    Xiao Chen turned and saw Murong Xian''er and Luo Shangyan standing side by side. He smiled gently and said, "Yes, the Patriarch Guanshan issue is imminent. I have to go ask predecessor Huashang back as soon as possible."


    Luo Shangyan wanted to say something but she didn''t say it. After a while, she said, "Are you going with Junior Sister Li?" Xiao Chen nodded. Luo Shangyan said, "Then you should be careful."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Okay, I get it." He then walked outside the yard, called Li Muxue, and went to the Coalesced Colors Hall. The people in the hall who were headed by the Perfected Immortal Qing Chen were waiting here, but Yu Yifeng was not there. It seemed that he went to ask for Perfected Immortal Yanluo in the morning.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said some related matters, and summoned a Flying-cloud Stone, saying, "Junior Sister Huashang is stubborn. If she insists on not coming back, you should persuade her with nice words. Remember not to annoy her."


    Xiao Chen thought that Huashang was one of the Seven Sons and at least at peak Core Forming Realm. He laughed and said, "Okay, I understand." He then boarded on the Flying-cloud Stone with Li Muxue.


    He had mastered the essentials of controlling Flying-cloud Stone before. He flew south in accordance with the location indicated by the Perfected Immortal Qing Chen.


    The breeze blew the face, and eight hours passed without knowing. It was about 5 p.m, and the sun was falling west. Xiao Chen looked down and found the aura of Spiritual Qi. He then chanted spells and let the Flying-cloud Stone descend slowly.


    Falling on the ground, Xiao Chen removed the stone and walked with Li Muxue for about three kilometers before they saw a stone monument. The stone monument was not special, but it was carved with four words that made people stop: The trespassers will die!


    Xiao Chen thought that predecessor Huashang left this to prevent outlanders from invading. He looked at Li Muxue and shouted to the valley, "I''m Xiao Chen, the disciple of Qingfeng. I come to visit predecessor Huashang!"


    The sound spread for more than 5,000 meters and echoed in the valley. But no one responded to his voice. Xiao Chen thought if there was something wrong in the valley. Otherwise, according to what Qing Chen said before, as long as he said that he was a disciple of Qingfeng, someone should receive him. After waiting for a moment, he looked up and saw the sky was getting dark. He said, "Let''s go in and check it out."


    They walked to the valley. After walking for about two kilometers, they felt the breeze with the scent of flowers. In the distance, the clear stream was winding, the birds were humming, and the ancient vines coiled on the trees. The colorful flowers scattered on the ground. It was a beautiful place.


    Although it was late autumn, the scenery in the valley was beautiful, and the ordinary people would be refreshed in this place. But there seemed to be sadness between his brows.


    Somehow, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sorrow, as if he had really come here before, and he was so familiar with the flowers and trees here. He felt like being in a dream.


    Since ancient times, there had been a saying that if you had been to a place in your previous life, you would feel something if you visit it again. At this moment, the feeling of Xiao Chen was just like this. They walked for some time and went into a bamboo forest. The sorrow in his heart was spread unscrupulously.


    Looking at the bamboos, Xiao Chen wanted to cry out loud but cannot cry. Just like these bamboos, they seemed to be planted by him and someone else.


    Li Muxue saw his face abnormal and asked, "What happened to you?"


    Xiao Chen came to his senses, shook his head, and asked while seeing her face abnormal, "What happened to you?" Li Muxue shook her head and said, "I don''t know how to say it. I always felt that I had been here before."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. "Is it Weiyang?" Weiyang had been here. The words she left on the Cliff of Fallen Divinity: "I''m in the Loveless Valley..."


    Loveless Valley, Heartless Palace, and Falling Flowers Valley! Was there any connection?


    At this moment, all his thoughts were intertwined. There was a storm in his heart. If this was really the Loveless Valley, then Weiyang must have been here. But thousands of years had passed. It was something he could never reach.


    He wanted to shout loudly at this moment, but Li Muxue was here. He could not show this kind of emotion. He put the sadness aside, walked through the bamboo forest, and there was a flower forest in front of him. Li Muxue seemed to be unhappy all the way, so he asked, "What happened?"


    Li Muxue looked sideways and said, "Humph! You are thinking about someone else. It must be Huangfu Xin''er, right?"


    Xiao Chen was a bit stunned and said, "No! Xin''er..."


    Li Muxue pursed her mouth and looked like she was wronged greatly. "You call her so intimately, and you still said no. It''s right. I heard that she also came to Violet Manor a few months ago. You must want to go meet her again. I was not around for some time, maybe you already..."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. "Xin''er also came here?" However, he did not see her in the Skygale Sect last time. If she stayed in the Skygale Sect, what should he do?


    Looking back, he found Li Muxue was gone. He turned around and saw her standing at his back, being angry. He smiled and said, "All right, Muxue..."


    Li Muxue looked sideways and said, "Who is Muxue? What are we? Call me Miss Li!" Xiao Chen said in surprise, "Didn''t you say that Miss Li sounds bad?"


    Li Muxue pretended to be angry and snorted to the sky.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and walked back, taking her hand, saying, "Well, Miss Li, we should proceed, or it''ll go dark. Then the leopard and worms in the mountains would all..."


    Before his voice fell, he felt something flying on the left side. He swung his sleeve, and with a few noises, some silver needles stuck into the soil. The end of the silver needle was black. Obviously, they were very poisonous. If it weren''t for his good Divine Sense, they would''ve been killed.


    "Who is sneaking! Come out!"


    This time was the same. Before his voice fell, a few silver needles arrived. The hidden weapons were sent very fast. They could only hear the sound and could not see their shadows. The person who sent them had extraordinary cultivation, and a normal barrier was hard to block them.


    Xiao Chen took Li Muxue and jumped to the sky, standing on a tree. With a few sounds, several silver needles stuck on the trunk of the flower tree. Then, the tree withered instantly.


    Xiao Chen was shocked because the weapon was so toxic. Obviously, the person aimed to take their lives. He was annoyed and said, "Who are you exactly? If you don''t come out again, don''t blame me for being rude!"


    At this time, a crisp, female voice in the deep forest rose. "Thief! When have you been polite!" As her voice fell, a dozen women in white flashed out of the forest with noise.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Everyone was holding a sword, and their costumes were all the same as those of Chu Lingjiao''s girls on that day. They should be disciples of the Heartless Palace. Their eyes were filled with resentment, and they just called him thief. It must have been caused by a misunderstanding. He landed to the ground with Li Muxue and clasped his hands. "Junior sisters, I''m..."


    Before he could finish, a woman shouted, "Thief! Do you think that we cannot recognize you if you disguise like this?" Then, a dozen of them immediately formed a sword formation and trapped the two in the center.


    A dozen long swords were shining in the sun, just like the golden snakes. Xiao Chen cursed in his heart. Although they only had average cultivation which was about Lv 2 or Lv 3 Foundation Building Realm and it was easy to defeat them, it would offend their master, Huashang, if he attacked them.


    While thinking, a long sword suddenly moved. Xiao Chen worried that Li Muxue would be injured, so he caught the blade with two fingers, saying, "Junior sister, listen to me, I''m definitely not some..."


    The woman wanted to draw back her long sword, but her strength was not as great as that of him. She was so angry, and the rest of them saw it and attacked after giving battle-cries. In an instant, the wind blew madly, and the sword shadows were moving in disorder.

 Chapter 163 Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld

    It wasn''t a problem for Xiao Chen to handle one person but facing these many people put him in an awkward situation. Moreover, their sword formation was formidable and his hands were bound for fear of injuring them.


    The dresses of more than a dozen girls, all at the peak of their youth, fluttered in the wind. Out of nowhere, fragrance permeated the woods. Xiao Chen knew he couldn''t let down his guard or he would fall into a precarious situation. He tried explaining to the girls as he defended himself. However, the girls refused to listen and continued attacking him.


    "Pervert! Don''t even think of leaving this place today!" one of the girls yelled as she thrust her sword. "Sexual deviant! Today, you''ll be buried in the Falling Flowers Valley!" another cried, thrusting her sword.


    Xiao Chen endured the fight for about 30 minutes, being in defensive mode the entire time. These girls stood no chance if he wanted to fight back. Even so, they stubbornly persisted while continuously blasting him for being a pervert.


    This angered him. First, no one came to receive him even though he had been yelling for some time outside the valley. Now, these girls were indiscriminately attacking him. He was a decent and upstanding man, yet was humiliatingly dubbed a pervert here. It was outrageous!


    Xiao Chen hailed from an affluent family and learned literature from his mother since he was a child. He could be considered an educated, well-mannered person. However, these girls were scolding and berating him. He couldn''t help getting irritated. With a single palm attack, he sent a long sword aimed at him flying and said indignantly, "I''m an upstanding and honorable man! In what way do I resemble a pervert?!"


    "In every way! You even sound like a pervert!" the girl closest to him shouted. Simultaneously, another sword flew toward him.


    Her sword was startlingly fast and nimble. It arrived in front of Xiao Chen''s face in the blink of an eye while he was talking, catching him off guard. He hastily slanted his body, causing the arrow to narrowly brush past his chest. This was becoming dangerous. The girl who tried to stab him failed to conserve her power in time and fell into his arms. However, her remaining force didn''t dissipate because of the collision.


    Seeing as the girl was about to crash to the ground, Xiao Chen grabbed her. Unexpectedly, he missed and caught her belt instead.


    She fell to the ground as a ripping sound tore through the air. With the belt in Xiao Chen''s hand, her clothes were nearly untied. The girl swiftly pulled her clothes close and covered her body. She was so ashamed that she wanted to crawl into a hole.


    Xiao Chen didn''t think things would turn out like this. He was merely trying to help. He hastily said, "I didn''t intend to disrespect you. I''m just¡­" For a moment, he didn''t know what he should say. Seeing this, the other girls yelled, "And you dare say you''re not a pervert!"


    Li Muxue, who stood on the sidelines, also became angry after seeing this. She produced a sword out of nowhere and yelled, "Pervert! Take this!" She thrust her sword at him.


    Xiao Chen was puzzled. Why was Li Muxue attacking him as well? The girls were stunned as well and wondered, "Why are the two perverts fighting among themselves?"


    A burst of bright laughter emerged from the fringes of the sky right then, the laughter harboring a profoundly deep power. The treetops shook with the force of the sound, causing the leaves to fall to the ground. Then came a man''s voice. "How have you been, my fellow junior sisters? Did you keep me in your thoughts?"


    The girls immediately turned pale after hearing this voice and swiftly gathered into a tight group. Out of nowhere, a gale swept the ground. Aside from the flower petals being swept into the gale, the girls'' skirts also billowed with the wind.


    The girls immediately pulled their skirts close, prompting another burst of laughter. Two figures appeared atop a tree, both looking like they were 27 or 28. One was wearing a white shirt and the other a black shirt. They were leering at the girls.


    Only then did the girls realized that everything was a misunderstanding. These two were the true perverts, the Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld!


    The white-shirted one was named Ji Wulang and the black-shirted one was named Ji Wuhuan. Both had ruined countless girls and no one in this area was unfamiliar with them. Some time ago, they even announced that they would come on this day to marry all the Heartless Palace disciples.


    One of the girls cried, "Perverts, how dare you come and provoke the Heartless Palace!" Even though she kept her head high and chest out, she had obviously lost some of the ferocity she showed to Xiao Chen.


    Ji Wulang laughed heartily. "My junior sisters, come with us and you''ll live in a place that resembles a paradise. It''s better than staying here, keeping that old hag company, and cutting off your feelings or whatever, isn''t it?"


    Indignant after hearing him mock their master, the girls immediately formed a sword formation. Ji Wulang laughed again. Then, he noticed Xiao Chen and smiled at him. "I see that you''re also one of us. Nice, very nice¡­" Before finishing his sentence, he spotted the nearby Li Muxue and his eyes instantly gleamed.


    For years, he had gone around deflowering girls but this was his first time meeting a girl as beautiful as a fairy. He wanted nothing more than to kidnap her. Beside him, Ji Wuhuan took notice as well. He immediately said, "I saw her first! You can''t steal her!" With a dip of his toe, he flew toward Li Muxue.


    "Who said finders are keepers?" Worried that Ji Wuhuan would get the girl first, Ji Wulang instantly chased after him.


    "So you two are the reason I was inexplicably besieged by a bunch of mad women," Xiao Chen thought, "Now you even dare to disregard me and attempt to kidnap Muxue." His figure went out of focus before swiftly reappearing in front of Li Muxue. He thrust his palms at the same time, launching two shadows of golden dragons.


    Two earth-shattering palm forces, accompanied by dragon''s cries, nearly shook the entire woods. The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld was so preoccupied with grabbing Li Muxue that they neglected to guard against Xiao Chen. The palm forces slammed into them and sent them flying.


    The dragon''s cries gradually weakened but its remaining power was still breathtaking. The girls were stunned to discover how strong Xiao Chen was. They realized that he could have easily taken their lives earlier.


    Xiao Chen sneered. "Stop making a fuss here! Scram!" He considered chasing away the two men to be a favor to the Heartless Palace. This would make it easier for him to persuade Huashang to return to the Jade Qing Sect.


    The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld landed on the ground and glared daggers at him. "Good job, kid! You refuse the path to heaven, choosing to barge into the gates of hell instead!" Their True Energy quaked in unison, reducing the trees nearby into dust.


    Xiao Chen was startled to learn that they were Core Forming Realm cultivators. That meant he had simply caught them off guard earlier. He snapped into focus to prevent the two from attacking him simultaneously. While he could easily handle one Core Forming Realm cultivator, dealing with two at the same time was much more challenging.


    Ji Wulang said, "I''ll capture the girl; you fight this kid!" Ji Wuhuan swiftly retorted. "Who gave you the right to decide? You fight the kid; I''ll capture the girl!"


    It was obvious from their conversation that they didn''t fear Xiao Chen at all. In the end, Ji Wulang gave up arguing. "Fine! You better remember to keep the girl alive at night!" He transformed into a drawn-out light and charged at Chen Xiao.


    Xiao Chen didn''t notice when a long sword appeared in Ji Wulang''s hand. Ji Wulang waved the sword, launching a nearly 10 Chinese feet-long saber radiance that cast a blinding light over the woods. Xiao Chen, knowing that this attack would be a strong one, dodged sideways and narrowly avoided the saber radiance. The saber ended up slashing down quite a few large trees.


    Petals swirled in the air. On the ground was a dent made by the saber. The attack of a Core Forming Realm cultivator must not be underestimated. On the other side, Ji Wuhuan was moving toward Li Muxue. Knowing that the situation was worsening, Xiao Chen summoned the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. The sight of the eerie blood-red blade gave Ji Wulang a fright.


    Xiao Chen could perfectly command the blade now. With an upward thrust of the blade, a blood-red light struck Ji Wuhuan''s back. Ji Wuhuan was so close to capturing Li Muxue when he felt a strange force attacking him from behind. Swiftly, he turned his body and shoved his palms forward.


    The two forces collided, the aftershock causing the nearby petals to rain down. The Heartless Palace disciples nearby felt a jolt in their heart. They believed that these two were on par with each other.


    What they didn''t know was how strenuous it was for Xiao Chen to use the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method against the Core Forming Realm cultivator. It wouldn''t be advantageous for him if this battle continued. He yelled at the girls, "Where did all the fierceness you showed me earlier go?!"


    The girls recovered their senses. Since Xiao Chen was here to help them, how could they watch without doing anything? Seeing his earth-shattering twin palm attacks earlier made them believe that he could easily deal with the Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld.


    The girls swiftly undo their sword formation and charged at the Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld. The storm of sword radiances was blindingly bright, giving Xiao Chen a breather. He rapidly moved toward Li Muxue to protect her.


    Li Muxue was casting sword spells with her left hand and wielding her sword across her chest with her right hand. "You don''t have to worry about me. Focus on defeating the enemies."


    Only then did Xiao Chen notice that she was emanating a strong aura. He was hit by the realization that while his cultivation was rapidly improving, she wasn''t lagging behind either. It was simply his longtime habit of protecting those around him. Had Ji Wuhuan rashly try and capture her earlier, he might even end up getting injured.


    Following this realization, he calmed down and his worries dissipated. He inserted the Blood Lotus Demon Blade into the ground and started casting spells to produce seals. A formidable aura emerged from within him and spread to his surroundings, leading the flora around him to shake incessantly.


    The others also sensed this frightening aura. The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld looked at him in alarm and said in unison, "Stop him now!" Their figures disappeared as they aimed for Xiao Chen.


    With a cold gaze, Li Muxue cast a spell with her left hand as she thrust her sword with her right hand. Instantly, a sword radiance cut through the air. Even though it didn''t injure the duo, it caught them by surprise and considerably slowed their movements.


    The sky, initially cloudless for thousands of miles, was abruptly overrun by a sea of dark clouds. The wide expanse of dark clouds, with its lightning flashes and rolling thunder, hung over their heads. Out of the blue, a dragon poked its head from within the clouds. It looked disdainfully at the living things below out of the corner of its eye. Xiao Chen had unleashed the third style of the Dragon Roar Palm, the Dragon''s Wrath.


    The Heartless Palace disciples were overwhelmed with shock and fright after seeing the dragon''s head that had appeared without warning. The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld also sensed this terrifying force at last. They moved swiftly to launch a ferocious attack on Xiao Chen. Right then, the gargantuan dragon in the sky roared in anger and dived down with its entire body.


    The flora gave in to the tremendous force before the dragon had even reached the ground, all of them turning into powder. The girls found it hard to breathe. The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld was even more astonished. Despite their intention to dodge, it was evidently too late for them to do so.

 Chapter 164 Heartless Palace

    The gargantuan dragon dived down ruthlessly, causing the entire valley to shudder in fear. Countless trees and grasses were crushed under the force of this boundless pressure. Large expanses of soil overturned and flew into the air. Instantly, more than half of the woods were ruined. The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld was the most gravely injured of them all. They supported each other while repeatedly coughing up blood. Their clothing was mostly ruined and every inch of their skin was covered with blood and soil. The duo looked battered and exhausted.


    Within seconds, the dark clouds that hung close to the ground dissipated and a clear sky that stretched for thousands of miles once again showed itself. Ji Wulang pointed to Xiao Chen and said resentfully, "Kid, you''re an heir of the Ancient Immortal Clan! What''s your name?"


    Xiao Chen replied indifferently, "I am who I am and I''m not ashamed. I''m Xiao Chen."


    The Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld, who was already pale from blood loss, turned even whiter after hearing his name. Ji Wulang slapped his forehead. "How did we end up meeting this malefic creature?!" He swiftly turned into a sword radiance and fled southeast with Ji Wuhuan.


    The group of more than a dozen girls also turned deathly pale after hearing Xiao Chen''s name. When Xiao Chen reported his name at the entrance of the valley, they thought he was one of the perverted Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld. They never imagined that he would be the real thing, the one who used a single punch to wipe out a peak-level Core Forming Realm cultivator and a single saber attack to severely injure an expectant Nascent Soul Realm devil.


    Xiao Chen shook his head at the bad reputation he was gaining. He saluted the girls. "Don''t worry, senior sisters. I didn''t come here with malicious intentions."


    Considering he had been nothing but refined and courteous from start to finish, coupled with his words now, the girls finally felt more at ease. One of them stepped forward and returned his greetings. "We''re truly sorry for mistaking you for those two sexual deviants earlier, Young Master Xiao."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "It''s fine. Where are those two from? Why are they troubling you?" He knew that Huashang, being one of the Jade Qing Seven, ought to be at least a peak-level Core Forming Realm cultivator. Huashang could easily exterminate those two with a single attack, so why did she allow them to barge into the valley? Could she be away?


    The girl looked rather displeased. "It''s best not to mention it," she said, "Why are you here today, Young Master Xiao?"


    Xiao Chen replied, "To be honest, I''m here to discuss an important matter with Predecessor Huashang. Is she here?"


    The girl instantly looked uncomfortable, prompting another girl to step forward and say, "Young Master Xiao, it''s better that you leave immediately. If..."


    Hearing how hesitant she sounded, Xiao Chen frowned. "What''s wrong? Is Predecessor Huashang not here?"


    The girl looked terribly uneasy and only answered his question after hesitating for a long time. "That''s not it. It''s just that three months ago, our master suddenly ruled that any man who barges into our valley will have his eyes gouged out, tendons broken, and imprisoned for 49 days..."


    Xiao Chen was startled. This punishment was even crueler than an execution. Yu Yifeng told him that Huashang was strange and difficult to understand. Even so, she was one of the Jade Qing Seven. How could she be so vicious?


    Li Muxue frowned and asked, "What happened?" If that was Huashang''s character, it would be quite the challenge to ask her to return to the Jade Qing Sect.


    The girl hemmed and hawed before answering, "It began three months ago when our master came across a girl on her way home. Finding her to be adorable, our master took her in. Afterward, she learned that the girl was suffering from a heartbreak and it reminded her of her own..."


    Another girl walked up to them and interrupted the one speaking. She saluted Xiao Chen. "Forgive us, Young Master Xiao. We''re thankful that you chased those two men away but please go home."


    Xiao Chen knew they were being considerate but he had an urgent need to meet Huashang. He returned the salutation. "I''ll wait outside the valley while you report to your master that her old friend''s disciples are here to pay a visit. Will this do, Senior Sisters?"


    "Well..." The girls looked uncomfortable. One of them said, "I''ll be honest, Young Master Xiao. Our master has been meditating behind closed doors all this while. We don''t know when she''ll be done."


    Xiao Chen and Li Muxue exchanged glances, both thinking, "If this is the case, never mind asking her to return, it''ll be difficult to even meet Huashang."


    Xiao Chen turned around and walked to the entrance of the valley. He knew that it was impossible to barge in. The only thing he could do was leaving this place and coming up with another plan. They couldn''t return just like this or they risk jeopardizing the matter at hand.


    He recalled the sarcastic remarks that Mu Shaoai and the rest made when they left this morning. What should they do now? Was Huashang really mediating behind closed doors or did something major happened in the valley?


    Suddenly, a cool female voice drifted from a faraway place. "How could we turn you away when you''re the disciples of my master''s old friend?" Xiao Chen turned around and saw a beautiful woman dressed in plain white clothing hovering in the air. The other girls respectfully greeted her. "Senior Sister Chu."


    Xiao Chen stared fixedly at the figure and saw that it was Chu Lingjiao. Even though they had gotten into a disagreement over the zither''s string in Zhou State, it was nevertheless easier to speak to an acquaintance. Moreover, her words implied that he should stay. He saluted her with a smile. "So it''s you, Senior Sister Chu. It''s been a while. I trust you''ve been well."


    Chu Lingjiao swiftly came close and landed in front of him. She glanced at Li Muxue, who stood beside him, before fixing her gaze on him. With a faint smile, she said, "Junior Brother Xiao, how have you been?"


    Many of the girls were taken aback to learn that their Senior Sister Chu knew this man. Senior Sister Chu chuckled, emanating her lovely charm. With a soft and sonorous voice, she said, "This way, Junior Brother Xiao."


    Seeing as Chu Lingjiao intended to bring him into the valley, one of the girls hastily said, "Senior Sister Chu, this..." Chu Lingjiao gestured for her to keep quiet and then smiled at Xiao Chen. "Junior Brother Xiao, this way please."


    It was almost dusk. The delicate fragrance that enveloped the valley penetrated deeply into their hearts. After walking for seven or eight miles, the scenery became even more beautiful. The meandering river stretched on as far as the eye could see. Flowers of every kind bloomed beautifully as butterflies fluttered without leaving any trace behind. This place was like a paradise from the distant past.


    Subconsciously, the sorrowful feeling in Xiao Chen''s heart slowly manifested. "Senior Sister Chu, has this place always been named the Falling Flowers Valley?"


    Chu Lingjiao chuckled. "I don''t know its previous name but it gained its current name after my master came. She came up with the name ''Falling Flowers Valley'' after noticing how the flowers bloom here without wilting and rain petals all year round."


    He nodded. So that was why. After walking for a little longer, he saw several palaces and pavilions in the distance. This must be the Heartless Palace. Under the setting sun, he could vaguely see many ladies practicing their swordsmanship, their skirts fluttering elegantly as they moved.


    When they got closer, the ladies stopped practicing. All of them looked at the man in astonishment. Chu Lingjiao said loudly, "Continue your swordsmanship practice." She turned around and told Xiao Chen, "We have many rules here and bar the entry of men. I hope you wouldn''t pay them any mind, Junior Brother Xiao."


    Xiao Chen nodded. After following her another five to six miles westward, Chu Lingjiao said, "We don''t have guestrooms for men but there''s a small courtyard located on the cliff up ahead. We don''t know who built it and it has seen better days after weathering the years. We hope you two don''t mind staying there."


    Xiao Chen naturally took no issue. He was fine with living anywhere. However, when he saw the small courtyard, another pang of sorrow inexplicably hit him. It was as if this courtyard was the source of all his sadness.

 Chapter 165 The Expectations of the Heartless Palace

    Chu Lingjiao said, "Here we are. Please stay here for now. I''ll send my junior sisters to bring you two some supplies later." She then turned around and returned using the same path they had come in.


    Xiao Chen ignored what she said. Feeling as if his soul had left his body, he gave the wooden fence a gentle push. The flowers, trees, house, roof tiles, and a cluster of Imperial Concubine Xiang''s bamboos in the corner were all so familiar to him. He felt as he had once come here.


    When he reached for the tear-like spots on the bamboos, he felt as if he could hear the sound of cheering, talking, and laughing of yesteryears in this place. He felt like he could see himself performing a sword-dance with Weiyang. However, the illusions vanished the moment his fingers touched the bamboo.


    "Weiyang!" he cried, using the language from countless millennia ago. He dashed with all his strength, his hand reaching out to grab something he didn''t even know. Even so, he was never able to touch the fleeting figure in his memories. What remained was the rustling sound of the wind-swept bamboo leaves.


    Noticing how strange he was acting, Li Muxue asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen recovered his senses and shook his head. Even if Weiyang had truly come here countless millennia ago, it was all in the past and their reunion was far in the indefinite future. He sighed and walked to the courtyard on the cliff. Amid the cold wind coming from the bottom of the mountain, he said softly, "Where the sun sets in the west, the Heartbroken Cliff..."


    Li Muxue walked behind him. She had never seen him look this sad. Perhaps she had never once entered this man''s heart.


    "You have memories you''re not willing to mention and someone you''ll never forget, don''t you?" she asked softly.


    Xiao Chen turned around and said quietly, "I''m sorry, Muxue. No one in this world can ever replace her..."


    He recalled how Weiyang fell into his embrace after taking the fatal attack for him. Back then, she told him, "You owe me one last favor... I want you to live well..."


    He also remembered how she jumped off the Cliff of Fallen Divinity. He muttered sorrowfully, "If a second life exists where you''re not a Mystic Cyan Sect disciple and I''m not the Demon Emperor''s daughter... When that time comes, let''s watch the streams flow forever and the sunset at dusk..."


    "So what if I''ve eaten the Love-killer Pill? So what if countless millennia has passed? I can''t forget! I can''t!" An anguished bellow echoed throughout the valley. His every word was like a sharp blade piercing Li Muxue''s heart.


    She knew she could never be the person that Xiao Chen was longing for but she couldn''t bear watching him looking this sorrowful and heartbroken. She took a step forward and said gently, "Brother Xiao..."


    After taking a deep breath, he walked over to her and gently placed her head on his shoulder. He said softly, "I''m sorry, Muxue. You''ll never be as important as she is but you''ll always be more important than my life..."


    The hair on their temples fluttered and intertwined in the breeze. It was as if their fate had yet to exhaust in their past life and was continuing in the present.


    Sometime later, two Heartless Palace disciples came over with supplies and told them to stay put. They weren''t allowed to roam the valley as they pleased.


    Xiao Chen agreed and immediately carried two quilts into the house. His room was furnished simply with a small wooden table, a small bed, as well as a zither base on the couch. After tidying up his room, he went to the small house next door to help Li Muxue with the clean-up.


    They kept busy for nearly two hours. By then, it was already dark out. The flame of an oil lamp inside the house flickered. After telling Li Muxue to get some rest, Xiao Chen returned to his room and collapsed on the bed. Before long, he was fast asleep.


    When it was nearly midnight, he suddenly detected a slight chill infiltrating the house. He opened his eyes in a daze and realized he had forgotten to close the window before going to bed. It was hazy outside as if a layer of mist had enveloped the area. Having lost his drowsiness, he quietly got up from the bed, pushed open the door, and made his way to the center of the courtyard.


    The thin layer of mist shrouded the courtyard. He could faintly hear sounds coming from the southern corner of the place. When he strolled over, he realized it was the rustling of the wind-swept bamboo leaves. He sighed and sat down.


    After calming down, he immediately started using the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method and opened all of his meridians. A pale white True Qi flowed through his body with traces of invisible black True Qi flowing along with it, threatening to swallow the white Qi at any time.


    This continued for two hours. Xiao Chen opened his eyes. His cultivation was stagnating at Level 9 of the Foundation Building Realm. It seemed like it would be a challenge to break free of this shackle and enter the Core Forming Realm. Perhaps, he would only truly be the best fighter of the younger generation after entering the Core Forming Realm.


    Even though his battle with Patriarch Guanshan was closing in, that wasn''t his biggest worry. He was more concerned about the Thousand Feathers Sect. He had a feeling that the sect was hiding its purpose. It was mostly thanks to Xiaoyue that Patriarch Guanshan''s resurrection became such heated news in the Violet Manor.


    With his mind in such a chaotic mess, he wasn''t willing to ponder too deeply about it. He got up and returned to his room. In the morning, a burst of noise woke him up. He saw Li Muxue pushing the door and entering his room. "I think there''s trouble in the Heartless Palace!"


    Xiao Chen immediately flipped out of the bed and ran out of the courtyard. At the end of his sight, he saw shuffling silhouettes over at the Heartless Palace. Aside from the Heartless Palace disciples, there were also quite a number of people in strange attire. It seemed like an invasion was taking place.


    "Let''s go and take a look." He pulled Li Muxue along and ran over.


    When they were nearby, they saw three people who seemed to be the leaders of the invaders. One was in his fifties and was gripping a long sword. Another had white hair and beard and was holding a human skeleton crutch. The last one was dressed like a Taoist but was emanating an evil aura.


    These three were Everlasting Spring Rogue, Old Monster of Mount Ding, and Depraved Man, all famous in this area. Old Monster of Mount Ding raised his head and laughed. "Everyone knows that Heartless Mystic Sword is a cultivation method that is descended from ancient times. It should be shared among the people, yet your master is hogging it to herself. Never mind that, she isn''t even making good use of it! If she doesn''t hand over the secret manual today, I''ll wipe out your entire sect!"


    The moment he finished talking, he pointed with his human skeleton crutch. Two streams of red light radiated from the sockets of the human skeleton and instantly reaped the life of a Heartless Palace disciple. The other disciples became terrified after seeing this.


    Xiao Chen felt a chill. These three had far stronger cultivation than the two men yesterday. Moreover, the Heartless Mystic Sword that they were talking about appeared to be some sort of ancient cultivation method.


    Chu Lingjiao felt her insides go cold. While it was true that her master found the secret manual here, she had never practiced the profound cultivation method recorded in it. Neither did she allow other disciples to learn it. However, there was no shortage of people coveting the manual and it had become a looming danger for the Heartless Palace. In the past, many had invaded the valley but all were exterminated without exception. However, her master was now meditating behind closed doors because of her severe injury. What should they do now?


    She was currently leading 10 more of her fellow disciples to perform a sword formation. She said coolly, "How dare you!"


    Old Monster of Mount Ding raised his head and laughed heartily. "If we''re not daring, where would we find the courage to invade the Heartless Palace?" He pointed his human skeleton crutch at Chu Lingjiao and once again, emitted two streams of red light. Xiao Chen hastily cast an incantation and the Unsullied Sword appeared in his hand. He swung his sword, flinging a sharp Sword Qi that immediately neutralized the two streams of red light.


    Quite a few people had heard of Xiao Chen demonstrating his power and chasing the Fiend Duo of the Northern Underworld away yesterday. They sighed in relief to see him rushing to their aid.

 Chapter 166 Blood-thirsty Objec

    t


    Old Monster of Mount Ding immediately turned around to glare at Xiao Chen. "Where did you come from, kid? You dare go against Grandpa Ding?!" Before his voice had even faded, he aimed a fearsome palm attack at Xiao Chen. The nearby five or six Heartless Palace disciples were sent flying from the force of the attack.


    Li Muxue swiftly reacted, producing a blue barrier with both hands and blocking the attack. Old Monster of Mount Ding narrowed his eyes. "Well, well, well. I see you people have hired help. Tell me your names! That way, I can grant you two an honorable death later!"


    Xiao Chen stepped forward and said placidly, "I am who I am and I''m not ashamed. I''m Xiao Chen. I wonder if you have any advice for me, senior." He stared at Old Monster of Mount Ding like he was shooting ice arrows out of his eyes. Many disciples standing behind Old Monster of Mount Ding took a step backward.


    Old Monster of Mount Ding narrowed his eyes. "You''re that Xiao Chen who punched the Elder of the South Chamber and hacked Yunya Zi? Hehe! Your Grandpa Ding didn''t grow up being frightened! I refuse to believe that you''ll be able to unleash that sort of top-notch skill today!"


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "You''ll know once you try me." Old Monster of Mount Ding grinned. "Come then, kid. Do you think I''ll be afraid of a rookie like you?" He beckoned the people behind him. "Get him!"


    However, the group of several tens of disciples behind him exchanged glances. None dared to advance. Old Monster of Mount Ding said angrily, "Shameful! What are you afraid of when I''m here?!"


    Only then did the disciples took action and charged at Xiao Chen, all of them wielding strange bladed weapons. Xiao Chen inserted himself in front of Li Muxue and swiftly spun his Qi nine times. The True Energy shrouding his body jolted and a majestic force surged out.


    Crashing sounds reverberated as the earth-shattering force swept the group of disciples and sent them flying. They lost grip of their weapons, prompting the weapons to scatter all over the ground.


    Old Monster of Mount Ding looked vexed. Beside him, Depraved Man said coolly, "Old Monster Ding, can you do this? If you can''t, I''ll handle the kid." The muscles in his face didn''t move as he spoke. He was undoubtedly a walking corpse.


    Old Monster of Mount Ding said in a strange tone, "Go ahead then. Everlasting Spring Rogue and I will slaughter the girls! You''ll be able to nourish your demonic body!" He instantly attacked Chu Lingjiao and the others. Meanwhile, Depraved Man aimed for Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen dared not underestimate him after seeing how strange his attacking stance looked. He instantly used the Immortal-override Steps and secretly moved behind Depraved Man. Even though he was wielding the Unsullied Immortal''s Sword, the weapon could only injure his opponent in one spot while his palm attack could hurt his opponent''s meridians.


    Unfortunately, Depraved Man appeared to have made precautions for this a long time ago. He abruptly turned around and thrust his palm. His palm attack was shrouded in steaming black Qi. When it hit Xiao Chen, he felt half of his body go numb and he was thrown backward by more than ten Chinese feet. Not only did his opponent possess strange and demonic cultivation method, but his cultivation was high too. He was likely at Level 5 or 6 of the Core Forming Realm.


    Depraved Man followed up the first attack with a second one at an incredible, ghost-like speed. Seeing as Xiao Chen was caught up in another attack, Li Muxue chanted an incantation and a long sword appeared in her hand. The sword emitted the cry of a bird and following her thoughts, it turned into a white light charging at the heart of Depraved Man''s back.


    Realizing that a flying object was about to hit his back, Depraved Man whipped around. He placed his fingertips together and emitted a black mist that jolted Li Muxue''s flying sword away before launching a palm attack at her. Even though Li Muxue''s cultivation had been improving by leaps and bounds these days, she was no match for a Core Forming Realm cultivator. Just as she was dodging the palm attack, another cold light flew toward her as one of Old Monster of Mount Ding''s disciples tried to ambush her.


    Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and instantly appeared in front of her. He launched a palm attack at the disciple who tried to ambush her and broke down his heart meridians. Then, he thrust his palm again to counteract Depraved Man''s attack. He exchanged glances with Li Muxue. She swiftly flew backward while remotely controlling her flying sword to attack Depraved Man. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen chose to attack his opponent at close quarters rather than having his opponent''s attacks tie him down.


    Their battle continued for nearly 10 minutes without a clear victor emerging. Chu Lingjiao''s side, however, was experiencing devastating casualties. The Heartless Palace, 50 or 60 of its nearly two to three hundred disciples were now severely injured or killed. The entire public square was dyed with bright red blood. Were it not for their concealed weapons and sword formations, they would be even more powerless to resist Everlasting Spring Rogue and Old Monster of Mount Ding.


    Right then, Old Monster of Mount Ding yelled, "Enough! Old Depraved, hurry and release your treasured object!"


    After hearing this, Depraved Man stopped fighting Xiao Chen and chanted an incantation. He took flight and hovered in midair. Following the movements of the cold wind, a demonic hissing resounded. Everyone who heard the sound felt their scalp go numb.


    Depraved Man fished out a dark red banner out of nowhere. Unleashed in its entirety, the banner was nearly ten Chinese feet long. It hissed nonstop in midair and appeared incredibly strange.


    Xiao Chen focused his gaze on the banner and found the object to be rather familiar-looking. It was none other than Blood-thirsty Banner! It was a demonic object forged out of the blood of countless living people.


    Out of the blue, the bloody glow of the banner intensified and sucked in all of the Blood Essence inside the bodies on the ground until nothing was left. It even took in the blood of many disciples who weren''t dead but merely heavily injured. After having its fill of blood, the large banner expanded twofold and countless human skulls dripping with blood materialized out of thin air. Gale picked up violently in the public square, wailing and howling.


    The surviving Heartless Palace disciples turned deathly pale. They had never seen such a terrifying scene in their lives. With a wave of Depraved Man''s hand, the Blood-thirsty Banner immediately produced several human skulls that threw themselves at several female disciples. Unable to escape in time, the female disciples became dried corpses after having their blood sucked dry.


    The rest of the disciples, frightened out of their wits, began fleeing all over the place. Xiao Chen was astonished as well, now understanding how formidable the object was. In the air, Depraved Man wore a smirk on his face. It was as if his power was growing along with the blood the Blood-thirsty Banner consumed.


    Shortly, another dozen of Heartless Palace disciples had their blood consumed. Xiao Chen knew that the situation was becoming dire. If Huashang saw this after coming out of her closed-door meditation, she would likely put the blame on him out of anger. When that time came, they could forget about convincing her to return to the Jade Qing Sect.


    Right then, he heard a strange voice saying, "B-blood..."


    The voice didn''t originate from the Blood-thirsty Banner but the Blood Lotus Demon Blade inside his Divine Vessel. An idea hit him and he immediately summoned the blade.


    The blood-red sword emanated a boundless demonic light. When Depraved Man focused his gaze on the weapon, his eyes gleamed as if he had seen a precious treasure. He laughed sinisterly. "Blood-thirsty Demonic Spirit is indeed a great tonic!" He manipulated the Blood-thirsty Banner to throw itself at the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in Xiao Chen''s hand.


    Blood-thirsty Banner trembled nonstop as if it had seen a great tonic. The demonic hissing sound became even louder. In an instant, the banner appeared in front of Xiao Chen and wrapped itself around the Blood Lotus Demon Blade.


    Right then, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade began shaking. The two objects seemed to be alive. Xiao Chen''s hand trembled, prompting him to hastily let go of the hilt. He retreated several meters backward.


    A blinding blood-red light enveloped the area as the two demonic objects tremble nonstop in the air. Suddenly, a jeering sound reverberated as a small crack appeared on the Blood-thirsty Banner. This was followed by a screeching sound. The screech originated from the banner and sounded like the scream of a living being. Those who heard the sound felt their scalp go numb.


    Depraved Man immediately turned pale. He hastily chanted a spell to summon the Blood-thirsty Banner. However, the moment the banner pulled away from the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, it struggled in the air as if it was bound by a mysterious force. The demonic hissing sound instantly turned mournful.


    Then, something unexpected happened. The blood-red light of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade grew sharply while the Blood-thirsty Banner gradually became warped until it was entirely absorbed by the blade. There was nothing of the banner left.


    Blood sprayed from Depraved Man''s mouth. The Blood-thirsty Banner was a magic treasure that he refined and now that it was absorbed, he was naturally suffering a massive counterattack. Right then, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade trembled and unexpectedly flew toward the Heartless Palace disciples on the ground, all of whom were heavily injured but not dead.


    Xiao Chen was startled. Knowing what the blade wanted to do, he yelled, "Stop right there!" The Blood Lotus Demon Blade shook twice in midair to indicate its agreement as if it could understand his words. It then flew back into his hand.


    With the blade in hand, Xiao Chen felt like tossing the weapon away. He had long realized the strangeness of the weapon but it had never acted as if it was alive. Moreover, it was emanating a demonic aura.


    In the air, Depraved Man was seething. He abruptly attacked Xiao Chen with his palm. Li Muxue cried in alarm, "Watch out, Brother Xiao!"


    Xiao Chen recovered his senses. Seeing the approaching Depraved Man, he instinctively thrust his blade upward. Unexpectedly, the moment he waved the blade, it tore into Depraved Man''s Body-protection Qi and cut off his arm.


    "Argh!" Depraved Man screeched in great pain. He retreated while holding his bloodied shoulder. Blood had soaked half of his body. Right then, Xiao Chen moved forward and stabbed him in the chest.


    Depraved Man''s face convulsed with fear and began to warp. Before long, all of his blood was absorbed by the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. He fell to the ground, now a dried corpse.


    Closeby, Everlasting Spring Rogue and Old Monster of Mount Ding were grappling with shock. Depraved Man, a Blood-thirsty Method practitioner, had taken in the blood of countless people for decades. Today, however, his blood was absorbed until he was left a dried corpse. It was indeed shocking.


    Xiao Chen himself was somewhat frightened. He didn''t kill the Depraved Man. His blade had acted on its own.


    Everlasting Spring Rogue gave Old Monster of Mount Ding a look before whispering, "Old Monster Ding, Old Depraved is now dead. Do we continue?"


    He had just started speaking when the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in Xiao Chen''s hand suddenly moved and produced an explosive strange and demonic red light. Old Monster of Mount Ding got such a bad fright that he hastily retreated, his eyes fixed on the strange blade.


    "Why don''t we call it a day? We can come again when this kid is gone..."


    Everlasting Spring Rogue nodded, finding his words to be reasonable. Just as he was about to turn around and flee, a sharp and mournful voice drifted from a faraway place. "Do you think you''ll be able to escape after killing a dozen of my disciples?"


    Before the voice faded, a white light reached Everlasting Spring Rogue. Before he could turn around, the light struck him and reduced him into a bloody mist. Old Monster of Mount Ding went pale with fright. He turned into a blood-red light and dived underground.

 Chapter 167 Huashang

    "I''m about to die of anger!"


    Out of nowhere, a woman with a head full of silver hair appeared in the public square. When the Heartless Palace disciples saw her, they respectfully greeted her. "We welcome your return from your closed-door meditation, Master!"


    Xiao Chen thought, "So that''s Huashang?" She didn''t sound old. Seeing as how she managed to turn a late-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator into a bloody mist, her cultivation was indeed high.


    Huashang suddenly turned around, giving Xiao Chen a fright. He had imagined Huashang to be an elderly woman, not this beautiful woman. It seemed that she was practicing the same appearance-preserving method as Moxuan Zi.


    Huashang cast him a cold gaze. "I said not to allow any man into the valley, especially a fair and pretty boy!" Several blades made of Qi flew out of her palm and claimed the lives of Old Monster of Mount Ding''s disciples.


    "Murderous aura!" Xiao Chen sensed a potent murderous aura coming from Huashang and the aura was targeted at him, not the dozen of disciples!


    Seeing this, one of the female disciples hastily said, "Please calm down, Master! He''s not a bad person. It''s thanks to him that we..." Huashang glared at her before she could finish. "Are you pleading leniency for a man?"


    Looking like a bolt of lightning had struck her, the girl shuddered and dared not continue. Suddenly, a cold radiance flashed and the long sword tied to her waist flew toward Xiao Chen''s forehead.


    Xiao Chen immediately said, "I''m Zither Saint Qingfeng''s..."


    The sword, now an inch away from the space between his eyebrows, stopped. Huashang said coolly, "Continue."


    "Disciple." Sweat formed on Xiao Chen''s forehead and trailed down his chin to the ground. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to dodge earlier. Rather, Huashang had him bound with her psychokinesis and he was unable to move at all.


    Huashang waved his hand and the long sword trembled with a clanging sound before returning to the girl''s scabbard. She flicked her sleeves coldly. "Come to the palace in two hours!" Then, she flew away.


    Next, Chu Lingjiao ordered the other disciples to clear up the mess. Xiao Chen sighed in relief and walked to the girl who spoke up for him earlier. Seeing as she was still pale in the face, he said, "Thank you for your help earlier, Junior Sister."


    He had been addressing the Heartless Palace disciples as his senior sisters out of etiquette but now that he had declared himself to be a disciple of Qingfeng, Huashang''s senior brother, he could no longer address them as such. Otherwise, he would sound like he was mocking and teasing them.


    The girl said nothing and walked away with her head lowered. Xiao Chen stayed behind to help Chu Lingjiao clear the corpses of Old Monster of Mount Ding''s disciples. Two hours later, after washing up, he left for the main hall of the Heartless Palace with Li Muxue.


    Huashang sat upright in the chief seat of the hall, looking grave and stern like an iceberg that had remained unmelted for a millennium. Underneath the seat, more than 10 disciples sat silently in two rows with their head lowered. They weren''t as easygoing as the Jade Qing Sect disciples.


    Xiao Chen led Li Muxue into the main hall and stood between the two rows of disciples. When Huashang saw him enter, she said placidly, "You said you''re my Senior Brother Qingfeng''s disciple?"


    Xiao Chen saluted her. "Correct." Before he left, Perfected Immortal Qingchen repeatedly reminded him to mention that he was Qingfeng''s disciple and not to bring up other people from the Jade Qing Sect. More importantly, he mustn''t reveal his identity as a Jade Qing Sect disciple.


    "Thump!" Huashang crushed the wooden table next to her with a palm attack. Her entire face was lit up with anger. "How dare you! Senior Brother Qingfeng never takes in any disciples!"


    Right then, a girl dressed in a green dress appeared from the rear of the hall and said softly, "Master."


    Li Muxue was startled. Huashang turned her head to smile at the girl. She said gently, "Xin''er, how are you feeling?"


    Xiao Chen raised his head to stare when he heard the name, utterly dumbfounded. Never in a million years did he expect to see Huangfu Xin''er here or for her to become Huashang''s disciple. Was she the one the Heartless Palace disciples told him about? The one whom Huashang doted on...


    Only then did Huangfu Xin''er noticed the attention she was receiving from beneath the platform and turned her head. She cried out in surprise when she saw it was him. The sharp-minded Huashang noticed the drastic change in the two strangers'' expression and asked, "Xin''er? Do you know them?"


    Huangfu Xin''er immediately regained her calm and shook her head with a chuckle. "I mistook them for someone else."


    Huashang''s eyes gleamed with emotion. She continued asking Xiao Chen, "Can you prove that you''re Senior Brother Qingfeng''s disciple?"


    Xiao Chen was still wondering why was Huangfu Xin''er here. If she was in the Violet Manor, shouldn''t she be at the Skygale Sect? But after hearing Huashang''s question, he gave up explaining with words and took out the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant. He sat on the floor and started playing the song that Qingfeng would frequently play by himself in the peach forest in their two months in the Human World.


    The mellow zither song that seemed to be carrying deep emotions lingered inside the main hall, giving rise to sentiments that people were afraid to reveal. The sentiments ultimately scattered to all corners of the world. From start to finish, the song remained heart-rending.


    Huashang trembled ever so subtly, her gaze losing its coldness and gaining a gentle, sweet quality. She muttered, "It''s really Senior Brother Qingfeng. He would always play this song for me..."


    Xiao Chen pressed on the strings of the zither and sighed. "Yes, my master often thinks of you. He has kept the Milky Way Zither that you gifted him close all this while."


    Huashang shuddered, her face clouded with occasional misery and occasional joy. She sighed. "Senior Brother, it''s been so many years. Why bother..." She seemed to be speaking to herself now. "Senior Brother Qingfeng is the one who treats me the best in this world..."


    Xiao Chen was no longer taken aback by her mood swings. He glanced at Huangfu Xin''er from the corner of his eye and saw that she had been keeping her head lowered and hands bunched up into fists. He wondered if something had happened to her. Right then, Huashang chuckled and said softly, "My dear child, what''s your name?"


    It took Xiao Chen some time to snap back to his senses. Even though he knew that she was more than a hundred years old, she had maintained her youthful looks. He was nonetheless a little uncomfortable to have her call him a child. He saluted her and answered, "I''m surnamed Xiao and my given name is just ''Chen''."


    Huashang couldn''t help leaning forward after hearing his answer as if she wanted to rush toward him. However, she sat back down and smiled. "So it''s you. The younger generations will surpass us in time, indeed."


    "Don''t tell me she''s talking about the previous zither incident?" Huashang had sent Chu Lingjiao to infiltrate the Teal Jade Sect as a spy for many years, all so the latter could find an opportunity to seize the zither. However, in the end, he had gotten ahead of Chu Lingjiao. Would she take this chance to make things difficult for him?


    However, things didn''t seem as dire as he was imagining. Huashang smiled and said, "Why have you come to the Heartless Palace to look for me?"


    Xiao Chen exhaled. They had finally reached the main point. He had told himself countless times to explain Patriarch Guanshan''s matter in detail without mentioning the Jade Qing Sect. After briefly pondering over it, he said, "Not long ago, the Skygale Sect..."


    He told her everything about Patriarch Guanshan and how they needed her help to kickstart the Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation. His explanation was detailed and prudent as he carefully left out the words "Jade Qing Sect". However, he failed to notice how Huashang''s gaze was becoming increasingly cold. In the end, she said coolly, "You''re ultimately asking me to return to the Jade Qing Sect, aren''t you?"


    Xiao Chen stared blankly at her, never expecting her to bring up the Jade Qing Sect herself. He didn''t know what to say either out of fear of offending her. He could only nod.


    "Hahahaha..." Huashang laughed heartily before spitting out resentfully, "When I left, he didn''t try to make me stay. Now, he wants me to return with just a word? I won''t return even if he comes here today to invite me personally! Hahaha..."


    Hearing the clear resentment in her voice, Xiao Chen was sure that she wasn''t referring to Qingfeng. Could it be Perfected Immortal Qingchen? He kept quiet and waited for Huashang to regain her calm. Only then did he salute her and say, "This relates to the survival of the East Continent. I ask that you reconsider, Senior."


    "Hahaha..." Huashang once again burst into laughter. She said resentfully, "Sure enough, this is his way of doing things! He shows concern for all living things in the world but has he ever shown concern for me? I''m not returning, absolutely not! Let him die!"


    Looking at how crazed she was acting, Xiao Chen became fairly certain that she was referring to Perfected Immortal Qingchen. He wondered what happened between them. Moments later, when he saw that she was calm again, he saluted her and asked, "What will it take for you to agree to return?"


    "Hehe!" Huashang looked at him and then at Huangfu Xin''er beside her. She smiled faintly. "I don''t mind returning if you promise me something."


    Her drastic change in attitude made Xiao Chen wonder if she had put up a front earlier just to await his words earlier. If this was about the zither, he didn''t mind temporarily giving it to her. He saluted her again. "Please tell me your condition, Senior. I won''t refuse it as long as it''s within my capabilities."


    Huashang smiled and motioned at Huangfu Xin''er beside her. "I want you to marry my disciple. Moreover, I want you to promise that she''ll be your only wife."


    Her words shocked not only Huangfu Xin''er, Xiao Chen, and Li Muxue, but the dozen of disciples inside the hall as well.

 Chapter 168 Three Palm Attacks

    Huangfu Xin''er hastily said, "Master, you can''t..." Huasang put up a hand to stop her from speaking. "How about it? Can you do it?"


    When Huashang met Huangfu Xin''er three months ago, the latter told her everything about her past with Xiao Chen. She empathized with the girl and started doting on her. How could she not guess what was going on after seeing the strange looks on them both?


    Xiao Chen never thought that Huashang would ask him to marry Huangfu Xin''er. He took a step forward and saluted her. "I''m sorry for not being able to agree with your condition."


    Even though Huangfu Xin''er had expected this answer, she still felt a stab of pain after hearing what he said. Huashang''s gaze turned icy as she said, "Your reason."


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. "Cultivators ought to be at peace with themselves. Before the calamity befalling the East Continent is over..." Without waiting for him to finish, Huashang burst into laughter. "That''s right! That was what he said in the past! But what about later? Was he able to be at peace with himself?"


    The more she talked about the past, the more demonic Huashang''s expression became. Suddenly, she attacked Xiao Chen with her palm. Not only was this attack terribly strong and fierce, but it was also as quick as lightning. The entire hall shuddered from the force of the attack. Xiao Chen took the hit on his chest. The attack forced him to take a step backward and blood trailed from the corner of his mouth.


    "Brother Xiao!" Li Muxue turned pale with fright and hastily reached out to support him. Xiao Chen put up a hand to indicate for her not to worry as he was fine.


    The disciples inside the hall were astonished that he was still intact after taking one of their master''s palm attacks at such a close range. Huangfu Xin''er started looking wretched a long time ago. Huashang said coolly, "Why aren''t you dodging or blocking my attack?"


    Xiao Chen wiped the bloodstain on the corner of his mouth and chuckled. "It was my words that offended you earlier, Senior. Naturally, I''m willing to endure your attack."


    Huashang raised her head and laughed. "You''re just a Foundation Building Realm cultivator and yet you dream of blocking my attack? You must be saying that to save face." She snorted and said, "Then have you reconsidered now?"


    "I''m standing by my words. I can''t agree with your condition," Xiao Chen answered calmly. Even though he looked composed, he was struggling in his mind. Undoubtedly, he was humiliating Huangfu Xin''er by saying such things in front of so many people. He thought to himself, "I''m sorry, Xin''er. If I agree, not only will I be forcing you, but I''ll also be hurting Muxue."


    Huashang''s gaze turned increasingly cold and she began emanating a faint murderous aura. Huangfu Xin''er wore a distressed smile as tears spilled from her eyes. She ran into the rear of the hall. Huashang hastily called for her, "Xin''er!" She sighed before turning to glare at Xiao Chen. "Kid, did you think my disciple isn''t worthy of you?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "That''s not the case." He walked to Li Muxue''s side and flashed a small smile at her. "Muxue and I have known each other for a long time. Even though we''re not yet married, we made a pact to grow old together. That''s why I have no choice but to turn down your kind intentions."


    He was smiling at Li Muxue the whole time he spoke, his gaze carrying intense gentleness. He intended to utterly destroy Huasang''s intention. It was only after Huangfu Xin''er had left that he dared to say these words. What he didn''t know was that Huangfu Xin''er didn''t leave. She stayed in the back of the hall and heard everything that he said.


    Right then, Huangfu Xin''er looked absolutely terrifying. A strange glint flitted across her pupils and her nails abruptly grew by three inches. She violently scratched the stone wall, leaving behind five frighteningly deep dents.


    "Xiao Chen..."


    On the platform, Huashang sneered. "You had a prior engagement but you broke your promise for another person..."


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. While it was true that he was engaged to Huangfu Xin''er, the Huangfu family sent someone to demand that he break it off. Too many things happened afterward, causing Huangfu Xin''er and him to move further away from each other. They could no longer return to the past.


    There was nothing more that he could explain. "I''ve said all that I can say. I ask that you stop making things difficult for me, Senior."


    Huashang sneered. "Make things difficult for you? Did you think I wouldn''t dare to kill you?!" A murderous aura instantly filled the hall, causing the disciples inside to shudder.


    Xiao Chen took a step forward and said placidly, "I think it won''t be easy for you to kill me."


    Everyone in the hall gasped after hearing his words. Huashang''s eyes turned icy. "What did you say?"


    "I said, you won''t be able to kill me. Why don''t I take three of your palm attacks? If I''m still alive by the end of it, will you return to the Jade Qing Sect with me?"


    Li Muxue''s expression changed. "You can''t, Brother Xiao!" Xiao Chen smiled, indicating her not to worry. He then addressed Huashang and said, "What do you think?"


    "Very well, kid! It''s you who has a death wish!" Huashang sneered. She thrust her left hand and a great and majestic power surged toward Xiao Chen. Everyone inside the hall instantly went pale. The force behind this palm attack was enough to exterminate any Foundation Building Realm cultivator.


    However, something unexpected occurred. When the palm attack hit Xiao Chen, it did him no harm as if it was a stone sinking in the sea without a trace. No one knew what was going on. Li Muxue was the only one whose face had turned as white as a sheet of paper.


    Xiao Chen smiled. "Your attack is astonishing indeed but I''ve told you that you''re not able to kill me."


    Huashang''s palm attack didn''t actually land on his body. Otherwise, how could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator like him take it? In fact, he unleashed the mental techniques of the Yaoguang School in its entirety and moved his physical body away at the instant the attack landed. He used a mirage to take the hit before restoring the position of his physical body. The shift of his body happened so instantaneously that Huashang, as strong as she was, wouldn''t notice unless she took a close look.


    However, this technique could only be employed in the current situation. It was hundred times more challenging to pull this off flawlessly in a battle.


    Huashang''s expression steeled, thinking that there was no way this kid with strange techniques would be Qingfeng''s disciple. She smiled coldly. "You''re pretty capable but still far beneath me!" Before she finished her sentence, she stood up and manipulated her True Energy with both arms. Suddenly, a shadowy palm print appeared in the void.


    Quite a few disciples cried out in fear, "Void Heartless Seal!" This Hollow Heartless Seal was one of the cultivation methods recorded in the Heartless Mystic Sword manual. Cultivators must cut off all of his or her emotions when using this palm attack in order to unleash its true power. They once witnessed with their own eyes how Huashang used this attack to kill three late-stage Core Forming Realm cultivators.


    Xiao Chen was startled. Not only was this palm attack immensely powerful, but it was solely aimed at his Soul. It was impossible for him to get away from this attack the way he did earlier. Desperately activating his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, he spread out his arms and rapidly poured the True Energy inside him outward. Gale started raging inside the hall.


    Everyone was astounded. If he wanted to block the palm attack, he should make sure his True Qi was flowing throughout his body. Why was he discharging his True Energy instead? Wouldn''t he be digging his own grave instead?


    Something unexpected happened once again. After the True Qi inside Xiao Chen poured out, his body acted like a sponge. The moment Huashang''s powerful attack landed on him, he rapidly used one of the techniques of the Mystic Cyan arts, "Rivers Flowing into the Sea" and absorbed the force of the palm into his body.


    The Heartless Palace disciples had long become dumbstruck. They never thought that this man would possess such mysterious cultivation methods. Moments later, when the gale inside hall died down, Xiao Chen smiled. "Even though your cultivation method is marvelous, you''ve stayed far too long inside this valley to realize that there are even more profound cultivation methods in the world outside."


    Huashang sighed, looking as if she was sorrowful. Then, she said, "Forget it. It has been decades. I, Huashang, am no match for even a kid of the younger generation. I think there''s no need for the third palm attack..."


    Li Muxue finally relaxed after hearing her words. Xiao Chen smiled and saluted Huashang. "Then I thank you for your leniency..." Before he finished his words, he realized that something was off but it was already too late for him to use his skills.


    Huashang''s figure went out of focus. With lightning-fast speed, she instantly reappeared in front of Xiao Chen and struck him with 13 consecutive times with her finger. Only then did Xiao Chen understand that she was lying earlier to make him lower his guard. He couldn''t help resenting himself. How could he trust the words of such an erratic person?


    "Haha! I did it!" Huashang laughed heartily and retreated. She once again launched another palm attack. By now, the flowing of True Qi inside Xiao Chen''s body had come to a standstill. He abruptly thrust his palm, colliding his with hers. The force caused the entire hall to shake and sent many disciples flying.


    Xiao Chen took several steps backward before swiftly regaining his footing. He knew something was wrong because her attack this time wasn''t that strong. In fact, its power wasn''t even one-tenth of her first attack. Could she be luring him to launch his own palm attack? The 13 finger-attacks that she landed on him earlier didn''t hurt him in the slightest. What exactly was she trying to do?

 Chapter 169 Heartless Curse

    Huashang sneered. Her figure went out of focus and soon, she was back in the chief seat of the hall. Just as Xiao Chen was about to speak, he stopped himself. It was best not to linger on this topic and complete this task as soon as possible. Thus, he spoke before Huashang could. "Thank you for showing me leniency with your three attacks earlier. Will you return to the Jade Qing Sect with me now?"


    She propped her jaw with her hand and looked at him with interest. She smiled faintly. "When did I say I''ll return with you?"


    "Earlier, you said you''ll return with me as long as I manage to take three of your attacks. Have you already forgotten your words?" Xiao Chen asked.


    Huashang raised her head and gave a loud laugh. "You said that. I don''t remember agreeing with you."


    "You¡­" Xiao Chen never imagined that a senior like her would go back on her word in front of so many of her disciples. Losing some of his patience, he asked, "Then what will it take for you to return with me?"


    Huashang chuckled as she accepted a teacup from a disciple. She took a sip from it with a smile. "I''ve told you. I''ll return as long as you agree to marry my disciple."


    The disciples in the hall were utterly confused. Their master had always warned them not to have feelings for someone, much less entertain thoughts of marriage. What was the reason for her drastic change today? Little did they know that this was Huashang''s character. She always had to have her way. The more she couldn''t get something, the more she wanted it.


    "Impossible." This time, Xiao Chen had lost all of his patience. His answer was direct and resolute, leaving no room for argument.


    Huashang laughed heartily. "I think that''s beyond your control now."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. What did she mean? Was she going to coerce him? He said unhappily, "Not even the Heavenly Emperor can force me to do something I''m unwilling to do."


    It was at this moment that Huangfu Xin''er walked out from behind the hall. "Oh no," Xiao Chen thought. "Did she overheard everything I said earlier?"


    Huangfu Xin''er reappeared with a calm appearance, unlike how she previously looked. She smiled faintly at Huashang and said, "Master, I''m fortunate enough to learn under your tutelage and has been cultivating all this while. I hope you''ll stop making things difficult for Young Master Xiao."


    Huashang frowned and a bitter expression crossed her face. "Xin''er, this person obviously has a prior¡­"


    Huangfu Xin''er shook her head with a smile. She turned to Xiao Chen. "Young Master Xiao, perhaps there was a misunderstanding between us but let bygones be bygones from now on. There''s nothing between us anymore."


    Hearing these words made Xiao Chen feel like a needle had pierced his heart. He recalled their past together¡ªall those days in the Skygale Sect in the Human World as well as the Fire-heart Jade that she gifted him. The more he thought of the past, the more intense the pain became. Even though he didn''t know what happened to him, he knew he couldn''t show sorrow on his face now. He smiled and said, "Alright."


    When he uttered his agreement, the pain intensified sharply as if dozens of needles were jabbing his heart. He went pale in the face. Huashang smiled after seeing his current state. However, she ultimately exhaled a long sigh.


    It took a long time before the inexplicable pain in Xiao Chen''s heart eased. For some reason, he wanted nothing more than to leave this place. "Since that''s the case, forgive me for the disturbance. Farewell." He turned around and flashed Li Muxue a gentle smile. "Let''s go, Muxue."


    "Wait." Huashang stopped him just as he was about to step out of the hall.


    "Do you have other orders for me?" Xiao Chen asked, turning around.


    Huashang smiled. "Didn''t you notice that you''re infected with my Heartless Curse? I came up with the curse after reading a strange ancient book. No other person in this world can undo it."


    The expression of the disciples inside the hall changed drastically. They never thought that their master would still end up learning the cultivation methods inside the Heartless Mystic Sword manual. It seemed that this was the reason that she had gone into closed-door meditation last month, not because she was recovering from injuries sustained in a battle.


    Xiao Chen replied indifferently, "So what?"


    Huashang laughed heartily. Her gaze turned sharp as she said, "Kid, don''t you know that you''re at death''s door? Those carrying this curse can''t have feelings for another. Once they develop feelings, they would experience pain. This pain would only intensify as time passes. In the end, their True Qi will leave their body and they will die from Qi Deviation!"


    Quite a few disciples in the hall turned pale. Their master had always warned them not to have feelings but there would always be those who would sneak out to meet their lovers. Now that she had learned this curse, wouldn''t they be in danger if she planted it on each of them?


    Li Muxue''s expression had been dark for a long time. Xiao Chen wore a deep frown. No wonder he felt a stab of pain earlier. In the end, he still harbored lingering affections for Huangfu Xin''er. This curse was indeed powerful. "We bear no grudges against each other. Why do you want to harm me, Senior?"


    Huashang raised her head and laughed. She said sternly, "Kid! There aren''t many people who dare to defy me! Forget it. Just kill someone for me and I''ll help you undo the curse!"


    She had cursed him with the intention of threatening and forcing him to marry Huangfu Xin''er. That was evidently impossible now. However, she wasn''t willing to undo the curse just like that.


    Xiao Chen frowned. "Your cultivation far exceeds mine. Why aren''t you killing that person yourself?"


    Huashang said sternly, "Nonsense! If I can kill that person, what do I need you for? That person is in Jinghu, 700 miles from here. Will you go or not?"


    "Why should an average cultivator like me dig my own grave when not even you can kill that person? Forgive me." Xiao Chen took Li Muxue''s hand and walked out of the hall.


    "Kid! Did you think you can enter and leave the Heartless Palace as you please?!"


    Huashang was furious. No one had dared to defy her in such a manner in the decades past. Before her voice faded, she soared into the air and sent a palm attack flying at Xiao Chen''s back.


    Xiao Chen could feel the surging of astral winds behind him and abruptly turned around to counteract with his own palm attack. The two palms collided. Instantly, he felt his entire body go numb. He felt as if his arm was threatening to snap off. The force flung him nearly thirty Chinese feet away before he could land on the ground.


    Huashang scoffed. Seeing as she was about to strike again, Li Muxue hastily said, "Please halt, Senior! Please tell us that person''s name."


    Removing the power from her palm, Huashang raised her head and smiled. "The girl is more sensible, as expected. Your words are pleasing to the ears."


    Xiao Chen reached out to stop her. "Muxue, there''s no need to talk to her!" To be honest, he didn''t mind helping Huashang deal with her nemesis for Qingfeng''s sake. What he despised were her coercive methods. Thus, it was impossible for him to compromise today.


    However, Li Muxue was concerned about the Heartless Curse planted on his body. She took a step forward and said, "Please tell us who you want us to kill."


    Huashang said icily, "Listen well. That slut is called Yanluo!" Her gaze was bitterly cold and her expression was filled with anger.


    Not only did Li Muxue shake, but her face turned pale as well. Yanluo was also one of the Jade Qing Seven as well as Huashang''s junior sister. Why did Huashang sound like she despised Yanluo down to her bones?


    Xiao Chen replied coolly, "Never mind the fact that I''m no match for Senior Yanluo. Even if I am, I won''t help you kill her." He reached for Li Muxue''s hand again and said, "Let''s go, Muxue."


    A furious Huashang said sternly, "Kid! Don''t dream of leaving this place alive today!" She suddenly soared into the air and attacked Xiao Chen with her palm.


    Once again, her palm attack carried a force strong enough to split mountains. The entire public square was instantly swept into a gale. The trees and plants nearby shook under the force of the palm attack before snapping in half.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. With a flick of his sleeves, he pushed Li Muxue more than ten Chinese feet away and hastily activated the Mystic Cyan Protective Spell. Simultaneously, he triggered the flow of Qi throughout his body. The power harvested in his 12 spiritual meridians poured out from the hollow of his palm, its momentum resembling a dragon rising from the sea. He was forcefully borrowing the strength of a Core Forming Realm cultivator.


    The force from the two palm attacks collided in midair, resulting in the collapse of mountains and cracking in the ground. More than 10 staggering cracks formed on the ground where the two powers met. The trees nearby were all reduced into sawdust under such surging force.


    Everyone was stunned. Even Chu Lingjiao, who was watching from a distance, couldn''t believe her eyes. Even though their master didn''t truly launch a killer attack, Xiao Chen was still able to block her attack with his own strength. Just how high was his cultivation?


    Suddenly, Huashang''s gaze turned ice-cold. She said dispassionately. "Concealed strength? You''re a Core Forming Realm cultivator?"


    Even though Xiao Chen had expanded most of his True Energy to block her palm attack earlier, he still looked calm and composed at this moment. He said placidly, "I told you that countless cultivation methods exist. Even though your cultivation method is marvelous, it''s not necessarily the best in this world."


    "Very well!"


    Despite Huashang''s words, she thought that this kid possessed a profound cultivation method despite how meager his cultivation appeared. If she could get a glimpse of his method and add that to her use of the Heartless Cultivation Method, who in this world would be her rival? However, this kid was even more stubborn than she was. She supposed that he wouldn''t give in easily unless she subdues him completely.


    Considering this, she sneered inwardly and started shaking both of her hands. The sky, cloudless just moments ago, abruptly became overcast with dark clouds. It looked like the heaven itself was collapsing. A boundless force started spreading with her as the core, causing everyone''s expression to shift drastically.


    Out of the blue, a gargantuan sword bathed in white radiance appeared in the air. Under the guidance of Huashang''s spell, the gargantuan sword rapidly dived down on Xiao Chen. The onlookers gasped at how vicious the power imbued in this sword was. Countless tiles exploded before the sword even touched the ground. Finally, under the immense pressure of the force, they were reduced into dust.


    In the distance, Li Muxue cried out in alarm. Huangfu Xin''er remained indifferent. No one knew if it was because she had completely forgotten her feelings for Xiao Chen or she was sure that her master''s attack wouldn''t kill him.


    Enveloped in a boundless force, Xiao Chen was unable to move. He desperately used the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, forming layer upon layer of golden radiance to block the sword. However, in the face of the ruthless pressure of the gargantuan sword, the Barrier formed out of his True Energy appeared as weak as cicada''s wings. It had no power to resist at all as the sword pressure shattered one layer after another


    When the gargantuan sword was less than three feet away from his head, Xiao Chen finally felt the thorough depletion of his True Energy. Both of his feet sank straight into the ground. Blood began to ooze out of every inch of his skin. When he felt like he no longer had the strength to block the sword, a clear zither sound came drifting from the horizon.


    The sound of zither came abruptly, yet carried an intangible power. Unexpectedly, the sound was able to considerably slow the movement of the gargantuan sword. Then came another burst of zither sound and the white radiance of the sword dimmed quite a bit. When the final zither sound reverberated, the sword transformed into specks of stars and dissipated into nothingness in no time at all.

 Chapter 170 Yanluo

    Everyone was confused and puzzled. Huashang''s stroke so powerful, yet how was it possible that three simple strokes of the zither were able to nullify it?


    Just when everyone was still perplexed, a sword radiance shafted down from the sky and an old man, his robes cyan-colored, emerged. Huashang''s hard and furious stare immediately softened, replaced by a melancholic gaze upon the newcomer with reticent silence.


    It was Qingfeng who had arrived. He sighed wearily. "It has been so long, Junior Sister," he said, "The matter still bothers you?"


    Every acolyte and disciple of the Heartless Palace were equally surprised to hear this. Xiao Chen breathed in relief. He had barely survived a close call; so close that his hair still stood.


    But Huashang''s eyes immediately turned into a seething glare. "Are you here also to antagonize me, Senior Brother?" she asked bitterly.


    Qingfeng merely shook his head. There was another sad sigh, before he walked towards her. "How have you been all these years?" he asked softly.


    Huashang''s stern and angry crumbled. Qingfeng''s soft voice brought back reminiscences of her past, a time where the Jade Qing Seven enjoyed tremendous prestige and pride, a time where all seven of them were so close to each other. Winters had passed since the height of their prominence waned and all their friendships had withered. Yet, only Qingfeng remained, with no less affection and concern than before. Tenderness seeped into her, dissolving what anger and hatred she has left.


    But suddenly, she screamed, her voice filled with hurt and pain, "No! Not well at all! I''ve been so terrible that even a youngling now dares to come, seeking to bully me!"


    Xiao Chen sighed lightly. Senior Qingfeng must have been the one who doted very much on her during the splendor of their youth. Before her Senior Brother Qingfeng, Huashang was no more than a spoilt and pampered little girl. It must have been a painful experience with romance which had rendered her into who she was now.


    "My apologies, Senior. As a junior, I should have been more respectful in my speech," Xiao Chen bowed and said politely.


    "Hmph!" Huashang glared at him and jerked her head away with disgust, like a seething little girl. But immediately, she barked at two of her attendants. "My Senior Brother is here! Do you not know any manners?"


    The two acolytes immediately stepped forward and greeted Qingfeng courteously, "This way please, Uncle Master Qingfeng. Let us make you some tea."


    They led everyone into an adjunct chamber where the acolytes prepared tea for everyone before Huashang commanded them to wait outside. When everyone else had left, she asked Qingfeng, "So, Senior Brother. What brings you here?" Out of decorum and respect, Huashang chose to ask again the purpose of Qingfeng''s visit.


    Unlike Xiao Chen who was less straightforward, Qingfeng admitted frankly, "Peril is upon the entire Eastern Continent, Junior Sister. I''m here today to implore for your help to set up the Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation. It has been so many years, Junior Sister, do you not want to meet everyone?"


    "I have no longing to return there," Huashang scoffed, "And yet this boy," she regarded Xiao Chen coldly, "He demands me to return, yet he fails to acquiesce to my requests! Why should I listen to you!"


    Seeing she was still feeling offended by Xiao Chen''s earlier remarks, Qingfeng emitted a weary breath. This was the reason he was here. He understood full well of his junior sister''s temperament and Xiao Chen''s blunt ways of dealing with delicate matters, expecting Xiao Chen to get on Huashang''s wrong side.


    Xiao Chen immediately got up, "My apologies, Senior. I have been disrespectful towards you earlier. Please forgive my ignorance."


    "I wouldn''t dare!" Huashang hissed coldly, "I know full well that my powers are not as remarkable as yours!" But her eyes glinted suddenly, "I know you are not the disciples of any of my Seniors! Speak! From whose tutelage did you learn your skills?"


    "Urm... I..." Xiao Chen hesitated, before he answered, "I am willing to oblige, but I do not think you''d believe me."


    "Hmph! So be it! There will come one such day where you''ll be groveling at my feet!" Huachang spat.


    Qingfeng could only look on with distress. He could not risk venturing far and long from the stronghold of the Jade Qing Sect lest Patriarch Guanshan launched a sudden invasion. "Would you not come with me now, Junior Sister?" He pressed again.


    Huashang could see that Qingfeng was getting jittery with anxiety. Of all people she would offend, she would never want to make things difficult for him. "I''ll go. But only for you, not the others, and definitely not for the good of everyone," she muttered quietly, then she shouted loudly towards outside, "Lingjiao!"


    Chu Lingjiao had already been waiting outside. Hearing her name being called, she quickly came in and bowed to her mentor, "Your instructions, Teacher?"


    "I will be away for some time. You will see to everything in my absence. Lead some of the acolytes and disciples to the rear mountain and activate the magical formation I have prepared there."


    "Understood, Teacher!"


    Huashang nodded faintly in approval before sending her off. "Please wait a while, Senior Brother," she said to Qingfeng and beckoned Xiao Chen to follow her into the inner chambers.


    Huashang''s eyes immediately turned frosty once they left Qingfeng''s presence. She cast a magical barrier, keeping out any eavesdroppers, "You will divulge to no one, especially my Senior Brother Qingfeng, about the Heartless Curse, or I''ll never help you break the curse," she hissed.


    "So this is why you called me here alone?" Xiao Chen revealed a thin smile, "Rest at ease, Senior. I will tell no one about it."


    "If only you were this obedient earlier. You would not have to endure such hardships," Huashang revealed a wry smile of her own.


    Xiao Chen said nothing else. He was confident that he would be able to break the curse on his own once reaching the Core Forming Realm.


    They went back to the hall and Li Muxue hurried to Xiao Chen''s side. "Did she agree to help you with the curse?" She asked with concern. Xiao Chen smiled at here, saying nothing.


    The four immediately left the valley and head back to the stronghold of the Jade Qing Sect. They arrived at dusk, to find a host of acolytes waiting to receive them on Perfected Immortal Qing Chen''s orders. The thronging congregation of the Jade Qing Sect saw Qingfeng returning and could easily guess the identity of the woman with him, although no one could believe that she looked as youthful as Master Mo Xuan. Together as one everybody exclaimed, "Welcome back, Seniors Qingfeng and Huashang!"


    Huashang stopped and gazed up the white jade-gilded steps stretching up to the main hall with memories and recollections flowing through her mind like a kaleidoscope. It has been long since she had returned; so long that she had forgotten which year was it she had left. Quietly and melancholic, she climbed up the stairs slowly.


    They reached a wide plaza and two acolytes led the four into the Coalesced Colors Hall where Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was expecting them. He beheld the sight of Huashang and wearily uttered, "You''ve come, Junior Sister."


    "What?" Huashang shot him a scathing look and growled, "You wish for me to leave, do you not?"


    A cheerful peal of laughter came from the corridors leading to the inner cloisters. "Long have we all waited for your return, Junior Sister! We would never think of driving you away!" "Yet I have never received word that he ever came to visit me," Huashang scoffed with disdain.


    Moxuan Zi appeared from behind. Beside him was another woman, whose hair flowed white with weathered features of a relatively-aged woman, although her face was devoid of any wrinkles. Huashang stared intently at her suddenly before a note of recognition registered. "What has befallen you, Sister, that you become thus?" She laughed.


    Is this Yanluo, Xiao Chen wondered. Despite her seasoned appearance, she looked hardly older than everyone present. But she was shocked to find Li Muxue here too, saying gently to her, "Muxue..."


    Thrice Yanluo called her name, but Li Muxue gave no answer. She was stunned beyond words as her eyes remained on Yanluo.

 Chapter 171 The Calm before the Storm

    It took great exertion for Li Muxue to jerk herself free from her stupor. Yanluo was looking into her eyes. She smiling, walked up to Li Muxue. "You remember me?"


    "I-I know you... Y-you are... Fairy..." Li Muxue stammered, finally recognizing the voice from her past. Yanluo was the Fairy Godmother from her childhood, although she looked considerably younger than she was.


    Realizing that this was not Li Muxue''s first meeting with Yanluo, Xiao Chen was happy for her. He strode to her side and bowed to Yanluo, saying, "My respects, Senior Yanluo. My name is Xiao Chen."


    Yanluo smiled at him, although Huashang was taking everything with gritted teeth, feeling herself being discarded aside. But Moxuan Zi noticed her expression and said loudly, "It has been sixty years since the Jade Qing Seven was reunited. I''m glad, I''m glad!"


    Hearing this, the disciples and acolytes congregated outside could not help feeling proud and happy. Adrenaline pulsed through their veins and hope coursed through every member of the Jade Qing Sect as the anecdote of the reunion of the Jade Qing Seven reminded everyone of the authority they once commanded. Nevertheless, there was but another one of the Seven absent.


    Yu Yifeng''s voice came booming from outside, "Six of the Seven, including my mentor, is already waiting, Senior! Do you really refuse to enter?"


    "Enough, you insolent brat! You want me to teach you a lesson?!"


    Everyone''s head turned. It must be Martial Uncle Xiaoyao. He was known to be the most eccentric of the Jade Qing Seven. He must have gone off to sulk somewhere, knowing that Yanluo had returned.


    Xiao Chen was quick to notice Yanluo''s expression slightly freezing and quickly guessed what happened. He smiled and strode out and helped Yu Yifeng to pull Zi Mo into the hall.


    "What is this? You two insolent pups! How dare you!"


    The sight of two youngsters dragging Zi Mo into the hall sent a ripple of amused gasps and grins across the assembled acolytes watching outside. Some even began guffawing with laughter. He went into the hall, and Yanluo humphed, seeing him coming in. "I thought you had gone missing."


    Zi Mo''s face blazed with redness. "Er... How, how have you been, Junior Sister?" He greeted her, wearing a silly grin on his face, not daring to look at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen in the eye.


    "Hmph!" Yanluo snorted. "Who do you think you are? My wellbeing is none of your business!"


    Zi Mo''s face grew even redder that it looked almost purple. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen did his best to suppress a smile; their seven''s happy days seemed to occurred him when they were still young.


    An acolyte stepped into the hall and came hurriedly forward. Contingents of warriors and swordsmen from other sects and schools had arrived. With them, they brought word of an imminent attack by Patriarch Guanshan.


    The jovial mood of the reunion immediately melted into a still and morose silence. There was no more chime of laughter or cheerful words as everyone''s brows creased into worried and distraught frowns. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stood up and looked outwards, pacing quickly towards the entrance of the hall with the rest of the Seven in tow.


    A thronging gathering of hopeful and spirited volunteers, numbering at least a thousand strong, all from various schools of the Orthodox Path, were marching into the plaza of the stronghold. Leading at the forefront, were Master Xuanji of the Wuyin Monastery and Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect.


    News about Patriarch Guanshan''s success in reconstructing a physical body and his intent to wipe the board clean of any opposition had spread across the entire Eastern Continent. Knowing that the Jade Qing Sect was the greatest school of arcane arts in the Continent and its fall would be the first of many, so everyone had come to help.


    Perfect Immortal Qing Chen stood at the top of the steps before the great hall with the rest of the Seven standing in a row behind him. Everyone beheld the awe-inspiring sight of the long-awaited reunification of the Jade Qing Seven, with beams of joy and pride across their faces. "Tomorrow''s battle will be most perilous," Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, "Are you sure of this?"


    There was no way to ensure that there would be no casualties. Patriarch Guanshan had amassed tremendous might. Even Xiao Chen, with the powers of the Jade Qing Seven infused into him, could not be certain of victory.


    "We''ll fight to the death! We''ll never surrender!"


    A turmultuous roar rose from the crowd, displaying their burning resolve and will to fight. Everyone knew the stakes: the battle would be bloody and brief, for Patriarch Guanshan had not only reconstructed his physical body and regained his former strength, every member of the Skygale Sect had been turned into his mindless subjects that existed only to wreak carnage. More than half might not even survive this clash; but everyone knew, no one would survive in the future if the Jade Qing Sect were to fall.


    The winds blew gently that night, caressing the faces of everyone in the plaza as their hair stirred in the breeze. The atmosphere was grim and silent, like the final silence before a huge impending storm, as everyone contemplated on their fates, pondering quietly themselves like soldiers before charging into battle. But their eyes rested on one person; the one person on whose shoulders their hopes rested: Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen too felt the weight of the fervent gazes upon him. Such was his destiny that he could not avoid. He was the only one capable to sustaining the insurmountable might of the Jade Qing Seven, otherwise, he would not have wanted such a precarious plan. There were so many things he wanted to do. He needed to look for Ling Yin, his teacher, and he must find out what happened thousands of years ago.


    But there was no way he could back down now. He could not flee from all these, with or without his loved ones with him. He would never be able to face Ling Yin again.


    But his greatest wish now, was to see his parents, Bai Ying, and his other friends and relatives. But he knew full well that there was no time for that. He steeled himself, standing up. His eyes gleamed with courage and determination. "Tomorrow we''ll be facing Patriarch Guanshan in battle!" he shouted loudly to everyone in front of him, "To life or death! Together!"


    "Together!" A huge thunderous voice from everyone reverberated as one, echoing his sentiments and emotions.


    Despite what he did in the past, Xiao Chen''s reputation and prestige reached an unprecedented height. With his triumph, he would be known as the hero of this war against the evil Patriarch Guanshan and the Skygale Sect for futures to come.


    The shroud of darkness thickened, although no one slept that night. Everyone busied themselves making preparations for war and planning battle formations. The city-state of Qing Province had already been evacuated by orders of the Emperor of Qing State and the monarch had marshaled a force of 100,000 men to guard the vicinity of Yuqing Mountain.


    Realizing the crisis, the Emperor of the neighboring State of Zhou forwent past enmities and sent forth a host of three thousand elite warriors, accompanied by an army of 30,000 men to help to repel the invasion. Everyone in the Continent fully appreciated the living hell that the diabolical Patriarch could inflict should he emerged victorious.


    Sitting in the Coalesced Colors Hall, the Jade Qing Seven were all seated together, their faces somber and stern. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen cast a barrier to ward off eavesdroppers. "We''ll start at midnight, everyone," he said to the rest of the Seven, "The Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation shall commence."


    "I understand your resolve, Senior Brother," Yuheng Zi muttered gravely, wearing a concerned frown on his face, "But this is dangerous. Woe betides us if anything goes wrong. I suggest that we first set up an Energy-gathering Formation in the Tongchen Hall. If this Xiao Chen somehow becomes deranged or if his evil intent shows, we could still draw back our power."


    "I understand your reservations," Perfected Immortal Qing Chen replied, nodding faintly, "But surely you know what will happen if somebody were to trigger the Energy-gathering Formation. We, and Xiao Chen too, will suffer a terrible blowback."


    "Rest assured, Senior Brother," Yuheng Zi pressed and said, "I can have men guarding outside the Tongchen Hall to make sure all is well."


    The Perfected Immortal Qing Chen made no reply. For seconds, he pondered in silence before he looked at Qingfeng and Zi Mo. "You both know the boy best," he said to them, "Do you trust him?"


    "I do." Zi Mo was the first to answer, showing no hesitation at all. "I trust the boy."


    Qingfeng too answered, "The boy is pure of heart. He will never, like how Senior Brother Yuheng described, turn to evil and plot to steal our power. But I only worry about..." He did not finish his sentence, falling instead into a deep ponder.


    The creases on Qingfeng''s forehead told the Perfected Immortal Qing Chen as much. "You''re worried about the strange force of energy within him?"


    Qingfeng nodded. "The energy lies dormant within him. But it fills him with a demonic urge so strong that he can barely control himself. I have tried countlessly to help him expel the force, but to no avail."


    "Where do you think this energy came from, Junior Brother?" The Perfected Immortal Qing Chen asked again, "Was it planted in him by evil beings with insidious plans?" "I cannot say." Qingfeng shook his head. "This is a secret that no one has the answer to yet."


    "So be it then," Perfected Immortal Qing Chen pronounced at last, "Tomorrow''s battle is one that we cannot lose. Millions of lives are at stake here. We''ll erect an Energy-gathering Formation, just as how Junior Brother Yuheng had suggested."


    In the same time, Xiao Chen was lying on the grass at the other side of the mountain, gazing into the sea of stars above him, with a mind full of blurry thoughts. He had met with Luo Shangyan, Murong Xian''er, Liu Fenghuang, and Li Muxue, urging them to be careful tomorrow, no matter what might happen. He was especially worried about Liu Fenghuang since Patriarch Guanshan was the one who had first destroyed the Teal Jade Sect. He was afraid that she might do something foolish and brash.


    He suddenly heard footsteps approaching. He knew who it was. "You''ve come, Senior Sister Liu." After all this time, he continued addressing her as such.


    Liu Fenghuang came to his side and sat down. A hint of mountain breeze blew between them, grazing at their skins as they watched the flickering fire from the army camps at the foot of the mountain without a word. A strange silence lingered, until Liu Fenghuang said suddenly, "Do you still call me Senior Sister Liu?"


    Xiao Chen peered at her, remembering of his earliest experiences in the Violet Manor when he first came. They had spent so much time together when Liu Fenghuang had pestered him to accompany her every day. She had been so happy and joyful then. And now, she would wear that smile no longer. It was a pain that continued to throb within him, a guilt that would torment him forever for the month during which he had been deceiving her.


    "Why are you not saying anything?" Liu Fenghuang asked again softly.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Do you blame me?" he asked again. Everything had happened because of the strings of the Fuxi Zither.


    Liu Fenghuang gave no answer. Seconds past until she smiled suddenly. "I have always believed that you would return," she said, "Every day I would wait for you at the Wind-riding Pavilion, hoping for a day where I would once again witness with my own eyes of you pacing towards me. But autumn came. Leaves began to fall. But there were so many... No matter how many times I swept..."


    Her voice broke. "Until one day, I dreamt of you returning. I was so happy. But it was only a dream. I woke up to find corpses strewn everywhere. Senior Brother Mo, maimed and injured, risked his life to save me... But he..."


    "No... Speak no more..." Xiao Chen murmured. His eyes were moist and red. He hugged her, placing her head on his shoulders, saying softly, "It was all my fault..."

 Chapter 172 The Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation

    Liu Fenghuang stopped her sobbing. Xiao Chen sighed. "Don''t worry," he said suddenly, a note of bitterness evident in his voice, "I will make them pay. An eye for an eye."


    They sat in the breeze for a little more than two hours when suddenly an aura of light descended near them. It was Yu Yifeng. He came slowly over, and saw Liu Fenghuang asleep with her head rested on Xiao Chen''s shoulder. "She has not been sleeping since yesterday," Yu Yifeng muttered sadly, "Perhaps she feels comfortable only when you''re around."


    Xiao Chen watched her sleeping, calm and serene like a baby in slumber. "I''ll bring her back," he said, and carried her in his arms before walking towards the courtyard of the stronghold. Yu Yifeng waited for him. Before long, Xiao Chen came back and they strode down the hill towards the Coalesced Colors Hall.


    They exchanged no words on their way down, until Yu Yifeng said, "Chen..." But he did not go on, pausing apprehensively.


    Xiao Chen saw him want to speak but stop at a second thought. "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    Yu Yifeng said nothing, merely sighing. It was dark and Xiao Chen could hardly see his face properly. "If things were to turn dire tomorrow," he said at last, "Take everyone and run. My teacher and the rest of the Seven will conjure the Sword Formation of Purification... Just tell Miss Mu... Tell her I''m..." His voice turned hoarse and cracked.


    Conjuring the Sword Formation of Purification came with a terrible price: death. Xiao Chen heaved a long breath. "Stop saying this, Brother Yifeng," he remarked harshly and firmly, "Who do you think I am? Am I a person who fears death?"


    Yu Yifeng said nothing again, merely shaking his head and breathing heavily. They reached the great hall and stepped inside, finding the hall devoid of anyone else, save for the Jade Qing Seven. The rest of the warriors and swordsmen who had come to help were guarding outside. Midnight was upon them and it was the best time to begin conjuring the Seven-stars Soul-transfer Formation.


    Hopeful and expectant glances cast upon the great hall from Elder Zhou, Elder Wang, Elder Ding, Elder Liu, and the others, along with almost every one of the disciples and acolytes of the Jade Qing Sect present, including the host of cultivators from around the East Continent. Hanxi and Ziling had already been sent by Yu Yifeng to a family of simple and common folk lest things turned bad.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen declared loudly to everyone outside as soon as Xiao Chen entered the hall, "We will begin conjuring the magical formation. Please retreat hundreds of meters away; there can be no disturbances!"


    Everyone began shuffling away quickly, realizing the gravity of the matter, leaving only a handful of Elders standing guard outside. Elder Zhou and Elder Ding traded heavy looks and with a curt nod, they began channeling their powers, using their magic to close the large door of the hall and sealing it with a few more magical seals.


    Everyone waited outside. Barely 2 hours later, the crowds outside began to notice seven stars that gleamed with remarkable prominence amidst the ocean of stars in the night sky. They recognized the Big Dipper constellation hanging over the mountain with its trademark bucket-shaped outline.


    Just then, a huge wave of force erupted from inside the hall, threatening to shatter the magic of the seals that defended the hall. The crowds outside gasped with shock and apprehension, before seven white radiances shot through the ceilings of the hall into the sky, their blinding radiance flooding the entire stronghold as if it was daytime.


    Murmurs and sighs of amazement and awe filled the crowd. The four Elders standing guard outside immediately withdrew further to the outer periphery of the plaza. "Still, it has come to the inevitable," Elder Zhou breathed wearily and said, "It will be a bloody fight tomorrow. Don''t you die, Old Man Ding... I need someone to bicker with..."


    "What nonsense are you sprouting?!" Elder Ding snapped and said, "I aim to live for more than a century! There''s no way I''ll lose to you in a bicker!"


    Elder Zhou giggled, shaking his head. "Pity my ears then, for nothing but your incessant bile will fill my ears for the next hundred years..."


    Everyone around them watched their witty banter with solemn sadness. The shenanigans of the two Elders reminded everyone of the impending onslaught that would claim the lives of so many. Siblings in tutelage, teachers, and loved ones would perish, forever be separated by life and death. This silent calm before the storm could possibly be the last time everyone met each other.


    Inside the Coalesced Colors Hall, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Yuheng Zi was sitting at the positions of the stars Dubhe and Merak, both of which were aligned at Polaris, the North Star. Zi Mo and Qingfeng both assumed the positions of the stars Phecda and Megrez, with the rest of the Seven occupying the other corresponding positions of the Big Dipper constellation with Xiao Chen in a cross-legged sitting position outside the dipper-shaped formation, where the True Energies of the Jade Qing Seven flowed continuously into him in the form of seven tentacle-like conduits that shone with blinding radiance.


    His eyes were calmly shut although his forehead creased with wrinkles as beads of sweat flowed ceaselessly down his face. He would never have been able to endure the pressure and weight of the powers of seven of the greatest of the land being channeled into him. Anyone else would have long been reduced to cinders by the sheer intensity of the powers.


    Nevertheless, the process was a long and arduous one. A second of time passed like an eternity as he sat there, enduring the agonizing pain that gnawed at his body and soul like the searing heat of fires from hell. He remembered of the time when he rose to the Nascent Soul Realm where he underwent the trials of being scorched by flames too.


    Still, the pain that he now suffered was many times stronger and more intense than what he felt then. In his past, he possessed an Immortal Body that embodied the powers nearing close to the Nascent Soul Realm which relieved much of the bitter agony then. He bit his lips, struggling against the urge to scream and roar with pain, for he feared that he might break the concentration of the seven seniors and cause irrecoverable damage.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had cautioned him repeatedly before the ordeal began that it would take hours before the entirety of their powers was fully channeled into him. He had been warned, that the process might last until the next morning.


    Time ebbed by slowly like sands trickling down an hourglass as minutes passed with a glacial pace. Finally, the sun beckoned the coming of a new day at the faraway horizons in the East; the coming of a reckoning wrought of blood and carnage. Worried frowns and fearful murmurs began rising from the crowd for no one knew what was happening inside the great hall.


    Li Muxue and the others too have come and were watching outside, worried and distressed with concern. Still, Xiao Chen has yet to emerge from the great hall.


    The greys of the dawn sky turned slowly to blue, when suddenly, the ground shook violently. Heads began jerking outwards and everyone peered into the distance where the fumes of war were already beginning to rise into the sky with rumbles of explosion booming in the midst.


    "The hellish spawns of the Skygale Sect is upon us! They are now being engaged by the armies of the States of Zhou and Qing!" An acolyte reported loudly.


    The news sent shock and fear throughout the crowd. How could common soldiers survive when even cultivators of arcane skills were no match to these infernal minions?


    Another disciple bolted into the square, his face pale like Death while he panted hard. Regaining his breath, he yelled, "There''s a force of demonic minions attacking from the South-East! More than 8,000 soldiers have been slaughtered!"


    Just within minutes, woeful tidings of the demonic armies'' trampling of the imperial armies pile one after another as acolytes rushed in successively to deliver the grave news again and again. The Skygale Sect had mowed down all opposition and had surrounded Yuqing Mountain in a siege.


    The Elders and leaders of various sects outside began to fear the worst. The armies of the State of Zhou and Qing had given up their lives to buy time. Yet, there was still no sign from the Coalesced Colors Hall! They could not send forth reinforcements to assist the armies which were fighting a dying battle downhill, lest a direct assault by the four Elders of the Skygale Sect would be sufficient to undo everything the Jade Qing Seven had prepared for.


    Only Master Xuanji, Xiaoyue, and a few others remained composed and calm despite the dire straits. "I will lead a band of reinforcements downhill," Master Xuanji volunteered. "Can you hold the defenses here?"


    The four Elders of the Jade Qing Sect shared dark looks among themselves. Elder Zhou spoke for his colleagues, "No. It''s best you stay, Master Xuanji."


    Everyone nodded in agreement. Master Xuanji was the strongest warrior now available. His presence was needed in case Patriarch Guanshan spearheaded a charge himself for only he possessed enough strength to pose any resistance to the most powerful founder of the Skygale Sect. But before he could object, shadows befell the peak of Yuqing Mountain. An aerial invasion! It was a force that numbered to hundreds of hostiles!


    Expectedly, leading the charge from above were the four Elders of the Skygale Sect. The entire army was shrouded with a demonic aura, emanating with tremendous power that denoted their proximity to the Nascent Soul Realm.

 Chapter 173 Life and Death

    Numerous auras of light shot into the sky to meet the aerial invasion force. Some were projectiles of energies released by the magical formations that acted as traps. Still, the Elder of the East Chamber had needed only to parry them with a simple wave of his arm and dispelled everything into nothingness. The crowds on the ground could only watch quietly, breathing heavily with disbelief at the might that the corrupted Elder displayed.


    Roars of battle-cries resounded suddenly. A horde of demonic minions, all former students and acolytes of the Skygale Sect, had begun their assault on the stronghold! Everyone from the Jade Qing Sect immediately rushed to man their battle stations, leaving the Elders to defend the great hall from the attacks by the aerial invasion led by the now-demonized Elders of the Skygale Sect.


    There were marks on their foreheads, mementos of the corrupting enchantment that tainted them. Their eyes were completely devoid of any glimmers of life, proving that their minds were no more theirs to govern; they were no more than mindless lackeys of Patriarch Guanshan.


    The four corrupted Elders traded swift looks, as if communicating telepathically, before they flew in the direction of the Coalesced Colors Hall. Realizing their plot, their counterparts of the Jade Qing Sect immediately took into the air to intercept them. But strengthened by the Patriarch''s dark magic, the Elders of the Skygale Sect were too powerful for them. With a simple blow, all four Elders of the Jade Qing Sect were forced back to the ground by the sheer pressure of his stroke.


    "Amitabha," Master Xuanji voice reverberated across the square suddenly. He raised his staff over his head in a striking motion before throwing it forward. The staff flew out of his grasp and dashed into the air, a golden comet that propelled straight towards the four infernal captains of Patriarch Guanshan''s armies. The staff struck just when the four Elders were preparing to defend themselves and force them to land as well.


    It was their chance. The rest of the defenders quickly unleash everything they could at the four corrupted Elders. The very pressure and intensity of their onslaught tossed up buffeting winds that lashed mercilessly at the buildings at the peak of Yuqing Mountain, pelting destruction upon the constructions that had endured ages of wear and tear. Even so, the defenders could never hope to match the might of the enemies. Only Master Xuaji possessed the strength to fight toe-to-toe with them.


    Barely an hour into the first clash of the battle, the defenders suffered huge losses. People were lying everywhere in the square, either maimed or dead, with blood spatters drenching the flagstones on the ground. Blood flowed down the slopes of Yuqing Mountain like diminutive rivers while the battle continued waging on the steps leading up to the stronghold as crimson blood splashed and dripped on the jade-white tiers. The death toll numbered to at least hundreds of thousands, including the fall of the imperial armies in their vain quest to buy more time. Never has Yuqing Mountain experienced such carnage and destruction.


    The square of the stronghold was already overrun by demonic minions with shrieks of pain and conquering battle-cries issued like the tolls of a death bell. Disciples, acolytes, even Elders and leaders from the various denominations of the Orthodox Path laid bloodied and cleaved on the ground. The Elders of the Jade Qing Sect too suffered terrible injuries, especially Elder Liu, who has had one of his arm severed in the battle, and was brought aside to be healed and protected by a group of ten disciples.


    Blood sprinkles colored the faces of Elders Ding and Zhou. In a brief moment of respite, the latter cast a quick look at the Coalesced Colors Hall before another swarm of demons surged into the square. "Hold them away from the great hall!" He bellowed at the top of his voice. He channeled all of his True Energy and cast forth eighteen successive strokes, releasing projectiles that immediately decimated more than a baker''s dozen of demons.


    At the other side of the square, Master Xuanji was leading a troop of warriors of the Core Forming Realm against the Four Elders of the Skygale Sect. Xiaoyue fought with every shred of ferocity she could master even though the Autumn Winter has yet to show its gleam. Nevertheless, that did not hinder her from drawing blood everything she flailed her horsetail whisk.


    Unable to watch blindly any longer, Yu Yifeng left instructions to his juniors to hold the entrance and leaped into the fray himself. He was under strict orders of his teacher, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, to defend the Tongchen Hall with his life and prevent any disturbances to the Energy-gathering Formation. But he could not stand watching as his brethren were getting butchered alive, hence he ultimately decided to help them.


    But there was no end to the bevy of demons streaming into the square like a dark tide of death. The relentless assault maintained, with more than half of the defenders incapacitated or dead, with the rest exhausted and spent. But no one gave up. To the last drop of blood and the final iota of their True Qi, the staunch defenders did their best to hold the defensive lines to prevent any disruption to the Coalesced Colors Hall.


    Skilled in healing magic, Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan scurried around the battlefield to help heal as many defenders they could. They were also severely spent, with their faces pale with fatigue, but they went on, doing their best to help to keep the invasion at bay. But the tide of the battle was against them until a dragon''s booming roars thundered from the horizons.


    The battle came to a short halt as everyone looked up. From the eastern skyline, everyone could see a huge dragon, long and slithery with scales of green. But the defenders'' hopes for reinforcements were dashed when they realized the dragon was bearing a towering man on its back; a man that radiated strong foul energies. Patriarch Guanshan has come! Within an instant, the defenders'' already crippling morale took a plunge.


    The flying serpent reached Yuqing Mountain within seconds, hovering over the peak with its gargantuan length of several hundreds of meters long. The spectacle of the huge leviathan unhinged many young defenders that their knees almost buckled. Was this the ancient dragon from the legends?


    The vicious beast emitted a fearsome roar, sending a powerful shockwave that hit every heavily-wounded defender, rendering their injuries even worse. Master Xuanji''s expression turned somber and white. He might be able to hold off Patriarch Guanshan, but the odds were badly against him with the addition of a dragon with powers of the Nascent Soul Realm! Common warriors of Core Forming Realm were nothing but mere specks of dirt before them!


    Perched imperiously on his dragon, Patriarch Guanshan laughed triumphantly. "How dare you raise arms against me! For your transgressions, you should have all been dead. But I am merciful! Surrender now and I will spare you!"


    His voice echoed across the entire stronghold of Yuqing Mountain; an indomitable tyrant that ruled supreme, wielding the life and death of every single defender at his fingertips. Many amongst the defenders crumbled, their confidence and resolve shattered like glass, as they began to show signs of yielding. But there were more who refused to give in. "Demon! How dare you wreak havoc upon this fair earth!" Some began yelling, "We''ll fight you to the end!"


    "Ah?" Patriarch Guanshan glared at the defiant person who spoke. Two shafts of death-rays shot from the Patriarch''s eyes, instantly killing the poor man. The demonic founder of the Skygale Sect swung his sword again, sending another projectile of energy that immediately obliterated another contingent of more than twenty Core Forming Realm warriors.


    Gasps of shock and horror escaped several mouths from the crowd while some began shivering with fear. Their final ounce of morale completely demolished. There was nothing left of their faith and conviction. Several defenders immediately collapsed to their knees, crying loudly, "We''ll gladly surrender to you, great Patriarch!"


    So began the plummet. Many more began following suit, plopping to their knees and prostrating themselves humbly to the tyrant in the sky. Patriarch Guanshan began roaring in laughter proudly, "Very good! Very good! All of you are now under the dominion of the Skygale Sect!"


    One after another, the defenders surrendered to the superior might of Patriarch Guanshan. The defenders had lost. The Elders stood with contempt before the Coalesced Colors Hall, still unwilling to give up. The Four Elders of the Skygale Sect flew to the Patriarch and whispered into his ears.


    Patriarch Guanshan listened intently to the reports of his captains and threw a gaze at the Coalesced Colors Hall before swinging his sword again, sending another projectile that curved in a slight arc at the great hall. With a yelp of fright, Elder Zhou threw himself into the way of the auric blade and tried to parry the blow. But the force was simply too powerful for him; it overwhelmed his strength and Elder Zhou began falling to the ground, internally injured.


    "Old Man Zhou!" Elder Ding screamed. He flew up to catch his colleague although he instantly realized that Elder Zhou was already dying. His heart had been crushed by the impact and Elder Zhou breathed his last.


    His disciples immediately rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces, crying, "Teacher!"


    Elder Ding could not contain his rage. He turned into an aura of light that shot straight at Patriarch Guanshan, hoping to seek retribution for his fallen comrade. But the monstrous dragon needed only to whip its tail at him, and batted him off the sky, leaving the old man injured with cracked ribs as he spat a mouthful of blood.


    With a hateful and scathing look, Patriarch Guanshan sent forth another auric blade to kill Elder Ding for good. Just then, the hulking edifice of the Coalesced Colors Hall shook with a sudden wave of strength! A white ray of light, radiant and bright, poured from the doors of the entrance and instantly nullified the Patriarch''s attack.


    The doors opened larger, groaning with suppressed rage as Xiao Chen stepped out, cloaked in a stunning radiance with all the glory and might of a God! Everyone beheld the sight of his advent with held breaths. This power, this aura! The Nascent Soul Realm!

 Chapter 174 Descendant of the Divine

    Xiao Chen slowly walked to the front steps of the temple, looking at the square where countless bodies lay in a pool of blood. He couldn''t help but feel sad. He used his Divine Sense to sweep around and immediately checked the whole Yuqing Mountain. He saw Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan, Murong Xian''er, Liu Fenghuang, and Yu Yifeng were all fine, and he just felt relaxed. He took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Everyone, I''m sorry. I came out late."


    Seeing him finally come out, many people were already crying with joy. The four elders of the Skygale Sect moved, turned into long radiance, and immediately attacked him. Four earth-shaking power caused a strong wind to blow in the square. However, Xiao Chen''s eyes looked cold, and he punched out with the power which could destroy heaven and earth. Elders of the East and North Houses were suddenly shattered into a blood mist.


    West and South elders were also affected by the shock wave and gave miserable cries. They immediately turned into electric light, escaping to the skyline. Xiao Chen said coldly, "Can you escape?" Before his voice fell, he slashed with two palms in the air and sent out two rows of golden radiance which immediately went after the two people in the south-west. "Slash! Slash!" The two elders were killed in mid-air.


    Everyone took a gasp. Instantly slaying four half-step Nascent Soul Realm experts indicated that a Nascent Soul Realm expert was really invincible.


    Patriarch Guanshan narrowed his eyes, saying, "Nascent Soul Realm? But this power in your body is not your own. How long do you think it can last?"


    Xiao Chen said coldly, "Long enough to kill you!" After saying so, he suddenly turned into a long radiance and rushed to the sky. Patriarch Guanshan snorted coldly, and his hand turned into a huge golden palm print which moved down. The energy around was turbulent as if it could tear the void.


    Xiao Chen was unafraid. He punched out, and the fist shadow was instantly magnified countless times in the void and hit the palm print like a small hill. The two destructive power met, and there was a rumble like thunder. Yuqing Mountain was shaking violently under the shock wave.


    Countless people retreated far away. The battle between Nascent Soul Realm cultivators was beyond their control. Xiao Chen stood in the air, and his eyes looked like two beams of electric light which made the huge dragon under Patriarch Guanshan''s feet tremble and disturbed.


    In fact, it was not an ancient dragon. It''s just the green drake which guarded the mountain of the Skygale Sect and was also the mount of Patriarch Guanshan thousand years ago. Xiao Chen had seen it when he was in the Human World.


    Patriarch Guanshan narrowed his eyes, saying, "Boy, you have unusual power. Why must you fight against me? If you and I continue to fight today, no one will be able to win any benefits. I am afraid that some people will take advantage of it." He then glanced at Xiaoyue who was hiding in the shadows below.


    Xiao Chen said coldly, "Your Skygale Sect owed me too much, and I''ll get them back today!"


    Patriarch Guanshan''s eyes narrowed. "Yunya Zi is dead. I have avenged you. The four elders have also died in your hands. If it is not enough, I can kill all my disciples. As long as you and I join hands, we will be invincible in this world. Then we can share the world equally, how about that?"


    Countless cultivators were frightened upon hearing this. They were afraid that Xiao Chen would be bewitched by the man, so they shouted, "Master Xiao, don''t listen to this person."


    "So much nonsense!" Patriarch Guanshan''s eyes turned cold, and he immediately sent a row of Sword Qi down. Xiao Chen swung his sleeve to shatter it and said with a smile, "We don''t have the same idea, so we won''t walk the same path!" He then played the Cyan Dragon Roars. Suddenly, the sky and earth changed as two golden dragon shadows instantaneously went out, which frightened and made the green drake at the feet of Patriarch Guanshan tremble.


    Patriarch Guanshan shattered the palm force, and his face suddenly turned cold. He said coldly, "Kid, I''m just cherishing a talent. Do you really think I can''t kill you?" When he said this, he grabbed with his five fingers into the air, causing several thunderstorms to fall in succession.


    Xiao Chen immediately propped up a barrier to resist the thunder but felt weak at his feet. He immediately fell several meters and was difficult to hold them in mid-air.


    Patriarch Guanshan snorted coldly and waved his hand. Unexpectedly, he moved a small hill over, and there was a huge shadow on the ground.


    The small hill quickly moved toward Xiao Chen, who pushed the hill back with both hands. Then, he fell to the ground uncontrollably.


    Back on the ground, Xiao Chen thought that his cultivation came from the Jade Qing Seven, so he could not do whatever he wanted in the air. But Guanshan stepped on the green drake, so this man naturally took the advantage. At present, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the others were still maintaining the formation in the temple. With the time being, they would not be able to support it.


    Patriarch Guanshan also saw through this, so he immediately ordered the green drake to fly up dozens of meters. Regardless of those demonized Skygale Sect disciples, he waved his hand to the ground to send out countless sharp Sword Qi which immediately turned normal cultivators into blood fog.


    Instantly, people were in chaos and fled everywhere. At this moment, a loud noise was heard in the west sky. A green-horned beast came flying with lightning on its feet. Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed, and he immediately recognized that the man on the beast was Ouyang Yu. Why did he come?


    When the green-horned beast reached nearby, the air suddenly became cold. Many people had a light frost on their brows. Ouyang Yu stepped on the beast and held the Frost Sword. A layer of ice and snow surrounded his body, and he looked like a fairy.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. This person actually reached peak Core Forming Realm. Yes, Elder Tianyun took him away that day. He later must have absorbed Tianyun''s cultivation.


    Patriarch Guanshan also noticed him and said coldly, "The boy who cheated his master and destroyed his ancestors, are you here to die today?"


    Ouyang Yu shook his head. "No, I''m here to take your life!" He then thrust out his sword as ice and snow flew all over the sky. Every piece of ice and snow is a sharp Sword Qi. However, in the eyes of Patriarch Guanshan, this was no different from a child''s trick. He shook his arms and immediately shattered the Sword Qi. Ouyang Yu was also hit and then fell to the ground with his green-horned beast.


    Xiao Chen stepped forth and held him, shaking his head. "This person has profound cultivation. You must not be rash." Ouyang Yu looked at Xiao Chen with surprise and said, "When did you get into the Nascent Soul Realm?" He looked around and asked, "Where''s A Xue? Is she with you?"


    Xiao Chen said, "Let''s put this aside. Can I borrow your green-horned beast?" Ouyang Yu understood the plan, so he immediately ordered the beast to come.


    "Thank you." Xiao Chen jumped on the back of the beast. The beast seemed to be very afraid of him and immediately took him up into the air and flew to Patriarch Guanshan.


    Patriarch Guanshan saw that the two of them had hostility before, but now they worked together to deal with him. So, he became angry and thundered, "You two brats, die!" A Sword Qi then descended from the sky.


    The green-horned beast immediately turned to avoid this sharp Sword Qi. At the same time, Xiao Chen punched out and hit the green drake. The green drake immediately let out a dragon roar which almost shattered people''s eardrums. The green-horned beast was shocked by the dragon roar, so it trembled and dared not to get closer.


    Xiao Chen scolded inwardly that the beast was a coward. "Will I let you get hurt?" He thundered, "Closer!" However, after hearing this, the green-horned beast actually shook its head and refused to approach. It even wanted to fall back to the ground.


    Patriarch Guanshan sneered, "Hey hey. How can a hundred-year-old green-horned animal compete with my thousand-year-old drake?" Then, the green drake let out another dragon roar, which directly frightened the green-horned beast to fall to the ground.


    Xiao Chen went mad because he had so much cultivation but cannot use them. If he wanted to ascend in the air or ride the sword, it would consume his True Energy; if he ascended with the Flying-cloud Stone, the stone would be shattered easily. He scolded with anger, "Old punk! It is not enough for you to hide for a thousand years? Do you dare come down to fight me now?"


    Patriarch Guanshan said with a smile, "Kid, I won''t come down. When your cultivation is exhausted, you can give your body to me nicely." After saying this, the drake flew up for about 30 meters.


    At present, Xiao Chen was at his wits'' end. The old man refused to come down, and he would be in a disadvantage if he rushed. If only he could fly with two wings! At this moment, a red figure suddenly flashed into the square. Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed. It was Liu Fenghuang. Why did she look different from before? And she seemed to have a powerful strength in her body at the moment.


    "Sister Liu?"


    Liu Fenghuang didn''t answer him. She looked at the sky and said coldly, "You destroyed my Teal Jade Sect. Today I will let you pay with blood!" After that, the energy suddenly stirred up around her. The wind roared, and a faint sound of phoenix cry sounded in the sky.


    Everyone was shocked. At the same time, they felt a force from ancient times gathering in Liu Fenghuang''s body. Suddenly, a phoenix totem appeared in mid-air. Her body was burning with fire which almost shone half of the sky red.


    The phoenix totem cried and turned into a red radiance which rushed down and went into her body. At this moment, a big change happened on Liu Fenghuang. Her body suspended in the air, and a pair of fire phoenix''s wings appeared on her back.


    "Phoenix bloodline! She has the blood of ancient phoenix!" Many people exclaimed, and even many of the older generation stared agape. They sighed and said, "Surprisingly, unexpectedly, this little girl is a descendant of the Divine."


    Xiao Chen was also surprised. The Divine was an ancient clan which lived in heaven''s realm. He never expected the blood of the Divine flew in her body. Did she inherit her mother''s blood which was awakened today?


    All of a sudden, he felt something wrong. Even if Liu Fenghuang had the blood of the Divine, she was no match for Patriarch Guanshan. So he shouted, "Don''t go!" However, it was too late to stop her. Liu Fenghuang spread her wings and rushed high into the sky like a flame.


    Xiao Chen immediately tapped on the ground and turned into a long radiance to catch up. The two people approached Patriarch Guanshan. Liu Fenghuang''s wings fluttered and immediately turned the sky into a sea of fire. People on the ground felt the heat. Countless soldiers at the foot of the mountain were already stunned.


    Patriarch Guanshan held up a barrier to resist the fire attack, and his eyes were fixed on her. He sneered, "Descendant of the Divine? I will also take your body!" He then stretched out his hand, and a huge palm appeared and moved to her.


    "Get out of the way!" Xiao Chen shouted and immediately moved to the front of Liu Fenghuang like a lightning meteor. He then propped up the barrier and resisted the attack of Patriarch Guanshan. However, his feet sank, and he began to fall down again. He could not perform at his will in the air.


    At this moment, he felt his waist was hugged by someone''s hands, and he stopped falling. Liu Fenghuang''s voice sounded in his ear. "I''ll hold you, don''t worry."


    Although being wrapped in flames, Xiao Chen did not feel any scorching heat but only warmth. He looked back and saw a tear drop rolling down from the corner of Liu Fenghuang''s eye, as if it was the sadness before parting.

 Chapter 175 Thousands of Years Ago

    "Since you two love each other so much, I will send you to hell together!" Patriarch Guanshan thundered madly, and his arms suddenly moved, forming a huge space vortex in front of him. The vortex moved toward Xiao Chen as if it could devour everything.


    "Naive!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly. He did not need to worry about falling now. He suddenly channeled the True Energy in his body and punched out with both hands. An unmatched power moved toward the vortex. The moment the two forces collided, the earth shook, and large areas of space were torn apart. The drake at the foot of Patriarch Guanshan also roared in pain under the impact of the shock wave, and its scales were flying.


    All the people on the ground were frightened and were glad that they were fighting at high altitude. If they were on the ground, nobody could escape this ferocious force.


    After that blow, the two sides parted for about hundreds of meters. Patriarch Guanshan''s eyes became more malicious. Suddenly, he thundered, "Heaven-slaying Sword!"


    As his voice fell, a 300-meter-long golden sword suddenly appeared in the sky as if it could split the heaven and earth. Even the cultivators far away on the ground felt the horrible power in this sword. People''s faces changed. If this sword cut down, the whole Yuqing Mountain would be shattered.


    Xiao Chen was not afraid at all. He moved his fingers, and immediately, seven dazzling rows of light appeared in the sky and then merged into one, turning into a huge sword with white radiance.


    "Dragon Slay!" He thundered, and the radiance of his huge sword became brighter than the Heaven-slaying Sword. Patriarch Guanshan''s face changed slightly, and his green drake also trembled.


    The cultivators on the ground were all surprised. What would happen if these two destructive forces collided? Master Xuanji and other experts immediately joined forces to hold up a barrier; otherwise, no one could bear it.


    However, an unexpected thing suddenly happened. The huge sword of the Dragon Slay faded away gradually, and Xiao Chen''s face immediately showed a painful appearance. Everyone did not know what had happened, and at that time, they all felt a catastrophe coming.


    "Haha! Kid! You''ve lost your cultivation, and your death is approaching!" Patriarch Guanshan guffawed, urging his Heaven-slaying Sword to move to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen''s face twisted, and the cultivation the Seven Sons pushed into his body suddenly began to decrease. He also didn''t know why, so he shouted, "Senior Sister Liu! You go away!"


    The power of this sword should not be underestimated. The sword had not yet been cut down, and it had broken up a large area of the void. Liu Fenghuang had been enveloped by this force and could not leave with him.


    The strong wind howled, and the huge sword ruthlessly moved down. Upon seeing the certain death, everyone on the ground turned pale. Li Muxue exclaimed. She felt dizzy, and tears streamed out of her eyes. Murong Xian''er and others were also stunned. Xiao Chen lost his cultivation, and there was no chance of survival under this attack.


    At the moment, inside the Coalesced Colors Hall, the faces of the Seven Sons changed. They were connected to Xiao Chen''s mind, so they also felt the exception. The Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, "Damn! Someone touched the Energy-gathering Formation"


    In the square, Yu Yifeng immediately understood what was going on. He rushed to the Tongchen Hall. When approaching, he saw a shadow flashed, and the two disciples he had commanded to guard the hall had already been knocked unconscious.


    In high air, the sword finally arrived. At this moment, Liu Fenghuang suddenly turned around and protected Xiao Chen. She used her wings to block the incoming sword. Xiao Chen''s eyes opened widely, and he wanted to shout. But he could not make any sound. The sword cut on Liu Fenghuang''s back, almost killing her body and soul. Both of them fell to the ground.


    When they were close to the ground, Xiao Chen''s cultivation finally stopped decreasing. He immediately held Liu Fenghuang backhand, but she already was dying. The wings behind her also dissipated, and blood was flowing out of her mouth. That sword shattered her heart and meridians.


    "Senior Sister Liu, hold on!" Xiao Chen immediately injected True Energy into her body. However, it was empty. The sword of Patriarch Guanshan was indeed something, and it was now impossible for him to save her.


    People nearby also came quickly. Master Xuanji immediately held Liu Fenghuang''s wrist and tried to renew her life by Buddhist methods. However, he was unable to do this. The sword not only hurt her heart and meridians but also her soul.


    Liu Fenghuang fell into Xiao Chen''s arms, and she smiled weakly. "Don''t be sad. This is my destiny, I can''t hide from it... I will now give you the last strength..."


    As soon as her voice fell, her whole body gradually faded away, and finally, she turned into stars and gathered into a red radiance which was printed on Xiao Chen''s back, forming a phoenix totem.


    "Ah!"


    Xiao Chen held the air and let out a loud roar. His hair stood on end, and tears streamed out of his eyes. Liu Fenghuang talked to him a lot last night. However, he did not understand them. Now he understood, but it was too late. He looked up at Patriarch Guanshan in high air. His eyes seemed to come from the hall of the netherworld, cold and bone-crushing.


    All of a sudden, a pair of phoenix wings were born behind him, burning like flames. Then, he flew to the sky.


    "I''ll take your life!"


    Liu Fenghuang''s death had made him insane. He instantly took out the Unsullied, magnified it dozens of times out of thin air, and slashed it at Patriarch Guanshan. Patriarch Guanshan felt the horrible power of the sword and immediately ordered the green drake to avoid. However, the green drake was eventually one step slower and was cut into two pieces. It died, and the sky seemed to be showered with blood.


    The cultivators on the ground couldn''t help but marvel. Was it finally the time to turn the situation around? Many people shouted loudly, and countless soldiers at the foot of Yuqing Mountain were also stunned. "Is this Xiao Chen? He killed an ancient dragon?"


    Patriarch Guanshan''s eyes opened widely. This green drake was his mount a thousand years ago. After one thousand years, he resurrected, and only this one partner was here, but Xiao Chen killed it on the spot with one stroke. How could he not be sad? He thundered loudly, "Heaven-slaying Sword!" In a flash, a huge sword appeared again in the sky.


    "Slaying your motherfucking ass!" Xiao Chen was already close to madness and slashed at Patriarch Guanshan again. Patriarch Guanshan had no time to block. "Ah!" With a scream, his right arm was cut down.


    The cultivators on the ground gasped again. "He actually cut off an arm of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with one stroke. How far has his strength reached?" Patriarch Guanshan turned pale. He could not continue to fight now, so he chanted a spell and immediately turned into a radiance, fleeing to the southeast.


    "Don''t try to escape!" Xiao Chen immediately spread the phoenix wings and instantly caught up. He slashed again, and Patriarch Guanshan blocked with his left hand. But he did not expect that his left arm was narrowly cut off. His face was full of horror, and he said in a quavering voice, "Are you... Are you in Nirvana Realm?"


    Xiao Chen''s face was full of murderous intent, and he said word for word, "You-go-die!" He slashed again. This time, everyone felt freezing cold, and Patriarch Guanshan looked like he was dying. He hurriedly ran his True Qi to resist. However, his defense was still broken by this dominant blow, and he fell like a meteor to the ground.


    "Poom!" Dust was flying in an instant. The square was smashed into a big hole. The crowd exclaimed. Although they knew that Patriarch Guanshan had been seriously injured at the moment, no one dared to approach.


    Xiao Chen fell to the ground and looked at the half-dead Patriarch Guanshan in the pit. He just wanted to avenge Liu Fenghuang at the moment, and he was about to slash again. Patriarch Guanshan quickly shouted, "Wait!" Then he laughed with sadness. "The one wants you dead the most is not me, haha! Killing me is just to fulfill the wishes of that person."


    At this moment, a green figure flashed over. It was Xiaoyue who had been hiding in the shadows. Her eyes had matchless murderous intent, and she said coldly, "You are a scourge to the world. Die!" After saying this, she slashed at Patriarch Guanshan.


    Xiao Chen sent out a white radiance and easily shattered Xiaoyue''s Sword Qi. She turned to look at him, saying coldly, "Don''t you want to avenge Miss Liu?"


    Xiao Chen snorted coldly, "His life is mine. It''s not up to your Thousand Feathers Sect to decide!" He then said to Patriarch Guanshan, "What you wanted to say just now? Go on!"


    At the moment, the rest of the cultivators also gathered here in succession. Li Muxue, Murong Xian''er, and others came to his side and said nothing.


    Patriarch Guanshan sneered. He did not expect that thousands of years later, he was about to die before he could achieve something. This was really sad. His eyes gradually moved to Xiaoyue''s Duster Sword, and he sneered. "Why not use this Autumn Water Sword? Didn''t I die under Ye Yuexuan''s Autumn Water?"


    Hearing the name Ye Yuexuan, everyone was surprised. Ye Yuexuan was the sect leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect a thousand years ago, and her cultivation was extremely high. Her prestige was second only to the founder, Qianyu Nishang. She was arguably the most outstanding leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect for thousands of years.


    At the moment, people heard that Guanshan was killed by Ye Yuexuan, so they were talking about it. Xiao Chen was a bit shocked. Too many things happened one thousand years ago, and they had a great connection with his resurrection. Today, he must ask some clues out of Guanshan.


    Xiaoyue''s face changed slightly, and she said coldly, "You are a person of the Devil''s Practice. Aren''t you supposed to be removed by Senior Ye Yue?"


    Patriarch Guanshan sneered, "Hey hey. "I am in the devil''s practice? Then maybe the three leaders of Kunlun Sect, Shushan Sect, and Taiqing Sect are also in the Devil''s Practice?"


    Many young men had not heard these, but the elders'' faces changed when they heard this. Thousands of years ago, the Wuyin Monastery, Thousand Feathers Sect, Kunlun Sect, Shushan Sect, and Taiqing Sect were called Five Major Sects. They were the most prosperous back then. Later on, the Kunlun Sect, Shushan Sect, and Taiqing Sect all hid themselves.


    Patriarch Guanshan sneered and looked at Master Xuanji, saying, "You are the little monk of the Wuyin Monastery, right? Hey hey, don''t you want to know who killed your Abbot Juekong?"


    "Amitabha..." Xuanji just read the Buddha''s name and did not ask more. Xiaoyue''s face changed, and she said coldly, "According to historical records, Abbot Juekong and the other three sect leaders were killed by a person of the devil''s practice. Don''t make nonsense of this!"


    "Ha ha!" Patriarch Guanshan laughed to the sky. "The history records were naturally written by the survivors. The man you referred to is Xiao Ning, right?"


    Upon hearing the name of his true ancestor, Xiao Chen was shocked all over. Sure enough, what happened one thousand years ago had a great mystery. Xiao Ning was expelled from the Xiao family in Violet Manor and got surrounded and killed by the five major sects. All these were caused by the Thousand Feathers Sect!

 Chapter 176 The Person Descended From Heavens Realm

    No one noticed that Xiao Chen''s eyes became colder at the moment. He said coldly, "Tell me exactly what you know!"


    "Hey hey!" Patriarch Guanshan sneered and said, "Then I''ll tell you today. Anyway, I can''t live. Back then, Xiao Ning was entrusted to do something, but the Thousand Feathers Sect tried to stop him. You should know that Xiao Ning was a martial art talent once in a thousand years in the Xiao family. He had the cultivation of Lv 6 Fivefold. So, how could the minor Ye Yuexuan stop him?" When he said this, his eyes showed great reverence.


    When the crowd heard this, they showed surprise one after another. Xiao Chen was also a bit surprised. After Nascent Soul Realm, it was Nirvana Realm, and next the Apotheosis Realm. The Lv 6 Fivefold in martial arts was equivalent to Lv 5 Apotheosis Realm. Unexpectedly, Xiao Ning''s cultivation was so profound.


    At the moment, Xiaoyue''s face changed dramatically. She would like to immediately slay Patriarch Guanshan, but with Xiao Chen aside, she didn''t have a chance. Patriarch Guanshan continued, "Hey hey! So, Ye Yuexuan, that bitch, had to play some tricks and secretly killed some sect leaders. Then, she used a silly devil called Gu Feng to put blame on Xiao Ning!"


    "How can it be!" Many people exclaimed and looked at Xiaoyue. Xiaoyue turned pale and thundered, "What are you talking about!" She then thrust her sword as the dazzling sword radiance burst out from the sheath. "Clash!" However, the Duster Sword in her hand sent flying. Xiao Chen''s eyes were cold, and he said coldly, "Is it true what he said?"


    Xiaoyue''s face looked miserable. She knew perfectly well that she was no match for him at the moment. She immediately said, "Brother Xiao, this person is trying to sow discord. Can''t you tell?" She then said to the crowd, "The Thousand Feathers Sect exists for thousands of years. In those days, Predecessor Ye Yuexuan put people in the first. You must not believe this person''s words!"


    No one talked, and everybody was in thoughts. Xiao Chen sneered. She was indeed the descendant of Qianyu Nishang. Her framing skill was no inferior to that of Qianyu Nishang. He coldly looked at Patriarch Guanshan. "Then who are you?"


    Patriarch Guanshan sneered. "I''m just a little guy around Xiao Ning. I happened to know the truth, so Ye Yuexuan wanted to kill me." He looked at Murong Xian''er and sighed. "Little girl, if it weren''t for Ye Yuexuan, who cheated you to break my formation, she was not able to kill me easily. You are the only one who can break my formation. Hey hey, it''s my destiny."


    After hearing this, the crowd was shocked and looked at Murong Xian''er one after another. Patriarch Guanshan was a person 1,000 years ago. Was this little girl also a person from 1,000 years ago?


    Xiao Chen was also surprised. "Xian''er is proficient in formations, and her background is especially mysterious. Did she really exist one thousand years ago?" He turned to look at her and saw her look confused. She shook her head and said, "I don''t remember. I don''t remember anything. I am not a demon..."


    Murong Xian''er said while tightly pulling Xiao Chen''s sleeve. Tears dropped from her eyes. Xiao Chen held her by his side, and no one was allowed to ask her. He then asked Patriarch Guanshan, "Who gave Xiao Ning the mission?"


    This the question he concerned the most. He had learned that the thing Xiao Ning was going do was to set up a Xiao family in the Human World with the Samsara Jade. Maybe it was only to revive him by Samsara method. Who was the one that tried so hard to revive himself?


    Patriarch Guanshan seemed to be lost in thought. He said after a long time, "The person said she came from heaven''s realm. I remember that she was wearing a teal feather suit that day and held a jade flute..."


    "Ah..." Many young disciples couldn''t help screaming. It was an immortal who descended from heaven. Xiao Chen''s breath became more and more rapid. His face flushed, and he told himself over and over again in his heart that it was his master. It must be his master! "Master is not dead. She had broken the shackle of life and death and ascended to heaven."


    Thinking of this, he was more and more excited. He said urgently, "Tell me quickly! Did she say her name?"


    Patriarch Guanshan nodded his head. "She said her name was Ling Yin."


    At this moment, it seemed that the whole world had quieted down. Xiao Chen couldn''t hear anything. He looked up and burst out laughing. Two lines of tears fell off without a sign. The crowd saw him crying and laughing. They didn''t know what had happened and looked at each other.


    Xiao Chen calmed down after a while and continued to ask, "Then? Where had she gone?" "Since master wanted to revive me, why is she still reluctant to see me?" "Did something happen to her?" Thinking of this, he felt cold all over his body.


    Patriarch Guanshan said, "There was another person who came with her that day. He was the devil lord, Wentian, who claimed that he could kill 100,000 immortals and buddhas..."


    Before he finished speaking, the crowd burst into noise. One thousand years ago, not only the heaven''s realm was involved, even the devil''s practice was involved. Xiao Chen was also shocked and thought this was impossible. His master hated people of the Devil''s Practice the most. How could she be with one of them?


    Patriarch Guanshan continued, "The two people told Xiao Ning to do one thing, then they went to Kunlun Mystic Land to obtain an immortal treasure called Immortal Wood..."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. Immortal Wood! Immortal Wood was a legendary treasure that could bring the dead back to life. Were they trying to bring him back to life? He couldn''t wait to ask, "What happened afterwards?"


    "Later, another person came down from heaven to stop them from going to Kunlun Mystic Land." Patriarch Guanshan then looked at Xiaoyue. His eyes had a deep hatred. "This person was the founder of your Thousand Feathers Sect, Qianyu Nishang!"


    Xiaoyue''s face changed. According to historical records, the patriarch did descend once. But that was only to strengthen the seal of her sect. As for the others, there was no record.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes suddenly became cold, and Xiaoyue''s body quivered as she felt the cold murderous intent from him. She slowly approached Master Xuanji.


    Xiao Chen coldly snorted and continued to ask, "And then?"


    "There was a law in this world that people from heaven cannot stay in this world for a long time. At that time, Fairy Ling Yin had to let Wentian go to Kunlun alone, while she stayed to deal with Qianyu Nishang. That battle was extremely fierce. I don''t know the final result. I only know that Qianyu Nishang returned to the Thousand Feathers Sect, while Ling Yin was seriously injured and went to Middle Continent. I''m afraid she couldn''t return to heaven..."


    "Ah!" Before he could finish, Xiao Chen let out a long cry to the sky, which shook everyone''s eardrums. His eyes suddenly turned red, and his hair stood on end as if he were mad. For fear that he might suddenly and violently hurt people, everyone retreated far away.


    "How is it possible? She had great powers! How could she be defeated by Qianyu Nishang! You''re lying!" Xiao Chen could not accept this fact and acted like he was insane. He suddenly flashed over and lifted Patriarch Guanshan, saying, "You are lying! I''ll kill you!"


    "Hey hey!" Patriarch Guanshan smiled miserably. "Just kill me. I didn''t tell a lie."


    Suddenly, there was a thin rain in the sky. Xiao Chen gave a sad smile, dropped him, and staggered back a few steps. He laughed, and his tears soon mixed with the rain.


    In the bitter wind and rain, the crowd heard his laughter and felt a strange sadness. No one talked. Murong Xian''er also choked with sobs. Suddenly, a sword radiance flashed, followed by a scream. Xiao Chen came to his senses and thought of Patriarch Guanshan. But Patriarch Guanshan fell in the blood, eyes wide open. Obviously, he had been killed.

 Chapter 177 The Secret of the Thousand Feathers Sec

    t


    It was Xiaoyue who had cast the stroke. Xiao Chen glared at her, his eyes bloodshot with rage and his face filled with hate. There were so many questions he needed answers for. He needed to know where Xiao Ning was, and did he had the chance to meet his Teacher again? But the death of Patriarch Guanshan had dashed all his hopes of seeking answers. "HOW DARE YOU!" He snarled at the callous prodigy of the Thousand Feathers Sect.


    Without waiting for any response, he instantly smote with his fists, sending a wave of force that crushed and buffeted the broken tiles on the ground, rushing in Xiaoyue''s direction. But just when everyone was still stunned by the sudden turn of events, Master Xuanji leaped into the path of the projectile and immediately used his Golden Bell Shield technique.


    The collision of the force with Master Xuanji''s shield caused a deafening bang that sounded like the peals of a huge bell. Even with his prowess, Master Xuanji could not fully nullify Xiao Chen''s angered stroke; the force threw him backward that he reeled for a few steps before he could keep himself steady. Drops of blood could be seen escaping the edges of his lips. "Amitabha, Master Xiao," said the venerable monk, "Please remain calm. For all we know, that was merely a lie or a ruse by the man earlier. There''s no way of knowing if he was speaking the truth."


    Everyone rushed forward and urged, "That''s true. We cannot trust what he said. You have helped vanquished the terror of the Eastern Continent, Young Master Xiao. This is a blessing upon us. There is no need to strain our relationships just because of a few simple words of a dying monster." Everyone was afraid that he might suddenly run amok, speaking to him with faltering meekness.


    Xiaoyue stood motionless in the rain, her hair drenched by the water. But her heart was still racing fast. She had truly felt Xiao Chen''s intent to murder her earlier. It was only by Master Xuanji''s opportune intervention that she was saved, she realized.


    "Xiao Chen! Do you think you are the only one here who wishes to know what happened thousands of years ago? Are you indeed a fool to not notice that the Patriarch was trying to confuse you and induce you to lose control? Yet you wished me dead?! I too, want to know what happened so many years ago! I can help you, if so you wish! But if I were to have wronged you, my life is yours! Otherwise..."


    In a fit of anger and indignance, she spluttered a flurry of incensed words that her voice trailed off in the end as she went out of breath. It was clear to everyone present that Xiao Chen, for that very moment, had indeed wished to kill her. A few members of the crowd came to her side and consoled her.


    "Hahahaha..." Xiao Chen threw his head back, beginning to laugh in a maniacal manner. Tears flowed out of his eyes and became lost in the rain. Have you not wronged me enough, you of the Thousand Feathers Sect? I would never have had my Nascent Soul destroyed and Weiyang would never have died if Qianyu Nishang did not conspire with others against me... Teacher would never have been lost in her attempts to save me...


    But the rain only grew stronger with his laughter. Everyone looked at him. No one knew what he experienced in the past. But only a man who had suffered a most agonizing sorrow and pain would behave in such a pitiable manner. They shook their heads, wearing a morose and somber look on their face as if they were infected by Xiao Chen''s anguish.


    In the midst of the falling deluge and the noises of whispering murmurs lost by the din of the torrent, Xiao Chen''s eyes wandered to the minute engravings on Xiaoyue''s Autumn Water. Those were their names, his and Qianyu Nishang, carved upon the blade by their own hands, during a moment so far away when everything was still sweet and blissful. He emitted another roar of laughter and more tears flowed down his cheeks.


    Why! Why, Qianyu Nishang! Why is the Autumn Water now an heirloom of your students! Did you foresee a day where I would return for vengeance? Were you trying to stir the memories of our distant past when we were still kind to each other? Impossible! I will find you! I will scour every corner of the realms of Earth and even Heaven to find you! And even if you have become an Immortal King, I will not give up! With my own hands, I will slaughter you!"


    With another carillon of wretched laughter, he transformed into a bolt of light and flitted through the crowd, returning to the Coalesced Colors Hall.


    The crowd that remained standing in the rain shook their heads and sighed with dejection and pity. Murong Xian''er had been crying so badly when she witnessed Xiao Chen''s unbalanced state, although no one knew if she was frightened to tears or she had felt and shared Xiao Chen''s sadness.


    Li Muxue was on the verge of tears herself, her eyes red and moist. She walked towards Xiaoyue. "You saw it, did you?" She croaked to Xiaoyue, "He cried. He cried, but he did you no further harm. He is such a person; a person who keeps all sorrows and pain to himself. He''d have hurt himself, and he''ll never hurt others. And because of this, he''s always been on the edge of breaking down... He..."


    She could go on no further. She felt something rolling down her cheeks as she stifled a sob. Not far away was Ouyang Yu, who was watching her with soreness in his heart.


    There came a brief moment of silence. Li Muxue wiped the tears off her eyes. "These matters. They must be important to him," she said again, "Please, Lady Xiaoyue. Can you tell me if you really know anything..."


    Touched by her, Xiaoyue was struggling with her swelling emotions herself. She shook her head. "I''m sorry, Miss Mu," she admitted, "I''m afraid I myself did not know what happened thousands of years ago... All I can say, is that the Thousand Feathers Sect is absolutely in no way how Patriarch Guanshan had described us to be..."


    Luo Shangyan came over. "But Lady Xiaoyue," she remarked suddenly, "During our expedition to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, the man called Mu Luo did mention that the Thousand Feathers Sect has sealed a person who has been dead for thousands of years. Can you tell me who that person is?"


    It was a revelation that many heard the first time. Spurts of surprised gasps and curious mutterings rose from the crowd. "Is this true, Lady Xiaoyue?" Master Xuanji asked immediately.


    "Indeed," Xiaoyue admitted. There was no way this could be kept under wraps any longer.


    More cries of exclamation and amazement rang. "You all have heard of the battle between Immortals and Devils thousands of years ago, no?" Xiaoyue continued, "It was a bloody and terrible battle with disastrous losses on both sides, not to mention the damages to the fabric of the Realms. The Realm of the Demons collapsed and the Devils were all driven into the Realm of Boundless Purgatory. Hence the blood-red moon phenomenon which occurs each century. That happens when the Realm of Boundless Purgatory and the Realm of Mortals are aligned together."


    The crowd heaved a long and heavy breath. It was no secret to everyone that the race of Devils have always had their eyes on the affluent abundance of the Mortal Realm that especially in most recent years, there has been news that they were stirring, readying themselves for another invasion. "All I know," Xiaoyue went on, "Is that the person now sealed by the Thousand Feathers Sect will once again bring hell to Earth if the person were to be allowed to walk free once more.


    "Ah..." Some murmured. Some even yelped with fright. "But how could the Thousand Feather Sect had kept such a grave matter secret from everyone?" Master Xuanji lamented, frowning hard.


    Xiaoyue shook her head in denial, her face wearing a somber and troubled expression. "As you say, this is a grave matter. We cannot risk the information being discovered by any Devils of the Boundless Purgatory. The stakes are simply too high. I implore everyone here to keep this a secret too," she said.


    Everyone nodded. So the Thousand Feathers Sect were the keepers of a millennia-long secret that held the key to the Mortal Realm''s existence. However, only Luo Shangyan continued eyeing Xiaoyue warily with doubt and hesitation in her eyes.


    Three days passed uneventfully. Xiao Chen had returned the powers to the Jade Qing Seven. He stood atop a precipitous cliff, overlooking the ruins and rubbles of the square where his gritting battle against the Patriarch had taken place just days before. Everything around him, the calmness, the peace, and serenity, seemed too surreal to him as he could still almost feel the exhilaration and adrenaline of the fight. In just three days, tales of his heroics had spread far and wide into other continents. But nothing seemed different, save for the absence of Liu Fenghuang whom he sorely missed.


    Yu Yifeng appeared suddenly, moving beside him. He beheld the sight of the demolished square below them. "They say phoenixes die and reborn again," he muttered, "Maybe one day, Miss Liu will come back to life. After all, she is still alive in you."


    Xiao Chen said nothing, merely giving a smile. Liu Fenghuang had given her wings to him. There was no way she would come back and this was merely a way his Brother Yifeng was trying to console him. He did not know why she gave up all her powers. But it mattered no more. Liu Fenghuang was no more.


    "So, what are you going to do next?"


    "I''m going to the Middle Continent," Xiao Chen murmured, his eyes looking far into the sky. Patriarch Guanshan had told him that his Teacher was last seen in the Middle Continent. It was there that he had finally decided to travel to. Lies or not, Xiao Chen would go there to look for any signs of his Teacher himself.


    Yu Yifeng looked up and his eyes caught a cloud drifting lazily in the sky. "We humans are puny beings in the vastness of this world. There is only so much that one can do," he sighed, "You have to learn to live and let live. Only then you''ll feel better."


    Xiao Chen could hear that Yu Yifeng was trying to persuade him. But how could he rest well when the mysteries of the Mystic Cyan Sect''s downfall and the disappearance of his Teacher were still unanswered?


    "Nevertheless, I could see that you have made up your mind. But remember to speak to Miss Lee and the others personally."


    Xiao Chen nodded. One hour later, he came to Li Muxue''s cottage.


    At the lawn in front of her cottage, Perfected Immortal Yanluo was there. She was holding a glittering emerald-green bead. "This is a bead that has absorbed all energies and auras of Nature from the hidden springs at the south of Lake Baikal where the strongest of trees can be found, the Pearl of the Mystic Springs," she explained to Li Muxue, "Keep this with you, Muxue."


    "B-but... You''ve saved me so many years ago, Lady Yanluo," Li Muxue tried to decline, "How can I accept such a valuable gift again..."


    "A gift is only valuable if it is useful to the right person," said Yanluo, "Otherwise it is only but a poor waste."


    Yanluo squeezed the pearl into her hands. "Your destiny is one that I have not witnessed before," she warned, "Many years ago, I was able to use the fragments of a Blood Jade to help extend your life. Still, it has done nothing to improve your Destiny. This Pearl would be able to keep you safe for another three years, I hope..."


    Li Muxue''s shoulders shuddered suddenly at the woeful tidings. "I see... Only three years..." she murmured softly. There was a forlorn sullenness in her eyes that quickly turned into a cheerful chuckle. "I''m fine. The years have been kind to me; Father treats me well, and I''ve even met Xiao Chen. That''s enough for me. Really."


    But a distinct ring of crimson-red began to form around her eyes before she heard the patters of footstep coming in. She hastily wiped her eyes. Xiao Chen came in and saw Yanluo. "Greetings to you, Senior Yanluo," he said quickly, bowing to her.


    Yanluo smiled at him in acknowledgment before she promptly left. Xiao Chen came in as soon as she walked out and noticed the redness around Li Muxue''s eyes. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing," she denied with a jovial smile, "How are things with Senior Huashang? Has she agreed to help you break the curse?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "No matter," he remarked with a smile of his own, "I can break the spell on my own when I reach the Core Forming Realm." There came suddenly an uneasy silence, before he confessed to her his decision to go to the Middle Continent.


    "Let me come with you then," she said confidently as if she had expected his decision.


    "No," Xiao Chen declined, "It''s better that you stay with Senior Yanluo. She is a powerful person, you can learn much by staying with her."


    Li Muxue fell silent. Not wishing to be a hindrance to Xiao Chen, she nodded, "All right. When will you be leaving then?"


    "Tomorrow, I guess. I have yet to speak to Senior Sister Luo and Xian''er about my decision."


    Xiao Chen stayed with her until it was night. He then left to speak to Luo Shangyan and Murong Xian''er. By staying at the Jade Qing Sect and learning from Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Luo Shangyan would improve greatly in a short time.


    But there was no stopping Murong Xian''er. She adamantly insisted to go to the Middle Continent with him. Then again, Xiao Chen could understand her behavior; she knew full well that there were many secrets about herself that she did not know. She too wanted to find out what happened to her thousands of years ago, and more importantly, her own identity.

 Chapter 178 So Long, Jade Qing Sec

    t


    At first light the following morning, Xiao Chen was at the Coalesced Colors Hall which sat at the foot of Yuqing Mountain. He was being sent off by his companions and comrades. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen remained quiet all the time, silently pondering, until he said suddenly, "It might be good for you to go venturing abroad. But you have to be careful. Do not be brash especially if you encounter any strong opponents. We are here if you need us. We might be able to mediate things for you."


    Xiao Chen''s heroics had made him widely-recognized as a son of the Eastern Continent. But the relationships between the Five Continents of the Violet Manor have been delicately brittle that even the slightest tumult could cause tremendous upheaval.


    Hence, the Perfected Immortal was hinting to him that the Jade Qing Sect would always be there for him in the case of any unfriendly conflicts with certain factions from other continents. There was no need to incite further hostilities and break the uneasy peace across the lands.


    But Xiao Chen was hardly a person was eager to invite trouble upon himself; he full well knew that the true purpose of his trip was to search for the trails of his Teacher. Moxuan Zi appeared suddenly from the inner chambers of the hall, waving his fan casually as he came nearer.


    "I have never had a student before in all my life. Yet you refuse to be one of mine," he lamented softly, "Nevertheless..." He thrust his fan outwards and conjured a finely-crafted mirror bordered by the octagonal eight-trigram shape around it. As it hung in mid-air, he could feel the radiation of the strong force imbued within it.


    "This is the Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos. It is a powerful instrument. Use it sparingly, for there are certain limitations to its use," Moxuan Zi smiled as he explained. He waved his fan, and sent the Mirror gliding through the air into his hands.


    Xiao Chen immediately felt the tingle of its power electrifying his senses as he held the magical artifact. Knowing better than to decline, he replied, "My deepest thanks to you, Senior Moxuan." Curious stares, laced with envy and longing, came from the many disciples and acolytes watching from outside. The instruments and devices of Moxuan Zi were never simple trinkets, to begin with; what fortunes Xiao Chen has!


    Xiao Chen stowed the Mirror away, and bowed to everyone. "I''ll leave Senior Sister Luo with you then, Perfected Immortal. My thanks to you." He was most worried about her; there was no knowing when he would be able to return.


    "Rest assured that I will treat her as my own student," replied the leader of the Jade Qing Sect.


    With everything settled, Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er walked down the mountain, accompanied by Yu Yifeng, Li Muxue, and Luo Shangyan. Together, they first went to the city of Qing Province where Xiao Chen found a horse-drawn carriage. Before leaving, Yu Yifeng cautioned again, "Be really careful. Remember, we are here for you. There''s no need to force things yourself outside."


    "I know. Don''t worry."


    The chilly breeze brushed across the faces of the three who watched as the carriage slowly trotted out of the city, the cold prickly stings on their faces only adding to the sorrows of watching a friend and loved one leave.


    The vastness of the world of Violet Manor was so much larger and wider than the Human World that it took almost an entire day for the carriage to reach the next city. But Xiao Chen was hardly perturbed by the progress, otherwise, he would have taken a Flying-cloud Stone instead.


    Speed was hardly paramount to him; there was a great deal of thinking to do. Where would his Teacher venture to thousands of years ago? Being badly wounded, she would need a suitable site to recuperate while remaining in hiding. Did she meet Wentian again? It was a pity that there had not been any chance for him to procure more information from Patriarch Guanshan.


    Xiao Chen and Xian''er disembarked their carriage when they reached another city. Inquisitive and interested glances fell upon them, the pair of strangely-clad newcomers from abroad. Many were young men who were captivated by Murong Xian''er''s adorable beauty, that some even stopped to ogle at her while a few even followed behind.


    The sight of an unwanted entourage trailing behind them brought a frown to Xiao Chen, although Xian''er seemed to be immensely enjoying herself, scampering around him cheerily with hardly any concern to their surroundings. The group of gawking men came nearer and nearer and finally, Xian''er noticed them. She stopped in her tracks and glared at them angrily, her hands at her waist as she yelled, "Why are you lot following us! I do not even have any strange ears on my head!"


    To prevent trouble, Xiao Chen dragged her away quickly. They came to an inn and were about to ask for available rooms when he noticed that they were still being followed. With his spiritual senses, he scanned their surroundings, but there was no one around them. Feeling troubled and confused, Xiao Chen could only hope that they were not being followed by powerful people with sinister designs.


    They chose the final room at the end of the second-floor corridor, as per their usual custom, where Xiao Chen first searched for any peculiarities with his spiritual senses before they settled down. But Murong Xian''er was hardly fatigued by the long journey. She scurried around the room like curious mice, examining the furniture of the room and playing with partition screen while having fun herself.


    Xiao Chen could only smile with exasperation. Her purpose of coming seemed more bent on having fun rather than seeking the truth of her past, Xiao Chen grimaced. "Come here, Xian''er," he beckoned.


    Hearing her name being called, she sped over to Xiao Chen and nearly knocked him into his bed. With her eyes gleaming wide with enthusiasm, she asked, "What?"


    Their noses were so near that they nearly touched each other. "Errr..." Xiao Chen stammered, pulling himself up. He felt himself getting out of breath at such uneasy closeness. After an uneasy silence, he quickly gasped, "I-it''s nothing..."


    "You called me, yet now you tell me it''s nothing! What a spoilsport!" Murong Xian''er complained and ran off to the windows to look at the streets below which are still busy in the night. "There are lots of people down there, Big Brother! Let''s go down and walk around!"


    Xiao Chen immediately thought of the band of young men following behind her earlier. "We ought to rest early," he said, "We still have a long journey ahead tomorrow."


    But Murong Xian''er would never relent. She tugged at his sleeves, trying to pull at his shirt as hard as she could. "Come on, Big Brother! I want to go down and see things that are down there!" She exclaimed through her pursed lips, "There are so many people down there!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. He knocked on her head lightly with a smile," All right, all right. We''ll go." Murong Xian''er giggled exultantly. She stuck out a tongue, saying, "This is how I get someone to mollycoddle me! It''s Big Sister Yan who taught me this!"


    Heavens, what had Shangguan Yan been teaching her, Xiao Chen groaned.


    The bustling streets were lined with various lanterns in various shapes that hung over the night sky. It was a scene that reminded him of the Human World. Many young maidens stood by the banks of the rivers, setting floating lamps alight before releasing them into the river and making wishes. Countless peddlers and hawkers were trying fervently to ply their wares to any prospective patrons that walked past with lion dances and acrobatic performances spicing up the joyous atmosphere to the maximum.


    Murong Xian''er wandered around, her eyes twinkling with fervor and exhilaration, dashing from stall to stall to look at the different items for sale with the curiosity that would even put a cat to shame. Xiao Chen could only follow closely behind, smiling benignly at his little sister''s lovable behavior. It has been quite some time since they came to the Violet Manor; yet this was the first time they enjoyed such a peaceful night.


    Xiao Chen was temporarily mesmerized by the reminisces of his past in the Human World until he shook himself awake. But Murong Xian''er was missing.


    "Xian''er!" Xiao Chen felt a fear slowly engulfing him. There was no sight of Xian''er everywhere as he looked around, until a buoyant chirp came from behind all of a sudden. "Try guessing who I am, Big Brother!"


    Xiao Chen exhaled a gasp of reprieve when he recognized the voice. He turned and there was Murong Xian''er, wearing a mask of a monkey that looked exceptionally magnificent with its phoenix-tailed headdress.


    He was about to chastise Xian''er for running off on her own when an old man, looking almost in his sixties, came hurrying towards them. "You have not paid money, little girl!"


    Murong Xian''er took off her mask, giggling slyly, pointing at Xiao Chen. "He''ll pay for it."


    Xiao Chen scowled, shaking his head. He paid the old man. But the mask felt unique to him. "Who is this that you''ve drawn on this mask, old man?"


    "Huh? Don''t you recognize who this is?" The old man exclaimed with surprise, "This is the famous Demon Lord from the fables of old."

 Chapter 179 Shadows in the Dark

    "Demon Lord?"


    It was a tale that Xiao Chen had heard of since entering the Violet Manor; legend has it that the battle between Immortals and Devils thousands of years ago had seen the Demon Lord released a terrible surge of power so vast that the entire domain of Demons collapsed. Was this the same Demon Lord that the old man was referring to?


    "Yes! The invincible Demon Lord who stormed and wreaked havoc in the Heavens and the Underworld. What an impressive feat! It took the combined strength of the Lord Buddha and both Emperors of the Heavens and Nether to subdue and seal him."


    Xiao Chen made no response. He was not interested in old fairy tales and legends. He tugged at Murong Xian''er''s hand to leave, but she was deeply fascinated with the story and urged the old man to tell her more.


    Another young man came over. Xiao Chen eyed him warily, wondering if he was equally enthralled by the old man''s story or Xian''er''s beauty. "The Demon Lord had attained Buddhahood then. But the news of the massacre of his subjects in his domain by the Heavenly Hosts infuriated him so greatly that he returned to his domain and waged war against the Heavenly Emperor..."


    "Wow! Is he really so strong?!" Murong Xian''er uttered with amazement, captivated by the tale.


    Xiao Chen groaned. Why was Xian''er so interested in these stories? "All right, Xian''er," he said to her, "That''s enough. We should not be keeping the good old man away from his business."


    Xiao Chen dragged her off with him and they continued sightseeing until the hour grew late. Murong Xian''er was still filled with fiery vim as she raved and ranted for them to go on. They passed by a street hawker selling dumplings. Being a practitioner of arcane magic, Xiao Chen no longer needed regular sustenance of food daily. But Murong Xian''er had been having so much fun; she had not eaten the whole day. "Xian''er, are you hungry?" Xiao Chen asked.


    "Nope!" Murong Xian''er replied, giggling brightly, "I don''t need food actually."


    Xian Chen had long understood that Xian''er was not ordinary. But what was she actually and where did she come from? They continued strolling until Xian''er suddenly exclaimed, "My legs are sore, Big Brother! Carry me on your back!"


    Xiao Chen emitted another groaning smile and lifted her on his back. They returned to their room in the inn. But Xiao Chen''s senses alerted him that someone had entered their room during their absence. "Xian''er?" He called her gently, but there was no answer. She must already have been tired, he mused. He placed her gently on her bed. He projected his spiritual senses and immediately found something stirring in the corner of the room. It was a mark that could only be left with the magic of a Cultivator.


    Someone has found us, he thought quietly. All of a sudden, Murong Xian''er called to him, "What is wrong, Big Brother?"


    Xiao Chen immediately turned and walked to her, smiling tenderly to her. "Everything''s fine, dear sister," he cooed gently to her, "You''re tired. Have some rest." And he put on a blanket for her.


    "All right, good night, Big Brother."


    The room was furnished with two beds. Xiao Chen moved to his bed. He resisted the urge to erase the magical mark, opting to wait and observe if their pursuers have any more tricks up their sleeves.


    For the entire night, he waited until the wee hours of the morning, where he heard furtive whispers coming from the roof. He projected his Divine Sense again and found two strangers, both clad in black garb, watching them. One of them muttered softly, "Is this the place?" They were hardly powerful foes, Xiao Chen realized, possessing only powers of the Foundation Building Realm.


    "The spotter has left his mark here. There is no mistaking it," said another as he slowly pried open one of the tiles from the roof.


    "Heh heh heh! Look! He''s sleeping like log! It''s good! I''ll go down now and end him!"


    "Wait! Don''t be brash! It''s better to first wait for the Elders and take him down together."


    "You are afraid of him? He does not seem as strong as the rumors go! He did not even notice the mark left by the spotter!"


    "No! We must not alert him to our presence! Go now! At once!"


    The aura of the two strangers slowly diminished as they slipped away. Xiao Chen grinned to himself. The strangers were merely vermin to him. Yet they, having failed to fully comprehend his strength, were so close to foolishly take things into their own hands. It was only because Xiao Chen did not want to rouse Xian''er from her peaceful slumber that he spared the two strangers. Nevertheless, he was also interested to know the identities of the party that pursued him.


    At dawn, Xiao Chen requested for a basin of hot water from the management of the inn. Murong Xian''er woke up that morning with bleary eyes, apparently still exhausted. "What''s wrong? A bad night?"


    "I just had a bad dream," she muttered sleepily.


    Xiao Chen smiled. He wet a clean towel with warm water and wiped her face. "It''s okay. It''s just a dream," he said softly to her. But Murong Xian''er shook her head. "No. The dream was so real to me," she said, "There were a beautiful lady, half-woman and half-snake, and an old man who was carrying a basket of herbs with another person that looked like a deity with a zither... They were trying to catch me..."


    She stopped and broke into tears, throwing herself into Xiao Chen''s arms. "But I don''t want to go back, I don''t want to leave you, Big Brother..."


    Even to this day, Xiao Chen could not understand why she was so attached to him. He patted her lightly on her back. "Everything''s okay. It''s all okay," he spoke softly to her, "Big Brother will never let anyone take you away."


    They cleaned themselves and went downstairs for breakfast. Xiao Chen instructed one of the waiters to get him a large map which he then pored over in great detail. The journey to the Middle Continent on horses would take at least half a month.


    He held the map in his hands, and noticed something: the five continents together, and the shapes of the terrain and rivers, seemed to form a pattern that resembled a magical circle not only ancient, but also forbidden in his time thousands of years ago. Murong Xian''er joined him, curiously looking at the map. "That is a magical formation, Big Brother," she remarked happily.


    The casual remark caught Xiao Chen off guard. Xian''er could see that it was a magical formation with only one glance, he gasped with shock. But there was nothing to be surprised of. Ever since they met, Xian''er had repeatedly displayed her superior aptitude in the knowledge of magical formations. But was it true that the five continents really form a magical formation? Was there even such an entity so powerful that he could freely move mountains and continents to his will?


    "Xian''er," he asked, "Can you tell me what magical formation is this?"


    "Urm..." Murong Xian''er raked through her mind for a few minutes, only to shake her head in the end. "I don''t know," she said, before giving a silly giggle, "Where are we going to play today, Big Brother?"


    Xiao Chen furled the map and put it away. "You rascal," he chided with a smile. He noticed that she had not eaten any food from the table, save for a few mandarin oranges. "You ate so little," he said, "Won''t you be hungry later?"


    "But I''m not hungry!"


    Xiao Chen merely nodded. He called for the bill and paid before they went out, with Xian''er still energetic and cheerful as before as if the morning episode about her bad dream had never taken place. Many middle-aged women were charmed by her pretty and endearing demeanor that some even exclaimed, "Look at the girl! She''s just so adorable!"


    Some even wanted to hug her, although they quickly had second thoughts when they noticed a slightly-annoyed Xiao Chen just behind her. "Who is this?" Some of the ladies asked Xian''er, gesturing towards Xiao Chen.


    "He''s my Big Brother!" She would reply with glee, and everyone nodded to Xiao Chen gently, smiling to him out of respect.


    But Xiao Chen was scowling to himself behind, did he looked so much like a kidnapper?

 Chapter 180 Changyin Mountain Range

    Thanks to the abundant travel expenses that Yu Yifeng provided, Xiao Chen was able to pick a luxurious and comfortable carriage at a horse carriage company. This way, he wouldn''t be jolted around throughout the journey. He shared the ride with six other people¡ªtwo Foundation Building Realm cultivators and four Qi Refining Realm cultivators. Every now and then, these people would sneak admiring glances at Murong Xian''er but they suppressed their desire after sensing Xiao Chen''s imposing aura.


    The most popular conversation fodder throughout the journey was none other than Xiao Chen''s deeds in the recent past. From the first sign of his budding talent at the Immortals League Competition, to the havoc he wrecked at the imperial palace of Zhou State, to the punch he landed on a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator at the Widespread Wintriness Sect, to the hacking of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, and to the recent beheading of a gargantuan dragon and killing of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. The way they talked about him nearly painted a mythical layer on him. The conversation soon turned to them guessing his identity and background.


    Xiao Chen had long gotten used to these rumors and was able to remain calm in front of them. However, Murong Xian''er was so close to interrupting them each time they discussed untrue events. Naturally, Xiao Chen was able to stop her in time.


    The carriage journeyed westward for nearly 10 days. The weather was gradually turning cold, with the occasional pouring of rain. Noticing how thin Murong Xian''er''s clothes were, Xiao Chen became worried that she would catch a cold. When they arrived at a small town, he bought a few sets of female clothing. He also noticed that it was true that there were cultivators tailing him along the way but he feigned ignorance. His current cultivation might not be enough for him to dominate the world but it allowed him to feel no fear of anyone.


    Shishi Town was a small town located on the fringe of the East Continent, overlooking the west in the middle and the Changyin Mountain Range that bordered two continents on the east. Its residents numbered nearly 10,000, with the rest being merchants traveling between the two continents.


    When Xiao Chen walked past an armed escort agency, he found a crowd gathered in front of the lion statues. It seemed like these people were about to depart. A burly man walked over to him with a smile. "Are you heading to the Middle Continent? Our Humen Armed Escort Agency is a reputable company with a long history. We guarantee that we''ll take you safely through the Changyin Mountain Range and will only accept payment when you arrive. Coincidentally, the head of our armed escort agency, Hun Jianglong, will be personally escorting the carriages today. Will you two join us?"


    Xiao Chen sensed that this man''s cultivation was in the second or third level of the Foundation Building Realm. To be fair, he didn''t much care for this but he knew that Xian''er enjoyed having more people around. Noticing her excitement, he said, "We''ll be in your care, then."


    "Hehe! I''m called Thunderbolt (Pili Huo) but just call me Old Huo. Please come this way!" The beefy man happily invited them to the front of the armed escort agency.


    More than one hundred people joined this trip. Besides the nearly twenty armed escorts and several assistants, the rest were ordinary merchants. There were 13 horse carriages in total, none of which was as luxurious and comfortable as their previous one. The leader of the trip, Hun Jianglong, rode an impressive unicorn. His cultivation was in the seventh or eighth level of the Foundation Building Realm.


    His subordinates weren''t skilled either, with most in the peak of the Qi Refining Realm and a few at the beginning of the Foundation Building Realm. These escorts didn''t belong to the cultivation sects. Their purpose wasn''t immortality but survival.


    Following the escort''s assistant crying the agency''s slogan, the 13 horse carriages set off and traveled out of the small town with grandeur. They journeyed for more than twenty miles under fair weather until the sky gradually dimmed and became enveloped in what seemed to be a persistent fog. Even the sun disappeared among the sea of clouds.


    The abrupt change in weather confused Xiao Chen. It didn''t seem like a sign of rainfall. The burly man from earlier, Thunderbolt, shared his carriage and seemed accustomed to this. He smiled and said, "It must be your first time going to the Middle Continent. Our armed escort agency has been operating for more than 20 years and has never experienced fair weather in the Changyin Mountain Range. Don''t worry. It''s not a problem."


    Xiao Chen nodded. If his previous assumption was correct, then the Five Continents were an ancient formation. That meant that he couldn''t use conventional reasoning to make sense of the terrain of the Five Continents. It was normal to experience strange phenomenon in nature.


    Murong Xian''er appeared greatly intrigued. She asked, "No sign of the sun over 20 years? Why is it so strange?"


    The friendly and outgoing Thunderbolt laughed and replied, "Young lady, this place hasn''t seen the sun for nearly a millennium, never mind 20 years. However, the fauna here doesn''t wilt. Legend has it that after a high-level immortal died in a battle, he left his Spiritual Power here to protect the tens of thousands living beings here. That''s why you don''t have to worry. If you don''t break the taboo here, not even demons and monsters will dare to block your way!"


    Xiao Chen pondered over this quietly. "No sun all year round? Could this be Cloud-gathering Formation?" Suddenly, Thunderbolt broke out into laughter. "Young lady, you don''t believe me, do you? Didn''t an evil demon resurrect in the East Continent recently? Strong as he was, he was still killed by Warrior Xiao. That''s to say, there exists a strange and wonderful law that maintains the balance of the world. The moment an excessive power comes into existence, a bane for that power will surely appear as well."


    Xiao Chen nodded to himself, finding Thunderbolt''s final sentence to be very reasonable. There was naturally a power in this world that restrained or even confined all living things to maintain a strange but wonderful balance. No one was allowed to break this power. This power ought to be the undecipherable Heavenly Law.


    Heaven used Yin and Yang as well as the Five Phases of Philosophy to give life to all living things, and yet cultivators deciphered Heavenly Mysteries, stole the Qi of Yin and Yang, seized the authority of Nature, and refined an everlasting life. That was why the journey of a cultivator was said to be an act of defiance of the natural order. Did this mean that people who ascended to heaven and became immortals have truly achieved the so-called defiance of the natural order? No. They were still restricted by the invisible Heavenly Law. Was this the reason for the death of the immortals and demons more than a millennium ago?


    Suddenly, a major realization dawned on Xiao Chen. He came to understand many things that he didn''t in his past life. He saw the futility of life and death. In the past, he became the Immortal King of a region but was still restricted by the Heavenly Law. The Heavenly Law was the true master of the world, binding all living things. No one, be it a high-level immortal from the ancient times or a divine demon from the Archean Eon, was able to break the rule of the Heavenly Law.


    What was the purpose of his rebirth after more than a thousand years? Was it simply for him to find his master? Perhaps his master had more profound ideas in mind in exhausting all methods to resurrect him. From now on, he shouldn''t allow this to make him feel dispirited. Even if he couldn''t find his master, he should still explore the secrets more than a thousand years ago. That way, he wouldn''t disappoint his master''s efforts.


    Despite the gloomy weather outside, this understanding vastly improved Xiao Chen''s mood. The half-day journey of the entourage of armed escorts was peaceful so far. With the escort''s assistants crying out the slogan of Humen Armed Escort Agency, the nearby robbers and bandits left them alone out of respect.


    When it was almost twilight, Xiao Chen heard shushing sounds outside and the carriage drew to a stop. Thanks to his occupational habit, Thunderbolt was the first to rush out of the carriage and saw a dozen or so silhouettes appearing out of the woods lined along the path. These people were all masked and dressed in black.


    Immediately, Thunderbolt stepped forward and saluted the people with a smile. "It''s not easy to be the person-in-charge. I humbly ask that you do us a favor."


    The leader of the masked men sneered. "Do you a favor? Who the heck are you? Scram!" Toward the end of his sentence, he flicked his sleeve and produced a surging force. The force slammed into Thunderbolt, sending him flying several feet away while coughing up blood.


    The other armed escorts gasped. Thunderbolt was considered a great fighter in their armed escort agency but he didn''t even have the strength to block the attack earlier. Evidently, the leader of the masked men wasn''t an ordinary mountain bandit. They instantly felt a bad premonition. The nearly one hundred merchants behind them also became pale in the face. They were so frightened that they hid inside the carriage, terrified to step out.


    A grim-faced Hun Jianglong got off his unicorn and walked to the front. "What are your names?" Before his voice could even fade, an indifferent voice came from behind him. "Don''t bother asking. They''re here for me."


    Earlier, Murong Xian''er had followed Xiao Chen out of the carriage as well. When they walked past Thunderbolt, he said in a panic, "Please return to the carriage now, Brother Xiao. This has nothing to do with you."


    Xiao Chen reached out and placed his hand on Thunderbolt''s shoulder, imbuing him with a burst of True Energy to mend his injuries. Thunderbolt''s expression changed. "You¡­" He never imagined that the person he had been protecting all this while would possess such rich True Energy.


    Xiao Chen stepped forward and said frostily, "You''re finally showing your faces after tailing me for half a month." He was well aware that this was the border, where casualties were a non-factor. That was why these people chose to make their move now.


    Initially, he didn''t want to cause a fuss and wanted to disappear among the armed escort entourage. But since his enemies had shown up at the door, he had no reason to pretend that they didn''t exist.


    The leader of the masked men sneered. "Heh. Right back at you, Xiao Chen. You''re finally willing to show your face. I thought you''d continue hiding inside the Jade Qing Sect."


    The others got a huge shock after hearing Xiao Chen''s name. The expression of Hun Jianglong, Thunderbolt, and the other escorts changed drastically. They never thought that he was the same Xiao Chen whose fame had risen exponentially recently.


    Xiao Chen replied coolly, "Since you know my identity, just state who sent you. If you tell me, I''ll let you live." Considering the mild killing aura these people were giving off, he deduced that these weren''t regular assassins.


    The leader lifted his head and laughed. "How brazen! Let us live? If you''re willing to call me your grandfather, I''ll grant you an easy death!"


    Xiao Chen sneered. "Didn''t you say you''d come down and kill me that night? You even had people leave signs in the rooms I''ve been staying in recently. Did you really think that I didn''t notice?"


    The leader was mildly stunned. "Did he notice a long time ago?" He said coolly, "Spare me the nonsense! It''ll be your death anniversary on this day next year!" He flicked his sleeve and a gleaming object flew out from within.


    The object was the size of an ink slab at first but by the time it reached Xiao Chen, it became as large as a lower millstone. It turned nonstop while radiating a cold and eerie glow. It was incredibly unpleasant to the eyes. Xiao Chen reached out and caught the object between his fingers with a clanging sound. So the object was a Life-exterminating Ring.


    The leader immediately turned pale. He desperately cast spells and incantations but the magic treasure that he had refined for more than 10 years appeared stuck to Xiao Chen''s hand. No matter what he did, he was unable to summon it back.


    "You overestimated yourself."


    Xiao Chen looked at him frostily. Once again, he unsheathed his two frightening and cold swords. The other masked men dared not to react recklessly and listened as he said coldly, "I''ll ask you one final time. Who ordered you to assassinate me? Who are you people? Speak!" True Energy gathered at his fingertips. With a creaking sound, the Life-exterminating Ring shattered into countless fragments with ease.


    Blood sprayed from the leader''s mouth. Cultivators would naturally suffer when their magic treasures were destroyed. He pointed to Xiao Chen as he trembled uncontrollably. Resentment filled his eyes. "You¡­ You!"


    In the Cultivation World, one ought to leave his opponent some leeway and not easily destroy his opponent''s magic treasure. However, these people were here to assassinate Xiao Chen. Why should he show them any courtesy?

 Chapter 181 Xianyong City

    When the rest of the masked men saw this, they did not know who shouted "kill!" When the rest of the masked men saw this, one of them shouted, "Kill!" They all sent out their flying swords which moved toward Xiao Chen. At the moment, the sword radiance crossed, and the wind roared.


    Xiao Chen snorted coldly. The Unsullied turned into a white radiance and flew out. "Clash!" It cut off an incoming flying sword. More than 20 armed escorts retreated. They were not able to join this battle. They would be killed in vain and add troubles to Xiao Chen if they rushed over.


    The dozen masked men had all entered late Foundation Building Realm, but they were no match for Xiao Chen''s Unsullied. The flying swords they had refined for more than ten years were as fragile as broken copper and scrap iron in front of Unsullied.


    A little while later, there were only three or four flying swords left, but the dozen people still wanted to take Xiao Chen''s life and rushed over with bare hand punches. But Xiao Chen did not insist on taking their lives. Even he risked his life to fight at this moment, he still kept ten or twenty percent of his power. He did not want to kill in front of Xian''er.


    The dozen people thought that he was afraid of the power behind them and did not dare to kill them. So, they played more ruthless moves and targeted at Xiao Chen''s weak points.


    A cold light flashed through a masked man whose magic treasure was destroyed by Xiao Chen, and he took out a dagger from nowhere, throwing it to Murong Xian''er who stood behind Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes narrowed, and he instantly used the psychokinesis and caught the dagger. Suddenly, a thick murderous intent burst out from him.


    "Die!" He thundered coldly as the Unsullied in mid-air immediately turned into thousands of rows of sword radiance and showered. Immediately, there were miserable screams¡ªover a dozen masked men were killed.


    Everyone gasped, not because he killed more than a dozen Foundation Building Realm cultivators in an instant, but because they were frightened by the murderous intent he was sending out at the moment. How could a person have such a heavy killling aura? Even though they had been running around for many years, they had never seen such a ruthless person.


    "Hum!" Xiao Chen swung his sleeve coldly, took back Unsullied, and walked to the front of Murong Xian''er. He saw her face went pale and did not know what to say.


    Murong Xian''er looked at the dozen dead bodies not far from her. They were still alive a second ago, but now they were gone. Her body trembled, and she looked at Xiao Chen with tears in her eyes. "Brother Xiao Chen... Can you stop killing people in the future..." Two lines of tears came out as she spoke.


    Xiao Chen''s heart ached, and he held her gently in his arms, saying softly, "I''m sorry, Xian''er. But if I don''t kill them, they will kill us..."


    In fact, he knew that he had planted a seed of killing in his heart because of practicing the devilish book, the Heaven''s Talisman. The killing intent became heavier and heavier day by day, especially when he saw the people around him being hurt. This killing intent became more and more difficult to control. He was very afraid that one day he would become a devil who killed people without blinking an eye.


    Most of the time, people had no choice. If there was a choice, he hoped Patriarch Guanshan had never appeared, then Liu Fenghuang would still be alive.


    The people around were afraid to speak. The person who was cold and heartless a moment ago suddenly became so tender. What kind of person was this? Thunderbolt came along and asked in a low voice, "Brother Xiao, do you want to deal with these people?" He became very careful in his speech, and he did not dare to laugh as much as before.


    Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head. They were close to Xianyong City of the Middle Continent. The crowd set off again, leaving only three escorts to deal with the dead bodies.


    Along the way, Thunderbolt was not the same as before. Not much was said, and so was the rest of the carriage. This feeling made Xiao Chen vaguely uncomfortable.


    Finally, before the night fell, the escort team arrived at Xianyong City, which was in the west of East Divine Continent. The scale was not small. Even in the winter, the city was surrounded by trees and a moat. Above the city, there were many floating islands in the clouds. On the islands, there were buildings and temples, as if there were immortals.


    In the city, Xiao Chen got out of the carriage. He didn''t expect this city in the border to be so prosperous. This was the most prosperous city he had ever seen since he came to Violet Manor. The streets were full of pedestrians. The buildings on both sides were very grand. The clothes each person wore had pearls and emeralds, showing luxury. He vaguely worried about whether he had enough money with him.


    Thunderbolt walked to the front, laughing, "Well, Xianyong City is here! This trip is unimpeded, thanks to everyone!" All the businessmen and customers got off the carriage one after another, stretching themselves, beating their shoulders, all showing a comfortable appearance. Then they went one by one to hand over the money.


    Xiao Chen also walked over, but Thunderbolt refused to accept the money no matter what. Xiao Chen thought if it weren''t for them all the way, he would have met more bandits. Also, Thunderbolt got hit by a punch because of him, so he felt very sorry. Leaving two pieces of silver, he took Murong Xian''er and left.


    In the street, he saw many Persian girls dressed in different clothes with various amorous feelings whom he had never seen before. He couldn''t help but be curious. Some of them were like those women from the western regions in the Human World. However, he only saw them in the picture scrolls. In front of him, these girls seemed to be much more open-minded than those from the central plain. Their smiles were not as graceful as those in the central plain.


    There were also many strong men walking in the street, carrying a huge sword without a scabbard. Were they not afraid to be cut on their shoulders? Xiao Chen was quite curious about this, and thought the local customs varied from place to place.


    Murong Xian''er was also very excited and jumping. Upon seeing interesting things, she would say, "Look at this, Brother Xiao Chen, I want this. That one, that one is also good-looking. I want that one." It seemed that the previous event had not cast a shadow on her.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and thought this was the best. But if one day he really became a murderous devil, would she still be so innocent and stick around him? Yes, she would. No matter what he became, there would only be one person in the world who would never leave him. That person must be Xian''er.


    Along the way, Murong Xian''er was lively and lovely just like the incarnation of an ancient fairy. She was loved by many young men and women, and her mouth was very sweet. She kept shouting, "Big brother, big sister."


    A woman in her early twenties really had cute aggression and just want to take her back home. She leaned over and gently stroked her face, smiling. "Little sister, what''s your name?"


    "Heehee, my name is Xian''er, and it was taken by Brother Xiao Chen."


    Xiao Chen was a little surprised. "I gave her a name?" Did he really meet her thousands of years ago? Why he had no impression at all? He saw that more than a dozen young men and women dressed in central plain costumes and thought that they came from some cultivators'' sects. He nodded and smiled to them.


    All of a sudden, he felt murderous aura approaching from behind. His first reaction was protecting Xianer, and when he was about to move, a powerful force hit on his back. Suddenly, he turned around and hit back with a punch. With a bang, he only felt his arm was splitting, and took several steps backward.

 Chapter 182 Versus Ling Jingshan

    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and saw a red-robed old man five or six meters away with heavy murderous intent and hatred on the face. Judging by the palm, he could conclude that this person was at least in Lv 7 Core Forming Realm. But he didn''t remember where he met this person. Since this was the first time he came to the Middle Continent, he''d better not fight if things could work out with words.


    People nearby were also attracted and came over. Murong Xian''er rushed to the front of the old man, angrily pointed at him and said, "Hey! Who are you? Don''t you bully Brother Xiao Chen!"


    "Fuck off!" The red-robed old man''s face glowed with anger. With a stroke of his sleeve, a mighty force surged toward her. People nearby cried out. Even the Foundation Building Realm cultivators could not bear this attack. It would kill the little girl.


    "Xian''er!" Xiao Chen wanted to stop it, but it was too late. With a bang, Murong Xian''er was sent flying. Xiao Chen tramped his foot lightly and caught her in mid-air. He immediately injected some True Energy into her body, but she did not seem to suffer any internal injuries. The gadgets she bought earlier were all smashed.


    Landing on the ground, Xiao Chen''s eyes were filled with blood streaks, and an overwhelming murderous aura immediately spread out. Without a word, he channeled all his True Energy and played the Cyan Dragon Roars to the old man.


    Suddenly, the mad wind howled. Accompanied by the sky-shaking dragon roars, two ten-meter-long golden dragon shadows rushed over in an unstoppable manner. A nearby blonde woman exclaimed, "Oh my god! What do I see? Is this the divine dragon from the east?"


    The energy was surging all around. Even the red-robed old man had Lv 7 Core Forming Realm, when he took Xiao Chen''s furious blow, he took a few big steps back.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes looked horrible, and he said madly, "No matter who you are! I''ll kill you today!" After saying this, he channeled the True Energy in his body. The white radiance from the twelve Spiritual Meridians was partly hidden and partly visible, and its power was as strong as that of Core Forming Realm. Once again, it caused a strong wind to blow around.


    Murong Xian''er hurriedly embraced him, "Brother Xiao Chen, don''t! It doesn''t hurt!"


    The dozen young men and women looked at each other and thought, "Is this person the famous Xiao Chen in the East Continent? The rumors are true. We should not provoke him easily."


    The red-robed old man sneer and said, "I''m Ling Jingshan. You have taken my grandson''s Spiritual Meridian and broken his arm. You''ll die today!"


    Xiao Chen was a bit surprised. It turned out to be the old dog from the Ling Family. Presumably, he also sent the killers before. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen''s murderous intent became heavier, and he punched out another Cyan Dragon Roars. This time, the palm force was stronger than before. The sound of the dragon roar directly shocked people''s eardrums.


    Ling Jingshan raised his palm to resist, only to be shaken back a few steps. Although these two palms alone were not enough to hurt him, he felt embarrassed in front of so many people that he was sent back again and again by a junior. Moreover, he thought the reason why Xiao Chen had such profound cultivation must be having refined his grandson''s Spiritual Meridians. This made him even more irritated. Suddenly, he also channeled all his True Energy.


    A late Core Forming Realm cultivator channeling his True Energy was indeed different. The wind was raging all around. Many weak people felt tightness in their chests and shortness of breath under the strong aura. They retreated to the distance one after another. Xiao Chen was also surprised. If this old thing really risked his life to fight, it would be not easy to deal with.


    At that moment, a strong man with a huge sword on his shoulder walked in front of Ling Jingshan and dropped the sword on the ground, seriously saying, "You have just made moves on such a beautiful young lady. I will fight with you in the name of a gentleman..."


    Before the man finished speaking, Ling Jingshan thundered, "Fuck off!" He swung his sleeve, which directly sent the man several meters away. He was in a rage at the moment and would bite whoever he caught.


    The dozen young men and women finally could not bear this, so all of them walked over. A man said, "Hey! Are you going to fight?" His tone had disdain. Firstly, Ling Jingshan came to their place and threatened to kill people, which was too arrogant; secondly, he actually hit such a lovely girl, which was unforgivable; thirdly, he actually attacked people of the Xianyong City.


    Ling Jingshan coldly glanced at him and found out this man was only at middle Foundation Building Realm. He said coldly, "So what? I must take this little bastard''s life today! Mind your own business if you are smart!"


    The young man was a bit stunned, and then he sneered. "Wow. You actually accepted my courtesy." After saying this, he whistled, and a dozen sword radiance fell down and turned into young men and women in similar costumes. Soon, 50 or 60 young men and women gathered around and surrounded Ling Jingshan.


    "What is it? What happened?"


    "Someone is going to fight in Xianyong City!"


    "Who? Where is he? Why didn''t I see him?"


    "I don''t know. I think he just ran away with shame."


    70 or 80 people surrounded Ling Jingshan, turned a blind eye to him, making fun of him. This made Ling Jingshan extremely angry. Ling Family was also regarded as a well-established cultivator''s family in East Continent. As one of the four elders, he was humiliated by a group of younger generation.


    In fact, with his cultivation, it was more than enough to deal with these Foundation Building Realm cultivators. But he dared not. After all, this was somebody else''s territory, and they also came from a cultivator''s sect. Besides, he felt a very strong aura fluctuation for a moment just now. This was the most disturbing thing to him.


    At this time, his tone eased a lot. "This man took my grandson''s Spiritual Meridians. This was the work of people in the devil''s practice. Is there anything wrong to seek justice today?"


    The young man before glanced at him, saying, "Yo! He didn''t run. He''s here!" Ling Jingshan said with a deep voice, "Can we talk?"


    "Oh, good. Taking Spiritual Meridians, right? The devil''s practice, right? That''s the thing in East Continent. Don''t mention those in Middle Continent! Only strength matters here. Are you still going to fight? If not, get out of here!"


    "You!" Ling Jingshan was almost out of control. But the moment he ran his True Energy, he felt the strong aura again. Looking up, the aura seemed to come from an island in high air. He thought that he must not conflict with these people, so he looked at Xiao Chen and said coldly, "Humph. In East Continent, you hid in Jade Qing Sect. When you come to Middle Continent, you only dare to hide behind others? Where''s your meridian-taking skill?"


    "I''m not hiding." Xiao Chen said lightly and gave Murong Xian''er to a woman. He stepped forward and said, "As I said, it was Ling Yuxuan who took people to kill me, as for taking the pulse..." He suddenly roared, "I just took them, so what! Should I be killed without fighting back? I had never provoked you. It''s you who have been offending me! Can''t I fight back?"


    Ling Jingshan''s temper was gone because of Xiao Chen''s roar. He said in a low voice, "Good! Very good! Do you dare to fight me, little bastard?"


    A young man smiled and said, "You''re challenging someone who cultivated decades less than you? Can you be more shameless?"


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and pointed at Ling Jingshan, saying, "Let''s fight! Do you think I''m afraid of you?" He flashed and landed on a square.


    Ling Jingshan also followed him. When the enemies met, they would have more murderous intent. Without words, they both launched their powerful moves. In an instant, a fierce wind blew madly on the square as the sand and stones flying about. At the moment, hundreds of cultivators gathered here, and they were all shocked by the aura from the two people. Looking at this scene, this was not a friendly match but life and death duel.


    Xiao Chen was now at peak Foundation Building Realm, and it was more than enough for him to deal with a normal Core Forming Realm cultivator with his Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. However, it was rather difficult to deal with Ling Jingshan, who was in late Core Forming Realm. After trading more than a dozen blows, he felt tired.


    "Why is a young man fighting with an old man? Does he want to make a name for himself?"


    "I don''t know. It seems that the young man roared at the old man earlier."


    The crowd was chattering. A middle-aged woman saw Xiao Chen was now in disadvantage, so she shouted, "Hey! Young man, stop fighting and apologize to the old man!"


    Ling Jingshan smiled coldly and sent out another move. Xiao Chen thought that he had to run the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, or he could not trade blows head-on anymore. However, at the moment, Mu Xue and Senior Sister Luo were not with him. If he ran the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, he would lie in bed for the next three days.


    He could not think further because Ling Jingshan''s attack arrived again. Outside the square, people exclaimed. Xiao Chen moved and played the Immortal-override Steps, leaving a virtual shadow where he stood before. His body suddenly tilted and moved dozens of meters. Not waiting for Ling Jingshan to react, Xiao Chen thrust at him with Unsullied in his hand.


    Upon noticing a sword radiance flashing on the left, Ling Jingshan used his finger and blocked the sword, only to find another sword radiance approaching on the right. It was difficult to tell where the sword qi came from at the moment, and he found sword qi coming from all directions.


    Outside the square, there were also many exclamations. Xiao Chen''s body move was swift, and his sword moved as fast as lightning with flashes. His sword attacks looked like unreal, but they were not fake ones. His sword attacked under his heart''s command, and his command formed into real attacks. In a flash, a rain of swords fell from the sky, leaving Ling Jingshan nowhere to retreat.


    Dozens of young men and women were also secretly surprised. Although they were in a cultivators'' sect, they had never seen such an exquisite sword move. It seemed that Xiao Chen deserved his name in East Continent.


    A young man laughed and said, "If this person fights with our First Brother, who will win?" Another youth said, "Naturally, our First Brother."


    "Haha, that''s not true. If they really fight, First Brother may not be able to defeat this person, even though he''s at Lv 5 Core Forming Realm. This person has a strong spirit that allows him to risk his life. Otherwise, how dare he challenge a cultivator whose cultivation is much higher than his? He killed a Nascent Soul Realm expert in East Continent."


    "Senior Brother, why are you helping an outsider instead of our brother? He killed a Nascent Soul Realm expert because of the Jade Qing Seven."


    "Haha, I''m just talking about the matter. If our master and martial uncles give you their cultivation, do you dare to fight a Nascent Soul Realm expert?"


    "Er... Well, I dare not."


    The square was filled with sword radiance, and the people around had flashing lights in their eyes. Ling Jingshan''s fine robe was cut off in many places. His two sleeves were gone, and his arms were exposed, which looked rather embarrassing. At the moment, he didn''t have the previous momentum. Finally, when Xiao Chen collected his sword, he took advantage and retreated dozens of meters back. He thought that this little bastard had strange skills and a sharp sword technique. Today, he was really humiliated in Middle Continent.


    Those who saw his arrogance before now found him in a mess, so they all burst out laughing. Ling Jingshan was livid with anger, and shoot a cold light. "What are you laughing at?"


    After hearing this, the crowd laughed even more. Ling Jingshan was so angry. He turned around and shot two cold lights at Xiao Chen, saying, "Little bastard, do you really think that Ling family doesn''t have a sword technique?!" He then shook his arms and formed an Immortal''s Sword with dazzling cold light.

 Chapter 183 The Three Emperors

    Although the Immortal''s Sword was not a Legendary Weapon of ancient times, it was formed by a late Core Forming Realm expert. Its power was palpable. Xiao Chen held his breath and held his sword in front of his chest. He heard Ling Jingshan shouting at him, "Go!" The Immortal''s Sword immediately turned into 13 rows of dazzling light and moved to him one after another.


    Being aware of the ferocity of the swords, Xiao Chen did not dare to underestimate them. He thrust his sword madly and brought Mystic Cyan Swordplay to its extreme. Although it had blocked 13 waves of attacks, his hand was shocked numb, and his arms trembled faintly. The crowd outside exclaimed. A Foundation Building Realm cultivator was able to withstand 13 blows from a late Core Forming Realm expert. This was beyond their knowledge.


    Ling Jingshan''s eyes narrowed, and he thought that this boy was not simple. Just now, the 13 swords were a part of Ling Family''s superior sword technique, and he had infused his powerful cultivation into them. This boy actually took them. No wonder Ling Yingfeng was killed in his hand. Considering this, he rushed over to attack with the Immortal''s Sword in his hand.


    The massive power from a Core Forming Realm cultivator was overwhelming. The wind suddenly roared on the square, and many sword shadows appeared. Each sword thrust at Xiao Chen''s weak point. Xiao Chen played Immortal-override Steps, and his body move was like a ghost and unpredictable. He skillfully avoided the incoming sword qi again and again. He snorted inwardly. He was never afraid to fight someone with swords. He now played the 33-Fold Green Flute Swordplay Ling Yin taught him.


    The sword moved as the wind whistled like gently playing a jade flute. The sword shadows were soft like a fairy''s dance. This was the view from the crowd outside the square. However, what Ling Jingshan saw was multiple killer moves.


    Although with Xiao Chen''s current cultivation, he could only play the Green Flute Swordplay at the level of 12-fold, it was enough to force his opponent to retreat step by step. If he really practiced it to the level of more than 30-fold, he could even behead an immortal.


    The sword qi moved all over the sky and instantly enveloped Ling Jingshan, leaving him nowhere to avoid. At the moment, cold sweat was all over his back, and he took each step carefully because he would be cut by the sword qi with a minor mistake. He was horrified. He had never expected that Xiao Chen had such an exquisite swordplay.


    Although the Ling Family was not good at swordsmanship, their swordsmanship had been refined and improved by generations of family masters. It has been passed down to this day and was able to compare with those of Jade Qing Sect, Skygale Sect, and others. However, it turned out his swordplay was just like a child''s play in front of Xiao Chen.


    "Clash!" All of a sudden, Ling Jingshan''s sword was sent flying due to his negligence. A loud exclamation was heard outside the square. Xiao Chen actually knocked off the sword in a Core Forming Realm senior''s hand. Along with dozens of young men and women, they couldn''t help being amazed. Their Xianyong Sect didn''t have such an exquisite swordplay.


    Xiao Chen did not hesitate. He could not let such a good opportunity go. He ran the True Energy of his body and thrust at Ling Jingshan''s throat. Although he knew that even if his sword pierced this man''s throat, a Core Forming Realm cultivator would not be killed like this. However, his killing intent was raised, and nothing could stop him!


    Just when the tip of the sword was less than an inch away from Ling Jingshan''s throat, Ling Jingshan suddenly felt the cold murderous intent and promptly responded to it by moving back, and then he landed more than 30 meters away. He said maliciously, "You wanted to kill me?"


    This blow had failed, and there was no point to follow. Xiao Chen knew the best chance to kill had gone, so he swung his sword and said coldly, "Humph. Only you can kill me? I can''t kill you?"


    At the moment, Murong Xian''er had already turned pale. Just now, Xiao Chen seemed to be at ease, but only she knew the danger in it. Only one careless move would lead Xiao Chen to death. She murmured, "Brother Xiao Chen, come back, don''t fight anymore. I don''t want to lose Brother Xiao Chen..."


    Xiao Chen turned his head and saw her tearful eyes. He couldn''t help but feel a pain in his heart. He didn''t want to fight. He didn''t want Xian''er to worry. But how could the old man let himself go today?


    If he killed this old man today, the Ling Family would surely not let him go and would send more people to kill him, not to mention that he could not slay the old man today. It would not end well to attack or retreat, and this was so difficult!


    If he now had the Nascent Soul Realm cultivation in those days, and if his master was still there, would these people dare to offend him again and again?


    The onlookers nearby also knew more or less what had happened. It was not because the young man wanted to make a name for himself, but because his younger sister had been beaten for no reason. Now he had no desire to fight, while the old man seemed to have been trying hard to take the young man''s life.


    Seeing the brother and sister were so affectionate to each other, and the little girl with tearful eyes looked so touching, the people around became angry and thundered, "It''s enough! You have bullied the brother and sister for so long! What kind of elder are you with all your Core Forming Realm cultivation? If you have the ability, why don''t you go fight Perfected Immortal Fengxi!"


    The voices of rebuke around grew louder and louder, and Ling Jingshan''s face grew uglier and uglier. However, he had decided to kill Xiao Chen today not only to avenge his two grandsons but also to kill Xiao Chen before it''s too late. Xiao Chen had weird skills and a promising future, and he would be a great misfortune for the Ling Family in the future! A moment ago, he felt Xiao Chen''s hatred toward Ling Family, which made him decide to kill Xiao Chen.


    Today, in front of so many people, killing a younger generation would make the world laugh at Ling Family. But he had to eliminate future troubles. Thinking about this, he spread out his arms as an overwhelming momentum immediately rushed forth.


    The sudden gust of wind made everyone gasp. Even more, many of them could not bear this aura. They could not stand still, so they retreated to the distance.


    In mid-air, three golden giant swords suddenly appeared. Each sword contained enough power to crush everything around. Everyone exclaimed. This time, the old man really played a killer move. The faces of Xianyong Sect disciples also changed together. "Shall we stop it?"


    However, no one could stop it. The three mighty swords were the Life-taking Sky Slash of Ling Family. It took the performer''s own energy, qi, and strength as sacrifices. The power was palpable. Ling Jingshan had already risked his life.


    The three huge swords moved down together with earthshaking power. The swords had not yet fallen to the ground, yet the stones flew about on the square. The stone bricks under Xiao Chen''s feet were broken into pieces, and he was enveloped in the dominant power, unable to move. It seemed that he would definitely die.


    The faces of the crowd changed. Even if the young man had awesome swordplay and cultivation method, he stood no chance to escape under this power which was close to that of the Nascent Soul Realm. Many people closed their eyes, and Murong Xian''er screamed, "Don''t kill my Brother Xiao Chen!" She flashed like a lightning and instantly got free from the female Xianyong Sect disciple''s hand, rushing into the air.


    Seeing the three huge swords moving toward her, Xiao Chen''s eyes opened widely, shouting, "Xian''er, don''t!"


    However, at this moment, a shocking scene happened. Murong Xian''er floated in mid-air, shouting, "Don''t you hurt my Brother Xiao Chen! Ah!" With a long scream, an ancient divine power suddenly filled the entire Xianyong City.


    Murong Xian''er opened her arms, and green streams of light danced on her shoulders. An unfathomable white radiance burst out from her body, and it was so dazzling that people could not open their eyes. She was like an ancient fairy at the moment as the vast ancient divine power suffused from her body. Everyone felt suffocated.


    At that moment, at a height of 300 meters above her head, three huge golden images suddenly appeared. One was a woman with a snake body, the other was a middle-aged man holding a zither, and the third was an old man holding fairy grass.


    Everyone''s faces suddenly changed as they looked up at the images of the three great gods in the sky. There was an urge in everyone to prostrate and worship.


    "This... Are they the Three Emperors in ancient myth?! Nuwa Empress, Fuxi Emperor, and Shennong God!"


    Rumor had it that when the heavens and the earth were created, there were twelve Earth Spiritual Meridians in the earth. A great god won seven meridians for the human world, so the human world had the most abundant spirit energy. The great god was Fuxi Emperor. These were ancient myths and legends that had been passed down to this day. Its authenticity cannot be proved. However, today, the images of these three great gods had actually come to earth!


    Everyone felt excited and shocked. These legends were true! Ling Jingshan''s face changed again and again, but he still controlled the three huge swords to move down. At the moment, when the three huge swords collided Murong Xian''er, who had infinite white radiance, there was a loud rumble as if the energy between heaven and earth was stirred up. Countless people were sent away by this force. Ling Jingshan spurted a mouthful of blood and even took several steps back before he stood steady.

 Chapter 184 Xiansers Spirit Energy

    No one expected this seemingly ordinary girl to possess such overwhelming Ancient Divine Power. The surrounding gale gradually came to a standstill. In the sky, the image of the Three Emperors also slowly dissipated. Murong Xian''er gradually recovered as the white radiance faded. She gently closed her eyes as if she was exhausted and began falling to the ground.


    Xiao Chen sprang upward to catch her midair and landed on the ground. He felt a stab of pain after seeing her pale face and frail condition. A wave of hatred swept him. Murong Xian''er opened her eyes ever so slightly and tugged on his arm. "Brother Xiao, don''t¡­"


    His heart ached even more after seeing how she was only concerned about him, even now. After waking up a millennium later, she was the only one aside from Evernight that he felt as if he had known all along. Yet he failed to protect her and allowed harm to come to her again and again.


    Noticing his enthralled state, a cold glint flashed in Ling Jingshan''s eyes. Suppressing the pain in his body, he swiftly conjured an Immortal''s Sword and then flung it at Xiao Chen. His movement was as quick as lightning, eliciting shocked cries from those around him.


    Even so, it didn''t escape Xiao Chen''s notice. Holding Murong Xian''er in one hand, he pushed his other hand with great force. Instantly, his sleeve billowed and a bold, powerful force accompanied by dragon''s cries surged toward Ling Jingshan.


    "Pfft!" Blood sprayed from Ling Jingshan''s mouth. He not only used the Life-taking Sky Slash, but was also hit by Murong Xian''er''s Spiritual Power earlier. Right now, he didn''t even have the strength to defend against one of Xiao Chen''s attacks. Both he and his sword were flung thirty more meters backward before crashing to the ground. Blood kept rising from his throat.


    Xiao Chen''s gaze was icy as his murderous aura spread silently. He said coldly, "Ignorant fool. Your Ling Family tried to push me around once and again. Today, let me send you off to the underworld. Your family will join you soon enough!" He summoned his Blood Lotus Demon Blade from the Divine Vessel. The blood-red evil radiance was full of such incredibly bloodthirsty murderous aura that the others couldn''t help shivering in fear.


    Suddenly, a wizened voice drifted from above the sky. "Young man, don''t be hasty."


    "Not even immortals can save you!" Xiao Chen bellowed and swung his blade downward. The blood-red saber radiance extended as long as several dozen Chinese feet long and charged at Ling Jingshan with whistling noises. This attack was imbued with immensely fierce power and was certain to wipe out both Ling Jingshan''s body and soul. Those nearby couldn''t help gasping.


    A thunderous explosion resounded. Where Ling Jingshan stood, rocks and stones scattered in the air. Even he himself was reduced into a bloody mist. However, it wasn''t Xiao Chen''s attack that exterminated his body and soul. Rather, he had employed one of his family''s mystic arts: the Blood Yin Incantation.


    The bloody mist gradually crept away in an attempt to flee, prompting a voice to drift from afar. "Kid! Even if I can''t kill you now, there will naturally be others who will finish the job in the future!"


    Xiao Chen snorted and returned his Blood Lotus Demon Blade to the Divine Vessel. He looked at Xian''er, who lay in his arms. She looked pale and exhausted, but unharmed. He asked softly, "Xian''er, how are you feeling?"


    Murong Xian''er gently shook her head with a smile. "I''m fine, Brother Xiao Chen. I''ll get better after some rest. Don''t worry¡­" She drifted into dreamland mid-sentence.


    Xiao Chen carefully carried her with two hands and walked out of the square as the others hastily moved out of the way. They were surprised to see such a gentle side from a person who was emanating such fierce murderous aura just moments ago.


    Simultaneously, a floating island emerged in the sky. The island was fairly small but was blanketed in an invitingly green meadow. In the middle of the island was a pavilion, where a chessboard sat. The pieces lay on the board, clearly without a victory in sight.


    Two people with unworldly disposition stood on the edge of the island, overlooking everything taking place in the city. One of them was an old man in a wide-sleeved cyan robe with white hair and beard.


    The other one, dressed in white, was similarly silver-haired. However, he was young and handsome. He had a red-crowned crane perched on his left shoulder and a cyan-colored sword case on his back. The seal on his sword case had a cosmological pattern and underneath it was the word "Kunlun" engraved in seal script.


    "Is he the Xiao Chen that you spoke of?"


    The cyan-robed old man nodded. "This kid is alright but it''s a pity that he has such an intense murderous aura. If he has really taken Ling Jingshan''s life earlier, I suppose Ling Ruoxu will be furious after coming out from self-seclusion! Hehe!"


    The white-robed Sword Immortal shook his head with a smile. "Youngsters are full of vigor. Earlier, I saw that your disciples seemed eager to give it a go."


    The cyan-robed old man forced a smile. "This group of brats..."


    "Either way, why do you think Xiao Chen came to the Middle Continent? Don''t tell me he''s also here for that ancient scroll."


    The cyan-robed old man frowned. While smoothing his beard, he said, "That I''m not sure. I don''t know what''s his motive in coming here, I only hope he won''t cause a huge mess in the Middle Continent. Instead, I''m more interested in the girl with him."


    The white-clothed Sword Immortal nodded. "Three Emperors. Your half of the scroll seems to have mentioned the Three Emperors as well."


    "Sigh. What a pity that no one can understand the ancient script used in the scroll. I wonder what terrifying prophecy was recorded in the scroll for two Immortal Kings to fight over it in a life-or-death battle. If we can''t find the other half, I fear we''ll never understand the prophecy."


    "Does this mean that the challenge you gave your disciples this time is finding the other half of the scroll?"


    The cyan-robed old man wore a wry smile. "The one-half of the scroll alone had brought countless trouble to the Fortified Heaven Sect in the last few months. Look, it even drew you, the Kunlun Sect Leader, out of your hundred-year seclusion."


    The white-clothed Sword Immortal chuckled. "I have waited in the Mystic boundary for 300 years but it felt like no more than the passing of a day. I have never expected to see such a great change in the world. Back then, he died trying to exterminate evil. I wonder if he has reincarnated."


    Watching the sunset glow peeking from the horizon, the cyan-robed old man sighed. "300 years, all in the blink of an eye. Have you never thought of visiting the Immortal World?"


    The white-clothed Sword Immortal chuckled. "Everyone in this world hopes to become immortal but how is it possible that each of them will have their wish fulfilled? I''m fortunate enough to cultivate an immrtal body that allows me to travel to every corner of the mortal world. That''s enough for me!" That said, he climbed onto a sword radiance and flew toward the horizon.


    The cyan-robed old man shook his head with a smile. "I wonder when this situation would end, or even if there''s an end." He sighed and turned his attention onto the city below.


    The curtain of the night drew close. Xiao Chen carried an increasingly pale Murong Xian''er, whose Spiritual Power was continuously depleting, into a tavern. Inside their room, he gently placed her on the bed and tucked her in. He then ordered the waiter to bring a basin of hot water to their room.


    Noticing how pale the person laying on the bed looked, the waiter carefully asked, "Sir, your friend appears very ill. Should I help you fetch a physician? Perhaps, you''d like to take her to the Fortified Heaven Sect and get Perfected Immortal Fengxi to examine her?"


    "That won''t be necessary, but thank you."


    Moonlight bathed the night. Inside the room, the candle flame flickered uncertainly. Xiao Chen walked toward the window and closed it firmly to prevent the cold wind from coming in. He returned to the bed. Murong Xian''er was still deathly pale and her Spiritual Power was still pouring out. Two snow-white fox ears appeared on her head.


    Xiao Chen had no idea what happened. He watched over her until dawn the next day. Murong Xian''er was as white as paper, losing color even in her lips. She looked as if she was down with a terrible illness. Suddenly, she spoke dazedly as if she was dreaming, "Brother Xiao Chen... I want to..."


    Xiao Chen immediately went over to her after hearing her speak. "I''m here. What are you saying?" he asked gently.


    She sounded terribly weak. "I want to eat your lotus seed soup... but not the lotus root..."


    "Lotus seed soup? Lotus root?" Xiao Chen''s heart jumped. Where would he find these things this time of the year? Nevertheless, he replied, "Okay. Wait for a while." He tucked her in, hastily opened the door, and walked out of the room.


    In the tavern downstairs, two workers were on the night shift. When they saw him running down, they asked, "Do you need something, sir?"


    "Lotus seed soup! I need a bowl of lotus seed soup! Do whatever it takes! Get me the bowl of lotus seed bowl as soon as possible!"


    His fierce expression shocked the workers. One of them said, "Yes! Please wait for a while, sir. I''ll fetch the lotus seed soup at once."


    Xiao Chen walked to the first floor. Just as he was pushing open the door and about to call for Murong Xian''er, he found the bed deserted and Xian''er missing.

 Chapter 185 Xianyong Sec

    t


    "Xian''er!" Ice-cold air instantly wrapped itself around Xiao Chen. Earlier, he couldn''t detect any breath at all. Who managed to kidnap Xian''er so quietly and smoothly? He immediately thought of that mysterious person who had previously kidnapped Xian''er.


    Currently, Murong Xian''er''s breath had yet to dissipate. He shattered the window overlooking the west with his palm and unleashed Phoenix''s Wings to chase after the kidnapper.


    The Phoenix''s Wings were about three meters long and looked as if they were lit up with raging flames. It was particularly conspicuous in the night sky. Residents who had yet to drift off to dreamland were stupefied after catching sight of this a blurry flame whizzing through the sky.


    "Oh God! What''s that, a person? I must be seeing things!"


    The massive Xianyong City was divided into several districts. Following Murong Xian''er''s breath, Xiao Chen flew westward for nearly 50 kilometers and arrived in the halfway point of a mountain. There seemed to be a certain sect located atop the mountain. He could feel the waves of fundamental energy coming from a Barrier and cleaved it with a palm attack. Then, he began climbing the stairs.


    His actions drew the attention of quite a few people, at least 30 or 40 of them. They all rushed over with a torch in hand.


    "Who dares to trespass into Xianyong Sect!"


    Xiao Chen looked grave and stern. "I don''t care who you people are. Return Xian''er to me immediately!" He was certain of what he sensed. This was where Murong Xian''er''s breath had disappeared.


    Everyone could tell how furious and decisive he was. Some of the disciples even recognized him from the day. One asked gently, "Brother Xiao, did you made a mistake? Why would your sister be here?"


    Another disciple who had not met him said icily, "Don''t bother being so polite! How could a stranger trespass into our thousand-year-old Xianyong Sect as he pleases? Seize him!"


    Following his order, more than 10 Xianyong Sect disciples immediately arranged themselves into a sword formation that entrapped Xiao Chen. Under the bright moon, the subsequent sword radiance flickered and dazzled like silver serpents. The disciple who spoke to Xiao Chen earlier said, "Senior Brother, this must be a misunderstanding. You can''t..."


    The disciple with an ice-cold expression interrupted him and yelled, "Seize him!" Everyone charged toward Xiao Chen at the same time.


    "Very well!" Xiao Chen retorted, looking grim. The True Energy inside him jolted, prompting gale to rise all around him. The wind was so fierce that the disciples couldn''t quite stand upright.


    "If you don''t hand her over tonight, don''t blame me for what I''ll do!"


    Naturally, the Xianyong Sect disciples who were attacking him paid him no mind. Seeing that he had fairly decent cultivation, they cast spells one after another, conjuring more than 10 swords in the sky. The swords danced midair before flying toward him.


    "Hmph!" Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and started moving his hands around. The air around him immediately gathered to form a whirlpool of space. The swords entered the core of the whirlpool and started swirling around him. This shocked everyone. This was him displaying his top-notch psychokinesis skill.


    Following a series of clanging and slamming noises, the swords were either bent or folded. Either way, all of them ended up falling to the ground. The expression of the ice-cold disciple turned unpleasant. He bellowed and thrust his sword at Xiao Chen''s midbrows at a lightning-fast speed.


    However, the three-inch-long cold radiance like that of a serpent that coated the tip of the sword appeared unsteady. Xiao Chen put his fingers together and caught the sword with a clanging sound. Then, he swiftly landed three palm attacks on the disciple''s chest. The disciple groaned, unable to withstand the might of the attacks, and was sent flying.


    The others watched Xiao Chen climbed a couple more steps with his fierce murderous aura. Thinking that he was here to kill, they stepped forward to try and stop him. No one stopped to wonder if they would still be alive now if Xiao Chen truly wanted their lives.


    Seeing the disciples obstruct his way, Xiao Chen said icily, "Get out of the way!" He launched a palm attack at a disciple in front of him, sending him flying. He was still sane, though furious.


    The disciples could tell that they wouldn''t be able to stop him. Two or three of them began casting spells and slashing at the air, instantly prompting a white radiance to fly to the top of the mountain. Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves coolly. With a ferocious expression, he climbed the stairs in large strides.


    The disciples could only follow after or beside him. No one dared to go up to stop him. When he was about to reach the mountain gate square, a sword radiance crashed to the ground out of the blue and transformed into an elegant young man in a white robe. The disciples respectfully greeted him. "First Brother!"


    Seeing the anger on Xiao Chen''s face, the white-robed young man stepped forward and said, "I''m Qin Shaoyang. How should I address you, friend?"


    Xiao Chen replied placidly, "Surname Xiao, sole name of Chen." His name had been spread far and wide after the battle during the day. The disciples were astonished to find out that he was that God of Killing from the East Continent. Many of them couldn''t help gasping.


    Qin Shaoyang saluted him with a smile. "I have long heard of your name, friend. It''s my honor to meet you today, please allow me to show you courtesy," he said, "Why have you come to the Xianyong Sect tonight?"


    Xiao Chen sneered. "You know very well what you''ve done. Hand her over now!"


    Right then, a male disciple walked up to Qin Shaoyang and whispered into his ear. Qin Shaoyang nodded and then smiled at Xiao Chen. "Our disciples are forbidden from leaving the mountain at night for personal affairs. You believe we kidnapped your friend but surely, that''s a misunderstanding."


    Xiao Chen''s Divine Sense was ten times sharper than ordinary people''s. He was sure that Xian''er''s breath vanished somewhere around here. He raised his head and laughed heartily. "Your sect preaches the ways of the Orthodox Path, yet hides such a corrupted side!"


    His words angered many of the disciples. Feeling confident now that their First Brother was here to back them up, they started retorting one after another. "How brazen, you madman! Stop babbling nonsense here! Our sect won''t tolerate your impudence!" They moved forward with the intention of seizing him.


    Before long, more than a dozen disciples gathered at the square. Xiao Chen laughed haughtily. Earlier, he had been grateful that the disciples of this sect spoke up for him during the day. However, Murong Xian''er was his one taboo. He flicked his sleeves, dispersing a majestic and boundless momentum.


    "Fine! Let''s see who can stop me tonight!" He stomped on the ground, sending a quake rippling through the ground. His 12 Spiritual Meridians turned into True Qi and formed into 12 faintly discernible white radiances outside his body.


    The disciples exchanged looks of dismay before turning to look at Qin Shaoyang. Qin Shaoyang moved and reappeared in front of Xiao Chen. He smiled. "Up ahead is where the elders of this sect rest. Please halt, Brother Xiao." His cultivation was in the Core Forming Realm, which imbued his words with a great and invisible force.


    Xiao Chen replied icily, "I told you, I won''t stay here as long as you hand her over!"


    "You insist that we kidnapped your friend! Do you have proof?!"


    "If we really took your friend, I''ll cut my head off and give it to you!"


    In an instant, the chiding voices came like a torrent of water. Xiao Chen cracked the bones in his hands. Where would he find such proof? But he was sure that Xian''er was brought here!


    "Very well! Excuse my rudeness then!" He unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and moved past Qin Shaoyang like a phantom. He then charged toward one of the main halls.

 Chapter 186 Ancient Scroll

    Reacting as quick as lightning, Qin Shaoyang immediately chased after Xiao Chen and swiftly reappeared in front of the latter. Xiao Chen unleashed Cyan Dragon Roars at Qin Shaoyang without another word, prompting the latter to raise his palm to resist. Following a loud crashing sound, both retreated by three meters. The force of the collision also caused the weaker disciples around them to nearly lose their footing.


    Their two palm attacks were equally as powerful.


    Quite a few disciples were flabbergasted. Their First Brother had, after all, entered the Core Forming Realm a long time ago. Qin Shaoyang extended his arm after regaining his footing and said sternly, "This is the resting place of the elders of this sect. You cannot trespass any further!"


    Xiao Chen raised his head and saw the faint words "Pure Harmony Hall" appearing under the moonlight. He could detect a wisp of Xian''er''s breath coming from within the hall. He stepped forward, saying, "Hand her over!"


    Seeing that Xiao Chen had not given up trying to charge into the hall, Qin Shaoyang immediately stepped forward to stop him. Both of them once again exchanged blows. Even though Xiao Chen possessed extraordinary tricks from the Mystic Cyan Sect, his cultivation was ultimately inferior. He was unable to break through Qin Shaoyang''s defense in the short term. He had no choice but to yell in the direction of the hall, "Xian''er! Xian''er!" Unfortunately, no answer came from the hall. Evidently, someone had placed a soundproofing Barrier in the area.


    Qin Shaoyang said, "I have told you that this is where the elders of this sect conduct their business. If you''re adamant that your friend is here, why don''t you have a rest in the side hall while waiting for the elders to come out and prove it to you?"


    "They must have kidnapped Xian''er. If I wait around, I don''t know where they''d hide her," Xiao Chen thought. He stepped forward as an ice-cold murderous aura immediately dispersed from him.


    "You''re all determined to stop me, aren''t you..."


    When he spoke, his clothing moved despite there not being even a wisp of wind. Everyone could detect his icy coldness. They had heard of his deeds in the East Continent and how he unleashed his demonic nature in killing a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator with a single punch and a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with a slash of his sword. For a moment, everyone quaked deep inside.


    Right then, another three sword radiances landed on the square. The newcomers were all Core Forming Realm cultivators. One of them said, "Who dares to trespass on the sect! Seize him!" The other two people swiftly stood in front and behind Xiao Chen, effectively sealing his escape routes.


    Qin Shaoyang reached out and said, "Don''t be hasty, Junior Brothers! I''m sure Brother Xiao has a misunderstanding about the Xianyong Sect."


    "Huh, a misunderstanding!" Xiao Chen sneered. "There''s no misunderstanding! Hand her over now!" Earlier in the day, he had quite a good impression of the people from this sect. Right now, however, their refusal to admit to kidnapping Xian''er was simply hypocritical.


    "Imprudent!" One of the Core Forming Realm cultivators who had just arrived bellowed. He swiftly followed it up with a sneak palm attack. His attack was incomparably powerful and fierce, causing gale to rise all around. Xiao Chen sneered and immediately moved his Qi throughout his body. He unleashed a palm attack, smoothly cutting through the cultivator''s palm and hit the latter on the chest. Immediately, the cultivator was sent flying 20 more meters away.


    The disciples gasped in shock. Xiao Chen''s power had exceeded their imagination. They never thought that he was simply repaying the favor when Qin Shaoyang showed him courtesy earlier. However, he had no reason to be courteous to a cultivator who yelled bloody murder as soon as he showed up. His cultivation was already at the peak of the Foundation Building Realm. Why should he fear an ordinary Core Forming Realm cultivator?


    Upon seeing this, the two other Core Forming Realm cultivators immediately started reciting spells quietly and unsheathed their own Immortal''s Sword. In the cold night, the glint of the two Immortal''s Swords appeared particularly sinister. They whizzed through the air and lunged at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen retreated sideways and instantly whipped out his Unsullied Sword. The handle and blade of the sword were enveloped in a layer of white halo under the bright moon, making it look like divine and serene. Following the cry of an animal, the sword turned into a white radiance and charged at the two Immortal''s Swords. That elicited alarmed cries from the onlookers. "It''s an Unsullied Immortal''s Sword!"


    The Unsullied Sword was currently ranked 7th on the Tome of Legendary Weapons. Rumors had it that a person who achieved immortality and became a fairy had forged this weapon a thousand years ago. Its power couldn''t be underestimated. He had simply been unable to master the intricacies when Yu Yifeng first gifted him the sword, resulting in his lackluster of use of the sword.


    It was a different story now. He had long become one with the Unsullied Sword and achieved a true harmonious state of mind with it. Everyone watched the three blinding white radiances in the air that emitted clanging sounds every now and then. However, it was obvious that the two other swords were no match for the Unsullied Sword. In no time at all, the white radiance of the two swords dimmed significantly before returning to their respective owners.


    The other disciples were dumbstruck, astonished that their Senior Brothers couldn''t win against Xiao Chen even while working together. Just what terrifying state was Xiao Chen''s cultivation in?


    The two Core Forming Realm cultivators felt an intense heartache after seeing the numerous nicks and cuts on the flying swords that they had forged over many years. One of them bellowed furiously, "How brazen of you!"


    "Why would I trespass on the Xianyong Sect if I''m not brazen? Hurry up and hand her over! Otherwise, don''t blame me for being ruthless!" Xiao Chen retorted icily. The Unsullied Sword cried and then returned to his hand.


    "I fear you''ll be able to break in tonight, but not out!" Following a chiding voice coming from afar, waves of countless disciples appeared from all directions. They were all holding swords and arranging themselves into an immense sword formation that besieged Xiao Chen.


    The moon gradually disappeared as the two sides were deadlocked until dawn. Many disciples were thoroughly exhausted but Xiao Chen was stubbornly refusing to concede. The others now knew that without their elders, no one among them was able to subdue him.


    The stalemate continued for more than two hours. Xiao Chen''s fierce aura unexpectedly intensified as he forced his way toward the Pure Harmony Hall step by step. The disciples immediately tried to stop him. Right then, a creaking sound reverberated as the door of the hall finally opened slowly. When the disciples saw a cyan-robed old man walking out of the hall, they immediately greeted him with respect. "Master!"


    The cyan-robed old man nodded. "You may all leave." Simultaneously, a clear voice like the ringing of silver bells came from inside the hall. "Brother Xiao Chen!" Murong Xian''er then ran out to the square.


    Murong Xian''er had regained her usual appearance as if nothing had ever happened. Xiao Chen immediately lowered his body to envelop her in a hug. "Did they hurt you?"


    Murong Xian''er shook her head. The other disciples were all stunned. Never have they expected that the person Xiao Chen was looking for was truly in their sect. Xiao Chen''s gaze turned cold as he scanned the people around him. "Did you people get a clear look?"


    The disciples blushed with shame. No one could find the words to answer him. Murong Xian''er hastily said, "Don''t blame them, Brother Xiao Chen. The Grandpas here treat me very well."


    Seeing that she was safe and sound, Xiao Chen was sure that someone used their own Qi to heal her. He raised his head to look at the cyan-robed old man in front of the hall. If that old man was simply trying to save Xian''er, why would he sneak into their room at night and kidnap her? He rose to his feet and said, "Excuse my frankness. What''s your intention in doing this?"


    The disciples were similarly confused. Could this be for the sake of that one-half of the ancient scroll? They all looked at their master. The cyan-robed old man nodded. "I''m Fengxi. Don''t worry, my young friend. I hold no ill will against you and your sister."


    "Then thank you kindly, Senior. If there''s nothing else, I''ll bid you farewell here!" Xiao Chen remained suspicious of this matter. He was ready to pull Murong Xian''er away.


    Right then, the group of dozen youngsters also arrived at the public square. On their way here, they had more or less learned what was going on here. They became relieved when they saw no casualties on both sides.


    "Please stay, my young friend. There''s something you may be interested in." Perfected Immortal Fengxi suddenly stopped him.


    "I came to the Middle Continent to track my master. Is what he''s talking about related to what happened a thousand years ago?" Xiao Chen swiftly turned around and said, "Please be frank, Perfected Immortal."


    Perfected Immortal Fengxi nodded. "Very well, come with me." He turned around and walked into the hall.


    Xiao Chen understood that Fengxi was asking him to enter by himself but he wasn''t comfortable with leaving Xian''er on her own. After all, this wasn''t the Jade Qing Sect that he was familiar with. While he was worrying, the woman who helped him look after Xian''er yesterday walked up to him. "Rest assured that our Xianyong Sect has no reason to harm your sister."


    Murong Xian''er added, "Don''t worry, Brother Xiao Chen. The Grandpa must have something for you since he''s asking you to go in." Xiao Chen nodded after thinking about it. He handed her to the woman and then walked into the hall as well.


    The door closed as soon as he stepped inside the hall. Xiao Chen also raised his guard. Noticing his nervousness, Perfected Immortal Fengxi chuckled. "Don''t be nervous, my young friend. Let me make the introductions. This is the Elder governing our Pavilion of Swords, this is the Elder governing our Pavilion of Thoughts, this is the Elder governing our Pavilion of Laws..."


    When Xiao Chen spotted the three old men with white hair and beard seated on the praying mats below, he thought, "None of them are inferior to Perfected Immortal Qingchen cultivation-wise. If they want to attack me, they don''t have to do it in such a roundabout way." Immediately, he saluted the three old men and asked, "Why have you summoned me here, Perfected Immortal?"


    The old men exchanged looks. Fengxi smiled and said, "You don''t know the identity of the girl with you, do you?"


    Xiao Chen racked his brain. Xian''er was able to conjure the image of the Three Emperors yesterday and even the image once appeared a long time ago, only that she was unable to remember it. He had long known that Xian''er was no ordinary human, so he didn''t find this strange.


    Right now, he was more curious about what this old thing was up to. He said, "Of course, I do. I''m just curious about your intention. If you were merely trying to help, why didn''t you inform me and cause such a misunderstanding?"


    "Well..." Suddenly, a faint blush appeared on Perfected Immortal Fengxi''s face. He coughed twice. "Well, us old folks here wanted a bit of blood from her..."


    "What?! You''re her seniors! How could you?!"


    Xiao Chen nearly jumped from his shock and rage. It was a common saying that ordinary people would gain immortality if they drank the blood of an Immortal Spirit. However, Xian''er was already that weak and frail. How could they take their Blood Essence?! Even though they claimed to have only taken a bit of her blood, who knew how much did they really take? Was it a bowl or a basin of blood? Were it not for the fact that he was no match for these old things, he would really like to go up to them and beat them up.


    Perfected Immortal Fengxi went very red in the face. He immediately waved his hand and said, "Don''t be hasty, my young friend! Please allow me to finish my sentence. We need a bit of her blood to undo the seal on an ancient scroll. What do you think?"

 Chapter 187 Nine Realms of the Archean Eon

    Right then, the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords who had kept quiet all this while spoke. He wore a dark green Taoist''s robe and carried a red sword case on his back. He appeared grim and no-nonsense. He looked even more like a master than Fengxi.


    "Hmph! Youngster, don''t underestimate us. If the truth is as you imagine it, wouldn''t that make us savages?" He sounded angry. It seemed that he was annoyed by Xiao Chen''s suspicion that they were using Murong Xian''er''s blood to prolong their life.


    Xiao Chen knew he misunderstood them but he wasn''t willing to concede. He wondered what they were being so mysterious about. What was that about some ancient scroll?


    "Sigh, my young friend. Let me tell you what''s going on. Several months ago, I discovered one-half of a scroll in a certain remnant. What we can be sure of is that the scroll was something that two Immortal Kings fought over in ancient times. However, the script used in the scroll is too old. No one can comprehend it. After analyzing the script for a few months, all we got were the words ''Three Emperors''..."


    Waves of shock overwhelmed Xiao Chen. "Just what was written in the scroll that two Immortal Kings would give up their lives to fight over it? Is it related to what happened thousands of years ago?"


    Fengxi sighed. "That''s not all. We suspect that the scroll itself hides a great secret. Think about it. The scroll remains intact for thousands of years. Surely, a person of great caliber had sealed the scroll. After seeing the girl conjuring the image of the Three Emperors yesterday, we got the idea of trying to unseal the scroll with her blood. I don''t suppose you know that the girl is from the Jade Pivot World?"


    "Jade Pivot World?" Xiao Chen was stunned. "What''s the Jade Pivot World?" Then he heard the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts say, "Most people are only aware of the six realms of existence: Heaven, Earth, Human, Demon, Devil, and Buddha. Few know that there were three other worlds in the Archean Eon: Return to Ruins, Cold Illumination, Jade Pivot."


    The Elder of the Pavilion of Laws added, "The Return to Ruins World was where gods and devils were banished to in the Archean Eon. It had always been a place where one can enter but not leave. The Cold Illumination World was a mystery within a mystery. Rumors had it that it was a place that could transport you to the past and the future and that you can only enter it through dreamland. Once you wake up from your dream, you''ll feel as if everything you have experienced is but a mere dream. The Jade Pivot World, on the other hand..." The three Elders exchanged looks and stopped speaking.


    "What is the Jade Pivot World like?" Xiao Chen desperately wanted to know Xian''er''s origins. Judging from the things she once told him, it seemed that they were intricately connected for thousands of years.


    Fengxi answered, "Heaven was split up after War of the Archean Eon. To prevent the total collapse of life, Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens separated heaven into two using her Supreme Magic Power. One of the divided lands was the Jade Pivot World, where actual members of the Immortal Race dwell."


    Xiao Chen was shocked. "Is Xian''er a member of the Immortal Clan of the Archean Eon? Yet she has something to do with the Three Emperors? What does this have to do with that ancient scroll? Her identity is unlikely to be this simple. But if I question any further, I fear these old men will try and strike a deal with me." He immediately said, "Oh, I see. Then were you able to unseal the ancient scroll, Senior?"


    Fengxi turned red. He spread his hands and said, "It''s as you see."


    Chuckling, Xiao Chen saluted him and said, "Then I thank you for healing Xian''er. I''ll engrave your kind deed in my memory. Farewell." He pretended as if he was going to leave. He understood very well that these old men didn''t just summon him here to tell him about these things. They had likely called for him for the ancient scroll. Even though he wanted to take a look at the scroll, he must not display his interest or this cunning-looking Fengxi would surely bring up some sort of condition.


    "Please halt, young friend!" Fengxi stopped him.


    Xiao Chen turned around and spread his hands. "I''m not from the Ancient Immortal Clan; my blood is useless." Fengxi turned red-faced again. However, a glint appeared in his eyes. He chuckled and said, "You can drop the pretense, young man. You''re not an ordinary person."


    Xiao Chen''s heart stirred. "What does he mean? Did he notice something?"


    "You''re joking, Senior. I''m a nobody from the East Continent."


    Fengxi''s eyes gleamed. "Oh, is that so? Would normal humans be capable of withstanding the force of the Jade Qing Seven? Would normal humans possess long extinct ancient cultivation methods? Would normal humans be so calm after learning information about thousands of years ago?"


    "This old man investigated me?" Xiao Chen frowned. Right then, the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts walked over to him and sighed. "The natural law is vast and all-encompassing. It''s not up to mortals to pry into its secrets. Nothing is too bizarre in this world. For example, who knew that the starlight we see is light coming from stars millions and millions of years ago? Young man, you must not be someone from our era."


    Stupefied, Xiao Chen felt as if he was submerged into a pond of ice-cold water. His mysterious resurrection thousands of years after his death remained his greatest secret. He had never told anyone about this and yet these old men were able to guess it. For some reason, he felt that he must not admit to this. His guts told him that he must not admit that he was someone from thousands of years ago.


    The Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts said, "The battle between gods and devils thousands of years ago brought the six realms to the brink of destruction. That was the end of an era that couldn''t be prevented and yet, young man, you were able to escape that calamity. That''s enough to prove that even if you didn''t have the blood of the ancient gods in you, you''re a descendant of ancient devils. Perhaps, you may have the blood of both."


    Emotions surged even more violently inside Xiao Chen after hearing this. He tried his best to calm down. In his previous life, he was a mere orphan abandoned at the bottom of the Mystic Cyan Mountain. His master adopted him and taught him literacy, phonetics, unrivaled cultivation methods. How could he be some kind of god, much less a devil?


    Right now, it seemed that these old men had some sort of secret purpose. Since time immemorial, immortals and devils could never coexist. Were they planning to do something to harm him? He immediately smiled and said, "What a joke, Senior. Look, you inexplicably brought my sister here and are now refusing to let me leave. If I''m truly a god or devil as you say, shouldn''t I be subduing you right now?"


    The Elder of the Pavilion of Swords sneered. "If we give you another three years, you might have the courage to do so."


    Xiao Chen gave an awkward smile. He truly wanted to beat Fengxi up right now. Fengxi coughed twice and smiled. "Young friend, didn''t you come to the Middle Continent to find out what happened thousands of years ago? Don''t tell me that you''re not at all interested in seeing the one-half of the scroll."


    Xiao Chen thought he should stop while he was ahead. There was no need to play games anymore. He said, "Then please lead the way, Senior." Right then, the silent Elder of the Pavilion of Laws stood up. He was dressed in a red robe and appeared majestic without being stern as he said, "This is no small matter, young man. You must make a vow not to reveal the contents of the ancient scroll."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "If you can''t trust me, why summon me here?" The old men exchanged looks. Feng Xi said, "Forget it. We must not doubt who we need help from. Young friend, please come with me."


    They walked toward the rear hall, all the way to its deepest end. Fengxi and the three Elders worked together to open a Barrier. Behind the Barrier was a walled-in path that presumably led to a different world. For some reason, however, Xiao Chen felt a wave of sorrow that instantly invaded his every nook. He couldn''t help feeling like he wanted to weep loudly.


    "How did you discover one-half of the scroll, Senior Fengxi?"


    "Well, back then I found the bones of an ancient Immortal King. The Immortal King protected one-half of the scroll in his embrace. I''m sure that he had suffered quite grievous injuries when he was still alive."


    Strangely, Xiao Chen felt an even deeper stab of pain. "Did you bring the Immortal King''s bones back with you as well, Senior?"


    Fengxi blushed. "Well... You''ll find out once you''re inside." The group of people immediately walked through the walled-in path.


    It was dim inside the walled-in path. Inexplicably, Xiao Chen''s sorrow gradually worsened. He could subtly feel a familiar wisp of breath coming from the end of the path.


    The breath was so familiar and amiable as if it had been dwelling on his mind and in his dreams all along. He told himself that no matter what he would see later, no matter what would happen, he must control his emotions.

 Chapter 188 The Immortal Kings Skeleton

    The sense of melancholy only deepened as Xiao Chen traveled farther down the walled-in path. When he finally reached the exit, he found himself at an underground palace. The walls of the palace were decorated with objects that emanated a white radiance, preventing the place from sinking into pitch-black darkness.


    The palace was small, with a sarcophagus placed in the center. The sarcophagus seemed to be the source of the melancholy. Xiao Chen said dazedly, "Seniors, are the Immortal King''s bones inside? May I take a look at it?"


    The four old men exchanged looks after hearing his request but said nothing. After seeing Fengxi nod, Xiao Chen walked to the sarcophagus by himself. Every step felt painfully slow and heavy at the same time. In the end, he steeled himself and carefully removed the lid of the sarcophagus. The moment he opened it, he felt the urge to sob and wail.


    A complete skeleton lay quietly inside the sarcophagus, giving off a faint white radiance. Even after thousands of years, it continued to emanate Immortal Qi. This Immortal Qi was none other than his master''s, Ling in''s, breath.


    The size of the skeleton was perfectly similar to Ling Yin''s physique. Xiao Chen felt as if his entire world had collapsed around him, exterminating him for tens of thousands of years. Was this the outcome of my painstaking search for Master? No! Even though this skeleton had Master''s breath, her skills were extraordinary. It was impossible for her to die so easily. Who knew, this skeleton might belong to a disciple that she later recruited and that was why this skeleton was imbued with her breath.


    He tried to comfort himself over and over again. But what if it was his Master? He didn''t dare to pursue that line of thought. Perhaps, it was more accurate to say that he wasn''t willing to think it. If it was truly his Master, then what exactly was the scroll that she fought over?


    "Seniors, where is the scroll?"


    Fengxi was momentarily silent before walking to one of the stone walls and opened a secret compartment inside. He retrieved an object from the compartment: an aged-looking scroll.


    Xiao Chen accepted the scroll and saw that the entire thing was covered with writing. The script was terribly familiar. It was the common script used thousands of years ago but the handwriting didn''t seem to be Ling Yin''s. Feeling ill at ease, he began carefully reading the contents of the scroll.


    "The fight over the Spiritual Meridian by all quarters led to the outbreak of an incomparable war, the upheaval of the six realms, the destruction of lives, the near-extinction of heaven and earth. The Natural Law was so angry that it intended to subvert the Samsara, imprison the numerous gods, and exile the numerous devils. Fortunately, an extraordinary person getting the might of Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens shattered the seal on the Jade Pivot. Using the Three Emperors¡­"


    That was the end of the contents, with the rest being on the other half of the scroll. Xiao Chen was somewhat shocked. So, this was the truth behind the extermination of gods and devils thousands of years ago. Could there truly be a supreme existence such as the Heavenly Law, that could restrain living beings and banish devils?


    The Elders of the sect frowned deeply. Fengxi asked, "What does the scroll say?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. He sighed deep inside. The cultivation sects were getting worse and worse with each generation, and it was likely due to the calamity thousands of years ago. Not only were the cultivators who could ascend to heaven were gone, but abstruse cultivation methods were also extinct.


    "This scroll only says how the previous era came to an end. The rest is missing," Xiao Chen answered, sighing. "Toward the end, the scroll says that someone had entered the Jade Pivot World and something about the Three Emperors. I guess we''ll only get an answer after finding the other half of the scroll."


    That wasn''t the main point, however. If his guess was correct, the owner of this scroll wasn''t the writer and what the owner left on this scroll was the true great secret that led to two Immortal Kings fighting over it. Just what secret was hidden in this scroll? Was this skeleton truly his Master?


    Xiao Chen turned his attention to the sarcophagus again. If what lay inside wasn''t his Master, why would it emanate her breath? If it was his Master, what exactly was the scroll that she gave her life to obtain? Who was the other Immortal King who fought her for it?


    Mysteries after mysteries lay before his eyes. Perhaps he must first find the scroll and undo the seal on it to unveil all mysteries.


    "Senior Fengxi, where did you find this Immortal King''s skeleton?"


    "Changyin Mountain Range."


    Changyin Mountain Range? Xiao Chen was surprised. It was that strange mountain range that he first encountered when he came here. Noticing his frown, Fengxi said, "There''s no need to think too deeply about it, my young friend. There is nothing there. Back then, I chanced upon the bones while hunting down two members of the Devil''s Practice."


    Xiao Chen sighed. It seemed to be a herculean task to find the other half of this scroll. However, he had a feeling that this scroll''s secret had something to do with him. Otherwise, why would this person who resembled his Master give her life fighting for it?


    Fengxi looked gloomy. He sighed and said, "News about this scroll and the Immortal King''s bones have been spread far and wide. Cultivators from all around are gathering in the Middle Continent. News will reach the East Continent before long. What I fear is that the news will draw the attention of the four main Devil''s sects."


    "Four main Devil''s sects?" Xiao Chen asked, frowning.


    The Elder of the Pavilion of Swords replied, "For thousands of years, mystic sects like the Thousand Feathers Sect and the Kunlun Sect have guarded the Orthodox Path. Naturally, there were also forces that couldn''t be underestimated in the Demonic Path. For example, the Blood Fiends Sect, Mystic Yin Palace, Corpse Refinery Sect, and Luosha Demon Palace."


    The Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts sighed. "These four main Devil''s sects are descended from the Archean Eon. The Elders of these sects had successfully become demons a long time ago. These four sects once overturned the entire Violet Manor. In particular, the Corpse Refinery Sect was known for its lustful endeavors. It seemed that it''s making a comeback¡­"


    Xiao Chen said, "The Demonic Path ruins the world and the living. If everyone in the Orthodox Path shirks his or her responsibility, we''ll surely be an easy force to be dealt with. I implore you to put more effort in uniting us all, Seniors."


    He began to find these old men more amiable. If he was still the same Mystic Cyan Sect disciple of yesteryears, he would surely fight the Demonic Path to his last breath. Now, however, there were too many mysteries that he had yet to unveil and he was up to his ears in work. He said, "Then please guard the Immortal King''s bones well lest they fall to the hands of the Demonic Path."


    Fengxi nodded. "That is but of course." Xiao Chen returned the scroll to him and said, "I''ll do my best in finding the other half of this scroll."


    The four old men exchanged looks and nodded at the same time. These days, unnatural phenomena were occurring all over the Violet Manor. It might look peaceful on the surface but a calamity was quietly brewing underneath. All of them understood that the secret hidden in this scroll was of vital importance.


    Xiao Chen left the underground palace with them. On their way out, he continued to feel uneasy. Earlier, he was unwilling to consider that the skeleton belonged to his Master. Even if it wasn''t, it must have something to do with her.


    When they reached the exit, the light outside was blinding. Murong Xian''er was happily playing with several female disciples of the Xianyong Sect. When she saw Xiao Chen, she cried, "Brother Xiao Chen!" and then ran over to him.


    Xiao Chen smiled and caressed her forehead. Then, he turned around to salute Fengxi and the other Elders. "Perfected Immortals, this is farewell then. Please excuse me." He grabbed Murong Xian''er''s hand and walked toward the path leading down the mountain. Murong Xian''er turned her head to wave goodbye at the other disciples.


    The nearby Xianyong Sect disciples were astonished. What conversation did this guy have with their Sect Leader and Elders that it took this long? Moreover, they appeared to be on pretty good terms.


    Just as Xiao Chen was about to leave the public square, a cyan sword''s radiance landed in front of him and blocked his way. The person was a teen at the prime of her youth dressed in a cyan dress. Her skin was as fair as snow and her eyebrows were shaped like leaves. She was an incredible beauty, despite her haughty expression.


    "What''s your name, young lady?"


    "Liu Feiyan!" Following a bellow, she thrust her cyan sword at him as quick as lightning. The sword stopped just a hair''s distance away from his midbrows.


    The nearby Xianyong Sect disciples gasped, with some yelping in surprise. Xiao Chen smiled. Pinching the blade with his fingers, he moved the sword away from his midbrows with the faintest of smiles. "What a swift sword, Miss Liu. If your sword was even an inch closer earlier, I would have died by your hands."


    Liu Feiyan bellowed, "Good that you know! Did you think you can come and go from our Xianyong Sect as you please? Today, allow me to counter your Unsullied Sword with my Falling Jade Sword!" She once again lunged at him.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "I''m sorry. I don''t have time for this." For the second time, he moved the sword away with his fingers and walked past her. Holding Murong Xian''er''s hand, he walked down the mountain indifferently.

 Chapter 189 Liu Feiyan

    Liu Feiyan was the granddaughter of the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords. She was spoiled. Even Qin Shaoyang, the eldest Senior Brother, would give in to her. Xiao Chen could have said he wasn''t interested in a sword duel with her, but he had simply walked away in front of so many people. How could she not be furious? She stamped her foot and yelled, "Stop right there! Did I say you can leave?"


    Xiao Chen continued to act as if he hadn''t heard her. An infuriated Liu Feiyan stomped her feet forcefully and shrieked, "Take this, you coward!" She transformed into a green light and flew toward him.


    The onlookers yelped in surprise. The sword moved at such an incredible speed that it looked like Liu Feiyan was determined to stab Xiao Chen to death. The Elder of the Pavilion of Swords inwardly cried in alarm. Even though Feiyan was now a Core Forming Realm cultivator, she was no match for Xiao Chen. It was likely that she would suffer in his hands. His body blurred out of sight as he dashed as quick as lightning toward them. Unfortunately, he was a step too late. In the end, the tip of Liu Feiyan''s sword still pierced Xiao Chen''s back.


    She wielded her sword at a speed rarely seen in this world. When it came to swordsmanship alone, not even Qin Shaoyang was her rival. Moreover, her Falling Jade Sword was forged by the famous swordsmith, Ou Ye from the Archean Eon. It was no ordinary sword. Its fierce aura dominated before it even arrived in the enemy''s face.


    Unfortunately for her, Xiao Chen possessed a Divine Sense that was ten times sharper than ordinary people. He knew like the back of his hand every sword movement that she made, which direction she was aiming at, and how much strength she was using.


    Just as the tip of the sword was three inches away from Xiao Chen''s back, he subtly moved his body to the left and Liu Feiyan instantly lost her target. Underneath her was the thousand-step stairs. Having not expected that he would dodge her, she instantly lost her balance.


    When she was about to fall down the stairs, Xiao Chen leaned forward and reached out to grab her wrist. He tugged on her hand with strength and pulled her back so that he firmly caught hold of her slender waist. Their chests, even their faces, were almost pressed together. Liu Feiyan was both ashamed and furious. She raised her sword, about to strike.


    Xiao Chen put his fingers together to pinch the blade of the sword. He smiled. "Miss Liu, I did you a favor by pulling you up and yet you wish to kill me?"


    He didn''t move as he spoke, still leaning forward and not letting go of Liu Feiyan. By then, the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords and a few hundred Xianyong Sect disciples had arrived to witness this. Fury instantly rose in the Elder. Were it not for Fengxi holding him back, he would have already gone up to Xiao Chen and slashed him into pieces.


    The male disciples who had a crush on Liu Feiyan were also raging. They wanted nothing more than to get down there and kill Xiao Chen. Both furious and ashamed, Liu Feiyan struck his waist with a palm attack. Despite knowing that he would surely shove her down the stairs after this attack, she couldn''t be bothered with the consequences now.


    Her palm attack was fairly strong, instantly sending a numbing sensation down Xiao Chen''s lower half. Just as he was about to instinctively release Liu Feiyan, he suppressed the numbness and forcefully sent her back to the platform. She fell to the ground. Even though she didn''t know why he didn''t take advantage of the moment to shove her down the stairs, she was still mad. When she tried to attack him again, the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords intervened with a dark expression. "Enough! Have you finished making a fool of yourself?"


    Liu Feiyan stomped her feet and protested coquettishly. "But Grandpa¡­" She pointed to Xiao Chen''s back as she said, "I challenge you to a life-and-death battle at the central square of Xianyong City in three days! You''re a coward if you don''t show up!"


    Right then, some male disciples began echoing her words. "Don''t dodge if you have the guts!" They were sure that their Sixth Junior Sister had merely underestimated Xiao Chen earlier. In an actual battle, Xiao Chen undoubtedly wouldn''t be able to even withstand ten of her attacks.


    Only a dozen or so disciples who had witnessed Xiao Chen''s swordsmanship yesterday knew that something very bad was about to happen.


    Ignoring the shouting and jeering behind him, Xiao Chen reached out and waved. No one knew if he was bidding them farewell or answering the challenge.


    Back in the city, Xiao Chen went around asking about the Changyin Mountain Range and got all sorts of versions. Some said that the place was transformed out of the body of a great god from the Archean Eon after death. Some said that it was the result of the terrain change caused by the great war thousands of years ago.


    What surprised him was that the Changyin Mountain Range didn''t simply link the East and Middle Continents. It entwined around the entire Middle Continent, crossing dozens of nations and linking even the major lands of the West, South, and North Continents. Moreover, whenever the mountain range crossed, dark clouds were sure to follow with fine weather nowhere to be seen.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help frowning. According to the ancient records, the Five Continents were separate entities divided by oceans a long time ago. However, at some point in history, the Changyin Mountain Range appeared and seemingly forcefully linked the Five Continents together.


    More and more, he had the feeling that someone had purposefully laid down a formation using the continents. The mountain range where Fengxi found the ancient scroll was located thousands of miles away from here, in a nation called Cangming. It appeared that there were quite a few remarkable events that stirred up the entire nation happening in Cangming State. That would make it his next destination, so he could find the other half of the scroll.


    The two of them strolled around the city until the sunset. Like a little fairy, Murong Xian''er bounced around in high spirits as she walked. She attracted quite a few doting gazes. Xiao Chen smiled. Perhaps such a carefree Xian''er was the true Xian''er. He wished she would always stay this way.


    It was nighttime when they returned to the tavern. Xiao Chen carefully scanned the map in his left hand to determine the road to his next destination. Simultaneously, he also considered the fact that his Master had once visited the Human World a thousand years ago. If the Immortal King''s skeleton he saw today had been deceased for more than a thousand years, that meant there was a chance that it wasn''t his Master. However, it was anyone''s guess as to why the skeleton possessed his Master''s breath.


    The next day, after putting everything into order, Murong Xian''er propped her chin on her palms while sitting at the table. Seeing that he was packing up, she said, "Aren''t you going to duel Sister Feiyan the day after tomorrow?"


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "What''s the point of the duel? So what if I win or lose? It''s just a child''s game."


    "But she made it clear that you''re a coward if you don''t go."


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. He placed his folded clothing into his bag and replied, "I have seen too many pampered and haughty young ladies like her. You know how arrogant Shangguan Yan is. In the end, I still managed to subdue her completely. We don''t have to bother with Liu Feiyan."


    Murong Xian''er blinked. "I will tell Sister Yan that when we get back."


    Stunned, Xiao Chen soon shook his head and smiled. He hoisted the bag on his shoulder and pulled Murong Xian''er out of the door. After settling the bill at the counter, the two of them walked out to the street. Sure enough, the news had already spread far and wide about Liu Feiyan¡¯s duel with Xiao Chen. Quite a few gambling houses were even taking bets on the winner.


    His appearance had also been described after two days. Thus, the moment they stepped on the street, a crowd began to gather around them.


    "Excuse me, are you Xiao Chen? What do you think about your upcoming duel? Do you feel a lot of pressure?"


    "Even though the number of people betting on Liu Feiyan''s victory has exceeded 10,000 today, you mustn''t despair. Even if you lose..."


    "Sorry, you got the wrong person." Xiao Chen hastily pulled Xian''er away from the crowd, wondering who the hell these people were. Before the crowd could regather, he speedily found a horse carriage service, booked a carriage, and made his way out of the city.


    Meanwhile, in a small courtyard inside the Xianyong Sect, Qin Shaoyang said, "Sixth Junior Sister, are you really going to duel him? Our Master had given his orders yesterday. Even if we can''t find the other half of the scroll, we''re to head to the Cangming State as soon as possible and start our investigation. There''s no time to waste. Moreover, next month there''s also..."


    Liu Feiyan raised her hand. "Enough! No matter what, I''m teaching that b*stard a lesson!"


    The moment she recalled how Xiao Chen treated her in front of everyone yesterday, she felt a bitter resentment. Little did she know that the person that she despised to the core was comfortably lying inside a horse carriage while enjoying the scenery outside the city.

 Chapter 190 Reencountering Gui Xian

    The road was even, making their carriage journey a smooth one. The woods that lined the road were filled with animals like fawns. They weren''t terrified by human beings'' presence. Murong Xian''er was excited when she spotted a fawn that glowed in five colors. She pointed at it and exclaimed, "Look, Brother Xiao Chen! That fawn is so pretty!"


    Xiao Chen, who was laying on his chest on the window, chuckled. He had heard that there were frequent unnatural phenomena in Cangming State lately. Tens of thousands of auspicious lights would gleam at night at the Changyin Mountain Range outside the capital city of Canglan, drawing the frenzied attention of all the cultivators in the vicinity.


    In addition, people had been left guessing after learning that the Xianyong Sect had obtained half an ancient scroll and the skeleton of an Immortal King. They wondered if the unnatural phenomena were an indication of another Immortal King manifesting, if the formation left behind by the Ancient Immortal Clan had been activated, or if an extraordinary treasure was being born. This resulted in all sorts of rumors and speculations, drawing the interest of not only cultivators around Canglan City but also those from the other continents.


    Three days later, their horse carriage finally neared Canglan City when it was dark out. The queue to enter the city resembled a lengthy dragon. On the city wall tower stood a mighty-looking middle-aged man whose clothes rustled in the wind. Earlier, two Core Forming Realm cultivators tried to force an entry into the city but swiftly killed by his flying sword.


    Cangming State wasn''t large by any means, but it was formidable enough that its neighboring countries wouldn''t easily provoke it. The reason was Canglan City. The city wasn''t open to the public like Xianyong City; everyone who wished to enter the city was subject to inspection. This was because a formidable force existed within the city walls: Zuoqiu Clan.


    In the city, Zuoqiu Clan was king. Those knew better dared not to cause trouble in the city because it was rumored that there was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator holding down the fort in the clan. Troublemakers were either killed or expelled from the city by cultivators dispatched by the clan.


    After joining the queue, Xiao Chen immediately sensed a familiar breath. That breath appeared to have originated from somewhere up front: a cloaked young man also in the queue.


    Nearly 30 minutes later, he smoothly made his way to enter the city and swiftly caught up with the cloaked young man. Behind him, Xiao Chen whispered, "Senior Gui Xian."


    Frightened, the young man immediately whipped around with a shocked expression. "Xiao Chen, it''s you!" Even though he looked young, his voice was like an old man''s. It was Gui Xian, the one who had once saved Xiao Chen''s life.


    "Shh!" Xiao Chen placed a finger at his lips. "This isn''t the place to talk. Let''s go." The three of them made their way into an inspection room, found a quiet spot inside, and sat down.


    "Senior Gui Xian, why are you here?"


    Gui Xian shook his head, sighing. He had a wry expression as he replied, "I need a suitable corporeal body or the Soul Wardens from the Administration of Heaven will certainly capture me when the day nears."


    Xiao Chen understood what he meant. Gui Xian was now a spiritual being. The body of this young man that he was inhabiting wasn''t a victory. His soul was now simply attached to the body and he wouldn''t be able to maintain such a state for long. Murong Xian''er observed Gui Xian with great interest. She grinned and said, "So it''s you, Grandpa¡­"


    Xiao Chen immediately put a finger to his lips to shush her. She stuck her tongue out and said nothing else. Gui Xian glanced at her, alarm evident in his eyes. In a trembling voice, he said, "Young lady, are you also¡­" He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.


    Xiao Chen frowned. "Senior Gui Xian, are you here for the Immortal King''s body in the rumors?"


    Gui Xian sighed but soon nodded. Xiao Chen was shocked that Gui Xian wanted to resurrect himself using the body of an Immortal King. If he truly succeeded, wouldn''t he instantly gain half the strength of an Immortal King? This thought was too daring. Never mind if a complete corpse of an Immortal King truly existed. Even if it existed, how could an Immortal King¡ªeven a dead one¡ªallow someone else to obtain his or her body?


    Gui Xian''s expression suddenly turned somber, with hatred swimming in his eyes. "It''s all because of him. I recently learned that he didn''t really die back then. When the people from the Administration of Heaven hunted him down, they allowed a sliver of his soul to flee. Now, he has regained a physical body before me! He''s even an expectant Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!"


    Seeing that he was getting more agitated as he spoke, Xiao Chen immediately placed a soundproofing Barrier in the corner. He asked quietly, "May I ask who is it, Senior?"


    "Hehe! He''s the father of that man on the city gate tower, Zuoqiu Ping!"


    Xiao Chen''s heart jolted with surprise. So someone from the Zuoqiu family was responsible for killing all 13 members of Gui Xian''s family. The person in the city gate tower already possessed the strength of a late-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator. It wouldn''t be strange if his father, Zuoqiu Ping, was an expectant Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Moreover, there seemed to be another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in their family. It was no wonder that Gui Xian wanted the Immortal King''s body. His revenge wouldn''t stand a chance otherwise.


    After briefly pondering over this, Xiao Chen asked, "What do you plan to do next, Senior?"


    "I''m heading north of the city and get to the Changyin Mountain Range from there." Gui Xian paused momentarily before looking at him. "What about you? Why are you here? Don''t tell me you''re also here for the Immortal King''s body. Your body is much more valuable than that."


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a wry smile. "It''s a long story that''s not worth a mention." It didn''t matter whether it was the Immortal King''s body or the ancient scroll. In the end, what he sought for was none other than traces of his Master.


    Gui Xian nodded. "Alright. I''ll excuse myself then. Let''s not go together. I don''t want to trouble you if they happen to detect my breath."


    Xiao Chen nodded as well. "Okay. I''ll be heading to the Changyin Mountain Range tomorrow as well. Let''s meet inside." He handed Gui Xian a piece of jade. "Keep this. Shatter this tomorrow and I''ll be able to pinpoint your location."


    Gui Xian accepted the piece of jade and put it away in his bosom. With one final nod, he stood up and walked away. He didn''t walk far before he suddenly turned around and said quietly, "That reminds me. You should be careful. I don''t know if I was mistaken but I felt two of their people are secretly watching you."


    Naturally, Xiao Chen understood that Gui Xian was referring to the Zuoqiu family. He nodded and replied, "Thank you for the warning, Senior."


    Gui Xian said nothing and walked out of the inspection room. Moments later, when the sky was about to darken, Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er exited the room as well. Canglan City was fairly large and it would likely take them a considerable amount of time to rush to the northern part of the city. After wandering around for a while and checking if there was any room in the taverns, they finally found space in a rather expensive tavern.


    Murong Xian''er was pretty tired after their three-day travel and was no longer as excited as she was before. They had a simple meal and swiftly returned to their rooms on the second floor. The walls were pretty thin here, so it remained noisy even deep into the night. The conversations mostly revolved around recent incidents related to the Changyin Mountain Range.


    "Sigh, what bad luck! I''ve been searching for three days but still came up empty! I was even tormented by those venomous bugs and fierce beasts on the mountain!"


    "Don''t be hasty! We can continue tomorrow!"


    "That''s right. I heard the palace was from the Archean Eon. Surely, there are formations and Barriers protecting it. How can we find the body if we don''t search carefully?"


    The voices gradually turned louder. Murong Xian''er tossed around in bed with a frown on her face. She pouted. "I can''t sleep, Brother Xiao Chen."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. He stopped listening to their neighbors'' conversation and placed a soundproofing Barrier around them. The room instantly descended into silence. Murong Xian''er giggled. "Good night, Brother Xiao Chen."


    "Yeah. Good night, Xian''er." Xiao Chen blew out the candle on the table, walked to the other bed, and lay down.


    All was well throughout the night. After a simple breakfast the next morning, the duo made their way to the northern side of the city. It was even more boisterous there with an endless stream of people coming in. Most of them were cultivators. Even though it was a mixed crowd of good and evil, no one dared to cause trouble in the city.


    Murong Xian''er regained much of her spirit after a night''s rest. She was full of vigor throughout the journey. Whenever she saw something interesting and fun, she would undoubtedly go and touch it. Xiao Chen had long gotten used to her behavior. He merely followed after her quietly with a smile.


    Suddenly, two young men appeared at the junction and Murong Xian''er crashed into one of them in a moment of carelessness. She lifted her head, about to ask who he was and why did he block her path. However, the young man was staring straight at Xiao Chen. He said, "Our Young Master invites you to a meeting at the House of Intoxicated Immortals."


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. These two were both at the late-stage of Foundation Building Realm. Moreover, he was new to the Middle Continent and didn''t know anyone here. Who would find him? Thus, he asked, "Oh? Who''s your Young Master?"


    The young man replied, "You''ll have your answer when you get there."


    Xiao Chen replied emotionlessly, "Sorry, I don''t have the time." He grabbed Murong Xian''er''s hand and pulled her toward the other end of the street. When they were about 15 to 20 meters away, they heard the young man tell them, "Please halt."


    Xiao Chen didn''t turn his head. Suddenly, he heard the rustle of wind behind him as an object flew at him at an incredible speed. He lifted his hand and pressed his two fingers together, instantly catching the object. He saw that it was the jade that he gave Gui Xian yesterday.


    He crushed the jade into dust noisily and said emotionlessly, "Lead the way."


    The two young men said nothing and immediately motioned for him to follow them. Xiao Chen walked over and followed them through seven or eight streets, all the way to a bustling street filled with courtesan houses.


    Seductive fragrance permeated the air. The buildings that lined both sides of the street were built in a rather curious manner, with many beautiful women on the balcony of the second floor tossing petals. It was as if it was raining flower petals here.


    Toward the end of the street, Xiao Chen saw a large and magnificent building with ten stories. When he looked up, he saw the words "House of Intoxicated Immortals" written boldly on the building.

 Chapter 191 Zuoqiu Ze

    Xiao Chen followed the two young men to the fourth floor, where music soon entered his ears. When he entered the room, exotic fragrance invaded his nostrils. He saw two zither players sitting near the wall. In between the players were seven dancers with alluring figures in the midst of a performance. In the center seat was a young man in golden brocade, with two breathtakingly beautiful dancers partially lying down on the couch as they pour him wine.


    The two gorgeous dancers put on seductive smiles when they saw Xiao Chen approach, unveiling their fair thighs. A strange glint crossed his pupils but he swiftly calmed himself. These two women possessed such strong enchanting powers. The two zither players were no ordinary people either; their cultivation was in the late-stage Foundation Building Realm. They had swords hidden under their zithers.


    "Why have you summoned me?"


    The young man in the golden brocade chuckled and said serenely, "There''s no hurry. We can talk after a cup of wine." With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a wine cup flew toward Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen raised his hand and the wine cup became frozen in midair. The fine wine inside the cup spilled none over the floor.


    "Forget the wine. Where is he?"


    The young man in the golden brocade laughed. "What''s wrong? Don''t you want to know who I am and what business I have with you?"


    Xiao Chen replied emotionlessly, "Nope. Please hand my friend over now. I can pretend as if nothing has happened."


    "Outrageous!" The young man in the golden brocade raised his head to laugh. His gaze subsequently turned icy. "Do you have the right to talk to me that way right now? You may be able to walk in here today, but I fear you won''t be able to walk out!"


    The moment he finished speaking, an ominous glint flashed in his eyes. The key of the music that the two zither players were producing suddenly changed as well. It turned to the song "Ten-sided Ambush". Following a series of clanging sounds, the seven dancers unveiled swords in their hands. The glint of the blades was blinding.


    Murong Xian''er turned pale. Xiao Chen said placidly, "What, you''re planning to keep me here with just this group of people?" He sounded as serene as ever as if he didn''t consider them worthy opponents at all.


    "Take this!" one of the dancers bellowed as she abruptly lunged at him with her sword. The cold glint was striking, unveiling the entirety of her murderous aura. Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves, instantly unleashing his psychokinesis ability. At such a short distance, a mid-stage Foundation Building Realm cultivator was merely a nobody in his eyes.


    It was as if a large, intangible hand had appeared midair, grabbing hold of the dancer and locking her there. Her thin clothes couldn''t hide her nether regions. She looked pained. Xiao Chen shoved her with his palm and sent her flying.


    "Clang! Clang!" The two zithers sounds reverberated. The two zither players abruptly pulled out their swords from under their zithers and stabbed Xiao Chen''s back.


    Xiao Chen scoffed and once again flicked his sleeves. It was as if the two zither players had sunk into mud, with their movements becoming slower and slower until it became nearly impossible for them to walk. The point of the swords finally stopped when they were an inch away from Xiao Chen''s back.


    When he pinched his five fingers, a clanging sound shattered the air as the swords in the zither players'' hands broke into seven or eight pieces. Blood sprayed from their mouth at the same time as if they had suffered great pressure. They were thrown backwards.


    "Just tell me who you are."


    The eyes of the young man in the gold brocade turned cold. He said solemnly, "I''m Zuoqiu Ze! I''m here on someone''s request to take your life!" He rose to his feet and lunged at Xiao Chen like a white orb of light.


    Explosive sounds reverberated as the two of them collided. Dust slowly fell from the roof beams. The entire House of Intoxicated Immortals shook as if it was about to collapse. Xiao Chen was rather alarmed. He never thought that his opponent would be a mid-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator.


    Similarly, Zuoqiu Ze didn''t expect Xiao Chen to be as powerful as rumored. The later looked like an early-stage Foundation Building Realm cultivator but in fact, possessed the strength of a mid-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator. He stopped underestimating Xiao Chen. The air suddenly went out of focus as a talisman seal materialized in his hand out of the blue. He threw it at Xiao Chen with force.


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. He could sense the terrifying force imbued in that talisman seal. The seal was the product of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and its actual power was unimaginable. Unleashing his Immortal-override Steps, he ran away. A muffled explosion resounded and sawdust instantly flew across the room. Everything around the spot where he stood earlier had been reduced into fine powder.


    Deep inside, Xiao Chen began to feel fear. The rumor that there was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in the Zuoqiu family was true. But before he could ponder about it, a formidable breath appeared in the corridor outside the room. He understood that he alone was incapable of rescuing Gui Xian today. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed Murong Xian''er. The moment he unveiled his Phoenix''s Wings, he fled the room from the window.


    With the flicker of a silhouette, a cyan-robed middle-aged man suddenly appeared inside the room. Frowning, he said solemnly, "Young Ze, what are you doing?! The House Master has ordered us not to use force within these few days!"


    Zuoqiu Ze chuckled. "If we capture that man today, Ling Ruoxu will surely owe our family a huge favor. This is an excellent deal. Well, I''m off to catch him. Rest assured, Second Uncle." With that said, he transformed into a sword radiance and disappeared from the room.


    Xiao Chen heard the conversation loud and clear. So it was the Ling family again. No wonder Ling Jingshan said someone was going to deal with him before fleeing. Was Ling Jingshan referring to the Zuoqiu family?


    While he mulled over the matter, his feet had already carried him several hundred feet away from the building. The cultivators in the city were all dumbstruck to see him flitting past. When they saw that the Young Master of the Zuoqiu family was chasing after him, they began discussing and gossiping about it.


    When Xiao Chen was about one hundred feet away from the north city gate, Zuoqiu Ze yelled, "Stop him! I promise a generous reward!"


    Dozens of Zuoqiu family''s disciples immediately unsheathed their flying swords to stop Xiao Chen when they saw him flying in their direction. Xiao Chen carried Murong Xian''er with one hand and waved with great force with the other, sending a formidable force downward. The force instantly sent the disciples who tried to stop him flying.


    By the time they made out of the north city gate, forty to fifty Zuoqiu family''s disciples were chasing after them. Xiao Chen started flying at his top speed. The pair of Phoenix''s Wings was a gift from Liu Fenghuang. Its speed was determined by his cultivation. When he had flown nearly 25 kilometers, he suddenly sensed a great True Energy fluctuation behind him. It was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!


    Out of the blue, a massive shadow appeared on the ground as a gigantic sword covered part of the sun. Dark fog swirled around the blade. It suddenly lunged for Xiao Chen''s back, nearly ripping apart the void as it did. Its powerful momentum instantly enveloped everything around him. Under this attack, everything was reduced into nothingness.


    This great force also made it nearly impossible for Xiao Chen to move. Right then, the blaze of the Phoenix''s Wings on his back suddenly flared up. In a split second, the wings carried him more than 3 hundred meters away.


    The sword descended alongside the rumbling of thunder as if it was about to hack heaven and earth. The ground all around cracked, sending dirt flying everywhere. The sword created a gorge on the ground that was several hundred feet long. In the distance, a hill was also flattened by this force.


    Zuoqiu Ze narrowed his eyes. "Interesting, to think he managed to escape my Dark Soul Carnage." He stared fixedly at the Phoenix''s Wings on Xiao Chen''s back as he spoke. He vowed to steal that mystical flying equipment no matter the cost.


    He was currently wielding a sword with dark fog swirling around it. It was the magic treasure that his great-grandfather, Zuoqiu Ming, forged: Dark Soul Sword. The reason it could unleash the power of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was that Zuoqiu Ming had imbued a fair amount of magic power in it.


    "I''d love to see how many times your magic treasure can help you escape! I need to see if it''s worth the effort of stealing it!" With a bellow from him, the Dark Soul Sword in his hand emitted the cry of an animal and once again flew into the sky. It became larger and larger until the existing force all around surged and gale whizzed nonstop.


    Xiao Chen''s figure blurred. In an instant, he transformed into a drawn-out light that flew forward. Right then, his opponent possessed a magic treasure imbued with magic power at the Nascent Soul Realm level. It didn''t matter what he did; he was no match for Zuoqiu Ze.


    The two of them flew at a tremendous pace and were hundreds of miles away from the city in barely any time at all. Each time Zuoqiu Ze''s Dark Soul Sword soared into the sky, Xiao Chen would end up escaping. This annoyed him immensely. He was, after all, a mid-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator who was also using a magic treasure that his great-grandfather gifted him. Yet, this time, he was unable to capture a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator. If this became known, it would become the greatest joke in the world. He became determined to kill Xiao Chen.


    Previously, he had simply received news from the Ling family. He had planned on buying the favor of the House Master of the Ling family, Ling Ruoxu, with this matter. More importantly, Xiao Chen had gained quite a reputation recently. He wanted to kill Xiao Chen and get famous.


    Even though Zuoqiu Ze became a level four Core Forming Realm cultivator at a young age, the Zuoqiu clan was so large that he never enjoyed an important position in it. If not for his great-grandfather being a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he would likely descend into complete obscurity in the clan. It upset him greatly that a nobody could gain such great reputation while a Young Master from the Zuoqiu family like him remained virtually unknown.


    After seeing the pair of Phoenix''s Wings on Xiao Chen''s back and his eccentric cultivation methods, Zuoqiu Ze''s murderous intent deepened even further.

 Chapter 192 When the Enemy Advances, I Retreat; When the Enemy Becomes Weary, I Strike

    Both Xiao Chen and Zuoqiu Ze exhausted their True Energy in making sure they were flying at their top speed. Nearly an hour later, the fair weather abruptly darkened and a mountain range enveloped in dark clouds came into sight.


    Xiao Chen landed on the fringe of the mountain range to catch his breath. He put away the Phoenix''s Wings on his back. When he turned around, he saw that Zuoqiu Ze had caught up to him. He chuckled and said, "You''re pretty brave, aren''t you? You dare to stand up to me alone until now."


    Zuoqiu Ze sneered. "Naturally, I''ve investigated you thoroughly before hunting you down. I know you possess a set of incredibly powerful Devilish Skills but every time you use them, you''ll suffer great harm. More importantly, you''ll be the one to die if you can''t kill me within a certain period of time."


    He was, of course, right. It was true that Xiao Chen dared not rashly use the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements and Heaven''s Talisman. This place was still within the range of Zuoqiu family''s power. Even if he used Heaven''s Talisman, he still wasn''t a match for the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in that family.


    "I don''t need to use it to defeat you."


    Zuoqiu Ze narrowed his eyes. He suddenly realized that even though he was a Core Forming Realm cultivator, he had to consume elixirs to replenish his True Energy while chasing after Xiao Chen. Why was it different for Xiao Chen? It didn''t make sense even if he had a flying magic treasure aiding him.


    It was at this moment that he noticed 12 faint white radiances flowing on his body. He couldn''t help gasping in shock. Instantly, his gaze turned burning hot.


    "You possess 12 complete Spiritual Meridians? Haha! Thanks for the free Spiritual Meridians!"


    Zuoqiu Ze was now both surprised and overjoyed. To him, Xiao Chen himself was a treasure. Not only did the latter own a mystical flying magic treasure and strange cultivation methods, but he also possessed 12 complete Spiritual Meridians. If he got his hands on those Spiritual Meridians and refined them, he would certainly break through to the last-stage Core Forming Realm within a year.


    When that happened, no one in the Zuoqiu family would be able to look down on him. Thinking about this made Zuoqiu Ze even more agitated. He pointed with his left hand and shot a white light from his fingertip. Xiao Chen''s figure blurred as he dragged Murong Xian''er aside to dodge the attack. Following a thumping sound, the light crushed a large tree behind him.


    "Hehe, what a speedy reaction!" Zuoqiu Ze sneered. Just as he was about to use his sword, he detected a white radiance flying toward him. It was too late for him to dodge, but a seal talisman suddenly flew from his bosom. In the air, the seal talisman transformed into a Barrier and helped him block the ambushing white radiance.


    Though shocked, Zuoqiu Ze narrowed his eyes to get a better look. When he saw that it was a white sword coated in Immortal Qi from ancient times, he became startled. If not for his grandfather''s amulet, the sword would have long injured him.


    Simultaneously, his gaze began to burn hot with envy. Even though his Dark Soul Sword was powerful, it ultimately owed its strength to his great-grandfather''s powers in it. Once its existing power was exhausted, it would become no different from ordinary swords. The white flying sword in front of him, on the other hand, was an actual ancient treasure.


    Xiao Chen scoffed on the inside after noticing that Zuoqiu Ze began to covet his Unsullied Immortal Sword as well. This man was truly a piece of trash that could only depend on his treasure. Immediately, Xiao Chen waved his Unsullied Sword. With a sneer, he pulled Murong Xian''er and dashed into the woods.


    Zuoqiu Ze''s anger flared when he saw that Xiao Chen was looking down on him. His figure blurred out of sight as he chased after them.


    Despite not seeing sunlight all year round, the trees in this forest nonetheless towered over everything. In fact, the dense forest was rather frightening. The wilted leaves piled up high enough to form a thick layer on the ground and the air was permeated by the pungent smell of decay. Moreover, there were also pupils emanating a green glint in the darkness.


    Xiao Chen traveled by foot, pulling Murong Xian''er with him, for quite some time. Then, he saw a thin layer of mist shrouding the area up ahead, making it impossible for him to see the end of the woods. If it wasn''t the work of a goblin or a monster, then it was surely the miasma of this forest.


    It seemed that this place was undoubtedly the Changyin Mountain Range. It was only now that Xiao Chen understood why ordinary folks wouldn''t dare to come here. Even cultivators who possessed extraordinary skills wouldn''t come here for no good reason. Never mind the dangerously venomous bugs that crawled all over this place. Just breathing in the miasma here for a moment too long would damage one''s cultivation or even take one''s life.


    He first cast a protective True Qi on him and Xian''er before walking deeper into the forest. It took them about 15 minutes to walk out of the miasma-shrouded part of the woods. Their subsequent path seemed to become more and more curious.


    Zuoqiu Ze chased after them all the way to the miasma-shrouded woods. There, he gradually stopped in his tracks. Crossing this poisonous forest was equivalent to truly entering the Changyin Mountain Range. In the past, his grandfather had repeatedly warned him not to enter this place. Even with the many unnatural phenomena taking place in the mountain range, no one from the Zuoqiu family stepped foot there.


    It wasn''t because the depths of the mountain range were filled with unknown creatures. The truth was that there seemed to be a terrifying curse there. Rumors had it that many people died in this mountain range during the great war of the Archean Eon, including highly-skilled Immortals.


    The build-up of resentment gradually formed a maleficent grand formation, resulting in dark clouds over the mountain range all year round. Those who touched the maleficent energy would transform into grieving spirits roaming the area. They could only reincarnate after finding a scapegoat.


    Even though these rumors sounded outrageous, fewer and fewer cultivators entered the mountain range. Fewer still came out alive. Zuoqiu Ze was feeling uncertain but he was fixated on Xiao Chen''s treasures. More importantly, if he returned empty-handed this time, he would surely incur mockery from others.


    Thinking of this, he clenched his teeth and steeled his will to kill Xiao Chen. He immediately placed protective True Qi on himself and entered the poisonous forest.


    Four hours later, Xiao Chen arrived at a wilted forest. He shuttled back and forth the forest in every direction, placing countless Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formations. Murong Xian''er, using her formation proficiency, helped him conceal the formations'' power fluctuation.


    After completing all these, they looked at each other and broke out into smiles. It was as if they weren''t currently being hunted down. Murong Xian''er stuck out her tongue at him. "That''s enough. The bad guy is on his way, you know? Let''s leave now, Brother Xiao Chen!" They immediately fled far away.


    It didn''t take Zuoqiu Ze long to arrive at the wilted forest. The golden brocade that he was wearing was torn in quite a few places. Resentment colored his expression. In the past four hours, he had exchanged blows with Xiao Chen a few times. Each time, Xiao Chen would show up out of nowhere to ambush him and then run away with his strange footwork. This annoyed him immensely.


    Holding his Dark Soul Sword, he cautiously entered the wilted forest. He picked up pace after making sure that Xiao Chen wasn''t hiding here. Unexpectedly, before he could go far, a loud explosion resounded and the forest instantly combusted into flames. A wave of burning-hot Qi swept in his direction.


    He made a backward flip in his shock. However, he stepped on something after landing on the ground, prompting a great force to break out from underneath. This time, the outbreak of power instantly sent him flying. Were it not for his several protective magic treasures, he would have been bombed until he was bruised and bloody.


    The explosions resounded one after another, creating countless pits on the ground of the wilted forest. Zuoqiu Ze might have magic treasures and talismans protecting him, but he was nonetheless reduced to a pathetic state this time. Even though he didn''t suffer severe injuries, his face was scorched black and his golden brocade was in tatters after all those explosions.


    "B*stard! Don''t let me catch you or I swear I''ll skin you alive!" Zuoqiu Ze was shaking with resentment. He had never been played for a fool in this manner in his entire life. Now, he wanted nothing more than to torment and kill Xiao Chen.


    He also noticed that the girl with Xiao Chen had abundant spirit energy despite her apparent lack of cultivation. The girl must have concealed all the formations to prevent him from detecting them.


    "D*mn it! Girl, I''ll be sure to teach you a good lesson after catching you!" His voice reverberated in the deserted valley, lingering for a long time.


    In the distant, Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er burst into laughter after hearing the noise coming from behind them. She blinked her large eyes and asked, "Brother Xiao, what does he mean by ''teaching me a good lesson''?"


    Xiao Chen knocked lightly on her forehead. "Forget that. Let''s go! We can''t let him catch up to us!" Zuoqiu Ze possessed too many treasures and talismans. They must not be caught in a direct confrontation.


    Murong Xian''er rubbed her forehead and said to herself, "Oh, alright then. I''ll ask Sister Yan when we get back."


    Thus, they began running again. Less than an hour later, they arrived at the bottom of a particular mountain where a clear spring gradually turned into a brook as it flowed downward. The water was limpid and cool. They refreshed themselves with a few sips of the spring water. An idea hit Xiao Chen and he placed a Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formation in the water.


    Murong Xian''er burst into laughter and cast a spell in a well-practiced manner to conceal the energy fluctuation of the formation. They then returned to the shore and ran toward a boulder concealed behind the plants, feeling like they had done something naughty.

 Chapter 193 The Depths of the Mountain Range

    Zuoqiu Ze arrived at the same spot moments later, having traced Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er. He scanned his surroundings but saw no one. He believed that they hadn''t gone far but he was both parched and exhausted after chasing after them for half the day. Naturally, he was tempted after seeing the clear spring. Just as he was about to walk toward the shore, he became suspicious of traps. He laughed out loud and said, "I saw you, b*stard! Let''s see where you''ll run this time! Die!"


    Murong Xian''er jumped in fright. She was about to stand up when Xiao Chen immediately stopped her. He shook his head at her.


    Zuoqiu Ze perked up his ears to listen. When he heard no sound of movement, he laughed loudly again. "I caught you, little girl! Be obedient and come back with me to receive your lesson!"


    He got up to all sorts of antics on the shore by himself. Perhaps he was worn out by his one-man show and perhaps it was because he received no response at all. After determining that the duo hadn''t laid down traps for him here, he immediately walked to the creek. Just as he was about to cup some water in his hands, he suddenly noticed water marks on the ground. He took a few steps downward but didn''t go far before he shook his head and returned.


    He took out his sword and stirred the water with it. Only after seeing that nothing strange was happening that he felt comfortable enough to get down and touch the water. Unexpectedly, the second he came into contact with the water, a column of fire flared up from underneath. A loud explosion resounded, the blast sending him flying more than 30 meters high.


    Zuoqiu Ze was as startled as he was furious. What shocked him was the white radiance flying at him. Fortunately, his cultivation was reasonably high. With a quick maneuver of his hand, his Dark Soul Sword also detected the white radiance. It flew in front of him, blocking the ambushing sword, and then in the direction that the ambushing sword came from. He instantly spotted Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er behind the boulder and yelled angrily, "Bastard! I swear I''ll kill all nine generations of your family!"


    His clothes were in tatters and his face was scorched black. Blood kept flowing down his nose. Half of his hair was burned to a crisp, with the other half was burned to a curl. Even though he wasn''t respected in his clan, at least he had his grandfather and great-grandfather doting on him. More importantly, his time outside the clan was never without grandeur. Who had ever seen him in such a pathetic state?


    The moment he considered that everything was the work of a mere Foundation Building Realm brat, his anger reached its peak. He must not allow Xiao Chen to leave the Changyin Mountain Range alive today. If news spread about this, he as the Young Master of the Zuoqiu family wouldn''t have the face to stay in Canglan City.


    With a strong wave of his hand, a golden seal talisman flew toward the boulder that Xiao Chen was hiding behind. The talisman was the size of a palm and radiated a golden glow. Its surface was scribbled with all sorts of strange script. It was covered in layer upon layer of mystic arts with a straightforward fixation on engulfing all living things in this world.


    "This is bad," Xiao Chen thought. The power of a seal talisman refined by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was undoubtedly extraordinary. He unleashed his Immortal-override Steps, dragging Murong Xian''er with him, to dodge to the side. However, they had run no more than 30 meters away when he sensed a strong suction force from behind. The force was dragging him back to his previous location.


    His Divine Sense swept the area behind him. What he saw was everything, be it the boulders or towering ancient trees, being sucked into the golden seal talisman.


    Zuoqiu Ze was acting like a madman. He laughed heartily and said, "B*stard! I don''t want your treasures anymore; I want your life!"


    Xiao Chen was astonished. This reminded him of an ancient magic treasure called the Golden Dipper of Time. Inside the Golden Dipper of Time was a space-time itself that was capable of sucking in all living things in the world. No god, immortal, demon, or devil could escape once they were caught in the space-time. Xiao Chen began to fear that Zuoqiu Ze''s seal talisman contained a space-time.


    Once he was sucked into the space-time, not only would his body be crushed immediately, but his soul would also be digested within 24 hours.


    Gale whizzed all around. They were close to being sucked into the time-space. Just as Xiao Chen was worrying about coming up with a countermeasure, Murong Xian''er suddenly said, "Brother Xiao Chen, didn''t Senior Mo Xuan, the Timekeeper, gave you a mirror?"


    Only then did Xiao Chen recall that the Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos that Moxuan Zi gave him. He pressed his fingers together, recited an incantation, and immediately lifted the mirror. Back when Moxuan Zi gifted him this mirror, the former had already taught him its usage and Divine Incantation. Following his spell, the mirror started enlarging in the air until its two sides¡ªone black, one white¡ªwere revealed.


    The black side of the mirror instantly emitted a drawn-out ray of black light at the seal talisman. The talisman rapidly expanded until it exploded loudly and swept its surroundings with a wave of violent force. Everything that came into contact with this force disintegrated into dust in a split second.


    Zuoqiu Ze''s expression changed drastically. Even though he was prepared for the explosion, his arm was nonetheless injured the moment he tried to dodge. Without his protective talisman, he feared he would likely be badly mutilated by now.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was situated even closer to where the explosion took place. It was impossible for him to grab Murong Xian''er and escape the place at such short notice. However, the white side of the Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos suddenly emitted a white radiance, enveloping them both in its glow. The light caused every force that hit it to rebound. When the gale all around finally quieted down, the mirror shook and fell onto Xiao Chen''s hands. It turned into a regular mirror again.


    In the distant, Zuoqiu Ze was beyond furious that the talisman that he used had nearly taken his life while his target had escaped unscathed. He was both angry and resentful. He forcefully squeezed out fresh blood from his battered arm and wiped it on his Dark Soul Sword. Then, he began reciting spells nonstop.


    In an instant, the Dark Soul Sword transformed into a 300-meters long shadow of a sword. It lunged downward, aiming for Xiao Chen with fierce momentum. Wind started rising within the valley that had just regained its calm moments earlier, tossing trees and rocks into the air. Zuoqiu Ze was determined to chop Xiao Chen until his body was no more.


    "Hehe! That''s the Soul-extinguishing Blood Curse of the Zuoqiu family! Go to hell, you b*stard!"


    The sword attack was so fierce that it seemed impossible for them to dodge. Murong Xian''er paled drastically. "Brother Xiao Chen!"


    A somber-faced Xiao Chen racked his brain, where numerous thoughts flitted across almost instantaneously. In the end, he pushed with all the force he could muster and produced a force that enveloped Murong Xian''er. After sending her more than hundreds of feet away, he put his two fingers together and pointed them at Zuoqiu Ze. His Unsullied Sword immediately turned into a white radiance that shattered the sky to fly toward its target.


    Zuoqiu Ze''s expression changed subtly. "This b*stard should be running away. Why is he confronting me head-on?" he thought. The white radiance was getting closer and closer to him. Evidently, it was meant to take his life. He had a very bad feeling about this. "Is this b*stard trying to drag me down with him?!"


    He was currently using his family''s mystic arts to control the Dark Soul Sword, leaving him no room to trigger another talisman to block attacks. After racking his brain, he ultimately decided to give up the attack. His life was of the greatest importance, after all. He thought it wasn''t worth it to give up his life in trying to kill this b*stard.


    The moment he retrieved his sword, however, Xiao Chen''s Unsullied Sword created a gash on his face. Zuoqiu Ze was positively livid. When he was about to go after Xiao Chen, the latter had long disappeared into the depths of the mountain range.


    Zuoqiu Ze narrowed his eyes. It was obviously noontime, but the depths of the mountain range seemed to be shrouded in a boundless dark fog. He could feel a subtle but vicious murderous aura coming from it. However, his fury had impaired his rationality and made him toss his great-grandfather and grandfather''s warnings to the back of his mind. His figure blurred out of view as he chased after them.


    Meanwhile, in an unknown corner deep into the mountain range, dried-up branches and wilted leaves were piled up high to form a thick layer on the ground. A putrefied arm slowly emerged from the ground.


    "My dear disciple, you stole my soul back then. 60 years had passed in the blink of an eye. Once I snatch that woman''s soul, I''ll look for you¡­"


    The hollow-sounding voice reverberated through the forest, making the place that saw no daylight all year round feeling a touch eerier.

 Chapter 194 Decayed Corpse of the Withered Fores

    t


    Xiao Chen dashed madly without stopping to check how far he had run. In the end, he couldn''t help coughing up blood. Even though Zuoqiu Ze''s sword didn''t land completely on him, the attack was enough to damage his heart meridians. Earlier, he had been counting on a very slim chance of survival in trying to strike fear into Zuoqiu Ze''s heart. That was the only reason he managed to escape from that sword attack.


    If Zuoqiu Ze was ready to give up his life as he was, it would be impossible for him to run away from that attack.


    Murong Xian''er immediately propped him up. "Brother Xiao Chen, are you injured?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. The reason why he forcefully pretended that he was fine all along was to prevent Zuoqiu Ze from noticing that he was injured. Had Zuoqiu Ze noticed, he would have thrown all caution to the wind and chase after him. Right now, Zuoqiu Ze had become determined to kill him and Xiao Chen himself had made up his mind to eliminate his opponent in this forest. Otherwise, they would really end up dying here if they allowed Zuoqiu Ze to call for experts from his family.


    However, it was all quiet around him. There was an indescribable sense of eeriness. He didn''t know what danger was lurking in this forest. With his heart meridians hurt, it would take him quite some time to recover. How nice would it be if Muxue was here.


    The moment he remembered Li Muxue, he felt a sharp stab of heartache. Murong Xian''er pulled him closer to her when she noticed his increasingly pale face. "What''s wrong, Brother Xiao Chen?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head, but he knew that it must the Heartless Curse at work. He had been able to suppress the curse with his existing strength but it proved impossible after he sustained injuries. He must not think of Li Muxue anymore. Whenever he thought of her, he would feel intense pain in his heart.


    He scanned his surroundings and found a secluded path. They continued down that path for several hours. The sky had already darkened, sinking the forest into a death-like silence. There was even no cry of birds or insects. However, the moon had appeared overhead the forest that saw no sunlight year round. The moonlight was exceptionally cold and sinister, making the forest appear even more secretive.


    Xiao Chen sat cross-legged inside a cave, activating his energy and Qi to heal his injuries. Murong Xian''er was holding up a formation and a Barrier to help conceal his breath. Meanwhile, over at the Zuoqiu Manor in Canglan City:


    "Young Ze has been out for so long. Is he still not home yet?"


    The one speaking was an old man in a grey robe. He appeared a little pale, but a strange glint would appear in his pupils every now and then. This man was none other than Zuoqiu Ze''s grandfather, Zuoqiu Ping.


    Standing inside the room was another man dressed in a cyan robe. He was the middle-aged man who appeared in the House of Intoxicated Immortals during the day and advised Zuoqiu Ze not to cause trouble. He said, "Young Ze ran off to chase after Xiao Chen. I think he''ll be back very soon."


    Zuoqiu Ping shook his head, sighing. "Young Ze is too rash sometimes. Xiao Chen is incredibly crafty, putting even Ling Jingshan in trouble earlier. How can he alone be a match for Xiao Chen?"


    "Well¡­ Let''s consider this as practice for Young Ze."


    Zuoqiu Ping continued to shake his head and sigh. In the end, he said, "Tell me how Xiao Chen managed to offend the Ling family."


    The cyan-robed man was silent for a while before raising his head and replying, "I heard he stole Ling Yuxuan''s Spiritual Meridians."


    Zuoqiu Ping''s expression turned steely. "That kid knows how to steal Spiritual Meridians?" He closed his eyes as he spoke. While nodding, he continued, "I''ve previously met Ling Ruoxu several times, hoping to take a look at his Meridian-seizing Method. But that old thing kept refusing. In his quest for power, he must have stolen the Spiritual Meridians of quite a few people. Who would''ve expected that his family member would have his Meridians stolen? Hehe!"


    Toward the end of his sentence, he suddenly realized something and his expression changed. "Since that kid knows how to steal Spiritual Meridians¡­ Young Ze is in trouble!" His figure instantly blurred out of view as he turned into a drawn-out light and disappeared out of the window.


    Inside the mountain cave, Xiao Chen breathed out deeply. After allowing his energy and Qi to flow for a few hours, his complexion had improved a fair amount. He raised his head and looked out of the cave. He could faintly sense Zuoqiu Ze''s breath. He said solemnly, "Since you want my life, don''t blame me for being rude!"


    When Murong Xian''er heard his voice from the entrance of the cave, she immediately ran in and asked, "Are you feeling better now, Brother Xiao Chen?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Yeah, I''m fine now. We can''t stay here for long. Let''s go." He pulled her hand and led her out of the cave.


    The forested path down the mountain looked endless in the cover of the night, making it difficult to distinguish north from south. Xiao Chen held his breath and focused on his surroundings until he finally found the direction Zuoqiu Ze was coming from. He was searching for a spot to ambush Zuoqiu Ze when he suddenly detected an extremely potent breath drifting from afar.


    This breath was very strange as if it didn''t originate from a living creature. It was rather frightening. Xiao Chen''s sensitivity to spirits had always been superior to most people. He could feel that strange breath vividly, making him feel a jolt of fright deep inside. He didn''t dare to use his Divine Sense to sweep in that direction, lest he accidentally disturbed that unknown but terrifying existence in the darkness. Even so, this gave him an idea.


    He roughly estimated the location of that existence and whispered, "Xian''er, can you keep quiet no matter what you see later?"


    Murong Xian''er was completely obedient to him now. She instantly nodded without saying a word of protest. Under the moonlight, they saw a thick layer of dried branches and withered leaves on the ground. If they walked over there on foot, they would surely make noise. But if he unleashed the Phoenix''s Wings, he would surely expose his whereabouts.


    He swiftly carried Xian''er and unleashed his family''s lightness skill, the Heaven-scaling Steps. The tip of his toe touched every dead flower and leaf as it landed on the ground but his movements were so lithe and gentle that he put zero pressure on the flowers and leaves. He was stepping on the branches as he walked, allowing him to move forward without making a single noise.


    In a flash, they were several hundred feet away. Xiao Chen landed on the back of a boulder. It was only after he ensured that they were far from that unknown existence that he gently put Murong Xian''er down. He placed a finger to his lips to remind her to be quiet and then poked his head out to look in the direction of their previous location.


    Under the moonlight, a human silhouette gradually appeared in front of the cave they were previously in. This person was none other than Zuoqiu Ze. He was now wearing a gloomy expression. He had been walking back and forth in the forest but it was now nightfall and there was still no sign of Xiao Chen. It wasn''t until Murong Xian''er lifted the formation that he could detect the breath that Xiao Chen left behind.


    "B*stard! Did you hide in a shell somewhere?!" Zuoqiu Ze bellowed in anger. He aimed a sword attack at the cave, sending rocks flying everywhere.


    "I''ll flatten this place today and see where you can hide." He hacked the forest mindlessly, causing sword radiance to flare up messily and the withered branches and leaves in the forest to toss in the air.


    Zuoqiu Ze ended up in the middle of the forest after his bout of mindless hacking. In the first place, the forest already stunk due to the withered flora piled up all year round. After his hacking, however, the smell in the air became even more pungent.


    Unfortunately, his Divine Sense was significantly less sensitive than Xiao Chen''s, so he couldn''t determine Xiao Chen''s exact location. Perhaps he was also traumatized by Xiao Chen''s frequent ambushes. Whenever he saw a suspicious spot, he would hack in that direction without fail.


    In the distance, Xiao Chen repeatedly sneered deep inside. Zuoqiu Ze would still act so ostentatiously when the enemy was hidden in the dark. It was as if he didn''t know how to conceal himself. Xiao Chen didn''t know if Zuoqiu Ze was too stupid or too confident in his ability to kill him.


    "Hehe! Wanna play, don''t you, b*stard? I''ll play along until you''re satisfied! Come out here, b*stard!" Zuoqiu Ze screamed, once again slashing a massive dead tree nearby.


    The longer he failed to find Xiao Chen, the angrier he became. With his level four Core Forming Realm cultivation and his set of seal talismans, he was rightfully superior to a Foundation Building Realm cultivator. However, Xiao Chen had remained dreadfully crafty the whole time, putting him in an unprecedentedly pathetic condition. His resentment of Xiao Chen was now ingrained deep into his bones.


    Right then, he finally sensed a faint wisp of breath somewhere up ahead. He sneered and slowed his pace to make a quiet approach. Then, he abruptly activated the True Energy in his body and viciously slashed in that direction.


    The attack was imbued with his greatest strength. A massive shadow of a sword instantly obscured the moon in the sky as majestic Nascent Soul Realm power exploded. The entire mountain shook with its force as a loud explosion resounded. A crack appeared on the ground, so deep that one couldn''t even see its bottom. The withered forest had essentially perished in an instant.


    However, the slash of the sword received no response in return. Zuoqiu Ze narrowed his eyes. "Did my attack disintegrate that b*stard''s body?"


    It was at that moment that a shadow emerged from the crack on the ground. Under the moonlight, one could clearly see that it was a terribly putrefied corpse.


    Its head had decayed completely, leaving only two eyeballs hanging out of its socket. There was a large, gaping hole at the center of its chest.


    Stunningly, the decayed corpse was able to stand upright and glare at Zuoqiu Ze. Even the faraway Xiao Chen could feel a chill creeping up his back. He was very sure that the terrifying breath he sensed earlier originated from this decayed corpse. Judging from the large, gaping hole in the corpse''s chest, he could tell that it was in the Nascent Soul Realm. Moreover, its Nascent Soul was forcefully taken from him while he was still alive.


    Zuoqiu Ze gasped in shock. He instantly retreated by more than 30 meters. His previous attack, capable of killing any Core Forming Realm expert, surprisingly didn''t harm this decayed corpse in the slightest. At that moment, he could finally understand the horribleness of this corpse.


    "You! What the heck are you?!"


    Suddenly, the decayed corpse spoke. "What''s this¡­ Had the Corpse Refinery Sect lost all of its skilled members after several hundred years? To think they actually sent a Core Forming Realm cultivator here¡­"


    Zuoqiu Ze trembled all over. Even though he didn''t know what the corpse was talking about, a deep-rooted sense of fear was rapidly spreading all over his body. Only one word was on his mind now¡ªRun!


    He couldn''t be bothered with killing Xiao Chen anymore. Right now, all he wanted to do was run back to the Zuoqiu Manor and to his great-grandfather and grandfather. But the moment he turned around, the decayed corpse suddenly said, "Steal¡ªspirit¡ªclaim¡ªsoul!"


    Zuoqiu Ze had just taken a step forward when he lost control of himself and began floating. Then, his face began contorting until he couldn''t even speak.


    He was now suffering unspeakable pain. He felt as if his soul was being forcefully taken out of him. Taking advantage of the moment before he lost consciousness, he used the final sliver of his strength to tear off the gem hanging in front of his chest and spit out, with much difficulty, "Great-grandfather¡­ save me¡­" With a loud thump, he crushed the jade letter in his hand.

 Chapter 195 Yu Yangzi

    Several hundred miles outside of Canglan City, a black-robed old man from the Zuoqiu family was gazing at the stars in the sky in an attempt to deduce the reason for the frequent unnatural phenomena lately. Suddenly, he detected a weak cry for help coming from the Changyin Mountain Range.


    "Oh no! Ze''er is in trouble!" He instantly transformed into a swift light and tore through the air.


    The man was Zuoqiu Ming, the Head of the Zuoqiu family who possessed Nascent Soul Realm cultivation.


    Right then, in the depths of the Changyin Mountain Range, Zuoqiu Ze was being pinned in the sky as if he couldn''t move at all. He depended on his rapidly fading consciousness to activate all the seal talismans and treasures that he carried to blast the decayed corpse behind him.


    Following an ear-splitting explosion, the decayed corpse remained in its original position. Not even repeated spells or magic treasures and seal talismans imbued with Nascent Soul Realm power were able to harm the corpse. Its seemingly frail body was unexpectedly indestructible.


    Zuoqiu Ze''s pupils gradually lost its splendour, but not its fright. His skin slowly darkened and caved in until he completely turned into a withered corpse. His soul and vital essence were all absorbed by the decayed corpse.


    In the distance, Xiao Chen felt cold sweat trailing down his back as he watched what happened. He had planned on using this unknown existence to severely injure Zuoqiu Ze and then take advantage of that moment to kill and steal the latter''s Spiritual Meridians. He never imagined this decayed corpse to be so powerful as to directly ingest Zuoqiu Ze''s soul.


    Under the glittering moon and stars, the flesh of the decayed corpse began to slowly but surely coming together. However, tried as it may, the growth was unable to fill the gaping hole in the corpse''s chest. Suddenly, it whipped its head around and shot an unfathomable look in the direction of the boulder that Xiao Chen was hiding behind.


    "D*mn it, it noticed us!" Xiao Chen escaped as quickly as lightning, pulling Murong Xian''er with him. However, they hadn''t gone more than ten feet when a shadow stopped them. It was the decayed corpse.


    "Argh!" Murong Xian''er was so terrified by the decayed corpse''s frightening appearance that she screeched. Xiao Chen hastily pulled her behind him and then stared coolly at the decayed corpse.


    He had witnessed the eerie process of the corpse ingesting Zuoqiu Ze''s soul earlier. Thus, he was prepared to use his Heaven''s Talisman. Even if the Devil''s Three Turns might not be enough to hurt the decayed corpse, he could at least win some time for Xian''er to escape.


    Suddenly, the decayed corpse opened its mouth to speak. "Hehe. Don''t be afraid, young friend. I''m Yu Yangzi. I hold no ill will toward you." Its voice didn''t sound as hollow as it did earlier. It sounded just like the voice of an elderly man.


    Xiao Chen''s heart jolted with surprise. "So it isn''t a Corpse Puppet?" He thought that this person had been refined into a Corpse Ghost while alive but later gained spiritual consciousness and betrayed its owner. From the look of things now, this wasn''t the truth.


    "Please pardon my rudeness in asking this question, but what creature are you now, Senior?"


    Xiao Chen wouldn''t let down his guard just because this living corpse said he held no malicious intentions. He discovered that this was a place of mystery and sinister energy, filled with coldness and darkness all year round. This corpse was likely using the cold energy of this place to reconstruct his physical form.


    Yu Yangzi sighed. "Do you know of the Corpse Refinery Sect?"


    "Corpse Refinery Sect?"


    Xiao Chen frowned, having heard Fengxi mention about it. The Corpse Refinery Sect was one of the four main devil''s sects of the Archean Eon. It operated in utter mystery and its disciples were most skilled in refining living humans into Corpse Puppets and making the corpses do their bidding. It was a sect of great ruthless and cruelty.


    However, the Corpse Refinery Sect had returned to its birthplace and remained in seclusion for many years. Many of the younger generation in the Violet Manor didn''t know about them. Xiao Chen wouldn''t understand this so well if he hadn''t heard of Corpse Puppets before.


    Yu Yangzi nodded, a grim look suddenly coloring his pupils. "I was just an independent cultivator living on Guiling Mountain 300 years ago. When I heard that the Corpse Refinery Sect has been going around harming the innocent, I killed a total of 78 disciples of this devil''s sect. However, the Sect Leader possessed incredible cultivation. I fought him for seven whole days and we eventually ended up on this deep into this mountain¡­"


    He couldn''t help shaking his head and sighing as if he was recalling a terribly painful memory. Xiao Chen didn''t know which part of his story was real. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What happened next?"


    Yu Yangzi sighed again. "That battle was a painfully desperate one. I wasn''t his match. I ended up ruining my Nascent Soul to release the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm, thinking that I must stop this devil from harming the innocent even if it means giving up my life¡­"


    Xiao Chen looked at the hole in Yu Yangzi''s chest and thought, "So that''s how his Nascent Soul was destroyed. Looks like he used to have exceptional cultivation." He then asked, "Did the devil end up dying?"


    Yu Yangzi shook his head and heaved a deep sigh. "No. That devil is unimaginably cunning. Knowing that he couldn''t block my Nascent Soul Realm power, he sacrificed his physical body and fled with his soul to a deserted palace 10 kilometers away."


    While speaking, he pointed in the southeast direction. "Over there."


    Xiao Chen looked in the direction that he was pointing to but there was nothing but darkness in the night. Even so, he could feel the faint spirit energy fluctuation of a formation coming from that direction. He turned his head and said, "Oh? Since the devil managed to escape with his soul, why didn''t he return to the Corpse Refinery Sect immediately?"


    Yu Yangzi shook his head with a wry smile after seeing how meticulous Xiao Chen was being. "You still don''t believe me, do you?" He sighed and explained, "I was too careless back then. I couldn''t tell that the devil was heavily injured and was even ambushed by him. Sigh¡­"


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"


    "The moment the devil escaped with his soul, he used the mystic arts of his sect to secretly plant a soul in my body. He wanted to ingest my soul and refine me! That was why he couldn''t go far or he''d suffer great damage."


    Yu Yangzi smiled wryly again. "That was why I said the mystic arts of his devil''s sect were capable of ingesting spirits and stealing souls. Firstly, I saw that the person was trying to kill you. Secondly, I killed him to replenish my soul force so that it would be easier for me to keep fighting the devil. If I allow the devil to finish refining me, living beings within a thousand miles will all perish."


    Xiao Chen gave him a small nod. That was his biggest point of suspicion. If Yu Yangzi was truly someone from the Orthodox Path, why would he use the mystic arts of the devil''s sect, Soul-devouring Art? He found Yu Yangzi''s explanation to be reasonable. He said, "You must have told me all these for a reason. What is it?"


    Yu Yangzi nodded and pointed in the southeast direction. "The devil placed a Grand Formation of Loss outside the deserted palace. I tried countless times to shatter the formation, break into the palace, and kill him before his soul recovers completely, but all my attempts end in failure. The formation is beyond my ability."


    Xiao Chen understood what Yu Yangzi wanted from him. He must have noticed Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er long ago, particularly Xian''er''s skills with formations. Thus, he wanted to borrow Xian''er''s strength to break open the grand formation. However, there was something that Xiao Chen didn''t quite understand and yet he couldn''t point out what it was.


    Seeing that he was still hesitating, Yu Yangzi added, "I have been battling the soul that the devil left in my body all these years. I know I don''t have long to live and all I hope for is to kill that devil. If we wait for the devil to finish refining my soul and break out of the palace, I fear that no one in this world would be able to stop him. When that happens, a calamity is sure to wait."


    Xiao Chen was finally moved after hearing him put his request in such a manner. It made sense to him too. Yu Yangzi was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, after all. If the Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect ingested his soul, wouldn''t that plunge the entire Violet Manor into utter disaster?


    Suddenly, Murong Xian''er tugged on his sleeve and shook her head timidly.


    Xiao Chen became alarmed. That was right! How could he be so foolish? How could he believe this person''s words so easily? Xian''er was usually so naive and guileless, but was now more astute than he was.


    Even if Yu Yangzi was telling the truth¡ªthat there was indeed a battle between the two and the devil truly wanted to ingest his soul¡ªso much time had passed. Who could be sure of what was occupying Yu Yangzi''s body now? If Yu Yangzi''s soul was long gone, wouldn''t that make the Yu Yangzi in front of them the devil''s clone?


    Moreover, who knew if that so-called deserted palace was a grand formation that Yu Yangzi left behind before his death to seal the devil within? If he rashly undid the seal on the grand formation, wouldn''t he be releasing the true devil?


    It was just like that grand formation on the ancient tomb in the Xiao family''s rear mountain. Xiao Ning was the one who ordered them not to undo the seal no matter what, but the order gradually turned into him warning them against undoing the seal unless absolutely necessary. In the end, the Great Devil Gu Feng was released and nearly wiped out the entire Xiao family.


    Recalling this, Xiao Chen felt cold sweat break out on his back. Suddenly, Yu Yangzi gave Murong Xian''er an unfathomable look. There was an ominous glint in his eyes.


    "Girl, don''t you believe my words?!"

 Chapter 196 Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sec

    t


    Murong Xian''er was so frightened that she screeched and took a step backward. Xiao Chen immediately propped her up and puffed his chest. He said resolutely, "Senior, please don''t scare her. Otherwise, I won''t comply with your orders even if it means giving up my life!"


    Yu Yangzi''s expression changed instantly. Putting on a smile, he replied, "Please don''t mind my hastiness. Look, we''re both cultivators. Can you sit still and watch that devil harming the innocents in the future?"


    Naturally, Xiao Chen wouldn''t just watch a devil wreck chaos without doing anything. That didn''t mean he trusted this person''s words. "Senior, where does your confidence in killing the devil come from? Won''t the real disaster be releasing the devil from the palace?"


    Yu Yangzi smiled. "That devil could''ve run a long time ago if he wanted to. He won''t leave until he''s done ingesting my soul." He suddenly sighed like a fighter meeting his death or a hero reaching a dead end. "My lifespan is coming to an end. If I put my life on the line, I''m confident that I can eliminate that devil for good."


    Xiao Chen heaved a sigh. His thoughts earlier were simply deductions, but he wasn''t sure if he should trust this man''s words. Suddenly, Yu Yangzi calculated with his fingers and then said, "A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is heading our way."


    Xiao Chen jolted in surprise. Sure enough, he could sense a formidable breath approaching them. It was undoubtedly the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Zuoqiu family. Even though Zuoqiu Ze''s tragic death wasn''t his doing, he was sure that the former''s family wouldn''t let him off.


    "Sigh. This Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is pretty strong. Unfortunately, I have to stay here to deal with that devil. Otherwise, I could''ve helped you block him."


    Xiao Chen inwardly cursed this man for being so shameless as to threaten him. If he refused to help Yu Yangzi break the formation, the latter would simply watch as he possibly lost his life. Suddenly, a realization hit him. With this old creature''s strength, how could he have allowed Zuoqiu Ze to break the jade and call for help before killing him?


    It seemed that this old creature had been scheming against him from the very beginning!


    "How about it, young friend? That cultivator is about to reach soon. Should I retreat for now?"


    "D*mn it, retreat 10,000 miles for all I care!" Xiao Chen continued to curse Yu Yangzi''s shameless in his head. Never mind that Yu Yangzi might let him possibly die, he might even end up suffering the same fate as Zuoqiu Ze if he didn''t help break the formation.


    The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator''s breath was closing in on them. In the distance, changes were beginning to take place in the horizon. Torrents of vital energy were surging violently as black clouds stormed the sky and covered the sun.


    Murong Xian''er began shuddering in fear. Xiao Chen gently rubbed her forehead and told Yu Yangzi, "Fine! I''ll break the formation for you, Senior, but you must kill that person. I have an unbreakable grudge against him!"


    He had no other choice left. He could only take things as they come. He hoped that Yu Yangzi was truly capable of killing the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Zuoqiu family. On one hand, it was to improve his chances of saving Gui Xian. On the other, it was for himself. It wasn''t a joke to have a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator chasing him to the ends of the earth.


    Yu Yangzi chuckled. "Rest assured. A beginner Nascent Soul Realm cultivator isn''t even worth my attention."


    Xiao Chen once again mentally cursed his shamelessness. Didn''t Yu Yangzi just say that the cultivator was pretty strong? "I really hope you duke it out until you both die. Then, I''ll come back and harvest all of your Spiritual Meridians."


    Yu Yangzi coughed. He pointed in the southeast direction and said, "Go on. It''s 20 miles from here. You might just see some deserted mountains there, but it''s just a diversionary tactic. Work together to break the Grand Formation of Loss and you''ll be able to see the palace. However, the devil inside is incredibly bloodthirsty. Once you break the formation, you must leave immediately. Remember not to linger around."


    In his head, Xiao Chen cursed Yu Yangzi once again. Then, he pulled Murong Xian''er toward the direction that Yu Yangzi was pointing in.


    Under the sea of dark clouds, two silhouettes landed on the spot where Zuoqiu Ze met his tragic death. The moment their feet touched the ground, the vital force around them surged into the dark clouds overhead. Moonlight spilled down, revealing the two figures to be old men.


    One of them was Zuoqiu Ze''s great-grandfather, Zuoqiu Ming. The other was Zuoqiu Ze''s grandfather, Zuoqiu Ping, as well as Gui Xian''s nemesis from back then.


    Zuoqiu Ping instantly spotted the dried corpse on the ground that was Zuoqiu Ze. Tears welled up in his eyes and trailed down his face uncontrollably. He carried Zuoqiu Ze, crying, "Young Ze! You died such a tragic death! Xiao Chen, I swear I''ll break your bones and grind you to ash!"


    The whites of Zuoqiu Ming''s eyes were filled with red veins. It was impossible for him to overlook the fact that Zuoqiu Ze had his soul forcefully taken before death. He could imagine the pain that his grandson had been in.


    "Ze''er¡­"


    He began moving his hands in a rapid-fire movement to cast a spell. When he was done, he coughed up his Blood Essence. The Blood Essence instantly turned into a red light that flew straight into the clouds and dyed half the sky red.


    "The Natural Law is as boundless as death is insignificant. The Gods and Buddhas are everywhere to guide the living. In this entire universe, there is nowhere to run! Soul-tracking Blood Spell¡­"


    The three great spells of Zuoqiu family''s enchantment arts were the Soul-exterminating Blood Spell, Soul-petrifying Blood Spell, and Soul-tracking Blood Spell. The Soul-tracking Blood Spell was particularly powerful. The caster, using his own vital essence as the price, would be able to find the subject of the deceased''s strongest grievance. The target wouldn''t be able to escape the tracking of the spell no matter where he ran.


    It was evident to him that the subject of Zuoqiu Ze''s strongest grievance would be Xiao Chen. He was sure that the spell would land on Xiao Chen.


    However, before he could finish his sentence, an eerie voice drifted from afar. "You can end the chase now. I''m here¡­"


    Zuoqiu Ming abruptly raised his head. Under the moonlight, he saw a terrifying human whose body was putrifed from the neck down gradually creeping closer to him. His expression changed drastically. "Who are you?!"


    "Aren''t you looking for the person who killed your child? That''s me. What are you going to do about it?"


    Right now, Yu Yangzi looked like a completely different person. Not only was his voice was ice-cold, but his gaze was also icy enough to freeze all living things in the world.


    Even Zuoqiu Ming, whose cultivation was close to the Nascent Soul Realm, couldn''t help getting a shiver. To this day, no one had dared to speak to him this way. Zuoqiu Ping looked furious. Just as he was about to lose his temper, he stopped him just in time.


    Zuoqiu Ping was an expectant Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Naturally, he was blind as to how scary this man was. But how could Zuoqiu Ming not know? To him, it seemed that they wouldn''t be able to hurt even a strand of this man''s hair even after working together. He immediately saluted the man. "Please enlighten us as to how our child offended you. Kindly return his soul to us."


    Yu Yangzi sneered. "I can''t return his soul because I''ve ingested it. My plan is finally coming into fruition today. If you know what''s good for you, leave immediately!"


    Zuoqiu Ming shook all over. Having already triggered his True Energy in secret, he said solemnly, "May we ask for your identity¡­"


    "The previous Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect, Yu Yangzi!"


    "What?!"


    Zuoqiu Ping wasn''t the only one whose face went pale after hearing Yu Yangzi''s words. Even Zuoqiu Ming was shaking once again. In a strained voice, he said, "You¡­ You''re the Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect who went missing 300 years ago!"


    Yu Yangzi raised his head and laughed heartily. "To think that there are still people who remember me after 300 years!"


    His gaze swiftly turned ice-cold. "Now that you know my identity, leave now!"


    Zuoqiu Ming and Zuoqiu Ping dared not to linger around after receiving his warning. Carrying Zuoqiu Ze''s body, they transformed into two drawn-out lights and fled.


    The moon was beginning to set. Yu Yangzi looked westward at the horizon and sighed. "My disciple, back then you took advantage of my decaying process to steal two of my souls. Well, wait until I ingest that woman''s soul. I''ll surely come for you next¡­"


    The paths inside the forest were rugged. The darkness of the night and dried flora blocking the way didn''t help matters either. It took Xiao Chen quite some effort to arrive at the location of the palace that Yu Yangzi spoke of. He saw only a desolate land. It did look like someone had placed an illusory formation here to fool the eyes.


    Earlier, he had panicked after seeing a sudden red radiance lighting up the sky but ended up hearing no other movement. That didn''t surprise him. After all, it was impossible for Yu Yangzi to fight a life-and-death battle with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator for his sake.


    Of course, he hadn''t thought of really helping Yu Yangzi to break the formation. He was planning to escape while the two of them were battling. However, now that he was here, he inexplicably had the urge to break the formation and see what was going on.


    The spirit energy of the formation here was emanating a faint Immortal Qi. How could it be the work of a devil?


    Murong Xian''er noticed his hesitation and quietly asked, "Brother Xiao Chen, are we going to break the formation?"


    Xiao Chen frowned. Yu Yangzi''s determination to break this formation was becoming increasingly suspicious, but he wouldn''t be at ease if he didn''t break this formation and uncover the truth behidn it. The objective of his journey here was finding clues about his Master''s whereabouts. If he escaped now, wouldn''t he be missing a perfectly good chance?


    He was momentarily silent. In the end, he said, "We''re breaking it! I want to go in and take a look!"

 Chapter 197 The Woman in the Depths of the Palace

    Murong Xian''er didn''t hesitate after hearing what Xiao Chen said. She immediately closed her eyes and felt for the faint fluctuation of the formation''s spirit energy. Then, she began moving her fingers to cast a spell. A layer of faint white radiance wrapped itself around her as it slowly buoyed her into the air.


    One dot, two dots, three dots. Countless light specks began emanating from her, scattering to all corners of the area. Under the curtain of the night, they looked just like fireflies.


    Xiao Chen knew that she was investigating the location of the formation points. A formation as massive as this one would have no less than a hundred points. It would be quite the challenge to find each and every formation point, and then break them according to the order that the owner installed the roots in. Even if he was given ten years, it would be difficult for him to accomplish this task. Xian''er was a different story, however.


    Moments later, the countless light specks returned to her body. Evidently, she had found every single root of the formation. She then waved her hands and countless rays of light formed out of spirit energy made their way toward each formation point.


    Currently, she was looking a little pale in the face and sweat was beading on her forehead. It was evident that the task was consuming a lot of her spirit energy. Xiao Chen''s eyebrows were locked in a tight frown, but there was nothing that he could do for her.


    Suddenly, the vital force around them started to surge madly. Murong Xian''er shuddered and nearly fell to the ground. Xiao Chen''s expression changed and immediately stepped forward.


    "Brother Xiao Chen, I''m fine. Don''t worry."


    Murong Xian''er started casting a spell again. It wasn''t that simple to undo the spirit energy left behind by the owner of this formation. Suddenly, a wispy voice came from deep within the ground. "Brother Ning, is that you? Did you come back¡­?"


    That voice was so soft that it was barely audible. Xiao Chen couldn''t hear it clearly either; he could just vaguely make it out to be a lady''s voice. The voice seemed to be a touch mournful, making him feel inexplicably sorrowful.


    Suddenly, the vital force around them shook and that voice resounded again. "Brother Ning, is that you? Did you really come back...?"


    This time, Xiao Chen heard it loud and clear. It was indeed a woman''s voice. He thought it sounded familiar as if he had heard of it somewhere before. Before he could rack his memories, a potent attraction force suddenly appeared in the vicinity.


    Murong Xian''er screeched and their vision immediately turned dark. By the time their vision cleared up again, both of them found themselves inside the remains of the palace.


    Xiao Chen got a fright. They must be inside the boundary of the formation now. He scanned his surroundings, where he saw leaning pillars and roof beams and walls covered in vines. Many sculptures were placed in disorder. In the middle were numerous ordinary-looking steles that were pared. He assumed that the cuts were the result of swords. There must have been a massive battle in this palace.


    Right then, the faint voice from deep within the palace once again spoke. "Did you come back...?"


    For some reason, Xiao Chen felt a sense of amiableness. He took several steps forward while Murong Xian''er cautiously followed in his footsteps and walked behind him.


    After fifty or sixty steps, a somewhat surprised voice drifted from the depths of the palace followed by a sigh. "You look like him, but you''re not him..."


    The further Xiao Chen went in, the more clearly he saw a white-clothed woman leaning against a steel. Upon first glance, he knew that this woman was a soul body. More importantly, this was such a familiar-looking scene! He felt as if he had seen this before.


    The woman possessed such an otherworldly beauty that it didn''t look real. Even if there was a woman beautiful enough to captivate birds and beasts or embarrass the moon and flowers, she wouldn''t even match up to this woman''s gentle sigh.


    The depths of her eyes seemed to be hiding a thousand-year sorrow. One couldn''t help shedding tears upon seeing her and feeling the sadness of going through the wheel of reincarnation for hundreds of thousands of years.


    "Who is she? Why is she so sorrowful?"


    "Who are you?" Xiao Chen couldn''t help taking a step forward.


    "Aren''t... you scared of me?" The woman raised her head. Her voice was quiet as if she was recounting the loneliness she felt guarding this deserted palace for thousands of years, as well as the desolateness of people never daring to approach her.


    "No. I just want to know who you are and who are you waiting so bitterly for." Xiao Chen tried his best to restrain his turbulent emotions. However, he ultimately mentioned that person''s name in a soft voice. "Is his name Xiao Ning..."


    Instantly, the woman became agitated. "Have you met Brother Ning? Where is he? Did he send you here?"


    Xiao Chen was now sure that this woman was Xiao Ning''s lover, as well as the owner of the portrait of Xiao Ning hanging in their family''s ancestral hall. It was she who left behind the divine words of "I''ll wait for you at the Heartless Temple". This meant that this place was called the Heartless Temple.


    He shook his head and sighed. "Do you know how many years has it been?"


    The woman looked like she was at a loss. Evidently, she didn''t know how much time had passed either. She shook her head and seemed to be talking to herself when she said, "I don''t know. I only remember getting seriously hurt that day and Brother Ning sent me here so I could heal. He left to fight Gu Feng to the death, but he said he''d return..."


    "One thousand years. It has been one thousand years since then," Xiao Chen said softly.


    "What?!"


    The woman''s expression changed drastically. Her face, already pale in the first place, turned even whiter. Even though Xiao Ning''s cultivation back then had been in the Apotheosis Realm, he was nonetheless a mortal. There was no way a mortal could live for a thousand years.


    She shook her head repeatedly. "Impossible... He won''t die. His skills are unrivaled! How could he die?!"


    She muttered the words over and over again for a long time. In the end, she hugged her legs and started sobbing uncontrollably.


    Xiao Chen felt an inexplicable sense of sadness. If he died one day, would Muxue be waiting for him somewhere for hundreds of years? There were many who would retain their infatuation for their whole lives, but how many would refuse to enter the wheel of reincarnation, just waiting for one person?


    The woman in front of him had refused to reincarnate even though she had been turned into a soul body, resolutely waiting here for a bitterly long time just for her promise back then to wait at the Heartless Temple...


    Xiao Chen waited for the woman to calm down enough to stop crying before walking up to her and said, "Maybe he''s not dead."


    The woman immediately raised her head. After pondering over it, she muttered, "That''s right. Gu Feng would never kill him. Five Major Sects! It must be the Five Major Sects! I received news afterward that the Xiao family and the Five Major Sects regarded him a traitor..."


    She spoke to herself for a short moment before looking at Xiao Chen and saying, "You share a similar breath as him. Back then, he was entrusted with the task of establishing a branch of Xiao family in the Human World. You must be from that family. Moreover, I can sense that someone has deciphered the divine words I left on the painting. It must be your work."


    Xiao Chen nodded. He thought, "If I couldn''t reincarnate, Master would surely use the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to resurrect me. So that was why she would ask Xiao Ning to carry the Samsara Jade imbued with my soul, establish a Xiao family, and transfer my Destiny to a Young Master of the family or resurrect me through the latter''s life."


    To put it simply, he shouldn''t be alive now. He was simply living through another person by fooling heaven.


    However, there were still many mysteries about everything that happened back then. The Thousand Feathers Sect had been hell-bent on stopping Xiao Ning, even going so far as to incite the Five Major Sects into entrapping him. There were surely bigger secrets behind this matter. Thus, Xiao Chen asked, "Do you know the details of what happened?"


    The woman shook her head. "Brother Ning was afraid of hurting my soul, so he hardly ever mentioned these things to me."


    Xiao Chen sighed. It seemed that he would have to find Xiao Ning if he wanted answers to the mysteries back then. Suddenly, the palace began shaking violently. The woman''s expression changed drastically. She made calculations with her fingers before saying, "He''s here again!"


    Xiao Chen''s heart jumped. Was it Yu Yangzi?


    The woman was currently looking grave and stern, shedding her previous delicateness. She was now emanating the air of a strong fighter. Xiao Chen belatedly recalled that back then, Xiao Ning was an Apotheosis Realm cultivator. The person beside him wouldn''t be any weaker than him. This woman must have had high cultivation too.


    "Hmph! If I still have my physical body, I could''ve exterminated that man outside with a wave of my hand. What a pity that I destroyed my physical body back then to ensure that my consciousness survived. That man outside has skills targeted to soul bodies so I''m not a match for him. He has been trying to ingest my soul all these years, so I placed a seal formation outside."


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. Sure enough, Yu Yangzi was a blatant liar. Yu Yangzi must be desperate to ingest this woman''s soul to repair his damaged soul.


    The shaking of the palace was getting more and more severe. He couldn''t help getting worried. Xian''er had broken just enough of the formation to let them in, but if Yu Yangzi burst in, it would spell a disaster for them.


    "Don''t worry," the woman said icily as she calculated on her fingers. "In another three days, someone will be here to eliminate him."

 Chapter 198 Yu Yangzis Nemesis

    Xiao Chen sighed in relief after hearing what the woman said. Right then, Yu Yangzi''s voice drifted from outside the palace. "Young friend, are you inside? I''ve already eliminated the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator for you. Hurry up and open the formation. That devil can change into many forms to manipulate your emotions. You mustn''t fall for it..."


    "How dare this old thing still try and fool me at this time." Xiao Chen sneered. Just as he was about to shout at and mock Yu Yangzi, the woman behind him gestured him to be quiet. "Shh..."


    "The formation has become less secure after you come in. If this man tries to charge in, he may not necessarily fail."


    Xiao Chen began to get nervous. "What should we do? This man has very high cultivation. I''m not a match for him at all."


    The woman chuckled as a crafty glint flitted across her pupils. Compared to her cold exterior or sorrowful expression earlier, she looked rather mischievous as she said, "Come over here."


    Xiao Chen immediately obeyed her order. The woman whispered many things into his ear as he repeatedly nodded. He knew what to do.


    Yu Yangzi must have used his Divine Sense to observe how Murong Xian''er broke the formation earlier and would now surely try and replicate her ways. However, if one wanted to break such a grand formation, one would have to break it according to the owner''s sequence of formation points. Otherwise, one would suffer harm instead.


    The woman wanted Xiao Chen to go out and mislead Yu Yangzi by deliberately telling him an incorrect sequence of formation points. The moment Yu Yangzi poured in his vital force into the different sequence of formation points, she would trigger her spiritual energy. That would be bound to hurt Yu Yangzi.


    "That''s all to it. Remember to put on a convincing act or you won''t be able to fool him."


    Xiao Chen patted his chest with a smile. "Rest assured, senior. Leave it up to me!" He took several steps forward and lay down on the ground. He started rolling around while making all sorts of pained screams.


    Outside, Yu Yangzi yelled, "Young friend? What happened to you?"


    Xiao Chen screeched, "It''s a female devil! She wants to possess me! Senior, please hurry up and save me!"


    Yu Yangzi''s expression turned somber. He yelled, "Don''t panic, young friend! I''m coming! Hurry and tell me the location of the formation points!"


    The pained screams went on without an end as Xiao Chen put on a believable act. Feigning as if he was having a hard time talking, he cried, "Start south of the Heaven line, 13 steps to the left... Interrupt at the 17th step on the Earth line... Then turn at the Fire position on the Water line..."


    Yu Yangzi hesitated. His formation proficiency was far beneath Xiao Chen''s. Moreover, even though Xiao Chen was talking gibberish, there was a sliver of truth weaved in every lie he said. What was fake sounded real instead.


    "This female devil is really strong! I... Argh!"


    Yu Yangzi was silent for a moment before finally yelling, "Don''t be scared, young friend! I''m coming to save you!" His gaze, however, was icy-cold as he thought, "Once I get in there, your souls are all mine!"


    He started activating some of his True Energy and investigated the vital force in every position according to Xiao Chen''s instructions. When he found every one of them, he thought, "This kid is at death''s door, so he really didn''t lie." He immediately triggered all the True Energy in his body. However, it was in that split second that a fierce power retaliated against him from every point of the formation.


    The power of the countercharge was vicious. Yu Yangzi couldn''t react in time and ended up coughing blood as he was sent flying. Large chunks of his freshly-grown skin and flesh fell off.


    Inside the hidden palace, the woman chuckled. "Success! You can stop rolling on the ground. That man''s Soul has suffered great damage. No matter what, he won''t be able to charge into this formation in the next three days."


    Murong Xian''er couldn''t help breaking out in laughter after seeing Xiao Chen rolling around while screeching. Grinning, he got up from the ground and patted the dust off his clothes. He walked over to them and said with a smile, "It''s all thanks to your resourcefulness, senior."


    The woman rose to her feet and hit him gently on the forehead. With a voice that carried a hint of anger, she said, "There were quite a few people who regarded me a little witch, but you''re the first who dared to call me that to my face. You''re really quite brave."


    Xiao Chen smiled sheepishly. He found her current state to be much lovelier than her previous grim expression. He immediately saluted her and said, "I''m Xiao Chen. How should I address you, senior?"


    The woman gave him a weak glare. "Don''t keep calling me your senior. I''m Su Xiaomei."


    "Su Xiaomei?" Xiao Chen recalled that the divine words from the scroll mentioned something about not returning to the Su family. So it was true that she was from the Su family of the Violet Manor. No wonder he felt a sense of amicableness from her. He smiled and replied, "What a coincidence, my mother is also from the Su family of the Violet Manor."


    Su Xiaomei frowned. "Impossible. My family has always forbidden our clansmen from interacting with those surnamed Xiao. Back then, they had been hell-bent on stopping me and Brother Ning from being together."


    Xiao Chen remembered that there was indeed a thousand-year rule in his family not to interact with anyone surnamed Su. Just what was the cause of it? He asked, "Is there a feud between the two families?"


    Su Xiaomei shook her head. "I won''t call it a feud, but I don''t know the reason behind it. The rule seems to have existed since ancient times..."


    She suddenly glanced at Xiao Chen, with a crafty glint crossing her pupils and a smirk dancing on her lips.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help trembling. Right then, she truly looked like a little witch. Was she thinking of betrothing a Su family girl to him? The first person who came to mind was that arrogant and willful young lady, Su Wan.


    When he felt cold air rising from behind him, he immediately replied, "To be honest, I''m already married."


    Murong Xian''er giggled. "Sister Su Mei, he''s lying to you. He''s not married."


    Her words appeared to have steeled Su Xiaomei''s resolution.


    Meanwhile, Yu Yangzi had suffered grievous harm to his Soul after falling for their trap. He finally managed to reinstate his breath after healing himself with his energy. To think that a magnificent Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect like him would fall for a junior''s trap and even get himself this terribly injured! He couldn''t restrain his anger as he yelled, "Young one! How dare you scheme against me! Once I recover, I promise I''ll strip your soul while you''re still alive and then turn it into a Corpse Puppet!"


    The three people inside the palace heard the commotion outside. Xiao Chen stopped fearing Yu Yangzi now that he shed his pretense. He took several steps forward and yelled, "Old thing! Didn''t you scheme against me as well? This makes us even!"


    Yu Yangzi''s anger flared up. No one had ever dared to tell him something like making things even. Moreover, he began angrier after thinking of how this kid had never planned on helping him. "Fine! Young one, stay inside for your whole life if you''ve got the guts! Once my Soul power recovers, I''ll break the formation and empty your Soul while you''re alive! Woman, you too! I promise I''ll refine your soul!"


    Xiao Chen remembered Su Xiaomei saying that someone would come to handle Yu Yangzi in three days. He could just wait for a chance to escape then. Thus, he became confident and placed his hands on his hips as he replied, "Oh! If you''re that powerful, why don''t you come in and bite me?"


    "You!" Yu Yangzi was so furious that he lost all of his temperament. Su Xiaomei burst out in laughter and yelled, "Hey, old man, aren''t you embarrassed? All you think of is how to deal with a weak woman like me. Are you really that shameless? Oh, that reminds me. How could you feel shame when you don''t even have a face?"


    "You! Just wait, you sharp-tongued wench! I''ll come in and deal with you once my Soul power recovers!"


    "Old man, you better worry about yourself!"


    "I have sky-high cultivation; I don''t need to fear anyone..." The more he spoke, the less confident he became.


    Time slowly passed. On the first day, Yu Yangzi was yelling at them, threatening them, or trying to induce them outside the palace. He would come every two hours. On the second day, his voice gradually became less frequent. On the third day, they heard nothing at all.


    After waiting for a long time and making sure that nothing was going on outside, Xiao Chen whispered, "Do you think he''s gone?"


    He had yet to enter the Core Forming Realm, so he still needed food to nourish himself. Coupled with the coldness of this palace, he had been having an unpleasant stay here.


    Su Xiaomei replied, "He''s here. He seems to have a nemesis; he needs my Soul to fight him. His nemesis must be arriving soon. He''s worried that I''d run so he''ll definitely be around the area."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Right then, he felt an unusual breath appearing in the vicinity. The breath was able to breach the formation to reach them on the inside. The strength of the breath''s owner mustn''t be underestimated.


    "Looks like his nemesis is here. I''ll go take a look from the formation''s entrance." He walked out of the palace. Murong Xian''er also quietly followed after him.


    "Alright, but be careful. Don''t let them notice you."

 Chapter 199 Corpse Refinery Sec

    t


    -


    Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er immediately made their way outside the place to where the edge of the formation was. They were able to get a clear view from the inside, but outsiders looking in would only see a piece of wildland.


    It should be noon now, but it was dusky thanks to the dark clouds overhead. Xiao Chen looked in the direction of where the breath earlier came from. He could see two men dressed in black cloaks in the distance.


    Both men emanated a peculiar breath, similar to that of the two Soul Wardens of that organization that dealt with souls, the Administration of Heaven. However, they weren''t exactly the same. He thought theirs reeked strongly of blood.


    One of them said, "Search carefully. He should be in the area. There''s no place for him to hide."


    The other one sneered. "Don''t worry. He can''t run this time."


    Mid-conversation, a formidable force erupted from the ground and surged upward. This force caused the earth to quake, mountains to shake, and vegetation to reduce into powder. Surprised, they leaped backward. Their cloaks were crushed into pieces in an instant.


    When they finally saw their appearances, Murong Xian''er was so frightened that she screamed. Xiao Chen immediately clasped his hand over her mouth.


    The men were dripping with blood from head to toe, looking like living beings who had their skin stripped off. They were like evil spirits that had crawled out of hell. Even Xiao Chen was shocked to see them. No wonder Murong Xian''er turned so pale.


    Even though the two men had reacted swiftly to that overwhelming force earlier, they would have lost their bodies and souls if not for the magic treasure that flew out of one of their cloaks. Then, out of the blue, Yu Yangzi appeared near them. He was even more horrifying to look at. There was not even a single piece of complete flesh all over his body.


    "What? Did my dear disciple send only two fresh Blood Corpses to fetch me home?"


    The Blood Corpses were unusually calm. One of them said, "Grandmaster, your vital soul is in our hands. Please return with us!"


    Yu Yangzi chortled. "I''ll be returning, but not now!" His arms suddenly shook violently, giving rise to winds. A devastating force jetted at the two Blood Corpses with enough strength to level the entire forest.


    After a quick exchange of looks, the two Blood Corpses immediately propped a strange magic treasure up together. A loud explosion reverberated, the aftershock nearly causing the collapse of heaven itself. Even Xiao Chen, tucked away inside the formation, could feel how strong this force was. He couldn''t help getting worried if the formation would collapse if these three continued to battle. What if Yu Yangzi forced his way in and stole Su Xiaomei''s soul out of desperation?


    The gale around them gradually calmed. The Blood Corpses took several steps in retreat, both having suffered light injuries. Yu Yangzi''s cultivation was far above theirs, but he looked even more badly harmed as he kept coughing up blood.


    He wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth. Gasping, he said, "Hehe!" "Disloyal traitors! Do you only know how to use my vital soul against me?"


    One of them replied, "Grandmaster, you have long become a Fiend Corpse. Your grievances span more than 500 years. How can we stand a chance if we don''t use your vital soul?"


    Xiao Chen was secretly astonished. These people must be a part of the Corpse Refinery Sect. Judging from the words "Blood Corpse" and "Fiend Corpse" being thrown around, could it be that they not only refine corpses but also refined themselves into corpses? Moreover, they could evolve as well. This was a hair-raising piece of news.


    Yu Yangzi sneered. "Why isn''t my dear disciple here this time? Is he planning to evolve into a Spirit Corpse?"


    One of the Blood Corpses said icily, "Grandmaster, I advise you not to put up any futile resistance. Last time, you destroyed your Nascent Soul to escape. You''re not going to ruin the body that Great-Grandmaster refined for you, are you? Once you become a soul body and get yourself captured by people from that place, you''ll end up in a situation one thousand times worse."


    The other Blood Corpse added, "Even the Great-Grandmaster who had evolved into a Spirit Corpse could sacrifice himself. Can''t you sacrifice a little for the sect, Grandmaster? Remember: once we resurrect the Divine Corpse from the Archean Eon, our sect won''t have to suffer that place''s restrictions anymore."


    Xiao Chen was mystified. He wasn''t sure what place they were referring to, but he knew that Yu Yangzi had evolved into a Field Corpse. It was said that a Fiend Corpse could kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with just a swipe of his hand. Their conversation suggested that there was a Spirit Corpse above the Fiend Corpse. Wouldn''t that mean that a Spirit Corpse could fight a Nirvana Realm, or even an Apotheosis Realm cultivator?


    More importantly, wouldn''t the so-called Divine Corpse from the Archean Eon be on par with an Immortal King in the heaven''s realm? The Corpse Refinery Sect was indeed terrifying. If they were allowed to resurrect the Divine Corpse, wouldn''t they be invincible in the Human World? Wouldn''t they be able to turn all humans into corpse puppets?


    Subconsciously, cold sweat began gathering on Xiao Chen''s back.


    Yu Yangzi raised his head and laughed. "What a bunch of dreamers! If the resurrection of the Divine Corpse is possible, it would have happened one thousand years ago and not now!"


    "Stop the excuses, Grandmaster. The Divine Corpse from the Archean Eon has always been an Immortal King. Even though the Divine Corpse fell into slumber after the war, its body remained intact to this day. Souls like yours are its best nourishment. So please return with us, Grandmaster. We don''t want to use ways that will end in a lose-lose situation."


    Xiao Chen''s heart dropped. Why would he keep thinking of his Master whenever he heard something about Immortal Kings of the Archean Eon? Moreover, to think that the Corpse Refinery Corpse possessed the intact body of an Immortal King¡­


    Yu Yangzi''s gaze turned ice-cold. "You dare!"


    One of the Blood Corpses shook his head, sighing. "Why? When I first entered the sect, you promised you''d make our sect prosper and remove the restrictions that the place puts on us. But why do you now¡­"


    His companion sighed. "Forget it, Junior Brother. There''s no need to mention this anymore. Let''s make our move."


    The other Blood Corpse shook his head and sighed again, not wanting to say more. He began reciting a spell with his companion. The magic treasure that they had used to deflect Yu Yangzi''s attack earlier started floating. Inside the treasure was Yu Yangzi''s vital soul. It looked rather strange and curious now as it emanated a faint black light.


    Yu Yangzi''s expression transformed drastically. He bellowed, "Stop!" He instantly struck them with a palm attack. Even though the palm attack was fierce enough to injure them both, it ended up hitting his own vital soul. The injuries that he received weren''t light either.


    "Stop right now! You won''t be able to evolve any more after using the Forbidden Soul Curse! You''ll only end up being dragged to that place. Stop immediately!"


    The two Blood Corpses didn''t react to his words and continued reciting the spell. A wisp of cyan smoke emerged from their midbrows and seeped into their magic treasure.


    Yu Yangzi could no longer move now. He yelled, "I''ll go back with you! But give me a few days! I need to¡­"


    Without waiting for him to finish, the two Blood Corpses completed the spell. A black fog abruptly filled the air and enveloped Yu Yangzi in it. The fog became smaller and smaller until it became an orb of black light. The black light then entered the strange magic treasure.


    Xiao Chen watched in alarm. That was a late-stage Nascent Soul Realm expert, and yet he was subdued by those two''s strange spell. It seemed that it was a dangerous thing to have one''s vital soul in another person''s hands.


    One of the Blood Corpses sighed. "Grandmaster must be waiting to ingest an incredibly powerful soul body. If we allow him to succeed, he''ll surely evolve into a Spirit Corpse. When that happens, I fear that not even the Forbidden Soul Curse will be effective against him."


    His companion replied, "Forget it and let''s go. Now that we have used the Forbidden Soul Curse, we won''t be able to live after we return."


    "Hehe. Live? So what if we live? Junior Brother, we''re neither humans nor ghosts now. So what if we turn into a Spirit Corpse, or a Devil Corpse, or even a Divine Corpse who can kill an immortal with a wave of our hand? So what if we can now kill any Core Forming Realm cultivator and seek revenge? I''d rather be a foolish village kid again. If Xiaofang sees the way I am now, hehe¡­"


    "Sigh. Let''s go¡­"


    Subconsciously, their words seemed to carry a touch of melancholy.


    Xiao Chen waited until he could no longer feel the two men''s breath before heaving a sigh of relief. He turned around and saw a pale-faced Murong Xian''er. He smiled gently and said, "Don''t be scared, Xian''er. They''re gone now."


    "I don''t understand why they''d turn themselves into such terrifying creatures just for power."


    "Hehe. If I somehow turn into one of them one day, will you still stay with me?"


    Murong Xian''er subconsciously raised her head, the rim of her eyes reddening. Two streams of tears began flowing from her eyes. She sobbed, "No! I don''t want you to look like that!"


    Xiao Chen was stunned. He didn''t expect that his little joke would make the little girl cry. He pulled her close so that her head fell gently against his shoulder. He said softly, "That''s enough, Xian''er. I''ll never turn into one of them."


    "Sob¡­ But I dreamed of it. I dreamed of you becoming one of them, and there were also many people like them worshiping you¡­"

 Chapter 200 Leaving the Palace

    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile as he gently caressed her hair. He felt sorrow for those two. The power and lifespan of a mortal were limited. In their pursuit of power and immortality, they chose to refine themselves into strong Corpse Puppets. But what had they received in return?


    Perhaps, this was the intrinsic difference between immortals and devils. If it were him, he would rather be a free and unfettered cultivator or Rogue Immortal who watched the ups and downs of the Human World if he couldn''t become an immortal.


    When Murong Xian''er finally stopped her tears moments later, Xiao Chen gently wiped the tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. The two of them then walked inside the palace.


    Su Xiaomei saw that they had returned and asked, "How did it go? Had that man retreated?"


    Xiao Chen nodded and then told her everything that had happened. Su Xiaomei pondered over it for some time, allowing her hands to hang on her sides. She said to herself, "The Corpse Refinery Sect? I might have heard of it but I can''t remember very well."


    He was momentarily silent before he said, "I''m going to leave now. Why don''t you come with us?"


    Su Xiaomei suddenly looked up at him, uncertainty coloring her eyes. She started looking sorrowful again. Xiao Chen knew what she would say next, and thus said, "Senior Xiao Ning¡­ Maybe he''s still in this world, but is unable to come back to find you due to some restrictions."


    Xiao Chen wasn''t good at using words to comfort others. However, he thought that Xiao Ning wouldn''t want his lover to wait for him in this desolate palace even if he wasn''t here anymore. A thousand years had passed. Just how long was that? It wasn''t as simple as waiting for the next day to come.


    Su Xiaomei cautiously said, "You mean¡­ Brother Ning is still alive?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Senior Xiao Ning has extraordinary cultivation. No one is capable enough to kill him. I''m sure he can peep at Heavenly Secrets and break out of the shackles of death."


    His comforting words now were the same words he repeated to himself every night when the moonlight hit the roof, telling himself that his Master was still alive.


    Su Xiaomei lowered her head and was silent for a long while. In the end, she said gently, "Fine. I''ll leave with you. But you must promise me that you''ll help me find Brother Ning."


    She wasn''t the only one who wished to find Xiao Ning. Xiao Chen was also desperate to find Xiao Ning and find out what had happened a thousand years ago. He wanted to ask Xiao Ning where his Master had gone and if he has seen her again.


    "Okay, I promise you."


    "Hmm. I trust you. You''re very similar to him. When you make a promise to someone, you''ll keep it even if it means sacrificing your life," Su Xiaomei said. She then turned into a white light and entered an icy jade pendant next to the stele.


    "This is the Millenium Icy Jade that Brother Ning gifted me back then. Please wear it."


    Xiao Chen strolled over to the stele. Did Xiao Ning put everything on the line to complete his task just because he had given his word to Master back then? Now, he had given his word to Su Xiaomei. If Xiao Ning was truly placed under restriction somewhere, he would rescue him even if it meant death!


    He leaned down and picked up the icy jade lying on the ground. Instantly, he could feel an ice-cold sensation running all over his body. The head of the jade pendant was tied with a red rope that remained intact over a thousand years. This was likely a mystical object.


    Xiao Chen immediately wore the jade pendant on his chest. It felt cool against his skin, making him feel refreshed. To be frank, he was not completely selfless in convincing Su Xiaomei to leave with him.


    After all, his mother was from the Su family, who had her confined. How could he alone rescue his mother from the clutches of the powerful Su family? Su Xiaomei, being from a thousand years ago, could be considered one of their ancestors. Who would dare to defy her order?


    When they arrived at the formation boundary outside the palace, a wisp of spirit energy emerged from the icy jade. The formation instantly opened. Xiao Chen quickly stepped out of it and took a deep breath of air. It had only been a few days, but it felt like he had been reborn. He didn''t know if it was because he had escaped from mortal danger or because he found some clues about what happened a thousand years ago. He couldn''t help howling.


    His roar reverberated throughout the valley and lingered for a long while. Suddenly, the icy jade emanated Divine Thoughts. "Don''t yell as you please. This is a strange place. I remember it looked different."


    "Oh¡­ Alright then."


    Xiao Chen looked around. Other than the remnants of Yu Yangzi''s battle with the two Blood Corpses, it looked exactly the same as it did when they came several days ago. However, his top priority now was finding a way to rescue Gui Xian from the hands of the Zuoqiu family.


    That day, Zuoqiu Ze must have kidnapped Gui Xian because he saw the former with Xiao Chen, intending to force Xiao Chen into submission. There were as many experts in the Zuoqiu family as the trees in a forest. Xiao Chen didn''t fear the others; the only one who scared him was that Nascent Soul Realm expert. At his current cultivation, he was absolutely no match for a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.


    He heaved a deep sigh. Hopefully, the Zuoqiu family didn''t find out Gui Xian''s true identity. Otherwise, the family would refine even his soul.


    The Changyin Mountain Range had a complex topography with poisonous forests filled with many venomous insects and ferocious beasts everywhere. Even the plants here could kill someone imperceptibly. This was truly a place that concealed danger at every turn. Xiao Chen wanted to return the same way he had come, but was afraid that members of the Zuoqiu family were waiting in ambush outside. After racking his brain, he finally decided to walk southwest.


    When they had traveled about 25 or 30 kilometers, they suddenly heard a flurry of footsteps. Judging from the sound, there were quite a lot of people. Xiao Chen''s figure blurred out of view as he pulled Murong Xian''er up a large tree and used leaves for cover. When the group of people came near, he unleashed his Divine Sense. Only then did he see clearly that it was a group of more than twenty disciples from the Xianyong Sect. Leading the group were Qin Shaoyang and the one who challenged him to a sword duel, Liu Feiyan.


    "What are these people doing here? Are they here to find the other half of the scroll?" He noticed that they were on guard, with their sword in hand. Some of them were even injured. They must have encountered some sort of danger.


    Xiao Chen thought that while he wasn''t familiar with these people, he could be considered as friends with that old thing from their sect. In the Changyin Mountain Range, danger lurked in all corners. He should advise them to stop and get out of here as soon as possible.


    He gently fell and landed on the ground. Unexpectedly, his sudden appearance surprised the disciples and they swiftly tightened their hold on their sword in preparation for battle.


    "It''s, it''s Xiao Chen!"


    Xiao Chen noticed that their nervousness appeared unrelated to his breaking into their sect that night. He said, "Everyone, please listen to my advice. This is a very strange place. Please don''t walk any further in."


    One of the disciples immediately pointed at him with his sword and said resentfully, "You devil! You caused this! How dare you act like a hypocrite here?!"


    The several other disciples beside him started panicking. "Oh no! If he''s here, that means there are definitely traps here!"


    Murong Xian''er floated down and glared at the first disciple who spoke. "You''re the devil! I forbid you from bad mouthing Brother Xiao Chen!"


    "It''s fine, Xian''er." Xiao Chen pulled her behind him and addressed that disciple. "Senior Brother, neither human nor trap is here. I''m just worried about your safety. Is there a misunderstanding between us?"


    That disciple sneered. "There''s no misunderstanding at all! Our Master and Elders trusted you, but you''re just a spy from the Corpse Refinery Sect! You devil, we swear that we''ll capture you even if we must sacrifice ourselves today!" He then lunged at Xiao Chen with his sword.


    "Stop, Junior Brother!"


    Qin Shaoyang tried to stop him, but everything proved to be too late. That disciple wielded his sword in a quick, violent manner. His great momentum caused the leaves to swirl in the air all around him. Xiao Chen quietly moved his True Energy and pressed his two fingers together, instantly pinching the disciple''s sword.


    Finally, there was a hint of indignance on his face. Back then, he was a disciple of a Cultivator''s sect of the Orthodox Path who was falsely accused as a member of the Devil''s sect. What he despised the most now was hearing someone call him a devil. He gently swiped his hand, tossing the sword to the ground. In an incensed voice, he said, "You keep on calling me a devil. I''d like to know which eye of yours saw me becoming one!"


    "Exactly! Which eye of yours saw that? Humph!" Murong Xian''er also chimed in.


    The disciple looked both miffed and resentful that he couldn''t defeat Xiao Chen. Right then, Qin Shaoyang walked up and advised the disciple to step aside. He turned to Xiao Chen and saluted. "I''m sorry, Brother Xiao. This Junior Brother of mine has a quick temper. Please don''t pay him any mind."


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said emotionlessly, "I''d just like to know what he means that I''m a spy of the Corpse Refinery Sect."

 Chapter 201 Zuoqiu Mings Fear

    "Um¡­" Qin Shaoyang was hesitant. The disciple earlier sneered and was about to speak when he raised a hand to silence him. He told Xiao Chen, "Well, on our way here, we met a few people who looked like they were disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect. Moreover, we heard many people in Canglan City saying that you killed the Young Master of the Zuoqiu family, and the method you supposedly used was of the Corpse Refinery Sect."


    Xiao Chen raised his head and laughed heartily. It seemed that the Zuoqiu family had gone around spreading malicious rumors about him. He said icily, "Ridiculous!"


    Murong Xian''er was so peeved that her entire face turned red. Fuming, she said, "It''s that scoundrel who tried to kill us and got himself killed by another scoundrel! How can you blame it all on Brother Xiao Chen?"


    Xiao Chen extended his hand, signaling her to save the trouble. "I have done nothing that I should feel guilt over. I don''t care if you believe me, but the Zuoqiu family isn''t telling the truth."


    He immediately told them about what happened in the past few days, though he left Su Xiaomei out of the story. Everyone was listening so closely that they were frowning. Some were nodding, some were shaking their heads. Some were just engrossed in their first impression that they still didn''t quite believe him. Liu Feiyan said, "Humph! If that''s the case, why did you leave without bidding farewell that day? Do you know how long you kept me waiting?"


    Xiao Chen shot her an uninterested glance. "What? Must I play along with your childish games just because you want me to?"


    "You!" Liu Feiyan unsheathed her sword with a clang. She had gotten used to having her way since young. Most of the disciples in the Xianyong Sect had always given into her. She had never seen someone going against her time and again like Xiao Chen. Evidently, her anger was quite severe.


    Some of the disciples who typically enjoyed fawning over Liu Feiyan also said, "Xiao Chen, don''t act high and mighty just because you''re a little capable! Don''t be conceited!"


    Xiao Chen sneered. "Who cares if I''m acting high and mighty or being conceited? I''ve said all I have to say. Farewell!" With that said, he held Murong Xian''er hand and walked away.


    "Please halt, Brother Xiao."


    "What''s wrong? Are you going to stop me, Brother Qin?"


    Qin Shaoyang took several steps forward and said, "Don''t misunderstand, Brother Xiao. I''m just wondering if you''re heading to Canglan City."


    "Precisely."


    Naturally, Qin Shaoyang knew that Xiao Chen was going there to rescue the friend he mentioned earlier. Thus, he said, "Forgive my wordiness, but the Zuoqiu family is going all out in hunting you down. Please focus on your safety, Brother Xiao. My master doesn''t wish to see you in trouble."


    Several disciples who were close to Qin Shaoyang stepped forward and said, "That''s right. They have laid down an inescapable net just to draw you over. Won''t you be walking right into your trap if you go there? I fear you won''t be able to escape even if you have wings then."


    "Won''t be able to escape even if I have wings? What apt words!" Xiao Chen sneered. However, he feared that they might be right. The Zuoqiu family had laid down an inescapable net and was waiting for him to fall into it. Considering how much trouble they were going through for this, it was likely that they didn''t do it to avenge Zuoqiu Ze.


    What frustrated him was that his current cultivation was simply too low. Gui Xian once saved him; he must save him. If he still had his Nascent Soul Realm strength from back then, not even ten of Zuoqiu families would pose a problem.


    This thought made him crack the bones in his hands noisily. Murong Xian''er tugged on his sleeve and timidly said, "Brother Xiao Chen, why don''t we forget about it? Grandpa will definitely be fine..."


    Xiao Chen glanced at her and said somewhat angrily, "Xian''er, what are you saying? When I nearly exhausted my powers and died back then, it was Gui Xian who saved me! Now that he''s in trouble, how can I ignore him?"


    "But, but I don''t want to lose you again, Brother Xiao Chen..." She then turned to look at Qin Shaoyang. "Brother Shaoyang, can''t you persuade Brother Xiao Chen for me? He alone is no match for so many baddies."


    Qin Shaoyang said, "She''s right. Even if you won''t consider your safety, are you going to put Younger Sister Murong in danger as well? When you were battling Ling Jingshan in Xianyong City, I heard from my juniors that she was so worried that she cried."


    "Xian''er..." Xiao Chen looked at her. When he saw how tearful she looked, his heart ached as well. However, he was also thinking of how vicious and merciless the Zuoqiu family was. Gui Xian might be going through torture right now. Was he to run from all that?


    The rest couldn''t help sighing after seeing how affectionate the siblings were. Seeing how loyal and steadfast Xiao Chen was, how could he be someone from the Devil''s Practice as the Zuoqiu family had claimed?


    One of the disciples stepped forward and said, "Humph! Isn''t it just a mere Zuoqiu family? Did they think they''re gods, to capture anyone as they please? I''ll go with you!"


    Another chimed in. "I''m going as well! I refuse to believe that our Xianyong Sect can''t subdue a little influential family!"


    Soon, several other disciples also stepped forward. Qin Shaoyang flicked his sleeves and said, "Back away, all of you! Don''t babble nonsense here!"


    It wasn''t that the Xianyong Sect was unwilling to uphold justice for Xiao Chen. The matter at hand was simply too complex. One careless little mistake would be enough to incite a war between the two factions, neither of which was easy to deal with. When that happened, both factions would summon their allies. It would shatter the hard-earned peace in the Violet Manor in the past few years.


    Xiao Chen sighed. Suddenly, he remembered None-flower Dust. None-flower Dust had unfathomable cultivation. It was that person who inexplicably brought him to Gui Xian to be healed back then. Unfortunately, the person was like a spirit who appeared and disappeared as he pleased. Where would he be now¡­


    He sighed again. "We can talk after leaving this place. The miasma here is too strong. It''ll hurt your cultivation."


    The group started walking out of the mountain range and only reached the exit after nearly two hours. Before they could walk more than 5 kilometers along the road outside the mountain range, they heard a deep and resounding voice drifting from afar. "You''re showing your face at long last!"


    Like the muffled thunder in the sixth month of the year, the sound sent shockwaves down everyone until their blood and Qi were violently undulating. Quite a few people had their hands clapped over their chest. Shocked, everyone looked up in the direction of the voice with their hands raised. They watched as a black-robed elderly man trod through the air and arrived in front of them in no time.


    The potent momentum incited gale to rise all around them. Under such pressure, many experienced the shortness of Qi and pain in their chest. They looked away, not daring to raise their heads and stare at the old man.


    The old man was the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator who left three days ago, Zuoqiu Ming.


    Three nights ago, Yu Yangzi terrified Zuoqiu Ming and Zuoqiu Ping into escaping with their tails behind them. When they made it outside the Changyin Mountain Range, Zuoqiu Ping looked at his grandson''s body that lay in his arms with a frown. Suddenly, he thought of a plan.


    "Young Ze''s vital soul is still inside the life-and-death light at home and his grievances against Xiao Chen are heavy. If we use our family''s Three Souls Revival Technique and steal that kid''s soul as a medium, we may be able to reform his vital soul."life-and-death light


    "The success rate of this technique is only about one or two tenths, but we can give it a go. You can go back and start the preparations. I''ll stay behind and see if I can catch that kid."


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, on the main road outside of the forest, a grave-looking Zuoqiu Ming was emanating an imposing aura. "I''m here to avenge my child! Scram, outsiders!"


    His every word was like a clap of thunder, sending shockwaves down everyone until their Qi and blood reacted violently. Many disciples in the ground had never seen a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Now that they were experiencing such a potent aura, they had the feeling that this cultivator could shatter their vital soul just with his aura alone. How could they not panic? Everyone started retreating far, far away.


    Xiao Chen handed Murong Xian''er to Qin Shaoyang and then raised his head to look icily at Zuoqiu Ming. In an emotionless voice, he said, "You''re Zuoqiu Ming?" Earlier, he had heard quite a few stories about the Zuoqiu family from Qin Shaoyang. Naturally, he could recognize who this person was.


    Zuoqiu Ming replied coolly, "You''re pretty calm, kid. I suppose you''re the only Foundation Building Realm cultivator in the world who dares to meet my eyes. You''re also the only one who dares to call me by my name."


    "So what? Why, do you think a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is all that powerful? Then I can only say that you''ve seen too little of this world," Xiao Chen retorted placidly.


    In the distance, the others gasped in shock. How could Xiao Chen talk to a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator that way? They had believed that Xiao Chen would act so wild and violent in front of them, but little did they expect that he would continue acting this rashly in front of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Moreover, he demonstrated his rashness in such a calm, unconcerned manner.


    Zuoqiu Ming wasn''t miffed. Rather, he was laughing. "What a wild kid! Then, before you die, allow me to learn who your master is and which sect you belong to so I know where you learned your rashness!"


    Xiao Chen flashed a small, emotionless smile. Even now, no trace of fear could be found on his face. This made Zuoqiu Ming feel very ill at ease.


    "Who my master is and which sect I belong to? I suppose even a lowly servant from my sect back then can crush you into pieces."


    Zuoqiu Ming sneered. "Hehe! I''d like to see how you can try and crush me into pieces today!" With a flick of his sleeves, a force surged forth and lunged at Xiao Chen.


    Rocks on the road scattered in the air. Xiao Chen knew that at his current cultivation, he was no match for even the force produced by a flick of Zuoqiu Ming''s sleeves. After leaving a false image in his original position, he disappeared and reappeared more than ten feet away in an instant.


    This was beyond everyone''s expectations. They all did not think that he was capable of dodging a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator''s attack.


    Zuoqiu Ming narrowed his eyes. He never thought that Xiao Chen would have such strange cultivation methods. This further reaffirmed his previous conjecture.


    He had noticed that Xiao Chen was able to speak to him without any change in expression. How could ordinary disciples from Immortals'' sect be this composed? Moreover, he was equipped with curious cultivation methods too. Could he really be a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan out experiencing the world?


    Having achieved such high cultivation, his only fear was the Ancient Immortal Clan. He knew very well how terrifying the clan was. He could provoke anyone, but he dared not easily offend the mysterious Ancient Immortal Clan.

 Chapter 202 Vitality-devouring Supreme Ar

    t


    The more Zuoqiu Ming thought about it, the more guarded he became. He asked solemnly, "Do you insist on refusing to tell me who your master is and which sect you belong to?"


    Xiao Chen replied placidly, "Even if I tell you, you might not necessarily recognize them. Why waste my words then? Just release my friend. If your Zuoqiu family insist on making me your enemy, the outcome may not necessarily be in your favor."


    Zuoqiu Ming narrowed his eyes. He thought that even if this kid was from the Ancient Immortal Clan, he had likely been expelled. Considering this, he became braver. He sneered and said, "Hehe! What a wild kid! I''d like to see what gives you the confidence to say such things!"


    He pushed his palms, sending two blasts of ferocious force flying at Xiao Chen. Simultaneously, he himself lunged at Xiao Chen like a bolt of lighting.


    He didn''t use his full strength in the attack for he wanted to test the kid''s capabilities. He noticed that this kid was able to move out of the way the instant his attack landed. How could a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator possess such mystical cultivation methods?


    Moreover, this kid had remained within the Changyin Mountain Range for a few days. Could he have found a magic treasure from the Archean Eon inside by chance?


    Was it not for his deceased grandfather''s warning that their family was not to enter the Changyin Mountain Range for no good reason, he would have long investigated its secrets. When he considered that Xiao Chen had very likely obtained a magic treasure from the Archean Eon, his gaze became heated.


    Right then, he noticed a flash of green light on Xiao Chen''s chest. His heart jumped. Sure enough, Xiao Chen had a magic treasure on him!


    "Very well, kid! Leave your life behind!"


    Following his bellow, he instantly reappeared in front of Xiao Chen like a bolt of lighting. He hadn''t used all of his strength earlier, allowing Xiao Chen to dodge his attacks every time. This time, however, he exerted nearly 80 percent of his power. The vital force around them raged as if it was going to confine space itself.


    Right now, it was as if an incorporeal, massive hand was pressing onto Xiao Chen and restricting his movement. He couldn''t help feeling a deep sense of horror.


    Zuoqiu Ming, noticing that Xiao Chen was finally showing fear on his expression, looked smug and disdainful. He stretched his massive hand and attempted to grab Xiao Chen''s chest. He looked like he was going to hollow out Xiao Chen''s chest.


    "No!"


    In the distance, everyone''s expressions changed at the same time. Murong Xian''er was even screeching. Had Qin Shaoyang not stop her, she would have rushed over to Xiao Chen.


    However, in the next moment, the scene of flying blood and flesh that everyone expected didn''t happen. On the contrary, gale started rising all around and the vital force in the world seemed to be rapidly gathering on Xiao Chen''s chest.


    Zuoqiu Ming''s expression changed drastically. In the split second when he came into contact with Xiao Chen''s chest, he detected a strange ice-cold sensation. He instantly knew that something bad was about to happen. When he wanted to pull his hand away, his hand seemed stuck on Xiao Chen''s chest. Try as he might, he was unable to retrieve his hand.


    "Kid, stop right now!"


    Xiao Chen wanted to stop, too. However, this was beyond his control. It wasn''t that Zuoqiu Ming''s hand was stuck on his chest. Rather, the Icy Jade Pendant was stubbornly pressed against his skin and was ushering Zuoqiu Ming''s powers into his body at a steady pace.


    Right then, he felt as if there was a large stove inside him that was trying to refine all of his five viscera and six bowels. He was in such great pain that he couldn''t even talk.


    "Stop right now, you b*stard!"


    Zuoqiu Ming''s expression had changed completely. If this continued, the powers that he cultivated over his lifetime would be absorbed by this kid. In a moment of desperation, he viciously poured True Energy into his other hand and slammed Xiao Chen''s chest with his palm.


    "Let go of my hand!" Yet another palm attack landed.


    The faraway audience didn''t know what was going on. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was finally coughing up blood after suffering three palm attacks in succession. His blood sprayed all over Zuoqiu Ming''s face. He said with difficulty, "Old thing, kill me if you dare. I''ll bring you down to hell with me!" Ignoring the pain he was feeling, he abruptly started activating his True Energy.


    Zuoqiu Ming''s powers began to flow out at an even quicker pace. His aged face swiftly turned pale. Throwing all caution to the wind, he bit the tip of the tongue until he coughed up his Blood Essence. Then, he began to speedily draw a spell.


    The sound of an explosion reverberated and vital force raged, sending even the faraway Xianyong Sect disciples flying. This time, Zuoqiu Ming and Xiao Chen finally separated from one another. It was as if two volcanoes were finally divided in half.


    Zuoqiu Ming fell back more than ten steps behind before regaining his footing. When he nudged his powers, he discovered that his cultivation had fallen from the second level of the Nascent Soul Realm to the first level.


    Once one entered the Nascent Soul Realm, every level of cultivation was earned with immense difficulty. It would take ten years, if short, or several decades, if long. Some people might not even achieve a breakthrough in their life. His loss pained him greatly, so much so that he looked at Xiao Chen with nothing but malice.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Chen felt like his entire body was close to exploding after absorbing an entire level of Zuoqiu Ming''s cultivation. Blood was flowing out of his eyes, nose, and ears.


    "Vile brat! I''m going to kill you!"


    Following Zuoqiu Ming''s bellow, he tried to kill Xiao Chen with a single palm attack. However, when he saw the glint of green on Xiao Chen''s chest, a chill ran down his spine and he dared not to use his powers anymore. He abruptly retrieved the force he poured into his palm.


    "Kid, I''ll come back for your life next time!"


    He was so anxious about his opponent''s strange magic treasure that he dared not linger around. Just as he was about to flee, he heard a mischievous voice ringing in his ears. "Hehe! Do stay put, old senior! You haven''t given me your powers! You can''t be this unfair! Humph!"


    The Icy Jade Pendant resting on Xiao Chen''s chest started floating on its own. Zuoqiu Ming was so frightened that he made a strangled cry. He wanted to climb onto his flying sword and escape, but unexpectedly, the Icy Jade Pendant was much faster and stuck itself onto his back.


    "Arghhhh!"


    Zuoqiu Ming''s repeated scream was hair-raising. Wrinkles began lining his face. He wanted to shake away the Icy Jade Pendant, but his efforts were all in vain.


    "Save me, Great Ancestor!" he screeched. He abruptly coughed up a mouthful of Blood Essence. The Blood Essence swiftly formed a circle of light around him and finally shook the pendant away with a bang.


    Zuoqiu Ming was panting hard after using so much of his Blood Essence. He now looked like a man who had aged several decades in a flash. From a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he was reduced into a mid-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator. He had likely gone mad, for he continued to scream. He took off on his flying sword and disappeared in a random direction.


    "Don''t even think of running!"


    With a point of his finger, Xiao Chen''s Unsullied Sword instantly turned into a white light and chased after Zuoqiu Ming. He knew very well that he must not let Zuoqiu Ming return, or the latter would surely be his great nemesis once his powers recover.


    However, he was now impossibly weak. His Unsullied Sword slashed Zuoqiu Ming''s back just once before weakly flying back to him.


    In the distance, the Xuanyong Sect disciples were all in a panic. Their legs had gone soft. Icy Jade Pendant flashed with a green glint again and returned to Xiao Chen''s neck.


    Having first suffered three palm attacks, then blocking the mystic powers that invaded his body, and finally launching the Unsullied Sword by force, Xiao Chen was now incomparably frail. He imbued a Divine Thought into the Icy Jade Pendant. "You''re, you''re too reckless. That person and I cultivate different Mystic Skills. You''re just hurting me¡­"


    "Hehe, blaming me, are you? Let''s talk later. I need to ingest that man''s powers."


    Xiao Chen shook his head. Su Xiaomei was indeed a demoness. Suddenly, his vision darkened as he completely lost consciousness. He didn''t know how long had passed when he woke up again. He immediately yelled, "Xian''er! Xian''er!"


    "Brother Xiao Chen, I''m here."


    Xiao Chen got up and saw that he was in a bedroom, with Xian''er watching over him by the bed. He noticed the beads of tears glistening on her long eyelashes. She must have been worried sick while he was unconscious. He said gently, "I''m fine now. Where''s this?"


    "We''re in the Stone Cliff Town. You have been sleeping for an entire day, sob¡­"


    Xiao Chen caressed her face and said softly, "It''s alright now. I''m fine. Where are Qin Shaoyang and the others?"


    Murong Xian''er nodded softly. "Hmm. They''re in the tavern as well."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Suddenly, a burning hot sensation surged from his elixir field. Zuoqiu Ming''s mystic powers were beginning to wreak chaos again.


    He knew that he must ingest these powers or it would pose a great obstacle to his further cultivation. Simultaneously, he was also wondering why Su Xiaomei, a member of the Su family, would be familiar with a demonic technique like the Vitality-devouring Supreme Art. He vaguely remembered that the Vitality-devouring Supreme Art was a cultivation method recorded in the devil''s book, the Heaven''s Talisman.

 Chapter 203 Core Forming Realm

    Midway into his contemplation, Xiao Chen faintly heard a flurry of footsteps in the corridor outside his room. The footsteps only stopped outside the door.


    "Have you woken up, Brother Xiao?"


    "Yes. Please come in, Brother Qin."


    Murong Xian''er ran to the door to open it. Qin Shaoyang and two other Xianyong Sect disciples walked inside the room.


    "How are you feeling, Brother Xiao?"


    "I''m fine now," Xiao Chen replied. "How far are we from Canglan City?"


    Qin Shaoyang frowned. "You''re still planning to go?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t answer. The Zuoqiu family losing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was a very advantageous thing for him. He must not miss this opportunity.


    Qin Shaoyang knew what he was thinking and thus, said, "Their sole Nascent Soul Realm cultivator isn''t the reason the Zuoqiu family dominates the Middle Continent."


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows gathered into a frown. Did the Zuoqiu family have another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? He asked, "What do you mean?"


    Qin Shaoyang looked out of the window, where the wind had carried several dead leaves into the room. "Zuoqiu Que, a Level Four apothecary."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Naturally, he knew about apothecaries. He had heard quite a few stories about them from Gui Xian. High-level apothecaries not only could revive the dead but also possessed extraordinary pill concoction skills. Thus, in the Violet Manor, apothecaries were very well-connected. Many would rather offend an entire sect than offend an apothecary of Level Three and above.


    In ascending order, apothecaries were divided into eight levels: Elixir Apprentice, Elixir Master, Elixir Spirit, Elixir King, Elixir Luminary, Elixir Saint, Elixir Immortal, and then legendary Elixir God.


    A mere Elixir Apprentice would be famed for his superior medical expertise in the Human World. An Elixir Spirit would possess a rudimentary knowledge of reviving the dead and be able to produce high-level medicinal pills such as Core-forming Pills with ease. Back then, Gui Xian was an apothecary who was about to become a Level 4 Elixir King.


    Xiao Chen hadn''t expected there to be a Level 4 Elixir King in the Zuoqiu family. Just what kind of existence was an Elixir King? Not only could he revive a person, but he could also produce heaven-defying pills such as Nascent Soul Pills or Nirvana Pills. That wasn''t even the scariest part. An Elixir King needed only to yell for help and a magnificent army would immediately answer his pleas.


    Many years ago, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator tried to kidnap Zuoqiu Que and make him his personal apothecary. In the end, the cultivator had his soul extinguished by the experts from all walks of life that the family summoned.


    Xiao Chen''s frown deepened. He and the Zuoqiu family were now like oil and water. Even if he didn''t try to rescue Gui Xian from them, they wouldn''t let him off either.


    Finally, hesitation crept onto the expression of one of the disciples behind Qin Shaoyang. He said, "That''s not all. Zuoqiu family has a First Young Master with a phenomenal talent called Zuoqiu Yang. He''s Zuoqiu Ze''s older cousin and ranked ninth on the Heaven List. He has six Spiritual Meridians."


    Xiao Chen''s frown deepened more and more. Someone from the Heaven List? The top ten on the list mustn''t be underestimated. They were far more terrifying than any of the old folks.


    "Zuoqiu Yang achieved the peak of Core Forming Realm long ago. Recently, he has been learning in the Divine Mist Sect at the west border of the Middle Continent. Moreover, he''s the chief disciple of the Divine Mist Sect Leader. He has already rushed home with his men after hearing that you killed his cousin."


    Xiao Chen snickered. "Let them come! The more, the better! Send one, I''ll kill one; send two, I''ll kill two; send three, I''ll kill all!"


    Qin Shaoyang raised his head and sighed. "Don''t force it, Brother Xiao. My master has entrusted a task to you. You must stay safe. In my opinion, you should lie low for now. We can talk about rescuing your friend in the future. It''s said that a leader can submit or can stand tall as required. Why ruin your future plans for a moment of bravery?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Please leave for now. I need some silence." He then turned to Murong Xian''er and said, "Xian''er, please leave as well. Close the door behind you."


    When everyone was gone, he crushed the bedside with a loud thump. Veins had emerged on his forehead.


    The Zuoqiu family was even more repulsive than the Ling family, and much stronger too. He felt not only a sense of helplessness. If this was the past, who would be stupid enough to provoke him after hearing that he was a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect and Immortal Miaoyin, Ling Yin?


    However, the past was untouchable. It was useless to think of this now. The opponents he met were increasingly powerful. The only thing he should do now was getting stronger, so strong that they would get frightened just from hearing his name and wouldn''t dare to provoke him!


    He took a deep breath and started refining his Qi. He concentrated on operating the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method. What was paramount was ingesting Zuoqiu Ming''s powers as soon as possible. Perhaps he might have a chance to break through into the Core Forming Realm then. Once he succeeded, he could use the Devil''s Three Turns of the Heaven''s Talisman when he truly had to. So what if Zuoqiu Yang was a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator, a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, or a true Nascent Soul Realm cultivator?


    Successive attacks hit acupuncture points like his Sea of Qi, Great Tower Gate, and Elixir Field. Several hours passed. Xiao Chen was so exhausted that sweat was dripping off his face and drenching his innerwear, but he was still unable to break through the bottleneck in his Foundation Building Realm. The gold elixir inside his body had yet to take complete shape. How could it be so easy to enter the Core Forming Realm?


    "Seven interlinked apertures, with each one luminous. The sacred sun and moon shine upon the golden hall¡­"


    It was much harder to enter the Core Forming Realm than entering the Foundation Building Realm. One had to form an Internal Elixir inside the body. He recited the mental cultivation method for the Core Forming Realm over and over. Finally, an Internal Elixir became faintly visible inside his Elixir Field. The Internal Elixir, wrapped with a white glow, was sometimes there and sometimes not. It looked both real and illusory at the same time.


    Xiao Chen meditated, knowing that this was the first sign of the Core Forming Realm. He must remain calm right now or his scattered Qi would spell the end of his Internal Elixir as well. He put even more focus on reciting the mental cultivation method. "Refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into the state of apotheosis, refining apotheosis into nothingness¡­"


    Several more hours passed, drawing the curtain of the night. Qin Shaoyang and the others could detect the continuous fluctuation in vital force inside his room. Knowing that he was forming his core, they stayed in the courtyard to protect him.


    "I use my heart to observe its shape; I use its shape to become one with it¡­"


    Xiao Chen repeatedly recited the mental cultivation technique while guiding his internal powers. The Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method was indescribably wonderful. Back then, it was the top method in Immortal''s Practice. Finally, the Internal Elixir inside his Elixir Field gradually materialized into something tangible out of nothingness.


    When his Internal Elixir came into shape, white glow illuminated for one hundred thousand feet!


    A white light emerged from within his body, lighting up the entire room, and then broke out of the window lattice and roof to illuminate the entire courtyard so brightly that it looked like daytime.


    Everyone in the courtyard was tremendously shocked. Qin Shaoyang, in particular, was in disbelief. He himself was in the Core Forming Realm and he had also seen others achieving the realm. The white light would flash only briefly each time. However, this time, the white light that Xiao Chen was emanating looked as if it had become one with the moonlight.


    Instantly, boundless vital force extended 5 kilometers in all directions, covering it all in white light. It awakened countless people residing in the small town in a state of confusion.


    Qin Shaoyang and the rest had long become dumbstruck. The white light continued to emanate from Xiao Chen''s room without fading. How could this be considered an unnatural phenomenon for success in Core Forming Realm cultivation? This was the unnatural phenomenon for success in Nascent Soul Realm cultivation!


    It took a long time for the white light to gradually subside, revealing the twinkling stars in the night sky. Xiao Chen was sitting cross-legged inside his room with a peaceful heart. He had finally broken into the Core Forming Realm, but what surprised him was that this time, he had instantly broken into the third level of the realm!


    That feeling from thousands of years ago seemed to have returned to him. That prodigy from the Mystic Cyan Sect had finally returned.


    The door opened with a creak. Xiao Chen strolled out of his room with a smile on his face and a hand behind his back. The moonlight that illuminated him seemed to be coating him in a white glow. It made him look like an immortal who had descended onto the mortal world.


    Right then, his entire temperament had changed. One could sense a faint otherworldly aura from him. Everyone in the courtyard was astounded. Qin Shaoyang was the first to recover his senses. He saluted Xiao Chen and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Brother Xiao!"


    Only now did he understand just how strong Xiao Chen was. Previously, he forced a draw with Xiao Chen and refused to use his full strength. Now, he might not be a match for Xiao Chen even if he used the entirety of his strength.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "Thank you for keeping guard for me, Brother Qin."


    "Brother Xiao Chen!" An overjoyed Murong Xian''er ran over to him and gave him a hug, eliciting the envy of the remaining ten or so Xianyong disciples.


    "Hehe." Xiao Chen caressed her hair. It was only now that he felt like he had truly become strong. In the past, he never realized it. Only now he knew the true difference between a peak Foundation Building Realm and a beginner Core Forming Realm cultivation. Even though it was merely a step away, it was such a far one and carried a heaven-and-earth difference.


    If he could fight ordinary beginner Core Forming Realm cultivators when he was just a peak Foundation Building Realm cultivator, then he could now battle any peak Core Forming Realm cultivators or even quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

 Chapter 204 Decisive Battle in Canglan City Part 1

    Chapter 204 Decisive Battle in Canglan City (Part 1)


    Two days had since passed. Rumors were strife that Xiao Chen had colluded with the Corpse Refinery Sect to kill the Young Master of the Zuoqiu family. Some even said that the Zuoqiu family was harboring wicked intentions and was trying to usurp Xiao Chen''s ancient cultivation methods.


    In short, news of Xiao Chen''s battle against the Zuoqiu family had spread far and wide across the East Continent, reaching even the four other continents. Undoubtedly, the news was causing huge waves in the Violet Manor. Many cultivators were rushing over to Canglan City, some of them excited to witness the strength of the rising rookie, but most were hoping to gain benefit during such chaotic times.


    The Zuoqiu family had issued hero invitations everywhere, gathering cultivators of all walks of life, in the glorified name of "rooting out remnants of the Devil''s Practice". Every cultivator with peak Core Forming Realm cultivation and above who answered the invitation would be given a Nascent Soul Pill.


    One Nascent Soul Pill was enough to elevate a Core Forming Realm cultivator by one to three levels within three months. When a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator consumed such a pill, there was a high chance that he would be able to truly enter the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. This was an unprecedented and non-replicable temptation.


    Zuoqiu Que even went so far as to put a Nirvana Pill up for offer. That was the sole pill that he produced over the span of several years. Whichever Nascent Soul Realm cultivator who killed Xiao Chen would be entitled to this pill.


    A single Nirvana Pill was absolutely capable of elevating a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator by one level. To Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, this was an irresistible temptation. Moreover, the Zuoqiu family had also made it known that they would be providing Energy Pills the entire time, allowing the cultivators to unleash their skills without misgivings. This time, they had truly spared no expense.


    With a loud crash, Xiao Chen''s palm landed on the table and shattered the teapot on it. The water dripped off the surface, every drop falling on the floor below.


    To be frank, he knew that Zuoqiu family didn''t have to go through so much trouble to subdue him. They were simply trying to tell the world that whoever dared to come to his rescue would be declaring war against the entire Zuoqiu family, and cultivators from all walks of life by extension.


    Simultaneously, it was also a message to the world that the Zuoqiu family was able to summon a legion of experts with just a call for help. It was a warning not to provoke them, for they cared not how powerful their enemies were.


    Qin Shaoyang was wearing a deep frown. "Have you made up your mind to go? Please give up. You''re alone now. There''s no way you can bring down an entire family."


    Xiao Chen didn''t reply. He was carefully pondering over this matter. The Zuoqiu family had forced his hand this time; he must go. They had declared to the world that Gui Xian was in their hands. He could just imagine what people would say in the future if he didn''t go. "Oh, Xiao Chen? Isn''t he the coward who went into hiding when his friend was in trouble?"


    All of these weren''t the point. The crucial question was who would save Gui Xian if not for him? Was he to sit here and watch Gui Xian''s soul be ingested?


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen slammed the table and rose to his feet in anger. "Save your breath! I have already made up my mind! At noon tomorrow, I''ll fight the decisive battle in Canglan City!"


    Seeing that he couldn''t persuade Xiao Chen, Qin Shaoyang sighed and stopped talking. Xiao Chen said, "Brother Qin, I know we have just met but can I entrust Xian''er to you for the time being?"


    When Murong Xian''er heard that he was planning to show up to the battle on his own, she hastily said, "No! I''m going with Brother Xiao Chen!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Xian''er, I''m entering a very dangerous situation. I can''t keep you safe there. Can you listen to me this time?"


    "No! I refuse! I refuse!" Murong Xian''er was still protesting. While speaking, tears were welling up in her eyes.


    Xiao Chen sighed. He addressed Qin Shaoyang and said, "Brother Qin, I''ll leave Xian''er to you for the time being."


    "Very well. Rest assured. I promise I''ll keep Younger Sister Murong safe."


    Early the next day, when the light of dawn started rising from the east, the six steel sabres that Xiao Chen ordered to be done by expert craftsmen overnight were secured on his back. A fine colt capable of covering 500 kilometers came to him, taking him westward.


    "No, Brother Xiao Chen!" Murong Xian''er chased after him for several kilometers with tears streaming down her face. In the end, Qin Shaoyang tugged on her to stop. "Younger Sister Murong, don''t be sad. He''ll be fine. The day before yesterday, I sent a homing pigeon back to the sect. I''m sure my master and the Elders have received the message by now."


    Meanwhile, Canglan City was packed with people. There were quite a few cultivators who had arrived ahead of time. The Zuoqiu family had also arranged for patrols in every street in the city. A banner bearing the Zuoqiu family''s mark was hanging from the city gate tower. They had truly gone all out this time.


    Xiao Chen whipped his horse to pick up the pace. After speeding along for four hours, he finally saw the flag on the city gate tower from afar. He bellowed, "I''m here to answer your challenge! Young child of the Zuoqiu family, immediately come out of the city to meet your death!"


    He amplified his voice using Qi so that his fierce aura would reach before his horse. Many cultivators inside the city who heard his divine roar were astonished. "He''s here! The Zuoqiu family has already set an inescapable trap for him and yet he dares to come! What courage!"


    Many couldn''t help feeling amazed as they rushed to the east city gate. The General of Defence was sweating. Even though he knew the Zuoqiu family stationed them here to be cannon fodder, there was nothing that they could do about it.


    Smoke and dust were churning where land met the sky. A silhouette was gradually enlarging, covering several kilometers in an instant. The back of the General of Defence was already soaked with cold sweat. Before he could command his subordinates, he saw a golden light hacking at him. This attack nearly shocked the soul out of him. He stammered, "Hurry! Hurry¡­ and release the arrows!"


    However, before his voice reached the ears of his subordinates, Xiao Chen had already cut off several banners in front of him and the banners fell off the buildings. More than one hundred soldiers responsible for guarding the city hoisted their bows and fixed arrows on them. These arrows were no ordinary arrows; they were forged with hundred-year mystic iron and infused with cultivators'' True Qi. In a flash, a gale began screeching as a rain of arrows fell.


    Xiao Chen sprung forth and soared into the sky as his horse was impaled by more than tens of arrows and met an instant, violent death. Simultaneously, he unleashed his Phoenix''s Wings and sent two Cyan Dragon Roars palm attacks at the city gate tower.


    The boundless Dragon Roars were irresistible. The entire tower instantly collapsed, transforming into a cloud of smoke and dust. The onlooking cultivators were stupefied. That force was close to the might of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!


    Xiao Chen ignored the dumbstruck cultivators and once again bellowed with his Qi, "I''m here! Young child of the Zuoqiu family, come out now and fight me!" He then aimed a palm attack at a building bearing the Zuoqiu family''s flag and easily crushed the 9-storey building into rubble.


    By then, some two hundred patrols had arrived on the scene. One of the generals shouted at Xiao Chen in anger, "How dare you, you devil! If you have a grudge against the Zuoqiu family, you can just settle it privately! Why are you injuring the citizens of our Cangming State?!"


    Xiao Chen raised his head and laughed heartily. His long hair danced wildly in the air behind him. His gaze was razor-sharp. "Zuoqiu family''s lap dogs! Go to hell, all of you!" He slammed a palm attack on the ground. Instantly, incessant screeches filled the air. The two hundred patrols or so coughed up blood as they were sent flying.


    In the distance, the onlookers were stunned. Was Xiao Chen declaring war against the Zuoqiu family or the entire Cangming State? In a flash, discussions reverberated throughout the crowd.


    Right then, a golden light of one thousand feet crashed down with boundless power and momentum. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, having noticed that the newcomer had quite a high cultivation. He retrieved a steel saber from behind and exalted it. One-hundred-feet saber radiance responded to it. Then came an ear-splitting explosion. The roof tiles of the buildings in the city scattered in the air, sucked in by a tremendous force.


    Xiao Chen tucked away his Phoenix''s Wings and landed on the public square on the ground. The crowd gave way, revealing a youngster in a purple garment. Hidden in his cold and gloomy eyes was an ominous glint.


    "I''m Zuoqiu Yang, here to answer your request for battle!"


    Many outside the public square gasped when they heard his self-introduction and started discussing among themselves.


    "This is the number one among the younger generation of the Zuoqiu family, Zuoqiu Yang? I heard he achieved peak Core Forming Realm cultivation at a young age and has been studying at the Divine Mist Sect. I suppose he must be a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator by now?"


    "Dear God¡­ A quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in his early twenties. Is everyone in the Zuoqiu family a freak?"


    On one end was the mysterious rising rookie from the East Continent. On the other was the successor of the Zuoqiu family who was ranked ninth on the Heaven List. For a moment, the excitement outside the public square climbed to unprecedented levels.


    Zuoqiu Yang''s gaze was ice-cold. "Today, I''ll use your blood to uphold justice for my brother!"


    Xiao Chen sneered. "You''re not the first one to say that. But look, I''m still standing here alive and well, am I not?"


    "Then, let me see if you can leave this place alive!" Zuoqiu Yang roared and a brilliantly resplendent Immortal''s Sword appeared in his hand.


    The sword was a gift from the Divine Mist Sect Leader. It carried an endless stream of Immortal''s force. Golden light would stretch on forever with a single swing of the sword. Xiao Chen put strength into hacking with his steel saber. The clanging of metal reverberated as his saber broke into seven or eight pieces after colliding with the Sword Qi. Even Xiao Chen was thrown back five to six steps. Without his True Energy protecting him, this sword attack would have injured him.


    Zuoqiu Yang sneered. "Is that how strong you are?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t humor him and threw the bare handle to the ground. After reciting a spell, a wide saber that glowed a dazzling red immediately appeared in his hand. The pattern on the saber was strange and imbued with demonic air. Many onlookers outside the arena cried out in alarm. "Is that the Blood Lotus Demon Blade that the He family used to wipe out countless Nascent Soul Realm cultivators?!"


    Instantly, the cold wind sprang up everywhere and the clear sky became tainted with heavy, dark clouds in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 205 Decisive Battle in Canglan City Part 2

    Chapter 205 Decisive Battle in Canglan City (Part 2)


    The cultivators who had been convinced that Xiao Chen would lose stared at the blood-red demonic saber. Zuoqiu Yang also looked somber. He could sense the strange breath coming from the demonic saber. He said icily, "To use such a bloodthirsty object as a weapon, you''re indeed a follower of the Devil''s Practice!"


    Xiao Chen gave him an emotionless glance. "Oh? If a person wielding a demonic saber is a devil, what does that make the Zuoqiu family who massacred all 13 members of someone''s family?"


    Zuoqiu Yang''s heart sank. That happened many years ago, when his family plotted to eliminate someone who was about to become a Level 4 Elixir King. However, this was something that was kept top secret in the family. How did this kid find out?


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Xiao Chen replied indifferently, "It doesn''t matter who I am. What''s important is that your family killed. Do you not understand even to this day that the debt of blood must be repaid in kind?"


    "Hehe! You, a Core Forming Realm cultivator, wish to avenge that person? Naive!" Zuoqiu Yang bellowed. He lifted his sword and lunged at Xiao Chen. The dazzling sword radiance called forth the whistling of the gale.


    "Oh, is that so?" Xiao Chen said placidly. Simultaneously, he gently slashed his finger with his saber. Blood flowed into the pattern on the blade and instantly, the entire blade began trembling and emanating red radiance. One could faintly hear a sinister whistling coming from it.


    "Slash!" He spat out, and the blade instantly became two times larger. The red radiance that spanned over 30 meters rocked into the sky. The powerful Demonic God''s power made the nearby cultivators feel out of breath.


    The incomparably fierce saber radiance instantly became interwoven with Zuoqiu Yang''s sword radiance. The two majestic forces nearly crushed everything around them into dust. The ground under their feet also began to crack in large pieces. Gale surged violently, sending granule and stones swirling in the air. It was so baffling that everyone could barely open their eyes.


    It took a long while for the fierce momentum to gradually fade. Zuoqiu Yang wielded his sword horizontally to his chest and took several steps backward before regaining firm footing. On the contrary, Xiao Chen was standing still in his original location as if he was a mountain that couldn''t be moved.


    Zuoqiu Yang was overwhelmed with shock. He was a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator while this kid had just entered Core Forming Realm. How could Xiao Chen remain so composed in the face of his attack?


    Xiao Chen wiped his blade clean and cast Zuoqiu Yang a sidelong glance. He said placidly, "What''s wrong? Is this how strong you are? So that''s all to it to the No. 9 on the Heaven List."


    There was no onlooker outside the arena that wasn''t shocked at how he brazenly looked down on a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator. Could he have truly become a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? No wonder he dared to charge into Canglan City by himself today.


    Zuoqiu Yang''s expression was dark. His family had ordered him not to make any reckless movements, but he was too proud and arrogant to heed it. On the one hand, he wanted to avenge his younger cousin. On the other, he wanted to show off his strength and use this chance to lower the morale of the cultivators in the East Continent. He never expected to be evenly-matched with Xiao Chen.


    He said solemnly, "Stop being so smug. You''re just powerful because you have that demonic saber. Today I''ll show you the true power of the Zuoqiu family''s Mystic Skill!"


    He threw his Immortal''s Sword into the air and then immediately moved his fingers to cast spells nonstop. Layer upon layer of mystic arts swirled in the space above the sword. However, right at this moment, a strange scene took place. The Immortal''s Sword started shaking incessantly and stopped listening to orders. It was even emanating a faint red glow.


    "What?!" Zuoqiu Yang''s expression transformed drastically. The Night Coalescence Immortal''s Sword that his master gifted him was forged from a thousand-year meteoric iron. For thousand years or more, it was undefeated by demons and devils. Did Xiao Chen''s demonic saber manage to hit it?


    Xiao Chen smiled. "What''s wrong? Is that your Zuoqiu family''s Mystic Skill?" His figure blurred out of view. Like a ghost, he reappeared in front of Zuoqiu Yang and landed a heavy kick on his jaw.


    Zuoqiu Yang failed to dodge in time. Xiao Chen''s kick sent him flying with blood coming out of his nose and mouth. The moment he fell to the ground, Xiao Chen reappeared and pointed his saber at his neck at a lightning-fast speed.


    "Where''s your family''s hiding place? Lead the way and I''ll spare your life!"


    Zuoqiu Yang was nearly frightened out of his wits. If Xiao Chen had exerted strength in his attack earlier, his head would have fallen off his body by now. Even if he could preserve his soul, he couldn''t maintain his physical body.


    Naturally, this was beyond the onlooker''s expectations. No one thought this average-looking youngster would possess such extraordinary skills that allowed him to subdue the strongest young member of the Zuoqiu family. With such profound powers, who would believe that he didn''t have an Ancient Immortal Clan backing him up? It seemed that the Zuoqiu family had truly gotten themselves into huge trouble this time.


    Right then, a deep and resounding voice came from the distant horizon, splitting the ears of quite a few onlookers. "Yang''er, why did you act on your own?! Hurry up and return!"


    Even though the voice resounded clearly, the speaker wasn''t in the area. Rather, he was using the mystic arts Faraway-voice Transfer. That person must have allowed Zuoqiu Yang to go out to battle Xiao Chen, but now that Zuoqiu Yang had lost, he had no choice but to summon him back.


    Zuoqiu Yang felt vexed. While Xiao Chen was focused on listening to the voice, he recited a spell and turned his body into a sword radiance. Then, he escaped in the northwest direction.


    Xiao Chen immediately unleashed the Phoenix''s Wings and chased after him. The onlooking cultivators also cried in alarm and started running toward the Zuoqiu Manor.


    Moments later, Xiao Chen came upon a massive residence that seemed to extend continuously. The high places surrounding the residence were packed with cultivators. This must be the Zuoqiu Manor.


    The onlookers started shouting when they spotted him flying using a pair of wings. "Look! Look! That''s Xiao Chen! He''s here!"


    Xiao Chen ignored their cries. He put away his Phoenix''s Wings and landed in the garden in front of the main gate of the Zuoqiu Manor. Tens of disciples had immediately rushed over when they heard the commotion, all of them wearing sinister gazes. One of them shouted, "Devil! Since you killed one of us, we want you to pay with your life today!"


    "I must pay with my life after I killed someone? What about you people? Can you kill people as if you''re slaughtering oxen and horses?" Xiao Chen asked emotionlessly.


    Simultaneously, he waved his large hand. Instantly, gale began rising and slammed a cloud of granule and sand on the disciples. They couldn''t resist it and ended up being flung into a wall. Copious amounts of blood sprayed from their mouth. Evidently, they wouldn''t survive this.


    Some disciples turned pale after seeing this. Some were caught between feeling startled and furious. They knew Xiao Chen killed one of them, but he had unfathomable powers and incomparable to the fools who had provoked them in the past. This time, the elders themselves would have to personally deal with Xiao Chen.


    Right then, a bellow erupted from the depths of the garden. "Xiao Chen! How dare you come to my Zuoqiu''s Manor and kill! Do you really take our Zuoqiu family for a fool?!"


    "Since I dare to breach your manor, naturally I''m taking you for a fool!" Xiao Chen instantly formed four to five blades of Qi on the palm of his right hand and struck them at the group of Zuoqiu family''s disciples nearest to him.


    A silhouette came into view. It was a grey-haired, baby-faced old man in his sixties. Even though he was fast, he was ultimately a step too late. He could only watch as three of his disciples had their heads lopped off. Their blood sprayed all over the cluster of flowers on the corner of walls.


    The onlookers standing on high places outside the manor couldn''t help gasping in shock. This guy''s murderous aura was too potent. His opponent had already warned him and yet he still dared to kill the disciples in front of his opponent.


    Another two elders arrived at the garden. The cyan-robed old man earlier was so angry that veins were protruding on his forehead. Despite his warning, Xiao Chen still dared to kill his disciples in front of him. Evidently, the kid was showing him no respect.


    "Very well, kid. How do you wish to die today?"


    Xiao Chen took a step forward and said emotionlessly, "I haven''t thought about it. But I didn''t come here to waste words on you. Hurry up and hand him over, or I promise I''ll shed enough blood to form a river today!"


    "You!" The cyan-robed old man was enraged into speechlessness. With a flick of his wide sleeves, he attacked Xiao Chen with his palm. The incomparably ferocious palm force formed a massive golden handprint in the air. Sounds of eruptions reverberated nonstop as all plants in the garden were reduced into dust in an instant.


    In the distance, a cultivator couldn''t help crying, "Devil Extermination Seal!"


    The formidable aura caused the vital energy in the world to start vibrating. Numerous buildings began shaking as if the earth was quaking. Even the faraway onlooking cultivators felt a chill down their back at that moment. They immediately activated their Self-protection Barrier lest they were injured.


    Ever since Xiao Chen entered the Core Forming Realm, his Divine Sense had sharpened a hundred or even a thousandfold. The moment his opponent moved, he already knew what the former was trying to do. Right then, he used his Immortal-override Steps to dodge the range of the layers of palm force. Simultaneously, he gathered True Qi and struck the old man on the left rib with Cyan Dragon Roars.


    The cyan-robed old man had never imagined that Xiao Chen would instantly appear on his left. He had not finished exerting his palm force in unleashing the Devil Extermination Seal, so he was unable to retrieve his force and resist Xiao Chen. With a loud explosion, the palm hit him hard on the rib. His bone cracked so badly that it nearly made a sound. He coughed up blood as he was sent flying.


    "Oh God¡­" Shocked cries rang out again and again outside the manor. This time, the disparity in strength had been clearly demonstrated. This cyan-robed old man was shockingly not a match for Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 206 Decisive Battle in Canglan City Part 3

    Chapter 206 Decisive Battle in Canglan City (Part 3)


    A silhouette blurred out of view as a nearby green-robed Elder promptly caught the cyan-robed Elder in midair. He found it too much that Xiao Chen treated his peer this way and glared at him. "You''re powerful, but did you think you alone can contend against an entire family?"


    "Naturally, I have made preparations for the worst-case scenario in daring to come here. I''m just an independent cultivator whose life is of no consequence. If you''re determined to make me your enemy, I''ll bury your thousand-member Zuoqiu family with me!"


    He sounded neither servile nor overbearing. Up until now, he was also the first who dared to say such words to the Zuoqiu family. Many of the family''s disciples felt a shiver down their backs. They could tell from Xiao Chen''s ways of handling matters earlier that he wasn''t making an empty threat.


    The last Elder, dressed in a red robe, said, "It''s not that we''re determined to make you our enemy. But shouldn''t you give us an explanation for killing Zuoqiu Ze?"


    Xiao Chen raised his head and laughed heartily. "You might as well bring up those disciples of yours that I killed. I''d like to ask all of you a question. Who among you have pure hands untainted by blood? Are you telling me that if it''s justifiable for you to kill and that those whom you killed could only blame their bad luck? If that''s the rule in large families and sects like yours, then I''ll abolish that rule today!"


    In the Violet Manor, some large families did indeed take advantage of their position to bully others. Those whom they killed had it coming but if you kill one of them, they would surely pursue it to the end of the earth. This had become a very common scene in the Violet Manor.


    The ones who had it the hardest were the independent cultivators. They were bullied by all large families and sects and had no one to back them up. They could only blame their misfortune. Except for independent cultivators who were fearless and possessed extraordinary cultivation, none dared to resist the way Xiao Chen did.


    Xiao Chen sneered. "This world belongs to its people, not you so-called large families! From the day you first murdered someone, you should have prepared yourself to be killed at any time!"


    His words struck deep into the hearts of the countless cultivators outside. Many lost their fear of the Zuoqiu family and started cheering.


    The three Elders of the Zuoqiu family looked even grimmer. What they despised was not Xiao Chen killing their people, but saying such self-righteous things after committing the killing. What was worse was that they had no room to retort.


    "I take that to mean that you''re refusing to give up?" the green-robed Elder asked solemnly. He started to stimulate his True Energy aggressively. Amid rising gale, he lunged at Xiao Chen.


    The vast, boundless palm force caused the world to shed some of its colors. The wind picked up the stones on the ground and sent them swirling in the air. Every object caught within the range of the palm force was all crushed into dust in a split second.


    Xiao Chen snorted. Bravery flowed through every part of his body as he mustered a force capable of hauling thirty thousand catties. Without hiding or evading, he slammed his palm force of his own in answer. Instantly, a crack large enough to collapse an entire mountain appeared. Under the ravaging of the two forces, half of the courtyard was easily ruined. The two of them also retreated several steps before regaining their footing.


    Two similar palms, two similarly unstoppable forces. If one were to say that Xiao Chen had won earlier by ambushing the cyan-robed old man, this time he had demonstrated that he was truly on even footing with the green-robed Elder.


    Suddenly, the red-robed Elder struck Xiao Chen as well. Instead of a palm attack like the two previous Elders, he used a punch. The images of fist bathed in golden glow filled the sky above Xiao Chen, looking as concentrated as drops of rain. All of them aimed for the top of Xiao Chen''s head. No matter how nimble one was, it would be nearly impossible to escape the fist shadows that filled the sky.


    The red-robed Elder''s fist arts was indeed outstanding. Even with such sharp Divine Sense, Xiao Chen found it a challenge to differentiate between the real punch from the illusory ones. He took the hit from all directions. While resisting in a panic, he felt a punch strike him in the pit of the chest. He was thrown backward by more than ten steps before he could get regain firm footing. Thanks to his True Energy protecting his body, however, the punch didn''t cause any damage.


    The only problem was that the Elders were striking him together after finally seeing a flaw in his defenses. It was now a three-versus-one situation. Bold and powerful as he was, it was hard for Xiao Chen to withstand the combined forces of three peak Core Forming Realm cultivators. To make things worse, these three worked very well together.


    For a while, the fist shadows and winds caused by palm attacks went off nonstop and destroyed the entire garden. Even the nearby courtyards suffered the aftermath. Countless pavilions and kiosks collapsed in large portions under the palm strength. Instantly, the entire Zuoqiu Manor was covered in smoke and dust. Many disciples had long run away for cover.


    Outside the manor, the cultivators were all holding their breath as they watched the battle attentively. Many couldn''t help lamenting on the inside after seeing that Xiao Chen remained at a disadvantage. Even though they wanted to see him teach the Zuoqiu family a lesson in humility, he was nevertheless fighting on his own. He was no match for an entire family.


    "The three oldies are ganging up on him. Should we gather some people and help him? We''ll escape immediately after the battle."


    "Have you gone mad? That''s the Zuoqiu family. Shut up and just watch!"


    Xiao Chen remained at a disadvantage with three people besieging him. He might be able to travel back and forth between those three with Immortal-override Steps, but their palm strength would inevitably chafe him. Eventually, he made up his mind and retreated more than on hundred feet away until he was out of the courtyard.


    The three Elders stopped as well. One of them asked, "What''s wrong? Are you running? Do you think our Zuoqiu Manor is a place where you can come and go as you please?!"


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeve coldly. "I''ll never leave until you hand over my friend!" He started moving his fingers and reciting a spell. Immediately, a wide expanse of dark clouds hovered in the sky close to the earth.


    The entire Zuoqiu Manor was instantly shrouded by dark clouds, making it dim and gloomy inside. The dark clouds churned continuously, emitting the faint cry of a dragon. No one knew what was going on, but they could all feel the terrifying breath of the Archean Eon coming from within the clouds.


    The cultivators who had climbed onto the tall platforms or hills to watch the battle were feeling an inexplicable feeling of dread. All of them ran for the ground and hid inside buildings.


    The three Elders exchanged glances and said in alarm, "This is bad! Stop him!" They lunged at Xiao Chen as quick as lightning. However, Xiao Chen cast another spell with one hand. Four to five golden illusory dragons swirled around him, making it impossible for the three Elders to come near.


    "Roar!"


    A burst of Dragon''s Roar, loud enough to shake heaven, resounded. Dark clouds opened up to reveal a huge dragon''s head. Its eyes were like lamps as it glared at everyone below in fury. The boundless might of a dragon wasn''t to be easily provoked!


    The expression of the three Elders changed drastically when they felt the fearsome dragon''s terrifying breath. The Dragon''s Wrath that Xiao Chen produced now look even more authentic after stepping into the Core Forming Realm. The illusory dragon that he manifested looked no different from a true divine dragon.


    "It''s a dragon! It''s the legendary Divine Dragon!"


    Countless disciples on the ground had all gone weak in the legs from fright. Some of them had heard the rumor that Xiao Chen could summon a Divine Dragon from the Archean Eon, but to witness it with their own eyes was a whole other shocking experience. If the dragon lunged downward, it could very likely wipe out everyone.


    Xiao Chen looked grave as he imbued Qi into his voice and shouted at the houses within the Zuoqiu Manor. "Old man of the Zuoqiu family, listen well! Hand over my friend immediately! Once this large dragon crashes down, it will level your entire manor!"


    When he was done speaking, the gigantic dragon nestled high amid the clouds emitted a heaven-shattering roar. The eardrums of the weaker Zuoqiu family''s disciples instantly bled after the shock.


    Under the pressure of the gigantic dragon hanging overhead, the Zuoqiu Manor fell into utter chaos. Countless women and children were running in all directions. Many disciples had long fallen into shock. They could all feel a catastrophe coming. They wondered why the House Master and the rest would provoke such a terrifying existence. To make things worse, they were nowhere to be found.


    "I''m counting to three. If you still refuse to release my friend, don''t blame me for being ruthless! One!"


    "Two!"


    Just as he was about to yell "Three!" the cyan-robed Elder poured Qi into his voice and yelled toward the interior of the manor, "Don''t panic! This gigantic dragon is just an illusion! Reinforce the Defensive Barrier immediately and wait for the House Master to come out!"


    "Three!" Xiao Chen finally finished his countdown. A bloodthirsty glint flashed in his pupils. Under the pull of his spell, the gigantic dragon in the sky roared and instantly dived down on the Zuoqiu Manor. Stunningly, the dragon was three hundred meters long!


    The violent surging of the vital force nearly warped the air above the Zuoqiu Manor. Countless onlooking cultivators were holding their breath. Once the gigantic dragon hit the ground, the entire manor would surely be reduced into ruins and the survivors would likely be cultivators in the peak Core Forming Realm and beyond. Had Xiao Chen truly come today to exterminate the entire Zuoqiu family?


    The three Elders cried out in alarm, knowing that something very bad was about to happen. Simultaneously, they turned into sword lights and crossed the sky. Despite being peak Core Forming Realm cultivators with few opponents in the world, they seemed like ants in the face of the gigantic dragon from the Archean Eon.


    The three pooled their powers together to resist the might of the diving dragon, but the gigantic dragon continued to charge forward like it was facing no resistance. On the contrary, the injured cyan-robed Elder looked like he was losing the strength to resist. Blood was seeping out of his eyes, nose, and ears. In the end, he transformed into a bloody mist under the divine power of the gigantic dragon.

 Chapter 207 Decisive Battle in Canglan City Part 4

    Chapter 207 Decisive Battle in Canglan City (Part 4)


    After seeing what had happened, the Zuoqiu family''s disciples were so frightened that their faces turned ashen. Many women started prostrating on the ground, howling in grief after knowing that they couldn''t escape this calamity. Many children were huddled together in an embrace, ignorant of what was going on. Just moments ago, they were building clay figurines in the courtyard; why was their death upon them now...


    Xiao Chen''s Divine Sense caught all of this and the bloodthirsty look in his eyes finally dimmed. He slowly stopped his spell and moved his fingers to cast something else. The gigantic dragon in the sky slowly turned pale and the dark clouds gradually scattered as well.


    The two remaining Elders exchanged glances, thinking that Xiao Chen''s powers had run out. They were so badly injured that their heart meridians were nearly crushed. They landed on the ground while coughing up blood uncontrollably.


    Xiao Chen walked over to the garden and used his Qi-imbued voice to yell, "Don''t force me to kill! Hand my friend over right now!" He had scanned many places in the manor with his Divine Sense earlier, but couldn''t find any trace of Gui Xian. They must have hidden him.


    His voice was just fading when a hundred-feet sword radiance flared from the distant horizon. It was incomparably swift and concealed a fierce, surging force. Even the clouds on the other side of the sky started churning.


    Xiao Chen could feel a potent power far beyond the likes of the three Elders. He was about to heighten his Qi and resist the force when the sword radiance appeared in front of him. A huge palm print materialized out of thin air and slammed into him.


    He hastily evaded the attack. Subsequently, a loud explosion resounded and formed a large palm-shaped dent on the ground. Under such a force, everything around it was reduced to dust. Even though he managed to dodge just in time, the attack still made his Qi and blood run wild. A thought instantly came to him, "This is a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm expert, perhaps even a real one!"


    The sword radiance finally landed on the ground and turned into an old man with greying hair and beard. The Zuoqiu family''s disciples sighed in relief after seeing him making it here in time.


    "I''m an independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness. I don''t intend to make an enemy out of you, but the Zuoqiu family has promised me three Nascent Soul Pills. So, I''ll have to take your life."


    Xiao Chen stared at the old man. Judging from his breath, this man had likely not entered the Nascent Soul Realm. He flicked his sleeves coldly and scoffed. "What shameless boast!" He called forth his True Energy and lunged at the old man with a Cyan Dragon Roars attack.


    The Dragon''s Roar shook heaven. The independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness heightened his Qi in resistance at once. Even though he managed to quell most of Xiao Chen''s palm strength, he couldn''t help feeling surprised. "This kid had demonstrated his remarkable supreme arts in his battle earlier, but why is he still so confident?"


    Xiao Chen could tell what the old man was thinking. That was exactly what he hoped to achieve with his palm attack earlier. He said icily, "Senior, are you that confident in subduing me? If I go all out today, you might not gain any benefit at all. I advise you to weigh the pros and cons carefully!"


    The independent cultivator narrowed his eyes, finding the kid''s words to be reasonable. If Xiao Chen went ballistic without concern for his life, he would probably gain no benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, he might even make himself a target for a few old things hiding in the crowd. Did he show up too soon in the game? Why didn''t he wait until the kid was at the end of his life?


    Suddenly, a cold radiance lunged at Xiao Chen. With his sharp Divine Sense, Xiao Chen had naturally detected the cultivator that was hiding somewhere nearby. He retrieved a steel saber from behind him and swiped it. Blood sprayed in all directions as he cut off the arm of the Core Forming Realm cultivator who tried to ambush him.


    Simultaneously, about ten Core Forming Realm cultivators blurred out of view and reappeared in the courtyard. One of them said to the independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness, "Don''t listen to him, senior. We should work together and eliminate this person immediately!"


    Xiao Chen focused on guarding against these people. The Zuoqiu family had truly spared no expenses in getting help. He knew there were even more people hoping to kill him today. He raised his head and laughed, all while moving his Qi into his Elixir Field. His voice extended more than 5 kilometers away. "All of you who wish to kill me are free to give it a try, but I promise you I''d drag a few of you to hell with me! Hehe! Let''s see who among you are lucky enough to join me!"


    Sure enough, the cultivators who were beginning to make their move stopped after hearing what he said. Each of them wanted to be the one to swoop in at the end and reap the benefits. No one wanted to be the first to attack and be stepping stones for the rest.


    His words were not only imbued with excessive True Qi, but also carried the mental manipulation arts of the Mystic Cyan Sect for added effect. He sneered again and yelled, "If I don''t die today, I''ll surely eliminate all those who provoke me today! Even if I must pursue you to the end of the earth in the future, I promise that I''ll kill you!"


    This time, he sounded even more ruthless. The cultivators in the area didn''t dare to make any reckless move. Xiao Chen''s reputation had been on the rise lately. Everyone knew that he was someone who wouldn''t think twice about throwing away his life when he went berserk. Just from the fact that he had breached the Zuoqiu Manor on his own today, they could tell that he wasn''t to be trifled with.


    In an instant, the atmosphere turned out the way Xiao Chen had planned for. Everyone who came here today harbored sinister thoughts. They wanted another to be the first to attack and to be last to pick up the benefits in the end. Then, an ice-cold voice rang out in the darkness. "How dare you boast when you''re at death''s door!"


    A sword radiance suddenly lunged at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen scoffed and waved his arm, unleashing psychokinesis and Dragon Roar Palm at the same time. The cry of a dragon reverberated as a golden illusory dragon emerged from the hollow of his palm. The illusory dragon flew toward where his attacker was standing. With a hard pinch, the dragon caused the attacker''s seven apertures to bleed.


    "Dear God, what was that?! Was that the legendary Dragon-taming Divine Method, a supreme art from the Archean Eon?"


    The cultivators outside cried in alarm as they watched Xiao Chen summon the golden spiritual dragon and even control it with ease.


    The independent cultivator''s pupils flashed with an ominous glint. Out of the blue, he ambushed Xiao Chen from the side. Xiao Chen, who was on guard against him all along, struck him with the combination of psychokinesis and Dragon Roar Palm again. A golden illusory dragon immediately slashed him.


    The independent cultivator yelped, knowing that he was in trouble. He wouldn''t be injured even if he allowed this illusory dragon to wind around him, but he would be disgraced. He hastily retreated and got out of the dragon''s offensive range.


    Upon seeing this, the ten or so Core Forming Realm cultivators in the garden took out their magic treasures and flying swords and attacked Xiao Chen at the same time. Scoffing, Xiao Chen pulled out his Unsullied Sword. While controlling his flying sword to block the magic treasures and Immortal''s Swords attacking him, he charged at the independent cultivator.


    This frightened the independent cultivator. Was the kid targeting him? He hastily used his magical power and supreme arts to aim a large golden palm print at Xiao Chen.


    A large explosion resounded as dust scattered in the air. Many buildings and halls nearby were caught in the explosion and subsequently collapsed.


    Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and moved as eerily as a ghost, preventing his attackers from guessing his next step. Strong as the independent cultivator''s golden palm print was, it couldn''t even touch the corner of Xiao Chen''s sleeve.


    The battlefield was becoming increasingly dire. Every now and then, a large golden palm print would materialize in midair and a white radiance on the ground would flee. The onlooking cultivators no longer knew what they were looking at, but they continued to exclaim in surprise.


    The independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness was lamenting about his hardship on the inside. The kid was truly targeting him. Instead of striking weaker opponents, Xiao Chen kept attacking him. He repeatedly turned Xiao Chen''s words earlier over in his mind. Xiao Chen had promised to drag people to hell with him if he were to die. Was this kid planning to die with him?


    "He''s mad! He''s absolutely mad!"


    He deeply regretted his decision to show up so soon on the battlefield. The oldies who refused to step out of the dark even now must be waiting for the kid to die with him and then come out to claim the profit.


    Thinking of this, he decided to throw all caution to the wind. He hastily cast a spell, turned into a meteorite bolt of lightning, and disappeared into the distance.


    The cultivators outside cried in shock. They didn''t expect a quasi-Nascent Soul Realm expert to be forced into making his escape.


    Xiao Chen had also come to a stop, panting hard. That was quite enough. He must not pressure that old man too much. If he cornered the old man until he went mad, he might really have to perish here.


    He turned around and saw that the group of ten or so Core Forming Realm cultivators as well as Zuoqiu family''s disciples had caught up to him. A cold glint flashed in his eyes and the Unsullied Immortal''s Sword in the air turned into a rain of innumerable sword radiance. Cries of pain rang out without an end. Instantly, bloody Qi shrouded the entire Zuoqiu Manor.


    Right then, tens of Zuoqiu family''s disciples emerged from the horizon and saw Xiao Chen becoming a murderous devil¡ªgoing berserk with his techniques and killing everyone he saw. One of them went to the independent cultivator who was busy using his powers to ease his breathing and said, "Senior! Please stop him immediately!"


    It wasn''t easy for the independent cultivator to shake off that lunatic. He had already made up his mind to strike only after the old fools showed themselves. He replied, "I''m low on energy after running 500 kilometers¡­"


    Another disciple immediately handed him a small jade bottle without waiting for him to finish his sentence. "These are the Energy Pills that Elder Que refined."


    The independent cultivator''s eyes gleamed. Without another word, he took the jade bottle. He poured out one pill, threw it into his mouth, and put the bottle into his sack.


    The jade bottle contained tens of Energy Pills. Zuoqiu Que''s order had been to give every cultivator three pills, but the disciple thought he shouldn''t protest when the situation had come to this. He hastily saluted the independent cultivator and said, "The Elders are about to succeed. Please stop that person immediately."


    The independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness raised his hand. "Calm down. We can talk after I ingest this pill."


    Suddenly, a silhouette flitted across his side and said icily, "Humph! Just stay here and slowly take in the pill, senior. I''m going ahead!" The disdain was obvious in his tone.

 Chapter 208 Spirit-annihilation Halberd

    It was none other than Zuoqiu Yang. The independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness knew that Zuoqiu Yang was mocking him but didn''t argue with him. He sneered inwardly, thinking, "Go ahead, boy. Since you think you''re not embarrassed enough the first time around, go for the second round."


    Zuoqiu Yang stopped about 30 meters away from Xiao Chen and bellowed, "Devil, it''ll be your death anniversary on this day next year!"


    Xiao Chen looked up. Now knee-deep in his lust for blood, he sneered and said, "Oh? Haven''t I already defeated you? Not only are you ungrateful to me for pardoning your life, but you''re even going so far as to dig your own grave now."


    Zuoqiu Yang''s spirited face turned ashen as he started to tremble. His family had nurtured him like a genius since young and he had never tasted defeat in his life. He had created many legends that not even his ancestors were capable of achieving.


    Today, however, this previously unknown youngster had stepped all over him. This was the greatest humiliation of his life. He was determined to kill Xiao Chen with his own hands to regain his honor!


    "That''s enough talk from you! Have you thought of how you''d like to die?!" Following his bellow, he mobilized all of his strength and punched Xiao Chen with lightning-fast speed.


    With the flare of his golden fist radiance, he produced an earth-shattering force similar to the eruption of a volcano that had been lying dormant for years and years. Everything around him turned into dust under such power.


    One after another, the onlooking cultivators outside exclaimed in astonishment. That was the furious attack of a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator!


    Xiao Chen sneered. He poured his True Energy aggressively into his hands and pushed both of his palms at the same time. Two golden illusory dragons emerged from his palms along with the incessant roaring of dragons. Two earth-shattering forces interweaved and instantly turned into a large circle of light. The circle of light started extending outward in all directions.


    Several heavily-injured but still breathing Core Forming Realm cultivators weren''t able to escape in time. While the rest watched in horror, the explosion of the forces killed them without even leaving their skeletons behind. Their bodies dissipated amid the dust and sand that filled the sky.


    The gale whizzed nonstop. The onlooking cultivators outside had long gone into shock. The two powers coming from these two could be aptly summed up with the word "terrifying".


    Zuoqiu Yang was wearing a cold smirk. Like a mountain standing tall amidst the rubble, he remained motionless. On the other hand, Xiao Chen was thrown backward by quite a few steps before he regained his footing. He couldn''t help feeling alarmed. His opponent''s cultivation had become stronger.


    "Hehe! Do you finally understand the disparity between us? If you kneel and plead with me, I might consider pardoning your life! Hehe!"


    It wasn''t easy for Zuoqiu Yang to steal this opportunity. This time, he could finally mock Xiao Chen without fear. He felt as if he had finally scrubbed his previous disgrace clean.


    Xiao Chen scoffed. "Let''s see if you have that capability!" He moved his fingers to cast a spell. Instantly, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade appeared in his hand.


    Immediately, a cold wind swept the entire place, bringing with it a thick fog. In the distance, many of whom were injured but not dead saw their blood flowing out of them and converging toward the blade. The radiance of the blade reached for miles and miles. One could even hear faint wailing coming from the blade.


    Then, the expression of the cultivators outside changed drastically. "Dear God! What the heck is that?!"


    Zuoqiu Yang was no longer anxious as he had been before. He sneered and said, "What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you think the Zuoqiu family, with our thousand-year history, really wouldn''t possess a commendable legendary weapon?"


    He recited a spell and a three-sided halberd appeared in his hand. The world instantly changed. Layers upon layers of dark clouds gathered in the sky overhead. One could faintly hear the whistling of devils.


    The fully black halberd was about ten feet long. Layers of dark Qi shrouded its body and a ghastly human skull was fixed on its tail.


    Everyone outside cried out in alarm.


    "Don''t tell me that''s the number one demonic weapon from the Archaeon Eon, the Spirit-annihilation Halberd."


    "Oh God, tell me that it''s fake! The Spirit-annihilation Halberd was the weapon of the greatest Devil King in the Archean Eon! It was forged out of the souls of 3,000 Rogue Immortals and 300 true Immortals! How did it end up with the Zuoqiu family?!"


    The dark clouds overhead were rolling through the sky. High-pitched howling emerged from the ground as if it had come from the 18th levels of hell. Even Xiao Chen''s Blood Lotus Demon Blade was trembling nonstop in his hand. It wasn''t the weapon itself that was shaking because of excitement. Rather, its spirit was the one shivering.


    If the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was considered the most bloodthirsty object in the world, then the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in Zuoqiu Yang''s hand would be the object that was most prone to devouring spirits in the world. It was strong enough to swallow the soul of any cultivator.


    However, at this moment, Xiao Chen felt no fear. Rather, he felt a sense of affection from the weapon. For some reason, the demonic weapon in front of him felt very familiar. It was as if the halberd was once his many years ago.


    Zuoqiu Yang sneered when he saw Xiao Chen staring at his weapon, looking spellbound. "What''s wrong? Did this scare you speechless?" Then, he lunged at Xiao Chen with his halberd.


    Cold wind immediately rose against a background of incessant demonic hissing. The cultivators outside cried out in fear. If Zuoqiu Yang''s attack truly hit Xiao Chen, it wouldn''t just hurt Xiao Chen''s physical body but would steal the latter''s soul as well.


    Xiao Chen seemed like he was at a loss as he watched the halberd lunge at him dazedly. He didn''t try to dodge at all. With a whizzing sound, the tip of the halberd pierced his chest.


    "Pfft!" Blood sprayed from Xiao Chen''s mouth. Even so, he refused to retreat. He lowered his head and quietly stared at the demonic halberd that had pierced his body. He reached out and gently wiped off the blood on the halberd.


    The cultivators outside were astonished. What was he doing? Had he gone mad?


    Zuoqiu Yang narrowed his eyes. The Spirit-annihilation Halberd was an incredible weapon that possessed the ability to plunge people''s mind into disorder. Did this kid fall prey to this ability? He knew this was his chance to eliminate Xiao Chen. He bellowed, "Spirit-devouring and Soul-snatching!" He immediately poured a burst of vital force into the body of the halberd.


    Everyone expected to see the halberd claim Xiao Chen''s soul but nothing of the sort happened. The halberd seemed to have turned into an ordinary weapon in a flash. Zuoqiu Yang tried again and again to cast his spell, but the halberd remained motionless.


    Xiao Chen had also recovered his senses by now. Subconsciously, his back was soaked with cold sweat. What was wrong with him earlier? When the tip of the halberd pierced him, he felt as if he saw many indistinct but dreadful scenes flashing before him: the collapse of the world, the death of Immortals and Devils¡­


    It truly deserved its title as a demonic weapon to possess such an unexpected ability to plunge minds into chaos. A bellow erupted from him as he slammed a palm attack on Zuoqiu Yang. Zuoqiu Yang was caught unaware while he was reciting a spell, having not expected Xiao Chen to suddenly snap out of it. Xiao Chen''s palm attack hit him in the pit of the chest and sent him flying while coughing up blood.


    Once again, Zuoqiu Yang crashed to the ground. His face had gone pale. What was going on? Why couldn''t he use the magic power of the Spirit-annihilation Halberd at all? Many years ago, he had seen with his own eyes how his great-grandfather claim the soul of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with his halberd!


    Was his cultivation too low? Impossible. Even if it was a person with low cultivation wielding the Spirit-annihilation Halberd, the weapon shouldn''t be acting like an ordinary iron weapon. After pondering this, he once again poured sufficient vital force into the halberd.


    "Spirit-annihilation Halberd, move! Suck that person''s soul dry!"


    "When you rely on an object to improve your strength, you''ll eventually realize it''s just an illusion!"


    Following Xiao Chen''s bellow, he raised his blade and lunged at Zuoqiu Yang. The blood-red saber radiance lit up a radius of more than one hundred feet. Zuoqiu Yang propped up his halberd to block the attack. The collision resulted in a loud explosion. Zuoqiu Yang was flung forty to fifty feet away before regaining firm footing. He felt as if both his arms were about to fall off. Even the skin between his thumb and forefinger was bleeding.


    "What the heck is going on?! Impossible! Why did the Spirit-annihilation Halberd lose all of its power to protect its owner?!" Zuoqiu Yang exclaimed. It was as if he had seen something terrifying.


    Xiao Chen sneered. "Do you think you''re worthy of owning a legendary weapon from the Archean Eon?" he yelled as he struck Zuoqiu Yang again.


    Time and again, Zuoqiu Yang tried to resist Xiao Chen''s attacks but his feet kept bringing him backward. Now, other than the fact the Spirit-annihilation wouldn''t break, it was no different from an ordinary weapon.


    In the distance, the onlookers were watching with great concentration. Some began discussing the battle. "It''s really a fake. How could a legendary weapon from the Archean Eon like that fall into the hands of the Zuoqiu family?"


    Right then, tens of silhouettes appeared. These were the best experts of the Zuoqiu family. The leaders were several Elders in the peak of Core Forming Realm cultivation. Seeing that his family members were here, Zuoqiu Yang dared not to remain on the defensive. Ignoring the fact that his weapon was no longer magical, he roared and thrust his halberd at the Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen scoffed. He pointed the saber in his right hand upward and formed a bullet of energy inside his sleeve with his left hand. A stream of air flowed outward to Zuoqiu Yang''s underbelly.


    The shortsighted Zuoqiu Yang took the hit straight on out of fear of an ambush. Instantly, he felt numb all over. Simultaneously, Xiao Chen pushed the Spirit-annihilation Halberd out of his hand. The weapon went flying out of his grasp.


    Like a bolt of lightning, Xiao Chen took the opportunity to attack. He kicked Zuoqiu Yang on the lower jaw and sent him flying. He also used his psychokinesis at the same time and grabbed the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in the air. Immediately, it fell into his hand.


    The moment the halberd landed on his hand, the situation immediately changed. The weapon emitted the hissing of a demon and an overwhelming demonic Qi instantly filled the air, making everyone''s heart jump in fright.

 Chapter 209 Hes Not on His Own

    The expression of the Elders who had just arrived immediately changed. One of them propped up Zuoqiu Yang and asked in a panicked voice, "How can you allow the Soul-annihilation Halberd to fall into his hands?!"


    His anxiousness subconsciously lent an edge to his voice. Zuoqiu Yang had never felt so disgraced in this life. Furious, he flicked his wide sleeves and pushed the Elder away. When he recalled how the Spirit-annihilation Halberd had refused to obey him no matter what he did earlier, he yelled in anger, "It''s just a scrap piece of iron! He can have it!"


    The Elder sighed. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he turned into a drawn-out light and lunged at Xiao Chen. He wanted to snatch the halberd back.


    Xiao Chen was now holding the Soul-annihilation Halberd in his hand. For some reason, the strange feeling he experienced earlier intensified even further at this moment. The halberd also kept trembling in his grip, resulting in the incessant hissing of a demon all around. It struck fear deep into everyone''s hearts.


    Seeing the Elder aiming for him, Xiao Chen thrust the halberd. Instantly, the world around him changed. The dark clouds hanging low in the sky churned nonstop. Not only were they pitch-black, but they seemed like they were about to collapse on the entire Canglan City.


    Instantly, a dark fog erupted from the Soul-annihilation Halberd and shrouded the Elder in it. The Elder was nearly scared out of wits after seeing this. He turned around, wanting to escape. However, he was a step too late. The halberd pierced him through his back.


    The halberd didn''t stop because of this. Masses of black fog emerged from the weapon, coupled with the sound of violent hissing. In an instant, the Elder''s eyes dimmed and he crashed down to the ground. Evidently, his soul had been sucked dry.


    The cultivators outside yelped in surprise. "What happened?! Isn''t it a fake?!"


    The tens of Zuoqiu family''s disciples and Elders looked similarly distressed. Zuoqiu Yang, in particular, was experiencing a thousand changes in expression right now. Why? Why could this kid unleash the power of the Spirit-annihilation Halberd, but not him?!


    His hatred for Xiao Chen deepened to the point that it was irreversible. He wanted nothing more than to swallow Xiao Chen up whole!


    Xiao Chen hadn''t expected the demonic halberd to possess such impressive power to instantly kill a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator either. If this weapon fell into the hands of followers of the Devil''s Practice, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    With the halberd in hand, his chances of successfully defeating the Zuoqiu family improved. He raised his head and laughed heartily. Then, he pointed to Zuoqiu Yang and said, "So you''re here to deliver me this treasure! How obedient! I''ll be sure to spare your life today!"


    Zuoqiu Yang was so mad that he was shaking all over. His fingernail was already cutting into his skin. He swore to kill Xiao Chen no matter what today, even if it meant using weapons to degenerate his body and release his vital soul. He wouldn''t even hesitate!


    "What are you still in a daze?! Reinforce the sword formation right now and kill this person!"


    The tens of Zuoqiu family''s elite disciples were unhappy after hearing his command. They had always received instructions from the Elders, but Zuoqiu Yang had always ordered them around just because he was the number one person in their clan. However, their enemy was before their eyes and they needed to work together to defeat him. In an instant, they finished assembling the sword formation.


    The sword formation shouldn''t be underestimated for it was made out of tens of Core Forming Realm cultivators. Sword radiance rocketed into the sky and then transformed into a rain of swords that befall Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen raised the halberd to resist the attack. The Defensive Barrier that he formed was easily shattered, for the Elders were using their flying swords in the distance to disturb his concentration. For a moment, it seemed that he was at a disadvantage.


    Fearful of the halberd in his hand, his opponents dared not to engage him in close combat. All of them attacked him with flying swords and magic treasures from a safe distance. Xiao Chen began to feel strained as time passed. He was panting hard. Having suffered Zuoqiu Yang''s attack earlier and hanging on for so long, he felt as if he was slowly running out of True Energy.


    Meanwhile, the Zuoqiu side seemed to be boasting of inexhaustible True Energy thanks to their Energy Pills. Their every Sword Qi was fiercer than their last. When it looked like Xiao Chen had exhausted his True Energy, the eyes of the independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness gleamed. He mustn''t allow Xiao Chen to die in the Zuoqiu family''s hands. He bellowed, "Here I come!"


    Zuoqiu Yang inwardly cursed the independent cultivator for being shameless enough to come out now to reap the benefits of the battle. His figure blurred out of view and he reappeared to block the independent cultivator''s way. He turned to Xiao Chen and sneered. "So what if you have the Soul-annihilation Halberd? So what if you''re strong? You''ll always be by your lonesome, while I have the entire Zuoqiu family standing behind me. You want to oppose an entire clan by yourself? That''s pure lunacy! Hand the Soul-annihilation Halberd and I''ll consider granting you an easy death!"


    Xiao Chen was breathless. He knew Zuoqiu Yang was right. When he reawakened thousands of years in the future, he found himself all alone. He didn''t even know where his most intimate friend, the one he swore never to part with, had gone. So how could he oppose an entire clan? So what if he wiped out all of them now? There were even more people to come.


    It made Xiao Chen feel helpless thinking of this. "Where are you, Master? Where are you...?" He could no longer crush a jade note and summon Ling Yin''s prompt help. Now, he truly had to confront the entire world all by himself.


    Seeing that his psychological attack was working, Zuoqiu Yang said, "Give up. You alone are no match for our entire clan. You might be strong, but you''re too reckless. The nail that sticks out too much is bound to be hammered down!"


    Naturally, it was impossible for Xiao Chen not to notice his psychological attack. He sneered and retorted, "What right do you, someone who has tasted defeat, have to tell me these things?"


    "You dare!" Zuoqiu Yang was livid. He transformed into a lightning bolt and lunged at Xia Chen. He circulated his True Energy in both arms, summoning the whizzing of a strong wind. The strength of his fists was like the violent waves of a raging sea as he attempted to punch Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen lifted the halberd to resist his punches. Unfortunately, his overexertion prevented him from stopping this fearsome attack and he was thrown backward. When it seemed like he couldn''t gather his footing in the face of the strong wind, he suddenly felt a hand behind him lightly touching his shoulder. Instantly, he was able to stand firm. Then, a faint voice resounded from behind him. "What makes you think that he''s on his own?"


    For a moment, Xiao Chen was spellbound by that familiar voice. He wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him. He turned his head and saw a man in a white-and-purple robe. The man had a purplish-golden gourd hanging from his waist. His eyes were red with fury. Who could it be if not a friend whom he hadn''t met in a long time, Yi Tong?


    Yi Tong was smiling as if he wasn''t bothered about the spectacle before him. Chuckling, he said, "Brother Xiao, it''s been more than half a year since we last met. How have you been?"


    Xiao Chen never imagined that Yi Tong would come here. The joy that he felt was indescribable. He shook his head with a wry smile. "Do I look like I''m doing well to you?"


    Yi Tong nodded with a smile before taking a few steps forward. In an emotionless voice, he asked Zuoqiu Yang, "Were you the one who said ''the nail that sticks out too much is bound to be hammered down''?"


    Zuoqiu Yang didn''t seem to recognize the man speaking to him. He sneered and said, "So what if I am? You''re just another fool digging his own grave! We''ll just get two corpses, that''s all!"


    "No, not two."


    Before his voice fell, everyone heard a faint voice coming from the horizon. "One leaf blooms, while the other disintegrates into dust; one night blossoms, leaving no dust behind..."


    The voice sounded closer before the first word was even spoken. Toward the end of the sentence, a dashing man gently landed on the ground under everyone''s watchful eyes.


    The man wore feathered clothing so clean that it was without a speck of dust and held a delicate carved feathered fan. The moment his feet touched the ground, the dust scattered on its own.


    The onlooking cultivators outside became agitated. "It''s None-flower Dust! It''s None-flower Dust!" Quite a few female disciples nearly fainted. "Dear God! I saw None-flower Dust, the most beautiful man in the world! Hurry up and hold on to me!"


    Yi Tong shook his head with a smile. "Brother None-flower, must you cause such a sensation each time you show up?"


    None-flower Dust chuckled and covered half of his face with the feathered fan. "But of course. What''s wrong? The red-eyed one, were you envious?"


    Xiao Chen''s heart stirred. This was None-flower Dust, the one whom inexplicably saved him at the Widespread Wintriness Sect. It turned out that he was acquaintances with Yi Tong. Regardless, there was hope for Gui Xian now.


    Zuoqiu Yang''s face had long turned pale. He didn''t know Yi Tong, but he recognized the mysterious None-flower Dust who provoked awe and fear in everyone. He said solemnly, "Will you make an enemy out of my family as well, None-flower Dust?"


    None-flower Dust gave him a fleeting glance and smiled. "Zuoqiu family? Do you think your family is worth being called my enemy?" Toward the tail of his sentence, he shot an icy glare at the nearby independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness. "I remember letting you off once. What''s wrong? Have you recovered so soon?"


    The independent cultivator from the Northern Wilderness was so terrified that he was trembling. Without another word, he hastily cast a spell and transformed into a sword radiance. Then, off he disappeared into the horizon.


    The other Zuoqiu family''s disciples were ashen-faced. None-flower Dust walked up to Xiao Chen and smiled at him. "Have you forgotten me already?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t expect such words from him. He smiled and replied, "I''m indebted to you for saving my life the last time, Brother None-flower. I apologize for not being able to express my thanks for you then."


    None-flower Dust raised his head and laughed heartily. "Then you can treat me to some wine next time. We''ll bring the red-eyed one with us too."


    Yi Tong shook his head, smiling. Xiao Chen was stunned, having not expected him to be a wine lover who loved solving issues over drinks like Yi Tong. He said, "No problem!"


    None-flower Dust glanced at the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in his hand and sighed. "This poor thing has finally found its owner after so many years."


    While the three conversed, they didn''t even spare the large group of enemies before them a single glance.

 Chapter 210 Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon

    Yi Tong coughed once to interrupt None-flower Dust''s conversation. He smiled and said, "Forget it. Since Young Master Xiao will be treating, let''s just think of where we''ll go drinking after this."


    Zuoqiu Yang watched them chat without paying him, the genius of the Zuoqiu family and the pro-disciple of the Divine Mist Sect Leader, any mind. He gripped his fists so tightly that his bones were creaking. He said solemnly, "Have you guys chatted enough?"


    None-flower Dust glared at him. "Children shouldn''t interrupt when adults are talking!"


    "You!" Zuoqiu Yang was livid. He raised his hand. "Strike!"


    However, even after he yelled, he heard no movement from the tens of elite disciples behind him. Sensing something was wrong, he whipped around and saw them collapsed in pools of blood with their heads severed.


    Right then, he felt like he had seen doomsday for his family. The disciples and Elders of the family standing in the distance went pale as well.


    Simultaneously, twelve silhouettes landed behind None-flower Dust and said in unison, "Master, the mission is complete!"


    These twelve people were dressed in wine-colored, form-fitting clothing. Under their collarbone was the mark of three plum blossoms. They were all young beauties, with all of them possessing looks that could topple nations. The leader, however, had her face covered with a handkerchief. One couldn''t see her true appearance.


    Xiao Chen was frightened himself. His Divine Sense might surpass that of ordinary people, but he didn''t notice the arrival of these twelve women or the instantaneous murder of tens of Core Forming Realm cultivators. He felt a chill run down his back.


    The onlooking cultivators were dumbstruck to see the twelve women who had shown up out of nowhere.


    "Could these women be from the assassination organization, ''Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon'', from West Moon State?"


    "Impossible! Just a while ago, rumors had it that None-flower Dust killed the Crown Prince of West Moon State. Could the rumors be true? Did he really take these women out of the state?"


    Outside, it was a clamor of voices as people engaged in heated discussions.


    Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon was an assassination organization that the West Moon State, a state in the north of the Middle Continent, carefully nurtured. Their sole reason for existence was to kill!


    They would target anyone from a famed chief to an inconspicuous passerby. They had no reason to kill. If they really had to offer one, then there was only one: to execute orders!


    These women were like the shadow in the night. No one knew the extent of their cultivation, only that their targets would all invariably suffer the same fate: death.


    None-flower Dust waved his hand. "Sigh. You''ve been following me for several thousand miles. I told you, I''m not your master. I just want to be a pretty boy who quietly saves the world."


    The twelve women said in unison, "We dare not!"


    None-flower Dust shook his head helplessly. He pointed to Xiao Chen and said, "Look! He''s your true master! Quick, greet him."


    The women exchanged glances before bowing to Xiao Chen in unison. "Nice to meet you, Master!"


    "What, what the heck is going on?"


    Xiao Chen was dumbstruck to see the women making deep bows to him. He hastily raised his head and said, "Please get up!"


    The women seemed to not hear him. They continued to crouch down and cup their fist in one hand. Xiao Chen walked over to them, wanting to lift the leader up. However, the leader seemed to have frozen in place and refused to get up.


    "Hey, ladies. What are you doing? Hurry up and get up. I''m not your master. Get up, won''t you? So many people are watching..."


    Yi Tong sighed quietly and joined Xiao Chen''s side. He whispered, "You must say ''You may dispense with the curtseying and rise''."


    Confused, Xiao Chen muttered, "You may dispense with the curtseying and rise?" To his surprise, the women said in unison, "Thank you, Master!" Only then did they stand up.


    Xiao Chen felt momentarily disoriented. Seeing this, one of the women stepped forward and supported his arm. "Master, are you injured? Please allow me to transfer energy to you and help you heal."


    While she was speaking, a sword radiance carrying a ferocious aura abruptly lunged at him. Before Xiao Chen could recover his senses, the women had turned into twelve shadows to try and stop the ambusher.


    Xiao Chen concentrated his senses. The ambusher was likely a Nascent Soul cultivator. He yelled, "Come back, all of you!"


    The leader replied, "It''s our duty to protect our Master!"


    The three women bringing up the rear went close to Xiao Chen, surrounding him left, right, and front. They wielded a curved blade as they protected him.


    "It''s dangerous here. Please retreat at once, Master!"


    For a moment, Xiao Chen was disoriented. How could a tall, upright man like him hide behind a group of women? These women were powerful, but they were no match for the fierce Nascent Soul Realm cultivator coming his way. Just as he was about to step forward, Yi Tong stopped him. "Rest assured that they''ll be fine. Your injuries are quite severe. You''re better off circulating your energy and catching your breath for now. Whoever''s coming is surely no ordinary character."


    Xiao Chen didn''t protest. Yi Tong was right. He didn''t know what strong enemies he would be facing later. His priority now was recovering as soon as possible. Having thought this through, he settled down on the ground.


    Seeing this, two of the women beside him stood guard. The other sat down cross-legged behind him, wanting to transfer energy to him. Xiao Chen said, "I''m not heavily injured. Please don''t waste your True Energy on me."


    "Master, your injuries are severe. Please don''t speak and allow me to transfer energy to you and aid your recovery."


    The woman immediately cast a Plum Blossom Seal and pressed it on his back. Instantly, a steady flow of True Energy poured into his body.


    Xiao Chen felt a refreshing sensation circulating all over his body as his severely deficient vital force speedily recover. The wound that Spirit-annihilation Halberd made on his chest was also beginning to hurt less as it healed at a speed observable by the naked eye.


    On the other side, the remaining nine women were all gripping a curved blade in their hand. Like a shadow, no one could understand them. Even though the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator had higher cultivation, the seamless collaboration of the women made it difficult for him to win.


    Moreover, there were Yi Tong and None-flower Dust¡ªwhose cultivations were unknown¡ªwatching on the sidelines like tigers. The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was an independent cultivator from the North Sea. His nickname was the Northern Underworlder. He was arguably a famed individual in the Middle Continent, but the more he fought now, the more he lost his confidence.


    On the one hand, he was casting one seal after another and performing all sorts of magic powers. On the other hand, he was retreating while yelling, "Cang He, Qing Xu, Mo Changkong, aren''t you guys coming out?!"


    By then, Xiao Chen had finally finished circulating his energy. His eyes glinted as he raised the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in his hand. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he lunged at the Northern Underworlder.


    Holding the halberd in hand, he felt an overwhelming sense of heroicness. So what if his enemy was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? Even if it was an Immortal King from the heaven''s realm descending here, at this moment he had the absolute courage to fight him!


    Everyone could sense the aura of a powerful cultivator from him, one that disdained the world. They couldn''t help gasping. Upon his abrupt attack, even the Northern Underworlder was caught off guard by his majestic aura. The latter instinctively launched a palm attack at Xiao Chen.


    His attack was so fierce that it was like the collapse of Mount Tai. However, Xiao Chen''s heroic spirit was skyrocketing and he felt no fear whatsoever. He thrust his halberd at the Northern Underworlder as if he was cutting through the waves.


    The Northern Underworlder was shocked. How could a Core Forming Realm cultivator''s power be this terrifying? He hastily recited a spell to transform into a swift radiance and fled.


    Xiao Chen''s halberd ended up piercing the air instead. Naturally, he didn''t try and pursue the Northern Underworlder. He stabbed the Spirit-annihilation Halberd to the ground and more than ten cracks immediately appeared on the ground. He was putting on full display his powerful aura that disdained the world.


    "Today, I swear that I''ll hunt anyone who dares to stop me to the end of the world!"


    The moment the words left his mouth, the ones left trembling weren''t just the onlooking cultivators outside. Even the countless cultivators lying in ambush somewhere began to retreat. They would rather give up the pills that the Zuoqiu family promised them than to bring trouble upon themselves.


    Right then, an aged voice came from the horizon. "Hehe! You sure know how to blow your own horn! We old things are still around. It''s not the place of the young ones to misbehave!"


    Before the voice fell, three figures appeared out of thin air in the sky. One held a horsetail whisk, one held a peach-shaped wooden staff, and one rested his feet on an Immortal''s Sword. Their sleeves billowed in the air, making them look like Immortals who had descended to the Human World. Underneath, the cultivators were all looking up at them.

 Chapter 211 The Frightening Existence in the Zuoqiu Family

    "Oh my God! Is it really them?"


    Startled sounds came from the cultivators underneath nonstop. The three men hovering high in the clouds were the ones that the Northern Underworlder called for earlier: Cang He, Qing Xu, Mo Changkong.


    They had entered the Nascent Soul Realm years ago and had spent the past hundred years contemplating the nature of life and death. They had basically never stepped outside during that time, but they were household names in the Middle Continent.


    "Don''t tell me that they''re now in the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm. How did Zuoqiu family''s promise of a single Nirvana Pill attract them here?"


    The crowd was agitated, having never imagined that the commotion today would attract such impressive people. They were in for a good show.


    Xiao Chen''s heart dropped. There were truly many experts hiding within the Middle Continent. He addressed the men in the sky and said, "Seniors, I don''t wish to make you my enemies! Please leave this place immediately!"


    The old man holding a horsetail whisk sneered. "Presumptuous!" he yelled and swiped his horsetail whisk downward. Instantly, countless buildings collapsed as if they were hit by immense pressure and disintegrated into dust.


    Seeing this, the twelve women cried in unison, "Be careful, Master!" They soared into the sky and formed a Barrier in an instant. But how could they block the attack of a mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? The Barrier instantly shattered and the women fell to the ground with the force of a falling meteorite.


    Dust flew everywhere. The onlooking cultivators outside had fled far away, but they were able to witness this scene clearly. Even the teamwork of the twelve women of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon was too weak to resist a single swipe of the old man''s horsetail whisk. The strength of a mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was terrifying as expected.


    Xiao Chen helped the woman closest to him to get back on her feet. "How are you doing?"


    The woman suffered only light injuries. She replied, "Master, forgive me for failing to protect you!"


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeve and glared at the men in the clouds. "Since you refused to listen to my advice, announce your name!"


    The old man holding a horsetail whisk sneered. "Qing Xu!" While speaking, he and his two companions turned into three sword radiance and landed on the ground.


    "You''re really acting as if the older generation is six feet under. Did you youngsters think you can overturn the Violet Manor just because you''re a bit capable?"


    His overbearing force was evident in his voice, so much so that even the cultivators several thousand feet away could feel a great pressure on them. In recent years, those from the older generations rarely made an appearance in the wild. It had indeed afforded the young ones more courage.


    Xiao Chen didn''t seem scared even in the face of such a strong power. He said icily, "Older generation? You dare call yourself someone from the older generation when you''re just 300 years old?"


    Qing Xu narrowed his eyes. "Oh? So you''re the rumored Xiao Chen? The younger generations will surpass us in time, indeed."


    Cang He said emotionlessly, "Old Qing Xu, why bother wasting your breath on these youngsters? Just kill him and collect the Nirvana Pill."


    Yi Tong chuckled. "These babies just won''t stop mentioning about the younger generation. I wonder if they''re not afraid of biting their tongue."


    "Is that so?!" Qing Xu''s eyes flashed with a cold glint. Suddenly, he swiped his horsetail whisk. Yi Tong neither dodged nor evaded it. He slashed the air with his finger and countless flying flowers unfolded, blocking the strength of the whisk.


    Qing Xu narrowed his eyes and said solemnly, "Not bad. Even though you''re young, you''re already a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator."


    Yi Tong raised his head and laughed heartily. "There are countless ways to achieve the same outcome in this world. I''m not a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, but I suppose I''m more than good enough to handle babies like you."


    "Then you''re free to try me!" Qing Xu bellowed, attacking as swift as lightning.


    On the other side, Cang He whose hand was holding a wooden staff blurred out of view as he lunged at None-flower Dust. None-flower Dust smiled and gave his fan a slight wave. Immediately, two doppelgangers appeared and started fighting Cang He. Even though they were doppelgangers, they were no weaker than the real thing.


    The cultivators watching in the distance yelped in surprise. "His doppelganger technique is as extraordinary as rumored!"


    The final one, Mo Changkong who held an Immortal''s Sword, was delighting in the fact that he had gotten what appeared to be the weakest link. He controlled his flying sword to make a straight stab at Xiao Chen.


    "Watch out, Master!"


    The twelve women blurred out of view and flew like the wind to block the attack. Unfortunately, the power of the sword sent them flying. Xiao Chen leaped into the sky and said icily, "Despite being seniors, you don''t serve as role models and choose to collude with a bunch of wicked fellows. I''ll end your generation today!" He thrust his halberd. Instantly, the hissing of devils reverberated through the sky and dark clouds came rolling.


    The cultivators in the distance were all swept up in excitement. On the one hand were cultivators of the older generation coming out of seclusion after a hundred years. On the other hand were three up-and-coming youngsters who dared to meet them in a fight! The Violet Manor who had been steeping in silence for a hundred years would finally experience unrest today.


    Many raised their head and looked east. They saw dark clouds taking over the horizon, and yet there was no sign of rain. Inexplicably, they began to feel fear.


    Oddly, the dark clouds had enveloped the entire Zuoqiu estate the whole day. It didn''t seem to be the work of the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in Xiao Chen''s hand.


    Mo Changkong couldn''t help feeling stunned when he saw Xiao Chen taking the initiative to strike. This youngster obviously had the weakest cultivation of them all, so why did his aura seem to be the strongest? He narrowed his eyes when he spotted the Spirit-annihilation Halberd in Xiao Chen''s hand. Knowing that such an incredible devilish weapon was around, he dared not lower his guard. He retreated while simultaneously aiming a palm attack at his opponent.


    The palm strength instantly turned into a large golden palm-shaped seal. The seal was strong enough to shatter space itself. When the palm slammed down, the earth quaked and everything nearby instantly turned into dust. The power residue even caused the collapse of several faraway tall buildings. Some unlucky cultivators who wanted a front seat to the battle were sent flying with blood bleeding from their seven apertures.


    Dust flew everywhere. No sound could be heard from the ground. In the distance, the twelve women cried in unison, "Master!"


    However, no reply came even after a long time had passed. Even the faraway onlookers were watching in astonishment. "Strong as he is, he ultimately falls in the hands of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator... Alas..."


    Mo Changkong sneered. "So what if you''re strong? In the end, you''re still a Core Forming Realm cultivator! In front of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, you''ll only face one outcome: the extinguishment of your body and soul!"


    "Hehe!"


    Right then, sarcastic laughter came from the midst of smoke and dust in the sky. Mo Changkong''s expression changed drastically. "What?!"


    "The rule of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator swatting a Core Forming Realm cultivator to death with a single palm attack doesn''t work for a protagonist like me! Go to hell!"


    Everyone watched as a light soared from the ground. With his Phoenix''s Wings on his back, he rocketed into the sky and split the sea of clouds like he was being reborn in nirvana. He thrust his halberd, stabbing Mo Changkong with it.


    "What?!" Mo Changkong had seen with his own eyes how his palm attack struck Xiao Chen to the ground. How could he be completely intact now? This was impossible! While he was still spellbound, he felt the halberd pierce his abdomen.


    Fortunately for him, he had acquired profound cultivation over the years. He hastily retreated and flew away. He pointed to Xiao Chen and said, "Impossible! I saw you die with my own eyes! How could you..."


    Toward the end of his sentence, he began to sound like he was talking to himself. In the end, he looked at Xiao Chen in fright and muttered, "Could it be... that you''re..."


    "Hehe! Keep that knowledge to yourself..."


    The faraway cultivators had no idea what had just happened. Some of them had indeed seen Xiao Chen taking the hit, so no one understood why he appeared unscathed now.


    Xiao Chen shifted his gaze to the twelve women on the ground. "This man is injured. Help me hold him off while I go and save my friend!" He then turned into a bolt of lightning and flew in the direction of the Zuoqiu estate.


    When he had flown about 2 to 2.5 kilometers, he could faintly feel the fluctuation of an uncommon aura coming from underground. Before he could react, an overbearing force knocked into him. This force was both ferocious and fast. Even with True Qi for protection, the force still sent him flying while spitting out blood.


    Back on the ground, the twelve women made a beeline for him and helped him to his feet. "Master, are you injured?"


    Xiao Chen wiped the bloodstain on the corner of his mouth while shaking his head. "I''m fine." He looked up and eastward at his previous location. What was that formidable force earlier? That terrifying aura, too. That was far beyond the Nascent Soul Realm. Could it be the Nirvana Realm? Could there be such a terrifying existence in the Zuoqiu family...?


    None-flower Dust and Yi Tong stopped fighting right then, both sensing that faint but dreadful aura in a split second. Qing Xu and the other two had also retreated far, far away. They heightened their senses and raised their guard.


    Gradually, this aura became stronger until everyone could tell that it came from under the Zuoqiu estate. Under the pressure of such a terrifying aura, many cultivators turned pale. They were so frightened that they began to tremble.


    "It''s been a thousand years; did I finally find the one that I''ve been looking for...?"

 Chapter 212 Spirit Possession

    The hollow sound reverberated throughout the Zuoqiu family estate. Overhead, dark clouds churned violently. Even the family''s disciples had gone pale from fright, looking as if doomsday was upon them.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. His heart was beating wildly against his chest. It was his first time feeling such deep unease. That aura seemed to be directed at him. It was here for him!


    The aura shrouded the entire Canglan City almost instantly. The cultivators who had been watching the battle from afar had a bad premonition. They wanted to flee, but it was as if there was a mysterious force nailing their feet to the ground, immobilizing them.


    Qing Xu and the rest were similarly stressed. Cultivators at their level had very little to fear in this world, but this aura made them too afraid to even move.


    "Who are you, Senior?" Qing Xu asked cautiously.


    The voice once again resounded. "Don''t be nervous, my three young friends. I''m Zuoqiu Qitian. Since you''re here to help my family defeat our enemies today, I won''t hurt you."


    Some Zuoqiu family''s disciples sighed in relief after hearing this while others looked confused. However, their responses were similar in that no one dared to speak.


    Suddenly, a black fog rose from the Zuoqiu family estate. Nearly everyone could sense the unabashedly terrifying force hidden within the black fog. Many dared not even to breathe or blink. They feared that when they reopen their eyes, they would already be dead.


    The black fog rapidly flew toward the front courtyard that Xiao Chen and the rest were in and arrived in a flash. The fog dissipated, revealing an old man hovering in the sky. He was Zuoqiu Ming, the one Xiao Chen had met several days ago. This man''s aura was far stronger than when Xiao Chen had first met him.


    Yi Tong walked up to him and whispered, "This isn''t Zuoqiu Ming but the ancestor of the family, Zuoqiu Qitian. A thousand years ago, he destroyed his physical body and preserved his vital soul. He uses every successive Family Head as human furnaces. It looks like he has awakened completely today."


    The Zuoqiu family''s disciples on the ground had begun panicking. The person hovering in the sky was obviously their Family Head, but why did he look so scary now?


    Zuoqiu Ping and the rest also flew over by then. With them was an old man whose sleeves were embroidered with four types of herbs. This must be the family''s Level Four Medicine King, Zuoqiu Que.


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Earlier, he had been wondering why these people weren''t showing up. It turned out that they were busy awakening Zuoqiu Qitian. Zuoqiu Qitian was in the Nirvana Realm. Even with Yi Tong and None-flower Dust today, he was absolutely no match for this man.


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s stare was as piercing as a bolt of lightning. He instantly found Xiao Chen in the crowd and nodded at him. "You must be the one. Not bad. It''s been a thousand years. The physical body that my children have found for me is perfect."


    Xiao Chen felt a chill down his spine. He seemed to have understood what was going on. Had they lured him here to snatch his body?


    Zuoqiu Ping immediately walked down to the ground and saluted upward. "Great Ancestor, please don''t extinguish this person''s soul."


    Zuoqiu Qitian made a subtle nod. "But of course. Since this child will be helping me reborn, I''ll surely treat his soul with care and make sure he reincarnates." He turned to look at Xiao Chen and slowly said, "Youngster, do you have any unfilled dreams in this life?"


    Xiao Chen sneered on the inside. Was this old man muddle-headed from sleep or did he just look down on him? Did this old man believe that he had already willingly given up on his physical body?


    When there was no reply from him, Zuoqiu Qitian nodded. "I understand. Then let us begin." Once he finished his sentence, he reached for Xiao Chen with his massive hand. Instantly, a giant golden palm materialized in the air.


    Unleashing his Immortal-overriding Steps, Xiao Chen retreated more than one hundred feet away. Zuoqiu Qitian narrowed his eyes and asked coolly, "What are you doing?"


    Xiao Chen was dumbfounded. "What am I doing? One wants my physical body, the other my soul. Have any of you asked for my opinion?"


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s gaze turned ice-cold. "Kid, don''t disrespect me. Haven''t you come here willingly?"


    "Willingly? In your dreams! Who do you think you are?"


    "Impudent! Since you''re going back on your word at the last minute, don''t blame me for this!" Zuoqiu Qitian bellowed, dropping his courteous manner. With a flick of his wide sleeves, a boundless and tremendous force came surging at Xiao Chen.


    The unparalleled force slammed onto him like a tall and violent wave. The twelve ladies immediately protected him. None-flower Dust and Yi Tong also used their magical power to raise their Barriers, but their efforts were in vain in the face of Zuoqiu Qitian''s power. They were all sent flying.


    On the ground, Yi Tong said with difficulty, "We can''t keep this up. His cultivation is too high. We must run!"


    "What about Senior Guixian?"


    None-flower Dust replied, "Rest assured. That old man won''t die. If we don''t leave now, we''ll all die here. Come over immediately! I''ll activate a teleportation formation!"


    Xiao Chen stopped putting up resistance after hearing that. Never mind saving Guixian, he might not even be able to protect himself when there was a Nirvana Realm cultivator around.


    The twelve ladies immediately joined their group. None-flower Dust swiftly moved his fingers to cast a spell and lay down a Five Phases Decampment Formation that enveloped all of his companions.


    "Escape!" Following his command, all of them vanished into thin air.


    In the sky, Zuoqiu Qitian scoffed. He yelled, "Formless World!" Instantly, an overwhelming vital force enveloped the entire Canglan City.


    "F*ck, this old man can summon the Formless World!"


    None-flower Dust and the rest reappeared in the spot where they had vanished from just moments ago.


    The so-called Formless World was a temporary world that a powerful cultivator produced via his spirit energy. It was a space that was completely separate from the real world.


    Unlike enchantments, the sole ruler of this world was its creator. Those inside the world wouldn''t be able to leave and those outsides wouldn''t be able to enter. Moreover, everyone''s magical power would be temporarily restricted. Only cultivators more powerful than the creator would be able to break the Formless World from the outside.


    Xiao Chen and the others couldn''t use their magical powers at all at this moment, making them no different from ordinary humans. Zuoqiu Qitian said icily, "The Annihilation Times are upon us. Devil Lords from all over the world are on the move. I need to borrow your body to enter the Grand Completion Realm and fight this war. Without me, the Human World will once again plunge into hell. For the sake of the living, won''t you make even a little sacrifice?"


    Xiao Chen tried his best to restrain himself but he was so mad at the old man that he was gnashing his teeth. This old man was speaking so righteously all so he could steal his body without guilt.


    "Old thing! Even if the world is about to be destroyed, it''s my duty to save it, not someone who has died a thousand years ago like you!"


    "Humph! I was planning to preserve your soul with my vital force, but since you''re so misguided, don''t blame me for what I''ll do!"


    Zuoqiu Qitian clawed at the air and Xiao Chen felt as if he was experiencing a great suction force. His body flew toward Zuoqiu Qitian uncontrollably.


    "Brother Xiao!" Yi Tong and others widened their eyes. However, there was nothing they could do with their magical powers restrained.


    Slowly, Xiao Chen floated toward Zuoqiu Qitian. Zuoqiu Qitian made several successive jabs at Xiao Chen with his finger and then began casting a spell.


    "Arghhh..."


    Xiao Chen''s entire face was being warped up as he experienced the sensation of having his soul forcefully sucked out of him.


    Underneath, all the Zuoqiu family''s disciples were frightened out of their wits. Even the cultivators outside were terrified. Right then, several figures appeared on the horizon. Murong Xian''er, Qin Shaoyang, and the rest had arrived.


    "Brother Xiao Chen!" Murong Xian''er cried. She tore away from Qin Shaoyang''s hold and rushed toward the Zuoqiu family estate. However, she found herself being blocked by an intangible barrier at the edge of the estate.


    "Xian''er¡­"


    Moments ago, Xiao Chen was beginning to slip out of consciousness. But when he heard her voice, he tried his best to reach out for her. However, Zuoqiu Qitian''s spell once again elicited a sharp cry from him.


    "No!" Tears were raining down Murong Xian''er''s face as she slammed her fists on the barrier of the Formless World in vain.


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s heart jumped in surprise. "I''m almost done destroying this child''s soul, so why did he suddenly wake up now? Is it because of that little girl?"


    Over on the ground, Yi Tong''s breathing was quickening. He whispered to himself, "Elder Brother, I''m sorry. Please let me borrow your power."


    He took down the purplish-gold gourd hanging from his waist and threw it into the air. The purplish-gold gourd started getting larger. Zuoqiu Qitian narrowed his eyes and cast a burst of force at Yi Tong.


    "Puff!" The force slammed onto Yi Tong and sent him flying while coughing up blood. The purplish-gold gourd also fell to the ground.


    "Humph, just a small demon from the Demon World! Seeing as this child is sacrificing himself today, I''ll let you off. If you dare show up in the Violet Manor again, I promise you I''d destroy your body and soul!"


    None-flower Dust immediately propped Yi Tong up. "Are you alright?"


    Yi Tong shook his head. "I''m fine. We must stop him. Brother Xiao is someone Elder Brother exchanged his life for! He can''t die like this!"


    Suddenly, the entire Formless World began shaking violently. Alarmed, Zuoqiu Qitian immediately looked outside.


    "Brother Xiao Chen, even if it means depleting my spirit energy again, I swear I won''t let you die a second time! Argh!"


    Murong Xian''er hovered in the sky with white radiance shooting out of her body. Overhead, the image of the Three Emperors materialized.

 Chapter 213 Bai Susu Shows Up

    Instantly, formidable spirit energy enveloped the world and easily dissipated the dark clouds hanging over the Zuoqiu family estate. The only part of the skies still filled with dark clouds was the eastern horizon.


    Right then, the entire estate was shaking. The disciples of the family were pale in the face. Had the Formless World that their Great Ancestor created been shattered?


    Zuoqiu Qitian couldn''t help lamenting to himself, "Such strong spirit energy." He flicked his wide sleeves in the direction of the sky and countless True Energy sprang forth, reinforcing his Formless World. Only then did the shaking subsided.


    "Do you think a little girl like you can shatter my Formless World? Dream on!"


    Murong Xian''er''s face was wet with tears. She ignored him and continued to cast her spells. The white radiance shooting out of her body became even brighter as they struck the Barrier of the Formless World over and over.


    "Brother Xiao Chen¡­ If I still remember you in my next life¡­ Next life¡­"


    The impact worsened with every hit, so much so that the Formless World began shaking again. It was showing signs of being shattered. Murong Xian''er''s face was as pale as paper as she hung suspended in the sky. The spirit energy inside her transformed into a white radiance that shot out of her, making her look like a fairy who was about to perish.


    Xiao Chen was slipping out of consciousness and yet his mind was clearer than ever. What was this sense of deja vu? Fragments of a scene repeatedly flitted across his mind. He yelled, "Don''t, Xian''er!"


    All that screaming was for naught. He was losing more control of his body but his mind was turning sharper. Right now, he finally recovered some of his long-lost memories.


    "Xian''er, I''m so sorry. I finally remember you. You''re the Spirit of the Three Emperors Grand Formation¡­"


    The so-called Formation Spirit was born out of the spirit energy inside a formation. The spirit would reawake every millennium and return to the formation after exhausting all of its spirit energy, awaiting the next awakening. Whatever the spirit experienced would also be forever lost.


    Murong Xian''er was the Spirit of the Three Emperors Grand Formation of the Archean Eon. It was not strange that she had appeared a thousand years ago. Now that she had exhausted her spirit energy, her next appearance would only be a millennium later.


    Xiao Chen felt like he had remembered many memories from a long time ago at this moment, memories that went as far as back as thousands of years ago. For example, the first time Xian''er awakened, the first person she saw was him.


    "There lives a deity atop the faraway Mount Gushe, whose flesh and skin are like ice and snow. He is pure and delicate like a virgin. She eats not the five grains... Why don''t you call yourself Murong Xian''er?"


    "Murong Xian''er? Hehe! Let''s use it then. I like this name."


    It felt like everything had returned to the start of the reincarnation. Xiao Chen was now pale in the face. "Silly Xian''er, you exhausted your spirit energy for me back then. How can I let you do it again this time¡­"


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s heart jumped with fright. "Oh no! Why is this kid''s soul getting stronger? I''m losing control over it!"


    "Ugh!" Everyone heard a drawn-out whistle reverberating. In the instant, an incomparably powerful soul force erupted from within Xiao Chen. It was as if he possessed the power of the gods and devils of the Archean Eon.


    "What?!"


    Before Zuoqiu Qitian could recover his senses, the formidable soul force slammed into him and sent him flying. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he nearly suffered countercharge.


    The Zuoqiu family''s disciples on the ground and the countless cultivators outside were dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?


    Xiao Chen''s soul force eruption was only momentary and he was still unable to utilize his True Energy at this moment. He sneered. "Do you think you''ll be able to snatch my body just because you want to¡­?"


    Zuoqiu Qitian looked overwhelmed with shock. "Impossible! Could you be?!" A fierce glint flitted across his pupils. "Even if you possess the blood of the gods and devils of the Archean Eon, I refuse to return empty-handed today!" Then, he abruptly clawed at Xiao Chen.


    Right then, Xiao Chen was rapidly falling. Yi Tong''s heart leaped when he saw his chance. He yelled, "The Domain of Gods and Devils!" As if he had broken the shackles of the Formless World, he instantly exchanged spots with Xiao Chen.


    "I''ve made an opening in the domain! Take him and leave! Now!"


    None-flower Dust caught hold of Xiao Chen, made a beeline for the opening without another word, and ran out of it. This infuriated Zuoqiu Qitian immensely and he struck Yi Tong with his palm in retaliation.


    "How dare you ruin my plans! I''ll destroy the body and soul of you little demons today!"


    No one could survive a Nirvana Realm cultivator''s palm attack. Xiao Chen''s eyes widened. "Brother Yi!"


    Yi Tong was surprisingly smiling in the face of such a deadly attack. "I can¡­ finally die, Elder Brother¡­"


    However, the moment he closed his eyes, an incredibly powerful aura filled the air around them. Be it cultivators outside the Formless World or those inside, everyone could feel this aura. This was an incomparable Demon Qi. The same thought occurred to everyone, "Such strong Demon Qi!"


    Silence fell over the place. Everyone remained very still. Zuoqiu Qitian''s palm attack also frozen in mid-air. It was as if time itself was paralyzed at this moment.


    "Tread¡­ Tread¡­ Tread¡­"


    The only sound reverberating throughout the place was the sound of a woman''s footsteps. Every time the footsteps resounded, countless cracks would emerge in the Barrier of the Formless World. When the seventh step resounded, the entire Formless World abruptly collapsed.


    Everyone could finally move freely again. Then, they heard the woman''s indifferent voice ringing in their ears.


    "Were you the one who wanted to destroy his body and soul earlier?"


    Yi Tong''s eyes flew open when he heard this familiar voice. He didn''t have to turn around to know who it was. He yelled, "Sister Bai!"


    A peerless beauty in the prime of her youth had arrived unannounced. In her white dress, she looked like a true fairy even without a smear of makeup or drawn eyebrows.


    She was none other than Bai Susu.


    "I asked you a question. Were you the one who wanted to destroy his body and soul earlier?"


    Right then, Zuoqiu Qitian felt immense pressure on him. Just how strong was this woman''s cultivation that her aura alone was enough to shatter his Formless World? He smiled icily and said, "So it''s the Sage Fairy from the Spirit Silence Room."


    "What?! She''s from the Spirit Silence Room?! How can someone from the Spirit Silence Room roam the Human World?!"


    Outside, shocked cries were ringing nonstop. Murong Xian''er swiftly ran over to Xiao Chen and sobbed as she hugged him. Xiao Chen gently caressed her hair before turning to look at Bai Susu. He never imagined her power to be this terrifying.


    By now, Yi Tong had fallen to the ground. Bai Susu glanced at him and said placidly, "When we get home, prepare to be punished for your recklessness." Then, she turned to look at Zuoqiu Qitian. "If you don''t have any more business with us, I''ll be leaving with them."


    "Wait!"


    Xiao Chen and Zuoqiu Qitian yelled at the same time. Bai Susu looked at Xiao Chen and asked, "Young Master Xiao, do you still have business here?"


    "They kidnapped my friend."


    Bai Susu nodded and turned toward Zuoqiu Qitian. She said indifferently, "Let his friend go."


    Cold sweat was forming on Zuoqiu Qitian''s back. He landed on the ground and said with a smile, "Of course. But this child must remain here today." He pointed to Xiao Chen.


    "I''m sure you know that the Annihilation Times are upon us. If humankind lacks powerful men, how could we survive this calamity? This child''s physical body happens to be a match for me. Even though this is a little unfair to the child, this is all for the sake of humanity."


    "No." Bai Susu''s answer to the barrage of words was concise.


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s stare turned icy. "What? Bai Susu, will you really interfere in the affairs of the Human World? I''m¡­"


    He finally stopped before finishing his sentence. Then, he began floating in the air as if an intangible large hand had caught hold of his throat.


    Everyone stopped breathing. This was a Nirvana Realm cultivator and yet he was being hoisted up by the throat.


    "Did you really think that I won''t dare to kill you just because your family is one of the Guardians?!"


    It was as if Bai Susu had transformed into a different person entirely. Her eyes were full of murderous intent. Everyone gasped. Zuoqiu family''s disciples, in particular, were long frightened out of their wits.


    Yi Tong''s expression changed. He immediately stepped forward and said, "Keep calm, Sister Bai! You mustn''t be reckless! He''s not worth it!"


    "Humph!" Bai Susu scoffed and threw Zuoqiu Qitian to the ground.


    "Hehe! You don''t dare, do you?" Zuoqiu Qitian sneered. Despite being on the brink of death earlier, he remained fearless because he knew he had someone backing him up. He smiled icily and said, "Do you think I''ll be afraid of you? If you kill me, there''s no place in the Six Realms that will shelter you! You''ll be banished to the Reversion to Ruins Realm! Hehe!"


    Ignoring him, Bai Susu glared at a puff of cloud hanging in the eastern horizon and said solemnly, "You''ve been hiding in the cloud for a long time; aren''t you going to show yourself?"


    "Oh? Did you discover me a long time ago? I was thinking of showing up in the next round, you know!"


    From the distant cloud came a male voice that carried a hint of banter. Then, a blood radiance suddenly arrived in front of them and transformed into a red-haired, red-eyed, and red-clothed man.


    "She doesn''t dare to kill you, but I do. Not only am I going to kill you, but I''m also going to kill every last member of your Zuoqiu family. Hahaha! Are you scared now? Scared, aren''t you? Hahaha!" The red-clothed man who had appeared out of nowhere started laughing at Zuoqiu Qitian.


    "Idiot," Bai Susu scolded.

 Chapter 214 Princess Raksasa

    Everyone exchanged looks. Who was this idiotic-looking man? However, they couldn''t deny the fact that this was a terribly powerful man.


    Cold sweat slid down Zuoqiu Qitian''s back without an end. He cursed the fact that he failed to snatch Xiao Chen''s body; otherwise, he would have the strength of the Apotheosis Realm by now and wouldn''t be forced into such a passive position. He asked solemnly, "Who are you?"


    The red-clothed man stopped laughing. He coughed once, clearing his throat before replying, "Listen well. I''m¡­"


    Bai Susu finished his sentence for him, saying, "The Little Demon King of the Bloodied Fiend Sect a thousand years ago, whose body was destroyed by the then Leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect, Ye Yuexuan. He escaped with his vital soul and regained his body after recuperating for a thousand years. People call him the Bloodied Mad Swordsman..."


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman jumped in anger. Pointing to her, he scolded, "Hey! Don''t you know I had to wait a thousand years before I could show my face again? Bai Susu, can you stop stealing my lines? Plus! Even if you''re stealing my lines, can you stop being so specific? You''re making me lose all my mysterious air!"


    Bai Susu shook her head. "Idiot."


    The onlookers outside were swept up in a furor. To think that this man was the Great Demon King from back then, Bloodied Mad Swordsman! He had killed countless orthodox experts with his Full Moon Bloodied Blade. What was he doing here?


    Zuoqiu Qitian had long gone pale in the face after seeing the sudden appearance of the Demon King from the Bloodied Fiend Sect. In a trembling voice, he asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Me?" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman pointed to his nose and laughed heartily. "Naturally, I''m here to steal the Fallen Dust Bead! Oh alright. Even though I''d like to stay on the scene for a while longer, you better hand over the Fallen Dust Bead as soon as possible."


    Bai Susu frowned as if she was offended by his lack of manners. She shook her head and sighed. "Idiot."


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows gathered into a frown as he turned to ask Yi Tong, "Brother Yi, what''s this Fallen Dust Bead that he''s talking about? And what''s that thing about Guardians that Sister Bai talked about?"


    Yi Tong whispered, "Thousands of years ago, the Devil Clan was banished to the Realm of Boundless Purgatory. Back then, a Great God used his spirit energy to blockade the Pond of Gods and Devils, the path connecting both worlds. The spirit energy he left behind transformed into nine Fallen Dust Beads, which scattered to all parts of the world. If you gather all nine beads, you can unleash that Great God''s spirit energy and undo the seal on the Pond of Gods and Devils. When the time comes, hordes of members of the Devil Clan might force their way into the Human World."


    "That''s why those from the Devil World is hell-bent on stealing those Fallen Dust Beads. Back then, the nine beads were placed with nine families for protection. They were called the Guardians and the Zuoqiu family is one of them. I''m not too sure about the rest."


    Xiao Chen finally gained some understanding after listening to Yi Tong''s lengthy explanation. If nothing else, then this point at least: Unrest was descending upon the Violet Manor. Perhaps the Annihilation Times that Zuoqiu Qitian was talking about was about to arrive.


    Zuoqiu Qitian''s face was as white as a sheet of paper. He had long expected such a day to come, which was why he was so desperate to snatch Xiao Chen''s body earlier. Both he and his family wouldn''t be able to bear the crime of having their Fallen Dust Bead stolen. His only hope now was Bai Susu.


    "Sage Fairy, are you going to watch him steal the Fallen Dust Bead?"


    Bai Susu replied placidly, "Of course not." She flicked her sleeve and a malicious shadow flew toward the Bloodied Mad Swordsman.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman immediately dodged the attack. Behind him, a building instantly dissolved into nothingness. The building wasn''t crushed to smithereens but dissolved into nothingness! Shocked, everyone fled far away. Most of the cultivators outside had also run out of the city, giving up their plan to stay and watch the battle.


    "Bai Susu, are you going to fight me?! I said this once: Rather be a king in hell than a slave in heaven! Look at your current state! The once Bloodied Fairy doesn''t even dare to kill a mortal now!"


    Bai Susu scoffed. "Aren''t you ashamed to say that to me? You went so low as to seek help from the Devil Clan, but have they made you a king?" She shot him with another attack of finger force.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman swiftly evaded the attack and bellowed, "You! Very well, Bai Susu! Since you won''t consider our friendship as former sect mates, then don''t blame me for fighting back! Show yourself, Wheel of Bloodied Mirage!"


    Following his loud cry, a massive rounded blade suddenly appeared in the sky. The blood-colored rounded blade rapidly crashed downward, shrinking as it fell. In the end, it transformed into a bloody radiance that swiftly flew toward Bai Susu.


    Bai Susu pressed her fingers together and shot three-finger forces in retaliation. Three clanging noises resounded as the blood-stained blade was sent flying.


    "Hmph! Wanna fight me? You lack a thousand years'' worth of cultivation!"


    "Bai Susu, don''t be so full of yourself!" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman bellowed. He then sneered and said, "Is that what you''re capable of? I think you''re weaker than a thousand years ago! What''s wrong? Why don''t you tell me? I''ll listen to you."


    "Idiot," Bai Susu scolded, shooting yet another thirteen-finger forces at him. Everywhere her force passed, turned into nothingness. While the Blood-stained Mad Swordsman frantically evaded these attacks, one of the forces hit his left shoulder. He yelled in anger, "Bai Susu! Are you really going to be so cruel to me?!"


    On the other end, Xiao Chen saw that he wasn''t capable of interfering in their battle at all. He turned to the twelve ladies behind him and said, "I''m staying here. Can you go in and save someone for me?"


    "Give us your orders, Master!"


    Instantly, Xiao Chen gave them a description of Gui Xian''s appearance. Out of the twelve ladies, six blurred out of view and ran toward the Zuoqiu family estate. The other six stayed behind to protect him.


    Fifteen minutes later, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman found himself completely at Bai Susu''s mercy. He said resentfully, "Very well, Bai Susu! Don''t blame me for being ruthless!"


    Bai Susu sneered. "So you have a little helping hand."


    "Yu Linglong, subdue that woman for me!"


    The newcomer to the scene was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl in red clothing. She looked adorable when she blinked with her large eyes.


    "How many times have I reminded you? Call me Princess!"


    "Fine, fine, fine! Princess, subdue that woman now!"


    "Why should I listen to you?"


    "..."


    "Fine. Then you must not subdue that woman."


    "I''m not listening to you! I''m going to subdue her!"


    Bai Susu clasped her forehead and shook her head. "Here comes another idiot..."


    "Wicked woman, take this punch!" Yu Linglong''s figure blurred out of view as she instantly attacked Bai Susu. Bai Susu was alarmed. Where did this girl come from, to have such terrifying power? She hastily retreated as a large pit appeared where she once stood.


    "You cannot run! Take this!" Yu Linglong attacked her again, but abruptly, she came to a stop. She seemed to have spotted the nearby Xiao Chen, who was watching with a dumbstruck expression.


    "Wow, what a handsome guy!" she said as she ran over to Xiao Chen.


    Immediately, the six ladies stepped forward to stop her but the girl made a light swipe with her hand and sent all of them flying.


    "Um... Elder Brother, what''s your name?" Yu Linglong hung onto a nearly petrified Xiao Chen, rubbing against his arm nonstop.


    "Pff!" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman couldn''t help coughing up blood after taking Bai Susu''s hit. He yelled lividly, "Hey, are you an idiot?! Get this straight! We''re the villains, alright?! They''re our enemies!"


    Yu Linglong ignored him and kept holding onto Xiao Chen''s arm. She said in a coy voice, "Elder Brother, I heard the Human World is filled with amusing things. Why don''t you take me around and play?" She kept winking at him.


    "Um... Little girl, are you lost? The Human World is full of danger. You should leave as soon as possible..." Xiao Chen finally recovered his senses.


    "No way. Elder Brother, you haven''t told me your name!"


    "Pff!" Bloodied Mad Swordsman once again coughed up blood. "Oh, God! Empress Raksasa, your daughter is going to run off with a man! Show yourself and take her home with you immediately! Pff!" Blood sprayed from his mouth again.


    Bai Susu frowned, thinking to herself, "This girl is Princess Raksasa? Could the rumors be true, that she suffered a head injury after taking a hit from Heavenly Emperor''s Xuanyuan Sword in the ancient war?"


    "Hey, who are you?! Release Brother Xiao Chen right now!" Murong Xian''er could no longer restrain herself.


    A gust of wind swept a troubled Xiao Chen. Before the two of them could start quarreling, he managed to convince them to calm down.


    "Sigh. Sure enough, it''s useless to send these two..."


    Suddenly, the sound of a sigh drifted from the eastern horizon. Two figures flew over and landed on the ground. One of them was as pale as a sheet of paper, resembling a dead person. The other was shrouded in black Qi and was emanating layer upon layer of dead Qi. The one who spoke earlier was the pale-looking man.


    "Let us introduce ourselves, as always. I''m Ye Wuxin of the Corpse Refinery Sect."

 Chapter 215 Mysterious Woman

    The rest gasped. The former Leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect, Yu Yangzi, disappeared three hundred years ago. Could this man be the current Leader? Putting aside how high his cultivation was, that Corpse Puppet next to him was at least close to the Nirvana Realm. The Violet Manor was truly in trouble this time.


    Detecting a murderous intent, Xiao Chen traced it back to Ye Wuxin. This man didn''t come for the Fallen Dust Bead, but for him!


    "Oh, what a sharp insight." With a faint smile, Ye Wuxin appeared in front of Xiao Chen before his voice had even faded.


    "He''s so fast!" Xiao Chen''s heart jumped.


    "I won''t let you bully this handsome Elder Brother!" Instantly, Yu Linglong blocked Ye Wuxin''s ferocious attack.


    In the distance, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman yelled, "Hey, are you an idiot?! He''s our enemy! Why are you helping him?!"


    "I don''t care! I won''t let anyone bully this handsome Elder Brother!" Yu Linglong retorted, seething as she placed both hands on her hips. She pointed to Ye Wuxin. "Hey! I''m ordering you to return right now!"


    "Ah." Ye Wuxin smiled. "Little girl, I''m not from your Sacred World. I don''t have to listen to your orders."


    Yu Linglong''s little face swiftly darkened.


    "When I get mad, the consequences will be grave! I''ll overturn heaven and earth¡ªMeow Meow Punch!" She sent a punch flying with a pink clenched fist wrapped up in a layer of dazzling gold radiance. Its power was as startling as that of the Azure Dragon bursting out of the sea. A loud explosion resounded as the front courtyard was blasted into smithereens, sending dust and soil flying everywhere.


    When the smoke and dust finally settled, Ye Wuxin was seen still standing in place with a smile on his face. His Corpse Puppet was standing in front of him, having intercepted that formidable punch in his place.


    In the distance, the onlookers were all shocked. Even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would be destroyed in an instant after getting hit by that violent punch, and yet this Corpse Puppet had remained intact.


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Was this the strength of a Corpse Puppet, its impossibly sturdy body? Not even a Nirvana Realm cultivator could escape unscathed after taking this punch head-on. This Corpse Puppet was an absolute terror.


    Meanwhile, he also detected Ye Wuxin''s gaze on him. The man appeared to be planning to bring him back to the Corpse Refinery Sect. He was reminded of the conversation he overheard Yu Yangzi having back in the Changyin Mountain Range: there was an ancient Immortal Corpse in the Corpse Refinery Sect that they were trying to awake...


    Ye Wuxin chuckled and told the Corpse Puppet next to him in an emotionless voice, "If that''s the case, entertain the Princess for me." The Corpse Puppet nodded after hearing his order.


    "Damn it! You dare look down on me! Take this!" Following a shout from Yu Linglong, she started fighting the Corpse Puppet. Dust and soil instantly flew everywhere.


    Ye Wuxin shook his head with a smile. "What a child." He then narrowed his eyes and fixed an icy stare on Xiao Chen.


    Feeling a chill all over, Xiao Chen immediately retreated. Ye Wuxin was close on his tail. He sneered and said, "Your body will be the best furnace for my evolution..."


    Xiao Chen cursed his bad luck: why did everyone covet his body?!


    Then, a loud collision resounded as Bai Susu instantly arrived in front of Ye Wuxin and blocked him. Ye Wuxin asked icily, "Who are you? How dare you stop me! You''re seeking death!" He slammed a palm on her.


    Bai Susu met his attack with her palm and the collision sent her retreating several steps. Ye Wuxin smiled. "Interesting. I sense a familiar aura from you..."


    In the distance, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman was sneering. There was no need to entertain Yu Linglong the idiot. Bai Susu and Ye Wuxin getting caught up in a fight were in his favor. Considering this, he stared coolly at Zuoqiu Qitian. "Hand over the Fallen Dust Bead right now! Do you want me to cut open you up, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator of the Violet Manor?!"


    Zuoqiu Qitian was so frightened that he was shivering all over. He yelled, "Sage Fairy!"


    Bai Susu frowned. Ye Wuxin proved to be a difficult opponent. He must be close to evolving into a Spirit Corpse. It would be hard for her to break away from him at such short notice. "You''re the one who acted so recklessly! Reap the consequences of drawing all these people here!"


    Zuoqiu Qitian turned ashen-faced. The Bloodied Mad Swordsman broke into laughter. "Go on and shout! No one will save you even if your voice turns hoarse from shouting! The Fallen Dust Bead is mine..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, a flying sword radiance arrived in front of him. Had he not evade it in time, the radiance would have pierced his heart.


    "Who is it? How dare you ambush me! Do you have the guts to fight me face-to-face..."


    Once again, before he could finish speaking, the sword radiance once again flew and cut off a strand of his hair.


    "Devil Clan evildoers must all be eliminated!"


    In the distance, a woman wearing a cyan mantle suddenly flew over. The woman''s face was hidden under the hood of her mantle, preventing others from seeing her appearance. However, Xiao Chen could sense a familiar aura coming from her.


    The arrival of the mysterious woman instantly overturned the situation. The Bloodied Mad Swordsman erupted in anger and his Full Moon Bloodied Blade materialized in the horizon. His aura was so much fiercer compared to when he was battling Bai Susu.


    Lightning was rolling in the clouds above. The Full Moon Bloodied Blade kept shrinking until it finally turned into a blood radiance that plunged toward the mysterious woman.


    The mysterious woman scoffed, showing no fear of the Bloodied Blade capable of annihilating any Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. She twirled the fingers on her left hand and an Immortal''s Sword appeared in her right hand. She thrust the sword at the Bloodied Blade.


    "Clang!" The sword and the blade came into contact, causing the vital force in the sky to shake violently. The leftover energy spread to the ground below, sending a small portion of cultivators flying. Even some buildings near the Zuoqiu family estate collapsed.


    Everyone understood that the aftermath would only keep spreading as long as this battle continued. Canglan City would be destroyed at this rate. Its citizens had long fled by now and not even its troops dared to come near the area. The cultivators could remain, albeit with difficulty. However, any ordinary human who came near would instantly perish under this force.


    After battling for several rounds, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman recalled his Full Moon Bloodied Blade. Rays of light were flickering indefinitely in his pupils. This woman had such high cultivation that the Immortal Sword condensed out of her True Energy was enough to withstand his Wheel of Bloodied Mirage. He must not underestimate her. He asked solemnly, "Woman, who exactly are you? Explain yourself right now or I swear I''ll straighten you out!"


    The mysterious woman trembled. Even though her face wasn''t visible, her anger and surging murderous intent were apparent.


    Cold radiance flashed. Countless sword radiance charged at the Bloodied Mad Swordsman, whizzing. The Swordsman immediately dodged the radiance, but the Sword Qi still managed to cut off a strand of his hair.


    Meanwhile, Ye Wuxin and Bai Susu were battling. Seeing what was going on with the Bloodied Mad Swordsman, Ye Wuxin sneered. "You best be careful. Don''t let her defeat you a second time."


    "I don''t need comments from a dead man like you! Worry about yourself!" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman retorted, jumping in anger. The mysterious woman''s flying sword once again reached him as he was talking. While he was frantically trying to avoid it, he noticed her face under the mantle. His gaze went cold. "So it''s really you, Ye Yuexuan!"


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. This mysterious woman was Ye Yuexuan, the Leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect from a thousand years ago? The one who shifted the blame and entrapped Xiao Ning?


    The mysterious woman didn''t reply. In the blink of an eye, countless Sword Qi sprang forth and attacked the Bloodied Mad Swordsman. The Swordsman also dropped his previous persona. His face became filled with murderous spirit and his eyes were full of resentment.


    "Great! Let us end our grudge from a thousand years ago today! Not only do I want to kill you, but I''ll also turn every last member of your Thousand Feathers Sect into Blood Slaves! I''ll have them plead their allegiance to me for the rest of their lives!"


    Following his bellow, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman''s aura abruptly spiked and his red hair stood on their ends. His eyes were full of murderous intent. Countless wisps of blood mist swirled around him. It was only now that he looked like a true Devil King. In the distance, the cultivators couldn''t help gasping.


    "Bloodied Devil Fiends!"


    Following his frenzied scream, four images of Bloodied Specters appeared in the sky. Terrifying Devil Qi shrouded the entire Zuoqiu family estate in an instant. The hearts of the cultivators in the distance were racing. No one dared to breathe.


    "Four Fiends, dismember her!"


    The four Bloodied Devil Fiends obeyed him, instantly attacking the mysterious woman. The overwhelming Devil Qi made everyone tremble on the inside. The mysterious woman remained fearless. She focused on casting a spell, summoning four streams of sword radiance that hit the four Bloodied Devil Fiends respectively.


    "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Jeering sounds reverberated. Not only were the Bloodied Devil Fiends unharmed, but the collision sent her retreating several steps instead. Every strand of the Bloodied Mad Swordsman''s hair was standing on its end. Sneering, he asked in a solemn voice, "What''s wrong? Have you become this useless after a thousand years?"


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. No, this mysterious woman wasn''t Ye Yuexuan. Moreover, she had not revealed her trump card. Suddenly, an ice-cold voice rang inside his mind. "Is it Ye Yuexuan...?"

 Chapter 216 Chaotic Battles

    Xiao Chen was alarmed. Had Su Xiaomei awakened? That was right. Su Xiaomei would surely hold an irredeemable grudge against Ye Yuexuan for entrapping Xiao Ning back then.


    "Listen. This woman isn''t Ye Yuexuan..."


    "Save it! I won''t be able to last for more than fifteen minutes but I''ll be borrowing your body for a bit!"


    "Hey, don''t cause trouble at this time..."


    Xiao Chen felt himself losing control over his body before he could finish his sentence. Like an arrow shooting out of a bow, the halberd in his hand lunged at the mysterious woman. The overwhelming power roused a storm in an instant.


    Bai Susu, Yi Tong, None-flower Dust, and the rest¡ªincluding the cultivators watching from a distance¡ªwere all startled.


    Right now, Xiao Chenw possessed most of Su Xiaomei''s power. The force imbued in the halberd was no ordinary force. Before the halberd reached the mysterious woman, layers upon layers of black mist were already emerging from the body of the weapon. Coupled with the hissing of devils, the scene was enough to strike fear into anyone.


    Detecting a murderous aura pressing close, the mysterious woman immediately retreated. From under the hood of her mantle, she glared at her attacker. "Xiao Chen, have you gone mad?!"


    Deep inside, Xiao Chen was startled. The woman used her True Qi to coat her throat, making it difficult for him to recognize her voice. But how did she know his name? Before Xiao Chen could explain himself, Su Xiaomei manipulated his body into throwing the halberd again.


    In Xiao Chen''s hand, the power of the Spirit-annihilation Halberd became astonishing. Not even a Nirvana Realm cultivator would dare to utilize the halberd in such an aggressive manner. The mysterious woman also noticed this. She ran all around, choosing not to confront Xiao Chen head-on.


    Seeing Xiao Chen throwing his halberd again and again at the mysterious woman, the rest knew that he was determined to take her life. However, the woman was evidently an orthodox cultivator; why was he changing sides at this time and choosing to help those from the Devil Clan? No one understood what was going on or why his cultivation inexplicably skyrocketed.


    Yi Tong hastily yelled, "Brother Xiao, what are you doing?!" Murong Xian''er also cried, "Brother Xiao Chen, come back immediately!"


    Bai Susu narrowed her eyes. "No, someone''s using the soul-swapping technique to control him!"


    Deep inside, Xiao Chen was crying about his fate. To think that someone finally understood what happened to him. Bai Susu glared at him and asked, "Who are you? What are you trying to do?"


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "To think you have the mood to meddle with someone in the middle of a battle with me! Do you think I''m dead?" He launched an abrupt attack at Bai Susu.


    Bai Susu didn''t have the luxury of being distracted. Moreover, Xiao Chen couldn''t reply because he was under Su Xiaomei''s control. He continued to attack the mysterious woman, who seemed to have noticed his strangeness. No longer having any misgivings, the woman kept hitting Xiao Chen with the magic power rising from her palm.


    The vital force in the air surged so violently that it nearly leveled the entire Zuoqiu family estate. Xiao Chen was trapped inside a whirlpool of force. Even though Su Xiaomei protected him from harm, it didn''t mean that he felt no pain!


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman sneered. "Ye Yuexuan, looks like I''m not the only one who wants your life!" He manipulated his Full Moon Bloodied Blade to attack the mysterious woman.


    The mysterious woman was at a disadvantage now that it was two-against-one. Danger sprang up all around her. Whether it was Xiao Chen''s Spirit-annihilation Halberd piercing her or the Bloodied Mad Swordsman''s Full Moon Bloodied Blade hitting her, all attacks dealt severe damage on her soul.


    In the distance, Yu Linglong and the Corpse Puppet were turning the world upside down with their battle. Everywhere they passed would surely leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Bai Susu and Ye Wuxin''s battle high up in the sky was so intense that it seemed irresolvable. The scene was a complete mess with saber radiance, sword shadows, Devil Qi, and Demon Qi weaving across each other in the air. The entire Zuoqiu family estate had turned into a battlefield for the experts.


    The onlooking cultivators had long become stupefied. The rest being powerful was one thing, but Xiao Chen cleaving the mysterious woman''s layers of Sword Qi without being harmed was another. He could even carve a place for himself in this massive battle between experts. This was far beyond what they had imagined.


    Zuoqiu Yang loathed every minute of this development. He was the VIP of the younger generation of the Zuoqiu family as well as the direct disciple of the Divine Mist Sect Leader. Yet in the face of a true battle between experts like this, he could only run far away to avoid the aftermath. Once he got close to the battlefield, he would surely perish.


    But he couldn''t accept this. To him, it wasn''t fair that a nobody like Xiao Chen could rise in a battle between experts while he was forced to run far from the battlefield. He both hated and envied Xiao Chen for this.


    Out of the blue, he fished out a red pill and popped it into his mouth. He then started reciting a spell. Zuoqiu Que, who stood next to him, spotted this and cried in alarm, "Where did you get that Fate-transforming Pill? That will take a hundred years off your lifespan! What are you trying to do?! Don''t you want your life anymore?!"


    "Leave me alone! I''m going to help Lord Ancestor deal with those from the Devil Clan!"


    Zuoqiu Yang''s eyes were filled with fury, so much so that blue veins were even protruding on his face and neck. It made him look like he had suffered Qi Deviation. Roaring in anger, he grabbed an Immortal''s Sword that was lying on the ground and turned into a swift radiance that flew toward the battlefield.


    Having sustained grave injuries from Xiao Chen''s soul power, Zuoqiu Qitian was currently circulating his energy to heal himself. When he sensed his disciple approaching, he immediately looked over and saw Zuoqiu Yang speeding over. He yelled, "Who are you?! Return at once!"


    "I''m Zuoqiu Yang! I came here to help you, Lord Ancestor!"


    With that said, a cold glint flashed in Zuoqiu Yang''s eyes and he swiftly attacked Xiao Chen who was suspended in midair.


    "Xiao Chen, hand me your life!"


    Xiao Chen, who was being controlled to fight the mysterious woman, sensed the danger and said in alarm, "What''s that flying over?! Su Xiaomei, hurry up and look!"


    Su Xiaomei ignored him and continued to battle the mysterious woman. Xiao Chen knew danger was coming but he was unable to control his body to resist that ambushing murderous intent.


    Right then, a red glint flashed in the Bloodied Mad Swordsman''s eyes. Noticing the ambushing Zuoqiu Yang, he bellowed, "Where did this nobody come from? Do you think you have a place in a battle like this? Scram!" He flicked his wide sleeve, sending a boundless force slamming into Zuoqiu Yang.


    A loud explosion resounded. Zuoqiu Yang was sent flying more than a hundred feet away. While coughing up blood, he cried, "Why?! I have power close to the Nirvana Realm...!"


    Xiao Chen sighed in relief. On the other side, Yu Linglong was finally growing impatient with the battle against the Corpse Puppet. She placed her hands on her hips and seethed in anger. "D*mn it! Why can''t I kill you? I''m not playing with you anymore!"


    The battlefield was growing increasingly chaotic. Right then, three old men with an intense immortal air to them were observing the battle unfolding in the Zuoqiu family estate on a high platform in the distance. They were Perfected Immortal Fengxi, the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords, and the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts of the Xianyong Sect.


    "I''m getting confused; is the kid being controlled? Why is he confusing an ally for his enemy?"


    "Looks to be the case... Then do we make our appearances?"


    "Make no haste. Let''s watch for a while longer. I have the feeling that someone even stronger will be coming from the Devils'' sects."


    "Hold on! That Corpse Puppet is ambushing that kid!"


    Out of the blue, the Corpse Puppet that was fighting Yu Linglong switched directions to attack Xiao Chen instead. Meanwhile, fifteen minutes had passed and Su Xiaomei''s soul power was finally running out, forcing her to return to the jade pendant.


    Having finally recovered control over his body, Xiao Chen couldn''t be bothered with how intense the battle between the mysterious woman and the Bloodied Mad Swordsman was. He immediately unfolded his Immortal-override Steps and fled the battlefield. Little did he expect that the Corpse Puppet would target him and give chase.


    "D*mn it! Scram, you dead thing!" He hastily circulated his True Energy and thrust his halberd straight into the Corpse Puppet''s chest. The only sound he heard was a clanging noise. To his surprise, the incomparably sharp blade of the halberd couldn''t deal even the slightest bit of harm on the puppet. On the contrary, he was the one who got hurt by the puppet''s eruption of power. The power was so explosive that it sent him flying.


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. Not even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would be able to easily take that hit earlier. Just how outrageously strong was this Corpse Puppet? Before he could think about it, the puppet suddenly launched a palm attack at him and formed a huge palm print where he stood. Instantly, dust scattered everywhere.


    "F*ck! What a monster!" Xiao Chen cursed. He turned around to run, but the Corpse Puppet wasn''t just great at offense and defense. Its speed was also not beneath his. Even more terrifying was that it knew no pain or fear of death.


    For some reason, the Corpse Puppet wouldn''t launch a deadly attack each time it caught up with him and would just slam its palm on his side, causing an eruption of Qi wave that sent him flying. He wasn''t sure if it did this on purpose, but he was nonetheless left battered and exhausted.


    Before long, Xiao Chen was filthy from head to toe. His clothes were in tatters and covered in dirt as if he was an ancient treasure that was just dug up. In the distance, Ye Wuxin sneered repeatedly as if he was the one who had ordered the Corpse Puppet to do so.


    Naturally, Xiao Chen noticed him sneering. He cursed inwardly, "D*mn the Corpse Refinery Sect! I''m declaring war against you today!"


    He put away the Spirit-annihilation Halberd and took out his Blood Lotus Demon Blade. Wiping the blade with his palm, the blood from his wound swiftly flowed into the veined pattern on the blade and then downward.


    "F*ck! I''m going all out! I know you can understand me. Right now, I want you to cut that monster in half for me!"


    He didn''t know how much blood he fed the blade, but the Blood Lotus Demon Blade seemed like it finally had its fill. The blade trembled nonstop as it emanated a blinding red light, dyeing nearly the entire sky above the Zuoqiu family estate red. Everyone watched in utter shock.

 Chapter 217 The Cunning Ye Wuxin

    "Go to hell and be a king there, you monster!"


    Following Xiao Chen''s scream, a hundred-feet-long red light soared from the entire blade. The blade lunged at the Corpse Puppet like it wanted to cleave heaven and earth.


    A loud explosion resounded, causing the entire world to tremble. Buildings collapsed, resulting in ruined earth and flying dirt. Nothing looked the same. When the smoke and dust finally dissipated, a gorge more than a hundred feet long on the ground came into view.


    The Corpse Puppet was impaled into the ground like a stake, with a wisp of dark red blood finally flowing out of its forehead. Right now, it was glowering at Xiao Chen.


    "F*ck! What a monster!"


    Even a Nirvana Realm cultivator would be injured after taking this hit. Little did he imagine that this Corpse Puppet would only suffer a graze on his forehead.


    The more he thought about it, the more tingling his scalp felt.


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "Even though this Corpse Puppet''s strength is only close to that of a Nirvana Realm cultivator, its defense? Heh. Not even an Apotheosis Realm cultivator could possibly destroy it."


    Xiao Chen was so livid that he pointed to Ye Wuxin and said, "Are you showing off? I''m telling you, I''m also indestructible!"


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "Why would I call you the best furnace for my evolution? You should be obedient and listen to me. I''ll grant you an easy death then."


    "Go to hell!" Xiao Chen was exasperated.


    "Boom!"


    A deafening explosion resounded as the Corpse Puppet emerged from the ground and walked over to Xiao Chen with a ferocious air. Bai Susu''s gaze turned icy. While Ye Wuxin was distracted, she glared at Zuoqiu Qitian and said coldly, "What are you waiting for? Go and destroy the Corpse Puppet!"


    Her command alarmed Zuoqiu Qitian. Even though the mysterious woman was keeping the Bloodied Mad Swordsman occupied, the Corpse Puppet was even more terrifying than the Swordsman!


    However, Bai Susu was so formidable that he had no choice but to go. His figure blurred out of view before reappearing next to Xiao Chen.


    "Kid, listen to me. Neither of us is strong enough to destroy this Corpse Puppet. Unless you hand over your physical body..."


    "Go to hell if you have so much nonsense to say!"


    Following Xiao Chen''s bellow, he once again lunged at the Corpse Puppet with his blade. However, the puppet remained invulnerable. It was at this moment that three sword lights came flying from the distance toward the puppet.


    Three resounding clanging noises rang out as the Corpse Puppet took hits and retreated several steps. Even so, its body remained invincible. Even three Immortal''s Swords capable of beheading demons and devils were unable to harm the puppet.


    Xiao Chen turned around and his eyes widened. "Why are you here?"


    The newcomers to the battlefield were Perfected Immortal Fengxi, the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords, and the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts who had been watching from afar. Fengxi smoothed his beard and sighed. "The Annihilation Times are here. We have no choice but to undo the seal upon ourselves..."


    It was only then that Xiao Chen noticed their aura... None of them was now inferior to Zuoqiu Qitian in terms of cultivation. It turned out that these three old things had been hiding all along.


    "You''ve been here all along, haven''t you?"


    "Cough, cough. Don''t worry about that. Let''s focus on dealing with this Corpse Puppet."


    "..."


    Xiao Chen cursed the three old men in his head. So they had been watching the Corpse Puppet pummel him from afar. How vile! Weren''t they at least friends?


    Qin Shaoyang and the rest wanted to go over when they saw their Master and Elders arriving. However, various forces were wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Considering their cultivation, approaching the battlefield was as good as digging their own grave.


    "Roar..." The Corpse Puppet let out a deafening roar as if it was livid that the four of them were turning a blind eye to it.


    Fengxi glared at the puppet. "What are you roaring about, you d*mned puppet? Do you think you''re great just because you''re loud?"


    "Roar!" The Corpse Puppet cried once again as it swung its fist, sending an overwhelming force flying in their direction. While Xiao Chen hastily got out of the way, Fengxi scoffed and met the force with his palm attack. To his surprise, the collision of forces sent him flying fifty or sixty feet away.


    In the distance, Qin Shaoyang and the rest were shocked. "Master!"


    Quite a few onlooking cultivators were stupefied as well. Even the Perfected Immortal Fengxi was no match for this Corpse Puppet!


    When Fengxi regained his footing, his face was red. Things didn''t seem too encouraging. How could the monster send him flying in front of so many of his disciples? He coughed twice and said, "Oh, two old men. I''m leaving the monster to you too. I''m going to check if there are other remnants of the Devil Clan around."


    Xiao Chen cursed on the inside, saying, "F*ck! How shameless! You''re a Sect Leader, aren''t you? How could you escape at a time like this?!"


    However, Fengxi didn''t seem to be running from danger. He happened to notice Yu Linglong, who had fallen to a disadvantageous position. His figure blurred out of view as he charged over to her. Getting a bad premonition, Xiao Chen immediately yelled, "Don''t provoke her, Perfected Immortal!"


    It was all too late, however. Fengxi appeared in front of Yu Linglong and spoke in a solemn manner. "Little girl, you may be young but you''re still from the Devil Clan. I have no choice but to..."


    Yu Linglong placed her hands on her hips, looking mad. She was seething as she retorted, "Have no choice but to what?!"


    "I have no choice but to subdue you today!"


    "I''m absolutely livid right now! Do you know how grave the consequences will be? Unrivaled in this universe¡ªMeow Meow Punch!"


    "Argh..."


    Following Fengxi''s pained screech, a gorge more than a hundred feet long appeared on the ground. Dust went flying everywhere. Qin Shaoyang and the rest were shocked. "Master!"


    Xiao Chen clasped his forehead and said, "Sigh. Didn''t I tell you not to provoke her?"


    On the other side, three Nirvana Realm experts¡ªthe Elder of the Pavilion of Swords, the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts, and Zuoqiu Qitian¡ªwere working together to besiege the Corpse Puppet but they remained in a pathetic state. Not only was the puppet impervious to their swords, but its power was also astonishing. Moreover, it seemed to be in tiptop condition all along.


    In the distance, the onlooking cultivators were dumbstruck. The Corpse Puppet was close to being an existence that couldn''t be defeated. The Corpse Refinery Sect was truly terrifying for being able to create something like this to win their battles.


    Out of the blue, a smirking Ye Wuxin struck Bai Susu. Like his puppet, he seemed to have expended no energy since the start of the battle. On the other hand, Bai Susu looked like she was beginning to struggle. The palm attack sent her flying more than one hundred feet away.


    "Sister Bai!"


    Yi Tong and Xiao Chen rapidly made their way over to her. Bai Susu lifted her hand, indicating that she was alright. She was merely depleting her spiritual force.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the Bloodied Mad Swordsman and the mysterious woman was slowing down. The chaotic battles had been going on for quite some time. Everyone was starting to get strained.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman circulated his True Energy and made one last palm attack. The mysterious woman raised her hand to block the attack, but she was ultimately too weak for it. With a jeering noise, her mantle was reduced into countless fragments. An emotionless woman in black clothes appeared in everyone''s vision. She stood tall on her flying sword, looking like a fairy who had descended down to the mortal realm. Hanging from her waist was a horsetail whisk sword.


    Many young cultivators outside stared at her, dumbfounded.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. How could it be Xiaoyue? Since when did her cultivation become that high?


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman narrowed his eyes. He returned to his previous form and sneered. "So it''s Ye Yuexuan''s heir! Heh. You''re as beautiful as Ye Yuexuan was. Hahaha! One thousand years ago, I promised I''d bring everyone from the Thousand Feathers Sect into my harem! Hahaha!"


    "Idiot," Bai Susu scolded.


    Xiaoyue remained expressionless. She controlled her flying sword to gradually land near Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Her aura appeared much weaker now; did that power earlier not belong to her?


    Even if that was the case, it still unsettled him. Little did he imagine that her cultivation would be close to the Nascent Soul Realm in the short time that they hadn''t seen each other. This woman was truly terrifying.


    It wasn''t hard for him to detect her murderous intent for him when they were in the East Continent. Even though they briefly worked together to defeat the Skygale Sect later on, that murderous intent never truly disappeared. Moreover, Su Xiaomei had manipulated him to attack her earlier. Her not fighting back in the beginning was likely out of fear of Bai Susu''s strength.


    On the other side, Ye Wuxin seemed to have achieved his goal. He recalled his Corpse Puppet. The Elder of the Pavilion of Swords and the other two regrouped as soon as they broke away from the puppet. Fengxi had returned as well. Right then, the group was in a very sorry condition.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman and Yu Linglong weren''t better off either. Everyone had exhausted their energy and power. Even if they possessed the strength of a Nirvana Realm cultivator, it was hard for them to display it now.


    The only one at the scene who seemed completely intact was Ye Wuxin. There was a sinister smile on his face. He had been waiting all along, waiting for everyone to exhaust themselves.


    It could be said that at this moment, he himself could control the battlefield. There was no one here who was a match for him anymore.

 Chapter 218 Ye Wuxins Ambition

    Detecting Ye Wuxin''s malicious gaze, Xiao Chen raised his guard. The palm of his hand that was gripping the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was covered in sweat.


    "Well, it''s time to end this."


    With a sinister smile on his face, Ye Wuxin walked over to where Xiao Chen was. His Corpse Puppet walked behind him, its fierce gaze striking fear into everyone''s hearts.


    Seeing this, Fengxi and the rest swiftly joined Xiao Chen''s side. Ye Wuxin''s stare turned icy. "What''s wrong? Do you wish to make an enemy out of the Corpse Refinery Sect?" Instantly, an overwhelming Qi fell over the scene, making it difficult to breathe.


    It was true that no one here was his opponent anymore. Never mind the Corpse Puppet with him, he had turned his body into that of a Corpse Puppet in the pursuit of supreme power. His strength was far stronger than a puppet that lacked wisdom.


    Still, Fengxi and his companions didn''t withdraw. Ye Wuxin sneered. "If you''re determined to thwart me, I fear you won''t be able to protect your Fallen Dust Bead today." He pointed to the nearby Zuoqiu Qitian.


    The Elders of the Pavilion of Swords and the Pavilion of Thoughts immediately turned to look at Zuoqiu Qitian. Their figures blurred out of view before reappearing in front of the Bloodied Mad Swordsman.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman was livid that Ye Wuxin drew these people''s attention onto him. How could he steal Zuoqiu Qitian''s Fallen Dust Bead now?


    "Ye Wuxin, what do you mean by this?! Didn''t you come here for the Fallen Dust Bead today?!"


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "That''s your problem. What does it have to do with me?"


    "You!" The Bloodied Mad Swordsman couldn''t restrain his anger anymore. He finally understood that Ye Wuxin was using him to exhaust the orthodox cultivators when he suggested that the mysterious woman was Ye Yuexuan, all so Ye Wuxin could achieve his goal.


    If he was at tiptop condition right now, the first thing he would do was to cut this man down.


    Ye Wuxin scoffed and ignored him. His large hand reached out for Xiao Chen. Yu Linglong''s figure blurred out of view as she rushed over to Xiao Chen''s side. With a punch, she sent Ye Wuxin''s hand flying. Standing in front of Xiao Chen, she said in anger, "Ye Wuxin, I won''t let you succeed!"


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman laughed out loud. "Nicely done, Yu Linglong! Beat that arrogant ass for me!"


    Surprisingly, Yu Linglong didn''t get into an argument with him this time. It was as if they were both sharing the same enemy. She placed her hands on her hips and glowered at Ye Wuxin.


    Ye Wuxin shook his head, smiling. "Ignorant." His voice had just fallen when he flicked his sleeve. A shadow sprang forth from his sleeve, bypassed Yu Linglong, and swiftly lunged at Xiao Chen.


    "Don''t you dare hurt the handsome Elder Brother!"


    Yu Linglong bellowed. Like a bolt of lightning, she swiftly overtook the shadow. To her surprise, the shadow abruptly changed directions and knocked into her abdomen. Following a loud collision sound, she was sent flying more than a hundred feet away while coughing up blood.


    "What?!" The Bloodied Mad Swordsman turned pale. He glared at Ye Wuxin and yelled in anger, "Ye Wuxin! Do you know who she is?! How dare you hurt her; are you trying to rebel?!"


    Yu Linglong climbed out of a pile of rubble, shaking as she did. In a hateful tone, she cried, "Despicable! What did you do to me?! Why am I completely powerless now?!"


    Xiao Chen turned around. Despite knowing she was from the Devil Clan and was his mortal enemy, she had sustained injuries while trying to protect him. Frowning, he asked, "Hey, are you alright?"


    Yu Linglong raised her head and her pained expression immediately melted away. She bashfully said, "Handsome Elder Brother... are you worrying about me?"


    She lowered her head as she spoke, her face turning beet-red. She said quietly, "If I say I''m in pain, would he run over and give me a hug? If I close my eyes and pretend to faint, he''ll definitely kiss me, won''t he? Then will he... Ugh, how annoying! What should I do...?"


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman was so angry that he was jumping. "Hey! How can you think of such nonsense right now? Moreover! You''re only fifteen! Can you stop thinking about adult stuff?"


    Basically, Xiao Chen was so stunned that he was petrified. Yu Linglong''s face turned even redder as she muttered to herself. Suddenly, she raised her head and said, "Hmm! I''ve made up my mind! I''m going to elope with this handsome Elder Brother and run to the end of the world..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, she slowly floated into midair. Her face became contorted with pain.


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. Turning his head around, he spotted Ye Wuxin casting a spell while muttering nonstop. In the distance, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman was also similarly shocked as he yelled, "You! You''ve already evolved into a Spirit Corpse! What are you trying to do to her?! Have you gone mad?!"


    "Hehe!"


    Ye Wuxin wore a smile so sinister that it made others tremble in fear. He said solemnly, "What good is the Spirit Corpse Realm? I need a furnace to evolve into the Devil Corpse Realm. When that happens, all of you will become my Corpse Puppets..."


    "Stop dreaming! Put her down right now! She''s the Empress'' daughter! How dare you think of using her as your furnace! Do you want to die?!" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman yelled, berating Ye Wuxin.


    Ignoring him, Ye Wuxin continued casting a seal. Yu Linglong''s expression became increasingly twisted with pain. Ye Wuxin struck her with his puppet-manipulating technique earlier, making it impossible for her to break away from him.


    Xiao Chen asked solemnly, "You''re going to kill one of your kinsmen?"


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "Kinsmen? In my world, only I exist and no one else. What''s wrong? Do you feel heartache for her? Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. She remains devoted to you even after going through countless cycles of reincarnation. So will you be obedient and become my furnace? Or will you watch me turn her into a Corpse Puppet, unable to ever reincarnate again?"


    Xiao Chen scoffed. "Did your brain rot after making one too many Corpse Puppets? I''m an orthodox disciple; she''s from the Devil Clan. You''re using her to threaten me?"


    In the distance, Yu Linglong''s face swiftly dimmed. "Someone from the Devil Clan... The handsome Elder Brother calls me someone from the Devil Clan. Sob, this time I''m really hurt..."


    "Hehe. Is that so?" Ye Wuxin sneered. He sped up his movements in casting the seal. Immediately, a heart-rendering screech came from Yu Linglong.


    "Stop it, b*stard!" the Bloodied Mad Swordsman bellowed.


    Xiao Chen made a move, wanting to rush over Yu Linglong. Fengxi hastily stopped him. "Dumb kid! She''s a demonic woman from the Devil Clan! If you save her in front of so many people, do you think you''ll be able to roam around the Violet Manor after this? Do you want to get yourself imprisoned in the Immortals'' League?"


    Suddenly, a murderous Devil Qi sprang forth from the eastern horizon and flitted across the clouds. Everyone looked up and saw dark clouds churning nonstop above. Nearly all of them could feel danger. The Devil Qi was so strong that it was nearly tangible.


    "Is it inevitable in the end...?" Bai Susu muttered to herself solemnly.


    "What intense Devil Qi," the Elders of the Pavilion of Swords and the Pavilion of Thoughts said in unison.


    A mass of black fog swiftly flew over and transformed into two people. One of them was hidden under a black mantle and had black Qi swirling around. It was pitch-black under the hood of the mantle, making it impossible to see the person''s face. The other was an enchanting woman.


    The arrival of the two people caused the gathering of dark clouds above Canglan City. Under the vast sea of Devil Qi, nearly everyone was holding their breath.


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Such strong Devil Qi! These two were true members of the Devil Clan from the Devil World. The cloaked person... was that devil who came to the Three Pure Sect back then!


    "Uncle Feng, save me!" Yu Linglong yelled.


    Ye Wuxin chuckled. "To think that Lord Feng You would come to the Human World personally. Is it really you or is it just your doppelganger?"


    "Let her go," said an icy voice coming from under the mantle.


    "Hehe. The little princess is just too mischievous. I''m just giving her a scare." Ye Wuxin chuckled. While speaking, he secretly gathered all of his vital force.


    "Uncle Feng, don''t trust him! He tried to kill me earlier!" Yu Linglong was beginning to regain control over her body.


    Xiao Chen''s heart clenched. Just who exactly was the cloaked man? His name was Feng You?


    The enchanting woman next to the cloaked person said icily, "Ye Wuxin, you''re pretty brave, aren''t you? Do you know who the person you''re trying to make your furnace is?" The "furnace" that she was referring to was obviously not Yu Linglong but Xiao Chen.


    Ye Wuxin chuckled. "If I''m not brave, how will I find the courage to support my ambition? Lord Feng You, don''t you agree?" He turned to look at the cloaked man.


    "You''ll have to see if you have the strength to fit your tall ambition," the cloaked man said breezily. He gave his sleeve a gentle flick and countless black mist emerged, extending over to Ye Wuxin.


    Ye Wuxin had long prepared for this. He struck with a palm attack, with his palm force forming purple Qi that reached for the cloaked man. A deafening explosion resounded as two forces interweaved. Immediately, the entire world seemed to shudder.


    Countless Zuoqiu family''s disciples failed to dodge the wave of leftover force and were reduced into a bloody mist. Bai Susu, Fengxi, and the rest propped up a Barrier, protecting those behind them.


    The Bloodied Mad Swordsman was alarmed. Was this Ye Wuxin''s true strength? To think that he could block Feng You''s attack!

 Chapter 219 Devil Gods Power

    Even the distant cultivators could feel the two newcomers'' terrifying strength. Fearful of getting implicated, they once again ran far away.


    Ye Wuxin chuckled. "Lord Feng You is indeed strong enough to win the respect of those in the Six Realms, but what a pity, I''m determined to take this person with me!" he bellowed with a malicious glint in his eyes. He flicked his wide sleeves and lunged at Xiao Chen.


    Bai Susu, Fengxi, and the rest hastily stepped forward to stop him but were all sent flying under his pressure. Ye Wuxin''s cultivation had once again risen by another level. They were no match for him.


    "I don''t think you intend to use him as your furnace! You just want to replace him, don''t you?"


    The cloaked man flicked his sleeves with his icy demeanor and then turned into a black mist that arrived in front of Ye Wuxin in a flash. Raising his palm to stop the cloaked man''s attack, Ye Wuxin sneered. "Then let me ask you: what is your plan?"


    The power outbreak from the two was enough to topple mountains and overturn seas. Moments later, the entire Zuoqiu family estate was reduced to ruins. The old and frail, as well as women and children, had all fled the estate under their Elders'' arrangements.


    The Zuoqiu family had never imagined that they would incur such a deadly disaster. This time, the loss that they took was unbelievably heavy.


    The storm raged on. Various expressions crossed Bai Susu''s face before she finally said, "Now that he''s here, looks like there''s no other way about it."


    Xiao Chen turned his head and asked, "What is it?"


    With a deep frown, Bai Susu replied, "The twelve Spiritual Meridians inside you possess incredible power. I can temporarily undo the seal on one of them, but the price will be steep; are you willing to chance it?"


    Xiao Chen had an inkling of what she meant. On the surface, the cloaked man was helping him but he was, in fact, harboring the same intentions as Ye Wuxin. He had no need to fear if he was strong enough to fight them. He had enough of this, anyway. Thus, he said resolutely, "Okay!"


    Bai Susu shook her head. "Perhaps you don''t understand what price am I speaking of. But I''m so sorry. There''s no other way."


    Immediately, Xiao Chen felt a mysterious force circulating through his body. The twelve Spiritual Meridians inside him reacted to the invasion of external force like they had grown consciousness. They instantly became agitated and subsequently produced a force to counteract that external force.


    The two forces were colliding furiously inside him at this moment, neither willing to show weakness. He felt as if something was ripping his internal organs to pieces, and it was so painful that he finally screamed.


    Some distance away, Ye Wuxin was engaged in intense close combat with the cloaked man. Hearing the commotion from Xiao Chen''s side, he whipped his head around and yelled, "What are you doing?! No!" Ignoring the nemesis in front of him, he transformed a swift light and charged at Bai Susu.


    "Do you think you can stop her?"


    The cloaked man sneered. In a flash, he appeared in front of Ye Wuxin and blocked his path. Ye Wuxin pushed his palms simultaneously and two overwhelming forces sprang forth, putting pressure on the cloaked man. Everywhere the palm forces passed was crushed into pieces.


    With a subtle backward shift, the cloaked man reappeared seven or eight feet away. When he extended his five fingers, five mass of black mist appeared out of thin air in the sky and flew toward Ye Wuxin.


    Ye Wuxin was well aware that this man''s expertise lay in demonizing humans and turning them into his Devil Slaves. Not daring to let down his guard, he cast a spell in the sky. He turned into a swift radiance and reappeared more than ten feet away.


    "Have you gone mad?! Do you know what he''s doing?! If he awakens, no one of us can escape alive!"


    The cloaked man flashed him an icy smile. "Of course, I know." He sent several more mass of black mist flying at Ye Wuxin.


    The black mist swirled around Ye Wuxin, making it impossible for him to escape. He bit hard on his finger and shot a drop of blood at the nearby Corpse Puppet''s midbrows. Once the puppet absorbed Ye Wuxin''s blood, its size exploded several times over until it became a giant. It then lunged at Bai Susu.


    Seeing this, the enchanting woman in the sky abruptly transformed into a black mist and appeared in front of the Corpse Puppet in a flash. She struck the puppet with her palm, sending him staggering backward.


    "Roar¡ª"


    A bellow erupted from the Corpse Puppet. Ignoring the enchanting woman, it continued to lunge at Bai Susu. The enchanting woman scoffed and began casting a seal. Out of the blue, chains fashioned out of dark Qi emerged from the ground and firmly caught hold of the puppet.


    "Have you all gone mad?!" Ye Wuxin screamed.


    Over on Xiao Chen''s end, a bead of sweat was sliding down Bai Susu''s forehead. Evidently, she was consuming too much of her energy. Xiao Chen''s face was so contorted that he looked like a nightmare. His pained screeches were unending. One could see a faint red mark between his eyebrows.


    "Argh!"


    "Arghhhh!"


    "Argh!"


    Even though Fengxi and the rest didn''t know what had happened, they could tell that something was very off and retreated far away. If not for Yi Tong keeping a firm hold on Murong Xian''er, she would have long run over to Xiao Chen.


    "Argh¡ª¡ª!"


    When the last bellow came from Xiao Chen, an overwhelmingly potent force erupted from his body. In an instant, this force shrouded a radius of nearly a hundred miles. Even cultivators who had fled the city could feel this ancient power of Gods and Devils and all of them involuntarily collapsed by the roadside.


    "Hehe!"


    Right at this very moment, Xiao Chen had turned into a completely different person. His jet-black hair was now blood-red hair that reached his waist and there was a red mark between his eyebrows. His eyes had also turned blood-red. Both his appearance and expression were equally horrifying.


    Ye Wuxin turned as white as a piece of paper. He stammered, "Impossible. He''s been dead for several thousand years. He can''t revive!"


    In the distance, the Bloodied Mad Swordsman was shocked. "Is it really his reincarnation? He was exterminated in the name of the Heavenly Law and had his soul destroyed. How could he reincarnate¡­"


    "Hehe! Have you thought of how you''d like to die¡­?"


    Xiao Chen trod across the sky. Like an Evil God descending on earth, he walked toward Ye Wuxin step by step. It was as if the void would shatter with his every step.


    With a dramatically different expression, Ye Wuxin summoned his Corpse Puppet back to him. The puppet roared and threw a punch at Xiao Chen.


    "Destroy the body and soul of this dead creature!"


    Xiao Chen raised his hand and swung his palm downward. The vigorous blood-red Qi instantly wrapped itself around the Corpse Puppet. In the next moment, everyone watched as numerous cracks appeared on the body of the invincible puppet.


    "What?!"


    Ye Wuxin watched in disbelief as countless fragments fell to the ground. That was a Corpse Puppet that he personally refined over a hundred years. The puppet was imbued with over five hundred years of grudges. How could it be destroyed so easily? His heart ached immensely. He pointed to Xiao Chen and yelled, "Xiao Chen! Even if you used your life source to trade that person''s power, how long do you think you can keep this up?!"


    "Long enough to kill you!"


    Even though Xiao Chen''s current powers weren''t his, his mind was exceptionally sharp. He knew who and who not to kill. Ye Wuxin''s strength was too terrifying. If Xiao Chen doesn''t kill him today, he would surely bring calamity to Xiao Chen in the future.


    Ye Wuxin saw ice-cold murderous intent reflected in Xiao Chen''s blood-red eyes and knew he was in trouble. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a dumbstruck Yu Linglong standing a short distance away. He waved his hand and drew her over to him.


    "I''ll kill her if you take one more step forward!"


    The dumbstruck Yu Linglong finally recovered her senses enough to notice that she had fallen into someone''s hands. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t escape his clutches. She said in anger, "What''s the point of seizing me?! He called me someone from the Devil Clan, didn''t he? He won''t save me!" She kept staring at Murong Xian''er as she spoke, indicating that Ye Wuxin should target the latter instead.


    "Release her!" Xiao Chen said solemnly.


    Ye Wuxin sneered. "What''s wrong? Your heart still aches, doesn''t it? If you kill me, she''ll die too!"


    "What heartache? I don''t even know her! Go to hell!"


    While Ye Wuxin was talking, Xiao Chen secretly used psychokinesis with his other hand. Now that he no longer had any misgivings, he launched a palm attack. His palm force instantly formed a massive handprint in the air that lunged at Ye Wuxin.


    "Ah, are you going to kill me too, handsome Elder Brother?!"


    Yu Linglong shut her eyes, but what she felt next was a gentle force enveloping her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Xiao Chen''s embrace. Ye Wuxin was flung aside, all while coughing up blood.


    "Sob¡­ I thought you''re going to kill me."


    "You''re from the Devil Clan. We''re forever enemies. Scram!" Xiao Chen instantly tossed her aside and then launched another palm attack at Ye Wuxin.


    Ye Wuxin turned pale with fright. He never imagined Xiao Chen''s psychokinesis to be so strong as to be able to retrieve Yu Linglong from his hands while he made his palm attack. While still grappling with astonishment, he hastily cast a spell. He turned into a shadow and fled to the horizon.


    "Don''t even dream of escaping!"


    Xiao Chen trod across the sky, wanting to give chase. A panicked Bai Susu cried, "Don''t go!"


    Xiao Chen recovered his senses. Bai Susu was using her incantation spell on him. If he left her side, the power from his Spiritual Meridian would be instantly sealed again. What a pity that he couldn''t kill Ye Wuxin today.


    He looked up and stared in the other direction. He asked solemnly, "Who are you people?"


    The cloaked man and the enchanting woman had long fled far away. The man sneered and said, "It doesn''t matter who I am. What''s important is that you should know who you are..."


    "You''re courting death!"


    Xiao Chen bellowed and swatted him with his palm. A deafening collision resounded. Under the force of his palm power, countless cracks appeared on the ground. However, the cloaked man and the enchanting woman seemed to have vanished into thin air before reappearing somewhere else in the following second.

 Chapter 220 Aftermath

    "Did you use a doppelganger?"


    Xiao Chen made another palm attack as he spoke. Instantly, an overwhelming force blockaded the vicinity of the Zuoqiu family estate. Using an incantation, the enchanting woman appeared in front of the cloaked man in a flash. However, Xiao Chen''s palm force was so fierce that she failed to block it. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she was sent flying.


    "Go to hell if you won''t tell me your goal!"


    Bellowing, Xiao Chen made yet another palm attack. Out of the blue, he heard a screech coming from afar. He turned his head and saw a hole being ripped into Zuoqiu Qitian''s chest. It was a horrifying scene. Countless Zuoqiu family''s disciples had long gone pale.


    No one knew when the cloaked man went near Zuoqiu Qitian. In his hand was a bead dripping with blood. It was the Fallen Dust Bead that he obtained by ripping apart Zuoqiu Qitian, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator of the Violet Manor.


    Only then did Xiao Chen understand that the cloaked man next to the enchanting woman was just a doppelganger. She protected the doppelganger to keep his attention, allowing the cloaked man to take the chance to steal the Fallen Dust Bead. The man''s doppelganger technique was so impressive that not even Xiao Chen noticed it.


    "The Fallen Dust Bead is ours now. Let''s go before those from the Immortals'' League come here," the Bloodied Mad Swordsman said while staring at the Fallen Dust Bead in the cloaked man''s hand.


    The cloaked man appeared to be afraid of the words "Immortals'' League" and nodded. Making a claw motion, he summoned Yu Linglong. The group then turned into a mass of black mist and flew toward the horizon.


    "No! I want to roam the world with the handsome Elder Brother..."


    Seeing the group leave with the Fallen Dust Bead, Xiao Chen yelled, "Leave the Fallen Dust Bead behind!" He turned into a swift radiance and chased after them.


    The cloaked man turned his hand over, shooting black mist at him. Then, the group disappeared without a trace.


    Xiao Chen stood in midair, staring at the spot where the group vanished. His bones creaked loud and clear. He turned to look beneath him and saw nothing but destruction. There were countless casualties among the Zuoqiu family''s disciples. The grieving and howling reverberated without an end. Some of them were injured because of him, some because of the aftermath of the battle earlier.


    Moments later, a black figure appeared at the horizon and gradually closed in. In the end, the figure turned into an intimidating-looking old man in a cyan robe.


    "I''m Ling Ruoxu! Where''s Xiao Chen?!"


    His voice echoed throughout the Zuoqiu family estate for a long time. Zuoqiu Ping, Zuoqiu Que, and the rest turned pale. Ling Ruoxu had ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm after a round of meditation in exile. It was them who sent Ling Ruoxu a message, asking him to rush over to aid them. But what was he doing here right now?


    Xiao Chen glared at him. "You''re Ruoxu of the Ling family?"


    Ling Ruoxu narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself how strong Xiao Chen''s aura was. In a solemn voice, he replied, "Correct. Who might you be?"


    "I''m the Xiao Chen that you''re looking for!"


    Xiao Chen bellowed and swung his palm at him. His palm force instantly materialized into a gigantic bloodied handprint in the air and it lunged at Ling Ruoxu.


    "What?!"


    Ling Ruoxu turned pale with fright. He never imagined this young man to be his enemy, Xiao Chen. Earlier, the message he received said that Xiao Chen was at most a Core Forming Realm cultivator. How could he be so terrifying now?!


    The bloodied handprint crashed down on Ling Ruoxu with overbearing power, making it impossible for him to block it. A loud explosion resounded as the handprint created a large pit on the ground.


    Ling Ruoxu was beaten so badly that he was battered and bloodied all over. He kept coughing up blood and his face was so sheet-white. He was so frightened that his soul nearly left him.


    "Go to hell!"


    Xiao Chen''s palm attack fell. This time, his attack was far stronger than his previous one. His force arrived like a colossal wave, with the determination to destroy Ling Ruoxu''s body and soul.


    Ling Ruoxu screeched. He hastily cast a spell, prompting a wisp of cyan smoke to emerge from his midbrows, and fled toward the horizon. Following a deafening explosion, smoke and dust filled the air. The entire world seemed to be shaking.


    In the distance, everyone watched in utter shock and fear. To think that Xiao Chen would be able to hit a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator so hard that the latter would abandon his physical form and escape with his body!


    The smoke and dust on the ground gradually dissipated moments later, revealing a pale-faced Bai Susu who was struggling to gain a firm footing. Simultaneously, Xiao Chen felt a wave of weakness and fell to the ground.


    The great battle was finally over, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a tremendous change. The only difference was the typically illustrious Zuoqiu family estate had turned into a pile of rubble. Corpses could be found everywhere, and the aftermath of the battle was visible as far as the eye could see. It was truly a disastrous scene.


    Zuoqiu Ping, Zuoqiu Que, as well as numerous of their family''s disciples had rushed over by now to examine their Great Ancestor''s injuries.


    Zuoqiu Qitian was forced to open his Nascent Soul of the Violet Manor. Even though his soul was intact, his vital Qi was still badly harmed. It was likely he would have to wait about three to five years to fully recover.


    Several figures came into view. The ladies from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon who went to rescue Gui Xian earlier had returned. Naturally, their rescue mission was a success. Gui Xian, however, looked dispirited. Clearly, he had undergone great torture before.


    Xiao Chen hastily walked over to him and propped him up. "Senior, how are you doing?"


    Gui Xian looked up and saw that it was Xiao Chen. He also noticed None-flower Dust who was rushing over. He shook his head with a wry smile. "I''m already dead to begin with and yet I caused you all to¡­ Sigh!"


    "Even if it wasn''t for you, this battle was inevitable," Bai Susu said, glancing at the direction in which the cloaked man disappeared. It seemed that a deep grudge was brewing inside her.


    Gui Xian was still wearing a pained smile. Suddenly, he glimpsed the nearby Zuoqiu Ping and an unconcealable hatred flashed in his pupils. He slowly made his way over and sneered. "Remember me, Zuoqiu Ping?"


    Zuoqiu Ping looked up with a steely gaze. He asked solemnly, "Who are you?"


    "Hehe! You''re telling me you don''t remember me when you killed all thirteen members of my family back then?"


    Zuoqiu Ping''s expression changed drastically. "It''s you!"


    "Hehe! Justice is here at last. I didn''t think such a fate would befall the Zuoqiu family one day. This is karma!"


    Zuoqiu Ping gnashed his teeth in resentment. His plan this time was to steal Xiao Chen''s soul. Little did he expect that this incident to draw the attention of those from the Devil Clan. Putting aside the great damage that his family incurred, they even had their Fallen Dust Bead stolen. How could they bear the consequences of such a crime?


    The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became. He placed all blame on Xiao Chen.


    "Xiao Chen! I won''t just turn a blind eye to you killing so many of my family members today! I''ll definitely pursue this all the way to the Immortal''s League! You also played an irrefutable part in the stealing of the Fallen Dust Bead!"


    Xiao Chen chortled. "What a joke. How dare you put the blame on me when you failed in your duty. Oh well, do whatever you want. I don''t care if you want to pursue this all the way to Heaven King¡­"


    He still had more to say, but Fengxi hastily walked over and stopped him. "That''s enough talking. Let''s go."


    Judging from Fengxi''s expression and tone, he seemed to be pretty afraid of the Immortals'' League. Xiao Chen stopped talking and followed them outside. Bai Susu said, "Young Master Xiao, I''m taking my leave. Take care of yourself. In the future, if you¡­"


    She seemed like she had more to say, but ultimately shook her head and sighed. She didn''t finish her sentence.


    It was all thanks to her that Xiao Chen survived. He immediately saluted her and said, "Thank you for your help today, Sister Bai. I¡­" Before he could finish, he saw Bai Susu turn into a yellow talisman that soon burned into ashes.


    "What?!" Everyone who saw this was shocked. Xiao Chen was no exception.


    Yi Tong shook his head with a wry smile. "So it''s Sister Bai''s puppet doppelganger. She has been controlling it with telekinesis."


    "Puppet doppelganger¡­"


    Xiao Chen was still astonished. If her puppet doppelganger was this strong, just how high was the real Bai Susu''s cultivation?


    "Well, Brother Xiao, I''m leaving too. Take care," Yi Tong said. He turned to None-flower Dust. "Brother None-flower, thank you for coming to our aid today. I''ll treat you wine next time."


    None-flower Dust shrugged. "I don''t think I helped out much." He then shot Gui Xian a glance. "Old man, let''s take our leave too. Don''t die anymore this time."


    "See you again!"


    They saluted and bade each other farewell before leaving. Xiao Chen looked at the twelve ladies behind him and said, "Aren''t you leaving with them?"


    The twelve ladies replied in unison, "We''ll listen to your orders, Master! We''re willing to serve you!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. This was truly strange and inexplicable, but upon second thought, this wasn''t such a bad deal. Even though these ladies were only in the Core Forming Realm, they could deal with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator when they work together. He would make even more enemies in the future, so it would be comforting to have them around.


    Fengxi stared at the direction in which None-flower Dust and the others left and sighed. "It''s nice to be young. You can throw tantrums if you want to and you can just leave after you do. There are no misgivings to be had. Sigh¡­" He turned to look at Xiao Chen and said, "Kid, you¡¯re in deep trouble this time. Return to the Xianyong Sect with me. You should stay put for the time being."

 Chapter 221 Immortalss League

    Xiao Chen agreed with the idea. There was so much unrest lately that it wasn''t smart to roam around. Moreover, since he had a lot of questions for Fengxi, it was nice to take shelter at the Xianyong Sect. He looked at Xiaoyue and said, "Fairy Xiaoyue, why are you here in the Middle Continent?"


    Xiaoyue showed no emotion turbulence on her face as she said flatly, "I''ll come for you in a few days." With that said, she turned into a sword radiance and tore through the sky.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. This woman was deeply mysterious. She must have some grand purpose in coming to the Middle Continent. Moreover, her powers today had exceeded the norm. She seemed to have seen this battle coming.


    Moments later, Fengxi, the two Elders, the twenty to thirty Xianyong Sect disciples, and the rest climbed onto a flying cloud and journeyed back to their sect.


    Meanwhile, two people were slowly walking down a road in another place. They were none other than the cloaked man and the enchanting woman.


    "My assumption was correct. That man left his last trick with Bai Susu. He had truly betrayed our clan. To think that he left three magic powers with her; did he do that to subdue me in the future?"


    "What should we do now?"


    "No need to be hasty. Xiao Chen''s heart has been tainted with darkness a long time ago. From here on, we just have to wait for the opium poppy''s seeds to scatter all over the Human World!"


    The enchanting woman frowned. "But Yu Linglong seems to have fallen for that kid. She has gone through several cycles of reincarnation. Could it be¡­ Lord Feng You, should we send her back to the Sacred World? Just in case she ruins our plans."


    The cloaked man chuckled. "That won''t be necessary. It might be better for us to have her around. She might just be the only person who can complete this mission. As for Ye Wuxin¡­ It''s just a puppet. He won''t be able to cause much damage."


    ¡­


    Three whole days had passed since the great battle in Canglan City. This time, Xiao Chen''s solo invasion of the Zuoqiu family estate had once again increased his fame. There were even rumors that he had something to do with the upcoming Annihilation Times.


    Quite a number of high-ranking members of esteemed clans took notice that this mysterious rising rookie seemed to be targeting families like theirs. His first victim was the Ling family and the second was the Zuoqiu family. Thus, they instructed their disciples not to provoke Xiao Chen for no good reason.


    The reemergence of the Devil Clan also caused tremendous unrest in the Violet Manor, prompting the appearance of many cultivators who had gone into long-term seclusion as well as cultivator clans. This also drew the utmost attention of an entity in the central region of the Middle Continent called the Immortals'' League.


    Currently, Xiao Chen had his back against a wicker chair and sunbathed comfortably inside a small courtyard in the Xianyong Sect. Even though winter was nearing, spiritual Qi was abundant atop the mountain and the variety of exotic flowers and plants in the courtyard perfumed the air.


    Like a lively little fairy, Murong Xian''er was catching butterflies in the courtyard. She acted as if she had forgotten the great battle three days ago.


    Xiao Chen never expected that he would experience so many life-and-death scenarios in such a short period of time. In particular, he didn''t think he would meet so many experts in the past few days or that he would be able to bask in the sun so cozily here. It didn''t feel quite real to him, to the extent that it almost felt like a dream.


    What he least expected was learning that Xian''er was a Formation Spirit. This brought him both joy and worry. He was happy that Xian''er had surpassed the Six Paths of Reincarnation and had no need to suffer the pain of reincarnation.


    What worried him was that a Formation Spirit would be forcefully returned to the formation after they depleted their spirit energy. They would forget everything that they had once experienced. Moreover, their spirit energy could never be restored and would only weaken as time passed until it completely ran out.


    "Sigh¡­" Xian''er would surely leave him one day. He heaved a deep sigh when he thought of this.


    Hearing noise coming from him, Murong Xian''er ran over with a wide smile. Cupped in her hands was a small, multi-colored butterfly. "Brother Xiao Chen, why are you sighing?"


    "It''s nothing. Have you gotten used to this place after staying here for a few days? Today I''ll take you down the mountain to play. How about it?" Xiao Chen caressed her face with a smile. Perhaps she had no idea that she was a Formation Spirit even now.


    "Sounds good!"


    Mid-conversation, one of the ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting under the Moon entered the courtyard and saluted him. "Master, someone requested to meet you."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Let him come in¡­" Before he could get the words out of his mouth, he saw an exasperated Fengxi barging in.


    "You damned kid! This is my place! Does it make sense that I have to report myself when I want to see you?!"


    The lady moved to stop him. "Don''t disrespect my Master!"


    With a wry smile, Xiao Chen stood up and extended his hands. "You can''t pin the blame on me." He turned to the lady and said, "That''s enough. You may leave now."


    He knew Fengxi must have serious business to discuss with them, so he turned to Murong Xian''er and said, "Xian''er, you should also play outside."


    "Sure!" Murong Xian''er was very obedient. She shot Fengxi a glare. "Hmph! Grandpa, you mustn''t bully my Brother Xiao Chen!"


    Fengxi was speechless, not knowing what he should feel. He took a seat and asked, "Do you know why I came today?"


    "Is it for the other half of the ancient scroll?"


    He believed that everyone thought that since the Xianyong Sect obtained their half of the scroll from the Immortal King''s bones, the other half rests with the other Immortal King.


    That wasn''t the case. No one knew exactly how many thousand years it had been since the two Immortal Kings fought over the ancient scroll. Moreover, the other Immortal King might not necessarily have died then. It was likely that the Immortal King handed his or her half of the scroll to someone else. Moreover, those people would have heard that the Xianyong Sect had obtained one half of the scroll. They would surely try and steal it by all means.


    Fengxi shook his head. "Put that aside for the moment. Kid, what will you do about the trouble you''ve gotten into? The Immortals'' League is about to send someone to arrest you."


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and said icily, "Let them come! Do you think I''ll be afraid of them?"


    After three days, he had gained a basic understanding of the Immortals'' League. The league was established more than six thousand years ago and its sole purpose was to constrain the cultivators of the Violet Manor. Whenever serious bloodshed occurs, they would interfere and bring those involved to trial.


    Moreover, the league also lay down a number of rules and regulations. These placed intangible restrictions on the cultivators of the Violet Manor, making it so that even cultivators with high cultivations would think twice before recklessly wreaking havoc and killing people. Those who broke the rules would be imprisoned in the Immortals'' Prison. Those who committed graver sins would have their Nascent Soul destroyed and imprisoned until they die.


    Many years ago, a cultivator who was one step away from entering the Grand Completion Realm went around killing people and plundering treasures. Once the Immortals'' League got wind of this, they dispatched their men to arrest him. The man resisted arrest and ended up having his soul destroyed by a Rogue Immortal that the league sent.


    Fengxi''s brows furrowed. "Can you choose your words more wisely? The league has Rogue Immortals on their side! Rogue Immortals! One Rogue Immortal is capable of killing ten Grand Completion Realm cultivators!"


    Naturally, Xiao Chen understood just how strong an independent Immortal was. Once a person reached the Grand Completion Realm, he would be able to endure heavenly punishment and gain mystical powers. Those who succeeded in this process was called True Immortals and would fly to the Heaven Realm, never to interfere with human affairs again. Those who failed in this process was called Rogue Immortals and would stay in the Human World. Of course, a third possibility existed: having one''s soul and body destroyed during the punishment. Thus, Rogue Immortals were nearly invincible in the Human World.


    "So what? The Immortals'' League will only protect the interests of the influential clans and sects. If the Zuoqiu family kills me one day, do you think they''ll care?"


    The more Xiao Chen talked, the angrier he became. Influential clans and sects often covered for each other. The Immortals'' Laws of the Immortals'' League were established to protect them. If they got into trouble, they could get out of it with just their connections. If ordinary cultivators without backing or protectors provoked them, they would be pinned with a severe sin and be locked up in prison.


    Fengxi heaved a long sigh. "You shouldn''t say that. Forget about the Ling family. The Zuoqiu family is the Guardian of the Fallen Dust Bead. Not only did you kill so many of their people, but this incident even caused the bead to be stolen¡­"


    "F*ck! What does the Fallen Dust Bead getting stolen have anything to do with me? Stop pinning all the blame on me, alright? If they force my hand, I''ll get help from the Devil Clan. It''s as what the Bloodied Mad Swordsman says. I''d rather be a king in hell than a slave¡­"


    "Don''t babble nonsense, you stinky brat!"


    Fengxi stood up to slap Xiao Chen on the back of his head. Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-override Steps to run nearly ten feet away. He said, "What I mean is that it''s not up to them to decide my crime! You know very well that I''m not from your era!"


    When he talked, he considered himself the Mystic Cyan Sect disciple from thousands of years ago. Even if he were to be tried, that should be done by the Mystic Cyan Sect and not some Immortals'' League!

 Chapter 222 The Annihilation Times

    Fengxi stared dazedly at Xiao Chen for a long time before finally shaking his head and sighing. "Forget it. We can talk about it when old Qing Chen comes back. The Annihilation Times are upon us. His own seal should be opened as well."


    "Is Perfected Immortal Qing Chen coming?"


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling flabbergasted. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had warned him not to cause an accident in the Middle Continent before he left. But he seemed to have truly gotten into serious trouble this time. He asked again, "What''s the Annihilation Times? What is his own seal? Is Perfected Immortal Qing Chen a Nirvana Realm cultivator as well?"


    Fengxi sank into a contemplative mood with a myriad of expressions crossing his face. After a long time, he finally replied, "It''s hard for me to explain the seal of his own, but the Annihilation Times are indeed upon us. This time, there''s no room for escape."


    The more ambiguous his replies were, the more anxious Xiao Chen became. He had the feeling that everything that was happening had something to do with him. "What''s the Annihilation Times? Give me a straight answer. Is it because of the Devil Clan''s invasion of the Human World?"


    Fengxi shook his head. "The Devil Clan''s invasion of the Human World isn''t a big enough event to be considered as the Annihilation Times." Speaking of this, he looked at Xiao Chen and continued, "Kid, do you know what the Natural Law is?"


    Natural Law? It was often said that the Natural Law was uncertain and boundless; it was something that couldn''t and shouldn''t be made sense of. This had always been an abstract concept to him. Moments of silence later, Xiao Chen asked, "Does the Natural Law truly exist in this world? Is it more than just a lofty and baseless idea preached by the people?"


    Fengxi nodded. "The Natural Law is the supreme existence in this world. It watches over every movement in the world. You can also call it a form of code. No one can decipher this code, not even the legendary Supreme Realm cultivators."


    Supreme Realm!


    Xiao Chen''s heart jolted in surprise. That was a taboo word. Regardless of how one chose to cultivate, be it through becoming a Great Golden Immortal or a Peerless Devil King, the ultimate purpose of one was to enter the Supreme Realm and attain true immortality to become equal to heaven!


    However, the truth was that the Supreme Realm only existed in the imagination of the people. Since the splitting of heaven and earth, not a single one had ever achieved the realm.


    The two of them fell into a long silence before Fengxi said, "There''s someone who once attained the Supreme Realm."


    "What?!" Xiao Chen had never been more shocked in his life. If that person had attained the Supreme Realm, wouldn''t that mean that he or she would be capable of contending against the Natural Law?


    "The first Devil God of the Archean Eon. He abandoned his family name, and the ancient texts show that people have only ever known his title. He was called the Heaven Exterminator!"


    "Heaven Exterminator!" Xiao Chen''s heart sank. Just the name alone was enough to tell him that this person was surely the one who had led all living things into fighting the Natural Law.


    Fengxi nodded and added, "But he failed. It was his attempt that brought about the first Annihilation Times. The so-called Annihilation Times refer to the fury of the Natural Law, resulting in the downfall of all gods and the ruination of all living things. Everything returns to naught. Life will restart only ten thousand years later."


    Shock hit Xiao Chen hard. The Natural Law was as terrifying as it was ruthless. Could this world be one big wheel of reincarnation? No one could surpass the Natural Law, and any attempt to do so would result in the arrival of the Annihilation Times.


    "Cultivation itself is a form of defiance of the natural order. It was also Heaven Exterminator''s attempt that made the Natural Law feel the genuine threat as well as the true terror of living beings. Since then, it didn''t allow any existence that could threaten it. So whenever the power of the living reached a saturation point, it would inevitably begin the Annihilation Times and plunge the living into the cycle of reincarnation. Be it Immortals, Devils, or Gods, all of them would be annihilated without exception."


    Xiao Chen''s expression was still colored with shock. He muttered, "Then what''s the point of cultivating? No one can decipher the code of the Natural Law and fight it. If annihilation is the only thing that awaits at the end, what''s the point of cultivating even if we become Immortal Kings or God Kings? If this is the case, then the Natural Law is a true nightmare."


    Fengxi shook his head. "No. The truth is that the Natural Law fears the living and what we can do. The reason lies in that his vital Qi was badly harmed in his great battle against the Heaven Exterminator. He''s unable to fight a person of Heaven Exterminator''s caliber anymore. So he fears that someone similar to Heaven Exterminator will show up in this world again."


    "Is that why he''s annihilating all living things again and again? Is that the so-called code of the Natural Law? Is that the Natural Law that all living things look up to?" Xiao Chen sneered.


    Fengxi didn''t comment. After a long period of silence, he said, "We have the Heavenly Emperor reigning in the Heaven Realm above us and the Earthly Monarch ruling the Human Realm below. Who among them doesn''t behave the same? If an existence which is about to surpass their power shows up, they will view it as the greatest threat to their life. Do you think they''ll turn a blind eye to it?"


    Xiao Chen was still sneering. To him, this couldn''t be the true Natural Law. The real thing ought to love the common people as they loved their children, not annihilating all living things once and again. The idea of going against the Natural Law seemed so unbelievable that it was borderline ridiculous. Even the first devil God that led all living things to fight the Natural Law seemed ludicrous. Moments later, he asked, "How do you know that the Annihilation Times are coming?"


    "The Annihilation Times should have arrived 7,000 years ago. But for some unknown reason, all the Immortals and Devils died or disappeared without a trace. Thus, it was not activated then."


    Xiao Chen was astonished. 7,000 years ago ought to be his original time. What happened back then remained a mystery to him. Why was the Mystic Cyan Sect destroyed? Why did the so-called undying Immortals and Devils die? Why did he reawaken thousands of years later? It was all a mystery to him, a puzzle within a puzzle!


    Fengxi contemplated for a long time before saying, "The Annihilation Times has three stages. The first stage is that a great number of young experts will make an abrupt rise. Cultivators will see an increase in their cultivation speed. Hermit cultivators will show themselves, and there will be never-ending wars all around. In the first stage, even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators are no more than cannon fodder."


    "In the second stage, ancient cultivation sects and clans will reveal themselves and vie for supremacy. Immortal Kings in the heaven''s realm will go to war, resulting in the upheaval of the Six Realms. In this stage, even Grand Completion Realm cultivators are no more than cannon fodder."


    He continued, "The third stage marks the downfall of every god in this world. Legend has it that there were cultivators, who were outside the battlefield of the previous Annihilation Times, made their return. The world has perished, and the Six Realms have collapsed. Thus, the third stage is also called the Age of Dharma Decline."


    It was rare for Xiao Chen to see Fengxi look so earnest, so he didn''t interrupt. Moments later, he finally asked, "Is it that bad?" "You only found about this so-called The Annihilation Times from the ancient texts. It could be very well made-up by some bored Taoist. Don''t you think you''re all overreacting about this?"


    A solemn-faced Fengxi shook his head. "Not at all. Look, the entire Violet Manor is in chaos from the moment you show up. Isn''t that the clearest signal that the Annihilation Times are upon us?"


    "F*ck! How can you blame that on me? Why don''t you just go ahead and say I''m the cause of the Annihilation Times?"


    "Hehe! That''s not impossible!"


    "..."


    Fengxi coughed twice. "Enough. Let''s get back to business. The final stage of the Annihilation Times 7,000 years ago should have begun with the collapse of the Six Realms. However, only the Demon Realm collapsed while the remaining five were left intact. I think there''s a lot more to it. Perhaps it has something to do with the ancient scroll. If my assumption is correct, there is a space in the scroll which records the whole truth of the incident."


    Xiao Chen contemplated this for a moment. The Six Realms didn''t collapse when they should. Did a Deity appear at the end and save all living creatures from the crisis? Looking helpless, he spread out his hands and said, "I can guess that too, but what can I do with it? I couldn''t find any Immortal King''s Bones or scrolls even after roaming the Changyin Mountain Range."


    To be frank, the Annihilation Times or even the end of the world all seemed too distant for him. His only purpose now was to find his Master, Ling Yin. The world would end, but so what? He only wanted to see his master again. If he could, he would have nothing to regret even if he died.


    "Forget it and let''s talk about something else. Kid, how are you going to handle the recent affairs? Immortals'' League isn''t as simple as you think."


    Just as Xiao Chen was about to sink into a sorrowful mood, Fengxi abruptly interrupted his train of thoughts. He gave a little shrug with his hands outstretched and put on the look of a fearless hoodlum. "Those people are already dead; am I supposed to revive them one by one? Besides, Zuoqiu family provoked me first. If they start a fire, am I not allowed to extinguish it?"


    Fengxi shook his head, sighing. "Youngsters are always fearless. Have you never considered the consequences before acting?"


    Xiao Chen didn''t answer. Thinking about it now, the Immortals'' League seemed like they wouldn''t be easy to deal with. Putting aside the fact that they had Rogue Immortals backing them up, he would have a hard time fighting their other experts. Even though he could ask Bai Susu and the rest for help, it wasn''t a good idea to trouble them every time.


    Must he flee for fear of punishment? If he somehow ran into an acquaintance from thousands of years ago as a wanted criminal, wouldn''t that be very embarrassing? Thus, he asked, "Is the Immortals'' League truly omnipotent? Do they poke their nose into everything?"


    "Not entirely. There are at least three places where they have no control over. The first is the Spirit Silence Room. They would never interfere with the affairs of the Spirit Silence Room. The second is the Administration of Heaven, where they''re powerless to interfere. The third... Well, the third... It''s an area where they can''t control even though they want to."


    Xiao Chen''s heart tightened. Bai Susu and the others seemed to be under the purview of the Spirit Silence Room. The Administration of Heaven was a mysterious organization that dealt with souls. What about the third? He asked, "What''s the third place?"


    Fengxi coughed twice. "Don''t ask. Either way, just think long and hard about how you''ll handle this. Immortals'' League will likely come here to catch you in a few days. Since we''re acquaintances, I advise you not to think of running away."


    "Who said I would run away? If worse comes to worst, I''ll just overturn the Immortals'' League instead!" Xiao Chen retorted in anger. Just as he was talking, one of the ladies from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon entered the room.


    "Master, you have a guest."

 Chapter 223 Bodhicitta

    Xiao Chen''s forehead furrowed in agitation. He waved a hand and said, "I don''t want to see anyone!"


    Looking uncomfortable, the lady said, "I recommend that you meet your guest, Master."


    "Oh?" Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow. "Tell him to come in then..." His voice hadn''t faded when an airy voice drifted to his ears. "I''m everywhere and anywhere. There''s no need to call for me for I''m here."


    Before the voice faded, a woman clad in cyan appeared inside the courtyard. Her peerless face wore no emotion. Like a fairy of the Jade Platform, she stood in the slight breeze with her dress swaying in the wind.


    "Oh my! I didn''t know Master Xiaoyue is here. Forgive us if we''re not courteous enough." Fengxi went over to welcome her with smiles.


    As the heir of the Ancient Immortal Clan in the Thousand Feathers Sect, Xiaoyue would surely follow the many rules of etiquette to show respect before visiting a sect. While her sudden arrival this time was mannerless because she dropped by without notice. Fengxi, in fact, was commenting on her lack of manners.


    Xiaoyue said lightly, "Don''t stand on courtesy, Perfected Immortal Fengxi. We both belong to cultivators'' sect. There''s no need to follow the etiquette of the secular world when it is unnecessary."


    Fengxi slapped on a fake smile. "You''re right, Master Xiaoyue." He couldn''t afford to slight the heir of the Ancient Immortal Clan.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. This woman''s cultivation had improved again. He couldn''t even trace her in his Divine Sense now. She must have done it on purpose. Xiao Chen smiled and said, "What business do you have with me, Fairy Xiaoyue?"


    Fengxi coughed once. "I''ll excuse myself and leave you two to chat."


    Xiaoyue walked up to Xiao Chen and said, "I''ll be blunt. I came here to cooperate with you, Brother Xiao."


    "Aha!" Xiao Chen made a lazy stretch. He never expected such words to come out of her mouth. Smiling, he replied, "Forget about cooperation. But it''s so scenic here that I don''t mind accompanying you for a tour."


    His blunt refusal didn''t annoy Xiaoyue. She said emotionlessly, "I don''t suppose you know that Zuoqiu Yang is the Divine Mist Sect Leader''s Pro-disciple. Even though the Divine Mist Sect is located at the western border of the Middle Continent, no one knows just how strong they are. You have as good as offended the entire Divine Mist Sect. Right now, the He family and many young experts from other clans are also looking to trouble you."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. "Let them be. Ling Yuxuan, Ling Yingfeng, Zuoqiu Ze, Zuoqiu Yang, and the others are their best examples." He deliberately emphasized his words as a dangerous glint flashed in his pupils.


    "These people can''t be compared to the Ling or Zuoqiu family. Powerful as you may be, the power of one is still limited, Brother Xiao."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "You''re right. There''s a limit to one''s power. Still, I''m used to being by myself. There''s nothing I can do about it."


    Xiaoyue stared at a puff of cloud floating on the horizon. She surely had her objective in putting so much effort into roping Xiao Chen in. Never mind his strength, the fact that he had allies in the Spirit Silence Room was enough to make her fear him. That wasn''t even the most crucial thing. More importantly, she must convince Xiao Chen to join her side before someone else succeeded.


    "The Zuoqiu family has reported your name to the Immortals'' League. I expect the league to send their men for you in a few days. If the Thousand Feathers Sect steps in, perhaps we can assure your safety."


    Xiao Chen''s heart tightened. That was his greatest worry at the moment. He wouldn''t blink at the mention of the Divine Mist Sect, but the problem was the troublesome Immortals'' League. He couldn''t very well go on the run with Xian''er.


    Considering this, he stared at Murong Xian''er who was catching butterflies in the distance. He waved his left hand, casting a soundproof barrier, and said placidly, "Tell me what you have in mind."


    "You are frank enough, then allow me to be frank as well. Bloodied Fiend Sect. I want to defeat the Bloodied Fiend Sect. For thousands of years, there has been an everlasting enmity between the Thousand Feathers Sect and Bloodied Fiend Sect."


    Xiao Chen sneered. "Did I hear that right? Never mind the Bloodied Fiend Sect, that Bloodied Mad Swordsman alone is a Nirvana Realm cultivator. Do you want me to dig my grave next to yours?"


    Xiaoyue shook her head. "The Annihilation Times are upon us. That means our cultivation will improve by leaps and bounds. You know better than anyone that if we work together, we might not be helpless against the Bloodied Mad Swordsman."


    Xiao Chen spread his hands. "Even if that''s true, why would I risk my life for you? What benefit does this bring me? Immortals'' League isn''t big enough of a bargaining chip."


    "Corpse Refinery Sect. I''m sure you understand where you stand with the Corpse Refinery Sect. I can work with you to defeat them."


    Xiao Chen''s heart tightened. Corpse Refinery Sect was indeed a far bigger problem than the Immortals'' League. Ye Wuxin wouldn''t just let him off after he destroyed his Corpse Puppet. He would even say that he would never enjoy peace as long as Corpse Refinery Sect exists. Sooner or later, a great battle with the Corpse Refinery Sect was bound to happen.


    Even so, he felt that Xiaoyue was hiding too many secrets. It wasn''t just her Thousand Feathers Sect which hid countless secrets, but herself as well.


    It was unlikely that her desperation to eliminate the Bloodied Fiend Sect and the Bloodied Mad Swordsman was simply to end the enmity spanning thousands of years between the two sects. Her purpose in coming to the Middle Continent as well as her desperation to team up with Xiao Chen was also unlikely to just eliminate the Bloodied Fiend Sect with Xiao Chen''s help.


    In a nutshell, this woman hid too many secrets. Even if they were to work together, they would just end up sabotaging each other. He must find out what this woman was trying to do.


    "Be it the Immortals'' League or the Corpse Refinery Sect, I''ll deal with them myself. Thank you for your offer. Like I said earlier, it''s scenic atop Mount Xianyong. I can keep you company for a tour."


    Xiaoyue was silent for a long time. She finally said, "Xiao Chen, I don''t understand why you bear such great grudge against me. Yes, there are things that I can''t tell you. But we''re not enemies, not in the past, present, nor future. You subconsciously treat me like your enemy since the first time we met at the Widespread Wintriness Sect. I have no idea how I managed to offend you."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "You misunderstood me, Fairy. I don''t see you as my enemy. Neither am I interested in your affairs. That''s all I have to say. Please do as you please."


    Xiaoyue took a deep breath. "What''s wrong? Does your impatience in seeing me off mean that I hit it right on the mark? That''s fine too. Xiao Chen, we''re not enemies. Perhaps in the future, we..."


    She trailed off. She made a slight movement with her feet amid the wind and then floated away, leaving behind a faint fragrance that permeated the small courtyard.


    "If you change your mind, please meet me at the Elegant Fragrance Pavilion late afternoon tomorrow."


    Xiao Chen took down the soundproof barrier and sat back down on the rattan chair. Staring at the sea of clouds that shrouded the horizon, he fell into contemplation for a long while. He wasn''t thinking about how to deal with Immortals'' League or the Corpse Refinery Sect, but about Xiaoyue.


    When he left the East Continent, she was in the late-stage of the Core Forming Realm. Several days ago in Canglan City, she was likely in the peak of the Core Forming Realm. Today, however, she had attained the expectant Nascent Soul Realm!


    This meant that she was advancing at a far higher speed than he was. Xiao Chen understood why, as well as why his own cultivation was stagnating. It was because of Bodhicitta.


    She was Qianyu Nishang''s heir. Back then, Qianyu Nishang joined the Tianxuan School, one of the seven schools of the Mystic Cyan Sect. Each school preached different mind cultivation methods. Tianxuan School''s "the highest form of good is that of water" line of thought was fitting for mind cultivation methods. It was also suitable for women.


    That wasn''t to say that his Yaoguang School''s mind cultivation methods were inferior to Tianxuan''s mind cultivation method. He was simply losing his Bodhicitta with time. He was no longer the Mystic Cyan Sect disciple that was at peace with himself back then.


    He heaved a deep sigh while thinking about this. Thousands of thoughts ran across his mind. He recalled Xiaoyue''s words earlier. Was she wrong? Wasn''t it him who was prejudiced against her all along?


    Was it just because she was the heir of the Thousand Feathers Sect? Or, was it just because she carried the shadow of Qianyu Nishang? Perhaps, his hatred for Qianyu Nishang was too deep.


    Did his deep hatred for her meant that he couldn''t forget about her? Didn''t it mean that he couldn''t forget about that his once innocent and adorable Junior Sister or her betrayal? Wasn''t this a form of obsession as well? Xiao Chen''s cultivation journey had always been a pursuit of power, and yet he wasn''t even a match for Xiaoyue''s cultivation speed now. He seemed to have forgotten the Bodhicitta that his Master once mentioned.


    Thousands of years had passed him by. Whether it was love or hatred, why not put an end to it now? If he allowed himself to keep this obsession, he would end up harboring an Inner Demon.


    Inner Demon!


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help breaking out in a cold sweat upon thinking of this. Hadn''t an Inner Demon already infect him? If not for an Inner Demon, his cultivation wouldn''t stagnate from time to time.


    It was because of the Inner Demon that he could so easily claim lives at the Zuoqiu family estate and even entertain the thought of having the Dragon''s Wrath to exterminate the entire Zuoqiu family, not even letting off the elderly, frail, women, and children. If he hadn''t recalled his Master''s instructions in the end, the Dragon''s Wrath would have claimed more than a thousand lives.


    Thinking about this caused cold sweat to soak his back. Since when did he become so terrifying? Had he really forgot the Bodhicitta that his Master told him?


    "Chen''er, always remember that a cultivator''s journey is never smooth. The countless karma you will incur will bring about numerous Inner Demons in you. If you can''t shatter these restrictions by yourself, not only will your cultivation stagnate, but you''ll obsess over your failure and enter the Devil''s Practice..."


    "Saints can forsake their wisdom and eliminate their three desires to become one with heaven and earth. If you fall into a trap of your own making and have trouble advancing your cultivation, you can try reflecting on matters with your heart. Discard all emotions and see yourself from an outsider''s point of view. This is what you consider as having an enlightened Bodhicitta."


    Xiao Chen kept recalling his Master''s advice from before. With her profound cultivation, she could easily eliminate smaller Inner Demons. He, on the other hand, couldn''t. Neither could he be like Xiaoyue, putting good before all else and cultivate.


    That meant his only choice was to follow his Master''s suggestion: reflecting on matters with his heart. If he allowed his cultivation to stagnate every so often, the talented Xiaoyue would soon surpass him.


    Wouldn''t it ridiculous if Qianyu Nishang''s heir thousands of years later used the Mystic Cyan Sect''s mind cultivation method to surpass the sect''s actual disciple?

 Chapter 224 Unity of Nature and Human

    Xiao Chen slowly calmed down. He leaned against the rattan chair with his eyes closed and slowly adjusted his breathing. He tried his best to sense the movement of the wind in the air, paying attention to the faint rustling of the wind as it crossed his ear.


    Like the flowing of a stream from the top of the mountain, he allowed the True Qi inside him to circulate as they pleased. He put the cultivation methods that he learned out of his mind and forgot who he was. He imagined himself as a leaf that floated along with the flow of the water. His imagination was so vivid that he could even see carps swimming in the river.


    He imagined himself as the breeze in the mountains, where he could see a camellia growing by the cliff dancing in the wind.


    Gradually, he entered an unprecedented mysterious state in which he seemed to have become one with nature¡ªheaven and earth themselves. He no longer existed in this world, and yet he was everywhere and anywhere in this world. He could be a pine tree towering over a cliff; he could also be a butterfly perching on a camellia¡­


    It was as if he was the world itself, and the world was within him. It was as if the twelve Earth Spiritual Meridians were the twelve Spiritual Meridians that he had cultivated.


    Could this be the "being one with heaven and earth, heaven and earth being one with me" state that his Master told him about? He had never experienced such a strange and wonderful sensation even when he truly attained the Nascent Soul Realm thousands of years ago.


    He tried his utmost to maintain this state of mind. His world was no longer confined to the Xianyong Sect alone. To unite his Divine Sense with nature, his mind slowly made its return to the East Continent, where the Jade Qing Sect was. He saw Li Muxue playing the zither under a tree and Moxuan Zi perusing a scroll inside a pavilion.


    Then he was back at the Teal Jade Sect. After the Skygale Sect ruined the sect, a group of mountain bandits had occupied the space for themselves. He could see the bandits relishing in their meat and wine in the former main hall of the sect. Seeing this nearly shocked him out of this mysterious state.


    Next, he went to the imperial palace of Zhou State, where he saw Princess Xianyue releasing a pigeon into the air. Twenty miles away, someone intercepted the pigeon.


    He then made his way to the Heartless Palace in the Falling Flowers Valley. When he saw Huangfu Xin''er sitting cross-legged in a secluded area, he was surprised to see that she seemed to have become a different person entirely. Her gaze was cold and stern, her lips were as red as blood, and her nails were long and sharp. She looked like she was using a nefarious cultivation method.


    "Who is it?!" Huangfu Xin''er abruptly turned her head, glaring daggers in his direction.


    Xiao Chen''s heart leaped in fright. Was she able to detect his probing? He hastily exited the place. This encounter nearly expelled him from the mysterious state.


    His last stop was the wild mountains tucked away thousands of miles away from Wu Province that no one knew of. It was where the ruins of the Mystic Cyan Sect were located. This time, he kept a tight leash on his emotions. Otherwise, he would instantly be kicked out of the sensation of Unity of Nature and Human.


    He made a round around the Mystic Cyan Mountain. The seven peaks of the mountain stood tall in the past, but the bottom of the mountain seemed to have sunk a fair bit, causing the peaks to mesh into one another.


    However, he had a nagging feeling that something was off. He could even detect a strange fluctuation of aura in this place. It seemed to have originated from the depths of the buried cliff.


    He slowly incorporated the entire mountain with his Divine Sense. He didn''t know how long he spent reaching far beneath the mountain, but in the darkness, he noticed a tall, gigantic silhouette of a Devil. The Devil was eight feet tall, with messy hair that cascaded down his shoulders and closed eyes. Countless seals formed out of mystic arts swirled around his body.


    He could distinctly hear the Devil''s heavy breathing. Similarly, he could sense the terrifying Devil Qi coming from the Devil. He couldn''t help feeling a deep fear. Why was such a ghastly devil imprisoned under the Mystic Cyan Mountain?


    It was at this moment that the Devil suddenly opened his eyes. His blood-red eyes emanated frighteningly cold glints.


    "Have you returned¡­?"


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. The Devil was using the lingua franca of thousands of years ago.


    Suddenly, his surroundings began to blur until it shattered entirely. Xiao Chen had broken away from the mysterious sensation of Unity of Nature and Human. His eyelids abruptly flew open. His back was drenched in sweat.


    He took large, gasping breaths as he nailed everything he had seen earlier into his memory. It felt so wonderfully vivid that it was as if he was truly physically there.


    "Brother Xiao Chen? What''s wrong? I''ve been trying to wake you up for ages! Did you have a nightmare?"


    He didn''t notice when Murong Xian''er had come to his side. She blinked her large eyes as she stared at him.


    "I fell asleep? Nightmare?"


    Xiao Chen looked up at the sky. Four hours must have passed since, and yet that state seemed to have lasted just moments. Had he truly just fallen asleep earlier?


    That didn''t seem right. That state earlier was anything but a dream. It felt like the "Unity of Nature and Human" state that his Master had once told him about. It was the most mysterious realm in cultivation. Not even Grand Completion Realm cultivators were able to achieve this without a fortuitous chance.


    These were all beside the point. If everything that he saw was real, didn''t that mean that the Great Devil imprisoned under the Mystic Cyan Mountain truly existed?


    The fact that a Great Devil was subdued under the Mystic Cyan Mountain was too shocking for him to accept. Did this have something to do with the downfall of the Mystic Cyan Sect thousands of years ago?


    He recalled what he saw of Huangfu Xin''er earlier. She was an absolute fright to look at, looking as if she had taken up the Devil''s Practice. She was no longer the person he once knew.


    He couldn''t help remembering the times they spent as "master-disciple" in the Skygale Sect of the Human World. Suddenly, he felt pain piercing his heart. The Heartless Curse that Huashang inflicted him with was acting up.


    He shook his head, unwilling to pursue this line of thought. Gradually, he began to retrace that mysterious feeling earlier. However, try as he might, he couldn''t recreate it.


    Reaching Unity of Nature and Human Realm meant that he could unlock the Nascent Soul of the Violet Manor and cultivate his personal world. Even though he couldn''t understand why he could experience the Unity of Nature and Human despite being in the Core Forming Realm, he was certain that he could immediately cultivate his Nascent Soul of the Violet Manor upon entering the Nascent Soul Realm. Compared to others, he was far luckier.


    Another pleasant surprise was discovering a huge leap in his cultivation after entering that mysterious state. His perception of the world around him seemed to have sharpened; every stalk of flower and blade of grass became impossibly clear to him.


    This came as a great joy to him as this improved his chances in winning against his powerful enemies.


    That night, he went very late to bed. He kept circulating large amounts of energy into the meridians all over his body in an attempt to break out of the Core Forming Realm and enter the quasi-Nascent Soul Realm. After all, the Annihilation Times were close and powerful cultivators were everywhere. It was only by strengthening himself that he could carve out a spot for himself in this world and not end up as cannon fodder.


    However, cultivation wasn''t that simple. Even with his fortuitous chance during the day, it was still a herculean task to break out of the Core Forming Realm at such short notice.


    He had a strange dream that night. In his dream, he saw the Great Devil imprisoned under the Mystic Cyan Mountain telling him something strange. When he woke up, he was covered in cold sweat. Unfortunately, he couldn''t remember what the Devil told him.


    This put him at great unease. He had the feeling that something major would happen soon.


    He got off the bed and washed up. He decided that he would meet Xiaoyue at the Elegant Fragrance Pavilion. After all, enemies had him cornered on all sides right now. Like what Xiaoyue said, the power of one was nonetheless limited.


    The Elegant Fragrance Pavilion was located west of Xianyong City. It wasn''t a restaurant or brothel, but a secret meeting ground for VIPs.


    Outside the pavilion, Xiao Chen was about to step in when his expression suddenly turned somber. He stopped in his tracks.

 Chapter 225 Exclusive Group of Elites

    "Excuse me, are you Xiao Chen?"


    Suddenly, a man in his thirties or forties walked over to Xiao Chen and asked for his identity in a quiet voice.


    Xiao Chen looked at the man, a Foundation Building Realm cultivator, and nodded. "Correct."


    "Someone told me to deliver this to you." The man retrieved a neat pile of letters from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Chen.


    Frowning, Xiao Chen opened the letter and found elegant handwriting on it. "I apologize for not being able to make it today due to some urgent matters. I have already ordered someone to have a word with the Immortals'' League. Feel free to follow them when they come for you."


    "I''ll excuse myself then." The man saluted him and disappeared into an alley.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. Summoning True Qi in his palm, the letter in his hand swiftly turned into ashes. He returned the same way he came, all while wondering what business Xiaoyue had to attend to that she was in such a hurry.


    While contemplating this question, he suddenly noticed someone tailing him. He entered a remote alley without a word and walked all the way to the end before turning around. He said icily, "Show yourself."


    A silhouette came into view as a masked man appeared before him. Xiao Chen could sense that this man was in the mid-stage of the Core Forming Realm. He said placidly, "Why are you tailing me?"


    The man chuckled. "I''m here to remind you not to choose the wrong side in such chaotic times. Xiaoyue''s motive isn''t as simple as you think."


    "Who are you?"


    The man laughed. "That doesn''t matter. What''s important is that..."


    "I asked you a question. Who are you? Who sent you?!"


    Xiao Chen looked grave and stern. He unleashed his Divine Sense as he spoke, quietly operating the Unity of Nature and Human skill that he comprehended yesterday.


    The man''s heart sank, stunned at Xiao Chen''s imposing manner despite being just a Core Forming Realm cultivator. It was as if this alley was a separate world in which Xiao Chen was the ruler.


    Inadvertently, cold sweat began beading on his back. It was his first time experiencing such great pressure from a peer. He chuckled. "I bear you no enmity. If you''re willing, you can come with me to meet my master."


    "Sorry, not interested," Xiao Chen replied indifferently. He retrieved his Divine Sense and started walking out of the alley.


    The man relaxed considerably as soon as that great pressure disappeared. He laughed. "What if I tell you that the one who wishes to see you is Xiaoyue''s former Senior Sister, who knows a lot of Thousand Feathers Sect''s secrets? Do I have your attention now?"


    Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks. Turning around, he stared coolly at the man. In an icy voice, he said, "I''ll repeat myself. I don''t have time to participate in the affairs between your master and Xiaoyue. Moreover, don''t attempt to threaten me." That said, he turned around no more and walked away.


    Out of the alley, he heard many rumors about him on his way back. Due to recent incidents, he seemed to have been considered as a candidate for the list of one of the strongest youngsters in the Violet Manor.


    "Have you heard? Recently, many disciples from hermit sects and clans have expressed their desire to challenge Xiao Chen. It seems that they''re trying to make use of this opportunity to get famous."


    "That''s not all. I even heard that Zuoqiu Yang has returned to the Divine Mist Sect to cultivate in seclusion. He has apparently vowed to enter the Nascent Soul Realm before the Immortal''s Sword Assembly in three months and have a life-and-death duel with Xiao Chen."


    "Sigh! Times are changing. In the previous Immortal''s Sword Assembly, the chosen ten strongest youngsters were all just in the Core Forming Realm, weren''t they? I remember there was even a peak of Foundation Building Realm cultivator among them. I really long for those times, when being in the Core Forming Realm means you''re as good as invincible. But youngsters these days are all insanely powerful. Perhaps not even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could claim to be the strongest one among them."


    Listening to all the rumor-mongering as he walked, Xiao Chen could only shake his head and sigh. He had never thought of fighting to be number one or whatever. Neither did he want his name to be known for hundreds of thousands of miles. His only desire was to find his Master and figure out what happened back then.


    However, it seemed that the trees long for peace, but the wind will never cease. Before the matter about the Immortals'' League could be solved, new trouble was already knocking at his door. Immortal''s Sword Assembly? He sighed and walked in the direction of the Xianyong Sect.


    After returning to the sect, he found the twelve ladies from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon guarding the door to his courtyard. Surprised, Xiao Chen asked, "Do you... have business with me?" He paused for a moment before saying, "Let''s talk inside."


    He walked inside the courtyard, lamenting to himself the endless trouble he got into and the chaos all around. Since these ladies were willing to stay with him, why shouldn''t he establish a group of elites exclusive for his use?


    From now on, he could no longer do everything by himself as he had to focus on his cultivation. These ladies were well-trained and cooperated well. He couldn''t point out any issue with their fighting prowess or efficiency.


    Considering this, he turned around and asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"


    The leader, a lady who wore a headscarf, stepped forward. Hugging her fist in her other hand, she replied, "Master, I learned that the Immortals'' League has sent two peak Core Forming Realm envoys for you. I estimate that they''ll be here at noon tomorrow."


    Xiao Chen frowned. In the end, what must come would ultimately come.


    "Do you need us to kill them? Please decide, Master."


    Xiao Chen raised a hand. "Don''t take any reckless action!" These twelve ladies could easily assassinate two peak Core Forming Realm cultivators, but the matter at hand was so grave. If their involvement was revealed, the consequences would be too dire to even think about.


    In the Violet Manor, a cultivator killing the envoys from the Immortals'' League was equivalent to a commoner killing bailiffs from the government in the Human World. It was useless to kill the two envoys anymore. He couldn''t delay the inevitable forever.


    Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen said solemnly, "I have garnered countless enemies and face the threat of death at all times. You ladies are at the peak of your youth; there''s no need for you to risk danger by my side."


    The twelve ladies replied in unison, "We have pledged to serve you as our Master. We won''t complain, come hell or high water!"


    "Very well." Xiao Chen flicked his sleeve. "I''m fortunate enough to have you ladies aid me. For as long as I live, I promise to protect you all!"


    The breeze swept the twelve ladies, causing the hair that cascaded down their shoulders to flutter and a faint fragrance to permeate the courtyard. Xiao Chen looked at each of them before saying, "I don''t know what kind of lives you lived before this, but from today onward, I want you to forget your identities. I, Xiao Chen, don''t have subordinates. I only have loyal friends and allies!"


    The ladies exchanged glances before responding in unison, "We dare not!"


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He understood that it would be impossible to make them change a philosophy ingrained deep inside them at such short notice. A gust of wind came, lifting the leader''s headscarf. A single glance at her face was enough to amaze him.


    One could say that her face was utterly faultless. Unfortunately, there was a faint scar on the left side of her face. Sensing his gaze, the lady frantically adjusted her headscarf.


    Xiao Chen sighed quietly. "If you have no other business, you may leave." He looked at the leader and the one standing behind her. "You two, stay."


    "Yes, Master!"


    The ladies retreated uniformly, leaving two behind. The one on the left was the leader while the one on the right was the youngest-looking lady, who looked uneasy.


    "Your orders, Master?" the leader asked.


    "Don''t be nervous." Xiao Chen smiled. "Now that I think about it, I still don''t know your names."


    "I don''t have a name."


    "You don''t have a name?" Xiao Chen frowned. Perhaps she was telling the truth. Perhaps in the past, they didn''t even know the reason why they were alive and no one had ever paid attention to their feelings. Perhaps they had only ever been treated as the strongest assassins of Xiyue State.


    "Then your name will be Qingluan from now on."


    She abruptly raised her head, looking stunned. She swiftly adjusted her expression and said, "Master, thank you for granting me a name!"


    Xiao Chen smiled and said gently, "You don''t have to address me as your master from now on. You''re all living for yourselves, not for someone else." He turned to look at the youngest one. "Your name will be Ziyun''er."


    The lady, who looked eighteen, appeared preoccupied since the beginning. She looked like she was thinking hard about something. When she heard Xiao Chen addressing her, she hastily looked up, and a fleeting blush colored her cheeks. Stammering, she said, "Thank you, Mas¡ª"


    Before the last word left her mouth, Xiao Chen pressed two fingers together and placed it at her lips. He shook his head at her, prompting her to lower her head and keep quiet.


    "That''s all." Xiao Chen smiled at Qingluan. "Can you tell me how did you get that scar on your face?"

 Chapter 226 Meeting Yu Yifeng

    Qingluan raised her head. Her long years of cultivation had tempered her character to surpass that of an ordinary woman''s, but there was still the slightest shift in her expression at this moment. For a long time, she didn''t speak.


    Xiao Chen smiled upon seeing her reluctance. "It''s alright if you don''t wish to answer. You may leave now."


    "Yes, Master," Qingluan whispered and then left.


    The curtain of night was about to fall, bringing with it a gentle evening breeze. The wind carried the fragrance of the flowers down the mountain, refreshing one''s mind and spirit. Before going down the mountain, Xiao Chen had sent Murong Xian''er to Fengxi''s place. Thus, he and Ziyun''er were the only ones in the courtyard.


    Both of them said nothing. Even the sunset fell in silence. Ziyun''er wounded her hands into tight fists. She lowered her head, afraid to meet his eyes. Her delicate face was as red as the sun setting over the horizon.


    She was the youngest among the twelve ladies. Her mind was currently preoccupied with all sorts of thoughts. "It''s getting dark soon. Why did Master keep me here all by myself? Could it be¡­ No, even though the ladies of the Hidden Fragrance must obey our Master at all times, we have always remained chaste. No, no way. I can''t. But what if Master insists? No, no way¡­"


    Noticing that she was distracted, Xiao Chen asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Ah!" Ziyun''er abruptly raised her head, revealing a pair of eyes that was welled up with tears. She shook her head. "Master, please don''t¡­"


    "Huh? What''s wrong? I just want to understand what''s going on with you girls. Can''t I even do that?"


    "Ah. Is that so¡­?" She immediately told him everything about the origin of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon as well as their current circumstances.


    Xiao Chen nodded quietly. He learned that these twelve ladies once belonged to the Crown Prince of the Xiyue State. The Crown Prince ended up offending None-flower Dust, who forced the former to release the ladies before killing him. Thus, they followed None-flower Dust all the way to Canglan City.


    He had a general idea of their history now. None-flower Dust was pretty eccentric and had never acted according to norms. Nor had he ever paid attention to the rules set by the Immortals'' League. He also never thought of accepting these ladies as his subordinates; he had simply made a spur-of-the-mind decision to free these ladies. Xiao Chen asked, "Then can you tell me what caused the scar on Qingluan''s face?"


    "Um¡­ When we returned from our mission thirteen years ago, the Crown Prince got drunk and wanted Elder Sister to¡­ She wasn''t willing, so he whipped her face. The whip was coated in the Thousand Spiders Poison, so the scar will never fade¡­"


    Xiao Chen''s gaze turned cold. "Was that how the Crown Prince of Xiyue usually treated you all?"


    Ziyun''er lowered her head, not answering. Xiao Chen sighed. "That''s all I need to hear. It''s fine now. Things like that won''t happen anymore. You may take your leave."


    Ziyun''er instantly looked up at him as if she was astonished. "Is¡­ that all?"


    Seeing her red face, Xiao Chen recalled what she told him about the Crown Prince of Xiyue and how she had looked so out of it since the beginning. Realization finally dawned on him. He clapped a hand over his forehead and shook his head with a wry smile. "Did you think¡­?"


    "I¡­ I''ll excuse myself!"


    Ziyun''er was panicking now and her face turned even redder. She hastily retreated out of the courtyard.


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. He looked deep in thought as he stared at the sun setting over the horizon.


    Of the twelve, Qingluan''s cultivation was the highest. She appeared to have reached the peak of the Core Forming Realm. He couldn''t understand their cultivation methods, but he was sure that their cultivation would improve by leaps and bounds after he taught them some cultivation methods from the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    But now wasn''t the time. It was None-flower Dust who brought them here. He could trust Yi Tong with his life, but None-flower Dust was a mystery. Did None-flower Dust repeatedly lend him a hand just for Yi Tong''s sake?


    After Xiao Chen contemplated over this question for a moment, he saw two sword lights appearing at the horizon and flying toward the main hall of the Xianyong Sect. After some fifteen minutes, Qingluan entered the courtyard.


    "Perfected Immortal Fengxi, Miss Murong, and two guests are here to visit you, Master."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Let them come in." The two guests must be the sword lights he saw earlier. Who could they be?


    Before long, Fengxi and Murong Xian''er walked in. Next to them were Yu Yifeng and Perfected Immortal Qing Chen.


    "Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Brother Yifeng!"


    Xiao Chen never thought it would be them. He happily walked over to welcome them. Yu Yifeng was frowning. "Xiao Chen, what happened? Have they already sent their people to watch over you?"


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly and said nothing. Murong Xian''er giggled. "The girls are here to protect Brother Xiao Chen."


    "Protect?"


    With a wry smile, Xiao Chen said, "It''s a long story. I''ll tell you later." He looked at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen with an apologetic expression. "I apologize for making you come here."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen shook his head. "Perfected Immortal Fengxi has explained everything on our way here. We have no way of reversing something that has already happened. The envoys from the Immortals'' League will be here tomorrow. Don''t go against them. You have us with you."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "I will do as you say, Perfected Immortal."


    He was well aware that only the elders could deal with this problem. He was no longer a sixteen or seventeen youngster full of vigor. If he insisted on being a stubborn troublemaker, he might implicate the Jade Qing Sect and the Xianyong Sect.


    Moreover, he noticed that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen''s cultivation had become unreadable to him. Could Fengxi be right? Could the seals on the older generation be broken now that the Annihilation Times were about to arrive? Furthermore, Brother Yifeng seemed to have reached the peak of the Core Forming Realm as well.


    Their discussion lasted into the night. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Fengxi left, while Yu Yifeng stayed behind. After taking a look around the courtyard, he asked, "Xiao Chen, how is your cultivation progressing lately?"


    "Not bad. I''m still at the mid-stage of the Core Forming Realm, but yesterday I seemed to have experienced the Unity of Nature and Human."


    While he couldn''t replicate yesterday''s sensation¡ªwhere he could use his Divine Sense to roam the rivers and mountains¡ªthe scope of his Divine Sense would become rather awe-inspiring if he used the mental cultivation method of the Unity of Nature and Human.


    Yu Yifeng was overjoyed to hear his reply. "You mean you managed to comprehend the Unity of Nature and Human?"


    Xiao Chen grinned as he nodded. To be frank, he wasn''t entirely sure if what he experienced was the Unity of Nature and Human. But he was too embarrassed to tell Yu Yifeng that he had been making such slow progress in his cultivation. He had no choice but to "brag" a little.


    "That''s great!" Yu Yifeng looked delighted. "Not even Grand Completion Realm cultivators can comprehend the Unity of Nature and Human without a fortuitous chance. Xiao Chen, congratulations."


    Xiao Chen continued to smile bashfully. Changing the topic, he asked, "That''s right. How''s Muxue and Senior Sister Luo doing lately?"


    Before he knew it, a month had passed. The Violet Manor was about to enter winter. The weather was turning colder each day. Xiao Chen was curious about how they were doing in the Jade Qing Sect.


    Yu Yifeng chuckled. "Junior Sister Luo and Junior Sister Li have been accepted as official disciples of the Jade Qing Sect. Junior Sister Luo will learn from my Master personally, while Junior Sister Li is accepted as Martial Uncle Yan Luo as his private disciple. They have been advancing rapidly these days. In fact, they''re about to enter the Core Forming Realm."


    "What?!" Xiao Chen couldn''t help feeling shocked at Yu Yifeng''s final sentence. He had been smug about entering the Core Forming Realm ahead of them. Little did he expect them to improve so rapidly. Could it be true that all the youngsters in the world were rising due to the advent of the Annihilation Times?


    Yu Yifeng chuckled. "Why the surprise? They have always had extraordinary talent that surpasses us both. Within three years, they would surely enter the Nascent Soul Realm. Xiao Chen, you''ll have to work harder."


    Xiao Chen smiled wryly, knowing that Brother Yifeng was simply being modest. What about him? His difficult and perilous Zhangyin Mountain Range journey nearly cost him his life, but at the end of it, he only entered the Core Forming Realm. How could they so easily attain the same results? If they become Nascent Soul Realm cultivators ahead of him and even end up protecting him in return, wouldn''t that make him look like a complete loser?


    Yu Yifeng chuckled. "Alright, I''ll let you have your rest. Remember what Master said. You must not argue with the envoys from the Immortals'' League."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Got it. I''ll see you off."


    "It''s alright. I know this place very well. Oh, and Junior Sister Li and Junior Sister Luo will also be participating in the upcoming Immortal Sword Assembly. You should be careful not to let them defeat you." Yu Yifeng smiled breezily. With a twirl of his finger, he stepped on his flying sword and flew away.


    Xiao Chen stared dazedly in the direction where he disappeared in. Since when did he say he would be joining the Immortal Sword Assembly or whatever?


    The next day at noon, two disciples from the Xianyong Sect appeared at the door and told him to get ready. Xiao Chen understood that the envoys from the Immortals'' League were here. He was also pretty curious just how strong and terrifying the Immortals'' League was. He followed the two disciples, allowing only Qingluan and Ziyun''er to join him. He had the rest stay outside the courtyard.


    After walking for nearly half an hour, Xiao Chen faintly heard a discussion between disciples in a faraway square.


    "The Elder of the Pavilion of Swords looked livid when he left, didn''t he?"


    "Of course he''d be livid! Yu Yifeng was a late-stage Foundation Building Realm cultivator during the last Sword Immortal Assembly, but he''s now in the peak of the Core Forming Realm. Meanwhile, our Senior Brother Qin has only returned as a late-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator¡­"


    Xiao Chen smiled and said nothing as he listened to the conversation.

 Chapter 227 Envoys from the Immortalss League

    The two people beside him were upset to see him so happy after overhearing the disciples'' discussion. They sneered inwardly. "To think you can still smile at a time like this!"


    When they arrived at the public square, they found a massive crowd outside the Pure Harmony Hall. Xiao Chen probed the hall with his Divine Sense.


    Perfected Immortal Fengxi was seated in the central spot of the hall. Underneath, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Yu Yifeng, the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts, and the Elder of the Pavilion of Law were seated to his left. The only one missing was the Elder of the Pavilion of Swords.


    Seated opposite them were two men dressed in wide-sleeved white robes. They couldn''t look any haughtier if they tried. One of them was holding a small cup to his lips, relishing in his tea. It was obvious from his expression that he held no respect for anyone here.


    The other looked cold and grim. He looked at Perfected Immortal Fengxi and asked icily, "Where is he? Why is he keeping us waiting?"


    Fengxi smiled fawningly. "Please be patient. I have already sent a disciple to invite him here."


    "Invite? Don''t tell me you want us to wait until nightfall!"


    The man slammed his palm on the side table as he spoke, causing the tea water to spill all over the surface. Seeing this, a Xianyong Sect disciple immediately stepped forward. He carefully wiped the water with his sleeve, fearing that it would wet the man''s clothes.


    This scene enraged the disciples outside the hall. How dare these two behave so audaciously when they were just Core Forming Realm cultivators! Why should their Master act so servile to them?


    Yu Yifeng stood up, unable to restrain himself anymore. "Excuse my interruption. Junior Brother Xiao will certainly cooperate with your investigation. But since you insist that he''s involved with the Devils, do you have proof to back up your claim? Moreover, the Devils have cautiously planned the stealing of the Fallen Dust Bead for a long time. How could he be blamed for it?"


    Silence fell over the hall. No one spoke, making the silence feel rather eerie. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said quietly, "Yifeng, sit down."


    Chuckling, the white-robed envoy holding the teacup took another sip of tea. He shot Yu Yifeng a cold glare. "Who the heck are you? Since when does a disciple like you have the right to speak at a time like this?"


    Before his voice fell, an ice-cold voice drifted from outside the hall. "Sorry to keep you two waiting."


    In an instant, a bitterly cold wind permeated the entire hall. Even the crowd of disciples outside couldn''t help trembling deep within their souls. They felt as if they were still in this world just a second ago, but in the next, they were transported in a world of someone else''s creation¡ªand that person was the world''s sole ruler.


    The envoy''s hand trembled while holding the cup. He ended up spilling the tea all over his clothes and nearly dropped the cup to the floor. Noticing his lapse in manners, he immediately adjusted his hold over the cup. However, he couldn''t resist the fear rising from his very soul. His hand trembled, causing the cup to tinkle endlessly. He ultimately decided to place the cup on the table.


    "You... You''re Xiao Chen?"


    The two envoys stood up in unison, all while trying their best to restrain their fear. The more they tried, however, the faster the inexplicable fear extended to every part of them. It seemed to be an awe-inspiring, pure pressure placed on their souls and had nothing to do with the outside world. They felt as if they were trapped inside a world that Xiao Chen had created; as if Xiao Chen was the world itself.


    "Correct. How do you plan to bring me back? Hauling me over your shoulder or tying me up?" Xiao Chen retorted, extending both of his hands.


    "You!"


    The envoys were so frightened that their back was soaked with cold sweat. They couldn''t understand their reaction. Xiao Chen was just a Core Forming Realm cultivator while they were envoys from the Immortals'' League. Yet they inexplicably fear him.


    "Tie me up! I dare you!"


    Xiao Chen''s bellow shocked the envoys so much that they stepped backward. They moved so hastily that they nearly knocked over the side tables.


    Sneering, Xiao Chen finally retrieved his Divine Sense. Whether inside and outside the hall, countless disciples felt themselves finally relaxing as they regained the feeling of being back in their own world.


    The envoys pointed to him in anger and yelled, "You! How dare you! How dare you use nefarious mental attacks on envoys from the Immortals'' League!"


    Xiao Chen smiled. "That''s not a mental attack. Considering your intelligence, I don''t think you can ever understand my explanation."


    The envoys were so infuriated that they couldn''t retort. This youngster was indeed as troublesome as rumored. Fortunately, their Elder had given them a few magic treasures before leaving. They didn''t have to fear that Xiao Chen would resist arrest. Meanwhile, the Xianyong Sect disciples outside the hall were all cheering in their heart after seeing the envoys'' pathetic state.


    "Well, that''s quite enough. I have always been an upstanding citizen. Since you''re requesting my cooperation in your investigation, I''ll make the trip for you. I''ve given you the chance to tie me up earlier, but you didn''t take me up on the offer. Don''t complain that I didn''t give you a chance. Let''s go then."


    The envoys stewed in anger. Based on the laws of the Immortals'' League, a suspect on trial must be tied with the Immortal-Binding Rope lest any untoward accident happens. However, it wasn''t appropriate for them to try and tie Xiao Chen up now. One of them said, "I advise you to be on your best behavior and don''t try any petty tricks!"


    "Oh my. Sir Envoys, you overestimate me. I''m just a little disciple; how would I dare to try petty tricks in front of you?" Xiao Chen sneered.


    Undoubtedly, his pressure had stunned them earlier. They thought, "Enjoy your arrogance now. We''ll see if you can keep that up once we''re back in Tianyuan City!" Both of them had decided that they would get the prison guards to "take good care" of Xiao Chen once he was locked in the Immortals'' Prison.


    One of them flicked his sleeves with a scoff. He walked out of the hall and made a clawing gesture, where a Flying-cloud Stone promptly descended. Seeing this, Qingluan, Murong Xian''er, and the others immediately stepped forward. The envoy said icily, "Those not involved should stay away!"


    Qingluan and Ziyun''er were fine with this. On their way here, Xiao Chen had ordered them to refrain from getting into a conflict with the Immortals'' League and secretly trail him instead. However, Murong Xian''er vehemently refused to let Xiao Chen go. She grabbed tightly onto his sleeve, stubbornly not letting go. She wouldn''t let him leave with the two envoys.


    The envoys finally lost their patience and one of them yelled, "What are you doing?! Hurry up and let go of him!"


    Murong Xian''er''s red-rimmed eyes were welled up with tears in the first place. He scared her so much that she instantly burst into tears. Knowing how close the siblings were, the nearby Xianyong Sect disciples felt their heart twist with sadness. Xiao Chen flared up with anger and glared at the envoy. "Why are you so fierce with her?!"


    The envoy''s anger had been simmering since before. In his decade-long career as a law-enforcing envoy who had arrested even a few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, he had never met someone as difficult as Xiao Chen. Even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators had to fawn over them so they would put in a good word for them at Tianyuan City.


    Losing his temper, the envoy recited a spell and a whip glittering in gold immediately appeared in his hand. The whip was dubbed the Ghost-beating Whip, designed to strike disobedient demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters. One whip was enough to strip someone off half his life.


    When the whip was about to hit Xiao Chen''s face, Qingluan flew into action and put herself in front of him. Even though the envoy saw this as clear as day, he ended up increasing his strength instead. Just as well. He would have a hard time explaining himself if he beat this youngster until he was half-dead. He might as well hit his subordinate!


    Everyone exclaimed in shock. Wouldn''t this hit lacerate her skin?


    What the people expected to see didn''t materialize. Nearly instantaneously, Xiao Chen overstepped Qingluan. He protected her with one hand and grabbed the golden whip whizzing through the air with his other hand.


    He didn''t know what the whip was made out of. Even with True Qi protecting his body, blood still flowed down his palm. When Qingluan opened her eyes and saw him bleeding, she cried in alarm, "Please punish me for failing to protect you!"


    Ignoring her, Xiao Chen kept glaring at the envoy. His gaze was cold enough to freeze him over.


    "If you dare to whip her once, I''ll break one of your fingers. If you dare to whip her ten times, I''ll break an arm of yours. Your finger now belongs to me. I''ll remember it."


    Something stirred inside Ziyun''er. Was this the friend and ally that he spoke of...?


    "That''s enough..."


    Suddenly, they heard Perfected Immortal Qing Chen''s voice coming from inside the hall. Then, another Flying-cloud Stone descended from the sky.


    "Let''s go. Yifeng, seeing as the Immortal''s Sword Assembly is about to begin, we might as well head to Tianyuan City in advance. I have also sent your Martial Uncle a letter. I suppose he''ll be there soon as well."


    "Then let us old things go there in advance and join in the fun," Fengxi said.


    "You!" The other envoy was miffed. Even though the Immortals'' League forbad friends from accompanying the suspect, but these people were using the excuse of going to Tianyuan City to circumvent this rule.


    What could they do, when these people claimed to be going to Tianyuan City on a different Flying-cloud Stone? It wasn''t like they could forbid them from going there. Moreover, these old things all possessed unfathomable cultivation. They had essentially no chance of trying to do anything to Xiao Chen during their journey back to the league.

 Chapter 228 Hijacking the Flying-cloud Stone

    Xiao Chen scoffed and let go of the whip. He turned around and looked at Murong Xian''er and the rest. "Just tag along with Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. There''s no need to worry about me." He leaned into the tip of his toe and flew upward to the Flying-cloud Stone.


    The two envoys didn''t tarry either. With a scoff, they flew up to the Flying-cloud Stone as well. They began their journey westward.


    On their way there, Xiao Chen leaned cross-legged against a cold slab of stone. He rested the back of his head on his hands and closed his eyes as he kept a stalk of grass in his mouth. He happily hummed a song, seemingly without a care in the world.


    His behavior only served to anger the envoys further, but they dared not do anything out of fear of the group following them. One of them said, "Xiao Chen, you better not be so proud of yourself. Do you really think your allies from the Jade Qing Sect and the Xianyong Sect are that powerful? Let me tell you: since ancient times, people even stronger than you end up becoming docile once they reach Tianyuan City..."


    Xiao Chen yawned. He rose to his feet and made a lazy stretch. Looking around, he said to himself, "Huh? I was wondering how we manage to reach so soon. Since we''re not there yet, let me keep sleeping. Can''t believe I can still hear mosquito ringing in my ears at this height. Hasn''t it been half a year since summer..."


    "You!" The envoy wanted to scare him into submission, but little did he expect that Xiao Chen would still be so fearless. This disappointed him immensely.


    Still, his behavior made the envoy sneer inwardly. "Fine! I''ll see how much longer you can keep being stubborn! I have seen so many insignificant brats like you! Once we reach Tianyuan City, trust that I''ll have my ways to straighten you out!"


    Compared to the other four continents, the Middle Continent was simply massive. Even after nearly six hours on the Flying-cloud Stone at the highest speed, they remained in the eastern border of the Middle Continent. It was now dusk, but there was still quite a distance to cover. If the stone could travel four thousand miles in two hours, they would only reach their destination at noon tomorrow the soonest.


    Throughout the journey, Xiao Chen would bicker with the two envoys from time to time. When he gradually became bored of it and was close to falling asleep, the Flying-cloud Stone suddenly shook and woke him.


    "What the hell?! Don''t you know how to drive the Flying-cloud Stone?! I''m a serious criminal, you know! Can you take responsibility for it if I fall?"


    He rose to his feet and reprimanded the envoys. To his surprise, they didn''t argue back. It wasn¡¯t until he narrowed his eyes that he saw a Flying-cloud Stone stopping a short distance away from theirs. Instantly, he broke out in cold sweat.


    If such large objects collide, the magnitude of the collision would be equivalent to one of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator''s attacks. Even if he were the reincarnation of a Great Golden Immortal, the collision would still reduce him into dust!


    Fortunately, the Flying-cloud Stone of the Immortals'' League was a top-grade one. It was layered with mystic arts that could stop the stone in a flash without throwing its occupants off. If he were riding a low-grade Flying-cloud Stone, he would probably be knocking at Hell''s door with the two unlucky souls next to him by now.


    "Who are you?! Why are you blocking our way?!" The envoy on the left raised his Qi and yelled.


    They could faintly see four or five silhouettes standing on the Flying-cloud Stone opposite theirs. They heard a thick voice coming from their direction. "You two can leave! Just leave him behind!"


    The envoys immediately glared at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen spread his hands and said, "What does this have to do with me? I don''t know them!" He paused momentarily before adding, "I forgot to tell you. I have more enemies than you have lice on your body. I''m a serious criminal, after all. You must protect me well."


    The envoys ignored him. One of them yelled, "Friends, we''re envoys from the Immortals'' League. We''re bringing back a suspect under our Lord''s orders. Please give way!"


    Someone from the other group replied, "Who cares? Leave him behind, and we''ll spare your damned life! No, two lives!"


    This enraged the two envoys immensely. However, seeing as the group had the courage to look down on the Immortals'' League, they were unlikely to be some ordinary demons or monsters. Thus, the envoys suppressed their rage and remained as courteous as possible. One of them said, "Please tell us your names!"


    "Listen well then. I''m the Great Immortal from Hell of the Corpse Refinery Sect!"


    The envoys shuddered all over. Before they could recover their senses, someone else from the group said, "I''m Venerable Bloodied Devil from the Bloodied Fiend Sect!"


    The two envoys turned even paler in the face. They wondered how on earth they drew the attention of two great Devils, who paid no mind to the laws of the Immortals'' League. Not even ten lives would be enough to help them survive today.


    Frightened out of their wits, one of them stammered and asked, "Forgive us for failing to recognize your greatness and offending you earlier. This is a serious criminal under trial at the Immortals'' League. Please be generous and..."


    "Save your breath. This guy destroyed our sect''s hundred-year-old Corpse Puppet. Today, we''re determined to take him. Scram if you know what''s good for you! Otherwise, I''ll turn you two into Corpse Puppets right here and now!"


    The two envoys felt sweat drench their back. Neither of them could take even a single hit from these Devils. But if they allowed these Devils to take Xiao Chen away, their punishment would be too terrifying even to imagine.


    Xiao Chen was startled. "What the hell?! Why the heck are the Devils here?! Falling into the hands of the Corpse Refinery Sect is a thousand times worse than falling into the hands of the Immortals'' League!"


    Thinking of this, he immediately turned to look behind him. Seeing Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the rest rushing over on their Flying-cloud Stone made him relax a little. In a mocking tone, he said, "Hey, two great envoys, I''m a serious criminal you know. You need to protect me well."


    The two envoys, who had long lost their minds to fright, also sighed in relief after seeing Xiao Chen''s friends catching up to them. One of them immediately regained some courage and said solemnly, "Sorry, this is a criminal under trial at the Immortals'' League. There''s no way we can hand him over."


    "You''re courting death!"


    Suddenly, an attack imbued with boundless strength struck them. The entire Flying-cloud Stone shook and nearly shattered into pieces. The force knocked into the envoys and sent them flying. Fortunately, the defensive formation on the stone kept the two of them from falling off.


    They were now truly shaken to the core. The Flying-cloud Stone had a defensive formation for protection and yet their attacker was able to send them flying with just a flick of his sleeve. The word "terrifying" alone wasn''t sufficient to describe the level of his cultivation. When they saw the Xianyong Sect''s Flying-cloud Stone, they acted as if they had found their savior. They hastily said, "The Devils up ahead want to kidnap him!"


    Over on Perfected Immortal Fengxi''s side, Murong Xian''er, Qingluan, Ziyun''er, and the rest were all present and saw what happened. Worried as they were, they knew they couldn''t fly freely between two Flying-cloud Stones like Fengxi and the rest. It was so high up too. They could only worry helplessly.


    Qingluan looked rather anxious. Cupping her hands in obeisance, she said, "Three seniors, please save my Master. We must not let him fall into the hands of the Devils."


    Yu Yifeng and Perfected Immortal Qing Chen were frowning. Fengxi and the Elder of the Pavilion of Thoughts said nothing. The Great Immortal from Hell smiled and said, "So it''s you, Perfected Immortal Fengxi. Are you going to interfere?"


    Both their cultivations had reached the Nirvana Realm. Fighting at high altitude would just bring disaster to the rest. Everyone was waiting for Fengxi''s response. Little did they expect to see him shake his head moments later.


    "No, I''m just going to Tianyuan City to watch the Immortal''s Sword Assembly in three months. I just happen to pass by."


    These words surprised not just the envoys, but Xiao Chen as well. Was Fengxi, that old thing, really going to watch him get kidnapped and do nothing? He hoped Fengxi was just acting up because of the two envoys.


    Qingluan panicked. "Please save my Master. If you''re upset at the envoys'' lack of manners earlier, I''ll kill them right now!" She immediately glared daggers at the envoys.


    The envoys shuddered and one of them hastily said, "Perfected Immortal Fengxi, we¡¯re all Orthodox cultivators. How can you watch these Devils do as they please? Aren''t you worried that I''ll report this to our Lord? If they leave with Xiao Chen today, you won''t escape the blame either!"


    Fengxi sneered. "Do what you want. What does your arrest have anything to do with me? I''m off to see sword duels!" He maneuvered the Flying-cloud Stone and flew away. The envoys jumped in fright. "Please halt, Perfected Immortal!"


    In the distance, the Great Immortal from Hell was laughing heartily. Moving as fast as lightning, he split the protective barrier of the Immortals'' League''s Flying-cloud Stone and charged through it.


    The two envoys were so frightened that their souls nearly skyrocketed to heaven above. The Great Immortal from Hell laughed merrily. "Two bastards! You called me a Devil, didn¡¯t you? Very well! I''ll kill you both and bring your bodies back to refine into Corpse Puppets! Then I''ll send a big gift to your Lord in three months!"


    "No, no, no! You misheard us, Senior!" One of the envoys shook his head while frantically waving his hand. Seeing the Great Immortal from Hell walking over to him, his face went pale with fright.


    The other envoy hastily saluted Fengxi. "Perfected Immortal, save us!"


    Fengxi sneered and mocked them. "I''m just a disciple, you know. I don''t have the right to save two great envoys from the Immortals'' League like you."


    "No, no, no! Not at all, Perfected Immortal! You absolutely have the right to do so!" The two envoys were so frightened that they were speaking incoherently.


    Fengxi waved his hand. "So be it! Hey, Old Hell, I don''t care if you want to kill or refine those two into Corpse Puppets. But him..." He pointed to Xiao Chen. "You can''t touch him."


    Xiao Chen sighed in relief. In contrast, the two envoys went as white as a sheet of paper.

 Chapter 229 Power

    The Great Immortal from Hell roared with laughter. "Hahahaha! So be it then! I''ll deal with just two this time. Let me show you what the Devil''s Practice is capable of!" He walked slowly, one step after another, toward the two Envoys. Once he grew close, he tore off the ears of one with his bare hands and gave the other a heavy slap on the face with another hand.


    Gripped by pain and panic, one of them screamed, "Master Fengxi! Master Qing Chen! Please help us!"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned, "I''m afraid it would not bode well for us to have the Envoys of the Immortals'' League slain before our very eyes, Master Fengxi... Should we not..."


    "Why should I care? Just minutes ago these two filthy animals were saying about making a complaint to their leader about me," Fengxi muttered with a steely voice.


    The two envoys immediately realized that Fengxi was angry at them and wished only to teach them a lesson; there was no way he would allow them to be slain in cold blood by anyone, nevermind a folk of the Devil''s Practice. "We meant you no offense, Senior," one of them pleaded, "Please do not mind our poor manners and accept our humble apologies."


    Fengxi breathed hard and grumbled, "All right, all right!" He disappeared from where he stood and reappeared between the Envoys and the Great Immortal from Hell. "How about considering this a favor for me? Let these two go."


    "Huh?" The Great Immortal smirked, "Come on, old man, do you seriously think that I''m afraid of you? I do not take orders from you!" He yelled to his back, "And what are you waiting for, Venerable Bloodied Devil?"


    "Be that as it may," Fengxi muttered wearily, "There are only the two of you. Do you think that is enough to defeat the three of us? Two of the Nirvana Realm against the all of us?"


    The Great Immortals'' eyes narrowed viciously before he relented, nodding. "That seems to be true. Very well then. You owe me a favor. But this boy destroyed my Corpse Puppet! I cannot allow him to walk free!"


    He glared at the pair of Envoys, "Consider yourselves lucky today, you sniveling fools. Have some respects next time, or I''ll skin you alive, as an incentive for being brave enough to call me ''devil'' right in front of me!" He turned and took into the sky.


    The rest of the evil folk departed on their Flying-cloud Stones and went out of sight. Finally, the two Envoys buckled on their knees, panting heavily with beads of perspiration rolling down their backs.


    "O-our thanks, Perfected Immortal," one of them gasped, albeit with reluctance.


    Fengxi made no response. He vanished from where he stood and materialized once more on his Flying-cloud Stone. One of the Envoys exclaimed, "Are you not going with us?"


    "What makes you think I''m interested to come along on one for your Immortals'' League''s witch hunts?" Fengxi scoffed disdainfully.


    Flustered with shame, the two Envoys quickly leaped on their own stone conveyance and fled.


    Fengxi merely watched them leave, merely waiting patiently where they were. Minutes later, the Flying-cloud Stone carrying the evil folk returned and the Great Immortal from Hell and Venerable Bloodied Devil leaped onto their stone conveyance.


    "What do you want?" Yu Yifeng growled, preparing for battle.


    "Wait, Yifeng," Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stopped him, "They are not folks from the Corpse Refinery Sect or the Bloodied Fiend Sect."


    "Hahaha!"


    The newcomers both tore masks off their faces as the Perfected Immortal could only grimace with a bleak smile, "Alas... And yet you call yourselves the folk of Good when you''re off disguising as one of the evil folk..."


    Lo and behold! The one disguising as the Great Immortal from Hell and the Venerable Bloodied Devil were his very own Martial Uncle Zi Mo and Perfected Immortal Tai Yi respectively! So what happened earlier was merely a ruse they had planned with Perfected Immortal Fengxi! "My respects to you both, Master Perfected Immortal and Martial Uncle Xiaoyao!"


    Zi Mo raised a hand and waved off Yu Yifeng''s greetings dismissively before he pointed at him, "Look at your boy, Qing Chen! He reminds me of you! Both of you are one of a kind, both dull and boring!"


    A weak smile broke on Qing Chen''s lips. "And yet you, despite being an elder, do not behave like one..."


    "Hmph!" Fengxi snorted, "It''s not my fault! The two mongrel pups from the Immortals'' League should be blamed for their arrogance! They should know that in my heydays, my name commanded fear from the good and evil folks combined!"


    On the other hand, the two Envoys steered their conveyance as fast as they could. The presages of dusk were beginning to show in the horizons, and they needed somewhere to stay for the night. Before long, they saw a large city below. "How about staying in the city for the night? It''s not safe to fly at night," asked one of them.


    "I''d say no," answered his colleague, "We should finish our task as quick as possible. I do not wish to be sidetracked."


    "Nothing will go wrong. Fengxi and his cohorts are just behind. Moreover, we need more fuel for the Flying-cloud Stone."


    "Very well. Let''s go then."


    Behind them, lying on a corner of the stone conveyance, was Xiao Chen who was chewing on a blade of grass. There was something strange about the look in Fengxi''s expression, he thought. It was as if he had already known that evil folks were lurking around!


    There was also the Great Immortal from Hell... His movements and behavior seemed oddly familiar to him? And the other, purportedly a member of the higher echelons of the Corpse Refinery Sect; a member of that infernal order which depended so greatly on the capabilities of Corpse Puppet did not have one accompanying him? That was almost unheard of!


    Realizing something at last, a cryptic smile broke upon his face. What old rascals these old seniles are! Fengxi and Zimo!


    But his smile did not go unnoticed; one of the Envoys saw the smug look on him and barked, "What are you smiling about!? No tricks, I warn you! Just do as you''re told!"


    Xiao Chen spat the grass from his mouth with apparent disgust. If only you had taught these curs a heavier lesson, Senior Zimo, he mused spitefully.


    The final slivers of the sun were completely gone by the time they landed in the city. Chains of lights from the busy streets blazed brilliantly across the huge city, stretching across every end of the city. Is there anyone that I might know here, Xiao Chen wondered.


    He looked around the streets and thought he saw a person in red standing in the light, waiting for him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. But no one was there. He was merely dreaming.


    The lights from the busy streets still bustling with people brought back reminiscences of the times he was with Liu Fenghuang. But the cruelty of Destiny had rendered her no more.


    The Envoys scoured the city and finally found a lavishly furnished inn. One of them then went out to look for fuel for the Flying-cloud Stone and came back carrying three boxes of food. He disdainfully tossed one to Xiao Chen and promptly turned away, walking away to enjoy his own food.


    The pair of Envoys had earlier hatched several plans to torment Xiao Chen during the journey, but they were discouraged by the presence of Fengxi who could be nearby, and the incident with the "evil folks" they encountered not long ago.


    But Xiao Chen made no hint of noticing the food. He merely stood by the window, taking in the night scenes of the crowded cityscape in the night without a word, motionless and still. It had almost been one year since he first stepped foot into the Violet Manor. ¡°The first winds of autumn were just beginning to blow then, he mused, and yet here I am, looking to witness the first snow of the year. The sky looked the same to him even until now, perpetually lighted by the star twinkling brightly overhead.


    It was almost the same on the night before his battle against Patriarch Guanshan, where he and Liu Fenghuang together perched at the crest of a ridge under the stars, enjoying the whispering breezes of the night.


    Liu Fenghuang had spoken much to him that night. He remembered, so much that he should have known that she had foreseen her own passing.


    In the critical moments of the deadly battle, it was she who had sacrificed herself to give him an edge; she who had given her life to bestow him a pair of wings.


    Xiao Chen heaved a long and heavy breath, his eyes shutting slowly as the fatigue and weariness of the pain and sorrow he had endured began to show on the creases that broke at the edge of his eyes. Of all the stars far away, he wondered quietly, is there one which Fenghuang is residing at now?


    Liu Fenghuang carried the blood of Phoenixes from the Archean Eon. As the embodiment of undying life, the souls of those who bore the blood of Phoenixes were said to endure even after death; their spirits would never vanish and scatter into oblivion, but instead, remain to the origins of life where they await an opportunity to rebirth once more from the ashes of death.


    But she had given me her wings, he thought suddenly, can she still return?


    Power! I need more power!


    From that very second, Xiao Chen conceived a conviction that only power would prevent history from repeating itself! It was his weakness that forced Liu Fenghuang to sacrifice herself. He could not afford to remain idle while Xiao Yue and the others were already far ahead of him in power and strength!


    More ¨C or even countless ¨C trials and tribulations would await him in the future. He could not suffer another loss of another loved one. Be it Muxue, Senior Sister Luo, or Xian''er; he could never be able to lose any of them!


    There was only one way: the Nascent Soul Realm!


    In three months, I must reach the Nascent Soul Realm! There can be no setbacks! No matter what, I must reach it by then! Nevermind whatever enemies that might be waiting or the Immortal''s Sword Assembly; I will be ready!


    He would be the first of the elite youths of all five continents of the Violet Manor to make history by becoming the youngest warrior to achieve the Nascent Soul Realm, just like how he once proved his supremacy when he was still a student of the Mystic Cyan Sect!


    He felt his blood boiling with fervor and excitement. Unable to hold back his rushing adrenaline coursing through him like a flood, he roared into the darkness of the night.


    His sudden outburst shocked the two Envoys that they spilled the cups of tea they were holding. They had never been able to relax since the encounter with the "evil folks" and the shock Xiao Chen just gave them nearly caused their hearts to fail. "What are you yelling for? Shuddup! You just gave us a fright!" One of them spat angrily.

 Chapter 230 Tianyuan City

    Xiao Chen scoffed and ignored them. He hopped onto his bed and sat on it and began meditating. As he channeled and built his powers, he was interrupted by the creaking of floorboards, followed by the hushed voices of two or three people passing by the room outside.


    "I expect a greater turnout at this year''s Immortal''s Sword Assembly than last year surely. I heard that the prospects from all five continents this year showed immensely promising talent."


    "It was the Middle Continent who had snagged the top place last time, no? Four of the strongest ten warriors were all from the Middle Continent then, with the rest ¨C two from the South, another two from the West and the last two from the North ¨C from the rest of the Violet Manor."


    "None from the East?"


    "The Eastern Continent? I wouldn''t count on them. The East is nothing but only an impoverished land with a meager supply of talent. There''s not been anyone worth mentioning since the emergence of the Jade Qing Seven. I remember none of the schools from the East could even make it past the qualifiers during the last tournament."


    "Who''s to say this time it might be different? There have continually been rumors of powerful youngsters this time from the East. Remember the young man Xiao Chen? Word has it that he had single-handedly annihilated the entire household of the Zuoqiu family."


    If the two Envoys had heard anything, they certainly made no indication of it. They reserved the entirety of their focus in their food and ignored the discussion outside. But one of them noticed that Xiao Chen was listening and smirked, "Forget about joining the Immortal''s Sword Assembly. The only place you''ll be is a cell in the gaols of the League¡¯s stronghold. Enjoy your stay there for the next six months at least."


    Xiao Chen''s forehead creased suppressed anger, but he made no response. He continued his meditation for an hour until the Envoys came to him. "By law, your meridian points are to be sealed for the night."


    "So be it," Xiao Chen growled quietly.


    The two Envoys shared a quick look. They had expected a certain degree of defiance and not this. Wordlessly, the two men shot a few auric projectiles all over him to seal and prevent him from channeling his powers.


    Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Chen was doubling with laughter all inside. No magic cast by anyone below the level of the Nascent Soul Realm would hold him for long. His interest to squabble with the two fools was all but extinguished by the fatigue of his journey. He swung himself to the side and lied down to sleep.


    The two Envoys took turns watching him through the night. They did not dare to sleep in fear of Xiao Chen escaping. Xiao Chen slept soundly until the odd rustling of grasses outside woke him up like the tolling of bells in the still hush of the night. Something was not right, he thought. He was about to flip himself up, when a dark, shadowy figure crashed through the windows and pounced at him.


    The sudden appearance of the stranger surprised him and he instinctively tried to channel his powers to shield himself when he remembered his powers were still under the magical seal. Before he was able to undo the magic, the stranger had grabbed him and took off with him.


    "Wake up! The subject has escaped!"


    The Envoys, shaken awake by the stranger''s entrance, sprang to their feet and leaped out of the windows in pursuit. But they had barely got out when four or five destructive auric projectiles rained down on them, nearly reducing the entire inn into mere rubbles.


    Xiao Chen was started by the powerful force that almost killed the two Envoys. Is this Zimo and Fengxi''s doing? Are they really thinking of breaking him out of captivity by force?


    The stranger in black held on to him tightly, pulling him along as they kept their pace, leaping onto roofs and chimneys and bolting as quickly as possible. Winds brushed by Xiao Chen''s ears as he could only watch himself being being abducted before he heard footsteps behind them; the Envoys were getting close! But before they caught up, another group of four or five strangers in black appeared to block their path and held them off.


    Flickers of Sword Qi danced about viciously in the air, painting the dark sky like an artist''s colorful palettes upon a canvas of black. With every Sword Qi deflected, stray auric bolts would crash into buildings and structures, and more innocents perished without even knowing what happened.


    Unlike the strangers in black garb who had no reservations in spilling blood, the two Envoys of the Immortals'' League could not unleash their full power and were slowly losing their grounds to the merciless and callous onslaught launched by the strangers.


    At last, one of the Envoys abandoned the fight and took off into the air, riding on his sword to chase after Xiao Chen, leaving his colleague to deal with the strangers.


    This is not right, Xiao Chen thought, Fengxi would never be so destructive and merciless and disregard the safety of the innocents! Realizing that they could be enemies from the Devil''s Practice, he snarled, "Who are you, people!"


    The stranger ignored his question, focusing only on putting as much distance as possible between the Envoys and them. Even on foot while carrying him, the stranger was quick; so quick that they were almost beyond the city limits. Nevertheless, one of the Envoys managed to catch up to them. With a swing of his sword, he conjured a serpent of flames that lunged at the stranger, trying to coil around him. But with just a simple side-step, the stranger managed to evade cleanly.


    "Let me go!" Xiao Chen snarled.


    "Rest assured, Young Master! I''ll have you safely out of here in no time!" A hollow voice responded. The stranger used his True Qi to alter his voice!


    "Stop, Xiao Chen! You''ll never get away!" The Envoy bellowed from behind, hearing what the stranger said, while sending another Sword Qi projectile at them.


    Damn it! Xiao Chen cursed that this is a plot to discredit me! He would be branded as a fugitive if he allowed himself to be taken!


    "I DON''T KNOW THIS MAN!" Xiao Chen yelled as loud as he could, "It''s all the fault of you fools! You have cast the seal on my powers for nothing!"


    With anxiousness and distress churning inside him, he was getting worried; he needed time to break the magical seal. To make matters worse, another group of strangers, all similarly clad in black, appeared to engage the Envoy. Another group, waiting here to ambush any pursuers!.


    Not long later, they were joined by the other Envoy and his assailants. More than ten strangers in black garb surrounded the Envoys as more violence ensued. "Take the Young Master with you and go! Leave these two to us! We''ll catch up once they have been dealt with!"


    Hearing this, one of the Envoys roared, "I see! So the rumors are true after all, Xiao Chen! You are indeed one of the evil folk!"


    The situation was getting worse for Xiao Chen; the two Envoys would surely report Xiao Chen as a member of the Devil''s Practice after this! Panicking with anger, he screamed at them, "YOU FOOLS! I DON''T KNOW THIS PEOPLE AT ALL!"


    But his shouts fell on deaf ears; the Envoys swung their swords and tried to attack him instead, only to be held back by the black-clothed assailants. The darkness in the night was illuminated by flaring auric projectiles as the fighting grew intense. But the two Envoys were struggling against the greater numbers against them.


    "Who are you?" Xiao Chen snarled at the stranger still holding him. With his powers still sealed, he was but merely a helpless rag doll in the hands of his mysterious captor. Still, he kept on trying to break the magical seal, hoping that he could free himself in time.


    "There''s no need for you to know who we are," said the man in black. He turned to his cohorts, "KILL ONLY ONE AND RELEASE THE OTHER!" He spoke to Xiao Chen again, "With that, you will be a fugitive of the Immortal''s League. You will be hunted like dog until your death. Joining us will be the only option for your survival!"


    "I see, this is a plot to force me to join the Devil''s Practice!" But his thoughts were cut short suddenly; a ray of light streaked through the air, racing towards them! So fast and powerful was the bolt of light that it smote at the stranger like lightning from the sky, forcing the stranger to release his hold of Xiao Chen and leap to safety.


    Free at last, Xiao Chen scampered away. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen appeared beside him suddenly to keep him safe. With a flail of his sleeves, he delivered an auric blow as powerful as the force of a broken dam, sending the rest of the men in black crashing to the ground. Seconds later, Yu Yifeng and everyone else arrived to help.


    "LEAVE!" The leader of the men in black barked to his subordinates and the whole contingent of them immediately fled, vanishing into thin air.


    The Mentor of the Jade Qing Sect approached Xiao Chen and tapped him with his fingers, sending a burst of aura into him. Xiao Chen felt an electrifying sensation coursing through his meridian points; the magic that sealed his powers was undone.


    "Who are they?" asked a worried Yu Yifeng, his brows wrinkled into a frown.


    Qingluan and Ziyun''er came to his side, with the little Murong Xian''er hot at their heels. The first thing they did was to inspect Xiao Chen to see if he was injured.


    But Xiao Chen suffered no more than a scratch from the incident. In contrast, the two Envoys were badly bruised and battered. It was fortunate that they were able to survive the ordeal at all. But they were far from relieved and happy. "XIAO CHEN!" One of them spat hatefully, "We''ll see about this! You, fraternizing with the enemy!"


    "We''ll make sure the Leader of the Immortals'' League hears about this!" said another coldly.


    "Ignorant bastards," Xiao Chen hissed quietly. But his thoughts quickly wandered back to the band of black-clad strangers. Who were they and what were they up to? None of them were obviously members of the Corpse Refinery Sect for its members were known to exude a distinct aura of death and decay.


    Xiao Chen sighed morosely. He was now an outlaw hunted by both sides of the spectrum of Evil and Good. Hardly a promising future from himself.


    "Perhaps it is better that you dawdle no more," Perfected Immortal Qing Chen interjected, "You should go now."


    The Envoys traded a look and summoned their Flying-cloud Stone. But before he could step, a dread crept into his mind suddenly, "These two Envoys... Are they really agents of the Immortals'' League, or could they be actually working in secret for the Evil folk?"


    The night''s events continued to torment Xiao Chen for the rest of the journey; he could no longer sit back and relax while enjoying what was left of his freedom anymore before his imminent incarceration. Finally, at evening, they finally reached a huge and magnificent city. A city that was so large and wide that it filled the entire horizon.


    Thousands of floating islands hovered among the clouds that shrouded the skyline of the city like whales in a sea. There were numerous buildings, pavilions, and gazebos on the islands that joined to each other by bridges and chains. Mythical beasts and birds glided in the air, weaving lazily between the floating islands and the thick mists that shrouded the sky. Xiao Chen could only look in awe at the entire scene that looked like Paradise upon Earth.


    Xiao Chen heaved in a gulp of the chilly air, looking in awe at the size of Tianyuan City which could easily dwarf almost all the cities of the Qing Province put together. The city reminded him of the Tier 3 cities he had visited during his previous lifetime, for the countless floating islands would require an astounding amount of fuel to sustain.


    The two Envoys took notice of his amazement and sneered contemptuously, "This is merely a corner of Tianyuan City. Just wait till you see how big it actually is, you country bumpkin!"


    The entire airspace above the City was a strict no-fly zone in order to prevent any collisions with the floating islands. Hence the Envoys steered their flying conveyance to the ground and prepared to land.


    The architecture of the buildings and structures were stunning and imposing and the streets busy and crowded with mobs of visitors and travelers from everywhere: blond, blue-eyed foreigners, richly-robed merchants, and coquettish alluring females from the more exotic nations of the world who had never stopped batting their eyes at him amongst all.


    "You may look handsome," the Envoys jeered viciously, "But you''re a no more than a prisoner like common bandits and murderers!"


    The two Envoys looked more noticeably arrogant and proud since stepping into the City which also served as the seat of the Immortals'' League. They enjoyed themselves by shoving and pushing him around, hissing vindictively at him, "Move on quickly! Quit looking around!"


    But Xiao Chen took in their shenanigans with nothing more than a dry chuckle. The crowd immediately parted to let them pass, knowing that the Envoys were agents of the League performing the duties of their office. None dared to suffer their wrath.


    Minutes later, they arrived at a large and palatial structure that perched atop a platform thousands of steps high. Every step was furnished with pearly-white jade and sentries stood sternly on guard at every twenty-step interval. This indomitable structure could only be one building: the stronghold of the Middle Continent Chapter of the Immortals'' League. To most common folk, this building was commonly regarded as the principal seat of the Immortals'' League, more so, since the actual principal stronghold of the League was a secret closely guarded by the upper echelons of the League.


    The two Envoys grinned smugly at the success of their mission and were already hoping for a fat reward. They nudged Xiao Chen up the stairs to the wide square that opened just before the entrance of the Chapter stronghold when a man, dressed in robes of flaming red, stopped them halfway up the stairs.


    The two Envoys immediately halted. But their expressions were ones of anxiety and fear, Xiao Chen noticed.

 Chapter 231 The Hearing

    "Lord Adjudicator Yang!" One of the Envoys stammered, "How can we be of service?"


    The man in red smiled thinly, ignoring the question. He closed his paper fan and gestured at Xiao Chen with the same hand, "Is this him? The infamous Xiao Chen?"


    "Yes!" The other Envoy barked, trying to sound brave, although no one present could ever miss the hint of fear in his faltering voice, "We are transporting this fugitive under the orders of Adjudicator Liu! Please allow us to pass!"


    But the man in red simply chuckled and replied nonchalantly, "No. This business shall concern you no longer. Leave this man to me. I will take him in."


    The Envoys stirred, becoming terrified and tense. One of them remarked, "We''ve gone through great lengths to arrest this man! It''s only right that we take him to Adjudicator Liu directly! Are you trying to take our credit!?"


    "I will repeat myself only once," said the man in red with a steely tone in his voice, "Leave."


    "YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" Another Envoy glowered angrily, quietly channeling his powers in anticipation of an altercation, "Just because you''re from the Fiery Red Corps, you think you make the decisions here?!"


    "So what if that is the case?" The man in red retorted, "You wish to challenge me?" Without waiting from any replies from the Envoys, he swung his paper fan with a lazy swing of his arm, sending forth a burst of sweltering energy that crashed into the Envoy who had dared provoke him, sending the poor man careening down the steps.


    The other Envoy spat vengefully, "HOW DARE YOU, YANG YANYU! DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE US! We''ve almost lost our lives trying to arrest this man!"


    The eyes of the Yang Yanyu narrowed immediately. With a stony expression, he flicked his fingers and delivered a bullet of auric force into the still-standing Envoy, sending him tumbling down the steps too.


    "Insolence. How dare you address me by my name directly."


    He glanced briefly at Xiao Chen and muttered to him, "Let us go then. There''s nothing to ogle here."


    Xiao Chen said nothing and walked past the man, moving up the steps. "Hmph," Xiao Chen snorted, musing quietly to himself, ¡°What a dog-eat-dog world here too, for all the righteousness and good they so profess.¡±


    "Hmph?" Yang Yanyu repeated what Xiao Chen said, his glare cold and furious before what rage it contained quickly subsided. He swung his sleeves, and he walked up to the steps at Xiao Chen''s heels.


    Thoughts swirled in Xiao Chen''s mind. Fengxi had informed him prior to his arrest that various branches and chapters of the Immortals'' League operated around the Violet Manor, and their personnel were divided into a hierarchy of ranks: at the lowest, was the bulk of the organization''s grunt force, the Constables of the League. Aside from dull and menial work, the Constables patrolled the cities and maintained law and order. The Constables were mostly captained by Envoys, whose job responsibilities included apprehending wanted fugitives and outlaws and escorting them for trial.


    Above them, were the Adjudicators, high-ranking judges which governed their subjects with supreme authority, and they were in turn overseen by the rest up the levels of the League''s hierarchy: the Stewards, the Wardens, the Elders, and lastly at the top of the ladder, the Four Sacred Guardians, respectively.


    They climbed to the top of the stairs and reached a large square that opened before them. A stately citadel stood at the other end of the square, and they walked through the square to find many people waiting outside the gates of the citadel. As they got closer, Xiao Chen saw that they were students of various schools and sects who had arrived at Tianyuan City, with a few members of the citadel''s staff attending to them.


    They were ushered inside past the gates and entered the great hall. Five pedestals hovered in mid-air at the end of the hall, and upon each were the presiding members of this hearing. Below them, on both sides of the aisle, were seats occupied by various elders, leaders, and mentors from the sects and schools who had come to witness the event. Master Xuanji of the Wuyin Monastery was seated on the left, along with several members of the Zuoqiu Clan and a few staff members of the hall. From the edges of his eyes, Xiao Chen was not remiss in noticing that they were joined by a few kinsmen of the Ling Clan, while Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Fengxi was sitting at the right flank with the rest of the Jade Qing Sect company.


    "Big Brother Xiao Chen! Here we are!"


    Xiao Chen heard Murong Xian''er calling him and looked to her direction. She saw her through a window. They were outside, perching atop a tree to see what was going on in the hall. Even though Xiao Chen and the Envoys had set off earlier, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and his contingent of students from the Jade Qing Sect were here before them.


    Yang Yanyu looked out the window as well, having heard Murong Xian''er''s voice. "What beauties they are! Never would any man harbor any discontent if he could have just one of them for a wife," he sang softly. But he quickly recomposed himself with a feigned cough and cleared his throat and continued leading Xiao Chen deeper into the hall.


    The pedestals hovered imperiously overhead when they reached the center of the hall. Standing on the ground, bathed in a brilliant glow where a shaft of sunlight shot in from a hole upon the eaves of the hall, Yang Yanyu bowed and gave a salute. "I am Adjudicator Yang of the Fiery Red Corps, I have brought Xiao Chen here."


    Seated on the pedestal on the center was the chief of today''s hearing, a Warden of the League. He was an old man with rosy cheeks and a benign smile. He nodded gently at Yang Yanyu. With a nudging gesture from the Stewards seated on the flanks of the Warden, Yang Yanyu quietly shuffled aside, allowing two guards to escort Xiao Chen to the defendant''s stand to await trial.


    The many eyes of the Elders, Leaders, and Mentors of various schools and orders trained upon Xiao Chen, studying him intently. Is this Xiao Chen? He¡¯s able to stand tall even before few of the most powerful men in the domain. He is indeed as proud and as courageous as rumors go. What a pity that we do not have talents such as him.


    But Xiao Chen was also making observations of his own. The Warden who was presiding this hearing seemed to possess powers of the Nirvana Realm and the four Stewards should at least possess powers above the levels of the Nascent Soul Realm. Even though the Warden looked like a nice and friendly person, he exuded an indomitable aura that would frighten everyone else in the hall.


    A palpably tensed mood pervaded the inside and outside of the hall. No one dared to speak in the uneasy hush. Xiao Chen noticed the presence of Zuoqiu Ping and a few of his kinsmen; all of whom were wearing smug and vicious smiles, gloating over their evident triumph for seeing Xiao Chen being tried. Zuoqiu Que was there too, and his presence worried Xiao Chen. He was a Tier-4 Elixir King, a position which bestowed him great respect and prestige even in the Middle Continent; and Xiao Chen was beginning to worry if he had bribed the Stewards to help sway any decision against him¡­


    Corruption and bribery were commonly rife in the Human World. How could the Cultivation World be any different?


    One of the Stewards, an old man clad in red, motioned to Zuoqiu Ping and boomed. "Present your accusations."


    "Yes, my lord." Zuoqiu Ping extracted a jade strip and released it into the air. The jade wand magically glided through the air and flew to the Steward.


    The old man reached out a bony finger and tapped lightly on it, and the jade strip began to shine, projecting a holographic message with hundreds of words. He read it briefly, before handing the jade strip to his colleagues.


    The four Stewards traded quick looks when they have finished reading, and the first Steward barked loudly, "XIAO CHEN! DO YOU DENY THESE CHARGES!"


    The sudden roar caught everyone outside the hall off-guard that some yelped in surprise. Xiao Chen would have been frightened too if not for his Divine Sense. Instead, he casually howled, "I..." and dragged his voice as long as he could before he finished with a sonorous "DON''T KNOW!"


    The members of the court below and the chiefs from the sects and schools frowned at his impudence. Even some outside were stunned beyond words and could only share looks of dismay.


    "SILENCE! We''ll have none of your insolence in this sacred hall!" The Steward thundered with an authority that said it was used to being obeyed.


    Xiao Chen''s eyebrows tipped up quizzically. With a frosty voice still and silent, he hissed quietly, "You have read the message imbued into the jade strip on your own, but you did not recite what was said inside. How am I to know what the message was about? Am I to accept the charges quietly if even if the charges against me were contrary?"


    Everyone was aghast with shock and surprise by his bravado and hushed whispers began to rise from amongst the crowd outside. "What nerve! Does he have strong support? What is his background?"


    "Word has it that he is a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan who is now on a pilgrimage."


    "No wonder. That explains his arrogance."


    The Steward in red was angered beyond words. For decades he had presided over countless hearings, but this was the first time he encountered so arrogant and haughty a defendant. Switching to a cold voice, he read loudly, "Very well! You are hereby charged with intruding the residence of the Zuoqiu Clan with unknown confederates and have murdered the entire household of seventy-four people and have caused the disappearance of the relic, the Fallen Dust Bead. Do you deny these charges!"


    Seventy-four? So the Zuoqiu Family is piling all the deaths of their family on me, whether I killed them or not! "So, you are reading the charges as imbued into the jade wand? My Lord Steward! I hope you have not been receiving gifts or bribes to indict me."


    A tense atmosphere shrouded over the entire hall like a spectral apparition. The onlookers outside felt a nervous chill as they could feel the anger swelling from the seats above the hanging pedestals. From whence did he find such audacity to speak so rudely to a Steward? Does he not value his life?


    "IMPERTINENCE! CONTEMPT OF COURT! HOW DARE YOU! MEN! TAKE HIM..."


    But the Steward was cut short by the sound of a throat being cleared that broke his seething uproar. It was the Warden who had long observed everything in silence. Finally, he began to speak. As if ignoring the heated exchange between Xiao Chen and his subordinate, he spoke gently, still wearing his friendly smile like a grandfather speaking to his grandson, "It is only right and natural that you reserve the right to tender objections, Xiao Chen. You only need to point them out nicely."


    Everyone was equally astonished. Why was the Lord Warden being so nice to Xiao Chen? In most cases, defendants and accused were usually subjected to a certain amount of torture before the hearing even began. Was he really from a powerful background?


    Xiao Chen took a long breath. Indifferently, he began to speak, "I was passing Canglan City when the Zuoqiu Clan detained my friend without any reason. Later, they even sent men to murder me. And I was forced to flee to the Changyin Mountain Range with them in pursuit. But I am responsible for no murder. The seventy-four counts of death have nothing to do with me!"


    He stopped to look at Zuoqiu Ping and hissed, "I had warned them many times that I only want my friend back, and I will forgo all the hostilities that they''ve shown me. But they persisted in trying to kill me and the head of their family even tried to usurp my spirit via Spirit Possession. In their haste to kill me, they were surprised by the sudden appearance of members of the Devil''s Practice who were the ones actually culpable for the disappearance of the Fallen Dust Bead. I have nothing to do with everything!"


    His long address to the judges demonstrated his denial to the charges fabricated against him, and many of the leaders and chiefs present shuffled uneasily. Some nodded approvingly while some shook their head. The old Warden, his cheeks still flushing with vim and verve, nodded his head gently.


    The Stewards began debating amongst themselves on the disputes about the case, and the crowds outside started to murmur on their own, discussing with interest about the fate that awaited Xiao Chen. Realizing that he must do something, Zuoqiu Ping stood up and raised a hand to silence the crowd. He looked up at the Stewards and the Warden and wore a feigned expression of sadness and solemnness, "My Lords. For centuries, we of the Zuoqiu Clan have guarded the Fallen Dust Bead, ensuring its safety and keeping it away from evildoers and scoundrels with great sacrifice and loyalty. But this man has emerged from nowhere and killed not only my grandson, but all seventy-four of my kinsmen! I implore you, Lords, please avenge us!"


    The Stewards conferred among themselves again until the Warden spoke at last, "What happened between Zuoqiu Ze, which by extension, includes the Zuoqiu Family, and Xiao Chen, is no business of the League, as per the laws of the League. This is a private matter between both your parties and the League should not have interfered..."


    But Zuoqiu Ping did not allow him to finish. "But it is surely not a coincidence that the Fallen Dust Bead was taken the moment this man appeared! He must be related to the evil folk! Please, my Lord Warden, I urge you to launch an inquiry!"


    The Warden''s head nodded. "There is truth in what you say as well..." He sounded troubled. Looking at Xiao Chen, he asked, "There have been witnesses who claimed that they saw you being closed to the woman of the evil folk. Some even said you rescued her yourself. Is this true?"


    Everyone looked at Xiao Chen. The charge of being caught fraternizing with anyone from the Devil''s Practice was a grave offense punishable by death. Not even a strong and powerful background could absolve anyone from such a grave sin. There was almost no way Xiao Chen could worm his way out of this and almost everyone was sure that he would be detained for seven days before a formal trial by the Elders of the League.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Fengxi grew worried and anxious, but on the other side of the spectators'' bench, the members of clans Zuoqiu and Ling were delighted. Let''s see how you explain yourself for saving Yu Linglong from Ye Wuxin! There is no way you''ll emerge from this unscathed!


    "SPEAK!"


    A shrill yell shattered the silence that many jumped in their seats. The voice was deafening; echoing through the hall like a crack of thunder. Slowly, heads began to raise as everyone searched for the origin of the voice, and they no longer saw a benign smile upon the Warden''s face. The friendly look from his eyes had vanished, replaced by a cold fury in every line of his gnarly face and an aura of power and wrath radiated from him as though he were giving off burning heat.

 Chapter 232 Good and Evil

    Even with the pressure of being watched by everyone in and outside the hall, Xiao Chen was still able to remain a composed demeanor. Calmly, he said, "I did. I did save someone that day. But I did it to save a life; not because I know them, evil folk or not!"


    Another peal of murmurs and whispers from outside filled Xiao Chen''s ears like the buzzing of bees. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the rest of his entourage were all worried, and no one else inside dared to speak, especially in the presence of the wrathful Warden. "Do you know that the person you had saved, was none other than Yu Linglong, daughter of the Princess of Fort Rakshasha!"


    Yu Yifeng was among the crowd outside. His forehead was creased into a frown, hoping that Xiao Chen would just respond with a simple "don''t know". But his hopes were dashed when even from outside, he could hear Xiao Chen''s cool voice, admitting, "I know."


    A huge uproar broke out between the crowds watching from outside and those sitting at the spectators'' bench inside. The Steward in red snarled, "Well! Do you still claim to not know about your transgressions!"


    The crime of fraternizing with evil folks was a crime that no one felt more pain than Xiao Chen. Millennia ago, he was executed under the same charges and not long ago, he saved a member of the Devil''s Practice with the entire world present. The crime of consorting with the enemy was seen as treason to the domain of Good, a crime so grave that it was punishable by death. Yet at this moment and this very second, he remained proud and confident of himself and he would gladly do it again if time were to turn back.


    "She barely knew me," Xiao Chen''s voice, hoarse and hollow, croaked, silencing the bedlam, "Yet she had taken a hit from Ye Wuxin for me. Honor demanded that I had to help her. For all the accusations you all have heaped upon her that she is an evil woman capable of countless and unimaginable atrocities, have you actually seen her take anyone''s life?"


    The rigid uneasiness in the air lingered as cold as ice that the crowd outside began to feel a chill creeping up everyone''s spines. The heads of the Leaders and Mentors of the many schools and sects of the land in the hall lowered in a truculent demonstration to Xiao Chen''s words, their eyes glowering. Even the Warden was shaking, the hairs of his beard trembling with a burning trepidation, as if he was struggling against an impulse to smite Xiao Chen to his death at the very spot he was standing upon.


    Xiao Chen himself knew full well of the repercussions of his words: he could either be sentenced to death or he might even be executed there and that. But he understood that only the regret, remorse, and guilt would return to torment him again if he were to repeat what he did millennia ago by not telling the truth.


    He could once again see himself again back at Mystic Cyan Mountain, with the elites of the sects and schools of the Orthodox Path urging him to murder, with his own hands, the woman called Hua Weiyang.


    "SO BE IT!" The Steward''s voice thundered through the length of the hall, its echoes ringing toward the outside like the blares of a trumpet. Everyone in the hall was shuddered by his imposing presence that grew as if he dwarfed everyone else in the building. "Even at this stage, you refuse to repent! And with that, for the good of the Orthodox Path, I move that we sentence Xiao Chen to death!"


    "Heh heh heh heh..."


    Xiao Chen''s cold chuckle added more chill to the already rigid atmosphere and smothering the raging anger of the Steward that he immediately fell silent. "For the good of the Orthodox Path, you say? Don''t make me laugh! Your hands, were they not tainted with blood before? Have you not taken any innocent lives before?"


    He would never dare to allow such words to escape from his lips if he was the Xiao Chen millennia agog. But having beheld with his own eyes the ugliness and grotesquery of human mind and how people learn magic and defense, not for the greater good, but for self-interest and greed, Xiao Chen could see that the lines between Good and Evil had been blurred to the point that he failed to see the point in investing in either side. The Clans of Ling and Zuoqiu were the best personifications of this deformity.


    The hall was silent except for muffled breathing of the people around him. The horrifying aura radiating from the Warden substantiated to the prevailing silence. No one could object to Xiao Chen''s views, no matter how right he was; but no sane man would dare utter their agreement within the halls of the League and before so many eyes lest they suffered the very same fate as the young man now being tried like a traitor.


    Cold fury blazed within the Warden''s eyes; with a simple lift of his finger, he could instantly incinerate Xiao Chen into mere cinders. But suddenly, the sound of rushed footsteps echoed through the hall as Yu Yifeng bolted in. He bowed hastily to the men seated upon the floating pedestals and saluted brusquely. "I implore for your leniency, Lord Warden! Xiao Chen is a junior of mine and he is still young, brash and trusting of others. He has been hoodwinked and confused by the charms of the evil folk. But he does not mean what he said. This is an honest and straightforward person who would never commit treason against our realm."


    Murong Xian''er scrambled unsteadily up the aisle in tow, "I can testify to that! It was those evil people who kept on harassing Big Brother Xiao Chen! He does not know her!"


    "SILENCE! What insolence is this! Who are you people?" The Steward was fuming; never had the judiciary of the League suffered not only one so defiant and rebellious such as Xiao Chen, but also two young whelps who dared to create such ruckus in such a sacred place! He channeled his True Energy, his powers swirling wildly and caused a turbulent eddy of winds inside the hall.


    Fearful that the Steward might strike down his prize student in his wrath, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen bellowed, "Yifeng! Stand down!"


    Xiao Chen glared at Murong Xian''er too, "Get out, Xian''er!"


    Two sentries appeared to escort them away. Slowly, they walked toward outside, with Murong Xian''er whimpering tearfully, "Please... Don''t bully my Big Brother..."


    Xiao Chen watched them leave. Finally, when they were outside, he turned back to face the front, very much relieved. "I stand here before all of you today, as a man of honor," he declared coolly, "I am not bound by the rules of any school or sect here. But I am no less righteous and honest than anyone here!"


    He was not speaking as the Xiao Chen today, but as the Xiao Chen millennia ago; the Xiao Chen who was once a student of the Mystic Cyan Sect of old. It mattered not to him that he was wrongly blamed, being on trial for treason where his Nascent Soul might be sentenced to destruction, and he might perish, or the fact that the hearts of men in this age was nigh unsalvageable; but it mattered greatly to him that he was a student of his teacher and her message to him, asking him to do good and remain noble.


    Seated up high, the Warden could not believe himself; he felt himself faltering. He faltered before the eyes of a young man which gleamed not of evil or malice, but defiance and faith in himself. "He refuses even to admit he is one of us, the Orthodox Path! Yet, such strength, such spirit, such fortitude! Who is he and where is he from?"


    His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from below. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had stood up. "My Lord Warden, the boy is of a kind and pure heart in addition to an extraordinary talent we''ve not witnessed in years. This is why the evil folk had tried to have Yu Linglong to induce him to join the ranks of horrors in the Devil Practice and deprive us of such a tremendous prodigy. What are we, the Orthodox Path? Do we not always profess to teach people to be kind, to lead people to goodness? But what are we doing now? Are we trying to force him to join the evil folk and help them fulfill their wish?"


    The Mentor of the Jade Qing Sect paused briefly and gestured toward Xiao Chen, "He tried to save an enemy. That is proof of his kind heart. His honor to repay the good that others had shown him. But the evil folk knows this, and they were trying to use this to the fullest. Heaven forfend if you, my lord, were to indict him as one of them, then tell me: are you sure you''re not playing right into the hands of the evil folk? Are we going to lose one of the greatest talents we''ve seen in this decade?"


    Long had the Jade Qing Sect enjoyed great prestige and esteem across the five continents despite being situated far away in the East. The founder of the order was renowned for being as powerful as the leaders of the five ancient schools, and his students, more so. Hence Perfected Immortal Qing Chen had always been revered as one of the most respected individuals in the realm.


    A few of the older Leaders and Mentors nodded in agreement. Even the Warden''s anger quickly subsided and he turned back to the frail and friendly old man he formerly was. He stroked his beard slowly, pondering until he finally managed, "There is merit to what you say, I suppose."


    Realizing that the tables were turning against him, Zuoqiu Ping yelled frantically, "My Lord Warden! The origins of this young man is a mystery! There is a great possibility that he is an agent of the Devil''s Practice sent to infiltrate us! You cannot allow him to walk free lest he will cause more upheavals and chaos across the realm! You know full well the carnage and havoc the evil folk is capable of! Have you forgotten about what happened one thousand years ago? We must kill him, to save millions of innocents! The ends will justify what we do today!"


    "Amitabha..."


    A deep chant from Master Xuanji stopped him from continuing any further. The senior monk from Wuyin Monastery had yet to say anything since entering the hall, until now. He stood up, his palms clasped together in reverence.


    But Xiao Chen was deep in thought; he was thinking about what Zuoqiu Ping had said earlier. "What happened one thousand years ago? That must be Xiao Ning! But the people of Wuyin Monastery would behave strangely whenever the name of Xiao Ning is mentioned? Why do they seem so full of guilt and hesitation everything they hear his name?"


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen turned to face Zuoqiu Ping. "Master Zuoqiu. On what grounds do you accuse the boy as one of the evil folk? Do you have proof? The methods of using the ends to justify its means are something only a member of the Devil''s Practice is capable of doing? How dare you utter such blasphemy within this sacred hall! We are senior members of this hallowed community!"


    Zuoqiu Ping could find no words to back his claim. He fell silent for seconds until he finally thought of something. He thrust an angry finger at Xiao Chen and shouted for the benefit of everyone, "His powers and skills! They are strange and foul, definitely not one of the Orthodox Path! I have seen it with my own eyes! It was that day, I would never forget! Foul aura swirled around him as he channeled his powers like tendrils of black fumes! Even the air around him reeked of the fetid stench of his demonic energies! Interrogate him if you don''t believe me, Lord Warden!"


    "Ah?" The Warden''s brows creased into a troubled frown. "Is that so?" He muttered and looked at Xiao Chen, "Channel your powers with the magic you''ve learned, boy. Do not use the skills you''ve learned from other schools or sects."


    Every eyeball in the hall was trained upon Xiao Chen that very instant. The news of his mysterious and strange powers and skills had traveled far and wide that everyone was interested to see if the rumors surrounding him were true.


    "As you wish."


    Xiao Chen stood himself upright and heaved a long breath. He channeled his powers, using the Mystic Skills he once learned from the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    A rich and ancient aura radiated from him and filled the hall. As the aura wafted and filled the hall like the tranquil mists of a hillside valley, everyone was amazed by its purity and tranquility.


    "Heavens! Impossible! What magic is this! How could it even be possible that such sacred magic exists?"


    "My, oh my! For centuries I have been so proud of my own skills and magic, that I have always felt it beneath me to mingle with others... Never did I know that I would be able to witness and feel the power of such pure a magic today!"


    Gasps of wonder and stammers of awe rose from the crowds inside and outside the hall. Some even shook their heads; realizing that the magic they have learned and studied for centuries, was nothing compared to what the young man was showing now.

 Chapter 233 Slander

    The four Stewards slowly rose from their seats, taking in everything in awe. No one in the entire League could profess of having such magic themselves.


    "Impossible... Only the lost magic from the former eons have such purity! But how could anyone be still in possession of it!?"


    The students, disciples all congregated outside the hall were all astounded; some were simply lost for words that an alleged criminal like Xiao Chen could have such magic that exceeded everyone''s expectations. But some were envious, if not jealous, that the magic and martial skills that they had been learned, the work of their life which they had been so proud of, were mere child''s play in contrast to Xiao Chen''s skills.


    Xiao Chen stopped his channeling and took a deep breath. He looked up and met the eyes of the Warden, who was still caressing his beard, nodding with interest.


    "IMPOSSIBLE!" Zuoqiu Ping roared, "T-that day... I... W-what I saw..."


    The Warden raised a hand to silence him. "This magic is so pure and sacred that only one with an honest heart will be able to use," he pronounced.


    He paused, and uttered a single word "remarkable", admitting his praise and admiration for Xiao Chen. With the passing of the last eon, the Orthodox Path had suffered from the knowledge and lore which had been lost. Without the magic and skills of their forefathers, they had been suffering great losses under the hands of the Devil''s Practice, and things were indeed getting dire.


    And yet, in his ripe age, he was able to witness once again the might and grandeur of the lost magic from the former age! It was a revelation that consoled him, promising hope for the forces of Good in their future battles against Evil as the Warden reminisced the glory of the Orthodox Path of old.


    "Tell me, boy. What school are you from?" The Warden looked down at Xiao Chen, asking him gently.


    Xiao Chen noticed the change in the Warden''s demeanor; with a more respectful tone, he replied, "I''m afraid I''m unable to reveal anything about my provenance. It''s a very, very long story."


    "So be it then," The Warden muttered, "I find you absolved from any wrongdoing, but you will be watched for three months. There can be no misdeeds, or you shall face judgment. Understood?"


    Zuoqiu Ping stood up at once. He had not expected this; the absolution of Xiao Chen from any sins could see his household bearing the blame for losing the Fallen Dust Bead! But before he could object, the Warden stopped him. "Rest assured, Master Zuoqiu. I will personally speak to the Chief myself about the loss of the Bead. The Zuoqiu Clan is not entirely to be blamed for it. Please do not worry."


    Zuoqiu Ping crumbled back to his seat and heaved a heavy breath. His main purpose was to have the blame of losing the Fallen Dust Bead diverted unto Xiao Chen. But now that the odds had stacked against his favor, this was the best outcome he could ever hope for.


    "Very well, this hearing is hereby adjourned. Let us..."


    An old man, dressed in robes of red, had taken the floor and addressed the judges. It was Ling Jingshan, the man who had lost to Xiao Chen in their battle at Xianyong City and had fled by using the Blood Yin Incantation. "I am Ling Jingshan of Clan Ling," he shouted out loud, "And I seek justice!"


    The Warden said nothing, merely nodding, allowing him to continue.


    Ling Jingshan glared viciously at Xiao Chen and thrust a finger at him, "This man had taken my grandson, Ling Yuxuan''s Spiritual Meridian months ago! The act of taking another''s Spiritual Meridian is a hateful act forbidden within the Orthodox Path! This man has broken our laws, and I urged that you judge him accordingly!"


    The hall fell silent. The Warden ran his fingers through the hairs of his beard, pondering quietly until he finally declared, "This is a matter of personal vendetta. The League does not interfere in such private matters."


    That was true. The League would have been badly short-handed if they were to meddle into every grudge and rivalry that found its way to their doors.


    Having borne no expectations that his demands would be satisfied, Ling Jingshan turned and left, seething with anger with his men trailing after him. The Warden watched them walk out the hall hurriedly and address everyone else still in the hall, "Well, then. Let us leave."


    Everyone rose and began shuffling out the doors. Xiao Chen walked out to meet a beaming Yu Yifeng and an elated Murong Xian''er. They rushed up to join him. Xiao Chen smiled and turned to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Fengxi. "Thank you both, Perfected Immortals. I''m eternally indebted."


    He was fully aware that the case against him would never have ended so easily if not for them both. Fengxi scowled. "Don''t be too happy yet. You must not get in trouble in these three months of probation."


    "Amitabha..."


    Master Xuanji''s signature Buddhist chant resounded from behind like a bell''s toll. He approached Xiao Chen and his companions with Xu Gu trotting behind him and Xiao Chen greeted them, "Greetings to you, Master Xuanji and Senior Brother Xu Gu."


    He was still confused but equally curious about the Wuyin Monastery''s role in the mystery of Xiao Ning.


    They walked across the square and were about to move down the stairs when their way was blocked by a young man. His clothing indicated that he was a member of the Ling Family.


    He eyed Xiao Chen furiously and his nostrils flared with anger, but Xiao Chen could tell that he possessed powers greater than Ling Yingfeng and the rest of his kin. Bluntly, Xiao Chen asked, "Why are you standing in our way?"


    "You, Xiao Chen, have injured two of my cousins! I shall be waiting for you in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly! I shall be one of the ten best swordsmen in the tournament and there, I shall meet you. Not to defeat you, but to seek vengeance for my kin! Blood for blood!"


    "Have it your way," Xiao Chen responded crudely and brushed past him, moving with his friends down the steps.


    The hall was fully vacated, save for the Warden and the four Stewards. "Is it prudent to just let the boy leave?" The Stewart in red breathed his hesitation grimly.


    "What else can we do?" The Warden regarded his colleague with a bleak smile, "This is a matter not only inconvenient but messy. Why do you think the old men pushed this matter our way?"


    At the same time, in a darkened room up atop one of the many floating islands hanging above Tianyuan City, four old men were huddled together, sitting around a large mirror. They were looking into it, peering on the vision in the mirror that showed what was happening in the hall earlier. They had watched the entire hearing.


    "The boy is most extraordinary and intriguing," said one of the old men, "I propose we let the matter pass. There''s no need to intrude upon the peace of the Elders upon something like this. What say you all?"


    The rest of the old men nodded. "Seems as if the Annihilation is indeed upon us. For centuries the Chief has been missing since he last set off to investigate the matter of the strange flower. There''s been no word from him and we have no knowledge of when he would return to lead us. This is grave news... especially if the evil folk were to get wind of this... I fear..."


    Xiao Chen and his companions reached the foot of the stairs to find that the early darkness was near. Master Xuanji took his leave and left with Xugu. Xiao Chen gazed up the sky, beholding the twilight panorama of the fish-scaled clouds roofing above their heads. He was free and he could hardly believe it. "So," he asked, "are we staying for a night here or are we going back now?"


    "There''s no time," Fengxi remarked, "The admission and the preliminaries for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly are just around the corner." An impish smile curled at the edge of his lips and he nudged at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen in the ribs, "Qing Chen, how about letting the boy fight for me this time? With Yifeng to represent your Jade Qing Sect, I can surely use a talent like him! Come on, let me have him!"


    The Perfected Immortal smiled wryly. He stroked his beard and said nothing, merely looking at the road ahead of them.


    "You jest, Master Fengxi," Yu Yifeng added with a chuckle, "Junior Brother Xiao is as close as a son to both my Martial Uncles, Xiaoyao and Qingfeng. It is only right that he joins the tournament under the banner of the Jade Qing Sect."


    "Well, Grandpa Qing Chen and Grandpa Fengxi have both been kind to me," Murong Xian''er quipped, giggling playfully, "But Xian''er will stand behind whichever side Big Brother Xiao Chen is at."


    "Good girl," Fengxi said at once, caressing her hair, "Surely you''ll be with us then! The Xianyong Sect has an abundance of many magical herbs and Lingzhi plants!"


    "I''d humbly beg to differ," Yu Yifeng countered, grinning wide, "Little Xian''er, you''ve seen yourself how much magical plants we have in the gardens of the Jade Qing Sect stronghold. Moreover, your big sisters, Muxue and Junior Sister Luo are there with us!"


    But Murong Xian''er was already dazed and dreamy, salivating at the prospects of more tasty magical plants and herbs, "Lingzhi... Magical plants..."


    Walking just behind, Xiao Chen was smirking to himself. "So, the Immortal''s Sword Assembly eh?" "Maybe I should join as a representative of the Mystic Cyan Sect... Although I am the last remaining member of the school..."


    But the clamor from a small mob of people coming toward them interrupted his thoughts, trailing after them was a huge crowd of townsfolk. Qingluan and Ziyun''er immediately positioned themselves in front of Xiao Chen to shield him.


    Four to five people knelt before them, crying and howling with sadness and pain. They were wearing hoods of sackcloth over their heads as an indication of a recent death of a loved one.


    "Heavens! Why is there no justice, Heavens! My family was slain by this man, yet no sentence was passed down to him!"


    The people wearing funeral attire blocked the way of Xiao Chen and his companions and began howling loudly to attract more onlookers. In just moments, the road became so crowded that Xiao Chen and his friends could not circumvent around the kneeling people.


    A young man, one of the people in funeral attire, stood up and pointed at Xiao Chen. "This is Xiao Chen! He massacred the lives of many innocents at Canglan City some time ago! My eighty-year-old mother, my new wife ¨C we''ve just been married for not even a year ¨C and our child, who''s not even eight months..."


    "Married for not even a year? A baby of not even eight months? Is this for real?" Xiao Chen could hardly believe what he was hearing.


    The young man stifled a sob and wiped off his nose. "My mother had struggled long and hard to take care of me... But before I could repay her, she''s dead... And my wife... We loved each other so much... But now we''re parted by Death..."


    He went on with his tale and many amid the crowd were getting touched and emotional. Some of the local old wives were already wiping the tears off their eyes with handkerchiefs, muttering and mumbling amongst themselves about how pitiful the young man was.


    "He is the one! He wished vengeance upon the Zuoqiu family, but in his madness and delirium for carnage, he slaughtered even the innocent of satiating his bloodlust! But look! Even the League did not find him guilty! Heaven has lost its sense of justice!" He paused to let the moment sink in, "I see... Look! There are the Perfected Immortals, the Mentors of the Jade Qing Sect and Xianyong Sect! No wonder... He is from a powerful background!"


    His complaints and ranting managed to kindle the anger of the crowd of onlookers. They began to look at Xiao Chen, their eyes blazing with rage and some yelled, "You''re learned in the arcane skills and knowledge! You should be serving the people, defending the innocents! How could you! This is unforgivable!"


    "Silence, all of you! How dare you insult our Master!" Qingluan snarled at the people.


    But Xiao Chen was hardly angered; he understood everything now: somebody had induced or even bribed this man to tarnish his reputation! What a pathetic attempt!


    The young man began wailing again, "Look, everyone! Look!" "This is the murderer who took the lives of my loved ones! But he has immortals helping him; that is why no one can do anything to him! Look at me, I''m just a common man, what can I do?!" He stopped again and heaved a breath, "I''m sorry, my wife! I''m just a helpless man who can do nothing to avenge you! But relax, I''m coming to accompany you!" He looked and found a wall and was about to hurl himself headfirst into it when some of the men from the crowd held him back.


    Qingluan felt a sliver of hatred coursing through her veins as she hissed fiercely in respond, "Quiet, you!" In a fit of anger, she raised her fist to strike at the man but Xiao Chen quickly stopped her, shaking his head.


    "What is wrong with me?" Qingluan realized. She had acted out of character. Qingluan had never acted nor operated without her Master''s consent. But she was really angry when she heard the man slandering Xiao Chen; so angry that she nearly struck out of line. "What is happening to me?" she began to ask herself...


    Xiao Chen took a step forward and stood before his companions, facing the young man. "You said moments ago that you and your wife loved each other very much?"


    The man stood up to look at Xiao Chen in the eyes. With his eyes bloodshot from the crying and his intense emotions, he spat, "Yes! Yes! You are a murderous demon! I do not have what it takes to kill you and avenge my wife! But I will not rest! Even if I am dead, I''ll try my best to return as a spirit to haunt you! Kill me now! Kill me now if you dare!"


    "Very well, then allow me to reunite you and your wife in the Underworld!"


    Xiao Chen snarled savagely at the young man. His blood started to boil and his eyes were becoming red; he was beginning to be shrouded by the same blood-curling aura that once gripped him at Canglan City. He raised his fist and time seemed to slow around him when he lunged at the young man, and unleashed his stroke.


    "NOOO!" Yu Yifeng''s voice came from behind him. But it was too late.

 Chapter 234 Sage of Medicine

    An unnatural gust of wind blew suddenly. The onlookers cowered and retreated in fear of being caught in the blast of Xiao Chen''s blow. Through the slits of their eyes, they saw with their own eyes that the man was about to be killed when he suddenly vanished at where he stood, only to reappear a split second later at several meters away.


    No one had foreseen this would happen; everybody had thought that the man would be killed! But how could he have moved so quickly?!


    Xiao Chen was wearing a thin smile. He withdrew his stroke and said coolly to the man, "You said earlier that you are but a common man. Does a common man command the magic of the levels of the Foundation Building Realm?"


    "XIAO CHEN! HOW DARE YOU!" But that was all the man could say. With just a glimpse of his ferocious aura and the man''s own reflexes, Xiao Chen had exposed him as a charlatan who had tried to inflame the crowd against him.


    "You would have already been dead if I really wished it so," Xiao Chen said plainly and he addressed the crowd, "I believe everyone can see that this man intends only to slander me."


    The dawning comprehension hit the crowd like an emotional wave. Realizing that they had been tricked, several members of the crowd looked at the young man and his sackcloth-clad cohorts with fuming glares. Even the few old wives had stowed away their handkerchieves and were boiling with fury.


    "Let''s go!" The young man growled, leading his cohorts away with him and disappeared into the crowd.


    Xiao Chen snorted. At the top of his voice, he bellowed, "Anyone from Clans Ling or Zuoqiu, hear me! I challenge you, all of you! I shall be waiting for you all upon the arena in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly that will be held three months from now! Let us meet there and fight honorably instead! Enough with all the cloak and dagger lest you dishonor yourselves!"


    Yu Yifeng gave a breath of relief; his back was already soaked with a sheen of cold sweat. "I was so afraid that you would really..."


    Xiao Chen smiled at him, "Rest assured, Brother Yifeng. I''ve had enough of your ranting to last me a lifetime that I should be careful and prudent."


    With the brief episode on the street finally at an end, they moved on, finally arriving at their lodgings before the sun was fully gone. During the way, Xiao Chen did not fail to notice that there was something wrong about Qingluan. But she refused to admit anything no matter how he asked her.


    Zi Mo was talking to another old man, whose long beard and hair were white as snow, when they reached their lodgings. They saw Xiao Chen walking into the courtyard of the compound and Zi Mo got up. "How was it? Are you well?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and shook his head. "Great Immortal from Hell," Xiao Chen teased playfully, "Things would be unwell if you had really slain the two Envoys."


    "Shhhh!" Zi Mo threw his arms up and rushed forward in an attempt to stop him from saying more. There was no stopping his child-like shenanigans.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen could only snigger at his junior''s antics. He walked to the old man and beckoned at Xiao Chen, "Come. Allow me to present to you, Perfected Immortal Tai Yi of the Order of the Countless Blades."


    The Jade Qing Seven enjoyed close friendships and connections with many across the Five Continents. Xiao Chen went to the old man and bowed to him, "Greetings, Perfected Immortal Tai Yi. My name is Xiao Chen."


    Perfected Immortal Tai Yi nodded with a commending smile, "This boy is not half bad."


    They began exchanging news and greetings while getting themselves comfortably settled into their lodgings. Xiao Chen waited until the sky was fully dark and said to his seniors, "I''d take my leave for a moment, Seniors. I''ll be back in a moment."


    Yu Yifeng stopped him just before he went out. He looked worried. "It''s already dark, Junior Brother Xiao. Where are you off to at this hour?"


    "It''ll just take a moment. I''m fine," Xiao Chen replied, wearing a smile to console him. Before he went out, he looked briefly at Qingluan, indicating to her that he wished to be alone and no one should follow.


    Once he was out of the compound, Xiao Chen walked and navigated through the streets with amazing ease. He entered a small, darkened alleyway and stopped face to face with a man.


    "Master Gui Xian, what brings you here?" He had picked up Gui Xian''s presence during the company''s way to their lodgings.


    Gui Xian threw his green hood and cape back to reveal himself. "I came as soon as I got wind of your arrest by the League. How are you? I''m sorry that you have gotten in trouble for my sake..."


    Xiao Chen stopped him with a hand. "It''s fine. I was just thinking about looking for you. I need a medicine that can remove scars from one''s face. Do you have a recipe for such a medicine?"


    Xiao Chen had always feared Zuoqiu Que''s prowess with medicine as an Elixir King. But Gui Xian''s deftness with medicine was on another level; mysterious yet impeccable in some ways that made Xiao Chen feel that Gui Xian''s skills were far more superior.


    "Remove scar? You can get something like that anywhere? Why do you need to ask me for?"


    "No," Xiao Chen remarked, "I need something that can cure the scars caused by a venom known as the Thousand Spiders Poison." He remembered what Ziyun''er had told him about the scar on Qingluan''s face that it was caused by this venom.


    Gui Xian was startled to hear the name of the venom; clearly, he was no stranger to its potency. But he immediately looked apologetic. "I might be able to produce something that can be of such use to you, only if I have my former powers. But now that I''m a... Well, the Thousand Spiders Poison is one of the most tricky substances in existence. Concocting an effective cure would require a reactant, something rare; one that will enable me to brew something useful."


    "And what is this reactant that you require?" Xiao Chen asked. He was beginning to feel troubled; Gui Xian''s mention of "rare" did not seem to bode well.


    "The sap from a fully-matured Spirited Lingzhi."


    The revelation brought a frown to Xiao Chen. Spirited Lingzhi was a type of magical herb, one of the rarest of the kind. It was a magical herb which had absorbed years and years of a never-ending supply of the Earth''s natural aura and had undergone a full mutation with its potency increased.


    It took three thousand years for a Spirited Lingzhi to grow fully. Not only it was rare, but the herb had also absorbed enough natural energies to achieve a conscience of its own, hence it could flee and hide like how a beast could. Not even people with powers of the Nirvana Realm or the Apotheosis Realm could easily catch one.


    "Is there no other way?"


    Gui Xian fell silent, pondering for options. At length, he said, "Unless we''re able to enlist the help of an Elixir Saint. Then we might not need the sap after all."


    Xiao Chen shook his head, slightly disheartened. He wielded not even the authority to recruit the help of an Elixir Spirit, never mind an Elixir Saint; a feat that even one with the powers of the Apotheosis Realm might plead incompetence.


    "On another note, I hope you won''t mind me asking, Senior. At what levels have you reached with your skills in medicine, Senior? Is that why the Zuoqiu Family wished ill upon you?"


    Gui Xian chuckled gloomily. "I was once the greatest healer ever known in my former life time. Many an Elixir Saint have begged for me to take them under my wing out of their admiration to my skills. Alas, I''ve barely reached the level of Elixir King when my climb to my former glory was cut-short by Zuoqiu Ping''s evil plot." There was pain and agony in his voice that Xiao Chen began to feel sorry for him.


    Xiao Chen sighed heavily. He, of all people, could truly understand the weight of the phrase "former lifetime" better than others. Here, after countless millennia, he found himself being thrust into the future. He was hardly alone. But he could not deny the emptiness within him that had never stopped haunting him. The hollow yearning for his friends that no longer existed. It was an agony that he could hardly describe to anyone and a stab of pain that no one could possibly understand.


    But now, hearing Gui Xian speaking about his past, seemed to form a kinship between them. "Fret not, Senior Gui Xian. The day will come when I will have enough strength, and I will avenge you for the hardships and torment you''ve endured." He was not referring to the Zuoqiu Family, but the people who had plotted against Gui Xian in his former life time.


    Gui Xian said nothing and merely smiled weakly. "But a long time may pass before we meet each other again. Can you divulge to me the formula for your medicine? I might not amount to much, but I do know a little in the skills of brewing medicine."


    Gui Xian nodded. "There''s no need for modesty. I have long noticed that you have your Divine Sense. This alone is enough to indicate that you might have greater talent in medicine that I do."


    He told Xiao Chen about the recipe and extracted a large tome. "This is a copy of the Elixir King Scripture, a tome hand-written by an Elixir God of the bygone age. I have re-arranged everything for a more effortless perusal. Use it freely; you might achieve more than I did in my former life."


    "B-but... This is too heavy a gift, Senior... I cannot..."


    Gui Xian must have been feeling indebted to him for saving him from the clutches of the Zuoqiu Family.


    "This is not about repaying my debt," Gui Xian denied, "This is about talent. I know your talent far outstrips mine. But because of my condition, I cannot stay by your side to guide and advise you. From this," Gui Xian patted the cover of the tome, "you can learn a lot from my rearrangement. I''m sure you''ll progress well."

 Chapter 235 Elixir King Scripture

    "Then¡­ Thank you, Senior."


    Xiao Chen didn''t try to turn down him anymore. He accepted the scripture and carefully tucked it into his bosom.


    Gui Xian nodded. "It''s getting late. You should go home now so your friends don''t worry. Oh, and you must remember to keep the Elixir King Scripture a secret. Otherwise, you''ll be bringing disaster upon yourself. When that happens, it''ll be as good as me killing you."


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Senior, you should be careful of that soul organization called the Administration of Heaven as well." Even though they hadn''t known each other for long, he felt a sense of solidarity with him. He didn''t want to see the Administration of Heaven capturing Gui Xian and refining his soul.


    Nodding, Gui Xian said, "I understand. You have to be prudent too. Your rising popularity means that many are looking to cause trouble for you."


    The two of them saluted and bade each other farewell. When Xiao Chen returned to his courtyard, he saw several lamps lighting the interior of the house. Qing Chen, Fengxi, and the others were inside the courtyard. In the curtain of the night, he could faintly see that they were frowning.


    Seeing their solemn expressions, Xiao Chen knew better than to go over and ask them what had happened. He walked over to Yu Yifeng and asked quietly, "What''s wrong?"


    Yu Yifeng''s brows were furrowed. In a low voice, he replied, "They appear to be worrying about the Fallen Immortals Sect that had shown up out of nowhere."


    Fallen Immortals Sect? Xiao Chen was stunned. What cultivators'' sect would use such a pessimistic name? Something was definitely up! He asked, "What do you mean?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head. "I don''t know the origins of the sect either. I''ve never even heard of it. But this time, they sent ten of their people and even announced that they''d be dominating the list of top ten strongest cultivators in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly."


    How brazen! Such audacity!


    Dumbfounded, Xiao Chen thought that not even he said anything about getting on the list of top ten strongest cultivators in the assembly. That sect was truly looking down on the other sects in the Violet Manor. He asked, "Are they that powerful?"


    Yu Yifeng looked up at him. "Are you familiar with the Divine Mist Sect?"


    Xiao Chen racked his brain. If he remembered correctly, Zuoqiu Yang seemed to be the direct disciple of the Divine Mist Sect Leader. That sect seemed pretty capable.


    "The Divine Mist Sect is the largest cultivators'' sect in the Middle Continent, also the strongest. In the last Immortal''s Sword Assembly, four of the top ten came from the Middle Continent and all came from this sect. Moreover, they were also the top four."


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. He remembered hearing that no one from the East Continent made the top ten. Considering this, the Divine Mist Sect was indeed a force to be reckoned with. He asked, "Then?"


    Yu Yifeng took a deep breath. "The Fallen Immortals Sect announced a while back that they would be dominating the top ten list, so the Divine Mist Sect is naturally unhappy. Five of their disciples went for a challenge, but all of them ended up getting defeated by only one person."


    Xiao Chen contemplated this for a moment. Was the Fallen Immortals Sect that insanely powerful? He asked, "You really don''t know their origins?"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head. "I know absolutely nothing, and so does everyone else. There are no records of them as well. Their cultivation method seems to have originated from the previous Cultivators'' Era."


    The previous Cultivators'' Era! Xiao Chen was shocked. Wasn''t the previous era the one that he came from? Could these people be disciples of an Ancient Immortal Clan that escaped the calamity back then?


    "That''s not even their strongest suit. The more shocking part is that all of them have at least six Spiritual Meridians. It''s common to find one with nine Spiritual Meridians among them. I even heard that they have someone with more than twelve."


    "What?!" Xiao Chen was once again shocked. Twelve Spiritual Meridians were the limit, so how could there be more? Could these people be even more formidable than him?


    Moreover, the level of their aptitude was borderline outrageous. The entry requirement into the Violet Manor was typically one Spiritual Meridian. Those with three were considered a prodigy. Those with six were considered a dragon among humans. Those with nine didn''t exist.


    Brother Yifeng seemed to possess six Spiritual Meridians himself, meaning that he had just barely made the entry requirement of the Fallen Immortals Sect. These people were a little too outrageously strong, weren''t they?


    Sighing, Yu Yifeng shook his head. "Either way, the competition will stiff this time. The registration test will begin in a few days, and then two months of internal training will begin. Junior Sister Li and Junior Sister Luo should be arriving soon. Xiao Chen, do your best. Never mind the top ten. It''ll be remarkable enough a feat to make the top twenty."


    Xiao Chen nodded and said nothing. After contemplating for some time, he asked, "When was the Immortal''s Sword Assembly established?"


    "Some three thousand years ago. The large sects from the five main continents worked together to hold the assembly, with the Immortals'' League acting as the host. In the beginning, it was held every other year. Then, it was held every thirty years. Currently, it''s held every ten years."


    Xiao Chen said nothing as he digested this information. Why was the assembly held increasingly frequently?


    "I heard the rewards for the top three are particularly generous this time around, attracting the attention of countless sects. That''s why this time around, there are more participants than usual."


    Xiao Chen nodded. For some reason, he was beginning to find this Immortal''s Sword Assembly to be anything but simple. Regardless, he would do his best this time. It would do him good to meet those from the Fallen Immortals Sect.


    Then, Fengxi and the rest got together and left. He didn''t know where they were heading. Yu Yifeng returned to his room and started meditating. With furrowed brows, Xiao Chen went back to his room. The Fallen Immortals Sect was very strange to him. He vowed that he would reach the Nascent Soul Realm within three months no matter what, so he could stand a chance against powerful opponents.


    After lightning the candlelight, he fished out the Elixir King Scripture that Gui Xian gave him and pored over it. The scripture not only contained numerous methods to refine medicine, but also prescriptions for countless long-extinct magic potions.


    "Evolution of Tao Pills, low-grade. Cultivators who consume this pill will temporarily experience heightened sensitivity to Spiritual Qi, allowing their cultivation progress to speed up¡­"


    Xiao Chen mulled over the entry of the Evolution of Tao Pills and committed the making process and all the ingredients listed in the prescription to memory. He continued until it was near midnight, when a burst of cold wind infiltrated his room through the window and caused the candle flame inside to flicker.


    "Who is it?!"


    Xiao Chen yelled in a low voice, unleashing his Unsullied Sword at the same time. The sword transformed into a white light and charged out of the window.


    "Ah, Handsome Brother! It''s me! Are you going to kill me?" A hushed teenage girl''s voice came from outside the window.


    Xiao Chen''s figure went out of focus and in the next moment, he was outside the house. Under the moonlight, a red-clothed girl was standing behind a flowering tree in the courtyard. The Unsullied Sword hovered in mid-air as it emitted a flickering cold radiance at the tip of its blade. It stopped a mere inch away from her mid-brows.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Frowning, Xiao Chen immediately recognized her to be the girl from the Devil''s Practice, Yu Linglong.


    "Sob¡­ Handsome Brother, don''t be so fierce. I heard they captured you and came here out of fear for your safety."


    "Whether I''m in trouble or near death, both have nothing to do with you!" Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves coldly, retrieving his Unsullied Sword.


    Yu Linglong sighed in relief. She took a few steps forward with a grin. "But¡­"


    "No ''buts''! Good and evil cannot travel down the same path. If I see you again, I promise I won''t show you any mercy. Leave now!" Xiao Chen flicked his sleeve, sending a sword flying at her.


    Under the moonlight, the cold radiance coming from the Unsullied Sword flickered. It looked both emotionless and ruthless.


    Yu Linglong stopped in her tracks. Pouting, she said quietly, "Handsome Brother, do you hate seeing me that much¡­?"


    Right then, Yu Yifeng''s voice came from another house. "Junior Brother Xiao, why aren''t you asleep at this hour?"


    Xiao Chen frowned. He glared at Yu Linglong, earning him a scoff from her. With a leap, she disappeared amidst the hazy moonlight.


    "I''m just taking a walk since I can''t sleep. Brother Yifeng, please rest early," Xiao Chen said, staring in the direction where Yu Linglong disappeared in. His heart suddenly ached, reminding him of Hua Weiyang.


    If he hadn''t met her then, perhaps¡­ There was no perhaps. He didn''t regret his decision.


    After a long time, a quiet sigh came from Yu Yifeng''s room.

 Chapter 236 Prince of Xiyue State

    Before the sun even rose, Xiao Chen left the courtyard with all of his savings¡ªthree Tier Two Spirit Stones, seven Tier One Spirit Stones, and some coins. Even though it was a pitiful sum, he still came back by noon with packages of all sizes containing ingredients. When he was in the city, he also learned the location of a trading house called the Myriad Immortals Pavilion.


    Murong Xian''er, who couldn''t find him the entire morning, was angry when she saw him returning. "So annoying! How can you go out and play without me?"


    Xiao Chen chuckled and ordered Qingluan and Ziyun''er to take her out to play. He returned to his room, closed the door and windows shut, and placed all the ingredients he bought on the table. He then took out the Wonder Wood Cauldron that had been lying unused in his Divine Vessel for a long time.


    The cauldron was a purple-tinted brown color, made from some unknown material. Not only could it keep the spirit energy from leaking during the cooking process, but it could also allow his Divine Sense to roam freely inside the cauldron. It was the mini cauldron that Elder Wu used as his ashtray back in Sunset Peak, Three Pure Sect.


    It went without saying that its success rate at producing top-tier magic potions was high as well. Take the Evolution of Tao Pills in his hand for example. Tier Three apothecaries and below had no hope of refining them. However, his Divine Sense was better than most people. He had very firm control over the circumstances inside the stove and the temperature of the fire. He was essentially born with the talent of making medicine.


    He then divided the ingredients into ten portions, thinking that it would be a success if he could make five pills out of them. After half a day, the entire room was permeated by the faint fragrance of medicine. Looking at the three pills that were radiating a dim white light in his hand, he shook his head with a smile. He thought he would be able to make five pills and yet in the end, only three succeeded. His previous attempts all failed due to a lack of experience.


    Pills were also divided into tiers. Core-forming Pills and the like could only be categorized as Tier Two pills. Nascent Soul Pills were in Tier Three while Nirvana Pills were in Tier Four. The Evolution of Tao Pills were considered to be in top-grade Tier Three. Its faint white glow was characteristic of this.


    Chuckling, Xiao Chen placed the three pills in its individual jade bottles. He would ask Qingluan to take them to the trading house tomorrow. He had never sold medicine and didn''t know the market price either. He didn''t even know if there was a demand for these pills. It would be great if he could make a profit, but he was content with just breaking even. He didn''t want to have to spend Muxue and Senior Sister Luo''s money when they arrive.


    It would be a problem if no one wanted the pills. That would mean that he would have to ask Brother Yifeng for a loan to cover his lodging for the next few months. That would be inappropriate.


    When the curtain of the night was about to fall, Murong Xian''er, Qingluan, and Ziyun''er returned. In their hands were all sorts of strange toys.


    "How was it? Did you have fun playing with these two older sisters?" Xiao Chen walked over to them with a smile.


    "Yeap, yeap!" Murong Xian''er nodded several times.


    Xiao Chen caressed her hair with a smile. He turned to Qingluan and Ziyun''er and said, "Thank you." Seeing as he would have to focus on his cultivation now, he wouldn''t have much time to keep Xian''er company. These ladies were a great comfort to him. He was very at ease to leave Xian''er in their hands.


    "We dare not claim merit for doing our duty," Qingluan and Ziyun''er said in unison.


    Xiao Chen said nothing. The next morning, he handed Qingluan three Evolution of Tao Pills. She only returned in the afternoon. He asked impatiently, "How was it?"


    Qingluan presented him with an embroidered box. When he opened it, he immediately felt a strong wave of spirit energy. Sitting inside was one Tier Four and two Tier Three Spirit Stones.


    "Haha!"


    He never thought he would make such a hefty return on his investment of several pieces of Tier Two Spirit Stones and some crudely-made pills. One Tier Four Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten pieces of Tier Three Spirit Stones, one hundred pieces of Tier Two Spirit Stones, one thousand pieces of Tier One Spirit Stones, and one hundred thousand taels.


    Suddenly, he felt like he had struck gold.


    "Did the staff at the auction house ask you where you get these ''One-day Decade Pills''?"


    "They did, but I ignored them and left."


    Xiao Chen nodded. The Evolution of Tao Pills were made based on the prescription on the Elixir King Scripture. He couldn''t very well sell them under their true name.


    "Well done. Later in the afternoon, you and Ziyun''er will join me. We''re going to buy some ingredients."


    When noon rolled around, the three of them went to the city and went their separate ways to buy the ingredients. They converged at the public square filled with sculptures in Dongcheng district at dusk.


    Tianyuan City, as the largest city in the Middle Continent that boasted tens of millions of residents, would surely see a crowd of middle-aged married women gathering in its square and dancing along to the music. Commoners had their way of life, too. This had become a spectacle unique to Tianyuan City.


    Yet, many young couples sitting in the shade of trees were confused by what they were seeing. Some even turn up their noses at them, calling it a crowd of dancing devils.


    Xiao Chen waited for Qingluan and Ziyun''er in front of a sculpture. It had been nearly an hour and the sun had stretched his and the sculpture''s shadow long and narrow.


    "Why aren''t they back yet? Could they be in trouble?"


    Meanwhile, a crowd had formed in a lane nearby. Many were tiptoeing as if they were watching some commotion.


    "What''s wrong? You''re going to leave without even greeting your former master?" The one speaking was a teenager dressed in a brocade suit who held a folding fan in his hand. His gaze was scornful as he stared at Qingluan and Ziyun''er. The sneer on his face never once faded.


    Next to him were six guards blocking the ladies from leaving.


    "The Crown Prince granted us our freedom that day. Please don''t make things difficult for us."


    Qingluan''s eyes were cold and grave. Ziyun''er trembled next to her, not daring to speak a word.


    "Freedom?"


    The teenager was the Second Prince of Xiyue State, Chu Xuan. He lifted his head and smiled. Closing the folding fan in his hand, he pointed it at her. "A slave will always be a slave!" he bellowed, his gaze turning cold. "Bring them back!"


    Obeying the order, the six guards immediately surrounded the two ladies. Qingluan''s face fell. She whipped out her curved blade, which glinted ominously. Not even ten of these imperial guards were a match for her, but in the next second, she lost all courage even to move. Her eyes fell on the jade note that had suddenly appeared in Chu Xuan''s hand.


    "I dare you to move! Go on! If you dare move, I''ll rip this to pieces and have your soul disintegrate into dust!"


    "No!" Ziyun''er cried, shocked. Her face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.


    Chu Xuan sneered. He said to the guards flanking him in an emotionless tone, "Bring them back."


    "Wait!" Qingluan cried, raising her hand. She took out the ingredients that she bought earlier and handed them to Ziyun''er. She said quietly, "Bring these back."


    She then turned around to look at Chu Xuan. She said coolly, "Let her go. I''ll leave with you." Ziyun''er kept tugging on her sleeve, shaking her head. "No¡­"


    Chu Xuan raised his head and laughed heartily. "Since you share such a touching sisterhood, it''s best if you two come with me. If you serve me well tonight, I''ll consider sparing one of you!" With a wave of his hand, his six guards immediately had the ladies surrounded.


    Right at this moment, a silhouette appeared in front of Qingluan and Ziyun''er.


    "What''s going on?" Xiao Chen turned around and asked. He had just arrived, so he had no idea what was happening.


    "Master¡­" Qingluan and Ziyun''er relaxed when they saw him.


    "Master?" Chu Xuan scoffed. "What, you''re serving a pretty boy now? Sure enough, slaves will always be slaves. You''re destined to be slaves from the moment you were born."


    "Who are you calling slaves...?" Xiao Chen turned his head and glared daggers at him. Those watching the commotion felt a chill run down their spine. His pressure also made the guards afraid to move.


    Chu Xuan sneered and pointed to the ladies behind Xiao Chen with his folding fan. "I called them slaves. What are you going to do about it?"


    "You''re courting death!"


    Xiao Chen activated his True Energy and immediately and then a gale rose. In the following second, two swords flew toward Chu Xuan. Chu Xuan sneered and flicked his sleeves. With two clanging noises, he easily avoided the blades.


    "Is that all you''ve got? To think you''re foolish enough to try and act like a hero."


    Seeing that Xiao Chen wanted to use his Mystic Skill, Ziyun''er hastily tugged on his hand from behind. "Master, don''t¡­"


    Xiao Chen turned his head and saw how pale she looked. She must have suffered quite a bit earlier. He said softly, "I''m sorry. I was waiting at the square, not knowing that you two were in trouble."


    Ziyun''er shook her head and replied softly, "Let''s go back¡­"


    "Go back?" Chu Xuan''s eyes turned steely. "Did I agree to let you go¡­?"


    Without waiting for him to finish, Xiao Chen glared at him. "I don''t care who you are. You¡¯d better not cause trouble for them."


    "Hehe, is that so? What if I kill them in front of you?" Chu Xian chuckled wickedly. Then, an ominous glint flashed in his pupils, and he tried to crush the jade note in his hands. Ziyun''er cried in shock, "No!"


    Sharp-minded as Xiao Chen was, he detected the change occurring in Qingluan at this moment. He immediately unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and appeared in front of Chu Xuan like a ghost, grabbing onto his neck.


    "If you crush the jade note, I''ll crush your neck."


    "What the heck?! You''re just a Core Forming Realm cultivator! How can you move so quickly?!" Chu Xuan appeared to have not realized how close he was to hell earlier.


    Taking advantage of Chu Xuan''s lapse in concentration, Ziyun''er moved speedily and snatched the jade note in his hand.


    Seeing as the danger was over, Xiao Chen scoffed and threw Chu Xuan to the ground.


    Chu Xuan was as infuriated as he was humiliated. He hastily recited a spell and instantly, six Sword Qi of a dazzling gold color charged at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen flicked his wide sleeves backward. Amid a deafening Dragon''s Roar, two golden figures of a dragon flew out and rendered the six Sword Qi into nothingness in a flash.


    Unable to stabilize his footing, Chu Xuan staggered several steps backward. Shock colored his face as he pointed. "You''re¡­ Xiao Chen!"


    The expression of those watching the commotion changed after hearing this name and they hastily made their escape. Was he that human-slaying mad Devil that slaughtered in Canglan City just a few days ago?


    Thanks to the endless gossiping and evolving nature of rumors, many who didn''t know better became fixated on Xiao Chen being a Great Devil who could kill without blinking.

 Chapter 237 Souls Life Source

    Xiao Chen''s fame had been skyrocketing in recent days. Even though many had never seen him in person, his ability to turn into a shadow, perform instantaneous formations, summon ancient dragon figures from his palm, and long-extinct supreme arts had become his trademarks.


    Chu Xuan balled his hands into such tight fists that his bones were creaking. Before he came here, his Imperial Mother had repeatedly warned him not to easily provoke this person. But how could he, the Second Prince of Xiyue State, allow himself to be humiliated by Xiao Chen in front of so many people? Moreover, he also had another identity: the direct disciple of the Divine Mist Sect''s First Elder.


    "How dare you! I''m the Prince of Xiyue!"


    The crowd was alarmed to hear that he was a Prince of Xiyue State. Xiyue was one of the biggest states in the Middle Continent. More importantly, the state was well-connected with many cultivators'' sects and had quite the influence.


    Xiao Chen said emotionlessly, "Prince? Tianyuan City doesn''t belong to any state. Moreover, a prince and a commoner are no different to me."


    "No!" Chu Xuan was livid. He recited a spell, summoning three small swords bathed in gleaming golden glow that rapidly spun around him. He then threw three talismans to the sky, and they latched onto small swords. Instantly, the golden glow grew dazzlingly bright as the body of the swords grew seven or eight times larger. A boundless Sword Qi swept the vital force in the world, calling forth a storm.


    Naturally, a prince like him would be equipped with magic treasures and talismans for protection when he was out and about.


    The three golden swords emanated a boundless pressure and were imbued with potentially destructive power. Qingluan and Ziyun''er cried in unison, "Master, watch out!" They moved in the following second, protecting Xiao Chen on both sides.


    "Hmph!" Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves disdainfully. With a raise of his hand, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was instantly within his grip. He pointed the tip of the blade at the sky as it emanated a dazzling red radiance. One could faintly hear the nefarious hissing in the background. The red radiance began spinning around the blade as it scattered dense bloodlust all around.


    Everyone felt a chill run down their back. Under cover of the boundless killing intent from the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, they remained quiet out of fear. Even the golden radiance of Chu Xuan''s three swords dimmed a fair amount, and their blades kept trembling.


    Every Legendary Weapon had its soul. It was obvious that the spirits of the three swords couldn''t resist the terrifying aura of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, resulting in the birth of "fear" in them.


    "Protect His Highness!" The six guards moved simultaneously to protect Chu Xuan from all directions.


    By now, Chu Xuan''s bravado had diminished a fair amount. He said in resentment, "Xiao Chen, do you think you''re at the level where you can go on a rampage as you please and stand up against an entire country?"


    "I don''t provoke anyone who doesn''t provoke me, but I''ll put an end to anyone who provokes me no matter where they are!"


    After saying his piece, Xiao Chen put away his blade and left calmly with Qingluan and Ziyun''er.


    Chu Xuan''s bones creaked noisily as he tightened his fist and watched him leave composedly. Then, he yelled at the onlookers around him, "Mind your own business!"


    The crowd immediately dispersed after being shouted at. One of the guards leaned into his ear and whispered, "Seeing as the members of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon are with Xiao Chen, he must have something to do with the ambushing of the Crown Prince outside the palace. Your Highness, should we¡­"


    Chu Xuan raised his hand. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he stared in the direction where Xiao Chen left in. He said solemnly, "I have my plans. Your suggestion is unnecessary!"


    Xiao Chen and the two ladies only made it back to the courtyard at nightfall. Qingluan and Ziyun''er said little about Chu Xuan, so Xiao Chen didn''t question them either. Recalling that the jade note seemed to be a great threat to Qingluan, he asked, ''What''s that jade note?"


    Ziyun''er was momentarily silent before replying, "Elder Sister''s Soul''s Life Source is sealed inside the jade note. It had always been in the Crown Prince''s hands, but for some reason¡­"


    Xiao Chen nodded. He knew a thing or two about Soul''s Life Source. A cultivator must never allow his Soul''s Life Source to fall into someone else''s hands. If it were destroyed and refined, he would suffer great damage to his vital soul and see his spirit disintegrate into dust.


    The former head of the Corpse Refinery Sect, Yu Yangzi, appeared to suffer various restrictions because he left his Soul''s Life Source at the sect. It was so much so that he had no choice but to allow the two Blood Corpses to take him away obediently.


    Naturally, Xiyue had sealed Qingluan''s Soul''s Life Source to threaten her so that she wouldn''t be able to defect in her entire life. What Xiao Chen was curious about was if Xiyue had the Soul''s Life Source of the other eleven ladies as well.


    "Do they only have Qingluan''s Soul''s Life Source?"


    Ziyun''er gave a small nod.


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Give it to me then."


    Qingluan''s expression shifted ever so subtly but became fixed just as swiftly. It was much better to have her Master keep her Soul''s Life Source rather than leaving it in Chu Xuan''s hands. Ziyun''er sneaked a glance at her but didn''t say anything. She carefully handed the jade note to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen accepted the jade note and looked at Qingluan. "Come to my room at midnight." He then walked into the courtyard.


    The night deepened four hours later. The full moon climbed high in the sky, casting gauze-like dim moonlight on everything.


    The breeze brushed the branches, causing the leaves to rustle noisily in the otherwise pin-drop silence. Several flower petals fell along with the wind, moving as gently like falling feathers.


    Qingluan arrived at Xiao Chen''s door and saw that the candle flames inside had yet to be extinguished. She gently pushed the door open and said in a low voice, "I wonder what orders you have for me, to call me to your room this late at night."


    She had her head lowered as she spoke. The moonlight perfectly outlined her body, making her look even more enchanting.


    "Come in and close the doors."


    Xiao Chen''s voice was light. When he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the jade note in his hand.


    "Yes."


    Qingluan entered the room and gently shut the doors behind her. Then, she slowly made her way to him.


    Xiao Chen looked up and noticed her thin clothes. "It''s turning colder lately. Don''t you feel cold, wearing such thin clothing? We''re entering winter soon. Go to the city and buy more clothes for you and your sisters tomorrow."


    "Yes¡­" Qingluan continued to keep her head lowered.


    Xiao Chen nodded. He pointed to a spacious area in the room. "Take a seat there."


    "Yes." Qingluan continued to speak very little and obeyed his order automatically. She walked over to the place where he was pointing at and sat down cross-legged.


    Xiao Chen rose to his feet and joined her. He sat in front of her and said, "If we work together, we should be able to break the seal on this jade note."


    Before Qingluan came, he analyzed the jade note for a long time. Not only was the seal on it precise, but it was also planted by a Nascent Soul Realm expert. His strength alone wasn''t enough to break the seal. A moment of carelessness might very well cost Qingluan her soul.


    "Master¡­" Qingluan abruptly lifted her head. She never expected that he would want to return her Soul''s Life Source to her.


    "Stay focused." Shaking his head, Xiao Chen pressed two fingers together and brought them to his lips. He then tossed the jade note to the air and supported it with his vital force. The jade note began to hover between them slowly.


    "Let''s start!"


    Xiao Chen pushed his palms forward simultaneously. Qingluan knew better to say anything now. She extended her arms and slammed her palms onto his. Immediately, a boundless mysterious force began pouring into the jade note.


    Following a tremor, the jade note began to emit a layer of golden glow that resisted their mysterious force. Two hours later, the glow of the jade note gradually dimmed until a wisp of smoke emerged from it. The smoke then entered Qingluan through her mid-brows.


    The two of them looked as pale as a ghost. They were dripping with so much sweat that their clothes were drenched. Xiao Chen exhaled and said, "That sure isn''t easy. I think the one who made the seal must have noticed that it''s been undone."


    All sorts of thoughts ran through Qingluan''s mind. She would never be at peace for as long as this jade note existed, but she had finally regained her Soul''s Life Source now. "I feel deeply apologetic for making you waste so much of your vital force on me¡­"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a chuckle. When he accidentally noticed her thin clothes pressing tightly against her skin, revealing a hazy sort of beauty, his heart stirred. He immediately recited the mental cultivation method of the Mystic Cyan Sect to quell his passing thoughts. "Is that guy from earlier today a prince of Xiyue?"


    "Chu Xuan is the Second Prince of Xiyue State. He''s a narrow-minded person. Now that you have offended him, you must watch out for him."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Don''t worry about me. I have tasks for you in the coming days. Go back and get some rest for now."


    "Yes." Qingluan stood up. Seeing that he was dripping with sweat, she whispered, "Do you need me to help you take a bath and change?"


    Xiao Chen was in a daze for a long time before he finally lifted his head and waved his hand. "Not necessary. You may leave."


    "Yes," Qingluan replied softly. She opened the door and exited the room.


    It wasn''t until a long time had passed after she left that Xiao Chen finally heaved a sigh of relief. He shook his head as hard as he could. "Xiao Chen, oh, Xiao Chen. If a cultivator can''t maintain a peaceful mind, it''ll serve as a great obstacle in the future. Have you forgotten your Master''s instruction after coming to the world of mortals in the Violet Manor?"


    Moments later, he picked up the now-defunct precious stone and crushed it with a gentle pinch.


    Every leader of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon must hand over her Soul''s Life Source, lest its members defect in the future. However, Xiao Chen would never do this.


    Thus, his action subtly set into stone some future events.

 Chapter 238 To Meet in His Best Clothes

    In the next few days, Xiao Chen holed himself in his room to refine pills. He had Qingluan and Ziyun''er sell the pills off in an auction at the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, earning him a handsome sum. Never mind the money for several months'' of lodging, he had more than enough to purchase several luxurious courtyards in Tianyuan City.


    His earnings were negligible to a cultivator; however; it wasn''t enough to pay even one-hundredth of the price for a top-quality magic treasure or an ancient cultivation method.


    He had made up his mind to personally participate in the auction fiesta of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, held once every ten years. Cultivators from all over the world would be gathered there. He was curious if he could find anything suitable for him there.


    Today, Qingluan and Ziyun''er came over and handed him a brocade box full of Spirit Stones. He repeated the same question he asked over the past few days, "Who are the people who bought these pills?"


    "Besides cultivators from large sects, someone from the Zuoqiu family seemed to have bought it as well." Qingluan faithfully reported what she knew.


    "Someone from the Zuoqiu family?" Xiao Chen sneered, instantly understanding what was going on.


    The Evolution of Tao Pills that he refined were recorded in the Elixir King Scripture, and its effectiveness far exceeded pills of the same rank. With the Immortal''s Sword Assembly around the corner, these pills were bestsellers. The Elixir King of the Zuoqiu family, Zuoqiu Que, would naturally take advantage of this frenzy to make a good earning.


    However, his business must have suffered greatly from the sale of Xiao Chen''s "One-day Decade Pills". His stock outnumbered Xiao Chen''s but lost at one aspect: the price.


    Most preferred Xiao Chen''s more effective pills, which was likely why Zuoqiu Que decided to buy one and reverse-engineer it. That way, he could reproduce the pills. It wasn''t merely out of a desire to regain business but also a desire to obtain the prescription of such a great pill.


    This didn''t worry Xiao Chen at all. No one would be able to reverse-engineer any of the pills recorded in the Elixir King Scripture. Even if they somehow managed to figure out its prescription, they would fail without the refinery techniques and Gui Xian''s notes written in the scripture.


    "There''s also one more thing. The chief auctioneer of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion hopes that you''ll attend their Myriad Immortals Assembly three days later."


    Qingluan took out a small, purple-golden card and continued, "This is their VIP card. They hope you''ll make an appearance."


    Xiao Chen accepted the purple-golden card and chuckled. This was exactly what he wanted.


    Of course, he understood why they gave him this VIP card. They were trying to rope him in.


    Even though his Evolution of Tao Pills were only Tier Three pills, not even Rank Four Elixir King would be able to replicate his distinct refinery techniques. And an Elixir King of that rank would be enough to be a VIP nearly anywhere. Those from the Myriad Immortals Pavilion must have misunderstood that he had a Rank Five Elixir Master.


    Three days passed by in the blink of an eye. This morning, Xiao Chen three pills into jade bottles and cautiously put them into three small brocade boxes. He had spent the past three days carefully refining this Evolution of Tao Pills. Compared to his previous stock, these were far more effective. They were as good as Tier Four pills.


    Once he was ready, he summoned Qingluan and Ziyun''er. Just as they were preparing to leave, Murong Xian''er started pestering them. "Brother Xiao Chen, I wanna go! I wanna go!"


    Xiao Chen chuckled. He had been so focused on refining and selling the pills recently that he seemed to have "neglected" her. Since it was such a beautiful day, he thought it was a good idea to take her out for a walk.


    The four of them then left the courtyard. Since they were attending as VIP guests, they had to be dressed appropriately. Xiao Chen went to a lavish-looking store selling formal attire, where two salesgirls immediately greeted him.


    One of them lost her interest, however, when she saw how wretched his clothes were. She turned around and went to serve a plump, middle-aged customer who had just walked in instead. With a bright smile, she said, "Welcome, Sir Qiu."


    The remaining salesgirl was still smiling. "Hello, sir. What kind of formal attire do you need? Our clothes are all imported from the West. I''m sure they''re all suitable for a gentleman like you."


    Xiao Chen frowned at the other salesgirl''s attitude. He also noticed that the store sold eccentric clothing with slim sleeves and separate tops and bottoms. The colors were dark, too. They didn''t match a cultivators'' sect''s disciple like him. After scanning the store, he pointed to a set of formal attire hanging from the tallest spot. "Take that down for me to see."


    "I''m so sorry, Sir. You can''t try on this set because it''s relatively more expensive," the salesgirl said, smiling.


    "One must never take advantage of the other in a transaction. Can''t I even take a look at it?" Xiao Chen replied unhappily.


    "I''m sorry, Sir. This is our store''s rules." The salesgirl maintained her smile.


    Suddenly, the plump, middle-aged customer pointed to the formal attire that Xiao Chen had his eye on. "Take that down and let me try it on." The salesgirl next to him immediately said with a smile, "Very well. Please wait for a moment, Sir Qiu." Then, she went to retrieve the clothes.


    "Hang on! What do you mean by this?!" Qingluan yelled, frightening everyone in the store. The other customers turned to look in their direction.


    The salesgirl from before rolled her eyes and ignored Qingluan. The plump, middle-aged man felt smug. Putting on a calm mask, he didn''t even spare a look at Xiao Chen.


    The salesgirl next to Xiao Chen said awkwardly, "I''m sorry, Sir. That attire costs two thousand taels. Sir Qiu is our regular customer, so¡­ I''m sorry."


    Xiao Chen raised a hand to stop her from speaking. He said emotionlessly, "Two thousand taels? See if there are enough here." He took out a Tier Five Spirit Stone and tossed it to her. Pure, dense spirit energy instantly permeated the store.


    "Sir, you¡­" The salesgirl''s hands were visibly trembling as she held the Spirit Stone. Qingluan bellowed, "What are you waiting for? Go and get the clothes!"


    The salesgirl recovered her senses and immediately gave her colleague a look. "Don''t just stand in a daze! Go and get the clothes for this gentleman!"


    Her colleague shivered and hastily retrieved the set of formal attire. She deferentially presented it to Xiao Chen. The other customers in the store were flabbergasted as well. The plump, middle-aged man had an unsightly look on his face.


    Both Spirit Stones and taels were used as currencies in the Violet Manor, with the only difference being that the Spirit Stones could help cultivators absorb spirit energy. One Tier Four Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten thousand taels while one Tier Five Spirit Stone was equivalent to one hundred thousand taels¡ªa sum of money most people would never be able to finish spending in their lives.


    This ordinary-looking youngster was not only rich but also a cultivator. The fact that he could casually take out a Tier Five Spirit Stone meant that he was undoubtedly a Young Master from some large sect or influential clan or even a child of the nobility. The salesgirls made a drastic change in their attitude and even acted more cautiously.


    Under their enthusiastic service, Xiao Chen changed into the "gentleman''s suit" that was popular in the West. He even put on a "gentleman''s hat" and held a "gentleman''s cane".


    Making a turn in front of the mirror, Xiao Chen thought that the clothes might be strange but they rather suited him. He supposed that not even his Master could recognize him if she saw him now.


    The two salesgirls smiled gently, looking like the very picture of grace. One of them said, "This suits you very well, indeed. Please take a rest over there, Sir. We''ll give you your change immediately."


    It wouldn''t be quick or easy to find enough change for a Tier Five Spirit Stone. The salesgirls led him to the rest area and even brought him tea and water. They didn''t even dare to serve their other customers. Sometime later, they finally returned with three Tier Four Spirit Stones and a mountain of Tier Three and Tier Two Spirit Stones.


    Xiao Chen took the bag of Spirit Stones from them and tucked it into his Divine Vessel. He then turned around to leave. One of the salesgirls asked quietly, "Young Master, aren''t you checking to see if you have the right amount of change?"


    "Not necessary." His Divine Sense was enough to tell him if they had given him the right amount of change. The two salesgirls said with smiles, "Then please have a good day, Young Master. We welcome you to frequent our store in the future."


    It wasn''t until Xiao Chen left that they sighed in relief. Had he mentioned this to the shopkeeper earlier, they would likely lose their jobs. What a close call.


    After leaving the store and walking a considerable distance away, Xiao Chen noticed that Qingluan and Ziyun''er were hiding their laughter. It had been some time since they met, but it was his first time seeing a smile on Qingluan''s face. He turned around and asked, "What''s wrong? Are my clothes that strange?"


    Ziyun''er hid her laughter behind her hand. "No, but you''re holding your cane upside down."


    "Oh, is that so¡­"

 Chapter 239 Immortals Building

    As the largest trading house in the Middle Continent, Immortals Building had a history of nearly a thousand years. It was located in downtown Tianyuan City and covered an extremely large area. It was overcrowded on weekdays, not to mention that the Immortal''s Sword Assembly was close.


    Xiao Chen hired a carriage. Before the time came, several main streets were already jammed, and carriages could not pass. Several people had to get out of the carriage. They looked over at an imposing building in the distance. The "Immortals Building" looked golden and dazzling under the sun.


    The Immortals Conference was be held every ten years with Immortal''s Sword Assembly. At this time, ordinary cultivators were no longer accepted into the hall. Those who could enter were mostly from big families and sects.


    When approaching, Xiao Chen saw two rows of welcoming ladies who were receiving guests at the entrance. A woman dressed in a purple dress was particularly eye-catching. Her enchanting look contained some celestial aura which contained a bit of charm.


    This person was the chief auctioneer of Immortals Building, Chu Meng. Once hearing the name, people couldn''t help but imagine things, but nobody dared to have ill intent on her.


    Many young people who dressed like Xiao Chen took off their hats and greeted Chu Meng with gentlemen''s manner. And then, they handed over their ID cards which were mostly silver cards, and no one had seen a golden card yet.


    Xiao Chen moved his gaze and suddenly heard a sneer in his ear. "Even the poor came and have fun." Looking back, he found it was from the second emperor of Xiyue State, Chu Xuan. He had seen this man seen a few days ago.


    Chu Xuan''s eyes were very contemptuous, and he swaggered forth. Xiao Chen ignored him and noticed the old man beside him was not only a middle Nascent Soul Realm cultivator but also a Level 4 Elixir King judging from the herbal logo on his sleeve.


    "Your Second Royal Highness, I haven''t seen you for a long time." Chu Meng smiled gently and greeted. Her speech and looked were very moving.


    "Miss Chu Meng, I haven''t seen you for a long time." Chu Xuan also smiled back, but his eyes stayed on her chest as they were stuck to it and could not move. The old man beside him coughed and said hello to Chu Meng. "Miss Chu Meng, long tome no see."


    At this time, Chu Xuan came to his senses and handed over the platinum card in his hand. At the same time, he glanced at Xiao Chen behind and said with contempt, "Miss Chu Meng, the Immortal''s Sword Assembly is coming, and Immortals Building should not let some dogs in."


    Although he said this to Xiao Chen, he made many people behind Xiao Chen quite dissatisfied. Because although those people were from big families and sects, they only had silver cards, not golden cards.


    Almost everyone now wanted to use some magic, create a purple-gold card, and threw it on his face.


    Chu Meng smiled and let a woman beside her take him to the conference hall. Those who held golden cards must be brought into the conference hall by someone to show the distinguished VIP status.


    Chu Xuan''s face was full of pride, and his curved upward. He strode to the conference hall, and Xiao Chen just smiled at this. Then he stepped forward and imitated those people before to take off his hat and gave a "gentleman salute" to Chu Meng.


    Chu Meng was moved. Although she had not seen him, she saw Qingluan and Ziyun''er next to him. She immediately guessed that he was the "mysterious man" who had the "One-day Decade Pill".


    "Excuse me, are you Mr. Li?"


    Prior to this, several old guys in Immortals Building had repeatedly warned her. There must be a big force behind this person. It was necessary to receive this person well. This added some pressure to Chu Meng.


    Elixir Masters had always been very proud. Chu Meng thought that he should be an arrogant old man or a middle-aged man, but she did not expect him to be such a handsome young man. She obviously was caught unguarded. But as a sociable "veteran", she immediately came to her senses and smiled at Xiao Chen.


    At this time, Chu Xuan, who had already walked away, stopped and turned around. He couldn''t help but frown, wondering why Chu Meng was so polite to this guy.


    Xiao Chen put on his hat and smiled lightly, "It is me. Oh Lord almighty, praise that Miss Dream is so beautiful."


    The way he copied the others to say those words was obviously awkward. The name "Li Si" was naturally his pseudonym.


    He then habitually put his hand into his arms. However, he couldn''t find the purple-gold card for a while. He couldn''t help but be shocked. Damn. It seemed that he forgot before set off. Was it left in the clothes shop?


    "Miss Chu Meng, I think I''ve forgotten to take that card... Does it matter?"


    Chu Meng looked awkward. This situation had never happened before. According to the rules, everyone who entered the hall must present the ID card, even if it''s a very familiar person. Or there would be fish in troubled waters. But this person was not ordinary. What should she do?


    At this moment, Murong Xian''er giggled, "A gentleman can''t lie. You have brought it. It just fell on the ground when you changed clothes. Here, I picked it up for you!" She then took out the purple-gold card and swung it.


    "What!"


    The people behind were surprised. Who was this kid? He actually held the purple-gold card of Immortals Building. There were no more than ten people who had the purple-gold card in the whole Middle Continent!


    Chu Xuan almost spurted blood. He had asked for a long time to his mother, only to get a platinum card of Immortals Building. This guy. How could this guy have a purple-gold card?!


    Chu Meng secretly wiped the sweat and smiled gently, saying, "Mr. Li, please come with me."


    "What!"


    The people behind were surprised again. He was actually lead to the conference hall by Miss Chu Meng herself. This was too much! The last time, one guy with the purple-gold card was led by just two ordinary receptionists!


    While passing by Chu Xuan, Chu Meng gently nodded to him, and Xiao Chen also pressed the hat brim and nodded to show "friendliness" to him "very gracefully".


    Chu Xuan was so angry that his lungs were almost blown up. The old man next to him narrowed his eyes and looked at the back of Xiao Chen, saying, "Xuan''er, is he Xiao Chen?"


    Chu Xuan''s knuckles were cracking. After a moment, he said angrily, "When I go back, I will let mother get me a purple-gold card, whatever it takes!"


    Entering the Immortals Building, Xiao Chen found that this place was very different from his previous thoughts. It''s not like those splendid places. It was full of ancient styles that cannot be described. Many places had formations which radiated rows of white radiance to keep it bright.


    He followed Chu Meng to a small pavilion which was neatly arranged. Xiao Chen did not say much and took out the three small boxes that were prepared before, saying, "Miss Chu Meng, there are three Reborning Pills, each of which is three times as effective as a One-day Decade Pill."


    Chu Meng smiled lightly and took the boxes. She then took out a book from the cupboard, wrote something down on it for a while, and handed it to him. "Mr. Li, please sign your name on it."


    "Don''t you open and take a look at them?"


    "We can trust Mr. Li and will ask a professional Elixir Master to appraise later." Chu Meng smiled gently.


    Xiao Chen said no more and took over the book. He saw that each page was the record of Qingluan selling pills before. It seemed that this book was specially customized for him. He then wrote "Li Si" on the book.


    Chu Meng closed the book and carefully put it away. She smiled gently and said, "The auction will start right away, please come with me, Mr. Li."


    Immortals Building''s main auction hall was like a ring, in the middle of which was a platform. Behind the platform was a backstage. In the front side, the semi-arc was for guest seats. There was a floor above the guest seats, and the decoration was relatively more complicated. Each seat above was separated and looked like a small pavilion. On the table, there were wine, fruits, and snacks. There was a waitress standing by the side, and there was the VIP seat for those with golden cards.


    Xiao Chen saw Chu Xuan who was not far away. Chu Xuan was so angry and gnashed his teeth. Why did this guy sit better than him? The old man on the side pressed his hand to calm him.


    Xiao Chen also saw the people of Zuoqiu family on the second floor, as well as some others from big families and sects. There were more people sitting on the first floor in ordinary guest seats. There were at least a thousand people, and they were powerful.


    Moreover, sitting on the first floor did not mean that they were inferior to the people in VIP seats on the second floor. They were mostly low-key and did not come to the Immortals Building often. Many people on the first floor were even far richer and stronger than those so-called VIPs on the second floor.


    For example, Xiao Chen now saw a mysterious man wearing a black cloak.

 Chapter 240 The Auction

    After about half an hour, almost all the guests had arrived. The entrance to the hall was closed, and no one was allowed to enter. As the ritual music rang, everyone began to talk and guess what the final treasure would be.


    The background curtain was slowly unveiled as a graceful figure slowly walked to the middle of the high platform. It was Chu Meng, and several waiters followed. The crowd below immediately stopped talking and then burst into a loud cheer.


    "Miss Chu Meng! Miss Chu Meng!"


    "Oh! Miss Chu Meng, you are so beautiful. Please allow me to present the highest praise on behalf of the Lord!"


    "Oh! I pray to the Lord. Please, the noble and beautiful Lord. Oh no, the noble and beautiful Miss Chu Meng, please marry me..."


    Chu Meng smiled and nodded to the people below. Xiao Chen smiled gently. These people acted too exaggeratedly. Were they here to buy things or to look at the beauty? But Chu Meng did have an enchanting charm which contained some fairy aura and attractiveness. She was really a rare beauty in this world.


    Chu Meng naturally saw him and nodded to him with a smile. Xiao Chen naturally nodded and smiled in return.


    Not far away, Chu Xuan was so angry that he gnashed his teeth. Why Chu Meng did not look at him? Why did she look so familiar with this guy? Why? He was the second prince of Xiyue State!


    The old man on the side pressed the back of his hand and shook the head gently, indicating that Chu Xuan should calm down.


    When the crowd became quieter, Chu Meng raised her hands and smiled. "Thank you all for coming to our Immortals Conference this time. The rules are the same, and now the conference begins."


    As her voice fell, there was another wave of cheers. The two waiters stepped forward and opened the brocade box in their hands. Rows of white radiance shone around as a cold aura filled the place.


    "As you can see, this is a piece of Saussurea Involucrata picked by a marvelous person who climbed thousands of miles on a mountain. You should know the effect of it. It is not only the necessary thing for refining the Face-ceasing Pill but also very good for cultivators to clear the heart and calm down..."


    With the dreamlike voice of Chu Meng echoing in the hall, many people looked at the stage blankly. The white radiance from the Saussurea Involucrata and her was a perfect match just like a beautiful dream as if she was the lightly blooming snow lotus.


    Many young people started to daydream, imagining that they are an immortal dressed in white who had successfully survived the Ordeal. Standing on the top of Kunlun Mountain, he gently picked the snow lotus which was swaying in the wind and snow. The pitiful and emotional eyes looked as if there was an undone marriage from the last life...


    "3,000 Spirit Stones!" A young man finally couldn¡¯t help but shout out, and the elder next to him immediately glared at him. Good for nothing!


    Chu Meng smiled, and her manner was nothing but charming. She gently smiled and said, "This gentleman, don''t hush. I have not yet made a minimum bid yet. This snow lotus has a minimum bid of 1,000 Spirit Stones. Each bid must be no less than one hundred. Now the bidding starts."


    The "one thousand Spirit Stones" here meant one thousand Rank One Spirit Stones. The auction house used Rank One Spirit Stone as the unit. A thousand Spirit Stones was equivalent to one Rank Four Spirit Stone, or ten thousand teals.


    "One thousand and five hundred!"


    "Two thousand!"


    "Three thousand!"


    The atmosphere soon rose up. Everyone knew that the good things would come later, and there were many people who came for the last few final treasures. But the auction was hosted by Chu Meng, so it could not have an awkward silence. The reason why people had this kind of enthusiasm was mostly because young masters from big families liked Chu Meng.


    When the price reached more than 7,000, the voice slowly became lower. Although many people wanted to attract the attention of Chu Meng, such a snow lotus worth about 5,000 Spirit Stones at most. They had to save some money to pay for the good treasures later.


    When the bidding price reached 8,000, no one bade again. At this time, a faint smiled sounded. "10,000."


    The voice came from the second floor. Everyone looked over. Some people immediately recognized that the bidder was the second prince of Xiyue State. No one bade again.


    "Ten thousand once!"


    "Ten thousand twice!"


    "Ten thousand thrice!"


    Chu Meng smiled gently. "Congratulations to Master Chu Xuan. This treasure is sold to you."


    Chu Xuan smiled and raised his hands sideways, meaning that it was not worth mentioning. He said, "This snow lotus is good. I can just take it back for my mother to take care of her skin."


    Chu Meng nodded and smiled, indicating the waiter behind her to send the snow lotus to the second prince. Chu Xuan was shocked. He paid 10,000 to take care of her this much, yet she did not personally send it to him.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently, and his eyes fell on the black-robed man on the first floor. Everyone was bidding or talking to each other just now. But this person did not move at all as if he was alone in a space. He ignored the noise around and didn''t even look at the snow lotus. He didn''t even take a look at Chu Meng.


    In the following time, there were several products sold. Almost every time at the end of one bid, Chu Xuan gave a "high price". It seemed that he wanted to announce to everyone that he was the star in this place.


    Most people stopped bidding after he bade. They didn''t want to offend this person in the first place. Secondly, Xiyue State was big and strong, and they were indeed not as rich. Why bother bidding and offending the second prince? If things went south, they might suffer troubles once they walked out of the Immortals Building.


    After several bids, no matter how useful the product was, Chu Xuan bought it. He did this to tell everyone in the hall that Xiyue State was rich and could spend money at will. Secondly, he wanted to attract the attention of Chu Meng.


    However, it seemed that the purpose of the former had been achieved. The latter did not go as he expected. Chu Meng just smiled at him and did not look at him at other times. This made him slightly annoyed. He was a prince, and she was just an auctioneer who was not qualified to act lofty in front of him.


    He secretly made up his mind that he would have to let this woman serve him, whatever it would take. Every time the old man beside him perceived this kind of eyes, the old man would always slightly glare at him, as if warning him.


    After about an hour, the auction was getting more and more intense. The old man kept stopping him from bidding, and the things were getting more and more expensive, so Chu Xuan did not buy everything.


    During the period, Xiao Chen always paid attention to the mysterious black-robed man. It seemed that he was sitting there like a dead man, and was not interested in anything. This person should come for the last few final treasures.


    This time, there was a purple crystal pendant with an ancient aura. When the brocade box opened, almost everyone felt a fairy''s aura from the box. This pendant looked ordinary, but it was definitely not something ordinary. The noisy hall became quiet at once.


    At the same time, Xiao Chen also noticed the subtle changes on the face of Murong Xian''er. She looked at the pendant blankly and seemed to be very interested in this.


    "As you can see, this pendant was collected by a wondrous man accidentally from the remains of an ancient fairy many years ago. As confirmed by our appraisers, this pendant is refined by the ancient fairy''s entire spirit energy. It contained rich spirit energy which could not be extracted. But this pendant has another effect, which is to protect a cultivator''s spirit energy from dissipating out..."


    Before Chu Meng finished, Murong Xian''er pointed at the pendant and shouted, "That one! Brother Xiao Chen! I want that one!"


    Everyone was attracted by this sudden sound. Looking at the second floor, many young people couldn¡¯t help but be touched. Gosh, didn¡¯t expect there was such a beautiful girl full of a fairy''s aura. This purple crystal pendant seemed to appear for her only.


    Xiao Chen naturally understood what was going on. Xian''er was very likely to be the formation spirit transformed by the greatest formation in Archean Eon, the Three Emperors Grand Formation. Her spirit energy would slowly dissipate over time and could not be charged in any way. In the end, her spirit energy would be completely consumed, and she would return to the formation, waiting for another millennium to wake up again.


    Maybe she still did not know about these things, but Xiao Chen suddenly felt sorrow in his heart. She would have to leave one day, and this pendant could slow down the loss of her spiritual energy. So, this pendant was a priceless treasure to her. No matter what, he had to buy that pendant today, even if he would give up the last few treasures.


    At the moment, he smiled lightly and stroked the hair of Murong Xian''er, saying softly, "Okay."


    Chu Meng smiled and nodded at him, saying, "The minimum bid is five thousand Spirit Stones, and each bid must not be less than one thousand. Starts from now."


    Xiao Chen was about to raise the board to bid when a casual voice sounded not far from the left. "Fifty thousand. I''ll take this purple crystal pendant."

 Chapter 241 Bidding

    The bidder was Chu Xuan. He was sneering toward Xiao Chen. The old man next to him kept gesturing him, but he ignored it. He still sneered at Xiao Chen.


    At this time, almost everyone had been stunned for a while, even Chu Meng. After a while, the people on the first floor looked at Chu Xuan successively. The look on his face seemed to target at the young man dressed in a gentleman''s suit. Just now, the girl shouted "Brother Xiao Chen". Would this person be that Xiao Chen?


    But no matter what, there will be no other people to bid this thing at the moment. Although this pendant contained abundant spiritual energy, Chu Meng just said that it could not be extracted. If the energy could be extracted, it was naturally an invaluable treasure. But since it cannot be extracted, what was the use of it?


    Prevent the cultivator''s spiritual energy from leaking out? It''s just a joke. Who cared about that little amount of spiritual energy? Even if the energy leaked, one could make up for it immediately by simply running the cultivation method. So, this was just a good-looking ornament for a cultivator. It looked pretty good on a woman.


    Xiao Chen''s hand, which was holding the stick, was slightly trembling. After a while, he gently said, "Fifty-two thousand."


    Aside, Murong Xian''er pulled his sleeve tightly, bit her lip, and shook her head. He smiled to tell her that she didn''t have to worry. Even if he had to rob it, he would have to get the pendant.


    "60,000." Chu Xuan''s casual voice sounded again as if 60,000 Spirit Stones were just the monthly pocket money for him.


    Many people gasped. It seemed that the second prince of Xiyue State was determined to win this. Was there a beef between him and that youth?


    At this time, everyone stopped looking at Chu Meng and all looked upstairs to see what sparks could be made between the two people. Even many people smiled and nodded while talking as if they were watching the fun.


    "65,000." Xiao Chen calmly said.


    "Brother Xiao Chen, I don''t want that..." Murong Xian''er pulled his sleeve and swayed it, whispering.


    Xiao Chen stroked her hair and smiled lightly to show that it''s not a big deal. He could give up on the following treasures.


    "70,000." Chu Xuan said with a yawn, and the old man beside him frowned slightly and whispered, "Okay, Xuan''er. Our target today is not this one."


    Chu Xuan ignored him and smiled at Xiao Chen with contempt, thinking, "The poor are just the poor. It doesn''t matter even if he has a purple-gold card."


    "80,000." Xiao Chen said lightly. Although he looked calm, he was already nervous in the heart. This time, he only took about 90,000 Spirit Stones. If that bastard continued like this, he might not be able to bid it. If he wanted to rob it after leaving the Immortals Building, there was a middle Nascent Soul Realm expert beside that bastard. It was not likely for him to rob it.


    "Brother Xiao Chen, I don''t want it..." Murong Xian''er whispered with tears in her eyes, which looked pitiful.


    "90,000." Chu Xuan wiped his nails and said carelessly.


    The discussion below was getting louder and louder. They thought that it was just a stone. Wouldn''t the final price be millions of Spirit Stones? There''s a good show going on. Maybe the show would be better after leaving the Immortals Building.


    Because some people had deliberately smeared the reputation of Xiao Chen recently, and many people regard him as a daring person who ignored the law and killed people to rob treasures. They wanted to see whether he would kill and rob after leaving the Immortals Building.


    Xiao Chen''s eyes turned cold. "95,000." This is his last bid because he only had this much money.


    The old man next to Chu Xuan felt a cold and ruthless murderous intent, but this horrible and terrifying murderous intent did not come from Xiao Chen. It seemed to come from the first floor. This scared him a lot. He hurriedly lowered his voice and said, "Enough, Xuan''er Don''t offend this person again! Are you not even listening to your master?"


    Chu Xuan ignored him and said loudly, "100,000!"


    At this moment, everyone was quiet. At the same time, the mysterious black-robed man who had been sitting still on the first floor finally moved the fingers slightly. The fingers were smooth and white, and the nails were red. It should be a woman.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He did not have the money to continue. Chu Xuan smiled coldly at him, and his face looked proud.


    On the first floor''s platform, the look of Chu Meng kept changing. As the chief auctioneer, she certainly hoped that people would bid for every product, but she did not want these two people to have conflicts. Because the Immortals Building did not want to offend either of them, especially Xiao Chen.


    "100,000 once..."


    "100,000 twice..."


    The voice of Chu Meng was a bit low. Just as she was about to say the last time, a person hurriedly walked to her from behind and then whispered a few words in her ear. She then smiled as if she was finally relieved.


    She raised her hands and smiled. "My apologies, everyone. The owner of this item temporarily gave up on selling it, so this item can no longer be auctioned." She then let the person who just came bring the box with the pendant back.


    The crowd kept booing. They didn''t expect that it ended like this. However, there was no obvious emotional change on Chu Xuan''s face. Anyway, he won Xiao Chen, and it''s better that the item was taken back. It saved him the money. He proudly smiled at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen naturally ignored him. This was also good. At least the pendant did not fall into the hands of Chu Xuan, so there was still a chance to get it.


    In order to ease the tension just now, Chu Meng deliberately showed a bit of a playful look. She smiled and said, "The next treasure will not disappoint everyone. Are you ready?"


    "Ready! Come on! Beautiful Miss Chu Meng!" More than a dozen young men echoed and shouted.


    Chu Meng lightly smiled as a waiter walked over from behind with a brocade box in her hand. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Why was the brocade box so familiar? Wasn''t it the box that he put the Reborning Pill in?


    Chu Meng opened the brocade box as a scent of pill suffused out. She smiled and said, "I think everyone knows that a few days ago, a master refined a batch of pills that can speed up the process of breaking through cultivation levels. Everyone saw the effect of the pill. This time, the pill also came from the master''s hands. It''s called Reborning Pill. Its effect is three times that of the One-day Decade Pill before..."


    Before she finished, the crowd below immediately boiled. A few days ago, the amount of the pill was so little that people even fought for the pill after leaving the Immortals Building. This time, the effect of this pill was three times that of the previous one. It could only be described as horrible. If someone could refine this kind of miraculous pills in batches, he would own the Immortal''s Sword Assembly.


    Chu Meng was indeed the chief auctioneer, so she naturally knew the point. "The Immortal''s Sword Assembly is close. There are only three pills. In the near future, it will no longer be sold in any way. Those who want to be famous in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly must not lose this chance."


    "Five thousand!"


    "Ten thousand!"


    "Fifteen thousand!"


    Before she could speak the following speech, the crowd below had begun to compete intensely. This Reborning Pill did not need propaganda because the previous One-day Decade Pill was the best propaganda.


    The bidding became more and more intense, and the price quickly rose to 50,000. Among them, three parties stayed calm and did not participate in the competition. One party was an unknown middle-aged person, and the other was Zuoqiu family.


    Zuoqiu Ping''s eyes were glittering. "Zuoqiu Que still can''t study the ingredients of this Reborning Pill even if he bids it and takes it back. It''s good if he sends this to Zuoqiu Yang in Divine Mist Sect. Zuoqiu Yang has been in seclusion recently, and he will have a big fight with Xiao Chen three months later. With the help of this thing, he will definitely break through to half-step Nascent Soul Realm, or even Nascent Soul Realm."


    Another party was Chu Xuan and the old man beside him. Before that, they heard that there was such a kind of pill. One of the purposes of coming here this time was to buy this pill.


    Chu Xuan had greedy eyes. Three pills. Three pills. There were three such pills as Chu Meng had said...


    Although he was a prince and a disciple of the Divine Mist Sect''s First Elder, he was obsessed with wine and women and his cultivation was not as good as his senior brothers. He was very clear that those people respected him only because he was a prince. But in fact, they called him a loser in the dark. If he had three such pills...


    The auction downstairs was getting more and more intense. Murong Xianer''s face was full of excitement. It seemed that she had forgotten the issue just now. She said very happily, "Brother Xiao Chen, that is your..."


    "Hush..."


    Xiao Chen gestured her to be quiet. He always paid attention to the mysterious black-robed woman downstairs. This person had been motionless since the beginning and did not talk to people. Why did she come...

 Chapter 242 Not Selling

    When the price reached more than 70,000, it was gradually stabilized, and a large number of bidders stopped bidding. The rest bidders mostly raised one thousand or two thousand once. Zuoqiu Ping and Chu Xuan were finally ready to move, but they were waiting, waiting for the other to bid first. What if the other did not bid? Then, the one who bade would take advantage.


    The price became stagnant at 76,000, and no one bade again. Chu Xuan couldn''t hold it anymore. He was about to bid when the old man next to him pressed the back of his hand to tell him not to hurry.


    "76,000 once!"


    "76,000 twice!"


    Chu Meng smiled and was about to announce. Zuoqiu Ping finally opened his mouth. "80,000!"


    The old man next to Chu Xuan nodded and gently looked at Chu Xuan, indicating that they should give this pill to Zuoqiu family, and they should take the next two pills. But Chu Xuan suddenly said loudly, "100,000!"


    The old man sighed and naturally knew that Chu Xuan was determined to get all three pills. But this would offend Zuoqiu family. "Xuan''er, Xuan''er, they are not minor in the Middle Continent. Although their loss this time is quite heavy, they are still one of the top ten families, not to mention that Zuoqiu Yang is also your senior brother. Why are you so¡­Alas!"


    Sure enough, Zuoqiu Ping was not happy. He had a fake smile and said, "Your Second Royal Highness, there are two more pills after this one. Why should you compete with me? Are you afraid that the two pills could fly away themselves?"


    Chu Xuan''s mouth curved upward. He opened the folding fan and shook it twice, saying with a smile, "In an auction, the one who gives the highest price wins. If Mr. Zuoqiu is interested in this pill, you can just bid. I''ll say nothing about it." After saying so, he deliberately raised his hands.


    The old man beside him continued to sigh in his heart.


    Zuoqiu Ping smiled coldly, "Never mind, how dare I raise the price with His Royal Highness?" He thought that there were two more after this. Chu Xuan could not buy them all. After taking the pills, Chu Xuan would still be a loser, far weaker than his son, Yang''er.


    Chu Xuan smiled proudly, waiting for Chu Meng to bring the pill up. Suddenly, a vague smile rose. "Wait, His Second Royal Highness. He gave it to you, but I didn''t."


    Everyone looked over and found it was from a middle-aged man. This person was also famous in the Middle Continent. People heard that his son was a talent in the family, but his cultivation suddenly stopped growing a few years ago for no reason. Moreover, his cultivation had been receding from peak Core Forming Realm to middle Foundation Building Realm. It was really weird. It seemed that this person was determined to get the Reborning Pill today.


    Chu Xuan immediately fired two rows of cold light from his eyes to him and lightly said, "Oh? It turns out to be Elder Yang, Yang Tianfeng. I think that your son is hopeless whatever he eats. Humph. Are you gonna compete with me?"


    Yang Tianfeng hated it the most if someone humiliated his son. But he could stand it and did not lose his temper. He waved his hand and said, "Your Highness just said that the one with the highest bid wins. I''ll give it 120,000."


    "Humph." Chu Xuan smiled coldly. "150,000."


    "170,000."


    "200,000."


    ¡­


    Murong Xianer''s eyes turned bright, and she was getting excited. Xiao Chen just smiled and smelled the tea''s scent from the cup. After a while, he said, "Qingluan, who is this person? Do you know about him?" He thought that this person must have some background since he could offend the second prince of Xiyue State.


    "This person is the elder of Yang family, one of the top ten families. He has a son named Yang Shaoyu, who was originally a talent in the family. At the age of 18, he reached Core Forming Realm. But only three years ago, his cultivation started to go backward. It seems his cultivation has receded to Foundation Building Realm now."


    "Oh?" Xiao Chen put down the teacup in his hand and whispered, "Is there such a strange thing? It''s a bit interesting..." He looked at Yang Tianfeng.


    Suddenly, something flashed in his heart. Back then in Three Pure Sect, when Chu Hanyan came back, it seemed that she brought a fianc¨¦ called Yang Shaochen. He was one of the Yang family. Such a coincidence.


    "350,000!"


    "400,000!"


    In the blink of an eye, the price reached 400,000, and everyone stared agape. Yang Tianfeng was no longer as calm as before. His hand, which was holding a cup, had begun to shake slightly.


    He only took a hundred million Spirit Stones, which was granted by the other elders. His goal was an ancient cultivation method. He selfishly bade this Reborning Pill for his son.


    400,000 Spirit Stones was not a small number for a family. He might be interrogated after he went back. Where did the money go? But Chu Xuan obviously wanted to take all three pills. What could he do about this?


    Chu Xuan was still smiling and did not listen to the dissuasion of the old man. He lightly glanced at Yang Tianfeng, saying, "500,000."


    Everyone gasped. 500,000! What a price! The income for several years of a family! Enough to buy a Nirvana class weapon!


    Yang Tianfeng took a deep breath and smiled lightly, saying, "Okay, it''s yours."


    Chu Xuan smiled lightly and took a sip of tea. "It''s just 500,000. I thought your Yang family has more money." He then looked at Chu Meng and said, "Miss Chu Meng, please send me the pill."


    Chu Meng''s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and she didn''t speak. Through the corner of her eyes, she paid attention to Xiao Chen. At this moment, she heard his faint voice sounded. "Wait."


    Chu Meng slightly sighed in her heart. What ought to happen was still going to happen in the end.


    Everyone looked over and saw that it was the young man who had conflicts with Chu Xuan. He calmly took a sip of tea. Was he going to compete with Chu Xuan again? There''s a good show again.


    Chu Xuan''s face sank and immediately fired him with two rows of cold light form his eyes. "What do you want? You don''t have that much money at all. Do you want to bid maliciously? Do you know the consequences?"


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and did not pay attention to him. He put down the teacup in his hand and said to Chu Meng, "As the owner of this pill, do I have the right to decide the buyer? I decided that I''ll sell this Reborning Pill to that uncle for 10,000." He then pointed to Yang Tianfeng.


    Everyone was shocked. Was he the mysterious refiner of this pill? Immortals Building said that even a level 4 Elixir Master could not refine this pill. Was he a level 5 Elixir Master?! It''s incredible!


    Chu Xuan''s face turned blue. Apparently, he did not expect that his "big enemy" was actually the seller of this pill. He had just competed with the others intensely. But now, that guy was not selling it. It was really a huge shame on him.


    The old man beside him frowned, thinking something.


    Not far away, Zuoqiu Ping also saw Xiao Chen, and he couldn''t help but be shocked. Even Zuoqiu He could not decompose the ingredients of this pill. This person definitely could not refine this pill. Right, it must be Gui Xian who refined this! Thinking of this, he cracked his knuckles.


    Xiao Chen smiled and picked up the gentleman''s stick, pointing at Chu Xuan. "I don''t want to sell it to him anyway."


    "You! How dare you!" Chu Xuan was so angry that his face turned black.


    Chu Meng looked troubled. From the start, she was most worried that the two people would have conflicts. She said, "Mr. Li, I am afraid this will not work. This will break the rules of our Immortals Building."


    Indeed, if it was a free market, the owner of the goods could sell to one he wanted to at a certain price. But today, this was an auction house. So, the seller had no right to intervene in the transaction.


    Hearing Chu Meng, Chu Xuan finally calmed down a bit. But before his anger was gone, she said, "But you can choose to temporarily cancel its sell, which will affect your credibility in our auction house. Are you sure you want to do this?"


    Chu Xuan instantly became angry. What did this woman mean? Was she giving advice to that bastard? Was she with that bastard?


    Xiao Chen didn''t think about it and nodded directly, saying, "I am sure to cancel its sell. In addition, the latter two will not be sold to him. If he insists to buy, then cancel the sell."


    Chu Xuan was so angry that he almost exploded. If he was not pulled by the old man beside him, he would want to kill Xiao Chen immediately.


    "Okay, Xuan''er! Listen to me, this time we are coming for the ancient cultivation method. We can''t lose the greater for the less! In the future, I will find a way to refine this pill!" The old man said in a low voice.


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. Although he suddenly lost 500,000 Spirit Stones, he felt great. His eyes inadvertently swept the mysterious black-robed woman on the first floor. This person had been sitting still for a long time as if she was dead. People beside her talked to her, yet she ignored. What was she waiting for?


    After a while, two waiters walked forth from the backstage. One person carefully held a box in his hands, while the other was watching the box as if he was afraid that the box would fall on the ground.


    "As everyone expects, this item is an ancient Mystic Skill."


    Chu Meng smiled gently as the crowd boiled immediately. Many people came for this mysterious skill this time. An ancient cultivation method was a priceless treasure nowadays.


    The finger of the black-robed woman finally moved again.

 Chapter 243 The Mysterious Urn

    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at the box. Murong Xian''er smiled and said, "Brother Xiao Chen, are you also interested in this skill?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and shook his head. His Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method was the best ancient skill, so he did not need to learn the other sects'' skill. He always wanted to know what happened back then, so he wanted to see which sect did this so-called "ancient cultivation method" belong to or if he was familiar with the sect.


    Chu Meng reached out her hand to quiet the crowd. She held the box in her hand and smiled. "This set of cultivation method is indeed originated thousands of years ago, and even longer. If one practices it to the extreme, it could produce a huge power. But it has a drawback. The cultivator who practices it must not have affection, or he will suffer the Qi Deviation."


    Before she finished, the crowd began to talk about it again. Xiao Chen thought, "It needs one to cut off his affection. It seems that there was no such Immortal''s sect in my memory. Is it a method of the Devil''s Practice?"


    Chu Meng continued, we are not clear about its name, but it can be concluded that this method should have two volumes. This is the second volume. It can also be cultivated separately and is not inferior to the first one. If one can practice both volumes to the extreme, there would be few rivals for him in this world. The price starts from 5,000, and the auction begins."


    "20,000!"


    "50,000!"


    Even though there was a major drawback of this method, many people still couldn''t stand the temptation of "ancient". Most of the ancient Mystic Skills were lost. Those who got the skills became dominators. If one could learn the slightest God''s design from the ancient cultivation method that would be the real opportunity.


    The bidding price quickly rose from 100,000 to 300,000 Spirit Stones. Zuoqiu Ping, Chu Xuan, Yang Tianfeng, and other families and sects had participated in the bidding.


    Xiao Chen carefully tasted the fragrance of the tea. The corner of his eyes always stayed on the black-robed woman on the first floor. When the price rose to 500,000, this person was still motionless.


    500,000 was no longer a small number. More than half of the bidders from the beginning gave up. Only Chu Xuan and others were still there. They were determined to get this method, and none of them would concede.


    Soon, the price rose to 700,000. Chu Meng kept smiling during this. She didn''t need to say anything at the moment, and these people would still compete for it.


    At present, there were a dozen families competing for this method. When the price rose to 800,000, several families'' elders shook their heads and gave up. Yang Tianfeng of Yang family also gave up. Although the method was titled "ancient", it was not a famous one. It''s not that any ancient method was good.


    Now, there was Zuoqiu Ping of Zuoqiu family, Chu Xuan of Xiyue State, and another man from a big family. When the three people were constantly competing, an ice-like sound rose. "800,000. I''ll take this cultivation method."


    The sound seemed to come from an ancient iceberg. By just hearing the sound was enough to make people feel scared. Xiao Chen was shocked. It was the black-robed woman on the first floor. He didn''t expect this person to be a woman. The sound was so cold that he couldn''t tell who this person was. But why he felt like he knew her?


    Zuoqiu Ping and the man from a big family gave up directly.


    At this time, the old man next to Chu Xuan finally talked. "I''m Zhuge Wuwo from Xiyue State. Miss, can you please let me buy this method?"


    Everyone gasped in surprise. It turned out that this old man was the Elixir Master of Xiyue State, Zhuge Wuwo. It''s said that he was about to reach the level of a level 5 Elixir Luminary. He was actually so polite to the black-robed woman. It seemed that this black-robed woman was different.


    "This method is of no use to you. Mr. Zhuge should not be obsessed with it." The black-robed woman said coldly.


    Chu Xuan smiled coldly and was about to bid when Zhuge Wuwo stopped him immediately and glared at him. Chu Xuan snorted coldly, insisting on bidding. Suddenly, a condensed murderous aura dashed to him like an ice arrow.


    Suddenly, everyone in the place felt a coldness in the heart, and Chu Xuan did not dare to move.


    Zhuge Wuwo had cold sweat on his back. As a middle Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he was held in awe by this cold and ruthless murderous intent. He smiled and said, "Okay, miss, this method is yours. We will no longer bid with you again."


    "Master!" Chu Xuan apparently was somewhat dissatisfied, but after being glared by Zhuge Wuwo, he dared not to speak.


    "Thank you." The black-robed woman said coldly and flicked her fingers as eight level 6 Spirit Stones flew toward Chu Meng. Then, the box in Chu Meng''s hands was as if being dragged by an invisible force and fell into her hands. She put the box into her Divine Vessel, got up, and walked outside the hall.


    Just by looking at her back, many people felt coldness.


    Xiao Chen frowned slightly. Why was this person''s aura so familiar to him? Who was she exactly? He got up and wanted to follow, and Qingluan quickly pulled him. "My lord, don''t go. This person has too much murderous aura."


    Even though Qingluan had been doing murder missions all year round and killed without asking reasons, the murderous aura of her was less than 20% that of the black-robed woman.


    Xiao Chen came to his senses and saw her worried face. He nodded and looked over. But the woman had disappeared. There was always a feeling of uneasiness in his heart.


    As a once-in-a-decade auction, Myriad Immortals Pavilion''s final treasure was far more than an ancient cultivation method. The two waiters who came up this time held a square black box in their hands. All eyes were attracted to it.


    Chu Meng took the box and smiled lightly. "It''s said that this box was collected by a marvelous man many years ago in an ancient battlefield outside the border. It has been passed on to many buyers. The bid starts now from 10,000 Spirit Stones."


    People booed constantly. A strange-looking man smiled and said, "It''s not that I have an opinion or something. Miss Chu Meng, if you don''t open this box, who knows what is inside? If I spend hundreds of thousands of stones to buy it back and find out there''s nothing in it, am I buying an urn?"


    As he finished, the people around him laughed. One person said, "Maybe it''s really an urn. If it contains the bone ash of a great Immortal, it''ll be a big win for you."


    The crowd below kept laughing. When they became quiet, Chu Meng smiled and said, "The owner of this box said that you can''t open the box to see what is inside before you buy it, and the mechanism of this box is quite complex. If it''s opened by force, it will only ruin the things inside."


    People laughed again. The strange-looking old man waved his hands and said, "Never mind. 20,000. I''ll just prepare an urn for myself in advance."


    Hearing this, people kept laughing. Xiao Chen put down the teacup in his hand. Just now, his Divine Sense could not penetrate the box in any way. What''s inside? He said, "50,000."


    "Yo!" People shouted in surprise. Spending 50,000 to buy an urn, these young people really didn''t take money seriously.


    The strange old man laughed weirdly. "All right, I''m gonna live some more years. Young man, since you are so anxious to prepare an urn for you, I will give it to you then."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and ignored him. Not far away, Chu Xuan''s eyes turned cold, and he wanted to raise the price again. Next to him, Zhuge Wuwo glared at him. Chu Xuan snorted coldly and moved his eyes away.


    "50,000 once."


    "50,000 twice."


    "50,000 thrice."


    As one of the final treasures, no one wanted to buy it, which was a bit embarrassing. Chu Meng smiled lightly and said, "Congratulations to Mr. Li, who successfully won this item."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and raised his hand as five level 5 Spirit Stones floated down. Then, the box in the hands of Chu Meng also floated. Even though the distance was about 30 meters, it steadily fell into the hands of Xiao Chen.


    The crowd shouted in surprise. "Yo! This young man''s psychokinesis technique is quite good!"


    Xiao Chen ignored them. His Divine Sense was far stronger than that of ordinary people. When he touched the black box, he immediately felt an unusual aura. He then took a look at the box carefully. It seemed that it was just as Chu Meng said, the box was not easy to be opened.


    The auction was coming to an end, and he didn''t have much interest in the following items. He put away the box and got up, saying, "Let''s check out the consignment-sale hall."


    A waitress aside immediately said, "The consignment-sale hall is on the other side. Mr. Li, please come with me."

 Chapter 244 Jiuyan Sky-burn Skill

    As the largest trading bank in Zhongzhou, Myriad Immortals Pavilion had three major halls. The major one was the auction house, the second was the free-trading hall, which was for people to sell things at some stalls or trade items. The third was the consignment hall. The seller set the price and gave the items to the Myriad Immortals Pavilion to sell.


    There were three floors in the consignment hall. The price of the goods on the first floor was from one thousand to ten thousand stones. On the second floor, the price was no higher than one hundred thousand stones. On the third floor, the price was topless. As long as you pay enough fees, you could sell things at ten million stones.


    Being led by the maid, Xiao Chen came directly to the second floor. There were many people who are carefully selecting goods that suited them with the waiters. Many people want to see if they could find a good treasure at a low price.


    After passing a corner, Xiao Chen heard the sound of arguments. He looked over and found an old man with disheveled hair and a dirty face quarreling with a young waiter of Myriad Immortals Pavilion.


    The young waiter''s face was full of bitter smiles. "Old gentleman, this is the eighth time you have gone to the wrong place. This is the consignment hall. If you are looking for someone to trade in person, please go to the free-trading hall, okay?"


    The old man narrowed his eyes and said seriously, "Young man! You know nothing. I''m looking for the right person. Those ordinary folks are far below my standard."


    The waiter smiled bitterly again. "Old gentleman, I should take you to the free-trading hall. People really can''t trade directly here."


    It''s said that the Myriad Immortals Pavilion was supported by several ancient families. Their strength was unfathomable. Was this old man looking for troubles? Xiao Chen felt it a little bit interesting and walked over.


    The old man saw him approaching and narrowed his eyes. He then walked around Xiao Chen several times.


    "Oh, yeah! It''s incredible! Young people, I see your bones and body are incredible. You are the one in the ten thousand. The Annihilation Times is coming, and the peace of the world is on you. I have the Jiuyan Sky-burn Skill..."


    At this time, many other buyers on the second floor were also attracted here. Murong Xian''er gently pulled his sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Brother Xiao Chen, this old uncle is a liar at first glance. Let''s go and ignore him..."


    Before she could finish, the old man suddenly came over and said seriously, "Little girl! Although you are not a mortal, you can''t talk nonsense..."


    Murong Xian''er was scared by his unkempt appearance and quickly hid behind Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen kept her behind him and said to the old man, "Old gentleman, don''t scare her. Tell me, how much is this Jiutian Burning Skill?"


    "Wrong! It''s the Jiuyan Sky-burn Skill! Sky-burn Skill!" The old man corrected him and then handed over a crumpled book, saying seriously, "Young man, you and I are destined to meet here. I will only charge you 10,000 Spirit Stones for this priceless treasure."


    Xiao Chen nodded and took it over. He was afraid that this crumpled book would turn into ashes if he used some strength. The waiter aside hurriedly said, "Sir, this is the consignment hall. You can''t trade..."


    Before he could finish, the maid next to Xiao Chen winked at him, and the waiter said no more.


    Xiao Chen took out a piece of level 5 Spirit Stones. "Old gentleman, there are not many destined people like me after all. If you want to sell something next time, go to the free-trading hall. Don''t make things difficult for this little brother."


    The old man took over the Spirit Stones and said seriously, "Young man, you are right. I''m leaving then." After saying that, he turned and left. Far away, he sang, "Even though there are countless fortune and fate in the world, it is difficult to find the destined person..." He sounded like he was some kind of sage or Immortal.


    Xiao Chen turned his head and said to the waiter, "The old gentleman''s fee is on me. You don''t have to worry."


    "Yes..." The waiter lowered his head and said nothing.


    The people around left. "Let''s go. This person is either mad or fool."


    Murong Xian''er pursed her lips and said, "That old uncle is clearly a liar. Brother Xiao Chen still chose to be fooled, humph! You fool!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile and said nothing.


    Then, they hung around for a while, and there was really nothing for them on the second floor. As for the third floor, the things there were too expensive, and he did not have enough Spirit Stones. So they didn''t go upstairs. He asked the two sisters behind him, "Do you have anything else you need? I still have more than 30,000 Spirit Stones."


    Qingluan clasped her hands and said, "There is no need to worry about me, my Lord."


    Xiao Chen nodded. When he walked over a corner, he looked up and saw a pair of purple-green moon blades. The name was "Purple-green Blood-cutting Blades". The price was 30,000 Spirit Stones. He thought that they used this kind of blade weapons. One green and one purple just matched the two sisters. He said to the maid beside him, "Miss, would you please take the pair of blades off? I want to have a look."


    The maid smiled and said, "Okay, just a second, Mr. Li." She then clapped her hands as two waiters came immediately. The two men found a bamboo ladder and spent a lot of effort to take off the Purple-green Blood-cutting Blades.


    Xiao Chen took it over. Although the blades were not big, they were still quite heavy. There is no trace of shadow when wielding the blades. It''s indeed not ordinary and worth even 100,000 Spirit Stones. He said, "I''ll buy this pair of blades."


    "Okay, thank Mr. Li for buying." The maid smiled.


    Xiao Chen nodded and handed the green blade to Qingluan and the purple to Ziyun''er. The two people took over the blades and said, "Thank you, my Lord."


    Then, Qingluan immediately put away the blade, while Ziyun''er carefully looked at her blade and smiled, seemingly very fond of it.


    The auction was over. Xiao Chen followed the maid to the former pavilion. He waited for a moment, and Chu Meng came in and smiled. "Sorry for the waiting, Mr. Li."


    Xiao Chen raised his hands and said, "Miss Chu Meng is being polite."


    "The other two Reborning Pills were sold at the price of 130,000 and 210,000 stones respectively, and we will pay for Mr. Li as soon as possible."


    When Chu Meng was speaking, she took a white porcelain cup which was steaming from the plate in the hand of a maid and handed it to Xiao Chen.


    "It''s okay." Xiao Chen smiled lightly and took the cup, looking into it. What was this steaming light brown thing? It smelled bitter. Was it a soup-medicine? Why did she let him drink medicine?


    Seeing that she gently took a sip of it, Xiao Chen also took a sip. But he almost spurted out instantly. What was this? Why was it bitterer than medicine?


    Chu Meng smiled gently. "Mr. Li, have you been to the West Continent?"


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°I have been studying in the West Continent for three years and just came back recently."


    Chu Meng went to the window and looked at the sorrowful scene outside. She sighed, "The snow on Alpine Mountains are constant all year round. I heard that it can compete with our Kunlun Mountains. I don''t know if the Duolong Valley still has maple leaves. I have not been there for many years."


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly. He had never even heard of these weird place names, not to mention going there. He changed the topic and said, "I don''t go to these places very often. By the way, Miss Chu Meng, who is the one who bought the ancient method today? Can you tell me?"


    Chu Meng walked back and smiled. "Sorry, Mr. Li, we need to keep the secret for every guest. Yours too. Even if the emperor of the Xiyue State comes, we will not tell your identity."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Since she said this, it''s not good to continue to ask questions. She said that she would not tell his identity even if the emperor came. It seemed that she was implying something else.


    At this time, the door opened as a maid came in, whispering, "The guest wants to meet Mr. Li."


    Chu Meng nodded. "Let him in."


    After a short time, a black-cloaked man came in. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. "Who is this person?"


    The man came to him and said, "My friend, do you need this?" The voice was a little old and hoarse. He handed out a pendant, which was the Purple Crystal Pendant in the auction. Murong Xian''er screamed.


    It turned out that this person was the seller of this pendant. Although this man''s voice was hoarse, Xiao Chen saw that his hands were delicate. Obviously, this was a young man. Xiao Chen said, "Indeed. You can tell me the price."


    "It''s our first meet, and we can make a friend. This Purple Crystal Pendant is just right for this girl, and I will give it to her for free."


    Murong Xian''er was delighted and ran over, grabbing the pendant in her hand.


    "Xian''er, don''t be rude." Xiao Chen wanted to stop, but it''s too late. He turned and said, "Thank you, my friend. You may talk about what you need."


    "The prescription. I want the prescription for the Reborning Pill."

 Chapter 245 Wilting Meridians

    Xiao Chen''s eye narrowed at the glimpse of the herb-shaped emblem on his cape. This man was also a healer; one who had found out from the start that he was the one who brewed the Evolution of Tao Pill.


    "I''m afraid I''m sorry, my friend. I do not mean to be indelicate, but trust me when I''m telling you that even if you have my recipe, it is still very hard for you to successfully produce another one."


    And that was the truth; the recipes in the Elixir King Scripture required healers with great and impeccable skill to use. Xiao Chen would never have been able to put any of the recipes to use if not for his Divine Sense. Even if he could, the product would only be shoddy and worthless. Moreover, the Elixir King Scripture contained various notes left to him by Gui Xian to help him. Divulging the contents of the tome and the recipes within would be tantamount as a betrayal to Gui Xian''s trust.


    The man sighed grimly, "So, it is indeed a recipe from that tome, huh..."


    Xiao Chen felt himself shuddering. This man had guessed correctly that the recipe had originated from the Elixir King Scripture! "I might not be able to offer you the recipe for the elixir. But I have some other pills that you might be interested in. I''m willing to offer all of them as a token of thanks for the pendant." From within his pocket, Xiao Chen extracted a small jade flask and handed it to the man.


    "I see..."


    The man murmured as he received the flask. "Very well then. Thank you very much. I''ll be taking my leave then." The man muttered and walked towards the door.


    Standing demurely beside, Chu Meng smiled thinly as another newcomer came rushing in. It was a man Xiao Chen recognized as Yang Tianfeng, the one who had contested a bid against Chu Xuan for the Reborning Pill.


    "Master Yang, how can I help you?" Xiao Chen asked, having guessed the purpose of his visit.


    "Please, there''s no need to stand on ceremony." Yang Tianfeng returned with a smile. "My name''s Yang Tianfeng, I''m..." He hesitated. Although he needed the Reborning Pill, he could not help feeling embarrassed to beg a man who is as young as his son.


    Xiao Chen smiled sardonically, before he took over, saying, "I''ve heard about the condition of your son, Master Yang. What a pity that his powers are deteriorating. But this is a strange matter, would you be able to tell me more about him?"


    "B-but..."


    Looking troubled, it took him great difficulty to summon enough courage to speak. "My son, Shaoyu was merely a boy born with ordinary talents when he was young. He was born with only three Spiritual Meridians. But he went on a 3-year pilgrimage when he was 15 and came back, possessing the powers of the Core Forming Realm! Nobody believed that he could reach such heights, but he did. For the next few years, his progress never stopped. He advanced so close to the Nascent Soul Realm, and it was only then I discovered that he has not three, but nine Spiritual Meridians!"


    Yang Tianfeng''s hands trembled as he continued on his tale. The tremor indicated his pride as a father and his elation and wonder at the revelation that had never waned, even until today.


    Xiao Chen slowly got up, his eyes dazed with equal disbelief. Spiritual Meridians were gifts, they were not skills that could be developed, although one could induce the growth of another Meridian by consuming Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves. Unless, Yang Shaoyu was the same as him, where his Spiritual Meridians were forcibly sealed using a very strong enchantment when he was young. But that was highly unlikely.


    "Pray continue."


    "Shaoyu then dismissed the matter, saying that we had miscounted his Spiritual Meridians. Still, we had believed that it was a blessing then and no one suspected anything wrong, until three years ago, when everything took a downturn. Shaoyu''s Spiritual Meridians began to wither like a plant dying from being poisoned..."


    Xiao Chen began to feel confused. It was most strange: unlike Earth Spiritual Meridians which might wither, there had never been any precedence where a human''s Spiritual Meridian would wilt.


    Xiao Chen began pondering, his head nodding as he thought. "But I''m afraid I have to be preparing for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly which would be held in just a few months. Moreover, I am tied down by my affairs here, otherwise, I would have liked to visit your son and have a look at his condition." He faced Chu Meng. "Lady Chu Meng. Please present the Reborning Pill to Master Yang. I''d like him to have it."


    "You have my deepest thanks, my friend!"


    Xiao Chen''s hand snuck into his robes and he fished out another flask. "There are a few more elixirs of my own making." He handed it to Yang Tianfeng and said, "Your son might need them more than I do, for they can temporarily stop the Spiritual Meridian''s wilting."


    "Thank you again, my friend," Yang Tianfeng gasped with delight, "I should compensate you with something..." The medicine and pills might be able to help delay the deterioration of his son''s condition, but it was only right that he should offer payment for them all, lest he would dishonor his household.


    But Xiao Chen held up a hand and grinned. "Just take the medicine. Consider it a token of friendship from me."


    Yang Tianfeng could hardly believe his ears. The medicine that Xiao Chen gave him worth at least two-hundred thousand Spirit Stones yet Xiao Chen demanded absolutely nothing in return. He was lost for words at Xiao Chen''s generosity. "I will remember this, my friend. I, Yang Tianfeng, will never forget about the kindness you''ve shown me on this day. But I have yet to know about your name, I''m afraid."


    Xiao Chen cracked a thin smile. "My name is Xiao Chen."


    "What! You are the..." His voice faltered. Of all the names he had expected to hear, this was the last.


    Xiao Chen continued for him, giggling to himself, "The murderous savage who had taken countless lives? Hahahaha. I pay no heed to what others think of me. Not that I can do anything about it anyway."


    "Heavens. To think that I initially believed that the rumors about you were true. Yet you''ve shown me such generosity and kindness, my friend," Yang Tianfeng gasped, his head shaking.


    A steward appeared, bearing the Reborning Pill. Yang Tianfeng took it and bowed again to Xiao Chen, "I''ll remember this, my friend. Be sure of it. I shall be at Chuan Province if you need anything. I''d best be leaving now."


    Xiao Chen watched him leave, murmuring softly to himself, "The things that one would do for love." Yang Tianfeng''s love for his son reminded him of his father and how he had scoured everywhere for medicine for him when he was still very young.


    "That said," Chu Meng remarked off-handedly, "Should I address you as Master Lee, or Young Master Xiao?" She was hardly startled when Xiao Chen had revealed his name, prompting the latter to know that she had earlier realized his true identity.


    "Anything you like, Lady Chu Meng," Xiao Chen chuckled.


    "Oh? Is that so?"


    Chu Meng giggled.


    Another two stewards appeared and presented to Xiao Chen his payment. He stowed away his Spirit Stones and said to her, "So, Lady Chu Meng, I suppose I''ll now take my leave for now."


    "Very well, Young Master Xiao. I''d look forward to future business opportunities with you again."


    Xiao Chen departed and a middle-aged man walked out from a hiding place.


    "You''ve done well, Meng''er. Did you find out from where did he come from?"


    Chu Meng shook her head. "Not from the West Continent, that at least I''m sure. He knows nothing about the West."


    "A mysterious young man. He must have help. At least an Elixir King. But I did not expect him to be that infamous Xiao Chen."


    Chu Meng''s gaze wandered to Xiao Chen''s cup still filled with tea. He had merely taken a light sip. She smiled and replied, "Yes. I did not realize who he is until he announced himself. He''s different; different to what the rumors say about him..."


    "What''s this?" The middle-aged man asked with a hint of interest in his voice, "My Meng''er is interested in him? But remember my dear niece, the burden of the family that rests upon your shoulders. You have great responsibilities, and you should suffer no distractions, even if he has the help of an Elixir Immortal."


    "You jest, Uncle," Chu Meng remarked and giggled as she looked at the window, watching the leaves falling gently from the boughs above.


    Xiao Chen walked out of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion to find that the sky was orange above him. The streets were still filled with people; some were joyous and happy to have gotten the items they wished for while some left with dejection and disappointment, walking out of the entrance with empty hands. Horses drawing carriages and wagons trotted to and fro, with people hastily moving out of their way.


    The Purple Crystal Pendant hung from the neck of Murong Xian''er, whose fingers never stopped caressing it lovingly. Xiao Chen could only chuckle at her behavior. She had so much curiosity in everything, although the passion was hardly blessed by longevity. Xiao Chen peered at his sister, and hoped that she would love it enough to keep the Pendant with her indefinitely.


    Coincidentally, Chu Xuan exited the building at the same time and his eyes immediately flared at the sight of the pendant in Xian''er''s hands. Despite his best efforts, still, the pendant ended up in Xiao Chen''s possession!


    Xiao Chen snickered with amusement to see Chu Xuan fuming at his efforts being thwarted. Dismissing the matter aside, he was about to leave; he was, after all, hardly a grudging person especially on matters so trivial and inconsequential. But he was stopped by Zhuge Wuwo''s voice calling him. "Halt, please! May I know your name, young friend?"


    Nonchalantly, Xiao Chen replied, "Xiao Chen. I do not begrudge your prince for his attempts earlier. But I will never wish ill upon others, unless being wished upon." He turned and took Murong Xian''er with him and they blended into the crowd.


    Chu Xuan cracked his knuckles as he chafed over Xiao Chen''s smug indifference. "SUCH INSOLENCE! I WILL HAVE REVENGE! I WILL!"


    "My Prince, it is for the best that you let the matter go. Keep away from him if possible. You must keep in mind that you represent the whole of Xiyue State and everything you do reflects upon the dignity of the State. This is hardly a matter of personal consequence now." Zhuge Wuwo advised. He looked at the disappearing figure of Xiao Chen and his sister and sighed. "If only the Prince has the same fortitude..."

 Chapter 246 Attachments

    Xiao Chen and Murong Xian''er ambled around in the streets and returned to the compound of their lodgings when it was sundown. There were many people grouped around the entrance of the compound. But as they got closer, Xiao Chen realized that they were students of the Jade Qing Sect and quickened his pace.


    When he got there, a few of the students greeted him. "Junior Brother Xiao." He smiled at them and went inside to find about forty people waiting at the courtyard. They were more students of the Jade Qing Sect joined by the disciples of the Xianyong Sect. Amongst them, he found Fengxi and Zi Mo.


    "D*mned rascal, where have you been the whole day? Have you been off having fun on your own? And what is that you''re wearing?!" Zi Mo glowered at him as soon as he saw Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen smiled weakly in response. Then he saw Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue, both of whom also noticed his return, and they came to him. They too were surprised when they saw his clothing. "What in the world is this attire..."


    Xiao Chen responded with a silly giggle and said nothing again. "That''s the most popular clothing in the West for respectable noblemen!" Murong Xian''er smiled and added, "It''s about two thousand taels of silver!"


    "WHAT!? TWO THOUSAND!?" Zi Mo bellowed incredulously. Around them, curious and interested stares from the students of the Jade Qing Sect and the Xianyong Sect trained upon Xiao Chen.


    "Whatever, whatever," Zi Mo waved everyone away before he told his students, "All of you, find somewhere here to sleep for now. Any corner you find will do. We need to go to the Daoist League of the Five Continents at the city center tomorrow morning."


    "Heavens, no... Sleeping on the cold, hard ground is nothing tonight. But we''ll all have to cram into the storerooms of the Daoist League starting tomorrow... If only I knew... I would not have volunteered to come..."


    The students began groaning at the expectation of the arduous and sleepless nights that would be awaiting them.


    "What else can we do? Try speaking to the Leader yourself. It was he who did not allocate much money for us. That said, the costs for lodgings across the entire Tianyuan City has risen tenfold since we were last here! I sure hope that luxurious mansions or palaces were not on your minds before we came," Zi Mo scowled at them.


    "It''s fortunate that the Xianyong Sect has allocated enough budget for this trip," Fengxi teased and said, "There''s also the sum of money we''ve gotten from a bet with a certain someone. Heh heh heh!"


    Zi Mo''s expression turned ugly immediately at Fengxi''s mention of "a certain someone".


    The students of the Xianyong Sect all roared in celebration. Fengxi nudged Xiao Chen, grinning widely to himself, "Little Xiao, you should come with us and join us! Look at us, we''re having good food and comfortable lodgings! This is the benefit of joining us! But if you decide to follow that senile Xiaoyao, then you''ll have to squeeze in the dusty and crammed storerooms of the League while you wait for the tournament."


    Xiao Chen merely gave a thin smile while not giving any remark. But the students of the Jade Qing Sect were still whimpering in dismay, much to Zi Mo''s annoyance. "Shut up you all! Quit whining and get to bed, otherwise, there will be no room for us at the storerooms if we''re late tomorrow!"


    "Heavens, no, please, Martial Uncle Xiaoyao... We''d rather spend our nights under the stars rather than staying in some dusty storehouse! The last time I slept there, I had red rashes on my face for an entire month that Junior Sister Qingyu dared not to approach me!"


    "Indeed, indeed," said another disciple, "I have some equipment, and we can camp outside the city..."


    Just then, ten young girls, all similarly clad in dark garb, filed in through the entrance. The remaining members of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon stood in a row to greet Xiao Chen, crying in unison, "Young Master!"


    Everyone in the courtyard was flabbergasted. "What''s this? An all-female personal guard consisting of beautiful young women!?" Amongst the students of the Jade Qing Sect who were present was the Mu Shaoai who was always jealous of Xiao Chen. He was crouching in a corner when the ten girls came in, watching them while salivating on his own.


    "What''s going on?" Li Muxue whispered to Xiao Chen as she drew near warily.


    "I''ll explain later." Xiao Chen smiled then he turned to acknowledge his subordinates. "You''re here," He nodded approvingly before he extracted a Tier-5 Spirit Stone and handed it to Qingluan. "Take this and get some respectable lodgings for everyone."


    "Understood, Young Master!"


    Qingluan took the Stone and led her sisters with her and vanished into the twilight.


    "A Tier-5 Spirit Stone, that''s about a hundred thousand taels of silver! And Xiao Chen even has his own bodyguard cadre of beautiful ladies!? Is this even true?!"


    Xiao Chen faced his fellow students and addressed them, "Senior brothers, I trust that you are all wearied and tired due to the long journey. Please bear with me a moment while I have some comfortable lodgings arranged." He spoke to everyone as if he was a host showing his guests his hospitality.


    Unable to contain their amazement anymore, a few of the other students who were close to him rushed at once to Xiao Chen.


    "Junior Brother Xiao, what is going on? How is it that you have so much money?!"


    "I heard you sacked the residence of the Zuoqiu Family! Did you fill your coffers with their money?!"


    "And what of the twelve girls?! Did you hire them to protect you?"


    Xiao Chen made no response to the flurry of questions pelted at him; he merely smiled, shaking his head. He could never admit that his wealth was derived from the sale of the pills he brewed. When the night was fully upon them, Qingluan and her sisters returned to report that the arrangements had been made. The rest of the students of the Jade Qing Sect were led away to their accommodations, leaving only Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan still at the courtyard.


    Xiao Chen waved for them to sit under a tree. He was amazed. In just a month, Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan had progressed much, reaching the mid-levels of the Core Forming Realm. He then reflected upon his own headway, which had been slowly in comparison.


    Sitting under the moonlight, Xiao Chen told them about his experiences during his foray into the Middle Continent, sparing them about the more gripping details from his recounts. He then asked about his friends, and Li Muxue was the first to smirk, "Humph! Here I am, worried about a certain somebody, but he seems to be enjoying himself! And who are they, this Qingluan and Ziyun''er?"


    Xiao Chen smiled abjectly. But before he could answer, Murong Xian''er cut him to the chase, "They were subordinates of a man called None-flower Dust! It was he who charged them to protect Big Brother Xiao Chen!"


    Xiao Chen nodded gently, attesting to what she said. They continued chatting at the marble table under the tree. The shadows of the boughs overhead sprawled upon the flagstones of the courtyard, slowly lengthening as the moon climbed to its peak and cast its pale glow down from above. Xiao Chen suddenly realized that Luo Shangyan hardly spoke much.


    Long ago when they left the Teal Jade Sect, he and Luo Shangyan were very, very close. They talked so much, like a pair of close-knitted brother and sister, even as they weathered the storms they encountered together. But Luo Shangyan had changed; she hardly said anything, responding with one-syllables no matter what they tried to talk to her about.


    Their conversation eventually came to an abrupt end; nobody knew what to say, leaving a palpable uneasiness hanging over the table. "Is this how girls think?" Xiao Chen asked himself, bewildered and confused. But he would not say anything either, even if he could see through a girl''s intricate webs of thought.


    There was just so much he had yet to accomplish. There was still no news about his teacher, and he knew better than to hinder himself with too many attachments, especially emotional ones. He wished to be an immortal one day, and to become one, he could not bear too many emotional attachments and their corresponding karma, lest all his efforts would be for naught, and he would only become a Rogue Immortal in the end.


    He took out two small flasks from his Divine Vessel and gave it to Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue. In the flasks were the Evolution of Tao Pills that he had kept for them. They were stronger and better than the one he sold, and they had no side effects.


    "Use these well. They will help you when you reach the later levels of the Core Forming Realm."


    The girls took the flasks, still saying nothing. Xiao Chen broke into a chuckle. "All right. It''s getting late. Go have some rest. According to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, we''ll have to submit our names for the Sword Assembly in the next few days and prepare for the preliminaries."


    When he returned to his room, Xiao Chen did not light up his lamp. He walked to the window and opened it. Gazing up at the silvery moon, he sang to himself, "A season comes a season gone, eh? The end is still far..."


    No matter how he tried, he knew full well that he was already neck-deep with attachments to many people. Love, hate, and all. His teacher must already have fully resolved her karma and ascended into Heaven. But how would he meet her, if he failed to resolve his karma...


    "Oh dear..."


    He sighed and walked back to his table. He set alight his lamp and tried to clear his thoughts. Then he remembered about the strange and mysterious box he bid and won. But before he could take it out to examine it, the light on his candle flickered, and Zi Mo had appeared magically before him.


    "Heavens, Senior Xiaoyao. If only you can have some bit of decency to knock before entering, you could''ve frightened me to death in the midnight!"


    "Heh heh heh! I know what you''re worried about: karma. But it is an enigma that has befuddled even the greatest of men. No one could possibly hope of fully resolving one''s karma. So I suggest it''s best you quit worrying, boy. Just follow the direction of your destiny."


    "Surely you''re not here in the late night to provide me with simple advice, Senior?" Xiao Chen chuckled.


    "Heh heh heh! Of course not!" But his cheeks reddened with embarrassment. He fidgeted and hesitated before he finally said, "Well, I''ll be direct then! I''m having quite a bit of trouble, and I need some help. And from what I saw earlier, you seem to be needing some help spending some of your extra money. Hmm?"


    Xiao Chen''s hand instinctively reached for his pouch and he fondled the Spirit Stones inside. He shifted uneasily. "And why is that so? Did Perfected Immortal Qing Chen not give you enough money?" Then he remembered what Fengxi said about a certain somebody losing a lot of money in a bet. "These two old rascals!"


    "Come on, boy! Just a little will do! It''ll do you no harm!" Zi Mo frowned at him, his nostrils seething with impatience.


    "Very well." Xiao Chen took out a Tier-5 Spirit Stone and passed it to Zi Mo. "Just try not to lose it again this time."


    Zi Mo''s ancient cheeks were flustered with shame. He stowed away the Spirit Stone and changed the subject at once. "Ah, that! So, the preliminaries for the tournament will be after seven days. You''ll all be directed into Forest of Illusory Moon. But beware of the perils within and be careful about the Fallen Immortals Sect. I heard that they are already challenging other young elites even before the Immortal''s Sword Assembly begins. And so far, they have yet to lose a duel. You are also within their sights, and big game for the likes of theirs too." He finished and disappeared.


    Xiao Chen did not move from his seat. He merely watched the fire burned and murmured softly to himself, "The Fallen Immortals Sect, eh?"


    "If they are as strong as they claim, then we''ll meet sooner or later," he mused. Even so, Xiao Chen would never raise a sword against others unless being provoked.


    Then he took out the strange, black box he bid for fifty-thousand Spirit Stones in the auction at the Myriad Immortals Pavilion from his Divine Vessel. Oddly, the box was chilly to the touch in the night, as if he was touching a surface of ice.


    He studied the square box and inspected the faint crevices on the surface of the box. These were not engravings or decorations, but slits containing something mechanical inside. "Traps, maybe," he wondered. He shook it beside his ears, hoping to hear something but there was only silence no matter how hard he shook it. "I do hope that I''ve not spent so much money for just an empty box," he began to dread.


    With a sigh, he tossed the box onto the table. He got up and walked to the door. He was about to go out to fetch some hot water, when he stopped at once, hearing a strange sound coming from behind.

 Chapter 247 Heavens Bane

    It was a voice, echoing across the room towards him. Its cascading reverberation bounding between the walls with pangs of sadness and age that the fabric of Time and Space around him were resonating in concert to it. Xiao Chen turned at once, looking at the voice and found that it came from the little black box that he tossed unto his table. The flickers from the lamp on his table cast a glow, eerie and wavering, upon the walls around him that he felt himself slowly filling with dread.


    "Did the voice really come from within the box?" he asked himself as he slowly crept to his table. He stared at it for seconds. But nothing came from the box. It remained still and silent. "Is there something, or someone, sealed within the box? A powerful demon perhaps? Would it kill me if I were to inadvertently set it free?"


    He shook himself, expelling the horrors of the old wives'' tales away from his head. Slowly, he took the box into his hands and looked at it closely. Despite a few tries to open it, the box would not bulge.


    Not even his Divine Sense could penetrate the confines of the box, he realized. There was something about the material which stopped him from trying to find out what was locked within. Then he saw the crevices which might conceal traps or hidden mechanisms. "How about trying to penetrate from this small slits? My Divine Sense might be able to get in from here to find a way to unlock the box."


    He sat down and calmed himself, keeping his thoughts clear. Then he closed his eyes and concentrated on using his Divine Sense and slowly reached into the tiny clefts on the box. They were small, but elaborately designed like a labyrinth that he would have to start all over again whenever his Sense made a wrong turn inside.


    It took an hour''s worth of delving and crawling until Xiao Chen finally reached the core of the box. There, he was welcomed by a sorrowful, mourning that resounded in his mind suddenly, "Between Heaven and Earth, my remains were left to be defiled, under the Sun and the Moon, under the glittering stars of the Night..."


    Xiao Chen''s eyes sprang open. He was no longer in his room, but in limbo at the middle of the galaxy with the Sun, Moon, and all other celestial bodies around him. Despite the stars twinkling at him, he felt himself gripping with cold.


    "Wait! The words I heard earlier... ''Between Heaven and Earth, my remains were left to be defiled'', have I stumbled upon a great demon''s ancient barrow?"


    Just when he was trying to fully comprehend the words he heard, a hulking figure appeared before him. The image was shimmering, obscured beyond recognition, but Xiao Chen could feel an imposing and indomitable presence radiating from the unknown figure.


    "Y-you! Wh-what are you! Who are you! Why am I here!? What is this place!?"


    Panicking beyond his wits, Xiao Chen had blurted everything all at once.


    "I am the Seventeenth Apostate of Heaven. This is where my remains rest after my doom," the powerful voice rumbled.


    "What in the world?! The Apostate of Heaven?!"


    Xiao Chen felt his back becoming wet. A cold layer of sweat drenched his back as he remembered Fengxi''s tale about the beginnings of the Annihilation Times.


    According to the legends, the mortals were tired of the ruthlessness of the Natural Law that the first great demon who had reached the levels of the Supreme Realm, the Heaven Exterminator, had led the first rebellion against the forces of Heaven. The invasion turned out to be a massive failure and the soul of the Heaven Exterminator was utterly destroyed. He was henceforth known as the First Apostate of Heaven.


    As the legends slowly fade from memory to be covered by the sands of Time, mortals began dismissing the story as mere fables and myths. No one today realized that it was true, and Xiao Chen could not believe his ears at another revelation: the figure had announced himself as the Seventeenth Apostate of Heaven. This would mean that there have been seventeen attempts to overthrow the rule of the Natural Law upon mortals, but all had failed miserably.


    "Urm... Senior? Can you tell me the purpose of the rebellion? Why were you waging war against the Natural Law?" The revelation was so shocking that Xiao Chen was still reeling with confusion and disbelief.


    His question seemed to somehow annoy the gargantuan figure. "Humph!" The figure snorted indignantly. "The Natural Law has long outlived its purpose since the lapse of innumerable multitudes of ages! It is nothing but malice, seeking to subjugate all that draws breath and trample over everyone! This was why we fought; for our own freedom!"


    "Subjugate all that draws breath?!" Somehow Xiao Chen found it hard to believe; he had never heard of such heresy before!


    "Your ability to awaken my soul by using your Divine Sense is proof that you are no ordinary person, young one. Here lies all that remains of me following my downfall. Hear me well!"


    "Pray continue, Senior," Xiao Chen remarked with a bow. As one of the most powerful figures in history, this person must wield great powers in the past, even though his conquest of Heavens had ended in an ignominious defeat. There could be merit in his advice and he would do well to pay heed.


    "The Natural Law rules supreme, because it dictates the mortality of every being across all domains. Neither even Immortal Kings nor God-Kings could fully unravel the secrets of mortality and escape death. But if and once you have completely uncovered the mysteries of mortality, you are fit to overthrow the rule of Natural Law!"


    Xiao Chen''s head lowered as he pondered those words. Man had been trying to harness arcane knowledge and skills to become immortals and achieve the rank of God-Kings, not knowing that even God-Kings were bound by the unbreakable rules of mortality. No one escapes the rule of the Natural Law. But what was wrong with everything having the life and death of its own? Would the domains not be in anarchy and chaos if the rule of the Natural Law were to crumble?


    "What is your definition of immortality, Senior?" Xiao Chen asked suddenly.


    A huge slab-like hand slowly rose and its fingers snapped. Immediately, one of the stars near them exploded in a huge supernova, startling Xiao Chen. "Is this man not dead!? What sorcery is this that he wields dominion over the galaxy?! Or is this an illusory domain which he holds full control over?"


    "This is no illusion," said the figure, as if reading his thoughts. The giant hand opened and flexed its fingers, and snapped again. The star which had exploded earlier was once again in place as if nothing had happened before.


    "What you saw, happened in mere seconds. But what happened at the star system, was a complete cycle of rebirth. That is the significance of it. Do you see it now? Nirvana."


    "Nirvana?!" Xiao Chen fell into deep thought again. To achieve Nirvana, one had to experience Death, Samsara, Rebirth, only then one must discover the key to mortality to fully achieve eternal life. "Does it mean I have to first experience death?!"


    "You have a sharp mind, young one. That is true; only by experiencing death. Have you not heard of the Nirvana Realm; the highest rank up the ladder of power. But that is nothing but a travesty. No one has ever achieved true Nirvana before. This is what many dream of all their lives: to achieve Nirvana. But despite their ceaseless strife, many agonized and failed."


    Finally, Xiao Chen now fully comprehend the actual cost to achieve true Nirvana: death. Only by dying once, one had paid the toll of reaching the final destination of immortality. But it was too heavy a cost for most people to pay, especially after attaining great power. The risk was just too great. By dying, one risks entering Samsara and have all their efforts undone. "Would anyone dare take such a risk?"


    "Everything is nothing but hypocrisy! The Nirvana Realm, the Apotheosis Realm, the Grand Completion Realm, and finally becoming the allegedly-undying Immortal King! Everything is nothing but a sham! That is no true Nirvana! Even if I were to achieve the Supreme Realm, I would still be powerless again the rule of the Natural Law!"


    "No one has ever achieved true Nirvana, hence no one has ever been able to escape the manacles of life and death. Hence, no one could truly wrestle the total dominion of all domains from the rule of Natural Law. This was why all seventeen Apostates of Heaven have failed!"


    Xiao Chen did not remember himself falling. When he came to, he was already sitting; his knees had buckled at the revelation that everything he believed in was nothing but a farce. A blunt and ugly truth hit him: No one overthrows the rule of the Natural Law. The cost for achieving True Nirvana was nothing but a paradox the Natural Law has set in place to maintain its never-ending sovereignty upon all life. But only by achieving True Nirvana and toppling the status quo, the destinies of all life could once again be rewritten!


    Xiao Chen flailed his head wildly from side to side to shake himself free from the pervading thoughts. "No! This is the demon trying to corrupt me! Everything he said is in contrary to what Teacher had taught me! It''s completely against Nature! We are the keepers of the arcane knowledge," he remembered his teacher''s words suddenly, "We defend the Natural Law and everything that abides by it." It was the Apostates of Heavens who had always been acting against what was right! It was they who had been trying to distort right and wrong! "Demons, so they are," Xiao Chen mused and said, "what is its true intention actually?"


    For the first time since coming in, he began to perceive more about his surroundings. A chilling dread snaked down his spine as he began to wonder if he had stumbled into a nightmare which he would never recover from... Then it hit him.


    "Wait a minute! I had reawakened after thousands of years! Is that not dying once?!"


    "Somebody had been trying, and had succeeded to resurrect me! This is all one large masterplan to ensure that I could achieve True Nirvana! But what is my role on this chessboard? Who are the hands that move the pieces?!"


    Prior to this shocking epiphany, Xiao Chen had only the pursuit of the location of his teacher in his sights. He had continually suffered distractions or setbacks and had always dismissed them without much giving much thought, taking them as what they were. But now, he was beginning to think that there were more than it than that. He had always believed that it was his teacher who had arranged for him to be resurrected and she had brought him back to life because of her motherly love for him. But now, he was starting to worry. What if there was indeed another purpose to his resurrection?


    "Why was Teacher trying to bring me back? Where is she now? Everything remains a mystery as long as she remains hidden!" Then again, there was something that he was certain of: his teacher would never stand alongside the Apostates of Heaven to defy the Natural Law! It was simply impossible!


    "It seems that you too, have plenty of doubts that require answers, young one," said the giant figure suddenly, breaking Xiao Chen''s line of thoughts.


    Xiao Chen looked up at him. "I do," he replied coolly, "Too many, in fact. I would hope that I''d be able to reach true immortality one day. But I would NEVER become the Eighteenth Apostate of Heaven. Never."


    He could only guess that everything had been part of something, or somebody''s elaborate scheme; from the beginning of his death, to his resurrection, and until now. All to ensure that he conquered Death.


    "WHY?!" The lumbering figure roared with incredulity.


    "Because I''m looking for somebody. She is the most important person to me and I have been devoting my life to search for her. And I will. I must. Natural Law be damned," Xiao Chen said, his voice still and placid.


    "She is the love of your life?"


    "No. She''s my Teacher and she is the reason I still live. If she''s already dead, then I''ll do my best to resurrect her. Even if this is against the will of Heaven, even if it costs my own life."


    There was a moment of silence between them until the shadowy figure began to laugh with amusement. "I see... I see now..."


    "What is it that you''ve seen, Senior?" The giant''s murmurs suddenly drew his attention. "Did you see the person I''m looking for? Where is she?"


    The giant ignored him. His thunderous laughter never stopped rumbling, until he finally paused and boomed, "We''ve been talking for more than an hour, young one. But it has been three days in your world. Go back. My body is no more and my soul is damaged, but I''ll endure. Remember me¡ªthe great demon, Heaven''s Bane!"


    "Heaven''s Bane?! It sounds strikingly similar to the Heaven Exterminator, the First Apostate of Heaven."


    "Indeed," said the giant figure, once again guessing Xiao Chen''s mind, "It is the First whom I had the most respect for. Hence I forsook my own name and named myself Heaven''s Bane as a tribute to him."


    The figure finished speaking and swung his large sleeves like a huge wing and slowly vanished before Xiao Chen felt everything went dark around him. When he woke up, he found himself back on his bed. Everything was like a dream just now; surrealistic and other-worldly. His mind was more refreshed now, no longer languid and lethargic now that he was out of the Heaven''s Bane''s domain of influence.


    "So, Heaven''s Bane, eh?" he mused. The name still sounded ludicrous to him. A tad silly even. Only a child could ever come up with something as ridiculous as vanquishing the rule of the Natural Law. The Natural Law is not a dictator or a tyrant that oppresses all mortal beings. It was the most supreme set of laws that governed Nature and everything in it, such as the coming and passing of seasons and the growing and wilting of plants and flowers. It was absurd to think that one could wield enough power to overthrow the rule of the Natural Law, no matter who that entity was, be that the First Devil God of the Archean Eon or the most powerful Demon God.


    "But what is actually this "Natural Law" that the evil folk is referring to? Is it the same Natural Law that I know?" Something seemed wrong to him.


    As he redirected his attention back to reality, he began to realize that he was not alone in his room.

 Chapter 248 The Nine Heaven-scorching Flames

    "D*mn, boy! Finally, you''re awake! You''ve put quite a scare into us when you were not even breathing! We thought you were dead!"


    Zi Mo''s voice was the first thing Xiao Chen heard as he opened his eyes.


    "H-huh? I-it''s really three days?!" Xiao Chen gasped to himself. It was lucky that he had merely been gone for three days, not three years, or his friends might have buried him instead.


    "D*mmit boy. Did you realize that you''ve slept for three days?" Zi Mo barked at him.


    A thin smile curled on Xiao Chen''s lips. Then he saw Perfected Immortals Qing Chen and Fengxi both present. He got up. "My thanks and apologies to you, Seniors. I am fine now."


    The door of his room swung opened suddenly to admit Yu Yifeng, Murong Xian''er, Luo Shangyan, Li Muxue and the twelve of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. They had heard his voice from outside and immediately came in. Murong Xian''er threw herself headfirst into him and began wailing. "I thought I will never be able to see you again, Brother Xiao Chen!"


    In a soft voice, Xiao Chen said to her, gently stroking her hair, "Everything''s all fine. There''s no need to cry, dear sister."


    Three days had passed since he slept without breathing, Xiao Chen reflected. "So that must be the Dimension of the Frigid Void, one of the three most bizarre dimensions from history."


    There is no known way of entering this Dimension, save through a dream or vision. Then he realized how lucky he was; the laws of Time and Space that governed the Dimension operated differently to the actual world he was from. He could have been trapped inside, forever stuck in another eon and unable to return.


    Zi Mo and the Perfected Immortals then took their leaves and left, leaving Xiao Chen to deal with his friends. But he did not elaborate in detail of what he saw, merely saying to his friends that he has had a vision that had helped enlighten him, a fortuitous encounter that might prove to be a boon to his powers.


    "That reminds me, Lil Chen." Yu Yifeng suddenly remembered. "There were people from the Fallen Immortals Sect here to look for you yesterday. But they left after hearing what happened to you. You''d best be careful; they will be back."


    Xiao Chen''s expression darkened. "What were they thinking of, coming to here to seek me?" But he knew the answer to his own question: a challenge to a duel. He nodded and replied, "I know. All of you will have to be careful too. But we''d pay no heed to them as long as they keep out of our way."


    Night came swiftly that evening. Xiao Chen waited until his friends left before he took out his little black box again. Only this time, the box opened easily at the merest force. It was empty inside, and he had a feeling that that might be the only time he had ever stepped foot into the Dimension of the Frigid Void.


    He placed the box back onto the table, his gaze fixated upon the burning wick of his lamp. The words of the Heaven''s Bane reverberated in his mind: Long has the Natural Law lost its purpose; all mortal beings must now rise to fight for their freedom.


    He shook his ways, clearing his mind of the tainted thoughts. No matter what, he had only one purpose: to look for his teacher! He would never allow himself to be distracted! Not ever again!


    There was no point in dwelling on the affairs which he had no power in swaying. No matter what his role was upon this huge chessboard of Destiny, he would only concentrate on his goal. "No one!" Xiao Chen swore to himself, "No one will stand in my way!"


    Still, he could not shake off the feeling that a hand has always been at his back, guiding him through a veil of mists even if he refused to.


    He took out the manual for the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames spell he bought from the old man during his visit to the Myriad Immortals Pavilion and riffled through its pages. It was not an ordinary magical spell, but rather, a magical formation with powers that outstrips even the Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formation by a great length.


    But magical formations could only be fully utilized in battle if a conjurer could cast the magic without any delay in his craft. Moreover, most conjurers today rarely saw any importance in the study of magical circles. "It was true, what the old man said," he mused, "that it is by Fate that this magic falls into my hand. I might be the only one in this era who can fully put it to good use."


    He smiled to himself, "This is indeed money well-spent!"


    He spent the next two hours reading the manual, committing to his mind as many details as possible about the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames. He drew the outlines of the magical circle on his left palm, along with several runes to activate its magic, and nine little emerald-green balls of flame sprouted from his palm, hovering just above his opened palm.


    The nine balls of flames circled above his hand, crackling gently like little screeching dragons. He has no doubt that a single ball of flame would be powerful enough to raze the entire lodging house to the ground.


    He closed his palm and deactivated the magic. He decided that he would look for an empty spot in the hills nearby at first light tomorrow to test the full power of this spell.


    Having slept continuously for three days, Xiao Chen did not feel tired. He spent the whole night memorizing the details of the spell. At the break of dawn the following day, he put on his clothes and informed his friends about his departure before slipping out of town.


    He had barely walked for a few miles, looking for a stable to hire a carriage, when a young man clad in purple garb barred his way.


    "How can I help you?" Xiao Chen asked the young man. The stranger was doing a great job in masking his presence and this hindered Xiao Chen from fully measuring his powers and strength. But only under two conditions could a person do such a thing; the stranger was either very much stronger than he was, or that the stranger possessed more than nine Spiritual Meridians. The possession of so many Spiritual Meridians accorded its wielder the ability to conceal his or her strength.


    But Xiao Chen would hazard that this man most likely owned more than nine Spiritual Meridians; he must be the challenger from the Fallen Immortals Sect.


    A vicious smile curled upon the stranger''s lips. "You must be the famous Xiao Chen recently, are you not?"


    "Indeed, I am," Xiao Chen replied brusquely.


    "Fine. There has been a word that you are the strongest among the young elites of all Five Continents. We wish to see if that''s true for ourselves."


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to disappoint you. I am not the strongest among young people in all Five Continents. None-flower Dust is. You should seek him out. I''m sure you''ll find yourselves in awe at his power," Xiao Chen remarked bluntly and immediately walked past the man without waiting for an answer.


    "HOLD!" The young man in purple garb hissed venomously; his apparent displeasure at being snubbed by Xiao Chen showing entirely.


    "Yes? Is there anything else?"


    Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks and looked back at the young man, who, in his fury, had displayed a measure of his powers: a symphony of nine white, flashing orbs hovered around him, exuding raw energy channeled from all nine of his Spiritual Meridians, fully exposed in their most naked form.


    The brilliant spectacle of the young man''s imposing aspect would have frightened and cowered any foes, but Xiao Chen merely chuckled. "Not bad. Nine Spiritual Meridians, no wonder." He called forth his own powers, and twelve fiery orbs, all blazing brilliantly, sprang out from within him, dwarfing the radiance from the nine orbs of light that many onlookers or passersby either watched with bewildered expressions or jumped back in fright.


    The stranger gasped with shock. "Th-this! This is impossible! Twelve Spiritual Meridians?! No! It couldn''t be! Unless..." But his voice stopped short in his throat.


    Xiao Chen ceased channeling his powers. Xiao Chen regarded his adversary with a stiff smile. "You might be suffering under the delusion that the world is under your feet, just because you defeated a few students from some-heretofore-unheard-of schools. Challenge the strongest to see how good you are. I shall be waiting in the tournament and I will be one of the ten strongest contestants. We''ll have a proper duel then. But until then, do not disturb me anymore." He walked away, leaving the young man and curious onlookers still gawking at him. He had never had much patience and respect for bullies and scoundrels.


    But Tianyuan City was just too huge for his liking; it took him more than two hours for him to reach the gates of the city. Once outside, he drew his sword and rode upon it into the sky. He flew for another 25 kilometers until he saw a small ridge. He flew to it and landed upon its crest.


    He surveyed the surroundings to make sure that he was alone. When he was satisfied, he cast the magic he learned the night before. Nine balls of flames popped to life in his opened hand. Eager to test his new skill, he thrust a finger at a nearby patch of forest and a fireball lunged towards the spot he pointed.


    First, there was a deafening bang, followed by a huge flood of light that burst from the depth of the woods before a powerful explosion so great that dirt, debris and splinters of wood were tossed into the air. What had been a forest was now a great tract of scorched earth and charred wood and smoldering, fallen trees, still crackling at the blistering heat that still savaged the ground.


    A contented smile appeared on his face. The Nine Heaven-scorching Flames was more powerful than he had anticipated. Its destructive force far exceeded all of his offensive-based magical formations, that a fireball¡ªone of the nine points that would complete the formation¡ªwas more powerful than the total force of the Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formation.


    To cast a magic spell that would yield such a force, Xiao Chen would have consumed one-tenth of his True Energy. But the use of magical formations such as the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames he had used earlier, consumed only one-tenth of the cost of a magic spell. This was a boon especially to Xiao Chen, who was able to cast magical formations at the blink of an eye, a feat that almost no one was capable of in this age.


    Then again, his advantage might instead turn into his bane if he were to encounter an enemy with similar or superior prowess in using magical formations. His magic could be easily undone, or worse, used against him.


    He raised two fingers and cast the spell again on his left hand. Two balls of flames sprang to life at the tip of his fingers and he flicked them at another patch of trees.


    The two balls of flames, one green and the other red, streaked towards their designated target like twin comets, spiraling around each other in weaving patterns before they grew in size and turned into two fiery dragons! With another thunderous explosion, the entire top of a wooded hill was destroyed. A huge wave of blistering heat poured from the explosion, crashing into an unwary Xiao Chen, who was tens of yards away, that he almost felt the hair on his skin burning to crisp.


    His guess had turned out to be true: the combination of the fireballs not only multiplied the force of his attack, it even changed his attack completely. The use of only one fireball was merely a huge fire, but two produced a devastating explosion.


    He loved it. The Nine Heaven-scorching Flames was not only powerful, but also flexible. He could easily direct his attacks towards any target at will, and he could combine the fireballs to create more power and better effect.


    "But what would happen if I were to use three, four, or even five fireballs?" He thought as his eye gleamed with anticipation.

 Chapter 249 Provocation

    Xiao Chen looked around and found another forested knoll not far away. He drew back another 200 feet and looked at the six fireballs bobbing gently around his palm. In a throwing motion, he swung his arm, casting all six of the fireballs at his target. The fireballs intertwined in one, shooting straight like a comet together.


    The fiery comet consisting of six fireballs first circled around its mark, reducing everything in its path to cinders before splitting back into six fiery little suns. Xiao Chen could already feel the heat from where he stood. But the fireballs merely surrounded the little hill; they did not explode. Realizing this, Xiao Chen muttered a spell; a variation he saw from the manual. Immediately the fireballs converged upon the forested knoll.


    First, there was a huge noise like a clap of thunder, then the ground trembled beneath him. A disastrous explosion ensued and the forested knoll was utterly devoured within its wrathful force. A huge mushroom of smoke rose from the hill, reaching high up the sky as a huge shockwave rippled from the center towards him.


    Astonished at the incoming force, Xiao Chen somersaulted into the air and flew for 600 meters before he landed. He looked back. Everywhere around the hilly forest just now had been utterly laid waste, with gesticulating tendrils of steam and smoke clambering up into the air from the blackened soil of the ground.


    Xiao Chen looked at his handiwork, dazed at the devastation he had wrought. The force of the explosion was as powerful as a full-powered blow of a warrior of the Nascent Soul Realm. He would have to practice caution whenever this spell was used, lest he should risk wounding his own allies or friends.


    He tried and tested a few other combinations and discovered that odd numbers of fireballs yielded powerful incinerating effects, while even numbers of fireballs produced explosive force.


    He had done enough damage to the lands around him, but there was still one more test he wished to try: the use of nine fireballs in unison. He drew his sword and rode upon it to find another hill. He looked down from the sky and took in the scenic view of the beautiful lush forests around the hill, grimacing of what might become of it after the test.


    He did not land this time, opting to perform his spell directly from the air. He had to be careful, since he did not know how powerful the force would be if all nine fireballs were used together.


    Readying himself, he cast forth the nine fireballs. With another spell, the fireballs threw themselves into the tip of the forested hill and a massive firestorm erupted like a volcano. The inferno grew into a colossal beast of flame, engulfing everything around it, leaving only destruction in its wake.


    Xiao Chen felt his stomach in a knot and felt a heatwave coming. He immediately flew up to a safe altitude and watched from above the cumulative results of the monstrous inferno that continued gorging on everything on the hill. There was nothing but fire as if this was the very coming of Hell upon Earth, more so, with the acrid odor of burning wood that filled his nostrils.


    It took some time until the torments of the fiery inferno began to subside; the fire died down quickly and the entire hill was bare and black, the only salient spot of black that stood out upon miles and miles of lush, green woodland.


    A strong breeze blew by, buffeting the fumes and steam from the wake of destruction left by the inferno. The top of the hill was gone and Xiao Chen could not help feeling the slow trickle of a bead of sweat rolling down his head. The full power of this magical formation was simply too catastrophic to be wielded carelessly. Not even dirt, stone or rock could within stand the force of the fires of Hell, never mind ordinary warriors of the Core Forming Realm.


    Xiao Chen steered his sword down to the ground. With this new addition to his entire repertoire of skills, he would not have to overly rely on the others. The Dragon''s Wrath was powerful, but its cost was too high for it to be efficient. The same could be said for the two strings of the Fuxi Zither, which he could only use twice or, at most, thrice during a single battle. His powers would have been utterly spent by the time he had used them.


    The Devil''s Three Turns was his single most destructive magic. It allows its user the power to defeat any enemy at the level of the Nascent Soul Realm or even anyone fresh into the levels of the Nirvana Realm. But it was a double-edged blade; he could only use this particular magic only at the gravest of time, otherwise, he would have to risk losing his own life. Similarly, he would also avoid using the Heaven''s Talisman technique for fear of being corrupted more and more frequently.


    With a long and heavy breath, he reflected quietly. He needed to strengthen himself as soon as possible. The coming of the Annihilation Era would open the doors to more powerful foes ahead, otherwise, he would only become "fodder for the strong", as Fengxi once told him. He began wondering if there might come such time when warriors of the Nascent Soul Realm would be mere lambs for slaughter.


    "What a tragic era I''ve returned into," he grimaced to himself.


    He sat down and rested on his back in the stiff pulpous grass while waiting for his True Energy to replenish. He got up once he was ready and prepared to fly back to Tianyuan City. He had been on constant vigilance since Li Muxue and the others had arrived at the capital of the Middle Continent, continually worrying about their safety and wellbeing. "One of the tolls of having too many emotional attachments, I guess," he frowned to himself.


    He sighed and leaped up on his sword, streaking through the sky in a bolt of light towards the City.


    With more and more people arriving each day for the grand tournament of the Immortal''s Sword Assembly, the city officials had announced a decree to outlaw flying on swords over the city. Hence, Xiao Chen had to spend another two hours riding a carriage back to his lodgings. Before entering the alley, he noticed ominous plumes of black smoke snaking up the sky. The moment he came near, he realized that it was his lodging house that has been razed! Outside the courtyard and the rubbles of the destroyed house were mobs of inquisitive pedestrians and bystanders. But they were held back by a troop of Constables of the League who demarcated the scene with barricades.


    "XIAN''ER!"


    Xian Chen bellowed with fright. With a powerful stomp from the carriage, he propelled himself into the air, nearly causing the carriage to overturn. Panicking, the horse drawing the carriage whinnied hysterically before bucking wildly, tossing the driver of the carriage off its back.


    Xiao Chen shoved two Constables aside who tried to bar his way. He would have gotten into a fight with the Constables if not for Murong Xian''er''s voice from behind. "Brother Xiao Chen! Here I am!"


    He jerked his head backward and saw his sister fine and well. Feeling slightly consoled, he asked frantically, "What about Muxue and Senior Sister Luo?"


    "We''re fine too," two voices answered him as Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan emerged from the crowd, though they two have suffered light bruises and cuts.


    "Is there anyone else who is wounded? What happened here? Who''s responsible for all this?" A boiling rage churned within him. This was only the second day since he and his friends reached Tianyuan City, and yet, they were already in danger of being attacked. Struggling against his anger, he swore, "I must find out who did this and kill him!"


    He peered around and saw everyone from the Jade Qing Sect were still well. A girl walked to him and Xiao Chen recognized her as one of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. "Where''s Qingluan? How are the rest of your sisters?"


    "Chief Qingluan has led the rest of us in pursuit of the perpetrator. I must apologize for my inability to protect everyone, Young Master," the girl reported, sounding distressed.


    Xiao Chen calmed her down with a wave of his hand. One of the Constables came over. "Our apologies for such a mishap, Master Xiao. Rest assured that investigations are already underway. I''m sure we''ll be able to provide a satisfactory explanation."


    "You''d better do!" Xiao Chen hissed spitefully at him, his eyes flashing with a blaze of anger.


    "All right, all right," Li Muxue tugged at his arm and said, "There''s no need for such anger. Everyone is fine."


    "I''m sorry..." Xiao Chen growled, suppressing his rage. He was filled with anxiety and concern for his friends and loved ones. The attack had taken place when he was out testing his new skill. It was fortunate that the attack was not in the night or the perpetrators had struck more forcefully, otherwise, he would not have forgiven himself for any losses.


    "Did anyone have a glimpse of the enemy?"


    Li Muxue shook her head. "I was meditating in my room when I felt the room collapsing on me. Luckily Qingluan and the others realized something was wrong and they came in to quickly erect a defensive barrier to shield us..."


    "Wait here. I''m going in for a look," Xiao Chen told her, and he leaped into the courtyard of the compound.


    There was nothing left in the aftermath of the attack but debris and rubble. It was a total disaster that the lodging house was completely destroyed by fire, as evidenced by the still-burning wood and splinters. It must have been a very powerful fire-based magic used by a conjurer at least at the level of the peak Core Forming Realm.


    Moreover, the conjurer had been able to sneak in quietly to work his magic and escape without being injured. But why did the assailant attacked in the day but not under the cover of the night?


    There would only be a single reason: this was a provocation; a challenge! The perpetrator had not meant to kill anyone needlessly, but to flush him out for a duel!


    "I believe I know whose work this is," he muttered to himself. He walked out and turned to the direction of the spot where he met the young man from the Fallen Immortals Sect this morning.


    "Where are you going? Did you find a lead?" Luo Shangyan asked anxiously as he brushed past.


    Xiao Chen smiled benignly. He shook his head. "Nope. We''ll move to the stronghold of the Daoist League later. It should be safer to stay there."


    He would remain quiet, at least for now! He did not fear anyone, not especially the Fallen Immortals Sect. But he could not risk taking action and put his friends and loved ones into the way of more harm. Knowing the best course of option would be to remain wary until their safety was ensured, Xiao Chen elected to lie low for now. There was no need to respond to the provocations of the rabid hounds of the Fallen Immortals Sect until he was ready.


    But that was only if Xiao Chen could remain indifferent to their incessant provocations.

 Chapter 250 Fallen Immortals Sec

    t


    It didn''t take long for Qingluan and the rest to return. Xiao Chen looked at them and asked, "Are you all alright?"


    Qingluan joined his side and leaned into his ear to whisper, "There''s a place called Landscape Park in the west district. It has something to do with the attack this time. I think it''s where the Fallen Immortals Sect temporarily is."


    Xiao Chen nodded. "I understand. Let it be for now. Don''t take any reckless actions."


    Ziyun''er said, "But are we leaving it just like that?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "It''s fortune that everyone is fine. Leave it be. Don''t move recklessly."


    "But they really overdid it this time," Ziyun''er said in anger as she scanned the ruined courtyard.


    He didn''t reply. Qingluan shot Ziyun''er a look. "Enough. Don''t keep harping on it." Ziyun''er looked away, but her fists were clenched so hard that her bones creaked.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. "Enough. It''s alright now. Let''s go to the main district now and wait, and tomorrow we''ll go to the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Throw this to the back of your mind."


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to seek revenge from the Fallen Immortals Sect. They were just too strong for him. He couldn''t ensure the safety of his people in an actual battle. He wasn''t alone now; he couldn''t be as fearless as he had been when storming the Zuoqiu family estate. Now, he must consider the big picture.


    A Jade Qing Sect disciple stepped forward and said, "Are you kidding me, Junior Brother Xiao? They walked all over us! Are we supposed to take this lying down? There are so many of us here. Why do we have to fear them?"


    Luo Shangyan glared at him. "Junior Brother Xiao said to let it be. Why do you have so much to say? The registration test for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly will begin in a few days. It''s best to avoid unnecessary trouble."


    Luo Shangyan, Li Muxue, and Murong Xian''er agreed with Xiao Chen because their worst-case scenario was him picking a fight with the Fallen Immortals Sect. In a battle, one party would surely be injured. They didn''t want anything to happen to him.


    "Alright. Let''s do as Junior Brother Xiao says," the disciple said dispiritedly.


    The rest had no objections either. Even though they called Xiao Chen their Junior Brother, they knew what he was capable of after witnessing his battle with Patriarch Guanshan. When Yu Yifeng wasn''t around, he was their de facto leader.


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Where''s Senior Brother Yifeng?" The disciple answered, "He followed our Master and the other Elders to the Daoist League of the Five Continents last night."


    "That''s good, too. Our journey will be a long one; let us make haste."


    After ordering a few ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon to stay behind and tie up the loose ends, he led the rest to the central district of the city in horse carriages.


    Inside the carriage, Xiao Chen leaned against his seat in silence. Li Muxue noticed how deep in thought he was and said, "That''s enough thinking. Don''t dwell on it. We''re all safe, aren''t we?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. He asked Qingluan, "Have you ever heard of the Fallen Immortals Sect?"


    Qingluan shook her head. "Never. Neither do I know where their sect is or what their current goal is. I can investigate them immediately if you need me to."


    "It''s fine. I don''t want to alarm them." Xiao Chen raised a hand. He then turned to look at the stream of people outside the window. This time, the Fallen Immortals Sect sent ten people and went around challenging cultivators from all sects. They tasted no defeat so far, making most disciples from the main sects cower in fear.


    This sect must not be underestimated.


    With the number of visitors to Tianyuan City doubling this time of the year, moving around in horse carriages became cumbersome. By the time they arrived at the central district, the sky was already dark. They got off the carriage and checked into a tavern nearby. They would head to the Daoist League of the Five Continents tomorrow.


    The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon took turns to guard the group throughout the night. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged inside the tavern, circulating his force and taking in energy as he stimulated all of his Spiritual Meridians. However, he couldn''t help thinking about the Fallen Immortals Sect.


    The next morning, everyone washed up and had their breakfast. Once he was ready, Xiao Chen walked downstairs and did a headcount. It was then that he noticed that Ziyun''er was nowhere to be found.


    "Where''s Ziyun''er? Why isn''t she here?" asked a female disciple standing behind Qingluan.


    "She told me she was too tired last night and changed shifts with me then. Is she still asleep?"


    The ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had always been well-trained. Something like this would never happen. Qingluan sensed that something was wrong. Frowning, Xiao Chen exchanged glances with her. The two of them thought in unison, "Oh no! She must have gone to the west district and investigate the Fallen Immortals Sect by herself last night!"


    Noticing their sudden solemn expressions, Luo Shangyan walked over to them and asked quietly, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chen had long learned to keep a cool head. He explained, "It''s nothing. Senior Sister Luo, can you take them to the Daoist League of the Five Continents first? I''ll join you in a while."


    Li Muxue joined them and asked with a frown, "Where are you going? I''m coming with you." Murong Xian''er also came over. "Me too! Me too!"


    "Be obedient, Xian''er." Xiao Chen''s brows furrowed. He said to Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan, "Listen to me and head to the Daoist League of the Five Continents first. I''ll join you later, alright?" He then turned to salute the other Jade Qing Sect disciples. "Apologies, everyone. I have something urgent to attend to. You''ll have to head to the Daoist League of the Five Continents before me."


    Some of them had a basic idea of what was going on. They stepped forward and said, "We''ll come with you."


    Xiao Chen raised his hand. "Please listen to me. Leave first. I''ll be fine."


    "Then be careful," Luo Shangyan said softly. She turned to the other disciples. "Junior Brother Xiao will be fine. Let''s go to the Daoist League of the Five Continents first."


    When everyone left, Xiao Chen and Qingluan exchanged looks. Immediately, they hopped onto their flying swords and flew toward the west district. Even though the city banned the use of flying swords during this time, they couldn''t be bothered at such an urgent time.


    Meanwhile, over at a place called Landscape Park in the west district, the park was filled with lush greenery, blooming flowers, and a towering rock garden. Every building inside was inter-connected, with a guard patrolling every 100 feet apart.


    Seven frivolous-looking men dressed in different attire sat scattered inside the main hall. The one sitting in the central spot was a red-clothed man with a red speck resting between his brows. He propped his chin with his hand as he looked at a purple-clothed lady suspended from the beam with a flippant smile.


    "You''re quite brave to trespass into the Fallen Immortals Sect by yourself. Speak. Who sent you?"


    The lady suspended from the beam was a pale-faced Ziyun''er. She glared at the red-clothed man in the central seat and scoffed.


    "Tsk, how stubborn." The red-clothed man smiled frivolously. He flicked a white radiance at her, causing her to scream.


    "One-dot Red, forget it. Do we even need an answer? Who is she if not Xiao Chen''s subordinate?" said a black-clothed man with the tattoo of a crane''s tail feathers on his neck. He couldn''t take his eyes off Ziyun''er''s face when he spoke.


    "Oh?" One-dot Red straightened his back and laughed. "That''s exactly what I wanted. I want to see if Xiao Chen lives up to the rumors or if he''s a fake."


    "Hehe. How do you plan to deal with this woman?" The black-clothed man smiled lasciviously.


    One-dot Red glanced at him and said with a chuckle, "Second Brother, when will you learn? The charm of a beautiful woman is like a blade. Take care not to die under a woman''s skirt one day."


    "Hehe. If I die under such circumstances, I''ll keep my carnal ways as a ghost."


    The man with the tattoo of a crane''s tail feathers was the second oldest of the ten men, Double-tailed Crane. He was infamous for being lustful. He patted his thigh, about to get up and make his way to Ziyun''er with a perverted smirk. Suddenly, a burst of wind whizzed past his ears as a steel nail flew at him.


    Double-feathered Crane turned his head sideways and used his mouth to catch the steel nail. He spat it out and smiled wickedly. "Pretty lady, both of your hands are tied. Where are you hiding your weapon? Don''t tell me it''s that place?"


    "Bah! You shameless, crude man!" Ziyun''er scolded, annoyed that her attack failed.


    Double-feathered Crane raised his head and laughed. "I love the way you scold me! It''s been a long time since I had a pretty lady scold me! Very well. Let me taste the woman belonging to the strongest youngster of the Five Continents!"


    Ziyun''er''s heart tightened with alarm as she watched him come closer and closer. She began to struggle. "What are you doing? If you dare touch me, I swear I''ll give you an ugly death!"


    Out of the blue, the sound of an explosion erupted from outside the hall. The explosion shook the hall so much that the accumulated dust was falling off the beams. One-dot Red glanced outside with disinterest and said to a white-clothed man sitting near the door. "Tenth Brother, go and see what''s going on."


    Before his voice fell, the white-clothed man was already nowhere to be seen.


    The front courtyard was a complete mess. The smaller pavilions were ruined and the rock garden had collapsed. Some ten guards were lying on the ground, coughing up blood. A man with potent murderous aura stood at the entrance of the courtyard. It was none other than Xiao Chen. Qingluan stood next to him, holding her breath and focusing on the stream of guards converging in front of them.


    "Where is she?" Xiao Chen asked coldly.


    "You''re Xiao Chen?" one of the guards worked up the courage to ask.


    "Correct." Xiao Chen detected someone rapidly making his way over with his Divine Sense. That person was so fast that he could be described as shadowless. He immediately circulated his Qi all over his body and made a palm attack. A loud explosion resounded, causing the raging of vital force. The greenery around them was instantly reduced to dust.


    "Name yourself!" Xiao Chen said coldly.


    "I''m Traceless for Ten Miles from the Fallen Immortals Sect." Before his voice reached Xiao Chen''s ears, a white-clothed man was already ten feet away from him. "I have named myself. What are you going to do about it?"

 Chapter 251 Rescue

    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes when he saw that this man was almost as fast as his Immortal-override Steps. He said coldly, "Hand over my friend."


    Traceless for Ten Miles put on a weak smile. "I was wondering what you wanted to do when you asked for my name. Did you come here to save your friend? I''m afraid you''re too late."


    "Where is she?!" an impatient Qingluan demanded.


    Xiao Chen didn''t waste his breath. He moved his feet, charging into the hall. Traceless for Ten Miles followed suit and blocked him. The two of them collided, causing dust to fly up all around them.


    "Move aside!"


    Traceless for Ten Miles smiled weakly. "Elder Brother has given that woman to Second Brother. Naturally, you can only enter once he''s done with his business."


    Qingluan''s expression fell. "What did you say?!"


    Xiao Chen''s murderous aura rose sharply. He abruptly hit Traceless for Ten Miles in the chest but the latter swiftly moved out of the way, avoiding the palm attack. Traceless for Ten Miles chuckled. "I heard you''re the strongest among the younger generation in the Violet Manor. I''d love to see how true this is. If you can withstand ten strikes from me, I''ll allow you to enter. Otherwise, all you''ll be seeing is that woman''s corpse."


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. "You''re that desperate to try me, aren''t you..."


    Traceless for Ten Miles nodded. "Correct."


    "Take this then!"


    Following Xiao Chen''s howl, he stimulated all of his True Energy and summoned the Dragon''s Wrath. The world instantly changed before their eyes as the cloudless sky became filled with rolling dark clouds, casting a dark shadow over the earth.


    Gale raged all around them. Vital force surged up violently in the air. Turning pale, countless guards began fleeing. Traceless for Ten Miles narrowed his eyes, thinking, "The rumors are true." He moved, charging at him at a lightning-fast speed.


    "Roar¡ª"


    The ear-splitting howl of a furious dragon reverberated through the air as a gigantic figure of a dragon abruptly dove down. Sensing the terrifying force hidden in the dragon, Traceless for Ten Miles stopped attacking Xiao Chen. He raised his arms and started drawing a spell. Instantly, an earth-shaking power erupted from his palms and lunged at the descending dragon.


    A loud explosion resounded as the two strong forces collided. Everything near them was reduced to dust. Several guards who failed to stay out of the way were turned into fogs of blood.


    Dust sprang up all around. The entire place was in tatters. Traceless for Ten Miles clutched his chest and coughed up blood. The guards that fled far away were dumbstruck that Xiao Chen defeated Traceless for Ten Miles with just one strike.


    To be frank, Traceless for Ten Miles was fast enough that he could have just evaded the dragon''s attack earlier. He was just too conceited.


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves coldly. He said to Qingluan, who stood behind him, "I''m leaving him to you. I''m going to save Ziyun''er." He immediately charged into the hall.


    The dozen or so guards swiftly moved forward to stop him. Xiao Chen chided them coldly, "Move if you don''t want to die!" He flicked his sleeves and sent the guards flying as if there was a strong gust of wind.


    Right then, two silhouettes flew out of the hall. They were Traceless for Ten Miles'' Eighth and Ninth Brother, Eight Scarcities Ghost and Nine-patterned Dragon. With two loud noises, they struck Xiao Chen with their palms.


    The strong, abrupt attacks forced Xiao Chen to take several steps in retreat. He narrowed his eyes. Once he got a clear look at their fighting styles, he immediately circulated his Qi and unleashed his Immortal-override Steps. He arrived in front of Nine-patterned Dragon like a ghost and landed a kick on his lower jaw, sending the latter flying more than one hundred feet away.


    The guards watching from a distance couldn''t tell what was going on, except that Nine-patterned Dragon was suddenly thrown. He crashed into an interconnected courtyard, causing it to collapse.


    Sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse, Eight Scarcities Ghost swiftly recited a spell. Instantly, a sinister whistling sound echoed throughout the air as eight shadows started plaguing Xiao Chen''s back. Xiao Chen, sensing something attacking him with his Divine Sense, whipped around and pushed his palms forward in unison. Two dragon figures emerged from his palms and shattered the shadows with ease.


    He disappeared out of view before reappearing in front of Eight Scarcities Ghost in the following second and punching him ten more times. Each of his punches was as furious as a volcanic eruption. He then used his family''s ancient martial arts, Gold Break, and sent Eight Scarcities Ghost flying.


    His focus had been on cultivating all this while, but he had never gotten about the Xiao family''s ancient martial arts.


    In the distance, the guards were stunned. They thought to themselves, "Is this the strongest youth of the Violet Manor? He seems invincible."


    Flicking his sleeves coldly, Xiao Chen transformed into a swift light and charged into the hall without wasting time. When he was about to arrive in front of a cinnabar door, sword Qi emerged from within to strike him. He leaned backward, carrying himself tens of feet away. An ear-splitting sound of collision reverberated. The sword Qi had struck the courtyard behind him, reducing it to smoke and dust.


    "Excellent lightness skill, sir," said an emotionless voice, coming from within the hall.


    With a wave of his large hand, a golden dragon figure emerged and crushed the cinnabar door. Amid the rain of wood shavings, a silhouette appeared with a palm aimed at his abdomen.


    Xiao Chen swiftly lifted his hand to block the attack. Yet another collision resounded. The shock of the collision caused his Qi and blood to surge violently. He took more than ten steps backward before regaining his footing.


    A red-clothed man landed about seventy feet away from him. It was the group''s Eldest Brother, One-dot Red. With a faint smile, he said, "Is this all the strongest youth of Violet Manor amounts to?"


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, zeroing in on a bound Ziyun''er suspended from the beam of the hall behind him. He couldn''t hold back his anger. In a solemn voice, he yelled, "Release her!"


    One-dot Red chuckled. "Give me a reason."


    "I''ll give you one: If you force my hand, you''ll incur the extermination of your body and soul!" Xiao Chen howled, unleashing his Unsullied Sword at the same time. Following a whistle, the sword turned into a white radiance and lunged at One-dot Red.


    "Ah." One-dot Red continued to wear a faint smile. He drew a spell with his finger. A purple light soared behind him and began fighting the Unsullied Sword like a crackling bolt of purple lightning.


    The handle of the sword was purple. Thousands of years ago, a Celestial Master had forged it out of Vital Flame Essence extracted from stones. Its name was Purple Ying. Invincible against the invasion of all demonic energy, it was considered one of the most valuable Immortal''s Swords around.


    Even though Unsullied Sword was an Immortal''s Sword, there wasn''t an immediately clear winner between the two. The guards in the distance watched in awe as the two gleaming swords, one white and the other purple, interweaved in midair.


    Their battle had gone on for quite some time without a winner emerging, but their Sword Qi had ruined most of the courtyard under them.


    Inside the hall, Double-tailed Crane clutched Ziyun''er''s chin and moved her face so that she was facing Xiao Chen. With a sinister laugh, he said, "Your master is here. Hurry up and call him to rescue you."


    Ziyun''er''s acupuncture points were sealed, making it impossible for her to move. She was in so much anger that she was gnashing her teeth. She knew that Double-tailed Crane was trying to use her to distract Xiao Chen from his tense fight.


    Outside the hall, Xiao Chen saw everything. With a sinister laugh, Double-tailed Crane poked out his tongue and licked Ziyun''er''s face. "Kid, if you don''t hurry up, your pretty little thing will be bullied by me soon."


    "I''ll kill you!" Xiao Chen bellowed in anger. Under his control, Unsullied Sword flew into the hall. Now that the Purple Ying Sword lost its target, it immediately lunged at him. It made an opening in his arm with a jeering sound, causing blood to fly in all direction.


    Ziyun''er was alarmed. "Ignore me!"


    Ignoring her, Xiao Chen continued to control his sword to fly toward Double-tailed Crane. With a cold smile, the latter circulated True Energy in his arms and formed a Protective Barrier to block the ambushing sword. He pushed, repelling the Unsullied Sword.


    Xiao Chen caught the sword that flew back to him. He stared at One-dot Red and said furiously, "What''s your purpose? And what''s your reason? If you want a fight with me, you can just ask me for one! What kind of a man are you, to capture a girl?!"


    One-dot Red smiled faintly. "Reason? Only disciples of so-called cultivators'' sects need something like that. We disciples of the Fallen Immortals Sect never need a reason for our actions. Trampling an ant under the feet is an unchanging truth. If you want to save her, you need to be strong enough to do so. Otherwise, on what grounds are you asking me to release her? To give you face? Who do you think you are? Do you think we''re in the previous Cultivation Era, where all sects have to be obedient to some Chief of the Immortals?"


    Right then, several men walked out of the hall. They were either leaning against trees or crossing their arms as they sneered at Xiao Chen. The contempt in their eyes was obvious.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist so hard that his bones creaked. Even though there was no grudge between them, for some reason he felt like there was a deep enmity between them. From their words, he felt as if they bore an irresolvable grudge against him thousands of years ago.

 Chapter 252 Daoist League of the Five Continents

    "Tell me. What will it take for you to release her?" Xiao Chen asked emotionlessly.


    One-dot Red smiled. "Release her? Impossible. It also won''t be impossible for you to leave with her, not even you alone. Your only hope is to win this fight."


    Suddenly, he patted his forehead with his finger. "I''ve nearly forgotten this. Your orthodox sects have too many rules and regulations; it won''t be easy for you to let go of them and kill freely. Your people are regressing precisely because you wallow in your ancient learnings. We''re different. We''ll kill if we want to; we face no restrictions. Our own philosophy is that the weak will always be prey to the strong."


    "Hehe, is that so?"


    Xiao Chen sneered, finally understanding that the Fallen Immortals Sect was a demonic sect. Demonic sects operated outside of the rules and restrictions of the Immortal''s Practice. Even though these sects weren''t as cruel to the world as devils'' sects were, their cultivation methods were all so nefarious that it was borderline devilish. By hook or crook, they would achieve their goals. In their pursuit of supreme power, they would commit deeds devoid of conscience.


    Such sects existed thousands of years ago, but the Orthodox Path considered them to be depraved and exterminated them. Xiao Chen must admit that they were more suited to this new era where most people had lost their Bodhicitta, particularly when the Annihilation Times were close.


    One-dot Red smiled. "How about it? Have you thought it through? Being a disciple from an orthodox sect, you''ll receive punishment from your own sect and Immortals'' League if you kill here. We, on the other hand, have never suffered any restrictions from any sects. That''s why you''re destined to fail today."


    Xiao Chen put on a sinister smile. "You''re right. Take any disciple from an orthodox sect and he''ll suffer punishment for killing here. But you seemed to have misunderstood something. I don''t belong to any of the sects here! I don''t have to suffer their restrictions too!"


    Following his roar, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade instantly appeared in his hand. Sinister whistling and murderous aura sprang up all around. The rest couldn''t help feeling a shiver running down their spine.


    "I''ll repeat myself: Release her. Otherwise, I promise I''ll turn this place into Asura''s pond of blood and leave no survivors!"


    His ice-cold voice echoed throughout the place. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade began to tremble, filling the entire Landscape Park with a murderous aura. In the distance, countless guards were shivering.


    "Well, give it your best," One-dot Red said emotionlessly.


    "Go to hell then!"


    Following his burst of anger, the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements took shape in his mind and the blade fell with the force of surging waters. The gale that the blade radiance produced reduced everything around him to dust. The force even caught several distant residences inside, causing them to collapse. When One-dot Red and the rest saw this, they hastily made their way to him and worked together to spread out the force of this ferocious attack.


    None of them anticipated his power to rise so sharply in such a short amount of time. They dared not underestimate him anymore.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and spotted Double-tailed Crane making his move on Ziyun''er inside the hall. The Unsullied Sword once again rose into the sky and flew inside like an unblockable bolt of lightning. Caught off guard, Double-tailed Crane failed to control his sword to block the Unsullied Sword. The ambush succeeded, sending him flying.


    Xiao Chen had activated the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, meaning that his cultivation was now in the Nascent Soul Realm. Were it not for Double-tailed Crane''s Mystic Skill for protection, Xiao Chen''s violent attack would have badly injured him.


    The hall abruptly collapsed with a loud crash. Xiao Chen''s control over his sword was so precise that it cut off the rope binding Ziyun''er in a split second, allowing him to carry her out of the hall.


    By now, Qingluan and the rest had arrived. Xiao Chen handed Ziyun''er to them and instantly lunged at One-dot Red and his brothers with a series of blade attacks.


    Rumbling echoed unceasingly amidst the chaotic flashes of blade radiance. Large sections of buildings collapsed, sending dust flying everywhere. The collaborative attack of the twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon could only be described as terrifying. None of the hundreds of guards could wield their weapons. With every passing of the cold radiance, one would surely fall into a pool of their blood.


    Bearing a grudge against them for capturing Ziyun''er, Qingluan attacked decisively and mercilessly. She was determined to turn the ground to a river of blood. For some time, screeches lingered in the air.


    Before long, the entire Landscape Park turned into barren land. Those injured howled in grief. Terrifyingly, all spilled blood was sucked into the demonic blade in Xiao Chen''s hand.


    Staring at One-dot Red, Xiao Chen sneered. "Do you still think I look like an orthodox disciple wallowing in old teachings?"


    One-dot Red''s gaze was frighteningly cold, having never expected him to kill so decisively. The True Energy circulating all over his body jolted and a massive, earth-shattering force lunged at Xiao Chen. Everywhere the force passed, it left behind a huge gorge behind. The Hidden Fragrance ladies swiftly moved into action and worked together to form a Barrier, easily blocking this great attack.


    "Leave, the further the better! I''m going to turn this place to dust!" Xiao Chen said icily, carrying no shred of emotion in his voice. Nine flames had emerged in the hollow of his palms.


    Those from the Fallen Immortals Sect could sense the terrifying power imbued in those flames. One-dot Red asked coldly, "What are you doing?"


    "What am I doing? Didn''t you say the weak will always be prey to the strong? That this world is one where only the fittest will survive? I''ll return those words right back to you!"


    Following his howl, the nine flames flew toward the group. Simultaneously, he unleashed his Phoenix''s Wings and escaped far into the horizon. When he was far away, he transmitted his voice to them, saying, "Those who provoke me are destined to die no matter where they are!"


    Before his voice reached them, the nine flames instantly turned into nine storms of raging fire that engulfed the entire Landscape Park. The sky was turned into a sea of flames.


    Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Chen landed on a wide empty land 25 kilometers away, reconverging with Qingluan and the rest. Now, he would never show his enemies any mercy.


    "Master, what do we do now?" Qingluan asked.


    "We''re going to the Daoist League of the Five Continents to prepare for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly."


    He was aware that the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames wouldn''t be much of a threat to those from the Fallen Immortals Sect; it was just there to trap them. His earlier use of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements wouldn''t last. Soon, he would be suffering the countercharge. Right now, he must get to a safe place as soon as possible and circulate his Qi and breath.


    The group left for the Daoist League of the Five Continents at once.


    Meanwhile, the fire had incinerated Landscape Park. The injuries that One-dot Red and the rest sustained were light but they looked worse for the wear. They had been scoring victory after victory from the day they stepped on the soil of the Middle Continent and yet they were left in such a pathetic state today.


    Putting aside the fact that their stronghold was destroyed, they even lost more than one hundred outer disciples. More importantly, they would surely suffer a terrifying punishment once the news spread.


    Their expressions were positively ghastly, especially that of One-dot Red. He stared in the direction where Xiao Chen had left in and said icily, "Xiao Chen, I swear I''ll take your life within three months!"


    Traceless for Ten Miles walked over to him and asked placidly, "Can you now be certain that he''s the heir of that sect?"


    One-dot Red sneered. "Our forefather made divine calculations that revealed that someone would escape. It must be him. He has finally shown up after thousands of years. As the last remaining heir of that sect, he must die."


    The rest looked solemn after hearing this.


    "Hehe. Life is so unpredictable. The Mystic Cyan Sect, which had always considered themselves unrivaled in the world back then, is only down to one disciple now. Twelve Spiritual Meridians, at that. Hehe..."


    "Since he''s shown up, I think it''s better to return and report this to the Elders."


    "Don''t be hasty. I still want to play around with him. I want to see just how strong he is..."


    ¡­


    The Daoist League of the Five Continents was jointly established by the various orthodox sects in the Five Continents. The league was built on the Jade Terrace Mountain in the middle of Tianyuan City. The mountain was covered in lush greenery all year round and shrouded in thick clouds and fogs. The league''s building was impressive and covered a large expanse of land, with countless islands hovering above it. On top of the islands were jade palaces peeking out of the clouds, which served as meeting places for high-level business and cultivation grounds for the Elders.


    By the time they reached the Jade Terrace Mountain, Xiao Chen''s face was deathly pale and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. The countercharge of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements was evidently acting up. He had to rely on Qingluan and Ziyun''er for support.


    Under the mountain, the disciple responsible for welcoming the league''s guests immediately walked up to them after seeing his state. "Your injuries are grave. Can we offer you any help?"


    Since the league was a joint-establishment of various orthodox sects, most of the disciples here were polite to those from other sects.


    Xiao Chen lifted his head and felt cold sweat sliding down his cheek before hitting the ground. It seemed like even talking was strenuous for him. "I''m a disciple from the Jade Qing Sect; all you have to do is bring me to the league."


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen of the Jade Qing Sect was the Elder representing the East Continent. The disciple dared not slight him in the least. "Senior Brother, please come with me." He immediately showed them the way.


    The pain in Xiao Chen''s elixir field was so acute that he felt like something was being knotted inside. It was as painful as if there was a flame raging inside him. His gait was still unstable even with Qingluan and Ziyun''er supporting his arms. Seeing this, the disciple leading the way dared not ask either.


    "Are we there yet...?"


    He was beginning to lose consciousness halfway up the stairs. The more Qi he consumed while using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, the heavier the countercharge would be. He had overexerted himself in dealing with the Fallen Immortals Sect earlier.


    Panicked, Ziyun''er said, "We''re almost there. Master, please hold on for a little longer."


    "We''re there...?"


    With one final sentence from him, darkness shrouded his vision and he lost all consciousness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying inside a small house. Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan were easing the effects of the countercharge for him.

 Chapter 253 Signing Up

    "I''m alright now. Don''t waste True Energy on me anymore," Xiao Chen said as he strenuously sat upright.


    Li Muxue didn''t reply. Luo Shangyan looked at him and said softly, "Get some rest in the next few days." She then walked out of the house.


    "Rest well." With a gentle sigh, Li Muxue left as well.


    Both of them wanted to see him stay safe without risking his life, but they knew this was asking for the impossible.


    Xiao Chen sighed and resumed lying on the bed while quietly staring at the setting sun outside the window. When nighttime arrived, a Jade Qing Sect disciple delivered food to him. He didn''t eat immediately. He had the disciple leave it on the table instead.


    Before long, Zi Mo entered the house. His head-to-toe purple attire made him look like he was in high spirits. Catching sight of the untouched food on the table, he smiled. "What''s wrong? Have your cultivation reached to the point where you no longer need mortal food?"


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. "Unfettered Senior, do you have business with me, to come here at this hour?" He was sure that Zi Mo came here to him for a reason, and each time, that reason wouldn''t be anything good.


    Grinning, Zi Mo walked over to him. He first inquired solicitously about Xiao Chen''s well-being before asking, "How''s your recent cultivation progress?"


    Xiao Chen spread out his hands. "I''m truly broke this time."


    Zi Mo scoffed, sending his beard rising with the movement. He jumped up and yelled, "Who do you mean, kiddo? Do I look like some mortal who''d be obsessed with wealth?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Yeah."


    "..."


    Zi Mo was rendered speechless. He coughed and said, "Stinky brat. I didn''t come here to borrow money from you. Besides, if not for that Tier Five Spirit Stone, do you think you''ll be able to stay in such a nice courtyard? You''ll just be staying in some crowded dorm."


    "It was you who lost all the travel fund that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen gave us," Xiao Chen thought. "And you still dare to bring this up? No matter what, we can''t allow this evil gambling culture to take root in immortality-cultivating sects." He asked, "Then what did you come here at such late hour for? Let me make this clear: I really don''t have any money left."


    Zi Mo was livid. "Enough! I have serious business here. No matter what, you must break into the top ten of the Immortal''s Sword Assembly as the representative of the East Continent. Or I''ll kill you. Get it?"


    "Did you bet money on this?" Xiao Chen asked, immediately shattering Zi Mo''s pretense.


    Zi Mo''s face reddened. He coughed and replied, "It''s not like I''m not the only one who made the bet. Fengxi and Tai Yi also..."


    "F*ck! How can seniors of the orthodox sects turn the Immortal''s Sword Assembly into bets? This is ridiculous! How can you set an example..." Xiao Chen started protesting.


    Zi Mo rolled his eyes. "It''s free money. Besides, Qing Chen won''t find out."


    "For real though, how much money is at stake here?"


    "Either way the payout is more than 10:1. The East Continent is an unpopular bet, after all. If anyone from our continent makes the top ten, I''ll be winning more than a million! If we have two in the top ten? Hehe!"


    Xiao Chen blinked. "That much?" He fished out a Tier Six Spirit Stone and handed it to Zi Mo. "Then help me make a bet as well."


    "D*mn it, stinky brat! You said you''re broke earlier!"


    "Hehe. As you said, it''s free money."


    After putting away the Spirit Stone, Zi Mo coughed and said, "Let me tell you what you should take note of. The registration will start in three days, where you''ll then enter the dangerous Forest of Illusory Moon for a seven-day qualification match. Every sect is only allowed to send ten disciples at most. You''ll have to gather something called the Heart of Illusory Moon. Of course, you must make sure to protect the Hearts of Illusory Moon that you gathered and prevent other sects from stealing them."


    "We can steal them? How many do we need to qualify?"


    "Twenty. If you can''t gather twenty of them, all of you will be qualified. The last assembly, our sect managed to gather more than twenty with great difficulty, but those b*stards from the Divine Mist Sect ended up stealing them all. How humiliating."


    "Tsk, tsk. Humiliating, indeed," Xiao Chen teased.


    "Stinky brat! What expression is that? Your Muxue and Senior Sister Luo are both in the Jade Qing Sect, remember?" Zi Mo exploded in anger.


    Xiao Chen coughed. "Let''s get back on track. What happens after the qualifying round? What will we do for the remaining two months?"


    "You''ll spend the next two months doing internal training. Whoever who passes the qualifying round can enter the Violet Illusory Realm and cultivate. The Violet Illusory Realm is an extraordinary place. Cultivating in the Earth Symbol Illusory Land for a day will reap you the same benefits as cultivating outside for ten days, and a month''s worth of cultivation if you''re in the Heaven Symbol Illusory Land."


    Xiao Chen blinked. "There''s such an impressive place like that?


    Zi Mo looked smug. "Of course. I''ve entered the place once when I was young. Even now, I still relish the memories of it..." His face took on a yearning expression. "The Violet Illusory Realm is divided into three lands of fantasy: heaven, earth, human. Every fantasy land is divided into three ranks: upper, middle, lower. The better you perform in the qualifying match, the better land of fantasy you''ll be able to enter. The reason why so many enter the Immortal''s Sword Assembly isn''t to make the top ten but to enter the Violet Illusory Land and cultivate."


    After that lengthy explanation, Xiao Chen finally understood a little of what was going on. The qualifying match was a survival of the fittest. Rather than painstakingly gather the Hearts of Illusory Moon, whatever they were, he might as well snatch them away from the weaker sects.


    He became certain that he must treat the Immortal''s Sword Assembly with utmost seriousness. With this, he would also be able to learn just where he stood strength-wise in this Cultivation Era.


    "I got it, Unfettered Senior. Rest assured that I''ll do my best."


    Zi Mo grinned. "That sets my heart at ease. Don''t worry about Yu Yifeng''s safety and focus on making the top ten. If you can make the top three, the league will give you a mysterious prize, you know."


    "..."


    Three days passed in a blur. By now, Xiao Chen was fully recovered and even benefitted from this disaster. His cultivation had increased by a level, meaning he was now in Lv 7 Core Forming Realm.


    Today, the registration would be open. It was a beautiful day, with bright weather and moderate winds. The rich spirit energy in the Jade Terrace Mountain meant that the greenery remained lush even in the advent of winter. Cultivators crowded the public square, and all of them here to sign up for the assembly.


    Seated on a platform located east of the square were five ethereal-looking old men. They were the Elders representing their respective continents. The representative of the East Continent was Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, the representative of the South Continent was Perfected Immortal Tai Yi of the Order of the Countless Blade, the representative of the North Continent was Perfected Immortal Zhong Li of the Yin-Yang Sect, the representative of the West Continent was Senior Xingxiu of the White Mist Academy, and the representative of the Middle Continent was Perfected Immortal Feng Lan of the Divine Mist Sect.


    Staring at the thick crowd below, some nodded while twirling their beard while others smiled without commenting. Perfected Immortal Tai Yi looked at his seat neighbor, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and smiled. "Qing Chen, the disciples participating in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly this time are all fairly talented. They''re not just a little stronger compared to the last batch. I remember being a Core Forming Realm cultivator back then would have been impressive enough. But look, most were in mid-stage Core Forming Realm and above."


    "The world is changing. Back in our times, an Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm cultivator was considered formidable. I remember you won first place as an Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm cultivator back then."


    Qing Chen returned his smile. He didn''t look away from the faraway Xiao Chen and Yu Yifeng as he spoke. Tai Yi chuckled. He followed Qing Chen''s line of sight and smiled. "Yifeng has an incredible aptitude. Qing Chen, I envy you for having a disciple like him."


    Qing Chen shook his head, sighing. "Yifeng has a decent aptitude and his character is rare among mortals too. Unfortunately, he has unresolved karma from an ill-fated relationship in his previous life and is bound to suffer restrictions in this life. It''ll be difficult for him to achieve the Way..." He heaved a deep sigh toward the tail of his sentence.


    Smoothening his beard, Tai Yi smiled and replied, "I''d say that Xiao Chen next to Yu Yifeng is the one who has truly unresolved karma from his past life. Otherwise, why wouldn''t you, with your incredible magic power of Divine Eyes, be able to tell his destiny...?"


    Suddenly, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan sneered. He turned to his seat neighbor, Zhong Li, and said, "Younger Brother, look at the crowd this time. Who do you think has the biggest hope of winning?"


    Zhong Li smoothed his beard with his fingers. With a smile, he said, "Older Brother, your sect has so many talented disciples. In the last assembly, your people dominated the top ten rankings. The way I see it, your Divine Mist Sect will surely come out victorious again."


    Overjoyed, Feng Lan laughed heartily. "You''re too modest, Zhong Li. I reckon your sect''s disciple, Woe-tainted Frost, will surely enter the top three."


    The two of them went back and forth, echoing each other. Evidently, Feng Lan was unhappy with Qing Chen and Tai Yi discussing abstruse ideas like karma from previous lives and thus mocked Jade Qing Sect for failing to even pass the qualifying match and the Order of the Countless Blades for barely making the tenth place.


    With their profound Bodhicitta, Qing Chen and Tai Yi merely exchanged glances and smiles after hearing Feng Lan''s sarcasm. They said nothing, ignoring him.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was walking with Yu Yifeng. Just as he was lamenting that he was facing tough competitors this time, he suddenly stopped. He had just spotted an "acquaintance".

 Chapter 254 Strangers

    "What''s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao?"


    Seeing Xiao Chen stopping in his tracks, Yu Yifeng questioned him before following his line of sight. He saw a red-clothed young woman in the prime of her youth.


    It was Su Wan. She was momentarily stupefied when she spotted Xiao Chen but her next reaction was unsheathing her Teal Frost Sword. Back in the Skygale Sect in the Human World, Xiao Chen took her as a hostage and Shangguan Yan later teased her on the ship. To the Eldest Young Lady of the Su family, this was enough for her to see Xiao Chen as her greatest foe.


    Her action immediately drew the attention of those around her. Next to her was a white-clothed man with a folding fan in his hand.


    The man was tall, slender, and handsome. Many ladies nearby couldn''t help stealing glances at him. Seeing Su Wan unsheathe her sword, he frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"


    "Brother Zimu, it''s him. He was the one who nearly killed me in the Human World," Su Wan said resentfully, glaring at Xiao Chen with the eyes of a viper. She wanted nothing more than to storm up to him and stab him several times to avenge herself.


    "Oh?" Su Zimu snapped his folding fan back together and followed her line of sight.


    The moment their eyes met, Xiao Chen''s heart leaped in surprise at the man''s impressive cultivation. The man wasn''t in any way inferior to Xiaoyue. Right then, a high-pitched voice came from tens of feet away. "Cousin Su Wan, Brother Zimu, it''s been a while."


    It was a black-clothed young man: Ling Fei, the strongest youth of the Ling family, who declared that he would have a life-or-death battle with Xiao Chen at the Immortals'' League. He sneered at Xiao Chen before turning to look at Su Wan and her brother.


    Seeing him walking over to them, Su Wan put away her Teal Frost Sword and smiled. "Cousin Ling Fei."


    Su Zimu waved his folding hand. Giving Ling Fei a haughty, uninterested look, he said, "So it''s you, Brother Ling Fei. Did you also come for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly?"


    Ling Fei, as the strongest youth of the Ling family, was in the peak of the Core Forming Realm. Naturally, he came today for the assembly. Su Zimu was obviously looking down on him.


    With an awkward laugh, he replied, "I''m not that talented. I''m just here to join the fun. I wouldn''t dare to compare with you, Brother Zimu."


    "Oh." Su Zimu nodded uninterestedly. Beside him, Su Wan also dared not contribute to the conversation.


    Bored, Ling Fei smiled and said, "I have something to attend to. Please excuse me."


    When he was gone, Su Wan glanced at Su Zimu. "Brother Zimu, how can you do that?!"


    Su Zimu said placidly, "Do what? I advise you to stay away from those from the Ling family. You''ll just lower your status."


    "Can you stop being so harsh with your words?" Su Wan was a little mad. "No matter what, Ling family is our..."


    Before she could finish, Su Zimu glared at her. "Don''t even mention our families in the same breath. They''re not worthy. Moreover, I''m forbidding you from interacting with Ling Yuxuan. He''s just a cripple without learnings or skills, but he dares to find help for his revenge. Life-or-death battle? He needs to know his place."


    He was rather loud, so it naturally reached Ling Fei who hadn''t walked far yet. The latter clenched his fists but there was nothing he could do about it. Pretending he heard nothing, he walked away.


    "Let''s go, Brother Yifeng," Xiao Chen said quietly, redirecting his attention from Su Wan''s group. He began walking to the registration counter.


    "Lil Chen, is there a grudge between you and the Su family? Why did that woman unsheathe her sword the moment she saw you?" Yu Yifeng whispered.


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. How could he bear a grudge against the Su family? That was her mother''s family, after all. Moreover, someone on the level of an ancestor of the Su family, Su Xiaomei, was living inside the cold jade pendant that he was wearing.


    The issue with Su Wan was just a little misunderstanding in the Human World. It couldn''t be considered as some sort of great grudge. Moreover, she was now a "cousin" to him.


    Right then, Su Xiaomei''s voice rang inside his head. "Not bad. That youngster is not bad, indeed. He didn''t lose the imposing manner of a Su family member. I''ve never even heard of the Ling family in my era. Who cares about them?"


    Xiao Chen once again forced a smile as he imbued a wisp of Divine Sense into the pendant. "You''re up?"


    "Yes. I woke up when I sensed someone from my family around. Oh, by the way, you said your mother was from the Su family. Even though our millennium-old rule says that the Su''s and Xiao''s must not interact, I''m sure they won''t make things difficult for you if I put in a word for you," Su Xiaomei said.


    "Then, thank you for the favor."


    This was what Xiao Chen wanted. He was determined to make time to visit his mother at the Su family residence. Moreover, he must find a way to bring her back to the Xiao family residence. With Su Xiaomei around, his task would be much simpler.


    What he must do next was sign up for the Immortal''s Sword Assembly. The assembly would only accept ten disciples from each sect, at most. The Jade Qing Sect sent seven people including Yu Yifeng, Mu Shaoai, Li Muxue, and Luo Shangyan. Xiao Chen, Qingluan, and Ziyun''er made up the rest of the numbers.


    After the Elder in-charge registered their names, he gave Yu Yifeng a little pouch to collect the Hearts of Illusory Moon and ten cyan-colored badges.


    Those representing the East Continent would be wearing cyan-colored badges, while those from the West Continent were given red badges. Those from the South Continent had the color purple, those from the North Continent had the color brown, and those from the Middle Continent had the color white.


    Each badge had the name of the participant''s sect carved on it. Those without a badge weren''t allowed to enter the Forest of Illusory Moon.


    It was boisterous in the public square. The loud ones were mostly from the Middle Continent. They were known to the strongest, after all. Moreover, they also had a sense of superiority stemming from the fact that the assembly was held in their homeland.


    Whenever they saw someone with a cyan-colored badge, they would shoot him a condescending look. That was because those from the East Continent were known to be the weakest; they had failed to pass the qualifying round for three consecutive assemblies. Many cultivators from the East Continent had their heads lowered, too embarrassed to say anything. Some even took off their badge and put it into their pocket.


    To be frank, the East Continent was the oldest cultivation grounds of the five continents. It was the origin of cultivation, going as far back as hundreds of thousands of years ago. It was the Great Divine Land, where the strong stood in great numbers. Seeing as the ruins of the Mystic Cyan Sect were located here, it was obvious that it meant that East Continent was the strongest of them all.


    However, the East Continent had been regressing with time since the end of the previous Cultivation Era. Just as the other four continents were close to forgetting its presence, the Jade Qing Sect appeared and regained attention for the continent. In its hundred years up of establishment up until now, Jade Qing Seven came into existence and sent tremors throughout the world, allowing the East Continent to stabilize its position among the five continents again.


    The reason for the continent''s decline was likely its beliefs. As the origin of the ancient cultivators, many sects ignored fame and profit in their pursuit of Bodhicitta. They focused on exterminating evil and defending traditional values as protectors of the living.


    The other continents were different. They were firmly aware that the survival of the fittest was the true rule of the Cultivation World. Otherwise, the previous Cultivation Era wouldn''t have been destroyed. The right way to live was to constantly improve one''s powers. It was the only way to survive.


    Life had proven them right. The innocent pursuit of Bodhicitta was no longer suited for such chaotic times.


    Of course, there were exceptions too. Thousand Feathers Sect was one such example. However, they rarely came out to the world and no one knew their true strength.


    Coincidentally, Xiao Chen spotted Xiaoyue in the crowd as well. He was surprised that she would be representing the East Continent as well, but had no idea about her true purpose.


    He also noticed another person wearing the cyan-colored badge that represented the East Continent. Even though they were so close, he felt as if she was as far away as if she was at the other end of the world. It was Huangfu Xin''er participating under the Heartless Palace.


    Their coincidental meeting led Xiao Chen to think that she had turned into someone else entirely. She was like a block of ice. He couldn''t sense any emotion from her.


    When they passed by each other, she didn''t even spare him a glance. It was as if they were strangers. It was just like that line of lyric in the song they once wrote together.


    "Today I long to part with the willow trees; my words are accompanied by tears. He meets a stranger by a chance but doesn''t get to know her."


    Suddenly, he felt a stab of pain in his heart. It was an unspeakable pain. They shared so much history, after all. Back then, she didn''t know anything about her family withdrawing their engagement. However, there was no resolving that misunderstanding. The memories of their time at the Skygale Sect in the Human World were still vivid in his mind. In the end, she overheard what he said during their final meeting at the Heartless Palace.


    Finally, they had become complete strangers.


    Suddenly, an ear-piercing voice resounded in the crowd. "I heard the disciples of the Heartless Palace are all breathtaking. Now I see that the rumors are true."

 Chapter 255 The Enemy of My Enemy

    Recovering his senses, Xiao Chen looked in her direction and saw about a dozen or so people bearing white-colored badges blocking Huangfu Xin''er and her group. Behind Huangfu Xin''er was Chu Lingjiao and a few others. Evidently, this was a situation where the majority was bullying the minority.


    Many had gathered around to watch the commotion. Xiao Chen frowned in annoyance. He was about to step forward when Qingluan stopped him.


    "Don''t go, Master. She''s that woman at the Myriad Immortals Pavilion that day."


    Suddenly, a cold aura permeated the square. Xiao Chen felt a chill run down his spine. The aura came from Huangfu Xin''er. It was the same aura from the mysterious black-clothed woman who won the auction for that book of ancient cultivation method at the Myriad Immortals Pavilion. No wonder he had found it to be so familiar. How could it be her...?


    Everyone around felt this cold aura as well. Silence instantly fell over the dozen or so disciples from the Middle Continent. No one dared to provoke this cold, heartless woman anymore. It was as if her glance alone was enough to obliterate them.


    Huangfu Xin''er remained expressionless as she continued moving without fanfare.


    Cold sweat formed on Xiao Chen''s back. He recalled his experience of Unity of Nature and Human that day, where he seemed to have seen her practicing some demonic cultivation method.


    She had looked like she had adopted the Devil''s Practice back then, with lips so red that they were borderline black and nails that grew several inches long. She looked as if she was suffering from Qi Deviation.


    "She''s no longer Huangfu Xin''er from before. Can''t you tell?" Li Muxue said softly, tugging on his sleeve.


    Xiao Chen didn''t reply. Meanwhile, three old men with white hair and beard were standing atop a hovering island above the Jade Terrace Mountain with their sleeves swaying in the wind. They looked like the very picture of Immortals. One was dressed in cyan, another in grey, and the last one in purple.


    The cyan-clothed old man said, "Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect, that girl from the Heartless Palace who just walked past, and rising star Xiao Chen. The East Continent has sent some formidable contenders this time around. Looks like you two are about to lose everything."


    "Hehe. Who do you think is the strongest of them?" the grey-clothed old man asked.


    "Thousand Feathers Sect has the longest history and the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust is invincible. Of course, it''d be Xiaoyue," the cyan-clothed old man replied.


    The grey-clothed old man retorted, "I think not. Didn''t you see that girl from Heartless Palace? Even I could feel her ice-cold aura."


    The purple-clothed old man was turning a Tier Six Spirit Stone in his hand. With a grin, he said, "Looks like you two are the ones who are about to lose everything."


    ¡­


    Many had come to participate in the assembly this time. Xiao Chen spotted disciples from the Widespread Wintriness Sect as well as some disciples he had gone to Wuwang Wind Cloud City with.


    He then saw disciples from Sword-breaking Manor House, which Ouyang Yu seemed to have established. Its disciples were mostly former disciple of the Skygale Sect, such as Qian Yeli and the others.


    Ouyang Yu walked up to them and smiled at Li Muxue. "A Xue, you''re here too. Have you been doing well?"


    "Yeah..." Li Muxue nodded.


    After saying hello, Ouyang Yu left with a smile.


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help sighing on the inside when he saw that young man''s melancholic smile and his desolate back. The young man had long lost his former high-spiritedness. Once a little prince in the mundane world, he suddenly found himself involved with the Skygale Sect.


    He had heard with his own ears that his most respected Master was his father''s foe and then had to watch as Patriarch Guanshan brutally killed his father. Later on, he couldn''t do anything but see his sect destroyed.


    Sword-breaking Manor House: the word "sword-breaking" was imbued with a hint of bitterness.


    The arrival of midday signaled the peak of the clamor in the square. Suddenly, a gale swept the place and blinded everyone with the sand in the wind. Then, a burst of laughter rang in the distance.


    Everyone turned their attention in the direction of the voice, where they saw ten people treading through the air in a row. Their speed was astonishing. In a flash, they landed on the public square.


    Many gasped in shock when they recognized that those ten were from the Fallen Immortals Sect. These people had built a reputation for themselves by going around challenging various sects. It felt everyone had heard of their names. It was to the point that many sects considered them to be a bad omen and avoided them.


    The crowd began whispering. "They''re here at last. Looks like the Immortal''s Sword Assembly this time will be quite a challenge."


    "Just what monsters are they to be that invincible? Sigh."


    "I even heard that all of them have at least six Spiritual Meridians. Even nine Spiritual Meridians are common among them. It''s completely unheard of."


    The ten people looked smug after hearing these conversations. When One-dot Red walked past Xiao Chen, he sneered and said, "Clean your neck and wait still. I''ll be taking your life soon enough."


    He wasn''t exactly quiet, so many disciples nearby heard him. Some who had heard the rumors about Xiao Chen looked excited. On one end was the mysterious youngster who recently shot to fame. On the other was a sect no one had ever heard of. Just what kind of sparks would their collision create? Many began to anticipate their fight.


    Frowning, Xiao Chen watched those ten making their way to the registration counter. Compared to a few days ago, these people seemed to have gotten even stronger.


    Suddenly, a silhouette stopped the members of the Fallen Immortals Sect. Everyone was alarmed. Who dared to provoke those people? They saw that person wearing a white badge on the chest, with the words "Divine Mist Sect" carved on it. So it was someone from the Divine Mist Sect.


    Of course, quite a few recognized him to be Zuoqiu Yang. His plan was to cultivate behind closed doors for three months before battling Xiao Chen. Under his father''s persuasion, however, he ended up coming out ahead of time. Even though he hadn''t reached the Nascent Soul Realm, his cultivation was now in the quasi-Nascent Soul Realm. It was enough to make him one of the strongest youngsters in the Violet Manor.


    One-dot Red glanced at him. "What are you doing?"


    "Fallen Immortals Sect?" Zuoqiu Yang asked coldly.


    Behind One-dot Red, Double-tailed Crane sneered and said, "Since you know who we are, hurry up and get out of the way."


    "You don''t have the right to speak!" Zuoqiu Yang retorted. The eruption of his quasi-Nascent Soul Realm aura was astonishing. He continued to look at One-dot Red. "Do you dare to fight me?"


    Zuoqiu Yang must have wanted to recover his sect''s reputation after the provocation the Fallen Immortals Sect made.


    In the platform east of the square, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan was wearing a tight frown. Perfected Immortal Zhong Li smiled and said, "Is that the distinguished disciple from your sect, Zuoqiu Yang? Not bad. Not bad at all. He''s able to step into the quasi-Nascent Soul Realm at such a young age."


    If this was any other time, Feng Lan would laugh merrily after hearing such words. Right now, he remained frowning. He forced a smile without replying.


    In the public square, One-dot Red glanced at Zuoqiu Yang and said nonchalantly, "You''re not worth my time."


    The onlookers were stunned. Zuoqiu Yang was in the quasi-Nascent Soul Realm; wasn''t the Fallen Immortals Sect too egotistical and conceited?


    "What did you just say...?"


    Zuoqiu Yang''s voice was terrifying low. He had never experienced such scorn in his entire life. A dense murderous aura extended from him, making everyone felt as if cold sweat was beading on their back.


    One-dot Red smiled. "I said, you''re not worth my time. I''m not interested in you either. Come back when you can win over him." He pointed to the faraway Xiao Chen.


    Zuoqiu Yang looked in the direction he was pointing at and his expression instantly darkened. Under the cover of such dense murderous aura, many in the crowd felt as if they had fallen into a nightmare. His eyes looked like fire was going to explode from within. Xiao Chen defeating him two times in a row at Canglan City was the greatest humiliation of his life. He had sworn to avenge himself.


    Now that his other enemy was comparing him to another of his enemy, he was burning with extreme rage. He said solemnly, "The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy. The two of you will die by my hands!"


    He turned his head and glared daggers at Xiao Chen, his gaze venomous and fierce. Even those standing near Xiao Chen could sense the hatred in his gaze and they all distanced themselves.


    Xiao Chen was surprised too. Zuoqiu Yang had become considerably stronger than before. Did he spur this? Now, it would be impossible for him to defeat Zuoqiu Yang as easily as he had before.


    It seemed that the Immortal''s Sword Assembly wouldn''t be as simple as he had previously thought it would be.

 Chapter 256 Forest of Illusory Moon

    One-dot Red sneered and ignored Zuoqiu Yang. He led his group up to the registration platform. The Elder in-charge frowned when he saw them. "Fallen Immortals Sect?"


    "Yes," Traceless for Ten Miles answered dully.


    The Elder in-charge didn''t ask any further and registered all of their names. "Which continent are you representing?" Even though asking this made him look unprofessional, he must admit that he didn''t know where this so-called Fallen Immortals Sect came from.


    One-dot Red smiled. "We don''t represent any continent, only the Fallen Immortals Sect." His words made it clear that he couldn''t care less about the five continents.


    Frowning, the Elder in-charge handed them ten black-colored badges. These badges indicated that they were independents. For the past several hundred years, nearly no one had ever worn these badges.


    He then handed them a pouch to keep the Hearts of Illusory Moon but One-dot Red didn''t take it. With a weak smile, he said, "We don''t need this."


    The Elder''s brows furrowed even deeper. It was obvious that he was getting upset. "You are free to be independents, but the Hearts of Illusory Moon are the proof of your participation in the Immortal''s Sword Assembly. The Hearts of Illusory Moon can only be kept in the Illusory Moon Pouch or they''ll disappear."


    Traceless for Ten Miles folded his arms in front of his chest and said dully, "Elder, you need not worry about that."


    The crowd under the platform belatedly realized what he meant. In the Forest of Illusory Moon, they could very well snatch another sect''s Hearts of Illusory Moon. Traceless for Ten Miles was saying that they didn''t have to collect any; all they had to was snatch.


    This spurred discussions among those in the square. The seven-day excursion in the Forest of Illusory Moon had always the main event in every assembly. The Divine Mist Sect had won several consecutive rounds, with them winning the last round with more than seven hundred Hearts of Illusory Moon. The first runner-up, Yin-Yang Sect from the North Continent, won with more than two hundred while the second runner-up, White Mist Academy from the West Continent, won with more than one hundred. The sects from the East Continent were all eliminated after failing to pass the qualifying round.


    With the participation of the Fallen Immortals Sect this time, the arrangement for the past hundreds of years seemed to have shifted. Many were ill at ease. They never thought of winning; they were content with collecting twenty Hearts of Illusory Moon and entering the Violet Illusory Land to cultivate for two months.


    However, the might of the Fallen Immortals Sect meant that a lot of them would return empty-handed this time.


    Yu Yifeng was frowning as well. In the previous assembly, all the sects in the East Continent placed their hope on the Jade Qing Sect. However, the Divine Mist Sect ended up stealing all twenty of their hard-won Hearts of Illusory Moon. With the sudden appearance of the Fallen Immortals Sect this time, the enemies they would be facing were simply formidable.


    A female disciple named Qingyu next to him asked softly, "Senior Brother Yu, do you think we stand a chance this time?"


    Yu Yifeng took a deep breath. "Let''s just try our best."


    Mu Shaoai scoffed. "In the previous round, I said to steal from other sects at the last minute, didn''t I? But you insisted on your ways, saying something about ''don''t do unto others what you don''t want to be done unto you''."


    Yu Yifeng frowned. "Junior Brother Shaoai, the other sects collected their Hearts of Illusory Moon with painstaking effort as well. It''s not the way of us cultivators to reap what we didn''t sow."


    Mu Shaoai sneered. "Pedantic."


    Qingyu''s brows furrowed. "Senior Brother Mu, how can you say that about Senior Brother Yu? For the past ten years, he has been at work cultivating. Do you think those from the Divine Mist Sect will dare to come up and steal from us this time?"


    Mu Shaoai sneered but didn''t respond. Right then, several disciples of the Divine Mist Sect walked past them. One of them glanced at the Illusory Moon Pouch in Yu Yifeng''s hand and smiled. "Yu Shiyi, be more careful this time."


    His sarcasm was obvious. Xiao Chen glanced at them and said nonchalantly, "It''s some people who should be more careful. You don''t want your hard-stolen Hearts of Illusory Moon to be stolen by the Fallen Immortals Sect."


    "B*stard, what did you say?!"


    The Divine Mist Sect hated bringing up the matter of someone from the Fallen Immortals Sect defeating all of them. When the disciple of the Divine Mist Sect heard what Xiao Chen said, his anger immediately flared up. His fellow disciple tugged on his sleeve after recognizing Xiao Chen. "Junior Brother, don''t. Let''s just go."


    But the angry disciple didn''t recognize Xiao Chen. Refusing to the drop the matter, he pointed at Xiao Chen and said through gritted teeth, "Just wait and see, Jade Qing Sect!"


    With a sneer, Xiao Chen spread his hands. "I welcome you to snatch from us anytime."


    The registration soon came to an end. Compared to the battles to determine the top ten best fighters, the subsequent seven-day qualifying match was the more popular topic. The top ten rankings were a faraway dream to most of them, after all. It was more practical to collect twenty Hearts of Illusory Moon and enter the Violet Illusory Land to cultivate.


    Xiao Chen also went home to prepare for the round. Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, he went down the mountain to buy some items that he could turn into tens of seal talismans. He then spent the entire night creating the talismans. Even though Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue were both in the Core Forming Realm now, the Forest of Illusory Moon was a dangerous place with a lot of Demonic Beasts with destructive powers. It would be good for them to carry talismans around.


    His only regret was failing to enter the Nascent Soul Realm in time. Otherwise, he could have drawn formations on the talismans. He could have drawn the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames Formation on a talisman. The effect would have been quite strong if he threw it at his enemies.


    By the time the first ray of the morning sunshine filtered through the Jade Terrace Mountain, the public square was already crowded with disciples from all sorts of sects. More than 400 sects were participating in the qualifying round this time, but ninety percent of them were destined to fail. Judging from the figures, it was obvious how intense the competition in the Forest of Illusory Moon would be.


    The Heart of Illusory Moon grew inside a small animal called the Illusory Moon Beast. The rabbit-like animal might not have any offensive power, but it was difficult to catch because of its speed and cunningness. They would be lucky to catch three or four a day, but taking out the Heart of Illusory Moon was another problem.


    Guarding the Heart of Illusory Moon afterward was yet another problem. Either way, the competition would be stiff. Seven days later, more than ninety percent of the participating sects would be eliminated. The remaining thirty or so sects would naturally be the cream of the crop.


    The crowd in the square was gearing up for the match. The Forest of Illusory Moon was located several hundred miles away from Tianyuan City, but with the Teleportation Formation of the Daoist League of the Five Continents, they would be able to transport the participants to the forest immediately. Under the guidance of their respective Elders, thousands of the participants orderly headed to the rear mountain where the formation was located.


    When they arrived at the rear mountain, Xiao Chen noticed that the place was rich with spirit energy and the undulation of vital force in the formation was particularly great. Seniors in the Apotheosis Realm must have worked together to lay down the Teleportation Formation many years ago.


    Murong Xian''er tugged on his sleeve with a reluctant look. "Brother Xiao Chen, you have to be careful..."


    Xiao Chen caressed her hair with a smile. "You don''t have to worry about me. Stay put next to Senior Zi Mo when I''m not around. Don''t go down the mountain and roam around."


    Zi Mo walked over and pulled him to a side. He whispered, "Yu Yifeng is pretty pedantic, so you don''t have to listen to him all the time. Remember, being benevolent to your enemy means being cruel to yourself. Fight when you have to. Millions of Spirit Stones are at stake here."


    Xiao Chen smiled. Naturally, he understood what Zi Mo meant. "Rest assured."


    Before the participants entered the Teleportation Formation in order, the Elder in-charge of escorting the participants gave them all a jade note each and a simple explanation of its use.


    "Crush the jade note when you think you''re in peril and you''ll be instantly teleported out of the forest. Whenever you suffer a fatal attack, the jade note will break on its own as well. Of course, you''ll be disqualified if you exit before the round ends."


    Everyone understood that this arrangement was to prevent murders from happening in the forest. It also indicated that the training in the forest wasn''t that cruel because there were protective measures set in place at least.


    The participants would find themselves teleported to a certain area of the Forest of Illusory Moon once they stepped inside the Teleportation Formation. The areas of the dangerous forest differed drastically with unusual weather. Lucky ones would be transported to an area with clear skies and a stream passing through the forest. Unlucky ones would find themselves in an area with a dark canyon without sunlight or even underground caves with boiling lava.


    Xiao Chen and his group were rather fortunate. They were transported to a forest filled with ancient trees that reached high into the sky and exotic flowers and plants of all kind. The air was permeated with the fragrance of flowers. They could even hear the gurgling of running water in the distance.


    "The scenery here is pretty nice. We can amuse ourselves here just fine," Mu Shaoai commented as he looked at the clear, blue sky with a smile. He seemed to be enjoying the fragrant air.


    Yu Yifeng frowned. "Junior Brother Shaoai, the Forest of Illusory Moon is a dangerous place. We must not let our guard down."


    "Do you think I need you to tell me that?" Mu Shaoai sneered.


    Yu Yifeng shook his head. He turned around to address the rest. "Junior Brothers and Sisters, remember to stay together. Don''t act on your own..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Mu Shaoai stretched lazily and sighed. "I''m going over there to take a look. You can stay here and continue preaching." He went in the direction of the gurgling water.


    "Junior Brother, come back!" Yu Yifeng yelled.


    Mu Shaoai ignored him and continued to walk. Suddenly, a light whooshing sound rang as a silhouette hiding in the shadows revealed itself and attacked him at a high speed.

 Chapter 257 Illusory Moon Beas

    t


    The shadow moved so swiftly that no one could keep track of it at all. Mu Shaoai reacted instinctively and unsheathed his Immortal''s Sword to block his attacker. The shadow slammed into his sword, producing a loud clanging sound. To everyone''s surprise, the crash sent Mu Shaoai staggering backward. Before he could react, the shadow reappeared behind him and slammed into his back.


    "Watch out, Junior Brother!"


    The moment Yu Yifeng yelled, he moved his fingers to cast a spell. An Immortal''s Sword turned into a drawn-out radiance and lunged at the shadow behind Mu Shaoai. It was the Divine Weapon of the Archean Eon: the Startling Rainbow Sword.


    After the Startling Rainbow Sword cleaved the shadow, it emitted a high-pitched screech. Even now, the others couldn''t make out what creature it was.


    Yu Yifeng dashed to Mu Shaoai''s side. The creature continued to wail in a hair-raising manner. Suddenly, it split into two, and then four, and began attacking the two of them.


    A male disciple named Zhou Li put himself in front of his Junior Sisters. Worried as they were, they dared not advance rashly and fight that strange creature. Xiao Chen frowned and yelled, "Senior Brother Yifeng! Come back now! Leave that place!"


    Putting up no protest, Yu Yifeng flew back to them with Mu Shaoai on his shoulders. The shadows gave chase at first, but when all of them retreated more than a mile away, the shadows regathered to form one entity with a screech and fled to where they came from.


    "What¡­ the heck was that?!"


    Mu Shaoai''s voice was full of resentment as he held onto the bite mark on his arm.


    Yu Yifeng noticed that Mu Shaoai''s wound wasn''t turning black, so it meant that the creature''s bite wasn''t venomous. He handed Mu Shaoai a jade bottle. "Stop the bleeding first."


    The rest finally relaxed. Even though the monster''s attack was inferior to that of a Core Forming Realm cultivator, its speed was terrifying. Xiao Chen glanced at the woods. "You must have entered its domain and brought on the attack."


    Yu Yifeng nodded. He looked at Zhou Li. "Junior Brother Zhou, go and investigate the monster."


    "Sure," Zhou Li said. He took out a jade plate and tossed it into the sky. Following his spell, the jade plate began to enlarge. Various information appeared.


    Shadow Monster: Rank 3.


    Whether it goes on the offense: Takes the initiative to attack.


    Scope of attack: Twenty feet.


    Special traits: High speed, division.


    Mu Shaoai punched the trunk of a large tree. "Bastard! How can a Rank 3 monster show up in a Grade 1 district?!"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head. "This is a Grade 3 district, not Grade 1. Our cultivation was weak last time, so we were sent to a Grade 1 district. Since there''s a sharp increase in the participants'' cultivation this time, they''re also sending us to high grades districts."


    Xiao Chen chuckled. "The Forest of Illusory Moon is quite interesting."


    Yu Yifeng nodded. "The forest is divided into ten grades. Most high-ranking monsters wouldn''t appear in places of lower grades. We''ll be fine as long as we''re careful not to intrude into places of high grades, we''ll be fine. We''re quite fortunate to have met just a Shadow Monster earlier. Some monsters bear deep grudges. Once they latch onto us, they won''t give up unless we kill them."


    "If we encounter monsters of Grade 7 and above, our only choice is to crush our jade note. Not even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator can defeat a Grade 7 monster. I can''t even imagine just how powerful a Grade 10 monster will be. So, don''t run to high-grade places out of greed for Illusory Moon Beasts," Zhou Li chimed in to explain.


    Xiao Chen more or less understood what was going on. He took out the dozen or so seal talismans that he made last night and distributed it to everyone.


    "The red one is a Fire Manipulation Talisman, the purple one is a Lightning Blockade Talisman, and the blue one is a Freezing Talisman."


    Holding a few of the talismans in hand, Qingyu smiled and said, "Wow! I didn''t think you''d know how to make talismans, Junior Brother Xiao!" The rest were astonished as well. In this era, only those with exceptionally strong Divine Sense were able to produce seal talismans with ease.


    Mu Shaoai sneered, finding the talismans to be beneath him.


    Yu Yifeng looked up and stared in the distant mountain range. "Let''s find the Illusory Moon Beasts here today. We can head to the Grade 4 district tomorrow, and search in between both places later on¡­"


    Without waiting for him to finish, Mu Shaoai started kicking up a fuss. "Why aren''t we going to Grade 5 and 6 districts? You know we can deal with more beasts in higher-grade districts. Do you think we''re too weak to handle a few Grade 5 or 6 monsters? Remember, the minimum qualifying number has gone up from twenty to fifty this time."


    Yu Yifeng frowned. "I know, but there will also be more cultivators in Grade 5 and 6 districts. To prevent unnecessary conflict, I think we''re better off staying in Grade 3 and 4 districts. Seven days are more than enough for us to gather fifty Hearts of Illusory Moon."


    This was the truth. The problem right now wasn''t the monsters of the Forest of Illusory Moon but cultivators from other sects. The higher the grade, the more Hearts of Illusory Moon there would be. If a group could gather ten every day in the Grade 4 district, they could find at least forty in the Grade 5 district and at least one hundred in the Grade 6 district.


    The volume of the collected Hearts of Illusory Moon had a direct impact as to whether they could enter high-grade Violet Illusory Lands for cultivation in the next two months. However, certain large sects tend to dominate the high-grade districts. For example, the Divine Mist Sect was likely in the Grade 6 district by now. If smaller sects enter, they would just be serving their Hearts on a platter. Of course, they could choose to pay "protection fees" every day, allowing them to escape the fate of having their hard work stolen.


    "I think Senior Brother Yu is right. We should tread carefully."


    Suddenly, Ziyun''er gave her opinion in a quiet voice. Her only hope was to see Xiao Chen survive the coming seven days and enter the Immortal''s Sword Assembly. The number of the Hearts of Illusory Moon that they could gather was of no importance to her.


    Mu Shaoai glared at her. "Who allowed you to speak? You''re just an outsider''s subordinate! Did you think you''re a Jade Qing Sect disciple?"


    "You!" She advanced with large strides and was about to lose her temper when Xiao Chen reached out to stop her. He smiled at her and said, "Since Senior Brother Mu wants to go to Grade 5 and 6 districts, we''ll just come along. Never mind that, we can even go to Grade 7, 8, 9, or 10 districts if you want to."


    Yu Yifeng looked at him. "Junior Brother Xiao!"


    Zhou Li burst into laughter. "I''ll just go with the flow and follow wherever you go. But let''s make sure we stick together."


    Qingyu''s refined brows furrowed. "Stop arguing, you two. Let''s just go with Senior Brother Yu''s suggestion for now. We can discuss our plan for the next few days when the time comes."


    "Hmph!" Mu Shaoai flicked his sleeves. He said coldly, "Why come to the Forest of Illusory Moon if you''re that spineless? You should go back and cultivate behind closed doors instead." He then walked ahead without care.


    Yu Yifeng shook his head with a sigh. "Let''s go down this path for now. Maybe we''ll stumble into Illusory Moon Beasts along the way."


    The group started making their way southeast. Even though there was a quarrel, no one said anything about it afterward. Nearly an hour later, Li Muxue suddenly cried, "I saw a rabbit! It darted in front of me just now!"


    "That''s an Illusory Moon Beast, not a rabbit! Chase!"


    Yu Yifeng quickly spotted the Illusory Moon Beast and gave chase. Mu Shaoai and the rest were hot on his tail. Xiao Chen dashed, following suit.


    The Illusory Moon Beast resembled a rabbit. The nimble creature was flustered when it sensed so many people trying to catch it and nearly crashed into a tree. However, its reaction speed was unparalleled. With so many obstructions in the forest, the group couldn''t blockade it at such short notice. Neither could they kill the creature, or they wouldn''t be able to retrieve the Heart of Illusory Moon.


    It took them some time before they finally managed to surround the creature. The creature was so frightened that it was shaking and screeching. It lifted its claws and pointed to its mouth, indicating for them that it was willing to spit out the Heart of Illusory Moon and for them not to hurt it.


    "What a cute rabbit." Li Muxue walked over and tucked the rabbit into her embrace. She couldn''t help herself.


    The Illusory Moon Beast instantly became silent and its ears began to sway back and forth. It was acting so adorable now. Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. Such a cunning creature it was. He slowly made his way over, grabbed the creature''s ears, and tossed it onto the empty ground.


    Frightened, the creature immediately fled far, far away. It disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Mu Shaoai was stunned at first, but soon began to yell, "What are you doing? Why did you release the creature?!"


    Yu Yifeng was confused himself. Frowning, he asked, "We''ll just retrieve the Heart of Illusory Moon and won''t hurt the creature. Junior Brother Xiao, what are you doing?"


    Xiao Chen smiled and said nothing.

 Chapter 258 Encountering Enemies

    "You came to cause trouble, didn''t you? You knew how hard it was to find that thing and you just let it go? I¡­" Mu Shaoai was so pissed off that he punched a nearby tree, causing its leaves to rustle in protest.


    "That''s enough, Junior Brother Shaoai. It''s just one creature. There might be more nearby," Yu Yifeng said.


    "More? Go and find one then!" Mu Shaoai yelled, kicking a nearby tree. He roared in anger, "I''m teamed up with a bunch of idiots! We can all forget about entering the Violet Illusory Land this time!"


    Zhou Li and Qingyu were confused. It wasn''t easy for them to catch that Illusory Moon Beast, so why did Xiao Chen let go of it? They couldn''t seem to find a logical explanation for it.


    Xiao Chen continued to smile until he finally said, "Let''s rest here for now. I''ll take you somewhere later."


    The fact was that he had left a Divine Sense mark on that creature earlier. He would find it without fail as long as it didn''t run more than thirty miles away from him.


    Cultivators these days were incapable of manifesting their Divine Sense unless they had profound cultivation. No wonder Yu Yifeng and the rest couldn''t understand what he did earlier.


    Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Chen made a lazy stretch. He glanced at the mountain range that extended forever into the northwest and said, "Let''s go. It''s time." He was sure that there was a nest of Illusory Moon Beasts nearby. That creature must have returned home after suffering a fright.


    Still livid, Mu Shaoai merely scoffed.


    They followed him for a good fifteen minutes on a rugged path filled with stones and brambles until Mu Shaoai finally lost his patience. "Where exactly are you taking us?"


    "I''m not forcing you to come. You can leave any time if you want to," Xiao Chen replied indifferently.


    "You!" Fury shot through Mu Shaoai''s brain. How could he leave when the group was following Xiao Chen? Roaming the Forest of Illusory Moon on his own would put him in great danger.


    Their journey continued for a little longer until Xiao Chen signaled them to be quiet. "Keep your voice down from here on." He could sense that the Illusory Moon Beast was nearby. He spotted at a rock cave shrouded by greenery and whispered, "Follow me quietly."


    Everyone advanced in utter silence. Xiao Chen swept the cave with his Divine Sense when they were close and sure enough, he discovered nearly twenty Illusory Moon Beasts. He immediately cast a spell, sneakily placing a Barrier near the cave entrance. Then, he led the group to cautiously approach the entrance.


    Careful as they were, the creatures inside still discovered them when they were close. Just as the twenty or so Illusory Moon Beasts were about to charge out, Xiao Chen dashed to the entrance with Immortal-override Steps and sealed it.


    The creatures were so shocked that they rapidly retreated and gathered into a group. The others also caught up to Xiao Chen by then. When they saw this scene, they thought they were dreaming. It was that unbelievable.


    "Dear God! Junior Brother Xiao, how did you know there''s a rabbit nest here?" Qingyu exclaimed in surprise.


    Yu Yifeng had never seen so many Illusory Moon Beasts in the same place either. He was similarly dumbfounded.


    Zhou Li laughed heartily. "Junior Brother Xiao is truly a god among men. He knows there''s a rabbit nest here with just a quick calculation!"


    Frowning, Mu Shaoai scoffed. "He''s just lucky."


    Xiao Chen smiled and said nothing.


    Inside the cave, the twenty or so Illusory Moon Beasts were so frightened that they were shaking all over and screeching nonstop. They kept shaking their heads and swinging their claws back and forth.


    Yu Yifeng smiled at them. "Rest assured we won''t hurt you, little ones. You just have to spit out your Heart of Illusory Moon."


    As if they could understand him, the creatures exchanged glances and nodded at him. Li Muxue chuckled and walked over to them. "They''re really intelligent, aren''t they?"


    "The Illusory Moon Beasts are creatures with the greatest spiritual nature in the Forest of Illusory Moon. They don''t attack and we won''t harm them when retrieving the Hearts of Illusory Moon either. Before long, they''ll grow another Heart."


    Qingyu walked over as well. While speaking, she tucked an Illusory Moon Beast into her embrace and gave it a gentle squeeze. She said softly, "Be good, little rabbit. We won''t hurt you."


    A grinning Zhou Li got interested as well. With a laugh, he said, "Junior Sister Qingyu, hug me too. Or give me the rabbit. Either works."


    Qingyu whipped her head around to glare at him. "Don''t try and flirt with me, you hooligan!"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head with a smile. He counted there to be eighteen Illusory Moon Beasts. Then, each creature walked up to him and spat out a glittering crescent-shaped object.


    Noticing the abundance of Spiritual Qi in these creatures, Xiao Chen asked, "Can we take these creatures out of this place? I want to bring one back for Xian''er."


    Yu Yifeng placed the Hearts into the Illusory Moon Pouch as he explained, "No, they''ll die as soon as they step out of the forest."


    "Oh, that''s a pity." Xiao Chen was rather regretful.


    Moments later, seventeen of the Illusory Moon Beasts spat out their Hearts. The remaining one stayed in a corner. Noticing its relatively large size, Yu Yifeng guessed that it must be pregnant.


    The other creatures surrounded the pregnant Illusory Moon Beast while shaking their heads nonstop. They looked so pitiful that Li Muxue said, "Since it''s pregnant, why don''t we just leave it alone?"


    Yu Yifeng nodded. That was precisely what he wanted to say. A pregnant Illusory Moon Beast would suffer great harm if it spat out its Heart of Illusory Moon. He said, "One more or less won''t make any difference. Let''s go. We''d disturbed them long enough."


    His voice had yet to fade when the pregnant Illusory Moon Beast was abruptly suspended in the air as if an intangible force was lifting it by the neck. Its face became twisted with agony. Ultimately, its Heart of Illusory Moon was forcefully taken out.


    "Junior Brother Shaoai, what are you doing?!"


    Everyone turned to look at him in unison. Yu Yifeng stared at his Junior Brother, whose expression had taken on a malevolent look, in disbelief.


    Mu Shaoai looked emotionless as he tossed the pregnant creature over his shoulder. He said coldly, "A Heart is still a Heart, is it not?" He then threw the object to Yu Yifeng nonchalantly.


    Yu Yifeng shook his head with a sigh. He looked at the group of frightened Illusory Moon Beasts and the dispirited-looking pregnant one. He sighed again before saying softly, "So sorry, you all."


    "Hmph! How altruistic!" Mu Shaoai commented icily.


    The rest said nothing. Li Muxue and the other female disciples instantly became downcast.


    Xiao Chen''s brows were tightly furrowed. What a cold-hearted person. But thinking about it from another perspective, perhaps someone like Mu Shaoai was more suited to temper himself in the Forest of Illusory Moon.


    Suddenly, a burst of applause came from outside the cave, followed by joyless laughter. "To think you got ahead of us."


    Everyone immediately detected the intruder. They swiftly exited the cave and found ten men surrounding the entrance, all wearing white badges with the words "Surging Waves Sect" carved on it. They were from the Surging Waves Sect of the Middle Continent.


    The Surging Waves Sect was a sizable sect with quite the reputation in the northern border of the Middle Continent. Yu Yifeng saluted them with a smile and politely said, "So it''s Senior Brothers from the Surging Waves Sect."


    The group''s leader sneered. "Save your breath. Since we found this cave as well, give us our share. Hand over half of the Hearts of Illusory Moon in your hands."


    Qingyu frowned and whispered to her neighbor Zhou Li, "What gives them the right? These people are so unreasonable." Zhou Li''s brows were furrowed too. He shook his head, indicating for her to keep quiet.


    Mu Shaoai sneered loudly. "Are you half-asleep or did shit get inside your brain?"


    The gaze of the group''s leader turned sharp and cold. He said sinisterly, "I dare you to repeat yourself!"


    "I''m asking you if shit got inside your brain!" Mu Shaoai yelled with his chest puffed and glared at him.


    "Damned kid! Seeking death, aren''t you?" the group''s leader yelled, his voice imbued with Qi. Instantly, an Immortal''s Sword materialized in the air and emitted blinding rays of light.


    Meanwhile, his fellow disciples also took out their magic treasures and weapons ¡ª some bearing a broadsword and some holding an iron whip. A cold aura immediately enveloped the forest.


    Of the ten disciples of the Surging Waves Sect, two were in the peak of the Core Forming Realm with the rest in the late-stage of the same realm. It was obvious that they were all ruthless fighters. Over on their side, Yu Yifeng was the only one in the peak of the Core Forming Realm. Mu Shaoai was a mere Lv 9 Core Forming Realm cultivator. Qingyu, Li Muxue, and the rest were currently in the mid-stage of the same realm. In a direct confrontation, their strength was clearly inferior.


    When it seemed that the sparks of fire were about to be lit up, Yu Yifeng stepped forward and said, "Let''s all calm down. No one should be fighting anyone here. We can give you some of our Hearts of Illusory Moon."


    "That''s what I want to hear. This Grade 3 district belongs to the Surging Waves Sect. Since when does a little sect from the East Continent dare to challenge us?" The Surging Waves Sect disciples began laughing out loud.

 Chapter 259 First Figh

    t


    Yu Yifeng sighed. "We found only eighteen Hearts of Illusory Moon, so we''ll give you nine."


    Qingyu''s expression changed and she immediately said, "Senior Brother Yu, we''re the ones who got these Hearts. Why should we¡­" Yu Yifeng raised a hand, indicating for her to keep quiet.


    The leader of the Surging Waves Sect entourage was their Eldest Senior Brother, Mo Yangqiu. He sneered and then glanced at the interior of the cave. After counting the number of Illusory Moon Beasts inside, he said, "I said half earlier but I changed my mind. I want fifteen. You can have the remaining three!"


    "B*stard! Don''t go overboard!" Mu Shaoai retorted in anger.


    "What''s wrong? Unsatisfied?" Mo Yangqiu''s eyes widened. He pointed the tip of his sword at Mu Shaoai and said icily, "Now I want you to leave all eighteen behind!"


    Yu Yifeng frowned. "We''ll give you twelve at most. It wasn''t easy for us to get them."


    Those from the Surging Waves Sect took some time to negotiate among themselves. Mo Yangqiu then said, "I''ll consider you wise, kid! Hand them over!"


    Yu Yifeng shook his head and sighed as he took out the Illusory Moon Pouch. It wasn''t that he was timid and cowardly. If both sides fought, the Surging Waves Sect wouldn''t escape unscathed. However, he was their Eldest Senior Brother. Unlike other sects, he prioritized the safety of his juniors more than the Hearts of Illusory Moon.


    "Hang on."


    Suddenly, an emotionless voice resounded. Xiao Chen walked over to them and placed Yu Yifeng behind him. He shot Mo Yangqiu an indifferent look. "You''re not getting anything."


    "What did you say¡­?" Mo Yangqiu''s voice was dangerously low. His murderous aura abruptly erupted from within.


    "I said you''re not getting any," Xiao Chen said emotionlessly.


    "You must be tired of living!" Mo Yangqiu thrust his sword but he was just lunging forward when two ice-cold blades, one cyan and the other purple, pressed against his neck. They were none other than Qingluan and Ziyun''er''s respective cyan and purple Blood-cutting Blades.


    These two specialized in assassinations. Their physical skills were multiple times faster than that of ordinary cultivators. Nearly no one saw how they appeared next to Mo Yangqiu in an instant.


    Seeing this, the other nine disciples of the Surging Waves Sect stepped forward. Xiao Chen said dully, "If you''re confident that you can subdue us, I welcome you to try." Before his voice faded completely, a tremendous murderous aura shrouded the entire forest like an immense pressure. Even Yu Yifeng and the rest could feel a chill penetrating deep into their bones.


    Everyone gasped, not because he killed more than a dozen Foundation Building Realm cultivators in an instant, but because they were frightened by the murderous intent he was sending out at the moment. How could a person have such a heavy killing aura?


    "I''m not doing anything. Take your men and get out of here," Xiao Chen said indifferently, glaring daggers at him.


    Mo Yangqiu trembled all over. How could an orthodox disciple possess such a terrifying gaze? He barely managed to calm his fear before saying, "Kid, aren''t you thinking too highly of yourself? Do you think you and the group of nobodies behind you are a match for the ten of us?"


    "I told you. You''re free to try me." Xiao Chen ordered Qingluan and Ziyun''er to return to his side and then gestured at Mo Yangqiu to come at him.


    A dangerous glint flashed in Mo Yangqiu''s pupils but deep inside, he was weighing the pros and cons of fighting Xiao Chen and his team. The Surging Waves Sect team had always bullied the weak and feared the strong. He couldn''t even tell the extent of Xiao Chen''s cultivation. Could Xiao Chen''s cultivation be above his own?


    The other nine disciples tightened their grip around their weapons and made no noise. Qingyu and the rest of Jade Qing Sect had also taken out their magic treasures and weapons.


    The wind swept the forest like a permeating murderous aura, causing the tree leaves to rustle. Both sides had their weapons pointed to one another but neither made the first strike except to exchange glares.


    The tense mood reached its climax and everyone''s nerves were stretched taut. Today was only the first day. It wouldn''t do anyone good to get into such a huge battle now.


    If both sides were willing to compromise, they could prevent unnecessary conflict. However, Xiao Chen continued to stare fixedly at Mo Yangqiu while maintaining his aura. He made it clear that he wouldn''t concede. The Surging Waves Sect team coveted their Hearts of Illusory Moon, so they wouldn''t leave so easily.


    So, they stood on the brink of a great battle.


    The silence stretched on. Just as their nervousness reached its peak, a sudden creaking noise shocked a tense disciple of the Surging Waves Sect. Believing that the Jade Qing Sect was attacking, he threw all caution to the wind. His Immortal''s Sword turned into a drawn-out radiance and attacked.


    Now that one person had made his move, the rest followed suit. Yu Yifeng was well-prepared for this. His Startling Rainbow Sword pierced the skydome like a halo and then turned into a rain of countless golden rays of light. The weather instantly transformed and the greenery all around was reduced to fine dust under the frantic hacking of Sword Qi.


    Mu Shaoai moved his fingers to cast a spell, summoning his Immortal''s Sword. The moment the sword materialized, it turned into a dozen or so feet-long white rays of light and attacked. Zhou Li and Qingyu''s cultivation was relatively low, so they attacked both sides of the enemies. Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue, who were proficient in healing magic, stayed in the rear to reinstate the others'' True Energy.


    Qingluan and Ziyun''er swiftly charged into the enemies'' ranks and disturbed their disposition. With a sneer on his face, Xiao Chen abruptly attacked his nearest target¡ªMo Yangqiu¡ªwith his palm. In an instant, a Dragon''s Roar ripped through the air.


    Mo Yangqiu raised his sword to block Xiao Chen''s palm, but immediately found it incredibly energy-draining. He couldn''t help feeling shocked at how strong the palm force was. He swiped his sword sideways, sending a burst of severe Sword Qi slamming into Xiao Chen.


    With a light tap of his front toe, Xiao Chen propelled himself ten feet into the air and aimed four to five palm forces downward. In an instant, the earth quaked and countless plants around them were reduced to a cloud of dust.


    Mo Yangqiu felt strained. His heart sank as he contemplated if Xiao Chen''s cultivation was truly higher than his. Little did he imagine that not only was Xiao Chen''s cultivation method different from current cultivators, but his Dragon Roar Palm was ruthlessly fierce. Even if he was an Lv 7 Core Forming Realm cultivator, he could defeat a peak Core Forming Realm cultivator without having to resort to his trump card.


    Moments later, nearly all of the forest was destroyed. Zhou Li and Qingyu suffered injuries of varying degrees, as did the disciples of the Surging Waves Sect. Yu Yifeng even went as far as ruining the fighting strength of two late-stage Core Forming Realm disciples with his incredible Sword Qi.


    Mo Yangqiu looked even worse off in his battle against Xiao Chen and he was beginning to consider retreating. He yelled, "Stop!"


    Xiao Chen ignored him. He finally unsheathed his Blood Lotus Demon Blade and a cold, bloodthirsty murderous aura permeated the place almost instantly. The blade emitted a terrifying red glow that made everyone feel a chill down their back.


    "The He family''s Blood Lotus Demon Blade! Hang on! You! You''re Xiao Chen!" Fright filled Mo Yangqiu''s pupils. His face immediately turned as white as paper.


    Taking advantage of his distracted state, Xiao Chen kicked his lower jaw and sent him flying for ten feet. Mo Yangqiu fell, landing inside a soil pit. Then, Xiao Chen turned into a lightning-quick light and once again attacked. This time, he aimed his blade at Mo Yangqiu''s neck.


    "Wait a moment! Friend, we can talk about this!" Lying inside a mud pit, Mo Yangqiu''s eyes were fixed on the red radiance shifting back and forth next to his neck. He was so terrified that he shivered all over. Not in a million years had he ever expected that he would run into Xiao Chen, the Murder God, in his first hunt.


    The outside world was rife with rumors about Xiao Chen, from him hacking a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in the Widespread Wintriness Sect to him "going all out in exterminating the Zuoqiu family on his own" in Canglan City. These days, most cultivators considered him a Mad Devil that killed without batting an eye.


    When the remaining disciples of the Surging Waves Sect saw that their Eldest Senior Brother at someone else''s mercy, they dared not make any reckless movements.


    Mo Yangqiu''s expression was colored with fright. Even his voice was trembling. "Friend, we can talk this through. I really didn''t know it''s you. We''ll leave now; we''ll never¡­"


    Xiao Chen shot him an icy stare. "You think I''ll let you go just like that after hurting my friends? Hand over your Hearts of Illusory Moon!"


    Mo Yangqiu clenched his teeth and then yelled at his fellow disciples in the distance, "Junior Brothers, give him the Hearts!"


    He had long understood that this world was a world in which the strong survived on the expense of the weak. From the moment he planned on stealing others'' Hearts of Illusory Moon, he had prepared himself for the possibility of theirs getting stolen. Thus, he didn''t put up a fight.


    One of the Surging Waves Sect disciples slowly took out their Illusory Moon Pouch with incredible hesitation. Xiao Chen made a grabbing motion and seven to eight Hearts of Illusory Moon flew out of the pouch.


    "You can leave now."


    Xiao Chen''s voice was nonchalant. The moment he retrieved his Blood Lotus Demon Blade, Mo Yangqiu looked as if he had just been rescued from the brink of death. The latter swiftly rose to his feet and led everyone far away with quick but staggering steps.


    Xiao Chen returned to the Jade Qing Sect team. Seeing their injured members, he told Yu Yifeng, "Brother Yifeng, sometimes people will only take advantage of your excessive compromise." He then threw Mu Shaoai a glance.


    The moment their eyes met, Mu Shaoai felt a chill ran down his back.

 Chapter 260 Spending the Nigh

    t


    After about an hour, the injured ones were mostly healed thanks to Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue. Yu Yifeng looked up at the sky and said, "We still have six hours. Before nightfall, we must find a safe place to spend the night. There are monsters in the Forest of Illusory Moon that seek and attack targets on their initiative. It''s especially dangerous at night."


    No one protested. They knew they would reach the Grade 4 district if they advanced southeast, so they picked a relatively easier path. With Yu Yifeng leading the way and blazing the trail, the team made their way southeast.


    The weather in the Forest of Illusory Moon was strange. Sometimes, the clear sky stretched as far as the eye could see. Sometimes, the sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds. Sometimes, multi-colored radiance lit up the sky. Every now and then, there would even be howling of beasts coming from the depths of the mountain range. Most cultivators would just give up after two or three days if they were left to journey on their own.


    They continued to use Xiao Chen''s method along the way and ended up gathering close to forty Hearts of Illusory Moon. However, some creatures were more cunning than others. Instead of running back to their nest, they led the group to somewhere dangerous. They were nearly plunged into danger quite a few times.


    When twilight arrived and exhaustion was beginning to creep on everyone, Xiao Chen looked up and saw yellow-tinted clouds floating in the sky. Under the cover of the vast twilight radiance, the strange stones that dotted the rugged path made for a very strange picture. He told his neighbor Yu Yifeng, "It''s about time. Let''s find a place to rest."


    Yu Yifeng nodded. He narrowed his eyes at the eastern horizon and saw a mountain shrouded in a thick, white fog. The mountain appeared to be rich with spirit energy and the regular spiritual creatures would likely avoid that place at night. He said, "Let''s go up that mountain."


    "Sure," Xiao Chen said. He was about to retrieve his flying sword when Yu Yifeng reached out to stop him. "No, Junior Brother Xiao. It''s best to avoid using flying swords in the Forest of Illusory Moon."


    All it took was a few seconds of contemplation for Xiao Chen to grasp his meaning. Not only would it be for them to attract the attention of nefarious monsters on their flying swords, but their whereabouts would be easily exposed as well. It would be a hassle if other cultivators started targeting them. Moreover, there appeared to be restrictions placed on this forest.


    Then, the team began to cut through the thistles and thorns of the forested path as they traveled on foot. Before the curtain of the night fell, they finally arrived at the mountain and found a cave.


    Yu Yifeng immediately lay down a formation to act as a Barrier for the cave entrance. He also pasted several seal talismans on both sides of the cave walls to prevent the invasion of spiritual beings at night.


    Zhou Li took out a few bundled-up straw mats and rolled them out on the ground. Xiao Chen returned to the cave with some firewood that he gathered from the nearby woods and built a bonfire. Then, the rest sat in a circle around the fire and began making plans for the next few days.


    Yu Yifeng said, "Usually, the competition in every district will turn very intense after the first three days. The seventh day will be the worst. Since we must avoid the other cultivators as much as possible, we can''t build a bonfire when the time comes."


    When he heard no protest, he picked up a twig and drew a simple map of the districts. He pointed to several spots in every district and said, "Abyss of the Nether Spirits, Slope of Buried Souls, Weeping Ghosts Cliff, King of Hell Palace¡ªthese places are even more dangerous than the Grade 8 district. The Abyss of the Nether Spirits, in particular. Those who don''t know the place must never come close to it."


    "We''ll go down this path, where we''ll greatly reduce the chances of encountering enemies. We should be able to reach the Grade 4 district tomorrow evening." He drew a small path in the map. "Thoughts?"


    "I''m fine with it." Qingyu was the first to raise her hand. Zhou Li grinned and said, "If Junior Sister Qingyu is fine with it, I''m naturally fine with it as well."


    Yu Yifeng nodded and then looked at Mu Shaoai. "Junior Brother Shaoai, what do you think?"


    Mu Shaoai looked indifferent as he kept his silence. Xiao Chen was frowning. It was true that their chances of encountering enemies would be drastically lowered if they went with Brother Yifeng''s plan, but the only way to obtain the Hearts of Illusory Moon was to find the Illusory Moon Beasts.


    His method could have yielded them at least three hundred Hearts in the first few days, a sum that smaller sects that failed to make the qualifying round would consider large. However, it was nothing compared to the sum that large sects like the Divine Mist Sect could gather.


    The right to enter the Violet Illusory Land was based on the rankings determined in the qualifying round. Only the top ten would be allowed to enter Heaven-level Illusory Land. The Violet Illusory Land was divided into three levels: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Every level was further divided into low-rank, middle-rank, and upper-rank. Three hundred Hearts of Illusory Moon would qualify them to enter a low-rank, Earth-level Illusory Land at most.


    His frown deepened as he considered this. If he couldn''t make use of his cultivation in the Violet Illusory Land to break into the Nascent Soul Realm, it would be an uphill battle for him to break into the top ten rankings of the Immortal''s Sword Assembly two months later.


    That wasn''t even the most crucial part. More importantly was that young and strong cultivators were springing up from all over the world. Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect, those from the Fallen Immortals Sect, the Su youngster from before, and even Zuoqiu Yang were exerting intense pressure on him.


    Over on the dark side, the likes of the Bloodied Mad Swordsman and Ye Wuxin were an even more terrifying prospect. If he couldn''t strengthen himself swiftly, he might suffer the fate of cannon fodder before even finding his Master.


    Just like that, it had been almost a year since he came to the Violet Manor. He was still smug about his progress back in the East Continent. Thanks to the Mystic Cyan Sect''s cultivation method, his cultivation had been improving at a far higher speed than most people. But ever since he stepped foot on the Middle Continent, he met one powerful cultivator after another. Gradually, his thoughts began to shift.


    Each era had its own powerful cultivators. No matter how strong he was in the past, he was doomed to be eliminated if he couldn''t adapt and choose to dwell in the past.


    He threw away the twig in his hand and said softly, "Brother Yifeng, there''s something I''d like to say, but I don''t know if I should."


    Yu Yifeng looked at him. "Junior Brother Xiao, please speak your mind."


    "I don''t think there''s a need to avoid other sects. If they attack us, all we have to do is retaliate."


    Xiao Chen knew that Yu Yifeng had the teachings of Taoism ingrained in him since young and that many rules had been set in stone for him. He was like that too in the past. It would have been nearly impossible to make him steal like those from the Surging Waves Sect.


    Suddenly, Mu Shaoai rose to his feet and said, "We should learn as much as we can, no matter big or small. The number of Hearts of Illusory Moon determines what rank and level of Illusory Moon that we can enter. I agree with Junior Brother Xiao."


    Yu Yifeng lowered his head and contemplated for a good moment. He finally said, "You''re right. Then let us adjust our original plan and head to the Grade 5 district three days later."


    No one disagreed this time. The team began taking turns on guard duty as a duo while the rest slept. Food and drink could be spared in three days in the Forest of Illusory Moon, but not sufficient rest. This was to ensure that they had enough mental and physical strength to deal with outsiders.


    A full moon emitting a halo of the faintest purple color gradually climbed into the sky. Xiao Chen spotted flickering flames in the distance. Other sects must have come to this mountain to spend the night as well. However, unless one had the wildest of ambitions, one wouldn''t wage a war in this forest in the middle of the night. Thus, they were able to sleep through the night in relative peace.


    The next morning, Yu Yifeng left the cave to gather some dew. The team cleaned up and began setting forth on their journey. On their way, they found thirty to forty Hearts of Illusory Moon. It was almost at night when they finally approached the border of the Grade 4 district.


    The border was a vast grassland, where the tallest grass could reach one''s head and the shortest grass could reach one''s knee. When the wind swept the grassland, wide expanses of grass would be flattened before springing forth again. From afar, it looked like the waves of the sea.


    "This is the common boundary. Creatures known as Cangyuan Wolves lurk here. Their strength lies in between Rank 3 and 4. They tend to flock together and take the initiative to attack their targets. Everyone, please be careful."


    After warning the team, Yu Yifeng looked at the golden radiance in the west where heaven came into contact with earth. There seemed to be a hidden hurricane. "Moreover, there are numerous spatial cracks in the common boundary of the districts. Keep your guard up. Even if we encounter monsters, remember not to run to strange places."


    Then, the team began making their way through the area slowly and cautiously. When they spotted Cangyuan Wolves running about in the distance, they used the grass as cover and kept their bodies as close to the ground as possible. They also restrained their bodily aura until the wolves passed them. Only then did they get back on their feet and continued walking.


    They finally made it out of the grassland before nightfall. The Grade 4 district was starkly different from the Grade 3 district. Sometimes, aurora would light up the sky for as far as the eye could see. Sometimes, lightning would decorate the sky. It was all very strange and curious.


    It was dangerous to travel through the Forest of Illusory Moon at night for countless nocturnal monsters lay in wait in dark places. Under Yu Yifeng''s leadership, the team found a forest of stones to spend the night in.


    The next two days passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. They spent the time gathering Hearts of Illusory Moon in the Grade 4 district. They encountered quite a few other sects coming to rob them, but Xiao Chen would always return the favor in the end. With this, his name once again became famous in the Forest of Illusory Moon. The wiser ones learned not to provoke him again.


    By the fifth day, the qualifying round reached its climax. All of the large sects had suffered casualties, though the "deaths" here were mere eliminations after their jade notes were crushed in the event of a fatal attack. Those who "died" were all sent out of the forest.


    There was also a casualty on the Jade Qing Sect side. An enemy caught a disciple off guard and stabbed him straight through the heart. With the fatal attack, the disciple''s jade note broke into pieces and he was transported out.


    While the war over the Hearts of Illusory Moon quietly fermented, an unknown danger was also pressing close. In a place no one knew about, layers of strange aura were seeping out of the ground and forming a dense fog of black Qi. The cultivators were still putting their lives on the line for the Hearts, unaware of this danger.

 Chapter 261 Top Ten

    Just as the most intense fights broke out in the Forest of Illusory Moon, a group of people stared fixedly at the massive screen of light at the teleportation entrance of the Jade Terrace Mountain. They were the Elders representing the five continents, famous elders of various sects, and their disciples.


    The light screen displayed the real-time situation of the various sects in the Forest of Illusory Moon, with the center stage given to the current top ten sects. Sure enough, no one was a match for the Fallen Immortals Sect. They took the lead with more than 2,300 Hearts of Illusory Moon.


    The first runner-up lagged behind with only about 1,900 Hearts, but to everyone''s surprise, the title belonged to Heartless Palace of the East Continent. Cultivators from other continents had never even heard of them before.


    In third place was the Thousand Feathers Sect of the East Continent with around 1,600 Hearts. This came as a surprise to no one as this sect was more than capable of achieving this.


    The third runner-up, however, was shocking to a select group of people. The title belonged to the Order of the Divine Fire of the Middle Continent, with about 1,500 Hearts. The sect wasn''t that strong overall and they didn''t even make the top ten in the last Immortal Sword''s Assembly. Many were confused and turned to look at their sect''s Elder.


    The self-proclaimed strongest sect in the Middle Continent, the Divine Mist Sect, was astonishingly in fifth place. With only about 1,300 Hearts, they faced the risk of being overtaken by Su family of the Middle Continent in sixth place. Perfected Immortal Feng Lan looked terribly upset. He thought that even if they couldn''t win against the Fallen Immortals Sect, they wouldn''t fall as far as the fifth place. More importantly, why were they ranked below a small sect like the Order of the Divine Fire?


    For the past few assemblies, the Divine Mist Sect had reigned champion since the first day they stepped inside the Forest of Illusory Moon and steadily maintained their lead. Perfected Immortal Feng Lan walked away angrily, unable to keep watching.


    In a nutshell, the Divine Mist Sect''s reputation for being undefeatable was crushed to pieces today. Even so, the most shocking result was the tenth place: Jade Qing Sect of the East Continent, with more than 500 Hearts.


    After all, the East Continent had always been the last in the rankings for the past hundreds of thousands of years. Their sudden victory in the qualifying round was shocking, much less the fact that they infiltrated the top ten rankings. This astonished everyone and they couldn''t help looking at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen.


    Qing Chen was smoothing his beard with a smile. He made no comment. His neighbor, Perfected Immortal Tai Yi smiled and said, "Qing Chen, looks like your Jade Qing Sect is the true dark horse this time around. Had I known this earlier, I would''ve placed my bet on your sect. I wonder how my Order of the Countless Blades is doing."


    On the other end, Zi Mo stared fixedly at the light screen while nodding enthusiastically. Next to him, Murong Xian''er looked worried. She whispered, "Brother Xiao Chen, please be safe¡­"


    Zi Mo laughed. "Rest assured, girl. That kid will be alright. He owns the Undead Body and it''ll be hard for him to die."


    It was the morning of the fifth day inside the Forest of Illusory Moon. Xiao Chen and his team had just gotten out of an intense battle, where they successfully snatched the other team''s fifty or so Hearts of Illusory Moon. However, Ziyun''er, Luo Shangyan, and a few others were injured in that battle.


    While strength was important in a qualification test like the Illusory Moon Forest, luck was also a necessary factor. Lucky ones would encounter sects weaker than them, while unlucky ones would encounter sects stronger than them.


    Earlier, the enemy sect that they encountered was the first-runner of the qualifying round of the previous assembly, the Yin-Yang Sect. The sect was located in the North Continent and shared close ties with the Divine Mist Sect. They were more than strong enough to roam the Grade 5 or 6 districts, but they wanted to hunt pushovers in the Grade 4 district. Somehow, they were unfortunate enough to run into Xiao Chen''s team and ended up losing dozen or so Hearts of Illusory Moon.


    Right now, Xiao Chen and his team were circulating their Qi and healing their wounds in a secluded spot. Since both Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan were injured, Xiao Chen couldn''t rely on them to reinstate his True Energy. Should they encounter a sect as strong as the Yin-Yang Sect now, they would likely suffer.


    "Since we have 600 Hearts of Illusory Moon now, are we still going to the Grade 5 district?" Yu Yifeng asked, frowning.


    Their problem was their increasingly powerful enemies and the even more intense competition in the Grade 5 district. Weaklings would just be serving their Hearts on a platter if they enter, so most that enter were the strong large sects.


    "Of course! Why the heck not?" Mu Shaoai retorted, getting up.


    Xiao Chen remained quiet. If they continued staying in the Grade 4 district, they would surely fail to enter the top ten rankings in the end. They would also lose the chance to cultivate in the Violet Illusory Land. Glancing at Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan, he asked, "Can you still go on?"


    Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan understood very well that the one who wanted to head to the Grade 5 district wasn''t Mu Shaoai but him. Thus, they nodded.


    Zhou Li and Qingyu appeared dispirited. The battles in the Grade 4 district were their limit. If not for the seal talismans that Xiao Chen gave them, they would have been badly injured in the battle earlier. They might even suffer a fatal attack, resulting in their elimination.


    "What, you guys can''t keep up anymore? Hadn''t I told you to work hard on your practice? But you refuse to listen to me! Look, you''re useless at a crucial time like this!" Mu Shaoai said indignantly, shooting both of them a glare.


    Zhou Li and Qingyu lowered their heads and said nothing. Xiao Chen walked over to them and handed Zhou Li the Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos that Moxuan Zi gave him. He then took out all of his seal talismans and gave them to Qingyu. Finally, he imbued their bodies with a layer of Mystic Skill.


    Qingyu looked up and said quietly, "I''m so sorry for dragging you down, Junior Brother Xiao..."


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a chuckle. "We don''t say things like to a fellow disciple."


    His voice hadn''t faded when they heard a fit of rustling noises coming from the distance. Qingluan and Ziyun''er immediately raised their guard and flanked Xiao Chen to protect him.


    Yu Yifeng looked in the direction of the noise. Then, he raised a hand and said, "It''s not an enemy. Don''t be nervous."


    Ten or so people were cautiously walking over. The leader was a youngster clad in black, with the hem of his clothing burned in half. Behind him were ten or so male and female disciples in scorched clothes. They looked around suspiciously, looking cautious and prudent. It made them look rather pathetic.


    When the group came close and saw Yu Yifeng and the rest, the black-dressed leader heaved a sigh of relief. With a wry smile, he said, "Junior Brother Yu, what a coincidence."


    Yu Yifeng frowned when he noticed the burn marks on the group''s clothing. "Brother Han, what''s..."


    The youngster clad in black shook his head with a wry smile. "Unfortunate turn of events, I suppose. We accidentally entered the Grade 6 district. The moment we got out and entered the Grade 5 district, we ran into the Order of the Divine Fire. I wonder when this sect had become so cruel..."


    Xiao Chen didn''t know who the youngster was but knew the group was a mixture of Xianyong Sect and Order of the Countless Blades after spotting Qin Shaoyang and Liu Feiyan in their ranks. These two sects shared cordial ties with the Jade Qing Sect, so they wouldn''t be doing any plundering. Thus, he greeted Qin Shaoyang and the rest.


    Yu Yifeng looked at him. "Junior Brother Xiao, let me introduce you to Senior Brother Han Moyang of the Order of the Countless Blades."


    Han Moyang''s eyes lit up. He immediately saluted Xiao Chen with a bright smile. "So this is Xiao Chen. I have long heard of your name..."


    Xiao Chen returned his salutation with a smile. "I apologize for failing to recognize you..."


    "You''re too polite..."


    Yu Yifeng coughed once. "By the way, Brother Han. What''s it like over at the Grade 6 district?"


    Han Moyang was surprised. "What? Don''t tell me you''re planning to go there!" He shook his head with a wry smile. "Listen to me and forget about it. We barely managed to escape that place. We couldn''t participate in the battles over there at all. That woman from your East Continent is simply too terrifying."


    Xiao Chen frowned. "Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect?"


    "No." Han Moyang shook his head. "It''s a woman from Heartless Palace. Her attacks are ruthless. Fortunately, we''re in the Forest of Illusory Moon or I don''t know how many lives she''ll claim."


    Xiao Chen''s heart sank. It was Huangfu Xin''er!


    Qin Shaoyang and Liu Feiyan trembled. It was obvious that their fear of her still lingered.


    "I saw her taking on five members of the Fallen Immortals Sect by herself. When her fingernails lengthen, a red light will flash and two of the five members would have their chests ripped apart. The Fallen Immortals Sect has no choice but to come to an armistice with the Heartless Palace..."


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. Had Huangfu Xin''er''s cultivation become that terrifying, enough to those madmen from the Fallen Immortals Sect to bring up an armistice...?


    Qin Shaoyang said, "Besides some other sects, the Divine Mist Sect and the Thousand Feathers Sect are like oil and water fighting for dominance in the Grade 6 district. Xiaoyue has incredible Taoist methods, but she doesn''t get the upper hand against an overall stronger Divine Mist Sect."


    Xiao Chen nodded. Their explanation gave him a basic understanding of the situation in the Grade 6 district. He asked, "I heard Brother Han mentioning the Order of the Divine Fire. Where are they from?"


    The team made up of the Xianyong Sect and the Order of the Countless Blades was quite strong overall. In particular, Han Moyang was surely not inferior to Brother Yifeng in terms of cultivation. How did a single sect make them so miserable? Since Xiao Chen''s team would be entering the Grade 5 district, a battle against the Order of the Divine Fire was inevitable.


    Han Moyang narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "The Order of the Divine Fire? They''re quite the strange one..."

 Chapter 262 Substitutes

    "How are they strange?" Xiao Chen asked.


    Han Moyang contemplated for a moment before replying, "The Order of the Divine Fire is an average sect located in the western border of the Middle Continent. It was behind us in the rankings in the previous assembly, but this time, they sent a disciple called Wan Yanyan. No one whose cultivation is below the Nascent Soul Realm is a match for him. From the looks of it, he seems to be a novice Nascent Soul Realm cultivator¡­"


    "Nascent Soul Realm!"


    Zhou Li cried out in surprise before Han Moyang could finish his explanation. His eyes were colored with disbelief. Qingyu and the rest, including Mu Shaoai, were also stunned. None of them had ever heard of a Nascent Soul Realm disciple hailing from any of the sects. Without fail, this cultivator would be the champion of the Immortal''s Sword Assembly. After all, not even ten peak of the Core Forming Realm cultivators were a match for a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.


    Everyone felt suffocated as if there was a great mountain pressing down on their heads.


    Unlike the rest, Xiao Chen wasn''t surprised. He slowly said, "Nascent Soul Realm? If they have such strength, what are they doing in the Grade 5 district instead of going to the Grade 6 or even 7 district? Even if the Grade 7 district is tough, how much tougher can it be for a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? And the Hearts of Illusory Moon they can rob every day are not enough for them at all in the Grade 5 district, right?"


    Han Moyang nodded. "That''s the strange part. They keep a low profile, not acting as arrogant as the Fallen Immortals Sect and the Divine Mist Sect. With a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator among their ranks, they could very well fight these two sects. Brother Xiao, why do you think they''re doing this?"


    "There''s only one possibility: Wan Yanyan isn''t the real thing. They must be avoiding Grade 6 and 7 districts out of fear of discovery."


    "Don''t tell me¡­ Don''t tell me they hired an expert!" Qingyu said in disbelief.


    Xiao Chen didn''t comment. There was a great loophole in the seven-day qualifying round in the Forest of Illusory Moon waiting to be exploited. If he, Qingluan, and Ziyun''er could "join" the Jade Qing Sect at the last minute, why couldn''t another sect invite an expert to "join" them at the last minute as well?


    Even so, one shouldn''t be exploiting the loophole to invite some experienced master. It would plunge the world into chaos. Who among the young ones had truly stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm? As far as he knew, the only person with the chance to ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm among the younger generation was None-flower Dust alone.


    However, why would someone like None-flower Dust help the Order of the Divine Fire? Even the Divine Mist Sect didn''t have enough sway to convince a young Nascent Soul Realm expert to help. While there were quite a few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators around, a young one was very rare¡ªand that person surely hailed from an impressive background.


    Regardless, the most pressing issue right now was the matter of the Hearts of Illusory Moon. Without going to a higher-grade district, they would gather at most another 200 Hearts in the next two days. Never mind cultivating in the Heaven-level Violet Illusory Land, they might not even make it to the Earth-level one. They would be forced to cultivate in the Human-level with other sects that didn''t make the cut. Perhaps over in the Human-level, they might be able to enter a higher-ranked one.


    To be honest, he wasn''t desperate for those two months of cultivation. However, the situation was getting dangerous and his enemies were only getting stronger. He had lost too many years of his life; he couldn''t afford to lose these two months.


    "Does the Order of the Divine Fire steal from everyone they see?" he asked, frowning.


    Qin Shaoyang replied, "Not necessarily. They''d demand twenty Hearts from each person, so 200 in total for the whole ten-people team. Then they''d leave you alone."


    "That''s to say, each of you handed them 20 Hearts?" Zhou Li asked impatiently.


    Embarrassed, Qin Shaoyang coughed a little.


    Judging from their pathetic state, they must have undergone an intense and miserable battle before finally losing and having no choice but to hand over a part of their Hearts of Illusory Moon. Zhou Li stopped speaking as soon as he realized how rude he sounded.


    For smaller sects, handing over 200 Hearts meant that they would be left with almost nothing.


    Xiao Chen had a good grasp of the situation now. The Order of the Divine Fire''s dominance would only last for as long as they were in the Forest of Illusory Moon. They avoided Grade 6 and 7 districts out of fear of offending great powers like the Divine Mist Sect, Su family, and Fallen Immortals Sect. Basically, they were bullies of the weak and avoidant of the strong. They must have offended the Order of the Countless Blades and Xianyong Sect as a calculated risk in a moment of desperation.


    Still, he was determined to enter the Grade 5 and 6 districts. Thinking of this, he imbued his jade pendant with a wisp of Divine Sense. "Senior Su Mei, are you there?"


    "Yes. But I won''t help you." Su Xiaomei refused him resolutely.


    "Don''t misunderstand. I just want you to protect my companions in the event of a battle."


    Su Xiaomei said, "I can''t do that either. Your mother is a Su, and so are you. This is your training. I won''t help you. Moreover, I look forward to you meeting that kid from our family. Oh, and stop calling me Senior. You make me sound so old."


    She spoke no more. Xiao Chen sighed to himself. It seemed that she had made up her mind not to help him. Even so, he would never request Evernight in the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant to waste his Soul Power to help him.


    Yu Yifeng stepped forward and asked with a frown, "Junior Brother Xiao, what should we do now?"


    Somewhat flabbergasted, Han Moyang asked, "Are you really planning to go to Grade 5 and 6 districts?"


    Xiao Chen''s brows were tightly furrowed. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "We can take a look. Brother Han, Brother Qin, are you guys coming with us?"


    Qin Shaoyang shook his head. "Forget it. We just came back from that place. No thanks."


    After thinking for a moment, Han Moyang put on a wry smile. "I''ll wish you good luck then." He made it clear that he wasn''t going either.


    Moments later, the Xianyong Sect and the Order of the Countless Blades disciples excused themselves. Xiao Chen looked at his injured team members and asked, "How are you guys doing?"


    "I''m fine. Let''s go," Luo Shangyan said as she rose to her feet.


    The team once again set forth on their journey, this time heading southwest. The sky was overcast the entire way. Four hours later, they entered an ancient woods and heard voices in the distance. There was no shortage of cursing and insults exchanged in that conversation.


    "Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust, those two b*stards! Just because their cultivation is high, they think they can be bullies! One day, someone will surely sort them out!"


    "Forget it. Just consider it our misfortune. Sigh."


    Xiao Chen couldn''t help his astonishment. When he went near the voices, he saw seven to eight youngsters bearing white badges walking in their direction. They were from the Middle Continent. One of them was still livid as he said, "That b*stard Xiao Chen thinks he''s above everyone! Someone must have died in his family! I swear, he''ll get his comeuppance one day!"


    Xiao Chen was even more surprised. Who was the one who considered himself above everyone else, for this person to scold him in his face? Just as he was about to question that person, Ziyun''er glared at him and bellowed, "Who do you think you''re scolding?!"


    That person was so frightened that he jumped. The rest were also terrified and swiftly fled the place. Yu Yifeng was confused. Frowning, he asked, "Junior Brother Xiao¡­"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Never mind. Let''s go."


    The next few groups of people that they met would curse out Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust without fail. The old saying went that one shouldn''t implicate the family of one''s enemy, but these people said some very unpleasant words. They even went as far as cursing Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust''s eighteen generations of ancestors.


    Xiao Chen was beginning to lose his patience. When he saw another group, he went up to them and asked, "Friend, why are you cursing those two?"


    Even though one had to be on guard when meeting another group of people in the Forest of Illusory Moon, Xiao Chen and his teammates weren''t bearing arms and exuded no murderous aura. Clearly, they weren''t here to rob them of their Hearts of Illusory Moon. Thus, that person wasn''t afraid. He pointed to the way he had come in and said indignantly, "Those b*stards are blocking passersby and robbing them blind. They''re making everyone hand over a portion of their Hearts. If we don''t hand them over? Death. Who''d dare to provoke those famous Harbingers of Death?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "Thank you for letting me know. I get it now."


    The person kindly warned him, "Brother, let me warn you. One is steeped in evil aura, the other kills without blinking. You must not go down this path." With that, he led his team in leaving the place.


    Shortly after, Yu Yifeng looked at Xiao Chen. "Junior Brother Xiao, looks like someone doing evil deeds using your name."


    Ziyun''er said indignantly, "We must check this out! How can we let them smear Master''s reputation as they please?"


    Mu Shaoai sneered. "Looks like things are getting interesting."


    The team walked in the direction that the person pointed in. An hour later, they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of an expanse of woods. Two in the crowd stood out. Dressed in cyan clothes, he looked rather scholarly, but his expression was arrogant and despotic. He looked rather frightening with a blood-red broadsword resting on his shoulders.


    The other person was dressed in white, feathered clothes and had a delicately-carved feathered fan in his hand. He must have powdered his face to make it look pale and flawless.


    The youngster carrying the blood-red broadsword on his shoulder said loudly, "All you need to remember is that my name is Xiao Chen. I have a thousand ways to make your life unbearable in the Violet Manor. If you want to try me, I don''t mind playing along."


    Some admitted their misfortune after hearing this and obediently handed over a portion of their Hearts of Illusory Moon. Some clenched their fists so hard that their bones creaked, but when they saw the blood-red broadsword, they dared not to even express their anger.

 Chapter 263 Should We Save Them?

    Ziyun''er gnashed her teeth and said, "Such despicable people. Master, do you want me to go over and sort them out?"


    Xiao Chen raised his hand to stop her. "Let''s go together and see what''s going on."


    The team made their way over and saw that the groups handing over their Hearts of Illusory Moon belonged to smaller sects. They must be trying to return to Grade 3 and 4 districts after accidentally entering the Grade 5 district.


    When the youngster carrying the blood-red broadsword on his shoulder spotted Xiao Chen and the rest, he counted the number of the team. "Hand over your Heart of Illusory Moon if you want to cross this road. Nine of you means you have to hand over ninety Hearts and not one less."


    "You!" Ziyun''er immediately lost her temper. Xiao Chen raised his hand again, stopping her. He sauntered to the youngster and asked relaxedly, "You''re Xiao Chen, yes?"


    "Correct!" The younger raised his fist and swiped his nose with a thumb. "Once you hand over your Hearts, all you have to do is use my name. I guarantee no one will dare provoke you within a hundred miles, no matter which district you are in."


    "Oh." Xiao Chen nodded. "What if I refuse?"


    "Say that again, kid..." The youngster''s expression darkened instantly. The youngster holding a white feathered fan beside him said serenely, "Flowers and dust; a night of flowers leave no dust. Brother Xiao, it seems that this person is going against us."


    The youngster raised a hand. "Brother None-flower, leave this unruly kid to me!" He pointed at Xiao Chen and then tapped the red broadsword resting on his shoulders with his thumb. "You! Do you know where did this Blood Lotus Demon Blade come from?"


    Xiao Chen nodded. "I''d like to hear the details."


    The youngster scoffed. With a smug look on his face, he said, "I got this from exterminating the entire He family. Back then, I wanted to borrow this blade but they refused. So, I killed their household, all one hundred or so of them. I snatched it from them! Kiddo, if you don''t want to die, you''d better hand over the Hearts of Illusory Moon like a good child! I don''t want to have to kill you!"


    Those around them felt cold sweat forming on their back as they listened. Sure enough, the rumors were true. Xiao Chen was a cruel person who could kill without blinking.


    Behind them, Qingyu finally lost control of herself and burst into laughter. Seeing that she was mocking him instead of being scared, he bellowed, "What are you laughing about?!"


    Xiao Chen shook his head. "Perhaps your memories are faulty, Brother Xiao. Someone from the He family had created trouble at the assembly of orthodox sects that the Widespread Wintriness Sect hosted. He left this blade behind after losing to you in a fight."


    The youngster narrowed his eyes. This explanation was plausible too. However, he swiftly realized that something was off. He bellowed, "Kid, it''s what I say it is!" Following his howl, he swung his blade.


    The crowd gasped. That attack could cut a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator! However, their expectation of a bloody outcome was subverted. The sound of clanging metals filled their ears as Xiao Chen pinched the broadsword between his fingers.


    "Impossible!"


    Once again, the crowd was startled. Wasn''t this blade said to be strong enough to cut a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? Perhaps Xiao Chen wasn''t as powerful as rumored after all and didn''t deserve his reputation.


    No matter how hard he tried, the youngster couldn''t summon any strength to remove the broadsword from in between his opponent''s fingers. He knew he was in trouble this time. He must have met a ruthless person. He hastily said, "Brother None-flower, what are you waiting for? Come and help me!"


    The other youngster holding a white feathered fan immediately glared at Xiao Chen. "Kid, do you know who am I?"


    Xiao Chen shot him a disinterested look. "Oh, and who might you be?"


    "Listen well then. I''m the one who charged into the Imperial Palace of Xiyue State not too long ago and spilled enough blood that it formed a three-inch layer on the floor, None-flower Dust! I even took away their assassination association, Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. Believe it or not, I can kill you the moment you step out of the Forest of Illusory Moon."


    Xiao Chen smiled. "Brother None-flower, your memories must be faulty too. The only person you killed was the Crown Prince of Xiyue State and you did it outside the palace. The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon isn''t with you either."


    The crowd was astonished. Where did this person come from? Why was he so familiar with Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust''s affairs?


    Suddenly, a blaze rocketed into the sky and an ear-splitting explosion followed. Everyone felt the ground under them tremble. Xiao Chen moved his fingers, releasing his hold on the youngster''s broadsword, and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw several swords racing over to their side, and ten or so people speeding along on the ground using the Sky Treader technique. It appeared that those in the sky were hunting those running on the ground.


    The two groups of people arrived in the blink of an eye. The group on the ground was a mixture of flustered-looking males and females. They wore cyan-colored badges, indicating that they were from the East Continent. When a pretty female disciple spotted Xiao Chen, Yu Yifeng, and the others, she yelled, "Senior Brother Xiao Chen! Senior Brother Yifeng! Save us!"


    The group hovering in the air wore clothing of a blazing red color and white badges with the words "Order of the Divine Fire" carved on them. They were disciples from the Order of the Divine Fire.


    After seeing the Order of the Divine Fire team, the youngster masquerading as Xiao Chen knew he was in trouble. He yelled at the girl had called for help earlier, "Don''t shout nonsense! I don''t know you people!"


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes when he detected the formidable aura coming from one of the disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire. He wasn''t the only one who noticed the potent aura of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. The rest was so terrified that they dared not make the slightest noise.


    Xiao Chen glanced at the group that was being hunted and found two somewhat familiar faces. The female disciple had a badge with the words "Faith of the Lofty Clouds" carved on it while the male disciple had a badge with the words "School of the Savage Flames" carved on it.


    The male disciple from the School of the Savage Flames hastily said, "Brother Xiao, have you forgotten about me? We went to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City together! I''m Qin Xinyan!"


    The mention of the Wuwang Wind Cloud City reminded Xiao Chen that he had indeed met these two back then. The group of ten or so had stepped onto a land of fantasy then, where they entered a cave filled with Vampire Bats and fought a Corpse Puppet together. They were allies who went through trials and tribulations together. Xiao Chen nodded and indicated for them to come over.


    Relieved, Qin Xinyan immediately led his team to Xiao Chen''s side. One of the disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire narrowed his eyes. "You''re Xiao Chen?"


    The youngster that masqueraded as Xiao Chen was frightened out of his wits after sensing a Nascent Soul Realm aura from the speaker. In a shaking voice, he replied, "Yes. But I don''t know them. I won''t interfere with what you''re doing..."


    Xiao Chen pushed the fakes aside and said dully, "Move aside. They''re not talking to you."


    The youngster shivered. When he turned his head to look at the Order of the Divine Fire, he found that they weren''t looking at him. When the realization hit him, he immediately felt a chill running all over his body.


    The one from the Order of the Divine Fire narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, the rumors about Xiao Chen were true. Xiao Chen had remained calm even in the face of his Nascent Soul Realm aura. He said, "Excellent. I''m Wan Yanyan. Xiao Chen, I''ve heard of your reputation and don''t wish to make things difficult for you today. Take your team and leave."


    Zhou Li, Qingyu, and the rest were relieved to hear this. The crowd of onlookers, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. What was going on? Could this person be the real Xiao Chen? Had they fallen for a trap when they handed over their Hearts of Illusory Moon earlier?


    The youngsters pretending to be Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust knew they were in trouble when they felt the resentful glares from those around them. They were trying to slip away when Wan Yanyan bellowed, "The rest of you! I dare you to take even a single step!"


    The rest were terrified. Those who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to flee dared not to move anymore. The aura of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was a powerful deterrent. Once the cultivator''s flying sword moved, they would immediately be eliminated.


    Xiao Chen glanced at Wan Yanyan. "I don''t care about the others but the Faith of the Lofty Clouds and the School of the Savage Flames are friends of mine. I hope you''ll show some mercy and leave them alone after taking some of their Hearts of Illusory Moon."


    The moment they heard this, Zhou Li, Qingyu, and the rest felt their hearts tighten and frowned. Qingluan shook her head at him, indicating for him to stay out of trouble. It was good enough that they were allowed to leave.


    Wan Yanyan raised his head and laughed heartily. Just as swiftly, his gaze turned sharp as he looked coldly upon Xiao Chen. He said sternly, "I''m not fighting you out of respect but you should be aware of your strength!" The True Energy flowing all over his body jolted and a squall immediately materialized. The cultivators nearby began suffocating under the weight of such intense pressure. The weaker ones even fainted.


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. This person wasn''t an initial-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator as Han Moyang had described, but a mid-stage one!


    He didn''t even know if the ten or so cultivators here would join hands with him to fight Wan Yanyan. Even if they would, they were still no match for a mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. A cultivator like this could eliminate countless Core Forming Realm cultivators with a single attack.


    He considered this for a long time. To be frank, he wasn''t that close to the Faith of the Lofty Clouds and the School of the Savage Flames. Were they worth the risk? He couldn''t demand his team to tread such dangerous waters with him. In the end, his only fault was his lack of strength.


    Yu Yifeng and the rest didn''t disturb him when they saw that he was weighing the pros and cons of his decision. The female disciple from the Faith of the Lofty Clouds was looking at him with a tearful face. "Senior Brother Xiao Chen, we spoke up for you when they called you a demon back then. Please help us. The Order of the Divine Fire wants to, wants to..." The words became stuck in her throat.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. "Brother Yifeng, let''s go."

 Chapter 264 - Wan Gufeng

    ¡°Hahahaha! Very good! I applaud your wits to accede to the strong. There¡¯s no point in siding with the losers, eh? It¡¯s no surprise they call you the most powerful youngster in all of the Violet Manor!¡± Wan Yanyan threw his head back in a roar of laughter while sounding sardonic at the same time.


    Wordlessly, Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan and the rest moved with Xiao Chen, following his lead to another side. Qin Xinyan watched with horror and despair as his final shred of hope crumbled. He could almost feel the malicious and savage aura emanating from Wan Yanyan.


    The rest of the contestants around watched Xiao Chen leave. ¡°Is he the Xiao Chen from the rumors? Did he not battled the entire household of the Zuoqiu Family and massacred them just to save a friend?¡±


    ¡°COWARD!¡± A voice broke the silence. Despite notorious for having his hands deep in blood, everyone knew that Xiao Chen wrought those savageries, only because he was forced to. He needed to save a friend. He was known as many things, a proud and honorable friend to his allies among all, but definitely not a weakling who would desert anyone in need. In a word, the one in front of them let them down.


    But no one knew that Xiao Chen was struggling. His fingers were digging deep into the flesh of his skin while he tried to shut out the cries and insults pelted at him. He willed himself to continue walking. But with every step, his legs felt heavier and more reluctant.


    He wanted to save those people. But the safety of his friends and loved ones mattered more to him and there was no way he could risk that.


    The Forest of Illusory Moon was a test in Nature¡¯s most primal form: the survival of the fittest where the strong preyed on the weak. The ultimate winner would take all and the losers would be left with nothing; not even their life or the right to speak for others.


    He scoffed at himself, ¡°Am I finding excuses to cover up my own weakness and callousness?¡±


    Suddenly, he heard a voice; a voice from his distant, long dormant and lost: his teacher. The lessons she taught him, to be compassionate and courageous, came back to him like a vision. Then he remembered the tearful, pleading eyes of the girl he could have saved and the merriness everyone had shared with him during their journey to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    Then a realization hit him: ¡°What about Muxue and Senior Sister Luo? What would they do?¡±


    ¡°WAIT!¡± He shouted. He stopped and turned. ¡°Twenty Hearts for each of them, is it not? I¡¯ll pay. I¡¯ll take them all,¡± he declared, pointing at Qin Xinyan and his group.


    Hope gleamed in the eyes of the hostages. They sat up, the faith of their survival once again renewed as they watched in anticipation. Zhou Li, Qingyu, and the rest looked on in silence; it was only by Xiao Chen that they managed to obtain any Hearts of Illusory Moon. No one dared to voice any objections against him.


    But Wan Yanyan¡¯s expression darkened as quickly as his mood. ¡°You were already leaving. I suggest you walk on, unless you really intend to taste the flavor of Death yourself¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen fixed him with a resolute stare. ¡°You should not be allowed here. You¡¯re a senior and you clearly wield powers beyond all of us. But you¡¯d do well to heed my advice: there¡¯s no need for you to take things above and beyond.¡±


    Everyone was instantly shocked by Xiao Chen¡¯s revelation. Wan Yanyan looked as old as everyone in the Forest, young and exuberant like all of them. ¡°But why did Xiao Chen address him as Senior? Could he be¡­¡±


    But their doubts were quickly answered; Wan Yanyan chuckled viciously. ¡°So, you¡¯ve noticed, eh?¡±


    His magic in disguise might be good enough to hoodwink the elders watching the portal into the Forest of Illusory Moon, but it was not enough to escape the Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense. His true identity was Wan Gufeng, the grandfather of the actual Wan Yanyan.


    By pretending to be his grandson, Wan Gufeng had joined the tournament in his stead and entered the Forest of Illusory Moon, hoping to achieve a good score to allow his grandson the admission into the Violet Illusory Land to study magic.


    ¡°Rest easy, Senior. I¡¯d just say that I don¡¯t know anything about this. But only if this is enough to convince you to change your mind. Can you release them now?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Wan Gufeng rumbled with laughter. ¡°My name has commanded fear and respect for decades in the Violet Manor! I will not be threatened by a fledgling like you! I will not repeat myself anymore: leave this place at once! Mind your own business!¡±


    His voice was no longer disguised; there was no longer any pretense for masking himself. He was not afraid if anyone might report him nor was he fearful of Xiao Chen, even though he had been feigning a respectful tone only because of the rumors about him.


    Everyone was stunned into silence around them, until someone shouted, ¡°That¡¯s one of the Elders of the Order of the Divine Fire, Wan Gufeng!¡±


    Xiao Chen flexed his palms, readying himself for a fight. He could feel the cold fury and harrowing thirst for blood exuding from the disguised man before him, better than everyone else in fact. His senses were tingling wildly, begging him to turn and walk away. By leaving, he could spare him and his friends from peril. The Jade Qing Sect team could also avoid being disqualified, at least for now. But he knew that he could not turn back, not with the lives of Qin Xinyan and his group at stake, even though they were hardly friends.


    Battling Wan Gufeng was not a matter of victory; it was a matter of honor.


    Unnatural breezes began to blow around them, growing stronger by the second as their energies churned. The aura of blood and malice slowly filled the area. Yu Yifeng drew his sword and barked at Mu Shao¡¯ai, ¡°Shao¡¯ai, bring juniors to safety!¡±


    But Mu Shao¡¯ai was petrified with fear, his eyes frozen upon the seething Wan Gufeng. He shook himself awake and snorted defiantly. ¡°Since when do I take orders from you!?¡± He drew his sword and hissed at Zhou Li and Qingyu instead. ¡°Go away! You¡¯re no good staying here!¡±


    Zhou Li and Qingyu traded swift looks. They knew that they were too powerless to support their seniors. Their presence would be nothing more than distractions to them. But they could not bear to leave, knowing that their seniors were up against a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    The winds tossed ferociously around them, lashing at their clothes and battered at them that they found it hard to stand straight. Wan Gufeng¡¯s roaring howls resounded through the winds that whipped at their faces, reducing their visibility drastically. ¡°None of you will escape today! You¡¯d all either leave your lives or the Hearts!¡±


    Knowing that an inevitable battle was at hand, Xiao Chen began weaving the spell of his magical formations. Nine little fireballs burst to life upon his palm. Qin Xinyan and his cohorts immediately took their stand beside Xiao Chen and Yu Yifeng, preparing themselves. Realizing that the battle would determine the survival of everyone present, the disciples of other schools and sect snarled at Wan Gufeng hatefully, ¡°How dare you, an esteemed elder of the Orthodox Path! Not only you¡¯ve violated the rules of the tournament, but you even tried to terrorize everybody here! Come, fight us all! We do not fear you!¡±


    More and more people united with the contingent of the Jade Qing Sect against a common foe in Wan Gufeng. For decades and centuries, students of lesser schools and sects had always hoped to attain admission into the Violet Illusory Land to study and train in hopes of propelling themselves to better future prospects. But Wan Gufeng¡¯s ruthless plan to hoard all of the Hearts of Illusory Moon would dash all the hopes of the contestants today. Defeating him was the only way to salvage any possibility of success.


    With two remaining days of intense competition, most of them pessimistic towards any aspirations of accumulating another fifty Hearts to pass the test. They would rather fight now than to tolerate further two days of suffering and torment. More so, since lethal blows would only see them being disqualified and safely transported outside; there was no risk of danger.


    The very same thoughts flashed through the minds of the remaining contestants, and everyone chose to stand with Xiao Chen against Wan Gufeng. Unfazed by the superior numbers, Wan Gufeng threw his head back and guffawed proudly. ¡°Very good!¡± He hissed insidiously. ¡°A bunch of rats and scoundrels! I¡¯ll bury you all here today!¡± A red, gigantic palm, made up of fire, appeared over the crowd and slammed down on the contestants, immediately vanquishing several of them.


    The destructive force of the blow destroyed the magical jade notes of those being struck. Instead of dying, they were cast out of the Forest, effectively disqualified. For five days, these young aspirants had battled and struggled against all odds, only to be disqualified by a selfish, rule-breaking old man who wielded strong power than every one of them. The tears, sweat, and blood they shed during this crucible had been rendered an utter waste.


    Xiao Chen and his allies watched the few contestants being forcibly removed with livid eyes. Had this been an actual battle, the several contestants would have already been dead by now. As an elder and a senior, Wan Gufeng had shown no sign of honor, leniency, and compassion. Enraged by his behavior, everyone drew their swords and attacked!


    But their attacks were mere child¡¯s play to Wan Gufeng; there was no way common weapons and conjurers of the Core Forming Realm could defeat him so easily. One by one, they were all beaten back, their bodies sore with pain and their swords broken into splinters.


    Only a few could withstand his relentless onslaught; Yu Yifeng being one of them. Armed with his sword, he could still hold his ground against a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm, but barely. The blistering heat gave off by his opponent¡¯s blows and the churning winds threatening to slice at him were already crippling his defenses.


    Zhou Li produced the Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos which Moxuan Zi had originally given to Xiao Chen. The magical mirror glowed with an entrancing sheen on its surface; it could reflect magical attacks by turning its surface into white, and absorb an enemy¡¯s magical bolts by turning into black. But even Xiao Chen at his full strength could only summon one-tenth of the Mirror¡¯s true power. Together with Qingyu, Zhou Li did his best to wield the magical instrument, but to lamentable efficacy; they could only hold themselves against one or two blows from the formidable Wan Gufeng.

 Chapter 265 - The Nascent Soul Realm

    Mu Shao¡¯ai and Qin Xinyan both attacked Wan Gufeng from the flanks. Mu Shao¡¯ai attacked with his telekinesis magic, trying his best to distract Wan Gufeng. His flying sword weaved dangerously around Wan Gufeng like a deadly arrow, its blade gleaming dangerously as it prodded his defenses for any chance to attack. From the other side, Qin Xinyan, the pyromancer of the School of the Savage Flames skillful in fire-based magic, was busy pelting one fireball after another at Wan Gufeng, helping to harass him as well.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were the most skillful in close-quarters combat out of the most of them. But with the rest of their squadmates unavailable, they could only remain beside Xiao Chen to ensure his safety by parrying any blows that Wan Gufeng threw his way.


    Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue held up the rear, helping to support the makeshift formation by providing healing magic to upkeep the True Energies of those unleashing their attacks. With the restoration effects of their magic, everyone could spare no expense and sustain the barrage of their retaliation without fearing their stores of energy would be depleted.


    But alas, even in the face of the powerful barrage against him, Wan Gufeng was able to defend himself adequately, while disqualifying a few more contestants.


    But the unified front of the contestants held on. No one would have dared to challenge a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm to a fight in real life. But this was the Forest of Illusory Moon. No one was at the risk of dying. What was more, was the experience and prestige of having battled a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm before.


    It did not take long for the unified front of contestants to suffer more losses. But Wan Gufeng was barely looking well. The attacks that everyone cast at him had barely grazed him, but they were enough to reduce his clothing to nothing more than tattered rags that he looked like a haggard beggar and the disciples that had infiltrated the tournament with him were all injured as well.


    As the battle held on, more and more contestants were removed from the Forest. Eventually, there were many lone contestants whose teammates had been disqualified. Knowing that they would stand no chance in sufficient Hearts of Illusory Moon in time, they diverted their hopes to another more realistic goal: removing Wan Gufeng from the tournament. Some began mocking and jeering at him, ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting for so long, Senior Wan! Did you not pledge to bury all of us here?!¡±


    ¡°Senior Wan is getting old! He has no more strength!¡± Another quipped.


    Then another yelled at him angrily, ¡°Just because you possess the levels of the Nascent Soul Realm, that doesn¡¯t mean the world revolves around you! Have a taste of our fury!¡±


    But Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was tense and troubled. There was something wrong with his Nine Heaven-scorching Flames magic. He could not use it, although he wished to, fearing that the force of the magic might not only wound his allies, it could rebound and seriously injure him as well. ¡°Is this because of the enchantments here in this Forest?¡±


    Wan Gufeng was furious. At any other time and location, he would have long butchered everyone here rather than to endure the insults hurled at him. But this was the Forest of Illusory Moon and there were numerous enchantments in place to restrict him from using his full power.


    ¡°I SEE! HOW DARE YOU! MONGREL PUPS! LET ME TEACH YOU ALL SOME MANNERS!¡±


    He roared with all his wrath and threw his arms up and channeled his powers. The tattered sleeves of his robes fluttered in the winds as his energies churned, resonating with the vital force of Nature that everyone could feel the ripples in the air. Two huge fireballs came alive in the air above him and he cast them at the few contestants who had mocked and derided him!


    With a quick look, Xiao Chen could see that the strength of the fireballs was too great for them to withstand! Anyone being hit by the fireballs would surely be seriously wounded despite the enchantment to ensure their safety. He hurriedly summoned his True Energy; the Unsullied he carried shook in response to his call and shot into the air like a flash of blazing lightning, piercing straight at the two fireballs with ardent tenacity!


    Xiao Chen watched the white bolt of light that was the Unsullied collided with the fireballs. First came an onrushing tide of blinding, white light, and then a shockwave from the explosion swept across the whole battlefield, throwing many of the contestants off-balanced. Xiao Chen had destroyed the fireballs, but there were still many of his allies who were hurt by the explosion.


    Yu Yifeng looked at Xiao Chen and noticed that something was wrong with his expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked hastily.


    Xiao Chen shook his head quickly. He peered at the nine miniature fireballs still dancing around his palm. They were barely flaming, hardly more than glowing embers now. But this did not escape Wan Gufeng¡¯s eye; seeing an opening, he threw a bolt of magic at Xiao Chen. Fortunately, Yu Yifeng tossed his sword into its way before it could hit Xiao Chen. The sword deflected the fatal blow, although it too was hit away by the powerful blow.


    ¡°The Dance of the Arcing Rainbow!¡±


    Yu Yifeng chanted aloud while steadying himself. Calmly, he performed several handseals and cast his magic. The clouds far up high began to stir, swirling violently as if a storm was coming. Yu Yifeng¡¯s sword shot up the sky in a ray of golden light and plunged into the clouds and thirteen bolts of golden light rained down from above, descending at blinding speed down to the ground like a flock of eagles swooping down on a prey!


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret technique of the Jade Qing Sect! The Dance of the Arcing Rainbow!¡± A startled voice yelled.


    The thirteen golden shafts shone brilliantly in all their splendor and divinity. There was no one who was not awed and stunned by its awesomeness that could cover all foes and allies alike. Wan Gufeng raised his head to observe the impending strike aimed at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°So this is the infamous secret technique of the Jade Qing Sect? It was rumored that this technique was the reason that the Jade Qing Seven was so powerful! There is truth to the rumors after all.¡±


    Knowing better than to take Yu Yifeng¡¯s attack lightly, he channeled his True Energy and infused them all into a protective shield. A crack of thunder rumbled in the distant sky as the thirteen golden shafts fell in unison, each looking more dangerous than the rest.


    But ¡°dangerous¡± was a mere understatement; as the golden shafts drew closer to their target, everyone finally felt the might of the Jade Qing Sect¡¯s most guarded technique. The ground shook vigorously as if in fear with rocks and gravel rolling everywhere like ants scurrying to safety before a storm. Then everyone felt a shockwave that fell like a hammer and saw plants and trees being reduced to smithereens. Immediately, everyone comprehended the danger to remain in the vicinity and sounded calls of retreat. They withdrew to a safe distance and waited to see how Wan Gufeng would fare against such a deadly technique.


    But no one saw how Mu Shao¡¯ai¡¯s expression became shrouded by shadow. The realization that the Leader had given Yu Yifeng his own sword, the Startling Rainbow Sword and had also taught him the most secret technique of the Sect, the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow, had filled him with jealousy and grudge.


    But Qingyu was feeling worried. Despite the terrible might of the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow technique, Yu Yifeng simply wielded not enough power and finesse to unleash the technique¡¯s full potential. One single ray of light would have been enough to utterly defeat Wan Gufeng, if it was Perfected Immortal Qing Chen himself who had cast the magic. The current rendition was merely one-tenth of its full power, notwithstanding the fact that Yu Yifeng¡¯s reckless use of this technique could have seen himself wounded due to the rebound of the technique.


    All thirteen rays of gold slammed into the ground, laying waste to an entire tract of land, including the spot where Wan Gufeng was standing. But to everyone¡¯s horror, Wan Gufeng emerged fine and well from the midst of the settling dust. With a disdainful toss of his sleeves, he sneered with ice in his voice. ¡°So this is the most powerful technique of the Jade Qing Sect?¡±


    Yu Yifeng went pale. The technique had not only exhausted his True Energy, but he was also badly disappointed that his enemy had virtually escaped unscathed!


    ¡°Let me send all of you out now!¡± Wan Gufeng declared smugly. He reached an arm into the sky and grabbed his fists. The clouds churned and balled into a gigantic mass above his head and everyone could feel the pressure and tenseness of his powers slowly rising.


    The contestants all felt the same petrifying panic, their feet rooted to the ground in fear. Wan Gufeng¡¯s aura grew stronger and stronger that it spanned across the entire battlefield and everyone who felt it was frozen with terror. With their greatest nightmare coming alive, the contestants¡¯ will to fight on slowly ebbed away.


    Realizing that their options were dire, Xiao Chen spared no more thought. He tossed fire little fireballs from his palm at Wan Gufeng¡¯s way and directed them at him. The three miniature flames flew in his direction while meshing into a single ball of flames, larger and stronger as they drew closer to their mark.


    Wan Gufeng could not move at first. He stared with disbelief the balls of flames that Xiao Chen had cast at him and hardly moved. It was only when they were close, he finally felt the peril of the destructive force they contained. He leaped backward and warped to a spot more than 100 hundred feet away, just in time to see that the spot that he had been standing on a little more than a few seconds ago bursting and cracking into a sea of fire that turned every piece of wood and leaf into cinders and ash.


    Despite his years of experience and the great power he wielded, Wan Gufeng could not help feeling a chill on his spine. He would have suffered an incapacitating injury if not for the warning of his spiritual senses, even with the protection afforded by his True Energy. His gaze wandered slowly to the conjurer who spelled his downfall: Xiao Chen. For the first time since the start of the tournament, he no longer regarded the younger man with contempt and disdain, but instead with pure hatred and bitterness.


    But he was hardly the only one surprised; curious and disbelieving stares began to fall on Xiao Chen. No one had expected that the spell he used, while appearing to be weak and frail, was more powerful than Yu Yifeng¡¯s Dance of the Arcing Rainbow.


    The malice in Wan Gufeng¡¯s eyes waxed greater and greater. ¡°This cannot wait! He must be eliminated today,¡± he thought cruelly, ¡°with time and resources, he¡¯ll one day become a foe to the Order of the Divine Fire!¡±


    Driven by this compulsion, he took one resolute step forward and vanished, teleporting quickly to just in front of Xiao Chen. Unlike before, he was truly hell-bent on killing Xiao Chen instead of merely breaking his jade note! He would sever his Spiritual Meridians and destroy him once and for all!

 Chapter 266 - The Struggle

    Although he was caught off-guard, Xiao Chen could see Wan Gufeng¡¯s intent to kill him. The venom in his eyes was simply unmistakable! In his haste, Xiao Chen cast all six of the remaining flames in his hand at Wan Gufeng who was suddenly on the offensive, hoping this would stave him off. There was no more time to worry about the unsteady control of his magic, especially now with a strong enemy charging at him!


    But by now, Wan Gufeng knew how dangerous the flames could be, no matter how small and weak they looked. He tilted himself and evaded the flames and dove for Xiao Chen, thinking that success was his as the little flames fell to the ground behind him. But from the corners of his eyes, he looked with horror as the flames that flew past him turned back for him!


    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡±


    He croaked with shock and cursed as the six little fiery orbs veered back, their little flames biting at his heels. He twisted himself and barely avoided the flames as their heat chafed at his feet, burning his shoes into soot.


    But this was hardly the end of it: at Xiao Chen¡¯s control, the flames buzzed around in pursuit of Wan Gufeng with the doggedness of sharks on the scent of blood.


    Here was an old man of more than a hundred years old, trying to desperately escape from a few little balls of flames that chased after him like bees. What was previously a gritting skirmish had become a hilarious scene that many contestants began laughing and jeering at him.


    It was the first time that Wan Gufeng had to endure such a humiliation; desperate beyond measure, he cast a bolt of magic from his fist, directed at the six flaming balls. Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt a shudder in him, then a jolt of pain as he spat a mouthful of blood.


    The six balls of flames each represented every cardinal point of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames magical formation. Striking at the flames was akin to destroying formation with sheer force, and the force of the attacks would be directed towards Xiao Chen, who was the conjurer of the formation. Worse still, a simple blow from Wan Gufeng, a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm, was enough to inflict damaging injury to him.


    Wan Gufeng quickly realized that he had stumbled upon the weakness of the spell. He continued dodging the flames while sending bolts of magic at the flames whenever he could. Not far away, Xiao Chen was struggling to endure the drubbing, but he was getting weak.


    Yu Yifeng began to realize what was happening. This is not the usual pyromancy! Otherwise, Xiao Chen would not be injured by the force rebounded at him! He rushed to behind Xiao Chen and clasped both hands on his back, beginning to inject True Energy into him.


    Seeing what he was doing, everyone else realized Xiao Chen¡¯s need for more True Energy. Many began rushing over and followed Yu Yifeng in supplying more their energies to him.


    Suddenly, the six fireballs grew in size and speed! Wan Gufeng realized what was happening. ¡°Xiao Chen, and by extension his spells, would become more powerful if he continues to be fed on everyone¡¯s True Energy!¡± He began to worry if he would lose. Frantically, he bellowed, ¡°Leave now while you can! I will spare you all!


    A few of the contestants heard this and felt a flicker of hope. With Wan Gufeng now occupied, there was indeed a solid chance to escape! But before they could react, the students of the School of the Savage Flames and the Faith of the Lofty Clouds rushed forward as one and funneled their True Energy into Xiao Chen¡¯s body.


    Wan Gufeng roared again, ¡°LEAVE NOW! OR I¡¯LL HUNT YOU! WHEREVER YOU GO!¡± He has only Xiao Chen in his sights now and the Hearts of Illusory Moon no longer mattered.


    More and more people were getting swayed by the warning. But even with the growing adversity, there were also people who refused to give in to tyranny and coercion. A shrill voice rang through the stirring crowds of hesitant contestants like a resounding battle cry, ¡°Anyone who leaves now is a coward!¡± A young man stood up and joined the lines of people supplying their powers into Xiao Chen.


    Another loud voice cracked like a whip, ¡°Death it is then! We¡¯d never cower like wimps!¡± A few more young men shuffled through the doubtful rest and helped to channel more True Energy.


    By now, the six fireballs were no longer orbs of fire; they have become six huge, sparkling stars that blazed with the radiance of the sun. Wan Gufeng was still ducking and diving for dear life. If only he could kill them all! He sent another ray of magic at the six shining stars, only to have it ricocheting back at him, sending him crashing back over his head for several ten feet.


    Xiao Chen muttered a quick word of command and steered the six stars to surround Wan Gufeng and close off any ways of escaping. No matter where he went, the six stars continued circling around him like flies on a corpse, presaging his impending doom.


    It was a moment when fear finally overtook Wan Gufeng. He felt nothing but despair as he could vaguely see death looming over him. Each of the six stars enveloping him held indescribable powers. ¡°Is this my end? At the hands of a boy barely half my age?!¡±


    At the very same moment, Xiao Chen uttered his final word of command with hopes that he had finally checkmated his adversary. A simple word, ¡°detonate¡±, escaped his lips, before the blood that he had kept in his mouth gushed out luridly. He had purposely kept himself from vomiting more blood, fearing that the sight of blood escaping him might destroy the delicate morale of the people supporting him behind.


    As commanded, the six shining stars began to glow more brilliantly, emitting lights so strong that no one could open their eyes. The pure white light flooded across the entire battlefield, bathing everyone in complete white before the first crack of the explosions rang in their ears. The ground beneath their feet shook and fractured at the force of the six supernovas as the impact of the explosions threatened to collapse the Time-Space continuum.


    A column of smoke and detritus with the shape of a mushroom cloud rose into the air, bursting through the strata of the sky as everything in the vicinity of the explosions were reduced to dust fluttering with the scuds of wind. Even from afar, many of the contestants were thrown off their feet when the explosions occurred.


    The air around them became thick with fumes and dust, soot and vapor. Visibility was low that no one could see clearly ahead. Then a sinister voice croaked from within the midst of the dense smoke and steam, heralding Xiao Chen¡¯s deepest fear, ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ Heh heh heh heh¡­¡±


    The raucous cackled echoed through the diaphanous veils, striking fear into the hearts of those still standing. ¡°Impossible! How could he have survived such a cataclysmic disaster!? Is he a monster?!¡±


    The mists slowly thinned, revealing Wan Gufeng, who was still standing upright, bloodied and mangled. His ripped and shredded robes that hung loosely from his shoulders and his sanguine red eyes made him look like a maniacal monster on the verge of losing control. Everyone watched, terrified and panicked, and no one dared to move.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ You¡¯ll never get out of here alive! I¡¯ll soak every inch of this Forest with the blood from each and every one of you here¡­¡±


    His voice tunneled through the woods with the ominosity of tolling bells of a funeral procession that everyone could not help but tremble as panic continued its incapacitating grip upon everyone. With Wan Gufeng¡¯s prowess, there was a probability that he could end anyone¡¯s life before his or her jade note breaks.


    On the other hand, Xiao Chen was utterly spent; his face was pale as Death itself. Unable to use the magic of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames again, he waved his hand and gripped at the hilt of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade that appeared magically to him, feeling the sting of the saber¡¯s cold thirst for blood seeping into him. The blade of the saber glinted dangerously with a shade of scarlet and its cold steel ringing loudly, trumpeting its entrance into battle.


    He swiped a hand along its sharp edge, feeding the saber with his own blood and the weapon shone brilliantly with a macabre glow of red. Ghastly winds began breezing around everyone present, caressing the sweat-glistened skins of the people present so lightly that an electrifying chill zipped down their spines before they felt it hard to breathe. The demonic blade was ready for battle!


    It was a pity that the imposter who had pretended to be Xiao Chen had long fled. Otherwise, he could watch for himself the true spectacle of the actual Blood Lotus Demon Blade manifesting in all its terrible glory!


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± Wan Gufeng chortled vilely. ¡°So, boy, let¡¯s see what other tricks you have left! Riptide!¡± He yelled, swinging his arm in an arcing motion into the air. Winds began churning around him, and a blade of wind hacked down at Xiao Chen with terrifying ferocity!


    The blow threatened to split the earth even as the winds howled around the battlefield like wailing spirits. The plants and trees around him cracked at their trunks and stalks, unable to withstand the force of the luminous form of the sword of wind even before it hit the ground and fallen leaves took into the air, tossed around violently by the wild gusts of winds. The rest of the contestants remained devastated beyond any ability to neither help nor react, incapable of believing that Wan Gufeng, despite his grievous injury, could still unleash such a disastrous attack.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see it then!¡±


    Xiao Chen responded with a deafening yell and leaped into the air to meet the blow. Like a comet, he climbed into the air, leaving trails of mirage-like hue in his wake. Bold even in the face of the destructive power of the blow, he raised the Demon Blade over his head. It came down in a forceful curve with all of Xiao Chen¡¯s might, releasing a scythe-like blade of magical energy at the gigantic sword of wind.


    Everyone below could only watch in silence and braced for a thunderous boom as the blows collided. The blast caused a ripple of force that traveled far and caused several nearby hills to crumble and collapse.


    Xiao Chen fell back to the ground, panting for breath at the heavy exertion. ¡°If only I have learned the techniques of the Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash discipline,¡± he reflected in haste, otherwise, with this Demon Blade with me, I could have easily defeated this monster!


    At a distance away, Wan Gufeng¡¯s arm was quivering profusely due to the shock and pain. Xiao Chen¡¯s countermove had caused him to be wounded by the rebound of his own spell. A newly-inflicted gash had appeared on his forehead, trickling fresh with blood. ¡°This is the true Xiao Chen,¡± those who were watching thought, gasping with awe, ¡°The Xiao Chen who has the potential to defeat even a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm!¡±


    Wan Gufeng heaved a long and heavy breath. He too, beheld Xiao Chen with renewed recognition. The fireballs he used was undoubted part of a powerful sorcery, but what parried his Riptide technique was different; that was true strength. A true raw power that could defeat even his own. He began to realize that Xiao Chen could one day achieve great things. More importantly, he was different from others in the aspects of his mind and spirit. Despite possessing merely the strength of the Core Forming Realm, here he was, fearless and gallant enough to challenge a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm!


    But as his respect for Xiao Chen grew, so festered his hatred and malice for the young man. He could never allow an enemy of such limitless potential any time and opportunity to grow!


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er swiftly saw the rancor and bitterness in his eyes. They darted forward, speeding towards Wan Gufeng in two blurry masses of purple and green. In just a blink of an eye, they reached him, their weapons bared like fangs boring down on his head.


    With a cold snort, Wan Gufeng was hardly fazed by the sudden attack. With lightning-quick reflexes, he sent two bolts of magic slamming into Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s abdomens. The two girls crashed backwards, both spitting blood from their mouths.


    Despite his wounds, it was clear that Wan Gufeng still wielded powers that no ordinary conjurers of the Core Forming Realm could ever hope to defeat. Xiao Chen bolted forward and caught the two girls before they hit the ground and whispered to them, ¡°Do not attempt any direct attacks. Flank him and divert his attention.¡±


    Receiving their orders, the two girls sprang out of his arms and warped into thin air, reappearing at a flash later at both sides of Wan Gufeng. ¡°Contemptible vermins!¡± Wan Gufeng screamed and was about to send another pair of magical bolts at them, when he realized Xiao Chen was already near.


    Being fearful of Xiao Chen¡¯s might, he quickly abandoned his impulse to attack Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er and concentrated on his main adversary.


    But Xiao Chen was already at his limits; he had channeled every whit of his True Energy to protect himself against the strong winds that stung at him. The winds were resonating to Wan Gufeng¡¯s powers and were reacting as if under his commands. Even as he drew closer to his target, Xiao Chen was extremely wary of any retaliation from Wan Gufeng, but he did not stop using his Divine Sense to scour for weaknesses.


    Finally, with his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen found Wan Gufeng¡¯s jade note concealed within the folds of his robes. He got so close that he had to endure a point-blank strike from the old man and quickly swiped away the jade note with his psychokinesis magic before withdrawing away seventy or eighty feet, the jade note tightly clenched between his fingers.


    Wan Gufeng¡¯s expression turned into one of dismay and confusion as he realized what could happen. He could be instantly transported away from the Forest if Xiao Chen broke the jade note! ¡°But that¡¯s impossible! I had hidden it carefully! How could he have found it!?¡± A plea escaped his throat, ¡°Please, young one, a moment! Let us talk!¡±


    His remaining acolytes and disciples would be no match for Xiao Chen and the rest of the conjurers if he is forcibly withdrawn from the tournament. They would be mere lambs for slaughter for the next few days when the hunt for the Hearts resumed. Most importantly, his disqualifications would also spell the end of any hopes for his grandson, Wan Yanyan to enter the Violet Illusory Land.


    ¡°Please, young one. Let us negotiate. Return the jade note to me, and I¡¯ll promise no one will be hurt.¡±

 Chapter 267 - Grade 6 District

    Chapter 267 Grade 6 District¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± Xiao Chen replied bluntly, his eyes glowering coldly. He clenched his fist and snapped the jade note, crushing it into countless shards and splinters.


    Wan Gufeng immediately turned berserk, his face filled with hatred and rage, ¡°HOW DARE YOU! YOU FOOLISH PUP! I¡¯LL REMEMBER THIS! I¡¯LL HAVE YOUR SOUL REDUCED INTO BITS THAT YOU¡¯LL NEVER¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he vanished.


    Xiao Chen crumbled to the ground and fell on his back on top of the soft, fluffy grass. He heaved a long drag of breath, finally at ease. The remaining members of the Order of the Divine Fire, realizing their fate now that their leader had been conquered, quickly fled towards the southwest, looking pathetic and miserable.


    ¡°Qingluan,¡± Xiao Chen muttered softly.


    Qingluan immediately understood her master¡¯s wish. With a knowing glance at Ziyun¡¯er, the two girls immediately warped into two bolts of light, one green and the other purple, which streaked into the forest in pursuit of the four remaining members of the Order of the Divine Fire contingent. It did not take long for Xiao Chen to hear their agonizing screams and the sound of steel upon flesh and bone. The two assassins had finished their errand.


    Outside the Forest, Wan Gufeng¡¯s body materialized at the conveyance magical formation just behind the Jade Terrace Mountain. There was a crowd there, anxious to have the first look at anyone who was being disqualified, and amongst them was an old man whose face turned ugly when he saw Wan Gufeng.


    Most of the people watching Wan Gufeng were hardly surprised, as he was still under the guise of Wan Yanyan. But a cry rang suddenly, and the attention of the crowd immediately shifted back to the scoreboard. The contingent of the Order of the Divine Fire had vanished from the fourth place and was replaced by the name of the Jade Qing Sect. They had leaped six places in one go, having amassed more than two thousand and four hundred Hearts of the Illusory Moon now.


    All eyes immediately wandered to the single lone person of Wan Gufeng who immediately looked at the scoreboard with disbelief. Incensed at his efforts being thwarted, he cast a scathing look at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen.


    It would have been extremely rude and unseemly for a junior such as Wan Yanyan to look with such hate at a senior member of the magical society, even though he was actually Wan Gufeng in disguise. But no one dared to speak up against him. The mere animosity seeping from him was enough to discourage anyone away. Everyone could see that he was angry at being defeated by the Jade Qing Sect that had robbed his Order of the Divine Fire of all the Hearts of Illusory Moon.


    A peal of hushed murmurs rose with excitement from the crowds. Zi Mo was at a side, sniggering to himself at Wan Gufeng¡¯s misfortune.


    Wan Gufeng could not take anymore. He tossed his sleeves and walked away, hoping to get away from as many eyes as possible to save himself from any more embarrassment. An old man ran to him, a staff of the Daoist League, ¡°My friend! Why are you out here!? What has happened?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Xiao Chen!¡± Wan Gufeng spat venomously through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you! I¡¯ve warned you against angering him! He¡¯s nothing but bad fortune!¡± The old man exclaimed with fright.


    Wan Gufeng tossed his sleeves again, with grudge and contempt. ¡°They surrounded me! I was alone against all of them! Moreover, the boy is skilled in strange and bizarre forms of magic! Somehow he managed to steal my jade note!¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­ B-but¡­¡± The old man shook his head, sympathetic for his friend¡¯s plight, before he suddenly turned solemn and jittery, ¡°B-but, did they discover your identity?¡±


    ¡°SO WHAT IF THEY DO!¡± Wan Gufeng growled, on the verge of erupting.


    ¡°Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!¡± The old man lamented and grumbled, ¡°Oh Heavens! What am I to do! I do not want trouble, my friend! Especially if this matter reaches public eye!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. And you, disqualify him. No matter how, I want to see his name removed!¡± Wan Gufeng hissed coldly.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± The old man muttered anxiously, ¡°I cannot do that! Even the Immortals¡¯ League could do nothing to him! Moreover, the Leader of the Jade Qing Sect is the chief of the contestants from the East¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Wan Gufeng snorted, and began to leave. ¡°That is your concern. Just make sure my will is done! Otherwise¡­ You know what!¡±


    Dusk was already upon them for those still inside the Forest of Illusory Moon. Having divided some portions of the freshly-plundered Hearts to other sects, Xiao Chen and his people recuperated in a cavernous cave chamber with the School of the Savage Flames and the Faith of the Lofty Clouds.


    Finally being able to rest, they busied themselves with healing their wounds from the fight. When he was done, Qin Xinyan got up and strode over to Xiao Chen. ¡°I believe I owe you a big favor, Brother Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up and met his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he replied, ¡°But can you tell me why was the Order of the Divine Fire pursuing you?¡± It seemed that the Hearts of Illusory Moon was not the only thing Wan Gufeng wanted when they hunted for Qin Xinyan and his teammates.


    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯ve inadvertently offended them during the test of this Forest of Illusory Moon in the last tournament. The Order has been hungry for revenge ever since, especially since we all know how petty and spiteful they can be¡­¡± said a girl from the Faith of the Lofty Clouds.


    Xiao Chen merely nodded. ¡°So, I am now their latest addition to their list of enemies. But never mind, the Order is hardly the only enemy thirsty for vengeance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d expect that the hunt for the remaining Hearts in the following days to be vicious and brutal. I¡¯m thinking of returning back to the Grade 3 district. What about you, Brother Xiao? You¡¯re thinking of entering the Grade 5 or Grade 6 district?¡± Qin Xinyan asked suddenly.


    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m still thinking about it,¡± Xiao Chen replied.


    Qin Xinyan studied Xiao Chen with silence. Their levels of strength were almost on par when they were comrades in the excursion to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. But in a span of merely a few moons, Xiao Chen had reached heights that he could only hope of catching on to. He sighed grimly. ¡°So I think it¡¯s farewell then, Brother Xiao. I¡¯d hope we¡¯ll meet again,¡± he said and led his people out the cave. But after just a few steps, he stopped and paused, as if there was something he wished to say. But a beat of hesitation passed, he decided against it and continued his way out.


    Xiao Chen looked at him quietly, noticing the hesitant look on Qin Xinyan face. He seemed to have something to tell Xiao Chen, but had decided against it, especially realizing that there were many people watching them. Xiao Chen got up and whispered to him, ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡±


    Qin Xinyan peered cautiously around and led him to an isolated corner. ¡°Remember the time when we were at the Wuwang Wind Cloud City? We¡­¡± And he told him his suspicions.


    Xiao Chen listened closely. But even he could not help but feel surprised by the news, although he was able to recollect himself quickly. With feigned composure, he said at last, ¡°I see. Thank you very much, Brother Qin.¡±


    Qin Xinyan gave him a curt nod with a knowing look. ¡°Beware, Brother Xiao,¡± he muttered before he led his people away.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath as he let the news sink in, looking at the final slivers of the faraway sun in the west slowly fading away. To the West would be the Grade 5 and Grade 6 districts where Xiaoyue and the others would be waiting. It was there, where the fighting would be most ferocious and savage, especially in the next two days.


    With one night to regain their strength, the contingent of the Jade Qing Sect got up as early as they could even before the sun was up and prepared for their journey into the Grade 5 and Grade 6 districts.


    They might have more than two thousand Hearts but there was no place for complacency. Anything could happen in the next two days and the period would be critical for the dominating contingents to widen their lead from the rest trailing behind.


    It was a status quo that almost everyone who was still in the race fully understood, because the Forest trial this time was different than before; this time, the average strength of the contestants had never been so strong.


    Additionally, in the following days until the end of the trial, a stronger and more feral form of the ordinary Illusory Moon Beast, the Prime Beast of the Illusory Moon, would spawn every hour in Grand 6 district, allowing contestants to reap rich amounts of Hearts of Illusory Moon if they could slay it. The Prime Beasts were mechanics especially designed to create more opportunities and stimulate competitiveness. Teams could wrestle the lead from the current leaders in the race by slaying the Prime Beasts and harvesting the Hearts. But these Prime Beasts only spawn in Grade 6 district; districts which all teams would give anything to avoid. Only this year, everything was completely different.


    This year, more and more teams have wandered into the Grade 6 district to actively hunt for the Prime Beasts, causing the Grade 5 district to be almost devoid of any people.


    That would also include Xiao Chen and his teammates. By noon, the contingent of the Jade Qing Sect had ventured past the boundaries of the Grade 6 district, officially joining the rest in the final struggle for the win.


    Excitement and enthusiasm flared in the faces of both Zhou Li and Qingyu. They would never have dreamt that they could enter the Grade 6 district. The experience was as surreal as a dream to them.


    Shimmers of aurora rippled above their heads, backdropping the celestial bodies that all appeared simultaneously in the skies. It was a bizarre and strange sight, to be able to see both the Moon and the Sun together in the same time as the stars twinkling brightly, that everyone could have sworn that they were dreaming.


    Xiao Chen looked into the sky, mesmerized by the beauty that opened before his eyes like a huge canvas. Even after thousands of years, he could not believe that such a beautiful place still exists upon the Mortal Realm.


    But Yu Yifeng was the only one wearing a troubled frown. ¡°Maintain vigilance! Let¡¯s not be distracted by the sceneries around us. There might be dangers lurking about¡­¡±


    Qingyu¡¯s sudden yelp cut him off. Her finger was pointing at North-West as she stammered, ¡°Th-there! Th-that¡¯s, that¡¯s a very very large rabbit!¡±


    Everyone looked at the direction of her finger and saw a gigantic white rabbit with the height of an adult man. It was staring back at us curiously through its ruby-red eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Prime Beast! Quick! Before anyone else sees it!¡± Zhou Li yelled and darted forward.


    But unbeknownst to him, the Prime Beasts, unlike all other Illusory Moon Beasts which are actual creatures of the Forest of the Illusory Moon, were magical lifeforms artificially created by the alchemists of the Daoist League of the Five Continents to add more content to this trial.


    The Prime Beast was hardly unnerved by the sight of a mob rushing at it. It bared its four fangs, snarling savagely and took a swipe at an incoming Zhou Li. Two blades of magic bolts released from its paws and charged at him.


    ¡°Zhou Li, watch out!¡±


    Yu Yifeng screamed a warning and quickly recited a spell. The Startling Rainbow Sword streaked from his grasp like a ray of light and crashed with the magical bolts in a loud bang that resulted in an explosion that threw everyone off-balanced.


    Students and disciples from ordinary schools or sect would never be able to defeat the Prime Beast. It possessed the powers nearly beyond the Core Forming Realm and it took Xiao Chen and his companions almost half an hour to defeat it and receive 127 Hearts.


    Qingyu murmured with shock, ¡°Wow¡­ This big bunny has so many Hearts!¡±


    ¡°This is the reward for the challenge of defeating it. It¡¯s a design of the Elders of the Daoist League for this trial,¡± Yu Yifeng pointed out, ¡°Anyway, we have to leave now. The aura of the Prime Beast still lingers and it will attract others this way.¡±


    In the final two days of staying in the Grade 6 district, most of the teams would be choosing to settle down in a place where they could defend themselves and scour the vicinity for Prime Beasts as a more secured endgame strategy


    They continued wandering around and encountered many other conjurers from other teams on their way. These were all conjurers who had survived the early days of the fight and had made it to here, all through their abilities, endurance, and fortune. Nevertheless, they incited no hostilities, showing that everyone had come to a tacit agreement to keep the truce for as long as possible.


    Nevertheless, there were still battles waged for the Prime Beasts. Such was the delicate balance of peace that could easily be tipped at the first sign of personal gain.


    Fortunately, with Yu Yifeng leading them all, the Jade Qing Sect team managed to avoid any altercations with other teams, although the badges that denoted them as representatives of the Eastern Continent often invited hungry stares from potential enemies. It was only with Xiao Chen¡¯s display of his ferocity and his immense powers, that many were daunted from trying.


    It was few of the things he could do at least, to prevent getting into actual fights with anyone else. They needed to preserve their strength as long as they could for they knew that the fights against the Fallen Immortals Sect and the Divine Mist Sect would be inevitable.


    The sun was setting in the evening and the contingent chanced upon a suitable spot to camp. It was a cave, surrounded by lush lands rich with vast deposits of Spiritual Qi. It was the ideal spot for them to recuperate and replenish themselves, and the team would not need to worry about evil beasts and beings intruding into these hallowed grounds. ¡°This shall be the place,¡± Xiao Chen mused, ¡°the best place for us to prepare for the endgame tomorrow.¡±


    He found a spot in the cave to sit down. Finally, after a long day¡¯s trek, he could rest and meditate. But he had just closed his eyes, when they immediately blinked open, his expression hardened with suspicion.

 Chapter 268 - Abyss of the Nether Spirits

    Chapter 268 Abyss of the Nether SpiritsNoticing the sudden change in his expression, Yu Yifeng asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao?¡±


    It took some time before Xiao Chen responded. He shook his head and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± He got up and walked outside, where he spread his Divine Sense almost a mile away. Nothing strange appeared. He added a few layers of defensive formations onto the cave entrance before walking back in.


    His Divine Sense was exceptional in that it could be released and retrieved at will. This ability could no longer be found in cultivators these days. In that split second earlier, however, he noticed a wisp of Divine Sense entering the cave. Like him, someone had materialized his Divine Sense as well.


    That person retrieved his Divine Sense immediately, having noticed that Xiao Chen had discovered him.


    He had met countless capable cultivators in his year in the Violet Manor, but never someone who could materialize his Divine Sense the way he could. This put him in unease.


    Twilight gradually crept close. Suddenly, the quiet sound of a pebble tumbling down came from behind them. Xiao Chen whipped his head around, having been on high alert all along. He saw a flickering object embedded in the wall of a cliff¡ªit appeared to be a pair of eyes.


    ¡°Watch out! Something¡¯s inside in the wall of the cliff!¡±


    The words had just left his mouth when an indistinctly-shaped object charged out of the wall like a bolt of lightning, frightening everyone. With his sharp Divine Sense, Xiao Chen managed to get a clear look at the object.


    It was a leopard cat with a Lingzhi mushroom growing out of its head. He instantly recognized it to be a Spirited Lingzhi that had gained shape after cultivating for three thousand years!


    That day, Gui Xian told him that the blood of a Spirited Lingzhi was necessary for the making of the Lark¡¯s Serum, the antidote for the scars on Qingluan¡¯s face that the Thousand Spiders Poison had left.


    ¡°Crush the jade note if you need me!¡±


    Tossing a jade note over his shoulder, Xiao Chen immediately unfolded the Phoenix¡¯s Wings of Fire and chased after the Spirited Lingzhi. Seeing this, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er followed suit on their flying swords.


    The Spirited Lingzhi was alarmingly quick on its feet. It abruptly grew a pair of wings and started soaring in the air like a flying cat. Even though Xiao Chen was flying at his top speed, it was all he could do to just keep up with the Spirited Lingzhi. Behind him, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were struggling to follow him.


    On the ground, countless cultivators were fighting intense battles when they suddenly spotted a wing of raging flames flitting across the vast sky. They stopped fighting and exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°What flying monster is that?!¡±


    The group of three humans and one cat streaked the sky at a lightning-fast pace and before anyone knew it, an entire hour had passed. The sunset in the horizon was done on its last wisp of glow. The initially lovely landscape of light began to dissipate as well as boundless darkness descended upon earth. The cold darkness was pressing close.


    Forest of Illusory Moon appeared stranger still at night. Qingluan was panicking. ¡°It¡¯s almost nighttime! Give up the chase, Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen had long lost track of how much ground he had covered in his pursuit. Neither did he know where he was. However, the Spirited Lingzhi was such a rare creature that if he missed it today, he might never find it again. It was necessary for Lark¡¯s Serum!


    The Spirited Lingzhi must be panicking because of the approaching night as well. It flew aimlessly before the three of them managed to surround it and force it inside an expanse of woods.


    Here, every tree grew tall enough to reach the clouds. The curious thing was that the trees¡ªfrom the trunk, twigs, all the way to the leaves¡ªwere black. It made for a very strange sight.


    ¡°Me-meow! Who, who are you? Why do you insist on chasing after a great Immortal like me?!¡±


    The Spirited Lingzhi stood up and began speaking human language. It placed its claws in front of its abdomen as it looked at the three of them in a mixture of alarm and timidness.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart stirred. Little did he imagine that this Spirited Lingzhi had cultivated long enough to be capable of human language. It would take a Lingzhi at least three thousand years to cultivate into becoming a walking Spirited Lingzhi: one thousand years to gather spirit energy, one thousand years to generate spiritual intelligence, and one thousand years to take shape. This talking Spirited Lingzhi must have lived for at least three millenniums. It wasn¡¯t outrageous for it to call itself an Immortal Lingzhi.


    The Immortal Lingzhi could tell from their gazes that they were harboring unscrupulous intentions. In a shaking voice, it said, ¡°Y-Y-You! What are you trying to do to me?! I¡¯ll have you know that I came to the Human Realm under the Jade Emperor¡¯s personal orders¡­¡±


    Before it could finish its sentence, it found itself suspended in the air. It turned out that Ziyun¡¯er was lifting it up by grabbing onto the Lingzhi on its head.


    ¡°Wow, this kitty can fly and talk!¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi was so frightened that it began struggling against her hold. It glared at her and said indignantly, ¡°Let go! Little girl, how dare you disrespect a Great Immortal like me! Trust me when I say I¡¯ll inflict the Divine Punishment of the Ninth Heaven on you and exterminate your body and soul!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er clasped a hand over her chest, feigning fear. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m terrified!¡±


    ¡°Meow! Let go! Hurry up and let go of me!¡±


    Qingluan chimed in, ¡°This isn¡¯t a leopard cat. It¡¯s likely the Spirited Lingzhi mentioned in the legends.¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi instantly withdrew all of its limbs and pointed to her. In a trembling voice, it said, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ have you know that legends are all lies. It¡¯s a lie that you can live forever after eating a Spirited Lingzhi! I¡¯m a true immortal that had survived nine cycles of life. If you dare disrespect me¡­¡±


    Qingluan looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°This Spirited Lingzhi is so noisy. Master, do you need me to kill it?¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi was so terrified that even its hair stood on its end. Xiao Chen shook his head and approached the Lingzhi. ¡°Speak. Why did you lure us here? Where is this?¡±


    Since the moment his feet touched the ground, his heightened senses alerted him to the oddness of this place. This was no ordinary place, with its thick smell of death. This must be beyond the Grade 6 district. Perhaps they had even gone beyond the districts known to the Daoist League of the Five Continents.


    ¡°Meow! I¡¯m the one who should be asking that! Oh, and why are you badgering me?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned after hearing that the leopard cat didn¡¯t know where this was either. That meant they were in deep trouble. Suddenly, a strange howl erupted from under the ground.


    Frightened, the Immortal Lingzhi trembled all over. It threw itself on Ziyun¡¯er and buried itself deep within her chest. She yelped, ¡°Hey, d*mn cat! Where do you think you¡¯re burying yourself in?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Xiao Chen signaled them to keep quiet. ¡°Be quiet. What was that sound earlier?¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi grabbed tight onto Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arm as it cautiously scanned its surroundings. ¡°Meow! Did no one tell you not to roam around the Forest of Illusory Moon at night?¡±


    Of course, Xiao Chen knew this. Yu Yifeng had repeatedly warned them to find a cave-like area to hide before nightfall. It was impossible for them to go back now, seeing as they had trouble just determining directions. They must find a cave immediately and try again at dawn.


    Suddenly, a low and terrifying voice came from underground. ¡°The living who encroach on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind!¡±


    The voice caused their scalp to feel numb. Xiao Chen knew they were in trouble. ¡°We must leave this place immediately!¡± He was about to unfold his Phoenix¡¯s Wings when he realized that he couldn¡¯t summon the pair of wings.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were no exception as they realized that they couldn¡¯t control their flying swords. Even the Immortal Lingzhi couldn¡¯t regrow its wings.


    ¡°Me-meow! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Before its voice faded, the earth began shaking. Xiao Chen yelled, ¡°Watch that leopard cat! Let¡¯s run!¡± Using his Immortal-override Steps, he took the lead in running back in the direction they had come in.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er swiftly followed suit with their Sky Treader technique. The Immortal Lingzhi held tight onto Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arm, refusing to let go. ¡°Meow! I¡¯m not some leopard cat¡­¡±


    The mountains and ground continue to quake. No matter how far they ran, the voice from underground chased them like a shadow. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to outrun me. The living who encroach on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind¡­¡±


    One hour later, the three of them were left gasping for breath. Ziyun¡¯er yelped. ¡°Oh no! It looks like we¡¯re back at where we started!¡±


    The woods around them were filled with black trees that soared high into the sky. This was where the three of them had caught the Immortal Lingzhi earlier. Xiao Chen and Qingluan exchanged glances. ¡°This is the Abyss of the Nether Spirits!¡±

 Chapter 269 - Three Emperors Palace

    ¡°Abyss, Abyss of the Nether Spirits! Meow!¡± Immortal Lingzhi yelped in fear with his eyes closed. He was so terrified that he couldn¡¯t stop shuddering.


    Xiao Chen reached out and caught Immortal Lingzhi with his psychokinesis. ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit! You know something, don¡¯t you? Tell me how to leave this place!¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ I know nothing!¡± Immortal Lingzhi kept shaking his head out of fear.


    Suddenly, a spectral silhouette formed out of black fog attacked them at a startling speed. A frigid aura instantly shrouded the place as sinister hissing resounded endlessly.


    ¡°Scram!¡± Xiao Chen yelled.


    He slammed his palm into the silhouette, which screeched like a wailing ghost upon contact. Hearing such a noise in such a cold, sinister night made him shiver and his scalp tingle.


    ¡°Me-meow! I smell death!¡±


    Shaking out of fear, Immortal Lingzhi leaped into Xiao Chen¡¯s embrace. He exposed only his head and paws as he carefully scanned its surroundings.


    A malefic gust of wind rose as spectral silhouettes emerged from all directions. A deathly aura swiftly enveloped the area for a hundred miles, making them feel chest pains and stuffiness. Even breathing became difficult. The strange voice coming from under the ground spoke once again, ¡°The living who trespasses on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Without a second thought, Xiao Chen unsheathed his Unsullied Immortal Sword, cleaved an exit, and stormed out of the place. The body of his sword was emanating a divine white glow that prevented sinister spirits from coming close. The only problem was that the three of them couldn¡¯t leave the area no matter how much they ran.


    The deathly aura repeatedly condensed. Excessive inhalation of this aura would surely decrease a living being¡¯s lifespan. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er had turned white in the face and their midbrows were tinted black. The three of them were running for their lives when a secluded and sinister footpath appeared in front of them.


    The strange-looking footpath was radiating a moss-green glow. Its end wasn¡¯t in sight as if it led to a different dimension altogether.


    Behind them, the spirits pursued them relentlessly and the deathly aura rapidly converged. Xiao Chen knew he couldn¡¯t worry about where the path led to. ¡°Follow me!¡± he yelled as he ran inside.


    They traveled down the path for a good thirty minutes before they suddenly walked into a trap and fell. Darkness descended on them and the earth quaked. They landed somewhere unknown amid the tumbling of crushed stones.


    ¡°Is, is everyone fine?¡± Xiao Chen asked.


    He gathered his True Energy into a ball of white light and illuminated their surroundings.


    Fortunately, except for clothes ripped by thistles and thorns, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were both fine. The Immortal Lingzhi¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Me-meow! What bloody place are we in now?¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately narrowed his eyes and found a secluded, unassuming tunnel. He could faintly sense divine aura coming from the other end of the tunnel. The deathly aura from outside couldn¡¯t reach them here.


    ¡°Hey, Leopard Cat Spirit! Do you know where we are?¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi coughed and landed on the ground. He crossed his paws in front of his chest and raised his head, looking as smug as a child that had won an award. ¡°Youngster, I don¡¯t mind helping you if you¡¯ll respectfully seek my help. Besides, I¡¯m not a Leopard Cat Spirit. I have a name. I¡¯m called¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the tiniest bit of movement came from the end of the tunnel. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned solemn. He immediately gestured them to keep quiet and said, ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t speak.¡±


    ¡°Kid! Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s very rude to interrupt someone?!¡± the Immortal Lingzhi jumped in annoyance.


    The movement disappeared. Xiao Chen looked at the Immortal Lingzhi. ¡°Fine, you can continue.¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi coughed. ¡°I¡¯m called¡­¡±


    Out of the blue, a strange noise drifted from the end of the tunnel. The Immortal Lingzhi lost his temper. ¡°Who is it? What an annoyance!¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Right then, a wizened coughing sound came from the end of the path. The Immortal Lingzhi was so frightened that all the hair on his body stood on their end. It leaped back onto Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and peered into the tunnel but detected no apparent danger. He turned to look at the Immortal Lingzhi on his shoulder and sneered. ¡°People say leopard cats are brave but how is the slightest breeze scaring a Leopard Cat Spirit like you out of your mind?¡±


    The Immortal Lingzhi retorted furiously, ¡°I said I¡¯m not a Leopard Cat Spirit! Listen well! I¡¯m called Zhiluan! Zhiluan, alright?!¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him. He looked at the tunnel again and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± He then entered the path.


    Zhiluan¡¯s voice trembled out of fear. ¡°Ki-kid, what are you doing? Don¡¯t be stupid! There¡¯s definitely a scary monster inside! It¡¯ll be as scary as that Phantom King outside!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Phantom King?¡± Sure enough, this Leopard Cat Spirit knew something about this place.


    In a trembling voice, Zhiluan said, ¡°Phantom King is the scariest existence in the Forest of Illusory Moon. I don¡¯t know how long has he been around; he¡¯s already here the moment I gained sentience. Moreover, he has been trying to eat me all this while.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. No wonder this Immortal Lingzhi was such a coward. It was all thanks to the Phantom King. Seeing his mocking expression, Zhiluan said indignantly, ¡°Kid, what expression is that? This great one will have you know that the Phantom King will also eat you up if he sees you!¡±


    Suddenly, a trembling voice came from the end of the tunnel. ¡°This little leopard cat is right. That¡¯s the Phantom King outside¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression solemnified and said in the direction of the voice, ¡°Forgive my disturbance, Esteemed Senior.¡±


    The voice didn¡¯t reply. Xiao Chen entered the tunnel and found a grand palace awaiting him on the other end. There were memorial tablets of deities of the Heaven Realm from the previous Mythology Era all over the place, such as Fuxi, Nvwa, and Farmer God.


    Xiao Chen was certain that the voice earlier came from this place. Sure enough, he soon found a weak remnant of Soul Power under a small shrine.


    ¡°Young ones, you shouldn¡¯t have trespassed on the Forbidden Land¡­¡± a wizened voice suddenly came from under the shrine.


    Zhiluan jumped in fright. ¡°I, the, the great one, am here! What devil or demon are you to, to haunt us?!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, little leopard cat. Did the Phantom King try and eat you again?¡±


    Zhiluan stared wide-eyed at the shrine. It took a long time before he finally said, ¡°Who, who are you? Tell me your name now! The great one can consider, consider sparing your life!¡±


    ¡°Hehe. More than a thousand years ago, hadn¡¯t I rescued you when you were nearly eaten by the Phantom King?¡± Finally, a semi-illusory human figure emerged from under the shrine. With his snow-white hair and beard, the figure looked like he had witnessed all the vicissitudes of life.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    Zhiluan leaped onto Xiao Chen¡¯s body. He pointed to the figure and said, ¡°You! You vile b*stard! I just happened to pass by your battle with the Phantom King, but you used me as your shield and caused my magic power cultivation to reach a bottleneck! You b*stard, you dare say you saved me? Compensate me at once and I¡¯ll forget your crime! Otherwise, the fury of the great one will rain down on you like a lightning strike from the Ninth Heaven¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Had I not caught you, the Phantom King would¡¯ve eaten you.¡±


    ¡°You! How dare you twist the truth! You obviously captured me to use as your shield¡­¡±


    Zhiluan had more to say but Xiao Chen swiftly kicked him aside and saluted the semi-illusory figure. ¡°Thank you for saving us earlier, Esteemed Senior. May I know who is this Phantom King that you speak of?¡±


    ¡°The Phantom King is born out of the Impure Qi of the Six Realms. He has such incredible magic power that I could only seal him under the Nether Spirit Pool at the expense of all my magic power and great injury to my Vital Soul¡¯s Power. The seal is getting weaker. The Phantom King will be able to regain his freedom if he swallows the souls of thousands of living creatures¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. This meant that the Phantom King was unrivaled. Didn¡¯t those old fogies from the Daoist League of the Five Continents know about this terrifying existence in the Forest of Illusory Moon? To think they even made the cultivators train and undergo a qualification match in such a dangerous place.


    But what he was most curious about now wasn¡¯t the Phantom King but the strange palace in this place. There were even memorial tablets consecrating the Three Emperors too. What cultivator would worship a deity from the previous Mythology Era? This was surely unordinary. The mystery was thickening. He asked, ¡°Esteemed Senior, why is there a palace here? Does it have something to do with the Three Emperors?¡±


    The figure replied, ¡°Correct. This is called the Three Emperors Palace, built to guard an ancient scroll. More than a thousand years ago, the Phantom King attacked this palace in hopes of engulfing my soul. We fought outside for three whole days. I ultimately used my Vital Soul¡¯s Power and sealed him. But when I came back, I found the ancient scroll stolen¡­¡±


    Turbulent emotions surged inside Xiao Chen. That ancient scroll again! Moreover, the scroll also mentioned the Three Emperors. He asked, ¡°Do you know who stole the ancient scroll?¡±


    The figure said, ¡°The thief has exceptional cultivation beyond my power to defeat. I fear that he¡¯s from the Heaven Realm.¡±


    Someone from the Heaven Realm!


    Xiao Chen was startled. As far as he could remember, the only person descended to the Human World was Qianyu Nishang. Did she steal the ancient scroll? But why? Just what was hidden inside the scroll?


    The scroll was now halved. The Xianyong Sect had found one-half in the hand of an Immortal King¡¯s skeleton bearing his Master¡¯s aura. It was apparent that the ancient scroll was intricately linked to his Master. But what was the truth?


    Suddenly, he felt a little weak and helpless. Every time he thought he had found traces of his Master, the clues would abruptly end. Then, out of the blue, a new clue would catch him unaware. It was as if there was a strange power at work, slowly ushering him toward an unknown finishing line.

 Chapter 270 - Mysteries That Couldnt Be Unraveled

    ¡°Esteemed Senior, what¡¯s inside the ancient scroll? Who entrusted you to protect it?¡± Xiao Chen finally came up with these questions after sorting out his thoughts to the best of his ability.


    The figure finally moved as he heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. Generation after generation has come and go. To be honest, I can¡¯t remember why I have to protect the ancient scroll anymore¡­¡±


    This made Xiao Chen feel an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. It had an impossible task trying to learn what had happened thousands of years ago. Judging from the one-half of the scroll that the Xianyong Sect possessed, the scroll seemed to contain vague details about the fall of the Immortals and Devils. There was even a mention of the Three Emperors Grand Formation, whom Xian¡¯er was a Formation Spirit of. These mysteries were becoming increasingly impossible to unravel.


    He was also certain that the scroll wasn¡¯t limited to its writing. There was likely a space within the scroll that hid an earth-shattering secret.


    There was no clue whatsoever about the location of the other half of the scroll. If it was true that Qianyu Nishang stole the scroll, the other half was likely in the hands of the Thousand Feathers Sect. But would she leave such an important artifact with her sect?


    It was all a riddle!


    He felt very helpless in his pursuit of the truth of what happened all those years ago. Why did Qianyu Nishang leave the Mystic Cyan Sect and establish her sect? Where was his Master now? Where should he even begin searching for her in this wide world?


    Perhaps deep inside, he knew he would find her one day. Only, he didn¡¯t know if he would be able to accept the unpredictable outcome.


    The figure guffawed. ¡°Young man, you seem to have many secrets as well.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re not secrets. They¡¯re questions that I don¡¯t have an answer for.¡±


    Zhiluan had been watching them talk in silence. He suddenly said to the figure, ¡°This conversation has gone on long enough. Don¡¯t you intend to compensate me after putting me in so much hardship back then? Thanks to you, I can¡¯t even outrun or win this brat. God, I¡¯m livid¡­¡±


    The figure smiled. ¡°Hehe, alright then. My friend, I did use you to block that Phantom King¡¯s attack back then. But if I hadn¡¯t captured you, you would¡¯ve been eaten by him¡­¡±


    ¡°Meow! You! I was just a passerby! Passerby! You used me as a shield!¡± Zhiluan¡¯s temper exploded after hearing what the figure said.


    ¡°Hehe. There¡¯s nothing we can do about that now. Otherwise¡­¡±


    The figure sounded as if the vicissitudes of life had washed him anew. He pointed to the shrine he had emerged from. ¡°There¡¯s a magic tool down there that can improve your magic power. Consider that my compensation.¡±


    Zhiluan placed both paws in front of his chest and moved his head sideways. He said unforgivingly, ¡°What? No way! Don¡¯t try and fool me with some shabby object! What magic treasures haven¡¯t I seen when I was at the Heavenly Court? Humph!¡± Zhiluan lifted his paws to his chest and moved his head sideways.


    ¡°Hehe. Up to you.¡±


    ¡°You vile person!¡± Zhiluan gnashed his teeth. Moments later, he moved around the place but dared not to approach the shrine out of fear of a trap. He pointed his paw at Xiao Chen. ¡°You! Get the magic tool for me!¡±


    Xiao Chen was so distracted by his own worries that he couldn¡¯t be bothered with Zhiluan. He turned to look at Ziyun¡¯er and pointed to the shrine. ¡°Girl, can you help him¡­¡±


    Without waiting for him to finish, Ziyun¡¯er walked to his side and sat down.


    Zhiluan stomped his feet in anger. He looked at Qingluan and was about to raise his paws when she glared at him. His neck shrank in fear.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re all despicable! Wait till my magic power returns! I swear I¡¯ll strike you with lightning from the Ninth Heaven!¡± he yelled as he carefully approached the bottom of the shrine and felt around its interior. Jingling noises resounded when he touched an unknown object, scaring him so much that he somersaulted backward.


    Ziyun¡¯er burst into laughter. ¡°This little cowardly cat! Even the sound of bells scares you.¡±


    Zhiluan seethed. ¡°You¡­ Despicable!¡± He walked toward the shrine again after drumming up his courage. He reached in with his paw and pulled the object out. It was a necklace with a purplish-golden bell.


    Ziyun¡¯er couldn¡¯t help laughing heartily this time. ¡°Necklace with a bell! It really suits a kitty cat!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been easy for Zhiluan to summon the courage, but what he got in return was something a house cat would wear. He felt cheated. He felt as if his frail little heart had suffered grievous harm.


    He threw the necklace with a bell on the ground in a fit of anger and pointed to the figure as he seethed. ¡°You! How dare you make a fool out of me! I, the great one¡­ the great one¡­¡± Towards the end of his sentence, he sounded as if he was about to break into angry tears.


    The figure guffawed. ¡°My friend, this is no ordinary bell. It¡¯s the Taoist Goddess of Mercy¡¯s Purple-Golden Colored Glass Bell that can ward off evil spirits. Devils and demons alike will withdraw once the bell rings. Forget it if you don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er patted the dust off her hands and got up from the ground. ¡°Never mind. If the kitty cat doesn¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Zhiluan dashed toward the purplish-golden bell and protected it in his embrace. ¡°This is his compensation! Why would I give it to you?¡±


    He then walked to one side and mumbled to himself, ¡°Wait till my magic power returns. I promise I won¡¯t let you off¡­¡± He placed the necklace around his neck and examined how he looked. To his dismay, he really looked like a house cat.


    Xiao Chen continued to be assailed by worries. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been by the time the first ray of sunlight filtered in. The figure suddenly said, ¡°You can leave now that it¡¯s bright out. The Phantom King won¡¯t dare to come out anymore.¡±


    Xiao Chen rose to his feet and looked outside. He could only put aside his search for his Master aside for now. The passing of the night ushered in the final training day. He wondered how Brother Yifeng and the rest were faring. He said, ¡°Thank you, Esteemed Senior. Farewell.¡±


    The figure said, ¡°Very well. Young man, go back and tell your companions to stay away from this area. Please also keep this place a secret. The reason I told you so much is that I¡¯m bored¡­¡± He muttered to himself, ¡°I think I remembered a little¡­ of why I must protect the ancient scroll. It seems that many years ago, a fairy had entrusted me with the task¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Which fairy entrusted you with the task?!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s expression immediately changed. He was about to leave when he heard what the figure said. The figure chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t remember very well. It could be a faulty memory too¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiao Chen frowned. Forget it. This man¡¯s words were confusing and might not completely trustworthy. He swiftly saluted the figure and led Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er out of the tunnel. Zhiluan trailed after them. When they reached the spot where they had fallen in from yesterday, Xiao Chen thought that it wasn¡¯t easy to find a sentient Immortal Lingzhi. This little thing would surely escape once they left this place.


    The sharp-minded Zhiluan took several steps in retreat after detecting his malicious glint. His voice trembled. ¡°What do you want now? I have a magic treasure protecting me now. I¡¯m not scared of you anymore¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen reached out and summoned him with his psychokinesis. ¡°Look. If not for me, the Phantom King would¡¯ve already eaten you yesterday. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have entered this area if you didn¡¯t chase me! You¡¯re as despicable as that ghost earlier. He obviously used me as a shield but claimed that he saved me¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t need your life, just a bit of your blood.¡± Xiao Chen took out a small jade bottle.


    Zhiluan hesitated for a long time before saying in an incredibly reluctant voice, ¡°Let me get this clear! Just a bit of blood and nothing more!¡± he muttered inaudibly to himself while mercilessly bit down on his paw. It hurt so much that he grimaced. He filled the bottle with a drop of his blood. ¡°There. Just a bit of blood.¡±


    ¡°The heck! Is that a bit or a drop of blood? ¡°Put more in.¡±


    ¡°Put more in? You think this is saliva?¡± Zhiluan complained in anger. He added two more drops into the bottle. ¡°There! Three drops of blood. This should be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°D*mn it! Do you have to be so miserly?¡±


    Xiao Chen grabbed Zhiluan¡¯s paw and didn¡¯t let go until he squeezed enough blood to fill half the bottle.


    ¡°Thief! Mountain bandit! Fiend!¡± Zhiluan cursed him out as he ran away while looking at his paw with great heartache.


    Ziyun¡¯er burst into laughter. ¡°Stop bullying him, Master. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The three of them immediately climbed to the surface. When they turned around to look, the secluded path and palace had vanished, leaving behind an endless dark wood. Even though it was daylight, it was still eerie.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± Zhiluan unfolded his wings and flew away. The distant sound of his voice drifted to their ears. ¡°Once my magic power recovers, I promise I¡¯ll strike you with lightning from the Ninth Heaven¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him. His brows were tightly furrowed as he could sense that the jade note he left with the team was crushed. However, there seemed to be restrictions placed on this area as he couldn¡¯t accurately detect the location of the jade note. If he roamed around, he might accidentally trespass into an even stranger place.


    While he was hesitating, he heard a distant voice. ¡°Meow¡­¡± He saw Zhiluan flying back to them. Ziyun¡¯er laughed. ¡°Great Immortal Zhiluan, hadn¡¯t you left already? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t bear to leave us behind.¡±


    Zhiluan was panting so hard that he couldn¡¯t speak coherently. Xiao Chen looked in the direction Zhiluan had flown back in and saw four to five massive bats flying toward them. Each bat had the head of a demon and looked rather nightmarish.


    He whipped out the Unsullied Sword. The sword transformed into several blades of light and charged at the bats. Following some jeering noises, the sword hacked the massive bats to death. He then looked at the terrified Zhiluan. ¡°It¡¯s safe now. You should stop flying around, where there are all the monsters and cultivators roaming around. If they see you, only two outcomes await you: you¡¯ll either be eaten or turned into a pill ingredient.¡±


    Zhiluan was still shaken. Even though he found Xiao Chen despicable, at least the latter didn¡¯t intend on turning him into a pill ingredient. Maybe he wasn¡¯t that bad after all. Zhiluan thought he would be safer with Xiao Chen for now. The rest could wait until they left this area.


    Suddenly, the strange voice from yesterday once again emerged from under the ground. ¡°The living who trespass on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind¡­¡±


    ¡°D*mn, he¡¯s so persistent! Isn¡¯t he supposed to stay put during the day?!¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately unleashed his Phoenix¡¯s Wings while Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er followed suit on their flying swords. The three of them flew toward the distant horizon together.


    The deathly aura around them began to dissipate when they had flown some several hundred miles away. Zhiluan was still terrified. ¡°Meow! Now that the Phantom King is about to break his seal, I can¡¯t stay in this haunted forest anymore. I¡¯ll have to find a new place to cultivate.¡±


    After leaving the Abyss of the Nether Spirits, Xiao Chen tried to pinpoint the location of the jade note. An hour later, it brought them to a small cave but it wasn¡¯t the cave with abundant spirit energy from yesterday.


    He found Yu Yifeng and the rest there. All of them looked dejected and injured. Yu Yifeng immediately went up to Xiao Chen when he saw him. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, where did you go last night?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at everyone with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s wrong? What happened to all of you?¡±


    ¡°All of our Hearts of Illusory Moon have been stolen¡­¡± Qingyu replied in a soft voice.

 Chapter 271 - The Gathering of the Powerful

    Chapter 271 The Gathering of the Powerful¡°What?!¡±


    Xiao Chen punched the wall of the cave, causing the entire cave to shake and the dust inside to fall. His fist was so tightly clenched that his bones were creaking in protest. He asked coldly, ¡°Which sect did this?¡±


    ¡°Fallen Immortals Sect,¡± Yu Yifeng replied, frowning.


    ¡°Fallen Immortals Sect¡­¡± A sinister smile crossed Xiao Chen¡¯s face. He looked at everyone. ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    Li Muxue shook her head. ¡°We managed to escape in time thanks to Senior Brother Yifeng¡¯s Teleportation Formation.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. The Fallen Immortals Sect must have occupied the paradise-like land they were in yesterday as well. He said solemnly, ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s seek our revenge!¡±


    Yu Yifeng stopped him. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°The Fallen Immortals Sect is too powerful. We¡¯ve been waiting for you to see if we can find some Hearts of Illusory Moon nearby on the last day.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. Could he tolerate the repeated provocations from the Fallen Immortals Sect? No!


    Mu Shaoai stood up. ¡°They¡¯re strong but they¡¯ve made many enemies. I think they¡¯d be too busy fending for themselves now.¡±


    Zhiluan, who sat on a stone, said serenely, ¡°This great one agrees. Let¡¯s rob and massacre them!¡± Either way, this didn¡¯t concern him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, is the thing you chased after last night? A sentient thousand-year-old Immortal Lingzhi?¡± Yu Yifeng asked, looking at Zhiluan.


    Zhiluan cast him a sidelong glance. ¡°What thing? I have a name! I¡¯m called Zhiluan!¡±


    Mu Shaoai narrowed his eyes. ¡°Nice. I can take this back as a pill-refining gift for my Master.¡±


    Zhiluan shuddered in fear and hastily hid behind Xiao Chen. He pointed to Mu Shaoai and said, ¡°I, I¡¯ll have you know that I came to the Human World on the Jade Emperor¡¯s direct orders¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t dally. Let¡¯s leave now.¡±


    They were quite a distance away from the cave yesterday and it took them two hours to reach their destination. When they arrived, two injured-looking people were sitting inside the cave.


    One of them was the Eighth of the ten members of the Fallen Immortals Sect, Eight Scarcities Ghost. The other was the Ninth, Nine-patterned Dragon. The latter said, ¡°Do you think that kid will come after we raided his sect yesterday? One-dot Red and the rest aren¡¯t around.¡±


    Eight Scarcities Ghost replied, ¡°What are you scared of? I¡¯ll kill him if I see him. Consider it as payback for last time.¡±


    Nine-patterned Dragon said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He has multiple Spiritual Meridians like us. Moreover, he¡¯s the last survivor of that sect¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, someone suddenly flew into the cave while coughing up blood. It was the Second Brother, Double-tailed Crane. Eight Scarcities Ghost was alarmed. ¡°Second Brother! What happened?!¡±


    Nine-patterned Dragon rose to his feet and shouted at the cave entrance. ¡°Who?!¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡±


    Just as an ice-cold voice resounded in their ears, Xiao Chen appeared at the cave entrance. A powerful force slammed into Nine-patterned Dragon before he could even whip out his weapon and sent him flying into the wall of the cave. He couldn¡¯t help coughing up blood.


    Eight Scarcities Ghost knew they were in trouble. He desperately recited a spell and eight mass of dark fog instantly winded around Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves nonchalantly and performed the Dragon-controlling Mystic Skill¡ªa personal invention that combined the manipulative ability of his psychokinesis and the strength of his Dragon Roar Palm. Immediately, a golden illusory dragon more than tens of feet long charged at Eight Scarcities Ghost and slammed him onto the wall of the cave.


    Double-tailed Crane and the other two lost their ability to fight back.


    Outside the cave, Zhiluan watched everything unfold with gleaming eyes. ¡°This kid is pretty capable! Looks like I found someone strong to latch onto this time.¡±


    Xiao Chen stomped his foot as he radiated a sharp murderous aura. Double-tailed Crane said through gritted teeth, ¡°Kid, have you gotten sick of living?!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the ones who want an early death!¡± Xiao Chen made another palm attack and sent him flying once again. Double-tailed Crane crashed onto the wall while coughing up blood. The entire cave nearly collapsed.


    On the outside, rocks and pebbles kept rolling down to the ground. Zhiluan clasped his paws over his eyes. ¡°How violent!¡±


    Suddenly, a purple light flashed and Double-tailed Crane found one of his ears cut off. His screeches pierced the air as Ziyun¡¯er appeared at the cave entrance. Zhiluan pressed his paws harder on his eyes. ¡°How bloody!¡±


    ¡°Second Brother!¡± Eight Scarcities Ghost and Nine-patterned Dragon yelled in unison. They whipped their heads around to glare at Xiao Chen and his team. ¡°You¡­ You!¡±


    Xiao Chen took a heavy step forward and filled the entire cave with a thick murderous aura. He pointed to them and said solemnly, ¡°Hand over the Hearts of Illusory Moon!¡±


    Eight Scarcities Ghost clenched his teeth and tossed his Illusory Moon Pouch to Xiao Chen. Nine-patterned Dragon and Double-tailed Crane also followed suit.


    Xiao Chen caught the pouches and examined them with his Divine Sense. There were more than two thousand Hearts of Illusory Moon inside. He said solemnly, ¡°I warn you not to provoke me anymore. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re the Fallen Immortals Sect or the Gate of Fallen Immortals. I¡¯ll send you all to the Hell¡¯s gates otherwise!¡±


    He flicked his sleeves and walked out of the cave, where he handed Yu Yifeng the pouches.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t stay here. The rest will return at any time,¡± Mu Shaoai said.


    Even though they were on their last day, there was still time before the deadline. If their jade notes were crushed and they were teleported outside the forest, they would still be eliminated. The team immediately departed. When they walked about twenty miles away, a monster that resembled a wild boar appeared. It looked vicious with its sharp tusks. It stared fixedly at Zhiluan as it growled.


    Zhiluan jumped in fright. He pointed to the monster. ¡°Hurry up, kid! Hurry up and help me chase it away!¡± His fear of the monster was apparent.


    Xiao Chen cut the monster with two blades made of Qi in silence and created bloodshed following two swooshing sounds. Zhiluan laughed heartily as he ran over to the corpse. He was no longer afraid when he spotted several similar monsters around. He placed his paws on his waist and guffawed. ¡°That¡¯s for bullying me in the past! Kid, hurry up and kill all of them for me!¡±


    With strange-sounding screeches, the wild boars lifted their hooves and swiftly escaped. Zhiluan was left laughing like a madman. Suddenly, a purple light flew toward him, scaring him so much that his neck shrank. The purple light brushed past his head, nearly slashing the Lingzhi plant growing on top.


    ¡°Meow! Who? Who dares to ambush the great one?¡±


    The purple light wasn¡¯t aimed at him, but Xiao Chen who stood behind him. Xiao Chen immediately raised his sword to block the attack. His limbs instantly felt heavy and both his arms were numb. He tumbled backward before regaining firm footing.


    ¡°Do you think you can just run after injuring my men?¡±


    Just as a frigid voice resounded, a person materialized in front of them. The man had a red dot between his eyebrows. It was the First Brother of the ten members of the Fallen Immortals Sect, One-dot Red.


    Having experienced this man¡¯s strength yesterday, Yu Yifeng and the rest cautiously raised their swords. Xiao Chen said coldly, ¡°You came right on time!¡±


    His Unsullied Sword sprang forth, turned into a blade of white light, and flew toward One-dot Red. One-dot Red pressed his fingertips together and followed suit with a blade of purple light transformed from his Purple Ying Sword. With loud clanging noise, the swords interweaved in midair while basked in a blinding halo. Both refused to give in.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er exchanged glances before jumping into action and attacking One-dot Red from both sides. One-dot Red scoffed and freed one hand to nonchalantly cast a seal. Instantly, two golden rays of light materialized and slammed into the girls. Following loud collision sounds, they were both sent flying while spitting out blood.


    ¡°Stay put if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± One-dot Red said coldly. It was evident from his words that he thought Xiao Chen was the only worthy opponent here.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Zhiluan unfolded his wings and hid behind Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue as Sword Qi dashed back and forth inside the forest. Right then, six human silhouettes appeared out of the blue. They were the six other members of the Fallen Immortals Sect.


    Traceless for Ten Miles¡¯ gaze landed on Yu Yifeng after a quick scan of his surroundings. His sect members also moved to crowd Xiao Chen¡¯s team, who instantly knew they were in trouble. While they weren¡¯t weak, the truly capable fighter among them was Yu Yifeng alone.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed as he dealt with One-dot Red¡¯s persistent attacks. His opponent kept him busy, preventing him from helping his friends. Suddenly, a piercing cold slowly crept into the forest until it enveloped the entire area.


    No one noticed when a young woman in red appeared on top of a large tree hundreds of feet away. Her hair was decorated with a red-colored accessory and a red flower imprint sat between her eyebrows. Her clothes billowed in the wind. Her face was as cold as ice as if she was trying to freeze the air around her.


    One-dot Red narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, ¡°Heartless Fairy, you¡¯re an ally of our Fallen Immortals Sect. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to cause trouble for us.¡±


    Hearing the familiar name prompted Xiao Chen to sweep the area behind him with his Divine Sense. He found a young woman with her clothes fluttering in the air atop a tree. Who could it be if not Huangfu Xin¡¯er?


    ¡°You can try,¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er said. Her lips barely moved but her ice-cold voice still reached their ears.


    Sneering, One-dot Red took a heavy step backward. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, please show yourself too, Fairy Xiaoyue.¡±


    A human silhouette moved, materializing into a young woman in cyan bearing a horsetail whisk sword. She stood hundreds of feet away with her clothing fluttering in the wind. Compared to Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s coldness, she appeared tranquil and otherworldly. She was none other than Xiaoyue of Thousand Feathers Sect.


    Xiaoyue smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show yourself as well, Brother Zuoqiu?¡±


    The moment she spoke, a bellow erupted in the distance. ¡°Where is Xiao Chen?!¡± Then, a man emanating a suffocating murderous aura flew and landed in front of them.


    He was, naturally, Zuoqiu Yang. When he saw Xiao Chen, he thrust an earth-shattering palm at him without another word. Xiao Chen immediately raised his palm to block the attack. The sound of the collision pierced the air. Xiao Chen tumbled backward as he felt half of his body go numb. Their combined forces turned the plants around them into a puff of fine powder.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. Zuoqiu Yang had become many times stronger than when he was in Canglan City.

 Chapter 272 - Sudden Unnatural Phenomena

    Bulging blue veins appeared on Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s forehead. His eyes were bloodshot, though no one knew if it was because of Xiao Chen or because he was practicing some demonic arts. He bellowed, ¡°Xiao Chen! Prepare to die today!¡± He abruptly attacked Xiao Chen.


    When Xiao Chen felt a strong gale slamming into him, he immediately lifted his palm to block the attack. The collision of forces resounded and he found himself staggering backward. To his surprise, he felt as if he wasn¡¯t a match for Zuoqiu Yang.


    Suddenly, he noticed a cold, murderous aura piercing his back. The aura originated from Huangfu Xin¡¯er!


    A pained screech shattered the air as a red orb of light descended. Traceless for Ten Miles, who was trying to ambush Xiao Chen, had his chest ripped open in five places. Blood gushed out of his wounds.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er appeared beside Xiao Chen, with her maroon-colored nails increasing to a length of three inches. Her five fingers were soaked with blood.


    Traceless for Ten Miles, as befitting of his name, was as swift as lightning. He could come and go as he pleased without notice. Were it not for Huangfu Xin¡¯er, he would have succeeded in ambushing Xiao Chen earlier.


    Shaken, Xiao Chen looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and whispered, ¡°Xin¡¯er, you¡­¡± He was confused as to when she began practicing such a demonic set of martial arts.


    She remained expressionless. Her red clothing billowed with air as she charged at One-dot Red. Zuoqiu Yang scoffed and attacked Xiao Chen once again.


    Taking advantage of Traceless for Ten Miles¡¯ injuries, Mu Shaoai dashed toward him and stabbed him in the chest. With a lightning-fast trick of the hand, he grabbed the Illusory Moon Pouch from the former¡¯s waist.


    Yu Yifeng and the rest started a chaotic fight with the other members of the Fallen Immortals Sect. Suddenly, a pained scream rang out from the distance. Then came a loud cry. ¡°Senior Brother Zuoqiu! Thousand Feathers Sect stole my Hearts of Illusory Moon!¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s gaze turned cold. He turned to look at Xiaoyue. ¡°Xiaoyue, you shameless b*tch!¡± His voice hadn¡¯t faded when Xiao Chen abruptly struck him in the back with Cyan Dragon Roars.


    Amid the chaotic battle, a burst of applause erupted from the southeast direction. Then came a clear and bright voice of a man. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. So this is where everyone is.¡±


    The speaker was an elegant-looking young master holding a folding fan. Beside him was a teenage girl in red. They were Su Zimu and Su Wan of the Su family.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of the exceptional Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust of the Thousand Feathers Sect. This untalented one wishes to challenge Fairy Xiaoyue to a fight,¡± Su Zimu said.


    When he snapped his folding fan shut, three of him immediately materialized and attacked Xiaoyue. It turned out that he was using doppelganger arts.


    Xiaoyue remained calm in the face of three enemies that were nearly impossible to be distinguished as the real thing. She unleashed the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust and human silhouettes immediately filled the space around her. It was similarly difficult to distinguish which was real and which wasn¡¯t.


    Xiao Chen was fighting Zuoqiu Yang, Huangfu Xin¡¯er had her hands full with One-dot Red, while Su Zimu was challenging Xiaoyue. Their respective battles took the six of them out of the forest and then into the air. No one noticed that fifteen minutes had passed. The commotion drew the attention of many cultivators from other sects. All of them gasped as they watched the fierce battles between the six unfold in the sky.


    ¡°Meow! Since when did so many people show up?¡± Zhiluan yelped in surprise when he saw the sudden appearance of so many unfamiliar faces.


    His yelp drew the attention of quite a few cultivators, who looked at him in confusion. He was a strange cat that could not only fly but also speak human language. There was even a Lingzhi plant growing from the top of his head. What was he?


    Detecting their attention on him, Zhiluan cried, ¡°Oh no!¡± He unfolded his wings and flew away. Many cultivators unsheathed their flying swords and chased after him.


    ¡°Catch him! He¡¯s definitely a treasure! We can turn him into a pill ingredient!¡±


    Zhiluan was scared out of his wits. While flying haphazardly in the sky, he loudly cried, ¡°How dare you! This great one is sent here on the Jade Emperor¡¯s¡­¡± He then changed his tune and pointed at Xiao Chen. ¡°That kid is my Elder Brother! He¡¯ll kill you if you dare hurt me!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and catch him!¡± Unconcerned with the possible consequences, everyone charged toward him in like a swarm of bees. A frightened Zhiluan yelped and immediately dashed out of the way, causing the cultivators to collide with one another.


    ¡°Why did you hit me?¡±


    ¡°Why did you get in my way?¡±


    ¡°You Divine Illumination Sect folks are looking for trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we, the Nine Empyreans Sect, are afraid of you?¡±


    The mid-air collision soon erupted into a battle. Zhiluan continued to weave in and out of the crowd, knocking in one cultivator and then another. Finally, he flew toward Xiao Chen¡¯s direction. ¡°Kid, quickly save me!¡±


    Xiao Chen, who had his plate full dealing with Zuoqiu Yang, didn¡¯t have the luxury of saving Zhiluan. Zhiluan yelled, ¡°Kid, quickly save me! I¡¯ll give you another half bottle of blood!¡±


    Zhiluan hovering above Xiao Chen¡¯s head had drawn the wrath of other cultivators¡¯ Sword Qi on the latter. Xiao Chen pressed his forefinger and middle finger together and shot a blade of white light that enveloped Zhiluan. Swiftly later, he disappeared.


    It was a simple Teleportation Formation. Xiao Chen had teleported Zhiluan to an underbrush more than one hundred feet away from the battleground. Zhiluan remained very still on the ground, not daring to move anymore.


    Another fifteen minutes came and went. The battle turned even more chaotic. Suddenly, a howl erupted from the distant mountains and the ground began shaking with such great force that it felt like the world was collapsing.


    A strange aura soon enveloped the entire place. Besides Xiao Chen and the other five, the other cultivators had stopped fighting. They carefully scanned their surroundings with their guard raised.


    Meanwhile, the last day of the qualifying match had drawn everyone to gather at the rear of the Jade Terrace Mountain and watch the light screen. Some nodded repeatedly, while even more looked on in bewilderment.


    The Jade Qing Sect was currently in the lead with more than four thousand Hearts of Illusory Moon. No one could have anticipated that the sect that was forever at the bottom of the ranks would make such an unexceptional rise to the top.


    With a smile on his face, Zi Mo nodded repeatedly while smoothing out his beard. Beside him, Murong Xian¡¯er was frowning. Her palms were wet with sweat.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, please be alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl. That kid has an Undead Body. It won¡¯t be easy for him to die,¡± Zi Mo told her, comforting her in a backward way.


    In second place was Heartless Palace with only more than a hundred Hearts less than the Jade Qing Sect. In third place was the Fallen Immortals Sect, who was previously in the lead with more than seven thousand Hearts. No one could have imagined they would make such a sudden drop to the third place. They must have had a lot of their Hearts stolen by the Jade Qing Sect. Many turned to look at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen.


    In fourth and fifth places were the Thousand Feathers Sect and Su family respectively. Both were in a very tight race as they tried to one-up each other. It was obvious just how intense the battle was inside the forest. In six place was the sect that self-proclaimed itself to be the strongest, the Divine Mist Sect. Perfected Immortal Feng Lan¡¯s face had long turned green with fury.


    In seventh place was White Mist Academy from the West Continent. The continent was so far away that the academy came into contact with very few people. However, they were fairly strong. It was even said that some of their disciples were capable of eye-opening magic skills.


    The eighth, ninth, and tenth places were still changing. Suddenly, a disciple ran up to the Elders of the league and said, ¡°Elders, an unnatural phenomenon is taking in place in the Forest of Illusory Moon. The formation is shaking. The Elders in charge of the teleportation suggested that we immediately stop the training and get everyone out of the forest as soon as possible.¡±


    The Elders frowned and exchanged glances. One of them said, ¡°Oh well, there are only four hours left anyway. We¡¯ll listen to the Elders in charge of the teleportation.¡±


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Perfected Immortal Feng Lan cried, rising to his feet.


    The Elders looked at him at the same time. One of them asked, ¡°What suggestion do you offer, Elder of the Middle Continent?¡±


    Feng Lan replied, ¡°Everyone knows the last four hours are the most crucial hours with great changes in the ranking. How can we stop it now?¡±


    The nearby Zi Mo suddenly smiled and chimed in, ¡°No matter how great the changes will be, your Divine Mist Sect still stands no chance of topping the ranking. Your sect is short a whopping two thousand Hearts. It seems that someone¡¯s legend of being an undefeated champion will end today!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Feng Lan¡¯s face immediately turned red with anger. Right at this moment, another disciple hastily ran up and said, ¡°Elders, the formation is shaking too much! The Elders in charge of the teleportation said that we must stop the training at once! We can¡¯t afford any more delays!¡±


    The Elders knew that the circumstances were turning grave. One of them said, ¡°Very well. Tell them to inform the cultivators inside to crush their jade notes and leave immediately!¡±


    Inside the Forest of Illusory Moon, the ground continued to quake. The clear sky had turned dark. Strange phenomena occurred in every corner as the earth began to cave in. The cultivators turned pale. Out of the blue, a bright voice emerged in the air. ¡°The training ends here! Competitors, please break your jade note immediately or we¡¯ll forcefully expel you from the arena! Competitors, please break your jade note immediately or we¡¯ll forcefully expel you from the arena¡­¡±


    This was exactly what the cultivators were waiting for. They swiftly crushed their jade notes and teleported themselves out of the forest.


    Xiao Chen and the rest continued to fight as none were willing to give in. Yu Yifeng panicked and yelled, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, hurry up and crush your jade note! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Thanks to Zuoqiu Yang, Xiao Chen was currently seeing red. It didn¡¯t matter to him that the mountains were collapsing or the ground was caving in. He said solemnly, ¡°Go on without me! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡±


    Blue veins were popping prominently on Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s face as he said viciously, ¡°It¡¯s either your death or mine today!¡± He then waved at the distance. ¡°Disciples of the Divine Mist Sect, listen up! Retreat at once!¡±


    Yu Yifeng looked behind his shoulder. ¡°Junior Brother Shaoai, take the others and leave! Junior Sister Li, Junior Sister Luo, go and leave!¡±


    Mu Shaoai and the team swiftly crushed their jade notes but Luo Shangyan, Li Muxue, and the others remained in place. Xiao Chen reached out to crush their jade notes with psychokinesis.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately stepped forward. ¡°Leave!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed and crushed their jade notes as well. ¡°Brother Yifeng, you too!¡± He then crushed Yu Yifeng¡¯s jade note as well.


    Su Zimu looked at Su Wan, who was on the ground. ¡°You should leave too.¡± He also crushed her jade note using the same trick as Xiao Chen.


    The voice continued to echo in the sky. ¡°Competitors, please break your jade note immediately or we¡¯ll¡­¡± Then, the voice was suddenly cut off.

 Chapter 273 - Thousand Summits Mountain

    Jade Terrace Mountain plunged into chaos. Countless cultivators were teleported out of it, with One-dot Red, Su Zimu, and Zuoqiu Yang being the last ones to leave. Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s chest was ripped open in five places and the wounds were oozing blood.


    The Elders in charge of the teleportation were spitting blood on the ground. A disciple hastily ran up to the Elders of the league and said, ¡°Elders, strange phenomena is taking place in the Forest of Illusory Moon. The Teleportation Formation that you left behind has collapsed. The four Elders in charge of the teleportation are seriously hurt!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± The Elders of the league were shocked.


    ¡°Elders¡­¡±


    A disciple holding a geomantic compass in hand rushed up to them. ¡°Grade 3, Grade 6, and Grade 7 districts have vanished from the map!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± One of the Elders turned pale with fright. Another immediately said, ¡°Tell the others to do a roll call at once and also investigate the disappearance of the three districts!¡±


    No matter how long Murong Xian¡¯er stared at the collapsed entrance of the Teleportation Formation, Xiao Chen was still nowhere to be seen. Her face was wet with tears. ¡°Brother¡­ Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    Zi Mo was also beginning to worry but told her, ¡°Stay calm. The kid will be fine.¡± He then walked up to Yu Yifeng and the rest and hit the latter hard on the head. ¡°You¡¯re the leader! Where¡¯s your teammate? Why are you the only ones who came out?!¡± he chided.


    Yu Yifeng didn¡¯t dare to raise his head. He said in a low voice, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao crushed our jade notes and stayed to fight Zuoqiu Yang¡­¡±


    The roll call was completed two hours later. Only three cultivators were still in the forest: Xiao Chen of the Jade Qing Sect, Huangfu Xin¡¯er of Heartless Palace, and Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect. The reason for the vanishing of the three districts was a spatial collapse.


    ¡°Spa-spatial collapse¡­¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er fainted.


    An Elder went up to the platform and raised his hand, indicating everyone to be silent. He said loudly, ¡°Stay calm, everyone. The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly will be postponed to the three months later. We¡¯ll commence the search and rescue operation now¡­¡±


    The Daoist League of the Five Continents must provide a satisfactory explanation for the mishaps occurring in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly or they won¡¯t be able to quell everyone¡¯s dissatisfaction. More importantly, Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er were rising stars among the youngsters while Xiaoyue was the heir of the Thousand Feathers Sect, an Ancient Immortal Clan. It would be disastrous if any of them got into trouble in the league.


    Below the platform, the sound of discussion ripped through the crowd. ¡°Nothing has ever happened in the Forest of Illusory Moon for thousands of years. Why now?¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­ because of that place¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spatial collapse, you know! Not even cultivators in the Apotheosis Realm might be able to withstand it. I think there is a good chance that those three are already dead.¡±


    In the crowd, an elderly man dressed in red couldn¡¯t keep his sneer off his face. It was the Wan Gufeng of the Order of the Divine Fire. He muttered to himself, ¡°This is fate. Fate, indeed!¡±


    In the next three days, the Daoist League of the Five Continents put together a team of nearly two hundred professionals to search the Forest of Illusory Moon. The team included six cultivators in the Nirvana Realm and twenty or so cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm. The Immortals¡¯ League also sent more than a hundred envoys to help.


    A month came and went. Tianyuan City was now covered in snow. Many children built snowmen and lit firecrackers in front of their houses. The search and rescue operation had gone on for just as long in vain.


    Li Muxue stood in front of the window, staring at the fluttering snowflakes in the air. In her hand was the jade note that Xiao Chen had given her back then.


    Murong Xian¡¯er was over at Zi Mo¡¯s place, crying that she wanted to go and find Brother Xiao Chen.


    The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had joined the search and rescue operation as well.


    The Ling family had also hired more than ten people to enter the Forest of Illusory Moon. Of course, they were there to search for Xiao Chen, except they wouldn¡¯t report anything if they found him. If Xiao Chen wasn¡¯t dead, they would kill him and quietly move his body back.


    Meanwhile, Qing Chen, Zi Mo, Fengxi, and Perfected Immortal Tai Yi were seated inside a small pavilion. In the middle of the pavilion was a silver-haired handsome man carrying a cyan sword case on his back. The case was decorated with the print of a cosmological scheme diagram and the words ¡°Kunlun¡± in mystic script underneath.


    The man was Tianyi Zi, the Sword Immortal of Kunlun. Though he looked young, he was actually more than six hundred years old. His seniority was the highest in the room.


    The Kunlun Sect was also one of the Ancient Immortal Clans. Unlike the Thousand Feathers Sect, the members of Kunlun Sect essentially never roam around the world. Thus, many younger disciples of the Cultivation Realm had nearly forgotten about their existence.


    ¡°Tianyi Zi, what do you think the outcome of the spatial collapse will be?¡± Fengxi asked, frowning.


    Tianyi Zi¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed. ¡°The spatial collapse will result in the disorientation of time and space. Those caught in it might be transported to another time. They could very likely be sent to the past or the future.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned. ¡°Can you please elaborate, Perfected Immortal Tianyi Zi?¡±


    Tianyi Zi replied, ¡°If a person is sent to the past, he¡¯ll vanish from his original timeline forever. There might also be two of the same person existing at the same time in the past. If a person is sent to the future, every one of us here will forget about him and will only meet him in the future.¡±


    Everyone frowned. Seeing as they could still remember Xiao Chen and the rest, it meant that they weren¡¯t sent to the future. Tianyi Zi continued, ¡°There¡¯s another possibility other than the disorientation of time. If a person has a magic treasure or some other trick up his sleeve, he might be transported to another location during the spatial collapse. This is the best-case scenario.¡±


    Of course, that scenario was everyone¡¯s ideal scenario. Another seven days passed. Tianyuan City remained shrouded in fluttering snow. Seven hundred miles to the west of the city was the Forest of Illusory Moon.


    The forest also covered a continuous snow mountain range, where the icecaps remained all year round. It was called the Thousand Summits Mountain for its numerous peaks and endless mountains that spanned across several large and small states.


    Many smaller sects established themselves under the Thousand Summits Mountain. They remained obscure, unlike large sects that everyone knew of, like the Xianyong Sect, Jade Qing Sect, and Divine Mist Sect. Wang Luo was a Foundation Building Realm disciple of one of these small sects.


    This was his tenth day on the Thousand Summits Mountain. Standing amidst the snowstorm, he was like a lost traveler. The rain of snow swiftly covered the trail of footprints he left behind.


    However, there was a joyous and hopeful smile on his face. He clutched the brocaded pouch on his waist and muttered to himself, ¡°With this Snow Demon Internal Elixir, I¡¯ll definitely be able to enter the Lv 7 of the Foundation Building Realm. Junior Sister won¡¯t look down on me anymore. Hehe¡­¡±


    The Internal Elixir was something he fought with his life for when he encountered a Snow Demon two days ago. He looked at the endless summits. ¡°I¡¯m bringing back a snow lotus herb for Junior Sister. If she¡¯s happy enough, she might just agree to marry me. I¡¯ll bring up the marriage with Master when I get back. Hehe¡­¡±


    Wang Luo hailed from an impoverished family. His parents were killed by a village tyrant who colluded with the authorities. Fortunately for him, the Leader of the Ziyang Sect brought him back to the sect. Still, his talent was just average and he dithered in the mid-stage of the Foundation Building Realm for the past ten more years.


    Even so, he dreamed of marrying the Sect Leader¡¯s daughter, Zi Sha. Little did he imagine that she wouldn¡¯t even give him the time of the day. She had sent him on an errand to find the snow lotus herb as an excuse to send him away. To be frank, she would rather he died on the mountain lest he should bring her any more trouble in the future.


    Wang Luo reached the summit of the mountain after four hours. He nearly slipped and fell off the precipice several times but he ultimately managed to grab the snow lotus herb that was swaying gently in the cold wind.


    ¡°Hehe, Junior Sister Zi Sha. Wait for me. I¡¯m coming back¡­¡±


    On his way down the mountain, he was filled with delusions about the future. Suddenly, a peal of mocking laughter rang out behind him. ¡°Junior Brother Wang.¡±


    Wang Luo¡¯s expression turned solemn and he immediately spun around. He raised his guard the moment he saw the man in white in front of him. ¡°Mo Hengyu! Why are you following me?¡±


    The handsome man was his Eldest Senior Brother who had entered the peak of the Foundation Building Realm. No one in the sect dared to defy him. Mo Hengyu chuckled and said, ¡°Give me the demon¡¯s pill and snow lotus herb.¡±


    Wang Luo tightened his grip over his bosom. ¡°I nearly lost my life for this! Why should I give it to you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your Eldest Senior Brother!¡± Mo Hengyu narrowed his eyes and walked over to him.


    Wang Luo immediately retreated. Under the weight of the peak of the Foundation Building Realm aura, even breathing felt stunted. He said in a trembling voice, ¡°What, what are you trying to do? I¡¯ll give it to you, alright?!¡± He then tossed Mo Hengyu the case holding the snow lotus herb and the pouch.


    Mo Hengyu chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to hear. But you must keep this to yourself. In particular, you mustn¡¯t let Junior Sister Zi Sha and Master find out.¡±


    His Eldest Senior Brother was so much stronger than him that Wang Luo had no choice but to endure this injustice. He swore that he would one day trample Mo Hengyu under his feet. He said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this a secret¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he felt a chill in the pit of his stomach. Blood began pouring out of his wound. ¡°Mo Hengyu, you¡­¡±


    Mo Hengyu retrieved his sword and flashed him a cold smile. ¡°Only the dead won¡¯t talk. I can¡¯t believe rubbish like you think you can marry my Junior Sister Zi Sha. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll find your body in a few days¡­¡±


    Wang Luo crashed to the ground. He stared as Mo Hengyu left, his eyes filled with resentment. His blood had dyed the snow around him red. The moment before death approached, he was still muttering his Junior Sister¡¯s name.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the summit, a pale-looking youngster collapsed amid the snow. The snow and wind had nearly concealed him in white. Next to him was a leopard cat with a Lingzhi plant growing out of its head.


    Suddenly, the youngster sat up and yelled, ¡°Xin¡¯er! Xin¡¯er!¡±


    The youngster was Xiao Chen. His yelling woke Zhiluan up. ¡°Meow! Did this great one die?¡±

 Chapter 274 - Assassins

    Chapter 274 AssassinsStartled, Xiao Chen looked at him. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    ¡°Meow! I¡¯ll still live long and well after you die!¡± Zhiluan was hopping mad.


    Xiao Chen shook his head with great force, trying to recall what happened that day. One-dot Red and Su Zimu still crushed their jade notes in the end, but Zuoqiu Yang refused to let him go and used a terrifyingly powerful move to strike him. Huangfu Xin¡¯er unexpectedly ran over and took the hit for him. Then, the skies and ground collapsed and he lost his consciousness.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er! Xin¡¯er!¡±


    He abruptly rose to his feet and used all of his strength to yell for Huangfu Xin¡¯er. However, he couldn¡¯t even see the shadow of a person in all these snow.


    ¡°Meow! Don¡¯t yell, kid! You¡¯ll cause an avalanche!¡± Zhiluan was so frightened that he wanted to take flight but tried as he might, he couldn¡¯t unfold his wings.


    ¡°Avalanche¡­¡± Xiao Chen sat on the ground helplessly. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the forest had experienced a spatial collapse that day. Were it not for Evernight and Su Xiaomei working together to protect him then, he would be dead now.


    But Xin¡¯er was a mere mortal. How could she endure the lacerating force of the spatial collapse? A searing pain stabbed his heart as he recalled memories of Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Regardless of all their misunderstandings, their times in the Skygale Sect of the Skygale Sect were sincere.


    He collapsed on the ground with his head facing the skies and allowed the snow-laden wind to hit him on the face. He muttered, ¡°She could¡¯ve left. She could¡¯ve left¡­¡±


    A long while later, he suddenly stood up. ¡°I must find her! I must! Even if I die, I must find her!¡±


    Behind him, Zhiluan was so cold that he was shivering. ¡°Where will you find her in this cold, snowy land? I¡¯m freezing. Let¡¯s quickly find a way to leave this place.¡±


    Xiao Chen scanned his surroundings and found nothing but boundless snow mountains in sight. Just as he was about to unfold Phoenix¡¯s Wings, he noticed he couldn¡¯t use vital force at all. He couldn¡¯t even lift his flying sword. Even though Evernight and Su Xiaomei had protected him, his True Energy had been greatly depleted that day. Right now, he was no different than a regular Foundation Building Realm cultivator.


    He probed the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant and the Frigid Jade Pendant with his Divine Sense but received no reply. Evernight and Su Xiaomei must have sunken into a deep sleep after exhausting their Soul Power.


    ¡°Hey, Leopard Cat Spirit! You can fly, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! If I can fly, do you think I wouldn¡¯t be flying?¡± Zhiluan then muttered to himself, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll stick around with a burden like you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at him in anger. He pointed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m a burden? Who¡¯s the one who hovered my head, asking to be rescued? Who¡¯s the one who came to me when the skies and ground were collapsing?¡±


    Zhiluan¡¯s face reddened and he coughed once. ¡°This great one won¡¯t debate you on this for now.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°Tsk. This young master doesn¡¯t have time to entertain you.¡± He then walked over to one side, all while yelling, ¡°Xin¡¯er! Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Zhiluan was so terrified that all the hair on his body was standing on their end. ¡°Meow! You¡¯ll really cause an avalanche at this rate!¡±


    Just like that, the human and the cat walked through the snow for a good four hours. No matter how they tried, they still couldn¡¯t find a way out of the snowy mountains. Xiao Chen continued to yell for Huangfu Xin¡¯er along the way. Zhiluan had long turned pale from fright.


    ¡°Meow! Consider this as me begging you! If you keep yelling, you¡¯ll attract monsters even if not an avalanche!¡±


    Xiao Chen spun around to glance at him. ¡°What are you scared of? Aren¡¯t you a thousand-year-old monster?¡±


    Zhiluan was so angry that he jumped. ¡°Get this straight! This great one is a Lingzhi Immortal¡­ Achoo!¡± He sneezed and a string of snot hung from his nostrils. The snot swiftly froze into an icicle that he couldn¡¯t shake off.


    ¡°Disgusting.¡± Seeing that he was going to remove the frozen snow with his paw, Xiao Chen took out the Fire-heart Jade that Huangfu Xin¡¯er once gave him. He couldn¡¯t help feeling upset looking at the jade in his hand. Then, he tossed it to Zhiluan. ¡°Here, wear this if you¡¯re cold.¡±


    Without a word of protest, Zhiluan wore the jade around his neck and finally felt much warmer. He was thinking about what to say when Xiao Chen suddenly indicated for him to be quiet.


    Zhiluan shivered in fright and immediately hid behind one of Xiao Chen¡¯s legs.


    Even though Xiao Chen had lost most of his powers, his Divine Sense remained sharp and not even the tiniest sounds would escape his attention. He heard the sound of several people¡¯s footsteps coming in their direction.


    He immediately grabbed Zhiluan and ran using his Immortal-override Steps, leaving no footsteps in the snow. They hid behind a huge pile of snow in the distance. He knew that the Daoist League of the Five Continents would surely send a search-and-rescue team seeing as some time had passed, but these people were full of murderous aura. They looked more like assassins who traded lives for money all year round.


    Their footsteps were getting closer to the point that he could hear their quiet conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the sound came from this direction. The kid¡¯s a crafty one. Search carefully.¡±


    ¡°I see footprints but they stopped here. He must have noticed us! He must be nearby! Search!¡±


    Xiao Chen had his back firm against the pile of snow and stopped breathing. Those men were in the beginner stage of the Core Forming Realm. He could easily kill them at his prime but he mustn¡¯t let them discover him now.


    Their aura was sometimes close and sometimes far as they searched every pile of snow. Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was close to leaping to his throat. When the sound of their footsteps gradually faded, he finally sighed in relief. To his surprise, Zhiluan suddenly opened his mouth wide to sneeze.


    Frightened out of his wits, he immediately reached out and pressed Zhiluan¡¯s face onto the snow. Unable to breathe, Zhiluan began flailing and kicking snow everywhere. A muffled yelp escaped his throat.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Xiao Chen was alarmed.


    Sure enough, a sharp Sword Qi instantly struck in their direction and snow scattered in the air. The snow pile had its top cleaved in half. Fortunately, he lowered his head in time or he would be headless by now.


    Since they had been found out, there was no point in hiding anymore. Holding Zhiluan, Xiao Chen immediately made a run for it using his Immortal-override Steps. Unexpectedly, the men were even faster and stopped them before long.


    There were four in total. Dressed in dark clothes meant for traveling at night, they were particularly conspicuous in the snow. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±


    The leader stared at him for the longest time before turning to his partner and saying, ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it. It¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Did you come to kill me?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze was cold and severe. He summoned a blade of Qi in his hand as he spoke. Beside him, Zhiluan was shivering in fright. ¡°I don¡¯t know this kid, I really don¡¯t. You can just ignore me¡­¡±


    One of them sneered. ¡°Xiao Chen, we¡¯ve heard of your name. But your powers are gone now. Now that someone has paid a handsome sum for your life, you only have your bad luck to blame!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly stretched his hand and took out a Tier Six Spirit Stone. ¡°You¡¯re just doing this for money, aren¡¯t you? If you kill the one who wants my life, I¡¯ll give you a million Spirit Stones! I¡¯ll add on a thousand-year-old sentient Lingzhi!¡±


    Zhiluan was hopping mad. ¡°You disloyal bastard!¡±


    The leader guffawed. ¡°It¡¯s a good deal. I¡¯ll accept your Spirit Stones and Lingzhi! But I¡¯ll be taking your life as well!¡± He charged at Xiao Chen with his palm, sending snow flying everywhere.


    Xiao Chen raised his palm to block the attack and felt his entire body go numb. He staggered backward, covering a distance of more than ten feet, before finally regaining firm footing. Simultaneously, he waved his palm and sent countless blades of Qi flying at the assassins. One of them raised his sword to block the attacks. Clanging sounds reverberated in the air as he, too, was sent backward by several steps. He said solemnly, ¡°Careful. He¡¯s still left with thirty percent of his powers.¡±


    The blades of Qi had taken all of his strength and were capable of heavily injuring any Foundation Building Realm cultivator. However, they did no damage to a Core Forming Realm cultivator. Considering this, Xiao Chen ushered Qi into his feet and ran away using Immortal-override Steps. Zhiluan yelped and followed after him.


    ¡°Get him!¡± the leader yelled.


    He turned his flying sword into a blade of light that aimed for Xiao Chen¡¯s back. Unable to evade the lightning-fast attack, Xiao Chen felt the sword pierce through his chest with a jeering sound. Blood sprayed from his mouth, leaving dots of red like plum blossoms on the snow-covered ground.


    The remaining three assassins also caught up to him. Xiao Chen spun around and smiled wryly at them. He immediately circulated Qi all over his body and used his Dragon Roar Palm. The palm attack sent tremors through the skies and the strength struck the ground with full force. In an instant, ice and snow went flying and rumbling sounds reverberated without an end.


    ¡°Hehe. If you bastards want my life, I¡¯ll bury you with me in the snow!¡±


    His voice was still reverberating when the ground suddenly quaked. The snowcaps high above loudly cascaded down like the wild waves of a surging sea that couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± The four assassins turned pale at the same time. Even though they could fly on their swords on flat land, they couldn¡¯t do the same when vital force was so sparse at such a high altitude and they couldn¡¯t summon the strength.


    The power of heaven and earth must not be underestimated. Even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would hardly survive being submerged in the snow of hundreds and thousands of years old. Zhiluan jumped in fright. ¡°We¡¯re done for! We¡¯re going to die! This great one is dead this time! Meow! I¡¯m going all out!¡±


    He bit down hard on his front paw and used his blood to dot between his eyebrows. Immediately, a dazzling red light emanated and a pair of snow-white wings emerged on his back.


    Just as the snow was about to crash down on them, he speedily grabbed Xiao Chen¡¯s collar and flew away as a lightning-fast light. The snow instantly cascaded down behind them. The vital force around them shook violently, causing him to rock uncertainty in the air. If they were even one step late, they would be unable to escape being submerged in snow.

 Chapter 275 - Wang Luo of the Ziyang Sect

    Chapter 275 Wang Luo of the Ziyang SectOne peak after another trailed the Thousand Summits Mountain, with each looking boundlessly vast. Zhiluan flew disorientedly in the air while carrying Xiao Chen, not knowing where he was going. In the end, he landed in front of a mountain cave while panting.


    ¡°Damn it! I wasted nearly ten percent of my Life Span! Kid, you¡¯re such a harbinger of misfortune! I¡¯ve been having nothing but bad luck after meeting you.¡±


    Once his breathing evened out, he looked at the pale-looking Xiao Chen and said proudly, ¡°Oh, alright. We¡¯re even now. From now on, we¡¯ll go our separate ways!¡±


    Like a child, he stood with a paw behind his back and another paw stretched out. ¡°See you! Scratch that. Let¡¯s never see each other again!¡±


    He was about to leave when Xiao Chen suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious. Zhiluan turned around and said, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t try and buy my sympathy by faking unconsciousness. I¡¯ll have you know that¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know how long he spent in the snowstorm. When he woke up again, he surmised that an entire night must have passed. The wound on his chest had begun healing. He looked at Zhiluan beside him and asked, a bit out of breath, ¡°Weren¡¯t you leaving?¡±


    Zhiluan raised his head. ¡°Hmph! Of course, I left! But I didn¡¯t know where I was going so I came back!¡±


    Xiao Chen spotted the white-colored snow fruits lying beside him. ¡°Did you pluck all these?¡±


    Zhiluan crossed his paws in front of his chest and raised his head to say, ¡°I found them on the way!¡±


    Xiao Chen said no more and sat cross-legged. What he needed now was to reinstate his powers as soon as possible. He might not be as lucky if he runs into assassins again.


    He also had a good guess as to who sent those assassins yesterday. It was either the Ling or Zuoqiu family, both with deep grudges against him.


    His complexion greatly improved after half a day and his powers had restored to the level of peak of the Foundation Building Realm. He peered out of the cave and saw that the snowing had ceased as well. However, he was still frowning with worry.


    Did Xin¡¯er manage to survive the calamity that day? Where was she now? He looked at Zhiluan beside him and asked, ¡°Can you still fly?¡±


    Zhiluan retreated at once. ¡°What are you up to? I only managed to fly yesterday after using ten percent of my Life Span. I haven¡¯t even recovered from that.¡±


    Xiao Chen stood up and looked out of the cave. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If we stay here any longer, assassins might ambush us again.¡±


    Zhiluan produced a rag out of nowhere and wrapped the snow fruits on the ground in it. He tied the baggage around his neck, so it sat on his back.


    Just like that, the human and the cat came to depend on each other for survival. They continued treading through the snow for two whole days, where they evaded another group of assassins. However, the snowy mountain seemed endless. No matter how they walked, they still couldn¡¯t reach the end of their journey.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore. I¡¯m going to die of exhaustion¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around to look at him. ¡°Oh please. You¡¯ve been riding on my shoulder all along, alright?¡±


    ¡°Stinky brat! Can¡¯t you let me whine a bit?¡± Zhiluan was hopping mad. He jumped off Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    They continued walking for another mile or so with Zhiluan walking behind Xiao Chen. Suddenly, Zhiluan yelped, ¡°Meow! Meow!¡±


    Xiao Chen spun around impatiently. ¡°Great Immortal, what do you want now?¡±


    Zhiluan, shuddering with fear, pointed to a snow-covered tunnel. ¡°There¡¯s! There¡¯s a dead body!¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be scared of the living, but you¡¯re also scared of the dead. Just what on earth are you not afraid of?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! This dead man bears strong grievances! He¡¯s emanating Malicious Grudge! I can tell with just one glance!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. The so-called Malicious Grudge was the deep-seated grudge of a dead person, who emanated the grudge at the cost of never being able to reincarnate. If such Malicious Grudge were left to fester over time, it would gather the Negative Qi of the world, Tainted Qi, and Malevolent Qi, turn into an evil monster, and seek out its enemy for revenge.


    He walked over to the dead body for a look and saw that the body was nearly submerged in snow, leaving only half the head visible. Judging from the body¡¯s expression, it was obvious that the person had died with great grievances.


    He sighed. ¡°Since you¡¯re already dead, your soul should enter the Six Paths of Samsara. Why emit Malicious Grudge and harm yourself and others?¡± He then cast a seal with his fingers and quietly recited the Mystic Cyan Exorcising Incantation. A golden light entered the dead man¡¯s midbrows and dispersed the lingering Malicious Grudge on him.


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and swept away the snow covering the dead body. Considering his attire, the man must be a disciple of a sect. He couldn¡¯t have died for more than a few days. Xiao Chen then noticed a jade pendant tied to his waist. The pendant was carved with the words ¡°Wang Luo¡±.


    ¡°How did it go? Did you notice anything?¡± Zhiluan asked while hiding behind him.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. This dead man must be a disciple of one of the sects under the mountain and was familiar with his way around the mountain. He pressed his fingertips and formed a tiny dot of white light. He plunged the light into the man¡¯s midbrows. He was using the secret technique of the Mystic Cyan Sect, seance.


    Moments later, he gained some fragmented memories: Ziyang Sect, Master Zi Yang, and Junior Zi Sha, Mo Hengyu¡­ and what happened that day.


    He heaved a quiet sigh. He never expected a woman to be behind the feud between two disciples of the same sect.


    While he was sighing, a bright idea came to him, and he promptly retrieved his makeover tools from his Divine Vessel. His current face-morphing skill was as good as flawless. Moments later, he had turned himself into Wang Luo.


    ¡°This man¡¯s sect mates would surely come and find him in a few days. We can just leave with them then. Moreover, we can also avoid the assassins.¡±


    Zhiluan frowned. ¡°Sounds like a far-fetched plan¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen kicked him aside. ¡°Don¡¯t fuss around. Oh, and don¡¯t talk too much when we get off the mountain if you don¡¯t want to be turned into a pill ingredient.¡± He took Wang Luo¡¯s jade pendant and then summoned the snow to cover the corpse.


    His priority now was getting into contact with the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Only then would he know if Huangfu Xin¡¯er was fine.


    Two hours later, the human and the cat walked to another expanse of snowy land. Suddenly, they heard shouting from a distance. ¡°Junior Brother Wang Luo! Junior Brother Wang Luo¡­¡±


    ¡°Meow! Don¡¯t these people have common sense? You¡¯ll cause an avalanche if you keep shouting!¡±


    Xiao Chen signaled for him to be quiet and used his True Energy to amplify his voice. ¡°Senior Brothers, I¡¯m here!¡±


    A team of four had come for him, three male and one female disciples in total. Xiao Chen knew their names from Wang Luo¡¯s memories. Their cultivation was fairly ordinary and low, in the beginning to middle stages of the Foundation Building Realm.


    Li Heng said worriedly, ¡°We finally found you, Junior Brother Wang Luo! Master is going berserk at home. Remember not to tell him that it was Junior Sister Zi Sha who told you to pluck the snow lotus herb on the Thousand Summits Mountain when we get back. Or else Master won¡¯t let her off easy.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    The others were perplexed at his reaction after hearing Junior Sister Zi Sha¡¯s name. Why wasn¡¯t he reacting as he usually would? He ought to be worrying about her and asking if she was alright.


    Li Heng noticed Zhiluan beside Xiao Chen¡¯s feet and asked in bewilderment, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just a Leopard Cat Spirit that I met on the mountain. Let¡¯s go down the mountain.¡±


    On their way down, Xiao Chen asked, ¡°Oh, right. Do you know the way to Tianyuan City?¡±


    ¡°Tianyuan City? What¡¯s Tianyuan City?¡±


    ¡°Then do you know the Daoist League of Five Continents?¡±


    ¡°Daoist League of Five Continents? What¡¯s that? I¡¯ve never heard of it. Master is well-experienced and knowledgeable. Maybe he¡¯d know something.¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled and said no more. Just where exactly was he sent to? Was he currently far away from the Middle Continent?


    When they were near the foot of the mountain, Li Heng said, ¡°I wonder if the lady has woken up.¡±


    ¡°Which lady?¡± Xiao Chen asked.


    Zhao Yuling said, ¡°While searching for you yesterday, we found an unconscious and severely injured lady in the snow¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen interrupted her in a panic. ¡°What does she look like? What is she wearing?¡±


    Zhao Yuling frowned. Why was he so agitated when hearing about another lady? Sure enough, all men in the world fancied the new and despised the old.


    Li Heng smiled. ¡°Ah, that lady is really as pretty as a fairy. She has a red flower mark between her eyebrows and a red flower hairpin on her hair. She¡¯s also wearing red clothes¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was pleasantly surprised. That ought to be Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He asked, ¡°How are her injuries? Is it serious?¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°She¡¯s heavily injured. Her five viscera and six bowels are all shattered. Our sect mates have already carried her back to the sect¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Xiao Chen felt the world around him spin and his feet staggered. Even her five viscera and six bowels were shattered¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Brother Wang Luo?¡± Li Heng immediately supported him by the arm.


    Xiao Chen shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s hurry up and return.¡±

 Chapter 276 - Ziyang Sect

    Chapter 276 Ziyang SectThe sun was setting by the time they arrived at the foot of the mountain. Since they were unable to travel by flying swords and the Ziyang Sect was another half-day of journey away, they had no choice but to spend the night in a small town. They would continue by horse carriage at daybreak tomorrow.


    Xiao Chen understood that worrying was pointless at this moment. Huangfu Xin¡¯er would be safe for the time being now that she was at the Ziyang Sect. He spent the night taking in and expelling Qi, restoring his cultivation to the Lv 3 of Core Forming Realm.


    When the first ray of light descended, Li Heng found them two horse-drawn carriages and the group hastened to the gate of the sect. Xiao Chen learned a thing or two about his circumstances along the journey.


    This place was hundreds of thousands of miles away from the Middle Continent. Due to the separation that the Thousand Summits Mountain presented, the people here rarely interacted with outsiders and the place was subsequently less developed. Even with the advent of the Annihilation Times, most cultivators were still in the Qi Refining Realm and Foundation Building Realm. Being a Core Forming Realm here would be enough to qualify one as an expert. A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was like a mythical existence.


    Ziyang Sect was located in a small town called the Spirits and Immortals Town and held quite a great reputation among locals. The commoners here tend to regard the sect¡¯s disciples as Immortals.


    The horse carriages finally arrived at the gate of the sect at noon. Xiao Chen climbed off the carriage impatiently. The buildings here weren¡¯t grandiose. Moreover, they were rather simple and plain. They resembled the ones in the sect that he was in when he first entered the Violet Manor, the Teal Jade Sect.


    When he climbed up a set of bluestone stairs, he suddenly felt as if he had returned to the Teal Jade Sect and a wave of heart-rendering nostalgia swept him.


    Two disciples had already gone ahead of time to report their return to the sect. The Sect Leader, Zi Yang, was waiting in the public square. When he saw his disciple, Wang Luo, returning safely after going missing for half a month, he walked up to him with quick steps. ¡°Luo¡¯er, are you alright?¡±


    Xiao Chen raised his head and saw an amicable-looking middle-aged man. It reminded him of the time he had spent in Teal Jade Sect, where he had met Liu Fenghuang¡¯s father, Liu Yunzheng. His sect wasn¡¯t large and his cultivation was average, but he treated every disciple like his child.


    Melancholy silently pierced his heart. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I apologize for worrying you, Master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Zi Yang was delighted. With his Lv 5 Core Forming Realm cultivation, he naturally wasn¡¯t able to tell that he was talking to a fake and that his real disciple had died tragically three days ago.


    Right then, an eighteen-year-old young lady in purple walked over to them and said, ¡°There, he¡¯s back. Ask him if I told him to find the snow lotus herb in the Thousand Summits Mountain!¡± She then gave Xiao Chen a quick glare.


    Zi Yang turned around and flicked his sleeve. ¡°How dare you bring this up on your own!¡±


    Xiao Chen knew from Wang Luo¡¯s memories that this young lady was called Zi Sha. She was the lady that Wang Luo longed for when he was alive and the lady that he died for. Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t imagined that she would be such a hard-hearted person.


    He smiled. ¡°Master, please don¡¯t blame Junior Sister. It has nothing to do with her. I wanted to bring home the snow lotus herb atop the Thousand Summits Mountain as a birthday gift for you.¡±


    Zi Yang¡¯s forty-year-old birthday was in three days. He also learned this from Wang Luo¡¯s memories.


    Zi Sha glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re not that dumb at least!¡±


    Meanwhile, a young man in white was standing in a distant hall and looking at Xiao Chen in disbelief. This man was Mo Hengyu, the one who personally killed Wang Luo three days ago.


    Zi Yang was deeply gratified. Suddenly, Xiao Chen remembered that there was something more urgent to attend to. Just as he was about to ask where was the lady that they rescued the other day, they heard the panicked voice of a disciple trying to make a report from the bottom of the mountain.


    The disciple hastily ran up and explained, ¡°We¡¯re done for! Disciples from the Heaven and Earth Sect are attacking us!¡±


    He had just finished his report when another disciple was sent flying through the air. Then there came peals of laughter. ¡°The time has come for the promise we made three years ago. Heaven and Earth Sect is here to pay a visit!¡±


    The voice had barely faded when a man dressed in yellow flew up to the square with a folding fan in hand. Behind him were seven to eight disciples. Zi Yang roared in anger, ¡°He Shaoyi! What do you mean by this?¡±


    Many disciples of Ziyang Sect came rushing over with their swords in hand. He Shaoyi raised his head and guffawed. ¡°The time has come for the promise we made three years ago! Who from the Ziyang Sect will answer my battle challenge?¡± He pressed two fingers together and summoned a brilliant Immortal¡¯s Sword.


    Everyone gasped. ¡°He used his Qi to form a sword! He has entered the Core Forming Realm!¡±


    Zi Yang¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet of paper. Frowning, Xiao Chen walked up to him and asked quietly, ¡°Master, a few days ago¡­¡±


    Zi Yang said, ¡°Luo¡¯er, retreat for now. We can talk again tomorrow.¡±


    He Shaoyi raised his head and laughed heartily when he saw no one came up to answer his challenge. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there no one in Ziyang Sect who dares to challenge me? Then, as promised, you¡¯ll have to leave this place. From today onward, this place belongs to our Heaven and Earth Sect!¡±


    No one dared to say anything. Zi Yang¡¯s expression turned even ghastlier. He Shaoyi was still a manageable opponent three years ago, but he was now a Core Forming Realm cultivator. Who among his disciples was a match for him?


    Suddenly, an indifferent voice rang out. ¡°Since you¡¯re so desperate for a fight, I¡¯ll play along with you.¡± The speaker was none other than Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Luo¡¯er, leave now! Don¡¯t be hasty!¡± Zi Yang said in a panic. The others were flabbergasted as well. Did the disciple, who typically found all sorts of excuses not to cultivate, take the wrong medicine? Or did he forget to take his medicine?


    He Shaoyi smiled contemptuously. ¡°Wang Luo? You hadn¡¯t suffered enough three years ago, had you?¡±


    ¡°Save your breath and hurry up. I have something to do,¡± Xiao Chen said coldly.


    He Shaoyi raised his head and laughed. ¡°Gutsy!¡± Without a pause, he thrust his sword at Xiao Chen in a lightning-quick motion. Everyone turned pale as the clanging of metals resounded.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t even move. He pressed his forefinger and middle finger together and pinched He Shaoyi¡¯s Immortal Sword in between. With the lightest bend of his fingers, the sword noisily broke into four to five pieces. He threw a palm attack with his other hand and sent He Shaoyi flying while coughing up blood.


    ¡°You! You¡­¡± He Shaoyi pointed to him, unable to finish his sentence. He swiftly crawled back up to his feet and led the other disciples down the mountain.


    Those from Ziyang Sect had yet to recover their senses. Zi Yang said in bewilderment, ¡°Luo¡¯er, you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°I met an Esteemed Senior three days ago. It was him who imbued me with ten percent of his Mystic Skill.¡± He then hastily asked, ¡°Oh, right. Master, did my Senior Brothers bring a lady here the other day? Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Zi Yang didn¡¯t question him further after seeing how worried he looked. He led Xiao Chen to a small house.


    Zi Sha was still standing in place, looking spellbound. One reason was Wang Luo¡¯s sudden explosive strength. The other was he didn¡¯t look at her once since the very beginning.


    The moment Xiao Chen pushed open the door to the small house, he nearly cried out. The lady lying on the reclining couch was indeed Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked deathly pale as she lay on the couch, emanating the faintest of Qi. He hastily walked to her, pressed two fingers together, and placed them on her wrist. Upon a quick examination, he found that nearly all of her heart meridians were cut short.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can all leave now. I¡¯ll be treating her injuries.¡±


    The others said nothing else and closed the doors behind them as they left the house. Xiao Chen propped Huangfu Xin¡¯er up and immediately sat cross-legged behind her. He began pouring True Energy into her.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, hold on. I¡¯ll definitely save you.¡±


    His heart was twisting in agony. She could very well leave that day, but she let go of the opportunity to block Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s attack for him. The lacerating force of the spatial collapse was so intense and she didn¡¯t have Evernight and Su Xiaomei protecting her. How could she take it?


    Zhiluan finally couldn¡¯t contain himself after keeping quiet for the whole day and muttered, ¡°Meow! Kid, are you sure she can wake up?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed.


    Remembering the half-full bottle of blood, he immediately took it out and carefully fed Huangfu Xin¡¯er with it. Zhiluan muttered, ¡°Meow! What a waste! You¡¯re spilling it everywhere! You need to thin it out with water and feed her mouth-to-mouth.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The day came to an end just like that. Xiao Chen stayed awake the entire night, pouring True Energy into Huangfu Xin¡¯er the entire time and slowly healing her injured heart meridians. Even so, she remained unconscious and her Sign of Life remained very weak. She could perish at any time.


    Suddenly, a quarrel broke out outside the door.


    ¡°Let me in!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang Luo doesn¡¯t want anyone to enter while he heals the lady. Junior Sister, can¡¯t you wait until it¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Move aside!¡±


    Before long, the door was loudly kicked open and an exasperated Zi Sha stood by the door. She said angrily, ¡°Wang Luo! What did you tell my Father?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed. He must not be distracted while pouring energy into Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He could afford the injuries caused by the interruption, but Huangfu Xin¡¯er was so weak that the injuries could very well be fatal.


    Seeing him ignore her, Zi Sha became even angrier. ¡°I asked you a question! Are you deaf? Wang Luo, I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯d rather die than marry you! It doesn¡¯t matter who you speak to! Who do you think you are? My Father took you in out of pity back then! Stop dreaming of going above your station¡­!¡±


    Xiao Chen was beginning to feel agitated. He harshly rebuked her. ¡°Get out!¡±


    Zi Sha was stunned but it quickly faded into fury. The fire raged even more when she saw that the lady in front of him was still prettier than her despite her pale complexion.


    That was just how contradicting a woman¡¯s feelings could be. She could be uninterested in a man, to the point where she ignored him, but when the man fell for another woman, she would feel uneasy somehow.


    ¡°How dare you shout at me! I won¡¯t let you save her! Since you want to save her so desperately, I¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    ¡°Clang.¡± She unsheathed her sword and attacked Huangfu Xin¡¯er.

 Chapter 277 - Feng Xiezi

    The sword radiance was sharp and severe as it aimed to kill. Just as the danger was about to descend, Xiao Chen freed a hand and flicked Zi Sha¡¯s sword away. However, the moment of distraction resulted in the True Energy in Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s body to flow back into his.


    ¡°Pff!¡± Blood sprayed from his mouth. Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s body went limp as blood trailed from the corner of her mouth. Her aura became so weak that it was nearly nonexistent.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± He hastily propped her up. With bloodshot eyes, he glared at Zi Sha. Instantly, an intense murderous aura permeated the house.


    ¡°If anything happens to her, I won¡¯t let you live either!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression terrified Zi Sha, who had never seen such a frightening stare in her life. She dashed out of the house, forgetting to even pick up her sword.


    Two more days had passed since. This time, Xiao Chen installed Barriers on the door and windows. His powers had made a full recovery as well, to the point that he even improved his cultivation by one level. During this time, Huangfu Xin¡¯er woke up once but fainted before she could say much.


    Today, she woke up again. ¡°Who are you? Why did you save a stranger like me?¡± she asked. Even though her voice was small and weak, the iciness was evident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±


    This was an even more crucial moment. Xiao Chen dared not to say much.


    When noon approached, it became boisterous outside the house. It was the day of Zi Yang¡¯s fortieth birthday banquet. A disciple came close to the door and stuck close to the door crevice to whisper, ¡°Senior Brother Wang Luo, nearly all of the other Senior Brothers are here. Do you want to come out for a bit?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Oh, and don¡¯t let others disturb me.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll excuse myself then.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er frowned. ¡°Your name is Wang Luo?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Miss, please don¡¯t talk. I¡¯ll be transferring energy to you.¡±


    Xiao Chen knew he must hide his identity from Huangfu Xin¡¯er now. Knowing her temper, she would refuse to accept his help in energy circulation.


    ¡°When you found me, did you notice another person near me?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°No. You¡¯re the only one we found.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er said nothing else. When midday arrived, the sound of firecrackers came from outside the door. Then there came a burst of unified greetings. ¡°Master, we wish you the best fortunate and boundless longevity¡­¡±


    The greetings had barely ended when peals of laughter resounded, so loud that the door and windows of the house were shaking. Evidently, there was quite a crowd attending the banquet today.


    ¡°Feng Xiezi of the Heaven and Earth Sect comes to offer his congratulations! Please forgive me for coming without an invitation, Sect Leader Zi Yang!¡±


    Surprised outcries resounded amid a chaotic sea of voices. Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. This was bad!


    He was stuck in the energy circulation process and mustn¡¯t be disturbed. Otherwise, he and Huangfu Xin¡¯er would both be severely hurt.


    A cyan-robed elder sauntered into the public square, with his sleeves billowing despite the lack of wind. Trailing behind him was ten or so disciples. Included in the ranks was He Shaoyi who came to challenge the sect several days ago.


    The expression of the Ziyang Sect folks changed. Two hundred or so disciples rapidly assembled into a sword formation, but none dared to go up to the intruders and stop them. Zi Yang¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Feng Xiezi! What do you mean by this?¡±


    Feng Xiezi raised his head and laughed. His gaze swiftly turned sharp and severe as he said sinisterly, ¡°What do I mean? Not only did you break your promise from three years ago, but you even hired someone to hurt my disciple. Ziyang Sect Leader, how dare you!¡± He glared daggers at Zi Yang while emanating a stiflingly cold aura that made the other Ziyang Sect¡¯s disciples shudder.


    Zi Yang said earnestly, ¡°The promise from three years ago states that the winner must not harass the loser. My disciple emerged victorious three days ago. What do you mean by coming here today?¡±


    Feng Xiezi raised his head and guffawed. ¡°Victorious? Since when is there a Core Forming Realm disciple in your sect? Why haven¡¯t I heard of him? Where is the man who hurt my disciple? Hurry up and hand him over!¡± He flicked his sleeves and a great force instantly swept his parameters. It hit the ten or so disciples from the Ziyang Sect, sending them flying while coughing up blood.


    Zi Yang immediately stepped forward and stopped him. ¡°Luo¡¯er is preoccupied and can¡¯t come out now. What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°What do I want to do? Break his hand and leg as a warning, of course!¡± Feng Xiezi roared. Without a break, he attacked Zi Yang with his palm with the speed of a gale. The palm force arrived in the blink of an eye. Zi Yang raised his palm to block the attack. To his surprise, he felt pressure as heavy as thirty thousand catties when the two forces collided.


    A storm was brewing in the public square, causing the tree branches and twigs to tremble incessantly. Zi Yang yelled, ¡°Everyone, retreat at once!¡± Feng Xiezi took advantage of his distraction to attack him again. Unable to dodge in time, Zi Yang took the hit squarely on the chest and blood instantly coated his throat. He staggered backward before regaining firm footing.


    ¡°You, you¡¯ve reached Lv 7 of the Core Forming Realm?¡± His voice trembled. His face was colored with disbelief.


    One was an Lv 5 Core Forming Realm cultivator while the other was an Lv 7 Core Forming Realm cultivator. Even though the difference was a mere two levels, one was in the middle stage while the other was in the late stage. The disparity in strength between two stages couldn¡¯t be comprehended with reason alone.


    Feng Xiezi sneered. ¡°Did you only find out now? It¡¯s a bit too late for that!¡± He made consecutive palm attacks, raining them down on his opponent like the surging wave of the violent sea. Every attack was more vicious than the one before it and was just as unavoidable. The floor tiles were sent flying as Zi Yang took the hits and were reduced into a sky full of dust.


    Zi Yang desperately summoned the True Energy inside him to block the attacks with his palm. However, each of Feng Xiezi¡¯s attacks was more ferocious than the last. It was asking too much of a 5 Core Forming Realm cultivator like him to block them. In the blink of an eye, he was cornered to the rear of the public square, bringing him closer to the house that Xiao Chen was in.


    ¡°Hurry up and hand him over now!¡± Feng Xiezi yelled with the force of a lightning strike, shaking even the houses nearby. He used one hand to slash the air and countless golden blades of Qi whizzed their way toward Zi Yang.


    Zi Yang¡¯s expression changed. With his current strength, he was no match for blades of Qi that filled the sky. The blades rained down while he was still pondering his options. Noises reverberated in his ears as the blades ripped and tattered his crimson robe. The force sent him flying while coughing up blood, slamming him onto the house that Xiao Chen was in.


    The wall of the house collapsed with a resounding explosion, frightening Zhiluan into a strange yelp. He hastily unfolded his wings and flew into the air.


    Dust and soil scattered in the sky. Blood sprayed from Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth. Not only was he in the midst of energy circulation, but his Barriers were shattered as well. It was only natural that he sustained some substantial damage, never mind Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She was about to recover, but the disturbance caused her to cough up blood and collapsed over the side of the bed. In the end, he still couldn¡¯t lift her out of danger.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were wide open and bloodshot. He hastily propped her up and poured more True Energy into her. Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s voice was incredibly weak. ¡°Why do you know my name¡­? Who exactly are you¡­?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t answer her. His eyes were filled with so much resentment that his expression was terrible to look at. A wisp of dark Qi could be faintly seen emerging from between his eyebrows. He spun around and looked coldly at an indistinct figure making its way over to the house. He abruptly turned into a lightning-fast blade of light and charged at the figure.


    ¡°I want your life!¡±


    Feng Xiezi was making a careful approach when he saw a lightning-fast light emerging from the dust to attack him. Before he could use his Qi to block the attack, he felt a piercing pain all over his body as if the crash had broken all of his muscles and bones. In the next moment, he found himself flung in the air with a stream of blood surging out of his throat.


    The crowd watching from a distance was shocked out of their wits to see this. No one got a clear look at what the silhouette was; all they saw was Feng Xiezi being thrown in the air out of nowhere and flying backward then.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± A scream shattered the air and resounded throughout the public square. Everyone watched the silhouette rip one arm of Feng Xiezi, who had yet to make it to the ground.


    Blood spilled everywhere, filling the sky with a rain of blood. The ten or so disciples from Heaven and Earth Sect turned pale while the two hundred or so disciples from Ziyang Sect were dumbstruck. Zi Sha was shuddering as she muttered, ¡°Impossible. He¡­¡±

 Chapter 278 - Heartbreak

    The ice-cold murderous aura enveloped the entire public square in an instant, sinking everyone into what seemed like a nightmare that they couldn¡¯t wake up from. All they could hear was the rumbling of a dragon¡¯s roar as two gigantic golden dragon silhouettes dived down from the sky. Following an ear-splitting explosion, soil scattered in the air. The residual force of the explosion caused the collapse of the nearby houses.


    The smoke and dust finally dissipated, leaving behind a massive pit with a diameter of a hundred feet in their wake. Feng Xiezi, with his body bloodied and battered, collapsed amid crushed stones. No one could tell if he was still alive.


    The crowd gradually regained their senses and stared at ¡°Wang Luo¡± standing in the square. No one dared to say a word. Realization finally dawned on Zi Yang and a wisp of coldness emerged from his heart to reach every inch of his being.


    Zhiluan, hovering in midair, stared at the ferocious Xiao Chen and cried, ¡°Meow! The consequences are bad when the kid gets mad.¡± He freely voiced his amazement as no one paid him any mind now. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Xiao Chen.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was walking out of the collapsed house with unsteady steps when she suddenly saw the Fire-heart Jade around Zhiluan¡¯s neck.


    Sensing the ice-cold gaze directed to him, Zhiluan tried to escape but he found himself being tugged along with an intangible force.


    ¡°Meow! Don¡¯t tell me you want me to die with you just because you¡¯re on your deathbed¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked deathly pale and weak as she grabbed his wings. She said coldly, ¡°Speak. Where did you get the Fire-heart Jade that you¡¯re wearing from?!¡±


    Shuddering with fear, Zhiluan pointed his paw at Xiao Chen and stammered, ¡°That kid gave it to me. If you want to kill someone, kill him. This great one is innocent¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked in the direction that Zhiluan was pointing in. Even though her voice was weak, the iciness of it was unmistakable. ¡°Who exactly are you¡­?¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly spun around and said softly, ¡°Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s me¡­¡± He then took off the mask on his face.


    The crowd gasped. Zi Yang felt cold all over as if he was being dunked into a pool of ice water.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ you!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s chest heaved up and down as her breathing hastened. Her agitation returned some color to her deathly pale complexion. To everyone¡¯s surprise, she summoned a force and struck her abdomen with her palm. Blood sprayed from her mouth.


    ¡°Meow! This mad woman wants to kill herself!¡± Zhiluan took advantage of the moment to fly out of her clutches.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen turned pale with fright. He instantly flew over to her and embraced her.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­ Xiao Chen! I don¡¯t need your sympathy!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er cried. She tried to hit herself with yet another palm attack, but Xiao Chen hastily put his fingers together and hit the main meridian points on her body to knock her out.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes fluttered shut. There was a trail of bloodstain on the corner of his mouth. When he said that he had promised to grow old with Li Muxue and would only love her alone back in Heartless Palace, those words were meant for Huashang¡¯s ears. He never imagined that Huangfu Xin¡¯er would overhear them in the rear palace.


    For a long time, no one in the public square said a word. Those from the Heaven and Earth Sect had long fled in a panic. Zi Yang cautiously approached Xiao Chen, looking somewhat terrified still.


    ¡°Senior, may I ask you¡­ if my disciple, Wang Luo, is alive?¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Huangfu Xin¡¯er who lay in his embrace. He said softly, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    Zi Yang trembled. Even though he had anticipated this, he couldn¡¯t help sighing after getting Xiao Chen¡¯s confirmation. ¡°Thank you for your answer, Senior¡­¡± He desperately wanted to know why Xiao Chen wanted to kill Wang Luo, but how could he ask now?


    Xiao Chen looked at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. The murderer is someone named Mo Hengyu.¡±


    These words sent a shockwave throughout everyone in the square. Zi Yang¡¯s breathing quickened. Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation was so much higher than his and had no reason to lie. He turned around to look at a disciple behind him and asked solemnly, ¡°Where is Mo Hengyu?¡±


    The disciple stammered, ¡°Eldest Senior Brother¡­ He said he has some business and left two days ago¡­¡±


    ¡°That monster!¡± Zi Yang was so furious that he was shivering. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Sect Leader Zi Yang, thank you for saving my friend. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±


    Zi Yang slapped a smile on his face and said respectfully, ¡°Let me send you down the mountain¡­¡± Even though Xiao Chen had helped him ward off an enemy, he didn¡¯t know if it was a blessing or a curse.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Xiao Chen carried Huangfu Xin¡¯er out of the public square. Zhiluan followed after him after making a strange yelp. When they passed by Zi Sha, Xiao Chen shot her a glance.


    Zi Sha trembled. His stare shook her out of her bewilderment. She never imagined that he wasn¡¯t Wang Luo. To think she even went to his room two days ago and made a ruckus¡­


    When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Xiao Chen got them a room in a tavern. The shopkeeper took notice of Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s pale complexion and hastily said, ¡°Young Master, your lady is very ill. Should I call a physician for you?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Just bring a basin of hot water to my room. That will do.¡±


    Inside the room, Xiao Chen carefully and meticulously lay Huangfu Xin¡¯er on the bed and tucked her in. Zhiluan said nonchalantly, ¡°Kid, do you know how vicious her self-attack was earlier? I think she won¡¯t make it. What a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen glared at him.


    Moments later, a servant came up to the room with a basin of hot water. His heart jumped when he saw Huangfu Xin¡¯er on the bed. When he left, he couldn¡¯t help lamenting inside him, ¡°Such a pretty lady. It¡¯s such a pity.¡±


    Xiao Chen picked up a heated towel and attentively wiped away the bloodstain on the corner of Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s mouth. Memories of the past ran past his mind. If the Huangfu family hadn¡¯t backed out of their marriage back then, things might be very different now¡­


    The night came and went. During this time, Xiao Chen poured more True Energy into her and stabilized her condition. Still, she remained feeble. Zhiluan lay on his stomach on the window sill and said weakly, ¡°Kid, stop wasting your energy. I¡¯m about to starve to death. Hurry up and order some food¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him. When the sun rose and sunlight was about to filter into the room, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the apothecary for some herbs. You should stay put here.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart meridians had suffered such great damage that his True Energy alone would be of little help. He must make the Warm Nourishment Elixir from the Elixir King Scripture. His only concern was whether he could get the rare ingredients in a small town like this.


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. To think I even went through life and death with you a few days ago. Now all you think about is this girl. You don¡¯t even care if I¡¯m dead or alive.¡±


    Xiao Chen got up and walked to the door. Then, he spun around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t run around lest someone catches you and turns into a pill ingredient.¡±


    Spirits and Immortals Town, neither small nor large, was a town with crisscrossing avenues and buildings built in an orderly fashion. A river with limpid waters cut through the town, reflecting the blue skies and white clouds above.


    After visiting several apothecaries, Xiao Chen found a dozen or so of the common herbs but was still lacking a rare ingredient: the Demon¡¯s Soul of a Snow Demon of the Heavenly Mountain. It was an incredibly rare item.


    ¡°Young Master, what do you need the Snow Demon¡¯s Soul for? This can only be found on the Thousand Summits Mountain. You can¡¯t find it in the shops.¡±


    Frowning, Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°Thank you.¡± He spun around and walked out of the apothecary. The sunlight was blinding when he raised his head. He had been out for about an hour. Had Xin¡¯er woken up? He wished Gui Xian was here now. Gui Xian would surely be able to heal her. What a pity that his medical expertise was insufficient.


    He returned to the tavern after buying a few meat buns for Zhiluan. When he pushed open the door, he found the bed empty. Zhiluan was missing as well.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±

 Chapter 279 - Reencountering Mo Hengyu

    Chapter 279 Reencountering Mo HengyuXiao Chen rushed into the room and found no signs of damage on the door and windows. The sound alarmed the servant downstairs and he ran upstairs. ¡°Esteemed guest, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Where is the lady in my room? Where did she go?¡±


    ¡°Lady? I didn¡¯t see her¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Zhiluan flew into the room through the window with a roasted fish in his mouth. Xiao Chen immediately reached out and grabbed him. ¡°Where is she?! I told you to keep an eye on her! Where did she go?¡±


    Zhiluan flailed in fear. He pointed to the bed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t she there¡­? Meow! Meow! Where did she go?¡±


    The tavern servant was so frightened at the sight of a cat that could not only fly but also speak human language that his hands trembled. Xiao Chen threw a silver ingot at him before picking up Zhiluan and leaping out of the window.


    Even though the small town wasn¡¯t comparable to large cities in the Middle Continent, it was still a challenge to find someone here. Xiao Chen went around inquiring about Huangfu Xin¡¯er, which soon brought him to a tavern above a relay station.


    ¡°You mean a lady in red? She left after borrowing a horse from us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately dashed out of town. Once he was outside, he unleashed his Phoenix¡¯s Wings and soared into the sky. After traveling for more than ten kilometers, he saw a lady in red galloping along an ancient road on her horse in the distance. He swiftly landed on the ground.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er! Why did you leave on your own?¡±


    ¡°Me-meow! You scared me! I thought you were kidnapped!¡±


    An expressionless Huangfu Xin¡¯er kept going, with the reins of the horse firmly in hand. ¡°What does it have to do with you whether I stay or leave? What does it have to do with a cat?¡±


    ¡°Meow! D*mn it! This great one will say this again: I¡¯m not a¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen kicked him aside and asked with a frown, ¡°Xin¡¯er, do you know how worried I was?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er put on a placid smile. ¡°Young Master Xiao, I think you must have misunderstood something. And please address me as either Empress of Heartless Palace or Miss Huangfu.¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned. Had she become the Empress of Heartless Palace? He sighed and said, ¡°What I said in Heartless Palace back then¡­¡±


    ¡°I said the past is water under the bridge. There¡¯s no need to bring it up again.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er urged her horse forward and it sped along like the wind.


    Xiao Chen chased after her with his Sky Treader technique. ¡°Xin¡¯er, listen to my explanation¡­¡±


    Shocked, the horse came to a stop. Huangfu Xin¡¯er said, ¡°Save your breath. I don¡¯t want to listen to your explanation.¡±


    Zhiluan also caught up to them. ¡°Lady, how can you be so unreasonable? This kid nearly went insane trying to find you back on the Thousand Summits Mountain and even caused an avalanche in the end¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er remained expressionless and Xiao Chen also said no more. He helped her hold the reins and the two of them continued traveling in silence for an hour.


    Behind them, Zhiluan was becoming bored out of his mind. ¡°I have no idea what humans like you are thinking. It¡¯s obvious you care for each other, yet you refuse to admit it¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er glared at him at the same time.


    Moments later, Zhiluan said, ¡°Immortal Lingzhis like us are different. If we like another Immortal Lingzhi, we¡¯ll pluck the Lingzhi on our head and give it to her. If she accepts it, that means she likes you¡­¡±


    They finally arrived at a small town when it was almost night time and returned the horse to the relay station. When the curtain of the night finally fell, little lights filled the town. Snow also began fluttering in the air, standing in contrast against the myriad of lights. It felt like they had entered a dream.


    Xiao Chen bought an oil-paper umbrella and held it over Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Just like that, the two of them walked along the streets in silence.


    ¡°Achoo! Enough of the romantic moment, guys. I¡¯m going to freeze to death. Let¡¯s hurry up and find a tavern for the night!¡±


    Zhiluan was shivering from the cold as he followed after them. Ever since Huangfu Xin¡¯er lost control of her emotions after seeing the Fire-heart Jade around his neck, he dared not wear it again and returned it to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen, worried that Huangfu Xin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be able to take the cold, took out the Fire-heart Jade from his bosom and handed it to her. ¡°Xin¡¯er.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart skipped when she saw how tender he was being. The moment she remembered that he once showed that woman called Li Muxue the same gentleness, however, resentment filled her. She pushed his hand away and continued walking quickly.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen immediately chased after her. He tugged on her hand. ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you two. Kid, isn¡¯t it obvious that she¡¯s jealous? Hurry up and give her a hug! Hug her!¡± Zhiluan yelled from behind them like a little goblin.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The two of them glared at him at the same time.


    Moments later, two of them arrived at a tavern. Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t eaten much for the past few days but when he saw that Huangfu Xin¡¯er wasn¡¯t even touching her chopsticks, he lost his appetite as well.


    On the other hand, Zhiluan couldn¡¯t keep himself from salivating after seeing the table full of exotic delicacies. He hesitated for a long time before cautiously reaching his paw out to the plate of roasted fish in front of Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Pa!¡± Xiao Chen hit Zhiluan¡¯s paw with a pair of chopsticks, frightening him so much that he retracted his paw. He glared at Xiao Chen as he whined, but dared not say a word otherwise.


    Nearby, a waiter muttered under his breath, ¡°How odd. Even a cat can sit at the table¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed once. ¡°Waiter, do you know the way to Tianyuan City in the Middle Continent?¡±


    ¡°Middle Continent? Tianyuan City?¡± The waiter rubbed his chin as he pondered for a moment. Eventually, he shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you then.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. He had no idea where they were at all. Were it not for the assassins that he encountered at the Thousand Summits Mountain, he would have thought that he had been transported to another world.


    He then ordered the waiter to buy a map for him but the map didn¡¯t mark the locations of the five continents. Another three days passed. Xiao Chen made his way to the most affluent location on the map, thinking that he would be able to get something out of the most populated place.


    The skies finally cleared up a little over the past few days. Due to Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s injuries, the two of them didn¡¯t dare to speed along on their horses and went at a leisurely pace instead. However, they spoke very little on their journey, which frustrated the one perched on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder, Zhiluan.


    When noon rolled around, they entered a tiny city called Heavenly Water City. People thronged the streets in an endless stream. The two of them were looking for a tavern to spend the night when a silhouette abruptly charged out of an alley.


    The silhouette was so quick that the horse that Huangfu Xin¡¯er was riding received a shock. It pointed its hooves up the air and threw her off its back.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen lifted himself into the sky with the tip of his foot and caught her in his arms. His feet had just landed on the ground when he heard the person who collided with the horse yelled, ¡°Are you blind?!¡±


    Rage pierced Xiao Chen¡¯s heart. He followed the source of the voice and immediately recognized the person to be Mo Hengyu, the one who killed Wang Luo some time ago. However, Mo Hengyu didn¡¯t recognize him. He could only recognize Huangfu Xin¡¯er beside him and it shocked him.


    Xiao Chen struck Mo Hengyu¡¯s calf with his finger force. How could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator like him withstand such an attack? Mo Hengyu immediately went limp and collapsed on the ground. He cried in fear, ¡°Who, who are you?!¡±


    The commotion had drawn the attention of a small crowd. Xiao Chen replied icily, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you explain yourself after killing someone?¡± After sealing Mo Hengyu¡¯s Mystic Skill, he found a carriage driver to bring the former back to the Ziyang Sect in the Spirits and Immortals Town.


    Mo Hengyu¡¯s face was twisted with fear. As soon as he saw how powerful Xiao Chen was, he realized who he was. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°There is no grudge between us. Can you please let me off?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you let off Wang Luo that day?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked coldly upon him. Partially out of disgust, and partially worried that he would threaten the carriage driver on the way, Xiao Chen sealed the acupuncture point in Mo Hengyu¡¯s nape. Only when he was done did he enter a tavern with Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Kid, you sure do like minding other people¡¯s business. Be careful of bringing disaster upon yourself,¡± Zhiluan muttered as he lay on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    Xiao Chen ignored him and ordered a table full of dishes at the tavern. Meanwhile, the carriage driver transported Mo Hengyu to the Ziyang Sect overnight. The next morning, he arrived at a guardless mountain gate. He walked up the mountain, carrying Mo Hengyu on his back, while calling out, ¡°Is someone here?¡±


    It was silent still, without any replies. Even though Mo Hengyu was paralyzed after having his Mystic Arts and acupuncture point sealed, his innately sharp Divine Sense alerted him to a cold wisp of murderous aura. It didn¡¯t feel right that Ziyang Sect would be so desolate during broad daylight.


    The bloodthirsty murderous aura thickened as they approached the mountain gate square. Mo Hengyu began to panic. He wanted to ask the carriage driver to get down the mountain at once, but he could neither move nor speak due to his sealed Mystic Skill and nape acupuncture point.


    Moments later, two black-robed people walked down from the public square. Mo Hengyu¡¯s pupils shrank in fright at seeing how thick the murderous aura coming from the people was. Their cultivation was astonishingly high, even higher than the one who pretended to be Wang Luo!


    The carriage driver went up to them with a smile. ¡°Are you the Immortals from Ziyang Sect?¡±


    The black-robed person on the left looked at him and then Mo Hengyu, who couldn¡¯t even voice his fear. He then nodded.

 Chapter 280 - Mysterious Murderer

    The carriage driver wiped the sweat on his forehead and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, yesterday a young man ordered me to send this person here¡­¡± He carefully put down Mo Hengyu as he spoke.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve brought him here, I¡¯ll be excusing myself¡­¡± The driver saluted the two men in black robes before turning around and walking down the mountain. He hadn¡¯t taken more than ten steps down the stairs when a jeering sound echoed in his ears. His head became severed from his shoulders. Blood spilled everywhere.


    The man, along with his head, rolled down the mountain. Mo Hengyu trembled in fright and whined noiselessly. The two men in black robes exchanged glances. One of them tapped on Mo Hengyu¡¯s body, releasing the seal that Xiao Chen placed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak! I¡¯ll tell you everything! Please don¡¯t kill me! It¡¯s a man in Heavenly Water City. He previously pretended to be my Junior Brother Wang Luo. His cultivation is high and he has a cat and a pretty lady in red with him. He calls the lady Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Over on Xiao Chen¡¯s side, the two of them continued traveling northward after waking up in the morning. Even when twilight fell, they still saw no sign of habitation. Zhiluan, sprawled on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder, was feeling bored to death. ¡°Kid, how much longer are you walking? You¡¯re going to work me to death¡­¡±


    He was speaking when smoke suddenly rose in the distance. When they walked closer, they saw several wooden houses stitched together in a neat row with many tables and chairs placed outside. There were ten or so muscular men seated at the tables, drinking wine and enjoying meat. Two servants were busy serving them food and drinks.


    It turned out that they had arrived at a tavern in the outskirts, whose customers were typically traveling merchants. It seemed that they were still a fair distance away from the next town.


    When a servant spotted them approaching, he immediately walked up to them with a bright smile. ¡°We¡¯re several hundred miles away from the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. You two must be tired from your journey. Do you need to spend the night here?¡±


    Ten or so heated stares landed on them. Their hearts thumped when they saw Huangfu Xin¡¯er. ¡°What a beautiful lady,¡± they thought.


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and swept away the withered leaves on the table and chairs. ¡°Please bring us some dishes.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Please wait for a moment, esteemed guests!¡±


    Moments later, the servant served them several plates of piping hot dishes. Huangfu Xin¡¯er said emotionlessly, ¡°Please bring us a pot of fine wine as well.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we skip the wine? Your injuries haven¡¯t healed,¡± Xiao Chen said, reaching out with his hand.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er didn¡¯t say anything. Suddenly, laughter rang from a bearded muscular man. ¡°Lady, come over here if you want a drink! We don¡¯t have anything else but you can drink to your heart¡¯s desire with us!¡±


    When he was done speaking, the other burly men roared in laughter as well. Xiao Chen frowned. These men were ordinary martial artists that warranted no fear from them. Huangfu Xin¡¯er put on a weak smile. ¡°Sounds good. I hope you all don¡¯t fall into eternal slumber after drinking with me.¡±


    ¡°Yo! This lady is feisty!¡±


    The ten or so burly men walked over to them while guffawing. The bearded man joined Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s side and said with a great laugh, ¡°Let¡¯s go, lady! This pretty boy won¡¯t let you drink, but I¡¯ll let you drink as much as you want! So much so that you¡¯ll burst!¡± He reached out to pull her arm.


    Xiao Chen slammed his palm on the table. His Core Forming Realm aura immediately enveloped the place. The leaves nearby trembled and the burly men from the Jianghu were frozen in place.


    ¡°Culti-cultivators?¡±


    The burly men immediately lowered their heads and returned to their tables. Fearless now that Xiao Chen was acting as a deterrent, Zhiluan stretched his paws and said proudly, ¡°Shopkeeper, take out the best dishes your shop has to offer!¡±


    The burly men and the diners sitting inside the tavern were flabbergasted. ¡°As expected of a cultivator. Even his cat can speak human language.¡±


    Upset at the stares coming from all directions, Zhiluan crossed his paws in front of his chest and said proudly, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that this great one isn¡¯t this kid¡¯s cat. I came here under the direct order of the Jade Emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth if you don¡¯t want to be turned into a pill ingredient!¡± Xiao Chen glared at him.


    Shortly after, delicacies of all kinds and wine were served on their table. The servant didn¡¯t dare to say much after seeing that Xiao Chen was a cultivator. After serving them two cups of wine, he bowed with a smile and said, ¡°Please enjoy your meal, esteemed guests.¡± With that said, he excused himself.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er picked up a cup of wine and said emotionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ll drain my cup. You can do as you please.¡± She raised her head and finished the wine in one shot.


    Staring at the chrome-yellow, limpid wine inside the jar, Xiao Chen sighed quietly and drained his cup as well. However, wine only worsened worries. When a person in dilemma would only feel worse after drinking wine. On the one hand, he was estranged from Huangfu Xin¡¯er. On the other hand, he had no idea what was going on in Tianyuan City. He had gone missing for almost two months. Xian¡¯er and the others must be worried out of their minds¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll drain my cup as well! You two can do as you please.¡± Zhiluan produced a cup out of nowhere and filled it with wine. He used his paw to stir it before testing it with his tongue. He then spat it out. ¡°Compared to the Bejeweled Nectar that Queen Mother of the West serves at her Banquet of Immortality Peaches, this wine is pretty much tasteless¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen, deeply frustrated in the first place, couldn¡¯t help smiling when he saw how Zhiluan feigned seriousness. ¡°You Leopard Cat Spirit, will you die if you don¡¯t boast?¡±


    That rubbed Zhiluan the wrong way. He put down the wine up and whined, ¡°Since when am I boasting? Had that monkey not make a mess of the Banquet of Immortality Peaches and cause the Immortal Wood to fall in the Human World¡­ Forget it. What would a little human like you know?¡±


    ¡°Immortal Wood? There¡¯s an Undying Nation in the Great Desolate where they feed on Immortal Wood. Could it be that the legendary Undying Tree fell from the Heavenly Palace?¡±


    ¡°Huh! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d know a thing or two!¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Xiao Chen shook his head with a snort and ignored him. When he saw Huangfu Xin¡¯er downing the wine without touching the food, he said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, are you not going to eat something?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er put down the cup in her hand and said, after a long time, ¡°Do you treat her this way too?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned. Perhaps he himself didn¡¯t notice that this was how he treated everyone around him and lacked the kind of gentleness reserved for a special someone.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°When we return¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he felt an incredibly powerful disturbance coming from the southwest direction. He hastily pulled Huangfu Xin¡¯er up and into the air. A loud explosion resounded and a ravine appeared in the place where they previously sat.


    Twigs and branches splashed across the forest. Several wooden houses collapsed under the powerful Sword Qi and ten or so diners either died or suffered injuries. No one knew what happened. By the time they recovered their senses, they could only see seven men in black robes coming out of the forest.


    ¡°Meow! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Zhiluan was so frightened that he unfolded his wings and flew into the air.


    Placing Huangfu Xin¡¯er behind him, he stared coldly at the black-robed men who had appeared out of nowhere. Their murderous aura was too thick for them to be ordinary assassins.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    Without saying anything, the seven men attacked with incredible sharp killer moves at a lightning-fast speed. In an instant, half of the little forest was ruined. Those who survived the earlier attack had long fled to safety.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er began summoning her True Energy when she saw how ferocious and unrelenting these men¡¯s attacks but Xiao Chen pressed down on her wrist to stop her. ¡°You¡¯re still injured. Stay put!¡± he said as he took out the Blood Lotus Demon Blade at the same time. He swung his blade, producing a blood-red radiance that expanded more than a hundred feet, and forced the seven black-robed men to step backward.


    Unfortunately, the men had such great teamwork that they were able to attack almost immediately. Xiao Chen sent Huangfu Xin¡¯er flying backward. Seeing this, Zhiluan instantly grabbed her and flew upward.


    ¡°Take her away!¡± Xiao Chen yelled.


    He immediately summoned all of his True Energy and unleashed the Dragon Slay in its entirety, causing the earth to quake so hard that it felt like the world was collapsing. However, as great as his move was, the seven men easily neutralized the threat with their teamwork.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling stunned. Every one of the men had strength close to the peak of the Core Forming Realm. They were completely different from the assassins who worked purely for money that he met at the Thousand Summits Mountain. These men must be from a certain formidable faction similar to the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again! Who exactly are you people?¡± Xiao Chen stared coldly at them as he emanated an overpowering murderous aura. The clear sky became filled with dark clouds in an instant.


    ¡°We¡¯re people who will take your life!¡± the leader of the black-robed men retorted as he struck Xiao Chen with a palm attack. His palm strength evolved into a purple Qi in midair and swirled like a tornado charging at Xiao Chen with overwhelming force. Unable to withstand the pressure, boulders and trees nearby were reduced into fine powder.


    When Xiao Chen blocked the attack with his blade, he felt his arm sinking from the force. To his surprise, it almost felt as if he was too weak to resist the attack. The other six black-robed men took advantage of the moment to attack him in unison.


    Facing one overpowering palm attack after another, Xiao Chen was forced into a dire situation. He couldn¡¯t help taking backward steps in retreat. Huangfu Xin¡¯er, who saw everything from a distance, cried, ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit! Put me down!¡±


    ¡°No way! Those men are too powerful! You¡¯d be useless even if you go! If something happens to you, that kid will surely have my head!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this again! Put me down!¡±


    Her voice was so cold that anyone who heard her would feel a chill run down their back. However, Zhiluan ignored her. Clenching his teeth, he carried her northward. Seeing this, two of the group of black-robed men chased after them, leaving five to deal with Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 281 - The Infernal Abyss

    Freeing himself from the five enemies surrounding him, Xiao Chen unfurled his Phoenix wings and chased after the pair running away from him. With a ferocious downcut stroke from his saber, he sent a magic blow that shaped like a ten-feet-long scythe that streaked after the escaping pair.


    Realizing the incoming blow, one of them turned, hoping to deflect the blow. But before he could do anything, he crumbled to the ground, being mortally struck down by a flying Xiao Chen who had caught up with his Phoenix¡¯s Wings.


    The remaining man tossed his sleeves and sent six shiny throwing-knives that shot straight at Xiao Chen. The emerald-green daggers barely missed him by inches as Xiao Chen ducked. But this brief distraction was enough for the five enemies behind to catch up. They rained another brutal onslaught of attacks on Xiao Chen, apparently trying to murder him for good measure.


    Xiao Chen was forced to land; the attacks were too much for him and he was heavily outnumbered by a seven-man group who were all not only strong and powerful, but cohesive and tenacious in their compulsion to kill him. ¡°If only Qingluan and the others are here,¡± Xiao Chen thought in his haste. He needed to evacuate safely, more so, with Xin¡¯er¡¯s pressing injury.


    Another volley of throwing knives wheezed dangerously past his hair just when he trailed off. They gleamed in the glow of the moon hanging above, shining with cold fury. Xiao Chen drew his Blood Lotus Demon Blade and parried another barrage of throwing knives training at him and looked north. He muttered a quick spell and the Phoenix Wings on his back flared up, lighting his surroundings with an eruption of a fiery burst and he vanished. Before his enemies could realize where he had gone, he was already in the sky, tearing through the air in a bolt of light, racing as fast as he could towards Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    When he finally got near, Zhiluan barked frantically, ¡°Oh Heavens! I¡¯ve told you every time to meddle only on your own business! Look what have you got us into! It must be that brat yesterday who had leaked our trail!¡±


    Xiao Chen did not attempt to retort; he whisked Huangfu Xin¡¯er off in his arms and conjured the fireballs of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames technique. He tossed all nine of the fireballs in a hurry, and they whistled off into the wind and rained down Hell onto Earth. Everything in sight was immediately engulfed by a fiery inferno that devoured all plants and trees in its path.


    With the seven enemies held off for now, Xiao Chen picked up his pace. They would be safe as long as their pursuers did not pick up any scent of theirs before nightfall.


    For almost an hour they flew until the black shroud of Night was fully upon them and reached a mountainous region filled with rocky peaks and jagged spires swathed in gossamer mists that shone like a silvery veil under the moonlit sky, and everything beneath him looked as grim and as macabre as the quiet of the graveyard.


    Trying not to look too inconspicuous, Xiao Chen unsummoned the fiery Phoenix Wings and drew his sword before he rode upon it, descending into the shadow of the gorges.


    Cold, thick mists rolled across the woods in the quiet vale, penetrated only by the soft shafts of moonlight that illuminated a nebulous path that weaved and twisted deeper into the forest. But there was something eerily creepy about this forgotten jungle¡ªthe strange stones sprawled incoherently amid the thickets and bushes and the shifting shadows of the trees did little to dispel the nightmarish atmosphere that lingered ominously around them.


    ¡°Meow¡­ It¡¯s terrifying here¡­¡±


    Zhiluan perched on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulders, its paws digging deep into his flesh as they trembled with fear.


    Xiao Chen held on to the still panting Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He could feel that her pulse was erratic; she must have channeled her powers earlier and the exertion has aggravated her injury. ¡°How are you now?¡± he asked with concern.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er head tilted back against him to look at him. ¡°You should have just left.¡± She breathed with ice in her voice.


    ¡°Shhh! Enough bickering, you two. We don¡¯t want to be noticed hiding here!¡± Zhiluan hissed.


    The air around them was unusually chilly, and steam escaped from their mouths whenever they spoke. The presence of Huangfu Xin¡¯er and Zhiluan were the only things that gave Xiao Chen any warmth in this ghastly forest.


    They wandered through the woods and came upon a cave where they took refuge for the night. But the shelter was no less comforting; icy winds whistled in through the mouth of the cave and Zhiluan was sneezing uncontrollably. Fearing that her injury would worsen, Xiao Chen hung his Fire-heart Jade around Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s neck to keep her warm.


    They could not start a fire, for fears of attracting any enemies. Hence, Xiao Chen extracted a mink coat he previously bought for Murong Xian¡¯er from his Divine Vessel and tossed it to Zhiluan.


    The cat spirit wrapped itself with the fur and pursed its lips as it began grumbling, ¡°I should never have followed you! There¡¯s hardly any security with you, not with enemies chasing for your life almost every day!¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him, devoting his thoughts instead to the seven dark-clad strangers who had attacked them. Who were they, and by whose orders did they come to try to kill him? He remembered about the assassins whom he encountered at the Thousand Summits Mountain. He was certain they were acting on the bidding of the Ling Clan. But the skills and tenacity of this seven-man group were wholly different. These were highly-trained assassins that not even the Ling Clan or the Zuoqiu Clan would be able to command¡­


    He was never short of enemies who wanted to bury him, but he was fortunate that none of the seven assassins were overly powerful conjurers like those with powers of the Nascent Soul Realm. But unbeknownst to him, something was happening in the faraway Tianyuan City.


    Five old elders were seated together in the citadel of the Immortals¡¯ League at Tianyuan City. These five men wielded the highest authority in the League and indescribable powers themselves. Yet under the wavering glow from the lamps burning overhead, distinctive frowns creased upon their ancient foreheads.


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s indeed a problem with that place¡­ All domains beyond Lv. 7 of the Forest of Illusory Moon have collapsed¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been organizing tournaments after tournaments annually to accumulate spiritual energy from so many conjurers. We¡¯re still far from reaching completion, it seems¡­ A century ago, the Chief has gone missing during his investigation of the Soul-consuming Evil Flower and the Four Sacred Guardians are but elusive folk. We¡¯ve heard nothing from all of them yet the threat of the collapse of that place is imminent¡­ We will be defenseless if the Devil Clan strikes now¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you propose? I think we should wait for the end of the Sword Assembly before launching a recon into the area. But it is kept by powerful enchantments; no one, not even we, can avoid being reduced to cinders if we get too close¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sword Assembly¡­ Heavens¡­ But with the three still missing, there¡¯s no way we can conclude the Assembly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The whole night, Xiao Chen had not slept a wink. He got out of the cave the next morning and looked as far as he could. The mountain range stretched endlessly into the horizons and everything looked normal. But he could feel something wrong with the lands here; a strange aura had been emanating from the ground beneath him. ¡°It must be the meridians of this lands underground,¡± he mused, although he knew not from where.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was looking better now; she was sitting on the ground, meditating and healing herself while Zhiluan, who had long got up, refused to expunge himself from the folds of the mink coat.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe to remain. We¡¯d best be on our way.¡±


    ¡°Quit fretting, boy. I still need more sleep¡­¡± Zhiluan¡¯s grip on the mink coat tightened as he fussed.


    Quietly, Huangfu Xin¡¯er got to her feet and sauntered out the cave. Xiao Chen muttered a spell and drew his sword. Before they could fly away, Zhiluan came scampering out. ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    ¡°I thought you still need more sleep?¡±


    ¡°You! How dare you!¡±


    Still unable to fly, Huangfu Xin¡¯er clung on to Xiao Chen as they left the gorge with Zhiluan roosting on Xiao Chen¡¯s back. For 50 kilometers they flew, and the end of the mountain range was nowhere to be seen. A thick mist swallowed the peaks below them, with the unmistakable menacing aura from something sinister residing in the gorge. Even from their altitude, the strength of the aura sent a shiver into Xiao Chen.


    ¡°MEOW! I¡¯d hope for our sakes that what lies below us is not the barrow of something evil and powerful!¡±


    But Xiao Chen remained silent, wearing a hard and intense look on his face. They have seen not even one beast or bird since coming here and that could only be because of the evil aura that spanned for hundreds of leagues beyond this mountain range. No single entity could have embodied such vast and rich energies that could spread such distances. Rather, the sheer volume of the aura indicated that it could only have originated from the earth itself. But the lands of the Violet Manor were sacred and tranquil, it was simply unthinkable that such an evil place even existed!


    They had barely flown far when a terrifying sight unfurled before them. Zhiluan felt its fur stood as it bellowed with fright, ¡°MEOW! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS PLACE!?¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately stopped in mid-air. He could feel his heart drumming anxiously as the crack of the gorge before them was blanketed by a thick, black fog. Every fen and leave near the gorge had withered and wilted. The dark fog blotted out the sun from above and everything beneath it was nothing but a black and bottomless abyss. This was the source of the unholy aura that had plagued these lands but there was no indication of where this place was!


    No one would be safe from such a rich and undiluted corrosive aura; even one from the Devil¡¯s Practice could easily succumb to its deadly effects, never mind a common conjurer vulnerable to such taint.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s senses tingled wildly, warning him about something dangerous and immensely evil lurking within the abyss!


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not thinking of going near,¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er voice came softly all of a sudden.


    ¡°MEOW! Are you mad, boy?! I¡¯m not accompanying you into certain death with you!¡± Zhiluan cried and flapped its wings, readying itself to pull out to safety.


    But Xiao Chen was quiet; his face was creased into a heavy frown. He could tell that something was terribly wrong with the alarming signs happening around him. Many thousands of years ago, both factions of the Immortals and Devils suffered terrible losses and all six domains nearly collapsed. And all of it was a mystery to him that awaited unraveling.


    He understood that this strange abyss could be the key to the strange anomalies now taking place around the world. But before he could react, a voice rang in his mind.


    ¡°LEAVE! Leave this place at once, boy!¡±

 Chapter 282 - The Three Friends of Winter

    The voice took him aback. It was Su Xiaomei¡¯s voice, coming from within the Frigid Jade Pendant hanging on his chest. He reached out to her with a whiff of his Divine Sense into the Pendant. ¡°Senior. Do you know what place is this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I DO KNOW that this place is far perilous than you can imagine! Just get out of here! And be quick!¡±


    Xiao Chen took a breath and calmed himself. Being an entity who had survived more than a thousand years, Su Xiaomei possessed great powers that dwarfed even that of his own. Yet, she was visibly afraid of this place and that was enough for him.


    He began to steer his sword out of the infernal vale and flew clear for 50 kilometers until the intense suffocation they felt finally subsided and everything around them, the sky and the sceneries looked more clear and bright at last.


    ¡°What a fright! Here I was, thinking that you were about to deliver yourself to certain death once again¡­¡± Zhiluan gasped, heaving in a breath of fresh air.


    Xiao Chen made no attempt to respond. He was still looking back from where they came from with a heavy and petulant look. ¡°Something is terribly wrong with that place,¡± he mused, ¡°The old seniles at the Daoist League must be informed about this when we get back to Tianyuan City so that they can send some people to investigate this. There¡¯s no need to get myself in danger for this.¡±


    Just then, he felt the presence of somebody approaching. But before he could leave with his companions, three bolts of light descended from the sky and barred his way. The lights faded, revealing three old men, all with long, white sinuous beards.


    ¡°HALT! Who goes there!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Zhiluan screeched in panic, ¡°And who are you!? How dare you stop us!¡±


    The three old men were surprised to see Zhiluan. They quickly exchanged glances and one of them muttered with wonder, ¡°How strange, a millennia-old Spirited Lingzhi which is sentient.¡±


    Enraged, Zhiluan was about to retort indignantly when Xiao Chen raised a hand tersely. With a curt bow, he said, ¡°My name is Xiao Chen. I am just passing by here. May I know how should I address you three, Seniors?¡±


    He had immediately sensed that two of the three newcomers were conjurers with powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm, and the rest one in the Nascent Soul Realm. The three of them must be special and extraordinary, being able to achieve such powers in a place of such destitution and desolation.


    They stared at him quietly for seconds, partly impressed by his composure and manners, and one of them spoke suddenly after observing him and finding nothing suspicious about him, ¡°We are from the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. You do not sound local. Where are you from, young one?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a long story,¡± Xiao Chen chuckled and answered, ¡°But we¡¯d just passed through a gorge where there a strong evil aura resides there. Do you know why is the aura so strong there?¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! You¡¯ve just come from the gorge?!¡±


    The three men immediately grew wary that they even began to look fierce as if they were going to attack. Sensing that something was not right, Xiao Chen added hastily, ¡°We¡¯ve passed by the gorge. We did not come from there.¡±


    The three men were still cautious; one of them saw Huangfu Xin¡¯er and barked, ¡°Is she tainted by the evil aura?¡±


    ¡°My friend was injured, but she was not affected by the evil aura you mentioned,¡± Xiao Chen pointed out, still confused.


    ¡°LIES! No one passes through the gorge and emerges unharmed! Who are you and where are you from! SPEAK TRUTHFULLY!¡±


    Zhiluan cowered behind Xiao Chen¡¯s back, fearful of the angry and hostile looks by the three men. Fearing that things would careen out of hand, Xiao Chen explained quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll speak frankly, Seniors. We were in the Tianyuan City of the Middle Continent, taking part in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly there. But something happened and we were suddenly transported here.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ You¡¯re, you¡¯re from the Five Continents?!¡± the three men stammered with awe. One of them asked carefully, still unwilling to believe Xiao Chen, ¡°Do you have proof of what you say?¡±


    Xiao Chen began to feel worried, his forehead creasing with distress. From the words of these three strangers, it was he and his companions who were in fact strangers in a distant land far away from the Five Continents. Without any hesitation, he extracted the green medallion he received during the Sword Assembly, a token which marked him as a contestant of the Eastern Continent.


    He handed it to one of the old men who took the medallion from him carefully as if fearful of an ambush. The old man used his Divine Sense to examine the medallion before he spoke quietly to his companions, ¡°It¡¯s true. This is a medallion of the Daoist League of the Five Continents, a token only the League is capable of producing.¡±


    The other two old men heaved a sigh of relief. Respectfully, they apologized. ¡°We are sorry for the show of aggression. We meant no ill will. We did not know you are from the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Pray forgive our lack of manners.¡±


    ¡°Just water under the bridge, Seniors,¡± Xiao Chen responded politely, glad that he was able to neutralize the situation.


    ¡°What strange event is this, that you from the Daoist League of the Five Continents have to address us as Seniors¡­¡± said one of the old men weakly.


    ¡°And how should I address you three, Seniors?¡± Xiao Chen asked, smiling gently.


    ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need for a ceremony. We are the Three Friends of Winter from the Burg of the Feral Phoenix.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I see¡­ Seniors Plum, Bamboo, and Pine. Greetings to you three,¡± Xiao Chen saluted civilly. Even though they have begun to warm to each other, Xiao Chen thought it prudent to maintain proper decorum to denote his respect.


    The old men were impressed by his manners. ¡°He is from the Daoist League of the Five Continents and wields powerful strength for one so young as his age. Yet, this boy is modest and humble,¡± they thought.


    Realizing a chance to boast himself, Zhiluan growled, crossing its arms gloatingly, ¡°So what are you waiting for? Present us with food and your hospitality! You¡¯d do well to please us, the representatives from the great Daoist League!¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi,¡± said the Elder Plum with a benign smile.


    Xiao Chen grabbed at Zhiluan by the scruff of its neck and tossed it ignominiously over his shoulder. With a friendly smile, he said, ¡°Please, trouble not yourselves with the impudence of this cat spirit. I have much need of your counsel, beginning with ways to return to Tianyuan City and the story about the gorge with the evil aura.¡±


    The three old men shared a dark look, especially at the mention of the gorge, which was clearly their prime concern. ¡°It¡¯s a very long story,¡± remarked Elder Bamboo, ¡°How about coming with us to the city? Your friend could use some immediate medical care too.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, please lead on,¡± Xiao Chen agreed.


    As they flew together, Xiao Chen came to know more about the history of this alien land. This place was formerly part of the Five Continents. But the ice and snow of the Thousand Summits Mountain had grown in recent millennia that they were completely cut off from the rest of the world. With all contact with the outside world all but lost, this place became a world of its own. The economy stagnated over time and the development and study of magic began to dwindle as this place slowly faded from the memory of the outside world.


    The name of the Daoist League of the Five Continents slowly became a myth to what remains of the conjurers here, as shown by the respect and reverence shown by the Three Friends of Winter when they heard the long-forgotten name. The authorities of the Burg of the Feral Phoenix had dispatched countless missives and couriers requesting for help from the Daoist League when the threat of the infernal gorge came into knowledge, yet none of their messages seemed to reach the outside world.


    No one or nothing could get past the gauntlet of the Thousand Summits Mountain; the treacherous and perilous icy fields stretched far out of sight and no one had survived flying through the snow with or without flying swords and Flying-cloud Stones.


    Xiao Chen sighed. Evil need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. The Daoist League would seem to have actually abandoned the people here for good. Would that it was thousands of years ago, the Mystic Cyan Sect would have surely waved its banner to muster aid to provide relief to the needy.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d have to beseech upon your charity and kindness, young Xiao,¡± sighed Elder Plum morosely, ¡°We need the Daoist League to fully appreciate the dire straits the people here are in¡­ If things were to worsen¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± His voice faltered and he could say no more.


    ¡°Rest assured, Elder Plum,¡± Xiao Chen muttered gravely, ¡°I will make sure the Daoist League look into the perils the people here face in full earnestness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have our deepest thanks, in that case!¡± The three old men breathed emotionally, looking at Xiao Chen as if he was the savior from the Daoist League that they had been praying for.


    But Xiao Chen knew full well that the Three Friends of Winter possessed the ability to leave this quicksand of a place with ease. But they had chosen to stay for the good of the helpless innocents here, who would have had their hopes shattered if even they so elected to leave.


    Ling Yin¡¯s voice rang again suddenly in his mind like a tolling bell from the former epochs, ¡°We are all students in the skills of magic, and the good of all life should be your primary mission and life¡¯s goal, even if it means your death¡­¡±


    Just when he was still preoccupied with his thoughts, the Three Friends of Winter halted suddenly in mid-air.


    ¡°What is wrong, Seniors?¡± Xiao Chen looked ahead and saw the recognizable figures of the seven dark-cloaked assassins. They had caught up to him like bloodhounds on a scent, he frowned.


    It was plain as day to the Three Friends that these seven men were skilled students in the arts of dealing death. With ice in his voice, Elder Plum thundered sternly, ¡°Strangers. Who are you and what business do you have with us?¡±


    Being the leader of the three, Elder Plum delivered his inquiry with a voice and tone both fierce and implacable and the leader of the assassins, stirring uneasily, hissed coldly with his eyes narrowing, ¡°We have no wish to fight you three. We only want the two of them.¡± He motioned towards Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Elder Plum muttered inquiringly and peered at Xiao Chen before returning his glance to the seven strangers. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. These two are guests of the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. We are responsible for the safety of any friends of the Burg.¡±


    A cold and malicious glint flashed from the eyes of the seven like a keen blade. The leader of the seven threw his head back and guffawed smugly. ¡°The Burg of the Feral Phoenix? Does a lowly city like the Burg wish to interfere in the affairs of the Five Continents?¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Elder Bamboo snapped, ¡°You wish to have a taste of what country clods like us are capable of?¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± the leader of the seven snorted. He vanished, only to reappear before Xiao Chen to launch a surprise attack. Zhiluan screeched loudly and scampered off to Huangfu Xin¡¯er, recoiling with fear.


    ¡°IMPUDENCE!¡±


    Elder Plum snarled and a magic bolt shot from his hand. The strength of the blow mirrored his wrath, churning up winds so strong that the assailant was forced away.


    ¡°This might be a modest and small place, but not one for any of your misconducts nonetheless!¡±


    The force felt by the assailant was so powerful that he choked on his breath and nearly lost his ability to keep himself in the air. With an icy voice, he muttered, ¡°I see. Such is the strength of the Three Friends of Winter.¡± He flailed his sleeve and turned. His cohorts followed suit and they vanished, turning into seven bolts of light that flew away.


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    Elder Plum scoffed and asked Xiao Chen, ¡°Are you all right, young Xiao?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Senior,¡± Xiao Chen replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    After a half-hour¡¯s journey, they finally came to a city. There were ponds of water outside, but they were all nothing but frozen ice in the cold and even the roads leading into the city were blanketed in a layer of frost. Two sentries, both clad in black suits of armor, guarded the entrance into the city. They were wrapped tightly to ward off the cold that only their eyes could be seen through the visors of their helmets as they examined the line of common folk waiting for permission to enter the city. Unlike the watchful sentinels, the tens of citizens looked weak and frail as they struggle to keep themselves warm.


    The Three Friends of Winter looked on sullenly at the pitiful sight. Just then, a commotion broke out at the gates and everyone moved aside frantically suddenly.


    ¡°YOU! YOU¡¯RE INFECTED! How dare you seek entry into the city!¡±


    ¡°No! No! It¡¯s impossible! I¡¯m not evil! I¡¯m not corrupted!¡±


    A gaunt and sickly scholar had fallen to the ground, his face fraught with panic as he mumbled incomprehensibly before the glinting points of the spears in his face. The sentries drove him into the bushes, trying to get him as far as possible from the gates and an elderly couple fell on her knees, begging dismally, ¡°Please, officers, our son is only sick. He¡¯s not tainted by the evil aura¡­ Please allow us to enter the city to seek a doctor¡­¡±


    ¡°LEAVE NOW! There¡¯re already marks on his neck! Marks proving that he has been infected! Leave now before we execute you!¡±


    The other peasants waiting in line immediately dispersed, afraid that the blight of the evil aura might spread to them. Xiao Chen sighed. He bolted forward and sped towards the scholar but Zhiluan cried, ¡°No, boy! There¡¯s no need for you to interfere!¡±


    So were the Three Friends of Winter, who cried hectically, ¡°Come back, young Xiao! You¡¯ll be infected!¡±

 Chapter 283 - Blight of the Infernal Aura

    Xiao Chen rushed to the scholar and parried away the spears pointed at the man sitting on the ground. He yanked off the scarf wrapped around the neck of the weak man and saw a grotesque mark on his neck. The skin around the mark was badly raw that one could feel goosebumps just by looking at it; he must have scratched at his skin so many times that it had become so chafed.


    The Three Friends came nearer. The sentries saw them and immediately greeted them with respect, ¡°My Lords!¡±


    ¡°Young Xiao! Do not touch that wound!¡± Elder Plum warned quickly, although he did not dare to go any nearer.


    But Xiao Chen did not move; he was looking hard at the mark. During the way to the city, he had spoken to the Three Friends about the blight of the infernal aura. Unlike infections of Devil Qi, which could be expelled by one¡¯s True Energy, this infernal aura taints also the minds of anyone who was afflicted. Not even one as powerful as the Nascent Soul Realm could prevent one¡¯s mind from being corrupted.


    Xiao Chen could see that the wound was still fresh; the scholar must have only been infected recently. He channeled his powers and performed the Cleansing Spell of the Most Pristine¡ªa sorcery of purification from the disciplines of the Mystic Cyan Sect¡ªinjecting his powers into the meridian points of the infirm man. Little lights sparkled on each meridian points of the man where Xiao Chen had administered his sorcery, glimmering brightly like little stars.


    This magic was created for students of the Mystic Cyan Sect to use to save anyone who was corrupted by the influence of evil. Xiao Chen was not sure if it would work this time, but he knew that he had to try. Before long, white vapors of steam rose from Xiao Chen¡¯s head like a chimney as beads of perspiration rolled down his face. A red flush returned to the cheeks of the young man as he was finally restored and the ugly, green mark on his neck slowly vanished.


    Everyone watched in awe, including the Three Friends of Winter, who had never once witnessed sorcery so potent yet so divine. No one was able to do anything to help any heretofore patient. Their loved ones could only watch helplessly as the infected slowly grew an ugly mark on their skin before they lost their minds, slowly becoming mindless fiends who craved only blood and carnage, seeking to sink their teeth into anyone in sight like rabid beasts as the infernal putrescence took hold.


    For months and days, everyone had tried all they could to remove any taint from the infected to no avail. But how was Xiao Chen able to do so?


    Xiao Chen got up. Fortunately for the scholar, he was only freshly infected, otherwise, not even Xiao Chen would able to save him. ¡°You should be all well now,¡± Xiao Chen said to him.


    The scholar got to his knees. He was joined by his elderly parents and they bowed at Xiao Chen¡¯s feet. ¡°Thank you, eminent Immortal! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need for such gestures,¡± Xiao Chen said hastily, helping them up.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t mind your own business, can¡¯t you boy?¡± Zhiluan squealed, heaving a breath of relief. ¡°Continue this road and you might find yourself killed one day.¡±


    The onlookers who had been watching the entire episode were all curious and awed. ¡°Who is this?¡± Some began murmuring, ¡°He cured an infected man¡­¡±


    But the Three Friends were still afraid. Elder Plum approached Xiao Chen cautiously. ¡°Are you truly well, young Xiao?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Xiao Chen replied briskly. And he quickly asked the scholar, ¡°How did you receive the infection of the evil aura?¡±


    ¡°Errr¡­¡± The young man scratched the back of his head, his expression blank with bewilderment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know. I woke up a few days ago in the morning, feeling an indescribable itch on my neck and I scratched on it. But when I looked into the mirror, I saw my neck¡­¡±


    But that was all the information that he could offer. The Three Friends led Xiao Chen and his companions into the city. The Burg of the Feral Phoenix was merely a fraction of the size of Tianyuan City, but it was a large and bustling city nevertheless with soldiers marching about in the arteries of the congested borough to maintain law and order.


    People as busy as ants thronged about in every road, street and avenue; the air of the busy city thick with the racket of talking and footfalls on the cobblestones. Unlike Tianyuan City, where everyone there was dressed in rich silks and gold, the people here were comfortable in their roughspun garments and they greeted the three old men warmly, holding the Three Friends in the highest regard and respect.


    Zhiluan followed at Xiao Chen¡¯s heels, trying its best to keep up. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for so long, old man,¡± it grumbled impatiently, ¡°Is the Governor¡¯s Mansion still far away? I¡¯d expect nothing but the most delicious food and the most refreshing brew¡­ Nothing less for me, you know.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re near, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi,¡± Elder Plum smiled bitterly and said, ¡°You can talk my word for it.¡±


    Before long, the overarching edifice of a handsome mansion loomed ahead, enclosed by imperious walls painted in red with glittering moss-green tiles which were manned by sentries. Four guards watched the main gates of the mansion and they stood in a line, welcoming the Three Friends and showing them in when they got near.


    Once inside, they were ushered past a picturesque courtyard with beautiful gazebos and ornate pavilions that perched on stilts over a large pond of water. The master of the house had surely spared no expense in building the mansion of his dreams, Xiao Chen mused, as his eyes caught sight of the wet remains of snow on the tiles on the walls. Despite the bleakness of winter, the white snowy garden retained very much of its splendor with the plum blossoms blooming sprucely, proudly showcasing their charms to be credits to the conscientious demand for every shred of detail of this magnificent residence.


    As they continued deeper, they encountered many servants busy cleaning up the snow, all of whom stopped to greet the Three Friends.


    Zhiluan marched pompously as if the notion that it was a cat spirit was all but lost, offering much-unwanted criticism and disparagement at every trivial detail it could find, much to the chagrin of the housekeeping staff.


    The Three Friends traded brief glances and smiled wryly. Xiao Chen remained impassive, having long grown accustomed to the Zhiluan¡¯s shenanigans.


    Only Huangfu Xin¡¯er remained cold and aloof. She had hardly spoken anything since the journey. They weaved through several corridors and saw two young lasses who were serving as maids in the house walking towards them. When they got close, they paused and stared at an effusive Zhiluan who was still babbling uncontrollably and were stunned.


    Realizing he was being looked at, Zhiluan crossed its arms proudly and narrowed its eyes at the girls. ¡°What are you looking at!? I am only telling the truth! Believe it or not, the fengshui here is terrible; you attract only the worst misfortune!¡± Zhiluan allowed its arms to fall down. ¡°And never doubt who I am! I am the chosen one, selected by the Jade Emperor himself to come to the Mortal Realm. Would that you knew, that even Tier Three Immortals at the Heavenly Palace greeted me with respect and reverence whenever they see me!¡±


    Xiao Chen delivered a kick into the cat spirit¡¯s hind parts, sending it reeling away with a protesting howl. ¡°My apologies, ladies,¡± he said, smiling, ¡°Please do not mind the meaning ramblings of this insane cat spirit.¡±


    The two handmaidens bowed to the Three Friends before they whispered furtively to each other, ¡°What a cute little cat! It can even talk!¡±


    Zhiluan seethed furiously, indignant at Xiao Chen¡¯s treatment although it could do nothing but glower quietly. They later reached a hall furnished with chairs and tea tables arranged neatly with servants waiting nearby. The staff immediately made tea while one of them left the hall to send for the City Master.


    It did not take long for the City Master to come. He stepped into the hall, a man in the prime age of forty-odd who looked stern and proud in green robes, and his broad and stout physique radiated with the strength of a warrior of the peak Core Forming Realm. He addressed the Three Friends politely, who reported to the City Master their encounter with Xiao Chen, and the City Master turned at once to face the stranger.


    ¡°So, you are Young Master Xiao from the Daoist League of the Five Continents? My, my¡­ You look as strong as they say. My name is Ye Lingfeng.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, City Master Ye.¡± Xiao Chen got to his feet. ¡°I am Xiao Chen of the Jade Qing Sect. This is my Junior Sister Huangfu Xin¡¯er.¡± He gestured at her.


    Ye Lingfeng studied her for a second or two and remarked, ¡°You¡¯re injured, Lady Huangfu. And a serious one at that too.¡± He waved for a steward and barked, ¡°You there! Head to the Elixir Room and fetch me a pill¡ªthe Healing Elixir of the Purple Jade!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled at the City Master and returned a look at Huangfu Xin¡¯er. ¡°I thank you for your kindness, City Master Ye,¡± he responded, saluting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dispense with the formalities. Sit now, and let us talk!¡±


    Zhiluan scowled at being ignored. ¡°MEOW! How dare you ignore my presence!¡±


    Ye Lingfeng regarded the strange cat who was sitting smugly on a chair with a wondrous look. He smiled. ¡°Forgive me, little Immortal Lingzhi. I offer you my apologies, my respect, and my hospitality.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE ¡®Little¡¯ ME!¡± Zhiluan yelled lividly, ¡°I have lived for thousands of years! You could at least address me by ¡®Senior¡¯!¡±


    A few of the servant girls could not help but stifle a giggle at the antics of the cat spirit who looked no more like a venerable elder with more than a thousand years of age, than a ten-year-old child having his tantrum.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Zhiluan said at last, waving its paw dismissively, ¡°I should have known that simple folk like you would know nothing about my greatness. I¡¯ll forgive you, just as long as you prepare the best food for me. I¡¯m famished.¡±


    ¡°Understood, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi,¡± Ye Lingfeng smiled wearily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send word quickly to the kitchens.¡±


    Xiao Chen threw a glare at Zhiluan and hissed, ¡°Can¡¯t you practice a little more restraint in the house of others! You¡¯re embarrassing us! Have some sense at least!¡±


    The cat spirit crossed its arms again indignantly and pursed its lips. ¡°And it is all because of a certain someone who has continually lacked in according me the proper respect and food.¡±


    Two handmaidens appeared not long after, bearing trays of fruits and pastries. With no penchant for dignity and manners, Zhiluan began inhaling the food while Xiao Chen discussed with Ye Lingfeng about the details of the gorge with the evil aura.


    The gorge was a bottomless abyss where no one had ever dared to explore. All had been fine until recently, the infernal aura appeared and began spreading further and further, growing steadily in fervor and malice that no one could go nearer without being infected.


    Anyone who was infected would turn into cruel abominations with an insatiable thirst for blood before succumbing to the sickness. There was no cure. On the contrary, the infection of a cultivator with magical powers could bring about incalculable damage and risk; he or she might be utterly corrupted and become a member of the Devil¡¯s Practice, renewed as a minion of havoc and carnage.


    Ye Lingfeng¡¯s forehead creased with worry. ¡°Is there a problem, City Master?¡± Xiao Chen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± But Ye Lingfeng paused and feigned a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve traveled far, Young Master Xiao. We should have a banquet for you since you¡¯ve only just arrived.¡±


    Just then, a woman in her thirties paced hurriedly into the hall. Her eyes immediately fell on Xiao Chen, anxious and tense, and she asked, ¡°Is, is this the messenger from the Daoist League of the Five Continents?¡±


    ¡°My name is Xiao Chen. How should I address you, Lady?¡± Xiao Chen asked, rising up from his seat.


    ¡°This is my wife, Lady Jiang,¡± Ye Lingfeng introduced with a flustered smile, before he glared with displeasure at her. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Lady Jiang tugged at Xiao Chen¡¯s sleeve, begging dismally with her face fraught with distress and anxiety, ¡°Please, Young Master Xiao! Please save my daughter!¡±

 Chapter 284 - Ye Mulian

    ¡°Err¡­ I¡­¡± Hesitantly, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes wandered to Ye Lingfeng, remembering the Governor¡¯s falter just moments ago. This must be the matter that he had been tentative to broach.


    The silent awkwardness was broken by the sound of a deep breath from Ye Lingfeng. He spoke sullenly, ¡°It¡¯s our daughter, Mulian. She was also infected just over a month ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Over a month ago?¡± Xiao Chen frowned, dreading the worst. The scholar he had just rescued outside the city looked bad enough and he had only contracted the infection just a few days ago. Xiao Chen remembered Gui Xian suddenly and longed for his help, especially if the girl wanted to survive.


    ¡°Please, Master Xiao,¡± Lady Jiang (Ye Lingfeng¡¯s wife) wailed woefully, ¡°Please save my daughter!¡±


    Ye Lingfeng looked equally anguished himself. As father to his daughter, it took every shred of fiber within him to hold himself back from plea for Xiao Chen¡¯s help to cure his daughter, but his dignity got the best of him, reminding him that his guests were from the Five Continents and as host, he should offer them the treatment of his hospitality before any requests can follow. ¡°Please, my wife. Master Xiao has only just arrived. He should have a rest before¡­¡±


    But Xiao Chen raised a hand to stop him. ¡°No matter. Your daughter¡¯s life is at stake and there should be no delay.¡± He threw a look at Zhiluan. ¡°Enough with the food, Leopard Cat Spirit. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°You can go and dip yourself into these muddied waters for all you care! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m in this!¡± Zhiluan flapped its wings, settling down on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder reluctantly.


    ¡°Very well then,¡± Ye Lingfeng muttered uncertainly, ¡°I¡¯ll thank you so much, Master Xiao and you too, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi.¡±


    ¡°Please. It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Xiao Chen replied and he said to Huangfu Xin¡¯er, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Xin¡¯er. It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    They shuffled out of the hall and noticed another elderly man approaching. Xiao Chen sensed that the cyan-robed old man possessed powers of the Core Forming Realm. But he seemed to have great authority in the house that even the Three Friends of Winter greeted him courteously when he came near.


    Xiao Chen stopped and stared at the four-leafed herb symbol on the sleeve of the ancient man¡¯s garb. ¡°I see, n Tier-Four Elixir King,¡± Xiao Chen mused.


    ¡°If I may, Lord Governor, where are you off to?¡±


    The old man spoke gruffly to Governor Ye, if not disrespectful. Ye Lingfeng faltered, loss for words to reply with a bothered look on his face. The Elixir King from South Continent was here on his invitation to help cure his daughter with a promise of a payment of millions of Spirit Stones but he could not bring himself to admit that he had enlisted Xiao Chen¡¯s help to look at his daughter instead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been such great help, Master Gongsun. How is my daughter now?¡±


    ¡°The Young Lady is fine,¡± the master healer replied thinly.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for all your troubles, Master Gongsun,¡± Ye Lingfeng muttered, with the best smile he could put up. But the old man cast a sharp stare at Xiao Chen. ¡°I am Gongsun Tai. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Young Master¡­?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen,¡± Xiao Chen replied benignly. The Elixir King had clearly noticed that he possessed healing magic of his own.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked great lengths to help the Young Lady,¡± Elder Plum quipped, hoping to diffuse the palpable iciness hanging over them. ¡°This is Master Xiao, a guest from the Five Continents who knows some healing magic¡­¡±


    Gongsun Tai cut him off abruptly. ¡°I see. I was also thinking of getting some help. An assistant would do just fine,¡± the ancient healer pointed out coldly.


    His antagonistic sentiment was hardly unexpected; no healers would want others to intrude upon their work before it was finished. It was tantamount to a great insult and disrespect.


    Healers were professions commonly held in the highest regard across the Violet Manor. Conjurers and cultivators could achieve accomplishments through sheer hard work and limited talent. But the same could not be said for healers, who required extraordinary potential lest they become only as useful as glass hammers. This made healers extremely valuable, more so than conjurers and cultivators that a mere Tier-Four healer could easily demand greater reverence than a cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    But Ye Lingfeng would never dare submit Xiao Chen to the inglorious treatment of serving as an assistant. Just as he was at loss for any solution, Zhiluan sneered suddenly. ¡°What a topsy turvy it is that a mere Tier Four healer would dare utter such haughty nonsense before me! Would that you knew, that in the past, even Tier Six Elixir Saints have to bow their heads to me whenever they see me!¡±


    That only served to aggravate the tension in the narrow corridor. Fuming, Gongsun Tai shot an angry glare at Zhiluan, who immediately cowered behind Xiao Chen¡¯s back.


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°My apologies, Master Gongsun.¡± He bowed. ¡°This wretched leopard cat spirit knows nothing about manners. Please do not mind his indelicacies.¡±


    ¡°HUMPH!¡± Gongsun Tai snorted indignantly and snapped, ¡°Come!¡± He turned and led everyone ahead, albeit resentfully.


    The Three Friends walked with him and did their best to flatter and cajole the old healer, hoping to please him but to no avail, Gongsun Tai had scarcely even looked at them.


    Zhiluan perched on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and huffed scornfully, ¡°I was merely speaking the truth! A mere Tier-Four healer! Wait till he reaches higher, I bet his nose will touch the sky!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. It was amusing for him to see a Tier-Four healer enduring the contempt and derision from the leopard cat spirit.


    But Gongsun Tai missed no word from the leopard cat spirit, to say the least. His face looked darker by the second as he thought lividly, ¡°Let¡¯s see how capable you are, mongrel pup!¡±


    They snaked through several courtyards and corridors before they finally arrived at a little cottage that looked out to a small parterre filled with blooming plum blossoms. Two maids were watching the entrance, their faces obscured by masks. Seeing the Governor¡¯s arrival with some guests, they immediately prepared some masks for everyone and distributed them.


    Gongsun Tai extracted a mask from his own pocket and put on a pair of gloves knitted of threads of gold before he allowed himself in.


    Elders Bamboo and Pine waited outside, while the rest entered the compound with masks. As they grew closer to the cottage, they heard the intermittent spurts of coughs coming from inside. With his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen could see a sickly young girl lying on a bed of silken sheets, covered in a thin blanket.


    ¡°Is that you¡­ Father? I¡¯m fine¡­ Please don¡¯t come in, Father¡­¡±


    Her husky voice rang sickly sweet, although she stopped sporadically to draw short and quick breaths. Her condition was worsening. ¡°WHAT IS HAPPENING, MASTER GONGSUN!?¡± Ye Lingfeng thundered.


    Looking terribly ugly, Gongsun Tai pushed past the doors with everyone else in tow. Lady Jiang¡¯s eyes immediately reddened at the sight of her bedridden daughter and rushed forward but Xiao Chen held her back, ¡°Please, Lady Jiang. Please calm down.¡±


    He walked to the bed and reached for the abed girl¡¯s slender wrist. His two fingers touched her tender skin to check her pulse, but she instinctively drew her hand back, gasping hoarsely, ¡°Please¡­ Sir.. Please don¡¯t touch me¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Young Lady,¡± Xiao Chen replied, ¡°I know a little about healing.¡± He was not in the least afraid of being infected.


    Gongsun Tai remained at a corner, watching gleefully as he thought, ¡°Your days are numbered, Boy. This infernal infection is so contagious that I myself had to check her pulse through a screen. What a fool you are to touch her.¡±


    The frown on Xiao Chen¡¯s face grew deeper. Noticing this, Gongsun Tai jeered sardonically, ¡°What is it, young one? Have you found anything?¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing. The infection of the dark matter had invaded her internal organs, nerve and meridian points, including that of her brain. There was hardly anything he could do for her, unless he could get any help from Gui Xian.


    The palpable silence in the room that seemed to be substantiated by Xiao Chen¡¯s grim reticence did little to mitigate Ye Lingfeng¡¯s dread which was broken only by Lady Jiang¡¯s stifled sobs.


    ¡°Master Xiao, is there really no¡­¡± His voice broke.


    Zhiluan uttered as-a-matter-of-factly, ¡°It¡¯s too late. In Buddhist medicine, the three samadhis¡ªthe three main organs: the heart, the liver, and the bladder¡ªare most vital to the human body. With all three of them infected, she¡¯s beyond help now!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what!¡± Ye Lingfeng and his wife spun to look at the leopard cat spirit, before they almost reeled in vertigo of sadness at the distressing revelation.


    Xiao Chen glowered at Zhiluan. ¡°Have some decency!¡± He got up and approached the Governor of the Burg. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might need some time. The infection has had plenty of time to grow in the Young Lady.¡±


    Gongsun Tai almost snorted. ¡°Apparently, a mouth that works better than his hands.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me how did the Young Lady contract this disease?¡±


    Ye Lingfeng began his tale with a long and heavy sigh. As it turned out, Ye Mulian was skilled in healing since a very young age. Out of sympathy for the infected, she had tried to help them. Still, in spite of her caution, her long hours of working with the infected had seen her afflicted herself.


    Ye Mulian smiled weakly at her father, exhaling feebly. ¡°Hush¡­ Father, Mother. I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    But the frown on Xiao Chen¡¯s face loosened not one bit. ¡°She has at most a month left. Would that Gui Xian was here; he would be able to cure her in just three days.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡±


    He would have cared not a fig if it was a man who was on the brink of death. But Ye Mulian was a young and gorgeous lass in the prime of her life. He would feel terribly sorry if she would have to die so pitifully.


    ¡°Governor Ye. I¡¯ll need your help procuring these herbs¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen gave the Governor a list of rare herbs. Ye Mulian¡¯s life was on a knife¡¯s edge now and her best chance now lay with Xiao Chen¡¯s notes from Gui Xian¡¯s Elixir King Scripture. With hope, the prescription from the Scripture would be able to rescue her yet.


    Sniveling at his corner, Gongsun Tai listened intently to the names of the herbs that Xiao Chen recited. ¡°What in the world? Does he really intend to cure the girl with these plants?¡±


    Two servant girls returned not more than an hour later with the herbs. Xiao Chen took the packages of medicinal shrubs from them and went to Ye Mulian¡¯s bedside. He tapped on several points of her body, sending jolts of magic into her to help stabilize her condition. ¡°I¡¯m going to brew the medicine,¡± he instructed Zhiluan gravely, ¡°Stay here and keep watch. Alert me at once if there are any changes to her.¡±


    The rest might possess powerful magic, but they were still ordinary humans nonetheless. Zhiluan was the only one who would be able to first notice anything wrong with Ye Mulian, since it was a leopard cat spirit who had survived for millennia, and he would have to alter the dosage of the medicine if the girl¡¯s condition worsens.


    ¡°Go ahead then.¡± Zhiluan waved its paws dismissively. ¡°But let it be on record that I¡¯m only here to keep watch. I¡¯m not to be blamed if she dies suddenly.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Xiao Chen hissed and rushed out with his packs of plants.


    Gongsun Tai watched Xiao Chen leaving with suspicious glares. He was curious about how Xiao Chen would brew his medicine, but he understood full well the untold rule of anonymity of healers when they worked. A healer must brew his medicine alone and away from prying eyes. As a Tier Four Elixir King, there was no way he could pry upon a junior which he considered inferior, lest his reputation would suffer.

 Chapter 285 - The Three Samadhis

    Chapter 285 The Three SamadhisCradling the packages of herbs, Xiao Chen retreated to a small cabin where he instructed a pair of maids to help him prepare a furnace. He busied himself in his work and returned four hours later, coming back to Ye Mulian¡¯s room with a bowl of medicine.


    Just as he walked in, the smell from the medicine filled the room with a pungent but naturally sweet-smelling aroma. Everyone gaped with silence, especially Gongsun Tai who eyed him with disbelief.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that brewing medicine would take you so long,¡± Zhiluan grumbled disdainfully, ¡°What a shame.¡±


    Xiao Chen merely smiled. He walked to the bed and placed the bowl down. ¡°Come on, Leopard Cat Spirit,¡± he said suddenly, ¡°This bowl of medicine still needs something.¡±


    ¡°Ah? What else do you still lack¡­¡± Zhiluan muttered at first, before he noticed the knowing stare from Xiao Chen and a wicked smile curling on the edges of his lips. A sense of dread dawned upon him when he finally realized, staggering backward up against a wall. ¡°B-boy!? HOW DARE YOU! I¡¯m warning you! You¡¯ll not get away with this!¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just a little bit. I¡¯ll give you some elixirs that would help increase your powers after this as compensation.¡±


    ¡°Y-you! D*mmit!¡±


    Zhiluan dragged itself to the bowl. Biting hard on its paws, it grimaced at the pain and watched mournfully as a drop of blood from its wound dripped into the bowl.


    Fearful that Xiao Chen might squeeze another drop out of it, Zhiluan immediately drew away like a bolt of lightning as soon as his drop of blood splashed into the medicinal tonic.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Xiao Chen jested, chuckling. ¡°The drop would do the trick,¡± he mused.


    Enraged, Zhiluan squealed in protest from his corner. Knowing full well the medicinal qualities of the blood of Immortal Lingzhis, Elder Plum went over to him and offered some consolation, ¡°My deepest thanks, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi. You¡¯ve been a great help¡­¡±


    ¡°HUMPH! I¡¯d be expecting good food for all this trouble I¡¯ve been through!¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course! As you wish.¡±


    Xiao Chen lifted the bowl and brought it closer to the sickly girl. ¡°Come, drink up, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank, thank you Master Xiao. I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡± She got up herself, albeit with difficulty and took over the bowl, gulping down its contents slowly.


    Ye Lingfeng and the rest looked on, the looks on their faces fully conveying their concern and apprehension, their breaths held as they prayed for the medicine to work. Slowly, the mark on Ye Mulian¡¯s neck diminished a little and relieved smiles began breaking on everyone¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Good Heavens! It works! Thank you, Master Xiao! Thank you so much!¡±


    Ye Lingfeng was beaming with reprieve and joy, while Gongsun Tai was sulking in his corner. ¡°It¡¯s only working because of the Spirited Lingzhi,¡± he snorted quietly.


    Tears of happiness streamed down Lady Jiang¡¯s cheeks and she was only held back by Xiao Chen before she could have rushed to her daughter and hugged her. But it was still too early before Ye Mulian was fully cured and allowed to be in contact with anyone.


    Ye Mulian smiled. ¡°Thank you, Master Xiao¡­ But¡­ do you not fear of being infected yourself¡­¡±


    It had been so long since she last felt the tantalizing touch from another person¡¯s hand. She had been a pariah, a leper whom everyone in the house had been giving a wide berth ever since she was discovered to have contracted the infection of the infernal aura. Even her parents had been kept away from her at Gongsun Tai¡¯s insistence, and they had been continually advised against entering this cottage.


    She had abandoned all hoping, longing only for a quick death, until the coming of this young man whom she never before saw, who had restored hope to her in his courage to help cure her.


    ¡°Rest assured that I¡¯ll be fine, Young Lady,¡± said Xiao Chen to her, ¡°I have a gift. A gift that protects me from any infections or malignant influences.¡±


    Zhiluan scoffed, its paws crossed at its chest, ¡°Just you wait. Sooner or later, you might get infected yourself. We¡¯ll see who¡¯ll save you then.¡±


    ¡°Let us hope that I¡¯ll indeed contract the disease then. Then I¡¯ll have you to hope for.¡± Xiao Chen looked at the leopard cat spirit and chuckled.


    ¡°NEVER!¡± Zhiluan bellowed with horror, clutching its wounded paw.


    The episode drew Gongsun Tai¡¯s attention as his eyes wandered to this thousand-year-old Spirited Lingzhi.


    Xiao Chen chuckled and took out an elixir that glowed with pearly-white sheen. ¡°Take this, Young Lady,¡± Xiao Chen said gently to Ye Mulian.


    From his corner, Gongsun Tai¡¯s eyes narrowed as he peered intently at the pill. As a Tier Four Elixir King, he could see that it takes at least one as skillful as a Tier Three Elixir Master to produce an elixir of such quality. ¡°Who in the world is this young man?¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao,¡± he asked suddenly, ¡°May I have the privilege to have the name of your teacher?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Chen turned and asked curiously, ¡°Which faculties of mine are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Why, healing of course.¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°I was fortunate to make an acquaintance with a senior just a few months ago. I have had the chance to learn a thing or two from him, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not in the position to divulge his name.¡±


    Gongsun Tai gave no other answer nor did he press on further. Instead, thoughts swam in his mind as distant memory came back to him about a certain Tier Eight Sage of Medicine who had mysteriously gone into hiding with no news left of him.


    Tier-two, Tier-four, Tier-Six, and Tier-Eight healers were commonly known as Elixir Masters, Elixir Kings, Elixir Saints and the Sages of Healing. There was also a Tier-nine, reserved especially for the best of the best, although no one, barring legends and tales, had actually achieved the most prestigious title of Healers before.


    The shadows below the timbers stretched like a bony finger as the evening sun beckoned from the western horizons. Xiao Chen could only suppress the spread of Ye Mulian¡¯s infection for now. He¡¯d need more study on Gui Xian¡¯s notes and observation of her condition before the blight of the infernal aura could be utterly expelled.


    He settled some arrangements and everyone left the cottage. Zhiluan began howling about his throbbing hunger to the amusement and chagrin of Elder Plum and the others. Fortunately for them, the kitchens had prepared the food ready as was instructed by Elder Plum earlier.


    At the dining hall, Elder Plum presented to Zhiluan a dish of steamed carp. ¡°This dish is called The Frozen Carp¡­


    And this, The Envied Fish¡­


    And this, The Decisive Harvest¡­¡±


    Zhiluan pored over the food with mouth-watering delight, nodding with approval at the dishes before him. He pointed a paw at a soup of spring onions. ¡°Why is there no fish in this?¡±


    Elder Plum feigned a bashful cough and cleared his throat. Quietly, he muttered with a chuckle, ¡°That dish is called the Crystal Spring¡­¡±


    ¡°YOU! HOW DARE YOU!¡± Zhiluan bellowed, ¡°This is a farce! Crystal Spring my eye! A clear soup with no fish?!¡±


    A pair of chopsticks banged on its paw. It was Xiao Chen. ¡°Enough of that. You never have enough of fish, do you? Sometimes I wonder if you are actually a cat demon masquerading as an Immortal Lingzhi.¡±


    After the meal, Xiao Chen went out to have an evening walk around the city. He made some purchases along the way, procuring some medicinal herb. Between the abundance of potions and elixirs in the Governor¡¯s private stores and the Three Friends of Winter who had offered in helping to heal Huangfu Xin¡¯er, Xiao Chen focused merely on helping with Ye Mulian¡¯s condition before he began seeking a way back to Tianyuan City.


    He then returned to his studies, riffling through the pages of Gui Xian¡¯s notes until he finally came upon an entry about the infection of the infernal blight. But there was little he could do, at least for now, with his lacking skills in healing.


    It was midnight and the blare of the third gong of the night resounded through the silent house. Xiao Chen was still wide awake, his forehead creased in a troubled frown. ¡°Fool though the leopard cat spirit may be, it is right,¡± Xiao Chen brooded quietly, ¡°Humans have three samadhis: the heart, the liver, and the bladder.¡±


    ¡°With all three infected, expelling the infernal matter now affecting the girl is well nigh impossible.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still up for, lad¡­¡±


    Zhiluan wrapped itself comfortably in his blanket, mumbling in his sleep. Xiao Chen had intentionally asked to share a room with him in fear of Gongsun Tai, who might be coveting the Immortal Lingzhi for his own.


    ¡°Hey, stupid cat. Do you know any way to expel the infection from one¡¯s liver, heart, and bladder?¡±


    ¡°Good grief¡­ Fish¡­ Fish¡­ Don¡¯t take my fish¡­¡±


    The following morning, Xiao Chen was in the yard, pounding some medicine with Zhiluan beside him, helping him in selecting them. Two young men walked up to them. Xiao Chen peered at them and recognized the two men, one clad in green and the other purple, as students of Gongsun Tai.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    As he spoke, Xiao Chen reached and took an herb that Zhiluan had selected for him, hardly even looking at them. The man in green grew annoyed at Xiao Chen¡¯s indifference and muttered, ¡°We heard that you possessed skills in healing. We are here, humbly seeking your advice and demonstration!¡±


    ¡°Advice and demonstration¡± were nothing more than a challenge to a duel. Xiao Chen smiled thinly and said, ¡°I see. What do you wish me to advise on and demonstrate?¡±


    Xiao Chen spoke as if he was a tutor giving a lesson to the pair of young men and this angered them. Feeling that Xiao Chen was being haughty, the man in purple remarked, ¡°How about a duel. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll be able to cure Young Lady Ye the quickest!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m trying to save a life, not contesting a duel with it,¡± said Xiao Chen before he said nonchalantly to Zhiluan, ¡°Hand me eight grams peony roots, Leopard Cat Spirit.¡±


    ¡°That does it! How dare you treat me like a menial laborer! Remember about your promise! I¡¯ll hold you to it!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. You have them as soon as we¡¯ve returned to Tianyuan City.¡±


    The two irate young men grew livid at being ignored. ¡°You are a confident one, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man in purple sneered. ¡°I trust your history to be an illustrious one too. Three years ago, I have fought a battle at Xishan where I slew thirty-two enemies from the Devil¡¯s Practice and I saved the lives of seventeen who were infected by the infernal aura! And last year, I had earned a Foundation Building Elixir of impeccable quality!¡±


    ¡°And two years ago,¡± continued the man in purple, ¡°I¡¯ve slain eighteen monsters and demons before I extracted their souls to brew elixirs and pills! Surely you have your own tales of heroics to tell?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled, still in engrossed in his work as he nonchalantly remarked, ¡°Nothing much, although I¡¯d slain a dragon by chance and killed a warrior of the Nascent Soul Realm. I¡¯d say I have scarcely anything to bluster about when it comes to curing people.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The two men guffawed with contempt after hearing Xiao Chen. ¡°You¡¯re good with your hyperbole; I¡¯d give you that. You should even add that you¡¯ve slain a cultivator of the Nirvana Realm before!¡±


    ¡°Maybe that will come soon enough,¡± Xiao Chen muttered lightly as he received another herb from Zhiluan.


    The two men were laughing their heads off when cascades of slight footfalls came from outside the yard, before a voice that froze the air around them rang from behind.


    ¡°He was not in the least joking.¡±

 Chapter 286 - The Return (1)

    Huangfu Xin¡¯er stood at the gate outside the yard, looking in her best since she got injured. Xiao Chen got up and brushed the soot off his hands. He walked over to her and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. You should be resting indoors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Her voice sent a chill down all that heard her as if her voice, like a glacier that never melts, was colder than the harsh frost around them, that the two young men were stunned beyond words.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead curdled into a frown as he placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to return to Tianyuan City from here, Xin¡¯er. How about resting for a few more days until you feel back, hmmm?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er let out a cold and cynical smirk. Her eyes drifted to the herbs strewn across the cobbled ground of the yard before they shifted to the pestle lying idly on the ground and the mortal still containing half-grounded herbs. Derisively, she mocked, ¡°The Young Lady must be a gorgeous lass, is she not?¡±


    ¡°Wha-what?!¡±


    ¡°What else would explain your zeal in searching for these herbs? Would you have done the same for a man instead?¡±


    Xiao Chen could find no words to contradict her; she was right, he would have hardly cared if the patient was a man. And the two now standing behind him would have ensured that.


    ¡°Heh heh heh, so stay if you will. I bid you an early congratulation, if in any case, you end up as the Governor¡¯s son-in-law. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    With an icy tone, she left her message and brusquely turned to leave.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er! Wait! Listen to me!¡±


    Xiao Chen ran up to her and wrapped a strong hand around her forearm to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s very far from here to Tianyuan City. You¡¯re hardly fit enough for a journey so far. Moreover, I have given my word to Governor Ye that I will help him cure his daughter. Would you not wait for me so that we could go back together?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er turned to face him, her eyes, steady and untrembling, held him in a fixed stare. ¡°Are you staying because of my injury or because of the Young Lady¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be contravening to me¡­¡± Xiao Chen muttered sheepishly after a heartbeat of thought.


    ¡°Humph.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er snorted wryly and walked away, leaving him frozen at where he stood.


    There he stood for seconds, watching helplessly as she walked away. At length, he meandered back to the yard and saw the two young men still waiting for him. Irate with annoyance, he hissed at them, ¡°What are you lot still doing here?¡±


    ¡°HUMPH!¡± The two men threw their sleeves disdainfully into the air and left the yard.


    Zhiluan stood in front of him and muttered jauntily, having witnessed the entire episode, ¡°How sweet youth is, to feel Love¡¯s keen bite¡­¡±


    ¡°Bite my foot!¡± Xiao Chen snarled at him.


    Xiao Chen remained a valued guest at the Governor¡¯s manor for the next ten days where he finally succeeded in expelling the infernal aura from Ye Mulian¡¯s body. News of her recovery enraptured the all and sundry of the city and the household save for Gongsun Tai and his two disciples, who were seething with indignance and jealousy as they began to realize that the only chance to redeem their dignity would only be to challenge Xiao Chen.


    Even though the days had passed without any work on his magic, but Xiao Chen¡¯s improvements in the skills of brewing medicine had all but made up for it. More so, that he was confident that his mastery in healing made him no inferior than any common Tier Four Elixir Kings in the Violet Manor.


    It was finally time for them to return to Tianyuan City; it has been two months since they were transported here. Moreover, Huangfu Xin¡¯er had made a great recovery. She was still behind her full strength, but her condition was ready for the journey.


    At their sending off back to the Five Continents, Ye Lingfeng brought an entourage with him to meet them. For their trip home, Elder Plum had had a Flying-Cloud Stone prepared and stocked with provisions. Two of his students would be coming along to see them off safely. Outside the city, Ye Lingfeng saluted humbly. ¡°I¡¯m greatly indebted to you, Master Xiao! Safe journeys, I bid you!¡±


    Standing at her father¡¯s elbows, Ye Mulian smiled shyly. ¡°It¡¯ll be a long journey, Master Xiao. Best of luck!¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned, happy to see her restored as well. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we¡¯ll meet again, everyone.¡± To the Three Friends of Winter, he said, ¡°Rest assured that I will report about everything here¡ªincluding the blight of the infernal aura¡ªto the Daoist League of the Five Continents, Seniors.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Thank you so much, Young One.¡±


    The huge fanfare of Xiao Chen¡¯s departure attracted many onlookers who thronged the gates of the city to watch. ¡°Who is that? Even the Governor is sending him off personally¡­¡± Some began murmuring with interest.


    ¡°An emissary from the Daoist League of the Five Continents, or so I heard. They say he could even cure patients infected from the unholy aura.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It¡¯s glad tidings indeed for everyone here at this Burg.¡±


    Thousands of eyes watched intently as the Flying-cloud Stone rose up into the air and glided towards the horizons. Xiao Chen was in good spirits. It was long since he parted with Xian¡¯er and his Brother Yifeng and at long last, he could finally meet them again.


    Zhiluan dropped itself onto a soft bed made of hay. A bundle of cloth was hanging from its neck, filled with dried fish fillet Elder Plum had made especially for it. Xiao Chen peered at the bundle with narrowed eyes, wondering, ¡°A powerful conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm, making dried fish fillets for a cat¡­¡±


    The flying-cloud stone climbed tirelessly in the air for miles. The sun was way off faraway and Xiao Chen could only surmise that it was near evening. The Burg of the Feral Phoenix must be thousands of miles behind by now, he mused. He leaned himself on a stone slab and shut his eyes, reminiscing the year-long period that he had spent in the Violet Manor and the Three Pure Sect in the Human World.


    ¡°How are they?¡± he wondered, longing for the three princes, Xiao Han, Xiao Wan¡¯er, Shangguan Yan and his friends there. He remembered his promise that he would return. ¡°And so I will,¡± he said to himself, ¡°I must go back once I reached the Nascent Soul Realm.¡±


    Suddenly, the Flying-cloud Stone shuddered so strongly that Zhiluan was almost tossed off and it yelped with fright. The first thing Xiao Chen did when he opened his eyes was to make sure that Huangfu Xin¡¯er was fine.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    One of Elder Plum¡¯s students said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re just caught up in a cold wave from the ranges of the Thousand Summits Mountain. Are we going over now, Senior Brother Xiao?¡±


    Unlike the warm sunshine of the Burg they had left behind, they had found themselves grappling with the harsh chilly winds of the Thousand Summits Mountain that stretched higher than thirty thousand feet. The icy walls of the unscalable mountain loomed over them, blazing blue and crystalline in the pale sunlight. The Flying-cloud Stone would have to fly to the altitude of forty thousand feet to pass over this leviathan obstacle.


    But even with the best Flying-cloud Stone of the Burg, well-stocked with spirit energy fuel, could hardly prevent from malfunctioning at the altitude of forty thousand feet. Xiao Chen shuddered to think about what would happen to them if the stone conveyance fails and plummets.


    There was no way his flying sword magic would work in such altitude, nor would his Phoenix Wings be of any help. Zhiluan screamed, ¡°I suggest circumventing this mountain! It¡¯s so high that even I, the great one can¡¯t fly over this!¡±


    ¡°The range of the Thousand Summits Mountain extends endlessly into the horizon. There¡¯s no way to circumvent this never-ending barrier of ice, save from above,¡± said the other of the pair, ¡°Hold on tight! We¡¯ll begin our climb now!¡±


    ¡°So be it then,¡± Xiao Chen muttered resolutely, nodding grimly.


    They began gasping for breath as the stone conveyance began its steep climb upwards, skimming the side of the wall as they rose. The air was becoming thin and that made it difficult to breathe, especially with the frost, which caused icy crusts to grow at the ends of everyone¡¯s eyebrows.


    At long last, the Flying-cloud Stone blew past the thick swirling mists and clouds beyond the crest of the Thousand Summit Mountains, rising higher than its peak by three hundred meters. Zhiluan shivered and sneezed, gaping immediately at the mucus freezing instantly as soon as the thick, viscous fluid flowed out of its nose.


    ¡°Heavens! What cold is this?! Where¡¯s your jade pendant, boy?¡±


    Xiao Chen snuck a hand into his robes wordlessly and dug for his Fire-heart Jade and tossed it to Zhiluan. With their True Energy to ward off the cold, Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er were hardly perturbed by the frost.


    Shaking like a rickety bridge over a wildly rushing river, the Flying-cloud Stone skittered over the top of the mammoth ice barrier that cut off the Burg and its vicinity areas from the outside world. The top of the mountain range was so far and wide that they had yet to see anything resembling an end even after two hours of flying. The storm was more bitter and rigid here in comparison to the Thousand Summit Mountain that Xiao Chen once came from, and the continual shuddering of the stone conveyance only made the ride all the more unbearable.


    The twilight of sundown was streaking over the western skies when they finally passed through the mountain range, a feat where few, if not none, had all but failed. The two disciples shared a look and smiled, relieved at their success. They had been worried sick throughout the journey over the mountain range, fearing with butterflies in the stomach at the dreadful prospect of the Flying-stone Cloud failing.


    The pair of students immediately descended to a lower altitude. Warmer air caressed their skins, soothing them from the chilly bite of cold they felt earlier. In the dark, they could not see where they were hence, they decided against flying too low.


    But Xiao Chen could see that they were in a rocky wilderness. For an entire night, they flew non-stop until they reached a little hamlet when the break of dawn shone at the horizons.


    They landed their conveyance and went to the hamlet to have their breakfast and rested until they were ready to continue in the afternoon. The journey took another three days of poor and terrible weather until they finally reached the borders of the Middle Continent. Xiao Chen sat atop the flying stone, looking down at the views beneath him with the surrealistic feeling as if he had returned to civilization after months and years of being in the wilderness.


    They were still in the South of the Middle Continent and the journey to Tianyuan City would take another three days.


    The three days passed quickly, the Flying-cloud Stone lowered gracefully before the gates of the Tianyuan City and Xiao Chen recognized the devastation of the site not far away when he practiced using the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames technique.


    ¡°After two months¡­ Finally, we¡¯re back, although I am sure that there are people hoping for the worst for me,¡± Xiao Chen muttered, stretching himself as his eyes set upon the gates of the largest and busiest city in the Middle Province.


    ¡°And you¡¯d do well to remember your promise to me, the elixirs!¡± Zhiluan reminded.


    ¡°All right, all right¡­¡±


    The Flying-cloud Stone screeched to a halt, much to the protest of those before the gates. A few bolts of light shot down from the air and ripped apart the protective magic of the stone conveyance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve indeed returned, Xiao Chen¡­¡±

 Chapter 287 - The Return (2)

    Chapter 287 The Return (2)The seven dark-cloaked assassins had been waiting for them! The students of Elder Plum were startled to see themselves ambushed, ¡°YOU! Who are¡­¡±


    Two magic bolts flayed at them before they could finish, but Xiao Chen reappeared out of nowhere to parry the magic bolts. He looked coldly at the seven assassins pursuing them. ¡°You¡¯ve come for me. Spare the others.¡± He sent a jolt of True Energy into the Flying-cloud Stone, giving it a nosedive down to earth. With a deafening crash, it landed on the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to get to Tianyuan City from here. Leave everything else to me and go back!¡± With that, Xiao Chen lunged at the seven men.


    Elder Plum¡¯s students immediately steered their stone conveyance up into the sky and bolted back in the direction from whence they came.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er threw herself into the fray to assist Xiao Chen. With most of her powers returned, she turned into a deep scarlet mist that enveloped the seven men, lashing them raw with her razor-sharp fingernails which had elongated like menacing fangs, leaving death and decay in her wake.


    The battle waged for tens of minutes with hardly any side showing any signs of giving or taking the battle. The seven men held their ground with a synergy so impeccable that could only be whetted from countless hours of tireless training, hardly dissimilar to the modus operandi of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    In a brief moment of respite, Xiao Chen landed before a huge boulder. An angry glare from him flashed furiously at his attackers. ¡°At least allow me the name of the man who has commissioned you for my life.¡±


    By now, Xiao Chen was quite as good as certain that these seven men were operating under commands from neither the Clans of Ling and Zuoqiu. Their tenacity and skills were proof enough that they must be working for a faction far stronger and powerful.


    ¡°Nothing that a dead man needs to concern himself with!¡± The leader of the seven hissed ominously. As he spoke, he pounced forward, sending an arc-like magical bolt from his saber that missed Xiao Chen barely by tens of feet and slammed into the boulder behind him, smashing it to smithereens.


    ¡°Your skills and synergy are immaculate and even rare. But hark my words: you are still miles behind the most dangerous and deadly assassination squad that walks this earth: the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon¡­¡±


    A deathly and putrid aura, reeking of blood and decay, immediately shrouded the woods around the clearing, before twelve voices echoed across the glade in unison, ¡°PRAY FORGIVE OUR LATENESS, MASTER!¡±


    The leader of the seven yanked his head back in surprise, only to find that all six of his subordinates were lying in puddles of blood, their heads all missing.


    ¡°Your courage to dare intercept me so near to Tianyuan City is admirable. But how will that courage fare you against my most subordinates¡­¡±


    For once, the lone man found himself almost petrified by fear. Frantically weaving the spell for his Earth-fleeing Skill, he rushed to formulate his escape when Xiao Chen breathed with ice in his voice, ¡°Qingluan.¡±


    Two shafts of light streaked from the thickets around the man, followed by a loud crack that rang like the splitting of wood and blood began pouring from him. He collapsed to the ground, trisected at his head and waist.


    Xiao Chen watched with dismay; he had wanted Qingluan to capture the man alive to find out the secret identity of his enemy. But everything was too late now.


    ¡°MEOW! What a horrible this is!¡± Zhiluan shrieked with fright, its cat head finally appearing from behind a tree.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er walked to Xiao Chen and surveyed the twelve ravishing lasses now standing before them. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± she muttered frigidly without allowing Xiao Chen to respond and transformed into a brilliant red glow that streaked towards Tianyuan City.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡± Xiao Chen sighed. This parting would see them both as strangers once more, he feared.


    After a heartbeat, Qingluan came to him. ¡°Master,¡± she addressed Xiao Chen, ¡°Shall we be returning to Tianyuan City?¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned gently at her, amused at her ever-so-serious demeanor. ¡°Ah,¡± he said suddenly, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m returning today?¡±


    ¡°We have been patrolling around here for signs of you, Master,¡± Ziyun¡¯er quipped, ¡°We¡¯ve discovered the trails of these seven men loitering suspiciously around here lately, so we laid around here in hiding. Where have you been, Master? We were worried sick and were beginning to think if you¡¯d abandoned us for good.¡±


    ¡°Impudence!¡± Qingluan snapped at once.


    Ziyun¡¯er stuck a tongue out playfully. Xiao Chen giggled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll tell you everything when I have the chance later. How fares Tianyuan City now? Is there anyone else who had been missing?¡±


    ¡°You were right that you were not the only one missing, other than the Empress of the Heartless Palace who was evidently with you, Master,¡± Qingluan revealed, ¡°There¡¯s another who¡¯s yet to return, Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect.¡±


    Xiaoyue? So she¡¯s missing too? Xiao Chen mused quietly. Immediately he asked, ¡°So she¡¯s not back yet until now?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Master. Lady Xiaoyue has yet to show herself.¡±


    ¡°Is she still lost, or is she remaining in hiding?¡± Xiao Chen began wondering, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Could she be hiding in the bowels of Tianyuan City? But what for? Is she trying to mislead everyone into thinking that she is missing herself for some unknown designs? But this would mean she would have nothing to do with everything that has happened in Tianyuan City until now.¡±


    His thoughts wandered to the night in the Forest of Illusory Moon, when Qin Xinyan had spoken privately to him after his help in defeating Wan Gufeng. Qin Xinyan had led him aside to divulge to him a secret about their previous excursion to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City.


    When everyone was still trapped in the illusion during their incursion into the accursed desert city, Xiaoyue was the first to free herself from the hallucinations while Qin Xinyan was the second. He woke up in time to witness Xiaoyue¡¯s intent to murder Xiao Chen. But being weaker than the leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect, he could only remain quiet and observe while pretending to be still asleep. Fortunately for Xiao Chen, Xu Gu woke up just seconds after and Xiaoyue was forced to abandon any intents to kill Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen felt himself slick with cold sweat on his back as Qin Xinyan revealed to him Xiaoyue¡¯s treachery. He could fully comprehend how close he was from Death when he was still trapped in the illusory domain at that time and Xiaoyue could have easily slain him with a lift of her finger. ¡°To think that the witch even suggested an alliance,¡± he reflected bitterly.


    ¡°Who is this Xiaoyue actually, Master?¡± Qingluan asked suddenly, interrupting his thoughts when she saw him frowning to himself.


    Xiao Chen recovered just as quickly and shook his head wearily. ¡°All of you must be wary of her. She¡¯s a cunning and devious figure, not one you should be trifling with.¡±


    Wearing a smug and self-satisfied grin, Zhiluan marched over. Ziyun¡¯er looked at it and cried, ¡°Why are you here, you scaredy-cat!¡±


    ¡°My name is Zhiluan!¡± Zhiluan thundered at the top of its voice. But it quickly collected itself and spoke imperiously to Xiao Chen, ¡°Humph! You would have long died in the snowy mountaintop if not for me, boy! You¡¯d do best to remember this!¡±


    ¡°Oh? So this cat has its uses after all!¡± With her psychokinesis magic, she summoned the cat up into her arms, giggling cheerfully.


    ¡°Meow! Let go! Let go of me!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked in the direction of Tianyuan City. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± he said, ¡°But quietly. It¡¯s best to keep low for now.¡±


    Xiao Chen got himself informed of the happenings in Tianyuan City since his disappearance. Most of the conjurers from the rest of the other sects and schools had entered the Violet Illusory Land to train where one could enjoy improvements never before experienced outside. Thanks to this boon, Zuoqiu Yang and Ling Fei, among many others were now mere paces away from reaching Nascent Soul Realm.


    That would also mean that those formerly weaker than him were now beyond him in powers and magic. Xiao Chen could not help but feel tense and uneasy by this; not only he had lost millennia of time, but he had also lost another two months and was getting left behind.


    Finally, Ziyun¡¯er had another news: a Clan of Mo had emerged from nowhere, claiming to be one of the six most ancient houses. They had appeared almost a couple of weeks after Xiao Chen¡¯s disappearance while making no attempts to conceal their intention to challenge Xiao Chen to a duel.


    ¡°Could it be Mo Yu?¡± Xiao Chen wondered instinctively, thinking of the traitor whom he last encountered during his time at the Three Pure Sect. ¡°Could it really be him?¡± He took a deep, melancholic breath and exhaled wearily. ¡°The enemies just keep coming out of the woodwork and each of them is stronger than the last.¡±


    ¡°First, the Clans of Ling and Zuoqiu, then a heretofore-unknown school of conjurers who call themselves the Fallen Immortals Sect. Notwithstanding a Xiaoyue whose loyalties still wavers like a grass stalk in the wind. Worst, my final nemesis is still waiting¡ªQianyu Nishang! She who had betrayed me thousands of years ago, could already be an Immortal King of the Heavens now!¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his fingers, swallowing hard before damping his lips with saliva. ¡°The enemies will only keep on growing and I cannot suffer any more delays! POWER! POWER! That is just what I need and I need to climb as quickly as possible!¡±


    An hour later, they reached Tianyuan City. To prevent from being noticed, Xiao Chen sent Qingluan and her sisters ahead to the Daoist League of the Five Continents to inform Zi Mo.


    On the way, Xiao Chen had expressly warned Zhiluan to be careful; the perils that lurked in Tianyuan City were no lesser than the Burg of the Feral Phoenix they had just returned from and it was only prudent that Zhiluan should keep itself quiet to prevent from being abducted.


    The Immortal Lingzhi was hardly pleased to hear this, but it understood fully how perilous a force that greed could be. Hence it snuck quietly in Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arms, pretending to be a docile cat lest it would end up on some apothecary¡¯s chopping board.


    Xiao Chen kept himself masked all the way. Even at the steps leading up the Jade Terrace Mountain, where the citadel of the Daoist League roosted up high, he allowed Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er to deal with the sentries who promptly waved them through without much trouble. From there, Xiao Chen went straight to Zi Mo¡¯s lodgings. The senior of the Jade Qing Sect was the only one he trusted the most.


    ¡°Damned boy! I was so worried that you could be dead! You¡¯d almost cost me more than a hundred thousands of Spirit Stones!¡±


    Zi Mo blurted when he first saw an alive Xiao Chen, although he said again, ¡°Well, you¡¯re back. And that¡¯s all to it. Xian¡¯er has been crying every day about her Big Brother Xiao Chen that I had to hide from her. The poor girl blames me for your disappearance¡­¡±


    The news brought a sour knot to his stomach. It was he who had brought Xian¡¯er from the Emerald Valley of the Three Pure Sect. But he had caused much pain and agony to her in his failure as a brother.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Zi Mo remarked suddenly, ¡°I¡¯ll have enough of that grouchy look of yours at least for today. I¡¯ve sent someone to fetch her. First, tell me about your adventures in these two months. What held you from coming back sooner?¡±


    With a heavy sigh to begin his tale, Xiao Chen embarked on a recount of his encounters in the past two months: his mysterious and mind-boggling disappearance during the tournament and his reappearance at the Thousand Summits Mountain, him being pursued by the assassins, and most importantly, the situation at the Burg of the Feral Phoenix and the infernal aura at the gorge.


    Zi Mo¡¯s face curdled into a solemn grimace. ¡°D*mn, so it is true¡­ Something is wrong at the Pond of Gods and Devils¡­¡±

 Chapter 288 - Xiaoyue Resurfacing

    ¡°The Pond of Gods and Devils? What is it?¡±


    Xiao Chen felt confused, although he could not shake off the strange sense of deja vu. He had heard Yi Tong mentioning this place once during the battle at the residence of Clan Zuoqiu, but that was all to it.


    Zhiluan burst suddenly, after being forced to remain quiet for so long, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know nothing of this, boy! In the calamitous war in the previous epoch, all six domains nearly collapsed. Only they didn¡¯t. But this does not mean that all was fine in the end. Breaches began to emerge between the domains, such as the places called the Deep Hatred Sky where Heaven meets the Mortal Realm, the Sea of Painful Sorrows where one can reach the realm of twilight, and the Pond of Gods and Devils where the link between here and the Domain of Evil exists¡­.¡±


    Zhiluan continued proudly, seeing as everyone was staring wondrously at it while feeling immensely pleased with itself, ¡°Suffice it to say that it anything goes wrong with these places, this would mean that trouble is on the onset for the Six Realms. The worst that could happen is the collapse of all six domains.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Zi Mo squinted his eyes at the cat and said, ¡°To think that a little Immortal Lingzhi like you would know so much.¡± He reached for it but the frightened Zhiluan immediately ducked behind Xiao Chen. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU UP TO! KEEP A DISTANCE! I¡¯M THE HEAVENLY EMPEROR¡¯S¡­¡±


    But Xiao Chen was in deep thoughts of his own. The calamitous war that Zhiluan was just referring to could only be the war that took place seven thousand years ago when the Immortal Century reached its decline. On the other hand, the contents of Fengxi¡¯s ancient scroll mentioned about the same war. Still, there was much he still did not know about the war and there were scarcely any more records or annals from that epoch.


    But he needed to know what happened. He needed to know what took place during the fall of Immortals and Devils, and the whereabouts of his own teacher¡­


    ¡°So what do you think, Senior Zi Mo? What is wrong with the Pond now?¡±


    Zi Mo stroked his beard wordlessly. After seconds of quiet pondering, he answered, ¡°It could only be that other place¡­¡±


    ¡°What other place? Where is it? For Heaven¡¯s sakes, just speak directly! There¡¯s hardly any point by speaking in riddles!¡±


    ¡°D*mn your impertinence, boy.¡± Zi Mo glared indignantly. ¡°The breaches between the Six Realms can bring about huge disasters. But why do you think the Realms have been stable for so long? Surely you don¡¯t believe in the nonsense about divine intervention from Heaven?¡±


    ¡°Then what is the reason then?¡±


    Zi Mo fell silent again. Ponderous seconds slowly ticked by as Xiao Chen waited until Zi Mo croaked, ¡°It¡¯s just a myth; I cannot be sure how much of it is true. But there was a legend that a person had used the powers of the Three Emperors to repair and maintain the breaches between the Six Realms. With troubles now surfacing from the Pond, I can only surmise that something is wrong with where he is now.¡±


    The Three Emperors?


    Xiao Chen swallowed. The final key in the ancient scroll belonging to Fengxi was precisely the phrase ¡°the Three Emperors¡± and Xian¡¯er could well be the spirit manifesting from the Three Emperors Grand Formation. ¡°What was the role of the Three Emperors in this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a myth,¡± Zhiluan said suddenly, ¡°How else do you think the Six Realms can remain until today?¡±


    ¡°You know something do you, Leopard Cat Spirit??¡± Xiao Chen said grimly, ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    A dreadful horripilation tingled down his spine: there must still be secrets about his resurrection after thousands of years; secrets that could only be connected to everything happening now which were absolutely no coincidence! Be that as it may, he knew too little to reach any conclusions of his own.


    ¡°Humph. I¡¯ve told you all that I know. The end of days is close, and all of you lot are only obsessed about some puny Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly¡­ Come to think of it, this tournament of yours is fishy too¡­¡±


    A voice rang from outside, interrupting them, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned, gasping, ¡°Xian¡¯er¡­¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er rushed in, almost falling, and dove into him. ¡°I thought you¡¯re not coming back anymore, Big Brother,¡± she wailed.


    Xiao Chen stroked her hair, feeling it coursing between his fingers as a knot tightened in his gut. ¡°It¡¯s all fine now. Big Brother is back¡­¡±


    ¡°Boo hoo¡­¡±


    No one spoke a word, until Zhiluan paced over slowly. ¡°Li-little one?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s head rose up. Dewy drops of tears clung to her eyelashes and cheeks as she choked and gasped, ¡°Who¡¯s this weird and strange cat?¡±


    Zhiluan untied the bundle hanging from its neck and rummaged inside for a dried fish jerky. ¡°Do you love fish?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er covered her nose with a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want it¡­¡±


    A bright red patch blazed on Zhiluan¡¯s face. ¡°B-but¡­ It¡¯s the best jerky I¡¯ve made¡­¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er stooped down and petted the lingzhi-shaped appendage on its head. She dug in her pockets and produced a deep-scarlet fruit; a magic fruit, and offered it to Zhiluan. ¡°Have this.¡±


    A gentle smile broke on Xiao Chen¡¯s face. ¡°Zhiluan seemed to have taken a liking for Xian¡¯er, but where did the magic fruit come from?¡± His eyes traveled to Zi Mo and smirked wryly at the vexed expression on the old man. It must be a gift he had used to coax and cajole Xian¡¯er when she had been crying during his disappearance.


    Zhiluan held the magic fruit in its arms and peered at it hungrily before it wolfed it down. Still flustered beyond belief, it grunted, ¡°Is, is there any more?¡±


    That made Murong Xian¡¯er spurted a giggle. ¡°And a greedy cat you are too! I¡¯ve no more left. I brought only one today and it was actually for Big Brother. You¡¯ll have to wait for tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Can you be more disgraceful, you worthless cat?¡± Xiao Chen hissed.


    ¡°As if I need you barking over my shoulders what to do,¡± Zhiluan muttered quietly.


    Xian Chen ignored that last bit and went to Zi Mo, finding out more about the recent events. ¡°Concern yourself no more with the events of the Burg, boy. I¡¯ll make sure the higher-ups know about this. You just keep your head wrapped around the tournament.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Very well. But please keep my return a secret, Senior.¡± He has a feeling that Xiaoyue was lurking around somewhere and was sure that she would appear again in a few days.


    Later that day, Yu Yifeng, Luo Shangyan, and Li Muxue came quietly to visit him. They were relieved and pleased to see him safe and sound.


    Most importantly, Xiao Chen was overjoyed to see that his friends have greatly improved in their training at the Violet Illusory Land. ¡°What a magical place it must be,¡± he mused, ¡°that even my progress seemed pale in comparison.¡± Yu Yifeng was merely a pace behind the actual Nascent Soul Realm while Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue were almost beyond the Core Forming Realm by now.


    Xiao Chen would spend the next two days indoors with Murong Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan. To no surprise of his, Xiaoyue did indeed return just after three days.


    It was said when she reappeared, she made her entry in her ever so aloof and grandiose manner¡ªthe Fairy of the Thousand Feathers Sect, flying up high in the sky for everyone to see on her sword. The flutter of her robes and hair in the wind betrayed not a hint of uneasiness from her, instead, merely accentuating her calm and collected demeanor like the triumphant return of a king.


    ¡°Is that Fairy Xiaoyue?! Look! It¡¯s true! Fairy Xiaoyue has returned!¡±


    News of her returned blazed across the huge city-state with immense alacrity. Before long, disciples and acolytes flocked the squares and parterres, hoping to catch a glimpse of her as buzzing murmurs rose under her feet below.


    She surveyed everything and everyone below her in the same disdainful manner she always carried before she found Xiao Chen. She descended gracefully and wore the same exaggerated smile as their eyes met amidst the crowd. ¡°I see Master Xiao you¡¯ve made it back safely.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! XIAO CHEN IS BACK!¡± Another loud exclamation blared across the thronging mob like trumpets of war.


    Xiao Chen leaped into the air and glided to the center of the square where he landed in front of Xiaoyue. ¡°Indeed. It is also equally comforting to see you alive and well.¡± But he was sneering on the inside. ¡°And how in the earth did you realize that I was missing too?¡±


    As if reading his thoughts, Xiaoyue smiled. ¡°Please do not misunderstand me, Master Xiao. I¡¯ve heard of your disappearance when I¡¯ve just returned. Imagine my surprise when the ill news hit me.¡± A flash gleamed in her eyes.


    Xiao Chen felt a shudder. ¡°Could it be?! She has reached full Nascent Soul! Heavens, this woman is so dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Xiao Chen! It¡¯s really Xiao Chen!¡±


    A shrill voice yelled from the crowd, confirming Xiao Chen¡¯s return. Standing in the bosom of the swarming masses of anxious and curious onlookers, were a few Elders of the League, Zuoqiu Yang, and Ling Fei; all of whom had come to see with their own eyes the news now spreading across the city with unbridled fervor.


    A cold fury burned in Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s eyes. He was pleased. He was very close to breaching the Nascent Soul Realm but Xiao Chen was still the same Xiao Chen from two months ago. There was no way Xiao Chen could beat him now and he was absolutely certain of it.


    But his budding faith in himself did not last long: a dashing young man, Su Zimu of Clan Su was watching nearby. A faint smile curled on the edges of his lips. ¡°Impressive. How many people can survive the utter collapse of a domain, I wonder, and what more tricks does this man hold?¡±


    The Elders waded through the crowds of people and one of them asked when they finally got to the pair still eyeing cautiously at each other, ¡°Are you the only ones who had returned? What about Huangfu Xin¡¯er of the Heartless Palace?¡±


    But before he could finish, a chilly wave rippled across the square like a tide of cold wave, making everyone curdling with shivers. Another voice clamored, ¡°That¡¯s Huangfu Xin¡¯er of the Heartless Palace! She¡¯s also back!¡±


    A red, shadowy figure perched atop a large and old oak at the south side of the square, overlooking the entire scene like a watchful eagle, was Huangfu Xin¡¯er in her robes of blood-red.


    Murmurs and whispers began humming all around. All three of the contestants who had gone missing more than two months ago had all returned simultaneously on the very same day after all attempts to locate and rescue them had failed! What an uncanny coincidence!


    And in spite of everything, these three have survived the utter destruction of a domain. Only these three were worthy of being revered as the best and the strongest!

 Chapter 289 - Mystic Domains

    The furor simmered down, albeit with great difficulty. Everyone, especially the Elders of the League, was still very much anxious at the trio¡¯s safe return and they needed to hear from them what had actually happened that day.


    But it was an interrogation that needed to be done in private. The Elders mentioned nothing about the anomaly that caused their disappearance, speaking to them only about the next stage of the tournament. The anomaly had unsettled the public and it was imperative to avoid an all-out panic.


    To compensate Xiao Chen and the other two their lost time, the Elders agreed to allow them to enter any level of the Violet Illusory Land of their choosing.


    This was done with the acquiescence of contestants from other schools and sects, for they too acknowledged that Xiao Chen, Xiaoyue, and Huangfu Xin¡¯er had been the top leaders in the race of the Forest of Illusory Moon and they were hence qualified to enter the highest strata of the Illusory Land.


    It was a piece of news that Xiao Chen welcomed greatly. The offer of training for a month in the highest strata of the Illusory Land would see him catching up to Zuoqiu Yang and the rest. In fact, this offer opened another option for him; one so bold and daring, at such later stages of the Core Forming Realm: the Wisdom-forsaking Technique taught to him by Bai Ying.


    A boyish youngster came to him suddenly. ¡°Greetings, Senior Brother Xiao. My name is He Feng, a student of the Taiji Seminary at the Northern Continent.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at him. The benign smile He Feng was wearing indicated no hostilities, Xiao Chen observed and smiled in return. ¡°How can I help you, brother?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d hardly dare to address myself as a senior to you, Master Xiao. But I have long admired your skills and I thank the stars for being able to meet you today. I would like a duel with you. Just a little contest to test my skills and perhaps learn something from you.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the young man. He could sense that the young man possessed powers on par, or even slightly higher than that of his, nearing the Ninth Tier of the Core Forming Realm. He had never once seen him before, even during the test of the Forest of Illusory Moon, but he was willing to agree to the duel, deeming him different from Zuoqiu Yang and others who harbored only ill will towards him.


    ¡°A duel it is then, although I¡¯d doubt I have anything that you should admire me about,¡± he replied, grinning as he nodded.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll take that as a yes, no?¡±


    He Feng was trembling with excitement. He had been a common cultivator of humble beginnings, growing up with tales of Xiao Chen¡¯s heroics until he finally witnessed with his own eyes Xiao Chen¡¯s greatness in battle in the Forest of Illusory Moon. Since then, he had but only one wish: to duel against Xiao Chen to see how far had he came.


    He never had the courage before, due to his lacking of power which was miles behind Xiao Chen. But this time, it was different: he was sure his powers had not only caught up to his idol, and he was also confident he now possessed powers greater than him.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Xiao Chen smiled, nodding his head again.


    The mob of onlookers and students from other schools and sects of magic immediately retreated to give them a wide berth, anxious to see the fight themselves.


    ¡°Here I come, Senior Brother Xiao!¡± He Feng exclaimed, exuberant with enthusiasm. He leaped thirty feet backward and channeled his powers. He felt his magic force churning in his Dantian point and released them like a burst of fire that immediately materialized into seven spirit swords, gleaming brilliantly in gold.


    He Feng muttered a quick spell and the seven swords shot into the air, blazing like fiery comets as they raced for Xiao Chen. Everyone in the square held their breaths as they watched the scene unfolding. No one had expected a simple and quiet youngster like him could wield his spirit swords which he had shaped with his own True Energy with such skill and fluidity as if they were limbs of his own!


    But just before the tips of the golden blades could graze Xiao Chen, he vanished! Instead, he retook form just in front of He Feng in the blink of a second and delivered a powerful blow into the latter¡¯s chest.


    There was huge bang that sounded like cannonfire and He Feng, still barely comprehending what had happened, was sent careening backward for forty to fifty feet before he crashed to the ground in a plume of dust. The crowd erupted. With just one stroke, Xiao Chen had ended the duel and more than half of them actually understood what had happened.


    Up upon the dais at the center of the square, the Elders gulped in silence. ¡°Despite being missing for two months, the boy still never ceases to amaze. Would that he had not been missing for the past two months, he could have easily vied for the title of the Strongest Youth in all of the Five Continents!¡± They looked at each other, exchanging weak, wordless smiles. ¡°If only their own grandchildren were as talented as him¡­¡±


    He Feng got to his feet and dusted himself. ¡°It seems that I¡¯m still nowhere nearer to your great strength, Master Xiao,¡± he breathed with a weak grin and said.


    ¡°You¡¯re being modest, Brother He,¡± Xiao Chen remarked politely. From the corners of his eyes, he saw a seething Zuoqiu Yang, who was the reason he accepted the duel, retreating away from the crowd.


    ¡°A true contender to the title of the Strongest,¡± animated talks and whispers began stirring from the crowd, ¡°Even with the loss of time, he remains the unconquered and undefeated champion.¡±


    But there were many who had yet to hear Xiao Chen¡¯s name. They looked aghast and shocked. ¡°How is this outcome even possible? When the powers these two youngsters wield were almost on par?¡±


    With more business to attend to, Xiao Chen withdrew quickly away from the busy square to return to his lodgings. He found Zhiluan enjoying a great time with Xian¡¯er and watched them with apparent amusement. ¡°What odd companions, a girl and a cat, yet what good friends they have become.¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er sprang to her feet and scampered to him when she saw him. She tugged at his sleeve, saying, ¡°The greedy cat is too naughty! He slipped into the kitchens just now and stole some food before he came back.¡±


    That made Xiao Chen surprised. ¡°This is not the Burg of the Feral Phoenix, you d*mn cat,¡± he thought at first. He looked at Zhiluan solemnly. ¡°You¡¯d better watch yourself, you scaredy-cat, lest someone should catch you and chop you up for medicine.¡±


    Zhiluan gave him a harsh snort and turned its head away indignantly. ¡°You¡¯d best worry about yourself! Voices are whispering about your ruin in the streets! And before I forget, where are the tonic and elixirs you¡¯ve promised me?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and buried his face in his hand, exasperated. Zhiluan had never stopped buggering him about this and he would never let him go, he realized. Later that afternoon, he went out to make purchases of herbs and spices. Fortunately, Tianyuan City was a larger and busier city than the Burg of the Feral Phoenix and he was able to procure everything he needed to brew more Lark¡¯s Serum.


    He went back to his lodgings right before dark and found Zi Mo waiting for him. Also present were Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Perfected Immortal Tai Yi of the Order of the Countless Blades, along with a few Elders of the League, including the Warden of the Immortal¡¯s League who had last presided over his hearing at the citadel.


    Their faces were obscured in the veil of darkness, but that did little to hinder Xiao Chen from noticing the troubled looks on their faces. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°D*mned boy, where have you been!¡± Zi Mo growled and yanked at his arm, dragging him into the yard.


    But he was stopped halfway by a fuming Murong Xian¡¯er who pulled hard at his beard. ¡°BAD OLD MAN! How could you bully Big Brother!¡±


    ¡°Argh! That hurts! Let go, girl!¡±


    ¡°NO! You let go of Big Brother Xiao Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen adjusted his clothes, smiling bleakly before he turned to the others, bowing low to them, ¡°How can I help you, Seniors?¡±


    A frowning Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was the first to speak, ¡°Xiao Chen. Is it true that you¡¯ve seen a ravine filled with an aura so dangerous and diabolical during your stay at the Burg of the Feral Phoenix?¡±


    The Warden followed immediately before Xiao Chen could utter a word, ¡°Have you gone down there to investigate? Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°I see, so this is the purpose of their visit,¡± Xiao Chen realized. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he replied, ¡°But the deadly aura was too thick and strong that I could not go down there.¡±


    The newcomers traded dark looks again. ¡°Tell me about the place in detail,¡± Perfected Immortal Tai Yi said.


    Xiao Chen recounted to them of everything he saw and felt there, leaving out only the part about Su Xiaomei¡¯s warning for him to leave and the attack by the seven assassins until the Three Friends of Winter came to help.


    The information of the evil aura spanning hundreds of miles left everyone shocked and aghast. ¡°Heavens¡­ It is as we¡¯ve been dreading¡­¡± The Warden of the Immortal¡¯s League stammered.


    That was followed by several mournful sighs from the others. Although he was still confused and oblivious to the source of their angst and anxiety, their worried looks were enough to convey the gravity of the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve given my word to the Governor of the Burg that I would implore for help from the League. So here I am, beseeching you, and the rest of the League, to send them the help as soon as possible.¡±


    The Warden nodded grimly. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Rest assured, we will not sit and watch while the commons of the Burg suffers from danger. Just concentrate on the tournament and leave this to us.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll thank you all for looking into this matter, Seniors,¡± Xiao Chen noted gratefully, relieved that he had finally made good of his promise to Ye Lingfeng, the Three Friends of Winter and everyone whom he had met during his stay there.


    Everyone shuffled out of the yard and left. Just when the footsteps of the last person padded out of the door, Zhiluan¡¯s head popped out of the window. ¡°Meow! And here I was, thinking that trouble has come seeking¡­¡±


    ¡°Serves you right! That should teach you not to steal food again!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er chirped cheerfully.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. But his buoyancy died quickly. But he dismissed any worries readily, diving into his work of brewing some pills and elixirs for Zhiluan and concocting a Lark¡¯s Serum for the scar on Qingluan¡¯s face.


    She was beyond words when presented with the potion. Beside her, Ziyun¡¯er was equally taken aback. ¡°So you were chasing the scared cat, all for the want of concocting a cure for Sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you, Master,¡± Qingluan breathed softly and said.


    ¡°All right,¡± Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°To the Violet Illusory Land we go now.¡±


    The entrance to the Illusory Lands was in a cave at the far slopes of the back mountain trails. But the Violet Illusory Lands were by no means illusory, in fact, they were very much real.


    It was similar in kind to the true Kunlun Sect. Most common folks believed that the stronghold of the Kunlun Sect was built upon the jagged spires of the icy precipices of Mount Kunlun, when the actual location of the sanctuary of one of the most respected and ancient school of magic in the world was hidden deep in the Kunlun Mystic Lands.


    Many of the great and powerful houses of the lands owned mystic domains of their own, although admission into these hallowed lands was often only by permission by the masters of the clans and some of the more lowly-birthed clansmen might not even realize that their family had control of such domains.


    That was because mystic domains were often the final bastion of hope for any households in the time of war. Hence, unless needed to, domains like these were mostly well-guarded secrets after being created by the collective powers of conjurers of the Grand Completion Realm. Creating such pocket dimensions would be a task so arduous and harrowing that it would take decades before the conjurers¡¯ work finally reach the fullest fruition.


    But Xiao Chen knew that there were countless of pocket domains and mystic realms in the world. Most of them became exhausted due to disrepair and neglect with no one discovering their entrances, while some were occupied by some of the most secretive and enigmatic factions of the magical community of the Violet Manor.


    And he was quite certain that one of them, was the Fallen Immortals Sect, a school which he suspected had long remained hidden in their own mystic domains.

 Chapter 290 - Fragile Friendship

    The following day, Xiao Chen, Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and Xiaoyue were led into the upper level of the Violet Illusory Lands. Just as he stepped into the mystic domain, Xiao Chen could immediately feel the richness of the robust Spiritual Qi swirling around him. He was no longer in a dark cavern from which he had come from, but in an open field of a beautiful paradise.


    The glorious expanse of grasses that stretched far out of view, bedecked with lush trees and red blossoms while the rolling mountains and hills hemmed in the horizons took every breath out of Xiao Chen. A mystic domain of such size could only be possible with no expense spared, all thanks to the power and time contributed by countless conjurers in the past.


    The rich Spiritual Qi could only come from an Earth Spiritual Meridian; one that undoubtedly belonged to Tianyuan City. But to ensure that the spiritual energies from the Spiritual Meridian were not drained beyond capacity, the Violet Illusory Lands were only opened once every decade.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao! Come here!¡±


    There he saw, Yu Yifeng, Mu Shaoai and a couple of others sitting under a strong oak that looked as if it was reaching for the sky. They had first wanted to come together with him, but Xiao Chen declined, citing some business to attend to, so he came later.


    Xiao Chen went over to them and immediately felt a surge of Spiritual Qi churning in the air around him. It was almost as rich as what he once felt at the Mystic Cyan Mountain, if not stronger. ¡°No wonder everyone had improved so greatly,¡± he mused.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Junior Brother Xiao,¡± Qingyu and Zhou Li nodded amicably to him.


    ¡°Well, we have him to thank for,¡± Zhou Li remarked, grinning, ¡°Otherwise we would not have been qualified to be allowed here, heh heh heh.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind, Senior Brother Zhou,¡± Xiao Chen smiled and said. He looked at Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan and sensed that they were on the verge of another breakthrough. With a few more words of greetings to his companions, he retreated to a corner and sat down, beginning to meditate himself.


    But they were hardly alone in this mystic domain. There were also students from the Fallen Immortals Sect and the Divine Mist Sect, in addition to several kinsmen of Clan Su, all of whom had occupied one of the hills to the east, which was richest and strongest with Spiritual Qi.


    With the students of the Fallen Immortals Sect and the kinsmen of Clan Su sharing the crest of the hill, all that was left was only the foot of the hill, which the disciples of the Divine Mist Sect grudgingly settled themselves at. But with Huangfu Xin¡¯er return, whom even those of the Fallen Immortals Sect feared, the members of Heartless Palace were allowed a small place at the top of the knoll.


    With only his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen immediately knew that the Spiritual Qi under this oak tree was slightly paler in contrast to that of the hill. But it was enough for him and his companions and he had no intention of provoking another conflict.


    But he was intrigued to know that Xiaoyue was not vying for the hill too, although her power and strength could easily ensure her a safe spot up there.


    Instead, she was roaming around the mystic domain as if she was searching for something. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed instinctively, remembering about their excursion to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. She seemed to be interested in the Earth Spiritual Meridian of Mu Luo then. ¡°Was she eyeing this Spiritual Meridian of Tianyuan City this time?¡±


    At the seventh bell when the sun was setting, the two Elders watching the entrance came into the mystic domain. Everyone got up from their meditation and made ready to leave. The Illusory Lands were only opened for twelve hours each day and no one was allowed inside except during opening hours.


    Everyone shuffled out the entrance and found themselves in the grottos beneath the rear of the Jade Terrace Mountain. ¡°Heaven¡¯s sakes, can¡¯t you just allow us in for the night too? Do we have to go in and out every day?¡± A few began grumbling reluctantly.


    There was Qin Shaoyang of the Xianyong Sect and Han Moyang of the Order of the Countless Blades among many. They had failed to qualify for the best ten groups in the tournament, so they were only allowed to enter the mid-tiered mystic domains to train, while many others were ushered into the lower-tiered domains. That would explain the jealous and envious glances thrown at Xiao Chen and his companions who had just emerged from the entrance of the highest levels of the Illusory Lands.


    Ten days passed swiftly, Xiao Chen was close to breaking through the Ninth Level of the Core Forming Realm. But with only twenty days left, there was hardly any chance for him to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, unless by the use of medicines and pills to help expedite his training. Doubt grew within him as he began to wonder if he had overestimated himself.


    On the other hand, his meditation in the highest level of the Illusory Lands had given him an understanding of the terrain in the mystic domain. He had discovered a spring 1,500 meters to the north of the large oak tree. The spring also served as an outlet for the Spiritual Qi deposits in the vicinity, but everyone who trained there merely sat near the pond and no one had stepped into the water.


    There was another outlet more than 5 kilometers to the west where there was a forest. Xiao Chen could feel the richness of the Spiritual Qi from the other side of the forest, but the woods was guarded by magical barriers that impeded anyone from traversing it.


    Xiao Chen had tried many a time to undo the magical barrier there, but he was always stopped by acolytes of the League who were watching that area.


    On this day, Xiao Chen brought Zhiluan with him. With hopes that Zhiluan would be able to help distract the acolytes, he would try to break the magic there to enter that forest. But he would first have to quietly slip Zhiluan into the mystic domain with him. Then again, in spite of rules forbidding unauthorized entry of people, there were no specific rules against bringing pets, Xiao Chen mused.


    He waited until noon and he stopped his meditation, getting up to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao,¡± Yu Yifeng asked, his forehead creasing with disapproval, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring that scaredy-cat in here.¡±


    Yu Yifeng nodded. ¡°Very well then. Come back quickly.¡± For the past few days, everyone has gotten close to Zhiluan and expected no trouble from him.


    ¡°Let us come with you, Master.¡± Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er got up too.


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to bring a pet in. There¡¯s no reason for you to come with me. As you were,¡± he told them and moved towards the entrance.


    The Elders watching the entrance to the mystic domain were surprised to see him coming out so early, ¡°What are you doing here? Should you not be inside training?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be just right back.¡±


    The two Elders merely nodded. Being no strangers to Xiao Chen and his notoriety as a person whom troubles and chaos often follow, they decided against antagonizing him.


    Xiao Chen went back to his lodgings where he heard shrill squabbling voices from outside.


    ¡°YOU! IT MUST BE YOU! YOU GREEDY CAT! HOW COULD YOU DENY!¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT ME! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME!¡±


    Xiao Chen walked in and saw Murong Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan bickering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡±


    A bristling Murong Xian¡¯er scampered over to him and thrust a finger at Zhiluan angrily. ¡°The greedy cat has eaten all my fruits!¡±


    ¡°NONSENSE! I HAVE NOT EATEN YOUR MAGIC FRUITS!¡± Zhiluan¡¯s voice thundered lividly.


    Xiao Chen frowned at Zhiluan. ¡°Xian¡¯er gives you one from her share every day, you lousy cat. You shouldn¡¯t have stolen from her.¡±


    ¡°D*MNED BOY! EVEN YOU DO NOT TRUST ME? I HAVE JUST SAID THAT I DID NOT STEAL FROM HER!¡± Zhiluan bellowed, on the verge of tears.


    ¡°It can only be you! Even Big Brother says so! To think that you¡¯d even try to deny! Bad cat! Greedy cat! Humph!¡±


    Xiao Chen stroked her hair and consoled her. ¡°All right, all right. It¡¯s fine.¡± He looked at Zhiluan. ¡°You should have just admitted to eating the fruit. Never mind then. Come with me. I need you somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°I DID NOT STEAL ANYTHING! THERE¡¯S NO WAY I¡¯D DENY STEALING ANYTHING!¡±


    ¡°It must be you! Humph!¡±


    ¡°NO, IT¡¯S NOT!¡±


    ¡°IT MUST BE YOU!¡±


    Feeling nauseous at the squabbling pair, he barked, ¡°ALL RIGHT! ENOUGH! Stop, you lousy cat! Stop bullying Xian¡¯er!¡±


    Zhiluan¡¯s face fumed with rage that it grew red and purple. Its voice trembled with fury, ¡°Very well. I¡¯m leaving! I¡¯ve had enough and I¡¯m not coming back!¡± It flapped its wings and flew out the window.


    ¡°GO! JUST YOU GO AND DON¡¯T EVER COME BACK! I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡±


    But conjurers and spellslingers from everywhere have all flocked to Tianyuan City for the tournament, making it all the more dangerous for Zhiluan to be roaming alone. ¡°Come back, you bloody cat! Do you want to be caught and chopped up as medicine ingredients?!¡±


    ¡°SO BE IT! IT WAS I WHO HAD SAVED YOU, BOY! IT WAS I WHO HAD REVIVED YOU WHEN YOU HAVE FAINTED AT THE SNOWFIELDS OF THE THOUSAND SUMMITS MOUNTAIN! YET THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME! ENOUGH! I¡¯M LEAVING!¡±


    Before Xiao Chen knew it, Zhiluan was already missing.


    Xiao Chen sighed with dawning comprehension. ¡°So, it was Zhiluan who had tried to save me when I was gravely injured by the assassins¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er grumbled, ¡°What a terrible cat! It was he who had stolen my fruit, yet he dares to deny doing it! How could he be so petty! Especially when I wasn¡¯t really going to punish him!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°All right now. He is nothing if not an utter scaredy-cat. He¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    The sun was shifting in the western skies after four hours, still, Zhiluan was nowhere to be seen. Murong Xian¡¯er gazed into the sky, hoping to find Zhiluan flying back, but to no avail. ¡°The greedy cat¡¯s not back, Big Brother,¡± she whimpered, ¡°Please go out to find him, Big Brother. I¡¯m getting worried¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was equally worried himself. With the next phase of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly in the offing, the streets of Tianyuan City were crammed with conjurers and cultivators from everywhere, including healers. He gave Xian¡¯er a comforting smile. ¡°Very well. Go find Senior Zi Mo if you need anything. But do not run around.¡± He flew into the sky in a bolt of light and zipped towards downtown.


    He went to the busier areas of the city and began asking around if anyone had seen a cat with a lingzhi plant on its head. He was about to enter an apothecary, one of the many he had been asking around, when he saw two youngsters, both clad in robes of red, walking out with packages of herbs while giggling among themselves.


    ¡°Heh heh heh! What luck indeed! With this thousand-year-old Spirited Lingzhi, Teacher would be able to brew a Nirvana Pill!¡±


    ¡°Shhhh! Quiet! This is a treasure of a lifetime! We mustn¡¯t let anyone hear us!¡±


    But their whispers did not escape Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense. He chased after them and stopped them.


    ¡°WHERE IS IT!¡±

 Chapter 291 - Zhu Danfeng

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The two youngsters were startled to be stopped by Xiao Chen. For a second, they stared at him wordlessly before one of them said to the other, as if woken up from a dream, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Senior. This man¡¯s most likely mad.¡±


    But before they could leave, Xiao Chen¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I repeat once more,¡± he growled, ¡°Where is this Spirited Lingzhi you¡¯ve spoken of!¡±


    ¡°What Lingzhi? You must have heard us wrongly.¡±


    His face now blackened with rage, Xiao Chen hissed like a snake boring down on its prey, ¡°So I¡¯ll need to wring the truth out of you, I see¡­¡±


    The pair of apprentices felt themselves trembling as Xiao Chen¡¯s dark persona slowly took over. There was no way they would win against him in a fight. ¡°YOU! WHO ARE YOU! ARE YOU INSANE!?¡± One of the boys screamed with fright.


    But the commotion attracted some people who crowded around them. Realizing this, the other boy yelled at the top of his voice for the benefit of everyone listening, ¡°Be careful now, the League has imposed a decree to ban all aggression and hostilities!¡±


    The attempts of the two youngsters to draw in more people prevailed as the crowd grew larger and noisier that Xiao Chen immediately sensed two squads of Constables of the League turning around the corner and coming their way. Realizing that there was no way to interrogate them, he quietly left a magical mark on them that would allow him to track them.


    ¡°WHAT IS ALL THIS RUCKUS!¡±


    One of the Constables boomed imperiously when they arrived. The two youngsters heaved sighs of relief. One of them jerked a finger at Xiao Chen. ¡°This man is holding us from leaving for no reason. He¡¯s no right to stop us!¡±


    The captain of the squads of Constables was a surly man unhappy to be sent out on an errand on a cold and snowy day, and his day was no less sweet to have been faced with a matter so messy yet so trivial. With an irate scowl, he barked, ¡°All right, all right! End of the show! Off with all of you or I¡¯ll have you in jail for causing trouble! Disperse at once!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh, of course, dear Sirs! Of course! We¡¯ll be on our way!¡± The two youngsters eyed Xiao Chen with contempt and walked to the end of the streets where they vanished into the mass of thronging passers-by.


    ¡°WAIT! YOU THERE, HALT!¡±


    Another captain yelled at Xiao Chen just when he was leaving.


    Xiao Chen spun around to face him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    The captain studied him briefly, his fingers fishing for a notebook from his back pocket. ¡°Your name and identification please!¡± He barked boorishly.


    ¡°Li Si, of the Tiancheng Sect,¡± Xiao Chen replied gruffly with a fake name.


    The captain scribbled into his notebook while keeping his eyes still on Xiao Chen. After a heartbeat of staring quietly at him, he remarked coldly, ¡°Very well. But be careful, you. Or I¡¯ll have you locked up three months for causing trouble here!¡±


    Xiao Chen merely responded with a curt nod and he trotted off into another alley. The trail of the magical mark he had left on the youngsters was still fresh, but they would not be for long and he had to catch up quickly.


    With the trace of his magical mark growing weak, Xiao Chen pressed on his pursuit with as much speed as he could muster. But he slowed his pace to a walk whenever he encountered any patrolling Constables so that they would not grow suspicious of him.


    The trail of the magical mark led him to a quiet and tranquil estate, which he finally arrived after almost a half hour¡¯s journey.


    The estate was far from the main arteries of the city, so the patrols rarely ventured this far. But Xiao Chen was certain that there was more than meets the eye with this residence, for he felt the emanating powers of many conjurers inside and even some with powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°WHO ARE YOU, SKULKING ABOUT HERE!¡±


    A few other youngsters in red saw Xiao Chen when he was mulling on ways to infiltrate the estate. Before long, another trope of seven to eight men came out from inside, having heard the clamor outside.


    The men immediately surrounded Xiao Chen, and he saw the same fiery insignia on their sleeves. ¡°Where have I seen this emblem before,¡± Xiao Chen wondered and he remembered: Wan Gufeng. The old but strong conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm whom he had encountered in the Forest of Illusory Moon was also from this school which the emblem belonged: the Order of the Divine Fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you!¡± One of them shouted at Xiao Chen, ¡°Who are you and what are you snooping around here for!¡± They regarded Xiao Chen with unfriendly stares and gruff voices, as more and more disciples poured out through the door and surrounded him.


    ¡°What in the name of Heaven is happening out here! Why the noises!¡± An ancient voice boomed from inside.


    An old man, dressed in flowing mottled-green robes stepped out of the entrance of the estate and Xiao Chen was quick to notice the four-leafed insignia on his garb that denoted his rank as a Tier Four Elixir King.


    A flash of recognition flashed in his eyes when he saw Xiao Chen. ¡°Ah? So it¡¯s Young Xiao. How can I help you?¡± he asked politely, albeit with ice in his voice.


    There was no way he would not be able to identify Xiao Chen following what happened in the Forest of Illusory Moon. He was none other than Zhu Danfeng, an Elixir King in service of the Order of the Divine Fire and the junior of Wan Gufeng.


    But Xiao Chen did not answer him. He looked into the estate and saw an unconscious Zhiluan lying motionless on a table through an opened window. But this did not go unnoticed by Zhu Danfeng, who flailed his long, wide sleeves and magically commanded the windows to slam shut. ¡°How can I help you, Young Xiao?¡± He repeated.


    The awkward silence outside the estate was broken by the sounds of Xiao Chen cracking his knuckles. His eyes shone with a burning anger as he growled, ¡°Release my friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend? What friend? Do you have any friends here?¡± Zhu Danfeng remarked icily, feigning ignorance.


    The quiet street slowly became noisy with a bustling crowd curious to see what was going on. Xiao Chen stepped closer to Zhu Danfeng and hissed, ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. Release the Immortal Lingzhi!¡±


    With the odds of numbers against him and the League¡¯s decree to ban all forms of hostilities, Xiao Chen knew full well that the utter fallout now on the streets would only aggravate his chances in the next phase of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly.


    Zhu Danfeng threw his head back and guffawed. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re referring to that Immortal Lingzhi. But it was something I harvested through great difficulty and toil. Why should I let you have it?¡±


    The mob of the Order of Divine Fire bellowed in unison, expressing their succor readily, ¡°Go away Xiao Chen! Others may fear you, but the Order of the Divine Fire will never cower before you! We will not allow you to come to steal or rob us!¡±


    A pall of rage hung over Xiao Chen. Clearly, these people would never admit to abducting Zhiluan and they would insist that it belonged to them. And he could not barge into the estate to take Zhiluan. He would only be charged with the felony of theft if word of this reached the ears of the League.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this once. I have no intention of making enemies with the Order of the Divine Fire. But if you continue refusing my demands¡­¡±


    ¡°And what if I refuse!¡± Zhu Danfeng spat venomously, not allowing him to finish.


    He might be weaker than Wan Gufeng who was his senior, but he nevertheless possessed powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm, notwithstanding the greatly-respected standing of an Elixir King, and that lent weight to everything he said.


    The murmurs from the people congregating to watch slowly proliferated into anxious and boisterous clamors. A voice rang from its midst, ¡°Be careful, boy! The Constables are just mere minutes away now!¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason for any more delay!¡± Xiao Chen quipped with a roar and right under the eyes of everyone present, he bolted through the doors into the yard of the estate.


    But Zhu Danfeng had already anticipated this. He sent a magic blow at Xiao Chen, who barely evaded the stroke. But the powerful magic bolt hurtled by, its massive force forcing Xiao Chen to leap away from the entrance with safety. Satisfied, the Elixir King waved his wrist and Zhiluan magically appeared in his hand.


    It was breathing rapidly, its body weak and bloodied; the lingzhi plant on its head was missing and its severed stub was still bleeding, and a line of blood could easily be traced trickling from its neck.


    Xiao Chen felt his eyes burning and his nostrils flaring. He slammed a blow at Zhu Danfeng, sending the magic blow straight at his face but another blow met his and a huge explosion, followed by the shockwave of eruption and scuds of dust and dirt tossed by the unnatural winds of the force. Hands clasped upon the ears of the many onlookers huddled around as a painful ring rumbled in their ears.


    ¡°EVERYONE, LOOK! This boy wishes to rob me! But I did not provoke this fight!¡± Zhu Danfeng¡¯s voice thundered amidst the turbulence for the benefit of anyone still around.


    He had intentionally conjured an unconscious and maimed Zhiluan to anger Xiao Chen and provoke him into striking first.


    But blinded by rage, Xiao Chen sent another blow into two of Zhu Danfeng¡¯s disciples, sending them reeling backward with blood belching from their mouths in jets.


    ¡°How could you, Xiao Chen! I¡¯ve implored for mercy, yet your lust for blood knows no bounds!¡± Zhu Danfeng shrieked, doing his best to maintain a facade of a wronged man.


    But Xiao Chen ignored him, casting a summoning spell that drew Zhiluan from the Elixir King¡¯s grasp into his arms before he even knew it.


    ¡°Zhiluan! Zhiluan! Wake up!¡± Xiao Chen screamed. But there were no signs of life from the Immortal Lingzhi. He quickly examined the wound on its neck and deduced that it must have suffered a huge loss of blood. Before he could bridle his anger, it grew; so much that the atmosphere around him began to turn.


    The onlookers and passers-by immediately realized the cruel and suffocating aura radiating from Xiao Chen and felt the murderous intent so strong that even the many students and acolytes of the Order seemed to snuggle closer to each other with fear.


    The scent of blood and gore appalled even Zhu Danfeng who had not expected such an intense and strong aura from Xiao Chen. But he quickly recollected himself and a wicked smile curled on his lips.


    ¡°Unforgivable¡­¡± Xiao Chen growled. Darkness shrouded over his face that the mere utterance of the word sent shivers down the spines of everyone who had heard him as a menacing saber, its blade coated in the color of blood, materialized in his grasp.


    Winds churned around him in resonance to his deadly aura that was bolstered especially by the appearance of the blood-red saber, howling incessantly like wraiths wailing in the night in despair.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Blood Lotus Demon Blade! It really is Xiao Chen!¡±


    The deep-red Blood Lotus Demon Blade was now the signature of Xiao Chen, and the very sight of it was enough for the crowd to disperse and scramble with panic and anarchy.


    ¡°DIE!¡± Xiao Chen thundered, swinging his blade and he sent the tens-of feet-long, scythe-like magic bolt at Zhu Danfeng and his students.


    The blow crashed into them like a rock, shattering their ranks and some of them were tossed into the air like ragdolls. But Zhu Danfeng had erected a barrier with his True Energy to protect himself, although he staggered backward himself.


    ¡°Run, boy¡­ The Constables of the League are coming¡­¡± Zhiluan breathed weakly before he fainted again.


    He would have stayed to fight, but Xiao Chen knew how difficult an adversary the minions of the League could be. Gritting his teeth, he carried Zhiluan in his arms and was about to leave, when Zhu Danfeng noticed him. ¡°XIAO CHEN! HOW DARE YOU WISH TO ESCAPE WHEN YOU¡¯VE INJURED MY STUDENTS!¡± And he lunged at Xiao Chen.


    As he pivoted to face his enemy, Xiao Chen swung his saber mercilessly at the figure of his enemy. The sheer force of his retaliation shocked the cobblestones on the ground that they shook and cracked, sending clouds of debris and dust into the air from which Zhu Danfeng emerged unscathed from. He was hardly trying to defeat Xiao Chen, merely trying to stall him.


    And that was sufficient for the Constables of the League to make their arrival. The captain of the guards yelled a deafening ¡°Stop!¡± and his lackeys immediately circled around Zhu Danfeng and Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 292 - The Plot

    The captain of the Constables cast a scathing look at Xiao Chen and hissed venomously, ¡°You¡¯d do well to remember that you are still on probation, Xiao Chen. Any infriction now would see your qualifications to join the Sword Assembly revoked!¡±


    A devilish sneer curled at Zhu Danfeng¡¯s lips. ¡°This man intrudes upon the peace of my estate, took the Immortal Lingzhi that was mine, and wounded my students! What say you, a captain of the Constables of the League?¡±


    The captain turned his head to look around and studied the students of the Order of the Divine Fire still writhing in pain and moaning on the ground. He threw a salute to Zhu Danfeng and said, ¡°We¡¯ll provide a satisfactory resolution for your benefit, Master Zhu. But we¡¯ll need you to come with us for a statement.¡± With that, he thrust a finger at Xiao Chen, barking to his men, ¡°Arrest this man!¡±


    Tens of Constables immediately enclosed around Xiao Chen, who swung his saber before jabbing it into the ground, much to the apprehension of the Constables who dared not approach him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Xiao Chen?¡± The captain glared insidiously. ¡°Do you wish to evade arrest?¡±


    Xiao Chen scoffed. ¡°Your timing seems rather too impeccable to be true, Captain, don¡¯t you think? And here you are, conveniently appearing at the earliest hint of trouble and demanding to have me arrested for nothing?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We Constables merely enforce the law. We leave the sentencing to the Stewards at the citadel where you will be interrogated and tried,¡± he remarked brusquely. With a wave of his hand to his subordinates, he shouted, ¡°Take him!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    An ancient voice reverberated from the horizons, echoing with such majesty that everyone froze. A bolt of purple light shot down from the sky and dissipated to reveal the form of a wizened man in rich silken robes of purple.


    Zhu Danfeng¡¯s look immediately turned ugly as soon as he recognized who it was. The captain of the Constables strode over to the old man and bowed, ¡°Master Xiaoyao.¡±


    Zi Mo gave Xiao Chen a curt look before his gaze clapped on Zhu Danfeng and the Captain. ¡°Leave this boy to me, Captain, and I will see to it that he troubles you no more. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need for such red tape.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Master Xiaoyao, since you say so,¡± the captain remarked politely. He motioned to his men and commanded, ¡°Let us leave!¡± But not before passing before Zhu Danfeng and muttered furtively, ¡°I¡¯d suggest that you let the matter go, Master Zhu, seeing as it is nothing but a trivial fracas.¡±


    Zhu Danfeng¡¯s eyes flared with hatred. But that was all he could do; he knew all too well about Xiaoyao Zi¡¯s reputation as the most unfathomable of the Jade Qing Seven. Not even his senior, Wan Gufeng could defeat him, never mind himself.


    Zi Mo gave him a disdainful look and tugged at Xiao Chen¡¯s clothes, pulling him up with him as he began to take flight. ¡°Enough gawking about, boy. Come with me!¡±


    The crowd of onlookers immediately dispersed. ¡°Watch yourself, d*mned boy! What were you thinking? Creating another ruckus as soon as you¡¯ve returned? You¡¯re lucky Xian¡¯er got to me in time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at the still unconscious Zhiluan hanging on for dear life, his face curdled into a worried frown. When they returned to the yard of their lodgings minutes later, Murong Xian¡¯er burst into tears just as soon as she saw the bloodied and scrawny Zhiluan.


    A couple of hours later, in a room dimly lighted by a single neglected and wavering candle, Zhiluan was still sprawled on its bed, in a deep coma. Murong Xian¡¯er, looking pale and dirty, sat by the bed with her face washed with sweat and tears. ¡°Wake up, greedy cat¡­ Please wake up,¡± she wailed. She pulled at Xiao Chen¡¯s sleeves, ¡°Please Big Brother¡­ Save him¡­ I don¡¯t want this greedy cat to die¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was badly distressed himself. ¡°Seniors Zi Mo and Fengxi,¡± he turned to them and said, ¡°Is there no other way to save him?¡±


    Fengxi waved a hand grimly, ¡°Something could still be done if he¡¯s a human. But Immortal Lingzhis are but plants enriched by the natural Spiritual Qi from the earth. There¡¯s nothing we can do but watch as his Spiritual Qi slowly ebbs away¡­¡±


    ¡°NO! GREEDY CAT CANNOT DIE!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er howled with anguish.


    Xiao Chen placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. He sighed. As a plant, Zhiluan would not be actually dying; instead, it would turn back into a plant from its present form. But it would be another hundreds or even thousands of years before it could once again muster enough Spiritual Qi to transform¡­


    Given their recent experiences together, Xiao Chen had grown fond of him. But not for his sake so much as for Xian¡¯er¡¯s who missed him dearly, he knew he had to do something. ¡°Senior Zi Mo, is there really nothing I can do?¡±


    Zi Mo shook his head. ¡°Perhaps a place where the Spiritual Qi is most rich and robust might help. The raw spiritual energies might be able to heal him,¡± Zi Mo muttered hopefully.


    ¡°Spiritual energies? I have a lot!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er exclaimed. But before she could do anything, Xiao Chen stopped her.


    Despite her immensely vast spiritual energy, Xian¡¯er¡¯s powers were nevertheless finite; there might come a day when her energies were terribly exhausted and she would disappear as well. It was a loss that Xiao Chen could never be able to bear.


    ¡°I think I know one such place. There¡¯s a spring in the Violet Illusory Lands which might be able to serve this purpose adequately,¡± said Xiao Chen.


    Zi Mo nodded. ¡°Feel free to try. But I would not put my money on any chances of success¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked outside and saw that it was already dark. He sighed. ¡°Please let me see you out, Seniors,¡± he said to them.


    ¡°I¡¯d be grateful enough if you can just keep yourself out of trouble.¡± Zi Mo waved him off. ¡°Before I forget, remember that there are more than just students from the Five Continents joining this year¡¯s Sword Assembly. Various schools and sects, especially those which have remained hidden in mystic domains have emerged. Do your best. Your name will win great respect and esteem if you can win this tournament.¡±


    Xiao Chen watched the two old man out of the door before he retreated out to the yard with Murong Xian¡¯er still sobbing inside. The courtyard was relatively quiet with the soft breaths of the night¡¯s breezes adding to the chill.


    After a moment, two shadowy figures¡ªQingluan and Ziyun¡¯er¡ªlanded before him in a thud.


    ¡°Your command, Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen peered into the darkened sky above them. A glint of malice flashed in his eyes as a single word escaped his lips¡ª¡±Death.¡±


    ¡­


    The entirety of Tianyuan City woke up the next day to a piece of horrifying news. The entire contingent of the Order of the Divine Fire, numbering to several tens of them, had been found gruesomely slaughtered. But strangely, nothing was damaged or broken; everything¡ªthe doors, windows, and all other items¡ªwere found intact with scarcely any signs of a fight.


    A hundred Constables were dispatched to help with the investigation of the grisly murders but to no avail. Whoever it was, the killer had left nothing for which the Constables could work on. Everyone in the estate¡ªthe several tens of students and acolytes of the Order, including Zhu Danfeng, whose own soul had all but completely destroyed¡ªwas so deftly assassinated and slaughtered that they barely had any time to react at all.


    News of the death of the contingent of the Order, which included several members with powers of the Core Forming Realm and a conjurer whose magic neared the Nascent Soul Realm, blazed through the entire city-state in a single day, putting fear into the commons of Tianyuan City. It was not the horrid murders that appalled them, but rather the murderer¡¯s ability to commit the deed without so much as a mouse stirring.


    Many came to suspect Xiao Chen, who was only in a fight against the Order the day before. Word traveled fast in the city, and before long, whispers and murmurs rose from every corner of the city with rumors of the city¡¯s most enigmatic young man getting involved in the heinous massacre.


    Be that as it might, there was nothing the League could do, not without any definite proof implicating Xiao Chen. But this did not prevent the elders of all schools and sects from issuing a strict warning to their students: Keep away from this man and offend him not!


    At the same time, a shrunken old man perched at the top of a precipice high atop the Jade Terrace Mountain. His red robes fluttered and snapped in the wind while the sinews on his neck were taut with veins bulging with anger, him wearing an ugly and hateful look on his face.


    ¡°I will avenge you, Brother Zhu¡­¡±


    Wan Gufeng breathed venomously. The Order of the Divine Fire has suffered losses so huge that their only Tier Four Elixir King was no more, the deaths of tens of students with promising talents to say the least.


    There was nothing but only hate and malice for Xiao Chen, he brooded. But he could only sit and watch as long as Xiao Chen remained under the watchful eyes of the League in Tianyuan City.


    The crunching of gravel alerted him to the presence of somebody behind him suddenly.


    ¡°WHO GOES THERE!¡± A man in green was walking closer to him from behind. Wan Gufeng regarded the stranger coldly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Ling Yuanshan of Clan Ling,¡± said the gnarly old man politely.


    ¡°Ah? A member of Clan Ling?¡± Wan Gufeng¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the newcomer briefly, ¡°What do you want?¡± There was hardly a shred of kindness in his voice. Wan Gufeng was confident that his powers trumped the stranger by lengths and miles and the Clan of Ling wielded authority only in the Eastern Continent; there was nothing about this newcomer that he was afraid of.


    ¡°Is it not said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?¡± Ling Yuanshan smiled sardonically.


    Out of the factions that professed no love for Xiao Chen, the Clan of Ling harbored the deepest loathing and contempt for him. The deaths of Ling Yuxuan and Ling Yingfeng, among many others, and most prominently, the near-destruction of the lord of Clan Ling, Ling Ruoxu¡¯s soul at Canglan City had all but set into stone the never-wavering bitterness the clan reserved for Xiao Chen.


    ¡°You know the origins of this boy?¡± Wan Gufeng asked curtly.


    ¡°He¡¯s not of the Jade Qing Sect, nor is he the heir of the Ancient Immortal Clans. My best guess is that he comes from the Human World.¡±


    The news brought Wan Gufeng whirling to face his newfound ally with shock and disbelief on his face. But he quickly recollected himself, cracking his knuckles as he growled deeply, ¡°I see¡­ He¡¯s been sent here by the schools of sorcery and magic in the Human World.¡±


    Ling Yuanshan nodded.


    ¡°Very well! I¡¯ll destroy the school from whence this wretched cur comes from!¡±


    ¡°Patience. There¡¯s yet any end to the promising potential we¡¯ve seen from him. What¡¯s more, he has the support of both the Jade Qing Sect and the Xianyong Sect behind him. I dare say it¡¯s nothing short of foolhardy to act now and allow them to find out that we are the ones behind the destruction of his former school.¡±


    Wan Gufeng¡¯s forehead wrinkled as he squinted in thought, finding himself agreeing with Ling Yuanshan. ¡°I¡¯d hope that you have something good then. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Ling Yuanshan merely grinned wickedly as a hint of rancor gleamed in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hatch a plot; one that would make him a pariah. Make him an outlaw of the Violet Manor. It would be for the best if the League arrests him and seals his soul. As far as I¡¯m concerned, this boy seems to share certain connections with members of the Devil¡¯s Path¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Faraway in the bowels of Tianyuan City, Xiao Chen was in his room, watching the still-unconscious Zhiluan. His face was tensed with concern for his friend when he felt a cold shudder, a premonitory dread as if a storm was coming, just when a voice from behind broke the still silence in the room.


    ¡°Master.¡±

 Chapter 293 - The Infernal Vortex

    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er had returned. Xiao Chen walked to them. Word of the massacre had reached his ears, although the scale of news had grown faster than what he had imagined. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the Leopard Cat Spirit with me into the Violet Illusory Lands. So be careful out here for the next few days.¡±


    The night¡¯s breeze brushed gently that night as he sat beside the unconscious Zhiluan. A sudden rustle came from outside, and Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense throbbed. He sprang up, booming loudly, ¡°WHO GOES THERE!¡±


    The door creaked open slowly. Basking in the placid glow of the moonlight was a gentle-looking little girl in a red dress. Her hands were held behind her back as she giggled, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to find you well, Handsome. I was so worried for you when I heard you went missing¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead creased as he recognized Yu Linglong, the young woman who was one of the Devil¡¯s Practice whom he last met at Canglan City. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked icily.


    Yu Linglong gave another impish chuckle that would have looked adorable if not for her background. She peered inside. ¡°I heard that a friend of yours is hurt. So here I am. I might have ways to help you.¡± She took a step and walked past him into his room.


    But Xiao Chen quickly stopped her with an arm. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to manage just fine. There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself with my business. Please see yourself out,¡± Xiao Chen growled.


    Yu Linglong grumbled through pouted lips, ¡°Argh¡­ There¡¯s no need to be so cold every time we meet¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen snorted and shot a frosty glare at her. ¡°Leave this place at once. I do not care what reasons you have for being here or what all of you of the Devils¡¯ sects intend to. Just leave!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me, Handsome¡­ I only wish to¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave. We are on the grounds of the League¡¯s citadel. A simple yelp from me and this place will be swarming with men who can¡¯t wait to arrest you! GO NOW!¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Yu Linglong stomped angrily. She cast a quick spell with a hand seal and vanished under the veil of the moon¡¯s lethargic luminescence.


    Xiao Chen waited until the last of her was gone, before he wiped away cold sweat with the back of his hand. ¡°What was she thinking?¡± He almost cursed, ¡°This is the League¡¯s citadel!¡± She might not have ulterior motives for wanting to approach him, but Xiao Chen knew he could ill suffer being seen with her, not especially with him being the talk of the city now.


    It did not take long for Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er to come knocking. ¡°Has there been anyone here, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go back to rest,¡± Xiao Chen shook his head.


    The next morning, Xiao Chen cradled the comatose Zhiluan in his arms as he walked towards the cave entrance. Furtive murmurs and hushed whispers followed in his wake as much as the number of hands pointed at him behind his back, he realized. Word of the massacre and his supposed association with the incident must have covered every inch of the city by now.


    The pair of Elders of the League charged with manning the entrance saw him carrying Zhiluan. They could instantly see that it was in fact an Immortal Lingzhi in the form of a cat, although they did nothing to stop him, merely hoping that he would cause no troubles here.


    Once inside, he was immediately surrounded by Yu Yifeng and the others who pelted him with questions. Xiao Chen merely shook his head and sighed, disentangling himself from his friends and moved alone to the spring 1500 meters to the north of the great oak tree.


    When he got there, there were many other students of magic meditating in silence. But they kept themselves well away from the water.


    There was a little island in the center of the pond with a flowering tree growing handsomely. Xiao Chen stepped into the water and slowly waded to the island, much to the chagrin of the others who merely watched with displeasure, while a few yelled derisively at him.


    Hardly eager to antagonize anyone, Xiao Chen carefully placed Zhiluan under the tree and waded back to land, where he sat away from the spring and began meditating himself.


    Before long, Yu Yifeng and the others came by to look. They sat down in silence to accompany him. Despite being able to absorb the rich natural Spiritual Qi around him, Zhiluan¡¯s injuries were simply too grievous for them to notice any recovery.


    It was in the evenings when Xiao Chen opened his eyes. He could sit still no more. Despite the abundance of Spiritual Qi in the area, Zhiluan would need a more powerful source of spiritual energies for him to heal lest his condition worsens and he would return back to his ordinary plant form.


    Realizing the need for a place with a greater concentration of Spiritual Qi, he remembered the patch of forest guarded by magical barriers. He recalled the extraordinarily fertile Spiritual Qi in the area that would have easily dwarfed the supply of this spring.


    But Yu Yifeng instantly knew what he was thinking of doing. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± he pressed with a hushed voice, ¡°The magical barriers there are a sign that the place is off-limits.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead curdled as he slumped into deep thought. But in the end, he decided that he would go nevertheless. Zhiluan would never be able to recover in time before their twenty days are up if he were to allow him to recuperate here. Moreover, he had long been intrigued by the barriers himself. ¡°Why were enchantments guarding the area which has the strongest supply of Spiritual Qi? It¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°Must you really go, Xiao Chen?¡± Yu Yifeng implored.


    Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan knew better. They had known him for two years and Xiao Chen had never once wavered from any decision once he had made up his mind. ¡°That place must be dangerous, Junior Brother Xiao,¡± she begged hopefully, ¡°Otherwise the barriers would not be there. How about waiting for the Seniors? They might still have ways to help Zhiluan.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. Back when we were lost at the Thousand Summits Mountain, it was this worthless fool who had saved me. Furthermore, Xian¡¯er has never stopped crying since¡­¡± His voice broke, but it was clear that his will had not.


    Everyone else watched in silence, fully aware of how intransigent and stubborn he was. Until a shrill and stern voice from Li Muxue made everyone¡¯s head turn. ¡°Must you behave thus? Must you put yourself in danger and make everyone worry about you?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xiao Chen could not bear to say anything else but a melancholic ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He stepped into the water again and trekked through the water to collect Zhiluan. ¡°I¡¯ll bear all responsibilities myself if anything happens,¡± he said again when he came back.


    But Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan sprang up suddenly and cried in unison, ¡°We¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped them. For all they knew, the place could be extremely dangerous, just like what Luo Shangyan said. And Xiao Chen would never allow anyone else to venture into peril like him. ¡°Go to Xian¡¯er. Tell her that everything will be fine,¡± he said to them.


    Faraway in the wooded patch barely five kilometers to the west, two acolytes of the League were guarding the magical barrier. One of them was meditating in silence, his eyes shut as he absorbed the Spiritual Qi around him, while the other was yawning about with hardly any vigilance in his duties. Xiao Chen spent half an hour setting up his Nine Heaven-scorching Flames magic and waited; until the two watchers relieved each other, he then activated his diversion.


    The entire mystic domain shuddered wildly as a gigantic column of flames burst into the sky as a result of the explosion. The two watchers got to their feet and left their posts, frantically scrambling to the site of the scene.


    With his plan working, Xiao Chen darted to where the magical barrier was. Yu Yifeng and the others watched him from afar and they could only shake their heads while sighing heavily.


    The barrier was erected decades ago by the collective powers of several Elders of the League and would take a feat to defeat it. But being an extremely gifted student in the crafts of magical formation, it was merely child¡¯s play.


    All it took was a heartbeat of a second and Xiao Chen succeeded in undoing the magic of the barrier. But before he could take another step with Zhiluan in his arms, his senses alerted him to the presence of Xiaoyue. ¡°Is she also nearby? Waiting to enter this place too?¡± But time was of the essence and he could afford no longer to wait. He dipped his head and rush right in.


    But he had barely stepped inside the forbidden area, when the entire mystic domain shook again. Only this time, the shock was very much stronger than the explosion he had created as a diversion that even those in the lower levels of the Illusory Lands could feel the tremor from above. Everyone¡¯s eyes blinked opened and all were bewildered on what was happening.


    Outside, at the entrance leading into the Illusory Lands, the two Elders shared an aghast look as they realized what was happening. ¡°Oh no! Somebody has disrupted the magical barrier and broken into the forbidden area!¡±


    They rushed inside to find nothing but chaos. Massive earthquakes rocked the ground and everyone was running for their lives. Seeing no other way, the two Elders took flight, stepping onto their swords and flew quickly towards the wooded patch.


    When they got near, the lush and tranquil forest was no more. In its place, was a dark and mysterious vortex, spinning and swirling so gently that anyone could have mistaken it for something harmless, if not for the infernal aura seeping out of it. The two acolytes were standing at a distance, frightened beyond words as they looked on with horrified looks on their faces.


    One of the Elders landed and raised the veritable question of ¡°What is going on here!¡±


    The acolytes crumbled to their knees, convulsing with panic and fear as they mumbled, ¡°We don¡¯t know¡­ There was an explosion not far away just now and we went over to check. But when we returned, it has already become¡­ this.¡±


    ¡°Fools!¡± The Elder spat. Beside him, his colleague barked, ¡°Perform an immediate roll call! That might give us an idea of who is behind this!¡± He strode closer to the vortex, hoping to properly examine it, when an invisible force slammed into him, sending him careening away for more than one hundred feet before he crashed, puking blood and saliva.


    ¡°Li!¡± His colleague, the Elder in red livery exclaimed with fright and ran over to help him. Elder Li got up and croaked hoarsely, ¡°Quick! Alert the others and have this place sealed!¡±


    A headcount was swiftly carried out and Xiao Chen was determined to be the perpetrator. Before long, Zi Mo and the others came quickly, having received word of the distress. Zi Mo slapped at Yu Yifeng behind his head. ¡°What in the hell is going on here! Where is he?!¡±


    Qingyu explained hastily, ¡°It¡¯s not Senior Brother Yu¡¯s fault. Xiao Chen was stubborn and he insisted on going in¡­¡±


    Yu Yifeng was in a daze. He never would have imagined that things would take such a serious turn that even the oldest and most venerable of the League¡¯s Elders, who have long kept themselves from the eye of the public, had come because of this incident. If only he knew, Yu Yifeng regretted, he would have done everything to stop Xiao Chen.


    The Elders were together near the vortex, but none of them dared to hazard another step closer. ¡°SEAL THIS PLACE AT ONCE!¡± One of them boomed.


    ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T!¡± Zi Mo thundered at them, ¡°The boy¡¯s still inside!¡±

 Chapter 294 - Sansheng Pool

    ¡°Xiaoyao Zi, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, this place must be sealed up immediately; otherwise, it will most likely devour all of Tianyuan City as soon as the chaos spreads out!¡±


    Indeed, it looked like the chaos was spreading out. People seemed to be more nervous right now than the time when the Forest of Illusory Moon collapsed. Immediately, the six Elders started to deploy the battle formation together. Zi Mo looked inside the chaos and muttered, ¡°Young man, I¡¯ve told you not to do anything stupid. This time, you have to make your own luck¡­¡±


    This chaos had come up suddenly 18 years ago, no one could ever get close to it, nor was there anyone who knew where its edge was, but the Elders guessed that there had to be some mystic domain out there, right inside of the chaos.


    The chaos was completely sealed up in two hours, now the place was just woods looking from the outside. In this circumstance, some Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League declared that this place would be closed for three days. Naturally, this announcement caused a lot of whining from the disciples.


    Going back to two hours ago before chaos showed up, this place was still the woods and Xiao Chen rushed in, followed by Xiaoyue, but she was stopped by an invisible force.


    The moment he stepped in, Xiao Chen felt the Spiritual Qi, it was even stronger than that of Mystic Cyan Mountain, but when he looked back, he couldn¡¯t find the way that he had come. Surely, he was able to figure out that the jungle was just a passage and he was in a different mystic domain already.


    As he looked over the place, he saw the blue sky, white clouds, green hills, and clean water. This mystic domain was way larger than that in the Tao League. He didn¡¯t know where the boundary was, but it gave him a strange feeling that he could not speak of for certain.


    He looked around and found no danger, so he put Zhiluan under a tree and then sat cross-legged to start the cultivation exercise.


    This place was abundant in Spiritual Qi. Xiao Chen could not imagine who had created this large base, but one thing was for sure, it could not be someone from the Daoist League of the Five Continents.


    This place was filled up with Spiritual Qi because of the Earth Spiritual Meridian in Tianyuan City. Was there anyone really stealing the Spiritual Meridian?


    Three days later, Zhiluan looked much better, the herbs grew above his head again. Finally, he woke up and muttered, ¡°Am I¡­ not dead yet? Where is this place?¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and smiled. ¡°There you are.¡± He spoke to himself, it really had to be in such a place full of Spiritual Qi to make it work.


    Zhiluan crossed its claws over its chest, looked sideways, and sniffed. Apparently, it was still mad for being wrongly accused a few days ago.


    Xiao Chen shook his head, smiling. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something? Aren¡¯t you a big talker?¡±


    Zhiluan threw back its head and replied, ¡°Boy, don¡¯t you ever talk to me again, you are not my friend anymore!¡± As it said so, seeing a big rock not far away, it made a hand seal with its claws, and a lot of ivy appeared and covered the rock immediately.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A terrible noise rose up, and as the big rock couldn¡¯t stand being closed tight by the ivy, it burst into pieces.


    ¡°Meow! What the heck! I did not know I am that good!¡±


    Xiao Chen squinted and thought to himself, ¡°Maybe this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Is this Leopard Cat Spirit actually much stronger than before?¡±


    Zhiluan couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened, so he made another hand seal and more ivy grew up around them instantly. They looked like steel, hard and invincible. It was only a moment before the hill was completely destroyed.


    Xiao Chen threw back his head and laughed. ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, from now on, it won¡¯t be that easy if someone wants to get you to make medicine.¡±


    Zhiluan snorted, and with a sly look on his face, he ordered two vines to twine themselves around Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen sneered and jumped backward; however, he did not realize that there were vines attacking him from behind. In a second, his hands and feet were all wrapped up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I will punish you human beings with thunder as soon as I regain my power!¡± said Zhiluan. As it muttered, all of a sudden, there were dark clouds gathering and rolling over to hang over Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen immediately felt the horrible power of the dark clouds, so he used his power to react in a hurry, yet he still could not get out of the vines. He yelled, ¡°Dead cat! Stop!¡±


    Following his words, thunder crashed on him with a big banging noise. In just a second, everything in the surrounding 40 or 50 feet turned to ash, his hair was messed up, and his face looked dirty and dark. Seeing his embarrassing look, Zhiluan couldn¡¯t help bursting out laughing.


    ¡°Dead cat, come over here!¡± Xiao Chen got rid of a few charred vines, performed the psychokinesis to grab Zhiluan, and slammed it into a big tree miles away. With a loud noise, a tree large enough for two people to touch hands around was smashed apart. Zhiluan rolled over on the ground but remained unscathed.


    Xiao Chen was shocked by the truth that the Leopard Cat Spirit indeed was way stronger than before. The thunder it created was great enough to be at the peak level of the Core Forming Realm. If not for him being stronger than ordinary people and protected by the Mystic Skill, he would have been hurt badly.


    Zhiluan gnashed his teeth furiously and tried to attack again. Xiao Chen stopped him suddenly with a silent gesture. ¡°Stop it! Something is out there!¡±


    ¡°Nothing is out there, check this out!¡±


    Zhiluan tried to attack him from the back quickly, but Xiao Chen grabbed and then pressed it in the sand directly, whispering while being vigilant, ¡°Cut it out!¡±


    At that moment, he sensed something very unusual. Although it was weak, it still made him feel uneasy.


    Zhiluan could not breathe in the sand, so it called out a flash to attack Xiao Chen. He got away from it this time in a hurry, but then the strange atmosphere had gone.


    ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, do you know where we are?¡±


    Zhiluan spat out the sand and replied angrily, ¡°It is you who brought me here, how dare you ask me where we are!¡±


    Since the Leopard Cat Spirit was asleep in the past three days, Xiao Chen did not get a chance to look around this place. But now, it looked like it was time to do some investigation, they at least had to find the way out.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and see what it¡¯s over there.¡±


    As the man and the cat walked for miles, the farther they went, the more Spiritual Qi they felt, yet it always gave them a strange feeling. Suddenly, the wind rose up and it frightened Zhiluan, who jumped backward and hid itself behind Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen immediately took out his Unsullied Sword and looked around carefully, yet nothing was out there. He teased it by saying, ¡°Hey! I say, with that great power you have, how come you are still so soft?¡±


    Zhiluan blushed with shame. ¡°Who needs your help? I am just afraid that you¡­¡± Before his voice fell, something was approaching very quickly. Xiao Chen grabbed him and jumped backward in a hurry. And as some dark mist gathered around the place where they stood, a creepy demon appeared in the mist.


    ¡°Meow! What! What the heck is this!¡±


    The demon with a creepy look was about the height of an adult. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and he could feel the lifelessness inside of it, it might have been created by a devil. However, how could a devil survive in such a clean and bright place?


    There was no time left for him to think deeply, for the demon attacked him as quick as lightning. His sword whistled in the air, turned into white radiance, and chopped the demon into two pieces. The Unsullied sword was capable of protecting its master, so it was no surprise that it won this battle.


    After the demon was cut in half, it turned into dark mist again and immersed into the ground. The Unsullied Sword whistled and flew back to Xiao Chen, surrounding him slowly, with the magic white light to protect its master from evil.


    Xiao Chen looked worried, it was just an ordinary demon, which was not that difficult to deal with, but he still could not get rid of the strange feeling. Therefore, although this place was full of Spiritual Qi, they¡¯d better leave this place soon.


    So they walk forward for miles again, and later on, they saw a small pool from the distance. The pool was quiet, mirroring the blue sky like a greenish-amber. There was a stone tablet by the pool, but they were just too far away to clearly see what was carved onto it.


    By the time they got to pool, Zhiluan looked at the characters on the stone tablet and read, ¡°Three fishes?¡±


    . Xiao Chen looks down at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t read it out loud if you don¡¯t know what it says¡­ Don¡¯t embarrass yourself. It says Sansheng Pool.¡±


    Zhiluan blushed and said, ¡°Who asked you!¡±


    Sansheng Pool, the characters were carved onto the stone tablet clearly, but they were not the common characters in use. They were the characters from the Immortal Century.


    Xiao Chen found himself troubled by thoughts. ¡°What is this place? Why does it use characters from the Immortal Century?¡±


    But at this moment, Zhiluan screamed, ¡°Boy, look!¡±

 Chapter 295 - The Man Sealed in Ice

    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°Look at what?¡± as his train of thought got interrupted by Zhiluan.


    Zhiluan pointed at the pool, its face shocked. ¡°There¡¯s someone! Now it¡¯s gone! The person is there again! Oh, gone again¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there again and what¡¯s gone again?¡± Seeing it speaking incoherently, Xiao Chen looked into the pool and was startled by what he saw. A reflection of a fairy in white unexpectedly appeared in the pool. The fairy¡¯s eyes were closed and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. Her sacredness was unparalleled.


    Suddenly, it was gone again.


    Suddenly, it appeared again.


    Stunned, Xiao Chen immediately turned to look at the Unsullied Sword that was circling around in midair. Every time the Unsullied Sword circled to the side of the pond, the reflection of the fairy would appear. Could this actually be the reflection of the Unsullied Sword?


    With this thought, he immediately used psychokinesis to make the Unsullied Sword fly right above the pool. As expected, the reflection of the fairy stopped disappearing.


    ¡°What the meowing heck! Kiddo, where did your sword come from!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows knitted together. The Unsullied Sword was a gift from Brother Yifeng. Was it possible that the reflection of the fairy that appeared in the pool was its past life or maybe a Sword Spirit? Ahaha, apparently a fairy had been his side all along. With this conclusion, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling complacent.


    Thereafter, he took out Blood Lotus Demon Blade and placed it above the pool. Immediately, a ferocious bloody monster appeared in the pool and it was staring at him with a sinister smile.


    ¡°What the heck! What the hell is that!¡±


    Terrified, Xiao Chen¡¯s hand jerked and threw the Blood Lotus Demon Blade far away from him. He didn¡¯t expect the thing that he had been treating as a treasure and had been using as a Demon Slayer was such a hideous monster.


    Then he took out the blighting Spirit-annihilation Halberd he snatched from Zuoqiu Yang in Canglan City previously. He barely used this halberd because he always felt that there was this devilishness inside it that would mess with his mind.


    Placing it above the pool, a devilish shadow immediately appeared. Winding around the shadow was an uncountable amount of immortals¡¯ souls. Startled by what he saw, was this halberd really refined with countless souls of immortals? It sure was scary.


    Next, he took out the Fuxi Zither C sharp major that he obtained at the bottom of the cold deep pool the other time. A divine dragon appeared in the pool as expected, since it was transformed from the ancient Yinglong.


    He continued to take out several miscellaneous items. Besides the C sharp major and Unsullied Sword that looked more normal, the rest were all awful things. Zhiluan couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. ¡°Kiddo, what demons and monsters have you been carrying around¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored it. He thought to himself, ¡°Even though some of them I have barely used, they all have a significant background story. Especially that Spirit-annihilation Halberd, what could it actually be¡­¡±


    Zhiluan saw Xiao Chen ignoring him, so it sauntered over to the side of the pool. The moment it looked into the pool, it shrieked in shock and jumped backward. It then pointed at Xiao Chen. ¡°You, you, you! Is it you, kiddo, who is messing with me?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°What the heck? What did you see?¡±


    Zhiluan let out a cough while pointing at the pool. ¡°What lousy sh*tty pool, everything is fake!¡±


    ¡°Weirdo,¡± Xiao Chen mumbled to himself before walking to the side of the pool. As he was about to wash his face, he suddenly saw that the reflection in the pool turned into something like¡­ a tree glowing with white light? Just for one second.


    Xiao Chen suddenly felt a little dizzy, so he shook his head vigorously and opened his eyes. The reflection in the pool was none other than himself, and the reflection of the trees was from the surrounding trees. Could it be that he was seeing things just now? He stirred the pool water a few times, and the reflection broke apart and slowly gathered back together. There was no change at all.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go. There¡¯s something peculiar about this place.¡±


    Zhiluan pointed at the Blood Lotus Demon Blade that was thrown not too far away. ¡°Do you really not want that weird blade anymore?¡± Right after its words, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade vibrated and let out a light hum.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled, and then he reached out his hand and took the blade back with psychokinesis. There would be countless battles in the future, even though the soul of this blade was scary, there was no way he could discard it just like that.


    An hour later, the man and the cat came to a quiet valley blooming with flowers. Though it was winter, the plants in the valley showed no signs of withering. As if it were March in the human world, the valley was pleasantly filled with the fragrance of the plants.


    After a short walk, several fruit trees that they could not name appeared in their path. The trees bore one immortal fruit after another in shades of orange-magenta. The sight of the fruits made Zhiluan¡¯s mouth water. It spread out its wings and reached out for one before gobbling it down its throat.


    ¡°Oi! Leopard Cat Spirit! Don¡¯t just put anything into your mouth!¡±


    Zhiluan gave him a sideways glance then slurred, ¡°What nonsense, I am the great Immortal Lingzhi. I can tell if something is poisonous with one look.¡±


    Xiao Chen thought what it said made sense. As an Immortal Lingzhi, it ought to know everything about all the plants. At once, he went and plucked a fruit from the tree as well. His mouth was filled with a sweet aroma with one bite. The taste of it reminded him of the immortal fruit in Emerald Valley, at the bottom of Three Pure Sect¡¯s back mountain where he first met Xian¡¯er.


    Come to think of it, only a place filled with Spiritual Qi like this could bear immortal fruits of this grade. Eating the fruit would definitely improve his powers greatly.


    Off to the side, Zhiluan was overwhelmed with fruit picking. It was eating and picking fruits at the same time while putting the fruits into a bag it got from nowhere. It was as if it wanted to put the entire valley into it.


    Xiao Chen teased it, ¡°Hey, is it not enough that you are already eating them? You wanna pack them away too?¡±


    With a fruit in its mouth, Zhiluan slurred, ¡°I¡¯m bringing some back for that little girl.¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled and did not tease it anymore. Suddenly, he felt that same horrible feeling from earlier and its source was coming from nearby. At once, he followed its trail cautiously.


    ¡°Oi! Where are you going, kiddo! Wait for me!¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored it and went half a mile alone. A cave appeared in front of him, and upon seeing it, his face was filled with shock.


    In the cave was actually a man dressed in green and the mass was sealed in ice. That horrible feeling he felt was coming from the inside of this cave. Xiao Chen tried as hard as he could to suppress his shock as he walked closer to the man. The man had silver hair that was down to his shoulders. Despite being sealed in ice, he had a majestic aura around him. The aura spoke: ¡°The world is under my feet, within the heaven and earth and the four seas, I am the only master of it!¡±


    At this moment, it was like there were huge waves slapping his heart. Xiao Chen was in awe. He had never admired anyone in this life, but this man in front of him brought out his reverence. If it were a normal cultivator who had seen this man in the ice, he would probably have knelt before this man to show his respect uncontrollably.


    ¡°Within the heaven and earth and the four seas, I am the only master of it!¡± None of the countless men of the hour throughout the six realms would dare to name themselves as the master of all beings. Except for this man here!


    ¡°But who is this person really? Why is he being sealed here in ice?¡± Xiao Chen could not help himself from walking closer. Upon closer inspection, there were no scars on the man¡¯s body nor were there any signs of a fight before he was sealed up in the ice.


    If he had guessed correctly, this person was not sealed by anyone else but himself!


    But what would be the reason for such a powerful man to seal himself in ice? At this moment, Xiao Chen noticed 12 sarcophagi in green that were neatly arranged behind the frosty ice. The horrible feeling he felt earlier had to be coming from these sarcophagi.


    ¡°What the meow! Why is there an iceman here?¡± Zhiluan flew in suddenly.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Xiao Chen made a shushing gesture immediately, afraid that he would disturb the man within the frosty ice.


    Zhiluan was still in shock as it flew around the frosty ice. Suddenly a cold shiver ran down its spine, and it whimpered, ¡°Kiddo let¡¯s go now, this person seems to have an ambiguous persona, he could either be good or evil. If he comes alive, we would both be dead here¡­¡±


    Before it could even finish the sentence, one of the sarcophagi in the cave vibrated. Alerted, Xiao Chen backed off to the entrance of the cave.


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The lid of that sarcophagus shot up into the sky, and a sense of devilishness filled the air.


    ¡°The person who has disturbed the master will die!¡±


    A voice that seemed to have come from the netherworld rang in their ears. From the darkness, a pair of crimson red eyes emerged and came at them at breakneck speed. A powerful force sealed the space around.


    Under this overwhelming force, Xiao Chen surprisingly could not even move his fingers. It was as if even a Grand Completion Realm cultivator could not take a blow from it.


    It seemed that this was the end of their lives. All of a sudden, a harp sound emanated at the most critical moment. Before Xiao Chen could react, he was 10 miles away.


    ¡°Meow! What the meowing heck! That was so scary! I thought I was going to die just like that!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face went as white as a sheet as well and his back was entirely drenched in sweat. He had yet to recover from the fright. The level of that force from just now must have been higher than that of the Grand Completion Realm. Suddenly, a voice in a chilling tone came from behind. ¡°Kiddo! You really wanna die, huh?¡±


    ¡°Meow! And where did you, weanling, come from!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around only to see a young man dressed in a moonlight-white robe suspending in midair just a few feet above the ground. It was Evernight in its human form that came to their rescue in the moment of crisis.


    ¡°Nonsense! How dare a mere Lingzhi Spirit have the audacity to call me a weanling!¡± Evernight bellowed.


    Zhiluan stomped its foot. ¡°You are the impudent one! I have lived for 3,000 years. Why can¡¯t I call you a weanling?¡±


    Evernight tilted his head back and laughed out loud. ¡°3,000 years. I am the Archean Zither Spirit and I broke out of the cycle of Samsara way back. I am entitled to thousands, millions of years of life. You¡¯re just a mere Lingzhi Spirit and you dare to have the audacity to compare yourself to me!¡±


    Xiao Chen shoved Zhiluan away with his foot before it could argue back, then said, ¡°Thank you, Evernight.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Evernight responded coldly, his arms folded in front of his chest as he continued to look in the direction of that cave in the quiet valley. He seemed to be in deep thought.


    Xiao Chen followed his gaze and could not help feeling relieved again. He was so glad that the thing that attacked him did not pursue. That thing must have been a puppet, as he could not feel any signs of life from it earlier.


    But it was not a Corpse Puppet. A Corpse Puppet was the most ominous puppet of all and it did not have a mind of its own. The Corpse Refinery Sect was the best at refining them. However, that puppet seemed to have a certain extent of its own mind and was way more powerful than a Corpse Puppet from the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    But he really could not piece it together who the ice-sealed man was. A being with 12 puppets that were in such defiance of the natural order would have been unchallengeable in the human realm.

 Chapter 296 - Lost In Dream

    After a long time, Xiao Chen looked at Evernight and saw that his face was pale. He said, ¡°Evernight, you go back to the zither.¡±


    Evernight was the Zither Spirit of Fuxi Zither. Now Jade Zither was lost. Its Soul power could not last long. And now he was his only best friend. Xiao Chen sighed, and felt sorry that Evernight always spent his Soul power helping him.


    ¡°Boy, this place is full of strange things, we should leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Zhiluan came up, and said, while holding his head high, ¡°Is this place weird? But I feel that this is a beautiful place. I would like to live here for another three or five years, before leaving.¡±


    Evernight ignored Zhiluan. He flipped his sleeves back and disappeared. Seeing that, Zhiluan looked around and wondered, ¡°Why did he suddenly disappear? Boy, who¡¯s that arrogant guy just now?¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at him and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that arrogant guy just now, you would already have died!¡±


    Zhiluan jumped back in surprise. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so awesome! I thought it was you who brought me here! What kind of spirit did you say he was?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head, and did not pay any attention to him. He looked again in the direction of the valley. For some reason, the man sealed in the ice gave him a strange feeling, which he could not describe. But he felt it was a kind sort of feeling.


    Of course, the puppet in the sarcophagus did not make him feel good.


    Two hours later, the man and the cat came to a flower valley, which was much brighter than the gloomy valley. There were clear springs flowing from the hill, which converged into a pool below. The pool was clear, surrounded by colorful flowers, among which flitted many colorful butterflies.


    Zhiluan chased after the butterflies in the flower garden, while Xiao Chen sat beside him, trying to meditate, but he could not calm down. From time to time, the image of the man sealed in ice, appeared in his mind.


    At dusk, Xiao Chen suddenly felt sleepy. He had not had a good rest these last few days. Even though it was not night yet, he searched for a small cave nearby, collected some leaves, placed them on the ground, and then laid down to rest.


    Early in the morning, a cold wind suddenly blew into the cave, making him feel cold. Xiao Chen opened his eyes in a daze. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound outside. Following the sound, he came to the valley of the day again.


    ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen still felt very dizzy and sleepy. He walked into the cave and looked at the man sealed in ice, and asked, ¡°I¡¯m here. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Eight thousand devil soldiers shocked the Three Worlds, while one hundred thousand Buddhas fled to the Western Paradise¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­ one hundred thousand Buddhas fled to the Western Paradise?¡± When he heard that, Xiao Chen was a little confused. Suddenly, the voice of the man sealed in ice rang out again. ¡°Stop looking.¡±


    ¡°Stop looking? Who should I stop looking for?¡±


    ¡°She.¡±


    ¡°She? Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Your master, Ling Yin!¡±


    When he heard the name of his master, Xiao Chen was shocked, and came to his senses. He said in a hurry, ¡°Do you know my master? Where is she? Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°She is¡­ dead!¡±


    ¡°She is dead?¡±


    Xiao Chen was very sad when he heard that. It seemed that he had fallen into a nightmare at this moment, and would never wake up. Suddenly, he shouted out in a hoarse voice, ¡°No!¡±


    His voice echoed throughout the valley, which greatly shocked Zhiluan. ¡°Boy¡­ are you awake?¡±


    Xiao Chen sat up in fright, with a pale face, sweating all over. He was still in a confused state. Looking at the rising sun outside the cave, he murmured, ¡°It turns out¡­ it turns out to be only a dream.¡±


    Zhiluan handed over a fairy fruit, ¡°A dream? What dreams do you have in the daytime, boy?¡±


    Xiao Chen pushed aside the fruit Zhiluan handed him, got up and staggered outside. When he came out, he felt that sunshine was slightly dazzling. Water mist rose in the distant pool, above which there was a brilliant rainbow, and several butterflies were dancing around the rainbow.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a dream¡­ it¡¯s not a dream¡­ I¡¯m going to ask him again!¡±


    Zhiluan came after him and said, ¡°One moment you say it¡¯s a dream, the next you say it¡¯s not. And who are you going to ask?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Xiao Chen pushed him aside, and ran towards the valley.


    Zhiluan followed him and shouted, ¡°Hey! If you¡¯re going to die, at least bring me out first!¡±


    An hour later, the man and the cat came again to the valley where they were at yesterday. Zhiluan shook with fear and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go any further, boy, otherwise we¡¯ll really die¡­¡±


    When they were 500 meters away from the entrance of the cave, Xiao Chen stopped and dared not get closer, because he felt that he had attracted the puppet¡¯s attention again. If he got closer, he would surely be attacked by the puppet again.


    This time he talked with the man by using his Divine Sense. The puppet could not sense his Divine Sense, but he could see everything in the cave.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Did you talk to me last night?¡± He transmitted his Divine Sense into the ice.


    However, no matter how he much he tried, the man never showed any fluctuation of Divine Sense; he was just like a man who had been dead for thousands of years.


    ¡°Who are you? Who the hell are you? Why? Why?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s mood was out of control now.


    Suddenly, he saw the sarcophagus moving. He immediately retracted his Divine Sense and flew about hundreds of meters backwards, while holding on to Zhiluan. The puppet was too powerful for him to take any risks. Moreover, he could not get any answer.


    In this way, they returned to flower valley. All day long, he was restless and unable to meditate. ¡°Who on earth is the man? Why did he seal himself in the ice here? Was everything just a dream?¡±


    Since joining Violet Manor, he had experienced many sorts of happenings, such as the great devil Gu Feng running out of the tomb of Xiao Family, the site of Mystic Cyan Sect in a wilderness in the East Continent, the resurgent Patriarch of Skygale Sect, the ancient scroll and the skeleton of the Immortal King found in Xianyong Sect, the ancient Divine Corpse mentioned by the Corpse Refinery Sect, and the man sealed in ice.


    Xiao Chen became more and more confused. All this seemed to have nothing to do with his master, but led him to an unknown direction, time and again. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen felt upset and tousled his hair.


    Zhiluan came over, and said seriously to Xiao Chen. He was seldom serious like this. ¡°Boy, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re upset, but the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly will be held in half a month, and the Devil Aura is getting worse over there in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. Aren¡¯t you going to think about how to get out of here?¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a powerless smile on his face. In his mind, the Devil Aura, all beings of the world, and the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, were not as important as finding his master. Last night in his dream, he heard that his master had died. Even though he was in a dream at that time, he still felt desperate.


    Zhiluan sat down and said, ¡°Take a break alone. I¡¯ll go and see how we can get out. We are both missing. That little girl must be worried¡­¡± Then he got up and set off in the distance.


    Xiao Chen suddenly sobered up. There were so many people around him, who cared about him, such as Xian¡¯er, Mu Xue, Senior Sister Luo, Brother Yifeng, and his parents. But every time when he heard something about his master, he was always ill at ease, and forgot about the people around him.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Don¡¯t run about!¡±


    Zhiluan patted himself on his chest, and said with a smile on his face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My power has been restored. It will be all right!¡± Then he spread his wings and flew over to the other side of the flower valley.


    Xiao Chen sighed. He sat down by the pool and meditated for a moment. ¡°The Devil Aura in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix is getting worse. It may be related to all beings of the world. Didn¡¯t Master teach me many times that cultivators should attach most importance to all beings of the world?¡±


    ¡°When the situation becomes critical, I should not keep out of the affair. And I¡¯m afraid there will be a hard battle waiting for me at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. At this time, I should calm down and practice more. I can always find master one day.¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged and began to absorb the spiritual Qi around him. In this place, the spiritual Qi was very abundant. For the cultivators today, it might only speed up their entrance to realms. But for him who had mastered the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method and owned twelve Spiritual Meridiana, he would improve himself at a tremendous pace if he cultivated here.


    At sunset, Zhiluan flew back in a hurry and anxiously said, ¡°Boy! I saw over there¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Speak slowly, what did you see?¡±


    ¡°I saw¡­ saw¡­¡± Zhiluan was so out of breath that he could not speak for a moment.

 Chapter 297 - Qi Deviation

    Xiao Chen frowned, but did not pursue the matter further. He only began to question Zhiluan again, when she had calmed down. ¡°Why are you so flustered? What did you see?¡±


    Zhiluan landed and pointed to the northwest, saying, ¡°There¡¯s a exit there that has some restriction.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked in the direction Zhiluan was pointing at, and saw a white, hazy skyline in the horizon. Rightfully, only the master of a mystic domain knew about its exits, and most of them were covered with obfuscating barriers. ¡°No matter, I¡¯ll go and take a look with you tomorrow,¡± he said.


    The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly was drawing near, and even though this realm was abundant with Spiritual Qi, he wanted to leave as soon as possible, so as not to cause Xian¡¯er and the others undue worry. He did not sleep, but began cultivating quietly, while standing guard outside the cave.


    Moonlight cascaded down, causing the surroundings to look illusive. Previously, he had ascended to Nascent Soul Realm with the aid of his master, and had been refined by 3000 hellfires. It would not be easy to achieve breakthrough from the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Xiao Chen was channeling energy across each major acupuncture point in his body. He was already sweating profusely, and wisps of white smoke could be seen escaping from the top of his head. However, he was relieved that he could vaguely sense that the gold elixir in his body was turning into a nascent soul. It proved that he was close to entering the Nascent Soul Realm!


    Now, he had the confidence to battle with Xiaoyue, Zuo Qiuyang and the others. However, this was still not enough. He needed to truly enter the Nascent Soul Realm! He had to be strong enough to withstand the attacks of those Nascent Soul monsters!


    Unknowingly, the Sun had already risen, and the surroundings turned lively. The flowers bloomed, the birds chirped, and it was truly a sight to behold. Zhiluan opened its eyes blankly, to see Xiao sitting as still as a stone, in front of the cave, and it dashed forward hurriedly.


    ¡°Kid, kid, wake up!¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and smiled gently. ¡°Why are you getting all worked up so early in the morning for?¡±


    Zhiluan flew around him for a few rounds, before asking in amazement, ¡°Have you achieved breakthrough?¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned and remained silent. He stretched lazily and gazed northwest at the cloud covered area in the horizon. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll visit the place you mentioned yesterday,¡± he said.


    After two hours, the man and cat arrived at the cloudy and hazy place. They were blocked by a huge mountain, and the mountain top seemed to be in a state of chaos. He believed that they were at the borders of the mystic domain; the amount of spirit energy here was much lesser. Suddenly, Xiao Chen struck the wall of the cliff in front of him with his palm, causing everything around him to tremble.


    Zhiluan got a shock. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly, kid!¡±


    ¡°I was only trying to see if we can break through the restriction of this mystical domain¡¯s walls.¡±


    However, it was obvious that it was totally impossible to break through the domain using brute strength alone. Xiao Chen took a few steps forward, and observed the cliff near him. If they wanted to leave this mystical domain, he had to find the exit created by its owner, or a spot with extremely weak Mystic Power. The spot they were in, however, had neither of these two characteristics.


    ¡°Meow! Don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯m going to be trapped here forever!¡±


    Xiao Chen rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you in a rush for? Didn¡¯t you end up alright in the Forest of Illusory Moon? Furthermore, the amount of divine berries here is enough to last you a decade.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what about after that?¡± Zhiluan asked in a shaky voice.


    ¡°After 10 years? After that, we¡¯ll still be friends and can still look out for each other¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen hummed a simple tune and looked at the other side. Even though he looked carefree, in reality, he was getting impatient as well. His concern about entering the Nascent Soul Realm had to take a back seat. Now, he was focused on leaving this place. He believed that Xian¡¯er and the others must be extremely worried by now.


    After another hour, man and cat had already multiple more spots. ¡°Kid, come over quickly!¡± Zhiluan shouted suddenly, in a strange tone.


    Xiao Chen walked over and was shocked to see that there was a small chaotic spot in a crack on the stone wall in front of him. The abundant amount of Spiritual Qi in this mystic domain had seeped in from this crack, little by little.


    Was his guess that this mystic domain was set up here to secretly obtain spirit energy from the Earth Spiritual Meridian of Tianyuan City, correct? However, who created it? It was so large and was capable of rotating on its own. Was this the creation of the man frozen in ice?


    ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, I¡¯ve thought of a way to get out of this place. Even though it¡¯s not an exit, I can turn this spot into one.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How? Just like this¡­¡± Xiao Chen said, suddenly pushing with both palms. Two immense streams of power struck the rock wall, and there was a loud boom that caused their surroundings to tremble. A large number of trees around them began crashing down.


    Zhiluan flew around haphazardly, in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly, kid! Have you forgotten that you caused an avalanche of snow on Thousand Summits Mountain earlier on?!¡± it cautioned, rubbing its head.


    Xiao Chen retreated a little. It looked like his brute force approach was not going to work, nor was it any form of reactive measure. If he did not cut off the source of Spiritual Meridian power to this spot, there was no way they could escape.


    ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, you¡¯re small sized. Do you want to burrow in to take a look?¡±


    Zhiluan leapt up violently. ¡°What do you take me for? How dare you order me around?¡± It said, before gazing at the area of Chaos within the crack. It shook its head continuously and retreated.


    ¡°What sort of immortal are you? You¡¯re so cowardly,¡± teased Xiao Chen, walking up to the crack. Zhiluan was gritting its teeth in fury. ¡°Go, if you¡¯re so brave!¡±


    Xiao Chen did not bother replying it, and observed their surroundings carefully. The area of Chaos did indeed lead to the outer world, and it would open itself at regular intervals to absorb Spiritual Meridian energy. The next time it opened, would be their chance to leave.


    ¡°Come here, Leopard Cat Spirit.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind? Let me tell you, I¡¯m not going to burrow into that filthy place,¡± Zhiluan replied, walking over slowly.


    Xiao Chen rolled his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hide within a crack in the stone in Forest of Illusory Moon before?¡±


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re so irritating!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cut it out. Come over and see ¨C this area of Chaos is only as wide as a bowl now, but you¡¯ll have to come over and observe its size daily, and report to me.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Of course I¡¯ll head back to Flower Valley to train. The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly is coming, and you¡¯ll feel proud too, if I win it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­damn!¡± Zhiluan said angrily, stomping off in protest. ¡°On account of the divine berries, I¡¯ll allow myself to become your lackey.¡±


    As such, man and cat went back to the valley of flowers. The next afternoon, Zhiluan arrived hurriedly to report, ¡°Kid, the area of Chaos is the size of two bowls now!¡±


    Xiao Chen was quietly channeling his energy and nodded gently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡± Zhiluan asked.


    ¡°Look at what? Do you think that I¡¯ll be able to squeeze in?¡±


    For the next eight days, Zhiluan would rush back to report after observing the crack in the valley. Xiao Chen opened his eyes upon hearing that the area of Chaos was now as wide as a water basin. ¡°If everything goes as planned, we¡¯ll be able to leave in a few days¡¯ time,¡± Xiao said, nodding gently.


    Zhiluan looked at the fruit trees around them, and replied unwillingly, ¡°Can¡¯t we wait for a few more days? Let¡¯s go after 10 more years, after we¡¯ve consumed all the berries here¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately rolled his eyes. ¡°The next time this area of Chaos appears will probably be another thousand years later.¡±


    In fact, he wanted to wait for another couple of years before leaving as well, but there were too many things in the outer world that bugged him. Perhaps what his master told him years ago, was true. One that had too many lingering thoughts, was not suited to become an immortal. He used to be completely carefree, but not so during this life.


    ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, you have to be careful when I try to break out of here, in a few days¡¯ time.¡±


    Xiao Chen did not know what has happening beyond this domain, but he knew that the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly was about to begin. The only thing he could do was to wait for the Path of Chaos to open, and try to break into the Nascent Soul Realm, within these few days.


    He achieved breakthrough to that realm the last time by immolating himself with 3000 hellfires. This mystic domain, however, was incredibly abundant with Spiritual Qi.


    For the next three days, Xiao Chen trained day and night. The Nascent Soul in his body gradually took shape, but he kept getting stuck at the fringe of the realm, unable to break into it.


    The Nascent Soul Realm was the greatest obstacle during a practitioner¡¯s course of cultivation. Once any practitioner entered the realm, he or she would be able to connect with Nature, by using his or her spirit alone. It was the same case, when Xiao Chen got a peek of Unity of Nature and Human in the Xianyong Sect yard.


    The practitioner would even be able to cultivate the Violet Manor Nascent Soul in his or her body and create a domain. Of course, it would be different from a mystic realm. The latter existed within the world, while the small domain existed only within the practitioner¡¯s Violet Manor Nascent Soul.


    However, many practitioners did not have this great natural divine ability, and were only able to remain at peak Core Forming Realm, till the end of their lives. These people would forever be unable to attain immortality, and had to undergo Samsara for another shot at it.


    Time passed, and Xiao Chen was already sweating profusely by the time it was nightfall. A puddle of water had formed on the ground, and he had tried to break into the Nascent Soul Realm dozens of times, failing each time.


    Zhiluan observed that his face turned pale and red intermittently, and was already trembling in fear. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­we call it a day, you¡¯ll soon undergo Qi Deviation if you continue¡­¡± it said in a quavering voice.


    ¡°No way! Again!¡±


    Xiao Chen growled and channeled his Qi for nine cycles again. The plants around him were shaking, and a wisp of black qi circled around his brows. The Devilish Skill ¡°Mystic Diabolic Enchantment¡± had been activated by itself.


    ¡°Stop channeling your energy now, Kid! You¡¯ll undergo Qi Deviation!¡± Zhiluan exclaimed loudly.

 Chapter 298 - To the Death

    Xiao Chen ignored the cat and continued to channel the True Qi in his body. At this moment, two waves of True Qi were clashing in his body. One of them was pure immortal Qi from the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method he had cultivated over a long period of time, while the other was formed naturally from the 12 Spiritual Meridians in his body. The latter was slightly dark purple in color and looked extremely mysterious. With the assistance of the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment, it expanded a few times.


    Very quickly, the purple Qi suppressed the white one. Xiao Chen¡¯s face was enveloped in black energy, and his pupils had turned slightly red.


    Zhiluan was greatly shocked. ¡°Stop, kid! Stop!¡±


    Suddenly, two sharp rays of energy shot out from Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. ¡°My heart was connected to all life, but how did you people treat me? You destroyed my Nascent Soul! You imprisoned me in the Ghostly Hall that was completely devoid of any light!¡±


    He thought about past events that happened a few millennia ago. He was wrongly framed as a people of the Devil¡¯s Practice, and his Nascent Soul was destroyed.


    ¡°What is Heaven? What is Tao? What is life?¡±


    The vengefulness in Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was amplified, and he channeled his powers suddenly, causing an immense ball of energy to radiate from his body. The greenery nearby was instantly turned into ash, and even the water in pools of the surrounding area churned into waves about three meters high.


    Zhiluan was sent flying backward by the sudden surge of energy, and rolled on the ground a few times before getting up. He gazed at Xiao Chen, who was already undergoing Qi Deviation, and said loudly, ¡°Kid! Have you forgotten that Xian¡¯er is still waiting for us to return!¡±


    ¡°Xian¡¯er¡­¡± Finally, Xiao Chen regained a little of his senses.


    Zhiluan took the opportunity to chant incantations, sending a few white radiances flying toward the back of Xiao¡¯s head. Xiao Chen straightened himself up and coughed out a mouthful of blood, before collapsing on his side.


    Zhiluan flew over at great speed to break his fall. Xiao Chen got up only after a while, all the black qi gone from his face. His pupils had reverted to their original color, and he was muttering, ¡°What happened just now¡­¡±


    Zhiluan grunted. ¡°You nearly underwent complete Qi Deviation!¡±


    ¡°Qi¡­Qi Deviation¡­¡± Xiao Chen rubbed his temples, still feeling a little dizzy.


    ¡°Kid, let me ask you, have you slayed the Deity of Three Corpses?¡± Zhiluan asked sternly and seriously, as it walked up to him.


    ¡°Deity of Three Corpses¡­¡± Xiao Chen muttered, before shaking his head.


    The ¡°Deity of Three Corpses¡± were the three things that all practitioners had to rid themselves of, before they could become a saint. They were similar in nature to the three vices of Greed, Anger and Foolishness that the Buddhists needed to get rid of. However, he had failed to do so in his previous life. How could he possibly manage to do that in this current life?


    ¡°Wha¡­ttt!¡± Zhiluan was so shocked that it leapt up as it exclaimed. ¡°You didn¡¯t get rid of the Three Corpses! How could you possibly attain immortality? You¡¯ll definitely undergo Qi Deviation someday. How do you think those old Nascent Soul beasts entered the realm so easily? All of them rid themselves of the Three Corpses!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not even in Grand Completion Realm, so why should I rid myself of the Three Corpses? Furthermore, not all of the Nascent Soul beasts did that. Do you think Wan Gufeng has gotten rid of the Three Corpses, in his mind?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Wan Gufeng?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot that I met him before I met you. He¡¯s a fake practitioner of the Orthodox Path.¡±


    Zhiluan shook its hand and replied seriously, ¡°No matter what he did, you should still get rid of the Three Corpses, to prevent yourself from having to deal with Qi Deviation again. If I hadn¡¯t¡­humph!¡±


    Xiao Chen replied, ¡°Would it be as easy as you claim? Forget it, I¡¯ll try to break into the Nascent Soul Realm again, in a few days¡¯ time. I¡¯ll stop trying if I really can¡¯t do it.¡± He was more concerned that it would be extremely hard to break into the realm, once he left this land of abundant Spiritual Qi.


    He had his master to assist him in the past, but who else could he look for now? Even though he was acquainted with Zi Mo, it was still better to have his own master. Suddenly, he missed his master from the Three Pure Sect, Bai Ying. It would be great if Bai Ying was around now; he would surely know what to do.


    He sighed, unwilling to discuss further. ¡°Right, how¡¯s the Area of Chaos?¡± he asked.


    Zhiluan opened its paws and retrieved a divine berry from the sack on its back. It took a bite of the fruit, replying vaguely, ¡°Anyway¡­we¡¯ll¡­be¡­unable to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said, the Area of Chaos is still not open, and we can¡¯t leave yet.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned, believing that the Leopard Cat Spirit must have wanted to stay in this domain, for a few more days. He decided that he should go and see for himself tomorrow. If the Cat Spirit was lying to him, he did not know how long more it would take, before the portal opened again.


    He had a sound rest that night, and headed northwest to the Chaos Valley the next morning. He realized that the crack was indeed much greater, and the spirit energy flowing out of it was much more intense. However, he was still unable to enter it.


    ¡°Look, did I lie to you?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Keep observing the crack. I¡¯ll head back to prepare myself to achieve breakthrough again,¡± he said.


    Zhiluan was shocked to hear that. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly again, kid. What if you kill me by accident the next time you undergo Qi Deviation?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he replied. The last time, he was impatient and did not stop himself, even when the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment was activated. He would not make the same mistake again.


    Seven more days passed. During this time, Xiao Chen tried to break into the Nascent Soul Realm daily. He had absorbed a sufficient amount of Spiritual Qi to do so, but each time he was close to doing that, the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment would be activated, and disrupt his thoughts, as if it was trying to draw him to the dark side.


    As such, he had to stop himself every time. If he had allowed himself to use the enchantment to achieve breakthrough, he would have long attained Nascent Soul Realm power. However, he was unwilling to do so, as it would have drawn him into the dark side.


    Each time, Zhiluan would hide himself far away and observe Xiao Chen in fear. He was afraid that Xiao would turn to the dark side and use him as an elixir. The cat would wake up in fear during the night, even after hearing a gentle breeze. Undeniably, it was close to breaking down from having to remain beside someone teethering on the brink of both the light and dark sides, even though it was an Immortal.


    He walked up carefully to Xiao Chen when he saw that he had failed yet again. ¡°Kid¡­why don¡¯t you give up. You still have a long way to go, why are you so intent on¡­¡± it said softly.


    Xiao Chen pinched his fingers together. ¡°A long way to go¡­I¡¯ve already lost a few millennia. How much time do you think I¡¯ve left?¡±


    Qianyu Nishang had already become the Immortal King of a certain land, while he was still stuck at the fringes of the Nascent Soul Realm. What else did he have to say? Was he still supposed to call her ¡°Junior Sister¡± like before?


    Furthermore, he had killed the junior of the Nascent Soul being, Wan Gufeng. He knew Wan would not let the matter rest. He had not acted because Xiao was still in the Taoist League of the Five Continents, and had the backing of Zi Mo and the others. Was he going to have to hide behind someone else for the rest of his life, though?


    Xiao Chen felt his emotions were in turmoil. Zhiluan tried to console him, ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t put on such a long face. The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly is about to begin, why don¡¯t we see if we can get out from this place today?¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed and nodded. Man and cat went northwest again to the valley. The crack was much larger today, and an endless stream of Spiritual Qi kept surging out from it.


    ¡°It¡¯s about right. Can we leave now?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked back toward the valley of flowers, replying, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for another three more days.¡±


    They returned back again. It was going to be his last attempt to achieve breakthrough. If he failed, he would have to leave without any complaints. They had to, as the Portal of Chaos could shut down anytime, and he did not know when it would reopen again.


    This time, Xiao Chen went to the waterfall above the pool. He observed the waterfall, which was dozens of meters high. Water splattered against the nearby cliff with booming sounds, and it was an immensely powerful waterfall.


    After consideration, Xiao Chen launched himself from the tip of his toes, and flew into the waterfall. He could feel the immense pressure crashing onto his head, and it gave him difficulty in breathing.


    He had not expected that he would be using a waterfall hundreds of meters long, to help him reach the Nascent Soul Realm; in the past, he did so, after being burnt by hellfire. After he readied himself, Xiao Chen sat down, cross legged. He was prepared to go ahead with his final plan. If he failed this time, he would rid himself of all his cultivation powers! He would start all over again!


    Time ticked on by. Xiao Chen shut his eyes lightly and wiped his mind clean of all thoughts. He changed the Xuanqing mind cultivation method repeatedly, from Qi Refining to Foundation Building, then Core Forming Realm. He refined his energy into Qi, and then into spiritual energy. As he did so, he remembered his master¡¯s words, ¡°Take flight with the goodness in Nature, and the six Qis¡­forget yourself and observe everything with your heart. You¡¯ll then be connected to Nature.¡±


    Xiao Chen had slowly entered a state of complete mindfulness. Immortals and demons were illusory and unable to affect him!


    Zhiluan observed quietly from afar. Soon, six hours passed, and night fell, but Xiao Chen was still motionless.


    The night passed, but still Xiao Chen did not emerge from the waterfall. Zhiluan stood guard outside the entire night, and did not dare shut its eyes, for fear that Xiao would undergo Qi Deviation again.


    Soon, three days had passed. Zhiluan was already completely fatigued. Just as it was about to fall asleep, a wisp of think smoke appeared above the pool, and a layer of white mist enveloped the area near the waterfall.

 Chapter 299 - Su Yue

    The mist grew thicker, and soon, it had nearly engulfed the entire valley of flowers. Zhiluan could no longer see beyond a radius of nine meters and began to feel excited. ¡°Meow! What¡¯s going on here?¡± However, he knew that Xiao Chen was at a critical stage of his training and he could definitely not disturb him.


    Suddenly, huge rays of neon light shot into the sky from the waterfall¡¯s direction. Zhiluan could see everything clearly, even though his vision was obscured by a layer of white mist.


    ¡°Meow! Meow! Are you ascending, kid?¡±


    The moment his voice rang out, the vapor around him began to flow quickly and surged toward the neon light from the waterfall. It was not due to the fact that the vapor was being sucked over. Rather, Spiritual Qi around them was being absorbed rapidly.


    Gradually, the plants and trees around them began to shrivel, causing Zhiluan to exclaim in a strange voice, ¡°This is bad, this is bad! Stop now, kid! My spirit energy has also been absorbed by you¡­¡±


    A figure shot out from the waterfall before his voice had even died down. A faint white radiance surrounded his body, and he landed elegantly like a deity. It was Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen pressed his palm onto Zhiluan, infusing some spirit energy into the cat. He flicked his sleeves, causing bits of white radiance to scatter over the shriveled-up flora, giving them new life.


    ¡°Chen¡¯er, even though those who seek to attain immortality require Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth, they should never harm Mother Nature. You have to remember this,¡± said Ling Yin to him once. Xiao Chen had always kept this teaching to heart.


    ¡°Kid, did you manage to achieve a breakthrough?¡± Zhiluan asked anxiously.


    ¡°Guess,¡± replied Xiao Chen with a faint smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not guessing. Tell me now!¡±


    Xiao Chen tilted his head upward and laughed. ¡°I¡¯m still not telling! Haha!¡± he said, before striding toward the Valley of Chaos. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Leopard Cat Spirit!¡±


    Zhiluan hurriedly caught up with him and kept up with the questioning. ¡°Tell me, kid. Have you broken into the Nascent Soul Realm? You¡¯ve many enemies waiting for you outside this domain. If you haven¡¯t achieved a breakthrough, it¡¯s going to be very dangerous for me to follow you!¡±


    Xiao Chen, however, remained grinning yet silent. He turned back to look in the direction of the otherworldly valley and the man encased in ice as they reached the entrance of the Chaotic Valley.


    He made up his mind not to tell anyone about this realm, especially about the man in ice. By now, he had roughly guessed that the man was probably trying to make use of the abundant Spiritual Qi in the domain to revive himself.


    ¡°Alright, Leopard Cat Spirit, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Zhiluan was still frantically plucking divine berries nearby and wished he could have uprooted the entire tree. ¡°Soon, soon. I¡¯m going to finish plucking soon. Don¡¯t rush me!¡± he muttered.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and grinned before sitting down. He believed that everything beyond this domain was still fine. After a while, Zhiluan came over, dragging a huge sack along with him. Xiao Chen peeked into the sack, saying, ¡°Even with Xian¡¯er, you wouldn¡¯t be able to finish all that. It¡¯ll be such a waste if they rotted.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern! I plucked all of them myself, and I¡¯m not giving any of them to you when we leave!¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. Let¡¯s go,¡± Xiao Chen said, knocking the crack in the rocks away with one palm, revealing the Area of Chaos within. The man and the cat then walked in.


    They had spent so much time in the dark. Suddenly, Xiao Chen could sense the light on his horizon grow stronger. For a while, he could not open his eyes, and when he could react, he found himself in a valley.


    ¡°Meow! Where are we? Are we back at Thousand Summits Mountain?¡±


    Xiao Chen surveyed their surroundings and saw that they were in a barren area. A thick layer of snow covered the tree branches. ¡°We should be outside Tianyuan City,¡± he said.


    The amount of Spiritual Qi here was much lesser and insignificant compared to the mystic domain they were in before. No matter how hard he searched with his Divine Sense, he could no longer sense the domain again. This was also an amazing property of all mystic domains: no one could find them without knowing where the entrance and exit points were.


    ¡°I got a shock. I thought we¡¯re back at Thousand Summits Mountain,¡± Zhiluan said, rubbing his chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tianyuan City should be very lively by now.¡±


    Xiao Chen did not dally any longer and soared into the skies with the aid of Phoenix¡¯s Wings. He looked for the direction to Tianyuan City and walked into the castle with the cat an hour later. It was already extremely lively inside, and the streets were full of people who were either locals of Tianyuan City, or cultivators from the various sects, or independent cultivators.


    There was a hologram from the Immortals¡¯ League channeling a formation in each square. Intense battles were happening on a huge screen; it was the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly of Jade Terrace Mountain.


    Exclamations and cheers rang out from the crowd. Zhiluan followed carefully behind Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid, they aren¡¯t waiting for you. The contest has already begun,¡± he said softly.


    Xiao Chen grinned. ¡°I¡¯m no one famous, so why should they wait for me? Furthermore, I trespassed a restricted area. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m going to get interrogated after I return back.¡±


    He focused his attention on his surroundings as he spoke. Each Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly would attract tens of thousands of cultivators to witness the spectacle. For a very brief moment, he seemed to have felt the somewhat illusory feeling that the spirit energies from them were being drawn toward a certain place.


    Of course, the illusion had only lasted for an instant.


    Xiao Chen did not remain for long in the city and came to the feet of Jade Terrace Mountain directly. There were eight Immortals¡¯ League disciples and 16 envoys from the League standing guard there and immediately went up to him to find out who he was upon seeing him draw near.


    Xiao Chen did not say much and immediately fished out the East Continent emblem he refined with flames in the Forest of Illusory Moon. ¡°I¡¯m here as a participant of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly,¡± he said.


    The eight disciples did not hold him back any longer after examining the emblem, immediately releasing him. Even though Xiao Chen¡¯s name had rung out in the Middle Continent recently, most people had only heard of his name and never seen him before. As such, it was not strange for them to be unable to recognize him.


    Before they even arrived at the square, they could already hear rumbling sounds from above. At the same time, waves of vital force surged downward. The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly should already have progressed to a critical stage. Xiao Chen increased his speed and arrived at the square to see huge crowds of people that were cheering continuously.


    Eight Floating Platforms were suspended above the square according to the octagonal positions of the Bagua. There was no one on seven of the platforms, however. The competition on those platforms should already have been concluded. A titanic battle was still raging on the Floating Platform at the very center of the formation.


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. This time, we¡¯re done. There isn¡¯t anything left for you,¡± Zhiluan said softly while lying on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    Xiao Chen did not speak. He was not overly concerned; anyway, it was not compulsory for him to attend the meet. At this time, however, a calm female voice came from behind him, ¡°Only you¡¯re left, Brother Xiao. You¡¯ve finally returned.¡±


    Xiao Chen could immediately tell who it was. He turned around and grinned as he spoke, ¡°So, it¡¯s Fairy Xiaoyue. How have you been?¡±


    He did not expect that Xiaoyue of Thousand Feathers Sect would be the first person he would meet after returning. She wore a green dress and held the Duster Sword in her hand. Her face was expressionless as usual as if she was a fairy whose status was far above mere mortals. ¡°Congratulations, Brother Xiao. I see your level of cultivation has increased greatly over this fortnight,¡± she said with a faint smile.


    Xiao Chen grinned. ¡°Same to you. Haven¡¯t you grown stronger as well? If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll bid my farewell,¡± he said before waving and turning to leave.


    The last time they met, he could still tell her level of cultivation. This time around, it was different. He realized that he was gradually unable to read this woman.


    Xiaoyue stared at his gradually receding back, surprised that she could no longer tell how strong his level of cultivation was. He was just at Level 8 Core Forming Realm strength, but she was gradually unable to read this mysterious man any longer.


    ¡°Meow. This woman is really scary. I think her level of cultivation is not weaker than yours,¡± Zhiluan said softly.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked toward the platform to their east as he spoke. Nine people were seated there, and they were the senior cultivators who represented the five great continents. Perfected Immortals Qing Chen and Tai Yi were among them as were three experienced Elders from the Immortals¡¯ League. Eight of them were old men with completely white hair, while the last of them was a young and beautiful woman who sat beside the three elders.


    The woman wore a purple dress and had brows in the shape of crescent moons. Her eyes were as bright as the stars, but there was a tinge of coldness within her face of peerless beauty that caused people to keep themselves at a distance away from her. Even the three Immortals¡¯ League Elders treated her with the utmost respect.


    Xiao Chen was struck by the woman and wanted to know the woman¡¯s identity. She looked somewhat similar to his own mother. ¡°Senior Brother, can you tell me who the woman in purple on that platform is?¡± he asked a random spectator.


    The man turned back to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Su Yue is?¡± he asked in surprise.


    ¡°Su Yue? Is she from the Su family?¡±


    The man shook his head and did not bother himself with Xiao Chen anymore. He continued to watch the ongoing competition. Another spectator chimed in at this moment, ¡°Brother, Su Yue¡¯s the fourth daughter of Su Ying, the master of Su family. She entered the Nascent Soul Realm and became an immortal when she was 20. Are you telling me that you don¡¯t know who she is?¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks for the information.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. So, she was his aunt. It was no wonder that she and his mother looked so alike. Both of them were so beautiful.


    He could not help but look at the platform again. It had been a year since he arrived in Violet Manor, but he had never gone to the Su residence to look for his mother. He did not know how she fared these days¡­


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen¡¯s entire body trembled. Su Yue was also looking at him, and the moment their eyes met, he felt as though her gaze had penetrated him.

 Chapter 300 - Meeting a Familiar Person at the Wrong Time

    Xiao Chen hurriedly turned his gaze away. At this moment, however, he heard a roar from the Formation Platform. ¡°Xiao Chen! Do you dare to show yourself and fight me!¡±


    The shout was as loud as thunder itself and shook some early-stage Core Forming Realm cultivators so badly that their eardrums hurt and they started to see stars. Xiao Chen was shocked. He turned his attention to the screen beneath the platform to see Zuoqiu Yang on it. His hair was combed downward, and green veins protruded underneath the skin of this face. He was trampling on his opponent at the moment.


    ¡°Xiao Chen! How long more are you going to hide like a coward?¡± Zuoqiu Yang roared again. He increased the force on his leg, causing his opponent to spew blood and faint.


    ¡°Good! You don¡¯t dare to show yourself! My Vicious Blood Soul-Searching Curse will be able to track you down, no matter which corner of this world you¡¯re hiding in!¡±


    A commotion had already rung out in the square below. Even the Elders on the tall platform frowned. Zuoqiu Yang had beaten all comers since the competition began seven days ago, each time taking less than three moves. He would always challenge Xiao Chen by transmitting a formation through his hologram with his opponent beneath his feet.


    Just as the spectators were going wild with speculation, an emotional sounding voice rang out. ¡°You needn¡¯t search any longer. I¡¯m right here!¡±


    The sudden voice surprised everyone. Many began looking in the direction of the shout, and those that saw Xiao Chen earlier began to exclaim, ¡°It¡¯s Xiao Chen! It¡¯s really him! He¡¯s alive! He¡¯s back!¡±


    The crowd began to react. Earlier on, they had heard rumors that Xiao Chen would never be able to return back alive. After all, even Elders of Nirvana Realm power could not get close to the Area of Chaos within the Violet Illusory Land.


    Nearly everyone exclaimed to see him back in one piece. A few Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League flew over, and even the three senior Elders were shocked. ¡°We¡¯ll stop here today!¡± one of them proclaimed.


    It was unnecessary, however. That was the last match to determine the last 10 competitors, and the 10 youths had already been determined.


    Su Yue¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°That¡¯s Xiao Chen? How do you write his surname?¡± she asked an Elder beside her, frowning as she said the word ¡°Xiao.¡±


    The Elder laughed respectfully. ¡°Ms. Su Yue, this is how you write his surname,¡± he explained. ¡°He¡¯s the most troublesome fellow. He¡¯s completely incomparable to your previous glory, Ms. Su Yue,¡± another Elder said, laughing bitterly.


    Su Yue relaxed her brows and asked with a laugh, ¡°Are you saying that I used to be troublesome, Senior He?¡±


    The three experienced Elders shook their heads and laughed bitterly in unison. ¡°What should we do now? The final 10 have already been determined, and now this fellow has appeared suddenly. Should we announce another competition? We only did this once when you took part in this meet, Ms. Su Yue,¡± asked one of them.


    Su Yue seemed to behave more warmly toward the three senior Elders as compared to the others. She smiled gently and replied, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be much hassle to increase the format of the competition to accommodate 12 finalists. I¡¯d like to see how powerful someone who can lead the top ranked youth in the Zuoqiu family to clamor on about fighting him is.¡± It was evident from her tone that she was still unaware that Xiao Chen was her nephew.


    Zuoqiu Yang strode to the edge of his Floating Platform and gazed downward to see Xiao Chen in the crowd. He tilted his head skyward and laughed loudly, his gaze turning sharp soon after. ¡°Good! You finally dare to appear! Do you dare to fight with me?¡±


    He was the top ranked youth in the Zuoqiu family, yet he lost repeatedly to this man on his own turf and the Legendary Weapon of his family was even seized by Xiao Chen. He could only avenge his shameful defeat by killing Xiao Chen, and lately he had become violent and obsessed after learning occult techniques.


    ¡°Whatever! Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of you? Loser!¡± Xiao Chen said coldly.


    He spoke in this manner to draw attention away from the fact that he had escaped from a mystic domain, and not because he really wanted to fight with Zuoqiu Yang. He was sure that the Elders from the Immortals¡¯ League who were flying over were going to ask him about it, and he was unwilling to speak about this in the presence of the spectators.


    However, Zuoqiu Yang was enraged upon hearing the word ¡°loser¡±. The hairs on his head were erect as blood vessels spread rapidly within his eyeballs, and he charged directly toward Xiao Chen.


    His movement caused a gale to appear on the square, shaking all the flora around them. The energy from Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s palm transformed into rays of purple Qi in mid air and swooped down upon Xiao Chen.


    Many cultivators who were at early Core Forming Realm were shaken by the force. Their ears began to ring and they saw stars as they retreated. Some of them were unable to react in time and were rendered immobile by the force from Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s palm strike, causing them to become incredibly afraid.


    Energy from the palm strike drew closer and the stone tiles began to crack. Xiao Chen did not take any defensive measures, however. Zhiluan was so afraid that his fur was standing as he shouted in a strange voice, ¡°We¡¯re doomed! Strike back now, kid!¡±


    At this moment, a ray of gold light suddenly flew over and canceled off the immensely powerful palm strike. Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s master, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, had arrived.


    Perfected Immortal Feng Lan¡¯s expression was stern as he growled, ¡°Enough!¡±


    Even though Zuoqiu Yang had become incredibly unhinged and no longer took anyone seriously, he dared not disrespect his master. He cracked his knuckles and gritted his teeth, speaking in a vengeful tone, ¡°Master, did you not hear what he just said? I want to fight him!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Feng Lan flicked his shirt sleeves and turned to look at Xiao Chen, his gaze sweeping across the youth like two bolts of lightning. ¡°You¡¯re really a talent!¡± he said with a cold laugh. He was clear that Xiao Chen was taunting Zuoqiu Yang on purpose, and he spoke to the youth in a sarcastic tone.


    At this moment, the Elders from the Immortals¡¯ League had also arrived. One of them held Zuoqiu Yang back, saying, ¡°Zuoqiu Yang! All competition for today has ended, and you¡¯re not to cause any trouble!¡±


    Another Elder looked sternly at Xiao Chen. ¡°Xiao Chen, we¡¯ve some questions for you!¡±


    Members of Jade Qing Sect had also arrived at this moment. Murong Xian¡¯er teared up upon seeing that both Zhiluan and he were fine. ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, greedy cat, you¡¯re back, sob¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed her hair and replied gently, ¡°Sorry, Xian¡¯er, we¡¯ve caused you to worry¡­¡±


    Zhiluan went up to her. ¡°Stop crying, girl. Look, I¡¯ve brought many delicious fruits for you.¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er raised her head to gaze at the huge sack on the cat¡¯s back. She tilted her head and replied, ¡°Humph! It¡¯s all your fault! If you hadn¡¯t thrown a tantrum by running out, Brother Xiao Chen would never¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned and clasped his hands in deference toward the Elders. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I¡¯ll go through it in detail with you seniors later.¡±


    The Elders could tell that his level of cultivation was greatly increased. ¡°Fine, this is a very serious matter, and we hope that you¡¯ll not hide anything from us,¡± one of them said.


    Xiao Chen smiled and nodded before turning his attention back to Yu Yifeng and the others. ¡°Brother Yifeng, I¡¯m sorry to make you guys worry about us.¡±


    Yu Yifeng shook his head and sighed, saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s good enough that you¡¯re back.¡± Qingyu said, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, Senior Brother Yu took much blame for you.¡±


    At this time, many spectators could not help but ask, ¡°Xiao Chen, how did you enter the Chaos that time? What did you encounter?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked around him and replied in a loud voice, ¡°I¡¯ll inform the Elders about this. Please don¡¯t worry, everyone.¡± Just as his voice fell, another voice rang out from afar, ¡°Young Hero Xiao, is that you?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man in a white robe walking quickly toward him. He seemed to look vaguely familiar, but Xiao Chen had forgotten where he met the man.


    The man walked up to him and said emotionally, ¡°Young Hero Xiao, I never expected to see you again. I¡¯m Yang Tianfeng, don¡¯t you remember me?¡±


    It was only now that Xiao Chen remembered that he had met this man at the Immortals Building auction. His son¡¯s level of cultivation was diminishing because of a wilting Spiritual Meridian, and he had given the boy some pills. He cupped his hands respectfully, saying, ¡°So, it¡¯s you, Senior Yang. It¡¯s been a long while. Sorry for not recognizing you earlier on.¡±


    Yang Tianfeng hurriedly stopped him from bowing. ¡°No, no. My son¡¯s much better now. Thanks to the pills you gave him, Young Hero Xiao.¡±


    The people around them looked at each other. The Yang family was one of the 10 great families of Violet Manor, and Yang Tianfeng was an important figure. Why was he being so courteous to a junior?


    At this moment, Xiao Chen caught sight of a familiar figure walking slowly toward him. His expression froze for a moment before he relaxed again very quickly.


    It was Chu Hanyan, the disciple Three Pure Sect sent to Violet Manor earlier on. She returned to the sect last year to help Mo Yu enter the Manor, and she had married into the Yang family. Coincidentally, it was the same reputable Yang clan.


    A handsome man with sharp features stood beside her. It was her husband, Yang Shaochen. He had traveled to the Three Pure Sect with her earlier on and bequeathed the First Elder with a 1000-year-old Spirited Lingzhi.


    Life was full of unexpected surprises. No one would have imagined that Xiao Chen, an ordinary disciple of Three Pure Sect who was mere of Qi Refining Realm and who could not even speak up in their presence before, would have become stronger in cultivation than both of them now.


    However, Xiao Chen was not pleased with himself because of that. Instead, he felt a sense of danger upon seeing Chu Hanyan. He had never told anyone that he was sent into Violet Manor by the Three Pure Sect, and no one knew about his true background and identity.


    He had made many enemies now, and they would surely look for trouble within the Three Pure Sect if they knew he came from the sect.

 Chapter 301 - The Inquiry

    Yang Shaochen moved closer and glanced at Xiao Chen. He then asked Yang Tianfeng, ¡°Uncle, do you know this Brother Xiao?¡±


    Yang Tianfeng said joyfully, ¡°Shaochen, this young hero Xiao is the benefactor that I have mentioned several times.¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile, and his eyes remained fixated on Chu Hanyan as he watched her move closer to them. He could not have her mentioning these three words¡ªThree Pure Sect, with these people around them. Before he could speak, Chu Hanyan said, ¡°So this is young hero Xiao? I have heard a lot about you.¡±


    Yang Shaochen smiled and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, this is my wife, Madam Chu.¡±


    Xiao Chen was taken aback, but instantly understood what was going on. The people from Violet Manor had always looked down on those who came from the Human World. It did not matter if the person would have high achievements in the future. As long that the person was from the Human World, that person would be a cut below others in every way.


    Because of this, many of the disciples that were sent to Violet Manor would rather say that they were from a remote village in Violet Manor than to say that they were from the royal families of the Human World.


    It was very obvious that Chu Hanyan had hidden her true identity as well. The higher-ranking members in a reputable family like the Yangs would never allow her to be married into the family if she was to mention she had come from the Human World.


    With this realization, Xiao Chen was instantly relieved from the uneasiness and the worries he had. He then smiled and greeted, ¡°So this is Lady Yang, I¡¯m Xiao Chen from Jade Qing Sect.¡±


    Chu Hanyan wore a glamorous mink fur coat today. Indeed, she looked like a young maiden who was married into a rich and powerful family. Chu Hanyan smiled back. But in her heart, she was extremely shocked. Of course, she had heard Xiao Chen¡¯s name before. But never could she believe that he was that Qi Refining Realm disciple from the Three Pure Sect. It was only today that she saw it with her own eyes before she found out that he was the same Xiao Chen she had known.


    To be honest, in her heart, she was afraid as well that Xiao Chen would reveal her identity and the fact that they were acquainted with each other. Although Yang Shaochen and her were deeply in love with each other, she would definitely be kicked out of the Yang family if the elders found out that she had withheld her identity¡ªa cultivator from the Human World.


    Naturally, Luo Shangyan and Li Muxue alongside were able to tell what was going on between Xiao Chen and Chu Hanyan through their interactions. They knew that at this moment they had to keep their mouth shut. However, Murong Xian¡¯er who was unfamiliar with the ways of the world pointed at Chu Hanyan immediately and said, ¡°It is you, you horrible¡­¡±


    During the days in Three Pure Sect, Chu Hanyan had sent assassins to assassinate Xiao Chen so as to ensure that Mo Yu successfully joined the Violet Manor and Murong Xian¡¯er had known about these events. This gave Xiao Chen and Chu Hanyan a huge fright. Before Murong Xian¡¯er could carry on speaking, Xiao Chen immediately said, ¡°Xian¡¯er! Don¡¯t be rude! This is Lady Yang! ¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er was taken aback by his sudden yell. She took a look at Xiao Chen and another one at Chu Hanyan, and then she realized what was going on at once. Even though she did not understand the stakes involved, it was obvious that Brother Xiao Chen did not wish that she continued to speak. Since this was the case, she decided to hush it.


    Yang Shaochen was relieved too. If the elders from the family had known that he married a girl from the Human World, the position of the future chieftain in the Yang family would never be his.


    Of course, Yang Tianfeng noticed something was not right as he saw his nephew¡¯s face went pale. However, it did not come to his mind that Chu Hanyan was from the Human World and was once enemies with Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was aware that he might have a slip of the tongue if he talked more and it would be unwise to stay here any longer. He then made a gesture at Yang Tianfeng and said, ¡°Senior Yang, if there¡¯s nothing else. I would take my leave.¡±


    Naturally, Yang Tianfeng did not force him to stay and they bid their farewell to each other. Then Xiao Chen gave a bow to the few elders of the Immortals¡¯ League before heading out of the grounds with his fellow people from Jade Qing Sect. As he took his leave, he could not help himself to take another look at Su Yue who was on the platform.


    As the Chinese idiom goes; when someone is happy, someone else is bound to feel the other way. As Xiao Chen made his return, the Ling Family, Zuoqiu family and Wan Gufeng from Order of the Divine Fire were all clenching their teeth with unhappiness.


    An hour later, Xiao Chen sat on the twine chair in the yard and lazed under the winter sun with Zhiluan and Murong Xian¡¯er alongside chitchatting nonstop.


    ¡°Oh right, Xian¡¯er. Don¡¯t ever mention to other people that we are from the Human World, okay?¡±


    It was not that he was afraid to be looked down by others. It was that he was worried that if someone found out where he was from, Xiao family and Three Pure Sect might be harmed. The Xiao family in the Human World could not take any more suffering. He had also decided that he would find a way back to the Human World to cast a protection spell for the Xiao family and Three Pure Sect once he finished his business here.


    Murong Xian¡¯er nodded obediently and said, ¡°Okey-Dokey, Brother Xiao Chen, I know. Xian¡¯er has told me to say that we came from a remote village from far away and this greedy cat is an animal that is only found in our hometown.¡±


    Zhiluan jumped agitatedly and snarled, ¡°You stinky girl, the animal is none other than you! I¡¯m the Jade Emperor¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er patted its head. ¡°Big sister knows that you came to the human world under the royal command of the Jade Emperor,¡± she said gleefully. She then looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Oh right, Brother Xiao Chen, when are we going back? Xian¡¯er really misses Sister Nian Yan and Sister Bai Ying. Oh, and those three silly dummies as well.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Okay, we will head back once we are done here.¡± Truth be told, he missed his friends from the Human World quite dearly too. He wondered how the third prince had been doing. Now that it had been a year apart since they last met, the third prince should have already been promoted into the Inner Gate.


    At this moment, Qingluan came in from outside the yard, ¡°My lord, two of the disciples from the Immortals¡¯ League have asked to see you.¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°Just let them in.¡± He thought to himself, ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t the Elder (of the Immortals¡¯ League) or he would say I¡¯m pulling rank on him again.¡± After all, this place belonged to the Elder; it would be unreasonable if he could only come in to see Xiao Chen with permission.


    A few moments later, Qingluan brought in the two disciples of Immortals¡¯ League. Xiao Chen immediately stood up and greeted them, ¡°May I know what do the both Senior Brothers need me for?¡± Actually, without asking, he already knew it was the Elders looking for him.


    Both of them were extremely unhappy with Qingluan¡¯s interception just now. One of them spoke coldly, ¡°The Elders are asking you to go over. Move along quickly!¡±


    Xiao Chen gestured and smiled. ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Senior Brothers. Please lead the way.¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er ran over and said with dismay, ¡°Your levels of cultivation are so much lower than Brother Xiao Chen. What kind of attitude is that!¡±


    The expressions of the two disciples from Immortals¡¯ League immediately changed and they looked dreadful. Indeed, in terms of cultivation level, they were no match for Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°This is my small sister; she didn¡¯t mean what she said. Please don¡¯t mind her.¡± Although his cultivation level was much higher than theirs, he was never a complacent person. Besides, this place belonged to the Immortals¡¯ League, and it would not hurt to be polite.


    ¡°Humph!¡± they exclaimed as they flicked their sleeve. They spoke no more and turned to lead the way.


    An hour later, in a hall somewhere, a few normal-looking elders who were sitting on both the left and right sides of it were discussing softly. In the middle of them sat an old man dressed in a green robe. His eyebrows tangled in a frown and said, ¡°Xiao Chen. This is a very serious matter. I hope you don¡¯t miss out a single detail about everything that had happened in the mystic domain.¡±


    Before this, Xiao Chen had recounted his experience to them. But of course, he did not mention a single word about the ice-sealed man in the mystic domain. He was not sure why he felt that the existence of the man could not be revealed. Then again, he was reluctant to tell them about him anyway.


    ¡°Every word I said is true, and never would I dare to hide anything from you.¡±


    The few elders turned and look at each other for a good moment. It was not up to them to doubt Xiao Chen¡¯s words, because none of them dare to even step into the chaos in the Violet Illusory Land. One of them asked, ¡°Well, Xiao Chen, let me ask you. No one was able to even get close to the perimeters of the chaos that day, how is it possible that only you manage to get through it? ¡±


    Xiao Chen had already prepared an answer to this question. He did not even break a sweat as he replied, ¡°To tell you the truth, my dear Elders, my physique has always been different from the others since young. Because of this, I was not afraid of the typical devil Qi. Not only that, but I have also studied quite a bit of formation and hence was able to break off its seal.¡±


    ¡°Ha! What a good reason¡ªto have studied quite a bit of formation!¡±


    An elder in red robes on the left side of the hall laughed wryly. Because the seal at the entrance of the chaos was cast by him over a decade ago and he was smug that nobody would be able to break it. He never thought that Xiao Chen was able to break it with such ease.


    The green robe elder in the middle of the hall stroked his beard and said, ¡°Alright, I think everything is all clear now.¡± Then he looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Xiao Chen, we have decided to keep your place in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. You will enter the Summit Finals three days later.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you very much, Elder,¡± Xiao Chen gestured as he smiled and said.


    The green robe elder gave a slight nod and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all for now. You may head back now and start preparing for the upcoming competition in 3 days.¡±


    After Xiao Chen took his leave, the red robe elder flicked his sleeve and spoke coldly,¡± Senior Brother, you really believed the words of this kiddo from nowhere? He is full of lies! Who knows if he is the Devils¡¯ sect¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could say the word, ¡±Spy¡±, a white robe elder beside him stopped him with a straight face and said, ¡°Junior Brother, this boy is a disciple of Jade Qing Sect. You can¡¯t say things like that anyhow.¡±


    The green robe elder in the middle of the hall stroked his beard and was in deep thoughts before he said, ¡°Qing Chen has told me about this boy before. He does not have a bad character. The last time when a devil was resurrected in the East Continent, it was he who acquired the power of the Seven Sons to exorcise it. You should know one could die to bear the power of the Seven Sons. The fact that he was willing to risk his life for humanity can prove that he isn¡¯t someone of the Devil¡¯s Practice.¡±


    The red robe elder snorted. ¡°Ha! Who knows if it is the Battered-Body Trick. I just don¡¯t get it, Senior Brother, why are you in such favor of him!¡±


    The green robe elder shook his head and forced a smile as he said, ¡°Junior Brother, you shouldn¡¯t agonize over him breaking through your formation anymore. The fact that this boy was able to break the seal of the formation has suggested that he is someone extraordinary. Do you know that for a century-long, only the fourth daughter from the Su family, Su Yue had the ability to do that? I mean, to enter into Nascent Soul Realm level before the age of 20.¡±


    ¡°What! You¡¯re saying that the boy has entered into the Nascent Soul Realm level! How is that even possible!¡± The facial expressions of the other elders sitting below the green robe elder changed upon hearing that.

 Chapter 302 - Battle of the Strongest

    Feeling relieved, Xiao Chen made his way back to the yard. Thank goodness that the green robe elder took his side which prevented the rest of the elders from diving deep into the topic. As he reached the yard, he saw that Yu Yifeng and the rest were all there raving about something.


    ¡°Why¡­ are you guys here?¡±


    Seeing his return, Qingyu trotted across to him and said joyfully, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, Elder of the Immortals¡¯ League has decided to let you join the Summit Finals that¡¯s happening 3 days later!¡±


    Yu Yifeng smiled and said, ¡°Did the elders make things hard for you on purpose?¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned and said, ¡°Not at all. But hey, regarding the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly this time, who have made it into the top 10?¡±


    Zhou Li scratched his head and replied awkwardly, ¡°All of us have been disqualified for top 10 except for Senior Brother Yu.¡±


    ¡°I see. Congratulations, Brother Yifeng.¡±


    Then Xiao Chen was told by the rest that Xiaoyue and Huangfu Xin¡¯er who represented the East Continent; Zuoqiu Yang, Su Zimu from the Su family, Yang Shaochen from the Yang family who represented the Middle Continent had all made it into the top 10. For the remaining 4 people of the top 10, they were all from the Fallen Immortals Sect, respectively, One-dot Red, Sanzhan Li, Sixiang Shu and Traceless for Ten Miles.


    As for the North Continent, South Continent and West Continent, none of which made it into the top 10. Undeniably, the overall strength of Fallen Immortals Sect was pretty strong to have 4 out of 10 people from the sect getting into the top 10. Also, that was under the circumstances whereby 2 of them had to battle against each other unfortunately.


    Because of Xiao Chen¡¯s return, it was needed to take someone out of the top 20 from earlier. As luck would have it, that someone happened to be Li Muxue who failed to get into the top 10.


    Li Muxue was in a dress that was as white as snow and her smile was as beautiful as a flower. She said as she raised her fist, ¡°Well, don¡¯t let me bump into you 3 days later. I will show no mercy okay.¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. To be honest, he was not afraid of bumping into Li Muxue. Although the opponent was decided by drawing lots, it was sure that there would be a battle between Zuoqiu Yang and him. These were all nothing big actually. But, there was one thing that he was concerned about.


    ¡°What are you guys making noise about?¡±


    At this moment, an elderly¡¯s voice on the outside of the yard was heard. Yu Yifeng and the rest immediately stood in one row and greeted with respect, ¡°Martial Uncle Xiaoyao!¡±


    ¡°Oh, forget it. Don¡¯t do it in the Qing Chen way,¡± Zi Mo waved as he walked into the yard. Yu Yifeng was as quiet as a cicada in winter right away. He did not even dare to breathe.


    Although on normal days Zi Mo appeared to be full of jokes and loved to fool around with the disciples, as the Eldest Senior Brother, Yu Yifeng felt kind of dreadful to be around Zi Mo. Zi Mo loved to smack his head whenever he felt like it while saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t see you being good at other things besides being as overly-rigid Qing Chen with his stupid rules!¡±


    ¡°What are you guys still standing here like a bunch of wooden stakes for?¡± said Zi Mo as he glanced at each and every one of them.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to do. I will take my leave now!¡± said Zhou Li while being the first to run out of the yard.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zhou, wait for me!¡± said Qingyu while being the second to run out.


    Yu Yifeng gave a stiffed smile before making his way to the entrance of the yard. Luo Shangyan took a look at Xiao Chen and went out too as well. It the end, it was just left with Li Muxue.


    Zi Mo grinned and said cheerfully, ¡°Little Xue¡¯er, you go back too, okay? I have some matters to discuss with this brat.¡±


    ¡°Hee, okay,¡± said Li Muxue with a smile. Then she gave Xiao Chen a brief stare while raising her fist at him before she left the yard.


    After everyone else left the yard, Xiao Chen walked up to Zi Mo and asked, ¡°Senior Xiaoyao, may I know what you need me for?¡±


    Zi Mo tip-toed and took a peep at the outside of the yard to make sure that those few little rascals were already a distance away. Then he moved up closer to the front of Xiao Chen with a beaming smile and said, ¡°Kiddo, how much money do you have there?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a moment before he reacted and asked, ¡°You said you have matters to discuss with me and this is the matter you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullsh*t! Hurry up! This time I¡¯m going to win a few million Spirit Stones for sure!¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. It was such a shame that Bai Ying was missing out on this. He said, ¡°What about the 100,000 Spirit Stones that I gave you the last time, don¡¯t tell me you have lost all of it?¡±


    Zi Mo puffed and glared at Xiao Chen as he said, ¡°You dare to even bring this matter up, kiddo! If you didn¡¯t play a trick and go missing, do you think I will lose these many Spirit Stones? If you play a trick and go missing again this time, then I will really be bankrupt¡­¡±


    After hearing him out, Xiao Chen felt a little guilty about it so he took out a Tier Six Spirit Stone. As he was about to pass the stone to Zi Mo, he pulled back his hand suddenly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. How are we going to split it if I win?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is 50-50.¡±


    ¡°What if I lose?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is on yours if you lose!¡±


    ¡°The heck!¡± Xiao Chen immediately put back the Spirit Stone and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why don¡¯t I just place the bet myself?¡±


    Zi Mo smiled slyly, ¡°Ahah! This gamble is facilitated by Fengxi, Tai Yi and I. We have made a rule that the contestants can¡¯t place the bet themselves.¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned and said, ¡°I can get Xian¡¯er to help me place it for me.¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er walked towards them and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I can help Brother Xiao Chen to place the bet. Brother Xiao Chen is going to win for sure!¡±


    ¡°Shoo, shoo, shoo! Kids can¡¯t be involved in gambling,¡± Zi Mo said as he shoved her aside.


    Murong Xian¡¯er put her hands on her waist and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t let me buy, I will tell you off to Grandpa Qing Chen! Humph! ¡±


    Anyway, Xiao Chen decided to let Zi Mo take the stone in the end for the gamble since it would not hurt to earn more Spirit Stones. On the second day, it was one of the liveliest days the Jade Terrace Mountain had. The grounds were crowded with people waiting for the announcement on the groupings of the strongest 12.


    Finally, a grey-robed elder flew up to the platform with everyone¡¯s attention on him and waited for the crowds to quiet down before he announced the contestants of the Summit Finals.


    ¡°The first group, Su Zimu from Su family against Sixiang Shu from Fallen Immortals Sect!¡±


    As soon as he finished his sentence, the crowds started to hubbub. Many turned their heads northwest to look at a dashingly handsome man in a white robe. This man was Su Zimu. He smiled with a folding fan on hand. At this moment, he looked confident and at ease.


    Not too far away, someone in Fallen Immortals Sect with a scroll in hand was focused on reading. It was the number 4 out of the 10 people in the Fallen Immortals Sect, Sixiang Shu. He did not seem to care who his opponent was.


    The grey-robed elder took a look at crowds below before he continued saying, ¡°The second group, One-dot Red from Fallen Immortals Sect against Traceless for Ten Miles from Fallen Immortals¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a voice came out from Fallen Immortals Sect, ¡°I renounce!¡±


    It was Traceless for Ten Miles who said those words. The grey-robed elder took a look at him and said loudly, ¡°Traceless for Ten Miles from Fallen Immortals Sect in the second group has renounced voluntarily. One-dot Red from Fallen Immortals Sect enters in the top 6 of the Summit Finals directly! The third group, Sanzhan Li from Fallen Immortals Sect against Yang Shaochen from Yang family!¡±


    At a distance away, Chu Hanyan frowned and said, ¡°This Fallen Immortals Sect has always been mysterious with where they came from. Shaochen, do you have the confidence to win?¡± Yang Shaochen chuckled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°The fourth group, Xiaoyue from Thousand Feathers Sect against Yu Yifeng from Jade Qing Sect!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned deeply, and he never thought that Brother Yifeng would have to fight against Xiaoyue. The odds would not be in Brother Yifeng¡¯s favor. Suddenly something hit his mind, ¡°Oh sh*t!¡±


    At the moment, it was just left with Zuoqiu Yang, Huangfu Xin¡¯er, Li Muxue and himself. It was definite that he would be fighting against Zuoqiu Yang which meant that Huangfu Xin¡¯er would be fighting against Li Muxue. The thing that he had been worrying about was still going to happen after all.


    ¡°The fifth group, Huangfu Xin¡¯er from Heartless Palace against Li Muxue from Jade Qing Sect!¡±


    Xiao Chen felt a shiver down his spine. Muxue would never be a match for Xin¡¯er and it would not matter at all if she admitted defeat. He was just afraid that they would¡­


    At a distance away stood Huangfu Xin¡¯er in a red dress. Her face was as cold as ice and frost. Aside from the few Heartless Palace disciples behind her, no one dared to stand close to her. On the other side, Zuoqiu Yang let a loud laugh and said, ¡°Xiao Chen! There¡¯s no escape for you this time!¡±


    Xiao Chen was so distraught by the thought of Muxue battling against Xin¡¯er, he did not have the time to care about what Zuoqiu Yang had said. Then the grey-robed elder on platform finally announced the last group of the list as he said, ¡°The sixth group, Xiao Chen from Jade Qing Sect against Zuoqiu Yang from Divine Mist Sect!¡±


    As the contestants of the Summit Finals were confirmed, the crowds at the grounds began to discuss it. Certainly, there would be some who loathed, grinding their teeth with hate about the finalists. The most obvious one from that group of people would be Ling Fei, the number 1 young man from Ling Family. Earlier on at the Immortals¡¯ League, he was boasting that he would fight Xiao Chen in a life or death battle. But during the selection round where only 10 out of 20 could make it in, he was knocked off the Floating Platform with one strike by Su Zimu. He did not even qualify for the Summit Finals.


    Two hours later, the 3 old men who were up to no good had even begun to have an open sale on the gambling tickets. Many of the disciples from the different sects had secretly gone to place their bets behind the back of their elders. Needless to say, the hot-seller was Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s group. Most of the bets were placed on Huangfu Xin¡¯er as the winner.


    The second hot-seller was the group of Xiao Chen and Zuoqiu Yang. In the afternoon of the third day, Zuoqiu Yang had a gambling ticket in his hand. He was in such a rage that the veins on his forehead popped. He smashed the sandalwood table in front of him with one hand. Frightened, the 3 disciples from Zuoqiu family next to him were as quiet as a cicada in winter. They did not even dare to look at him in the eyes.

 Chapter 303 - Be in a Pickle

    ¡°B*stard! Oh, what a b*stard!¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang could not control his anger. He smashed the tea table next to him as well with one hand. It was obvious that for Xiao Chen and his group, most people placed their bets on Xiao Chen as the winner. You could say that 9 out of 10 people wagered that Xiao Chen would win the fight.


    ¡°Listen to my order! Contribute 3 million Spirit Stones! And use it all to place the bet on me winning!¡±


    A disciple carefully raised his head and whimpered, ¡°Young Master¡­ It won¡¯t end well if the House Master finds out about this¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Zuoqiu Yang glared at him piercing eyes. That disciple trembled and then was flown out by an invisible force that smashed the room door entirely.


    This frightened out of the wits of the other two disciples. ¡°Yes, Young Master! We will get it done now!¡± they said hurriedly and left the room with haste. They did not dare to stay in the room any longer.


    Fuming with rage, Zuoqiu Yang squeezed his hand and burnt the gambling ticket into ashes.


    At this moment in Xiao Chen¡¯s yard, Murong Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan were playing together happily. Xiao Chen however, had his eyebrows tangled in a frown. Then, footsteps that went ¡°Ta-ta-ta¡± could be heard coming from outside of the yard. It was the arrival of Yu Yifeng.


    ¡°Brother Yifeng, what¡¯s up?¡± said Xiao Chen as he stood up and walked towards Yu Yifeng.


    Yu Yifeng smiled and said, ¡°Nothing much, it is just that¡­ Martial Uncle Xiaoyao had asked me to tell you that tomorrow will be the Summit Finals. Eh¡­ Martial Uncle said he wishes that you don¡¯t go missing again¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and thought, ¡°This Zi Mo¡­¡± Then he said, ¡°Oh right, Brother Yifeng. I wanted to look for you earlier regarding the battle between Xiaoyue and you.¡±


    Yu Yifeng frowned slightly and said, ¡°Xiaoyue¡¯s cultivation is above me, but I will do my best. What do you want to talk about?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°Xiaoyue¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust isn¡¯t unbreakable¡­¡± Then he revealed the way to break Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust to Yu Yifeng. He also revealed to him the weakness of the highest martial arts style of the sect¡ªAs Kind As Water.


    Yu Yifeng was surprised after hearing that and asked, ¡°Lil Chen, why do you know Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s martial arts so well?¡±


    Xiao Chen smirked. Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s martial arts? That so-called Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was the Immortal-override Steps of his master. That so-called As Kind As Water was Mystic Cyan Sect Tianxuan School¡¯s martial art, the 3,000 Weak Water. How could he not be familiar with them?


    Yu Yifeng saw that his expressions suddenly became a bit weird and even consist of a little resentment and anger. So he stopped asking for an explanation and said, ¡°I saw that you were deep in thoughts when I came in just now. Was it because of Junior Sister Li?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up and sighed. He then turned to look at a flowering tree in the yard and said, ¡°Muxue can never win Huangfu Xin¡¯er, but I¡¯m afraid that she¡­¡± He paused and then turned his head to Yu Yifeng and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her now. Is she with Qingyu and the other girls?¡±


    Yu Yifeng nodded with his eyebrows tangled in a frown.


    About half an hour later, Xiao Chen came to a place that was 1.5 kilometers away from the male disciples¡¯ hostel. It was a place of serenity with plum flowers planted everywhere. Farther up, in half a kilometer¡¯s distance, Xiao Chen saw bouquets of withered flowers lying all over the place. The building in front that looked solemn with red walls and the green roof was the female disciples¡¯ hostel. Males were not allowed to enter at free will.


    At this moment, a crisp voice was heard from behind, ¡°Oi! You¡¯re the disciple from which family? Guys are not allowed near here. What are you doing here sneaking around? I warn you, I will call for people!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw a young girl in a red dress with a long sword hanging by her waist. He had no idea how long she had been behind him for. The young girl was pretty. Her hair was neatly tied up behind her back and she wore a pair of purple crystal ear studs.


    Xiao Chen bowed and said, ¡°This Senior Sister, may I trouble you to get Li Muxue from Jade Qing Sect for me?¡±


    The younger tittered and smiled like a flower. She said, ¡°So you are a playboy. Such a shame that you actually looked handsome and righteous.¡±


    Xiao Chen puzzled, he frowned and said, ¡°What?¡±


    The young girl shook her hand and said, ¡°Oh stop it, recently there has been so many playboys like you who came to look for Senior Sister Li. You should leave soon. If you were seen by the sisters later, they are going to tie you up and bring you to the elders for sure.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned again. Could it be that during the days he was away, lots of people had looked for Muxue? He said, ¡°Senior Sister, I do need to see her regarding a matter. Could you please help me to get her?¡±


    The young girl glanced at him. Then she smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s what everyone said, but Senior Sister Li doesn¡¯t ever meet anyone. Do you see these flowers on the floor?¡± She pointed at the bouquets that were lying all over the place and continued, ¡°All of these were asked to bring in by the playboys and then they would all be thrown here on the second day.¡±


    After she finished saying, she went around him and walked towards the hostel in front. She shook her hand and said, ¡°Leave quickly! Or I will call people over for real!¡±


    Looking at the shallow footsteps in the snow left by the young girl, Xiao Chen shook his head helplessly. A few moments later, he took in a deep breath and shouted at the direction of the hostel, ¡°Muxue! Muxue!¡±


    His voice echoed throughout the valley. It was so loud that it shuddered off the snow on the side of the cliff. Not long after, a hubbub could be heard coming from the direction of the hostel. Immediately after, countless of sword radiance came chopping at Xiao Chen. The sky was full of Sword Qis in red, purple, blue, and green. What a magnificent view!


    Xiao Chen leaped 50 to 60 feet back hastily. Those rays of Sword Qis fell on the snow and flakes of ice flew everywhere. He did not dare to take another step forward. He was afraid that it would be the different types of Immortal¡¯s Sword magic treasure coming at him next.


    ¡°Which playboy is it this time? Bugger off! Or I will slaughter you later!¡± disses could be heard from the direction of the hostel.


    Xiao Chen took a few steps back and took a deep breath. His efforts did not go to waste as he finally saw a white shadow flying towards him. Li Muxue landed beside him. She blushed and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, what are you doing here?¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°Why are the female disciples here as fierce as tigers, leopards, and wolves. So unfriendly¡­¡±


    Li Muxue glared at him. She looked down and said, ¡°And you have the guts to say that. Who goes around shouting other people¡¯s name as you did?¡± Then she looked up and asked, ¡°So what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s go. We will talk as we speak just in case we attract a sky full of Sword Qis again.¡±


    Both of them made their way to the cliffside of the quiet valley where the plum flower blossomed everywhere. On the way there, Li Muxue laughed and chatted non-stop. She told him about the interesting things that had happened in the past few days. But she mentioned not a single word about the Summit Finals happening on the following day.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, did you know? Senior Brother Zhou Li was so hilarious. He sneakily came here the other time to look for Senior Sister Qingyu. Then he was tied up by a group of people and taken to the elders. Hahahaha¡­¡± she said as she shook with laughter.


    ¡°Oh, oh. And the other time I saw a Senior Brother from Xianyong Sect¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly turned around and looked at her. He said, ¡°Muxue, how about you call it off and don¡¯t enter the competition tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°There was a Senior Brother who sneaked here every day to guide his Junior Sister on her sword practices just so that she would win¡­¡± Li Muxue did not stop talking. But the smile on her face had long ceased. She looked at Xiao Chen and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed as he looked at a plum branch swinging with the wind near the edge of the cliff. He said, ¡°The martial art that Huangfu Xin¡¯er is practicing is very powerful. You¡¯re not her match¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want!¡± Li Muxue said suddenly.


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°You listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Say what? You went missing for so long, I was worried about you every day. But what did you do? Did you look for me after you came back? It was either for the evil spirit or the mystic domain. What do these things get to do with me?¡±


    As she spoke, Li Muxue started tearing up. She looked up at the sky and did her best to stop the tears from falling. She thought Xiao Chen came here today for her about other matters. She did not expect him to be telling her to call off the competition. It would not matter if her opponent was someone else. However, of all people, her opponent happened to be Huangfu Xin¡¯er!


    Xiao Chen did not know what to say anymore. Li Muxue smirked and said, ¡°Ha-ha. Your heart is tied to the lives of the world. But when was it ever tied on me? Xiao Chen, tell me, what am I to you in your heart¡­¡±


    Then, she flicked her sleeve and went back to the hostel riding on sword radiance. Leaving that question, ¡°What am I to you in your heart¡­¡± echoed within the quiet valley. The words filled with pain and heartbreaking sorrows.


    ¡°Mu¡­¡± Just as Xiao Chen was about to stop her from leaving, and before he could finish his sentence, a piercing pain spread throughout his limbs and then to the rest of his body.


    The pain came so abruptly, and his face went as white as a sheet in an instant. His entire body broke out in a cold sweat. Then he suddenly remembered something. It was the Heartless Curse! It was the effect of the Heartless Curse!


    He was at the Heartless Palace previously with Li Muxue to invite Huashang. However, Huashang placed the Heartless Curse on him instead. The curse was never on Xiao Chen¡¯s mind and it was only till today, then he realized how powerful it was.


    He was only slightly moved by Li Muxue¡¯s words just now and it was already this painful. He felt like his body was scrapped by ten million knives, one after another. So much so that it was as if he was drenched in blood and that his flesh was unrecognizable.

 Chapter 304 - No Solutions in the Book

    It took more than a moment before the pain on Xiao Chen¡¯s body eased slightly, but he still looked pale and horrible. Back to his yard, time and again he had been trying to break the Heartless Curse in the night. But it ended with failure each time he tried.


    He simply could not find where the curse was being placed on his body, so it was imaginable just how powerful this curse was.


    On the second day, the Summit Finals had begun. It was the elimination round whereby only six out of the twelve participants could stay. The disciples of each sect slowly made their way to the Jade Terrace Mountain grounds. Many of them even came before sunrise to pick the best spot.


    This time, Murong Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan had followed too to join in the fun. On the way there, Ziyun¡¯er jokingly said to Zhiluan upon seeing this scaredy-cat, ¡°Hey scaredy-cat, aren¡¯t you afraid to be taken away again by someone for the use of making pills?¡±


    Zhiluan¡¯s rage shot up as it recalled the previous time where it got taken away by somebody to bloodletting. It snarled, ¡°Stupid girl! That¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er sniffed and said, ¡°Hey! How dare you scold your big sister! Get over here!¡± She reached out her hand and used the psychokinesis spell to bring Zhiluan into her arms.


    Kicking and jumping, Zhiluan struggled in Ziyun¡¯ers arms. It yelled, ¡°Stupid girl! Let go of me!¡±


    Alongside with the girls, Qingluan made a straight face and said, ¡°Ziyun, show your manners in front of our Lord!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He had always felt weird that Qingluan was so serious all the time. If only they could all be so free-spirited like Ziyun¡¯er then that would be great.


    Looking at Zhiluan who had found a comfortable spot in the arms of Ziyun¡¯er, it seemed that maybe because it felt warmer to be in a beauty¡¯s embrace, the Leopard Cat Spirit had stopped kicking and jumping around. Xiao Chen could not help but make fun. ¡°Aye, apparently being a human is not as good as being a cat.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er paused for a moment before she blushed and looked away, ¡°My Lord, you¡¯re teasing again.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha!¡± Xiao Chen tilted his head up as he let out a laugh. Zhiluan¡¯s cat face blushed too and it jumped out of Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arms hurriedly.


    The grounds were crowded with mountains and seas of people. Xiao Chen scanned through the crowds and saw no signs of Li Muxue. She was not seen on his way here too. He could not help but frown again. He hoped that she would not show up today¡­


    As the Sword Qi of the Elder of the Immortals¡¯ League shot into the skyline, rays of light shone the area. This marked the beginning of the first round of battle. The first group was Su Zimu from Su family against Sixiang Shu from Fallen Immortals Sect. The bets placed on both of them were of equal and hence the crowd was going ballistic. Some were cheering for Su Zimu while some were cheering for Sixiang Shu.


    9 persons continued to sit on the first row at the east side of the platform today. 5 of which representing the Sect Leader of the five continents, 3 of which were the Senior Elders of Immortals¡¯ League and the last one was still Su Yue.


    Despite having seniority like the rest, Su Yue was able to sit by the side with the seniors. It was not only because she was extremely gifted, but the Su family was also the head of the 10 prestigious families. Not to mention that the current House Master of Su family was Su Yue¡¯s father, Su Ying, who used to be the previous Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League.


    An elder in a white robe beside her smiled and said, ¡°Miss Su Yue, it seems like Nephew Su is going for a steady win?¡±


    Su Yue gazed at the stage. Her lips slightly moved as she said, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. That person from Fallen Immortals Sect has 10 Spiritual Meridians. As for Zimu, he has always been full of himself. It is most likely he will underestimate his enemy.¡±


    As they spoke, both Su Zimu and Sixiang Shu had flown onto the stage. Su Zimu¡¯s white robe was spotless. With a folding fan in hand, he smiled and said, ¡°Brother Sixiang, can we begin?¡±


    Sixiang Shu had been looking down reading the scroll in his hand at the start. He replied without a change of tone in his voice, ¡°If Brother Su is ready, then let¡¯s begin.¡± Not once did he even look up at Su Zimu as he spoke.


    ¡°Well, pardon me then!¡± said Su Zimu as he swung his folding fan. At that moment, purple fogs formed and came at Sixiang Shu.


    At that instant, the purple fog had wrapped half of the stage. The vision of the crowds below the stage was blocked. They could only hear a faint voice coming from within the fog that said, ¡°Purple Qi from the East? What is the solution in the book? No solution. If there is no solution, then what made the Purple Qi?¡±


    Right after his words, the purple fog was gone immediately. Sixiang Shu had also teleported to the back of Su Zimu. But at this moment, his eyes were still on the scroll on his hand. Then suddenly, with his left hand he pointed at the Su Zimu¡¯s back at a superior position with two fingers. A golden ray soon emerged from his fingers.


    Su Zimu sensed the intention to kill behind him and shuffled to the side instantly. ¡°Pew,¡± and the force went right through the Floating Platform. However, the Floating Platform had the spirit energy formation placed by the elders. The force was contained and was unable to hurt the crowds below watching the battle.


    However, the crowd was stunned and talked about it. The purple fog that covered half of the stage was the Purple Qi from the East of the Su family. It could make the True Energy of the person in the fog attenuate by half, but it went off so easily.


    On the stage, Su Zimu¡¯s eyes looked fixedly and then jumped 30 to 50 feet back. The folding fan was sent forward, and the fan bone was instantly turned into 13 rays of golden Sword Qi rushing at Sixiang Shu.


    ¡°Heavenly Thirteen Swords!¡± cried someone from the grounds.


    The 13 rays of golden Sword Qi were eye-dazzling. It was like a rainbow through the sun, swallowing the mountains and rivers, the clouds 5 kilometers above the sky are all shaken at this moment.


    However, in the face of the unstoppable Sword Qi, Sixiang Shu did not even break a sweat. With the scroll in his hand, he faintly said, ¡°Heavenly Thirteen Swords, what is the solution in the book? No solution. If there is no solution, where did the Thirteen Swords come from?¡±


    At the end of his voice, the first Sword Qi was sucked into the scroll in his hand. Then the second, the third, and the last one. All of it absorbed into the scroll and turned into nothing at that one moment.


    Everyone below took a breath of cold air. What kind of magic treasure the scroll in his hand was that that could remove such a powerful attack!


    This time, even Su Yue that was on the high platform frowned as well. In a distance, Su Wan anxiously shouted, ¡°Brother Zimu!¡±


    On the side of Jade Qing Sect, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows tangled in a frown. The scroll in the hands of Sixiang Shu was just an ordinary book and not any earth-shattering magic weapon. However, it was able to absorb every attack of the opponent. It most probably was a powerful yet evil practice! At this moment, he couldn¡¯t help but want to fight against the people from Fallen Immortals Sect.


    The 13 fan bones flew back into Su Zimu¡¯s hand. He smiled faintly. ¡°What a no solution in a book and what all-encompassing strength it has. Being able to dismiss any attacks, it surely is mysterious.¡±


    He did not seem to be even slightly surprised by what had happened as he spoke. On the contrary, he seemed to be more confident. That Purple Qi from the East and the Heavenly Thirteen Swords were just trial attacks.


    ¡°A book is hard to find and a boat that is like a leaf,¡± sighed Sixiang Shu as he closed his scrolls finally. After the words were slowly recited, the scroll rolled up in a white light and swirled around him.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Suddenly, Sixiang Shu said the word with power. The Floating Platform suddenly seemed to be as if it was under huge waves, and then a raging force turned into a green dragon and rushed to Su Zimu.


    At this moment, the entire Floating Platform started shaking even with the spirit energy formation placed by the elders. The people below the platform could sense the terrifying power of the force as well.


    Could this be just the beginning? Dumbfounded, the crowd wondered.


    In the face of the surging power of the dragon, Su Zimu remained calm. He sent the Heavenly Fan forward. As he spoke the word ¡°Spirit¡±, the Heavenly Fan instantly rose up and a golden light shrouded him within.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The sound roared like thunder, it rang so loudly that it hurt the eardrums of the people below. If not for high altitude the two were fighting at, many people would have suffered.


    The dust on the Floating Platform blew, and the vision of the people was lost for a moment. Even the virtual image transmission array method could not present the situation above and now no one knew if the two on top were alive or dead.

 Chapter 305 - Artificial Spiritual Meridian

    It took a while before the smoke on the Floating Platform was finally blown away by the wind, and many below the platform took a deep breath of cool air. As the smoke cleared up, Su Zimu stood calmly in the same place. With a fan in his hand and a smile on his face, he looked dashingly handsome. The female disciples started cheering loudly for him.


    The ever-so-mighty Sixiang Shu now seemed to be at a disadvantage. He held his chest in pain. His face looked pale and ghastly. Everyone was puzzled for a moment and was completely clueless about what had happened.


    In the distance, Su Wan finally let out a sigh of relief. On the other side of the high platform, there was not much emotional change seen on the face of Su Yue. It was as if she had already expected this outcome.


    Su Zimu closed his folding fan and knocked it in the palm of his hand. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°No matter how abstruse this martial art is, it is still heterodoxy in the end. In the opinion of my Su family, tsk-tsk¡­¡±


    The face of Sixiang Shu gradually turned gloomy, and it was not as calm as before. Just as he was about to move, Su Zimu pointed at him with his folding fan and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. You¡¯ve been hit by the Spirit Transformation Mystic Skill of my Su family. And for people like you who had artificial Spiritual Meridian planted in, it is best to stay still.¡±


    Everyone was stunned by this statement. Even the faces of the elders of the different sects changed.


    ¡°What artificial Spiritual Meridian? Can the Spiritual Meridian be man-made??¡±


    ¡°Man-made Spiritual Meridian! Legend says it is one of the most evil methods of cultivation! No one has ever succeeded in thousands of years!¡±


    ¡°No wonder everyone in the Fallen Immortals Sect has at least nine Spiritual Meridians and above, some even have more than 12. Are they all planted with artificial Spiritual Meridians?¡±


    Everyone talked endlessly, expressing their shock. They all looked at the side of the Fallen Immortals Sect. This mysterious sect shocked everyone the moment it emerged, and wherever they went, they were invincible. ¡°Do they really all have artificial Spiritual Meridians? This is too terrifying!¡±


    The face of One-dot Red was aghast. He bellowed, ¡°This person from the Su family people is not so simple. It seems like number four had been ambushed by him. Ten Miles, go get number four down now as soon as possible!¡±


    Traceless for Ten Miles immediately blew a whistle. On the Floating Platform, although Sixiang Shu heard the sound of the whistle, he behaved as though he did not hear it and went for a direct hit at Su Zimu with a palm.


    Su Zimu smiled faintly as he avoided the attack with a turn of his body. Then he performed a hand seal. In an instant, Sixiang Shu seemed to be bounded by something and was unable to move anymore.


    ¡°The Soul Bounding Spell! It is the Soul Bounding Spell of the Su family!¡±


    Once again, the crowd exclaimed. On the side of the Jade Qing Sect, Zhiluan was on the shoulder of Xiao Chen as he said carelessly, ¡°For thousands of years, I didn¡¯t think someone was capable of developing artificial Spiritual Meridians. It is so unfortunate that they encountered the descendants of the ancient deity family.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. This Leopard Cat Spirit knew quite a bit huh? It seemed that this Su family was as remarkable as it should be. Besides, why did the artificial Spiritual Meridian sound so familiar? He seemed to have heard of it before¡­


    On the Floating Platform, Sixiang Shu was sweating profusely. But it did not seem to be caused by Su Zimu¡¯s Soul Bounding Spell. Sixiang Shu roared. Suddenly, 10 glaring rays of light shot out of his body into the sky, breaking through the nine layers of cloud.


    Su Zimu was pushed out by this sudden powerful force. He landed on the edge of the Floating Platform and nearly fell off it.


    Witnessing this under the stage, One-dot Red shouted hastily, ¡°Number four! Stop!¡±


    However, Sixiang Shu pretended not to hear him. At this moment, he was no longer holding the image of a sage who was cultured and knowledgeable. He was like a madman out of control.


    Strange patterns could be seen all over his face, and he bellowed, ¡°So what if it is an artificial Spiritual Meridian! Today, I will show you the power of the artificial Spiritual Meridian!¡±


    As he shouted, 10 glaring rays of light suddenly came at Su Zimu, who was on the edge of the Floating Platform. Wherever the light passed, stones flew and everything collapsed.


    Su Zimu leaped, but could not escape the remaining force of the light. He quickly performed a hand seal and propped up a barrier underneath, and then with two fingers together, he hit Sixiang Shu with numerous attacks.


    These attacks came fast and furious. Sixiang Shu did not manage to avoid them and was hit with the full blow. His face soon became as white as a sheet of paper, and the 10 glaring rays of light gradually dissipated. On his skin, a faint Purple Qi could be seen. It was the Purple Qi from the East of the Spirit Transformation Mystic Skill that was previously buried by Su Zimu.


    Gradually, Sixiang Shu lost his ability to resist. The True Energy in his body was draining out fast. His cultivation regressed to the Core Forming Realm, and then to the Foundation Building Realm. Finally, he even returned to the Qi Refining Realm. He could not withstand the strong wind on the Floating Platform.


    The crowd below was stunned. ¡°This¡­ What is going on?¡±


    Su Zimu smiled faintly and said, ¡°What¡¯s foreign stays foreign. Although the artificial Spiritual Meridian brings forth invincibility to the cultivator, its drawbacks are particularly obvious. That is, once they are catalyzed by themselves or by external forces, they will wither. And as far as I know, to implant the Spiritual Meridian, you must first remove your congenital Spiritual Meridian, right? It seems to me that this method of neglecting the fundamentals just for the final results will only end up with self-destruction.¡±


    After listening to him, the crowd below began to discuss again. The elders of each sect frowned deeply. The Spiritual Meridian was congenital. Determining the natural endowments and future achievements were all dependent on the Spiritual Meridian. If Spiritual Meridians could be implanted into the body of a cultivator, it might not be a bad thing after all.


    Therefore, not everyone had the same opinion regarding artificial Spiritual Meridians. In the distance, Yang Tianfeng¡¯s heart sank as he thought of his son, whose cultivation regressed because of the withering of the Spiritual Meridian. Was it during the years he was out that he had become close with the Fallen Immortals Sect¡­?


    On the Floating Platform, Sixiang Shu sneered, ¡°It was just 10 Spiritual Meridians of the lowest grade. After I go back, I can re-implant them again. Self-destruction? Ahaha. A sect had said that many years ago, but that sect now has been extinct for thousands of years, ahaha¡­¡±


    His voice echoed in the square, and Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was shocked. He remembered it! He remembered it! Thousands of years ago, it seemed that there was indeed a small sect that was not highly valued by people proposing to implant spiritual roots or whatnot into the body of the cultivator to speed up cultivation.


    In that same year, the Mystic Cyan Sect was the head of the Immortal¡¯s Practice. That kind of proposal needed the approval of Mystic Cyan Sect before it could be implemented. Otherwise, it would be regarded as a cult. However, Qingxuan Perfected Immortal was someone full of righteousness. How was it possible that he agreed to this kind of evil cultivation method?


    Therefore, Qingxuan Perfected Immortal strongly dismissed that proposal and reprimanded the head of that sect. The head of the sect had been resentful since then. As for what had happened after, Xiao Chen was clueless.


    But just by guessing, this Fallen Immortals Sect definitely had a deep relationship with that small sect of that year, and why the Mystic Cyan Sect was destroyed¡­


    Xiao Chen shook his head endlessly. ¡°Impossible, that is impossible! A small sect like that, Qingxuan Perfected Immortal could destroy it single-handedly. It is impossible that it was that small sect. A small sect would never have the ability to do it!¡±


    Beside him, Zhiluan saw his looks suddenly became weird and it asked, ¡°Kiddo, are you okay?¡±


    Xiao Chen calmed himself down before he replied, ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± Then he looked again at One-dot Red and his people, the Fallen Immortals Sect, Fallen Immortals¡­ ¡°Where did you come from¡­¡±


    On the Floating Platform, before Sixiang Shu could speak, Traceless for Ten Miles came up suddenly and lifted him up. ¡°Number four, let¡¯s go,¡± he said, after which he turned to look at Su Zimu. He did not speak but gave him a smirk.


    Although this round, the Fallen Immortals Sect was defeated, there was still no one who dared to underestimate this mysterious sect. Like what Sixiang Shu had said, re-implantation could be done when he got back. It was even possible to implant a Spiritual Meridian of a higher level. From that, how terrifying could this Fallen Immortals Sect be?


    In the second round, it was One-dot Red against Traceless for Ten Miles. Because Traceless for Ten Miles had abstained from the game voluntarily, One-dot Red was directly promoted to the first seat of the Summit Finals. The third round was the match between Sanzhan Li from the Fallen Immortals Sect and Yang Shaochen from the Yang family. Unfortunately, the Fallen Immortals Sect had lost again.


    Although it failed in both rounds, no one dared to look down on this sect. It was necessary to know that Su Zimu and Yang Shaochen were among the best in the top 10 families, and the 10 people who came out of the Fallen Immortals Sect this time were probably just ordinary disciples.


    In the fourth round, it was Xiaoyue from the Thousand Feathers Sect against Yu Yifeng from the Jade Qing Sect. The crowd was excited once again. Xiaoyue was a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan, and basically, no one was optimistic about Yu Yifeng winning.


    Xiao Chen put away the emotions he had as well. At this moment, he looked intently at the screen. Compared to the battles of the first two games, Yu Yifeng and Xiaoyue both appeared to be more courteous this time. After all, they both knew each other.


    Despite being acquainted with each other, there would be no mercy in a battle. Just within seconds, gravel flew across the stage. But because the formation placed by the elders on the Floating Platform would absorb the attacks of the contestants, there were no worries about the Floating Platform being unable to withstand the power and collapsing and falling, hurting the crowd below.


    Everyone in the square was in awe. Now, this was the legit Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. Both of them used swords as their weapon of choice. Yu Yifeng with his Startling Rainbow Sword moved freely. Xiaoyue¡¯s Duster Sword was ever-changing. Though not out of its sheath, its exquisite ways were in no way inferior to the Startling Rainbow Sword. The Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was ever so abstruse that it was hard to tell what was real and what was not.


    ¡°Whether it is the Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust or the As Kind As Water, both are the true essence of Taoism. The Thousand Feathers Sect of the Ancient Immortal Clan indeed lived up to its name. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if this Xiaoyue has the highest chance to get first place.¡± Several elders on the high platform were amazed as they did not possess such abstruse martial arts.


    On the stage, the two had been fighting for over 15 minutes. Both of them were evenly matched. Xiaoyue had used Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust twice so far. But both times, Yu Yifeng was able to see it coming and had managed to dismiss them with ease. This made Xiaoyue frown slightly.


    She thought to herself, ¡°Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was the creation of the Founder Thousand Feathers, and no one could break it for thousands of years.¡± Then she suddenly remembered something. It was Xiao Chen! It had to be Xiao Chen! In this world, only Xiao Chen was very familiar with the martial arts of her sect! Even though she did not know why¡­

 Chapter 306 - Yu Yifengs Persistence

    Xiao Chen, who was watching the battle underneath, suddenly felt a chill running down his spine. At this moment, he noticed Xiaoyue had been hiding her strength so that he would not be able to know her true capabilities. He smirked and thought, ¡°You¡¯re, at most, at the level of the Nascent Soul Realm. I don¡¯t believe you can jump to the level of the Nirvana Realm.¡±


    The battles on the stage had become more and more intense. After another five minutes had passed by, a few people beneath begun to talk about it. The strength of the two was similar. The only thing that they could compete over would be the martial arts of their respective sects. But it was obvious that Yu Yifeng at this moment was at a disadvantage. Compared to the martial arts of the Thousand Feathers Sect, his martial arts were not as good.


    Moreover, Xiaoyue¡¯s Autumn Water Sword had never been out of its sheath. It was very clear who the winner of this fight was. Many people knew that Xiaoyue¡¯s Autumn Water Sword once belonged to her founder and was an ancient Legendary Weapon. But in a thousand years, almost no one had seen the Autumn Water Sword out of its sheath.


    Just as everyone was looking, suddenly 13 golden rays of Sword Qi rushed into the sky. Immediately, someone from beneath exclaimed, ¡°It is the Art of Noble Jade! The Dance of the Arcing Rainbow!¡±


    The 13 golden rays of Sword Qi were blinding and the clouds were instantly blown away. It was like the rays were going to take over the sky. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were in a tangle. The Dance of the Arcing Rainbow that Brother Yifeng had just performed was more powerful than the last time in the Forest of Illusory Moon. However, Yu Yifeng¡¯s face had turned pale. One could tell that he was struggling and was unable to bring out the full force of the move.


    After the 13 sword radiances rushed into the sky, they went slashing at Xiaoyue one after another. The attacks were so powerful that the square was surrounded by violent winds. Everyone¡¯s clothes were messed up. Many people were blinded by the dust caused by the winds. They thought to themselves about how mighty the sword was and that it could not be fought back by the usual Pre-Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. If the Autumn Water Sword of Xiaoyue continued to stay in its sheath, she would lose.


    On the stage, Xiaoyue leaped back three feet. She swept out the Duster and said, ¡°Traceless Autumn Water.¡± In an instant, countless sword shadows emerged in midair and resisted the attacks of the Arcing Rainbow Sword Qi.


    The Floating Platform shook violently. The 13 Sword Qi were all offset, but it had consumed a lot of Xiaoyue¡¯s True Energy. A dense layer of sweat could be seen on her face and it even wet her sideburns. Although with the hair sticking to her face, it showed some kind of beauty.


    Everyone in the audience beneath could tell that she had struggled to resist that blow. They shouted, ¡°Bring the Autumn Water Sword out of the sheath!¡± Many people here had never seen the Autumn Water Sword out of its sheath so they wanted to take a look at it.


    However, Xiaoyue pretended to not hear them. How could the Autumn Water Sword come out of its sheath so easily? She thought to herself that since Yu Yifeng was struggling to perform the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow, he should be near the end of his strength. Thinking of this, she sent the Duster forward and thousands of millions of threads were transformed into sword shadows shrouding Yu Yifeng.


    Unexpectedly, the 13 sword radiances rose again with a power that was even far beyond the 13 swords earlier. Xiaoyue was shocked, as she never thought that he could perform the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow two times in a row. Hurriedly, she brought back her attacks and took a step back to defend the oncoming 13 Sword Qi.


    Beneath the stage, Qingyu and the rest saw that their Senior Brother had performed the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow twice consecutively. Knowing that he was already overdrawing his True Energy, all of them had their hearts hanging by the thread. While on the high platform, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal frowned as well.


    With the sky roaring, the entire Floating Platform shook. After the 13 Sword Qi passed, Xiaoyue was wounded badly. Her hair that had been neatly tied was messed up and was dancing in the wind.


    And Yu Yifeng was even paler as he panted. The audience below the stage held their breath as they watched the two in a silent standoff.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yu Yifeng, I have to win this round,¡± Xiaoyue moved her lips and said softly.


    Yu Yifeng also forced a smile as he moved his pale lips and said, ¡°I promised my junior brothers and sisters that I would go all out.¡±


    At this moment, everyone could tell that Yu Yifeng was barely holding on. After performing the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow twice in a row, the depletion of the True Energy was imaginable. If he continued to persist, he was only going to be damaging his cultivation!


    Right at this moment, on the side of the Jade Qing Sect, the voices of a boy and a girl were heard suddenly. ¡°Master!¡±


    Everyone turned to the sound and saw two kids in their teens. The boy was dressed in a white robe with a wooden sword in his hand, while the girl with sparkling eyes was wearing a light-purple dress.


    Yu Yifeng heard those familiar voices and immediately looked down. He exclaimed, ¡°Hanxi! Ziling! Why are you both here!¡±


    The two kids were his two little disciples, Hanxi and Ziling. Hanxi put his hand next to his mouth and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Xiaoyao Grand Martial Uncle who brought us here. Master, you can do it!¡±


    At the side, Zi Mo laughed and said toward the Floating Platform, ¡°I forgot to tell you that it was me who went back to get them.¡±


    Yu Yifeng could not stay distracted. He immediately retracted his gaze and stared at Xiaoyue. Suddenly, the Duster sword in the hands of Xiaoyue shook. A vast and unparalleled immortal force was faintly revealing itself out of the scabbard.


    Yu Yifeng tensed up. He was actually afraid that the Autumn Water Sword would come out of its sheath. On that day in the Chamber of Cadavers in Wuwang Wind Cloud City, he had once seen the power of this sword. The sword obliterated a centennial corpse that was as strong as a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with one slash.


    Seeing the Duster sword in the hands of Xiaoyue vibrating non-stop, the crowd below exclaimed, ¡°Will the Autumn Water Sword finally be coming out of its sheath?¡±


    ¡°Shwoosh!¡± Before the exclamation of the crowd could subside, the Autumn Water Sword left its sheath and transformed into a white ray of a million feet long. The glare blinded everyone. An unparalleled ancient immortal force soon shrouded the entire grounds of Jade Terrace Mountain.


    The faces of the elders of the various sects changed, and even the three senior elders on the high platform were surprised. ¡°Is that the ancient Autumn Water Sword!¡±


    The entire body of the sword was pure white and water ripples could be seen around it. Xiaoyue jumped and caught the hilt. She whispered, ¡°I am sorry Yu Yifeng, Autumn Water¡ªRuthless!¡±


    As the word ¡°ruthless¡± fell, the entire cloud platform swayed. The vastness immortal force shook the hearts of all. As the sword slashed, the heavens and the earth lost their colors, and the sun and the moon became dull.


    At this moment, the cultivators in Tianyuan City did not need the screen. They could see the vast white light emerging from Jade Terrace Mountain just by lifting their heads.


    Seven or eight Immortals¡¯ League elders knew this was not going well. The sword was about to destroy the entire Floating Platform. Several of them immediately joined forces to insert vital force into the Floating Platform to ensure its stability and prevent it from getting destroyed.


    However, winds were blowing around the entire square, even with the huge spirit energy formation placed by the elders in the sky. Under the impact of this powerful force, there were still many who felt nauseated.


    Hanxi and Ziling were so anxious that their eyes became teary, and they shouted, ¡°Master!¡±


    Suddenly, Yu Yifeng leaped forward with the Startling Rainbow Sword in his hand. He was going to take this mighty blow with his cultivation. Everyone was terrified by his actions as they looked at each other. Could a mere human fight against this powerful attack?


    With a loud bang, the two swords finally met. A violent vital force immediately spread out and the Floating Platform sank 10 feet at an instant. Scared, the cultivators on the grounds fled while covering their heads.


    Several Immortals¡¯ League elders also felt that their arms sank, and they were almost pushed out by this force. While in the sky, both Yu Yifeng and Xiaoyue were suspending in midair. Then, Yu Yifeng started to fall. With a bang, the Startling Rainbow Sword in his hand was broken in two.


    Yu Yifeng dropped onto the Floating Platform. Dust was everywhere and the broken sword fell into the dirt next to him as well.


    The square was in complete silence. Everyone looked at the screen quietly. This was the power of the ancient Autumn Water Sword. Although the Startling Rainbow Sword was not an ancient Legendary Weapon, it was considered a pretty remarkable Legendary Weapon in this era. However, in the face of the Autumn Water Sword, it was reduced in the end to being broken in two.


    Everyone knew that once an Immortal¡¯s Sword got destroyed, the cultivation of the cultivator would be greatly damaged. Yu Yifeng¡¯s True Energy would have to take a long time to recover this time.


    Ziling quietly looked at this scene as her tears burst out as she muttered, ¡°Master¡­ lost¡­ Master has lost, boohoo¡­¡±


    Next to her was Hanxi, whose eyes were as red as hers. But he did not cry. He gritted his teeth and tightly held onto the wooden sword that Yu Yifeng had carved for him.


    ¡°Hey senior sister, don¡¯t cry. Our Master is the most powerful person in the world! No one can beat him¡­ Master will never lose¡­¡±


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ You are lying, Master¡¯s sword is broken¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart ached upon hearing that. ¡°Master is the most powerful person in the world. Master¡¯s power is boundless, no one can beat Master¡­¡±


    Xiaoyue slowly landed on the stage, with a slightly apologetic look on her face as she whispered, ¡°Sorry¡­ I can¡¯t lose this game¡­¡±


    No one spoke, the wind was still.


    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t lose as well¡­¡±


    In tranquility, a weak voice was heard as Yu Yifeng got up slowly. The two broken pieces of the Startling Rainbow Sword trembled. Letting out a whistle, it flew out of the dirt and then flew around him slowly.

 Chapter 307 - Resentful Love

    ¡°What!¡±


    Xiaoyue was shocked. Her face was full of horror. After her attack of Ruthless Autumn Water, he was still able to still stand up!


    The crowd below started to cheer. Some of them who were not initially optimistic about Yu Yifeng began to root for him as well. Hanxi held onto Ziling¡¯s arm and exclaimed, ¡°Senior sister! Look! I told you, Master will never lose!¡±


    Ziling wiped her tears and broke into a smile. She shouted, ¡°Master, you can do it!¡±


    Xiao Chen, who was next to them, felt a heartache suddenly. Brother Yifeng knew very well that if this continued, his cultivation would be hurt badly. Were these two little disciples of his the reason why he persevered¡­?


    Suddenly, his heart was in pain and it hurt so bad.


    The crowd kept on cheering. On the high platform, Tai Yi, Perfected Immortal of the Order of the Countless Blades, shook his head and smiled, ¡°Qing Chen, this disciple of yours is such a rare gem.¡±


    However, this time, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal kept quiet. His eyebrows tangled in a frown and his eyes closely followed every move of Yu Yifeng on the Floating Platform.


    Suddenly, a few white lights rushed into the sky from the Floating Platform. The clouds that were blown away earlier had started to gather back in. No¡­ it was not the clouds that had gathered, it was the energy between the heavens and the earth that had gathered together. All of it was directed into Yu Yifeng¡¯s body.


    Almost everyone felt an overpowering Immortal Force at this moment, and they shouted, ¡°This! What is going on!¡±


    Yu Yifeng kept pointing at every major acupuncture point on his body. He was then gradually covered by a layer of white glow. At this moment, he stood on top of the Floating Platform. His clothes danced with the wind, just like an Immortal from the Heaven Realm who had arrived in the human world.


    Xiaoyue¡¯s face changed. She felt a terrifying force in the body of Yu Yifeng that was gradually emerging. Before she could think, she went at him with a slash. However, just as the sword was about to hit Yu Yifeng, she suddenly seemed to be blocked by a strong force. Following a shock, she flew out.


    On the high platform, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal¡¯s face changed as well and he said, ¡°He wants to unlock the seal of the past! Yifeng! Stop!¡± In a flash, he transformed into a sword radiance and rushed to the Floating Platform.


    The Annihilation Times were approaching. The older generation, such as Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, had such high cultivation. He broke the Body-protection Qi of Yu Yifeng in a single move. Then he hit several forces into his body.


    Yu Yifeng spurted out a mouthful of blood, his face turned white and he fell slowly. Qing Chen Perfected Immortal held him up. He turned to Xiaoyue and said, ¡°This game, you¡¯ve won.¡± Bringing Yu Yifeng with him, he flew down to the square below.


    Xiaoyue was incredibly pale. If she did not have the immortal force of the Autumn Water Sword protecting her body from that shock, she would have been injured badly. Never did she expect that such a terrifying force was sealed in Yu Yifeng¡¯s body.


    Qing Chen Perfected Immortal brought Yu Yifeng to where the Jade Qing Sect was. Hanxi and Ziling immediately rushed up and cried, ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Yu Yifeng was still conscious. He forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Qing Chen Perfected Immortal sighed. He looked at Zi Mo and said, ¡°Junior Brother, bring Yifeng back to rest first.¡±


    The battle between Yu Yifeng and Xiaoyue was so exciting that the discussion amongst the crowd continued for a long time. The next round was Huangfu Xin¡¯er against Li Muxue.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows gradually shrouded with a layer of sadness. This was the last battle he ever wanted to watch. The words that he said to Li Muxue yesterday telling her to give up must have broken her heart. Thus, she was not seen the entire day.


    A few moments later, a red figure could be seen in the distance flying up to the Floating Platform. It immediately brought about a loud cheer from the crowd below. It was Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er stood on the Floating Platform, and her robes danced with the wind. Her face looked stone-cold and emotionless. After a while, as her opponent still did not show up on stage, the crowd below began to talk.


    Xiao Chen looked left and right and still did not see the appearance of Li Muxue. ¡°Well, it would be better if she doesn¡¯t show up¡­¡± he thought.


    However, before they could conclude, a sword radiance outside the square came flying. The person on the sword was in a white robe, and there was no sadness or joy on their face. That person slowly landed on the Floating Platform.


    This dropped a bomb on everyone in the square and the commotion began. The contestants in this round had the greatest disparity in strength. But was it possible for Li Muxue to be like Yu Yifeng from the previous round, to have her body sealed with some mysterious power as well?


    Many people began to speculate. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were locked deeply. Next to him, Murong Xian¡¯er pulled his sleeves and said, ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s going to be fine¡­¡±


    Zhiluan placed its paws in front of its chest and it said carelessly, ¡°Something is going to happen, something is definitely going to happen. These two women are put together¡­¡± Murong Xian¡¯er immediately glared at him and said, ¡°Greedy cat! Don¡¯t spout nonsense here! Otherwise, I won¡¯t take you home with me!¡±


    On the Floating Platform, Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked coldly at Li Muxue. The color of resentment flashed through her eyes. ¡°This is the woman, this is the woman, kill her!¡±


    Li Muxue pointed her sword at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said coldly, ¡°Begin the battle, I won¡¯t lose to you!¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± sneered Huangfu Xin¡¯er. As her body moved, she was instantly in front of Li Muxue, and then she hit her with a palm.


    Li Muxue immediately defended with her sword. Unfortunately, because the force came too suddenly, she did not manage to block it in time. She was knocked back three feet. Before she could even react, Huangfu Xin¡¯er once again teleported, and this time, it was behind her. Hit by another palm force, Li Muxue flew out.


    The crowd below exclaimed. It was impossible to fight, Li Muxue had might as well admit defeat. Xiao Chen frowned harder.


    Li Muxue landed back onto the stage and went at Huangfu Xin¡¯er with compound sword attacks, one after another. Halfway through her attacks, countless sword shadows emerged in midair. It soon shrouded almost the entire battleground. All of it moved so fast that one could not tell which was real and which was not.


    In the face of the sword rain, even with Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s high cultivation, it would not be easy to retreat entirely. However, with a smirk and putting two fingers together, she managed to pinch the Immortal¡¯s Sword of Li Muxue directly.


    ¡°What? Is that all you got?¡±


    ¡°Clink!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er broke Li Muxue¡¯s Immortal¡¯s Sword into pieces with force. The broken pieces flew out as the sound fell. Li Muxue was also pushed out by this force and landed near the edge of the Floating Platform.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how he fell for a good-for-nothing like you. When he is in danger, you can only watch on from the side, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er spoke the words slowly and strolled up to her. Li Muxue cast a healing spell on herself hurriedly. She was only good at healing spells. She did not have as much fighting experience as Huangfu Xin¡¯er, not to mention that Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s cultivation was so much higher than hers.


    Then, she pinched her fingers and six Immortal¡¯s Swords were formed again. All of them went slashing at Huangfu Xin¡¯er in the hope that she would retreat. However, with a smirk, a powerful force rushed out of Huangfu Xin¡¯er sleeve as she flicked it. The six Immortal¡¯s Swords were smashed to pieces immediately.


    Then as her hand stretched out, Li Muxue immediately seemed to be caught by the throat by an invisible force and was brought over to Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Just you alone, you think you can beat me?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er lifted her into the air. Her voice was ice-cold. Everyone below was stunned. Many of them could sense the resentment in Huangfu Xin¡¯er, which was particularly obvious at this moment. But they were not sure why.


    Being squeezed by the throat, Li Muxue¡¯s face flushed red, she was suffocating. Suddenly, a white ray shot out from the crescent white jade on her neck and shot straight at Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    That white jade was the jade note that Xiao Chen had once given her. It had already begun to have the ability to protect its Lord. But it was refined when Xiao Chen was at the Foundation Building Realm. Could it block the current Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s attack?


    On the contrary, Huangfu Xin¡¯er recognized the power of the jade, and she was even more resentful. She slammed her out with a loud bellow. The force was so great that the rocks broke into pieces.


    Li Muxue staggered and stood up from the gravel pile. She was unable to take care of her injuries and she formed another three Immortal¡¯s Swords, slashing at Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    As Huangfu Xin¡¯er shouted, the three swords flying at her shattered immediately. Suddenly, a murderous aura emerged from her body and spread out. Even the crowd far below could feel the thrill from this murderous aura at this moment.


    Her lips turned dark red in an instant. Her 10 fingernails also skyrocketed three inches. Then, five red lights flashed and they went straight at Li Muxue neck. They were unstoppable and had a motive to kill.


    The crowd below was horrified. Even the few elders on the high platform lost the color in their faces as well. These five red lights were hardly defendable, even by a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm. On that day in the Forest of Illusory Moon, Zuo Qiuyang was also hurt by the five red lights.


    Just when the five red lights were less than a foot away from Li Muxue and it was obvious that she was going to die, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked them in front of her.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, stop¡­¡±

 Chapter 308 - Love Hurts

    The one who made a sudden appearance was Xiao Chen. He looked dejected and his voice was weak as he spoke. Huangfu Xin¡¯er felt even more resentful as she saw him blocking in front of Li Muxue. She bellowed, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, move away!¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face flashed a sign of rage as she said, ¡°Well! If you want to save her, then the more I am going to kill her!¡± Then she raised her hand. Suddenly, dozens of red lights emerged from all directions and slashed at Li Muxue.


    Xiao Chen immediately gathered his Qi and it cycled around in his body nine times. The True Energy in his body rushed out with a thump. The overwhelming force dissipated the red lights from all directions instantly.


    The people below on the square were confused by the situation. The three senior elders on the high platform looked at each other. One of them shouted, ¡°This game is temporarily terminated. The three of you get off the stage immediately!¡±


    However, Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not listen to them. She continued to execute killing moves at Li Muxue. But each time, the move was blocked by Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen pinched his fingers and the Unsullied Sword appeared. He sent Li Muxue onto the sword and said, ¡°You go first!¡±


    ¡°Leaving? It¡¯s not so easy!¡±


    By then, Li Muxue had already flown to the edge of the Floating Platform. Huangfu Xin¡¯er bellowed, and with her sleeve, she rolled Li Muxue up and took her back. Xiao Chen condensed his power on his finger and slashed at her sleeve, cutting it off. However, Huangfu Xin¡¯er rushed in front of Li Muxue in that instant.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s five fingers transformed into blades and the expression on her face was terrifying. It was apparent that she did not leave the slightest room for maneuvering. She was going to take Li Muxue¡¯s life no matter what. Xiao Chen immediately performed Immortal-override Steps and was soon in front of Li Muxue. Blood splattered as the fingers pierced into the left side of Xiao Chen¡¯s chest instead of Li Muxue.


    If they had pierced into his chest a centimeter more, it would have injured his heart, and even the gods would not have been able to save him. But Xiao Chen did not make any resistance. With that terrifying power of Huangfu Xin¡¯er at that moment, the wound could not have been shallow. Huangfu Xin¡¯er had taken back her force in time.


    ¡°Well, you would rather die to save her! Then I will kill both of you!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot within seconds, and there were faint tears as well. Suddenly, she directed a force out of her body. This force was so fierce that it sent both Xiao Chen and Li Muxue flying.


    Immediately, rays of red light started swirling around her body. As she rose up into midair, a terrible and sinister force instantly filled the entire square.


    Several elders saw that the situation was getting worse. As they were about to stop Huangfu Xin¡¯er, who was floating high above in the sky, she suddenly spewed out a mouthful of blood. Then like a withering butterfly that had its wings broken, she slowly fell onto the square below.


    The crowd exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Xiao Chen shouted and he reached out to grab her. However, he too spewed out a mouthful of blood at the same moment. Everyone below exclaimed again, ¡°What¡¯s going on here now!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face suddenly became extremely pale. Then his face was reddish for a second and purplish the next. Li Muxue¡¯s face changed and she quickly held him up. She cried, ¡°Brother Xiao!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s whole body twitched and it was hard to gather any True Energy. At this moment, he felt as though a thousand million needles had pierced through his body. He felt as though those 10,000 arrows had pierced through his heart. He felt as though he was in both fire and water. He was in incredible pain, it hurt so bad that he would rather die.


    It was the Heartless Curse taking its toll on him, but it had never been so powerful like it was today.


    ¡°Brother Xiao!¡± Li Muxue panicked and quickly transferred True Energy into his body. However, it made him feel even more pain.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A heartrending moan fell into everyone¡¯s ears. No one knew what was going on. In the distance, Zuo Qiuyang, who was waiting for his final duel with Xiao Chen, was puzzled. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er completely went into panic mode. Zhiluan spread its wings and flew up. An elder on the high platform shouted immediately, ¡°Turn off the virtual image transmission array formation!¡± Then he jumped and flew to the Floating Platform.


    The other two elders in the back, as well as Su Yue, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, and Tai Yi Perfected Immortal, also followed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡±


    Su Yue shouted from the back, then she landed on the stage. She pressed on Xiao Chen¡¯s wrist. After a while, she frowned and said, ¡°It should be an extremely powerful spell.¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen had completely passed out. Li Muxue suddenly remembered the time when they went to the Heartless Palace to invite Huashang. She exclaimed, ¡°It is the Heartless Curse!¡±


    ¡°Heartless Curse?¡±


    Several elders looked at each other, puzzled. They had never heard of any Heartless Curse before. At this time, Zhiluan suddenly yelled, ¡°Heart¡ª! Heartless Curse! Oh my, meow! So dead! He is so dead this time!¡±


    Everyone turned and looked at him. Zhiluan immediately covered its mouth with its paws. Su Yue said, ¡°I have never heard of this curse before either.¡± Then she glared sharply at Zhiluan and said, ¡°Weird kitty, what do you know about it?¡±


    . Zhiluan¡¯s whole body trembled. Frightened by her icy cold stare, it slurred, ¡°Nothing¡­ I was spurting out nonsense! Let¡¯s send the kiddo back first.¡±


    An Immortals¡¯ League elder nodded slightly and said, ¡°Immortal Lingzhi is right, let¡¯s send him back first.¡±


    Qing Chen Perfected Immortal picked up Xiao Chen that instant. Su Yue couldn¡¯t help glancing at him again. Her gaze remained on the Frigid Jade Pendant on his chest.


    Because of what had happened to Xiao Chen, the date of the last battle had to be rearranged. At sunset, Zi Mo and the others gathered in Xiao Chen¡¯s room. Then, Li Muxue told them about the ins and outs of the Heartless Curse.


    Qing Chen Perfected Immortal could not help sighing. ¡°Junior Sister Huashang, she¡­ Aye.¡± Then he recalled Huangfu Xin¡¯er on the Floating Platform today and sighed even more.


    Zi Mo paced back and forth in the room and said, ¡°What do we do now? In this world, I am afraid that only that old woman can lift this curse. Is it necessary to ask that old man Qingfeng to invite her again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Don¡¯t have to trouble Senior Qingfeng¡­¡± said Xiao Chen as he woke up suddenly.


    Seeing him awake, Murong Xian¡¯er was the first to pounce on him. She was sobbing softly. Xiao Chen sat up slowly. He stroked her hair and whispered, ¡°I am fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhiluan moved up to him. It looked stern and serious. It asked, ¡°Kiddo, honestly, how long have you been under this curse?¡±


    ¡°How long? A few months maybe?¡± He could not remember either. This curse had never really acted up until recently. It was only in the past days that it had been acting up quite frequently. It would only hurt when emotions were involved. The deeper the emotion, the more powerful the attack was.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. As the saying goes, there is still a doctor for the illness even if it¡¯s in the late stage, but there is no medicine for a person deep in love. This is talking about you,¡± Zhiluan said as it shook its head non-stop. It was just missing out that last sentence¡ª¡±Hurry up and prepare your funeral.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°It isn¡¯t as serious as you said. I can naturally lift it when my cultivation is higher.¡±


    The few people in the room were still frowning. The curse could not be lifted even by them. It was not as easy as what Xiao Chen said.


    Outside the window, the shadows of the trees were slanting, and the sunset glow was like a brocade. At this moment, in the dormitory of the disciples of the Heartless Palace, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was pale and there was blood on the edge of her mouth. She was sitting cross-legged in the room as she paced her breathing. On the floor in front of her, a pool of blood could be seen.


    She had cultivated the Heartless Mystic Skill, and therefore, the more she could not have emotions. Otherwise, it would hurt her Soul badly. This was the reason why she had to leave by herself when they were at Thousand Summits Mountain in the beginning.


    It was also the reason why her injury never healed. The longer she stayed with Xiao Chen, the longer it would take to heal her injury. Even at night, she had to endure the backlash of the Heartless Mystic Skill. She would rather die than live.


    During that time, she still refused to leave and would rather endure the backlash by herself at night. But Xiao Chen would never know about any of this. Just as Xiao Chen did not know in the beginning, the piece of Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves sent by Huangfu¡¯s family when the wedding was called off was actually earned with her life. Just as Xiao Chen did not know, she did not know about the wedding being called off.


    At night, a crescent half-moon gradually rose from the east, and the wind in the yard blew gently. Xiao Chen walked out of the room and went to the cliff outside the courtyard. Looking at Tianyuan City at the foot of the mountain, the scenes that happened in the day were coming to his mind. He could not help sighing.


    ¡°Love comes when you don¡¯t know it, and it gets deeper and deeper.¡± At this moment, a clear juvenile voice suddenly sounded from behind.


    Xiao Chen did not have to look back to know who this voice belonged to. He smiled lightly and said, ¡°Evernight, do you have wine?¡±


    ¡°Where can I find wine for you?¡± Evernight walked to his side. He watched the lights that were flickering at the bottom of the mountain and whispered, ¡°The word ¡®love¡¯ has never had a solution since ancient times, even if you are persistent, what is the benefit? Kiddo, I advise you to just focus on your cultivation for the rest of your life!¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and greeted the cold wind blowing from the foot of the mountain. The tip of his robe swayed gently. He sighed. ¡°I do not want to let either of them down. Letting either one down is letting both of them down. Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this. I will go get some wine. Tonight, we will not go home unless we are drunk.¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, how can you drink without me?¡±


    Just as he was about to turn around, a man was heard loud and clear from behind.

 Chapter 309 - Sixth-Order Elixir Saint

    Xiao Chen turned around. Night had fallen. A man in a purple and white gown could be seen faintly in the dark and was slowly walking toward him. The man carried three jars of wine in his hands. A palm-size purplish-gold gourd was hanging on his waist. His hair was neatly tied up. Xiao Chen exclaimed, ¡°Brother Yi! Why are you here?¡±


    The man was Yi Tong. He smiled gently and said, ¡°I just happened to be passing by. A day ago, I heard that Brother Xiao was here, so I came to have a look.¡± By the time he finished speaking, he had reached them. He looked at Evernight, who was beside Xiao Chen, and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Yi Tong, may I know how to address you?¡±


    ¡°His name is Evernight, he is a friend I have known for many years.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I see, Brother Evernight.¡±


    Evernight folded his arms and said faintly, ¡°When did I know you for many years? When did I ever say my name?¡± Then he walked toward the yard.


    Xiao Chen smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°His temper is a bit odd. Brother Yi, please don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When I was walking over I saw you sigh over and over, do you have something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s not mention this anymore. There is wine today, so let¡¯s get drunk.¡±


    The two smashed open the clay seal. The fragrance of the wine soon filled the space and drifted away with the mountain wind. They each took a sip. Xiao Chen asked, ¡°Oh right, Brother Yi, why are you here in Tianyuan City?¡±


    . Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°I just happened to be passing by and was staying here for a while. I heard that you were here so I came up to have a look.¡± Then he tilted his head back and took another sip.


    Xiao Chen smiled and saw that he did not want to share more so he probed no more. It was just that people were guarding everywhere in Yutai Mountain, and there were countless elders¡¯ restriction formations. How did he get up here?


    But these things were not important. What was important was that in this chaotic world of chaos, you had to have a confidant who was happy to drink with you. Was that not a happy life? Why did one have to think so much?


    The two men drank one jar of wine after another. After a jar was finished, they took another from the Divine Vessel. They drank till the night was quiet, till the moon was not parallel to the ground. On the cliffside, countless empty jars were stacked.


    Xiao Chen could not hold his liquor anymore. He was so drunk that he passed out and fell asleep on the ground. Actually, with his cultivation, he was able to force the wine out of his system with Mystic Power, so that he could never get drunk. But it would be too boring to be drinking like this.


    The night wind was getting chilly, so Yi Tong took off his outer coat and gently covered him with it. As he faced the darkness of the mountain, he sighed for a long time before finally taking off the purplish-gold gourd at his waist. He stroked it for a long time and sighed. ¡°Big brother, that time you did not hesitate to exchange his life with yours, but now, where are you¡­¡±


    His voice gradually became bitter. Yi Tong¡¯s eyes were slightly reddened by the wind blowing at them, and the image of the big brother with silver hair appeared in his mind again.


    As if in his ear, the words of the person who had left rang again: ¡°Kiddo, drink less when I am gone, take care. I have left you with my purplish-gold gourd, which carries 30% of my power. Do not open it unless it is the last resort.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t go! Tell me! Why! Why did you attract the five evils of the heavens! Why¡­¡± He sprinted forward with all his strength, but he could not catch up with the man¡¯s footsteps under the stars.


    The man went to Cloud Province with a blue sarcophagus, and since then, he had never returned.


    Not knowing how long it had been, the sky gradually became blue and the sun was soon rising. Yi Tong stood and picked up Xiao Chen. He walked toward the yard. As he reached the gate of the courtyard, he saw Qingluan was there. Then he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you send him back to his room? I have a lot of things coming up later.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qingluan took over Xiao Chen from his hands and turned and walked to the room.


    Xiao Chen was in a state of drunkenness throughout the day and never woke up. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er had to tell the outsiders that he was overly wounded yesterday and was still unconscious.


    By the early morning of the next day, Xiao Chen was awakened by a nightmare suddenly. He shouted, ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    He was short of breath and was sweating all over and the sheets were soaked with his sweat. In the dream, he saw Huangfu Xin¡¯er die, and she was slowly dying in his arms. But there was nothing that he could do aside from watch her die in his arms¡­


    ¡°Lord, are you awake?¡± A small footstep sounded outside the door, followed by Qingluan¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Where is Xin¡¯er? How is she doing now!¡±


    Qingluan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, My Lord. Empress Huangfu should be fine now.¡±


    ¡°Should be fine? What do you mean by ¡®should be fine¡¯!¡±


    Xiao Chen shoved off his blanket and rushed to the door. However, not even making a count of two steps, he hit the table with one of his feet. This knocked a fine dark-red enameled teapot to the ground, smashing it. At this moment, his head was sore and aching. Every time he drank a little bit too much, this would happen.


    Qingluan pushed open the door. She walked in and lifted him. ¡°Do not be anxious, My Lord, Qingluan will get someone to check it out now.¡± After saying this, she blew a whistle and immediately, a lady in purple came in. ¡°What is the sister¡¯s command?¡±


    ¡°Go check on Empress Huangfu¡¯s injuries now, and come back quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The woman bowed and left. After a while, Xiao Chen calmed down and asked, ¡°What day is it today?¡±


    ¡°Today is the third day of February. My Lord, you have slept for a day.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay, I know now.¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his head, thinking that Yi Tong should have left, who would only dare to drink to unconsciousness when he was with him.


    After 30 minutes, the woman in the purple dress came back to report that Huangfu Xin¡¯er was fine. Xiao Chen finally felt at ease and began to pace his breathing for a while. Then he got Qingluan to boil some hot water before he bathed and changed clothes and went outside. Today was the final duel with Zuoqiu Yang.


    By noon, the square was crowded with people, and compared to the previous two days, there were more people. Even many of the scattered cultivators spent Spirit Stones on connections to come to the square themselves to watch the game.


    At this moment, 10 people sat on the east side of the high platform. Compared to the past few days, there was an additional radiant old man amongst them. The old man was spirited and his hair was as black as ink, not a single strand of white hair could be seen. If one did not look carefully, one would have thought that he was a young man. A purplish-brown gourd with a six-leaf herbal logo on the bottom was hanging over his shoulder. It was obvious that this person was a Sixth-order Elixir Saint!


    The status of a Sixth-order Elixir Saint was comparable to a cultivator of the Apotheosis Realm. A commotion began in the square. ¡°Could the man be Elixir Saint Situ Bei? Isn¡¯t he in seclusion? The Immortals¡¯ League even managed to invite him, that¡¯s pretty incredible¡­¡±


    The old man was indeed the famous Elixir Saint Situ Bei of the Middle Continent. He was known as the supreme one of refining. It was rumored that he once resurrected the dead with his medicine. Not only that, but he has also reached the Nirvana Realm cultivation, even the three seniors of the Immortals¡¯ League were very respectful to him.


    On the other side, as Xiao Chen stepped into the arena, he was immediately greeted with a loud cheer. Numerous people swarmed around him and asked, ¡°Hello Mr. Xiao, how do you feel about the battle today? Is it really a life-and-death duel?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Xiao, may I ask you why do you have such a huge rivalry with Zuoqiu Yang? Rumors are saying that you wanted to violate his younger sister. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Xiao, why did you want to violate Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s sister¡­¡±


    These people came from all parts of the five continents. While asking questions, they also took notes on paper with a pen. They were all reporters and they loved to spread some celebrity stories in every part of the five continents.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er led Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon and 10 other people in two rows, blocking the rest from getting closer than five steps.


    Xiao Chen strode high and said nothing because he knew that whatever he said, these people would distort his words and spread them in the future. Rumors like violating Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s younger sister had even come about, who knew which bastard had circulated that!


    On the high platform, Elixir Saint Situ Bei looked below. His gaze stopped as he saw Xiao Chen. He then asked casually, ¡°Is that the person who is fighting Zuoqiu Yang today? His cultivation is not high, but he is putting on big airs. What¡¯s his name?¡±


    The Immortals¡¯ League elder who sat next to him smiled obsequiously and said, ¡°He is Xiao Chen, who has recently become famous.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen? Probably because I have stayed in the mountains for too long, I have never heard of this name. Which sect is he from?¡±


    The Immortals¡¯ League elder coughed as he smiled and said, ¡°He is a disciple under the East Continent Jade Qing Sect.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Which sect is the Jade Qing Sect? Oh forget it, I have lived in the mountains. I don¡¯t have to know some unknown small sect anyway,¡± Situ Bei shook his hand and said.


    As his voice fell, two people flew onto the high platform. One of them was wearing a red robe and there was a four-leaf herbal logo on his shoulder. This person was Elixir King Zuoqiu Que of the Zuoqiu family, and the other was Zuoqiu Yang.


    ¡°Teacher, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. How have you been?¡± Zuoqiu Que walked to Situ Bei and respectfully took a bow. This Situ Bei was his teacher early on, and he had heard of his arrival beforehand. Therefore, he was not surprised.


    Situ Bei nodded with a smile and said, ¡°You have come here as well, how is your progress lately?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to teacher¡¯s caring guidance previously, I reached the fourth-order 10 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Granduncle, I¡¯m Nephew Zuoqiu Yang!¡± At this time, Zuoqiu Yang also went up. Situ Bei looked at him with a smile and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. Now Yang¡¯er has grown so big. His cultivation is almost at the Nascent Soul Realm. Not bad, not bad!¡±


    Zuo Qiuyang smiled and said, ¡°This is thanks to my teacher for cultivating me over the years,¡± he said with his palm pointing to Feng Lan Perfected Immortal next to him, and then he greeted him with a bow.


    Feng Lan Perfected Immortal immediately turned to Situ Bei and nodded to show friendliness. He smiled and said, ¡°This is also because Shaoyang¡¯s comprehension is good. The last time during the Swords Sect Battles, Shaoyang was a star on his own.¡±


    These few people went about the family trivia right under the eyes of everyone, not even giving the slightest attention to the other sect Leaders. At this time, Su Yue, who was sitting next to the Third Elder, suddenly said coldly, ¡°Everyone is here, can we start?¡±

 Chapter 310 - The Peak Confrontation

    Situ Bei immediately narrowed his eyes and looked at Su Yue. He thought, ¡°Who is this woman? If she can sit side by side with Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League, I¡¯m afraid that she must have some powerful backing.¡±


    Perhaps Situ Bei had spent too much time living in remote mountains. He even did not recognize the Su family¡¯s Fourth Miss. He asked lightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I did not recognize you. May I know your surname?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Su,¡± Su Yue answered in an ice-cold voice and did not even bother to look straight at him.


    The crowd below was stunned all of a sudden. ¡°What can a Sixth-order Elixir Saint do? Once he raises his hand and issues a rousing call, a large number of soldiers will immediately respond to his call. Even those sect leaders of major sects have to show their respect to him and greet him with a broad smile. She is indeed the Fourth Miss of the Su family. Perhaps, she is the only one here who dares to treat him with indifference.¡±


    Xiao Chen certainly had also witnessed that scene. He could not help passing a wisp of Divine Sense to the Frigid Jade Pendant he wore on the chest. ¡°Hey, Su Xiaomei, it seems that everyone in your family is so fu*king awesome, right?¡±


    ¡°Your family? Why did you say ¡®your family¡¯? Your mother is a Su, so doesn¡¯t half of your blood come from the Su family?¡±


    Xiao Chen could not help laughing. ¡°Except for her, I¡¯m afraid that no one else in the Su family will acknowledge a person surnamed Xiao as one of them. Of course, it does not matter. I only need my mother¡¯s acknowledgment.¡±


    Seeing that he alone smiled foolishly, Zhiluan asked, ¡°Kid, what is wrong with you this time? Why are you laughing by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing.¡±


    However, standing on the high platform, Situ Bei caught his smile and felt even more annoyed.


    Zuoqiu Yang swung his sleeve. ¡°Can you still smile later? I¡¯d like to wait and see.¡± After giving a hint with the eyes to Situ Bei and Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, he tapped his tiptoes and flew onto the Floating Platform.


    Immediately, a burst of synchronized cheers for him sounded from the crowd below. The thunderous sound even made the nearby grass and trees tremble. Of course, Zuoqiu Yang arranged and paid for the scene in advance.


    Upon seeing such a big scene, Murong Xian¡¯er also began to cheer for Xiao Chen. But how could her voice be heard over the voices of thousands of people? She stamped her foot angrily. ¡°Do all of you think you are awesome to make such a loud sound?¡± After that, she cast her eyes at Zhiluan. ¡°Greedy cat! Shout out loud! Don¡¯t be lazy!¡±


    While shaking his head and smiling, Xiao Chen patted her shoulder. Then, he jumped into the air and flew to the Floating Platform. Before that, many people also had planned to cheer for him. However, they gave up the idea when they saw that Situ Bei had a close relationship with the Zuoqiu family. After all, no one dared to offend a Sixth-order Elixir Saint.


    Xiao Chen landed on the platform. Zuoqiu Yang gave him a cold smile and said with a gloomy voice, ¡°Xiao Chen, I have been waiting for this day for a long time!¡±


    ¡°Are you waiting to send me some more magic treasures and weapons?¡± raising his eyebrows, Xiao Chen answered him in a loud voice and smiled.


    ¡°You!¡± In an instant, Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s face flushed bright red, but then he calmed down. He sneered, ¡°Last time in the Forest of Illusory Moon, Huangfu Xin¡¯er undermined me in time. If she hadn¡¯t, do you think that you¡¯d still be alive?¡±


    It seemed that he could only regain some lost honor by mentioning this thing. Last time in Forest of Illusory Moon, it was true that he nearly defeated Xiao Chen. Especially when Zuoqiu Yang was in a frenzy, Xiao Chen could no longer be a match for him. If Huangfu Xin¡¯er had not come out to help Xiao Chen at the last moment, Xiao Chen would have already crushed his jade note and teleported himself out of the forest.


    ¡°I am not here to talk nonsense with you. Go ahead to fight. I still have something to do after fighting,¡± Xiao Chen said.


    ¡°Fine! But in a year, remember this day is your death anniversary! Today, my granduncle is here, so no one will dare to say no, even if I kill you!¡±


    After that, Zuo Qiuyang channeled the True Energy in his body. The blue veins on his face instantly stood out under his skin. Faint red light emerged around his body. With his deep but loud shout, the whole Floating Platform shook a little, and some crashing clods were shaken off from the edge of the platform.


    Several Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League had already strengthened this Floating Platform before. However, pushed by his True Energy, it still swayed a few times. The crowd below looked at each other with astonishment. ¡°Has he reached the Nascent Soul Realm?¡±


    Only some seniors who had high cultivation saw clearly that Zuoqiu Yang only used the Blood Spell, a Mystic Skill of his family. Zuoqiu Yang seemed to have reached the Nascent Soul Realm, but actually, he was still one step away.


    On the high platform, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan slightly sighed in his heart. As Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s master, he certainly knew the knot in his mind. ¡°Zuoqiu Yang has been slow to enter the real Nascent Soul Realm because he got an Inner Demon after Xiao Chen defeated him. It makes Zuoqiu Yang increasingly crazier each day. In the long run, he will fall into the Devil¡¯s Practice someday. Only when he beats Xiao Chen today can he undo this knot. After that, he can reach the Nascent Soul Realm with ease. Then, everything will be okay.¡±


    But seeing the Floating Platform shaking more and more violently, those people who bet their money on Xiao Chen secretly felt worried. ¡°Xiao Chen should rush up to Zuoqiu Yang now and stop him from channeling the energy. After he finishes directing his energy, it will be too late for Xiao Chen to do anything.¡±


    Everyone on the side of the Jade Qing Sect also looked at them with knitted brows. Especially Murong Xian¡¯er, she was the most anxious. Only Zhiluan looked the most relaxed and carefree. It said to Murong Xian¡¯er, ¡°Do not worry, little girl. I did not tell you that this kid has reached¡­ Ahem, I cannot say it now.¡±


    Standing on the Floating Platform with his hands behind his back, Xiao Chen still looked calm and peaceful. ¡°Sizzle!¡± A sudden sound came. It turned out that the clothes on Zuoqiu Yang could not withstand the power and were torn to pieces. His bronze-colored muscles were twice as big as those of an ordinary person, which made him look like an angry lion. What an eye-catching spectacle! His image now was a sharp contrast to Xiao Chen¡¯s gentle appearance.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang thundered. Then, the whole Floating Platform sank as if it would collapse at any moment. All the people on the scene saw that a layer of flame instantly covered his entire body. Like a meteor with blazing flames, Zuoqiu Yang threw himself at Xiao Chen.


    This exceedingly brutal force came right at Xiao Chen. The crowd below gasped in shock. Everyone knew that even Nascent Soul Realm experts might not be able to stand such a force. However, when the fist was only one meter away, Xiao Chen suddenly disappeared. The next moment, he popped up behind Zuo Qiuyang.


    ¡°What! Isn¡¯t that skill the Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust?¡± The crowd in the public square was greatly surprised. The few Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League also frowned.


    As Zuo Qiuyang¡¯s blow failed, he immediately felt that something terrible would happen. Thus, Zuo Qiuyang flew 33 meters forward to get out of Xiao Chen¡¯s attacking range quickly. He thought, ¡°This b*stard only has the cultivation of the expectant Nascent Soul Realm. Enveloped by my power, how could he act so fast?¡±


    But Xiao Chen stood still. Neither did he rush forward to attack nor did he wield the Immortal¡¯s Sword. His indifferent expression irritated Zuo Qiuyang, who then triggered the Blood Spell once again. All of a sudden, more dazzling flames rose up from all parts of his body, and then he came at Xiao Chen again.


    This attack came more violently. The people below could not experience the power by themselves, but they could imagine it judging by those broken stones falling from the Floating Platform¡¯s edge. If any ordinary Core Forming Realm cultivator went onto the platform now, the strong wind would blow that person apart. There would not be anything left of him; the wind would destroy both his body and soul. No matter how fast Xiao Chen could be this time, he could never get away from this absolute, powerful force.


    Murong Xian¡¯er below became desperate with anxiety. In the distance, the people from the Ling Family and Wan Gufeng from the Order of the Divine Fire, all of them were anxious to see Zuoqiu Yang kill Xiao Chen. In that case, they would not need to do it themselves.


    The unstoppable punch was getting closer and closer to Xiao Chen, and everyone thought that he would die. But at this point, a weird thing happened. They saw Xiao Chen slowly raising his hand, and then Zuo Qiuyang¡¯s speed gradually became slower. Finally, Zuoqiu Yang stopped. His fist stopped 10 cm away from Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead and could not go any farther.


    Astonished, those people in the square exclaimed, ¡°What happened? Was it the Su family¡¯s Restriction technique?¡± Now, everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Su Yue, who was on the high platform.


    Su Yue frowned slightly and thought, ¡°Impossible. It is absolutely impossible that this kid knows my family¡¯s Restriction technique. Could he¡­¡±


    On the other side, Murong Xian¡¯er cheered, ¡°Come on, Brother Xiao Chen! Hurry and beat up that bad guy!¡±


    Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly from the beginning. Now he finally stopped frowning. Thinking of something, Li Muxue smiled and said, ¡°Right. It is the Absolute Domain. Brother Xiao Chen has entered the Nascent Soul Realm.¡±


    ¡°The Foundation Building Realm¡¯s mark is Psychokinesis; the Core Forming Realm¡¯s mark is Condensing Sword with Qi. Then, the mark of the Nascent Soul Realm is the Absolute Domain! The person who has grasped the so-called Absolute Domain technique can make a certain area completely become his domain. He is the master of this area. But not every cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm can grasp this miracle technique unless he has mighty Soul power.¡±


    Upon hearing Li Muxue¡¯s words, the few sect disciples on the side all showed incredible looks on their faces. Also, many Elders from these sects sitting in the spectators¡¯ seats frowned one after another. In fact, they had thought of the Absolute Domain, but they just could not believe it. Xiao Chen had reached the Nascent Soul Realm before 20 and had grasped the Absolute Domain technique, which was too astounding. At this moment, most of the people around thought that Xiao Chen must have wielded the Restriction technique that the Su families knew best.


    Above the Floating Platform, Zuo Qiuyang¡¯s face was colored with disbelief. ¡°You! Have you reached the Nascent Soul Realm?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know too much because it is over.¡±

 Chapter 311 - Eight-treasure Haotian Tower

    ¡°Because it is over.¡±


    Along with the fading of Xiao Chen¡¯s few words, it looked like that Zuoqiu Yang had suffered a significant trauma and spurted out a mouthful of blood. Then, he seemed to have been knocked into the air by an invisible force.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± They could not believe it, and all looked astonished. In the audience, Zuoqiu Ping even directly crushed the teacup in his hand.


    Zuoqiu Yang landed back on the platform, forcing himself to bite back the blood in his throat. With a ferocious and frightening appearance, he looked crazy. ¡°I do not believe it! Last time you were no match for me at all! I do not believe that you can reach the Nascent Soul Realm in such a short time! Soul-petrifying Blood Spell!¡±


    As soon as he dropped the ¡°Soul-petrifying Blood Spell,¡± a gust of evil wind started to blow on and off the platform with bursts of squealing sounds. The wind came all of a sudden as if it were from the netherworld, quite terrifying.


    A layer of black fog rose suddenly on the platform. Then, it enveloped Xiao Chen from all directions. When those people on the platform saw the coming black fog, they faintly felt that it would absorb their souls. Many of them began to panic. Even worse, some people began to hallucinate the scariest thing for them. For a time, lots of people on the square had reached the level of insanity. They put their hands over their heads and fled like frightened rats, which made the whole square a mess.


    ¡°Ah! Kill me! Kill me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t come over! Don¡¯t come over!¡±


    ¡°Why is it happen? I am begging you! Please kill me!¡±


    In no time, the entire square sank into considerable confusion. Even seniors of Cultivators¡¯ sects, who had strong wills, felt a sudden shock in their hearts. Hurriedly, they calmed themselves down and quickly started to operate the high-end mind cultivation methods of their sects to protect themselves against the spell¡¯s influence.


    The Zuoqiu family had three great spells: Soul-exterminating Blood Spell, Soul-tracking Blood Spell, and Soul-petrifying Blood Spell. Among them, the Soul-petrifying Blood Spell would bring their enemies the top-level fear, despair, and pains in an instant so as to pull their enemies¡¯ teeth off.


    On the platform, the black fog completely enveloped Xiao Chen only in moments. Even those people below the platform, who were on the edge of the black fog, were in such a condition; one could imagine what Xiao Chen¡¯s present situation was because he was in the spell¡¯s power center.


    Seeing no movements in the fog, Zuoqiu Yang laughed in a harsh voice. ¡°Sank into endless fear! Endless despair! Endless pains! Hahahahaha!¡±


    At this time, Elders from each sect helped their disciples steadied themselves. Once again, all of them looked up at the light curtain. Now, the whole platform was shrouded in the raging black fog. After a while, a figure slowly emerged from the fog.


    ¡°Fear? Despair? Pain? What can be more horrible than being imprisoned in the Ghostly Hall? What can be more desperate than being utterly isolated? What can be more painful than the feeling when I woke up from the long sleep and found that everyone I knew was gone?¡±


    After Xiao Chen trudged through the fog, his expression looked much gloomier, and even his tone became extremely mournful. Obviously, the Soul-petrifying Blood Spell had more or less affected him, but nevertheless, nothing now could make him feel more fearful, hopeless, and painful.


    Suddenly, the crowd erupted with cries of surprise. Even Su Yue, who was standing on the high platform, slightly changed her expression. ¡°Even I do not dare to underestimate the power of the Zuoqiu family¡¯s Soul-petrifying Blood Spell. But this young man, what on earth has happened to him? Is there nothing in the world that can make him more desperate and painful?¡±


    Actually, there was such a person and, she was Ling Yin. But Xiao Chen firmly believed that Ling Yin was still alive. So yes, there was nothing in the world that could make him feel more terrible.


    Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s face was full of disbelief. ¡°How was it possible? Why isn¡¯t there anything that can make you feel painful, desperate, and afraid? Once again, Soul-petrifying Blood Spell!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°You are one of the big families¡¯ disciples who have nothing to worry about. So how can you understand even a little of the pain and despair in this world?¡± After Xiao Chen finished, he raised his hand. At once, it seemed that a powerful unseen force strangled Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s neck and, his feet gradually left the platform. Then, he was constantly struggling in midair.


    ¡°Yang¡¯er!¡± In the audience, Zuoqiu Ping stood up in shock.


    Well, Li Muxue, who was sitting in the area where people from Jade Qing Sect were, her face darkened rapidly. ¡°How can others know even a little of the pain that he feels in this world?¡± Perhaps, only she knew that Xiao Chen usually looked free and easy, but most of the time, he was actually living on the brink of despair and pain.


    She suddenly remembered that day when they dealt with Patriarch Guanshan at the Jade Qing Sect together. When Xiao Chen learned some things that happened one thousand years ago from Patriarch Guanshan¡¯s mouth, he cried in front of so many people. One could imagine how close this man was to the emotional breakdown at that time.


    Above the Floating Platform, Zuoqiu Yang was nearly choked to death, his face flushing scarlet and his heart burning. Suddenly, his whole body trembled and, he even managed to break away from Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen also took two big steps back, but he did not be pushed back by Zuoqiu Yang. It was actually because he felt a sudden murderous intent at his back.


    The murderous intent was from Situ Bei, who was on the platform now. He was a Tier-Six Elixir Saint who had reached the Nirvana Realm, so the murderous intent made Xiao Chen felt a trace of fear.


    ¡°Soul-exterminating Blood Spell!¡±


    Suddenly, Zuoqiu Yang thundered again. Immediately after that, a huge bloody handprint fell from the sky and slapped Xiao Chen. It nearly covered half of the sky, violently roaring across. Under the impact of the force, even the houses and temples around the square fell to pieces.


    Strong winds together with flying grass and trees were all over the square. Many of those weak cultivators could not withstand this force, and blood came out of their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. Seeing such a scene, a dozen Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League pooled efforts to add a vital force to the great spirit energy formation, and they managed to stop the remaining force from coming at them.


    It was the Soul-exterminating Blood Spell, one of the three great spells of the Zuoqiu family. Compared with Soul-petrifying Blood Spell¡¯s strange power, the power of the Soul-exterminating Blood was strong and overbearing. It was not an unusual thing if an expectant Nascent Soul Realm cultivator slapped a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm to death by this spell.


    Everyone on the spot could see the bloody handprint getting closer and closer to the platform. It made the Floating Platform keep shaking, and broken stones were rolling down constantly from its edge. Under the impact of the power, those stones then turned into dust, flying all over the sky.


    With a few sky-shaking dragon roars at this time, three or four golden dragon shadows appeared, circling Xiao Chen. It was the fourth move of the Dragon Roar Palm from the Mystic Cyan Sect: Dragon Stealth. All the people there saw Xiao Chen¡¯s palms pushing upward again into the air. Then, two golden dragon shadows roared and shot up into the air with a tremendous momentum that seemingly could shake heaven and startled the earth.


    These two forces, both of which were particularly strong and overbearing, confronted each other in midair. In an instant, mountains fell, and the earth split. Clouds within a considerable distance were scattered into pieces while the grass and plants on the square had turned into flying ash. The strong wind instantly turned numerous people over and pushed them into the air. The forces also stirred up the qi and blood in the dozen Elders who were in charge of maintaining the formation, which made them nearly fainted and became ghastly pale.


    However, the whole Floating Platform was still shaking constantly. It seemed that the platform was going to fall and collapse. Well, if it fell from the sky to the ground, it would inevitably crash a lot of people to death. In this case, everyone was in no mood to watch the battle and cheer. One after another, they went to seek shelter. Seeing that the situation was not going well, each of the three senior Elders on the high platform sent a Mystic Power to the Floating Platform. Right after that, it stopped shaking and stabilized.


    Breathing heavily and constantly, Zuoqiu Yang just could not believe that Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation was now far higher than his. His face deathly pale; obviously, he had consumed too much True Energy. If it went on like this, Zuoqiu Yang might need to use his Natal True Energy. The so-called Natal True Energy was different from the True Energy, which cultivators got by cultivating. Once the Natal True Energy wore out, there was no way to make up for it.


    Xiao Chen took back his palms, and the several dragon shadows gradually disappeared. With his hands behind him, Xiao Chen gave Zuoqiu Yang a slight glance. ¡°Give up. I do not want to fight with you anymore. If you want to take revenge on me, come back ten years later.¡± Defeating someone whose cultivation level was lower than him, Xiao Chen did not feel proud of himself.


    However, Zuoqiu Yang gradually lifted his mouth corners into a light gloomy sneer. He chanted a spell, and then a beam of golden light flew out of him. It dashed into midair and was getting larger and larger. In the end, it miraculously transformed into an eight-story pagoda about 30 meters high.


    ¡°The Eight-treasure Haotian Tower!¡±


    The crowd suddenly cried out in surprise, and the faces of the Elders from each sect also changed. The Eight-treasure Haotian Tower was an ancient divine item that was accidentally obtained by Divine Mist Sect¡¯s Founding Master more than two thousand years ago. Being inherited till now, the tower had been regarded as Divine Mist Sect¡¯s most precious treasure. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan had already given this treasure to Zuoqiu Yang.


    Magic treasures were not banned in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. But if someone won because he used the magic treasure, it would bring no honor to him in the eyes of others. However, Zuoqiu Yang could rarely afford to care so much about his honor. He no longer wanted to see victory or defeat of the battle, nor did he wanted to win fairly. At this moment, he only wanted to kill Xiao Chen!


    As Zuoqiu Yang chanted the spell, the Eight-treasure Haotian Tower suddenly came to cover Xiao Chen. Everyone knew that if the Eight-treasure Haotian Tower swallowed Xiao Chen, he would be refined by the three kinds of true samadhis fire inside the tower, and even his soul could not escape. Thus, the coward exclaimed almost at the same time.


    Xiao Chen felt the horror of the tower, so he hurriedly jumped back to more than 30 meters away. However, controlling by Zuoqiu Yang, it seemed that the tower had become something alive such that it kept on chasing after him. Meanwhile, there were three kinds of true samadhis fire spurting out. In less than a moment, Xiao Chen was like a drowned rat. Many parts of his clothes were scorched.

 Chapter 312 - The Fuxi Zithers Invincible Might

    Everyone in the square stared at each other in shock because all of them knew perfectly well that no one could fight against the ancient divine item. ¡°Bravo!¡± The Ling Family members, Wan Gufeng, and others could not help shouting in their hearts. They thought, ¡°This time, Xiao Chen is dead!¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er stamped her feet anxiously. ¡°A hero never wins by the magic weapon! What a coward! Zuoqiu family members are all cowards!¡±


    Seeing that their master was at the moment of life and death, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, who were next to Murong Xian¡¯er, immediately turned into two rays of light after exchanging a look with each other. Then, the green light and the purple light rushed up to the Floating Platform. But just when they were in midair, two beams of golden light came at them out of the blue from east, followed by Situ Bei¡¯s cold voice. ¡°The two of them are in the middle of the battle. How can others meddle in it?¡±


    His Mystic Power hit the two sisters, and after spitting a mouthful of blood, they fell towards the earth at the same time. Swiftly, ten people on the ground caught them. In a hurry, Qingluan told them, ¡°Hurry up to rescue our master!¡±


    Regardless of their danger, the other ten people in ¡°Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon¡± rushed up to the Floating Platform one after another. At the eastern end of the high platform, Situ Bei snorted coldly and swung forth his palm. The earth-shaking palm strength that came from a Nirvana Realm expert was never something ordinary. It hit right at the ten people, and they fell one by one.


    On the Floating Platform, Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s face looked more and more twisted and hideous. He showed a reptilian grin. ¡°Go to die, Xiao Chen! This world has got me, Zuoqiu Yang. You should not have appeared after me! I am the best among the young generation of Violet Manor! Go to hell, Xiao Chen!¡±


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±


    At this time, someone suddenly chanted the name of Buddha in the square below the Floating Platform. It was Master Xuanji from Wuyin Monastery. With his left hand holding a Buddhist cane and his right palm on his chest, Master Xuanji chanted in a low voice, ¡°People in the world always pay all their greed attention to pursue everything that they desire. What¡¯s more, they take the lust of men as ideals and ambitions. Living long in the three realms, those common people feel as if they were living in burning houses. To everyone, life is suffering, so none of them can get true peace. Those people with desires will indeed suffer, and those people without will be happy. Exactly. Exactly.¡±


    Beside him, Xu Gu put his palms together devoutly and nodded after hearing all of this. ¡°I understood.¡±


    Again, on the Floating Platform, Zuoqiu Yang pressed on towards Xiao Chen step by step. Under the power of the Haotian Tower, Xiao Chen had no defense against it at all. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth. ¡°You have your magic treasure. Do you think that I do not have mine?¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen wielded the two strings of the Fuxi Zither taken from his Divine Vessel. Instantly, the two strings turned into a half-genuine and half-sham Fuxi Zither. Except for the C major string and the C sharp major string, the other parts of the Fuxi Zither were translucent.


    However, the zither¡¯s body was full of glistening radiance and complicated engravings. As Xiao Chen¡¯s fingers drew across the C sharp major string, the surroundings changed dramatically all of a sudden. With the overwhelming rays of the sunlight sweeping across, Xiao Chen looked as gorgeous as a god in a moment against the sunlight. At this time, other even dared not to look directly at him.


    An ancient divine power enveloped the entire Jade Terrace Mountain with overwhelming momentum. Everyone¡¯s expression changed. ¡°It is the Archean Eon divine zither!¡±


    The three elders on the high platform were also surprised. ¡°The strings of the Fuxi Zither! He has the strings of the Fuxi Zither!¡± Beyond that, it had never occurred to them that Xiao Chen could give such a great play to the divine power of the Fuxi Zither.


    ¡°Only two strings! I do not believe you can overturn your situation by that!¡± Blue veins standing out under the skin of his face, Zuoqiu Yang suddenly thundered and chanted the spell faster, and then, the Haotian Tower came at Xiao Chen quickly.


    ¡°Then, you can give it a shot!¡±


    At this moment, the Fuxi Zither had collected enough divine power. Not only the Floating Platform but also the whole Jade Terrace Mountain started to shake. Many houses and temples that had not been repaired for many years were collapsing. In a flash, smoke and dust spread all over the square. The crowd there clearly felt the coming danger and rushed to withdraw in advance.


    With the sound of the zither rang out, all the dust dispersed. Clouds within a radius of 50 kilometers were scattered. A beam of colorful divine light shot up from the Fuxi Zither and went to hit the Haotian Tower. Then, after a tremendous crash, a blazing light ball was rising up in the high sky, which made everyone unable to open their eyes.


    The entire Jade Terrace Mountain shook violently like the appearance of an earthquake. Then, there was a sea of fire high in the sky. In the fire, the Haotian Tower actually cracked, and countless broken pieces fell to the ground. Zuoqiu Yang could not believe the scene that was happening in front of him. The scene was like a nightmare to Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, and he was totally dumbfounded.


    There were three kinds of true samadhis fire in the Haotian Tower. Now, the true fire was falling, and it would instantly burn everything that touched it to cinders. The fire directly burned some of those cultivators who had no time to escape, and then there was rarely anything left of them.


    Seeing such a scene, more than a dozen Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League as well as Sect Leaders and other Elders from each sect, together they propped up a barrier to resist the three kinds of true samadhis fire that kept falling from the high sky. The crowd was quickly evacuated.


    In moments, the entire square was empty, lying in ruins. The raging fire kept burning, and the air was full of a burning smell. On the Floating Platform, Xiao Chen whose face turned ghastly pale now pulled the zither string once again, and this time, he targeted at Zuoqiu Yang.


    ¡°Since you want me to die, then I cannot let you live!¡±


    Xiao Chen exclaimed. After that, he suddenly loosened the strings, and a colorful light rushed toward the stupefied Zuoqiu Yang. He could not escape, nor could he block it. This moment, Zuoqiu Yang truly felt what it meant to die.


    Just then, a beam of white light flashed across, and Zuoqiu Yang disappeared instantly right on the spot. It turned out that Perfected Immortal Feng Lan got him out in the emergency.


    After he landed on the high platform, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan cast a glare at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and said in a cold voice, ¡°What a great disciple from your sect! How awesome he is!¡±


    But Perfected Immortal Qing Chen remained silent, twirling his mustache. Next to him, Perfected Immortal Tai Yi said with a smile, ¡°Your disciple also not bad. You know, he had the Eight-treasure Haotian Tower.¡±


    At this time, a senior Elder advised, ¡°Hey, you two brothers, stop arguing. All of us didn¡¯t expect this.¡±


    Situ Bei suddenly asked coldly, ¡°Is that person Xiao Chen?¡±


    Su Yue sneered. ¡°Senior Situ, it seems that you remember his name clearly this time, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Situ Bei replied coldly.


    Even at this time, many people below had hardly recovered from the shock. Though the battle just now was not an incomparable one in the contemporary era, it was an eye-opener. More importantly, the Archean Eon divine zither in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands shocked them deeply. ¡°Perhaps, even a Nirvana Realm cultivator cannot survive from the attack that Xiao Chen launched by the string just now.¡± They thought.


    Three days passed quickly. The entire Tianyuan City was buzzing with the news that Xiao Chen smashed the Eight-treasure Haotian Tower with the Archean Eon divine zither. After Zuoqiu Yang returned to the Divine Mist Sect, he closed himself in the door to practice austerities, swearing that he would never get out before he reached the Nirvana Realm.


    Originally, people from Jade Terrace Mountain planned to hold the first Summit Finals three days later. But because both the Floating Platform and the square were seriously damaged, it was postponed to seven days later.


    It was a day of brilliant sunshine, and the sky was cloudless. Murong Xian¡¯er pestered him for a tour to the city. So they called on Yu Yifeng and others, and they headed for the city at the foot of the mountain.


    In the early spring of February, many places on Jade Terrace Mountain still covered by snow, but Tianyuan City was already a radiant and enchanting spring scene. On both sides of the street, willows stretched their long branches while flowers were blooming. Pedestrian followed closely one after another, most of them were young men and women.


    The few of them walked along the lakeside. On the shore, the tender willows gently brushed their shoulders, and their reflections were swinging slightly in the water. In the distance, many people were boating in the lake with circles of ripples. Murong Xian¡¯er jumped up and down all the way, but the butterflies in the flowers were not scared. Instead, they flew around her.


    Looking at the landscape of lakes and mountains in the distance, Yu Yifeng could not help sighing. ¡°In people¡¯s haunt I build my cot; of wheel¡¯s and hoof¡¯s noise I hear not. Such an amazing scene seems too short for us, after all. What a pity.¡±


    Indeed, walking along the river, enjoying the cool under the willows, boating in the lake, these were the contents of mortals¡¯ lives. Mortals admired immortals, but they did not know that immortals also admired the quiet lives of mortals.


    Xiao Chen remembered the spread of the devils on Thousand Summits Mountain and the fact that he still could not find a clue of everything that happened thousands of years ago. As long as he thought of these things, he would frown anxiously even if the landscape at this moment looked quite pleasant.


    When the night screen began to hang down, the few people returned to the Jade Terrace Mountain. Today could be considered as the most comfortable day that Xiao Chen had spent recently. Three days more days passed. Now, it was the first Summit Finals. The rules were very simple. The six people who qualified for this round went up on the platform at the same time. In the end, the last one who was able to stay on the platform would be the winner and would be reward by the Immortals¡¯ League.


    On this day, the square was once again full of people. More seats for spectators were placed on both sides of the north and south. All those who could have seats there were from distinguished families. A dozen Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League also strengthened the Floating Platform and the formation because they would not allow the situation last time to happen again.


    Under the eyes of the public, One-dot Red from the Fallen Immortals Sect went on the Floating Platform first. Next, it was Yang Shaochen from the Yang family. Standing next to Su Yue, Su Zimu whispered, ¡°Aunt, I am going there.¡± After that, he tipped his toes lightly on the ground. Su Zimu strode in the air to the Floating Platform, his right hand holding a folding fan while his left hand at his back. Upon seeing the elegant figure of Su Zimu, countless girls below screamed with excitement.


    Xiao Chen patted Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s shoulder. Then, he nodded to Yu Yifeng and others and also flew to the Floating Platform.


    Finally, Xiaoyue slowly fell from the sky. With her dress dancing, she was like a fairy who came down to earth. Immediately, all the men presented greeted her with cheers.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er abstained, and so there were only five contestants in today¡¯s match for the championship. Although there were only five people, they were the tip-top strong ones from the younger generation in the whole world. Among them, who could win the match eventually? Could it be Su Zimu from the Su family, the largest family in the Middle Continent? Or could it be Xiaoyue, a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan? Besides them, it possibly could be Xiao Chen, a young man with a mysterious background who was rising to fame lately. Well, with 12 artificial Spiritual Meridians, One-dot Red might also win the match.


    Everyone discussed the possible result of the match animatedly. After this match, the rank on the Heaven List would change accordingly. All the people on the Jade Terrace Mountain were chatting in their highest spirits. At this point, a strange little voice came out from the bottom of the Demon Seal Tower in Wuyin Monastery, an ancient temple with a thousand years¡¯ history. ¡°A devil? An Inner Demon?¡±

 Chapter 313 - The Absolute Domain On the Floating Platform, piercingly cold winds

    On the Floating Platform, piercingly cold winds blew. With their clothes whistling, five people stood on each apex of a pentagon, the direction of which represented the five elements of the universe: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, respectively. Because of the special rules of this match, none of them dared to take the initiative to attack the others. With great caution, everyone was on guard against the two people on either side.


    A quarter had passed. By making use of this period, people could even finish a cup of tea. However, there was still no movement on the Floating Platform. Standing in the direction that represented gold, Su Zimu wore a gentle smile while shaking his folding fan. It looked like he was the most relaxed person.


    Xiaoyue stood in the direction that represented water, poker-faced. Staying in the direction of fire with both hands clasped behind his back, Xiao Chen seemed to have no intention to attack the others first. But it appeared that One-dot Red, who was in the wood direction, wanted to attack Xiao Chen first. But he was afraid that the other three people would take the chance to sneak up on him once he launched the attack.


    Yang Shaochen, who was in the direction of earth, already had cold sweat on his forehead. He appeared to be the most stressful person because his cultivation was the lowest among the five.


    Seeing that they stood still for quite a long time now, many in the crowd below started to whisper among themselves. On the high platform, the three senior Elders also frowned. For the first time, such a temporary stalemate occurred. All the previous top five contestants who had participated in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly had a small disparity in their strength. But this time, except for Yang Shaochen, whose cultivation was slightly lower than the others, the other four people hid their strength deep and well.


    Suddenly, Su Zimu smiled lightly. ¡°Brother Xiao, you have unfathomable cultivation. Why not show us your strength first?¡±


    Xiaoyue smiled and said, ¡°I agree. After all, Brother Xiao has higher cultivation than any of us.¡±


    Yang Shaochen echoed, ¡°What Brother Su and Fairy Xiaoyue said is reasonable. I have the lowest cultivation, so I dare not show myself before Brother Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen said lightly, ¡°If you want to do it, then go ahead.¡±


    As Xiao Chen¡¯s voice fell, a several-meters-long beam of purple light suddenly rose up and shot at him. It was the first attack launched by One-dot Red.


    After One-dot Red¡¯s attack, Su Zimu waved his folding fan. Then, 13 beams of golden Sword Qi descended from the sky. Meanwhile, Xiaoyue swept her Duster, and suddenly, several thousand rays of Sword Qi appeared. Aside, Yang Shaochen chanted a spell fast and summoned five or six chains of golden light out of thin air.


    All of a sudden, before the spectators could react, the wind rose and the clouds began to gather high in the formerly tranquil sky. After taking a closer look, they found that all of the four people chose to attack Xiao Chen first without a prior discussion.


    For all four of them knew that if they did not get rid of Xiao Chen first, not one of them would have much of a chance to win the match later. In the previous talk, they had hinted to each other that they should first join hands to cast off Xiao Chen before anything else.


    Xiao Chen gave a cold smile because he had already expected this. His two palms pushed forward and sent out two waves of earth-shattering power. The two waves of power roared past One-dot Red first. Hit by the power, One-dot Red could feel that his blood and Qi began to surge violently inside, and he was nearly knocked back into the air. Yang Shaochen had the lowest cultivation, so he dared not stand in sharp opposition to fight with Xiao Chen. Hence, he chose to stand in the distance and chant his family¡¯s special spell, Soul-trapping and Mind-locking, to disturb Xiao Chen¡¯s state of mind.


    Su Zimu shouted, ¡°Heavenly Thirteen Swords!¡± After that, all the 13 beams of Sword Qi cut right at Xiao Chen like a mighty army that no force could stop.


    ¡°Illusory Brilliance and Magical Moon!¡± Xiaoyue shouted in a sweet voice. Suddenly, countless crescent moons with purple radiance emerged in midair. They were like sharp curved blades. Then, she threw all of these moons at Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Heavenly True Fire ¡ª Three Thousand Ordeals!¡±


    ¡°Tao begets yin and yang, and then yin and yang beget all ¡ª Formless Great Tao!¡±


    ¡°Soul-trapping and Mind-locking Spell!¡±


    High in the sky, Sword Qi was surging violently, and the opponents¡¯ treasures were shining brilliantly. Upon seeing such a scene, Murong Xian¡¯er stamped her feet anxiously. ¡°How can they do this? How can all of them go against Brother Xiao Chen? They should not bully him like that! Don¡¯t take such a bully! It is nasty!¡±


    On the Floating Platform, Xiao Chen alone could not deal with the four of them at the same time. They besieged Xiao Chen, continuously launching various attacks to fight against him. Only seconds later, Xiao Chen¡¯s clothes were cut into pieces.


    Raising his eyebrows, Su Zimu smiled. ¡°Brother Xiao, watch out! Mystic Sky Northern Underworld Fan!¡± As soon as he finished, Su Zimu waved his folding fan. Then, countless wind blades covered the sky and came at Xiao Chen at an exceedingly fast speed.


    Xiaoyue smiled. ¡°Brother Xiao, you deserve to be called the best one in the East Continent. Then, take my ¡®Wind Flower Snow Moon¡¯!¡± She swept out with the Duster, then countless petals mixed in with snowflakes popped up. They looked beautiful. But in fact, they were dangerous.


    Facing the attacks coming from all directions, in addition to Yang Shaochen wielding the Soul-trapping chains aside, Xiao Chen was now unable to deal with the situation of incessant crises. Suddenly, he vehemently stamped his left foot on the ground and instantly kicked the piles of rubble into midair.


    ¡°Absolute Domain!¡±


    Along with the fading of the four words, the rubble all over the sky froze immediately in midair, and then a mysterious force spread out. First, it pinned down Su Zimu¡¯s Mystic Sky Northern Underworld Fan in the air. Shortly after that, One-dot Red¡¯s Purple Ying Sword stopped moving. Finally, even Xiaoyue¡¯s Duster Sword was motionless. Of course, Yang Shaochen¡¯s Soul-trapping Chains were out of action long ago.


    Now, the four of them were unable to move as if Xiao Chen had become the master of this small space at this moment.


    ¡°What?¡± The people below looked at each other with astonishment, and all their expressions changed. Right after that, there were bangs incessantly lingering on. The sounds came from the south and north sides of the spectators¡¯ area. It turned out that some people from prominent families had crushed the teacups in their hands because of the shock.


    A white-bearded old man was so excited that he stood up and exclaimed, ¡°Absolute Domain! It is the Absolute Domain! Has he reached the Nascent Soul Realm? Who is this young man?¡±


    ¡°He is Xiao Chen, who came here from the East Continent some time ago!¡±


    ¡°Amazing! Awesome! I reached the Nirvana Realm many years ago, but I cannot understand the mysteries of the Absolute Domain! This man has a very promising future!¡±


    Sounds of amazement rose continuously from the crowd. On the high platform, even the three Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League stood up in shock. At first, they thought that Xiao Chen defeated Zuoqiu Yang by using some mystic art a few days ago. But now, when they witnessed Xiao Chen trap the four people at the same time, they were absolutely sure that Xiao Chen used the Absolute Domain. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen had reached the Nascent Soul Realm for real. For a time, the three Elders could not help sighing with feeling.


    On the other side, the faces of all the people from the Ling family, the Zuoqiu family, the Order of the Divine Fire, and Wan Gufeng became extremely ugly in an instant.


    Meanwhile, among those people from the Jade Qing Sect, Murong Xian¡¯er cheered him on. ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, hurry up! Beat them up quickly!¡±


    On the Floating Platform, Xiao Chen said coldly, ¡°Have the four of you enjoyed yourselves to the fullest when you hit me just now?¡± As soon as he finished, he thundered. Without warning, a potent force spread out around him, and a massive cloud of dust arose. Then, the four people were shaken out into the air by this force.


    They were directly thrown to about 20 meters away. At this moment, Xiaoyue rolled up the Duster. Immediately, she landed on the Floating Platform and stood steadily. After drawing a few spells on his hands, Su Zimu also managed to come to a stop. However, Yang Shaochen was directly knocked off the Floating Platform. As for One-dot Red, he finally kept his feet when he retreated to the Floating Platform¡¯s edge.


    Su Zimu¡¯s heart sank all of a sudden because he had never expected that Xiao Chen had cultivated the Absolute Domain to this point. ¡°It seems that he is really my third aunt¡¯s son. He is a Xiao family member,¡± Su Zimu thought. Then, he smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Well, Brother Xiao¡¯s cultivation is amazing, which puts me to shame. I will compare notes with you if there is any chance some other day.¡±


    The implication was that he would still fight with Xiao Chen in the future. After he said that, Su Zimu closed the folding fan and cupped his fists at Xiao Chen. Then, he gently tapped his toes and floated down the Floating Platform. His figure still appeared so elegantly that it made many girls scream out.


    On the other side, One-dot Red was not willing to give up, but he was fully aware that he definitely was not a match for Xiao Chen at this time. So with a flick of his sleeve, he also left the Floating Platform.


    By himself, a man fought hard against the four top youths. Those spectators below continually cheered for Xiao Chen. After today, Xiao Chen would once again become famous throughout the Middle Continent. At this time on the Floating Platform, only Xiaoyue did not choose to leave.


    Xiao Chen turned around and looked at her and smiled lightly. ¡°What? Does Fairy Xiaoyue want to enlighten me with a few more moves?¡±


    Xiaoyue frowned a little but said nothing. It seemed that she was trying hard to weigh the pros and cons of each choice. ¡°If I draw forth the Autumn Water Sword, I may be able to defeat him today. But I¡¯m afraid that Xiao Chen is petty and will bear me ill will after I defeat him.¡±


    After a long time of consideration, Xiaoyue looked up. Her eyebrows moved as softly as water, which looked very charming. She chuckled and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, your cultivation is far above mine. I am not that talented, but I still would like to compete with you today.¡±


    As her voice fell, her words made a stir in half of the audience below. Xiao Chen had reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Xiaoyue, who always concealed her strength, was the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan with the Divine Weapon of the Archean Eon. Which one of them was stronger?


    For a time, they had a lively discussion. But as the audience¡¯s opinions varied on that point, no decision could be reached. At this moment, a strange old man wearing purple clothes and a mask appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°Hey! It is a battle between the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan and the cynical youth Xiao Chen. Which one will you steak your money on? Make a concrete decision! Hurry up to bet! The gambling begins!¡±


    On the high platform, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen immediately covered his forehead and passed a wisp of Divine Consciousness to that old man. ¡°Junior Brother, today so many people from noble and decent families are present. Can you stop messing around?¡±


    The old man was Zi Mo. Upon hearing the words, he smirked and sent back a piece of Divine Consciousness. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯m wearing a mask so that no one can recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Senior Xiaoyao Zi! I want to bet. I want to bet!¡±


    ¡°Senior Xiaoyao Zi, I want to bet!¡±


    ¡°Senior Xiaoyao Zi¡­¡±


    Countless people flocked to him.


    On the Floating Platform, Xiao Chen smiled lightly. ¡°Good.¡± At this moment, he did not want to think and speak too much because Xiaoyue was so much like Qianyu Nishang from before.


    ¡°Then, please show some mercy to me later on, Brother Xiao!¡± Xiaoyue stepped forward. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Autumn Water Sword flew out of its sheath. In an instant, the dazzling sword cast a thousand beams high in the sky and immediately caused the world to lose its colors. Within tens of thousands of meters around it, people could only see the brilliant sword.


    A surging ancient immortal force instantly enveloped the entire square. Compared to its performance when it dealt with Yu Yifeng last time, the ancient Autumn Water Sword¡¯s performance this time was much more shocking.


    Xiaoyue whispered a spell and then pointed at Xiao Chen with her two fingers. ¡°Autumn Water Sword! Go!¡±


    The Autumn Water Sword¡¯s body shivered. Immediately, it turned into a shooting star with a long light tail and dashed over to stab Xiao Chen. Everywhere it passed, broken stones splashed. Under the impact of the mighty ancient immortal force, the whole Floating Platform started to swing violently. The air was full of the sounds of wind whistling.


    Broken stones rolled down, and dust was all over the sky. The wind and sand blinded many people, but they still did not want to miss this incredible scene. They fixed their red eyes on the light curtain and just let their tears continue to stream down.


    Looking at the Autumn Water Sword, Xiao Chen suddenly felt a stab of pain in his heart. ¡°Will the Autumn Water Sword that I gave to Qianyu Nishang that year finally come to cut me this time?¡±


    However, when the Autumn Water Sword was about 30 cm away from his glabella, it suddenly stopped. The white radiance of the sword gradually faded away, revealing two lines of tiny characters on its end. They were the names that Xiao Chen and Qianyu Nishang engraved on the sword: Nishang, Yichen¡­


    Slowly, the Autumn Water Sword started to tremble. When the wind blew over the sword, the sword body rang lightly as if it were whimpering, and it refused to move even a little bit more forward to stab Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 314 - Uninvited Guests

    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Seeing that the Autumn Water Sword actually stopped right in front of Xiao Chen, almost everyone screamed out. Even those famous seniors and Elders in the audience immediately stood up in shock. ¡°The Autumn Water is a Divine Weapon of the Archean Eon. Xiao Chen could never stop it even when he was in the Absolute Domain. Besides, Xiao Chen did not move at all. So what has happened?¡±


    Xiaoyue was also greatly surprised. Hurriedly, she chanted faster and bellowed in a deep voice. ¡°Autumn Water Sword! Get out of the sheath! Go!¡±


    However, the Autumn Water Sword moved only 10 cm more forward, and it was reluctant to go any further to stab Xiao Chen. The sword body kept trembling. It seemed to make its utmost effort to resist Xiaoyue¡¯s order.


    Xiaoyue was so terrified that her face turned pale. All in a fluster, she was no longer the cold and elegant fairy from before. She muttered, ¡°What is going on? How can this be? How can this be? Autumn Water Sword! Go!¡±


    But the Autumn Water Sword stayed still. Xiao Chen was on the verge of tears. His eyes red, Xiao Chen asked in his heart, ¡°Autumn Water Sword, thousands of years have passed. Can you still recognize me¡­?¡±


    At this moment, all the history of his last life flashed across Xiao Chen¡¯s mind, and countless chaotic thoughts tied with each other in a hundred and one ways in his heart.


    However, as he saw the two lines of tiny characters at the end of the sword, the murderous killing intent was growing stronger in his heart. ¡°If it were not for the fact that Qianyu Nishang set me up, how could Weiyang die because of me? How could my master be doomed eternally because I did something against God¡¯s will¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah ¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and gave out a long whistle. The Autumn Water Sword¡¯s body trembled slightly. Then, it actually flipped itself over so that the sword handle was now in the hands of Xiao Chen.


    Below them, the people¡¯s faces changed color. Everyone knew that each Legendary Weapon had a life. These weapons would only recognize one master and would never fall into the hands of others easily, let alone that this was the Ancient Sword Autumn Water.


    Watching Xiao Chen grab the Immortal¡¯s Sword that came down to her from the ancestors, Xiaoyue, the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan, was not only panicked and at a loss about what to do, but also terrified by the sudden murderous killing intent that Xiao Chen displayed.


    Xiao Chen smiled coldly and shot two streaks of ice-cold light at her suddenly. Xiaoyue trembled all over as if electric shocks had struck her. As a result, she actually went back a few steps.


    ¡°Look at me. I will teach you how to use the Autumn Water Sword!¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen showed his compound sword tricks. Suddenly, on the Floating Platform, dazzling sword shadows were everywhere. Anywhere that the sword shadows moved past would faintly show the virtual images of winds, flowers, snowflakes, and moons. Everyone was so fascinated for a while. People said that sword techniques should be marvelous and full of subtlety, which could subdue the enemy in an invisible natural way. However, none of them had ever seen such fabulous swordsmanship before. There was not a trace of murderous aura, only endless water-like tenderness.


    In the audience, many girls looked at the man wielding the sword in the breeze, and they were absolutely fascinated. ¡°How can there be such tender swordsmanship in this world?¡±


    It was the Romance, a swordsmanship set created together by Xiao Chen and Qianyu Nishang. The swordsmanship of the Romance did not have any murderous aura, nor would it take people¡¯s lives. They often practiced it together.


    ¡°Brother Yichen, have you seen this move clearly? I thought of it first.¡±


    ¡°You cheeky little nipper, I launched this sword strike first. How could you bully your Junior Sister like that?¡±


    At this time, the look of Xiao Chen¡¯s Junior Sister appeared again in his mind. It was Qianyu Nishang, who would only show her charming and lovable side in front of him!


    Right now, the killing intent in his heart increased sharply. All at once, the unholy aura in his glabella flickered. Meanwhile, the white radiance of the Autumn Water Sword in his hand instantly became much brighter. Then, he suddenly thrust the sword into the sky, and it instantly penetrated through the layers of cloud there.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    As he roared like mad, the virtual images around him of the wind, flowers, snowflakes, and moons brought by the Romance were dispersed in a flash. Right after that, waving his sword wildly, Xiao Chen made more complex moves. In no time, the Sword Qi was surging on the Floating Platform. Then the tenderness there was all gone. Each sword move was full of murderous aura. Moreover, numerous streams of Sword Qi broke the huge spirit energy formation made together by a dozen Elders before and went straight to the square below.


    Countless disciples were frightened out of their wits. All they could hear were the never-ending sounds of rumble. The Sword Qi directly cut the five or six magnificent palaces into flying ash. These more than 10 Elders who were responsible for the huge spirit energy formation suddenly became panic-stricken.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Sword Qi is so strong that it broke through the barrier of the formation!¡±


    Just when the few of them were talking, Xiao Chen thrust his sword forward at random and happened to aim right at Situ Bei, who was at the eastern end of the high platform.


    The dozen-of-meters-long Sword Qi with white radiance instantly thrust through the barrier of the huge spirit energy formation and went directly to chop Situ Bei¡¯s head. At this point, the True Energy in Situ Bei shook, and he immediately raised his palm to block it. But even though he was a Nirvana Realm cultivator, the Sword Qi pushed him back a dozen steps, and then he finally managed to stand stably.


    Facing the troubling danger, a senior Elder uplifted his Qi and thundered, ¡°Xiao Chen! Stop!¡± While he was talking, he put his palms on the chair as if he were about to get on the Floating Platform to stop Xiao Chen. However, he feared that the Autumn Water Sword was too powerful for him to handle, so he dared not rush out rashly.


    The murderous intent suddenly possessed Xiao Chen. Swiftly, he lifted the sword and dashed over to stab Xiaoyue. He went at her in full fury. While he was dashing forward at tremendous speed, the Floating Platform under his feet began to sink down gradually.


    Xiaoyue instantly came to her senses. But before she could react, Xiao Chen had already rushed up to her. However, when the sword tip was about 10 cm away from her glabella, it stopped there.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes turned a little red, but finally, he calmed down. Holding her breath already, Xiaoyue knew that her life hung by a thin thread just now. In any case, she could not believe that Xiao Chen could realize the Autumn Water Sword¡¯s potential to such a degree.


    ¡°Can you tell me who exactly you are?¡±


    ¡°The only thing I can tell you is that this sword has had a deep relationship with me.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen suddenly went to rub the sword end together with his two fingers, putting all his Mystic Power together. Xiaoyue thought that he was going to destroy the sword so she shouted hastily, ¡°Give the sword back to me!¡±


    However, Xiao Chen was not trying to ruin the sword. He just wanted to erase the names of him and Qianyu Nishang. But they had succeeded in engraving their names only because they used mystic arts along with some wondrous items. That was the reason why they could leave their names on the sword body. However, how could Xiao Chen damage the Autumn Water Sword even a little at his present cultivation? Xiao Chen assumed that those names probably would never be erased.


    ¡°I do not want your sword.¡± Xiao Chen tossed the Autumn Water Sword to her and tapped the ground with his tiptoes. Then, he drifted down from the Floating Platform.


    When Xiaoyue took back the Immortal¡¯s Sword of her sect, she finally found a little peace. Quietly, she stared at the two lines of tiny characters at the end of the sword. After checking countless ancient books, she still could not translate what was written on it.


    Gradually, the wind rose. With Xiaoyue¡¯s black hair floating and clothes fluttering, she looked like a fairy again. Though she was the only one in the end who stayed on the Floating Platform, it was apparent that Xiao Chen had won the match. Xiao Chen won the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly championship.


    The cheers from the crowd suddenly rose up to the sky. Stroking their beards while nodding, all the well-known seniors and Elders from each sect spoke highly of him. Only Situ Bei, who was on the high platform, wore a hideous face. The sword strike from Xiao Chen pushed him back a dozen steps, which greatly humiliated him. However, the Autumn Water Sword tempted him.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    At the crowd¡¯s most exciting moment, a burst of laughter suddenly came from the west side of the sky. The sound came unexpectedly with profound hidden Mystic Power. Thus, the ears of many weak cultivators rang, and they seemed to see spots dancing in front of their eyes. In a flash, the crowd could not hear even a sound. One after another, each one of them raised his head and looked toward the west side of the sky.


    But watching the three black spots getting closer and closer as well as becoming larger and larger, they eventually saw them become two elders with white beards and a young man with black hair.


    There was a formation placed high up in the air over the whole Jade Terrace Mountain. Since the three people could break the formation and come inside, their cultivation had to be relatively high. A senior Elder on the high platform narrowed his eyes and asked in a clear loud voice, ¡°Who are these friends that pay a visit to Jade Terrace Mountain?¡±


    Taking a careful look at the three people, the crowd found that the young man was nearly two meters high and looked haughty with his both hands crossed before his chest. Next to him, the cyan-robed elder held a peach wood cane. A little gourd was tied to the cane¡¯s end with a red string, which made the elder looked very much like a celestial being.


    The other elder with a red robe was strongly built. He appeared bigger and taller than some mature men who practiced martial arts. This elder stood not that close to the other two people, so perhaps, he was not from the same family as the other two.


    The three people came from the sky and did not have any Devil Qi. Therefore, they were surely not people of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Besides, today was the day that people from the Orthodox Path gathered together. In this case, people on the spot supposed that no one from the Devils¡¯ sects would dare to come here even if he garnered all his courage. Thus, more or less, they relaxed their vigilance.


    A disciple from some sect gathered his Qi and shouted, ¡°Who are you? Do not you know that this is the Daoist League of the Five Continents? How did you dare to break in¡­?¡± However, before he could finish his words, the cyan-robed elder shot a ray of white radiance from his peach wood cane, which then sent the disciple flying backward through the air, spitting blood.


    ¡°At such a young age, how do you not know that you should show some respect to your elders?¡±

 Chapter 315 - The Mo family

    The cyan-robed elder sent that young man back through the air, and he happened to land in the Jade Qing Sect¡¯s area. Yu Yifeng went up to help the young man up. Then, he pushed some True Energy into the man¡¯s body to ease his injury.


    Xiao Chen threw a glance at the young man. ¡°Whenever someone disagrees, he or she will be beaten up and spit blood because of that. What would happen if it were me?¡± Previously, Xiao Chen might have given his vocal support. But now, he only felt too exhausted to take care of other things. He turned around and was about to leave, but a thunderous voice rang out behind him. ¡°Which one is Xiao Chen?¡±


    Xiao Chen just lifted his foot, but then he took it back. He turned around to look at the strongly built elder in the red robe and asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the elder holding the peach wood cane narrowed his eyes. ¡°At such a young age, how do you not know that you should show some respect to your elders?¡± After that, he shot a ray of white radiance from his peach wood cane once again like before.


    The ray of white radiance came at Xiao Chen at an exceedingly fast speed. Xiao Chen flicked his hand and changed the white radiance¡¯s direction. He said coldly, ¡°If you want to say something, say it. Do you enjoy attacking others? I am Xiao Chen!¡±


    Upon hearing Xiao Chen reproach, the disciples from each sect around them felt very happy in their hearts. When the elder was about to say something again, a cold voice suddenly came from the eastern end of the high platform. ¡°How should I call you, my three friends?¡±


    The Daoist League of the Five Continents maintained a special status. It was jointly formed by sects of the Orthodox Path from the Five Continents. Thus, unlike other individual sects, the Daoist League welcomed the people of the Orthodox Path from each continent. So even if the elder was rude, it was not okay for the Daoist League to directly drive the three of them away.


    The elder with the peach wood cane still wanted to make things difficult for Xiao Chen. But since someone had asked him a question, he had to give up on that. He looked up and smiled. ¡°I was here two months ago. Perhaps, the Chief cannot remember me now¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not the Chief. You can just go ahead and tell me who you are.¡± Obviously, the Elder in the red robe on the high platform became a little unhappy.


    When the three people in midair landed on the ground, the people around them immediately dispersed. With his peach wood cane pressing against the ground, the cyan-robed elder stopped smiling and said in a cold voice, ¡°Attention! I am Mo Tiannan from an ancient Heaven-exterminating family ¡ª the Mo family!¡±


    When this statement came out, everyone around him looked at each other, puzzled. Their Elders had mentioned the ancient Heaven-exterminating family to them. It was a family that existed several eras before and could be basically considered as an ancient legend. But where did this Mo family come from? They had never heard of it for hundreds of years.


    It seemed that Mo Tiannan was very dissatisfied with the reactions of those people around. ¡°Thump!¡± With a dull thud, he violently poked the ground with his peach wood cane and knocked all the people near him a few steps away. Some of them even staggered backward and fell to the ground.


    Finally, someone roared discontentedly, ¡°Hey! Old bastard! We show you some respect because you are our guest! However, again and again, you act wildly! How dare you look down upon the Immortals¡¯ League!¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that?¡± The haughty young man beside Mo Tiannan rebuked with a deep voice. After that, he pressed his fingers together and shot a finger force at the person who spoke just now. The finger force turned into a ray of golden light and went ferociously at that person. It was going to kill that person.


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± At this moment, someone in the near distance chanted Buddha¡¯s name slowly and shattered the finger force with ease.


    Those juniors did not know how to appreciate what was good. But some Elders of sects frowned already. ¡°It seems that there was a potent Mo family before, but it suddenly disappeared a thousand years ago. Can it be that Mo family?¡±


    ¡°But what is the relationship between this Mo family and the ancient Heaven-exterminating family? It was something that happened tens of thousands of years ago. Nowadays, even the Su family dares not call itself the Heaven-exterminating family. Therefore, how dare this Mo family claim to be a Heaven-exterminating family! It is the greatest outrage to all established values.¡±


    Just then, an odd sound came from the crowd. ¡°Hey! Then, there is a question. Great Senior Mo, you are from the Mo family, an ancient Heaven-exterminating family, but what are you doing here?¡±


    A strange old man wearing purple clothes and a mask slowly came out of the crowd. His words were full of sarcasm. Mo Tiannan understood that, so he bellowed in a deep voice. ¡°How dare you!¡± Then, Mo Tiannan sent his peach wood cane forward toward the old man¡¯s Tanzhong point.


    However, Zi Mo spotted the little gourd giving out rays of golden light, which was tied to the cane. It was obviously not an ordinary thing either. So he quickly strode over to it. His figure moved swiftly, and he went around to the side of the cane. After taking a close look at the gourd, he said with surprise, ¡°Gee? What is this thing? It looks like fun.¡±


    After he said that, he grabbed the wooden cane with both hands and passed a hidden force to the other end of it. Immediately, Mo Tiannan felt his arm go numb, and then his whole body felt as if he had gotten an electric shock. Quickly, Mo Tiannan released his wooden cane.


    Swiftly, Zi Mo untied the gourd with ease and threw the wooden cane back. Then, looking at the gourd in his hand, Zi Mo laughed. ¡°Although I do not know what it is, it looks very powerful. I might as well accept it.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mo Tiannan¡¯s face flushed bright red, but he was shocked. ¡°Who is this person? Apparently, his cultivation is almost the same as mine. But how could he take the peach wood cane from me so easily? Was it really because I stayed in the Mo family¡¯s mystic domain for too long and great changes have already taken place in the outside world? But previously, the Mo family was the great one among all the major families! No one dared to disobey its orders!¡±


    Before, the Mo family was indeed the tip-top family. Unfortunately, more than a thousand years ago, it provoked an Immortal King. Hence, half of the Mo family members were exiled to the Human World while the other half was sealed in the mystic domain. Beyond that, those family members in the Human World were not allowed to step in the Violet Manor. Only when a person who had the blood of the Mo family¡¯s emperor appeared could all of them be released from the inhibition. That person was Mo Yu.


    On the high platform above, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen said, ¡°Alas, Junior Brother. We are all from the Cultivators¡¯ sect. Do not break the peace. Hurry up to return it to him!¡±


    Zi Mo smirked. But unexpectedly, he threw the gourd to Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid, here you are!¡± After that, he slipped away quickly. Nobody could see where he went.


    Xiao Chen caught the gourd. But before he could react, he noticed that Mo Tiannan fired two rows of cold light from his eyes at him. So in a hurry, Xiao Chen threw the gourd away from him.


    Thus, the crowd tossed the gourd to each other as if it were a hot potato¡­


    Mo Tiannan¡¯s face was red with anger. He stretched out and recaptured the gourd. At this time, a cyan-robed elder on the high platform coughed. ¡°Well, Daoist friend Mo, can you tell us why you are here? In addition, my friend, please introduce yourself to us.¡± After he finished speaking, he looked at the strongly built Elder who had inquired about Xiao Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    With a thunderous manner, the strongly built Elder replied coldly, ¡°I am He Yingbiao, from the He family. Today I come here to ask for an item back from this kid! I hope that you do not intervene!¡± Then, he pointed at Xiao Chen.


    As soon as they heard him mention the He family, the crowd started to whisper among themselves. ¡°Hundreds of years ago, there was an Ancient Clan of Martial Arts that could make Immortals¡¯ sects tremble with fear upon hearing its name¡ªthe He family. Is he from that family?¡±


    Of course, juniors nowadays had never seen the fierce fight between Immortals and Martial Artists that very year. At that time, many people from cultivators¡¯ sects were so afraid of the He family that their faces would change colors even when they mentioned it. It had become a taboo of those members of the Immortal¡¯s Practice. In the end, the He family members began to take people¡¯s Spiritual Meridians in all places. Therefore, dozens of cultivators¡¯ sects joined hands and exterminated the He family, which then remained disappeared for hundreds of years. But now, it seemed that the He family was going to come back again.


    On the high platform, the Elder in the red robe said coldly, ¡°Oh? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve got bad eyes. You are actually a He family member.¡± The fight happened a few hundred years ago. Now, cultivators and martial artists had already reached an agreement¡ªthey were all of the Orthodox Path, so they should root out the Devil¡¯s Practice together; neither side could ever take the initiative to provoke a war between themselves. Even so, the Elder in the red robe still had an obvious grudge against the He family members.


    With a flick of his sleeve, He Yingbiao said, ¡°Since I dare to come to Jade Terrace Mountain alone, I am certainly not afraid of the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Today, I am not here to look for trouble. I only want this kid to give the He family¡¯s Blood Lotus Demon Blade back to me! Of course, I will stay out of the business between you and the Mo family!¡±


    Last year, Xiaoyue held an Immortal¡¯s Practice Assembly in the Widespread Wintriness Sect. The He family members came to bully others to establish their family¡¯s prestige. But as a result, Xiao Chen took the Blood Lotus Demon Blade away from them. It was not a secret. Most people in the crowd knew about this thing. Therefore, almost all the people here landed their eyes on Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen frowned slightly. Troublesome things came one after another. Now all of a sudden, he only felt upset. But it would be unreasonable if he were to refuse to return the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. However, this weapon had accompanied him for such a long time that he had got used to using it. Thus, how could Xiao Chen be willing to give it away? Moreover, the spirit in the blade had performed the Lord Acknowledgment Ritual with him.


    ¡°Then, little friend Xiao, please also return the Zuoqiu family¡¯s Spirit-annihilation Halberd.¡± At this time, a voice also sounded outside the crowd. It was Zuoqiu Ping, who was coming up to Xiao Chen. The person with him was Ling Yuanshan from the Ling family.


    ¡°Alas, how about returning our Ling family¡¯s Immortal-Binding Rope too, little friend Xiao?¡±


    On that day, Ling Yuxuan hunted Xiao Chen. Then, Xiao Chen took the Immortal-Binding Rope away and made it his magic treasure. But Xiao Chen had never used it. Therefore, it was no big deal if he gave it back to them. But why should he do that? It was his spoils! Xiao Chen thought in his mind, ¡°These people here are taking advantage of my misfortune to rob me. Do they think that I am a soft touch?¡±


    He Yingbiao cast a cold look at Xiao Chen. ¡°Xiao Chen, today, you have no choice but to give it back. I do not dare to attack you here, but I am willing to go to the uttermost ends of the earth to hunt you down once you leave this place!¡±


    He Yingbiao had already reached the Lv 5 Sixfold in martial arts, which meant that he could be even more horrible than cultivators in the Nirvana Realm¡¯s later period. He had an air of dignity when he said the few words just now. Only in a moment, Xiao Chen felt that his chest was extremely tight. Covered by such a powerful momentum, Xiao Chen found it a little hard to breathe.


    ¡°Whether you are from the Mo family or the He family, I don¡¯t care. Since I am here, I am afraid that it will not be easy for you to put the young hero Xiao into an awkward situation!¡±


    Suddenly, a sonorous and forceful voice sounded outside the crowd. Yang Tianfeng from the Yang family walked over there. Beside him were Yang Shaochen and Chu Hanyan. Yang Shaochen was continually hinting to Yang Tianfeng that he should not meddle in others¡¯ affairs. However, with a cold face, Yang Tianfeng motioned to him to stop acting like that.

 Chapter 316 - The Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit

    He Yingbiao looked at Yang Tianfeng who was approaching and said, ¡°Oh? Friend, how do I address you?¡±


    ¡°Yang Tianfeng of the Yang family, Chuan Province!¡±


    He Yingbiao was not like Mo Tiannan who knew nothing about the world. He naturally knew about this Yang family as it was also one of the top ten prestigious families of Violet Manor. Next to He Yingbiao, Ling Yuanshan and Zuoqiu Ping looked at each other. They thought to themselves that although the Yang family had a big influence, just Yang Tianfeng alone would not be able to do anything.


    Xiao Chen said, ¡°This is my own business. Senior Yang, you don¡¯t need to¡­¡± Yang Tianfeng stretched his hand out and looked coldly at He Yingbiao. He said, ¡°Young hero Xiao had once done me a favor, wouldn¡¯t it be shameful of me if today I just sat here and watch? After all, I have lived a few decades. How will I face the world in future!¡±


    Even if his cultivation was way below He Yingbiao, he spoke with dignity. Many people around him also secretly agreed with him. This Yang Tianfeng could be considered as a good man.


    He Yingbiao¡¯s heart sank. If it was in the past, he would have thought nothing of the Yang family. However, his vitality had been greatly diminished. It would not be wise to make more enemies. He said, ¡°Yang it is best if you stay out of the way since you don¡¯t know the ins and outs?¡±


    At this time, an androgynous voice was heard from outside of the crowd, ¡°The reason? Mainly because the juniors wanted to go out and establish their power which ended up throwing the helve after the hatchet. Now, they still have the pride to demand their weapon back. Shouldn¡¯t you retrieve your reputation first? Or do you not want your pride anymore? Hahaha¡­¡±


    The voice sounded odd like True Qi was used to press against the throat while making the sound. It was obvious that someone could not stand it anymore, but did not wish to invite troubles by exposing his identity.


    ¡°Who is that!¡± He Yingbiao bellowed. He glanced in the direction of the sound, but he could only see shadows.


    ¡°Say no more.¡± Xiao Chen took a step forward and sneered. He could only blame himself for not having a background in the Violet Manor, that he had no real protection.


    If he was a young master from a prestigious family like the Su family or the Yang family, would they dare to be so arrogant when asking for the weapon? They would be ready to pay a huge sum of money for the return, even if they were just asking for it back. It would not be by threatening him that they would chase him to the ends of the earth just to kill him.


    ¡°The blade is here. If you¡¯re able to take it, then go ahead.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen chanted an incantation and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade appeared. He put it on the ground and gravels flew out immediately. The blade was a few feet beneath the earth.


    Many people have come around as they wanted to see what the Legendary Weapon was that the He Family the heroes were trying to recover so hard. The blade was in blood red and was covered with strange patterns. The width of the blade was about a foot long, its length was at least 5 feet long, and its depth was about 2 feet half. It seemed to weigh about at least 100 or 150 kilograms. It would be a rare Legendary Weapon for the people who study martial arts. However, it is not suitable for those immortal cultivators who are better with sword riding. The sword itself would be too heavy for a normal cultivator to lift, not to mention swinging it at enemies.


    He Yingbiao¡¯s eyes beamed as he saw the Legendary Weapon of his family. Immediately, with two fingers together, he drew a few spells. He then incanted at the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, ¡°Immortal Slayer! Up!¡±


    However, the Blood Lotus Demon Blade remained still. He Yingbiao frowned and incanted again, ¡°Immortal Slayer! Come back!¡± But no matter what he did, he was unable to recover the blade with his internal strength.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°It is now called the Demon Slayer.¡±


    ¡°Demon Slayer?¡± He Yingbiao wrinkled his brows and incanted, ¡°Demon Slayer! Up!¡±


    Blood Lotus Demon Blade remained as still as ever. The crowd around him burst out laughing. He Yingbiao then realized that he had been played by this kid. What Demon Slayer! It was just this kid playing a trick. He bellowed, ¡°Kid, what did you do to the Blood Lotus Demon Blade!¡±


    Xiao Chen shrugged. With a what-can-you-with-me look on his face, he said, ¡°Nothing much. Just a drop of blood for the Lord acknowledgement ritual.¡±


    ¡°Lord acknowledgment ritual? You have performed the Lord acknowledgment ritual with the Blood Lotus Demon Blade?¡± He Yingbiao¡¯s body shook with anger and shouted, ¡°Kid! I am going to kill you!¡± He lifted his palm at Xiao Chen, ready to attack him.


    The attack would be so powerful that not even 10 Xiao Chen would be able to bear it. At this moment, a voice that came from the high platform said coldly, ¡°Try touching him.¡±


    Everyone looked over to where the sound came from and saw Su Yue, who sitting like an iceberg on the high platform. Her eyes were like two icy arrows passing through the crowd as they landed on He Yingbiao. He Yingbiao did not move, and his palm seemed to be frozen in the air. Su family was not as simple as the Yang family. It had been rumored that the House Master, Su Ying, had already entered the Grand Completion Realm. He was just a step away from being an immortal.


    At this moment, the people from the rest of the sect were confounded. It had been rumored that no one from the Su family could interact with anyone with Xiao as their surname. Why did this fourth daughter of Su family choose to protect someone with the surname Xiao in the eyes of the public? If the family knew about it, would she not be punished?


    Xiao Chen was stunned as well and turned to look at the high platform. Su Yue stood gracefully there, her hair lightly swayed under the breeze. Perhaps her cultivation was not as good as some of the seniors here, but her disposition was unmatchable by any. Could she have known of his identity?


    ¡°This is the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Have you thought clearly about killing someone here?¡±


    Su Yue once again spoke coldly, and everyone was relieved. It was because of this reason, if not how would one from the Su family possibly be protecting a person with the surname Xiao?


    He Yingbiao slowly put down his palm and thought, ¡°Now the Blood Lotus Demon Blade has already acknowledged this kid as its Lord. Unless he kills the boy, it is impossible to retrieve the blade today to let the blade spirit acknowledge its Lord once more. This matter can only be planned again.¡±


    ¡°I have given you the blade. It¡¯s you who didn¡¯t want it. I will take it back then.¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned and kept the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. He looked back and forth between Zuoqiu Yang and Ling Yuanshan. ¡°So do you still want it?¡±


    Zuoqiu Ping thought, ¡°The Spirit-annihilation Halberd had probably acknowledged him as its lord as well and it would be difficult to retrieve it today. Why bother losing our reputation?¡± As for Ling Yuanshan, he thought, ¡°My cultivation is not as good as this kid. I can¡¯t possibly threaten and intimidate him like He Yingbiao.¡±


    ¡°I will take my leave then. Leopard Cat Spirit and Xian¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Xiao Chen turned and took a few steps, a voice spoke coldly behind him, ¡°Wait, who said you can leave?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned back and looked. The person who spoke was the young man next to Mo Tiannan. He smiled and said, ¡°Why? I don¡¯t remember anything from the Mo Clan had been left with me.¡±


    The young man said coldly, ¡°Well, it is not that. But I think you should remember someone named Mo Yu.¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled. Mo Yu? The Mo Yu who had competed with him for the quota in Violet Manor in the Three Pure Sect in the past must have been from this Mo Clan. Next to him, Chu Hanyan and Yang Shaochen looked at each other. Yang Shaochen shook his head gently, indicating that they should not talk more.


    ¡°Wen¡¯er!¡± Mo Tiannan suddenly shouted.


    People from Violet Manor had always looked down at people from the Human World. This Mo Tiannan naturally did not want his family¡¯s affairs to be known to the world, so he promptly stopped Mo Wen.


    Xiao Chen observed their body language and naturally took a few pointers. He said faintly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Spill. What do you want?¡±


    Mo Wen¡¯s stare turned ice-cold as he said, ¡°I heard that you are the top youth in Violet Manor and had already entered the Nascent Soul Realm. I would d-e-f-n-i-t-e-l-y love to seek some advice from you.¡±


    The crowd around was dumbfounded by those words. This normal-looking young man who had already entered the Nascent Soul Realm?


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°I have never said that I am the top youth of Violet Manor. If you like it, you can take it with this title. Save that trouble of having a duel.¡± Then he turned and walked away.


    ¡°Stop right there! Did I say you can go¡­¡± Mo Wen said with a gloomy face. If it was in the past, who would have dared to talk to his Mo clan this way?


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t turn around. He just tilted his head a little and said, ¡°If everyone wants to duel me to establish themselves, then I might as well don¡¯t cultivate. I should just run an arena. One comes today and a pair comes tomorrow. For someone like you, I¡¯m afraid it will be a never-ending duel for me?¡±


    After he was done, Xiao Chen continued to his steps towards the place afar. Zhiluan turned and flapped his wings and said, ¡°That¡¯s it, meow!¡± Then he followed after Xiao Chen.


    Suddenly, the crowd screamed. It was Mo Wen who lifted his palm and rushed to Xiao Chen. Many people were pushed away by this sudden wind. Zhiluan cried, ¡°What the meowing heck! Kiddo! He¡¯s coming for you!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around as he flipped his sleeve. Then, two ice dragons that seemed both real and fake at the same time roared as they emerged. The temperature in the square suddenly dropped. The air was instantly condensed with a layer of ice crystals, even the plants nearby were frosted. Everyone was shivering in the cold even when they had their True Energy to keep warm. At this moment, it seemed that they were about to be frozen completely.


    As the two ice dragons breathed, the ground was immediately formed with a layer of frost ice spreading towards Mo Wen. It took just a moment the entire area within a hundred feet radius was completely covered by ice. Mo Wen was frozen into an ice sculpture in an instant.


    ¡°What! What is this martial art!¡± Many people in the distance looked at the two ice dragons in midair and cried. The elders of each sect were also surprised. To be able to freeze an opponent of similar strength, this is no usual ice magic spell!


    This was the fifth move of the 9-Dragon Roar from the Mystic Cyan Sect¡ªThe Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit.

 Chapter 317 - Xiaoyues Cry for Help

    Xiao Chen took back his palm strength, and the ice dragon in the air gradually dispersed. Although the 9-Dragon Roar was the starter palm style of the Mystic Cyan Sect, it had amazing power. Its power would get stronger one move after another. Even Xiao Chen in the past could only learn up to the fifth move¡ªThe Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit.


    As for the eighth-style, The Dragon Spirit of The World, rumors had said it could summon real ancient dragon spirit. The ninth-style, The Nine Dragons in Heaven, could bind heaven and earth. Not even Qingxuan Perfected Immortal who led the Mystic Cyan Sect to the summit could grasp these last two styles.


    The crowd was still shocked. Mo Tiannan quickly stepped forward and shattered the three-foot-thick ice on Mo Wen with a palm. Mo Wen burst out of the ice, shuddering non-stop. He squeezed his fist very tightly until his bones crackled as he looked at Xiao Chen, who had walked farther and farther away.


    Back at their little yard, Xiao Chen could finally relax. Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly was now over, so he could finally deal with the matter at Burg of the Feral Phoenix next, right?


    At dusk, Qingluan suddenly came in from the outside and said, ¡°Lord, Xiaoyue is here.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Soon after, Xiaoyue came in. Xiao Chen asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He thought, ¡°Is this about what happened the last time? Does she want to work with me against the Corpse Refinery Sect?¡±


    ¡°I want to ask you for a favor,¡± Xiaoyue said bluntly.


    Xiao Chen thought that he had made a wrong guess. He looked at the sunset glow and said, ¡°Spill, but I might not help.¡±


    . Xiaoyue swept out her Duster lightly, and a sound Barrier formed. She looked at him and said, ¡°I want to ask you to help me borrow something from the Immortals¡¯ League.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to borrow it for you? Can¡¯t you borrow it on your own?¡±


    ¡°I tried but was rejected.¡±


    ¡°If even a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan like you was rejected, what makes you think that I will be able to borrow it?¡±


    ¡°No, now the Immortals¡¯ League thinks very highly of you.¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°Tell me, what do you want to borrow?¡±


    ¡°The Earth Spiritual Meridian of Tianyuan City.¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled. Xiaoyue had been eyeing this Earth Spiritual Meridian of Wuwang Wind Cloud City the last time in the East Continent. But for what? He said, ¡°If Fairy Xiaoyue doesn¡¯t make it clear, I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Then, Xiaoyue kept silent for a long time before she continued and said, ¡°Can Brother Xiao guarantee that you will not mention this to anyone?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at a cloud in the sky, but did not speak. Xiaoyue sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide this from Brother Xiao. Thousands of years ago, the founder of my Thousand Feathers Sect had come in union with the Immortal King of the world to seal a person who had been dead for many years.¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled. Sure enough, his memory was real regarding what he had seen in the illusory land the last time he went to Wuwang City. Qianyu Nishang had indeed sealed a man, and it was a dead man. Who could make her so fearful! To even seal a dead man!


    ¡°Although this man is dead, his soul is scattered, but his devil body is not destroyed. For thousands of years, my Thousand Feathers Sect had been the support for the seal formation. However, there is little spirit energy left. If this person is resurrected, the human world will no longer be peaceful.¡±


    Xiao Chen laughed. ¡°What a reason, ain¡¯t it just for the sake of Qianyu Nishang?¡± Qianyu Nishang had brought him such misery in the past, and they expected him to help their descendants?


    ¡°Why should I help you?¡±


    Xiaoyue took a deep breath and said, ¡°If it is for the world? Is Brother Xiao still not willing?¡±


    Xiao Chen once again looked up and laughed, but his laughter was gradually filled with bitterness. ¡°For the world? When I had the heart for the world, they said that I was a devil. For world peace, hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you please help me once¡­¡± Xiaoyue¡¯s voice gradually lowered.


    Xiao Chen turned and looked at her with a playful look, and suddenly made an unexpected move¡ªhis right hand reached out and pinched her spotless chin.


    Xiaoyue swept with her Duster and smacked his hand quickly. As she leaped back, she said, ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Xiao Chen laughed and flicked his sleeve and said, ¡°Well! I will help you! Just for the world! As to whether or not the Immortals¡¯ League will agree, that will be none of my business. Now, lead the way!¡±


    Xiaoyue still felt a little scared and disgusted by his sudden and rude behavior. This was far removed from the impression she had of Xiao Chen. In her previous impression of Xiao Chen, he was a narrow-minded and inelegant person who was always going against her. However, he was never this bawdy to take advantage of others¡¯ difficulties. It was as if he was a hooligan.


    She said coldly, ¡°The Elders are in the Pure Harmony Hall, follow me.¡± Then she turned and led the way.


    30 minutes later, the two arrived at a solemn hall. Three words were vertically written on a red tablet ¡°Pure Harmony Hall¡±. The door of the hall was shut tightly and two Immortals¡¯ League disciples were guarding below. As they saw the two approaching, one of them immediately stepped forward to stop them. He said, ¡°The Elders are having a meeting, no one is allowed to be near!¡±


    ¡°If so, I will leave,¡± Xiao Chen arched his hand and turned to leave. Xiaoyue immediately pulled his sleeves and frowned. At this time, an Elder¡¯s voice was heard inside the hall. ¡°If Xiao needs something, then please come in.¡±


    After that, one of the disciples went to open the door, and the other person made a gesture of invitation. ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, please.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Xiaoyue and said, ¡°You wait here.¡± Then he walked into the hall and the doors of the hall were closed again. The hall was brightly lit. The green-robed elder, First Elder of Immortals¡¯ League, who inquired Xiao Chen about the mystic domain, was sitting right in front of the hall. The rest of the Elders were sitting beneath him. Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, Fengxi Perfected Immortal, and the other Sect Leaders were there as well.


    Xiao Chen bowed and said, ¡°Junior Xiao Chen, here to see the seniors.¡±


    The First Elder nodded and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be overly polite, what are you doing here?¡±


    Then, Xiao Chen simply told them that Xiaoyue would like to borrow the Spiritual Meridian. Before he could finish speaking, the Elders started to frown. The First Elder said, ¡°The Spiritual Meridian of Tianyuan City is not only related to the safety of Tianyuan City. It¡¯s more about¡­¡±


    A red-robed elder beneath him coughed suddenly, indicating that he should not continue. The First Elder stretched out his hand and smiled. ¡°It is okay, Xiao is not an outsider. I will briefly explain it to you. I think you should know about the Valley of God and Devil. The Valley of God and Devil is a pathway between the human and the devil realm, and it needs the power of the Spiritual Meridian to stay sealed. This is why I frequently hold the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. The purpose of it is to accumulate more spirit energy to replenish the power that the Spiritual Meridian consumed each year¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. He had felt that the spirit energy of many had been drawn to somewhere when he returned to Tianyuan City not too long ago. At that time, he felt strange about it. He thought that the Immortals¡¯ League was doing something shady, just like Mu Luo of Wuwang City.


    ¡°So you should also understand that no mistake can happen with the Spiritual Meridian. But this time, as long as it is determined that it is all good over at Thousand Summits Mountain, then it is also possible that we condense some of the power of the Spiritual Meridian for the Thousand Feathers Sect,¡± the First Elder explained patiently.


    After listening, Xiao Chen bowed and said, ¡°Well, then I will take my leave.¡± He turned and left. However after just taking a few steps, he heard someone yell from behind, ¡°Xiao, please wait.¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and said respectfully, ¡°Elder, is there anything else?¡±


    The Elder looked at the people as he held his beard and said, ¡°You were the first to find the devil valley in Burg of the Feral Phoenix, so I would like you to take some people over to investigate. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned. If the Elders wanted him to lead the investigation, it meant that they had their hands full and they could not leave. However, he had a lot of matters to attend to. He had to go back to the Human World to visit his father and his friends. He also had to place the defense formation for the Three Pure Sect.


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re not willing to do it?¡± The Elder in the red robe on the left side of the hall spoke coldly. This was something that one would plead to do in order to establish his reputation in the world.


    Xiao Chen remembered that there was a saying in the Human World: ¡°The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone¡±. He also remembered his master¡¯s teaching about setting the world¡¯s well-being as the priority. Since this concerned the well-being of the world, how could he only care about himself? Most importantly, there was something unusual about the devil valley. Maybe it had something to do with what happened a few thousand years ago or maybe it had something to do with himself¡­ He bowed and said, ¡°I will follow your orders as you wish.¡±


    The First Elder combed his beard and smiled; his eyes full of approbation. ¡°That¡¯s very good.¡±


    ¡°I will take my leave then.¡± Xiao Chen went outside the hall. Xiaoyue could not wait to go forward and ask, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? They said that as long as the problem in the devil valley at Thousand Summits Mountain is not big, they can lend you some of the power of the Spiritual Meridian.¡±


    Xiaoyue sighed. ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡±


    After the two went away, the First Elder in the hall held his beard and said, ¡°This boy has a good character.¡± Then he looked at the red-robed elder and smiled bitterly. ¡°Junior Brother, from now on, you should stop being so affected by what had happened previously.¡±


    The elder in the red robe sneered and did not answer. Someone beside him frowned and said, ¡°Senior Brother, this is a huge matter, is it really necessary to let some junior lead the investigation?¡±


    The First Elder sighed and said, ¡°What else should we do? Can we leave at this time? The Devils¡¯ sects are waiting to pounce on us, so if we leave at this time, I am afraid¡­ Aye!¡± Then he sighed again and said, ¡°The Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League had not returned since the investigation of the Demonic Flowers, there is still not a single piece of news about him now. If it is not because of this, we wouldn¡¯t be so passive.¡±


    After the rest in the hall heard what the First Elder had said, they could not help sighing. One of them said, ¡°So, the seal of the Valley of God and Devil has loosened, is it because there is a problem in that place?¡±


    The First Elder shook his hands and said, ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t be. If there is a problem there, then the connector of the Heaven Realm, Deep Hatred Sky; the connector of the Ghost Realm, Nieqing Hai; and the connector of the Western Heavens, Puti Shan, would be having problems as well. However, the problem only occurred in the Valley of God and Devil. I think we will have to wait for Xiao Chen¡¯s return from the investigation before we can judge it.¡±


    After that, the First Elder looked at Qing Chen Perfected Immortal and the rest and said apologetically, ¡°Qing Chen, Fengxi, Tai Yi, recently the Devils¡¯ sects are waiting to act. I will have to trouble you to stay a few days longer.¡±


    Taiyi Perfected Immortal smiled and said, ¡°Guyang, you¡¯re too courteous. It is our duty as cultivators to care for the well-being of the world.¡±

 Chapter 318 - The Third String

    On a winding path 1.5 kilometers away from the Pure Harmony Hal, plum trees blossomed and snow accumulated under the trees. Xiao Chen waddled as he whistled and carried a withered branch over his shoulder.


    Xiaoyue followed behind and looked up at him from time to time. Each time with a little revulsion. She wondered why Xiao Chen did not possess an immortal temperament even though he was already in the Nascent Soul Realm. Instead, he looked like a hooligan in a marketplace. She whispered, ¡°Hey¡­ Xiao Chen, no matter what, I¡¯m still very grateful to you.¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped suddenly. He stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to be grateful to me. I only hope that you do not think of killing me if I was stuck in the illusory land again.¡±


    Xiaoyue startled, she said hurriedly, ¡°Brother Xiao! It was a misunderstanding! That day I was just¡­¡± But before she could finish speaking, Xiao Chen had already left with Immortal-override Steps.


    In a flash, Xiao Chen was already several kilometers away. The cold wind blew against his face as he watched the sun slowly set into the mountains. He took a deep breath and wondered why he had helped Xiaoyue, why he did not kill her on the stage today, and why he did not take away the Autumn Water Sword.


    ¡°Qianyu Nishang, I will kill you with my own hands one day¡­¡±


    He squeezed his fist hard till the bones crackled. Suddenly, he felt a faint Devil Qi. He looked in the direction, only to see a man in a black cloak going down the hill.


    ¡°Who is that!¡±


    As he shouted, Xiao Chen soon began to chase after the figure with the Immortal-override Steps. But no matter how fast he went, the cloaked man in front kept a distance with him and did not seem to have increased his speed.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    Xiao Chen yelled and hit out two strokes of the Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit. In an instant, everything around was frozen. However, the palm strength could not even get close to the person¡¯s back.


    Within seconds, the person in front had disappeared into the twilight, as if it was a ghost, and no matter how fast Xiao Chen went, he could not catch up.


    He stopped and wondered who this devil being was to be able to sneak up the Jade Terrace Mountain with so many Orthodox Path people around today. As he wondered, he made his way to the yard.


    ¡­


    Back to 30 minutes ago, somewhere in a dense forest, two people were pacing back and forth. It was Ling Yuanshan of the Ling Family and Wan Gufeng of the Order of the Divine Fire.


    ¡°What do we do? Now that the kid has the strength of the Nascent Soul Realm, it is not so easy to kill him anymore.¡±


    The two people looked very troubled. They did not expect Xiao Chen to reach the Nascent Soul Realm in such a short time in any case, and they felt incredibly uneasy about it.


    In their minds, the reason Xiao Chen had not yet to attack them was that he did not have that strength. Once he was strong enough, they would be in danger.


    Therefore, they could not allow Xiao Chen to grow any stronger and he must be killed as soon as possible! This was not just hatred anymore, and they were feeling threatened by his existence.


    ¡°To kill one person, why do you have to do it yourself¡­¡± At this moment, an eerie voice suddenly appeared from a distance.


    ¡°Who is that!¡± Wan Gufeng quickly looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a man in black cloak slowly approached. The man¡¯s feet were right above the ground as if he was a ghost; under the cloak was a black mist, and his appearance could not be seen.


    ¡°Who are you!¡± Ling Yuanshan shouted, and was immediately alarmed. With their level of cultivation, they still failed to notice that someone was nearby.


    The cloaked man smiled ghastly and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What¡¯s important is that I can help you to exterminate the person you want to remove¡­¡±


    Wan Gufeng and Ling Yuanshan looked at each other and knew that the person he had mentioned was Xiao Chen. Ling Yuanshan said coldly, ¡°Just be straightforward.¡±


    The cloaked man smiled grimly and said, ¡°That man¡¯s Inner Demon has been born, so just make him unleash his devil. Do you think by then you have to kill him with your own hands in this Tianyuan City?¡±


    Wan Gufeng squinted and said, ¡°Of course we know that but how to make his devil unleash? If you have something, just say it!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, haven¡¯t you been digging on his identity? Let me tell you, he is the disciple of the Three Pure Sect in the Lingtai Mountain located in Serene Province of the Human World¡­¡±


    The two looked at each other and Ling Yuanshan said, ¡°How do we trust you? Who knows if you¡¯re trying to get rid of what Three Pure Sect through us?¡±


    The cloaked man smiled grimly and said, ¡°Believe it or not, I have already passed you the message. I will remind both of you that there is a very powerful devil sealing formation near Lingtai Mountain. If you had been infected with the devil Qi, then I suggest that you don¡¯t get close¡­¡±


    Wan Gufeng said coldly, ¡°We are of the Orthodox Path, how would we be infected with the devil Qi!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, Orthodox Path¡­¡± laughed eerily the cloaked man as he slowly drifted away.


    After a while, Ling Yuanshan looked at Wan Gufeng and said, ¡°Are we going to do what he said? If we were to be found out by the Immortals¡¯ League, we will no longer have a foot in the Orthodox Path. Besides, if we do something to that boy¡¯s sect before he dies, I¡¯m afraid we will have endless troubles.¡±


    Wan Gufeng pondered for a long time, said, ¡°I have an idea; let¡¯s go and see¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen hastily made his way back to the courtyard and saw that Murong Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan were playing in the flower garden. He was then a little relieved and asked, ¡°Was anyone here just now?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er stomped with her hands on her hips as she saw his return, and snorted, ¡°I saw!¡±


    ¡°You saw? A man in a black cloak was here?!¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately used his Divine Sense to search the various corners of the courtyard. Murong Xian¡¯er tilted her head and snorted, ¡°I saw you hitting on Fairy Xiaoyue! I¡¯m going to tell it to Sister Muxue!¡±


    ¡°What, what?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned. Then he forced a smile and said, ¡°Who taught you these words?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er whispered a few words at the ear of Zhiluan, and chuckled. ¡°Sister Yan told me that that action is called ¡®hitting on¡¯!¡±


    Xiao Chen held his forehead. What kind of nonsense did Shangguan Yan teach her in the Human World previously¡­?


    ¡°But Xian¡¯er thinks that Fairy Xiaoyue is not a bad person, and she¡¯s so pretty. Why does Brother Xiao Chen dislike her so much?¡± Murong Xian¡¯er walked towards him as she spoke.


    Xiao Chen frowned and said sternly, ¡°Xian¡¯er, you should not go too close to this person in the future, and don¡¯t even talk to her.¡± Then he looked at Zhiluan and said, ¡°You too, Leopard Cat Spirit.¡±


    Zhiluan folded its two paws in front of its chest and said carelessly, ¡°I know. There¡¯s no need for you to say it.¡±


    Two days had passed. In the past two days, many sects had come to pay their visit and to congratulate. Xiao Chen was very busy, but it would be rude to shut people out. Xiao Chen had suddenly become famous because he had ranked 8th in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. Many reporters had put his name in the magazine.


    Xiaoyue was promoted to the 9th from the 10th, Su Zimu dropped from the 8th to the 10th, and the original 9th Zuoqiu Yang was pushed out of the Heaven List. The rest of the rankings remained unchanged. Yu Yifeng was still 11th, many continued to call him Eleven Yu.


    It was a sunny and breezy day, the snow on the Jade Terrace Mountain had gradually melted. It was the day of the award ceremony. As compared to the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly on the previous two days, there were a lot lesser people in the square today. The people of Fallen Immortals Sect had left as well. Although One-dot Red made it into the strongest five, which could also receive generous rewards, they disdained.


    Many famous prestigious families continued to watch the ceremony in the square. After the speech by the 2 elders who were giving out the awards, the top 20 contestants entered the stage respectively to receive their awards. Most of them were either Spirit Stone or common magic treasure Immortal¡¯s Sword.


    Murong Xian¡¯er seemed very excited. ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, your reward must be the best!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled, although it said that he was on behalf of Jade Qing Sect, his heart was for the Mystic Cyan Sect. Finally, it was his turn to receive the award. An elder took a Jade Zither from a disciple at the back. The zither was full of brilliance, except for a missing a D sharp major string, the rest of it was translucent.


    ¡°It¡¯s another Archean Eon divine zither!¡± Many people exclaimed. They had seen Xiao Chen destroying Divine Mist Sect¡¯s Eight-treasure Haotian Tower with a divine zither before.


    Xiao Chen also suddenly stood up from the chair. He doubted, how could Fuxi Zither¡¯s D sharp major string be in the Immortals¡¯ League? Last year, he once heard from a soul of Rogue Immortal under a cold pond that the two Civil and Martial chords of Fuxi Zither were transformed from Yinglong and Qiongtian. Then this D sharp major string shall be the Archean Eon evil dragon, Qiongtian.


    Thousands of years ago, the Fuxi Zither split, and the seven strings were separated from the body. They scattered everywhere. Where did the Immortals¡¯ League get this string?

 Chapter 319 - Disasters Everywhere

    Chapter 319 Disasters Everywhere¡°Brother Xiao Chen! It¡¯s your turn to receive the prize!¡±


    Awaken, Xiao Chen walked to the stage. He first bowed to the awarding elders and then asked, ¡°Where did Immortals¡¯ League find this zither?¡±


    The elder smiled and said, ¡°It was found by a Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League several years ago. Unfortunately, no one has been able to play it. The last time young hero Xiao was able to play this divine zither, it must have been that you¡¯re fated to it.¡±


    Xiao Chen silently took over Jade Zither and stoke the D sharp major with a finger. Immediately, rays of light covered the area and the surrounding vital force surged, even the podium was shaken. The two elders quickly said, ¡°Young hero Xiao, stop!¡±


    Xiao Chen then realized what he was doing, and gradually released the string and put the zither into the Divine Vessel. He once again bowed at the two elders and said, ¡°I have to thank the Immortals¡¯ League, for this zither is extremely important to me.¡±


    The reason why he wanted the Fuxi Zither back was not only to slow down the speed of the Evernight Soul power dispersing. It was mainly because Fuxi Zither would be his last card when he ever encountered Qianyu Nishang in the future.


    An elder stroked his beard and smiled, saying, ¡°Young hero Xiao doesn¡¯t have to be courteous, and this is what you deserve.¡± Several elders on the high platform also looked at each other and thought, ¡°This boy is an unusual being and the only person able to play the Fuxi divine zither.¡±


    Xiao Chen was about to turn around when another elder called out, ¡°Wait, there is one more thing.¡± Then he handed him a moldy book and said, ¡°This is a practice that was passed down from ancient times. ¡°¡±


    The crowd below all revealed the envious eyes when they heard it was a book of an ancient cultivation method. The Fuxi Zither was dispensable to them, but an ancient cultivation method was hard to come by. Since the last Cultivation Era, those exquisite methods had gradually disappeared. One would eventually become a hegemon if acquired a book of ancient Mystic Skill.


    Xiao Chen accepted the booklet, bowed and left the stage. The award ceremony was over. Xiao Chen returned to the yard and read a few pages of this so-called ancient cultivation method. He was already studying the Mystic Cyan Sect skills and should not be mixing skills from other sects. Therefore he did not intend to practice the methods in the book.


    However, he often saw the word ¡°heartless¡± in the book. He wondered if this book was part of the Heartless Mystic Skill. Hence he started to study it in detail, but until sunset, he was still unable to find the solution for the Heartless Curse.


    With a sigh, Xiao Chen put away the booklet. Xin¡¯er recently had a huge change with her temperaments, and it must be because the Heartless Mystic Skill she studied was incomplete. As he thought of this, he stood up and went outside the yard.


    Near the courtyard of the Heartless Palace, two female disciples stopped him, and one of them said coldly, ¡°What are you doing here!¡±


    Xiao Chen said apologetically, ¡°I am looking for¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave. The Empress will not see you!¡± Another person shouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s the clamor?¡± At this time, a girl in a green robe came from the back. It was Chu Lingjiao. Chu Lingjiao looked at the two and said, ¡°Both of you step back first.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The two female disciples bowed and immediately left.


    Chu Lingjiao looked up at Xiao Chen and said faintly, ¡°You should go; she won¡¯t see you.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°Alright then.¡± Then he took out the booklet and handed it to Chu Lingjiao, said, ¡°Please give this to her.¡±


    Chu Lingjiao took the booklet, casually looked at it and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall go,¡± Xiao Chen said as he turned around and went back the way he came from. After Chu Lingjiao could not see him anymore, she opened the booklet and read a few pages. She cried, ¡°This!¡±


    Then she quickly covered her mouth and looked at the left and right in a panic. When she saw that no one was around, she quickly pinched a spell and kept the booklet into her Divine Vessel.


    ¡­


    The next day, a piece of shocking news broke away in Tianyuan City, and it spread like a fire. In less than half a day, it had spread to the various streets and alleys.


    In the desolate area on the border of the five continents, a deep devilish abyss was discovered. The hundreds of kilometers around it were covered by Devil Qi. Those who went close to it were all infected by the Devil Qi before turning into a devil.


    This was a matter that Immortals¡¯ League was investigating. Recently, several disciples had returned. The Immortals¡¯ League was strictly confidential, but it was leaked out somehow.


    At this moment, in the Pure Harmony Hall, several elders were like ants on a hot pot. At present, it was impossible to conclude if that abyss was a branch of the Valley of God and Devil. Even if it was determined, it must not be made public. Because once words of Valley of God and Devil having problems spread, the entire cultivation realm would be in a panic. By then, chaos would happen everywhere, just like dozens of countries that had been peaceful for thousands of years, and suddenly they were launching a world war level of destruction.


    The hot discussion lasted for three days, and the devil abyss was like a comet crashing into the ancient Cultivation World. In just a few days, it has caused the uproar in the Violet Manor. The messages were passed everywhere, and the rumors had even alarmed many ancient cultivators¡¯ sects that had been secluding in the mystic domains.


    In the past few days, many cultivators had arrived at Tianyuan City because this incident was transmitted from Tianyuan City. Soon, Tianyuan City had gathered more than 100,000 cultivators.


    Many took this opportunity to make trouble. They made the incident as huge as possible. They spread rumors everywhere to confuse people. As of today, Immortals¡¯ League had sent thousands of envoys to suppress the rumors and had asked for immediate help from the other continents with spiritual messages. But it was useless.


    The Jade Terrace Mountain was even more chaotic. Numerous cultivators forced themselves onto the mountain, and some even destroyed the defensive formations. They all criticized the League for not announcing such important matter and clamored to see the Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League. Many cynical youths even took the opportunity to vandal and incited people who were unclear about the situation.


    At this moment, the entire square was crowded with endless people. Even the mountain roads were blocked by thousands of cultivators. Everyone wanted a saying from the Immortals¡¯ League. They wanted to know what was going on and why such a huge matter was hidden from the public.


    The Immortals¡¯ League could no longer cover it. If the matter was not handled well, there would be people with bad intentions taking this opportunity to cause trouble. The First Elder, Guyang Perfected Immortal flew onto the high platform and told the crowd to quiet down three times. But the ten thousand cultivators were irrepressible.


    One of them took in a deep breath and shouted, ¡°Where is the devil abyss! What is going on! Is it related to the Valley of God and Devil!¡±


    The moment Valley of God and Devil was heard, the square started a hubbub. It was rumored that the ancient war between the Immortals and Devils had almost led to the collapse of the six realms, thus creating some gaps. This Valley of God and Devil was one of the gaps between the human world and the devil. The consequences of it were imaginable.


    The crowd has already lost control, even someone amiable like Guyang Perfected Immortal felt the urge to slap the heck out of the man who just mentioned the Valley of God and Devil.


    Just when the crowd is about to get out of control completely, a powerful voice was heard in the distance, ¡°Whoever dare to spread rumors here will be sent to the Immortals¡¯ League for punishments!¡±


    It was the unsmiling red robe elder who arrived. It was obvious that his words were more deterrent. Immediately the crowd shushed as the force of Nirvana Realm broke out.


    Guyang Perfected Immortal raised his hand and said, ¡°Please be quiet. The devil abyss is definitely not the Valley of God and Devil, and the Valley of God and Devil will never have any problems in a thousand years. You can rest assured¡­¡±


    But before he could finish, someone from below asked aloud, ¡°Then what is this devil abyss? Is it related to the Soul-consuming Evil Flower? You have investigated the Demonic Flowers for so many years, and now there still isn¡¯t any news about it. Countless people had been dying from this Demonic Flowers recently. Aren¡¯t there any explanation at all? If even the basic safety of everyone can¡¯t be assured, then what is the establishment of the Daoist League of the Five Continents!¡±


    Then that man yelled to the people nearby, ¡°Don¡¯t everyone agree?¡±


    Immediately people around raised their fist and agreed. ¡°Yes! We want to see the Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League! See the Chief!¡±


    ¡°The Chief! The Chief!¡± Countless people in the square all raised their fists and shouted loudly. They were no longer irrepressible by the ten more elders.


    Guyang Perfected Immortal¡¯s brows tangled in a frown. Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League had gone to investigate the Demonic Flowers 100 years ago and had not yet returned. Another Chief had also gone for an investigation 20 years ago and did not return as well. Now it was even more difficult to announce this matter. Announcing it would only make the five continents more panicky, but where could he find a Chief now?


    ¡°Please listen to what I have to say¡­ The Chief has been exhausted lately and is not feeling well. I am here to act as a sole in-charge. Please be patient¡­¡±


    The people below did not care about what he said at all. They continued to raise their fists and shouted, ¡°See the Chief! See the Chief!¡±


    As the situation became more and more uncontrollable, the crowds on the mountain road started to squeeze their way through. It was as if they were about to dismantle the Immortals¡¯ League. At this moment, a voice in a distant was heard, ¡°The Chief has arrived¡­¡±


    An imposing middle-aged man behind the square was gradually making his way over. Two disciples followed closely behind him. The middle-aged man was dressed in a blue robe, his brows sharp like a summit and his face being stone cold. The man was majestic and it was as if with only one look, one could not help but worship him.


    Several Immortals¡¯ League elders and disciples looked at each other puzzledly. However, they immediately bowed and said, ¡°My Chief!¡±

 Chapter 320 - The Warmth Before the Storm

    In no time, not a sound could be heard in the crowd. The one hundred or so disciples of the Immortals¡¯ League there felt puzzled. ¡°When did the Chief come back?¡± But no one dared to ask the question out loud. They did not even dare to whisper.


    The crowd watched the Chief walking onto the high platform. He cast a glance at the crowd below, coughed a few times, and said, ¡°I have heard about the thing that happened recently. About that, the Immortals¡¯ League will explain to all of you. Thus, please trust the Immortals¡¯ League as firmly as ever. Never take advantage of the disorder to start a rumor, because it may cause a panic. The Immortals¡¯ League will punish those people who disobey the order.¡±


    His voice sounded a little bit low, as if he had been severely hurt or had some disease. Many of the older generation had seen the Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League before. But in the last 20years, he had never appeared. So why would he come here today?


    Clasping his hands, a young man saluted him and said, ¡°Chief, what concerns us the most is the exact location of the Devil¡¯s Abyss. Is it really related to the Valley of God and Devil? Who found it first that day? Please give us answers to each of these questions. Then we can be relieved!¡±


    ¡°Yes! We should be prepared in advance. Thus, if anything goes wrong with the Valley of God and Devil, we can defend against the Devil Clan¡¯s attack together!¡±


    Everyone frowned. People often mixed the Devil Clan up with the Devils¡¯ sects. But in fact, members of the Devils¡¯ sects were cultivators from the Human World, who had abandoned themselves to the Devilish Skills; while the Devil Clan members were real devils who might have three heads and six arms and liked eating raw meat and drinking blood. Anyway, in the eyes of the world, all of them were terrifying monsters. Beyond that, the Demon Emperor, their leader, had exceptional abilities. That very year, 100,000 Buddhas fled to the Western Paradise to escape from the Devil Lord, Wentian. One could imagine how terrifying the Devil Clan¡¯s strength was.


    What was worse was that the Human World lost so many strong ones at the end of the last era. Nowadays, the Human World was definitely no match for the Devil Clan unless the Immortal King from Heaven¡¯s Realm descended to the Human World to help. But at that time, even the Immortal King would hardly look after himself. So how could he care about the survival or doom of the Human World? It was true that ¡°if heaven and earth are ruthless, they treat the myriad creatures like straw dogs¡±.


    The Chief raised his hand slightly to silence the people below him and he said, ¡°The Devil¡¯s Abyss may only be something left over from the ancient wars between immortals and devils. Perhaps it has nothing to do with the Valley of God and Devil. All of you can rest assured of that. Also, please do not listen indiscriminately to rumors and pass them on to others.¡±


    The words from the Chief certainly had high prestige among the masses. Since the Chief said that the Devil¡¯s Abyss was not related to the Valley of God and Devil, many people in present were gradually relieved. However, some people had their doubts. One of them asked, ¡°We want to know who is the first one that discovered the Devil¡¯s Abyss on that day? Can that person give us a detailed description of the situation there?¡±


    The Chief nodded slightly and said to a person behind him, ¡°Young hero Xiao, please come up to give a detailed account of what happened that day.¡±


    Outside the square, Xiao Chen slowly went over to the Chief. He took much smaller steps than before, which made him look extremely unnatural. After he went up to the high platform, he coughed and said, ¡°Well¡­ That day, I was¡­¡±


    Then, Xiao Chen told them the situation on that day, and the crowd suddenly started talking animatedly. ¡°The Devil Qi covered the place thousands of meters around the Devil¡¯s Abyss, which was already an extraordinary matter. God knows what was hidden under the abyss. Is there any major ancient devil who has resurrected? Or are the Devils¡¯ sects making some big plans?¡±


    The Chief said, ¡°Well, now the problem has been solved. Please go back, everyone. In three days, the Immortals¡¯ League will select some people to go there and investigate. These days, all of you please actively cooperate with the Immortals¡¯ League and do not make trouble in the city. In addition, my breakthrough is imminent. Thus, I have given Elder Guyang full authority to manage the recent matters.¡±


    After that, he directly descended from the high platform without waiting for more questions. Behind him, Xiao Chen followed.


    30 minutes later, in the Pure Harmony Hall, several Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, and others were there. The ¡°Chief¡± walked in and gave a sigh of relief. Then he said with a smile, ¡°Fortunately, I did not let the cat out of the bag.¡±


    Next to him, ¡°Xiao Chen¡± smiled gently, revealing two rows of pearl-like teeth. ¡°Xiao Chen¡± thumped the ¡°Chief¡± affectionately. The bashful figure of ¡°Xiao Chen¡± imperceptibly showed that it was a woman. Slightly annoyed, she murmured, ¡°Have you got into the habit of being the Chief?¡± The voice of ¡°Xiao Chen¡± had changed to a woman¡¯s, which sounded extremely sweet and charming.


    After them, an Elder in a red robe strode into the hall. With a gloomy face, he asked, ¡°Who are you exactly?¡±


    A cyan-robed Elder in the hall smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother, this was my idea. Young hero Xiao has a unique skill of Magic Mimicry, which greatly widened our horizons this time.¡±


    The ¡°Chief¡± was Xiao Chen while that ¡°Xiao Chen¡± was actually Li Muxue.


    This time, after he changed back to his original appearance, Xiao Chen looked at the ¡°Xiao Chen¡± beside him and asked while smiling, ¡°Haven¡¯t you changed back to your original appearance?¡±


    Li Muxue giggled and said, ¡°Hell, no! I am going to play with Sister Xian¡¯er.¡± After that, she ran outside the hall.


    Shaking his head, Xiao Chen smiled. Then, he looked back and solemnly asked the few Elders, ¡°Has the Chief never been back since he went to investigate the Soul-consuming Evil Flower? Hasn¡¯t he sent a letter back?¡±


    The few Elders sighed and nodded their heads violently.


    Gradually, Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°At that time, my grandpa went to investigate the Soul-consuming Evil Flower. But up until now, no news about him has been received. Who is spreading¡­?¡±


    When Xiao Chen went back to somewhere near the courtyard, he heard laughter coming from inside. Shaking his head, he smiled and walked in. Then, he saw Li Muxue chatting happily with Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan while using his appearance.


    Zhiluan was greatly shocked when it spotted another Xiao Chen coming in. ¡°Me-meow! Why is there one more d*mned boy?¡±


    Murong Xian¡¯er heard his words and turned around to look. ¡°Ah! Why are there two Brother Xiao Chens?¡±


    Li Muxue could no longer hold back her convulsive laughter, and her voice also changed back. Hearing the original voice of Li Muxue, Murong Xian¡¯er stamped her feet in anger. ¡°Sister Murong, it was you! You! You are so naughty!¡±


    Li Muxue was shaking all over with laughter. Zhiluan was foaming with rage and said, ¡°What a bad girl! You dare to deceive me!¡± It paused a little and then muttered with a red face, ¡°Taking on the appearance of ¡®Xiao Chen¡¯, you promised to give me some pills that you refined. Now, will you keep your word?¡±


    Li Muxue burst into a laugh. ¡°But I do not know how to refine the pills. You can go ask him for the pills.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you!¡±


    Zhiluan became so angry that its whole body was trembling. Just now, after shedding much of its dignity, it shamelessly begged ¡°Xiao Chen¡± for the pills. However, Zhiluan had never expected that this thing would end up like this. Once again, it felt that its fragile heart was deeply traumatized. In a fury, Zhiluan grabbed two green dates on the table and violently threw them at Xiao Chen.


    Quickly, Xiao Chen avoided the dates flying at him. ¡°I did not mess with you. Why did you hit me?¡±


    ¡°It was you! You must have taught the Magic Mimicry to this d*amned girl! That¡¯s why she could come here to trick me. I do not care. Anyway, you should give me a few pills that you refined as compensation!¡±


    ¡°But does that make any sense? You hit me. After that, you asked me to give you some pills. Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fu*king care!¡± With its claws folded before its chest, Zhiluan was fuming with anger.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°I really should not have passed the Magic Mimicry onto Li Muxue.¡±


    Li Muxue snorted with laughter. ¡°There, there. Brother Zhiluan, good cat. It was my fault.¡± After Li Muxue said that, she glared lightly at Xiao Chen. ¡°From now on, if you dare flirt around once again, I will change into your appearance and wander around to bluff and deceive others. Hmph! You even dared to flirt with the descendant of the Ancient Immortal Clan. You are extremely audacious!¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned a little and looked at Murong Xian¡¯er, who then stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°Before, I thought she was Brother Xiao Chen, so I accidentally spilled the beans! Beyond that, I also accidentally told her about the sword match between you and Liu Feiyan!¡±


    Xiao Chen gave a bitter smile again, and Li Muxue raised her fist. ¡°From now on, please behave yourself! Hmph!¡±


    Another three days passed. During this period, Xiao Chen accompanied Murong Xian¡¯er every day. As the city was in chaos, they could only tour around Jade Terrace Mountain.


    Murong Xian¡¯er knew that every day, Xiao Chen managed to find time to accompany her because he wanted to go there. When she heard that Xiao Chen was going to explore the Devil¡¯s Abyss, Murong Xian¡¯er was nearly crying. Swaying his sleeves back and forth, she begged. ¡°No¡­ No¡­ let me go there with you!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± This time, Xiao Chen refused point-blank. The evil Qi of the Devil¡¯s Abyss was surging. But Xian¡¯er was full of Immortal Qi. How could Xiao Chen let her go to such an extremely ferocious place? Besides, he did not know why he always felt that something terrible was going to happen recently, and he even had had a terrible nightmare last night.


    These days, more and more cultivators had gathered in Tianyuan City. Those ordinary citizens were too scared to open their gates, and they did not even dare to open the windows. The Immortals¡¯ League had issued the first ¡°Beheading Order¡± in the past century¡ªAnyone who dared harass the citizens in the city would be beheaded!


    On this day, all the people gathered in the square of Jade Terrace Mountain again, and the square was now was a sea of people. However, Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng were not among the Ling Family and the Order of the Divine Fire.


    The Immortals¡¯ League had already selected the people who would be sent to explore the Devil¡¯s Abyss. Most of them were disciples of the big sects or families in the Five Continents. Of course, there were some volunteers. In Wuyin Monastery, Master Xuanji unexpectedly received an urgent letter. He quickly opened the letter and read it. Then, he frowned immediately.


    Next to him, Xu Gu, his disciple, asked, ¡°Why are you frowning, master?¡±


    Master Xuanji shook his head. ¡°The thing about the Devil¡¯s Abyss is the top priority. Xu Gu, you should also go there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Therefore, the following was the list of persons who would go to the Devil¡¯s Abyss this time: Xu Gu, Xiao Chen, Qingluan, Ziyun¡¯er, Yu Yifeng, Xiaoyue, Su Zimu, Yang Shaochen, Ling Fei from the Ling Family, Wan Yanyan from the Order of the Divine Fire, Qi Feng from the White Mist Academy of the West Continent, Qin Shaoyang and Liu Feiyan from the Xianyong Sect, Zhou Li and Qingyu from the Jade Qing Sect, Han Moyang from the South Continent¡¯s Order of the Countless Blades, Zhong Buhui from the North Continent¡¯s Yin-Yang Sect, and Bai Yushu, who was the disciple of Daoist League¡¯s Third Elder. In all, there were 18 people.


    Coincidentally, there were also 18 people, including Xiao Chen, who had gone to Wuwang Wind Cloud City last time. However, it was a pity that only 15 people had managed to come back.

 Chapter 321 - Second Visit to the Burg of the Feral Phoenix

    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, First Elder Guyang summoned the Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s fastest Flying-cloud Stone from the clouds and handed Xiaoyue some of Situ Bei¡¯s Carnage Destruction Pills and Heaven List Protective Pills.


    The group headed to the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura this time was made up of mostly elite youngsters from the five continents. The older ones must stay behind to prevent the possible ambush of the Devils¡¯ sects and deal with what would come next.


    In the public square, Murong Xian¡¯er refused to let go of Xiao Chen¡¯s sleeve. Luo Shangyan walked over to them and whispered into his ear, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, you must watch out for Xiaoyue and Ling Fei of the Ling family.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. He then caressed Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s forehead and said softly, ¡°Relax. I won¡¯t be gone for long this time. Stay with Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and Senior Zi Mo and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± That said, he leaned on his tiptoe and flew toward the Flying-cloud Stone.


    Under the stone, Zhiluan waved him farewell with a rather amused look. ¡°Bon voyage, kid¡­¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Ziyun¡¯er grabbed him.


    ¡°You cowardly cat, why are you staying behind? Come with me!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, d*mned lass! I¡¯m not going back to that wretched place!¡±


    Zhiluan jumped, hopped, grabbed, and scratched but however he struggled, he had no way of getting out of Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s clutches. Meanwhile, the rest was biding their friends farewell. Their journey to the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura would be a perilous one and their outcome was unknown.


    Many disciples from famous families and sects wished to go, wanting to establish their names through this journey, but the Immortals¡¯ League denied all of them. The league even repeatedly warned the group of eighteen to keep quiet about the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura. No matter what they saw, they would first report it to the league lest they cause a commotion among the public.


    Finally, under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, the Flying-cloud Stone slowly soared into the sky and flew southward with eighteen people on its back.


    Many people on the ground waved their hands, bidding farewell to the group. Chu Hanyan stood among them, of course. She was against Yang Shaochen risking his life but she had no way of persuading her ambitious husband.


    Meanwhile, someone else stood quietly in a small expanse of woods behind the public square while staring at the gradually disappearing Flying-cloud Stone. Her red clothes billowed in the wind. It was none other than Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Junior Sister Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression remained unchanged even at the sudden ringing of a tender voice. She slowly looked away from the stone to stare at the man in front of her.


    The man was tall and elegant. From behind, he looked like the very picture of a hero. However, his face was frosty and the hair on his temples was greying as age claimed his youth in advance. He looked almost wizened. It was the same man who visited the Xiao family two years ago to break the engagement, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s then-Senior Brother, Qin Xiu. But he was no longer as high-spirited as he had been back then.


    Ever since the entire Skygale Sect was exterminated, he tried every way possible to find his missing senior and junior brothers and sisters. Eventually, he established the Ouyang Manor House with Ouyang Yu and the rest. While those from the Ouyang Manor House had left more than a month ago, he decided to come here after hearing about Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s safe return.


    ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er was expressionless and her voice was ice-cold. Qin Xiu couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    ¡°I came here after hearing about your safe return. Have you been doing well lately, Junior Sister? Master, Master had passed on¡­¡±


    His voice began choking toward the end of his sentence and yet Huangfu Xin¡¯er remained emotionless. She slowly approached him, causing his heart to shiver. Right then, he felt a cold murderous aura from her! He felt like he had been submerged into a pool of ice-cold water. The person before him was no longer the same Junior Sister that he knew!


    ¡°Were you the one who convinced my Second Uncle to break the engagement with the Xiao family?¡±


    Qin Xiu jolted after hearing this question. He immediately looked up and hastily said, ¡°Listen to me, Junior Sister. That person isn¡¯t worthy of you at all. He¡¯ll only hurt you once and again. Back then, you risked your life to beg for the Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves for him, but he¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er interrupted him with a stern bellow. Instantly, five orbs of red light flickered and cut five gaping wounds in Qin Xiu¡¯s chest. The wounds were so deep that his bones were visible and copious amount of blood gushed from within.


    Little did he imagine that his Junior Sister would ever attack him. Even knowing that she had become emotionless from practicing the Heartless Mystic Skill, he never thought she would be this ruthless and remain that emotionless even after knowing that their master had passed on¡­


    Swish! Out of the blue, an Immortal¡¯s Sword with an entirely white-colored body penetrated the ground next to his foot without leaving even a trace of shadow. It was the Stifled Light Immortal¡¯s Sword that he gifted her all those years ago.


    ¡°Leave. I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen and the group had flown more than several hundred miles away by now. The second month of the year saw the melting of the ice and snow and the blossoming of warmth and flowers. It was verdant in many places. Everyone was at peace watching the mountains and creeks beneath and feeling the spring wind. How beautiful these mountains and rivers were! How could they allow the Devil Clan to turn this place into purgatory?


    Yu Yifeng chuckled. ¡°That reminds me. Junior Brother Xiao Chen, Senior Brother Xu Gu, Fairy Xiaoyue, this is our second time heading somewhere together, is it not?¡±


    The four of them were also in the group heading to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City last time. Xiaoyue sat delicately on the corner of the Flying-cloud Stone with her clothes and hair fluttering in the air, looking like a fairy in the human world. She smiled but didn¡¯t reply.


    Xu Gu put his palms together and said, ¡°Of the countless paths in this world, everything boils down to fate. Considering our destiny, why don¡¯t you reconsider, Benefactor Xiao? Study the Dharma with me at my temple and distance yourself from the hardships of the secular world¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen faked a laugh. ¡°Ah, what a lovely day¡­¡±


    ¡°You must be joking, Benefactor Xiao. The way I see it, it¡¯s going to rain soon¡­¡±


    The horizon shifted uncertainly from an expanse of dark clouds to an expanse of clear sky. Zhiluan, still sulking over being forced on this trip, lay lazily on the straw mat and said nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea for you to shave your head and become a monk, kid, lest you break the hearts of girls everywhere.¡±


    He suddenly leaped up and put his claws together the way a human would. ¡°Amitabha. Well done, well done. The way this great Immortal sees it, this is considered an act of virtue, an act of¡­¡±


    Xu Gu nodded, smiling. ¡°Benefactor Zhi is right. It looks like you¡¯re fated with Buddhism as well. Why don¡¯t you come with me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± Zhiluan immediately hid behind Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°I¡¯m not becoming a monk!¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a wry smile. Suddenly, he remembered the strange expressions of those from the Wuyin Monastery whenever the name Xiao Ning was mentioned. He said, ¡°By the way, Senior Brother Xu Gu, I have a question for you.¡±


    Xu Gu put his palms together. ¡°Feel free to ask, Benefactor Xiao.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu Gu, have you heard of Xiao Ning?¡±


    The moment he mentioned the name, the Frigid Jade Pendant resting on his chest shuddered. Xu Gu¡¯s expression also turned strange. He put his palms together and began reciting scripture under his breath over and over.


    This confused Xiao Chen immensely but he didn¡¯t find it appropriate for him to continue questioning. When he looked at the others, he noticed that while they looked tranquil, they must have a lot on their minds as well.


    Qi Feng, the eldest disciple of Senior Xingxiu of the White Mist Academy in West Continent, looked about twenty years old but his true age was unknown. Xiao Chen¡¯s late return meant that he wasn¡¯t able to witness Qi Feng fighting his way into the top twenty of the competition but he had heard from Xian¡¯er that Qi Feng was capable of some truly splendid magic spells. His spells could summon the wind and lightning. It was as if there wasn¡¯t anything he wasn¡¯t capable of.


    Qin Shaoyang and Liu Feiyan of Xianyong Sect, as well as Han Moyang of the Order of the Countless Blades, were familiar faces to Xiao Chen. Seated on the straw mat, the three of them were engrossed in a quiet conversation.


    There was another one in the group that caught Xiao Chen¡¯s attention: Zhong Buhui of the Yin-Yang Sect in the North Continent. Zhong Buhui was a sullen-looking man at the age of 23 or 24 who didn¡¯t like conversing with others. Since the beginning of the trip, he leaned against a boulder all by himself. He placed a leaf by his lip to produce a melancholic song. Though the song was desolate, it didn¡¯t carry a hint of regret. Whoever listened to it would feel an indescribable feeling of sorrow.


    Of course, there were another two that Xiao Chen had been noticing all along: Ling Fei of the Ling family and Wan Yanyan of the Order of the Divine Fire. The two of them sat close together. It went without saying that Ling Fei looked vicious, while Wan Yanyan was holding a grudge against Xiao Chen for ruining his plans.


    The last of them was the disciple of the Third Elder of the Immortals¡¯ League, Bai Yushu. With a face as elegant as a piece of jade and a jade ornament decorating his hair, Bai Yushu looked like he was in his early twenties even though his real age was unknown. Even though he was the disciple of the strict, red-robed Elder, he was mild-mannered and handsome. Quite a few junior sisters harbored a crush on him. It was even rumored that many female disciples from other sects deliberately participated in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly to see him.


    Even on this perilous trip to the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura, he didn¡¯t forget to bring books with him. He read his books quietly in a corner, unperturbed by the world around him.


    Time gradually slipped out of their hands. Since they were riding the fastest Flying-cloud Stone in the Immortals¡¯ League, it took them about three days to reach the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. The citizens immediately dashed out of their houses with their children upon their arrival to the City Master¡¯s Manor, forgetting to even lock their doors.


    Folks that were working hard in the shops abandoned their tasks and ran over. Within minutes, the City Master¡¯s Manor was surrounded by so many people that not even a fly could enter. The crowd immediately looked disappointed when they saw eighteen youngsters stepping off the Flying-cloud Stone and sounds of lament resounded all around.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did they just send some kids?¡±


    ¡°What can these kids do when even the Three Friends of Winter were left helpless? Is the Daoist League of the Five Continents really abandoning us to our fate¡­?¡±


    The citizens had no idea just how powerful these youngsters were. Xiao Chen, Su Zimu, and the rest naturally wouldn¡¯t take their opinions to heart, but Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan were both frowning in annoyance.

 Chapter 322 - The Flare-up of the Heartless Curse

    Chapter 322 The Flare-up of the Heartless CurseThe Three Friends of Winter and the City Master, Ye Lingfeng, soon welcomed the group of youngsters. The eyes of the Three Friends of Winter were brimming with tears of excitement. ¡°Hero Xiao, you¡¯re finally here! We thought you were¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately saluted them with a smile. ¡°Senior Plum, Senior Bamboo, Senior Pine.¡± Seeing as he had given them his promise, he would have spared some time and men to check on their situation even if the Immortals¡¯ League didn¡¯t send him.


    ¡°Very well, very well! Friends who have traveled a long distance, please come in!¡± Elder Plum remained emotional. Zhiluan jumped from Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s embrace and landed in front of him. ¡°Is the fish ready? You can¡¯t cheat me by saying things like water that is too clean holds no fish!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s fish! There¡¯s fish! Of course, there¡¯s fish!


    Behind them, Ziyun¡¯er and Xiao Chen exchanged looks and burst into laughter. Everyone then entered the manor. Xiao Chen was familiar with the place as it was his second time here, so he began making introductions as if he was the host.


    Zhiluan went even further. Like the master of the manor, he told everyone not to be polite and to eat and drink as much as they wanted to¡­


    Moments later, everyone reached the drawing room. Ye Lingfeng said, ¡°Please forgive me if my hospitality lacks in any way in welcoming you from your faraway lands.¡±


    Mid-conversation, a dozen or so servants and maids arrived with platters of fruits and light refreshments. The proximity of this place to the Thousand Summits Mountain meant that it was colder here, so braziers were brought in as well. Even though everyone here could ward off the cold with their True Qi, the proper etiquette still had to be observed.


    Zhiluan wasn¡¯t at all courteous. Producing a fish from god knows where, he ran to the brazier and started roasting it. He said, ¡°The fish here is really tasty, you know. But don¡¯t you ever believe Old Man Plum¡¯s words. He told me something about how water that is too clear holds no fish, but it¡¯s actually just a name for a clear soup! The anger nearly killed me¡­¡±


    Over the past few days, Qing Yu, Zhou Li, and the rest had gotten close to the leopard cat. They stifled their laughter with their hands as they listened to him ramble.


    In less than ten minutes, the rest began making self-introductions. The Three Friends of Winter were stunned to hear that Xiaoyue was the heir of the Thousand Feathers Sect. After all, the sect was an Ancient Immortal Clan with thousands of years of history and an equally formidable reputation.


    When they heard that Xu Gu hailed from the millennium-old Wuyin Monastery and was the disciple of one of the four Great Divine Monks, Xuanji, they were full of praises.


    Finally, Elder Plum asked Xiao Chen, ¡°Hero Xiao, why isn¡¯t Miss Huangfu here today? Has she recovered?¡±


    The mention of Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s name reminded Xiao Chen of the many incidents that they went through and an intense pain pierced his heart. The pain gradually traveled to all corners of his body. He forced a smile. ¡°She¡¯s preoccupied recently, so she¡¯s unable to come.¡± Then, he changed the topic. ¡°Oh, that reminds me. What¡¯s the situation at the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura? On our way here, I noticed many people infected by the Devil¡¯s Carnage outside the city. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    A troubled look immediately clouded Elder Plum¡¯s face. The rest refocused their attention and looked in their direction upon hearing the mention of the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura. While grilling the fish, Zhiluan nonchalantly commented, ¡°What else can it be? The Devil¡¯s Aura must have thickened. I think you should just evacuate everyone as soon as possible. To mortals like you, nothing¡¯s more important than your lives.¡±


    Elder Plum heaved a deep sigh. ¡°Immortal Zhi is right. The Devil¡¯s Aura has thickened in recent days and many have been infected by the Devil¡¯s Wisdom. But for generations, my family has made this place our home. We have millions of people living in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix and the large and small towns nearby; how can we evacuate them so easily?¡±


    Ye Lingfeng had once suggested evacuating the people, allowing their return only when the Devil Aura had stabilized. It was one thing to convince the young ones, but the old refused to leave. They would rather die in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix, for this was their home. Since the old wouldn¡¯t leave, it was impossible for the young to abandon their parents for survival.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. It was likely that all their group was good for was an investigation. The true problem-solvers would be the seniors of the league and the hidden seniors from various factions in the five continents. He said, ¡°Please rest assured for now, Senior Plum. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll examine the abyss.¡±


    The words had just left his mouth when a voice as clear as silver bells came from outside the door. ¡°May I tag along?¡±


    Xiao Chen watched a girl dressed in a greenish-blue traditional dress strolling in. The crevices of her fingers were stained with remnants of herbal medicine and her body exuded the faint fragrance of medicine. Xiao Chen stood up and said, ¡°Miss Ye.¡±


    Ye Mulian placed her hands on her hips and bent her knee to perform a curtsy. ¡°Young Master Xiao.¡±


    Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan¡¯s heart throbbed. They knew they stood no chance with Xiaoyue, a high and mighty fairy. However, they never expected there to be such an otherworldly lady in a desolate place like this. She had the charm of your next-door well-bred young lady.


    Ye Mulian wore a floral pin decorated with greenish-blue beads in her hair. The light from the setting sun outside filtered past her, giving her shadow an alluring charm. Ye Lingfeng smiled and made the introductions. ¡°This is my daughter, Mulian.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, everyone.¡± Ye Mulian curtsied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve received medical training since young. I¡¯m afraid that the only way to create an antidote for the Devil¡¯s Carnage is to enter deep into the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, two voices rang out in the hall at the same time. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Yes!¡±


    The one who refused was, naturally, Xiao Chen. The one who agreed was Ling Fei. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Miss Ye, you were infected with the Devil¡¯s Carnage last time. You must stay away from the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura this time.¡±


    Ling Fei rose to his feet. ¡°Brother Xiao, you¡¯re too cautious, are you not? The way I see it, there¡¯s no reason not to allow Miss Ye¡¯s kind intention. There are so many of us here; surely we¡¯re capable of protecting her.¡±


    The rest didn¡¯t comment. Su Zimu was engrossed in savoring the fragrant tea while Xu Gu had his palms put together. Xiaoyue was staring at the calligraphy on the folding screen. Qingluan said icily, ¡°The league named my master as the leader of the group this time. That means his word is final!¡±


    Wan Yanyan sneered. ¡°Leader? What an impressive leader. The leader hasn¡¯t even spoken and yet his subordinate is already bossing people around.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ziyun¡¯er was about to lose her temper but Xiao Chen reached out to stop her from speaking. Ye Lingfeng laughed awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mulian. Don¡¯t make a fuss anymore. We can rest assured with Hero Xiao and the rest investigating the abyss. Let¡¯s drop the topic.¡± He then clapped his hands at the servants outside. ¡°Start the feast!¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Ling Fei flicked his sleeves and returned to his seat.


    The Three Friends of Winter exchanged glances. All of them looked worried. The eighteen members of the trip this time, they thought, were far from united.


    Following the feast, Ye Lingfeng settled everyone down in their respective accommodations. Xiao Chen occupied the small courtyard that he had previously stayed in. In the darkness of the night, the courtyard looked no different than when he had left it: the herbal medicine hanging on the walls, the wicker basket by the well, the medicine on the grindstone, the pestle and mortar by the step with ungrounded but dried herbs inside.


    However, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t see even a single dried leaf in the courtyard. The servants must have been tidying the place every day even though it was unoccupied. Zhiluan hung his head dispiritedly. ¡°Meow. I still end up here after running so far¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen walked up to the steps and sat down. He looked up at the courtyard doors. This vantage point reminded him of how Huangfu Xin¡¯er had come here to bid him farewell. Suddenly, he recalled the days they spent here, how he shielded her with an umbrella as they walked in the snow, how he led her horse along the frozen lake, how they encountered an assassin along the way¡­


    Events of the past replayed in his mind and a sudden pain pierced his heart before reaching every nook of his body. The pain was so intense that it threatened to rip apart his soul, making him feel a torment worse than death.


    Zhiluan was still strolling around the courtyard. Xiao Chen was still fine the last minute he saw him, but when he turned his head around a second time, he found Xiao Chen collapsed on the ground and twitching nonstop. A frightened yelp escaped his mouth. ¡°Meow! The kid is going to die! Hurry and come!¡±


    The flare-up of the Heartless Curse this time was much more painful than his last, so much so that Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t even speak. The color of his complexion flickered between green and purple. It felt like countless Sword Qi was colliding inside him. He raised a hand with immense difficulty and said, ¡°Do-Don¡¯t shout¡­¡±

 Chapter 323 - Revisiting the Abyss of Devils Aura

    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er ran in from the outside as soon as they heard the commotion inside the courtyard. When they saw what happened, Ziyun¡¯er hastily propped Xiao Chen up while Qingluan transferred energy to him.


    Those inflicted with the Heartless Curse must not become romantically involved. Revisiting old haunts would just worsen the effects of the curse. Practitioners of the Heartless Mystic Skill suffered the same fate. It wasn¡¯t until the darkness of the night engulfed the courtyard that Xiao Chen¡¯s condition finally improved. With cold sweat trailing down his face, he said softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine now¡­¡±


    Zhiluan was still pacing back and forth in the courtyard. ¡°You¡¯re going to die, going to die. Kid, your curse is worsening. If you don¡¯t remove the curse soon, it¡¯ll end you one day.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. Huashang was the only one in the world capable of removing this curse. But he knew that old woman¡¯s temper and he also knew that he wasn¡¯t strong enough to coerce her even if he went to her. Moreover, she would never undo the curse for him. He said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be able to remove it myself when my cultivation improves.¡± He looked at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°Get some rest, you two. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    The girls hesitated before replying in unison, ¡°Please take care of yourself, Master.¡± They excused themselves and headed for their residence outside the courtyard. The dim moonlight reflected the deep worry on Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s face.


    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be heartache without emotion. When his heart stops hurting one day, that¡¯ll be the day he no longer loves her.¡±


    She looked up at Qingluan. ¡°Sister, is love really that terrifying?¡±


    Qingluan was speeding along but paused in her tracks when she heard the question. She fixed a stern gaze at Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°Love is as much a poison as it is a bewitchment. Never mention it again. You should understand our mission¡­¡± She turned away and looked in the direction of Xiao Chen¡¯s courtyard.


    Shivering all over, Ziyun¡¯er lowered her head and said, ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    The full moon was as round as a disk in the night filled with stars. Sitting cross-legged inside the courtyard, Xiao Chen focused on meditating with the fourth step of Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method, the Jade Palace of Frozen Heart. The cultivation method of Yaoguang School was Ling Yin¡¯s creation. There were nine steps in total, with the fourth focused on cultivating the mind. In the past, Xiao Chen barely grasped the basics of the fourth step.


    Two hours later, when the moon rose high in the sky and the Big Dipper became the brightest stars among the seven. The star at the tip of Big Dipper, named Yaoguang, began to flicker incessantly. Suddenly flustered, Xiao Chen looked up at the sky and his mind fell into chaos when he saw the flickering Yaoguang star.


    Ling Yin lived in Yaoguang Temple atop the Mystic Cyan Mountain in the past, earning her nickname Yaoguang Fairy. With Xiao Chen¡¯s search for his master proving to be fruitless, he had only Yaoguang star to confine his longing in. How could he remain calm after seeing the flickering star?


    Moments later, dark clouds abruptly rolled over to obscure the seven stars. Only then did calm return to Xiao Chen¡¯s heart. Even so, his back was damp with cold sweat.


    At dawn the next day, everyone gathered outside the City Master¡¯s Manor. This time, the Three Friends of Winter opted out of the trip in favor of staying behind to deal with the infected people. Several quick exchanges of words later, Yu Yifeng maneuvered the Flying-cloud Stone in the southeast direction of the city.


    They covered a distance of nearly several hundred miles in an hour. They didn¡¯t go too fast as they wanted to examine the situation. Their observation showed nothing out of the ordinary. Even though many places were still covered in ice and snow, the greenery was nonetheless lush and the air was filled with floral fragrance and the singing of birds.


    Ling Fei glanced at Xiao Chen with his hands crossed in front of his chest and sneered. ¡°You made it sound so dire, but it didn¡¯t look that serious to me. Heh, you really know how to scare people with your words. Is that how desperately you want the Immortals¡¯ League to favor you?¡±


    The rest didn¡¯t comment but after seeing nothing strange on their way here, most thought that Xiao Chen had indeed exaggerated.


    Xiao Chen ignored him. His Divine Sense was sharper than most, and he could already sense a faint trace of Devil Qi at this moment. Wan Yanyan sneered. ¡°Xiao Chen, don¡¯t tell me you have a motive of your own for trying so hard to get us here¡­¡±


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Xu Gu recited the Buddha¡¯s name. ¡°Please don¡¯t fight among yourselves when we¡¯ve not even reached our destination yet¡­¡±


    He was midway through his sentence when the Flying-cloud Stone abruptly came to a halt. Everyone was alarmed. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s that?!¡±


    Underneath them was a sea of dark fog that dyed every plant black. Even as they moved another hundred miles, they still saw no end of the fog. It was truly an astonishing sight. Meanwhile, a Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi had pierced the Barrier of the Flying-cloud Stone and was filling the space inside.


    Everyone felt a chill down their backs. Xiao Chen asked calmly, ¡°Do you still think I was frightening you with words now?¡±


    Most of the group hailed from famous families and sects; they had no experience seeing such a diabolic scene. For a moment, no one said anything. Su Zimu frowned and asked, ¡°Brother Xiao, is this the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura?¡±


    ¡°No. This place is tainted by the Devil¡¯s Carnage, that¡¯s all.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed as he spoke. The last time he came here, there was no sign of infection here.


    ¡°What? Then what¡¯s the real Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura like? I think we should stop our operation immediately and inform the Immortals¡¯ League before doing anything!¡±


    Someone was already raising the white flag. Bai Yushu shut the book in his hand. ¡°We should at least check on the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura.¡± He looked at Xiaoyue. ¡°That reminds me. Fairy Xiaoyue, didn¡¯t Senior Situ hand you some Carnage Destruction Pills before we left?¡±


    Without a word, Xiaoyue took out two jade bottles containing the Carnage Destruction Pills and Heaven List Protective Pills that Situ Bei had prepared in a hurry. Sixth-order Elixir Saint¡¯s pills were nothing to scoff at. They were strong enough to ward off the Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi.


    Xiaoyue gave everyone two Carnage Destruction Pills and one Protective Pill each. When she reached Xiao Chen, he shook his hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Situ Bei appeared to hold a deep grudge against him. He wouldn¡¯t touch Situ Bei¡¯s pills with a ten-foot pole. Moreover, what was there to fear about regular Devil¡¯s Carnage?


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it if you don¡¯t want it!¡± Zhiluan snatched the three pills out of Xiaoyue¡¯s hand. He was still fuming over Ziyun¡¯er forcing him on this trip when he was having so much fun at the City Master¡¯s Manor.


    By the end of the distribution of the pills, everyone also came to grasp the severity of the situation. They once again continued their journey in the direction that Xiao Chen mentioned. Throughout the journey, they saw the sea of Devil Qi stretching endlessly before them. The sight struck fear into their hearts. Fortunately, this was a desolate place. They couldn¡¯t even imagine the consequences if Devil Qi were to break out in the crowded Tianyuan City.


    Half an hour later, they finally arrived at the valley filled with Devil¡¯s Aura that Xiao Chen had once passed. Yu Yifeng immediately stopped the Flying-cloud Stone, not daring to bring them any closer.


    The sight shocked them. Devil¡¯s Carnage soared into the sky and formed an expanse of rolling dark fog at low altitude. The boundless fog obscured everything and killed every living thing in its vicinity. It was as if Judgment Day had descended on earth.


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Xu Gu placed his palms together and started reciting the scripture without an end. Su Zimu looked deep in thought. Shedding his tranquility, he had the Mystical Heaven Fan in his hand shut in preparation for danger.


    Qingyu and Liu Feiyan were so terrified that their faces had taken on a deathly shade of white. They dared not to even exhale a deep breath. On the contrary, Xiaoyue appeared calm. The sight before her neither impressed nor scared her.


    ¡°Is this the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura, Brother Xiao?¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could reply, Zhiluan started screeching. ¡°I¡¯m not going down, absolutely not! Meow! Let go of me, d*mned lass! I refuse to go down and die with you all!¡±


    ¡°Silence! Another peep out of you and I¡¯ll throw you off the Flying-cloud Stone!¡± Ziyun¡¯er stared at the boundless sea of churning dark fog as she waited for Xiao Chen¡¯s strategic decision.


    Malice flitted past Ling Fei¡¯s pupils. ¡°The Devil¡¯s Aura here is strange. Danger lies in the unknown. I think we mustn¡¯t set foot in it.¡± He then looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Brother Xiao, out of all of us, you¡¯re most familiar with this place. Why don¡¯t you bring a few people with you and check out the place first?¡±


    Not all eighteen people in the group was united. Since Xiao Chen was close to Yu Yifeng¡¯s group, Ling Fei wanted them to act as the frontline and enter the abyss first. Ziyun¡¯er sneered. ¡°Very well. Why don¡¯t you come with us, Brother Ling? We¡¯ll leave Master Xu Gu and the rest here.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, d*mned lass! I¡¯ll never go down there and throw my life away with you people!¡± Zhiluan was pawing and kicking to get out of Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s hold. She glared at him. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s sudden sternness gave quite a few of them a scare. Everyone turned to look at him. When they saw his deep frown, all of them fell silent.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression became exceptionally solemn as he not only sensed a thick Devil Qi this time, but also Negative Qi.


    The Negative Qi was bizarre. It didn¡¯t feel like it belonged to the human world, but another world entirely. However, that world wasn¡¯t the Devil World.

 Chapter 324 - Hoodwinked

    Chapter 324 Hoodwinked¡°Kid, didn¡¯t I tell you to stay away from this place? Why are you here again?!¡± Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang inside Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. Su Xiaomei was awake.


    Xiao Chen imbued the Frigid Jade Pendant with his Divine Sense. ¡°You¡¯re up, Senior Su? Do you know what¡¯s underneath?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure if there was something sinister lurking underneath. If there was, the group¡ªall eighteen of them¡ªmust not go down there.


    Su Xiaomei replied, ¡°I have no idea, but this is an exceptionally frightening place. For some reason, I¡¯m terrified. I-It¡¯s like¡­ I¡¯m going to be sucked in. The Qi here doesn¡¯t belong to the human world. No, I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m going to seal myself¡­¡±


    The tremor in her voice worsened as she reached the tail of her sentence. She didn¡¯t wake even when Xiao Chen called her name three times. What was it that frightened her so? Since the first day he met her, he had never seen her this uneasy.


    Sighing to himself, Xiao Chen cast a spell and summoned a ball of True Energy to envelop the Frigid Jade Pendant. This was to ward off as much of the surrounding Qi as possible. Though Su Xiaomei was strong when she was alive, she was nonetheless a person who had died for thousands of years and was now a mere soul body. Were it not for her cultivation, she would be no more than just a desolate ghost. What was it that struck such deep fear in her¡­?


    Xiaoyue whipped around and said calmly, ¡°Brother Xiao, what do you think we should do now? I find Senior Ling¡¯s words reasonable. Why don¡¯t we divide into two teams and¡­?¡±


    Xiao Chen raised his hand. ¡°Fairy Xiaoyue, did you forget what happened in Wuwang Wind Cloud City?¡±


    Back in Wuwang Wind Cloud City, they had divided themselves into two teams after entering the cave of Vampire Bats. The halving of their strength ultimately led to the injury of the first team that entered.


    Xiaoyue swept her horsetail whisk. ¡°Never mind. You¡¯re the leader of the group this time. We shall listen to your orders.¡±


    No one raised any objections. Unhappy as Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan were, what was the point of them protesting when Xiaoyue had assented to the decision?


    Their priority now was figuring out a way to go down there. It would be foolish to just descend alongside the Flying-cloud Stone, given that the abyss was overflowing with Devil Qi. Even if everyone had consumed the Carnage Destruction Pills, injuries would be inevitable. Moreover, the Flying-cloud Stone might very likely cease to function amidst the fog of Devil Qi.


    ¡°There¡¯s an end to everything. I refuse to believe that this small canyon will go on forever.¡± Su Zimu opened his folding fan, returning to his usual elegant and carefree demeanor.


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Brother Su is right. Let us find the end of the canyon and enter from there.¡±


    The Flying-cloud Stone immediately set into motion, going southward along the canyon for half an hour. Sure enough, the canyon seemed to stretch on without an end. Fortunately, the Devil Qi was beginning to get a lot lighter as they traveled. After flying for another fifteen minutes, they found themselves in a spot without any trace of Devil Qi.


    The group maneuvered the Flying-cloud Stone downward until they reached the floor of the canyon. Peeking from the lush and full vegetation was a small, hidden path. Su Zimu chuckled as he flicked his fan. ¡°Were it not for Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi, this would be quite a picturesque place.¡±


    Unlike the deathly stillness of the other side of the canyon, the mouth of the canyon was filled with red flowers and lush grass. Moreover, the black fog was collected in the air, leaving the grass and water underneath looking verdant and limpid.


    ¡°Meow! It¡¯s an illusion! This must be an illusion, a diversionary tactic that the Great Demon made to trick us into entering!¡± Zhiluan hid behind Xiao Chen, still refusing to set foot in this place.


    ¡°So, do we enter now?¡± Xiao Chen turned around and asked for everyone¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°No reason to retreat now that we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Everyone felt a lot less stressed after seeing that it wasn¡¯t as terrifying here than it had been above. Whatever danger they would encounter later, their skills would likely allow them to leave unscathed.


    Half an hour later, everyone finally stepped into the belly of the canyon. There were blooming flowers and thriving plants everywhere with multi-colored butterflies fluttering in the air. The place was so tranquil that it felt like a utopia.


    It was this sense of peace that stopped everyone from lowering their guard. Xiao Chen and Xu Gu led the way while the rest stayed in the middle. Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan held up the rear. They were all determined to be the first to escape the moment anything untoward happens.


    Zhiluan was lying on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder. He was so frightened that his teeth were chattering. ¡°Me-Meow¡­ Don¡¯t you guys find it strange? How is there light here when there¡¯s so much dark fog up there?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s frown never eased. ¡°It¡¯s strange everywhere you look. You must all be careful¡­¡±


    His warning was unnecessary. Everyone here had all prepared themselves. Xiaoyue added, ¡°There are countless illusory Barriers designed to hoodwink people. I, Brother Xiao, and the rest had once experienced such a situation in Wuwang Wind Cloud City. Everyone, you mustn¡¯t let down your guard.¡±


    The group continued to walk for another few hours. Not only did they find nothing, but they felt like they had walked right into a maze. The path in the canyon was long, winding, and tedious. The scenery looked the same in many places. The group walked round and round the place but felt like they were always returning to square one.


    The only difference was, the deeper into the canyon they went, the more sinisterly cold it became. The cold gloominess wasn¡¯t the weather, but rather that of spirits. No matter how much they tried to ward it off with their energy, they couldn¡¯t block the Negative Qi.


    Zhiluan couldn¡¯t stop shuddering. Whether out of fright or cold, no one knew. He said in a shaking voice, ¡°I¡¯d dare bet that a lot of tragic deaths must have taken place here in the past¡­ Have you ever heard of walking in the Yellow Springs?¡±


    The rest were so stressed that naturally, no one would have time for his nonsense. Zhiluan continued, ¡°The road to Yellow Springs is a path that every spirit and ghost must take. But if a living being takes the path, he¡¯ll turn into a spirit and ghost himself within 45 minutes. Only, he wouldn¡¯t know that he¡¯s dead. I feel like we¡¯re walking along the road to Yellow Springs¡­¡±


    It was becoming colder and colder. Zhiluan¡¯s words didn¡¯t help and everyone began to panic. Qingyu and Liu Feiyan could feel hair raising on their skin and goosebumps all over their bodies.


    Zhiluan seemed to have frightened himself as well. He trembled before continuing, ¡°There¡¯s an old saying that tells you to light two red candles in front of your dressing table at midnight. If you see your reflection dressed in burial clothes, that means you¡¯re already dead¡­¡±


    Qingyu and Liu Feiyan¡¯s fear deepened as they listened. Zhiluan flew over to them and bared his claws. ¡°Did any of you bring a copper mirror?¡±


    The girls looked away, refusing to acknowledge him. Zhiluan then flew up to Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°D*mned lass, did you bring a mirror with you¡­¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er swatted him away with a slap. ¡°Don¡¯t tell ghost stories in broad daylight!¡±


    Zhiluan somersaulted twice on the ground before taking flight again. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you stories! If you look into the mirror and see a long-haired female ghost in red on your back, that means the ghost has caught hold of your life. She¡¯s there to make you her scapegoat¡­¡±


    Following Zhiluan¡¯s incessant and horrifying storytelling, Qingyu covered her ears. Liu Feiyan stomped her foot and huffed in anger. ¡°Xiao Chen! Aren¡¯t you going to control your cat? This place is scary enough without him telling us all these stories!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Leopard Cat Spirit! Be good and shut up!¡± That said, he could indeed detect bizarre Negative Qi in this place. This Qi didn¡¯t belong to the human world, that much he was sure.


    Zhiluan flew back to his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back, kid? I¡¯m telling the truth. The Yellow Springs might very well be up ahead¡­¡±


    Out of the blue, Su Zimu raised his head and laughed. ¡°Immortal Zhi¡¯s words may not necessarily be false. There are many unexplainable mysteries in the world, but we¡¯re cultivators seeking immortality. We need not fear monsters or spirits.


    His words bolstered everyone¡¯s courage. Even if there were things like monsters or spirits here, they were upright cultivators of immortality who had no need to fear these creatures. It would be laughable if they did.


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind hit them, sending them trembling. Zhiluan screeched. ¡°We¡¯re dead! We¡¯re dead! It¡¯s about to get dark! The dark is when the ghosts would come out!¡±


    Everyone calculated the timing. It had been quite a few hours since they got off the Flying-stone Cloud. The sky should be dark by now, but this place¡­ Out of the blue, their surroundings began to change at a break-neck pace and the light started dimming.


    ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s really a diversionary tactic!¡±


    The group whipped out their Immortal¡¯s Swords and magic treasures. Then, they saw the flowers, plants, and trees around them withered in an instant. The multi-colored butterflies fluttering in the air also gradually turned into putrefied dead leaves. The ground became filled with countless bones of the dead that looked like a boundless sea from afar. It was a hair-raising sight.


    Everyone exchanged looks of shock and horror. In an instant, they had found themselves in hell.


    Zhiluan was so terrified that his hair was standing on its end. ¡°W-W-We¡¯ve been hoodwinked! I told you there are ghosts here but you just wouldn¡¯t believe me! We¡¯re dead, dead I tell you! We¡¯re going to die!¡±


    The moment his voice left his throat, a faint white radiance emerged in the distance. Upon closer look, the group saw that it wasn¡¯t some white radiance. Nether Spirits were coming from afar!

 Chapter 325 - Nether Spirits

    ¡°This is bad! Everyone, get into formation!¡±


    Of the countless Nether Spirits that came surging forth out of nowhere, many were vicious-looking evil spirits with half a skull, eyeballs hanging from their sockets, and putrefied skin. Qingyu and Liu Feiyan turned pale from fright. Their home was Qingxuan Sect, so how could they have ever seen such terrifying things?


    In just seconds, thousands upon thousands of Nether Spirits had all of them surrounded. The wailing of the spirits never stopped, causing their scalps to feel numb. The group held tight onto their Immortal¡¯s Swords and magic treasures but no one dared to make a reckless attack.


    The army of Nether Spirits had undergone hundreds and thousands of years of tempering in a place with abundant dark energy. They were incomparable to ordinary Nether Spirits. The consequence of angering them was unimaginable.


    ¡°What do we do now?!¡±


    The group stood close together with their back against each other. They came here expecting there to be a Devil¡¯s Carnage object but little did they imagine the sea of Nether Spirits would appear so unexpectedly. They knew how to deal with Devil¡¯s Carnage but were helpless against these vicious spirits.


    Suddenly, hundreds of Nether Spirits from the southwest direction threw themselves at the group. Zhiluan was so frightened that he leaped and cast a spell. ¡°Let the nature of heaven and earth expel the impure energy! In the mysterious void in the cavern, let the Great Origin dazzle! The Grand Supreme Lord, execute the law now! Dismantle the evil!¡± Countless rays of white light emerged at the tail of his sentence. With a loud hissing sound, a dozen or so Nether Spirits were reduced into white smoke in an instant.


    Unfortunately, this only made more furious spirits charging at them. Xu Gu immediately cast spells with both hands. ¡°Om, ma, ni, pad, me, hum!¡± The six-word Supreme Brightness Spell left his mouth and turned into six swastika-shaped golden seals that instantly destroyed several hundreds of Nether Spirits.


    Meanwhile, Wan Yanyan lashed out at the Nether Spirits with the True Fire generated from his Fire Manipulation Talisman; Su Zimu turned his Mystic Heaven Fan into thirteen rays of sword radiance; Qi Feng summoned both gale and lightning; Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er guarded Xiao Chen¡¯s back; Xiaoyue flicked her horsetail whisk and turned hundreds upon thousands of Nether Spirits into dust¡­


    The group tried their best to put up a fight but the army of Nether Spirits appeared to be an inexhaustible and endless force. The moment they killed a wave of these creatures, another wave would arrive in moments. This greatly depleted their True Energy. If this continued, they would likely have to be buried here with the tens of thousands of Nether Spirits.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Xiao Chen made an immediate decision to produce a Barrier of True Energy and enveloped everyone in it. Xu Gu cast a few more seals on the Barrier that had a small effect in warding off the spirits.


    Under the protection of the Barrier, the group tried to retrace their steps but the darkness of the night made it impossible for them to distinguish the path they had come in. It was also impossible to fly on their swords here. They finally found a beat-up cave more than an hour later, but the spirits were right on their tail.


    The group filed into the cave, finally able to catch their breath. After spending here, they not only failed to learn anything about the source of the Devil Qi, but they even invoked the wrath of so many vicious spirits. Even though the cave was pitch-black, the group must be grim-faced.


    ¡°What exactly are those?¡± Yu Yifeng asked.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this place is a Mystic Darkness Land.¡±


    ¡°Mystic Darkness Land?¡±


    The Mystic Darkness Land referred to places with extreme dark energy and no sunlight all year round. Insects and beasts alike were eradicated, as were birds. Ordinary Nether Spirits that stayed long enough in places like this would gradually be tempered into powerful and vicious spirits. What the group saw earlier was likely just the lowest level of Nether Spirits.


    ¡°We saw so many bones on our way in. I think this must be an ancient battlefield. The armies used to go to war in ancient times. I remember from a journal about a general that buried alive his enemy¡¯s 4,00,000 soldiers. Those soldiers meet their tragic death here.¡±


    The one who spoke was Su Zimu. Qingyu and the rest felt the hair on their skin rise as they listened. Ling Fei said coldly, ¡°Even if this is an ancient battlefield, where did the overwhelming Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi above come from? Did these 4,00,000 soldiers all turn into devils? The way I see it, this place must have something to do with the Valley of God and Devil!¡±


    Xiao Chen said, ¡°Forgive me for my frankness, but I don¡¯t know if you notice an incredibly dense Negative Qi here. However, the Negative Qi didn¡¯t originate from the Mystic Darkness Land here¡­¡±


    His words cast silence over everyone. In a trembling voice, Qingyu said, ¡°It¡¯s pitch-black in here¡­ Can you guys¡­ not scare me¡­¡± She then propped up a ball of white light in her hand and illuminated her surroundings.


    She saw everyone looking somewhat dispirited and listless. Xu Gu sat in a corner, quietly reciting scripture to himself. Zhou Li stood up and said, ¡°This place is too dangerous. Why don¡¯t we return as soon as it¡¯s dawn and have the seniors from the Immortals¡¯ League deal with it?¡±


    No one responded, all of them immersed in the silence and their own thoughts. Xiao Chen shook his hand. ¡°We came here to find the cause of the Devil Qi so the seniors of the league can think of a way to counter it. If we return empty-handed, I suppose not even the seniors would know how to deal with this even if they come here.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Brother Xiao,¡± Xiaoyue said calmly. She had only ever had one goal in coming here: confirming that this place didn¡¯t have anything to do with the Valley of God and Devil. That way, she would be able to borrow a portion of the power of the Spiritual Meridian when she returned.


    Everyone once again fell silent. Moments later, Zhiluan suddenly yelped. ¡°Meow! There¡¯s something over there!¡±


    His sudden cry caused Qingyu and Liu Feiyan to jump. Xiao Chen kicked him aside before turning to look in the direction that he pointed in. There appeared to be a tunnel inside the cave, but it didn¡¯t seem human-made.


    The rest turned their attention to the tunnel. They didn¡¯t seem to notice it when they entered the cave. When did it appear?


    Everyone began to look nervous. The taciturn Bai Yushu said, ¡°This is a strange place that defies conventional wisdom. The flowers here aren¡¯t flowers; the fog here isn¡¯t fog. There¡¯s more to this tunnel than meets the eye.¡±


    Zhiluan covered his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re absolutely right! I didn¡¯t see anything! We must not enter!¡±


    Bai Yushu smiled gently. ¡°Brother Zhi, you misunderstand me. I mean that the tunnel may be a hint from the Immortals, and not something evil.¡±


    No matter how the rest looked at it, however, they couldn¡¯t see the tunnel as a hint from the Immortals. Even so, the cave was anything but safe and they couldn¡¯t even imagine how many vicious spirits and evil creatures had gathered outside. It was now just a little after evening time, but once midnight arrived, that would be the time when dark energy would be at its densest. When the time comes, the ghosts would walk on the earth. The consequences were unimaginable.


    Noticing Xiao Chen¡¯s hesitation, Qingluan asked, ¡°Master, do you still remember the hidden palace in the Forest of Illusory Moon?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded, understanding what she meant. When they accidentally entered the Abyss of the Nether Spirits while pursuing the Leopard Cat Spirit, they spent the night being hounded by the Phantom King. They eventually trespassed into a hidden palace. The palace that appeared to be the most dangerous place turned out to be a place where they could safely spend the night in.


    However, this place wasn¡¯t like the Forest of Illusory Moon. His every decision would affect the life and death of the group.


    Right then, a high-pitched whistling erupted from outside the cave. It was hair-raising to hear such a thing in the middle of the night, especially when the sound got closer and closer. Qingyu stomped her feet in a panic. ¡°Wh-what do we do? Th-The ghosts are here again!¡±


    Though she was a cultivator, she was ultimately a woman. It was natural for her to be scared of these filthy creatures. She glared at Zhou Li next to her. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for insisting I should come!¡±


    Zhou Li rubbed his head, not knowing what to do. ¡°Relax! Even if I die, I promise I¡¯ll protect you!¡±


    When their voices faded, all the rest heard was the sound of the ghost creeping closer and closer. There must be over ten thousand spirits outside. Xiao Chen then made his decision. ¡°Follow me!¡± He became the first to charge into the tunnel. Behind him, Zhiluan cried, ¡°I¡¯d rather be turned into medicine than be eaten by evil spirits!¡± Then, he followed right after Xiao Chen.


    The rest followed suit. The tunnel was spacious enough for three to four people to cross shoulder-to-shoulder. Xiao Chen and Xiaoyue stood in the frontline, opening up a path for the group. Xu Gu and Yu Yifeng held up the rear to stop the never-ending flow of Nether Spirits charging in.


    The high-pitched hissing and screeching instantly filled the entire tunnel, causing everyone¡¯s scalp to feel numb. The tens of thousands of Nether Spirits appeared to fear nothing. The moment one wave was eradicated, another wave would surge up in an endless fashion. Perhaps even a Nirvana Realm expert would find this endless supply of vicious spirits difficult to deal with.


    The group had been walking for half an hour but, as if headed to the Underworld, the tunnel seemed endless. Behind them, the Nether Spirits were filling the tunnel like a torrent of water. Soon, Xu Gu and the rest weren¡¯t able to keep up the defense anymore. Even with a Dharma at Grand Completion Realm, these vicious spirits nonetheless rendered them helpless.


    ¡°The bright heaven, earth, sun, and moon! The Immemorial Taixu¡¯s Seal!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Xiao Chen cast a Dao spell enveloped in white glow behind them that Xu Gu was able to barely ward off the next wave of spirits. Right then, the Nether Spirits that came surging in began to retreat like the tide. Meanwhile, the group finally made it out of the tunnel and the space in front of them became a lot more spacious.


    ¡°D*mn it! These spirits aren¡¯t chasing us anymore!¡± Ling Fei was somewhat frustrated exasperated. Being the child of a wealthy and influential family, he had never been reduced into such a pathetic state in his life.


    ¡°Wait a minute! What¡¯s that in front¡­¡±

 Chapter 326 - Corpse Demons

    ¡°M-Meow! Don¡¯t scare me!¡±


    Everyone produced orbs of light to illuminate their surroundings. What greeted them were numerous deep lakes of maroon-colored water. Next to every lake was a large locust tree, some of which had their roots protruding from the ground and winding around the lake like veins and arteries. The roots were so tightly wounded that they were a horrifying sight from afar.


    Qingyu and Liu Feiyan turned pale from fright. ¡°H-How could there be so many locust trees and pools of blood? Is that human blood inside¡­¡±


    ¡°L-Locust trees¡­¡± Zhiluan was so frightened that he fell, sitting on the ground. In a trembling voice, he said, ¡°Locust trees gather dark energy and easily attract evil spirits. That¡¯s why most people wouldn¡¯t plant a locust tree in their yards. Legend has it that under every locust tree is a mass grave of people who have died tragically and then turned into vengeful ghosts. Every year at this time, they would find a scapegoat. Here¡­¡±


    Unable to take it anymore, Liu Feiyan clapped her hands over her ears and screeched, ¡°Argh! Stop talking! Xiao Chen, discipline your cat!¡±


    Xiao Chen walked over to Zhiluan and kicked him aside. ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re the only one who knows all these stories! Stop spouting nonsense, will ya?¡±


    The kick sent Zhiluan tumbling and rolling on the ground. When he got up, he continued saying in a trembling voice, ¡°No! I¡¯m telling you the truth! The lake¡­ isn¡¯t filled with blood! It¡¯s the water of the Yellow Springs, the kind you¡¯d find only in the Underworld!¡±


    ¡°Yellow Springs water!¡±


    The group turned grim-faced. Yu Yifeng said in alarm, ¡°What¡¯s that over there?!¡±


    Everyone turned to look and saw a piece of land in the distance covered with red-colored flowers. With their red-as-blood petals and thin stamens growing upward from within, they looked incredibly demonic.


    Bai Yushu said quietly, ¡°The books mention that the flowers of the Yellow Springs blossom three feet away from the road. Could those be the flowers of the Yellow Springs¡­? Could it be that we have truly walked into the Underworld that governs the death of commoners?¡±


    These words left the group in disbelief. Ling Fei¡¯s expression turned stern as he said harshly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in any Underworld that governs the death of commoners!¡± He then aimed a palm attack at the nearest locust tree. Following the rustling of the leaves, the entire tree shook alongside the leaves, so much so that it produced an eerie hissing sound.


    Several trees nearby began shaking as well. In an instant, all the locust trees here quaked and the sinister hissing sounds reverberated throughout. Everyone felt their scalps go numb from fright.


    ¡°Stop trying to scare us with your petty tricks!¡± Ling Fei bellowed, wanting to take out his Immortal¡¯s Sword and cut down a tree or two. Xiao Chen glared at him. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m doing? Cutting down these trees!¡± Suddenly, he staggered and nearly fell. It was as if someone had given him a shove.


    ¡°Who pushed me?!¡± Ling Fei whipped around, unable to restrain his anger. Seeing Wan Yanyan standing behind him, he yelled, ¡°Why did you push me?!¡±


    Wan Yanyan was bewildered. ¡°I didn¡¯t push you¡­¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Out of the blue, a screech shattered the atmosphere. Everyone turned around and saw a pale-looking Qingyu. Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qingyu shuddered nonstop as if something had frightened her. She could barely get the words out of her mouth. ¡°Girl! There¡¯s a girl! I just saw a little girl in red running past me! She¡¯s carrying a terrifying puppet on her back!¡±


    Everyone exchanged looks before scanning their surroundings. Other than the eighteen of them, there was no sign of a little girl in red anywhere. Zhou Li walked over to Qingyu and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Junior Sister Qingyu. Stop scaring yourself¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, another screech pierced the air. This time, it came from Liu Feiyan. She was so frightened that her face was white. ¡°I saw her! I saw her too! Argh! She¡¯s right behind you!¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately whipped around. Other than feeling a gust of cold wind sweeping him, he saw nothing else. The rest took out their Immortal¡¯s Swords and magic treasures, all on guard.


    Xu Gu put his palms together. ¡°All with appearances is empty and false. If you can see all appearances as unreal, then you see the Tathagata¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t until he planted the Vajrapani Drives Out the Devil Seal between both girls¡¯ brows that they finally calmed down a little.


    Xiao Chen unsheathed his Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword and said seriously, ¡°May I ask whoever senior it is to show himself or herself?¡± His voice echoed in the space but no reply answered him.


    After a long time, a wispy voice reverberated. The voice sounded both as close as if it was next to everyone¡¯s ears yet distant at the same time. It sounded like a little girl slowly singing a folksong. ¡°Amid the red flowers and red moon, I ride a horse across the bridge; Uncles and Older Brothers are all dead, I carry my Brother up the bridge¡­¡±


    The singing was sinister and the last line was especially hair-raising. Not even covering their ears helped for the sound was clear. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned increasingly solemn. Red flowers? Red moon? Puppet? He didn¡¯t think the girl was singing about the red flowers blooming everywhere here, but rather¡­


    ¡°This is a strange place. Don¡¯t show blind trust in what we see and hear now because it might not be the truth. That includes the person next to you now. He or she might not be who you know,¡± Su Zimu suddenly said.


    Su Zimu¡¯s last line confused everyone but they nonetheless became alert. The little girl¡¯s ghostly folksong was still resounding in the air. Qingyu and Liu Feiyan felt their scalp turn numb. Meanwhile, Xu Gu started reciting Mind-purifying Tathagata Incantation.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s leave this place first.¡± Xiao Chen thought it wouldn¡¯t be wise to linger in this strange place any longer. He and Xiaoyue led the group to the other side.


    Thanks to the many lakes nearby, everyone found the soil under their feet to be damp and clammy. Creaking and grunting sounds rang out every time their feet touched the ground. When they reached the expanse of strange and gorgeous flowers of Yellow Springs, Xiao Chen frowned. The flowers here covered every inch of the ground, forming a boundless sea of red that left no space for them to move around in. He lifted up the hem of his robe and said, ¡°We can¡¯t verify if these are the flowers of the Underworld at the moment but it¡¯s best that we don¡¯t touch any.¡±


    Everyone cautiously treaded through the field of flowers as the ghostly folksong resounded next to their ears, sometimes sounding close and sometimes far. It was as if the little girl had been following after them all this while, insisting on haunting them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go any further. There are Corpse Demons up ahead.¡±


    Suddenly, another voice rang out. It belonged to that little girl. Everyone immediately turned around but saw no one. Qingyu turned pale and said in a trembling voice, ¡°It¡¯s that girl. Is she warning us¡­?¡±


    Xiaoyue frowned and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. She focused on her surroundings and said, ¡°Little girl? Is that you speaking? Can you please show yourself?¡±


    No one said anything for a long time. The only sound was the sound of the folksong again. ¡°Amid the red flowers and red moon, I ride a horse across the bridge; Uncles and Older Brothers are all dead, I carry my Brother up the bridge¡­¡± The voice gradually sounded farther and farther away until it fell silent completely.


    Relief washed over everyone as soon as the little girl¡¯s voice vanished. But just as quickly, they plunged into a deathly stillness that made them feel even more panicked.


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Xu Gu recited the name of Buddha. ¡°The thoughts we birth in our minds are unreal, and it is all an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu Gu is right. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao Chen didn¡¯t say much. He once again turned around to lead the rest. Nearly an hour later, the group finally left the field of flowers. However, the empty space in front of them seemed to go on endlessly. The atmosphere here was indescribably eerie. Even the air here was permeated with the faint smell of decaying flesh; it was enough to make them feel sick.


    Su Zimu gripped his Mystic Heaven Fan and said cautiously, ¡°The stink of corpse here is strong. Looks like the little girl is right. We should be careful.¡±


    While he was still speaking, the sound of rustling suddenly rang out all around them. The sound became denser and denser. In the darkness, no one could tell what was approaching them. The eighteen of them immediately got together, with each doubling the brightness of the orb of True Energy light in their hand. What they saw next was hair-raising.


    The soil around them began to open up, revealing countless withered arms emerging from the ground. Then, a hoard of rotten corpses climbed out of the soil and filled the air with a horrible stench.


    Qingyu and Liu Feiyan turned sheet-white. They hastily covered their nose with their sleeve but that didn¡¯t stop them from retching. The rest also felt their stomach churn. Bai Yushu gripped his Immortal¡¯s Sword and said seriously, ¡°Watch out. They¡¯re Corpse Demons.¡±


    In just seconds, hundreds of Corpse Demons climbed out of the ground. The rotting of the demons was severe. Inside their eye sockets were two dark-green will-o¡¯-the-wisps and a large part of their skin were illuminated green. From afar, it looked like a field of green. There were likely thousands of these Corpse Demons.


    ¡°M-meow! They¡¯re not ordinary Corpse Demons! They¡¯re giving off Devil Qi!¡± Zhiluan was so scared that he hid behind Xiao Chen. He put his claw near his mouth. His teeth were chattering nonstop.


    Corpse Demons were originally a form of Corpse Insect inside bodies. They were born out of the Negative Qi and Tainted Qi in the world. With the bodies as a stove, the insects gradually cultivate to become evil creatures. Ordinary Corpse Demons would only emanate deep Negative Qi, but the ones in front of them even exuded unnatural Devil Qi.


    ¡°Watch out! Don¡¯t let the Corpse Qi and Devil Qi infect you!¡± With that said, Su Zimu slew the dozen or so Corpse Demons charging at them with his Heavenly Thirteen Swords. Limbs immediately went flying all over.


    Bai Yushu cast a spell. The Immortal¡¯s Sword in his hand instantly turned into a ray of light and cut through the air. However, the hoard of Corpse Demons caused the white radiance of the sword to lose some of its lusters. Bai Yushu hastily retrieved his sword. When it flew back to his hand, he saw wisps of black Qi so thin that they were barely discernable winding around the blade.


    ¡°Be careful. The Devil Qi on these Corpse Demons is thick enough to taint our weapons.¡±


    Naturally, this came to the attention of everyone else as well. Unless they were using legendary weapons like the Unsullied Sword, ordinary Immortal¡¯s Swords would be tainted by the Devil Qi on these Corpse Demons as soon as they came close. Everyone began to cast their respective spells to attack with Sword Qi instead.


    The sight of numerous Sword Qi weaving left and right in their attacks was dazzling but Xiao Chen remained frowning. He could feel another terrifying existence hiding in an unknown corner of the darkness.


    ¡°Who is it? Who dares to disturb this General¡¯s eternal rest?¡±

 Chapter 327 - General of Soul

    ¡°Who is it? Who dares to disturb this General¡¯s eternal rest?¡±


    Suddenly, a dignified voice emerged from the pitch-black darkness. It came as unexpectedly as a sudden clap of thunder, causing everyone¡¯s hearts to jump and their attacks to slow a fair deal. They all turned to look in the direction of the voice.


    ¡°Ta¡­ ta¡­ ta¡­¡±


    The sound of hooves emerged from the boundless darkness, gradually creeping closer and getting louder. It almost felt as if the ground was quaking alongside it. Everyone was instantly on guard when they sensed a wave of Devil Qi surging forth.


    Out of the blue, they saw a tall specter stepping out of the darkness. The specter was almost seven meters tall and had orbs of light for eyes that were particularly striking at night. He wore a red armor with rolling dark Qi seeping out of the crevices. In his hand was a crescent saber that was nearly ten meters long. He rode a black demonic horse, making him look mighty and impressive. The thousands of Corpse Demons nearby began to prostrate themselves to show their respect to him.


    The formidable aura made the group feel suffocated. This person was likely some ancient general who died on the battlefield and became reborn thanks to the Negative Qi in this place. Then, the invasion of Devil Qi nearly turned him into a devil or demon.


    ¡°People? No human has approached this place in nearly a thousand years. Who are you all? State your names immediately!¡± the devilish general suddenly yelled.


    His voice caused the group to shudder. They turned to look at each other in dismay. This man appeared sane still; how should they answer him?


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to speak? Invaders of my tomb, die!¡±


    Out of the blue, the devil-like general swung his saber at them and aimed a ray of black light more than thirty-meter long at them. The group immediately leaped but even though they dodged the attack, the remaining force still sent their Qi and blood surging. Those of them with lower cultivation, like Qingyu and Zhou Li, couldn¡¯t withstand such a violent power at all. They crashed to the ground with blood spouting from their mouths.


    Yu Yifeng swiftly ran up to them and poured True Energy into their bodies. He then looked at the devilish general. They were no match for devilish spirits like this man, he knew, so he urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Even the general¡¯s single saber radiance was difficult for them to withstand. Naturally, they knew this opponent wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat. But just as they wanted to turn around, they heard the general giving his order. Three devilish lieutenants appeared behind them to block their way.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here! What makes you think you can come and go as you please?!¡±


    Following the general¡¯s order, the three devilish lieutenants immediately attacked the group. Each lieutenant possessed the strength of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Instantly, everyone was left desperately defending themselves.


    ¡°To defeat your enemies, you must first catch their leader!¡± Ling Fei yelled. He swiftly cast spells and the Immortal¡¯s Sword hovering before him immediately expanded by more than five times. It looked brilliant and dazzling. ¡°Go!¡± he cried. The sword transformed into a blinding white light of about 25 meters and charged at the devilish general.


    It was evident from the fierceness of the sword that it was no ordinary weapon. Still, the general scoffed and swung his saber sideways. Clanging sounds rang out as the sword shattered into seven or eight pieces. The remnant force swept the group, sending a dozen or so flying.


    Ling Fei crashed to the ground with a scream and coughed up blood. His Immortal¡¯s Sword was ruined and it was obvious that his injuries were severe. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of the battle. The devilish general swung his saber yet again, this time launching an overwhelming black saber radiance of more than thirty-meter long.


    Everyone turned pale with fright. Bai Yushu hastily cast a spell to teleport Ling Fei some sixty meters away. Then, a massive explosion resounded and the spot Ling Fei previously stood in became a bottomless gorge in an instant.


    This startled everyone but before they could react, the general was about to attack again. Xiaoyue recited a mnemonic chant before swiftly crying, ¡°Autumn Water Sword! Unsheathe!¡±


    ¡°Swish!¡± The Autumn Water Sword left its scabbard and emitted countless rays of light, illuminating the place so brightly that it looked like daylight. The rest could barely open their eyes. Following Xiaoyue¡¯s spell incantation, the sword charged at the devilish general like the brightest meteor at night.


    The astounding might of Immortals was all-powerful. The white rays of light rained down like a meteor shower, causing countless Corpse Demons under its range to scream endlessly as they sought cover underground. The devilish general scoffed and pointed his crescent saber upward. With a clanging sound, he hit the Autumn Water Sword and sent it flying back to its owner.


    This sent a deep shock down Xiaoyue¡¯s mind. She took a step backward as blood sprayed from her mouth.


    ¡°How dare the mere light of a firefly covets the splendor of the luminous moon! Without me, there¡¯s no heaven; Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡±


    Following the devilish general¡¯s bellow, he pointed his saber upward and his surroundings seemed to have turned into an expanse of primal chaos in an instant. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed when they realized they couldn¡¯t move even a single inch.


    Such a formidable force made it difficult for them to even breathe. They felt like they were plunged into a despairing and never-ending nightmare. Facing such a powerful Devilish Spirit, they had lost even the strength to resist.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought on horseback my entire life and my hands were tainted with too much blood. Your crime for intruding upon this forbidden land ought to be punishable by death, but I¡¯ll consider the fact that this is your first offense. You may leave after you destroy your cultivation!¡±


    The group turned an alarming shade of white when they heard the instruction to destroy their cultivation. If a cultivator were to destroy his cultivation, he might as well die.


    Ling Fei tried to struggle but how could he when he was subject to such mighty force? The devilish general¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°What are you waiting for? Must I destroy your cultivation myself?¡±


    He swung his saber as soon as he spoke. This time, no one could dodge his attack and the death of mind and soul was inevitable. Just as the saber was about to befall their heads, a dazzling multicolored light enveloped them.


    It was Xiao Chen breaking the general¡¯s restriction and whipping out the Fuxi Zither at the eleventh hour. The zither was now fixed with three strings, making it look more corporal than ever.


    Mustering all his strength, he pulled all three strings to their limit. When the tyrannical saber finally fell, it stopped just a few meters away from the top of his head. What happened next was even more stupefying.


    ¡°This general greets you, Your Highness!¡±


    The group watched as the general retrieved his crescent saber and got off his horse to swiftly walk up to kowtow in front of Xiao Chen.


    Everyone looked at each other. One minute ago, they were standing on the verge of death. What was going on now? Xiao Chen was as surprised as any of them but he soon realized that it was the work of the Fuxi Zither! The general must have recognized the zither. His master must have once possessed a similar zither and that led to him misunderstanding Xiao Chen as his master.


    The restriction placed on the group was now gone, but no one dared to move or speak still. Xiao Chen was silent for some time as he processed the sight of such a big monster kneeling to him. He then tested the waters, asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Guifeng.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ You may rise, General Guifeng.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡±


    Guifeng stood up and all six or seven meters of him towered over everyone like a giant. Xiao Chen turned around to check on everyone and saw their grim expressions. Xiaoyue shook her head at him, indicating that they should take this opportunity to leave lest the Devilish Spirit would go mad and hurt them.


    Xiao Chen signaled them to be quiet before turning around and addressing Guifeng. ¡°General Guifeng, do you know what is this place?¡±


    ¡°I perished here all those years ago along with my army of 8,000,000. Please name your punishment, Your Highness!¡±


    Too much time must have passed, Xiao Chen thought, that this Devilish Spirit appeared somewhat delirious. He said, ¡°You bear no guilt, General. How did you reawaken? What caused the Devil Qi on you?¡±


    That was what he was most concerned about. Such a bizarre Negative Qi or such strong Devil Qi wouldn¡¯t appear in this place without rhyme or reason.


    Gui Feng replied, ¡°More than a hundred years ago, a strong Negative Qi began invading this place. Then came the Devil Qi. I have no idea about the rest.¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Finally, they had gathered some useful information. The Negative and Devil Qi here was, as expected, not from the human world and neither was this place the Valley of God and Devil, the crevice of six realms. But more than a hundred years ago¡­? The Soul-consuming Evil Flower seemed to have made its first appearance some one hundred years ago.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the information, General.¡±


    Guifeng cupped his hands in obeisance. ¡°Being a criminal, I dare not seek recognition. Now that I¡¯m given the chance to once again revive the friendship between a ruler and his subordinate in this life, I wish to once again serve you, Your Highness. If you ever need my help, all you need to do is mention my name.¡± With that said, he gradually disappeared in front of everyone along with his black horse.


    Zhiluan collapsed on the ground, paralyzed. He could finally take a breath in relief. ¡°That¡¯s just how strange and wonderful life is sometimes. Just a moment ago, he was ready to cut off your head but wanted to serve you in the next. Kid, a ghost will be haunting you from now on. That¡¯s pretty scary to think about, ugh.¡± He scrunched ups his neck and made a strange movement.


    Bai Yushu walked up to Xiao Chen with a gentle smile. ¡°Congratulations, Brother Xiao. That spectral general here must be the ¡®General of Soul¡¯ that I read about in books. Once a General of Soul signs a contract with his master, he¡¯ll pledge his life to serve his master for his whole life. There are people in this world who cultivate this specifically and rely on their General of Soul to become a hegemon. Now that you¡¯ve obtained such a powerful General of Soul today, you¡¯re akin to a tiger that has grown wings.¡±

 Chapter 328 - Snake Metamorphosis

    ¡°The General of Soul?¡±


    Even someone like Xiao Chen who was knowledgeable had never heard of the General of Soul. But as the Chinese idiom said, ¡°It is a blessing that it is not a curse, if it is a curse you can¡¯t run.¡± Guifeng was so powerful that it was comparable to a master in Nirvana Realm. To him, it was a blessing and not a curse.


    Bai Yushu nodded and smiled. ¡°The General of Soul could be the soul of the deceased, the demon spirits of the elves, the soul of the ancient beast and even the ancient gods. If the General of Soul is strong enough, it can even be merged with its master. Brother Xiao, this General of Soul should be in the first category, presumably, this General Guifeng was a Huben general when he was alive.¡±


    The rest did not know much about the General of Soul. But they were all relieved that they made it out alive. Only Ling Fei was seen gloomy, gnashing in hatred. His cultivation was damaged and even his family Immortal¡¯s Sword heirloom was destroyed. The Xiao family conquered Guifeng, and he shifted all these resentments onto Xiao Chen.


    Su Zimu said, ¡°Well, the ghost general said that the Devil Qi begun more than 100 years ago. This news is useful to the Immortals¡¯ League. The sun is about to rise. We should think of how to get out first.¡±


    Zhiluan flew up and said, ¡°Kiddo, summon your General of Soul to lead the way! This is his territory, no demon and ghosts will dare to approach us if he leads the way.¡± It seemed like now he could speak with more confidence.


    Xiao Chen looked into the darkness ahead and said, ¡°No hurry, let¡¯s walk first and see how it goes.¡±


    They walked for about two and a half hours before a faint glimpse of light was seen. Qingyu said joyfully, ¡°An exit!¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Wait! Why do I feel like I¡¯m stepping on nothing¡­¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, the whole space suddenly shook violently, and then the ground began to collapse. Everyone was terrified. They quickly rushed towards the bright light on their magic treasure flying sword. However, they did not make it in time, and the whole space collapsed.


    Before Xiao Chen could react, his body was in the air. He was falling rapidly. Zhiluan held onto his shoulder with all its strength and shouted incoherently, ¡°I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m so going to die from falling! Okay, I¡¯m going to fly! Fly! I can¡¯t fly!¡±


    Xiao Chen felt like he had fallen into a bottomless pit. No matter how much they were falling, they were not falling onto the ground. He tried calling the rest but no one answered. Finally, ¡®splash¡¯, a human and a cat fell into what was like a pond after god-knows-how-long.


    It took a while before Xiao Chen emerged out from the water. He shouted, ¡°Brother Yifeng! Qingluan! Ziyun¡¯er!¡± However, there was not a single echo, and he was surrounded by dead silence.


    The place was arctic cold. Xiao Chen immediately climbed onto the shore and cast a light spell. Zhiluan clutched his shoulders tightly, its fur stuck to its body, making him look thin.


    ¡°Meow! I Holy meow! We¡¯re doomed! We were falling for so long, so we must have fallen into Hell!¡± Zhiluan said as it quivered. Then he jumped and yelled and pointed at Xiao Chen angrily, ¡°I told you that we can¡¯t come here! See what you got us into! Fine, that silly girl didn¡¯t listen to me. But even you didn¡¯t! Listen to me!¡±


    Xiao Chen could not be bothered with him. He focused himself and looked around alarmedly. Indeed, this place gave him a strange vibe. Zhiluan was still nagging, ¡°It¡¯s over! There are ten temples in Hell, there are Black and White Generals, and there are Yin and Yang Judge. Also, not to mention the scariest Nether Emperor. We¡¯re doomed; we¡¯re so going to die¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen gave him a stare and said, ¡°Can you be braver? You have at least the level of Core Forming Realm. Can you not be as timid as a mouse every time? Let¡¯s go and see if we can find an exit. I don¡¯t know if the rest has landed yet.¡± Then he started to lead the way.


    Zhiluan followed closely behind, and could not stop trembling. It held its paws together and blabbered, ¡°Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West¡­ Hundreds of ghosts leave us alone, and evil spirits don¡¯t attack us¡­ Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West¡­¡±


    Along the way, Xiao Chen was getting irritated by it. Then he finally could not help but stop walking. Zhiluan jumped with fright and asked, ¡°Wh-why did you stop! Kiddo, did you see something!¡±


    Xiao Chen lowered his head and felt powerless. He pleaded, ¡°Immortal Zhi, could you please? Could you please stop nagging? The way you¡¯re doing it, even if there aren¡¯t any ghosts, there will be. Didn¡¯t an old man give you purplish gold bell the other time in the Abyss of Spirits? Well, shake it twice or something to ward off the evil spirits.¡±


    ¡°Oh yea, I totally forgot about this.¡±


    Then Zhiluan remembered that the old man in the Silent Hall said something about compensating it. He gave him his glass purplish golden bell. This bell had been hanging around his neck. Just that it had a spell cast on it so that it would not ring as it walked. The ringing had made him embarrassed.


    At this time, it lifted the spell off the bell and shook it twice with its paw. The bell rang, and it seemed that the evil spirits did not dare to come near them anymore.


    ¡°Holy meow! It¡¯s not that scary anymore after shaking it!¡±


    And so, an hour later.


    Xiao Chen walked on the path. One moment, the bell rang on the left side of him and then the next moment on the right side of him. Finally, he got a little mad and yelled, ¡°Immortal Zhi! Can you please not shake that bloody bell of yours right next to my ear!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Lying on his shoulder, Zhiluan finally kept its bell.


    ¡°Wait, there seems to be a sound of water in front.¡± Without the bell, Xiao Chen felt that his sense of hearing was a lot sharper. There was a faint sound of water coming from not far in front.


    ¡°Holy meow! I can hear it too! Could it be that river of Hell in legends, the Forgotten River!¡± There is a bridge on the river. There is an old woman who sells soup at the bridge. If you tell her to not put chopped spring onions in the soup¡­¡±


    ¡°Soup your head!¡± Xiao Chen knocked on its forehead and said, ¡°Go, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    After 30 minutes later, a man and a cat came to a river. The river was murky and rushing. It was about 30 meters wide. On the shores, there were many of the Hell Flowers they had seen before. Zhiluan yelled, ¡°Holy meow! It is the Forgotten River! We¡¯re dead, we have really fallen into Hell!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows tangled in a frown. He had heard from Fengxi before that the connector of the gaps of the Six Realms, the connector of the Ghost Realm, was called Nieqing Hai. He could not possibly be under this valley. Furthermore, although the Negative Qi was dense here, there was still some human world aura. It should not be the Ghost Realm here. Besides, a faint Devil Qi that could be felt from the bottom of this river. Could it be¡­


    ¡°Doom, doom, we¡¯re doom! If we bump into an old woman who sells soup, don¡¯t drink her soup. If you drink it, you will forget everything, and you will inexplicably go to reincarnation¡­¡±


    ¡°Reincarnation your head! Stupid cat, you only know how to sprout nonsense!¡±


    Xiao Chen gave him a stare again and walked towards the river. The splashes of water quickly soaked his robe hem.


    ¡°I think I probably know the reason for the Devil Qi in this place. The people of the Devil Clan. Not bad. They hid it from the heaven and the seas. Ha. I have to go down and confirm my guess.¡±


    Zhiluan jumped with fright and yelled, ¡°Kid¡­ kiddo, are you crazy! This Dragon Boat Festival has not arrived yet, what for you want to jump into the river!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned and glared at him and said, ¡°Stay put on the shore! I¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, Zhiluan jumped up and down. It pointed at the river and shouted, ¡°Ri-rising! The water is rising! Kiddo, come back! It must be the Black and White Generals coming to catch us!¡±


    Xiao Chen felt a chill beneath his feet, he looked down and found that the water rose up a lot higher to the height of his legs. Then the river surged as if it was raging. The water rose three feet above the ground. Xiao Chen stepped back hastily and caught a glimpse of a large creature in the water swimming towards them with speed.


    The creature was getting closer and closer, the river flow was getting more and more rapid. It had already stirred up a thousand feet of waves. Zhiluan exclaimed, ¡°Holy meow! It is not the Black and White Generals! It is a snake metamorphosis!¡±


    The monster in the upstream had shown itself. It was a black snake that measured a length of several hundred feet. Its whole body was wrapped with shiny scales. It had wings on its back and its head was like a flood dragon. Its two eyes shone like a lantern.


    ¡°Rarrr!¡± The Snake Metamorphosis growled loudly. A more than 30-meter-long water pillar rose up from the ground and headed towards them at lightning speed. Xiao Chen could not avoid it in time. He quickly cast a Barrier shield to block the attack.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Unexpectedly, the Barrier was shattered into pieces. Xiao Chen¡¯s breathing was disrupted by the aftershock and flew straight out.


    ¡°Go!¡± Xiao Chen did not stop to think. This Snake Metamorphosis was a ferocious beast that was proliferated in ancient times. It was not something he could fight against at the moment. He grabbed Zhiluan and spread out the Phoenix¡¯s Wings and fled to a distance afar.


    However, the Snake Metamorphosis pursued. One after another water pillar came at them. Zhiluan was terrified and screamed, ¡°Left, left! Right, right! Almost hitting us! Go down a little!¡± Xiao Chen was struggling, for this speed of the Snake Metamorphosis was on par with him.


    Suddenly, the Snake Metamorphosis made a dash. In an instant, it was only 30 meters behind him. It swept its tail and the dirt flew. Even he was still a few meters away from the ground, Xiao Chen felt how scary the force was. If they were hit, they would be half-dead.


    ¡°Kiddo! Didn¡¯t you just receive a General of Soul! Call it out!¡±


    Xiao Chen did not think more and shouted, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    The moment his voice fell, the Snake Metamorphosis swept its tail again, and there was a loud bang. The whole space violently shook and the ground instantly split. Countless gaps were formed and the river-water splashed into midair. However, under the impact of this world-destroying power, Xiao Chen was unscathed. A tall figure appeared in front of him, blocking off all the attacks for him.


    ¡°Here!¡±

 Chapter 329 - A Strange Boy

    Chapter 329 A Strange Boy¡°Meow! Holy meow! That was scary!¡±


    Guifeng held a thirty feet crescent moon blade in one hand and the other hand blocked against the Snake Metamorphosis¡¯ tail in midair. The devil ride of him stood on its hind hoofs and howled, and the river water rumbled.


    The Snake Metamorphosis flew into a rage and growled. Then it attacked Guifeng with two thirty-meter-long water pillars.


    ¡°Without me, there will be no law. Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡±


    Guifeng shouted, the black Qi that came out of his body armor was denser. A black hole appeared in a flash and dismissed the two water pillars.


    The Snake Metamorphosis was so furious that it growled non-stop and swept its tail rapidly. The rocks flew all over. The earth shook as if it was about to collapse. Guifeng shouted, ¡°Master, rise!¡± He reached out his hand and took Xiao Chen onto the horseback. Zhiluan cried, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± Then it flew and followed behind.


    The devil horse raised its head and let out a neigh. It then turned and ran downstream. Its four hooves seemed to on thunder and lightning. Soon, it was several thousand feet away in a split second.


    With one hand holding onto his blade, Guifeng protected Xiao Chen behind with the other hand. Xiao Chen sat on the horseback. He could hear winds howling on both sides of his ears and his face hurt from the strong wind that blew against him. This devil horse was so much faster than his Phoenix¡¯s Wings that it shook off the Snake Metamorphosis in a flash.


    In the endless darkness, only the galloping of a horse and the sound of river shaking could be heard. About 30 minutes later, a spot of light suddenly appeared in front of them. However, they came to see a rock wall that blocked their way when they drew closer. A faint light was passing through the wall.


    ¡°Those who stand in my way die!¡±


    Guifeng bellowed and swung his blade and a thirty-meter-long black sword ray whooshed out. With a loud bang, the rock wall that was blocking them was smashed into pieces. Then a bright pathway appeared in front of them.


    The sudden bright light stung Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes, and he could barely open them. As the devil horse neighed, he felt himself in midair. The devil horse had leaped into the air and brought them out.


    In front of them, they could see a valley surrounded by jagged rocks. Although it was still a little spooky, as compared to the ghastly hell river, it was so much better. Xiao Chen looked back and no longer saw the hell river. The Snake Metamorphosis had also stopped its pursue. He got down from the horse and bowed at Guifeng, said, ¡°Thank you for saving us, General.¡±


    Guifeng dismounted with him and bowed back, said, ¡°I dare not ask for credit for my duty! Since the Master is safe, I will take leave.¡± Then he disappeared into thin air.


    Xiao Chen looked at where he disappeared and thought that the aura of the underworld was so heavy that it made Su Xiaomei uneasy. However, Guifeng, who was also a soul body was unafraid. Presumably, the Guifeng was also a brave and invincible general when he was alive.


    ¡°Holy meow, what¡¯s this place? We won¡¯t encounter anything again, right?¡­¡± Zhiluan looked around alertly and spoke with caution.


    Xiao Chen looked up into the sky. Under the strange clouds, he could not tell the time. But he thought it should be 7 a.m. He had no idea where the others were now and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how to get out of here.¡±


    A man and a cat walked for several hours, but they still could not find the entrance of rock valley, and there seemed to be some sort of restrictions here; they were unable to ride the sword or fly.


    Twilight gradually enveloped, the strange rocks stood around, looking like evil minions. Under the complete silence, they looked even grimmer and frightening. Zhiluan sat down on the ground and cried, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. I can¡¯t walk¡­¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    Xiao Chen moved his dried lips and also found a clean stone to sit down. Since yesterday, he had not had a single drop of water. Not to mention that they had so many encounters along the way, even if he had reached such high cultivation, he still felt a little uncomfortable.


    Zhiluan pulled out two bright red immortal fruits from the baggage hanging at the back of its neck, threw one to him, and then chewed the other one up.


    Xiao Chen took the immortal fruit and took a bite. A faint scent and sweetness spread in his mouth. If only there was a bowl of plain water as well. Then he thought about the rest who were yet to be found. He hoped that they were safe, after all, this place was full of strangeness. He had somehow guessed the source of the Devil Qi. Now, all he had to do was to find the rest of the people and report back to the Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    Zhiluan nibbled the immortal fruit while nagging, ¡°We were good staying in the Immortals¡¯ League. The stupid girl had to drag me out into this muddy water. D*mn it. When we go back, we will see how I will deal with you ¡­¡±


    After they were rested, the man and the cat were on their way again. This time, it lasted for two days and two nights. The stone valley seemed endless. Fortunately, the Devil Qi had all rushed up to the top. By the third morning, both of them were tired of walking. They had also finished all the immortal fruits they had. Zhiluan sat down on the ground and cried, ¡°No, I can¡¯t do this anymore. Get your General of Soul out quickly. His horse runs faster¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him and thought, ¡°How can I bother Guifeng with such a trivial matter?¡± Then he smiled and said, ¡°By the way, this is the second time we have shared weal and woe right? The last time was at the Thousand Summits Mountain.¡±


    Zhiluan said angrily, ¡°You still have the guts to smile, Kiddo. I have told you before that you¡¯re an unlucky star, whoever is with you will be in bad luck!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up and laughed. ¡°Haha! I wondered who cried and wailed while grabbing tightly onto my shoulder 3 days ago when we fell into the hell river?¡±


    Zhiluan was blushed. It was so angry that it started to scratch hard on the ground. Suddenly it felt something hard. It picked it up, looked at it, and then asked curiously, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? ¡±


    Xiao Chen peered at it and saw that the thing was half a palm-sized, full-bodied purple-black, shiny, with black Qi flowing inside. He shouted, ¡°Throw it away!¡±


    Zhiluan shuddered and immediately threw it out. The amethyst smashed into pieces on the hard rock and immediately a dense Devil Qi spread out. In that instant, Xiao Chen immediately formed a True Energy shield to keep out the Devil Qi. Zhiluan trembled in fear and exclaimed, ¡°What the hell!¡±


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Xiao Chen pulled him towards a stone forest not far away. The rock wall was covered with countless same amethysts of just now. The small one was of palm-sized, and the large one was like a millstone. It packed so densely that one would get goosebumps just by looking.


    ¡°Holy meow! What are these?¡± Zhiluan opened its cat mouth big, looking very surprised.


    ¡°Devil Energy Amethyst.¡±


    Devil Energy Amethyst, formed by gathering the Devil Qi. It is like the Spirit Stone, just that a Spirit Stone contained a large amount of Immortal Qi which was beneficial to the immortal cultivators. The devil amethyst, on the other hand, was for the devil cultivators. However, it was forbidden to have it in the Violet Manor. One could only obtain it in the black market. Not only that, the price of a devil amethyst was way higher than a Spirit Stone of the same level.


    ¡°The Devil Energy Amethyst? Oh, my meow! We¡¯re going to be rich! Rich!¡± Zhiluan cheered and ran to pick up the devil amethysts. Xiao Chen scolded, ¡°Do you want to die? If the Immortals¡¯ League found out that you¡¯re hiding devil amethysts on you, you will go straight to jail for 20 years! ¡±


    Zhiluan¡¯s retracted his hand in horror. ¡°Not, not that serious right? I¡¯m not under Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s control anyway! ¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this place is not suitable to stay for long.¡± Just as he was about to turn and leave, at the corner of his eye, he saw a figure underneath a large rock not too far away.


    That person was dressed in red and was not tall. He looked like a teenage boy. He stood with his hands behind his back and was also looking at the devil amethysts on the rocks.


    ¡°Little brother?¡± Xiao Chen asked exploratorily.


    The person turned around. Indeed, it was a ten-year-old boy, just that his features were just about to define. His eyes were like stars and his eyebrows were sharp. Most importantly, as he faced Xiao Chen, his hands were still behind his back and his eyes were without a trace of panic.


    ¡°This place is dangerous, little brother, why are you alone here? Are you a villager from above? ¡±


    Xiao Chen probed and asked again, he did not notice any cultivation on the boy. The boy did not have any Devil Qi on him as well. He was just an ordinary teen. But he could not figure out why he was in such a dangerous place with Devil¡¯s Carnage. It also did not make sense to say that the boy had lost his way.


    The boy in red did not answer. Zhiluan flew over and asked, ¡°Oi! Little boy! We¡¯re asking you questions! Are you mute? ¡±


    The boy remained silent. Xiao Chen looked around and said, ¡°Little brother, this place is dangerous. Do you want to come with us?¡±


    The boy still silent, but moved slowly towards him with hands behind his back. An hour later, they were finally out of the rock valley and in front of them was a deadwood forest. Flowers and trees that were within dozens of miles had withered; it was lifeless.


    Along the way, Xiao Chen carefully watched the young boy behind and found that he was indeed without any cultivations. With his current Divine Sense, even Grand Completion Realm cultivators could barely escape his eyes. It seemed that this young boy was just an ordinary person, just a little too mature for his age. He asked, ¡°Oh right, little brother. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Along the way, the young boy in red spoke nothing. At this moment, he was still not answering. Xiao Chen smiled gently and stopped asking questions. He thought he was probably mute.


    Right this moment, they suddenly heard a voice coming from the dense forest ahead, ¡°Why? Is it that only you¡¯re allowed to be here, and not us?¡± After a pause, the person laughed again. ¡°Brother None-flower, these little dolls are so interesting.¡±

 Chapter 330 - Domestic Troubles

    Xiao Chen thought that the voice seemed familiar. He took a step and rushed forward. When he got close, he saw two people. One of them was wearing a purple and white robe. His black hair had a streak of purple in the middle. On his waist, a purplish gold gourd hung. His pupils were as red as fire. It was Yi Tong.


    Next to him, the other person wore a pristine white robe. A handcrafted feather fan was held in his hand. It was as though he had powdered his face. He looked more beautiful than a woman. It was None-flower Dust.


    A wave of people stood fifty feet opposite them. It was the dozen people who were separated from Xiao Chen just now. The moment they saw Xiao Chen¡¯s return, Yu Yifeng shouted out first, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    Yi Tong also turned his head and chuckled, ¡°Brother Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen realized that the two parties were in a confrontation and that a fight was about to break out. He said hurriedly, ¡°Hey Brother Yi, Brother Non-flower.¡± Then he looked at Yu Yifeng and said, ¡°Brother Yifeng, is there any misunderstanding?¡±


    Ling Fei sneered. ¡°Misunderstanding? Ha! It is not a misunderstanding!¡±


    Xiao Chen noticed that two were missing from the original dozens of people, and asked, ¡°Where are Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui?¡±


    Su Zimu shook his Mystic Heaven Fan and said faintly, ¡°That will have to ask your two good brothers.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Yi Tong and Non-flower Dust and thought that it ought to be a huge misunderstanding. Then he saw more than half of the dozen people had traces of injury. He asked, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Wan Yanyan said coldly, ¡°We have been attacked by evil creatures these few days. Yesterday, we had to pass through a cave and when we looked back, Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui were gone. We headed back to look for them only to find their bodies and these two demon people!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body shook slightly. These people all had big family backgrounds. He thought, ¡°How am I going to explain this when we go back?¡± Looking at Yi Tong, he said, ¡°Brother Yi, is what he said true¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Does Brother Xiao also think we killed them?¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could reply, Yu Yifeng said, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, come back! We are of the Immortal¡¯s Practice. How can we mix around with these demons of Evil¡¯s Practice!¡±


    Since young, Yu Yifeng was taught by Qing Chen Perfected Immortal. He had always drawn a clear line between good and evil. Just like the Xiao Chen when he was still in the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    Xiao Chen looked at him and said, ¡°Brother Yifeng, why you too¡­ Listen to me, there must be a misunderstanding in this. Brother Yi and Brother None-flower will never¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Ling Fei laughed. An insidious look came into his eyes as he said, ¡°Xiao Chen, you¡¯re our leader for this trip. But now you¡¯re speaking up for these two demons, how fantastic!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, a demon here and a demon there. Kiddo, are you not afraid to bite your tongue?¡± with a faint smile, said None-flower Dust, while fanning himself with his handcrafted feather fan.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, get over here! What are you thinking!¡± Yu Yifeng suddenly raised his voice.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xiao Chen knew the situation would be hard to resolve at the moment. He could only deal with it later. As he was about to move, Yi Tong said, ¡°Brother Xiao, we are leaving. Are you planning to join us, or are you going with them?¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped. He was now in a dilemma. It was either Brother Yifeng or Brother Yi. He turned around and said, ¡°Brother Yi, listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± He looked up and laughed. ¡°I understand. We will leave.¡± Then he looked at None-flower Dust who was beside him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother None-flower. We demons are not worthy to be acquainted with people of the Immortal¡¯s Practice.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body shook, as though he was struck by lightning. He reached out his hand and said, ¡°Brother Yi, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Qingluan suddenly moved and stopped him. She shook her head and motioned him to stop talking.


    On the other side, Ling Fei gave a deadly glare and suddenly attacked the back of the two men with his palm and shouted, ¡°The demons of Devil¡¯s Practice, you think you can come and go as you will!¡±


    This attack was so fierce that it sent the deadwood nearby flying all over the place. None-flower Dust gently waved his fan, and Ling Fei was struck with an immense force that flipped him back.


    ¡°You want to stop me? Kiddo, I advise that you go back and practice for hundreds of years more, hahaha¡­¡± laughing, the two figures gradually disappeared.


    Wan Yanyan sneered. ¡°Xiao Chen, you are acquainted with the demons¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly threw him a cold glare. The power of Nascent Soul Realm was no joking matter. Even if it was only a non-lethal glare, Wan Yanyan was pushed a few steps back. He did not dare to say more.


    The cold wind blew, and the long hair on the Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder swayed along. Ling Fei looked at him and asked coldly, ¡°Where have you been in these few days?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± As he spoke, he noticed the boy in red who came back with him.


    The teen had been watching since just now in silence with his hands held behind his back. Ling Fei looked at him and said coldly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The young man said nothing. He continued to stand with his head held high and his chest out with his hands held behind. Ling Fei once again bellowed, ¡°I am asking you! Say! Who are you!¡±


    This place was filled with a strange air, and it could not be resonated. Even if it was just an ordinary boy who appeared suddenly could stress people.


    Ling Fei saw that he did not answer, and he could see contempt in his eyes. He condensed a Qi on his finger and an Immortal¡¯s Sword flew between the boy¡¯s eyebrows. The sword went at speed. As blood was about to splatter three feet high, Liu Feiyan covered her mouth and yelled, ¡°Ah!¡±


    At this moment, with a clink, the flying sword stopped within an inch right in front of the teen¡¯s glabella. It was Xiao Chen who seized it in midair with psychokinesis. Xiao Chen¡¯s face looked as if it had been covered with a layer of frost, which was so gloomy. He said, ¡°It is enough¡­ He is a mute.¡±


    Looking at the boy again, even when the flying sword was only an inch away from his glabella, he did not break a sweat. He remained the same pose, without even blinking his eye. If it was other ordinary kids, they would have already been scared and start to wail.


    ¡°Junior Sister Qingyu!¡± At this moment, a scream was heard and a dozen people spread out quickly.


    Qingyu¡¯s face was extremely pale and faint strings of black Qi could be seen. Xiao Chen walked over hastily and pressed on her wrist. He frowned and asked, ¡°When was she invaded by the evil consciousness?¡±


    Zhou Li¡¯s eyes were slightly red. He choked and said, ¡°Two, two nights ago¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows tangled in a frown. He lifted Qingyu¡¯s sleeve. Her arm was covered with black scales. Qingyu let out a screamed and drew back her arm. Her tears fell like raindrops as she cried, ¡°Don¡¯t look¡­ don¡¯t look¡­¡±


    But everyone saw it crystal clear that this was a sign of demonization. Except for Yu Yifeng and Xu Gu, the rest of the people had moved far away from her.


    Xiao Chen frowned deeply. The Devil Qi of this place was extraordinary. The last time Ye Mulian only had her Samadhi invaded by the evil consciousness, so she was able to be recovered with medication. However, Qingyu might not only have her Samadhi invaded by the evil consciousness. Her internal organs, her three souls and seven senses were also invaded. She was bound to be demonized within three days, and even deities could not save her.


    He looked at Xiaoyue and asked, ¡°How many Carnage Destruction Pills do you still have?¡±


    Xiaoyue kept quiet. Beside her, Wan Yanyan yelled, ¡°What do you want to do? We can¡¯t get out of this bloody place no matter what. We can¡¯t fly on our swords and the Carnage Destruction Pill is our only life-saving pill. She¡¯s already being invaded by evil consciousness. She can¡¯t be saved! Why bother?¡±


    ¡°Give me my share.¡± Xiao Chen did not want to say more at the moment.


    Xiaoyue immediately took out three pills and flicked them towards him. Xiao Chen caught the pills, as he was about to feed them to Qingyu, she tilted her head and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t waste it. I can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Take the medicine first, I will find another way,¡± Xiao Chen said as he handed the pills to Zhou Li. In his impression, Qingyu had always been a lively girl, she had dimples when she smiled and she always loved to hang around Brother Yifeng. But now, he felt so helpless.


    Zhou Li persuaded Qingyu for a long time before she finally took the medicine. Yu Yifeng sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s see if we can find the way out before dark.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Ling Fei suddenly shouted and then pointed at Qingyu. ¡°She¡¯s already demonizing. For our safety, she can no longer follow us.¡±


    The rest of the people remained in silence. After what had happened in the past few days, they were no longer as arrogant as they were when they first arrived. Wan Yanyan summoned out his flying sword and said coldly, ¡°If she suddenly demonizes in the night, won¡¯t we die? What¡¯s more, this evil consciousness is contagious. For the sake of our safety, we can only¡­¡± As he spoke, his eyes beamed with murderous intent.


    Zhou Li moved and blocked in front of his Immortal¡¯s Sword. He said coldly, ¡°Although my cultivation is not as high as yours if you dare to hurt her at all, I will fight to the death with you even with the deliverance by weapons of myself!¡±


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Xu Gu prayed a mantra and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t have conflicts within yourselves again. I suggest that we should find a safe place to stay overnight before dark.¡±


    During the past few days, they had come to experience how terrible the nigh time of Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura could be. Xiao Chen turned and looked at the boy in red behind him and said, ¡°This place is dangerous, little brother, why don¡¯t you come with us?¡±

 Chapter 331 - The Hopeless Plight

    The young man spoke nothing and walked towards him. Qingluan moved to the side of Xiao Chen and whispered, ¡°My Lord, this person is suspicious, please be wary.¡±


    The rest turned and looked at them. This boy seemed to be somewhat weird, but after all, he was not invaded by Devil Qi. Although everyone was at risk at this moment, it was not of the morals of the Orthodox Path to abandon a teen boy just like that.


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Xu Gu read out a mantra and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we must find a quiet place before dark.¡±


    Everyone said no more. After a few hours of walking, they finally found a deadwood forest when twilight arrived. The Devil Qi in this forest was relatively light, and the surrounding trees are tall, but most of them had withered. Led by Su Zimu and Qin Shaoyang, the others laid a defensive formation near the woods to prevent a night raid by the devil creatures.


    In the night, the cold wind in the forest blew and wailed like a baby crying. Each person set up several bonfires and sat together. At this moment, they looked a little languid.


    Qingluan saw that Xiao Chen was still frowning deeply. Presumably, he was still upset about the conflicts that happened before they entered the woods. She said, ¡°Not to worry, my Lord. The speech about parting ways by Master Yi Tong was just so that people will not talk behind your back¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Yi Tong was not someone stingy.


    On the other side, Xu Gu sat alone. He held a rosary and chanted mantra softly with his eyes closed. In the distance, Qingyu and Zhou Li were standing together with Xiao Chen and the boy in red. They looked up at the ink-black night sky above. Right next to them it was Ziyun¡¯er who watched around vigilantly.


    After a while, Bai Yushu took out the remaining small amount of food and water from the Divine Vessel to distribute them to everyone. Xiaoyue also gave the rest a Carnage Destruction Pill again.


    At this moment, everyone was in their own world. This Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura seemed to be isolated from the world. No matter how much one walked, one was not able to get out. Now there was not much food and water left. Most importantly, there were not many Carnage Destruction Pill left.


    Carnage Destruction Pill was now the only lifeline for everyone. Without the Carnage Destruction Pill, no one could fight against the Devil Qi. Now there were a total of 17 people, and the Carnage Destruction Pill could at the most last up to five days. If one person had gone missing, the rest could get more food and medicine, and the chance of leaving the abyss would increase by 10%¡­


    Everyone understood this, but no one would say it. Ling Fei called Wan Yanyan to the side and whispered to him. It was unclear what he said. The bonfire made the shadows of them looked rather hideous.


    Xiao Chen walked over to the boy in red and handed the pastry that had just been distributed to him by Bai Yushu. He said, ¡°Here you go, little brother.¡±


    The teenager had been looking up at the night sky. Then he turned his head and looked at him. He hesitated for a moment and took the pastry from him.


    Xiao Chen chuckled and walked back, while Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er watched their surroundings alertly.


    On the other side, Yu Yifeng also sent two pastries to Zhou Li. Zhou Li nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡± Then he looked at Qingyu who was lying on the ground and said, ¡°Junior Sister, get up and eat something. Don¡¯t worry, Junior Brother Xiao will have a way¡­¡±


    Qingyu was covered with Zhou Li¡¯s long gown. She was quivering from the cold. Her face was getting paler and paler. She had gotten a high fever. Because she was infected by the Devil Qi, she could not be too close to rest. She moved her lips as though she wanted to say something, but she said nothing in the end.


    Xiao Chen saw this scene from a distance and sighed. There were no other ways for him at the moment.


    Time flew and the night was colder, and it seemed that it would keep on getting colder. The cracking sound in the fire was hypnotizing, everyone was getting sleepier but they were afraid to sleep. It was not only the devil creatures they had to take precautions against, it was also the hearts of people.


    Zhiluan yawned and said slowly, ¡°The food we have left with now is only enough for 3 days, and if we still can¡¯t go out¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly shuddered and continued, ¡°I heard of a story in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix previously. Something about more than 20 people who had an air crash on the Thousand Summits Mountain 100 years ago. They could not find food, so they started to eat the corpses of their mates, and finally, 3 people went out alive¡­¡±


    Everyone felt a chill behind their backs. Although they are cultivators, they were not yet immortals. In the absence of food and water, they could only last for seven days. If they continued this way, everyone would most likely collapse.


    Ziyun¡¯er saw that it was about to continue its story, she glared at him and said, ¡°Shut up! If you say more, the first one to eat is you!¡± Scared, Zhiluan retracted its neck and hid behind Xiao Chen quickly, only exposing its head to see everyone.


    Near midnight, the forest was even more chilling. It was harder for everyone to resist the sleepiness. Xiaoyue said, ¡°Every two people take turns to stay and the rest will rest. We don¡¯t know what will happen tomorrow. We need to have enough energy.¡±


    The rest of the people had long wanted to find a comfortable and clean bed to sleep. They agreed to what she said. Therefore, two stayed up to watch and the rest rested. Xiao Chen was not planning to sleep, but he dozed off in the end during the wee hours of the morning.


    The next morning, no idea who woke up first. With a yell, ¡°Junior Sister Qingyu!¡± It woke everyone up.


    Everyone turned to the sound, only to see Zhou Li panicking in the distance. Qingyu who was lying there yesterday had disappeared, leaving only a blue and white gown. Yu Yifeng hastily walked over and said, ¡°What happened!¡±


    Zhou Li¡¯s eyes were red and he said anxiously, ¡°I was watching over her last night, but then I somehow fell asleep. When I woke up, Junior Sister was gone¡­¡±


    When he said this, he suddenly stared at Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan who were a distance away and yelled, ¡°Is it you!¡± With a ¡°clink¡±, he summoned his flying sword and attacked the two.


    ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± Yu Yifeng hurriedly stopped the flying sword.


    At this moment, the rest also looked at both Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan. Ling Fei laughed scornfully. ¡°Zhou Li, there is no proof or evidence. You shouldn¡¯t make accusations!¡±


    Yu Yifeng frowned deeply as he looked at the crowd. ¡°Who was last on duty last night?¡±


    After hearing this, the crowd looked at each other. It seemed that in the early hours of the morning, everyone fell asleep in a daze. Xiao Chen turned to look at the boy in red who seemed to have woken up slightly earlier than him. He asked, ¡°Little brother, did you see the girl in white from yesterday?¡±


    The boy did not reply. He stretched out his left hand and pointed to the southeast direction. Zhou Li sprinted and rushed towards the direction he pointed. Behind him, Yu Yifeng and Xiao Chen followed closely. Su Zimu and Xiaoyue exchanged glances before they follow suit.


    After running for about 20 miles, a cliff could be seen. The cold wind on the cliff blew, making the dresses of a woman in white danced.


    Suddenly the woman raised her sword in her hand and was about to wipe it on her neck. Xiao Chen condensed a Qi on his finger and pointed at her. A strong air blasted, with a ¡°clink¡±, the woman¡¯s sword bounced several meters away.


    Zhou Li dashed over and grabbed the woman in his arms, and sobbed. ¡°Junior Sister Qingyu, what are you doing! Junior Brother Xiao said there will be a way; how can you¡­¡±


    Qingyu pushed him away, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t touch me, I¡¯m already a monster¡­ I don¡¯t want to become a monster in front of you¡­¡± Then she started to sob so uncontrollably that she could not speak anymore.


    The rest of the people also came over at this moment, but they did not dare to go closer. The back of Qingyu¡¯s hand was already covered with a layer of black scales. Even on her neck, there were many devil patterns¡­ The skin was oozing black Qi, which looked frightening. She was to be completely demonized within 6 hours.


    The cold wind howled and no one spoke. So what if they were former companions.


    All of a sudden, Zhou Li knelt in front of Xiao Chen and cried, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, you can cure Miss Ye. I beg you¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Zhou, don¡¯t do this!¡± Xiao Chen hurriedly lifted him up. He looked at Qingyu and was about to walk over when a blue one purple two figure suddenly blocked his way. It was Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and pushed the two sisters away. He walked near Qingyu, but Qingyu took a step back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t, Don¡¯t be near me¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed. He was now clueless of what to do. Suddenly an idea flashed into his mind like a lightning. He remembered the time in the tomb of Xiao family when he had accidentally seen a Devilish Skill in a book called Mystic Diabolic Enchantment.


    There was a method in the book that could direct the Devil Qi from any place into oneself. Now that it was impossible to dispel the Devil Qi from Qingyu¡¯s body, but it is not necessarily impossible to direct it into himself.


    As he thought about this, Xiao Chen looked at people not far away and said, ¡°Can you please support me with a Barrier later to prevent the Devil Qi from penetrating from the surrounding area?¡±


    He had to run the skill in the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment to absorb the Devil Qi in Qingyu¡¯s body. But once this skill set off, it was bound to also absorbed the Devil Qi from the surrounding. Therefore, it was needed for a Barrier to block off the surrounding Devil Qi.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er knew what he was thinking. Both of them knelt on one knee and bowed. ¡°No! My Lord, please put yourself first! ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t be invaded by ordinary Devil Qi.¡± Xiao Chen was not worried. In the past, his body had produced Devil Qi before because of the Heaven¡¯s Talisman. However, he had managed to resolve it with the mind cultivation method of the Yaoguang School.


    Moments later, the crowd together held up the Barrier to block the Devil Qi of the surrounding from invading outside the barrier. The two sisters, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er frowned deeply but they knew it was impossible to persuade Xiao Chen.


    Inside the Barrier, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged behind Qingyu and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Remember not to exercise resistance later.¡± With his arms shaking, his two palms placed against the center of her back.


    Everyone was on tenterhooks, with cold sweats on their back. A demonized Qingyu would be easy to deal with, but Xiao Chen had the highest cultivation level here. If he was to be demonized, who could fight against him here? However, there were no other ways at present. Each of them could only do their best to maintain the barrier to prevent the Devil Qi from outside to get in.

 Chapter 332 - The Nether Emperor

    As time passed, the scene inside the Barrier was astonishing. Dozens of black Qi darted all over, and whistles of the devil could be heard. The Devil Qi in Qingyu¡¯s body was being sucked into Xiao Chen body bit by bit. The scales on her arm were also fading away bit by bit. She was slowly recovering into an ordinary human.


    However, Xiao Chen looked more and more like a devil. He was surrounded in black mist and his eyes were in shades of indigo. Each of them was stunned by this scene. They did not expect him to possess such extraordinary skill. Zhiluan chattered and said, ¡°Hang in there, kiddo. Don¡¯t transform into a devil. Xian¡¯er is still waiting for us to go back¡­¡±


    30 minutes had passed, 60 minutes had passed and finally, it was noon. The Devil Qi in the Barrier had gradually disappeared. Qingyu was recovered completely, however, her face was still pale. The black Qi on Xiao Chen had also disappeared and he looked normal.


    Everyone was overjoyed. But no one saw that a thin, near-invisible black Qi had penetrated between Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°All right, thank you; you can remove the Barrier,¡± Xiao Chen stood up and said.


    The dozen people were already tired from the half-day of work, so they immediately removed the barrier once Xiao Chen said they could. Qingyu turned around and said, ¡°Thank you, Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± She lowered her head as she felt that she had dragged him down.


    Xiao Chen, covered in sweat, shook his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhou Li rushed over, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er also rushed over and said, ¡°Lord, are you all right?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    On the other side, the boy in red had been watching quietly with his hands behind his back with no expressions on his face. However, at that moment, he frowned for a second.


    The crowd took a short break on the spot. After 30 minutes, they set off on the journey again to find their way out. As dusk approached, they came to a narrow valley.


    The path was paved with bones, and dead branches and rotten leaves had piled up a foot high on both sides. It looked eerie under the twilight as if it was leading to the Ghostly Hall.


    There was also a pungent smell in the air, but the people were overjoyed because this valley was the same valley they had come in from the other day. But at that time, due to the illusions, it looked beautiful and clear. Zhiluan cried, ¡°Holy meow! We finally found the exit!¡±


    The others were delighted. They could not wait to get out of this bloody place at once and never come back again. However, at this moment, a strange voice suddenly came from the front, ¡°Hiss¡­ Hiss¡­¡±


    The voice sounded empty, Xiao Chen immediately made a hush gesture. Then the group squat down and hunched over before they carefully tread forward slowly.


    After moving for more than 30 meters, countless devil creatures covered in black Qi were seen gathering in front. They looked similar to humans, but with hideous looks. From afar, it was endless blackness.


    ¡°Now what? Do we just dash in and run through them?¡± Qin Shaoyang asked softly.


    Bai Yushu shook his head and whispered, ¡°There are too many of them. If we try to push through by force, we will probably attract more of them.¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly felt a pain in the back of his head, like his hair was being pulled out. He turned his head and saw the boy in red withdrawing his hand. He asked in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing, little brother?¡±


    The boy did not speak. He stretched out his left hand, and in it was a short dead branch with a hair wrapped around it.


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± As he was about to move slowly to the front, he stepped on a bone and crushed it, letting out a loud and clear sound.


    ¡°Oh, sh*t!¡±


    Dozens of devil creatures immediately discovered them. In a flash, the army of devil creatures rushed towards them like a flood. Each one of them immediately summoned out their weapons to defend. Within a few moments, hundreds of devil creatures were killed. However, there were too many of them. They came wave after wave, but it was endless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave!¡± Xiaoyue made an immediate decision and summoned her Autumn Water Sword to open up the way for the rest.


    ¡°Little brother, keep up!¡± Xiao Chen held the boy in red by the hand and ran forward. As he ran, he dealt with the devil creatures that came at them. Suddenly, the whole valley shook violently.


    All of them nearly fell. The mountain walls on both sides suddenly shook and seemed to be collapsing anytime. The cliff measured more than ten thousand feet high. Once the whole mountain collapsed, even cultivators of Nascent Soul Realm would be buried alive here.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Holy meow! We¡¯re going to die! We¡¯re going to die!¡± Zhiluan covered its head with its paws and fled for its life. The moment it encountered a devil creature, it simply slipped through between the legs of the creature.


    The mountain rocked more violently, many boulders of the size of roofs were smashed down, and more devil creatures were gathering around. Xiao Chen could not care more for the boy in red behind him and shouted, ¡°Little brother, follow closely!¡± Then he freed up two hands to resist the falling rocks and devil creatures.


    30 minutes later, the group finally ran out of the canyon. The mountain was still collapsing. The sound of rumbling shook the heavens and the earth. The exhausts filled the sky and the earth of five kilometers away, and where the heaven and earth met was covered entirely with thick smoke¡­


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    The group almost choked to death. Xiaoyue shouted, ¡°Is everyone out?¡±


    After doing a headcount, Xiao Chen discovered that the boy who had been following him was gone. ¡°Oh, no! The little brother is still inside!¡± Having said that, he was about to rush back into the valley again. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er moved and stopped him. ¡°Lord, don¡¯t go back!¡±


    As the rumbling of the rocks continued, the whole mountain finally collapsed completely. The valley was completely buried under the ground. Ling Fei said coldly, ¡°That boy is obviously not normal. Maybe he had caused this! If you want to be a good person and die, then go ahead by yourself! We won¡¯t do it together with you! ¡±


    ¡°Lord, please heed my advice. You must leave here now as soon as possible!¡± This time, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er would not let him go back in again.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    With a long sigh, Xiao Chen turned around in the end. Yu Yifeng immediately summoned the Flying-cloud Stone. They could not stay in this place any longer. Everyone went up the Flying-cloud Stone and left for the Burg of the Feral Phoenix right away.


    On the Flying-cloud Stone, everyone was dusty and in silence. Through this narrow escape, they had realized how weak they were. What Top Ten of Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, what List of Experts in Heaven and Earth and what First of the family sect, all these seemed to be a joke now.


    At this moment in another place, which was, on the newly collapsed mountain. The smoke had been blown away by the strong wind. On a huge rock, a boy in red stood with his hands behind his back. He was looking into the direction of Xiao Chen and others had gone.


    All of a sudden, two figures appeared out of thin air behind him, one wore a white robe and the other a red robe. They had a bucket cap on their head and their faces were covered with a mass of fog, not revealing their real appearance.


    At the same time, the two bowed down to the boy on one knee and said, ¡°Nether Emperor! Why did you come to this human world before recovering from your injury?¡±


    The boy continued to stand with his hands behind his back and did not turn around. He said, ¡°I just came up to have a look.¡± After that, he turned to look at the surging devil fog in the distance and continued, ¡°The Valley of God and Devil has been sealed and cannot be passed through. The people of the Devil Clan then opened a pathway from my underworld to the human world, thinking that I was oblivious to it. Since then, I turned a blind eye and let them fight amongst themselves. I will sit and take advantage of doing nothing. The day I will unify the three worlds just around the corner! Ha ha ha ha ha¡­¡±


    ¡°Nether Emperor is brilliant.¡±


    ¡°You two judges have worked hard. Get up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nether Emperor!¡± The Yin and Yang Judges finally stood up.


    ¡°Go check on a person named Xiao Chen on the Book of Life and Death,¡± the boy said slowly, and then threw a piece of deadwood branch behind him. On it wrapped a string of hair, and it was the hair he had pulled out from Xiao Chen¡¯s head earlier.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two judges did not dare to say more. A moment later, Yin Judge who dressed in a white robe said, ¡°Nether Emperor, I¡¯ve found it. He is the son of the Human World Xiao family Fourth Young Master, Xiao Yifan and Su family Third Miss, Su Qing.¡±


    The boy frowned. ¡°What about his previous life?¡± The two judges looked at each other, and Yang Judge said, ¡°Nether Emperor, there is no, no past life¡­¡±


    The boy finally turned around. With just one look it made the Yin and Yang Judges trembled in fear.


    ¡°No past life?¡±


    The Yin Judge quivered and said, ¡°Nether Emperor, the Book of Life and Death had failed to find out the past life of this person. Maybe we could head back and let the Hell Lord of Ten Halls check again with the Life and Death Mirror.¡±


    The young man reached out his hand and said, ¡°No, it won¡¯t be possible to find him. I¡¯m afraid this person¡¯s sin was too great to enter reincarnation, so someone had resurrected him using the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to change his identity for him. What a job well done to hide from the world. I wonder who has the ability to do this under my watch¡­¡±

 Chapter 333 - Returning to the Immortals League

    Chapter 333 Returning to the Immortals¡¯ LeagueIt was just beginning to darken when Xiao Chen and his groupmates returned to the Burg of the Feral Phoenix but there wasn¡¯t even a hint of artificial light. Most citizens had their windows closed, ready to rest for the night. Complete stillness and silence shrouded the city.


    When the Three Friends of Winter saw them return to the City Master¡¯s Manor, they impatiently went up to ask about the fruits of their trip. Xiao Chen replied, ¡°Rest assured, Elders. We have a clear answer about the origin of the Devil Qi. Tomorrow at dawn, we will return to the Immortals¡¯ League and inform the Elders to come and deal with the matters here.¡±


    Noticing their dispirited expressions and two missing members, Elder Plum asked, ¡°Where are two more of your friends?¡±


    The group shook their heads, sighed, or kept silent. Those two must have perished in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura, the three Elders thought. So they asked no further and immediately ordered the servants to prepare tea and a feast.


    But no one was in the mood to eat and took just a quick bath. When dawn arrived the next day, they immediately set out on their journey back to Tianyuan City. Before they left, however, Xiao Chen bade the three Elders, Ye Lingfeng, Ye Mulian, and the rest farewell. ¡°Three Elders, City Master Ye, Miss Ye, let us meet again someday!¡± He was fairly sure that he wouldn¡¯t return to this tiny land after leaving today.


    The rest of his group was rather solemn as well. Xiaoyue was the only one who looked unperturbed. She ought to be the happiest person to learn that the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura had nothing to do with the Valley of God and Devil. The death of her two groupmates was of no consequence; she wasn¡¯t the leader, after all.


    After bidding farewell, the group flew on the Flying-cloud Stone in the direction that they had come in. The sea of clouds stretched for miles and miles and the view of mountains and creeks remained unchanged, but this time, there was no more banter and laughter.


    Finally, after a long silence, Qin Shaoyang asked the question that they must confront. ¡°What do we say when we get back?¡±


    No one had an answer. It took two hours for them to come up with a conclusion. They decided to report truthfully to the Immortals¡¯ League what had happened in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura. They would request the league to invite some experts that had secluded themselves to seal the place off completely.


    The group had also discussed the death of Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui. Just like Xiao Chen and his group¡¯s journey to Wuwang Wind Cloud City, they would say that the duo had unfortunately died trying to get them out. They would try their best to turn the duo into heroes. That was, after all, how heroes were made, was it not?


    They finally made it back to Tianyuan City two days later. Even though their trip took less than ten days, all of them felt as if they had suffered out in the wild for half a year. Now that they were back, they felt every blade of grass and every stalk of flower in the city all that lovelier to them. They felt like they were reborn and would no longer dare to venture to such dangerous and wicked places.


    While they were away, even more cultivators had arrived in the city. When they were near the Jade Terrace Mountain, a group of Immortal¡¯s Swords or magic treasures fashioned into flying mounts stopped their Flying-cloud Stone.


    There were probably almost two hundred of them, with their cultivation ranging from the Core Forming Realm to the Nascent Soul Realm. Even more flew up from the ground, all of them with their own questions. ¡°You¡¯re finally back! What¡¯s going on in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura? What did you see there? Is it the Valley of God and Devil? The Devil Clan has been coveting the Human World for thousands of years; are they staging a comeback?¡±


    The countless people and unceasing torrent of questions crowding the Flying-cloud Stone made it impossible for the stone to fly away. This time, the leader Xiao Chen must step forward to answer. ¡°Everyone, please remain calm. Please allow us to return and inform the Elders at the Immortals¡¯ League. The league will have its arrangements. You can all rest assured¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could finish his sentence, a hot-tempered burly man yelled at him. The man had a beard covering almost his entire face and holding two double-sided axes in both hands. His feet rested on two wheels of fire. With reddened cheeks and eyes wide open in fury, he yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t take Grandpa Cheng for a fool! Stop spouting bullsh*t here! Hurry up and explain what¡¯s going on over there!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t try to trick us! Did you think the League would tell us the truth?¡± Several people in the crowd echoed the man¡¯s thoughts.


    Ling Fei sneered when he saw how fired-up the crowd was. He walked up to them and yelled, ¡°Remain calm, everyone! We did find traces of the devils there, and¡­¡± He cast a glance at Xiao Chen. ¡°We even discovered the existence of spies from Devil¡¯s sects hidden in our orthodox sects!¡±


    ¡°What?! Spies from Devil¡¯s sects?!¡±


    His words instantly riled up the crowd of hundreds. Some even immediately relayed this piece of information via Faraway-voice Transfer, spreading the news to every corner of the city.


    The situation went out of control. Qingluan glared at Ling Fei. The desire to murder flitted across her expression as she said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t babble nonsense here to stir up the crowd!¡±


    Ling Fei sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t say who it is. Why are you so agitated?¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Who is it?!¡± Many among the crowd began chanting in unison. Ziyun¡¯er said, ¡°There are indeed a lot of devilish objects there, but everyone here shouldn¡¯t show blind trust in another person¡¯s words!¡±


    ¡°D*mn it, are you guys answering or not?! If you don¡¯t explain yourself, I¡¯ll let you taste Grandpa Cheng¡¯s two heaven-shattering axes!¡± The eyes of the bearded burly man from earlier widened in fury. He knocked his axes together with tremendous force, producing a collision sound so loud that it nearly cracked everyone¡¯s eardrums.


    Xiao Chen took a heavy step forward with a strict and frosty expression. ¡°I told you the Immortals¡¯ League will handle this matter! Stop pestering us nonstop! Get out of our way!¡±


    He emanated his Nascent Soul Realm aura when his last line left his mouth. Several Core Forming Realm cultivators nearly fell in shock, but two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators weren¡¯t willing to play along. One of them shouted, ¡°The Immortals¡¯ League won¡¯t let us go and you¡¯re unwilling to talk! Who knows if you guys are secretly up to something?!¡±


    Qingluan finally lost her temper. She said frostily, ¡°Go if you want to! No one will stop you from digging your own grave!¡±


    Immediately, another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator widened his eyes and started berating her. ¡°Oy, what¡¯s wrong with you, little girl? Watch how you speak to your elders!¡±


    The crowd became fearless now that they had the support of two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Even more cultivators were flying from the ground. Some were even trying to damage the Protective Barrier of the Flying-cloud Stone.


    The Flying-cloud Stone began shaking violently under the crowd¡¯s incessant attacks, showing signs of falling at any time. Zhilian yelped in fear. Just then, everyone heard the sighing of an old man coming from the Jade Terrace Mountain. ¡°Use your words if you have questions. There¡¯s no need to attack anyone under our Jade Terrace Mountain, is there?¡±


    Even though the voice sounded wizened, it was enough to strike fear in everyone who heard it. Then, an elderly man in a cyan robe flew over to them. It was the First Elder of the Immortals¡¯ League, Perfected Immortal Guyang. Under the pressure of his Nirvana Realm aura, the crowd immediately stopped attacking the Flying-cloud Stone.


    However, some people banked on the fact that the League wouldn¡¯t dare to harm them and became rude. It was right then that an ear-splitting roar of a beast pierced their ears. The crowd watched as two rows of Fire Qilins treading through the air from the southwest toward their direction. There were about twenty of them, with each carrying two passengers. It was the arrival of the League¡¯s Elite Qilin Squadron.


    ¡°Those who dare to stir up trouble here are to be imprisoned for three months!¡± the captain of the squadron yelled, flicking his golden whip. Instantly, the crowd of hundreds fell silent.


    The Immortals¡¯ League wasn¡¯t as courteous as the Daoist League of the Five Continents. No one dared to voice their discontent anymore. The captain yelled in a solemn voice, ¡°What are you waiting for? Leave now!¡± The crowd immediately left for the city underneath, not daring to say another word.


    When the crowd was finally gone, the captain of the Qilin Squadron retrieved his golden whip and respectfully saluted Perfected Immortal Guyang. ¡°Elder Guyang, we¡¯re terribly sorry. We have no idea that the team heading for the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura will return today and failed to make adequate arrangements to receive them. Please forgive us.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Guyang shook his head and sighed. ¡°Forget it.¡± He then looked at Xiao Chen and the rest. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With the arrival of support from the Immortals¡¯ League, the cultivators in the city dared not come up and stop them. Their journey back to the Jade Terrace Mountain was without obstacle. Meanwhile, after hearing about their return, many on the mountain welcomed them back. However, their main concern was still the situation over at the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura.


    Under Perfected Immortal Guyang¡¯s orders, a dozen or so disciples of the Immortals¡¯ League blocked these people from entering. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er flanked Xiao Chen, each gripping their Purple-green Blood-cutting Blades, as they stopped anyone from coming ten steps away from him.


    The group headed for the Pure Harmony Hall. By the time they reached the rear of the public square, those following them had tapered off. The snow covering many parts of the Jade Terrace Mountain had also melted, replaced by lush and long grasses that exemplified the charms of spring.


    But no one had the mood to enjoy the scenery. They made a beeline for the Pure Harmony Hall and saw the Elders of the Immortal¡¯s League sitting upright and still inside the hall with solemn expressions. The mood inside was heavy and funereal. Xiao Chen, as the leader of the group this time, immediately went up to salute the Elders.


    There were eighteen of them when they left, but only sixteen when they returned. This didn¡¯t escape the Elders¡¯ attention and naturally, they could surmise the reason as well. One of them sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. Tell us what you saw there.¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately reproduced what happened there from beginning to end. The only difference was, in describing the death of Qi Feng from the White Mist Academy and Zhong Buhui from the Yin-Yang Sect, he added, ¡°Perhaps there is another reason for the death of the Senior Brothers. We cannot fully ascertain that it was the doing of Yi Tong and None-flower Dust.¡±


    The Elders couldn¡¯t help sighing after hearing this. It was such a pity that such elite youngsters had passed on. It was right then that two disciples of the League ran in with sweat-drenched faces and flustered expressions. One of them rushed up to the feet of the hall¡¯s platform and said in a panic, ¡°Bad news, Elders! Senior Xingxiu of White Mist Academy and Senior Zhong Li of the Yin-Yang Sect are forcing their way in¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a loud and resounding voice came from outside the hall. ¡°Xiao Chen, give me back my disciple¡¯s life!¡±

 Chapter 334 - Ling Feis Treachery

    The Elders had a bad premonition the moment they heard the voice, but before they could rise to their feet, they saw Perfected Immortal Zhong Li attacking Xiao Chen with his palm from the outside. The formidable attack came whirling like the gale, making the frame of the doors quake.


    Perfected Immortal Guyang immediately inserted himself in front of Xiao Chen and took the hit. Their palms collided loudly, producing a force strong enough to shake even the hall enforced with a grand Defensive Formation. Dust gathered on the beams of the roof rained down. Outside the hall, dozens of tiles crashed to the ground. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately flanked Xiao Chen to protect him after seeing this.


    ¡°Old Friend Zhong Li, please remain calm. The blame is not on Hero Xiao¡­¡± Perfected Immortal Guyang sighed, retrieving his palm.


    Perfected Immortal Zhong Li wore a red long gown and a murderous expression on his face. Zhong Buhui wasn¡¯t just his eldest disciple but also his illegitimate child. His face contorted with sorrow and rage as he pointed at Xiao Chen. ¡°The followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice killed my disciple, but yet you protect them. Very well, very well indeed¡­¡±


    Ling Fei couldn¡¯t keep the sneer off his face. Perfected Immortal Guyang sighed. ¡°It¡¯s indeed worthy of lament that our two young heroes died at the hands of the followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Rest assured, Old Friend Zhong Li. We will surely inform the League of this and have them do their utmost to arrest the murderer. It¡¯s also a way of giving the world an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Giving the world an explanation? Very well, let it be so.¡± Senior Xingxiu walked into the hall as well. He wore a cyan and indigo robe with Stars Talismans embroidered all over. Unlike Perfected Immortal Guyang who was crying for blood, his face was stunningly devoid of expression. However, his gaze remained fixed on Xiao Chen.


    Perfected Immortal Guyang sighed. ¡°The Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura may have something to do with the Nether World. When the time comes, it must be sealed. Perhaps your help will be needed then¡­¡±


    ¡°Report!¡± A disciple in cyan wanting to report news interrupted him, running inside the hall anxiously. Third Elder dressed in red looked frosty. He chided, ¡°What made you so flustered? Speak!¡±


    The disciple trembled with fear. His voice shook as he said, ¡°O-O-Outside! There¡¯s a crowd outside charging up! Unknown hordes of people are also gathering under the mountain, saying they¡¯re here to find the¡­ Devil¡¯s Practice spy! They¡¯ve beaten up so many Senior Brothers!¡±


    ¡°Such audacity!¡± Third Elder flew into a rage. With a solemn expression, Perfected Immortal Guyang slammed his palm on the sandalwood side table and crushed it into pieces. ¡°Summon the Immortals¡¯ League immediately. Tell them to send reinforcements over to suppress the crowd and prevent schemers from taking advantage of the chaos!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The cyan-robed disciple retreated out of the hall. Before long, another disciple came running in. ¡°The crowd is demanding to see the eighteen people who went to the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura. They¡¯re¡­¡±


    Voices erupted in unison before he could finish, sounding both near and distant. ¡°Uproot treachery and eliminate evil! Rectify our Orthodox Path! Followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice must be put to death! Uproot treachery and eliminate evil! Rectify¡­¡±


    The voices grew closer and closer, sending tremors down the frame of the doors along with it. Several disciples outside the hall turned pale from fright. They stared helplessly at the mass of humans heading toward the Pure Harmony Hall. Judging by their mood, it seemed that they were determined to tear apart the entire hall.


    The Elders immediately flew out of the hall. Perfected Immortal Guyang imbued his voice with Qi and yelled, ¡°Remain calm, my friends! We have found a solution to our problem! Please allow me to carefully¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to listen to your one-sided explanation! We want to see those eighteen people! Just what is the League scheming that you refuse to let us see them?¡± the impassioned mob cried.


    Right then, yet another two disciples came bearing more news. ¡°Bad news, First Elder! Many are charging up the mountain, demanding to see the eighteen people! Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Perfected Immortal Tai Yi, and Master Xuanji can¡¯t hold them off anymore! Please go and take a look immediately!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Guyang heaved a deep sigh. He turned around and addressed those behind him. ¡°Junior Brothers, I¡¯ll leave this to you. I¡¯ll go and take a look over there.¡± He turned into a sword light and flew in the direction of the public square.


    Now that Perfected Immortal Guyang was gone, the mob of hundreds began to force their entry into the hall. The Elders stepped forward to stop them. Third Elder said solemnly, ¡°That¡¯s enough! The group that investigated the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura is here! Do you think they¡¯ll run off? Please head to the public square for now!¡±


    Xiao Chen and the rest finally stepped out of the hall. Suddenly, a dozen or so figures charged over. It was the remaining members of the Hidden Fragrance, Li Muxue, and Murong Xian¡¯er.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen!¡± A teary-eyed Murong Xian¡¯er threw herself at Xiao Chen.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Xiao Chen chuckled, caressing her forehead. He then addressed the mob. ¡°Enough. We¡¯ll reply what we saw at the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura as it is to the League. Please head to the public square for now.¡±


    That was how the mob was finally convinced to return to the public square. The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance tightly guarded Xiao Chen throughout the journey, refusing to let anyone come close. When they arrived at the public square, they were greeted with a crowd of people so packed that there was barely any breathing room. There were likely over ten thousand people here.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    No one knew who shouted, but the crowd swiftly approached them like a swarm of bees. The ladies of the Hidden Fragrance immediately stepped forward to stop them, as did the dozen or so Elders of the League. With their support, Xiao Chen and the rest were able to step onto the high platform in the public square.


    The square was now packed with cultivators from all sorts of sects as well as independent cultivators from all over the world. The seats on the northern and southern sides were occupied by famed seniors from established families and sects. Most of them were in the Nascent Soul Realm or even the Nirvana Realm.


    When the mob finally fell silent, Xiao Chen said loudly, ¡°Everyone, please rest assured. We have already investigated the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura and could confirm that it isn¡¯t the Valley of God and Devil. In the next few days, the League will send its people to seal the place. That much, you can all be sure of¡­¡±


    His words prompted a majority of the crowd to nod and discuss among themselves. It was surely in their favor that the abyss had nothing to do with the Valley of God and Devil. Still, some remained skeptical. One of them asked, ¡°You left as a group of eighteen, but why did only sixteen of you return? I heard from folks in this city that a spy from Devils¡¯ sects have appeared amongst us Orthodox people. What¡¯s the story behind this?¡±


    Everyone started chattering again when they heard the mention of a spy from the Devils¡¯ sects. Xiao Chen indicated them to be silent before replying, ¡°It¡¯s indeed regretful. That day, we were ambushed by a devilish object. Senior Brothers Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui valiantly protected us to ensure our safe exit, but unfortunately perished in the nest of devils¡­¡±


    That was the explanation that the group had agreed on: Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui¡¯s unfortunate passing. They would at least be heroes in the eyes of the world. This was a way of consoling the White Mist Academy and Yin-Yang Sect, as well as a way of limiting both sects¡¯ rage at the Immortals¡¯ League.


    Grief and indignation filled the mob after they heard what Xiao Chen said. It was indeed regretful that two elite youngsters perished in the nest of devils. This also prompted their anger at the Devils¡¯ sects as they incessantly cursed the followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Those from the White Mist Academy and Yin-Yang Sect looked particularly pained and furious.


    Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from an indignant-looking Ling Fei. His eyes turned grim as he pointed to Xiao Chen. ¡°Xiao Chen! Do you still intend to shield followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice even now?¡±


    The crowd looked confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there more to their deaths?¡±


    Yu Yifeng and the others on the high platform were stunned. Ling Fei had been the one to suggest making up a heroic image for those two, so why was he exposing the truth right now?


    Xiaoyue remained expressionless as if she had seen this coming. Xiao Chen sneered and said without emotion, ¡°Touche, Brother Ling.¡± Ling Fei had pulled a fast one over him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Explain yourself! How exactly did Qi Feng and Zhong Buhui die?¡± The mob became even more heated, especially members of the White Mist Academy and Yin-Yang Sect. Some people even tried climbing up the platform.


    Ling Fei sneered. He turned around and addressed the crowd. ¡°Very well! Let me tell you the truth!¡± He pointed to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°That day, he led us to some unknown place. The ground caved in and we fell to yet another unknown place. Then, he disappeared!¡±


    Looking sorrowful and indignant, he continued, ¡°Over the next two days, we were repeatedly ambushed by large amounts of devilish objects and Brother Qi and Brother Zhong tragically died at the hands of the followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice! Afterward, when we wanted to avenge them, he suddenly reappeared!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Ling Fei! How dare you babble nonsense!¡± Qingyu and Zhou Li yelled at the same time. Qingyu added, ¡°The two cultivators were so strong that if Junior Brother Xiao hadn¡¯t arrived in time, there might even be more casualties!¡±


    Ling Fei couldn¡¯t keep the nasty smirk off his face. Ignoring them, he pointed to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°This person used his identity as our leader to stop us from going after the followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice! He let go of them just like that and even called them his brothers! Look carefully, all of you! It¡¯s this sanctimonious hypocrite! Remember his name: Xiao Chen!¡±

 Chapter 335 - Inverting the Truth

    Chapter 335 Inverting the TruthLing Fei became more impassioned as he spoke, as were the crowd under the platform. Many began yelling their ¡°Eliminate the Devil¡¯s Practice!¡± catchphrase at Xiao Chen. Of course, these people were planted there.


    Seeing that the initial results that he wanted had been achieved, Ling Fei suddenly laughed out loud. With a sorrowful expression, he said indignantly, ¡°Xiao Chen! I know I won¡¯t be able to escape your wrath after what I revealed today, but I¡¯m an upright young man with a clear conscience! What do I have to fear death for? Even if it means dying here today, I swear I¡¯ll expose your true identity to the world!¡±


    His increasingly rousing words finally made Ziyun¡¯er lose her patience. ¡°Shut up! How dare the likes of you slander my Master!¡± She unsheathed her Bloodied Violet Blade and pointed it at Ling Fei¡¯s neck.


    Ling Fei feigned panic and hastily retreated. Just as he was close to the edge of the platform, a white radiance came whizzing and sent the Bloodied Violet Blade flying back to Ziyun¡¯er with a crisp clanging sound. It left quite a severe countercharge injury on her and she couldn¡¯t help staggering backward. Xiao Chen held on her shoulders and shook his head at her.


    The finger force came from Situ Bei on the other platform. He scoffed and said, ¡°Continue, Hero Ling. I¡¯d like to see who would dare to hurt you with me around!¡±


    Several elderly cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm followed up with, ¡°Speak your mind, Hero Ling! With so many of us Orthodox cultivators here today, we will never allow any follower of the Devil¡¯s Practice to harm even a strand of your hair!¡± It was evident from their words that they were convinced that Xiao Chen was a spy from the Devils¡¯ sects.


    The shouting from all sides grew louder and louder. Right then, Su Yue from the other platform said coldly, ¡°Hero Ling, you have the right to recount everything. However, I¡¯m sure you know how the Immortals¡¯ League punishes a liar.¡±


    With her purple dress and fine black hair on her temples fluttering in the breeze, she still looked every bit the youthful and unrivaled beauty that she had been. As the Fourth Young Lady of the Su family, her words carried substantial weight. Many hecklers in the crowd fell quiet after seeing her stern and frosty expression.


    ¡°I can verify that every word that Brother Ling said is true!¡± Wan Yanyan stepped forward and said loudly, ¡°If Brother Ling and I hadn¡¯t endured it patiently until now, we would¡¯ve long been assassinated by him!¡± He pointed to Xiao Chen with an indignant look.


    Ling Fei sneered. He turned to look at Xiao Chen. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Can you clarify it for me, Brother Xiao?¡±


    ¡°Speak,¡± Xiao Chen said coldly.


    Ling Fei sneered at him before turning around to address the crowd again. ¡°The Devil Qi in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura is so dense that anyone who goes near it will be invaded by the Devil¡¯s Carnage. The rest of us warded the Qi off with Senior Situ¡¯s Carnage Destruction Pill¡­¡± He then saluted Situ Bei, who was smoothing out his beard and nodding.


    ¡°But!¡± He abruptly shifted his tone and turned around to point at Xiao Chen. ¡°You never took the Carnage Destruction Pill from the beginning until the end! Why weren¡¯t you affected by the Devil¡¯s Carnage?¡±


    The crowd began discussing among themselves. What ordinary cultivator wouldn¡¯t fear the Devil¡¯s Carnage? This was simply unjustifiable.


    Xiao Chen said coldly, ¡°I told you that my constitution is unlike an ordinary person¡¯s and regular Devil¡¯s Carnage is incapable of invading me. What are you trying to imply?¡±


    The senior cultivators from distinguished families and sects looked solemn. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t blindly trust Ling Fei¡¯s words. However, it was unimaginable that a cultivator wouldn¡¯t fear the Devil¡¯s Carnage. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Perfected Immortal Fengxi, and the rest were frowning deeply. The rim of Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s eyes reddened as she cried, ¡°Don¡¯t you all slander Brother Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    Ling Fei put on a taunting smile. ¡°Constitution? Do you think you¡¯d fool everyone with that flimsy explanation? Heh! Last month, you trespassed on the restricted area of the Violet Illusory Land and then suddenly reappeared! Heh! The Devil¡¯s Carnage there is so strong that not even the Elders of the League can get close to it and yet you¡¯re safe and sound! Heh! Your constitution is indeed unlike an ordinary person¡¯s!¡±


    The Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League began to frown. It was true that not even they were brave enough to get close to the opening of the mystic domain, never mind entering it. Perhaps Xiao Chen was truly a man of many secrets.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t get any darker than if he had tried. He said frostily, ¡°What is it that you want to say? You can be frank¡­¡±


    Ling Fei sneered. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll say it then! You¡¯re from the Devil Clan! What treachery are you up to in trying so desperately to infiltrate us Orthodox folks?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s fists were clenched so tightly that his bones creaked out in protest. It was his greatest taboo to be accused of being a member of the Devil Clan after a similar incident thousands of years ago. Suddenly, a black Qi flashed in the space between his eyebrows.


    Under the platform, a dozen or so shifty-eyed men exchanged glances and began chanting in unison, ¡°Eliminate the member of the Devil Clan! Eliminate the member of the Devil Clan!¡± Others began shouting as well and soon, the crowd ignorant of right and wrong was also following suit. Quite a few were so emotional that they tried to climb the platform to capture Xiao Chen.


    On the other platform, Situ Bei smiled in contempt. ¡°To think the winner of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly is a member of the Devil Clan! Heh! How interesting!¡±


    Beside him, Su Yue said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no proof that he¡¯s a member of the Devil Clan as of yet. I ask that you refrain from making such swift judgment, Senior Situ.¡± She then looked at Ling Fei. ¡°Child of the Ling family, don¡¯t be so certain. If you don¡¯t have evidence to prove your claim, the crime of sowing dissension and stirring up public sentiments isn¡¯t something your little family can bear.¡±


    Su Yue¡¯s words prompted quite a few hecklers in the crowd to quiet down. Ling Fei sneered. ¡°Is that so?¡± He looked at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. ¡°Perfected Immortal Qingchen, forgive me for daring to ask this question. I¡¯ve never heard of such a person in the Jade Qing Sect. Did he really enter your sect?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned. How could he not tell that Ling Fei was pressuring him and threatening him about the consequences so he couldn¡¯t protect Xiao Chen? Beside him, Perfected Immortal Fengxi let out a contemptuous laugh. ¡°Ha! Is every child from the Ling family like you? For all your capability, you sure poke your nose into a lot of affairs! What is it to you when a disciple enters someone else¡¯s sect?¡±


    Ling Fei put on a mocking smile. ¡°You jest, Perfected Immortal Fengxi. How would I dare interfere with the affairs of your Jade Qing Sect and Xianyong Sect?¡± It was evident that he had dragged Xianyong Sect into the matter as well. ¡°This person¡¯s identity is greatly suspect. We won¡¯t know where he came from. If we don¡¯t clarify his origin, how can we answer those who have died? How can we answer everyone in the world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Give the dead an answer!¡± No one knew who spoke but it stirred up the crowd again.


    Senior Xingxiu of the White Mist Academy stepped forward and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the grudge between you two, but I won¡¯t let my disciple die in vain. Xiao Chen, if you don¡¯t explain yourself today, don¡¯t even think of leaving!¡±


    Some turned their attention to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. He sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. This child was acceptable as a disciple when my Junior Brother Qingfeng and Junior Brother Xiaoyao were roaming the Human World¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The crowd cried in surprise before he could finish. ¡°From the Human World? Impossible! Someone like him would never appear in the Human World!¡±


    Whether they considered Xiao Chen a demon or devil, they subconsciously saw him as a powerhouse. Meanwhile, a minority of the hecklers was paid handsomely to do so by the Ling family and the Order of the Divine Fire. No matter what Xiao Chen says, they would stir up the crowd to push the blame on Xiao Chen. The majority was either lashing out due to envy or being yesmen without an opinion of their own.


    Most of them would rather believe that Xiao Chen came from some Ancient Immortal Clan in a mystic domain than accept the ridiculous story of him coming from the Human World. That was out of their subconscious view of the dwellers of the Human World as people beneath them, people who had no right to enter the Violet Manor and cultivate. It was the same logic behind the perception of those from the Heaven Realm about the Violet Manor in the Human World.


    Discussions erupted among the crowd. Over at Yang family¡¯s corner in the distance, Chu Hanyan¡¯s clenched fist hid a palm full of sweat. She never once stopped worrying about her husband, Yang Shaochen, in the past few days, unable to even sleep well. Now, she feared that Xiao Chen¡¯s identity would be revealed and that her own identity as a citizen of the Human World would be as well.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sighed. ¡°Violet Manor has a rule of not questioning the origin of a dweller of the Human World. Therefore, I¡¯m uncertain of Xiao Chen¡¯s exact origin.¡±


    Many remained unconvinced by his words. Ling Fei sneered. ¡°From the Human World? Did you think that¡¯s enough to fool everyone?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was so dark that it was as if dark clouds had gathered on his face. He said solemnly, ¡°What else do you want¡­¡±


    Ling Fei jeered. ¡°Then, my final question to you: What¡¯s your relationship to the demonic woman Yu Linglong? Many in Canglan City witnessed you saving her that day! And what¡¯s your relationship to followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice like None-flower Dust? The two twelve ladies with you as well! Do you dare to swear to the heavens that you have nothing to do with Senior Zhu Danfeng of the Order of the Divine Fire last month? Do you dare to swear on it?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er stepped forward and yelled, ¡°I was the one who killed that wretched Zhu Danfeng! It has nothing to do with my Master! You may punish me as you please, be it killing or skinning me!¡±


    Ling Fei raised his head and guffawed. He then turned around to address everyone. ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s his subordinate who killed a senior of our Orthodox sects! That¡¯s Xiao Chen¡¯s doing! He conspired to bring about the ruin of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly! What is he if not a follower of the Devil¡¯s Practice? Us Orthodox folks must not allow him to exist!¡±


    He was so convincing that the crowd became sure that Xiao Chen won the Sword Assembly due to his dirty tricks. After all, many of them weren¡¯t there to witness the battle. In particular, the hecklers immediately spurred the rest to shout, ¡°Eliminate the follower of the Devil¡¯s Practice! Demonstrate the might of the Orthodox Path!¡±


    ¡°Kill him! Kill this Devil Clan¡¯s follower!¡±


    ¡°Us Orthodox folks must not allow a Devil¡¯s Practice follower to do as he pleases! Kill him!¡±


    The mob became so impassioned that their voices were enough to shatter the peace of heaven. Xiao Chen felt a wave of vertigo hit him. In his state of confusion, he felt as if he could hear someone saying, ¡°To think your Mystic Cyan Sect would produce such this scum of humanity! Ling Yin! What do you have to say for yourself? If you don¡¯t personally kill this Devil¡¯s Practice follower today, I fear you won¡¯t be able to answer the world satisfactorily! Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Argh¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen let out of a drawn-out scream. A fierce power erupted from within him and scattered the clouds within five kilometers. Many in the crowd below were nearly sent flying by that power.


    Black Qi whirled up all around him. He stared at Ling Fei with a cold gaze akin to that of a God of Death. ¡°Since you call me a demon, let me show what a real demon is! Go to hell¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen, calm down!¡± Yu Yifeng immediately set into motion, wanting to stop him. But when he was about two meters away from Xiao Chen, the latter shoved him aside with a palm attack.


    Murderous aura instantly enveloped the public square. Sensing the vivid call of death, Ling Fei didn¡¯t think twice before summoning his True Energy to fly toward Situ Bei.


    ¡°Not even a God can save you!¡± Xiao Chen howled. He reached out and Ling Fei flew toward him as if an invisible force was grabbing him.


    ¡°Senior Situ, save me!¡±

 Chapter 336 - Imprisoned

    ¡°Senior Situ, save me!¡±


    The moment the words escaped Ling Fei¡¯s mouth, two sword lights arrived in front of them and transformed into two elderly men with white hair and beard. These two were Situ Bei¡¯s students, both in the late-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. One rescued Ling Fei while the other blocked Xiao Chen.


    Ling Fei remained panicked even after being rescued. In the distance, Situ Bei said emotionlessly, ¡°I told you, no one can hurt Hero Ling with me around.¡±


    Only then did Ling Fei feel more assured. Hiding behind the two elderly men, he sneered at Xiao Chen who had black Qi whirling around him. He said loudly, ¡°See that? This Devil¡¯s Practice follower is finally revealing his true colors¡­¡±


    Before he could finish however, he found himself hoisted in midair by his neck. Xiao Chen had unleashed his Immortal-override Steps, leaving behind a shadow as he went past the elderly men to stand in front of Ling Fei.


    It happened so suddenly that it caught the two elderly men off guard. Unable to react in time, they could only watch as Xiao Chen shot Ling Fei a vicious glare and crash his palm on his chest. He dealt such a ferocious attack that Ling Fei coughed up a copious amount of blood, halfway to his grave. Just as he was about to attack again, a majestic force blew him nearly ten meters away. Situ Bei had personally made his move.


    Situ Bei caught the falling Ling Fei and stuffed a Nine-turn of Resurrection Pill into his mouth. He turned around to look at Xiao Chen with an ominous glint in his eye and then launched a palm attack at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was naturally no match for a Nirvana Realm cultivator, but right then, a purple shadow suddenly arrived in front of him to block the attack. A loud collision sent the entire platform shaking.


    The person was every bit as lovely as she was charming with her purple clothing fluttering in the wind. It was Su Yue. Her cultivation was, of course, incapable of taking on Situ Bei¡¯s direct hit, but he had reduced his force by half when he noticed it was her. Even if he was a Sixth-order Elixir Saint capable of summoning thousands of experts to his immediate aid, he couldn¡¯t very well murder someone from the Su family.


    ¡°Miss Su Yue, what is your purpose behind shielding a Devil¡¯s Practice follower?¡± Situ Bei asked, his voice cool and eyes narrowed.


    The crowd underneath finally regained their senses. Seeing the black Qi whirling around Xiao Chen, they immediately yelled, ¡°Devil¡¯s Practice follower! He¡¯s a Devil¡¯s Practice follower indeed! Kill him! Kill him!¡±


    Su Yue replied frostily, ¡°What, is black Qi proof of being a Devil¡¯s Practice follower now? Senior, are you going to suggest that the Su family is also a Devil¡¯s Practice clan?¡±


    Ling Fei regained the half of a life that he lost after digesting Situ Bei¡¯s pill. He wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth and sneered. ¡°Miss Su Yue, are you saying that you intend to shield this Devil¡¯s Practice follower no matter what?¡±


    Su Yue turned her head to look at him. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of calling me Miss Su Yue?!¡± She glared daggers at him. Even though it was no more than just a gaze, it was enough to strike fear into Ling Fei¡¯s heart. He had to take a few steps backward before he regained his footing.


    Right then, Qingyu hastily ran up to say, ¡°Senior Su Yue, Junior Brother Xiao is no Devil¡¯s Practice follower. He was only marred with Devil Qi because he helped me eliminate Devil¡¯s Carnage yesterday!¡± She shot looks at Zhou Li, prompting him to step forward and say, ¡°That¡¯s the truth. All of us witnessed this!¡±


    Xiao Chen was finally calm now. He began using the Mystic Cyan mind cultivation method to slowly eliminate the black Qi around him. Su Yue turned around to look at Situ Bei and said coldly, ¡°Hear that?¡±


    Situ Bei buried his fury over a Nascent Soul Realm junior daring to be so rude to him. If she wasn¡¯t from the Su family, he would have killed her with a single palm attack! He sneered and said, ¡°What? Is he not a devil simply because he¡¯s tainted with Devil¡¯s Carnage?¡±


    The faraway Yang Tianfeng stepped forward and said loudly, ¡°You seemed to be exaggerating, Senior Situ. If he¡¯s tainted with Devil¡¯s Carnage, all we have to do is to dispel it. How can we call him a devil just because of this¡­¡±


    Situ Bei interrupted him with an icy glare. ¡°Never mind the Su family. Who gave the Yang family the right to speak?!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± On the platform, Yang Shaochen was about to lose temper but ultimately held it in. The Su family had the power to fight against a Sixth-order Elixir Saint, but his family couldn¡¯t afford to offend such an individual.


    ¡°Humph!¡± Situ Bei flicked his sleeves with a cold huff. He then addressed the crowd below. ¡°On the basis of my Elixir Saint title today, I decree that you capture that Devil¡¯s Practice follower and execute him on the spot!¡±


    The moment this order left his mouth, the simmering mob immediately flew up to the platform. Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Perfected Immortal Guyang rapidly flew over and blocked everyone with a flick of his sleeve. Situ Bei shot him an icy stare. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the Immortals¡¯ League going to shield this Devil¡¯s Practice follower as well?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Guyang saluted him. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Elixir Saint Situ. We cannot hastily make a conclusion when this matter isn¡¯t properly investigated. If we kill an innocent, how does that make us different from followers of the Devil¡¯s Practice?¡±


    Someone from the mob immediately retorted, ¡°What do you mean, kill an innocent?¡± ¡°He¡¯s obviously a devil! He went on a rampage in Canglan City and then killed Senior Zhu Danfeng last month! Just now, he tried to kill Hero Ling! What is he if not a devil? Kill him! Kill him!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze swept the crowd. He noticed that the hecklers seemed to be the same group of people. Sure enough, someone had laid this trap for him in advance. Perfected Immortal Guyang raised his hand and said, ¡°Keep calm, everyone. The Immortal¡¯s League will definitely give you all an explanation¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better make good on your word so that my disciple can rest in peace!¡±


    The one who spoke this time was Perfected Immortal Zhong Li of the Yin-Yang Sect. Perfected Immortal Guyang sighed and magnified his voice. ¡°Men! Take Xiao Chen to the Immortal¡¯s Prison!¡± He then turned around to pushed several forces into Xiao Chen¡¯s body to temporarily seal his Mystic Skill.


    ¡°Humph!¡± Situ Bei flicked his sleeves, turned around, and flew down from the platform. Two Elders came up to the platform and said with a sigh, ¡°That¡¯s enough. All of you should leave.¡±


    Su Zimu walked up to Su Yue and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aunt.¡±


    ¡°You should go ahead,¡± Su Yue replied emotionlessly.


    Su Zimu shrugged. With a tap of the tip of his feet, he flew off the platform. It wasn¡¯t until nearly everyone had left that Su Yue walked up to Xiao Chen and said coldly, ¡°You couldn¡¯t even keep your cool in front of such a small matter. I really don¡¯t know how my sister gave birth to a son like you.¡± That said, she flicked her sleeves and flew down as well.


    Xiao Chen shivered. He wanted to say something, but Su Yue was long gone. Moments later, four Immortals¡¯ League disciples walked up to the platform and said quietly, ¡°This way please, Senior Brother Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply and left with them. He glared at Ling Fei when he walked past him. Ling Fei sneered. ¡°This is your debt to my family. There¡¯s still a big gift awaiting you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a bad feeling dawned on Xiao Chen. He said coldly, ¡°If you dare to hurt my people, I promise I¡¯ll purge your entire family with blood! I always make good on my word!¡±


    Ling Fei flashed him a wicked smile. ¡°I fear you don¡¯t have such a chance anymore, you devil! That attack earlier, I¡¯ll repay you tenfold! I¡¯ll also make good on my word!¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, this way please,¡± one of the Immortals¡¯ League disciples reminded him.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fingers and walked off the platform. In the distance, the twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were sick with worry. However, they had no way of saving him in front of so many experts. Tears were flowing down Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s face. ¡°No! You¡¯re not allowed to bully Brother Xiao Chen!¡± she cried, wanting to run up to him.


    Li Muxue immediately grabbed her. She shook her head and signaled Murong Xian¡¯er to be quiet. Zhiluan was flying round and round above their heads. ¡°Meow! I told you, didn¡¯t I? That there¡¯s something wrong about that Ling Fei! That kid ignored me and see what trouble he is in now!¡±


    The Immortal¡¯s Prison of the League was located at the summit of the rear mountain. The entire mountain was sealed with layer upon layer of Restrictions, supported by several powerful magic treasures. Even an Apotheosis Realm cultivator would have a hard time escaping the prison.


    If it wasn¡¯t for several illuminating formations, one wouldn¡¯t be able to see his hands at all inside the dark and damp cave. Xiao Chen, being a ¡°serious criminal¡±, was held in solitary confinement in a stone chamber away from other rulebreakers.


    The stone chamber was about a seven-meter square room with a small wooden bed, a pile of moldy blanket, and some hay for bedding in it. There was a spittoon in the corner.


    Xiao Chen sat on the side of the bed and lifted the moldy blanket. He smiled wryly. He had done his utmost on their trip to the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura and yet he ended up being imprisoned. Heh¡­


    However, this stone chamber was much better than the Ghostly Hall he had been imprisoned in back then, where it was so dark that he could never distinguish between day and night. This time, at least his Nascent Soul wasn¡¯t destroyed, at least it wasn¡¯t his sect mates demanding his death, at least¡­ he didn¡¯t trouble his Master.


    While recalling past events, he felt a sudden and indescribable palpitation. It came so abruptly that his mind was in a momentary state of chaos. He recalled Ling Fei¡¯s words earlier: There¡¯s still a big gift awaiting you¡­¡±

 Chapter 337 - Reminiscence Town

    A bad premonition swiftly filled Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. He immediately stood up and ran to the door of the stone chamber, patting it with as much force as he could muster. ¡°Men! Hey!¡±


    He shouted his voice hoarse, yet there was no response. He paced inside the stone chamber for a while before calming down and sitting down cross-legged on the wooden bed. He began attacking the seals that Perfected Immortal Guyang placed on him.


    Hours later, Xiao Chen¡¯s entire body was drenched with sweat. He finally managed to break Perfected Immortal Guyang¡¯s seals. He immediately crushed open the door with both palms. The collision was loud but the stone door didn¡¯t even shake.


    ¡°Men! I want to see the Elders! I want to see the Elders!¡±


    Once again, no one came to check out all the screaming. Xiao Chen could sense several powers at work here, the kind that entrapped deities. He collapsed on the bed and fell asleep in a daze. A nightmare roused him the next day. He dreamed that both his family and the Three Pure Sect were wiped out, leaving everyone dead. His father lay in a pool of blood, as were Bai Ying, Xiao Han, Xiao Wan¡¯er, Shangguan Yan, and the three princes. All of them died with grievances!


    ¡°Ahhh¡ªLing Fei! You dare to touch my people! I swear I¡¯ll exterminate your entire family! Exterminate your entire family!¡±


    Blue veins were protruding on Xiao Chen¡¯s face. In a fit of derangement, he attacked the door with his palm. The collision was loud but the door didn¡¯t even tremble. Neither hacking nor slashing worked. This stone door seemed impregnable.


    Moments later, he condensed nine flames on the hollow of his palm. These were the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames. Of course, he wasn¡¯t planning on bursting the door open with these. The chamber was so narrow that even if he was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, the explosion would still kill him.


    He wanted to use the heat and the cold to expand and contract the door, in the same way he did for the stone door at Wuwang Wind Cloud City. He flung a blue flame at the door. The fire immediately flared up and enveloped the entire door.


    The temperature inside the stone chamber abruptly rose and the hay on the bed was spontaneously combusting. Xiao Chen put on an ice-cold barrier around his body to counter the scorching heat. When the stone door was burning red, he flung the Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit at it. Following a sizzling sound, a layer of fog instantly enveloped the door and stifled him.


    When the stone door was completely encased in ice, Xiao Chen struck it with Cyan Dragon Roars. Two illusory golden dragons surged forth magnificently and slammed on the door. The ice fragmented and swirled in the air while the door trembled. However, the door showed no sign of destruction.


    ¡°Argh¡ª¡±


    Xiao Chen howled like a madman and started hacking the door with his Blood Lotus Demon Blade. Sparks of fire sprang forth and the clanging of metal resounded nonstop. However, no matter how he tried, the stone door refused to budge. He then switched his targets and hacked the stone walls instead. Still, he couldn¡¯t even land even the tiniest hint of destruction on them.


    ¡°Guifeng! Guifeng!¡±


    He remembered the General of Soul that he had taken it, but Guifeng didn¡¯t show himself no matter how he yelled. The Restriction here was too formidable.


    Hour by hour, time passed. After exhausting all of his brainpower, he still couldn¡¯t find a way of leaving this place. Gradually, he fell into despair again and his bad premonition only became stronger.


    By the time the third day rolled around, Xiao Chen had severe dark circles under his eyes and wisps of blood covering the whites of his eyes. His hair was a mess around his shoulders and filth covered his face. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the stone door being opened from the outside.


    With a shiver, he dashed over and banged on the door with all his strength. ¡°Men! Let me out! I want to see the Elders!¡±


    He heard the voice of an Immortals¡¯ League disciple saying, ¡°Miss Li, you only have thirty minutes. We mustn¡¯t let the Elders know.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you very much, Brothers. Here are 2,00,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    Then, all he heard was a flurry of steps coming toward his direction. The stone door gradually opened to reveal Li Muxue.


    ¡°Brother Xiao!¡±


    The rim of Li Muxue¡¯s eyes reddened after she saw Xiao Chen¡¯s messy hair, dirty face, and obvious exhaustion. She immediately gave him a hug. Xiao Chen patted her on the back. ¡°Muxue, why are you here¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Li Muxue let go of him and signaled him to be quiet before gesturing at the door outside. She conjured a Soundproof Barrier so that the disciples outside wouldn¡¯t hear their conversation but they could hear theirs.


    Li Muxue then cast a spell and took out several items from her Divine Vessel. They were the necessary ingredients for the Magic Mimicry lesson that Xiao Chen taught her not long ago.


    ¡°Muxue, you¡­¡±


    Li Muxue shook her head and said softly, ¡°We only have thirty minutes. Undress now and give me your clothes.¡± She then turned her body around.


    Xiao Chen sighed and said no more. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to charge out of the many layers of restrictions placed on this prison, leaving him no choice but to do this. Moments later, he finished undressing and handed his clothes to Li Muxue.


    Li Muxue didn¡¯t turn around, but he could imagine her cheeks reddening as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t turn around¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Chen nodded. He heard the rustling of a sash being undone and a delicate fragrance instantly filled the stone chamber. Soon, Li Muxue handed him her clothes and he speedily put them on. Thirty minutes later, both of them had completely switched their appearances.


    The greatness of the Magic Mimicry lay in the fact that even their aura and build would completely mimic the other person¡¯s. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Muxue, I promise I¡¯ll come and save you once I¡¯m done with my affairs outside!¡±


    Li Muxue placed her fingertip on his lips and shook her head. ¡°No. Brother Xiao, don¡¯t ever return once you leave. They¡¯ve already summoned the many great sects in seclusion¡­ Don¡¯t worry. Once they realize it¡¯s me, they won¡¯t make things difficult for me¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the quiet voices of the two Immortals¡¯ League disciples interrupted them. ¡°Miss Li, time is up. Are you done?¡±


    Li Muxue removed the Soundproof Barrier and said loudly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming out now.¡± She then whispered, ¡°Brother Xiao, take care! Oh, and Senior Zi Mo has returned to the Jade Qing Sect with Senior Sister Luo. I told the ladies of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon to wait in the willow forest in the outskirts east of the city. Go now!¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and nodded firmly. She stopped him, however, when he reached the door. He turned around and asked, ¡°Muxue, do you have more to say?¡±


    Li Muxue smiled at him. ¡°After the trials and tribulations of a long journey, I hope the gentleman finally knows my heart.¡±


    ¡­


    Then, under the guise of Li Muxue, Xiao Chen walked out of the prison without obstacle. However, he knew he must avoid the Elders of the League on the way. When he was about to reach the public square, several silhouettes popped out of the forest. The leader of the group was Ling Fei.


    ¡°Miss Li, where are you rushing to?¡±


    Xiao Chen wanted nothing more than to slap this man to death at this moment, but he could feel the aura of several Elders in the vicinity and dared not to act hastily. He flicked his sleeve and made a swift exit. He didn¡¯t have the time to return to his courtyard now and made a beeline for the foot of the mountain. When he reached the willow forest in the outskirts east of the city, he whistled.


    The moment the whistle resounded, twelve silhouettes immediately emerged from the forest. ¡°Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Not daring to tarry, all of them immediately took flight in the direction of the East Continent. His priority now was finding Zi Mo and Qingfeng, have them help him open the Space Teleportation Formation, and send him back to the Human World.


    The group traveled through the night and finally arrived at the border that the East Continent and Middle Continent shared early in the morning¡ªChangyin Mountain Range outside of Xianyong City.


    The sun had risen in other parts of the city but the Changyin Mountain Range remained overcast with dark clouds overhead cutting off the sunlight. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help lamenting now that he had returned to this familiar place. He had come to the Middle Continent with Xian¡¯er in pursuit of his Master¡¯s tracks just a few months ago. Little did he imagine so many things would happen after.


    They flew on their swords for another hour when Xiao Chen saw a towering mountain up ahead. He could vaguely hear the sound of a clock coming from the top of the mountain. He wasn¡¯t very familiar with the terrains, so he wasn¡¯t quite sure where he was at the moment. He had the map last time, but his memory seemed to have led him in the wrong direction this time.


    Beside him, Qingluan noticed that not even his changed appearance could hide his exhaustion. ¡°Master, there¡¯s a small town up ahead. Why don¡¯t we go down for a rest?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded, thinking that it would be a good idea to go down and buy a map. The group landed outside of the town and when they lifted their heads, they saw a plate hanging above the gates with the words ¡°Reminiscence Town¡± on it.


    The town was bustling with people thronging the streets. Most were ordinary families bringing along their young children, but all of them had joss sticks and candles in hand. Traders lined the streets but they weren¡¯t cultivation items like peddling pills, Spirit Stones, or seal talismans, but incenses, wax papers, and candles.


    Xiao Chen and the ladies walked down the street, attracting many surprised looks along the way. It wasn¡¯t surprising for the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon was attention-grabbing in every town they visited. Right then, a middle-aged couple holding the hand of a child walked toward them from the opposite direction.


    The man looked anxious. ¡°Sigh, they¡¯ve always allowed people to burn incense at the Wuyin Monastery, but why did they bar everyone this year?¡±


    The child whose hand he was holding bounced happily. ¡°I know, I know! There must be a monster in the monastery! Yesterday, Xiaowang from next door said he heard strange noises coming from the place at night!¡±


    The middle-aged woman beside him immediately glared at the child. ¡°You d*mned kid! Don¡¯t babble nonsense in the holy place of Buddhism! Be careful of a wolf spiriting you away at night!¡± The child scrunched his neck in fear after hearing the mention of wolves and immediately hid behind his father.


    Xiao Chen was stunned. Did they land in the town of the thousand-year-old temple, the Wuyin Monastery?


    They were in the Huai Prefecture, a prefecture surrounded by mountains on all sides that rested on a basin. The vegetation here was lush year-round, making summers in the prefecture cool. The Wuyin Monastery was the most famous spot here. It remained flourishing even after four thousand years of history. With four Great Divine Monks¡ªXuantong, Xuangui, Xuanji, and Xuanle¡ªat the temple blessing the common folk, demons and ghosts dared not come near this place.


    Unlike secluded Taoist sects, the Wuyin Monastery was a Buddhist sect that opened its doors to the public all year-round. Thus, countless people from all over the world would come here after hearing of its reputation to burn incense at the monastery every year. However, not long ago, the monastery began to refuse incense offerings and stop everyone from going up the mountain.


    Of course, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t have the luxury to wonder about this. Right now, all he wanted was to return to the Jade Qing Sect as soon as possible and meet Zi Mo and Qingfeng.


    Soon, the group checked into a tavern and Xiao Chen returned to his original appearance. Noticing how intense his dark circles and exhaustion were, Qingluan said, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t you take a nap before leaving?¡±


    Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t had a proper rest in the past few days. Coupled with his energy depletion over their overnight journey on flying swords, his mind was indeed not functioning at its best. ¡°Very well. Wake me up in an hour,¡± he said, and swiftly collapsed on the bed.


    When Xiao Chen opened his eyes in a daze, not knowing how much time had passed, he got up in a start. ¡°What¡¯s the time now? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?!¡±

 Chapter 338 - Returning to the Human World

    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately pushed the door open and entered the room when they heard the commotion inside. Qingluan saluted Xiao Chen and said, ¡°I noticed you were exhausted day after day, so¡­ Please name your punishment, Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his forehead. ¡°Forget it.¡± How could he rebuke them when they were doing it out of concern for him? ¡°Go settle the bill for the room,¡± he said. No matter what, he must return to the Human World today.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    Once they settled the bill at the tavern, the group didn¡¯t linger around and walked out of the town. They immediately climbed onto their flying swords and headed for the Jade Qing Sect in the Qing Province. After flying at top speed, they finally arrived at the province in the late afternoon.


    Qing Province was filled with towering mountains that formed an endless range. Being back here again gave Xiao Chen a sense of amiable familiarity. No matter how flourishing the Middle Continent was, he still found that place strange and inferior to the East Continent. Perhaps it was because the Mystic Cyan Sect had always been here, making it his native land.


    When they entered the vicinity of Qing Province, Xiao Chen turned around and said, ¡°The Teleportation Formation can¡¯t carry all of you. Wait for me in the city.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately stepped forward. ¡°We¡¯re going with you, Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. The remaining ten stayed in the city of Qing Province on standby while the three went to the foot of Yuqing Mountain. The place was like paradise with birdsongs, fragrant flowers, and butterflies everywhere, covering all signs of the bloody battle it had witnessed in the past. Noticing their arrival, several disciples immediately walked up to stop them. One of them asked, ¡°Who are three of you?!¡±


    Xiao Chen was about to reply when another disciple recognized him. Surprised, he said, ¡°It¡¯s you, Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    The Jade Qing Sect disciples had long heard of how Xiao Chen helped their sect win the refinement competition and seized the championship, but they seemed in the dark about what had happened recently.


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Are Senior Xiaoyao and Senior Qingfeng around?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes, they¡¯re around! This way please, Junior Brother Xiao!¡± one of the disciples replied happily. ¡°I¡¯ll go and tell everyone that you¡¯re back!¡± another said in excitement, about to rush up the mountain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Xiao Chen immediately reached out to stop the disciple. The disciple turned around in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed. ¡°I came back on urgent business. I need to leave immediately. It¡¯s better if you keep my return a secret.¡±


    Though the disciples were skeptical, they knew it wasn¡¯t their place to ask questions. One of them laughed and said, ¡°Of course! This way please, Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    The group walked up the mountain on a path paved with precious stones and lined with pine and cypress trees. In the distance, many isles were suspended in midair thanks to the use of mystic arts. Water streamed down the side of the isles, forming gorgeous rainbows under the brilliant sunlight. The background of clouds was only faintly discernible, with the occasional shadows of ash-gray cranes flitting past. It wasn¡¯t as glorious or as magnificent as some large sects in the Middle Continent, but it was filled with an antiqued and immortal-like beauty.


    Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the mountain gate square. The gleaming of the Heguang Hall and Tongchen Hall bounced off each other under the sunlight. Xiao Chen and the rest entered the Tongchen Hall while the disciples ran off to bring them tea. Within minutes, Elder Zi Mo and Elder Qingfeng walked into the hall.


    One was dressed in purple and had a sparse, uneven beard that made him look comical. The other was in cyan, had his hair combed neatly, and wore a solemn expression. Xiao Chen could tell from their expressions that they had gotten wind of what had happened at the Immortals¡¯ League. Zi Mo said in a panic, ¡°Stinky brat, what¡¯s going on?! It¡¯s only been a few days and you¡¯re already in trouble! All the old monsters in the five continents are all going over to the League to capture you! What exactly is going on?!¡±


    Qingfeng said, ¡°Calm down, Senior Brother. Let¡¯s hear his explanation.¡±


    Xiao Chen got to his feet the moment he saw the Elders come in. With a wry expression, he saluted them and replied, ¡°The scum from Ling family framed me. It¡¯s a long story. I hope you¡¯ll open the Teleportation Formation, Seniors. I need to return to the Human World immediately.¡±


    Qingfeng smoothed his beard with his hand and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea to hide in the Human World for now.¡±


    Zi Mo¡¯s mind was sharper. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°That¡¯s wrong! Hiding in the Human World? That¡¯s not your style, kid! Explain yourself. Why are you in a hurry to return to the Human World?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked conflicted. He wasn¡¯t fully sure that the Three Pure Sect was in trouble, so he didn¡¯t want the two Elders to worry. Qingfeng said, ¡°Forget it, Senior Brother. The League must have noticed that he has escaped by now. It won¡¯t do any harm to have him hide in the Human World for now.¡±


    Zi Mo heaved a deep sigh. He flicked his sleeves and said, ¡°Come with me!¡±


    The five of them made their way to a cave in the mountain behind Yuqing Mountain. Zi Mo and Qingfeng unsealed the mystic arts on the cave opening and primal chaos immediately appeared in their sight. Qingfeng said, ¡°Xiao Chen, stay a little longer in the Human World and don¡¯t come back to the Violet Manor for the time being. You have us here, so you can leave without worry.¡±


    Xiao Chen once again bowed in respect. ¡°I¡¯ll engrave your favor in my heart.¡± There weren¡¯t many people he could truly trust in the Violet Manor, but Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng were the exceptions.


    Zi Mo shook his hand. ¡°Stop dawdling and leave now! Who knows if the Immortals¡¯ League will send their men after you in just a while!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t try to continue the conversation either. He immediately walked up to the primal chaos in the cave opening but hesitated when he was about to step in. He stopped walking and turned around. ¡°You won¡¯t send me to the wrong place this time, will you? If you send me to the lands of the non-Hans outside the Nine Provinces¡­¡±


    ¡°Oy, you stinky brat!¡± Zi Mo raised a fist at him. ¡°It was an accident last time, an accident! Don¡¯t go around holding a grudge, kid! Are you going or not?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said no more. He turned around and entered the primal chaos in the cave opening. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately followed him.


    Moments later, the opening of the primal chaos closed. Qingfeng heaved a deep sigh. ¡°This child is destined for a difficult life. I hope he won¡¯t ever return to Violet Manor again and stay in the hiding in the Human World. He¡¯ll be fulfilling the name ¡®Chen¡¯ that I bestowed on him back then.¡±


    Zi Mo put on a wry smile. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible? Forget it. Let¡¯s figure out how we¡¯ll deal with the League. If they find out that we let him go, they¡¯ll punish us with at least eighty years of punishment if not one hundred years¡­ Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Sometime later, Xiao Chen¡¯s vision gradually filled up with light as if he finally witnessed sunlight after an everlasting night. His surroundings became bright and clear shortly after and a distant sound of running water entered his ears. The three of them looked up and around them and saw orioles flying above the tall grass, butterflies fluttering in the air, as well as green hills and clear waters in the distance. It was a tranquil and auspicious land.


    Xiao Chen spotted a stone bridge nearby and remembered that this was ten kilometers away from Lingtai Town. This was where he first met Li Muxue.


    Being here, he couldn¡¯t help recalling how he had come here to enter the Three Pure Sect. Thousands signed up but only a dozen or so remained. It had just been two years, but the sect must have undergone tremendous changes since.


    ¡°Is this your hometown, Master? Though the Spiritual Qi here is much thinner, it¡¯s on par with Violet Manor! Hehe! Why don¡¯t we just stay here forever?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er looked rather cheerful with a butterfly resting on her cupped hand. Qingluan immediately shot her a glare. ¡°Watch your manners when you¡¯re in front of our Master!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er stuck out her tongue and said nothing more. Xiao Chen looked up and saw the color yellow gradually tainting the clouds as the evening crept into the night. It must be almost six. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He led the ladies toward Lingtai Mountain and reached the canyon where he took his first examination. There seemed to be no end to the clouds and mist that filled the air. Even the iron ropes that connected both sides disappeared out of view.


    But he could come and go as he pleased even when he didn¡¯t have any cultivation, much less when he was now a true Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. With a leap, he left behind a shadow and landed on the other end of the canyon before the shadow even dissipated. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er caught up to him, though a little slower.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression gradually turned solemn. Why couldn¡¯t he feel the spirit energy fluctuation in the Grand Defensive Formation of Lingtai Mountain? Why weren¡¯t there any disciples guarding the mountain¡­?

 Chapter 339 - Coming Together and Separating in Sorrow and Joy

    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er noticed their Master¡¯s solemn expression but didn¡¯t think it was the right time to ask questions. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He took out his flying sword and flew toward the main peak of the mountain.


    Lingtai Mountain comprised of numerous smaller mountains shrouded in clouds and mist. Out of its five main peaks, its main Black Dragon Peak was home to the Sect Leader and First Elder Yan Li. Star-picking Peak was home to Second Elder Xingzhen Zi, Moon-watch Peak to Third Elder Bai Ying, Pine Crane Peak to Fourth Elder Cang He, and Misty Peak to Fifth Elder Tian Yuanzi. The Outer Gate on Sunset Peak wasn¡¯t on any of the main peaks.


    Xiao Chen was somewhat absent-minded looking at the scenery below as he sped on his flying sword above the clouds, so much so that he nearly fell. The ruined halls, collapsed buildings, rocks that blocked the mountain path, and the large bloodstain on them¡­


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately steadied Xiao Chen with their hands when they saw how dazed he looked. Feeling his heart twist painfully, Xiao Chen shook his hand and landed on the Black Dragon Peak. The sudden descent of three sword lights frightened the light out of the disciples who were clearing up the aftermath. These people were so spooked that they immediately made a run for it without even seeing who had come.


    Of course, some of them recognized Xiao Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared! It¡¯s Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    The rim of Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes turned red as he looked at what a terrible mess the public square had turned. The entire Three Pure Hall on the east had collapsed. He could see the disaster playing out on his mind: the sudden arrival of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in the sky beheading the people here before they could react, countless Sword Qi turning the halls into dust in an instant, untold number of people running in horror and pleading for their lives on their knees but all unable to escape death¡­


    ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Xiao Chen faced the sky and let out a drawn-out howl of despair and fear. It was he who brought this fate upon the Three Pure Sect.


    ¡°It¡¯s Junior Brother Xiao! Junior Brother Xiao is back!¡± More disciples recognized Xiao Chen by then, and those that were running stopped in their tracks, hesitant as to whether they should return.


    Calm finally returned to Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. He asked, ¡°What about Third Elder? Where is she?¡± His most pressing concern was whether Bai Ying, Xiao Han, and the rest were still alive.


    ¡°Elders are recuperating in the rear of the hall,¡± a disciple replied in a quiet voice.


    Xiao Chen felt a shred of relief after hearing that Bai Ying was safe. He continued to ask, ¡°When did this happen? Who¡¯s the culprit?!¡±


    Quite a few disciples trembled and turned pale after hearing his questions. It was evident that what had happened traumatized them. One of them replied in a trembling voice, ¡°Two people came here yesterday morning. We didn¡¯t get a clear look at their faces. Only Elder Qing, who opened the Illusory Formation, knows¡­¡±


    ¡°Lead the way!¡± Xiao Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked in protest. He wouldn¡¯t be human if he didn¡¯t get his revenge!


    The disciples said nothing and led him to the rear of the hall. Xiao Chen noticed many parts of the sect turned into ruins along the way. The cultivation spot that Luo Shangyan risked her life to win for him, Spiritual Qi Valley, was completely destroyed. The arena had crashed onto the floor of the valley, broken into countless pieces. The entire Lingtai Mountain had lost its former luster with its birdsongs and fragrant flowers, leaving only its wounded self.


    When they arrived at the rear hall half an hour later, all they saw were the tightly shut doors and seven or eight disciples guarding outside. The pale-faced and shivering disciples got a fright when they saw people approaching. One of them asked, voice shaking so hard that it was hard to make out the words, ¡°Wh-Wh-What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen again?¡±


    The survivors of the disaster had been reduced into frightened shadows of their former selves. Xiao Chen walked up to them and asked the disciples, ¡°Is the Elders inside?¡±


    The disciple¡¯s voice was still trembling with fear. ¡°Wh-Wh-Whether they¡¯re inside or not¡­ Who are you?¡± His companion was stunned when he recognized Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    Suddenly, the doors opened with a creak. It was pitch-black inside, making it impossible for them to see what was going on inside. A young woman stood at the opened doors, her white dress tainted with bloodstains all over. There was a visible sword injury on her left arm. Her face was pale and her eyes were swollen from crying. She stared at Xiao Chen tearfully without speaking.


    Xiao Chen lowered his head. ¡°I, Disciple Xiao Chen, have wronged the sect!¡±


    The woman was Third Elder Bai Ying. No longer as carefree as she had once been, she sniffled and said in a choked voice, ¡°When did you come back?¡±


    ¡°Just now¡­¡± Xiao Chen fell into momentary silence before asking, ¡°Uncle Master Xingzhen Zi¡­ is he safe?¡± Back when he was in the Three Pure Sect, Second Elder was the one most protective of him after Bai Ying. Judging from Bai Ying¡¯s expression, he feared¡­


    Everyone lowered their heads in silence. Bai Ying¡¯s tears threatened to flow once again. She looked up, bit her lip, and then shook her head.


    A sharp pain pierced Xiao Chen¡¯s heart. He walked into the hall and saw First Elder, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder inside. There was a man lying on the couch with his eyes closed, a face utterly devoid of color, and a still chest. His left arm was severed seven inches from his shoulder. It was Second Elder Xingzhen Zi, Bai Ying¡¯s closest Senior Brother. Without salvation from this hopeless situation, he ended up sacrificing himself to save his people.


    Considering both his and Bai Ying¡¯s injuries, he must have blocked the attack for her.


    Xiao Chen walked up to the couch with an incredibly heavy mood. No one said anything. Somehow, a gust of cold wind from the outside entered the hall and made a mess of his hair, as well as his memories.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll avenge Uncle Master. First Elder, please open the Illusory Formation and let me have a look.¡±


    The pale-faced and injured Elders said nothing after hearing his request. First Elder walked up to a large mirror, cast a spell, and struck the mirror with an orb of white light. The mirror began showing a moving scene.


    Two men stood high in the clouds, one dressed in cyan and the other in red. They were Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng of the Order of the Divine Fire. Xiao Chen clenched his fists so hard that his bones creaked. Sure enough, it was them. He knew it¡­


    In the scene, countless golden Sword Qi rained down and obliterated the greenery and destroyed the halls and buildings. Never-ending screaming echoed from Lingtai Mountain. Some ran in horror while others kneeled and begged for forgiveness¡­


    The men in the sky saw them all as ants as they guffawed and massacred wantonly. ¡°If you want to blame someone, you can blame the seed of evil that your sect gave birth to! He had provoked someone that he shouldn¡¯t!


    ¡­


    The scene ended where Second Elder Xingzhen Zi blocked a Sword Qi for Bai Ying. Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Is there an Illusory Formation under the mountain? I want to see how they break their way in!¡±


    First Elder replied, ¡°There was, but it was destroyed alongside the Grand Defensive Formation.¡±


    ¡°Then how did they leave?¡±


    ¡°It was a woman in white.¡± Bai Ying walked in. She still sounded as if she was close to tearing up. ¡°A woman in white came. The two men immediately ran when they saw her¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen took in a deep breath. If it wasn¡¯t for the woman in white, would the entire Three Pure Sect be exterminated? Suddenly, commotion resounded outside the hall.


    ¡°Cousin Xiao Chen! Did you come back?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and walked out of the hall, where he saw Xiao Wan¡¯er and Xiao Han running over. He hastily walked up to them and asked, ¡°How is the Xiao family doing? Have you checked on them?¡± Since Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng were able to find the Three Pure Sect, he knew they would be able to find the Xiao family as well.


    Xiao Chen was silent. Xiao Wan¡¯er whispered, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ The Xiao family won¡¯t ever be in trouble again. You don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen felt a shock run through his entire soul. He instantly felt the world around him spin. He grabbed her shoulders and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Explain yourself! What do you mean that they won¡¯t ever be in trouble again? What do you mean that I don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore?¡±


    Xiao Han glared at Xiao Wan¡¯er. ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t know how to speak!¡± He looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. The family is very safe.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed in relief. Xiao Wan¡¯er¡¯s words made him think that their family was massacred. This made him glare at her. ¡°You¡¯re almost twenty! Can¡¯t you speak properly?¡±


    Xiao Wan¡¯er would typically protest, but she cried this time. ¡°What are you guys doing? Did you think you can scold me just because Senior Brother Cheng Ying isn¡¯t around anymore?¡± she yelled, sobbing.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart ached. Cheng Ying was Bai Ying¡¯s eldest disciple and the person who fetched them from the Xiao family. Did the person who spoke up for Luo Shangyan back when Wen Qingyu stole their Octarine Core perish as well¡­?


    No one said anything. Even the wind came to a standstill. The Three Pure Sect had been dealt with a great blow and suffered severe casualties. Even now, no one knew just how many disciples had died. Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Sunset Peak!¡± He turned into sword radiance and flew down the mountain.


    Due to its lower position, the Sunset Peak was left mostly intact. However, it was shrouded with a deathly stillness. Outer disciples, who didn¡¯t feel the same sense of belonging as the inner disciples did, immediately fled the moment the disaster struck.


    The curtain of night gradually closed on them. The breeze swept them as they walked along the empty mountain road. Xiao Chen was in a sorrowful mood. From now on, no one would ever fight over Spirit Stones here again.


    Before he knew it, he was back at his former home. The courtyard once filled with blooming white flowers now had petals scattered all over the ground. The house was the same as when he had left it, though a layer of dust covered everything because no one had stayed here for a long time.


    The pots, bowls, ladles, and basins in the kitchen were still there, though covered with dust. Cobwebs had also formed on the roof beams. It seemed that no one had come here for more than half a year.


    Xiao Chen walked out of the courtyard and saw that Xiao Han and Xiao Wan¡¯er came with him. He asked, ¡°Did Junior Brother Zhao, Junior Brother Qi, and Junior Brother Yan leave a long time ago? If they were still around, there was no way they wouldn¡¯t visit this place.


    Xiao Han sighed. ¡°They left more than half a year ago. There were changes in Zhao State, so Junior Zhao returned and got himself embroiled in the fight for the throne. The Emperor of Yan State passed away and Junior Brother Yan had no choice but to return to inherit the throne. There was a coup in Qi State and the rebel army seized control of the palace. Several old ministers dragged Junior Brother Qi home and there is still no news of him even now¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen took in a deep breath as memories flooded his mind. The scenery remained the same, but in just one short year, everyone had changed.


    Qingluan stepped forward and saluted Xiao Chen. ¡°What¡¯s your plan now, Master? Will you return to Violet Manor?¡±


    A dangerous glint flashed in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. How can I not return the favor after receiving such a tremendous gift from the Ling family? Since I¡¯ll have to lay down an Immortal Incineration Sword Formation on Lingtai Mountain tomorrow, I¡¯ll let them live for another day.¡±

 Chapter 340 - The Copper Man

    ¡°The Ling Family, I¡¯ll let them live for another day¡­¡± Xiao Chen repeated these words monotonously as he looked at the sunset, and his eyes became colder.


    In the night, the wind was cold, and the silver moon hung high up in the sky. Bai Ying sat in the Moon-watch Pavilion alone as he gazed at the moon. A few empty wine jars were placed at his feet.


    ¡°Live your life to the fullest as you can¡¯t stop it from ending for the dead remains dead¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen gently walked over. Bai Ying smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Senior Brother had used to make me drink less. He said that a cultivator shouldn¡¯t be reeking of alcohol. Now he has gone and finally, no one is nagging in my ear¡­ and that wooden-head disciple of mine, every time I yelled at him, he always keeps his head down and doesn¡¯t talk. Now, who am I going to swear at¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen silently entered the pavilion and cleaned up a few empty jars at her feet. He whispered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault; I got us into the trouble¡­¡±


    Bai Ying forced a smile. She finally turned around to look at him and said, ¡°Have you found the person you were looking for yet?¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°Are you going to continue your search?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes focused on the lonely moon in the sky and said, ¡°To above the heavens and into the underworld, if I can¡¯t find her in heaven, I¡¯ll go beyond the sky and if I can¡¯t find her beneath the earth, I¡¯ll turn the earth over! Until I find her!¡±


    Both of them were silent. The night wind blew gently, the leaves rustled, and it was like the sound of sorrow. After a long time, Xiao Chen sighed and said, ¡°You go back and rest. I will lay down the defense formation on the mountain tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Are you at the Nascent Soul Realm already?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­¡­¡±


    The next morning, Xiao Chen came to Canglongfeng Square. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er followed closely behind, and several elders were also there as well as some surviving disciples.


    This time, the defensive formation that Xiao Chen was going to set up was called the Immortal Incineration Sword Formation. It was different from the formation at the back mountain that guarded the Spiritual Meridian. This formation consisted of these four formation points respectively; the immortal extermination, the immortal lancination, the immortal trap and the end of immortal. It had a formidable force. Once triggered by the intruder, the intruder would perish under the attack of hundreds of millions of Sword Qi in the formation.


    After everything was ready, Xiao Chen nodded at the several elders before leaping and rushing into the clouds like a golden ray of light. Many disciples below took a deep breath as Xiao Chen stood above the clouds in rays of golden light. He was like a deity, putting the rising sun to shame. Everyone felt the powerful aura of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    As Xiao Chen chanted the incantation, countless golden rays emitted off him and scattered in all corners of Lingtai Mountain. Then the four 100-feet long swords appeared out of thin air. The white sword in the east was the Immortal Extermination, the red sword in the west was the Immortal Lancination, the purple sword in the south was the Immortal Trap and the green sword in the north was the End of Immortal.


    The four sword radiance fell at the same time and penetrated the four corners of Lingtai Mountain; the east, the west, the north, and the south. As the sword formation settled, the whole Lingtai Mountain shook violently. Everyone felt the huge wave of spirit energy fluctuations from the formation.


    But it was not over. Xiao Chen continued to chant incantations with hand spells. The layers and layers of golden mystic arts shielded the Lingtai Mountain below, and layers and layers of it buried into the mountain. The sea of clouds in the sky rolled, emitting rays of light. This magnificent scene put everyone in awe.


    Two hours had passed and it was yet to be completed. This time, Xiao Chen had to reinforce the respective formation point so that the formation would not be easily destroyed. At this moment, his face was gradually becoming pale. It was obvious that he had overspent his True Energy and was barely holding on.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er looked at each other immediately transformed into a blue and a purple light. They rushed up into the sky and each transferred a steady stream of True Energy into Xiao Chen¡¯s body before he could speak.


    Another two hours had passed, layers of golden mystic arts shielded mountain and surrounded the entire Lingtai Mountain. The three of them in the sky were majoring depleting their True Energy. Their faces were as white as paper. Qingluan said eagerly, ¡°Lord, please stop! If you continue, you will ruin your Natal True Energy!¡±


    The so-called Natal True Energy was different from the True Energy that was obtained through cultivation. Once it was worn out, it could not be rebuilt. Drops of perspirations fell off Xiao Chen¡¯s like rain. He spoke in a deep low voice, ¡°The formation is not done yet, and we¡¯ll lose all our efforts if we stop now!¡± Then he mustered all the True Energy in his body. Soon, the entire Lingtai Mountain was covered by a layer of golden talisman.


    The two sisters saw that he was going to expend his Natal True Energy this time. They could not care more and hastily cast an incantation. A purple and a green True Energy were soon transferred into Xiao Chen¡¯s body. It was the Natal True Energy of the two sisters. They would rather have their cultivation at stake than having Xiao Chen injured.


    Finally, at twilight, the Immortal Extermination Formation was completed. In the future, the Lingtai Mountain could be said to be impenetrable. At this moment, the True Energy of the three above was completely worn out. Xiao Chen was as white as paper, his body trembled and fell straight onto the ground.


    ¡°Lord!¡±


    The two sisters shouted at the same time and swooped down to catch him. But they had expended most of their True Energy as well. At this moment, it was impossible to land slowly while in air. At the most, they could only be the cushion of Xiao Chen by falling onto the ground first so that he would not be injured.


    The few elders below were prepared. Before the three hit the ground, they flew up and caught them.


    Falling into the ground, Xiao Chen was helped by Bai Ying. He uttered out the last few words with all his remaining strength before he passed out, ¡°I have transferred the Soul power into the formation, a formation spirit will be born within three years. It will guarantee¡­¡±


    Many people in the square had yet to recover from what just happened. The First Elder sighed. ¡°Send them back to their rooms to rest first.¡±


    In the early morning of the next day, Xiao Chen woke up slowly. Outside the house, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately walked in as they heard noises in the room. ¡°Lord!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at them and said, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. My Lord need not worry about us!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. He was way too worn out yesterday. However, after a night of recovery, he was much better. After consuming the Energy Pill, he was fully recovered by noon.


    In the afternoon, he visited Bai Ying and told her that he had to make a trip back to the Xiao family. Although he heard nothing from his family, he had left for so long. Since he came back this time, he had to see his father.


    Xiao Wan¡¯er stayed back to keep Bai Ying accompanied. Xiao Han had to deal with some follow-up matters, so the two did not go back with him, and Shangguan Yan went home half a month ago, presumably still unaware of what happened in Three Pure Sect.


    As he reached the foot of the mountain after leaving Three Pure Sect, Xiao Chen turned and looked back. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh again. Then a ruthless look flashed in his eyes, said, ¡°Ling Family, Order of the Divine Fire, this ¡®generous gift¡¯ from you, I will return it ten times back!¡±


    About 3 p.m., the three of them had returned to the Cloud City of Cloud Province. To avoid attention, they stopped riding on their swords. The city was crowded with people, and the traders were hawking their wares. A gentle breeze spread ripples and ripples in the river as the willow branches sway gently. A few children played hide and seek under the tree¡­


    All of this was familiar to Xiao Chen, who had lived in this city for more than ten years.


    ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this Young Master Xiao Chen? When did you come back?¡±


    Just as Xiao Chen thought about the past, an old man wearing a blue and white coat suddenly came to him with a smile. Xiao Chen nodded and smiled. ¡°Uncle Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Eh? That looks like Young Master Xiao Chen, I haven¡¯t seen him in the past two years.¡± Many people in the distance had also narrowed their eyes and squinted at Xiao Chen.


    Along the way, Xiao Chen nodded and smiled as he walked past the crowd. ¡°Second Uncle Wang¡­ Uncle Liu¡­ Auntie Wu¡­¡±


    These were the familiar faces. Xiao Chen suddenly felt a warmth in his heart. Although the Human World was small, after all, this was his home. No one would say that he was a devil, and no one would threaten to kill him¡­


    The Xiao family was built on the top of a mountain range in the Dongcheng District. At the foot of the mountain, one could see the lush vegetation on the mountain, surrounded by the clouds and the fog, and the pavilions were faintly discernible. Xiao Chen took a deep breath and felt relaxed. He was home.


    30 minutes later, the three people had reached the mountainside. The grass on the path was high and the path itself was deep and quiet, and springs were passing by in a distance. Various birds flew around in the woods, chirping happily, and they were not afraid of people. But there was something Xiao Chen felt weird about, in the past, there were people stationed on the mountain road. Where did they go?


    At this moment, he suddenly noticed that a faint life force in front was approaching very quickly, and the thing came strangely, like lightning, it rushed to him in the blink of an eye.


    It came so fast that Xiao Chen could not see what it was, but it felt very strong. He instinctively reacted by lifting his palm to defend it. However, that thing bypassed him in an instant and attacked Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°Bang, bang!¡± Before the two sisters could react, they have blasted out several feet away. As they fell onto the ground, a mouthful of blood spewed out.


    ¡°Qingluan! Ziyun¡¯er!¡±


    Xiao Chen finally saw what the thing was, it was a golden copper man. His body was like showering in gold and was shining brightly under the sun.


    Seeing that the bronze man had to attack the second sister, Xiao Chen hurriedly summoned his Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword. With a swoosh, the sword transformed into a white radiance and slashed at the back of the copper man. A loud bang was heard and sparks flew, the indestructible Unsullied Sword bounced back unexpectedly. The surrounding plants and rocks were turned into fly ash under this strong force.

 Chapter 341 - Wipe Out

    ¡°Bang! Bang!¡±


    With two loud bang, the surrounding trees trembled. The Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were once again bashed up. Although they had the strength of the pre-Nascent Soul Realm, in front of this copper man, they were defenseless.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    As the copper man was about to kill the two sisters, Xiao Chen used the Immortal-override Steps and blocked in front of them.


    ¡°Ice Dragon!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s two palms pushed, and in an instant, roars of dragon shook the sky, the temperature around them suddenly dropped. The things within the thirty feet together with the copper man were frozen right away.


    Through the layer of ice, Xiao Chen finally took a clear look at the copper man. His eyes were lifeless, and there was a ¡°Gold¡± inscription on his forehead, between his eyebrows was a faint activity of talisman. It was a kind of puppet, but not a Corpse Puppet. It did not have that evil aura of a Corpse Puppet on it.


    Seeing that the puppet had stopped moving, Xiao Chen finally let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°Are you hurt badly?¡±


    Qingluan wiped the blood off her mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± then she yelled suddenly, ¡°Be careful, my Lord!¡± and rushed up right after.


    With a loud bang, the layer of ice broke. Xiao Chen hurriedly turned around, and without thinking, he smashed out the Cyan Dragon Roars. However, the puppet bypassed him in an instant yet again and went gave Qingluan a blow. The blow hit on Qingluan¡¯s abdomen causing her to spew out blood as she flew backward.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Ziyun¡¯er cried, and hastily summoned her Bloodied Violet Blade. However, before she could hold it, she was being punched in the abdomen as well. She too vomited blood and flew out, breaking the four-arms-length big tree behind her into half.


    Xiao Chen seemed to understand something. This puppet would only attack the girls and not him. He shouted, ¡°It does not attack me! Leave now!¡±


    The girls then cast a hand spell and were about to make their escape in the northwest direction when the copper man teleported over. It hit them with an incredible force and they flew out again, the gravels on the pathway splattered.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were shocked, and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was smashed, and the blood-red knife was as long as 100 feet. In this dust, there is quite a power to destroy the earth. However, I saw that the copper man¡¯s arm was lifted and slammed, and Xiao¡¯s Nascent Soul¡¯s power could not cause any harm to him.


    In a blink of an eye, the copper man once again got around Xiao Chen. Its two fists were like a meteor as they hit at the heads of two lying in the pile of stones. If this fist went down, the two sisters were dead for sure!


    At the most critical moment, a powerful voice could be heard from the top, ¡°Gold Puppet! Stop!¡±


    The wind stopped, and the copper man suddenly stopped moving. The left and right fists were only three inches away from the forehead of the two sisters. The two girls looked at the golden fists in front of them blankly. Their life was hanging by the thread just a second ago.


    Xiao Chen quickly lifted the two sisters and looked up at the top of the mountain road. In the gentle breeze stood a middle-aged man with greyish sideburns, and his sleeves sway with the wind. The middle-aged man was shocked and happy at the same time. Four disciples of Xiao family followed behind.


    ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Chen¡¯er!¡±


    The two voices sounded at the same time. The father and the son ran towards each other and embraced. Although they were only apart for a year, Xiao Chen had experienced numerous lives and deaths, and it had seemed like a decade.


    ¡°Chen¡¯er, you have grown taller. Let me take a good look at you, how have you been?¡± Xiao Yifan was so excited that his eyes were teary. He looked at the boy who had now grown into a man, he did not know what to say anymore.


    ¡°I have been fine, very fine¡­¡± Xiao Chen replied as he started to choke with sobs. In the Violet Manor, who else would care for him like his father¡­ Suddenly, he remembered the thrilling scene that happened just now, then he turned and pointed the motionless puppet, saying, ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Xiao Yifan also looked over and muttered, ¡°Gold Puppet has never been like this before; what is going on today¡­¡± Then he looked at the two sisters and said, ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er looked at each other and shook their heads together. Xiao Yifan turned his head and asked Xiao Chen, ¡°Chen¡¯er, who are these two girls?¡±


    ¡°They are the friends I made in the Violet Manor.¡±


    Xiao Yifan looked at the two sisters and bowed. ¡°Apologies to you two. Please come with me to my humble house. I¡¯ll get someone to heal you.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er bowed and said, ¡°Headmaster Xiao, you¡¯re too kind.¡±


    On the way, Xiao Chen learned that his father had temporarily served as the chieftain and asked, ¡°Oh right, father, where did this puppet come from?¡±


    Xiao Yifan smiled and said, ¡°This is a long story. Not long after you left, a girl in white came. The girl did not say who she was and gave me five puppets of the five elements. Along with them, she passed some control techniques to me, saying that these puppets can identify the enemy on their own. She told me to put them in the different corners of Xiao family for defense purposes¡­¡± Then he paused and turn to the girls and said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er frowned deeply and kept quiet.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. The last time the Xiao family was almost destroyed by Skygale Sect, the girl in white who had such powerful puppets. In this Human World, the only person he could think of was Bai Susu. But why would she help him again and again? Who was she¡­


    As they were near the Fly Cloud Court, they saw many disciples of the Xiao family crowding outside the court. These people were all alarmed by the fighting sounds at the mountain foot.


    Xiao Yifan said happily, ¡°Chen¡¯er, it¡¯s not easy for you to finally return. I will arrange a welcoming dinner for you.¡± Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°This is my home, and you¡¯re being too formal.¡±


    Xiao Yifan laughed and smacked his own head and said, ¡°I am too happy. See! I¡¯m even sprouting nonsense now. You are back home! What welcoming dinner for the guest, haha!¡±


    More and more people gathered in the Fly Cloud Court. It was obvious that these people would no longer call Xiao Chen¡¯s nickname ¡°Undead Chen¡± for now. They were also very happy about Xiao Chen¡¯s return.


    Xiao Yifan first arranged a place for Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er to rest, then he sent them many more elixirs personally. When it was twilight, everyone gathered in the Water Immortal Pavilion. Lil Ruo was in tears of joy to see the return of her Young Master. Xiao Chen on the other hand, could not help but think of the days when he was with the three princes at Sunset Peak. It made him sad.


    The table was full of dishes on the table, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were there as well. Xiao Chen¡¯s cousin Xiao Yu also came. Only Xiao Chen¡¯s mother, Su Qing was missing. Xiao Yifan sighed, ¡°How is your mother doing in the Su family?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Yes, mother is doing well. She wants you to take care of your body, and she will come back if she has a chance.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xiao Yifan sighed, thinking that there was probably not a chance anymore. He forced a smile and said: ¡°Did you see your grandfather? Did he make things difficult for you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. He did not meet Su Ying of the Su family and instead, he had met aunt Su Yue. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, they are nice people¡­¡± .


    Beside them, Xiao Yu said, ¡°Aye, that¡¯s enough. The kid finally made a trip back, don¡¯t talk about unhappy stuff.¡± Lil Ruo agreed and said, ¡°Yep, that right. Young Master, eat more.¡± Then she looked at him with her big eyes and asked, ¡°The Young Master will not leave this time right?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Chen put down his chopsticks and said awkwardly, ¡°I will be returning to the Violet Manor tomorrow¡­¡±


    Xiao Yifan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, eat more.¡± As he spoke, he brought many dishes into Xiao Chen¡¯s bowl. They were all Xiao Chen¡¯s favorite in the past.


    After the meal, everyone left, and Xiao Chen did not return to the Purple Bine Pavilion. At night, the father and the son both chatted, and a bright moon gradually rose to the sky, and the moonlight quietly shining through the window.


    In March, the spring was cooling and it was very cold in the middle of the night. Xiao Chen found a coat from the closet and put it on his father. At 1 a.m., the father and son went to bed and rested. Xiao Yifan drifted to sleep while talking, Xiao Chen, however, was so troubled that he could not sleep.


    ¡°Are these ties to the world?¡± When Master first named himself with a ¡®Chen¡¯ word, did he want him to hide from the world, or he had to live his life getting tied to the world?


    The next day morning, Xiao Chen was ready to leave. Although he did not bear to leave, he eventually had to. After one night of treatment, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were almost recovered. Now that the Xiao family had the five puppets from Bai Susu guarding, Xiao Chen was at ease. It was just that he did not understand why the puppet would attack the two girls yesterday.


    When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, outside the city, Qingluan asked, ¡°Lord, where are we going next?¡±


    There was a chill in the eyes of Xiao Chen, and he spoke the word coldly, ¡°Revenge.¡±


    In the afternoon, they had returned to the Three Pure Sect. To go to the Violet Manor time, he needed the help of the several elders to open the transmission channel. Xiao Chen¡¯s current cultivation could not be compared to that big devil, Gu Feng that came out from the tomb of the Xiao family. He was unable to tear open the seal of the space Barrier.


    Every parting had always been bitter, and this time was no exception. Bai Ying gave him a bronze mirror with Illusory Formation. The two spoke a lot, but Xiao Chen still entered the chaotic channel in the end.


    Upon returning to the Violet Manor, Xiao Chen felt a heavy stone on his heart again, but this time the transmission did not make mistakes. Just outside Qingzhou City, Qingluan immediately called the other dozens of people of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. Xiao Chen did not return to the Jade Qing Sect this time. The group of people directly took off to the Lingyun Citadel where the Ling Family stationed at with their flying sword.


    Lingyun Citadel was a medium-sized city in the Violet Manor. It had a population of more than one million. Although it belonged to the Qing State, it was controlled by the Ling Family. Xiao Chen was here again. He came here with Luo Shangyan the last time. He only wanted to stay here for a night, so that Senior Sister Luo did not have to sleep in a cave with him. However, Ling Yuxuan came after them. Since the grudge started from here, it was also ending here.


    In East City District, there was a long stretch of a mansion, the building was magnificent, and it had carvings all over it. It was where the Ling family located. The four guards in front of the house saw more than a dozen unidentified people coming over aggressively. One of them immediately took out his weapon and shouted, ¡°Who are you! Do you not know where this is!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Xiao Chen bellowed.


    ¡°If you know, why are you still here? F*ck off! What are you going¡­¡± Before his voice fell, a cold light flashed. ¡°Splat!¡± The man¡¯s body and the head were separated. The blood was splattered ten feet high.


    The other three were scared sh*tless. Xiao Chen raised his hand and squeezed it in the air, two people immediately turned into a bloody fog, and the last one was scared and incoherent, ¡°Nascent, Nascent Soul!¡± Then he ran into the house quickly.


    Many pedestrians in the city saw this scene as well and they started to flee. This Ling Family is the overlord of Lingyun Citadel. Who dared to kill in front of them? At this moment, no one would dare to stay for the drama.


    A strange black Qi flashed past Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows as he smirked and shouted, ¡°Let that two old b*stards, Ling Ruoxu and Ling Yuanshan wash their necks speck and clean. I, Xiao Chen, has come to return a big gift!¡± Then he strode into the yard of the manor and the 12 people followed.


    In less than a moment, nearly 100 people had arrived in the compound. Each person held a long sword. A golden light sword formation was formed with a frightful presence. Xiao Chen smiled coldly and leaped into the air. He flicked his sleeve and soon, thousands and thousands of sword radiance fell. At that moment, a bloody fog filled the air, and nearly 100 people were killed instantly.


    In the distance, many disciples of the Ling Family who saw this scene were terrified. They had no idea what was happening. Xiao Chen laughed and looked a little crazy as he said, ¡°Nascent Soul Realm slaughtering the Core Forming Realm, slaughtering the Foundation Building Realm is terrific, isn¡¯t it? Then you should have a taste of it yourself!¡± Then he pointed at the 12 people of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon and shouted, ¡°Kill! Kill them all!¡±

 Chapter 342 - Dust to Dust, Earth to Earth

    As the twelve people of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon received the order, they instantly transformed into twelve shadows and rushed into the crowd. Wherever they passed, dead bodies lied, there was no one alive. They had no feelings. They only executed orders and would not have mercy for anyone.


    In an instant, the entire manor of Ling Family filled with gloom. The twelve people were like Death. The moved so fast that the speed was beyond Xiao Chen¡¯s imagination. Every courtyard, every room, wherever they passed, no one lived.


    The air was filled with the smell of blood, Xiao Chen stood quietly in the wind, and his clothes flapped rapidly along with the wind. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°Master, the murders that I have committed today, I will repent it another day¡­¡±


    At this moment, the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had entered the inner court. The outer courtyard was already empty. There were only corpses lying everywhere. Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt a life force. He opened his eyes. It was a middle-aged man who carried a child, trying to slip past him.


    The man saw Xiao Chen¡¯s cold and ruthless eyes and was so terrified that he spoke incoherently. ¡°I beg you, don¡¯t kill me; I beg you, I am not a member of the Ling family¡­¡± The child finally cried too, ¡°Daddy¡­¡±


    The man rushed to cover the child¡¯s mouth. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were cold, he turned his head and closed his eyes again. It was as if the man got hold of the death-exemption plate and immediately ran outside.


    The wind in the courtyard was getting bigger and bigger, as though it carried the sound of sorrow with it. On this day, the overlord of the Qing State, the Ling Family had turned into a river of blood and the corpses piled up like a mountain. At the same time, the name of Xiao Chen would once again spread around in the five continents. Of course, it would be a notorious one. The Immortals¡¯ League would pursue him endlessly.


    After a while, the twelve figures finally came back, and brought along two persons with them. Qingluan bowed and said, ¡°My Lord, the task has been completed, and these two individuals will be handed over to Lord to take care of.¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and saw twelve of them. They did not have a single drop of blood on their clothes. The two people they brought out were Ling Yuxuan and Ling Yingfeng who had been abolished by him. But now they looked fine.


    Xiao Chen chuckled and said, ¡°Ling Yuxuan, when you were pursuing me in the past, you must have never thought you¡¯ll be in this state today huh?¡± Then he looked at Ling Yingfeng and said, ¡°When you were in the Skygale Sect of the Human World in the past, forcing Huangfu Xin¡¯er to give up her access to entering Violet Manor, and then tormenting Liu Fenghuang till she was as good as dead on the Wind Floating Platform. You didn¡¯t think that you¡¯ll have today too huh?¡±


    Ling Yuxuan was already trembling in fear and was afraid to speak. Ling Yingfeng glared aggressively and yelled, ¡°Xiao Chen! If you¡¯re a man, just kill me now! If I¡¯m not dead, it¡¯ll be your death next time!¡± .


    Xiao Chen said faintly, ¡°Cut his arm off.¡±


    As his voice fell, the cold light flashed, Ling Yingfeng¡¯s left arm flew out and the blood splashed all over Ling Yuxuan¡¯s face. Ling Yuxuan was so scared his legs could not stop trembling. He said in a quavering voice, ¡°Xiao, Xiao Chen! I didn¡¯t do anything to you in the end. Isn¡¯t it enough that you have already wiped out my family¡­¡±


    Although Ling Yingfeng had his arm chopped off, he did not even frown a single bit. He sneered and said, ¡°Chop the other arm off!¡±


    ¡°As he wishes.¡±


    A cold radiance flashed and the blood splashed again. At this moment, an old man¡¯s voice came from afar, ¡°Stop!¡± followed by four sword radiance which transformed into four white-haired elderlies.


    Among the four, except for an old man in an ink-black robe, Xiao Chen recognized the other three. One of them was Ling Ruoxu, the headmaster of the Ling family, whose flesh body was destroyed by him in the Canglan City, but now he seems to have succeeded in reshaping his body. Another one was Ling Jingshan, the grandfather of Ling Yuxuan and Ling Yingfeng, he had pursued him to the Xianyong City but fled after using the Blood Yin Incantation.


    The last one, Ling Yuanshan, Xiao Chen would never forget his face. These four seemed to be plotting something earlier, so they were a step too late.


    Ling Jingshan looked at his eldest grandson, Ling Yingfeng, who had his arms chopped off. His eyes were filled with hatred. He swore that if he lived today, he would take Xiao Chen¡¯s head. He said hatefully, ¡°Xiao Chen! You have wiped out my entire Ling family today, from now on we¡¯re even! Let my grandchildren go!¡±


    It was as though Ling Yuxuan had held onto the last life-saving straw, he shouted, ¡°Grandpa saved¡­¡± However, before he could finish, his head flew out and landed in Ling Jingshan¡¯s hands.


    Ling Jingshan looked at his grandson¡¯s head in his hands, Ling Yuxuan¡¯s eyes were wide open and so was his mouth. He was so angry that his eyes looked like they were about to burst. He screamed into the sky, ¡± You mother-f*cking Xiao Chen! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The old man in the ink-black robe next to him immediately stopped him. Xiao Chen has now gotten into the Nascent Soul Realm, so he would just be sending his life away in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands.


    The House Master, Ling Ruoxu, was the calmest amongst them. But as he looked at the corpses that were everywhere, his face could not help but loom with the intention to kill. His hand stretched out, a bloody chaos appeared in the air and went at Xiao Chen¡¯s head. Xiao Chen raised his hand and created chaos as well. The chaos collided in the air, it seemed as if they were about to rip open space. Soon, strong winds blew again and the numerous bodies on the ground exploded from the force.


    At this moment, both of them were in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. They were at the same level. As for Ling Yuanshan and the others, they were still in the pre-Nascent Soul Realm. The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon was more than enough to deal with them.


    Veins popped on Ling Ruoxu¡¯s face, he was both devastated and angry. He said, ¡°Xiao Chen, you have committed a sinful act today. I am afraid there is nowhere in heaven or earth you can escape to!¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned coldly. ¡°There is your Ling family fanning the flames behind me. How will the Immortals¡¯ League let off a devil?¡± Then he turned and shot two cold, sharp glares at Ling Yuanshan and said, ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m here today?¡±


    Ling Yuanshan had already turned pale. He had never expected Xiao Chen to escape. Now he finally understood what it was about. He suddenly looked up and laughed loudly. ¡°I see, I see. Hahaha¡­¡± His laughter was sad and shrill.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hand stretched out and caught him over the air with lightning speed. It was too late to be blocked by Ling Ruoxu.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were brutal, said coldly, ¡°Do you know? How painful you made her? She never cries; she never cries!¡± Then he hit Ling Yuanshan in the chest with one palm and instantly shattered his internal organs.


    Ling Ruoxu took a step and wanted to save Ling Yuanshan, but the old man in the ink-black robe next to him stopped him and said, ¡°House Master, go to the Immortals¡¯ League now. We¡¯ll hold him back here!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu gritted his teeth and turned into a sword radiance and headed towards the direction of the Middle Continent. Qingluan immediately wanted to chase after him with the others. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t have to chase him! He can¡¯t escape!¡± Then he looked at Ling Yuanshan again and punched him in the abdomen. ¡°Tell me, how did you find Three Pure Sect!¡±


    Ling Yuanshan¡¯s internal organs had burst from the impact of the punches. He knew that he could not escape death today and he was afraid of nothing. He laughed ghastly and said, ¡°You will never know; Xiao Chen, you are also a chess piece. You are more tragic than my Ling family. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it!¡± Xiao Chen shouted and punched him again. Ling Yuanshan continued to sneer. ¡°Such tragedy, haha, you are destined to be a tragedy. From now on, there will be no place for you to stand on the grounds of the five continents, haha, tragedy¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me or not!¡± One after another punch, then dozens of punches in a row, and with the last punch, it directly pierce through the abdomen of Ling Yuanshan.


    ¡°You are just a tragedy, tragedy¡­¡± Ling Yuanshan finally swallowed his last breath. Ling Jingshan and the old man in the ink-black robe watched their blood brother killed in front of them. But, they could do nothing.


    Xiao Chen dropped Ling Yuanshan¡¯s body and shot two cold glares at the old man in the ink-black robe and said, ¡°You are Ling Fei¡¯s grandfather?¡±


    The old man shuddered, and it was as though he was struck by a lightning. He knew that he would not make it out alive, but he could at least earn some time for the House Master to report to the Immortals¡¯ League. At the very least, to allow Ling Fei to receive the news and escape overnight. So that he could avenge for the family. He could not let the thousands of people in the Ling family to die in vain!


    Thinking about this, he pointed at the sky. 8 rays of golden light flew out of his sleeves in an instant and transformed into 8 golden flags in the midair. Each flag was about ten feet long and flapped loudly against the wind.


    ¡°Go!¡± As the old man in the ink-black robe commanded, the 8 golden flags went at Xiao Chen from eight different directions at the same time intending to trap him. Xiao Chen sneered and an invisible force rushed as he lifted his hand. In a few seconds, the 8 golden flags were torn into pieces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you. I am going to chase that old b*stard, Ling Ruoxu! Remember to bring the head of the old hag back to Tianyuan City, I want to send Ling Fei a big gift!¡± After that, Xiao Chen leaped. His body instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning and went in the direction of Ling Ruoxu.


    The face of Qingluan changed, she said, ¡°Do not be impulsive, my Lord! Now the Tianyuan City has already laid down the traps everywhere, the Lord must not¡­¡± Before she could finish talking, Xiao Chen was gone without a trace.

 Chapter 343 - To The Immortals League

    Out of the city, it was just plains and not a single mountain or river. Xiao Chen chased for hundreds of miles to the west. Under the twilight, Xiao Chen saw a big mountain appearing in front of him, and a black spot as well. It was Ling Ruoxu who was moving at the maximum speed on his sword.


    Coincidentally, the last time he and Luo Shangyan were being pursued by the Ling family, it was also when the twilight was bleak. The difference was that this time, he was the pursuer.


    ¡°Old b*stard! Don¡¯t think of escaping!¡±


    Xiao Chen bellowed and pushed the sword flying technique to its limit. Ling Ruoxu noticed that he had caught up, so without thinking, he threw a few seal talisman directly to the back. Flames shot up to the sky, and there were endless loud booms. A large forest underneath was instantly destroyed.


    Xiao Chen avoided the seal talisman attack and sneered. ¡°I, Xiao Chen, have been pursued every day since I entered the Violet Manor. I didn¡¯t imagine that there¡¯ll be a day when I am the pursuer! Die, old b*stard!¡± Then he slashed him with his blade, blood-red blade radiance looked more dazzling than the sunset glow.


    Ling Ruoxu hastily avoided, although his current cultivation was slightly higher than Xiao Chen, he would not badger with him at this moment. He had to rush to the Immortals¡¯ League as soon as possible and publicized Xiao Chen¡¯s evil deeds to the world. The world¡¯s Orthodox Path would sanction this wicked being! Thinking about this, he speeded up and rushed to the front like a bolt of lightning.


    Xiao Chen also speeded up, and the two were like chasing the wind and running after the lightning. This continued till the next morning. There were several times along the way whereby Xiao Chen almost got him. But at every critical moment, Ling Ruoxu would always take a pill and then escape again.


    However, Xiao Chen did not have much Energy Pill. After a night of chasing, he was feeling the depletion in his True Energy. Now he finally understood how much bitter hatred his pursuers were feeling when he was fleeing and taking Energy Pill at the same time.


    ¡°Old b*stard! I¡¯ll see how many pills you have!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu turned over and saw that he was already panting. He sneered and said, ¡°My Energy Pill is enough to support me to the Immortals¡¯ League. The Orthodox Path people of the five continents have already gathered in Tianyuan City. Ahaha! Kiddo, you shall wait to be drawn and quartered!¡± Then he ran forward again.


    Xiao Chen finally stopped, he panted and panted as he watched Ling Ruoxu¡¯s figure getting smaller and smaller which finally turned into a black spot and disappeared. He knew that Ling Ruoxu was not bluffing. The different sects of the Orthodox Path had already gathered and Muxue was still locked in the Immortals¡¯ League Immortal¡¯s Prison. With Muxue¡¯s temper, he was afraid that she would die for him. He immediately yelled, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    A thirty-foot-tall devil shadow appeared out of thin air, with a huge blade, riding a magical ride, his eyes were red and bloody, and the armor emitted rolls of black Qi, he looked terrifying.


    ¡°Go get that old b*stard in front and smash him into pieces!¡±


    ¡°Yes, master! Master, come up!¡± After that, Guifeng stretched out his big hand and took Xiao Chen onto the horseback. The devil ride soared, and its four hooves were like on fire as it ran forward chasing after Ling Ruoxu.


    ¡°Da-da! Da-da! Da-da!¡±


    Even in midair, the sound of horseshoes could be heard. Ling Ruoxu was fleeing with all his might when he heard the sound and at the same time, felt an extremely petrifying aura nearing him. He turned and saw a thirty-foot-tall shadow. He was instantly petrified. He cried, ¡°What! What the hell is this!¡±


    ¡°The general is here, hand over your life now!¡±


    Guifeng shouted and slashed with his blade. A 100-foot long black radiance soared out of his blade as if it was tearing open space. Ling Ruoxu was caught unguarded, he was immediately thrown out by the force and vomited blood.


    ¡°Very good! General, kill him for me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡± Guifeng shouted and attacked again at Ling Ruoxu. This attack shook heaven and earth, and it was meant to take Ling Ruoxu¡¯s head off. Ling Ruoxu was already shitting in his pants. He cast an incantation in a hurry, ¡°Blood a Thousand Miles!¡± ¡°Shoosh!¡± He turned into a blood radiance disappeared in front of Xiao Chen.


    It was the blood escaping technique of the Blood Yin Incantation of Ling family. By sacrificing half of his life force, he could escape thousands of miles away. Xiao Chen looked at the direction in which he disappeared, he said in a low voice, ¡°Go!¡±


    After chasing for 2 hours, they finally caught up with Ling Ruoxu¡¯s that old b*stard again. But the speed of Guifeng had slowed down a lot. Presumably, the General of Soul had some restrictions on it. Every time it came out, it could not be too long, and the energy consumption could not be too large.


    Hearing the sound of the hooves that followed, the last line of defense in Ling Ruoxu¡¯s heart was almost collapsed. The sound of the horse was getting closer and closer, just like a reminder from the underworld, but he could not perform the blood escaping technique once more.


    ¡°Hand over your life!¡±


    Guifeng yelled and another attack went, this attack was magnificent, even the hills below it started to shake. Ling Ruoxu was horror-stricken. At this moment, there was to go in heavens or earth, he could only pray to heaven, ¡°This person had wiped out my Ling family! God, please open your eyes! Protect me, Ling Ruoxu from this death roll!¡±


    As his voice fell, a sacred thunder came from the nine heavens above. As a bolt of lightning flashed, with a loud bang, Guifeng¡¯s blade was hit out of its intended direction. The big blade went at a hill below and soon smashed it into pieces.


    Ling Ruoxu escaped from death. He hurriedly read out an incantation and once again turned into a flash and fled. Xiao Chen glared, he pointed two fingers to the sky, ¡°Bloody God! When my Three Pure Sect was slaughtered by the Ling Family, why did you not open your eyes! Ah¡­!¡± After a long scream, he pointed in front and said, ¡°Go get him!¡±


    He would kill Ling Ruoxu today definitely, even if that old b*stard did not personally participate in the slaughter of the Three Pure Sect. But if he did not make the order, even if Ling Yuanshan had a hundred courageous hearts, he would not dare not go to the Human World!


    After running for a moment, one could hear a horse neighing. The magic ride stood up on its hind legs. Guifeng¡¯s chest moved up and down. He was in shortness of breath, presumably because he had to defend the immortal lightning from heaven just now.


    Xiao Chen calmed down, guessing that the General of Soul¡¯s life force had an end too. He could not let his Soul power overdraft. He said, ¡°General, go back to rest; I will chase that old b*stard!¡±


    ¡°Then, I will take leave first!¡± With a ¡°Whoosh¡±, Guifeng disappeared into thin air.


    Xiao Chen stepped on his flying sword and went after Ling Ruoxu again. After two hours running and chasing, it was noon. A big city appeared in front of Ling Ruoxu and he was overjoyed. It was Tianyuan City.


    However, although it was noon, Tianyuan City was covered with strange gloomy clouds that blocked the sun. Especially in the west, the clouds were black and thick, and it was like a huge black hole that can swallow all things. It was in the direction of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    The Tianyuan City of today seemed to be expecting something huge. The whole city had layers of restriction set up by the Immortals¡¯ League and the Daoist League of the Five Continents together. The cultivators could not fly or ride on their swords in the city. The secluded seniors from all over the five continents were also slowly making their way to the city.


    Ling Ruoxu landed outside of the gate of the east city. He disregarded the two teams of city guards stopping him and desperately rushed into the city. Because sword riding was not allowed in the city, Xiao Chen landed as well. With the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in hand, he rushed into the city. The two teams of city guards were stunned when they saw him coming with an aggressive, murderous aura and they shouted, ¡°Who are you! Stop right there!¡± As they spoke, they closed up the city gate.


    Xiao Chen ignored those people, with a dash, he broke through the city gate and rushed in. Ling Ruoxu saw him chasing with a blade, he ran and shouted, ¡°Help! Murder! Someone¡¯s murdering!¡±


    The pedestrians in the city saw the two people who suddenly came in. One person was running ahead, and the other person was holding a blade with a murderous aura chasing behind. They were completely ignorant of what was happening. Recently, the Immortals¡¯ League had been strict with its security, and East City District was where Immortals¡¯ League located. Who would dare to be so rampant? To be hacking someone on the street?


    ¡°Die, you old bastard!¡±


    Xiao Chen shouted and attacked. Ling Ruoxu¡¯s True Energy was near full consumption, he could not avoid it in time and his back was ripped open. The pedestrians around him were jumped in a scare and ran away as they dared not stay around for the drama.


    At this time, the two patrol teams of the Immortals¡¯ League had finally arrived. Ling Ruoxu was relieved and quickly ran over. He pointed at Xiao Chen in a panic and said, ¡°He is Xiao Chen! He killed my family! He wants to kill me!¡±


    Both patrol teams were stunned. They thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Devil¡¯s Practice follower, Xiao Chen, locked up a few days ago?¡± The two leaders immediately stepped forward and asked, ¡°Who are you! How dare you attack a person in Tianyuan City! Bring him down!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu saw that the patrol team had held back Xiao Chen. He hurriedly rushed towards the Immortals¡¯ League. He knew that these two teams of soldiers could not stop Xiao Chen in any case. It was only safe to escape to the Immortals¡¯ League himself.


    Xiao Chen saw the old b*stard escaping. He leaped and was about to rush forward when the two patrols stopped him immediately. The leader said angrily, ¡°How dare you! Who are you!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him say! F*ck off!¡± Xiao Chen waved his blade and forced the two teams in front of him out of his way. The people in the distance were shocked and they thought, ¡°This person is crazy! He openly refused to be arrested and even attacked the patrol teams of the Immortals¡¯ League! Run!¡±


    Xiao Chen kept chasing, and patrol teams kept coming to stop him. He slaughtered wherever he went. The Patrol Constables of the Immortals League saw his ruthlessness and did not dare to approach anymore. Finally, he stopped his chase in front of a majestic building. It had thousand-story white jade steps paving to the top, and at every 10 steps, two spear guards stood.


    ¡°Stop right there! Who dares to break into the Immortals¡¯ League!¡± The two guards at the bottom saw an old man covered in blood rushing in a panic and immediately stopped him with their spears.


    ¡°Hurry! Please get the Steward and the Warden of the Immortals¡¯ League! Devil¡¯s Practice follower, Xiao Chen has run out to kill!¡± Ling Ruoxu was already incoherent. After he finished speaking, he wanted to run upwards. The two guards immediately pulled him back. ¡°Stop! The Warden of the Immortals¡¯ League is having a meeting in the hall, no one can disturb!¡±


    Then they suddenly saw a person in the distance with a blade and a murderous aura dashing over. The two guards immediately shouted, ¡°The person in front! Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± Ling Ruoxu saw the grim ripper had caught up again, he hastily ran upwards.


    ¡°Old b*stard! You can¡¯t run!¡± Xiao Chen took a big step and slashed the two guards and rushed up.


    ¡°Somebody help! Help! Help! Murder!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu scrambled up to the top. Xiao Chen was exhausted as well. If Ling Ruoxu fought with his life, even if he could not win, he would be able to have a slim chance to survive. But along the way, he had already been way too terrified.


    The constables on the steps saw this and immediately went to stop Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen shouted, ¡°Those in my way, die!¡± He slashed his blade at them and dozens of them were instantly thrown out.


    Many cultivators had gathered below. They were stunned to see someone trying to break into the Immortals¡¯ League with a blade. Finally, four swords radiance arrived and transformed into four old men. It was the Stewards of the Immortals¡¯ League. All of them were in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Ling Ruoxu was relieved that he got hold of the last lifeline. He cried, ¡°Stewards, save me!¡± and quickly ran behind the four people.


    The four narrowed their eyes and one of them shouted, ¡°Xiao Chen? Aren¡¯t you in the prison of the Immortals¡¯ League?¡± Then he turned to one of the constables and said, ¡°Inform the Immortals¡¯ League, Xiao Chen has escaped.¡±


    At this moment, Ling Ruoxu was still in shocked. He panicked and said, ¡°Stewards, this man accompanied by his fellow demons slaughtered more than 900 people in my Ling family a day ago. He is a Devil¡¯s Practice follower! Get him now! He has an evil being with him! He is a Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Demon, devil, whichever. You can say whatever you want, I don¡¯t care anymore! Today is the end of your dog life!¡±


    ¡°Impudicity!¡± One of the Stewards of the Immortals¡¯ League shouted. He blocked off his blade radiance and pointed at him with two fingers and said, ¡°Xiao Chen! Let go of your weapon and hand over yourself!¡±


    ¡°Hand myself over to you? Ha! When the Ling Family went to slaughter my sect in the Human World, where were you!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu¡¯s face changed and denied, ¡°Stewards, don¡¯t believe his nonsense. My Ling family has passed down for thousands of years. It has a good reputation in the East Continent. It¡¯s not like what he just said! Stewards, please take him down!¡±


    The stewards were calm, one of them said, ¡°This matter will be re-examined later. Xiao Chen, you have committed a sinful crime today, quickly put down your arms and surrender. We remembered your accomplishments in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura previously. We can still spare your life for that! Or else!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up and laughed loudly, ¡°Haha! Spare me a life! The Immortals¡¯ League has no power over my life and death! Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    The thirty-foot tall shadow appeared out of thin air. Even if it was only two hours, the General of Soul was able to recover on its own. The faces of the four stewards suddenly change when they saw the sudden appearance of this ghost general. They exclaimed, ¡°The General of Soul!¡±


    ¡°The general is here, die now!¡±


    Guifeng yelled and swept his blade. Two of the stewards were thrown out in an instant while vomiting blood. The other two stewards cried in horror, ¡°Hurry up and inform the elders! The opponent is Imperial Spirit Commander! Imperial Spirit Commander! He has a General of Soul that has at least the level of a tier-4!¡±


    The few stewards only thought Xiao Chen was extremely gifted. But they never thought that he was an Imperial Spirit Commander as well. They quickly defended Ling Ruoxu and fled. The rest of the people were busy escaping. At this moment, no one dared to stop Xiao Chen. Imperial Spirit Commander, a synonym for horror. One could take in the soul of the ancient war as a General of Soul. Its horror was unimaginable.


    The cultivators in a distance in the city were dumbfounded, ¡°What is that devil shadow? Is it the legendary General of Soul?¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. He took one step at a time up the stairway. Everyone in the Immortals¡¯ League was frightened. No one dared to stop him and they all fled. For nearly a thousand years, Xiao Chen was the first person to dare to kill someone from the Immortals¡¯ League.


    ¡°Ha! You Immortals¡¯ League will only defend for the big family sects. Since you like to cover your a*ses for each other, ha! I will turn against you Immortals¡¯ League today! Guifeng, kill them!¡±

 Chapter 344 - No Turning Back

    ¡°Guifeng, kill them!¡±


    Slaughtering on the square of the Immortals¡¯ League, the envoys of the Immortals¡¯ League fled in terror. Wherever Guifeng pointed his blade at, the people were petrified. As Xiao Chen moved forward while recovering his True Energy at the same time, he shouted, ¡°Hand over that old b*stard from the Ling family and I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    Ling Ruoxu was so scared that his face was entirely white. He feared that he would lose his last backing, he shouted in a hurry, ¡°This devil has wiped out my family, Stewards, save me!¡±


    A steward saw the power of the General of Soul possessed and there was front is no match for him. At this moment, he was a little shaken. Someone next to him said, ¡°Senior Brother! Warden and the elders will soon complete the formation and rush over. We shall not surrender to the Devil¡¯s Practice!¡±


    ¡°Then you shall die!¡± As Xiao Chen shouted, Guifeng slashed with his blade, directly turned that steward who spoke later into a blood mist.


    The envoys were already terrified. They had always been pampered, and they had been accustomed to giving orders. They never thought that someone would dare to kill someone in the Immortals¡¯ League.


    An envoy¡¯s face turned pale upon seeing the General of Soul was about to kill again. He said eagerly, ¡°Young Friend Xiao, let¡¯s talk nicely! Tell your General of Soul to stop first!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Why didn¡¯t you talk nicely to me when I was being trialed the last time? There is nothing to talk about! Hand over that old b*stard of Ling family, or die!¡±


    Guifeng swung his blade again and another dozen people lost their life. Another steward¡¯s face changed in fear, he bellowed, ¡°Xiao Chen! You really want to be an enemy of the world today! Even if you have a Tier-5 General of Soul, you¡¯ll not escape from the Orthodox Path¡¯s sanctions!¡±


    ¡°The Orthodox Path?¡± Xiao Chen laughed and then said sternly, ¡°Slaughtering mortals in the Human World, this is what you call the Orthodox Path? The road has lost its way, then the road is not worth having, Inverse Immortal-Devil Transformation!¡±


    Soon, he was surrounded by black Qi and a raging Devil Qi was emanating. It scared the envoys and made their faces change. Some of them were incredibly in fear. A General of Soul was already not easy to deal with. If Xiao Chen had transformed into a devil, he would have the strengths of both the Immortals and Devils. The Fallen Devil was the strongest of the Immortals and Devils, who could fight him?


    ¡°General, you should rest for a while.¡± After that, Xiao Chen looked coldly at the few stewards who were blocking in front of him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Hand over that old b*stard of Ling family, or die!¡±


    A few of the stewards and the group of envoys were intimidated. In fact, at this time, if Xiao Chen were to rush up to kill Ling Ruoxu, they would not try to stop him again, but they would never take the initiative to hand Ling Ruoxu over to him.


    Because they were the head of the Orthodox Path, if they surrender to a person of the Devil¡¯s Practice and hand over a person of the Orthodox Path, then the status of the Immortals¡¯ League would plummet in the future, and it would no longer be respected by anyone.


    Ling Ruoxu understood this. At this moment, he hid behind the few stewards and the group of envoys. He was so concentrated in guarding himself against Xiao Chen that he stopped talking. When he had to use the blood escaping technique earlier, it was already his last resort. At that time, he only wanted to make Xiao Chen¡¯s evil deeds public, and it would not matter if he died.


    But now that he had a chance to live, he would never give that up. Because his hatred of Xiao Chen had gone beyond life and death. The only purpose of his survival was revenge! Even if Xiao Chen was sanctioned by the Orthodox Path today. In the future days, he would make it to the Nirvana Realm, the Apotheosis Realm or even as a Fallen Devil, and he would go to the Human world and kill all the people related to Xiao Chen! Leaving no one alive!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Xiao Chen shouted and disregarded the stewards and the envoys who were blocking in front of him.. As he swung his blade at Ling Ruoxu, the stewards did not step up to stop him anymore. Ling Ruoxu had already expected this. The attack from Xiao Chen who had used devil transformation mystic skill was not something he could defend. As the blade radiance neared him, he hurriedly reached out his hand and grabbed a person next to him to block it. Before the person could even scream, he turned into a bloody fog.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    A few of the stewards were angered by his action and Ling Ruoxu snickered. ¡°I can¡¯t die now!¡± He needed to hang in there, till the arrival of the warden and elders of the Immortals¡¯ League. He wanted to see how Xiao Chen was going to die!


    ¡°Haha! This is the Orthodox Path person who you lot desperately tried to protect! Go to hell! Even the gods can¡¯t save you today!¡± As Xiao Chen yelled, he swung his blade again. The blood-red blade radiance was now surrounded by a black fog, and it shook the several large halls in the vicinity. Even if Ling Ruoxu grabbed a person to block this attack, he would still die.


    However, at this moment, a powerful voice suddenly came from the sky, ¡°Foul-mouth child! What a big act you put on!¡± Then a golden light came, and a bang, the golden light hit the body of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. Xiao Chen felt his right arm numbed and stepped back a few steps. When he looked down, his right hand was ripped.


    The four sword radiance fell into the ground at the same time, and instantly turned into four old men. One in a white robe, one in a red robe, one in a purple robe and one in a green robe, and the old man in the green robe was Warden Zuo who trialed Xiao Chen¡¯s case earlier. He looked at the corpses that were lying all over and then he looked at Xiao Chen, who had been almost demonized. Instantly, he felt his heart aching. ¡°Xiao Chen, you¡­¡±


    On the day of the trial of Xiao Chen and Zuoqiu family, when he saw Xiao Chen emitting a very pure immortal power in the end, he was very pleased with Xiao Chen. He even regarded him as the future of the Immortal¡¯s Practice, but now he hoped that everything was just an illusion.


    Xiao Chen still had a little bit of good feelings towards the warden in front of him. Because he did not make it difficult for him in the past. He said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say too much, today, that person, he must die!¡± He pointed at Ling Ruoxu who was hiding behind.


    The warden in the purple robe scoffed, ¡°Foul-mouth child, what an act!¡±


    Xiao Chen gave him a side-eye and said, ¡°You are only a hundred-year-old, and you dare to call me a child?¡±


    The purple-robed warden¡¯s flashed a murderous intent. He said, ¡°I let you off that day, but today you are here committing murders in the Immortals¡¯ League. I won¡¯t let you live!¡± Then he opened his hand, and a chaos appeared in midair and went at Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Lord, be careful!¡±


    Guifeng teleported and lifted his blade. A loud bang was heard and the square shook, as though an avalanche happened. Those who were near it vanished into thin air directly under the impact of this force.


    The purple-robed warden squinted and said, ¡°Sure enough, it is a Tier-5 General of Soul. Why didn¡¯t you stay comfortably in the Spiritual World since you¡¯re a soul spirit? Instead, you¡¯re here helping the evil!¡±


    ¡°As the subordinate, I must do my best to protect the master. I don¡¯t owe anything to the heavens and earth!¡± Guifeng held up his blade and blocked in front of Xiao Chen, and many people in the distance avoided it. Even with the four Wardens of the Immortals¡¯ League who were all of the Nirvana Realm, everyone was still fearful of this General of Soul.


    Ling Ruoxu saw the arrival of four wardens and he knew he was saved. He uttered in tears, ¡°Wardens! This man has slaughtered my entire family, please be the judge of me!¡±


    Warden Zuo¡¯s body shook upon hearing it, he spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°Xiao Chen, is what he said true¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°It¡¯s true! But the Ling Family had slaughtered my sect in the Human World, who do I look for to be the judge of me! You keep saying that I am a devil, will you stand up for a devil! I¡¯ll kill him today for sure!¡± As he spoke, he got more agitated.


    Ling Ruoxu shuddered and said angrily, ¡°Nonsense! That¡¯s nonsense!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Is it? When everyone will be here, I will let them see the so-called righteous people in your mouth!¡±


    The warden in the purple robe scoffed, ¡°Excuses! The evidence of your murders today is irrefutable, keep your General of Soul, or you shall die!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Xiao Chen laughed loudly and narrowed his eyes suddenly. ¡°Guifeng! Kill!¡±


    ¡°Order obeyed! Without me, there will be no law. Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡± Guifeng shouted, and there was a chaos in midair, like a huge black hole quickly covering, and everything it touched was swallowed into the black hole in a flash.


    The four wardens¡¯ faces suddenly changed, for the strength of the Tier-5 General of Soul was not to be underestimated. The four quickly joined forces to support the Barrier and resist the black hole from covering the place. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed and swung his blade at Ling Ruoxu. However, a blue figure suddenly rushed over, and he flicked with his two fingers bounced the blade back. It was Warden Zuo.


    ¡°Xiao Chen, your devil heart is not deep yet, so you can still turn back! Do you want to make another mistake again! How can you be worthy to Qing Chen Perfected Immortal who have been backing you!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s Devil Qi gradually faded, but between his eyebrows, a strange black Qi flashed, and then his eyes sharpened. ¡°I can¡¯t go back anymore!¡± He swung his blade.


    Warden Zuo¡¯s two fingers held together and easily caught the blade. He said sternly, ¡°Do you really want to be doomed eternally! I heard your Junior Sister said before that you were invaded by the devil consciousness when saving her. Recover your General of Soul and put down your blade! You still can turn back! The devil consciousness in your mind, I will clear it for you!¡±


    ¡°Lord! Don¡¯t listen to the words of the villain! Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡±


    Guifeng yelled and the black hole was pressed again. The other three wardens had shown signs of exhaustion. The purple-robed warden shouted, ¡°Warden Zuo, are you going to protect this Devil¡¯s Practice follower today? Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Put the blade down! Turn back! Xiao Chen!¡± Warden Zuo once again shouted, in fact, it was easy-peasy for him to kill Xiao Chen now. But he felt that Xiao Chen could still be rescued at this moment. He just had to remove the devil consciousness in his mind.


    Xiao Chen trembled, and his face seemed to be struggling. He thought of Master Lingyin and thought of the teachings that the Master had taught about putting the world first. But now he had killed so many people, how could he turn back! How could he turn back! The people of the Orthodox Path could not tolerate him anymore!


    ¡°Ah¡­ I can¡¯t turn back anymore! Inverse Immortal Devil Transformation Evolution!¡±


    A smashing Devil Qi erupted from his body, and 12 pure black beams burst out from his 12 Spiritual Meridians. It was an extremely fierce force that destroyed everything. Several nearby palaces were directly smashed into pieces. Warden Zuo was caught off-guard and was thrown out by the force. As he landed, he spewed out a mouthful of blood and Ling Ruoxu had already found a place to hide.


    The wind whistled and there was a sound of sorrows between the heavens and the earth. Black Qi lingered on Xiao Chen, his hair danced along with the wind. He laughed crazily. ¡°I already can¡¯t turn back when I was in the Mystic Cyan Mountain! What are the lives of the world? What is the Orthodox Path? My heart was tied to the world, but the world says that I am a devil! In the end, what is this world got to do with me? Weiyang died for me, and the Master went against heaven for me. I am a devil! I am Devil! I don¡¯t need anyone to save! Don¡¯t need anyone to save!¡±


    Suddenly, his eyes sharpened. The black Qi between his eyebrows was getting denser, his pupils gradually turned from black to purple. He said coldly, ¡°Today! All of you have to die!¡±

 Chapter 345 - Isolated

    Looking at Xiao Chen, who thoroughly demonized, the four Nirvana Realm wardens¡¯ faces changed. The several Nascent Soul Realm Stewards, and the dozens pre-Nascent Soul Realm Adjudicators who had just rushed in, and the countless Core Forming Realm envoys were even more frightened. The entire square was chaotic as it was filled with powerful Devil Qi.


    ¡°Devil Binding Formation!¡±


    The warden in a purple robe made a prompt decision. He used nearly five layers of True Energy to counter Guifeng¡¯s Devil Devour Mystic Skill. Then immediately surrounded Xiao Chen and Guifeng with the other three wardens in four directions.


    The four people recited the incantation continuously. In an instant, countless golden hoods appeared in the air, and layer by layer it covered the man and the spirit. The rest of the people went up to help as well.


    The Devil Vanquishing Formation was the top skill of the Cultivators¡¯ sect. It was especially useful for those who were demonized. With four experts of Nirvana Realm, dozens of experts of Nascent Soul Realm, countless experts of pre-Nascent Soul Realm, and experts at the Peak of Core Forming Realm, the power should not be underestimated!


    Xiao Chen was trapped in the formation. He went on a rampage, and the power rippled out on the formation. Countless Core Forming Realm peaks envoys could not hold on and were directly thrown out.


    ¡°Infinite heaven and earth, vanquish the devil!¡±


    As the warden in purple robe shouted, countless golden rays shrouded the entire Immortals¡¯ League. The beams were dazzling. At this moment, many people in Tianyuan City climbed to the heights to watch, and some even broke through the restriction and flew up into the sky to attend. However, they did not know what had happened, and they did not dare to rush into the Immortals¡¯ League.


    The Devil Qi in the square was gradually suppressed, and then pure immortal power of the crowd kept streaming in. Ling Ruoxu, who was hiding in the dark, saw that Xiao Chen was already a trapped beast, sneered, and jumped out laughing, ¡°Xiao Chen! You¡¯ve done evil deeds! Today will be your death!¡± After speaking, with a malicious look, he lowered his voice and continued, ¡°When you¡¯re dead, I¡¯ll give you a big gift, and you won¡¯t be lonely on your way to the Netherworld¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hair swayed crazily in the wind, he glared and shouted, ¡°Old bastard! I killed you!¡± After saying that, he rushed to him like an angry beast, but he hit on the golden Barrier and was bounced back.


    Despite knowing that Xiao Chen could not come out, his frightening appearance still scared Ling Ruoxu. He stepped on a piece of gravel and fell onto the ground.


    ¡°Haha! Xiao Chen, you are going to die soon, and you still want to put on a violent act? Ahaha!¡± laughed, Ling Ruoxu as he patted the dust off his clothes and stood up.


    The four wardens were not as relaxed as he was. At this moment, all their foreheads were cold and sweaty. The white robe warden immediately shouted, ¡°Inform the Immortals¡¯ League and all the Orthodox Path alliances in the city right now, today we¡¯ll take down this devil!¡± A few of the envoys soon disregarded the flying restriction and stepped on their flying swords and flew towards the Middle City District, where the Daoist League of the Five Continents located.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    Xiao Chen screamed and shouted, and the monstrous Devil Qi was emitted off him again. Overwhelming power soon burst out from the 12 Spiritual Meridian in his body once more. The Devil Vanquish Formation was immediately destroyed, and the four wardens, as well as countless envoys, were thrown out directly.


    ¡°What!¡± Ling Ruo¡¯s face changed, and the first thought was to escape!


    ¡°Old bastard! Your death will be swift!¡±


    Xiao Chen howled and swung his blade with all his might. The attack was catastrophic. The entire Immortals¡¯ League shook violently, and countless palaces collapsed instantly. This force was so powerful that even a Nirvana Realm cultivator would perish under it. However, at this critical moment, a loud boom was heard, and a bolt of dazzling lightning came from the nine heavens above.


    ¡°Lord, be careful!¡±


    Guifeng dashed up and protected Xiao Chen with his vast body. The lightning fell on his arm and instantly shattered his armor. However, the dazzling lighting connected the heavens and the earth and did not disappear. At this moment, the entire Tianyuan City was almost illuminated.


    ¡°Heavenly Punishment! It is Heavenly Punishment!¡± Many of the cultivators in the city were shocked and shouted in excitement. In their whole life, they had never seen Heavenly Punishment before, until now.


    This so-called Heavenly Punishment only happened when a particular place had exceeded its limited power, and it would bring about the Nine-heaven Mystic Thunder. It was the same principle when one was to pass through the Thunder Ordeal when ascending to become an immortal. Of course, there would be another situation where sudden overwhelming power occurred somewhere, that would bring about the Heavenly Punishment as well. Xiao Chen was of this kind of situation. During the pursuit of Ling Ruoxu, when Guifeng attacked, it was one of that as well, not because God had opened his eyes.


    If Xiao Chen had reduced half of his power for this attack, he would still be able to kill Ling Ruoxu for sure. Unfortunately, he was too impatient, and because of the sudden increase in power, it had attracted the Heavenly Punishment.


    At this moment, Ling Ruo had escaped from death. He burst into laughter, ¡°See? Do you see it? Even God doesn¡¯t help you! You devil! Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Bloody God!¡± Xiao Chen looked up and screamed. The attack took too much of his energy. Now that four wardens were blocking. In any case, it is impossible to kill the old bastard any more, except¡­¡±Devil¡¯s Three Turns¡±


    ¡°Lord! No! I advise that we leave this place quickly! Lord, come up!¡±


    Guifeng¡¯s armor was now ruined after blocking most of the Heavenly Punishment. The flesh on his arm was also ripped open. He shouted and brought Xiao Chen onto the horseback. The devil ride soared and ran down.


    ¡°Knot the formations in the sky! Stop this person!¡±


    The warden in purple shouted, and the rest also knew that it is necessary to hold back Xiao Chen, at least till the arrival of the Elders of the Immortals¡¯ League and the alliances. Today, they would not return the tiger to the mountains! In an instant, more than 200 people appeared out of nowhere and set up a giant golden net and shrouded over the devil ride.


    ¡°Those who stand in my way will die!¡±


    With a scream, Guifeng swept his blade and directly smashed off dozens of people in front of them. However, he had just taken in too much from the power of Heavenly Punishment, and now his ability was falling short of his wishes.


    ¡°Block them!¡±


    In an instant, a few hundred people came out again, they summoned their golden flying swords and slashed at the feet of the devil ride. The devil ride soared and suddenly spewed a black devil flame from its mouth. Those who came in contact with the devil flame were burned to charcoal before they could even scream.


    The few wardens behind watched in shock as they said, ¡°This devil ride is a fourth-order beast soul¡­¡±


    The warden in purple said: ¡°We can¡¯t allow this devil to escape today, or there¡¯ll be endless troubles. I will chase after him, you lot stay back and guard the spirit energy formation, in case the Devils¡¯ sects attacks!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    They ran all the way, the ordinary envoys could not stop the devil ride, and finally, Xiao Chen managed to break out. Hearing that the sound of horseshoes, the devil ride desperately ran to the outside of the city. The cultivators, who had come around the town for the drama, hastily made way for the giant beast that was dashing towards them.


    Just as they ran to a large square, countless golden Swords Qi fell from the sky. Ten over Sword Qi hit the devil ride in an instant, it soared and stood on its hind legs.


    Guifeng immediately protected Xiao Chen from falling onto the ground. However, at this moment, countless figures gathered in the square from all directions. Except for those who just wanted to watch the drama, the rest were the Orthodox Path people from the sects of the five continents. The lowest cultivation level was at Core Forming Realm, the highest was at Nirvana Realm, whereby there were 7, 8 elders of that level, and there were also many cultivators in Nascent Soul Realm.


    A man, a ride, and a soul, they were at this moment isolated, and there was no way to escape. The devil ride guarded its owner as it shook its head and snorted while stepping in place. Xiao Chen saw that Guifeng was exhausted, he said, ¡°General, go back first.¡±


    ¡°General Guifeng is loyal to the Lord for all his life! He¡¯ll die without regrets!¡± Although Guifeng was heavily injured, his domineering majestic aura still shocked many of those nearby who were watching. They thought, ¡°How great would it be if I had a General of Soul like this?¡±


    A blue-robed Nirvana Realm cultivator stepped forward and said coldly, ¡°You are Xiao Chen? How dare you keep such devil being as your subordinate! You slaughtered in the city as you will, are you guilty!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered, ¡°Haha! Why say more when you just want to charge me with a crime? Why not just say that I¡¯m a devil!¡±


    ¡°Impudicity!¡± The blue-robed older man¡¯s flipped his sleeve, and an enormous force slammed at Xiao Chen. Guifeng swung his blade and blocked the attack, ¡°You villains! Framing the lord everywhere! Today, Guifeng is here, and you shall not be hurting the lord again, not even an inch!¡±


    The old man in the blue robe squinted and said, ¡°You¡¯re just a fifth-order soul spirit and you dare to fanfaronade? Today I will let you perish eternally!¡±


    Then, another purple and white sword radiance suddenly fell from the sky. It was the warden in purple and the warden in white who had arrived. At this moment, the two men¡¯s clothes were ripped open, and they both looked like a drowned mouse. The blue robe old man looked at them and said jokingly, ¡°Just a few days without seeing Your Excellency and you end up like this?¡±


    The warden in purple said in a low voice, ¡°The elders and the Four Sacred Guardians of the Immortals¡¯ League can¡¯t leave because they have to safeguard the spirit energy formation. You have come just right, quickly take down this devil!¡±


    The older man in the blue robe wanted to take down Xiao Chen initially. At this time, both of his hands were placed in the sleeves. He smiled casually, ¡°This is the business of your Immortals¡¯ League. What does it have to do with me? I¡¯m just passing by to take a look¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The warden in the purple robe was about to make a fuss at that moment. But, he knew that he could not since he needed help from the blue-robed elder. He also knew that because the Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League had not been around in the past 100 years, and the Four Sacred Guardians had been mysterious, many people have refused to accept the governance of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    . The old man in the blue robe chuckled, ¡°I was just kidding, look how anxious you got,¡± then he looked coldly at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°This Devil¡¯s Practice Demon caused sufferings to the world, the people of Orthodox Path has the right to kill him! Are you aware of your situation now?¡±


    ¡°Kill the Devil! Kill the Devil!¡± The disciples of the Orthodox Path sects in the vicinity also shouted at the same time, and their voices were so loud that it shook the sky. At this moment, the west side of the air suddenly flew in dozens of sword radiance. It was the Immortals¡¯ League who had arrived.


    The front the few Immortals¡¯ League elders, as well as the predecessors such as the Qing Chen, Perfected Immortal, Fengxi Perfected Immortal, Tai Yi Perfected Immortal and Master Xuanji. At the back, it was Su Yue, Su Zimu, Xiaoyue, Yu Yifeng, Monk Xu Gu, Qingyu and Murong Xian¡¯er, etc. Once they heard that Xiao Chen had an accident, they rushed over without paying a visit to the Immortal¡¯s Prison.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen!¡± Murong Xian¡¯er¡¯s eyes filled with tears and immediately wanted to rush over. Zhiluan held her back with all its might and said, ¡°Silly girl! You can¡¯t go there!¡±


    Looking at Xiao Chen, who was surrounded by black Qi and had a devil general following him, everyone was in shock. Qing Chen Perfected Immortal said in a trembling voice, ¡°Xiao Chen, you¡­¡±


    The expressions on Yu Yifeng and the rest changed too. Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu started whispering the scriptures on the side. The scene was so similar to the scene in the historical records before the millennium.


    Xiao Chen looked at these familiar people and smiled weakly. Then his eyes narrowed and said, ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit! Immediately take Xian¡¯er away from here!¡± As his voice fell, the black Qi on his body grew denser. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade in his hand started to tremble as well.


    The disciples of the respective Orthodox Path sects saw that he was going to perform the Devilish Skill again immediately went on defense. Xiao Chen once again shouted, ¡°Take her away!¡±


    Without thinking, Zhiluan immediately grabbed Murong Xianer¡¯s collar and flew to a distance away. Murong Xian¡¯er jumped and kicked, said, ¡°No! Dead cat! Stinky cat! Bad cat! Let me go! Let me go! No! Brother Xiao Chen¡­¡± As her voice got farther away.


    Xiao Chen sneered wanly, ¡°Okay, we may start¡­¡± The Devilish Skill in him started to run.


    That warden in purple saw that he was to run that frightening Devilish Skill again, he immediately shouted: ¡°My Taoism friends! Take down this person quickly!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± An icy voice sounded, it was the fourth daughter of the Su family, Su Yue, who was dressed in lavender clothes that stood up.


    Su Yue looked calm and her face was frosty. The purple-robed Warden narrowed his eyes and looked at her, ¡°What? Su family wants to protect a Devil¡¯s Practice follower in front of people of the Orthodox Path today?¡±


    Su Zimu immediately pulled her sleeves, shook his head, and whispered, ¡°Aunt, no.¡±


    Now Xiao Chen had committed a big taboo. The Orthodox Path all wanted him dead. If they spoke for him at this moment, they would be committing the biggest mistake in the world.


    Su Yue¡¯s eyes were as sharp as a sword, she said coldly, ¡°The Devil¡¯s Practice is indeed hateful, but there are rotten apples in the Orthodox Path too. Or he will not kill people for no reason today, Xiao Chen, what do you want to say, say it all out!¡±

 Chapter 346 - Qi Heng

    Following a sudden and eerie silence, Yu Yifeng said, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, you can be frank. There are many seniors present today¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen interrupted him with a sneer. ¡°Your so-called Orthodox Path is no more than just a group of people shielding each other. I have nothing to say! Kill me if you want to! I¡¯ll consider it is breaking even if I kill even one, and profiting if I kill two or three!¡±


    The purple-robed Warden¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°He¡¯s so deeply entrenched in the Ways of the Devil that persuasion is useless! Let¡¯s join hands and capture him!¡± He reinstated his True Energy as he spoke. He held no grudge against Xiao Chen. However, he had seen how robust Xiao Chen was. If Xiao Chen were to turn to the Devil¡¯s sects and possessed strength from both sides, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, Xiao Chen must be eliminated!


    Suddenly, a peal of mocking laughter drifted to everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Let me speak since he won¡¯t!¡± It was Ling Ruoxu. He saluted the masses before pointing to Xiao Chen with an aggrieved expression. ¡°This person slaughtered more than 900 of my kin the other day! Let me ask you: does he or does he not deserve death?!¡±


    The masses were alarmed to hear this. That was the severest of crimes! It couldn¡¯t be tolerated! Cries for Xiao Chen¡¯s head began reverberating in the air. Ling Ruoxu continued, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll demand justice for the tragic death of more than 900 of my kin! I¡¯ll personally exterminate this Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    Guifeng glowered at him and howled, ¡°Scum! I didn¡¯t see you acting this brazen when you fled with your tail between your legs!¡±


    ¡°Then let me spell it out as well! This man killed tens of our people last month. He killed my Junior Brother, Zhu Danfeng¡­¡±


    Ten or so people walked toward them. Leading them were Wan Gufeng and Wan Yanyan, both wearing wicked smiles. The Ling family had been exterminated, and yet their Order of the Divine Fire was unscathed. What a profitable deal.


    Ling Ruoxu clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked. He wanted nothing more than to slay these two. On the contrary, the sight of these nemeses meeting made Xiao Chen calm instead. He looked at Wan Gufeng with a nasty smile. ¡°Now that the old thief of the Ling family isn¡¯t hiding in the Immortals¡¯ League anymore, is the Old Thief Wan finally willing to show himself?¡±


    If him charging up to the Immortals¡¯ League was an act of hotheadedness, then he had calmed down by the time he broke out of the siege. He knew Wan Gufang the scum would never show himself unless the Orthodox experts were surrounding him.


    ¡°Very well. Since everyone¡¯s here, then let me show you who these so-called Orthodox Path followers are!¡±


    He took out a small copper mirror from his Divine Vessel, the same one that Bai Ying gave him. The mirror was fixed with an Illusory Formation that Xingzhen Zi cast with his final spirit energy, immortalizing the slaughter at the Three Pure Sect. This was beyond their expectations.


    Bai Ying wanted Xiao Chen to hand the mirror to the League and stay out of trouble, but with his hot temper, how could he be content unless he wiped out the entire Ling family for revenge?


    The masses raised their guard upon seeing the small copper mirror in his hand, thinking it to be some exceptional magic treasure. Xiao Chen scoffed. ¡°Not long ago, these bastards Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng massacred several hundreds of people in the Human World. I don¡¯t suppose anyone here has heard of it?¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible!¡± A commotion immediately broke out in the crowd, and many turned to look at Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng. However, these two wouldn¡¯t have dared to show up today if they weren¡¯t sure of their backing. Wan Gufeng put his hands into his sleeves calmly and said indifferently, ¡°The Order of the Divine Fire has been around for thousands of years. If you¡¯d like to listen to this Devil¡¯s Practice follower¡¯s nonsense, so be it. I¡¯m not going to explain myself.¡±


    Wan Yanyan followed up with, ¡°This Devil¡¯s Practice follower is an expert at sowing discord. Don¡¯t fall for his trap.¡±


    It was true that no one would believe the words of a Devil¡¯s Practice follower at this moment. Even if any of them suspected something, they would never voice their doubt. Xiao Chen sneered, having seen this coming. He immediately tossed the mirror into the air without another word.


    The mirror grew larger and larger until it was the size of a millstone, and a moving scene slowly appeared on its surface.


    ¡°If you want to blame someone, you can blame the seed of evil that your sect gave birth to! He had provoked someone that he shouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°No one would be able to run today!¡±


    In the mirror, Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng went on a frantic massacre while cackling manically like devils. Everyone was genuinely shocked, all wearing different expressions. Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu closed their eyes and began to chant the Buddhist saying, ¡°Amitabha, what a sin, what a sin¡­¡±


    Ling Ruoxu and Wan Gufeng¡¯s expression shifted drastically. The former wanted to take advantage of the commotion to slip away but several Orthodox Path cultivators stopped him. ¡°Friend, you best watch the whole thing before leaving.¡±


    Wan Gufeng was deathly pale. ¡°It¡¯s fake! Don¡¯t believe him! This is a diversionary tactic that this Devil¡¯s Practice follower conjured!¡± However, everyone¡¯s attention was fixed on the scene playing out on the mirror, unwilling to listen to his explanation.


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Why don¡¯t we show the whole city the so-called Orthodox Path?!¡± He immediately activated the Formation.


    The Illusory Formation that was built in every public square in the city for the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly had yet to removed. After Xiao Chen linked the formation on his mirror with them, the scene of Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng¡¯s slaughter played out above every public square in the city.


    Cultivators in other parts of the city looked up and watched in alarm. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t that seniors from the Ling family and the Order of the Divine Fire who participated in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly recently? Why do they look like they¡¯re killing ordinary people?¡±


    In an instant, chaos engulfed Tianyuan City as the news spread like wildfire. Everyone ran to the public square nearest to them to watch.


    Over in the public square on the east of the city, the purple-robed and white-robed Wardens both turned pale. The former yelled at the disciples behind him, ¡°This scene is too impactful! Cut off all the Illusory Formation in the city immediately!¡±


    Xiao Chen jeered. ¡°Too impactful? Heh! You¡¯re indeed shielding the large clans and sects, shielding your kind!¡±


    The scene finally came to an end. Ling Yuanshan and Wan Gufeng had turned an alarming shade of white in the face. Grief and anger surfaced on Xiao Chen¡¯s expression as he said, ¡°Now, do you know why I want to kill these two bastards? Do they or do they not deserve death?!¡±


    ¡°They do! They do! Kill them!¡± Many in the crowd began crying for blood. Of course, the furious ones were independent cultivators from all over the world. No one from the Orthodox sects said a word as they stood next to their Elders.


    ¡°This is how your so-called large sects operate! It¡¯s so outrageous that it infuriates both men and god alike!¡± The furious independent cultivators began to surround the disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire, all of whom looked frightened and horrified.


    Xiao Chen raised his head and guffawed, but tears soon streamed down his face. ¡°I was an orphan. It was my Master who picked me from the foot of the mountain, raised me, taught me magic spells, but the Ling family and the Order of the Divine Fire traitors killed him before he could enjoy his golden years! Do they or do they not deserve death?!¡±


    ¡°They do! They do!¡± The crowd¡¯s cries, emboldened by fury, reached far and wide. Many faraway independent cultivators had rushed over to the public square. ¡°Where are the traitors from the Ling family and the Order of the Divine Fire?!¡±


    The independent cultivators congregated without an end. Many even flew over on their swords without caring for the League¡¯s prohibition. These people had suffered too much at the hands of the large clans, and there was never a place where they could air their grievances. Their unsatisfaction had snowballed into a deep grudge. When they saw members of the Order of the Divine Fire, they immediately attacked without another word.


    In just minutes, the disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire were left severely injured. Some even met a violent death on the spot. Wan Gufeng and Ling Ruoxu were long frightened out of their wits. Even with their Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, they dared not strike out against these mob of independent cultivators.


    The two Wardens of the League kept shouting at the mob to stop, but they had lost complete control over the situation. Seeing more and more independent cultivators gather at the public square, they dared not make a swift movement. If their actions cause a riot, it would likely be the city¡¯s worst catastrophe in nearly a hundred years. Panicked, the white-robed Warden told the disciples behind him, ¡°Get the Qilin Squadron and all envoys to come here and suppress the crowd! Go now!¡±


    The situation soon dissolved into utter chaos. Even members of the sects near the Order of the Divine Fire got caught in the crossfire. The blue-robed elderly man from earlier finally lost his patience and yelled, ¡°Enough!¡± The breakout of his Nirvana Realm aura swiftly sent a jolt down every independent cultivator¡¯s soul.


    One independent cultivator sneered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Will you shield the scums from your so-called distinguished Orthodox sects?¡±


    The blue-robed older man¡¯s expression turned dark. He said coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll mete out our punishment! It¡¯s not up to a mob like yours to dictate what we do!¡±


    The cultivator laughed out loud. ¡°If we¡¯re a mob, then what are you?¡± A nearby cultivator grinned. ¡°A nest of rats and wolves.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Exactly! A nest of rats and wolves!¡±


    ¡°You bastards!¡± the blue-robed elderly man yelled, turning ashen in the face. Someone beside him stopped him, saying, ¡°Senior Brother, keep calm. We¡¯re here for the Devil¡¯s Practice follower. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± The older man flicked his sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it two puppies yapping!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Come and bite us then, you old dog! Can you bite thousands of us?¡±


    The older man was so furious that he was shaking. He would have just killed all these fools if he were outside, but he would be no different from the Devil¡¯s Practice follower Xiao Chen if he goes on a rampage in front of so many Orthodox cultivators.


    Little did he imagine that there was indeed a stark difference. When Xiao Chen killed, he at least did it openly. He wouldn¡¯t spout righteous nonsense while committing dirty deeds behind everyone¡¯s back. The independent cultivators began to yell in unison, ¡°The Ling family and the Order of the Divine Fire have no right to call themselves Orthodox sects! Disband! Disband!¡±


    Their cries were so loud that they could shake heaven. Suddenly, a figure in red treaded through the air in their direction. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but we¡¯ll settle our affairs internally.¡±


    The elderly man in red landed next to Wan Gufeng. He looked even older than Wan Gufeng. Instead of looking like he had found a savior, Wan Gufeng shuddered. He lowered his head and saluted the man. ¡°Disciple Wan Gufeng pays his respect to Master Qi Heng!¡±


    Elder Qi Heng from the Order of the Divine Fire was in the Nirvana Realm. The frosty old man held his hands behind his back and said emotionlessly, ¡°Just take your own life for committing such a grievous crime.¡±


    Alarmed, Wan Yanyan looked at him and started pleading. ¡°No! Didn¡¯t Grandpa get your permission to go to the Human World¡­¡±


    Wan Gufeng immediately shouted, ¡°Shut up, Yan¡¯er!¡± Then, he saluted to the Orthodox cultivators with a wry smile. ¡°In a momentary lapse of judgment, I was misled into committing a grievous crime. Today, I will end my life to make up for my offense!¡± He slammed both palms on his forehead with a loud thump. Blood flowed out of his seven apertures as his soul shattered, and he died just like that.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Wan Yanyan threw himself at Wan Gufeng¡¯s body, unable to stop wailing with grief.


    With his hands still clasped behind his back, Qi Heng loudly announced, ¡°This person had killed himself as punishment for his grievous crime! The Order of the Divine Fire will write this person¡¯s name off our records!¡±


    With that, Qi Heng washed all responsibility off the Order of the Divine Fire. Those nearby said nothing. What else could they say when Gu Wanfeng was dead? However, they were confident that Wan Gufeng wouldn¡¯t be brave enough to go on a rampage in the Human World if he didn¡¯t receive a higher-up¡¯s order.


    Xiao Chen scoffed. This was a familiar scene in Violet Manor. Whenever the subordinates ran amok and got themselves in a too-big of trouble that the higher-ups couldn¡¯t explain away, the assistants would have no choice but to ¡°kill themselves to make up for their offense.¡± That way, they would at least be able to ensure the safety of their families.


    If they refused to kill themselves, the higher-ups would send their men to eliminate them or even their whole family and then announce to the world that they had ended their lives to make up for their offense.


    The whites of Wan Yanyan¡¯s eyes were filled with wisps of blood. He suddenly raised his head to look at Xiao Chen. ¡°Xiao Chen! You caused my Grandpa¡¯s death! I¡¯ll drag you down to hell with me!¡± He charged at Xiao Chen, wanting to turn himself into a weapon and release his Soul power.


    ¡°Slay!¡±


    Following Guifeng¡¯s bellow, a saber fell on Wan Yanyan and instantly produced a bloody mist. Qi Heng continued to clasp his hands behind his back. With his cultivation, he could very well rescue Wan Yanyan immediately, but he pretended not to see anything.


    The shrieking of the gale resounded without an end as dark clouds enveloped the skies above Tianyuan City. Dark cumulus clouds began gathering in the western horizon, signaling rain.


    ¡°Now that our Order has punished our traitor, isn¡¯t it time for the Orthodox Path to do the same for the sake of all living creatures in the world?¡± Qi Heng said emotionlessly, staring at Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 347 - I Want Him to Plead for Death

    Tianyuan City was at its liveliest and yet complete silence enveloped the Jade Terrace Mountain. Many had left the mountain for the city. Inside the Immortal¡¯s Prison on a summit of a rear mountain, an incessant stern voice demanded, ¡°Speak, you slut! Where is Xiao Chen?!¡±


    In the stone chamber that imprisoned Xiao Chen, Ling Fei pressed Li Muxue¡¯s neck up against the wall. Blood gushed from her mouth like a leaking faucet, staining her lapels.


    ¡°Speak! Where is Xiao Chen?!¡± Ling Fei threw another punch at her stomach, causing her to cough up another mouthful of blood. He sneered. ¡°Be prepared for a gruesome death.¡±


    ¡°Speak! Where did that bastard go?!¡± Ling Fei once again punched her in the stomach. Her aura was thin, and her face was a frightening shade of white. Blood flowed out of her mouth without an end. The crescent white jade resting on her chest was flickering incessantly, but hidden under her clothes, it escaped Ling Fei¡¯s notice.


    It was the jade note that Xiao Chen gave her. If she were to crush it, he would detect it immediately. But she wouldn¡¯t. She hoped he would never return¡­


    ¡°Speak, damn it!¡± Ling Fei couldn¡¯t restrain his anger. He had never seen such a stubborn woman in his life. In his fury, he punched her abdomen seven or eight consecutive times.


    Next to him was a Ling family disciple who had turned pale a long time ago. He said quietly, ¡°Young Master, why don¡¯t we end it here? If she dies and the Jade Qing Sect finds out, we¡¯ll be done for. Our family isn¡¯t a match for the Jade Qing Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Scram! Mind your own business!¡± Ling Fei struck the disciple with his palm, sending him flying out of the stone chamber.


    Suddenly, a teenager rushed in. His face was pale, and his voice trembled with fear as he said, ¡°Bad news, Young Master! Bad news!¡±


    Ling Fei turned his head and glared at him. He said sternly, ¡°Speak!¡±


    The teenager was so frightened that he was trembling and couldn¡¯t even get his words straight. ¡°X-Xiao Chen! Xiao Chen has shown up!¡±


    ¡°That bastard dares to show himself?¡± Ling Fei became agitated as soon as he heard and immediately smashed Li Muxue against the stone wall. He shouted, ¡°Where is he?!¡±


    ¡°The eastern district of the city! The Immortals¡¯ League and large sects have him surrounded!¡±


    Li Muxue was slipping out of consciousness, but blood immediately sprayed from her mouth as soon as she heard. Ling Fei laughed like a maniac. ¡°Very well, very well, indeed! Let¡¯s go! I want to see how that bastard dies!¡±


    The teenager immediately stopped him. ¡°You can¡¯t go! You can¡¯t go, absolutely not!¡± Impatiently, Ling Fei turned around and yelled, ¡°What is it now?!¡±


    The teenager burst into tears. ¡°He found out about the Elder going to the Human World to exterminate the Three Pure Sect and wiped out our entire family. The Master was the only one who escaped¡­¡± He was sobbing so hard that he couldn¡¯t continue anymore.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Shock struck Ling Fei like a bolt of lightning, and he felt the world around him spin. He then howled, ¡°Father! Mother! Younger Brother! Younger Sister! Wan¡¯er! Grandpa¡­¡±


    The teenager sobbed and sniffled before wiping his tears and urging, ¡°Young Master! Let¡¯s leave this place as soon as possible! We won¡¯t be able to afterward!¡±


    ¡°Leave? No way!¡± Ling Fei pushed him aside with a deranged expression. He abruptly turned around to look at the half-dead Li Muxue in the corner of the chamber and said sinisterly, ¡°I still have an enormous gift for him¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Dark clouds hung over the eastern district of the city as a storm brewed. Xiao Chen found himself surrounded by the large clans in the public square when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. Guifeng immediately supported his arm. ¡°My Lord!¡±


    Pale-faced, Xiao Chen supported himself off the ground with one hand. The pain was so abrupt that it caught him off guard. Suddenly, something occurred to him. ¡°Muxue is in trouble! Muxue is in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Guifeng, let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Chen howled and charged at the Immortals¡¯ League with a raised saber. When the cultivators saw him fleeing, they immediately stepped forward to stop him. He swung his saber, and more than ten cultivators in front of him disintegrated into a bloody mist.


    ¡°Get on, my Lord!¡± Guifeng hoisted Xiao Chen onto his horse, and they made a mad dash toward the central district of the city. The purple-robed Warden cried, ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± More than ten Nascent Soul Realm cultivators immediately blocked their way.


    ¡°Death to all those who stand in my way!¡± Guifeng swung his saber violently and instantly exterminated the body and soul of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Suddenly, several sword radiance landed in front of them, prompting their diabolic horse to neigh and kick in the air. The Nirvana Realm cultivators had made their move.


    ¡°Demon, don¡¯t even dream of running after committing such a heinous crime today!¡±


    ¡°Arghhh! Out of my way!¡± Xiao Chen started hacking them like a madman, but with his severely depleted bank of True Energy, how was he any match for Nirvana Realm cultivators? Guifeng was also beginning to run out of Soul power.


    Seeing that he was about to exhaust himself, the purple-robed Warden yelled, ¡°Capture the Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    Sensing that he was in serious trouble, Xiao Chen immediately turned to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and cried, ¡°Return to the League now! The one inside the Immortal¡¯s Prison is Muxue! She¡¯s in trouble!¡±


    Yu Yifeng and the others looked confused to hear that the one inside the Immortal¡¯s Prison was Li Muxue, but the realization hit the Elders of the League instantly. Magic Mimicry! No wonder he was able to escape the prison!


    ¡°She¡¯s in trouble! Go! Go now!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen spared no time. He turned to Yu Yifeng and said, ¡°Yifeng, hurry and see what¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Yifeng was about to take out his flying sword when a peal of laughter came from the western horizon. ¡°Hahaha! That won¡¯t be necessary anymore!¡±


    Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw Ling Fei treading through the air toward them while holding a woman. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Let go of her!¡± he cried, about to rush over to them.


    Ling Fei¡¯s eyes flashed with a cruel glint. ¡°I¡¯ve planted a Blood Yin Soul Incantation on her! Once I die, her soul will disintegrate as well! Feel free to come and save her if you are not afraid! Hahaha!¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately stopped in his tracks. He had heard of such a crafty curse, so Ling Fei was probably not lying. Li Muxue raised her head and revealed tears streaming down her face. ¡°Why did you come back¡­¡±


    ¡°Muxue! Muxue, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were wide open, and his grip on the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was so tight that the blade threatened to break. Suddenly, he howled and turned to Ling Fei. In a sharp voice, he yelled, ¡°What exactly do you want?!¡± ¡°Speak! Worse comes to worst. I¡¯ll trade her life for mine!¡±


    ¡°Hehe! What do I want? You exterminated my entire family, but I don¡¯t want your life! I want you to experience all the torment in this world!¡± Ling Fei looked deranged when he suddenly struck Li Muxue with his palm. The attack caused her five visceras and six bowels to nearly rupture.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.


    The expressions of the cultivators from the large sects had changed a long time ago. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen cried in anger, ¡°Ling Fei! Your grudge against Xiao Chen has nothing to do with other people! Let go of my disciple!¡±


    ¡°Ling Fei! You¡¯re an Orthodox disciple! How can you take out your anger on someone else? Let go of my Junior Sister!¡±


    Yu Yifeng stepped forward, wanting to save Li Muxue, but it was evident that Ling Fei had no plans of leaving this place alive. With his death, Li Muxue¡¯s soul would also integrate. The reason the Ling family was able to stand tall in the East Continent was their sinister craft, the Blood Yin Incantation!


    ¡°Orthodox? I told you he¡¯s a Devil¡¯s Practice follower, didn¡¯t I? But you insisted on shielding him. Now that he has killed my entire family, you¡¯re bringing up the Orthodox Path? Hahaha!¡±


    Ling Fei remained in that manic state of his. No one dared to go up to him and save Li Muxue. Ling Ruoxu was too ashamed for words. He chided, ¡°Ling Fei, this Devil¡¯s Practice follower has nowhere to run! Let go of that lady now!¡±


    Ling Fei sneered and said sharply, ¡°Bah! Ling Ruoxu! You¡¯re unworthy of being the head of our family! If it weren¡¯t for your indecisiveness, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this today! If you hadn¡¯t stopped people from hunting him down, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this today!¡±


    ¡°Amitabha. If revenge breeds revenge, will there ever be an end to it? Benefactor Ling, you shouldn¡¯t entrench yourself in the swamp of misery anymore¡­¡± Master Xuanji muttered the Buddhist saying with his palms placed together.


    ¡°Shut up, you filthy monk! You have no right to educate me! Your Wuyin Monastery isn¡¯t anything honorable either! You¡¯re a bunch of hypocrites!¡±


    Ling Fei was so deranged that he would lash out against anyone that threatened him. Xiao Chen said solemnly, ¡°Then what do you want¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! What do I want? I want you to destroy your Nascent Soul by yourself! Right now!¡±


    Li Muxue raised her head and said weakly, ¡°Don¡¯t, Brother Xiao! Even if you destroy your Nascent Soul, I¡­ I won¡¯t be able to survive today either¡­¡± Tears streamed down her face midway into her sentence.


    ¡°Shut up, you slut!¡± Ling Fei struck her with his palm.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll destroy it!¡± Xiao Chen thrust his saber into the ground, causing crushed stones to fly everywhere.


    ¡°My Lord, you must not!¡± Guifeng stopped him. He looked up at Ling Fei and said furiously, ¡°You lowly person! Let go of her immediately!¡±


    ¡°Shut you, you damned ghost! You were a slave alive, and still a slave dead! You¡¯ll forever be a damned slave!¡±


    ¡°Roar¡ª¡± The diabolic horse let out an ear-shattering roar and was about to charge upward when Ling Fei clutched Li Muxue¡¯s throat. ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll end my life and have this slut die with me!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Xiao Chen said, extending his hand. He looked coldly at Ling Fei. ¡°Remove her curse, and I¡¯ll destroy my Nascent Soul immediately! I swear I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Tears rained down Li Muxue¡¯s face as she pleaded, ¡°Brother Xiao, no! I haven¡¯t told you but my lifespan is about to¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, slut!¡± Ling Fei tightened his grip around her throat, preventing her from speaking.


    Suddenly, twelve silhouettes appeared out of thin air. The ladies of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had finally caught up to Xiao Chen. They weren¡¯t as quick as him, which was what delayed them for so long.


    Qingluan glared at Ling Fei and flung a package dripping with blood at him. ¡°Your Grandpa¡¯s head! Take it!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Ling Fei looked pained. The moment he reached out to grab the package, Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-override Steps and appeared in front of him. However, someone was even faster than him, and snatched Li Muxue out of Ling Fei¡¯s hands. Ling Fei turned pale from fright and immediately tried to kill himself and Li Muxue.


    ¡°The Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit!¡±


    Xiao Chen thrust his palms at the same time, and an ear-shattering dragon¡¯s roar resounded. Once Ling Fei was frozen, he turned his head to look at the person who took Li Muxue. The silver-haired woman was one of the Jade Qing Seven and Li Muxue¡¯s master, Yanluo.


    ¡°Muxue!¡± Xiao Chen wanted to rush over to her, but Yanluo raised a hand and barricaded him. She said coldly, ¡°From now on, she has nothing to do with you!¡± She made several taps on Li Muxue¡¯s body with her fingertip and then drew out a red wisp out of her midbrows.


    ¡°Is the Blood Yin Soul Incantation removed?¡± Xiao Chen asked impatiently.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yan Luo said coldly. ¡°But I told you. From now on, she has nothing to do with you!¡± Carrying Li Muxue, she propelled herself forward with the tip of her foot and disappeared in the crowd.


    Xiao Chen turned around to look at Ling Fei, who was encased in a layer of ice. Ling Fei¡¯s mouth was open, frozen at the moment he was about to recite his mantra. Xiao Chen said frostily, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    ¡°Lay down a Barrier for me. I want him to plead for death!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord! Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡±


    Dark clouds rolled overhead, and an incorporeal force rained upon them, separating them from everyone else. Ling Ruoxu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Xiao Chen! What are you trying to do?!¡±


    Xiao Chen flashed him a sinister smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me earlier? I want him to plead for death!¡±

 Chapter 348 - Win-or-Die Battle

    The rest were astounded to see Xiao Chen¡¯s cruel expression. They knew then that death would be out of Ling Fei¡¯s reach today. Several Nirvana Realm cultivators charged at Xiao Chen upon seeing this, not to save Ling Fei but to put up an act in front of the Orthodox community.


    With a loud howl, Guifeng summoned his Soul power to reinforce the Barrier. The Nirvana Realm cultivators might be durable, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through his Devil Devourment Barrier so soon.


    Xiao Chen spun around and peered indifferently at Ling Fei. Though encased in a layer of ice, Ling Fei could see everything outside. His eyes were filled with fear. He had no idea how Xiao Chen planned on torturing him. His sole desire now was death! He wanted to die and enter the Wheel of Reincarnation!


    ¡°Thump!¡±


    Xiao Chen shattered the ice with a palm attack. Ling Fei immediately tried to commit deliverance as soon as he escaped his bind, wanting to drag Xiao Chen to hell with him.


    ¡°Absolute Domain!¡±


    Following Xiao Chen¡¯s cry, a spatial force materialized inside the Barrier, and Ling Fei found himself unable to move anymore. His shock was soon replaced by fury as he yelled, ¡°Xiao Chen! Just end me with a single hack if you dare! Even if I become a ghost, I won¡¯t let you off¡­¡± A hair-raising scream escaped his mouth before he could finish. Xiao Chen had pierced Ling Fei¡¯s chest with his right hand and taken out his heart.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hand and arm were drenched with blood while Ling Fei¡¯s bloody heart remained beating in his palm. The people outside turned pale, and some female disciples even looked away. This was too cruel.


    Unless their soul were destroyed, cultivators wouldn¡¯t die so quickly. Ling Fei¡¯s eyes widened to see Xiao Chen clutching his heart in the latter¡¯s palm, speechless.


    ¡°No one has ever been able to hurt her¡­¡±


    Black Qi was winding around Xiao Chen. His expression was twisted with cruelty. Once he finished speaking, he loudly crushed Ling Fei¡¯s heart in front of him.


    ¡°Pff!¡± Blood sprayed from Ling Fei¡¯s mouth. Before the others even digested what was going on, they heard another scream from him. This time, Xiao Chen pierced his elixir field with his left hand and fished out the gold elixir that was about to transform into a Nascent Soul.


    ¡°No one can hurt her!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed. With another thump, he pulverized the golden elixir. Ling Fei once again coughed up blood and started shaking.


    His scream reverberated throughout the public square. A pale-faced Ling Ruoxu couldn¡¯t stop trembling as he kept shouting, ¡°Kill him! Please kill him!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s evil energy was so dense that Yu Yifeng felt that he was falling deeper and deeper into the dark side. If this continued, Xiao Chen might very well become a demon. Then, he turned around with great difficulty and yelled, ¡°Xiao Chen! Stop!¡±


    Qingyu had long turned pale from fright. Tears streamed down her face as she cried in a trembling voice, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, please stop¡­ You¡¯ll become a demon¡­ It¡¯s not worth it, not worth it¡­¡±


    There were many in the distance, including Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Su Yue, and Xiaoyue, who looked stunned. Xiao Chen¡¯s sneer never left his face. Then, out of the blue, he perforated Ling Fei¡¯s eyes with two fingers.


    ¡°Arghhh!¡± Ling Fei¡¯s heart-rendering screech filled the air. Now, he was left with two empty sockets that overflowed with blood. He was a frightening sight.


    ¡°Fiend¡­ Fiend¡­ You¡¯re a fiend¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered and grabbed Ling Fei¡¯s upper and lower jaw. Then, he forcefully tore down Ling Fei¡¯s lower jaw along with his flesh and skin. This made his face look even more ghastly. Even the cultivators who had experienced numerous near-death scenarios couldn¡¯t help feeling a chill down their spine.


    Outside the Barrier, a storm was brewing. Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu closed their eyes and quietly chanted Buddhist mantras, ¡°Amitabha, amitabha, amitabha¡­¡±


    Far in the distance, many independent cultivators shivered. They could feel hair raising on their skin. An elderly man among them sighed. ¡°When you fight demons for too long, you inevitably become a demon yourself¡­¡±


    Ling Fei was half-dead by now as he lay there shaking. Without his lower jaw, he could eke out only barely intelligible words. ¡°Kill me¡­ Kill me¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but how could I grant your death so easily? I want you never to be able to reincarnate!¡±


    Following Xiao Chen¡¯s cry, he produced countless black Qi on the hollow of his palm and directed them at Ling Fei¡¯s head. Moments later, a wisp of cyan smoke emerged out of Ling Fei¡¯s midbrows. Xiao Chen swiftly cast a few spells and sealed the wisp of smoke in a talisman. The smoke was Ling Fei¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Xiao Chen, you¡¯ll die a horrible death. In my next life, I won¡¯t let you off even if I become a ghost¡­¡± Ling Fei¡¯s mournful cry erupted from the talisman and filled the public square. Coupled with the overcast sky, everyone felt a hair-raising chill.


    Xiao Chen put the talisman away in his Divine Vessel and then looked at the devilish horse. With a neigh, the horse immediately walked over to him and hauled up Ling Fei¡¯s body. It crushed the body in a few bites before swallowing it whole.


    This was also when Guifeng¡¯s Soul power had exhausted itself, and the Barrier gradually dissolved. No one said anything until Ling Ruoxu¡¯s trembling voice resounded. ¡°Xiao Chen¡­ what are you planning to do to his soul?¡±


    Xiao Chen scoffed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I want him never to be able to reincarnate!¡±


    Finally, Master Xuanji opened his eyes and said, ¡°There is no end to the sea of suffering. Please return to the shore and repent. Benefactor Xiao, why bother being so attached to¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him and turned to look at the people outside. He said frostily, ¡°I¡¯m going! Will any of you stop me?!¡±


    His terrifying methods earlier had horrified numerous Orthodox disciples to the core. When they heard what he said, they immediately retreated. In the distance, Qi Heng of the Order of the Divine Fire stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back. He said, ¡°Did you think you¡¯ll be able to leave after killing so many people today?¡±


    Xiao Chen raised his head and guffawed. He then glared at Qi Heng. ¡°Your Order of the Divine Fire will be next!¡±


    Qi Heng¡¯s expression remained unchanged, feeling no fear of a cornered Devil¡¯s Practice follower with so many sects and clans around. He said emotionlessly, ¡°You can try.¡±


    The purple-robed Warden of the Immortals¡¯ League yelled, ¡°Spare the talking! Capture that Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    Once again, countless cultivators from various sects and clans congregated, but no one was willing to be the first to charge up, not after seeing Xiao Chen¡¯s powers. All of them wanted someone else to do the dirty work while they reap the benefits.


    Yu Yifeng stepped forward, wanting to say something, but Perfected Immortal Qing Chen stopped him and shook his head. Then, he said in a loud voice, ¡°Please listen to me, my cultivator friends. This child is a traitor of my sect. I hope everyone will allow me to bring back this child¡­¡±


    The blue-robed older man from earlier raised his head and laughed. ¡°Qing Chen, I suggest you forget it. Who doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s just a fake Jade Qing Sect disciple? The way I see it, your sect is at least a representative of Orthodox sects in the East Continent. You better stay away from Devil¡¯s Practice followers, lest your sect becomes a target like this devil. Then, us Orthodox folks will have no choice but to exterminate your sect!¡± His gaze turned so sharp that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s all lies! Junior Brother Xiao is only affected by the Devil¡¯s Intent because he had to help me remove Devil Qi! He¡¯s not a Devil¡¯s Practice follower¡­¡± Qingyu wailed. However, why would anyone listen to her when they wouldn¡¯t even listen to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen?


    In another corner, Su Zimu held tight onto Su Yue¡¯s sleeve and kept shaking his head at her. ¡°Aunt, you must not. Grandfather is still cultivating in seclusion. If we get our family involved now, we¡¯ll affect his state of mind and possibly cause him to fail his ordeal¡­¡±


    With a deep frown, Su Yue took in a deep breath. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    Orthodox cultivators from all sides continued crowding Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen spun around to look at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the others. ¡°Help me take care of Muxue and the rest¡­¡±


    Yu Yifeng stretched out a hand. ¡°Xiao Chen, what are you doing?! Put down your saber! It was the Ling family who wronged you in the first place! The Immortals¡¯ League will handle this fairly! Don¡¯t repeat the mistake¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a white radiance whizzed toward him. It was the Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword that he had gifted Xiao Chen in the past. People with unsullied hearts would enjoy supreme tranquility and wouldn¡¯t be confused by the temptations of devils and demons¡­


    ¡°Yu Yifeng, you gifted me this sword then. Today, I¡¯m returning it to you.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen¡­ you¡­¡± Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyes were turning red as he clutched the Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword in his hand. What a familiar scene this was.


    ¡°The next time we meet, we¡¯re meeting as enemies!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around so that he wasn¡¯t looking at Yu Yifeng anymore. He faced the various sects and clans with a grave expression. ¡°From now on, all of you so-called distinguished sects and clans of the Orthodox Path are my enemies!¡± An overwhelming Devil Qi erupted from him then, making everyone feel stifled.


    ¡°We pledge our lives and swear to protect you, Master!¡± Twelve silhouettes appeared out of the blue. The ladies of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had come to protect Xiao Chen.


    Qi Heng sneered. ¡°Enemies? Very well. I¡¯d like to see how a Devil¡¯s Practice follower like you become enemies with all of us Orthodox cultivators in the world.¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him and turned to look at Qingluan and the other ladies. ¡°Go. From now on, Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon will no longer exist¡­¡± He knew that the ladies could handle a few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, but there were so many Nirvana Realm experts here today. If he couldn¡¯t escape, why would he have them die with him?


    ¡°We swear to protect you even at the cost of our lives, Master!¡± The expression on the twelve ladies didn¡¯t change as they held tight onto their curved blades. Once again, they spared no thought for what might be their imminent death.


    ¡°Go!¡± Xiao Chen yelled. He looked at the sisters Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°Help me do one final thing!¡±


    ¡°Master, do tell! We¡¯ll execute your order or die trying!¡±


    ¡°Help me bring Xian¡¯er back to the Human World. There¡¯s a deep valley under the rear of Lingtai Mountain. She knows how to return. Tell her not to leave the Human World anymore. This place is too dangerous and sinister for her¡­¡± The whites of Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes became filled with wisps of blood as he glared at the sects and clans.


    Qingluan immediately turned to look at the ten other ladies, and they headed straight for the Immortals¡¯ League. The target of the sects and clans was Xiao Chen, so they paid no mind to anyone else and didn¡¯t bother to give chase. Xiao Chen said, ¡°You two should leave too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll protect you or die trying¡­¡±


    ¡°Go! Do you want me to ask you to leave politely?!¡± Xiao Chen yelled. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade in his hand was beginning to shake. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er exchanged looks. ¡°Master, take care!¡± They respectively transformed into a cyan and purple light and flew toward the League.


    Xiao Chen turned around and stared coldly at the crowd of Orthodox disciples. ¡°Very well! Those who want my head, come at me!¡± he bellowed and stabbed the Blood Lotus Demon Blade into the ground. Crushed stones instantly flew everywhere, and countless cracks appeared, all nearly thirty meters in length.


    With a neigh, the devilish horse kicked its legs in the air and spat out a black flame at the sky. Guifeng held up his massive saber as an overwhelming Devil Qi filled the air. ¡°You brutes who entrap my Lord at every turn! Today, I¡¯m here to behead all of you! Who will be the first to die?¡±


    His formidable aura made everyone feel stifled. Even though there were many people from the Orthodox path, everyone had their thoughts. No one was willing to go up to Xiao Chen and blindly throw their lives away to become stepping stones for others. The Nirvana Realm cultivators were only a step away from achieving the Grand Completion Realm. They feared death more than everyone else.


    The two Wardens of the Immortals¡¯ League were also trying to preserve their strength to ward against possible ambushes by the Devil¡¯s sects. When they saw the crowd not charging forward, the purple-robed Warden cried, ¡°The devil doesn¡¯t have much Soul power left! Charge up to him and capture the Devil¡¯s Practice follower together!¡±


    Then, an unknown voice in the crowd yelled, ¡°Kill the Devil¡¯s Practice follower! Uphold the Orthodox Path! Kill!¡± More than ten people charged at Xiao Chen, but a sweep of the latter¡¯s saber sent all of them flying. Right at this moment, an ice-cold voice drifted from the horizon. ¡°I dare all of you to try and kill him today¡­¡±


    The voice was incomparably cold as if it came from an iceberg that remained unmelted for eons. Soon, a murderous aura shrouded the entire place. The aura was just as frigid and heartless, so much so that it pierced one¡¯s very bones. Even the Nirvana Realm cultivators could feel a chill down their spine. No one dared to move.

 Chapter 349 - Rivers of Blood

    The masses looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman in red gliding through the air on floating leaves steps. The grim-faced woman had a red flower print between her eyebrows. She landed firmly next to Xiao Chen and an ice-cold, ruthless aura swiftly filled the air, sending a chill down everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Xiao Chen shivered before saying solemnly, ¡®Xin¡¯er, why are you here¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was as frosty as ever as she said, ¡°Back on the Thousand Summits Mountain, you saved my life. Today, I¡¯ll return the favor. Neither of us will owe each other anything from here on!¡±


    ¡°KILL!¡± No one knew who sounded the battle cry, but a group of eight or so stormed Xiao Chen without a second thought. Huangfu Xin¡¯er waved her hand, and five red radiance flashed. Blood splashed everywhere with a jeering sound as she cut the group into pieces, crushing their internal organs and spilling them all over the ground. It was a staggering sight.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s cultivation seemed to have heightened since the last time he saw her. So had her murderous aura. In the distance, the blue-robed Warden narrowed his eyes as he wondered about the woman¡¯s identity. He had never heard of a rising rookie like her in the Five Continents, whose cultivation appeared to be above Xiao Chen¡¯s. He roared, ¡°Who are you, Miss? Will you become an enemy of the Orthodox community as well?¡±


    Of course, some recognized her as well. Someone yelled, ¡°Heartless Palace! Empress of Heartless Palace, Huangfu Xin¡¯er!¡±


    The blue-robed Warden¡¯s eyes narrowed. Heartless Palace? He had never heard of it, but her skills were awe-inspiring to be able to leave Nirvana Realm cultivators in awe. If such skills¡­ Considering this, he said, ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s the Empress of Heartless Palace. Did you come here to stand on the devils¡¯ side to fight the Orthodox Path?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression was still icy as she said emotionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t care who¡¯s Orthodox and who¡¯s not. Spare me the nonsense and attack if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The blue-robed Warden propelled himself forward with the tip of his foot and dashed at a lightning-fast speed. His force crushed the floor tiles and sent them flying, along with many Orthodox disciples.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Xiao Chen howled and swung his saber. Guifeng followed suit with his blade, and three forces collided in the air, producing a rumbling explosion. Large sections of nearby floor tiles were crushed and sent flying. Numerous Orthodox disciples were caught in the aftermath, causing blood to gush out of their mouths.


    The blue-robed Warden took ten or so steps back in retreat with a horrified expression. How could this youngster and the General of Soul remain this strong after expending so much energy? He must wait a little longer, he thought.


    Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er stood back-to-back, facing their enemies on all sides. Xiao Chen said, ¡°You should leave. This has nothing to do with you. You and I owe each other nothing.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll return the favor today. Neither of us will owe each other anything from here on!¡± Mid-sentence, Huangfu Xin¡¯er cut several cultivators rushing up to them into seven to eight pieces. Dismembered bodies and blood gathered near her feet, filling the air with a pungent smell.


    Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade her, Xiao Chen cried, ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°At your command, my Lord!¡±


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± Guifeng turned to Huangfu Xin¡¯er. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s dangerous here. Please leave with me at once!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er chided, ¡°Shut up! Who¡¯s your Madam?!¡±


    ¡°Then, please forgive me for being rude! Rise!¡± Guifeng pulled her onto the horseback and urged the horse forward. No one went to stop them. Their target was Xiao Chen, and it was all the better for them that his allies were gone.


    Overjoyed, the purple-robed Warden yelled, ¡°Capture the Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    With Guifeng gone, so did everyone¡¯s fear. All of them charged at Xiao Chen, prompting him to smile wryly. ¡°I¡¯ve never offended anyone here, but since you all want my life, then so be it!¡± he bellowed and swung his saber without moving. Instantly, the tens of cultivators who had him surrounded were cut in half, and their severed bodies flung across the air. The casualties included several Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.


    Everyone watched in shock at how terrifying Xiao Chen became after using Devilish Skills. Ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to approach him. The seven or eight Nirvana Realm cultivators had their schemes. Xiao Chen must die today, but no one wanted to be the one to fight him.


    The purple-robed Warden howled, ¡°This Devil¡¯s Practice follower is drawing strength from his Natal True Energy! He won¡¯t last long! Hurry up and capture him¡­¡± His voice was still lingering when a severely injured old man yelled in anger, ¡°What¡¯s the point of shouting? Go and catch him if you¡¯re that strong!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The purple-robed Warden was rendered speechless. There were so many Orthodox cultivators here today that he must preserve his strength until the very end. However, knowing that he had incited the fury of certain people, he was forced to take out his flying sword and attack Xiao Chen.


    His sword whizzed toward Xiao Chen¡¯s soul like a halo passing through the sun, going so fast that it raised a storm. Xiao Chen swung his saber and rebounded the Warden¡¯s sword with a loud clang. The Warden staggered several steps backward, feigning injury. He yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s attack him together!¡±


    ¡°KILL!¡± The sea of cultivators cried for blood as they stormed Xiao Chen. In the distance, countless people used their magic treasures to make long-range attacks on flying swords. However, Xiao Chen¡¯s Devil Qi made flying difficult. Not only were they affected by his Qi, but it also caused them to hurt their people accidentally.


    ¡°Why? WHY?!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were an alarming shade of red as he screamed. Overwhelming Devil Qi erupted from within him, sending ten or so cultivators who were running up to him flying.


    ¡°All I want is to pass my days peacefully! All I want is to find my Master! Why do you want my life? Why do you want to force my hand? ARGH!¡± Yet another scream came from Xiao Chen. With his messy hair dancing wildly in the wind, he swung his saber and claimed another dozen or so lives.


    In no time at all, so much blood was spilled on the square that they formed rivers. The water in the canals was dyed crimson, as was Xiao Chen¡¯s entire body and hair. Under his feet, dead bodies piled up high enough to form hills. No one could tell which disciple was from which sect. Meanwhile, Ling Ruoxu had taken advantage of the chaos to escape a long time ago.


    The whizzing of the gale continued in the background, sounding like the cry of heaven and earth. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen watched everything unfold absently-minded. Now, Xiao Chen could never return. The most heartbroken one of them all was Yu Yifeng. The rim of his eyes was red as he wept and muttered, ¡°Martial Uncle Qing Feng, is this what you meant when you said it was an unchangeable fate¡­¡±


    At long last, Xiao Chen could no longer hold on. He had taken impact from no less than twenty Sword Qi, and his back was pierced with several Immortal¡¯s Swords dripping with blood. When he made one final swing, blood sprayed from his mouth, and he was forced to prop himself up with his saber stuck on the ground.


    Numerous independent cultivators watching in the distance sighed. They wouldn¡¯t run up to surrounded and kill Xiao Chen. In their eyes, this was a scene of a hero reaching the end of the road.


    A cyan-robed elderly man lamented, ¡°To think he¡¯s able to take on many enemies until now. Even if he dies here, he¡¯ll probably be remembered in history. Unfortunately, it won¡¯t be positive¡­¡±


    Another black-robed older man narrowed his eyes. ¡°You reminded me of someone. Thousands of years ago, a Devil¡¯s Practice follower called Xiao Ning also died here under the siege of the Five Major Sects. Both surnamed Xiao and died here. That¡¯s too much of a coincidence, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    The cyan-robed older man continued to sigh. ¡°If only this child isn¡¯t a Devil¡¯s Practice follower. I, He Laoxie, have never accepted a disciple in my life. If I can take someone like him as my disciple¡­¡±


    The black-robed elderly man immediately gestured him to be quiet. He looked around in alarm before stammering, ¡°Old He, do you want to die or something? With so many Orthodox cultivators here today, you dare say such nonsense¡­.¡±


    In another corner of the public square, several Nirvana Realm cultivators noticed that Xiao Chen had finally run out of steam and knew that their time had come. It didn¡¯t matter if he was indeed a Devil¡¯s Practice follower or if the Devil Intent only infected him because he tried to save someone. His death was certain. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable if he one day turned to the Devil¡¯s sects.


    Right then, the Nirvana Realm cultivators seemed to have reached a tacit understanding and attacked Xiao Chen from all sides at the same time.


    Facing the advance of several golden Sword Qi, Xiao Chen could feel his strength leaving him. Would he die here today? His Master said to meet again a thousand years later. Here he comes¡­


    Suddenly, a resounding voice came from the distance. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt my Lord!¡± Following the emergence of a silhouette, a rumbling explosion resounded. Several Nirvana Realm cultivators were sent flying, all while coughing up blood.


    Everyone turned pale with horror at the General of Soul¡¯s sudden return. Moreover, he appeared even more terrifying than ever. A weakened Xiao Chen could only whisper, ¡°General, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say another word, my Lord! I¡¯m getting you out of here immediately!¡±


    Guifeng¡¯s tall, tall figure was dripping with blood, and his armor was in shambles after being hacked by flying swords. That attack earlier had taken more than half of his Soul¡¯s Life Source. After responding to Xiao Chen, he immediately pulled the latter onto his horseback and charged ahead.


    ¡°Stop him! We must not let him escape today!¡±


    Several hundred flying swords instantly rained down on the duo. Facing a sky full of gleaming blades, Guifeng yelled, ¡°Death to those who stop me!¡± He swung his saber violently, and more than ten cultivators had their body and soul exterminated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him run! Otherwise, it¡¯ll be the death of the Orthodox Path!¡± the purple-robed Warden bellowed and immediately rushed at Xiao Chen and Guifeng. Knowing that this was a serious matter, the Nirvana Realm cultivators dropped all their scheming and followed suit with a cry of their own.


    Eight Nirvana Realm cultivators thrust their palms in unison and sixteen terrifying forces merged, producing a shocking power that reduced nearby buildings into instant dust. Unable to run in time, many Orthodox disciples were exterminated along with their souls.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The terrifying force hit the devilish horse, crushing its armor, and overturned its enormous body. It crashed heavily on the ground, producing a gorge of nearly ten feet long.


    ¡°Pfff!¡± Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood. Even with Guifeng taking a majority of the impact, the attack nearly split all of his five viscera and six bowels.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Guifeng helped him up and then pointed his saber at the eight Nirvana Realm cultivators. ¡°You brutes! Despicable, absolutely despicable!¡±


    ¡°General!¡± Blood gushed out of Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth like a leaking faucet. He grabbed tight onto Guifeng¡¯s crushed armor with trembling hands. ¡°General¡­ Listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Do tell, my Lord!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not your Lord¡­ I happen to possess the Fuxi Zither¡­ You¡¯ve got the wrong person all along¡­ You should go¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sworn to serve you all my life, no matter the battlefield! What is there to fear about death?!¡± Guifeng once again pointed his saber at the Nirvana Realm cultivators. ¡°You brutes! Do you dare to fight me one-on-one?!¡± Even as he spoke, his body was turning faintly translucent. It was obvious that his Soul power was running out. If this continued, his soul would likely die out altogether.


    Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade her, Xiao Chen cried, ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say another word, my Lord! I¡¯ll present you with the enemy general¡¯s head shortly!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ordering you to leave!¡±


    Guifeng turned his head. He was silent for a little while before said in apparent distress, ¡°In the next life, I¡¯ll continue to serve you, my Lord! I¡­ I¡¯ll excuse myself!¡± Then, along with the devilish horse, he gradually disappeared.


    Xiao Chen gave a sad laugh when he saw the General of Soul had finally left. ¡°In the next life¡­ In this life¡­ Even if I die, I¡¯ll die standing¡­¡± he said, trying his best to prop up his body.

 Chapter 350 - Third Level of the Devilish Skill

    Xiao Chen stood tall against the wind, peering at every Orthodox cultivator present. Feeling his gaze full of hatred, the crowd couldn¡¯t help taking several steps in retreat. They dared not approach him, even knowing that he didn¡¯t have much power left.


    ¡°You, and you, and you as well, all of you!¡± Xiao Chen pointed to every cultivator near him. ¡°Have I ever offended any of you? Have I ever hurt your wife and children? Did I somehow hinder you that you¡¯re all trying to kill me¡­¡±


    In the silence, all everyone could hear was the whistling of the wind. Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu muttered a constant string of Buddhist scriptures with their palms pressed together. To them, this scene was a repetition of the scene portrayed in the historical records before the millennium.


    ¡°Why are we trying to kill you?¡± a white-bearded old man retorted self-righteously. ¡°Do you know how many people you¡¯ve killed today?!¡±


    Xiao Chen guffawed with his head titled back. ¡°Taking one life is murder, as is taking a hundred lives! Don¡¯t pretend that your so-called Orthodox sects have clean hands! Who among you here have taken fewer lives than I have? Ahh!¡±


    None of the disciples said anything. The silence stretched on until a cyan-robed old man yelled, ¡°Stop with the excuses! Devil¡¯s Practice is evil! For the sake of all living creatures in the world, we¡¯ll never let you live! On my command, Cool Breeze Sect disciples! Kill him!¡±


    The moment the command resounded, more than ten golden Sword Qi whizzed toward Xiao Chen and penetrated his body. Each produced a string of blood as they left his body. Xiao Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood. A wry smile spread across his face. ¡°For the sake of all living creatures in the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill this Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    More disciples activated their flying swords, leading to countless Sword Qi perforating his body. A disciple from a distinguished clan even ran up to Xiao Chen, yelling, ¡°Xiao Chen! I¡¯m going to take your life for killing my Senior Brother!¡±


    Xiao Chen tottered under the rain of Sword Qi. He raised his head, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Master¡­ Are these the living creatures that you wanted me to protect with my life? Are these the living creatures that you told me about¡­ If they are, then¡­ they can go to hell, for all I care! Devil¡¯s Three Turns!¡±


    In an instant, an overwhelming Devil Qi surged up violently and filled the air. Even knowing that using this skill would claim his life, what did he care? With his life reduced to such a state, what did death matter?


    The disciple from earlier and his sword had reached Xiao Chen, but the unbreakable Immortal¡¯s Sword unexpectedly snapped into pieces until only a bare hilt was left. The disciple turned pale with fright. He looked up, hatred filling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, devil!¡± he cried and then tried to strike Xiao Chen¡¯s head with his palm.


    Lowering his head to look at him, Xiao Chen raised his hand and crushed the disciple into a mist of blood. This shocked the other cultivators so much that they began distancing themselves. Xiao Chen¡¯s pupils had turned a dark purple, and his body was swirling with black fog. His aura was now countless times more horrifying. He was the very picture of an ancient Devil God.


    No one dared to come close to him. The eight Nirvana Realm cultivators exchanged looks of horror. Suddenly, more than ten sword radiances landed on the ground. The other two Wardens of the Immortals¡¯ League, along with a dozen or so Nascent Soul Realm Stewards, had come.


    Stunned, the purple-robed Warden cried, ¡°Why did you come? Return immediately!¡± The red-robed Warden replied, ¡°No matter. The Spirit Energy Grand Formation is almost complete, so the Elder sent us here. He¡¯ll be here shortly. We must not let this Devil¡¯s Practice follower escape!¡± He glared at Xiao Chen, who stood in the middle of the public square.


    Warden Zuo, who protected Xiao Chen earlier, sighed. ¡°Let us lay down the Devil Vanquishing Formation then and wait until the Elder is here.¡±


    The purple-robed Warden turned to the remaining six Nirvana Realm cultivators. ¡°Senior Brothers and I will lay down the Devil Vanquishing Formation. I hope you¡¯ll lend us a hand!¡± Then, he and the other three Wardens flew into the sky, each of them casting a spell from one end. Layers upon layers of golden radiance sprang forth, covering Xiao Chen.


    The six Nirvana Realm cultivators said nothing more and flew up the sky as well to aid the four Wardens. Underneath them, countless cultivators stepped forward to help as well. Within minutes, myriad layers of golden radiance formed a dome over Xiao Chen and trapped him inside.


    ¡°Devil Vanquishing Formation¡­ Hehe!¡±


    Inside the formation, Xiao Chen sneered and returned the Blood Lotus Demon Blade to his Divine Vessel. He started moving his hands, forming layers of black Devil Qi that surged forth in all directions. The entire Devil Vanquishing Formation began to quake. The purple-robed Warden turned pale and immediately yelled at the faraway Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, ¡°Qing Chen! That¡¯s your sect¡¯s traitor! Hurry up and come here!¡±


    With an ice-cold expression, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen replied, ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to fate. Today, I¡¯ve decided not to intervene.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The purple-robed Warden was beyond furious. He swore to get even with the Jade Qing Sect once this was over. He then yelled at the crowd of independent cultivators. ¡°You¡¯re all a part of our Orthodox Path! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to sit and watch today!¡±


    Many of the independent cultivators shook their heads and moved even further away from the spectacle. Good and evil weren¡¯t that black-and-white to them. They were used to being responsible only for their own lives and had always lived for their own sake. The battle between good and evil wasn¡¯t theirs. It was evident to them that it was the Orthodox Path that forced Xiao Chen toward the path of the Devil.


    Several Nirvana Realm Elders of the League stood on the other end. The red-robed Third Elder leaped into the sky, wanting to lend a hand. First Elder Gu Yang immediately stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, Junior Brother. I don¡¯t think this matter is so simple. We must preserve our strength¡­¡± He then turned to look at the cluster of dark clouds in the west. ¡°Take some disciples with you and return! You must make sure to protect the Grand Formation protecting our Spiritual Meridian Energy!¡±


    ¡­


    In the public square, the Devil Qi inside the formation had thickened, and the entire Devil Vanquishing Formation was shaking. The four Wardens¡¯ faces were a startling shade of white. It was evident that they were strenuously trying to keep the formation up. Seeing this, one of the cultivators threw all caution to the wind and yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s give the Elders a hand!¡± Everyone dashed forward and supported the Devil Vanquishing Formation with their respective powers.


    Suddenly, a loud cracking sound shattered the air as a ten Chinese feet-long fracture appeared on the south wall of the formation. The purple-robed Warden was shocked. His gaze soon turned sharp and stern. ¡°Even if it means spending half of my lifeforce today, I swear I won¡¯t let you escape!¡± he bellowed, biting the tip of his tongue. He spat his mouthful of Essence Blood at the crack and sealed it in an instant.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Within seconds, however, another fracture appeared on the southeast wall of the formation. Without a second thought, the white-robed Warden sealed the fissure with a mouthful of Essence Blood.


    ¡°Crack!¡± ¡°Crack!¡± ¡°Crack!¡±


    Countless cracks emerged in the wall of the formation. The expression on the Wardens changed, and the other cultivators also began to panic. Xiao Chen sneered and yelled, ¡°Shatter it!¡± Overwhelming Devil Qi spilled out of the formation. Following a rumbling explosion, the entire Devil Vanquishing Formation collapsed, and countless cultivators outside were sent flying. Those with low cultivations were even killed.


    The four Wardens sustained the worst damage. The explosion flung them away and sent them crashing to the ground, blood flowing out of their mouths like a leaking faucet. The other six Nirvana Realm cultivators were also severely hurt. Those watching in the distance were deeply shaken, having never thought that Xiao Chen would be this horrifying after using the third level of the Devilish Skill.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Xiao Chen sneered. He walked up to the blue-robed old man from earlier. With a changed expression, the old man swiftly cast a spell to turn into a sword radiance and flee in the southwest direction.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t chase after him. He continued to walk with unhurried steps. Many of the Orthodox cultivators, having sustained severe injuries, didn¡¯t dare to stop him. They could only watch him with frightened expressions. Suddenly, they saw him stretch his right hand and drew a faraway disciple over. He said sternly, ¡°Tell me, what is the Orthodox Path!¡±


    The disciple was so terrified that he had turned as white as a sheet of paper. His voice, alongside his body, was trembling. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know? Scram!¡± Xiao Chen flung him away with tremendous force. He stretched out his left hand and drew yet another disciple to his grasp. ¡°Tell me, what are the living creatures of the world!¡±


    This disciple was shaking just as badly as the one before. He said incoherently, ¡°It¡¯s whatever the Sect Leader says it is¡­ I don¡¯t know the answer either¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you should scram as well!¡± Xiao Chen threw him aside. He reached out again, this time catching a cyan-robed older man. It was the same man that said to kill him for the sake of all living creatures of the world.


    Before Xiao Chen could speak, the cyan-robed old man said sternly, ¡°Devil¡¯s Practice follower! You¡¯ve committed so many heinous deeds! You won¡¯t be able to escape the Orthodox Path¡¯s punishment in the future! My life is in your hands today; kill me if you want to! Don¡¯t even think about disgracing me!¡±


    ¡°Then you should go to hell!¡± Xiao Chen struck the older man¡¯s skull with his palm and instantly reduced him into a mist of blood.


    Everyone had long turned pale from horror. The Cool Breeze Sect disciples were deeply troubled to see their Sect Leader die in the hands of a Devil¡¯s Practice follower. Yet, they were unable to take revenge.


    Xiao Chen, with his hair messily cascading down his shoulders, laughed with his head titled back. His laughter was wrought with sorrow. ¡°I cherish all living creatures under heaven, yet when have they ever cherish me? This world has abandoned me, and the living creatures have turned their backs against me. Today, I¡¯ll show you what a true devil is!¡±


    Following his scream, the overwhelming Devil Qi once again scattered. It was so strong that everyone was shaken to the core. Right at this moment, a panicked cry came from the distance. ¡°Xiao Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around, revealing a frightening pair of dark purple pupils, and said coldly, ¡°Speak!¡±


    A pale-faced Yu Yifeng felt as if a saber had pierced his heart. ¡°Enough with the killing. You should go. No one can stop you now¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s mournful laughter rang in the air. He turned his back to Yu Yifeng, redirecting his gaze to the purple-robed Warden of the Immortal¡¯s League. His gaze was like Sword Qi so sharp that anyone who touches it would be injured! Everyone looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.


    The purple-robed Warden shuddered before saying in a cold voice, ¡°Xiao Chen! Even if you escape today, you won¡¯t be able to run far!¡± He was trying everything he could to delay Xiao Chen until the Elder¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Is that so? Then let me you send to hell first!¡± Xiao Chen attacked, moving like a bolt of lightning. The three other Wardens immediately went up to stop him, but with all their injuries, they were no match for the current Xiao Chen.


    A fog of Devil Qi came rolling, sending the three cultivators flying. Xiao Chen was just a palm¡¯s length away from the purple-robed Warden when a golden Sword Qi fell on them. Instantly, rocks flew up the air. Xiao Chen retreated, but before he could regain firm footing, a silhouette appeared in front of him and struck him with a palm. A loud explosion resounded as the new opponent sent him flying nearly fifty feet backward with a powerful palm attack.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± The moment Xiao Chen¡¯s footing was firm, he swiftly turned around. He saw a white-bearded older man, dressed in a Taoist robe with a cyan-and-white embroidered Bagua trigram, standing firmly in place. With hands clasped his back and fluttering sleeves, he emanated the air of Immortal Qi. If he stood high in the clouds, he would look like a wizened Immortal.


    ¡°Chanyu Zheng, Immortals¡¯ League.¡±

 Chapter 351 - The Final Gift

    A wave of tremendous Immortal energy swept the public square, suppressing the Devil Qi inside it. Some disciples, tainted by Xiao Chen¡¯s Devil Qi, also began to recover. Many in the crowd started yelling, ¡°First Elder Chanyu! First Elder Chanyu is here!¡±


    With a flick of his sleeves, Chanyu Zheng stared at Xiao Chen with the intensity of a bolt of lightning. ¡°So, you¡¯re Xiao Chen?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, remaining as cold and fearless as before. ¡°Precisely.¡±


    Yu Yifeng¡¯s heart sank and turned even paler in the face. Xiao Chen could have left earlier, but not anymore now that he was facing Chanyu Zheng, an Apotheosis Realm cultivator. He understood Xiao Chen very well. Even if his Junior Brother fell to the dark side today, he would never harm the living in the future. Yet, everyone still wanted his life¡­


    On the other end, Xiaoyue had her hand clasped over her horsetail whisk as her cyan robe fluttered in the wind. Not even the dreadful scene before her could change her expression. It was as if none of this concerned her. No one knew what she was thinking.


    Perfected Immortal Fengxi looked downcast. He had half of the ancient scroll with him, but couldn¡¯t find the other half. Xiao Chen was perhaps the only one capable of deciphering the secret inside it. Must this child indeed die here today¡­? He turned to Perfected Immortal Tai Yi and whispered, ¡°Tai Yi.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Tai Yi¡¯s expression turned grim. He shook his head, indicating Fengxi not to take any hasty action.


    In the public square, Chanyu Zheng¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Xiao Chen, you have committed a heinous crime in the city today. Do you know your crime?¡± Toward the tail of his words, a loud burst of True Energy erupted from him. The energy shocked even the souls of many Orthodox disciples standing in the distance, striking fear in their minds. Someone in the Nirvana Realm was indeed no match for someone in the Apotheosis Realm.


    Mellow, abundant Immortal energy began diffusing, filling the air around them. Xiao Chen remained cold. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± he yelled, summoning a double crescent halberd. The atmosphere immediately took a turn. The dissipated Devil Qi gradually gathered, producing even a hint of demonic wailing in the background.


    The halberd had a pure-black, foot-long body, with layers of black Qi entwining it. There was a terrifying human skeleton sitting at the end of the weapon. It was the Spirit-annihilation Halberd that Xiao Chen snatched out of Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s hands back then.


    The crowd turned pale. Rumor had it that the Spirit-annihilation Halberd was the top demonic weapon in ancient times, forged out of the souls of three thousand Rogue Immortals and three hundred True Immortals. It was also the top spirit-annihilating weapon in the world!


    Demonic wailing continued to ring in everyone¡¯s ears. Gusts of cold wind began picking up. Chanyu Zheng¡¯s expression changed. He said sternly, ¡°Devil¡¯s Practice follower, how dare you use such an evil object! This world must not tolerate your existence!¡± He cast a spell, producing ten golden Sword Qi in the air. The Sword Qi began attacking Xiao Chen.


    The power of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator was, no doubt, extraordinary. It was so strong that it seemed capable of tearing space apart. Nearby, cultivators in the mid-stage of Nascent Soul Realm and below felt a burst of dizziness and difficulty of breathing. Xiao Chen swung his halberd, instantly evoking changes in the weather. The demonic wailing stretched on as streams of black fog engulfed the golden Sword Qi.


    Stunned, Chanyu Zheng swiftly retreated. He never expected a demonic weapon would produce such great restraint on cultivators of immortality. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen if such a halberd fell in the hands of the Devil¡¯s sects.


    The halberd, forged out of the souls of three thousand Rogue Immortals and three hundred True Immortals, was naturally mighty in restraining cultivators of immortality. However, it had been dormant for so long that Xiao Chen could only display one-hundredth of its real power.


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Nefarious object? In Zuoqiu family¡¯s hands, it¡¯s a Legendary Weapon capable of suppressing the Demon Race. In my hands, it¡¯s a nefarious object! Why don¡¯t you go to hell?¡± he yelled, thrusting his halberd. The black fog intensified, this time aiming for Chanyu Zheng¡¯s vital soul.


    Not daring to oppose the halberd¡¯s spear head-on, Chanyu Zheng shifted his weight backward and produced three seals bathed in a golden glow. The world shook, and the fog of Devil Qi dissipated in an instant.


    ¡°Listen to my command! Kill the Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡±


    Chanyu Zheng once again produced another seal as he spoke. He hadn¡¯t wanted help, but he didn¡¯t expect Xiao Chen to possess a demonic weapon. He had no choice but to put aside his ego for the bigger picture.


    The presence of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator had lifted the others¡¯ spirits and dispelled their fears. Cries for blood shattered the air as countless cultivators controlled their flying swords to attack Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen twirled his halberd, and the flying swords that filled the sky snapped into pieces, making a symphony of clanging sounds as they fell. Chanyu Zheng¡¯s eyes narrowed. He thrust his palms, producing an overwhelming force. Detecting the murderous attack, Xiao Chen abruptly hoisted the halberd. What followed was a rumbling sound of a collision. The aftershock sent him flying more than twenty feet away and left a long mark of the halberd on the ground.


    Seeing that his attack worked, Chanyu Zheng leaped into action and unleashed the art of ground shrinkage. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Xiao Chen. Startled, Xiao Chen thrust his saber but found his target gone. By the time he recovered his senses, a gust of astral wind swept his ear and he knew an attack had come. With a loud bang, Chanyu Zheng sent him flying with his palm.


    After crashing to the ground, Xiao Chen could feel his ears buzzing and his vision spinning from the impact. He knew he wouldn¡¯t last much longer after using the Devil¡¯s Three Turns. Suddenly, he saw Chanyu Zheng turned into three doppelgangers of himself. The crowd cried out in surprise. That was the Taoist supernatural ability that was characteristic of the Apotheosis Realm, the Embodiment Duplication Skill.


    With one main body and two duplicates, Chanyu Zheng had Xiao Chen besieged and cut off all his escape routes. Xiao Chen laughed humorlessly and then yelled, ¡°Three Thousand Illusive Demons!¡±


    Immediately, specters filled the entire public square as nearly a hundred duplicates of Xiao Chen appeared. It seemed as if Xiao Chen¡¯s duplicates had locked three duplicates of Chanyu Zheng in a siege instead.


    Everyone outside the battle yelped in surprise. What kind of skill was that? Was it also a form of Embodiment Duplication Skill? But how could there be so many duplicates? It wasn¡¯t as if Xiao Chen was the reincarnation of the Demon King, who could produce numerous clones by blowing a strand of his hair. Of course, some also found the skill to be similar to Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust.


    Xiaoyue, who had retained her poker face all along, finally frowned. That was indeed her sect¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust but demonstrated with much greater finesse than her or even her master. Which sect did Xiao Chen¡¯s master come from¡­


    That was one of the styles within the Immortal-override Steps. All of these duplicates looked like a real embodiment of Xiao Chen, but they were, in fact, just illusions. There was only ever one of him. The so-called Three Thousand Illusive Demons was just something that Xiao Chen yelled to frighten Chanyu Zheng.


    The three embodiments of Chanyu Zheng looked grim. With his current cultivation, he couldn¡¯t tell which was Xiao Chen¡¯s true self. The illusion of Xiaoyue¡¯s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was easily broken, but how could the same be said for a skill that Ling Yin personally taught? Many independent cultivators watching from a distance were exclaiming in surprise. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy for someone to keep fighting an Apotheosis Realm cultivator until now.


    Chanyu Zheng retrieved his two duplicates and abruptly thrust his palm, disintegrating more than ten of Xiao Chen¡¯s illusions at once. However, the illusions that vanished were swiftly replaced. He dared not to use his great supernatural power now. It was one thing to ruin the buildings nearby, but this square was too close to the League and he could easily damage its ley lines if he weren¡¯t careful. The gains wouldn¡¯t be able to make up for the loss.


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept the square. Sensing an attack coming from behind him, Chanyu Zheng abruptly spun around and attacked with his palm. He hit nothing, nothing, for the actual murderous intent was charging at him from the direction he was initially facing. When he turned around and attacked, he found that his hand hit the void yet again.


    Chanyu Zheng turned ashen-faced after getting duped by a youngster in front of so many Orthodox cultivators. If they were battling outside the city, he would have destroyed this entire space! He roared in anger, ¡°Listen to my command, everyone! Attack with your flying swords until he¡¯s forced to reveal his true self!¡±


    In an instant, countless Sword Qi glowing in gold rained down on the sea of illusions in the public square. Chanyu Zheng held his breath and concentrated entirely on his surroundings. When he detected a bloody Qi in the northwest direction, he made a palm attack without hesitation, producing a loud explosion. Every last illusion in the square vanished, leaving Xiao Chen flying through the air from the impact.


    ¡°Just a petty diversionary tactic that can¡¯t even withstand a single blow!¡± Chanyu Zheng said coldly, flicking his sleeves.


    Xiao Chen wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth with a sneer. ¡°Brute, you¡¯re only winning because you have numbers on your side. To think that you need to spare so much effort to kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like me. Why don¡¯t you just slam your head into a wall and kill yourself?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Chanyu Zheng wanted to retort but ultimately decided to save his breath. He chose to make a direct palm attack, causing the weather to change. This majestic palm force was surely not something Xiao Chen could bear. Following a loud explosion, Xiao Chen was sent flying more than a hundred feet away. Not even the Spirit-annihilation Halberd was of much help this time.


    Back on the ground, Xiao Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood. He chuckled wryly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m about to die anyway. Why don¡¯t I give the League one final gift¡­¡±


    He tossed the Spirit-annihilation Halberd into the air, and the weapon began spinning around him. Then, out of nowhere, a translucent Jade Zither appeared in his hands.


    The majority of the crowd had never witnessed the might of the Fuxi Zither, but instinctively knew it was an impressive magic treasure. Those who had, however, cried out in surprise. ¡°Stop him now! Hurry!¡±


    Chanyu Zheng was among those who had never seen the zither¡¯s power. However, Xiao Chen¡¯s comment about sending the League one final gift gave him a bad feeling. The warnings just deepened this feeling, and he threw all caution to the wind. He moved lightning-fast to reach Xiao Chen, but he was ultimately too late.


    The downcast sky, filled with dark clouds, cast down rays of white light on Xiao Chen. Those lights entwined the black Qi surrounding him, now revolving around him. It made him look like he was a half-devil, half-god creature.


    When Chanyu Zheng came close to him, these twin forces sent him flying. A horrified expression crept onto his face. What kind of magic treasure possessed such magnificent divine power?


    With a sneer, Xiao Chen leaped into the air. The weather transformed in an instant. It felt as if every sliver of force in the world was beginning to gravitate toward him. Everyone watched in shock. Was he trying to ruin the entire eastern city district?!


    Bad premonition dawned on the independent cultivators, and they immediately increased their distance from their battle. Chanyu Zheng¡¯s eyes were filled with fright. ¡°Xiao Chen! What are you doing?! The citizens have no grudge against you! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to kill them as well! Do you truly want to commit the worst crime against humanity?!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s mocking laughter resounded. ¡°You¡¯re right. The citizens and I share no grudge. Why would I kill them?¡± He then pointed the Jade Zither toward where the League was, a location that was neither far nor close.


    Chanyu Zheng and the others from the Immortals¡¯ League were startled. So his final gift was the destruction of the League! If this ancient divine power were to hit the League, it would inevitably disintegrate into dust in an instant. It didn¡¯t matter if the quarters were destroyed, or even if the people inside died. Still, the attack would undoubtedly destroy the formation of protecting the Earth Spiritual Meridian in Tianyuan City. If those from the Devil¡¯s sects were to take advantage of the lapse in security and break-in at this time¡­


    Chanyu Zheng finally understood the crux of everything that happened today. He immediately yelled, ¡°Xiao Chen, my friend, stop! You¡¯re making a massive mistake! I¡¯ll let you go! I¡¯ll let you go!¡±

 Chapter 352 - Complete Chaos

    Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth curved to form a sneer. He continued gathering the vital force of the world. Chanyu Zheng had a bad omen and immediately yelled, ¡°Stop him!¡± He didn¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about the surging of the force above. He leaped, transformed into a drawn-out light, and charged at Xiao Chen. However, the twin forces of Immortals and Devils mercilessly sent him crashing to the ground.


    No flying swords or magic treasures could approach Xiao Chen. Even the strongest Immortal¡¯s Sword would turn into scrap iron once it got close to him. Suddenly, a loud explosion shattered the air. The sky finally rained down bolts of dazzling lightning on Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Heavenly Punishment!¡± many cried out in surprise.


    Chanyu Zheng stared at the lightning rapidly falling from the sky as if he finally found hope at the end of the tunnel. However, when the bolts of lightning were ten feet away from the top of Xiao Chen¡¯s head, they were sucked into a spectral cloud floating on the western horizon.


    ¡°What?!¡± Everyone turned pale with fright. Never had they seen such a strange scene! How could someone redirect Heavenly Punishment?


    Xiao Chen¡¯s long, messy hair danced wildly in the wind. He cackled like a madman. ¡°This time, heaven is on my side, not yours!¡± he yelled, loosening his grip. A thunderous clanging sound reverberated, so loud that the world seemed to shake alongside it. An overwhelming force, capable of destroying heaven and earth, surged toward the Immortals¡¯ League.


    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± Chanyu Zheng¡¯s eyes were so wide that the corners of his eyes were threatening to split. However, the rumbling explosion hit everyone¡¯s eardrums so hard that they nearly shatter. The entire eastern city district shuddered from the force. Even with defensive formation guarding the small hill that the League was located on, the whole place nevertheless collapsed in a split second. Thousands of white jade steps were reduced to dust, alongside the League¡¯s public square, palace halls, and buildings.


    In just minutes, nearly half of the eastern city district was shrouded in smoke and dust. Everyone watched in horror as the hill continued to collapse, and rumbling explosions rang incessantly in their ears. Those inside the Immortals¡¯ League started fleeing for their lives. Many of them had died upon impact. Xiao Chen was still gasping when he once again tapped the zither¡¯s string with his finger. The colorful lights once again gathered.


    ¡°Xiao Chen! Stop! Stop! You can go now! No one will stop you! You can go!¡± Chanyu Zheng nearly suffered a mental breakdown when he saw Xiao Chen once again plucking the zither¡¯s strings.


    ¡°Heh! Why didn¡¯t you stop when you people are trying to kill me? It¡¯s too late now!¡± he yelled and once again plucked the string. This time, he aimed at a large island floating overhead the League. The island was about the size of the hill.


    There were numerous floating islands above Tianyuan City, with most used to support the defensive formation. After taking the zither¡¯s hit, the island lost control and fell on the Island like a crumbling mountain.


    ¡°No¡ª¡± Chanyu Zheng¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his panic finally taking over his heart. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. This time, he had hurt his life source.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The ear-splitting crash reverberated throughout the world. The island had utterly crushed the Immortals¡¯ League. The ground was still quaking, and smoke and dust lingered for a long, long time.


    The independent cultivators were dumbfounded. A youngster had destroyed the high and mighty Immortals¡¯ League. This was surely an event meant for the historical records. Even a thousand years later, people would still mention how a little devil ruined the almighty Immortals¡¯ League¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s a Heavenly Scourge¡ª¡±


    A heart-rendering cry ripped through the air. Chanyu Zheng¡¯s wizened face was wet with tears. He hastily turned to the four Wardens beside him. ¡°Go and see if the Spirit Energy Grand Formation is intact! GO! HURRY!¡± He flicked his sleeves and ushered them four in the direction of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    Then, he looked at the eastern horizon and cupped his hands in salute. Tears streaming down his face, he said, ¡°Chief, if the Spiritual Meridian loses its defense today, I¡¯ll take my own life to atone for my offense!¡± He turned around to look at Xiao Chen and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Xiao Chen! Do you know how big of a mistake you¡¯ve made?!¡±


    Xiao Chen put away his zither with a sneer. ¡°Tsk. Are you blaming me for that? I can¡¯t worry about that when I¡¯m about to get killed.¡± He had no idea what the so-called formation guarding the Spiritual Meridian was. Even if he used the zither to kill a portion of the cultivators here, he wouldn¡¯t be able to run anyway. He might as well destroy the League. He didn¡¯t expect the Fuxi Zither to be this powerful.


    ¡°You shameful thing! I swear I¡¯ll kill you today!¡±


    Xiao Chen landed on the ground and spread his hands with a shrug, looking indifferent. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­ Pfff!¡± Chanyu Zheng pointed to him, trembling. He was so angry that he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Suddenly, a panicked voice came from the north, crying, ¡°Report!¡± A golden light fell in front of him and turned into a white-clothed youngster.


    The flustered-looking youngster hastily said, ¡°Bad news, Elder! The Spirit Energy Grand Formation in the northern city district has inexplicably lost its function!¡± Only after finishing his sentence did he notice the once-hovering island crushing the League under it. He was instantly stupefied.


    ¡°Speak¡­¡± Chanyu Zheng suddenly felt the world around him spin. Then, another panicked voice came from the south, saying, ¡°Report! Bad news, Elder! The Spirit Energy Grand Formation in the southern city district has ceased to function! So many Devil¡¯s sects followers have burst into the city!¡±


    ¡°Report¡ªBad news! A big number of Devil¡¯s sects followers have occupied the western city district¡­ The Spiritual Meridian¡­ Spiritual Meridian¡­¡±


    ¡°Report¡­¡±


    In just moments, countless envoys came from all directions, all bringing an urgent message. Xiao Chen rubbed his head. Had he truly made a huge mistake this time? By now, the Devil Qi on him had mostly dissipated, and his pupils had regained its natural color. However, his face was turning paler and paler. No matter how great the wounds on his body were, none produced even a drop of blood.


    Yet another envoy ran over and hastily said, ¡°Report¡ªA big number of Devil¡¯s sect followers are charging in! The Spiritual Meridian in the northern city district has lost its protection!¡±


    ¡°Dear God¡ª¡± Chanyu Zheng¡¯s tears continued to flow down his face. He suddenly lifted his hand, wanting to strike his forehead with his palm attack. Right then, a cyan light swiftly flew toward him. ¡°Elder, you can¡¯t!¡±


    It was Perfected Immortal Guyang from the League. He grabbed Chanyu Zheng¡¯s hand in a firm hold and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that the Devil¡¯s sects came prepared. More than ever, you must remain calm, Senior Chanyu!¡±


    In his sorrow, Chanyu Zheng had suffered a momentary lapse of judgment. Now that he had calmed down, he held tightly onto Perfected Immortal Guyang¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother Guyang, please give me a hand! I know you¡¯re friends with that kid! That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t make things difficult for you earlier! But now! Now, we can¡¯t let this kid run anymore! If he defects to the Devil¡¯s sects in the future, it¡¯s surely the end of our Orthodox Path!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Guyang didn¡¯t argue. He pointed to Xiao Chen. ¡°Listen to my command, everyone! Capture the Devil¡¯s¡­ Capture Xiao Chen! Should he resist, kill without mercy!¡±


    ¡°KILL!¡± Several voices resounded, crying for blood. A sea of cultivators went up to Xiao Chen and had him firmly surrounded. But no one dared to approach him. They didn¡¯t know that post-Devil¡¯s Three Turns. Xiao Chen could barely stand straight, never mind resisting.


    Chanyu Zheng turned around to address the independent cultivators standing in the distance. Saluting them, he said, ¡°My friends! If the League has ever offended you in the past, I hope you¡¯ll forgive us. Today, it¡¯s a matter of life or death of the Orthodox Path! I sincerely request your help! I won¡¯t be able to thank you enough for it!¡±


    Many independent cultivators shook their heads and sighed. Even though the League was despicable, it was nonetheless the leader of the Orthodox Path. It ultimately wouldn¡¯t harm the living like the Devil¡¯s sects would. Now that the Devil¡¯s factions have come to their door, it would be too embarrassing of them if they continue to sit still and watch.


    Quite a few independent cultivators took out their magic treasures and weapons, preparing to fight their common enemy. Chanyu Zheng felt gratified to see this. Meanwhile, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the rest were naturally ready to go to war. Xiaoyue¡¯s expression was ghastly. She had wanted to borrow power from the Spiritual Meridians, but those Devil¡¯s sects bastards had utterly ruined her plans. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to hack the Bloodied Fiend Sect¡¯s Bloodied Mad Swordsman into pieces.


    Considering her character, she must have long guessed the outcome today. However, she wasn¡¯t willing to follow that line of thought. Suddenly, her bellow shattered the air. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll put my life on the line and wipe out the Devil¡¯s sects!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll put our lives on the line and wipe out the Devil¡¯s sects! We¡¯ll put our lives on the line and wipe out the Devil¡¯s sects!¡±


    With the Thousand Feathers Sect being an Ancient Immortal Clan, Xiaoyue¡¯s words naturally carried significant weight. Many cultivators began echoing her words, producing a loud symphony of voices.


    In the public square, Chanyu Zheng stared coldly at Xiao Chen. ¡°Do you want to do the killing yourself, or do you want me to do it?¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered, making a hollow and bitter sound of laughter. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t doing anything, Chanyu Zheng yelled, ¡°Kill him!¡± The moments the command resounded, more than ten disciples immediately charged at Xiao Chen with their swords. Right then, a cry erupted from the distance. ¡°Overturning heaven and earth¡ªMeow Meow Punch!¡±


    In an instant, a red silhouette appeared in front of Xiao Chen, followed by a dozen or so of golden fists that sent his attackers flying. Chanyu Zheng was alarmed. He narrowed his eyes and said, the shock evident in his voice, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the demoness Yu Linglong!¡±


    Yu Linglong wore a red dress and two red bracelets. Her appearance, about fourteen or fifteen years of age, was innocent and harmless. She placed her hands on her hips and seethed, ¡°Hmph! Now that you know who this princess is, what are you waiting for? Excuse yourselves right now!¡±


    She then turned around and propped up Xiao Chen. ¡°Cutie, they¡¯re all trying to harm you. You should leave with me¡­¡± Xiao Chen pushed her away before she could finish her sentence. He said coldly, ¡°I told you. Even if it means dying, I will never have anything to do with you Devil¡¯s Practice followers¡­¡±


    Yu Linglong stomped her feet in anger. She then hauled Xiao Chen over her shoulder and ran out of the square. The weak and defenseless Xiao Chen had no way of getting out of her hold. He yelled, ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    Yu Linglong ignored him and continued running. Perfected Immortal Guyang swiftly appeared in front of her. ¡°Young lady, he¡¯s not willing to go with you. Please leave him behind.¡±


    Yu Linglong stomped her feet again and snarled, ¡°Leave him behind so you can kill him? Older man! Get out of my way or don¡¯t blame me for being discourteous!¡±


    Chanyu Zheng narrowed his eyes. The Devil¡¯s sects must have infiltrated the other city districts as well, he thought. This girl seemed to have quite a high standing, so why don¡¯t they use her to blackmail them? After the thought occurred to him, he yelled, ¡°Brother Guyang! She¡¯s the princess of the Devil¡¯s sects! We must not let her escape!¡± His figure vanished as he made a mad dash over to her.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Yu Linglong spun around, throwing a mighty punch. A golden fist the size of a millstone whizzed through the air, aiming for Chanyu Zheng. Chanyu Zheng, who had suffered tremendous injuries earlier, was forced to stagger backward after taking the hit. He couldn¡¯t help feeling horrified. The girl was astonishingly powerful, even without the force sealed within her.


    Perfected Immortal Guyang immediately moved, extending his five fingers in an attempt to grab Xiao Chen, who lay on her back. Detecting the oncoming attack from behind her, Yu Linglong swiftly turned around and punched. Perfected Immortal Guyang deftly dodged the attack, while Chanyu Zheng rushed toward her from the other direction. Yu Linglong once again turned around to attack. The spinning around gave Xiao Chen a dizzy spell. Hauled on her shoulders, he felt like his five viscera, and six bowels were being moved around.


    ¡°Hold on¡­ Hold on¡­Stop spinning around. Are you here to save me or here to kill me¡­¡± Xiao Chen said weakly.


    ¡°Cutie, don¡¯t speak! I promise I¡¯ll get you out of here¡­¡± Then, a loud thud resounded. The moment she turned around, she accidentally slammed Xiao Chen¡¯s head into the head of a disciple who was charging at them. Xiao Chen immediately saw stars dancing before his eyes.


    ¡°Ahhhh! Cutie, I¡¯m so sorry! It wasn¡¯t on purpose¡­¡± She hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when another thud rang out. She had once again knocked Xiao Chen¡¯s head into the head of another disciple running up to them. Thud, thud, thud. The sound continued. Xiao Chen had no idea how many times his head was hit.


    ¡°Uh!¡­Huh! Cutie, are you hurting? Huh! It¡¯s all my fault for being so clumsy¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­ Put me down and let them kill me¡­¡±

 Chapter 353 - Emergency

    In the distance, everyone had entered the state of preparation for war, and many people had rushed to other cities to support. On the side of the square, Yu Linglong looked at the enemies who were slowly closing in from all directions. She stomped and snarled, ¡°No! Rest assured! Handsome brother, I will not let them kill you¡­¡± After that, it was another chaotic fight. Xiao Chen, once again felt that the world was spinning and his stomach turned.


    Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal looked at each other and thought, ¡°The strength of this demonic woman is big, but the mind is still immature and only knows brute force. We shall wait for an opportunity for a critical hit.¡± Then they moved to one side while the other hundreds of sects carried out a wheel siege.


    ¡°Ah! Shoo! Shoo! You, bad guys, go away!¡± Yu Linglong shouted while she fought back. It was a sky full of golden fist shadows. Those who were hit had their bones broken and flew out vomiting blood.


    The people in the distance controlled the flying swords and attacked. Suddenly a sound was heard. Xiao Chen made a sigh, and he was hit on his shoulder. Yu Linglong screamed, ¡°Handsome brother!¡± Then she glared at the enemies who were continually encircling, retorted, ¡°How dare you to hurt my handsome brother? Unforgivable! Punch, punch, punch¡­¡± She then threw dozens of golden fists. Everyone screamed as all of them flew out.


    Then, ¡°pew, pew, pew,¡± a few more swords hit Xiao Chen¡¯s back. Yuling was so panicked that she cried, ¡°You¡­you!¡± After that, she quickly put Xiao Chen down and supported him with one hand. At this moment, Chanyu Zheng¡¯s eyes flashed a murderous intent and hit on her back with a palm.


    ¡°Poom! Poom! Poom!¡±


    The attack came at lightning speed, Yu Lingling failed to avoid it in time and was hit three times on her back. She vomited out blood and flew out. Xiao Chen fell to the ground, all he saw was pitch black, and everything gradually became blurred. Yu Lingling quickly rushed to lift him, ¡°Handsome brother hold on! I will save you and bring you away from here!¡±


    ¡°Demonic woman! Devil! Both of you can¡¯t escape today!¡± Countless disciples of the different sects went forward and pointed their swords at them.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yu Linglong said as stretched out her hand, ¡°Stop, stop! I killed those people. If you want to kill, kill me instead. Don¡¯t kill my handsome brother¡­¡±


    A white-bearded old man sneered and said, ¡°This devil colluded with the Devil¡¯s Practice, and his sin cannot be tolerated. Today both of you will die!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yu Linglong cleaned up the blood on her mouth and said, ¡°Well, I tell you the truth. It¡¯s all arranged by Uncle Feng. It has nothing to do with the handsome brother. He doesn¡¯t know anything. You¡¯ve wronged him¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at each other with questions. Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal squinted their eyes as well. Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen, who was about to pass out, suddenly had a thought flash through his mind and woke up. He stared at her and said, ¡°You just said that this was all arranged by Feng¡­ Feng You!¡±


    The look on Xiao Chen at the moment was terrifying. Yu Linglong quickly covered her mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, even if everyone in this world wants to hurt you, Linglong will never hurt you¡­¡±


    ¡°Bugger off!¡± Not waiting for her to finish, Xiao Chen did not know where the strength came and pushed her away. Then he looked up and laughed miserably as if at this moment he finally understood everything. He was indeed just a chesspiece in the slaughter of the Three Pure Sect.


    ¡°Feng You¡­ Devil¡¯s Practice¡­ Ahaha!¡±


    The disciples of the sects around them looked at each other, and someone shouted, ¡°Kill!¡± Dozens of flying swords went at Xiao Chen, and at this moment, a burst of laughter was heard from a distance: ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ve come again!¡± The voice was loud, and everyone felt like their eardrums were about to burst. The dozens of golden Immortal¡¯s Sword fell to the ground.


    Everyone looked at each other in shock and turned their heads to the southeast direction. A man in a red robe came flying. The man¡¯s hair was red, his eyes were red, and he looked sinister.


    As Yu Linglong saw the man, she smiled and said, ¡°Hurry up! Blood Shadow! Help me save my handsome brother!¡±


    The man was Bloodied Mad Swordsman of the Bloodied Fiend Sect. He glanced at Xiao Chen, who was standing on the ground and said in disdain, ¡°Heh, it is not a disciple of my holy sect. Why should I save him?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Yu Linglong said as she stomped her feet angrily. Bloodied Mad Swordsman laughed as the blood-stained Chanyu Zheng in the crowd caught his attention. He smirked and said, ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t this First Elder Chanyu? Looking like a drowned mouse in just a few days?¡±


    Guyang Perfected Immortal focused his mind. The man was the little devil head of the Bloodied Fiend Sect, Bloodied Mad Swordsman. Chanyu Zheng recognized him as well. Angered by his sarcasm, as he was about to speak, Bloodied Mad Swordsman laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, don¡¯t take this personally. What I was saying is that everyone here is rubbish, Ah ha ha ha¡­¡±


    The Orthodox Path people of the sects in the distance were angered by him and said, ¡°Who are you! Say your name!¡±


    Bloodied Mad Swordsman looked around and thought that the stinky woman, Bai Susu, was absent today. He coughed and shouted, ¡°Well, listen up! I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Before he could continue, Yu Linglong pointed at him and said, ¡°He is an idiot! A thousand years ago, he was beaten up by Ye Yuexuan of the Thousand Feathers Sect! Go and beat him up now!¡±


    Bloodied Mad Swordsman said madly, ¡°Yu Linglong! I came to save you today on goodwill! You still curse at me!¡± Yu Linglong placed her two hands on the waist, leaned her head to one side, and said, ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s for not listening to the princess!¡±


    ¡°Kill the devil!¡± An uproar was heard in the distance. Countless Orthodox Path sects cultivator rushed up with their swords. Bloodied Mad Swordsman smile in disdain and said, ¡°A bunch of slags!¡± Then he pointed to the sky and shouted, ¡°Blood Shadow ¡ª¡ª Wheel of Sky!¡±


    In an instant, the dark clouds rolled, and the strong winds shrieked. A huge Full Moon Bloodied Blade appeared in the sky. It was like a bloody sun, shrouding everything beneath it. The bloodied blade flew one round in the crowd, and an instant, blood was splashing, and bodies were flying. Countless of the Orthodox Path people were either dead or injured.


    Subsequently, the bloodied blade became smaller and smaller, and it flew round and round around Bloodied Mad Swordsman. The blood-red light was dazzling, making him looked like a real Venerable Bloodied Devil. The people in the distance were all stunned. The cultivation of this man did not match his looks.


    Bloodied Mad Swordsman looked up and laughed, ¡°You think you bunch of slag can fight me? Get your Founding Master to come instead! Ahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare be so rampant!¡±


    Guyang Perfected Immortal shouted and rushed up like a ray of green light. With two fingers together, he pressed on his body. ¡°Bang!¡± Bloodied Mad Swordsman was shaken back. He was stunned for a moment and thought, ¡°This man has quite a high cultivation.¡± Then he realized something and laughed, ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t this Guyang¡­¡±


    Before he finished talking, Guyang Perfected Immortal hit him again with three golden seals. Bloodied Mad Swordsman quickly defended with his blade, only to hear three consecutive sounds. The bloodied sword was shaking from the attacks. Bloodied Mad Swordsman bellowed, ¡°Bloodied Devil Fiend!¡± Four blood demons appeared in thin air and battled with Guyang Perfected Immortal.


    In the distance, Xiaoyue looked at Bloodied Mad Swordsman, who was in the air, and her eyes were filled with murderousness. She murmured to herself, ¡°The 137th generation disciple of the Thousand Feathers Sect, Xiaoyue, will borrow the Mystic Power of Sect Leader Ye Yue today again!¡± She chanted the mantra quickly, and layers of white radiance emitted off her.


    Suddenly, a strange cloud came the west of the sky and shrouded over them, making Tianyuan City, which was already overcast, looked even darker. When it was closer, the strange cloud was turned into a raging black fog, and everyone was stunned. Countless disciples of the Devils¡¯ sect appeared in the dark mist, and also some elders of the Devils¡¯ sect had very high cultivations.


    ¡°Hahaha! Kill them!¡± A burst of laughter came from the dark fog, and suddenly countless Devils¡¯ sect disciples appeared on the ground, like thousands of troops.


    All the Sect Leaders were terrified. After the battle with Xiao Chen today, the Orthodox Path was already severely hurt. Now, only Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, and a few others had some combat power left. At the same time, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, Tai Yi Perfected Immortal, Fengxi Perfected Immortal, and many others had started to battle with the protectors of the Devils¡¯ sects that had rushed up.


    The noise of the battle filled the entire Tianyuan City in that instant. Corpses and blood were everywhere. In the square, Yu Linglong saw that the reinforcements had come. She pulled Xiao Chen to run, but unexpectedly, Xiao Chen pushed her away: ¡°Go away! I¡¯ll rather die than to be saved by your Devils¡¯ sect¡­¡±


    Yu Linglong gnawed her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry handsome brother!¡± Then she hit the back of his head with a palm and Xiao Chen was blackout for real this time.


    As Yu Linglong picked him up and rushed to the distance, Chanyu Zheng shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± Then he transformed into a flash of lightning and chased after. Today, he would never let someone of the Devils¡¯ sect take Xiao Chen away!


    ¡°Poom!¡±


    Yu Ling was busy running away and was once again thrown out by his force. After she got up and looked up, countless enemies had gathered in all directions. There was no way she could escape. At this time, four sword radiances in the distance came flying. It was the four Warden of the Immortals¡¯ League of previously.


    ¡°Elders, the formation has been destroyed. The Devils¡¯ sects had come prepared. I am afraid that the four Four Sacred Guardians will not be able to come in time to help.¡±


    Chanyu Zheng stretched out his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll plead guilty for losing the Spiritual Meridian today. However, I¡¯ll not allow Xiao Chen to be taken away by the Devils¡¯ sects. Otherwise, there¡¯ll be countless troubles in the future! Besides, we must take down this demonic woman and use her as captive so the Devils¡¯ sects will not act rashly.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The four wardens moved and encircled Yu Linglong. Chanyu Zheng immediately went to the side and worked on his breathing. He was poorly injured earlier and had hurt his heart because he was so angry. At this moment, he had to recover as soon as possible. So he could hold up a defense later when the strong enemies arrived.


    Yu Linglong looked at the enemies around her and shouted, ¡°Move away!¡±


    The four wardens ignored and attacked her at the same time. Even if they were poorly injured earlier, the power of the Nirvana Realm kept them in relatively good shape. Although Yu Linglong had just been wounded lightly, she had to protect Xiao Chen, how was it possible for her to fight against four enemies at the same time? There were also many cultivators of other sects in the periphery. She quickly fell into a disadvantage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, handsome brother. Linglong will save you! Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± As she spoke, Yu Linglong was attacked by someone behind her. ¡°Ah!¡± She spat out a mouthful of blood.


    In midair, Bloodied Mad Swordsman was held back by Guyang Perfected Immortal. He shouted, ¡°Yu Linglong! Are you stupid! This kid is as good as a disabled person, even if he is saved! Throw him away now!¡±


    Yu Linglong¡¯s eyes were full of tears, and she choked and said, ¡°Damned Blood Shadow! Stinky Blood Shadow! Bad Blood Shadow! My affairs are none of your business!¡± Then a sword radiance suddenly hit, and slashed across her jade-like shoulders, bringing out a long line of blood.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Linglong groaned. As her arm went soft, Xiao Chen rolled out. She quickly rushed over, but several sword radiances were flying towards her from behind. She was slashed on each of her four limbs, and in that instant, blood splashed.


    In midair, Bloodied Mad Swordsman anxiously said, ¡°Oh my mother! How did the Empress give birth to such a fool like you! He doesn¡¯t even care about you and yet you want to die for him¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Then he bit the tip of his tongue and two mouths of Essence Blood squirted out, which turned into two scary blood demons.


    ¡°Blood Demon! Take her and the kiddo away from here!¡±


    The two blood demons immediately flew towards Yu Linglong, but unexpectedly, several green sword radiances came slashing. ¡°Clank! Clank!¡± The two blood demons were blocked off. Bloodied Mad Swordsman focused his eyes and looked with anger and said, ¡°Bastard! You are the successor of Ye Yuexuan!¡±


    In the middle of the sky, Xiaoyue¡¯s green robe swayed with the wind, her eyes were like lightning, her breath has soared numerous times at this moment, but the Autumn Water Sword was still sheathed. Guyang Perfected Immortal let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Master Xiaoyue, you hold back the two blood demons. Today we must not let Xiao Chen be taken away by the people of the Devils¡¯ sects!¡±

 Chapter 354 - The Power of Spiritual Meridian

    On the ground, countless cultivators of the sects encircled Yu Linglong, and at this moment, Yu Linglong¡¯s body had been hit more than ten times. She lunged at Xiao Chen¡¯s body and saw Xiao Chen¡¯s face pale and white, gradually losing his breathing, and his heartbeat slowly stopped. She let out a miserable scream: ¡°No¡ª¡±


    Bloodied Mad Swordsman looked down and shouted, ¡°Idiot! He is already dead! Leave now! Go Feng You that bastard!¡±


    Yu Linglong ignored him and slowly stood up. At this moment, her eyes were red, and red radiances also surrounded her body. The look on her face was terrifying, and she seemed like a different person. She bellowed, ¡°You killed ¡ªBrother Chen¡­ You¡¯re all going to die! Die!¡±


    As the last word, ¡°Die¡± was spoke, a scary force broke out from the center, and cultivators of the nearby sects were shaken and flew out as they spewed out blood. The four wardens, as well as Chanyu Zheng, were also stunned by this force.


    ¡°Sky Knotting Sword Formation!¡±


    The warden in purple shouted and immediately formed a formation with the other three wardens. The cultivators of the nearby sects also came to help. In an instant, the flying swords intertwined, like a vast golden net shrouding over Yu Linglong.


    The strong wind blew, the sword shadows were everywhere, and in an instant, Yu Linglong was powerless against the strength of the crowd. Her eyes gradually returned to its original color. The red radiances outside her body steadily dispersed, but now there were countless sword wounds on her body. She carried Xiao Chen¡¯s cold body, and two lines of tears fell off her cheeks like a broken pearl necklace. She choked and said, ¡°The handsome brother is already dead, let me take him away, I beg you, I have never killed anyone, I beg you¡­¡±


    Although many of the younger disciples nearby hated the Devil¡¯s Practice, however, they felt sorry after seeing her pitiful appearance. The purple-robed warden narrowed his eyes and thought that Xiao Chen could never die quickly like this. He said coldly, ¡°Demon of the Devil¡¯s Practice is to be killed! Today, not only he can¡¯t leave, you can¡¯t leave as well!¡±


    After he shouted, the Immortal¡¯s sword in his hand turned into a great radiance and slashed at Yu Linglong. Then just as the flying sword was a foot away from Yu Linglong¡¯s eyebrows, it suddenly stopped. The sword trembled, and no matter how hard the warden in purple moved his fingers to cast the spell, it did not even move an inch.


    ¡°Clank! Clank! Clank!¡±


    A few crisp sounds were heard, and the Immortal¡¯s Sword suddenly broke into several pieces. The Soul of the warden in purple was wounded, and a mouthful of blood was spewed out.


    ¡°You people are also considered to be the predecessors of the Cultivators¡¯ sect. Don¡¯t feel shameful with yourselves bullying a little girl here today?¡±


    Footsteps were heard, though soft, every step was like stepping on the hearts of everyone. Everyone dared not act rashly under this great atmosphere.


    A woman slowly walked over, who was wearing a green robe and a green hairpin. Her eyes were cold and frosty. Her face was covered by a green silk scarf, blocking her face.


    Yu Linglong saw her approaching, rushed at her, crying, ¡°Aunty Qing, handsome brother is dead! The handsome brother was killed by them, wah¡­¡± She could not stop crying.


    ¡°Aye¡­¡± The woman in green sighed and stroked her hair. She walked towards Xiao Chen and carried his already cold body.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take this person away, who¡¯s going to stop me?¡±


    None of the Orthodox Path sects dared to speak as they looked at each other in shock. In the distance, Chanyu Zheng was in cold sweat while he urged the Mystic Skill in his body. Bloodied Mad Swordsman in midair said hastily, ¡°Qing Luo! Why are you alone! We can¡¯t hold it any longer! Where is Feng You that jerk¡­¡±


    ¡°Impudicity!¡± The woman in green shouted coldly. Then she looked into the distance and saw many of the Devils¡¯ sects disciples were already defeated. Several protector elders were also held back by Qing Chen Perfected Immortal and the others. On and her fingertip, a green smoke was condensed, and it drifted away to the distant battle circle.


    More and more green smoke gathered in the air and finally turned into seductive naked women. They were pretty and coquettish and were smiling obsequiously.


    Many female disciples blushed, their faces were as red as a tomato, and some male disciples lost their minds at that instant, even threw away their Immortal¡¯s Sword. As for many scattered cultivators, it was as though their souls had left their bodies.


    Those women slowly landed into the crowd, and at that instant, they seemed to stir up stormy waves, countless people who were head over heels rushed over and started to have intercourse in public. The moans filled the air. Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, and the others frowned profoundly and said, ¡°This demonic woman is powerful!¡±


    Master Xuanji closed his eyes and suddenly read a Buddhist mantra. His voice was as loud as thunder. The people finally woke up. However, it was too late. Those seductive women had changed into vipers, taking countless lives in an instant.


    The Orthodox Path again had a significant loss. In the square, the woman in green carried Xiao Chen¡¯s cold body and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± .


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t go!¡± Bloodied Mad Swordsman shouted hastily, but the woman in green ignored him and went in the direction of the city gate. No one dared to stop her, then the purple robe warden moved and blocked in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. You have to leave this person here today¡­¡± Before he could finish, a green smoke drifted towards him rapidly and finally wrapped around his neck, lifting him.


    ¡°How dare you hurt her. Do you know who she is?¡±


    The purple robe warden¡¯s face was flushed, and he struggled in the air. At this moment, his neck was wrapped too tightly to speak. Yu Linglong pulled the sleeves of the woman in green and said, ¡°Aunty Qing, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± The woman in green sighed coldly. As her fingertip moved the purple robe warden was thrown to a distance in front, smashing a bluestone statue into pieces.


    At this moment, Chanyu Zheng, in the distance, finally finished recovering his True Energy. He rushed at the woman in green at lightning speed. The woman in green did not look back. She freed up a hand and moved it backward. A loud bang was heard, the twos forces collided and destroyed all the buildings nearby.


    This palm was neck and neck, but Chanyu Zheng was panting heavily. If it is in his heyday, perhaps he could fight with this woman in green for a little longer, but he was poorly wounded earlier. At this moment, with him alone, he could not stop this woman.


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    Chanyu Zheng shouted, then looked at the other three injured wardens not far away, and said: hurriedly, ¡°You go take over Guyang Perfected Immortal and deal with that devil head!¡± Then he shouted in the air, ¡°Brother Guyang!¡±


    Although Guyang Perfected Immortal was in a pitched battle with Bloodied Mad Swordsman, he had an overview of the situation. He saw the situation crisis on his side, and without thinking, he immediately turned into a green radiance and landed by his side, ¡°Senior Chanyu.¡±


    Chanyu Zheng panted and said, ¡± Brother Guyang, today we must not let this person be taken away by the Devils¡¯ sects! Anyway, the guardian formation was already destroyed. Why not you and I both join forces and kill him with the help of the Spiritual Meridian!¡±


    He did not hate Xiao Chen for destroying the Spirit Energy Grand Formation, but because Xiao Chen had the strengths of both Immortals and Devils. If he grew up in the future, he would be beyond the existence of the Immortal King and the Devil Emperor. Today, this person was hunted by the Orthodox Path. Killing, his hatred would have been serious. Once he turned to the Devils¡¯ sects, the world that had been guarded by the Orthodox Path for thousands of years would have a change of its master!


    Guyang Perfected Immortal sighed profoundly and finally nodded slowly. The two did not say much, and immediately urged the incantation. On the side of the woman in green, countless Orthodox Path cultivators put themselves behind everything else and went forward to stop the woman no matter what. There were even many cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm exploding their Nascent Soul just to stop her.


    This was a war about who would be the dominator of the world. If Xiao Chen were to be taken away by the Devils¡¯ sects today, the Devils¡¯ factions would be dominator in the future. If today, Xiao Chen were to be killed, it would still be Orthodox Path dominating the world in the future!


    As the killing in the city progressed to the most intense moment, the heavens and the earth shook suddenly. The overcasting clouds in Tianyuan City scattered, and it became clear. The sudden glare made people unable to open their eyes. Suddenly a dazzling white radiance appeared between heaven and earth. At a closer look, it was a divine sword of hundreds of feet.


    At this moment, whether it was the Devils¡¯ sects disciples or the Orthodox Path Cultivators¡¯ sect disciples, or the cultivators without sects, felt impressed. The eyebrows of the woman in green narrowed as she noticed the situation was not good, she thought, ¡°Damn it, it is the power of the Spiritual Meridian¡­¡±


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡ª¡±


    With a loud bang, as if the whole world was shaking, the sword quickly slashed at the woman in green under the control of Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal.


    Yu Linglong looked up at the divine sword that came at them, her face turned white and said, ¡°Aunty Qing¡­¡±


    Without thinking, the woman in green freed up a hand, picked her up, and ran. But only for a distance of ten feet, she was unable to move under the power of this powerful force.


    The loud booming was endless, the whole earth was shaking, the sword was getting closer and closer to the ground, and all the houses in the ten-mile radius collapsed in an instant. This sword was more than ten times stronger than Xiao Chen¡¯s string.


    In the distance, the Orthodox Path people watched in fear. This attack would probably destroy half of East City. Even the ordinary people who hid in the dungeons of their own homes would not be able to escape from death. Were Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal crazy? This would make them become sinners of the ages¡­


    Everyone held their breath. As the sword was getting closer and closer to the ground, strong winds shrieked. All the nearby buildings were turned into ashes in a flash, and those people who were nearby, whether they were the Orthodox Path Cultivators¡¯ sect disciples or the Devils¡¯ sects disciples, they all died in an instant.


    In the distance, seeing the sword getting closer and closer to the ground, Yu Yifeng was expressionless as he muttered, ¡°Lil Chen¡­¡±Su Yue sighed, and the rest had different looks on them.


    In the vicinity, Xiaoyue¡¯s face changed greatly. However, under the strong force of this, it was impossible to escape. It was the same for Bloodied Mad Swordsman, he exclaimed, ¡°Are you two old bastards crazy? Your people are here too!¡±


    Guyang Perfected Immortal and Chanyu Zheng had already burnt their bridges. Even if they became the sinners of the whole world today, they would not let Xiao Chen leave, the divine sword finally fell ruthlessly.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The entire Tianyuan City was violently shaken, and a layer of smoke filled the air. In the sky, countless suspending islands lost control under this aggressive power and began to fall, smashing the buildings on the ground.


    The booming sounds were endless, and both Orthodox Path sects and the Devils¡¯ sects stopped fighting and started to run and hide like a mouse, avoiding the islands that were falling. This sword almost killed tens of thousands of people in Tianyuan City.


    The smoke did not disperse for a long time. Everyone was unable to see anything that was more than 3 feet away. It was clueless how many of the senior or junior brothers of the same sec died. Didn¡¯t know how long it had been, the smoke was finally blown away by the wind. Dead bodies were everywhere; blood and mud were mixed. In the vast East City, a complete building could no longer be seen.


    Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal were both breathless. Both of them were covered with a thick layer of sediment. However, not far from them, there was a chaos barrier. The barrier shattered, and only one person was seen. A man in a black cloak stood with one hand behind his back, and the other hand was still in the position of supporting the barrier.


    Behind him, it was the woman in green and Yu Linglong, as well as Xiao Chen, all were safe and sound.

 Chapter 355 - Master Xuantong

    ¡°Uncle Feng You!¡±


    Yu Lingling exclaimed, but not far away, Bloodied Mad Swordsman, Xiaoyue, and others were alright as well. Both Chanyu Zheng Guyang Perfected Immortal looked ashen, and the distant Orthodox Path cultivators were surprised. Who was this person? To be able to resist such scary power by one¡¯s strength.


    The cloaked man looked at Chanyu Zheng and Guyang Perfected Immortal, who were not far away, and said faintly, ¡°Qing Luo, bring Linglong and Xiao Chen back. There¡¯s me here.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The woman in green replied while carrying Yu Linglong and Xiao Chen. As she was about to leave, Chanyu Zheng shouted, ¡°Stop her!¡± Then he rushed up.


    The cloaked man flipped his sleeve, and a three feet devil fog appeared and blocked him. Everyone in the distance saw it and could not care more, and even some of the Nirvana Realm cultivators without a sect that had not been enemies with Xiao Chen before rushed up to stop the woman in green from leaving.


    Chanyu Zheng looked at the cloaked man and said coldly, ¡°Who are you? The person who appeared a hundred years ago is also you, right?¡±


    ¡°Feng You.¡± The cloaked man faintly replied, hiding under a black mist under his hat, his appearance could not be seen.


    ¡°Feng You¡­ This is not your real name!¡± Chanyu Zheng shouted, and then the True Energy of his body started shaking, and a white flame rose up within him. Everyone in the distance exclaimed, ¡°He is burning his Soul¡¯s Life Source! ¡±


    The so-called burning of Soul¡¯s Life Source equated to fighting with one¡¯s life. Once the soul source was burned out, the person would disappear from the world entirely, not even entering the reincarnation. It was a fighting style that was more sad and shrill than the deliverance by weapons.


    The cloaked man felt a threat and urged his devil soul. Five black patches of fog went to Chanyu Zheng, however, when they came in contact with the white flame outside of his body, the black mist disappeared, and at this moment, he felt a cold murderous intent.


    This murderous intent was not from Chanyu Zheng in front but behind!


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ It seems that I¡¯ve missed a good show.¡±


    A man in purple in the distance came walking slowly from the ruins. The man was as white as paper, like a dead man. He was followed by a lead-colored Corpse Puppet. It was Ye Wuxin. Behind him were dozens of lifeless disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    The woman in green killed a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in front of her with one palm, her eyes were cold, and she said coldly, ¡°Ye Wuxin, your corpse collecting sect here to collect corpses again today huh?¡±


    ¡°Qing Luo Protector, you¡¯re right, I came to collect corpses today indeed.¡± Ye Wuxin replied and then looked at Xiao Chen, who was in her arms with a passion that could not be hidden.


    The cloaked man said coldly while he fought with Chanyu Zheng, ¡°I advise you not to have any thoughts about him, or you will die very tragically.¡±


    Ye Wuxin smiled faintly and said, ¡°Oh? How tragic? Why don¡¯t Lord Feng You tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 10,000 times worse than your master Yu Yangzi!¡± The cloaked man bellowed and hit Chanyu Zheng in front of him with one palm.


    Ye Wuxin chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Feng You for the reminder.¡± Then he waved his hand and led the Corpse Puppet beside him and the dozens of disciples behind him to the battle circle in the distance.


    As the Orthodox Path cultivators saw him approaching, they became nervous. Ye Wuxin laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, you can continue your fights. My Corpse Refinery Sect is just here to collect the corpses for you today.¡± Then he waved his hand and said, ¡°Go, bring those complete bodies back.¡±


    Dozens of Corpse Refinery Sect disciples immediately acted, a cyan-robed elder not far away yelled, ¡°Let go of the body of my Junior Brother! Can you corpse collecting sect be more disgusting!¡±


    Ye Wuxin¡¯s face became gloomy. He pointed to a disciple next to him who was collecting bodies and said, ¡°You, just stand here, wait for him to die, and bring his body back!¡±


    That cyan-robed elder in that instant became smoking angry. While he was at it, he was sneaked up by a few Devils¡¯ sects disciples. Ye Wuxin flicked his sleeves coldly and walked away.


    Of course, these corpses that were brought back were not to be refined into Corpse Puppet, but to add Malicious Grudge to the already improved Corpse Puppets. The more Malicious Grudge the Corpse Puppet had, the more powerful it was. The people who died here today were full of resentment. A corpse could at least add a month¡¯s worth of Malicious Grudge to a Corpse Puppet.


    Those who died extremely unwillingly could at least increase half a year¡¯s worth Malicious Grudge, and those like Lingfei could at least add ten years of Malicious Grudge. But unfortunately, he was swallowed up by the ghost general¡¯s devil ride. Therefore, many people also joked that the Corpse Refinery Sect was a corpse collecting sect, primarily used to ¡°collect corpses.¡±


    The sunset on the horizon was falling, and the sunset glowed like a brocade. The sounds of battle continued to fill Tianyuan City. Ye Wuxin climbed onto a fallen floating island and found a clean spot to sit down. He held his chin with one hand and watched the clouds in the sky gathered and scattered leisurely.


    After his disciples cleaned up the complete corpses nearby, they began to stay next to some people who were closed to dying. When they died, they immediately took the corpse bag, which many Orthodox Path people hated and annoyed.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ye Wuxin yawned and stretched and said faintly, ¡°Master, with so many bodies, do you that Divine Corpse can still wake up?¡±


    ¡°Woo¡­¡±


    The corpse next to him snorted and did not answer. Under scrutiny, the body was lead-colored, but there was a big hole in it from the chest to the elixir field. It was Yu Yangzi that Xiao Chen had met outside the Canglan City on the Changyin Mountain Range, the Sect Master of the Corpse Refinery Sect 300 years ago.


    Finally, the last glimmer of the horizon disappeared, and Tianyuan City gradually darkened. The distant cloaked was still in a pitched battle with Chanyu Zheng. The woman in green was also held back by Guyang Perfected Immortal. At this time, a Devils¡¯ sects disciple hurried over.


    ¡°Report! Lord Feng You, the collection of the power of the Spiritual Meridian in the West City District, South City District, and the North City District, is completed. The Central City District is guarded by the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Moreover, it seems to be bounded by a mysterious force and can¡¯t be gathered. Shall we retreat now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, it was like a knife in the heart. This time, no wonder so many people came to the East City District to hold back cultivators of the different sects. They were seizing the power of Spiritual Meridian of the other city districts.


    The cloaked man said, ¡°Yes, we can leave now, lest their Four Sacred Guardians arrive.¡± Then he hit back Chanyu Zheng with a palm and quickly moved to the side of the woman in green, and took Xiao Chen from her hand. Next, he attacked again with a palm force and knocked off the people of the Orthodox Path that were led by Guyang Perfected Immortal.


    The woman in green immediately turned around, took a deep breath, and said: ¡°Bloodied Fiend Sect, Dark Shadow Hall disciples listen! Evacuate immediately!¡±


    The Devils¡¯ sects disciples took the order and retreated immediately. They came like tides and went away like tides. Chanyu Zheng shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t let them take Xiao Chen!¡± Then he burned another three layers of soul source and quickly rushed up.


    The cloaked man knocked him back, took a leap, and immediately turned into a black mist and rolled away with Xiao Chen. At this moment, a Buddha mantra sounded in the heavens and the earth, ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±


    The face of the woman in green suddenly changed as she said, ¡°Oh no! That old vulture of Wuyin Monastery is here¡­¡± Before she could finish, a huge golden Buddha handprint appeared in the sky, and a golden ¡°…d¡± was imprinted in the middle of the handprint.


    The palm fell, dust flew, and a five-finger handprint of ten-feet wide was instantly imprinted on the ground. The cloaked man that had turned into a black mist in midair was also hit back to his original form and spewed out a mouthful of blood as he smashed to the ground. Xiao Chen also flew out of his hand.


    Ye Wuxin in the distance away was already waiting for an opportunity, he laughed loudly and said: ¡°The Undead Body is mine!¡± Then he rushed towards the falling Xiao Chen in midair like a meteor.


    ¡°Be Kind¡­¡± Another Buddha mantra rang, and the air suddenly reappeared a huge Buddha¡¯s handprint. ¡°Boom!¡± It slammed onto Ye Wuxin and sent him flying 200-feet away, vomiting blood.


    Finally, a golden light fell and caught Xiao Chen. It was a white-bearded monk in a golden robe wearing a string of red sandalwood beads on his neck. He held a diamond devil repression wand on his left hand, and Xiao Chen by his waist in his right hand. Many people exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s Master Xuantong! It¡¯s Master Xuantong!¡±


    This white-bearded monk was the head of the Great Divine Monk of Wuyin Monastery, Master Xuantong. He had not left the monastery for 100 years, he had a high Dharma, and no one knew how high his cultivation was.


    The cloaked man shouted, ¡°Go!¡± Then he immediately rolled up the woman in green and Yu Lingling as he turned into a black fog and went to the east. Bloodied Mad Swordsman also stopped fighting with Xiaoyue. After casting a spell, he transformed into a blood-red radiance into the sky.


    Xiaoyue immediately landed, walked to the front of Master Xuantong, and bowed respectfully, ¡°Master Xuantong.¡±


    Master Xuantong nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the 137th generation disciple of Thousand Feathers Sect, Xiaoyue. My teacher is Su Nian Perfected Immortal.¡±


    Master Xuantong smiled and said, ¡°I see, the disciple of a friend. I haven¡¯t seen her for 100 years, how has Perfected Immortal been?¡±


    ¡°Master is all well.¡±


    At this time, Master Xuanji and other people came over, Master Xuanji frowned and said, ¡°Why did Senior Brother come out, the Devil Repressing Tower now¡­¡±


    ¡°Half a month ago, I wrote to you and saw that you did not return. I thought something is happening here. I didn¡¯t think when I came here today, I¡¯ll see¡­ Sigh¡­ Be Kind¡­¡±


    Chanyu Zheng also came over at this time. He had burned nearly five layers of soul source. At this moment, his face was white, he bowed to Master Xuantong and said, ¡°Chanyu Zheng of the Immortals¡¯ League see the master¡­¡± Then he looked at Xiao Chen in his arms and asked, ¡°May I know what Master Xuantong is going to do with this man?¡± .


    Master Xuantong looked at Xiao Chen, who was as good as dead and sighed, ¡°This boy was from my East Continent, I¡¯ll bring him back with me and lock him in the Devil Repressing Tower. When he¡¯s rid of the devil nature, then we¡¯ll see what to do again..¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Chanyu Zheng said hurriedly, ¡°This person has the strengths of both Immortals and Devils. Today, he has a deep resentment. One day, he¡¯ll be the biggest enemy of our Orthodox Path. I advise that we should refine him with the True Fire for 49 days, till his soul disappears!¡± As he spoke, the look on him became more and more malicious.


    ¡°Be Kind, Be Kind¡­¡± Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu whispered the Buddha mantra.


    Master Xuantong said, ¡°Heaven values all life. This boy is not a person of the Devil Clan. We can¡¯t kill him¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his body shook. As if his arm was hit by electric shock, he involuntarily released Xiao Chen.


    Immediately after, a trace of near-invisible black Qi immersed in his wrist, the face of Qing Chen Perfected Immortal considerably changed, ¡°The devil consciousness!¡±


    Master Xuanji beside was stunned too and said hurriedly, ¡°Senior Brother!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Master Xuantong put his zen stick on the ground, two fingers of his left hand together pressed to his right elbow. A golden light was injected, but his face suddenly turned white, cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He was unable to force out that devil consciousness.


    A murderous intent flashed in the eyes of Chanyu Zheng, he urged all the True Energy in his body and took a shot at the head of Xiao Chen, who was on the ground.


    ¡°Dang!¡± Chanyu Zheng was knocked back five steps. It was Master Xuanji blocking by Xiao Chen. Monk Xu Gu beside him carried Xiao Chen up and chanted, ¡°Amitabha, Donor Xiao still has to go to my Wuyin Monastery¡­¡±


    The breeze blew, Tianyuan City in ruins under the twilight seemed a bit desolate. Master Xuantong put down his arm and said to everyone, ¡°There are still things in the temple. I¡¯ll take leave.¡± Then he took the zen stick and looked at his Junior Brother and said, ¡°Junior Brother, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait up, Master!¡± Yu Yifeng stepped up quickly and looked at Xiao Chen who was in the hands of Xu Gu, and then handed out the Unsullied Sword and said, ¡°The Sword Spirit in this sword is called Unsullied, it does not like killing. Maybe it will resolve some of the anger in Junior Brother Xiao, I hope that the Master will leave this sword with Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    Master Xuantong nodded slightly, and Master Xuanji beside took over the Unsullied Sword, and put a palm in front of his chest and said, ¡°Be Kind¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, let¡¯s go.¡± The three turned into three golden rays and gradually disappeared into the night.


    Yu Yifeng looked at the sky where the three people left. He thought, ¡°Xiao Chen has probably lost all his skills now. All the Orthodox Path in the world wants to kill him. Maybe locking him up in the Devil Repressing Tower of Wuyin Monastery will be the best. Just that in the tower, there¡¯re countless spirits, ghosts, and monsters. I hope with the Unsullied Sword by his side, and he will be safe.¡±


    The evening wind blew, and Tianyuan City tonight was in another type of quietness.

 Chapter 356 - Devil Repressing Tower

    In the battle of Tianyuan City, the loss of the Orthodox Path was massive. Countless disciples died, and so did many of the Sect Leaders. It was the most tragic battle of the Devil V.S. Right in the past 100 years. The Earth Spiritual Meridian was also severely damaged, requiring countless people to take the time to repair.


    At this moment, in a place 300 hundred miles west of Tianyuan City, under the stars and the moon, two figures strolled. One was the cloaked man from earlier, and the other was the woman in green. The woman in green supported the cloaked man, who seemed to be hurt badly.


    ¡°Lord Feng You, can you hang on?¡±


    The cloaked man stretched out his hand and said, ¡°No problem!¡± He coughed twice and spewed out two mouthfuls of blood and said, ¡°That sword was amazingly powerful. My true body¡¯s Soul is only slightly injured, but the old vulture is powerful. He cut off the connection between my true body and the Divine Sense. This cloned body will not last long. I am afraid that I will not be able to come out in the next year. You¡¯ll have to take charge during this period, Qing Luo.¡±


    ¡°Order taken!¡±


    The cloaked man nodded and looked up at the lonely moon in the sky. He sneered, ¡°Spirit Silence Room has begun to doubt the souls, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if Bai Susu finds out, she has no way. Moreover, she will never find out. After all, that person is from the exile of the gods and devils, Reversion to Ruins Realm, hehe¡­¡±


    The look on the woman in green gradually became severe. She said in a low voice, ¡°Reversion to Ruins Realm, even if thousands of gods and devils, Heaven and Netherworld Emperors were thrown into the Reversion to Ruins Realm, they can never think of leaving. That person could make a soul escape from the Reversion to Ruins Realm, how powerful is that? Lord Feng You, do you not know where this person came from?¡±


    The cloak shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t find where this person came from in the six worlds. I only know that he claims to be ¡®Devilmare¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Devilmare¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On the mainland of East Continent, the mountains stretched and towering. It was the birthplace of the Immortal¡¯s Practice Sects. In the north near the east area, there was the Reminiscence Town. Everyone in the town bowed to the Buddha, only because northward 20 miles of the city, there was a Karmaless Mountain. On that mountain was the Wuyin Monastery that had stayed intact through the wind and the rain for more than 1000 years.


    Wuyin Monastery had been around for a few thousand years, but in the era when the Taoist sects are flourishing, people were still going to it, and they had a place in this troubled world. In the back mountain of the temple, there was a Devil Repressing Tower that stood tall. The demons and evils of everywhere overawed it, and they did not dare to cause troubles.


    By the time Master Xuantong and the other two return to the temple, it was already the next morning. Under the rising sun, the vermilion wall and green tiles stretched, on the walls of the courtyard, wrote a large ¡°Buddha¡± character. Pines surrounded the temple. The first hall above was the Daxiong Hall, which was solemn and majestic. The sound of beating the wooden knocker could be heard in the temple.


    Incense smokes surrounded the temple, and the disciples saw the return of the Abbot, all went to greet. The face of Master Xuantong was pale, and his back was cold and sweaty. He said to the Junior Brother, ¡°Junior Brother Xuanji, bring this boy to the Devil Repressing Tower. I¡¯ve to close myself up to force out the devil consciousness. I am afraid that I will not be able to go out in the next year.¡±


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Master Xuanji read the Buddha¡¯s mantra and went to the back mountain with his disciple, Xu Gu.


    In a Zen yard of the back mountain, an octagonal pagoda stood high, as if straight into the clouds, the pagoda had nine levels up and nine levels down. Its four sides were covered with golden light, and it was the Devil Repressing Tower. The nine levels above ground locked those troublemaking small demons, while the nine levels below the ground were for repressing those ferocious and malicious big devils.


    The Devil Repressing Tower did not seem big from the outside, but it was another world inside. It was a Devil Repressing Mystic Domain. Around it was 18 Arhat statues. Each looked solemn and stern. One glance by the ordinary demon could scare its soul out of it.


    At this moment, there was a rustling sound in the Zen yard. It was a white-shouldered man who was sweeping the floor. The older man was thin and dressed in a simple style, not like Master Xuantong, who wore a golden cassock.


    Suddenly, the Devil Repressing Tower shook and attracted thunders. The sky over the top of the tower was instantly covered with dark clouds. As the dark clouds gathered, the thunder continued, and the whole tower shook more and more as if it were going to collapse at any time. From the deepest part of the bottom of the tower seems to have a subtle voice that spoke faintly, ¡°Devil? Devil in the heart? What is the devil?¡±


    Under the tower, dazzling golden lights rose from the 18 Arhats statues and went above the tower, but it was still not repressed. The old man sighed, ¡°Heart grows, all kinds of devil grow, heart dies, all kinds of devil die. Bodhisattva, demon, there¡¯s always a thought. In the beginning, there was nothing. It has been a thousand years. Why are you persistent?¡± At the end of the sentence, the bamboo broom in his hands swept, and a blast quickly broke out, hitting the tower, and the tower immediately stopped moving, the dark clouds over tower gradually dispersed.


    After a long time, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. It was Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu bringing Xiao Chen over. The sweeping old monk did not even look and sighed, ¡°Lock him up on the second level above. ¡°Then he swept his broom and opened a chaos Barrier.


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Monk Xu Gu carried Xiao Chen to the entry of the chaos and sent him in with a soft power.


    ¡­


    Didn¡¯t know how long it had been, Xiao Chen slowly regained his consciousness again, and he could not open his eyes as he wished. It seemed to be chaos around him, and his ears seemed to faintly hear what Grandmaster Qingxuan said to him to continue his life after he performed the deliverance by weapons to his body, ¡°Yin and Yang turn, the creations take life and death, and the soul returns¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster Qingxuan, is that you, am I back to Mystic Cyan Sect¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen finally opened his eyes. The light in front of him was not bright nor dark, but the scene made him startled. He instinctively reacted and sat backward.


    In front of him gathered bunches of big and small demons and monsters, there was a blur-looking rabbit demon, a savage-looking spider spirit, a seductive-looking fox spirit, a wild boar spirit with tusks on its face¡­ As a gathering of all demons, and they did not look kind. The leader seemed to be a weasel demon.


    ¡°Huang¡­ Huang Immortal! This human kid has woke up! Shall we eat him? Have a food festival?¡± A sharp-mouthed blackfish spirit that was holding a steel fork exclaimed.


    The weasel demon stretched out its hand, glared maliciously at Xiao Chen, and said, ¡°Human boy! How are you locked into the Devil Repressing Tower of Wuyin Monastery?¡±


    Wuyin Monastery? Devil Repressing Tower? Was he not being taken into the Devils¡¯ sects? Xiao Chen looked around and found that there was a lot of space here, rocks were everywhere, and there were some wildflowers and weeds in the cracks. Am I being locked into a mystic domain¡­


    Seeing that he did not answer, the weasel demon got a rotten sweet potato from nowhere and smashed into his face. ¡°Bang!¡± Xiao Chen did not manage to avoid it. He was stunned, and his face was full of sweet potato dregs. The little demons around laughed.


    ¡°Human boy! Immortal Huang is asking you questions! Why are you not answering!¡± A slippery belly, giant catfish spirit beside yelled.


    Xiao Chen wiped the sweet potato residue on his face, suddenly turned his head, and glared coldly at the weasel demon. Although it was only one look, the weasel demon could not help but took two steps back, thinking that this kid had no trace of cultivation. How could he have such a scary look? Angered, it walked over and lifted his collar and said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, talk!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes remained cold. The face of the weasel demon flushed in anger and hit Xiao Chen in his abdomen with a fist. Xiao Chen felt a pain in his heart. It was so painful that he could not even lift his fist. At this moment, he only had a slightly stronger ability in physical resistant. Other than that, he was no different from ordinary people.


    ¡°Talk!¡± The weasel demon did not know how long it beat him. It seemed to be tired as it threw him to the ground and then turned to the group of demons behind it and said, ¡°Humans are extremely evil, they rob our Internal Elixir and don¡¯t allow us to survive in the human world. They also lock us up. How should we deal with this human!¡±


    ¡°Eat him!¡± The catfish monster shouted as it raised its hand.


    The weasel demon glared at it and slapped it in the face that was so hard it spun a few rounds in the same place and said, ¡°You only know to eat!¡±


    A spider spirit came out and looked at Xiao Chen with resentment and said, ¡°I only slaughtered a few villages in the past, and that stinking monk of Wuyin Monastery locked me up in this no daylight Devil Repressing Tower for hundreds of years. Let all human beings die!¡±


    The weasel demon nodded and said, ¡°The spider is right, can¡¯t let this boy go off easily. Let¡¯s beat him up first!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± Just then, a small voice was heard not far away, a small thing ran over, the little thing was shaped like a piggy, but it was different, only to see it blocked in front of Xiao Chen, continually shaking his head: ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    The catfish monster was slapped in the face for no reason just now and had nowhere to release his anger. At this moment, it walked over and shouted maliciously, ¡°Stupid pig! F*ck off!¡± Then it kicked the pig-like animal, and then rushed at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was already running out of strength. Seeing the catfish monster rushing at him, he quickly stood up to the side, avoiding the attack and grabbed its two long whiskers. He pulled it hard, and the catfish monster groaned and snarled, ¡°Hey! Hey! Whiskers! The whiskers are going to snap!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together! Beat him to death!¡±


    The weasel demon shouted, and the group of demons rushed up. Xiao Chen saw the situation was terrible, and he kicked off that catfish monster and retreated to a stone wall behind to avoid being besieged by the group.


    While he retreated to the stone wall, the group demon also rushed up. Xiao Chen was now no different from ordinary people at the moment, but these monsters had the same strength of Qi Refining Realm midstage. In less than a moment, Xiao Chen was wounded all over, and he was outnumbered. He did not expect that he was killing the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in Tianyuan City that day single-handedly, and now he was beaten by a group of small Qi Refining Realm demons.


    Suddenly, ¡°Shoosh!¡±, white light flew out of his cuffs, and knocked off the demons. The white light flew one round in the same place, slowly turning into a white Immortal¡¯s Sword and landed into his hands.


    Xiao Chen felt a familiar aura, looked down, and could not help but feel a heartache, Unsullied Sword, Brother Yifeng¡­


    Suddenly, he looked up fiercely and raised his head. He pointed the sword at the group of demons and said, ¡°I did not offend you! Why do you want to make it difficult for me!¡±


    As long as he said that he was locked in for killing many people, then the group of demons would not have hated him so much. But with that fierce temper of his, how could he not fight back? How would he surrender to a group of small demons?


    The Unsullied Sword was covered with a layer of faint white light. The group of demon swallowed their saliva and retreated a little. The spider spirit said with resentment, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of! We can¡¯t deal with him just because he has a magic treasure?¡± After that, it spat out four white spider silks that wrapped around Xiao Chen¡¯s hands and legs.


    ¡°Unsullied Sword! Go!¡±


    Xiao Chen shouted, but the Unsullied Sword did not respond at all. It seemed the place had a substantial restriction. The Unsullied Sword had only one outburst ability to protect its master for a moment.

 Chapter 357 - One Year

    The weasel demon eyes squinted and looked at the Unsullied Sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand. It had to be a treasure, it thought. It leaped and landed in front of him and punched him in the middle of his abdomen. Xiao Chen snorted, and the Unsullied Sword flew out of his hand.


    The weasel demon reached out its hand and grabbed the Unsullied Sword. It smirked and said, ¡°What a treasure, I will accept it then. When I leave, I can use it to show off!¡±


    Xiao Chen saw the Unsullied Sword was taken away, he ripped open the spider silk forcefully and rushed up. He yelled, ¡°Return the sword to me!¡± Unexpectedly, the weasel demon kicked him, and he flew several feet away.


    ¡°Poom!¡± Xiao Chen smashed into the pile of stones, and the dust flew. He coughed non-stop, and suddenly with strength out of nowhere, he quickly rushed up again and was again kicked off by the weasel demon.


    ¡°Return the sword to me!¡± Xiao Chen rushed up again like a madman.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± A scream echoed. Xiao Chen was like crazy, pouncing on the back of the weasel demon, biting its left ear hard. The weasel demon was in devastating pain and yelled, ¡°Bastard! Let go!¡± Then it punched Xiao Chen in his abdomen.


    After more than a dozen punches, Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth was full of blood. It was not known if it was from the beating or from biting off the ear of the weasel demon.


    ¡°Quickly! Kill him for me now! Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    The group of demons then reacted, and quickly ran up to Xiao Chen and pulled him away. Then they punched and kicked him. Of course, they did not dare to kill Xiao Chen. If they were to take life here, they would also bear terrifying punishment or even be locked several floors below ground.


    After beating him for a long time, Xiao Chen had already fainted while holding his head with both hands. The corner of his mouth was still stained with blood, and the weasel demon had been bitten off half of its ear. He snarled in pain and yelled, ¡°Bastard boy, that¡¯s all for today. Don¡¯t beat him to death. We¡¯ll come back again tomorrow. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The group of demons gradually left, and the surrounding resumed its tranquility. The next day, Xiao Chen woke up in confusion, only to feel that he was about to fall apart. Yesterday, he was blackout from the beating.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    A soft voice rang in the ear, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and saw an animal resembling a pig in front of himself, he instinctively sat back.


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The little animal was chubby with a pair of big eyes. It was not as fierce as the other demons and monsters. Xiao Chen remembered that when the group of demons sieged yesterday, it seemed that this little thing stood up and tried to stop them, so he gradually took back a bit of his hostility.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee? Then I will call you Koo-chee.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast seemed to understand his words and nodded happily.


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. He patted the dust off him and stood up. He did not expect himself to end up like this, and there was only one little demon which could not speak, was this how he was to spend the rest of his life? Master, Master, had not been found yet¡­


    Suddenly, he tensed up, because the group of demons and monsters from yesterday came at him again like a turkey-cock under the leadership of the weasel demon.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast quickly blocked in front of Xiao Chen, continually shaking its head. The weasel demon kicked it, and it flew off, it glared at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Boy, you¡¯re alive today huh!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked alertly at the group of demons and said coldly, ¡°I did not offend you, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want?¡± The weasel demon touched its half-missing left ear, which hurt so badly it snarled. It said maliciously, ¡°Beat him! Don¡¯t kill him, just till he passes out!¡±


    The group of demons was about to go forward again when suddenly a Buddha mantra sounded, and the group of demons immediately went pale. The spider spirit said, ¡°Hurry up, cover your ears! That a*sshole monk is going to recite the mantras again¡­¡±


    Before it finished speaking, and suddenly a low-pitched Buddhist scripture sounded. The group of demons immediately covered their ears and looked in pain. Xiao Chen suddenly felt a burst of headache and quickly covered his ears, but no matter how tight he wrapped them, it was useless. The scripture seemed to be directly transmitted to the brain.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª Stop reciting! Stop reciting!¡± Xiao Chen suffered in pain, his eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his face popped, and the pain seemed to be much worse than the episode of the Heartless Curse.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± Xiao Chen clenched his head tightly, and he looked crazy, ¡°Stop reciting! Ah! Let me go! Let me go!¡± ¡°What right do you have to lock me down! I am not a devil! Ah! ¡±


    A trace of black Qi came out of him, and the group of demons afar were in horror as they exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s happening! Why is he in so much pain? Is he a devil!¡±


    The spider spirit said in a quavering voice, ¡°Impossible! If ht is a devil, how can he not be locked below the ground floor? How can he be locked up on the second floor?¡±


    The weasel demon was so scared that its face turned white, and its legs trembled, saying, ¡°He is a devil¡­ He must be a devil! I have seen the devil who was locked in, exactly like him!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± Xiao Chen looked up and shouted, his hair danced in the air, his face was covered with blue veins, his eyes gradually became red, and his body was emitting black Qi. His appearance was terrifying.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee !¡± The Koo-chee beast rushed over hurriedly, but when it was still a foot away from him, it was knocked off by a fierce force.


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen rushed towards the group of demons. The group of demons was scared and started to scatter. The weasel demon wanted to run but was held by its neck and lifted to midair by Xiao Chen, who teleported to its side.


    ¡°Where is the Unsullied Sword! It was given to me by Brother Yifeng! Nobody can take it away!¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen looked terrifying. The weasel demon was so frightened that he could not stop trembling. He hastily took out the Unsullied Sword from his back. Xiao Chen grabbed the sword and threw the weasel demon out hard, as it landed, the gravels flew and scattered.


    Suddenly, a Buddha mantra rang once more, and Xiao Chen covered his head again. It was more painful than before. At this moment, the stronger the murderous intent in him, the more painful he would be. With every inch the devil nature grew, the pain would increase by 100 times! It was far more painful than the pain caused by the episode of the Heartless Curse.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± At this moment, he was already in so much pain that he was tumbling on the ground. The group of demons had already fled away frightenedly. Gradually, he finally felt a little powerless, and the dirt on the land had been scratched out numerous traces by him.


    ¡°Muxue¡­Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Finally, Xiao Chen fainted and woke up after no idea how long. He felt a little wetness and warmth on his face, as he opened his eyes, it was the Koo-chee beast licking his face.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, did I hurt you yesterday¡­¡± Xiao Chen moved his pale lips and said softly.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast shook its head.


    Xiao Chen sat up, picked up the Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword by his side, and looked around. He thought that inside the tower, it should be a mystic domain, and there was no exit unless someone opened it from the outside, or the people inside could never get out? Even if he wanted to break out by force, he would not be able to do it during his heyday. Moreover, now that he had lost all his power. Was he going to be locked up in this Devil Repressing Tower that has no daylight for the rest of his life?


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°Some people were like strangers even till they had white hair, and some were like old friends even when they just met. Brother Koo-chee, you and I were like old friends when we just met, but I don¡¯t know why you were being locked in?¡±


    He thought that there was not a single trace of Devil Qi in the Koo-chee beast, nor it looked like the kind of demon that would hurt people. Could it be locked in by the people of Wuyin Monastery just because it was a Demonic Beast? Demon Realm was destroyed, and the Demon Qi had penetrated the Human Worlds. There were countless Demonic Beasts in the world. Could the Wuyin Monastery enclose all of them?


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The beast blinked its big eyes and shook its head.


    Xiao Chen smiled, seeing it reminded him of Zhiluan. That Leopard Cat Spirit should now return to the Human World with Xian¡¯er. Are they okay¡­


    After a month, in this tower, Xiao Chen felt no hunger at all, but every time the Buddhist scriptures sounded, he was in so much pain that he went mad. However, the demons and monsters that were led by the weasel demon did not dare to disturb him again. Xiao Chen even grabbed him and asked about the situation here.


    It turned out that this tower had a total of 18 floors. The nine floors above the ground locked some demons and monsters that caused troubles around. The higher the level, the stronger the demons and monsters. The nine floors below ground, each story was a hell, suppressing some malicious devils. The more it went down, the more powerful the devils were. The level where he was located was the second floor above the ground.


    Not sure if it was because of the prohibition of this place or something else. Neither Guifeng nor the things in the Divine Vessel could be summoned here. Su Xiaomei in the Frigid Jade Pendant seemed to have fallen into an endless sleep.


    ¡­


    Time flew like an arrow. The months and years passed by like a stream. The days in the tower had unknowingly gone for a year. Xiao Chen¡¯s hair had grown a lot more, he had grown taller too, and he was full of beard. He had wrapped up the Unsullied Sword in a clothed and hung it over his shoulder. Now he did not look like the image of the former literary figure and was more like a swordsman of the world.


    Whenever the Buddha mantras sounded again, he was not in as much pain as before, and his anger was somewhat relieved. Sometimes he would also read the scriptures engraved on the stone wall, ¡°One load of sand, one load of sand, one realm, within one world, a speck of dust for a catastrophe¡­¡±


    ¡°A principle behind everything, such as a dream bubble, like dew or like lightning, it should be regarded as a view¡­¡±


    ¡°All the principles are empty, they don¡¯t disappear nor born, they don¡¯t get dirty nor they¡¯re clean, they don¡¯t increase or decrease¡­¡±


    Although some of these verses were hard to understand, every time he recited them, his mind became clear. There were also lesser disputes in his heart, lesser murderous aura, and as he contemplated about the past, everything was like a dream of flying flowers.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Suddenly a soft voice rang behind him. The Koo-chee beast had not changed its shape for the past year. With it, Xiao Chen did not feel so lonely.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, what¡¯s up?¡± Xiao Chen whispered and asked as he turned around, and saw the Koo-chee beast shaking its head while standing next to the shed that he had built a small grass shed under the stone wall.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast gently called out twice, and ran to the side, about a few feet away. It then turned back and called, ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee wants me to go with you somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded hard.


    ¡°Well, Brother Koo-chee don¡¯t be flustered, I¡¯ll come right now.¡± Xiao Chen took off the Unsullied Sword off his shoulder and walked over. Although he still could not restore his power for the past year, he had often practiced swordsmanship in his spare time. Dealing with the little demon like a weasel demon was not a problem.


    A man and a beast walked for a mile and reached a remote corner. 3 stone tablets that were about a foot tall could be seen, the stone tablets were full of golden talisman. Amongst them, a golden mystic arts shrouded over. If ordinary demons were near them, they would have turned into ashes.


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast snorted and rushed to the back of the stone tablet. Xiao Chen exclaimed, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, be careful!¡±


    However, the Koo-chee beast went straight through the golden mystic arts safely. Then it turned back and called out twice at Xiao Chen, signaling him to keep up.


    Xiao Chen carefully walked over and took the sword to touch the layer of golden mystic arts, only walking over after it seemed to be entirely safe. After a few steps, he found an underground entrance not far away. The entrance seemed to have a seal Barrier.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast ran to the entry of the Barrier, and Xiao Chen walked over too. A few layers of stone steps slanted down that led below. It seemed like a staircase leading to a level down. Although he had stayed in this tower for one year, he had never been here before.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, are you asking me to go down?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded. It seemed that it came here often. It went around the Barrier for a bit then went straight through the Barrier. Xiao Chen was stunned and could not but think that this little guy could disregard any Barrier?


    At the moment, Xiao Chen also squatted down, but now he had no power at all, and he could not break open the Barrier. The Koo-chee beast gently called out and stretched out its two front paws and waved at the Barrier. Not for a moment, a hole of a size that just happened to allow Xiao Chen to pass through appeared on the Barrier.


    Xiao Chen was stunned once more. This little guy had such an ability? At this moment, he went into the gap in the Barrier and passed through. Once inside, he felt a very heavy evil Qi and suddenly it became a lot darker.

 Chapter 358 - The Great Devils Imprisoned Underground

    Xiao Chen composed himself and raised his guard. He had lost his powers, after all. Underneath ought to be the first floor above the surface, linked with the first underground floor. Most heinous, vicious Great Devils must be imprisoned underground, resulting in such thick Evil Qi here.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried softly and ran down the stairs. It seemed very familiar with this place.


    Xiao Chen followed after the beast at a regular pace and found that the further down he went, the thicker the Evil Qi became. It also got much darker. He could even faintly hear a terrifying voice coming from under the ground. ¡°Release me¡­ Release me¡­¡±


    That voice was like the howling of many Asura evil spirits. In the darkness, he couldn¡¯t help feeling tingling on his scalp.


    After walking for a long time, he finally reached the first floor. It was darker and damper here, with the pit-pattering of water drop coming from all directions. Moss and the like covered the stone walls. It was also much smaller compared to the second floor. He wondered if there were devils imprisoned here.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast cried again. It shook its head, indicating for Xiao Chen to keep following. Without giving it much thought, Xiao Chen carefully followed it while gripping his Unsullied Sword. Moments later, he found himself at the entrance of a Barrier.


    The entrance of the Barrier here was the same as the one on the second floor, with stone steps leading downwards at an incline. Its destination must be the first underground floor. The Koo-chee beast, like before, spun in place twice before going to the other side of the Barrier. It brandished its claws and created a slit for Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen frowned. The devils imprisoned downstairs would be far stronger than the insignificant devils above. He could very well lose his life in a moment of carelessness. But the Koo-chee beast must have its reason for bringing him downstairs. Besides, he couldn¡¯t run anyway. He might as well follow the creature and have a look.


    Considering this, Xiao Chen put his sword behind him and cautiously passed through the Barrier. Once he passed it, he immediately detected a dense Devil Qi, and his soul couldn¡¯t help feeling shaken. The devils imprisoned by Wuyin Monastery were no ordinary devils, indeed. He felt truly fortunate that he wasn¡¯t locked up here with them.


    The further down he went, the louder those frightening sounds became. The Devil Qi also became denser. The Koo-chee beast began to emanate a faint white glow to ward off the Devil Qi. Even though Xiao Chen had lost his powers, he still didn¡¯t fear such Qi.


    Nearly fifteen minutes later, he finally arrived at the first underground floor and what he saw shocked him to the core. There were dozens of stone monuments in the distance, all covered in golden talismans. Many of the vicious devils had their humerus tied above the monuments.


    These creatures were the source of the mournful cries that Xiao Chen heard earlier. They all looked malevolent, with one having three feet-long tusks, one with bloody, wide-open mouths, one with a tiny skull growing out of their half-smashed heads, and one covered with eyes and arms all over its body. It was terrifying enough to make his scalp feel numb.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried, indicating him to keep following. Xiao Chen remembered the Siberian weasel saying that the deeper he went, the more terrifying the devils would be. If the first underground floor was already this frightening, must he go down even further?


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast gently called out twice and continued to run ahead.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, wait for me!¡± Xiao Chen whispered, running after the beast. This time, they stopped in front of the entrance of another Barrier. After the Koo-chee beast got past the Barrier, it made an opening for him.


    Xiao Chen wondered where was this beast taking him and how did it know where the entrance of every Barrier was. How could it so easily break the Barrier? But now wasn¡¯t the time for him to ponder such questions, so he carefully passed through the Barrier.


    The Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi in the second underground floor was even thicker, but gone was the frightening scene and sounded on the level above it. It seemed that only one devil was imprisoned on this floor. The creature with disheveled hair had his humerus tied to a large pillar. His eyes were closed, looking as if he was asleep.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried and kept running forward. Xiao Chen followed closely behind until they arrived at the steps leading to the third underground floor. He heard a horrifying voice coming from below, ¡°The wailing of eight thousand devils quakes the Three Realms and sends hundreds of thousands of Gods and Buddhas running for the Western Paradise! Once I, the Devil King, sees the light of the day, I swear I¡¯ll level your Wuyin Monastery!¡±


    Xiao Chen was alarmed. The devil¡¯s first sentence was somewhat familiar to his ears. He immediately ran down the stairs, where he saw four stone monuments in the distance. Every monument had a golden talisman plastered on it. In the middle was a large pillar, where a person with disheveled hair was chained around it.


    The person turned his head, having detected a stranger coming close, and glared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid! Who are you? How did you end up on the third floor of this hopeless hell?¡±


    This stunned Xiao Chen. He felt more at ease when he saw that the person seemed unable to break his chains and run over to him. He said, ¡°I¡¯m a passerby. Did you call yourself the Devil King earlier?¡±


    In a deranged fashion, the man replied, ¡°Correct! Since you know who I am, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and lend me a helping hand! Crush those four damned stone monuments! Hurry! When I leave this place, I¡¯ll make you my leading general!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast kept shaking its head, indicating for him to ignore the person.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not free now.¡±


    The man lost his temper. ¡°What?! I¡¯m the Devil King! Kid, how dare you disobey me! I¡¯ll exterminate your body and soul¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Xiao Chen saluted ever so briefly before leaving with the Koo-chee beast.


    ¡°You despicable kid! I¡¯m going to drown you in the sea of suffering! I curse you to eternal damnation¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him and continued following the Koo-chee beast to the entrance of the fourth underground floor¡¯s Barrier. Suddenly, he detected a formidable aura surging from below. Though fleeting, it was strong enough to shake his soul and make him take a couple of steps backward.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion stemming from his nervousness. It was very peculiar. It resembled the formidable aura coming from the ancient stone tomb imprisoning a Great Devil back when he trespassed on Xiao family¡¯s ancient mausoleum.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast passed through the Barrier and made an opening in it. Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment before passing through it. Now that he was on the fourth underground floor, the Devil Qi here was as dense as he predicted. Even he was beginning to feel unwell. He whispered, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded.


    ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The beast nodded hard. It then ran over to a large boulder on the left but stopped right behind it.


    Xiao Chen carefully chased after it. He hid most of his body behind the boulder, poking out only his head and shoulder, and peered ahead. He saw a person chained on all limbs in the middle of four pillars. Every pillar was plastered with golden talismans. The prisoner had his hair draped over his shoulders, covering even his face. He had a sturdy body and was significantly taller than most people.


    Even after losing his cultivation, Xiao Chen could tell that the man was very, very powerful. He would be a powerhouse in the wild if he weren¡¯t trapped under the tower. Could the fleeting formidable aura that he felt at the entrance of the Barrier have come from him?


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The beast shook its head, blinking its wide eyes nonstop.


    Xiao Chen placed his hand next to his mouth and lowered his voice. ¡°Then why did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried softly and then pointed to the man in the distance. Xiao Chen followed its line of sight and found a shrub growing near the man. A dozen or so of golden fruits hung on the scrub, all of the nearly similar sizes.


    ¡°You want those fruits?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast kept nodding.


    Xiao Chen pinched his palm. The devil over there was too formidable of an opponent. He might be asleep now, but once he wakes, he might be able to kill Xiao Chen with just a glance. However, being imprisoned in this dark Devil Repressing Tower, Brother Koo-chee was the only one willing to keep him company¡­


    Considering this, he nodded firmly. ¡°Very well! If you want it, Brother Koo-chee, I¡¯ll get it for you even if it means going through mountains of daggers and seas of flames!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and handed his Unsullied Sword to the beast. He whispered, ¡°Stay here and wait.¡± He then cautiously walked in the direction of the Great Devil.


    He walked with light steps out of fear that he would wake the devil by stepping on a pebble. After all, devils imprisoned under the tower weren¡¯t like those imprisoned above. The ones would never be allowed to leave this place, so killing one or two more people didn¡¯t matter to them.


    When he was about ten feet away from the shrub next to the devil, Xiao Chen could feel his sweat soaking the cloth on his back. Beads of sweat covered his cheeks as well. This Great Devil¡¯s aura was an absolute terror.


    Suddenly, a bead of sweat slid down his chin and fell to the floor. Alarmed, Xiao Chen swiftly caught the drop of sweat with his hand. However, it was at this moment that he felt a strong breeze hitting his face and making a mess out of his hair. The Great Devil had abruptly turned his head to stare fixedly at him.


    It wasn¡¯t until now that Xiao Chen got a clear look at the devil¡¯s face. The sight shocked him. The devil¡¯s right pupil was gleaming red while his left pupil was pierced with a small, cyan-colored flying sword. Black Qi swirled between his eyebrows. His face and neck were covered with terrifying scars.


    ¡°What insignificant ant dares to enter this hell of suffering!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Before Xiao Chen could get even a word out, a tremendous force hit him on the face and sent him flying. He crashed hard against the large boulder and coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast immediately lay down beside him. Xiao Chen shook his head, indicating that he was alright. He swiftly got to his feet while holding the beast and hid behind the boulder.


    Two hours passed, and then four, six¡­


    Xiao Chen could feel the Great Devil falling asleep by the time the eighth hour rolled around. He gestured the beast to keep quiet and then carefully walked toward the shrub. This time, he chose to make a detour and walk up to it from behind.


    When he was ten feet away from the shrub, the Great Devil suddenly barked, ¡°I said to get lost! Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled. Then, the cries of ¡°Koo-chee¡± resounded. The Koo-chee beast ran up to the devil and kept pulling shadow-punches in an attempt to provoke the man.


    The Great Devil bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± A formidable force hit the beast. ¡°Koo-chee!¡± the creature cried as it was sent flying like it was as light as cotton candy. When it fell to the floor, it even bounced several times.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee!¡± Xiao Chen yelled. Throwing all caution to the wind, he threw itself at the shrub and forcefully pulled it up by the roots. Then, he was knocked away by the Great Devil¡¯s breath.


    Back on the floor, Xiao Chen felt a stinging pain on his palms, all thanks to the many thorns on the shrub. He couldn¡¯t worry about that now. He pulled the Koo-chee beast to his embrace and started running until he reached the stairs. Only then did he let down the beast.


    Xiao Chen looked at the shrub in his hands and laughed. ¡°Well, we got it now. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Just as he was about to walk up the stairs, he suddenly felt the familiar aura from before. This time, it didn¡¯t come from the Great Devil on the same floor, but from deep below the ground¡ªthe ninth floor, the Avici level!

 Chapter 359 - The Devil on the Ninth Floor (Part 1)

    The aura, overwhelming as it was, vanished in a split second. For some reason, Xiao Chen had the feeling that the strong aura wasn¡¯t that terrifying anymore. It was an inexplicable feeling.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast continued to shake its head as if it had, too, detected the terrifying and powerful existence deep under the ground.


    Xiao Chen nodded. Without his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t move on boldly anymore. So he followed the Koo-chee beast back to the first floor above the surface. Once he was back up there, he immediately felt much more relaxed.


    He put the shrub outside the straw shed. Laughing, he said, ¡°Alright, Brother Koo-chee. I¡¯ve got the fruits for you.¡± He looked around and said in alarm, ¡°Oh no! Where did I put my sword?!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast shook its head incessantly, indicating him not to go down anymore. Xiao Chen smiled wryly. ¡°Oh, alright. We¡¯ll get it next time.¡± He sat on a slab and started picking out the thorns in his right palm.


    The Koo-chee beast kept running around the shrub, making Xiao Chen chuckle. He plucked one of the fruits and found it to be as light as a feather. It felt empty in his hand. He noted the fruit was the size of a walnut and had an incredibly tough exterior, but didn¡¯t know what the flesh inside was like. With a smile, he handed it to the Koo-chee beast. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast shook its head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The beast nodded.


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. ¡°After I spent so much effort getting it, you tell me you don¡¯t want it anymore. Brother Koo-chee, are you pulling a prank on me?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast shook its head. It pointed to Xiao Chen and then to its mouth.


    Xiao Chen pointed to himself. ¡°You want me to eat this?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast repeatedly nodded as if it was overjoyed.


    Xiao Chen observed the golden fruit. Well, it didn¡¯t matter if this was poisonous. He was substantially handicapped, anyway. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll accept your kindness, Brother Koo-chee.¡± He popped the fruit in his mouth and took a hard bite. Bitter juice immediately coated his mouth. It was as if he had bitten a snake gall. The taste itself was quite indescribable.


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± When the Koo-chee beast saw him spitting it out the fruit, it immediately threw itself at him and forcefully covered his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m eating it. I¡¯m eating it, alright! Brother Koo-chee, stop pushing me! I¡¯m going to¡­ choke!¡±


    Tears brimming in his eyes, Xiao Chen swallowed the whole fruit along with its flesh and juice. His stomach instantly churned. This thing was a hundredfold more bitter than snake galls. All he wanted now was a bowl of freshwater to wash the taste away.


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried out. It then plucked off another fruit and brought it to him. Xiao Chen shook his hand with a wry smile. ¡°No more, no more. I¡¯d rather die.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo¡­ Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast widened its eyes as if it was furious.


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. Even though this Koo-chee beast couldn¡¯t speak, it was much more spirited than a human. He chose to accept its intentions and said, ¡°Oh, alright then. I¡¯ll eat just this one more.¡±


    This fruit was too big to be swallowed whole. After he managed to eat one, he felt like retching. The joyful Koo-chee beast plucked off yet another fruit and presented it to him. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help smiling bitterly. He stared at the shrub and saw that there were nine more of the same fruits. With a wry smile, he said, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, don¡¯t tell me you want me to eat all twelve fruits.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast repeatedly nodded, obviously happy. Xiao Chen forced a smile and took the fruit from its hand. His eyes were filled with tears by the time he finished eating this one. He couldn¡¯t help retching, but all he could vomit was some gastric fluid.


    ¡°No more¡­ I really can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Xiao Chen held onto the slab of stone and shook his hand with difficulty. He could feel all strength leaving his body.


    Moments later, he suddenly felt physically and mentally refreshed. He tried circulating his energy and immediately felt his breathing becoming incomparably smooth. Even his Divine Sense had become much clearer. He stood up, feeling like he had an endless supply of force in his body. He thrust his palm, and a storm immediately followed. With a resounding thump, he crushed a large boulder nearly thirty feet away.


    The sudden noise gave the faraway group of demons a fright. All of them looked around. When they saw it was Xiao Chen circulating his energy, their necks immediately shrunk, and they started hiding behind stones.


    Xiao Chen stared at his palms. He was so agitated that his body was trembling. He could feel vividly that his cultivation had returned to the Foundation Building Realm. He was back at the Foundation Building Realm! In this past year, he had considered countless ways of restoring his cultivation but had only ever met failure. He never thought that this fruit would have such an effect.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast plucked off the remaining nine fruits from the shrub and presented it to him.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Chen nodded firmly. Even if these fruits were a hundred times more bitter, he would swallow them all as long as he could restore his cultivation.


    After eating all nine fruits in a row, his stomach threatened to rot and hurt. But when he considered how he would soon regain his cultivation, this bit of suffering was nothing!


    Suddenly, a burning-hot sensation filled his entire body as if he had dipped himself in Laozi¡¯s Eight Divinatory Trigram Cauldron. His skin turned red from all the burning, and red glow flickered on his face. He could see all the arteries and veins under his skin.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Xiao Chen yelled, clutching his head. He frightened the group of demons so much that they scrambled to hide. The Koo-chee beast kept running circles around him. ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± it cried in apparent worry.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee! Leave now! I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­ Leave now!¡± Xiao Chen said before once again letting out a howl. A great force emerged from him, hitting the straw shed that he built more than half a year ago so hard that it turned into dust.


    ¡°Arghhhhh¡ª¡± Xiao Chen held his head as if he was in tremendous pain. He felt like his body was about to explode when a fierce power suddenly rose from within him. It quaked the entire space, alarming the old monsters imprisoned on the few floors above. Countless monsters, deep in their slumber, slowly awakened after sensing his strong power.


    Finally, Xiao Chen could no longer withstand the violent force surging within him and fainted. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed by the time he woke up again. All he could feel was dampness and warmth on his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw the Koo-chee beast licking his face.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee¡­¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast appeared thrilled to see him awake and started running circles around him.


    Xiao Chen sat up and tried circulating his energy. To his surprise, not only did his cultivation had returned to the Nascent Soul Realm, but it was even a level higher. Even his Divine Sense had become much clearer. He suddenly recalled what the Apostate of Heaven XVII, Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane said. Dying was for the sake of reaching nirvana. Only when one died once, could one genuinely enter the Nirvana Realm and forever break away from the life-and-death restrictions of the Natural Law.


    Could he¡­ Could he have genuinely entered the Nirvana Realm?!


    The thought was fleeting because, in the next second, the entire Devil Repressing Tower began to shake violently. He felt like he could hear a terrifying voice coming from deep within the ground. ¡°Devil? Inner Demon? Whence come the Immortals, Demons, Buddhas, and Devils?!¡±


    The quaking worsened, and space threatened to collapse. Overhead, quite a few crushed stones were beginning to fall. The group of demons was so frightened that they scrambled to run, all looking for a refuge. Xiao Chen stretched his hand, pulled the Koo-chee beast into his embrace, and shrouded it with a gentle power. He then put up a Barrier of True Energy above his head to protect himself from the stones.


    Shortly after, he heard a wizened voice sighing outside. ¡°The heart is born with all kinds of devils. When the heart dies, all kinds of devils perish too. Why bother clinging onto your obsession?¡± The moment the voice resounded, tranquility fell on the space and ended the quaking. The voice underground vanished along with it.


    It took a long while before Xiao Chen recovered his senses. He gently put down the Koo-chee beast. There were as many experts in this world as there were clouds in the sky, he thought. The mysterious existence underground and the old monk speaking earlier were likely incredibly powerful cultivators that shouldn¡¯t remain in the Human World.


    But the existence of such a terrifying old monk at Wuyin Monastery also meant that it would be even harder for him to leave this tower.


    For some reason, he had an inexplicable feeling about the faint voice from deep underground. He looked in the direction of the Barrier opening. He wanted to go down there and take a look at himself.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast kept shaking its head and ran up to Xiao Chen with his sword. ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. So the Koo-chee beast had gone down to the sixth floor to recover his sword while he was unconscious. He laughed and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Koo-chee.¡± However, he was determined to go down there and take a look.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Boohoo¡­ Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The beast continued to shake its head. It was beginning to get angry.


    Xiao Chen squatted down and chuckled. ¡°Relax, Brother Koo-chee. My cultivation is back. I¡¯ll be fine. Why don¡¯t I wait a few more days before going down?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast contemplated this for a long while before nodding.


    The next few days saw Xiao Chen interrogating the Siberian weasel demon about the kind of demons and monsters being imprisoned on the floors above. The weasel demon was so frightened by his cultivation that he shivered all over. He slapped himself on the face and cried, ¡°It¡¯s this lowly demon¡¯s fault for not recognizing your greatness. Please forgive me for offending you before, Great Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Spare me the nonsense. I¡¯m asking you a question. What kind of demons and monsters are imprisoned above?¡±


    Seeing that Xiao Chen appeared to have let him off, the Siberian weasel demon whispered, ¡°Great Immortal Xiao, those demons and monsters up there are simply formidable. On the eighth floor is a thousand-year-old Tree Demon, on the ninth is the Old Demon of the Black Mountain.¡±


    Xiao Chen fell silent while Koo-chee beast ran circles around him. When the Siberian weasel demon saw the creature, he bowed with his hands in front of him and said with a laugh, ¡°It¡¯s this lowly demon¡¯s fault for not recognizing your greatness. Please forgive me for offending you before, Great Pig Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo¡­ Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast appeared furious.


    Xiao Chen glanced at the group of trembling demons behind the weasel demon and said loudly, ¡®I¡¯ll find a way to split open the mystic domain here in a few days. When you get out, you cannot harm people, understand?¡±


    The group of demons was elated when they saw that not only was he not killing them, but he was also letting them out. They immediately replied, ¡°Understand! Understand! We won¡¯t ever trouble people again!¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and returned to his spot. Before leaving, he said coldly, ¡°If you want to trouble, trouble those so-called Orthodox sects and families!¡±


    Back under the stone wall, Xiao Chen began falling asleep after six hours. He couldn¡¯t when it was day or night here, nor could he determine if he was dreaming or if his Divine Sense was dissociating from him. Before he knew it, he was already at the ninth floor of hell: the Avici level.


    He saw a cyan-robed prisoner with hair hanging over his face, making it impossible for Xiao Chen to see his face. There appeared to be a sea of Asura evil spirits surrounding him. However, Xiao Chen was unafraid and slowly made his way over to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come here! Don¡¯t come here even if it¡¯s a dream! Your soul will disintegrate! Leave this place! Leave this place¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s warning suddenly woke Xiao Chen from his dream. When he regained consciousness, he found himself covered in cold sweat. That dream was so vivid that he felt that he was there. Moreover, he continued to have an inexplicable feeling about the man that he saw.


    He made up his mind: today, he must personally go down there and check things out!

 Chapter 360 - The Devil on the Ninth Floor (Part 2)

    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast, as if realizing Xiao Chen¡¯s thoughts, ran circles around him.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, my cultivation has been restored. Why don¡¯t you stay up here?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The beast kept shaking its head, indicating that it was coming along. Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Alright. You should be fine if you¡¯re careful.¡±


    The pair of human and beast once again entered the underground levels of the tower. When they passed by the third floor, the man chained to the large pillar was still going berserk. ¡°Kid! Hurry up and undo my seal! I¡¯m the Devil King that dominates the Three Realms! When I get out, I promise I¡¯ll make you my general!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re the Devil King, then I¡¯m the Devil Emperor,¡± Xiao Chen muttered. He ignored the man and returned to the sixth floor.


    The Great Devil imprisoned on the sixth floor detected his aura at once, as well as his much greater strength. He said coldly, ¡°Huh, did you come for revenge, kid? You can try it! Hahaha¡­¡± A flurry of wind whizzed toward Xiao Chen but with a stretch of his hand, he instantly produced a Barrier that blocked the incoming force.


    The Great Devil was dumbfounded. This kid had gotten far stronger, he thought. Xiao Chen composed himself before removing the Barrier. Even though his cultivation was back, he wouldn¡¯t provoke the man with words. He saluted the devil and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby. Please forgive me if I disturbed you.¡± He didn¡¯t stick around and made a beeline for the Barrier opening leading to the seventh floor with the Koo-chee beast.


    ¡°Wait! Kid, what are you doing? Are you going downstairs?¡± The Great Devil suddenly stopped him.


    Stunned, Xiao Chen turned around. ¡°Do you know the prisoner on the ninth floor? If you do, I hope you¡¯ll tell me who it is.¡±


    This time, the Great Devil fell into contemplation and only raised his head after a long while. He looked a lot less overbearing than before as he replied solemnly, ¡°When I was imprisoned here seven hundred years ago, he was already here. Every time he wakes up, I would feel very ill at ease. I have once dominated the world, but he¡¯s the only one who has ever made me feel so insecure. Kid, I advise you not to dig your own grave!¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for your information.¡± Xiao Chen saluted him before continuing to walk to the Barrier opening with the Koo-chee beast.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The man¡¯s warning seemed to have made the Koo-chee beast hesitate. But it didn¡¯t take long before it ran past the Barrier and opened a nick in it.


    Xiao Chen indeed had no idea where this Koo-chee beast came from. Not even he could easily shatter such a Barrier, but the creature could effortlessly do so, regardless of Barrier.


    The evil Qi on the seventh floor was incredibly dense, and the grim bawling and wailing never stopped resounding. Xiao Chen could feel his scalp tingling. There were numerous devils imprisoned on this floor. Even though these fiends weren¡¯t as strong as the Great Devil on the sixth floor, they prevailed in terms of numbers.


    Meanwhile, the eighth floor was vacant. Xiao Chen could faintly hear the sound of dripping water in the distance. Even though no devils were imprisoned on this floor, he felt incredibly stifled. This feeling appeared to have originated from the ninth floor¡ªthe Avici level.


    When they arrived in front of the opening of the Barrier of the ninth floor, the Koo-chee beast started yelping nonstop. Xiao Chen looked at it. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Brother Koo-chee. No matter what happens later, all you have to do is take cover behind me.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded. Then, it ran into the Barrier, only to be bounced back with a small yelp. It rolled a few times on the floor.


    ¡°Wuu¡­ Koo-chee¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep calm, Brother Koo-chee.¡± Xiao Chen helped the beast up. The Barrier of the ninth floor was far stronger, he thought. ¡°Brother Koo-chee, let¡¯s work together and split open this Barrier.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The beast nodded.


    The pair of human and beast started working together to break the Barrier. It took them fifteen minutes to finally make a small gap in the Barrier. The creature slipped in, with Xiao Chen slowly crawling through. Once he was inside, he felt that inexplicable feeling again. Once again, he wondered about the identity of the prisoner on the ninth floor.


    The further he went down the tower, the stronger that feeling became. Moreover, Xiao Chen could feel the powerful energy coming from a seal. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the end of the steps, and what he saw shocked him to the core!


    In the distance was a Buddhist altar. The exterior of the altar was shrouded in layers of mystic arts glowing in gold. From the looks of it, there were at least twenty or thirty layers of such strong mystic arts. In the middle of the altar was a cyan-robed prisoner, the same man that Xiao Chen saw in his dream.


    The man had gold chains, covered in charms, securing all his limbs. The eight ten-feet-tall stone monuments that lined the outer ring of the altar were also covered in countless golden charms. Then outside of them were eight ancient statues of Buddha, with a Buddhist magic tool hovering above each of their heads: Vajra Scepter, Prayer Wheel, Great Buddhist Bell, Bodhi Prayer Beads, Soul Subduing Bell¡­


    The eight ancient statues of Buddha and eight great Buddhist tools unwaveringly suppress the man.


    Xiao Chen felt a jolt in his core. Was that the devil being imprisoned in the lowest level of the Wuyin Monastery¡¯s tower? But who was he? From this angle, Xiao Chen could only barely make out the man¡¯s side-profile. It was a handsome face. Even though imprisoned, even though fast asleep, the man still exuded an aura that disdained the world.


    Who was this cyan-robed man? Why did he give off a familiar, amiable feeling? Right at this moment, the Frigid Jade Pendant resting on his chest trembled.


    Alarmed, Xiao Chen whispered, ¡°Senior Su, are you awake?¡± The restriction the tower posed was tremendous, and Su Xiaomei tended to be dormant year-round. Why would she wake right now?


    The trembling of the Frigid Jade Pendant intensified until Su Xiaomei¡¯s voice emerged from it. ¡°Brother Ning! It¡¯s Brother Ning! I can feel his aura! Brother Ning¡­is here! He¡¯s here. There¡¯s no doubt about it!¡±


    Xiao Ning!


    Xiao Chen was shocked. Could the cyan-robed prisoner be the forefather of the Xiao family in the Human World, Xiao Ning? This piece of news rattled him to the core.


    Su Xiaomei¡¯s voice became increasingly agitated, even carrying a hint of a sob. ¡°It¡¯s Brother Ning! He must be here!¡± she cried and then turned into a wisp of cyan smoke emerging out of the pendant. The smoke slowly formed a human shape.


    ¡°Brother Ning!¡± Su Xiaomei¡¯s tears fell like the rain when she saw how Xiao Ning was imprisoned. She immediately dashed toward him.


    ¡°Senior Su, watch out!¡± Xiao Chen cried. It was also then that Su Xiaomei let out a heart-rendering scream as an incorporeal force in the passage sent her bouncing back and crashing on the steps.


    Xiao Chen swiftly helped her up. Seeing her deathly pale face and nearly translucent body, he knew her soul must have suffered considerable damage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, Senior Su.¡± Xiao Chen turned to look at the passage, where he could faintly see a layer of mystic arts. Those mystic arts were surely not an ordinary Barrier. He helped Su Xiaomei sit on the steps before inching closer to the mouth of the passage.


    On the steps, Su Xiaomei buried her head in her knees and wept. ¡°How can they imprison Brother Ning here? Brother Ning isn¡¯t a devil. He cherishes the world and has never had contact with the Devil Clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee! Wuu¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast walked over to her and gently licked her scalded arm, burned by the mystic arts earlier.


    When Xiao Chen was near the Barrier of mystic arts, he reached out a forefinger and carefully probed it. However, the slightest of touch gave him an electric shock-like sensation throughout his body. A mysterious but powerful force abruptly sent him flying.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Xiao Chen held firmly on his arm. The searing pain nearly contorted his expression out of shape, but it didn¡¯t originate from his left hand. Instead, it was a pain coming from his very soul, a pain that resembled a burning sensation.


    Right now, the forefinger on his left hand was scorched black. As if it had broken off, he couldn¡¯t feel anything with it at all. It didn¡¯t recover until quite some time later.


    An idea came to him, and he started casting several spells. A blood-red charm suddenly hovered in the air. It was the charm containing Ling Fei¡¯s sealed soul.


    Ling Fei¡¯s wailing came from the charm. ¡°Xiao Chen! I curse you to a tragic death! I curse you being betrayed and deserted by your friends! People around you will all die because of you! I curse you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him and cast yet another few spells. He pointed two fingers at the Barrier of mystic arts and swiftly cried, ¡°Go!¡± With a rustling sound, the charm flew toward the Barrier.


    ¡°Ahhh¡ª¡± A blood-curdling scream echoed in the passage as the charm combusted into ashes in an instant. Ling Fei¡¯s soul dispersed into smoke along with it.


    Xiao Chen composed himself. His guess was correct. Object with a soul had no way of crossing the Barrier. It was also now that he understood why those from the Wuyin Monastery would look strange, lower their heads, and start reciting Buddhist scriptures whenever he mentioned Xiao Ning. So they had imprisoned Xiao Ning in this place for more than a thousand years!


    ¡°You said you¡¯d come back for me and we¡¯d live in the prairie in seclusion. We¡¯d breed horses and tend to sheep, paying no mind to the world outside. You promised me¡­¡± Su Xiaomei continued to weep so bitterly that whoever heard her ached for her. Their separation had lasted a thousand years, and she had waited for him for just as long. Yet when they meet again, it was under such circumstances.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart ached too. He couldn¡¯t help looking at Xiao Ning and saw the terrifying sword injury on his chest. An incredibly powerful flying sword must have perforated him. In this world, what other swords beside the ancient sword, Autumn Water, could do that to a Level 6 and above martial artist?


    Xiao Chen pinched his fingers. Back then, under his Master¡¯s orders, Xiao Ning brought a branch of their family to the Human World to pass down the Samsara Jade. When he returned to Violet Manor, the Xiao family there regarded him as a traitor. He fell into a trap and was accused by the Five Major Sects of collusion with the Devil¡¯s Practice.


    Xiao Chen could imagine what it looked like back then. Xiao Ning had wanted to return to the Heartless Frigid Palace to find the severely injured Su Xiaomei but was captured by the Five Major Sects. Xiao Chen could imagine it to be similar to how he was hunted by countless sects that day.


    The savage scene of spilled blood and unending storm¡¯s wailing saw Xiao Chen going against the Five Major Sects alone. He killed countless men, piling their bodies as high as mountains, spilling so much blood that they formed rivers. Yet heavily injured as he had been, he fought until the very last moment, until all his blood ran dry, without ever forgetting his promise to Su Xiaomei.


    However, he was ambushed by a flying sword and was captured by the Five Major Sects. He was ultimately imprisoned under the Devil Repressing Tower, where day and night were indistinguishable. For the past thousand years, he was unable to keep his promise to Su Xiaomei, letting her wait a long and bitter time in the Frigid Palace. Even though her body had died, she refused to let her soul enter the wheel of reincarnation. She continued to wait¡­


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    An explosion sent the entire passage quaking as Xiao Chen punched the stone wall. Hatred filled his expression. ¡°These so-called Orthodox sects and families can never tell black from white. They can never be reasoned with! Senior Xiao Ning, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Even if my body is torn and my bones are crushed, I swear I¡¯ll get you out of here!¡±

 Chapter 361 - Scheming With Demons

    Xiao Chen turned around and gently helped Su Xiaomei to her feet. ¡°Senior Su, don¡¯t be sad. I promise I¡¯ll get Senior Xiao Ning out of here!¡± The restrictions here were too great, he thought. The Barrier wouldn¡¯t let any object with a soul pass through it. The only thing he could do now was to return and find another way.


    Su Xiaomei was still sobbing. She slowly walked up to the entrance of the passage and stared at the sleeping Xiao Ning inside. In a choked voice, she said, ¡°Brother Ning, you have always stood aloof from worldly affairs, yet you fell for a trap¡­¡± Tears began falling from her eyes as she spoke, tumbling down like pearls.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee! Wuu¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast ran up to her and gently nudged her with its head, indicating for her to return.


    In that choked voice of hers, Su Xiaomei said, ¡°You two can go back. I want to stay here and accompany Brother Ning. I want to talk to him once he wakes up¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked inside the passage. With the eight ancient statues of Buddha and eight magic tools dominating Xiao Ning, rare would be the time when he would be conscious. Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know when he would be awake next. Moreover, the Devil Repressing Tower could inflict severe damage to souls. ¡°Senior Su, please listen to me. When Senior Xiao Ning wakes up, what he wants to see most would be you safe and sound, not your current wan and sallow self¡­¡±


    After a lengthy persuasion, Su Xiaomei finally agreed to return to the Frigid Jade Pendant. Back on the second floor, Xiao Chen was in a heavy mood. Su Xiaomei loved Xiao Ning so profoundly that she defied death. For thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years, thousands of thousands of years, what did it matter if the world around them had transformed completely?


    Unfortunately, what did the wooden monks of Wuyin Monastery know about love? They imprisoned Xiao Ning here for more than a thousand years and separated the pair. The more Xiao Chen thought about it, the angrier he became. He got up, pressed two fingers together, and wrote a line of words under the scripture on the wall:


    A lifetime of infatuation, an unconcluded love,


    A lifetime of worldly servitude, yet who has ever shown pity,


    Since there is no mutually beneficial approach in this world,


    Rather betray the world than to betray love!


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath after he finished writing and sat back down on the floor. He exhaled a long sigh. Many spent their entire lives being infatuated with another, yet how many would refuse to reincarnate for their beloved? They would always go their separate ways after reincarnation, who would still remember their once-beloved? Suddenly, he thought of Hua Weiyang. Back then, his soul was sealed. Perhaps Hua Weiyang had also waited for thousands of years¡­


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast¡¯s large eyes stared at him. Xiao Chen forced a smile. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to be a demon than a human. A demon can love and hate freely without caring about the entire world.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded hard.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Xiao Chen chuckled. He then heaved a sigh and started lying on the ground with his hands behind his head. The seal of mystic arts on the ninth floor would intercept any object with a soul. What kind of soul-less object would be strong enough to break the seal? The mystic arts could withstand any external attack so that it could be broken from within. Was there anything so strong¡­


    ¡°Corpse Puppet!¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly sat straight. That was right! Corpse Puppets had no souls so that they could pass the seal of mystic arts. He recalled Yu Yangzi that he met in the Changyin Mountain Range. Yu Yangzi said that the Corpse Refinery Sect possessed a Divine Corpse that became dormant after suffering damage. The Divine Corpse would surely be powerful enough to break the seal!


    But the thought quickly died in his mind. Never mind whether he could steal a Corpse Puppet from the Corpse Refinery Sect, it was a significant problem in itself whether he could leave this place.


    Xiao Chen contemplated for a long time. During the past year, he had noticed that the Devil Repressing Tower would replenish its spirit energy every once in a while. Two days before this replenishment would be the time when the tower was at its weakest. The next replenishment would come ten days later, but a monk with fearsome cultivation would be guarding outside. That was the most difficult problem of all.


    Two hours later, he caught hold of the group of small demons that looked up to the Siberian weasel as their leader and interrogated them about the prisoners in the floors above. It turned out that the prisoners up there were comparatively stronger demons, and they were forced to seek refuge on the second floor. On every floor above was a ¡°boss¡± like the Siberian weasel, but all of them swore their allegiance to the Old Demon of the Black Mountain on the ninth floor or thousand-year-old Tree Demon on the eighth floor.


    Xiao Chen decided he would gather the demons¡¯ strength and try to create an opening in the mystic domain of the second floor. He had no plans of asking those devils imprisoned underground. Besides the Great Devil on the sixth underground floor, the rest looked like vicious devils. They would surely go on a rampage as soon as they were let out. The world might come to an end then.


    Once his mind was made, he walked up to the third floor of the tower. From the Siberian weasel¡¯s words, the situation up there was foul, so he didn¡¯t take the Koo-chee beast with him. The Barrier on the passage here wasn¡¯t as strong as the one underground, so he easily split it open. After all, even a small demon in the Foundation Building Realm like the weasel could do it.


    When he arrived at the third floor, Xiao Chen¡¯s vision suddenly brightened. It wasn¡¯t a foul place as the weasel had described, but a place with lush green grass and towering trees with numerous orange-red and bright purple fruits. Under the trees was a carpet of exotic flowers and rare herbs. It was a paradise compared to the rocky terrains on the second floor.


    ¡°Where did a small demon like you come from? Didn¡¯t I ban inferior demons like you from coming up here? You must be courting death for daring to come and steal fruits!¡±


    Two wolf demons emerged from the distance and walked over with a vicious expression. Next to them was a leopard demon covered all over in spots. The leopard demon was alarmed to see Xiao Chen. ¡°Not a demon! It¡¯s a human!¡±


    The moment the wolf demons heard the word ¡°human,¡± their mouths immediately salivated. Xiao Chen, who had his hands clasped behind his back, frowned and reached out with his left hand. An incorporeal force pulled the wolf demon on the right to his hand. He said coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s your boss?¡±


    These demons bullied him when he got here a year ago. He didn¡¯t like them much, so he didn¡¯t bother being polite. His fierce appearance scared the three demons so much that they became speechless. The leopard demon was momentarily dazed before swiftly returning to his original shape and ran off like a bolt of lightning.


    Before long, a menacing Ox-head Monster ran over with a group of demons in tow. The trembling leopard demon hemmed and hawed before saying, ¡°L-Leader, it¡¯s this despicable human! Not only is he here to steal fruits, but he dares to hit us!¡±


    The vicious-looking Ox-head Monster had a scar on his left cheek, two spired horns, large ears, an iron ring between his nostrils, and widened eyes. He glared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Where are you from, kid? How dare you run rampant in the Ox King¡¯s territory!¡±


    Xiao Chen threw the wolf demon to the ground and returned his hand to his back. He glanced at the Ox-King indifferently. ¡°Are you the boss here?¡±


    ¡°Precisely!¡± the Ox-head Monster cried. He ran up to punch Xiao Chen, moving so quickly that wind rose. The whizzing of wind resounded, yet his fist couldn¡¯t move forward when it was a foot away from Xiao Chen¡¯s Body-protection Qi. This alarmed the group of demons.


    Xiao Chen reached out to grab one of his horns and said emotionlessly, ¡°Come with me. I want to see the Tree Demon and Old Demon of the Black Mountain.¡±


    The group of demons turned pale from fright after seeing their leader restrained. The Ox-head Monster yelled, ¡°Release me first!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t make things difficult for him and released his hold. He said placidly, ¡°Follow me.¡± He clasped his hands behind his back and started leading the way.


    This kid seemed pretty capable, the Ox-head Monster thought. Since the kid was trying to provoke Nightshade King and the Old Demon of the Black Mountain, he didn¡¯t mind going with him. He would get a kick out of seeing how Xiao Chen would die.


    The two of them went up to the fourth floor. With the Ox-head Monster following Xiao Chen, the other demons considered him an ¡°ally¡± and didn¡¯t try to stop him.


    They walked up to the eighth floor, where they saw a forest of tall trees in the distance. The roots of every tree seemed intricately linked. Rustling sounds resounded as black vines abruptly emerged from the floor and started winding around Xiao Chen. The Ox-head Monster immediately ran away when he saw this. ¡°N-N-Nightshade King, someone¡­¡±


    A flash of white light cut him off, and the black vines snapped with several jeering noises. The black liquid flowed out of those incisions. The vines trembled and swiftly withdrew.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hands remained resting on his back. The Unsullied Sword, with a faint white glow coating its blade, hovered next to him. He said emotionlessly, ¡°If you have something to say, speak up. Is this how you treat a guest in the Demon Realm?¡±


    Suddenly, the entire floor trembled. An enormous, tall tree with numerous branches and lush leaves appeared in the distance. The whole tree, from its trunk to its branches and leaves, was covered in eyes. It was both strange and terrifying.


    The Ox-head Monster shuddered from fear. He prostrated on the floor and said in a trembling voice, ¡°N-N-Nightshade King, sir¡­¡±


    The enormous tree shook, and a deep, mellow voice came from within its trunk. ¡°Speak up. Why are you so panicked?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Only then did the Ox-head Monster dare to get back on his feet. He then started relaying what Xiao Chen told him on their way here.


    After hearing his explanation, the Nightshade King said, ¡°This is a matter of grave importance. I can¡¯t make the decision. Human youngster, you should meet Old Black.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± Xiao Chen turned around and left. Naturally, the Ox-head Monster went with him. On the ninth floor, all they could hear was loud snoring. Xiao Chen looked up and saw how dim his surroundings were. Someone, or rather something, sat in the distance: a hill.


    The creature, resembling a hill, sat on the floor. He was about two hundred feet tall, and his skin was formed out of lumps of black stones covered in weeds. Next to his legs were a scattered smattering of bones. The person seemed to be asleep as his snoring thundered.


    ¡°O-O-Old Demon of the Black Mountain, sir!¡± The Ox-head Monster forced himself to walk up to the person, risking death in doing so. The Old Demon of the Black Mountain¡¯s body shifted as he yawned. His exhaled breath sent the Ox-head Monster flying by about a hundred feet away.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did someone call me earlier?¡± The Old Demon of the Black Mountain opened his eyes ever so slightly and yawned. His voice was as loud as thunder.


    The Ox-head Monster crawled out of the pile of stones, grimy from filth all over. He carefully walked up to the Old Demon again. ¡°Old Demon, sir, it¡¯s me, Little Ox,¡± he said and began telling him about Xiao Chen¡¯s plan.


    Only then did the Old Demon of the Black Mountain notice Xiao Chen, who was standing some distance away. With a yawn, he said, ¡°You¡¯re quite brave to come to me, kid. When do you plan to act?¡±


    ¡°Ten days later,¡± Xiao Chen said placidly. His hands remained clasped behind his back.


    The Old Demon of the Black Mountain suddenly threw his head back and guffawed. His laughter roared like thunder and wind began to pick up, threatening to turn into a storm. The sound was so loud that the Ox-head Monster¡¯s seven apertures nearly bled. When his laughter died, the Old Demon¡¯s gaze turned cold as he stared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid, do you see the bones under my feet?¡±


    ¡°I do. So what?¡± Xiao Chen replied calmly.


    ¡°These belong to those who come to me, asking to join hands and break out of this tower. None of their cultivation is beneath yours.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as did the position of his hands.


    ¡°So, they were all eaten by me!¡± The Old Demon began to laugh again, the sound inflicting great pain on the Ox-head Monster.


    ¡°So, not only are you rejecting my idea, but also intending to eat me?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± The Old Demon stretched out his enormous hand. ¡°The only reason they were eaten was that they failed to break out of the tower. I thought that they were duping me and ate them for it!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    The Old Demon raised his head and laughed. ¡°So, those who seek my help will have to bow their heads to me three times! Kid, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± Xiao Chen turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 362 - A Chaotic Night

    Chapter 362 A Chaotic Night¡°Wait!¡± The Old Demon of the Black Mountain stretched his hand, yelling for Xiao Chen to stop. Xiao Chen turned around. ¡°Ten days later. Second floor. Whether you come or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    The Old Demon threw his head back and laughed. ¡°Very well, I appreciate your braveness, kid! I¡¯ll forgo the three kowtows!¡± His voice suddenly turned cold. ¡°But if you fail, I¡¯ll still swallow you whole!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply and left in the direction he came in. Behind him, the Ox-head Monster was covered in cold sweat. This kid didn¡¯t even fear the Old Demon of the Black Mountain, he thought. It seemed that Xiao Chen must also be an incredibly vicious person out in the wild.


    Back on the second floor, he found the Koo-chee beast waiting for him at the end of the passage. ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± it cried, running over to him after seeing him return safe and sound. Xiao Chen chuckled and showed the beast his two hands, now filled with four or five orange-red and bright purple fresh fruits. He had conveniently taken them on the third floor on his way back.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast was overjoyed. Some distance away, the Siberian weasel and his group of demons started salivating. ¡°Those are¡­ Lingering Fragrance Fruits. It¡¯s been so long since we had them¡­¡±


    ¡°That reminds me of the time when I was young and just imprisoned here¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at them for a moment before conjuring ten or so of such fruits from his Divine Vessel and tossing them over. The group of demons was stunned and dared not pick the fruit up. On the one hand, they feared the current Xiao Chen. On the other hand, they remembered how they had beaten him up when he first arrived here.


    The Siberian weasel demon drummed up his courage to say, ¡°Um¡­ Great Immortal Xiao, did you meet the Old Demon of the Black Mountain?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t answer. Only after walking more than a hundred feet away, did he turn his head to reply, ¡°Ten days later.¡± Then, he returned to his spot.


    Under the stone wall, Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He felt exhaustion wash over him. Could he pull off the escape successfully this time? This time, the flight wasn¡¯t the only thing he would do. He must return in the future and save Senior Xiao Ning. However, the Old Demon of the Black Mountain implied that their previous attempts at escaping had all failed.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, we¡¯re going to leave this place soon. Will you feel reluctant?¡±


    The Koo-chee beast looked around it with its large, blinking eyes. It whimpered, ¡°Wuu¡­ Koo-chee¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned. Could the beast be genuinely reluctant to leave this tower? He asked, ¡°How long have they imprisoned you here?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee¡­ Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The beast blinked its big eyes and shook its head.


    Xiao Chen sighed. The Koo-chee beast could no longer remember how long it had been¡­ He turned to look at the group of small demons fighting over the fruits, suddenly finding them to be somewhat pitiful.


    The destruction of the Demon Realm forced them into a fate of wandering in the Human World. Yet humans drove them out and hunted them just because they were different. Every year, countless demons died under the might of flying swords, had their Internal Elixirs stolen by immortality-seeking hunters, and callously abandoned by their human lovers after learning about their identity.


    Out of the blue, he noticed a problem. Back in Xianyong Sect, he remembered Perfected Immortal Fengxi mentioning how grim the ancient war. In releasing his Primordial Power, the Demon King accidentally caused the collapse of the Demon Realm and led to the third stage of the Annihilation Times¡ªthe Age of Dharma Decline.


    The five other Realms¡ªthe Human Realm, Ghost Realm, Heaven Realm, Devil Realm¡ªought to have collapsed along with the Demon Realm but ultimately didn¡¯t. The only difference was that cracks appeared between the realms. What happened? Could the rumors be true, that a divine being miraculously saved the living at such a critical juncture?


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± the Koo-chee beast cried, interrupting his train of thoughts. Xiao Chen chuckled and then sighed. These unsubstantial things were better left for another day. He might as well concentrate on figuring out his escape in ten days.


    The next day, he once again went down the ninth underground floor. He clenched his hands as he watched the man sleeping inside and said softly, ¡°Senior Xiao Ning, you must have fallen for the trap while executing my Master¡¯s orders back then. I vow that I¡¯ll get you out of here and right the thousand-year injustice against you even if the price I must pay is my life!¡±


    Xiao Chen had no attachment to the Xiao family in Violet Manor. Still, the man in front of him was the true forefather of the Xiao family in the Human World. Without him, the family in the Human World and by extension, him, wouldn¡¯t exist.


    Over the next few days, Xiao Chen carefully prepared for his upcoming ¡°prison outbreak¡± plan. The demons and monsters on the floors above were busy. Many monsters frequently came down to report the latest progress to him. The Siberian weasel demon also served as the messenger, helping him pass on messages to those above.


    In just a few days, Xiao Chen¡¯s name had become a household name among the demons. After all, he was someone who could get the Old Demon of the Black Mountain to work with him with just a few words. Simultaneously, the world outside was also experiencing significant turmoil.


    A year passed by, numerous significant events happened. Soul-consuming Evil Flowers had blossomed in all parts of the world, many Sect Leaders had gone missing without reason, and the Devil¡¯s sects had been going on a rampage. The terrifying news of them all was the Corpse Refinery Sect teaming up with a deranged Great Devil¡ªa lone-wolf who claimed that he was trapped in the Human World for a thousand years after being entrapped¡ªto attack thousand-year-old ancient sects. No one was strong enough to hold them off.


    Meanwhile, countless Orthodox seniors had worked together to seal the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura. The damage in Spiritual Meridians that Tianyuan City suffered one year ago had led to the sharp decline of spirit energy and the withering of many plants in a range of several hundreds of miles.


    Numerous ancient sects and clans that had lain in seclusion for many years sent their disciples outside to temper themselves through experience. This led to a meteoric rise in many youngsters, and many achieved the real Nascent Soul Realm, surpassing the older generation in numbers. Turbulent times were upon the Violet Manor, and unrest was near. Many in the older generation could feel that the first stage of the Annihilation Times had truly arrived.


    Even more shocking was the numerous sightings of auspicious signs or falling of Heavenly Punishments in the five continents in recent days. Rumors had it that someone had ascended to the Grand Completion Realm and achieved immortality. In nearly a thousand years, no one had ever heard of anyone capable of pulling off such a stunt, yet these had been happening at an alarming rate.


    Recently, a shocking piece of news went round the East Continent with the speed of an inferno ravaging the prairie and reached the other continents in just a few days.


    No one knew who spread the rumor that an extraordinary treasure from the previous Cultivation Era was about to appear in Wuyin Monastery. The treasure was said to contain the secret to the destruction of the last era. Some even said that those who obtain the treasure would get the world, command the outstanding heroes of the world, and demand absolute loyalty from them.


    The sudden chaos summoned countless independent cultivators from all over the world to Huai Prefecture. There were even those from the Demon Race among them. The Reminiscence Town was so packed that not even one drop could trickle through. Every tavern was full, including those in several neighboring towns. Many people set up tents under the Karmaless Mountain to watch the emergence of the extraordinary treasure.


    Of course, there were scores of cultivators whose verbal disagreements erupt into brawls. Every day, blood would spill. It put everyone else in deep unease. Commoners kept their doors and windows tightly closed, not daring to step out of their houses. Many monks of Wuyin Monastery also came down from the mountain to quell the rumors, but their efforts were in vain.


    Days slipped past. More and more people gathered at Reminiscence Town. By the time the ninth day rolled around, it was the fifteenth day of the third month, a day with a gentle breeze and a bright moon. The radiance from the luminous moon spanned a thousand miles, stretching boundlessly on. Flames flickered on the Karmaless Mountain in tight, uncountable clusters.


    ¡°The extraordinary treasure is going to emerge tonight! Who knows, the truth behind the end of the previous era may be unveiled tonight!¡± someone in the crowd yelled.


    One person relayed this piece of news to ten, ten to a hundred until a commotion rippled throughout the Karmaless Mountain. Countless men started running up to Wuyin Monastery, either on their flying swords or beast mounts. The monastery was fated to have a restless night. No monk there was asleep, and neither was anyone hitting the Chinese temple block. All of them guarded the entrance of the Daxiong Hall with Dharma rods in their hands, afraid that the mob would destroy their thousand-year-old monastery.


    More and more ran up the mountain, making unending clamor. Many tried to take advantage of the crisis to steal scriptures and cultivation methods from the Scriptures Hall. Out of the four Great Divine Monks, only Xuangui, Xuanji, and Xuanle remained. The one with the highest Dharma cultivation, Abbot Xuantong, was still recovering in seclusion after being tainted by the devil a year ago.


    ¡°Monks! Hurry up and hand over the extraordinary treasure! That¡¯s considered a heritage of the previous Era! Your Wuyin Monastery shouldn¡¯t dream of keeping it to yourselves!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that followers of Buddha must give up greed, anger, and obsession. How can you monks hog the extraordinary treasure! Hurry up and hand it over!¡±


    ¡°You monks are so shameless! We want to take a look, not take a blade of grass from your monastery! How can you be so miserly?¡±


    The impassioned mob made a ruckus as more and more people joined them on the mountain. Master Xuanji put his hands together. ¡°Amitabha. That¡¯s good enough. I ask that all benefactors here do not trust the rumors you hear. Monks are not liars. There is no extraordinary treasure that you speak of here¡­¡±


    ¡°You big-eared monk! You¡¯re sure full of nonsense! We saw with our own eyes how an auspicious sign descended on the Karmaless Mountain a few days ago! How can it be fake?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, exactly! Monks! Hurry up and show everyone the extraordinary treasure!¡±


    The clamor refused to die down as everyone became even more agitated. Xuanji exchanged looks with his fellow two Divine Monks. The minor monks behind them gripped their Dharma rods even tighter, their guard raised. They couldn¡¯t step forward and expel these people, for they weren¡¯t Taoist cultivation sects. Followers of Buddha must show courtesy to people with an open heart. In particular, there were so many of them here. In the event of a conflict and shedding of blood, they would genuinely have committed the greatest sin.


    Suddenly, the Big Dipper in the sky moved, and the bright moon gradually ascended to the culmination point. A pillar of light descended, shrouding the monastery¡¯s rear mountain. The crowd immediately cried out in surprise. ¡°The extraordinary treasure is here! The extraordinary treasure is here! On the rear mountain! Everyone, let¡¯s go and take a look!¡±


    A commotion broke out in the crowd as everyone frantically ran toward the rear mountain. Countless men also made their way over on their flying swords. Master Xuanji was alarmed. ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s the Devil Repressing Tower!¡± He turned to Xuangui and Xuanle and said, ¡°Senior Brother, Junior Brother, guard this place. I¡¯m going to the Devil Repressing Tower!¡± He immediately transformed into a golden light and flew toward the rear mountain.


    Noises and flickering flames filled the entire Karmaless Mountain. Right now, two stood firmly on a tree crown on the top of a mountain ten miles away. Their clothes rustled in the wind. One of them wore a purple-white long gown and a purple-golden gourd around the waist. His pupils were as red as fire. The other had a carved feather fan in hand. His face was as delicate as a piece of white jade, and his clothes were so pristine that they seemed untouched by dust.


    ¡°Brother None-flower, this Magnificent Moonlight deserves its reputation indeed. To think it can gather moonlight.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Then, Red-eyed, how do you plan on thanking me?¡±


    ¡°Forget the thanks. I think it¡¯s time to make our move. Watch out for the janitor monk under the tower.¡±


    The two of them propelled themselves forward on their toes and instantly vanished into thin air, leaving behind only several leaves floating in the air.


    Right now, the demons had gathered on the second floor of the Devil Repressing Tower. This included the thousand-year-old Tree Demon, the Nightshade King, Old Demon of the Black Mountain, a few other old monsters, and the smaller demons. With Xiao Chen as the leader, the group of demons merged their powers and concentrated it on one spot.


    The clamor outside was gradually getting louder, and the entire tower was beginning to rock as well. The howling of countless vicious devils underground erupted. ¡°Let me out! Let me out¡­¡±


    The Siberian weasel demon was startled. He got so frightened that his legs began trembling. In a shaking voice, he said, ¡°Bad news, Great Immortal Xiao! Did those damned monks find out? The old monk outside is a terrifying force¡­¡±


    Frowning, Xiao Chen refocused his attention. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Right now, we can¡¯t withdraw the demon power, or everything will be in vain!¡± He pressed two fingers together and increased the output of his True Energy, focusing a light beam at the stone wall in front of him.


    He, Nightshade King, and the Old Demon of the Black Mountain were the strongest ones here. The other demons would only be useful if they merged their powers and direct it at the stone wall.


    It was right at this moment that Xiao Chen detected a very familiar aura.

 Chapter 363 - Wentians Magic Power

    Before long, the hall in front of the Devil Repressing Tower had drawn countless independent cultivators. Everyone looked up, staring at the pillar of moonlight aiming at the apex of the tower. The extraordinary treasure must be hidden here, they thought. One of them yelled, ¡°The extraordinary treasure is inside! Let¡¯s overturn the tower!¡±


    The crowd pulled out their flying swords and magic treasures and started striking the tower. However, the tower didn¡¯t move in the slightest. Someone noticed the eighteen statues of Arhat under the tower and cried, ¡°Eighteen Arhats! Push them over first!¡±


    They started destroying the eighteen statues of Arhat, with twenty to thirty people targeting a figure each. The monks rushed over in a panic. Master Xuanji¡¯s expression took a disastrous turn. ¡°Stop, all of you! You¡¯ll cause a great disaster!¡±


    However, everyone was so focused on the extraordinary treasure that his warning couldn¡¯t reach them at all. It was at this moment that two silhouettes descended from the sky¡ªYi Tong and None-flower Dust. Master Xuanji pointed at them, speechless. ¡°You! YOU!¡±


    Yi Tong chuckled. He imbued his voice with energy and yelled at the tower, ¡°Brother Xiao, are you inside?¡±


    Inside the tower, Xiao Chen immediately knew that Brother Yi had come to save him. Overjoyed, he yelled back, ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± He quickly understood what was going on when as he recalled all that clamor about some extraordinary treasure hidden in the tower. He yelled, ¡°Brother Yi, I found so many ancient cultivation methods and strange, extraordinary treasures! Come in quick and give me a hand!¡±


    The morale of the group of demons inside got a boost after so many helpers came from outside. They started putting all their effort into directing their collective demonic energy at the stone wall. The only exception was the Koo-chee beast, which continued to blink its large eyes. ¡°Koo-chee¡­ Wuu¡­ Koo-chee¡­¡±


    When the independent cultivators outside heard that there were indeed treasures inside the tower, their efforts doubled. Many of them even relayed the information to other cultivators under the mountain via Faraway-voice Transfer. In no time at all, more people made their way to the Devil Repressing Tower on flying swords.


    Yi Tong laughed cheerfully. ¡°Of course! Brother Xiao, keep calm! I¡¯ll be there shortly! Oh, but let¡¯s get this straight. Whoever who snatches the treasure gets to keep it! No arguments about it!¡± he said, all while blocking Master Xuanji¡¯s Mace of Exorcism with one palm.


    The hall fell into a complete state of chaos. Seven or eight statues of Arhat had already fallen. The Devil Repressing Tower continued to rock and looked as if it was going to collapse at any time. It was right at this moment that a wizened sigh came from the distance. ¡°Since you came here on your accord, you should leave on your accord as well¡­¡±


    Toward the end of his sentence, a storm swept the place and sent countless independent cultivators flying. What greeted them was the sight of a thin, bearded old monk dressed in plain clothes, strolling toward them. In an instant, a powerful aura shocked everyone present to the core and stupefied them into not daring to take any reckless action. The cultivators flying over from all directions were stagnant in the air. As if frozen by an incorporeal force, they could move no longer.


    Master Xuanji composed himself before yelling, ¡°Senior Quechen!¡±


    It was the monk sweeping the grounds, Zen Master Quechen. He sighed and flicked his sleeves at the quaking Devil Repressing Tower. ¡°Quiet,¡± he muttered, and the tower moved no more. Inside the tower, Xiao Chen and the other demons were forced backward by more than ten feet. The force even sent some of the weaker demons flying.


    Outside the tower, Zen Master Quechen looked at Yi Tong and None-flower Dust. ¡°The Spirit Silence Room and the Human Realm don¡¯t meddle in each other¡¯s affairs. Your unannounced presence here today truly makes things difficult for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Report!¡± a little monk suddenly cried, running over in a panic. ¡°Bad news, Master! The crowd is forcing its way into the Dharma Hall and Pavilion of Scriptures¡­¡±


    Master Xuanji turned pale. Both of those places contained a library of the monastery¡¯s most profound cultivation methods. If they were uncovered by outsiders tonight and used as blackmailing material in the future, how could Wuyin Monastery stand tall anymore? Inside the Pavilion of Scriptures were numerous classics, the only one left of their kind in this world. If they were damaged tonight, their loss would be unmeasurable!


    Zen Master Quechen sighed. ¡°Forget it. Take the disciples with you and leave this to me.¡±


    Master Xuanji bowed and led all the disciples to the front of the mountain without another word. Zen Master Quechen once again turned to look at Yi Tong and None-flower Dust. ¡°Do you two plan on leaving on your own, or do you plan on a long stay in the monastery?¡±


    His aura was so dominant that it rendered Yi Tong and None-flower Dust speechless. Xiao Chen¡¯s voice erupted from within the tower. ¡°Brother Yi, are you alright?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Yi Tong replied with great difficulty. He started casting a spell with both hands. The purple-golden gourd hanging around his waist rose up the air and began expanding in size.


    Zen Master Quechen¡¯s expression changed, but he was one step too late in stopping it. ¡°Thump!¡± The gourd exploded, giving rise to the incessant wailing of demons and a sudden storm. Dark clouds gathered, covering the moon, and an overwhelming Devil Qi soon enveloped a range of ten miles. One could faintly hear an overcast voice saying, ¡°The wailing of eight thousand devils quakes the Three Realms and sends hundreds of thousands of Gods and Buddhas running for the Western Paradise!¡±


    Under the weight of such potent Devil Qi, everyone had a hard time breathing. Both Nascent Soul Realm and Nirvana Realm cultivators could feel a force that was unprecedented in its magnitude. This Devil Qi was as powerful as it was upright and was not contaminated by the slightest hint of evil influence.


    The vicious devils imprisoned under the Devil Repressing Tower were shaken to the core. They had been howling and wailing without care earlier, but they were now as quiet as officials who were meeting their sovereign. That deranged devil on the third floor was silent, too afraid to declare himself the Devil King.


    Outside the tower, Zen Master Quechen¡¯s face was drenched in cold sweat. He rapidly recited a spell so that a layer of golden glow coated his body, helping him ward off this powerful Devil Qi. Yi Tong looked pale but continued to cast spells nonetheless. Suddenly, a gloomy voice once again came from inside the gourd. ¡°Glorious Blaze of the Five Aggregates!¡±


    When five streams of black fog swirled and charged at Zen Master Quechen, his expression fell. He swiftly chanted, ¡°Four Elements of Vanity!¡± A layer of Great Dharma mystic arts immediately covered his body.


    However, when those five streams of black fog struck him, his face turned a frightening shade of white and his forehead became beaded with sweat. His entire body seemed to have become ignited with the fire of karma.


    The Glorious Blaze of the Five Aggregates was the last and the worst hardship out of the eight sufferings in life as prescribed in Buddhism. The Five Aggregates, also known as the Five Skandhas, included form, sensation, perception, mental formation, and consciousness. Once one clings onto these five aggregates, one would burn by the fire of passion and experience seven hardships before reincarnation: growing old, dying of illness, condemnation, hatred, regret, separation from loved ones, now getting what is wanted. All of these could sink one in the sea of suffering forever. To followers of Buddha, this was an incredibly harmful matter.


    This skill was indeed an attack designed to pull the Buddhist cultivators into the dark side. In terms of malevolence, it was second to none.


    Yi Tong immediately cried, ¡°Brother None-flower, quick! I¡¯m keeping this monk occupied!¡±


    None-flower Dust said no more. He swiftly cast a magic spell and conjured a light beam directed at the second floor of the tower. He yelled to the crowd behind him, ¡°The extraordinary treasure is inside! What are you waiting for?¡±


    While some of the independent cultivators still didn¡¯t dare to move, the others threw all caution to the wind and started charging ahead.


    Inside the tower, Xiao Chen noticed that a gap was about to open up in the mystic domain. He immediately yelled, ¡°Everyone, all together now! Focus your power!¡±


    The demons, both powerful and weak, focused their demonic energy on the stone wall under the leadership of Xiao Chen, Nightshade King, and the Old Demon of the Black Mountain. Moments later, a mass of primal chaos the size of a bowl appeared. The demons cried, ¡°It¡¯s open! It¡¯s open! Just a little bit more!¡±


    Outside the tower, sweat was raining down Zen Master Quechen¡¯s face. His entire body felt like it was set on karmic fire. For all the profound Dharma skills he possessed, he could do nothing with them when restrained by the magic power in Yi Tong¡¯s gourd. Suddenly, he moved his hands and conjured a string of golden prayer beads out of thin air. He swung the beads at the tower, and the bowl-sized primal chaos on the second floor was immediately sealed.


    None-flower Dust and the rest could feel their strength getting sapped. The demons were startled when they saw the primal chaos they opened after much difficulty close up again. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Once again!¡±


    The demons unleashed their full power, and fifteen minutes later, a bowl-sized mass of primal chaos once again appeared on the stone wall. Outside the tower, it was evident that None-flower Dust and the others were almost running out of strength. Yi Tong¡¯s overexertion was particularly severe, and his face was a frightening shade of white. With his current cultivation, he couldn¡¯t yet fully control the gourd¡¯s magic power.


    Finally, thirty minutes later, the primal chaos on the wall stone was fully open. The opening was about five feet tall. The demons immediately filled in and charged out of the tower. The Old Demon of the Black Mountain grinned. ¡°Thank you, Little Brother!¡± His body shrank and transformed into a black mist. Then, along with Nightshade King, he flew outside as well.


    The loss of two great powers in the collective demonic energy placed an immense burden on Xiao Chen. The primal chaos gradually shrank until it was only one foot tall. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer, he cried, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, run out now!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee shook its head. It jumped onto his shoulder, wanting to leave this place with him.


    Clenching his teeth, Xiao Chen used all of his strength to transform into a white light and charged into the primal chaos. The primal chaos closed in the next second. Fortunately, both he and the Koo-chee beast had successfully made it out. Now that he was in the outside world, he felt as if he was reborn again. But when he took in what was going on, he cried out in alarm, ¡°Brother Yi!¡±


    None-flower Dust stopped using his power when he saw that Xiao Chen was out, safe and sound. Yi Tong replied, ¡°Leave first! I¡¯ll stall this old monk and follow shortly!¡±


    ¡°Brother Yi!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast kept shaking its head.


    None-flower Dust swiftly made his way over to Xiao Chen and tugged on his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He rose up the sky and disappeared along the horizon.


    Yi Tong chuckled after seeing his two friends made a safe escape. ¡°Master Quechen, I¡¯m not going to stay here for long after all. Farewell!¡± He put away his gourd, transformed into a purple light, and disappeared to go after Xiao Chen and None-flower Dust.


    Inside the Zen Temple, it took a long time for Zen Master Quechen to calm down. His face, however, remained pale and unsightly. His forehead was beaded with sweat. Master Xuanji and the others were only finally arriving outside the temple.


    ¡°The Dharma Hall and Pavilion of Scriptures are fine! Are you alright, Senior Quechen?¡±


    Zen Master Quechen eased his breathing while staring in the direction that those three had run away in. He said solemnly, ¡°Devil King Wentian¡¯s magic power is indeed extraordinary.¡±


    The little monks were speechless. Master Xuanji sighed and replied, ¡°It¡¯s true that we couldn¡¯t have kept him for long anyway. Fortunately, the devils under the tower are still imprisoned, especially the one on the ninth floor. Sigh, these two¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen and his two friends were already a thousand miles away from Huai Prefecture early the next morning. The three of them traveled side-by-side with the rising sun as their backdrop. The official roads were lined with thick, lush trees and fragrant, exotic flowers. Butterflies fluttered among the cluster of flowers, and the faraway sound of running water could be heard. The young leaves of the weeping willows swayed gently in the wind. Peach blossoms trees bloomed magnificently, indicating it was early to mid-April. The beauty of nature had wonderfully showcased the wonders of spring.


    Xiao Chen breathed in the fresh air of the outside world and felt the breeze, carrying a hint of floral fragrance, hitting his face. It brought him incomparable joy. Following him was the Koo-chee beast, filled with curiosity about this new world. Sometimes, it would roll about in the bushes. Sometimes, it would frolic with the butterflies. Seeing this made Yi Tong smile and comment, ¡°This little thing is quite clever. It seems to be very influential.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at the beast, rolling under the bushes and chuckled. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s all thanks to Brother Koo-chee that I wasn¡¯t completely gloomy in the past year.¡±


    None-flower Dust shook his feathered fan and said slowly, ¡°Seven thousand years ago, the Demon King of the previous Era accidentally destroyed the entire Demon Realm when using his Primordial Power. Later on, the King himself went missing¡­¡±


    The three of them were conversing when twelve silhouettes appeared out of thin air and stood in front of them.

 Chapter 364 - The Past Like a Dream

    ¡°My Lord, your subordinate is here!¡±


    The 12 figures that had suddenly appeared were the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. Xiao Chen stunned, said, ¡°You¡­¡± Suddenly he felt warmth in his heart¡ªit had to be them who had gone to find both Yi Tong and None-flower Dust.


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast ran up, and it blinked at the 12 people who suddenly appeared in front of it.


    ¡°Lord, you have suffered¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er choked as she looked at Xiao Chen in front. She had not seen him for a year and could see the vicissitudes he had been through on his face.


    Xiao Chen smiled and shook his head gently, ¡°Didn¡¯t suffer.¡± Now, at this moment, his hair had grown much and scattered over his shoulders, his eyes were not as sharp as before, his mouth was full of beard, and he looked more mature.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Yi Tong looked up, laughed and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s a restaurant 1,500 meters in front; let¡¯s do Brother Xiao¡¯s welcoming meal there!¡±


    The group of people walked 1,500 meters and saw smoke. There were several houses built next to the road. They were about two floors. The main body was made of wooden boards. In this mountain, it was also able to shelter the rain for the travelers.


    Although it was early in the morning, the mountain was full of birds, and the bistro was busy. A breeze came with an aromatic liquor scent. Yi Tong took a deep breath, laughed and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t see that it¡¯s just a tiny bistro in the rural, the alcohol here is not inferior to the Golden Brews in the royal manor of the capital.¡±


    The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon did not enter the bistro while the three went in. The bistro owner who was wearing a blue and white robe immediately greeted warmly, ¡°Hey! Master Yi Tong, Master None-flower, long time no see!¡± Then he looked at Xiao Chen and asked, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! My surname is Xiao.¡± Xiao Chen bowed and smiled.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s Master Xiao! Hurry up! Please go upstairs!¡± The bistro owner was very enthusiastic and then he waved at the waiter who was busy in the tea room and said, ¡°Zhuangzi! Stop with what you¡¯re doing! Hurry up and bring the three Masters 10 jars of Fallen Mulberry Wine!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    The three went up to the second floor and took the table near the window. The Koo-chee beast also ran up. The breeze outside the window blew, with the fragrance of grass and trees. Xiao Chen stared at the distance, in his sight was the range of mountains and the white fluffy clouds, and suddenly, he felt unfamiliar with this world.


    The wines were served fast, and the three people drank carefreely and threw away those unhappy things behind their heads. Xiao Chen downed a glass and asked, ¡°Oh yea, I¡¯ve been in the tower for a year, I don¡¯t know how it is outside. Anything happened recently?¡±


    Yi Tong put down his wine glass and said, ¡°About half a year ago, the Devils¡¯ sects had frequent activities. Many Sect Leaders of the Orthodox Path had gone missing for no apparent reasons. I don¡¯t know if this is related to the Devils¡¯ sects .¡± Then he filled the wine glass.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing!¡± Xiao Chen put down his glass of wine, and his look suddenly became stern.


    None-flower Dust fed himself a fennel bean, as he chewed, he said slowly, ¡°Brother Xiao, if I remembered correctly, once you didn¡¯t care about your own life and removed a devil head called Guan, something ancestor, right? But none of those Orthodox Path sects remembered it, and as for how they treated you a year ago, you should know very well?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s frowning brows gradually loosened and he smiled. Yes, everyone wanted him dead back in Tianyuan City. Now, whether they were to die or to be alive, why would that be his business?


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast glared blinked its pair of big eyes and nodded. Yi Tong chuckled. ¡°It seems that this little guy thinks more thoroughly than Brother Xiao. Come, little guy, cheers.¡± Then he handed it a wine glass.


    The Koo-chee beast blinked and licked the wine twice then spat everything all over Yi Tong¡¯s face.


    The three laughed, None-flower Dust picked up the jar and filled the empty cups and said, ¡°I¡¯m a lone wolf who never care about the Orthodox Path or the Devil¡¯s Practice. A pot of wine in the flower field, whoever drinks with me is my friend.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and picked up the wine glass. ¡°To the two friends!¡± He could not help but think of Master Ling Yin. Master never let himself drink alcohol nor did she allow him to make friends with fair-weather friends of the world. But who knew? In the end, it was these two ¡°fair-weather friends¡± who saved him in the crisis.


    The three laughed and chatted about everything in the world. They drank from the early morning to the afternoon. In between, Xiao Chen asked None-flower Dust about how Gui Xian had been doing and learned that Gui Xian had been eager to gain a suitable body, and since the last time he was found by the subordinates of the Administration of Heaven, he would not stay in the same place for more than a month.


    When it was near 3 p.m., Yi Tong paid the bill for the wines. The three went outside, and as they reached the intersection of three crossings, it was the time to part. Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°There are no never-ending banquets in the world, and the three of us shall say goodbye here. ¡±


    Xiao Chen hugged his fists and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll invite you two to drink again!¡± Yi Tong looked up, laughed and said, ¡°The gentleman¡¯s promise, can¡¯t be bought over easily, deal!¡±


    None-flower Dust said, ¡°I just happened to be going back to the Xiyue State to play. I¡¯ll take leave now. See you again!¡± Then he leapt, and flew away, only to hear a poem being recited from afar, ¡°The sword rises from the sky and dreams are broken; the flowers bloom for another year, and look at the turmoils for 800 years, who is that person in the world? Only me, None-flower Dust¡­¡± The final song and the shadows disappeared together.


    Before leaving, Yi Tong looked at the Koo-chee beast next to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Little guy, you sure that you don¡¯t want to leave with me? I tell you, you can play with Qing¡¯er, and it¡¯s better than to be with this papaya.¡± ¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast blinked its pair of big eyes and jumped onto Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and went ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee¡± non-stop.


    Xiao Chen chuckled, and he remembered that Xiao Ning was still trapped under the tower and asked, ¡°Oh right, Brother Yi, I wanted to ask, do the puppets that Sister Bai refines have souls?¡±


    ¡°Why did Bother Xiao Brother ask this question? Sister Bai¡¯s Puppet-refining Technique is not skilled yet, and can¡¯t allow the puppets to have its self-sense. You have to add your Soul power in them.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°I see.¡± It would still be necessary to go to the Corpse Refinery Sect to ¡°borrow¡± a Corpse Puppet, he thought.


    Yi Tong laughed and said, ¡°Well, goodbye! See you later!¡± Then he took off his purplish golden gourd, turned it big and sat on top before he flew off. Only could hear him from afar, ¡°Look at the turmoils for 800 years, besides you, None-flower Dust, there¡¯s me as well¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. After the two left, he suddenly felt lonely again. Qingluan went forward. ¡°Lord, where are we going now?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up at the blue sky and white clouds. Now the Orthodox Path could not tolerate him anymore. Heaven and earth are huge, where could be his home? He said, ¡°We¡¯ll walk up and see. Oh right, have you sent Xian¡¯er and Zhiluan back the Human World?¡±


    ¡°Lord, Sister Murong refused to go back no matter what, so I¡¯ve sent her to the Jade Qing Sect a year ago.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed, he could not go back to the Jade Qing Sect anymore. Muxue was taken away by Predecessor Yanluo that day. She should be fine now too.


    They continued to walk until the sunset at dusk. It had probably rained a few days ago. Some mud pits still had water in them. Xiao Chen walked down to the side of the road and sat down next to the water. He quietly watched the reflection in the water, and occasionally there was sword radiance flashing past in the sky, probably some people who were on the road.


    As he thought, looking back on the past, in the past three years, it was like a dream. He had been painstakingly pursuing the traces of his Master and found nothing in the end. Had he neglected too many people around him, Brother Yifeng, Senior Sister Luo¡­


    Bai Ying, if Xiao Chen did not have memories of his past life, he would have already determined that Bai Ying was his only master. Luo Shangyan was the first person he met in Three Pure Sect. Before he studied under Ling Yin in his past life and was bullied by the members of his sect, no Senior Brothers or Senior Sisters stood up for him. As for this life, whenever something went wrong, Luo Shangyan had always stood up for him. He had always regarded Luo Shangyan as the best Senior Sister.


    Yu Yifeng, thinking of Brother Yifeng, Xiao Chen sighed deeply. Brother Yifeng gave himself the Unsullied Sword in hopes that he would not kill too much, but he had disappointed him.


    Murong Xian¡¯er, Murong Xian¡¯er, to him, she was a friend from thousands of years ago, and also his sister, his closest sister.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er, the appointed marriage by the family of this life, however, because of the many misunderstandings, they went farther and farther away from each other, and eventually, they could not go back anymore.


    No matter what, in his heart, there would always be a corner where no one could enter. A memory was sealed in there, engraved with a person¡¯s figure, and that person, was Hua Weiyang.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast blinked at him with its big eyes and interrupted his thoughts. Xiao Chen smiled. At this moment, he heard the sound of the horseshoes in the distance and saw 4 horses coming speedily. As they passed him, ¡°Whoosh!¡±, they stepped on the puddle, splashing him with mud.


    Ziyun¡¯er yelled furiously in that instant, ¡°Are you running to reincarnate!¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Forget it; it¡¯s nothing.¡± Then he thought of Xiao Ning and Su Xiaomei, and smiled bitterly. ¡°The word ¡®love¡¯ is just one word, and there are countless of ancient saints till now, but none of them can explain it.¡±


    Qingluan said, ¡°Not to be rude, ¡®love¡¯ is such as poison or evil spirit, the Lord must not be too attached to it¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, several horses galloped in the distance again. This time, Ziyun¡¯er set up a Barrier that blocked in front of Xiao Chen in advance.


    In less than 30 minutes, nearly 20 horses had galloped passed in the distance, and there were also many sword radiances crossing the sky. Xiao Chen was slightly puzzled. When the next horse rushed up, he went forward and asked, ¡°Hey brother, may I know where you are going in a hurry?¡±


    The horse rider was a bearded guy in the world. He glanced at him and looked at the women in a distant with purple blouses. He asked, ¡°Are you from the Heartless Palace?¡±


    Xiao Chen wrinkled his brows, Heartless Palace was the sect of Xin¡¯er. Was there an accident? He asked, ¡°No, what happened to Heartless Palace you just mentioned?¡±


    That man answered, ¡°You don¡¯t even know this? Did you just arrive from the other continents? Several major sects are besieging the Heartless Palace, saying that it is necessary to eradicate the devil sect. Now, everyone is rushing over to see it.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s whole body shook. He remembered that a year ago, Huangfu Xin¡¯er had helped himself in front of the Orthodox Path sects. It seemed that now that the incident had occurred, eradicating the devil sect was just a facade for going after the Heartless martial arts.


    Then the bearded man took off on his horse. Qingluan went forward and asked, ¡°Lord, are you going?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Chen brought the Koo-chee beast and was about to ride on his sword and in the direction of the Heartless Palace when Ziyun¡¯er said hurriedly, ¡°Lord, please hold!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er held her palms tightly and murmured, ¡°If the two want to forget each other, then they should not bother each other again¡­ the Lord and the Empress Huangfu¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen turned and looked at her, said, ¡°What are you talking about? On that day, she was willing to help me and go against the Orthodox Path. Today she¡¯s in trouble. How can I not go! Besides, even today, if it was Brother Yifeng or Brother Yi or Brother None-flower who¡¯s in trouble, I¡¯ll go too! If it was you who are in trouble, I will go too!¡± Then he stepped on his flying sword and left.


    Qingluan glared Ziyun¡¯er and said, ¡°Talk less like this in the future. If you were in the Xiyue State, you would have already died countless times!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er looked hurt and wronged, she said, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that those sects will set up an ambush again. The Lord is not as scheming as them, so I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll step into the trap of those despicable villains.¡±


    Qingluan spoke no more. She yelled at the 10 people not far away ¡°Follow up!¡± and then turned into a green radiance chasing after Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 365 - The Endangerment of Heartless Palace

    The 12 people caught up with Xiao Chen, and Ziyun¡¯er went forward and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said the wrong words, please forgive me, Lord.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, ¡°This is not close to the Heartless Palace. Even if we traveled through the night, we¡¯ll only arrive tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s go to the town in front to buy some things that can be used to disguise ourselves, and we¡¯ll change our appearances before heading over.¡± ¡°General Guifeng, are you there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± The huge devil figure of Guifeng appeared from thin air. He looked as if it was stronger than a year ago, this was how the General of Soul worked, the stronger the master¡¯s Soul power and the higher the cultivation, the General of Soul would also become stronger and stronger.


    Xiao Chen saw that he was fine. He said, ¡°General, I may have something to bother you with tomorrow.¡± There would be many Nirvana Realm pros in the siege of Heartless Palace, even though his cultivation was a lot higher now, it would still be difficult to handle so many people.


    ¡°Lord, you¡¯re being too polite. I¡¯ll follow the Lord, and fear no death! I¡¯ll take leave first!¡±


    Arriving in the town in front, Xiao Chen bought some things that he could use to disguise himself. He had just escaped from the Devil Repressing Tower. Naturally, he could not show his real face in public. The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon also disguised as men and changed into twelve young men in different costumes.


    They did not make more delays. Immediately after the change-up, they rushed to the Falling Flowers Valley where Heartless Palace was located. They only arrived in the next morning. He once came here with Li Muxue. This time, the stone monument of the four characters ¡°Trespassers will be killed¡± had been smashed into numerous pieces and scattered on the ground.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was heavy, and he immediately rushed into the valley. The last time he came, the birds in the valley were chirping, singing in rhymes, flying swiftly in the air, but this time, corpses were everywhere. There were disciples of the Heartless Palace, and there were disciples of the other sects as well. In those mottled bamboos, 100 over corpses laid and the mottles on the bamboo were stained with blood.


    At this time, an uproar was heard from afar, ¡°Kill her! She¡¯s not worthy as an Empress! Kill her!¡± The voice was from the square of the main hall in the Heartless Palace. Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. Oh no! A footstep, he flew past like a sharp radiance.


    Less than an hour ago.


    The whole Heartless Palace was filled with the sound of killing. Countless Heartless Palace disciples fought against those of the other sects who ambushed them. Some died and some were wounded. Huangfu Xin¡¯er was in the back hall meditating the third level of the Heartless mind cultivation method. Suddenly rapid footsteps were heard coming from the outside, a female disciple covered in blood ran in in a panic.


    ¡°Why so panic.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes remained closed and asked.


    The female disciple¡¯s face was pale, and she had seven or eight swords in her body. She was bleeding profusely. She said hastily, ¡°Bad news, Empress! The sects outside have come in! The Senior Sisters can¡¯t defend all of them, please hurry to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Poom!¡± Not waiting for her words to end, Huangfu Xin¡¯er slammed the ground and stood up. Her body was glowing in red radiances, and her eyes were extraordinarily cold. She said, ¡°They came just right!¡± Then she turned into a red radiance and left the hall.


    In the square, dead bodies and blood were everywhere. The disciples of the Heartless Palace were getting defeated. As those people of the other sects were near the main hall, suddenly dozens of red radiance flashed. The whole square was filled with blood mist in an instant, and the people of each sect immediately cut down by half.


    ¡°Dare to trespass my Heartless Palace, such bravery huh!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes were cold, she slowly landed onto the ground, and waving her red sleeves, she took dozens of lives.


    The rest were scared and started to retreat, and the disciples of the public screamed in unison, ¡°The Empress has come out! The Empress has come out!¡± Their morale soon increased.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, then don¡¯t leave!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er said coldly. She rushed into the crowd, and where the red radiance passed, none stayed alive. Suddenly the bodies were everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.


    At this moment, suddenly two strange radiances appeared in thin air and went at her. Huangfu Xin¡¯er waved her sleeves, blocked off the attack, and said coldly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The figure hung in midair. The man had white hair, dressed in a black robe, and held a skull head crutch. The two strange radiance had come from the eyes of the skull head. He laughed and said, ¡°Haha! When I came here the last time, there aren¡¯t you such a baby girl, right!¡±


    The last time when Xiao Chen came to invite Huashang, it coincided with the suffering of the Heartless Palace. The invaders were Old Monster of Mount Ding, Everlasting Spring Rogue and Depraved Man. The blood of Depraved Man was sucked cleaned by Xiao Chen¡¯s Blood Lotus Demon Blade. Everlasting Spring Rogue was hit into blood mist by Huashang who came out from his meditation in a hurry. In the end, only Old Monster of Mount Ding escaped with the Earth-fleeing Skill. Now, he had the cultivation of the middle stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Looking for death!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er screamed coldly, and she slammed into the air with a palm. In an instant, a red mist went shrouding over Old Monster of Mount Ding. Old Monster of Mount Ding hurriedly resisted, but he was covered by the palm wind. The next moment, he was beaten up and flew away to a distance while vomiting blood.


    Suddenly a blue figure came flying in midair and caught him. The blue figure was also a white-haired old man who dressed in a blue robe. He was followed by a red-robed old man. The red-robed old man looked aloof with his hands behind his back.


    Not far from the two, there was also a white-faced youngster. The youngster looked pretty handsome. His face was like a peach blossom, as though it had been powdered. He wore a pink long gown that was printed with peach petals. He had an evil aura around him and was looking at Huangfu Xin¡¯er with great interest.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er felt that the cultivation of the old man in the blue robe and the old man in the red robe was very high, far beyond Old Monster of Mount Ding. She said coldly, ¡°Say your name.¡±


    The old man in the blue robe laughed. ¡°Heartless Empress, just a year we¡¯ve not met, have you forgotten the old man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dead Wood!¡± This man was the Nirvana Realm cultivator who had appeared in the battle of Tianyuan City a year ago.


    ¡°Never heard before!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er said, and looked coldly at the old man in the red robe, ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°Order of the Divine Fire, Qi Heng.¡± The old man in the red robe was Qi Heng of the Order of the Divine Fire. His hands were still behind his back at this moment as he replied faintly.


    Not far away, the white-faced youngster smiled and said, ¡°Jade-faced Peach Blossoms, Xiao Xiangyu.¡± When he spoke, he continued to look at Huangfu Xin¡¯er without blinking. As if he was looking at an extraordinary beauty of the world, his eyes gradually became passionate.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er glanced at him with a faint gaze, and said coldly, ¡°You three didn¡¯t come a thousand miles just to simply chat with me right!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Dead Wood looked up and laughed, said, ¡°Straightforward! Then I might as well make it. It is said that the relationship between the Heartless Palace and the Devil¡¯s Practice Demon person Xiao Chen is very deep. In front of the Heartless Empress, the old man will not beat around the bush. The Heartless Mystic Skill was passed down from the last era. It should be shared and not kept to yourself alone?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er smiled coldly. ¡°Then we have to see if you three have this ability! Heartless Void Handprint!¡± Suddenly the clear sky became dark and gloomy and a huge bloody handprint appeared in midair and went at Dead Wood.


    Suddenly the wind was raging, and several large trees in the vicinity were directly uprooted and smashed into the distance. The people on the ground felt dizzy and had difficulty breathing. Seeing this sensational handprint, Dead Wood did not dare to underestimate it, and urged the True Energy in his body. When his two palms pushed, he felt numbness on his arms and could not help but move a few steps back.


    One side, Qi Heng supported him, and at the same time, he hit a palm at the bloody handprint. Under the joint force of the two, then they managed to disperse the bloody handprints. At this moment, they thought, ¡°The ancient Heartless Mystic Skill had lived up to its name, and it¡¯s not comparable to ordinary skills.¡±


    Dead Wood squinted and bellowed, ¡°Taixu Three Energy Spell!¡± Suddenly three golden light seals went shrouding over the top of Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Qi Heng waved his sleeve and said, ¡°Sky Incinerating Sun!¡± In that instant, the sky was like a sea of fire, a large piece of hot flames fell, and those unfortunate Heartless Palace disciples who could not escape in time were immediately turned into burnt charcoal.


    Old Monster of Mount Ding hid aside, a sinister look flashed past his face. He quietly lingered behind Huangfu Xin¡¯er, waiting for a time to ambush. However, Huangfu Xin¡¯er suddenly turned, her five fingernails skyrocketed three inches, and slammed on his head, then five bloody blood holes appeared.


    Old Monster of Mount Ding did not even get to scream and even his souls were scattered. He dropped dead to the ground quietly. The people in the distance saw this situation, and they were all shocked.


    ¡°Seven Heartless Slash!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er bellowed coldly, Qi was condensed into a blade, and then the body was divided into seven, slashing at Dead Wood and Qi Heng from all directions.


    The two men quickly defended with their swords, and in this way, the three were deadlocked in the air. Jade-faced Peach Blossoms Xiao Xiangyu who was not far away never attacked, and kept looking at Huangfu Xin¡¯er with interest. ¡°Such iceberg beauty, I, Xiao Xiangyu who bear the name of the prodigal, must marry her,¡± he thought.


    ¡°Hoi!¡± Qi Heng shouted and a huge force burst out, pushing back Huangfu Xin¡¯er. On the skills, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was above them, but on the cultivation, she was beneath them.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er landed onto the ground and took a few steps back. The attack caused an uproar in her body. She suddenly felt pain in her lower abdomen. She was chilling all over her body. Her face suddenly became like a white paper, and she quickly pointed at a few acupuncture points on her abdomen.


    In the distance, Xiao Xiangyu shook his head and smiled. ¡°Tsk tsk, seems to be a virgin¡­¡±


    At this time, suddenly the crowd became noisy in the distance, and a woman in purple clothes came in a hurry. It was Chu Lingjiao. She held Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said hurriedly, ¡°They have already broke in!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er stretched out her hand and said, ¡°You bring people over! Don¡¯t worry about it here!¡± Then she looked coldly at Qi Heng and Dead Wood, wanting to urge the skills again.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Lingjiao said as she pretended to leave. However, a cunning look flashed past her eyes and suddenly with all her efforts, she hit a palm on the back of Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s was caught off guarded, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. She flew out 70 to 80 feet in front before falling on the ground. A cold look flashed in Qi Heng¡¯s eyes, with two fingers together, he condensed an Immortal¡¯s Sword, and ¡°Swoosh!¡±, it went through the clavicle under her left shoulder.


    Another mouthful of blood spurted out of Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She fell to the ground and realized she could no longer urge any True Energy as she wanted. She turned back and yelled, ¡°Illusive-Immortal Incense! Chu Lingjiao! What did you do!¡±


    At this moment, Chu Lingjiao¡¯s face had changed and her lips had become bright red, as though they were blood-stained. Her ten-finger nails had also become dark red. She laughed loudly. ¡°Huangfu Xin¡¯er, can¡¯t you tell what I am doing?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er saw her skills had increased, her face changed and exclaimed, ¡°Where did you learn the Heartless mind cultivation method!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao looked up and smiled. At this time, two Heartless Palace disciples ran over, one holding Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and another pointing at Chu Lingjiao. ¡°Chu Lingjiao! Aren¡¯t you bold! Aren¡¯t you afraid that the old Empress come back and kill you!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao¡¯s eyes were cold, she waved her five fingers and five red radiance flashed. The head of the person who spoke was instantly chopped off. The blood splashed ten feet high. The dozens of remaining disciples of the Heartless Palace were scared and their faces turned pale.


    At this time, hundreds of Heartless Palace disciples appeared in the square. All of them were holding long swords and stood behind Chu Lingjiao.

 Chapter 366 - Imperial Spirit Commander

    The remaining dozens of people over at Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s side saw what was going on and was terrified. One of them said, ¡°Chu Lingjiao! Are you rebelling!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao laughed. She stretched out her hand and picked up a sword stained with blood with telekinesis, and pointed it at Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She said fiercely, ¡°This person, is she worthy to be my Empress of Heartless Palace!¡± Then she looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said, ¡°By seniority, you¡¯re the last to enter the sect, so what qualification do you have to be Empress!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er smiled bitterly, and the disciple of the Heartless Palace next to her glared at Chu Lingjiao and said, ¡°At the beginning, it was the old Empress Huashang who handed over the position to Empress Huangfu personally. She¡¯s qualified or not, it¡¯s not your say! Heartless Palace disciples listen! Take down this rebel!¡±


    However, at this moment, no one dared to go up and take down Chu Lingjiao, and no one could. Chu Lingjiao looked up and laughed. She dared to do this today, and naturally, she was not afraid that Huashang came back.


    After the Seven Sons passed Xiao Chen the skills to deal with Patriarch Guanshan, Huashang knew the end of her days was coming. Because she still had feeling for Senior Brother Qing Chen and had Qi Deviation while cultivating the Heartless Mystic Skills. One could not have feelings while practicing the Heartless Mystic Skills, for every feeling the person had, the lesser the person would live. After that time when she saw Qing Chen again, it reminded her of her past feelings and caused the Heartless Mystic Skill to serious backbite which cut down her lifespan.


    So that time she returned to the Heartless Palace, and passed most of her skills to Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and then declared to her disciples that she was going out to travel. It was just to shock people¡¯s hearts, and let the Heartless Palace serve Huangfu Xin¡¯er wholeheartedly. Also, to make the cultivator from other places afraid of her name and would not come and cause troubles.


    Since she brought Huangfu Xin¡¯er to the Heartless Palace, she had been affectionate towards Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She knew that although there were many disciples in the sect, most of their qualifications were limited, and they were never hurt by love, even if they cultivated the Heartless mind cultivation method, it would be useless. However, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was deeply hurt by love, which made her the perfect candidate to practice the Heartless Mystic Skill.


    At that time, when she forced Xiao Chen to marry Huangfu Xin¡¯er, she had known that Xiao Chen would not agree, so she thought that she might as well use this opportunity to force Xiao Chen to say something harsher for Huangfu Xin¡¯er to hear. By doing that, when Huangfu Xin¡¯er cultivated that Heartless Mystic Skill in future, the achievements of the practice would be far beyond her.


    Later, she placed a Heartless Curse on Xiao Chen, so that the two of them could never be together in the future. In this case, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s accomplishments in the Heartless Mystic Skill could be even higher. In the future, she could expect to ascend to the Heaven Realm. At that time, she would be a Heartless fairy that would be feared by everyone.


    Of course, the First disciple Chu Lingjiao saw everything Huashang did and was jealous. She hid this hatred deep in her heart and waited for the time to mature. Then when Xiao Chen passed her the fourth volume of the Heartless mind cultivation method that he won in the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, she had her first thoughts.


    Later, when Xiao Chen was surrounded by various sects, it was also her who informed Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She knew that Huangfu Xin¡¯er had deep feelings for Xiao Chen, and she could never sit back and watch. So in the following year, she quietly practiced the fourth volume of the Heartless Mystic Skill, and finally made a small success.


    As for Qi Heng and others, naturally, they were invited by her as well. Because Huangfu Xin¡¯er was too strong. Even if she had practiced the fourth volume, she would not dare to act alone. She promised Qi Heng and others that she would share the Heartless Mystic Skill with them if they helped her to take over the position of Heartless Palace Empress. Because she had destroyed the fourth volume, if Qi Heng and others went back on their words, no one would get it in the world if she refused to speak, so she was fearless.


    The wind in the square howled, Chu Lingjiao looked up and laughed. She pointed the sword at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said fiercely, ¡°Yes! The old Empress passed down the position to you in hopes that you will carry forward this sect! But you! All-day long entangled with that Devil¡¯s Practice boy, Xiao Chen, being lovey-dovey, causing our Heartless Palace to be almost be destroyed entirely!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale as she said, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao laughed. ¡°I¡¯m spouting nonsense? On every full moon night, I don¡¯t know which shameless little b*tch sings to a broken piano, ¡°Now the willow sways, and we will meet on an unfamiliar path.¡± Haha, how touching!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face became paler and paler. Being taunted by her, she was so angry the Qi went up to her heart and another mouthful of blood was spurted. Chu Lingjiao sneered and turned to look at Qi Heng and others, saying, ¡°The two predecessors now must now be aware as well that this person is afflicted with the Devil Sect Xiao Chen, and not my Heartless Palace!¡±


    Qi Heng¡¯s hands were behind his back, and he nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Heroine Huashang is one of the seven sages of Jade Qing Sect. How could her sect have a relationship with the Devil¡¯s Practice? It turned out that there¡¯s scum in the disciples in the sect.¡± The word ¡®scum¡¯ in his last sentence was ambiguous, and it was unsure if he was referring to Chu Lingjiao or Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Chu Lingjiao sneered and ignored him. She pointed the sword at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said, ¡°Give me the other three volumes of Heartless mind cultivation method and the Empress jade token, and I will spare you today!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face was white as a sheet of paper, and the pain in her lower abdomen was unbearable. It was difficult to urge any True Energy. The Illusive-Immortal Incense that was only produced by the Heartless Palace was so powerful that even the immortals could escape. Originally, with her cultivation, no one could put the Illusive-Immortal Incense on her. However, she had been uncomfortable these few days. This was also calculated by Chu Lingjiao who was also a woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Chu Lingjiao¡¯s eyes were cold. She urged her True Energy and two sword radiance slashed over. ¡°Swoosh!¡±, they penetrated both shoulders of Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Empress!¡± Two Heartless Palace disciples quickly went over and held her. Chu Lingjiao eyes went cold. ¡°You¡¯re still calling her Empress?¡±


    One of them threatened, ¡°Chu Lingjiao! You bully the ancestors and ruined the sect! When the old Empress returns, she¡¯ll not spare you!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao sneered aloud: ¡°Is it? Then I will send you to see the old Empress!¡± Then two sword radiances were urged and the two men were decapitated. The remaining dozens of disciples were so scared that they were as quiet as cicadas in winter.


    ¡°The disciples of the Heartless Palace listen! Today, I, Chu Lingjiao will clean Heartless Palace up. Whoever dares to protect this person will be treated as a fellow member of the Devil¡¯s Sect!¡±


    When this statement came out, everyone no longer dared to speak up for Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and hundreds of people on the side of Chu Lingjiao shouted in unison, ¡°Kill her! She is not worthy of being an Empress! Kill her!¡±


    Chu Ling Jiao pointed the sword at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you again, are you handing over the other three volumes of the Heartless mind cultivation method and the Sect Leader jade token or not!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er continued to glare at her.


    ¡°Good! Then I¡¯ll break both of your arms first, and see how long you can be tough about it!¡± Then, Chu Lingjiao slashed at her, and at this moment, a green light suddenly appeared. ¡®Bang!¡¯, the sword on Chu Lingjiao¡¯s hand flew out.


    Then, another figure arrived, before anyone could see who it was, they saw Chu Lingjiao flew out of 70 to 80 feet while vomiting blood.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± That person who suddenly arrived was Xiao Chen. At this moment, he had disguised as a middle-aged man. He immediately ran over and helped Huangfu Xin¡¯er up, and then he looked coldly at Qi Heng and others like two sharp ice swords.


    Qi Heng and Dead Wood cannot help but be stunned. This person had such a sharp look, how familiar? Qi Heng said coldly, ¡°Huangfu Xin¡¯er is colluding with the people of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Are you also an accomplice? If you don¡¯t want to be an enemy of my Orthodox Path, please leave.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was like being covered by a layer of frost, and he replied coldly, ¡°Colluding with the people of the Devil¡¯s Practice? Now there is a person of the Devil¡¯s Practice standing in front of you, what are you going to do!¡± A powerful aura broke out and the wind raged. Everyone could not help but be in trepidation.


    Qi Heng and Dead Wood were both surprised, except for Jade-faced Peach Blossoms Xiao Xiangyu who had been watching from not far away. His expression remained unchanged, a smile hung on his face and he looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er with passionate eyes.


    Chu Lingjiao got up from the ground and urged the Heartless Mystic Skill. She condensed an Immortal¡¯s Sword and attacked Xiao Chen from behind. However, how could Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense not sense it? He waved his sleeve and the Immortal¡¯s Sword was shattered. Then with five fingers, he grabbed Chu Lingjiao with telekinesis.


    ¡°Chu Lingjiao! I really should have killed you back then!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes looked like a fire was about to break out from within. Chu Lingjiao was choked on the throat by him, and her face flushed, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re¡­ Xiao¡­¡±


    ¡°F*ck off!¡± Xiao Chen threw her out forcefully and broke a big tree in the middle in the distance. If he did not care about Chu Lingjiao helping him to bring Luo Shangyan out from the palace of Zhou State, he had already killed Chu Lingjiao.


    Everyone around was stunned. Who could this person with extraordinary cultivation be? At this time, Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon who had disguised as men had arrived as well. Although they were in disguise, it was difficult to change their behaviors in such a short time. Huangfu Xin¡¯er saw through him in one glance. She said in a low voice, ¡°You are Xiao Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen did not answer, and he turned his head and looked coldly at Qi Heng and others. ¡°They have bullied you today. I¡¯ll kill them all!¡±


    Qi Heng already saw some clues. He was stunned for a moment, and then he sneered. ¡°So it¡¯s you, talking big huh.¡±


    Suddenly, Huangfu Xin¡¯er sighed. Xiao Chen quickly supported her, and saw two thin bloodstreams on her calf, and exclaimed, ¡°You have a serious internal injury!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er subconsciously looked down under her calf. The white face suddenly seemed to have two burning clouds on them at that moment. She quickly turned her head away and said, ¡°You go away! I am fine!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll help you! Where is the injury?¡±


    Zi Yun¡¯er next to him had her ears turned red as well, and she quickly walked over, said, ¡°Lord, don¡¯t mess around when you don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯ll do this instead!¡± After that, she pushed him away, supported Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and inserted a wave of warm Mystic Power into her body.


    With Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon taking care of her, Xiao Chen did not have to worry anymore. He looked coldly at Qi Heng and others, said, ¡°You are planning to leave on your own, or I¡¯ll personally send you off!¡±


    Qi Heng still had his hands behind his back, and said lightly, ¡°The Devilish Skill you performed in Tianyuan City on that day was indeed fearful, but the backbite must have been serious too, right? Why? You think that today, with the power of your Nascent Soul Realm, you can do something?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± The thirty-foot devilish shadow appeared out of thin air, and everyone¡¯s face in the square lost its color, even for those cultivators who were watching from afar. The older generation was still slightly calm, but the younger generation¡¯s disciples called out in shock, ¡°Killer God Xiao Chen! It¡¯s indeed Killer God Xiao Chen!¡±


    On the day of the Battle of Tianyuan City, the scene of Xiao Chen slaughtering countless cultivators was too convulsive. Even after a year, it was still a nightmare, entangled in the hearts of many disciples, lingering, and after going to sleep late at night, even a glimpse of the wind could also wake them up, for they feared that Xiao Chen escaped to take revenge and destroy their sects.


    However, at the moment, this Killer God had appeared, and there was no reason for them to not be flustered. They all threw their armors and helmets and fled to a distance away. Both Qi Heng and Dead Wood were a little surprised. They had forgotten that the other party still had a powerful General of Soul.


    ¡°You ordinary people! Bully the wife of my master! Die now!¡± Guifeng bellowed and swept his blade forcefully. Soon, the clouds and the wind of all directions moved. Both Qi Heng and Dead Wood did their best to defend but were still knocked off more than ten meters away.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face turned white, and she gritted her teeth and yelled, ¡°Shut up! Who¡¯s the wife of your master!¡± Guifeng said, ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t panic. I will bring the enemy¡¯s head to you!¡± Then he slashed his blade again and the earth shook. The whole square trembled endlessly.


    Both Qi Heng and Dead Wood were already defenseless. Dead Wood looked anxiously at Jade-faced Peach Blossoms who was watching in a distance and said, ¡°Xiao Xiangyu! What are you waiting for!¡±


    Xiao Xiangyu had his hands behind his back, looking at ease with a smile at the corners of his mouth. It seemed that he was not bothered by the General of Soul in front of him. Guifeng glanced at him and said, ¡°There¡¯s one more!¡± Then he slashed with his blade with an extremely fierce momentum, knocking off a large block of nearby tiles.


    The big blade was near him and yet Xiao Xiangyu was still indifferent but said, ¡°Just a Five-tier General of Soul, and you dare to be presumptuous¡­ One-legged Ox Demon!¡±


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± Suddenly, a roar of an ancient beast shook the heaven and earth. Those who were weak in power were shocked with blood in both ears. The dark clouds in the sky rolled, electric flashes and thunder were seen and heard continuously, and an ancient Beast of sixty feet tall appeared in midair.

 Chapter 367 - Fuxi Zither Spirit, Evernight!

    The lightning flashed in the sky, Xiao Chen was shocked. The man seemed to be inconspicuous, but he was an Imperial Spirit Commander! An Imperial Spirit Commander who had a sixth-tier ancient beast soul!


    That beast soul was about sixty feet tall, in contrast, the thirty feet tall Guifeng looked much shorter. The body of the beast soul was greyish black, like it was made of steel, its two horns like iron towers, and its eyes like craters glowing with golden flames, purple lightning entangled between the four feet, and with one foot, it resisted Guifeng¡¯s blade.


    The people in the distance were astonished. They had never seen such ferocious ancient beast before.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± The beast soul roared and the force sent Guifeng flying out. This beast soul was an ancient mutant One-legged Ox Demon, which was multiplied from the ancient times. As an ordinary human war spirit, Guifeng was not of its opponent. After being thrown off, he flew more than 200 feet straight before landing.


    As for the demon ride of Guifeng, it was a fourth-order beast soul. Even being with the general for a long time and had learnt much bravery from the general, at this moment, meeting a Sixth-order beast soul shocked it.


    Xiao Xiangyu had a smile on him, he glanced at Xiao Chen, turned back again and smiled lightly, said, ¡°The people said such inglorious stuff about you, and I thought you were an amazing person. But you¡¯re just so-so. One-legged Ox Demon, tear that man up for me, but don¡¯t hurt the little beauty in red behind him. ¡±


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± The One-legged Ox Demon roared, and charged at Xiao Chen fiercely. The sound of stepping on the ground was thunderous, and a large swath of floor tiles flew. At this moment, the whole world seemed to be shaking.


    Xiao Chen stepped back, and with the whole body¡¯s strength, he pushed forward with both palms and the roars of the dragon shook the sky. Two golden dragons of more than 100 feet long flew out, but the One-legged Ox Demon was not afraid. With the push of the iron horns on its head, it easily dismissed the two palm force.


    Xiao Chen could not help but be shocked, thinking that this beast soul was a beast after all. The sound of the dragon roar, which even the drake dragon was afraid of, was useless to this beast soul. Guifeng cried out, ¡°Lord, beware!¡± Then he rushed over like a flash of lightning and defended the One-legged Ox Demon with his blade. But his body could not stop moving backward, crushing the floor tiles on the way.


    ¡°Leave now, Lord!¡±


    Qi Heng and Dead Wood looked at each other and said together, ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± The two of them moved towards Xiao Chen and attacked him too.


    ¡°Lord, be careful!¡± Six people were drawn out from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon to help in the defense. Xiao Chen summoned the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and slashed it. A 100-foot long blood-red blade radiance flew, pushing Dead Wood backward. After he regained his balance, Dead Wood could not help but be shocked. After a year, the boy¡¯s skill had increased so much.


    Qi Heng narrowed his eyes, thinking that the old hatred had not ended and a new hatred was now added. Today, this kid had to be removed, just in case when he grew up in the future, the Order of the Divine Fire would end up like the Ling Family. Then he shouted at many of the cultivators who were watching, ¡°The Devil¡¯s Practice Demon, Xiao Chen had escaped. Are you not coming to capture this person!¡±


    Many cultivators had gathered outside the square, but most of them came to watch the drama. On that day in Tianyuan City, the Orthodox Path had the advantage in numbers. Now, who would be in the right mind to provoke this person? So no one came forward to help.


    Qi Heng did not have much hope, and immediately urged the spell, ¡°Sky Fire Shines!¡± Innumerable flames suddenly fell from the sky, and the whole square was immediately in extreme heat. Xiao Chen push his palms to the sky and shouted, ¡°The Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit!¡±


    The sizzling sound was endless and the fire was extinguished. The palm strength of the Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit faded and there was a mist in the square. Ziyun¡¯er took five people with her to protect Huangfu Xin¡¯er while Qingluan took another five to deal with Dead Wood. The One-legged Ox Demon was barely resisted by Guifeng and his devil ride.


    Qi Heng thought to himself that he could not deal with the boy alone, and shouted to Xiao Xiangyu in the distance, ¡°Brother Xiaoxiang, don¡¯t you still have a General of Soul that you have not summoned? If this boy doesn¡¯t die today, you can¡¯t bring back that beautiful girl.¡±


    Xiao Xiangyu held his hands behind his back and was too lazy to entertain him. Qi Heng being ignored turned his head and saw that Xiao Chen was now facing him with a colorful Jade Zither in his arms that looked real and fake at the same time. He was petrified. Naturally, he had seen Xiao Chen destroying the Immortals¡¯ League with the power of the divine zither that day. At this moment, he could not defend that by himself and he ran hurriedly to Xiao Xiangyu.


    Xiao Xiangyu frowned, he was disgusted with this person, and at the same time, he felt a little more arrogant. So what if he was a founding member of a sect? So what if he had a Nirvana Realm cultivation? In the end, you were running to me for a backing.


    At this moment, Fuxi Zither was exuberant in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands, as if all the vital force in the heavens and the earth were being pulled over, even the cultivators watching in a distance felt this ancient divine power, and hurried away to afar.


    ¡°Roar!¡± The One-legged Ox Demon also seemed to feel the strength of this power. It kept roaring. Guifeng was out of breath, and his armor was broken and shattered. It was barely manageable for a Fifth-order war spirit to fight with a Sixth-order beast soul.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was pale and said, ¡°Go help him, don¡¯t worry about me!¡± The Koo-chee beast stood at Zi Yun¡¯er¡¯s feet and blinked non-stop. ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee, woo¡­¡±


    The white radiance on Xiao Chen was getting brighter, and Xiao Xiangyu seemed to feel that things were getting extraordinary. The power of this divine zither seemed to be uncommon, he said faintly, ¡°Miao Ruyin.¡±


    ¡°Ru-Ruyin is here, master¡­ what does the master need from me¡­¡±


    A silver-bell-like sound was heard. The sound was like a pearl falling into a jade plate. It was like drizzle in nights of March. It was very pleasant to the ears, just that it sounded a little timid.


    Then a girl in a colorful dress emerged out of nowhere. She looked around 18 years old, five-color bells were hanging around her waist, some shrank musical instruments were hanging on her neck, and many musical notes were printed on her shoulders. In between her brows was a dot of cinnabar. She hid her hands in front of her lower abdomen, her head was lowered and she did not dare to look at Xiao Xiangyu.


    ¡°Try and see if you can cut that kid¡¯s string.¡±


    Miao Ruyin raised her head and looked at the Jade Zither in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands, her face changed slightly, and she lowered her head again and said, ¡°Master¡­ That¡¯s the Archean Eon Fuxi divine zither, Ruyin may¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what do I need you for!¡± Xiao Xiangyu bellowed. Miao Ruyin shuddered and trembled, and said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With her two hands constantly casting spells, a continuous multicolored music note flew towards Xiao Chen.


    At the same time, Xiao Chen was done concentrating all his power, and he could kill Qi Heng and Xiao Xiangyu with just one blow. Unexpectedly, there was no sound coming out of the strings when the strings were released. There was no sound, so there was no attack at all. But he had also used up the True Energy needed for this string.


    In the distance, the girl in the colorful clothing, Miao Ruyin, her original pinkish cheeks became pale and ugly. Her body retreated thirty feet, and she had become translucent. It was obvious that she had a serious loss of Soul power. Xiao Xiangyu glared at her. ¡°Useless crap!¡±


    Miao Ruyin lowered her head and hid her hands in front of the lower abdomen. Tears were dripping from her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master¡­¡± She looked pitiful.


    Xiao Chen naturally saw it, thinking, what a powerful music soul to be able to cut off the music from strings of Fuxi Zither. As long this music soul was there, it would be useless to play his zither, and he would only be wasting his True Energy.


    On the other side, the six people of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were locked in a battle with Dead Wood. Guifeng was also near collapsing. Under the stormy attacks of the One-legged Ox Demon, his Soul power was greatly damaged, and his body had become translucent.


    ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°My Lord¡­ Leave now! Don¡¯t care about me!¡±


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth tightly. With the presence of this Imperial Spirit Commander, he could not do anything at all. This Imperial Spirit Commander was at best a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, and he could easily kill him with one palm, but his General of Soul was too powerful. Now, it was no wonder that everyone in the world was afraid of the Imperial Spirit Commander.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± A ferocious roar was heard, and Guifeng was again shaken out flying. His armor was shattered completely. Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, and yelled, ¡°Dragon¡¯s Wrath!¡±


    Suddenly, the dark clouds rolled in the low altitude, the thunders roared continuously, a huge dragon head was exposed within the clouds, glaring at all beings as if it was going to destroy everything. The cultivators in a distance were horrified, did Xiao Chen summon the Divine Archean Dragon!


    The One-legged Ox Demon also looked up at the sky, upon seeing the dragon glaring at itself. It could not help but tremble, showing a bit of timidity. Xiao Xiangyu said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, One-legged Ox Demon, it¡¯s a virtual image.¡±


    Then the One-legged Ox Demon roared, and charged straight into the sky. With a loud bang, before Xiao Chen could completely perform the Dragon¡¯s Wrath, the virtual image of the dragon in the air was shattered.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was white, and he took a few steps back. While the beast soul was in the air at this moment, he instantly performed Immortal-override Steps and rushed at Xiao Xiangyu. As he was about to reach him, a sound of music was heard, and he felt dizzy suddenly. It was the music spirit Miao Ruyin singing an incantation.


    Xiao Xiangyu smiled lightly. ¡°I heard them saying that you fought against dozens of sects in Tianyuan City and killing countless cultivators. I thought you were so great. You turned out to be a piece of garbage. Why? You only have a useless fifth-order General of Soul?¡±


    Xiao Chen retreated to his original place, only wishing to slap this person to death with one palm. At this moment, he heard three sounds of the zither were heard, which seemed to come from the sky, causing everyone to feel giddy and their ears hummed. The next moment, clouds came in from all directions. At the low altitude, dark clouds rolled, covering the sky, and the surrounding area dimmed suddenly as if the night had fallen.


    Everyone panicked. They had never seen such a weird sight before. In the face of this sudden suffocating aura, they could not help but kneel and worship. It was a kind of shiver that came within the soul.


    Xiao Xiangyu as an Imperial Spirit Commander could feel this powerful Soul power at the moment, and his face changed suddenly. Did the other party have a stronger ancient war spirit!


    Xiao Chen was surprised in his heart. He could not be more familiar with this aura¡ªit was Evernight!


    Suddenly, a bit of light gradually transmitted down, and a rainbow appeared in the dark clouds. On a closer look, it was not a rainbow, but more like seven strings, ¡°Zing!¡± A zither sounded, and the sixth-order beast soul One-legged Ox Demon fell to the ground in an instant, trembling in fear. This was a real shock to its soul. Xiao Xiangyu said anxiously, ¡°One-legged Ox Demon, get up! Don¡¯t be afraid! It¡¯s not real!¡±


    However, this time, the One-legged Ox Demon did not dare to get up, Xiao Xiangyu panicked and looked in all directions, ¡°Who! Who is deliberately mystifying here! Get out!¡±


    ¡°I am the Archean Zither Spirit, and you¡¯re merely a person of Nascent Soul Realm. You dared to growl at me!¡±


    A young man wearing moon-white robes with silver hair, and runes printed on his face appeared out of thin air. He floated three feet above the ground, his hands held behind his back, and his eyes were cold. It was the Fuxi Zither Spirit, Evernight.


    Xiao Xiangyu¡¯s face was pale, and he pointed at Evernight and said in a trembling voice, ¡°How, how is it possible! He¡¯s only of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation. How can he have¡­ Who are you!¡±


    ¡°Fuxi Zither Spirit, Evernight!¡±

 Chapter 368 - Seventh Day of the Seventh Month

    ¡°Fuxi Zither¡¯s soul, Evernight!¡± Evernight¡¯s cool-headed declaration startled everyone present. They finally understood why Xiao Chen was able to play the Fuxi Zither. It turned out that he possessed its soul. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was even more shocked. Had Evernight regained all of her memories¡­?


    Xiao Xiangyu shook his head with a pale face. ¡°No! Impossible! Stop trying to scare us! How could he possess Fuxi Zither¡¯s soul? Impossible¡­¡±


    The Song Spirit beside him, Miao Ruyin, was shaking from fear. Evernight stared coldly at her. ¡°How dare you play accomplice in a crime as a Song Spirit! What are you waiting for? Excuse yourself!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Miao Ruyin replied timidly and gradually disappeared. Xiao Xiangyu was alarmed. ¡°Miao Ruyin, return!¡± However, the Song Spirit was already gone.


    Evernight glanced at the One-legged Ox Demon crawling on the floor. ¡°You too!¡±


    The One-legged Ox Demon vanished without even daring to breathe. His great fear of Evernight was likely because Heavenly Emperor Fuxi once tamed the first One-legged Ox Demon in the Archean eon. On the other hand, Miao Ruyin¡¯s fear originated from the fact that they were both zither¡¯s souls.


    ¡°One-legged Ox Demon! You can¡¯t go!¡± Xiao Xiangyu couldn¡¯t help turning from fright after seeing his trump card disappearing. His body began to tremble. An Imperial Spirit Commander who lost his General of Soul was as good as trash. Even though his cultivation was in the Nascent Soul Realm, his lack of actual battle experience meant that he might not necessarily win against highly-experienced Core Forming Realm cultivators.


    Evernight turned around to look at Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± he said and then vanished into thin air.


    Upon seeing Xiao Xiangyu¡¯s General of Soul disappearing, Qi Heng and Dead Wood knew that the tide was turning in their favor. They turned into two sword radiance and flew over without a second thought. Xiao Xiangyu¡¯s face had turned so white that he resembled a dead man. He tried casting a spell to make his escape, but Xiao Chen flew into action and stopped in front of him.


    ¡°Without a General of Soul, you¡¯re not worth being called trash!¡±


    ¡°Thump!¡± Before Xiao Xiangyu could react, he found himself flung back more than eighty feet away. Never mind that he was weaker than Xiao Chen, he was not the latter¡¯s match even if he had Nirvana Realm cultivation.


    He was so terrified that he was shaking all over. Hastily casting some kind of a spell, he transformed into a red radiance and fled. Xiao Chen didn¡¯t bother chasing after him. He tore off the mask on his face and walked up to Huangfu Xin¡¯er. ¡°Xin¡¯er, how are your injuries? Let me help you circulate your energy and mend your wounds.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er turned her head, ignoring him. Gui Feng joined them and said, ¡°Madam, please listen to me¡­¡± She glared at him. ¡°Shut up! Who¡¯s your Madam?¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed. ¡°General, please return for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. Please excuse me!¡±


    The Koo-chee beast blinked its large eyes. ¡°Koo-chee, koo-chee¡­¡±


    Some distance away, the rest of the cultivators had already left the Falling Flowers Valley. Chu Lingjiao had already taken advantage of the chaos to escape. Huangfu Xin¡¯er turned pale before suddenly fainting. Xiao Chen hastily held her up. Ziyun¡¯er said, ¡°Master, let me handle her wounds.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed and then nodded. It wasn¡¯t convenient for him to bandage her wounds. Ziyun¡¯er finished tending to Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s injuries at noon but the latter was still unconscious. She covered Huangfu Xin¡¯er with a thick quilt so she wouldn¡¯t catch a cold.


    Xiao Chen watched over Huangfu Xin¡¯er the entire evening. Not even when the bright moon hung high in the sky did he leave her bedside. She had yet to wake up once and would sometimes talk in her sleep.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen¡­ When I grow up, I¡¯ll definitely marry you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Brother Xiao Chen. Even if you can¡¯t perform martial arts, I can protect you in the future¡­¡±


    Listening to the conversations they shared as children turned the rim of Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes red. Tears brimming in his eyes, he said with a smile, ¡°Silly Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Suddenly, his face paled and a violent pain emerged from his heart. The Heartless Curse was flaring up again. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately ran in after hearing the commotion inside. Qingluan said, ¡°Help Master out of here!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er, who had been worrying about this all along, didn¡¯t even think twice before supporting him out of the room by the arm. It took a long time before the intense pain began to fade. Xiao Chen¡¯s face was already drenched in sweat by then.


    ¡°Is there¡­ Is there no way for this curse to be broken¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er stared at his deathly pale face, her voice a little choked.


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Once I enter the true Nirvana Realm, I can undo it myself¡­¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s voice remained tearful-sounding. ¡°I heard that you said you could remove the curse after entering the Core Forming Realm, and then the Nascent Soul Realm. Now you¡¯re telling me¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry about me. Help me watch over her. I want some alone time.¡±


    ¡°Then, please excuse me¡­¡±


    With the breeze caressing his skin, Xiao Chen walked toward a precipice overgrown with bamboo and sat down there. He stared at lonesome moon against a backdrop of stars and slowly sank into contemplation. After basking in the cold wind for a while, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He smiled. ¡°I have wronged a great many people in half of my lifetime, yet it¡¯s like I¡¯m living in a dream. My conscience remains clear.¡±


    ¡°Things are often out of our control. What happened in the past are no more scattered flowers and dreams. Like the lonesome stars, they are untouchable. Hope, like the dim moon, disappears in an instant and leaves no trace behind.¡± Evernight walked up to him and sat beside him. She looked at him and added, ¡°Kid, what do you plan to do next?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. Only after some time did he turn his head to look at her. ¡°Evernight, you remembered your memories a long time ago, didn¡¯t you? What happened back then? What about my Master? Where is she?¡±


    Evernight took a deep breath. ¡°Do not ask me, for I don¡¯t remember anything that happened after.¡±


    Xiao Chen knew he was referring to the events after the Mystic Cyan Sect was put on trial and his Master protected his soul under everyone¡¯s nose. What happened next, even he had no idea.


    The wind rising from under the precipice seemed even colder still, but the two of them continued to sit there until late into the night. Evernight said, ¡°Kid, this world isn¡¯t the world of the past. To protect those around you, your only choice is to become even stronger.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. Yes, in this world, Dao wasn¡¯t Dao, devils weren¡¯t devils. Power reigned supreme here. That was the truth, as much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    If Evernight hadn¡¯t shown up at the eleventh hour to shock the Imperial Spirit Commander today, the consequences would have been dire. With his current strength, he could barely put up a fight against Nirvana Realm cultivators like Qi Heng.


    Then, a flurry of footsteps resounded behind them. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m returning,¡± Evernight said, and then vanished into thin air. Xiao Chen turned around. ¡°Qingluan, is Xin¡¯er doing better now?¡±


    ¡°Empress Huangfu is fine. It¡¯s very late at night, Master. Please return to your room and get some rest.¡±


    Heaving a sigh, Xiao Chen turned around and stared into the pitch-black abyss that he couldn¡¯t see the bottom of. He wasn¡¯t afraid that the Orthodox sects and clans would immediately hunt him down as soon as his identity is exposed. That day, they were bullying him with numbers in Tianyuan City. These days, the Devil¡¯s sects were so active that the Orthodox side was busy worrying about themselves. No one would be foolish enough to provoke him now.


    ¡°Oh, right. Qingluan, take a few of your sisters and investigate the situation outside tomorrow. I need an idea of the overall situation before I can decide my next step.¡±


    Xiao Chen stood up, hands clasped behind his back. His clothes rustled noisily under the attack of the cold wind rising from under the precipice. The Orthodox and Devil¡¯s Path was more or less equal in terms of power now. Meanwhile, as he was neither an Orthodox disciple nor a Devil¡¯s Path follower, he could no longer act as boldly as before. Only after getting an understanding of the overall situation, could he ensure that nothing would go wrong with his plan.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± a solemn-faced Qingluan answered, saluting him. If it was Ziyun¡¯er, she would certainly ask Xiao Chen to prioritize his well-being and forget about such things or such-and-such. However, Qingluan wouldn¡¯t.


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°It¡¯s late. You should return as well.¡±


    ¡°Please excuse me, Master!¡±


    The wind became fiercer following Qingluan¡¯s departure and several mottled bamboos by the precipice started shaking incessantly. For some reason, Xiao Chen¡¯s heart would ache every time he came to the Falling Flowers Valley. He would always think of Hua Weiyang, especially when he saw those mottled bamboos. Perhaps, it was because the same kind of bamboo grew in the place where they first met and had their zither competition.


    Suddenly, he propelled himself into the air and crossed to the other side of the precipice. After turning over countless mountain tops and flying countless miles away from the Heartless Palace, he arrived at a place where he couldn¡¯t see those bamboos anymore. He clapped his palms downward and started ascending a thousand feet with the help of the mountain wind.


    ¡°Fifth step of the Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method! Star-shifting Substitution!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t bear recalling past events that would only sadden him, so he chose to try using the fifth step of Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method. Following his bellow, countless specks of light began illuminating his surroundings like they were stars in the Ninth Heaven above. The wind this high in the sky was chilling. His clothes billowed in the wind, as did his hair. Even so, he continued moving his hands and the specks of light around him moved along with him.


    Suddenly, a rumbling explosion shattered the silence. Underneath him, several mountain tops started shaking with great force, startling the birds and beasts below into fleeing. The rumbling sound grew louder and louder until the mountain tops began to move. Whenever his hand moved, that was where the mountain tops would go.


    The mountain tops moved swiftly from south to east, and then from east to north. Countless crushed stones rolled off the mountain and wide expanses of woods fell. The stars in the sky also began shifting positions. This was the fifth step of the cultivation method that Ling Yin invented: Star-shifting Substitution. He would borrow the power of the stars to shake up the world. To use this skill, one would need incredibly powerful Divine Sense.


    Back then, Xiao Chen only learned as far as the fourth step of the Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method. Now, he had finally learned the fifth step. As his cultivation rises, he could learn the sixth, seventh, and even¡­ the tenth step!


    ¡°Yaoguang¡¯s Seal of Stars!¡±


    He cried. In an instant, a dozen or so faculae appeared out of thin air around him. They flitted across the night sky like meteors and rained down on the mountain tops below. Explosions shattered the air as the impact of the faculae reduced the mountain tops to dust.


    The smoke and dust lingered for a long while before dissipating. In the distance, several mountain tops were still shaking from the aftermath. Most Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would surely perish from such an earth-shaking force. Even Nirvana Realm cultivators who survived would be severely injured. If he could display such power earlier in the day, he wouldn¡¯t have to be so passive.


    The high-altitude wind whizzed and whistled around him. Xiao Chen hovered in the air with his hands clasped behind him and clothes rustling noisily, looking like a lonesome immortal. He peered at the faintly discernible mountain range in the distance, a sneer slowly creeping onto his face. ¡°Orthodox Path, Devil¡¯s Practice¡­¡±


    Over the next three days, Xiao Chen stayed in the Heartless Palace to take care of Huangfu Xin¡¯er. The ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were gone on a mission to investigate the situation of the Orthodox and Devil¡¯s sects. When Qingluan and her team finally returned this afternoon, Xiao Chen immediately met them outside and asked, ¡°How are things?¡±


    ¡°Master, we found out that a total of thirteen Sect Leaders and eighteen Elders have gone missing in the past year. Moreover, all of them are female cultivators with an immortal body.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. He was rather surprised. ¡°That coincidental?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er replied, ¡°What¡¯s most peculiar is that all of them disappeared on the same day. Seventh day of the seventh month last year.¡± Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, his expression gradually turning solemn. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°These thirty-one women share the same birthday: the seventh day of the seventh month. All of them went missing during their birthday banquet.¡±


    ¡°Birthday on the seventh day of the seventh month!¡± Cold sweat beaded on Xiao Chen¡¯s back. His face also turned pale. Noticing his drastic change in expression, Ziyun¡¯er whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s cold sweat continued to form. Birthday on the seventh day of the seventh month! If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, that was also Weiyang¡¯s birthday!

 Chapter 369 - Robust Spirit Town

    Xiao Chen was hit by a sudden wave of vertigo. Thirty-one people who share a birthday on the seventh day of the seventh month went missing at the same time? And they were all women with extraordinary cultivation. Weiyang¡¯s birthday was also on that day. Were these incidents related? Impossible, he thought. It had been several thousand years since. He must be overthinking things.


    It took a moment for him to compose himself. ¡°Did you find out why they¡¯re missing? Who¡¯s the culprit?¡± he asked.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er exchanged looks, wondering what happened to their Master. Why did he look dispirited? It wasn¡¯t until he coughed that Qingluan recovered her senses and immediately replied, ¡°All we learned is their disappearance. We don¡¯t know who the mastermind is. Those women include the Leader of the Order of Exquisite Ladies, Leader of the Autumn Waters Pavilion¡­¡±


    After listening to the rundown of the missing women¡¯s identities, Xiao Chen noted that they were either Leaders or Elders of minor sects. Even so, they were a part of the Orthodox Path. How could not one sect out of many in Violet Manor learn anything? Just what kind of powerful person was capable of kidnapping the women during their birthday banquets without raising alarm? He asked, ¡°Has this ever happened in Violet Manor?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er replied, ¡°Yes, something like this would repeat every few hundred years. But this was left out of many historical records. It took a lot of investigation to learn this. But no one has ever discovered the mastermind.¡±


    Xiao Chen contemplated this for a long time. However, this wasn¡¯t his priority. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said. ¡°Did you learn anything else?¡±


    ¡°We discovered that many Orthodox cultivators have been rushing to a place called the Miasma Mountain Range over the past few days. They¡¯re not the only ones. Some from Devil¡¯s sects are also making their way there. Rumors have it that an extraordinary treasure is about to be born there.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. He recalled Yi Tong and None-flower Dust making up a rumor about an extraordinary treasure when they came to save him a few days ago. Was someone else making up rumors as well?


    Ziyun¡¯er added, ¡°We also learned that the Corpse Refinery Sect, one of the Four Major Devil¡¯s Sects, is occupying a mountain nearby the Miasma Mountain Range, called the Mountain of Myriad Caves. They have been very active lately, but no one knows what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    ¡°Corpse Refinery Sect¡­¡± Xiao Chen muttered. This sect had been desperately trying to revive an ancient Divine Corpse. Could the time have come? This piece of news must have reached the Orthodox sects by now. They wouldn¡¯t let the sect achieve their goal, would they? It seemed that before long, the Miasma Mountain Range would turn into a warzone. Well, he just so happened to need a Corpse Puppet¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Miasma Mountain Range?¡±


    ¡°Slightly east of the common boundary of South and East Continent,¡± Qingluan answered. She took out a map and slowly unfolded it in front of Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen stared at the map for a long time, thinking to himself that many Orthodox sects and clans must have sent their disciples to respond to such a major commotion. ¡°Which sects have their people to the Evil Miasma Mountain Range?¡±


    Qingluan exchanged glances with Ziyun¡¯er before replying, ¡°As far as we know, Jade Qing Sect¡­¡± Hearing this name made Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrow. Were Brother Yifeng and the rest there as well?


    Qingluan continued, ¡°There¡¯s also Xiaoyue from the Thousand Feathers Sect, Bai Yusu from the Immortals¡¯ League, Zuoqiu Yang from the Divine Mist Sect¡­¡± She recited the names of more than ten sects in one go. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. The Orthodox side had produced quite a few talents this year. The youngsters could now help ease the Elders¡¯ burden.


    Ziyun¡¯er said, ¡°From the Devil¡¯s sects are the Bloodied Fiend Sect, Fort Raksasa, Dark Shadow Hall¡­¡± She also reported a string of more than ten Devil¡¯s sects. The Devil¡¯s Practice had been growing day by day, Xiao Chen thought. From the look of things, both sides must have exchanged blows multiple times in the past year.


    ¡°Very well. Let me join the fun then! I¡¯ll leave for the Miasma Mountain Range tomorrow!¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er exchanged glances before replying in unison, ¡°We¡¯re coming with you, Master!¡± Xiao Chen held up a hand. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go by myself. Stay here and help Xin¡¯er with the subsequent matters once she¡¯s awake.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er fell silent. After a while, she finally said, ¡°Then please be careful on your maiden journey to the Miasma Mountain Range. Watch out for these three in particular: Seven Killings from the Bloodied Fiend Sect, Su Lianyue from Fort Raksasa, and Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Like the Orthodox side, the Devil¡¯s side had also produced many powerhouses in the past year. There were also sects that toed the line like the Fallen Immortals Sect.


    The next morning, amid a backdrop of the rising sun, a mountain filled with birds¡¯ cries, murmuring of flowing water, Xiao Chen continued to guard Huangfu Xin¡¯er by her bed. She would wake up every now and then, though her consciousness remained hazy. Her injuries must have been too severe.


    A flurry of footsteps resounded outside the room, prompting Xiao Chen to sigh. He got to his feet and walked outside. The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were all present and the Koo-chee beast had run over as well. ¡°Koo-chee¡­ Wuu! Koo-chee¡­¡± the beast cried, rubbing against him. It looked like it couldn¡¯t bear being separated from him.


    Xiao Chen chuckled. ¡°Brother Koo-chee, stay with Qingluan and the others and wait for me to come back.¡± He took out three jade notes and handed them to Qingluan. ¡°Crush these jade notes if something happens. I¡¯ll detect your location immediately.¡±


    In the end, he walked toward the entrance of the valley under everyone¡¯s gaze. The Koo-chee beast cried and ran after him. Xiao Chen turned around and chuckled. ¡°Brother Koo-chee, please go back.¡±


    ¡°Wuu! Koo-chee¡­¡± the beast whimpered, stopping fifty feet away from him. It stared at him with its large eyes.


    Just like that, the Koo-chee beast followed after Xiao Chen, all while maintaining a distance of between thirty to fifty feet. Each time he turned around, it would stop and refuse to budge. This continued until they finally arrived at the forest of mottled bamboos at the mouth of the valley. Xiao Chen turned around with a smile. ¡°Brother Koo-chee, please return now. I¡¯ll be back very soon.¡±


    ¡°Wuu! Koo-chee¡­¡± This time, the Koo-chee finally stopped following him. It stood on its tiptoes and watched him walking farther and farther away until he was out of view. It whimpered, ¡°Wuu¡­ Koo-chee¡­¡±


    A snow-white pair of hands pulled the beast into an embrace. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Koo-chee beast. He¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Wuu! Koo-chee¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen only started traveling on his flying sword after leaving the Falling Flowers Valley, feeling the cold breeze against the hair on his temples. He was in rather low spirits as he looked at the fast-flowing water in the river below. Sometimes, the Koo-chee beast was even livelier than a human. It was he who took the beast out of the pagoda yet he couldn¡¯t keep it company at all times.


    ¡­


    East Continent was a vast land with abundant resources, green hills, and clear waters on all sides. It was a well-populated place that had produced countless illustrious figures in the past thousands of years. However, the southeast junction of East and South Continents was comparatively desolate. It was the Miasma Mountain Range that struck fear into many people.


    The mountain range, spanning the boundary of the East and South Continents, was a place without sunlight. Besides being shrouded in miasma year-round, it was also crawling with venomous insects and ferocious beasts. Never mind commoners, even cultivators refused to step on this wretched land.


    If one walked another 15 kilometers eastward, one would find the Robust Spirit Town. The name of the town was rather poetic. It was said that a lovely place with verdant mountains and clear waters was abundant with spirit energy, and the concentration of spirit energy births distinguished characters. However, this saying couldn¡¯t be further from the truth here. There was barely anyone in this town, much less as a god. The only temple in town was even rebuilt into a pigsty.


    It was now nighttime. Twenty or so people had gathered in the shabby temple, where livestock like pigs and cows were driven to a corner. The animals stared at the humans occupying their home, frightened.


    The group was a mix of both men and women, most being independent cultivators from across the world. Their clothes were all drenched. The men were fine, but the young ladies had to firmly cover their chests with their hands. Their thin clothes clung to their skin, outlining their curves. Fortunately, the darkness outside lent them enough of a cover.


    It rained hard outside, pelting the ground with raindrops the size of soybeans. So dense were the raindrops that they threatened to topple the small town. Fine rain drifted inside the temple, bringing such a chill that a burly man with a coiled beard burst into anger. ¡°F*ck! What kind of god-forsaken place is this? There¡¯s not even a tavern here! And this shabby temple is filled with pig manure! It stinks to high heavens here!¡±


    ¡°Sigh. I, Yue Wuya, have lived confident and carefree my entire life. Who knew I¡¯d one day spend a night in a temple with a bunch of livestock?¡±


    This time, it was a young man that looked twenty-three or twenty-four who spoke. A mark resembling a crescent moon sat between his brows. His words earned him quite a few glares. ¡°Hey, Yue Wuya! Who are you calling livestock?¡±


    ¡°Heh. I¡¯m just referring to the pigs and cows in the corner. Don¡¯t treat yourself as livestock.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Yue Wuya! You¡¯re picking a fight, aren¡¯t you? Come on! I¡¯ll play along!¡±


    The sound of argument rang out amid a darkening sky and increasingly heavy rain. Suddenly, the dim little temple became even darker. A man with a woven raincoat draped over his shoulders and a conical bamboo hat on his head stood at the door, blocking part of the light filtering in. A hush fell over everyone as they stared at the man who had appeared out of thin air like a spirit.


    They couldn¡¯t tell what the man looked like as he had his back against the light, only making out that a face full of wispy beard and a pair of exquisite hands. The atmosphere suddenly turned rather strange.


    The man in the woven raincoat ignored their gazes. He frowned when he noticed that the floor was littered with pig manure, but still chose to walk in. He sat down in a corner, his drenched raincoat soon wetting the floor around him.


    After a while, the others in the temple began talking again. The man with the coiled beard said, ¡°Say, the birth of an extraordinary treasure in this Evil Miasma Mountain Range has drawn Orthodox cultivators from all over the world. Do you think the Devil¡¯s sects are behind this? What if they¡¯re trying to kill all the rising rookies from the Orthodox side in one fell swoop?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Do you think they¡¯re capable of that? Even if they are, did you think people of the Orthodox side are all vegetarians for the past thousands of years? Never mind Fairy Xiaoyue and her invincible Autumn Water Sword. How many from the Devil¡¯s sects can win against Su Zimu¡¯s Heavenly Thirteen Swords and Yu Shiyi¡¯s Dance of the Arcing Rainbow?¡±


    The man with the coiled beard laughed. ¡°Brother, that¡¯s not necessarily true. There are many talents on the Orthodox side, but don¡¯t you think that the devils are vegetarians either. Never mind the rest, we can just talk about three people. Take Seven Killings from the Bloodied Fiend Sect for example. Even the devils are afraid of him. His victims are so numerous that they could probably line the Great Wall.¡±


    Seeing that the other man couldn¡¯t retort, the man smiled smugly and continued, ¡°Then there¡¯s Su Lianyue from Fort Raksasa. The moment her Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade makes a noise, who among you can fight against her? Finally, there¡¯s Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall.¡± He laughed. ¡°He can slice your throat and kill you with a single swing of his sword. Who among you dare to fight him? Your soul will scramble back to the Underworld before you can even blink.¡±


    The sudden rise of these three individuals among the Devil¡¯s sects had indeed overshadowed a great many distinguished experts on the Orthodox side. Yue Wuya laughed and added, ¡°Those three are indeed capable, but I wonder if you still remember a certain someone?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Everyone turned to look at him. Simultaneously, the man in a woven raincoat reached out to pulled his conical bamboo hat farther down.


    Yue Wuya smiled. ¡°Last year, he went on a murderous rampage and washed Tianyuan City in blood. He even destroyed the Immortals¡¯ League in the end. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve all forgotten him.¡±


    ¡°God of Murder, Xiao Chen!¡±


    Everyone cried out in shock, feeling a chill run down their backs. A cold sensation emerged from their hearts and spread to all corners of their bodies. It was as if the person they just mentioned was right next to them at this moment.

 Chapter 370 - Miasma Mountain Range

    It was getting dark outside and the wind was still ushering in the cold. Fine, frigid rain drifted in. The mood inside the temple turned strange out of the blue, prompting everyone to shiver. One of them lowered his voice and cautiously said, ¡°Honestly, if Xiao Chen defects to the Devil¡¯s Practice, the throne that the Orthodox side has occupied for several thousands of years will get a new owner in just ten years.¡±


    Another exhaled. ¡°He¡¯s locked up in the Demon Repressing Tower. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll get out alive.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I think I heard that Xiao Chen escaped a few days ago?¡±


    The one who spoke earlier shook his hand. ¡°False news, I fear! It¡¯s impossible! The Demon Repressing Tower was built upon the collective powers of the Golden Monks thousands of years ago. A Golden Monk is on par with an Immortal King, you know. Do you think Xiao Chen would be able to leave once he¡¯s inside?¡±


    The twenty or so people inside the temple finally relaxed. Suddenly, the stranger in the woven raincoat in the corner stood up and walked out of the temple. When he arrived at the door, the man with the coiled beard said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s getting dark and the tavern in town is full. If you leave now, someone will occupy your space when you return.¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t hear him, the man in the raincoat left the temple. Raindrops the size of soybeans pelted him, making loud sounds as they hit his conical bamboo hat. His raincoat was soon drenched. The ground was so muddy that every step could make him slip.


    The streets were deserted as everyone took cover under roofs. The man walked over to one of the buildings. There wasn¡¯t a tavern in town before, but people decided to turn empty buildings into makeshift taverns to accommodate the onslaught of visitors in recent months and made a hefty sum in the process.


    This place was called the Robust Spirit Town, but what was robust wasn¡¯t the spirit of humans. In fact, vicious beasts would emerge from the Miasma Mountain Range and injure humans and livestock. This prompted any youngster with an ambition to make a name for themselves in the prosperous cities of the East Continent. Those who remained were mostly elderly people whose families had been here for generations or good-for-nothing hooligans that lived every day meaninglessly.


    The man in the woven raincoat walked inside one of the makeshift taverns and found it packed with heated people making a fuss. The air was permeated with the stifling stench of alcohol.


    ¡°One room please.¡± The man walked up to the reception counter and placed a silver ingot on it. Right at the same time, someone stepped inside the tavern and said, ¡°Madam, one good room please.¡±


    The one who entered after the man was a red-robed man with straight brows and clear eyes. He was handsome and distinguished, but he exuded an intense murderous aura. He held a folding fan with bones for frame and iron sheets for folds. He walked up to the reception counter and placed a silver ingot on it as well.


    The proprietress of the tavern was a married woman of less than forty years old. As a businesswoman, she would tend to her guests whether they were from the Orthodox Path or the Devil¡¯s Practice. However, she was now in quite a dilemma. Her two guests were clearly extraordinary people, but there was only one room available. If these two started fighting, the entire tavern and restaurant would be leveled in an instant.


    Tension spread across the tavern. The red-robed man turned to look at the man in the woven raincoat and the latter returned the favor. Their gazes met for a split second. A hush fell over the lounge as if the air was frozen.


    The two men looked at each other for a long time, their gazes as sharp and unstoppable as blades. No one breathed a word in such an atmosphere, feeling suffocated. In the southeast corner of the lounge, a man with a coiled beard dared not to put down the wine cup in his hand. It remained frozen midair. In the northwest corner, a fair-faced young man also stopped his hand mid-way toward reaching for the wine jar. In the southwest corner, a man in black wanted to leave but he couldn¡¯t get his legs to listen to him and stand up. The proprietress at the reception counter forced a smile but couldn¡¯t bring herself to say a word.


    The moment these two start fighting, the victims would undoubtedly be those in the lounge. This atmosphere continued for a moment until a waiter shouted from the second floor, ¡°Madam, a guest wants to check out.¡±


    His words shattered the ice-cold mood and time seemed to flow again. The man with the coiled beard put down the wine cup in his hand. The young man picked up the wine jar. The man who wanted to leave decided to stay. The proprietress at the reception counter said with a bright smile, ¡°Very well! Please wait for a moment!¡± She took out a key attached with a room plate and handed it to the man in the woven raincoat. Then, she turned to the red-robed man. ¡°Please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll get the room ready for you immediately.¡±


    The man in the woven raincoat didn¡¯t linger after getting the key and made a beeline for the second floor. When he reached the head of the stairs, he heard the red-robed man asking, ¡°Madam, I¡¯d like to ask about someone.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Please do.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s about this tall, looks like a fairy, has a vermillion tear-shaped birthmark under her right eye, dressed in purple clothes, and has a purple jade reed in her hands¡­¡±


    The man in the woven raincoat paused imperceptibly but soon recovered and continued walking up to the second floor. The proprietress¡¯ laughter drifted from behind him. ¡°We have quite a few guests lately but I don¡¯t think the one you¡¯re describing is one of them.¡±


    ¡­


    The man in the woven raincoat entered the guest room on the second floor and took off his conical bamboo hat, revealing an attractive and intelligent-looking face. On the corners of his mouth were shadows of a mustache. It was Xiao Chen. He had arrived in a nearby village on his flying sword in the evening. When a torrential rain worse than those in the seventh or eighth month poured, he bought a woven raincoat and conical bamboo hat and walked into the town.


    The curtain of night slowly descended upon the town. Xiao Chen walked to the window and stared southward, where dark clouds had gathered. That was where the Miasma Mountain Range was. The sky was a sea of dark clouds, looking like a terrifying giant monster on the verge of swallowing the Human World.


    The sky soon darkened completely, shrouding the room in darkness. A flurry of steps on the floor resounded until it stopped in front of his door. A young waiter asked, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m here with your dinner.¡±


    Xiao Chen opened the door. When the waiter saw how dark the room was, he smiled. ¡°Sir, why aren¡¯t you lightning the lamp when it¡¯s dark? Allow me to help you.¡±


    Xiao Chen took the tray of food from the waiter¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have flintstones with me.¡±


    ¡°Then please enjoy your food, Sir. Let me know if you need anything. I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡±


    Once the waiter was gone, Xiao Chen shut the door and put the tray on the table. He didn¡¯t immediately light the lamp. Perhaps, he had gotten used to the dark after staying in the Demon Repressing Tower for so long. It didn¡¯t matter to him whether there was a lamp or not.


    He didn¡¯t touch the food either. He was still thinking about the red-robed man he met downstairs. That man, with his intense murderous aura, was surely no ordinary person. Moreover, when their eyes met earlier, they weren¡¯t feuding over an empty room. His main goal in visiting the Miasma Mountain Range was the rumored extraordinary treasure. Secondly, he wanted to watch the cultivators of the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice battle it out. The third reason was the Corpse Refinery Sect. The red-robed man, on the other hand, he had no idea what he was thinking.


    An hour later, Xiao Chen put the woven raincoat in the wardrobe and climbed onto the bed to rest. Then, at midnight, he was awakened by the panicked barking of a dog and then the clanging of swords meeting, shouting, and sounds of murder.


    Many had come to this desolate town in recent days, both from the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice, and bloody incidents were frequent. Some nobodies from both sides must be fighting right now. He closed his eyes and continued to sleep, ignoring what was going on outside.


    The torrential rain that had persisted for three to four days finally ceased early the next morning. The air after was particularly refreshing and the crystal dewdrops on the leaves sparkled under the sunlight.


    Most visitors had left the town by now, nearly all of them heading for the Miasma Mountain Range some 15 kilometers away. Xiao Chen put on the woven raincoat and made his way over with the conical bamboo hat in his hand. After traveling for some ten kilometers, the clear skies gradually became overcast with dark clouds. It wasn¡¯t the weather suddenly changing for the worse. Rather, he had gotten closer to the Miasma Mountain Range. Like the Changyin Mountain Range, this place was shrouded in dark clouds year-round.


    The mountain road was treacherous and filled with mud, so Xiao Chen decided to walk through the air instead. Within moments, he landed outside an expanse of mountain forest which marked the boundary of the Miasma Mountain Range. He found an entrance hidden by the foliage and entered through it. The moment he disappeared, a rustling noise rang, It seemed that in the place he passed by earlier, a living object seemed to have drilled into the ground.


    It was one thing to stand outside the boundary, but the moment he crossed it, Xiao Chen felt as if he had come to an entirely different world. Everywhere he looked, he saw towering trees tall and overlapping branches that obscured the sky above. Countless venomous insects and ferocious ants hid on the tree trunks and inside bushes. One bite out of folks walking by carelessly would result in their gruesome death.


    Of course, Xiao Chen had no reason to fear. He protected himself with a layer of True Energy and leaped from branch to branch. He saw quite a few corpses on the ground along the way. Some were dried bones whose flesh had been gnawed clean. Some were buried in the soil. Some still had color on their cheeks, having just died.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t tell from their clothes where these people came from. He continued for another fifteen minutes until he heard sounds of a battle up ahead. He looked up and saw the occasional fire soaring into the sky and flight of Sword Qi. Xiao Chen returned to the ground and slowly walked over with the foliage for cover.


    When he came closer, he saw two groups clashing at close quarters. There were thirty or so bodies on the ground. One group, clad in black and holding strange bladed weapons, was at a disadvantage. Most of the dead were their people. The other group was dressed in red clothes embroidered with the symbol of fire. A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. He recognized these people in red immediately: disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire.


    The battle was so heated that no one noticed a man in a woven raincoat a hundred feet away. Only when an ice-cold aura hit them that they shivered and realized that they could no longer move.


    Ten or so remaining people in the battle finally saw a man in a woven raincoat striding toward them. Every step the man took seemed like a step on their hearts, capable of determining their life and death. A disciple of the Order of the Divine Fire asked, ¡°Are you from the Orthodox Path or the Devil¡¯s Practice?¡±


    This was what everyone wanted to know. The man¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t important, only his allegiance. Xiao Chen slowly said, ¡°Neither the Orthodox Path, nor the Devil¡¯s Practice¡­¡±


    Those from the Order of the Divine Fire sighed in relief. But before they could follow up with the second intake of breath, they heard the man¡¯s cold voice again. ¡°But I have a grudge against the Order of the Divine Fire¡­¡± Before the disciple who questioned him could digest his words, he was pulled through the air toward him.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to ask questions now.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s voice carried not even the slightest hint of emotion. The disciple couldn¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°P-Please ask.¡± His fellow disciples all turned a frightening shade of white.


    ¡°How many of you have come this time? How many are in the Nascent Soul Realm and above?¡±


    ¡°O-One hundred or so. Three are three Elders in the Nascent Soul Realm and one Elder in the Nirvana Realm about to enter the Apotheosis Realm.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. To think the Order of the Divine Fire would dispatch so many men this time. Were they that determined to get the extraordinary treasure? He increased his strength and asked coldly, ¡°Who¡¯s the one in the Nirvana Realm? Where are they now?¡±


    The captured disciple thought his words would strike some fear in the man. Little did he expect that the man¡¯s murderous aura would remain just as strong. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°First Elder Danyang. As to where they are, I, I don¡¯t know. We got separated¡­ Wh-Who are you?¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Danyang Zi, First Elder of the Order of the Divine Fire. He learned from Qingluan¡¯s intel that this man possessed a great authority over the Order and had a cultivation that far surpassed that of Qi Heng and the rest. If he were to destroy the Order in the future, this man must die first!


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am.¡± Xiao Chen tightened his hold. The disciple¡¯s neck creaked noisily and he met instant death. This shocked the rest of the disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire as well as the Devil¡¯s Practice followers in black. It was stunning how decisive this man was when it came to killing.


    Xiao Chen tossed the disciple¡¯s corpse aside and turned around to look at a large tree he walked past on his way here. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve followed me all the way here. Won¡¯t you show yourself?¡±

 Chapter 371 - Its Him

    The rustling of leaves on the large tree followed Xiao Chen¡¯s voice. Then came a stifling murderous aura sweeping the place. A young man in red stepped out from behind the tree with a steel folding fan in hand. His facial features were well-defined. It was the man Xiao Chen met at the tavern yesterday.


    ¡°Ah, so you discovered me long ago.¡± The man smiled. He unfolded his fan and strolled over, ignoring Xiao Chen¡¯s Absolute Domain.


    ¡°In the Battle of Tianyuan City, one man slaughtered countless Orthodox cultivators. I¡¯ve long heard of your name, Brother Xiao. Now that we¡¯ve met, I see that you deserve your God of Murder title.¡± The man smiled. His gaze landed on the twenty or so disciples from the Order of the Divine Fire.


    The disciples nearly had a mental breakdown after hearing that it was Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen smiled and said, without turning to look at the man in red, ¡°The man who kills one man in ten steps and leaves no trace for a thousand miles. Half a year ago, the same man exterminated the Cool Breeze Sect, Heavenly Blossom Sect, and Hall of Loyalty by himself. Your God of Blood title is very apt as well, if I do say so myself.¡±


    The man in red threw his back in laughter. ¡°I, Seven Killings, am truly honored that you know a Bloodied Fiend Sect nobody like me, Brother Xiao.¡±


    ¡°S-Seven Killings!¡± The others were stunned to learn that the man in red was Seven Killings, the Bloodied Fiend Sect powerhouse that had been gaining infamy in recent months. The disciples from the Order of the Divine Fire exchanged looks, all looking as pale as ash. They were destined to die today, but even so, they wished Xiao Chen would do the killing. That way, their corpses would at least be intact.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen finally turned around and their eyes once again met. Seven Killings stopped smiling and slowly closed his folding fan.


    They continued to stare at each other until the tension in the air resembled the mood in the tavern yesterday. The ten or so disciples of the Order and the twenty or so Devil¡¯s Practice cultivators were both terrified.


    To them, one was the God of Murder who betrayed the Orthodox Path and the other was the God of Blood that even devils were afraid of. If nothing else, they were sure that these two were anything but allies. Everyone understood their reason to be here: the extraordinary treasure. If these two start fighting, there would likely be no survivors among them.


    The tension stretched on as they engaged in a silent war with their eyes. The air was almost still. It wasn¡¯t until a sudden gust of wind swept that Seven Killings finally smiled and once again unfolded his fan. ¡°Did you come to the Miasma Mountain Range for the extraordinary treasure, Brother Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen replied emotionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Venerable Bloodied Devil from the Bloodied Fiend Sect is enlightened about the abstrusity of the world around us. I¡¯m but a weak lone ranger. A nobody like me wouldn¡¯t dare to covet a treasure that is already yours, Brother Seven Killings.¡±


    Seven Killings raised his head and laughed. ¡°You jest, Brother Xiao. How can a nobody earn the aid of the Spirit Silence Room? And Perfected Immortal Danyang from the Order of the Divine Fire has come too. It¡¯d be more accurate to call it his treasure, wouldn¡¯t it¡­¡± He trailed off, looking at the disciples from the Order with a gaze that made them feel like they plunged into a sea of ice.


    ¡°Farewell.¡± Xiao Chen didn¡¯t want to waste his breath on this man. His goal wasn¡¯t the extraordinary treasure anyway. He flicked his sleeves and removed the Absolute Domain, allowing the rest to move again. But no one did. When the disciples saw him leaving, one said in a trembling voice, ¡°Xiao Chen, kill us!¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him. When he was about fifty feet away, he heard Seven Killings¡¯ voice coming from behind him. ¡°I hope we won¡¯t be enemies.¡±


    ¡°Then, please stop tailing me,¡± Xiao Chen replied and made his exit. When he was two hundred feet away, heart-rending screeches pierced his ears.


    Seven Killings retrieved his folding fan with a cold smile. When it came to power, he believed that he wasn¡¯t inferior to Xiao Chen. He had quite a high status in the Bloodied Fiend Sect too. The only reason he feared Xiao Chen was the mysterious organization capable of rivaling the Administration of Heaven¡ªthe Spirit Silence Room.


    The twenty or so Devil¡¯s Practice cultivators in black stared at the mangled corpses scattered all over the floor of the woods, frightened out of their wits. One of them said, his voice trembling, ¡°L-Lord Seven Killings, can we¡­ leave now?¡±


    Seven Killings gave them an icy glance. ¡°Considering we¡¯re on the same side, I¡¯ll spare you this time. Go back and tell your Elders that the extraordinary treasure belongs to the Bloodied Fiend Sect! Whoever dares to covet it¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± They didn¡¯t even wait for him to finish. As if granted clemency, they ran out of the woods without looking back.


    Seven Killings turned his head and stared in the direction that Xiao Chen disappeared in. The dark clouds there seemed to have worsened¡­


    In recent years, the Orthodox sects had been putting up a great front of unity while backstabbing each other in the dark. The same could be said for the Devil¡¯s Practice. Their collective fight against the Orthodox Path several years ago made them look more united, but both sides still fighting among themselves to reign supreme. All of them gradually began to scheme against each other. All wanted to be the one to dominate the world.


    The Four Major Devil¡¯s Sects¡ªBloodied Fiend Sect, Fort Raksasa, Dark Shadow Hall, Corpse Refinery Sect¡ªlooked calm on the surface but were all up to no good. In particular, the Corpse Refinery Sect had been going through a massive expansion after secluding themselves for three hundred years. There was no doubt that Ye Wuxin had the ambition of annexing the three other factions.


    Seven Killings took a deep breath. Fort Raksasa had the support of its Empress, the Dark Shadow Hall had the mysterious Feng you, and the Corpse Refinery Sect possessed an unrivaled Divine Corpse. Meanwhile, the Venerable Bloodied Devil from his sect had been cultivating in seclusion for almost a century. It wasn¡¯t until two years ago that the Bloodied Mad Swordsman finally returned, but as a deranged idiot.


    This made him feel helpless. Aspirations were useless without power. When could he finally dominate the world? At the Battle of Tianyuan City, Xiao Chen used his zither, an ancient Divine Tool, to level the Immortals¡¯ League. If his sect possessed a treasure that was just as powerful, they wouldn¡¯t need to fear the three sects. Thus, he was determined to get the extraordinary treasure of the Miasma Mountain Range.


    In recent days, he had been cooking up various schemes to incite battles between the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice to exhaust their powers. His biggest concern had been Danyang Zi from the Order of the Divine Fire, who was about to achieve the Apotheosis Realm. Little did he expect that Xiao Chen would escape the Demon Repressing Tower and come to the Miasma Mountain Range! This uncertain factor had ruined his entire plan, making him feel threatened.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the Miasma Mountain Range, a complaining voice resounded. ¡°Meow! I¡¯m about to burst a vein from anger! Little Xian¡¯er lied to me, saying that some kind of extraordinary treasure is going to show up. But I don¡¯t see anything after running around and even got chased by a bunch of lunatic mosquitos! D*mn it! Once my magic powers recover, I swear I¡¯ll level this place!¡±


    ¡°You food-thieving cat, all you do at the Jade Qing Sect is eat and drink! Look at how fat you¡¯ve gotten! No wonder you can¡¯t even outrun some mosquitos.¡±


    ¡°Enough arguing, Junior Brothers and Sisters. Do you feel ill anywhere after crossing the forest of poisonous miasma?¡±


    The one who spoke this time was a white-robed young man holding a red Immortal¡¯s Sword. He wore a small frown. His eyes were as limpid and bright as moonlight. It was Yu Yifeng. His cultivation had skyrocketed in the past year and he was now in the true mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Behind him were Mu Shaoai, Qingyu, Zhou Li, and Luo Shangyan¡ªwho had been frowning the entire time.


    Luo Shangyan spent the past year putting her all into cultivating. The speed of her progress was astonishing as well. She was now in the true beginner-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. However, no one had seen her smile even once in the past year.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good! Yu Shiyi, how do you plan on compensating me?¡± Zhiluan hovered next to Luo Shangyan and started kicking up a fuss. A dozen or so red packets were plastered on his head, making him look rather comical.


    Qingyu placed a hand over her mouth and burst into laughter. ¡°You deserved it! Who¡¯s the one who said he isn¡¯t afraid of vicious ants because he has Divine Skills for protection?¡±


    ¡°D*mned girl!¡± Zhiluan was so furious that his entire face reddened. Before this, Yu Yifeng had proposed that they smear a layer of medicated water on their skin to ward off mosquitoes. However, he thought himself above it and declared that he was an envoy that the Jade Emperor personally dispatched to the Human World, had Divine Skills for protection, and wasn¡¯t afraid of some venomous insects¡­ Well, the outcome was clear.


    Yu Yifeng coughed once and handed him the bottle of medicated water. Then, he addressed the group. ¡°Alright. We must now pinpoint the location of the extraordinary treasure as soon as possible. We can¡¯t let those from the Devil¡¯s Practice steal the opportunity. The consequences are unimaginable if it falls into their hands. Martial Uncle Mo Xuan came here last month, and it¡¯d be best if we can join him.¡±


    They already spent two days in the Miasma Mountain Range, a place where clear skies would suddenly be replaced with rain and vice versa. Miasma shrouded many places, making it rather orienting. Hearing that they could meet up with Moxuan Zi, one of the Seven Sons, boosted their morale. After trekking for a while, Mu Shaoai suddenly said, ¡°We can¡¯t let the treasure fall into the hands of the Devil¡¯s sects. But what about the Thousand Feathers Sect, Divine Mist Sect, and Xianyong Sect?¡±


    A momentary silence later, Yu Yifeng replied, ¡°It¡¯d be ideal it ends up with one of the Orthodox sects, but we should try our best to bring back the treasure anyhow.¡±


    His implication was clear. Both the Devil¡¯s Practice and Orthodox Path coveted this treasure. Not only would the treasure boost their prestige among other Orthodox sects, but they could also add another great treasure to strengthen their sect.


    The Jade Qing Sect had been gaining fame in recent months. Naturally, they wanted to take it up a notch. On the other hand, the Divine Mist Sect had always proclaimed themselves the top sect but other sects had been showing signs of surpassing them. Pressure was mounting on them. Like the Bloodied Fiend Sect, they would do anything to obtain the treasure on this mountain range.


    ¡°And another thing. I heard the Corpse Refinery Sect has been occupying a place nearby. Martial Uncle Mo Xuan suspects that the disappearance of the thirty-one people has something to do with them. Everyone, please be careful,¡± Yu Yifeng added, and then continued to lead the way.


    The group continued to trek for four hours. The towering trees in this forest had crisscrossing branches that made it difficult to fly on their swords. Flying also made them easily detectable, especially to those from the Devil¡¯s Practice. Even if the mountain road was strenuous, they had no choice but to travel on foot.


    After walking for a little more, the sky suddenly darkened and began to drizzle. Yu Yifeng put up a layer of Barrier and blocked the rain for them. However, the road ahead became even more difficult to walk on.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we find shelter from the rain first?¡±


    ¡°I agree! This Great Immortal is about to die from exhaustion!¡±


    Zhiluan was terrified of the venomous insects crawling on the ground, for they seem to target him alone. Hence, he unfolded his wings and flew all the way. Before, he could still lay on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulders and doze off. Now, whose shoulders could he lay on?


    ¡°Wish that d*mned kid is here. Even though it¡¯s pretty unlucky to follow him sometimes¡­¡±


    His inadvertent complaint silenced everyone. They had no idea that Xiao Chen had escaped the tower. Even if he had escaped, there wasn¡¯t a place for him in the Orthodox Path anymore¡­


    It began to rain harder, so much that the tree leaves rustled loudly from the weight of the raindrops. Qinyu¡¯s smile was gone. Every time she recalled the person who removed her Devil¡¯s Carnage Qi without a care for himself, she would think of the person who slaughtered at Tianyuan City as well. She didn¡¯t know which one was the real Xiao Chen.


    Luo Shangyan looked downcast. She didn¡¯t want to say anything, and in fact, she hadn¡¯t spoken a word since the beginning of the trip. The rain picked up and a mist began to fill the air, making their surroundings turn hazy. She thought she saw a person wearing a woven raincoat in the distance, but when she blinked, the person was gone.


    ¡°Junior Sister Luo! It¡¯s dangerous! Where are you going?¡±


    Yu Yifeng cried out in surprise at Luo Shangyan suddenly running off without rhyme or reason. No one knew what was wrong with her, but they chased after her all the same.


    ¡°Junior Sister Luo, come back!¡± Yu Yifeng kept shouting, but Luo Shangyan didn¡¯t seem to hear him. She acted as if she was possessed and kept running ahead.


    Soon, she was completely drenched. Her hair clung to the sides of her face and drops of water slid down her chin. But those weren¡¯t raindrops. They were tears.


    Finally, after running for about 1,000 or 1,500 meters, all she saw was the mist. The person in the woven raincoat was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had never existed.


    When the rest of her group caught up to her, Yu Yifeng said in a panicked voice, ¡°What are you doing, Junior Sister Luo?¡± He hastily put up a layer of Barrier above her head.


    Luo Shangyan¡¯s chest heaved up and down. As if she was speaking to herself, as if she was dreaming, she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s him. It¡¯s him¡­¡±

 Chapter 372 - The Fierce Battle in the Forest

    Everyone fell silent because they knew Luo Shangyan was referring to Xiao Chen. Yu Yifeng said, ¡°Come on, Junior Sister Luo. Let¡¯s go. Lil Chen¡­¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s him!¡± Luo Shangyan began yelling like a madwoman. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, I know it¡¯s you! Come out! Come out!¡±


    Her voice echoed in the empty valley. Mu Shaoai was alarmed. He glared at Luo Shangyan and chided, ¡°Luo Shangyan, are you insane? Shut up! Not only will you catch the devils¡¯ attention, but you¡¯ll even attract vicious beasts¡­¡±


    Yu Yifeng held up a hand and shook his head, stopping Mu Shaoai from continuing. Luo Shangyan immediately fished out a jade note from her bosom and crushed it. Xiao Chen had given the note to her a long time ago. She could still remember what he told her then: ¡°Crush this jade note and I¡¯ll come to you immediately¡­¡±


    She felt a sense of anticipation after crushing the jade note, anticipation for someone to make a sudden appearance. Whichever direction there was a gust of wind, she would immediately turn to look. However, it was always just leaves rustling in the wind. She waited for a long time, but he was still nowhere to be seen. There were only the bleak wind and icy rain.


    ¡°Why? Why won¡¯t you meet us? Why?¡± She trailed off and squatted down, hugging herself. The rain, along with her tears, slid down her cheeks and fell on the ground.


    Mu Shaoai sneered. ¡°Lunatic¡­¡±


    Moments later, Yu Yifeng sighed. He pulled Luo Shangyan to her feet and the group began moving in another direction. It wasn¡¯t until the group disappeared amid the rain and boundless mist that a man in a woven raincoat slowly stepped out from behind a large tree nearby.


    The man was, of course, Xiao Chen. He strolled up to where Yu Yifeng and the rest previously stood and slowly squatted down to pick up the pieces of the crushed jade note from the muddy water.


    Just then, the charming voice of a woman came from behind him. ¡°I bet if they meet Seven Killings, they¡¯ll die within 30 minutes.¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and said emotionlessly, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    A pretty young woman in her early twenties strolled to him. The woman was dressed in a lilac dress and her hair was as dark as ink. In her hair were jade-green and cyan accessories. Underneath her right eye was a vermilion tear-shaped mole. In her left hand was a purple reed made from jade and in her right hand was a jade-green and cyan-colored oil-paper umbrella.


    For every step she took, the muddy water on the ground would move away. Raindrops would also be blocked by an incorporeal power whenever they came close. The umbrella was unnecessary.


    ¡°A lonesome man in a raincoat walking among the bleak wind and icy rain. I never expected such a sentimental side from you, God of Murder.¡±


    The young woman in lilac slowly walked up to Xiao Chen and stretched her right hand, partially shielding him from the rain with her oil-paper umbrella. There was a very faint smile on her face. Her eyes, like two pools of rippling green-jade water, were so alluring that one look was enough to lure one into the depths of worldly desire, never to seek immortality again.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was icy and without emotion. He turned around. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stared at where the mountains met. All he could see was a misty veil. He said placidly, ¡°Few know the true use of this reed; from the frigid jade comes autumn breeze. I never imagined that the fearsome Ice Jade Fairy would save a stranger.¡± Upon closer look at Xiao Chen¡¯s abdomen, there was indeed a bright red bloodstain on it.


    Four hours prior.


    After meeting and leaving Seven Killings from the Bloodied Fiend Sect behind, Xiao Chen traveled solo for more than ten miles until he heard human voices up ahead. Finding the voices familiar, he secretly went closer and saw Xiaoyue, Su Zimu, Bai Yushu, and Zuoqiu Yang.


    Xiaoyue was still clad in cyan. Even knee-deep in a treacherous place, she remained as expressionless as ever. She was still the fairy that he knew. The elegant and confident Su Zimu held his Mystic Heaven Fan, disregarding the hidden dangers here. Bai Yushu, the chief disciple of the Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s Third Elder, was comparatively more cautious. Meanwhile, Zuoqiu Yang had been rapidly progressing in his cultivation lately and looked much sturdier as well. There was an ominous glint in his eyes.


    Xiao Chen was confused. Everyone wanted the extraordinary treasure on this mountain range, he thought. How did these four, all serving their respective interests, get together? He assumed that they had merely stumbled into each other and forming a group wasn¡¯t their plan. He shed his aura and secretly followed them, wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    He heard Xiaoyue say, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the Su family, as the chief of the ten major clans, possesses countless rare treasures. Are you interested in an object born out of this treacherous place as well, Young Master Su?¡±


    Su Zimu waved his folding fan. With a raised brow and a smile, he replied, ¡°When it comes to rare treasures, I suppose we¡¯re no match for an Ancient Immortal Clan like the Thousand Feathers Sect. Let¡¯s just talk about the Autumn Water Ancient Sword. In this world, who can rival such a weapon?¡±


    Xiaoyue smiled. ¡°You overpraise, Young Master Su.¡± She turned to look at Bai Yushu. Bai Yushu smiled and said, ¡°I heard that there were traces of Devil¡¯s sects here some time ago. Coupled with the disappearance of thirty-one people half a year ago, I fear it must have something to do with the Corpse Refinery Sect that had occupied this mountain range. That¡¯s why I was sent here to take a look. As for the extraordinary treasure, well, I wouldn¡¯t dream of it with you three here.¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang snickered. ¡°Instead of investigating it half a year ago, you chose to come when the extraordinary treasure is about to show up. The Immortals¡¯ League knows how to pick their timing!¡±


    Xiao Chen focused harder on their conversation. What exactly was this extraordinary treasure? Why was everyone so desperate to obtain it? It seemed that the treasure wasn¡¯t simply a fake rumor.


    Moments later, Xiaoyue said, ¡°My Master sent me here for a look as well. The only one who is truly desperate for the treasure may very well be Senior Danyang from the Order of the Divine Fire.¡±


    Her words silenced everyone. The four of them had their ideas and plans, Xiao Chen thought. The frequent activity in the Devil¡¯s sects lately had forced all the Elders to strictly watch over their sects and clans. They had no choice but to leave this to their most distinguished disciples. However, the Order of the Divine Fire had unexpectedly dispatched their First Elder. It was evident that they were the most desperate to obtain the extraordinary treasure.


    Little did they imagine that what seemed like the most advantageous situation ended up making them a target for both sides. Everyone coveted the treasure, so how could they allow a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator to upset their plans? The devils in particular, Xiao Chen thought. Seven Killings must be targeting the Order.


    Their conversation ceased and the wind came to a standstill as well. The forest became especially quiet. Suddenly, a creaking noise shattered the silence. Though it wasn¡¯t loud, the sound waves traveled effortlessly from under Xiao Chen¡¯s feet. Xiao Chen felt a chill in his heart. Oh no!


    Suddenly, a Sword Qi¡ªwith a sword radiance that stretched nearly eighty feet long¡ªslashed him with fierce momentum. The attack was so powerful that it instantly destroyed the trees around Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen, knowing that it was useless to hide now that he was exposed, immediately showed himself.


    ¡°Who are you? Why did you tail us?¡± Xiaoyue¡¯s expression was ice-cold. She was the one who attacked earlier. The other three stared at the man in a woven raincoat who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Without a second thought, Xiao Chen turned around and started running in the other direction. The four of them were now proper Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and certainly no ordinary people. He didn¡¯t want to fight them right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of escaping!¡±


    They immediately caught up to Xiao Chen and surrounded him. They were keenly aware that this man was able to quietly tail them. If he hadn¡¯t stepped on a twig, they would probably never notice him. His cultivation was surely above average, they thought. He must be of a rather high standing in the Devil¡¯s sects.


    Xiao Chen pushed his conical bamboo hat closer to his face. It was dark out now. He had a woven raincoat on and there had been slight changes to his appearance in the past year. Coupled with the fact that Wuyin Monastery didn¡¯t announce his escape from the tower, it was impossible for them to realize his identity.


    Xiaoyue¡¯s cold glare, like two unsheathed swords made from ice, fell on him. She said coldly, ¡°Who exactly are you? Are you Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall?¡±


    She had her palm pressed on the hilt of her Autumn Water Sword as she spoke. This man had extraordinary cultivation, she thought. He must be one of three rising stars of the Devil¡¯s sects. Excluding Su Lianyue from Fort Raksasa, it was either Seven Killings from the Bloodied Fiend Sect or Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall. This man¡¯s murderous aura wasn¡¯t as heavy as Seven Killings¡¯, so it must be Yi Yeqiu.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. He had already produced a faint blade of Qi in the hollow of his left palm. A sudden gust of wind rose behind him. Detecting the astral wind brought upon by an attack, he leaped into the air and heard a rumbling explosion. Underneath, mud and dirt flew everywhere. In the ground where he had previously stood on was a massive pit and large expanses of trees around him had fallen.


    It was the work of Zuoqiu Yang and his ferrotungsten spear. The blade of the spear was lit up with dark radiance. Evidently, it was no ordinary weapon. Su Zimu waved his folding fan and speedily cried, ¡°Heavenly Thirteen Swords!¡±


    The moment the sound of his voice died, thirteen Sword Qi radiating a golden glow appeared out of thin air and rained down on Xiao Chen. Stuck in midair, Xiao Chen had nowhere to borrow strength from. He had no choice but to slam a palm attack on the ground, sending plants flying. His other palm was directed at the golden Sword Qi in the sky. His palm force collided with the Sword Qi and produced an explosion that reduced the trees and plants within one hundred feet to a fine powder. Xiao Chen himself had sunk quite a little.


    Su Zimu was alarmed at how powerful his opponent was. This man was even stronger than Yi Yeqiu. Xiaoyue narrowed her eyes and quickly recited a spell. ¡°Traceless Autumn Water!¡±


    Xiao Chen was reinstating his True Energy in midair when a Sword Qi radiating a white glow flew at him from his side. He thrust his right palm and a majestic force of True Energy poured down in torrents, freezing Xiaoyue¡¯s Autumn Water Sword Qi in the air. Xiaoyue was stunned. Such powerful cultivation, she thought. Could it be that he wasn¡¯t Yi Yeqiu?


    ¡°God-destruction Myriad Wind!¡±


    Bai Yushu bellowed and followed up with an attack of his own. Just like that, the rising rookies from the four major Orthodox sects besieged a mysterious man in a woven raincoat. They started the battle on the ground before taking it to the air and then back to the ground again. In no time at all, the tough fight had destroyed all the trees around them but the four were still unable to capture their opponent.


    Xiao Chen chose not to use his weapons as to not expose his identity. The moment he landed on the ground, Zuoqiu Yang charged up to him with his ferrotungsten spear. Xiao Chen took off his conical bamboo hat and tossed it with as much force as he could muster, sending it spinning rapidly toward Zuoqiu Yang.


    What was just an ordinary hat became as sharp as a magic treasure after it was imbued with Xiao Chen¡¯s True Energy. It whizzed through the air, catching Zuoqiu Yang off guard and forcing him to lean backward. Following a jeering noise, the hat cut off a strand of hair on his temples.


    The hat didn¡¯t stop here. As if controlled by Xiao Chen, it began spinning toward the other three behind Zuoqiu Yang. Its fierce momentum made them believe that the hat was some kind of devilish magic treasure. Not daring to meet it head-on, they leaned backward and dodged the attack.


    One final spin later, the hat returned to Xiao Chen¡¯s hand. He put the hat back on and pushed it down. He then propelled himself into the air with the tip of his foot and made his escape.


    Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes narrowed after catching a split-second glimpse of the man¡¯s face. Why did he look so familiar? She cried, ¡°Chase after him!¡± The four of them immediately unleashed their Sky Treader technique and once again went after him.

 Chapter 373 - Ice Jade Fairy

    Xiao Chen leapt from one branch to another, moving so quickly that the tree leaves swirled in the air before falling to the ground. The four were hot on his trail. The chase continued for ten more kilometers until a Sword Qi flew toward Xiao Chen. He thrust his palm backward, but all he could feel was a numbing sensation spreading all over his body. It nearly made him fall. He steadied his body and turned to look. The attack was the four¡¯s combined assault.


    Xiao Chen landed on the branch of a large tree. He wondered if these four were insane. He immediately braced his throat with True Energy and coldly said, ¡°Why are you people chasing after me?¡± His voice was icy and carried a hint of anger.


    The expressionless Xiaoyue looked at him with an icy stare that resembled two bolts of cold lightning, but couldn¡¯t get a proper look at his face. She said icily, ¡°Who exactly are you? Why did you secretly tail us?¡±


    Su Zimu and Bai Yushu were confused about this as well. Judging from his cultivation method, the man in the woven raincoat didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Even so, they couldn¡¯t tell his origin. So who was he? No matter his identity, he must be up to no good for tailing them.


    Xiao Chen threw his back in laughter before answering emotionlessly, ¡°Huh? Does the road belong to you? If walking behind you is considered tailing, then what does you chasing after me mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t twist our words, you Devil¡¯s Practice follower!¡± Zuoqiu Yang yelled, and charged at him with his spear. Xiao Chen scoffed and leaped into the sky. He cried, ¡°Star-shifting Substitution!¡±


    Suddenly, the earth began to quake and the mountain shook. Xiaoyue and the other three, who were standing on the branches, felt the center of their gravity shift. They nearly lost their balance and fell. They found that the towering and large trees around them were being moved around at a rapid pace. However, upon closer look, they realized that it wasn¡¯t the trees moving but the ground underneath. They immediately leaped into the sky.


    Zuoqiu Yang, caught halfway in his attack of Xiao Chen, didn¡¯t expect a large tree to slam into his face. He knocked into the trunk and the impact caused him to cough up a mouthful of blood and fly out.


    The tree was just an ordinary tree and shouldn¡¯t have been able to injure Zuoqiu Yang. However, it was another story with the celestial power induced by Xiao Chen¡¯s Star-shifting Substitution. Seeing how powerful these fast-moving trees were, Xiaoyue and the other two reinforced the True Energy protecting their bodies while dodging the incoming trees in a panic.


    All of them had only one thought: what a strange skill. Xiao Chen was about to withdraw his power after seeing them lose the will to fight. Out of the blue, a powerful aura abruptly came through at a lightning-fast speed. By the time he recovered his senses, an enormous fiery-red palm print had ambushed him.


    He hastily blocked the two palms and yet the collision of the two palm forces sent him falling to the ground nonetheless. He felt a metallic taste rising from his throat and then coughed up a mouthful of blood. His blood stained the front of his shirt, little by little.


    When he looked up, he saw a white-bearded old man making a slow descent to the ground. The old man was imposing, deeply-wrinkled, and wore a red robe embroidered with golden flames. The four pursuers also returned to the ground. Xiaoyue immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°Thank you for your help, Senior Danyang!¡±


    The old man was Elder Danyang Zi from the Order of the Divine Fire. His cultivation was at the peak of the Nirvana Realm. He had been searching for his thirty or so missing disciples when he heard the sound of their battle and rushed over. When he saw Xiaoyue and the other three were in trouble, he thought that he could use this chance to get them indebted to him and stop them from fighting over the extraordinary treasure with him.


    The nearby Xiao Chen composed himself. So this was Danyang Zi, he thought. His cultivation was much higher than Qi Heng¡¯s. This made him want to make a quick exit, but naturally, Danyang Zi wouldn¡¯t let him. The old man said coldly, ¡°My young friend, you have quite the cultivation. Why don¡¯t you tell us your name before going?¡± He was sure that this young man was no extraordinary cultivator, seeing as he had the ability to corner these four rising rookies.


    Xiao Chen had sustained quite a heavy blow earlier. He had barely moved an inch when an unrivaled gust of wind coming from a palm movement engulfed him. It was right then that the sound of reed came drifting out of nowhere. The tune was incredibly faint but grew louder and louder until everyone felt as if it was right next to their ears. The tune carried a might that threatened to tear their souls apart. Xiaoyue cried out in alarm, ¡°This is bad!¡±


    Right at the same time, a layer of purple mist inexplicably enveloped the forest and obscured their vision. In the mist, Xiao Chen detected a hand, as soft as cotton, tugging on his wrist. Then, a faint fragrance hit his nose. Before he could figure out who the mysterious person was, he found that he was already a thousand feet away.


    It wasn¡¯t until they came to a standstill that Xiao Chen got a clear look at the person holding onto his wrist. It was a beautiful lady dressed in purple. Underneath her right eye was a vermilion tear-shaped mole. He couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward after learning that a woman was dragging him by the hand. He immediately pulled his hand away and asked in an icy voice, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The lady in purple looked at him with a faint smile. Her voice carried the slightest trace of annoyance as she replied, ¡°You¡¯re so strange. I saved your life and yet not only did you not thank me, but you¡¯re interrogating me.¡± She took two steps closer to him.


    The faint smell of fragrance hit Xiao Chen immediately. This was surely no ordinary woman, he thought. Then, a thought came to mind, reminding him of her identity. He was instantly wary, but he was also worried that the old mule, Danyang Zi, would catch up to him. He sprang into action and dashed toward the other side of the forest.


    ¡°Hey! How can you be so rude?!¡± Behind him, the lady in purple seemed to have scolded him before following him. She pointed her toes to the ground and gracefully jumped three inches off the ground. The plants and stones automatically moved out of her way throughout her journey.


    Xiao Chen squeezed out the clotted blood in his body as he ran. When he saw that he couldn¡¯t shake off the lady even after 30 minutes, he said, ¡°Thank you for your help earlier, but people who walk different paths can¡¯t work together. Please don¡¯t follow me anymore.¡±


    The lady in purple sneered and mimicked his words earlier. ¡°Huh? Does the road belong to you? Why can¡¯t I use this road if you can? Besides, why are you so sure that people who walk different paths can¡¯t work together?¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped and rested for a moment. Before he could respond, however, he heard a strange yelp from the distance. ¡°Meow! I¡¯m not walking anymore! I¡¯m about to drop dead from exhaustion!¡±


    Hearing this familiar sound made Xiao Chen felt as if someone had clutched his heart. The lady in purple noticed his changed expression and peered in the direction of the voice, but couldn¡¯t see anything through the thick foliage. Suddenly, it began to drizzle.


    Gusts of cold wind and fine rain hit them on the face. Xiao Chen felt a chill. Then, he heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we find shelter from the rain first?¡±


    ¡°I agree! This Great Immortal is about to die from exhaustion!¡±


    ¡°Wish that d*mned kid is here. Even though it¡¯s pretty unlucky to follow him sometimes¡­¡±


    The rain seemed to have gotten even heavier. Raindrops fell heavily on the tree leaves in the same way they seemed to pelt Xiao Chen¡¯s heart. Everywhere he could see was mist. He quietly walked toward the source of the voices and saw the five people standing in the distance: Brother Yifeng, Qingyu, Zhou Li, Mu Shaoai, and¡­ Senior Sister Luo.


    The wind was also picking up, willfully making a mess of his hair under the conical bamboo hat. The mist around him was gradually turning into a fog. Everything became indistinct. In the haziness, however, he saw Luo Shangyan noticing him. He immediately turned away and disappeared amid the rain and mist.


    ¡°Junior Sister Luo! It¡¯s dangerous! Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister Luo! Come back!¡±


    Xiao Chen dashed through the rain, ignoring the sound of the wind and the shouting behind him. Soon, the rain soaked through his woven raincoat and drenched his layers of clothes inside. Raindrops swept past his cheeks. In the end, after his feet had carried 1,000 to 1,500 meters away, he came up to a large tree. He hid behind it.


    The rain was picking up and the fog was getting denser. He could hear the sound of a group of people running over, and then Yu Yifeng¡¯s panicked voice, ¡°Junior Sister Luo, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him. It¡¯s him¡­¡±


    A brief silence later, Yu Yifeng said, ¡°Come on, Junior Sister Luo. Let¡¯s go. Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s him! Junior Brother Xiao!¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s you! Come out! Come out!¡±


    Her voice echoed in the empty valley, every word following the one before it. Xiao Chen felt like she had grabbed tight onto his heart, squeezing it again and again. The lady in purple looked confused. She was about to poke her head out for a look when Xiao Chen stopped her and shook his head at her.


    ¡°Luo Shangyan, are you insane? Shut up! Not only will you catch the devils¡¯ attention, but you¡¯ll even attract vicious beasts¡­¡±


    The sudden condemnation made Xiao Chen furious. He was pinching his fingers when his heartstrings tightened. The jade note was crushed. The jade note that he had given Luo Shangyan was crushed. He remembered what he told her then, ¡°Crush this jade note if you find yourself in danger and I¡¯ll come to you immediately¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sat under the tree, his head raised to look at the falling rain. He allowed the rain to hit his face, over and over, for a very long time until he heard Luo Shangyan¡¯s voice again. ¡°Why? Why won¡¯t you meet us? Why¡­?¡±


    It felt as if his heart was cleaved. He recalled the days they spent at the Three Pure Sect but a persistent voice told him that he couldn¡¯t return anymore, never again¡­


    ¡°Lunatic¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before the group finally walked far away. Xiao Chen stood up and stepped out from behind the tree. He walked up to where Yu Yifeng and the rest previously stood and slowly squatted down to pick up the pieces of the crushed jade note from the muddy water.


    ¡°I bet if they meet Seven Killings, they¡¯ll die within 30 minutes.¡± The lady in purple joined him, oil-paper umbrella in hand. Xiao Chen turned around. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°A lonesome man in a raincoat walking among the bleak wind and icy rain. I never expected such a sentimental side from you, God of Murder.¡±


    The lady in purple strolled up to him and titled the oil-paper umbrella to cover him with a faint smile. Even before, Xiao Chen was pretty sure that the lady was the Ice Jade Fairy of the Fort Raksasa, Su Lianyue. Of course, he learned this from the information that Qingluan provided.


    He turned around and said, ¡°Few know the true use of this reed; from the frigid jade comes autumn breeze. I never imagined that the fearsome Ice Jade Fairy would save a stranger.¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled and the cyan oil-paper umbrella in her hand trembled along with it, shedding raindrops. The droplets didn¡¯t move away this time and fell on her face, lending her an ethereal beauty. She said, ¡°Ice Jade Fairy? In such chaotic times, all I hope for is a refuge.¡± She continued, ¡°That said, who was that earlier? Your lover?¡±


    Su Lianyue was right in front of him again and smiling faintly at him. She looked him up and down with great interest as if she found Xiao Chen to be quite different from the God of Murder in the rumors.


    Xiao Chen once again spun around and walked some ten feet away. With his back against her, he replied indifferently, ¡°Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°My, you¡¯re so strange. Do you like talking with your back against people that much? But Senior Sister, is it? That¡¯s disappointing. You came from the Orthodox Path and yet it was the Orthodox Path that abandoned you¡­¡±


    This time, Xiao Chen finally turned around to look at her. However, his gaze was ice-cold. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say¡­?¡±


    Su Lianyue was all smiles even in the face of a stifling-cold gaze. ¡°I told you. People who walk different paths might not necessarily be unable to work together.¡± She flicked her sleeves and an object flew toward Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen caught the object between his fingers. It wasn¡¯t a concealed weapon, but a neatly-folded letter. He opened it and gave the contents a quick scan. His expression swiftly turned solemn.

 Chapter 374 - Psychological Attack

    The solemn Xiao Chen read the letter: ¡°Honorable Senior Brother, the Devil¡¯s Practice follower Xiao Chen has escaped with tremendously improved cultivation. I fought him at the Falling Flowers Valley the other day but fled when I saw that I¡¯m no match for him. I fear he¡¯ll seek revenge. Senior Brother, please return to the sect and prevent a catastrophe¡­¡±


    The one who penned the letter was Qi Heng. Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t have to think hard about it. Qi Heng must have sent this letter to Danyang Zi using a flying pigeon but Su Lianyue happened to intercept it.


    The rain finally stopped after a while but the cold wind on the mountain continued to linger. The gusts of wind rustled noisily as they sent the tree branches and leaves nearby quivering. Su Lianyue took a step forward. ¡°Do you plan on allowing Danyang Zi to return and discuss how to deal with you or do you plan on burying him here forever¡­?¡± Her tone gradually turned dark toward the end of her sentence. One could detect a hint of a terrifying murderous intent that stood in stark contrast to her charming image earlier.


    Even Xiao Chen could feel a chill nipping at his bones. He turned to the letter into ashes and said coldly, ¡°Tell me your plan.¡±


    He had gotten a taste of Danyang Zi¡¯s strength earlier and knew his cultivation was far above Qi Heng¡¯s. Moreover, Danyang Zi would pose an immense threat to him if the former was allowed to step into the true Apotheosis Realm. Even Gui Feng would have a hard time dealing with cultivators in that realm. With such intense enmity between him and the Order of the Divine Fire, the Order would soon hunt him down even if he didn¡¯t provoke them. Rather than sitting around and waiting for death, he would rather make the first strike and cut off one of Order¡¯s vital members!


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so frank, I¡¯ll get straight to the point as well.¡± Su Lianyue chuckled and walked up to him. She whispered into his ear, ¡°There¡¯s a place called the Precipice Peak 65 kilometers south from here. The Order of the Divine Fire is stationed there¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The night quietly enveloped the mountains as Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue traveled about 50 kilometers south. The weather at the Miasma Mountain Range was incredibly unpredictable. During the day, dark clouds would fill the sky and yet the bright moon would show itself at night. Suddenly, the sound of rustling shattered the silence and two people landed in front of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re both too slow, don¡¯t you think? Brother Yi Yeqiu and I have been waiting here close to two hours.¡±


    The one who spoke was a man clad in red. It was the man that Xiao Chen previously met, Seven Killings. Su Lianyue smiled sweetly. ¡°We were delayed on our way here. Forgive us.¡±


    Her suggestive-sounding words made Seven Killings smile and look at Xiao Chen. ¡°Brother Xiao, we meet again.¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored his greeting, choosing to pay attention to the man next to Seven Killings. The man¡¯s facial features appeared sharp and distinct under the moonlight. Cold Qi hovered between his eyebrows. There was no expression on his pale, gloomy face. He crossed his hands in front of his chest. In his right hand was a sheathed sword, indicating that he would use his left hand in killing. This must be Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall.


    Seven Killings noticed his attention on Yi Yeqiu and laughed. ¡°Let me make the introductions. This is Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall. After autumn (Qiu) comes the dreary wind; in the cold water, one worries all night long.¡±


    Xiao Chen continued to ignore him. He didn¡¯t expect to meet the three great fiends of the Devils¡¯ sects. If it wasn¡¯t for their shared enemy, he would never work with Devil¡¯s Practice followers. He would have to deal with his grudge against Feng You in the future!


    Yi Yeqiu didn¡¯t look like he was about to walk up and greet him either. He continued to be expressionless. If his chest wasn¡¯t moving up, one would have thought that he was dead.


    Su Lianyue said, ¡°Once news spreads that you¡¯re working with the three of us, I fear that it¡¯ll be even harder for you to return to the Orthodox Path¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t deserve to be called the Orthodox Path.¡± Xiao Chen interrupted her with a cold voice. Whenever he recalled how Wan Gufeng and his accomplice massacred the Three Pure Sect, he would find the term ¡°Orthodox Path¡± even more ridiculous and despicable.


    Wan Gufeng would never dare to personally enter the Human World and commit a massacre without permission from the higher-ups. But what was truly despicable weren¡¯t the both of them or even the Order of the Divine Fire, but the so-called Orthodox Path! A year had passed since and he never heard of the Immortals¡¯ League interrogating the Order or any sect criticizing the Order. This was the laughable Orthodox Path! The only thing that differentiated them from the Devil¡¯s Practice was nothing more than their cultivation methods!


    Seeing his resentment gradually becoming more apparent, Su Lianyue smiled. ¡°Forget it. Danyang Zi is a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator. We should discuss how to deal with him.¡±


    The three Devil¡¯s Practice followers had come here to eliminate Danyang Zi. One of the reasons was naturally the extraordinary treasure, but there was also another reason. In the past half six months, the Order of the Divine Fire had been gaining more fame and prestige in the Orthodox Path. In just three months, they eliminated ten or so smaller Devils¡¯ sects and boost the morale of other Orthodox sects. This struck fear in the smaller Devils¡¯ sects. Being Devil¡¯s Practice followers, how could they allow this to continue? How could they not quell the Order¡¯s might?


    However, the three of them all had their own schemes. Why would they stand here so amiably if they didn¡¯t have a mutual enemy in Danyang Zi?


    A gust of cold wind flitted across their lapels, causing a burst of rustling noises. Seven Killings said, ¡°The cave on the Precipice Peak is very, very long. Even on our swords, it¡¯d take us fifteen minutes to fly up there. Both sides are connected and the terrains are steep. The Order of the Divine Fire¡¯s people are experts of long-range fire attacks and they have three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators too. We¡¯re at a clear disadvantage here. But if we distract them with some fake attacks, what do you think Danyang Zi would do?¡±


    Su Lianyue said, ¡°He¡¯s a cunning old man. He¡¯ll definitely be able to tell that those are feints. But he has always been arrogant and conceited, so he¡¯ll massacre our true group of attackers waiting in the rear by himself.¡±


    Seven Killings laughed. ¡°The Fairy knows me best. When he¡¯s by himself without anyone to help, do we still have to worry that we can¡¯t cut off his head? So all we have to do is send a few troops to fake the attack and wait for him to dig his grave at the back.


    ¡°First make a feint, then lure him to the back. Brother Seven Killings, your plan is clever indeed,¡± Su Lianyue commented. She then turned to look at Xiao Chen with a smile. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡­


    The wind that swept the forest was so cold that it cut right into one¡¯s bones. 15 kilometers south from here was a cave called the Precipice Peak. There were around fifty to sixty people inside. The cave was spacious and the walls were lined with a torch every ten feet or so, casting a red glow on everyone¡¯s faces.


    These people were disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire. The three bearded old men sitting with them were the Junior Elders on the same rank as Wan Gufeng. On the other side of the cave was an old man sitting cross-legged. He exuded a dignified aura even with his eyes closed. It was Danyang Zi, someone of great standing in the Order. In terms of authority, he was second only to the Order¡¯s leader. However, he had long surpassed the leader in true influence.


    Next to him was a young man who looked too nervous to sit still. He was in his twenties and had a pair of limpid eyes. On his back was a sword, but it didn¡¯t give him the imposing aura of a cultivator knee-deep in chaotic times. He was so nervous that every time he heard the faintest movement or sound outside, he would look out of the cave.


    The night was getting colder and the wind more brutal. The young man could no longer stand it. He stood up and said nervously, ¡°Grandfather, why don¡¯t we return tomorrow? We have been here for so many days but there¡¯s no sign of any extraordinary treasure. I fear that this is a scheme of the Devil¡¯s sects. There are three major Devils¡¯ sects lying in wait for us. I have a feeling that those three will come tonight¡­¡±


    Danyang Zi opened his eyes and glanced at the young man. ¡°Hong¡¯er, sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡± Li Hong didn¡¯t argue and sat down again, still distracted.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. He said coldly, ¡°The three reckless juniors are precisely who I¡¯m waiting for. I¡¯ll eliminate all three of them this time. With their severed heads, our Order of the Divine Fire will rise to an unprecedented level. When that happens, the Divine Mist Sect will no longer be the top Cultivators¡¯ sect. We¡¯ll be the representative of the Middle Continent in the next Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly!¡±


    The dangerous glint in his eyes turned into a red-hot flame. The shadow he left on the ground appeared somewhat malevolent. Li Hong was still worried. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid those three will¡­¡±


    Danyang Zi stretched a hand and sighed. He looked at his grandson. Hong¡¯er was great in everything, he thought. Hong¡¯er¡¯ had the right amount of talent but he was too timid and was never one to vie for something against others. How could Hong¡¯er inherit the great ambition of the Order of the Divine Fire in the future? How great it would be if Hong¡¯er had the character of Divine Mist Sect¡¯s Zuoqiu Yang.


    Li Hong lowered his head and stopped talking. Right then, an old Nascent Soul Realm cultivator walked up to them and said deferentially, ¡°First Elder, should we lay down defensive formations on both cave openings tonight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Danyang Zi replied emotionlessly. The three devils were not a major problem for him. His only concern now was the extraordinary treasure.


    Since he had personally made the trip here, he would never leave the treasure to someone else. The reason for his obsession was, at the root of it, Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen destroying the Immortals¡¯ League with his ancient divine zither was too shocking an event. It struck fear in everyone in the Order of the Divine Fire.


    ¡°If and when Xiao Chen escapes and comes seeking revenge, wouldn¡¯t the Order suffer the same fate as the Immortals¡¯ League and fall to ruins seeing as they didn¡¯t have a magic treasure that could withstand the divine zither? The League had rebuilt itself in the past year but the Order couldn¡¯t afford to do the same.¡±


    The thought of this made Danyang Zi heave a deep sigh. Even now, he dearly wished that he had never provoked this person but there was no other choice now. If Xiao Chen could purge the Ling family with blood, then his next target would surely be the Order. The Devil Repressed Tower was unlikely to keep him imprisoned for long and he would make his escape one day. Before that, the Order must get a magic treasure that could rival the Fuxi Zither.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep searching the Ghost-wailing Hill tomorrow,¡± Danyang Zi suddenly said. Everyone in the cave turned to look at him with a trace of confusion in their eyes. They had no idea what their First Elder was planning.


    The Ghost-wailing Hill was located deep within the Miasma Mountain Range. It was the most terrifying, dangerous, and peculiar place with miasma so thick that one couldn¡¯t see the sky. The miasma was of the ancient variety and had claimed the lives of countless cultivators, including some Grand Completion Realm cultivators, since.


    The night was deepening. Flames were flickering inside the cave but it was deathly still outside. Suddenly, a gust of wind sent the leaves shaking and shattered the silence with the rustling noise. Li Hong¡¯s nerves became taut. ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s the devils. They¡¯re here to attack us¡­¡±


    The rest inside the cave became nervous as well. Neither the Bloodied Fiend Sect, Fort Raksasa, nor the Dark Shadow Hall was weak like small Devil¡¯s sects. It was one thing to have the three rising rookies coming here tonight, but what if an older devil had come as well? The consequences were unimaginable.


    Danyang Zi sneered. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s just a feint. Those reckless brats want to lure me to the back of the cave. How naive.¡±


    Prior to this, he had already exchanged blows with members of the three major Devil¡¯s sects and lost nearly half of the Order¡¯s disciples to those battles. There would surely be an intense fight before the extraordinary treasure emerges but that was within his expectations.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Li Hong asked nervously. Though he was a cultivator, he wasn¡¯t fond of fighting or killing. He only wished to live a peaceful life.


    Danyang Zi said, ¡°Since they¡¯d like to lure me into a trap, then I¡¯ll return the favor with an ambush from all sides! Everyone, head to the back of the cave right now! Their men are likely lying in wait there. But remember not to leave the cave or you¡¯ll lose the terrain advantage. You¡¯re absolutely no match for the three of them. Just delay them as much as possible and try your best to exhaust their True Energy.¡±


    ¡°But Grandfather, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make a detour from the front. Once they¡¯re exhausted, I¡¯ll make the command to exterminate them!¡±


    Even though Danyang Zi had the strength of a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator, he had developed a trace of fear for those three after fighting them several times in recent days. Or else, he wouldn¡¯t have sent the disciples to exhaust their True Energy before catching them off guard and killing them.


    Fifteen minutes later, everyone had gone to the other opening of the cave. He calculated it to be the right time. Until now, he could only hear the sound of nature from outside the cave. Not one person came in to attack.


    Danyang Zi sneered. Just as he was about to leave the cave, he heard a voice carrying a hint of mirth from outside. ¡°Senior Danyang Zi, you¡¯re indeed clever to guess that we¡¯re going to make a feint.¡±

 Chapter 375 - Night of Killing

    As the joyous voice fell, the silhouette at the cave flashed, a man in red appeared, followed by a lifeless looking man in green. Lastly, a beautiful woman holding a purple jade flute slowly walked over.


    ¡°Senior Danyang, we¡¯ve meet again.¡±


    Danyang Zi¡¯s eyes narrowed and he recognized the three in one glance. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Seven Killings, Su Lianyue and Yi Yeqiu who is being feared by the disciples of the Orthodox Path?¡± Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and shadows could be seen in the grass underneath. The pros of the three major Devil¡¯s Sects had arrived.


    Danyang Zi then realized he got tricked, only to see him looked up and laughed. ¡°The younger generation surpasses the older; the younger generation surpasses the older!¡± Then he looked at them coldly and said, ¡°But you think just the three of you and those low-level soldiers can kill me!¡± His True Energy shook and a few pieces of gravel at the foot were shaken apart and hit the rock wall before turning into powder.


    Seven Killings shook his head, smiled and said, ¡°No, no, not just the three of us.¡± Then he turned his head and glanced not far away, ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t you want to come and meet your old friend?¡±


    Before his voice fell, a man in a coir raincoat suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave. Upon seeing this man in a coir raincoat, Dan Yangzi¡¯s face changed for the first time then he focused his mind. It was the mysterious person who trapped Xiaoyue and the three others in the woods during the day. If this person was able to stand alone against Xiaoyue and three others, his cultivation would be above Seven Killings and the rest. The palm attack today could just be him catching him by surprise.


    Su Lianyue smiled beautifully and said, ¡°Thanks to Master Xiao¡¯s foresight, we¡¯ve expected that Senior Danyang will not be tricked so easily, otherwise I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have already entered the ambush of Senior Danyang.¡±


    Hearing this person¡¯s surname was Xiao, Danyang Zi¡¯s expression was even more unpredictable, but he did not think about it one aspect, or maybe he did not dare to think about it in that aspect. He sneered and said, ¡°How do I address you? ¡±


    Right now, he knew who the other three were. Seven Killings who could kill one person in ten steps and without leaving a trace in a thousand miles. Yi Yeqiu of the after fall wind was bleak, and the cold water was a night of sadness. Su Lianyue of who in the world could interpret this flute, the autumn wind of a cold sky. This man in the coir raincoat should also be a very powerful character in the Devils¡¯ sects.


    Xiao Chen was wearing a bamboo hat and a coir raincoat, and his true face was hidden in the misty night. He said, ¡°The wind and the rain are lonely, and the lonely guest is in a coir raincoat.¡±


    The frost and dew were heavy, and those words sounded bitter in the cold night. A cold wind suddenly blew in, a torch hanging on the wall shook, and the forest was full of the meaning of killing. Finally, the clouds covered the moon, and murderous aura appeared!


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± A white radiance Sword Qi was activated and it was headed towards Xiao Chen. Facing the Sword Qi of a Nirvana Realm cultivator, Xiao Chen remained calm. He slightly lifted his palms, and a Mystic Power was activated. Then with a bang, the Sword Qi was deflected by the fifth step of Yaoguang School, Star-shifting Substitution when it was five-foot away from him. It hit the stone wall on the side of the cave, and the broken stone immediately flew everywhere.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed again. Although he did not exert all his force in that Sword Qi, what kind of skill could lead his attack away? Before he could think about it, a red radiance in the oblique spur suddenly went shrouding over his head. Danyang Zi evaded hastily, the attack was from Seven Killings.


    Another purple radiance flashed, Danyang Zi¡¯s sleeve robe swept away the attack of Su Lianyue. He sneered and said, ¡°Well! Four juniors who don¡¯t know death, today the old man will let you become a ghost in this mountain!¡± With two palms, he pushed, an unparalleled surge of force emerged, and the fierce force shook the cave.


    Although Xiao Chen and the three others had extraordinary cultivation, and they all had unique skills, they were unable to resist the suppression of this pure force. The four flew flat and flew back into the open area below. Danyang Zi sneered coldly. If it was Qi Heng, he would flee through the ground, but he had the intention to kill. Tonight, he would kill these four people from the Devil¡¯s Practice to gain respect for the Order of the Divine Fire in front of the Orthodox Path.


    When Dan Yangzi landed, the four immediately dispersed and surrounded them in a siege. The Devil¡¯s Sects¡¯ disciples who were ambushing nearby also rushed up. Danyang Zi sneered coldly and waved his sleeves. Dozens of fire blades whistled out. The disciples of Devil¡¯s Sects were either dead or wounded, terrified by the attack, they did not dared to step forward.


    ¡°One kill in ten steps!¡± Seven Killings shouted. The wind rose suddenly, and a few red radiance went at the neck of Danyang Zi. Su Lianyue pinched her fingers and cast spell, she shouted, ¡°Cold Sky Autumn Wind!¡± A sky full of purple mist rolled towards Danyang Zi.


    In the face of siege by several people, Danyang Zi was still calm and undisturbed. Even though these four people were not trivial, he had a summit force of Nirvana Realm.


    A moment later, the four were unscathed, but Danyang Zi was fighting more and more bravely. However, more than half of the nearby disciples of Devils¡¯ sects were dead and injured. At this moment, they were hiding in the distance, and they attacked with concealed weapons and dared not rush forward.


    After fighting for long, Danyang Zi seemed to have fallen into the downwind in the siege, but he had the upper hand. Because in the minds of Seven Killings and others, they had their agendas. At the same time they wanted Danyang Zi removed, they also wanted the other three people to be severely injured by Danyang Zi, hence, everyone did not fight with all they had.


    Besides, Dan Yangzi, while resisting the attacks of the other three people, seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally eyeing at Xiao Chen. His tricks were aiming at the vital parts of Xiao Chen because he felt that this man in coir raincoat was the biggest threat.


    Another Sword Qi hit Xiao Chen again, but this Sword Qi that came midair almost reached thirty or forty feet long. The winds around roared and the trees were flying. The other three did not mean to come forward to help even when they saw this Sword Qi went at Xiao Chen fiercely.


    Xiao Chen snorted coldly, the coir raincoat on his body shook, his palms were both used to perform the skill, and the Sword Qi was moved away to the side by the method of Star-shifting Substitution. Not anywhere else, but it just led to Seven Killings who was not far away. Seven Killings did not expect that, as he dodged hastily, his shoulder was still cut, and blood splattered in an instant. If he was a minute slow, his whole arm would have been gone.


    Xiao Chen could sideline this Sword Qi, but he led it to him purposely, which made him angry, but at the moment, he could not speak about it in open-air. Danyang Zi sneered, his disdain was more obvious. He said, ¡°The Devil¡¯s Sect is the Devil¡¯s Sect, and at this juncture, you still don¡¯t forget to play mind games amongst yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that your Orthodox Path is not much better, otherwise some people have been watching for a long time in the distance, why didn¡¯t they come forward to help Senior Danyang?¡± Su Lianyue smiled sweetly, but her moves stayed fierce. At the end of the sentence, another purple radiance attacked.


    Danyang Zi sneered. How did he not know that there were people of other sects in the neighborhood watching the battle in the dark? But these people were not coming to help. They would not most probably want him to be hurt in the hands of the Devil¡¯s Sect, so there would be no one to compete with them for the extraordinary treasure.


    But he was not angry with that because he had defeated the four at this moment. Now he could not take all of them down, and when his people be back later, he would inevitably make them unable to escape! Thinking about this, he shook the True Energy of his body, and with a loud bang, it made the four of them around him flew out.


    The four fell back to the ground nearby, all thinking that they had been wasting time with this person for so long, and he still had such skills. Su Lianyue said, ¡°Now is a great opportunity. If we continue to slowly consume him like this again, we¡¯ll be a joke to those people of the Orthodox Path in the distance right? ¡±


    Her words were to remind the others that there were still a lot of Orthodox Path sects in the distance eyeing covetously. The reason why these people do not come to help Danyang Zi now was that they wanted to use them to injure Danyang Zi heavily, and once they waited for Danyang Zi¡¯s backup to rush back, they would lose their upper hand. At that time, those Orthodox Path people would jump out to ¡°Annihilate the demon for the sky¡±.


    As soon as Su Lianyue¡¯s words were finished, her ten fingers quickly changed, and instantly, a few purple veils of mist swirled around her. Her aura soared many times in an instant, and Seven Killings immediately urged his Devilish Skill, and both arms suddenly turned into two horrifying blood-red claws.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed slightly. These four were going to give their 100%. In a solo fight, he was not afraid of any of them, but when the four of them joined forces, it made him a little bit threatened.


    ¡°Sky Fire Shines!¡± As he yelled, countless fires fell from the sky, and the surrounding area was brightly lit. Some of the disciples who had not had time to escape were burned directly into burnt charcoal.


    ¡°Rakshasa Shadowless!¡± Su Lianyue, whose aura soared several times, yelled loudly and moved behind Danyang Zi. She hit with a palm. A heavy purple mist could be seen and Danyang Zi was beaten a few steps forward, and Seven Killings followed after. ¡°Ten steps one kill!¡± Three red radiances flashed, leaving three bloody wounds on Danyang Zi¡¯s left arm.


    ¡°Sword to the throat!¡±


    Yi Yeqiu struck too, like a ghost, a cold radiance flashed, leaving a wound on Danyang Zi¡¯s neck, and the blood suddenly flowed out like a spring.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed greatly. The three were so fast at the moment. He quickly used his skills to stop the bleeding, and then with both arms, he struck out a huge force and threw the three out. Originally, with his cultivation, he should not be so passive, but it happened that the three were the best people in the Devils¡¯ sects¡¯ younger generation.


    This time, Xiao Chen did not come forward. He carefully watched the attacks of these three men. Although the three¡¯s cultivation was on par with Xiaoyue and the others, their methods were much more powerful. No wonder their reputation raised this year and the disciples of Orthodox Path were afraid of them.


    Dan Yangzi stopped the blood, his face was extremely gloomy, and he spoke coldly, ¡°Sure enough, it was well hidden! Very good!¡± At the end of the words, before his Mystic Skill was urged, an urgent voice sounded behind him, ¡°Grandpa! Bad news!¡±


    Dan Yangzi¡¯s face changed as he shouted, ¡°Hong¡¯er! Don¡¯t come over!¡± But Li Hong had already come to his back, and said in a panic, ¡°We, we have been tricked! All three elders have martyrdom¡­¡±


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed tragically, his eyes flashed sternly, he had to kill these four people today! He said, ¡°You step back!¡±


    Li Hong nodded and said, ¡°Okay!¡± However, after speaking, he suddenly took out a dagger and stabbed it into the Danyang Zi¡¯s vest. The dagger was so sharp that he stabbed it in with one shot.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed drastically, without thinking, he shook the ¡°Li Hong¡± behind him into a mist of blood with a single backhand, and then immediately hit the large acupuncture points around his heart, but his face gradually became purple. Apparently, the dagger had been fed with Devil Sect¡¯s extraordinary poison.


    If it was normal days, he could tell that the ¡°grandchild¡± was fake just now, but at this time, he had no precaution.


    The poison instantly went through his internal organs and his face gradually turn from purple to black. Su Lianyue laughed and said, ¡°Senior Danyang, how¡¯s the taste of this Three Corpses Poison of my Fort Raksasa?

 Chapter 376 - Deadend

    When he heard it was the Three Corpses Poison of Fort Raksasa, Danyang Zi¡¯s face twitched a few times. He regretted deeply for his carelessness. When he heard the death of the three elders, he thought the pros of the Devils¡¯ sects had arrived and could not maintain his composure. To think carefully, if the three elders were killed, how could Hong¡¯er survive?


    ¡°You, you¡¯re so despicable!¡±


    Seven Killings looked up and laughed, ¡°We were the demons of the Devil¡¯s Practice in your mouth, how¡¯s that despicable? Haha!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Danyang Zi yelled as he urged his power. Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°Senior Danyang must not be excited. Once this poison invades the mind, even the gods can¡¯t help you. ¡±


    ¡°Ha! Even if I¡¯m to die today, I¡¯ll take you four down together to keep me company!¡±


    At this moment, Danyang Zi¡¯s expression was horrifying. Poisoned, his face looked very scary. Regardless of the Three Corpses Poison, he urged the True Energy with might. Suddenly, a fiery red palm print appeared in the air, lighting up the forests of a few miles away.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face changed, that palm print had come straight at her. The wind was strong, and before the palm strength even fell, some of the nearby disciples of Devils¡¯ sects had been shocked to death and as they bled through all the 7 openings of their body. The last struggle of a Nirvana Realm cultivator and the force was powerful. Su Lianyue wanted to avoid but found that under the shroud of palm wind, she could not move.


    Just when that palm was going to inevitably take her to death, Xiao Chen flicked his hands in the distance, with Star-shifting Substitution, he moved her to his side in an instant.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The moment the palm fell, the entire earth was trembling, the trees in the radius were destroyed. Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu were also shaken by the turbulence of the force. As for those disciples of the Devils¡¯ sects, they were already dead. Now, under the shock of the palm force, even their bones were gone.


    Su Lianyue had escaped from her death. Her face was already abnormally pale. Looking up at the man who was supporting her, she was still a little shocked. Xiao Chen pushed her away coldly. The reason to save her was not that he liked her, but because she had saved himself once during the day. Although he knew that the other party came with a purpose, but after he had escaped from the Devil Repressing Tower this time, he never wanted to owe any woman a favor again.


    In the distance, Danyang Zi was gasping heavily. The signs of poisoning were becoming more and more obvious. He looked at Xiao Chen, with both hatred and anger in his eyes and inexplicable fear. He said coldly, ¡°His Excellency has such great cultivators¡¯ sect skills. You shouldn¡¯t be one of the Devil¡¯s Sect. May I know who you are?¡±


    Xiao Chen held his hands behind his back, silently, and looked at him struggling coldly, just as how Wan Gufeng looked at the disciples of the Three Pure Sect.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind came, and the four leaped suddenly, as if at this moment reached a certain consensus, they hit Danyang Zi in four directions and with their most powerful attack.


    Faced with the killings coming from four directions at the same time, Danyang Zi screamed, and suddenly the True Energy of the whole body trembled, and a majestic shock slammed out, cracking the ground in the radius. The four in the air were attacked by this sudden and all of flew out from the counter-shock and fell back to the ground. The face of Seven Killings was the worst, and a mouthful of blood was about to spew out, but he resisted it.


    Xiao Chen was also shocked by force. Fortunately, this old man was not doing a self-destructive Nascent Soul and released the power of Soul. Otherwise, the four of them may have gone to the Ghost Realm to see the Yamaraja of the Ten Halls.


    Generally speaking, cultivators would never easily fight to the death with each other with the power of Soul, especially people like Danyang Zi, because the release of the power of Soul truly meant that the person¡¯s soul would be shattered and gone forever and not just a descriptive saying.


    As the saying goes, letting someone¡¯s soul fly away was just to dispel the souls and senses of the person, making it impossible to resurrect by Spirit Possession, rebuilding the body, etc., but the other party could still step into reincarnation and re-cultivate in the afterlife.


    However, once the power of the Soul was released, it was equivalent to treating the soul as a consumable, which was equivalent to completely disappearing from this world and could no longer be reincarnated. Therefore, Danyang Zi could not possibly pay such a huge price to kill these four people.


    The cold wind whistled through the forest, filled the air with a bloody atmosphere. At this moment, the four of them were staring at Danyang Zi in the distance. They no longer acted rashly, because now besides guarding Danyang Zi who was about to die, they had to watch out for the other three people.


    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s not so easy to kill me!¡± Danyang Zi¡¯s face looked terrible. Suddenly, his both arms moved and exerted a force. The darkening caused by poisoning on his face gradually faded. Su Lianyue was startled. ¡°Oh no! He can drive out my poison! Stop him! ¡°Then she attacked him with two purple mists.


    The others were shocked. At this moment, they could barely deal with Danyang Zi only because of the poisoning of the other party. Once he waited for reinforcements to reach and help him to expel toxins from the body, there would be unintended consequences.


    Thinking of this, Seven Killings could not care more about the injuries on his body and attacked with all his strength. Xiao Chen naturally would not allow that old man to recover, and he stood up and yelled, ¡°Yaoguang¡¯s Seal of Stars!¡±


    Suddenly the clouds cleared, and the cloudy sky brightened up immediately, but countless stars in the sky quickly shifted, and a little starlight appeared around his body.


    Su Lianyue and others suddenly felt a strange power and quickly avoided it. Danyang Zi also felt that this power was extraordinary. It was too late to attack Xiao Chen who was in midair. The countless stars around Xiao Chen turned into rays of light radiances and like a shooting star charged at him.


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face changed drastically, urging True Energy to resist this fierce force, but only to hear endless booming sounds, the mountains and forests within five kilometers shook.


    Large groves of trees fell, and under this starlight power, Danyang Zi spewed out a mouthful of blood, and he was beaten up almost instantly.


    After a while, Xiao Chen finally landed back to the ground slowly, and Su Lianyue and other people¡¯s faces changed many times. Such strange and horrific skill that could draw the power of the stars. They had never seen it before.


    Danyang Zi, who was attacked by the power of the stars after being poisoned, fell to the ground at this moment and could not stop vomiting blood. He was dying. Seven Killings was afraid that it was a trick. He walked over carefully, waved an iron fan, and hit a red radiance. With a swoosh, he cut off Danyang Zi¡¯s right arm.


    Seven Killings saw that this man was defenseless, he sneered and said, ¡°When Senior Danyang killed three Halls of my sect two months ago, you didn¡¯t expect this will happen to you today huh¡­¡± But before he finished speaking, a fierce force suddenly struck him and slammed him directly to more than 100 feet away.


    Falling onto the ground, Seven Killings finally could not bear it anymore, a mouthful of blood spat out. Dan Yangzi grinned, although he was severely damaged and his arm was cut off, but the power of Nirvana Realm was still not to be underestimated. Su Lianyue and Yi Yeqiu were also walking towards him initially, but seeing that he was still able to fight, they stopped and subconsciously backed away.


    Danyang Zi calmed down, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted to the distance, ¡°Taoist friends in the distance, the old man will withdraw from this Miasma Mountain Range tonight! Never come again! I was tricked by the Devil¡¯s Practice followers, can you please help me!¡±


    He did not want any extraordinary treasure anymore now, he just wanted his life, so that in the coming days to make the lives of these four worse than death. But besides the sound of wind in the empty valley, there was only his echo. After a short while, he grinned bitterly and said, ¡°Orthodox Path Alliance, Orthodox Path Alliance, haha¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue and others looked at each other and thought, ¡°This person is really powerless to resist this time.¡± At this moment, the three of them walked over slowly, every time the footsteps sounded, it sounded like a call for death to Danyang Zi.


    ¡°Ha! To think I Danyang Zi had spent my entire life gloriously, and tonight I was poisoned by a few younger generations, ha¡­ ¡±


    Danyang Zi¡¯s face was full of bitter smiles. If he had not been poisoned by the Fort Raksasa, the four of them really could not win him. Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°Senior Danyang has cultivated to a high level. We definitely had to use some means. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be underestimating you¡­ ¡±


    Danyang Zi smirked, and he was about to die anyway, so why bother shaming himself with his own words. But there was something that if he did not make it clear, he would not die in peace. He looked at Xiao Chen who was not far away. ¡°The old man is going to die, I just hope that you reveal to me your identity, and the old man can die in peace!¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly walked towards him, taking each step very lightly, as Danyang Zi was already dead to him now.


    ¡°Then I will tell you, Xiao Chen.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Danyang Zi¡¯s whole body shook, his face suddenly changed as if he saw something the most terrible thing. Suddenly he started to chant incantations with speed, Su Lianyue and other people were shocked. Without think, they fled to afar at a fast pace.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    A loud noise that rang through the sky and the whole mountain shook. Everything in the thousand-foot radius was turned into dust, and the smoke stayed around long. The top of the cliff was almost razed to the ground. Su Lianyue and the other two who were already more than a thousand feet away were still in shock.


    ¡°What kind of enmity does this old thing have with Xiao Chen, even at the cost of releasing the power of Soul¡­¡± Seven Killings muttered, still a little unbelieving about the scene just now.


    Danyang Zi did not have any deep hatred with Xiao Chen, but at the moment when he heard Xiao Chen¡¯s name, he seemed to see the Order of the Divine Fire in rivers of blood.


    ¡°He¡­ Is he dead?¡±


    Only these three managed to flee out at that moment, but they did not see Xiao Chen come out. After a long time, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and a man in a bamboo hat and coir raincoat stood in the distance under the dim moonlight, back-facing the three.


    ¡°What! How is that possible? That is the power of the Soul. He is unscathed. Even the legendary Undead Body cannot be unscathed¡­¡±


    Seven Killings seemed to have seen the most incredible thing in his life. The scene in front of him was far beyond his cognition. The power of the Soul of a Nirvana Realm cultivator could severely damage a cultivator of Apotheosis Realm. How could Xiao Chen be all right! Even if he had Undead Body, it was impossible!


    Su Lianyue¡¯s eyelashes fluttered a few times, and her face was pale and then suddenly very ugly. She murmured, ¡°No, is it¡­ Did it gather¡­¡±


    It was for a long time before the three dared to walk over. When they were still about eighty feet away from Xiao Chen, they stopped. At this moment, they were all silent. They held their breath and stared at each other. They could not feel Xiao Chen¡¯s heartbeat or breath, and it was as if Xiao Chen was dead.


    The palm of Seven Killings slowly condensed a Qi blade, and at this moment, a faint voice sounded in the dead silence, ¡°You can try.¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly turned around, and there seemed to be a flash of strangeness in his pupils, but it soon returned to normal.

 Chapter 377 - The Least Wanted Person to Meet

    Seven Killings¡¯ body shook, as though he was shocked by electricity and stepped back involuntarily. Su Lianyue¡¯s fingers also trembled and the expression on her face was mixed.


    It took a few moments before Seven Kills recovered. He took a step forward, smile and said, ¡°Brother Xiao has amazing strength, Seven Killings is in awe¡­¡± He was now more wary of Xiao Chen.


    The cold wind swept over everyone¡¯s blouses. Xiao Chen did not speak. Suddenly, a rustle sound rang from far to near. Looking up, there were dozens of figures approaching quickly in the other direction of the Precipice Peak.


    ¡°Grandpa! We¡¯re tricked! There aren¡¯t many people there¡­¡±


    When Li Hong ran to the woods that had been destroyed and saw Danyang Zi who was lying in the gravel pile, covered with blood, with a broken arm, and had no breath in his chest, in an instant, it seemed like he had fallen into the cold abyss then, he rushed to Danyang Zi¡¯s body, and his tears were flowing like spring water as he wailed non-stop.


    Danyang Zi had released the power of the Soul, but his physical body was not destroyed. Then three other elders and dozens of disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire arrived and the four other cold figures in the moonlight not far away saw this scene in front of them. They seemed to have fallen into hell and saw the end of the world.


    ¡°Li Hong! Leave now!¡± An elder reacted first and said. Losing Danyang Zi in front of these four people, they were no different from the lambs that were to be slaughtered.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to avenge grandpa! Ah!¡± Li Hong¡¯s eyes were covered with blood shots, and he slashed at Seven Killings who was the nearest with his sword. The faces of the Nascent Soul Realm elders changed. The next moment, blood had splashed on their faces.


    ¡°Go!¡± The three Nascent Soul Realm could not even care about the lives of dozens of disciples behind them and were ready to escape when suddenly a sound of flutes was heard, and the three were as if they were being trapped in a swamp, and were unable to move.


    Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu rushed across in an instant, with two cold flashes and two swooshes, blood splashed, and immediately the lives of two elders were ended. Although these three elders were of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, there were rarely wars and they had been accustomed to respect and superiority in the Cultivators¡¯ sect. How could they be the opponents of the Seven Killings and other vicious people of the Devil Sect?


    The last elder left was so frightened that he chanted a spell in a hurry, a ray of green smoke rose from his head and drifted away to afar, and disappeared into the night in an instant. He had abandoned his flesh body and fled with his vital soul. Such a method of abandoning the flesh body was equivalent to the humiliation of crawling between someone¡¯s legs. People like Danyang Zi would rather die in a fight than doing so.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let one escape and go back to report.¡± Seven Killings sneered, then he turned to look at the remaining fifty to sixty disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire, Yi Yeqiu slowly walked over as well.


    The faces of the fifty to sixty disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire were like a dead man. They were as quiet as a cicada in winter. They never thought such a day would come so quickly. To think how mighty they were when they destroyed the small Devil Sects of everywhere with Danyang Zi.


    When they trampled on the dignity of those disciples of the small Devil Sects, they had laughed while making them crawled between their legs and then kill them in a slash with their swords. They did not even let the old, the weak, the women and the children go. How mighty and powerful were they then? However, how quickly this day came too¡­


    The cold wind passed, the smell of blood was pungent, and the bodies of dozens lay on the ground in an instant. Under the moonlight, it seemed that a layer of blood mist had permeated the air. Xiao Chen was holding his hands behind him from beginning to end, and pretended not to see anything.


    In the distance, the woods swayed, and a faint figure stood on top of the tree, her clothes fluttered, and she held the Duster Sword. She pretended not to see anything from the beginning to the end as well. She leaped and went to afar, several people at the same place also went away to afar.


    Seven Killings wiped the blood on his hands, smiled lightly and said, ¡°Okay, happy working together, things are over, let us to part ways here¡­¡± Before he finished, a rustling of the wind was heard in a distance, then several figures landed into the open area not far from the four.


    Seven Killings focused his sight and took a look, and then a smile flashed in the corner of his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, it turned out to be Yu Eleven ¡­¡±


    The visitors were Yu Yifeng and his party. Yu Yifeng saw the corpses on the grounds, and his breathing suddenly became rapid, ¡°You¡­¡± The Startling Rainbow Sword behind his back vibrated endlessly as he spoke, and red radiance flashed as if it was about to leave its sheath. Mu Shaoai held his shoulder and shook his head.


    Luo Shangyan, who came with him, did not look at the corpses on the ground. She kept her eyes on the man in a woven raincoat under the moonlight. She took a few steps forward, her voice trembling, and murmured, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, is that you ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Meow! Meow! What the meow! You said this is that stupid kiddo!¡± Zhiluan jumped up in shock and stared at the man in the woven raincoat under the moonlight.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao is that you¡­¡± Luo Shangyan¡¯s eyes were slightly red. She looked at the corpses all over the ground. She trembled slightly and walked forward. Yu Yifeng immediately reached out and stopped her. Then he looked at the back of Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Lil Chen, I know it¡¯s you, why?¡±


    Xiao Chen pushed his bamboo hat down and pressed True Qi against his throat and said in a deep voice, ¡°You recognized the wrong person.¡± Then he went forward, Su Lianyue glanced at Yu Yifeng and chuckled before she followed after Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yu Yifeng shouted and rushed forward in an instant. Seven Killings¡¯ five fingers were like a claw heading towards his throat at the same moment. Yu Yifeng blocked it off with his left hand, and his right hand moved like a lightning and pressed on his chest. Seven Killings felt half of his body became numb right away and in the next moment, he was pushed out by a palm wind.


    Yi Yeqiu¡¯s eyes were cold, and was about to draw a sword, but halfway through Yu Yifeng condensed a Qi on his finger and shot at her sword, sending the sword back to its sheath. Then in the next moment, Yi Yeqiu was pushed out ten more meters by the same palm wind.


    Su Lianyue turned the purple jade flute on her hand and moved it rapidly towards Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows. Yu Yifeng leaned back half of his body, lifted his left hand and grabbed her wrist. With only a little force, Su Lianyue felt her wrist sore. Before she reacted, Yu Yifeng patted on her shoulder with his right hand with lightning speed, Su Lianyue moaned, and immediately took more than ten steps back.


    Pushing the three away, Yu Yifeng immediately pressed on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Lil Chen!¡± However, the moment his hand touched the other party, the other party smacked him with a palm. He was caught off guard and ¡°Poom!¡±, he flew backward.


    ¡°Senior Brother Yu!¡± Qingyu¡¯s face changed and immediately stepped forward to support him. Yu Yifeng raised his hand, signaled that all was good, but he looked at Xiao Chen slightly puzzled.


    ¡°I said you recognized the wrong person.¡±


    Xiao Chen said faintly and went forward again. Seven Killings smiled coldly and said, ¡°We had used too much energy just now. Yu Eleven, if you want to fight, then we will wait for you in the Ghost-wailing Hill in the deep mountains.¡± Then the three went away with Xiao Chen.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take him away!¡± After that, Yu Yifeng looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Lil Chen! You can¡¯t go with them!¡±


    Suddenly, the night sky lighted up, and the surroundings were also brightly lit, thirteen dazzling white radiance of Sword Qi suddenly appeared in the sky.


    ¡°Dance of the Arcing Rainbow!¡±


    Su Lianyue and the two others were all stunned. This Dance of the Arcing Rainbow was the profound sword art of Jade Qing Sect. It was extremely powerful. It attracted the vital force of the four directions to gather. The Sword Qi got stronger and stronger. The thirteen Sword Qi was overwhelming and was similar to the Heavenly Thirteen Swords of Su Zimu. Even though they were different styles, they were of the same source, it could not be determined who was the copier.


    The thirteen Sword Qi fell one by one, attracting the clouds of four directions to move. Su Lianyue and the two others quickly lifted their Qi to defend. Suddenly, Xiao Chen¡¯s palms lifted upwards, and the Star-shifting Substitution was instantly performed. The powerful Sword Qi was redirected fell to the places near the four, blasting the ground.


    However, Xiao Chen had failed to lead the last fierce Sword Qi away. That Sword Qi fell near ten feet away from him, and a sudden wave of air rushed up and his bamboo hat was flipped up and flew away.


    In the moonlight, his hair swayed gently with the wind, and Yu Yifeng and the others had different expressions on them. Zhiluan shouted in a trembling voice, ¡°Meow¡­ What the meow, it really is stupid kiddo!¡±


    Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows frowned, and his voice was a little astringent, ¡°Lil Chen, come back, don¡¯t make mistakes again and again¡­¡±


    ¡°Make mistakes again and again¡­¡± Xiao Chen laughed aloud, then he turned around and looked at him, ¡°You tell me what is right and what is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± Luo Shangyan¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. Under the moonlight, tears under her eyelashes could be seen faintly. At this moment, Qingyu, Zhou Li and others also had different expressions.


    Yu Yifeng took a deep breath, then he focused his gaze and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s wrong! It¡¯s wrong for you to walk with the people of the Devils¡¯ sects!¡± When he said this, he was already bitter and heartbroken. Seven Killings and the other two smiled in disdain.


    Xiao Chen laughed in a deep voice and said, ¡°Then what did the hundreds of people of Three Pure Sect that died in vain do wrongly? That Order of the Divine Fire was not sanctioned and even became a leader of the sects of four directions this year, and that was right?¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± The cold wind whispered, and Luo Shangyan¡¯s voice was already choked.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly became very scary, and he shouted, ¡°They should never have, should have never killed Xingzhen Zi because Xingzhen Zi was her only reliance in this world! They can kill people and get away with it, while I have to be locked in the Devil Repressed Tower! Is this what your right or wrong is about! ¡°The more he said, the more agitated he became.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, stop now¡­¡± Two lines of tears finally fell off Luo Shangyan¡¯s eyes silently. ¡°The Second Elder is no longer around, Senior Brother Cheng Ying is no longer around, Elder Bai Ying wouldn¡¯t want to see how you¡¯re now. We didn¡¯t dare to go back to tell her about what had happened this year. Let¡¯s stop this now¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ I can¡¯t stop it anymore. I can¡¯t go back anymore either¡­¡± In the end, Xiao Chen slowly looked at Mu Shaoai who was standing behind Yu Yifeng.


    Mu Shaoai had eye contact him and right away, he felt as though he had fallen into the ice cellar and as if his heart was shattered by these two cold eyes of Xiao Chen. He saw the strong murderous intention in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. These two cold eyes were a pair of hands from hell, choking his neck forcefully, making his breathing stop, and he stepped back involuntarily.


    ¡°Lil Chen, what are you going to do¡­¡± Yu Yifeng saw the cold killing intentions in his eyes, then he moved a little and subconsciously went nearer to Mu Shaoai who was behind him.

 Chapter 378 - 1000 Years of Malicious Grudge

    The cold wind whispered, everyone¡¯s hair could not stop flying, and the atmosphere suddenly became very tense. Mu Shaoai vest was covered with layers of cold sweat, soaking his clothes completely.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath, looked at Mu Shaoai and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off regarding the previous matter. From now on, if you dare to yell at Senior Sister Luo again, I¡¯ll definitely take your life!¡±


    Mu Shaoai¡¯s whole body shook violently, just as if he had just walked to the gate of Hell and returned. Last time, Xiao Chen was still a disciple of the Orthodox Path, so he was quite cautious. Now, Xiao Chen was no longer a disciple of the Orthodox Path, if he wanted to kill him, even with Yu Yifeng around, he would not be safe. Leave here! Return to Jade Qing Sect! Go back to his master Yuheng Zi! These were his only thoughts now.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± That bamboo hat in a distance away flew back into Xiao Chen¡¯s hands. He put the bamboo hat on and walked towards the end of the night without looking back.


    Yu Yifeng stood in place, and the cold wind blew his eyes red. He watched Xiao Chen and the three people of the Devils¡¯ sects disappeared at the end of the night. This scene was so similar. A former Junior Brother of his, Wu Nian fell into the Devil¡¯s Practice for a girl from the Devil¡¯s sect he was obsessed with. He then went to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City and renamed himself, Leng Ningfeng.


    That day, it rained heavily. Leng Ningfeng held the woman¡¯s cold body and walked step by step in the bloody water. Countless Sword Qi penetrated his body, and countless flying swords were inserted into him, but he continued to walk towards the foot of the mountain and refused to turn back.


    ¡°Wu Nian! Come back! Don¡¯t make the same mistakes again and again; put her down! Just admit your mistake to Martial Uncle Yu Heng and you¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Same mistakes again and again? Yu Yifeng, tell me, what is right! What is wrong! Heaven could tolerate everyone, but why can¡¯t it tolerate her! Why!


    The wind, whispering, was like a desolate and beautiful music score of the heavens and the earth, wailing.


    ¡­


    After half an hour, Xiao Chen and the four had traveled more than ten miles to the open woods. Seven Killings said, ¡°So, let¡¯s part ways here, and see you at the Ghost-wailing Hill.¡± Then he moved and disappeared without a trace. Of course, what he meant when he said ¡®see you at the Ghost-wailing Hill¡¯ was that when the four of them were to meet again, they would be competing for the extraordinary treasure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say goodbye too!¡± Yi Yeqiu moved and went in the other direction.


    Lastly, Su Lianyue looked at Xiao Chen. Under the dim moonlight, the shadows of the branches tilted horizontally, as if the night was more blurred, which also made her look more beautiful and charming. Her snow-white shoulders and clearly visible clavicle were angled in a way that they were partly hidden and visible at the same time. The night was as if being stained by ink. It was like a picture of a drunken beauty, but at the end of the picture, there was a cold and thrilling dagger.


    She said in a charming voice, ¡°The night is long; the moon is alluring; Master Xiao is alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± Before she finished speaking, Xiao Chen moved and disappeared without a trace.


    Su Lianyue at the back stunned for a little and then she sniggered. But in the corner of her eyes, a slight invisible cold radiance flashed.


    At midnight, the sky seemed colder and the frost was heavier. Xiao Chen found a cave. At this moment, he sat cross-legged at the entrance of the cave, the moonlight shone his face and it looked like a sheet of paper, without any color.


    ¡°Puff!¡± After a moment, a mouthful of dark blood finally flowed out from his mouth, which only made him look slightly better.


    In recent days, his skills had increased greatly, especially after understanding the fifth step of Yaoguang School mind cultivation method, he was now not far from the Nirvana Realm, but there were times he felt strange, just like when Danyang Zi blew up his Soul earlier, under that kind of impact, he clearly could not bear it, but at that time it seemed¡­ just like when he was at the Canglan City battling the Zuoqiu family, when that Nascent Soul Realm cultivator hit him with a palm, it was obvious he could not survive, but he had entered into an unconscious state for a short time, then when he woke up in an instant, he was unscathed.


    This was not because his body could withstand powerful forces, but more like¡­ he was dead but had come alive under the control of some strange power. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen shivered, and a chill swept across his body in an instant. This was not a good omen¡­


    Suddenly, there was a sound in the distance. Xiao Chen frowned and the sound disappeared, and after a while, it sounded again, and then disappeared again, then it slowly and intermittently approaches.


    Xiao Chen put away the emotions just before, a smile hung on the corner of his mouth, with two fingers he picked up a small stone next to him, and flipped it with force. The stone flew with a swoosh, and a weird cry was heard, ¡°Oh man! You wanna die! Stupid kiddo! ¡±


    Xiao Chen pretended to sneer and said, ¡°So sneaky, if you are not treacherous, you are stealing.¡±


    Zhiluan rubbed its head, flew over, and glared at him angrily, Xiao Chen also glanced at him and said, ¡°What? They sent you over to spy on me?¡±


    ¡°You stupid kiddo, when did your mouth become so mean?¡± Zhiluan said angrily and sat down. But it got up quickly from the coldness, sitting on the ground was as cold as sitting on ice.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. For a year, everyone¡¯s views about him had changed, and probably only this Leopard Cat Spirit would not. He asked, ¡°Is Xian¡¯er OK?¡±


    Zhiluan rubbed its head that was hit by him with a stone, and slowly said, ¡°She¡¯s doing very good!¡± And it muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just that Mu Shaoai is so detestable¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes became cold, and then said, ¡°What¡¯s did he do?¡±


    It was already been freezing cold, and Zhiluan was scared by his coldness again, and said, ¡°Relax, not even with ten guts he would dare to do something to the little girl. It was just that the previous time I went to the kitchen to find something to eat and he locked me up in the room deliberately. This man is really abominable! ¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled lightly and said, ¡°You deserve it.¡± He asked again, ¡°You are here for the extraordinary treasure as well?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is willing to come here!¡± Zhiluan complained and said, ¡°The extraordinary treasure is just one reason, and more importantly, about half a year ago, 31 people went missing for no apparent reason. Qing Chen that old man suspected that it was related to the Corpse Refinery Sect locating here and sent Eleven Yu here to look it up. Didn¡¯t even think about who I am for me to come here with a little kid¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression gradually became dignified. 31 people had disappeared on the same day, and they were all born on July 7th, and this had happened before a few hundred years ago. What was going on¡­


    Zhiluan was still at the side muttering and complaining. It saw that Xiao Chen was silent for such a long time, asked, ¡°Kiddo, why ain¡¯t you speaking?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Leopard Cat Spirit, I think this is unusual; go back immediately and tell them, don¡¯t go further into the mountains anymore.¡±


    ¡°Not like they will listen to me!¡± Zhiluan snorted, and murmured, ¡°That Eleven Yu can be such one-track mind, said that the task the master has given has to be accomplished. Following him is even more unlucky than to follow you!¡± Then he glanced at Xiao Chen again and said, ¡°Stupid kiddo, are you also going into the depths to find the extraordinary treasure? ¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were tightly locked, everyone was eyeing that extraordinary treasure, it was not just a groundless rumor, but it was difficult to tell what it really was and it was necessary for him to see for himself¡­ Zhiluan exclaimed, ¡°You, you, you kiddo really intended to go! Holy meow! Do you know what sort of place Ghost-wailing Hill is?¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    Zhiluan coughed, its claws behind its back and walked back and forth at the cave entrance. It said proudly, ¡°If you are willing to ask me nicely, I can tell you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Dear Immortal Zhi, the boy would like to know the details.¡±


    Zhiluan coughed, looked around, walked to his side, tiptoed and whispered in his ear, ¡°Kiddo, haven¡¯t you noticed something strange about this place? Within hundreds of miles of the radius is being shrouded by a Negative Qi, and this Negative Qi is different from the Negative Qi we noticed the last time in that Valley of Devilish Aura¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows grew deeper and deeper. Indeed, he was very sensitive to the Negative Qi, and he had felt a Negative Qi from the moment he came here and it gets heavier to the deeper he walked into the mountain. But the Negative Qi he felt in the Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura previously seemed to have come from the Ghost Realm, however, the Negative Qi here did not come from the Ghost Realm, but¡­


    ¡°Resentment!¡± Zhiluan¡¯s claws placed in front of its chest, and it spoke the word very seriously. Xiao Chen gave him a side-eye and said, ¡°When did you learn to read mind?¡±


    Zhiluan snorted softly. ¡°Whichever side you kiddo¡¯s eyebrows move, I know what you were thinking.¡±


    ¡°Then guess what I¡¯m thinking now.¡±


    ¡°You are thinking now that since the Corpse Refinery Sect is located here, they need to gather a lot of Malicious Grudges to refine their Corpse Puppet, so it is normal to have a bit more resentment nearby, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is that not right?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zhiluan stretched out its hand and said very earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s not that the Corpse Refinery Sect being here that has caused the areas around to have extremely heavy resentment, but it was because of this, the Corpse Refinery Sect has chosen to form their sect here!¡±


    After hearing what he said, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were gradually locked up again, and there were three Malevolent Qi in the world, Tainted Qi, Turbid Qi, and Resentment Qi. Among them, Resentment Qi, if people were extremely unwilling and resentful at the time of death, they would send out a Malicious Grudge. If this Malicious Grudge could not find a host for a long time, it would gradually develop into Resentment Qi and diffused into the world.


    Once there were corpses nearby that did not decompose infected with such Resentment Qi, it would gradually become Walking Corpse after a certain period, which was equivalent to zombies in the eyes of mortals. Corpse Refinery Sect refining Corpse Puppet was also based on this principle, a Malicious Grudge was injected into the corpses, but whether it was a Walking Corpse or an artificially made Corpse Puppet, they did not have the souls and senses, and were born of a Malicious Grudge.


    The heavier the Malicious Grudge, the more powerful the Corpse Puppet. A Corpse Puppet of a hundred years¡¯ Malicious Grudge could defeat a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. If it was a Corpse Puppet that had gathered millennia of Malicious Grudge, it would simply be unthinkable, if it was ten thousand years of Malicious Grudge¡­ He believed that the Corpse Refinery Sect did not have this ability yet.


    ¡°Humph, kiddo, do you know how powerful it is now? Still going to the depths of the mountains?¡± Zhiluan looked proud of his solemn expression at this moment.


    ¡°Go!¡± Xiao Chen patted his hands on his legs and stood up.


    ¡°Meow! What the meow!¡± Zhiluan jumped in shock and said, ¡°Why are you as one-track mind as that Yu Eleven? The Resentment Qi outside is already so heavy, what about Ghost-wailing Hill? There can be a Millennium Walking Corpse! Kiddo, you want to die! ¡±


    Xiao Chen looked out at the vast sky and said, ¡°I have to figure out some things¡­ And, I also happen to be missing a Corpse Puppet, and it would be good if I could catch a Walking Corpse of a thousand year¡¯s Malicious Grudge.¡±


    ¡°Catch, catch the Millennium Walking Corpse?¡± Zhiluan was stunned, then it suddenly lay on the ground, hit it while pointing at him, laughed and said, ¡°You want to catch the Millennium Walking Corpse! Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually hearing a Nascent Soul Realm kiddo saying that he was going to catch the Millennium Walking Corpse! Hahaha! This joke I can laugh for a year!¡±


    Zhi Luan laughed at him while hitting the ground and pointing at him. It was in tears of laughter. Xiao Chen frowned and glared at it, saying, ¡°Ain¡¯t you annoying? I was just joking, stupid cat; you eat too much and get sick! Go away!¡± Then he kicked it and Zhiluan rolled on the ground a few times.


    Zhiluan was still laughing, ¡°Do you know what the Millennium Walking Corpse is like? Let me tell you, if there is a Walking Corpse with more than a thousand years¡¯ Malicious Grudge, it cannot be killed. Even if you killed it, it will immediately resurrect with this millennium Malicious Grudge. Haha, you actually want to catch a Millennium Walking Corpse! I¡¯m going to laugh for a year! ¡±


    ¡°Wait! What did you say!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly felt the heat all over his body and then shivered, and then a layer of sweat had formed on his back.


    The Walking Corpse was also called a zombie in the mortal world. It gathered the Resentment Qi from the heavens and the earth, and was born from the Death Qi, the Unlucky Qi of the heaven and earth. In the mortal world, it used the resentment as its power and fed on blood. According to the ancient Mao Mountain strange skills, a zombie with Malicious Grudge of more than a thousand years could resurrect countlessly, could fly and move in the ground, and could even produce its own spiritual intelligence and cast spells. It was called the Flying Zombie and was feared by Cultivators.


    ¡­

 Chapter 379 - The Secluded Hall in the Deep

    Zhiluan saw Xiao Chen becoming like a different person in an instant, was scared and stopped laughing. It blinked and said, ¡°I said, this big joke I could laugh for a year.¡±


    ¡°Last sentence!¡±


    ¡°Haha, you are going to catch a Millennium Walking Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°The sentence before that!¡±


    ¡°Kid-Kiddo, you¡¯re not possessed right¡­¡± Zhiluan saw Xiao Chen¡¯s expression suddenly become very weird, such a cold dead night, there was a strange horrifying vibe that was beyond words.


    He leaned back cautiously and whispered, ¡°I said that the Walking Corpse of more than a thousand years of Malicious Grudge can¡¯t be killed. It doesn¡¯t have the souls and senses. As soon as it dies, its Malicious Grudge will immediately make it reborn, unless¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen felt cold all over, with a little dizziness. This feeling was like suddenly falling into a cold and dark abyss, but this abyss had no bottom, so he kept falling and falling, and he could not die. He could only be in constant darkness and despair.


    ¡°Kid-Kiddo, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Zhiluan saw his expression change again, this time it lowered its voice and changed the topic. It carefully approached a few steps to him but was also afraid that he would suddenly lose his mind and become violent, so it did not dare go too close.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was a little dreamy. He suddenly remembered many years ago when he was still in the Xiao family. When he learned that he could not practice martial arts, when he could not find a trace of thousands of years ago, he was very depressed and thought of death. Then he jumped off the cliff of that Rainbow Pavilion.


    At such a high cliff, even a cultivator would fall to death. However, at the moment of landing, the feeling was like falling into a cliff in a dream. When he fell into the ground, all consciousness was gone. The dream was gone, and the feeling was really death! But then, he woke up miraculously¡­


    What the hell was this, who was he, was he really already¡­ No, that would be impossible, when death happens, one would lose his souls and senses, and his were still there. He was thinking too much.


    After a while, Zhiluan walked to his side and whispered, ¡°Kiddo, don¡¯t go to that Ghost-wailing Hill, the heavier the Resentment Qi, the more powerful the Walking Corpse¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen did not speak, and he slowly put away these cluttered thoughts in his head. The heavier the Resentment Qi, the more powerful the Walking Corpse, Resentment Qi, Walking Corpse¡­ He suddenly thought of something again and exclaimed, ¡°Oh no!¡± Then he hurriedly ran out of the cave.


    ¡°Kiddo where are you going! Wait for me!¡± Zhiluan spread its wings and chased after him.


    A man and a cat flew 50 kilometers and returned to the Precipice Peak where the battle with Danyang Zi happened. The place was extremely bloody, and the dead bodies were unbearable to sight. Xiao Chen went to the place where Danyang Zi died, and was shocked. ¡°Oh sh*t!¡±


    The body was gone. Only those bodies that had been chopped up by Seven Killings were around. Danyang Zi¡¯s body was gone. Xiao Chen turned his head to look at Zhiluan. ¡°Did you bury his body?¡±


    ¡°Nah-uh! Yu Eleven knows that the Order of the Divine Fire and you and little Luo had grudges, with little Luo around, how will he collect the body for the Order of the Divine Fire.¡±


    Xiao Chen settled himself and as if he was talking to himself, said, ¡°That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s impossible to gather Malicious Grudge and have a corpse change in such a short time, unless¡­ Corpse Refinery Sect!¡±


    ¡°Bloody meow! I thought so too! This corpse collecting sect is too insidious! They easily gained a good bargain!¡± Zhiluan¡¯s two claws in front of its chest, it flew in midair, bulging, as if it just had a big loss.


    Xiao Chen gazed in the direction of the mountains, but it was so dark that he could not see anything. Danyang Zi¡¯s Resentment Qi was very heavy when he died, and his body was of the pinnacle of Nirvana Realm. If he was to be refined into a Corpse Puppet, he would absorb more Malicious Grudge than those usual Corpse Puppets, and it would very likely retain the resentment he had when he was alive.


    ¡°Come here, Leopard Cat Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhiluan was looking around, it flew over after Xiao Chen shouted suddenly, and he then said to Zhiluan, ¡°Go back and tell Brother Yifeng, let them go back to Jade Qing Sect as soon as possible; don¡¯t stay around in this mountain.¡±


    Zhiluan shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Then he turned and whispered quietly, ¡°Yu Eleven is a stupid ox, he is stubborn and he¡¯s one-track minded. Whatever Qing Chen asked him to do, he will do it. Even if he asked him to jump into the fire pit¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed softly. Brother Yifeng was very similar to himself then, right is right, wrong is wrong, righteous is righteous, evil is evil, and he was always clear-cut.


    Zhiluan glanced at him and said, ¡°Why? Kiddo, you wanna go to the end of the earth alone from now on? Not with us?¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head. If he walked too close together with Yu Yifeng and the others, it would hurt Jade Qing Sect instead. At that time, a villain would inevitably make a fuss about it. He said, ¡°Help me to take care of Xian¡¯er when you go back.¡± After that, he took out a Tier Six Spirit Stone and passed it to Zhiluan.


    ¡°Take her down the mountain to play in Qing Province when you have time. Whatever she wants, you buy it for her. I can¡¯t come back yet.¡±


    Zhiluan took the Spirit Stone and muttered, ¡°Stupid boy, so rich¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it should be bright in a while, you go back first.¡±


    ¡°Okay kiddo, be careful by yourself.¡± Zhiluan looked at him finally, spread its wings and muttered something. Then it went to the place where Yu Yifeng and others camped.


    As he watched the Leopard Cat Spirit disappeared into the night, Xiao Chen sighed deeply again. This time, he felt that something big would happen in the near future. He hoped that he would be alone this time and would not drag down the people around him¡­


    The night was desolate and the cold wind was blowing. Xiao Chen felt a little messy now, he had not found his master yet, and the mystery of his resurrection had yet to be solved. Now there came another Corpse Refinery Sect. If the 31 people who had disappeared was the act of the Corpse Refinery Sect, as well as for those who had disappeared previously, then it had to be unusual. Wei Yang also happened to be born on July 7¡­


    In the midst of it, there seemed to be a pair of invisible hands that led him to a certain place, and that place would have to be the meeting point of all mysteries.


    And now, there was nothing he could do. He sat down and took a deep breath. Maybe reaching the Nirvana Realm could make him mighty and powerful in the Human Realm Violet Manor. But if he wanted to find out all the mysteries of thousands of years ago, it would not be enough, and he would need to be at least the level of a true immortal to be able to investigate those puzzles.


    Xiao Chen looked at the looming mountains in the distance. What was needed now was to level up his cultivation as soon as possible, otherwise he would not be able to intervene in those major events. Although this was how he thought, he always got confused when he encountered something about Master Ling Yin or the mystery of his resurrection.


    The night seemed to be getting deeper and deeper, and was gradually surrounded by a layer of light mist. The moonlight had also become hazy, like a veil, and deep in the mountains, those that were visible and invisible were hidden in an unknown corner.


    At this moment, in an unknown corner deep in the mountains, there was a secluded hall. The hall was covered with thorns and vines, as if it had been deserted for a long time. The middle of the hall was cold and chill to the bones, the top of the hall was open. Just nice for the moonlight to shine in, somehow, a sarcophagus placed in the center of the hall could be seen.


    The sarcophagus was very ordinary, and there was nothing strange about it, but it was slightly quaint. It should have been a long time. At this moment, there were ¡°clicking¡± footsteps outside. From the sound of it, it was two people walking.


    A moment later, two men in black walked in from outside the hall. When they were about fifty or sixty feet away from the sarcophagus, they dared not go any nearer. The two looked at each other, and the man on the left said in a quavering voice, ¡°Hong¡­ Lord Hong Xiu.¡±


    The hall was silent for a while, and then a woman¡¯s thrilling voice sounded in the sarcophagus, ¡°How are the 31 people now¡­¡±


    ¡°Report, report Lord Hong Xiu, the 31 people, they are all¡­¡± His voice was getting lower and lower, and the man swallowed, continuing, ¡°They are all dead¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say!¡± The sarcophagus in the middle shook violently as if the whole hall shook with it. The two people fifty feet away were so scared that they became pale, then they knelt in a hurry and said, ¡°Lord Hong Xiu please don¡¯t be angry!¡±


    ¡°Rubbish! All useless rubbish! You all have to die!¡± An angry voice came from the sarcophagus.


    As soon as they heard it, they were so frightened that they could not stop kowtowing, said, ¡°Spare us Lord Hong Xiu! Spare our lives! Lord Hong Xiu, spare our lives¡­¡± Finally they lay on the ground and did not dare move.


    For a long time, the hall was silent, and the man on the right finally dared to raise his head and bravely said, ¡°Lord Hong Xiu, ordinary people can¡¯t stand the cold prison. Of the 31 people, 9 died when they just entered, 18 made it through 30 minutes, and the remaining 4 Nascent Soul Realm failed to survive for more than an hour and died as well¡­¡± In the end, the voice gradually lowered and did not dare to continue.


    ¡°For half a year, I have raised them for more than half a year! And they still can¡¯t make it through¡­ Rubbish! All of you are rubbish!¡± The sarcophagus shook again, and the two people outside trembled in fear. They tried to stop trembling, but no matter what they could not stop this fear that rose from the soul.


    The man on the left trembled and said, ¡°Lord Hong Xiu please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll immediately go look for it, and will definitely find the person Lord Hong Xiu needs¡­¡±


    After a while, the sarcophagus finally stopped shaking, the thrilling voice of the woman in it said, ¡°Go and find it for me! Even if it¡¯s just a mortal, as long as it¡¯s a woman born on July 7th, you have to bring her over for me!¡±


    The two shuddered, thinking that even the cultivators could not tolerate the torture of that cold prison, mortals would most probably die as soon as they entered. When the time came, Hong Xiu would be angry, and they would really be dead to the bones. The man on the right said in a quavering voice, ¡°Lord Hong Xiu, even cultivators can¡¯t make it through the cold prison, the mortals will probably¡­¡±


    ¡°Mortal¡­ I was a mortal too back then! How did I get past it!¡± An angry voice shouted from the sarcophagus, and the two outside could not help but kowtow. ¡°Subordinates obey! We¡¯ll go and look! We will!¡±


    ¡°Bugger off!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The two did not dare to lift their heads and ran away in a scramble.


    After a long time, the forlorn and bitter voice of the woman came out of the sarcophagus, ¡°I must find the coldest body that was born on July 7!¡± Her voice echoed in the secluded hall, sad and shrill and full of resentment¡ªthe endless resentment that could send chills down one¡¯s spine.


    ¡­


    ¡°Wei Yang!¡± Xiao Chen in the cave woke up suddenly, his face was pale and cold sweat was all over his forehead. He had a terrible nightmare.

 Chapter 380 - Ghosts Wailing Hill

    Outside, the day was breaking; it was light already. The dew was still on the leaves. Rubbing his temples, Xiao Chen could still feel a chill in the morning wind. Last night, he went back to the cave in the early morning. Though he planned to wait until daybreak, he passed out soon because he was too tired. But unexpectedly, a terrible nightmare struck him.


    The Miasma Mountain Range was still foggy and gloomy. Some places in the range were slightly drizzly. After a while, he walked out of the cave after putting on a straw raincoat. Next, he intended to go to Ghost-wailing Hill in the deep. In the past two days, he felt a little uneasy. During this time, the confrontation between good and evil was more and more intense. Only because of minimal conflicts, they would get into a free-for-all fight. After many fights, the dead bodies of them scattered over the wilderness. Hence, countless more spirits were added to the mountain range, which also brought this place much more grievances.


    Somehow, the fight on the top of the cliff that night had got about. Three masters from the Devil¡¯s Practice joined hands with a mysterious person wearing a straw raincoat, and they killed the elder Danyang Zi in the Order of the Divine Fire, who had a summit force of Nirvana Realm. The whole Miasma Mountain Range was buzzing with this news, which made people of the Orthodox Path disquieted.


    Therefore, some small sects had already withdrawn from the Miasma Mountain Range. Then, they went outside to spread the news. By word of mouth, all the people outside knew that a man in straw raincoat appeared in the Miasma Mountain Range. He was alone. No one knew his background. They only heard that this person who could kill decisively seemed to have an ambiguous persona; he could either be good or evil. Beyond that, he killed people of both the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice. Everywhere he passed, no one could survive. Of course, these were greatly exaggerated snowball rumors.


    Anyway, lots of people now realized that another strong young man from Violet Manor stood out. There had been much speculation saying that this man¡¯s aim must also be the extraordinary treasure. Because he didn¡¯t associate with anyone, people deliberately named him¡ªStraw-raincoat Solitary-man. After that, straw raincoats in the shops of some towns seemed to be sold much better.


    ¡­


    In the depths of the Miasma Mountain Range, there was an endless mountain ridge. Many places were enveloped by the miasma. Before those ordinary cultivators entered these places, they should take some pills. Otherwise, the miasma would invade their bodies, and they would surely die.


    There were still some places that looked like lawns. But in fact, there was a bottomless swamp below the surface. Once people accidentally stepped in, the swamp would instantly suck them in as if it had a weird strong attraction. It could even engulf those Core Forming Realm cultivators and make them one of the ghosts at the bottoms of the swamp.


    Ghost-wailing Hill was the most dangerous place in the Miasma Mountain Range. At night, the howling wind, like the penetrating yelling of ghosts, swept passed the forests. In the past thousands of years, numerous cultivators, who intended to pass through the East Continent and South Continent, died in this shortcut.


    In this place, the miasma sprang up to the sky. There were poisonous bugs ten times more than those on the outside. Besides, some inexplicable existences lived here. For example, the ghosts there could be transformed into loved ones or friends. Also, there were evil spirits with unpredictable tracks, the Walking Corpses with strong evil Qi, mirages that looked like majestic palaces but then immediately became skeleton piles after a closer look, and there were many more such things.


    But it was just such a hazardous place that had attracted numerous cultivators rushing there wave upon wave. After all, the temptation of the extraordinary treasure was too great for them to resist. These cultivators wanted it so bad that they were even willing to get it at the cost of their lives. The reason for all the crazy moves was that the Ghost-wailing Hill would occasionally shake in these two days, and tens of thousands of meters long glorious rays would appear there from time to time. These abnormal phenomena indicated that the extraordinary treasure was soon going to appear. Well, at least there were lots of people who thought so.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡±


    Outside the forest, a white radiance flashed across. ¡°Sizzle!¡± The light penetrated the head of a manlike monster. Xiao Chen slightly frowned. He could not remember that including this one, how many Walking Corpses he had killed.


    ¡°Plop!¡± The Walking Corpse fell into the muddy water next to the road and made a few meters high splashes. Xiao Chen saw that the skin all over the Walking Corpse¡¯s body was dark gray and full of fine black hairs. It must have been staying there for a hundred years, but it just had 20 or 30 years of Malicious Grudge. That was why Xiao Chen could kill him easily.


    The existence time of the Walking Corpse or the Corpse Puppet could not decide the strength of their Malicious Grudge. Some Walking Corpses had existed for a hundred years, but they might still have only twenty more years of Malicious Grudge. Such cases were quite normal, actually. It was usually because this kind of Walking Corpses was usually not very strong when they were alive, or they didn¡¯t hold much Malicious Grudge when they died, or because of many other reasons. They always had a slow absorption rate of Malicious Grudge and their upper limit of absorption was also not that much.


    And there were other kinds of Walking Corpses, such as Danyang Zi, they could absorb a hundred years of grievances in only ten years. This kind of Corpse Puppets was very powerful. That was why the Corpse Refinery Sect would consider this difference when they refined the Corpse Puppets. They would, first of all, find a corpse that was the most suitable for refining the Corpse Puppet. It must be a powerful person¡¯s corpse, plus the person much hold deep resentment before he or she died. Sometimes, Corpse Refinery Sect would refine a living person and directly make the person a Corpse Puppet. This kind of Corpse Puppets had the strongest Malicious Grudge. In the future, it could be very likely to accumulate more than 1000 years of Malicious Grudge and became the Heavy Grudge Corpse Puppet.


    That night, Zhiluan had mentioned the so-called Heavy Grudge to him, so Xiao Chen now had more or less understood the concept. Any Malicious Grudge that had existed for more than 1,000 years could be called the Heavy Grudge. Once a corpse became a Heavy Grudge Walking Corpse or a Heavy Grudge Corpse Puppet, its 1,000 years of Heavy Grudge could instantly turn into a burst of extremely Negative Qi when it encountered a deadly strike. The Negative Qi could bring ¡°the dead back to life.¡± Even if the dead body was smashed into pieces, it could still reorganize in a short time.


    Therefore, in the eyes of some people, the thousand-year-old Walking Corpse could never be destroyed. It could always revive after being beaten to death, again and again. They thought that only by sealing, suppressing, or any other means to make its Malicious Grudge gradually dissipate could they lay restraints on the corpse. After that, its body and the spirit would naturally vanish.


    Xiao Chen took two steps forward, and his Unsullied Sword also flew back. The sword body was covered with a layer of faint white light, swirling around him. It seemed that his sword was determined to keep any Demon or evil thing away from him.


    Glancing from the corner of the eye, Xiao Chen saw the Walking Corpse in the muddy water, on which blisters still kept coming up. He suddenly felt extremely disgusted. Now only on the periphery of the Ghost-wailing Hill, he hadn¡¯t yet entered the hill so that he didn¡¯t know what kind of Walking Corpses would be in it.


    After walking for a while, Xiao Chen saw range upon range of mountains in the distance. Near him were towering trees and entangled green vines in the forest. There were many exotic and strangely scented flowers which could not be seen outside under the trees. The space between those flowers was filled with various colorful mushrooms, and there were a few butterflies stopped on those mushrooms. If it weren¡¯t for the Walking Corpses and poisonous bugs, this place could be regarded as a quiet and beautiful place.


    A while later, the sky suddenly turned dark. Then after a dull boom, it seemed that even the ground began to tremble. Looking up at the sky that was covered with dark clouds, Xiao Chen could feel ice-cold raindrops hitting on his face. Only after a short while, the straw raincoat on him was wet with rain.


    He looked toward the steamy mountains in the distance. Today, Xiao Chen made a circle around this place but still failed to find a way to enter the depths of the mountain range. Though he could fly on the sword for a short time, the tour around still made him dizzy. At this time, it was raining, and everything around him was drizzly. He thought that it would be much harder for him to find a path now.


    Along with the thunders that were louder than the thunders in July and August, it was raining harder and harder. Feeling terribly upset, Xiao Chen put away the Unsullied Sword. Meanwhile, he walked on the muddy ground with great care and tried his best to avoid those towering trees because he didn¡¯t want to be the first Cultivator who was killed by lightning on a rainy day.


    Two hours passed, but it was still raining. With the rain, the night gradually fell. Xiao Chen found himself a cave. After hanging his straw raincoat and bamboo hat on the stones, he sat down six meters away from the entrance of the cave, cultivating in meditation.


    Outside the cave, the violent wind kept howling, and the heavy rain continued. The thunder came one after another with the continuous lightning. It seemed that the ground was nearly torn apart. After a very long time, the rainstorm finally stopped. At this moment, the light of the flames shone in another cave. Six people were sitting around the fire with their cheeks glowing red.


    It was Yu Yifeng and the group of people with him. Mu Shaoai had already rushed back to the Jade Qing Sect. So there were only four of them now. And the other two people were Qin Shaoyang and Liu Feiyan from the Xianyong Sect.


    Surrounding the fire, all six people remained silent. After suffering from several days of bad weather, plus various poisonous insects and Walking Corpses hidden in this place, they were no longer in their previous high and vigorous spirits.


    ¡°Pa!¡±


    A clear sound broke the long silence. Several people here turned their heads to check and found that it was Luo Shangyan. After breaking the dry branch in her hand, she threw it into the fire, and the branch soon started to burn. It gradually burned into ashes at last.


    ¡°You guys, did you really meet Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± Eventually, Qin Shaoyang moved his lips and whispered his question.


    But no one answered him. Zhiluan turned over in the corner and tightened the clothes that Yu Yifeng took off for it, continuing to sleep. Leaning tight against Qin Shaoyang, Liu Feiyan sat with her arms clasped around knees, gazing blankly at jumping flames. In her eyes, everything was now a blur. It seemed that she had taken those branches that were burnt to ashes as the young man who trespassed into Xianyong Sect in previous.


    Qin Shaoyang sighed. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao is straightforward and upright. But sometimes, with such a character, he is likely to be manipulated by others. If he has been bewitched by those evil members of the Devil¡¯s Practice, then step by step¡­¡±


    ¡°Pa!¡±


    Another clear sound came and interrupted Qin Shaoyang. Again, it was Luo Shangyan. Without uttering a single word, she flung two broken branches into the fire, which made a few sparks. Feeling a little embarrassed, Qin Shaoyang also said nothing more. Then, the rest of them also tilted their heads back, either sighing or remaining silent.


    Yu Yifeng said, ¡°Junior Sister Luo¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Luo Shangyan¡¯s face was expressionless, and she broke the three or four branches together in the hands and threw them into the fire. All of a sudden, the flames got much higher, jumping restlessly. The firelight flashed in her eyes, sparkling.


    She recalled that night, before the Three Pure Sect¡¯s entrance test, two strangers sat in front of the fire and disclosed their minds. No one had ever been willing to listen to those things on her heart.


    ¡­


    The cold wind blew over, waves upon waves. Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes and slightly moved his fingers. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Unsullied Sword flew out, penetrating the air. Like a ray of dazzling radiance in the dark, it went straight to the neck of the person at the entrance. The radiance stopped 3 centimeters away from the person¡¯s neck. Neither longer nor shorter, the distance was precisely 3 centimeters.


    ¡°Do you truly think that I won¡¯t kill you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s voice was icy. It sounded much colder than the cold wind at this moment. The white radiance on the Unsullied Sword increased sharply and shed light on the person at the cave entrance, which clearly showed the person¡¯s appearance. The edge of the sword stayed near her throat, but the person was still smiling. With the voice that could enchant all living creatures, she said charmingly, ¡°But on such a cold night, do you still want to kill me?¡±


    Although she said only about ten words, her voice sounded sweet and charming, which could make many romantic thoughts flash through other people¡¯s minds. Echoing on such a cold night, it seemed that her voice somehow helped to drive some coldness away.


    ¡°Then, you can try¡­¡± A hint of coldness flashed across Xiao Chen¡¯s pupils, and his voice turned a little deeper.


    The woman standing at the cave entrance was Su Lianyue from the Fort Raksasa. In the Devil¡¯s sects, she was called the Ice Jade Fairy. Tonight, she was still in purple clothes, a few strands of her hair beside her ears fluttering gently with the cold wind at the cave entrance. It seemed that people could be mesmerized and took a fancy to her only after a glance at her.


    Smiling sweetly, Su Lianyue said, ¡°I guess that you must not be willing to, otherwise why do you leave the 3 centimeters¡­¡± But before she could finish speaking, Xiao Chen sent his Unsullied Sword forward and pressed it against her neck. A thin trace of her blood slowly dripped down along her snow-white neck.


    Su Lianyue gave a grunt and then smiled. ¡°Young Master Xiao, you really don¡¯t know that you should show your tenderness toward women. This time, you flashed your sword across me. In the future, I will make you feel very regret and heartbreaking for what you have done to me today¡­¡± On her final words, it seemed that she even began to hold a little grudge against him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll break your heart now.¡±

 Chapter 381 - A Fatal-thrust

    ¡°You¡­¡± For a time, Su Lianyue seemed to be unable to respond. With a little anger on her face, Su Lianyue looked at him resentfully.


    Only by a resentful look with a frown, she made Xiao Chen feel grieved in his heart. Then, Xiao Chen felt chill and uncomfortable as if a sudden bolt of lightning struck him. He thought, ¡°Perhaps because of the rain just now, it is ice-cold outside, and she happened to pass by the cave. She may not necessarily come here with any conspiracy. Even if she is a member of the Devil¡¯s Practice, she is only a woman. Why do you treat her like this?¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± At just the perfect time, Su Lianyue snorted lightly and then tilted her head aside. She looked as if she was greatly wronged.


    This time, Xiao Chen felt even more guilty and was about to take back the Unsullied Sword. However, on second thought, an idea came to his mind. ¡°No, it is not right! What a strong enchanting power this demonic woman in the Devil¡¯s Practice has! She tricked me!¡± With a cold voice, Xiao Chen asked, ¡°Tell me, why are you coming here?¡±


    Su Lianyue snorted lightly and said with a little angry voice. ¡°You spoke either with your back to me or with your sword pointing at me. What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± This time it was Xiao Chen¡¯s turn to be speechless. Xiao Chen swung his sleeves and said with a cold voice, ¡°You can say whatever you want to say. I have been irreconcilable with you members of the Devils¡¯ sects from the beginning.¡± Perhaps, the thing that happened last time had brought Xiao Chen more hard feelings on Devils¡¯ sects.


    Su Lianyue hummed a little. She curved her mouth corners a little, showing a little proud smile as if she had finally defeated Xiao Chen. Then, she said, ¡°You kept speaking ill of the Devils¡¯ sects. Is the Orthodox Path that you have stayed in so perfect?¡±


    Flicking his sleeves, Xiao Chen said coldly, ¡°Not much better than you Devil¡¯s Practice!¡±


    ¡°Hum, that¡¯s right.¡± Twisting her waist, Su Lianyue walked over with short steps. She turned her wrist, and a turquoise blue lighter appeared in her hand. After she gave a slight puff to the lighter, it was immediately ignited with a sizzle. Then, the flames made the cave slightly warmer.


    ¡°On such a cold day, don¡¯t you know that you can set fire to keep warm? You are such a fool¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows slightly wrinkled because he didn¡¯t expect that she would say so. Right after that, he decided to totally ignore her words and prevent him from any impacts she might bring. However, to Xiao Chen¡¯s surprise, he slightly shivered after hearing the next sentence of Su Lianyue.


    ¡°I suppose that your purpose of coming to the Miasma Mountain Range this time is not for the extraordinary treasure, right?¡±


    When she said this, Su Lianyue¡¯s look was already very serious. Slightly jumping, the flames on the lighter reflected in her eyes. The darkness in the depth of her eyes looked as deep as the night sky without stars. Xiao Chen could not figure out what was in her mind, so he asked with a cold voice, ¡°What do you want to say, again?¡±


    ¡°Well, you must come here for another purpose¡­¡± Leaning gently against his ear, Su Lianyue uttered the words with fragrant breathings. Being so close to her, Xiao Chen could clearly smell the faint fragrance of her hair and see the amethyst earrings on her earlobes.


    ¡°What exactly do you want to say¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After 30 minutes, Su Lianyue walked back to the entrance of the cave and said gently, ¡°Then, it¡¯s a deal. You must remember our agreement.¡± After giving Xiao Chen a sweet smile, she tiptoed and disappeared under the night sky. In the cave, her faint scent still lingered.


    Xiao Chen gazed at the darkness outside where she disappeared, and he found that this woman from the Devils¡¯ sects could even hide deeper than Xiaoyue. At most, he could only fight to a draw with her. Before Xiao Chen left, Qingluan specifically told him to watch out for this person.


    Somehow, a gust of cold wind came in and made the flames before him shaking violently. And Xiao Chen saw that another turquoise blue lighter was left on the stone next to him by Su Lianyue. Suddenly, he flicked his sleeves and put out the fire. Once again, the cave plunged into cold and darkness.


    Quite early next morning, it unexpectedly cleared up outside. A ray of sunshine came in sideways. After Xiao Chen meditated for the whole night, he opened his eyes and felt a little dazzling. At the entrance of the cave, the dew gathered on the leaves of the several green blades of grass. Twinkling in the sun, they looked adorable.


    Xiao Chen breathed deep in and out for a few times and walked to the entrance of the cave. As the morning breeze swept over his clothes, he felt a bit of coolness. Gazing far into the distance, he saw these overlapped mountains and luxuriant trees under the blue sky and the white clouds. Though the mountains here were not towering, the mountain range here seemed to be vast and endlessly. And the mountains in the south were in an enshrouding mist. Xiao Chen guessed that it must be the entrance of the Ghost-wailing Hill.


    At the moment, Xiao Chen had already made up his mind. After putting on his straw raincoat again, he walked toward the south. In his two hours of walking, he saw a lot of dead bodies, which were probably the result of the killings between the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice. When Xiao Chen walked 500 meters further, a stenchy smell suddenly filled his nostrils. Slightly frowning, he leaned forward to check and spotted twenty more corpses lying in disorder in the wood.


    Only by a glance, Xiao Chen recognized that the majority of these 20 more bodies were the Divine Mist Sect¡¯s disciples who were in easily identified costumes. The rest bodies were disciples from the Yin-Yang Sect, which got well along with the Divine Mist Sect.


    The Yin-Yang Sect was a well-known sect of the North Continent; the Divine Mist Sect praised itself as the top of all the sects in the Middle Continent. The strength of the two sects was enough to inspire awe throughout the country. Hence, the two sects could act as a counterweight to the top four sects of the Devils¡¯ sects. But why would so many of them die here?


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen slowly walked over. Among the twenty more people, seven or eight persons died miserably¡ªthey were cut into pieces. It looked that the Seven Killings of the Bloodied Fiend Sect, who was called the God of Blood, chopped them. Weird expressions froze on the rest dozen bodies, on the throats of which got wounds made by swords. However, no blood overflew. Obviously, Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall killed all of them, by using his unique skill ¡°Fatal-thrust.¡±


    By using the Fatal-thrust, Yi Yeqiu could shoot a stream of Sword Qi to his enemy¡¯s head at the moment when he launched his sword attack. The Sword Qi would enter the body through the neck, which could instantly smash the enemy¡¯s soul. Meanwhile, the Mystic Power in this attack could immediately make the enemy¡¯s heart stop beating, so the blood of the enemy would freeze right before he or she died. Hence, not much blood would spill.


    Squatting down, Xiao Chen carefully examined the several corpses. Then, he found that the fatal wounds of these people were all the sword marks 1.5 cm down the throat. The sword cut precisely at the same place down each one¡¯s throat. Before that, these people hadn¡¯t been attacked. The killer could aim at the precise position and kill by one sword attack. It seemed that in this world, only Yi Yeqiu could do this.


    However, Xiao Chen frowned again. ¡°But with his strength, Yi Yeqiu could slaughter the dozen Core Forming Realm cultivators with ease. I can almost sure that he could kill all of them in a flash. Thus, these people should have the expressions showing that they felt terrified all of a sudden. But the fact is that each one of them looked confused as if they had fallen into some illusory land before they died.¡±


    Stretching out his two fingers, Xiao Chen opened the wounds on the throats of some corpses and found that these wounds were very smooth. From right to left, the wound got larger, which indicated that the kill must send out his sword from the left. That night, Xiao Chen especially noticed that Yi Yeqiu wield his sword with his left hand. Thus, this fact tallied with Xiao Chen¡¯s speculation. However, it seemed that a much weaker force than the force that Yi Yeqiu could exert made these wounds cut by the sword.


    At a glance, Xiao Chen noticed that there was another corpse under a big tree. This person seemed to be a little different from the others. He was the only one with a frightened expression, and the five fingers of the person¡¯s left hand were bent, which made its left hand look like a claw. Moreover, the nails of these five fingers were turned inside out. It seemed that this person had caught something before his death.


    Xiao Chen frowned and walked over. He found that the soil under this big tree had loosened a lot. Beyond that, the trunk was slightly deflected, and few roots at the bottom were turned out of the ground. It seemed that the tree had suffered a huge impact. Putting his two fingers together, Xiao Chen pressed against the body¡¯s wrist under the tree and checked further. Then, he knew that the internal organs of this person were all shattered. He seemed to have bored a violent slap. But this person still had a wound cut by a sword on his throat¡­


    However, he inferred that this man should have died from the powerful slap, not the Fatal-thrust. As for the sword cut on the throat, it must be added there by someone later.


    Xiao Chen stood up and looked at the corpses in the forest. The rain had washed the blood from those body pieces. Last night, it rained heavily, but no signs were showing that these people were hurrying on with their journey to take shelter from the rain. Therefore, they must have died before yesterday evening. As for who the real killer was¡­


    Suddenly, a gust of wind came. It appeared that many people came toward him from a distance. Xiao Chen frowned and thought that it might now be too late for him to leave. Pressing his bamboo rain hat down a little, he turned around and looked at the group of people who were approaching quickly.


    They were Yu Yifeng, Qin Shaoyang, and others. Seeing the mess of the corpses scattering around and the pieces of bodies, Liu Feiyan covered her mouth and screamed. Her heart pounding violently, she looked toward the man in a straw raincoat who was standing opposite them in the near distance in horror.


    The cold wind swept across the woods, whining loud. Yu Yifeng watched the corpses all over the ground and then looked at Xiao Chen, who was now standing amid these corpses. Then, his face turned a little pale, and he murmured, ¡°Lil Chen, you¡­¡±


    Wearing a cold expression, Xiao Chen clasped his hands behind and remained silent. In silence, Luo Shangyan stared at him. She was speechless too. Landing on Luo Shangyan¡¯s shoulder, Zhiluan also covered its mouth, showing a frightened look.


    Qin Shaoyang¡¯s eyes briefly stayed on Xiao Chen and then quickly moved to the twenty more corpses. He found that the rain had washed the blood on the ground. And judging by the signs, Qin Shaoyang inferred that these people died from Seven Killings¡¯ usual killing skill and Yi Yeqiu¡¯s Fatal-thrust. After Qin Shaoyang saw all of this, he said, ¡°Senior Brother Yu, these people died yesterday evening. It must be Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu that had killed them.¡±


    Only then did Yu Yifeng come to his senses. At first, when he saw the corpses all over the ground and Xiao Chen who was standing in these corpses, the first thought that came to his mind was that Xiao Chen had fallen into the Devil¡¯s Practice. Then, he began to take revenge on the sects that crossed him a year ago one by one.


    At this moment, after listening to Qin Shaoyang¡¯s words, Yu Yifeng immediately took a more careful look at these corpse on the ground and found that it was exactly as Qin Shaoyang had said. The signs on these bodies showed that Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu killed them. After this, he finally felt a little relieved and asked, ¡°Lil Chen, why are you here?¡±


    With his hands clasped behind, Xiao Chen said lightly, ¡°So what? All of you can come here, why cannot I?¡±


    Luo Shangyan slightly trembled. Qingyu also felt mixed emotions and quite uncomfortable after hearing Xiao Chen¡¯s indifferent tone. With a bitter look, she said slowly, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Qingyu.¡± Before she could finish her words, Xiao Chen interrupted her. Qingyu was stunned a little, but immediately she knew what he meant. So she said, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, go ahead.¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at her and said faintly, ¡°From then on, please don¡¯t call me Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    Qingyu went blank for a while, without knowing what he meant. But the others understood in an instant. Now that Xiao Chen was no longer a disciple of the Jade Qing Sect. Moreover, almost all the people in the Orthodox Path considered him as one member of the Devil¡¯s Practice. But she called Xiao Chen ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡± like the way she called him before. If someone with ill intentions heard it, the call ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡± might bring them endless troubles.

 Chapter 382 - An Unavoidable Confrontation

    But Qingyu was closely involved in this thing and could not see as clearly as those outsides. She only thought that Xiao Chen was willing to take the high risk to cure the Devil¡¯s Carnage for her. However, when he needed help, she could do nothing and even could not defend him.


    Thinking of this, Qingyu felt even more guilty and upset in her heart. Gradually, tears gathered up in her eyes. Zhou Li, who was beside her, soon understood what was in her mind. He pulled her sleeves and shook his head.


    Xiao Chen glanced around and said lightly, ¡°If there is nothing else, I will leave. When we meet again in the Ghost-wailing Hill some other day, you don¡¯t have to care about our former friendship. Well, at least, I won¡¯t care.¡±


    He said this only to remind the six of them that they should behave appropriately with caution when they competed for the extraordinary treasure in the Ghost-wailing Hill. At that time, many people of the Orthodox Path must also be present. Thus, they¡¯d better not violate the Orthodox Path¡¯s taboos. Though he said this out of kindness, deep in his heart, he had more or less a faint trace of grievance that even he didn¡¯t notice. Day by day, this grievance might grow and become increasingly intense.


    After finishing speaking, Xiao Chen turned around and wanted to leave. But from time to time, some fighting sounds came from the distance. Looking up, he saw two beams of light, one purple, and one green. The two beams of light shuttled back and forth in midair. Wherever the light arrived, they would surely destroy the large tracts of the forests below. And they even scattered the clouds within five kilometers. When Xiao Chen got closer to the two rays, he saw that Xiaoyue and Su Lianyue were fighting.


    Judging by the scene of fighting, Xiao Chen knew that they evenly matched. However, Su Zimu, Zuoqiu Yang, and Bai Yushu were chasing behind. While retreating, Su Lianyue still fought with Xiaoyue and was reluctant to give up. Xiaoyue rushed toward her in hot pursuit, launching various attacks by her Duster. It seemed that she got the upper hand.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡±


    With a sound of the wind, Xiaoyue unsheathed the Autumn Water Sword. Covered with white radiance, the Autumn Water Sword cut at Su Lianyue with an overbearing manner like a bright white rainbow crossed the sun in the sky. In the wind, there was the rain of jumping stones. The grass and trees were shaking violently on the ground between them. Moving her fingers, Su Lianyue cast a spell. All of a sudden, the rays of light on the Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade became much more brilliant. ¡°Buzzing!¡± She managed to withstand the attack of the Autumn Water Sword, a Divine Weapon of the Archean Eon.


    However, the attack still knocked Su Lianyue down to the ground. Then, there came her sweet sounds of laughter. ¡°Little sister, you have chased me for such a long time, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± When she was talking, she launched a surprise attack by a beam of purple mist. It tightly enveloped Zuoqiu Yang. All of a sudden, Zuoqiu Yang flushed with shame. No one knew what he was thinking about now.


    ¡°I will kill anyone that I meet from the Devil¡¯s Practice!¡± Wearing an ice-cold face, Xiaoyue gently moved her ten fingers to cast a spell, her green clothes floating lightly in the air. She wielded the Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s Wind Flower Snow Moon. The images of the flower, the moon, and the snowflake suddenly appeared in midair. In the strong wind, the pieces of snowflakes, which were as sharp as blades, cut at Su Lianyue at a fast speed.


    Su Lianyue tiptoed gently and instantly landed on the ground 30 meters away. However, 13 beams of golden Sword Qi suddenly appeared in the sky, falling down toward the top of her head. In no hurry, Su Lianyue chanted the incantation in a low voice. All of a sudden, a greenish-blue paper umbrella popped up above her head. It kept rotating while emitting waves of green light. At last, it actually blocked Su Zimu¡¯s Heavenly Thirteen Swords.


    ¡°Fairy Suyue, your Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade and Pure-heart Greenish-blue Umbrella are truly powerful. Lucky enough, I saw the two moves today. I admire you very much.¡±


    Falling back to the ground, Su Zimu closed the Mystic Heaven Fan and clasped his hands together. The hearty smile on his face looked as warm as the sun. He still appeared like a gentleman even when he faced the top demonic woman of the Fort Raksasa¡¯s Blue-water Altar. Nevertheless, he exerted all his strength to launch his Heavenly Thirteen Swords just now.


    ¡°You must be joking, Master Su. How can my two pieces of work compare with your Mystic Heaven Fan?¡±


    Su Lianyue threw a glance at him. While talking in a voice as light as the drizzle in March, she looked at him with eyes sparkling like the water surface in the autumn sun in September. Only a glance, she made Su Zimu tremble all over. In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into the bottomless, glamorous world of mortals and was placed amid various sexy women. Abruptly, Su Zimu felt a shudder. Immediately after that, he came to his senses and ran his family¡¯s mind cultivation method to fight against the illusion. He secretly thought, ¡°What an awesome enchanting skill!¡± Since then, he dared not to talk to her.


    ¡°Shameless demonic woman, watch my sword!¡± Xiaoyue gave a harsh reproach. Then, the white radiance on her Autumn Water Sword increased sharply, and it cut at Su Lianyue once again. This time, Su Lianyue didn¡¯t dare to confront her attack directly. Instantly leaping back, she was already at the place 300 meters away from Xiaoyue. With a gust of fragrant wind, she pounced straight on Xiao Chen. In fact, if she retreated 3 meters further, she would land directly on Xiao Chen.


    Behind her, Xiaoyue and the other three people caught up with them. With fixed attention, Yu Yifeng said. ¡°They are Xiaoyue and others.¡± After that, he glanced at Su Lianyue, who was 3 meters away from Xiao Chen, frowning deeply.


    Xiaoyue was the first one that caught up with them. Her glance flicked around Xiao Chen¡¯s face, but it seemed that she no longer felt surprised. Then she saw the mess of corpses on the ground. Finally, her eyes came to rest on Yu Yifeng and others. ¡°Senior Brother Yu, since all of you is also here, this demonic woman¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Su Lianyue turned around and glanced at Xiao Chen. Pretending to be surprised, she said, ¡°Oh! Young Master Xiao, you are also here.¡± After that, she slowly moved toward Xiao Chen.


    Just now, Su Lianyue had fought hard with the four people, and then she moved up to Xiao Chen by narrowing a long distance into a little one. After all of this, her upper cloth had slid down sideways, which exposed her white jade-like shoulder. With her clothes fluttering along with the wind, her curvy breasts under her collarbones were partly hidden and partly visible. Though Liu Feiyan was also a woman, she could not help flushing up to the ears.


    However, Qin Shaoyang and Zhou Li, who seemed to be attacked by the Paralyzing Incense, were at a loss. Gradually, they felt reluctant to move their blank eyes away from Su Lianyue. Slightly frowning, Yu Yifeng activated his True Energy and knocked the Startling Rainbow Sword at his back. The sword gave off a metallic sound, which finally woke Qin Shaoyang and Zhou Li up.


    After the two men sobered up, they could not help feeling the great panic in secret after this incident. They thought that the demonic woman¡¯s enchant skill was so powerful that they didn¡¯t even know when they had fallen into her trap.


    Behind them, Su Zimu and the other two also arrived here. They saw this man in the straw raincoat and heard Su Lianyue call him Young Master Xiao. Then, when they spotted Xiao Chen¡¯s face under the bamboo rain hat, all of them were greatly stunned. That day, the four of them had besieged the man in the straw raincoat, but finally, they were at a disadvantage. From then on, they got a deep fear of the man with the straw raincoat. But they had never expected that this man was Xiao Chen.


    On that night, Xiaoyue had witnessed the whole process that Su Lianyue and others besieged Danyang Zi. So she had already known that Xiao Chen was the man with the straw raincoat. At first, she certainly felt a little shocked, but now there was no surprise for her.


    With a flash of light crossing her eyes, she seemed to notice that Su Lianyue might have an unusual relationship with Xiao Chen. Gently moving her fingers, she cast a spell. After a whistle, her Autumn Water Sword immediately turned into a streak of white light and came right at Su Lianyue. However, she didn¡¯t use as much force as she used in her previous attacks.


    ¡°Buzzing!¡± A clear sound was heard. It turned out that Xiao Chen had instantly formed an Immortal¡¯s Sword and fended off the Autumn Water Sword. Again, Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows frowned deeply, and Xiaoyue smiled lightly. ¡°Brother Xiao, haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± She launched her sword attack just now only to see whether Xiao Chen would stand out to help Su Lianyue.


    Su Lianyue took a few steps to Xiao Chen and smiled tenderly. ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡± But Xiao Chen abruptly interrupted her before she could say anything. ¡°You¡¯d better put on your clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Su Lianyue showed a pitiable appearance as if she were a little girl who was blamed by Xiao Chen. With her orchid fingers, she slowly lifted her slipping clothes along her left bare shoulders. The few men present felt that the heat that her subtle and gentle move brought could nearly melt the air, and there was a series of romantic ripples flowing across their hearts.


    Zuoqiu Yang immediately woke up. After a glance, he saw many corpses lying on the ground, and one of them was his Junior Brother from the Divine Mist Sect.


    ¡°Junior Brother He! Gu Hai!¡± Zuoqiu Yang glanced at the two corpses and immediately ran over to them. Due to his status, he was both a disciple of the Divine Mist Sect and a young master of the Zuoqiu family. But this time, he certainly wanted to bring the extraordinary treasure to the Zuoqiu family. Thus, it was not convenient for him to act together with the Divine Mist Sect.


    But among the dozen people who died, two of them had a good relationship with Zuoqiu Yang. Their relationship was as close as the relationship between Xiao Chen and the three princes when they were in the Three Pure Sect. Upon seeing such a tragic scene, how could he not feel painfully sad? Turning around, Zuoqiu Yang stared ferociously at Xiao Chen with his bloodshot eyes. At this time, how Zuoqiu Yang wished that he could grind Xiao Chen¡¯s bones to dust!


    With his hands clasping behind, Xiao Chen looked quite indifferent, ignoring Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s stare. Qin Shaoyang frowned and said, ¡°Senior Brother Zuoqiu, these people were killed by the Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu.¡±


    At this moment, Zuoqiu Yang was so angry that his eyes seemed about to pop out. He didn¡¯t care about what Qin Shaoyang was talking about. Yelling violently, he lifted his ferrotungsten spear and stabbed at Xiao Chen. All of a sudden, a fierce gale sprang up and vigorously shook the big branches nearby.


    Having been holding a grudge against Xiao Chen for a long time, Zuoqiu Yang was so angry at Xiao Chen that he could not wait to eat his flesh and drink his blood. At first, Zuoqiu Yang was the top genius in his family, and also he was the Divine Mist Sect¡¯s heir. But since the appearance of Xiao Chen, everything changed. Xiao Chen defeated him again and again, and Zuoqiu Yang just was not willing to be reconciled.


    Suddenly, the top of Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s ferrotungsten spear shone with the dazzling black light. Then, there came waves of powerful vital force, which nearly twisted the space near the spearhead. In shock, Su Lianyue said, ¡°Watch out, Master Xiao!¡± Swinging her sleeves, she took out the Pure-heart Greenish-blue Umbrella again and blocked Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s attack. Then, she seemed to be unable to stand still and retreated repeatedly. Well, no one knew whether she did it on purpose or not.


    Xiao Chen stretched out and grabbed her. A strong wind passed by, and Su Lianyue¡¯s sleeves floated slightly upward. Out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Chen glanced at her bare arm.


    Su Lianyue immediately withdrew her hand and smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Master Xiao.¡±


    Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled much deeper, and Zuoqiu Yang smiled coldly. With a tongue full of hatred, he said, ¡°Xiao Chen, do you think that we can do nothing to you after you entered the Devils¡¯ sects? Hehe!¡±


    ¡°Zuoqiu Yang, stop talking nonsense!¡± It was Qingyu who stood out to reproach him. After she said that, Qingyu glared at Su Lianyue. ¡°You shameless woman, every man in this world can be your targets of¡­¡± Initially, she wanted to say that Su Lianyue took every man as her target of seducing. But when the few words were on her lips, she swallowed them because she thought it was disgraceful. Then, she changed her words. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t confuse his mind!¡±


    Covering her mouth, Su Lianyue giggled attractively. She threw a glance at Qingyu and sneered. ¡°Little sister, you cannot even speak clearly, so save your words.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Still, Qingyu wanted to retort, but Yu Yifeng stopped her. At this point, Luo Shangyan took a step forward. She fixed her eyes on Xiao Chen all the time and never moved away from him for an inch. Then, she said, ¡°Can I still call you Junior Brother?¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled slightly but didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he slowly turned to face Luo Shangyan. Su Lianyue felt that something went against her would soon happen. Of course, she could see that Xiao Chen had a close relationship with this person surnamed Luo. If Xiao Chen turned to their side or just stood by, Su Lianyue was very liked to be killed right here today. So she hurriedly coughed and said with a smile, ¡°Master Xiao, we should deal with our business first. Now, how about stop tangling with these people?¡±


    Xiao Chen paused a little, and finally, he turned back again, saying in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Lil Chen!¡± The surrounding trees shivered with the cry. This time, it was Yu Yifeng who angrily called his name in a deep voice. Xiao Chen paused again, but still, he didn¡¯t turn around. He walked forward. Then, a green figure flashed. Xiaoyue appeared six meters before him, standing in his way to block them.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, you can go. But I¡¯m afraid that she can never escape today.¡±

 Chapter 383 - This Insidious Woman

    All of a sudden, a tense atmosphere settled over them, and even the wind stayed still. The air seemed to be filled with a layer of ice debris. Everyone on the spot felt a sharp, piercing chill. After all, Su Lianyue was a genuine member of the Devil¡¯s Practice, who had killed numerous people of the Orthodox Path. Though Yu Yifeng, Qin Shaoyang, and others had been friendly with Xiao Chen, they would never allow Su Lianyue to leave with him. Otherwise, if others of their sects heard this thing, they would be punished.


    Liu Feiyan had already pressed her hand on her sword handle. Qin Shaoyang also moved his fingertips to cast a seal. Besides, the Startling Rainbow Sword behind Yu Yifeng kept trembling. Su Zimu¡¯s Mystic Heaven Fan had accumulated its energy and was waiting for action. Beyond that, Bai Yushu¡¯s hands had already formed a seal, and a layer of faint white radiance emerged on him. Meanwhile, the white light on Xiaoyue¡¯s Autumn Water Sword increased significantly¡­


    Except for Qingyu and Zhou Li, all the others here were promising young persons and ranked high in the Heaven List. At this moment, no one talked. All of them stayed in the deadlock until a seemingly careless voice with some doubts sounded, ¡°Are you, are you going to fight against me?¡±


    ¡°Meow! Me-meow! If this is the case, I¡¯d better stay far away from you guys!¡± Facing the danger of trouble, Zhiluan immediately flew to a big tree in the distance.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A clear sound was heard. In midair, a cyan Immortal¡¯s Sword was flying. It was Luo Shangyan who wielded her Shadow Sword. Perfected Immortal Zixu, who was the Sect Leader of the Three Pure Sect, gave the sword to her. Now the sword was flying around her, continually emitting waves of green light. It ranked next to the Stifled Light, but the sword was still not an ordinary one.


    ¡°Clang!¡± There came another clear sound. Yu Yifeng also unsheathed his Startling Rainbow Sword, the whole body of which was red. It ranked only second to the Unsullied Sword.


    ¡°Lil Chen, go away. This woman killed Yuyuan Zi from the Qingfeng Temple, Yanxu Zi from the Yufeng Sect, and many other seniors from the Cultivators¡¯ sect in the Orthodox Path. Today, we will never let off her! In the future, she will become a disaster for the people of the world!¡±


    Yu Yifeng condemned Su Lianyue¡¯s deeds justly and severely. When he spoke, he fixed his eyes on Su Lianyue. In previous, Wu Nian, his Junior Brother, was enchanted by a demonic woman from the Devil¡¯s Practice. Thus, when he saw Xiao Chen was also going to be deceived by Su Lianyue, who was also a demonic woman, he would never allow Xiao Chen to make the same mistakes. Therefore, he must wipe out this demonic woman.


    Subconsciously, Su Lianyue leaned toward Xiao Chen and then glanced at Yu Yifeng. When she saw his serious and resentful expression, she felt amused. ¡°Hey, you are so rude. Why are you staring at me the whole time?¡±


    Her words sounded charming and sweet to the core. Few ordinary men could resist such a temptation of her. However, Yu Yifeng had an unswervingly strong will. No matter what Su Lianyue had said or done, she couldn¡¯t influence Yu Yifeng as she had affected Su Zimu. With an indifferent voice, Yu Yifeng said, ¡°What a demonic woman from the Devil¡¯s Practice!¡±


    Taking a step forward, Xiaoyue explained lightly, ¡°Brother Xiao, we don¡¯t want to go against you today, but this demonic woman has killed countless people. I also hope that you should not be seduced by her and stay away from¡­¡±


    ¡°I have told you that I won¡¯t let you do anything to her today.¡± With a gentle voice, Xiao Chen said this sentence. Abruptly, Xiaoyue had to bite back the words she would like to have said.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to say too much. I will just kill both of you today!¡± Zuoqiu Yang shouted and took the initiative to attack. After casting a faint look at him, Xiao Chen said lightly, ¡°Guifeng.¡±


    ¡°At your command, my Lord!¡±


    Dramatically, the situation changed. A nine meters high figure of a devil emerged out of thin air, and the appearance of it shook the whole woods. Everyone¡¯s look changed, and they moved backward involuntarily. However, Zuoqiu Yang didn¡¯t expect that a monster would suddenly appear. Now it was too late for him to take back the attack he had launched. Guifeng¡¯s blade swept across and directly knocked Zuoqiu Yang back more than thirty meters away. Along the way, even the big trees beside Zuoqiu Yang were lifted high into the air because of this attack.


    ¡°The general is here, who dare touch my Lord!¡± In a deep voice, someone berated harshly. Whether it was the Autumn Water Sword or the Mystic Heaven Fan, both of them looked much inferior to the nine meters high figure of a devil.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± With the sound of the wind, Luo Shangyan suddenly lifted her sword and stabbed at Su Lianyue. Guifeng uttered a loud cry and turned back to cut at Luo Shangyan without even looking round. With an overbearing manner, this fierce attack, the force of which was ten times more than the previous attack aimed at Zuoqiu Yang, was launched. The force of it lifted large pieces of earth. The corpses lying on the ground could not stand the force and burst open one after another.


    ¡°Junior Sister Luo!¡± At this moment, Yu Yifeng was extremely shocked. He wanted to grab her, but under the impact of this unmatched force, he could not get a little bit closer to her. Xiao Chen also seemed to see the most horrible scene in an instant, and he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Stop, general!¡±


    However, Guifeng had already launched the attack, so he could not stop it at all. This moment, the wind ceased. It seemed that the time also stopped, and everything stopped moving. The next moment, Xiao Chen flew backward, vomiting blood. The straw raincoat on him was broken into countless pieces. It turned out that he wielded the Immortal-override Steps and arrived before Luo Shangyan in time to block the attack.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Jumping up from the horse¡¯s back, Guifeng caught Xiao Chen in midair and fell back to the ground. In a tearful voice, he said, ¡°I accidentally hurt you, my lord! I deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°General¡­ General, it¡­ has nothing to do with you¡­¡± Another mouthful of blood sprayed from Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Xiao¡­ Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± Luo Shangyan reacted in an instant and immediately rushed to Xiao Chen. But Guifeng held out his large hand. He kept her away from Xiao Chen. Then, he called the devil ride over. Leaping on the horse with Xiao Chen, Guifeng also brought Su Lianyue up to horseback and rode away to the distance.


    They rode away, leaving flying dust along the way. However, no one dared to stop them. After a long time, Zuoqiu Yang was still suffering from shock. He had not seen Xiao Chen¡¯s General of Soul before. Later on, he only knew it by hearsay only. Today, when he finally saw the General of Soul, he thought that he was too far behind to catch up with Xiao Chen. He pinched his fingers tight. No one knew what he was thinking about at the moment.


    The other people also had different expressions. The cold wind swept through the woods. In the wind, the leaves were rustling. Xiaoyue said lightly, ¡°What a pity. We let the demonic woman run away.¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang walked over to the few whole corpses left there, his face covered with blue veins. Su Zimu also glanced at the sword wounds on the necks of the corpses, and said, ¡°Not a single drop of blood came out. Yi Yeqiu¡¯s Fatal-thrust was truly equal to its reputation.¡±


    Zuoqiu Yang kneaded his fingers, making some popping sounds out of the joints in his hands. ¡°Bloodied Fiend Sect, Dark Shadow Hall¡­¡±


    Staring at the dust along the way Xiao Chen and the others left, Yu Yifeng uttered a sigh. He turned back and said, ¡°Stop, everyone. We are leaving now. See you later.¡± After that, he cupped his hands and slightly raised them to salute. Su Zimu, Bai Yushu, and others saluted them in return. ¡°See you again.¡±


    Yu Yifeng and others left. On their way, each one of them remained silent. After a long time, Qingyu finally moved her lips and said with a very little voice as if she were whispering to herself. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡­ Has the demonic woman really bewitched him?¡±


    The others said nothing. Flying in midair, Zhiluan kept waving its paws. ¡°That d*mned boy is obsessed with this beauty. When I restore my magic power, I will beat it out of him!¡±


    Luo Shangyan stopped, and everyone turned around to look at her. They saw her shaking her head and walking up to them. In a soft voice, she said, ¡°No, he must have his reasons and something that he is determined to do¡­¡± As she said this, her voice gradually sank.


    In the distance, a large piece of dark cloud slowly came to them. It seemed that everything was going to change from now on.


    Bringing Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue with him, Guifeng ran 50 kilometers to the south. On their way, they also encountered a few groups of Walking Corpses. But the devil horse¡¯s iron hooves smashed all of them. After Guifeng had run for about one hour, Xiao Chen saw him gasping heavily. He thought that Guifeng must haven¡¯t yet recovered after his battle against Xiaoxiang Yu¡¯s Sixth-order beast soul, so he said, ¡°General, I¡¯m fine now. You can put me down.¡±


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    The devilish horse stopped. And after taking a few steps forward, Guifeng took Xiao Chen down when they arrived into a wood, and he said, ¡°The enemies haven¡¯t yet caught up with us. I will cure the wound for you right now, my Lord!¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and shook his head. ¡°There is nothing serious with me now. You must be tired now, general. You don¡¯t need to waste any more Soul power on me. Please come back.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ I will retreat first.¡±


    Slowly, Su Lianyue walked over. Looking at him, she said, ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± She thought to herself, ¡°That night, Danyang Zi blew his Soul up, the power of which was more than ten times that the power Guifeng¡¯s blade brought. At that time, Xiao Chen seemed unscathed. But today, Guifeng¡¯s blade attack could hurt him like this. Is he really¡­ But how is it possible?¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored her. He looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds gathering in the sky. It seemed that it was going to rain again. Right away, he found a clean place. After he gathered his gown¡¯s lower hem, Xiao Chen sat down with his legs crossed. After a while, he forced the extravagated blood in his body out, but his face still looked a bit ugly. Though Guifeng withdrew some force of the previous attack, the attack still had the Nirvana Realm power, plus it was a surprise attack. In such a hurry, Xiao Chen had no time to mobilize his power to defend.


    Another quarter passed. A series of dull thunder slowly came from far to near. After a little while, it started to drizzle continuously. Like willow catkins flying in the air, strands of rain gently brushed Xiao Chen¡¯s face, which made him feel ice-cold. Su Lianyue opened her umbrella and walked up to cover the rain for him.


    Xiao Chen said lightly, and his eyes still closed. ¡°I am a boorish man. You needn¡¯t use your Pure-heart Greenish-blue Umbrella to keep off the rain for me. Please put it away.¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled, making the umbrella trembling lightly. She smiled and said, ¡°If you are a rough man from the mountains, then I guess I can only be a village girl from the countryside.¡±


    Xiao Chen practiced breathing techniques for several times and regained some True Energy. After opening his eyes, he said lightly, ¡°But a village girl doesn¡¯t know how to use a sword. Why didn¡¯t you use the Fatal-thrust to kill me when I was practicing and healing myself? You could take the chance to blame my death on Yi Yeqiu.¡± When he finished speaking, Xiao Chen landed his eyes on her.


    When Su Lianyue heard his words, she was first stunned. Then she shook violently with laughter, which made a few raindrops fall on Xiao Chen¡¯s face.


    ¡°You must be joking, Master Xiao. How am I supposed to know how to use the Fatal-thrust?¡±


    Xiao Chen gave her a cold smile but didn¡¯t speak. When he grabbed Su Lianyue in the woods before, the strong wind happened to blow her cuffs a little up. At this point, Xiao Chen spotted a few shallow scratches on Su Lianyue¡¯s arm. If he guessed right, the scratches must be made by the person who died under the tree.


    Xiao Chen had guessed what had happened at that time. By wielding her enchanting skills, Su Lianyue successfully bewitched everyone so that she could easily use the Fatal-thrust to kill them. But in the end, one of them woke up and shot out to grab her. When the person was awake, he certainly would go to fight against her. In a hurry, she slapped at that person. But accidentally, she shattered his internal organs. Therefore, Su Lianyue had no choice but to add a cut at the person¡¯s neck.


    Xiao Chen had become increasingly aware of how insidious Su Lianyue was. ¡°She is even more cunning than Xiaoyue. Just now, Su Lianyue led Xiaoyue and others to the only way that I would pass. After that, she deliberately stimulated more intense contradictions between the Divine Mist Sect, the Yin-Yang Sect, the Bloodied Fiend Sect, and the Dark Shadow Hall. This person can be so deceptive that I have to take precautions against her, even if we only have brief cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao?¡±


    The rain only lasted for a while, and now it was clear again. Su Lianyue put away her umbrella and smiled gently at him. Her smile looked as pure as an open lily after the rain. Su Lianyue seemed to smile sincerely without any attempt to seduce him. Xiao Chen stood up. Now he had almost recovered. Glancing at Su Lianyue, he asked, ¡°Well, now do you want us to go separate ways or go together?¡±


    The air in the woods was especially fresh after the rain. The raindrops on the leaves reflected the sunshine, twinkling. Those raindrops seemed to be countless pearls hanging on the trees. Beyond that, a rainbow rose against the sky in the distance. Su Lianyue smiled gently, hiding her hands behind. ¡°What a beautiful scenery! If I am alone, will I waste such a perfect background? I think I¡¯d better go with you, Master Xiao.¡±


    ¡°Then, if I am accidentally injured again, please show me some mercy, Fairy Suyue.¡± Xiao Chen replied.

 Chapter 384 - Peers

    Su Lianyue was stunned but swiftly recovered with a sweet smile. ¡°Surely you jest, Young Master. How will I fare when even a powerful person of you is injured? I¡¯d have to hope for you have mercy and lend me a hand then¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen ended their conversation and walked up to the front of the forest. The two of them walked shoulder-to-shoulder, passing by many secluded places like deep valleys and brooks along the way. Birdsong filled their ears. In the south where the Ghost-wailing Hill was located, all they could see was fog. It seemed that they were close and yet try as they might, they couldn¡¯t reach their destination. Like chasing the sun, no matter how far one walked, the sun always seemed to be moving westward at the same time.


    Before long, rain began falling again. Su Lianyue held up her oil-paper umbrella and stood to Xiao Chen¡¯s right. The umbrella was small but enough to partially shield them from the rain. He turned his head to look at her and she did the same with a bright smile.


    He ignored her smile but slowed down nonetheless. They strolled under the rain, listening to the pitter-pattering of raindrops on the umbrella. Even the rain seemed to have become gentle. He took a deep breath and a wave of sadness enveloped him. If only Weiyang was here to share his feelings and scenery.


    They walked for a while longer before Su Lianyue started kneading her left shoulder, tired from holding up the umbrella. She looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Young Master, aren¡¯t you going to help hold the umbrella?¡±


    Xiao Chen replied indifferently, ¡°Pure-heart Greenish-blue Umbrella, created by an eccentric Devil¡¯s sect member called Grandma Zu a thousand years ago. Capable of blocking the attack of any Orthodox weapon. A high-ranking weapon even among Devil sects¡¯ magic treasures. Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯d steal it?¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled behind her hand. ¡°If you want it, I don¡¯t mind giving it to you,¡± she said, her charming eyes looking as soft as silk. She looked at him tenderly as if she was gazing into the eyes of her lover.


    Xiao Chen was stunned, having not expected such a reply. He snorted and continued walking. Su Lianyue smiled sweetly and added, ¡°All I hope for is that you won¡¯t forget my act of friendship in gifting you the umbrella when you reach the Immortal King realm one day.¡±


    ¡°All I hope for is that you don¡¯t forget me when you reach the Immortal King realm one day, Senior Brother¡­¡±


    The rain ceased all of a sudden. Xiao Chen stopped walking. The cold wind flitted across his shirt, causing ripples through his sea of memories. Su Lianyue turned around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°I just thought of an old friend, that¡¯s all,¡± Xiao Chen replied indifferently and began walking again. ¡°That person must be in the Immortal King realm now.¡± He clenched his fingers so hard that it was as if he wanted to drive his nails into his palms.


    Su Lianyue chortled, laughing so hard that her body shuddered. ¡°You really know how to joke, Young Master. If your old friend is in the Immortal King realm, then doesn¡¯t that make you¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone from thousands of years ago?¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s smile gradually vanished as she stared hard at Xiao Chen¡¯s face like she was trying to find any change in emotion. Xiao Chen¡¯s face remained unchanged as he looked at her.


    They held each other¡¯s gaze. For a split second, it was as if a strange mood had enveloped them both. However, the mood swiftly dissipated. Su Lianyue¡¯s quiet voice shattered the silence. ¡°Young Master, the rain has stopped.¡±


    The ceasing of the rain brought on red clouds in the sky. It was almost dusk. Su Lianyue gently put away her umbrella and flashed him a smile. Xiao Chen frowned. This woman was really meticulous, he thought. He must be careful with his words and actions in the future.


    The two of them traveled for another five miles or so until they arrived in front of a creek with clear waters and heard the sudden croaking of frogs. When they went close, a loud and incessant thumping resounded. What they saw were numerous frogs larger than the size of their palms leaping into the water.


    Xiao Chen walked up to the upper reaches of the creek, found a spot without frogs, and squatted down on the shore. He cupped some water and began washing his face. He also drank several mouthfuls of the cool and refreshing water. Though he wanted to jump into the water for a bath, he decided against it as Su Lianyue was behind him. It would be rather graceless, after all. He drank some more water before walking back to her.


    ¡°Young Master, aren¡¯t you afraid of someone poisoning the water?¡±


    ¡°When it comes to poison, who¡¯s a match for Fort Raksasa¡¯s Ice Jade Fairy? With a wave of your hand, I fear not even a blade of grass within ten miles will survive.¡±


    Su Lianyue chuckled and walked to the shore. She, too, cupped some water and drank it with a graceful and gentle movement. Several droplets of water left on the corner of her mouth and chin glistened. She turned around and caught Xiao Chen staring at her. She smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen scoffed and looked away. Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°Twilight is upon us. There¡¯s a cave on the other shore. Why don¡¯t we rest there for the night before continuing?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. He jumped and flew across the creek. When they entered the cave, they found that it was several tens of feet square wide. It was neither spacious nor narrow. Thanks to the foliage outside, it was hard for people to detect them here. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged at the cave entrance and began ushering his energy in meditation. After a while, the rumbling of a stomach shattered the silence. It wasn¡¯t clear from whom the sound came from.


    Xiao Chen kept his eyes closed and continued to meditate. It had been a few days since he last ate. Though he was peckish, he could still stand his hunger. Su Lianyue paced back and forth inside the cave, her beautiful brows furrowed. Soon, she walked out of the cave and returned with a pair of large, skinned frogs skewered on twigs.


    ¡°Here. Help me roast them.¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and cast her a sidelong glance. His attention then fell on the frogs. These frogs were much larger than ordinary ones and looked plump and tasty. He stood up and took the skewered frogs from Su Lianyue¡¯s hands. He looked at them before tossing them outside.


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to eat them if you want to die.¡±


    Su Lianyue was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Chen replied, ¡°These frogs are harmless but the moment they die, they¡¯ll produce a potent toxin that is colorless and tasteless. Whoever eats it will have their six organs wrecked before dying a madman. Fairy, you¡¯re a master of poisons. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t tell.¡± He looked at her.


    A look of astonishment crossed her face. The sky began to darken 30 minutes later. Xiao Chen continued to sit cross-legged at the cave entrance while Su Lianyue sat on a slab of stone, staring at him with her hands propping her cheeks. Her gaze seemed rather resentful.


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and turned his head to glance at her. ¡°Why are you staring at me? Is it my fault that the frogs are poisonous?¡±


    Su Lianyue scoffed loudly and turned her head away as if she was saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s all your fault.¡±


    Moments later, the cry of a goose reverberated through the air. Su Lianyue looked overjoyed. She ran to the cave entrance, picked up a stone, and flicked it at the sky. Swish! The goose fell to the ground.


    It was nighttime by the time she finished cleaning the goose. She carried the goose to the cave entrance and saw only pitch-black darkness inside. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start a fire?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to the dark. I don¡¯t see the need to make fire.¡±


    Su Lianyue said nothing. She flicked her sleeve and summoned the nearby twigs to form a pile of firewood. Xiao Chen said emotionlessly, ¡°Fairy, your telekinesis is surprisingly decent.¡± He concentrated his True Energy on his palm and a blue flame appeared on his fingertips. Swish! He flicked it at the twigs and started a fire. The fire instantly lent the cave some warmth.


    ¡°Your Pure Yang True Fire is also a rare treasure.¡± Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°Do you really not need my firestarter?¡±


    ¡°Toss it,¡± Xiao Chen said flatly.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s look of alarm swiftly dissipated. She said with a laugh, ¡°You jest, Young Master.¡± She handed him the goose. ¡°Here. Not poisonous this time, is it?¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at the well-cleansed goose. ¡°Why are you giving it to me?¡± he asked. Even so, he took the goose from her hands, skewered it, and began roasting it over the fire.


    Soon, Su Lianyue was sitting in front of the bonfire with her hands resting against her cheeks. She stared at the undercooked goose in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands with a dejected expression. She shook her head and sighed before shooting him a helpless look.


    Xiao Chen looked at the goose that was scorched in some parts and undercooked in others and then at her. ¡°What are you looking at? You¡¯re probably no better than me at roasting.¡±


    Su Lianyue shook her head with a sigh. ¡°The so-called God of Murder who had shaken heaven and earth in Tianyuan City doesn¡¯t even know how to roast a goose.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at her, stunned. He then self-righteously retorted, ¡°Who says a killer has to know how to roast a goose?¡±


    He thought he made a lot of sense, so he spoke with righteousness. It was still logical upon second thought. He was born in one of the four influential families in this life and had always been well taken care of. He even left his hair-binding for Lil Ruo to do. How would he know how to roast a goose? In his past life, he once roasted half a pheasant under Mystic Cyan Mountain in a moment of childhood mischief. But that was thousands of years ago and that ¡°skill¡± had been long forgotten.


    He finally managed to finish roasting the goose. Though it was scorched on the outside and ¡°tender¡± on the inside, it was nonetheless edible. Su Lianyue took over the roasted goose and gently blew on the wings. She tore off a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and chewed. She nodded in praise. ¡°Not bad. Oh, but it¡¯s too bad we don¡¯t have salt and pepper.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Xiao Chen turned his head and stared at the flickering flames. He never thought that he would¡­ roast a goose for a member of the Devil¡¯s sects?


    The bonfire seemed to have intensified under his gaze. The flames appeared to reflect a familiar face and a pair of glistening eyes. He wondered if that person still remembered.


    Xiao Chen gradually became spellbound. He reached for the flames until his finger was scalded. He hissed and retrieved his hand.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue was confused at his sudden and strange action.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiao Chen shook his head and continued staring at the flames. In that pile of nearly burned wood, there was no sign of Weiyang anywhere. The image had never existed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry, Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue handed him the roasted goose with one wing torn-off. He glanced at it and coldly said, ¡°I don¡¯t share a goose with a Devil¡¯s Practice follower.¡±


    Su Lianyue was dumbfounded. She then burst into hearty laughter. She laughed so hard that she began shaking, unable to stop. Xiao Chen glanced at her. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°No-Nothing¡­¡± Su Lianyue was still laughing like a maniac. Even tears were threatening to flow. She mimicked his words, ¡°I, I don¡¯t share a goose with a Devil¡¯s Practice follower¡­¡± For some reason, she found it absolutely hilarious whenever Xiao Chen spoke with deadly earnestness.


    ¡°You¡¯re as sick as that leopard cat spirit.¡± Her laughter made Xiao Chen feel awkward. With a flick of his sleeves, he got up and walked to the cave entrance. He looked up at the sky full of glittering stars.


    Su Lianyue finally stopped laughing and asked, ¡°Young Master, you keep calling me a Devil¡¯s Practice follower. I¡¯m untalented, so I¡¯d like to ask you a question. In such times of chaos, what do you think is the Orthodox Path?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. In fact, he couldn¡¯t come up with a reply. Those Immortal¡¯s League folks claimed to guard the Great Path of the world, yet the so-called Orthodox Path that they protect was no better than the Devil¡¯s Path.


    Su Lianyue smiled. ¡°If you can¡¯t reply, then allow me to tell you.¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around, curious about her answer. What reasonable explanation could come from a Devil¡¯s Practice follower? Even if she could come up with something, it would surely be founded on twisted logic.

 Chapter 385 - Night Exploration of the Corpse Refinery Sect

    Su Lianyue looked at him and then at the roasted goose in her hand. She smiled. ¡°Nothing exists outside the heart? Well, let¡¯s take this goose as an example. The two of you didn¡¯t know each other and yet you scorched it on your first encounter. How can you say that nothing exists outside the heart¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves. He believed that she would be giving him a proper and reasonable explanation but his anticipation was repaid with babbling nonsense.


    Su Lianyue said earnestly, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that if you treat me like the Senior Sister we met today, would you still care if you¡¯re sharing a goose with a Devil¡¯s Practice follower? This goose doesn¡¯t belong to the Devil¡¯s Practice. What crime did it commit?¡±


    Xiao Chen shivered. Suddenly, all his past memories emerged in his mind like old dreams and he remembered that woman following the Devil¡¯s Practice: Hua Weiyang.


    Back then, he didn¡¯t know Hua Weiyang¡¯s true identity. By the time he found out, he was already too deeply in love with her.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. Had he ever treated Weiyang like a Devil¡¯s Practice follower? Perhaps, his current self was just unwilling to face this dilemma in his heart.


    Be it the Devil¡¯s Practice or the Orthodox Path, what did either matter? His lover was gone. If Weiyang was in front of him now, would he distance himself from her? If Weiyang was revived, would he¡­ Wait!


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body shook as an abrupt idea surged into his mind. Someone defied heaven and resurrected him. What about Weiyang? Why couldn¡¯t the same happen for Weiyang? Why couldn¡¯t people defy heaven and resurrect her?


    That bud of an idea blossomed into extreme turbulence in his mind. His confusion about what happened all those years ago had only deepened. His clearest memory was of his Master protected his soul under everyone¡¯s nose after he was executed at the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    Was that all to it? The Samsara Jade was the world¡¯s most valuable treasure, known to be immortal. Not even gods can destroy it. But why did it break into four pieces? It must have suffered an unimaginable hit¡­


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    The gentle voice calling his name finally knocked Xiao Chen out of it. Without missing a beat, he leapt and started weaving back and forth toward the end of the night. He crossed countless mountain tops without knowing his destination. The night was bleak and desolate. Gusts of cold wind brushed past his ears and rustled loudly next to eardrums. He pushed his speed to the extreme.


    Xiao Chen finally stopped when he was about a hundred miles away, where he could vaguely make out moving silhouettes nearby. He landed on a treetop soundlessly and watched the people moving furtively under the moon and the stars.


    What he saw was two people clad in red moving some intact corpses under a large tree. There were twenty or so pale-faced corpses in varying outfits arranged neatly.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart jumped. Corpse Refinery Sect disciples! The battles between the Devil¡¯s Practice and Orthodox Path cultivators had gotten more intense. Many had died in the vicinity of the Ghost-wailing Hill. Now the Corpse Refinery Sect disciples were running around, picking up the corpses at night. But what did they need these corpses filled with grievances for? Was it purely for refining Corpse Puppets? Or perhaps the Corpse Refinery Sect was a bunch of necrophiliacs?


    Now that he thought about it, the Corpse Refinery Sect was the most mysterious faction among the four main Devil¡¯s Sects. No one knew when the sect was established. Even stranger was the fact that they would never interact with other Devil¡¯s sects. The sect was so mysterious that the only thing people knew about them was that the Corpse Puppets they refined were very powerful, and nothing about their origin.


    Neither did anyone know the purpose of their existence. Aside from Ye Wuxin¡¯s recent ambitions, the sect tended to keep a low-profile. What they were up to was entirely a mystery.


    Xiao Chen watched the two disciples arrange the corpses, count them, and then take out the ¡°Corralling Pouch¡± that the Corpse Refinery Sect used for stashing corpses. They rested under the tree after corralling the twenty or so corpses, seeming to be discussing something.


    The distance, coupled with the wheezing wind, made the conversation inaudible to Xiao Chen. He shed off his aura and sneaked over. In the dark, he made no noise jumping and landing. The two disciples noticed nothing.


    When Xiao Chen came close, he heard one of them sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll probably be able to become third-rank disciples after bringing so many corpses back, right?¡±


    The other replied, ¡°Forget it. Wang¡¯er has been here for ten years but only became a third-rank disciple last year. I fear we¡¯ll have to wait for another three to five years¡­¡± He heaved a deep sigh. ¡°But speaking of this, we¡¯ve been bringing so many corpses back in the past two years. What are they for? Don¡¯t they tell me they¡¯re really trying to revive that Divine Corpse¡­¡±


    Their expressions changed when they mentioned the Divine Corpse. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression did, too. He heard the disciple on the left whisper, ¡°Speaking of the Divine Corpse, can it really resurrect someone? I, for one, don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    The one on the right sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one! Who in the sect believes that? No one¡¯s seen that so-called Divine Corpse! We don¡¯t even know if it exists. The Elders, and perhaps even Ye Wuxin, are probably fooled¡­¡±


    His sect mate glared at him before he could finish. ¡°You dare call the Sect Leader¡¯s name! Do you want to die?¡±


    The one on the right sneered. ¡°That heartless creature conspired to kill his own Master for his personal matter. The way I see it, the Corpse Refinery Sect will one day fall to ruins in his hands. Either way, he¡¯s just a puppet under someone¡¯s control and a slave obeying someone¡¯s orders. What¡¯s there to fear? That day, I heard someone say he¡¯s been preoccupied ever since he returned from the rear mountain. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s been frightened out of his wits¡­¡±


    He continued to blab, his words like an unceasing torrent pouring out of his mouth. The one on the left hastily looked around and said solemnly, ¡°Won¡¯t you shut that mouth? Do you really want to die? What if someone hears you? Not only will you die, but your soul might even be sent to that place, never to reincarnate¡­¡±


    His sect mate¡¯s disdainful expression faltered the moment he heard the words ¡°that place¡±. He couldn¡¯t help shivering and dared not to continue.


    Xiao Chen frowned after hearing their conversation. Back on the Changyin Mountain Range, he seemed to have heard about ¡°that place¡± from Yuyang Zi and the two Blood Corpses that came to capture him. They mentioned that they wanted the Corpse Refinery Sect to be forever released from the restrictions of that place.


    Just what kind of place was capable of striking such fear into everyone in the Corpse Refinery Sect, to the point that they didn¡¯t even dare to call it by name? Moreover, they could only cut themselves off from that place with the Divine Corpse¡¯s help. Their words implied that they weren¡¯t trying to use the Divine Corpse to win over that place. Rather, only when it was awakened, would it be able to undo the restrictions.


    More than ever, Xiao Chen felt that this world had too many unimaginable existences. What he saw now¡ªDaoist League of the Five Continents, Immortals¡¯ League, ten main families in Violet Manor¡ªwas, at best, the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps, not even that.


    Su Lianyue shook her head with a smile. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind hit them in the face and permeated deep into their skin. She felt a chill and shuddered. She wrapped her hands around her shoulders and huddled closer to Xiao Chen. Lowering her voice, she asked, ¡°Young Master, are you cold?¡±


    The one on the right sighed and rose to his feet. ¡°Countless people have come for the extraordinary treasure in the past month. Now that it¡¯s showing up in these few days, even more will probably die. The more, the better. Best if all of them dies.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to go up to the two disciples and interrogate them right now, but he didn¡¯t want to alarm the sect now.


    The bright moon gradually peaked in the sky, spilling moonlight as gentle as water. Su Lianyue sat atop a slab of stone inside the cave, humming a song and painting her nails with polish. She seemed bored to death after Xiao Chen left.


    ¡°Why did you come back, Young Master? Did you miss this gentle night?¡±


    Xiao Chen fanned the air in front of his nose with a frown. ¡°What did you do?¡± The moment he entered the cave, he was hit by a wave of strange-smelling fragrance. It wasn¡¯t pungent, but he was wary that this demoness was up to no good.


    Su Lianyue smiled sweetly at him. With a slight twist of her slender waist, she put away her jade bottle. Her gentle movement was enough to bewitch anyone looking at her. She laughed and said, ¡°You left me all alone, Young Master. If a beast barges in at night, won¡¯t I be taken advantage of? Of course, I¡¯ll have to scatter some medicated powder around the cave. I¡¯ll remove it if it doesn¡¯t please you.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Chen walked over to her. ¡°I saw two Corpse Refinery Sect disciples earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you kill them?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t want to alarm anyone.¡±


    Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Sit down and tell me slowly. There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry when the night is long,¡± she said, shifting a little to the side.


    Xiao Chen flicked the hem of his robe and sat down. He told her a summary of what he heard earlier. ¡°Divine Corpse, that place, and Ye Wuxin being preoccupied after returning from the rear mountain.¡±


    Su Lianyue sank into contemplation and slowly leaned toward him. She said softly, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t you think the moon is beautiful tonight?¡± Her voice was as fine as drizzle. Xiao Chen clenched his fingers and said gloomily, ¡°I¡¯m being serious¡­¡±


    She clasped a hand over her mouth and giggled. ¡°I think the moon is more important. Young Master, won¡¯t you come moon-watching with me? The flowers under the moonlight paint such a breathtaking scenery. The bright moon tonight is a rare sight, you know.¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly released his clenched fingers and looked at her. One hour later, the two of them stood on the precipice under the bright moonlight. What should have been hidden in the darkness finally showed itself. In the distance, they could see a desolate palace, altar, and ancient buildings¡­


    Their clothes rustled noisily in the mountain wind. Su Lianyue smiled. ¡°Does the moon tonight suit your taste?¡±


    ¡°With a beautiful woman for company, naturally it is to my taste.¡± Xiao Chen leapt using the tip of his foot and fell down the precipice. Su Lianyue followed after him. They were currently at a branch of the Corpse Refinery Sect. They would surely be discovered in daytime but the night provided enough cover that no one would see them. The moon also happened to be bright tonight.


    They landed on the branch of a large tree and saw numerous people making strange motions on an altar in the distance. The group of people took out some corpses¡¯ internal organs, chanted some spells, and started praying. This scene was as hair-raising as it was unfathomable.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Xiao Chen turned his head the moment he spoke. However, they were standing so close when they landed on the branch that he nearly kissed Su Lianyue¡¯s face when he moved his head.


    Su Lianyue noticed his strange gaze and moved aside. ¡°Sacrificial prayers? Or maybe they¡¯re accumulating malicious grudges? I don¡¯t know either. The Corpse Refinery Sect is full of lunatics. You can¡¯t judge their actions using common sense.¡±


    It was rare for her to be this serious. Xiao Chen looked in the other direction and saw a yellow-robed Taoist leading two neat lines of people toward the altar. Those people walked so stiffly that they didn¡¯t seem to be living beings.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got a lot of corpses. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re all to revive that Divine Corpse?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s go closer so we can hear what they¡¯re saying.¡±


    The two of them were no ordinary cultivators. In the dark, they landed on the ground without the slightest noise and approached the altar quietly. For some reason, Su Lianyue became more impatient the closer she got to the altar and kept quickening her pace. When they were about to move past two large trees, Xiao Chen suddenly held onto her shoulder.

 Chapter 386 - In Trouble

    Su Lianyue turned her head and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The night might be beautiful, but don¡¯t let it bewitch you.¡± Xiao Chen walked up to her and made a pinching motion in the air.


    Su Lianyue looked at where he was pointing. Only then did she realize a thread tied between two trees, so thin that it was undetectable. The thread was just at the right height to slice her head off.


    ¡°Frozen Soul Heavenly Silk.¡± Cold sweat formed on Su Lianyue¡¯s back when she muttered these words. Had Xiao Chen not stop her, her head might have left her shoulders now.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master.¡± She didn¡¯t expect that Xiao Chen could detect such a hidden thread like the Frozen Soul Heavenly Silk at a split second. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t as simple as he presented.


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Xiao Chen made a shushing motion and patted her shoulder, indicating for her to squat down. In the distance, a corpse herder was leading twenty more corpses toward their direction. Under the moon and the stars, it was a peculiar sight. The two of them hid amid the underbrush, holding their breath. Su Lianyue also shed off her fragrance.


    The corpse herder, dressed in a yellow-and-white Taoist robe, was holding a Soul Absorbing Bell. Each time he shook the bell, the twenty more corpses would take a few steps forward and follow him. On their deathly pale faces, a black imprint rested between their eyebrows. Leaves rustled as they walked on the underbrush. They were now about ten feet away from where Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were hiding. He could even detect the heavy malicious grudges from these corpses from here.


    Finally, when the corpses were finally far away, Xiao Chen let out a sigh of relief. Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were red from holding her breath for so long. Under the clear moonlight, she looked flirtatious and enchanting.


    Xiao Chen motioned for her to keep quiet and pointed to their left, indicating for her to look in that direction. The altar was right in front of them. Being as close as they were, they would be easily discovered.


    Thus, they began moving in silence under the canvas of bright moon and stars, using the greenery for cover. To their surprise, they found four to five of such altars along the way but the people on the altars were so preoccupied with their own business that they said little else. Xiao Chen whispered, ¡°You¡¯re more familiar with the Corpse Refinery Sect. What are they doing?¡±


    Su Lianyue replied, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, I think they¡¯re gathering malicious grudges. There aren¡¯t many in each altar, but countless altars could add up to quite a massive amount of malicious grudges. The only thing capable of sustaining such malicious grudges is probably their legendary thousand-year-old Divine Corpse.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. The Corpse Refinery Sect hadn¡¯t been very active in the past few years. Aside from Ye Wuxin¡¯s clear ambition to annex the three other major Devil¡¯s sects, no one knew what the other members of the sect were up to. Now, he was teaming up with Su Lianyue to investigate the sect without knowing her objective. Even so, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t doing it for Fort Raksasa. His objective, on the other hand, was very clear.


    First, he wanted to see if he could get a Corpse Puppet and use it to save Xiao Ning from Wuyin Monastery. Second, he had always suspected the Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s involvement in the disappearance of the thirty-one people. Of course, he wasn¡¯t investigating for those victims but for the fact of the seventh day of the seventh month.


    The birthday of these missing people all fell on the seventh day of the seventh month, and the victims were all women, too. Qingluan told him that such incidents could be traced as far back as two thousand years ago. If the Corpse Refinery Sect was truly involved, these disappearances might be hiding some major secret. It might even have something to do with the sect¡¯s existence itself.


    The seventh day of the seventh month was also Weiyang¡¯s birthday. For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about all these. She had been appearing in his dreams lately, and always in a very dreadful manner. He felt very repressed. The discomfort that tugged at his heart was indescribable¡­


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue quietly called Xiao Chen, noticing his absent-mindedness.


    Xiao Chen motioned for her to be quiet. Just as he was about to step forward and continue their journey, a burst of rustling noises rang behind them. Su Lianyue didn¡¯t even think before turning around and producing a purple fog. The purple fog moved so swiftly that it instantly enveloped a person clad in red twenty feet away.


    That person ought to be a Corpse Refinery Sect disciple who came out to relieve himself in the cover of the night. Unfortunately, he ran into Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue. His eyes glazed over after inhaling Su Lianyue¡¯s Purple Aromatic Fog. Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes flashed with a cold glint. She was about to take his life when Xiao Chen grabbed her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    He walked up to the disciple soundlessly and tapped several parts of his body, knocking him unconscious. He then inserted a white radiance into the disciple¡¯s glabella and wiped out his Divine Sense and memories. Only then did he drag the disciple into the underbrush to hide him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They didn¡¯t go far before they detected several similar-looking altars. The temperature seemed to have dropped and cold wind blew from all around. A cold sensation quietly enveloped their surroundings. Hiding amid the underbrush, Su Lianyue said, ¡°I think they¡¯re really trying to revive that Divine Corpse. Why don¡¯t we check out their main altar at the Mountain of Myriad Caves tonight?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t want to alarm them. The Mountain of Myriad Caves has as many experts as there are trees in a forest. There¡¯s Ye Wuxin, too. If we break in now, we¡¯ll just be digging our own graves. Let¡¯s just stick to our plan.¡±


    His words startled Su Lianyue. Ye Wuxin¡¯s excellent subordinates were already a hassle to deal with, never mind the Corpse Puppets that had accumulated several hundred years of malicious grudges. Since when has she become so brazen? Was it because of this man in front of her? She looked at Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen stared back at her with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His words startled Su Lianyue. Ye Wuxin¡¯s subordinates were already a hassle to deal with, never mind the Corpse Puppets that had accumulated several hundred years of grievances. Since when has she become so brazen? Was it because of this man in front of her? She looked at Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen stared back at her with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen shuddered out of nowhere. His voice trembled when he replied, ¡°A little. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me too. Did someone discover us?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s corpses.¡±


    Xiao Chen could clearly feel the sudden invasion of the intense cold. It was the manifestation of potent malicious grudges, so cold that it pierced deep into one¡¯s bones. They immediately stood up and looked around. That was when they saw a dozen or so Corpse Puppets that had appeared around them without their notice. All of them had copper for heads and iron for arms, looking like creatures of steel and flesh. Dark green will-o¡¯-the-wisps hovered inside their eye sockets as they stared at them. They were a horrifying sight to behold.


    ¡°Hundred-year-old Corpse Puppets!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t even stop to think before he sprang out of the underbrush. These Corpse Puppets, with malicious grudges accumulated over hundreds of years, couldn¡¯t be compared to those Walking Corpses that wouldn¡¯t decay. Both of them were still in the Nascent Soul Realm. It was impossible for them to handle so many hundred-year-old Corpse Puppets.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The muffled sound was nonetheless ear-piercing at night. Three to five Corpse Puppets had blocked their escape in a split second. The will-o¡¯-the-wisp inside their eye sockets flared and their bodies seemed to have become entirely steel. The clanking of their limbs also alarmed the people on the faraway altars.


    ¡°Intruders!¡±


    The cry made the tens of people on the altar put down the things in their hands and rushed over to the part of the forest that Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were in. The dozen or so torches were particularly eye-catching at night, illuminating their surroundings as they swiftly closed in. Su Lianyue was alarmed. ¡°Young Master, what do we do now?¡±


    She stuck close to Xiao Chen¡¯s back. She had a myriad of ways to handle most people, but she couldn¡¯t even think of a solution to counter these mindless Corpse Puppets. Even her offense was far inferior to Xiao Chen¡¯s.


    The people from the altar had them surrounded. They controlled the dozen or so hundred-year-old Corpse Puppets to start attacking Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue. In the distance, a mass of Corpse Puppets were rushing toward them. Even many corpses, yet to be turned into puppets, were being ushered here by the corpse herders.


    Under the moonlight, bodies and Corpse Puppets swiftly formed a sea. Like a scene of a thousand corpses crossing over to the Underworld in unison, it was a terrifying sight that numbed one¡¯s scalp.


    ¡°Hold tight onto me!¡±


    Xiao Chen cried, and immediately formed seals. The Unsullied Sword became larger and larger in the sky, its blade glowing with a layer of white radiance. One could faintly see its golden script throbbing. The ordinary Corpse Puppets dared not come close to the sword at all.


    ¡°The just and honest Qi of heaven and earth, unbounded in the world, that expels all evil creatures, rise!¡±


    The clanging of metals shattered the air. The sword radiance of the Unsullied Sword intensified. Xiao Chen leaped onto the body of the sword, with Su Lianyue holding tightly on his arm. Swish! Like a white radiance flitting across the night sky, the Unsullied Sword carried them away from the place. This place was bound by restrictions that prevented the use of flying swords, but Xiao Chen used the Mystic Cyan mystic arts and was able to fly, if just barely.


    On the sword, the two of them passed through the forest with Corpse Puppets hot on their tails. The Corpse Puppets were, astonishingly, not slower than them. The Corpse Refinery Sect disciples with higher cultivations had also caught up to them.


    Xiao Chen pressed the fingers on his left hand together and made a slashing motion. A seal, bathed in golden glow, flew at the four to five people pursuing them from the side. He then increased the sword¡¯s flying speed. Out of the blue, a rumbling noise shattered the air and a one-hundred-feet-tall dirt wall emerged in front of them. Xiao Chen instantly shifted the direction of the sword so that they wouldn¡¯t ram into the wall, but Su Lianyue was screeching, having nearly had the inertia fling her off.


    Not only were the Corpse Refinery Sect disciples good at manipulating puppets, but they were also experts of ground manipulation spells. Before long, more than ten dirt walls were produced. They would suddenly pop up on the left, and then on the right. This disoriented Xiao Chen enough that his pace became a lot slower.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly at the sight of the relentless Corpse Puppets. If they fell, their bodies would certainly be lost in this sea of corpses. Once the Corpse Refinery Sect disciples arrive, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Su Lianyue took note of his strained expression and tightened her grip on him, afraid that he would abandon her and escape by himself. By now, a yellow-robed Taoist caught up to them and asked loudly, ¡°Who are you two? How dare you trespass on the Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s forbidden ground! If you don¡¯t stop right now, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡±


    Thanks to the dark of the night, that person couldn¡¯t get a clear look at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue¡¯s faces. Xiao Chen ignored him and twirled his left fingers. In a flash, nine flames erupted on the hollow of his palm. These were the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames. The yellow-robed Taoist was shocked. He could instantly feel the terrifying might hidden in these flames. He yelled, ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t even think twice before tossing the nine flames onto the sea of corpses below. A loud explosion shattered the air and blaze rocketed into the sky. The rolling flames dyed the sky an intense red. The storm produced by the nine raging flames instantly incinerated countless Corpse Puppets into ashes. Aside from the hundred-year-old Corpse Puppets, nothing survived.


    This attack produced a massive commotion that drew the attention of many experts from the Corpse Refinery Sect. Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t wanted to use it. The yellow-robed Taoist¡¯s heart ached to see all the Corpse Puppets that he painstakingly refined destroyed. In a pained voice, he said, ¡°You wretched child! I swear I¡¯ll refine you into a Corpse Puppet today!¡±


    The Taoist then recited an unknown spell, casting three to five red rays of light on Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen moved sideways to dodge them. He didn¡¯t try to fight the Taoist as he was now trying to escape a siege. He casually threw a blade of Qi at the Taoist and increased the speed of the Unsullied Sword to the extreme, lest any more pursuers catch up to him.


    Just then, a heavy sound drifted from the mountain range in the southwest direction. The voice was peculiar and low, like it was capable of sucking one¡¯s soul out. The trees all around them were shaking. Under his feet, the Unsullied Sword that was speeding along shuddered twice.


    Su Lianyue had a bad premonition. The seven or eight pursuers behind them stopped giving chase as well, all of them looking deathly pale as they stared at the mountain range in the southwest in a daze.

 Chapter 387 - Fog-shrouded Forest

    Multi-colored sunlight erupted from the southwestern side of the mountain range, with countless white rays of light beaming from within and illuminating the horizon. Inside those pillars of light were faint, flickering, and constantly transforming rays of light in seven colors. It was a breathtaking sight.


    The twenty or so pursuers from the Corpse Refinery Sect stared at the unnatural phenomena taking place in the southwest direction, dumbstruck. They seemed to have forgotten Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue altogether. One of them said, ¡°The extraordinary treasure is born! Hurry, return to the sect and inform the Elders!¡±


    The rest said little after recovering their senses. Without even sparing Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue a glance, they hastily flew back to their Sect on their swords.


    Staring at the flickering seven-colored lights above the mountain range, Xiao Chen was suddenly felt dazzled. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look!¡±


    The two of them returned to the tall precipice from before. This time, without green hills to obscure their vision, they were able to see everything at a glance. The seven-colored rays of light were flickering incessantly while faint strange noises were emerging from below the mountain range. This continued for about fifteen minutes until the multi-colored light gradually faded.


    The sky regained its calm as if nothing had happened and sank into a death-like stillness. However, such a massive display of unnatural phenomenon surely wouldn¡¯t escape notice. The countless cultivators on the Miasma Mountain Range must be making their way over where the phenomenon took place¡ªGhost-wailing Hill.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue stood tall over the cliff. Under the moon and the stars, their clothes fluttered in the wind. Xiao Chen clasped his hands behind his back as he gazed upon the mountain range in contemplation. Su Lianyue walked up to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you planning to join the fun as well?¡±


    ¡°No hurry. Let¡¯s wait for them to finish fighting it out. Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu must be watching them in secret, waiting to steal the treasure at the right time.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled sweetly. ¡°You¡¯re wise, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the Corpse Refinery Sect still hasn¡¯t made any move yet¡­¡±


    The cold wind coursed through the night. The two of them returned to the cave, where fragrance was still lingering. Xiao Chen sat in meditation at the cave¡¯s entrance for a long time while Su Lianyue returned to her previous lovely, enchanting self. She said sonorously, ¡°It¡¯s so deep into the night that even the birds and the beasts are in slumber. Young Master, aren¡¯t you going to rest?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes remained closed. He didn¡¯t answer. Su Lianyue added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. When you wake up tomorrow, the extraordinary treasure is as good as yours.¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes and turned around to look at her. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Su Lianyue yawned and shook her hand. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m sleepy even if you aren¡¯t. Wake me up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯d kill you?¡±


    Su Lianyue was already lying on a clean slab of stone but sat back up when she heard this question. She smiled rather helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re such a weirdo. It¡¯s one thing for you to be wary about everyone, but why do you ask that everyone else be wary about you? Besides, why would you kill me?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned away from her and inhaled the cold air. Su Lianyue laughed when she saw that he couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Rather than being wary about everyone, why don¡¯t you trust people more? Don¡¯t you find it exhausting otherwise?¡±


    ¡°I once trusted someone with my life, but that person pushed me to a place of eternal damnation.¡±


    The moment the words left his mouth, the final flame in the cave was snuffed out and their surroundings sank into pitch-black darkness. The two of them didn¡¯t speak anymore.


    At daybreak the next day, the sunshine filtering into the cave lent it a rather lively atmosphere. The croaking of frogs rang out around them and birdsongs filled the air. Xiao Chen had spent the night meditating. The dew that collected on his hair weaved the damp strands together. Suddenly, he heard a soft voice calling him. ¡°Young Master, are you up?¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes. Su Lianyue was right in front of him, holding several vermilion-colored wild fruits in hand. Her purple dress fluttered in the wind. Her exposed wrists were as pale as snow. Under the sunshine, she seemed to be cast in a purple halo. It made her look even more enchanting. Who could have imagined this beautiful lady would be a famous figure in the Devil¡¯s Practice who killed without blinking.


    ¡°Here, it¡¯s freshly plucked.¡± Seeing him stare at her without blinking, Su Lianyue handed him a fruit.


    Stunned, Xiao Chen coughed once upon realizing his lapse in manners. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. Except these words startled him even more. To disguise his awkwardness, he stood up and stared in the direction of the unnatural phenomenon yesterday.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you worried that it¡¯s poisoned?¡± Su Lianyue retrieved her hand when he didn¡¯t take the fruit. She placed it to the corner of her mouth and took a bite. She chewed it several times and then swallowed it, all while staring at his face.


    Xiao Chen coughed. ¡°Not hungry,¡± he said, but just then, his stomach began to rumble. Su Lianyue burst into laughter and handed him the fruit again. ¡°Take it. Consider it repayment for your roasted goose yesterday, so we don¡¯t owe each other anything. I don¡¯t want to feel guilty if we happen to fight in the future.¡±


    Xiao Chen stared at her, thinking that her eyes were particularly soft and gentle. It was rather charming. Su Lianyue raised her hand. ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiao Chen took the fruit from her and was about to bite it when he noticed her staring at him. He put down the fruit and asked, ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡±


    She chuckled and turned her head, staring at the range upon range of mountains instead. When Xiao Chen finished eating the fruit, Su Lianyue chuckled. She was about to say something when he motioned for her to be quiet.


    They immediately hid behind a stone wall near the cave¡¯s entrance, where they began to hear voices from below. The noise told them that there were quite a lot of people here. When the voices came closer and closer, the two of them poked their heads out and saw thirty to forty people making their way to the location of the unnatural phenomenon yesterday in grandeur.


    Judging from their apparel, these people must be from cultivators¡¯ sects of Orthodox Path. The weaker ones were in the Core Forming Realm while the stronger ones were in the Nascent Soul Realm. Xiao Chen shook his head, indicating that they should let the group head there first.


    When the group was a considerable distance away moments later, Su Lianyue said, ¡°We should go, too. Otherwise, they¡¯ll just steal the treasure and leave.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. They launched themselves forward from the tip of their foot and left the cave, moving in the direction of the Ghost-wailing Hill. They traveled for two hours until they finally came upon a fog. The sunny, cloudless sky from before had instantly turned into a sea of dark clouds. The fog in front of them was unpredictable, surging violently in one moment and still in the next. It was as if there was a monster inciting trouble within.


    ¡°This must be Ghost-wailing Hill¡¯s entrance.¡± Su Lianyue stopped in her tracks and stared at the fog in front of her.


    The fog was, evidently, no ordinary mountain mist. Rather, it was a manifestation of miasma with potent toxicity. An ordinary human would surely die from the poison within fifteen minutes of inhaling the miasma here. Xiao Chen nodded and swiftly formed a protective layer of True Energy on his body. Su Lianyue also formed a faint layer of purple smoke around her. She nodded at him and said, ¡°There might be demons and monsters here. Be careful.¡±


    Xiao Chen was caught off guard, having not expected such words from her. By the time he recovered his senses, Su Lianyue had already disappeared in the dense fog in front of him.


    Xiao Chen stepped forward and swiftly followed after her. Once inside the fog, he felt like he had entered a land of millennium-year-old ice. The cold pierced deep into his bones. Even if he was no ordinary human, he couldn¡¯t help shuddering. The fog was so dense in this forest that he couldn¡¯t see clearly beyond a distance of ten feet.


    ¡°Fairy Su?¡±


    Xiao Chen carefully walked across the floor filled with decaying leaves that had piled up half an inch high. As if his voice was swallowed by the endless white fog, he received no reply. He couldn¡¯t hear any animal sound in the forest, only the rustling of the leaves that he stepped under his feet. It was so quiet that it was eerie.


    After walking for fifteen minutes, Xiao Chen only felt colder and colder. He still couldn¡¯t find Su Lianyue anywhere. The forest before him seemed endless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t find an exit anywhere. Out of the blue, a soft voice came from in front of him. ¡°Young Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen thrust his palm and the momentum dissipated the fog in front of him. He stared in the direction of the voice, where he could faintly make out a purple silhouette. He carefully walked over. ¡°Fairy?¡±


    They could only take a clear look when they were within ten feet of each other. Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were rosy. Both of her hands were on her shoulders. She was so cold that she was trembling. ¡°Where did you go? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that it¡¯s so cold here?¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly walked over and stared at the thick fog ahead. ¡°It¡¯s cold, but this place is a Yin energy hotspot. There¡¯s nothing strange about it. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue softly called for him to stop. Xiao Chen turned around and noticed her red cheeks and charming, glistening eyes. She was so alluring that his heart couldn¡¯t help itching. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Lianyue was trembling all over as she walked up to him. Unexpectedly, she threw herself on him. ¡°It¡¯s so cold¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately sensed her temperature as well as her fragrance. Alarmed, he pushed her away. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Even though she was a Devil¡¯s Practice follower, she hadn¡¯t done anything outrageous in the past few days. Why was she this brazen now?


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Her voice was as soft as fine rain. Su Lianyue slowly walked up to Xiao Chen again, her gaze on his face. ¡°Young Master, am I beautiful?¡±


    Xiao Chen stared coldly at her. She was acting very strangely, he thought. He said emotionlessly, ¡°A woman¡¯s beauty is like a blade. The more beautiful one is, the sharper the blade is¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± she said softly. To his surprise, she began to undress. Her entire dress slid off her shoulders and her bare figure appeared before him in its entirety.


    Xiao Chen could feel a sudden shortness of breath and a gush of hot blood rushing up to his brain. Even so, he was still sober. He pressed two fingers together and used his psychokinesis, wanting to cover her with her dress. However, before he could lift the dress from the ground, she was already sticking close to him.


    When her soft body fell in his embrace, he found it to be even harder to breathe. In particular, when her chest pressed against his, the warmth nearly made him feel like he had lost his mind. Su Lianyue wrapped her snow-white arms around his shoulders and breathed gently against his skin. ¡°The extraordinary treasure will be yours sooner or later, so why be impatient now? Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± She began undressing him as she spoke.


    Xiao Chen got a whiff of what appeared to be fragrance and instantly felt a wave of vertigo. He felt like he was about to melt into the fog itself. He wanted to calm himself, but there was a fire burning within him that made him unable to resist Su Lianyue¡¯s movements. All he could think about was the lovemaking between a man and a woman. In his mind, the protagonists were him and Su Lianyue. It made him look flushed with excitement.


    ¡°Young Master¡­ What do you think? Do I look beautiful now¡­?¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were tinted red and her eyes were filled with emotion. Her arms were crisscrossed behind his neck. She raised her left leg and rested it on under his abdomen, rubbing it nonstop.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you say something, Young Master? Is this still not good enough for you¡­¡± Su Lianyue gently exhaled on his ear and continued to gently rub herself against him. ¡°Do you want me to¡­¡±


    The white fog in the forest seemed to have become even denser. Layer upon layer of the mist slowly folded upon themselves.

 Chapter 388 - Fox Demons

    Chapter 388 Fox Demons¡°Young Master, why aren¡¯t you speaking anymore¡­¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s voice reverberated inside the forest, so soft and gentle it seemed like she was trying to melt the entire place.


    Xiao Chen must have inhaled something, for he was becoming increasingly dizzy. Staring at the woman¡¯s snow-white neck, all he wanted to do was take a bite out of it. Her neck¡­ Her neck¡­ Wait, something was wrong!


    ¡°Take this, you evil creatures!¡±


    Xiao Chen pushed her aside with tremendous force and instantly whipped out his Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword. The sword flared with a dazzling white light, scaring Su Lianyue so much that she turned pale. Before she could run, the sword whizzed, transformed into a white light, and flew toward her. It pierced through her with a sharp cutting noise.


    ¡°Su Lianyue¡± immediately turned into a three-tailed fox. The creature made a panicked escape, disappearing amid the fog. Xiao Chen put away his Unsullied Sword. He was still dizzy, so he pressed several pressure points on his chest with force to circulate his True Energy and expel the fox demon¡¯s Qi that he inhaled earlier.


    Moments later, the fog shrouding this part of the forest began to dissipate. Xiao Chen was still recalling what had happened earlier when the scene before him made him take a sharp intake of breath. Before him, the floor was covered in bones of the dead. It was an endless sea of white bone. Moreover, the bones were all fairly large, indicating that they belonged to men. This reminded him of the fox demon that impersonated Su Lianyue and tried to seduce him. It must be a creature that absorbed men¡¯s vital essence.


    This made Xiao Chen raise his guard. Holding the Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword, he carefully continued moving through the forest. The white fog began gathering again when he had walked 500 meters and he could faintly hear the sound of women laughing and playing nearby.


    ¡°Evil creatures!¡± Xiao Chen scolded under his breath. With his sword in hand this time, those fox demons wouldn¡¯t dare to come close to him. He continued walking for a while longer until he heard someone behind him yell, ¡°Young Master Xiao!¡±


    Xiao Chen spun around. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Unsullied Sword, moving according to his heart, transformed into a white light, flew toward the person who called him, and stopped an inch away from the latter¡¯s neck.


    The person emerging from the dense fog was none other than Su Lianyue. She looked at the Unsullied Sword and then at the man standing ten feet away from her. ¡°Young Master Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes to stare at the faint red mark on her neck, the trace that his Unsullied Sword left behind that night. He flicked his sleeve and retrieved his sword. When he recalled how the fox demon transformed into her, he felt an inexplicable unease to see her now. He turned his head and said coldly, ¡°Where were you?¡±


    Su Lianyue spread out her hands. ¡°You¡¯re asking me that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you. I couldn¡¯t find you after you dashed into the forest!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. He was the one who first entered the forest? He had obviously followed her after seeing her enter. Sure enough, this forest was permeated with strange demonic forces. Su Lianyue walked up to him. When she saw the bones of the dead everywhere, she let out a muffled yelp. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we see this sea of skeletons when we came here earlier?¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves, turned around, and led the way for them. The two of them had walked another 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers when they saw a dozen or so male corpses lying on the ground. These men must have just died last night. Their faces were twisted with horror and tainted black, their eyes were caved in, and their bodies were greatly famished. They looked as if they had their five visceras and six bowels sucked out.


    The clever Su Lianyue immediately knew what happened to these men after seeing their condition. She sneered. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Men, oh, men. You men truly deserve this. Such death isn¡¯t pitiful at all. Humph.¡±


    Coupled with memories of what happened earlier, Xiao Chen felt angrier after hearing her words. He scoffed and said nothing. Su Lianyue became intrigued after noticing his strange expression and reluctance to look at her face. She teased him, saying, ¡°I told you this forest is haunted by demons. Did you happen to encounter a fox-spirit earlier? Could there be a woman in this world capable of enchanting a block of wood like you, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xiao Chen became even more furious after hearing her obvious sarcasm. Su Lianyue burst into laughter. ¡°Oh my, I was right. That woman capable of enchanting you must be very pretty. Why don¡¯t you tell me who she is?¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly eased his clenched fingers and masqueraded his anger with a smile. ¡°Hehe. Do you really wish to know?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please tell me, Young Master.¡± Su Lianyue looked at him with great interest. Xiao Chen turned around and grinned. ¡°Who could it be if not a great beauty like you?¡±


    Su Lianyue turned pale and her expression instantly transformed. ¡°You said that fox demon turned into me?!¡±


    Xiao Chen shrugged. ¡°Yeah, she stood right in front of me, all bare¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a purple light charged at him. He moved aside, dodging the attack. Su Lianyue had lost all of her calm and her expression was filled with a murderous aura. He yelled, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rip your eyes out!¡± Su Lianyue cast one spell after another. The Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade, as if it had spiritual nature, turned into rays of purple light and charged at Xiao Chen. He evaded each of them, but these series of actions consumed a lot of his energy. He yelled, ¡°Hey, are you sick, woman? I even hugged her! Are you going to chop off my hands as well¡­?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s expression turned even ghastlier. She attacked him with everything she had, be it purple fog, purple light, or her Cyan Radiance Umbrella. He dodged in a panic, running in all directions to avoid being hit. In an instant, half of the forest was destroyed.


    ¡°Enough! You must be sick! It¡¯s that fox demon who turned into you! What does it have to do with me?!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! If it weren¡¯t for your wicked intentions, how would the fox demon¡­¡± Su Lianyue thought of how disgraceful the scene looked with the fox demon taking on her appearance. She felt even more humiliated. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the Corpse Refinery Sect with you anymore! I¡¯ll kill you first!¡± In a flash, countless purple lights rained down on Xiao Chen.


    Purple lights swept the forest like a storm. Though Xiao Chen had unleashed his Immortal-override Steps in its entirety, he was still nearly hurt by those rays of light. He yelled, ¡°Enough! I¡¯m just joking with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Joking? I don¡¯t have the mood to joke with you! Speak! What else did you do?!¡± At the tail of her sentence, several rays of light charged at him again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! If I really did something, do you think I¡¯d be alive to talk to you?!¡± Xiao Chen tried to speak as he dodged.


    It took a while before Su Lianyue finally calmed down. With a red face, a heaving chest, and rapid breathing, she glared at Xiao Chen who was hiding behind a large tree far away.


    ¡°Is, is it over?¡± Xiao Chen carefully poked his head out. ¡°Thump!¡± The large tree snapped at the spot where the top of his head was.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wipe out all the fox demons here sooner or later, lest they harm the humans of this world!¡± Su Lianyue still looked like she was ready to kill.


    Xiao Chen coughed and walked out of the forest. Why did he have the feeling that he was bullying her? But this demoness¡¯ unexpected side was something he didn¡¯t think he would see.


    After this little incident, their mood seemed to have taken a somewhat strange quality. Neither of them said anything throughout their journey. Every time Xiao Chen thought of how that fox demon seduced them, he would shiver for no reason. How could the quick-witted Su Lianyue not be able to guess what he was thinking from his reaction? She could only gnash her teeth in anger.


    It was nearly two hours later when they entered an area of the forest shrouded with even denser fog. When they faintly hear the pleasurable moaning of men and women in front of them, they quickened their pace. What they saw was seven to eight men suspended in the air, their bodies entwined by several foxes¡¯ tails as their vital essence was repeatedly absorbed. Their faces, however, were filled with intoxication.


    ¡°Take this, you evil creatures!¡±


    ¡°Swish!¡± The Unsullied Sword turned into a drawn-out ray of light and flew in their direction, cutting off the foxes¡¯ tails. With a yelp, the foxes immediately ran and disappeared among the fog. The men fell to the ground, their faces a frightening shade of white and their eyes glazed over. They didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand.


    Noticing the sudden appearance of a pair of man and woman, one of them asked weakly, ¡°Wh-Where is this¡­ Wh-Who are you¡­¡±


    These men¡¯s messy clothing and their bewitched expressions earlier made Su Lianyue even more resentful. She flicked her sleeves and her purple rays of light immediately drew blood, claiming these men¡¯s lives.


    ¡°There is no good man in this world!¡±


    Xiao Chen shrugged, pretending he didn¡¯t see anything. These men had most of their vital energy absorbed, so they wouldn¡¯t live long either. Su Lianyue glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re no different either!¡±


    He didn¡¯t argue with her. They continued going for another five kilometers or so, where they saw no less than a hundred corpses. These people had all died from the depletion of their vital essence. Even more ironic was the fact that most of them wore the apparel of Orthodox sects¡¯ disciples. On the contrary, there were only very few Devil¡¯s Practice followers among the body count.


    Su Lianyue sneered. ¡°This is your so-called Orthodox Path.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned deeply but didn¡¯t argue with her. These people all died in bliss, so none would harbor malicious grudges. Besides, they had their vital essence absorbed. Not even the Corpse Refinery Sect would want these corpses. That was why this forest would accumulate its sea of bones over the years.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of a Cave of a Thousand Foxes near the Mountain of Myriad Caves, with countless foxes and a nine-tailed fox with thousand-year cultivation. You have to be very careful, Young Master.¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s gaze lingered on his face but a faint, curious smile crept onto her face when she saw him standing in place like a block of wood. She snorted and continued walking.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Fairy.¡± Xiao Chen followed her and they continued walking until the fog gradually began to clear up. However, that was only because the Negative Qi around them had gotten denser. 500 meters ahead of them was an expanse of white fog.


    Over there, the white fog rolled and shifted incessantly as if monsters were pulling strings from within. The place formed a zone with gravitational force, looking like a deep and unmeasurable whirlpool on the seabed.


    When they went near, they instantly felt an enormous spatial force. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t even use his Divine Sense to get a feel of what was going on inside. Frowning, he said, ¡°It must be the Ghost-wailing Hill inside, the origin of the unnatural phenomenon last night.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s voice was rather emotionless. She titled the tip of her foot and flew into the whirlpool at the heart of the white fog, her purple dress fluttering around her. In a split second, as if the whirlpool had sucked her in, she vanished without a trace.


    Xiao Chen cast a spell and the white glow coating the Unsullied Sword brightened sharply, shrouding him in it. He also followed suit in flying into the whirlpool. The moment he stepped inside, he felt a great restrictive force that made it difficult to breathe. He felt as if a tremendous, incorporeal force was dragging him into a different place. The white fog filled his vision so much so that he couldn¡¯t see anything else. It was like he was hovering in the sky.

 Chapter 389 - Infiltrating the Ghost-wailing Hill

    After a long time, Xiao Chen finally felt himself landing on the ground. His vision also cleared up. What appeared in front of him was the opening to a quiet valley, filled with towering trees and green grass cushioning the forest floor. There were gigantic flowers of every color imaginable everywhere. The flowers were particularly thick and solid, some of them even as tall as a human. They fluttered as wind swept them. These must be the rumored Exotic Man-eating Flowers.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here? I thought you wandered off elsewhere.¡±


    Su Lianyue stood next to a bluestone stele, gazing into the distance. The breeze swept her, billowing her sleeves. She was the very picture of a fairy in the human world. Xiao Chen walked up to her. ¡°You jest, Fairy.¡± He stared into the distance, where all he saw was range upon range of towering mountains that seemed endless.


    ¡°The Rancorous Qi here is intense. We must be within the vicinity of Ghost-wailing Hill.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The emergence of the extraordinary treasure yesterday must have ignited the battle between the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice. I¡¯m sure the Corpse Refinery Sect is going to show up today to pick up the corpses.¡±


    The two of them immediately entered the valley, all while trying their best to evade the Exotic Man-eating Flowers. Some five kilometers later, they came across an ear-piercing sound of murder. They hid behind a tree as wide as three humans and poked their heads out, where they saw nearly a hundred people engaged in an intense battle. Twenty to thirty corpses were lying on the ground.


    Judging from the dazzling scene of clashing saber radiance and Sword Qi, magic treasures and multi-colored rays of sword light, there was no doubt that the sects from the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice were fighting it out. For thousands of years, both sides had declared each other their nemesis. Each time they met, a bloody battle would surely follow without the need to ask questions first.


    The eruption of unnatural phenomenon yesterday must have attracted countless members of the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice. This place was likely not the only place covered in blood and corpses.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows were tightly pinched. He couldn¡¯t help recalling how the Wuwang Wind Cloud City had spread the news of the Ancient Immortal Clan, drawing countless people to the oasis of death in the desert. Similar chaos happened as cultivators fought over an ancient treasure that didn¡¯t really exist. Little did they know that Mu Luo had released the news because he needed the cultivators to fight so that he could get their blood and souls to trigger the Blood Soul Formation.


    The news about the extraordinary treasure emerging in the Miasma Mountain Range must be someone¡¯s deliberate scheme. The end goal must be similar to Mu Luo¡¯s.


    ¡°Young Master Xiao, aren¡¯t you going to help your Orthodox friends? They¡¯re about to lose,¡± Su Lianyue said with a faint smile, her gaze resting on the fighting crowd.


    Xiao Chen spared them a glance and found that several Orthodox sects were indeed at a disadvantage. He said coldly, ¡°What does their life or death have to do with me?¡±


    Su Lianyue took one look at his face and put on an alluring smile, looking as if she had completely forgotten about the fox demon incident. Now that she thought about it, she had been overreacting earlier and nearly ruined their plan.


    Xiao Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll take the other way around.¡± They chose a path that evaded the battle and continued walking for another four hours. Even so, they still found themselves in the valley, where they came across several battles along the way.


    The range of the Ghost-wailing Hill had exceeded his expectations. Finding the spot where the extraordinary treasure emerged yesterday in such a vast area felt like finding a needle in a haystack. Unless there was another display of unnatural phenomenon, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task to find the treasure.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    His Unsullied Sword turned into a white light and flew out, slicing an Exotic Man-eating Flower charging at them in half. This particular flower was a lot thicker than the ones they saw at the entrance of the valley and was nearly ten feet tall. Blood-like red juice was dripping from its mouth. In the flower¡¯s abdomen was remnants of skeletons yet to be digested.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s brows knitted. She grabbed a few tree leaves and wiped her cuffs clean. They ran into many of such flowers earlier and she accidentally dirtied her clothes with such juice while slaying them. This annoyed her immensely.


    Xiao Chen wasn¡¯t that concerned. He said softly, ¡°Walk behind me.¡± He continued taking the lead, walking into a canyon ahead.


    The deeper into the valley they were, the colder it became. The Rancorous Qi that seemed to have emerged from deep under the ground became even denser.


    The interior of the Ghost-wailing Hill was much more perilous than its exterior. Besides the miasma and the plethora of gigantic Man-eating Flowers, there were also many hundred-year-old Walking Corpses popping up from the ground out of nowhere as well as ponds hiding under some grass-covered flatlands. Even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would have a hard time escaping those ponds once sunk in.


    Thus, few people came here in the past thousand years. It wasn¡¯t until the news of the extraordinary treasure spread that the typically quiet and still mountain range came to life.


    ¡°Kaboom!¡±


    Following the sound of thunder, large drops of rainwater began pelting the ground. So dense were the raindrops that Xiao Chen was soon soaked through. It wasn¡¯t unwelcome though, as his clothes were stained with the Man-eating Flowers¡¯ juice. Su Lianyue walked up to him with an umbrella. ¡°Let¡¯s find shelter first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Chen nodded, carelessly wiping the rainwater on his face. He continued to walk at a slower pace. His Unsullied Sword swirled around them, immediately cutting down any Man-eating Flower that dared to come close within ten feet of them.


    At twilight, the rain finally ceased. The two of them reached a forest by the cliff. When they looked down, all they could see was a boundless expanse of towering rocky mountains covered in lush greenery. Only God knew how many creatures were hiding in the forest below. There must be two or three thousands of cultivators who have come to the Ghost-wailing Hill now.


    The curtain of the night gradually descended upon them. It was impossible for them to continue their journey tonight. Ever since the extraordinary treasure showed up, it hadn¡¯t shown another unnatural phenomenon. The others must still be looking.


    Nighttime was bitterly cold at the Ghost-wailing Hill. It was an indescribable kind of sinister coldness. When the wind swept through the forest, it would howl like a ghost. That was where it got its name from.


    Flames gradually lit up some parts of the forest under the cliff, most of them belonging to the stronger sects. The smaller sects or independent cultivators wouldn¡¯t dare to start a bonfire lest they attract enemies or monsters.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed as he thought of how Brother Yifeng¡¯s camp must be here by now, along with Xiaoyue¡¯s group, and Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu who were hiding¡­ Even with Su Lianyue¡¯s help, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to steal the extraordinary treasure in front of these people.


    Of course, the treasure wasn¡¯t his biggest concern.


    Xiao Chen returned to the forest and saw Su Lianyue sitting under a large tree, hugging her trembling self. He asked, ¡°Are you that cold?¡±


    Su Lianyue looked up at him before lowering her head again. She didn¡¯t even want to speak. Xiao Chen had clearly asked a pointless question.


    Xiao Chen frowned. This place indeed had an indescribable sinister coldness that other places didn¡¯t have, he thought. But it wasn¡¯t as bad as she made it out to be, was it? He flicked his sleeves and gathered the nearby dried branches into a pile. He forced every last hint of water out of them and made a small bonfire. The flame immediately lit up their surroundings.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Xiao Chen sat down next to the bonfire. He knew she wasn¡¯t afraid of Orthodox sects, but Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu.


    Su Lianyue felt a lot less cold thanks to the bonfire¡¯s warmth. The two of them said nothing and truth to be told, there wasn¡¯t anything to be said. After a while, Xiao Chen suddenly stood up. Su Lianyue pressed the jade reed strapped to her waist out of conditioned reflex before slowly releasing it. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just going to look around.¡± Xiao Chen tapped the tip of his foot and disappeared into the forest.


    Su Lianyue frowned deeply at Xiao Chen¡¯s disappearing figure. Her pupils reflected the flickering flames. She knew that their interests were merely not conflicting at the moment. The moment it happened, he would be no different from Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu.


    Suddenly, a faint gust of wind carried a rustling noise from somewhere close by. Su Lianyue turned her head with a frown and said coldly, ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen returned two hours later with two hares that had been slaughtered and cleaned. Su Lianyue sat by the fire with her hands propping her face. She chuckled and asked, ¡°Did you discover anything, Young Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s mostly smaller sects camping nearby. They¡¯re no reason for worry. Xiaoyue¡¯s group is in a canyon in the northwest. The whereabouts of Seven Killings and Yi Yeqiu are still unknown.¡± Xiao Chen walked over to her as he spoke. He strung the hare meat and then cast her a glance. ¡°I didn¡¯t find any traces of the Corpse Refinery Sect either.¡±


    Su Lianyue looked as if she was listening to something that didn¡¯t concern her. Her hands remained lying against her cheeks, her gaze lingering on his skewered hare meat. She smiled. ¡°Did you go out for so long just to find me these two hares?¡±


    ¡°And someone still tried to kill me today,¡± Xiao Chen replied nonchalantly and placed the hare meat over the fire. Su Lianyue couldn¡¯t help blushing and traces of anger seeped into her voice. ¡°I forbid you from bringing this up again.¡±


    The night was getting quieter. The only sound audible was the crackling of firewood in the bonfire. Xiao Chen slowly turned the wooden stick in his hand and before long, the fragrance of the fat in the meat drifted in the air. After interacting with Su Lianyue for two days, perhaps not even he himself noticed that he had gradually changed his opinion of her.


    So what if she belonged to the Devil¡¯s Practice? Until now at least, she hadn¡¯t harmed him. Those from the Orthodox Path, the Orthodox Path that he yearned for, had all wanted to kill him back then. The Orthodox Path¡­


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue quietly called Xiao Chen. He snapped out of it and turned around to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She said nothing, choosing to look at the hare meat in his hands. He turned around and noticed that half of the meat was nearly scorched. He immediately turned it around twice.


    Su Lianyue chuckled and quietly stared at the hare meat being turned over and over in the fire. Who could counter the autumn wind that rose from her ice-jade reed? She was the Ice Jade Fairy, who wouldn¡¯t even blink when murdering someone. But it seemed that this man, who didn¡¯t know how to roast meat, was roasting game for her for the second time?


    ¡°Fairy?¡±


    Su Lianyue snapped out of it. She saw that the roasting was done and the scorched bits of the hare meat were even torn off. She reached out to grab the meat and nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Young Master.¡±


    Xiao Chen was beginning to feel hungry as well and swiftly finished an entire hare by himself. Su Lianyue had just finished half of hers before turning to look at him. ¡°Young Master, do you like music that much?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She chuckled and shook her head. He raised his sleeve and wiped the grease staining the corner of his mouth. He said, ¡°I went down earlier and found intense Negative Qi gathering in the northwest direction. Heavy grudge must be forming there. Perhaps that¡¯s where the extraordinary treasure has shown itself¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the extraordinary treasure all that you think about?¡± Su Lianyue suddenly interrupted him.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°The number of people who have come for the treasure has exceeded my expectations. I¡¯ll get it if I can, but my main objective is finding out what the Corpse Refinery Sect is up to. The emergence of the extraordinary treasure has brought upon heavy grudge as well. That doesn¡¯t seem plausible.¡±


    A gust of cold wind swept them and the flames pulsed in response. Su Lianyue took a deep breath and said, ¡°If those missing thirty-one people¡­¡± She stopped, and both of them said in unison, ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    ¡°Swish! Swish!¡± The Unsullied Sword and the Purple Jade Flute transformed into lights of white and purple and charged at a certain dark spot in the forest.

 Chapter 390 - Heaven-bridging Divine Tree

    ¡°Swoosh!¡± It was the sound of someone jumping from the tree. Then there came a voice carrying a hint of mirth. ¡°What a coincidence. So you¡¯re here too, Brother Xiao and Fairy Su.¡±


    The Unsullied Sword and the Purple Jade Flute returned to their owners. Su Lianyue smiled. ¡°So it¡¯s Brother Seven Killings. You should¡¯ve informed us about your arrival beforehand. See, we weren¡¯t able to welcome you properly.¡±


    In the dark of the night, a man dressed in red strolled up to them. In his hand was a gleaming steel fan and on his face was a faint smile. Seven Killings walked to the bonfire and smiled at Xiao Chen. ¡°Brother Xiao, we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we meet again,¡± Xiao Chen replied placidly, a cold glint flitting across his pupils. To think that he didn¡¯t notice this man approaching them. Like Su Lianyue, he must have not shown his true strength in the siege against Danyang Zi that night.


    Su Lianyue said with a smile, ¡°In the past two days, Brother Seven Killings has successfully provoked countless disputes between the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice. Looks like the extraordinary treasure is destined to be yours.¡±


    Seven Killings threw his head back in laughter. ¡°Just a little trick, that¡¯s all. Compared to you, Ice Jade Fairy, my talent is nothing to write home about.¡± He shot Xiao Chen a look, whether intentionally or otherwise.


    Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s getting late and the night is cold. Why don¡¯t you sit down, Brother Seven Killings, and gather some warmth¡­¡± She moved the Purple Jade Flute in her hand ever so subtly. The Unsullied Sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand also emitted a cold light. In their eyes was a faint glint.


    Detecting their sudden murderous aura, Seven Killings smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be imposing on you. Brother Yi Yeqiu is still waiting for me. Farewell.¡± He tipped his foot and hastily left in the direction he came from.


    When he was gone, Xiao Chen turned his head and asked, ¡°What did you want to say earlier, Fairy?¡±


    Su Lianyue replied, ¡°If the missing thirty-one people are indeed the work of the Corpse Refinery Sect, what do you think is their objective?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. No matter what the Corpse Refinery Sect was up to, people would always assume that they were doing it to revive the rumored Divine Corpse. But what was that the truth?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and shook his head. He had no guesses to offer and neither did he want to offer any. He stood up and strolled to the cliff. Feeling the gusts of cold wind hitting his face, he quietly stared at the boundless region that encompassed the southwest part of the mountain range.


    It was pitch-black over there and incomparably cold. Not even birds and beasts dared to get close. However, there seemed to be an undetectable, untouchable silhouette standing in that sinister, cold place.


    Ever since he stepped foot inside the Miasma Mountain Range, Hua Weiyang would always appear in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he would vividly see her as if she was just right beside him. Memories that were covered in dust had quietly surfaced.


    The night was getting colder as if it was trying to freeze those unruly memories. Yet it was unable to freeze a throbbing heart. Xiao Chen took a deep breath. The days he spent with Hua Weiyang emerged in his mind.


    He remembered their first meeting at the Beautiful Immortal Mountains. Inside the bamboo forest filled with the cries of a hundred birds, he purposely lost a game of zither to her. When he wanted to leave for the Immortal-saving Clan to return a zither, she stood behind him and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t forget! You lost to me and owe me three things! Remember my name. I¡¯m Hua Weiyang!¡±


    He felt like he had returned to that day. Xiao Chen wouldn¡¯t have concerned himself with that unreasonable girl, but she had caught up to him before he could walk far.


    Xiao Chen turned around with a frown and said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m going to the Immortal-saving Clan to return a zither. Since you¡¯ve offended them, you best not come along.¡±


    Hua Weiyang burst into laughter. ¡°Who¡¯s going with you? You still owe me three things. Don¡¯t even think of going back on your word. The first thing: I still don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Surname Xiao, single first name Chen.¡±


    Hua Weiyang couldn¡¯t help smiling widely. ¡°Xiao Chen? What an old-fashioned name. I¡¯ll call you Yi (One) Chen from now on.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s frown deepened. It was his Master who gave him this name. Her calling it a bad name meant that she was scolding his Master. This time, he truly wanted to ignore her. He turned around and left. Behind him, Hua Weiyang yelled, ¡°Hey! There¡¯s still the second thing!¡±


    He stopped in his tracks. Flicking his sleeves, he said irritably, ¡°I¡¯m an upright and proper man who accepts my loss. Since I¡¯ve promised you three things, I¡¯ll definitely fulfill my promise. Are you spouting nonsense because you look down on me?¡±


    Hua Weiyang burst into laughter. ¡°Who cares if you¡¯re upright or not? I¡¯m going to tell you the second thing now. Turn around and face me. I forbid you from turning your back to me!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t turn around and said, ¡°I¡¯m listening. You can tell me.¡±


    Hua Weiyang walked up to his face and said, ¡°The second thing is, you¡¯re not allowed to engage in zither matches with other girls, especially not promising them that you¡¯ll promise them three things after you lose. Got it?¡±


    Xiao Chen increasingly found this girl to be inane and unreasonable, but he was a man and wouldn¡¯t resort to her level. Thus, he said, ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll promise you. What¡¯s the third thing?¡±


    ¡°The third thing?¡± Hua Weiyang clapped a hand over her mouth and laughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about the third thing yet. I¡¯ll tell you once I figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll bid you farewell here. Once you make up your mind, feel free to come to the Violet-night Peak on the Mystic Cyan Mountain for me.¡±


    ¡­


    The wind under the mountain seemed to have picked up, bringing with it the sound of whimpering. Xiao Chen took a deep breath, his eyes reddening. He thought of his time on the Immortal-slaying Platform. He remembered how she was suspended in the air, secretly reciting the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell to take on Perfected Immortal Qingxuan¡¯s palm attack for him. Her final words were, ¡°Three things. You still owe me one last thing¡­ I want you to be alive and well¡­¡±


    ¡°Three things. You still owe me one last thing¡­ I want you to be alive and well¡­¡±


    Carried by the wind, his tears finally fell. Xiao Chen wailed, raging at the night sky with the language from thousands of years ago. ¡°How do you want me to be alive and well? How do you want me to live? I¡¯m the one who should have died! But why did it become you instead? Why?!¡±


    Unexpectedly, he moved to leap down the cliff. Right at that moment, a pair of hands stopped him.


    ¡°Young Master? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen recovered his senses. He turned around and saw Su Lianyue holding onto him. He wiped the tears gathering at the corner of his eyes and forced a smile. ¡°What a close call. I was nearly possessed by the monsters on this mountain. You should be careful too, Fairy. Cough, cough.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Su Lianyue nodded, but her eyes never left Xiao Chen¡¯s face. She had never seen a man looking that heartbroken before.


    Right then, a low, strange noise suddenly came from the southwest direction. The sound seemed to have emerged from depths of the ground and shook the entire Ghost-wailing Hill. Many vicious beasts resting on the trees were alarmed that they flew away.


    Su Lianyue exchanged looks with Xiao Chen. They cried in unison, ¡°The extraordinary treasure has shown itself!¡±


    Hordes of humans swept the forest under the cliff. The bonfires all over the place were extinguished in an instant. The wind rustled noisily as the forest trembled. Everyone was rushing southwest of the mountain range at the same time.


    ¡°Kill, kill¡­ Kill, kill, kill¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a burst of strange noises filled the air. The voice was neither loud nor clear. It didn¡¯t belong to a beast and wasn¡¯t as low as the strange sound earlier. Yet, it was enough to strike listeners with a wave of vertigo as if there was some kind of strange, soul-sucking force. One couldn¡¯t help shivering with the cold after hearing such a sound at night.


    ¡°Should we go there now?¡± Su Lianyue looked at Xiao Chen. He was frowning as he peered at the southwest part of the mountain range. Sure enough, a powerful pillar of light rocketed into the sky, the same way it did last night. It cleared up the clouds and fog in an instant, dissipating the dark clouds within 500 kilometers and making way for the bright moon.


    The moonlight was as bright as the sun, illuminating the Ghost-wailing Hill to the point that it resembled daylight. Moments later, the powerful light turned into a dazzling display of seven-colored light. Xiao Chen said, ¡°No hurry. Several thousands of people are heading there right now and a bloody battle is sure to ensue. We should just sit and watch. We¡¯ll wait for the opportune moment to strike.¡±


    The voices of humans in the distance were beginning to become a symphony of chaos. ¡°Thump!¡± ¡°Ping!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°Peng!¡± The sound of magic treasures and Immortal¡¯s Swords clashing resounded nonstop. The bright, multicolored collisions were dazzling. Fifteen minutes later, the seven-colored light above the southwestern mountain ridge gradually vanished and returned to yesterday¡¯s serenity. Only, this time, the cries of battles became more and more intense.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue exchanged looks. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The two of them landed on the forest below like two shadows at night. The restrictions here were quite strong, making it impossible for them to travel by sword. They had no choice but to speed through the air, leaping from branch to branch at top speed. Soon, they arrived at the southwestern part of the mountain range.


    Their field of view was much wider here. They seemed to have stepped inside an empty valley that was surrounded by mountains on all sides. Inside the valley, both the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice cultivators seemed possessed by the devil. Sword Qi weaved through the air, filling the sky above. The cultivators were all murderous and blood was everywhere, even seeping underground.


    Thanks to the moon, the night was as bright as daytime. It was apparent who was from the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice. Hiding behind the greenery and mountain rocks, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue evaded the battle. Those who discovered them did attack, but were all silently exterminated.


    They continued moving forward in this manner for another fifteen minutes until Xiao Chen noticed a group of acquaintances. Yu Yifeng¡¯s group was battling it out with a bunch of Devil¡¯s sects disciples. Xiaoyue and Seven Killings were caught up in a fight, while Yi Yeqiu was unable to shake off Zuoqiu Yang and a bunch of Divine Mist Sect disciples.


    ¡°Kill, kill¡­ Kill, kill, kill¡­¡±


    That strange voice once again resounded, making every cultivator caught up in a battle pause in their tracks. They looked up and saw the seven-colored light once again appearing five kilometers away, beaming straight into the sky. Someone yelled, ¡°The extraordinary treasure has shown itself!¡± The person¡¯s voice was still lingering in the air when everyone rushed to the spot five kilometers away, putting aside their battles.


    Seven Killings noticed the multicolored light five kilometers away as well. Worried that the extraordinary treasure would fall into someone else¡¯s hands, he tried to rush over as well. Unfortunately, Xiaoyue refused to let him go. On the other side, Yi Yeqiu wanted to do the same, but Zuoqiu Yang and the Divine Mist Sect disciples seemed to have gone mad and refused to let him shake them off.


    In their hiding place, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue exchanged glances and nodded. With tacit understanding, they began moving in the direction of the multicolored light as well. When they reached somewhere nearby, they saw that the light was actually beaming from a Heaven-bridging Divine Tree. Shock colored their expressions.


    They couldn¡¯t tell just how tall the tree was for they couldn¡¯t find its end with their eyes. It was as if the tree was leading straight up to heaven. It was so wide that at least dozens of people were needed to wrap around it. There were several branches growing from the trunk, with exuberant leaves covering them. It was truly the manifestation of the earth reaching high up to heaven.


    The entire tree was being shrouded in a layer of seven-colored light that appeared to have been cast down from heaven. The tree looked divine and sacred, so much so that it was shocking.

 Chapter 391 - The Fight over Extraordinary Treasure

    Disciples from both the Light and Dark sides gathered over from a great distance away after a while. From the cluster of figures, there were about 3000 of them, and everyone was shook as they lifted their heads dazedly to gaze at the Divine Tree of Seven Colors. It should only have existed in the Heavens; what were the odds of them actually being able to see one in the Mortal Realm?


    Some of them tried to climb the divine tree but were all blocked from doing so by the Seven Colored Light shielding the tree. At this moment, the disciples had formed into two camps that stood facing off against each other, with Immortal Swords and magic treasures in hand. Both camps were evenly matched in terms of numbers and neither dared to make any reckless move for the same reason.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue hid behind a huge rock, and the former¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed. His gaze fell on the Seven Colored Divine Tree and he remained motionless while muttering, ¡°There was a Tree of Heaven during prehistoric times that lived for 16 centuries. Could this actually be the first Divine Tree of Heaven from that time?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that this is the longest living Tree of Heaven of the legends, Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue asked softly, a look of doubt flashing across her brows.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself,¡± Xiao Chen replied, shaking his head. He could not help but sense that the tree was giving him a very strange feeling.


    The Tree of Heaven was a divine tree from prehistoric times of Chaos. Legend has it that one could reach the Heaven Realm by scaling it, and it was for this reason that it was also known as the Tree to Heaven. In terms of Archean Eons, it was one class higher than the Undying ¡°Immortal Wood¡± Tree.


    The only question was why would such a Divine Tree appear in the Human Realm? It even grew in Ghost-wailing Hill, an area with a heavier distribution of Rancorous Qi than usual. This did not make sense at all.


    Just as Xiao and Su were perturbed, a thunderous voice boomed from beneath the tree. ¡°Hey! This extraordinary treasure appeared in the Holy Sect¡¯s domain, not that of your Cultivators¡¯ Sect. Why have you people come to take part in this?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked in the direction of the voice and realized that an old man with white brows and long hair scattered over his shoulders was speaking. He had an eagle-beak shaped nose and looked somewhat sinister. He was slightly squinting, and his sharp, eagle-like gaze swept toward an old Taoist priest dressed in purple robes about 20 meters away from him.


    The Taoist¡¯s hair and brows were streaked with white strands of hair and looked righteous with duster in hand. He did not dodge the old man¡¯s stare and replied coldly, ¡°Naturally, we¡¯re here to prevent such a treasure from falling into the hands of you crooked devils, and from allowing you people to use it to harm the world in future!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s old Rising Void of the Purple Void Taoist Monastery and Heavenly Eagle King of the Divine Eagle Sect. I didn¡¯t think that they would be here too,¡± Su Lianyue said softly behind the huge rock.


    She was right. They were the Perfected Immortal Rising Void of Purple Void Taoist Monastery and the Heavenly Eagle King, the leader of the rising Divine Eagle Sect. Both possessed Nirvana Realm levels of cultivation and had already covertly became the temporary leaders of the Light and Dark sides.


    The Heavenly Eagle King chuckled coldly. ¡°What pompous words. Why? Rising Void, do you think that your sect will be on par with the Divine Mist Sect and others once you¡¯ve obtained the extraordinary treasure?¡±


    Plenty of disciples from the Light Side looked toward Perfected Immortal Rising Void upon hearing the Eagle King¡¯s words. At the same time, they began to become somewhat wary of the others around them. The Perfected Immortal waved his duster and replied coldly, ¡°Stop trying to sow discord among us. All of us from the Orthodox Path are of one heart. If I manage to obtain this treasure tonight, I¡¯ll present it to the Immortals¡¯ League. Your Divine Eagle Sect, however¡­do you people think that you¡¯ll be to rule the world with it?¡±


    Many of the disciples from the Dark Side looked at the Heavenly Eagle King upon hearing the Taoist priest. Naturally, everyone wanted the extraordinary treasure for themselves, but they also did not want it to fall into someone else¡¯s hands should they be unable to get it.


    At the same time, there was a sudden huge booming sound, and the entire mountain valley seemed to tremble. Next, the Heaven-reaching Divine Tree kept shaking, and the Seven-Colored glow that enveloped seemed to vaguely diminish. Everyone kept on their toes, believing that the treasure was hidden in the tree. All they had to do was to wait for the multicolored glow to dissipate completely so that they could climb the tree and seize it.


    However, they would be completely taken aback by what happened next. The multicolored light did not dissipate, but instead, the entire tree shrank gradually. It shrank from its previously undeterminable height to 900 meters, then 300 meters, 30 meters¡­


    ¡°The extraordinary treasure! The Divine Tree is the treasure!¡± many people shouted hoarsely.


    The Divine Tree kept shrinking until it eventually reached a height of about 18 meters. The multicolored glow surrounding it had gradually began to dissipate, causing everyone to rush up. However, neither side would allow each other to obtain the extraordinary treasure, and everyone began fighting again. All of a sudden, many magic treasures were drawn and blood flew everywhere. No one noticed that all of the blood had seeped into the ground, however.


    Rising Void¡¯s eyes glinted as his gaze shot toward the Divine Tree. The Heavenly Eagle King would not allow him to gain the upper hand, however. He swept his sleeves, creating a huge energy wave that gushed forward. The Perfected Immortal immediately raised his palms to withstand the force, and their clash caused the ground and surrounding mountains to tremble. Rocks began flying around and even the Divine Tree in the middle could not stop shaking.


    The Heavenly Eagle King chuckled coldly and extended his left arm. The force from his palm strike formed into a light beam that swept toward the Divine Tree, causing it to shift slightly toward him. Upon seeing this, the Perfected Immortal Rising Void pressed two fingers on his duster. A light beam shot out of it in the Divine Tree¡¯s direction as well, forcefully dragging it back toward its original position.


    The disciples of Light and Dark who were fighting each other thought that the extraordinary treasure would be a hot potato, even if it fell into their hands tonight. However, they would never allow the opposition to obtain it.


    Xiaoyue¡¯s eyes moved and swept her duster, wanting to fly toward the Divine Tree as well. However, a figure in red suddenly stopped her. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve come after me for so long, Fairy. Are you trying to leave just like this?¡± the figure asked. It was Seven Killings who had previously fought with her.


    On the other side, Yi Yeqiu was still entangled by Zuoqiu Yang and the Divine Mist Sect, while Su Zimu and gang, who was farther away, was also being surrounded by large numbers of Devil¡¯s Practice experts. Yu Yifeng and company was also engaged in intense combat, while Zhiluan flew in mid-air, ducking and darting, searching everywhere for a place to hide.


    All of a sudden, the entire valley was enveloped in a great melee. The Divine Tree in the center was shaking to and fro while under the influence of both Perfected Immortal Rising Void and the Heavenly Eagle King¡¯s Mystic Powers, as if it was going to be uprooted at any moment.


    The battle was growing increasingly intense, but both Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were still hiding behind the rock. ¡°Young Master, what do you think that tree actually is? Why can it grow and shrink according to its own will?¡± Lianyue asked softly.


    Xiao Chen furrowed his brows tightly and remained silent. Even since the Divine Tree began shrinking earlier on, he had vaguely sensed something familiar about it, but he could not determine what it exactly was. At the moment, the tree was shaking to and fro, and it looked as if it was not going to withstand the push and pull of both Nirvana Realm experts¡¯ Mystic Powers any longer.


    He unleashed his Divine Sense to the surroundings as much as he could afford and probed at the heart of the Divine Tree. he could vaguely see a Jade Zither that was covered in drawings of dragons and phoenixes and intricate carvings. It was surrounded in glows of seven colors, put there were no strings on it.


    The Fuxi Zither!


    Xiao Chen broke into cold sweat in shock. His Divine Sense stopped channeling in an instant and he was immediately enlightened. The Civil and Martial strings of the Fuxi Zither were the transformations of Yinglong, the Divine Archean Dragon and Qiongtian, the Evil Archean Dragon. The zither¡¯s body itself was made of wood from the prehistoric Tree of Heaven that existed since a time before the Great Emperor Fuxi. As for its five other strings, Xiao did not know what they were made of.


    His mind was filled with thoughts at this moment, and soon it was flooded with questions. The Fuxi Zither¡¯s strings had been removed and dispersed in various spots within the Human Realm, by why would the instrument itself be here? It was extraordinary, but he did not have that much time to consider all these now. It did not matter whether the zither fell into Rising Void or the Heavenly Eagle King¡¯s hands tonight; either way, it would be impossible for Xiao to seize it back from them.


    Su Lianyue could see that his expression changed multiple times over a short period of time and began asking softly, ¡°Have you made up your mind to strike, Young Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. At first, he was only planning to take a look and was not bent on obtaining the treasure within the tree. However, now that he knew that it was the Fuxi Zither, he knew that he had to obtain it. ¡°Please help me later, Fairy,¡± he said before waving his arms to grab a conical bamboo hat strewn on the ground nearby. He put it on his head and flew toward the Divine Tree.


    Both the Heavenly Eagle King and Perfected Immortal Rising Void did not expect someone else to charge toward them from hiding and unleashed a ray of energy from their fingers respectively without even bothering to see who it was. Even though both of them were focused on obtaining the Divine Tree at this moment, the energy rays were not to be trifled with. Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-Overriding Steps to avoid them and wanted to dash toward the Tree, but was blocked by an invisible force.


    It was as if there was a restrictive barrier around the Divine Tree that stopped anyone from getting close. As he considered this, Xiao Chen rose into the air and immediately used his Star-shifting Substitution skill. However, the Divine Tree still remained motionless; the skill was unable to overcome the restrictive barrier beneath the tree.


    However, both the Heavenly Eagle King and Perfected Immortal Rising Void had felt the immense force as well by now. Without waiting for them to react, Xiao Chen extended his arms again. Images of two gold dragons immediately rushed out and flew toward the Divine Tree, causing it to shift sideways. It was the ¡°Divine Dragon Governing Skill¡± of his own creation and the merger of psychokinesis and the Dragon Roar Palm. He had used it to deal with He Chentian of the He Family before in Widespread Wintriness Sect.


    The Heavenly Eagle King and Perfected Immortal Rising Void felt their hearts sink as they thought about who this person could actually be. He possessed wonderful skills, and they had not heard of any junior disciple from either the Light or Dark side that was so able. ¡°Who are you, my young friend?¡± asked Rising Void.


    ¡°You should think about how to break the seal beneath this tree, seniors,¡± Xiao Chen said indifferently, the amount of energy from his palms growing stronger as he spoke. The Divine Tree crept toward him gradually.


    Perfected Immortal Rising Void noticed that there was something devilish about his tone, and believed that he was not from the Orthodox Path. He felt that anyone not from his side must have ill intentions and channeled more energy from his hand to drag it back toward himself as he saw the Divine Tree moving in the young man¡¯s direction. The Heavenly Eagle King squinted. There was a mixture of Light and Dark energy in the young man, and he did not seem to belong to the Orthodox Path. He became more relaxed and even thought about recruiting him.


    Everyone else who were far away saw the appearance of someone else beneath the Divine Tree, and that the two Dragon images seemed even more powerful than that of Perfected Immortal Rising Void and the Heavenly Eagle King. ¡°Who is this person?¡± they thought. Some of them saw Xiao Chen¡¯s conical bamboo hat and noticed that he was on par with both Nirvana Realm experts. ¡°It¡¯s the Person in the Straw-Raincoat! The Lone Wolf in the Straw-Raincoat!¡±


    A huge commotion rang out once the name of ¡°Person in the Straw-Raincoat¡± spread among them. A few days ago at Precipice Peak, he had killed Dan Yangzi, a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator, and his name had grown after that.


    Perfected Immortal Rising Void felt his heart shook. It was no wonder that the young man had not been awestruck at all when speaking to him, a cultivator at Nirvana Realm. So, he was the same person who worked with the three other Devil Practitioners to kill a cultivator of peak Nirvana Realm! He felt a chill rising along his spine as he thought about this.


    The Heavenly Eagle King laughed. ¡°Good! Good! I¡¯ve long heard about you, young friend. These useless people from the Orthodox Path are truly incomparable to you! I¡¯ve much respect for you, much respect!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, senior,¡± Xiao Chen smiled casually as he channeled more force in his hands. The Divine Tree immediately began to tremble incontrollably, and the Eagle King squinted. ¡°I may be thinking of recruiting you, young fellow, but I can¡¯t allow you to take the extraordinary treasure away,¡± he thought as he channeled more energy along his arms. The Tree began to move back toward him.


    Rising Void felt cold sweat trickling along his back and channeled a huge amount of the True Energy in his body before eventually managing to pull the Divine Tree back toward him for a bit. In this manner, the Tree shook here and there under the influence of their energies, almost half of its roots having left the earth by now. Obviously, it was not going to be able to withstand their pulling for much longer, and it was going to be completely uprooted soon. There also seemed to be strange noises coming deep from beneath the ground.

 Chapter 392 - 1000-Year-Old Corpse King

    In a spot far away, Xiaoyue and Seven Killings were engaged in a titanic battle. She narrowed her eyes to see the Divine Tree nearly uprooted by three people, and from her experience, she knew that it possessed immense suppressive abilities. She could use it to suppress that person from Thousand Feathers Sect who had died a few millennia ago!


    She swept her duster as she thought about this to block Seven Killing¡¯s attack and shot toward the Divine Tree light a bolt of green light. Her opponent would not allow her to leave so easily, however, and tried to launch another attack to stop her. Xiaoyue blocked it away and replied coldly, ¡°If the extraordinary treasure fell in that person¡¯s hands tonight, neither you nor I can even dream of obtaining it!¡±


    Obviously, she was referring to Xiao Chen. Seven Killings looked far away at the Tree and furrowed his brows. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, Xiaoyue unleashed her Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust Skill and arrived beneath the Tree in an instant. She then wrapped her duster around it.


    Upon seeing that he was finally going to have a strong ally from the Orthodox Path, the Rising Void hurriedly said, ¡°Fairy Xiaoyue, let¡¯s join forces. We can¡¯t allow the Divine Tree to fall into the hands of the Devil Practitioners!¡±


    Xiaoyue did not reply and immediately channeled all of her True Energy. Xiao Chen immediately felt a great toll on himself and glanced toward his side and saw a red ray of light suddenly dash toward him. At the same time, a purple ray of light darted over and blocked the red one.


    ¡°Fairy Xu, help me stop this person!¡± Xiao Chen exclaimed. Of course, he had noticed that everyone¡¯s attention was on the Divine Tree but Seven Killings was intent on taking his life. He could not summon Guifeng now, however. Its Soul Power had taken a hit a few days ago and had probably not recovered completely yet.


    ¡°Feel free to focus your attention on the Tree, Young Master,¡± Su Lianyue said as she summoned the Umbrella of Green Light and Purple Jade Flute before engaging Seven Killings. She was no longer much concerned with the extraordinary treasure. She was more intent on getting Xiao Chen to owe her. To her, it would be more valuable than getting the treasure for herself.


    The Divine Tree was shaking with increasingly violent force now, as the four used their Mystic Powers to tug at it. In just a short amount of time, it shrank by a great deal again, and Xiao Chen was beginning to feel the effects of fighting against two Nirvana Realm experts and Xiaoyue for the treasure. Many people around them could see that it was going to be uprooted soon and hurriedly rushed forward.


    Yu Yifeng, who was far away, frowned as he saw what was going on at the Divine Tree. ¡°It¡¯s Junior Brother Xiao, I¡¯m going to help him!¡± he said. Qin Shaoyang, who was behind him, immediately stopped him. ¡°No, Senior Brother Yu! He¡¯s with Su Lianyue of the Devil¡¯s Practice now, and many cultivators from the Orthodox Path are present. If you help him now, you¡¯ll be hard pressed to explain yourself in future!¡±


    Yu Yifeng stopped after hearing that. He pinched his fingers tightly and furrowed his brows even more. Zhiluan landed on his shoulder and cried out in a weird voice, ¡°I¡­I¡­I have an incredibly bad premonition! Let¡¯s go now! That kid will be fine!¡±


    Luo Shangyan took one leap forward after also realizing what was going on there, about to rush up too. Yu Yifeng reached his arm out to stop her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t Junior Sister Luo. Junior Brother Qin is right, there are many seniors from the Orthodox Path here, and we can¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    The Divine Tree began shaking with increasing force, and nearly half of its roots had left the ground. Cultivators began rushing toward it from all directions like hungry wolves, and at this moment, a strange round emerged from beneath the earth. The entire valley trembled, and an immensely ferocious force shot out from the Divine Tree toward the surroundings.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    All of the cultivators, no matter which side they belonged to, were sent flying backward by this immense fore and spewed out big mouthfuls of blood. Even Xiao Chen and the other three were no exception, and they were directly sent hurtling backward. The force was not something that they could possibly withstand.


    Xiao Chen forcibly swallowed the blood in his mouth back down his throat as he landed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked Su Lianyue.


    Su Lianyue was slightly farther away from the Divine Tree and did not suffer as greatly as him. At this moment, the strange sound came from beneath the tree again, and the entire mountain valley shook once more. The Divine Tree was finally sent flying upward by a force from the ground and had transformed into a zither one-third of a meter in length.


    Everyone was staring wide-eyed. Xiao Chen unleashed his Star-shifting Substitution Skill without hesitation and grabbed the zither while it still hurtling in the air. The Perfected Immortal Rising Void instantly swept toward him with his duster, intending the seize the zither back. Countless others began dashing toward Xiao Chen from behind him.


    Yu Yifeng and the others, who were standing far away, were extremely shocked. As the zither landed in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand, seven virtual strings of varying colors appeared suddenly. As he was pressed from time, Xiao Chen did not have the time to summon the three other strings in the Divine Vessel. However, he felt as though he had sank into an ice chamber as he pulled; this was because it was completely useless.


    By now, Rising Void and the others had already charged right up to him. The combined attacks of all these cultivators seemed to be able to dice Xiao Chen into minced meat instantly, and even Su Lianyue, who was behind him, had turned deathly pale suddenly. However, just at the critical moment, an immensely powerful force suddenly surged out of the ground and sent everyone flying into the air.


    Naturally, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were also sent hurtling through the air by the force. This time, Xiao Chen was unable to contain himself when he landed. He spewed out a mouthful of blood. As Su was standing behind him, she was slightly better off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Chen grabbed her and led her in a run without any hesitation. The entire ground trembled, and in the next moment, Xiao Chen could feel an intense vengefulness that he had never experienced before. This Rancorous Qi was far beyond his wildest imaginations.


    Aside from him, everyone else had also felt the immensely powerful vengefulness and could not move. Zhiluan, who was far away, was so frightened that his entire body began to tremble. He grabbed onto Yu Yifeng with great force. ¡°Meow! Meow! They¡¯ve unleashed a 1000 year old Corpse King! Without glutinous rice and blood of a black dog, we¡¯re doomed! Doomed! We¡¯re dead!¡±


    Yu Yifeng furrowed his brows, the Startling Rainbow Sword already in his hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, we have more than a thousand people here with us¡­¡± he said in a lowered voice.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­you! What the hell do you know?! It wouldn¡¯t even matter if we had a thousand more people. It¡¯s formed by vengeful thoughts over one millennia long, and can¡¯t be defeated or killed!¡±


    The vibration of the ground grew increasingly violent and countless pieces of rocks from the mountains came crashing down. Suddenly, an otherworldly voice emanated from beneath the earth, ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve received my orders from the Heavens and will live and prosper forever!¡±


    As the voice died off, a human figure darted out of the ground. His eyes were black, and wisps of black mist were seeping out of them. He was about two and a half meters tall and wore the robes and crown on an emperor. A peerless sword slightly more than a meter long was in his hand, and he gave off the commanding aura of a monarch.


    He was an emperor from an ancient era and had been dead for more than a millennia. Somehow, he had accumulated an intense grudge over the past millennia and had turned into an undead ¨C the 1000 year old Corpse King.


    Everyone turned pale from shock. ¡°What¡­what is this¡­¡±


    A few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators were still fine, but by now, many Core Forming Realm cultivators were finding it hard to even breathe while facing such powerful aura. The Corpse King swept its gaze across everyone, saying, ¡°All of you are my subjects. Why aren¡¯t you kneeling!¡± As he spoke, everyone¡¯s hearts trembled.


    About a dozen of Core Forming Realm cultivators standing behind the Corpse King wanted to sneak away, but the moment they moved, he slashed at them with his sword. Cold, biting Sword Qi gushed out, and there were crackling sounds as all of the cultivators¡¯ heads were cut off, leaving their headless torsos to crash down into the pools of blood beneath them.


    ¡°A tyrant!¡±


    This was the first thought that came to Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. The man must have been a tyrant when he was still alive!


    The others had turned pale from fright. Even the Perfected Immortal Rising Void and the Heavenly Eagle King, who had the highest levels of cultivation among everyone here, could sense that things were turning bad. They did not think that such a terrible being would have been kept under the extraordinary treasure. No one dared to venture forward now, as they were all afraid of ending up like the dozen poor souls earlier on.


    Many cultivators far away tried to flee when they realized how bad the situation was turning. The Corpse King pointed five fingers into mid-air, saying, ¡°This world belongs to me, not to the people!¡± As his voice faded, huge swaths of black clouds suddenly gathered from all directions into a huge, rumbling mass that sealed off the entire mountain valley, thereby preventing anyone from escaping.


    Everyone was extremely panicky by now. They had no way of resisting such an unknown terrifying presence, and a few were already prostrate on the ground and kowtowing in fear. ¡°Our¡­our¡­our¡­our respects to you, our Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± The Corpse King growled and reached his arm out to grab them from afar. Their souls were instantly shattered, and he infused Rancorous Qi into their bodies, turning their eyes black and transforming them into Walking Corpses.


    The faces of the other cultivators turned pale again. They understood, from the fates their unfortunate peers, that the only choices available to them were to become the Corpse King¡¯s Walking Corpses or be slain. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, everyone. Let¡¯s use our combined might to slay this demonic creature!¡± the Perfected Immortal Rising Void shouted, trying to rally the others. The moment his voice faded away, a flying sword was summoned, and he slashed at the Corpse King with it.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A huge sound rang out as the Corpse King sent the flying sword hurtling back with his own sword. ¡°All you traitors have committed a sin worthy of having your nine levels of kin exterminated!¡± he growled angrily before swinging his long sword to kill another dozen cultivators.


    The Heavenly Eagle King felt his heart sink; the disciples of his Divine Eagle Sect were among the slain. ¡°Let¡¯s work together to kill this demonic being!¡± he shouted before charging forth as well.


    The others were clear by now that all of them would be killed here if they did not get rid of the Corpse King. All of a sudden, everyone summoned out their Immortal Swords and magic treasures before directing them toward the Corpse King. No one bothered about which side they belonged to now. For the past millennia, it was the first time both Light and Dark sides faced a common enemy so unquestioningly.


    ¡°You dare!¡± the Corpse King roared, swinging his sword in a horizontal slash. Cold, biting Sword Qi flew forth, smashing the flying swords that were hurtling toward him into pieces. Those that were not blocked by him struck his body, but it looked as though they had smashed into a steel wall.


    The Heavenly Eagle King panted as he shouted toward Perfected Immortal Rising Void, who was not far away from him. ¡°Old priest Rising Void, let¡¯s put the mind games aside for now. If we don¡¯t slay this damned thing tonight, none of us will be able to walk out of here alive.¡±


    The Taoist priest grunted coldly as he flicked his sleeves before shouting at the Orthodox Path disciples behind him, ¡°Please put in all your efforts into slaying this Walking Corpse, everyone! If not, all of us will not be able to escape!¡±


    As his voice died down, Xiaoyue, Su Zimu and the others unleashed their ultimate skills, and Yu Yifeng and company did not hold back either. More than 1000 Orthodox Path disciples, along with about the same number of Devil¡¯s Practitioners, attacked the Corpse King with all their might.


    Not many people continued to harbor any ill intentions by now. After all, this was a matter of life and death, and they were in the same boat. The entire mountain valley kept shaking under the combined, ferocious attack of all 3000 cultivators. Rocks began rolling down from the mountains, and the ground split open. It was as if Heaven and Earth were crumbling away.


    The Corpse King, on the other hand, still looked perfectly fine after withstanding a few waves of ferocious attacks. He looked even more enraged. ¡°How dare you people invoke the wrath of the Heavens? Your sins are unpardonable!¡± he shouted, before reaching a huge arm out. A ray of Chaos Energy suddenly rained down from mid-air, enveloping dozens of cultivators and turning them into dust in an instant.


    Everyone turned pale from shock. Was this Walking Corpse, who had accumulated Rancorous Qi for longer than one millennia, really unkillable?


    A Core Forming Realm cultivator who was wielding an Immortal¡¯s Sword had been hit by the edge of the ray of Chaos Energy and kept stepping backward. Fresh blood kept flowing out of his mouth, and it happened that he caught sight of Xiao Chen and his companion, who were viewing the battle from aside. He did not care who they were and began chiding them, ¡°Are you two shameless? Everyone¡¯s battling for their lives, yet both of you are still¡­¡±


    Before his voice faded away, a ray of Sword Qi from the Corpse King hurtled toward him. Xiao Chen immediately used his Star-shifting Substitution Skill to grab the cultivator before flinging him to aside. He then summoned the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and slashed at the Corpse King as well.


    ¡°Clang!¡± there was a huge sound as the Demon Blade crashed into the Corpse King¡¯s back, instantly creating sparks.


    Xiao Chen was knocked backward by three steps. The Corpse King turned around. His face was originally filled with rage, but his entire body trembled as he saw Xiao Chen, and he only managed to come up with, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°The dead belong in the earth. You shouldn¡¯t be in this world!¡± Xiao Chen grunted coldly, his aura instantly increasing by a few times. 12 rays of white radiance appeared faintly above his 12 Spiritual Meridians and began to circle around his body.


    The Corpse King¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Same to you! You shouldn¡¯t remain in this world as well!¡± he said, slashing with his sword.

 Chapter 393 - Undead

    Xiao Chen raised his saber to block the Corpse King¡¯s fearsome sword stroke, and he immediately felt as though a huge mountain was crashing down upon him. He was forced to retreat by this immensely powerful force and only managed to steady himself after retreating for about 30 meters. His heart sank as he realized that he Corpse King possessed more than a millennia¡¯s worth of Malicious Grudges and had absorbed a great deal of blood and Rancorous Qi from the slain cultivators earlier on. He had no way of striking it.


    On the other side, the Perfected Immortal Rising Void and Heavenly Eagle King had just earned a moment to catch their breath when the Corpse King came attacking again. In their haste, they could only dodge flurriedly, while the Corpse King charged directly into the crowd of cultivators. He could even fly and tunnel through the ground, creating a pool of corpses everywhere he went, while blood kept flowing toward his body.


    The entire Ghost-wailing Hill was shaking, and black clouds rumbled around the valley the cultivators were in, sealing off their exit routes. The round moon high in the air turned increasingly cold, and the Corpse King moved with lightning speed, slaying cultivators with each stroke of his sword.


    Xiaoyue was suspended in mid-air as her hands kept forming seals, her green robes fluttering in the wind. The Autumn Water Sword was already unsheathed, but it could not harm the 1000-year old Corpse King at all. Likewise, Yu Yifeng, Su Zimu and the others were engaged in intense battle, supernatural powers continually appearing from their hands. Yet, they were unable to slay the Corpse King.


    Time ticked by, and there were countless numbers of casualties from both Light and Dark sides. Each slain cultivator was contributing to the Rancorous Qi in the valley, further aiding the Corpse King, who was held together by vengefulness. Gradually, everyone fell into a state of panic and hopelessness. Unless a cultivator of Apotheosis Realm or Grand Completion Realm arrived, they had no hope of killing the Corpse King at all.


    Xiao Chen was panting loudly by now. He had depleted a great deal of True Energy, yet he Corpse King was still alive. What made him most uneasy was that the Leopard Cat Spirit had told him one night that Malicious Grudges borne for more than a millennia would turn into Heavy Grudges, and someone who was possessed by them could be resurrected by such vengefulness again and again.


    There was the problem of the Corpse Refinery Sect as well. It could not have been unaware of the fact that there was such a terrifying 1000 year old Corpse King being held here. It now seemed like the sect had been responsible for releasing news of extraordinary treasure being kept at this spot to draw large numbers of cultivators over here. As for what their purpose actually was, Xiao Chen was not really sure for now.


    ¡°Kaboom!¡±


    There as huge sound, and the entire valley seemed to be exploding soon. Under the Corpse King¡¯s terrible attacks, huge pieces of land were splitting apart, and rocks from the mountains began to tumble down. If all of the huge peaks came crashing down on them, they would be buried alive, even if they managed to survive the Corpse King somehow.


    ¡°What should we do now, Young Master?¡± Su Lianyue asked, her brows furrowed. She had completely not expected to find such a hard to manage 1000 year old Corpse King here. A dead monarch who had harbored Heavy Grudges for so long was even harder to deal with than Millennium Walking Corpses.


    ¡°Rancorous Qi is extreme Yin Qi, and we should use fire against it,¡± Xiao Chen replied, his brows furrowing. ¡°Seniors, think of a way to trap this Walking Corpse. The others, use Fire-Style magic spells against it!¡± he shouted to the Heavenly Eagle King and Rising Void who were not far away from him.


    Upon hearing him, both Nirvana Realm experts did not reply but rose up into the skies. Naturally, Xiao Chen himself drifted over, and the three of them remained suspended in mid-air in this manner, just like when they were trying to seize the Divine Tree for themselves earlier on. Each of them directed a ray of Mystic Power toward the Corpse King, barely managing to tie it up.


    Upon seeing this, the others began directing their Mystic Powers to the trio. Eventually, the Corpse King was trapped by them. The 2000 other survivors also went forward and either created magical formations or directed their True Energy onto someone else as they used their most fearsome Fire-Style magic spells against the Corpse King.


    In an instant, flames leaped up into the sky, illuminating the entire mountain valley. The Corpse King grew increasingly unhinged after withstanding a few waves of strong Fire-Style attacks. ¡°I can¡¯t die! I can¡¯t possibly die! Ah¡­¡± he screamed.


    Xiao Chen and the other two experts were beginning to feel the toll on their bodies, as Blood Vigor surged within them. ¡°Young friend, quick, take out that extraordinary treasure to suppress that demon again!¡± the Heavenly Eagle King said.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless!¡± Xiao Chen replied. He did not know who had used the Fuxi Zither to suppress the Corpse King here, but now that the restrictive seal whom that person created had been broken, the zither would be unable to keep the Corpse King suppressed, even if it transformed back into the Divine Tree.


    The Corpse King was starting to look as though he was about to break free from his bonds, and the 2000 survivors began increasing the intensity of their attacks. The Corpse King behaved as though he had turned insane within the flames. ¡°I¡¯m going to conquer all the feudal lands and unite the world! I can¡¯t die! This world has belonged to me ever since I reigned supreme. Where is the Elixir for Immortality? I want it! ¡­¡±


    Everyone who was present could feel an extremely intense Malicious Grudge. It was his greatest grudge while he was still alive, and it remained with him even after a millennia had passed.


    Eventually, the Corpse King lost the strength to fight back after the concentrated fire attacks of the 2000 cultivators. His voice grew increasingly softer, but his body was still enveloped in a swath of extremely thick Rancorous Qi that could not be dispersed.


    ¡°My lands¡­how could I hand the lands that I conquered myself to someone else¡­¡± the Corpse King said. He looked extremely indignant, but eventually his eyes shut and he collapsed to the ground heavily, stirring up a huge column of dust.


    ¡°Dea¡­ dead?¡±


    The surrounding turned quiet all of a sudden as everyone stared at the Corpse King lying on the ground. Even though he was no longer emanating any aura, no one dared to walk near his corpse.


    Yu Yifeng sighed. ¡°Since the beginning of time, emperors, kings, generals and important ministers all felt dissatisfied. If Rancorous Qi had gathered in one¡¯s throat as one passed, one would turn into a zombie sustained by Rancorous Qi, deathly aura and calamities in Nature. One would then become an undead that would exist aside from the Six Paths of the three realms of Heaven, Earth and humans and no longer be able to be reincarnated. To be sustained by vengefulness, sigh¡­he should have cast aside his earthly desires.¡±


    ¡°Meow! MEOW! He died, just like that?¡± Zhiluan asked as it flew above Yu¡¯s shoulder, a look of disbelief on his face.


    Xiao Chen regulated his breathing. He did not know why, but there was still a bad feeling in his mind. Rancorous Qi surrounding the Corpse King was still extremely heavy, but there was a brief moment when he felt that it did not originate from the undead monarch. He could not tell where it came from, but he was extremely certain that the great amount of Rancorous Qi far exceeded the lifespan of the Corpse King. It seemed to have been gathered for a few millennia, and this made Xiao feel extremely uneasy.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Su Lianyue said, suddenly tugging at his shirt sleeves. Xiao Chen regained his senses and lifted his head to see countless gazes turning in his direction. It was only then did he realize that they had seen him keeping the extraordinary treasure in his sash; the matter was still not over.


    The Corpse King lying on the ground was no longer moving by now. The Light and Dark sides stood in two ranks as before and stood guard against each other. A look of craftiness flashed across the Heavenly Eagle King¡¯s face as he gazed at Xiao Chen. ¡°Young friend, everyone here got rid of the Corpse King together, about that extraordinary treasure¡­¡± he said with a laugh, before chuckling and continuing his sentence, ¡°Of course, the Divine Eagle Sect will not put you in a spot, my young friend.¡±


    The Perfected Immortal Rising Void, who was standing with the Orthodox Path disciples, waved his duster and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not coveting that so-called treasure too, but since it can suppress a demonic creature like that Walking Corpse, it cannot fall into the Devil Practitioners¡¯ hands.¡±


    As they voices faded away, plenty of people began to crowd toward Xiao Chen gradually. This was human nature ¨C fighting alongside one another moments ago, but turning against their own allies for personal gain now.


    Xiao Chen steadied himself. The black clouds surrounding the mountain valley had still not dissipated, and it was impossible for him to leave while being surrounded by so many people. ¡°Wait a minute! The black clouds created by the Corpse King are still here, which means¡­¡±


    ¡°Rustle!¡±


    A strange sound appeared out of nowhere. The Corpse King, who had been lying on the ground, stood up suddenly, and an immense force surged out, sending close to 100 cultivators who were nearby into the air.


    ¡°I¡­am Undead!¡± the Corpse King exclaimed, his eyes suddenly opening, a strange glint appearing in them. He looked fresh, and the wounds that he suffered earlier on were regenerating at a visible pace, as if he was completely unharmed.


    ¡°Alive! He¡¯s alive again!¡± Everyone looked at each other in shock and turned pale from fright. No one had expected something like this to happen.


    ¡°All of you have invoked the wrath of Heaven and shall all be slain!¡± the Corpse King growled as he swung his long sword, beheading dozens of Core Forming Realm cultivators who were too slow to react.


    The Heavenly Eagle King and Perfected Immortal Rising Void had also not expected something like this to be possible. The Corpse King was obviously dead just now, and had stopped breathing. Now, however, it was resurrected, and it exceeded their own knowledge.


    ¡°Meow! MEOW! I said that he wouldn¡¯t die so easily before, didn¡¯t I? A thousand year old Heavy Grudge cannot be killed!¡± Zhiluan squeaked as he flew onto Yu Yifeng¡¯s shoulder.


    Everyone who was standing far away looked at the strange cat who was hovering in mid-air with incredulous expressions on their faces. They did not know much about Rancorous Qi, and even Yu Yifeng looked shocked. ¡°He¡¯s sustained by Rancorous Qi and can transform it into extreme Yin Qi to resurrect himself, what exactly is going on¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen felt dizzy all of a sudden. He felt an indescribable feeling as he watched the Corpse King come back to life¡­Su Lianyue looked somewhat doubtful as she looked at him and then the Corpse King.


    The cultivators descended into a state of panic once more. Xiao Chen shook his head vigorously, ¡°No! Impossible! Nothing is unkillable! All that talk about a 1000 year old Heavy Grudge are just mere lies!¡± He then summoned the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and slashed at the Corpse King with it. The blood-red energy ray from the saber was about 30 meters long, and it caused the surrounding space to vibrate violently.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A loud sound rang out as the Corpse King blocked Xiao Chen¡¯s attack, wielding his own sword with both hands. By now, the power in Xiao Chen seemed to have amplified greatly, and human and undead faced off against each other with saber and sword in hand, sparks flying out from the clashes. The Corpse King looked into his eyes and said in a low tone, ¡°Why do you keep trying to stop me?¡±


    Xiao Chen furrowed his brow and looked back at his opponent. ¡°Because you don¡¯t belong in this world anymore!¡± he growled, before channeling his energy. More sparks flew, and the Corpse King was forced to retreat by a few steps.


    The Corpse King growled, ¡°Same to you! You can¡¯t kill me, and I can¡¯t kill you! Why do we have to fight against each other?¡± He then channeled his own power and forced Xiao Chen to take a few steps backward.


    ¡°I¡¯m different from you! I have three souls and seven spirits, I¡¯m different from a Walking Corpse like you sustained by Rancorous Qi alone!¡±


    Xiao Chen seemed to be turning emotional. He channeled a great amount of True Energy in his body and there was a huge clang as they clashed again. Eventually, both were knocked back by each other¡¯s great powers, and gusts of wind blew around them, causing huge columns of sand to billow and blind the others. The cultivators around them stared wide-eyed; what were those two talking about earlier on?


    Wind kept blowing, and the crown worn by the Corpse King kept shaking. Xiao Chen¡¯s clothes rustled, as his long hair fluttered. They pointed their weapons toward the ground and stood facing off against each other.


    A few cultivators a distance away were dumbfounded. Earlier on, everyone had witnessed the might of the Corpse King. However, Xiao Chen could match up against it, and it was unexpected. On the other end, Xiaoyue stared silently, while Yu Yifeng and the others frowned. Zuoqiu Yang was cracking his knuckles¡­


    Suddenly, the black clouds at the east started billowing outward, and a huge swath of black-clad figures emerged from within. They looked as pale as the deceased, and everyone turned white as a sheet as they lifted their heads to see who the newcomers were. ¡°Corpse Refinery Sect!¡± yelled Perfected Immortal Rising Void and Heavenly Eagle King hoarsely in unison.

 Chapter 394 - Capturing the Corpse King

    After a short while, a large number of disciples from the Corpse Refinery Sect had gathered in the skies above the black clouds. Those on land had changed their expressions, while Xiao Chen was still facing off in a silent battle against the Corpse King in the clearing in the middle.


    Suddenly, a purple figure darted across and grabbed Xiao Chen before fleeing along with him. It was Su Lianyue, and Luo Shangyan wanted to charge forward upon seeing that before she was stopped by Qin Shaoyang. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Junior Sister Luo. It¡¯s best to allow both of them to flee in the chaos.¡±


    The crowd was becoming a little chaotic, as everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the sudden appearance of Corpse Refinery Sect disciples. As such, no one noticed that Xiao Chen was gone.


    Su Lianyue dragged him into a cave far away, and as the small mountain that it belonged to had been destroyed by the Corpse King¡¯s Sword Qi, the entrance to the cave was basically sealed off by rocks, leaving only a small crack. From within, its inhabitants could see what was going on outside, but those who were outside would not easily notice that there were people in it.


    ¡°Even Ye Wuxin has come. Why are you standing there in a daze?¡± Su Lianyue glared at him lightly as she asked softly.


    It was only then did Xiao Chen regain his senses. He immediately made a shushing gesture; he did not know what happened earlier on, but a wave of energy seemed to have been created in his body, and it affected his mood as well.


    The cave was already narrow in the first place, and compounded with the fact that the mountain it was situated in was already deformed, the space in it had become even more narrow. Both Xiao and Su were squeezed close to each other in a somewhat intimate fashion, and Xiao Chen coughed softly to hide his awkwardness. He looked out of the cave, and as the cracks were not that wide to begin with, and Su Lianyue was not as tall as him, she had to bend her back to look outward with her neck lowered.


    Nearly 100 Corpse Refinery Sect disciples descended from mid-air and surrounded the Corpse King. A loud laugh rang out, before someone said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you people come to greet us after arriving at our Miasma Mountain Range?¡±


    A man dressed in purple robes drifted slowly down from mid-air as the voice faded away. He looked handsome, but his face was deathly pale, and Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue could catch sight of his side view. Who else could it be, other than Ye Wuxin? Both Xiao and Su immediately concealed their auras.


    Looking at the situation unfolding in front of him, Xiao Chen roughly understood that Ye Wuxin had known long ago about the presence of a 1000 year old Corpse King sealed at this location, and that he wanted to subdue it. However, the seal on the Divine Tree was incredibly powerful, and coupled with the fact that the Corpse King himself was already strong, he had finally waited till the seal¡¯s power was beginning to fade. As such, he began to spread news of the artifact¡¯s presence to attract cultivators from all over to this spot.


    He planned to make use of the thousands of cultivators to kill the Corpse King once, thereby severely depleting its power. The sect would then reap the benefits and collect plenty of corpses back to their base. It was a great plan by Ye Wuxin.


    Perfected Immortal Rising Void and Heavenly Eagle King, who were outside the cave, also understood immediately what was going on, and their expressions looked extremely unpleasant. Ye Wuxin smiled casually as he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, everyone. I¡¯m here tonight to subdue the Corpse King. The Corpse Refinery Sect will not interfere in matters of both the Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice.¡±


    He was not lying. Basically, the Corpse Refining Sect would not involve itself in matters of the Light and Dark sides. Even if they were fighting to the death, the Sect would just busy itself with corpse collection. As for why it was actually classified as one of the Devil Practitioner Sects, it was probably because they seemed more evil than good.


    In reality, however, the Corpse Refinery Sect would not spend all day thinking about how to overthrow the Orthodox Path sects like the other three Great Devil Practitioner Sects. It bothered itself with its own matters, but no one really knew what their disciples were actually doing. As such, it was the most mysterious sect, and many people of the younger generation had already forgotten about the existence of the sect. It was the appearance of the ambitious Ye Wuxin that changed the sect¡¯s usual low profile manner.


    By now, the faces of Heavenly Eagle King and Perfected Immortal Rising Void were extremely unpleasant. It did not matter if they were being made use of; Ye Wuxin¡¯s level of cultivation was higher than theirs, and he had a terrifying Corpse Puppet up his sleeve. This was also territory of the Corpse Refining Sect and they could only count themselves unlucky to have landed in such a situation.


    The Corpse King in the center of everyone had also felt a little threatened and seemed to have sense that this batch of newcomers had a special ability to subdue himself. ¡°Who are you people?!¡± he growled.


    Ye Wuxin gave an indifferent smile as he waved his hand. ¡°Form up.¡±


    About 100 disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect in the surrounding area immediately began moving rapidly and joined up into a strange formation while chanting non-stop. A huge black net covered with Soul Absorbing Bells suddenly appeared in mid-air, as it fell upon the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King leaped up, but the huge net was already raining down on his head. The bells chimed as he was enveloped within the net in an instant.


    ¡°Brazen fools!¡± the Corpse King growled as he slashed at the huge net with his sword. The net was made of an unknown material that allowed it to remain unscratched even as the valuable sword, that was capable of splitting rocks and mountains, smashed into it.


    The people nearby also got a great shock. They had spent much effort to subdue the Corpse King earlier on, but he was trapped by the Corpse Refinery Sect within a few moves. All of a sudden, they grew even more wary of the mysterious sect.


    They were unaware that the Corpse King had just been resurrected, and he would not have regained his powers so quickly. If it were not for their efforts, the Corpse Refining Sect would not have trapped the Corpse King so easily.


    The Corpse King was charging to and fro in the net, causing the Soul Absorbing Bells to chime incessantly. Those who could hear them became dizzy, and nearly a hundred of disciples from the Corpse Refinery Sect were also shaking to and fro as they were dragged along by the net. It was not going to be easy to completely subdue the Corpse King.


    Su Lianyue stretched herself out by habit in the cave as she saw this and smacked her head into Xiao Chen¡¯s chin unexpectedly, causing Xiao to hiss softly. It was very soft, but it drew the attention of Ye Wuxin, who was standing outside the cave.


    Ye Wuxin¡¯s brows furrowed together before they slowly expanded back to their normal size. He then turned to look around before remarking casually, ¡°I seemed to have smelled something familiar¡­¡± After speaking, he walked slowly in the direction of Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue.


    The two cave inhabitants immediately held their breaths and hid behind a rock. They looked at each other. There was no need for words; a great rapport had been built between them. The moment Ye Wuxin drew near, they would unleash all their powers and attempt to kill him before he could react. Ye Wuxin¡¯s level of cultivation was far above theirs, and they would not be able to defeat him in actual combat, even if they joined forces.


    ¡°Thud¡­thud¡­thud¡­¡± Both of them could already hear slow footsteps coming toward them from outside the cave. Just at this moment, there was a loud shout, ¡°Chief, we¡¯re losing control over the Corpse King!¡±


    Ye Wuxin stopped walking and glanced at the gap in the black rock. He turned and walk back to his original spot only after ascertaining that there was nothing beyond the crack. The Corpse King¡¯s aura and Rancorous Qi were growing increasingly stronger, and he already seemed to be breaking free of his bonds. Ye Wuxin frowned slightly as he casually formed a seal, sending a few gold seal talismans to fly out of his sleeve. He pasted them on the Corpse King¡¯s back, and instantly, there was a hissing sound.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the Corpse Kings behavior was turning increasingly insane. He was slashing wildly with his sword that was slightly longer than one meter. There was no way he could break free from the net, however. This fact caused the undead monarch to remark angrily, ¡°You people are trying to rebel! I will never forgive all of you!¡±


    Ye Wuxin frowned slightly as he spoke calmly, ¡°You were an emperor while you were alive. Since you are unwilling to return back into the ground, you¡¯ll belong to the Corpse Refinery Sect from now on.¡± After he finished speaking, he flung dozens of seal talismans on the Corpse King, instantly making it seem as though it was severely wounded. Nearly 100 disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect also begun throwing their talismans on the undead being.


    Within a short span of time, the Corpse King¡¯s entire body was filled with talismanic seals, and his aura and strength eventually diminished. He no longer projected the majestic aura of an emperor when dealing with his subjects.


    ¡°Rebels and traitors, I¡¯ll slay all of you in my next life¡­¡± the Corpse King was growing weak.


    Ye Wuxin smiled calmly and somewhat sarcastically. ¡°Next life? Ever since you were sustained by Malicious Grudges, you¡¯ll never be reincarnated again. Dream on¡­¡± It seemed as though he was speaking to the Corpse King, yet more as though he was referring to someone else.


    Everyone who was standing some distance away felt an indescribable feeling as they witnessed the Corpse King, who was majestic in nature not long ago, being captured by the Corpse Refinery Sect in a short span of time. With his capture, the black clouds created by him also dispersed. Upon seeing that they could finally leave, the cultivators cast all other thoughts aside and hurriedly fled out of the valley. The Miasma Mountain Range had already become a nightmarish place for them, and they never wanted to come back again.


    It was only now that Perfected Immortal Rising Void and Heavenly Eagle King realized that Xiao Chen was gone. Both sighed and flicked their sleeves before leaving; it was a fruitless journey for them. As for Xiaoyue, she frowned and eventually left quietly with the crowd. Su Zimu and company were here just to take a look, and they were not that keen on obtaining the extraordinary treasure in the first place.


    Even Yu Yifeng and his fellow disciples left eventually, leaving the place free of cultivators. The Corpse King was also finally subdued, and a Corpse Refinery Sect disciple clad in black walked up to Ye Wuxin. ¡°What should we do with him now, Chief?¡± he asked, cupping his hands in deference. He then glanced to his sides before whispering, ¡°During the past few days, a few elders had some words to say about you, Chief. In my opinion¡­¡±


    Ye Wuxin took in a deep breath of air before replying calmly, ¡°Of course I know about that. Bring the Corpse King back to my Corpse-raising Hall first, and we can¡¯t allow Elder Wu and the others to know about this. As for the corpses here, get people to clear them away tomorrow. I¡¯ll be busy again. Sigh¡­¡± He glanced at the cave containing Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue before leaving.


    After the eventful night, peace finally returned to the valley. There were thousands of corpses strewn all over the ground, however, and it was a terrible sight under the moonlight.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue still dared not to move in the cave. A cold wind, carrying the smell of blood and gore with it, blew in. Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue. He went to the Corpse Refinery Sect for two reasons: for the Corpse Puppet, and more importantly, for the lost 31 as well. Perhaps, in his subconscious, he was afraid that Weiyang was involved in the incident.


    What about Su Lianyue? What was she at the Corpse Refinery Sect for? Could it have been about the 31 people as well?


    After two more hours, the moon gradually retreated westward, and moonlight seeped in from the cracks in the stone. Wind howled continuously outside, and shadows of tree branches danced on the ground. Xiao Chen reached his Divine Sense out to make sure that Ye Wuxin and gang were truly gone, before he dared to let out a breath of air. ¡°Let¡¯s go, they¡¯ve left,¡± he said softly.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s legs were closed tightly together, and her face blushed slightly under the moonlight. ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll follow shortly,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Xiao Chen without much thought. He left the cave and was immediately assaulted by the pungent smell of blood. He gazed around to see corpses and detached heads strewn all over the ground, which was covered in rivers of blood. It was a sight too terrible to behold.


    After a short while, Su Lianyue walked out of the cave as well. Moonlight fell on her, giving her the image as though she was wrapped in layers of thin purple yarn. She looked increasingly alluring, and she smiled gently as she spoke, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Young Master. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and laughed as he saw her beautiful smile. ¡°Thanks for your help tonight, Fairy.¡±


    Su Lianyue sighed and placed her hands behind her back. She then raised her head to look at the bright moon, before smiling and saying, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t try to kill me on behalf of those Orthodox Path practitioners one day, Young Master.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should leave this place first and continue with our original plan tomorrow. From what Ye Wuxin just said, I believe security in the Corpse Refinery Sect will be must slacker these few days.¡±


    Both of them walked out of the valley. Just as they reached the exit, they heightened their senses an drew out their magic treasures. Even though there was no movement outside, it did not really mean that everyone had left.


    Suddenly, there was a rustling sound as the shadow of a tree branch flickered far away. A figure landed right before both of them.

 Chapter 395 - Infiltration

    In the moonlight, the green shirt of the person swayed, and the face was like still water, without waves or ripples. The person held the Duster sword, Su Qingyue smiled seductively and said, ¡°Little sister, it¡¯s you.¡±


    That person was Xiaoyue, who had left earlier. Instead of looking at Su Lianyue, she kept her eyes on Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen looked at her, and said faintly, ¡°Fairy Xiaoyue, we¡¯ve met again.¡± Over the past year, too much had happened, and now, he was no longer as afraid of Xiaoyue as before.


    Xiaoyue took two steps forward, and there was finally a slight change in her expression at this moment. She frowned and murmured, ¡°Could Brother Xiao give me the extraordinary treasure?¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled, ¡°Little sister, you stretch your hand fast.¡± Xiaoyue continued to ignore her and looked at Xiao Chen, said, ¡°Can you? It matters to the world¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen knew what she was going to say next, he smiled and said, ¡°Sorry. The world, the lives of the people or whatnot, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Xiaoyue¡¯s body trembled visibly. Although she had expected it, she was still unwilling to take it lying down. She was about to speak again when Xiao Chen laughed and said, ¡°But I still want to thank you. When everyone wanted to kill me a year ago, you didn¡¯t take the opportunity to attack.¡±


    Xiaoyue trembled again, causing the long hair behind her shoulders to move along. She said gently, ¡°Brother Xiao, actually that day¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Considering that you and I were had a friendly relationship in the past, you should go. You must know that it is the lord of Fort Raksasa of Blue-water Altar who is standing in front of you now. If she attacks, I won¡¯t help you.¡±


    Su Lianyue chuckled, ¡°Little sister, move along, I¡¯m tired tonight.¡±


    Xiaoyue held tightly onto the Autumn Water Sword in her hand, if they fought now, she had no chance at all and snatching it was out of the options as well. At this moment, a few big trees a distance away rustled, Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°It seems quite lively tonight.¡±


    A few figures came out under the big tree, it was Yu Yifeng and his company. Luo Shangyan stepped forward, pointed the sword at Su Lianyue and said, ¡°Shameless demonic woman, you better stay away from Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled. Of course, she knew that Xiao Chen had a close relationship with these people, and she knew what to say and what not to say, so she stopped talking.


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°You also planned to come to take the extraordinary treasure from me?¡±


    Yu Yifeng¡¯s eyebrows were locked in deeply, ¡°Lil Chen¡­¡± Before he continued, Qin Shaoyang beside him stopped him. Qin Shaoyang stepped forward and laughed, ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t misunderstand, it was just that Senior Brother Yu did not see you come out just now and was worried about you. That¡¯s why he stayed around.¡±


    Then he smiled again and continued, ¡°When I went back to Jade Qing Sect previously, I met Sister Xian¡¯er. She has missed Brother Xiao quite dearly. After so long, Brother Xiao doesn¡¯t intend to go back and take a look?¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled slightly, and Qin Shaoyang continued to smiled and said, ¡°Junior Sister Li went to Lake Mirror with Senior Yanluo last year. She must have missed you too for the past year.¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled again, and Qin Shaoyang smiled. He knew that the only way to persuade Xiao Chen now was to start with the important people around him and make him slowly change his mind. It could not be rushed.


    Luo Shangyan said, ¡°Brother Xiao, come back, no one will blame you, at most we will return to the Human World, no one will say that you are a man of the Devil¡¯s Practice ¡­¡±


    This time Xiao Chen¡¯s body shook violently, and he gradually remembered those days in the past. When he just entered Three Pure Sect to study and Senior Sister Luo took the risk of copying Qi Refining Realm mind cultivation method for him and won a training card for himself on the arena platform¡­


    Su Lianyue saw that his look was different, her brows slowly start to frown. She coughed and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn, the Corpse Refinery Sect should be coming out to collect the corpses¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly sobered up and said, ¡°Sorry.¡± Then he looked at Su Lianyue next to him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two of them leaped and drifted away to afar. Luo Shangyan shouted at the back, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao!¡± However, in the end, the two figures still disappeared into the night.


    ¡°Lascivious! Lascivious! This stupid boy must be lascivious!¡± Zhiluan was very angry, but it was unsure what he was angry with.


    Qin Shaoyang¡¯s eyes narrowed and his head, as if whispering to himself£¬ ¡°No, Su Lianyue suddenly mentioned the Corpse Refinery Sect, and then Brother Xiao¡¯s expression changed greatly, could they¡­¡± Then he looked at Yu Yifeng, ¡°Senior Brother Yu, did you say that Senior Mo Xuan has already been here last month?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The night sky was dark as ink and the moon was round like a plate. The cold moonlight fell on the deserted woods, and it was sorrowful. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue returned to the previous woods on the cliff. The shadows of the branches lay horizontally, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged under the tree. He rested Fuxi Zither on the lap, and the three strings were connected back.


    There is a faint layer of rainbow glow on the zither, Xiao Chen rubbed it lightly, everything seemed so familiar, he did not know who put the zither body here to suppress the Corpse King, and Fuxi Zither was not so powerful at that time, even he was unaware of the origin of Fuxi Zither. The body of the zither was made of the Dachun tree, and the two strings of Civil and Martial were the transformations of two dragons. As for the other five strings, the origin would not be small too.


    But no matter what, the four strings of D Major, E Major, G Major, and A Major were still missing before Evernight could return to Fuxi Zither. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen felt more or less relieved, Su Lianyue beside him saw that he was having a good mood, she smiled and said, ¡°This zither is so exquisite, I see you already have the strings.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a gift from an old friend.¡±


    ¡°To be able to gift such a zither to you, presumably that old friend of yours must be an extraordinary person.¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes stayed on his face and did not even blink once.


    Xiao Chen sighed and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. Where is Master now¡­ Wrong! The way Su Lianyue asked was a little strange, and he immediately responded, smiled and said, ¡°I mean the strings are a gift from an old friend.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and turned to look at the valley earlier, ¡°In four more hours, the sky should be bright¡­¡±


    The moment passed, and after four hours, the sky gradually became clear blue, and there was only shadow of the moon on the West Mountain. After a while, the sky was completely bright, and the birdsongs gradually sounded from the surrounding, finally adding a touch of liveliness to this dead silent hill.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue stood on the top of the cliff and looked at the valley of last night. There was a faint shadow at the entrance of the valley, the Corpse Refinery Sect had indeed came to collect corpses. They looked at each other and drifted to the bottom of the cliff along with the wind.


    Nearly 30 people were collecting corpses in the valley. The two were worried about alarming those people and did not enter. Instead, they hid in a dense wood outside the valley. There were also a dozen dead bodies lying in the woods. Someone should be collecting the bodies in a while.


    After a while, footsteps could be heard from a distance. By listening to the sound, there should be 2 people. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and then a complaining voice sounded, ¡°We have collected quite a number of bodies the past few months, but I didn¡¯t see any benefit from Elder Xu. I am afraid that he had kept most of these corpses for himself.¡±


    Another person sighed, ¡°Who in the sect did not come around like this? Sigh, Shen Qing was still taking care of us a few years ago, but since last month, he seems to have become a different person. When he sees us, he doesn¡¯t even bother anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, after all, he promoted to Class B disciple a few months ago, and naturally he wants to draw a clear line with us.¡±


    Under the cover of the branches, two men could be seen walking towards the woods. Both of them were wearing blue and white student coats, and their faces were clean and white. They were not as lifeless as some other people in the Corpse Refinery Sect, they looked like the students in the town. Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze was fixed. These two were exactly the two men he saw that night.


    When they entered the woods, they gathered the corpses on the ground and complained, ¡°Without strength, everything is the same everywhere. I thought it would be better to enter the Corpse Refinery Sect, but I was bullied everywhere! I still have to smile after being beaten!¡±


    The two men chattered as they cleaned up more than a dozen corpses on the ground. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue glanced at each other in the dark, and the two of them moved in front of the two men instantly.


    ¡°Who¡­¡± Before the words of the two Corpse Refinery Sect disciples were spoken, the mist of purple incense made them fainted. Xiao Chen quickly dragged the two into a dark cave. He could not kill these two yet because the disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect would have left their Soul¡¯s Life Source in the sect. Once they died outside, the people inside would know immediately.


    Now what Xiao Chen and the two had to do is to change into the appearance of these two people and sneak into the Corpse Refinery Sect. Su Lianyue glanced at the two people on the ground and picked the one with a relatively small figure. With two fingers, she pierced a thin white radiance into the eyebrow of the man, which was the mystic arts of her Fort Raksasa, it could read partial memories in the person¡¯s head.


    Xiao Chen did not delay either and immediately pierced a white radiance into the eyebrows of the other person. Both of them had Nascent Soul Realm cultivation. The two on the ground were just Foundation Building Realm, it was very easy to explore the memories in their head.


    After a while, Xiao Chen discovered that the two were a pair of brothers. The elder one was Han Yun and the younger brother was Han Yu. The two were ordinary people staying in a remote town in the East Continent with their parents. The brothers were young and vivacious and offended the rich man in the town. The rich man bought through the local official and framed his family, forcing the father and mother of these two brothers to death.


    The two brothers fled in the rainy night and when they reached Miasma Mountain Range, they happened to meet a person named Shen Qing from the Corpse Refinery Sect, and was led into the sect by Shen Qing, and practiced hard from then onwards. The two brothers entered the Foundation Building Realm last year, so they quietly brought a copper Corpse back and wiped off the rich man¡¯s family, and also killed the official officer¡¯s family too till the blood flowed like a river, and nothing stayed alive¡­


    Xiao Chen frowned. Most of the disciples the Corpse Refinery Sect took in were usually such people full of resentment. Such people had dense Rancorous Qi. After a while, he disguised himself into the elder brother, Han Yun, and Su Qingyue used her mystic arts of Fort Raksasa to directly transformed into the appearance of the younger brother, Han Yu instead.


    After they were done, Xiao Chen took the duo¡¯s corpse bag and the jade identity card. Finally, Su Lianyue added a fragrance to the two, and Xiao Chen sealed the two with The Roar of Ice Dragon Spirit to ensure everything was foolproof.


    ¡°Unfortunately, these two are ordinary disciples. They don¡¯t know the high-level secrets of the Corpse Refinery Sect. Otherwise, we don¡¯t have to be so troublesome.¡±


    After speaking, the two immediately rushed towards the valley, so as not to cause other people to suspect anything for taking too long. When they arrived in the valley, the bodies that had covered the ground last night were gone, and about 30 people gathered in the southeast direction. Except for the leader who was in Core Forming Realm cultivation, the rest were still in the Foundation Building Realm.


    When he saw ¡°Han Yun and Han Yu¡± walking over slowly, the leader was impatient, he frowned and said, ¡°You two have been away for a long time, what are you still dilly-dallying now!¡±


    Xiao Chen pressed his throat with True Qi, and lowered his voice, ¡°Sorry, I have made Senior Brother wait a long time.¡± After he finished speaking, he trotted up with Su Lianyue.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s Magic Mimicry looked very real and Su Lianyue¡¯s transformation technique was unique. Naturally, this group of people could not tell that they were fake. The leading Core Forming Realm cultivator frowned and said, ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t dilly-dally, tonight we still have a big event! If we¡¯re late, you¡¯re going to lose your heads! ¡±

 Chapter 396 - Lady Ambassador in Red

    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue had changed their appearances into Han Yun¡¯s and Han Yu¡¯s, and they walked towards the valley mouth on the east side with the group. When they were about to arrive at the valley, the leader, a Core Forming Realm cultivator, turned his head and looked at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue and said, ¡°Han Yun, I don¡¯t mean to criticize you two, but can you be smarter in your future work?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! We will do whatever Senior Brother Yan said.¡± While saying this, Xiao Chen nodded and smiled as Han Yun usually did. Xiao Chen learned from Han Yun¡¯s memory that the Core Forming Realm cultivator in green cloth before him was called Yan Liang, who was a Class C disciple and was in the middle stage of the Core Forming Realm.


    There were Internal Sect and External Sect in the Corpse Refinery Sect. The lifeless people Ye Wuxin had brought last night were all disciples of the Internal Sect, while the disciples in front of Xiao Chen now and who looked just like normal people were naturally the disciples of the External Sect.


    The disciples of the External Sect were divided into four levels, namely A, B, C, and D. Only when the disciples reached the A level could they be eligible to enter the Internal Sect where they could learn the unique skill of the Corpse Refinery Sect, make their Corpse Puppets, and might be able to transform themselves into Corpse Puppets, and ultimately achieve the goal of immortality.


    Yan Liang glanced at Xiao Chen again and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it. In the future, you should be careful to behave yourself. I wouldn¡¯t have cared about you if Senior Brother Shen Qing hadn¡¯t asked me to take care of the two of you when he left. If what happened the last time happens again, nobody could protect you, not even Elder Xu. By then, I¡¯m afraid you will be taken to the Corpse-raising Hall and become corpse slaves there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Senior Brother Yan, we¡¯ll obey your order¡­¡±


    The group walked for almost an hour and passed through countless dark marshes and miasma forests, and everyone was talking and laughing along the way, not as lifeless as Internal Sect¡¯s disciples. Yan Liang looked back at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue from time to time and felt that there was something weird. He thought to himself, ¡°The two of them used to talk the most but why they kept silent today? Were they really scared by what I just said?¡±


    ¡°By the way, Han Yun, I told you to send the Grudge Cauldron to Tai Yin Cavity a few days ago. Did you see Senior Brother Shen Qing?¡± Yan Liang pushed aside the vines that blocked his way and asked suddenly.


    The Corpse Refinery Sect collected the corpses everywhere and extracted the Rancorous Qi from the corpses. The container carrying the Rancorous Qi was called Grudge Cauldron, and those corpses were called Grudge Furnaces. After the Malicious Grudge was extracted, the useless parts of the corpses were called medicine residues. These were the specific terms of the Corpse Refinery Sect, which could be casually spoken outside the sect, but disciples inside the Sect would be punished if they misspoke these words.


    Xiao Chen thought for a while, trying hard to recall Han Yun¡¯s memory, but Han Yun seemed not to have done this thing. Xiao Chen thought to himself that if Yan Liang had started to suspect him?


    ¡°Senior¡­ Senior Brother Yan, you remembered it wrongly, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s me who sent the Grudge Cauldron to Tai Yin Cavity last time.¡± At this moment, a man next to Xiao Chen suddenly spoke.


    Xiao Chen looked at the man, who seemed not to unite with Yan Liang to deceive him, and there was no such a thing in Han Yun¡¯s memory. Thus, he grinned and said, ¡°Senior Brother Yan was busy with sect affairs, and it was inevitable for you to remember it wrongly. How about let me go with Han Yu the next time? So I can visit Senior Brother Shen Qing. But for Senior Brother Shen Qing¡¯s help in that year, I¡¯m afraid my brother and I had already died in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say ¡®afraid¡¯ but ¡®certain¡¯, haha!¡± A person beside Xiao Chen laughed and said. Yan Liang nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    The disciples went for almost another hour. The mountain road was circuitous and extremely hidden, and somehow, the further he went forward, the more Xiao Chen felt very heavy Rancorous Qi. He didn¡¯t know if he felt so because he was with the Corpse Refinery Sect. In short, Xiao Chen was a little disturbed.


    A short while later, they saw a mountain of medium height. The mountainside and the foot of the mountain were surrounded by white mist, so it was hard to find it among these 100,000 mountains. Presumably, the mountain should be the Chang Yin Cavity where Han Yun and Han Yu were.


    Where the External Sect of the Corpse Refinery Sect was could only be called as a cavity. Only the places where the seniors of the Internal Sect were could be called as a hall. When the disciples came to the foot of the mountain, Yan Liang opened the mist Barrier, and a scene of a rugged mountain road surrounded by red flowers and trees on both sides came into Xiao Chen¡¯s sight. However, the place was not as lifeless as Xiao Chen had imagined.


    After walking for about 30 minutes, Xiao Chen could see some cave houses and buildings faintly. Of course, these buildings could only be seen clearly on the mountain. Looking from the outside, because of the Cloaking Barrier, one could only see a sky covered with clouds.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say much more after reaching Elder Xu¡¯s cave house! Am I clear?¡± Yan Liang reminded other disciples with his eyebrows frowned slightly.


    ¡°I see, Senior Brother Yan.¡± At this time, everyone had stopped smiling and all of them looked serious and didn¡¯t talk any more.


    In the Corpse Refinery Sect, disciples should be careful about their behaviors. If they made a mistake, the consequences they had to bear would be much more serious than that of the other three Great Devil Sects, and they would not be let off even if they were expelled from the sect, unlike the disciples of the sects that followed Orthodox Path.


    About thirty disciples came to a cave house whose gate was engraved with four vermilion characters of ¡°Chang Yin ¡¤ Cave House¡±, and there were some simple decorations on both sides. Chilling air spread from inside the cave.


    While the others stood a few meters away, Yan Liang walked to the cave and whispered, ¡°Elder Xu, the furnace collection is finished, are you inside?¡± From the outsiders¡¯ point of view, this behavior of the Corpse Refinery Sect should be called ¡°collecting corpses¡±, but if one dared to mention these two words inside the sect, there would be only a dead-end for him. Thus, ¡°collecting corpses¡± was euphemistically called ¡°furnace collection¡± inside the sect.


    After a while, there was still no voice in the cave, so everyone was a little confused. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s cold voice came out, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Everybody shivered in shock, and Yan Liang¡¯s face instantly became pale while his forehead was immediately covered by cold sweat. Xiao Chen had not expected that there would be a female disciple in the Corpse Refinery Sect because he had not collected much information from Han Yun¡¯s memory.


    Nearly thirty disciples walked uneasily into the cave house one after another. It was a lot more spacious inside the cave, like a big hall. Although it was inside the cave, it was bright, only that it¡¯s very cold inside.


    The disciples saw a woman who was in her twenties and wore red clothes sit on a large stone chair in a high position of the hall. The woman looked expressionless, her eyes were as sharp as unsheathed ice swords, and she gave other a chilling feeling.


    Below her stood an old man respectfully with a white beard and in black cloth. The man bowed his body, folded his hands in front of his belly, and lowered his head. With his forehead covered with cold sweat and face pale, he dared not look up at the woman.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense was keen that he immediately felt that the old man was powerful and at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. From the memory of Han Yun, Xiao Chen learned that this old man was Elder Xu from the Chang Yin Cavity and could decide everything in Chang Yin Cavity. However, from Han Yun¡¯s memory, Xiao Chen could learn nothing about the woman sitting high in the hall, and the woman was at best in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak?¡± the woman asked flatly, and her cold voice seemed to made the hall more chilling.


    Elder Xu¡¯s body shook slightly, and he quickly turned his head and glared at the disciples who had just entered in, and said in a low but heavy voice, ¡°Meet our honored Lady Ambassador quickly!¡±


    As if they had had one foot in the grave, the disciples immediately bowed down on one knee and said, ¡°Disciples of Chang Yin Cavity pay respects to Your Honor!¡± Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue naturally reacted in an instant and followed the suit and fell on their knees.


    ¡°You may rise up,¡± the woman said with her fingers moving lightly.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Honor.¡±


    Then the disciples dared to stand up. In the Corpse Refinery Sect, it was absolutely impossible for the External Sect to have female disciples, and even in the Internal Sect, all the female disciples must be in high status. Even Ye Wuxin, the sect leader, should be polite to them, too.


    Even Elder Xu didn¡¯t know the reason behind this, and he only knew that if one offended a Lady Ambassador, he would end up a hundred times more miserable than being killed. Therefore, everyone in the sect had to hold their breath in front of those female disciples, let alone dare to flirt with them.


    The whole hall was so quiet that everyone felt scared and kept silence. After a while, the woman in red moved her lips and said lightly, ¡°How many Grudge Furnaces have you collected this time?¡±


    As the team leader, Yan Liang looked pale at the moment and did not dare to answer. Elder Xu quickly signaled him to speak. Yan Liang finally forced himself to say in a trembling voice, ¡°Your¡­ Your Honor, this time, we in total collected 732 Grudge Furnaces.¡±


    After he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became more chilling. All the people shivered, and chilling air came from the inner hall. Yan Liang turned paler with fear, and sweats fell down his face like raining. As if his throat had been choked, he thought he might be dead the next moment.


    However, he did not die. The woman sitting high in the hall turned her attention to Elder Xu, and asked lightly, ¡°Elder Xu.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡­ Yes!¡± Elder Xu trembled and hurriedly looked up and responded.


    The woman in red finally stood up and looked at him and said, ¡°All these years, you must have felt very comfortable as an elder, right?¡±


    Elder Xu trembled all over and slapped his face fiercely. This clear slap made everyone tremble. The elder quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Honor! I will collect enough furnaces next month! I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°Hump!¡± The woman in red brushed her sleeves and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯d better keep your words. I guess you don¡¯t want to be sent to that place.¡±


    Elder Xu trembled all over and couldn¡¯t even say a word. The woman in the red hummed and walked down from her seat. The disciples in the hall quickly gave way to her with their heads down. No one dared to look at her.


    When the woman in red passed by Xiao Chen, she suddenly stopped walking. She slowly turned around and looked at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was startled and wondered if the woman had found out that he was pretending to be feared even if he had concealed his breath to the extreme.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the woman in red suddenly asked, staring closely at him. The others in the hall were startled and felt a little confused, but at this moment, they still didn¡¯t dare to look up or speak out.


    Xiao Chen pretended to be frightened, his hands clenched tightly, and without raising his head, he whispered, ¡°Your¡­ Your Honor, my name is Han Yun.¡±


    ¡°Han Yun.¡± The woman in red nodded, then looked at Elder Xu, and said lightly, ¡°If you can¡¯t do well as an elder, let him be the elder then.¡±


    As soon as this remark was made, Xiao Chen and Elder Xu were all shocked. Xiao Chen said to himself that it was bad and that the woman¡¯s words would push him into the fire pit. He worried that what the woman said would not bring him protection in the Chang Yin Cavity, and instead would make Elder Xu envy him and the elder would certainly do everything to get rid of him!

 Chapter 397 - Corpse-refining

    It was not until the woman in red left that the atmosphere in the hall gradually turned relaxing. Elder Xu looked pale and was sweaty all over. His legs went weak that he slumped down on the ground. Seeing that, Yan Liang stepped forward hurriedly to support him and said, ¡°Elder!¡±


    Elder Xu raised and waved his trembling wrinkled hand. At this moment, Xiao Chen stepped forward as well and said with his hands folded, ¡°The Lady Ambassador was just so angry to say that. I have been trained by you for three years, elder, so, I dare not¡­¡±


    Elder Xu shook his head and said, ¡°Han Yun, this has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t embarrass you¡­¡± After saying that, he looked out of the hall again, thinking that since the Lady Ambassador had come to such a small place herself, the seniors of the sect must be anxious to get more Grudge Furnaces, and that Furnaces Collection must not be delayed and he could no longer keep the Grudge Furnaces privately.


    ¡°Han Liang¡­ Yan Liang.¡± Elder Xu seemed really frightened this time that he miscalled his disciple. Yan Liang heard him saying, ¡°Bring the Grudge Furnaces to the Corps Cave behind right now, and Rancorous Qi must be extracted within three days.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yan Liang glanced down at the dozens of disciples below, who immediately went outside the cave house in an orderly manner. After they left, Elder Xu walked staggering back to the seat high in the hall. Yan Liang frowned as he said, ¡°Elder, why did the Lady Ambassador come here? Could it be that the Divine Corpse¡­¡±


    Before the words were finished, Elder Xu glanced at him and said, ¡°Yan Liang, you have followed me for a long time, right?¡±


    Yan Liang replied with his hands folded, ¡°It has been ten years since I came to follow you, elder.¡± Elder Xu said, ¡°After these ten years, you should know that it is beyond our power to ask about the affairs about the seniors. It is best not to mention them.¡±


    Yan Liang was startled into cold sweats and quickly said, ¡°I was being careless just now. I dare not do it again.¡± Elder Xu waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, you go back to work.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll excuse myself, elder,¡± Yan Liang cupped his hand as he said and turned to leave. But when he just took a few steps away, he turned around suddenly. Elder Xu looked at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything else?¡±


    Yan Liang frowned, shook his head, and said, ¡°Nothing, just that I think Han Yun and his brother were a little strange today¡­¡±


    ¡­


    A while later, the disciples saw Yan Liang come out with a pale face, and one of them stepped forward carefully and asked, ¡°What happened to you, Senior Brother Yan?¡±


    Yan Liang shook his hand and seemed to inadvertently glance at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue, who had changed their faces into Han¡¯s brothers, and finally whispered, ¡°In recent days, we must speed up the furnace collection. The seniors of the sect are anxious to get them. Let¡¯s go now so as not to delay it.¡±


    The disciples bypassed the Elder Xu¡¯s cave house and walked to the back mountain. After walking for an hour, Xiao Chen saw some simple houses and courtyards, which probably were the disciples¡¯ dormitories. After walking for a while, Xiao Chen felt an increasingly strong death aura. Presumably, he was not far from the corpse-refining cave.


    Finally, the disciples reached outside a cave house surrounded by chilling air in the back mountain. It could be seen that some plants nearby were withered, and ice was condensed on the stone wall of the entrance to the cave. Su Lianyue felt so cold that she shivered.


    Yan Liang walked to the entrance of the cave house, opened the door of a secret stone room, took out some black robes, and distributed them to the disciples. Xiao Chen took two robes and handed one to Su Lianyue. After putting on the robe, Su Lianyue felt warmer. Of course, these black robes were not for the disciples to keep warm but to defend themselves from Corpse Qi. The disciples of the External Sect did not have a stable foundation; as a result, they should not be exposed to too much Corpse Qi.


    After entering the cave house, the disciples felt even colder. After passing through a dark martyrdom, Xiao Chen felt a little shocked by what he saw¡ªit was much more spacious and the light was not too dark inside the cave house, where nearly a hundred altars were neatly placed. On each altar was a corpse, beside which a Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s disciple was extracting Rancorous Qi.


    To prevent sudden corpse changes, a yellow seal was affixed to the forehead of each corpse. With the corpses¡¯ mouths wide open, traces of black gas were slowly drawn out from their mouths to the small black cauldrons that floated in the air next to them.


    Su Lianyue frowned slightly. The scene seemed to make her feel a little uncomfortable. The nearly 100 Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s disciples were expressionless when they did the same action repeatedly as the walking dead. There was a man in red among them. Holding a whip in his hand, he went back and forth to supervise the disciples. Anyone who loafed on the job would be whipped by him.


    The man in red saw Yan Liang and the other disciples come in, and immediately came to them and said, ¡°Senior Brother Yan Liang.¡±


    Yan Liang nodded slightly and replied, ¡°Junior Brother Qi Yan.¡± He added, ¡°This morning, we collected more than 700 Grudge Furnaces, and the elder urged us to speed up the work. Plus the furnaces we collected before, all the furnaces must be extracted in three days.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qi Yan answered and turned to shout loudly at other disciples, ¡°Have you heard it? Don¡¯t slack off!¡±


    The disciples were silent, and Yan Liang turned to the disciples that came with him and said, ¡°All of you, join them now.¡± The disciples didn¡¯t say much, and each of them went to an altar and started to work.


    Xiao Chen naturally went to join them as well, and with Han Yun¡¯s partial memory, he naturally knew something about these simple operations, but he felt that the Class D disciples of the sect were like servants.


    It was not difficult to extract the Rancorous Qi from the corpses. Most of the Rancorous Qi in corpses was gathered in their throats, and the Qi was commonly known as the last breath that one failed to breathe in before dying. The difficult part about the job was to extract all the Rancorous Qi from the corpses. One could do it only little by little so as not to waste the Qi. Therefore, it basically took more than an hour to extract all the Rancorous Qi in each corpse, and it would take more time to do so if one met a corpse with strong Rancorous Qi.


    Seeing that everyone was working seriously, Yan Liang exclaimed, ¡°Please work harder these three days, and when it¡¯s finished, I will find you some beautiful girls from the brothel in the town.¡±


    The words made the atmosphere in the cold cave a litter livelier. However, Su Lianyue frowned harder at the words and cursed to herself that it was disgusting.


    After saying that, Yan Liang looked at Qi Yan and said, ¡°Junior Brother Qi Yan, come out with me.¡±


    After Yan Liang and Qi Yan left, the atmosphere in the cave turned more relaxing, and many people began to whisper about what Yan Liang had said just now.


    While extracting the Rancorous Qi in a corpse, Xiao Chen whispered to a disciple next to him, ¡°Do you know why the seniors of the sect wanted the Rancorous Qi so urgently?¡±


    The man looked around and whispered, ¡°Han Yun, are you crazy? Do more and talk less!¡±


    Su Lianyue standing aside frowned hard. Even though she had killed many people, she still felt disgusted when touching these corpses. In addition, because she was unskillful in the operation, the cauldron which carried the Rancorous Qi kept wavering under her control. In frustration, she waved her sleeves and knocked the cauldron down on the ground. Traces of black gas spread out from inside the cauldron.


    Everyone inside the cave was startled by her action. They turned around and looked at her, with some doubts and more fear in their eyes. Xiao Chen frowned, and at this moment, a cold voice came from behind, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    More than a hundred disciples came to their minds, and immediately began to do their own work absorbedly as if they hadn¡¯t seen anything. It could be heard that footsteps were approaching gradually in the cave. It turned out to be from Qi Yan, the man in red. He looked at the mini cauldron on the ground, from which black gas floated out, and then looked at Su Lianyue, who disguised as Han Yu, and said coldly, ¡°Pick it up.¡±


    His voice was so cold that it seemed to freeze the air. Everyone shivered and immersed themselves in the work. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe heavily. Xiao Chen frowned. He knew from Han Yun¡¯s memory that the man in front of him was named Qi Yan, who was in the middle stage of the Core Forming Realm. Because of his disagreement with Shen Qing in his early years, he had been targeting the Han brothers. Last month, he even found some excuses to bully the two brothers.


    ¡°I told you to pick it up, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Qi Yan said coldly again, and the disciples trembled again, but a cold killing intention flashed in Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes.


    Xiao Chen frowned, and bent down to pick up the cauldron, but just when he held the cauldron, Qi Yan stepped on it and said, ¡°I told him to pick it up, not you!¡±


    Many people in the cave looked aside at them carefully. Xiao Chen took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and smiled, saying, ¡°My brother just accidentally knocked it over on the ground. Senior Brother Qi, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Su Lianyue squeezed her fingers and finally walked over to pick up the cauldron. Qi Yan snorted, stared at them and then walked forward, saying coldly, ¡°Get to do your job, hurry up! Whoever doesn¡¯t want to live can say it out now!¡±


    None of the disciples dared to say a word, and they continued working until 11 pm. It was colder and colder in the cave as if the air were to freeze the disciples in the cave. Su Lianyue was shivering with cold and her hands were trembling, while others were a little sleepy, too.


    Qi Yan was also a little tired. He yawned and said, ¡°Okay, this is all for today. Come early tomorrow.¡± After saying this, he looked at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue and said, ¡°This time, Senior Brother Yan Liang asked the two of you to send the Grudge Cauldron to Tai Yin Cavity. There must be no mistake about it. Do you understand?¡±


    There were many External Sects like Chang Yin Cavity in the Corpse Refinery Sect. The collected Grudge Cauldrons had to be sent to Tai Yin Cavity first before the sect handed them over to the Internal Sect. No mistake should appear along the way; otherwise, the people involved in this would be killed. As a result, most of the disciples did not want to do such a troublesome job.


    Xiao Chen noticed a glimmer of murdering intention from Qi Yan¡¯s eyes. It seemed that because of what the woman in red said during the day, Elder Xu really had thought about killing him and Su Lianyue. Xiao Chen smiled and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; there won¡¯t be any problem about it.¡±


    The disciples left the cave in an orderly manner and went outside. Although it was still a bit cold outside the cave, it was much better than in the cave. Su Lianyue was still trembling with cold. Xiao Chen looked at her and said, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Su Lianyue put her hands over her shoulders, shook her head and did not speak. After leaving the back mountain, the disciples returned to their rooms to rest, and according to Han Yun¡¯s memory, Xiao Chen found a humble hut with two small wooden beds, as well as some dilapidated tables and chairs. Nevertheless, the room was clean and tidy and was exactly where the two Han brothers lived.


    When Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue entered the room, Xiao Chen immediately closed the doors and windows and set up a Soundproof Barrier that people inside the room could hear the noise of the outside while the people outside the room could not hear the voices of the inside. After she lit up a candle, Su Lianyue immediately changed into her original appearance because her disguise skill could not last long. Xiao Chen also peeled off the leather mask on his face to get some fresh air.


    The two looked at each other, and Xiao Chen habitually made a hush gesture, and then whispered, ¡°We can¡¯t act tonight. Three days later, as Qi Yan has said, we would go to send the Grudge Cauldron. That will be our best opportunity.¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded and said, ¡°Did you find anything strange with the woman in red today? I¡¯ve never heard of it before that there are female disciples in Corpse Refinery Sect.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned and pondered for a long time. The woman in red they met today did not have high cultivation, but Elder Xu was extremely afraid of her. Besides, Ye Wuxin seemed very cautious last night when he acted. It appeared that he was in fear of something. The Corpse Refinery Sect appeared more and more unusual¡­


    ¡°I suddenly thought of something!¡± Su Lianyue suddenly looked serious as if she had been frightened by something. Xiao Chen frowned and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Yu Yangzi, the leader of Corpse Refinery Sect who disappeared three hundred years ago!¡±

 Chapter 398 - A Blurred Night

    ¡°Yu Yangzi?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned, trying hard to recall the memory of Yu Yangzi. Yu Yangzi was the former leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect and was also Ye Wuxin¡¯s master. He suddenly disappeared 300 years ago, but actually, he was secretly plotted by Ye Wuxin and fled from the Corpse Refinery Sect. He later hid in the Changyin Mountain Range to recover with Negative Qi, and tried to devour Su Xiaomei¡¯s soul.


    Given Han Yun and Han Yu¡¯s statuses in the sect, they did not know many things about the seniors of the sect, and all they knew was hearsay. Why did Ye Wuxin plot against his master back then? Did he do that out of his ambition to usurp the power? The reason should not be so simple.


    Xiao Chen tried hard to recall what had happened in the Changyin Mountain Range that day. The things seemed to be that only when the Divine Corpse was revived could the people of the sect break free from a place forever. To revive the Divine Corpse, the leader of each generation of the sect had to be sacrificed. But when it came to Yu Yangzi, he refused to sacrifice himself. However, was the whole thing really so simple? Or did Yu Yangzi actually discover something¡­


    ¡°Sir?¡± Su Lianyue saw Xiao Chen absent-minded again and called him gently.


    Xiao Chen regained his presence of mind and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Su Lianyue thought for a moment and slowly said, ¡°Yu Yangzi disappeared three hundred years ago and he was plotted against by Ye Wuxin, but I think it happened too coincidentally.¡±


    While talking, she slowly wrapped a strand of her hair around her fingers as if she was trying hard to recall something. Xiao Chen looked at her and asked, ¡°What did you mean?¡±


    Su Lianyue released her hair and looked at him, saying, ¡°On July 7th, 300 years ago, many women who were born on July 7th disappeared for no reason.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body quivered slightly at the words. Every time he heard ¡°July 7th¡±, he would be absent-minded for a moment. The news Qingluan got last time also indicated that similar things would happen every several hundred years, and from the looks of it, it had something to do with the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    ¡°So, fairy, in your opinion, we must find Yu Yangzi and ask him clearly about it?¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded and replied, ¡°Yu Yangzi¡¯s body has now been turned into a Corpse Puppet by Ye Wuxin, but his soul must still be in the Corpse Refinery Sect, and he must be willing to help us.¡±


    Xiao Chen squinted slightly. This might be a solution. There were many mountains and innumerable caves in Mountain of Myriad Caves. Only the seniors of the sect knew those top secrets. However, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue did not know where Yu Yangzi¡¯s soul was locked now.


    Faced with question after question, Xiao Chen suddenly felt a little tired. It was getting later and later in the night, chilling air penetrated through the gaps between the doors and windows, and the candlelight on the table swayed slightly.


    ¡°Sir, are you tired?¡± Su Lianyue suddenly asked.


    Xiao Chen rubbed his forehead and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little tired. We can¡¯t investigate these things until three days later. Are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little tired too.¡±


    ¡°En¡­ huh?¡± Xiao Chen suddenly seemed to wake up and looked around. Although there were two beds in this room, it was a narrow room after all, and the two small beds were placed together. There was nothing except the bed edge between the two beds, making them look like one bed. The beds couldn¡¯t be moved, and the bedsheet was put together in a mess¡­


    ¡°It looks like the brothers are very intimate with each other on usual days, but we¡­ are we going to sleep in one room?¡± Su Lianyue looked at Xiao Chen, asking calmly as if she were talking about something unrelated to her.


    Xiao Chen also looked at her and said calmly, ¡°You want me to sleep outside? It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Su Lianyue just looked at him calmly and nodded while replying, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid me. We are in a task right now, and we will arouse suspicion from others if we suddenly sleep in different rooms,¡± Xiao Chen said calmly.


    Su Lianyue took a deep breath and exhaled before turning around to look at the gadgets on the table. The gadgets were all daily necessities, like washboards, brushes, cups, teapots, washbasins¡­ and they were all shared together. It looked like the two Han brothers were really intimate with each other.


    Xiao Chen also looked at the small objects on the table and then looked around inside the humble room. He suddenly felt that the two Han brothers were also very poor. Their family members were all killed, leaving them displaced and alone. Finally, they had to come to the Corpse Refinery Sect, where they were bullied all the time.


    In fact, like the two brothers, many people of the Corpse Refinery Sect had come to the sect because they had no other choice. However, Xiao Chen¡¯s master had once told him that all the people of Devils¡¯ sects were evil and were born for misfortune, so everyone wanted to kill them¡­


    Su Lianyue stroked a small teapot with a chip on the table and suddenly smiled softly while saying, ¡°Actually, I had an older sister. She was so lonely and helpless that she joined the Blue-water Altar of Fort Raksasa in the end.¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment and didn¡¯t speak. He looked at her silently until she finished speaking. He thought that if he hadn¡¯t been saved by his master in the past, he would have joined the Devils¡¯ sects even if he survived¡­


    Su Lianyue took a deep breath, looked up at the moonlight in the back mountain from the western window, smiled, and said, ¡°I was still very young then. After entering the Blue-water Altar, many people bullied me and my sister. Only my sister protected me. At that time, I swore that one day I would make them afraid of me and would protect my sister¡­ ¡±


    Having said that, Su Lianyue turned around, looked at the two small wooden beds that were placed together, and continued with a smile, ¡°I lived in a small wooden house, just like this one, with my sister. My sister and I had been afraid of the cold very much since we were small. Every night, my sister hugged me to sleep. When I saw those people who came in and out of the beautiful palaces and were dressed in beautiful clothes, I envied them so much. At that time, I always said that I must let my sister live in a big palace in the future, but my sister always smiled at my words and said nothing¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue quietly, and somehow, he suddenly felt that she was so beautiful at the moment and wondered how could she be a demonic woman of Devil¡¯s Practice¡¯¡­ He asked, ¡°What happened later?¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and answered, ¡°Later, I finally got what I wanted. I personally killed our former leader, but I haven¡¯t seen my sister for a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡­ Where did she go?¡±


    ¡°She died,¡± Su Lianyue said calmly.


    Xiao Chen trembled slightly at the words and said, ¡°So¡­ sorry.¡±


    Su Lianyue took a deep breath and continued with a smile, ¡°My sister fell in love with a man, but that man was a high-ranking disciple of a famous Cultivators¡¯ sect in East Continent. Once my sister came back, I saw a shallow sword wound around her neck. I asked her about it for several days, and my sister finally told me that the wound was left by the man.¡±


    Xiao Chen shivered slightly and accidentally saw the light red mark on her neck again. The sword wound mark left by the Unsullied Sword was difficult to remove in a short time.


    Su Lianyue continued, ¡°What happened to my sister just like what happened to me when you pointed your sword at me that night. My sister said to that man that she would make him feel sorry for the wound he left on her¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ about what I did to you that night.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and asked, ¡°What? Are you distressed now because of it?¡± Xiao Chen looked aside and said, ¡°No!¡±


    Su Lianyue laughed and said, ¡°What a coincidence that my sister was also wounded by an Unsullied Sword.¡±


    Xiao Chen shivered all over in shock and said, ¡°It¡¯s Brother Yifeng! How could it be possible?¡±


    ¡°Yu Eleven? Har har.¡± Su Lianyue smiled dismissively and said, ¡°How could it be that blockhead? It was his Junior Brother, Wu Nian, who was later known as Leng Ningfeng!¡± Her eyes looked chilling as she said the last sentence.


    Xiao Chen was startled that the man was Leng Ningfeng. It turned out that Leng Ningfeng betrayed his master and sect and followed Devil¡¯s Practice all because of Sister Su Lianyue¡­


    ¡°So, none of the men in the world is good!¡± Su Lianyue flicked her sleeves, and she suddenly became a little excited. ¡°He said that he would rather disappoint the whole world than her in his next life, but he could not even protect his lover this life, let alone his next life! What qualifications did he have to meet her again in his next life? Was he trying to hurt her again?¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly felt severe pain in his heart. Su Lianyue saw his expression and sneered, saying, ¡°What? Did you say the same words before?¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head, saying, ¡°You girls will never understand something. Maybe what Leng Ningfeng thought at that time was that she would never be more important than the common people to him, but she must be more important than his own life. As a cultivator, he should take the common people¡¯s lives as the most important thing in the world¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t want to hear you say that!¡±


    Xiao Chen was confused and looked up at her. ¡°Fairy?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ahem.¡± Su Lianyue coughed twice slightly and said, ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± For a moment, both of them were a little embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, and we have to work hard tomorrow. Don¡¯t make others suspect us. Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Xiao Chen coughed and made the bed. The bedsheet looked clean and should have been washed recently. He turned his head and asked, ¡°Do you want to sleep inward or outward?¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face blushed, and she pinched her fingers. After a short while, she whispered, ¡°In¡­ inward.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ rest assured, I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I dare you!¡± Su Lianyue said and held Purple Jade Flute in her hand.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Actually, Xiao Chen more or less had¡­ a kind of indescribable feeling, which was very subtle yet not so bad.


    After a while, the two finally slept on their respective small beds, and Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were blushed as she whispered, ¡°Well¡­ you can put out the candle now.¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed in a light voice and put out the candlelight with one palm. However, everything seemed hazier in the moonlight that shone through the window. Su Lianyue put her two hands tightly on her chest and held Purple Jade Flute, her face was faintly blushed, and she was still thinking about Xiao Chen¡¯s words ¡°She would never be more important than the common life to him, but she must be more important than his own life¡­¡±


    The night was very quiet, and there was no chirping outside. With the two at such a close distance, Xiao Chen could clearly smell the faint fragrance of Su Lianyue, and he could also hear her breathing and heartbeat and could not help thinking of the day in the woods when she disguised as a demon fox to charm him.


    Thinking of the scene at that time, thinking of that Su Lianyue, who had transformed into a demon fox, stood in front of him and was naked, thinking of her soft whisper, her tender body¡­ Xiao Chen could not help but feel blood rush into his head.


    It took a lot of energy to extract Rancorous Qi, and he was obviously sleepy just now, but now he couldn¡¯t sleep at all! Romantic scenes automatically emerged in his mind, and Su Lianyue¡¯s seductive trick was so powerful. If she now¡­


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Ah? What¡¯s the matter? Is Ye Wuxin coming?¡± Xiao Chen immediately came back to his mind, pretending to be calm and pretending that he was just thinking about the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­ sleepy just now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xiao Chen was speechless for a moment. As he saw her head rest on the pillow at the moment, her cheeks red, her eyes affectionate, her lips rosy, and the thin quilt on her body sketch out her body figure, Xiao Chen suddenly felt dizzy.


    Suddenly, a cold wind blew in through the window. Su Lianyue shivered in cold. Xiao Chen asked her in order to hide his embarrassment, ¡°Are you¡­ cold?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­ a little bit.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know why he moved involuntarily to her side when he heard her soft voice at the moment. Su Lianyue was dazed, and her face became even more blushed. Her hands holding Purple Jade Flute were also gradually relaxed little by little.

 Chapter 399 - Weird Chill

    There was fragrant fragrance in the air. At this moment, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were only two feet away, and they could clearly feel each other¡¯s breath. They looked at each other, and the moonlight shining into the hut seemed to become tender.


    Another gust of cold wind blew into the room. They could not keep warm under the thin quilt at all. They looked at each other, and there was tender light in Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes. The night seemed to be more blurred.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s mind was in a mess at the moment. Even though it was him, he could not get used to the coldness of Chang Yin Cavity for he had come there not long. At this moment, looking at Su Lianyue¡¯s charming appearance, he wanted to reach out and hug her slender waist¡­


    A cold wind blew in once more. Su Lianyue shivered a bit, and Xiao Chen also shivered slightly, but it seemed not because of the cold. The cold wind kept blowing in the room. Xiao Chen whispered to her, ¡°Hey¡­ are you cold?¡±


    Su Lianyue didn¡¯t speak as if her thoughts were also in a mess. She was still thinking about Xiao Chen¡¯s words ¡°She would never be more important than the common life to him, but she must be more important than his own life¡­¡±


    As for Xiao Chen, he was thinking about her story she told him just now that she and her sister had been afraid of cold since young and that they were bullied by others after they entered Blue-water Altar in helplessness¡­ It seemed more chilling outside the window. The two approached each other little by little. They were so close that there was only the bed edge between them and they could clearly smell each other¡¯s scent.


    ¡°Sir¡­ are you cold too?¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were blushed as she said gently, and her eyes seemed to be more fluid. She had just got a chill, and she didn¡¯t know why she wanted to make love with him and press her body his and stay with him forever.


    Although Xiao Chen was a cultivator, he had not rid himself of the Deity of Three Corpses. He knew that it was natural for a man to adore a woman. At the moment, as he smelled the sweet and fragrant breaths of Su Lianyue, heard her tender voice, and looked at her watery eyes and ruddy cheeks, he found it even more difficult to control his desire. He said, ¡°I¡­ feel a little¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished his words, Xiao Chen was caught by a chill, and it became more and more difficult for him to control his desire, which overwhelmed him like a flood breaking the dike. What he felt now was completely different from what he felt when she tried to charm him as a demon fox that day. He didn¡¯t want to think about anything at the moment, such as Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice, and he only wanted to hold Su Lianyue in his arms.


    Both their eyes became gentle and watery as if their glances were to melt the moonlight in the room. Xiao Chen moved slightly, finally lifted the thin sheet on Su Lianyue¡¯s body, gently placed his arm around her slender waist, and felt her soft and tender skin.


    Su Lianyue trembled slightly all over as if she had been struck by a small electric shock, and she felt numb all over her body but she made no struggle and let Xiao Chen touch her body. At this moment, she found his eyes so affectionate, and both of them seemed to have changed into another person.


    At this moment, they looked into each other¡¯s eyes as if they were looking at their beloved lovers. Xiao Chen gently fondled upward along her body, and when he touched her soft breast, Su Lianyue groaned, and her face became more blushed and her eyes looked even tenderer. She whispered in a light voice, ¡°Sir¡­¡± She reached out involuntarily to hug Xiao Chen¡¯s neck.


    With watery eyes, the two were about to embrace each other when a sudden noise came from the window. Another gust of cold wind blew into the room. Both of them got a chill and withdrew their hands quickly. Xiao Chen was startled and suddenly woke up, saying, ¡°There is something wrong. This chill ¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue immediately came to her senses, and then she looked out of the west window, but she could see nothing except for the bleak moonlight that shone through the window.


    Xiao Chen made a hush gesture, and they both held their breaths, but there was no sound outside. There was only a gust of cold air, a gust of extremely terrifying cold air that came from somewhere unknown but covered Mountain of Myriad Caves.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heartbeat sped up. The cold air gave him an inexplicable feeling, like someone¡¯s wondering Divine Sense which was extremely cold yet somewhat tender and mournful. A moment later, the cold air gradually dissipated, and Xiao Chen¡¯s and Su Lianyue¡¯s hands were soaked in cold sweats. At the moment, they regained the presence of their minds and found that they were so close to each other, and they immediately moved further from each other as if they had been shocked.


    Su Lianyue held her Purple Jade Flute in a fluster and held it tightly in front of her chest. As soon as she uttered the word ¡°you¡±, her face immediately flushed with shame. When she thought of that just now, the two of them almost¡­ her heart beat fast.


    Xiao Chen was also stunned. The chill he felt just now was extremely cold and full of resentment yet carried some subtle emotions. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were affected by the emotions inadvertently just now. The emotions were like wanting to be with someone forever.


    Xiao Chen came back to his mind. So far, as he thought, the strongest person he had ever met was the man who froze himself in ice on the Violet Illusory Land in the Immortals¡¯ League, and the owner of the chill he just felt was no weaker than this frozen man.


    ¡°Fairy, just now¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face was still flushed with shame, and she placed Purple Jade Flute tightly on her chest and said, ¡°If you dare to come closer again, I will make you suffer a lot!¡±


    ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± Xiao Chen wanted to say something but felt that the more he explained, the more complicated the things would be. He simply turned over on the bed and fell onto the floor. With his legs crossed, he started to run his Qi inside, saying, ¡°Sleep now. I¡¯ll guard you here.¡±


    Su Lianyue looked like a frightened fawn at this moment and guarded against him. Her body trembling slightly, she didn¡¯t know why she would have such a strong desire for him just now. She felt she shared the will of that cold chill that she wanted to be someone forever and never be separated even after thousands of years¡­


    The two spent the night like this. Xiao Chen meditated until morning, and he looked a little tired. Su Lianyue didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep and was a little tired when she woke up. It was dawn, and it was time to go to the corpse-refining cave to extract Malicious Grudge. Xiao Chen put on his mask, changing into Han Yun¡¯s appearance. Su Lianyue also changed her appearance into Han Yu¡¯s.


    The two did not say a word when they went outside. They worked all day until 11 pm. Due to what happened last night, they did not talk to each other all day. It was extremely exhausting to extract Rancorous Qi from the corpses. When Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue returned to their room, they changed into their original appearances, and their faces were full of tiredness.


    They looked at each other and shivered in cold. Su Lianyue held Purple Jade Flute in her hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t approach me tonight!¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed and looked quite embarrassed. He put out the candlelight in the room, and the two of them went to bed separately. Moonlight shone into the room just like last night, and the familiar chill came back to them again. They shivered in cold once more and felt colder and colder. Su Lianyue kept trembling in cold as last night.


    Xiao Chen closed his eyes and kept reciting Mind-clearing Tactic in his mind, but when he thought of what happened last night, he breathed rapidly. The same was true of Su Lianyue. Biting her lips tightly, she could not control her emotions and wanted to make love with Xiao Chen as if a Divine Sense were leading her thoughts. Her mind was in a mess again.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Finally, Su Lianyue¡¯s hands that tightly held Purple Jade Flute loosened slowly.


    Xiao Chen tried hard to restrain his emotions and even wanted to knock himself out with one palm. If something really happened between them now, he was afraid that Su Lianyue would kill him when she became sober again, given her character. Once they caused a stir in the Corpse Refinery Sect, something terrible would happen to them.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks turned blushed, and her breathing gradually became quicker. She said intermittently, ¡°Sir¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t put up with it anymore. This place is so weird. Let¡¯s stop the investigation and leave here tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Treat me as your biggest enemy, the man that killed your sister¡­¡± Xiao Chen also had some difficulty in controlling himself, but he still tried to remain sober.


    Su Lianyue moved her body slightly, making the wooden bed squeak continuously, and she groaned, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t hold on anymore ¡­ I¡¯m so cold. Please¡­ Please seal my acupuncture points now¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen closed his eyes and struck her acupoints with two fingers. However, this was a weak strike, and both of them shivered when he touched her soft body. With a gentle groan, Su Lianyue was suddenly out of control and clutched his hand tightly, saying ¡°Sir ¡­ if there is a next life, don¡¯t forget me¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s palms clung to the softest part of her body, and his thoughts became more and more chaotic. He didn¡¯t know why this strange chill seemed to be able to control people¡¯s minds. ¡°Don¡¯t forget me¡­ Remember me forever¡­ ¡±


    At this moment, the two talked to each other like two intimate lovers, but Xiao Chen still managed to remain calm. He told himself that he couldn¡¯t stain her innocence. He didn¡¯t know whether he could keep sober like this in the next few days when he encountered this strange cold chill again.


    Finally, the cold chill retreated, and the two separated quickly. They started to circulate their cultivation to keep their breath stable. In this way, they spent two nights in confusion. On the third night, the Rancorous Qi collection work was finally finished, and they could leave there tomorrow.


    After these three days, the two of them were absent-minded. Due to what happened during the previous two nights, the relationship between them seemed to have become more and more subtle, and they rarely talked to each other. This night, they found a place to wash the Corpse Qi off their bodies and returned to their room. Tomorrow, they would set off to send the Grudge Cauldron to Tai Yin Cavity, and they would take the opportunity to sneak into the Internal Sect.


    In the room, the candlelight flickered. Su Lianyue¡¯s delicate brows furrowed, and her hair was moist. Xiao Chen didn¡¯t speak, and he was just thinking about how to sneak into the Internal Sect tomorrow. By then, he would hand over the Grudge Cauldron to a person named Shen Qing. It seemed that his investigation had to start with Shen Qing.


    This night, there was still moonlight in the room. Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were slightly blushed, her hands clenched in front of her chest, and she looked even more charming. After a long while, the cold chill that visited them the previous two nights didn¡¯t come this night as expected. The two looked at each other and felt a little strange. At the same time, they seemed to have some other feelings¡­


    Early the next morning, they went to Elder Xu¡¯s cave. Yan Liang and Qi Yan were both there. Sitting high on the chair in the hall, he looked much better than the other day. There was a black box on the stone platform beside him.


    ¡°Han Yun, Han Yu.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue replied in unison.


    Elder Xu nodded and continued, ¡°As usual, after you send the Grudge Cauldron there, let them check it in your presence, and then you can leave. This is the Rancorous Qi that could be used for 15 years.¡± The elder raised his hand towards the black box beside him, and Qi Yan immediately took the box to Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue.


    ¡°Understand!¡± Xiao Chen received the box and checked inside it with his Divine Sense. He saw fifteen mini cauldrons inside the box, which was the right number, but he found Qi Yan¡¯s eyes somewhat strange.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue carried the box and received two tokens. They didn¡¯t say much as they left Chang Yin Cavity. A hundred miles away westward was where the Tai Yin Cavity was located. When Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue covered fifty miles, there was a rustling sound behind them. They stopped walking, and Xiao Chen said lightly, ¡°Since you have followed us all the way, please show up now.¡±

 Chapter 400 - Shen Qing

    With the sound of rustle, the branches began to shake, and three figures, all of whom were at the peak of the Foundation Building Realm, appeared in front of Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue. The next second, a smirking voice sounded. ¡°Junior Brother Han, it surprised me that you found me. It seems that your cultivation has increased greatly recently.¡±


    The man who spoke was no other than Qi Yan, who was clad in red. Xiao Chen turned around and smiled slightly, saying, ¡°If I even couldn¡¯t find a Core Forming Realm cultivator like you, following behind me, wouldn¡¯t I be a joke?¡±


    Qi Yan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why did he just look like a different person in just two hours? Shouldn¡¯t he be scared when he saw me at these barren mountains?¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°Junior Brother Han, let¡¯s get it straight. Hand over the Grudge Cauldron, and I will send it to Tai Yin Cavity for you.¡± When Qi Yan spoke, there was a cold flash in his eyes. Apparently, he was planning to quietly remove these two Han brothers, and his three underlings had now revealed the dagger in their arms.


    Xiao Chen smiled, and carried the box containing Grudge Cauldron in his hand, saying, ¡°Well, Senior Brother, maybe you can come and get it in person.¡±


    Qi Yan¡¯s eyes narrowed and he felt more and more surprised as he wondered, ¡°Hasn¡¯t he realized that he is going to be killed? Or what tricks did he want to play?¡± Nevertheless, at the Core Forming Realm, he was not afraid of a cultivator at the Foundation Building Realm. He slowly walked over and said flatly, ¡°Junior Brother Han, don¡¯t use any tricks ¡­¡± When speaking, he pressed his palm on the box.


    However, he immediately felt numb all over as if he had got a shock. When he responded, he could not even move his fingers. Seeing this, his three underlings immediately drew out their daggers, but after they took only one step forward, they found themselves unable to move any longer. It seemed that they got bound by a strange force in a moment.


    The four looked horrified. Qi Yan was the first one to react, and he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°He is in the Nascent Soul Realm!¡± He soon realized something, and asked in a panic, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Now, Xiao Chen had entered the last stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, and he was almost as powerful as Elder Xu. At this moment, trapped in Xiao Chen¡¯s Absolute Domain, Yan Qi and his three underlings were unable to move at all as if they had been trapped in a quagmire, and they looked very scared.


    Qi Yan was caught by horror, a horror from death. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue must have a purpose in sneaking into the Corpse Refinery Sect, so Qi Yan would not be able to survive since he had found them. ¡°Slap!¡± A crisp sound reverberated in the woods as Su Lianyue walked over and slapped Qi Yan fiercely on the face.


    ¡°Are you here under Elder Xu¡¯s order?¡± Xiao Chen asked lightly.


    Qi Yan looked terrified, and said in a quavering voice, ¡°Yes! Yes! I¡¯m too shallow to recognize your eminence and offended you two immortals. Please spare my vile life. You can rest assured that I will never say a word about this.¡±


    People are afraid of death, especially someone who would be promoted soon like Qi Yan. Xiao Chen replied indifferently, ¡°Only dead people won¡¯t speak.¡±


    As soon as this statement was made, the four people felt like falling into an ice cellar. Of course, Xiao Chen was only scaring them. It was not the time to kill them because Xiao Chen needed them to return to report.


    ¡°Please, please don¡¯t kill me!¡± Qi Yan was frightened to tremble. At this moment, the only idea he had was to live. Xiao Chen looked at him and smiled before saying, ¡°OK, but I want a ray of your Soul¡¯s Life Source, is it okay?¡±


    For a cultivator, it was very dangerous to have his so-called Soul¡¯s Life Source grabbed by others. As long as his Soul¡¯s Life Source was shattered, he would die immediately unless he was a supernatural person like Yu Yangzi.


    Therefore, many major forces would control their subordinates basically by taking and keeping those subordinates¡¯ Soul¡¯s Life Sources. Each disciple of Corpse Refinery Sect had been required to leave a trace of their Soul¡¯s Life Sources in the sect to prevent future rebellion. Hidden Fragrance Wafting under the Moon, the sect Qingluan was in, had a similar rule.


    Of course, there was another benefit of Soul¡¯s Life Source. Once someone died outside, his clansmen might be able to use his Soul¡¯s Life Source to revive him, so some large families usually also kept their members¡¯ Soul¡¯s Life Sources within the clan. Of course, they would hide these souls well.


    Upon hearing that they were let off, Qi Yan and his three underlings immediately said, ¡°Thank you, Great Immortal. Thank you for sparing my life.¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped talking and handed the black box containing Grudge Cauldron to Su Lianyue. Then, he took out a piece of jade and pointed between Qi Yan¡¯s eyebrows with two fingers, and immediately pulled a plume of blue smoke into the jade.


    When Qi Yan saw that his Soul¡¯s Life Source fell into the hands of others, his face went pale instantly, and he went down on his knees and trembled, saying, ¡°I will never say more than half a word ¡­ And I only hope that when Great Immortal leaves, you can return my soul ¡­¡± The more he said, the lower his voice was.


    Xiao Chen answered with a smile, ¡°It depends on your performance.¡± After saying that, he reached backward and immediately took a trace of the soul from each of Qi Yan¡¯s three underlings. Given that he was in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, he could take the souls of the Foundation Building Realm cultivators easily.


    The three underlings looked pale as well, slumped, and were afraid to speak. Xiao Chen looked at Qi Yan and said, ¡°You know what to say when you go back. Be careful not to spill the beans.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I will! Please rest assured, Great Immortal!¡± Qi Yan nodded quickly for fear that he would lose his life if he replied slower than expected.


    Xiao Chen no longer looked at these three men, and said to Su Lianyue, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not too far from the Tai Yin Cavity.¡±


    They left the woods and continued to walk westward for dozens of miles. Although it¡¯s almost noon, the Mountain of Myriad Caves was gloomy, the trees covered the sky, and the closer they were to the Tai Yin Cavity, the colder they felt. Su Lianyue could not help but beat several quivering in a row.


    Finally, after a while, they saw a distant mountain peak surrounded by clouds and mist, like Chang Yin Cavity. They thought it must be Tai Yin Cavity. They walked to the foot of the mountain, and after they used the token given by Elder Xu to remove the blindfolding fog, they saw long stone stairs leading up. Compared with the Chang Yin Cavity, Tai Yin Cavity looked a lot grander, and there were pruned pine and cypress on both sides of the stairs.


    The two walked up to the stairs and walked for a while. They saw someone holding a box up in front of them. Presumably, the other sects also came to send the grudges. When they almost reached the end of the stairs, Xiao Chen saw two centuries-old Corpse Puppets standing on the two sides of the top, and there were four disciples of Tai Yin Cavity next to them, one by one checking the identity of the person who carried Grudge Cauldron.


    Xiao Chen frowned and looked at Su Lianyue, who also frowned. Sometimes, it was easy to deceive human beings but hard to deceive the walking dead like Corpse Puppets. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue all regretted that they shouldn¡¯t have washed away the Corpse Qi on their body last night.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you come up here?¡± a disciple of Tai Yin Cavity shouted at them.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue hesitated no more and went up and handed the box to the two Tai Yin disciples. The two disciples opened and checked the box, and then one of them asked, ¡°What about the token?¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue handed their tokens to them hurriedly. After the two disciples checked the tokens, they nodded while saying, ¡°Well, go to the hall and wait there for Senior Brother Shen Qing.¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue breathed a sigh of relief, took back the box and their tokens, and were pending to move. Suddenly, the two Corpse Puppets moved, and at the same time, they shot two cold gazes at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue.


    ¡°Wait! Stop!¡± Seeing the Corpse Puppets reactions, the four disciples responsible for checking the identity of the visitors immediately stopped Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue and looked nervous. Some people who were not far away ahead of them turned back and looked at Xiao Chen and whispered to each other, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he had a bad foreboding. At this moment, a man¡¯s clear voice came from the distance saying, ¡°They are my Junior Brothers.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up and saw a man in black cloth standing in the distance. The man was as tall as him. Xiao Chen learned from Han Yun¡¯s memory that this man was Shen Qing, and at this moment, he had a strange feeling.


    ¡°You go to Tai Yin Mansion and wait there for me. I still have something to consult with Elders now.¡± After saying that, Shen Qing went further away, leaving his back to them. Somehow, Xiao Chen felt it a little familiar.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know you are introduced by Senior Brother Shen Qing. Now, please go this way.¡± A disciple responsible for checking the identity smiled, and the two Corpse Puppets also stood back as if nothing had happened.


    Xiao Chen smiled slightly at the four, and walked with Su Lianyue to the inner square. After walking for a while, he saw many palaces, carved beams, and white jade steps. If it¡¯s not for the gloomy atmosphere here, the sect would be as splendid as other Cultivators¡¯ sects.


    It took them almost one hour to reach a large palace called Tai Yin Mansion, and along the way, they saw many stone statues and buildings. Corpse Refinery Sect was really a strange sect that it named its palace as a mansion, and its External Sect was forbidden to name any of its buildings as ¡°palace¡±. Even an Internal Sect disciple would be punished if he mentioned taboo words.


    There were already more than a dozen people sitting in the hall. They laughed while chatting, so there was no need to be restrained. They seemed to have been here many times. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue entered the hall and sat down casually, and someone brought tea and snacks to them in a while.


    Although the Corpse Refinery Sect belonged to Devil¡¯s Practice, in fact, as long as one didn¡¯t do anything or say anything wrong, there would be nothing wrong with him. Especially, one shouldn¡¯t say anything wrong or ask anything that shouldn¡¯t be asked. In the words of some Elders, knowing too much was not a good thing. Thus, sometimes, the consequences of saying the wrong things were more serious than doing the wrong things. Therefore, the members of the Sect were spiritless and they spoke little.


    About half an hour later, a man in black cloth walked in. Seeing him, the people in the hall immediately stood up and greeted him respectfully, ¡°Senior Brother Shen Qing.¡±


    Shen Qing was handsome, with a sharp outline of his face, and usually did not laugh at all, but basically, no one would see him get angry. He never showed any emotion, so he was highly regarded by several elders of External Sect and was most likely to rise to be a disciple of Internal Sect.


    Xiao Chen trembled suddenly, and Shen Qing immediately looked at him and Su Lianyue, and nodded at them while saying, ¡°Junior Brother Han Yun, Junior Brother Han Yu.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and replied, ¡°Senior Brother Shen Qing.¡±


    Xiao Chen felt familiar with Shen Qing, but he couldn¡¯t tell why he would have such a feeling. Judging by Han Yun¡¯s memory, Shen Qing should be at the peak of the Core Forming Realm, but when Xiao Chen carefully used Divine Sense to check on Shen Qing, his sense was blocked by a mysterious aura from him, so he couldn¡¯t help but shiver just now, and was a little lost.

 Chapter 401 - Infiltrating the Internal Sect

    Shen Qing cast a long look down the hall, beholding the view of everyone peering up at him. In a cool voice, he intoned, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please take a seat, all of you. There will be people coming for the Grudge Cauldrons.¡±


    Everyone sank back into their chairs. But the merry mood was all but stifled with only the palpable angst of tension hanging over the hall like an apparition. But their attentions were diverted when four men, all cloaked in dark, entered the hall. Two of them began counting through the number of Rancorous Qi in the Cauldrons and the two others were holding brush pens and bamboo slips to record their colleagues¡¯ tally.


    There was a total of a hundred and thirty year¡¯s worth of Rancorous Qi when the count was finished. A century and thirty years¡¯ worth of malice and grudge that they could inject into any Corpse Puppet to enhance its strength, although this would be an attempt that no one could be ensured of its success.


    In most cases, attempts to inject malice and grudge into a Corpse Puppet usually results in less than half that number successfully infused. The probability suffers even more while injecting malice and grudge into a Corpse Puppet with already centuries-old of hatred and enmity.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze traveled to the Grudge Cauldrons being tagged and arranged neatly and felt something was amiss. Something within him told him that the grudge and malice these cauldrons were carrying were not intended for common Corpse Puppets. The Divine Corpse from the rumors, perhaps?


    The orderlies went about making sure that the Cauldrons were all tightly sealed and store within the sacks known to be used specially by acolytes of the Corpse Refinery Sect. When their work was done, Shen Qing addressed the hall by clearing his throat loudly. ¡°Ah, yes. One more thing. I will select four among your number to deliver the Cauldrons. A few disciples of the Tai Yin Cavity shall not be available.¡±


    The Corpse Refinery Sect has a long litany of rules and protocols that its members adhere to with the strictest obedience. A simple task that Shen Qing alone could have easily handled required four men for the sake of decorum and dignity. Everyone traded quick and hasty looks, their eyes gleaming with excitement. None of them had ever set eyes on the Summit of Mystics, the abode of reserved exclusively mainly for members of the Internal Sect, let alone being bestowed the chance of going there. To be permitted entry was a glory beyond measure for every one of them.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face curdled into a frown. Su Lianyue looked at him and they exchanged a quick look. The Summit of Mystics of the Mountains of Myriad Caves was exactly where, they believed, laid the answers they sought. Before they could even say anything to each other, Shen Qing caught sight of them. ¡°The two of you there. You will come with me.¡±


    They shuddered with surprise but Xiao Chen was quick to the take. With a humble bow, he muttered deeply, ¡°Our deepest thanks Senior Brother Shen Qing.¡±


    Shen Qing¡¯s gaze lingered upon them for several beats, before he peeled off and looked at another two men who looked ordinary, saying, ¡°The two of you too. You¡¯ll come with me as well.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you! Thank you so much, Senior Brother Shen Qing!¡± The two men breathed tersely, vehement with gratitude and elation. The rest of the acolytes were visibly crestfallen for not being selected.


    The crowd dispersed with the haunting mood of disappointment, leaving only Xiao Chen, Su Lianyue and two other selected acolytes to follow Shen Qing to the Summit of Mystics to deliver the Cauldrons. The five departed once their work here was completed. Xiao Chen and his companions followed carefully behind a dour and taciturn Shen Qing with the two other acolytes hardly uttering anything behind.


    Xiao Chen did his best to commit to mind their windy route through myriads of strange flora and fauna and misted Cloaking Barriers. The deathly chill in the air only grew thicker and stronger the deeper they traveled; so strong that even the two acolytes behind them were shivering and grimacing in the cold.


    Everything around them looked bleaker and ghastlier by the second as the darkness of the dusk fell. Not even the strongest and most powerful man could hardly resist the cold fingers of a shiver up his spine in such a dreadful place. One of the acolytes behind finally squeaked, ¡°Err¡­ Are we not there yet, Senior Brother Shen Qing?¡±


    His colleague beside him quickly gave him a tug on the sleeve and a look, gesturing him to be quiet. ¡°Nearly there,¡± Shen Qing answered brusquely. A gloomy path appeared just ahead through the opaque veils of mists as soon as he finished, curving into Heaven knows where. All that they could feel from the path overshadowed from even the slightest speck of light was the ominous feel of death and frost.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at our destination right after this little track.¡±


    As he spoke, Shen Qing pushed aside the briar vines that hung in his way and the four behind him scurried at his heels. Night descended upon the mountain ranges after a half-hour walk and the mists were beginning to thin, unraveling the mysterious peaks that were shrouded before. The summits of the mountains were hardly precipitously tall, but they were flat plateaus so wide that they stretched off out of sight into the dark of the night.


    So stood the stronghold of the Internal Sect of the Corpse Refinery Sect, the Summit of Mystics. Even Xiao Chen was awed by the secrecy of this place; it was so well-hidden amongst the mountains that no one would have been able to come here without a guide.


    The Corpse Refinery Sect has always been shrouded by the veil of mystery and its members were known to be formidable enemies despite their best attempts to remain hidden from the eyes of the common folk. Hardly anyone knew anything about this infernal order. More so, since its members have never been actively involved in the ever-perpetual war between Good and Evil. Yet, no one would discount their might; a single century-old Corpse Puppet could easily defeat a mage of the Nascent Soul Realm. As if it could not get any worse, no one could tell for sure if this sect has the hidden strength of any mages of the Nirvana Realm.


    A pale sliver of the silvery moon showed a glimpse from behind the plumes of clouds lulling lazily in the sky. The party reached the foot of the mountain and came to a guard post manned by a pair of sentries. They saw the party approaching and boomed, ¡°HALT!¡±


    Their faces were the color of curdled milk with hardly any blushes of life as Chen Qing bowed slightly, reporting himself stiffly, ¡°Shen Qing of the Tai Yin Cavity here to deliver the Grudge Cauldrons.¡±


    This was his third visit here and the sentries could recognize him. But the Sect suffers no shortfall in protocol and rules. He allowed himself to be inspected and one of the sentries led the party up the hill.


    Scores of ornately-furnished halls, towers, and staff quarters, aside from the many cavernous chambers hewn from stone, served the use for the members of the Inner Sect. Ghostly-green flames blazed proudly, lighting up the spires of the halls that stood in the grim darkness atop the Summit, although no one knew what the flames were for. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue pressed on with extreme caution, making sure that their auras were properly concealed.


    They came to an open square that took up much of the mid-hill area. It looked nothing different from the magnificent plazas that guarded the front of the strongholds of the orders and sects of the Orthodox Path, with plants and trees to spruce up the environment and richly-constructed halls and quarters which would have been a pretty and tranquil sight if not for the ghastly and dreary atmosphere. At afar stood the shadowy silhouettes of other men, cloaked by the darkness that Xiao Chen could not see what they were doing.


    The party of six reached the center of the flagstoned plaza when they saw a woman dressed in red coming their way. Her face was hard and cold like ice when Shen Qing and the sentry greeted her politely, ¡°Lady Ambassador.¡±


    The woman¡¯s head dipped just a little, a perfunctory acknowledgment to her underlings. Then her gaze traveled to Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue, making them shudder a little. This was the same woman whom they had seen a few days ago!


    The woman in red clearly recognized them as her penetrating stare bore into them. But she said nothing, veering off into another direction. In a hushed voice, Shen Qing hastened, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They continued until they came before the opened doors of a handsome hall with the bleak glows of candles flickering inside. At the doors stood four door wardens, each with the same deadpan expression of stone. One would have easily mistaken them for dead men. The sentry who had led the party went to one of them and reported concisely, ¡°Orderlies of the Tai Yin Cavity with some Grudge Cauldrons.¡±


    The door warden nodded curtly and Shen Qing led everyone into the hall where they waited. The two acolytes who came with them waited nervously, trying their best to not fidget and moved hardly an inch. It was their first visit here and they were terribly anxious. Xiao Chen sat down beside Shen Qing and put up an edgy expression himself.


    Before long, an old, gnarly man managed up the steps and into the hall. A pair of dark-cloaked men followed behind him obediently. In long flowing robes and white beard and hairs streaming almost similarly under the dismal luminescence of the candles slowly melting to their deaths, his cheeks blushed with a rosy scarlet, an odd contrast from the rest of everyone else here.


    ¡°Elder Song,¡± Shen Qing scrambled to his feet and addressed the old man courteously. The two acolytes with them got up too and were about to speak but their words choked in their throats on second thought; lowly orderlies such as them should not be speaking to an Elder of the Internal Sect.


    Elder Song merely nodded slightly. His presence alone was asphyxiating. Shen Qing dug from his sack and placed the black box containing the Cauldrons on the polished floors of the hall. Gently, he explained, ¡°A hundred and thirty-seven years¡¯ worth of grudge and malice here, Elder. Feel free to inspect them.¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s head dipped pompously. The two cloaked servants behind him came forth and made their count. When they were finished, Shen Qing reported, ¡°So ends our delivery this time. But there is something else, Sir, that I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to loiter here a little longer.¡± He paused and a thoughtful gleam flashed across his eyes.


    Elder Song peered at him. Rules and protocols are strictly observed in the Corpse Refinery Sect. Acolytes of the External Sect visiting the Internal Sect on business could only stay for one night and one night only. Elder Song¡¯s eyes wavered unsteadily in the lambent illumination and he asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Shen Qing cleared his throat and shot a quick look at Xiao Chen, Su Lianyue and the two acolytes that came with them, muttering, ¡°Off with you lot back to your quarters.¡±


    Elder Song nodded knowingly and ordered one of the door wardens outside to lead the rest of the party to their temporary quarters. Xiao Chen exchanged a quick glance with Su Lianyue and said nothing as they followed the lead of the door warden away.


    The temporary lodgings of the Corpse Refinery Sect were hardly the shabby or dingy-looking tenements that Xiao Chen expected. At the very least, it was a huge improvement from the wooden shed at the Chang Yin Cavity. The two acolytes of the Tai Yin Cavity shared a room while Xiao Chen and his companion shared another. Xiao Chen made full sure that the doors and windows were closed and the curtains completely drawn as soon as they went in, then they lighted the oil lamps to prevent setting off any unwanted suspicion.


    Sue Lianyue cast a spell that erected a sound barrier and turned back to her own appearance. ¡°Did you manage to remember the way back?¡± She whispered.


    Xiao Chen nodded. Shen Qing would be staying here at least until tomorrow but he was sure that the rest of them would be expected to leave this place soon. But there was something strange about that Shen Qing that he could not quite shake off. Nevertheless, he was hardly concerned about having to leave this place; he could just as easily slip back in at night.


    The days with Su Lianyue have made them close partners. Wearied by the day¡¯s toiling, she went wordlessly to bed. She sat on the side of the bed as usual with Xiao Chen on the table. Just before the time struck nine, Xiao Chen blew out the flame on the lamp and the room went dark.


    Everything outside was dead quiet by the next hour and the frigidness in the air only grew by the minute. Such was a night in the Summit of Mystics where one could never miss the gloomy nip that reeked only of death and decay. Another half-hour passed by swiftly and still, there was no sign of Shen Qing returning. Xiao Chen looked at his companion whose eyes were trained upon him in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to what they say,¡± Su Lianyue suggested and she disguised herself as Han Yu again.


    Carefully, Xiao Chen allowed his Divine Sense to reach outside the room. He first made sure that everyone next door was asleep before he let the door ajar and let himself out quietly with Su Lianyue following behind. Then they vanished into the veil of night.


    A frosty draft blew across the Summit as the pair flitted through the woods so quickly like an arrow. Under the shadows of the canopies of the forests, they traveled light-footed, leaving hardly any mark or sound while they expertly avoided any patrolling sentinels. Before long, they reached the expansive square and they signaled each other for silence and descended on the cold, paved stones of the quiet plaza which would have been empty if not for the four patrolling guards who noticed them.


    ¡°HALT! WHO¡¯S THERE!¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue stopped in their tracks. Xiao Chen swiveled slowly, releasing his aura and demonstrating his powers of the Nascent Soul Realm as his icy stare held the four sentries in an invisible grip. None of them could resist a shiver of fear as a bead of cold sweat trickled down their heads.


    ¡°Where is Elder Song now?¡± Xiao Chen inquired with ice in his voice, sounding so imperious and imposing that none of the four dared to yelp a sound. Finally, one of them managed to muster enough courage to deflect the question by asking in a quivering tone, ¡°B-but where are you two seniors from?¡±


    ¡°The Hall of Plenitude!¡± Su Lianyue boomed each syllable with a sonorous thunder. The faces of the four men went pale as Death as they trembled even more.

 Chapter 402 - A Place Worser Than Hell

    Xiao Chen¡¯s staggering presence swept through the floors of the plaza with the force of an unstoppable tide and the four sentries were as pale as Death. The Chamber of Chills presided by Elder Song was merely one of the lowest in the hierarchy of the Internal Sect while the Hall of Plenitude was the abode of the high chieftain, Ye Wuxin.


    The knees of the four sentries were threatening to buckle with fear. Xiao Chen¡¯s astounding aura that dwarfed even the Nascent Soul aura of Elder Song¡¯s indicated to them that these people could be somebody with high stature and standing in the order. But never did they expected to hear that these two people were direct subordinates to the high chieftain himself. This alone made them greater than Elder Song.


    They had their breaths held firmly like a nocked arrow ready to be loosed. In a shivering voice, the leader of the four bowed and saluted. ¡°Elder Song is not at the Chamber of Chills right now. Please come with me, sirs.¡± This time, he spoke with the meekness of a lamb and he had even addressed Xiao Chen using honorifics.


    ¡°Lead on then,¡± Xiao Chen hissed as if he could almost swallow them four.


    Cold sweat broke out when the men finally realized they were spared of any punishment and they hastily led Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue ahead. They traveled for about three to five miles with hardly any impediment. But the four sentries could feel their hearts racing with anxiety and foreboding. No direct subordinates of the high chieftain would trouble themselves with the menial affairs of the lowly Chamber of Chills unless it was something grave and terrible especially in such hours of the night.


    The long walk persisted for another three to five miles with the ghastly breeze of the night perpetually slamming into their faces as they pressed on. Su Lianyue repressed a shiver then she saw it. A dot of light far ahead. Xiao Chen peered ahead the best he could and saw another hall, looking grimmer and deader than the rest. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll manage ourselves from here. You will all return to your posts,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Very good, sirs. We¡¯ll be taking our leave then,¡± the captain of the four spoke and they scurried away, tremendously relieved that they were able to escape unscathed for the impertinence they had displayed at the square. Su Lianyue waited until the four were out of sight before she allowed herself to rub her shoulders.


    ¡°Are you feeling cold?¡± Xiao Chen asked gently. They had become closer in their days together and his former aloofness had melted into care and concern for her, more so, since they nearly shared a bed together.


    Su Lianyue shook her head, quickly raising a finger to her lips to motion for silence while glancing in the direction of the hall that stood alone in the darkness. They could see people shuffling about through the windows but they could hear nothing. Xiao Chen could not risk investigating with his Divine Sense lest somebody might discover his presence. With the howling winds to mask their approach, they drew closer as stealthily as they could.


    They were close to a hundred yards when they could hear the voices inside. Through the windows, they saw several figures. Xiao Chen, with a finger to his lips, gestured towards a tree and they huddled under its shadow and watched.


    There were five, including Elder Song from before. Standing together with him in a neat file was three other elderly men whom Xiao Chen had never seen before. Their heads were hanging from their shoulders, prostrating themselves humbly as if in homage to the person sitting at the head of the hall, the very same woman in red they encountered earlier!


    Xiao Chen was shocked. He had felt from the woman only the power of Nascent Soul Realm that would allow her to defeat any Elders of the External Sect, but definitely not Elder Song or any of his colleagues of the Internal Sect, all of whom wielded the powers of the Nirvana Realm. Yet, they all feared her. Who is she really? Xiao Chen wondered.


    The elders were all as docile and subdued as lambs before a lion under the frosty stare of the woman in red as if they were frozen by ice. Suddenly, she spoke, ¡°What of our leader? I have not seen him in days.¡±


    The mention of the high chieftain sent another jolt of shudder through the fumbling and fidgety Elders that they almost winced. ¡°The Leader¡­ he¡¯s¡­¡± Elder Song was the only one to croak, ¡°His transformation is at hand, so he is in solitary vigil for now.¡±


    ¡°Solitary vigil?! Now?! Of all times?! Hahahaha!¡± The woman in red guffawed wickedly. Just as swiftly, his amused outburst withdrew immediately and her sharp stare returned like a knife at the throats of the four men kneeling before her. ¡°So, that affords you the privilege to ignore the commands of the Lords and Ladies that oversee the Chambers? Is that so?!¡±


    The final syllable came with a roaring hiss so venomous that the four Elders threw themselves to the woman¡¯s ankles. ¡°Nay, My Lady,¡± a trembling Elder Song replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that we are not safe now. The Orthodox Path is keeping a close eye on us and there¡¯s the¡­¡± His voice broke and he could not dare to go on.


    ¡°Continue!¡±


    Elder Song forced himself to swallow hard before he raised his head and went on, ¡°the Lady of Fort Raksasa is suspicious of us now¡­¡±


    At this point, Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue. But she looked calm and serene as ever with hardly any shift in her expression.


    ¡°The Lady. The Empress, whatever she is,¡± the woman in red scoffed, ¡°Find the man. I don¡¯t care what interest does Fort Raksasa has in this, just find him. The Emperors of Heaven and Nether be damned!¡±


    The final shriek sent another lurch of shock through the four Elders again. The woman in red threw her sleeves indignantly, ¡°Strings of never-ending excuses, from the lot of you! I wonder if a trip to there might shake you up¡­¡±


    The four men held their breaths and began to sweat so profusely that Xiao Chen could have sworn he saw puddles of perspiration loping from their knees.


    ¡°Or¡­¡± The woman¡¯s glare turned insidiously sinister suddenly, ¡°How about a visit to the Ice Keep!¡±


    The faces of the Elders fell as soon as she finished and they threw themselves to her foot again, begging and pleading, ¡°Please, My Lady! Have mercy on us! Send our souls there, but not bodies into the Ice Keep!¡± Please, My Lady! Have mercy! Please forgive us!¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue shared a confused and puzzled look. What is the Ice Keep? The four elderly men would rather be sent to the deepest dungeons where their souls would never once again be allowed the opportunity of rebirth but they would never want to be sent to the Ice Keep? What kind of place is that? A place worser than Hell?


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±


    The woman in red let loose a snarl that silenced the whimpering old men. Their heads were scarlet from their banging of their heads on the floor with blood trickling down between their eyes and noses. ¡°Elder Song, come forward,¡± the woman spoke suddenly.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Of course!¡± Elder Song scrambled miserably to his feet and went forth with his back arched. A loud crack resounded between the pillars and eaves of the hall. The woman had given him a powerful smack on his cheek.


    Not even Xiao Chen could see this coming. A mage of the Nascent Soul Realm disgracing another mage of the Nirvana Realm with a slap to the face in the presence of his three colleagues? This woman must either be recklessly stupid or she must be extremely powerful here.


    ¡°Do you know the reason behind me doing this?¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s face reddened, although Xiao Chen could not tell which was more unbearable, the pain or the shame. The old man nodded copiously, blubbering under his breath, ¡°Of course, My Lady. I do. I understand full well the extent of my transgressions and I vow to never repeat them ever again¡­¡± He sounded relatively relieved; the slap to his cheek, however embarrassing it might be, meant that he would not have to pay for his mistakes with his life. However, the same could not be said for his three colleagues still disquiet with fear.


    ¡°And you¡¯d do well to remember this lesson today,¡± the woman in red hissed like a snake, ¡°Find the man. Go to the Human World if you find no trace of him here in the Violet Manor. Find him or suffer the consequences! Understand!¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady! We do! Perfectly, My Lady!¡± The three old men stammered and muttered hurriedly, realizing that their lives were being spared too.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± The woman snorted and flailed her voluminous sleeves, ¡°Bring your heads back to me on the seventh day of the seventh month this year should you fail again!¡±


    A surprised Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue outside among the brushes yelped softly with shock. But this did not escape the notice of the woman in red. ¡°WHO GOES THERE!¡± Her voice thundered.


    With hardly a moment of hesitation, Xiao Chen yanked at Su Lianiyue¡¯s arm and escaped into the dark with his Immortal-override Steps. He managed to put a distance of several hundred yards in the blink of an eye and finally stopped when he was satisfied that they were not pursued. But it was not safe to loiter around and they returned quickly as they could back to their temporary quarters.


    They reached just in time to meet a returning Shen Qing. The latter was about to push past the doors of his room when he heard footfalls behind him. He turned and he saw the faces of the Han Brothers staring back at him. ¡°Why are you still out here at this hour?¡± He frowned.


    Xiao Chen bowed and put on a silly smile, ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯re here, Senior Brother and we got lost looking for the washroom. Heh heh heh. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble¡­¡±


    Fortunately, Shen Qing noticed nothing suspicious. ¡°This is the Internal Sect, not the Chang Yin Cavity. Stay indoors after dark.¡± He was about to walk in when he swiveled back again, ¡°Ah, yes. Both of you will return with the two other orderlies that came with you first thing in the morning. I still have some business here.¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen breathed more easily. But it was strange. Shen Qing was not present when the Elders were convening. Yet he returned so late in the night. Where had he been for so long?


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen made sure the doors and windows were closed once he got in and cast a sound barrier spell for good measure. He tore off his mask, revealing his face now glistening with sweat. The mask was ruined and Su Lianyue had returned to her true appearance, panting for breath.


    They shared a long, deep look when they finally regained themselves. So it was true, the disappearances that occurred annually on the seventh day of the seventh month was the doing of the Corpse Refinery Sect. But who was this woman in red and whom was she serving? She seemed to be looking for someone.


    Something is terribly amiss, Xiao Chen thought, a strange foreboding building in his gut, Weiyang¡­ She was born also on the seventh day of the seventh month so many autumns ago¡­ And these people are scouring the lands for people born on that very same date¡­


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Su Lianyue asked softly.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes looked at her in the dark. He was here to investigate the strange disappearances. Is she also here for the same reason? And he had heard Elder Song mentioning the Empress¡­ Despite growing more familiar with each other in recent days, Xiao Chen felt it inappropriate to ask especially a question about business. Fences make good neighbors and it was essential to maintaining a good cooperative relationship.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to venture out again tonight. Tomorrow morning, perhaps. We can come back here again after leaving here. Then we¡¯ll need to get to Yu Yangzi. I assume he knows a great deal.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed when he was finished. The foreboding dread in his gut merely grew instead of subsiding. Everything about this mystery seemed to relate more to Weiyang the more he brooded about it and he was dreading a devastating conclusion if the end should come. Oh, the fair Weiyang I once loved¡­ Would he be able to face it if somebody were to really resurrect her as a powerful and abominable undead, he wondered.


    He would rather she was dead. Or a mere vessel devoid of her soul. But definitely not a reanimated undead monster reeking of death, decay, and grudge¡­


    ¡°Master Xiao?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiao Chen dispelled his thoughts and found Su Lianyue staring at him oddly. He must have drifted off due to fatigue and weariness. Impossible, he told himself, No one would turn the fair and graceful Weiyang into a horror of unspoken terror and monstrosity.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you?¡± Su Lianyue asked gently.


    ¡°I guess I am.¡± Xiao Chen ruffled his hair. The pangs of tiredness were getting more and more overwhelming by the second. ¡°Are you not tired?¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded. Their gaze moved in unison to the little lone bed sitting at the corner of the room. There was indeed only one bed this time.

 Chapter 403 - Ridge of the Fallen Drake

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the bed. You, the floor.¡±


    Su Lianyue pronounced curtly. Without waiting for an answer, she moved to the bed, removed her socks and laid down. She turned herself around to face Xiao Chen. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you would dare to come any closer, I¡¯ll scream. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m bringing you down with me if I drown.¡±


    ¡°AH!?¡± Xiao Chen gasped, looking bewildered. ¡°Actually¡­ The bed¡¯s wide enough for the both of us¡­¡± He observed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Su Lianyue glowered and pulled her blanket over her head, stifling another shiver.


    ¡°Er¡­ How about a blanket, at least?¡±


    Hearing this only made Su Lianyue¡¯s grip on her sheets tightened. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the cold,¡± She grumbled from inside of the cocoon, ¡°You have the pure aura of the Yang element. You¡¯d never be cold. Hmph.¡±


    Xiao Chen never expected to see this side of her. He stared at her dreamily, Even she has a dainty and adorable side to her as well¡­ Su Lianyue emerged from the folds of her sheets curiously when she heard nothing from him with only her eyes popping out then she snuck back in like a frightened tortoise, ¡°What are you thinking about!? Nothing nasty, I hope!¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Xiao Chen cleared his throat. ¡°Whatever. On the table it is. Have a good night¡¯s sleep. I¡¯ll rouse you at daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Su Lianyue snorted and slowly drifted off into sleep.


    Moonlight penetrated the curtains and poured into the room in the wee hours of the morning, casting an eerie glow that seemed to only accentuate the cold. Xiao Chen trembled as cold air brushed up his skin. With a loud thud, he accidentally bumped the lamp off the table and it fell to the ground. Su Lianyue sprang up at once, rubbing her drowsy eyes. Softly, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen was formerly in deep sleep himself but the noise had roused him, sparing him from a terrible nightmare. He had found himself trapped in an icy prison-like labyrinth with no way out. In the ice, he saw the opaque figure of a woman, although he could not see who it was.


    He was still feeling sore and wearied when he woke up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go to bed,¡± he answered hushedly and he slid back down onto the table. But the cold was growing no warmer that he was shivering so badly in the cold and the table shook faintly as if in protest.


    The roughspun blanket proved poor protection in keeping out the cold and Sue Lianyue began to feel its sting as well. Unable to sleep, she heard the tremors of the table and realized that Xiao Chen was shivering. ¡°Master Xiao. Are you feeling cold?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao Chen stuttered a hasty reply.


    An uneasy silence lulled about between them, further accentuating the cold that seemed to permeate through the windows and walls. ¡°Please come here,¡± Su Lianyue whispered, ¡°If you¡¯re feeling cold.¡± She quickly turned to the inside before she could even finish, blushing furiously.


    ¡°What did you just say¡­¡± Xiao Chen muttered, wondering if he had heard wrongly. But the cold was leaving him no choice. Wobbling with knees as soft as marshmallow, he slowly limped to the bed and the sweet scent of a woman¡¯s flesh tingled his senses.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Xiao Chen cleared his throat again to mask his embarrassment while he removed his shoes and socks before he vaulted his legs up the bed. Su Lianyue clenched hard the folds of the blanket between her fingers. Suddenly, a soft Argh! came from her.


    The muffled cry took Xiao Chen by surprise; he tensed and sprang up so quickly that he hit his head on the headboard. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± He mumbled quickly.


    ¡°I-it hurts! You¡¯re pulling at my hair!¡±


    ¡°Ah?!¡± Xiao Chen immediately drew himself away, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so, so sorry!¡± He laid himself down again, carefully this time. Su Lianyue¡¯s face crimsoned into a deeper shade of red. With a shift of her shoulders, she moved deeper into the other side of the blanket, offering one half of it to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen snuck into the blanket, feeling the warmth now seeping up his shoulders. His heart fluttered at the tender scent of the woman now lying beside him, intoxicated as if he has had too much to drink. With a flick of his finger, he sent a minuscule magic bolt that struck the fastenings that held the bed veils, lowering them and enclosing both man and woman in a small, little, and intimate space.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯d do well to remember that this is a one-time-only arrangement! D-don¡¯t get your hopes up for anything untoward!¡± Su Lianyue squeaked with a voice so unlike her own. Xiao Chen stirred under the sheets and she went on, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯d regret it if you dare try anything nasty!¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ Ahem¡­ Rest assured, lady, all shall be fine,¡± Xiao Chen muttered softly with a voice alien also to himself.


    The cold outside the windows thickened and waxed as they dozed off with their backs against each other. They slowly stirred at first light, and the first sight they set their eyes upon made them scream with horror.


    It was a sight for sore eyes; they were in each other¡¯s arms that even their legs were interlocked like chains. She was resting her head on his chest with him hugging her tightly.


    ¡°ARGGHH!¡± Su Lianyue shrieked when she realized what was going on. She shoved so hard that she kicked off the bed, her anxiety driving her to the edge of tears, ¡°YOU! HOW DARE YOU!¡±


    ¡°B-but¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Xiao Chen, aghast beyond any words, raked his mind desperately for any recollections of what happened in the night. He muttered in a voice only he could hear, ¡°I heard you saying you were cold¡­ Then I¡­ I¡­¡± Then his voice rose, ¡°But I swear! Nothing happened last night! I swear!¡±


    He continued explaining hopelessly about how their clothes were still intact which attested to both their dignities preserved and nothing inappropriate had taken place. But it did little to calm Su Lianyue¡¯s shaky nerves now bucking like a wild stallion. Her cheeks were flushed red, he saw before he saw her slamming a pillow into him.


    He raised a hand just in time to shield himself from the flying pillow and raised a finger at once to gesture for silence. ¡°Shhhh¡­¡± There was no telling if anyone could be listening, with or without the magical sound barriers.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were still rosy and her breath racing and her chest pumping for breath. I must have been a fool, she mused, Or it must be the accursed cold that addled my mind¡­ How could I have called a man to share my bed! Dread crept up her shoulders although it was gone just as quickly as it came. I should be thanking the stars that nothing had happened¡­


    Xiao Chen peered at her wordlessly. He sighed a breath of relief finally when he saw her regaining her composure. But he could not quite shake off the sweet breath from the woman when he found himself hugging her and found the sensation insatiable.


    ¡°Juniors,¡± a male voice called from outside just then, ¡°Are you up and ready?¡±


    Xiao Chen quickly signaled for her to be quiet before he dispelled the magical barrier. With his True Qi to disguise his voice, he barked at the door, ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be there in just a minute!¡± And he scrambled to disguise himself.


    With a night¡¯s rest behind her, Su Lianyue was looking more refreshed and renewed. She put on her shoes and weaved a spell around her face and changed back to Han Yu¡¯s appearance.


    They went out once they were ready and felt the chilly morning air belting at their faces. The other two acolytes who came with them were already waiting for them at the yard and Xiao Chen smiled benignly, ¡°Good morning, Seniors.¡±


    The other pair of fellow orderlies of theirs looked as Xiao Chen and his companion filed out together and acknowledged his greeting with a curt nod. ¡°And a good morning to you too, Juniors,¡± one of them smiled in return. But the smile quickly waned into a frown as they sniffed into the air. Why was there a whiff of female scent coming from the room?!


    Xiao Chen quickly feigned a cough and shut the door. He swiveled to face them and steered the subject away from the olfactory oddity, ¡°Has Senior Shen Qing got out?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Senior Shen Qing came by to inform us that he still has business to attend to here. We are required to return first.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The four left the yard and were led by two other orderlies of the Internal Sect down the slopes of the Summit of Mystics before they continued on their own back to the Tai Yin Cavity. As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain that the Tai Yin Cavity resided within, Su Lianyue gave Xiao Chen a knowing look. Xiao Chen quickly caught the gist and said, ¡°We¡¯ll see you later, Seniors.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± The two acolytes turned to face them with puzzled looks.


    Xiao Chen hastily thrust his finger to nowhere in particular, mumbling hurriedly, ¡°We¡¯ll be going this way. The way is shorter here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Very well. Good fortunes to you both and may we meet again!¡±


    Xiao Chen waited until the two were out of sight before he looked at Su Lianyue who stared back at him. With no need to maintain their disguise, they reverted back to their own appearance and began tracing their way back towards the Summit by following their memory, reaching the Summit when the sun was almost down.


    ¡°Shhhh¡­¡± Xiao Chen raised a finger to his lips. ¡°We¡¯ll follow the plan we¡¯d made that night in the cave. We¡¯ll move in at midnight,¡± he whispered.


    Night came swiftly and cast a dreary blanket of darkness and creepiness across the entire Summit. The night¡¯s mists and fogs came not long later and so came the stabbing chill.


    The time has arrived, Xiao Chen realized and he looked at Su Lianyue who looked back. With a tacit signal, they crept towards the foot of the Summit and found the two sentries guarding the way up. Fatigue and complacency, the bane of any watcher¡¯s duty. The pair of sentries were yawning sleepily when Xiao Chen and his companion charged, and all they saw were dark figures, two of them, before they were taken down quickly.


    The two sentries were merely drugged and would wake up in no time. But they would be none the wiser about any intruders as Xiao Chen used a magic that removed their memories before continuing uphill with Su Lianyue. They reached the Chamber of Chills they arrived at yesterday, the first waycastle of the Summit where members of the External Sect are received. The actual stronghold of the Internal Sect perched further uphill.


    Under the cover of the night and the shadows of the landscaping, they darted quickly up the slopes like a pair of apparitions, adroitly avoiding the heavy patrols.


    They reached the Ridge of the Fallen Drakes before long. The Ridge housed the next waycastle after the Ridge of Chills whereupon the Chamber of Chills sat, having a stronger military presence to guard the passage up to the main stronghold.


    But to the surprise of the intruders, the grounds and terrain seemed oddly familiar to them. They ducked into a thick coppice for cover and waited for a group of patrolling sentinels captained by a warrior of the Nascent Soul Realm to pass by. As they hid patiently, Su Lianyue whispered, ¡°The flint I gave you, do you have it with you?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded a tacit response. ¡°Good,¡± Su Lianyue remarked, ¡°Go to the Elders¡¯ chambers to steal the pass. I¡¯ll go to the Rock. Remember, you have only one hour. The patrolling guards here change every hour so make sure that you¡¯re not been seen lest we¡¯ll never be able to make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Xiao Chen nodded grimly. Su Lianyue looked deeply into him, ¡°You too. Elder Long possesses powers of the later stages of the Nirvana Realm. Don¡¯t be reckless.¡± With a dip of her head and a kick of her heel, she disappeared into the night.


    Xiao Chen watched her back melting into the darkness. Then he waved his hand and conjured a flint. The very same that Su Lianyue had given to him when they first met.

 Chapter 404 - The Heist

    The emerald-green flint gleamed in Xiao Chen¡¯s grasp as he twirled it between his fingers. There was something else in his finger. A map that contained perfunctory information about the Ridge of the Fallen Drake. He had no idea how Su Lianyue managed to procure this vital piece of information. Only that she had left him this during the night they hatched the plan for this heist.


    She had said little during then, but Xiao Chen knew enough to guess that there was more to this than just a simple flint for starting a fire. He studied it that night and found the map embedded inside.


    But the map was hardly the only thing hidden in the flint when Xiao Chen pried it open; there was also a tiny little pill. Xiao Chen made himself a small light with the flint and studied the map, following it as he made his way to the Chamber of Teeming Woes, the abode of Elder Long, the guardian of this waycastle. On his way, he managed to slip by unnoticed by a few patrolling squads without raising any alarm.


    It took hardly long for Xiao Chen to find himself facing a great cave yawning at him. Four concave vessels were blazing with fire, lighting up the entrance of the cave that led to the Chamber of Teeming Woes inside, and there were each two sentries standing just below the hanging vessels of flame. The positioning of the guards allowed for no opening that Xiao Chen could exploit and a stealthy infiltration seemed impossible.


    Realizing that he has only three-quarters of an hour left, he decided that he had to act fast. With the brushes and thickets to mask his foray, he pressed on as quietly as possible until he was about several dozens of yards away from the gaping mouth of the cave and he picked up a little pebble and shot it like an arrow at a large tree standing almost a hundred yards just opposite the cave.


    The pebble struck on the tree with so great a force that it shook so violently as if a storm had rattled it and that was enough to distract the eight guards at the entrance. Just as soon as their heads turned, Xiao Chen put his mastery of the Immortal-override Steps to the test and zipped like a shadow before he faded into the entrance with no one noticing.


    Once inside, he found himself traveling down a winding passage that occurred to him as if he was walking inside a snake. Flaming brands lighted every twenty yards of the passage, preventing him from succumbing to the staggering presence of darkness looming all around him as he held his breath and suppressed his aura to prevent detection. He had to be extremely careful; there were not only guards in the Chamber that towered just ahead, but also a powerful foe with powers of the Nirvana Realm.


    Xiao Chen was wary not to step out of the passage immediately when he realized that he was nearing its end. The stone tunnel opened up to a huge empty and barren expanse, save for a large building, a hall that stood lonesomely forlorn. Two disinterested sentries stood at the ashen stone doors, yawning and muttering to themselves. An oculus opened at the top of the hall, just under a hole at the top of the ceiling where a shaft of moonlight would pour into the hall at midnight.


    It would be the time when Elder Long emerges from the inner cloisters to bath himself in the pale glow to hone his magic using the moonlight. It would be a process that would take tens of minutes.


    Xiao Chen needed only a moment¡¯s patience and Elder Long would appear. The granite doors of the hall, a portcullis slab, would be raised to open like a monster opening its mouth and the distraction would prompt the guards to divert their attention inwards to receive their superior. This would provide Xiao Chen with the diversion he needs to slip into the hall and remain hidden in the shadowed corners inside or fly to the ceiling so long as he remained unnoticed.


    It was a risky plan and everything must be clockwork for this plan to succeed. He could not summon Guifeng in here and any alarm raised would rattle the entire beehive. Every enemy from top to bottom would be swarming for him, chasing after him like hounds on a scent and not even Su Lianyue who was moving towards the Rock would be spared.


    She entrusted to him the task of stealing the pass to deactivate the traps of the Rock of the Fallen Drake, which, in one way or another, she was also entrusting her life to him.


    Xiao Chen waited with bated breath for the stone portcullis to open. He rubbed his sleeve against his forehead now glistening with sweat. His patience bore fruit at last when he saw a ray of moonlight slanting down the hole, the oculus and on the polished floors of the hall where an old man, dressed fully in black, was sitting cross-legged.


    Strands of beards and hairs of white flowed down his gnarly and wrinkled face to his shoulders. His eyes were tightly shut but the eight little balls of ghostly-green flames hovering and circling around him like bees indicated that he was neither sleeping nor resting. Suddenly, the orbs of ghost fire puffed into eight wispy fumes that intertwined together and entered his brain. The old man¡¯s eyes blink opened at once as if he was feeling invigorated and thrilled. Slowly he got up and he began sneaking towards the doors.


    A cascade of rock grounding against rock groaned as the granite hatch climbed up slowly. The two guards swiveled immediately to greet the Elder and Xiao Chen sped as quickly and covertness as he could muster into the shadows on the left side of the hall and quickly suppressed his aura.


    The stone portcullis completely yawned open and Elder Long strolled out quietly, heading straight towards the passageway leading out of this expansive cavern. Xiao Chen waited until the Elder was far and his aura no longer lingered and he leaped up to the roof of the hall without hardly a squeak coming from him.


    Xiao Chen crept to the top of the roof and found the oculus no more larger than a dinner plate. Xiao Chen looked down at it and then at the little green pill he found hidden in the flint. It was a pill to magically reduce his size, a concoction of the apothecaries of Fort Raksasa, no doubt and its effects would last for a quarter of an hour.


    There was scarcely any need to guess why had Su Lianyue left him this pill; it was intended for him to shrink himself so that he could pass through the oculus. He peered at the little green pill rolling harmlessly in his palm, wondering with the faintest trepidation if it could be poisonous as his brows creased into a frown. Still, he swallowed it readily with a gulp.


    Mages of Fort Raksasa were known to be immensely skilled in employing poison and voodoo curses which could not only be potentially destructive, but also terribly untraceable that they would escape even the notice of Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense. But Xiao Chen knew better than to doubt Su Lianyue; the latter had entrusted her life to him and there was no reason he should suspect her.


    With magical bounded fields holding up the defenses of this hall, shrinking himself was the only way Xiao Chen could go in. The effect of the pill was almost instantaneous; he felt himself constricting and he allowed himself to fall through the hole. Once he felt the hard floors of the hall under his feet, he turned himself back to his original size and projected his Divine Sense to search for the pass.


    Dangers abounded every inch of the floor and walls of this hall, Xiao Chen knew. Any ordinary person sneaking in could have just as easily triggered one of the hundreds of traps lurking about and die a most terrible death. But with the Divine Sense, Xiao Chen was no ordinary man.


    It did not take long for Xiao Chen to find where the pass was hidden. He expertly avoided the tiles that could trigger anything untoward and slowly made his way to his quarry. He needed to be calm and precise; the loose tile that housed the hiding spot of the pass was also guarded by a flurry of trap mechanisms. One wrong move and the alarm would be raised. The entire stronghold would be completely locked down and not even a formidable mage with powers of the Nirvana Realm could extricate himself in one piece then.


    He had never known anyone else other than this infernal Sect who would guard their valuables and secrets with so much jealousy and mystery. But Xiao Chen was skilled in using the Divine Sense, the one skill that all thieves and graverobbers would have died to learn. With it, Xiao Chen carefully examined every crevice, every chink, and every slit in the loose tile to make sure he was doing it right. But time was of the essence; he has less than 10 minutes left and Elder Long could be returning any moment.


    But the structure and design of the devices now putting his patience and deftness to the test was beyond his expectation. Not even his Divine Sense could prevent him from breaking cold sweat. Time inched closely by, further draining his confidence and composure. Yet still, Xiao Chen remained as careful as ever, examining and removing every bit meticulously.


    Just then, the patters of footfalls echoed off the stone walls of the cavern outside. Elder Long is returning, a voice screamed within him. But he was only half-way. The panic nearly robbed his breath and cold sweat began pouring down his back so profusely that his shirt was clinging to his skin.


    The footsteps drew nearer and nearer before a silence came suddenly. The Elder must have reached the door, the voice in his mind warned again. As if on a cue, the portcullis slab rumbled as it was raised slowly. Xiao Chen¡¯s consciousness was hanging on a bare thread as his fingers never stopped tinkering on the mechanisms. Finally, he managed it. The trap has been defeated!


    Without so much as a look, Xiao Chen swiped at whatever it was lying inside and shut the tile. With a gentle kick with the front of his foot on the cold, solid floor of the hall, he took flight and shrink again, passing out of the oculus and made it to the roof.


    But he did not dare move again. He stood at the edge of the hole, watching Elder Long drifting back to where he was sitting. Then the unexpected happened. A bead of sweat rolled off his chin and fell through the hole! And it was falling down right on the head of Elder Long below!


    The staggering weight of dismay and despair made his face curdle with fear. There was only one thing to do: his telekinesis magic. With every fiber of his determination, he willed the bead of sweat to stop in mid-air. And there it hovered, just a few yards from Elder Long¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Elder Long felt his spiritual senses tingled suddenly. He looked around and found nothing. Xiao Chen was holding his breath, desperately clinging to his magically-levitated bead of sweat now hovering in mid-air.


    Elder Long turned on his heels and looked around strangely. But he quickly concluded that nothing was amiss and he walked to his place and sat down. The eight balls of green fire sprouted from him again and began floating lazily around him as soon as his eyes are shut and he resumed his meditating.


    Inch by inch, the drop of sweat rose very slowly. Xiao Chen could not risk moving it too quickly lest he became discovered. Then he allowed it to drop outside before he leaped off the roof and slipped towards the passage of the cave. But he had to stop before he reached the tunnel; he had lost his chance to escape unnoticed when the guards¡¯ attention was on the returning Elder Long. There was no way he would be able to make it out without alerting the guards now.


    But he has barely a half hour¡¯s time and he needed to rendezvous with Su Lianyue as soon as possible. He could not risk being discovered by any of the sentries lest he endangered both their lives.


    With his mind set to regrouping with his companion, Xiao Chen crouched to the ground to pick up another pebble. He used it to create a diversion and he sped down the stone passage.


    He repeated the same trick again on the eight guards watching the cave entrance and fled, melting into the darkness.


    It was only when he reached the deep of the forest when Xiao Chen could finally breathe easy. He fished out the pass from his pocket and looked at the ebony-black medallion bedecked with engravings of dragon scale all around it. He flipped it over and saw the inscription detailing the spell used to activate the mechanisms of the Rock and its socket.


    There should be no more delay, he realized and he sped past the Ridge to another area indicated on the map as the Lair of the Fallen Drake with his Immortal-override Steps.


    He arrived at the mouth of the Lair before long. The Lair of the Fallen Drake was the final gauntlet leading to the upper levels of the Summit. The only way leading up, in fact, and it was guarded by a contrivance powered by both magic and mechanisms called the Rock of the Fallen Drake. No humans, not even a mage of the Apotheosis Realm, could destroy the Rock. Only the pass activates and deactivates the mechanism of the Rock that acted as a gateway. But that was also the reason that there were only a handful of guards here. Still, that did little to dissuade Xiao Chen from practicing extreme caution as he approached the Rock.


    The air was cold with the night¡¯s breeze whistling incessantly by Xiao Chen¡¯s ears as he waited anxiously. There was no sign of Su Lianyue and he could feel nothing of her aura. They had promised to meet each other and no one was to proceed without the other. Had something gone wrong?


    ¡°My lady?¡± Xiao Chen waded through the thick undergrowth and squeaked softly, hoping to hear her voice but none came. He crawled through the thick jungle, looking for her but to no avail.


    Trepidation and dread began churning in him. She was never known to be tardy nor reckless. And her absence now could only spell something was wrong. But why was the alarm not yet raised if something grave has happened to her?


    ¡°My lady?¡± Xiao Chen risked another soft cry. Even his Divine Sense could find nothing amidst the nocturnal chaos of the jungle.


    Suddenly, the cool voice of a man intoned over his shoulders, ¡°Are you looking for her?¡±

 Chapter 405 - The Black and White Supremes

    ¡°Are you looking for her?¡±


    A mellow voice resounded through the foggy woods, sending a jolt of shudder through Xiao Chen. The first name that came to mind was Ye Wuxin. With hardly any hesitation, he swung the Unsullied with all his weight behind it. But the blade stopped before it reached within inches of the man; Su Lianyue had been taken hostage!


    Looking almost in his late twenties and a face as pale as milk, looking more dead than alive especially with the white robes he wore, the man looked conspicuously extrinsic in the dark shadows of the forest. His left hand clutched at Su Lianyue¡¯s throat as an amused expression could be seen between the locks of snowy-white hair hanging down his face like a set of curtains. In his right hand, he was holding a white folding fan. But it scarcely seemed like the usual instruments used to provide comfort, but rather a dangerous weapon with all thirteen slates of the fan made of dark-meteoric iron, all of them glinting keenly in the dark moonglow.


    Xiao Chen steeled himself. This was no Ye Wuxin. But being able to capture Su Lianyue alive, this person must be at least a mage of the later stages of the Nascent Soul Realm and his magic or abilities must be quaint and queer.


    A self-satisfied, but no less vile, smile slid across his milky-white face as he drew nearer to Su Lianyue¡¯s ear and drew a deep breath and sneered, ¡°What a gorgeous little one here. What a pity if I have to kill her.¡±


    Su Lianyue curdled with disgust and horror, trying to wrench herself away. But the man¡¯s grip was too strong for her. ¡°Let her go,¡± Xiao Chen growled, quietly channeling more than half of his True Energy.


    ¡°I was bidden to come here to take care of two little mice by the high chieftain. I guess I¡¯ve found you then. But a vermin has no right to speak to me, let alone making demands. But how about a little chat? Why are you here?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s fist clenched tighter with a cold fury blazing in his eyes. Su Lianyue was at the mercy of an enemy with her meridian points sealed, rendering her immobile and defenseless. Snapping her neck and killing her would just be merely a child¡¯s play to this man.


    All of a sudden, an unnatural gust of wind howled through the eaves and boughs of the forest shaking the limbs of the trees and the leaves rustled anxiously. A scud of jet-black fumes swept suddenly at Xiao Chen like a black fist. Xiao Chen brandished the Unsullied, hacking in down furiously at the black mist only to be astonished when his weapon was parried off with a deafening clang and some fiery spurts of sparks.


    Xiao Chen swiped at the black smog with his hand like a claw. But the black smog flitted swiftly out of his reach and evaded him, only to veer back for another assault. Xiao Chen leaped into the air to avoid it and somersaulted to deliver a successive of blows from his fists downwards at it. The magical bolts hammered into the ground harmlessly, shaking the earth and trees and throwing up dust and soot just as the dark shadow drifted away just in time. The shadow then hovered around the man in white and turned into a man completely dressed in black.


    His face and his eyes were dark and a set of dark meteoric iron claw-like maces rested ominously in his hands as if anxious to taste blood. Xiao Chen took a deep breath to calm himself. The odds were slowly stacking against him; not only these two men wielded powers on par, if not stronger, than him. Their magic and sorcery looked strangely unorthodox to him.


    With the pair complete, Xiao Chen realized who they were: the powerful direct subordinates of Ye Wuxin known as the Black and White Supremes. The White Supreme was named Bai Yu ¨C White Jade, whilst the Black Supreme was a man named Mo Ran ¨C Black Dye. Similar to Seven Killings, Yi Yeqiu, and Su Lianyue, all of whom the widely-recognized promising talents of the dark side, the Black and White Supremes enjoyed similar notoriety as the future of the Corpse Refinery Sect. Their powers might pale in comparison to members such as Elder Long, but they were nevertheless conferred greater authority in this diabolical order.


    Bai Yu smiled thinly. ¡°Consider yourselves fortunate that the High Chieftain is¡­¡± But an irate Mo Ran cut him off, ¡°Enough with your prattling!¡± Just as soon as he finished, the Black Supreme lunged at Xiao Chen again.


    Mo Ran¡¯s onslaught of ferocious swipes from his claw-like mace was proof enough to Xiao Chen to understand that he was fighting against a foe immensely experienced in close combat. The Black Supreme¡¯s figure dissolved into five tendrils of black smog that swirled around Xiao Chen and the latter immediately channeled his power and conjured a protective cocoon that glistened with a golden sheen. Then out of nowhere, a black shiny claw flashed dangerously close by.


    Xiao Chen tilted himself back to evade the claw, pivoted and retaliated with a strike at Mo Ran¡¯s back. But Mo Ran immediately whirled and sent a blow of his own to meet Xiao Chen¡¯s. The fists met and the resulting force sent a shockwave that tossed leaves and dust into the air while also sending both men reeling backward.


    But Mo Ran was quick to regain his balance and he lunged again like a shadow. He¡¯s bloody fast, Xiao Chen thought. Mo Ran was intensely exceptional that no ordinary mage of the same power would have been able to defeat him¡­ In just mere heartbeats, Xiao Chen realized, he had exchanged more than twenty blows with his opponent and he was nowhere nearer to defeating him.


    Both of them were fighting in speeds extraordinary to most men, dashing among the trees like a pair of wraiths but never stopped in delivering blows after blows at each other, cleverly missing every leaf, stalk, or branch, although each stroke was lethal and deadly if either of them were not careful. One could have easily described this duel as ¡°artistry,¡± if not for the air of malice that lingered over them as they fought.


    None of his offensive magic with great destructive force such as the Dragon¡¯s Wrath, the Dragon Slay, or the Heaven-slaying Sword would work against an enemy skilled in close-quarters combat. He would not only be missing his target whenever he used these spells or techniques, but he would also be vulnerable to any reprisals from his enemy.


    And so the gritting fight continued with both sides showing no signs of tiring. Between the Immortal-override Steps and the ancient combat techniques of Family Xiao, Xiao Chen was feeling the pressure piling swiftly. Mo Ran was simply too agile and fast beyond his expectations.


    Everything was but a blur to Su Lianyue who watched from afar. She could no longer tell who from who, seeing only two masses of shadows pouncing on each other. She had never thought Xiao Chen, for all his prowess in magic and sorcery, was such an adept fighter in close combat.


    But a smirk came suddenly from the White Supreme still maintaining his grip on her, ¡°Heh heh heh. It seems that the Black Supreme who has never once been bested in speed has finally met his match this night.¡±


    The fight waged on for another several minute until Mo Ran dislodged himself by returning back to Bai Yu¡¯s side. It was a respite equally welcomed by Xiao Chen himself. It allowed him the time to restore his True Energy.


    ¡°You have great fighting skills, I¡¯d give you that,¡± Bai Yu allowed with a sardonic grin, ¡°But if you still refuse to divulge your purpose in coming here, I¡¯m afraid your little gorgeous paramour here is meeting her maker soon¡­¡± His grip on Su Lianyue¡¯s throat tightened and she grunted.


    The sight of Su Lianyue suffering was enough to rob the breath from Xiao Chen. The odds were immensely stacked against his favor and the Black Supreme was too powerful for him to defeat alone. As if it could not be any worst, he was beginning to fear of being discovered by any patrolling guards who would bring the entire mountain down on him.


    Bai Yu sneered to Mo Ran, ¡°Very well. Let me test him this time. Take care of this gorgeous thing¡­¡± But Mo Ran snapped, ¡°I¡¯d never hold a woman hostage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fussy one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bai Yu scoffed, ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be able to defeat him if I had not caught this lass first and prevent her from helping him? Not even us together might be able to prevent them from escaping.¡±


    There was truth in what he said. Su Lianyue was skilled in entrapment, deception, and diversionary magical spells in addition to nerve agents and inhalants as well as illusionary sorcery and enchantment that ensnares the senses, while Xiao Chen was proficient in ruthless and ferocious offensive techniques. Not even a mage of the Nirvana Realm could safely be certain of victory against foes like them.


    But Xiao Chen was looking graver and grimmer by the second. He raised his arms, weaving his magic suddenly. Winds churned and tossed in resonance to his powers and hundreds of swords materialized in thin air, glinting like silvery serpents under the dismal luminescence of the moon. The tips of the swords trained upon the figures of the Black and White Supremes, their steel ringing anxiously like serpents eager to strike.


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat. Release her.¡±


    The eyes of the White Supreme squinted as he broke into a smug glee. ¡°Blades conjured purely of Qi? Wow¡­ I have to give it to you, my little mouse. I could feel the sheer volume of Qi used to perform this spell. But are you not afraid for the safety of your little gorgeous friend here when you strike?¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes beheld the ring of hundreds of swords surrounding her captors and her. Her eyes trembled with apparent fright as she breathed, ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡± The Storm of Swords technique was one of the most powerful spells known to all mages and she could potentially be caught in the impact if Xiao Chen unleashes his attack.


    A cold gleam flashed across Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. His hands weaved a hand seal and he willed the swords to attack. The Storm of Swords magic of the Mystic Cyan Sect has the power to dole out instant devastation on any living thing, but he would never have to use only a three-tenths of the spell¡¯s full strength if not for Su Lianyue being his enemy¡¯s hostage.


    Nevertheless, the sight of the shiny tips of countless swords bearing down on them made Bai Yu no less anxious. In a terse but hurried tone, he yelped, ¡°Mo Ran!¡±


    If Mo Ran had heard him, he certainly made no attempt to reply. The sleeves of his robes billowed like the black sails of a ship as his powers churned down his arms. Then he swung his arms. The hundreds of silvery swords flew in circles around the three people in the center with Mo Ran diverting their tips away from striking them with his magic! The swords spun in endless circles, unable to penetrate the center before they were redirected back at Xiao Chen instead!


    Xiao Chen felt himself shaking. For the first time in his life, an enemy who could redirect his Storm of Swords back at himself!? He thrust his arms outwards and performed the Star-shifting Substitution to deflect the countless weapons away, lancing off into the abyss of the gorge below.


    A deafening thunderclap came almost later with boulders and broken rocks breaking free of their crevices and rolling into the darkness of the chasm.


    Mo Ran¡¯s robes did not stop fluttering as he panted hard. Whatever he was doing earlier, it must have consumed a great deal of his power. Just then, a cold, shrill shriek of a woman pierced the air, ¡°What in the world is going on here?!¡±


    The sudden cry wiped the color off the faces of everyone in the woods. Mo Ran¡¯s figure flickered and he vanished, speeding off towards the direction of the voice. Xiao Chen frantically directed another Star-shifting Substitution spell into the brushes, drawing a woman, fully clothed in red, into his grasp, defeating Mo Ran in speed.


    And who else would it be, if not for the Lady Ambassador in red? Without a moment¡¯s thought, Xiao Chen quickly cast several magical seals on her that bound her movements. He might not be able to cleanly defeat both of the Black and White Supremes, but a mage of the Nascent Soul Realm was nothing to him.


    Everything happened in such an instant that the woman in red could barely react. She had not even comprehended what was happening before she was quickly overpowered by Xiao Chen and the only thing she could do was scream. ¡°ARGGGHH! LET GO OF ME! YOU PERVERT!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s fingers drove mercilessly into her flesh; his left hand clutching at her shoulder and his right hand on her throat. ¡°Silence!¡± He hissed venomously, ¡°One more word and you¡¯ll be regretting it!¡±


    The Black and White Supremes were agape by the turn of events. They knew this would happen the moment they heard this woman screaming in the woods. Still, they were a step behind Xiao Chen and could only watch her writhing in his grip.


    Bai Yu maintained his grip on Su Lianyue and Xiao Chen on the woman in red. Both men glowered at each other while the scarlet blush on the Lady Ambassador¡¯s face only grew redder. ¡°LET ME GO, YOU PERVERT!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Xiao Chen roared, his grip tightening, ¡°Quiet!¡± But he never once tore his eyes off the Black and White Supremes. Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks only grew rosier too, clearly surprised and startled.


    ¡°YOU! HOW DARE YOU! LET GO!¡± The woman seethed like a kettle, teetering on the brink of tears. But she could not free herself; not with Xiao Chen restricting her movements and magic with his magical seals. The Black and White Supremes averted their gazes suddenly, looking more oddly embarrassed than angry.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen burst, ¡°Have your man released her! Otherwise¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen applied more force into his hands. Then he felt it. Something was amiss. He should be clenching hard on her shoulder. But he was only feeling the tender and velvety flesh instead of the solid feeling of bone.


    ¡°YOU SHAMELESS PERVERT! LET GO!¡±


    Tears streamed down the woman¡¯s cheeks and Xiao Chen finally looked down. What he saw nearly made him faint. His hand was not on the woman¡¯s shoulder, but squeezing on her chest¡­

 Chapter 406 - The Voodoo Curse of the Three Corpses

    ¡°Oh, Gods in Heaven?! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so, so sorry! Err¡­ But I¡¯m afraid I still can¡¯t let you go.¡± Xiao Chen cleared his throat, his face blushing to full red as he moved his hand away from her chest to the shoulder, making full sure that he got it right this time.


    Her face grew red with anger as she blurted, ¡°HOW DARE YOU! Do you even know who I am!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Xiao Chen replied, ¡°I¡¯m not a member of this bloody order.¡± His head swiveled to face the Black and White Supremes. ¡°And what are you waiting for?! Let her go! Or are you waiting only for a corpse to collect?¡±


    That made the Black and White Supremes shudder. They knew how terrible and excruciating a punishment would be in store for them if anything were to happen to this woman who clearly held a special position in the Sect. A frown formed on Mo Ran¡¯s face. ¡°Please be calm, my friend. We¡¯ll do the exchange. Then we¡¯ll decide if we¡¯ll have to fight¡­¡±


    ¡°AS IF I WANT TO! NOW RELEASE HER!¡± Xiao Chen spat and his hand threatened to crush the woman¡¯s larynx. He needed to leave with Su Lianyue quick before every single soul in the Ridge of the Fallen Drake discovers their presence.


    Ashamed and flustered, the woman screamed, ¡°What are you two idiots waiting for? Tell Ye Wuxin now! Ignore me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Xiao Chen growled at her.


    ¡°Go!¡± She pressed, ¡°Go NOW! Or I¡¯ll make you suffer a pain so great that you¡¯d wish for death!¡±


    The final threat was enough to make Mo Ran move at last. Both the Supremes and the Black Supreme shuddered, darting towards the Rock to alert the others. ¡°Oh, d*mmit,¡± Xiao Chen cursed, ¡°This woman is a feisty one!¡± In a desperate and vain attempt to buy more time, he yelled, ¡°Stand just right where you are!¡± Ye Wuxin must not hear about this, otherwise Su Lianyue and him will never be able to once again see the light of day.


    Between his panic to stop Mo Ran and his vehement attempts to keep the struggling woman pinned, his hand inadvertently grabbed at the woman¡¯s chest again. Su Lianyue watched with her mouth hanging open. The woman in red let loose a surprised Arggghh! which was just enough to make Mo Ran stop in his tracks. The Black Supreme muttered, seething with suppressed fury, ¡°You are a distinguished mage learned in the sacred arts! Have you no shame!¡±


    Even her tears were drying up now, but the woman never stopped doling out curses and threats for the humiliation she felt. Xiao Chen feigned a cough and said, ¡°I¡¯m warning you all, stay where you are. Otherwise¡­ otherwise¡­¡± His voice broke as if he had forgotten what to say.


    Su Lianyue turned her head away indignantly and spat under her breath, ¡°Disgraceful and demeaning¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s heart was racing as her lungs pumped for more air. The Black and White Supreme did not dare move an inch. Anymore damage to the Lady Ambassador already-battered pride, and they¡¯d suffer a greater price for this travesty.


    ¡°You shameless pervert¡­ You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Xiao Chen burst, his voice suddenly stern and steady, ¡°I am a famous ravisher of fair and gentle maidens notorious especially in the South-eastern regions! Countless fair ladies I have defiled first by stripping them bare and dipping them into ice¡­ Then¡­ How about a taste yourself!?¡±


    That seemed to frighten the woman as she looked visibly terrified beyond her wits. Even the Black and White Supremes did not expect Xiao Chen to be blurting something such bold and outrageous. Su Lianyue¡¯s head lowered as she breathed something oddly along the lines of ¡°immoral deviant.¡± All of a sudden, she flicked a wrist and there was a burst of purple flash. Caught off-guard, Su Lianyue delivered a magical bolt, sending the White Supreme careening backward for several yards. He crashed to the ground and struggled to his feet, only to catch a strange, sweet, floral scent and he collapsed, fainted.


    Su Lianyue had exploited the chance to free herself from the magical restraints when the Supremes were distracted by Xiao Chen. Bai Yu was easily dispatched with the element of surprise and Mo Ran was drugged before he could even do anything.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s shameless words had provided the ideal diversion for Su Lianyue to plan her retaliation and operate unnoticed.


    The woman looked absolutely despondent seeing both the Supremes falling. Her hopes of salvation were utterly dashed and she began dreading the worst. Su Lianyue added another soporiferous touch to her enchantment for good measure to make sure they remain unconscious while she magically pushed them off the banks of a stream with a wave of her weapon. She would have readily taken their lives if not for the fear of alerting Ye Wuxin.


    Su Lianyue walked calmly to Xiao Chen when she was done and saw, to her annoying revulsion, Xiao Chen still struggling against the woman with a hand on her chest. Her face turned to stone. ¡°Are you developing an affinity to women¡¯s chest?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ Ahem¡­¡± Xiao Chen realized finally what was wrong and he withdrew his hand, releasing the woman in red finally. Despite steaming with anger, the woman knew full well she was no match against the two intruders. ¡°Who are you people?!¡± She hissed at Su Lianyue. ¡°What is your purpose here!?¡±


    Su Lianyue walked near her, circling her like a lioness. ¡°I believe the status quo now affords us the right to ask questions, not you! Now tell me why is the Corpse Refinery Sect abducting girls born on the seventh day of the seventh month? Where are they now?!¡±


    That somehow flipped a switch. The woman looked neither angry nor flustered; instead, she uttered a scaldingly cold remark, ¡°I see. This is purpose of your visit.¡±


    Ice flashed in Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°So you refuse to admit¡­¡± She jabbed a hand at the woman and the woman sneered suddenly. ¡°A hypnotic spell? You¡¯re welcome to try.¡± She accurately predicted what Su Lianyue was trying to do to obtain more information.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s hand stopped in its tracks, barely inches away from grazing the woman¡¯s head. Then she realized it: the woman wielded at least the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm. That made her able enough to defend herself or even redirect the hypnotic enchantment back at its caster.


    Xiao Chen walked up to the woman and muttered with a frown, ¡°Please, my lady. I would urge you to be frank and honest to spare yourself from suffering.¡± ¡°Spare me from your nonsense instead,¡± the woman screeched with complete lack of fear in her voice, ¡°You¡¯ll never stop us. Too dead to stop us instead¡­¡± And she began to cackle viciously.


    Listening to the woman cackling made Su Lianyue felt a shudder crawling down her spine. She pried open the woman¡¯s mouth and waved her other free hand, conjuring something that Xiao Chen could not quite see clearly before she shoved it into the woman¡¯s mouth. Then she gave her a slap and forced whatever it was down the woman¡¯s throat.


    Xiao Chen frowned. Su Lianyue acted so quickly but he realized what it was that she fed the woman: a little red pill looking almost similar in size to the shrinking elixir he just took before. ¡°What is that pill you fed her?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The pill for the Yin-Yang Voodoo Curse of the Three Corpses!¡± Su Lianyue admitted coldly.


    The name sounded so ghastly that Xiao Chen could hardly suppress a shiver himself. Su Lianyue snorted and began weaving her fingers, making hand seals while muttering a long litany of incantations. Then she tapped at the woman¡¯s forehead with a finger and the woman winced as if she was hit by a stroke and she was no longer in control of herself.


    ¡°Go! To the Rock!¡± Su Lianyue growled a command and the woman nodded, much to Xiao Chen¡¯s amazement, so obediently that he would have mistaken her for a puppet. Clearly, the Voodoo Curse was taking hold of her.


    Su Lianyue and her mind-controlled woman began heading out of the forest before the former stopped and turned back. She saw Xiao Chen still rooted to his spot and barked, ¡°What are you still waiting for, you pervert?!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, of course,¡± Xiao Chen jerked himself back to the present and kept up. They walked to almost five kilometers and arrived before the mouth of a cave. There were no sentries outside; the guards were only inside, watching the Rock.


    They entered the cave and walked down a long stone passage which was lighted at intervals with flaming flambeaus. As they traveled down the barren, rocky tunnel with the wavering glow of the flames displaying the strange images and runes chiseled into the walls of the cave passage. They looked very ancient and the runes were nothing Xiao Chen could recognize, looking hardly like the scripts of the common tongue used this age.


    After 15 minutes, they finally arrived before a set of tightly-shut doors. This must be where the Rock was kept, Xiao Chen wondered. A squad of eight guards watched the door and greeted the woman in red politely, ¡°Lady Ambassador!¡±


    Su Lianyue, with the effects of the Voodoo Curse, controlled the woman, allowing her to speak on her behalf, ¡°The High Chieftain wishes to see them.¡±


    The sentries showed no signs of deferment nor disobedience, only dipping their heads in complete capitulation. Realizing that they were feeling suspicious, Xiao Chen produced the pass he had stolen and showed it to them. The eight men withdrew, allowing entry for Xiao Chen and his companions. Xiao Chen placed the pass into a cavity in the door and that undid the sealing enchantment that kept the doors locked. The large stone gateway opened with a shaking rumble and opened to admit them.


    The stone slab for the entrance was at least a few yards thick, Xiao Chen observed, and it was almost unbelievable that another 8 sets of doors of similar strength awaited further inside. Xiao Chen and his companions passed through the Rock and came to a desolate gorge. The way leading up would bring them to the upper echelons of the Corpse Refinery Sect stronghold.


    Yawning cave entrances and dark buildings lurked in the shadows of the gossamer moonlight streaming from above. With the woman in red now controlled by the Voodoo Curse, Xiao Chen and his companion have readily dispensed with their former plan of sneaking in quietly in favor of walking in openly. They needed to look for where Yu Yangzi¡¯s soul was kept and Su Lianyue said to the woman with steel in her voice, ¡°Bring us to where Yu Yangzi is kept. And avoid all patrolling guards, mind you!¡±


    The woman shuffled in her steps then she stopped. Creases formed on her brows as she gritted her teeth and she recoiled a little, obviously struggling to fight against the influence of the Voodoo Curse, Su Lianyue realized. With a few hand seals and another spell, Su Lianyue tapped again on the woman¡¯s head, strengthening her enchantment and the woman¡¯s befuddled expression changing to one of polite indifference, bending once more to Su Lianyue¡¯s will and she continued forward obediently.


    The Voodoo Curse governing her actions and speech was hardly the only enchantment on her; she would have not been so easily cursed by Su Lianyue if not for Xiao Chen¡¯s magic seal on her powers.


    ¡°Your voodoo curse is as impeccable as always, my lady,¡± Xiao Chen observed dryly as he walked abreast with his companion. Su Lianyue narrowed her eyes and peered at him dubiously. ¡°And what¡¯s it to you? Are you interested to learn some too so that you can have her strip in front of you and dip herself in iced water?¡±


    ¡°Ah!?¡± Xiao Chen stuttered, surprised to hear his own words coming from her, ¡°What I said earlier was merely to distract the Two Supremes. Surely you understand what I was doing? I¡¯ve never defiled any woman before¡­¡±


    That earned him a scoff from Su Lianyue. ¡°That is knowledge only you yourself are privy to, I¡¯m afraid. Not that it mattered to me anyway.¡±


    Xiao Chen could only giggle weakly. ¡°Is she really taking me for a real pervert?¡± In a vain attempt to mask his embarrassment, he chuckled. ¡°I know a friend who is also skilled in voodoo curses too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? So who is the better user of curses? Your friend or I?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Xiao Chen could not resist a shiver. The reminiscences of Shangguan Yan and her witcheries never stopped filling him with dread and creepiness even after he achieved the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re both good at your crafts,¡± Xiao Chen allowed.


    Su Lianyue raised a finger to her lips suddenly. They were nearly out of the gorge and the glows of flames were flickering in the distance, heralding the arrival of a troop of patrolling guards. In spite of having the woman under their control, but they were nearing the sanctum of Ye Wuxin and they could never be too careful.


    They hid and waited for the guards to pass by before they pressed on stealthily. The frostiness in the air only grew thicker the more they progressed, but the chill and foreboding dread did not seem to emanate from the mountain that loomed before them, but rather the rear of it.


    The journey went on uneventfully for another hour with numerous brushes past scores of patrolling troops. They finally arrived at a strange and relatively hidden cave entrance. The ghastly chill of deathliness gushed relentlessly from the yawning mouth of the cave. Two rows of guards lined the passage leading deep into the bowels inside and Xiao Chen could feel the strengths of the Nascent Soul Realm radiating of each of them. As if it could not be any worse, there were even century-old Corpse Puppets watching the way in. The infiltration they have been doing before this seemed more like a walk in the park suddenly to Xiao Chen.


    ¡°This must be where Yu Yangzi is held,¡± Xiao Chen whispered and Su Lianyue responded with a tacit nod.


    They were still contemplating their options and their attention had drifted off the woman in red. She shook herself in bewilderment and finally succeeded in wrestling herself free from the Voodoo Curse. She darted out of the forest and ran towards the cave, her arms raising frantically to catch their attention.


    ¡°WHO GOES THERE!¡±

 Chapter 407 - Secrets of the Corpse Refinery Sect

    The shrill cry from the guards startled Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue. A shade of white wiped across her face as she immediately reactivated her Voodoo Curse. The woman was about to scream ¡°Intruder! Alert the High Chieftain!¡± but fortunately, the influence of the curse quickly took over her senses and instead, she said to the guards who saw her, ¡°It¡¯s me. Rest easy.¡±


    The intruders braced at their wicked stroke of luck. They were nearly inches away from the brink of their doom. The guards at the cave entrance saw the woman in red and bowed their heads low. ¡°The hour is late, my lady,¡± said their captain politely, ¡°Is there anything we can help you with?¡±


    Even under the influence of Su Lianyue¡¯s enchantment, the woman in red remained the aloof and indifferent self she reserved especially for her inferiors. ¡°I wish to speak to the previous High Chieftain,¡± she pronounced frostily just as Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue formed up beside her.


    ¡°These are¡­¡± The captain croaked hesitantly when he saw Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue.


    ¡°Ignorance is bliss, Captain,¡± the woman in red shot him a glare of intense loathing, ¡°Sometimes, knowing too much won¡¯t do you much good.¡±


    Her words were enough to send the captain fearing for his own life. Stammering profusely, he begged with a quivering voice, ¡°I understand, my lady! I have been intrusive when I should not have to! Please forgive me, my lady!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d do well to make way!¡± The woman snapped, throwing her sleeves like the wings of a bat.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± The face of the captain was a deathly pale; he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, not knowing how should he answer, although he did, albeit falteringly, ¡°The Chamber of Repose is where all previous High Chieftains rest¡­ and the present High Chieftain has decreed that absolutely no one is permitted entry¡­¡±


    ¡°AH?!¡± The mind-controlled woman barked and snarled at him, her nostrils flaring. The captain began sweating copiously with a troubled and bewildered look on his face. A shadowy figure shimmered and appeared just in front of the captain. It was Xiao Chen. His hand closed on the throat of the captain and he lifted him up. ¡°IMPUDENCE!¡±


    That was the last straw for the captain. He looked as if he was about to soil his pants as he whimpered like a beaten dog, ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry, my lady! Please, mercy, my lady!¡±


    The rest of the troop were all mages of the Nascent Soul Realm, but none of them dared to utter a word. Xiao Chen gave a loud snort and tossed the captain down on the ground like a sack of manure. The captain scrambled to his feet, relieved that he was spared of any punishment, exclaiming at the top of his voice, ¡°Take all the time you need, my lady! All the time you need!¡±


    Deep within her, the consciousness of the woman in red could only watch helplessly as her body remained in control at Su Lianyue¡¯s mercy. They walked deeper into the cave passage, passing through the rows of guards flanking them, all of whose heads were hanging over their shoulders in deference and fear.


    The long, windy passage coursed deep through the mountains and the air only grew thicker with the decaying stench of corpses the deeper they traversed the route. Through the half-hour-long journey, Su Lianyue felt so cold that she had to rub her shoulders and both man and woman slowly drew closer and closer to each other for warmth.


    A wide, cavernous stone room loomed at the end of the passage and there was a large hall, built completely of hewn rocks, standing lonesomely at some distance away from the exit of the tunnel they exited. There was another passage just at the other side of this large room and more stone halls awaited far behind.


    But there were no guards in sight. Xiao Chen warily projected his Divine Sense and saw many balls of green flames¡ªghost fire¡ªfloating eerily around a single, lone sarcophagus sitting in the center of this granite hall like courtiers around a king. There was a corpse, shriveled and dead, inside which was not Yu Yangzi. He must be one of the ancient High Chieftains.


    They passed through several more stone tunnels and just as many stone chambers with lonely granite halls housing more remains of the former leaders of the Sect. A strange thought occurred to Xiao Chen suddenly. ¡°Was our suspicion true? That the animation of the Divine Corpse needed the sacrifice of the souls of all the ancient High Chieftains? Was that why the corpses were all completely devoid of their souls?¡±


    The unusual frostiness and the fetid malodor of death only grew stronger and more suffocating that Xiao Chen could hardly shake the feeling of dread that seemed to cling on his back like an apparition. He took out from his Divine Vessel the Fire-heart Jade that Huangfu Xin¡¯er gave him and offered it to a shivering Su Lianyue. ¡°Here. Wear this. It will help you with the cold. But I¡¯ll need this back after this.¡±


    Su Lianyue did not respond except with a strange look at Xiao Chen. She wore the Jade over her neck, comforted with the warmth seeping into her. The search went on for another half hour and they chanced upon more stone halls that looked no different to the ones they had encountered before and Xiao Chen understood something suddenly that greatly unsettled him.


    ¡°They have seen more than ten sarcophaguses containing the remains of the ancient High Chieftains¡­ With three hundred years of reign between each of them, that would mean that this Divine Corpse would have absorbed at least three thousand years¡¯ worth of hatred and malicious aura¡­ Oh, Gods in Heaven,¡± Xiao Chen brooded, ¡°A corpse with such capacious worth of evil intent would be as powerful as an Immortal King! Would there be anyone here in the Human Realm able to defeat it? Even the most powerful warriors and mages would be soundly defeated in mere seconds!¡±


    The mere thought of it was enough to fill Xiao Chen with dread. Su Lianyue noticed him shuddering. ¡°Are you cold too?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No, I¡¯m not,¡± Xiao Chen muttered, shaking his head. Nauseating dizziness assailed his mind as he struggled to keep up with the conversation until they reached another stone hall and the woman in red stopped suddenly.


    ¡°We should be here. Yu Yangzi should be kept here,¡± Su Lianyue uttered softly, her head looking up to behold the tall facade of the hall¡¯s front.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Xiao Chen returned. He put a hand over the head of the woman and cast a spell that completely dulled her senses. Then he walked to the stone structure. A piercing voice cackled vilely all of a sudden, ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Here again, are you? And what other punishments does my student has in store for me now?¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue traded quick looks and they nodded in unison as the same thought flashed through their minds, ¡°It really is Yu Yangzi in there.¡±


    The intruders worked together to push open the massive granite doors that tried to remain unresponsive. Green fire swirled about in the air and a single man was at the center of this stone building. A scrawny figure, bloodied and swathed in tattered rags; iron pegs run through all four limbs of his with two more iron hooks grotesquely protruding through his shoulder blades, suspending the poor man in mid-air. Unkempt locks of hair hang down his face, veiling the eyeless sockets still slick with blood.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Not even Su Lianyue could resist a scream when she laid eyes on such ensanguined monstrosity. They had found him¡ªYu Yangzi, the High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect three centuries ago. He was still very much alive, writhing and wincing with pain in his own flesh and blood. The rotting corpse that Xiao Chen had seen at the Changyin Mountain Range was the Corpse Puppet that merely contained a sliver of his consciousness and it had since been restored and used as a personal bodyguard of Ye Wuxin himself.


    Yu Yangzi looked nowhere near the strength he once possessed when he was in his Corpse Puppet, more so, with his eyes completely dug out. But his soul was still as robust as ever and he quickly sensed Xiao Chen¡¯s presence. ¡°You! I know you! The young friend I met at the Changyin Mountain Range! Do you remember me?¡±


    Xiao Chen felt his eyelids flinched; Yu Yangzi¡¯s deceit when they first met on the Changyin Mountain Range was as vivid as the morning sun in his mind. He could never forget how he had tried to trick him into unsealing the spatial-isolation barrier to ensnare Su Xiaomei¡¯s ghost. But Xiao Chen would also not forget that it was this man who had helped defend him against the pursuers of Family Zuoqiu. It was a sad and sorrowful sight to behold, watching the man in such a wretched state.


    ¡°I do, Senior.¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good! Come here please, young friend!¡± Yu Yangzi was visibly excited to know that it was someone who knew rather than a foe who had come to visit him


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Xiao Chen walked forward. Suddenly a hand held him back. It was Su Lianyue. She shook her head quietly with a strong look at him. But whatever it was that gave her away, no one could tell. Yu Yangzi¡¯s head tilted and his brows curdled into a grimace and he projected his spiritual senses at Su Lianyue, trying to find out who she was. ¡°You, girl! Who are you? You¡¯re not the lass I met at the mountain range, are you? Rest assured I will not be able to possess you with my soul; there are magical bounded fields erected in these halls that prevent my soul from escaping.¡±


    In just a breath, Yu Yangzi admitted Su Lianyue¡¯s gravest concern. But the knowledge of the precautions made Su Lianyue breathed easier and she relaxed her hold on Xiao Chen¡¯s arm, which Xiao Chen immediately realized. Xiao Chen had always thought that Yu Yangzi wielded only the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm. Meeting him now personally has changed this perception. ¡°Yu Yangzi is very strong!¡± That very thought flashed through Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. ¡°Or at least his soul is.¡± There was no telling if this man, despite his disability and confinement, harbored insidious intents to possess them if there were no magical restrictions set upon this place.


    As his visitors drew warily closer to him, Yu Yangzi croaked, ¡°How did you come to this place, my friend? And why are you here?¡± Naturally, Xiao Chen was not here solely to mount a rescue. With no intention to beat around the bush, Xiao Chen admitted truthfully, ¡°I am here, because I need your counsel, Senior.¡±


    Yu Yangzi¡¯s expression turned to stone and he sneered. ¡°Ye Wuxin sent you, did he?¡±


    ¡°Nay,¡± Su Lianyue interjected, ¡°Fort Raksasa swears no allegiance to Ye Wuxin. We¡¯ll never serve his summons or commands.¡±


    ¡°You are a member of Fort Raksasa?¡± The news seemed to fill Yu Yangzi with relief. Su Lianyue bowed curtly, ¡°Greetings to you, Senior Yu Yangzi. I am Su Lianyue, Lady of the Blue-water Altar of Fort Raksasa.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± Yu Yangzi cackled bleakly to himself, sounding intensely sour, ¡°What a joke I must look like to you young ones¡­¡±


    ¡°Hardly, Senior,¡± Su Lianyue uttered, ¡°Your name rumbles with fear after the Battle of Mount Guiling. Good or evil, everyone speaks of the name Yu Yangzi with deference and respect but definitely not ridicule.¡±


    ¡°Enough chattering about the bygones,¡± Yu Yangzi husked hoarsely, ¡°Now tell me why are a pair of young ones coming here to see an old senile like me?¡±


    ¡°We do have a few matters that require your advice, Senior,¡± Xiao Chen replied calmly.


    ¡°Heh heh heh! Very well! I¡¯ll help you on the account that you¡¯ve been able to hoodwink me once. Ask away, and I do my best.¡±


    Yu Yangzi seemed to guess what it was that Xiao Chen wished to ask. There was no longer any reason to keep the secret, except that it had to remain a secret to Ye Wuxin.


    Xiao Chen took a heartbeat to recompose himself. ¡°How old is the Corpse Refinery Sect? Do you know the founder of this order?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know this myself.¡±


    Xiao Chen paused briefly before he continued, ¡°I see. There¡¯s this place that all in this Sect seem to fear. Do you know where this place is?¡±


    Yu Yangzi¡¯s body flinched so hard at the mention of ¡°this place¡± that the chains that bound him clanged loudly to his movements. Then there was silence as he hesitated to answer. But finally, he answered, ¡°I assume you¡¯ve heard of the Administration of Heaven?¡±


    ¡°The Administration of Heaven!¡± Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue repeated under their breaths, shocked and surprised to hear this name. The name of the most mysterious society in the realm. No one knew anything about them save for the knowledge that they traded in souls.


    ¡°So, the name of the place that all men here fear¡­ is the Administration of Heaven?!¡± Xiao Chen confirmed at once.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Yu Yangzi cackled gruffly and said, ¡°The Corpse Refinery Sect supplies the Administration with countless of souls each year. Most of them are the ghosts of orderlies or acolytes punished to death. The pain of death awaits each and everyone in the Sect, including the High Chieftain himself, should the Sect fails to honor this demand of tribute. No one will be left alive, although, as far as I knew, it will not be the Administration who would swing the axe. The judgment comes from somewhere else.¡±


    Xiao Chen exhaled gravely. The information that the Corpse Refinery Sect owed fealty to the Administration of Heaven was news indeed to him. Fealty that only a select few knew that had endured for more than three millennia. In fact, not even the orderlies and students of the Sect knew about this.


    Xiao Chen recomposed himself again. ¡°So is that the reason the Sect is trying desperately to reanimate the Divine Corpse? To break away from their oath of loyalty?¡±


    The hall became drearily quiet. So quiet that Xiao Chen could hear Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing. But it was swiftly broken by the maniacal burst of laughter of Yu Yangzi, ¡°Divine Corpse!? What Divine Corpse?! The Corpse Refinery Sect has no such thing! Everyone is tricked! Even Ye Wuxin himself! There¡¯s no such thing as the Divine Corpse! Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±

 Chapter 408 - The Tianxiang Chamber

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°The Sect has no such thing as a Divine Corpse!?¡±


    Whatever things Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue expected to hear, this was definitely not it. No Divine Corpse exists here at the Corpse Refinery Sect? Then why is the Sect amassing the malignant auras of grudge and hatred?


    A frown wrinkled on Su Lianyue¡¯s face. ¡°Can you be more clear, Senior? What is the Sect doing then, if there is no Divine Corpse?¡±


    ¡°Who can tell? Some devilish errand for some sinister folk, I guess! The Sect has nothing as remotely close to what you all call the ancient Divine Corpse, nevermind the remains of an Immortal King. The whole thing is nothing but a millennia-long farce. Whatever that thing is called¡­ it¡¯s only the corpse of a simple girl. But one thing boggles me ¨C how could a woman of the common folk has so strong a grudge that all the anger of the entire world put together would still pale in comparison?¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there,¡± Xiao Chen felt his head spinning, ¡°What did you say about a woman of the common folk? What strong grudges? Everyone here has been gulled for thousands of years?!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Yangzi muttered with his abruptly-strangely-calm voice being the only sound in the chilly silence suddenly, ¡°Indeed¡­ The woman¡¯s name was Red Sleeve!¡±


    ¡°Red Sleeve?¡±


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue exchanged a look that was limned with doubt and suspicion. So this diabolical order has been operating for millennia with a woman called Red Sleeve at the helm and no one here was any the wiser?


    ¡°So you mean to say that this Red Sleeve is the one who had weaved this myth about a Divine Corpse, the remains of an Immortal King, to all the High Chieftains and Elders since Heaven knows when? Telling them that this Divine Corpse would be the object of their deliverance from the eternal bondage to the Administration?¡±


    ¡°Spot on,¡± Yu Yangzi remarked with a wicked chuckle, ¡°More so, with the Soul¡¯s Life Source of everyone here in the grasp of Red Sleeve. It was a myth passed down through endless generations that people began to cling firmly to it like ants on the scent of sugar. Those who wished to disprove this myth were hunted down like dogs and executed as traitors of the order and had their souls delivered to the Administration and their remains reused as Corpse Puppet. No one, not even the High Chieftain himself, is free from such fate!¡±


    So this Red Sleeve must really is a dangerous person, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue shared the very same fearful dread. That would explain the fear and awe everyone has for the woman in red, the lady-in-waiting of Red Sleeve.


    ¡°But¡­ Err¡­ Senior,¡± Su Lianyue asked again, sounding positively doubtful, ¡°Has there not been any attempts to overthrow her rule?¡± Members of the Corpse Refinery Sect were not known for their loyalty and faithfulness.


    ¡°Overthrow? Hardly,¡± Yu Yangzi allowed, ¡°High Chieftains of the past have all had their souls consumed by Red Sleeve or sent to the Administration of Heaven. Even in my state, I¡¯m one of the handfuls of lucky ones¡­ Her might is beyond your comprehension and she is eternal. Imperishable. Not even the Nether Emperor can do anything to her. Fuelled by her anger, her hatred, and her malice, there is no power in the worlds and those beyond that affect her. She has, in fact, the most intense and purest grudge and anger ever known!


    Xiao Chen understood what little he knew about Rancorous Qi and Malicious Grudge. The Rancorous Qi from the residual emotions of a dying man would later become what we know as Malicious Grudge, the aura of unrest and hatred of the dead. The aura of Malicious Grudge could reanimate a corpse into a mindless and soulless being driven and sustained only by the intent of revenge. An abomination damned to never enter the Samsara.


    It was what happened to Wang Luo, the student of the Ziyang Sect he once met. Wang Luo was murdered in cold blood and the vestigial grudge and unrest would slowly grow into the aura of Malicious Grudge and a reanimated Wang Luo would have risen from dead, back to exact vengeance if not for Xiao Chen¡¯s interference to lay him back to rest peacefully.


    Malicious Grudge auras aging more than a thousand years are known as Heavy Grudge auras which are further classified into several levels. The Corpse King that Xiao Chen fought against radiated only an ordinary Heavy Grudge aura. But what Red Sleeve has was the very worst of them all. A fit of anger and hatred that would never fade, one that could only be birthed if a person is brutally, cruelly, and wrongly killed.


    Xiao Chen frowned. He could not understand how could a woman of the common folk, like how Yu Yangzi described her, could possibly develop such strong and intense fury? Even the Corpse King he had encountered before exuded only the strong emotions that seemed ordinary in contrast. What experiences did Red Sleeve have during her life that had rendered her so?


    The more he listened, the more Xiao Chen felt dazed and giddy as dread burgeoned in him. For brief seconds he was silent until he finally asked, ¡°Senior. The people who are taken on every seventh day of the seventh month; is Red Sleeve indeed behind all these abductions?¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face turned to stone almost at once. Yu Yangzi shook visibly for a brief instant before he answered, ¡°Yes. Red Sleeves sends her men to abduct girls born on the seventh day of the seventh month every three hundred years. It has been a practice for three millennia.¡±


    Three thousand years?! How many innocent girls had perished at her hands?! Su Lianyue and Xiao Chen wondered in unison. The dread growing in Xiao Chen became stronger and disturbing as he asked again rapidly, ¡°Then what are these girls abducted for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yu Yangzi replied, his head shaking slowly, ¡°I do know, however, that she has taken one of our unused cave halls for herself and named it Tianxiang ¨C meaning lighting incenses¡­¡±


    ¡°Tianxiang?¡± Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue looked at each other again in bewilderment. Red Sleeve and Tianxiang¡­ Putting both together would form a Chinese idiom, hongxiu (Red Sleeve) tianxiang, that means the companionship of a gentle and fair lady¡­ How eloquently put¡­


    The revelation made them flutter as the recollections of the few nights they had just gone through came back to them vividly and the chilly air around them only made them want to hug each other tightly for warmth. The distressing wintriness made both men and women eager for each other¡¯s company the more they wallowed in the premonition of the despairing news.


    Yu Yangzi went on, ¡°The Tianxiang Chamber has more than ten ladies-in-waiting, all of them Lady Ambassadors loyal only to Red Sleeve. The one now under your control is one of them. They never leave this stronghold. The abductions are carried out by the rest of the Sect before the girls are handed to them with no questions asked. Like their mistress, they suffer no inquiry in whatever they do. And most of all, everyone feared the summons of Red Sleeve; at times, she would request the presence of an Elder and two and speak to them. But in most cases, none of them ever returned, which further cast a thicker shroud of mystery over the Lady who is the hidden hand steering the Corpse Refinery Sect.¡±


    ¡°What about the girls who were taken last year? Aside from the thirty-one of them, what happened to the rest? Where are they now?¡± Su Lianyue asked tersely.


    ¡°What else?¡± Yu Yangzi began to chuckle ominously, ¡°Dead, more like. No one ever survives the Ice Keep.¡±


    ¡°Dead?!¡± The syllable echoed off the walls of the bleak and empty building as it escaped the throat of a shuddering Su Lianyue. Then the sound of cracking knuckles resounded while Xiao Chen reeled in disbelief quietly. For three thousand years, countless maidens have been taken at the Sect¡¯s behest¡­ and all of them¡­ dead¡­


    Xiao Chen remembered his and Su Lianyue¡¯s eavesdropping of the conversation between the woman in red and the Elders. They had mentioned the Ice Keep then and the very notion of it seemed to fill the Elders with panic. They would have rather suffered an instantaneous death rather than being sent endure the harsh torture of the Ice Keep, which lent much credence to how terrifying and appalling a place it was.


    ¡°Can you tell us more about this Ice Keep, Senior?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not have much to tell you. What I do know, is that the girls abducted would first be stripped naked by the Ladies Ambassador of the Tianxiang Chamber before they will be thrown into pits of icy water. For twelve hours every day, the girls will have to endure the skin-scathing cold until the Ladies Ambassador decide to lengthen the duration of their daily suffering until the girls began to give in to the cold and they die eventually¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue felt a cold shiver running down her spine as if she had been tossed into the ice ponds herself. She glared at Xiao Chen suddenly who quickly yelped, ¡°Come on, that has nothing to do with me! I would never be capable of such atrocity¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if you think this is painful enough, just wait until you hear about the Ice Keep,¡± Yu Yangzi continued, ¡°Those that survive the ice pools would eventually be sent to the Ice Keep where most, if not all, of them usually die right after. Those that managed to manage to pull through the first few days would still die in the end, but not without after a series of indescribably-anguishing torments¡­¡±


    So many fair maidens, in the full flowering of their lives, subjected to such brutality and cruelty like the proudly-blooming blossoms of spring wilting suddenly in the snow¡­ Xiao Chen brooded quietly. The Rancorous Qi that left from the resentment and regret of their untimely and bitter deaths would surely be immensely strong¡­ What is this Red Sleeve after for doing this? Was this pure malice for vengeance upon all womenfolk? Or was she trying to amass more Malicious Grudge?


    But what is she after, Senior? What is the reason Red Sleeve is doing all this?¡±


    Yu Yangzi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The girls taken must be born on the seventh day of the seventh month, and they must be in their late teens or early twenties. Some might have already achieved the state of Immortal Body. Anyway, the Elders would suffer the most terrible punishment for any mistakes. Some even painful than death.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned sour. He would not have involved himself in this abominable fallacy if not for the date: the seventh day of the seventh month. The very same birth date of Hua Weiyang¡­ Yet why of all the days, it has to be this¡­


    Before this, Xiao Chen had the foreboding of trepidation if Weiyang was Red Sleeve or one of her lackeys. But now that he had heard how relentless and inexorable Red Sleeves¡¯ methods were, he was nothing if not fully convinced that Weiyang was none of them. His Weiyang would never be capable of such evil and monstrosity¡­


    He took in a deep breath to recollect himself. The waves of revelation had unsettled him again and again. ¡°So where is this Tianxiang Chamber, Senior?¡±


    That was a question that made Su Lianyue and Yu Yangzi shocked beyond words and the latter was the first to ask the question that they both shared, ¡°Why? Do you intend to sneak into that evil place? Not even nine lives would save you!¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his fingers anxiously. He knew how daunting and dangerous an attempt it would be, but he had to go. He knew it. Hua Weiyang was the most important person in his former life as much as Ling Yin was. Dead or alive, he needed to see it with his own eyes.


    ¡°So be it. But the only thing I know about this Tianxiang Chamber is that it sits in the mountains rear of the Summit of Mystics. It¡¯s absurdly vast there, so I don¡¯t know which for sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you for the information all the same,¡± Xiao Chen allowed, bowing humbly. His gaze wandered to the four thickset iron chains restraining Yu Yangzi. ¡°The magical restrictions here are too powerful for me to save you, Senior. But is there anything I can do for you?¡±


    That earned him a weak chuckle from the former High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect. ¡°Nay, I¡¯ll ask nothing of you. But if one day, you are able to kill that swine Ye Wuxin on my behalf, rest assured that my soul shall be at rest on that knowledge.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Xiao Chen muttered, hardly wishing to know more about Yu Yangzi¡¯s vendetta against Ye Wuxin. He turned to Su Lianyue beside him and said, ¡°Let us go then, my lady.¡±


    They strolled out and shut the stone doors. The woman-in-red was still standing demurely outside, still under the effects of the Voodoo Curse. Xiao Chen said, with his eyes still transfixed upon the mind-controlled woman, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve found your answers, my lady. But I still have questions left unanswered. There¡¯s no need for you to traverse into further perils with me, my lady. We¡¯d best be off on our own ways outside.¡±

 Chapter 409 - The Ice Ponds on the Back Mountain

    Xiao Chen was determined to investigate the back mountain. He could also guess Su Lianyue¡¯s goal in investigating the Corpse Refinery Sect; a woman from Fort Raksasa whose birthday falls on the seventh day of the seventh month must have gone missing as well. Now that she knew the answer, she could very well return and make her report. There was no need for her to continue risking her life. This was the end of their cooperation.


    Su Lianyue looked at him quietly. Suddenly, she smiled and said, ¡°How would you know if I¡¯ve found the answer that I¡¯m looking for, Young Master?¡±


    Xiao Chen stared at her. He had the feeling that she was implying something else, so he asked, ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you come here to investigate the missing disciples from Fort Raksasa?¡±


    Su Lianyue chortled. ¡°Of course, I did. But that¡¯s not all. For example, the answer I¡¯m concerned about¡­ Were you so concerned about all this because all those ladies share the same birthday of the seventh day of the seventh month?¡± Her pupils gleamed with emotion as she stared straight at Xiao Chen¡¯s face.


    Xiao Chen trembled ever so subtly. It seemed to him that Su Lianyue had been making indirect inquiries about his past since the beginning. He laughed. ¡°A word of advice for you, Fairy.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡± Su Lianyue looked at him with a faint smile, her gaze still on him.


    ¡°Do not ever try to learn about my past. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t move when he spoke, his eyes as sharp and silent as a sword. This sword wouldn¡¯t attack anyone on its own, but anyone who touched it was bound to get hurt, no matter who it was.


    Su Lianyue was dumbfounded. She then burst into hearty laughter. She laughed so hard that she began shaking, unable to stop. Xiao Chen glanced at her. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Su Lianyue shook her hand, still unable to contain her laughter. Every time Xiao Chen spoke to her earnestly, she would inexplicably want to laugh. It was the same thing back in the cave. Xiao Chen¡¯s stomach was groaning but he still told her that she wouldn¡¯t share a goose with a Devil¡¯s Practice cultivator in all seriousness.


    Her laughter made Xiao Chen feel very awkward. He coughed once and said, ¡°Enough. Stop laughing. Be careful not to draw the attention of the guards outside.¡±


    When her laughter finally ended, she looked at him. ¡°Oh, alright. I¡¯ll stop joking with you. But did you think that I¡¯ll be done with my mission once I bring this clue back? Did you think I¡¯d give up after I finally found a clue?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. He swiped the top of the woman in red and removed the Six-comprehension Seal on her. After the woman woke up, she shuddered and stared daggers at them both.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. She used a poisonous spell and pressed the woman in between the brows with two fingers. The woman immediately became obedient again.


    ¡°The ice pond on the rear mountain! Lead the way!¡±


    The woman in red shifted her body, but eventually walked using the same path she had come in, with the two following her. Moments later, they were back at the rock cave from before. The two rows of guards moved out of the way in deference, all afraid to raise their heads.


    After leaving the place, the woman in red led them down to the back mountain. The closer they were to the back mountain, the heavier the sinister, cold energy became. Xiao Chen¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed the entire time. Yu Yangzi was someone on his deathbed and had no reason to make up a lie to deceive them. But the Administration of Heaven¡­


    The Administration of Heaven was neither good nor evil. Even though they conducted soul transactions, they would never take the initiative in stealing someone¡¯s soul. What didn¡¯t belong to them, they wouldn¡¯t want. But those who owed them souls had nowhere to run or hide.


    But why would the Corpse Refinery Sect be subjugated by the Administration of Heaven? And what was up with that woman named Red Sleeve? These three matters were undoubtedly intricately linked!


    Before they knew it, the moon and the stars began to dim as they walked. It must be close to dawn now. White mist gradually rose around them. Some branches were also covered with a layer of frost. There were also fewer patrolling guards here, as if they were either unwilling or not daring to come.


    Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were on full alert. If they ran into that woman named Red Sleeve, they would probably have no chance of survival. They couldn¡¯t just imagine the magnitude of three thousand years¡¯ worth of grievance. But what gave them a little piece of heart was that the woman seemed to be under some sort of control and couldn¡¯t come out for now.


    Finally, under the guidance of the woman in red, they arrived in front of a rock cave. The cave looked ordinary, but the cold sensation coming from it was potent. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue exchanged looks and carefully walked inside. The moment they entered the cave, Xiao Chen could feel a heavy Rancorous Qi. However, this Qi was simply accumulated over the years; it didn¡¯t belong to a single person.


    After nearly fifteen minutes, they could faintly see light from the end as well as a thick layer of ice covering the rock walls around them. There were even stalactites hanging above them. The temperature was very, very low here. Even with the Fire-heart Jade, Su Lianyue was still trembling.


    Xiao Chen glanced at her, not knowing why she feared the cold so. He remembered that Weiyang would sometimes fear the cold too. Muxue, too. All of them seemed to be bad with the cold.


    They continued walking a little longer. The light from the end hit them through a layer of ice. Xiao Chen was finally able to get a clear look at his surroundings. It turned out that the light originated from some Illumination Formations.


    After exiting the passage inside the rock cave, Xiao Chen saw many ponds with glistening water in front of him. The ponds were all connected through channels of water and had numerous ink chunks floating on the surface, so much so that the entire cave was shrouded in smoke.


    ¡°This must be where they ¡®rear¡¯ those kidnapped women,¡± Su Lianyue said softly, looking at the pile of female clothing in a corner.


    Xiao Chen nodded with a deep frown. No wonder the Rancorous Qi here was so strong. How many innocent women had frozen to death here in the past three thousand years? And the number of deaths in that terrifying Ice Prison must be even higher.


    There were around a dozen of these ice-water ponds in this cave. Su Lianyue strolled up to one of them and saw that the pond was probably 1.7 meters deep. Under the swirling white smoke, the water was so clear that she could see the bottom of the pond. This must be water from above the mountain.


    Xiao Chen joined her and saw numerous hairpins and jewelry like bracelets and earrings lying at the bottom of the pond. These must have fallen while their owners struggled inside the waters. He couldn¡¯t help sighing to see these jewelries; he could imagine just how cruel the scene was.


    Su Lianyue carefully observed the pond for a moment before walking to another pond. She went through seven to eight ponds in such a manner, as if she was looking for something. Finally, at the ninth pond, her expression turned pale. She reached for the pond and with a splash, a small object flew out of the waters and fell into her hand.


    The object was an intricate purple jade hairpin that resembled the one that she was wearing. They ought to be a pair. Su Lianyue gripped the hairpin in her hand with force, her breathing hitched and her body trembling. Even the rim of her eyes was reddening.


    Xiao Chen looked at her current state and said nothing. He could guess that one of their own had been kidnapped as well and that woman was very close to her, perhaps as close as sisters. It was that kind of relationship that he and Xiaoruo shared.


    Suddenly, Su Lianyue turned her head and glared at the woman in red. Her eyes appeared even colder than the water inside the ponds. Even Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    She swiftly walked back to them and slapped the woman in red hard in the face. ¡°Pa!¡± The sound reverberated inside the cave. A red, palm-shaped mark immediately appeared on the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°She was just sixteen; are you even humans¡­¡± Su Lianyue suddenly lost control of her emotions and slapped the woman again.


    After getting slapped seven to eight times in a row, the woman in red suddenly sneered. ¡°You¡¯ll die a wretched death, a million times worse than them¡­¡± Another harsh slap landed on her face before she could finish her sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before then!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s gaze was sharp and severe. She spread out her palm, summoning a purple fog, and was about to crush the woman¡¯s head. Xiao Chen promptly grabbed her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty!¡±


    Su Lianyue glared at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t bear to watch a pretty woman die?¡± Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°Once she dies, those from the Tianxiang Chamber would notice immediately. We¡¯ll be in big trouble then.¡±


    His words allowed Su Lianyue to finally calm down. She clenched her hand so that her bones creaked and suddenly flicked her sleeve. ¡°Thud!¡± The woman in red was pushed into the ice-cold water.


    Once inside the water, the woman¡¯s face instantly turned purple from the cold. She struggled with all her strength, but the water was collected from the bitter-cold regions in the extreme north and remained nearly frozen year-round. Even though the water didn¡¯t freeze over, it was colder than ice. Those thrown into the water would suffer a pain worse than death.


    A short moment later, a frowning Xiao Chen rolled up his sleeves and pulled the woman out of the pond. The woman was so cold that she couldn¡¯t even keep her shivering body upright.


    Xiao Chen sighed. He couldn¡¯t empathize with Su Lianyue¡¯s current emotions, perhaps because none of his loved ones were kidnapped and forced to endure such terrible torment. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and he peered at a corner of the cave. He could faintly make out a secret path. ¡°That should be a secret path. Let¡¯s take a look,¡± he said.


    The two of them walked over and triggered the mechanism to unlock the stone door. They entered the walled-in path and found it to be a very long one. It was also very dark inside, and even colder still. They walked for another fifteen minutes before it finally lit up around them. However, what they saw alarmed them instead.


    Lying in front of them was numerous female corpses, all of them young women who had been frozen solid. Piles of corpses lined the corners. If not a thousand, then there were surely several hundreds of such corpses here. The women were all dragged here after freezing to death. Many of them were even naked¡­


    Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing became rushed and her bones protested loudly from her clenched hands. Xiao Chen looked away; he couldn¡¯t bear looking at these women. Red Sleeve was an absolute madwoman. She was even more dreadful than actual devils. Just what was her reason for harming so many women? Even more must have died of torment inside that Ice Prison.


    ¡°Thump!¡± The sudden noise sent the entire ice cave shaking. ¡°Oh no!¡± Xiao Chen cried, alarmed. He turned his head and found the path closed.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s expression changed as well. They flew toward the path at the same time and struck the stone door with a cooperative palm attack. Fragments of ice were thrown into the air, but the stone door didn¡¯t move in the slightest.


    Suddenly, the woman in red behind them moved. While they were distracted, she swiftly pushed a mechanism button on the stone door. The ground under Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue¡¯s feet instantly disappeared. He instinctively struck the ground with his palm, wanting to rebound from the recoiling force, but his palm force seemed to dissipate as soon as it hit the ground and produced no reaction.


    Just like that, the two of them fell into the darkness.

 Chapter 410 - The Ice Cave Predicament

    ¡°Thump!¡± The spot where Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue fell through closed off. What appeared to be a powerful gravitational force underneath pulled them down and they fell just like that. They slowly found each other in the darkness, where they crashed on the ground after falling for gods know how long.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s first instinct was to sweep their surroundings with his Divine Sense and check if there was danger anywhere. However, everywhere his Divine Sense could reach, the only answer was endless darkness and coldness.


    ¡°S-So cold! Where are we?!¡±


    It was so dark that they couldn¡¯t even see their hands and so cold that it pierced deep into their bones. Compared to the ice cave above, this place was many times colder, so much so that even Xiao Chen felt like he could barely stand it. The ground was also slippery; they must be stepping on ice.


    Xiao Chen conjured a white light and gradually illuminated their surroundings. The lightray bounced back and forth. To their surprise, they were inside a sealed ice chamber. Thick walls of ice surrounded them. Even the passage that they fell through had disappeared. Ice covered every inch of the ground that they stepped on. Besides the boundless of ice, the only things around were some disperse slabs.


    ¡°S-So cold¡­ Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re in the Ice Prison that Yu Yangzi told us about¡­¡± Even wearing the Fire-heart Jade, Su Lianyue was still so cold that her voice was shuddering.


    Xiao Chen was also trembling from the cold. He shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There are no bones or much Rancorous Qi here¡­¡±


    The two of them walked around the ice chamber but couldn¡¯t find an exit anywhere. Xiao Chen whipped out his Blood Lotus Demon Blade and slashed the ice wall with force. Ice fragments swirled in the air, but all the blade did was left a little chink in the wall.


    ¡°Guifeng!¡± Xiao Chen yelled. However, the only response was his voice echoing inside the ice chamber. Here, he couldn¡¯t summon Guifeng. Even Evernight and Su Xiaomei had fallen into a deep slumber.


    Su Lianyue looked at him and said in a trembling voice, ¡°There¡¯s no use¡­ This is a completely closed-off space¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. He slashed his palm, wanting to melt the ice wall with his Nine Heaven-scorching Flames. To his shock, he couldn¡¯t even summon his flames here. The restrictions placed here were very severe.


    ¡°Just what kind of place is this¡­¡±


    The hour slowly slipped past and the temperature inside the ice chamber seemed to have dropped lower. A layer of frost had already formed on Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows. Su Lianyue was even worse off; her lips were turning white and she couldn¡¯t stop shivering. The Fire-heart Jade was gradually becoming ineffective here.


    The two of them sat next to a large slab with their backs against each other. Su Lianyue said in a shaky voice, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s too cold. If we can¡¯t get out, we¡¯ll freeze to death here¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was also trembling from the cold. It was bitterly cold here that he couldn¡¯t ward off the chill even if he was circulating his energy nonstop. This place was no ordinary ice chamber.


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll try and find an exit.¡±


    Xiao Chen moved as soon as he finished speaking, but Su Lianyue grabbed him tightly. ¡°D-Don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll be even colder without you¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s mind was beginning to turn cloudy from the cold. She was shivering nonstop and her lips were turning white. Xiao Chen removed her hold and took out her fire-igniter and a crumpled book from his Divine Vessel. The book was the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames secret manual. He ripped off its pages, started the fire-igniter, and made a small bonfire that finally warmed their surroundings a little.


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll definitely find the exit.¡± Xiao Chen handed Su Lianyue the fire-igniter before going up to every ice wall and probing its exterior with his Divine Sense, slowly feeling for an exit.


    Some fifteen minutes later, he finally discovered an anomaly under one of the ice walls. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was an ice door. This discovery excited Xiao Chen and he turned around to say, ¡°Fairy, I found¡­ Su Lianyue!¡±


    In their previous spot, the small bonfire had long stopped burning and Su Lianyue was lying unconscious on the slab. Xiao Chen dashed over. The moment he touched her shoulders, he felt like he was grabbing a thousand-year-old iceberg. He retrieved his hand as if electrocuted. Panic began to sink in. How could her body be that cold?


    But she was still breathing. He didn¡¯t think twice before pouring True Energy into her body. A long while later, Su Lianyue slowly woke up and her body temperature was gradually recovering as well. She immediately pulled him into a hug. ¡°C-Cold¡­¡± Her consciousness at the moment was a complete mess.


    Xiao Chen caressed her back and said softly, ¡°I found the exit. Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Exit¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue seemed to have regained her mental clarity. Xiao Chen nodded and led her by the hand to the ice door. They hadn¡¯t walked far when Su Lianyue suddenly slipped. She was about to fall when Xiao Chen hastily held her up. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m fine¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Young Master¡­¡± Su Lianyue exhaled softly. She was currently very weak.


    Xiao Chen frowned. When they reached the ice door, he carefully set her down on the floor. He then circulated all his energy and slammed the door with his two palms. ¡°Boom!¡± Following the loud sound, the ice door crumbled into pieces and scattered all over the floor. Behind the door was a long ice tunnel.


    ¡°We¡¯re alright now. Fairy, let¡¯s go¡­¡± Xiao Chen spun around. To his surprise, he saw Su Lianyue¡¯s body slanting and then falling to the ground. He immediately went up to her, helped her up, and poured more True Energy into her body.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s mind finally cleared up a little. Seeing the tunnel in front of her, she walked over, step after strenuous step. Xiao Chen supported her along the way, afraid that she would fall.


    They had been walking down the tunnel for quite some time but still couldn¡¯t see the end of it. It was even getting colder. Su Lianyue was staggering like she was drunk. Her head rested on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder, her eyes open with great difficulty. If it weren¡¯t for Xiao Chen supporting her, she might not even be able to stand up.


    They walked for another hour. The length of this ice tunnel had greatly exceeded Xiao Chen¡¯s expectations. Their surroundings were also getting more frigid and Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing was weakening. She was about to die. Xiao Chen was also beginning to feel like he couldn¡¯t stand anymore.


    Suddenly, Su Lianyue¡¯s legs turned soft and she finally fell. Xiao Chen wanted to catch her but slipped and crashed onto the ground. The two of them fell on the ice floor just like that. Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing was becoming as thin as silk. ¡°Young Master¡­ I¡¯m cold¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen tried his best to edge closer to her and pulled her into a hug. Su Lianyue lay in his embrace, clutching both his arms. She was still shaking from the cold.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep. We¡¯ll make it out of here¡­¡± Even talking felt strenuous for Xiao Chen. He had never imagined that he would one day fall into such a predicament. So what if he was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? So what if he was a Nirvana Realm cultivator¡­


    Su Lianyue didn¡¯t reply. Her breathing was getting weaker. She weakly released her hold on his shoulders. Alarmed, Xiao Chen immediately poured more True Energy into her body.


    ¡°Young Master¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t anymore¡­ You should go¡­¡± Su Lianyue opened her eyes weakly. Even talking took a lot of her strength.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiao Chen pulled her up strenuously and helped her keep walking. Right now, he didn¡¯t want to think about the difference between Orthodox Path and Devil¡¯s Practice. Since the two of them came here together, they were going to leave together too. If he abandoned her here and left by himself, the guilt would cause him to fail his ascent to immortality in the future.


    After walking for nearly 500 meters, Xiao Chen saw a block of ice. He immediately struck it with his palm so that it would be loose. The block of ice happened to be the right size for both of them to sit on it. Xiao Chen helped Su Lianyue sit on the ice and sat down next to her. He then struck the block of ice with his energy and it slid forward, carrying both of them with it.


    Su Lianyue was leaning onto him, her mind becoming blurrier. ¡°Young Master¡­ That night, you mentioned the people, her, and your own life¡­ I want to know. The people and her¡­ Which is more important to you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen hugged her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. We¡¯re nearing the exit.¡±


    Moments later, Su Lianyue finally fell quiet but so did her breathing. Her body was turning colder and colder, alarming Xiao Chen. Why was her body this cold? He immediately propped her up and pushed more True Energy into her, but it was all in vain.


    ¡°Su Lianyue! Wake up! Don¡¯t fall asleep!¡±


    After shaking her for a while, Su Lianyue gradually woke up again. Xiao Chen immediately pulled energy from his Elixir Field and kissed her on the lips. Su Lianyue trembled when she felt his lips on hers and hastily turned her head. Anger seeping into her voice, she said, ¡°What are you doing¡­ If you dare to do anything improper, I¡¯ll kill myself!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not taking advantage of you. I¡¯m just giving you a breath of Pure Yang Qi.¡±


    Xiao Chen pressed his lips on hers again as he spoke. Even though Su Lianyue wanted to push him away, she felt her body suddenly going numb and all her strength leaving her. Soon, a warm sensation entered her body through her throat and moved to every part of her body. Haziness gradually filling her mind, she couldn¡¯t help crisscrossing her hands behind his neck.


    Xiao Chen cautiously ushered his Pure Yang Qi into her mouth, bit by bit. He dared not get distracted. Su Lianyue could feel warmth throughout her body; even her head was spinning a little. Their lips pressed against each other produced a rather curious sensation. Gradually, she began to lose focus and poked out her tongue ever so slightly. A little more, then a little more. Her heartbeat sped up. She felt a little timid, yet also a little uncontrollable¡­


    Xiao Chen was concentrating on ushering his Pure Yang Qi when he suddenly felt a cold, soft object touching the tip of his tongue. He instantly shivered. Su Lianyue¡¯s mind cleared up right then and the two of them separated at lightning-speed.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were burning red. She was much better now thanks to Xiao Chen¡¯s Pure Yang Qi. However, after that lapse of judgment earlier, she dared not raise her head and look at him. She muttered, ¡°Why do you have Pure Yang Qi in your body? Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned but soon recovered his senses. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know either. I only discovered it when I reached the Corpse Refinery Sect a few days ago¡­¡±


    The two of them became very awkward. Then, out of the blue, their bodies were flung forward and they knocked into each other. It was because the block of ice under them had stopped after hitting something.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hands were on Su Lianyue¡¯s shoulders, supporting her. He looked up and saw an ice wall blocking their way. The wall wasn¡¯t thick but he couldn¡¯t see through the other side. To hide her embarrassment, Su Lianyue stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can shatter it.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. The two of them worked together and used all of their strength to strike the ice wall with their palms. ¡°BOOM!¡± The ice wall easily fell apart, but a strong gravitational force suddenly emerged from the other side and instantly pulled them in.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Caught off guard, Su Lianyue let out a yell. Xiao Chen hugged her tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Despite his words, he wasn¡¯t fully confident. It was completely dark around them and the gravitational force was so powerful that he couldn¡¯t even circulate his energy.


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. It was as if he had knocked hard onto something. The two of them then found themselves suspended in midair, their surroundings brightening. The scene around them gradually became clearer. Su Lianyue cried out in fear, ¡°Wh-What is this place?!¡±

 Chapter 411 - Flower Valley Mystic Domain

    The surrounding scenery gradually became clear, with blue sky and white clouds, mountains, and rivers, flowers and trees, birds and beasts, as compared to the dark and cold ice cave back then, it was almost like a fairyland isolated from the world over here. The contrast was too great.


    ¡°Thump!¡± The water splashed as both Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue fell into the stream from mid-air. The stream passed through the shaded side of the mountain, so the water was chilly, but because they were in the cold ice cave previously, now they felt that the stream was warm and even comfortable.


    The stream was about ten feet deep. Many fish were frightened, and they quickly slip passed the two. The two surfaced, took a deep breath, and looked at each other. Both looked stunned and surprised and looked up at the sky. What ice cave? There were only blue sky and white clouds, which were so much better than that Miasma Mountain Range.


    ¡°Here¡­ Where is this place?¡± Su Lianyue was still a little surprised.


    There were lush grasses near the stream and the flowers were blooming beautifully as though in a competition against each other. There were also many weeping willows on the shore, their branches swayed with the wind. Under the weeping willows, a few five-colored deer that were seeping the water were shocked and ran away.


    In the distance, hundreds of flowers were blooming. There were many five-colored fairy deer in the center of the flowerbed. Their bodies were glowing with faint rainbow radiances. Many fairy rabbits were full of Spiritual Qi fluttering around and butterflies were dancing through the flowers as well.


    They both felt a little incredible. How could there be such a beautiful wonderland in the Miasma Mountain Range? But no matter what, the two were temporarily out of danger now at least. The thought of that was very comfortable. The stream was warm, and the two floated on the water surface and slowly flowed down with the stream.


    Since entering the Miasma Mountain Range, the days had been either rainy, suffocating with miasma, or in danger. At this moment, Xiao Chen smelled the fragrance of the flowers, and felt only relaxed and happy, as if he was reborn, and so was Su Lianyue.


    But a moment later, the two trembled at the same time, Su Lianyue exclaimed, ¡°Will it be the illusory land!¡±


    Xiao Chen also frowned. If it was an illusory land, then he and Su Lianyue were still in the dark and horrible ice cave at this moment. Thinking of this, the two immediately went ashore. The breeze came and blew on the two, though a little cold, the two felt very comfortable.


    Xiao Chen looked afar. He faintly saw a valley of flowers in the distance and could also hear faint birdsongs; presumably it was not an illusory land but an independent mystic domain of one side. Just like the mystic domain that was full of Spiritual Qi that he accidentally entered when he was in the Daoist League of the Five Continents.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen felt a lot relieved, and turned to look at Su Lianyue, said, ¡°It¡¯s not an illusory land, and it should be somewhere that hasn¡¯t been discovered¡­¡± Near the end, his voice gradually became quieter, and his ears also seemed a little red.


    Su Lianyue saw that his expression was weird, and his eyes were fixed on her. She lowered her head subconsciously and screamed, ¡°Ah!¡± Then she quickly raised her arms and covered her chest.


    The clothing she was wearing was thin in the first place, and at this moment, it was soaked by the stream water. It naturally clung to her skin, her graceful body was faintly visible, and the view was no worse than this flower valley.


    ¡°Lecherous thief, have you seen enough!¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled before he regained his focus. He turned his eyes away, coughed and said, ¡°Well, I just said that this should be a mystic domain of a place. Let¡¯s find if there is an exit.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Su Lianyue snorted softly, stared at him before she followed behind Xiao Chen. She dared not walk in front. They walked a few miles into the woods and saw that there were many fruit trees. Many orange-red purplish fruits were hanging on the branches.


    ¡°Ah-choo!¡±


    Su Lianyue suddenly sneezed. Although the spring breeze was warm, the clothes of the two were soaked at the moment, and they just came out of the ice cave. Naturally, they felt a bit chilly. However, they were unable to raise their True Energy and were probably getting a cold.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when we can restore our power; let us dry the clothes first.¡± Xiao Chen turned around and said. Seeing Su Lianyue¡¯s looming graceful body, at this moment, without his skillful power, he could not help but produce some rubbish images.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Xiao Chen coughed to cover his embarrassment. He found some dry wood branches and built a pile of firewood. He also found some vines and tied them between the two trees to dry the clothes.


    Previously, the outer layer of the wooden lighter was wet by the water, but the fire sparks in it were still there. Xiao Chen blew it up, ignited the pile of firewood with a few dead leaves.


    ¡°Ahem, then I¡¯ll take off my clothes first, please turn around.¡±


    ¡°Humph, who wants to see you!¡± Su Lianyue snorted coldly and turned around. But having said that, after a while, she still tilted her head and glanced at Xiao Chen, and then quickly tilted her head back.


    ¡°If you dare to peek, I will make sure you suffer! You hear me!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ rest assured, I was also an educated person before I entered the cultivation journey. I know to not look or listen if it is impolite¡­¡±


    After a while, Xiao Chen sat down with his knees crossed and begun his meditation exercise. Before, he had consumed too much power in that ice cave. Now he could only slowly recover his True Energy bit by bit. But at this moment, listening to Su Lianyue undressing, he felt lightheaded again.


    After 15 minutes, both had slowly recovered some True Energy. Su Lianyue suddenly said, ¡°How can she suddenly get rid of the control of my poisonous insect? What¡¯s below that place?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiao Chen was concentrating on his own exercises and failed to hear what she was saying. He turned around instinctively. Su Lianyue also turned around. The four eyes met, but they were blocked by the clothes hanging on the vines and naturally saw nothing.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s hair was still wet, her shoulders were thin, and there were many water droplets on it. The drops of water slid down the collarbone. Xiao Chen blinked, he could not help but want to look down, but he was blocked by the clothes.


    Su Lianyue frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao Chen recovered from those thoughts, then he coughed and said, ¡°It should be that when you pushed her down the ice pond, you helped her break through the seal I set, so she was temporarily out of the control of the poisonous insect, poisonous insect¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Xiao Chen suddenly trembled all over and then felt difficulty breathing. There seemed to be a fiery fire burning in the abdomen, and his throat was very itchy. But he could not cough it out. As if there was something in the throat that was trying to get into his head and it was extremely uncomfortable.


    Only for a moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s face was red and white simultaneously, and cold sweat dripped off his forehead. Su Lianyue¡¯s face changed. Xiao Chen grasped his throat tightly with one hand, and the other hand dug into the dirt. Then he remembered about taking the Bone Retracting Pill last night and seemed to understand something. He said with difficulty, ¡°You! You¡­ What have you done to me!¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face changed slightly, and she said, ¡°Do not start any exercise anyhow. I¡¯ll help you.¡± After she finished speaking, she quickly put on her clothes and walked behind Xiao Chen. She placed her palms behind his back while she began an exercise and recited a spell.


    Xiao Chen still felt extremely uncomfortable. It was as though a thousand poisonous insects were drilling in the body, which was painful and itchy. After 15 minutes, he finally felt better. He spat out something unknown with a ¡°Puff¡±. Su Lianyue waved her palm and the things he spat out instantly turned into ashes, and then dispersed with the wind in 3 different colors smoke.


    Xiao Chen adjusted his breath and sneered. ¡°What great move you had, not forgetting to set me up while dealing with the Corpse Refinery Sect.¡± After talking about it, he remembered the incident of her pushing the blames to Yi Yeqiu and Seven Killings and sneered again.


    Su Lianyue blushed and whispered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She lowered her head, her face flushed, and she seemed very sorry.


    Xiao Chen continued to sneer. The Bone Retracting Pill he took last night indeed had the Three Corpse Poisonous Insect of the Fort Raksasa in it. He thought to himself that when Su Lianyue came to the cave to find him that night, although it was an invitation to join forces to investigate the Corpse Refinery Sect. However, it was not out of kind intentions. She was trying to harm him.


    If it was not because the relationship between the two had been better in recent days, coupled with the bad situation at the moment, it would be difficult to say whether she would remove the poisonous insect for him. It seemed that even if they manage to leave this place, he had to beware of this woman in the future.


    ¡°So¡­ Are you better?¡± Su Lianyue raised her head and whispered.


    Xiao Chen gave her a side-eye and sneered. ¡°Thanks to your kindness, not dead yet.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue held a high position in Fort Raksasa and was inevitably self-willed. With his sarcasm at the moment, she could not help but be annoyed. ¡°I had already remove the insect for you, what else do you want?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at her, and sneered, ¡°You put an insect in me and now you are angry at me? Then let me ask you. If not because we both are in trouble at the moment, you will remove it for me? You will be killing me instead, isn¡¯t that so? Hah. ¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue was even more annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re a man, can¡¯t you be more magnanimous? At that time, you and I had different positions, so what if I guarded against you? Didn¡¯t I remove it for you now?


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Cut it off. God knows whether it was to be guarded or eliminated. Hah. To think that I was thinking that I must not leave you last night.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°That¡¯s my fault, but now I¡¯ve already removed the insect. What else do you want!¡±


    ¡°What do I want?¡± Xiao Chen looked around, and seemed to find nothing to let out his anger. He then pounced on her at once. This came too suddenly, so Su Lianyue exclaimed, ¡°Ah!¡± Before she reacted, she was already on the ground and pressed on the lawn by Xiao Chen.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen was top-naked and his strong muscles were showing, and Su Lianyue was in a hurry to wear her clothes just now, so it was already not done properly. After being pounced on by him, it slipped under her shoulders, exposing snow-white skin, and half-visible¡­


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face was red, and her breathing became more and more rapid. Just now, she had spent too much True Energy on Xiao Chen to remove the insect. Now, her hands were pressed on the ground by him, so she was unable to resist.


    ¡°Xiao Chen¡­ what are you going to do? Don¡¯t mess around.¡±


    This time Su Lianyue was really scared. Earlier, Xiao Chen was able to obey the rules, and that¡¯s because Xiao Chen¡¯s skills were still there and he could resist evil thoughts. But now¡­ She could see a burning flame in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry okay? Don¡¯t¡­ Ah!¡± screamed Su Lianyue as Xiao Chen pulled off the belt on her other shoulder.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing became rapid and intermittent, like a frightened fawn looking at the man who flung at her in horror. At such a close distance, she could smell the breath exhaled by the other person, and feel the other person¡¯s frenzy emotions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Okay¡­ Xiao Chen, please clear your mind. We are in a dangerous place now¡­ If you really want to, wait for us to find a safe place first¡­ Okay¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s voice was very soft. She did not even dare to move even because she was afraid that if she moved her body, she would cause Xiao Chen to get more aroused. Now she could only try to talk him out and drag as much time as she could while waiting for her True Energy to recover.


    However, when Xiao Chen heard her soft voice, he suddenly felt dizzy. He originally intended to just scare Su Lianyue, but at this moment, seeing the appearance of the other party, as well as the clothes that slipped off, and the semi-visible¡­ Suddenly his throat felt a little dry and could not help but swallow his saliva.

 Chapter 412 - The Unknown Soul

    Seeing Xiao Chen¡¯s expression at the moment, Su Lianyue was even more shocked. She tried to guide him patiently. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it cool¡­ Let¡¯s get up then talk about this, okay? I won¡¯t plant insects in you anymore; really, I will never do it again¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Xiao Chen was half-sane at the moment and pretending to be fierce. ¡°If you do something wrong, you will be punished! Anyway, there is no one here, and you and I probably can¡¯t get out, so why not¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue became more and more scared and was about to cry. Suddenly she snorted softly and her face turned redder. Xiao Chen¡¯s knee had accidentally touched her sensitive area between her legs.


    This soft sound was even more incredible in the ear. Xiao Chen felt dizzier and dizzier and a raging fire in his heart instantly burst into flames.


    Su Lianyue saw the look in his eyes was getting more and more frantic, and his hands were getting more forceful. Knowing that he was not in the right mind at this moment, she panicked said in a hurry, ¡°Calm down! Listen! There¡¯s a sound, I can feel it¡­ There is a strong presence not far away! It is Red Sleeve! It is Red Sleeve¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t care about what she said at all. Seeing her panicked at the moment, it was even harder to control that impulse which he never had.


    Su Lianyue¡¯s breathing was getting more rapid, but her True Energy was unable to pick up quickly. She tried to calm herself and talk him out again, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive. We are really in danger now¡­ If we do that now, how bad will that be if someone barged in¡­ ¡±


    Seeing Xiao Chen finally cooled down, she continued to say, ¡°Wait till the night comes okay? If you want, we will do it at night¡­ Calm down¡­ Relax¡­ We¡¯ll do whatever you want at night, anyway, sooner or later I¡¯ll be yours¡­ Okay¡­?¡± While saying, she was trying to bring up her True Energy.


    ¡°No!¡± Xiao Chen yelled and pounced on her like a beast. But at this moment, two lines of tears suddenly fell off ¡®the corner of Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes, which made Xiao Chen stupefied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. If you do it forcefully, it will only make me hate you forever, and I will kill you when we get out! If you want to do it, then do it!¡± After she was done, Su Lianyue closed her eyes and could not care. The tears fell off and she tilted her head away.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen finally cooled down. He did not expect to scare her into tears. He immediately got up from her and coughed. ¡°I¡­ I was just scaring you; okay, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Su Lianyue was still sobbing softly. Snorting, she sucked her nose, and quickly got up to wear her clothes properly. She glared at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to fool around again, or else! At the most, both of us won¡¯t get out of here.¡±


    It hit his soft spot when Xiao Chen saw that her eyes and nose were red and looked rather pitiful. He felt how ridiculous it was of what he did and whispered, ¡°I was just angry at you for not saying. You knew that there was poisonous insect in the pill and you didn¡¯t even say anything last night. We¡¯re even now, okay¡­¡±


    After speaking, Xiao Chen looked up again and looked at the sky. At this time, it was still early, but he had to restore his skills as soon as possible. Although on the surface this mystic domain seemed peaceful, it was not necessarily safe. Thinking of that, he put on clothes immediately, closed his eyes and meditated.


    Su Lianyue also recovered a bit of her True Energy. After a while, she saw Xiao Chen sitting motionless and remembered about what happened just now, and she was very angry again. As the Lord of the Blue-water Altar, no one could be frivolous towards her, not even Xiao Chen!


    She was even forced to say those embarrassing words. When she thought of this, she felt even angrier. A cold light flashed in her eyes, her palms turned, and a sharp purple blade was hidden within. She slowly approached Xiao Chen from behind.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± The purple blade flew out of her hand, and there was a splash of blood. Xiao Chen opened his eyes suddenly and saw a giant snake with a large flower prints was beheaded ten feet¡¯s distance in front of him, and the blood was flowing out.


    ¡°Fairy, you¡­¡± Xiao Chen immediately turned around and saw Su Lianyue¡¯s face as cold as frost with a hint of murderousness at the moment. Why did he feel that that slash just now was meant for him?


    ¡°Uh, thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Su Lianyue snorted coldly, then took off the Fire-heart Jade from her neck and threw it to him. ¡°There, I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡±


    Xiao Chen caught the Fire-heart Jade and chuckled. But for some reasons, he felt coldness on his back. He was concentrating on his meditation and was not on his guard just now. If¡­ If Su Lianyue was slashing at him, he was probably the one that was dead and not that snake.


    ¡°Humph, beauty is like a blade. The more beautiful the woman is, the sharper the blade is. Mister Xiao better remember this, in case you don¡¯t even know how you die while indulging in a woman¡¯s beauty someday.¡± Su Lianyue tilted her head and sneered.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly, wasn¡¯t this what he said to the fox demon previously?


    At this moment, there was a sudden soul fluctuation in the distance. It seemed to be a Soul power that did not disappear for thousands of years. It was very powerful. Xiao Chen looked up and immediately stood up and blocked in front of Su Lianyue. Su Lianyue was alarmed too, and she whispered, ¡°That was¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t talk!¡± Xiao Chen made a shush gesture. His ability to detect soul frequencies was strong, far better than Su Lianyue. So whatever he could feel is deeper than Su Lianyue. That soul fluctuation only appeared for a second, but his intuition told him that it was a very powerful existence, at least for thousands of years, and the other party should have found them as well.


    If they follow the directions in this mystic domain, the sunrise in the east, then the Soul power just came from the far west. They never imagined that this seemingly peaceful place hid such unknown danger. Su Lianyue seemed a little nervous. She subconsciously grasped the sleeves on his shoulders gently and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned his head and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you and I should recover our skills as soon as possible.¡± After that, with a wave of his sleeve, he put out the fire on the ground and said, ¡°Go, let¡¯s leave here.¡±


    After speaking, the two immediately walked in the opposite direction of that Soul power. The state of the two at the moment would make it extremely difficult to defeat that unknown existence. The farther they were, the better.


    Finally, near noon, the two had hurriedly left 50 kilometers away, and their skills had also recovered by half. Su Lianyue whispered and asked, ¡°Could it be Red Sleeve?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, ¡°No, if Red Sleeve is born of Malicious Grudge, then it should be a kind of Walking Corpse, and it shouldn¡¯t have a soul. But what I felt just now was a very powerful soul. Anyway, no matter what, I think it must have something to do with Red Sleeve. You and I must be careful and recover our skills as soon as possible. ¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Su Lianyue nodded, and this time, she seemed to become more obedient.


    Xiao Chen looked at her and seemed to feel a little unexpected. Su Lianyue also looked at him, remembering what happened in the morning and turned her head away as she humphed.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Let¡¯s go and rest in front.¡±


    Not far away was a small fruit grove in a shady environment with a gurgling stream passing through. The two walked in, Su Lianyue found a clean place to sit down and hugged her knees, and her thin brows frowned slightly. She thought of the incident in the morning and those words she said and suddenly felt embarrassed, annoyed, and angry, and a little aggrieved. As she thought about it, her nose felt sore and she felt like crying again.


    Xiao Chen saw the look on her face and felt even guiltier. She did remove the insects for him instantly and that already meant she was not intending to harm him anymore. Besides, she was a woman after all, and he bullied her like that. It was too much.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen felt incredibly guilty, he coughed, walked under a tree and picked two fresh fruits. Then he washed them by the stream before walking back and handing one of the fruits to Su Lianyue. ¡°Here.¡±


    Su Lianyue raised her head and gave him a side-eye glance, and humphed. ¡°One who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions! Humph!¡± Then she tilted her head back.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen walked next to her and sat down. He put the fruit in her hand and Su Lianyue glared at him, saying, ¡°Stay away from me! From now on, don¡¯t come near me within five feet¡¯s distance!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen moved to the side a little, wiped the corners of his mouth after eating the fruit in his hand, and said, ¡°This place is unusual. How can there be such a mystic domain in the Miasma Mountain Range?¡±


    Su Lianyue glanced at him sideways, and said monotonously, ¡°Oh, then what do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°A binding. This mystic domain is bound by a strong resentment.¡± When speaking, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes did not blink and his expression was very stern. Su Lianyue turned her head as well and asked seriously, ¡°You meant Red Sleeve?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Red Sleeve, but it must be related to her, and the people in the Corpse Refinery Sect may not be all deceived like what Yu Yangzi said. Maybe someone has been helping Red Sleeve¡­¡±


    After speaking, the two fell into silence together and they were deep in thoughts for a long time. Su Lianyue said, ¡°Have you noticed something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sense anything at all? Since the moment we sneaked into the Corpse Refinery Sect, don¡¯t you feel that everything was going too well?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked intently and said, ¡°You meant someone was helping in secret!¡±


    Su Lianyue lowered her head and seemed to be in deep thought again. After a long while, he said, ¡°I¡¯m unsure if there¡¯s someone helping. But that person named Shen Qing was rather strange.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. After hearing what she said, it rose some questions in him as well. Before that, he always felt that Shen Qing was strange. For some reason, he always felt that he was very much like a person. Those eyes¡­


    ¡°Moxuan Zi!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly exclaimed, at this moment he finally remembered it. That look in his eyes belonged to Moxuan Zi, one of Jade Qing Seven. No matter how skillful one¡¯s Magic Mimicry could be, there would be traces in the eyes, so that Shen Qing was Moxuan Zi!


    Su Lianyue was also taken aback and did not believe it, saying, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ that Shen Qing is Moxuan Zi, one of the Jade Qing Seven?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. When he left Jade Qing Sect and went to Middle Continent, Moxuan Zi even gifted a magic treasure to him. The Bagua Mirror of the Cosmos. Within the Jade Qing Seven, all of them were unfathomable, especially when the Annihilation Times arrived. Everyone had reached Nirvana Realm. But there was one thing that he was still uncertain about and was still a little afraid to think about it.


    Su Lianyue narrowed her eyes slightly and murmured to herself, ¡°Moxuan Zi¡­ Moxuan Zi is the only one among the Jade Qing Seven who has become an Immortal¡­¡±


    Near the end, she suddenly took a deep breath and raised her head, her face full of horror. She exclaimed, ¡°Could it! Could it be Moxuan Zi! Could he!¡±

 Chapter 413 - Strange Valley

    Chapter 413 Strange ValleyXiao Chen saw that Su Lianyue¡¯s expression was getting more terrible, so he immediately said, ¡°You must stop talking nonsense! Predecessor Mo Xuan is one of the Jade Qing Seven. He¡¯s an honorable man, so don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡±


    Su Lianyue was startled by his serious expression, but immediately recovered, and she said jokingly, ¡°I was just saying it casually, why are you so nervous? Or did you think of what I was thinking as well?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were locked tightly, and he remained silent. His impression of Moxuan Zi was carefree and graceful. Even when he refused to be his student in front of so many people, he just passed it off with a smile, and he was gentle. If it was someone like Yuheng Zi, he would have been displeased.


    But now, Moxuan Zi suddenly appeared in the Corpse Refinery Sect and used Shen Qing as his identity. From the perspective of ordinary people, it is natural to think that Moxuan Zi had sneaked into the Corpse Refinery Sect for investigation, but¡­ was it really so?


    Now that the Immortals and Devils were indistinguishable in this world, it is difficult to really see through a person. If you change to another perspective, could it be that Moxuan Zi had always been on the side of Red Sleeve? And he took Orthodox Path as a cover.


    If this was the case, then it would be terrible¡ªeveryone around anyone could not be trusted. Xiao Chen suddenly felt very confused. What about those people around him? Brother Yi, None-flower Dust, Brother Yifeng, and even the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon¡­


    Su Lianyue looked at him suddenly and said softly, ¡°Although you have powerful cultivation, I see that you are still unaware of the ways of the world. What do you know about the sinister world? Take heed of my words, everyone around you may not be good to you. Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°You shut up!¡± Xiao Chen cried suddenly and then took a deep breath. Yes, how much did he know the sinister world? In the previous life, he was a disciple of Mystic Cyan Sect and the first apprentice of Immortal Miaoyin. He could not see the evilness in people. Although he cared less in this life, as compared to those who were always scheming about others all day long, he was an amateur.


    Su Lianyue suddenly smiled. ¡°Well, did we just sidetrack from the topic? Take it that I was spouting nonsense just now. Moxuan Zi really did it for the sake of the world and the Orthodox Path, so he took the risk to investigate the Corpse Refinery Sect. Will you be satisfied now?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned as he listened to her slightly sarcastic words at the moment. It made him uncomfortable, but he had absolutely no reason to doubt Moxuan Zi as well. They were both in silence for a while before Xiao Chen said, ¡°Not only Jade Qing Sect, I am afraid now all the sects in the world has pointed their finger at the Corpse Refinery Sect. Do you remember what Elder Song said that night? I¡¯m afraid that your Fort Raksasa will be taking actions too.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°So you want to return to that Orthodox Path you were in?¡± ¡°Are you in disdain to join forces with people of the Devil¡¯s Practice like me?¡±


    This sentence sounded sad, but Xiao Chen¡¯s brows were so deeply locked that he did not immediately reply. With his knowledge of the Orthodox Path Cultivators¡¯ sects, they would never allow such a big threat to exist. They would join forces to bring down the Corpse Refinery Sect in the name of removing Devil¡¯s Practice.


    But Red Sleeve was far stronger than they imagined. The Miasma Mountain Range would be awaiting the most violent battle between the Orthodox Path and Devil in the past millennium, blood would be everywhere. Just as what Fengxi said previously, in the first stage of the Annihilation Times, the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would only serve as cannon fodder.


    But this is not what he was most worried about but the connection between Red Sleeve and Weiyang. However, it was useless to worry about it now, and he could only take one step at a time¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re not really going to return to Orthodox Path right!¡± Seeing that he was quiet for a long time, Su Lianyue frowned suddenly, and her words were a little upset, as if Xiao Chen had really betrayed their covenant and abandoned her.


    Xiao Chen froze for a moment, and then smiled gently. ¡°You thought too much. I¡¯m accompanied by a beautiful lady, who cares about returning to the Orthodox Path?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s face flushed and seemed to be too shy to know what to say. Xiao Chen continued to say jokingly, ¡°I wonder if your words this morning are still valid? In the evening, we will find a clear and bright place to spend a good night together¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s face was even redder. She gritted her teeth and threw the fruit in her hand at him. Xiao Chen tilted his head, avoiding the flying fruit, and laughed. ¡°I was just kidding! It¡¯s not wise to stay here for long; let¡¯s go. ¡±


    After they rested, they continued to move forward. They did not converse much along the way and seemed to be in their thoughts. But the same thing was that they both thought about how to leave this mystic domain. To leave the mystic domain, they had to find a breach, if not, no matter how unfathomable a person could be, there would be no way out.


    Another thing was about the Corpse Refinery Sect. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Soon after, the world will gather together, and the power of the two of us will be weak. If we can use their power, it may be better. After all, the Annihilation Times is here. So, people with cultivations like you and me can only be a stepping stone for others.¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s eyebrows were deeply locked, and she remained in silence as if thinking about something. The two walked for a while and came to a wide valley. But they saw signs of withering and decay in the surrounding vegetation, and there were no animals like white rabbits, fairy deer, and other animals inhabiting here. The valley was also dead and silent, and it seemed to be out of place.


    The two stopped at the same time. Su Lianyue frowned and whispered, ¡°Have you noticed that the temperature here is much lower?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded his head, staring at the front and said, ¡°Dead Qi, a Dead Qi is coming in through the Mountain of Myriad Caves.¡±


    ¡°Dead Qi?¡± Su Lianyue was a little surprised. She just felt a lot colder here and nothing of Dead Qi at all, why did Xiao Chen¡­ She looked at Xiao Chen with a little doubt in her eyes. Xiao Chen did a shush gesture and whispered, ¡°There may be a breach in front, where the Dead Qi infiltrated; go, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    Xiao Chen led the way and Su Lianyue followed him carefully. They kept their footsteps light, for the fear of alarming something. As they moved forward, the colder it became the denser the Dead Qi was.


    Finally, after walking for nearly two hours, they arrived at the deepest part of the valley. The place was shrouded by Dead Qi. There were no living creatures within kilometers of radius, and there were no plantations, just rocks, and gravels lying everywhere.


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and stopped Su Lianyue. He then released his Divine Sense cautiously and explored carefully where the Dead Qi penetrated from. Following the position where the Dead Qi penetrated, Xiao Chen bypassed several stone forests and found a small chaos breach in front of a cliff wall.


    The Dead Qi was infiltrated bit by bit from here. Just like that mystic domain in the Immortals¡¯ League, the Spiritual Qi in Tianyuan City had also penetrated through a small breach previously. However, the breach in front was significantly smaller.


    Su Lianyue was shocked. Firstly because of the breach in this mystic domain, and secondly because Xiao Chen was able to find it accurately. She whispered, ¡°Was it made by the Corpse Refinery Sect?


    Xiao Chen pondered for a moment and shook his head, ¡°It should be caused by the mystic domain itself after a long time. Maybe the Corpse Refinery Sect not even know about it.¡± After speaking, he stared at the breach for a long time, and said, ¡°Let us work together and try to see if we can open it.¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded. Then the two of them joined forces to urge their True Energy to strike a Mystic Power at the chaos breach. However, a strong force bounced back instantly and the impact sent them both flying¡­


    When they landed on the ground, both of them looked pale. Xiao Chen supported Su Lianyue and frowned. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Lianyue shook her hand. She panted as she looked at the chaotic breach, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiao Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Some mystic domains are like this. It seems that we are not strong enough now. If we are of the Nirvana Realm cultivation, we can open it in one shot. Otherwise, even if with the help of foreign objects, we will also be bounced back by the force.¡±


    ¡°What then?¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s eyebrows were locked deep and she sounded anxious. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, wait for our cultivation to improve a little more and we¡¯ll try again. For now, let¡¯s leave first.¡±


    Su Lianyue finally nodded. It seemed that after what happened last night, she has become more obedient to Xiao Chen.


    The two of them then memorized the position of this Death Valley and left. They traveled 50 kilometers northward and reached an Emerald Valley with beautiful clusters of flowers and trees. The scenery was radiant and enchanting and it was full of Spiritual Qi. There were many emerald lakes afar. Many five-colored fairy deer were drinking by the lake. There were hundreds of flowers blooming in the vicinity, and they were brightly colored with a pleasant fragrance. There were also many birds in the woods. It was like a fairyland on earth.


    ¡°This place¡­ isn¡¯t that too much Spiritual Qi here?¡± Su Lianyue seemed very surprised and excited. Xiao Chen also felt a sense of rejoicing. The Spiritual Qi was indeed abundant here. He had more Spiritual Meridian veins in his body than Su Lianyue and could naturally feel more than her. This was a holy place for cultivation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ll wait until I reach the Nirvana Realm before I leave!¡± Su Lianyue looked very happy, even faintly a little carried away, then she hurried into the valley after speaking.


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°Be careful.¡± Then he chased after her.


    The valley was bright and scenic. Su Lianyue felt at ease. She looked at the sparkling lake, the colorful exotic flowers and plants, the trees full of fairy fruits, and the friendly fairy deer and rabbits. She could not help but say, ¡°I have been in Blue-water Altar for more than ten years and I have never seen such a beautiful place. Do you think it is beautiful here? ¡±


    Xiao Chen thought she was being a little fussed and said indifferently, ¡°Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Then let¡¯s just stay here and don¡¯t leave. There is a beautiful company, ain¡¯t I happy? Why should I go out and be in fights again? ¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue glared at him gently, but she was happy at the moment, so she did not bother to argue with him. With a glance, she saw a cave behind the vegetation not far away. The cave seemed to have traces of artificial excavation. She could not help feeling a little strange and ran over.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and did not want to follow her anymore. Just that as he watched the flowers and trees in this valley, he suddenly had some subtle feelings in his heart. There was an ancient saying that stated that if there had been a place in the previous life and this life you came to it again, then there will be a feeling of Deja Vu, which was what he was feeling now.


    ¡°Young Master! Come and see! What is this! ¡±


    Xiao Chen was distracted when he suddenly heard Su Lianyue¡¯s exclamation came from the cave not far away. Xiao Chen regained his focus, and he frowned and quickly walked over to the cave. As he went into the cave, he saw that the stone walls on both sides of the cave were carved with text, and they looked aged and ancient.

 Chapter 414 - Significant Breakthroughs

    Already stunned, Su Lianyue stared at the characters on the stone wall. Xiao Chen frowned a little. These words were not these ancient characters in common use. Instead, they looked more likely the deformed modern characters. Thus, Su Lianyue could understand them. But somehow, Xiao Chen always felt that these words were very strange. He just read a few lines after he came in. But the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment in his mind was on the verge of activating itself autonomously.


    ¡°It is a Devilish Skill!¡± Xiao Chen was suddenly enlightened. Quickly, he warned, ¡°Don¡¯t read it! The words on the wall can bewitch your mind!¡±


    However, Su Lianyue seemed to be intoxicated with these characters and was unable to pull herself away. Upon hearing Xiao Chen¡¯s words, she felt even happier in her heart and exclaimed excitedly, ¡°You are right! It is the ancient cultivation method! From ancient times, there is a rumor, saying that the Annihilation Times should have come 7,000 years ago. But nobody knows why it didn¡¯t arrive then. Besides, the cultivation methods at that time were lost to the world¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen wrinkled his brows in thought because 7,000 ago was the end of the Immortal Century, which was the era of Xiao Chen¡¯s last life. But now, it was the Open Century. Su Lianyue was getting more and more excited. ¡°God! I found the cultivation method in the Immortal Century! Haha! I have found the long lost ancient divine method!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned deeper and said, ¡°This is not some magic method, but a Devilish Skill! Don¡¯t watch it!¡± Su Lianyue didn¡¯t care what he said and snorted with laughter. ¡°You are so strange. But originally, I am a member of the Devil¡¯s Practice! What¡¯s wrong with me cultivating a Devilish Skill?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xiao Chen had nothing to say in reply. But on second thought, he thought that the Devilish Skill was not something ordinary after all. So he was afraid that she would be doomed eternally and be completely pulled into the dark side. But when Xiao Chen looked up again, he spotted that she had already begun to cultivate with reference to the words on the wall. Thus, he took a step in a flash and stood before her. ¡°Su Lianyue! You must not watch those words! You will be screwed!¡±


    Su Lianyue was startled by his irrational words, her eyebrows fiercely bristling. She pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you are too annoying? The cultivation methods that belong to your sect are cut on the stone wall over there. You should turn those words over in your mind. Don¡¯t bother me again.¡± After all of this, she continued to practice according to the words on the stone wall.


    Xiao Chen saw that she didn¡¯t listen to his advice and was already obsessed with these words. Swinging his sleeves, Xiao Chen hit the stone wall with one palm. ¡°Poom!¡± With an enormous bang, the whole cave shook, but Xiao Chen failed to damage the words on the stone wall a bit. Instead, Su Lianyue was almost frightened out of her senses.


    Eyebrows fiercely bristling, she reproached angrily, ¡°Xiao Chen! If you do that again, I will truly take it as an offense! I practiced my cultivation method. What does it have to do with you? You are nobody but a chance acquaintance of me, so please leave me alone! Go away!¡± Right after Su Lianyue finished speaking, she pushed him away.


    ¡°You!¡± ¡°Alas¡­¡± Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°No Devilish Skill in this world can exceed the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment in my mind. Forget it. If she¡¯d like to practice it, she could just go to do that. After all, she is a member of the Devil¡¯s Practice. What does she have anything to do with me?¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen ignored her. He walked to the stone wall on the other side and looked up at the words on it. Sure enough. On the stone wall, there carved the cultivation methods of Immortal¡¯s Practice¡¯s Cultivators¡¯ sect. Upon seeing all of this, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help wondering, ¡°Who engraved the methods of both Immortals and Devils in this hole? What is the purpose of doing so?¡±


    After pondering over these questions, Xiao Chen could not find out the answer. Thus, he simply stopped thinking further and gathered his True Energy into a ball of white light to look closely at the words on the wall. Then he found that the cultivation methods on this wall were indeed much subtler than those of most of today¡¯s sects. In addition, these cultivation methods seemed to be of great benefit to his own process of cultivation.


    A while later, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on the ground. After tossing away his distracting thoughts and taking a couple of deep breaths, he started to try to run the Mystic Skill ¡°Supreme-Yang and Qi-refreshing Spell¡± on the wall. Merely after 30 minutes, Xiao Chen felt comfortable all over the body. Moreover, he sensed that his six consciousnesses was much clearer as if the Mystic Skill was specifically created for him.


    On the other side, Su Lianyue stared at the Devilish Skill ¡°Mystic-Yin and Spirit-calling Enchantment¡± on the stone wall and practiced it. This Devilish Skill also seemed to be specially created for her.


    Just like this, when they were busy practicing their own cultivation methods, they didn¡¯t even notice that the night had come already. Finally, Xiao Chen stood up. Seeing that it was dark outside and Su Lianyue was still indulging in practicing, he frowned and asked, ¡°Are you going to practice like this the whole night?¡±


    Su Lianyue still looked excited. With her eyes still fixed on the stone wall, she shook her hand and said, ¡°Just go out to eat something. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­¡±


    Feeling helpless, Xiao Chen shook his head, showing that he could not understand her action. Then, he walked to the entrance of the cave. Outside, the bright moon was hanging in the sky, and there was a gentle breeze blew over and nightingales singing. Xiao Chen looked toward the west. But except for the outlines of several distant mountains, it was merely a large area of hazy darkness where he could see nothing. But since he sensed the huge wave of spirit energy in this morning, Xiao Chen always felt worried.


    In the next three days, Su Lianyue refused to move even a step away from the cave. It seemed as if she were possessed. The whole time, she was completely immersed in the Devilish Skill on the stone wall. Xiao Chen felt helpless about this and had to check if anything was wrong nearby.


    ¡­


    Light traveled as fast as an arrow, and time passed quickly by like a stream. In a flash, more than two months had passed. This day, it was almost July. A little bit of summer heat was added to the Emerald Valley. For more than two months, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue had been feeding on the immortal fruit in this valley, and they would drink the spiritual spring water when they were thirsty. Both of them successfully made a spurt of progress, and they were only one step away from the Nirvana Realm.


    In the past two months, they were together from morning to night. Their relationship was further developed, but they had never slept together. During the period, Xiao Chen had been to the lifeless and deep Death Valley many times. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not open the chaotic exit. He assumed that only after he had reached the Nirvana Realm could he open the exit together with Su Lianyue.


    There were several pieces of dresses hanging in the wood in front of the cave. These were exactly the change clothes in their Divine Vessels that they had prepared for washing. Standing at the entrance of the cave, Xiao Chen looked at the mountains in the west. During this period, he had felt the unknown wave of spirit energy three times. But he didn¡¯t dare to find out what on earth it was. Su Lianyue walked up to him. Smiling, she asked him with a charming voice. ¡°Have you gone to the Death Valley a few days ago?¡±


    After the three months, Su Lianyue had not changed much. As always, she was charming and lovely. It seemed that her only change point was that a trace of faintly discernible coldness appeared on her body since she practiced the Devilish Skill on the stone wall. No one knew if a bit of coldness was also added to her heart.


    Xiao Chen looked at her and laughed. ¡°Fairy Suyue, you are not willing to take a step out of the cave. If I also choose to stay in the cave, will neither of us go out?¡± In fact, he was a bit anxious. In previous, he had been detaining in the Devil Repressed Tower for one year. But soon after he got out, he was trapped again in this mystic domain for three months. So he didn¡¯t know what it was like outside now.


    Su Lianyue giggled. ¡°Okay, with you here, I think we may as well go out when we become immortals. At that time, will everyone prostrate on the ground to worship us? Ye Wuxin can only be a piece of cake to us.¡±


    Xiao Chen laughed and said, ¡°I hope that you¡¯d better think about some practical issues. Yesterday, I already felt that there was a strong wave of Mystic Power outside, and now it is almost July 7th. I am afraid that the Miasma Mountain Range is already very lively now.¡±


    Covering her mouth, Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°All right, all right! I was joking. We can go out several days later when we reach the Nirvana Realm. At that time, we can deal with Yi Yeqiu and Seven Killings with great ease. Beyond that, we may even defeat Ye Wuxin if you and I work together.¡±


    ¡°But Fairy Suyue, don¡¯t you forget that the Annihilation Times has arrived, so they may even make greater progress in cultivation than you and me.¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded. ¡°That is true. But then again, The Annihilation Times should have arrived seven thousand years ago. However, it didn¡¯t come until now. In your opinion, why is this?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°I am not from that era. How do I know the reason?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Really?¡± With this, Su Lianyue landed her beautiful watery eyes on him and then never looked away. Again, she asked, ¡°Why do you think that the Annihilation Times would come all of a sudden without any signs?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. On that day, when he was in Xianyong Sect, Fengxi told him that the Annihilation Times came because the Natural Law that had no love intended to subvert the Samsara of all living things. Just when Xiao Chen heard this, he believed much more than he doubted. But now, he was even more skeptical about this statement than he believed it.


    ¡°In my opinion, Fairy Suyue, you¡¯d better leave this meaningless topic there and try your best to reach the Nirvana Realm. I also need to make a breakthrough, so I¡¯ll leave you alone here.¡± After he finished speaking, Xiao Chen turned around and walked to the other side of the forest. Both of them were prepared to get a breakthrough. Thus, they could not stay in the same place. The reason for this was self-evident.


    ¡°Master Xiao, wait!¡± Su Lianyue suddenly stopped him.


    Xiao Chen turned around and said, ¡°Anything else, Fairy Suyue?¡±


    Su Lianyue looked at him, and said a moment later, ¡°Well¡­ When you are out of this cave, will you return to the Orthodox Path where you were before?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Xiao Chen said, ¡°They abandoned me in the first place. Why should I go back and be bound by them again?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Su Lianyue showed him a brilliant smile. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Then, it seemed that she wanted to say more, but she swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue. Her face became a little red, and she said, ¡°Well¡­ Last time¡­ The words that I said last time, hmm, you can take it for real.¡± After finishing speaking, she blushed scarlet and rushed to the cave.


    Xiao Chen was stunned for a while. When he understood what she meant, his heart could not help beating faster. Then Xiao Chen remembered the words she said when he first came to this mystic domain and pushed her to the ground by force¡­ During this time, the two of them were together morning and night. Though they had not been intimate with each other, some romantic ideas would inevitably appear in his mind. ¡°If by any chance, we cannot go out, will we have to spend the rest of our life in this valley together?¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen violently shook his head and immediately turned away. When he walked away, Su Lianyue appeared again at the entrance of the cave, but her eyes seemed to show a little invisible coldness.


    In the next three days, each of them tried to make a breakthrough in the place that the other didn¡¯t know. By practicing the Devilish Skill on the stone wall, Su Lianyue improved her cultivation by leaps and bounds. Her cultivation level was above Xiao Chen¡¯s already. In fact, she had reached the peak of Nascent Soul Realm half a month ago, but she hid the news from Xiao Chen.


    On this day, she finally made a breakthrough and reached the Nirvana Realm. At this moment, a layer of faint purple light enveloped her whole body, which made her look completely different from before. Her eyes were a little cold, and her body was covered with bitter coldness. She waved her hand and launched a beam of purple haze. Then, in an instant, the haze instantly withered the grass and trees in the space around her.


    ¡°Finally, I reached the Nirvana Realm¡­ Hehe.¡±


    After Su Lianyue made a breakthrough and reached the Nirvana Realm, her six consciousnesses was enhanced a lot. So she soon found the place where Xiao Chen made a breakthrough. It was a very secret small cave.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged with his eyes gently closed. There was not even a trace of living aura on him. He even stopped breathing as if he had already died.


    Su Lianyue came to the entrance of the cave. After she hid all the aura on her, she approached him, step by step. Meanwhile, a little coldness flashed across her eyes.

 Chapter 415 - Meet the Great Devil Heavens Bane Again

    ¡°Master Xiao?¡±


    With a gentle voice, Su Lianyue called Xiao Chen tentatively. But at this moment, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t react at all. Her eyes getting colder and colder, Su Lianyue took two steps closer.


    She knew well enough that when a cultivator was making a breakthrough to reach the Nirvana Realm, he would enter into a state of suspended animation. Now Xiao Chen was in such a state. As long as Su Lianyue interrupted him with a fatal attack at this time, Xiao Chen would lose all his cultivation or even lose his soul.


    Eyes getting colder, Su Lianyue gathered her energy and made a sharp blade with purple light. Holding it in her hand, she slowly walked to Xiao Chen. In fact, she didn¡¯t really want to kill Xiao Chen. At this moment, she remembered that Xiao Chen had always been good to her in the past two months. He picked and washed spiritual fruit for her. When she felt cold, he would set up a fire to keep her warm. There was even a time when she underwent Qi Deviation, Xiao Chen transferred her energy to help her treat the injuries¡­


    And what was more, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t abandon her when they were trapped in the ice cave¡­ Su Lianyue kept all of this in her mind. Since childhood, she and her sister depended on each other for survival. In addition to her sister Su Lianxin, no one had ever treated her so nice like Xiao Chen. Besides, he was a man¡­


    The rings around Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes turned a little red. However, the blade with purple light in her hand became colder and colder. She knew what she was doing. She believed that in this world, there was no permanent ally, only permanent enemies.


    In these days, Su Lianyue knew from Xiao Chen¡¯s words that he had a feeling of deep estrangement toward the Orthodox Path. But also, she could see that Xiao Chen was still tied to it. Thus, he surely would return to the Orthodox Path one day and became her biggest enemy at that time.


    ¡°Master Xiao, I¡¯m sorry. As you have said, you and I will become enemies eventually because we are from two opposite sides.¡±


    After she finished speaking, Su Lianyue waved the blade with tears. Then the blade with purple light went straight to Xiao Chen¡¯s neck, which brought a gust of cold wind. But just at this moment, Su Lianyue suddenly felt something wrong. Then the purple blade stopped an inch away from Xiao Chen¡¯s neck.


    Su Lianyue felt even more wrong. ¡°Even if he is in the state of suspended animation, how can he not notice the crisis that he is facing at this moment? It¡¯s not right! Is he¡­¡±


    Thinking about this, Su Lianyue waved her sleeves and withdrew the purple blade. She ran up to Xiao Chen. First, she checked if he was still breathing. Then, she touched his chest. But there was no breathing or heartbeat. His body felt ice-cold¡­


    ¡°Master Xiao!¡± Su Lianyue gave a frightened scream, but Xiao Chen¡¯s body fell stiffly back. He didn¡¯t lapse into a form of suspended animation. Instead, he died for real¡­


    ¡°No¡­ No! What¡¯s going on? No!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. All the tears that gathered in her eyes instantly fell as disconnected and scattered pearls.


    ¡°No¡­ It was impossible. How could this be? What¡¯s going on?¡± Su Lianyue became more and more panic. She didn¡¯t know why she would have such a reaction. Just now, she had made up her mind to kill Xiao Chen. But now, when she saw Xiao Chen like this, she felt a sudden desire to burst out crying. She had never been so uncomfortable. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her.


    ¡°No¡­ Master Xiao, wake up! You wake up!¡± More or less, Su Lianyue lost control of her emotions. She raised Xiao Chen up and kept shaking his shoulders.


    Suddenly, she was a little scared. ¡°What if I cannot open the mystic domain¡¯s breach by myself? What if the powerful soul in the western mountain suddenly comes to attack me? What if Red Sleeve or Ye Wuxin arrives here all of a sudden??¡± Until now, she finally discovered that after being with this man before her for more than two months, she seemed to have got used to relying on him. As long as he was around, any problems that she encountered would be solved¡­


    ¡­


    At this moment, Xiao Chen felt that his spirit was wandering around outside of his body. He didn¡¯t know where he was and only felt like he might have been here. The stars here were within reach. But this deadly silent place was chilled to the marrow.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded in the distance. ¡°Junior, here you are again.¡± There was a little loneliness in the desolate voice, which sounded as if it was from the Archean Eon.


    Right after that, a tall and gigantic figure slowly rose up in the near distance. Although the figure was vague, it had a heroic manner that could make all living things prostrate themselves reverently.


    Xiao Chen was startled with a chill. ¡°He is that the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane!¡± Earlier in Tianyuan City, he accidentally entered the Dimension of the Frigid Void from the black box and met the seventeenth-generation Apostate of Heaven¡ªthe Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane!


    ¡°Junior, congratulations! Just as I expected, you have successfully reached the real Nirvana Realm!¡± the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane said slowly.


    Once again, Xiao Chen was startled. ¡°Have I reached the Nirvana Realm?¡± Raising his head, he looked at the tall and big devil shadow nearby and asked calmly, ¡°Why did you lead me here?¡±


    This time, Xiao Chen was not as surprised as he was when he first saw the Great Devil. After all, he had gone through many things, and his cultivation level was much higher than it was when they first met.


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane nodded slightly and said, ¡°Rest assured, Junior. You come here through your dream, so you are not related to the real world. I led you here because you will be the best Apostate of Heaven.¡±


    With fixed attention, Xiao Chen thought for a little while and then smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will never become the eighteenth-generation Apostate of Heaven, not only now, but also in the future.¡±


    ¡°Why? The Annihilation Times has come in the world that you are in. Fighting against the Natural Law is your only way to save all living beings! Don¡¯t you know that?¡± The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane went furious, just like last time.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he was immersed in thought, thinking carefully. ¡°Why would these people go to fight against Natural Law again and again? What exactly is the Natural Law that they are fighting with? Is it really because of what they said that the Natural Law is merciless and dictates the life and death of every being across all domains?¡±


    Nowadays, Xiao Chen was no longer the muddleheaded boy who would believe whatever others said. Now he knew his own mind. But at that time, Fengxi told him something about the Annihilation Times and the battle against the Natural Law, plus he came across the Great Devil before him. Thus, he truly believed that all living beings were fighting against Natural Law only because it was merciless. But now, he didn¡¯t think so.


    No matter whether it was the seventeenth-generation Heaven¡¯s Bane or the first-generation Heaven Exterminator, although their cultivation levels were high, they were still devils in the final analysis. Even if they gave up their surnames, they could not get rid of the trace of devil nature hidden deep in their hearts. Through the ages, rebels always had high-sounding reasons to fight. They said they were fighting for all the living things, for freedom, or for equality. But so what? In fact, because of them, countless living beings were dead, their blood flowing like streams. But the devils themselves finally managed to ascend to the throne.


    Especially after Xiao Chen experienced the thing about the Corpse Refinery Sect, he became more and more skeptical about the words said by the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane. Red Sleeve could fool all the people in the Corpse Refinery Sect for thousands of years and made them believe in her with all their hearts. But then, what about the so-called Apostates of Heaven? Did they also fool all the living beings and these so-called Heaven-exterminating families?


    ¡°Junior, why don¡¯t you say anything? Do you doubt what I said?¡± With his two sharp eyes, the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane looked sternly at Xiao Chen.


    Raising his head, Xiao Chen replied calmly, ¡°You keep on proclaiming that we should fight against the Natural Law. However, I don¡¯t know what Natural Law is in your mind. What exactly the Natural Law is that your people have been fighting with generation after generation?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It appeared that the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane could not come up with an answer to this question, and there were two streaks of cold light shot out of his eyes. Also, he seemed to see that this junior before him was very different from others. So he asked in reply, ¡°Then, what do you think the Natural Law was? In your opinion, why our lives are in the hands of Natural Law instead of ourselves?¡±


    After taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen said word by word, ¡°The Natural Law can feel everything, including each tree and flower. Everything in this world has its own laws¡ªthis is the Natural Law.¡±


    ¡°Keep talking,¡± the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane said in a low tone. Meanwhile, he released a stream of pressure as if he wanted to persuade Xiao Chen by coercion.


    Xiao Chen continued, ¡°The Natural Law is the law of this world. As a matter of fact, the Natural Law is exactly everything in this world. For everything, like each flower and each tree, there is a reason for being. If each flower, tree, grass, and stone also wants to become an Immortal and live forever, will this world go into a state of chaos? In this world, lots of living things grow in spring and wither in autumn. It¡¯s Natural Law. May I ask if human beings can never die?¡±


    Taking another deep breath, Xiao Chen went on, ¡°After only a quarter, mayflies will become one year older. But for mortals, they need a whole year to be one year older. Well, it will take 1,000 years for the tree named Ming Ling growing in the south of Chu Country to get one year older. In ancient times, the tree called Da Chun will become one year older every 6,000 years. As for the stars and the universe, they take an eon as one year. However, everything will reach its end eventually. Nothing can be truly immortal. It is the Natural Law, which is also the law of all beings!¡±


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane went into a rage already, and because of that, even the stars around him began to tremble. Then, there came his deep voice. ¡°Who told you all of this¡­¡±


    But Xiao Chen was not afraid of him. He smiled and said, ¡°My master once told me that cultivators should take all the living things¡¯ well-being as their top priority and view their life and death as secondary. However, you just told me to do the opposite and asked me to violent the Natural law of all beings. But only the devil will do these sorts of things, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ How dare you!¡± The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane reproached Xiao Chen with a somber voice. All at once, an immense force came to attack Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was pushed back for many steps, feeling that his Qi and blood were surging violently. Xiao Chen knew that Heaven¡¯s Bane ruled the space that he was now in, so he could not bear even a harsh reproach aimed at him.


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane was still full of anger. ¡°The first generation, who would say nothing wrong, told me that the Natural Law bounds all beings and dictates the life and death of all of them. But you said that the Natural Law is the law of all beings! You are unforgivable!¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Senior, you don¡¯t even know what the real Natural Law is, but you keep saying that you are going to fight against it. How can either of us understand even a little bit of the profound Natural Law? But you vainly attempt to revert it! Don¡¯t you think that it sounds ridiculous? Every now and then, you want to fight against, attack, and terminate the Natural Law. But if there is even no Natural Law, how can you and I still exist in this world?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ I can turn you into merely flying ashes in an instant. Don¡¯t you believe that?¡± At this time, the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane was still controlling his great anger with difficulty. After all, the man before him was the only one who had reached the real Nirvana Realm. Only he had the chance to defeat the Natural Law.


    Xiao Chen smiled a little. ¡°But cannot you remember what you said just now? I came to this Dimension of the Frigid Void through my dream. As long as someone in my real world wakes me up, you cannot kill me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You are bold enough! Since you are not willing to join us, I may as well kill you!¡± The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane berated and raised his palm. All of a sudden, a rolling devil¡¯s haze appeared. At the same time, all the stars died out.


    Xiao Chen looked up and laughed. ¡°Haha! I refused to help you, so you come to kill me. You are a devil, after all. Your evil nature will never disappear! But I took you as a heroic senior!¡± Before Xiao Chen finished speaking, waves of devil¡¯s haze already came at him. Instantly, Xiao Chen was startled with a chill because if he was killed at this moment, he could never return to his real world.


    While he was seeking some strategies, the devil¡¯s haze arrived before him. Just when Xiao Chen raised his palm to defend, he felt it would be tough for him to defeat the devil. Though he had reached the Nirvana Realm, he could not even bear a single attack from this Great Devil. His breathing became increasingly difficult, and his internal organs were splitting. Xiao Chen felt as if the skin all over him was being torn.


    Only after a moment, blue veins began to throb on his face. Xiao Chen felt that he could not take it anymore. In a hurry, he suddenly started to run the Devil¡¯s Three Turns. Immediately, he managed to inhale the waves of devil¡¯s haze. Both his hair and eyes became bright red in an instant.


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane shuddered. ¡°You¡­ who on earth are you? Why do you know the first generation¡¯s cultivation method?¡±

 Chapter 416 - What Is Natural Law?

    Xiao Chen drove the Devil Qi out of his body and heard the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane talk about the cultivation method of the first generation. He thought, ¡°Was this Mystic Diabolic Enchantment created by Heaven Exterminator, the first Apostate of Heaven?¡±


    ¡°However, I only accidentally saw the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment in the Xiao family¡¯s ancient tomb. Why would it appear in the Xiao family? Xiao Ning founded the Xiao family in the Human World, so he must have brought in this cultivation method from the Xiao Family in the Violet Manor, which also seemed to be one of the Heaven-exterminating families at that time.¡±


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane yelled at Xiao Chen again. ¡°Who the hell are you? Are you a descendant of a Heaven-exterminating family?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have enough time to think more about this!¡± Xiao Chen came back to his senses. Once against, the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane burst into anger. ¡°You are a traitor! Then I will never let you go out alive!¡± Finishing shouting, he raised his large hand. A huge black palm abruptly appeared in the sky and went straight to cover Xiao Chen.


    With a chill, Xiao Chen was startled. What a horrifying attack! He could withstand it even by using his Devil¡¯s Three Turns. With a bang, the palm crashed down on him. Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt that his internal organs were all shattered.


    The Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane raised his palm and exclaimed in anger again. ¡°Junior! I ask you the last time! To inherit the will of the first generation, or to bury yourself among these stars in this universe and become a speck of dust, make your choice!¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°You are so ridiculous¡­ You alone vainly attempt to fight against the laws of heaven and earth. Also, you even want to replace the laws and rule everything. Weren¡¯t you telling some fantastic tales?¡±


    Being unable to restrain his fury, the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane finally pressed down on Xiao Chen with his palm. Xiao Chen could not hold anymore. Everything in his eyes gradually dimmed. He thought he was going to blackout soon and groaned inwardly, ¡°Su Lianyue! Su Lianyue! Where are you? Wake me up quickly!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Master Xiao! Wake up! Wake up!¡±


    Xiao Chen opened his eyes. At this moment, he seemed to have got a completely new outlook. Every inch of skin on his body looked like new. But such a scene shocked the hell out of Su Lianyue. She hurriedly released his shoulders and said in surprise. ¡°Master Xiao! You!¡± Su Lianyue could not understand. Just now, Xiao Chen had no signs of life. But why could he suddenly come alive just like what happened that night?


    Xiao Chen turned around to look at her and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Fairy Suyue! You just saved my life.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Su Lianyue was still a little confused. Xiao Chen smiled. But suddenly, he saw the rims of her eyes went red. He asked, ¡°Did you cry?¡±


    Turning her head aside, Su Lianyue said, ¡°Impossible! I thought that you were dead. And if Ye Wuxin broke in at that time, how could I deal with him? I just¡­ became a little anxious.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and looked outside. It was already twilight. Even the sun in the mystic domain would rise in the morning and go down at night. It was the law of all things. He turned his head. ¡°Right, Fairy Suyue, I want to ask you one thing.¡±


    ¡°You can ask me anything you¡¯d like to know.¡± Wiping her eyes, Su Lianyue whispered.


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°In your opinion, what is the Natural Law?¡±


    ¡°Natural Law?¡± Su Lianyue had never expected that he would ask such a strange question. Slowly walking to the entrance of the cave, she looked at the mountains in the distance and replied as if she were talking to herself. ¡°My sister once told me that the Natural Law is an inviolability god that controls all beings. But I believe that the true Natural Law should be everything in the world. It can be mountains and rivers in the distance. Also, it can be the flowers and trees nearby¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned a little. He did not expect that she would hold such a view of the Natural Law. On this point, she happened to coincide with him. Then, he remembered Fengxi and others. Perfected Immortal Fengxi and others all thought that the Natural Law was the supreme existence that could dominate the life and death of all living creatures. But they hardly realized that a little woman¡¯s views could be more profound than theirs. It seemed that the idea of fighting against Natural Law had greatly tormented countless people in this world.


    After turning around, Su Lianyue found Xiao Chen looking at her with a strange look. She asked, ¡°It is just my humble opinion. Did I say anything wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°No, you are right. I used to think like your sister. But now, I don¡¯t think so. Natural Law is the law of everything. If all the things in this world lose the law, they can no longer exist. At that time, the real Annihilation Time will be bound to come. There are always some people who try in vain to demolish the Natural Law. Moreover, they want to replace it and rule the world themselves. It is so ridiculous! They only indulge in their wishful thinking. Think about it. A person can reach the legendary Supreme Realm at most. But when compared with the profound Natural Law, even such a mighty person will look much weaker.¡±


    After speaking, Xiao Chen got up and walked up to stand side by side with Su Lianyue. Looking at the mountains in the distance, he sighed. ¡°If you are not from Fort Raksasa, I think we will be friends in the future.¡±


    Su Lianyue also watched the mountains far away, and she said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have a clearcut stand on the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice. Then, I think we can be friends now.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. ¡°Like the Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane, am I also too stubborn about the difference between the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice?¡± He could not help but think about the fights against the Natural Law, the 17 Apostates of Heaven, and the six Heaven-exterminating families! ¡°Why could they be so persistent at that time? What precisely was the Natural Law that all of them are fighting with? Just like Red Sleeve had deceived the Corpse Refinery Sect, did their beliefs also cheat them? Or, may I say that they were fooling others? Or, did the first Apostate of Heaven deceive all of them?!¡±


    Anyway, these things seemed so far away for Xiao Chen. He didn¡¯t need to trouble himself with such doubts. Well, at least there was no need now.


    This night, under the bright moon, a refreshing breeze was blowing gently. It seemed that the moon in the mystic domain of this flower valley was always round. Su Lianyue stood at the entrance of the cave, her clothes fluttering. While Xiao Chen sat in the cave, poking the wood in the fire. But both of them remained silent. They knew that tonight was the last night that they would spend together in peace.


    After this night, they would leave this mystic domain tomorrow. When they were in the outside world, they would stand on the side of the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice, respectively. In the future, they would eventually become enemies when the war between the two sides began.


    In the past, they would never think about the difference between them. After all, they were only strangers met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed. They were on opposite sides, but so what? Though they didn¡¯t become a couple after the three months, the friendship between them was deeper. One day, they might fight with each other as enemies. At that time, every single move of their swords would hurt their hearts deeper than it would wound their bodies.


    Suddenly, a cold blast rushed through. They felt it slightly cool. Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, Su Lianyue suddenly said, ¡°My sister told me a story. Once upon a time, a woman stole the elixir. Finally, she managed to fly into the palace of the moon. Since then, she could live forever without getting old. But for thousands of years after that, she stayed alone in the Moon Palace (the mythical palace in the moon). Though called the Moon Fairy, she was actually a poor woman.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and let out a long heavy sigh. ¡°The Moon Fairy must regret stealing the pill of longevity. Now she mopes alone night after night in the sky blue.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled. ¡°Let me play a song for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Chen also smiled and looked at her.


    With a light smile, Su Lianyue took out her Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade. She put it gently on her lips. Then waves of the xiao (a vertical bamboo flute) came out. Sometimes, the flickering sound was very far away. Sometimes, it was drawn very close.


    ¡°When the moon shines on the Twenty-Four Bridge bright, where are you teaching xiao-blowing tonight?¡± Smiling slightly, Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and took out his Nine-heaven Jade Pendant. In the sound of her xiao, he lightly pinched in the strings, slowly strumming and plucking them. Waves of his zither sound also came out and intertwined with her xiao sound. It sounded as if they were drifting toward the palace of the moon.


    The zither and xiao were in harmony, the sound of which even attracted the birds perched on the nearby trees to fly here. After 30 minutes, the xiao stopped, and so did the zither. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Leave Fort Raksasa.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled a little. ¡°Once I belong to Fort Raksasa, I will always be a member of it. The Empress of Fort Raksasa cannot tolerate the betrayal of anyone. I don¡¯t want to end up like my sister.¡± After that, she walked toward Xiao Chen and continued, ¡°Master Xiao, why do you insist on making a clear distinction between the Orthodox Path and the Devil¡¯s Practice? In your opinion, what are they?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said, ¡°Cultivators should take the well-being of the whole world as their top priority and keep the peace of one area. But people of the Devil¡¯s Practice, who cause disturbances everywhere, will always bring disasters to all beings and make common people suffer severely.¡±


    ¡°Then have I ever caused any disturbance, brought disasters to all beings, or made common people suffer severely?¡± Staring at him, Su Lianyue asked lightly.


    Xiao Chen also swiveled his head to look at her. At this moment, they were so close to each other that they could breathe in what the other breathed out. But Xiao Chen tilted his heads away. ¡°It¡¯s true that you have never done these things. But it doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t act like that in the future. If you bring disaster to others, I won¡¯t show any mercy to you either. Likewise, you do not need to go easy on me either.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a cold wind rushed through the cave. Both of them felt a little cold. Fixing her eyes on Xiao Chen, Su Lianyue asked softly, ¡°What if I am not from Fort Raksasa¡­¡±


    Once again, Xiao Chen turned his head back and looked at her quietly. At this moment, it looked as if layers upon layers of romance ripples emerged in her eyes, and she asked again, ¡°What if I am not from Fort Raksasa¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue looked at him, saying slightly. ¡°If I¡¯m not from Fort Raksasa, you¡­ will you treat me¡­¡± Speaking of this, she seemed to feel too embarrassed to continue. Her voice became lower and lower. ¡°Will you¡­ treat me as well as the woman who you talked about that night?¡±


    In Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes, there seemed to appear layers and layers heavy mists. In the deep of the mists seemingly hidden a woman¡¯s figure.


    Suddenly, another cold wind blew in from outside. The flames of the fire waved violently, and the chill in the cave grew heavier. Both of them shivered. In July, it was supposed to be so cold. Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was pounding faster and faster, and he slightly moved his lips. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Su Lianyue placed her fingertips on his lips, shaking her head. Her gaze met Xiao Chen¡¯s. In their eyes was the image of the other.


    ¡°After we separate tomorrow, you should take good care of yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiao Chen suddenly felt great sorrow, as if someone had pinched his heart. A feeling of dreary sadness instantly filled every corner of his body.


    Reaching his hand out slowly, he touched Su Lianyue¡¯s face and felt somewhat ice-cold. Xiao Chen knew that he touched her tears. Rolling down from Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes, the tears went past his palm center and gradually ran to his wrists.


    Another cold wind came in. The air became colder and made people feel much sadder. They felt as if they were going to part from each other forever. Su Lianyue gently leaned against his shoulder, which was dripping wet by her tears.


    ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiao Chen helped her up gently. Because of crying, her eyes were red. Gazing deeply into her red eyes, he suddenly felt a feeling of sadness that he had never experienced before rising from the bottom of his heart. Gently, he kissed her lips.


    Su Lianyue didn¡¯t resist. Tenderly, her hands gently grasped his shoulders, and she closed her eyes gently to feel the warmness brought by his lips. Her tears went down from her cheeks again, falling into the corners of Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth. He felt a little salty. Xiao Chen knew these were her tears. The ice-cold feeling was also brought by the tears on her face.


    Suddenly, another cold wind broke in. It came extremely fast. The two of them shivered at the same time. Then, they separated with lightning speed. Looking at each other, they both felt shocked in their hearts. ¡°A chill! The same chill came at us again!¡±


    At this moment, they came fully awake. The chill last time created endless tender affection in their hearts. This time, the chill made them feel endless sorrow. This chill was too weird!


    Xiao Chen composed himself for a moment. Abruptly, his whole body shivered, and his face turned ghastly pale. ¡°Red Sleeve. It was Red Sleeve! She also came in!¡±

 Chapter 417 - The Mystic Yin Body

    Red Sleeve died thousands of years ago and became a Walking Corpse. Xiao Chen could not imagine why she still had complex feelings which could even affect the emotions of others.


    Su Lianyue was wide awake now but felt at a loss. Just now, she didn¡¯t know why she would feel so sad. And even, she¡­ However, it was useless to think of it at this moment. She whispered, ¡°What about now?¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing. He got up and walked to the entrance of the cave. Closing his eyes, he carefully searched the places nearby with his Divine Sense. Suddenly, a spiritual fluctuation came to him from the west. Instantly, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and said, ¡°The west. It is in the west. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Immediately, they covered their auras. Then to keep themselves from the influence of the chill, each of them started to run their mind cultivation methods silently. It was unusual that Red Sleeve suddenly came to this mystic domain. Therefore, they had to check it out.


    At once, they raised their speed to the limit. Traveling in the darkness silently, they were already 50 kilometers away. Xiao Chen clearly felt the previous spiritual fluctuation. Beyond that, there was a thick stream of Death Qi and an extremely heavy Rancorous Qi!


    In a flash, Su Lianyue grabbed and stopped him. Then Xiao Chen also saw the scene. Under the light of the stars and the moon, a simple and unsophisticated sarcophagus suspended one meter above the ground. It flew to the cave forward at an extremely fast speed. It was the place where the spiritual fluctuation came from.


    They held their breath and lay prone on the back of a hillside. Hiding behind the grass and trees, they quietly gazed at the sarcophagus under the hillside. The Death Qi, the Rancorous Qi and the chill were all from the sarcophagus. And the person in it must be Red Sleeve!


    They spotted that the sarcophagus stopped about hundreds of meters before the cave. Traces of extremely cold air gradually seeped out from the crack under the lid. Though standing hundreds of meters away from it, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue clearly felt the coldness and could not help shivering.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± Suddenly, there came an old man¡¯s sigh from the cave. Both Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were startled. It was the soul body in the cave!


    ¡°You¡¯re here again¡­¡± the old voice said slowly. Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue exchanged a knowing look. Sure enough, this mystic domain was closely related to Red Sleeve. And the soul body in the cave also knew her.


    Hanging in mid-air, the sarcophagus jarred a little, and an ice-cold voice of a woman came out from the inside. ¡°They attacked again. If I lose this time, I will have to wait for another 300 years¡­¡± The voice sounded so cold. It seemed as if it were going to freeze everything within 50 kilometers around. The voice sounded so cold that it was impossible to hear whose voice it was.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. From Red Sleeve¡¯s words, he knew what she said was the Orthodox Path. At the moment, all the people from the Orthodox Path had joined their hands to fight against the Corpse Refinery Sect. Some days ago, he already felt the fluctuations of the Mystic Power coming from outside.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± Another sigh from an old man came from the hole. Slowly, the voice continued to say, ¡°Red Sleeve, so many years have passed, but why are you still so stubborn about that? Why cannot you just let that thing go in your mind? How much longer can that place keep you safe?¡±


    Lightly, the sarcophagus trembled for a while, and a woman¡¯s cold voice came out. ¡°Let it go? Tell me how I can let it go! At that year, if you didn¡¯t come out to stop, how could Qing Yuan and I¡­¡± Her voice seemed to be a little broken and sad on the last word.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The old man sighed softly. ¡°How can you blame others for your miserable fate? After so many years, Qing Yuan had gone into the Samsara countless times. He must have forgotten you a long time ago¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± All of a sudden, the sarcophagus shook violently, and her shrilling voice came out. ¡°Qing Yuan promised that he would be together with me forever! He will never forget me! He will never forget me! Don¡¯t imagine you can stop me again! You cannot stop me again!¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The old man sighed repeatedly. ¡°Red Sleeve. Ah, Red Sleeve. You have killed so many innocent people in the past three thousand years. In the Ice Prison, the skeletons had already piled up like mountains. Cannot all of this eliminate the hatred in your heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Hatred? Hahaha¡­¡± There came a burst of harsh laughter from the sarcophagus. On this cold night, it sounded very scary. In the distance, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue trembled with a shudder of horror.


    They listened to the woman in the sarcophagus. ¡°Then what about me? You pitied them. Who is willing to show some sympathy to me? Qing Yuan and I were in deep love with each other. Why? It should have been the best day of my life, but why did I have to undergo the most painful torture in this world on that day? Why cannot I go into the Samsara forever? I refuse to take this fate! How can I die like this? How can I die in peace like this? Ah¡­¡±


    Her voice became sadder and shriller, which could make people tremble with fear. In the distance, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were slightly shivering. Even if they had reached the Nirvana Realm, they could not stop the Rancorous Qi from affecting them. What heavy Rancorous Qi! It was the Malicious Grudge that Red Sleeve could not get over for three thousand years!


    Xiao Chen held his breath. ¡°What happened to the woman called Red Sleeve? Why did she have to look for a woman who was also born on July 7th for the past three thousand years? I¡¯m afraid things were far more than that simple.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old man couldn¡¯t help sighing again, and his voice was a little sad. ¡°Red Sleeve, you should stop and let it go. It has been three thousand years. You could not find such a person in these three thousand years. How many more people are you going to hurt¡­¡±


    Gradually, the sarcophagus stopped shaking, and suddenly a woman¡¯s gloomy sneer came out. ¡°I found one. I have found one. Just a few days ago, they sent such a woman to me. Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°You, you found one!¡± The old man in the cave was shocked. The woman inside the sarcophagus said with a cold voice, ¡°Yes, I found one. She was born on July 7th and had a Mystic Yin Body! A perfect! She is the person precisely prepared for me! After a few days, it will be July 7th. I will finally be successful. Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The old man heaved a long sigh. ¡°Anyway, she sort of puts an end to your 3,000 years¡¯ sin¡­¡±


    In the distance, Xiao Chen¡¯s brows knitted. Somehow, he got a bad feeling, a horrible feeling¡­


    The sarcophagus vibrated again, and the woman¡¯s voice came out. ¡°I came here today to tell you this, and then I naturally will undo your seal. Well, I have to go back to prepare before they attack my Tianxiang Chamber¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± After she was done talking, the sarcophagus flew to the distance. After a long time, a long sigh came out of the cave. ¡°Hey¡­ She is gone. Two little friends, please show up.¡±


    Xiao Chen was shocked with a chill. It turned out that the soul body in the cave had noticed them already at an earlier time. It made sense. Red Sleeve had no soul, so it was difficult for her to perceive their presence. But the soul body in the hole could easily feel their existence.


    Su Lianyue frowned and looked at Xiao Chen, who then nodded. Even if the other party didn¡¯t notice him, Xiao Chen thought it was necessary to ask. Just now, the bad feeling was too intense. Red Sleeve had been concentrating on looking for a woman who was born on July 7th. Why did she want to do that¡­


    They moved a little, and they instantly arrived at the entrance of the cave. The opening of the cave let the moonlight in. Thus, it was not pitch-dark in the cave. About three meters in it was a light Barrier, and there was an old man in red-robe standing inside the Barrier. With a wrinkly face, he seemed to have experienced many vicissitudes of life.


    The old man coughed twice and asked with a husky voice, ¡°No one has been here for three thousand years. How did you get in?¡±


    Xiao Chen bowed and said, ¡°We are very sorry that we disturbed you. She and I inadvertently broke in this area. But may I ask where this place is?¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The old man sighed and shook his head. ¡°I was bound to this place by Red Sleeve with her energy of hatred. I don¡¯t know either where this place is¡­¡±


    A flash of light flashed across Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes, and slowly, he continued to ask, ¡°Then may I ask who is Red Sleeve?¡±


    The old man sighed. ¡°Red Sleeve, she, she is actually a poor person.¡± Speaking of this, he looked up at Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue and sighed. ¡°Everything will come to an end soon. You¡­ Please let her go. Let her go at ease¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. In fact, he did not quite understand what the old man meant. But judging by the old man¡¯s look, Xiao Chen knew that he was not willing to reveal anything more about Red Sleeve. It would be useless for him to ask again.


    The old man again said, ¡°Alas, leave this place. Otherwise, you can never go out seven days later¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen wanted to ask something, but it seemed that the old man didn¡¯t want to say anything. So he clasped his hands to salute. ¡°Thank you for reminding. We will leave now.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Su Lianyue suddenly stopped him and then looked at the old man in the cave. ¡°Senior, can you tell me anything about the Mystic Yin Body?¡±


    The old man sighed and replied slowly, ¡°The Mystic Yin Body is a very rare constitution in the world. The pure yang body is its opposite. A person with Mystic Yin Body may often feel cold. However, this person can withstand any coldness in this world. Red Sleeve wanted to find such a person with Mystic Yin Body. That was why she would repeatedly catch people to try¡­¡±


    When Su Lianyue heard this, her body began to tremble slightly and her face turned a little pale. Then, the old man continued, ¡°This kind of person has a stream of Mystic Yin Qi in the body. That is why the person is afraid of cold. If the Mystic Yin Qi is brought under control, this person can get a far much higher achievement than the ordinary people. But if this person cannot control it, this person¡¯s life will usually be as short as twenty years.¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s face turned paler and paler, and she couldn¡¯t help shaking. On her side, Xiao Chen frowned. He looked at her and then cupped his hands to salute to the old man. ¡°Thank you for telling me, senior.¡± After this, he held Su Lianyue¡¯s hands and pulled her away. Then, with the already stupefied Su Lianyue, he left the cave.


    They returned to the previous cave. It was midnight now. Sitting in the cave, Su Lianyue wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed at the bonfire in front, lost in thought.


    Xiao Chen looked at her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Even if you have a Mystic Yin Body, you may be able to control your Mystic Yin Qi.¡±


    Looking up, Su Lianyue smiled at him and said, ¡°You may rest assured. I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao Chen also nodded and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. And don¡¯t forget that you can leave here tomorrow.¡±


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, the sun had just risen. In the valley, birds of every kind were singing. When they walked to the entrance of the valley, both of them even felt a little reluctant to say goodbye. They could still remember the first day that they came here. The scene seemed to be still visible before their eyes¡­ After taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Eventually, they arrived at the Death Valley that they were before. This place was still lifeless. But it seemed that the Negative Qi was much heavier today. Once again, they came to the gap of the chaos. Compared to the scene three months ago, there seemed to be no change here, and the Death Qi still seeped in little by little.


    Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue. ¡°Be careful. This time, I think we can open it together.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Su Lianyue nodded. Then they stopped talking and began to run their cultivation methods. After a while, they struck with their palms at the same time. Then, two streaks of Mystic Power hit the gap together.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The entire stone forest suddenly shook. But this time, they didn¡¯t bounce off. Instead, a powerful suction force drew them in. When the surroundings became bright and clear again, they were already at the Summit of Mystics of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    All around was deathly still and had an intangible air of depressing. Su Lianyue cried out in alarm. ¡°Look, Master Xiao!¡±


    Then, Xiao Chen saw countless dead bodies lying on the roads in the distance. Even the branches were hung with dead bodies. The shapes of most dead bodies looked extremely weird and horrifying. There were the dead bodies of the disciples of the Corpse Refinery Sect and the Orthodox Path.

 Chapter 418 - The Great Immortal from Hell

    The sight before Xiao Chen was grisly and gruesome. Dead bodies scattered everywhere around him, most of them belonging to the acolytes or students of the Corpse Refinery Sect who had been killed. Even so, their terrible deaths were eclipsed by the hideously and grotesquely mangled and maimed remains of the students and fighters of the Orthodox Path. This could only be the work of Corpse Puppets, Xiao Chen observed, That nothing is left remaining save for some bloody bits of flesh and viscera. Still, all the signs only indicated that the invasion of the Summit of Mystics had already begun for days.


    The duo shared a quick look before they surveyed the familiar surroundings of the Ridge of the Fallen Drake. The invading host had reached the Ridge, the throat of the Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s defenses and it was where the most decisive battle of this invasion would take place.


    Just then, a series of flickering movements around them made their heads jerked. Two figures had materialized ¨C the Black and White Supremes, Mo Ran and Bai Yu.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Bai Yu hissed, his eyes livid with malice as he threw his sleeves, swinging his folded fan. The sight of Su Lianyue and Xiao Chen reminded him of the vivid humiliation he endured at their hands several months before.


    Mo Ran instead hardly uttered. He lunged at Xiao Chen without a word like a dark shadow. But with his powers now in the Nirvana Realm, Xiao Chen, with his heightened spiritual senses, could clearly see Mo Ran¡¯s swift movements.


    Xiao Chen needed only to throw out his left arm and deliver a slap so powerful that it hit Mo Ran in his chest, sending him crashing into two large trees dozens of yards away, snapping the poor trees into halves.


    A copious flow of froth and blood escaped Mo Ran with a painful wail as he staggered from the heap of broken and splintered wood. Shocked, Bai Yu could not quite believe his eyes. He was not looking when he felt a blow coming at him. With a loud bang, he was also sent flying, crashing into Mo Ran. It was Su Lianyue who had struck the blow.


    ¡°YOU¡­ IMPOSSIBLE!¡± Bai Yu stammered with intense repudiation. He could never fathom how far behind he was from the strength of the man and woman before him when they were still a match barely three months before.


    A flash of cold fury burned in Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes. With the invasion now underway, there was no longer any need to fear Ye Wuxin. She channeled her True Energy and raised her hand, preparing to execute the defeated Supremes.


    ¡°Run!¡± Mo Ran spat viciously with what strength still remaining of him. With a tug on the scruff of Bai Yu¡¯s neck, he pulled his comrade away and they turned into two blinding rays of light, one black and the other white, that escaped out of sight.


    Two loud bangs ensued, barely missing them. What was left were only two long streaking gashes on the ground, smoldering with steam.


    Xiao Chen looked into the distance. The two rays of light slowly turning into mere dots. ¡°Let them go,¡± he said, ¡°Let us press forward.¡± ¡°Well look at that, Master Xiao,¡± Su Lianyue snickered coyly, ¡°They were once equal to us in power. Yet now, they are routed like dogs fleeing with their tails between their legs.¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing, merely walking ahead. For seven to eight miles they walked through the shaded grove of the Summit of Mystics. The summer heat was blazing swelteringly in the July sky but the walk through the umbraged path looked no more cheery with the corpses and carrions left strewn around. The assault had extended deep into the Summit although the forces of the Corpse Refinery Sect had managed to rally a counter attack to push the invaders back. The fight must have been intense and gritting with so many losses of lives and nothing was not yet known about what happened to the rest of the External arm of the Sect.


    They went on for another few miles when the din of battle finally reached their ears. From afar, Xiao Chen could see magical artifacts and swords at work, wheezing overhead the raging battle with their magic and powers at full display. Magical bolts streaked and exploded in myriads of colors that would have mesmerized a child if not for the bloody and lurid fight taking place below. With a look exchanged, they suppressed their auras and picked up their pace.


    They slipped into the cover of a thick jungle and perched on a tall branch, looking down on the wide-open field. The fight was still on with combatants from both sides doling out death and destruction with tremendous alacrity. Bodies, mangled and maimed, lied everywhere with the surrounding buildings reduced to their blackened foundations, seething with fumes.


    Lead by a band of Elders of the Nirvana Realm, the remaining forces of the Corpse Refinery ¨C many of them students and acolytes of the Nascent Soul and Core Forming Realms ¨C controlled their Corpse Puppets to repel their enemies. Tendrils of foul evil Qi swirled lazily around the rotting flesh of the century-old mannequins as they fought. Even in the daylight, their obsidian eyes looked like a deep, bottomless abyss of death and despair as they struck down one enemy after another with deadly efficacy that no ordinary mages of the Orthodox Path stood any chance.


    However, the invaders have no lack of firepower themselves; mages of the Nirvana or even the Apotheosis Realm were locked in fierce battles against mighty Corpse Puppets that wielded several centuries worth of Malicious Grudge. They had managed to blitz through the walls of the Ridge but were faced with the relentless reprisals of the defenders when the Sect had unleashed more of their Corpse Puppets and the battle was now in a stalemate.


    No one had expected that the Corpse Refinery Sect had reserved so great a fighting force that despite being besieged for days, the defenses of the Ridge of the Fallen Drake endured. Even as the hour grew darker for the Sect and its might slowly exhausting, the Sect was far from yielding; the ones now mounting the defenses were only low-tiered Elders such as Elder Long. None of the members of the high echelons has yet appeared, not even the High Chieftain Ye Wuxin himself.


    A jet of light shot across the sky suddenly and it fell to the center of the battlefield like a comet before it disappeared, leaving on a bearded old man, clothed in robes of earthen-yellow, standing in its wake. His rosy cheeks would have made him look more alive than the rest if not for the two Corpse Puppets, still slick with blood, standing beside him like silent sentinels. These were Blood Corpses, mindless killing machines more powerful than mere century-old Corpse Puppets.


    ¡°LORD ELDER!¡± The acolytes of the Sect boomed in unison, their voices loud and raspy with respect and confidence. Even Elder Long sounded meek before this newcomer.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He could feel how powerful this man was. At least of the Apotheosis Realm, he guessed, Are there still more mages like him in this Sect? But Su Lianyue¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s the Great Immortal from Hell. One of the highest-ranking Elders of the Corpse Refinery Sect. His seniority dwarfs even Ye Wuxin himself.¡±


    The name filled Xiao Chen with silence. He had heard it before, the name of Great Immortal from Hell. Then he remembered. Zi Mo had disguised himself as him once! It was when Xiao Chen was escorted to Tianyuan City by two Envoys of the Immortals¡¯ League on a Flying-cloud Stone! But it had never occurred to Xiao Chen until today that the Great Immortal from Hell really existed.


    The fighting stopped momentarily with the appearance of the Great Immortal and everyone retreated back to lines of the Elders belonging to their own faction. An uneasy silence hung between the invaders and the defenders as they eyed each other warily. On one side, the Elders, chieftains, and leaders of the Orthodox Path stood menacingly and on the other, the members of the Sect stood defiantly behind a column of Corpse Puppet that held up the defensive line.


    Xiao Chen looked to the invaders and saw a good many faces he knew; First Elder Guyang of the League, Perfected Immortal Fengxi of the Xianyong Sect, a handful of Elders of the Pavilion of Swords, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan of the Divine Mist Sect, the Elixir Saint Situ Bei, Qi Heng of the Order of the Divine Fire, Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng of the Jade Qing Sect as well as Perfected Immortal Yanluo, Li Muxue¡¯s mentor, and Su Yue, the fourth daughter of Clan Su.


    Among them, Xiao Chen also saw Xiaoyue, Yu Yifeng, Zuoqiu Yang, Su Zimu and many more of the Orthodox Path¡¯s rising talents including a great many faces that Xiao Chen never recognized.


    A vile peal of cackle resounded from within the ranks of the invaders. ¡°Old Great Immortal! For so many years we have not heard any word about you! I thought you had gone to Hell for real!¡±


    The Great Immortal turned and spied the speaker, a strange old man in garbs of purple. ¡°I see. Xiaoyao Zi of the Jade Qing Seven. The Corpse Refinery Sect has no quarrel with the Jade Qing Sect. Why are you here attacking us?¡±


    He turned to the rest and bellowed, ¡°For thousands of years, we of the Sect have never interfered with the affairs of the Orthodox Path. What is the reason for this aggression?¡±


    ¡°You can rest trying to play dumb, Great Immortal! Do you think none of us are aware of the heinous practices you adopt here? Release the girls you have taken now!¡±


    Angry murmurs and cries rose from the ranks of the invaders. It was evident that news of the Sect¡¯s abductions of girls born on the seventh day of the seventh month every year had spread across the lands like a blazing bushfire.


    A whiskered old man broke out from the crowd of the Orthodox Path. Having cultivated powers of the Apotheosis Realm, he was the de facto leader of this invasion, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan of the Divine Mist Sect. ¡°Much evil and foul things you have wrought, all of you of the Corpse Refinery Sect,¡± he declared, ¡°For millennia, countless lives have been lost by your hand and we are now here to put a stop to all this!¡±


    Desperately and distastefully, the mages of the Orthodox Path tried to justify their attacks when they were only trying to decimate the Corpse Refinery Sect before it could unleash its Divine Corpse. For all their claims of upholding peace and justice, these mages were only here to ensure that the Divine Corpse would never be awakened lest their authority and standing suffered.


    ¡°So this is where the parley breaks down,¡± The Great Immortal mused aloud coldly, raising an arm. He threw it forward, conjuring several jets of black fumes that streaked down from the sky and more Corpse Puppets appeared in a puff of dark brimstone, each of them emanating strongly with evil Qi and startling the invaders.


    With eyes flashing with anger, the Great Immortal growled, ¡°I will say this one last time: Go back from whence you came and we¡¯ll speak no more of this! Or else, we¡¯ll fight to the death! Legions of Corpse Puppets we have at our disposal and I daresay your supply of fresh talents is definitely finite! Consider this if you value your lives.¡±


    Hundreds of Corpse Puppet stood erect with rancor in their eyes and their disheveled hairs swaying in the night breeze, obscuring their faces. Many of them were still glistening with fresh blood as if they had just been freshly flayed as dark, foul aura creped out of every gash and cuts of their skins like foul creatures that were trying to slink out of a bottomless abyss. Even under the lively radiance of the sun, the sight of these mindless killing instruments looked no less harrowing than the night.


    There were at least a few millennia¡¯s worths of Malicious Grudge between the Corpse Puppets here. Enough to give Zimo and the others a good run for their money. Silence lingered between both sides across the corpse-strewn field like a tauted arrow ready to be set loose.


    ¡°CHARGE!¡± A voice blared like a war trumpet, ¡°KILL THEM ALL! WE¡¯LL KILL THESE FOUL THINGS!¡± The tinderbox blew and both sides charged at each other, swinging their weapons and the battle was on again. The members of the Corpse Refinery Sect willed their Corpse Puppets to meet their foes. Indestructible human mannequins with insurmountable strength that could tear a human into halves with their bare hands. They ripped, they tore, and they shredded with brutal tenacity that all color was gone from the faces of the lesser mages who encountered them.


    Not even powerful mages like Xiaoyue found it easy to deal with century-old Corpse Puppets; the two that she had just defeated had exhausted much of her strength and she could have sworn that the diamond-hard hides of these abominations almost dented her Autumn Water.


    Armed with his spear, Zuoqiu Yang could have easily punctured the defenses of any mage of the Nascent Soul Realm. But none of his attacks managed to cripple these Corpse Puppets. With every thrust of his silver-tipped spear, his veins threatened to pop and burst. Yet still, his enemies advanced, forcing Zuoqiu Yang to be on the defensive instead.


    Despair began gnawing on the ranks of the invaders as everyone began to feel the strength of the Corpse Puppets growing. Even Zi Mo was locked in an intense battle against the Puppet he was facing off against and he was nowhere near to destroying it, least of all Yu Yifeng and the rest of the junior mages who could barely hold their ground against the indomitable strength of these monsters.


    Deep in the woods a couple of leagues away, Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were still watching the battle unfold. The siege of the Ridge of the Fallen Drake seemed more like a failure than an uphill climb and the destruction of the Corpse Refinery Sect seemed more distant by the second.


    For almost a quarter of an hour, almost thirty-four Corpse Puppets have been destroyed, although not without the cost of many mages of the Orthodox Path. The Great Immortal surveyed his losses through gritted teeth and he motioned for the Corpse Puppets to retreat to the defensive lines at once. ¡°Is this what you want, all of you!¡± He roared across the carnage to the regrouping invaders who were visibly relieved for the brief respite, ¡°As we fight, the remaining leagues of evil watches in glee, waiting to reap the harvests we sow!¡±


    Xiao Chen felt a shudder. Is it true? Members of the other three evil orders are also watching this fight from the shadows?

 Chapter 419 - The Stronger Grudge

    The battle came to another standstill with both sides retreating back to their lines. The guardian of the Ridge, Elder Long ran hurriedly to the Great Immortal and whispered into his ears, ¡°We cannot afford to have this ruckus to continue, Grand Elder! We have only six days until the awakening of the Divine Corpse. Fort Raksasa and the other two evil orders are our true enemies here and they could well be hiding, biding their time to strike a critical blow upon us! Don¡¯t you think we should¡­¡±


    But he was stopped short by the Great Immortal who held up an arm frantically, his face as hard as stone. ¡°No. We¡¯ll hold them off however we must. Under no circumstances must any of the former High Chieftains be disturbed by this. Go to Ye Wuxin. See if he is ready. These people will be nothing but vermin if he is successful in taming that Corpse King.¡±


    He swiveled and turned to the army of invaders and shouted, ¡°Who among you is the one leading this attack?¡± A figure broke ranks from the crowd and responded icily, ¡°Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, the Twenty-third Leader of the Divine Mist Sect.¡±


    There was hardly any utterance of objection from everyone else. The Divine Mist Sect had always prided itself as one of the mightiest sects or schools of the Orthodox Path.


    ¡°Right!¡± The Great Immortal snorted through narrowed eyes, ¡°Prolonging this fight is doing more harm than good for all of us. We¡¯ll only weaken ourselves while others wait and lurk to feast on what remains of us. I have a proposal: we¡¯ll decide this war in single combat. We¡¯ll each elect a champion to fight in single combat. If your champion wins, the Corpse Refinery Sect will dissolve and destroy all its Corpse Puppets in seven days. What say you?¡±


    A chorus of hushed murmurs and anxious whispers rose from within the formation of the defenders as the members of the Sect eyed each other with disbelief and trepidation of what could come. On the other side, the proposal seemed to have restored some hope to many of the mages of the Orthodox Path; they have seen enough blood being spilled and a great many of them had lost the will to continue the fight. But it was simply too obvious to miss. This was merely a ruse by the Corpse Refinery Sect to bide for more time. They were only trying to buy more time for the awakening of the Divine Corpse which no one could then be able to defeat once it walks the earth.


    Perfected Immortal Feng Lan understood this full well himself. But the forces of the Orthodox Path have badly miscalculated the strength of the Corpse Refinery Sect. With their reinforcements nowhere in sight, the invaders could ill afford any more casualties. Not only they would lose this battle if the remaining three of the evil sects choose to pounce on them, everyone here would die and the Orthodox Path would suffer a blow so perilous that it would be eternally weakened for a good many generations to come.


    Then again, could he order a retreat now? Of all times, when the awakening of the Divine Corpse could well be at hand? He would never forgive himself if the Divine Corpse were to arise and lay waste to every inch of earth it walks.


    A frown creased deeply on the gnarly forehead of the old mage as he weighed his options. If only we have more power, he brooded quietly, And the discord that severs us is hardly helping. Everyone is having an agenda of his own! What was more, the League was still having its hands tied with the investigations of the mystery of the Soul-consuming Evil Flowers and the damages around Tianyuan City at Xiao Chen¡¯s hand¡¯s the year before which had culminated in the deterioration of the Spiritual Meridian of the land.


    For that brief moment, the mage, despite his powers of the Apotheosis Realm, felt truly powerless and despondent, looking wearier than before. The strength of the Orthodox Path wanes by the days, he thought, Yet its four greatest orders still choose to remain oblivious even in the face of such perilous times! The Thousand Feathers Sect sent only Xiaoyue while the order of Kunlun wishes only to remain in peace, cowering in its Mystic Lands! As if it could not be any more worst, nothing of the Shushan Sect and the Taiqing Sect remains now. Would that they still exist, no Evil would dare trample us with impunity!


    Even from afar, the shift on Perfected Immortal Feng Lan¡¯s expression hardly went unnoticed by the Great Immortal. ¡°So, how is it, my friend? Do we have a deal? I¡¯m dare say not even many of your order would remain standing if this battle were to prolong.¡±


    The Perfected Immortal rubbed his hands anxiously. Despite the many tumults swelling within the ranks of the Orthodox Path in the world today, all no thanks to the bad apples, the Orthodox Path remained the beacon of hope for all mortals around the world, providing peace and order to the lands.


    A wry grin broke across Su Lianyue¡¯s face suddenly. ¡°Look, Master Xiao,¡± she said softly, ¡°Would you go to their aid? In their most dire hour of need?¡±


    Xiao Chen drew a long breath and muttered, ¡°I have nothing to do with these people. They can all die to their last man for all I care.¡±


    Back on the field of battle, Zuoqiu Yang noticed the melancholy and indecision of his mentor. He rushed forward and urged, ¡°Why are you bartering words with these evil men, Teacher! Spare them no mercy, just kill them all and be done with it!¡± His robes were heavy and greasy with blood but he paid no mind to them, keeping his angry glare on the Great Immortal standing opposite.


    They were interrupted by a cry coming up the slopes of the Ridge. ¡°Oh no!¡± An acolyte of the Sect, his face and attire stained with blood, scrambled up, howling like a deranged animal at the top of his voice, ¡°They are coming! The Elders of the External Sect are no more! All of them, no more!¡±


    The grim news sent a wave of panic through the defenders that even the Elders of the Internal Sect grew pale. None of them were ready for such devastation and their crumbling confidence only made the acolytes and students all the more skittish with fear. The same could not be said for the invaders, whose morale was renewed with the news of the battle raging below, ¡°They¡¯re here! Our reinforcements must be here!¡±


    Unperturbed, the Great Immortal from Hell was the only single man amongst the defenders who remained calm. He spun to face the rest of the members of the Sect and cried, ¡°Have faith, all of you! We must hold on! The awakening of the Divine Corpse is at hand! And once he¡¯s arisen, he¡¯ll destroy our foes to kingdom come!¡±


    Hearing that the Divine Corpse would be rising any moment seemed to rekindle the courage in the men. It was their most secret weapon, their defensive stalwart, the object of their worship and their final hope. With their mettle steeled once more, the defenders reformed their ranks and lines, readying their Corpse Puppet for another assault.


    More and more people clambered up the slopes to join the formation of the invaders by the piecemeal. But no one dared to break ranks and charge. Not while the Corpse Puppets marched at the front of the defenders. The invaders needed a better plan to advance.


    But just before the battle could erupt anew, a figure dashed to the center of the barren field: Yu Yifeng. He stood tall and correct before the Great Immortal, hardly betraying any fear, and he hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re up to. I only want my Junior Sister. She was taken by you lot five nights ago and I want her now!¡±


    ¡°And who are you, boy?¡± The Great Immortal held Yu Yifeng in a long, searching look, ¡°What is the name of this Junior Sister of yours? Many of our blood you lot have spilled, yet you dare make demands of me?¡±


    Deep in the woods, Xiao Chen heard every word they said. Wait a minute¡­ The Junior Sister Brother Yifeng is talking about¡­ No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ He felt himself trembling. Before he knew it, he dashed ahead at breakneck speed, rushing out of the thickets and towards the open field.


    ¡°Master Xiao!¡± Su Lianyue cried vainly. But it was no use. Xiao Chen was well out of the brushes when she saw him moving and she could not risk being seen by anyone of the Orthodox Path at the battlefield.


    In just a brief flicker of a second, Xiao Chen reached Yu Yifeng¡¯s side, to everyone¡¯s amazement and surprise with his extraordinarily otherworldly speed. For a moment, his wraithlike appearance almost had everyone thinking that Yu Yifeng was being ambushed by one of the evil folk.


    ¡°Lil Chen?! Why are you here?!¡± Yu Yifeng yelped with shock. Not far away behind, Luo Shangyan and the rest were gasping with consternation themselves. For several months, Xiao Chen had vanished off the face of the earth and no one was hardly startled by his untimely appearance.


    Wordless shock filled the rest of the invaders from the front to the back; Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, Su Zimu, the Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng and Su Yue among them. They were all aware about Xiao Chen escape from the Devil Repressed Tower but never did they expect to see him here. A presence that hardly boded well for anyone as much as himself.


    But there was no man even more surprised than Qi Heng of the Order of the Divine Fire. Standing at a mere few yards away, he could positively feel the power of the Nirvana Realm radiating from within Xiao Chen. There was hardly any doubt that Xiao Chen was now one of the most powerful of the younger mages in the lands.


    ¡°Who was it who was taken? Was it Muxue?¡± Xiao Chen asked Yu Yifeng tersely with a hand on the latter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Sister Muxue was complaining about the cold that night and so I went off collecting more fuel for the fire,¡± Yu Yifeng nodded gravely with great difficulty, ¡°But when I came back, she was taken. By Ye Wuxin. Seniors Xiaoyao Zi and Qing Feng tried to pursue him, but he was just too fast¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen could only feel the shaking of his body intensifying as quickly as the dread in him swelled. It¡¯s Muxue¡­ It really is her! The Mystic Yin Body born on the seventh day of the seventh month that Red Sleeve was referring to¡­ it is her!


    A flash of anger blazed across his face and he regarded the Great Immortal with a seething glare. ¡°I don¡¯t care what is happening here. You can all destroy each other to bits for all I care. Give me back Muxue or I¡¯ll flatten this mountain today!¡±


    The Great Immortal studied Xiao Chen, his eyes squinting before they opened into a hard stare, ¡°Remarkable. Extraordinary physical properties. You must be Xiao Chen, are you not? Small wonder Ye Wuxin is interested in you¡­ You¡¯re perfect¡­ Just simply perfect¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say again: release Li Muxue¡­¡± Xiao Chen growled again, ignoring the sally. His breath was slowly pacing and his chest heaved and puffed for more air as his powers churned and his eyes slowly becoming red.


    But the rest of the invaders behind him grappled with shock as they felt the extent of his strength: the Nirvana Realm!


    ¡°Give me back Muxue!¡± Xiao Chen snarled, brandishing the Blood Lotus Demon Blade. He lunged at the Great Immortal like a feral beast, much to Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng¡¯s horror and Yu Yifeng only managed cry, ¡°Wait, Xiao Chen!¡± But it was too late.


    With a careless wave, the Great Immortal summoned for help. A Blood Corpse, a Corpse Puppet with more than three centuries¡¯ worth of Malicious Grudge, threw itself in Xiao Chen¡¯s way. With its strength, the Blood Corpse could have easily slain any other mage of the Nascent Soul Realm, but Xiao Chen effortlessly lanced his weapon through its midsection like a simple slab of meat.


    With a deafening roar, Xiao Chen yanked his saber free and hacked down with all his weight, cleaving the monster into halves.


    No one had expected to see this, least of all the defenders of the Corpse Refinery Sect. A wave of despair swept through them that even the Great Immortal was aghast to see one of his most powerful weapons being easily destroyed. Most, if not all Nirvana Realm mages would never be able to destroy his Blood Corpses, especially with only one single stroke, to say the least. And the Great Immortal was sure that the cursed weapon Xiao Chen was wielding had nothing to do with it!


    ¡°You¡­ what are you!? The Pure Yang¡­ No, wait! That¡¯s impossible! I can feel a strong Malicious Grudge in you! It would have nullified the¡­ No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ You must be¡­ It must be¡­¡±


    The Great Immortal spewed a jumble of terrified gibberish in his panicked consternation. Even the Orthodox Path invaders could hardly believe what they were seeing. They had experienced firsthand the diabolical might and endurance of the Corpse Puppets of the Corpse Refinery Sect. But here was Xiao Chen who had easily dispatched it in one fell stroke!


    ¡°ARGGHH!¡± Xiao Chen howled with the hysteria of a rampaging beast. The visions of the icy pits of water, the flotsam of female corpses floating idly like glaciers on the still surface, and the excruciating torments of the Ice Keep assailed his mind. Muxue¡­ He almost said her name aloud. These people have taken her and they have subjected her to such pain and agony! A fit of anger and hatred rose in him, threatening to burst like a furnace waiting to explode!


    ¡°I¡¯ll have your head!¡± Xiao Chen spat viciously, his eyes flaring red as he swung his saber down on the head of the Great Immortal again. The scythe of a magic bolt, stretching for several yards, effortlessly hewed more than a dozen of Corpse Puppets asunder.


    Everyone held their breaths. With hardly any difficulty, Xiao Chen had cut down the Corpse Puppets like a hot knife through butter! This is impossible! Some of them thought, When their bodies could even dent our swords and spears!


    Recovering from his shock, the Great Immortal frantically summoned his powers to deflect Xiao Chen¡¯s blow. But it was so powerful that he was staggering many steps backward despite having parried the bolt. The rest of the seven or eight Elders standing behind him were as stunned as he was, despite the oblivious looks on the faces of the lesser acolytes, and there was only one reason why.


    Corpse Puppets were abominable monsters fueled by Malicious Grudge. To kill one would require the utter destruction of its soul, like how one would slay a mage of the Nascent Soul Realm. But Xiao Chen was able to kill the Puppets with hardly any trouble and this could only mean one thing: Xiao Chen must have more than ten times more Malicious Grudge than these Corpse Puppets put together!


    But how could a living person possess a Malicious Grudge of such intensity and fury!?

 Chapter 420 - The Granite Sarcophagus

    Yu Yifeng clasped firmly on Xiao Chen¡¯s arm, ¡°Calm down!¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched his fingers, his hand numb from the devastating blowback caused when the Great Immortal parried his stroke. Beads of tears hung from his eyelashes as he murmured, ¡°Muxue¡­ She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s¡­ Six more days, and Red Sleeve will¡­ she will¡­¡± His voice broke at the foreboding of whatever monstrosity Red Sleeve could possibly conceive.


    ¡°Red Sleeve?¡± Yu Yifeng uttered, puzzled and confused. Xiao Chen merely shook his head, his expression dour and sullen, simply explaining, ¡°That¡¯s the Divine Corpse.¡±


    Tens of yards behind, the invaders were still incredulous with repudiation. Among them, Zuoqiu Yang felt the worst. The sight of Xiao Chen casually reducing tens of Corpse Puppets into smithereens would forever haunt him like a nightmare, gnawing at his confidence that he began to feel meek and helpless. Even in his best, he could at most kill one or two of these abominations. But Xiao Chen had overdone him by leaps and bounds!


    At that precise moment, there was only a bottomless chasm in his heart and from within the dark abyss clambered up jealousy and hatred. Since the day he was born, Zuoqiu Yang was showered with love, respect, and prestige. He was hailed as a child prodigy within his clan in his youth and the exclusive heir of the Leader of the Divine Mist Sect. There he was, roosting at the pinnacle of the world, until the day a young man called Xiao Chen became renowned. From then all, the world collapsed around him. Failures visited him with rhythmic constancy and no matter how hard he tried, Xiao Chen would always be far ahead of him. Just when he thought Xiao Chen was barely nearing the later levels of the Nascent Soul Realm while he was already well beyond, his nemesis has reentered the fold, now wielding the powers of the Nirvana Realm! Why, He almost burst out aloud, Why?!


    In his resentment, frustration, and anxiety, his eyes grew scarlet red with hatred. Why!? Why must I be in the shadows of Xiao Chen!?


    Just then, a deep groaning rumble came from afar and shocked everyone. Two figures appeared in the horizons, racing quickly towards the battlefield like a pair of shooting stars. As they grew closer, everyone recognized one of them the frigid and deathlike appearance of Ye Wuxin and the other person ¨C no, a thing ¨C was a Corpse Puppet. A Corpse Puppet dressed in the rich velvety raiments of an emperor and a matching headdress!


    It was the same Corpse King they had seen before. Only this time, it was nothing more but an asinine lackey without any more of its former fiendish glory and horrors. Nevertheless, the other Corpse Puppets trembled as it drew nearer as if they were shaking with fear. Fueled by Malicious Grudge, it was a common occurrence when a Corpse Puppet with greater and stronger Grudge enters the fold.


    The Elders of the Sect present quickly began muttering words of incantations to calm the rest of the Corpse Puppets to prevent them from losing control. The invaders were all reeling with shock for they too felt how powerful this Corpse King was compared to the rest of its lesser counterparts.


    The acolytes of the Sect threw themselves to the ground just as Ye Wuxin landed, prostrating themselves humbly at his heels. The Great Immortal went up to the High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect and asked with a skeptical look, ¡°Was it a failure?¡±


    ¡°The assimilation has failed,¡± Ye Wuxin nodded grimly, ¡°But it is still under control.¡± He pivoted and turned to face the legion of invaders. ¡°You might as well stay, since all of you have come a long way. I¡¯m sure we have ample permanent accommodations for all of you here in the Corpse Refinery Sect,¡± he declared icily. His timely appearance had not only impregnated the defenders with the resolve and confidence to upkeep the defense of the Ridge, but also delivered a powerful blow to the morale of the invaders of the Orthodox Path.


    He surveyed the invaders and saw a seething Xiao Chen. In a steely voice, he snickered and said, ¡°I see. It is you. Fine. You would be fit nicely as a human corpse for me.¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± The Great Immortal cautioned with a hushed voice, ¡°There is something wrong with this man. He has a Malicious Grudge so great that it dwarfs even that of our century-old Corpse Puppets.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Wuxin muttered flatly with hardly any interest in the warning, ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was flushed with fury. His eyes were boring deep into Ye Wuxin as the urge in him to lunge and tear and rip was burgeoning beyond control. With a snarl, he threw himself at the High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect, bringing his saber down at his head but his enemy merely nonchalantly raised an arm. A ringing clang resounded across the silent battlefield and Xiao Chen could not quite believe his eyes; Ye Wuxin had only needed two fingers to hold his Blood Lotus Demon Blade in a vice-like grip!


    ¡°Funny. Surely you do not believe me as feeble as my Corpse Puppets? You have a great Malicious Grudge too, I hear? Let¡¯s see how powerful it is then.¡±


    No one dared breathe. With two fingers, this man stopped that redoubtable Xiao Chen¡¯s attack?! What is he? Is he even more powerful than the Great Immortal from Hell? But behind him, the other Elders of the Sect were looking as if they had recovered from their bewilderment. They must have realized something.


    With his teeth gnashing with anger, Xiao Chen tried as best he could, still the blade would not fall. A single chuckle echoed from amongst the invaders. Zuoqiu Yang, although he himself could not understand why. Yet somehow, he found it amusing seeing Xiao Chen mustering every ounce of strength in his being and yet to no avail. Then a thought came to Zuoqiu Yang, If only Ye Wuxin can give Xiao Chen a good and heavy walloping!


    A terrible BANG ensued. But instead of successfully dealing his blow, it was Xiao Chen who was sent flying for several yards like a piece of trash before he crashed to the ground. Ye Wuxin simply needed no Corpse Puppets to do his fighting for him. Not when he was facing the present Xiao Chen and it was more than enough to make Zuoqiu Yang guffaw with satisfaction.


    Yu Yifeng rushed to help Xiao Chen with Luo Shangyan and the others following just behind. The Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng hardly moved; they were guarding against any movements from the millennia-old Corpse King now towering obediently beside Ye Wuxin.


    Xiao Chen waved off his friends and glowered at Ye Wuxin, hardly bothered by his failure, ¡°Where¡¯s Muxue!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hazard you¡¯re referring to the girl I had taken just a few days ago? Given to the Corpse King, of course. I guess she has been fully assimilated by it now ¨C¡±


    ¡°WHAT ¨C DID ¨C YOU ¨C SAY!?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s left eye shone with a peculiar glow of blood-red as he roared, one word for each breath, with a voice that seemed unfamiliar even to himself.


    ¡°As I said, she is now an intrinsic instrument indispensable to the awakening of the Corpse King,¡± Ye Wuxin pronounced with a devilish grin, ¡°You should be thanking me. She has now attained an everlasting life¡­¡±


    What he heard made Xiao Chen trembled. Only he was hardly the only one; every single member of the Jade Qing Sect present ¨C most notably Zi Mo and Yanluo, both of whom were already staggering unsteadily ¨C were reeling at the startling and mortifying revelation. With a palpable tremor in his voice that was teetering on breaking, he gasped, ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ she¡¯s¡­ impossible¡­ a Corpse Puppet¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Ye Wuxin confirmed with a lackadaisical smile.


    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed, charging at Ye Wuxin as he swung his saber again at his enemy. The swinging of his weapon was so forceful that a gale of wind blew and pushed everyone in its way off-balance that Luo Shangyan and her companions all fell down.


    CLANG! A deafening ring of steel against steel screamed across the battlefield, its resonance shattering the flagstones of the battered plaza that was the site of the battle of the Ridge, and instantly weakening the foundations of many wavering structures that they immediately crashed into piles of dusty gravel and rubbles on the ground.


    Fiery sparks shot by Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes when he hacked with his weapon, feeling something stopping it in its travel. Then he realized what it was: the broadsword of the millennia-old Corpse King! It was exactly like the last time they fought. The surrealistic recognition of history repeating itself. It was the same as that night; the glint of their weapons in the light, the unnerving knot of adrenaline gurgling in their guts as both sides refused to back down, the intense sparks emitted when their weapons gnashed against each other. With foul and evil aura swirling around him as he engaged Xiao Chen in their dance of death, he stared at Xiao Chen through his lifeless eyes a deep black like obsidian.


    Flames fluttered in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes and even his body seemed shrouded by a purplish-red flame slowly simmering over his skin. The crowd began to notice this, although none dared to utter a word at the glimpse of his left eye slowly turning red before it began steaming and fuming mildly. There was only the bewildered and agape expressions to illustrate their stupefaction.


    ¡°Powerful Malicious Grudge indeed,¡± Ye Wuxin merely grinned, ¡°But what makes you think you have what it takes to kill me?¡±


    Xiao Chen emitted another thunderous ARRGGGHH before he bellowed a name: Guifeng!


    ¡°My Lord!¡± A shadowy silhouette, lumbering at more than ten yards, took on a humanoid shape. Its girth and height were enough to make any man tremble as they retreated to make way with their breaths and voices stuck in their throats.


    ¡°SLAY THEM ALL! SHOW NO QUARTER!¡±


    ¡°Understood, My Lord!¡± Guifeng responded from atop his spectral destrier. He wheeled his stallion around, surveying his surroundings with the languid curls of dark energies roiling around him. His grip on his polearm tightened as his sinews tensed and stiffened, looking ever so proud, stern, and terrible. With a squeeze of his legs on the ribs of his ride, Guifeng charged at the defenders still petrified by fear.


    In the midst of their panicked frenzy, the defenders, acolytes and Elders alike, quickly saw to their Corpse Puppets, redirecting the focus of their war machines at the new threat but to hardly any use; with a couple of strokes, Guifeng shredded the century-old Corpse Puppets like bits and crisps of paper.


    In just a matter of seconds, Guifeng destroyed tens of Corpse Puppets as he rampaged his way hither and thither through the mobs of defenders and Puppets. Like a hot knife through butter, the dreadful invincibility of the Corpse Puppet amounted to nothing before this man; the mindless abominations all destroyed in varying forms of manner. Some he hacked with hardly any remorse, cleaving them cleanly into halves while some, he skewered with the blade of his weapon before tossing them over his shoulders ignominiously like a sack of filth and manure.


    Not even the Great Immortal could maintain his cool composure any longer. This young man has always been a thorn in the side of the Corpse Refinery Sect, a born nemesis who wielded in his hands the key to destroying the Sect. Just then, the invaders recovered from their stupor. Seeing their chance to regain the initiative, they too charge ahead from over Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulders.


    More blood was spilled. Deserters began pouring from the ranks of defenders, abandoning their sacred oaths to defend the Ridge to their last breath whilst the remaining number of defenders that constituted the bulk of the defense dwindled with the tally of the dead or maimed spiking with terrifying alacrity. Heads fell on the ground, rolling like destroyed melons as flying swords swoop down on any prey they caught like falcons on the hunt if their bodies were not otherwise utterly decimated to mere bits of blood and flesh with hardly any mercy. Without the Corpse Puppets to maintain the frontlines, the defenses yielded before the unstoppable might of the invaders that finally breached the Ridge, their morale spiking for the first time since the invasion began at the stalemate finally broken.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s left eye was a complete shade of blood-red, fuming with red, bloodlike Qi as his Rancorous Qi climbed. His right eye looked relatively normal although the sight of him now was more than enough to frighten anyone.


    ¡°ARRGHHH!¡± Xiao Chen roared again. He could feel his hair standing on their end. He shoved the Corpse King aside, taking him by surprise and charged again at Ye Wuxin. ¡°Give me back Muxue!¡±


    Boom!


    The earth shook and the air groaned as Xiao Chen¡¯s weapon fell. Buildings and structures circumferencing the outer peripherals of the plaza began to cave in and tumble. But Ye Wuxin was hardly injured; he had stopped Xiao Chen¡¯s stroke with his bare hands, clasping tightly on the deep-red blade of Xiao Chen¡¯s weapon while wearing a casual smile, ¡°Oops¡­ A little more to go, I guess¡­ More anger, more hatred, more grudge¡­ that¡¯s what you need¡­¡±


    Another fierce roar escaped Xiao Chen¡¯s throat. He released his weapon suddenly and lunged at Ye Wuxin with the viciousness of a raving beast. This seemed like the last thing Ye Wuxin expected as Xiao Chen¡¯s claw-like hands closed in on his throat and he threw the High Chieftain of the Sect to the ground, pinning him down while delivering blows after blows into his face. The unceasing pounding of his fist into Ye Wuxin¡¯s face echoed into the night as the dust and soot churned up glided lethargically in the air.


    ¡°GIVE ME BACK MUXUE! GIVE ME BACK MUXUE!¡± Xiao Chen continued shouting at the top of his voice, his emotions and mind utterly delirious. As if imbued with an unholy strength, Xiao Chen kept Ye Wuxin pinned to the ground, all the while never stopped battering one fist after another into the latter¡¯s face, and there was nothing the latter could do to free himself.


    No one could move and no one dared to say a word. Here was Ye Wuxin, the High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect, being beaten like a common dog¡­


    More and more deserters fled at the sight of their supreme leader being clobbered, their hopes and convictions shattered to oblivion. Desperate to rally the defenders, the Great Immortal screamed, ¡°The Divine Corpse will be rising any second now! Have faith! Have faith!¡± He turned to the battlefield and dashed forward, hoping to rescue Ye Wuxin when a purplish silhouette barred his advance. It was Zi Mo!


    The rest of the invaders ¨C Qingfeng, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, and Perfected Immortal Fengxi among them ¨C sprang into action. They engaged the rest of the available Corpse Puppet, clearing up the way for their other comrades to mop up any defenders of the Sect in sight. No amount of Corpse Puppets would be useful so long as there was no one to use them.


    Amid the turmoil of the battle once again raging , Xiao Chen was still relentlessly hammering his fists into the face of Ye Wuxin, but to no avail. The High Chieftain merely cackled vilely, prodding vehemently, ¡°More¡­ more hatred¡­ more anger¡­ more rage¡­ Surely this cannot be your all?¡±


    ¡°ARRGHH!¡± Xiao Chen let loose another howl and lifted Ye Wuxin and smashed him back to the ground like a sack of filth with so much force that a long trench, several yards long, appeared when the dust finally settled.


    It was a sight so harrowing that the defenders of the Sect looked positively crestfallen and their morale smothered. The High Chieftain was their god. The object of their worship. And seeing how Ye Wuxin taking all the beating filled them with doubt and despair as any remaining will to fight on instantly crumbled.


    Chaos ensued. The disciples of the Sect began deserting their posts, breaking ranks from the defensive formation as they began to flee. The Great Immortal and his band of Elders could no longer contain the situation and maintain order as the defenders disintegrated until suddenly, a powerful gush of aura, foul and frigid as the coldest and darkest of winters, swept across the field of battle. Everyone shuddered and jerked their heads to where it came from.


    A dark shadow flitted through the sky, coming closer and closer by the piecemeal until everyone saw what it was: a moss-green granite sarcophagus. It flew in mid-air, dashing through the air like a Flying-cloud Stone, but no one could possibly overlook the dark and foul aura pouring from within it.


    At that exact moment, there was only still silence on the front lines. No one dared to move and all the fighting had stopped, save for the trembling of muscles that came with the sensation of fear. Intense fear.


    Xiao Chen was also gazing up at the sky, watching the sarcophagus coming closer when he suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain. There was something familiar about that deathly and frigid aura that made everyone shudder. But how? A voice said in his mind, What is it? What is coming? Do I know what it is?

 Chapter 421 - Desecrated

    The staggering presence grew until the green sarcophagus reached within a mile from the battlefield. Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, a voice screamed, ¡°It¡¯s the Divine Corpse! The Divine Corpse has awakened!¡±


    The peaking morale of the invaders pouring through the crumbling formation of the routed defenders immediately plummeted down a dark hole and the deserters felt themselves filled with renewed faith that their accursed order might be salvaged after all. ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡± Exultant cries from the defenders tore through the air with whoops and exclamations of joy, ¡°Come back, all of you! The Divine Corpse is awakened! The Divine Corpse is awakened!¡±


    The sarcophagus continued its flight and stopped overhead the center of the square, casting a canopy of fear and deathly chill over everything below. Everyone stopped and looked up, hardly moving a muscle as if petrified into stone. As if with a will of its own, the green sarcophagus seemed attracted to Xiao Chen; it whirled and flew at Xiao Chen in ramming speed but Xiao Chen, still startled beyond comprehension, could still not move.


    ¡°Beware, My Lord!¡± Guifeng shouted a warning, swinging his polearm to deflect the charging sarcophagus as he rushed to defend Xiao Chen. But the sarcophagus slammed into him and his horse and both reeled into a decrepit building and a loud crash followed as everything tumbled.


    The sarcophagus wheeled back and rammed into Xiao Chen, sending him flying away and the rest of the invaders into frenzies of panic. But the green stone chest did not stop; it continued its rampage, charging at different targets like a bloodhound on a scent. First at Zi Mo, Qing Feng, then Perfected Immortal Feng Lan, then Su Yue, the daughter of Clan Su, and Feng Xi before it went on and on¡­


    No one was left standing after being struck by the stone sarcophagus, mages of the Nirvana Realm or the Apotheosis Realm alike. The sarcophagus had willfully pursued and attacked the most powerful mages among the invaders, striking them with the force of a mountain that some of them were frothing blood while some could not even stand. Aghast by this, the surviving invaders of the Orthodox Path felt the color leaving their faces with fear. This is the Divine Corpse of the Corpse Refinery Sect! The most invincible creature of war that could possibly be fielded into battle!


    On the other side, the excitement and furor rekindled the spirits of the defenders and they regrouped once again, reforming their formations. But the Elders looked far from pleased; the Great Immortal gasped worriedly, ¡°The Divine Corpse has risen?!¡±


    He was joined by a frowning Ye Wuxin, who agreed somberly, ¡°It¡¯s not yet the seventh day of the seventh month. It should not have been so soon. Something is wrong¡­¡±


    BOOM!


    With a deep and heavy thud and the crunching of shattering cobblestones, the green sarcophagus finally came to a rest and landed, its binge of destruction ending finally with a rolling wave of dust. Still frozen by fear, the invaders knew not what to do. With their breaths held by intense consternation, they could only wait and watch.


    Xiao Chen stared blankly at the green sarcophagus with a panting Guifeng towering over his shoulders defensively with his polearm in a wary stance.


    BOOM!


    Another loud crash. The thickset lid of the sarcophagus trembled as it inched open slowly. Bone-stabbing mists of chilly air escaped from inside like apparitions and still, no one dared to move.


    The distraction was time enough for Xiao Chen to calm down; his breath and his eyes were back to normal now, although the sorrow of losing Muxue lingered still in his heart. The cold air pouring from within the stone sarcophagus made everyone afraid. Everyone, but for him. Instead, it only made him sad. How, he could not say, but the forlornness that wrenched his heart struck with the keenness and suddenness of a bolt of lightning.


    BOOM!


    Another thunderous crash resounded, making everyone, the members of the Sect included, leap with a jolt. The sturdy lid lifted up high with a deluge of cold mists in its wake and no one could see what was inside through the thick, murky fog.


    Xiao Chen felt his eyes watering and his vision began to blur as the strange and indescribable sadness swelled in him. Then he saw her. A young woman sitting up from inside the sarcophagus.


    She looked nowhere as hideous and horrid as the Corpse King. Only a girl with flowing jet-black hair, young and fair, sweet and innocent in her robes of red.


    With her hands holding on to the side of the coffin, she pushed herself up and vaulted herself gracefully out of it, her robes fluttering behind her as if she was in a waltz.


    She stood in the night breeze, her clothes and stray locks of hair rippling gently in the wind. The skin on the lithe and tender arms of hers was fair like snow and her eyes as deep and serene as the waters of a lake. Yet, in her misty eyes, there was the unmistakable hint of rancor and spite¡­


    Xiao Chen could no longer see; the angst and anguish worsened markedly that his own Qi fluctuated violently, so badly that he spat a mouthful of blood and the reminiscences of his former lifetimes flashed before his eyes, as vivid as the swelter of the sun hanging above.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget! You¡¯ve lost! That means you owe me three favors! Remember me, I¡¯m Hua Weiyang!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of going back on your word. The first thing: I still don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    ¡°The second thing is, you¡¯re not allowed to engage in zither matches with other girls, especially not promising them that you¡¯ll promise them three favors after you lose. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Of the three favors, you still owe me the final one¡­ And here it is: I want you to be alive and well¡­¡±


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡°Arghh!¡± Another mouthful of blood and froth poured from his mouth. Everything he remembered about him and Hua Weiyang, beginning from their meeting at the Beautiful Immortal Mountains to the end, replay around him as if he was looking at himself through a looking glass. But the glass shattered suddenly and so was the visions¡­


    ¡°Lil Chen!¡± Yu Yifeng cried as he rushed forward to help the wobbling Xiao Chen. Then in a shaking voice, he spoke, ¡°It¡¯s Muxue¡­¡±


    ¡°Muxue?!¡± Xiao Chen jerked himself awake, wiping off the tears welling in his eyes. He looked at the young woman standing motionlessly beside the stone sarcophagus. It really was Li Muxue, looking evermore a spitting image of Hua Weiyang. It was the strange sorrow that assailed him and caused him to mistaken Muxue as Hua Weiyang.


    On the other side, every one of the defenders knelt on their knees, bowing deeply in worship to the silent young woman. Only Ye Wuxin and the Great Immortal remained standing with looks of incredulity wiped across their faces. No one moved, even the Corpse Puppets which looked as if they were being petrified by a source of Malicious Grudge so astounding and massive that even the Corpse King dipped its head reverently.


    ¡°No¡­ This is not right,¡± Ye Wuxin stammered in a hushed voice, his face curdling with horror and disappointment, ¡°The sacrificial ritual has failed. What we¡¯ve only managed to accomplish is to inject the girl with a strong supply of Heavy Grudge to desecrate her soul and render her under our control. Desecrated, that¡¯s what she is now. But nothing more. But why? Why have we failed to remove her memories? And why have they allowed her to be fielded into battle¡­ It¡¯s too risky¡­¡±


    Every member of the Jade Qing Sect was too stunned to speak while Perfected Immortal Yanluo, still wavering in her steps, murmured, ¡°Muxue¡­¡± Zi Mo rushed to hold her, keeping her steady as he said gently, ¡°Rest easy, Junior Sister. The girl is only under their control. She is not yet a full-fledged Corpse Puppet yet.¡±


    Tears gushed from Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes again as he moved step by step slowly towards the partially-corrupted Li Muxue. A stiff arm clutched at his elbow; it was Yu Yifeng, imploring tersely, ¡°Wait, Lil Chen! Muxue¡¯s already¡­¡±


    The desecrated Li Muxue turned slowly, surveying the crowds on both sides of the battlefield through her dreamy, lethargic eyes. There was nothing in her. No hate nor love, no qualms nor scruples. Only orders and commands that she would obey without failure. And there was only one command she had received: kill. Kill everyone!


    Swish!


    She melted into a bat-like silhouette of red that reappeared before the ranks of the invaders of the Orthodox Path and began her work. The work of blood and flesh. In the blink of an eye and the swing of her arm, more than a handful of heads leaped off the necks of a few mages with fountains of blood gushing out morbidly for several feet. Then she disappeared again, reappearing in the midst of another cluster of mages and their heads plopped off again. She was so quick and agile as a panther on a hunt, doling out death and blood with unnerving zeal. By the time the invaders truly grasped what was going on, dozens of headless corpses were already left sprawling on the ground, lying in growing pools of blood and viscera; all of them dead by her bare hands.


    The formation of the invaders went into terrible disarray with the pandemonium brought about by the desecrated Li Muxue¡¯s single-minded slaughter that went on and on. The formerly-courageous and confident invaders, who were so close to having taken the Ridge, were now fleeing frantically for their lives. Xiao Chen beheld the chaos, his face positively distraught, ¡°STOP! MUXUE! YOU MUST STOP!¡± He freed himself from Yu Yifeng¡¯s hold and dashed towards the desecrated Muxue now in a deadly pirouette of her waltz of death.


    The desecrated Li Muxue sensed someone approaching and she instinctively swung her arm, sending a magical bolt of dark energy straight at Xiao Chen. It slammed into him with a dull bang and he flew off his feet, landing in a heap several yards away, vomiting blood and saliva.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Guifeng yelled, rushing to his aid. He helped Xiao Chen to his feet as the latter wiped off some blood from around his mouth. ¡°Stand down, General.¡±


    The desecrated Li Muxue continued her dance of death, leaving more mages dead or maimed and yet no one could stop her. Looking from the other side of the battlefield was the pleased Great Immortal from Hell and Ye Wuxin. The former looked at his High Chieftain, stroking his beard as the two men shared a look with some satisfied smiles.


    ¡°STOP! MUXUE! STOP KILLING PEOPLE!¡± Xiao Chen roared at the top of his voice, his eyes bulging as if they were going to pop. I will never forgive this infernal order and all its members! I¡¯ll kill this Red Sleeve myself if I have to! He vowed to himself, the knot in his stomach clenching tightly. He sprang up and rushed to Li Muxue again.


    Li Muxue stopped at the sight of this man whom she could not recognize. She knew him not. Yet she could not bring herself to lay a hand on him. She shook her head, as if trying to summon a long-dormant memory from within the depths of her mind. Yet she found nothing. A blank mind with hardly any shred of anything she could remember, save for the words of the command she had received: kill everyone.


    Hesitantly, her lips parted to stammer out the words, ¡°W-who¡­ are¡­ you?¡±


    The brief layoff gave enough time for the invaders of the Orthodox Path to quickly retreat and regroup somewhere farther away. They could not leave; the way down the Ridge was already closed off by the reinforcements of Corpse Puppets, yet their advance forward was now encumbered by a corrupted and berserking Li Muxue. Their morale was spent and the mood was miserable.


    In the meantime, the Great Immortal and Ye Wuxin could hardly believe their eyes. With frowns forming over their brows, they wondered, Impossible. A person with his soul desecrated live only by the orders and commands of his master. He would never speak nor have emotional sentiments. But what is going on? What drives her to speak? Was this a whiff of her former consciousness that the sentience of the Divine Corpse failed to consume?


    Looking at Muxue through eyes red and wet, Xiao Chen croaked hoarsely, ¡°It¡¯s me, Muxue¡­ Weiyang¡­ Do you not remember me? I¡¯m Xiao Chen¡­ It¡¯s me..¡± His voice faltered and two lines of tears dribbled down his cheeks.


    Li Muxue tilted her head as if she was studying him. Then she raised a hand, her eyes slowly returning to its original pigment, and it caressed tenderly upon Xiao Chen¡¯s face, wiping at his tears.


    No one was hardly unperturbed or startled by this. Not many within the ranks of the invaders knew Li Muxue nor her relationship with Xiao Chen and the rest of the Jade Qing Sect. To the most of the Orthodox Path, she was merely an unknown girl now corrupted to be the vessel of the Divine Corpse of the Corpse Refinery Sect, destined to wreak havoc and despair. But no one anticipated this unexpected change in her behavior, not especially when she was just embarking on a killing spree just moments before.


    At the far end of the battlefield, the formation of the defenders was fraught with incredulity and denial. Few of them had seen the Divine Corpse prior to its appearance today and fewer more knew who Li Muxue was. Yet the Divine Corpse, the object of their hope and salvation and the harbinger of death for their foes, was showing signs of affection and tenderness to a mortal. Impossible! Far away, still watching from the forest, Su Lianyue had hardly moved an inch. Her eyes had been on the battlefield, seeing everything unfold and her eyes trembled for the briefest moment before it went still again.


    Fear and disbelief now shone in the eyes of the Great Immortal and Ye Wuxin. They could simply not comprehend what was going on. But Ye Wuxin took a long, deep breath, and said, ¡°We are losing control of the Mystic Yin Body. Quick. Draw her away from the battlefield before something bad happens¡­¡±


    The tears never stopped. Xiao Chen could not tell who she was in front of him. Whether Weiyang or Muxue, he did not know. She would never have been Hua Weiyang¡¯s replacement; not when the Li Muxue he knew had a mind, a temperament, and consciousness of her own. But now, with Li Muxue standing like a mindless and empty husk in front of him, he felt as if he was meeting Hua Weiyang again.


    ¡°Who are you¡­¡± He spoke rapidly, ¡°Are you Muxue? Or are you Weiyang?¡± He could no longer see clearly with the tears obscuring his vision, raising a hand slowly to touch the face of the person in front of him. But before his fingers grazed her skin, he felt a stab of ice piercing into him. Then came the sensation of pain. Li Muxue had driven a hand through his chest.


    He watched as his blood dribbled down her hand and dripping off her elbow, trickling into a pool of red that was spreading on the cobblestones of the square.

 Chapter 422 - Roiling Grudge

    Xiao Chen groaned, his gaze lowering to see blood flowing unstamped from where Li Muxue¡¯s hand was planted into him. He managed a weak smile and made no attempt to strike nor push away the Desecrated Li Muxue. Gasps and cries of shock chorused from behind him. But no one else was more startled by Luo Shangyan and her companions. Yu Yifeng was lurching with distress and anxiety, but he did not dare come closer. ¡°Lil Chen! Come back here!¡± He cried.


    If Xiao Chen had heard him, he made no sign of it. He merely raised a head to look at everyone around him; the frightened eyes of the now-daunted invaders, the concerned and worried looks from his companions of the Jade Qing Sect, but he did nothing. He did not make any move to defend himself nor did he channel any of his spiritual powers, afraid that he might in turn injure Li Muxue. Whoever she was, Hua Weiyang or Li Muxue, he would never be able to raise a finger against her.


    With a stare so blank and lost that she almost seemed like trapped in a distant dream, the Desecrated Li Muxue gasped huskily, ¡°W-why¡­ Why did you¡­ not defend yourself?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. His hand, the outstretched one, reached for Li Muxue¡¯s face and caressed gently on the smooth skin of her cheek, feeling only a tinge of coldness.


    Li Muxue hardly flinched nor winced; she held Xiao Chen in her hollow stare, her gaze like an innocent little child as she continued in her sweet and soft voice, ¡°I-I recognize not¡­ not the name you say¡­ B-but¡­ there¡¯s a force in you¡­ a force that I wish for¡­ Can you¡­ can you give it to me?¡±


    Amidst the consternation and trepidation all around them, the Great Immortal and Ye Wuxin heaved a sigh of relief, sharing the very same thought, What a relief. So she is only after the powerful Malicious Grudge in Xiao Chen¡­ The primal urges as a Desecrated¡­ Like the Walking Corpses¡¯ thirst for blood¡­


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Xiao Chen breathed, still wearing a benign smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. Whatever you want. My powers, my life. Everything.¡±


    A crooked smile broke across Li Muxue¡¯s face. A smile that mirrored his. ¡°T-thank you¡­ Thank you¡­¡± She spoke. As soon as she was finished, Xiao Chen could feel his powers roiling inside him, flowing through his wound and into her arm.


    With his powers, so went his life force. Li Muxue continued her ingestion of Xiao Chen¡¯s power and life, right before the terrified and alarmed looks of Yu Yifeng and the rest of the invaders and even Su Lianyue, from her hiding spot, drew a deep, long, and anxious breath.


    Xiao Chen felt the fatigue slowly taking its toll as more of his life force was sapped away. His eyelids weighed like lead and he felt like collapsing into deep sleep. The Desecrated Li Muxue asked softly, ¡°A-are¡­ are you in pain?¡±


    His lips were as pale as the cheeks of his, as white as curdling milk. He smiled and shook his head. Li Muxue smiled at him like a child, ¡°I-I¡­ I thought you are in pain¡­ That¡¯s why I had not tried harder¡­¡± Then he felt her hand moving when she had finished, burrowing deeper into him with more blood leaking out profusely.


    Xiao Chen groaned. A drizzle of blood escaped the edges of his lips and the loss of his life force made him more and more tired. This must be death, he reflected, It was the first time he felt this way; he had never once felt life ebbing swiftly from him no matter how badly wounded he was in the past. Perhaps the end was coming for him.


    ¡°Take my powers, take my life. But please. Kill no more. Please¡­¡± Xiao Chen begged with his hand still feeling the cheek of the woman before him. He was still dour by the blood she spilled and the lives she had taken. Hua Weiyang or Li Muxue, he would never want either of them to become a mindless abomination capable only of killing and slaughter.


    Li Muxue peered at him. Gingerly, she said, ¡°A-are you dying? I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡± But Xiao Chen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ I have the Undead Body¡­ I will never die¡­¡±


    ¡°B-but I get the feeling that you¡¯d die once I¡¯ve finished absorbing your powers¡­ I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡±


    No one could hear them. No one knew what they were talking about. There were only curious and dubious stares from both sides of the battlefield, watching the pair of man and woman in a tender moment at the center of the chaos. Yu Yifeng could see that Xiao Chen¡¯s health was failing. Making several hand seals, he turned himself into a bolt of lightning that zipped across the distance towards Xiao Chen. But before he could come near, Li Muxue¡¯s sleeves flapped like banners in the wind and she sent a magical bolt that slammed into Yu Yifeng and he crashed off several yards away.


    A mouthful of froth and blood poured out of Yu Yifeng¡¯s mouth as he yelled with all his might, ¡°WAKE UP, LIL CHEN! THAT¡¯S NOT MUXUE!¡±


    But Xiao Chen merely smiled, making no signs of having heard Yu Yifeng¡¯s words. Then he heard himself muttering, ¡°Ofttimes flowers have petals of five, with the exception for the bloom of snow, which is known as Weiyang (Yet-ending flowers)¡­ This is what you told me before¡­ Do you remember these words¡­¡±


    ¡°The bloom of snow¡­ Yet-ending Flowers¡­¡± Li Muxue murmured delicately as if searching through her mind for a long, distant memory. Xiao Chen grinned, ¡°That¡¯s what you told me. You love Yet-ending Flowers. Do you remember this?¡±


    ¡°X-Xiao Chen¡­ Is that you¡­¡± The look on Li Muxue¡¯s face looked more bewildered than she was seconds ago and her hand slowly drew out. The Great Immortal and Ye Wuxin standing opposite yelped with surprise, ¡°What in the world?! Something must have gone wrong!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Li Muxue held her head, her footsteps wobbling as if she was feeling thousands of needles pricking at her mind. Xiao Chen extended an arm to hold her, keeping her still. Softly, he whispered, ¡°We should leave. Leave all this behind. Whatever they want, whatever the world wants, I won¡¯t even care. Why should we even care?! Come, let us leave.¡±


    In a throaty voice, each and every word heaved from his throat as if they weighed like iron. His heart was as much as dour as the words that passed his lips; he would not have even batted an eye for whatever these people do. But why!? He almost wanted to scream aloud. Why involve Muxue into all these?! At this very moment, bringing Muxue away from all the senseless killing and slaughter was the only thing he wanted to do, vengeance and fury be damned. To distance her from the many distractions of this world and to protect her from the cruel barbs of reality.


    ¡°Leave this place¡­ All right¡­ I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± The Desecrated Li Muxue nodded and touched at the blood-sodden wound on Xiao Chen¡¯s chest. ¡°A-are you¡­ are you still in pain? I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. With a shake of his head, he slowly led her away. With one step after another, they slowly limped away from the center of the square, leaving everyone else staring with shock and incredulity. ¡°Damn it!¡± The Great Immortal from Hell spat and Ye Wuxin beside him no longer placid and composed.


    They moved as one, breaking from the formation of the defenders and lunged at Xiao Chen with all the speed they could muster. Xiao Chen sensed them approaching and stopped in his tracks. He was too weak to defend himself, nevermind another companion. But Li Muxue merely muttered, ¡°D-don¡¯t worry¡­¡± With a flail of her sleeve, she sent forth a magical bolt that struck both men in the chest and they crashed several yards away, vomiting mouthfuls of blood.


    The defenders began reeling with fear. No one could believe what was happening. The Divine Corpse was operating against the wishes of its masters!? They were still coping with the panic of losing their most powerful instrument when they heard a dull groan that sounded like a monster snarling. It was the Corpse King! It was shuddering violently, as if trying to free itself from the influence of its masters too! ¡°Dammit!¡± Ye Wuxin cursed, ¡°Are they all running out of control now?!¡± He slapped a runic talisman on the forehead of the Corpse King and finally it calmed down.


    Xiao Chen and the Desecrated Li Muxue slowly hobbled away from the battlefield, under the dubious but silent stares of both armies of defenders and invaders when suddenly, a powerful aura, cold as death and as powerful as the breaking of a dam, flooded the entire Ridge. Li Muxue jerked her head in its direction and cried, ¡°Oh no! The Mistress is summoning me!¡±


    Xiao Chen felt it too. It was Red Sleeve! ¡°Calm down,¡± he cried, ¡°Come with me! You don¡¯t belong here! Not to them or to anyone else!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I cannot¡­ I cannot go with you.¡± Li Muxue shoved him aside and darted back to the sarcophagus. As she clambered once more inside, Xiao Chen cried, ¡°Muxue!¡± With his Immortal-override Steps, he raced as fast as he could towards her, but to no avail; the green sarcophagus slammed its lid shut and took off into the sky before he could reach her.


    It sped across the sky, finally becoming a single dot in the distance before it completely vanished. Xiao Chen let loose a feral howl, his eyes bulging to the point of bursting and his hair lashing over his face.


    ¡°RED SLEEVE! AND YOU LOT OF THE CORPSE REFINERY SECT!¡±


    His thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield, bouncing off whatever structures still standing that no one could miss the anger, frustration, and hatred in his voice. The Malicious Grudge in him swelled and his left eye turned red again. On his flank, the army of invaders was all but beaten; their morale was so low that they could no longer mount another assault. Suddenly, before they knew it, the air turned blood-red around them; a scarlet mist had shrouded the battlefield.


    The scarlet mist covered the entire battlefield and in the blink of an eye, hundreds of Corpse Puppets, all still greasy with blood dripping off their limbs, appeared out of the thick air! The sudden appearance of the Corpse Puppets in their midst took the invaders of the Orthodox Path by surprise. These were hardly the common Corpse Puppets they have been fighting against, but Blood Corpses, one of the more formidable killing contrivances of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    The Blood Corpses stood in the path leading down the slopes of the Ridge, barring the invaders¡¯ way of retreat; the grisly sight of their rotting flesh and flayed skin only made them all the more grotesquely hideous under the bright sunlight.


    Even in the daylight, the atmosphere at the Ridge was cold. Not because of the altitude, but because of the deathly aura gave off by the hundreds and thousands of Corpse Puppets looming menacingly around the invaders. Their Rancorous Qi swirled everywhere like ghost-like apparitions sending shivers down the spines of the mages that some cowered behind the backs of their Elders and leaders.


    But amidst the restless angst and confusion, no one realized what was happening to Xiao Chen. His breathing grew erratic and his right eye too slowly turned red. Would that anyone saw the flow of the Rancorous Qi emanating from the Blood Corpses, they would have been able that the foul and evil aura was flowing nowhere else, but roiling into Xiao Chen through his opened chest wound.


    The battle broke out again, only this time it was the mages of the Orthodox Path taking heavy losses. Banners fell and men crumbled, bloodied and battered. Fueled and enlivened by their rich Malicious Grudge, the legion of Blood Corpses decimated the ranks of the invaders. These were former disciples, students, and acolytes of the Corpse Refinery Sect forcibly doomed to be Corpse Puppets alive, either by just punishment or wrongful judgment. The process of being turned into these mindless abominations alive was so painful that they incurred the feeling of rage and hate so strong that their Malicious Grudge was richer and thicker than common Corpse Puppets. This made them so powerful that they could easily kill a mage with the Nascent Soul Realm with a lift of a finger.


    The invaders were all locked in gritting battles. Not for taking the Ridge, but their own survival. Elders, Mentors, and Leaders of the Orthodox Path fared better than their younger counterparts. Extensive battle experiences worth much more than promising and remarkable talent in the face of battle. Zuoqiu Yang swung and pierced at every enemy that crossed his path. Yet none of his strokes seemed to work; the enemies just would not fall. And with each blow he dealt, Zuoqiu Yang felt his confidence dipping by one bit.


    Even with her Autumn Water, Xiaoyue could do no more than to kill only one or two of these Blood Corpses. The worse could be said for Su Zimu¡¯s Heavenly Thirteen Swords which could hardly even penetrate the strong and sturdy hides of these Blood Corpses. At another corner, there was Yu Yifeng, desperately defending himself with the Dance of the Arcing Rainbow. He was locked in a stalemate against a pair of Blood Corpses trying to strike him down, but he was tiring and his enemies were not.


    In the chaos of the battle, no one save for Su Lianyue, still perched on her hiding place amongst the trees, was looking at Xiao Chen. A dark smog hung over his face like a many-layered mask of death and he lowered his head, sniggering devilishly like a deranged man being possessed by a demon.


    A Blood Corpse saw him and lunged at him. Still giggling vilely, he hardly paid any heed to it. But when it reached before him, there was the sickening crunch of bones and flesh and the spattering of blood. He had lanced his arm through the chest of the monster like how the Desecrated Li Muxue had done to him earlier.


    Immediately, the body of the Blood Corpse began to wilt like a dead plant with its life completely bled dry. In mere seconds, it became a dry, blackened husk. A parched and shriveled mummy.


    Xiao Chen tossed aside the dried husk like he would a handful of filth. Then he snickered again in evil glee, his hand raising towards a faraway Blood Corpse and magically drew it to him before he speared his arm through it again. Several heartbeats later, this too became a dried and shriveled mummy.


    This continued with the killing of more than a half-dozen of Blood Corpses only people began to realize what he was doing. Ye Wuxin saw the dried husks lying ignominiously on the cobblestones of the square like pieces of dried wood and debris that were formerly his prized Blood Corpses and gasped frightfully, ¡°IMPOSSIBLE! How¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­¡±


    Everything stopped; the clangor of battle, the cries and howls of anguish, and all other noises came to a rest. A dreadful and cadaverous silence lulled across the square as the fighting came to a sudden halt. Everyone stopped in their tracks and the Blood Corpses all paused at once. There was only the chilly and macabre sense of death lingering in the mists that shrouded the battlefield aside for Xiao Chen¡¯s sinister cackle ringing through the fog like the bells of death¡­

 Chapter 423 - The Former High Chieftains

    ¡°Heh heh heh heh heh¡­¡±


    There was no other voice or noise save for the hollow cackling laugh that seemed to curdle the blood in the veins in everyone in the square. Every pair of eyes looked his way and upon every face was a look of fear, consternation, or bewilderment. Even the Blood Corpses seemed to tremble, although they were more frightened of his growing Rancorous Qi rather than his sinister laughter.


    The Great Immortal from Hell shared a dark look with Ye Wuxin as men began to fret and squirm restlessly with fear. Knowing that things were not boding well for them, the two men quickly weaved spells to recall their Blood Corpses. But no amount of spell they used could move the legion of Blood Corpses. They just would not respond to the call of their masters, standing rooted to where they were, trembling and shaking quietly.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh heh¡­¡± Xiao Chen let loose a snicker and leaped into the air suddenly with blood dripping from his blood-drenched arms and body into horrid spatters on the ground. With the opened chest wound still coruscating with moist blood, he could have looked very much more terrible than the army of monstrosities now standing around him.


    The hundreds of Blood Corpses winced with a strong shudder and their knees buckled, prostrating themselves humbly like men bowing down to their liege lord. Yet even with their backs arched and their knees bent, the Blood Corpses never stopped shaking.


    Yelps and gasps of surprise and shock ensued when the Corpses fell. Even Su Lianyue who was still watching from afar scarcely expected to see anything like this. It was a sight that no one had ever once witness for that matter. More so, for the men of the Corpse Refinery Sect especially the Great Immortal and Ye Wuxin who could not believe what they were seeing.


    Amongst the frightened, the terrified, and the startled, was another man who could also hardly believe his own eyes: Zuoqiu Yang. He gazed up at Xiao Chen who was still hovering in mid-air, morbid and ghoulish like a lord of the dead. Then he looked down, feeling a tingle in his hand. Then again. And again until his hand could not stop shivering. Even his breath was racing. Not far away was an equally-awed but afraid Xiaoyue. She was no longer in her usually-placid self; her hands were also trembling as if her greatest nightmare had come true, that even the Autumn Water was shaking in her grasp.


    Up above the air, Xiao Chen loomed over his fresh subjects with a terrible look on his face, absorbing the Rancorous Qi from them like tributes. In mere heartbeats, the damp wound on his chest began to heal at an impossible rate; a sight both surrealistic and outlandish, a phenomenon beyond logic and explanation.


    ¡°Heed my command: KILL!¡± With a growl, the legion of Blood Corpses sprang up with impeccable obedience like soldiers loyal to their king¡¯s orders and threw themselves at the defenders of the Sect, crushing and obliterating them with tremendous efficacy.


    Pandemonium pervaded the square once more. No ordinary mages of the Corpse Refinery Sect could barely defend themselves against the Blood Corpses which mowed them down with as much a difficulty as slaughtering sheep. Before long, more acolytes of the Sects fell at their hands that the Great Immortal and the rest of the Sect¡¯s Elders were distraught with anxiety. None of them had expected such a turn of events.


    And up above the sky, Xiao Chen watched his heinous subjects at work with only hatred and fury in his eyes.


    His Blood Corpses pounced into the midst of the defenders, killing with an unstoppable and deadly zeal like predators on a blood scent. Ordinary Corpse Puppets could put up a fight or two, them still being under control of the members of the Sect while the Blood Corpses, killing monsters turned from living humans, contained human emotions that allowed them to be controlled by Xiao Chen.


    At the far end of the square, the mages of the Orthodox Path looked on the massacre of the Sect with fearful looks. They looked at Xiao Chen, still hanging in mid-air and finally realized the full extent of his abilities. This was a young man, blessed with insurmountable talent and the flair to accomplish the impossible, able to summon wraiths and spirits, and even Blood Corpses answer to his beckons. There was little doubt that his name would travel far and wide once this day was over.


    Among the flank formed up by the mages of the Order of the Divine Fire, Qi Heng watched with an uncertain and worried look on his face, feeling the stress of having such a rival in Xiao Chen. Su Yue was the same; wearing a grim and stony frown and a robe of dark purple, slightly bespeckled with the blood of her fallen enemies. But they were hardly the only ones; jealous and envious looks trained upon Xiao Chen, the champion of the hour.


    But there was only a growing cold in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. He extended a hand and waved, magically drawing Ye Wuxin from where he was standing into his grasp. Held in a vice-like grip, Ye Wuxin croaked in the quivering voice for the first time with fear for his life, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think now¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s growl turned into a fierce snarl, ¡°Do you think my hatred is strong enough now!¡± He closed a fist on the High Chieftain¡¯s throat and skewered his other arm through his chest. Blood sprayed and flew around.


    ¡°Did you not wish to consume me?¡± Xiao Chen shouted, ¡°Look where are we now. You, a prey of mine now!¡± He channeled his power and Ye Wuxin¡¯s eyes bulged wide as he felt his life seeping out of him quickly. Frantically, he stammered, ¡°P-please! S-stop!¡±


    ¡°Stop?! Why did you not stop when you took Muxue!¡± Xiao Chen felt his anger rising and he willed himself to quicken the consumption of his enemy¡¯s lifeforce. Xiao Chen¡¯s Malicious Grudge was gradually growing beyond his control and imagination.


    He finally understood what Feng You had once said during the battle at Tianyuan City, ¡°I advise you not to have any thoughts about him, or you will die very tragically. A more tragic death than your mentor, Yu Yangzi¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ I know it now¡­ You are brought back to life at the cost of another¡­¡± Ye Wuxin uttered, his eyes fraught with horror. But there was only ice in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes. In a similarly frosty tone, ¡°I have once made a promise to take your life as revenge for him. Let it be today then¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen increased the pace, feeling more lifeforce soaking into him from Ye Wuxin¡¯s body. The High Chieftain¡¯s face quickly swallowed and crumpled as Death drew nearer towards him. His long life was only due to the supply of Malicious Grudge in him, but it too was quickly sapped away by Xiao Chen.


    Ye Wuxin¡¯s eyes stretched, finally comprehending something: No mortal man could have been able to absorb the Malicious Grudge of Corpse Puppets for his own. No living man could withstand that amount of foul energy and emotions. But Xiao Chen could and this only proved that his physical body was something beyond the ordinary, least of all human!


    But who?! Who else in the world possessed the ability and resources to produce the most perfect physical body and fuse it with the soul of another man with unflawed perfection, that the man reborn could feel pain, could train and study magic, could grow old, and even experience and feel the sensations o all emotions; happiness, anger, sorrow, and the like! A man reborn with such perfection that he looked no different from ordinary people! Who? Even across the Six Domains, was it even possible that anyone had such power? Not even the foremost founder of the Corpse Refinery would have such a capacity!


    What Puppet-refining Technique is this¡­ What is the full extent of this man¡¯s, whoever he is, skill? Ye Wuxin mulled with his final breath as he felt everything slowly turning dark around him. He had always prided himself in his magic of producing Corpse Puppets. But now, finally knowing the truth behind Xiao Chen¡¯s body, he knew. He knew that the Sect, or anyone in the industry for that matter would avail much before this mysterious man¡¯s formidable skills.


    Ye Wuxin was relenting himself to his fate, prepared to accept the coming of his end, when a dark nimbus raced from the distant horizons and drooped all over the square. The skies darkening suddenly was enough to draw the attention of the people below and everyone looked up and the fighting paused, instantly feeling the rich and colossal powers of whoever it was hiding atop. The Blood Corpses too came to a rest, stopping every movement that they looked like lifeless scarecrows.


    The extraordinarily-perceptive Xiao Chen quickly felt it too. The Malicious Grudge emitting from within the dark, sinister plumes overhead made him wary. Then he remembered something. They had found a great many stone sarcophaguses during his infiltration into the Chamber of Repose with Su Lianyue in their search for Yu Yangzi and unspeakable dread rose in him¡­


    On the other side of the square, a relieved Great Immortal breathed easily at last. With a weak smile, he gasped, ¡°So, it all comes down to this nevertheless¡­ The might of the former High Chieftains¡­¡±


    ¡°WHO DARE OFFENDS THE CORPSE REFINERY SECT!¡± A powerful voice thundered from inside the dark nimbus, a voice so powerful that many cowered and so many more nearly collapsed at the colossal aura limned behind the voice that struck down like a terrible bolt of lightning.


    Qingfeng and Zi Mo were standing with the fellow mages of the Jade Qing Sect when the voice resounded and their faces immediately turned ugly. Hurriedly, Zi Mo yelled at Xiao Chen, ¡°Come back, boy! For your sake come back this instant!¡±


    But before he could finish, two men emerged from within the dark billows. Two bearded men, both likewise clad in long robes of red, landed in front of the Great Immortal. He regarded them with a bleak grin, ¡°Surely that is not the full strength of the former Chieftains?¡±


    The two men were two of the eldest seniors in the Sect who enjoyed greater eldership and standing over Ye Wuxin even. One was named Wu Tian and the other Wu Fa. The latter first spoke, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have a choice. This is the wish of the Tianxiang Chamber. We have to hold the Ridge for another six days. Afterwhich, the Divine Corpse shall complete its consumption of the Mystic Yin Body.¡±


    Wu Fa immediately looked up and saw Ye Wuxin who was still having his lifeforce sapped by Xiao Chen. With a devilish glee, he breathed, ¡°For all the good his position as the High Chieftain has done him. He has always been a proud one. I¡¯d say he could use a good whipping to show him his place.¡±


    Even from mid-air, Ye Wuxin, still with a sliver of his consciousness, heard him. He clenched his teeth and delivered a blow on his own chest, using the force to propel himself off Xiao Chen¡¯s arm and fell to a crash near the Great Immortal and the two newcomers.


    The dark plume overhead faded at the same time, revealing a dozen people. There were men and old people among them but they all carried the same dark look that showed that they were no longer alive.


    On the ground, the mages of the Orthodox Paths beheld the sight of the reinforcements with their breaths held. This could not be ordinary Heavy Grudge Corpse Puppets, they knew full well. Then a shrill cry rang across the square, ¡°T-these¡­ These are the former High Chieftains of the Corpse Refinery Sect!¡±


    The revelation brought panic to the invaders. No one had anticipated that the former leaders could be turned into Corpse Puppets. But that was hardly a surprise. The High Chieftains of the Sect ofttimes forsake their original bodies in favor of the physical bodies of Corpse Puppets which were stronger, more agile, and sturdier. But no High Chieftain had reigned beyond the tenure of three centuries and no one knew why.


    This was the same even for Yu Yangzi, who also discarded his physical body for that of a Corpse Puppet to house his own soul for a lengthened survival. Only Ye Wuxin was different. The present High Chieftain of the Corpse Refinery Sect had always been coveting Xiao Chen¡¯s body ever since they have met. That was precisely the reason he needed the millennia-old Corpse King; to help him defeat Xiao Chen to take his body.


    Icy winds howled mercilessly in the night and the hairs of everyone billowed violently, lashing at their faces as they looked up at the twelve Corpse Puppets that materialized in mid-air betwixt the overcast gloom with a sheen of cold sweat on their foreheads.


    Zi Mo shared a quick word with Qingfeng and the latter barked at Xiao Chen again, ¡°Xiao Chen! Come back!¡±


    Xiao Chen hovered in mid-air, his robes snapping in the whipping winds as he stared coldly at the twelve Corpse Puppets comprising of the twelve former High Chieftains. The newcomers reeked of the same deathly stench of decaying flesh and their leader came forth, booming loudly, ¡°WHO DARES OFFEND THE CORPSE REFINERY SECT!¡±


    ¡°I will not only offend you lot,¡± Xiao Chen growled, ¡°I will also decimate all of you!¡± The notion of Muxue¡¯s soul being desecrated by these infernal scoundrels only served to fuel his anger and hatred. With a grunt, he lunged at the leading Corpse Puppet, much to the dismay and dread of everyone watching him, especially those of the Jade Qing Sect.


    ¡°IMPUDENCE!¡± The leader of the twelve hissed and he slapped a hand forward, his fist churning with a gauntlet of dark energies. Xiao Chen retaliated with a magic bolt of his own and the two energy projectiles met and resulted in a huge explosion that shook the entire square, whipping up strong winds that further pulverized the fallen rubbles to bits and gravel.


    The two hung in mid-air, eyeing each other with enmity and anger. Man and corpse, living and the undead. They sent blows after blows at each other. And each time the Corpse sent a magic bolt of foul energy, Xiao Chen would reply with another similarly alike, but yet intrinsically distinctive bolt of magic to meet it. In matters of seconds, the crowds watching below felt something amiss. An invisible force was drawing them to the center of the square! A few unwary men lost their footing and were dragged into the center by gusts of vacuuming winds where they were shredded into smithereens! Then the others saw it: a powerful vortex! The cascades of explosions from Xiao Chen¡¯s aerial battle had created a powerful vortex in their wake!


    Everyone, the defenders of the Sect or the invaders of the Orthodox Realm, withdrew further to safety. Such was Xiao Chen¡¯s present might; power that allowed him to fight as equals against the Corpse Puppet which was formerly one of the High Chieftains of the Corpse Refinery Sect.

 Chapter 424 - The Meticulous Plot

    There was scarcely anyone who was not gripped by the fear sown by witnessing the terrible fight between Xiao Chen and the former High Chieftain. But no one believed at any rate that he would emerge victorious; the evil auras radiating from the twelve Corpse Puppets were just too strong. Too strong beyond the belief that anyone would be able to defeat them.


    Hanging a few yards above the ground, Xiao Chen¡¯s hairs flailed violently with the high winds reaching down to flay at his face. His anger and hatred were what fueled him now, keeping his veins coursing with adrenaline and frenzy as he continued to fight against the ancient Corpse Puppet. His enemy¡¯s black-onyx eyes glimmered with malice as it sent a tacit command to its comrades and they moved as one, lunging in unison at Xiao Chen. Twelve magic bolts they sent at Xiao Chen; the magical energy projectiles fused as one and slammed into Xiao Chen and he fell backward, groaning at the pain he felt in his chest where he was hit.


    A man flew up to catch him. It was Yu Yifeng, who had anticipated this. He quickly muttered, ¡°Retreat for now! Senior Fengxi has gone to the Mystic Lands of Kunlun for Perfected Immortal Tian Yi for help.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Xiao Chen hissed through his clenched teeth, looking more sorrowful than angry, ¡°B-but¡­ but Muxue is still with them¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Luo Shangyan broke from the crowd, coming towards them. The twelve High Chieftain Corpse Puppets merely hovered at where they were, showing no signs of pursuing. With their vigor sapped and their morale spent, the invaders of the Orthodox Path turned and retreated under the lead of the Elders from various schools and sects, moving in orderly files down the slopes. Xiao Chen balled his fists in frustration; but there was no other choice. He relented with utmost reluctance and withdrew with his companions from the Jade Qing Sect.


    Standing alone in the dark, Su Lianyue watched as Xiao Chen returned into the fold of the Orthodox Path with a sulk before she disappeared, leaving her hiding place.


    The joint invasion of the Summit of Mystics by the Orthodox Path might have gravely crippled the Corpse Refinery Sect, but not without a great cost; almost every school and sect which had taken part in the invasion had suffered many a great loss. So great that another assault was virtually impossible without the help of more reinforcements.


    By evenfall, the army of mages retreated for almost a hundred of miles to a place called the Ridge of Broken Souls, a tranquil forest with lush vegetation but with lesser foul energies swirling about. They stopped for a rest for the hurt to tend to their injuries and the exhausted to replenish their powers but there was little talk and banter as the invaders licked their wounds; their spirits were low and tension ran high.


    Xiao Chen propped his back up upon the trunk of a large tree. A placid and emotionless expression hung on his face as he watched into nowhere in particular with a blank and hollow stare. His clothes were filthy; caked with blood, sweat, and dirt and his battle-wearied self was utterly spent with the fatigue setting in as soon as the spiking emotions he had during his fights at the Ridge of the Fallen Drake were completely no more.


    Yu Yifeng came to look at him. In his hand, he held a set of fresh clothing. ¡°Put this on,¡± he said gently to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen did not even raise his head. He simply found no words to respond, merely keeping his gaze locked upon the few blades of grass right before him. An old man, dressed in a frock of green, walked slowly to them. ¡°Can I trouble you with a few questions, young friend?¡±


    Xiao Chen could feel powers of the Nirvana Realm radiating from his seemingly-frail person, yet still, the old man spoke in an amicable tone. But his presence was hardly unnoticed; many heads began to turn and look at them. Small wonder it would seem, as Xiao Chen had heard many a great number of whispers of his name all the way here.


    ¡°Ask away,¡± Xiao Chen responded brusquely. He was still restless from the unresolved victory and Muxue¡¯s captivity.


    ¡°Well,¡± the old man smiled, ¡°I have heard a great deal about you and I wish only to confirm a few things¡­¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH OF THIS!¡± A woman¡¯s shrill scream tore across the watchful silence of the woods before the old man could finish, ¡°Enough of all this! All of you have been talking behind Junior Brother Xiao since we¡¯ve been leaving the Corpse Refinery Sect! And what are you up to now!?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked and found a seething Qingyu glowering at the old man, standing beside Yu Yifeng. The latter grimaced and urged hushedly, ¡°Come on now, Junior Sister. We treat our seniors with respect.¡±


    Miffed, Qingyu scowled at the cyan-robed elderly man, ¡°It was only by Junior Brother Xiao¡¯s help during the fight earlier that we managed to escape alive! Many more of us could be dead or worst if not for him! Yet now you still wonder if he is one of the evil folk!?¡±


    The buzzing murmurs around them stopped at once and everyone hung their heads in shame. Indeed, none of them would have been here if not for Xiao Chen¡¯s timely ability to control the army of Blood Corpses.


    The elderly man stroked his beard and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have misunderstood my intentions, young girl. I am not suspicious of our young hero¡¯s allegiance. But there is something¡­¡±


    ¡°RED SLEEVE!¡± Xiao Chen cried suddenly, his hands clawing deep into the soil.


    ¡°Red Sleeve?¡± The elderly man uttered with surprise, his forehead creasing into a frown. He was meaning to ask Xiao Chen some questions to understand more about the Corpse Refinery Sect. More information would be needed to redraw new plans for a future campaign and Xiao Chen seemed to know more than what they knew about this infernal order. He mulled quietly at the name Xiao Chen mentioned, knowing that it could be something significant.


    Xiao Chen heaved a long and deep breath, his eyes gleamed with a cold fury. ¡°True. Red Sleeve is the name of a girl. The girl who is the Divine Corpse of the Corpse Refinery Sect. A woman who should have been dead for three thousand years!¡±


    ¡°WHAT!? THREE THOUSAND YEARS?! That would mean that she carries at least three thousand years¡¯ worth of Malicious Grudge!¡±


    Anxious chatters and worried murmurs chorused from the rest of the mages around them while more began to sidle closer, hoping to be able to glean more information from Xiao Chen. The elder seniors of the Orthodox Path came directly over and gathered around the large tree, neither of them bearing any grudges or enmity towards Xiao Chen, unlike Qi Heng and the rest of the Order of the Divine Fire who would prefer to remain afar.


    The senior leaders discussed and talked and eventually began squawking fiercely at each other like chickens bickering and snapping at each other, only to be silenced by a harsh ¡°SILENCE!¡± by an annoyed Perfected Immortal Feng Lan who finally joined them. He threw his sleeves indignantly and continued when he finally got the silence he wanted and drew the attention of his peers. ¡°Let Xiao Chen speak,¡± he glowered in a low voice. He turned to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Speak, Xiao Chen. This is a matter of grave importance. Let bygones be bygones for now. The existence of the Corpse Refinery Sect is a bane to all mankind and we would appreciate any intelligence you can supply us.¡±


    Xiao Chen exhaled wearily. ¡°This woman is sustained by her intense emotion of grudge. That makes her very, very dangerous and she belongs nowhere. Not here and certainly not in the rest of the Three Domains and certainly not the Six Paths of Samsara. But she is no common Corpse Puppet. She¡¯s older than them. Possibly even the true founder of this accursed organization. And one more thing, she has many dealings with the Administration of Heaven, the brotherhood that deals with souls.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± A few voices gasped as the buzzing started again. The elders ringed around the tree looked awed and shocked by this news. Facing an enemy who was no part of the Three Domains and the Six Paths of Samsara, while being closely involved with the Administration of Heaven definitely seemed more than they could stomach¡­


    ¡°What else do you know?¡± Perfected Immortal Feng Lan pressed and the boisterous crowd of mages around the tree immediately quiet down.


    Xiao Chen drew another breath before he continued. ¡°For three thousand years, Red Sleeve has been looking for the Mystic Yin Body. An extraordinary physical trait only girls birthed on the seventh day of the seventh month could be born with. But none of them ever survive her harsh tortures. And I am not sure myself what does she intend to do with them¡­¡±


    The truth of the Corpse Refinery Sect¡¯s purpose was well beyond the anticipation and comprehension of everyone listening. The senior leaders of the Orthodox Path ¨C Qingfeng, Zi Mo, Fengxi and Perfected Immortal Guyang of the Immortals¡¯ League included ¨C tensed as they brooded quietly. They had seen firsthand the might of the Sect and hazarding another haphazard assault would only result in more deaths and total failure.


    Xiao Chen waited until the commotion simmered down and he went on, ¡°But that is the point: the seventh day of the seventh month. We must stop her before this day. Fail, and she will be more powerful than any mortal that ever walked the earth. The horrors that would follow, I¡¯m afraid I cannot fully describe.¡±


    It was grim tidings, but everyone believed him. The things that they have witnessed during the invasion of the Summit of Mystics and the reactions of the members of the Sect only attested to what Xiao Chen had revealed and no one found any reason to doubt him.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Chen has also a reason to divulge to everyone the information he knew; a personal reason: Li Muxue. He understood that he would never be able to rescue her without help and he needed to stop Red Sleeve before the seventh day of the seventh month!


    The murky sun began to set down the westerly skies as the final rays of its glimmer slowly receded into the arms of the mountains in the horizons when the senior leaders adjourned to another corner for a lengthy discussion on further plans to stop the Corpse Refinery Sect£¬but the best way is calling for help.


    When the night finally settled in, Yu Yifeng crept back to Xiao Chen, still holding the fresh set of clothing in his arm. ¡°How about a change of clothes. The wind is getting cold here,¡± he said after looking wordlessly at him for some time.


    Xiao Chen said nothing; his gaze burrowing deep into a nearby cookfire crackling cheerily with its flames flickering in his eyes. Then he heard footsteps mashing down the grass approaching him and saw Qin Shaoyang of the Xianyong Sect. The mage looked at Xiao Chen, smiling, ¡°There are more things that need tending to, Brother Xiao. You can bet that we would be terribly busy by then. It¡¯s best you seek out a corner and get yourself changed.¡±


    Xiao Chen breathed hard, wishing only to say nothing and a fresh set of clothes hardly mattered to him. Then it occurred to him that there was more to what Qin Shaoyang was trying to tell him. He looked up at the newcomer for several seconds before he finally took the clothes from Yu Yifeng and walked deeper into the woods.


    He found a secluded spot to change and a figure appeared before him. Even with the lack of light, he could still make out her profile: Su Lianyue.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve returned,¡± Su Lianyue said coolly, although the look she gave him said otherwise.


    Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I have to save Muxue¡­¡±


    A chuckle from her cut him off and she gave him a teasing look. ¡°Save it. I¡¯m only here to convey my farewells. Rest assured that I will not begrudge you if you show me no mercy in the future.¡± With that, she stepped once more into the pitch-blackness of the forest and disappeared.


    Xiao Chen inhaled solemnly. The other three evil sects must surely be observing quietly the Orthodox Path¡¯s invasion of the Corpse Refinery Sect. A clash between Good and Evil would not be far ahead, he brooded quietly, knowing that even if he owed the Orthodox Path no loyalties, he would never abandon his Brother Yifeng.


    He closed his eyes, hoping to take a brief and peaceful respite but he saw only the memory of his tender moment with Su Lianyue. A throb of sorrow twisted in his gut as he exhaled again, alone in the dark.


    Such was the life of one born in times of turmoil, where freedom is but a luxury enjoyed by few.


    He changed and went back to rejoin the others. Yu Yifeng and the others were busy talking when he came back and they paused as he came near.


    Xiao Chen went up to Yu Yifeng and asked, ¡°What is Muxue doing here in the first place?¡± ¡°You were once lost in the Miasma Mountain Range for three months. That is why she came here looking for you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his fingers anxiously, feeling his heart wrenching with agony. He allowed himself to sink down to a sit under a tree, brooding morosely, she¡¯s here because of me¡­ and because of that, she¡¯s taken by Red Sleeve¡­


    Suddenly, his eyes widened and his breathing raced like a galloping horse. A thought came to him, out of the blue, why of all people is Muxue the one that Red Sleeve is looking for? Why?


    Is it because she¡¯s born on the seventh day of the seventh month? But so was Weiyang! She was also terribly afraid of the cold! Does she also have the Mystic Yin Body born only on the seventh day of the seventh month?!


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart thumped stronger and stronger. I¡¯ve found it! I¡¯ve found it! Xiao Chen was brought back to life using deep sorcery that involved circumventing the Six Paths of Samsara. He never passed through Samsara and hence was not accorded the right to rebirth. Hence he was brought back to life by fusing his destiny into another human being and resurrected as another man, thus averting the scrutinies of both the Sovereigns of Heaven and the Underworld!


    But the person whose body he has taken and whose destiny he had destroyed by assuming his identity would be doomed to utter oblivion; he would never be able to enter Samsara again and was completely no more. A fate so cruel and unjust for him. But whoever it was who had brought Xiao Chen back to life, he had to ensure that this wretched soul whose life and destiny Xiao Chen was to despoil had to be someone born on the same day and someone who bore the same Destiny!


    It was a magic that would require great skill, immense resources, and meticulous preparation! An endeavor tantamount to moving mountains and shifting seas! Emotions swelled and burgeoned in Xiao Chen as he reeled with awe and shock; how could anyone found out about his former life¡¯s birthdate when he himself now knew nothing of it!


    If it were not for the painstaking efforts to bring him back, the actual son of the Xiao family would have been a man now with life and memories of his own¡­ like Muxue, a princess of the Central Plains in the Human World!


    What and who is behind this plot? Is someone trying to use the same magic to circumvent the Samsara to resurrect Hua Weiyang?

 Chapter 425 - Preparations for War

    A flurry of confusing thoughts swooped into his mind like the wild winds of a storm. He tried to calm himself and organize his thoughts but to no avail. The more he tried, the deeper he sank into the quagmire of confusion and perplexity.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lil Chen?¡± Yu Yifeng asked, seeing him looking troubled and tensed.


    Xiao Chen awoke from his catatonic stupor, his back slick with a coat of cold sweat and the fresh shirt that he just put on clung to his back. A wind blew amongst the eaves of the trees, and he felt his back tingling. He managed a shake of his head and croaked, ¡°Where¡¯s Senior Qingfeng? I need to ask him something.¡±


    He needed to speak to Qingfeng about the two babies from so many years ago and ascertain his hypothesis.


    Yu Yifeng nodded hastily and pointed the finger at a cluster of trees not far away, ¡°He¡¯s with a couple of others discussing some matter of importance. Do you want me to come with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can go on my own.¡± He scurried over quickly and saw the flicker of a flaming hearth amongst the woods. More than thirty men, including the Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng, Perfected Immortals Fengxi and Feng Lan, and Master Guyang, were standing around the fire, talking, and a few other acolytes watching outside the grove.


    As he drew near, he heard voices saying, ¡°These Corpse Puppets are sustained by hatred. That makes them Yin-element creatures of the foulest. No ordinary flames would be able to harm them, least of all the 12 which were former High Chieftains of the Sect. I¡¯d daresay that this Red Sleeve would be far stronger.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, and you just reminded me of a valley in the Southern Continent ¡ª a place called the Valley of the Southern Vermilion. There¡¯s a magical field there; the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird. For centuries or even millennia, no one has succeeded in taming the spirit that guards this magical field¡­ If only we could¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen came over suddenly, and everyone¡¯s head turned. ¡°How can I help you, young friend?¡± Qingfeng asked him.


    ¡°My apologies, everyone, for bothering you all.¡± Xiao Chen looked hard at Qingfeng and asked, ¡°There¡¯s something that I wish to ask you about, Senior.¡±


    Qingchen fell silent at once and looked at his peers, muttering, ¡°Please excuse us.¡± He turned to Xiao Chen, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They left the grove, walking to a small expanse where no one would be listening, and Qingfeng stopped. ¡°Is it about what happened many years ago?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at him, inhaling tersely. Even his calm demeanor could not entirely hide his choppy emotions. ¡°Indeed. Please tell me more about what happened then.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Qingfeng grimaced wearily, his head looking up at the stars as if raking his mind to remember. ¡°It¡¯s almost twenty years since that very day. I was a hermit in the mountains. I was working on my magic and sorcery when there was a dull thud outside my monastery. I looked out and saw under the glimmer of stars a large sarcophagus just in front of my doors.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Xiao Chen asked almost instantly, his face enliven with anticipation. Qingfeng sighed. ¡°What else would you have thought? A sarcophagus, for the love of the gods! I thought some enemy of mine had come seeking vengeance! But when I opened the lid, there was a little infant just fresh out of his mother¡¯s womb. He looked nothing different from ordinary toddlers, but I quickly noticed that his soul was damaged. Knowing that I had to be quick lest the baby dies, I thought of using some Taoist sorcery to lengthen his life. But when I removed him from the sarcophagus, he looked even more deader than before! Something within the sarcophagus is sustaining him.¡±


    I see. Xiao Chen breathed hard. It¡¯s the bewitched sarcophagus lying just in front of the stronghold of the Skygale Sect. It could gather Yin energies. It was used to preserve the physical body of Patriarch Guanshan, keeping it from rot and decay.


    Qingfeng took a long gasp of air before he went on, ¡°So I put him back in. But there was little to what I could do. His soul was mangled and no magic on the face of this earth can do anything to repair that. What a pitiful and short-lived existence, I thought, And there was only naught but destitution across these wildernesses. I could not bear to leave him outside, so I took him and the sarcophagus in. But the next day, sometime late in the night, I heard someone screaming for help¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned as Qingfeng paused briefly and continued, ¡°I thought that someone¡¯s life was in danger. But when I opened my doors, a man was carrying another infant in his arms. The infant¡¯s soul was almost similarly damaged, and he was dying. That man is your father, Xiao Yifan.¡± He stopped and turned to look at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen batted an eyelid and pressed, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°I bade your father wait outside while I took the baby into my arms. Imagine my shock when I saw that he looked completely identical to the baby in the stone sarcophagus. Completely the same that I would have thought they were twins. Their souls were both mangled, and only one of them will live. At first, I tried to tear the soul of the baby in the stone casket and fuse it with the infant your father brought. But I failed. With no other choice, I had to rip the soul of the baby your father carried and fused it with the baby in the stone casket.¡±


    Xiao Chen breathed hard, trying to sound calm as he uttered the words, ¡°And I was the infant in the stone sarcophagus.¡±


    Qingfeng looked hard at Xiao Chen for seconds before he finally nodded. ¡°Sometime later, the sarcophagus went missing. Feeling something was amiss, I began looking for clues and finally, I found¡­ Anyway, I went to the residence of the Xiao family three years later. I spoke to your father and told me what I discovered. It was also me who had magically sealed your Spiritual Meridians, although your father knows nothing about this.¡±


    So this is what transpired before, Xiao Chen brooded quietly. The reason why he has memories only after he was three. And the only reason was that somebody did bring him back to life using high magic to circumvent the Six Paths of Samsara.


    Qingfeng looked up at the starry ceiling overhead. ¡°Everything about us is a bestowment from our parents. You might not have been born by your parents, but they have showered and nurtured you with love and care. They are your parents still. I hope you understand that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Senior,¡± Xiao Chen replied, nodding, ¡°I will never be an unfilial son no matter how.¡±


    Qingfeng stroked his beard. ¡°You are keeping well. It¡¯s the single most important sign of appreciation for all that they¡¯ve done for you. Remember that. Well, it¡¯s getting late. Let us go back.¡±


    They withdrew back into the forest and found Yu Yifeng, and the others still awake. Luo Shangyan asked when he came back, ¡°You found Senior Qingfeng and spoke to him?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and sat down on the soft mushy grass. He said to Yu Yifeng, ¡°Brother Yifeng, you mentioned before that Senior Fengxi had sent for Perfected Immortal Tian Yi of Kunlun? Who is he?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Leader of the Kunlun Sect. The Kunlun Sect is a mage brotherhood that prefers to reside away from the hustle and bustle of the common world, and their leader, Perfected Immortal Tian Yi, has reached the Realm of Divinity. Three hundred years ago, he already achieved the Unity of Nature and Human. With his help, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to save Muxue. You wait.¡±


    Then he remembered something, ¡°Wait, there is something¡­¡± He stopped to look around and went on in a hushed tone, ¡°What about Senior Mo Xuan? Is he well?¡±


    Qingyu sidled closer at the mention of Moxuan Zi. ¡°Well¡­ Martial Uncle Moxuan Zi is¡­¡± Yu Yifeng¡¯s hand shot up to stop her. He looked around and edged closer. In a faint whisper, he said, ¡°Senior Uncle Moxuan has long infiltrated into the Corpse Refinery Sect¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Moxuan Zi was known to be a man impatient with niceties and blunt in his manners, but he was never a dishonorable person and there was no reason Xiao Chen needed to doubt him.


    The night drew darker, accompanied by the hissing of winds amongst the shadowy trees in the forest that brushed and caressed the hairs and bristles of the people resting. Everyone was tired, but hardly anyone slept a wink. They were anxious. Waiting for the word from the senior leaders of the Orthodox Path.


    The hour slowly grew late as the Moon glided elegantly and silently across the night sky. Qingyu was already soundly asleep, her head leaning on Zhou Li¡¯s shoulders. So was Liu Feiyan of the Xianyong Sect, whose head was similarly resting on Qin Shaoyang¡¯s shoulder, snoring tenderly.


    Xiao Chen turned to Luo Shangyan beside him and said hushedly, ¡°You should get some rest, Senior Sister Luo.¡±


    She looked up at him, her lips parting as if to say something, but she could not. Her head lowered and she said nothing. She could not say anything. Too much has happened in recent years, and they were no longer close like before. The divide between them only seemed to grow.


    Xiao Chen sighed, his thoughts wandering back to his former days at the Sunset Peak, where the stronghold of the Three Pure Sect sat. The years were kinder and sweet then, with the three princes, Xiao Han, Shangguan Yan, and the rest of his friends¡­ But there was nothing he could gain by dwelling on the past. Time only flows ahead and not back.


    Yu Yifeng came back with more firewood for kindling. He noticed them still awake and whispered, ¡°Have some rest. I¡¯m afraid the discussion is a long and moot one¡­¡±


    But he stopped. More than 30 senior leaders of the Cultivators¡¯ sect had ended, and they were returning to rejoin the others. Yu Yifeng allowed the bundle of firewood he was holding to fall to the ground, and he quickly roused the rest of his fellow mages.


    More than 30 of the senior leaders came back, and every one of them was likewise grim and somber, even the usually jovial Zi Mo too was strangely quiet. The debate must either had come to a moot, or the leaders had decided on a terrible choice.


    Perfected Immortal Fenglan cleared his throat and began frankly, ¡°It is open knowledge that Corpse Puppets are creatures of Yin and can only be dealt with using fire. But no ordinary flames can destroy them. We need the Samadhi True Fire, the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird, the True Fire of the Sun, or the Divine Flames of the Noble Rose; flames richest of the Yang element. But we know only one source, the magical field of the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird located in a valley within the Southern Continent. It is a magical field of the most ancient, and hence it has an immensely powerful spirit keeping it¡­¡±


    Magical fields of the most ancient are magical bounded fields and formation naturally-birthed by Nature since the beginning of Time and the Creation of the Domains. Unlike human-conjured magical formations, magical fields of the most ancient have Spirits, sentient and fleshly manifestations of the magical fields that keep them and guard them. The Spirits would usually wield destructive powers that no man could easily tame them. Hence, only a person with intricate knowledge and skill in the lore of magical formation could be fitting for such a task.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao is able to cast magical formations in an instant! He¡¯s one of the most skillful students I know in the mastery of magical formation and field!¡±


    No one could tender any objections. Xiao Chen was indeed the best user in the magecraft of magical formations that none of the senior leaders could contradict him. Perfected Immortal Fenglan looked at Xiao Chen, ¡°You will need to break down the defenses of the magical formation and take the Sword of the Vermillion Bird, the relic that serves as its catalyst. Can you do it? The sword is also crucial to our preparations for the war against Red Sleeve; only it can destroy her who has more than three thousand years¡¯ worth of Heavy Grudge.¡±


    Xiao Chen rubbed his fingers apprehensively. Even with the support of all the mages in the world, there is no way to defeat Red Sleeve by brute force. Only the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird seemed to stand a chance in saving Muxue from her captivity. Tersely, Xiao Chen muttered, ¡°I¡¯d do my best.¡±


    Yu Yifeng looked at him and said, ¡°You¡¯d need to get some rest to prepare for the journey to the Valley of the Southern Vermillion tomorrow. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Everyone woke up in the dawn, before the morning¡¯s dew began to dry. Perfected Immortal had summoned for his Flying-cloud Stone for their use. Before sending them off, he said, ¡°You have only five days. Bring back the magical field as soon as possible. We need to stop Red Sleeve before the seventh day of the seventh month.¡±


    Zi Mo came over, waving at them brusquely, ¡°Be that as it may. I¡¯ll go with these two whelps. We don¡¯t want any trouble on the way there.¡±


    Xiao Chen and Yu Yifeng naturally welcomed the company of Zi Mo. Without any more delay, they took off with the magical stone conveyance and sped towards the Southern Continent. The Valley of the Southern Vermillion was situated at the westernmost corner of the Continent. It meant that they had to traverse almost the entire length and breadth of it. They stopped many times, allowing for inspections by security personnel whenever they passed by foreign countries, which had become necessary, especially with the evil folk lurking about these days.


    It was already the fourth day of the seventh month when the party of three finally reached their destination. Chirping of birds and the sweet scent of flowers and plants beckoned when they entered the skies overhead the Valley of the Southern Vermillion. It was a beautiful and tranquil place, but they also felt a strange but palpable swelter coming from the North. That must be where the magical field be.


    They leaped off the Flying-cloud Stone and proceeded North. The heat only grew stronger and stronger the more they walked that even the sands and gravels were scorching their feet through the soles of their shoes. The surroundings were becoming more barren and desolate with hardly any plants or lifeforms save only for rocks and sands hot enough to fry eggs. Then a voice resounded suddenly far up ahead, ¡°The magical formation is too hot for us, Teacher! I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to take the Sword! We should go back!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± a frail and ancient voice retorted feebly, ¡°I¡¯ve come a long way for this. I¡¯ll never leave without it¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face curdled with recognition. He knew these two voices only all too well.

 Chapter 426 - The Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird

    They walked towards where the sounds were coming from. With each step, the voices could not be more clearer as they drew nearer. The younger voice spoke again, ¡°But this magical field has been here for thousands of years¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­ Wait, Teacher! There¡¯s somebody!¡±


    As they came closer, Xiao Chen saw not far away two men, one with white hair and beard that reached down his shoulders, clad in robes of green while another, a tall and fair-looking young man. From the looks of it, they have both suffered burns with charred spots and blackened patches sprinkled all around their clothes.


    ¡°What have we here! Master Liku! Of all places, I do not expect to meet you here!¡± Zi Mo barked jeeringly.


    The elderly man turned, the tails of his teal robes rippling as he spun so quickly with surprise. He looked intently, but for a brief few seconds he could not quite recognize us, although he could feel that the powers of the newcomers were nowhere below his. ¡°Y-you¡­ you are¡­¡± He stammered but before he could say anymore, the young man in white robes beside him spat viciously, ¡°YOU!¡±


    The man was staring at Xiao Chen. There were anger and hate in his eyes; so strong as if he wanted to swallow Xiao Chen whole. Xiao Chen knew who he was. Yu Wenmu, the Third Prince of the State of Zhou of the Eastern Continent. It was he who then wanted to force Luo Shangyan to marry him but his designs were thwarted when Xiao Chen stormed into the palace and took Luo Shangyan away. The whole matter was nothing but an embarrassing disaster to him, a blot in his past that he would never forget nor forgive.


    ¡°ARGHH!¡± Yu Wenmu roared and lunged. He turned into a flash of light that streaked towards Xiao Chen, tossing up dust and gravel in his wake. He had come a long way to achieve the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Clang! The ringing of steel resonated across the area and everything came to a still. With hardly any effort, Xiao Chen had stopped Yu Wenmu¡¯s attack by simply using two fingers to stop his charging blade with a vice-like pinch and that definitely took the young prince by surprise. No matter how he heaved and pulled, he could move his sword not even an inch.


    Since his disgrace, he had left the comfort of the palace to live in the mountains with his teacher, Perfected Immortal Liku to work on his study and training of magecraft. Since then, he has sweat and toiled, vowing that one day, he would exact revenge upon Xiao Chen for the ignominy of having his bride taken away. But in his efforts, he had heard not a word about the heroics and exploits of Xiao Chen faraway. And now, he was most shocked with disbelief that a simple student of magecraft just a few years ago was now one of the strongest mages across the lands!


    ¡°Come back here, boy!¡± His teacher called frantically, having immediately realized Xiao Chen¡¯s powers and fearing he might put the young prince to death.


    With another crisp clang, Xiao Chen flicked the sword away with a burst of his magical powers, propelling the young prince back to his mentor¡¯s side. Yu Wenmu could hardly dare utter a word, although his face was seething with shame and anger.


    The elderly man breathed more easily, seeing that Xiao Chen had no ill will upon Yu Wenmu. Then he threw another look at Zi Mo and finally recognized him. ¡°You! Y-you¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re Xiaoyao Zi!¡±


    ¡°Look at your student! What an anxious little chap! Is he suffering from a heatstroke?¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Yu Wenmu hissed fiercely. But his teacher laid a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from doing anything as stupid as angering the three men before them.


    Indeed, this was Perfected Immortal Liku. He was once the State Counselor of both the States of Qing and Zhou. But his ambitions for politics waned following the separation of both states and he chose to be a prelate no more. He promptly left the Eastern Continent and came to the South where he forsook his former name, going by Liku Zi now. Hence his startlement and surprise when Zi Mo was addressing him by his former name earlier.


    It has been more than two years since he last saw Xiao Chen. But Xiao Chen was a fledgling then. One which name he had hardly bothered to know then. But Yu Wenmu¡¯s reaction was enough to refresh his memories and he remembered Xiao Chen.


    ¡°So, what brings you here, Master Xiaoyao?¡± He asked, feigning ignorance even though he knew precisely the purpose of the party of three.


    ¡°I am inclined to think that we are after what you are after as well,¡± Zi Mo sniggered.


    That reply made the complexion on Liku Zi¡¯s face pale a little. ¡°It is said Thou shalt not covet,¡± Liku Zi observed dryly, ¡°My student and I have been here long before you. We have been trying to defeat the defenses of this magical field of the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird for many a day now. It¡¯s hardly fair nor honorable for you to step in now. Surely you don¡¯t want the good name of the Jade Qing Sect to suffer if you intend to rob us?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ Say what you will. I am only here for the magical field and I am not leaving without it.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Liku Zi seethed venomously. But that was just all that he could do. He no longer wielded the respect and prestige like he used to since the coming of the Times of the Annihilation when his progress slacked far behind his peers. That was precisely the reason he needed the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird: to help multiply his powers.


    But out of nowhere came Zi Mo who wished to thwart his plan, a person known to be crude and blunt in his manners and, as if it could not be any worse, intransigently stubborn. But suddenly he remembered: the magical field was powerful. So powerful that it would take more than him to defeat it. Liku Zi sneered abruptly, ¡°I see. Be my guest then. Just be careful to not let that long beard of yours to be aflame.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Zi Mo feigned a cough to evade the jab. Brushing lazily at his beard, he barked at his two younger companions, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s find the magical field!¡± They walked abreast, drifting past the young prince and his mentor with hardly any more look at them, pressing deeper into the hot and dry valley that felt more like a desert than an idyllic wilderness.


    Liku Zi threw a look at his ward and they immediately shadowed the footsteps of Xiao Chen and his companions. Not a leaf of grass grew in this vicinity and not a drop of moisture could be felt in the air. Before long, they came upon the yawning mouth of a long cave once formed when hot boiling magma flowed through during a volcanic eruption. They drew closer and a gust of steaming hot air slammed into their faces as if to give them a malignant welcome by nearly scorching their very skin. Down at their feet, red-hot magma flowed through the cracks and fissures under their feet like tiny rivers of blood that stretched far and wide.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face hardened and he quickly cast a magical shield that shrouded around him in an orb of True Energy with Zi Mo and Yu Yifeng following suit. Then they leaped into the air, morphing into three radiant streaks of light that charged into the caverns.


    Since stepping into the cave, Xiao Chen was already facing the immense heat threatening to incinerate him to crisp. The swelter in the cave was unbearable that he almost felt as if he was a piece of log, burning slowly into charred timber.


    The terrain was rocky and jagged inside the caverns and blazing magma could be seen everywhere, coursing in narrow cracks and fissures on the ground and the walls like veins glowing in the darkness. The heat only grew the more they moved inside that even breathing was hard. Xiao Chen felt himself suffocating so badly that even his face turned pale. ¡°Are you fine?¡± Yu Yifeng asked with concern and immediately produced a skin of water from his Divine Vessel and offered it to him.


    Xiao Chen took over the waterskin and took several gulps, emptying it quickly. But it was hardly enough with the heat around them. It took another two more waterskin¡¯s worth of water to finally quench his thirst. ¡°What is wrong with you, boy?¡± Zi Mo asked, puzzled, ¡°Just don¡¯t get yourself sick. We need you to defeat the Spirit of the magical field.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m all right,¡± Xiao Chen croaked, feeling much better now. But before he could say more, a fire-demon leaped out of the magma, its figure burning with flames. Yu Yifeng¡¯s Startling Rainbow Sword rang menacingly as it escaped its sheath and Yu Yifeng swung it at the flame elemental, forcing it back into the magma where it disappeared.


    They walked deeper, enduring the staggering torridity that seemed to bounce off the walls of the caves to gnaw on their spirit and their vigor. The air was stifling and muggy, filled with the horridly odoriferous stench of sulfur that made it all even more difficult to breathe. They exited the stone passages and reached a wide stone chamber. There, at the center, was a long sword with its three-feet-long blade driven into the ground. It was a weapon ornately designed and forged; the top half was gleaming red-hot, the center of its blade glowing with a purplish shade and the rest of the length of the blade until its tip was a bright emerald-green. The entire sword was engulfed in flames, flames that burned with the same three hues.


    This was one of the legendary relics of the ancient, the Sword of the Vermillion Bird. A weapon of immense power that could vanquish all that is evil. It was a weapon comparable with the Autumn Water, if not better, although it has been forgotten after so many years and no one thought of including it into the ranks of the most powerful weapons in the lands.


    The sword sat in the center of a large ring of fire spanning almost a hundred yards wide. This must be it, Xiao Chen mused, the magical field of the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird. Out of nowhere, a voice rang suddenly. The boyish voice of a young man, saying, ¡°What is this? Did you bring help this time?¡±


    Magical fields of the most ancients manifest their own spirits called Formation Spirits and the Spirit of the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird was named Li Xie, a spiritual entity in the form of a young teenage boy. Yet in truth, Li Xie was at least tens of thousands of years old, although his memory would be utterly wiped clean once every millennia.


    ¡°Would you yield to me if I am able to defeat you?¡± Xiao Chen openly admitted his purpose.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! I like you! You¡¯re straightforward one, unlike the old man which had come two days ago! What a veritable petulant geezer, that one!¡± Li Xie¡¯s youthful voice came from inside the ring of fire, ¡°But let¡¯s see what you can do!¡±


    ¡°Can I take your word of it?¡± Xiao Chen asked aloud, his gaze hardly leaving the Sword of the Vermillion Bird a hundred of yards away.


    ¡°Hahahaha! By all means! This I stake upon my pride as a Formation Spirit! Come on, boy! Dawdle no more!¡±


    ¡°So be it then!¡± Xiao Chen barked and marched forth. But Yu Yifeng placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him, ¡°Be careful. This is not your ordinary flames. This is fire that can melt and incinerate everything.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! Is that fear I am sensing in your voice?¡± Li Xie¡¯s sardonic voice called from inside.


    With a dip of his eyebrows, Xiao Chen looked into the magical circle of flames and dove inside. He immediately felt the throbbing heat gnawing past his flesh, devouring even his insides and his very bones and he emitted an anguish ¡°Argghhh!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! And here I am, thinking that you would at least be more of a challenge than that old senile! I¡¯m disappointed Hahahaha!¡±


    Xiao Chen grimaced painfully at the woe and suffering that he had never once felt before. Feeling as if he was burning like a piece of charcoal, life was ebbing away slowly for him but he knew that he has yet to feel the true strength of the Flames of the Vermillion Bird, which was so much more terrifying beyond comprehension.


    Standing at a distance away, Liku Zi watched on with narrowed eyes, grunting in a low voice, ¡°This boy might be powerful, but he appears to fear this Flame of the Vermillion Bird. Let¡¯s see, the Flames belonged due South and the twilight is of the West¡­ According to esoteric cosmology, those of the wood element, of the East towards the North, is weakest against fire¡­¡±


    Just outside the ring of fire, Yu Yifeng was startled and worried sick. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Lil Chen?¡± He asked hushedly, ¡°Is it because of the Yin energies in his body?¡±


    Zi Mo¡¯s face contorted into a troubled frown as he mumbled, ¡°Wait¡­ Something¡¯s not right¡­ The Flame is of the South in Fengshui esotericism and is strong against the Wood element¡­ Oh no¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± As if struck by a sudden fit of insanity, he screamed, ¡°COME OUT, BOY! COME OUT NOW!¡±


    But Xiao Chen paid no heed to the calling. He concentrated on the notion of Muxue suffering the torments of the Ice Keep and swallowed hard, enduring the pangs of broiling heat lashing at him. He gritted his teeth and plunged deeper into the centermost area of the circle where the true Flames of the Vermilion Bird awaited and true enough, a shaft of the incinerating Flames whipped at him and Xiao Chen could only shield himself with his arms. He howled in pain again when the Flames struck his arm and it immediately became so numb from the sting as if the limb was severed from him.


    ¡°Is this how you intend to defeat me, boy?¡± The mocking sneer of Li Xie resounded from the center of the flaming circle.


    ¡°Heavens! The boy is insane!¡± Zi Mo stomped and leaped into the air, diving into the flames himself. But he had barely past the peripheral edge of the magical field when an invisible wall stopped him. Li Xie¡¯s cruel voice snapped like a cracking whip, ¡°How dare you interfere! I allowed him to come in, not you!¡±


    Xiao Chen bit hard and reminded himself to remain calm, tapping on his arms to seal a few of his meridian channels and ease the pain of his wounds. Zhen Trigram shifts to the West, the Kun Trigram shifts to the North, while the Kan Trigram is absent¡­ The Xun Trigram remains at South-east, unchanged, and¡­ As he quickly made his calculations he moved at once, stepping barely half of an inch to his left and moved forward again, an inch slanted right this time. His calculations have proven true! A few bolts of the Flame scarcely evaded him, hissing by harmlessly and nearly searing off the edges of his clothes.


    ¡°Oh? You seemed to have discovered something, boy? Let¡¯s see it again!¡± Li Xie jeered with excitement and eight dashes of searing flames shot at him, closing off any avenues of evasion.


    The heat continued its rampage, stinging and biting deep into his flesh while suffocating Xiao Chen¡¯s breath. He was closer to dying the longer he remained inside the roasting swelter. Yi Yifeng felt his palms slick with sweat out of concern for his friend and he could see how close is Death coming at Xiao Chen. ¡°Lil Chen!¡± He screamed frantically, ¡°Come out first!¡±


    If Xiao Chen had heard him, he certainly made no sign of it again. He stayed inside for more than an hour and he was so badly burned with blood caking almost every inch of his melting flesh. He was too tired to feel much of anything beyond numb, his eyes set only on his purpose: the Sword of the Vermillion Bird barely a meter away from him.


    ¡°BREAK!¡± Xiao Chen thundered audaciously, his fingers closing on the hilt of the sword, only to feel as if his fingers were clasping on a red-hot iron instead, threatening to rasp the skins off his digits while the agony stabbed deep into his flesh, sending a jolt of pain into him.


    ¡°Think carefully, boy,¡± Li Xie¡¯s voice came again, only this time, he was hardly mocking or cynical; rather, he began to sound worried and fearful, ¡°Draw the sword and you¡¯d lose your arm!¡±


    ¡°YIELD!¡± Xiao Chen roared with all his might, giving the sword the strongest tug he could manage. The blade of the sword slid out of the ground and with it came a pillar of flames that shot out of the hole where the sword once filled, swallowing his arm whole with the Flames of the Vermillion Bird and another shot of pain came just as his arm numbed almost at once and the sword clattered on to the ground.


    With his teeth gritted, Xiao Chen bent down and picked up the sword with his left arm. He lifted the legendary weapon and aimed its tip towards South-east at a block of frozen magma. The jet of the Flames gushed forth from the blade and engulfed the giant block, reducing it to molten rock.


    Such was the terrifying power of the Sword of the Vermilion Bird. A sword so dangerous and deadly that not even the Unsullied and Autumn Water came close to comparison. While others fight with steel and iron, the wielder of the Sword of the Vermillion Bird fights with fire that could instantly incinerate any foes into charred and blackened crisps in just an instant.


    The Sword reverberated in his grasp like a maniacal beast waiting to pounce and hissed with all his fury, ¡°And with this weapon, I¡¯ll slay you, Red Sleeve! Just you wait!¡±

 Chapter 427 - The Blitz

    ¡°Very well, boy! For one thousand years, I have never set eyes upon one welcomes Death as much as you! Very well, I yield!¡±


    Li Xie, in the guise of a young boy, appeared out of nowhere, his lips curling into a crooked smile. With a wave of his arm, the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird were all magically drawn into the voluminous folds of his sleeves as if a vortex was hidden within his crimson-red robes.


    ¡°Congratulations, Young Master Xiao. I must tender my admiration for your skills and so much more for your courage,¡± Liku Zi¡¯s voice resounded from where he stood. He promptly looked at Yu Wenmu beside him and beckoned, ¡°Let us go now, my boy.¡±


    Zi Mo left the cave quickly with his two companions in tow. With the state of his health failing, Xiao Chen fell into a deep sleep as soon as they had left. It took another further two days of rest until he finally showed signs of recovering.


    But he was still slumbering came the morning of the sixth day of the seventh month, his fingers still gripping firmly the hilt of the Sword of the Vermillion Bird. Strangely, the burns that he suffered had fully healed as if nothing had happened before.


    Yu Yifeng had never once left his side since he began sleeping, watching him and making sure Xiao Chen was fed water every hour. It was only when the noon sun was hanging proudly over the Flying-cloud Stone when he finally woke up and the first words he uttered were, ¡°Have we got it?! The Flames of the Vermilion Bird!¡±


    Yu Yifeng tossed aside the waterskin he was holding when Xiao Chen sat up and was shocked for seconds before he managed to nod to a bewildered Xiao Chen, ¡°Yep. The Flames are imbued into the Sword you are holding. So is the Formation Spirit Li Xie. Rest easy, my friend.¡±


    Xiao Chen exhaled with relief. He had been having endless nightmares even if he was asleep, assailed by visions of Muxue being consumed by Red Sleeve and at long last becoming the ultimate Corpse King, dishing out death and despair and leaving mounds and hills of slaughtered dead in her wake and the lands bathed by the blood of thousands of massacred innocents¡­


    He lifted the Sword of the Vermilion Bird to his eyes and studied it, his other hand running down the blade with his fingers feeling the edge. He could feel a strong magical power hidden within, resonating with excitement. So this is the sword forged from the fires of the Vermilion Bird, he observed, a weapon with immense powers that could destroy all that is foul and evil. And with this, I¡¯ll be able to wound Red Sleeve.


    Then he remembered something. ¡°What day is it now, Brother Yifeng?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sixth day of the month. Rest assured that Martial Uncle Xiaoyao is speeding us back with the fastest speed this Flying-cloud Stone can muster. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get back in time.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded saying nothing as he slowly sank back down, only to spring back up again, ¡°What about Xian¡¯er and the Leopard Cat Spirit? Are they all right?¡±


    Yu Yifeng broke into a smile. ¡°They are all fine. Little Xian¡¯er is gifted. Perhaps even you will be surprised by her skills the next time you meet. As for Zhiluan, he has recovered much of his powers. They are all at Yuqing Mountain, both notorious troublemakers in their own right¡­¡±


    It was a tender moment for Xiao Chen and for the first time since waking up, he smiled. But the smile faded as quickly as it came as Xiao Chen began to ask for more news and tales about everything that had happened in the lands during the past year. Yu Yifeng frowned and it took him more than a heartbeat before he could answer, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the year has not been kind; more Demonic Flowers have been sighted, followed by a series of strange phenomenons never before seen. A year ago, there came also this powerful stranger, a person who claims to hail from the evil folk. He¡¯s very powerful and he comes and goes like the wind. They say he calls himself Gu Feng¡­¡±


    The Great Devil Gu Feng!


    The name resounded in Xiao Chen¡¯s mind as his memory about the powerful demon Xiao Ning had sealed one millennium ago at the hilly barrows rear of the residence of the Xiao Clan resurfaced, instantly refreshed, vividly nauseating.


    With his forehead still curdled and his expression disturbed, Yu Yifeng went on, ¡°What¡¯s more, there have been more and more strangers, all of them formidable mages skilled in magecraft once lost and forgotten, appearing from all corners of the Five Continents. They have been challenging the mages of the Heaven List, seeking to make a name for themselves. No one knows from whence they actually came from. But I am thinking they have been prowling quietly in regions beyond the Five Continents all these while, choosing only to appear now¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen did not respond, mulling instead on the words regions beyond the Five Continents¡­ It was a phrase he once heard Evernight mentioned before. The Human Realm was divided into many different landmasses when the former age ended and many formed up again into continents. Hence the many different regions that now constituted the present Human Realm.


    If the Human World is a Tier-1 Cultivator¡¯s Area and the Domain of the Violet Manor and the Five Continents belongs to the second Tier, is there Tier-3 Areas with greater potential and resources for mages to tap into? It would not be long before the coming of the second stage of the Times of the Annihilation where more powerful and invincible mages would emerge. Who would reign supreme then and who would fall into ruins and be forgotten?


    But that was the least of his concerns. At least for now, when Red Sleeve remained the most pressing matter at hand. He needed to save Muxue from the clutches of that evil witch. And quick. It was midnight when the Flying-cloud Stone passed over the Miasma Mountain Range and the party of three finally reached the Ridge of Broken Souls.


    The night was silent. So usually still that one would have felt shivers creeping up his back. Not a light was in sight, not even the flicker of a candle or the glowing embers of a burning hearth. Only a pitch-black wall waited before them with dangers lurking about sinisterly.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Zi Mo gasped, his arms outstretched to stop Yu Yifeng and Xiao Chen from advancing. Xiao Chen felt the elder man tensed and his grip on the Sword of the Vermilion Bird tightened anxiously. Something was amiss, he too sensed as Yu Yifeng began making hand seals while reaching over his back for the Startling Rainbow Sword hanging behind him.


    Warily, the three men inched closer, prowling like a slinking panther until a sharp voice broke the silence, nearly startling everyone, ¡°Is that Senior Xiaoyao?¡± Two men emerged from the bushes, clad in mages¡¯ robes.


    ¡°Is there only the two of you? What happened to the rest?¡± Zi Mo grunted, his eyes narrowing with doubt.


    The two men quickly scurried over and bowed deeply to him. One of them began to explain, ¡°We found the trails indicating watchers from the other three evil sects following us two nights ago. To prevent anything untoward, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan commanded everyone to withdraw for a further thirty miles. We are charged to wait for you here.¡±


    The other young man cast a look at the Sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s grasp. ¡°Is this the Sword of the Vermilion Bird?¡± He asked with visible surprise and interest, which earned him a frown from Xiao Chen.


    Joined by the two mages, the party of three followed their lead and promptly left the woods. They took into the air, flying as swiftly as they could towards the encampment of the mages of the Orthodox Path thirty miles away.


    The campgrounds sat under the craning arch of a cliff overlooking from above. There were already people expecting them and Zi Mo finally felt at ease, satisfied at last that these were not the evil folk in disguise.


    Perfected Immortal Feng Lan and a handful of the senior leaders were present when Xiao Chen and his companions finally arrived. The contingent of mages of the Orthodox Path seemed to have grown since the last time Xiao Chen had noticed; the reinforcements must have finally joined up with the main army.


    ¡°Have you been successful in recovering the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird?¡±


    It was the primary concern of the leaders, the single most influential element in the entire crusade to defeat Red Sleeve and destroy the Corpse Refinery Sect. Zi Mo nodded and asked, ¡°What about the others?¡± Perfected Immortal Feng Lan revealed a hard and grim look and merely uttered, ¡°You¡¯d best come with me.¡±


    The group of the other senior leaders parted and the Perfected Immortal led Xiao Chen and his companions through them, walking to the far side of the cliff. They were halfway there when twelve figures ran towards them and one of them screamed, ¡°My Lord!¡±


    It was Qingluan and the sight of his trusted subordinate filled Xiao Chen with comfort. He nodded approvingly, ¡°You¡¯ve come. Good.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee Koo-chee!¡± Out of nowhere something small and tiny leaped on to him, squirreling up his shoulders and licked affectionately at his face while squawking gently. Xiao Chen giggled, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Brother Koo-chee.¡±


    ¡°Wuu¡­ Koo-chee!¡±


    Xiao Chen was pleased to have been reunited with his friends and the people he trusted the most, feeling touched by them waiting here to meet him. He carried Koo-chee off his shoulders and placed him in Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arms. ¡°I still have business to discuss with the seniors,¡± he said to them, ¡°Please leave us.¡±


    ¡°Understood, My Lord!¡±


    By now, the girls of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were all as powerful as any mage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Xiao Chen strolled off then he stopped. Turning back, he asked, ¡°Yes, I¡¯d almost forgotten. What about the Heartless Palace? Any word?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, all is fine and well with the Heartless Palace, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Xiao Chen followed after Zi Mo and the other through the mouth of a cave yawning at the bottom of the cliff. Watching him leave, Koo-chee blinked his eyes wide, staring at his friend who had seemed for a brief moment like a stranger. He moaned with a tinge of sorrow and Ziyun¡¯er caressed him gently, ¡°It¡¯s fine. My Lord is busy now¡­¡±


    ¡°Wuu! Koo-chee¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stepped into the firelight blazing inside the cave and saw more than a dozen men inside. The men stirred and got up at once when they see Zi Mo and the newcomers coming and Xiao Chen could see the grim and stony looks of the men through the pale light. These were all highly-respected leaders of mage schools and sects and among them included Perfected Immortal Qing Chen who had come at once when was bade to, leaving his affairs to Yuheng Zi.


    With a wave of his hand, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan cast a barrier at the entrance of the cave to prevent any prying ears. Xiao Chen remained inside, the youngest among everyone inside and all eyes were trained upon him.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen walked up to him and said gravely, ¡°Xiao Chen, the war council has convened. The offensive on the Corpse Refinery Sect begins tonight. We have also decided to channel a portion of our Mystic Powers into you, just like before. This should help you to control the Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird. What do you think of this?¡±


    Xiao Chen could feel every pair of eyes burrowing into him. It was a dangerous gambit. More so, when not everyone here trusted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Xiao Chen pronounced at once, breathing hard. There was no need for any more doubts or thoughts. Saving Muxue mattered most.


    The early hours of dawn came two hours later and the moon was waning in the distant night sky. Xiao Chen, with the Mystic powers fused into him by the dozens of senior leaders of the Orthodox Path, could feel the power of the Apotheosis Realm coursing through his veins. Outside the cave, the army of mages was readying themselves for the attack. It would be as ugly as the invasion before, with many wondering if this would be the final morning for them.


    They crept up the cliffs with the cold mountainous breeze howling dangerously by their ears. Qingluan and her girls kept a close distance around Xiao Chen to keep him safe as they moved with the invaders who were following the lead of their elders and senior leaders, moving stealthily under the cloak of the night towards the Summit of Mystics¡­


    Up upon the Summit, the Corpse Refinery Sect was also busy in preparations for battle. The Sect spared no expense, fielding every Corpse Puppet and every acolyte and disciple they have. Every entrance and every gate was under close watch and no leaf of grass moved without being noticed.


    Inside the citadel of the Ridge of the Fallen Drake, Elders Wu Fa and Wu Tian were cantering hurriedly in circles, looking positively in distress. The Great Immortal from Hell was also present, looking similarly glum and taciturn. This would be a gritting battle, they knew. The one that would decide the very existence of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    ¡°What of the Rock? How are the defenses there?¡± Wu Tian spoke.


    ¡°I have left the defenses there to Elder Long,¡± the Great Immortal replied with a worried and uncertain frown on his face, ¡°We must hold on. At least until noon tomorrow. When the shifts of Yin and Yang begin, the Divine Corpse would have finished consuming the Mystic Yin Body by then.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Wu Fa breathed long and deep, ¡°And we¡¯d finally be free of our bondage to that accursed place. What happens next to the Corpse Refinery Sect shall be of no longer concern to us.¡±


    The three men sighed and none said a word. Then footsteps echoed off the walls of the citadel and an acolyte came rushing in, with his voice screaming and trailing in a very long ¡°Report!¡± He stopped before the Elders and yelped, ¡°We are under attack! It¡¯s a two-pronged attack on the South-west!¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± the Great Immortal thrust an arm and placed a hand on the shoulder of the young man, holding him still, ¡°We must hold the fort!¡± He had barely finished, when another acolyte rushed in with another report, ¡°The Ridge of Dire Winds has fallen!¡±


    ¡°REPORT! The Cliffs of the Weeping Ghost is under attack!¡±


    In just minutes, seven to eight battle reports came scurrying in, one after another with each grimmer than the rest. Beads of sweat drenched the backs of the three elders. The blitz carried out by the invaders were so quick and decisive; the mages of the Orthodox Path have come prepared. ¡°Hold this place,¡± the Great Immortal spoke to his two colleagues, ¡°Let me face them in battle!¡± He vanished, turning into a bolt of light that sped out through the doors like a comet.


    Fire and blood were all that could be seen from the top when the Great Immortal finally arrived as the battle waged below where he stood with both sides incurring losses of their own. He dove into the fray, hoping to help drive back the invaders then something caught his eyes. Due South, a huge flash of flames illuminated the blue-black morning sky. A wave of orange and red screamed into the sky like dragons in a dance. From the sky, bursts of magical flames gushed forth and canopied around any Corpse Puppets in the vicinity, leaving only charred flesh and blackened soot when the fires settled.


    A man was hovering in mid-air, wielding a sword blazing with three-colored flames. Wherever he pointed his weapon, an inferno would erupt to destroy and incinerate everything in its range. The Great Immortal¡¯s eyes widened with shock and disbelief as if the Apocalypse was upon him as he uttered, ¡°T-the¡­ the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird!¡±

 Chapter 428 - Doom of the Sect

    The forces of the Orthodox Path had been divided into three with Fenglan, Zi Mo and Qingfeng led one of the detachments towards the center of the Ridge where the fighting was the fiercest. Xiao Chen was attacking from the air with the Sword of the Vermilion Bird, sending jets of flames wherever he could with the versatility of the sword¡¯s attacks, with Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er guarding his rear.


    The battle had barely begun and the defenders of the Sect were beaten back with countless of their Corpse Puppets destroyed or torched and just as many acolytes and disciples dead or wounded. The Great Immortal beheld the catastrophe now befalling the stronghold of his order with a pained grimace on his face. He bit the tip of his lips and spit some Essence Blood on his palm, using it to cast some strange spells. Strange, unnatural winds began to blow and innumerable wraiths materialized, dashing towards Xiao Chen, deflecting the bolts and jets of fire that he cast.


    With the Flames of the Vermilion Bird taken care for now, the Great Immortal joined the fray, dealing a pair of death rays that immediately killed two mages of the Nascent Soul Realm. The defenders were quick to notice the presence of their Grand Elder that rekindled their hopes and they fought back with all the vehemence they could rouse.


    Qingfeng was caught up in a duel with some other Elders of the Sect and all around him, mages from various schools and sects were trading hexes and spells against the defenders of the Sect while Xiao Chen was desperately trying to prevent the meddling of the company of wraiths now trying to thwart his control of the Flames. It was a bloody and also chaotic sight indeed.


    With the help of the Great Immortal from Hell, the defenders managed to regain more ground. The battle had been waging for less than an hour, but the air around the Ridge was already thick and brackish with the stench of blood and death. The raiders began to realize the uplifting effect of the Great Immortal on the battlefield and more of them surrounded him and attacked him. In mere minutes, fresh gashes and cuts appeared all over him and half of his robes were already badly sodden with blood.


    He screamed to his men a roaring ¡°Retreat,¡± knowing that the defenders were already at their limits. Then he felt pain in his side; someone had driven a sword with a rapid thrust into his flank. With a hand reaching to his side to feel the wound, his hand becoming oleaginous with his own bodily fluid, his other hand slapped a powerful blow at his attacker, reducing him to dust.


    At his command, the defenders retreated quickly but not without an ensuing onslaught by the forces of the Orthodox Path. Zuoqiu Yang advanced victoriously, never failing to strike down one enemy each time his spear bared its tip while the Autumn Water never failed to shed blood whenever it escaped its sheath.


    The Great Immortal grimaced as he watched his men falling like flies. Unlike Wu Fa and Wu Tian who would have long fled to safety, he wheeled around and covered the rear, defending the withdrawal of his men to prevent more deaths at the expense of his own life.


    He has been in service of the Sect since he was a boy. For centuries he had toiled and endured until he finally achieved his present powers and authority. The Corpse Refinery Sect was home to him and its members his family. The destruction of it was something he would never be able to permit much less comprehend. He would never be like Wu Fa and Wu Tian, both conniving cravens who wished only to regain their freedom and flee. Instead, he ever wished for was the great expansion of the Sect and its influence.


    The Great Immortal dove into the midst of the slaughter and partially turned the tables through sheer will. Evading one magic bolt after another with the agility and grace of a panther, he swiftly struck down a handful of mages, all of them of the Nascent Soul Realm, and forced back Xiaoyue and the others.


    The mob of mages earlier who were swarming on the Great Immortal saw this and lunged at him again like a snarling pack of wolves advancing upon a lion, pursuing the retreating Grand Elder until the forces of the Orthodox Path once again reached the plaza atop the Ridge. There, they were synchronously rejoined by the rest of the two detachment of mages. The clamor was enough to draw out both Elders Wu Fa and Wu Tian and the siege of the Ridge was once again revived.


    Xiao Chen landed at once; using the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird took so great a toll on his True Energy that he could barely stand. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er quickly held him, keeping him steady while channeling their powers into him.


    ¡°So this is what you all want? The destruction of the Corpse Refinery Sect at the cost of your own lives?¡± The Great Immortal roared from the other side of the plaza. He was wounded in more than a dozen places all over him, being sustained only by his unalloyed will and resolve to defend the Sect to his very last breath. But his injuries hardly impeded his ability to summon two Corpse Puppets, both with more than five centuries of Malicious Grudge, to him and the two monster lumbered vigilantly beside him.


    Xiao Chen thrust the Sword at the Great Immortal and he bellowed, ¡°Give me back Muxue!¡±


    He had only just finished when shadows appeared out of nowhere and danced before them, finally stopping and materialized into the twelve Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains of the Sect, accompanied by the hundred-man strong army of Blood Corpses. The blanket of pale glow cast by the receding daybreak moon only made the sight of the monsters look more macabre and ghastly and the mages of the Orthodox Path, especially those who had before witness their savagery, instinctively pulled back several yards.


    Incensed by the twelve abominations that exemplified the might of the Sect, Xiao Chen brandished the Sword and summoned forth the Flames again. Furious jets of flames wreathed around him and every Elder of the Sect present, including Wu Fa, Wu Tian and the rest of the other leaders of the infernal order defending the Ridge, could not believe their eyes. So this is how the invaders plow through our defenses with hardly any difficulty! They have the Flame of the Vermilion Bird! Is this man the bane that would spell our doom? Has the end come for the Corpse Refinery Sect?


    The army of Blood Corpses stirred in the face of the Flames as if they could feel its destructive power, groaning with fear and trepidation. Xiao Chen let loose a growl and channeled more of his True Energy into the Sword, pointing it at the center of the army. Immediately, a column of flames screamed into the sky, setting almost half a dozen Blood Corpses ablaze.


    The Flames devoured the Blood Corpses with the voracity and fervor of a starving beast and the putrid fetor of burning flesh filled the air. Some of the monsters suffered damages that rendered them immobile while some were reduced into slabs of charred meat, eliciting screams and gasps of shock and dismay from the defenders. These were Blood Corpses with strength equal to mages of the Nirvana Realm, but they were so helpless before the great strength of the Flames that they could hardly put up a fight.


    The plaza fell into chaos again as the forces of the Orthodox Path, the confidence fueled by Xiao Chen¡¯s heroics, charged immediately and more of the defenders fell. Xiao Chen took up into the air once more, destroying more Corpse Puppets with the Flames while Qingluan and her girls circled around him in a protective ring to keep him from harm.


    Koo-chee hid himself in the underbrush of the forest nearby. His eyes blinked wide as it gazed upwards at Xiao Chen, moaning softly.


    The battle waged on for another half-hour with more Corpse Puppets being decimated. To the Great Immortal, it was no longer a battle but rather, the merciless slaughter of his men. Unable to take any more casualties, he thundered to his colleagues and underlings, ¡°RETREAT! RETREAT TO THE ROCK!¡±


    The Rock of the Fallen Drake, the choke point of the Summit of Mystics. It was a mountain pass that served as the main gauntlet of defense for the Sect with its treacherous landscape and the numerous traps laid around the route to impede the advance of any invaders. Heeding the Great Immortal¡¯s orders, the defenders immediately withdrew back to the Rock.


    Xiao Chen descended back to land, his chest heaving for breath. Koo-chee scampered to him, moaning worriedly incessantly. Xiao Chen glared at him, reprimanding him slightly, ¡°You should be careful for coming out here, Koo-chee!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee nodded profusely.


    Xiao Chen watched the retreat of the defenders and he yelled at once at Perfected Immortal Qingchen, ¡°We have to stop them! The Rock is too perilous for any assault and can be easily defended!¡±


    The mage pushed forth. With his patience utterly chafed, Xiao Chen paid no heed to his depleting True Energy and caught up with the main force, dishing out bolts after bolts of the Flames with a pure vengeance. Another wave of inferno surged forth and destroyed a platoon-full of Corpse Puppets and as many defenders, reducing them to blackened crisps.


    Songs and historical entries would be written of this day¡¯s battle. The congealing yolk of the dawn sun could already be seen from afar and Xiao Chen was still up in the air, casting more Flames with the Sword with hardly an ounce of mercy and hesitation. All thanks to him, the battlefield was littered with more than thousands of slain defenders much to the delight of any carrion lurking around. Even the forces of the Orthodox Path cringed with fear in the wake of the destruction and carnage he had callously wrought.


    At last, the defenders of the Sect retreated to the mouth of the tunnel which housed the Rock, led by the Great Immortal and the Elders Wu Fa and Wu Tian. The forces of the Sect had suffered casualties so great that none of the Blood Corpses remained. Even a few from the twelve Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains were too gravely wounded to continue fighting. Less than three hundred defenders out of the original number of two thousand survived Xiao Chen¡¯s annihilation and the survivors were all trembling with fear, their morale as low as the chilly temperature in that altitude.


    The Great Immortal beheld the losses that his beloved Sect had incurred this day. Thank the gods that we have set up defensive measures in here¡­ He mused, or we¡¯d not even have three hundred men to spare¡­ By the gods, we¡¯d hold on. Once the Divine Corpse awakens at noon, we¡¯d defeat them all! Then we¡¯d relocate our stronghold to someplace else and rebuilt the order, restoring it to its former glory! For thousands of years the Sect has endured, and it will once again weather whatever storm we have to face!


    He sighed, walking towards the tunnel door, a massive slab of rock sealing the entrance. He rapped on the cold, hard stone slab, crying, ¡°Open this door, Elder Long!¡±


    He heard a short series of clangor coming from the other side, then the stone door began to groan and rumble as it climbed. The doorway was half-opened when suddenly he glimpsed the cold glimmer of a sword slashing at him. Caught by surprise, the Great Immortal could only duck to his side but it was hardly enough; with a sickening crunch, blood fountained from where his left arm used to be and he saw his limb lying helplessly on the ground in a puddle of blood.


    The miserable throng of disciples and acolytes behind him could not be any more distraught. Elders Wu Fa and Wu Tian even leaped tens of yards away to the back, fearful of any more surprises. Just then, something sailed through the stony doorway and fell to the ground, rolling for several inches before it finally stopped and everyone saw what it was: the severed head of Elder Long with his eyes livid.


    ¡°W-who goes there! Who¡¯s there!?¡± The Great Immortal yelled frantically with the agonizing pain on his torso the last thing on his mind. Dread began to grow in him as the truth dawned upon him finally. How did the forces of the Orthodox Path penetrate our defenses with such ease? How did they know how to evade the traps and snares that we¡¯ve set up as if like the back of their hand?


    From the rear a horde of mages appeared, all of them of the Orthodox Path. The main force of the invaders! We¡¯re surrounded! The defenders thought with fear. More slaughter followed as the invaders cut down one after another defender with scarcely any scruples. Before long, only less than a hundred survivors remained.


    Is this really the end for us and the Sect? The Great Immortal brooded, feeling nauseous and dizzy as he fully grasped the situation. The defenders were utterly surrounded in a ring of steel with the main force of the invasion shutting off their exit and the unknown assailant at the front! Realizing the dismal circumstances were beyond any salvaging, Wu Fa and Wu Tian grabbed at him and flew into the air, fleeing as quickly as they could with the twelve Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains shadowing their escape.


    The Elders and Grand Elder were given privileges; magical marks that allowed them to travel directly to the Summit of Mystics without passing through the Rock of the Fallen Drake. The rest of the main force formed up the rear and the forces of the Orthodox Path made short work of the remaining disciples. At long last, Perfected Immortal went to the stone doorway and called, ¡°Brother Mo Xuan, are you there?¡±


    The sun had yet to climb, but the sky was already a pale blue in the dawn. From the other side of the stone doorway, a proud man, clad in fluttering robes of green, appeared and stepped into the light. Moxuan Zi of the Jade Qing Seven who was also the Shen Qing that Xiao Chen had earlier encountered during his infiltration. It was he who had worked from behind enemy lines, helping the forces of the Orthodox Path to traverse whatever traps and snares that the Corpse Refinery Sects had set up as defenses.


    Moxuan Zi surveyed the crowd and his gaze stopped on Xiao Chen. He tapped a finger on his head twice, as if searching for a long-distant memory then he jabbed a finger at Xiao Chen, bursting into a fit of guffaws, bellowing sardonically in jest, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother Han Yu, Han Yun?¡±


    Despite being caught up in the thick of a battle, Moxuan Zi still found time for banter and jests. Xiao Chen chuckled and bowed. ¡°My respects to you, Senior Mo Xuan. My name is Xiao Chen.¡±


    There was no need for him to continue doubting Moxuan Zi. Perfected Immortal Fenglan came by to join them, wearing a broad grin, ¡°Long have I heard of your prowess in divination, Moxuan Zi. I see your reputation is not misplaced.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind,¡± Moxuan Zi replied humbly, smiling.


    The invasion continued without further ado; the forces of the Orthodox Path passed through the Rock and went on pushing up towards the peak of the Summit of Mystics. With all the detachment rejoining as one, the main force trampled past whatever obstacles with hardly any snag. By the time the sky was fully bright, the mages of the Orthodox Path had reached a gorge just behind the Summit of Mystics. By then, only barely a dozen of Elders and a hundred of Ye Wuxin¡¯s own students remained of the three thousand members of the Sect, with hardly any Corpse Puppets surviving. All they had left was the twelve mangled and damaged Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains.


    But Xiao Chen had also exhausted himself so greatly until now that he was beginning to feel a sharp pain in his chest. Yu Yifeng was quick to realize his condition and quickly held him to keep him steady. He spied the one-armed Great Immortal watching from afar and yelled to him, ¡°Do you still refuse to yield? Release my Junior Sister at once and we¡¯d show you mercy!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯d be damned before a young whelp like you can make demands of me!¡± The Great Immortal sneered coldly with defiance.


    Just then, four young women, all of them dressed in red, emerged from the mouth of the cave behind him. One of them said to him softly, ¡°You are to hold off these people.¡±


    Wu Fa and Wu Tian rubbed and flexed their fingers. They lunged forward, filled with the resolve to die defending the Sect. The rest of the Elders and disciples, with the twelve Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains, were already in battle formations, ready for the final showdown.


    Another clash began without Xiao Chen; he ducked to a side to quickly recuperate, saving himself for the final battle while Qingluan and her sisters maintained a guarded perimeter around him. The clangor of battle prevailed for a couple of hours, ending finally with the Corpse Refinery Sect hanging on a mere thread; the Great Immortal was so terribly wounded that he was on the brink of death. Yet, he still valiantly protected the students, preventing them from harm.


    Only seven or eight Elders remained, all of them led by Wu Fa and Wu Tian who were similarly carrying grievous wounds themselves. Only five of the Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains were still standing, staunchly preventing the cave from being disturbed while the rest of their kind had been completely destroyed in the skirmishes before.


    Moxuan Zi grimaced suddenly. He felt Yin energies swirling around, rushing into the yawning mouth of the cave. Immediately, he called, ¡°There¡¯s a magical field here amassing Yin energies! We must destroy it!¡±


    No one knew where the weakness of the magical field was. But the forces of the Orthodox Path laid waste to the entire land and inadvertently disrupted the flow of the mystic energies, effectively thwarting Red Sleeve¡¯s plan. Barely a half-hour later, the temperature around the entire Ridge quickly plummeted and no one failed to notice the winds seemed to grow colder, sweeping across the entire gorge like an unstoppable tide and he could sense a terrible but yet mysterious and bizarre aura pouring from inside the cave.


    Everyone stopped and the mages of the Orthodox Path all withdrew, bracing themselves for any unknown terrors that might spill out of the cave. Everything went quiet; an eerie silence broken only by a sudden litany of footfalls echoing from inside the cave, coming closer and closer as everyone tensed with their hairs standing on their back and their breaths hard and fast.


    At the same time, Xiao Chen was at one corner, still grimacing with the sudden pain in his heart. The agony seemed only more excruciating as the sound of the footsteps grew closer. Then he saw it: a silhouette that materialized at the threshold of the entrance of the cave, a shadow so familiar yet so distant.

 Chapter 429 - The Undead versus the Undying

    Ta¡­ Ta¡­ Ta¡­


    The footsteps reverberated like drums, growing louder and louder as the mysterious person drew closer to the entrance. Everyone tensed like a nocked arrow, keeping their eyes intently on the entrance, trying hard not to blink while waiting for the person to emerge.


    A gust of cold wind issued from inside the cave, gushing out like a burst of wraiths and apparition that made goose pimples oozed on everyone¡¯s skin. Even the sky seemed to darken with flat, dark nimbuses massing overhead.


    Ta¡­ Ta¡­ Ta¡­


    Xiao Chen stifled a shiver as he readied himself to see who it was coming. His heart was shaking with every nerve and muscle in him taut beyond imagination. He could hardly even move. He kept his eyes peeled on the entrance like everyone else and he glimpsed a silhouette surfacing out of the darkness.


    Everyone¡¯s breaths held like forever when the person finally stopped at the entrance of the cave. What remained of the defenders, nearly a dozen of them, fell to their knees and bowed reverently. The Divine Corpse had awakened! But the lion¡¯s share of the disciples and acolytes who had given their lives in defense of the Sect would never be able to witness with their own eyes her majesty and terror.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s finger throbbed. It was not Muxue nor was she Weiyang, but a completely different person. A woman whose face he did not know. With her lips dyed red and her hair made wonderfully, adorned with a deep-scarlet hairpin, and clothed in a long robe of red which tails fluttered with her every step, she looked more like a bride on her wedding day than a terrible harbinger of death. But her cold glare and placidly deadpan expression only suggested otherwise.


    Cold winds howled like wolves, lifting the woman¡¯s sleeves but a little, revealing her milk-pale arms. No amount of perfume on her could remove the stench of decaying flesh from her nor hide the fact that she had been dead for more than three millennia.


    This was none other than Red Sleeve, the actual leader of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    An agonizing silence filled the compound as no one dared to move a muscle. No one knew how powerful was Red Sleeve and she was doing a great job in concealing her aura. Yet everyone felt as if they were stepping on a bed of needles.


    Red Sleeve stepped out into the open, her passive and disinterested eyes scanning the mob of mages surrounding the mouth of the cave before finally resting on Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen flexed his finger, managing only to utter a hateful ¡°You!¡± Then she disappeared; appearing right before him with a speed quicker than the wind.


    Xiao Chen felt his breath drained from. His mind was quick to register what was happening, but he could barely move as if the flow of Time has been suspended. Then he felt another stab of pain in his chest and his strength was leaving him just as screams and gasps of fright began chorusing around him.


    Blood dripped onto the ground into a pool and he saw Red Sleeve¡¯s arm speared through his chest.Read the next chapter on our novelhall.com


    ¡°MY LORD!¡± Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er gasped, their faces horror-struck. Shadows danced around Xiao Chen and Red Sleeve menacingly as all twelve of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon sprang into action and swooped down from all directions on Red Sleeve.


    Yet none of their blades had so much as grazed Red Sleeve. Instead, all twelve of them fell backward, spewing froth and blood from their mouths as they crashed into the ground. No one saw what happened. Everything happened just too quickly.


    Blood poured out of Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth as he struggled to stand. At last, his eyes closed and he began to fall back, ultimately crashing to the ground in a heap with a huge poof of dust and gravel. No one breathed, their dread and disbelief completely painted on their faces. How is this even possible¡­ That redoubtable Xiao Chen defeated with just one blow¡­


    ¡°JUNIOR BROTHER!¡± Luo Shangyan screamed, her eyes wide and her face aghast with terror and panic. Her body trembled uncontrollably and beads of tears rolled down her face like pearls falling from a necklace to the ground.


    Red Sleeve, with her impassive and cold stare, regarded Xiao Chen who was lying dead on the ground for several seconds before she finally spoke with ice, ¡°Put him together with the girl of the Mystic Yin Body. Have them buried together in the evenfall. May this be the least that I could do for them.¡±


    ¡°Understood, My Lady!¡± Two of her female stewards declared and came forward. They moved to either side of Xiao Chen and was about to lift him up when one of them cried suddenly, ¡°My Lady!¡±


    ¡°What is the matter!¡± Red Sleeve hissed, radiating a palpable annoyance in her angry but cold voice, while maintaining a frigid glare on the mob of mages of the Orthodox Path surrounding her.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s¡­ he seems alive!¡±


    The handmaiden barely finished gasping with shock when Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes blinked opened suddenly. A glow of red flashed momentarily in his eyes and two quick bangs followed; he had delivered two quick blows into the two handmaidens and they crashed several yards away.


    ¡°Where is Muxue!!¡± Xiao Chen rose up, his eyes flaring with fury as he bellowed like a lion roaring with its teeth bared at Red Sleeve but the Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect merely whirled around to watch him with her ever-so placid and contemplative stare. Out of the blue, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, a huge boom erupted and Xiao Chen flew headlong down to the ground tens of yards away, crashing into a couple of huge boulders with such great force that they crumbled.


    But just when everyone else was reeling with shock, Perfected Immortal Fenglan tarried not; he quickly weaved a quick spell, summoning into form more than a dozen of magic bolts in the form of golden swords to attack Red Sleeve. But before he could let fly his attack, Red Sleeve appeared right in front of him and landed her foot into the elderly man¡¯s abdomen, sending him careening into a nearby coppice and smashing a handful of trees.


    ¡°Teacher!¡± Zuoqiu Yang yelled. As if on a cue, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and the rest of the mages sprang into action, brandishing their what magical relics and weapons at their disposal. The sky was splashed with myriads of colors from the barrages of magical bolts that rained on Red Sleeve. But even before the attacks met their mark, the mages fell one by one. The Queen of the Dead leaped, ducked, kicked, and punched with blinding quickness that no one could even see her before they collapsed.


    At the other side of the compound, the remaining survivors of the Sect beheld their Queen¡¯s otherworldly power and speed with agape expressions. The forces of the Orthodox Path were so vast with no lack of mages wielding powers of the Nirvana and the Apotheosis Realms. Yet not a single one of them could withstand Red Sleeve¡¯s demonic might and were soundly defeated with ease¡­


    Unlike the dazzling magical spells and hexes that the mages so desperately hurled at her, Red Sleeve used only simple kicks and punches. Yet there was no one in the entire army of mages who could counter her terrifying speed and strength. Be they mages of the Nirvana Realm or the Apotheosis Realm, no one remained standing before her as the Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect dispatched her foes with the ease of swatting flies.


    Everyone watched in awe of the deadliness of Red Sleeve¡¯s simple attacks; Xiaoyue, Su Zimu, Yu Yifeng, and even Zuoqiu Yang¡­ All of those who were still on their feet cowered with fear, slowly inching backward with fear, their morale completely shattered to bits. Here before them stood the very physical personification of unconquerable power!


    ¡°BEGONE!¡± Red Sleeve spat venomously with ice. She flailed the billowing sleeves of her robe with triumph and disdain as she wheeled around, casually strolling back in the direction of the cave entrance.


    ¡°Wait just right there.¡± A voice broke the quivering silence and every head turned. Xiao Chen rose up from among the pile of rocks and debris, heaving and puffing with both strain and rage. He unleashed another roar at Red Sleeve, ¡°MUXUE! WHERE IS SHE!¡±


    Red Sleeve stopped in her tracks and slowly turned eerily, her eyes dull and devoid of any color or life save for cold fury. With the speed of a zap of lightning, she lunged at Xiao Chen, with dirt and dust buffeting into the air in her wake and everyone, most notably Luo Shangyan yelped with dismay.


    Bang!


    This time, Xiao Chen was able to defend himself! Their clothes undulated violently in the winds caused by the eruption of their clashing powers as Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes met Red Sleeve in their wordless melee until the Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect finally spoke, ¡°Do you think I lack the power to destroy you?¡±


    ¡°Where is she¡­¡± Xiao Chen growled in return, his eyes bloodshot with fury. Blood dribbled gently out of the edge of his lip as he panted for breath, his voice deep and hollow like a Xiao Chen no one had seen before.


    ¡°BEGONE!¡± Red Sleeve snarled and delivered another punch into him and Xiao Chen crashed into another heap faraway, much to the horror of everyone watching.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± Red Sleeve muttered to no one in particular. Satisfied that she had performed the coup-de-grace for Xiao Chen, she spun and began heading back into the cave.


    ¡°What¡­ what did you say¡­¡± A shaking voice, limned with anger, came from the mound of rubbles as Xiao Chen slowly clambered back to his feet. Only anger and vengeance drove him and his eyes were now a shade of red.


    Red Sleeve halted. Word by word, she repeated, ¡°I said¡­ she¡¯s dead¡­¡± Slowly, she turned back. But at her final syllable, Xiao Chen lunged at her like a tiger and a hand of his clutched at her throat, slamming her into the rocky face of the cliff.


    Boom!


    He glowered at her. With one hand keeping her pinned to the wall, he pounded at her face again and again that a crack snapped open on the granite rockface behind Red Sleeve. Then he lifted her up by her throat and smashed her into the ground.


    Boom!


    Plumes of dust rolled past everyone, obscuring their vision. Through the smoky veil of dirt and grime, they could see the ground lined with cracks and fissures. Then someone noticed Xiao Chen in the air above. Like a feral beast, he swooped down on Red Sleeve who was still lying sprawled among rocks and rubbles and cudgeled his knee into her before he continued pummeling her with his fists.


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY!? WHAT DID YOU SAY!? WHAT DID YOU SAY?!¡­¡±


    No one could move nor could anyone utter a word, wearing on perplexed and bewildered looks on their faces. Out of a sudden, Red Sleeve¡¯s arm shot up and caught one of Xiao Chen¡¯s fists before it could hit her. With a glare equally furious, she spat, ¡°I just said just now that she¡¯s dead!¡± And she retaliated with a powerful kick that sent Xiao Chen into the air. She sprang up, agile as a cat, and took into the sky and landed another kick into him, dropping him to the ground in a crash.


    Boom!


    The lands shook and more dirt flew like a sandstorm around them. Red Sleeve descended rapidly to the ground and bent down, grabbing Xiao Chen by his throat this time and lifted him up, watching like how a predator eyes its prey. A frightened Luo Shangyan yelped, ¡°No, please! Don¡¯t kill him!¡±


    But her cries fell on deaf ears; Red Sleeve ignored her, studying her prey with hate in her piercing stare. ¡°Why did you not protect her if you so love her!? Why did you allow her to be taken and subjected to the most excruciating pain and suffering on the day of her birth?¡± She punched him in the abdomen forcefully again.


    ¡°G-give¡­ give me back¡­ Give her back¡­¡± Xiao Chen croaked after spitting a mouthful of blood and froth.


    ¡°Give her back?! Hahahahaha!¡± Red Sleeve burst into a shrill howl of laughter, throwing her head back. A maniacal glint shone in her eyes. ¡°Why did she not give me back to Qing Yuan when Qing Yuan had begged so desperately? Why did she give me back to him!? WHY!? Yet there I was, watching as my betrothed was killed right in front of me! On the day where we were supposed to be man and wife¡­¡±


    There was a tinge of painful sorrow in her sharp shrieking voice. Malice shimmered in her eyes suddenly. ¡°Since you love her so much, there¡¯s no reason you should enter Samsara without her. To her side you should be¡­¡± She slammed a fist into Xiao Chen¡¯s head; a stroke with all her might that another wall of dust rose around them and the fear that everyone dreaded came true: Xiao Chen would never survive a stroke this powerful.


    Bang!


    The winds grew still and the dust finally settled. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were fully wide. Blood trickled from his eyes, his nose, and his ears. The stroke had destroyed his skull and his brain and he fell backward, limp and lifeless like a ragdoll.


    ¡°NOOOO!¡± Luo Shangyan¡¯s deafening and strident cry of dismay echoed through the Ridge. She charged forward with all her speed, lunging at the already-dead Xiao Chen with scarcely any regard of her safety. ¡°LIL CHEN!¡± Yu Yifeng screamed as well, his eyes wide as saucers as he rushed forward.


    They reached and carried up Xiao Chen¡¯s body. But he was no longer breathing and they felt no pulse from him. He was as dead as a log.


    ¡°NOOO!¡± Luo Shangyan wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yu Yifeng held Xiao Chen¡¯s arm, shaking it hopelessly, murmuring in a broken voice, ¡°Lil Chen¡­ Lil Chen¡­¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!¡± Red Sleeve guffawed smugly, turning to walk back to her cave. But no one could miss the tincture of sorrow and sadness in her tone. Luo Shangyan got up, her eyes scarlet with rage. ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!¡± She screamed, lunging with her sword drawn.


    ¡°JUNIOR SISTER, NO!¡± Yu Yifeng leaped to her front and held her back the hysterical Luo Shangyan, ¡°NO! We¡¯re no match for her¡­ You¡¯d only get yourself killed!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± Red Sleeve¡¯s raucous laugh went on, reverberating off the walls of the cave and out to the Ridge as she melted into the darkness, her voice delineating her victory but also the anguish of her tragic past. No one said a word. Only the soft winds blew. Out of nowhere came a voice suddenly, cold and sharp as ice, ¡°I told you¡­ Give me back Muxue!¡±


    The entire Ridge could have well been frozen by the sheer frostiness in the voice.

 Chapter 430 - Turning Tables

    ¡°W-what the¡­ IMPOSSIBLE!¡±


    From all quarters, the forces of the Orthodox Path or the Corpse Refinery Sect alike, breathes were drawn and shocked and surprised gasps could be heard rising like the rustling a storm. The Xiao Chen who was dead is now standing again! What was more, the wounds on him were healing at a visible and yet unbelievable rate! No one could ever believe their eyes at what was happening.


    Everyone was astonished; Zuoqiu Yang, Xiaoyue, and the others, especially Xiaoyue. The color of her face seemed to have utterly drained as she felt herself convulsing violently as if she had witnessed her greatest fear coming true¡­


    ¡°Junior Brother!¡± Luo Shangyan screamed, surprised, and exuberant. Beads of tears still hung from the ends of her eyelashes. Yu Yifeng was wearing a bewildered look, flustered beyond words. Xiao Chen got up and walked past them, gently giving them a push to his back, ¡°Stay back.¡±


    Yu Yifeng recovered from his shock at once; he knew Xiao Chen had this incredible but unexplainable ability to resurrect from death, and he realized only Xiao Chen stood any chance of defeating Red Sleeve. He pulled Luo Shangyan¡¯s arm, leading her back to where the forces of the Orthodox Path were.


    Red Sleeve had stopped when she heard Xiao Chen¡¯s voice earlier, right before she had completely disappeared into the darkness of the cave. She slowly turned around, regarding Xiao Chen with the same piercing stare as sharp as ice picks. Even the air between them seemed to tense with fear.


    On the other side of the field, Wu Fa and Wu Tian, with the remaining few of the defenders, could only look on wordlessly. Red Sleeve breathed angrily, ¡°I see. You are the same as me. You feed on souls from the Administration of Heaven to survive¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not the same as filth like you¡­ I need nothing of the sort¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen channeled his powers to both his arms and sent forth a shockwave of energy that rippled all around him. The Sword of the Vermillion Bird screamed like a phoenix and soared into the sky, displaying its fiery splendors that bespattered the air with specks of flames with such intensity that everyone could have sworn that they felt as if the entire Ridge was burning.


    ¡°The Flames of the Southern Vermillion Bird¡­¡± Red Sleeve observed icily with hardly a shred of fear in her.


    A gigantic fiery cyclone spun in the air, and the defenders of the Corpse Refinery Sect below watched with panic, wondering if death was indeed upon them. The Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird consumes all that is foul and evil and is most potent against Corpse Puppets, which relied on Rancorous Qi and Malicious Grudge as fuel.


    ¡°ARGHH!¡±


    With an earsplitting bellow, Xiao Chen let fly jets of Flames at Red Sleeve that devoured her ravenously. Realizing their chance at victory, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, with many more mages of the Orthodox Path, quickly rushed to Xiao Chen to help him, channeling more of their True Energies into him.


    The inferno grew stronger. A sea of flames sprawled before the yawning mouth of the cave. Knowing that this was no ordinary flames, the remaining Corpse Puppets of the former High Chieftains were immediately relocated to someplace else safer.


    The waves of flames continued blazing everything it could find in front of the cave for more than a quarter of an hour. Then a figure appeared, walking casually amid the thrashing firestorm of the most destructive and powerful flames in the world. The flames licked at her vainly, harming her not one bit, and not even a hair or an article of her clothing was damaged. Her entire person was protected by a sphere of Rancorous Qi that was impervious to the destruction outside!


    ¡°BEGONE!¡± Red Sleeve repeated herself, and a huge, angry wave of foul energy spilled from her, rolling towards all directions. Several senior leaders of the Orthodox Path were caught in the path and fell to the ground, vomiting blood and saliva.


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and raised his arm. The Sword of the Vermilion Bird returned to him. His fingers wrapped firmly on its hilt, and he charged. Like a bolt of lightning, he dashed forward with reckless abandon. But this time, the Sword of the Vermilion Bird struck true; blood spattered around him as the tip of his sword sank deep through her chest, tearing through her heart.


    Red Sleeve grunted in pain with blood spewing from her mouth. Xiao Chen let loose a beastly howl, yanking his weapon free before stabbing her again and again in successive. Imbued with the Flames of the Vermilion Bird, his sword could easily penetrate the sphere of Rancorous Qi like a hot knife through butter, and each stab could not be any more devastating than anything that anyone had dealt upon her before.


    Finally, Xiao Chen swung his sword, aiming for her throat. But the sword had only sunk for a little more than an inch through her neck when Red Sleeve collapsed. Her eyes were closed as she fell on her back with a loud thud with dust and grime tossed into the air.


    The Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect laid on the ground. A lifeless corpse with not even a pulse or a breath.


    The howling winds resonating with the firestorm died down just as the fires slowly came to an end. The eerie silence was punctuated by only the interminable heaving and puffs of panting and heavy breathing of Xiao Chen. The remaining defenders of the Sect looked, hardly able to move, and so were the mages of the Orthodox Path from afar. Xiao Chen staggered in his steps, and then he noticed something he would never quite believe: Red Sleeve¡¯s eyes opening again! A red glare flashed across her eyes, and she got up with every bruise and gash healing at an unprecedented rate just like Xiao Chen!


    ¡°What the¡­ How can¡­¡±


    There was hardly anyone who was not surprised. T-this¡­ This is entirely the same as what happened to Xiao Chen earlier!


    ¡°I have the Malicious Grudge of three thousand years. How many times do you think I can go on?¡± The resurrected Red Sleeve challenged Xiao Chen coldly.


    ¡°As many times as it takes to send you to Hell!¡± Xiao Chen snarled, the Sword of the Vermilion Bird in his grasp charged again. Clang! Only this time, Red Sleeve had caught the blade of his weapon with her bare hands with blood dripping down from where the edges of the Sword had bit deep.


    ¡°My very existence transcends beyond the circles of influence and authority of the Three Domains and Samsara! Not even the Nether Emperor can kill me, nevermind one as puny as you!¡± Red Sleeve screeched venomously in return. Her other hand thrust forward and lanced through Xiao Chen¡¯s heart with blood gushing out like a geyser through his back.


    Xiao Chen groaned. He drew back the Sword and drove it forward with all his might, impaling Red Sleeve through her heart as well, and both the Undead and the Undying spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Where is she¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you, she¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    ¡°ARRGGGHH!¡± Xiao Chen emitted a maniacal roar. He raised a fist, and Red Sleeve did the same, and they struck at each other in unison in the head. Two successive Bangs! Both fell on their backs, equally dead with blood trickling down from their ears, eyes, noses, and mouths.


    No one drew a breath. What unfolded before their eyes were well beyond any of their comprehension. Suddenly, Xiao Chen and Red Sleeve came back to life again! Their eyes blinked open once more with the same red flash, and they rose, their wounds healing rapidly again.


    ¡°Gods in Heaven¡­¡±


    None of anyone else around had witnessed something like this before, and no one could explain what was happening.


    ¡°I told you, you will never be able to kill me,¡± Red Sleeve hissed coolly. She pulled out the Sword from her chest with a sickening swish and tossed it to the ground.


    ¡°I can say the same,¡± Xiao Chen flicked his wrist, magically summoning the Sword of the Vermilion Bird back to him.


    ¡°I have never wanted to kill you. Just get out of my way!¡±


    ¡°Give Muxue back to me, and I¡¯d well make way!¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± Red Sleeve retorted, throwing her head back in a peal of insane laughter, before she hissed like a serpent at him, ¡°For three thousand years I have suffered and sacrificed, only to search for one like her! I¡¯d never let her go!¡±


    ¡°Why must it be her¡­¡± Xiao Chen growled, never once taking his eyes off his adversary. He cracked his knuckles, and the snapping of his hands filled the air.


    ¡°Then why must it be me then?!¡± Red Sleeve rebutted vengefully, staring intently at her nemesis too.


    Their eyes met and locked with the keenness of the sharpest blade. ¡°What designs do you have for her¡­¡± He growled again.


    ¡°Designs?! Hahahahahaha!¡± Red Sleeve began cackling wildly, her eyes looking deranged and mad, ¡°I need her Mystic Yin Body! The Yin energies from her will give me eternal life! With that, I would never need to rely on souls from the Administration of Heaven to replenish myself. Only then would I truly be free of Death. I would reign supreme over the Three Domains and Samsara! Hahahahaha!¡±


    Her voice grew louder as she went on with the ramblings of her megalomaniacal delusions, which startled everyone. Everyone braced with trepidation at the notion of her achieving her life-long dream. Even in her current state, Red Sleeve was already an unstoppable menace. Heaven forfended the horrors she might unleash if she indeed saw her dream made true.


    Perfected Immortal Feng Lan breathed hard. The grip of his fingers on the hilt of his weapon tightened. The bloodied mage said to Perfected Immortal Qing Chen beside him, ¡°We must stop her at all costs. Even if it costs our lives. Imagine the havoc she¡¯ll wreak if that infernal plan of hers really comes into fruition. I fear by then, not even an Immortal King from the Heavens would be able to deal with her¡­¡±


    The forces of the Orthodox Path stirred. They quickly reformed their battle lines, regrouping into formations to prepare for their final battle where none of them might survive. But Xiao Chen remained rooted to his spot, regarding Red Sleeve with an equally piercing look. ¡°Absorb the Yin energies?¡± He scoffed, ¡°Speak the truth. What are you after? You don¡¯t need girls specifically born on the seventh day of the seventh month if its only Yin energies you¡¯re after¡­¡±


    Red Sleeve could find no answer to rebut that. She merely looked at Xiao Chen quietly with her sharp stare while inside, she was grimacing at how her nemesis seemed to know enough to see through her lies.


    ¡°Be that as it may, you¡¯d never be able to stop me. Look up into the sky if you will. Noon is upon us. It¡¯s not even an hour to a quarter after noon. After which, the natural polarities of Yin and Yang will shift and all of you will die¡­¡±


    Red Sleeve¡¯s ominous declaration rumbled across the Ridge, shocking everyone who quickly looked up. The dark cumulonimbuses were scattering to reveal a bright sun hanging in the sky. Noon was indeed at hand.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face curdled with apprehension. Stiffly, he muttered, ¡°Nevertheless, you seem to forget that before Yang switches to Yin, it is precisely when Yang energies are at their strongest. If everyone here were to attack you with everything they have at the same time, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d survive¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± Red Sleeve¡¯s head threw back as she laughed before she turned placid and eerily emotionless again. ¡°Here I am, all yours for the taking. Yet still, you could do nothing to harm me?¡±


    Their hostile glares met again. None of them moved as they looked with utmost focus at each other as if trying to pry into each other¡¯s mind.


    Xiao Chen felt his palms wet with sweat, and his breathing growing harder. It would be a do-or-die situation. Their one last chance when Yang energies would be at their strongest at a quarter to 12. The only last-ditch chance to vanquish Red Sleeve. There was no option for failure lest the window would pass, and the sun would be falling eastward, and the Yang energies would shift into Yin. Red Sleeve would survive, and there would be no telling of how great a monstrosity she would become.


    On the other side stood a seething Red Sleeve, watching Xiao Chen sternly in the eyes with her antagonistic glare. The person who had proven to be too great a hindrance to her. ¡°You wish to amass natural Yang energies to defeat me,¡± she muttered icily, ¡°You seem to have overlooked the fact that your own body is sustained by a Yin energy yourself. The rich Yang energy will also destroy you and you will be reduced into nothing. But I am different! I have three thousand years¡¯ worth of the richest Yin energies in me! What makes you think that Yang energies gathered in just a short span of time will be enough to kill me?¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing. Their eyes continued looking at each other, and nobody moved for a long and tense moment. The mages of the Orthodox Path did not dare to move without any instruction from Xiao Chen, and everyone could only watch nervously.


    Ziyun¡¯er darted. She waved to six of her sisters, motioning for them to follow her lead. They skirted around the outer peripherals of the space where Xiao Chen and Red Sleeve glaring at each other, hoping to slip into the cave. But before they got close, Red Sleeve turned and bolted away from her nemesis, bounding at Ziyun¡¯er at breakneck speed!


    ¡°Ziyun¡¯er, look out!¡± Xiao Chen could only manage to scream. He had sprung after Red Sleeve when she moved, chasing after with his Immortal-override Steps. Still, he was but one step behind. Ziyun¡¯er pivoted just in time for Red Sleeve to plunge her arm through her stomach and blood sprouted out of Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°M-my¡­ My Lord¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er croaked as her eyes closed slowly, and she tumbled backward.


    ¡°ZIYUN¡¯ER!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s howl thundered, his eyes bloodshot with disbelief and terror. He caught up just behind Red Sleeve, delivering a fierce kick that sent the Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect into a crash tens of yards away. Qingluan reached just a heartbeat later and carried Ziyun¡¯er in her arms. She spoke tersely to Xiao Chen, ¡°Leave her to us, My Lord. Red Sleeve is yours.¡± To the rest of the girls, she barked, ¡°Into the cave. Now! We need to find Lady Muxue within the hour!¡±


    ¡°At once!¡± The rest of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon chorused and they disappeared into the cave.


    Xiao Chen spun, intensely angered and vengeful at what Red Sleeve had just done. All of a sudden, the mountains began to shake, and the tremor grew stronger and stronger. Huge boulders and large rocks came loose and rolled down the slopes of the jagged cliffs and stony rockfaces. Many of the mages staggered and fell in the sudden rising turmoil.


    Xiao Chen was shrouded in a white brilliance that only intensified with time. Everyone could feel it. The natural Yang energies were all clustering in him, rushing towards him like the powerful rapids of a river.


    For the first time, Red Sleeve¡¯s expression changed. Looking positively distressed and frantic, she screamed, ¡°YOU! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! Are you going to sacrifice yourself to kill me?!¡±

 Chapter 431 - The Yin Qi and Yang Qi

    Chapter 431 The Yin Qi and Yang QiThe valley rocked endlessly. The surging vital force between heaven and earth went to the valley with great vigor and gathered there. At this moment, Xiao Chen was emitting waves of white radiance like a god descending to the world. Everyone in the valley was struck dumb with amazement. Red Sleeve¡¯s expression continually changed, but her eyes still looked quite cold. ¡°How, how is it possible that you¡­¡±


    In mid-air, the Sword of the Vermillion Bird also started to vibrate, whistling continuously. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were as bright as lightning. He stretched out and caught the Sword of the Vermillion Bird that flew toward him. By moving his feet a little, he instantly arrived before Red Sleeve. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The whole body of the Sword of the Vermillion Bird directly passed through her chest, bringing out a long string of spurting blood.


    This sword strike was so fast that everyone could not see it at all. Since this sword strike had gathered the Yang Qi between heaven and earth, it caused great damage to Red Sleeve.


    Red Sleeve covered the bloody hole in her chest and slowly turned around. She looked at Xiao Chen ruthlessly and said, ¡°Why, why do you have both the supreme Yin Qi and the supreme Yang Qi in your body? Who exactly are you? Did someone use the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to resurrect you? Has your very existence ever transcended beyond the circles of influence and authority of the Three Domains and Samsara? Why¡­¡± When she spoke these last words, her eyes were full of unwillingness and resentment.


    In the valley, the wild wind kept on whistling. Since the sound of the wind drowned their words, others could not hear what they were talking about at the moment.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed and violently stabbed her again with his sword. His sword whizzed through Red Sleeve¡¯s hands. ¡°Buzzing!¡± After a huge bang, she managed to grip the sword. Red Sleeve glared at him mercilessly and said, ¡°I see¡­ In your body, the Yin Qi also alternates with the Yang Qi. It is just like the law between heaven and earth: at a quarter to midnight, the Yin Qi turns into the Yang Qi; at a quarter to noon, the Yang Qi turns into the Yin Qi. Whenever you use up all your Yang Qi, the supreme Yin Qi will bring you back from death and begin to gather the Yang Qi again in next to no time! You share the same operating principle as the self-perpetuating heaven and earth! The one who used the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to resurrect you must have made great efforts!¡±


    In her last words, Red Sleeve¡¯s eyes became more malicious. ¡°That¡¯s why you look just like the ordinary people. You are different from me, a zombie who completely relies on Rancorous Qi and Yin Qi¡­¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly switched the conversation to some other subject. ¡°But how long do you think your supreme Yin Qi and Yang Qi can support you? Once you exhaust them, you will not be able to enter the Samsara and will be 100 times more painful than me!¡±


    ¡°But for me, killing you is enough!¡± Xiao Chen growled and sent his sword 3cm forward. His sword streaked across Red Sleeve¡¯s palm, and her palm instantly became bloody.


    ¡°You cannot kill me¡­ Three quarters later, when the Yang Qi turns into the Yin Qi, my Yin Qi will become ten times more! At that time, no one can kill me¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s breathing instantly became heavier. He thought to himself, ¡°Most people think that the Yang Qi will become the heaviest at noon. However, they don¡¯t know that since the Yang Qi begins to turn into the Yin Qi at this moment, the Yin Qi becomes much heavier. Thus, the Yin Qi in the afternoon is actually the heaviest, too. I¡¯m afraid Red Sleeve will be invincible at that time.¡±


    When Xiao Chen thought about this, he breathed slow and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Really¡­ But just as what you said just now, the Yin Qi alternates with the Yang Qi in my body. After a quarter to noon, all the Yang Qi in my body will become the Yin Qi. At that time, you will know whose Yin Qi is heavier, yours, or mine!¡±


    After Red Sleeve heard this, her expression changed again and again. With resentment, she said, ¡°Even if you have exhausted both the supreme Yin Qi and the supreme Yang Qi in your body, the best you can do is to perish with me. But why must you stop me¡­¡±


    ¡°I have told you that you can catch anyone except Muxue. You must return her to me. Why must it be her¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were full of fierceness, too.


    ¡°Why must it be her?¡± Red Sleeve smiled ghastly and suddenly said in a somber voice, ¡°Then why such a thing must happen to me three thousand years ago? Was it because I was born on July 7th with a Mystic Yin Body¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face instantly changed. ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    At this moment, he seemed to have fully understood the reason at last. It was because of the Samsara Life-reversing Technique! This technique could only be used between people who had the same date of birth and Destiny!


    All of a sudden, he felt a chill at his back. Finally, he knew why Red Sleeve was determined to find someone who had a Mystic Yin Body and was born on July 7th. She was not trying to evolve, nor pursue some supreme power, nor dominate the Three Realms! The only thing that she wanted to do was to use the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to resurrect herself because she could not enter the Samsara at all¡­


    But why could she not enter the Samsara? The person who was resurrected would not be able to enter the Samsara and would be left out of the Six Paths of Samsara. It looked like that she was also an arrested victim who was born on July 7th. That was to say, the one who caught her must have also been born on July 7th. What the hell was going on? Was it because¡­ Suddenly, a thought ran through Xiao Chen¡¯s head, passing by quickly.


    ¡°So, do you know it now¡­¡± Gradually, Red Sleeve¡¯s voice became sadder. ¡°Someone highly cultivated helped you to resurrect. That is why you can stay alive and don¡¯t need to enter the Samsara immediately. But what about me? I was only an ordinary woman before I died. Who would apply the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to me? So I have to fight hard to find someone who has the same Destiny as me. I have been living in this cold place for 3,000 years! Do you know how I spent these 3,000 years¡­¡±


    In the end, she was all in tears. Xiao Chen suddenly raised his head and said fiercely, ¡°So that is why you chose to sacrifice Muxue. You want to take her life as yours and reincarnate. But she will never enter the Samsara since then, am I right?¡±


    ¡°But I was also resurrected by others before. Only because I held one breath of Rancorous Qi, I was brought back from death and became such an immortal monster¡­¡± Red Sleeve smiled wanly and said in a solemn voice. At last, the expression in her eyes turned malicious again. ¡°I have held the Malicious Grudge for three thousand years and have been living in hatred for 3,000 years. You cannot stop me¡­¡±


    Everyone in the distance could not hear what they were saying at the moment. Suddenly, Xiao Chen bellowed in a low voice, ¡°No!¡± After that, he hit Red Sleeve hard with his fist.


    With a loud bang, Red Sleeve was knocked more than 30 meters away. Xiao Chen went on to attack her and shouted, ¡°But Muxue is innocent. Where is she?¡±


    Red Sleeve stopped his attack and said coldly, ¡°She is innocent, but what about me? Was I not the innocent? But that person didn¡¯t let me go that year, right? That person didn¡¯t let Qing Yuan go either, right?¡± After reproaching, she punched out. Their fists collided. All of a sudden, mountains fell, and the earth split. Rubble was all over the sky.


    In the distance, everyone was stunned by the force that they erupted at this moment. Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and turned his wrist quickly. He stabbed Red Sleeve with his sword. ¡°Clang!¡± After a sharp sound, Red Sleeve caught the sword body and stepped back a few steps quickly. Then, she sneered. ¡°She is in a place that you can never find¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen said fiercely, ¡°Let her go! Otherwise, I will definitely make you die with me even if I have to exhaust all my Yin Qi and Yang Qi!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Red Sleeve looked up and laughed. Her eyes looked cold and malicious as she said, ¡°Do you really think I am afraid of the Yin and Yang Qi in your body? You must have forgotten that I still have the soul that Administration of Heaven gave me. You are so naive!¡±


    After the screams, Red Sleeve¡¯s whole body shook with Malicious Grudge. Suddenly, the earth began to shake violently. This violent force directly knocked Xiao Chen hundreds of meters away.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Xiao Chen spurted a mouthful of blood when he fell back to the ground. He could not hold the Sword of the Vermillion Bird in his hand. It flew out and inserted in the trunk of a big tree, swinging back and forth. Seeing this, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen immediately walked forward to support him. ¡°Are you OK?¡±


    The other people also came forward at this time. Xiao Chen forced the extravasated blood out of his chest and spat it out. He looked up at the sky, knowing that it was getting closer to a quarter to noon. Since no one could stop Red Sleeve after 11:45, Muxue would disappear from this world forever then¡­


    Xiao Chen certainly wanted to prevent such a thing from happening. Thinking of this, he immediately used his Mystic Skill. Instantly, the Yin Qi and the Yang Qi in his body began to run like mad. About 30 meters away, the Sword of the Vermillion Bird quickly began to vibrate without stop.


    In the distance, Red Sleeve¡¯s face was overcast with gloominess. Yu Yifeng cast a glance at her and then looked at Xiao Chen. With forbidding eyes, Xiao Chen seemed to be determined to fight against Red Sleeve even at the risk of his life. Seeing such a scene, Yu Yifeng immediately yelled, ¡°Lil Chen, calm down first!¡±


    However, Xiao Chen turned a deaf ear to him and kept on applying his Mystic Skill actively. All at once, a gust of wind sprang up and knocked all the others nearby away. The Sword of the Vermillion Bird whistled and instantly flew back. At this moment, the red light on the sword body increased significantly. ¡°That¡¯s a little queer!¡± Yu Yifeng thought and anxiously said, ¡°Lil Chen, stop!¡±


    ¡°Arghhhh!¡± Still, Xiao Chen ignored him and shouted. Immediately, his body turned into a beam of light, merging with the Sword of the Vermillion Bird. Instantly, the red light on the sword body became much brighter. It looked as if a 10-meter-long flame had wrapped it. Everyone on the spot turned pale with fright. ¡°Become one with the sword!¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± With the sound of a wind, the Sword of the Vermillion Bird that looked like a 300-meter-long beam of scarlet light went straight toward Red Sleeve. Instantly, the situation was changing. The world dulled. The sword brought all things to its knees!


    Yu Yifeng was great horrified because he knew the sword strike could also be a mortal blow to Xiao Chen. At this time, Xiao Chen had already integrated into the sword body, which meant that he was consuming his Life Span. Once Red Sleeve launched a counter-offensive, he was bound to be screwed!


    Thinking about this, Yu Yifeng thought fast. Before he could think twice, he had already sheathed his Startling Rainbow Sword in an instant. It then turned into a beam of light and stabbed at Red Sleeve with lightning speed.


    The two beams of scarlet light came at Red Sleeve fast in tandem. ¡°Swoosh!¡± In a flash, the Sword of the Vermillion Bird, which had integrated with Xiao Chen, penetrated Red Sleeve¡¯s chest. It brought a large cluster of spurting blood out of her body. Before she could react, Yu Yifeng¡¯s Startling Rainbow Sword had pierced half an inch into her glabella.


    Red Sleeve groaned. It looked like she was going to be insane. Instantly, she beat Yu Yifeng¡¯s chest. Within such a short distance, her palm attack could knock any cultivator in the Nirvana Realm or even the Apotheosis Realm to death. Being hit by her palm, Yu Yifeng spurted a mouthful of blood. Then, there was blood coming out from his eyes, ears, mouths, and nose. Obviously, all his bones were broken and his internal organs were smashed.


    ¡°Senior Brother Yu! No!¡± Qingyu shouted at the distance. She was so sad that her eyes seemed about to pop out. Two lines of tears rolled down from her eyes.


    ¡°Er¡­ Lil Chen¡­¡± Yu Yifeng floated backward as weak as the falling leaves. Gradually, his eyes closed. In fact, he didn¡¯t plan to kill Red Sleeve by merely one sword attack. What he wanted to do was to buy Xiao Chen a little time. Thus, Xiao Chen could get enough time to separate himself from the Sword of the Vermillion Bird such that Red Sleeve could not get the chance to fight back.


    ¡°Brother Yifeng!¡± Xiao Chen also separated from the sword. His eyes were wide with madness, and his hair was dancing wildly. Then again, he sent his sword toward Red Sleeve. She uttered a loud cry, turned around, and kicked Xiao Chen¡¯s back.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Xiao Chen spurted out a mouthful of blood. He bent almost double. Apparently, his backbone was broken. Both of them floated out. At this moment, a cry of crane rang in the sky.


    It sounded as if this crane¡¯s cry were coming from heaven. It echoed clearly in the entire valley. Immediately after this, a silver beam of sword radiance fell from the sky and instantly turned into a silver-haired man in a white robe.


    The man caught Yu Yifeng in mid-air and instantly sent a ray of white radiance into Yu Yifeng¡¯s glabella to prevent his soul from dissipating. And a red-crowned crane with white feather picked Xiao Chen in mid-air.

 Chapter 432 - The History of Red Sleeve

    Chapter 432 The History of Red SleeveThe man in white robe held Yu Yifeng with his arms and landed lightly on the ground. He had a supermundane appearance, like an immortal. On his back was a cyan sword case. There was a Tai Ji pattern printed on the sword case. 10cm below the pattern was the word ¡°Kunlun¡±(in seal character).


    The person who came was Tianyi Zi, the Sect Leader of Kunlun. Tianyi Zi looked at Yu Yifeng, who was in his arms, frowning a little. Then, the expression in his eyes changed a little bit. Finally, he shook his head and uttered a sigh.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    At this time, six more beams of sword radiance fell from the sky. Two young girls in snow-white clothes and four green-clothed young men carrying long swords on their backs were coming.


    The others also came over. No matter it was Perfected Immortal Feng Lan or seniors from other sects, all of them looked at Tianyi Zi with respect at this moment.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen¡¯s hands trembled a little. He took Yu Yifeng from Tianyi Zi. Gradually, his old eyes became wet. He said bitterly, ¡°Yifeng, Yifeng¡­¡±


    Qingyu¡¯s face was covered with tears. Then she pounced on Yu Yifeng and burst into tears. Just now, Xiao Chen was seriously injured, his face covered with blood. With Luo Shangyan¡¯s support, he staggered to them. ¡°Brother Yifeng¡­ Brother Yifeng¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a crane¡¯s cry sounded in mid-air, spiraling up. Tianyi Zi¡¯s red-crowned crane dived sharply to peck Red Sleeve¡¯s left eye and blinded it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Red Sleeve screamed. Just now, she was also seriously wounded. In furious, she shouted, ¡°Beast! F*ck off!¡± She slapped the red-crowned crane. But as the crane was extremely quick in movement, it avoided this palm attack. There left only a few white feathers, spiraling in the air.


    ¡°Chang Li, come back!¡±


    Seeing that the red-crowned crane was about to dive down again, Tianyi Zi shouted loudly. Then the red-crowned crane immediately flew back and landed beside Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. It kept on rubbing Yu Yifeng¡¯s face with its head, whimpering.


    ¡°Even a beast dared to bully me! Even a beast dared to bully me!¡± There was blood flowing out from Red Sleeve¡¯s blinded eye, which looked quite terrifying. Now, she appeared to be insane. Gradually, her left eye recovered. Everyone on the spot could see that even the bloody hole in her chest was also healing quickly.


    Tianyi Zi¡¯s six disciples immediately formed a golden-light sword formation and threw rays of Sword Qi to cut Red Sleeve. In an instant, a heavy gale with wildly flying stones came on to blow. Red Sleeve put forth her strength to fight back, resulting in the collapse of mountains and cracking in the ground. The six people were instantly knocked into the air by this strong force.


    ¡°You evildoer! Take this sword strike!¡±


    Tianyi Zi shouted sharply and instantly leaped to mid-air, continuously chanting spells. The sword case on his back vibrated and shot out a beam of green light, which then cut at Red Sleeve like a flash of green lightning.


    When Red Sleeve saw the flying sword coming at her like the fierce wind and thunder, her pupils contracted abruptly. She exclaimed, ¡°Sword Immortal of Kunlun!¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    The flying sword that looked like a flash of lightning went through her chest. Red Sleeve spurted a mouthful of blood, retreating several steps in a row. When she stood steady, she glared at Tianyi Zi. ¡°Kunlun Sect no longer cares about worldly affairs. There are no old grudges between us. Why do you treat me as your enemy?¡±


    ¡°You evil creature! You have been devastating the world the whole time. Even a thousand deaths will not atone for your crimes!¡±


    Tianyi Zi cast a spell. His silver hair was fluttering, and his eyes were as bright as the lighting. The sword case vibrated. Then six more colorful rays of sword radiance flew out, adding radiance and beauty to each other. Instantly, they formed a large hexagram sword formation which almost covered the entire valley and dulled the heaven and earth.


    All the people on the ground gasped. In the Kunlun Sect, everyone practiced the sword. People from the other sects could not be able to catch up with them. Red Sleeve seemed to have already known that she was facing a great menace now. Finally, she looked scared.


    ¡°Break evil!¡±


    After Tianyi Zi uttered the two words, he stretched out his two fingers. Then the hexagram sword formation launched a large number of golden radiance and Sword Qi. Instantly, wild winds began to blow, whistling, and the whole world lost its color. In the empty valley, golden light arrays, which were much brighter than the sunshine coming waves upon waves, dazzled everyone.


    Red Sleeve looked like crazy and tried to defend. But still, the six Immortal¡¯s Swords that came from behind directly tacked her up on the stone wall behind.


    ¡°Boundless heaven and earth, universal sword spell!¡± Tianyi Zi focused his attention and shouted. All of a sudden, the whole scene changed again, along with surging Immortal energy. High in the sky, the endless clouds rolled over and over. Abruptly, numerous rays of sword radiance appeared, all cutting at Red Sleeve.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Red Sleeve was pinned firmly on the rock wall, covered with blood. With hair disheveled, she kept screaming like a devil. Her voice echoed continuously in the deep valley, which scared everyone present.


    Luo Shangyan was transferring energy to help Xiao Chen heal his injuries. Xiao Chen looked up and saw the sun was already high in the sky. It was about a quarter to noon. At this time, the Yang Qi was at its height. But after 11:45, the Yang Qi would become the Yin Qi. The entire Miasma Mountain Range would be filled with the Yin Qi and Malicious Grudge. Seeing this, Xiao Chen was afraid that they would be in big trouble, so he said, ¡°Gather Yang Qi. Let¡¯s kill her!¡±


    Upon hearing his words, everyone started to act without any hesitation because now the Yang Qi was at its peak. Without reservation, each of them put forward their most powerful exclusive skills to attack Red Sleeve.


    Being fixed on the rock wall by Tianyi Zi¡¯s six swords, Red Sleeve was unable to move. But her dreary cries and screams still lingered in everyone¡¯s ears. A moment later, her head sank down after all her strength was exhausted.


    In the distance, the dozens of people from the Corpse Refinery Sect were frightened out of their wits long ago and went to hide behind several big rocks.


    A breeze passed. Everyone stopped attacking. Suddenly, after a ripple of rueful laughers, Red Sleeve slowly raised her head again. But her face was pale. She looked frail. Glancing at everyone around, she said in a sad voice, ¡°Why, why must all of you kill me¡­ I have never thought of dominating the three realms, nor did I want to live forever. I only want to be with Qing Yuan¡­¡±


    When she spoke the last few words, two lines of tears rolled out of her eyes. This moment, she didn¡¯t look like an undead zombie at all. She was obviously a living person who had lots of feelings. She choked. ¡°I was just a maid at that year. Since childhood, I was bought and sold repeatedly until I met Qing Yuan. Only after he brought me back to Lu¡¯s Manor did I finally understand that I was a person instead of an item that was doomed to be passed from one owner to another.¡±


    ¡°The Lu family is a cultivation family, but Qing Yuan loved literature since his childhood. During the daytime, I rubbed the ink-stick for him. At night, when he was reading, I stayed by his side, cutting candles and adding incense for him¡­¡±


    As she spoke this, Red Sleeve¡¯s face was full of tenderness and love. While laughing tenderly, she said, ¡°After staying with each other for a long time, Qing Yuan and I fell in love in secret. That period was the happiest time in my life. That night, I gave my virginity to Qing Yuan. We vowed solemnly never to separate from each other¡­ BUT!¡±


    Suddenly, Red Sleeve¡¯s expression became very scary, and her eyes were full of resentment. She severely rebuked, ¡°Qing Yuan¡¯s father, Lu Xinghe, knew we were in love! However, Lu Xinghe detested me because I was humble. He feared that I would ruin the Lu family¡¯s reputation. One night, he even sent someone to kill me. The killer took me out of the city, and he¡­ He raped¡­ ¡°Speaking of that, she gritted her teeth in hatred. Tears of blood kept flowing out of her eyes.


    After taking a deep breath, Red Sleeve continued, ¡°Later on, that man did not kill me only because he thought I was dead. Then he casually threw me into a mountain gully. On that very night, it rained. Raindrops fell on me continuously. It was so cold. I knew I was still alive, but I felt too shameful to see Qing Yuan again. However, he found me at last. We had been hiding in the mountain for half a month. But still, Lu Xinghe found us and took us back to the Lu family¡­¡±


    At the moment, the wind stopped. Everyone was silent, listening to her last cry.


    ¡°Qing Yuan threatened Lu Xinghe with his life, so Lu Xinghe had to give in. But as a distinguished family, the Lu family had to obey many complicated manners. They insisted that I must marry into the Lu family in an open, correct manner. Thus, they sent me to an influential family in the city. I was asked to act as the Young Lady of this family. They held a large birthday party for me on July 7th, my birthday, to inform all the people in the city that I was a Young Lady from a big family, not some humble maid¡­¡±


    Red Sleeve was already speaking with tears in her eyes. One word at a time, she sobbed out, ¡°That day was also the day that Qing Yuan came to marry me. You don¡¯t know how happy I was then¡­ BUT!¡±


    Red Sleeve¡¯s eyes were full of rage. In furious anger, she said sternly, ¡°But that day, two mysterious persons took me away! Then I underwent the bitterest ordeal in the world! Qing Yuan found that place, begging them in a hundred ways to let me go. But they, they beat him to death right in front of me! RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± As she spoke this, Red Sleeve seemed to be insane. Her eyes opened wide, and there were tears of blood flowing out. She screamed bitterly, ¡°How could I be willing to live with such a consequence?! How could I die in peace with that?! That person, that person, she could not enter the Samsara, so she took my three souls and seven spirits. By using the Samsara Life-reversing Technique, she took my identity to cheat the Ghost Realm, which enabled her to enter into the Samsara again. But I, I can never enter the Samsara since then! I even lost my chance to meet Qing Yuan in my next life! How can I accept this result?! How can I die with such an everlasting regret?!¡±


    The Rancorous Qi came! A current of heavy Rancorous Qi instantly filled the whole valley. It was the hatred that Red Sleeve could not rid herself of in the past three thousand years! Everyone felt a sudden shock in their hearts.


    Xiao Chen trembled slightly, and his mind was in a mess. ¡°To apply the Samsara Life-reversing Technique, one must have the same birthday and the same Destiny as the other. Red Sleeve, born on July 7th, has a Mystic Yin Body. If she wants to resurrect and enter the Samsara, she must find a person who was also born on July 7th and had a Mystic Yin Body. Then¡­ The person who took her away that year must also have been born on July 7th and had a Mystic Yin Body!¡±


    There seemed to be a thunder sounded in Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. Suddenly, he had no idea what to do with his hands and feet. Seeing that his face looked terrible, Luo Shangyan helped him up and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his hand, ¡°No¡­ Nothing¡­¡± But in his mind, he thought. ¡°Weiyang¡­ Weiyang, she would never do such a thing. Someone must have been behind all of this. Someone else played the tricks!¡±


    Red Sleeve laughed in a deep voice. Her voice sounded a bit gloomy. ¡°Later on, I died¡­ But I still held a breath of Rancorous Qi, which brought me back from the dead! And then, it made me immortal and extremely powerful! I wanted to revenge! I was determined to go back and kill all those who betrayed me, so I slaughtered the whole Lu family and permanently imprisoned Lu Xinghe¡¯s soul¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone present could not help shivering. The Malicious Grudge could fill a person¡¯s heart with hatred, which was horrifying! Red Sleeve continued, ¡°But, but I found out that my memory has been gradually losing after I lost my soul. But I don¡¯t want to forget Qing Yuan. I will be with Qing Yuan in the next life! This time, I was blessed. I met two persons who claimed themselves to be from the Administration of Heaven. They said they could give me a soul and keep my memory forever!¡±


    The Administration of Heaven! The most mysterious soul organization of the Violet Manor! Everyone was startled.


    Red Sleeve smiled bitterly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t even have a soul. What could I trade with them? I begged them to give me some time. Then I came up with a plan. Since the Rancorous Qi could bring people back from death and give them mighty strength, why could I use it? Therefore, I founded the Corpse Refinery Sect!¡±

 Chapter 433 - Red Sleeves Past Hatred

    ¡°Thus¡­ I created the Corpse Refinery Sect!¡±


    Her cold voice reverberated in the empty valley, and everyone was shocked. This fact that she said had never occurred to them. The dozens of people hiding in the dark were even more shocked.


    Red Sleeve sneered twice and continued, ¡°At that time, I only took in homeless persons who had been severely bullied and had heavy Rancorous Qi initially. I lied to them, telling them that the Corpse Refinery Sect came down from ancient times. They believed it¡­¡±


    ¡°Later, more and more people joined the sect, so I set the rules of the sect. I would take the soul of anyone who made a mistake. Of course, I exchanged these souls with the Administration of Heaven for my soul¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I convinced them that the Administration of Heaven bounded the Corpse Refinery Sect. But as long as one Divine Corpse woke up, the sect could break away from the Administration of Heaven. They believed all that I said. Thus, they helped me gather the Malicious Grudge for three thousand years without any doubt¡­¡±


    As Red Sleeve was whispering to herself, she sneered even more sarcastically. ¡°After that, I gathered more and more Malicious Grudge. Not content with remembering Qing Yuan, I wanted to enter the Samsara and reincarnate! I even wanted to be with Qing Yuan in my next life! Thus, I must find a person with a Mystic Yin Body who was born on July 7th!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone was startled because this woman was extremely horrifying. The dozens of people in the Corpse Refinery Sect, the Elders Wu Fa and Wu Tian, and even the Great Immortal from Hell felt shocked and somewhat a little sad.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body trembled slightly. What Red Sleeve said was almost the same as what Yu Yangzi had told him. She used the Corpse Refinery Sect to collect the Malicious Grudge and find people with Mystic Yin Body who were born on July 7th. For the past three thousand years, these people believed her without a shadow of a doubt. Everyone had to admit that Red Sleeve was much better at calculating and playing tricks than the majority, including those overwhelmingly arrogant Sect Leaders of the Cultivators¡¯ sects. These people could not even stand comparison with her.


    ¡°You evildoer! You have a lot of excuses! But these cannot be your reasons for harming others!¡±


    A bitter reproach drew the crowd back to reality. Tianyi Zi floated in mid-air, his eyes flashing like lightning and sleeves fluttering. Behind him, there were seven Immortal¡¯s Swords produced by True Energy suspending.


    Red Sleeve sneered. All at once, her eyes became ice-cold. She looked completely different from her weak and feeble appearance just now. In a deep voice, she said, ¡°So what¡­¡±


    The crowd finally knew what happened when they saw that she was not as weak as before. In shock, they said, ¡°Oops! 11:45 has passed! She was stalling for time!¡±


    They were right. Red Sleeve told them such a long story just now only to buy her some time. Now it had passed 11:45. The Yang Qi between heaven and earth had turned into the Yin Qi. Since they were in the Miasma Mountain Range covered by Rancorous Qi, they felt the change. Suddenly, a dark cloud came and hid the sun in the sky. A current of cold air gradually penetrated through from the underground.


    ¡°No good!¡± The crowd gasped. For a time, they rushed on like a swarm of hornets. However, Red Sleeve laughed twice, insidiously. Then, her whole body shocked with Malicious Grudge. She managed to knock her six Immortal¡¯s Swords that nailed her up into the air. All the people from the Orthodox Path were violently pushed into the air by this tremendous force while vomiting mouthfuls of blood.


    Red Sleeve looked up, laughing. But suddenly, her eyes turned cold. ¡°11:45 had passed already. The Yang Qi had also turned into the Yin Qi. Now endless Rancorous Qi and Yin Qi enveloped the whole Miasma Mountain Range. None of you can leave alive!¡±


    Just as her words fell, ten people suddenly appeared in the cave. It was the ten people who went to look for Li Muxue in previous. The leader of them said, ¡°Master, we failed to find Miss Li¡­¡±


    With that, a strong wind came at the ten people. Red Sleeve launched her attack. However, Xiao Chen had already expected that she would strike so that he used the Star-shifting Substitution. Within a second, he drew the ten people to his side.


    ¡°Boom!¡± There was a loud bang. It turned out that Red Sleeve collapsed the cave. Now that she completely blocked the entrance of the cave, around which, the dust and smoke were rolling.


    Ten people, including Levitating Dark Fragrance, barely escaped with their lives. All of them were still in a state of shock. One of them who regained consciousness reported to Xiao Chen, ¡°Master, we searched the entire cave but could not find Miss Li. I¡¯m afraid¡­ I¡¯m afraid Miss Li was not here¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen crunched his fingers. He turned into a beam of light and rushed fast toward Red Sleeve. ¡°Where is Muxue?¡±


    ¡°Poom!¡± With a quick bang, Red Sleeve blocked his attack and said sternly, ¡°I told you that she was in a place that you could never find!¡± As she finished shouting, she gathered all her force coming from the Malicious Grudge and directly knocked Xiao Chen out into the air.


    The boundless Yin Qi was gathering quickly, which covered the entire valley in an instant. The dark clouds that gathered blotted out the sky and covered the sun¡­


    Tianyi Zi¡¯s hands were casting spells with waves of golden light shining between his fingers. Suddenly, he shouted in a loud voice. ¡°The just Qi of heaven and earth, kill the devils and defeat the evil creatures! Go fast!¡± At the end of his words, three beams of golden sword radiance stabbed at Red Sleeve. All of a sudden, the Immortal energy was surging, shaking heaven and earth.


    Red Sleeve growled with her fierce eyes. Stretching out her left arm, she actually withstood the three golden swords by her force coming from the Malicious Grudge. When other people from the Orthodox Path in the distance saw this, they held their Immortal¡¯s Swords and tried to take her by storm. Immediately, the Mystic Power dashed to the skies, which nearly cracked the whole valley.


    ¡°Er-ah!¡± Red Sleeve performed her force to push. As a consequence, she instantly knocked back Tianyi Zi¡¯s three Universal Devil-vanquishing Swords. Those people from the Orthodox Path could not even withstand such a single blow. The souls and bodies of some people with low cultivation were directly destroyed. Some people with high cultivation were also knocked back into the air while vomiting blood.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Red Sleeve laughed in a ferocious voice. At this moment, the Yang Qi had turned into the Yin Qi. The whole Miasma Mountain Range was shrouded in the Rancorous Qi and Negative Qi, which almost made her an invincible existence at this moment.


    Gasping, everyone looked at each other in horror. Just then, an ice-cold chill suddenly emerged behind them. One after another, they turned around and were all shocked. Xiao Chen¡¯s pupils were red with looming coldness. The boundless Yin Qi around seemed to be slowly introduced into his body.


    As they saw such a scene, many people were stunned. If the Yin and Yang were unbalanced in ordinary people¡¯s bodies, they would be severely damaged or even lost their lives. Now it was evident that the Yin Qi inside Xiao Chen had accumulated to its fullest, but he even appeared to be much stronger.


    ¡°Er-ah!¡± With a loud reproach, Xiao Chen flew toward Red Sleeve like a ray of light. Everyone on the spot merely felt that a stream of strong wind went past. When they understood what was happening, they heard a loud bang. Then the whole valley trembled. Xiao Chen and Red Sleeve were confronting each other in mid-air.


    Their forces were surging like torrential tides, which seemed to tear heaven and earth apart. Wild winds suddenly filled the whole valley, and rubble started to roll down. Everyone was stunned. After the Yang Qi had turned into the Yin Qi, Red Sleeve became much stronger. But why did Xiao Chen also look much stronger?


    All the up-and-coming talents like Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and others looked shocked. On the other side, Qi Heng, who was from the Order of the Divine Fire, was standing behind the crowd. His face was ghastly pale. Cold sweat kept rolling down on his forehead, and his palms also turned sweaty. It seemed that he was waiting for something.


    In mid-air, strong winds whistled past. Xiao Chen still stood there, facing Red Sleeve. With blue veins stood out on their faces, they refused to give in to the other. Xiao Chen said fiercely, ¡°Who took you away three thousand years ago?¡±


    Red Sleeve said as her eyes looked malicious. ¡°If I knew who she was, I would let her live in the hell forever!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°The person could not be Weiyang. Usually, only because a person cannot enter the Samsara, he or she has to use the Samsara Life-reversing Technique to resurrect. Even though Weiyang exerted the Three-Life Soul-Breaking Spell at that year, her soul didn¡¯t dissipate. It was unreasonable that she could not enter the Samsara. So, could it be¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was suddenly shocked. Someone used the Samsara Life-reversing Technique and resurrected him, which meant that he himself could not enter the Samsara at all. But after he was executed at the Mystic Cyan Sect, there was no reason that he could not enter the Samsara. Therefore, he guessed that there was only one possibility¡ªWeiyang and he did not die at that time! ¡°But what happened later to keep Weiyang and me out of the Samsara?¡±


    ¡°But what happened later on?¡± Xiao Chen tried hard to think about it. But he could not even recall a little bit. He could not remember anything that happened after his execution of the Mystic Cyan Sect.


    ¡°What exactly had happened that year? Where did all the gods go? It was impossible that all of them had gone to the Heaven Realm. If they all went to the Heaven Realm, how could there be no record about that? It seemed that my memory at that time had totally disappeared. What exactly had happened at that time? Who resurrected Weiyang and me?¡±


    Xiao Chen felt more and more confused. Seeing that he was in a trance now, Red Sleeve struck him in the chest, catching him off guard. Xiao Chen gave a grunt, feeling that his internal organs were smashed. Abruptly, he flew backward.


    When he fell to the ground, Xiao Chen composed himself. ¡°Now it is not the time to think about those things. I should think about how to deal with Red Sleeve. Once it has passed 13:00, the Yin Qi in the Miasma Mountain Range will become much heavier. I¡¯m afraid that we will be no match for her even if the Immortal King from Heaven¡¯s Realm descends to the Human World to help.¡±


    Thinking about this, Xiao Chen quickly chanted a few spells. Then a brilliant ray of light went to strike Red Sleeve. On the other side, Tianyi Zi also turned into a beam of golden light with his Immortal¡¯s Sword and came directly at her.


    On the ground, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen gathered the strength of everyone, and suddenly, the white radiance on his body suddenly increased greatly. Like an immortal that descended to the world, he shouted loud and attacked with his Immortal¡¯s Sword.


    At this moment, there was Tianyi Zi, who was the Sect Leader of Kunlun, Xiao Chen, who could turn the supreme Yang Qi and the supreme Yin Qi, and Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, who gathered all people¡¯s strength. The three of them were considered as the top three masters in the world. However, when they worked together to attack Red Sleeve, their swords were stopped by her force coming from Malicious Grudge. None of them could move forward even a little bit.


    It looked like they had made great efforts to fight her. A sneer was hanging on Red Sleeve¡¯s face. As the Yin Qi around them became increasingly dense, she seemed to be more and more relaxed. In the end, she growled and vehemently knocked the three of them into the air.


    Everyone was startled. After falling back to the ground, Tianyi Zi instantly adjusted his breath. When Perfected Immortal Qing Chen got back to the ground, he spurted a mouthful of blood. As for Xiao Chen, he could not help stepping back repeatedly. He felt that he vaguely lacked in strength. It seemed that he had severely overdrawn today.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Red Sleeve laughed loudly, and there was more and more Yin Qi gathering around. Each of them looked as white as a sheet. If Tianyi Zi could not deal with her, then who else in this world could defeat her? All her enemies on the spot felt a chill, for they knew that the death was approaching.


    ¡°Use the Rancorous Qi in this Miasma Mountain Range to attack her!¡±


    Suddenly, a clear woman¡¯s voice came from the valley¡¯s entrance. Following the sound, they saw a woman in lilac clothes coming over like a butterfly. The woman held the Reed of Frosted Blue-Violet Jade. She was precisely Su Lianyue, who was from Fort Raksasa.


    Upon hearing her suggestion, the crowd felt a little puzzled. Red Sleeve made a living with Rancorous Qi. If they used the Rancorous Qi to attack her, would it only have an exactly opposite effect? However, Red Sleeve¡¯s expression changed dramatically. Without thinking, she directly turned into a ray of red light and went to kill Su Lianyue. But Xiao Chen reacted as fast as the lightning and stood in front of Su Lianyue in an instant. ¡°Boom!¡± After a loud bang, stones cracked, and the earth quaked.


    Xiao Chen stared firmly at Red Sleeve, who had been repulsed to prevent her from killing Su Lianyue. In a deep voice, he asked, ¡°What did you say just now?¡±


    Although Su Lianyue had almost lost her life, she was still not panicked at the moment. She replied, ¡°Do you remember the old man whom we met in the mystic domain¡¯s cave that night? I have no time to explain everything to you right now. Since the Yang Qi had just turned into the Yin Qi, the whole Miasma Mountain Range was filled with Rancorous Qi now. You must hurry up to gather all the Rancorous Qi. Only by using the three thousand years¡¯ Rancorous Qi in this Miasma Mountain Range can you destroy her for real!¡±


    Once again, Red Sleeve¡¯s face changed, and she wanted to attack again. But Tianyi Zi immediately blocked her. Xiao Chen seemed to understand Su Lianyue¡¯s words instantly. Then he shouted, ¡°I will make a formation. Please help me to resist her for a moment!¡±

 Chapter 434 - Grudges Went with the Wind

    Before everyone realized what was happening, Xiao Chen already jumped up and hung in the air. He kept waving his arms and projecting Mystic Power into all directions. It seemed like he was creating some kind of formation, but he was not. It was a Yin-gathering Formation that Red Sleeve had created here well in advance. Now he was just using it.


    Dark clouds gathered here with howls and wails. Suddenly Red Sleeve¡¯s face turned pale and she was about to attack Xiao Chen. Seeing the sharp changes in her face, everyone was all but convinced. It turned out that what Su Lianyue had said was true.


    Tianyi Zi moved his body and pushed her back. All the people from Orthodox Path were working together. They had to exert themselves and even sacrifice themselves to buy Xiao Chen some time!


    Dark clouds kept gathering and there came howls and wails. They were formed by the Rancorous Qi of people who died in Miasma Mountain Range in thousands of years.


    Red Sleeve was all the more unhinged. She was putting her life on the line. Each time she launched an attack, someone would die. But with people from Orthodox Path putting their lives on the line as well and with Tianyi Zi in her way, it was not that easy for her to stop Xiao Chen. She turned her head and threatened that ¡°Your souls are in my hand! If I die, none of you can live!¡±


    People behind her, Great Immortal from Hell included, were shocked. Wu Fa and Wu Tian gritted their teeth. They moved their bodies and attacked those people from the Orthodox Path. Tianyi Zi cast a spell and the sword case on his back vibrated. Two swords flew out and in the blink of an eye, their heads were chopped off.


    Sword Immortal of Kunlun never missed a shot.


    Witnessing the death of their grand elders Wu Far and Wu Tian, the remaining dozens of disciples of Corpse Refinery Sect lost their morale and fled out of the valley. As for the several Corpse Puppets, without anyone to manipulate them, they were nothing but corpses.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Red Sleeve¡¯s hair levitated in the air, and she looked insane. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! None of you can!¡± In the wake of a blast of Rancorous Qi, another dozen people died. Even Perfected Immortal Qing Chen was blown away by the blast and kept spitting out blood.


    Now dozens of seniors of the Orthodox Path, like Qingfeng, Zi Mo, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan and Fengxi, were all badly injured. Some of them even died. But they didn¡¯t give up. They were still fighting with all their might, just to stall for time.


    Finally, all the clouds were gathered here. They turned into black fogs that hovered above the valley. As the black fogs gathered, the valley buzzed with hair-raising howls and wails. With the dark clouds that enshrouded the valley, the whole valley was like in hell. The cries of ghosts were the Malicious Grudges of the deceased in the last moment of their lives.


    Many female disciples of Cultivators¡¯ sect were scared and turned ghastly pale. The black fogs that hovered in the sky were like evil ghosts. Some of them even looked like human faces.


    Suddenly, after a few howls, the black fogs flew towards Red Sleeve, like predators pouncing on their prey. Red Sleeve shouted, ¡°Ah! Get lost! Get lost!¡± She kept waving her arms, only to no avail. The black fogs that were comprised of Malicious Grudges would not disperse.


    These fogs penetrated her body, which was mind-blowing to watch. But the Malicious Grudges were far from enough. They could not give her a fatal blow.


    Suddenly, the temperature in the valley dropped quickly and people¡¯s swords began to vibrate involuntarily. More Rancorous Qi gathered here quickly. Unlike the howls and wails brought by the previous Rancorous Qi, now the Rancorous Qi was full of sobs of women. They were the Malicious Grudges of women who were killed by Red Sleeve in the past three thousand years.


    These women were unable to enter Samsara so their Malicious Grudges could not disperse. After years of accumulation, their Malicious Grudges grew stronger than the previous ones. Now, all the Malicious Grudges in the whole Miasma Mountain Range were attracted here by an invisible force. They flew across the forest with the howls and wails, scaring numerous raptors and beasts away.


    Red Sleeve¡¯s face turned pale and her hair became disheveled. She screamed, ¡°No! No!¡±


    A large amount of Rancorous Qi flew towards her. It shuddered one to imagine how strong the Malicious Grudges of women who were tortured to death throughout the three thousand years could be. Now they were gathered together and had far surpassed the Malicious Grudges of Red Sleeve.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Red Sleeve kept screaming. The reason why Xiao Chen could easily defeat the hundred-year Corpse Puppet of the Corpse Refinery Sect back then was that he held more Malicious Grudges than those Corpse Puppets. Now, the Rancorous Qi from the whole mountain overwhelmed those of Red Sleeve¡¯s. That¡¯s why they could give her a fatal blow.


    ¡°Lu Xinghe! Lu Xinghe! I know it¡¯s you! I know it¡¯s you!¡± Red Sleeve looked deranged. Blood tears trickled down her face. She screamed to the valley, ¡°Come out, Lu Xinghe! Why? Why would you stop me again? Why would you help them? Why did you tell them the way to kill me? I¡¯m your daughter-in-law! Why? No!¡±


    The Rancorous Qi around grew stronger and kept pouncing on her. They ate away her flesh, revealing the white bones. Everyone was terrified by the gruesome sight.


    Finally, Red Sleeve was weakened by the infinite Rancorous Qi. She hummed, ¡°The world is harsh. People are indifferent. The morning wind blows past, wiping the tear stains away. I want to write my heart down, only to find myself leaning against the railing and speaking to myself. I¡¯m left alone. Things aren¡¯t what they used to be. My lovesickness is as tight as the rope of a swing. The sound of horns makes me feel all the colder in the night.¡±


    The sorrowful song resonated in the valley. It was like a saddening love song that made everyone who heard it feel a tad sad. The inexperienced female disciples of Cultivators¡¯ sect had tears in their eyes. They murmured, ¡°If she is willing to make up for her mistakes, can we just let her go?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Are you out of your mind?¡± A senior snapped at them right away.


    The Rancorous Qi was still gathering, but Red Sleeve was barely breathing. An icy fire started all over her. She lied on the ground and kept crawling forward, with blood tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°The world is indifferent. What can I still be attached to? I¡¯m suffering the agony of separation. No! Qing Yuan. I can¡¯t die! I can¡¯t die! If I die I won¡¯t get to see you again! Qing Yuan. Where are you? No!¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t die. Who has spared a thought for me? Who has shown sympathy for me? I can¡¯t die! Qing Yuan!¡±


    The voices faded out, leaving only burned bones on the ground. As a breeze blew past, the white bones turned into ashes and were blown away. They were sprinkled all over the valley, on the leaves, beside the creeks, or into the mountain streams.


    At the same moment, the dark clouds and the Rancorous Qi dispersed. The Rancorous Qi that had enshrouded the Miasma Mountain Range for thousands of years finally dispersed. Sunlight finally reached the valley. It was cast on people¡¯s faces and made them feel warm.


    Everyone stared in silence at the direction in which Red Sleeve disappeared. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen sighed. ¡°For three thousand years she had killed numerous people, but now she died because of their Rancorous Qi. That may be the Cause and Effect circulation that Master Xuanji always talks about. But people like Red Sleeve don¡¯t show up without reason. There must be another layer of karma that leads to this. But who is the cause of it?¡±


    After he finished, he looked at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was raised up by Luo Shangyan. His face was pale, obviously because supporting the Yin-gathering Formation had consumed a lot of his True Energy.


    ¡°Alas. Red Sleeve is a poor woman.¡±


    Suddenly, a sad voice of an old man came from afar. People looked at where the voice came and saw an old man with white hair and in a red robe walking slowly towards them. The old man looked sad and had deep wrinkles in his face. It turned out that he was the Lu Xinghe that Red Sleeve was talking about and the soul body that Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue had seen in the cave in the mystic domain.


    Two hours ago, Su Lianyue was hiding. When the Orthodox Path was on the losing side, that was an excellent chance for her, but when she saw Xiao Chen badly be injured and asking Red Sleeve to give Muxue back, she felt a pain in her heart. Out of no reason, she wanted to help Xiao Chen. It was she who had entered the ice cave and had returned to the mystic domain to look for Lu Xinghe.


    Lu Xinghe sighed and walked slowly towards them. At the sight of the burns on the ground, he couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. ¡°Three thousand years had passed. Her grudges finally dispersed. She had never lived a happy day in these three thousand years. Every day she was tortured by the grudges.¡±


    When he finished, his face was already full of tears. Everyone was standing in dead silence because they could guess who the old man was. Lu Xinghe shook his head and sighed. ¡°Everything started because of my secular ideas. Now three thousand years had passed. All the grudges had gone with the wind. It doesn¡¯t matter whether we can enter Samsara or not. None of us will have the memory of our previous lives. Just let it go.¡± After he finished, his body became more and more transparent. In the end, his body turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared with the wind.


    Suddenly the valley became quiet. They could only hear the winds and rustling leaves. Out of the blue, Xiao Chen felt a pain in his heart. ¡°Not good. Where is Muxue?¡±


    Qingluan immediately came to him with some people. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go find her with you!¡±


    Now disciples of Jade Qing Sect finally realized that Li Muxue was still nowhere to be found. Suddenly a gentle sound of Koo-chee came from a bush nearby and a chubby little creature came out of it.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    Xiao Chen calmed himself down. ¡°Brother Koo-chee, do you know where Muxue is?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee¡­ Umm¡­ Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast thought for a while. Then it turned around and ran southeastwards. Xiao Chen immediately followed it, so did Qingluan and her girls.


    The Koo-chee beast ran for one or two kilometers and entered a forest. Then it kept circling around a big tree and saying, ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    Qingluan immediately walked to the tree and injected a beam of Mystic Power into the bottom of the tree. She was astounded. ¡°Master! The bottom is hollow!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. Qingluan immediately brought some people to uproot the tree and there really was a secret path. As soon as they entered the secret path, they felt frozen to the marrow.


    There was no light in the secret path. It was not until Xiao Chen created a white radiance that they could see the surroundings. The stone walls were covered with thick ice and the secret path twisted and turned in the mountain, seemingly endless.


    They moved as fast as they could for the time of burning half-stick of incense. Suddenly, they felt a freeze, a freeze so strong that even Xiao Chen could barely stand. Qingluan and the girls from Levitating Dark Fragrance could barely move.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast ran in the front. It ran into something and rebounded, rolling to Xiao Chen¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Watch out, Brother Koo-chee!¡± Xiao Chen helped it up and then raised its head. He made the white radiance brighter and saw an ice wall not far ahead.


    Xiao Chen walked to the wall and exerted himself. With a rumble, the ice wall was broken and a gust of frozen wind came out instantly.


    They all felt cold. After the ice wall collapsed, the ice palace behind was revealed. It was totally built with ice, which exuded extreme coldness.


    Xiao Chen slowly walked in. The ice creaked as he stepped on it. Although the six girls from Levitating Dark Fragrance felt cold, they still walked behind him.


    The ice palace was spacious. In the middle of the ice palace, there stood a giant ice crystal. Tears welled up in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes and blurred his sight.

 Chapter 435 - Hair in the Day, Snow in the Night

    In the ice crystal, there was a girl that was as beautiful as a goddess. She was wearing nothing and her body shape was perfect, like a piece of artwork by heaven. But her hair was as white as snow.


    Her eyes were closed, making her eyelashes distinguishable. Her face looked quiet. Her hands were crossed on her belly. Her hair was just long enough to cover her breasts.


    She was not Hua Weiyang but Li Muxue.


    ¡°Muxue.¡±


    Xiao Chen had some tears in his eyes. He wiped off his tears and stepped to the crystal. After putting his hands on the thousand-year-old ice, he exerted his power to send out heat, but a freeze in the ice pushed it back and entered his viscera. At the drop of a hat, he was covered with a layer of frost.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Qingluan and others were shocked and ran to him right away, but Xiao Chen shook his head and kept sending out the heat. He was trying to melt it but was also restraining his power because he didn¡¯t want to hurt the girl inside.


    Qingluan made an eye-contact with the five persons behind. Understanding what she meant, they went to the crystal and helped him melt it. The ice was taken from the extremely cold north world. No one knew how Red Sleeve had managed to seal her inside the ice, so it was very difficult for them to melt it.


    The time of burning half-stick of incense had passed. Frost appeared on the seven people¡¯s eyebrows and hair. The Koo-chee beast walked back and forth and murmured, seeming worried as well. Despite their efforts, the ice could not melt. Qingluan said with difficulty, ¡°Master, please have a rest. I¡¯ll do the work.¡±


    Xiao Chen concentrated in silence and strengthened the supreme Yang Qi in his body. After another time of burning half-stick of incense, the ice finally began to melt. The stone table was soaked in water. In the end, when the ice was totally melted, Xiao Chen reached out his hands and caught Li Muxue¡¯s body. When he touched her cold and soft body, he could not help shedding tears.


    After wiping off his tears, Xiao Chen took off his coat and wrapped her body with it, but Li Muxue was not breathing and her heart was not beating.


    Xiao Chen sobbed and gritted his teeth. Tears kept running down his face. He sobbed and raised his head from time to time, but all the while he kept his mouth closed, preventing himself from crying out.


    The girls from Levitating Dark Fragrance always saw him happy-go-lucky and tell jokes since they began to follow him. They had never seen him showing such sadness. Saddened by the sight, they felt tears in their eyes.


    Qingluan¡¯s eyes turned red. She said while sobbing, ¡°Master, let¡¯s get out first.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t answer her. Suddenly he gathered his True Energy and planted a kiss on Li Muxue¡¯s lips. He was trying to give her his supreme Yang Qi through her mouth.


    The supreme Yin Qi could bring a dead person back to life, whereas the supreme Yang Qi could resurrect a living person after he or she died. But the latter one was just a legend. Several people from the Levitating Dark Fragrance shrieked, ¡°Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen was already worn out today. If he kept consuming his energy, it might be detrimental to his Life Span. Those on the spot were worried and wanted to stop him, but Qingluan raised her arm and shook her head.


    The time of burning half-stick of incense had passed and Xiao Chen was still transferring his supreme Yang Qi to Li Muxue. Despite his efforts, her body was still cold. There was no sign of life.


    Suddenly Qingluan said, ¡°Ma-Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen sobbed, raised his head and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Not just Qingluan, but the other five persons from the Levitating Dark Fragrance opened their eyes wide as if they saw something horrible. Qingluan said in a trembling voice, ¡°Master, your, your hair¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen lowered his head and saw his reflection on the ice. He saw his hair turning white very fast. Before long, his hair was as white as that of Li Muxue and he looked like a man living on borrowed time.


    Xiao Chen put on a wry smile. This Undead Body was finally dying. Suddenly the ice palace shook for a while. It seemed like it was going to collapse. Qingluan and the five members of the Levitating Dark Fragrance were immediately poised to protect him. Qingluan cast a spell and took out a garment from the Divine Vessel. She said, ¡°Please allow me to dress Miss Li. Master, please leave here at once!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Another rumble came and the ice palace was shaking more rapidly. Myriads of ice blocks fell. The five girls immediately created a defensive Barrier. Qingluan gritted her teeth and took over Li Muxue from the frozen Xiao Chen and dressed her.


    The ice palace was shaking more rapidly. Qingluan urged him ¡°Master! This place is going down. Let¡¯s leave here quickly!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were glazing. He said curtly, ¡°You go first! I will destroy the Earth Spiritual Meridian here! I will make it disappear forever!¡±


    Qingluan gritted her teeth and frowned. ¡°Master, it¡¯s not the time to get emotional. Let¡¯s leave!¡± Then she looked around and continued, ¡°When I came in, I felt an unusual force deep under the ground. Let¡¯s just leave!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast also kept nodding. It blinked as it looked at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen pinched his fingers, took Li Muxue from Qingluan and rushed out. After they got out, the ice palace and the secret path had caved in and an eerie freeze came through the ground.


    Xiao Chen looked at Li Muxue in his arms. Her hair used to be black as ink, but now it was white as snow. Seeing her like this, he could not help shedding tears again.


    After taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen walked slowly to the valley. When he arrived there, he saw some people exercising and meditating, and some others arguing. When they noticed Xiao Chen was back, they all turned their heads.


    They were dumbstruck by the white hair of Xiao Chen and the girl in his arms. After all, Xiao Chen was safe and sound a moment ago.


    ¡°Xue¡¯er!¡± Yanluo screamed and ran towards her. But Xiao Chen moved his body to one side, preventing anyone from touching Li Muxue. He said without emotion, ¡°She is dead.¡±


    Disciples of the Jade Qing Sect were startled and Yanluo reacted as if she was struck by thunder. She covered her forehead with her hand and hobbled. Zi Mo immediately supported her up. ¡°Junior Sister, don¡¯t worry!¡± Then he stared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about nonsense, you brat!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply but walked forward instead. He was angry because of what Yanluo said when she took Li Muxue away from Tianyuan City. ¡°From now on, you have nothing to do with her!¡±


    Who would have thought that was the last time they saw each other.


    Now he was like a powder keg that would explode when touched. He would hurt anyone who wanted to harm him as well as anyone who wanted to protect him.


    When he approached the crowd, Xiao Chen looked at the people who were surrounding Su Lianyue and said nonchalantly, ¡°Let her go.¡± Then he walked towards a vacant shade.


    His tone was so cold that everyone shivered. Some people from the Orthodox Path didn¡¯t allow Su Lianyue to leave because they wanted the information about Devils¡¯ sects from her.


    Su Lianyue looked at the white figure of Xiao Chen, who was walking away. Maybe the reason why she looked for Lu Xinghe was she didn¡¯t want to owe him. In this case, she would not feel sorry when they had to fight one day.


    As he arrived at the shade, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t respond to the crowd anymore. He gently touched the white hair on Li Muxue¡¯s temples and recalled the past. He recalled their first meeting in Lingtai Town. He could still hear their chats in the past. Smiles began to show up on his face, but his eyes were turning red.


    Luo Shangyan and other people knew he wanted to be alone so they didn¡¯t disturb him. At the same time, Tianyi Zi, the leader of Kunlun Sect was transferring True Energy to Yu Yifeng¡¯s body, but Yu Yifeng could not wake up either. Qingyu¡¯s eyes had already turned red.


    Another fight started in the crowd of Orthodox Path. Su Lianyue sneered. ¡°I got you out of danger. But now you are not showing gratitude and won¡¯t let me go? Is this how you define the Orthodox Path?¡±


    Surrounded by many disciples of Cultivator¡¯s Sect, she was not scared and kept arguing with them. Had a female disciple of Cultivator¡¯s Sect been surrounded by the Devils¡¯ sects, she would have been scared to death.


    After hearing her words, many of them felt sorry. Perfected Immortal Feng Lan cleared his throat and said sternly, ¡°We really appreciate your help today, but after all, we are on different paths. We noticed some activities of Devils¡¯ sects nearby the other day, so we were hoping you could inform us of them so that we could take some precautions.¡±


    The overtone was they were afraid of the ambush of Devils¡¯ sects. Now disciples of Orthodox Path were badly injured and Tianyi Zi could not accompany them all the time. If attacked by powerful disciples of Devils¡¯ sects, none of them could live.


    Su Lianyue smiled lightly. ¡°I have been working alone for three months. I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, senior Feng Lan.¡±


    ¡°You demonic woman! Stop pretending!¡±


    Suddenly someone shouted and a red figure stood in front of Su Lianyue. That man¡¯s face was full of anger. His eyes were as bright as lightning. His robe was moving even without wind. That was Qi Heng from the Order of the Divine Fire.


    Qi Heng glared at her and snapped, ¡°Demonic woman! Let me ask you. Three months ago, Danyang Zi, my Senior Brother, entered this mountain and was poisoned at night. That was the Three Corpses Poison from your Fort Raksasa. Someone saw you corporate with Seven Killings from Bloodied Fiend Sect, Yi Yeqiu from Dark Shadow Hall and a man wearing a bamboo hat and raincoat! How can you defend yourself?¡±


    People were all astounded. So Danyang Zi was really killed by these people. Luo Shangyan also put on a long face. Now everyone in Order of the Divine Fire was indignant, but Su Lianyue was still cool and collected. She smiled. ¡°We have fought for thousands of years. What else should I do when I saw him? Dine and wine him? Why are you making a fuss? I¡¯m leaving now. Stay clear of me. Remember, it was I who got you out of danger today. If you want to repay me with animosity, be my guest!¡±


    After she said that, no one attacked her. Had it been in another situation, they would have killed her right away. But now that she had helped them, they would be looked down upon by the world if they killed her.


    Qi Heng moved his body and stopped her once again, his eyes blazing with hate. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Who was the man wearing a bamboo hat and raincoat?¡±


    The desire to kill permeated the place. Su Lianyue finally changed her face. No one was talking. Even the winds stopped howling. Out of the blue, someone said curtly, ¡°It was me. So what.¡±


    People were startled. They turned around and saw Xiao Chen, whose eyes were glazing. All his hair had turned white and was floating behind his shoulder, making him look all the scarier. Qi Heng had known it was him. All this drama was to let the Orthodox Path know that he was in cahoots with Devils¡¯ sects and had killed seniors of the Cultivator¡¯s Sect.


    Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me!¡± When she was about to leave, Qi Heng snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t you go!¡± Then he hit her with a palm that caused a gale. He didn¡¯t intend to let her live.


    People were astonished. However, in the wake of a howl of the wind, Qi Heng screamed out. There was a bloody hole in his palm and black blood kept oozing out.


    Scared at the sight of it, the crowd retreated. Qi Heng immediately hit several acupuncture points on his arm. Then he saw a 10cm long icy silver needle stuck into the ground in front of him.


    The silver needle was shiny under sunlight but it exuded coldness. When she saw the needle, Su Lianyue¡¯s face became as pale as a paper.

 Chapter 436 - 9 Destined Calamities

    Chapter 436 9 Destined Calamities¡°Who doesn¡¯t keep my people of Fort Raksasa?¡±


    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s cold voice came from the sky. Everyone was shocked and looked up. A ray of light approached from thousands of feet away. It was only clear to tell that it was a jade sedan chair flying over with speed when the light was near.


    The jade sedan was decorated with jade green beads and it was extravagant. The sedan curtain was woven with colorful silk of the immortal silkworm, so it could emit gorgeous colorful rays under the sun. Meanwhile, four beautiful women lifted the sedan in air and arrived.


    Everyone took a deep breath. The distance was at least ten thousand feet away, and that person was able to hurt people with such precision with a needle. How many people in the world could do that?


    The silver needle was light and extremely difficult to control with precision. It was completely different from controlling a sword with telekinesis. The wind direction and other factors were to be considered as the force was being exerted onto the needle. It was imaginable how high the cultivation level of that person who controlled the needle was.


    That colorful jade sedan was above the valley in a blink of an eye and was stationed in air. Through the curtains, a woman could be seen sitting in there. Su Lianyue was already pale, and cold sweats were all over her forehead. ¡°Su Lianyue of Blue-water Altar greets the Empress!¡±


    ¡°Empress Raksasa!¡±


    Everyone was in shock. At this moment, they were all deterred by a powerful aura that came from the sedan. Even the other people in the distance who were recovering through meditation were stunned as well. Qi Heng¡¯s face changed dramatically. If that needle was directed at his vitals, he would already be dead at this moment.


    Empress Raksasa, always come and go without a trace and was extremely mysterious. She had never been seen before, and no one had ever seen her face, including the people of the Fort Raksasa. She was like a myth, and some even did not believe such a person existed at all.


    However, now that someone like this was in front of them, let alone their state at this time, even if it was their heyday, they might not be able to survive. At this moment, everyone had a layer of cold sweat on their backs.


    In a distance, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned. ¡°Is that really Empress Raksasa?¡±


    Tianyi Zi was concentrating on treating Yu Yifeng¡¯s injuries. At this time, his fingers moved and the sword box on his back immediately made a soft cry. Although it was soft, the woman in the sedan heard the cry.


    It seemed that the woman in the sedan also felt a powerful presence here, and said to Su Lianyue with a low voice, ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°Th-Thank you Empress.¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s voice was a little trembling. At this time, drops of cold sweats were all over her face. The droplets fell and soaked the ground, and she finally dared to stand up.


    After Su Lianyue got up, she did not even dare to breathe loudly. She really could not figure out why Empress Raksasa would come to this rural place in person, which made her very puzzled, and what made her even more afraid was that she had helped Xiao Chen before to deal with Red Sleeve earlier. If the Empress knew about it, she would have a terrible, terrible death¡­


    Under the pressure of this powerful aura, the people of the Orthodox Path were having difficulty breathing as well. Everyone turned to look at Tianyi Zi. At this moment, the 6 disciples of Tianyi Zi had their hands on the hilt of their swords as they stared at that jade sedan in midair.


    On Xiao Chen¡¯s side, he was still hugging Li Muxue, gently tidying up the white hair by her ears, and was blind to everything that was happening outside. The Levitating Dark Fragrance stood close and guarded him.


    The atmosphere was extremely tense, and the air was full of murderous intent. At this moment, another gust of wind came from the southeast. Everyone looked up to see dark clouds rolled into the originally clear and cloudless sky. The dark clouds covered the sky, like a long river flowing in, and a large shadow was reflected on the ground. In that instant, the birds and the beasts were disturbed.


    Suddenly, the dark cloud enveloped the entire valley, and gradually turned into a cloud of black mist suspended in the air. The crowd was shocked again as they felt a powerful Devil Qi.


    The jade sedan shook a little in midair, and a woman¡¯s ice-cold voice was heard, ¡°Is the Nether Emperor here, or is it Custodian Feng You?¡±


    Upon hearing the words ¡°Feng You¡±, Xiao Chen¡¯s face immediately seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, and he pinched his phalanx loudly. Qingluan quickly squatted down beside him and shook her head gently.


    In the distance, upon the people of the Orthodox Path heard the words ¡°Nether Emperor¡±, they were even more horrified. The four legendary characters in the four great Devil Sects; Divine Corpse of Corpse Refinery Sect, Venerable Bloodied Devil of Bloodied Fiend Sect, Empress Raksasa of Fort Raksasa, and as for the Dark Shadow Hall, it was this Nether Emperor.


    But these four rarely come out to the world and two of them were now here today. How could everyone not be surprised?


    A deep voice emerged out of the billowing black mist, ¡°Was it Empress Raksasa or was it the Dark-ocean Altar Master that has arrived?¡±


    Su Lianyue was a little surprised. Was it not the Empress who came today, but the Dark-ocean Altar Master? The position of the Dark-ocean Altar Master in Fort Raksasa was not what her little Blue-water Altar could compare to. It was second only to the Empress Raksasa. Just like the four Great Custodians of the Dark Shadow Hall; Wind, Thunder, Water, and Fire. Feng You was one of the Great Custodian, and his status was second only to the Nether Emperor.


    At this moment, there was no sound coming from the black mist and in the jade sedan, and the hearts of everyone below were strained to the extreme. Suddenly, a loud laugh came out from the black mist and the jade sedan at the same time, presumably because neither of them knew who each other was.


    The woman in the jade sedan laughed loudly, ¡°My daughter, Linglong is naughty by nature, presumably has caused a lot of trouble to your hall lately?


    The man in the black mist laughed again and said, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Empress. Princess Linglong is very well behaved, and she has been bugging Custodian Feng You to teach her the Embodiment Duplication Skill these few days.¡±


    The relationship between the four Great Devil Sects was interesting. On the surface they seemed to be peaceful and even very close, just like how the Bloodied Mad Swordsman of Bloodied Fiend Sect could be very close to Yu Linglong, and Fort Raksasa could also send Yu Linglong to Dark Shadow Hall to play. Yu Linglong also affectionately called Feng You as her uncle, and Custodian Qing Luo as Aunty Qing.


    However, there was an undercurrent within the four Great Devil Sects. At this moment, the two were still unsure of the identity of each other, and they were trying hard to probe each other¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    The two laughed again. They could laugh and joke freely, but this made the people of Orthodox Path below them more and more nervous. The woman in the sedan said, ¡°I wondered why the Emperor is here today?¡±


    ¡°So why is the Empress here this time?¡± The man in the black mist asked as well.


    As the two spoke, they did not care if the people of the Orthodox Path were there, and after they were done speaking, they seemed to let out a Divine Consciousness at Xiao Chen at the same time.


    With their high cultivation level, the moment their Divine Consciousness reached over, the faces of the Levitating Dark Fragrance immediately turned pale and could not resist it. Especially Ziyun¡¯er, who had been badly injured earlier, spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and immediately built a Barrier, blocking the Divine Consciousness of these two. However, he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness in his Sea of Qi and exhaustion and found it hard to support Barrier.


    The two withdrew their Divine Consciousness. The woman in the sedan laughed and said, ¡°Did the Emperor also come to this place for the Ghost Meridian?¡±


    ¡°Ghost Meridian!¡±


    The people of the Orthodox Path were startled. When heaven and earth first opened, they were accompanied by twelve Earth Spiritual Meridians which were scattered to places. Some of these Spiritual Meridians would branch out, then the branched out meridian would eventually leave the main meridian. If it was met with darkness, a Ghost Meridian would be formed. Just as how a bewitched man could become a Fallen Devil.


    The faces of the people changed again. Unexpectedly, the two laughed once more. The man in the mist said, ¡°So in the opinion of the Empress, what should we do to these people below?¡±


    Everyone was shocked. At this moment, their vitalities were at the lowest. How could they deal with these two leaders of Devils¡¯ sects? The woman in the sedan laughed and said, ¡°The Crape-myrtle Pavilion Perfected Immortal is here.¡±


    At this moment, Tianyi Zi finally turned around. He was full of righteousness that stood along with heaven and earth, and no demons or evil could come close. Everyone immediately moved closer to him.


    ¡°Oh, it turned out to be Kunlun Crape-myrtle Pavilion Perfected Immortal. Sorry for being disrespectful.¡± The man in the mist let out a loud laugh before turning into a dark cloud and moved towards the main peak of the Summit of Mystics.


    After that man left, the woman in the sedan seemed to be staring at Su Lianyue coldly, making her tremble.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The woman said coldly and the jade sedan immediately went towards the main peak of the Summit of Mystics but in another direction. Su Lianyue did not dare to say more and immediately flew up and followed after.


    It was not until the two disappeared completely before everyone felt relieved. Then they greeted and thanked Tianyi Zi. Tianyi Zi turned to look at the Yu Yifeng who was unconscious and said, ¡°I will take Yifeng back to the mystic domain to heal.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Qing Chen Perfected Immortal frowned, but nodded, after all. Tianyi Zi then walked over to Xiao Chen. There seemed to be a strange flash in his eyes after seeing the appearance of Xiao Chen, but he soon recovered. Then with two fingers together, he pointed at Li Muxue¡¯s eyebrows. After a while, he said, ¡°Her three spiritual and seven physical souls have not yet left the body. I¡¯ll take her back to the mystic domain, and there may be a still a way.¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly looked up at him and said, ¡°You mean Muxue can still be saved!¡±


    Tianyi Zi said, ¡°She has nine destined calamities, and in the previous life she had managed to resolve two of them. This is the third calamity¡­ Whether it can be resolved or not is dependent on her luck.¡±


    The others also walked up. Yanluo anxiously said, ¡°But I saw her Destiny that year¡­¡± Tianyi Zi immediately put his finger in front of his lips and said, ¡°The mystery of the Natural Law, don¡¯t speak lightly.¡±


    Fengxi of Xianyong Sect coughed and looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°This is the Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect; you can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°She has nine destined calamities, and in the previous life she had managed to resolve two of them. This is the third calamity¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s face was bitter, but nodded in the end and said, ¡°Thank you, Perfected Immortal¡­¡±


    Tianyi Zi sighed and said to the people behind him, ¡°Ruoxuan.¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± A female disciple immediately stepped forward and took Li Muxue from Xiao Chen. Tianyi Zi said to everyone, ¡°Farewell.¡± Then he picked up Yu Yifeng and immediately turned into a sword radiance and left. His six disciples followed after. A cry of a crane was heard, and several sword radiances disappeared into the sky.


    Looking at the sky where the sword radiances disappeared, Xiao Chen took a deep breath. Why did Muxue look so much like Weiyang? By no means was she Weiyang¡¯s reincarnation, but why was she born on the same day as Weiyang¡­


    He took a deep breath. It was useless for him to think more. He just hoped that Muxue and Brother Yifeng would be fine¡­


    ¡°Qingluan, go pick up a Corpse Puppet. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡±


    A lot of Corpse Puppets were left here. Qingluan immediately found a corpse sack and picked a Corpse Puppet up. Xiao Chen looked at the others and said, ¡°What¡¯s here is over now. I¡¯ve something to attend to, we shall bid farewell here. ¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡­¡± Luo Shangyan stopped him.


    Xiao Chen paused for a moment and finally shook his head. He would be going to Wuyin Monastery to rescue Xiao Ning next. At that time, he would be committing the taboo of the Orthodox Path again. It would not be appropriate to have a close relationship with them now, so as not to let them have his weaknesses.


    As he was about to leave. In the northwestern sky, a strong wind blew and the clouds gathered. Four sword radiances came at a rapid speed, and in an instant, they landed into the valley where everyone was and transformed into four middle-aged men with uniform clothing. On the sleeves of these four men was an identical logo, the logo of Immortals¡¯ League.

 Chapter 437 - Meeting the Envoy of Immortals League Again

    With the arrival of these four people, the crowd immediately became silent, everyone felt a pressure, but this pressure did not come from the strength of their cultivation, but their identity. It was just like when the officers met the commander in chief


    The four looked grim. With brows sharp as blades and eyes like lightning, the four quickly swept through the crowd. The leader of the pack immediately took out a gold token which shone brightly in the sun and was surrounded by a layer of mystic arts, in the middle of it carved the word, ¡°League¡±.


    At this moment, except for Xiaoyue, Immortals¡¯ League, Su Yue of the Su family etc., everyone else was startled for a little and then they bowed down immediately to pay respects. This token was the Immortal¡¯s Token issued by the main Immortals¡¯ League, not the sub-alliance Immortals¡¯ League of Tianyuan City. Seeing this token was as good as seeing the Chief of the Immortal¡¯s League in person. The people did not expect that these four were actually from the main league, and at this moment they became somewhat cautious.


    The four took a step forward, their eyes landed on Xiao Chen, and the head of the pack bellowed, ¡°Are you, Xiao Chen!¡±


    At this moment, the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance including the severely injured Ziyun¡¯er immediately stood around Xiao Chen in defense. Xiao Chen lightly pushed away Qingluan that was blocking in front of him, and took a step forward and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m. So?¡±


    The head of the envoy narrowed his eyes, he glanced at Xiao Chen with eyes cold as lightning. He stretched out his hand and bellowed, ¡°Take him down!¡±


    The three envoys at the back took the order and immediately moved up and blocked the left, right side of Xiao Chen, as well as the pathway behind him. ¡°Zing! Zing! Zing!¡± There was a blast. The 12 Levitating Dark Fragrance also called out their weapons, and in the sun, they looked even more thrilling.


    The atmosphere became tense for a moment, and everyone held their breath. Last year, Xiao Chen destroyed the Immortals¡¯ League of Tianyuan City, which led to the invasion of Devils¡¯ sects and caused the Spiritual Meridian to be greatly damaged. Later, Xiao Chen was locked into the Devil Repressed Tower. However, now that he had broken out again from the tower, it was obvious that he was on the most wanted list of Immortals¡¯ League.


    But there was something everyone did not quite get it for a moment. How did the Immortals¡¯ League know that Xiao Chen was here? Qi Heng could be seen standing with his hands behind his back in the crowd, looking calm. Obviously, when Xiao Chen went to obtain the Sword of the Vermillion Bird a few days ago, he had quietly sent someone to notify the Immortals¡¯ League. As long Xiao Chen was alive, he could not sleep in peace.


    The crowd was silent at the moment, everyone from Jade Qing Sect, and the fourth miss of the Su family, Su Yue, all frowned. The chief envoy looked at him coldly, and said gloomily, ¡°Are you trying to resist arrest? Are you aware of the consequences?¡±


    Fengxi once told Xiao Chen about a Grand Completion Realm cultivator who had resisted arrest many years ago, who was killed by the Rogue Immortal sent by the main league of Immortals¡¯ League in the end. Of course, this was a long time ago.


    Xiao Chen held his chest up and did not bat an eyelid, saying, ¡°Xiao is no longer a member of your Orthodox Path Cultivators¡¯ sect, why would I be bound by your Immortals¡¯ League? So how could this be a resist to arrest? I¡¯ve something to attend to, goodbye.¡±


    As he took a step, the chief envoy immediately shot him a cold glare and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not a member of the Orthodox Path, then you¡¯re one of the Devils¡¯ sect, and I can kill you now!¡±


    ¡°Then you can try.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were equally cold and frosty. The eyes of the two collided, and the atmosphere was instantly solidified. Fengxi and the others saw that the matter was going in a bad direction and thought why Xiao Chen had to talk back and cause trouble for himself.


    Seeing that the two were in a state of tension, the hearts of every one were strained to the extreme. Suddenly, the chief envoy let out a loud sigh and leaped. He attacked Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning. Xiao Chen instantly raised all the True Energy in his body and hit out a palm. The palm strength of the two collided, in an instant, a strong wind raged, causing the dust around them to stir up.


    Even though the chief envoy had cultivation level of Nirvana Realm, at this moment, his heart sank and thought, ¡°This boy has a strong inner strength.¡±


    At this moment, the two fought against each other, and the strong wind was surging. The faces of the people in the vicinity hurt as bad as a knife was cutting them, and they went away. Xiao Chen¡¯s white hair fluttered behind his shoulders, and his clothes were rattling. Although he was doing his best to defend, his eyes remained still. If he was in his heyday, it would not be so difficult, but just after his hair turned white in the Ice Hall, he seemed to have gradually lost the power in his body.


    The two confronted each other for a while, and finally took back their respective strengths and took a few steps back. Qingluan immediately stepped forward to support Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand to signal that everything was fine while his eyes remained cold on the chief envoy. Although his breath was disturbed by the opponent at this moment, he must not show the slightest bit.


    The people around remained in silence, and the other three envoys did not dare to do anything rush under the guard of the Levitating Dark Fragrance. The chief envoy focused his mind and thought that this person was indeed a thorn, and was someone difficult to deal with. He looked at the others behind him and said coldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me with catching this person yet!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone nearby looked at each other. Perfected Immortal Fengxi sighed and said in a weird tone, ¡°Aye, after attacking the Corpse Refinery Sect for several days and almost losing my life just now. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be recovering from my injuries in a short while!¡± After speaking, he deliberately coughed up a few mouthfuls of bruised blood, and then he sat down with his knees crossed and began to meditate.


    Perfected Immortal Qing Chen snorted coldly and swept the hem of his shirt. Then he closed his eyes and began to meditate. With the lead of these two, everyone around them sat down one by one and closed their eyes to meditate as well. After going through life and death together just now, no matter what Xiao Chen used to be, at least now it was impossible to help Immortals¡¯ League to take him down.


    ¡°You! You guys!¡± The chief envoy flared up as he saw no one was going to help him. In a distance, Qi Heng watched silently. He did not expect that Immortals¡¯ League had only sent over four people to him. They had underestimated Xiao Chen and he was very disappointed. He was not yet sure if Xiao Chen would be punished today. Hence, he could not act lightly, but to wait and see what would happen.


    Not far away, Su Yue¡¯s purple blouse fluttered. Her face was frosty, and she said coldly, ¡°There are still Devils¡¯ sects peeping in the dark now, so the four envoys don¡¯t have to be so rush about this matter right?


    The chief envoy focused his mind and acted as though he did not hear her. He suddenly made a seal and 8 golden light chains of at least 100-feet long appeared in midair. The 8 chains intertwined with each other and were glowing brightly under the sun. Everyone who had been pretending to close their eyes to meditate immediately opened their eyes upon sensing a surging Immortal energy. They exclaimed, ¡°8-worlds Heavenly Prison Chain!¡±


    The 8-worlds Heavenly Prison Chain was the supreme magic treasure of the Immortals¡¯ League. The Immortal energy of the Four Sacred Guardians of the Immortals¡¯ League had been streamed into it, and it was meant to capture the most nefarious fugitives. Once the eight chains were tangled onto the person, no matter how powerful the person, he would not be able to escape. The harder the person struggled, the tighter it would be and in the end, the souls and the body of the person would be destroyed.


    Everyone did not dare to move. They watched the eight golden chains slowly shrouded over, and finally stopped 70 to 80 feet above the ground. The chief envoy yelled, ¡°Are you going to walk by yourself or do we have to tie you up!¡±


    The 12 people of the Levitating Dark Fragrance held tightly to their weapons. Xiao Chen also held his breath and his cold glance remained on the face of the envoy opposite him. He could sense the power of the 8-worlds Heavenly Prison Chain above him, and in his current state, it was something he could not break free from.


    Suddenly, his hands stretched out, and a piece of Jade Zither was in his arms. The body of the Jade Zither was covered with dragons and phoenixes, and the carvings on it were complicated, glowing faintly with a layer of white radiance.


    Everyone was startled again, Xiao Chen quickly put his fingers on the strings, and rays of radiances appeared. The whole valley was filled with an ancient divine power at once, even the eight chains in midair trembled.


    The face of that chief envoy changed and seemed as though he wanted to say something, but Xiao Chen preempted and said, ¡°Xiao must now leave, and don¡¯t you force me. If my strings sounded and attracted that two people of the Devils¡¯ sects afar to come here, I¡¯m afraid this valley will be the burial ground of everyone here today.¡±


    Actually, in Xiao Chen¡¯s current state, he could not even sound a single string. In fact, his breathing had become more disorientated and his strength was draining even faster. This was nothing more than to deter these four people.


    Then he said coldly again, ¡°If the envoy must try, at most, you and I will both lose, but presumably the two people from the Devils¡¯ sects in the distance are more interested in you. The pros and cons, please think twice. ¡±


    As Xiao Chen spoke, he slowly stepped backward. The other three envoys did not dare to act lightly. The chief envoy frowned deeply. It seemed that he was weighing the advantages and disadvantages of this. He did not expect the power of Xiao Chen¡¯s divine zither to be this strong. What made him fear the most was that it seemed that there were indeed two strong auras in the distance. But how was he going to report when he got back if he let Xiao Chen go today?


    ¡°I just want you to make a trip. Once we get to the Immortals¡¯ League, there will be a trial by the elders. If you insist on resistance, even if you will escape today, you will be hunted endlessly in the future! The pros and cons here, please weigh them carefully as well.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll deal with that when the day comes. Xiao must leave today!¡± After speaking, Xiao Chen sped up his pace, and the four envoys were afraid to chase after seeing the divine zither in his hand.


    Leaving the valley, Xiao Chen and the 12 people of the Levitating Dark Fragrance immediately headed eastward at their fastest speed. There was the direction of Robust Spirit Town. Finally, the 13 people hurried hundreds of miles, and no one was seen chasing behind before they dared to stop and rest.


    Xiao Chen leaned on a big tree and panted hard, Qingluan had never seen him like this and guessed that the strength he had displayed in the valley was most probably an act. She walked up and asked softly, ¡°My Lord, are you all right?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his hand and did not speak. He seemed to be struggling to even speak at the moment. It seemed that this body could no longer hang on¡­


    After he paced his breathing, Xiao Chen then said, ¡°There was something I forgot to ask the Sect Leader of Kunlun. I can only make plans in the future. We must leave here as soon as possible. Immortals¡¯ League just wants to take me back, but there¡¯re some people who want my life. ¡±


    After speaking, they did not dare to delay any longer. The 13 people traveled overnight, and finally returned to Robust Spirit Town in the early morning of the next day. There were still many cultivators gathered in Robust Spirit Town. Xiao Chen now had white hair and was followed by twelve ladies and seemed particularly striking.


    Qingluan went to the shop next to the street and bought a few cages of buns and immediately set foot on their journey again. The 13 people left the town and went northeast.


    Arriving in shaded woods, Xiao Chen was a little breathless again. Qingluan immediately instructed the others to stop, then stepped forward, and handed out the oil paper bag in her hand, saying, ¡°Lord, please eat something first.¡±


    Xiao Chen leaned on a big tree and shook his hand, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you can share it with other sisters first.¡±


    Qingluan frowned, but eventually stepped back, and gave out the buns to others. In the past few days, every one of them had not eaten a single thing. Even if they were at the Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, they would still feel hunger as long as they were still mortal.


    Ziyun¡¯er was severely injured the previous day. After taking the medicine, her injuries were just a little bit better. When she saw Xiao Chen looking at her, she shook her head immediately and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, and the Lord need not worry.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. Qingluan finished distributing the buns and there were two left in the paper bag. She walked up again and Xiao Chen reached out and took one. He bit it gently in the mouth, and suddenly snorted, spitting all it out.


    The rest of them who were eating halfway were in shock, and their hands were stiffened in front of them. Qingluan quickly held him up and asked, ¡°My Lord, what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s face was a little pale, and his eyes were a little confused. He looked at the meat bun that had a bite in his hands and was still dripping with oil, and said, ¡°Why, why is this bun tasteless?¡±

 Chapter 438 - Coup

    Everyone froze and looked at the buns in their hands. It smelled so good, how could it be tasteless? Qingluan was startled a little, then she grabbed the bun in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand and took a bite. Her face seemed to become even more startled.


    ¡°Probably, probably I bought wrongly.¡± Qingluan¡¯s tone was a bit far-fetched, and after she said it, she rubbed the buns into the paper bag and threw them into the grass.


    Xiao Chen smiled weakly, had he begun to gradually lose his sense of taste? Would it be his smell, hearing, vision next¡­


    A gust of wind blew and blew up the white hair behind his shoulders.


    Qingluan coughed and said, ¡°Okay, everyone gets ready to leave.¡± The rest of them stopped eating, and Qingluan turned to look at Xiao Chen, saying, ¡°Lord, where do we go now?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Did you store the Corpse Puppet I asked you to pick up earlier properly?¡± Qingluan said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s stored properly.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Even if he was going to die, Xiao Ning had to be rescued before he died. This was his promise to Su Xiaomei, but there were so many pros in the Wuyin Monastery. Putting aside the four Great Divine Monks; Tong, Gui, Ji, Le, even that old monk outside the Devil Repressed Tower was a pro. How was he going to deal with them?


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast suddenly yelled and interrupted Xiao Chen¡¯s thoughts. Xiao Chen looked at it with a smile, and said to the others, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here too long; let¡¯s leave here first then talk about it.¡±


    The group flew on their swords for more than 150 kilometers the northeastward. When they arrived in a crowded small town, it was seemingly livelier as compared to the desolate Robust Spirit Town. The 13 of them were rather eye-catching but Xiao Chen was not bothered. He was still thinking hard on a plan to rescue Xiao Ning.


    At this moment, two middle-aged men walked towards them. The two men seemed to be discussing something. When they were neared, they only heard one of them whispering, ¡°That great devil head is incredible. Which of the current Perfected Immortal Sect Leaders can beat him?¡±


    Another person said, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t say. Recently, Wuyue Peak has been in an uproar, and the people are competing to be the first. That devil head seems to be looking for someone to fight. I¡¯m afraid that there will be another carnage.¡±


    Xiao Chen was deep in his thoughts initially, however upon overhearing their conversation, his heart sank as he thought, ¡°It¡¯s Great Devil Gu Feng!¡± Suddenly a thought flashed in his mind, and he asked Qingluan, ¡°Have you heard someone who called himself Gu Feng awhile back then?¡±


    Qingluan frowned, recalled for a moment and said, ¡°This person is not a person of the Devils¡¯ sects, however he¡¯s full of Devil Qi and is insane. Earlier, he opened a Wind Floating Platform on the top of the Wuyue Peak in the Middle Continent, challenging cultivators from everywhere. What he had said was that he wanted to make a list of celestial honors, which led to a crowd of heroes gathering, and he also seemed to be finding someone who he would fight with him to death¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and thought that it had to be Gu Feng. He was sealed by Xiao Ning for thousands of years in the Human World. When he broke out from the seal that day he mentioned that Xiao Ning had agreed to a duel, but had secretly joined forces with several major sects and ambushed him. Presumably, he now had a deep hatred for Xiao Ning.


    However, Xiao Chen believed that with Xiao Ning¡¯s character, if he had agreed to a duel then he would do it fairly and he would never join forces with others for an ambush. As for what had actually happened, Xiao Chen had some clues after what Patriarch Guanshan had said before, however, it would be difficult to trace and investigate for the time being. As for why Xiao Ning was besieged by the Five Major Sects later, it could only be known after Xiao Ning was rescued.


    Xiao Chen frowned, but it was that he had thought of a plan. He smiled and said, ¡°Very good, very good!¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er had never seen him smile since they met up with him in the Miasma Mountain Range. Now that they finally saw the gloominess on his face was cleared up, they were also happy. Ziyun¡¯er chuckled and said, ¡°What is very good? That devil head has no respect for anyone, what¡¯s good about that? Or does the Lord want to go onto that celestial list?¡±


    The thought that he could save Xiao Ning soon and also learn the truth of many things and the trace of Master, Xiao Chen temporarily set aside his troubled thoughts and smiled, saying, ¡°Neither, nor. There¡¯s a senior I want to save. Come with me.¡± Then he led the 12 people to an inn, and after closing the door, Xiao Chen told them about everything in the Devil Repressed Tower.


    The twelve were a little stunned by what they heard, Xiao Chen nodded his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s about it. Now we will divide into two routes. You go to Wuyue Peak to find Gu Feng. I¡¯ll go to Wuyin Monastery. Then we¡¯ll meet in Huai Prefecture City, if you arrive first, crush the jade note.¡±


    Qingluan frowned, and said softly, ¡°Lord, I¡¯m afraid of you being alone¡­¡± Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about me, but you must keep in mind that you must not offend that person. After you meet him, you just need to tell him that you know where Xiao Ning is, and then take him to Huai Prefecture City, where I will wait for you.¡±


    Qingluan contemplated for a moment before she finally nodded and said, ¡°The Lord must be careful. The rest of us will now head to Wuyue Peak.¡± After that, she led the other 11 people out of the room.


    After the aura of the 12 people could not be sensed, Xiao Chen suddenly leaned on side of the bed and coughed vigorously and his white hair fluttered on his back. From behind, he looked like an elderly person who was about to die¡­


    ¡°Koo-chee! Woo¡­ Koo-chee¡­¡±


    The Koo-chee beast kept going around him. After a while, Xiao Chen finally stopped coughing and slowly paced his breathing. He turned around and looked at the beast and said, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s rest for a night and we¡¯ll set foot tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°Woo¡­ Koo-chee.¡± The Koo-chee beast nodded.


    Xiao Chen chuckled and tried to exercise his skill, and found that his skill had regressed to the middle stage of Nascent Soul Realm. When he was in the valley with the chief envoy, he was still at the peak of Nascent Soul Realm. This feeling was not the Wisdom-forsaking Technique that Bai Ying taught him, it was a drainage of power, and life force¡­


    At night, Xiao Chen went to rest and the Koo-chee beast lay next to his pillow, just like that year when he was in the Devil Repressed Tower. It was about midnight, and a cool wind blew in through the window. Xiao Chen opened his eyes in confusion and found himself in a different place. The place was somewhat familiar, and it was¡­ that mystic domain in Daoist League of the Five Continents!


    Xiao Chen focused himself and walked to a cold cave, where the self-frozen white-haired man was. He touched the thousand-year-old ice gently, and the white-haired man in it still had the majestic aura, however, now that he too had white hair, somehow he felt similar to him and felt a sense of familiarity.


    Suddenly, the man opened his eyes. Xiao Chen was startled but was not scared. He asked, ¡°Who are you? Why do you repeatedly appear in my dreams? Is this your dream now, or is it my dream?¡±


    The man said nothing and looked at him quietly, then he said suddenly, ¡°How did your body¡­¡± Then he stopped abruptly.


    ¡°My body?¡± Xiao Chen looked at the white hair on his shoulders. Until now, he did not know where this ¡°Undead Body¡± of his came from and asked, ¡°Who are you? Do you know my master?¡±


    The man closed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°You can¡¯t even deal with one of my puppets now. When you can defeat my twelve puppets, then you can come and ask this question again.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at the twelve blue sarcophagi placed neatly in the cave. Indeed, each puppet inside seemed to have the strength of Grand Completion Realm, which was so much stronger than those millennium centuries-old Corpse Puppet of the Corpse Refinery Sect. If Evernight did not save them, Leopard Cat Spirit and he would have been dead.


    ¡°The dream is not a dream, leave here!¡± Suddenly the man bellowed, Xiao Chen immediately felt suffocating dizziness. When he woke up, he felt moist on his face, which turned out to be the Koo-chee beast licking his cheek.


    The sky was bright outside, and the summer heat was steaming in July. Now it had begun to be a little bit warm. Xiao Chen sat up, meditated a little and found that his skill had not yet to recover. He thought about the man in his dream last night. ¡°What you think about in the day you will dream of it at night. It was probably just a dream,¡± he thought.


    ¡°Brother Koo-chee, let¡¯s go.¡±


    After paying for the room, Xiao Chen went to the town to find a carriage and headed for Huai Prefecture. In this way, when he was in a crowded place, he took the carriage and when the place was remote, he flew on the sword.


    On the third day near noon, Xiao Chen passed through a blossoming valley on his sword. The sky was raging hot and he finally could not take it anymore and landed. The place was flourishing with plants and flowers, and it was cooling. Feeling a bit familiar, Xiao Chen looked around, only to find that it was the Falling Flowers Valley where the Heartless Palace was located.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast called out to him twice softly and immediately ran towards the entrance of the valley. Xiao Chen quickly shouted, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, come back!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee? Woo¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast looked at valley entrance again and reluctantly came back with a hum. Xiao Chen smiled forcefully and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then he looked up and looked in the direction of the valley entrance, his heart hurt immediately, and he sighed.


    They continued and walked for another mile, the sun in the sky seemed to be more vicious, Xiao Chen¡¯s lips turned white, and his steps were a little wobbly. He walked up to a big tree, thinking that he would take a rest first, however, he suddenly blackout and fainted.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast seemed to be frightened and bit onto his sleeve and shook it violently, but no matter how hard it tried, Xiao Chen was not waking up. It finally looked at the direction of Falling Flowers Valley, and quickly ran to the valley.


    Moments passed and the 30 minutes passed slowly. Xiao Chen was still unconscious. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the distance. It seemed that a figure approached slowly, and a cold air gradually diffused, adding a bit of coolness to this hot summer day.


    At this moment, a rapid walking sound rang in the distance, and then two girls in purple from the Heartless Palace and the Koo-chee beast ran over quickly.


    The two female disciples had seen Xiao Chen before, and now they saw him with white hair, they could not help but feel hesitation. Then one of them immediately stepped forward to check on Xiao Chen¡¯s breath and heartbeat, and said to the one behind her, ¡°Master Xiao may have been seriously injured; send him back first.¡±


    In the valley, a female disciple said, ¡°You send Master Xiao to the bamboo house first, and I will inform the Empress.¡± Immediately after speaking, she went to the apse of the Heartless Palace.


    At this moment, in a quiet hall behind the main hall of the Heatless Palace where the light was dim, a woman in red could be seen sitting down with her legs crossed and constantly practicing some strange exercises.


    Her lips were bright red, and her fingernails were blood red. There were dozens of blood-red mists around her body, and those red mists slowly passed through the many skulls stacked beside her. It was weird and awfully scary.


    Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and the woman in red slowly took back her skills and said coldly, ¡°Have you found Chu Lingjiao?¡±


    ¡°No, Empress. We have found Master Xiao outside the valley.¡± The voice outside was a little trembling.


    The woman in red opened her eyes suddenly, her pupils turned blood red, and she said coldly, ¡°Master Xiao? Which Master Xiao?¡±

 Chapter 439 - Who Listens to Broken Strings

    The woman in red in the quiet hall was Huangfu Xin¡¯er. The female disciple outside heard her cold voice and could not help but tremble, and her voice quivered as she said, ¡°It¡¯s Xiao Chen¡­ Master Xiao. Now he¡¯s over in the Fragrant Bamboo Pavilion¡­¡± Her voice was getting softer and softer.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Several skeletons and bones beside Huangfu Xin¡¯er were shattered into pieces, and she bellowed, ¡°Such audacity! Who permitted you to bring him in?¡± In the end, she looked up at her ten blood-red nails, and with a wave, she shattered another bunch of skeletons.


    The female disciple outside was so frightened that she could not stop shaking, and she said in a quavering voice, ¡°Empress, don¡¯t be angry. We saw that Master Xiao was unconscious, and was in danger, that¡¯s why we¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er suddenly stood up, her fingernails slowly receded, and her pupils gradually changed back to her original color. The female disciple trembled and said, ¡°We found him 1,500 meters northwards from the valley entrance. Master Xiao is unconscious, and he may have been severely injured by someone¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, the door of the hall shook and Huangfu Xin¡¯er was already gone.


    There was a bamboo forest in the south of Falling Flowers Valley. In addition to many mottled bamboos, there are patches of snow wattle flowers. When the summer solstice, the breeze blew, the bamboo leaves fluttered, and the flowers fell into the pond. The view would be scenic. This was the Fragrant Bamboo Pavilion of Heartless Palace. A bamboo house was built next to the pond at the end of the bamboo forest. It was newly built by Huangfu Xin¡¯er a year ago. In every full moon of the month, she would come here alone to play the zither.


    At this moment, in the bamboo house, Xiao Chen was still unconscious, his breath was getting weaker and weaker, and even a trace of wrinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes. The two female disciples of Heartless Palace stood in the house, both helpless and afraid to act lightly.


    Suddenly, a red shadow moved in instantly, and the two female disciples immediately stood upright and said respectfully, ¡°Empress!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er lifted her hand. She looked at Xiao Chen who was lying on the bed and could not help but trembled. She immediately walked over. Looking at his white hair and wrinkles at the corner of his eye, she bellowed, ¡°How did this happen!¡±


    The two disciples trembled, and one whispered, ¡°The Koo-chee beast suddenly ran into the valley and pulled us there, and when we went over, we saw Master Xiao fainted under the tree. Then we brought Master Xiao in¡­ We have made the decision without Empress¡¯ authorization, and we¡¯ll accept your punishment!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Forget it; you can step down first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Empress.¡± The two disciples stood upright and went out. Huangfu Xin¡¯er put her fingers on Xiao Chen¡¯s pulse, felt his heartbeat, frowned, and turned to look at the Koo-chee beast on the bamboo chair and asked, ¡°Who hurt him?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee¡­ Koo-chee, Koo-chee.¡± The Koo-chee beast shook its head.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Or was he not hurt by someone?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast continued to shake its head. Huangfu Xin¡¯er sighed. ¡°Forget it. You go out too.¡±


    The Koo-chee beast hummed and looked at Xiao Chen with its pair of big eyes, and finally jumped off the bamboo chair and walked out the door.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er flicked her sleeves, closed the doors and windows, and turned her head to look at the unconscious Xiao Chen. She gently picked up his white hair, swiped it between her fingers, and touched the wrinkles on the corner of his eye with her fingertips. Her eyes were inexplicably red, but this little heartache hurt her began to take its toll on her. Her chest started to hurt violently.


    It took a moment before the pain slightly eased. Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately lifted Xiao Chen, then she sat cross-legged behind him, her palms pressed against his back, and sent in a burst of True Qi. She immediately detected the injury. The injury was not serious, though there was still some congestion, and the internal organs did not suffer much trauma, but they seemed to be slowly failing¡­


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er frowned deeply and was particularly puzzled. Suddenly she remembered something. A long time ago, when the two were in their teens, there was a birthday party for Xiao Changfeng, the owner of the Xiao family. That afternoon, at about the same time as the present, the two ran to the back mountain behind the Xiao family to play, Xiao Chen went to pick flowers for her, and accidentally fell off the hillside.


    At that time, Huangfu Xin¡¯er already had some basic martial arts skills. When she inserted an internal strength into Xiao Chen¡¯s body, she noticed that there were two special Qi in his body, alternately slowly repairing his damaged internal organs, but just now, she could not feel those two Qi.


    At this moment, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s frown was getting deeper and deeper. She was not proficient in medicine, and she did know what was going on. She gritted her teeth and injected another True Energy into Xiao Chen¡¯s body again to take up the roles of those two Qi and repaired his failing internal organs.


    In this way, Huangfu Xin¡¯er healed Xiao Chen¡¯s wounds in the most stupid way, which lasted until sunset. Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth was stained with blood as the bruised blood was forced out. Naturally, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s mouth was stained with blood as well and she did not look great.


    When it was getting dark, Huangfu Xin¡¯er helped him to lie on the bed and watched him for a while before she left the bamboo house and went to the entrance of the bamboo forest. When Huangfu Xin¡¯er came out, the Koo-chee beast was outside and the two female disciples who were still guarding the entrance immediately respectfully said, ¡°Empress.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er nodded and said, ¡°Go and guard the night; I will come back tomorrow.¡± After that, she walked towards the direction of the Heartless Temple, after about more than 10 meter¡¯s distances, she turned around and asked, ¡°Right, what about Chu Lingjiao? Haven¡¯t found her yet?¡±


    The two disciples froze, and one bowed her head and said, ¡°We will surely find this rebellious thief as soon as possible!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not speak, but her eyes gradually became cold, making the two disciples as quiet as a mouse. After a while later, she said, ¡°By the way, this person acts carefully. Before she fully understands the fourth volume of the mind cultivation method, she will not show up.¡±


    Speaking of this, she paused for a moment, and said, ¡°If she has fully understood the fourth volume of mind cultivation method, you will never be her opponents. This time in the Wuyue Mountain Wind and Cloud Meeting, she will definitely be there. If you found her by then do not fight her, just send me a message.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Empress!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er nodded, turned and walked towards the direction of the Heartless Temple. Under the night, a woman in a red dress drifted away, and her back view looked a little lonely.


    After she had gone far, the two female disciples were relieved, and one frowned, and whispered, ¡°The Empress is too anxious to succeed, and she has started to practice the fifth step of mind cultivation method before she gets the fourth step of it. I¡¯m afraid she will if¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± The other one immediately made a shush gesture and shook her head.


    In the early morning of the next day, Huangfu Xin¡¯er still came to treat Xiao Chen in the most stupid way. By the third day, Xiao Chen¡¯s complexion was then barely better, and the wrinkles on his eyes were gone, but these days, the look on Huangfu Xin¡¯er was getting worse.


    At the end of the day, Xiao Chen finally moved. Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately supported him, but Xiao Chen still could not open his eyes, as if he was trapped in a nightmare and was in a state of confusion. In his current state of mind, he somewhat saw Li Muxue¡¯s destiny turned by Red Sleeve and disappeared into the smoke¡­


    ¡°No¡­ Muxue¡­¡± Xiao Chen moved his lips and frowned, but his eyes still could not open. He could not see the person who was helping him at this moment, and his consciousness was still not clear.


    It was just two words that were being spoken out lightly, but when Huangfu Xin¡¯er heard them, she felt as though her heart was cut with a sharp blade, her hands shook slightly, and two red radiances flashed in her eyes. The look in her eyes was seemingly colder.


    There was a sudden pain in her heart, and suddenly she spat out a mouthful of blood. She blackout, her hands immediately lost their strength, and she fainted by the bedside. Xiao Chen lost her support and fell back. Together, they passed out.


    In the early morning of the next day, Xiao Chen finally woke up and smelled a faint fragrance. He opened his eyes but did not know where he was. He moved his arm and felt something soft, he turned his head and saw a woman in red lying beside him. He immediately recognized that it was Huangfu Xin¡¯er at a glance.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled and immediately lifted Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He saw that her mouth was stained with blood and her face was pale and ugly, and he was even more startled. Then he condensed a True Energy in his palm and passed it through her shoulder.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er groaned and woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she pushed Xiao Chen away. Then with a wave of sleeve, she was already at the door. Xiao Chen rubbed his chest and whispered, ¡°Xin¡¯er, you¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er gave him a grievous look, and then her eyes were colder, and she said coldly, ¡°One life for one life, we are cleared now. Please leave if you are fine.¡± Then she moved and went towards the end of the bamboo forest.


    Xiao Chen froze for a while, and then murmured, ¡°Now¡­ you don¡¯t even want to give me another look?¡± Then he gave out a long sigh. He looked at the table in the room and saw a small bowl on the table that was filled half with lotus seeds soup that was already cold.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡±


    The Koo-chee beast ran in suddenly, Xiao Chen smiled lightly, and naturally could guess what had happened. He asked, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, how many days have I slept?¡±


    Koo-chee beast blinked, stretched out its front furry paws, and opened it up, indicating five days. Xiao Chen leapt lightly and got out of the bed. He was exhausted that day from rushing the journey, so he had heatstroke and fainted. Now he felt refreshed and as if his skill had recovered a bit.


    Then he went outside and saw that bamboos were planted nearby, the breeze was blowing, the bamboo leaves fell into the pond, and the scenery was quite quiet. Then he strolled around at random and left in the afternoon to reach a flowering forest near valley entrance where he could hear the sound of zither coming from the bamboo forest in the distance.


    Xiao Chen walked over and saw that it was Huangfu Xin¡¯er who playing the zither, but the Jade Zither was not the one he had gifted her. Huangfu Xin¡¯er stopped playing and said coldly, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I came to say goodbye to you; how have you been?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er said nothing and continued to play the zither, neither did she look up at him. Xiao Chen smiled to himself forcefully, and said, ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m leaving now. Farewell, Huangfu¡­ Empress Huangfu.¡±


    When the words ¡°Empress Huangfu¡± were spoken, his heart suddenly burst into a violent pain, like a heavily pierced heart by millions of arrows. To cover up the pain, he immediately hurried out of the valley. The zither sound of Huangfu Xin¡¯er stopped, but her face remained blank. Then she started to play the zither again.


    However, the sound of the zither was getting faster, and her hands were moving faster and faster, and more and more forceful. The wind rose suddenly, howling and screaming, and the sound of bamboo leaves rattling was heard. The leaves fell off and flew everywhere. In the end, ¡°Zing, zing, zing¡± was heard, and the sound of the zither finally stopped, and its seven strings were broken, as well.


    The wind had also dispersed.

 Chapter 440 - Ghost Controlling Charm

    Running out of the valley, Xiao Chen¡¯s chest pain was finally relieved, and he turned around to see Koo-chee beast sulking at him. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Koo-chee?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee beast shouted twice and seemed to be very angry. Xiao Chen was a little puzzled, and then asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Koo-chee beast turned and ran a few steps back, blinking its pair of big eyes, looking at the direction of the bamboo forest where Huangfu Xin¡¯er played the zither and kept humming.


    Xiao Chen walked up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qingluan and the others should be nearing Huai Prefecture.¡±


    The Koo-chee beast turned and looked at him angrily, pointed at him, then at its mouth, and finally pointed at the direction of the Heartless Palace. Xiao Chen gave it a little thought, and asked, ¡°You mean, Xin¡¯er has been taking care of me and healing me these past few days?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee beast nodded continuously.


    Xiao Chen suddenly felt a severe pain in his heart. He had said such hurtful words just now, even calling her Huangfu Empress. At the thought of this, he immediately ran back to the bamboo forest. What was left in the forest was just a broken zither and a ground full of bamboo leaves.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath, walked over slowly, and rubbed the zither body gently, and the seven broken strings. It took him an hour to put back the broken strings one by one. Finally, when he was done, he looked up again in the direction of the Heartless Palace but turned and left in the end.


    As he returned to the valley entrance again, Xiao Chen glanced in the direction of Huai Prefecture, called out the flying sword, picked up the Koo-chee beast, and then went to the next town on the sword. A moment after he left, someone suddenly walked out of the woods. That person was in green and was holding the Duster Sword.


    The next three days passed and today was the July 15th, Hungry Ghost Festival. At night, Xiao Chen arrived in a small town. The town was very lively, lit with lights, where pedestrians kept coming and going and many people were lighting up water lamps by the river.


    Xiao Chen looked around. It turned out that this small town was a small town that he passed when he and Murong Xian¡¯er went to Middle Continent. The scenery was still the same, but time has passed too long. He wondered how Xian¡¯er had been.


    At a glance, Xiao Chen seemed to see someone following him, but a pedestrian blocked his view, and the man seemed to have disappeared. He frowned. At this moment, he was not as spiritually aware as before. He wondered if he was being followed, but now he had to leave as soon as possible. Now he could not even beat people of Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s level. Guifeng could not be summoned as well.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen picked up the Koo-chee beast, quickly walked into the crowd, crossed several streets, deliberately went around a few forked roads, and finally quietly entered an inn and asked for a room on the second floor. Then he went up with the Koo-chee beast.


    Once inside the room, Xiao Chen closed the doors and windows immediately and set up another layer of defense mystic arts. Without light, he went bed and pretended to sleep. By midnight, the moon was bright like the day, and the moonlight came through the window screen. The surroundings were gradually quiet.


    Around 1 a.m., Xiao Chen could not resist the tiredness anymore, but did not dare to be in deep sleep. He took out the Unsullied Sword and put it behind the pillow.


    Nothing happened overnight. The next day morning, Xiao Chen immediately set off for Huai Prefecture. After another day and night, he was finally reaching. He just had to climb over a mountain and he would reach the boundary of Huai Prefecture.


    At noon, Xiao Chen landed onto the ground from his sword. He found a stream and drank a few sips of water. He took a break and waited to continue his journey. Suddenly his expression became serious as he noticed that someone was approaching him. He said coldly, ¡°Come out!¡± He turned around, but was surprised, ¡°Mo Yu!¡±


    Five people had suddenly appeared across the stream. Three were in front, two were in the back, and the man on the left in the front was in black and burly. Obviously he was a martial arts practitioner. He was He Chentian, who was defeated by Xiao Chen in Widespread Wintriness Sect earlier and also allowed Xiao Chen to take away the Blood Lotus Demon Blade.


    The man in the middle was also someone Xiao Chen had met last year. It was a handsome young man from the Mo family, called Mo Wen. They once met at the Daoist League of the Five Continents last year and had a fight against each other. As for the man in the purple clothes on the right, Xiao Chen was naturally familiar with him. It was Mo Yu who was competing with him for a place in Violet Manor when he was in Three Pure Sect!


    Mo Yu was still as devilish, and he smiled gloomily. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, why is your hair completely white¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and pinched his phalanx. At that time, this man colluded with Devils¡¯ sects and almost brought Three Pure Sect into a state of desperation. On the same day, he also uttered insults to Bai Ying and even attempted misconduct to her¡­


    Mo Yu laughed mockingly, and said in a weird tone, ¡°What? Is this how you should look at your Senior Brother? I wonder how¡¯s your master doing huh? It¡¯s been a long time since I went back to see¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was infuriated, but soon calmed down, thinking that there could be nothing good for these three to be here today. Mo Yu¡¯s aura now seemed to be in the late Nascent Soul Realm stage. That Mo Wen¡¯s cultivation was even higher, and he was in the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. As for that He Chentian, his martial arts had reached the Realm 4 Ninefold, which was equivalent to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm and even pre-Nirvana Realm.


    Xiao Chen settled down. If he was during his heyday, he could easily destroy these three people with only one hand, however, it would be a bit difficult to deal with them at the moment. He and Mo family, one was a family that was rejected hundreds of years ago, and another was the forgotten family, it was not surprising that the two were now together. He said lightly, ¡°I wonder what you three want from me?¡±


    He Chentian shouted, his eyes were fierce, and he yelled, ¡°I once said, Immortal Slayer is only temporarily deposited in your hands, and I¡¯m here today to retrieve it!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered, his eyes turned to the Mo family again, and he said lightly, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Mo Wen¡¯s eyes were indifferent and he did not speak. At the Daoist League of the Five Continents, he had intended to stand up for Mo family, but the opponent froze him in a single move. Not to mention about Mo Yu, he had hated Xiao Chen to the bones when they were in Three Pure Sect and now he could not wait to kill him personally.


    However, these three were still cautious about Xiao Chen, otherwise, they would not have followed him for so long, only to show up now. Especially Mo Yu, the scene of Xiao Chen¡¯s demonization in Three Pure Sect was deeply imprinted in his mind. He was even more shocked to hear about Xiao Chen¡¯s deeds in Violet Manor recently.


    ¡°Not a word? Do you mean to take my life? Are you three going to come together or what?¡± Xiao Chen naturally saw these three people¡¯s fears for him, and now he could only try to calm himself, and must not show a hint of cowardice and panic.


    The three were alert, but none of them took the lead. Although He Chentian was arrogant when he first came to Widespread Wintriness Sect, recently overmatches had risen like a bamboo shoot after a spring rain everywhere. He had naturally become more careful. Besides, there are four people in the Mo family, he would not be the one to take the lead.


    Mo Yu and Mo Wen looked at each other, and Mo Yu immediately winked at the two people behind him. The two immediately moved; they stepped on the water, and attacked Xiao Chen with their swords.


    The two came fiercely, causing the water in the stream to splash. Xiao Chen immediately circulated the Qi within his body and pushed out with both palms, and the dragons yelled into the sky. Two golden dragons with a length of tens of feet whistled away. The stream splashed more than 100 feet high; the two in midair were shocked by the impact and instantly bled through their ears and noses, and flew back.


    The three on the opposite side were shocked. Both of them were Mo family elites, and they both had Nascent Soul Realm first-level cultivation practice. How could they not be able to even defend one move, did Xiao Chen move up into the Nirvana Realm already!


    The three were in horror at thought of this, Mo Yu¡¯s first thought was to flee, and probably scared by Xiao Chen¡¯s demonization in Three Pure Sect, but Mo Wen suddenly realized something was wrong. He grabbed him and said, ¡°Why are you panicking!¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze was cold. That was his strongest blow just now and that had consumed most of his True Qi. He had done it to deter these three people. Now that the initial effect has been achieved, then there he had to maintain his act. He said indifferently, ¡°I do not wish to kill today, on August 15th, I¡¯ll wait for you in person on the top of the Wuyue Peak. Don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    After speaking, Xiao Chen looked at the Koo-chee beast in the distance, and said, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Looking at the back of his indifferent departure, Mo Yu pinched his phalanx loudly, but he did not dare to chase after him. Mo Wen at the other side frowned deeply and felt that something was not right. He bellowed, ¡°No! He now has no strength to even fly on his sword!¡± Then he leapt and attacked the back of Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning.


    Xiao Chen was startled by the attack and was instantly covered by the palm wind of the opponent¡¯s in no time. He could only turn around and take the blow. ¡°Poom!¡± A loud bang and rocks were flying across. Xiao Chen felt that all his internal organs had burst, he took large steps back and spilled out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast was frightened, Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves, and sent it to the distant forest. Mo Yu across the stream was shocked. He was so strong just now, how did he suddenly become so weak?


    Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood again. Originally, the strength in his body had been continuously drained away. Once he fought with others, it would drain even more quickly. After taking a blow from Mo Wen he had already dropped to the beginning of Nascent Soul Realm and now Mo Wen was about to strike his second blow, he could not care more if he could summon Guifeng out now with his current spirit energy. He desperately shouted, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°Guifeng¡¯s here!¡±


    A three-foot-tall devil shadow suddenly appeared, and the weather changed violently at that moment. Mo Yu and He Chentian were shocked. However, Mo Wen glanced, waved his hand, and a golden light in his sleeve flew towards Guifeng. In that instant, Guifeng stopped moving as a golden seal talisman was pasted on its forehead.


    Mo Wen moved his fingers and chanted, Guifeng immediately disappeared from its place. Xiao Chen was shocked, what mystic arts was this to be able to force a General of Soul back.


    Mo Yu flew over and laughed, ¡°Senior Gu Ming¡¯s ghost controlling charm is indeed powerful! Haha!¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled again. ¡°Ghost controlling charm, what is that? Yes! Guifeng belongs to the human war spirit, and the opponent has a master who specializes in dealing with soul spirits!¡±


    Mo Yu sneered. ¡°Well, Mo Wen, leave this scum to me¡­¡± His two viper-like eyes swept over Xiao Chen, and he was no longer as scared as before.

 Chapter 441 - Vicious Fight

    Xiao Chen held his breath and watched alertly, even if he was going to run, he could not outrun these three. Mo Yu sneered twice, his eyes were getting more and more sinister, and he approached him step by step. Suddenly he raised his Qi and shouted and attacked Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning. Xiao Chen was already prepared, Immortal-override Steps was immediately performed and he went around his back, then he hit him with a palm.


    ¡°Poom!¡±


    Mo Yu did not move away in time, and was shocked by this force. Although he was not injured, he plunged forward and almost fell when he kicked a stone under his feet. He looked embarrassed. Mo Wen frowned and was about to act when Mo Yu turned around and said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t move! He¡¯s mine!¡±


    Mo Wen frowned, but eventually went aside. Mo Yu sneered twice, he looked at Xiao Chen and his glare became more and more fierce. All of a sudden he pinched a chant with his fingers. ¡°Shoosh¡­¡± A few green radiances flew out from his sleeve.


    The few green radiances came rapidly and were in Xiao Chen¡¯s face in the blink of an eye. Xiao Chen immediately called out the Unsullied Immortal¡¯s Sword. ¡°Dang!¡± He blocked the green radiance. But every collision, Xiao Chen felt numbness in his arm, and if he looked closely, he could see that the green radiances were seven green little flying swords, each of which was four inches long.


    Mo Yu sneered twice, and once again chanted, the seven flying swords merged into one immediately and turned into a two-foot-long Seven-star green sword, which was shone brightly under the sun.


    With a ¡°Shoosh¡±, the Seven-star Sword instantly hit Xiao Chen like a 100-foot green radiance, and it was so powerful that Xiao Chen quickly raised his sword to resist. With a loud ¡°Dang¡±, Xiao Chen¡¯s arm was numbed from the impact and he could not help but took a few steps back.


    In an instant, under the control of Mo Yu, the Seven-star Sword flew in his face again. Xiao Chen performed Immortal-override Steps instantly and darted into the air. Unexpectedly, the Seven-star Sword also turned its direction instantly and chased. As a last resort, Xiao Chen was forced to take the strike. However, the collision with the Seven-Star Sword numbed his body again, and he fell into the ground. His heart sank, this was not Mo Yu¡¯s strength, but this magic treasure had been refined too well.


    Mo Yu sneered twice and said sinisterly, ¡°This Seven-star Sword that¡¯s refined by Senior Gu Ming is indeed powerful.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. Who was the old man named Gu Ming that Mo Yu had mentioned twice? This person could make ghost controlling charms, and could also refine such powerful magic treasure, which seemed that he was someone very skillful. As he was in thoughts, the Seven-star Sword separated again and turned into seven small flying swords attacking him. The sound of the wind was endless.


    Xiao Chen could not force himself to take the blow again. He performed Immortal-override Steps to the extreme, and shadows were everywhere in the woods, but the seven small flying swords were faster, and in moments, they left several wounds on his arms.


    In the distance, Mo Yu sneered. He seemed to be very happy to see Xiao Chen escaping like a drowned mouse at the moment. He pinched the chant with his fingers even faster now. Xiao Chen gritted his teeth. He must not be so passive. At the same time, the Unsullied Sword in his hand flew out, turned into a rapid radiance, and directly went at Mo Yu¡¯s head.


    Of course, the price was Xiao Chen¡¯s left shoulder being shot through by a small flying sword, and he was bleeding profusely. Mo Yu in the distance was surprised when he saw the Unsullied Sword coming at him. He immediately leaned back, and with a ¡°Shoosh¡±, the Sword Qi of the Unsullied Sword left a bloody mark on his face and also chopped off much of his hair.


    Before he could react, the Unsullied Sword turned back. Under the control of Xiao Chen, it seemed to have its mind, the sword trembled, and immediately turned into a white radiance slashing at Mo Yu. Mo Yu was frightened and could not bother to control the Seven-star Sword anymore and dodged the attacks of the Unsullied Sword hurriedly. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and he took the opportunity. He leaped and flew like lightning, and gave a strike on Mo Yu¡¯s back with one palm.


    Mo Yu noticed the murderous attack behind him, he suddenly turned around, and pushed out a palm. The two palm forces collided. The stream that was not far away blasted a water spray that was more than 100 feet high. Both of them felt their bodies sank and each took a few steps back.


    Xiao Chen reacted first and controlled the Unsullied Sword to slash at him, and at the same time, he leaned back to avoid the Seven-star Sword that attacked him from the back. A sound was heard and blood splattered. Mo Yu had failed to escape in time and his shoulder was slashed by the Unsullied Sword. If it was not being blocked partially by the Seven-star Sword, it would have cut his entire arm off.


    In the distance, Mo Wen frowned deeply. If Xiao Chen was not injured at this moment, Mo Yu could never be of his match. He Chentian at the side said, ¡°Shall we help?¡±


    Mo Wen shook his head and said, ¡°¡®The last attack of a strong crossbow cannot penetrate even a silk handkerchief¡¯, although this man was powerful in the past, but now he¡¯s near his end and can¡¯t last much longer. Let Mo Yu untie this heart knot himself, otherwise, he will be difficult to progress in his cultivation in the future and ended up having a Qi Deviation.¡±


    He Chentian sneered. ¡°You people of immortal cultivation is troublesome.¡±


    Mo Wen ignored him and continued to watch the battle in the distance. Mo Yu¡¯s eyes were covered in bloodshot, his eyes were fierce, like a wounded fierce wolf staring at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was trying to adjust his breathing patiently because he felt that the power in his body was draining faster and faster. Once he returned to the Core Forming Realm, it would be his death today.


    ¡°Uh-ah!¡± Mo Yu¡¯s expression seemed crazy, he suddenly yelled and lunged at him. Xiao Chen immediately unfolded Immortal-override Steps, and his palm like a blade struck the back of Mo Yu¡¯s neck. This time, Mo Yu reacted instantly, and he turned sharply and hit back with a punch.


    The strength of both was quite equal, but at this moment, Xiao Chen suddenly felt a constriction in his chest and some physical discomfort. The next moment, he was blown out by Mo Yu¡¯s punch, hitting a large tree 100 feet away, and the impact shook the leaves violently.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast rushed over, Xiao Chen stretched out his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, you go first!¡± He waved his sleeve and sent it to the forest in the distance.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Mo Yu walked over slowly with a grim smile and said, ¡°Why?¡± The first of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, and the 8th ranking on the Heaven List. Is this all you got?¡±


    In his opinion, Xiao Chen was punched off by him in one blow was because Xiao Chen was not his opponent. At this moment, he seemed to feel better at last.


    ¡°Haha, get up? Can¡¯t stand anymore?¡± Mo Yu approached step by step, but at the same time he was cautious, for fear that the other party would cheat.


    Suddenly, a cold radiance flashed in Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes, and he rushed at Mo Yu like a flash of light. Mo Yu was shocked. He did not expect his speed to be so fast and instinctively took a few steps back. However, it was a fake move and in the next moment, Xiao Chen was gone far away.


    Mo Yu realized that he had been fooled, and infuriated, he shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t run!¡± He chanted quickly and at the end of the chant, he grabbed the void. At that same moment, strong winds howled and the clear sky suddenly became dark.


    Large blocks of dark clouds gathered, rolling violently. Xiao Chen was shocked. At this moment, he felt a powerful wave of power. Mo Yu¡¯s face sneered and yelled, ¡°Heaven-trapping Hand!¡±


    Suddenly the weather changed drastically, and a huge hand suddenly stretched out from the dark clouds, as if falling from the sky, with five fingers that each measured almost 100 feet long, quickly grabbing at Xiao Chen.


    At this moment, the water was surging and the earth was shaking. He Chentian in the distance narrowed his eyes, and thought that the ancient immortal art indeed had its unique features. However, a cold radiance flashed his eyes. He was surprised that Senior Gu Ming even passed this Heaven-trapping Hand to Mo Yu.


    The palm wind fell quickly, Xiao Chen was shrouded in this ferocious force, his ears could not stop buzzing, and he could not move anymore. The nearby trees shook, the stones were flying all over, and numerous trees were uprooted and lifted away. The Koo-chee beast wanted to run over, but was also taken off by this force.


    The giant hand in the air was finally shrouded over, Xiao Chen tried hard to resist. But with a loud bang, the nearby ground instantly had a dozen cracks. At that moment, the dust billowed, covering the sky.


    When the smoke and dust gradually dispersed, Xiao Chen was seen holding his chest, his mouth was full of blood, and his body was shaky. If it was not because Mo Yu was not that skillful yet, he would have been dead by now.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Mo Yu laughed grimly. Then he suddenly rushed at him, choked him with a hand and punched his abdomen with the other hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be amazing!¡±


    Xiao Chen was hit with a punch in the abdomen, and another mouthful of blood spurted out. The smile on Mo Yu¡¯s face became more and more sinister. At the moment, the hatred he had in Three Pure Sect gathered all at once, and with another punch, he said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t you have an Undead Body! Ah! Where¡¯s your Undead Body huh!¡± Then one punch and another, until Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth fully covered with blood.


    The smile on Mo Yu¡¯s face was getting more and more gloomy, and he smiled grimly, ¡°Hey, what do you think of that b*tch, Bai Ying would think if she sees you like this. Unfortunately, she can¡¯t see it anymore. Maybe I should be a good person this time and send you to hell so that you can continue your apprenticeship with her¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He raised his head with force, his pupils became red instantly and his eyes seemed as cold as hell. Mo Yu was frightened. At this moment, he was a little startled, for he had never seen such horrifying eyes which were not the eyes of humans at all!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Chen yelled, a huge force rushed out of his body, and the impact sent Mo Yu flying. However, before Mo Yu flew out 10-foot¡¯s distance, he suddenly felt choked, and only to find out that his neck had been entangled with a rope. There was a faint layer of golden radiance on the rope; it was the Immortal-Binding Rope that Xiao Chen had obtained from Ling Yuxuan earlier.


    Xiao Chen grabbed the other end of the Immortal-Binding Rope and pulled it hard, pulling Mo Yu back from midair air and smashed him to the ground, causing the dust to fly. Before Mo Yu could react, Xiao Chen strangled his neck with the Immortal-Binding Rope again. Mo Wen in the distance noticed that something was wrong and flew over like a lightning.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes turned red, he waved his hand and the Unsullied Sword cried, like a 1,000 feet long radiance dashing at Mo Wen and stopped his way. He then yelled, ¡°Absolute Domain!¡± The space suddenly trembled, and Mo Wen and He Chentian were blocked out of the Absolute Domain.


    Mo Yu was already frightened, he did not expect his skills to increase suddenly, and he could not even breathe being tied up tightly by the Immortal-Binding Rope.


    Xiao Chen smashed into his face with a fist, and his eyes looked horrifying. ¡°You killed Bai Ying! You killed Bai Ying! Ah!¡±


    From the outside, there was no way Mo Wen could break through the Absolute Domain. Once he entered, he was tied up immediately. Seeing that Xiao Chen had the intent to kill, he felt a chill on his and said hurriedly, ¡°Stop! If you killed him, the Mo family will never let you off!¡±

 Chapter 442 - The Great Devil Gu Feng

    Xiao Chen ignored him, and still seemed crazy. He tightened the Immortal-Binding Rope and Mo Yu was completely breathless. Blood veins popped on his face, his eyes turned white, his eyeballs popped, and he said difficultly, ¡°I didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t kill her¡­ I was lying to you. I never went back¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Chen did not listen to him at all, all he wanted to do was to strangle him to death, but suddenly he felt a constriction in his chest and losing his strength, he loosened the Immortal-Binding Rope gradually.


    Mo Yu immediately got up, and his eyes were full of murderous intent. ¡°Go and die!¡± He drew a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed him in the throat.


    Just when the dagger was half a foot away from Xiao Chen¡¯s throat, a green radiance flew in from a distance, and with a ¡°Dang¡±, the dagger flew off, and Mo Yu¡¯s wrist was also numbed from this sudden force. He looked up and yelled, ¡°Who¡¯s this!¡±


    Suddenly more than a dozen shadows flew over rapidly from the west side of the sky, and there was a large block of black clouds rolling behind those shadows. The scene was terrifying.


    Mo Wen was shocked as he felt an extremely terrifying power. Without a second thought, he immediately moved next to Mo Yu, grabbed him, and then fled with Earth-fleeing Skill. He Chentian also followed after.


    ¡°We¡¯re late. Lord, please forgive us!¡±


    The twelve shadows landed onto the ground from midair. It was the twelve sisters of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. Qingluan immediately stepped forward to support Xiao Chen, and then looked at the two people in the distance by the stream. Her Royal-blood Blade turned into a green radiance and flew over, and immediately cut off the heads of the two Mo family disciples.


    Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood again which frightened Qingluan. She immediately injected True Energy into him. ¡°Lord!¡± Xiao Chen raised his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Did you do what I have asked¡­¡±


    As he finished speaking, a block of black clouds rolled in from a distance. The sky was filled with Devil Qi that spread through the entire forest and mountain, and the animals fled away in fear.


    A large shadow was reflected on the ground, and Xiao Chen felt the powerful Devil Qi. It was Gu Feng. The voice of a man came from the rolling black cloud. ¡°I have seen you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed, leaving aside things for a while, and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you too¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the descendant of Xiao Ning!¡±


    ¡°You are the one sealed by Xiao Ning¡­¡±


    ¡°You are not afraid that I will kill you!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you will never find Xiao Ning?¡±


    In the end, the dark clouds in the air gradually gathered and turned into a man whose hair was falling all over places. The man was considered handsome, but there was a scar on his face and a black mark on his brows. His eyes were frightening, just like a troubled character, he walked slowly towards Xiao Chen, saying, ¡°Where is Xiao Ning!¡±


    Xiao Chen coughed, his face was still pale, and he said, ¡°You can¡¯t beat senior Xiao Ning anyway, so what if you know where he is?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Gu Feng suddenly became a little crazy, he held his head with both hands, inserting his fingers into the hair, and he howled into the sky, ¡°How could I not beat him! If he hadn¡¯t tricked me back then! How can I not beat him! I¡¯m going to find him and fight him to death again! He is a mean and shameless villain who told people that I can¡¯t beat him! I¡¯m so angry! I¡¯m so angry!¡±


    Xiao Chen laughed secretly in his heart. He got agitated just by a few words, no wonder Patriarch Guanshan said he was a silly Great Devil, no wonder he was made use of by Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s Sect Leader Ye Yuexuan.


    Gu Feng¡¯s gaze was sharp, and shooting two lightning-like gazes at him, he bellowed, ¡°Tell me, where is he! Or I will kill you!¡±


    The 12 people of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon trembled. On the way, they saw how insane this demon head was on the way here, they had been cautious with him, and now they were really afraid that he would go crazy and hurt Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was holding one hand behind his back, the other hand clenched into a fist, and put it next to his mouth and coughed. He said, ¡°Well, let me tell you, Senior Xiao Ning, he is now at Wuyin Monastery¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Without waiting for him to finish, Gu Feng became crazy again. ¡°How can this be! He tricked me back then and went to Wuyin Monastery to become a monk! Did he think I can do nothing if he hid in Wuyin Monastery! What nonsense! What nonsense¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem, can you listen to me first?¡± Xiao Chen saw him speaking to himself endlessly there, and could not help but interrupt him.


    ¡°What!¡± Gu Feng¡¯s gaze was sharp, and he said, ¡°You kiddo speaks so slowly! Tell me what¡¯s going on! If you dare to lie to me, I will make sure you die without a burial ground!¡± Then he waved a punch and hit the distant stream, and immediately cut the stream in half, splashing water up of hundreds of feet high.


    Xiao Chen coughed and said, ¡°Senior Xiao Ning did not go to be a monk, but was sealed by them on the ninth floor under the Devil Repressed Tower¡­¡±


    ¡°Devil Repressed Tower!¡± Gu Feng¡¯s body trembled slightly, and then laughed. ¡°Retribution! Retribution!¡± But at the end, he suddenly glanced at him. ¡°That¡¯s not right! You kiddo wants my help to get him out! Yes or no!¡±


    Xiao Chen shrugged and smiling bitterly, said, ¡°The eyes of Senior Gu Feng are like a torch, I can¡¯t trick you¡­¡± In the end, he sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, a pity¡­¡±


    Gu Feng stared at him and said, ¡°What pity?¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the four Great Divine Monks in that temple, as well as a sweeping monk, are too powerful. I¡¯m afraid that even Senior Gu Feng can¡¯t beat them, aye¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Gu Feng was furious. ¡°What nonsense! Nonsense! How could I not be able to beat a few bald donkeys! It¡¯s just the Devil Repressed Tower¡­¡± In the end, his voice became softer, as if he was thinking about something.


    Xiao Chen laughed and said, ¡°The Senior needs not worry. You just need to help me hold them back and help me open a gap in the Devil Repressed Tower. I naturally have a way to let Xiao Ning out.¡±


    In fact, he also understood what Gu Feng was afraid of. The Devil Repressed Tower had the magic power of several golden Buddhas who had risen into the pure land of the Buddhist kingdom. It was naturally scary, but because of the weakening of its power recently and that was why Yi Tong and None-flower Dust had an opportunity the last time.


    Gu Feng said, ¡°Tell me about your plans.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled, and then said seriously, ¡°First, you need to cover up the Devil Qi on your body first, so as to let sleeping dogs lie. Second, you must not kill any person in the temple, or destroy the Buddha statues¡­¡±


    Without waiting for him to finish, Gu Feng laughed again. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! I Gu Feng have lived for 800 years. I will kill whoever I want to kill. When did I need to listen to a white-haired kiddo? It¡¯s incredibly ridiculous!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Then he looked at Qingluan and others, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After that, he walked towards the other side of the woods. Qingluan and the others were a little startled, but also followed him.


    Gu Feng shouted, ¡°Stop! Where are you going?¡± Xiao Chen said, ¡°Since Senior insisted on going alone, then Senior shall go to the Wuyin Monastery alone.¡±


    ¡°You! Kiddo! Believe it or not I will kill you now!¡±


    ¡°Okay, then you¡¯ll never see Xiao Ning again.¡± Speaking of this, Xiao Chen deliberately stretched his body, squinted at the sun, and sighed. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a pity; it¡¯s a pity. In the future people will say, ¡®Oh, Gu Feng can¡¯t beat Xiao Ning¡¯, what a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°You! Kiddo! For thousands of years, you are the first person to dare to threaten me!¡± Gu Feng had always been not good at words and now he could not retort him.


    Xiao Chen smiled and turned around. ¡°So, will the Senior listen to me now?¡± Gu Feng flicked his sleeves and said coldly, ¡°Anyway, those monks have no bad blood with me; I¡¯ll let them go.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Xiao Chen laughed looking up. He was really afraid that this big demon head would go crazy and kill people. After all, Master Xuanji and Monk Xu Gu were nice people. Today he had also understood that when Wuyin Monastery locked him up in Devil Repressed Tower, they were actually protecting him, or he would have been killed by Immortals¡¯ League.


    Looking up at the sky, Xiao Chen said, ¡°Huai Prefecture City is not far away. We might as well go to the city to rest and wait until it gets dark.¡±


    The crowd was about to leave, and Gu Feng narrowed his eyes and yelled, ¡°There¡¯s Ye Yuexuan¡¯s aura!¡± Suddenly, he slammed into a nearby mountaintop with a palm, with a loud bang, the mountaintop was smashed into pieces, and the rubble flew across the sky.


    Xiao Chen was startled. In the dust, there seemed to be a green shadow flashing passed. ¡°Ye Yuexuan? Ye Yuexuan was Sect Leader of the Thousand Feathers Sect thousands of years ago. Could it be Xiaoyue following him all the way? So does that mean that she heard everything?¡±


    Gu Feng narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust, true to its reputation. Will Fairy Ye show yourself?¡±


    After a long time, no sound came back, Xiao Chen coughed. ¡°I guess you recognized the wrong person, and that person must have left; let¡¯s go.¡±


    After a while, the group walked towards Huai Prefecture City. On the way, Xiao Chen whispered to Qingluan again, ¡°There¡¯s a person named Mo Yu. If you see him in future, kill him if you can.¡± There was a hint of coldness in his eyes. Although, according to what Mo Yu said, it seemed that Bai Ying was fine, but Mo Yu was still a trouble.


    Qingluan nodded and whispered, ¡°I understand, but Lord, you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Then he sighed. He did not know what had happened to his body, now he could only see if he could find Gui Xian in the future. Gui Xian had a brilliant medical skill and he could be the only one who could heal him in this world.


    In the afternoon, the group of people arrived outside the city of Huai Prefecture. The trees next to the gate of the city were tall, and there were willows between the pathways which swayed in the wind. Outside the city, there was a moat, the water was clear and at times, and carps could be seen leaping to the surface.


    As they were near the city gate, Ziyun¡¯er suddenly coughed vigorously and turned pale. Qingluan quickly held her up and fed her a panacea. It must have been because of the injury by Red Sleeve earlier and also that in the past few days because of Gu Feng they had rushed their journey which affected her injury.


    Gu Feng turned around and glanced at her. Suddenly, he took out a jade bottle and tossed it over. He said coldly, ¡°This is the Nine-turns of Resurrection Pill that was lost to me by an old Taoist a few days ago. You little girls, complain your legs hurting from just a bit of walking and only know to pretend to be pitiful.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er caught the jade bottle, startled and said, ¡°Th-Thank you, Senior Gu Feng.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Gu Feng flicked his sleeves and continued to stride towards the city. Xiao Chen held his chin and looked at him with interest. Why did this big demon head seem to care about Ziyun¡¯er in particular?

 Chapter 443 - Buddha and Devil

    The group went into the city and saw people coming and going. Although Huai Prefecture City was not as prosperous as Tianyuan City, it was quite of antique beauty, its citizens lived and worked in peace and contentment and everyone practiced Buddhism diligently.


    Xiao Chen found a restaurant in the city. Gu Feng was very gregarious. He drank eighteen jars of spirits in a row, which made the waiter hurry-scurry shattering several jars.


    But Xiao Chen did not dare to drink, so as not to mess up the proper business at night. When it was dark, a bright moon outside the window gradually rose to the top of the willow, and the shadows moved. The group of 14 left the restaurant and went northward to Karmaless Mountain in Reminiscence Town.


    The 14 people moved speedily like wind, and after an hour, they reached the foothills of Karmaless Mountain. The moon was bright that shone thousands of miles, and the surrounding area was illuminated brightly. Flashes of light could be seen on the mountain which were probably from the patrolling monks.


    Xiao Chen made a shush gesture and said, ¡°Don¡¯t wake the sleeping dogs, just sneaking into the Devil Repressed Tower in the back mountain will do.¡± After speaking, he looked at Qingluan. ¡°Give me the corpse bag.¡±


    Qingluan immediately passed him the corpse bag, and then found a face mask to cover her face. Eleven others also covered their faces as well. Xiao Chen also took out a black scarf from his arms and covered his face.


    After the preparations were completed, the 14 people moved towards Karmaless Mountain¡¯s back mountain. After arriving at the Zen Temple at the back mountain, they saw the Devil Repressed Tower standing high as the sky and 18 Arhat statues around the tower stood tall as well. The statues had a ring of golden light on them. But around the Zen Temple, it was dead silence, and there were no patrolling monks.


    In recent days, the Devil Repressed Tower had been restless. Frightening devil whistles were ringing beneath the ground at times, the citizens of Reminiscence Town who were 10 kilometers away were so scared that they had temporarily moved elsewhere to stay. But what was unusual was that there were no patrolling monks at all.


    When Xiao Chen was wondering, a cool wind suddenly blew, and an old man¡¯s voice rang in the backyard, ¡°Why did you not inform that you¡¯ll visit late at night so that I can at least prepare a pot of hot tea for you.¡±


    Xiao Chen was shocked and before he could react, a figure was standing not far away. In the moonlight, the figure seemed thin and was wearing a string of sandalwood bodhi beads on the neck. His eyes were deep and full of wisdom. It was the sweeping monk of this yard, Zen Master Quechen.


    ¡°My little friend, since you¡¯ve left a few months ago, why do you come back again tonight?¡± Zen Master Quechen¡¯s voice was flat and indifferent, like the sound of the ancient bell, without sorrow or joy.


    Xiao Chen did not know how to respond. The old monk was not like those hypocritical people, and he had no bad blood with him, but in fact, he revered him. He said, ¡°It had been a thousand years, and things have changed. The land had become sea and the sea had become land, what sin can¡¯t be forgiven? So much that he had to be imprisoned?¡±


    Zen Master Quechen slightly nodded and said slowly, ¡°Cause and effect in the world, reciprocating, when spring leaves, the autumn comes, flowers bloom and flowers wither.¡± After he spoke, he cast a Buddha¡¯s seal with his hand and pointed it towards the Devil Repressed Tower. A golden light soon enveloped it.


    Xiao Chen frowned. It seemed impossible to persuade the old monk. As he was thinking of what to do next, Gu Feng suddenly stepped forward. This immediately brought upon a windblast, causing the branches of the nearby trees to shake violently. Zen Master Quechen narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Devil Qi? Who is Your Excellency?¡±


    Gu Feng was not like Xiao Chen beating around the bush. He had always been straightforward. He looked up and laughed. His voice was like the sound of a bell, and he said, ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to hide; I¡¯m Great Devil, Gu Feng! Who¡¯re you, little monk? You were not born when your Monk Juekong and I battled 300 rounds right!¡±


    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± Zen Master Quechen said a Buddhist chant, slowly took off the bodhi beads from his neck and hung it on his right palm between the thumb and index finger, saying, ¡°There¡¯s only a fine line between Buddha and Devil, but it seemed to be millions of mountain apart. You should not be here.¡±


    Having said that, Zen Master Quechen cast a seal with his fingers and sent it forward. A huge golden Buddha handprint suddenly appeared in midair and went to Gu Feng. The wind raged at that moment, Xiao Chen and the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance felt suffocated at that instant as they were overwhelmed by the presence of the handprint.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Gu Feng laughed, his hair fluttered wildly with the wind, and he shouted, ¡°Devil Devour Weather Spell!¡±


    Suddenly the wind raged again, and a hundred-foot-high black devil shadow appeared in midair. The devil shadow pushed its arms forward and collided with the golden Buddha handprint. ¡°Boom!¡± and the surrounding shook. This huge impact sent the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance and Xiao Chen flying.


    Gu Feng laughed out loudly. ¡°I, Gu Feng, move around the world as I please. If I want to come, nobody can stop me, and if I want to go, nobody can stop me either!¡±


    There were two Mystic Powers in the air, one gold and one black, one Buddha and one Devil. As they confronted each other, the winds whistled endlessly, the plantations around were messy from the winds, and the tiles of the Zen Temple flew off. Xiao Chen could not help but be shocked. The ability of this old monk should be much stronger than the four Great Divine Monks.


    Zen Master Quechen shook his head and suddenly rushed to the front of Gu Feng. His right hand was still in front of his chest, and on his left hand, with his thumb and index pinched, he struck at the shoulders of Gu Feng. Though Gu Feng was arrogant, he did not dare to take the strike face on. He took a step, went to the Zen Master¡¯s back and attacked with one palm.


    However, Zen Master Quechen was skillful and would not let him succeed. He too turned speedily like a flash of lightning and waved his right palm. A ring of golden light shone on the bodhi beads that were hanging on his palm at that moment as he attacked.


    This string of bodhi beads seemed to have little power, but in it was hidden with the power of the Buddha. Gu Feng was afraid to take the blow face on, he leaped back and avoided the attack from the bodhi beads. Then he got back up and counterattacked with a palm. Zen Master Quechen hit back with a palm as well. As the two palms collided, the earth shook and the plantations nearby flew.


    Both of them took a few steps back. Gu Feng grinned, as if the more he fought, the braver he got. He glared sharply at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°What are you staring at!¡±


    Xiao Chen then remembered what he was here for. He moved and went to the Devil Repressed Tower. The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon followed after like his shadow. Zen Master Quechen did not panic. He pinched two fingers and hit a golden light over.


    ¡°Be careful, Lord!¡± Qingluan immediately called out her weapon, turned around and blocked behind Xiao Chen. A loud ¡°Clang¡± was heard. Qingluan¡¯s body was numbed from the impact of the golden light and took many steps back. The Royal-blood Blade whined. Xiao Chen immediately held her down and shook his head.


    Zen Master Quechen only used less than 10% of his power. If he wanted to hurt them, it would be easy as turning a palm. As he was about to hit again, Gu Feng shouted, ¡°Raging Dragon Seven Slay!¡±


    A dragon-shaped blade suddenly appeared in his hand, and it was about the same size as the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, but a black dragon was inlaid on the back of the blade, and the entire blade body was surrounded by black Qi. It was the famous Raging Dragon Blade.


    ¡°First Slay¡ªForm!¡± Gu Feng shouted loudly, holding the blade handle with both hands and struck. The blade wind instantly formed a black blade radiance, whistling as it slashed at Zen Master Quechen.


    Zen Master Quechen turned around immediately, holding the bodhi bead with both hands. With a loud ¡°Dang¡±, the blade radiance slashed on the bodhi beads. However, a golden ray rose from the beads and blocked the blade radiance.


    ¡°Second Slay¡ªMind!¡± Gu Feng shouted again, but this slash brought along a howl of a dragon and its blade radiance was brighter than earlier. Zen Master Quechen was still fighting with the beads. This small string of beads had such strong power to defend against Gu Feng¡¯s second strike.


    Gu Feng concentrated and yelled, ¡°Third Slay¡ªConsciousness!¡± Then he struck again. This time, the strike was even more powerful. Then wind raged, stones flew and trees were uprooted.


    Zen Master Quechen finally frowned, he chanted and a golden ¡°…d¡± character flew out from his mouth. The ¡°…d¡± character printed itself on the beads, which instantly made the golden ray emitted from the beads even brighter. Zen Master Quechen defended against this third attack as well.


    ¡°Fourth Slay¡ªSpirit!¡± Gu Feng¡¯s hair danced wildly with the wind. As he swayed the blade, a hundred feet long black blade radiance whistled out, smashing the floor tiles and stones of its way. Zen Master Quechen held the beads more tightly, after blocking the strike, he finally took a few steps back and the prayer beads in hand was shaking.


    ¡°Fifth Slay¡ªCorporeal Soul!¡± Gu Feng did not give him a chance to breathe and slay at him again. Zen Master Quechen was shocked and thought to himself that this blade martial art was very powerful.


    As he thought, the blade was already in his face. Zen Master Quechen took a deep breath and uttered a few spells, and made a move of Maha Prajna before he could resist this power.


    Gu Feng grinned. ¡°You¡¯re quite capable, and well, take two strikes from me again! Sixth Slay¡ªEthereal Soul!¡±


    This slash was even much more powerful, and the strong winds around gushed in and smashed the nearby trees into pieces directly. The black blade radiance was more than 100 feet long, like a devil flame, it went at Zen Master Quechen.


    Zen Master Quechen used everything he had learned in his life. He put his hands together, and his whole body was instantly shrouded in a layer of golden light, followed by the formation of a translucent golden bell, which was the superior Dharma Golden Bell Shield of Wuyin Monastery.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A loud bang rushed straight into the sky, breaking the silent night, and the sound spread across the whole Karmaless Mountain in an instant. Zen Master Quechen¡¯s legs trembled, however, he was still supporting the Golden Bell Shield.


    ¡°Haha!¡± The more Gu Feng fought, the braver he was, and he gave a final yell, ¡°Seventh Slay¡ªEnergy!¡± Blade radiance was instantly emitted and the sound of dragon rushed straight into the sky. This last strike was as though it was tearing open the void, even a Grand Completion Realm cultivator would barely be able to defend it.


    ¡°Clang!¡± Another loud bang was heard, Zen Master Quechen¡¯s Golden Bell Shield was instantly broken and he took two steps back. In the whole Wuyin Monastery, he was probably the only one who could defend against Gu Feng¡¯s famous skill, Raging Dragon Seven Slay.


    The raging winds finally stopped. On the side of the Devil Repressed Tower, Xiao Chen and the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance had already pushed down the 18 Arhat statues. The whole tower immediately shook, and there was a constant devil whistling coming from the ground. It was terrifying to hear at night.


    At this moment, everyone in Wuyin Monastery was finally alarmed. The monks, led by the four Great Divine Monks, hurried to the Devil Repressed Tower with their magic tools.


    Seeing that the town¡¯s magic tower was shaking more and more, Zen Master Quechen kept calm. As he uttered the word, ¡°Jing (quiet)¡±, he threw the prayer beads in his hand to the top of the tower. The beads immediately glowed brightly with golden lights, and it became bigger and bigger and finally encircled the Devil Repressed Tower completely. The entire tower immediately stopped shaking, and the devil howling stopped.


    Xiao Chen saw that the situation was not great. It would be even more difficult to create a gap when the four Great Divine Monks of the monastery arrived. At this moment, a low voice came out of the ground suddenly, ¡°Devil? Inner Demon? What is a Devil?¡±


    The sound was very low and terrifying, and the ears of Levitating Dark Fragrance buzzed. But the sound did not seem to come from the ninth floor of the bottom of the tower, and it seemed to be coming from even deeper in the ground, maybe even under the mountain.


    Zen Master Quechen was startled. ¡°Oh no!¡±

 Chapter 444 - Xiao Ning

    At this time, the monks in the distance finally arrived with torches. Zen Master Quechen yelled, ¡°Do your best tonight; you must not let the Devil Repressed Tower open!¡±


    The monks obeyed and immediately held their magic tool, formed a golden formation and sealed it to the Devil Repressed Tower. Gu Feng¡¯s Raging Dragon Blade swayed, and dozens of monks were blown away by a gust of wind. Then he yelled at Xiao Chen and the others, ¡°What are you waiting for!¡±


    Xiao Chen could not care more. He immediately joined forces with the Levitating Dark Fragrance and struck a Mystic Power at the Devil Repressed Tower. Inside the Devil Repressed Tower was a mystic domain but it was much easier to open it from the outside.


    Zen Master Quechen saw what was happening, he chanted the incantation rapidly and went at Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning to stop him. Gu Feng yelled and slashed at his back. Zen Master Quechen could only turn around to defend. As he defended, he shouted at Xuanji and the others, ¡°Stop him!¡± At this moment, he was not as calm as before.


    Gu Feng flipped his sleeve and immediately hit at Master Xuanji and the others forcefully. At this moment, Xuantong was not present. There was only Xuangui, Xuanji, and Xuanle. The three of them had to join forces before they managed to defend against this palm strength of Gu Feng.


    Seeing that Xiao Chen was still breaking the tower, Master Xuanji shouted, ¡°Xiao Chen, stop! There¡¯ll be consequences!¡±


    However, Xiao Chen ignored him and continued to open the tower. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the Devil Repressed Tower shook again. But this time, there was no devil whistling come out from the tower All the devils that were repressed by the tower seemed to have quiet down, only a low voice deep in the ground was heard, and it said slowly, ¡°Devil? Inner Demon? What is a Devil?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Did Xiao Ning wake up? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?¡± But for now, he could not afford to think too much. If he failed tonight, he would never have the chance again to save Xiao Ning in the future. Thinking of this, he put in more strength, and the Devil Repressed Tower trembled more and more, and it had even begun to shake.


    This frightened the monks and they were all pale and panicky. Master Xuanji gritted his teeth, transformed into a rapid light and flew over. Qingluan screamed, ¡°Be careful, Lord!¡±


    The twelve people immediately stepped forward to stop him but were knocked off by the power of Master Xuanji¡¯s palm strength, and all flew out. As the palm was about to hit Xiao Chen¡¯s back, Xiao Chen suddenly turned around sharply. His eyes were extraordinarily cold, and he seemed to have changed into a different person in an instant. He struck out a palm, and with a loud ¡°bang¡± was heard, Master Xuanji was knocked back and flew out.


    The monks were all horrified. Master Xuanji landed onto the ground and was also surprised. ¡°When did he achieve such a high cultivation level?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned his head and looked at Gu Feng coldly, saying, ¡°Gu Feng, help me hold them back!¡±


    As he spoke, everyone was stunned, so were the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance. Because the voice clearly belonged to a woman.


    Gu Feng was also stunned and said, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It turned out that Su Xiaomei suddenly woke up at this moment and controlled Xiao Chen¡¯s body. Xiao Chen could only laugh helplessly. However, with Su Xiaomei¡¯s help, it would be easier to break open the tower.


    With Su Xiaomei¡¯s power, soon, a chaotic opening appeared on the tower. Xiao Chen, controlled by Su Xiaomei, jumped and got in. The Koo-chee beast called and followed after.


    Upon entering the tower, Su Xiaomei immediately left Xiao Chen¡¯s body. Xiao Chen saw her face was pale and ugly. He knew she consumed too much Soul power just now breaking open the tower. He held her up and said, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Su Xiaomei shook her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, hurry up and rescue Brother Ning!¡± Xiao Chen nodded and looked at the Koo-chee beast behind him, saying, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The man, the soul, and the beast, quickly went to the bottom of the tower. The Koo-chee beast broke open the Barriers all the way, and soon they came to the ninth floor where Xiao Ning was repressed at. At this moment, Xiao Ning was still bound in the middle of the butsudan, his eyes were closed, and he was still unconscious.


    Xiao Chen could not help but wonder. ¡°If Xiao Ning didn¡¯t wake up, then what¡¯s with the voice from the ground just now?¡±


    ¡°Brother Ning!¡± Su Xiaomei cried, and immediately rushed in, Xiao Chen snapped back into reality and hurried pulled her back, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Let me do it!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee beast also ran over, shaking its head constantly, and motioned to her to sit down first.


    Xiao Chen seated Su Xiaomei on the stone steps, immediately took out the corpse bag, and released that high chieftain Corpse Puppet. He had learned something when he sneaked into the Corpse Refinery Sect. Although he could not control the Corpse Puppet to fight, he knew the basics.


    The Corpse Puppet moved under the control of his mystic arts. Xiao Chen said then, ¡°Go through!¡± The Corpse Puppet obediently walked towards the Barrier at the entrance of the passage.


    Su Xiaomei looked at the Corpse Puppet closely, and so was Xiao Chen. Both of them were tensed, for fear that this Corpse Puppet could not pass through the Barrier.


    The Corpse Puppet came to the Barrier and was blocked for a second, but fortunately in the end, it passed through the Barrier unscathed. Both of them were relieved. Xiao Chen continued, ¡°Tear away those seal talisman!¡±


    After receiving the order, the Corpse Puppet immediately grabbed the seal talisman that supported the Barrier. As it grabbed those seal talisman, there was a sizzling sound immediately, as if it was grabbing on a soldering iron, but the Corpse Puppet could not feel the pain.


    Moments later, all the seal talisman were torn off, and the Barrier finally dispersed. Su Xiaomei could not wait to rush inside, but Xiao Chen shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything!¡±


    However, it was too late. When Su Xiaomei rushed to the butsudan, she was suddenly hit back by a golden light. Xiao Chen immediately stepped forward to lift her and said, ¡°You wait first! Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Xiao Ning was trapped in the middle of the butsudan, sealed with layers of mystic arts. There were eight ancient Buddha statues outside this butsudan. Each ancient Buddha statue had a Buddhist instrument suspended above it. To save Xiao Ning, these things had to be removed. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen immediately shouted at the Corpse Puppet, ¡°Go and get rid of the Buddha statues and the magic tools!¡±


    The Corpse Puppet received the order and immediately went to the first Buddha statue. The Corpse Puppet did not have a soul, so these Buddha statues and magic tool would not attack it. However, when the Corpse Puppet touched the Buddha statue and magic tool, it seemed to be touching a red-hot soldering iron, making constant sizzling noise, and white smokes were emitted.


    Fortunately, the Corpse Puppet could not sense pain and had great strength. In the blink of an eye, four Buddha statues had been toppled. The Buddha statues fell, and the magic tools also seemed to lose their effect immediately and fell to the ground.


    Su Xiaomei was sitting on the ground, her eyes were full of tears, and she sobbed, ¡°Brother Ning¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the ground trembled, and Xiao Ning seemed to finally wake up. ¡°Xiao, Xiaomei?¡±


    Su Xiaomei suddenly lifted her head and wanted to run over. Xiao Chen pulled her back tightly. Although the mystic arts did not cause any damage to the Corpse Puppet, they had fatal damage to soul bodies.


    Xiao Ning finally opened his eyes and had never expected that the person in front of him would be his lover of thousands of years ago. At that moment, his voice was a little excited, ¡°Xiaomei! It really is you! Don¡¯t come over!¡±


    Su Xiaomei¡¯s face was already flooded with tears. For a thousand years, when they finally see each other, she was so close yet so far. Xiao Ning¡¯s cultivation was high. He could tell at this moment that she was only a soul body, presumably, her body was already long gone. His eyes became teary. ¡°Xiaomei, why did you want to make yourself suffer? I was¡­¡±


    Su Xiaomei could not stop crying, and she choked as she said, ¡°If I don¡¯t see you, even in death, I wouldn¡¯t enter reincarnation¡­¡± Actually, Su Xiaomei was already dead that year, but now her soul stayed, which was also known as ghost in this world.


    At that time, the two were strongly opposed by the Su family and the Xiao family. Many things happened. At that time, Su Xiaomei was seriously injured and Xiao Ning had a mission from Ling Yin. He could only settle her down in a rundown palace so that no one could find her.


    That day, Xiao Ning told her that he would go back to her after he had settled everything. But when Xiao Ning returned to Violet Manor, he was besieged by several major sects and cultivators of everywhere. He eventually broke his promise.


    Su Xiaomei refused to leave the palace without seeing him, but her injuries were getting worse and worse. Eventually, the beauty of the generation deceased, and her soul remained in the Frigid Jade Pendant and was indestructible for a thousand years. For thousands of years, she refused to go into reincarnation and waited for Xiao Ning in that cold palace. If she was not discovered by Xiao Chen, she would still be waiting until her soul disappeared completely and she would not be able to enter reincarnation for eternal life.


    Xiao Ning¡¯s voice was also a little choked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xiaomei; it¡¯s me that hurt you¡­¡±


    ¡°No! Brother Ning, I have never regretted it. So what it is for a thousand years or even ten thousand years, I never regretted¡­¡±


    Seeing the look on the two of them at the moment, Xiao Chen could not help but feel an ache in his heart. ¡°So what if it a thousand years or even ten thousand years, some things, no matter how long time passes, it can¡¯t be erased, even if everyone in the world opposes, that won¡¯t stop it!¡±


    Xiao Ning finally noticed him and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiao Chen looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    ¡°Your surname is Xiao? Could you be¡­¡±


    ¡°This is hard to explain. After we go out, I¡¯ll explain to you in detail.¡±


    At this time, the Corpse Puppet had toppled all eight ancient Buddha statues. Xiao Chen immediately ordered it to crush the stone monument. Xiao Ning said, ¡°No need, I can¡¯t be trapped anymore without the eight ancient Buddha statues. Now, hurry up and get out of here!¡±


    Su Xiaomei sobbed and said, ¡°No, Brother Ning, I want to be with you¡­¡±


    Xiao Ning shook his head and said, ¡°When I break open the seal later, it will hurt you. Xiaomei, listen to me, and leave now¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the ground shook again. Many stones fell off, and Xiao Chen took back the Corpse Puppet and said, ¡°Senior Su, let¡¯s leave!¡± At this point, he had realized that Xiao Ning¡¯s cultivation was definitely higher than Apotheosis Realm. If Gu Feng was already higher than Apotheosis Realm, how could he just be Apotheosis Realm?


    Su Xiaomei sobbed again and was finally pulled out by Xiao Chen. As they got out of the tower, they saw the monks outside were in a state of panic. Gu Feng was still like a fighting machine, hounding onto Zen Master Quechen.


    Suddenly, the Devil Repressed Tower shook again. This time, not only the tower was shaking, the entire Karmaless Mountain was shaking as well. Zen Master Quechen was in shock and exclaimed then, ¡°This is bad!¡±


    Suddenly, the entire tower shook violently. ¡°WHOOSH!¡± A fierce force rushed out. Many monks in the vicinity were knocked off and flew out, and even Xiao Chen and his party almost flew off from the impact of this force as well.


    Right after that, a loud boom was heard. The entrance of the first floor of the Devil Repressed Tower cracked open, and a figure rushed out. A powerful aura instantly filled the entire Zen Temple.


    The wind was raging, that man¡¯s clothes fluttered and his hair danced with the wind. His eyes were cold and made everyone was nervous.


    ¡°Brother Ning!¡± Su Xiaomei rushed over and wept bitterly on his shoulder. Xiao Ning held her in his arms, and his cold eyes swept over everyone like a sharp sword and finally stopped at Gu Feng¡¯s face.


    ¡°Xiao Ning! You and I finally meet again!¡± Gu Feng was no longer hounding onto Zen Master Quechen, and his eyes were like two ice arrows, colliding with Xiao Ning¡¯s eyes.


    The monks were stunned. Xiao Ning was finally freed, but the Devil Repressed Tower and the entire Karmaless Mountain were still shaking, Zen Master Quechen¡¯s face changed drastically, and he said hurriedly, ¡°Seal the tower now!¡±


    Just then, the terrifying voice from the ground appeared again, ¡°Devil? Inner Demon? What is a Devil?¡±

 Chapter 445 - The Millennium Pact

    The monks were already a little flustered. The sound came from deep underground, more like from ancient times. Suddenly, dark clouds covered the moon, and dark clouds in all directions quickly enveloped the sky of Karmaless Mountain. The sky in that instant was black as ink, like a bottomless deep hole.


    The sound of devilish whistling under the ground was getting scarier and scarier, and the Devil Repressed Tower was shaking more and more. The monks were even more panicked, and Zen Master Quechen could not care more about Xiao Ning, Gu Feng, etc. He said hurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Set the formation!¡±


    The monks immediately took their magic tools and went to the Devil Repressed Tower. Xuanji and others immediately set up a large Buddha formation, and the entire Karmaless Mountain was shrouded under golden lights that burst into the clouds in that instant.


    At the same time, five thousand kilometers away, in the east of East Continent, in a deserted barren mountain range, seven closely packed peaks seemed to be packed together because of the sinking of the mountain.


    At this moment, the seven peaks were shaking as well, and there was the same scary delish howling from the bottom of the ground, ¡°Heaven abandoned me, Heaven betrayed me, with my Devil soul I cast my Devil body¡­¡±


    The sound was so low and terrifying that beasts within the dozen kilometers radius were frightened and fled. It took a long time for the clouds in the sky to disperse. Then the sound gradually disappeared and the mountain stopped shaking.


    On the side of Wuyin Monastery, under the control of countless high ranking monks and Master Xuanji, as well as Zen Master Quechen, the Devil Repressed Tower finally stopped shaking, and the devilish sound from the ground gradually disappeared.


    Xiao Ning and Gu Feng were still confronting each other with their eyes. Xiao Ning said, ¡°There were a lot of things that I couldn¡¯t explain to you in a short time. Let¡¯s leave first.¡±


    Gu Feng said, ¡°Okay!¡± He leapt and immediately turned into a roll of dark clouds and went away. Xiao Ning turned to look at Xiao Chen. ¡°Little brother, let¡¯s go!¡± After speaking, his hand stretched out, and a soft force rolled towards Xiao Chen. The nearby monks, including Master Xuanji, and others, could not resist it, as if they were blocked by a force.


    When Xiao Chen reacted, he was already 3,000 meters away. The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon chased after him together with Koo-chee beast. The crowd flew hundreds of miles and landed onto the ground. Gu Feng continued to look at Xiao Ning coldly, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to speak about what happened before. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at Wind Floating Platform of Wuyue Peak on August 15th!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there!¡± Xiao Ning¡¯s eyes were firmed, as if it was a battle pact that was a thousand years late.


    Gu Feng looked up and smiled, then he looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Boy! You must come too! I¡¯ll let you see who is the strongest in the world!¡±


    Xiao Chen had yet to recover from the incident at Wuyin Monastery, and smiling bitterly, he said, ¡°Okay, I will come.¡±


    Gu Feng flipped his sleeves, and then looked at Ziyun¡¯er once more before he leaped and immediately turned into a roll of dark clouds. Only a sentence was heard from the distance, ¡°I¡¯m the enemy of the world, and I¡¯ll live up to this 800 years¡¯ reputation!¡± The sound eventually drifted away, lingering in the night.


    Xiao Ning looked at the sky where he went and finally sighed. Su Xiaomei grabbed his arm and whispered, ¡°Brother Ning, do you really have to fight him this time?¡±


    ¡°This was an unfinished battle a thousand years ago. I have to go.¡± Xiao Ning said softly, then he turned around and looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°This brother, are you from the Xiao family of Human World?¡±


    Xiao Chen also looked back. There were many things that he wanted to ask Xiao Ning before, but now his thoughts were a little unorganized and did not know where to start. He said, ¡°Exactly, I want to ask you about some stuff that happened that year.¡±


    Qingluan suddenly said, ¡°Lord, we¡¯ll go to the woods in front to find a place to rest first.¡± Then she took the other eleven forward immediately.


    After they walked away, Xiao Chen took a deep breath and took out some things out of his pocket. It was now midnight, and the moon in the sky was hanging high. Under the moonlight, things in his hands were clearly visible. It was four Blood Jade fragments of Samsara Jade. The three fragments in the back were handed over to him by Xiao Yifan when he returned to the Xiao family previously.


    ¡°This!¡± Xiao Ning¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he said, ¡°This is¡­ I see.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded his head, his face had become a little bitter, and he said, ¡°The person who entrusted Senior Xiao to pass on this jade is my teacher¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Su Xiaomei and Xiao Ning¡¯s faces changed slightly. Xiao Chen continued, ¡°Senior Xiao had lived up to the teacher¡¯s entrustment, and I would like to thank you for my teacher first.¡± Then he bowed.


    Xiao Ning lifted him and said, ¡°Fairy Ling Yin was kind to me and if you didn¡¯t help me this time, I¡¯ll still be trapped under the Devil Repressed Tower and could never reunite with Xiaomei. You don¡¯t have to be so polite and call me Senior Xiao. If you don¡¯t mind, you can just regard me as your big brother.¡±


    Xiao Ning was the man of the moment previously. He returned to the world after thousands of years and was still the top man in Violet Manor. Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Okay! Big Brother Xiao Ning!¡±


    Xiao Ning grinned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk as we walk.¡±


    The moonlight was bright, and the three walked side by side. Xiao Ning said, ¡°That year, Fairy Ling Yin made me pass on this jade, and there was a person called Wentian with her that time.¡±


    Xiao Chen was then in thoughts. ¡°It was indeed Devil King Wentian, but master hated the people of the Devil¡¯s Practice in her whole life, why would she be with the Devil King?¡± He asked, ¡°Well, does Big Brother know where they went after?¡± Were they going to Kunlun Mystic Land to find a fairy treasure called Immortal Wood?¡±


    Xiao Ning focused and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened later, but I know that your master had a strong enemy at that time. It was the patriarch of Thousand Feathers Sect, Qianyu Nishang.¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled, and he pinched his phalanx loudly. ¡°So, it was indeed Qianyu Nishang¡­¡± He said, ¡°That¡¯s why Ye Yuexuan tried everything to stop Big Brother and even frame you?¡±


    Upon hearing the words, ¡°Ye Yuexuan¡±, Xiao Ning¡¯s eyes seemed to have a slight change. He took a deep breath, and shaking his head, said, ¡°My bad blood with her did not happen overnight. At first¡­¡± At this point, Su Xiaomei suddenly gave him a slight glare and said, ¡°It has been a thousand years, and you remember her!¡±


    Xiao Ning shook his head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll say no more.¡± Then he looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°How¡¯s Human World¡¯s Xiao family now?¡± Xiao Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s very good. It is already the first of the four great families in martial arts.¡±


    Xiao Ning nodded and had a long sigh. Looking at the bright moon in the sky, he sighed. ¡°In those days, Qingping and Zhengyuan followed me to Human World, but I went back to Violet Manor myself. Now, it has been a thousand years apart. I should also go back and see them during the Double Ninth Festival.¡±


    Xiao Chen kept quiet and understood how he felt at the moment. After thousands of years, the vicissitudes of life, the old friends, and brothers who were like family, had become a pile of bones in the grave, and within heaven and earth, there was only one person left.


    As the three of them spoke, they have come to the woods in front of them. Qingluan and others had set up a fire. Tonight the moon was as bright as the day. By the time the moon set and the stars sank, Su Xiaomei had fallen asleep on Xiao Ning¡¯s shoulders, while Xiao Chen set up a fire at another place. Although there were still many things he wanted to ask Xiao Ning, Xiao Ning and Su Xiaomei had gone through so much before they reunited a thousand years later, and he decided to give them time alone.


    The flame was dancing slowly, and there was a squeaking noise in the fire. Koo-chee beast had fallen asleep beside Xiao Chen, Ziyun¡¯er was injured, and had also fallen asleep against a big tree, and the rest went away to night watch outside the woods. Xiao Chen suddenly felt a little lonely.


    At this moment, his mind was still a little confused. On that day, it was learned from the Patriarch Guanshan that Master was severely damaged by Qianyu Nishang, but how could Master not beat Qianyu Nishang?


    Suddenly, it struck him. ¡°The skeleton of the Immortal King that he saw at Xianyong Sect that had the aura of Master, but it definitely did not belong to Master, was it¡­¡±


    He finally understood it. After seven thousand years had passed, Master should have already entered the realm of Great Immortality. Ling Yin, who appeared thousands of years ago, was her avatar, or a person separated from her divinity!


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen was a little excited. ¡°Is it really what he had guessed? Has Master really reached the legendary supremacy? But she did everything possible to resurrect me, and now why didn¡¯t she come to see me, even if it was just an avatar or a Divine Consciousness would be good. Why¡­¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen¡¯s excited heart gradually cooled down. After four hours, the sky had lit up, the fire was long gone, birds in the woods sang, and the air in the mountains was particularly fresh. Xiao Ning and Su Xiaomei came over. ¡°Morning, Little Brother Chen.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Oh right, Big Brother Xiao Ning, this is for you. I forgot about it last night.¡± Then he removed the Frigid Jade Pendant from his chest. This was Xiao Ning¡¯s gift to Su Xiaomei back then. Xiao Ning took the jade pendant and said to Su Xiaomei, ¡°Xiaomei, please go back to Jade, lest the sun gets bigger and hurt you.¡±


    Su Xiaomei took his hand and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    The 11 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance also returned, and the group left the woods. Xiao Chen asked again, ¡°Oh right, Big Brother Xiao Ning, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite understand. Why do the Xiao family and Su family oppose interaction with each other?¡±


    As soon as this remark came out, Su Xiaomei and Xiao Ning frowned deeply. Xiao Ning shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about this either; it seems that it had been like this since a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Is that because of the Heaven-exterminating family?¡± Xiao Chen continued to ask.


    Xiao Ning stopped suddenly and turned to look at him. ¡°Little Brother Chen also believed the saying of Heaven-exterminating?¡±


    Before Xiao Chen replied, Su Xiaomei rushed to say, ¡°Heaven-exterminating? Thinking that he was a bit capable, then called himself a Devil God and lead the sentient beings to conquer the heavens and exterminate Heaven? Deceive the world and harm others. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Xiao Chen saw that her words were a bit fierce, and even with some resentment. It seemed that the two families were not allowed to communicate with each other might have something to do with this Heaven-exterminating. After all, the Xiao family and Su family a long time ago were the Heaven-exterminating families.


    Xiao Ning said, ¡°Everything in the world, a flower and a tree, all given life by heavens. In a snap, there¡¯re sixty moments, and in one moment, nine hundred lives born and die. No matter how powerful a person is, whether it is God or Devil, after all, it was just one of these nine hundred lives, and it may be a bit of an exaggeration to conquer and exterminate the heavens, or maybe it is the superstition of the world.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded his head. ¡°But why did that Great Devil Heaven¡¯s Bane believe it so firmly? Then what was that Natural Law they want to exterminate from generation to generation? Were they also deceived like the Corpse Refinery Sect?¡±


    However, at this moment, all these seemed to be too much to think about now. The group set off again and reached a fork in the road. Xiao Ning said, ¡°What are you planning to do next?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Big Brother going to Wuyue Peak to fight against Gu Feng on August 15? I will be coming too.¡± He thought he and Su Xiaomei had a hard time reuniting, so it was better to leave more space for them.


    ¡°Okay, then on August 15th, we will meet again in Wuyue Peak.¡±


    Then they greeted each other and went separately. Looking at the back view of them as they went away, Xiao Chen was somewhat envious. ¡°These two were able to meet again after a thousand years. What about himself?¡±


    At this time, Qingluan came up, frowned and said, ¡°Does the Lord really plan to go to Wuyue Peak next month? I¡¯m just afraid that the Immortals¡¯ League will¡­ ¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°Of course he¡¯s going! At that time, the heroes will gather in Wuyue Peak, and the Sect Leaders of the major factions will be there as well. Senior Xiao Ning was the man of the moment a thousand years ago. He is so talented that when those people see the Lord and him regarded each other as brothers, who else will dare to find trouble with the Lord again? Even if it is Immortals¡¯ League, they have to show a little respect, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. This little girl was even more scheming than him. ¡°Today, Xiao Ning is indeed one of the best masters. In the future, I am afraid that there are still things to trouble him, but now I am constantly losing my skills. I can¡¯t even beat people like Mo Yu. It may not be good when the Wind and Cloud Meeting happens.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re definitely going, but I can¡¯t shame Big Brother Xiao Ning, so before that, let¡¯s see if I can find the Senior Gui Xian.¡±

 Chapter 446 - The Ungodly Decay

    It was the twenty-first day of the seventh month. Five days had passed and Xiao Chen arrived at a place called Guhe Town¡ªthe Town of the Ancient River. He was but only a few more days¡¯ journey from Xianyong City at the eastern peripherals of the Middle Continent. With the rest of the Levitating Dark Fragrance scouring the lands for Gui Xian, there was only Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er accompanying him.


    It rained terribly hard yesterday and it was a hot and sunny day today. Xiao Chen was reading the Elixir King Scripture that Gui Xian had given him at the tavern. The tome hardly contained many methods of healing, focusing instead on extensive recipes and information about elixirs and tonics. But he scarcely understood most of them, and recognized only some recipes for medication that helps to improve blood circulation, cure bruising, and calming or soothing in addition to others.


    He shifted himself, sitting cross-legged and began to breathe and rest by following the instructions on the tome. Concentrating on every part of him, he began to search for anything abnormal about his health.


    Before long, Xian Chen began to feel a strange sensation about him as if his soul was swimming in a fantasy world within him. Everything went dark around him. There was no earth, no mountains nor rivers. No stars, no sun, and no moon. All that he could see was a world of complete blackness threatening to engulf him whole.


    This was one of the intrigues of the physique of a mage. Reaching the stage of the Nascent Soul Realm allows one to reshape the spiritual manifestation of one¡¯s body into a domain of its own, a concept not unfamiliar to Buddhism.


    But the length and breadth of one¡¯s ¡°inner domain¡± hinges on one¡¯s spiritual powers; it could be as small as a speck of dirt or it could be as large as the actual world we lived in so long as one honed one¡¯s physique through the practice of sorcery.


    Xiao Chen stood in the middle of the boundless nowhere, feeling fascinated and surprised. ¡°Is this the domain inside me? But it¡¯s so big! Or is this just some hallucination?¡±


    Then he took a few steps and he caught a glimpse of a dot of light. A soft white light beckoning at him. But there was something dark in the light. The shape of a silhouette that he could not clearly make out in the distance. Eager to find out what it was, he cantered into a run. Finally, as he got close, he trotted slowly and breathed, ¡°A tree in nowhere?! Is this even possible!?¡±


    But it looked everything like the veritable tree looming several yards over him. It looked hardly strong and majestic but there was something sacred about it with all of its bark, its branches, and its leaves were all completely white, from top to bottom. The leaves sparkled cheerily at him, glistening like silver in the soft white light that Xiao Chen thought this must be a tree that came from the Heavens above.


    Xiao Chen approached the tree, his hand reaching out curiously. His fingers grazed on the hard, jagged surface of the bark and felt the churning ripples of life! Undying and inextinguishable life! ¡°Is this really inside me?! How would I have such a tree in me?! But it looks familiar¡­ as if I had seen it before¡­ But where¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped to ponder. But he could not remember where he saw the tree before. He walked circles around it, wondering, ¡°So¡­ is this tree somehow related to the recent deterioration of my life?¡±


    ¡°But wait, Red Sleeve had told me that my body is powered by two auras; one of the strongest Yang element and another of the strongest Yin element. What in Heaven¡­!?¡±


    Confused and puzzled, Xiao Chen only felt his mind blurry and his head dizzy. Then everything became dark around him again. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on his bed. ¡°Wait a minute, was it all only a dream?!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee beast squealed from atop his bed frame, leaning down to lick at his cheek affectionately.


    That made Xiao Chen giggle. Then he heard footfalls scuffing against stone outside. His spiritual senses were still far from perfect yet, but he knew it was Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. There was also a stranger with them as well. The footsteps stopped just in front of the door and Qingluan¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°My Lord, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I am. Come in.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er pushed past the door and came in, followed by an old man dressed in robes of white trimmed in blue. His rosy cheeks and black hair belied that he looked almost seventy of age and a fascinated Xiao Chen asked, ¡°And this is¡­?¡±


    The old man smiled and asked Ziyun¡¯er, ¡°Is this the young man you told me about?¡±


    ¡°My Lord,¡± Qingluan reported, ¡°This man is the Elixir King we¡¯ve managed to find from the town nearby.¡± Xiao Chen nodded and said to the elderly man, ¡°Please have a seat, old sir.¡±


    The old man strode closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll first have a look at you.¡± A white, minuscule fleck of light shone at the tip of his finger and he pointed it at Xiao Chen¡¯s wrist and the blob of light seemed to penetrate him. Unlike most healers or physicians that require to observe a patient¡¯s condition, discuss with the patient, or examine his pulse, mage healers needed only their healing sorcery.


    A frown slowly creased on the face of the old man, Xiao Chen noticed and he asked, ¡°Is there a problem with me, old sir?¡±


    ¡°Th-this¡­¡± The old healer tried his best to look merrier, but to no avail. He bowed to Xiao Chen and said sourly, ¡°For decades, I, Xue Qingshan have never once disappointed any of my patients. I take immense pride in my craft. But yet today, today, I have met my match. I¡¯m sorry, young sir. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can do for you! I¡¯m very sorry!¡± He sounded positively beaten and depressed.


    ¡°Can you elaborate in a more precise manner, old sir?¡± Xiao Chen balked.


    ¡°I can feel that you are losing your powers,¡± said Xue, ¡°But¡­ your physique is no different to any common man. I detect no problems with you, other than your whitening hair¡­ Unless my skills are nothing but mere conceited vanity¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen felt despondent and morose. ¡°Why¡­ How could this be¡­¡± But Ziyun¡¯er snarled suddenly, ¡°You are an Elixir King! You¡¯re supposed to be able to find out what¡¯s wrong with him! To save him! Nemesis of Death, they call you! Look again! Make sure you¡¯re right!¡±


    Xue Qingshan tried his best to placate a very irate Ziyun¡¯er, smiling weakly. ¡°Please, young lady. Please¡­ Let me think¡­ let me think¡­¡± He pondered in silence for minutes until he finally looked up. ¡°Your life is seeping away bit by bit and your physical body is decaying¡­ Could this be the symptoms of the Ungodly Decay?¡±


    Everyone shuddered at the mention of the ominous words and Qingluan, all colors drained from her face, drew her weapon with deadly precision with Royal-blood Blade and held it at the elderly man¡¯s throat. ¡°Be careful of what you speak, old man!¡± She hissed.


    A cold fury glinted off the moss-green blade of the weapon and Xue Qingshan held his breath, trembling for his life. Xiao Chen¡¯s face was equally pale with his back slick with cold sweat. His fingers quivered as the words ¡®Ungodly Decay¡¯ reverberated endlessly in his mind. No one had ever successfully escaped the Ungodly Decay once it had taken hold. It was certain death. An inescapable and inevitable end that no demons, gods, or human can run from.


    There are two manners of the Ungodly Decay: the major Decay or the minor Decay. The minor Decay is a precursor; a dismal harbinger of the future coming of its more-grievous counterpart and what Xiao Chen was presently experiencing was exactly that. But what comes after is the actual Ungodly Decay that has never failed to strike fear into all that hear this name. It was like a judgment from Heaven: fateful and formidable. The Heavenly Emperor, the Nether Emperor, the Lord Buddha, or even a mage so powerful with the powers as great as the Supreme Realm or the True Nirvana Realm; nothing matters. No one escapes the Ungodly Decay.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face could not be any paler and his breaths and heartbeats began to race. At this exact moment, he began to feel helpless and distressed. There were just so many things he wanted to do, so many bonds he could not sever, and so many things he could not leave behind. He had yet to repay his parents for their love and care. He had yet to find any news of his teacher. His thorny romance with Huangfu Xin¡¯er. And he had yet to see his Brother Yifeng and Muxue safe and sound¡­


    The knot in his gut tightened and Xiao Chen felt a sourness so strong that he would have been amazed at his own inability to describe it. He felt his eyes watering. ¡°Qingluan,¡± he croaked hoarsely. There was a beat of silence before he went on, ¡°Put away your weapon. Show no disrespect to Master Xue.¡±


    Qingluan obediently obeyed her young lord¡¯s command and the elderly man breathed easily at last, realizing that it was his folly that almost cost him his life. ¡°Rest at ease, young friend. It¡¯s just a simple observation that requires more confirmation before I can be certain.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded gently, hardly hearing the rest of what the old man was trying to say. The old man¡¯s gaze wandered and suddenly rested on the Elixir King Scripture lying just beside him. Disbelieving what he was seeing, the healer stammered, ¡°Wh-what the¡­ Th-this¡­ this is¡­!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xiao Chen saw what had caught the attention of the old healer. He shut the tome with a gentle slam and tossed it over his pillow. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple book about medicine.¡±


    Xue Qingshan nodded gently, dismissing it away. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry that my skills are too inadequate to be of help. But if there¡¯s anyone in these lands that can help you¡­ it would only be¡­¡± ¡°Who?! Speak up!¡± Qingluan pressed urgently.


    The ancient healer nodded meekly and said, ¡°There¡¯s a place called Jueming Gorge somewhere to the south of the Middle Continent. The person you seek resides there. His name is Liu Liancheng. He¡¯s barely twenty years of age, but he is one of the youngest Elixir Saints alive, widely known as the Young Maestro Liu Liancheng in our circle. But no one knows who his teacher is, only that he could well be one of the best healers alive without any equal. He is who you seek; the one most qualified to be the Nemesis of Death itself. He has the reputation of being able to cure almost all sicknesses and ailments in just three days and there is no sickness beyond his ability to cure.¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± Ziyun¡¯er gasped with a frown of doubt. ¡°I would never dare to lie to you both,¡± Xue Qingshan husked, his eyes peering warily on their weapons. But he stopped, wondering uncertainly before he spoke again, ¡°But Liu Liancheng is known also to be a strange person. He has an eccentric temper. He will never help if he feels like it and no matter how he will stand by his decision, even at the threat of death or torture.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er shared a dark look before the former asked again, ¡°So how should we get him to agree?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The old healer stroked his beard, pondering, until he finally revealed, ¡°Blood Oath. He will first make his patients swear a Blood Oath. An unbreakable and binding magical contract that guarantees Liu Liancheng a favor that he would one day call upon¡­¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s cut him off with a curse, ¡°So his patients would have to be his slaves? Bondage for all eternity?!¡±


    Blood Oaths are one of the oldest spells in the magical world of mages and sorcerers. Performing a Blood Oath is similar to magical contracts that bind one¡¯s Life Source. Both are unbreakable oaths that if broken, would result in imminent death. But Blood Oaths are more complex and potent magical contracts of the two.


    Xiao Chen rubbed his chin, contemplating his option for several minutes. He had yet to receive any news about Gui Xian¡¯s whereabouts. Going to Jueming Gorge seemed to be a more viable option rather than a hopeless search for help elsewhere. ¡°Is there no other way other than performing a Blood Oath?¡± he asked. Performing Blood Oaths was the last thing he would allow himself to do.


    ¡°Well¡­ Not really, I believe,¡± Xue Qingshan allowed and answered, ¡°But he should expect a favor from you. A favor which would expectedly be hard and difficult.¡±


    No one spoke a word, not even Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er. Xiao Chen rose up slowly and bowed. ¡°Thank you so much, Master Xue. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, please¡­¡± Xue Qingshan bowed and returned the courtesy. He turned to Qingluan and her sister and whispered timidly, ¡°So¡­ can I leave now, my ladies?¡±


    ¡°Begone then!¡± Ziyun¡¯er scoffed. With a relieved grin, Xue Qingshan slipped quickly away. Never once he had had to suffer such dishonor as an Elixir King until he met these two sisters today.


    Ziyun¡¯er watched the old healer scurrying away and grumbled, ¡°And he dares to address himself as an Elixir King! Humph! Lousy healer!¡±


    ¡°What would you do now, My Lord?¡± Qingluan asked.


    ¡°The Middle Continent. To the Jueming Gorge,¡± Xiao Chen said simply as he looked out the window, catching a glimpse of the water from the lake nearby churned with fishy fins and whirled with glinting scales as he breathed slowly.

 Chapter 447 - Jueming Gorge

    It was the twenty-fourth of the seventh month, three days later. The sky was bright and clear overhead when Xiao Chen arrived at a town called the Shishi Town¡ªthe Town of the Stone Lion, a little settlement at the edges of the Eastern Continent. He came here before when he was heading to the Middle Continent with Murong Xian¡¯er.


    In a stroke of luck and coincidence, he passed before the same Humen Armed Escort Agency and a man came forward to accost him, grinning broadly. ¡°You three looking for some security on your journey to Xianyong City? The Humen Armed¡­ Wait a minute! You!¡± He gasped with surprise when he recognized Xiao Chen.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a long time, Thunderbolt,¡± Xiao Chen greeted.


    It was Thunderbolt, an armed escort of this agency. It was also he who had chaperoned Xiao Chen and Murong Xian¡¯er before when they were heading for Xianyong City, although Xiao Chen¡¯s easy and short work of the hitmen from Ling Family left him in awe.


    Still reeling with joy and surprise, Thunderbolt suddenly realized Xiao Chen¡¯s white hair. ¡°My friend¡­ your hair¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Xiao Chen waved him off gently, smiling. He turned to Qingluan and her sister. ¡°Let¡¯s journey on with the convoy.¡±


    Thunderbolt beamed, ¡°Very well! But this time, I¡¯ll collect no payment from you!¡±


    They arranged to travel with the armed convoy and hopped on to one of their horse-drawn carriages and that allowed them to make good headway. This time, Thunderbolt was friendlier and more amicable than before, ¡°Have you heard about this year¡¯s Wind and Cloud Meeting on August 15th, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t.¡± Xiao Chen nodded.


    ¡°The previous Meetings are nothing but the annual banality. But this year it¡¯s different!¡± Thunderbolt revealed enthusiastically. ¡°There are rumors that two powerful contestants are taking part. One of them the Great Devil Gu Feng, who was riling up a storm just not long ago. And the other, I¡¯m sure must be another legendary figure emerging after being dormant for ages¡­ Heh heh heh heh¡­¡±


    Thunderbolt¡¯s face brightened with admiration as he went on, ¡°In the past, it had always been members of the Orthodox Sect who lead the show. But this time, I¡¯m sure it would be different. Imagine this, heroes from all corners of the world coming to Mount Wuyue. It boils my blood only to think about the number of hermits and mages who had been living in hiding, emerging now to show the world what they are capable of!¡±


    Thunderbolt chuckled delightedly. ¡°The Great Devil Gu Feng. What a figure! They say he is at least a thousand years old! Somebody like him with powers that reign supreme over the lands! Makes you wonder if there¡¯s really anyone who can pit toe-to-toe against him! Whoever is that stranger challenging him, he must also be a powerful fighter himself from the ancients!¡±


    ¡°Mister Bolt of Fire here got that right somehow.¡± Ziyun¡¯er sniggered at the last sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s Thunderbolt.¡± the armed escort corrected her, slightly annoyed.


    ¡°All right, Mister Thunderbolt,¡± Ziyun¡¯er giggled and said, ¡°This stranger you¡¯re talking about is indeed a powerful figure from thousands of years ago. In fact, he¡¯s like a brother to my young lord here.¡±


    Thunderbolt stared at her silently for seconds before he guffawed. ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke, little girl.¡± He turned to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°So, my friend, would you be going to Mount Wuyue for this year¡¯s Meeting?¡±


    Unlike a vivacious and spirited Ziyun¡¯er, Qingluan said nothing. She merely looked on, keeping a careful watch. Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°I believe I would.¡± Thunderbolt rubbed his hands anxiously with brimming rhapsody. ¡°You must. Powerful mages such as you should be there.¡±


    Xiao Chen merely smiled and said nothing, his serene outlook belying the jitters of distress now assailing him. The ambiance in the carriage cabin darkened suddenly. But the sky was still clear and bright outside just not long ago but dark nimbuses loomed ominously overhead now. They have arrived at the Changyin Mountain Range.


    No fingers of sunlight ever slid up the slopes of the Changyin Mountain Range and the inhabitants in these parts were no stranger to the dismal sight of the gloomy summits of the Mountain Range that towered over the nearby terrain. Within four hours, the convoy arrived at Xianyong City, where wide streets were customarily crammed with endless scores of people and never-ending strings of wagons and caravans of merchants and traders. Buildings stood proudly on either sides of the streets, overlooking the hustle and bustle at their feet while many a great number of floating isles bobbed lazily skyward and the entire city looked very much the rich and lively illustration of how cities in the Middle Continent looked like, unlike their more tranquil and venerable counterparts in the Eastern Continent.


    Xiao Chen clambered off the carriage to behold the sight of the busy street panning out before him, remembering how worried he was about money when he first came here with Murong Xian¡¯er because of how busy and wealthy this city was. It was a surrealistic deja vu being back here again.


    ¡°Please, my lady¡­ I will not accept any payment from you, at least not this time¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around. He was engrossed in his reminiscences until the voice interrupted him and saw Ziyun¡¯er saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mister Bolts of Fire. It¡¯s just payment for your services escorting us.¡± And she shoved an ingot of silver into Thunderbolt¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s Thunderbolt¡­¡± the armed escort muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Oh, oh! Heh heh heh¡­ I keep on mistaking your name.¡±


    Xiao Chen strode over to join them. With a chuckle at their banter, he said to Thunderbolt, ¡°Farewell, my friend. I wish you good fortune in your endeavors to come.¡±


    Thunderbolt bade him farewell with a salute, saying, ¡°Well, I¡¯m just a brute with hardly learned in courtesy in manners. Still, I wish you fortune too. May you fare triumphantly in the upcoming Meeting, defeat all odds and rise to the top!¡±


    After exchanging their goodbyes, Xiao Chen and his companions roamed the busy streets until dark fell. Feeling concern for Xiao Chen¡¯s health, especially after so many days of journey, Ziyun¡¯er said, ¡°We should look for an inn or a tavern, my Lord. You need to rest before pressing on tomorrow.¡±


    With his deteriorating health, Xiao Chen could not endure the thin air at high altitudes and he could only travel in carriages. He looked up into the clusters of red-yellowish scaly plumes hanging up high in the dusk sky and took a deep breath. Countless powerful mages are rising up from everywhere and yet, his powers were waning. Clan Mo would never stop coming for him to exact their vengeance, even though Mo Yu alone seemed hardly an adequate reason for their relentless attempts on his life¡­


    They looked for an inn and ordered a table full of food; all of them were favorites of Xiao Chen. Qingluan had specifically requested that kitchen to use more salt although it hardly helped. With Xiao Chen¡¯s present condition, he had lost all sense of taste. Everything he ate tasted like wax to him. After just a few disinterested nibbles, he withdrew back to his room.


    Pale shafts of moonlight winnowed through the window into the room as the gentle whispers of the night breeze could be heard outside. But the tranquility of the evening hardly helped Xiao Chen to sleep. He got up and went outside to sit alone in the darkened courtyard, hearing only the shrill beckons of nocturnal bugs and accompanied by shadows of trees portending the growing hours of the night.


    He lifted his head and gazed at the silvery orb up above and remembered how Brother Yifeng had stabbed Red Sleeve during the battle at the rear of the Summit of Mystics, all only to buy him more time.


    ¡°This is the Unsullied. It¡¯s named after the quote ¡®He who is unsullied possesses utter serenity, free of all that is evil and foul.''¡±


    Xiao Chen drew his weapon, remembering what Yu Yifeng told him back when they met at the Three Pure Sect so many years before. The blade of the Unsullied glistened with a pale white sheen, exemplifying its name.


    A soft scuffing of shoes on the ground suddenly behind him made him turn and at once, a faint fragrant whiff in the breeze met him.


    ¡°You should be resting now, My Lord.¡±


    The night¡¯s wind was blowing through Qingluan¡¯s dark hair, catching strands of it and flinging them gently over her face, and the way her thin jade dress rippled and pressed over her slender shoulders could have enraptured all men and make them bend their knees for her.


    Xiao Chen put away his sword and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just thinking. And I don¡¯t seem to be the only one here.¡±


    ¡°Let me see you back to your chamber, My Lord,¡± Qingluan said, ¡°Everything will be fine once we reach Jueming Gorge. There¡¯s no need for worry.¡±


    Xiao Chen found no intention to contradict her. No demigod, immortal, and most certainly human had ever escaped the clutches of the Ungodly Decay. Just then, out of the blue, he smiled and said, ¡°I have never seen you smile before.¡±


    A surprised Qingluan lowered her head, blushing.


    At the break of dawn the next morning, they immediately left the city, heading for Jueming Gorge. They reached the Gorge after five days at the twenty-ninth of the seventh month, with less than half month before the Wind and Cloud Meeting at Mount Wuyue.


    Jueming Gorge was at the southernmost secluded areas of the Middle Continent, a hidden utopia of rich and lush flora even in a time when most other places were languishing with the desolation of autumn. A chilly breeze, bearing the scent of grass and flowers met them as they walked through the yawning opening of the gorge and they were met by the captivating sight of dense green meadows, adorned with sprinkles of myriad colors of the flowers blooming healthily.


    They could feel the air was thick with rich Spiritual Qi as they walked, until they saw a crowd of twenty to thirty people waiting under the shade of a large tree. The people were standing in a line, waiting before a little boy dressed like an acolyte and Xiao Chen immediately understood: these people must be waiting for their turn to meet this legendary physician.


    Xiao Chen and his companions joined the end of the line. There were many people, all looking rich and powerful in the line in front of them. Some were even leaders of sects and schools of magecraft. They all had one thing in common: each and every one of them came bearing gifts or treasures of rare valuables and only Xiao Chen came empty-handed.


    Everyone waited for almost an hour and many began to look flustered and anxious, but no one dared utter a word or grumble. Finally, another acolyte, looking in his early teens appeared from deep inside the gorge and squeaked boyishly, ¡°There¡¯re only three places for today. The rest of you can come back again after a month.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Gasps and roars of indignation rose from all quarters. Some began looking at each other, sharing dark and dissatisfied looks. Only the first three men standing at the head of the line looked pleased and elated.


    ¡°Why only three places? I¡¯ve been waiting for more than half a month!¡±


    ¡°One month?! I cannot afford to wait until then! Please! Tell your Master, I¡¯ll agree to any terms he wishes!¡±


    The clamor continued boisterously and an impatient Qingluan walked up the line and said to the boy, ¡°There¡¯re only three places available? Please, young one, I¡¯m begging for your Young Master¡¯s consideration for my lord¡¯s ailing condition¡­ He cannot wait any more¡­¡±


    But another voice snapped at her from behind, ¡°And you think you¡¯re the only one here needing the physician¡¯s advice? So are all of us here!¡±


    The cacophony only grew worst as more irate people voiced out their discontent. The two young acolytes retorted, ¡°These are the Young Master¡¯s commands: come back again in a month. We¡¯ll have no more noises here or the Young Master shall accept no one here today!¡±


    The first three men heard this and looked visibly frightened. Before Qingluan could even say anything, they berated everyone behind them fiercely, ¡°ENOUGH! Jueming Gorge operates on its very own set of rules and they¡¯ll be no exceptions! Leave at once! Anger the Young Maestro and all of you shall find yourself disqualified forever!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er sped forward and begged, ¡°Please, little boys. Please send word to your Young Master! Our lord can really wait no longer! Please, we¡¯ll do anything! Anything for the Young Maestro!¡±


    But the two little acolytes repeated themselves with the same dull and emotionless voice, ¡°The rest of you can come back again after a month¡­¡±


    Their indifference to the plights of those who had arduously waited long for help was enough to crumble everyone¡¯s confidence and will; most, if not all, of the people turned and left sullenly. The Young Maestro¡¯s word was final: three places and no more and no one would ever want to risk his wrath.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er persisted in pestering the two boys for help. But they merely reiterated themselves placidly with hardly any hint of compassion in their gazes, ¡°You two can come back again after a month¡­¡±


    Standing no far away, Xiao Chen sighed. Never once he had had to beg and grovel like a poor and miserable peasant. ¡°Qingluan. Ziyun¡¯er. That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll just go.¡±


    But both Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were loathed to just give up. But nothing they said had managed to melt the icy demeanor of the two little acolytes which was unthinkable for two little boys so young. One would have wondered if these boys would even bat an eye if anyone were to die just before them.


    The two acolytes wheeled around and were about to leave when Ziyun¡¯er screamed furiously, ¡°JUST YOU WAIT! I¡¯LL HAVE THIS ENTIRE GORGE UTTERLY RAZED!¡± ¡°Enough with your impertinence!¡± Qingluan hissed at her.


    The two little acolytes were hardly perturbed. But a hollow voice boomed from inside the gorge, reverberating from afar like a deafening echo, ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s a first, I must say. Never had anyone threatened to raze Jueming Gorge to the ground before. Very well then. I¡¯ll show an exception just this once. Let them in.¡±

 Chapter 448 - The Young Maestro

    The voice came so suddenly that Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were startled for seconds before their wide-eyed and open-mouthed incomprehension grew into beaming joy. Those nearby who were leaving immediately turned back when they heard the disembodied voice from inside the Gorge, their faces flushed with disbelief. They scrambled back, screaming vainly, ¡°Please! Young Maestro Liancheng! Save us please!¡±


    But there was no more response from the legendary physician. The two little acolytes echoed themselves yet another time again, ¡°The rest of you can come back again after a month¡­¡±


    Despite the ceaseless mumbles of begging for help, nothing came from inside the grove sprawled inside the Gorge. Realizing their futility, the people got up, looking positively churlish and disappointed as they dragged themselves away. One of the acolytes came to Xiao Chen and beckoned, ¡°This way please, good sir. The Young Master is expecting you.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er rejoined him and nudged softly, ¡°Let us go, My Lord.¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing. He was feeling pained. Anguished at what Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were trying to do for a helpless him. They were assassins. Among the best in their craft, they had always been proud to be one of the most deadly assassination squads that walked this earth. Yet, they were prostrating themselves, groveling with all their dignity forsaken, all for his sake¡­


    The pair of acolytes led them down a path between the rims of the magnificent and handsome willow oaks that marked the mouth of the gorge. Splashy and vibrant blossoms festooned the green verdant meadows that blanketed the pastoral utopia, the atmosphere flavored by the melodic chirps of birds and the gentle bubbling of a brook which a little bridge hung over. Then they began to see buildings, gazebos, pavilions, and a few other structures. This must be the legendary healer¡¯s fantasy sanctuary¡ªa domain free from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.


    Ziyun¡¯er walked on the little path, looking at the curtains of willow fronds hanging down around like candelabras around her that wavered nonchalantly as the freshly-scented soft mountain breeze refreshed everyone¡¯s spirits. ¡°So, Master Liu¡¯s healing skills must be second to none in these lands?¡±


    ¡°There has yet anyone who could yet best the Young Maestro in his craft,¡± one of the acolytes pronounced proudly.


    Yet despite the jovial mood, Xiao Chen was hardly smiling. ¡°Liu Liancheng, he brooded, a young lad barely twenty of age but already a prestigious and famed Elixir Saint whose name is widely admired and respected by all. Yet here I am, also twenty years of age, sulking and moping miserably while others are trying their earnest to help me.¡±


    He looked up and found that they have arrived just before a deep-scarlet dome-like pavilion. The two acolytes separated. One of them led the first three men inside while the other said to Xiao Chen and his companions, ¡°Please come with me this way. There is a little gazebo that you can wait at.¡±


    They followed the young little boy to an ornately-furnished square-shaped garden arbor which eight pillars were all lavishly painted with three layers of deep scarlet. The white jade table at the center of the gazebo was laid with platters of fruits including specially-prepared grapes and golden-skinned mandarin oranges.


    ¡°Please have a seat here, my lord and ladies. The Young Master will send for you shortly. But please do not roam around.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you so much, young one.¡± Xiao Chen nodded.


    Saying nothing further, the little acolyte turned and left. Xiao Chen stood at the top of the cliff just outside the gazebo, his hands crossing behind his back. The mountain breeze brushed at his face. The wind picked up strands of his white hair as he beheld the scenery below his feet. A clear, flowing stream coursed through the lush greeneries of the gorge below him, an artery of irrigation that inundated the thick and dense forest below where many other acolytes and orderlies were busy picking herbs.


    ¡°The wind is strong here, My Lord,¡± Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s voice drew closer, ¡°Please rest inside the gazebo, My Lord. That would do you some good.¡±


    Xiao Chen agreed with a solemn nod and strode back inside. There they waited for more than four hours and the sun was a red yolk on the horizon, waiting to sink yet still, nobody came. Qingluan stood at the front of the gazebo, watching into afar, hoping that they had not been forgotten. Koo-chee beast had never uttered anything since they arrived and Ziyun¡¯er sat the white stone table, fidgeting restlessly.


    Xiao Chen watched her. A beautiful lass of eighteen when he first met her and now she was nearing twenty, with lips like budded roses and her dark, clear eyes like stars beneath the long eyelashes feathering from her eyes that trembled with every motion from her. She was the most spirited among all twelve girls of the Levitating Dark Fragrance, the one with never-faltering vim and verve. Then he remembered how she blushed when she misunderstood him; how her rosy cheeks had burned with patches of bright pink when he asked her alone to stay with him when they last visited the Xianyong Sect.


    Ziyun¡¯er looked up and their eyes met. Seeing how he was staring at her strangely, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, My Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen merely smiled and said nothing.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she muttered, feeling a palpable awkwardness. She quickly averted away to hide her embarrassment, looking down the path from where they had come in the afternoon and griped, ¡°¡® The Young Master will send for you shortly,¡¯ he said! Humph! And yet we¡¯ve already been waiting for more than four hours¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen kept silent. These girls might not be the average young maidens easily moved by emotional compulsions but they were still young lasses nonetheless. Was he being a nuisance to them? Was he wasting their lives? Qingluan, Ziyun¡¯er and the rest of them were all squandering their rosy years of youth by staying by him. Suddenly, before he even knew it, the words escaped his lips, ¡°If I were to lose all of my powers one day¡­ all of you¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er gasped with shock. They rushed to his side. ¡°We¡¯ve sworn to stay by you and keep you, by life or by death! Please say no more, My Lord!¡±


    No one said anything else. There were only the soft undertones of the wind in the darkening sky of the dusk.


    Then a voice from behind them came so suddenly that they almost jumped. ¡°The Young Master awaits in the Red Chamber. Please come with me,¡± the acolyte had finally returned.


    Ziyun¡¯er helped Xiao Chen up. ¡°Let us go then, My Lord. Master Liu is waiting.¡±


    ¡°This way please,¡± the little acolyte invited and he led them to the deep-scarlet building they came by just now.


    The inside of the Red Chamber was brightly lighted with lamps and the furniture was simple but exquisite. Chairs and tables, ornately chased with engravings of scaly clouds, lined up in two rows leading up from the entrance while, at the seat of honor adjacent to the two columns of chairs and tables, was a screen.


    Once they walked in, the acolyte withdrew outside. Heartbeats passed in silence until a male voice, chilly and detached, came from the other side of the screen. ¡°Pain and sorrow that can be cured are called sicknesses. Those that we mortals can do nothing to heal, that is Fate. And yours is exactly that. It¡¯s no sickness.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er shuddered. The Elixir King whose help they had sought for before, Xue Qingshan had failed to find out what was wrong with Xiao Chen. But without even a glance at him, Liu Liancheng had ascertained Xiao Chen¡¯s condition! The rumors about his prowess in the skills of healing were true after all.


    ¡°So, can you help me, Young Maestro?¡± Xiao Chen asked.


    ¡°Fate is bound by the will of Heaven. It will not be altered by the powers of mere humans. But I am no mere human. I enjoy contradicting the will of Heaven. That is why your Fate, in my eyes, is only sickness.¡±


    A man in green stepped out from the other side of the screen, lean, tall, and youthful, his eyes keen and piercing. A lock of hair hung before one of the dark onyx-like eyes, floundering lazily as he moved and made him looked more dashing than ever.


    ¡°Please, sit. There¡¯s no need for ceremony,¡± Liu Liancheng said casually with a wave of his arm, smiling thinly.


    Xiao Chen and his companions sat down on the chairs on the left and Liu Liancheng sank into his seat of honor at the head of the hall. ¡°I¡¯m that you are aware of the rules on which the Jueming Gorge operates prior to coming.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead wrinkled darkly. Knowing that he could not afford to make a Blood Oath, he was ready to agree to whatever secondary condition that Liu Liancheng might demand. Lord of the Jueming Gorge betrayed no expression in his countenance and Xiao Chen knew he must speak with candor. But before he uttered so much as anything, Ziyun¡¯er sprang up, saying at once, ¡°My Lord is not able to make a Blood Oath with you. Please tell us about your second condition. We¡¯ll be sure to satisfy your demand.¡±


    A wry smile broke upon Liu Liancheng¡¯s face, his gaze never once leaving Xiao Chen. ¡°I am the only person in the world who can cure you. Are you sure about this?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s stare met his defiantly and he breathed hard. ¡°Let¡¯s hear about your second condition, Young Maestro.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Liu Liancheng replied. With one long, fixed glare at Xiao Chen, he went on, ¡°These two girls will stay here and serve me unconditionally for ten years. That is my condition.¡±


    Qingluan¡¯s and Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s bodies trembled as soon as they heard him. But Xiao Chen muttered sharply, his tone icy and cool, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I am the Young Maestro Liu Liancheng. My decision is final then. Please, my orderlies will see you on your way out,¡± Liu Liancheng remarked. Without even a glance at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, his arm raised, gesturing at the door.


    ¡°How dare you¡­¡± An arm jerked Ziyun¡¯er back before she could storm at Liu Liancheng. Qingluan quickly bowed to the Lord of Jueming Gorge after restraining her sister and said, ¡°Master Liu. You might still be unaware of who my lord is or you might have a lower impression of what my lord is capable of. But please, Master Liu, tell us your second condition and I¡¯m sure my lord would be able to fulfill it.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, he is nothing more than a man with less than half a month of life ahead of him.¡± Liu Liancheng observed dryly.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Ziyun¡¯er hissed again, but she was held back again by Qingluan. ¡°I have no shortage of people who are willing to do my bidding,¡± Liu Liancheng stated, ¡°There are leaders of prominent sects or schools, or even conquerors or monarchs of countries. Too many, I¡¯d say. So, my decision still stands. I have stated my condition. But feel free to think it over. You can also come back after a half months¡¯ time, but who knows? My mind could be changed by then.¡±


    ¡°Anything else,¡± Xiao Chen growled icily, ¡°Anything else other than this.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I have no other needs other than this,¡± Liu Liancheng replied silkily.


    The atmosphere in the chamber became manifestly tensed until a shrill whistle rang and a streak of purple shot at Liu Liancheng. Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s Bloodied Violet Blade stopped just in front of his throat. Any further and his head would have been easily lopped off.


    ¡°Help him! Help him and your life will be spared! Rest assured that I have shed more blood than all the people you have ever saved!¡±


    Anger and hatred burned in her eyes; a cold and sharp fury that indicated she would swing her blade without mercy. A side that was markedly different from the adorable and spirited young lass before.


    Yet despite being threatened at knifepoint, Liu Liancheng merely smirked. ¡°Kill me, and your lord faces certain death. Anyway, I¡¯m revising my condition: twenty years.¡±


    ¡°You scum!¡±


    ¡°Thirty years.¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen stood up suddenly. In a cold voice, he called, ¡°Qingluan, Ziyun¡¯er. We¡¯ll go.¡±


    Liu Liancheng chuckled and called towards outside, ¡°See the guests out.¡± Two acolytes came in and beckoned, ¡°This way please.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er face turned flushed with red anger and her chest heaved as she caught her breath. But there was little they could do. They walked out of the Red Chamber and were escorted out to the large tree where they and the others had been waiting for their turn earlier in the day and the two orderlies withdrew back into the Gorge with hardly a word. Xiao Chen and his companions walked wordlessly away until a fitful of coughs took him. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er quickly caught him before he fell. ¡°My Lord!¡±


    A peal of soft moans emitted from Koo-chee beast. It took quite a while for Xiao Chen to regain his breath. He waved off his companions, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    But Ziyun¡¯er let out a stifled gasp, seeing something she could not believe. Xiao Chen¡¯s hands were decaying and wrinkles were beginning to show. But Qingluan knew what was happening: the journey these past few days must have taken a toll on Xiao Chen¡¯s health.


    The sun was beginning to set and it did not take long for darkness to shroud over the terrain of the Gorge. Qingluan found them a cave where they could take shelter for the night. They moved Xiao Chen inside and helped him to a seat while Ziyun¡¯er started a small fire just at the entrance. Later that night, Koo-chee beast fell asleep, lying down beside Xiao Chen. The moon was a large, luminous crescent hanging low in the sky that reminded Xiao Chen of a woman¡¯s brow. He could not sleep; the cold breeze funneling down through the mouth of the cave made him cough incessantly. His lips were white as snow and wrinkles feathered from the edges of his eyes and he felt weary and tired like an old man in his twilight years waiting for Death to come to claim him.


    Already on the verge of tears, Ziyun¡¯er muttered hoarsely, ¡°No¡­ My Lord, you¡¯ll be fine¡­ I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡± A deathly-pale Xiao Chen smiled gently at her. ¡°I know¡­ Is, is there water¡­ I would like some water¡­¡±


    Qingluan immediately hurried over with a waterskin but it was empty. Ziyun¡¯er snatched it out of her hands, screaming, ¡°I¡¯ll have some in no time!¡± And she ran outside.


    Xiao Chen waited until Ziyun¡¯er went far and her footsteps faded before he spoke, ¡°There are things that I do not wish for her to listen. But you¡­ Qingluan¡­ listen to me. Listen closely and let me finish.¡±


    Qingluan nodded. Rings of red curled around her eyes as she braced for the dreaded message from her master.


    Xiao Chen merely smiled and began coughing terribly again. He went on slowly when he recovered, ¡°On the way from the Jade Qing Sect in Qing Province to the stronghold of the Widespread Wintriness Sect in Wu Province, you¡¯d see a mountain that shaped like a fairy below you after almost half a day of flying on a Flying-cloud Stone. The vicinity is known as the Beautiful Immortal Mountains¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen convulsed again in another fit of coughs and went on, ¡°150 kilometers to the south-east of the Beautiful Immortal Mountains, you¡¯ll find seven sunken mountain peaks. Those are actually ancient ruins yet undiscovered by people¡­¡±


    Tears prickled at the ends of Qingluan¡¯s lashes, trembling as she nodded and answered with a wordless acknowledgment. Her chokes of sobs only sounded all too sorrowful in the soft wailings of the winds outside. Xiao Chen smiled and pressed on, ¡°Go to one of the peaks. The one with many black bamboos¡­ Bury me there when I die¡­¡±


    The flames flickered with the winds blowing into the cave, tossing up flakes of red-hot embers and two lines of tears rolled silently down Qingluan¡¯s cheeks. Biting her lips, she nodded.


    Xiao Chen reached out a hand and rubbed away the tears. ¡°There¡¯s no need to cry. All men must die. Moreover, I shouldn¡¯t have been alive in the first place. I guess this is Destiny. I was only twenty when I died thousands of years ago¡­ It is only fitting that my ultimate end should be the same¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen rambled on to himself. Qingluan suppressed another choke and croaked hoarsely, ¡°Do you have any more wishes, My Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen merely sighed. His gaze wandered to the smoldering embers in the firepit. ¡°Go to Mount Wuyue on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. Look for Brother Xiao Ning and tell him that I would not be coming after all¡­¡±


    More tears drenched Qingluan¡¯s face. Xiao Chen had never seen her smile. Yet the sight of her crying was no less heart-wrenching a moment for him. ¡°When all is done,¡± he breathed and said, ¡°Disband the squad. You are in the prime of your youth. You girls should never have lived like this¡­¡±


    The tears never seemed to stop. They have been through thick and thin together and seeing him suffering in his final moments, Qingluan would have given anything if only he could be saved. Her life even, if only Death would spare him. The dread of his impending doom sent a flush of emotions through her: rage, resentment, and finally, despair and grief.


    30 minutes passed on in silence as the winds outside slowly died down. There was still no sign of Ziyun¡¯er. Xiao Chen grimaced and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s keeping her so long¡­ It¡¯s only water¡­¡±


    The salty film of dried tears cracked as Qingluan sprang to her feet, understanding immediately. ¡°Oh no!¡± Xiao Chen could read her mind and he too cried, ¡°Help me up! Quick!¡±


    Koo-chee beast roused from its sleep and immediately padded by Xiao Chen¡¯s heels. The three left the cave and hurried as quickly as they could back into the Gorge, heading straight for Liu Liancheng¡¯s Red Chamber.


    The doors of the Chamber were tightly latched and Liu Liancheng, sitting with one leg over the other casually, was sitting on the seat of honor. He rubbed his chin with a faint smile curling by his lips, enjoying the view of the person in front of him.


    It was Ziyun¡¯er. Ziyun¡¯er who had gone off for water. Ziyun¡¯er who had lied to Xiao Chen. Ziyun¡¯er who was trying to save his life. Tears flowed endlessly down and trickled off her cheeks like pearls falling off a broken necklace.


    Standing in the middle of the hall illuminated by the glow of the candles, she was contorting, sobbing, and shivering. Her hand rose to her shoulders and tugged at the folds of her robes. The soft velvety ruffles of her dress slid off her milk-white shoulders, revealing the purple plum blossom mark just under her shoulder blades.


    More tears came down. Dribbling off her chin, falling on her pearly throat and streamed further down¡­

 Chapter 449 - Resurrection and Return

    The flames of the candle lamps flickered and wavered gently. But they could hardly sooth or calm Ziyun¡¯er, whose convulsions only grew stronger. Her lithe and slender frame shook as the rest of her pale purplish dress slipped off her, leaving only the soft and tender white skin of her naked body. The folds of her dress fell into a crumble. A heap clinging to her calves.


    The girls of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were sworn to celibacy. Even at the pain of death, they were to guard their chastity without fail. Yet now, with only the filmy sheet of the last remaining bodice on her, the bareness of Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s body was utterly revealed under the swaying effulgence of the lamps. The deadly assassin now a petite and meek little lass, the womanly curves down her waist could easily make any man water.


    Not even Liu Liancheng could hold back his placid demeanor. He had never once laid eyes on a little lass of such ravishing beauty and the tears dribbling down her face only made his heartbeat race.


    Ziyun¡¯er held back a choke and whimpered, ¡°Please, please tell nothing of this to my lord and sister¡­¡±


    Liu Liancheng¡¯s lips trembled as if he was trying to speak. But no words came out. He merely smiled, although his stare turned into a hungry look, his usual icy placidness slowly melting. It was the first time he felt such an urge to lunge at a girl. To tear off her final article of clothing and feast with his own eyes the complete allure of the perfect woman¡¯s body.


    Ziyun¡¯er gagged, another sob welling up and more tears fell, a deluge that soaked the silky bodice covering her chest as she trembled uncontrollably. Her shaking hands moved slowly, tracing inch by inch to her back and tugged at the straps on her back.


    Liu Liancheng felt an electrifying sensation that made his body jerk as soon as Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s fingers clasped at the straps. His eyes burned with passion unblinkingly and his breath began to rise. Her graceful movements were enticingly sensuous to him and her limber and supple frame in the candlelight only made him yearn for her more.


    But out of nowhere came a bang that he would have thought it was a bolt of lightning. The doors of his Chamber opened, torn off their hinges in a blast of timber debris and splinters and two silhouetted figures stood in its wake.


    Before Liu Liancheng hardly moved an inch, Ziyun¡¯er was already reclothed and it was Qingluan who had helped her. Xiao Chen stormed in, his bloodshot eyes on the brink of popping out as he roared, ¡°BEAST! I¡¯LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!¡± The Unsullied appeared in his hand and he stabbed furiously at the healer.


    The powerful stroke churned up a vacuum in its wake that instantly extinguished all the candles in the hall. A loud clang ensued and the force from the collision shook the whole Chamber and dust began falling from all quarters. Qingluan had, in the nick of time, parried Xiao Chen¡¯s attack with her Royal-blood Blade.


    ¡°Please, My Lord! You need to calm down!¡± She would have wanted to skin Liu Liancheng alive with her own hands. But he was the only one who could help Xiao Chen. The only one they needed alive.


    Tears rained down Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s face as she choked with sobs. Qingluan helped her aside, casting a cold glare at Liu Liancheng. ¡°You will heal him this very instant. As of now, I¡¯ll give no d*mn to your rules! And if he dies, rest assured that no one in Jueming Gorge lives! I¡¯ll make sure this place is razed to the ground!¡±


    For once, Qingluan¡¯s eyes blazed with malice and contempt. Unlike the many times she had killed upon command, this time, she was truly angered enough to kill. Truly angered enough that the entire room was tensed with the suffocating pressure from the desire to kill emanating from her.


    Liu Liancheng felt his breath coming to a still as the burning passion within him slowly died down. But he was nowhere near panicking. He waved off the acolytes rushing to his defense from outside, motioning for them to leave. He smiled. ¡°So you say. Kill me if you will. Raze this place to the ground if you will. I am the Young Maestro Liu Liancheng. My decision stays. Bow and knock your head on the ground if you please, and still, I¡¯d refuse you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how stubborn you¡¯d be¡­¡± Qingluan hissed insidiously with a veil of chill shrouding over her. The Royal-blood Blade shook in her grasp, trembling in resonation to her spiking emotions.


    Gleefully pleased with himself, Liu Liancheng cried out loud, ¡°NO!¡± And he yawned while gesturing towards the door. ¡°Kindly see yourselves out. But if you wish to stay here for the night, I can have my people make arrangements.¡±


    ¡°YOU SCUM!¡± Qingluan spat, her knuckles cracking. But Liu Liancheng was not even the slightest afraid. But how could it be possible? That a man had no weak points?


    Xiao Chen reached his hand at the Unsullied which had been struck out of his grasp and driven deep into a pillar. The weapon dislodged itself and flew back into his hand before he tucked it away. ¡°Qingluan,¡± he muttered coldly, ¡°Let us leave. I¡¯d not have scum like him to cure me. I, Xiao Chen, would rather die than beg him!¡± He turned, his voluminous sleeves flailing as he spun and began walking out when Liu Liancheng shouted suddenly, ¡°Wait! Just wait!¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped, but he did not turn. ¡°I¡¯m sparing your life because I have no feud with you, you vermin! You should be thanking the stars that I was not too late to save my subordinate!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Liancheng screamed again. For the first time, he looked anxious and flustered. ¡°What did you say your name was?!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked back. A pair of icy glares shot from him. ¡°I am Xiao Chen. The one and only. What is that to you?¡±


    ¡°The very same Xiao Chen who had wreaked havoc at the residence of Zuoqiu family?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I am!¡±


    A quick shift occurred to his expression although it quickly recovered. Then he burst into a peal of laughter. ¡°I see! This is Xiao Chen. Brother Xiao! Long I have heard of your name. I¡¯m sorry that we have to meet in such circumstances. My apologies indeed!¡±


    ¡°Begone with you! You worthless rubbish! I am no ¡®Brother Xiao¡¯ to you!¡± Xiao Chen was still seething with resentment, rage, and disgust at the unscrupulous behavior of the healer.


    ¡°But why is Liu Liancheng suddenly so amicable,¡± Qingluan brooded quietly. ¡°What do you want, Master Liu?¡± she asked coolly.


    As if he had turned over a new leaf, Liu Liancheng smiled benignly. ¡°I am so, so sorry, everyone. I have always admired Brother Xiao and his heroics. I¡¯d even hoped to have a drink with him one day. Believe me, I would never have wanted for our first meeting to be like this¡­¡± He bowed to Ziyun¡¯er. ¡°I have never been so badly wrong, my lady. Please accept my humblest apologies. I understand full well that perhaps only with my death, you would feel more assuaged. But if you¡¯re really in pursuit of reprisal, I¡¯d gladly allow you to hit me twice on my face.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er took a deep breath, looking away. ¡°So, you are saying that you would help us, Master Liu?¡± Qingluan frowned and asked carefully.


    ¡°Of course! Please forget about what happened before! Those are all my mistakes!¡± Liu Liancheng smiled with all the friendliness and warmth of a good friend. Still, the sudden change in his attitude only seemed more confusing and puzzling to everyone.


    But Xiao Chen was hardly softened. ¡°Qingluan, Ziyun¡¯er. We¡¯re leaving!¡± Xiao Chen announced icily. He began walking out and when he came upon one of the broken doors sprawled on the ground, he slammed a foot into it, reducing it to bits.


    ¡°Wait, My Lord!¡± Qingluan cried, raising her arm to stop him.


    ¡°I said: We¡¯re LEAVING! Did you not hear me!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s forceful growl made even the candles shuddered as if with fear. Knowing better than to contradict her master especially in his fury, Qingluan quickly helped Ziyun¡¯er away. She would have to just speak to him again tomorrow when his temper is no more.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Liancheng stopped him. ¡°Your life is in danger! There is no one else but me who can help you! Are you sure you want to throw your life away?¡±


    With a disgusted ¡°Worthless scum!¡± Xiao Chen tossed his sleeves and spun on his heels, storming out of the Red Chamber.


    Liu Liancheng watched them leave. Once they were out of sight, he rubbed his hands indignantly and vented his anger by kicking at the chair right in front of it, smashing it to pieces. It was the first time that he had asked to help cure someone¡¯s life, rather than the other way around.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh! Xiao Chen¡­ Interesting figure¡­ Small wonder, small wonder indeed¡­¡±


    The stars and the moon outside were slowly sinking down the sky in the early hours of the morning. They were walking for almost 1,500 to 2,500 meters when finally Xiao Chen looked at Ziyun¡¯er, speaking to her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er tried to answer, but her voice broke and she succumbed into another fitful of tears. Xiao Chen came closer and took her into his arms like a big brother, soothing her softly, ¡°All right. Everything is fine now.¡±


    He was a master and lord to Ziyun¡¯er and the rest of the girls, but Xiao Chen had always loved her like a sister. He was unhappy, knowing that she had nearly given up her own chastity to Liu Liancheng to save him. He would never forgive himself if he had been just a moment too late. He remembered what happened at Tianyuan City, when Ziyun¡¯er had angered the members of the Fallen Immortals Sect on his behalf and felt only his gut wrenching sourly.


    ¡°Silly girl¡­¡±


    His gentle voice only made Ziyun¡¯er more hysterical and she broke into a sobbing wail. Tears drenched his shoulder as she hugged him tightly for moments until she finally let go when Qingluan cleared her throat suddenly.


    A discombobulated Ziyun¡¯er stammered a quick ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord,¡± and quickly released her hold of Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen shook his head. He wanted to say something but only a series of painful coughs came out of his throat. The use of his inner strength just now had left him depleted. Everything went dark around him and he fainted.


    Qingluan quickly caught him. ¡°Like how phoenixes resurrect from death in the legends, I¡¯m sure His Lordship would survive. If there¡¯s anyone who would be able to endure all this, it must be him,¡± Qingluan sighed and said, ¡°And he¡¯ll return. Greater and more powerful than before. His return would shake the world that the entire status quo of the Violet Manor today would change because of him.¡±


    She exhaled heavily. The sisters brought him back to the cave they rested just hours ago and Qingluan muttered to Ziyun¡¯er, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sister,¡± Ziyun¡¯er replied, following behind resignedly.


    Qingluan towered before Ziyun¡¯er, the crescent moon in the sky looking oddly like a scythe behind her. The captain of the Levitating Dark Fragrance inhaled gravely. ¡°I have long stressed before how corrosive the perils of love could be to us. Do you not remember my words?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I do,¡± Ziyun¡¯er kept her head low. With Qingluan facing her, Ziyun¡¯er felt her stares burrowing deep into her as her captain voiced out the obvious, ¡°You have fallen for him.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ziyun¡¯er shuddered and screamed, her head jerking up, ¡°No! Never! I can¡¯t even comprehend what Love is! Impossible! That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    She shook her head frantically as she denied vehemently, her eyes growing red again. She did not know what Love is and she was not capable of Love, yet. Still, she could not help feeling sad and sour seeing the suffering and agony that her lord was enduring day by day¡­ But she had never felt sad before¡­ Never¡­


    ¡°I see! You have indeed fallen for our lord!¡± Qingluan hissed, her voice shrill and hard. Her shoulders trembled as her powers churned, a jade-green Qi blade materializing quietly in her grasp¡­


    ¡°No¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er whimpered, still shaking her head ceaselessly, ¡°I have not¡­ But Lord Xiao Chen is kind to us¡­ I¡­ I only¡­¡± Tears gushed furiously. ¡°I am not in love with him¡­ No¡­ It¡¯s true¡­ But he is kind to us and I only want to protect him¡­¡± Her voice turned raspy in the end and nothing more came from her, save for the litany of choking sobs.


    Qingluan took a deep breath and simmered down, the Qi blade in her hand dispersing into nothingness. ¡°So be it then. Remember your mission¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­ are you talking about?¡±


    There was Xiao Chen, standing at the mouth of the cave not far from them.

 Chapter 450 - The Senior Brother of Liu Liancheng

    ¡°What¡­ are you talking about?¡±


    The voice sounded weak and breathy, although it was no less audible in the silence of the night and the suddenness of it was enough to make Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er jump. The former scurried over to him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, My Lord. The weather is cold outside.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er rubbed off her tears and kept her head down when she rejoined them. But her puffy eyes and the two lines of dried tears failed to escape Xiao Chen¡¯s notice. ¡°Why are you crying again?¡± he asked softly, with a hand on the wall of the cave to keep himself still as he convulsed into coughs again. ¡°I just woke up,¡± a sickly him went on, ¡°And I found you both missing. So here am I, looking for you. What happened?¡±


    ¡°No-nothing, My Lord. Let me help you. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    They went back to the cave. Ziyun¡¯er cowered in a corner, hugging her knees quietly. Xiao Chen propped himself up against the wall of the cave chamber, the chilly sensation of the jagged surface kept him from blacking out again as his mind swam with memories of his past until everything was a blur to him.


    ¡°Mysteries abound your Destiny. There may come a day when you are helpless and your end is nigh. Use all that you¡¯ve learned. Every shred of knowledge bestowed upon you by the Mystic Cyan Sect. Use them well in conjunction with everything given to you by that person. Perhaps you might be able to turn the tables against all odds. In three days, you will be invincible. So powerful you would be, that not even the Fallen Devil would¡­ But your omnipotence comes with a price: Death will come to you after three days. In fact¡­¡±


    His mind dove through another wave of dizziness, failing to remember who was it or when did he hear these words¡­


    A ray of sunlight slanted into the cave the next morning, heralding the coming of another beautiful day portended by the invigorating air outside and the carillon of merry chirps from the birds in the valley. Xiao Chen stirred from his sleep, opening his eyes slowly. The bright sunlight blinded him before he got used to the light but he spied Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er standing at the yawning entrance, looking into afar. Koo-chee beast was perched on Qingluan¡¯s shoulder, looking in the same direction as them, towards the direction of the Red Chamber.


    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee screeched joyously. It leaped off Qingluan¡¯s shoulder and scampered to him to nip affectionately at his cheek.


    Qingluan strode back inside, frowning. ¡°Something seems to be wrong at Jueming Gorge.¡± As if on a cue, a clangor, so loud that Xiao Chen could hear it now, broke out suddenly from afar. It came from the direction of Liu Liancheng¡¯s Red Chamber. There were noises of people shouting and the ringing of steel striking on steel. Fearing that if any harm were to come to Liu Liancheng, there would be no one left to cure Xiao Chen, Ziyun¡¯er came back inside and asked, ¡°Should we go and have a look?¡±


    Qingluan helped Xiao Chen up and the trio moved into the Gorge. They were close when they saw what was going on: a fight had broken out. Acolytes of Jueming Gorge were locked in a fierce battle against more than 20 men in black led by a man in red garb. There were many deaths and most of them were the Jueming Gorge orderlies; no doubt, these more-than-twenty men were skilled dealers in death.


    The man in red looked almost similar to Liu Liancheng in age. With an impressive height of almost eight feet, clothed fully red with a golden belt to boot, the man looked suave and sleek, waving his black iron folding fan lazily. He was standing underneath the shade of a tree, overlooking the slaughter of the Jueming Gorge acolytes with a wry smile on his face. ¡°Junior Brother!¡± He called loudly towards inside, ¡°Are you waiting for me to have all these boys killed before you would show yourself?¡±


    He raised a hand and magically summoned a little boy, another acolyte of Liu Liancheng, who had been cowering in fear behind a door, into his grasp. ¡°I gather this boy must be your heir, Junior Brother? You¡¯d better show yourself at the count of three, or I¡¯d just kill him! ONE!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er lowered into a crouch; she was about to speed forward to save the child, but a hand held her back. Her head whirled backward and she saw Qingluan shaking her head at her.


    The little acolyte looked only barely ten years of age. Yet despite being held at knifepoint, he betrayed hardly any hint of fear. The little child, with a fortitude that belied his age, spat furiously, his boyish eyes shining with defiance, ¡°Evil men! Enough with all the threats! Kill me if you dare! The Young Master would never yield to the likes of you!¡±


    The tall man was already on his second count when he heard how feisty a little boy the acolyte was. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± He burst out laughing, ¡°Junior Brother! I see your little disciple here shares your temperament. Little man, yet stout in spirit! Very well, I¡¯ll kill him first!¡± He raised a fist, ready to deal a fatal blow.


    ¡°WAIT!¡± Another boy screamed from behind the door, his nostrils flaring angrily, ¡°Take me! Let go of my Junior Brother!¡±


    ¡°Are you seeing this, Junior Brother?¡± The tall man laughed out loud. ¡°Are you seeing this!? Have I not defended you like this many years ago? Yet, now, you seek only to break my heart¡­¡±


    He had barely finished when a figure flew in the air and landed just before the Red Chamber. Liu Liancheng, his discolored face fraught with rage, thundered, ¡°Feng Yufeng! How dare you! Involving two ten-year-old children into our feud! Stop this at once! Enough of all this savagery!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! Well said, Junior Brother! Well said!¡± Feng Yufeng guffawed, throwing his head back. He released the little boy he held, shoving him aside brusquely and said, ¡°Oh, my dear Junior Brother. Do you not fear death? You should have arranged for more people to protect you. Or are you really suffering from the delusion that no one would really dare to hurt you?¡±


    Liu Liancheng made no reply. His two disciples rushed to him, crying, ¡°Young Master!¡± With a brisk wave of his arm, he motioned for them to withdraw while never once taking his eyes off Feng Yufeng. ¡°It¡¯s still early before the time of our ten-year agreement. What are you doing here!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha! What am I doing?!¡± Feng Yufeng erupted into a maniacal peal of laughter only to stop and lunged suddenly like a panther. He brandished his iron fan and held it to Liu Liancheng¡¯s throat in an instant and sneered. ¡°The Young Maestro Liu Liancheng who is as steadfast as a rock! But I, Feng Yufeng, am like the wind! I come and go as I please! And here I am, deciding to renege on our agreement, as it pleases me!¡±


    ¡°You scum!¡± Liu Liancheng hissed contemptuously but he hardly moved an inch. They were both fellow students under the tutelage of the same teacher, but Liu Liancheng was immensely skilled and talented in the magic and crafts of healing, a department where Feng Yufeng could only dream to compete.


    For Feng Yufeng was not without a voracious ambition. He wished not only to excel in healing, but also in the cultivation of his powers. This wound up in him having powers far greater than Liu Liancheng, although the same could scarcely be said for his medicinal skills. Yet he blamed his teacher for this shortcoming, believing it to be his teacher¡¯s fault that he was bested by his Junior Brother in the skills of healing.


    Feng Yufeng sniggered viciously, licking his lips. ¡°Enough with the prattle, Junior Brother. I want the manuscript that Teacher has compiled. That is all I ask for. Think of all the brotherly love I had shown you before!¡±


    ¡°And I have long told you before, Teacher did not impart that manuscript to me. Yet you refuse to believe me!¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± Feng Yufeng growled. What warmth remained in his glare instantly stifled. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand why must Teacher so jealously hoard everything for you! I am also his disciple! Why?! Is it because of your surname Liu?!¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself! All that has happened to you, and it was all by your own hand! Teacher would never have expelled you if you did not try to steal his manuscript!¡±


    ¡°You! How dare you!¡± Feng Yufeng¡¯s glare turned more sinister. ¡°Just because Teacher had imparted to you his mystic arts, you really think you¡¯re immortal, are you?! How do you like to test it¡­¡±


    In one of his rarest moments of powerlessness, Liu Liancheng felt helpless. His eyes wandered frantically with a hint of despair and caught the glimpse of Xiao Chen and his companions. ¡°Ladies!¡± He shouted at them, ¡°Please help me! Forgive me for the transgressions yesterday! Please help me!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Feng Yufeng howled with laughter, ¡°The great Young Maestro begs and grovels for his life!¡± He paused abruptly, turning towards Xiao Chen, regarding them coldly. ¡°Jueming Gorge is not open for business today. Leave now! If the young man there is in dire need of medical help, rest assured that I, Feng Yufeng, can also help you!¡±


    Qingluan frowned. She was no student of medicine, but she had heard enough to know that Feng Yufeng was inferior to Liu Liancheng in healing crafts. She whispered into Xiao Chen¡¯s ears softly, ¡°Please wait here a moment, My Lord.¡± With a knowing glance to Ziyun¡¯er, the two sisters vanished from where they stood, appearing in the blink of an eye at right beside Feng Yufeng.


    ¡°You would do well to just retreat, Master Feng.¡±


    That lightning-quick movement sent a cold shudder down Feng Yufeng¡¯s spine. How could two seemingly harmless women move so quickly?! I had not even blinked, and yet they are already here in a flash! Hastily, he uttered, ¡°I would suggest that you two keep to your own business. This is a private affair between my Junior Brother and me.¡±


    The twenty men in black closed in obstinately, their scimitars on the ready to defend their leader. ¡°Very well then,¡± Qingluan snarled, ¡°So be it!¡± The Royal-blood Blade left her hand and struck Feng Yufeng¡¯s iron fan out of his grasp. He could barely react; another purplish blur flashed before him and Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s weapon stopped at a mere hair¡¯s breadth from his throat.


    Feng Yufeng swallowed hard. Not even his decades-long of training could prevent him from being ignominiously defeated by the merest attacks by two little women. But Liu Liancheng was just as astonished. The thought of Ziyun¡¯er whimpering and crying like a frail little girl the night before was still vivid in his mind; and yet, it was a stark contrast to the Ziyun¡¯er he was looking at now.


    Clang! Ziyun¡¯er returned her weapon to its sheath with a ring so crisp and yet bloodcurdling. ¡°You¡¯d best be on your way now, Master Feng,¡± she said frostily.


    ¡°You trollops¡­¡± Feng Yufeng hissed between his teeth. His fist clenched at his iron fan so tightly that they cracked like knuckles. But he suddenly spied a sickly-looking Xiao Chen standing afar. He pounced at him, thinking, ¡°Take this frail man as a hostage, and the two girls would have to surrender!¡±


    But before he could even reach Xiao Chen, he disappeared before his very eyes. His quarry¡¯s cold voice rang behind him as predator turned to prey, ¡°Leave me out of your business with your Junior Brother, Master Feng. I have no quarrel with you.¡±


    Feng Yufeng felt cold sweat dribbling down his back. ¡°How could a dying man have such speed?! What is the use of my Nascent Soul Realm?! Has it all for nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°We leave now!¡± He spat bitterly, flailing his sleeves in a final act of spite as he called for his men to withdraw. He had barely walked for more than 20 meters when he stopped and turned back, sneering. ¡°You are fortunate today, Junior Brother, that you have had help today. But I shall not count on this in the future if I were you.¡± He hopped and turned into a flash of light that streaked away with the dozens of men in black chasing after him, riding on their swords.


    Liu Liancheng could only sigh as he watched the man who was his once-brother leaving. He turned to Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, bowing to them gratefully, and said to the latter, ¡°It was wrong of me to have treated you with such discourtesy last night, my lady. Please forgive my poor manners.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er merely responded with a disdainful snort and averted her eyes. Liu Liancheng chuckled at himself and walked to Xiao Chen. ¡°You are getting weak every time I see you, Brother Xiao. You can suffer no more delay lest there shall be undesired side effects even if you recover. I was wrong yesterday. Terribly wrong. I can only pray that you forgive me and please allow me to help you.¡±


    ¡°You have done me no wrong,¡± Xiao Chen muttered indifferently with his back facing him before he turned to look at him in the eyes, ¡°But tell me this: who is your teacher?¡±


    He looked hard at Liu Liancheng, the Lord of Jueming Gorge with a pair of aloof stares that burrowed deep into him like frosty icicles.


    Liu Liancheng was widely renowned as an extraordinarily gifted student in the crafts of healing. At the mild age of twenty, he represented the pinnacle of magical healing, becoming the youngest Elixir Saint in many millennia. Situ Bei struggled for centuries until he finally reached the rank of Elixir Saint and that was testament enough of Liu Liancheng¡¯s prowess. Yet, until this day, no one knew who Liu Liancheng¡¯s teacher was. A mystery which answer had managed to elude inquirers for ages.

 Chapter 451 - Bone-Eroding Ecstasy

    Chapter 451 Bone-Eroding EcstasyThe air seemed to be frozen by a layer of ice in an instant. The temperature of the atmosphere suddenly dropped. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er did not speak. Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze landed still on Liu Liancheng¡¯s face. This tension was only broken when a breeze came, which blew off several leaves.


    Liu Liancheng smiled, bowed, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My teacher has been retired for many years and doesn¡¯t want to be mentioned by people again. Why don¡¯t you go to the Phoenix Pavilion in the back with me first, Brother Xiao?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er walked over and said softly, ¡°Lord, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiao Chen did not say anything. His gaze was still on Liu Liancheng¡¯s face, and he seemed to see something profound between the lines of his words. He said, ¡°Please lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Liu Liancheng laughed again and then looked at a few disciples and said, ¡°You manage things here.¡± After that, he looked at a few other disciples and said, ¡°In the back valley of Phoenix Pavilion, immediately prepare for me some hot water, heaven-star seeds, cassia seeds, spiritual cornel grass, energy-reviving plants¡­¡±


    He listed the names of nearly 30 herbs in one breath and arranged everything before walking to the front of Xiao Chen and his company with a ¡°please¡± gesture.


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and followed him. When he arrived at the back of the valley, he saw hundreds of rare herbs, many of which even Xiao Chen had never seen before. There were many rare birds and beasts in the distant pavilion, such as the Phoenix-crowned Crane and Three-tailed Fox. Presumably, they were reared to use their blood as an herb.


    It had to be admitted that although Liu Liancheng¡¯s skills were inadequate, Xiao Chen was still far behind him in terms of refining medicine. After all, the other party had specialized in this path for many years.


    The three followed Liu Liancheng to a beautifully decorated, small building and entered the room. There was a faint scent of herbs in the air. Liu Liancheng had Xiao Chen lie on the couch and said, ¡°There may be some pain in the treatment later. I will first weaken your five senses and six consciousness with the mystic arts.¡±


    To put it simply, it was anesthesia. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were immediately locked tightly. Qingluan said coldly, ¡°You¡¯d better not play any tricks. Even though you¡¯re not afraid of death, I can make you feel more pain than death. And you¡¯ll be unable to die even if you want to.¡±


    Liu Liancheng smiled bitterly. ¡°I admire Brother Xiao and would never do anything that would hurt him. Furthermore, today, you three are my lifesavers, how could I repay your kindness with ingratitude?¡±


    When he said the words ¡°repay your kindness with ingratitude¡±, he seemed to deliberately aggravate his tone. It seemed that in the future, he would need a favor from Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen would be the only one in the world who could do it. Seeing that Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were still alarmed, he said, ¡°If the two girls are uneasy about it, you can watch by the side, but there may be some inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s begin!¡± Xiao Chen said coldly.


    Liu Liancheng gave a wry smile and lit two plates of special sandalwood at the bedside. The whole room immediately filled with a special fragrance. Liu Liancheng said, ¡°Please take off your clothes first, Brother Xiao.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately turned around. Xiao Chen took off his clothes and grabbed a towel from the head of the bed to cover his lower body. He said coldly, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Liu Liancheng immediately walked over and began to massage him in a special way, leading the sandalwood into his body. After a while, Xiao Chen felt limp and numb all over his body. He thought that ever since he was a child, no man had pushed and rubbed his body like this except for his father. He frowned and said, ¡°Are you done? You want to close my five senses and six consciousness, so just do it. What are you doing?¡±


    Liu Liancheng said with a wry smile, ¡°I am numbing you with medical skills. I don¡¯t have the ability to seal your five senses and six consciousness by force¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, let me do it.¡± Qingluan frowned, walked over, and helped Xiao Chen. Liu Liancheng was guiding the acupuncture points at the side while she massaged Xiao Chen.


    15 minutes later, Xiao Chen finally became unconscious. At this time, two pharmacy apprentices came in and said, ¡°Young Master, the medicine bath is ready.¡±


    Liu Liancheng nodded and looked at Qingluan. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Miss Qingluan to take Brother Xiao over.¡±


    At this moment, Qingluan picked Xiao Chen up and entered another room. There was a circular bathtub in the room, which was constantly smoking. A layer of bright-red petals floated on the water. Liu Liancheng said, ¡°This is the Black Spirit Flower. It can relieve the pain that Brother Xiao will suffer later. You can slowly put him into the tub. Be careful, the water will not harm his skin. But if you touch even a drop of it, you can feel bone-eroding pain.¡±


    Qingluan frowned and walked over with Xiao Chen in her arms. She slowly put Xiao Chen into the bathtub and was splashed on the back of her hand by the water. Immediately, she felt a sharp pain as if her skin had been scraped off by a blade.


    Liu Liancheng smiled and said, ¡°Next, I need to do a massage for Brother Xiao and help him absorb the drug effect. As a man, it¡¯s inconvenient for me to do it, so I have to trouble you two ladies.¡±


    This sentence pushed his task off onto them completely. The moment the water was touched, there would be bone-eroding pain. Of course, he did not want to suffer it for no reason. He said again, ¡°One of you needs to utilize your power at the edge of the tub to trigger the efficacy of the medicine. Then the other person only needs to put their hands into the water to help him with the massage and absorb the medicine.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er walked over and said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± After that, she put her hand on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and ran the Mystic Skill in her body. Her palm slowly slid down along his chest. As soon as her fingertips touched the surface of the water, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She could not help screaming and withdrawing her hand.


    Qingluan frowned and said, ¡°Can you do it? If not, I will.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er bit her lip, put her hand down again, and immersed it in the water. The pain felt as if the skin and flesh on her arm would be corroded by the water, and finally, even her bones. However, she still gritted her teeth and activated the Mystic Skill. Her arms and palms slowly slid along Xiao Chen¡¯s body to help him absorb the efficacy of the drug.


    Qingluan frowned and pressed her palms against the edge of the tub. As soon as she activated her Mystic Skill, bubbles immediately appeared in the water and turned into white smoke. With the activation of her Mystic Skill, the efficacy of the drug in the water became stronger. Ziyun¡¯er could not help crying out and retracting her arm, but she finally gritted her teeth and held it back. She repeatedly told herself in her mind, ¡°I don¡¯t feel the pain.¡±


    Liu Liancheng leaned against the door with his hands folded in front of his chest and a faint smile on his face. He looked at the two sisters with great interest. Qingluan saw that Ziyun¡¯er was in so much pain that she had tears in her eyes. She turned her head and stared at Liu Liancheng. ¡°Did you do something to the water purposely?¡±


    Liu Liancheng immediately smiled, stood upright, and said, ¡°How dare I? It¡¯s just that if you don¡¯t absorb the effects of this bone-eroding ecstasy grass, then I¡¯m afraid that Brother Xiao will be more unbearable later. You can rest assured. After Brother Xi¡¯s Body Refining Realm gone through this bone washing, his skill will definitely increase and his physique will be much stronger than before.¡±


    ¡°Sister, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not painful¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er gritted her teeth and ran her Mystic Skill over and over again to help Xiao Chen absorb the drug¡¯s efficacy.


    Xiao Chen finally let out a soft hum. The frown between his eyebrows grew deeper and deeper and he was sweating profusely. Although he was unconscious at the moment, he still felt very painful. In a daze, he seemed to feel two warm and soft arms moving around his body, which made him felt a little comfortable again.


    30 minutes later, Ziyun¡¯er was almost numb from the pain and could not even feel it anymore. Liu Liancheng nodded and said, ¡°Well, the drug¡¯s absorption is good. Remember that if he wakes up later, he can¡¯t come out without my order. Otherwise, all the previous efforts will be wasted.¡± Then, he looked at Qingluan and said, ¡°Miss Qingluan, please come out and help me obtain the blood of the spiritual fox.¡±


    Qingluan retrieved her powers and glanced at Ziyun¡¯er before leaving with Liu Liancheng. The Koo-chee beast also followed after her. There were only Ziyun¡¯er and Xiao Chen left in the room. Xiao Chen¡¯s brows remained tightly locked and his consciousness was hazy, with him only humming occasionally.


    Looking at his current state, coupled with the fact that there was no one else in the room, Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s mind could not help becoming active. She thought to herself, ¡°Last night, Sister Qingluan said that I had fallen in love with the master. Could it be true? No, no, it wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Thinking of this, she shook her head suddenly, and then quietly looked at the person in front of her. She thought that it was because her master was very good to her and others, so¡­ Otherwise, if he was a person like Chu Xuan, the second prince of Xiyue State, or Liu Liancheng, she would not care about his life and death, hmph.


    The more Ziyun¡¯er thought, the more active her mind was. She frowned softly and whispered, ¡°But what if I do like my master?¡± With that in mind, she seemed to think of something, and her eyes turned around. She snickered, ¡°They say that when kissing a person, if you feel it, then it means you like that person; and if not, you don¡¯t. Hehe, I know¡­¡±


    At this point, she crept to the front of Xiao Chen as if she was going to do something bad. At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were closed and his lips were slightly open. Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s heart beat faster and faster. She slowly leaned forward to meet his lips. She could almost feel his breath. Suddenly, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and asked blankly, ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er was also stunned. She did not expect her master to wake up suddenly. She slowly reached out her hand, plucked a piece of herb leaf from the hair on Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead, and then handed it to him.


    Xiao Chen looked at the grass between her two fingers and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. His flesh and blood seemed to be about to be corroded. He was about to get up immediately. Ziyun¡¯er exclaimed and hurriedly pressed him down. She said urgently, ¡°Master, you can¡¯t do that! Valley Master Liu said that you can¡¯t get up, otherwise, all your previous efforts will be wasted!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Chen could not help yelling out, thinking of the time when Bai Ying had made him take a medicinal bath and deliberately put some extra herbs in it to make him suffer. But this time was 100 times more painful than that. Gnashing his teeth, he said, ¡°That bastard Liu Liancheng! He must have intentionally tampered with the water!¡±


    ¡°No! No! Valley Master Liu said that it only works if you absorb the effects of the bone-eroding ecstasy grass!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Let me go! I want to get up! Ah! Bastard! I must kill him! I want to tear the bastard to pieces!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were completely bloodshot, the veins on his face bulged, and his expression was terrifying. Ziyun¡¯er was scared and did not know what to do. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him.


    At this moment, the world seemed to be quiet. Xiao Chen was no longer throwing a tantrum and stopped moving. He could smell the faint breath of Ziyun¡¯er, he could feel the tenderness on his lips, and he could taste a touch of sweetness.


    After a while, Ziyun¡¯er slowly withdrew her body. Her face was as red as rosy clouds. Xiao Chen was also completely stunned. It seemed that he could not even feel the pain. He just looked at her blankly.


    Zi Yuner¡¯s heartbeat was getting faster, and she did not feel any different from before, which meant that she did not fall for her master. Thinking of it, she could not help feeling a little ecstatic. Xiao Chen saw that her expression was weird, and because of what she had done suddenly just now, he asked, ¡°What are you¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er blinked her big, watery eyes. She looked at him and said, ¡°Do you still feel pain, my Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen came back to his senses and felt a sting again. He could not help hissing and saying, ¡°It¡¯s still a little bit painful, but not as strong as before¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt suffocated. His lips were warm and soft. Ziyun¡¯er had closed her eyes and pressed her lips onto his again.


    The room was quiet. Xiao Chen held his breath, but he could still sense the sweet scent. He could see the blurry face and long eyelashes of Ziyun¡¯er when she closed her eyes.


    Suddenly, a cold voice sounded at the door. ¡°What are you doing!

 Chapter 452 - The Old Man in the Black Robe

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    The voice was cold and serious. Ziyun¡¯er was startled, as if she had had an electric shock. She quickly released Xiao Chen. Her heartbeat was fast, her breathing became very short and rapid, and she could not speak.


    Liu Liancheng turned around and deliberately nagged, ¡°Do not look at what is contrary to propriety; do not listen to what is contrary to propriety; do not speak what is contrary to propriety¡­¡±


    In Qingluan¡¯s eyes, two cold radiances flashed with emotionless killing intention. She walked toward the house step by step. Ziyun¡¯er was so scared that her face was red and white simultaneously, and she slowly backed away. She had heard others say that kissing could divert attention, and the pain would not be felt if the attention was diverted. She just wanted to help Xiao Chen alleviate his pain.


    ¡°Sister, I¡­ It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er trembled with slight fear in her eyes. She kept backing up, and finally hit onto the corner of a table. She could really feel the killing intent in Qingluan¡¯s eyes at this moment.


    It seemed that only Qingluan¡¯s footsteps were echoing in the room. Xiao Chen felt very embarrassed. What should he say? Yang Qi CPR? What¡¯s that supposed to do at this time? Passing power? Healing?


    ¡°That¡­ Qingluan, actually¡­ just¡­ just now I was drowning, yes, I was drowning, that¡­ she¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lord, are you better now?¡± Qingluan walked behind him and suddenly whispered.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen let out a sigh of relief, slightly smiled, and said, ¡°I¡¯m better, thank you. ¡±


    ¡°Then, please put on your clothes first.¡± Qingluan¡¯s tone was flat and emotionless, and after finishing speaking, she put Xiao Chen ¡®s clothes on the edge of the tub and walked out.


    Ziyun¡¯er lowered her head, bit her lips, squeezed her hands tightly, and walked out slowly. When she passed by the side of the wooden tub, Xiao Chen held her by her hands, then shook his head. He made a ¡°shush¡± gesture to signal that Qingluan was still angry and that she should not go out.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Liu Liancheng coughed twice, walked in, smiled and said, ¡°Congratulations to Brother Xiao, the bone washing was successful. Now, next up¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly turned his head and looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Bastard! Did you tamper the water!¡± This sentence was shouted out loud, also for Qingluan to hear and let her know that Ziyun¡¯er was just trying to help him divert his attention.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Brother Xiao has misunderstood me. You see, after stimulating, haven¡¯t you become more energetic now? Your waist is not sore, your legs don¡¯t hurt, do you feel more powerful walking now as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Ziyun¡¯er bowed her head and passed by Liu Liancheng to go outside. Xiao Chen did not want to get into a quarrel with this person anymore. He quickly got up and put on his clothes. His body indeed had become a bit different, and the sense of weakness from before had disappeared.


    Liu Liancheng coughed and said, ¡°This is just the beginning, what will happen in the next three days is the top priority. No mistakes can be made. Brother Xiao, please come with me.¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at him suspiciously and then walked out of the room. This time, they went to a cold stone room. There were some green candlelight on both sides of the stone room. There was a stone platform that could hold just one person down in the middle of the room, and a strangely shaped lamp was suspended above the stone platform, but there was no oil in the lamp, and what was inside was unknown. Farther up, there seemed to be a thing at the top of the stone room but he could not see what it was.


    Liu Liancheng instructed the two children to prepare everything before getting Xiao Chen to lie on the stone platform. After Xiao Chen lay down, he could finally see what was at the top of the stone room. It was a coffin turned upside down that covered him nicely, and this stone platform was the coffin cover, and the lamp was the Hades guidelight!


    ¡°What are you going to do?!¡± Xiao Chen became tense. For some reason, since the last experience of the Corpse Refinery Sect, he had been particularly repulsed by things like coffins, and at the same time, he felt extremely uncomfortable.


    ¡°Brother Xiao doesn¡¯t have to be nervous. I have no intention to harm you, you can rest assured.¡± Liu Liancheng¡¯s look also became heavier now and not as relaxed as before.


    Xiao Chen frowned and he slowly released his fingers. He did not know why, but he did not feel good about this, and he suddenly had a bad feeling. There would be a big event happening during the Mount Wuyue Wind Cloud Meeting.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er stood aside without saying a word and remained silent for a long time. Liu Liancheng said, ¡°Brother Xiao can relax, and now I will heal you.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and stopped talking. Anyway, it had reached this point, so even if it was bad, how bad could it be? He closed his eyes and stopped thinking about it too much.


    Liu Liancheng took a step forward, took the silver needles from the medicine boy, and inserted them one by one in the major acupuncture points on Xiao Chen¡¯s body. After a while, Xiao Chen seemed to be unconscious, and his breathing gradually slowed down. Liu Liancheng had a layer of cold sweat on his forehead and was afraid to act carelessly.


    He took the towel handed over by a medicine boy, wiped the sweat from his face, and ordered another medicine boy to light eight small oil lamps on the edge of the stone platform. The content of the oil was unknown, but it was green when it burned. The entire stone room was also permeated with a special fragrance.


    Liu Liancheng turned around, looked at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, and said, ¡°I will temporarily introduce his three souls to the soul-drawing lamp. You do not have to worry. This process will not cause any harm to Brother Xiao.¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er frowned and remained silent. Liu Liancheng nodded, returned to the stone platform, and began to manipulate his mystic arts. The green fire of the eight oil lamps suddenly brightened up a lot and then turned into a plume of fine fire threads digging into the seven apertures of Xiao Chen. The scene was weirdly terrifying.


    After an hour like this, Liu Liancheng continued having cold sweat appear on his forehead, and the boy beside him wiped the sweat for him. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er clenched their fingers tightly, and they did not dare to relax, while Xiao Chen¡¯s consciousness was in a haze as if he was half awake. He could blurrily see the surrounding scenes and hear the surrounding sounds, but he could not move his body, as if he had fallen into a nightmare.


    After another hour, finally, eight faint green fires left Xiao Chen¡¯s body again, and with Liu Liancheng¡¯s finger, the eight faint fires swooshed and flew to the soul-drawing lamp hanging over the stone platform. The lamp immediately lit up, glowing with a layer of faint green light.


    Liu Liancheng finally let out a sigh of relief, slightly smiled, and said, ¡°Okay, as long as this light does not go out, Brother Xiao will be fine. Next, I will add a hundred years of lifespan to Brother Xiao. His three souls are not here. Cross the sea under camouflage, even the two Emperors of Heaven and Hades could not find out.¡± At the end of his words, he produced a smug smile.


    Qingluan frowned and said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Liu Liancheng smiled and said, ¡°Did I not say before? What can be cured in this world is called illness, and what cannot be cured is called destiny. So, I¡¯m going to change his destiny!¡± At the end of the conversation, he kept his smile and his eyes were firm.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were shocked. ¡°How could one¡¯s destiny be changed so easily?¡± Liu Liancheng said, ¡°Ladies, you can rest assured. Before this, I have successfully changed the lives of seven dying men, and no attempts had failed.¡±


    After speaking, Liu Liancheng ignored the surprised looks of the two girls and began to perform mystic arts. To increase a lifespan, it was necessary to take the lifespan of others. These were already prepared by Liu Liancheng. After several hours, it was dark outside. Liu Liancheng also finally finished the spell. At this moment, Xiao Chen seemed to have recovered a lot of vitality, and his hair had gradually turned black.


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er finally let out a sigh of relief. Liu Liancheng smiled and said, ¡°Next, I¡¯ll return the souls to Brother Xiao. Ladies, please keep in mind that these mystic arts must not be spoken about in the future.¡± Then he chanted a few spells, and with two fingers, pointed to the soul-drawing lamp suspended in midair, and said, ¡°Return!¡±


    However, after a while, the soul-drawing lamp didn¡¯t respond at all. Qingluan frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Liu Liancheng¡¯s expression also became abnormally heavy, and he chanted again and said, ¡°Return!¡± However, the soul-drawing lamp remained still, and Liu Liancheng¡¯s expression finally changed for the first time, as he muttered, ¡°How can this be?¡± Then he chanted a spell rapidly and inserted another magical power into the soul-drawing lamp, and read aloud, ¡°Taiyuan mixes up, yin and yang reverse, return!¡±


    Suddenly, the soul-drawing lamp shook violently, and the dim green flames inside flickered. On the stone platform, Xiao Chen¡¯s face turned pale instantly, and his hair turned white again quickly, and even his face and hands gradually wrinkled. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were terribly frightened. Liu Liancheng was stunned as well. He murmured, ¡°How can this be¡­¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er rushed up quickly, pressed her purple blade against his neck, and said fiercely, ¡°What¡¯s going on?! If anything happens to the Lord today, I will make sure that you can neither live nor die!¡±


    Liu Liancheng was also frightened, and his breathing became a little rapid. He tried to calm himself and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I have changed the destinies for seven men before. How could this be¡­¡± At the end of his words, he seemed like he was sleep-talking.


    Suddenly, the stone platform also shook. Qingluan immediately rushed to hold down the stone platform. She turned her head and stared at Liu Liancheng fiercely. ¡°Hurry up and think!¡±


    ¡°Think! Think!¡± Liu Liancheng was also a little panicked. He paced back and forth in the stone room, and finally tried a dozen more methods, all of which failed to get Xiao Chen¡¯s three souls back in place. If this continued, Xiao Chen¡¯s souls would be gone.


    Suddenly, he looked up as if he had made a last resort decision. He turned and looked at the two boys, said, ¡°Get someone to the Gorge of the Lofty Breeze quickly and ask my master over!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± The two kids immediately turned and walked out of the stone room.


    One night had passed, and the light in the soul-drawing lamp continued to flicker. The hearts of Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er were as though suspended above a blade. It was the same for Liu Liancheng. He continuously cast remedial measures, but with little effect. The hearts of the three were as if they were hanging on a thread until the sound of the stone door opening outside resounded.


    ¡°Master!¡± It was as if Liu Liancheng had finally met his last lifesaver. He quickly went over and greeted him. A man in a black robe walked in, wearing a bucket hat, and his looks could not be seen, aside from the sparse white beard on his chin.


    ¡°You!¡± When the old man in the black robe saw Xiao Chen on the stone platform, his body shook violently, and then stared at Liu Liancheng, screaming loudly, ¡°You really don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Liu Liancheng could not rebut for a moment, and said, ¡°I originally succeeded in renewing the lives of the seven people in this way, I didn¡¯t expect him to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± The old man in the black robe smirked and said, ¡°Only with him, you realized how stupid you were, huh? Scram!¡± He pushed him away and said in a low voice, ¡°With your skill level, you¡¯re merely fine at refining medicine, and you want to change people¡¯s destiny!¡± While talking, he walked to the side of Xiao Chen.


    Liu Liancheng gritted his teeth, squeezed his fingers, and looked at the back of the old man in the black robe. A cold radiance flashed in his eyes.


    The old man in the black robe walked to Xiao Chen, flicked the sleeve of his robe, and took out all the silver needles that Liu Liancheng had placed in him earlier. Then he pressed rapidly on several locations of Xiao Chen¡¯s body. It was so fast, like chasing wind or shadows, that even Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er could not keep up at the moment.


    ¡°Yin and yang turn black and white, life and death are predestined, and the spirit returns!¡±


    The old man in the black robe shook his arms. The wind suddenly rose and the sleeves of his robe could not stop flying. Then Xiao Chen was suddenly suspended in midair, and his body kept spinning. The old man in the black robe was pointing on his body rapidly again. Finally, with two fingers, he reached out to the soul-drawing lamp, and said, ¡°Return!¡±


    The soul-drawing lamp trembled, then green flames burst out immediately, led by the fingers of the old man in the black robe, and pierced Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows.


    As the wind in the stone room finally stopped, Xiao Chen fell back onto the stone platform and suddenly opened his eyes. He sat up in shock, gasping, and finally stared blankly at the old man in front of him and said, ¡°Gui¡­ Senior Gui Xian.¡±

 Chapter 453 - High Aspirations

    Gui Xian brushed his robes and sat on the edge of the stone platform, held Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulders, and said, ¡°Are you better?¡±


    At this time, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er also came over. The two sisters bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Gui Xian!¡± They did not expect this old man to be Gui Xian, whom they were looking for and who was also Liu Liancheng¡¯s master.


    Xiao Chen coughed, cupped his hand, and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior, for helping. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Beside the door, Liu Liancheng¡¯s eyes were cold. The more he saw Gui Xian caring about Xiao Chen at this moment, the more resentment he felt in his heart. He stepped forward, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault to disturb Master for this.¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at him lightly. In fact, he had previously guessed that an apprentice could reach the level of Sixth-order Elixir Saint by the age of 20. In this world, besides Gui Xian, who else had this ability?


    Gui Xian was indeed the master of Liu Liancheng and Feng Yufeng, but this was something from a long time ago. Earlier, Feng Yufeng was malicious and wanted to steal the Elixir King Scripture, and was kicked out of the sect. Later, Liu Liancheng also did something that resulted in a conflict between the master and apprentice, and they had not seen each other in many years. It was only recently that they improved their relationship slightly.


    Liu Liancheng naturally heard about Gui Xian¡¯s affairs in the Zuoqiu family, and also knew about his relationship with Xiao Chen. He knew that he cared about this person who was not his blood relative. Hence, that night when he heard Xiao Chen¡¯s name, he was surprised.


    ¡°How is Master these days? I was planning to visit Master during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I did not expect this¡­¡±


    Gui Xian glanced at him, snorted coldly, and flicked his sleeves. ¡°Go prepare some things for me.¡±


    Three days later, under the treatment of Gui Xian, Xiao Chen had almost recovered, and although his skills had not been fully recovered, his hair had turned black again and his complexion looked much better.


    The two walked in the quiet valley, looking at the distant lakes and mountains, the green lakes flickering in the sun. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er followed behind the two silently and did not speak.


    Gui Xian held his hands behind his back, overlooking the clouds on the horizon, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you, alas¡­¡± Then he sighed deeply. Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Why did Senior sigh?¡±


    Gui Xian suddenly stopped and looked at him and said, ¡°Now Violet Manor¡¯s situation is turbulent, the heroes are divided. Boy, have you ever thought about forming your own force?¡±


    Xiao Chen froze, then smiled and said, ¡°Is Senior joking with me? ¡±


    Gui Xian shook his head, looked at him with a fixed gaze, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. Now in the troubled world, there are so many fierce and ambitious people rising. Don¡¯t you think about forming your own force?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and plucked off two leaves beside his shoulder as he said, ¡°I have always been accustomed to being as unworldly as wild cranes or floating clouds; it¡¯s carefree to be alone, without many worries. Moreover, I am looking for the most important person in my life. Before I find her, whatever the situation in the world is, whether it is Immortal or Devil, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Gui Xian was displeased. He flicked his sleeves and said, ¡°Being immersed in love for a long time, it is easy to lose ambition, naturally a good man caught in difficult circumstances!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°It is not romantic love, she is my master.¡±


    Gui Xian shook his head, suddenly turned around and looked at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, and then said, ¡°If someone wants to kill them, you can only choose one between them. How do you choose who would survive?¡±


    Hearing this, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er both trembled slightly while looking at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen pinched his fingers, crushed the two leaves between them, and said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t let something like that happen.¡±


    Gui Xian shook his head and smiled. ¡°The Ling Family and Order of the Divine Fire are just fine. For example, what if it is a thousand armies of the Immortals¡¯ League? Can you stand alone? Even if a person has three heads and six arms, after all, one¡¯s power is limited. This is also the reason why in the Human World, the most powerful martial arts masters, or even a Martial Arts Supreme, would never confront the army of a nation.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and his eyes gradually calmed down. Gui Xian said, ¡°Do you know why Immortals¡¯ League is targeting you everywhere? Even a small fry like the Ling Family or the Order of the Divine Fire dares to ride above your head.¡±


    Xiao Chen snorted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s just because I¡¯m rebellious and I go against them everywhere, so I¡¯m called a devil and bear the sins of one!¡±


    ¡°Wrong!¡± Gui Xian suddenly looked at him, and his expression became serious. ¡°It¡¯s because there is only one of you! If you are a powerful leader, if you have the background of the top 10 families, could they dare to easily offend you?¡±


    Xiao Chen hesitated; this statement was not unreasonable. At that time, he was a disciple of the Mystic Cyan Sect, so no one dared to offend him, but now, even a small sect dared to provoke him twice or more. ¡°This is the world, the weak are the prey of the strong.¡±


    Gui Xian took a deep breath, and his eyes gradually became a little cloudy, as if he remembered the last thing he wanted to remember. He said, ¡°How strong is a person? Even if you are the top young man of Violet Manor, so what? In their eyes, it is just a man with ruthless courage. When there is a conflict, between you and a big family or big sect, they will resolutely choose the latter and abandon you.¡±


    Having said that, Gui Xian flashed a self-deprecating smile and continued, ¡°So at that time, the Order of the Divine Fire committed sins without being punished, and you were locked up in Devil Repressed Tower. Like the empires of the Human World, these so-called heavenly laws are only used to protect the big families and maintain the relationship of interests between them. If you want to redress an injustice, you¡¯re simply daydreaming.¡±


    Gui Xian paused for a moment then continued, ¡°In short, no matter how strong a person is, there will always be a force that oppresses him, and if it is a powerful force, no one dares to belittle it.¡±


    During the conversation, the four of them had arrived at a small square pavilion. Xiao Chen invited Gui Xian to sit inside as he said, ¡°What Senior Gui Xian said makes sense, but¡­¡±


    Gui Xian¡¯s gaze was firm as he said, ¡°In today¡¯s troubled world, villains seek life, gentlemen seek the country, and great men seek the world, and they should not be indecisive!¡±


    Xiao Chen pondered for a moment. He naturally understood that at the time when Wuwang Wind Cloud City bound the Earth Spiritual Meridian, but the forces of the East Continent did not dare to provoke easily. Therefore, the deterrent power of a force is far stronger than that of a person. If he was also a City Master, would the Order of the Divine Fire and others dare to provoke him?


    Gui Xian said, ¡°At this moment, we are facing a devil confrontation, and the heroes are divided. If we do not have the ambition, we will certainly fall behind.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m aware of the principle behind this, but¡­¡± Gui Xian interrupted, ¡°I will help you, what are you afraid of?¡±


    Xiao Chen froze and looked at him. Now a Sixth-order Elixir Saint had a pivotal position in Violet Manor, and Gui Xian was at least a Seventh-order Elixir Immortal level, or even an Eighth-order Sage of Healing. He just had to make a clarion call and the heroes around the world would rush to be a part of his alliance.


    ¡°Why does Senior Gui Xian help me so much?¡±


    Gui Xian kept silent. Ziyun¡¯er said with a smile, ¡°My Lord treats others well, so others naturally treat him well.¡±


    This remark made it clear what Xiao Chen¡¯s temperament was like. He treated all the people around him nicely, never guarded against anyone, and never played tricks on the people around him, and he treated his enemies with ruthlessness. Therefore, the people who cared for him would care for him all his life, and the people who hated him also hated him so much that they could not wait to get rid of him.


    Gui Xian sighed. ¡°When I was trapped in the Zuoqiu family, only you and that stupid boy, None-flower Dust, dared to risk your lives to save me. Even Liu Liancheng never thought of saving me, let alone other people.¡±


    ¡°Senior was kind to me in the past, it¡¯s what I should do.¡± After speaking, Xiao Chen looked at Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er again. ¡°What do you think of what Senior Gui Xian has said?¡±


    Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er cupped their fists and said in unison, ¡°We will follow the Lord and walk the wire for you!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. At this moment, the mountain breeze was bleak, and everyone¡¯s clothes were flapping loudly. Xiao Chen¡¯s mind also had a spirit of high aspirations. He thought that as the situation was turbulent today, the strength of one person was really too small. Putting aside the Order of The Divine Fire, but how to deal with an Ancient Immortal Clan family like the Mo family? Moreover, in the future, it would be necessary to find the master to solve the mystery of thousands of years, and it was difficult to do it alone.


    Gui Xian said, ¡°Boy, you have an extraordinary life, and you have the destiny of Power Star, Ruinous Star, and Flirting Star coming together. In the Human World, this is to have the destiny of an emperor, so I¡¯m waiting to see you rule the world!¡±


    Xiao Chen cupped his fist and said, ¡°In the future, I will rely on Senior a lot.¡±


    The four did not return until dusk. On the ninth day, it was August 12th. Under the careful care of Gui Xian, Xiao Chen had fully recovered. Not only did he fully recover his skills, but he also went to a higher level. He had reached the third level of the Nirvana Realm and could kill Mo Yu and others just by waving his hand.


    Gui Xian looked at him and nodded. ¡°Your recovery was pretty good, but you have to remember, in the future, you must not get excessively depleted. Although the two breaths in your body have not dissipated this time, everything has its end, remember.¡±


    At night, a bright moon hovered and illuminated the entire Jueming Gorge. Xiao Chen stood on the pavilion, standing with his hands behind him, his clothes fluttering gently, and he looked up at the solitary moon hanging high in the sky.


    ¡°She sees the moon, but her beloved is out of sight; she¡¯d follow it to shine on her beloved¡¯s face¡­ You should be awake now.¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed for a long time. More than a month had passed, and the scene from that day was still in his head. If Brother Yifeng was not in trouble, he would go to Mount Wuyue¡¯s Wind Cloud Meeting on August 15th.


    ¡°Is my Lord worried about Miss Li?¡±


    Light footsteps sounded from behind him as Ziyun¡¯er came over softly, the moonlight shining on her as if covering her with a light veil.


    Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°I hope she and Brother Yifeng are all right. Wait for this to end and I will see if I can go to Kunlun in person.¡±


    After speaking, he turned around and Ziyun¡¯er walked over as well. The two were separated by a distance of two feet, and Xiao Chen smelled the scent of her body. He felt a little lightheaded and took a step forward to be closer to her.


    Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s curly eyelashes flickered like cicada wings, and blinking her pair of big watery eyes, she whispered, ¡°What happened to my Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen smirked. He wore a playful smile and did not speak, and moved closer to her. Ziyun¡¯er continued to blink her big eyes as she said, ¡°Are you hungry, my Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen was still smiling as he approached her again, and he could almost smell her breath. Ziyun¡¯er blinked her pair of big eyes, and suddenly her forefinger pressed on his lips. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°My sister said no more. If my Lord is hungry, I¡¯ll get some pastries for my Lord.¡±


    Her innocent eyes and innocent words made Xiao Chen almost unable to hold back a laugh. At this moment, a cough was heard below the pavilion, and Xiao Chen quickly retracted his body and coughed and said, ¡°Qingluan, it¡¯s so late, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Senior Gui Xian has everything ready and will leave for Mount Wuyue tomorrow morning. Please return to the room earlier to rest. In addition, Senior asked me to tell my Lord that the people of that Immortals¡¯ League will not go directly to Mount Wuyue, but they will be in alliance with the majors and guard on the outside. My Lord needs to be fully prepared.¡±

 Chapter 454 - Mount Wuyue Wind Cloud Meeting

    Xiao Chen coughed and put his hands behind his back. He said, ¡°Okay, I know. It¡¯s getting dark, and you should all go back to rest earlier.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er hid behind him, her hands resting on her lower abdomen. She lowered her head and dared not look at Qingluan, as if she had been discovered doing something wrong.


    Qingluan said, ¡°My Lord, please rest earlier. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After speaking, she looked at Ziyun¡¯er, who was hiding behind Xiao Chen, and said, ¡°You¡¯re still not leaving?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er murmured, gently leaped, and flew down the pavilion.


    The next day in the early morning, the valley was sunny. Only Xiao Chen and his company and Gui Xian were going to Mount Wuyue this time; Liu Liancheng was not going with them. When they reached the valley entrance, Gui Xian turned and looked at him, and said, ¡°Go back.¡±


    Liu Liancheng smiled while he bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    After he walked away, Gui Xian put on the bucket hat again. This time, he was still the soul itself. He did not have a temporary Spirit Possession. He looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the end of the conversation, the four of them flew into the sky on their swords. Mount Wuyue was in the northern realm of the Middle Continent. The terrain was steep. There were five main peaks¡ªEast Peak, West Peak, South Peak, North Peak, and Central Peak. The peaks towered up into the clouds. Looking from a distance, it looked like five giant swords protruding from the flat ground, pointing directly at the sky, as if they were going to break through the clouds.


    Every hundred years, cultivators from around the world would gather on Mount Wuyue to launch the Wuyue Sword conversation that was held every 100 years, also known as Wuyue Arena Wind Cloud Meeting. Last time, Jade Qing Seven had inspired awe throughout the world here. At that time, Qing Chen Perfected Immortal was still not called Qing Chen Perfected Immortal, he was called Qing Chen Zi. But with the move Dance of the Arcing Rainbow, the cultivators of the world were shocked, and no one could outshine him.


    A hundred years passed in a blink of an eye; the green mountains were still there and the sunset was still red. The characters from the year were old, but with the advent of The Annihilation Times, countless outstanding people had risen in the younger generation.


    So countless cultivators arrived at Mount Wuyue this time, from east to west and north to south. Xiao Chen and the other three people took the Flying-cloud Stone for two days and arrived. It was the early morning of August 15th. One after another rushed to Central Peak.


    The hills were lush with greenery and strange stones, and at the foothills, it was steaming with summer humidity, but it was quite cool when they arrived on the mountain. The remaining 10 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance had also received the message from Qingluan and had been waiting here.


    The group walked for half an hour, but still did not reach the mid-mountainside, they were already surrounded by clouds and mist in the mountains, and the air became slightly humid. Xiao Chen saw some familiar people along the way, such as Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and so on.


    ¡°Hehe, have Brother Xiao Ning and Senior Gu Feng arrived now?¡± Ziyun¡¯er said suddenly, which brought Xiao Chen¡¯s attention back.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°It must be that we¡¯re early, otherwise Mount Wuyue would not be so calm at this moment.¡± As he spoke, in a glance, he suddenly saw a familiar person in the distance. The man saw him as well, and after a quick glance, he turned his eyes away.


    ¡°Lingjiao, do you know that person?¡±


    That person was Chu Lingjiao, who wore a light-purple dress, a gold silk pearl hairpin in her hair, and a jade pendant on her waist. She was heavily accessorized with jades and pearls, which was extravagant and luxurious. She also looked a lot more charming than before. At her side was a young man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.


    The man was in a luxurious robe as well; he followed her gaze and looked at Xiao Chen. At this moment, the two were separated by dozens of feet, and Xiao Chen felt a little suffocated. Entering the third level of the Nirvana Realm, he could be regarded as being one of the top few young people in the Five Continents. ¡°But who is this man? His cultivation does not seem to be lower than mine.¡±


    The man also only took one glance at him and then looked back as if there was nothing there and continued with Chu Lingjiao up the mountainside.


    ¡°That person is called Mo Jinyan,¡± Gui Xian suddenly said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Mo Jinyan?¡± Xiao Chen frowned; he had never heard of this figure before. Gui Xian said, ¡°One of the most outstanding young men in the Mo family .¡±


    ¡°From the Mo family, huh¡­¡±


    Gui Xian nodded and continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t been outside for more than a year, so you may not know about it. For more than a year, the Mo family has become famous. Everyone knows about the family. This Mo Jinyan is young and has already reached the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm, which has made countless older people feel ashamed. This time, they should have come to boost their reputation.¡±


    Xiao Chen squeezed his fingers. Before, he thought that people like Mo Wen and Mo Yu were already the outstanding young people of the Mo family. He did not think that there were such powerful people beside them; just the cultivation level itself was already on par with his.


    Gui Xian said, ¡°The Mo family is a self-proclaimed ancient Heaven-exterminating family and consider themselves above the current top 10 Violet Manor family, but their strength is indeed not be underestimated. It is possible that in their mystic domain, there¡¯s an Earth Immortal in command.¡±


    ¡°Earth immortal?¡± Xiao Chen frowned, inexplicably thinking of the Guming old man mentioned by Mo Yu.


    Gui Xian nodded and said, ¡°After the Grand Completion Realm, one has to go through Survive the Ordeal to ascend, and if Survive the Ordeal is successful, one will enter the Heaven Realm and become a true immortal. If they fail Survive the Ordeal, one will be reduced to a Human Realm Rogue Immortal. Normally, they will be unable to cultivate to become an Immortal, but when some Rogue Immortal encounters an opportunity, he can become an Earth Immortal. He is still a true immortal, just that he can¡¯t live in the Heaven Realm, but his strength is beyond doubt, far stronger than an immortal who had just entered the Heaven Realm.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded to say that the strength of this Mo family was indeed much stronger than the forces of the Ling Family and Order of the Divine Fire. They were not as they were before and could be a great enemy of his in the future.


    Gui Xian said, ¡°Boy, I advise you to not provoke the Mo family for the time being. Your strength is far from sufficient.¡±


    During the conversation between the group, they had reached the mountainside of Central Peak, where the terrain was flat and open, surrounded by the clouds and mist on the mountain, and the temperature had dropped a lot, just like summer changing into cold autumn. Looking around, the were people everywhere. The place was densely packed, with younger juniors, Cultivators¡¯ sect seniors, and even independent cultivators from all over the world.


    ¡°My Lord, let¡¯s rest for a while before we continue,¡± Ziyun¡¯er went up to Xiao Chen and whispered.


    Xiao Chen nodded. It was not yet noon, so presumably, Brother Xiao Ning had not arrived yet. He walked over to a large stone not far away, flicked his sleeves, and swept away the fallen leaves on them. He turned to Gui Xian and said, ¡°Senior, please sit down.¡±


    Gui Xian nodded and sat down with him. The 12 people of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon stood beside the two and guarded. Xiaoyue frowned slightly in the distance, but she could not figure out why he looked fine and even had a great increase in skills when in a month of ago he was so weak. ¡°Is it because of the old man in the cape beside him?¡±


    There, Xiao Chen chatted with Gui Xian carefree and did not focus on Xiaoyue. After a while, Xiaoyue walked over. Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er stopped her immediately. ¡°Stop!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up, glanced at Xiaoyue¡¯s face, and said lightly, ¡°Fairy Xiaoyue.¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, we meet again,¡± Xiaoyue said with a smile on her face. She did not seem surprised, but she was a little shocked in her heart. Earlier, she was far away, so she was not sure about Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation. However, at this moment, she really felt the cultivation level of Xiao Chen.


    At this time, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er also gave way, so Xiaoyue stepped closer and shifted her gaze from Xiao Chen to Gui Xian next to him. She cupper her fist and asked, ¡°May I know how to address Senior?¡±


    Gui Xian looked up at her and said in a husky voice, ¡°Calling me Senior is too much. I don¡¯t have a name. I¡¯m just someone ordinary.¡±


    Xiaoyue smiled and turned her attention back to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Brother Xiao is also here for the Wuyue Emperors?¡±


    Wuyue Emperors, that was a saying from a long time ago. Now it had become the formulae to participate in the Wuyue Sword Conversation. Among them, the Wuyue Emperors referred to Emperor Dongyue, Emperor Xiyue, Emperor Nanyue, Emperor Beiyue, and Emperor Zhongyue. This was referring to the top men in Violet Manor and not the Wuyue Emperors in the myth.


    The last Wuyue Emperors battle was thousands of years ago. Xiao Ning was Emperor Dongyue, Gu Feng was Emperor Beiyue, and now Violet Manor was no longer engaged in the emperors battle. There was no such thing as the Great Wuyue Emperors anymore, but people learned a lot from ancient records, so they still knew a little.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m in no position for that. It was just for an appointment with a friend.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, a noise was heard in the distance. Looking up, many people had gathered around a young man in a luxurious robe, and the young man was exactly Mo Jinyan, whom Xiao Chen had seen earlier.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. Congratulations to Young Master Mo for getting to a higher level in your cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Mo is the top young man in the Five Continents. Congratulations!¡±


    At this moment, the people greeting around Mo Jinyan were all old Cultivators¡¯ sect seniors. Those juniors were not even qualified to speak with Mo Jinyan, and although some of the older generation¡¯s cultivation was higher than Mo Jinyan¡¯s, they had to speak respectfully. Because in the past more than a year, the reputation of the Mo family had been greatly boosted, especially with those Ancient Immortal Clan exercises that they had never seen before, which made many of the sects wary of them.


    ¡°You guys, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± Mo Jinyan had a slight smile on his face, but he only greeted these people symbolically. Because in his eyes, these people were simply insignificant. He felt that with his intelligence, he would quickly surpass these so-called Cultivators¡¯ sect predecessors and become the top powerhouse of Violet Manor in one fell swoop.


    Chu Lingjiao on the side was charming and seductive as she smiled and said, ¡°Jinyan, let¡¯s go up, and by noon, the two seniors from thousands of years ago should be here.¡±


    Mo Jinyan nodded, then bowed to the people around and walked in the direction of the top of the mountain, where Xiao Chen and company happened to be.


    At this moment in the distance, there were also several white-bearded old men with fluttering sleeves watching them. One man combed his beard and said, ¡°Sitting over there is Xiao Chen, who became famous last year. Who do you say is better? Jinyan or Xiao Chen?¡±


    Another person smiled and said, ¡°The younger generation¡¯s abilities must be respected, even though they¡¯re inexperienced. Both of them have entered the Nirvana Realm. It is difficult to say, but in my opinion, it should be that Mo Jinyan is slightly better. In regards to the family background, it¡¯s nothing Xiao Chen can compare to.¡±


    On the side of the mountain road, Mo Jinyan and Chu Lingjiao had walked over. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes paused for a short moment on Chu Lingjiao¡¯s face. He frowned and thought, ¡°This Chu woman seems to have an old account with Xin¡¯er, but now she has found a supporter with such a great background. Xin¡¯er would now not be able to win a fight with her anymore.¡±


    Suddenly, Mo Jinyan stopped and turned to look at Xiao Chen. The 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance immediately became vigilant. Xiao Chen also frowned and met his gaze firmly.


    At this moment, the surroundings suddenly quieted down, and everyone¡¯s eyes stayed on these two.

 Chapter 455 - The Northern Mad Emperor

    Chapter 455 The Northern Mad EmperorThe cold wind whistled, the temperature around seemed to lower, and everyone was in silence. Xiao Chen and Mo Jinyan looked at each other as if in a silent confrontation. The atmosphere was getting tenser. Some people with low cultivation levels had begun to move slowly to stay away from these two people.


    They looked at each other in the eye and resigned to playing second fiddle. Only until after a while, Chu Lingjiao pulled Mo Jinyan¡¯s sleeves, then Mo Jinyan took back his gaze and not look at Xiao Chen anymore. After this, they went to the direction of the mountain summit.


    It was not until Mo Jinyan walked far away before the atmosphere on the mountain road finally eased down. Many people started whispering, and some people carefully walked around Xiao Chen and headed for the mountain summit.


    After a while, Qingluan went to Xiao Chen and whispered, ¡°Lord, let¡¯s go up.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded, got up and greeted Xiaoyue. He said with a faint smile, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take leave first.¡± After that, he went to the mountain summit with the others.


    Xiaoyue stood still and watched him leave. She held the duster sword in her hand tightly. The growth rate of this man had exceeded her expectations.


    In the distance, Zuoqiu Yang pinched his phalanx so tight that it crackled. Now, besides Xiao Chen, there was another Mo Jinyan that surfaced and he could beat neither of them. He was extremely reluctant to accept this.


    ¡­


    ¡°Lord, were you angry just now?¡± Ziyun¡¯er suddenly asked as they walked along the road leading to the mountain summit.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er frowned with her willow-liked brows, and muttered, ¡°It was obvious that you had given the book to Empress Huangfu and that woman just now had¡­¡± At this point, Qingluan immediately glared at her and said, ¡°Shush.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er stuck out her tongue and stopped talking.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He was careless. How could he pass such an important thing to someone like Chu Lingjiao? He was afraid that Xin¡¯er won¡¯t give up that easily, but that was not what he was most worried about. Chu Lingjiao now had the Mo family as a backer and was familiar with Heartless Palace, so she could hurt Xin¡¯er for the other booklets.


    Qingluan whispered, ¡°Lord, shall I send someone to notify Empress Huangfu and tell her to take precautions early?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. If this was to be told to Xin¡¯er now, she would definitely come immediately and things could be bad. But that Heartless Palace method belongs to her, and he would do whatever it take to get it back anyway.


    As they chatted, the party was near the top of the mountain, where the wind was cold, and in the air, there were pieces of snowflakes that cut on everyone¡¯s faces like ice blades.


    The snow on the peak of Wuyue Peak stayed the same all year round. The mountainside and summit were like two different worlds. The rocks are covered with a thick layer of snow with only a few cold-resistant plants like cypress and plum trees as a decoration. At times, there would be immortal cranes that passed by above the sky, dropping a few pure white feathers.


    The higher you go, the lower the temperature, and some steep places required the sword-flying to pass. It was almost a world of ice and snow in even higher grounds, and there were little to none cypresses, almost like the Thousand Summits Mountain.


    Qingluan took out a fox fur collar from Divine Vessel and put it gently on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder. Xiao Chen looked at her with a smile and nodded.


    After walking for a while in the blizzard, flat ground on the mountain summit could be seen. Five huge stone swords that were more than 100 feet long were inclined into the ground and were chained together by the handle. Under the five great swords, there was a man in a black robe.


    The man was sitting against one of the giant swords. His hair was dancing wildly on his shoulders, with a shocking scar on his face, and his eyes were even colder than the snow at this moment. With just one glance, it seemed to make millions of people submit to him. It was Gu Feng. Beside him, there were more than 10 large wine jars, and his black Raging Dragon Blade was also slanted into the snow.


    Many people had exclaimed from below, ¡°It¡¯s the North Peak Emperor of a thousand years ago! It¡¯s the Northern Mad Emperor!¡±


    It was such a thrilling event to be able to see the legendary character of a thousand years ago with their own eyes. It was unthinkable. Gu Feng did not release his aura at this moment. However, with just the scene where the snow passed through his hair, and with those two cold, sharp eyes, it was enough to amaze people. Even those arrogant Cultivators¡¯ sect Sect Leaders were also gazing at the man sitting under the giant sword in awe at this moment.


    Everyone held their breath and looked up at this legendary character thousands of years ago. Even if there was a cultivator of the Grand Completion Realm, he could easily destroy that person with single-handedly.


    Gu Feng sat under the giant sword, even with the wind roaring or with the people below making a noise, he did not take a closer look. This was a contempt of the strong. He was not of the Devil Clan, he only practiced the Devilish Skill. Coupled with his arrogant temperament, he made nothing of the Immortals¡¯ League, and that was how he won the title of Northern Mad Emperor and Great Devil.


    In the distance below, Mo Jinyan squinted his eyes, thinking that this man was indeed mad to even move the great swords on the other four main peaks over. ¡°Does he mean that he is the only emperor in the world?¡±


    On the side of Xiao Chen and his party, Ziyun¡¯er said excitedly, ¡± Lord, look! It¡¯s Senior Gu Feng!¡± Xiao Chen looked at her and said teasingly, ¡°What? Why are you so happy that he is here?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er stuck out her tongue and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not. I just want to see who is better between him and Brother Xiao Ning.¡±


    Xiao Chen continued to tease her and said, ¡°So, do you want Bother Xiao Ning to win? Or him?¡± Ziyun¡¯er held her chin and thought, then she smiled and said, ¡°Of course it is Brother Xiao Ning!¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled, and looked at Gu Feng who was at the top of the mountain. Today Gu Feng seems to be stronger than that night. He was a little worried, Brother Xiao Ning was sealed for 1,000 years. At this moment, his vitality was probably not fully recovered.


    At this moment, Gu Feng finally moved. He turned his head and found him accurately in the crowd. With a voice like a giant bell, he said, ¡°Good boy, you are here!¡±


    It was as loud as a clap of thunder that the snow on the nearby branches fell, and the crowd exclaimed again, ¡°The Northern Mad Emperor has spoken! Who is he talking to!¡±


    The crowd followed his gaze and finally set their sights on Xiao Chen and his party. Xiao Chen grinned a bit and took a few steps forward. He also used his inner energy and said loudly, ¡°I have come as you asked, to watch the seniors battle. ¡±


    Everyone was shocked. He was invited by the Northern Mad Emperor? Who is this boy? Gu Feng looked up and smiled. ¡°Good boy! You¡¯re brave! Come up!¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned bitterly. He leapt, stirring up the icy ground, and flew towards the flat ground on the mountain summit. As he landed into the snow, he bowed and said, ¡°What does the senior need from me?¡±


    He also admired Gu Feng very much. Although Gu Feng was a devil, he was fair and square. Despite his arrogance, he was far better than those hypocrites in the Orthodox Path.


    Gu Feng stretched out his hand, grabbed two big red wine jars in the air. With his palm strength, he sent him a jar, saying, ¡°Xiao Ning is not here, you can drink a jar with me first. Do you dare or not!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er and Qingluan saw the size of the wine jar, it was at least to be loaded with more than 5 kilos of spirits, they were all shocked. Knowing that Xiao Chen could not drink too much alcohol, and could not possibly outdo Gu Feng, they shouted hurriedly, ¡°Lord! ¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and looked up. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I!¡± Then he broke open the mud seal and pushed it forward. ¡°A salute to the senior!¡±


    The two were in the midst of the snowstorm, drinking in front of the heroes all over the world. Everyone below was stunned, wondering who this kid was to be drinking with the Northern Mad Emperor of thousands of years ago. Of course, there was also a small group of people who recognized Xiao Chen, and they exclaimed, ¡°!t¡¯s Xiao Chen! That Xiao Chen who created havoc in Tianyuan City!¡±


    The crowd was even more shocked, and those who had sucked up to Mo Jinyan earlier now all took a deep breath. In a distance, Mo Jinyan frowned slightly, as if in thoughts. Chu Lingjiao also frowned, she pulled his sleeve and shook her head.


    Ziyun¡¯er said with a smile, ¡°The Northern Mad Emperor is drinking with our lord. Those Sect Leaders of the individual Cultivators¡¯ sect factions are nothing! Hee hee, and there will be Brother Xiao Ning later, let them all be dumbfounded. We¡¯ll see who else dares to make trouble with the Lord today.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er talked endlessly, with a look of excitement, while Qingluan was silent, frowning, and a little worried.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± Two bangs were heard, Xiao Chen and Gu Feng had thrown the empty wine jar to the side of the giant swords forcefully, smashing them into pieces. Both of them looked up at the sky and laughed. Then Gu Feng reached out wanting to pick up another jar of wine, Xiao Chen said hurriedly, ¡°Senior, wait up! I¡¯m not good with alcohol. I¡¯m afraid that if I were to drink more, I won¡¯t be able to focus later to watch the battle.¡±


    This jar was seven or eight times larger than an ordinary jar. One jar contained at least 5 kilos of wine. Xiao Chen could not drink more anyway. Gu Feng was also gracious, he stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Alright then, when I fight with Xiao Ning later, you shall watch carefully! See who is the best in the world! ¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. He didn¡¯t think that he took his radical speech on that day so seriously. He said, ¡°Sure. However, I¡¯ve something to ask for. I only hope that Senior Gu Feng will fight with Brother Xiao Ning today for the winner and not life and death.¡±


    To this day, Xiao Chen did not want Gu Feng to fight with Xiao Ning to death. He even hoped that they could make up. Also, there were many people present today, and there must be many people in the dark with ill intentions. If they were serious today about battling to death today, things could be bad.


    ¡°No way!¡± Gu Feng reached out his hand and said in a firm tone, ¡°This is a thousand-year feud between us. Today, it¡¯s only a matter of life and death. Regardless of the outcome! You don¡¯t have to say anymore; go down!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. He knew that it was impossible to persuade him anymore. He bowed and leaped, and landed at the place where Qingluan and the others were.


    Landing into the snow, Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er immediately supported him, saying, ¡°Lord, are you okay?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s face was red, and he shook his hand, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The people in the distance were still discussing and pointing at him. While on the mountain top platform, Gu Feng sat back again, and at this moment, there was a gust of wind suddenly that was blown from the east.


    The crowd immediately looked over. At the end of the eastern sky, a black spot was getting closer and closer. It was a man in green walking in the air with a war halberd in his hand. Without the help of any magic treasure or flying sword, he was traveling in the sky that was tens of thousands of feet above the ground. Everyone took a deep breath and exclaimed then, ¡°East Peak Emperor! It is the East Peak Emperor! East Peak Emperor is here for the battle!¡±

 Chapter 456 - Battle of the Ages

    The crowd quickly got excited. Everyone was looking forward to this battle of the ages. With Xiao Ning getting closer and closer, the exclamation of the crowd was even greater, which made the snow on the cliff edge constantly slip off.


    In an instant, Xiao Ning was less than ten thousand feet away from the peak. He strolled in the sky with ease like a god with powerful aura, the clouds within five kilometers radius behind him tumbled, like a tsunami in the sky.


    The snow was falling fast, Gu Feng had stood up, staring at the man who was getting closer. His hair danced wildly behind his shoulders and the Raging Dragon Blade also vibrated as it howled, along with the five great swords behind him. At this moment, all of them vibrated and the iron chain on them cling-clang.


    ¡°Xiao Ning is here!¡±


    With a loud voice, Xiao Ning had landed from the air onto the summit platform. As he stepped on the ground with his feet, the ice flakes flew. He stood upright with his halberd, his sleeves swayed with the wind, his eyes were like lightning, and he looked like a statue Ancient Valkyrie.


    The people below were all holding their breath, and at this moment, two legendary figures of thousands of years ago finally gathered together. They were admired for their powerful aura and heroic spirit. To be able to witness this battle of ages in person was such a joy in life and one could show off about this in front of the others in the future.


    Ziyun¡¯er looked excited. She clapped and cheered, ¡°Lord! Look! It¡¯s Big Brother Xiao Ning! Big Brother Xiao Ning is here!¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled silently, but gradually, there seemed to be a sorrow of sadness between his brows. ¡°Do they have to fight to death today?¡±


    In the distance, Xiaoyue¡¯s eyebrows were deeply locked. She knew more or less about Xiao Ning, but Xiao Ning¡¯s grievances with Thousand Feathers Sect were difficult to telltale, after all, it was something that even her respected teacher, Su Nian Perfected Immortal, had been secretive about.


    And Xiao Chen¡­ As she thought, she turned to look at Xiao Chen and thought of the time in Wuwang Wind Cloud City. When Xiao Ning was mentioned, Xiao Chen looked very abnormal, and after the battle with Patriarch Guanshan as well. ¡°What is the relationship between the two of them?¡±


    On the summit, the snowfall was getting heavier and the cold wind blew with swirling snow. On the summit platform, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng stood face to face and were 100 over feet away from each other. Suddenly, Gu Feng stretched forth his hand and grabbed a large jar of wine in the air, with a whoosh, he pushed it to Xiao Ning.


    The large wine jar whirled and turned in midair, causing the snow within 100 feet radius around it to spin as well. It was apparent that the wine jar was attached with unmatchable inner strength. A Nirvana Realm cultivator or even an Apotheosis Realm cultivator could be injured heavily within, having his internal organs explode if he was to forcibly catch the jar.


    However, Xiao Ning stretched out his left hand and patted on that wine jar with a bang. The jar immediately stopped rotating. Then as he inserted the halberd into the snow with his right hand and the ice flakes flew, he raised the wine jar with his left hand, and with his right hand, he smacked open the sealing mud. The aroma of the wine soon burst out.


    Gu Feng also picked up another wine jar. The two pushed the jar forward, and then they each drank from the wine jar they were holding. The crowd was shocked. ¡°Ain¡¯t they fighting each other to death today? Don¡¯t they have a grudge that lasted for thousands of years? Why are they drinking together today?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. Those two large wine jars were filled with at least dozens of pounds of wine. At this moment, the two gulped down the wine, full of heroic spirits, the wine that spilled out dripped along their neckline and fell into the snow.


    ¡°Lord, since Big Brother Xiao Ning and Senior Gu Feng can drink together, why do they have to fight to their death?¡± Ziyun¡¯er stood beside Xiao Chen, frowning slightly, her expression showed that she was feeling very puzzled.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and looked at the duo drinking on the top of the mountain. He sighed and said, ¡°A drunken dream of the mortal world is like yesterday, grudge of thousands of years to be canceled off in one strike, and this one strike is probably to life and death.¡± Imagine if one day Yi Tong and himself become enemies. Didn¡¯t they have to drink for the last time before they died?


    After a while, the two on the summit platform had finished all the wine. The two looked at each other, and at the same time pushed the empty wine jar in their hands to each other. ¡°Boom!¡± The empty wine jars collided and smashed into pieces in midair. The force of the collision was turbulent, causing the snow on the cliffs to fall continuously, and the people who were close by below also shaken by the impact and some even had their eardrums bleeding.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The two yelled loudly and lifted their weapons in the snow at the same time and ice flakes flew in that instant. Xiao Ning held the halberd and Gu Feng held the black misty Raging Dragon Blade. Both of them rushed at each other like flashes of lightning.


    ¡°Dang!¡± With a loud bang, the two weapons met each other, and the snow flew from the impact, and the whole mountain trembled. The people below flew out by this sudden strong shock, and those with strong skills immediately stabilized, and then quickly receded into the distance, while those with weaker skills spat out blood from the shock.


    This was not expected by everyone. ¡°Aren¡¯t they looking to die? To be standing so close to the battle between such strong men?¡± For a while, everyone backed away to afar, retreating to at least a thousand feet from the platform.


    It was like a snowstorm on the summit, both the hair of Xiao Ning and Gu Feng fluttered wildly with the wind. Every time the weapons of them collided, the mountain top trembled, as if tearing the space apart. Even when everyone had withdrawn 2,000 feet away at this moment, they could not help being shocked by this powerful vital force fluctuations.


    Everyone was horrified. The strength of the two was at least above the Grand Completion Realm. Xiao Chen was also slightly surprised. The strength of the two at the moment was probably stronger than what it was a thousand years ago.


    ¡°Devil Devour Weather Spell!¡±


    Gu Feng yelled suddenly and swang his blade. Hundreds of feet tall devil shadow suddenly appeared in the air and everyone was horrified. That devil shadow was surrounded by a black mist, and its eyes were like a lamp, as though to be devouring Heaven and Earth. Then it rushed towards Xiao Ning.


    Xiao Ning did not even break a sweat. He swang his Heaven Scorcher Halberd, and he wiped on the halberd with two fingers. In that instant, the Heaven Scorcher Halberd was shining with several green radiances and attacked at the devil shadow in midair.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The whole mountain shook violently, and the snow fell from the cliff. The crowd was so in awe that before they could react, they saw Gu Feng leaping into the sky again and yelling, ¡°Raging Dragon Seven Slay!¡± After which, he swang the Raging Dragon Blade and a black blade radiance of more than 100 feet rushed out. ¡°First Slay ¨C Form!¡±


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud bang, Xiao Ning held his halberd horizontally and blocked the attack. But under the impact, everything around him was shaken into powder. The mixture of snow and the stones rushed into the distance, and everyone joined forces immediately to support a Barrier to resist incoming stones.


    ¡°Second Slay ¨C Mind!¡± Gu Feng slashed again fiercely like raging waves of the raging sea, which caused the whole mountain to tremble endlessly. Xiao Ning also suddenly leaped forward, and using the halberd as a blade, he attacked. ¡°Deicide Ten-fold Slash!¡±


    Suddenly, more than a 100 feet long blue halberd radiance rushed out, reflecting the black blade radiance of Gu Feng. The two forces collided together, immediately, the landslide broke, and the rubble continuously rolled down the cliff.


    In the distance, everyone felt dizzy from the impact of the collision of the forces, for the impact had disrupted their breathing. On the summit, Gu Feng¡¯s Raging Dragon Seven Slay was displayed one after another, and with each slash, it was getting fiercer and fiercer. Xiao Ning also used the halberd as a blade, and with each attack, the Deicide Ten-fold Slash was also getting more powerful.


    The erupting power of the two people, the sword radiances that intertwined with each other, were apocalyptic. The crowd was far away at this moment, and if they were a little closer, they would be destroyed by an instant. While everyone was dazzled, someone exclaimed, ¡°No! Why is the East Peak Emperor using the Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash of the He Family!¡±


    The exclaimed man was a pale-faced scholar. When he said this, the others around him immediately said angrily at him, ¡°Are you blind?¡±


    That scholar was stunned for a moment, still unwilling, and determined that Xiao Ning used the unique skill of the He Family, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure! This is He Family¡¯s Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash! He is, however, a predecessor, and yet he secretly learned the martial arts of the He Family. He won¡¯t be glorious today even if he defeats the Northern Mad Emperor¡­


    Listening to him vilifying East Peak Emperor, a hot-tempered red-faced swordsman finally could not take it anymore. He walked hurriedly towards him, raised his collar, and yelled, ¡°Where did this bastard come from! Stop spouting nonsense! Scram!¡± Then he slapped the scholar till he bled in the ears and nose and threw him out.


    The scholar rolled a few times in the snow. He covered half of his face and shouted, ¡°You, you! How can you hit someone without a word!¡±


    ¡°Underdog of the He Family! Get out!¡± The swordsman glared, scaring him to piss in the pants, and where the scholar ran to, indeed had a few He Family people.


    In the distance, Ziyun¡¯er stomped her foot and said angrily, ¡°How can that man be so annoying! He deserved to be beaten! It is inexplicable that Brother Xiao Ning would steal the martial arts of other factions!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°There are so many people in this world who want to be popular; you don¡¯t have to care.¡±


    On the top of the mountain, Gu Feng and Xiao Ning were in the heat of their duel. Several nearby mountaintops had been leveled, and the five giant swords slanting into the ground had also been cut off.


    At this moment, each of them stood on a broken sword while holding onto their weapons, and their robes flapped loudly against the wind. They let the icy snowflake drift across their cheeks, and their gazes stayed on each other and remained motionless.


    Suddenly, the whole mountain trembled, a thick black devil flame rose from Gu Feng while a green flame rose from Xiao Ning. They looked at each other and the surrounding snow and ice melted quickly. Everyone was in shock. ¡°Are the two finally going to start a real battle of life and death?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er was anxious and could not help but stomp her feet endlessly. She said anxiously, ¡°What should we do? Is Big Brother Xiao Ning going to fight against Senior Gu Feng to death for real? Lord, can you persuade Big Brother Xiao Ning?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. If he could persuade him, he would already have. ¡°Is it really necessary that only one of them survives today?¡± He was now a little worried. There must be someone with ill intentions peeping in the dark. Once they were both defeated and hurt, they would jump out immediately.


    As he was worrying, in a glance Xiao Chen suddenly saw a woman wearing a fox fur coat and a cap walking quietly towards him. He was surprised and was about to speak when the woman immediately put her fair and slim finger on her lips, making a hush gesture.

 Chapter 457 - When Will the Thousand-year Grudge End?

    The woman quietly walked to Xiao Chen¡¯s side. Xiao Chen looked at the people nearby and lowered his voice. He whispered, ¡°Sister Su, when did you come?¡±


    This woman was Su Xiaomei. Xiao Chen thought she was in the Frigid Jade Pendant and did not expect her to be in the crowd all this time.


    Su Xiaomei whispered, ¡°I was afraid of attracting attention, so I separated from Brother Ning when I came here.¡± At last, she sighed deeply, and her face was clouded with sorrow. She wanted to say something more, but she looked up at Xiao Ning, who was standing on the top of the mountain looking at Gu Feng. Finally, she sighed and said nothing.


    Xiao Chen knew why she sighed and did not ask more questions. He looked up at the top of the mountain and saw that Xiao Ning and Gu Feng¡¯s aura was getting stronger and stronger. He could not help but be more worried. He asked, ¡°By the way, Sister Su, did Big Brother Xiao Ning tell you what happened a thousand years ago?¡±


    On that night, he did not ask about the incident in detail, but he felt that something was wrong. According to his previous speculation, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng were likely to be tricked by others a thousand years ago. Moreover, it was not as simple as Ye Yuexuan trying to stop Xiao Ning from going to the Human World. Maybe even Ye Yuexuan had fallen into this trap and thought that she had taken advantage of Gu Feng.


    Su Xiaomei sighed and frowned slightly. She said, ¡°Brother Ning told me everything. There¡¯s no need to mention what happened between him and Gu Feng before. We can just begin from that duel. Gu Feng made a deal with Brother Ning to have a final duel here. Brother Ning agreed as well. However, when they were in the midst of the duel where both of them were exhausted, the Immortals¡¯ League and the other ancient sects suddenly arrived¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Will the history repeat itself today?¡± Su Xiaomei also sighed, and her voice suddenly became a little bitter. ¡°I persuaded Brother Ning that year, but he didn¡¯t listen. This time I persuaded him, he still didn¡¯t listen¡­¡± In the end, her eyes gradually became moist.


    Xiao Chen stroked her back gently, trying to tell her to not be sad. There must be an end to some things between the men, but hatefully, those villains hiding in the dark were the last winner.


    Su Xiaomei continued, ¡°Several homicides were committed by Gu Feng earlier. The Immortals¡¯ League came to capture Gu Feng. The battle between Gu Feng and Brother Ning had caused him a great loss of power. In any case, he could not beat the Immortals¡¯ League and several ancient sect masters. With Gu Feng¡¯s straightforward nature, he naturally believed that Brother Ning had notified several major factions to ambush here, but why would Brother Ning do such things?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. If Xiao Ning did such a despicable thing, he would be calling him a big brother in vain. Su Xiaomei¡¯s voice was a little bitter. She continued, ¡°With Brother Ning¡¯s temper at that time, the Immortals¡¯ League couldn¡¯t take Gu Feng away. So he did his best and helped Gu Feng out of trouble. However, Gu Feng¡¯s head was seriously injured by the masters of the major sects and he became crazier. He was sure that it was Brother Ning who tricked him.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s who Xiao Ning is, someone who attached great importance to friendship and morals.¡± He asked, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Later, Brother Ning dragged the masters of the Immortals¡¯ League and the other sects. Gu Feng succeeded in escaping but became crazy. Later, the Immortals¡¯ League used this as a reason and said that Brother Ning colluded with Gu Feng and killed the people of the other sects.¡±


    Xiao Chen pinched his fingers and said bitterly, ¡°This Immortals¡¯ League does not display any fairness and is despicable. Obviously, Ye Yuexuan wanted to frame Big Brother Xiao Ning. She knew that with his temper, he would definitely help Gu Feng escape, so she set up such a trap.¡±


    Su Xiaomei sighed and said, ¡°Later, Brother Ning went to the Human World to complete the task entrusted by your master. I didn¡¯t know that the Xiao Family had kicked him out of the family because of this matter. At that time, Brother Ning was talented and skilled in Martial Arts, so many people in the Xiao Family were jealous of him. Besides, he insisted on staying with me, which aroused the opposition of the people in the family. Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Ning took people to the Human World and found a place to establish the Xiao Family in the Human World. Unexpectedly, Gu Feng followed him to the Human World. That time, they had a fierce battle. Gu Feng had become crazy and wanted to kill all the people of the Xiao Family in the Human World. Brother Ning had no choice but to use the Blood Oath to seal Gu Feng and think about how to release him in the future. Unexpectedly, a thousand years passed.¡±


    ¡°Because when Brother Ning returned to the Violet Manor, he was planning to come to me and then from then on to care nothing about the world and live like a nomad in the grassland. However, he was besieged by the Immortals¡¯ League and several major sects. In order to seal Gu Feng earlier, Brother Ning¡¯s strength had been greatly damaged. How could he be their opponent? In the end, he was also sneak attacked by Ye Yuexuan¡­¡±


    The more she talked about it, the more bitter Su Xiaomei¡¯s voice became. Xiao Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles creaked. He remembered about that time when he fought a bloody battle against Tianyuan City. Presumably, Xiao Ning¡¯s situation was similar to his.


    These upright and hypocritical men full of benevolence and morality were really detestable. If it was not for them, Xiao Ning would not have been separated from Su Xiaomei for a thousand years. Gu Feng would not have been sealed for a thousand years and created this one-thousand-year grudge.


    The more he thought about it, the angrier Xiao Chen felt. He suddenly thought of Ye Yuexuan¡¯s sneak attack on Xiao Ning. ¡°At that time, was their relationship like what he has with Xiaoyue now?¡± It seemed that he must be careful with Xiaoyue in the future.


    Su Xiaomei sobbed and said, ¡°I tried to persuade Brother Ning a few days ago. I said that Gu Feng is now sober. You go and tell him the whole story and solve the misunderstanding. But Brother Ning told me that he sealed Gu Feng for millennia, and this is what he owed Gu Feng.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his fingers. In this way, it seemed that his big brother was really some with a real personality. Suddenly, he thought of something and exclaimed, ¡°Oh no!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just as his words fell, a loud noise suddenly came from the direction of the mountain, the snow shook and flew. Everyone watching was suffocated, and even more, they were almost lifted by this force and fell into the cliffs.


    The 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance immediately flashed to the front of him and Su Xiaomei and joined forces to support the Barrier to resisted this overwhelming force.


    In the sky above the summit, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng were standing in the air. Xiao Ning¡¯s body was ignited with green flames, while Gu Feng¡¯s body was full of black devil flames. The two bodies moved and rushed towards each other. There was a loud bang as if the sky was falling apart. The five main peaks shook, and everyone was shocked and dizzy. Fortunately, the two were now fighting at a high altitude. If it was before, many people would be shocked to extermination.


    At this moment, everyone looked at each other in shock. This was a really unprecedented battle. These two people definitely had the strength of a Rogue Immortal!


    Xiao Chen started to cold sweat on his back. Others might not have noticed it, but he felt it vaguely. Gu Feng was getting fiercer with every slash and his morale was getting higher, but Xiao Ning was barely supporting it! And he could not display it! He could not let Gu Feng see that he was barely hanging on, and he could not let Gu Feng feel that he was taking advantage!


    The strength of the two before was almost the same, but in the final analysis, Gu Feng had been out of the seal for more than two years, and his skill had been restored, but Xiao Ning had been out of his seal for only one month. ¡°How can his skill be restored in a snap?¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more frightened Xiao Chen felt. ¡°Big Brother Xiao Ning knew that he couldn¡¯t defeat Gu Feng today, but it was a life-and-death battle. But he still wanted to come. Did he do it to apologize to Gu Feng? Was he going to¡­¡±


    With his temperament, it was not impossible. Thinking of this, something suddenly hit Xiao Chen. ¡°Oh no!¡± Then he immediately shouted in the sky, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Ning! Senior Gu Feng! Stop fighting!¡±


    But the two men were fighting fiercely in the sky. Even if he used his internal force to transmit the sound, the sound could not pass through. On the side, Su Xiaomei seemed to have sensed something wrong as well. Her face turned pale and she was about to fly to the sky. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and pulled her. ¡°Sister Su, don¡¯t worry. Stay here. I¡¯ll go!¡±


    After saying that, Xiao Chen immediately said to Qingluan and the others, ¡°Keep an eye on Sister Su.¡± Then, he leaped and spread his Phoenix¡¯s Wings, rushing into the sky. Only when he gets closer could he attract their attention. Just like when Mu Chengxue and Tianyun Zi were fighting in the Xiao Family, he could only tell them the truth when they were closer to each other in order to solve the misunderstanding between them.


    Everyone below was shocked to see the two 3-meter long Phoenix wings that appeared on his back suddenly had allowed him to fly freely in the sky. They exclaimed, ¡°What kind of magic treasure is this?¡±


    Gui Xian was even more scared out of his wits. He exclaimed, ¡°Boy, come back!¡± Then, he chanted a spell quickly, and turned into a black radiance and rushed up.


    Xiao Chen noticed that he was catching up with him. He said hurriedly, ¡°Senior, go back!¡±


    Before his voice fell, there was a loud rumble. A fierce force rushed over from the sky. Xiao Chen suddenly turned around and held Gui Xian up. He used the Phoenix¡¯s Wings on his back to resist this force, just as what Liu Fenghuang had done for him when she protected him.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, a huge impact hit Xiao Chen¡¯s back, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. The Phoenix¡¯s Wings were hit and disappeared temporarily, causing him to fall to the ground like a meteorite.


    ¡°Lord!¡± Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er moved and caught him immediately. Gui Xian¡¯s face changed and hurriedly pressed on a few points on his body. Then he said in a deep voice, ¡°You want to die! Your body is not yet healed completely. If you¡¯re so reckless again, even I can¡¯t save you!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was so pale and ugly, Xiao Ning seemed to notice the situation in the sky and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t come over!¡± Then he leaped and went 1,000 feet higher. Gu Feng yelled and went after instantly.


    The two got farther and farther away, and gradually moved away from the sky above Wuyue Peak. Su Xiaomei chanted something, transformed into a light and followed after.


    ¡°Sister Su!¡± Xiao Chen shouted, but it was too late for him to stop her. Gui Xian held him back and shook his head.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fingers and looked at the horizon where the three disappeared, and his mind suddenly emerged a picture from the day when Gu Feng escaped from the trap. ¡°Xiao Ning! How can you die! You and I have not finished the battle. How can you die! ¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen felt a little uncomfortable. Two men from a thousand years ago had gone through the vicissitudes of the sea. ¡°Why must they fight till death?¡±


    He did not understand. The grudge between Xiao Ning and Gu Feng was definitely not like the hatred between him and the Order of the Divine Fire, Ling family, and Zuoqiu Yang. ¡°It definitely is not, but why were they¡­ Could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone wants to remove Xiao Ning!¡±


    Xiao Chen was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not Ye Yuexuan who wants to remove Xiao Ning, but who can it be? Thousands of years have passed, and Xiao Ning is now back to life, so the people or forces that wanted him to be removed thousands of years ago may also appear today!¡±

 Chapter 458 - Tit-for-tat

    The more Xiao Chen thought about it, the colder he felt. ¡°This time, at this Wind Cloud Meeting in Mount Wuyue, things are not that simple. It¡¯s not good.¡±


    The crowd gradually quieted down, but there were still some people who were amazed by the fight just now and discussed it endlessly. It was afraid that only tomorrow could they see who was stronger between the East Peak Emperor and the Northern Mad Emperor when one of them came back.


    At the top of the mountain, the wind and snow howled, making everyone¡¯s hair messy. Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s eyes were slightly red. She also stared at the sky where Xiao Ning and Gu Feng disappeared. She whispered, ¡°Why are they determined to fight to the death? Why don¡¯t they solve the misunderstanding? I don¡¯t want something to happen to Big Brother Xiao Ning, nor do I want, nor do I want Senior Gu Feng to have anything happen either.¡± At the end of her words, her voice gradually lowered.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. ¡°Some things may have to an end, just like¡­ If one day in the future, he meets Qianyu Nishang, there must be an end to some things that happened that year.¡±


    The snow on the top of the mountain swirled and prickled on everyone¡¯s faces. It was a tad cold. The five great swords on the platform had been destroyed, and there were only two or three intact wine jars that were buried in the snow below. Qingluan came over and whispered, ¡°Lord, where are we going next?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. At this moment, he noticed that many people were looking at him. He must have been too eye-catching just now. He whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first. We¡¯ll talk about it when Big Brother Xiao Ning and the others come back tomorrow.¡±


    When they were about to walk down the mountain, a voice suddenly stopped them and said, ¡°Excuse me, this brother, please wait for a moment.¡±


    The sound was clear, bland, and with slight cheerfulness. Xiao Chen turned around and saw a man of his own age standing beside Mo Jinyan. He asked, ¡°Yes?¡±


    The man smiled and said, ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you here at Mount Wuyue this time for the fight for the Five Emperors? The Wind Cloud Meeting?¡±


    As soon as these words came out, people in the crowd reacted one after another. This time, except for watching the battle between the two legendary characters of a thousand years ago, the most important thing was the Wuyue Sword Conversation.


    There was a heated discussion among the crowd. In the past two years, the top ones of the younger generations from all over the world had risen rapidly. There was no doubt that the Wuyue Sword Conversation had been successfully held in advance. There were some differences between the Wuyue Sword Conversation and the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. The Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly was held by the Daoist League of the Five Continents and was organized and with discipline. Not everyone could participate in it, and its rules were complicated.


    However, there were no such rules in the Wuyue Sword Conversation, and no one was in charge of it. Therefore, everyone could come as they wished. As long as they thought that they had the strength, they could compete with the heroes to compete for the title of the Five Emperors. However, there was one thing that everyone knew of the Wuyue Sword Conversation, it was that no one would be accounted for if death or injury occurred.


    At this moment, the crowd was talking endlessly and pointing at Xiao Chen. This time, Xiao Chen and Mo Jinyan were the most likely to be at the peak of the Wuyue Sword Conversation. Xiao Chen had become famous two years ago and a legend in the Violet Manor. But since he was locked up in the Devil Repressed Tower, he had been unknown to the public.


    However, Mo Jinyan had become well-known in the past year, and everyone knew him. He was more well-known than Xiao Chen in the past, and he had become the most popular figure lately. It was hard to distinguish between him and Xiao Chen.


    In the distance, there were also a few old men with fluttering sleeves. They looked at Xiao Chen. This time, the older generation would naturally not participate in the Wuyue Sword Conversation. They would like to see who was stronger between these two young ones that had risen rapidly one after another.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not interested in this.¡± In the eyes of everyone, Xiao Chen just said calmly.


    Everyone around was stunned. How could he not be interested? His previous title as the first young man in the Violet Manor had been completely replaced by Mo Jinyan now. Did he not want to take this opportunity to get it back? Or now he was no longer the young man who used to be in high spirits and created havoc in Tianyuan City after being locked up for a year? Did he really lose his will to fight?


    Many people looked at him and saw a circle of stubble around his mouth. As compared to the person at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, he indeed looked like he had been through a lot. Many people could not help but feel an inexplicable bitterness in their hearts.


    In the distance, some of the older generations could not help but sigh. When Xiao Chen was in Tianyuan City, he was so full of mettle that he defeated the Mo family with one move in the Immortals¡¯ League. Then, there was him fighting against the heroes alone. No younger generation dared to be dissatisfied with him. But now, even accepting the challenge seemed to be reluctant¡­


    An old man sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that one¡¯s easy to break if one¡¯s too headstrong. He has been locked up for a year. Presumably, he¡¯s not as high-spirited as he used to be. What a pity.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and ignored the comments around him. He turned around and was about to leave. Suddenly, the man behind him said provokingly with a laugh, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the invincible king who once fought alone in Tianyuan City, become like this?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s footsteps stopped. The snowstorm swept across his cheeks. At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on him. Ziyun¡¯er clenched her fingers. Just as she was about to lose her temper, Xiao Chen pressed her shoulder and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group walked slowly down the mountain, leaving a few rows of deep and light footprints in the snow. Everyone in the back could not help but feel a little disappointed. They shook their heads and sighed. At this moment, they heard a clear young voice sounding behind them. ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned. He turned around and saw three youths running toward him. One of them was in red, the other was in green, and the last one was in white. They all looked excited. The three youths rushed to Xiao Chen and said excitedly, ¡°Brother Chen, it¡¯s really you!¡±


    Xiao Chen had never seen these three youngsters before. He couldn¡¯t help but feel confused. He asked, ¡°Who are you three?¡±


    The boy in white said with excitement, ¡°We have seen Brother Chen¡¯s sword fight in Tianyuan City! No matter what other people think of Brother Chen, we always believe Brother Chen!¡±


    The other two teenagers also nodded after the speech, and their faces looked very excited. Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°So, what do the three little brothers need from me?¡±


    In fact, he did not know that at the beginning, when he won the championship at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, then fighting a blood-battle in Tianyuan City alone and destroying the Immortals¡¯ League. From the perspective of the older generation, he was apostasy, but for the youths at the age of thirteen or fourteen that were in the rebellious stage, he was a hero. There were even rumors that he had fought alone for his loved one.


    The young man in green said excitedly, ¡°We are here to see Brother Chen participate in the Wuyue Sword Conversation. We came here because we heard that Brother Chen would come!¡±


    Xiao Chen froze, and there seemed to be a frost across the corner of his eye. He smiled slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t participate in the Wuyue Sword Conversation, and you should go back. There are some dangers here these days. Don¡¯t make your parents worry at home.¡± Then he cupped his hands and went down the mountain.


    The three teenagers were stunned in an instant. At this moment, the snow seemed to be heavier, and the wind howled, messing up their hair. The young man in white shouted, ¡°Wait a minute, Brother Chen! Why! You¡¯re obviously so strong!¡±


    Xiao Chen paused for a moment, then he turned his head and said, ¡°The Emperor of Wuyue, is just a fictitious title, you should go back.¡± He really did not want to be too noticeable now, because he had been having a bad feeling about these two days, and at this time, it would be unwise to have a conflict with the Mo family.


    The snow was getting bigger, and everyone was silent. The young man in front of him had indeed changed much. He was no longer as ostentatious as before as he was in Tianyuan City. Maybe because he had been locked for a year. The former sharpness had already been worn off.


    ¡°Brother Chen, wait up!¡± The boy in white stopped him again, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°Why? Because you are here that¡¯s why I came here. But why! They said you lost your fighting spirit, but I Don¡¯t believe it! You are always the best, why! ¡±


    In the end, the young man¡¯s nails were almost in his palms and his eyes were red, but he clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes remained on the back of Xiao Chen¡¯s departure.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­¡± In the distance, Mo Jinyan smiled faintly. ¡°He used to be the strongest, but now he has no Jade Qing Sect as his backer. In my opinion, he is no different from a stray dog.¡±


    As soon as he said this, all the people around were shocked. Obviously, he was provoking Xiao Chen. But at this moment, Xiao Chen still pretended not to hear him. Mo Jinyan looked up and smiled. When he was about to say something, the young man in white suddenly turned around and glared at him. ¡°Shut up! Ah!¡±


    Then the young boy in white leaped so hard that the ice and snow on the ground flew. His whole body rushed to Mo Jinyan like a shooting star, and the two young boys behind exclaimed, ¡°Xu Sheng!¡± They tried to stop him, but it was too late.


    A faint white radiance formed around the body of the boy in white, blocking all the snow outside. Everyone nearby was a little surprised. It was hard to imagine that a 16-year-old boy had such a strong explosive power. ¡°What a great talent?¡±


    However, no matter how talented he was, in the face of Mo Jinyan, who had reached the Nirvana Realm. He was simply killing himself. A few elders in the distance saw that something was wrong and wanted to save him, but the young man rushed too fast and it was too late. Mo Jinyan sneered and flicked his sleeves, then a strong force directly rushed over, causing the snow to fly all over the sky.


    Everyone was shocked. Some even exclaimed. This blow was powerful enough to destroy the youth¡¯s body and soul. At this critical moment, there was a sudden ¡°bang¡± sound, and the snow and ice were instantly blown up more than 100 feet high. When the snowflakes fell slowly, Xiao Chen¡¯s clothes were fluttering. He had stood in front of the young man in white in an instant and blocked the attack.


    Everyone was shocked. The speed was way too fast. It took a moment for the youth in white to recover from his shock. He raised his head and looked at the tall figure in front of him. He said in a daze, ¡°Brother Chen¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked coldly at Mo Jinyan 10 feet away, and said coldly, ¡°He¡¯s a 16-year-old boy; is it necessary to use this much force?¡±


    Mo Jinyan still wore a smile on his face and said lightly, ¡°Oh? Really? That was my carelessness then?¡±


    The cold wind whistled, and the two were in a tit-for-tat. The two young boys behind immediately ran over and pulled the boy in white aside. Everyone in the distance was holding their breath. At this moment, everyone suddenly felt a deep chill. This chill came very suddenly, colder than the ice and snow at this moment, full of cold killing intention.


    At this moment, everyone shivered and looked up to the eastern sky. They saw a woman in red walking in the sky and coming at a high speed. The woman¡¯s face was frosty, cruel, and her eyes were exactly looking at the side of Mo Jinyan.


    Everyone gasped. It turned out to be another junior who was in the Nirvana Realm. At this moment, Chu Lingjiao¡¯s face changed slightly.

 Chapter 459 - Heaven-exterminating? You Might As Well Ascend Heaven

    The woman in red landed on the snow-covered ground in the blink of an eye, giving rise to a storm of white behind her. The look in her eyes was particularly steely, tacking on another layer of coldness onto the summit. Xiao Chen was a little surprised. ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Before he could say more, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was charging at Chu Lingjiao like a bolt of lightning. With red mist swirling around her, she brandished her five fingers like blades and attempted to seize the latter¡¯s life. Chu Lingjiao was alarmed at her attacker¡¯s stifling pressure. She yelled, ¡°Jinyan!¡±


    ¡°KABOOM!¡± A loud explosion resounded. The aftermath blasted the snow upwards of 100 feet tall and caused the entire cliff to shudder. Mo Jinyan had promptly appeared next to Chu Lingjiao and met Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s palm with his own.


    His abrupt counterattack sent Huangfu Xin¡¯er tumbling nearly eighty feet backward. Her disrupted aura caused blood to spray from her mouth. Dots of red fell on the snow-covered ground, forming tiny plum blossoms-like patterns.


    It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t powerful enough. Her energy was simply running low after she helped Xiao Chen circulate his energy last month. Moreover, she had forced herself to travel 5,000 kilometers today and had yet to calm her breath. When it came to true power, perhaps not even Xiao Chen was her match.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    Xiao Chen bounced off the tip of his foot and flew over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and instantly ushered in a stream of True Energy into her body, steadying her disarrayed aura. He then glared at Mo Jinyan. ¡°You dare hurt her¡­¡±


    Mo Jinyan smiled weakly at him. ¡°She made the first attack. How can you blame me?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er coughed, forcing out the blood in her throat. She said coldly, ¡°Go and find your Muxue! This is none of your business! Move! Don¡¯t stop me!¡± She pushed Xiao Chen aside with her palm and then looked coldly at Chu Lingjiao. ¡°Hand that thing over!¡±


    Her icy gaze sent shivers down Chu Lingjiao¡¯s spine. However, she soon remembered that Mo Jinyan was with her. Why did she have to worry about Huangfu Xin¡¯er? She sneered and replied, ¡°That thing? What thing?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze turned even colder. Xiao Chen walked up to her and whispered, ¡°Important things first. Stop being mad at me. Consider it all my fault.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s mad at you?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er replied solemnly. ¡°Stop getting emotional on your own. And what do you mean, consider?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xiao Chen sighed. He stepped forward and looked at Chu Lingjiao. ¡°Miss Chu, I¡¯ll be frank. The cultivation method I handed you at the League was meant to be delivered to Empress Huangfu, yet you kept it for your own use. That¡¯s unreasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Chu Lingjiao looked at him and chortled. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re referring to that cultivation method.¡± Her eyes suddenly turned cold as her tone took a sharp turn. ¡°That cultivation method is the property of my Heartless Palace! It¡¯s simply back to its original owner! One day, the entire Heartless Palace will return to its rightful owner!¡± She glared fixedly at Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face.


    Everyone exchanged looks of dismay. They didn¡¯t know much about the affairs of the Heartless Palace. Xiao Chen refocused his line of thoughts. Now that Chu Lingjiao had the Mo family backing her, it would likely be difficult to snatch the Heartless Cultivation Method from her hands.


    Mo Jinyan smiled when he noticed the emotions fleeting across Xiao Chen¡¯s face. ¡°What, are you going to snatch it from us today?¡± At the tail of his question, quite a large group of people gathered behind him. They were all people who had just rushed up the summit.


    Mo Jinyan had only heard of Xiao Chen¡¯s name before this. It wasn¡¯t until they met halfway up the mountain that Chu Lingjiao told him that it was Xiao Chen.


    Seeing Mo Jinyan gather so many people in a matter of seconds, the twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon appeared beside Xiao Chen as well. Xiao Chen raised a hand to stop them. Their enemies were greater in numbers now; it wasn¡¯t wise for them to start a conflict.


    The man beside Mo Jinyan smiled. ¡°Here I thought you¡¯re someone great after hearing about your heroic affair in Tianyuan City, but it seems that you¡¯re just trash¡­¡±


    Everyone was stunned to hear such an insult. Ziyun¡¯er, in particular, was furious. She was about to attack the man when Xiao Chen reached out to stop her. He kept his eyes on Mo Jinyan. Considering how the latter had been provoking him with words time and again, the latter wasn¡¯t just asking for a fight. Was Mo Jinyan trying to keep him here?


    Mo Jinyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what happened between you, Mo Yu, and Mo Wen. But don¡¯t you dare think that I¡¯m like them.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze fixed on him as he replied emotionlessly, ¡°Get to the point. Why don¡¯t you just tell me your goal today?¡±


    Mo Jinyan narrowed his eyes, his pupils reflecting flickering light that swiftly disappeared. He smiled weakly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I, Mo Jinyan, don¡¯t need strategies to defeat the likes of you. Tomorrow at noon, we fight for supremacy on the summit. Do you dare accept my challenge?¡±


    Instantly, the atmosphere became much colder and even the air threatened to freeze. The distant crowd was watching them attentively. One was a mysterious young man who had appeared out of the blue two years ago; the other was a rising rookie from an ancient Immortal Clan. It was too early to tell who would emerge the victor in a fight between the two.


    In the distance, the three youngsters from before were clenching their hands as they stared hard at Xiao Chen. Qingluan frowned and said, through secret voice transmission, ¡°Lord, I fear that it¡¯s a trap. Seniors Xiao Ning and Gu Feng aren¡¯t around. You must be very careful.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t give her an immediate reply. Of course, he understood that he was lacking in allies against a powerful enemy. Experts from the Mo family would likely show up soon. But, that wasn¡¯t even what he was most afraid of. What he feared most was the Immortals¡¯ League. That was why he was in such urgency to leave before.


    He could finally understand, even if just a little, Gui Xian¡¯s words back then. No matter how strong one was, one was ultimately still fighting by himself. One could never be as impactful as the power of many. The only reason why so many cultivators are standing with the Mo family was because of their impact. Even if they weren¡¯t trying to get on the family¡¯s good side, they would also never offend them. That was why they were all so deferential toward Mo Jinyan.


    Mo Jinyan chuckled. ¡°Keeping silent? Is it because you don¡¯t dare to accept the challenge or you simply don¡¯t want to?¡± He tapped his head with his finger and grinned. ¡°Ah, I forgot. That Northern Mad Emperor and East Peak Emperor or whatever aren¡¯t with you now. Is that why you¡¯re scared?¡±


    The man in cyan clothes beside him sneered. ¡°Northern Mad Emperor? Our Mo family must have been living in seclusion for far too long. We didn¡¯t even know that some little devil from nowhere can be called an emperor.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er flew into a rage. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dare to say such words when the two Seniors are around? Northern Mad Emperor can squash you two with his pinky finger!¡±


    Mo Jinyan smiled. ¡°Give me a hundred years. My strength will definitely be above theirs then.¡±


    The man in cyan shook his head and smiled deviously. ¡°Forget it. He¡¯s just terrified. Let¡¯s go. Remember my twenty-year-old dog at home? I¡¯ll go home and change its name to Xiao Chen. It¡¯s quite a good name.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s anger was reaching its peak. Qingluan reached out to stop her and sneered. ¡°One of the heaven-exterminating family, the Mo family. After meeting you today, I see that you deserve your reputation. We step down gracefully. You may have the title of Five Emperors!¡±


    Mo Jinyan was about to turn around and leave, but spun around again when he heard her words. He said placidly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Qingluan smiled. ¡°Your verbal attacks are indeed superior. I fear that no one on earth is your rival. Why don¡¯t you call yourselves the Verbal Executors of Heaven of East West South North?¡±


    Mo Jinyan¡¯s expression immediately turned dark. He could tolerate any insults about his family, except when it involved the use of the words ¡°heaven-exterminating¡±. That was the dignity that their entire clan had pledged to defend.


    No longer angry, Ziyun¡¯er put on a cheeky smile. ¡°Heaven-exterminating? Why don¡¯t you die and ascend heaven instead?¡± She deliberately leaped and pointed to the skies above. ¡°There! Heaven is up there! You¡¯re all very powerful, aren¡¯t you? Go up there and make a hole! Go on! You call yourselves the heaven-exterminating family, don¡¯t you? Go and make a dent in heaven for all of us to see!¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast cried and ran over. Mimicking the naughty look on Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s face, it pointed its paw at the sky and kept making its trademark noises. It even grinned like a human, looking like a mischievous child.


    The outlandish behavior of the human and the beast instantly elicited laughter from the people around them. Of course, these people weren¡¯t afraid of the Mo family. In fact, they loathed the family¡¯s holier-than-thou attitude.


    Mo Jinyan¡¯s face was so dark that it looked like a rainstorm. The man in cyan beside him was beside himself with rage. ¡°You seek death!¡± he yelled, and then charged at Ziyun¡¯er like a bolt of lightning.


    Specks of snow swirled around them. When the man in cyan reached Ziyun¡¯er, all he could see were several silhouettes moving before his eyes. The clanging of metal resounded beside his ears as he was stopped in place. Four ladies from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon had their blades pressed against the man¡¯s neck.


    Right now, the man in cyan was blocked in all directions. His head would fall with just the slightest pressure from any of them. Ziyun¡¯er scoffed and walked over to him. ¡°Pa!¡± A crisp sound resonated as she landed a slap on his face.


    ¡°Remember. Northern Mad Emperor can squash your Mo family with his pinky finger!¡±


    A red palm print instantly surfaced on the man¡¯s face. The crisp sound of the slap also traveled to all corners of the summit in no time at all, prompting everyone to gasp. To slap the man in front of so many people was akin to slapping the Mo family in the face.


    ¡°Pa!¡± Before everyone could snap out of it, Ziyun¡¯er once again slapped the man. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t just change your dog¡¯s name on a whim. If you want to give it a new name, you can consider your own name.¡±


    This time, the mood was truly frozen over. Quite a few were frightened as well. Mo Jinyan¡¯s face couldn¡¯t get any darker. His murderous aura was materializing. He swore to kill this woman, and with the cruelest methods to boot!


    Xiao Chen frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the tens or so cultivators behind Mo Jinyan. They were itching for a fight, he could tell. He was also ready to summon Guifeng for a battle at any time, but nonetheless, they were at a disadvantage when it came to numbers.


    Right then, they heard a singing voice inching closer to them. ¡°One leaf of flower, one leaf of dust, the flowers fall for one night without leaving dust¡­¡±


    For every word that reached everyone¡¯s ears, the voice became closer still. By the time the last word dropped, a silhouette was already before everyone¡¯s eyes. The person had a face as elegant as white jade. He was dressed in a robe of white feathers and was holding a delicately-carved feathered fan. He landed gently from the sky, with the backdrop of swirling snow giving him the impression of a fairy descending upon the earth.


    ¡°Haha! Brother None-flower, looks like your Thousand Miles Voyage is faster than my Purple-Gold Gourd. Consider it my loss this time!¡±


    A clear, bright voice resounded before everyone could recover from their senses. A gigantic gourd of purple and gold swiftly flew in their direction, carrying a passenger dressed in a white-and-purple long gown. His hair was mixed with several strands of purple and his pupils were the color of flames.

 Chapter 460 - Night of Bright Moon and Rumination

    Xiao Chen¡¯s taut nerves relaxed the moment he heard the two familiar voices. He turned around and saw that the newcomers were indeed Yi Tong and None-flower Dust.


    Yi Tong landed on the ground, shrank his gourd, and hung it around his waist. None-flower Dust glanced upward with narrowed eyes, shaking his feathered fan, and said leisurely, ¡°Your shabby gourd is just too slow.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Yi Tong threw back his head in laughter. He walked toward Xiao Chen and cupped his fist in his palm. ¡°Brother Xiao, I hope you have been well.¡± Xiao Chen, who wasn¡¯t expecting them to be here as well, returned the salutation. ¡°Brother Yi.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, koo-chee!¡± The Koo-chee beast also ran up to them on its four paws. It leaped onto Yi Tong¡¯s shoulders and started pawing at his face. Yi Tong laughed out loud. ¡°Little Koo-chee, it has only been three months since we last met and you¡¯re already three times rounder.¡±


    On the other side, None-flower Dust walked up to Gui Xian with a smile. ¡°Old thing, don¡¯t you die again this time.¡± Gui Xian shook his head, scolding with a chuckle, ¡°You stinky brat, you¡¯re really everywhere.¡±


    The crowd was boring holes with their gazes. They weren¡¯t familiar with Yi Tong, but None-flower Dust had built a reputation for himself over the years. No one was a stranger to his name. Even the older cultivators looked surprised to see him. The youngsters might be ignorant about the mysterious seventh place on the Heaven List, but they were well aware that this person wasn¡¯t to be trifled with.


    On another side of the cliff, quite a few female disciples were swooning. Their faces were red with excitement and embarrassment. ¡°Is that¡­ None-flower Dust? The rumors don¡¯t do him justice¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen, Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and the rest were still facing off Chu Lingjiao, but the sudden appearance of None-flower Dust and Yi Tong meant the latter couldn¡¯t act as overbearing as before. Her side had the upper hand before, but the situation had changed now. Some of the cultivators behind Mo Jinyan were beginning to retreat out of fear of None-flower Dust.


    ¡°Are you going to hand it over or not?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze was dangerously cold. Chu Lingjiao couldn¡¯t help but tremble and shift closer to Mo Jinyan.


    Mo Jinyan¡¯s gaze was as sharp as it was cold, like the point of a needle. He looked at Xiao Chen coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that it¡¯s useless even if you have ten people on your side today. If you want the thing, come to the battle on the summit tomorrow. If you lose, screw off back to the Human World and never step foot in the Violet Manor again!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze was just as cold. ¡°What gives you such confidence¡­¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re just a bug from the Human World. Even if you climb to the top, you¡¯re still a bug standing at the top. Your Xiao family couldn¡¯t win against my Mo family back then, so you resorted to dirty tactics. After so much time, it¡¯s still the same: you¡¯re still no match for my family! I, Mo Jinyan, will be the one to tidy up descendants of evil like you! From now on, I¡¯ll kill every Xiao that I see!¡±


    Mo Jinyan¡¯s voice was small, but his gaze was ice-cold. Still unperturbed, Xiao Chen replied in a solemn voice, ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s see how you kill every Xiao that you see.¡±


    Both their gazes had dropped to a dangerously low temperature. In unison, they said, ¡°Tomorrow at noon, battle at the peak of Mount Wuyue!¡±


    Their voices resonated for more than five kilometers, sounding even more powerful amid the snow, and sent a shock to the cultivators¡¯ spirit. It seemed that a heated battle would occur tomorrow. Apart from this, others must also be competing over the titles of West and South Emperors on the West and South Peaks.


    Looking past Xiao Chen, Mo Jinyan glanced at Yi Tong and None-flower Dust and scoffed. He flicked his sleeves and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er stepped forward, but Xiao Chen reached out to stop her. He shook his head at her. The four ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon had released the man in cyan as well. After suffering two slaps on his face for no reason, he didn¡¯t dare to even make a peep. It didn¡¯t stop him from staring at Ziyun¡¯er with increased malice, however.


    Noticing him glaring at her, Ziyun¡¯er returned the favor with her hands on her hips. ¡°Why are you staring at me? Is it because I¡¯m pretty? Hurry up and scram!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The man in cyan clenched his fingers, swearing to torture this girl to death one day. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and went after Mo Jinyan.


    Ziyun¡¯er chortled. She patted her hands and returned to Xiao Chen¡¯s side with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Lord. Everyone from the Mo family deserves a good beating. When you have that Mo Jinyan¡¯s head pressed against the floor tomorrow, you¡¯ll be able to retrieve Empress Huangfu¡¯s cultivation method.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t reply. His brows were tightly knitted. He had a bad feeling, especially when he recalled Gui Xian¡¯s words from before. The Mo family might have the Earth Immortal as their main source of power. Their strength was unquestionable. They were, no doubt, no longer beneath the ten main clans of the Violet Manor.


    Meanwhile, the majority of cultivators were scouring the summit for a cave to spend the night and await the Battle of the Emperors tomorrow. Even more cultivators would likely gather here tomorrow.


    Yi Tong walked up to Xiao Chen and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a jar of wine up there. Come, Brother Xiao, let¡¯s drink!¡± He bounced off the tip of his foot, prompting swirling snow around him, and flew toward Gu Feng¡¯s previous location.


    Yi Tong looked with pity at the only few wine jars still intact on the snowy ground. ¡°What a pity to waste such good wine,¡± he said as he carried one of the jars out of the snow.


    Xiao Chen glanced at Huangfu Xin¡¯er next to him, prompting her to say coldly, ¡°Go ahead and drink with your brothers. You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with me.¡± She leaped and flew toward another direction.


    Xiao Chen reached out, wanting to stop her, but ultimately retrieved his hand. He then flew toward the platform on the summit and saluted Yi Tong and None-flower Dust. ¡°Thank you for your help earlier.¡± If it weren¡¯t for their prompt arrival, he would have started fighting a strenuous battle against Mo Jinyan¡¯s people.


    Yi Tong laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Come, I¡¯ll treat you to wine today.¡±


    None-flower Dust sneered and cast him a glance. He shook his feathered fan and said serenely, ¡°Shameless. Someone else put those wines there. How did it become your treat?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Yi Tong threw his head back in laughter. ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with the details. I¡¯m just borrowing it for our pleasure today.¡±


    While the three of them savored their wine, those underneath exchanged looks. Those jars of wine were left behind by Northern Mad Emperor. Perhaps those three were the only ones there who were brave enough to touch them.


    After enjoying the wine for a while, Yi Tong noticed that Xiao Chen looked worried. He fished out an item from his bosom and handed it to him. ¡°Sister Bai told me to give this to you.¡±


    Stunned, Xiao Chen took the item. It was a crescent-shaped wooden pendant with a thin red rope. When he felt the wooden pendant with his fingers, he could feel a gush of powerful spiritual energy fluctuation. ¡°What is this?¡±


    Yi Tong smiled. ¡°This is a puppet that Sister Bai made for you through sacrificial refinement. Just cast a spell and your puppet will be able to fight your enemies for you. This is a Dryad Puppet, refined from the wood of the five elements. It¡¯ll develop intelligence as time passes, so it¡¯s not a Corpse Puppet.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Xiao Chen pinched the wooden pendant, feeling warm on the inside. He remembered how Bai Susu had released her Five Elements Puppet to protect Xiao family the last time he returned to the family manor. However, he didn¡¯t know her. Why did she help him time and again¡­?


    Yi Tong suddenly let out a loud laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Sister Bai will never hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand, Brother Yi. I have no such intention.¡±


    Yi Tong chuckled. He turned to glance at the cloudless sky and sighed. ¡°She has heard about what happened, but it¡¯s often inconvenient for her to show up, especially in front of the Immortals¡¯ League¡­¡±


    Toward the tail of his sentence, he turned his head around and smiled at Xiao Chen. ¡°But remember this always. No matter when or where, even if you no longer have a family member in this world, remember that Sister Bai is the one closest to you.¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled ever so subtly. Even in such cold weather, a gush of warmth was filling his heart. What kind of person was she? They didn¡¯t know each other, yet¡­


    Suddenly, None-flower Dust sighed. ¡°If only the Sage Fairy from the Spirit Silence Room is that kind to me, I wouldn¡¯t even fear carving a hole in heaven itself¡­¡±


    ¡°Just drink your wine.¡± Yi Tong smashed a handful of snow on him, laughing as he scolded him.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He looked at the wooden pendant in his hand. The Spirit Silence Room, one of the three great forces of the world¡­


    ¡­


    The full moon that hung over the night was as large as a plate, casting its splendor upon the boundless snow-covered ground. Numerous caves and cliff undersides were lit up with the light of fires. It was the night of the Mid-autumn Festival, indicating bright moonlight. The summit of Mount Wuyue almost seemed within reach.


    Xiao Chen and his friends occupied a cave. It was particularly noisy, with plenty of excitement around. The vivacious Ziyun¡¯er ran circles around Gui Xian, chirping about so-and-so and such-and-such. Sometimes, she would crack a joke and Yi Tong would play along. The mood was harmonious.


    Xiao Chen sat at the mouth of the cave, looking up at the bright moon overhead. The Human World must also be experiencing the night of the full moon. Was his father doing well back home? Was his mother doing alright at the Su family residence?


    He was still ruminating when Qingluan entered the cave with a solemn expression. He immediately rose to his feet and walked up to her. They walked out of the cave, where Xiao Chen asked quietly, ¡°How is it?¡±


    Qingluan looked around before lowering her voice. ¡°Mo Jinyan has put out an urgent summons. I fear we¡¯ll have huge numbers of Mo family experts arriving here. My Lord, should we prepare in advance?¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, where a dangerous glint flitted across his pupils. He shook his head. ¡°No need. Brother Xiao Ning and Gu Feng will probably return by tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, right. How is Xin¡¯er doing?¡±


    ¡°Empress Huangfu is circulating her energy in the cave over there by herself.¡± Qingluan pointed to a distant cave.


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving her on her own. The cunning and vicious Chu Lingjiao will surely make a move tonight. I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Please summon me if you have any orders, my Lord.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded again, and then left for the cave where Huangfu Xin¡¯er was in.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was sitting in the cold cave in pitch-black darkness, circulating her energy on her own. When she heard footsteps outside, she said coldly, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Xiao Chen walked in. The sight of her lonesome self stood in contrast to the lively atmosphere on his side. His heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. It felt like someone had squeezed it. He walked over, draped the coat of fox fur over her shoulders, and said softly, ¡°Come with me; I¡¯m afraid Chu Lingjiao will¡­¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er replied firmly.


    Xiao Chen smiled and then let out a sigh. He sat down beside her and looked at her. ¡°It was my fault last time. Brother Koo-chee told me afterward that it was you who helped me circulate my energy for a few days without sleep. Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you, a life for a life.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze was ice-cold. Her eyes seemed to be hiding blocks of ice that remained unmelted for a thousand years.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He looked at the moon overhead and slowly said, ¡°Even as the moon wanes, it¡¯ll one day be full again. Even if a string snaps, it can also be repaired. But if people separate¡­ will they never meet again¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er trembled. She felt like a sharp blade had slashed her across the abdomen. Her heart twisted with agony. Xiao Chen continued to stare at the moon, smiling like a fool. ¡°The last time I returned, my father mentioned you. He asked me if you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s heart ached. Right now, emotions were rippling in her pupils. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Why are you bringing up the past? Whether or not someone from my Huangfu family is doing well, has nothing to do with your Xiao family.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around, only to see the tears glistening in her eyes. His heart throbbed with sharp pain, like it was being perforated with thousands of needles. Still, he resisted the pain and slowly reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes.


    Her tears were wet, but they weren¡¯t cold.

 Chapter 461 - Night Ambush

    The moonlight was limpid and the wind was silent. Xiao Chen¡¯s fingertips brushed against Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s cold cheek, feeling recurrent stabs of pain in his heart. He remembered how young they were when their families decided on their engagement. Back then, she hid behind the screen, refusing to come out.


    Right now, they were moving further and further apart. It was as if their memories were stranded on a beach; they could no longer return to the past.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen moved his lips ever so subtly, calling her name. Once upon a time, her name was a knot in his heart that he couldn¡¯t undo. She looked at him. They could see themselves reflected in each other¡¯s pupils. His gentle gaze, however, prompted a sharp pain in her heart. She swatted his hand away.


    ¡°You¡¯re also cursed with the Heartless Curse! Why are you saying things like that now? You still have to fight Mo Jinyan tomorrow! Go back!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er flicked her sleeves and looked away.


    Xiao Chen said nothing and continued to sit beside her, staring at the warmth-less moonlight pouring in for a long time. Moments later, faint sound of footsteps across the snow-covered ground reached their ears. Then came a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°My Lord, are you here?¡±


    Xiao Chen got up and walked out to see one of the ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon waiting outside. In her hands was a tray containing two small jars of wine, two delicate cups, and several pieces of mooncakes.


    ¡°These are from Young Master Yi Tong.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded, chuckling. He glanced at the cave he had come from and asked, ¡°What about Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re drinking with Young Masters Yi Tong and None-flower Dust. Their alcohol tolerance isn¡¯t high¡­ so they¡¯re already drunk.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and took the tray off her hands. ¡°Go back and rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord. I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±


    When the lady was gone, Xiao Chen returned to the cave and placed the tray in front of Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He asked softly, ¡°Hungry?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Xiao Chen chuckled. He pulled his sleeves up and poured wine into the cups until they were more than half full. He picked one up and handed it to Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She snatched it out of his hand and drained the cup in one shot. However, she did it so quickly that she started coughing instead.


    Xiao Chen immediately supported her with his hand, caressing her back. Suddenly, an acute pain shot through his heart. Huangfu Xin¡¯er watched his face instantly turned pale and pointed at several acupuncture points on his abdomen. Only then did his complexion improve.


    ¡°Once I fully grasp the Heartless Cultivation Method, I¡¯ll help you undo your Heartless Curse.¡±


    Xiao Chen gradually evened out his breathing. He smiled. ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er abruptly raised her head to look at him. Unnatural emotions flitted across her pupils.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and looked at the moon overhead. He chuckled and said, ¡°If my heart hurts again one day, I¡¯ll know that I¡¯m missing you.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er never thought she would hear such words from him. Her face was sheet-white and her heart was twisting with agony. With much difficulty, she said, ¡°You¡¯re inflicted with the Heartless Curse, and me¡­ me too¡­ Why do you still insist on¡­ We¡¯re¡­ We¡¯re already¡­¡± By the time she finished speaking, tears were pouring down her face.


    Xiao Chen propped her up. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll stop speaking!¡± His heart was also in great pain, so much that he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth and scold, ¡°That d*mned Huashang, all she knows is how to harm people. What she couldn¡¯t get, she refuses to let others have. I swear I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er pinched his arm with force and said angrily, ¡°If you keep scolding my master, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡±


    Even though Xiao Chen was facing pain unlike any other, he still tried his best to suppress it with a smile. ¡°Okay, okay, Xin¡¯er. I won¡¯t scold her anymore.¡±


    It took a while for their anguish to subside. Xiao Chen said, ¡°That d*mned grandma¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er pointed at him. ¡°You¡¯re going to scold her again, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    Xiao Chen grinned. ¡°Oh, alright. I won¡¯t say anything. If it weren¡¯t for that d*mned¡­ I mean, Senior Huashang, how would I know that to me, you¡¯re¡­ ¡± The sound of feet treading on snow suddenly cut his words short. Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately signaled for him to be quiet. ¡°Shh!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned serious. He covered up his aura and heard Huangfu Xin¡¯er whisper, ¡°It¡¯s that b*tch, Chu Lingjiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t think twice after hearing what she said and immediately hid inside the cave where the moonlight couldn¡¯t reach. The sound of footsteps gradually became louder. Judging from the sound, there were three of them.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was sitting cross-legged. She flicked her sleeve to hide the tray of wine jars and cups on the ground before saying dully, ¡°Why don¡¯t you show up and meet me if you¡¯re already here, Senior Sister?¡±


    ¡°Hehe. How clever of you to guess that it¡¯s me, Junior Sister. Then, I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re the only one in this cave.¡± Chu Lingjiao¡¯s laughter drifted in from outside the cave.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er chuckled. ¡°Since you dare come here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve made preparations as well. Why don¡¯t you come in and see for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± Chu Lingjiao chortled. She continued to keep a safe distance from the mouth of the cave. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve injured yourself after traveling such a long distance. I¡¯m sure your Heartless Curse is acting up after seeing that Xiao boy today. You haven¡¯t recovered, have you, Junior Sister?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. He looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and saw that she was smiling despite looking pale. ¡°Since you want to kill me, why don¡¯t you take advantage of this chance to do so?¡±


    A gust of wind resounded as a silhouette moved. Chu Lingjiao was soon in front of the cave, with two men standing behind her. One of them was the man in cyan that Ziyun¡¯er slapped twice earlier in the day.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Chu Lingjiao threw her back in laughter when she saw how pale Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Junior Sister, what should I even say about you? Your mind cultivation methods cannot tolerate feelings, yet you refuse to listen. How many days can you still live? Why don¡¯t you just hand me the mind cultivation method scrolls¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen trembled. He looked a little lost as he stared at Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Layers upon layers of thick fog seemed to be gathering in his pupils.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s gaze abruptly sharpened. ¡°Said enough yet? The Heartless Cultivation Method is in my hands! Come get it if you¡¯re capable!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Chu Lingjiao¡¯s gaze turned just as sharp as she stepped forward slowly and carefully. Even knowing that her opponent was suffering from the Heartless Curse¡¯s countercharge, she didn¡¯t dare to be hasty.


    She was slowly moving forward when she suddenly thrust her palm at Huangfu Xin¡¯er, producing a purple palm print in the air with violent force. Huangfu Xin¡¯er raised her palm at once to block the attack. ¡°Poom!¡± The rocks in the cave were crushed into smithereens. Huangfu Xin¡¯er clutched her abdomen, barely stopping herself from coughing up blood.


    Chu Lingjiao guffawed. ¡°Sure enough, the curse¡¯s retaliation is severe!¡± Her gaze suddenly turned as sharp as a blade, with her murderous aura became apparent. ¡°Junior Sister, don¡¯t blame me for being vicious. If there¡¯s anyone to blame, pin it on your unfortunately short life as a beautiful woman. That Xiao boy will be joining you tomorrow, so go on your way in peace!¡±


    Chu Lingjiao¡¯s True Energy exploded, giving rise to purple fog around her. She bounced off her feet, brandishing her five fingers as blades, and charged at Huangfu Xin¡¯er like a bolt of lightning. Right then, the sound of something cutting through the wind resonated. A stone flew from a secret corner of a cave, hitting her on the abdomen.


    Chu Lingjiao groaned in pain and sprayed a mouthful of blood as she became stagnant in midair. She knew at once that she had been ambushed but before she could fully recover her senses, Xiao Chen came out of hiding and reached for her neck.


    The sudden appearance of Xiao Chen frightened Chu Lingjiao out of her wits. The man in cyan suddenly cried, ¡°Watch out, Sister-in-law!¡± Before his voice faded, he had already blocked Xiao Chen¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Tch!¡± A short-lived sound rang throughout the cave. It was the sound of Xiao Chen¡¯s finger perforating the cyan-dressed man¡¯s chest. Immediately, blood gushed forth.


    ¡°Move!¡± Xiao Chen slammed his palm onto the man, sending him flying with the force. Unfortunately, Chu Lingjiao had retreated to the cave entrance. She flicked her sleeves and two glinting daggers came flying at him. Xiao Chen moved his head, dodging one of them, but the other was heading toward Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Xiao Chen soared, retreating backward, and flicked. ¡°Clang!¡± He managed to send the dagger flying but found that numbness was spreading through his arm. Chu Lingjiao and her two accomplices had also taken advantage of the moment to flee.


    Ignoring his numb arm, Xiao Chen made a beeline for Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He helped her up and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    The pale-faced Huangfu Xin¡¯er groaned, looking like she was swallowing something. She frowned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned deeply. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here anymore. Go to my side.¡±


    ¡°No need. Go back on your own.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er moved his hand away. Her voice carried not even the slightest hint of warmth.


    ¡°They¡¯ll come again. Listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you to leave! Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er suddenly sounded terrifying, as if she was roaring at him. When he was still not moving, she raised her hand and produced five red lights at the tip of her fingers. ¡°Are you going to make me attack you?¡± she said in a cold voice.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fingers and gritted his teeth. ¡°Then, be careful when you¡¯re on your own. Just yell if you need help.¡± He took another glance at her before sighing and turning around to walk out of the cave.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er let out a quiet scoff. It wasn¡¯t until she couldn¡¯t hear Xiao Chen¡¯s footsteps anymore that she suddenly choked and spat out copious amounts of blood. Her eyes turned red and even her lips seemed to be dyed with blood. Her fingernails were now five or six inches in length. Numerous strange red patterns had also surfaced on her neck, flickering in the night. They were terrifying to look at.


    ¡­


    The night of the full moon was quiet, with cold breeze sweeping the land. Xiao Chen returned to the cave where the rest of his friends were. The drunk Ziyun¡¯er and Qingluan were leaning against each other, resting in a corner. Yi Tong and None-flower Dust were still drinking. The former chuckled when he saw him. ¡°We heard commotion earlier. Did something happen?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. He turned around to tell a few of the ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon, ¡°Please watch over Empress Huangfu tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡±


    The night soon came to a pass. Xiao Chen only woke up when noon rolled around the next day, possibly because he had too much to drink last night. Today, the snow had piled up on the summit of Mount Wuyue, bouncing off brilliant sunlight. The whiteness of the snow strained his eyes when he walked on them. The summit seemed to be filled with people.


    Mo Jinyan had been waiting at the arena on the summit for a while. He watched as Xiao Chen walked toward him with both hands clasped behind his back and sleeves swaying in the wind. His gaze was as cold and sharp as thunderbolts, making people afraid to look him in the eye.


    ¡°He¡¯s here, he¡¯s here! Xiao Chen is here!¡±


    Clamor immediately swept through the crowd under the arena. They watched Xiao Chen and his entourage marching across the snow toward them. Their steps were firm and neither too fast nor too slow. When Xiao Chen came close, he leaped into the air and flew toward the arena in one swift, graceful movement.


    In a matter of seconds, Xiao Chen was standing on the arena on the summit. Mo Jinyan looked at him coldly. ¡°I fear you won¡¯t be able to leave this arena alive today!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°I remembered Mo Yu telling me the exact same words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m not like them.¡± Mo Jinyan¡¯s gaze turned even more vicious. The power of his True Energy was coming to a boiling point, causing a flurry of snow to fall around him.


    ¡°Make your move then. Show me the power of your so-called heaven-exterminating family.¡±

 Chapter 462 - Head of the Su Family

    Gusts of cold wind whistled as they swept the summit. The crowd under the arena swiftly came to a quiet, watching the two men on the arena of the Mount Wuyue peak with rapt attention. When the two men continued to face off for a long time, some people began talking. Several elderly, bearded cultivators in the distance were nodding as they discussed something.


    A red-robed elder evened out his beard and asked the person beside him, ¡°They¡¯re both rare talents among the younger generation. What do you think?¡±


    The cyan-robed elder smoothened his beard and said slowly, ¡°Xiao Chen was extraordinary before, but he has been imprisoned for a year after all. Mo Jinyan has never been defeated in his life. More importantly, his family is one of the Ancient Immortal Clans and possesses ancient cultivation methods. Just this point alone makes him far ahead of Xiao Chen.¡±


    The two other elders nodded in agreement. The red-robed elder shook his head, laughing. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that Xiao Chen possesses an ancient cultivation method of his own?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± the cyan-robe elder said. ¡°But do you know which lineage of Ancient Immortal Clans the Mo family comes from?¡±


    ¡°Which lineage?¡±


    ¡°The six ancient heaven-exterminating clans.¡±


    The red-robed elder trembled after hearing his words and his expression changed as well. Even his voice was shaking. ¡°For real? The legendary heaven-exterminating clan? I thought¡­¡±


    The cyan-robed elder nodded. ¡°Correct. The Su family and a few others have lost the right to call themselves the heaven-exterminating clans a long time ago, but the Mo family has survived a great calamity and is the true heir of the heaven-exterminating clans.¡±


    The red-robed elder once again trembled in shock. He slowly turned his head to look at the arena. This time, the only one he was looking at was Mo Jinyan.


    The wind whizzed atop the summit, causing the two men¡¯s clothes to rustle loudly. Mo Jinyan looked relaxed, even a little proud, as if he never considered Xiao Chen his true opponent. He smiled. ¡°Did you hear what they¡¯re saying? I¡¯m a Mo, a member of the heaven-exterminating clan. You¡¯re just a nobody from the Human World, the lowest of the low in the Human World!¡±


    Xiao Chen spread his hands without care. ¡°Whatever. When it comes to putting up pretenses, I¡¯ll never win against you, so I don¡¯t care.¡± He even shrugged.


    ¡°You!¡± Mo Jinyan clenched his fingers. A murderous glint crossed his eyes. Right then, a figure stepped across the air. When he came close, they could see that it was an ethereal-looking elder with white brows and a horsetail whisk in hand.


    The crowd under the arena, including the older cultivators in the Apotheosis Realm, stared at the white-browed old man in shock. The man could travel through the air at such a high altitude without using magic treasures or flying swords. Had his cultivation reached the Grand Completion Realm?


    The white-browed elder looked at the two men standing in the arena. ¡°I¡¯m the White-brow Solitarian. I¡¯m here to bear witness to your sword battle atop Mount Wuyue. You must fight on your own during the battle, or else¡­¡± He swiped his horsetail whisk. Following a loud explosion, a mountain top five kilometers away crumbled into dust.


    The onlookers were once again alarmed. Grand Completion Realm! The old man was indeed in the Grand Completion Realm! Many wore reverence on their faces. For a moment, they even forgot to breathe. They had never seen a Grand Completion Realm cultivator in their lives. That realm was almost a legendary realm for them; it was just one step away from immortality itself.


    Of course, those who had seen Xiao Ning and Gu Feng fight yesterday didn¡¯t seem too surprised. They had the feeling that those two were even stronger than this old man.


    Xiao Chen was a little taken aback as well. A pure cultivator in the Grand Completion Realm who didn¡¯t touch the teachings of other sects. This unadulterated aura felt very familiar. The leader of the Mystic Cyan Sect, also his grandmaster, Perfected Immortal Qingxuan was in the Grand Completion Realm. At least, that was what his memories told him.


    Suddenly, Mo Jinyan turned around and saluted White-brow Solitarian. ¡°Thank you for coming all the way here.¡±


    He had always held the older cultivators here in contempt, only to treat this old man so deferentially. It was obvious that they knew each other. To be frank, he had sent an urgent letter out after seeing None-flower Dust and Yi Tong¡¯s abrupt appearances yesterday.


    The crowd below was stunned to learn that the old man was an acquaintance of the Mo family. The group of elders watching from a distance was startled at first, but upon second thought, it wasn¡¯t anything strange for the Mo family to be able to invite a Grand Completion Realm cultivator.


    White-brow Solitarian nodded. ¡°Fight with ease. I¡¯d like to see who can interfere with me around,¡± he said, staring at the distant None-flower Dust and Yi Tong.


    Frowning, Qingluan whispered, ¡°Not only is he a Grand Completion Realm cultivator, but he also knows the Mo family. I fear¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, an old man¡¯s powerful and sonorous voice reached everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°If so, allow me to bear witness as well.¡±


    The voice resonated so strongly throughout several of the peaks that people couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. They turned to look in the direction of the voice, where they saw an old man dressed in a rosewood-colored robe taking large strides up the mountain path with his hands clasped behind him.


    Even though he was an elderly, gray-haired man, he looked energetic. His eyes were especially striking. His grave stare produced an intangible force upon everyone, making them feel suffocated.


    Several elders from the cultivation sects in the Apotheosis Realm looked at him, dumbfounded. They took in the jade-green reed hanging from his waist, and the people coming after him, including Su Yue and Su Zimu. Shock rippled through them. ¡°Senior Su Ying!¡±


    The old man was none other than the present Head of the Su family, Su Ying. When Xiao Chen heard people utter this name, he thought, ¡°Grandpa?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around to look and saw that it was indeed the Su family. He immediately scanned the entourage and found Su Yue, Su Zimu, Su Wan, and several Su family disciples. He didn¡¯t see his mother. Though dejected, he also felt relaxed. He was glad that his mother didn¡¯t come.


    Finally, his attention landed on Su Ying. Was this old man truly his grandfather? He had imagined quite a few times how Su Ying would look. He had the feeling that he was the imposing and unapproachable sort. Now that he saw Su Ying in person, he seemed right on the mark.


    Su Ying was also looking at him, his stern gaze immediately turning gentle. He nodded at Xiao Chen, surprising the latter. Shouldn¡¯t his grandfather reject him just because he had the surname Xiao?


    Even so, the moment he remembered how the Su family looked down on his father, took his mother away, and even forbade her to meet his father again, he was down spirited again. He forcefully turned his head and looked away.


    His action didn¡¯t seem to irritate Su Ying. On the contrary, it was Su Yue who frowned. Su Wan scoffed and said, ¡°What a brat.¡±


    Mo Jinyan¡¯s gaze turned cold when he saw the Su family. Underneath, the crowd was crying out in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s the former chief! It¡¯s really the former chief!¡±


    Su Ying was the former chief of the Daoist League of Five Continents. He commanded great status as a person of virtue and prestige. Even though he was also a Grand Completion Realm cultivator, his prestige far surpassed that of White-brow Solitarian. Quite a few people in the crowd were running over to him, some of them being sect leaders. ¡°Senior Su, do you still remember me? You once gave me some pointers on cultivation fifty years ago!¡±


    Commotion swiftly swept the crowd. Su Ying¡¯s sudden arrival nearly overshadowed Xiao Chen and Mo Jinyan¡¯s battle. Ziyun¡¯er had also lost her grumpiness and was smiling from ear to ear. ¡°This is great! Senior Su is here to help you, my Lord!¡±


    Mo Jinyan clenched his fingers so hard that his bones creaked in protest. His expression was progressively worsening as if it was covered with layer upon layer of dark clouds. He yelled, ¡°Enough! Today is the day of the battle on Mount Wuyue! What are you guys fussing about? Make your noise down the mountain!¡±


    The crowd immediately fell silent and turned to look at him. Su Ying narrowed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Indeed, the young will one day surpass the old.¡±


    White-brow Solitarian coughed once and landed on the snow-covered ground. ¡°Since the Head of the Su family is here, then let us begin the battle today.¡±


    The crowd once again refocused their attention on the two young men in the arena. Huangfu Xin¡¯er stood under a distant tree, watching with rapt attention. Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and the others were doing the same. The three youngsters from yesterday were clenching their hands as they stared fixedly at the arena.


    Xiao Chen composed himself. Since the Su family was here, he mustn¡¯t let them look down on the Xiao family. With such a thought in mind, he said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± Following the end of his sentence, an orb of light materialized and raced toward Mo Jinyan. The Unsullied Sword also appeared in his hand in the blink of an eye. He swiped the sword, producing a sword light to strike Mo Jinyan.


    The onlookers were stunned to see that it wasn¡¯t Mo Jinyan, but Xiao Chen who made the first move. Seeing how ferocious Xiao Chen¡¯s sword momentum was, Mo Jinyan also whipped out a blunt sword that seemed several times heavier than regular ones. The blade had neither a pointed end nor an edge, but it kept emanating a cold aura that appeared to lower the temperature of its surroundings.


    ¡°Clang!¡± The swords collided, producing sparks in the air. Mo Jinyan felt his arm sinking from the weight. Never in a million years did he imagine that one swing of his opponent¡¯s sword would be this powerful, leaving no leeway whatsoever.


    Before he could react, Xiao Chen was already swinging his sword again. This time, it was as eye-piercing as a ray of light piercing through the halo, bringing with it an aura that could engulf mountains and rivers. Thousands of layers of snow erupted from the ground, covering the air with specks of ice. ¡°Clang!¡± An ear-splitting sound resonated as the snow coating the cliff cascaded without an end.


    The force of the attack sent Mo Jinyan tumbling backward nearly seventy or eighty feet. A look of incredulity crossed his face. This Xiao Chen was completely different from the one that Mo Yu and Mo Wen mentioned. The difference was like heaven and earth!


    Xiao Chen smirked. Since he had taken the initiative to suppress his opponent, he would never give the latter any chance to counterattack. While thinking, he was already charging forward and forming a strange, quick dance with his sword in hand. The wind swiftly picked up. Tens of sword-shaped silhouettes materialized in the air, each one looking as tangible as the real thing, and enveloped Mo Jinyan in a split second.


    Since this was a battle of swords on the Wuyue Sword Conversation, they naturally had to compete using their swordsmanship. The crowd watched the battle with their jaws open. They had never seen such exquisite swordsmanship. Each time the sword attacked, snow would scatter and wind would rise. He was using one of the moves in Ling Yin¡¯s self-invented 33-fold Green Flute Swordplay, Phoenix¡¯s Cry Amid Bamboos.


    Mo Jinyan was stunned. His opponent¡¯s swordsmanship was so polished that he couldn¡¯t even find a flaw to exploit. He hastily leaned backward. ¡°Tss!¡± One of the swords slashed him on the shoulder, spilling his blood. The crowd of onlookers gasped in shock. This time, their shocked gazes were focused on Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 463 - Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword

    Chapter 463 Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword


    With a sneer on his face, Xiao Chen performed his swordsmanship with impressive precision, attacking Mo Jinyan in the next second. He thrust his sword just once, yet produced a whirlwind of sword silhouettes whose momentum came pouring down like the rain. Every attack was quick and accurate, leaving Mo Jinyan no room to even raise his hand to block.


    The crowd clicked their tongue in wonder. Even the elders who looked down on Xiao Chen were watching in shock. Cultivators these days tended to pursue absolute strength, neglecting their swordsmanship until they were far inferior to cultivation sects of yesteryears. If they were to meet a similarly powerful cultivator with exquisite swordsmanship, their loss would be inevitable.


    Most of them also lamented about their inferiority compared to Xiao Chen after seeing his polished swordsmanship. They thought he was some boy from the boonies who only knew brute force and not swordsmanship from the cultivation sects, only to be surprised by his splendid use of the sword and aura that didn¡¯t lack to disciples from famous clans. This time, their impression of Xiao Chen had been renewed.


    Xiao Chen was still sneering as he commanded his sword like a rain of blades. He used one of the styles of the Green Flute Swordplay, ¡°Undiscovered Talent¡±. This time, his blade was aiming for Mo Jinyan¡¯s throat. He wasn¡¯t giving him any more chances.


    Mo Jinyan raised his sword and forced Xiao Chen¡¯s sword out of its trajectory, allowing him to escape from the fatal attack on his throat. Only a strand of his hair was cut. Before he could recover, however, Xiao Chen was already attacking him from behind with his increasingly pressing swordsmanship, forcing him into a corner. Mo Jinyan kept retreating. He knew that a single lapse in judgment could cost him his flesh, but that wasn¡¯t the worst of it: the Mo family couldn¡¯t afford to lose face!


    Suddenly, he triggered the True Energy inside him. Not concerning how the Sword Qi would hurt him, he flew backward until he was 100 or so feet away. The strange sword made of mystic iron in his hand was also beginning to tremble, showing signs of exploding. Strange wisps of cold air continued to emanate from within.


    He landed back on the ground, his clothes now ripped in certain parts by Xiao Chen¡¯s Sword Qi, making him look rather pathetic. Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°How did you like it? Is the swordsmanship of a nobody from the Human World like me still passable?¡±


    Mo Jinyan clenched his hands so hard that his bones creaked. Rage was shooting through his brain, but he swiftly calmed down. ¡°One move isn¡¯t enough to demonstrate the strength of a person. Your swordsmanship might be exquisite, but the Mo family has never relied on opportunistic traps like swordsmanship to secure a victory. What we rely on is absolute strength, strength powerful enough to make heaven tremble!¡±


    The crowd held their breath and watched with rapt attention. Chu Lingjiao¡¯s palms were sweating. She couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Mo Jinyan shouldn¡¯t have had a sword battle with Xiao Chen. She had witnessed the latter¡¯s swordsmanship and knew how impressive it was. Perhaps, besides the disciples of the Kunlun Sword Sect and Mount Shu Sword Sect, no one or sect in this world was his match in swordsmanship.


    The three youngsters watching from a distance were already celebrating what they saw as a certain victory. They shouted, ¡°Good luck, Brother Chen! You¡¯re the best, Brother Chen!¡±


    Xiaoyue and the rest wore decidedly different expressions. On the Su family¡¯s camp, Su Ying was nodding. ¡°His swordsmanship is impressive, but it¡¯s a pity that¡­¡± He shook his head, looking rather regretful.


    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± Su Zimu asked, looking confused. He considered Xiao Chen¡¯s swordsmanship to be direct and powerful, carrying the boldness a man should have. He thought he performed very well and did nothing that should be pitied.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s too hasty. His swordsmanship is rushed, and excessively bold. Is that so, Father?¡± Su Yue looked pretty and sweet in her purple clothing. She coiled her hand around Su Ying¡¯s arm and questioned him with a soft voice.


    Su Ying nodded. ¡°If he had slanted the attack earlier ever so slightly, Mo Jinyan wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge it.¡±


    He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that it was a woman who invented this swordsmanship. In her swordsmanship, what should be soft ought to carry a steely strength, pressing on the opponent with incorporeal force. But, he made every move so forceful that he lost its essence. It¡¯s a pity indeed. Perhaps, it¡¯s like the performer of the swordsmanship himself. It follows his bold and outspoken temper to a tee.¡±


    Su Yue burst into laughter, revealing a rare feminine temperament. ¡°You¡¯re right, Father. This kid¡¯s temper resembles my sister¡¯s. If he could¡¯ve kept his cool at Tianyuan City, then he wouldn¡¯t have been easily goaded by other¡¯s few words and ended up suffering so much afterward.¡±


    Su Yue turned around to tell Su Zimu, ¡°Heard that? Your Heavenly Thirteen Swords swordsmanship isn¡¯t mature enough. It¡¯s far from Yu Yifeng¡¯s Dance of the Arcing Rainbow.¡±


    Su Zimu saluted her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, Aunt.¡±


    ¡­


    Snow swirled all around the summit arena. Mo Jinyan had received more than ten of Xiao Chen¡¯s storm-like sword attacks in a row. His clothes were in tatters. He decided to just take it off, revealing his well-built body and bronze-colored skin. He was like an angry beast staring down Xiao Chen, his eyes revealing the ominous glint of a wild wolf. The strange sword made from mystic iron in his hand was cracked in all sorts of places. Even the iron blade was beginning to fall off.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze was as cold as ice. ¡°Here¡¯s another move for you, Jade For A Thousand Miles!¡± He leaped into the air and swung his sword down, sending snow churning for a thousand miles. Four jade-green sword lights attacked Mo Jinyan from four directions, their momentum incomparably fierce.


    The crowd below was stunned. That was clearly just one attack, yet it produced four Sword Qi. It was too unbelievable. Mo Jinyan¡¯s pupils shrank rapidly, but he couldn¡¯t determine which Sword Qi was the real deal and which was fake. He had no choice but to hastily block the top of his head with his Mystic Iron Sword, warding off the four jade-green sword lights.


    ¡°Clank!¡±


    A loud sound resonated. Mo Jinyan found his feet sinking an inch into the snow-covered ground. The Mystic Iron Sword in his hand was experiencing changes after taking on a powerful hit. Countless iron pieces began dropping off the blade and along with it, wisps of bitterly cold aura started seeping out of it.


    The crowd was shocked speechless. Even though this battle wasn¡¯t as momentous as the battle between East Peak Emperor and Northern Mad Emperor, it demonstrated the true meaning of the word ¡°sword¡± beautifully. Many present here, including the older cultivators, were secretly grappling with their astonishment. Xiao Chen¡¯s swordsmanship was indeed a wonder to witness.


    The arena was quiet, with only the sound of the wind whistling in the air. With a look of concentration, Xiao Chen cried, ¡°Cloud-destroying Storm!¡± The sword light coming off his Unsullied Sword became multiple times brighter. Xiao Chen spiraled toward Mo Jinyan, attacking him with such force that the onlookers gasped in shock. This attack might very well decide the victor of the battle!


    Chu Lingjiao held her breath, her eyes wide open. Her heart was lurching. The three youngsters standing in the distance began cheering. Ziyun¡¯er clapped her hands, yelling, ¡°Well done!¡± However, Qingluan was frowning instead.


    ¡°Clang!¡± Another loud sound rippled through the air as the two swords collided once again, sending the snow flying everywhere. Xiao Chen¡¯s attack was extremely powerful and violent. The Cloud-destroying Storm style was meant as a final, decisive attack against opponents. The move nearly sank half of Mo Jinyan¡¯s body into the snow.


    The wind in the distance came to a standstill. The crowd widened their eyes. They dared not to even blink, for fear of missing any amazing moments. However, their anticipation didn¡¯t materialize in reality. They watched Mo Jinyan¡¯s blade shedding off iron pieces, until a cyan light emerged and struck Xiao Chen so hard that he was sent flying.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Quite a few people cried out in surprise. Xiao Chen, who seemed like he had victory in his grasp just moments ago, had been sent flying.


    When Xiao Chen¡¯s feet touched the ground, he had to tumble backward numerous steps before he was able to regain his balance. A burst of unparalleled divine power had thrown him into the air just now. Once he steadied his footing, he looked at Mo Jinyan. His opponent had climbed up from the snow and gotten back on his feet. The Mystic Iron Sword in his hand had turned into a cyan-colored Immortal¡¯s Sword.


    The Immortal¡¯s Sword was emanating cold air all over. Many of the older cultivators cried out, ¡°Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword! It¡¯s the sword ranked fifth on the Tome of Legendary Weapons!¡±


    Shock once again took hold of the crowd. To think that the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword would be wrapped under mystic iron! Moreover, it was in the Mo family¡¯s hands. This sword was unlike its counterparts. It was forged using the Northern Dark Frigid Fire, which was why the entire sword emanated cold aura. It was difficult to command control over this sword. In the yesteryears, this sword once slew a true Immortal.


    Xiao Chen could feel right at this moment the terrifying cold force coming from the sword. The Unsullied Sword in his hand couldn¡¯t help but tremble, continuously emitting weeping sounds.


    The surrounding temperature fell significantly. Many onlookers could feel the coldness that tore into their very bones. Mo Jinyan had his chest bare and his long hair flying behind him. His face was marked by a terrifyingly dark expression. He glared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Have you thought about how you¡¯d like to die? Let me show you the pressure that comes with absolute power!¡±


    Like a gust of wind, he stormed toward Xiao Chen. When he was about 100 feet away from the latter, he suddenly leaped and swung his sword down. ¡°Heaven-exterminating Strike!¡±


    Snow flew everywhere. Cold Qi the color of cyan and the length of nearly eighty feet struck Xiao Chen. Right at this moment, the world seemed to be experiencing monumental changes. With Xiao Chen at the center, the land for 30 meters began to freeze and swiftly cut off Xiao Chen¡¯s movement.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A loud explosion resounded. Xiao Chen was sent flying. His Unsullied Sword was not at all a match for even one of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword¡¯s strikes. The onlookers watching from a distance turned pale. Such strength was simply expected of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword. The three youngsters were about to cut their nails into their palms after seeing Xiao Chen¡¯s repeated losses.


    As soon as he was back on the ground, Xiao Chen adjusted his breathing. His hand that was holding the Unsullied Sword was trembling nonstop, however. The skin between his thumb and forefinger was also seeping blood.


    A sneer flashed across Mo Jinyan¡¯s face. ¡°What does it matter how fast your swordsmanship is? No swordsmanship can stand up to absolute power! That¡¯s why my Mo family has never focused on swordsmanship! Because it¡¯s just useless and ostentatious!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s voice was low. Suddenly, he jumped into the air and yelled, ¡°Boundless heaven and earth, universal Storm of Swords!¡±


    The weather immediately changed. The light from the Unsullied Sword grew multiple times brighter and produced countless sword illusions that danced around Xiao Chen. The tightly condensed sword lights bounced off the whiteness of the snow. The crowd below gasped in shock. The Storm of Swords was one of the most abstruse sword arts among the cultivation sects. A perfected spell could alarm even gods and ghosts in the world. It was capable of turning opponents into dust at once.


    Everyone watched, dumbstruck. Never in a million years did they consider that Xiao Chen had polished his use of the Storm of Swords of the cultivation sects to this degree. Using Storm of Swords required extremely pure Immortal¡¯s energy. No devil¡¯s sect cultivator would be capable of this. The White-brow Solitarian couldn¡¯t help but be stunned as well. He couldn¡¯t help but lament inside, ¡°What great aptitude.¡±


    Those who had heard of Xiao Chen were even more astonished. They thought all Xiao Chen knew was hacking people indiscriminately with his bloody saber and relying on brute strength. However, the truth taught them something else. Xiao Chen¡¯s grasp of the Immortal¡¯s Sword was not at all inferior to theirs; in fact, he could nearly rival the Sword Immortal of Kunlun.


    Mo Jinyan continued to sneer, his expression unchanging still. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were bursting with sparks as he kept casting spells. He yelled, ¡°Go!¡±


    Countless sword lights speedily formed a neat line and charged at Mo Jinyan with the surging force of the sun. The summit arena began to shake as well. The force was so strong that it threatened to tear heaven and earth apart.


    The myriad of rainbow-like sword momentum made Mo Jinyan sneer. He tossed his sword into the air and swiftly recited, ¡°Northern Dark Divine Sword!¡±


    Suddenly, the cyan light coming off the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword brightened and started turning into a twenty-feet-long divine bird the color of cyan. The bird¡¯s cry rippled through the air as it shot myriad of sword lights at Xiao Chen.


    The mystic energy in the entire mountain started surging. Everyone cried out in surprise, ¡°Sword Spirit! It¡¯s a Sword Spirit! He can summon a Sword Spirit!¡±

 Chapter 464 - Northern Dark Cyan Bird

    Cries of surprise rang out incessantly when the cyan-colored mythical bird spread its two-feet-wide wings and drew in a steady stream of vital force of heaven and earth. In an instant, the vital force formed a cyan-colored barrier that warded off Xiao Chen¡¯s Storm of Swords.


    Strong wind surged forth with such force that the weaker cultivators were sent flying. The wind also picked up the snow off the ground, causing them to swirl in the air. The cyan-colored mythical bird cried, and instantly, Xiao Chen once again felt strained. His body in the air shook. It was obvious that he was struggling to maintain his Storm of Swords spell. On the other hand, Mo Jinyan looked utterly relaxed. All he needed to control his Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword was a weak spell.


    Xiao Chen was the loser in their battle of swords for one very simple reason: Xiao Chen was relying purely on mystic force to move his Unsullied Sword, while Mo Jinyan was using the Spirit of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword. It was akin to Xiao Chen using his own strength to fight both the Spirit of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword and Mo Jinyan¡¯s mystic force.


    The crowd below was stupefied. They watched the Northern Dark Cyan Bird in the air with their mouths open. Every legendary weapon had its own Sword Spirit, but the Spirit was imbued in the blade and would never fight for its master. It took an extraordinary chance for Mo Jinyan to whip out his Sword Spirit for battle. The onlookers watched with both astonishment and envy.


    The corners of Mo Jinyan curved to form a sneer. He hastened his speed at performing seals and the Northern Dark Cyan Bird¡¯s cry once again resonated in the air. It spread its wings a little more still, now reaching thirty-feet-wide. Xiao Chen felt even more pressure weighing on him. Even his hands were shaking as he cast seals. He could feel his body trembling as well. The sword light of his Storm of Swords spell was nearly snuffed out by now, leaving only his Unsullied Sword to resist the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword.


    Never mind that the Unsullied Sword was ranked beneath the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword. The fact that the Spirit of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword was taking part in this battle meant that any resistance by the Unsullied Sword was futile. The blade of the Unsullied Sword was beginning to shake and the white light covering it was gradually dimming under the weight of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword¡¯s cyan light.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was turning pale. The Unsullied Sword had its Spirit as well; he had seen the Spirit at the Sansheng Pool when he was in the Daoist League¡¯s mystic domain. It was a pure and beautiful fairy dressed in white who had fallen into a slumber lasting more than six hundred years, though Yu Yifeng never told him why. Perhaps, even Yu Yifeng himself didn¡¯t know.


    In the distance, None-flower Dust shook his feathered fan and leisurely said, ¡°Six hundred years ago, the Unsullied Sword belonged to the Sword Immortal of Kunlun. Its Sword Spirit won¡¯t lose out to this fat, cyan-colored bird. What a pity that it has fallen into slumber for six hundred years. Her master died in battle more than six hundred years ago. I suppose he doesn¡¯t remember anymore after his reincarnation¡­¡±


    Yi Tong looked at the sky with rapt attention. ¡°The Northern Dark Cyan Bird has the blood of the ancient Kunpeng beast. It won¡¯t be easy to be dealt with¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Gale whistled in the air. Xiao Chen did his best to put up resistance, but he was beginning to lose out. Mo Jinyan smiled. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll use your soul to nourish my Sword Spirit!¡± His eyes turned ice-cold as he performed a hand seal. He thrust the spell forward and the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword instantly emitted a blinding cyan light. The sword plunged forward. Xiao Chen groaned as he was rebounded along with his sword.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The crowd cried out in surprise. Their eyes followed Xiao Chen¡¯s trajectory as he fell. Just as Xiao Chen was about to fly out of the arena, they saw him clapped his hands behind his back. Two golden dragon illusions whizzed toward the ground, sending the snow flying everywhere.


    The rebound force helped Xiao Chen land on the edge of the arena, narrowly avoiding the fate of falling downward. ¡°Tch!¡± His Unsullied Sword flew back and inserted itself into the ground beside his feet.


    Xiao Chen reached out to grab the sword. The white light coming from the sword had gotten much dimmer now, and the entire blade was shuddering as if it had been injured.


    Mo Jinyan retrieved his Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword as well. He looked at Xiao Chen like he was looking at a clown and sneered. ¡°I told you, what¡¯s the point of great swordsmanship? It¡¯s something useless and ostentatious! So what if you¡¯re using the Storm of Swords spell? I have only this to say: it can¡¯t even withstand a single blow!¡±


    His final sentence was said especially loudly, to the point that he was nearly yelling. It wasn¡¯t just meant for Xiao Chen¡¯s ears, but also everyone below. Seeing how those people who exclaimed over Xiao Chen¡¯s swordsmanship and Storm of Swords spell were now staring dumbfoundedly at him, he felt nothing but satisfaction. This was a form of enjoyment for him.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± He guffawed. His laughter echoed throughout the summit, reaching several of the main peaks.


    Ziyun¡¯er clenched her hands, so annoyed that she was gnashing her teeth. Her Qi instantly filled her Elixir Field and she used a voice loud enough that everyone could hear her, ¡°You claim to be using absolute power, but you¡¯re just relying on the Sword Spirit of a legendary weapon! I¡¯ve never seen someone as shameless as you!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Mo Jinyan threw his back in laughter. His eyes suddenly turned as sharp as a blade. ¡°Is that so?¡± he cried, and then thrust his sword at Xiao Chen. The Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword instantly lit up and produced the Northern Dark Cyan Bird once again.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t dare to meet the bird head-on, but he had no room to retreat anymore. He leaped and made a swift turn in the air, aiming for where Mo Jinyan was. However, before he could land, Mo Jinyan was charging at him like a ghost. Xiao Chen clenched his teeth and met his attack head-on, for he had no other choice.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A sharp, clear sound of collision resonated in the summit. Xiao Chen felt his arm sink, and then the sensation of boundless cold air entering his body through the Unsullied Sword. The cold air threatened to freeze his entire body.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± A sneer crossed Mo Jinyan¡¯s face. He was pleased and delighted to see how Xiao Chen failed to counter him even after using all his strength. This made him felt better than slaying Xiao Chen with a single sword strike.


    ¡°Insect! An insect is all you¡¯ll ever be. Even if you climb to the peak, an insect will always remain an insect. Especially those of you from the Xiao family! What do your ancestors know except dirty tricks? In front of absolute power, you¡¯re all insects that can¡¯t even withstand a single strike!¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his teeth. In his hand, the light of the Unsullied Sword was getting dimmer and dimmer, to the point that it was going to wane off completely. He was getting more nervous. The Unsullied Sword¡¯s Spirit was now in deep slumber; it couldn¡¯t withstand even more ravaging of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword¡¯s Spirit. Brother Yifeng was the one who gifted him this sword. He couldn¡¯t let it be ruined!


    Considering this, he recited a spell and returned the Unsullied Sword to his Divine Vessel. He then fashioned another sword on his palm using his True Energy to counter the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword¡¯s attack.


    His action confused the spectators below. Why did he put away his Immortal¡¯s Sword when he was already at a disadvantage? Was he looking to dig his grave?


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Mo Jinyan let out a mocking laugh. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s our greatest difference? It¡¯s that¡­ you¡¯ll forever be a nobody. No matter how hard you work, you¡¯ll still be a nobody! In this world, there are countless people who work even harder than you, who are even more powerful than you! But none of them succeed, because they¡¯re nobodies without status and background like you! They¡¯ll forever live in the lowest levels of society! Since birth, your lives are a misery! Even if you struggle, even if you work hard, you¡¯re destined to serve as a backdrop in this world!¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered through his teeth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you starting to resort to psychological attacks to lower my fighting spirit?¡±


    Mo Jinyan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not trying to lower your fighting spirit. Killing you now is a piece of cake. I¡¯m just trying to make you understand that people like you who live at the bottom rung of the society will always be nobodies. Do you know how ridiculous you look, struggling in vain to change your destiny?¡±


    Xiao Chen sneered. ¡°Heh. Then going by your logic, those who are born without background, those without clan leaders as fathers, those without mothers in the Ancient Immortal¡¯s Clans, those without sect leaders as grandfathers, even those who are thrown under the mountain as soon as they are born, should all accept their fate. They should accept their fate and abandon themselves, despair and become the trash of society!¡±


    Xiao Chen was shouting by the end of it. Mo Jinyan sneered. ¡°Correct. This is how the world operates. No matter how hard you work, you¡¯re still trash! You have neither background, support, nor resources. Compared to others, you have nothing! Why don¡¯t you just stay in your place and become an ordinary person? Did you think hard work will help you?¡±


    Mo Jinyan was also yelling by the time he reached the tail of his sentence. Veins were protruding on Xiao Chen¡¯s face. He yelled, ¡°You should go to hell then!¡±


    Following his roar, Xiao Chen triggered all the True Energy flowing inside his body. The sword in his hand instantly lit up and flew into action. A fierce burst of mystic force that threatened to collapse mountains and summon tsunamis shoved Mo Jinyan more than 30 meters backward.


    Mo Jinyan steadied himself in the air with a sneer. ¡°I told you, an insect will only ever be an insect. It doesn¡¯t matter how hard you work. Now, I¡¯ll show you what absolute power means!¡± He pressed two fingers together and swiped it across his Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword. He yelled, ¡°Northern Dark Divine Sword! Go!¡±


    While his voice was still resonating, the cyan light coming off the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword erupted and materialized into a cyan-colored bird. The bird rammed into Xiao Chen, bringing with it a violent mystic force that threatened to rip apart heaven and earth. Gale picked up in the summit. Even the spectators who were more than 1,000 feet away felt stifled by it.


    Facing the imminent cyan-colored bird, Xiao Chen circulated his True Energy and blocked it with his sword. ¡°Clang!¡± A loud sound rang throughout the summit. Xiao Chen tumbled more than ten meters backward but held his sword firmly. The skin between his thumb and forefinger on both hands were bleeding.


    Mo Jinyan sneered. ¡°You can never win over the Mo family. Time to die, the most powerful youngster of the Five Continents!¡±


    Following the end of his voice, the Northern Dark Cyan Bird cried out and once again charged forward. This time, it triggered waves of energy in the air unlike any other. ¡°Thump!¡± A loud sound resounded. The collision reduced the sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand into dust. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slammed down hard on the arena.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Xiao Chen fell hard on the snowed-on ground with a loud thud, coughing out a mouthful of blood. The two consecutive hits from the Northern Dark Cyan Bird had likely damaged his five viscera and six bowels.


    Staring at the cyan-colored bird fluttering in the sky, Xiao Chen felt his vision gradually becoming blurry. Was he about to be defeated here¡­


    In the distance, both people and wind were quiet. Everyone was speechless, many of them recalling the valiant young man who fought off four opponents by himself at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was frowning deeply. She could feel a sharp pain piercing her heart. Xiaoyue tightened her grip around her Autumn Water Sword silently. Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed as he clenched his fists. The eyes of the three youngsters from yesterday were red, especially the one in white. Tears were streaming down his face as he balled his hands into fists. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°No way. Brother Chen wouldn¡¯t lose. Get up and hit him, d*mn it¡­¡±


    Mo Jinyan landed on the snow-covered arena with the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword in hand. He walked toward Xiao Chen step by step, his face wearing a contemptuous smile. ¡°Is this the so-called powerhouse from the Violet Manor? Perhaps you people could be considered experts before us Mo family members show up, but once we¡¯re around, do you think you can overturn heaven? What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you get up anymore¡­¡±


    In the distance, Zuoqiu Yang¡¯s bones were creaking from how hard he was clenching his fists. ¡°Get up, b*stard! There¡¯s still a battle awaiting us! You can¡¯t just die here, b*stard¡­¡±


    Xiaoyue¡¯s brows were knitted together. She clenched her hand around her Autumn Water Sword a little tighter.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Mo Jinyan let out a hearty laugh. He turned around and looked at the spectators below. He laughed and said, ¡°Did you see that? This is the number one young powerhouse that you people selected, the winner of the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly. In front of the Mo family, he can¡¯t even take a single hit!¡±


    The cultivators felt their hearts turn cold. They lowered their heads, not speaking. Only now did they realize the reason why Mo Jinyan was so insistent on fighting Xiao Chen. It wasn¡¯t because of personal grudges. Rather, he wanted to tell everyone in the Violet Manor that the Mo family was the strongest. If not even Xiao Chen was his match, which disciple here could win against him?


    The cold wind swept them, lifting their lapels. Everyone was silent. Only Mo Jinyan¡¯s laughter was resonating throughout the summit. In the distance, Xiaoyue yelled through gritted teeth, ¡°Xiao Chen, take my sword!¡±


    Before her voice faded completely, a bird¡¯s cry escaped the Autumn Water Sword. The sword emitted a light that extended for a thousand feet and flew toward Xiao Chen.


    When it landed on Xiao Chen¡¯s palm, its light erupted. The blade started trembling and making noises. Right then, it seemed as if it had finally returned to its master from thousands of years ago.


    The vital force of heaven and earth was surging back and forth at this moment, summoning gale and swirling snow that obscured everyone¡¯s vision.

 Chapter 465 - The Ruthless Autumn Water

    The whistling of the gale continued to resonate against a backdrop of fluttering snow. Mo Jinyan was still laughing but in the next moment, he detected a surging murderous aura behind him. He slowly turned around and saw Xiao Chen, now back on his feet. He looked at the trembling Autumn Water Sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand, a smirk crossing his face.


    Quite a few spectators cried out, ¡°Autumn Water Sword! The sword from the Thousand Feathers Sword! Ranked third on the Tome of Legendary Weapons!¡±


    Surprised cries erupted into ear-piercing sounds. The three youngsters wiped away their tears with force and shouted, ¡°Good luck, Brother Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen was holding the Autumn Water Sword, pointing its sharp end at the ground. A white glow was flickering indistinctly at the tip of the sword. Xiao Chen¡¯s messy hair was dancing wildly behind his head. Even though there was a bloodstain on the corner of his mouth, his eyes were so sharp that they invoked fear in those looking at him.


    Su Yue was smiling. ¡°What an unexpected twist. Xiaoyue from the Thousand Feathers Sect actually lent him her Autumn Water Sword.¡± Su Ying continued to hold his hands behind his back, looking a little more relaxed this time. He nodded but made no comment.


    None-flower Dust shook his feathered fan and clicked his tongue. ¡°He¡¯d rather show off than use the Sword of the Southern Vermillion Bird. As expected of him.¡±


    Yi Tong laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not it. Didn¡¯t Brother Xiao make himself clear last night? He¡¯s merely borrowing the strength of the Formation Spirit Li Xie to use the Vermillion Bird Sword. It¡¯s not his possession. Since he hasn¡¯t made an agreement beforehand, he naturally can¡¯t use it.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er had also relaxed a fair amount. She said with a giggle, ¡°Li Xie is very conceited, even more so than Evernight.¡±


    Qingluan was still frowning. She cast the faraway Xiaoyue a look. The latter was standing under a tree, her cyan robe fluttering in the wind. Her face was as calm as still water, without any emotion. Qingluan couldn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind Xiaoyue¡¯s action.


    In the arena, Xiao Chen¡¯s momentum continued to climb. His clothes were rustling noisily in the wind. Below, Chu Lingjiao was breaking out in cold sweat. If Mo Jinyan lost, she would have to hand over the fourth volume of the Heartless Cultivation Method. It was no big deal to hand it over, for she had its contents memorized, but she must never let it fall into Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s hands.


    Mo Jinyan glanced at the Autumn Water Sword in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand and sneered. ¡°The third-place Autumn Water Sword is indeed ranked above my Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword, but don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve cultivated with my sword for more than ten years. We formed a connection a long time ago. You, on the other hand? Did you think a borrowed sword can help you win against my Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s give it a test¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s voice was low. He slowly raised his arm, and instantly, gale began picking up and sent snow swirling in the air. It was as if every last bit of Immortal¡¯s power in the world was being sucked into this storm. The potent ancient Immortal¡¯s power had everyone holding their breath.


    Right at this moment, Mo Jinyan also detected this surging ancient Immortal¡¯s power. His eyes became even sharper as he yelled, ¡°Northern Dark Divine Sword!¡±


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword emitted a bright cyan light that enveloped a radius of a thousand feet as it charged at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen swung his sword, and the Autumn Water Sword also erupted with a thousand-feet-long ray of light. Both swords met in a collision.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A loud collision sound rang throughout the summit, thundering so loudly that everyone¡¯s eardrums split. Layer upon layer of snow flew up from the ground. This time, however, it was the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword that was sent flying. Xiao Chen, with the Autumn Water Sword in hand, stood firmly without taking a single step backward.


    Mo Jinyan caught his rebounded sword as he continued to retreat backward. When he regained his footing, he yelled through gritted teeth, ¡°Impossible!¡± He then made a beeline for Xiao Chen with his sword.


    ¡°Clank!¡± Their swords met, producing sparks from the tip of their blades. Their hair was fluttering in the wind. Mo Jinyan¡¯s eyes were steely. ¡°You¡¯re just borrowing strength from the Thousand Feathers Sect¡¯s sword. So what if you win against me today? But you can¡¯t win anyway!¡± He made a strong push forward. Xiao Chen felt both his arms sinking from the pressure and hastily took several steps in retreat.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± A sneer crossed Mo Jinyan¡¯s face. He said in a sharp voice, ¡°So what if you work hard? You pitiful creatures without background or status will eventually be trampled under someone¡¯s feet! You will never be able to change your fate! There¡¯s no point in your struggle!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were similarly sharp. ¡°It¡¯s because we don¡¯t have background and status that we have to work ten times as hard as others! What do you even know?¡± He suddenly punched Mo Jinyan in the abdomen. A loud explosion resounded as he sent Mo Jinyan flying more than a hundred feet high.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The crowd cried out in surprise. This was clearly a battle of swords, so why did one party start resorting to rough tactics like punching?


    Before Mo Jinyan could steady his footing, Xiao Chen once again ran up to his face. This time, Xiao Chen seemed like he was being lit up with surging flames of anger. He yelled, ¡°If everyone without background and status in this world thinks the same way you do, why do we even need to cultivate? Why do we even live for?¡± He raised his leg and landed a kick straight on Mo Jinyan¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°Kaboom!¡±


    This kick carried the weight of a mountain. Mo Jinyan was kicked more than a hundred feet away and landed hard on the snowed-on ground. Below the arena, White-brow Solitarian finally frowned.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Mo Jinyan climbed back to his feet and wiped the bloodstain on the corner of his mouth. He looked at Xiao Chen above and let out a sharp sneer. ¡°Is that all your tenfold effort amounts to¡­?¡±


    Suddenly, he leaped into the air and slid his finger across the blade of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword. He yelled, ¡°I sacrifice my blood to the sword!¡±


    Blood instantly dyed the sword red. The vital force began surging back and forth high up in the sky. The crowd below gasped in shock. The so-called blood sacrifice to one¡¯s sword meant that the cultivator would cast a seal with the lifespan of his Essence Blood as a sacrifice and use the enhanced sword to counter his enemy.


    However, the consequences were grave, so even Devil¡¯s sects¡¯ cultivators were also wary about using it. If one could run, one would surely do so before resorting to such a technique.


    Under the arena, Chu Lingjiao and the handful of Mo family members were turning pale from fright. Mo Jinyan was really putting his life on the line for this battle. They watched as his eyes turned redder and redder. His body, alongside his sword, was glowing with a strange blood-red light.


    The wind whistled and Mount Wuyue trembled. Mo Jinyan abruptly yelled, ¡°Northern Dark Divine Sword!¡±


    Mount Wuyue shook with tremendous force. The Northern Dark Sword emitted a high-pitched bird¡¯s cry and transformed into a massive cyan-colored bird. The bird, now twice as large as before, charged at Xiao Chen. Its eyes were a terrifying red. The entire summit was rocking from the surging of the mystic force and the weaker cultivators below were sent flying.


    Everyone turned pale from fear. The older cultivators put up barriers. This sword attack was as strong as that of a Grand Completion Realm cultivator. Even White-brow Solitarian was gasping from shock. To be honest, not even he could withstand this attack. This attack had enough power to exterminate the world; it was bound to snuff out both Xiao Chen¡¯s life and soul!


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face couldn¡¯t get any paler. The three youngsters were dumbstruck. Gui Xian clenched his hands hard. None-flower Dust and Yi Tong were frowning. The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under The Moon tried to fly up to the arena, but the might of the Northern Dark Divine Sword forced them back to where they were.


    Right at this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were on Xiao Chen. Yet, all they saw was Xiao Chen giving the Autumn Water Sword a nonchalant glance before tossing it into the air. He then closed his eyes.


    The crowd was stunned, wondering what the hell was he doing. The next thing they knew, a lingering voice began resounding in the air. The voice was sorrowful, so heart-wrenching that everyone who heard it couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. It was as if the voice was the only one left in this world. It was as if the only thing left in this world was the young man who was slowly chanting with his eyes closed.


    ¡°In remembrance of the past, where the wind blows at dawn and the moon wanes. The dream feels like it was just yesterday. Lasting hatred needs not to be endured. Only the desolation of the quiet autumn remains¡­¡±


    When the last word left his mouth, a tear fell from his eye. The world seemed to slow down at this moment as if time had come to a standstill. It was as if time had returned to thousands of years ago. The world seemed to have lost its color at this point, becoming a black-and-white silent movie. The teardrop started falling on the Autumn Water Sword, reflecting the words on the blade: Nishang, Yichen.


    ¡°Drip¡­¡± The teardrop finally hit the blade and produced a sound that everyone could hear. That sound shattered everyone¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Autumn Water¡ªruthless!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes flew open and the Autumn Water Sword instantly emitted a blinding white light. Following the cry of a bird, the sword aimed for the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword, leaving a 30,000-meter-long, trailing light.


    The world instantly lost its color. Under the surging of the vital force of heaven and earth, the wind picked up to form a storm. Snow filled the air. The Autumn Water Sword once again let out a cry, but this time, it wasn¡¯t the cry of the sword, but the cry of the divine bird. The sword had turned into an ancient divine bird with snow-white feathers. Its feathered tail fluttered in the air, like clouds that covered the sky for 5,000 kilometers.


    Under the arena, everyone was all crying out in surprise. ¡°Sword Spirit! It¡¯s the Spirit of the Autumn Water Sword! The ancient divine bird, the white luan!¡±


    Xiaoyue felt a jolt of shock. She held her breath, her eyes wide open. She looked like she had seen something unbelievable. Even though the Autumn Water Sword had been passed on from generation to generation in the Thousand Feathers Sect, their ancestral master Qianyu Nishang was the only one who ever summoned its Sword Spirit. How did Xiao Chen pull this off?!


    The white luan cried. Its eyes looked like the eyes of the most beautiful woman in the world. Staring at the oncoming Northern Dark Cyan Bird, it spread its wings and slammed right into the former.


    ¡°Kaboom!¡±


    It felt as if a thousand layers of energy had formed in the sky above, scattering the clouds for 5,000 kilometers. The entire Mount Wuyue was shaking so hard that it threatened to collapse.


    The Northern Dark Cyan Bird emitted a high-pitched, painful cry. Blue veins protruded on Mo Jinyan¡¯s face as he summoned all the True Energy inside his body and tried his best to support his sword. However, the white luan was once again slamming into the cyan-colored bird. This time, it knocked its enemy into dust.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A crisp sound resonated as the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword broke into half under the weight of the Autumn Water Sword¡¯s attack. Mo Jinyan coughed out blood before falling, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.


    ¡°Thud!¡± A muffled sound rang out when Mo Jinyan hit the snowed-on ground. Blood gushed out from his mouth like a leaky faucet. His eyes were wide open with dissatisfaction as he stared at Xiao Chen in the air, but he couldn¡¯t even say a word.


    Both the humans and the wind on the summit quieted down. No one said anything. The Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword was damaged and its Sword Spirit heavily injured. Mo Jinyan had even used blood sacrifice earlier, which meant that he was now half-dead.


    Xiao Chen landed back on the ground with the Autumn Water Sword in hand. He walked across the snowed-on ground, approaching Mo Jinyan with every step. His eyes were terrifyingly cold, emitting a sharp light. A quiet murderous aura slowly emerged from his pupils.


    Xiao Chen must exterminate this man, for this was the patron backing Chu Lingjiao up. Mo Jinyan would surely harm Huangfu Xin¡¯er in the future. His eyes turned even colder. It was at this moment that Mo Jinyan truly felt the murderous intent in his pupils.


    Below the arena, White-brow Solitarian detected Xiao Chen¡¯s murderous aura and cried out, ¡°Stop, my friend!¡± It was too late. Xiao Chen ignored him and aimed for Mo Jinyan¡¯s neck with his sword. His attack was decisively fatal, yet it was at this moment that a majestic power emerged from the southwest direction and attacked him.

 Chapter 466 - The Mo Familys Assault

    The burst of power and the subsequent storm was so abrupt that Xiao Chen¡¯s sword missed Mo Jinyan¡¯s neck by half an inch. Following a loud clang, both he and his sword were sent flying. When he landed on the ground again, all he could feel was his arm going numb.


    What hit his sword was a peach wood staff. Tied with a thin red string to the head of the staff was a small gourd giving off a golden glow. One could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary object.


    A human figure soon appeared out of thin air in front of Xiao Chen. The white-bearded old man, dressed in a red robe, caught the rebounded peach wood staff at and looked Xiao Chen. ¡°You sure have a deep murderous aura for a youngster like you,¡± he said coldly. He tossed his staff, and it immediately turned into an orb of golden light to attack Xiao Chen.


    The crowd gasped. ¡°Peak of the Apotheosis Realm!¡±


    Their voices were still lingering in the air when a loud thump resonated. The peach wood staff seemed to have been hit by a pebble. It flew out of its trajectory and cut straight into the snow on the ground. The white-bearded old man looked solemn. He turned to look in the direction where the pebble came from and saw an old man dressed in a rosewood-colored robe staring back at him. Who was he? What powerful finger-snapping skills.


    In reality, Su Ying wasn¡¯t the one who shot the pebble, but his daughter, Su Yue. Su Yue flicked her sleeves with a scoff. ¡°You¡¯re a senior, but you¡¯ve interfered in this sword duel. Were you going to injure him as well?¡±


    The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had flown up to the arena by now, guarding Xiao Chen against the bearded old man with weapons in hand. Xiao Chen had seen this man before. He was the one who joined the He family to give him more trouble at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly held by the Immortals¡¯ League, Mo Tiannan.


    Mo Tiannan looked away with a scoff, refocusing his attention on Xiao Chen. ¡°Kid, I¡¯ll let you off for now!¡± He flicked his sleeve to summon the two broken halves of the Northern Dark Mystic Ice Sword, helped Mo Jinyan up, and flew off.


    Mo Tiannan landed on the snow-covered ground and handed Mo Jinyan to two of their family¡¯s disciples. Only then did he salute White-brow Solitarian. ¡°Brother White-brow, thank you for your help.¡±


    White-brow Solitarian smiled wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± As a Grand Completion Realm cultivator, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for him to block Xiao Chen¡¯s attack earlier. However, this was after all a duel of swords and he was the one who said he wouldn¡¯t let others interfere. He would have been humiliated if he went up to save Mo Jinyan.


    In the arena above, Xiao Chen was calming himself down. He had detected a trace of genuine murderous intent in Mo Tiannan¡¯s eyes earlier. Mo Tiannan hid it very well, but he could tell that it wasn¡¯t as simple as a threat to his life and that it wasn¡¯t because he had hurt Mo Jinyan.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and clenched his fingers. The Mo family seemed determined to kill him. Their desire was even stronger than the Order of the Divine Fire and Ling family. No, it seemed as if they were hell-bent on it.


    ¡°Lord, let¡¯s go down as well,¡± Qingluan whispered.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. He propelled himself forward and flew toward where Xiaoyue was. Once his feet touched the ground, he handed her the Autumn Water Sword with a faint smile. ¡°Thank you for your help, Fairy Xiaoyue.¡±


    He knew that the Autumn Water Sword was powerful in his hands and that it would get him out of many troubles against his many enemies in the future. However, he was the one who gifted the sword to Qianyu Nishang back then. Even if he had to face enemies, he had no grounds to ask for the sword back. That would just make him look down on himself.


    Xiaoyue was still in a daze after seeing the shocking scene earlier. It wasn¡¯t until she took the sword from his hands that she smiled. ¡°Your divine power is incredible, Brother Xiao. You have my admiration.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t respond. Even now, he couldn¡¯t distinguish whether Xiaoyue was a friend or foe. The best decision was not to say anything. He turned around and flew to the other side.


    Xiaoyue gently wiped the Autumn Water Sword in her hand. When she saw Xiao Chen gently summoning the Spirit from the sword in the air earlier, she felt a stab of pain in her heart. In particular, when his teardrop fell on the sword, she felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart.


    She knew why. The Autumn Water Sword had long become intimately linked to her heart. The sword was a spiritual one, so if it was hurting, her heart would be as well. Her pain was actually that of the sword, but where did it come from?


    Then, she remembered how she pointed her sword at Xiao Chen at the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly, but the sword wrestled out of control at the last minute and stopped an inch away from his forehead. The sword kept crying then, refusing to budge a single inch. What was the reason behind this¡­


    By the time she looked up and wanted to question Xiao Chen, she saw that he had joined the Su family. Xiao Chen saluted Su Yue and said, ¡°Thank you¡­ for that earlier.¡± He then looked at Su Ying, but chose not to say anything and turned around to walk away.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Su Yue yelled. ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Don¡¯t you know who he is?¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks. His fingers were clenched, but he chose to neither reply nor look back. He continued walking toward Yi Tong and the rest.


    Su Ying continued to keep his hands behind his back. There was a smile on his face. ¡°This kid has the same temper as Qing¡¯er.¡± Su Wan looked upset. ¡°Rude,¡± she said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have saved him, Aunt. Just let him die.¡±


    When Xiao Chen joined Yi Tong and the rest, he looked around for Huangfu Xin¡¯er. She was still around earlier, but there was no sign of her now. ¡°Have you seen Xin¡¯er?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er looked around and muttered, ¡°Empress Huangfu was there seconds ago, but¡­¡±


    Her words were cut short by the arrival of a large group of men and horses. There were at least one hundred people. Some were also flying here on their swords. The sudden turn of events shocked the cultivators on the summit, putting them on high alert.


    The group of people was dressed in a uniform that resembled the clothing that the Mo family¡¯s disciples wore. It went without saying that the reinforcements from the Mo family had come. The two people who traveled by air were old men with greying hair and beard. Their cultivation was probably similar to Mo Tiannan¡¯s.


    Before anyone realized what was going on, the two old men turned into sword lights and landed on the ground. One of them looked at the cultivators everywhere with a holier-than-thou expression and said loudly, ¡°Forgive the Mo family for coming late!¡±


    His companion looked at Mo Jinyan who had to be held up by two disciples and said without emotion, ¡°Rubbish.¡± After hearing this, Mo Jinyan could no longer suppress the blood in his throat and it came gushing out. Mo Tiannan glanced at him and said, ¡°Take him home.¡±


    Chu Lingjiao, naturally, wouldn¡¯t say anything now. All she wanted was to get away from this place. She immediately propped Mo Jinyan up with the help of the man in black. They were about to jump on their swords and leave with the old man in the Apotheosis Realm on escorting duty when Xiao Chen stretched his hand out. ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Leave the item behind!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er barged into the scene out of nowhere and flew toward them alongside Xiao Chen.


    After landing on the snow-covered ground, Xiao Chen said in a cold voice, ¡°You made your promise last night. It¡¯s your loss. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to go back on your word. Hand over the fourth scroll of the Heartless Cultivation Method!¡±


    Mo Jinyan had his arms supported by two other people, looking pale. He let out a bitter laugh. ¡°It was the Autumn Water Sword that defeated me. Who do you think you are, demanding things from me?¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his hands. A cold glint flashed in his pupils. In the distance, an old man from the Mo family looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re Xiao Chen?¡± he asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you intend to keep a Mo family member here?¡± Twelve Mo family¡¯s disciples gathered as soon as the words left his mouth. These were no ordinary people, but the cream of the crop. It was obvious that the Mo family didn¡¯t intend to let Xiao Chen leave alive.


    Mo Yu and Mo Wen were here as well. They looked shocked. Never in a million years did they think that the weak and insignificant Xiao Chen could injure Mo Jinyan.


    ¡°Swooooosh!¡±


    Twelve silhouettes moved. The ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon had arrived in a flash. Qingluan let out a peal of humorless laughter. ¡°You¡¯re pushing it too far!¡±


    ¡°The Mo family is only here to participate in the Battle of the Five Emperors,¡± the old man said indifferently. He looked at the cultivators all around and said loudly, ¡°The Mo family will stake a claim on one of the titles of the Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central Emperor! If you wish to challenge us, you may send your disciples to battle it out with our men!¡±


    Silence fell over the crowd. The Mo family had been exerting their influence everywhere in the past year, challenging the chief disciple of various sects without failure. They were by no means inferior to the Fallen Immortals Sect that came out of nowhere. Moreover, they were trying to build an alliance similar to the Immortals¡¯ League. Their actions were a clear indication of their wild ambition.


    The crowd turned to look at the twelve elite disciples, who were all in the Nirvana Realm. In most major sects, the best disciple under their tutelage was in the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. On the other hand, not only could the Mo family dispatch Mo Jinyan, but they could also easily summon twelve Nirvana Realm young cultivators. Truly, they were terrifying. If they send all their cultivators, perhaps not even the ten major clans were a match for them.


    The old man chuckled when no one said anything. He looked at Xiao Chen, his gaze swiftly turning stern, and said, ¡°You defeated Mo Jinyan once. Let¡¯s see if your good luck will continue! Win against twelve of our disciples and you can take whatever cultivation method that you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    His meaning was clear. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was like a raging storm. He sneered and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re that desperate to make an example of me, I¡¯ll do as you wish¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord!¡± Qingluan cried out in warning. It was terribly unwise to fight against the Mo family that greatly outnumbered them. They must find a way to escape as quickly as possible.


    Su Yue was frowning. She asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Father, do you think we should¡­?¡± Su Ying raised his hand. ¡°Not now. The kid might be reckless, but he¡¯s no coward.¡±


    Xiao Chen let out a sneer and yelled, ¡°See that, everyone? They¡¯re the ones making trouble for me. Death or injury is not to be questioned in the Battle of the Emperors! Come on, then!¡± He stretched his right hand and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade was within his grasp in the next second. A sinister wind was starting to build up to a storm, bringing with it mournful whistling.


    The blade was giving off a terrifying red light, looking as if it could no longer stand its thirst for blood. This shocked the spectators. It was as clear as day that the Mo family had a grudge against Xiao Chen. The Battle of the Five Emperors had always been a duel of swords, but right now, no one cared what weapons were being used.


    ¡°Heh!¡± Xiao Chen sneered. He swiped his left hand across the blade, spilling his blood on the metal surface. The blade instantly turned a vivid red, producing fogs of blood, sinister whistling, and wailing of ghosts. It was a strange and frightening scene.


    ¡°Which of you youngsters will be the first to give me your life?¡±


    Xiao Chen thrust the Blood Lotus Demon Blade downward so that it would stand tall. His voice was loud enough to resonate for five kilometers or so, making everyone¡¯s spirits tremble. One of the twelve elite disciples in the Nirvana Realm flew to him. Xiao Chen yelled, ¡°My blade won¡¯t be slaying nameless victims today! Tell me your name!¡±


    ¡°Mo Wenhao!¡± The disciple rushed toward Xiao Chen like a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°Good! You can die now!¡± Xiao Chen raised his blade and swung it. Blood-red light whizzed toward Mo Wenhao, leaving a ten feet long trail, with the force of a volcano that had been dormant for a millennium. Once it exploded, it was unstoppable. ¡°Tch!¡± Blood rained on the ground. To everyone¡¯s horror, the disciple had been cut in half.

 Chapter 467 - God of Murder

    The spectators in the distance turned pale. That was a Nirvana Realm cultivator! How did Xiao Chen cut him in half like he was slicing a block of tofu?


    The blood soon dyed the snow on the ground a brilliant red. Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a cruel smile. It was as if he had a deep grudge against the Mo family as well.


    Mo Yu and Mo Wen were dumbfounded, as were the elder members of their family. They were eager to see which cultivation method he would use, yet he caught them off guard by just swinging his saber.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Xiao Chen stuck his saber into the ground and yelled, ¡°Next!¡±


    His great momentum sent a shock down everyone¡¯s spirits. The remaining elite disciples from the Mo family were mentally disturbed as well. Who would dare go up to Xiao Chen now? However, one of them rushed forward with a grim expression and a scream. Xiao Chen¡¯s response was still a sneer. ¡°Tell me your name!¡±


    ¡°Mo Wenxuan!¡±


    ¡°Good! You can die as well!¡± He once again swung his saber and sliced the disciple in half. Fresh blood deepened the shade of red on the snow.


    The crowd gasped. This was too shocking a scene! Many of them turned their attention to the bloody saber in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand. The saber was a weapon that acknowledged Xiao Chen as its owner through blood. After Xiao Chen sacrificed his blood to the saber earlier, it had become multiple times stronger.


    Xiao Chen laughed without humor. ¡°Is this the so-called heaven-exterminating family? Are you here to kill me or are you here to get yourselves killed by me? Next!¡±


    The remaining ten dared not to step forward this time and dig their own graves. In fact, they were beginning to retreat. Suddenly, a chiding voice erupted from the Mo family side. ¡°Loud-mouthed kid! Enough of your outrageousness!¡±


    Instantly, a silhouette charged at Xiao Chen like a bolt of lightning. It was an old man over sixty years old. Judging from his physique, he ought to be nearly in the Apotheosis Realm. The spectators were beginning to worry for Xiao Chen.


    The old man was in Xiao Chen¡¯s face in just a split second. This time, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t dare to be careless. He leaned backward and leaped into the air, yelling, ¡°Dragon Slay!¡±


    The blade fell with a force that collapsed mountains. Blood-red saber light stretched for hundreds of feet, obscuring the sky above. It was as if the saber had cut heaven and earth apart. This was no longer a simple slash, but a demonstration of a Cyan Mystic Sect¡¯s cultivation method. A certain amount of True Energy that was consumed for this.


    The old man¡¯s expression changed in the face of hundreds-of-foot-long saber light, but the strength in his palm was far from enough. A loud explosion shattered the air. The saber light had pinned the old man on the snow-covered ground, causing him to cough out copious amounts of blood.


    The crowd was aghast. This was beyond any measure of logic! The handful of old Apotheosis Realm cultivators from the Mo family were wearing different expressions as well.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Xiao Chen sneered. His face was filled with animosity as he said in a sinister voice, ¡°The Battle of Emperors? Challenging cultivators from all sides? Hehe!¡± Suddenly, at the end of his sentence, he ran up to where the Mo family was. With a swing of his saber, he instantly reduced the eight elite disciples into a fog of blood.


    The crowd cried out in surprise. This was no longer a simple sword duel in the Wuyue Sword Conversation or the Battle of the Emperors! They watched Xiao Chen warp and weave around the group of Mo family members. Every time he swung his saber, lives would surely be lost!


    This young man¡¯s murderous aura and aggression were far too strong! Many began warning their disciples not to provoke Xiao Chen in the future.


    Su Ying finally frowned. ¡°Why is he so aggressive?¡±


    Su Yue¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. She sighed and said nothing. Ever since Xiao Chen entered the Violet Manor, his combativeness coupled with his lack of support made him a target of discrimination and oppression everywhere. His aggressiveness was inevitable. His air of aggression was getting worse with each passing day. Perhaps, he would one day turn to the Devil¡¯s side.


    On the viewing platform on the summit, the Apotheosis Realm senior cultivators from the Mo family were beginning to panic after seeing Xiao Chen hack their clansmen like a madman. Mo Tiannan never thought that this young man would be this strong and stubborn. Mo Yu¡¯s information wasn¡¯t at all accurate. He yelled, ¡°Stop him right now!¡±


    The disciples that they brought here today were the cream of the crop. Moreover, they were here to show off their strength. How could they allow Xiao Chen to do as he pleased? Two old men in the peak of the Apotheosis Realm immediately flew over to Xiao Chen. Noticing their strong aura coming closer, Xiao Chen screamed, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± A thirty-foot-tall shadow popped out of thin air. Guifeng was now a sixth-order General of Soul. The General of Soul could borrow its owner¡¯s soul power to become stronger and stronger until it reached a certain limit. That limit depended on the General of Soul¡¯s aptitude.


    ¡°Where did a little soldier like you come from? Hand over your life!¡± Gui Feng swung his saber violently and a hundred-foot-long black saber light went whizzing, sending an old man in the Apotheosis Realm flying. Another old man began shaking in his boots when he saw how terrifying Guifeng was. He immediately flew away in retreat.


    This time, the spectators were truly going pale from shock. Many of them had never heard of a General of Soul before, much less seen one. Their astonishment at seeing a large, devil-like object was immense. They had no idea what it was.


    Naturally, some older cultivators were more knowledgeable. They cried out, ¡°General of Soul! That¡¯s a sixth-order General of Soul! He¡¯s actually a rank-six Imperial Spirit Commander!¡±


    Imperial Spirit Commander was an ancient inheritance with a frightening reputation in the Cultivation World. This mysterious and special community of cultivators once shocked the world many years ago with their ability to summon ancient souls to go to war for them. Like Xiao Chen, they could fight Apotheosis Realm cultivators with just a General of Soul.


    Mo Tiannan¡¯s expression changed. He whipped out a yellow talisman and recited a spell. The talisman immediately turned into a golden light and flew toward Guifeng. It was Senior Gu Ming¡¯s ghost-controlling charm. However, before the talisman could stick itself on Guifeng, a purple light perforated it and reduced it to ashes. The ladies of Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were counterattacking as well.


    The smell of blood thickened. Large expanses of the snow-covered ground had been dyed red. Mo Tiannan looked aghast. Throwing all caution to the wind, he transformed into a light and sped toward Xiao Chen. Guifeng managed to block and send him flying back where he came from.


    After seeing another dozen of his people lose their lives, Mo Tiannan turned to White-brow Solitarian for help. ¡°Perfected Immortal White-brow! Please give me a hand!¡±


    White-brow Solitarian frowned but charged at Xiao Chen as requested. None-flower Dust and Yi Tong moved as well, stopping the new attacker. Yi Tong laughed. ¡°Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed to interfere in the Battle of the Emperors. White-brow kiddo, why don¡¯t you play with us instead?¡±


    ¡°You seek death!¡± White-brow Solitarian swiped his horsetail whisk at them, attacking them with a wave of ice fragments. Yi Tong and None-flower Dust shifted aside, dodging the attack.


    Yi Tong and None-flower Dust kept White-brow Solitarian occupied. Xiao Chen, whose thirst of blood was worsening after his rampage, noticed that Guifeng was struggling to fend off the combined forces of three Apotheosis Realm cultivators. He took off his wooden pendant, recited a few spells, and tossed the pendant into the air as Yi Tong had suggested yesterday. The pendant immediately turned into a puppet the height of two men and started attacking the Apotheosis Realm cultivators.


    The puppet might look unremarkable, yet when it raised its hand, it was able to crush two of the Mo family¡¯s elite disciples in the Nirvana Realm into minced meat. This shocked the spectators. First came the terrifying General of Soul, now an invincible puppet. Did Natural Law send this God of Murder here to wipe out the Mo family?


    Even so, quite a few cultivators were secretly rejoicing. The Mo family had been acting too arrogantly in the past year, going around challenging and exerting power on various sects under the banner of sword duels. Seeing their pathetic state today gave them quite the satisfaction.


    Mo Tiannan never imagined that things would turn out like this. Half of their elite disciples were gone. He knew that a terrifying punishment would await him when he returned to the mansion. If he couldn¡¯t whitewash his sins with some achievements, perhaps Senior Gu Ming would even take and refine his soul.


    This thought forced all notions of shame out of his mind. He must drag this out as much as possible until reinforcements arrive and kill Xiao Chen. He yelled, ¡°Please stop, my young friend Xiao! Let¡¯s talk instead. We¡¯ll end the battle here. The title of the Five Emperors is yours!¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Xiao Chen sneered. He could, of course, tell that Mo Tiannan was just trying to buy time. Would Mo Tiannan still choose to talk once the reinforcements got here? He cried, ¡°Those who offend me, I¡¯ll pull them out by the roots and kill them!¡± He swung his saber and turned two other Mo family¡¯s disciples into fogs of blood.


    The onlookers were turning pale at how thick Xiao Chen¡¯s murderous air was. The young man was continuing his rampage even though his enemies had surrendered. Many elders began warning their sect¡¯s disciples, ¡°If you ever run into him in the future, try your best to avoid him. You must never get into conflict with him.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a taunting smile. He wasn¡¯t rampaging because he had lost his temper today. This was, in fact, his plan all along.


    Firstly, the Mo family would never let him live. Rather than waiting helplessly for their inevitable attack, he might as well deal them a huge blow today. It seemed to him that the older generation of the Mo family couldn¡¯t all leave the mansion, so killing these elite younger disciples would be the best.


    Secondly, he was setting an example for other sects. If Gui Xian was correct in that he would build up power in the future, there would surely be many affairs waiting for his attention in the early days when he was at his weakest. When the time came, there would likely be many troublemakers at his door. He would first deter them today to teach them not to make any reckless move in the future.


    This thought made Xiao Chen tighten his grip around his saber and use a powerful ancient saber skill from the Xiao family¡¯s archives, Overturning Cloud and Rain. In a matter of seconds, he wiped out seven or eight of the Mo family¡¯s elite disciples in the peak of Nascent Soul Realm.


    The remaining disciples were so horrified that they started fleeing in a panic. This man was a God of Murder from heaven! Many of them were scared out of their wits after witnessing their comrades¡¯ tragic death in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands. Their will to fight was all but gone. Who could have thought that people like them, who challenged cultivation sects everywhere with a winning streak, would be massacred so badly that the remaining ones couldn¡¯t even raise their hand?


    This battle was fated to be the Mo family¡¯s worst after reappearing in the world after a thousand years!


    The spectating cultivators were watching with such astonishment that they couldn¡¯t say anything. The Battle of the Five Emperors this time could be said as the bloodiest in history. Blood had dyed the snow-covered Central Peak red. No one could have imagined that after an entire year, Xiao Chen¡¯s reputation as the God of Murder would continue to shock people. His bloodthirsty rampage at the battle today was sure to be ingrained into the minds of everyone here.


    While the massacre at Central Peak was climbing to its peak, the South Peak was quiet. A man in white was standing on a boulder on the tip of his toes. Underneath was an endless precipice.


    The man was watching everything unfolding on the Central Peak. His white robe fluttered in the wind, as did the long hair behind his shoulder. His tall stature and physique were so similar to Xiao Chen¡¯s that they could pass for twins. His face was obscured behind a silver-white mask with a tiny ¡°Ji¡± carved on the lower right.


    ¡°God of Murder, you say?¡±


    Suddenly, the wind rustled loudly as another man flew toward him. This man was dressed in a fitting black robe meant for fighting. He was also masked, but his was a black iron mask with a tiny ¡°Luo¡± carved on the lower left. He followed the man in white¡¯s line of sight and looked at the Central Peak.

 Chapter 468 - The Bloody Battle of the Five Emperors

    It was getting increasingly chaotic at Central Peak. Xiao Chen was on a rampage, massacring countless Mo family members. The clothes on his back had long been dyed a vivid red, both of his blood and his enemies. He was almost deranged now, acting like a God of Murder that had climbed out of the depths of hell. Everyone was left shaken in their boots.


    The Mo family was about to collapse entirely. The heavily injured Mo Jinyan spat out a mouthful of blood. He wanted to take advantage of the chaos to flee, but Xiao Chen caught sight of him from the corner of his eyes and yelled, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± He leaped into the air and swung his saber down.


    ¡°Watch out, Jinyan!¡± The man in cyan who joined Chu Lingjiao¡¯s night ambush of Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately blocked the attack. Unfortunately, his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation was no match for Xiao Chen¡¯s fierce attack. ¡°Puff!¡± And he was now just a fog of blood.


    ¡°Qinghe!¡± Mo Jinyan¡¯s eyes widened. That was his childhood friend! He was bursting from anger at seeing his friend die so tragically in Xiao Chen¡¯s hands. He screamed, ¡°Xiao Chen! Even if I become a Blood Demon in the future, I swear I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your chance!¡± Xiao Chen retorted, and swung his saber once again. This attack was even fiercer than the one before it. An old man over sixties came running and yelled, ¡°Run, Young Master!¡± He then exhausted half of his lifespan to transform into a blood fog and spirited Mo Jinyan away.


    Chu Lingjiao knew that the Mo family¡¯s fate had been decided and there was no longer any chance for them to make a comeback. She was about to run without a second thought when she heard Huangfu Xin¡¯er shout, ¡°Leave the thing behind!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er turned herself into a red light and came charging at her.


    Chu Lingjiao was frightened out of her wits. She instantly whipped out a scroll and tossed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s yours; it¡¯s yours!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er caught the scroll, but by the time she looked again, Chu Lingjiao was nowhere to be seen.


    In another part of the summit, Mo Yu and Mo Wen were shaken to their cores. They, too, wanted to run but happened to catch Xiao Chen¡¯s attention. Xiao Chen knew he must not let Mo Yu live or the latter would surely become a great danger to him in the future. He cried, ¡°Stop them!¡±


    The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon set into motion and were instantly in front of the two men. They came with such fierce momentum that Mo Wen turned pale. He cried, ¡°You have to stay safe! Run!¡± At the end of his sentence, a blood fog came into materialization. Mo Yu had turned into the blood-red light to escape.


    However, in the next second, the sound of blade penetrating flesh rang out again and again. The ladies had slashed Mo Wen into seven or eight pieces, spilling blood and limbs everywhere. Just like that, Mo Wen was no more.


    ¡°Wen¡¯er!¡±


    The corners of Mo Tiannan¡¯s eyes threatened to crack at the sight of Mo Wen¡¯s tragic death. Most of their family¡¯s young elite disciples were also dead. He yelled at the eight elite Nirvana Realm disciples, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the puppet occupied! You all work together to lay down the Heaven Extermination Sword Formation. We must kill him!¡± He bit his tongue hard enough until he drew blood and spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood on the hollow of his palm. He drew a spell, and fogs of blood instantly filled his surroundings. Mo Tiannan¡¯s aura also exploded several times over in an instant. He charged at the spiritual wooden puppet like a bolt of red light.


    ¡°Twang!¡± A loud sound of collision shattered the air. The spiritual wooden puppet was sent tumbling backward tens of feet. Mo Tiannan¡¯s attack was surely extraordinarily powerful for he had sacrificed thirty percent of his lifespan for it.


    When the eight elite Nirvana Realm disciples saw that the puppet was being suppressed, they immediately leaped into the air and each spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood. This was their Mo family¡¯s secret blood spell. The disciples worked together to lay down a massive sword formation in the sky that gave off a golden glow. They immediately pointed the formation in Xiao Chen¡¯s direction.


    The wind swiftly picked up and the skies paled in color. The sword formation that gave off a golden glow continued to expand until it enveloped nearly half of the summit. The formation was lined with layers of ancient spells. This was the Mo family¡¯s Heaven Extermination Sword Formation.


    The eight disciples were reaching the limit of their True Energy exhaustion. All of them were frighteningly white in the face. Finally, a thousand-foot-long golden sword appeared in the heart of the formation and came swinging down on Xiao Chen.


    The weather took a sharp change as all living things shuddered from the pressure of the sword. The sword came down with a groundbreaking momentum, like the weight of the blue dome of heaven, and aimed for Xiao Chen¡¯s back. Even the cultivators standing thousands of feet away were sent tumbling from the gale that came alongside the sword.


    ¡°Watch out, my Lord!¡±


    Following a cry, Qingluan had already put herself in front of the sword. Xiao Chen, who had detected the oncoming frightening attack and heard Qingluan¡¯s warning, knew that things were about to go very, very bad. He yelled, ¡°Get out of the way!¡± He turned his body as he spoke, pushing Qingluan aside. However, he was ultimately still too late. Guifeng had also put himself in front of him.


    ¡°KABOOM!¡±


    The loud explosion caused all five peaks to shudder. Guifeng had taken most of the sword¡¯s impact. His armor fell in countless pieces. Qingluan was also sent flying from the hint of the sword¡¯s force, all while coughing up blood.


    Her blood formed a parabola in the air. Like a dried-up butterfly, she collapsed weakly on the ground with the Royal-blood Cyan Blade in her hand shattered into pieces.


    ¡°Qingluan!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes widened. He ran over to her like a bolt of lightning.


    Ziyun¡¯er, who was doing her utmost to fight her enemies far away, felt a sudden and throbbing pain in her heart. She and Qingluan were connected by blood. She knew that the latter was in trouble and that the Royal-blood Cyan Blade was also shattered. Her own weapon, the Royal-blood Purple Blade, was also shaking and whining nonstop.


    ¡°Sister!¡± When Ziyun¡¯er turned around, her face immediately turned pale. She instantly cut down two of the Mo family¡¯s disciples and flew over like a bolt of purple light.


    ¡°Sister!¡± With tears streaming down her face, Ziyun¡¯er helped Qingluan up. Blood was gushing out of Qingluan¡¯s mouth like a leaking faucet. Regardless of how much True Energy that Xiao Chen poured into her body, it seemed to make no difference. Her five viscera and six bowels were utterly destroyed. Even her soul was heavily injured. Perhaps not even Gui Xian would be able to perform a miracle here.


    ¡°You¡­ must remember¡­¡± Qingluan grabbed Ziyun¡¯er shoulder, her aura as feeble as a candle in the wind, and uttered with immense difficulty, ¡°Remember¡­ that night¡­ You¡­ must not¡­ fall¡­¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er cried even harder as she nodded repeatedly. ¡°I promise! I promise! I¡¯ll listen to everything you say, whatever it is¡­¡± She was sobbing so hard that she could no longer get her words out.


    Qingluan smiled. It was the first time she smiled. It was neither a sneer in the face of enemies nor an uncontrollable smile¡­ That night, a smiling Xiao Chen told her, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we met, but I have never seen you smile.¡± She had been a bit stunned then. She lowered her head and was quiet for a long time before she replied, ¡°If I smiled, then the girls wouldn¡¯t listen to me anymore.¡±


    The wind continued to blow with force, carrying with it the sobs and whimpers. Qingluan¡¯s grip on her sister¡¯s shoulder gradually lost strength. Ziyun¡¯er looked as if she was staring at the most frightening thing in the world. Her eyes were wide open and her voice was choked with emotion. She kept muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t, Sister¡­ Don¡¯t, don¡¯t die!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were widening. He pleaded and said, ¡°Qingluan! Qingluan!¡±


    He was reminded of how he met the ladies at the beginning of the year. He kept trying to drive them away all the way from Canglan City to Xianyong Sect. He had told Qingluan not to follow him back then, but right now, his heart was twisting with agony. He felt like he had lost something. Now, all he wanted was for her to stay¡­


    Suddenly, someone burst out of nowhere and attempted to pierce his back while he was distracted. Qingluan saw this clearly. Using the last bit of her strength, she exchanged positions with him.


    ¡°Tch!¡± A crisp sound resonated as the sword pierced through her chest.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    ¡°Qingluan!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes widened. The hair behind his shoulders was dancing madly in the air. He turned around and slammed his palm on the ambusher, reducing him into blood fog. Over on Su family¡¯s side, Su Yue was frowning deeply. She said solemnly, ¡°Father, let¡¯s take him away!¡±


    Su Ying¡¯s brows were also knitted. He was about to make his move, making a large stride, when he suddenly stopped. He looked up and stared southward. His expression changed. ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s too late!¡±


    A storm swept the summit, winding up swirls of snow in the air. The remaining Mo family members had taken advantage of the temporary peace to lay down their formation. Guifeng was heavily injured and his soul power was mostly exhausted. He flew to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°My Lord, please leave here with me immediately!¡±


    However, they were all too late. The Heaven Extermination Sword Formation had eight elite Nirvana Realm disciples propping it up. Back on the ground, an elderly Apotheosis Realm cultivator and twenty or so Nascent Soul Realm disciples were continuously feeding them with mystic power. The formation was even more powerful this time around. The entire Central Peak was beginning to shake from the massive energy fluctuation of the formation.


    The spectating cultivators were alarmed. One after another, they began to flee. Guifeng once again yelled, ¡°Hurry up and run, my Lord!¡±


    Xiao Chen looked up at the sky. The sword was powerful beyond measure. There was no hope for him to escape now. Even if he could, the people behind him couldn¡¯t! He cried, ¡°General, protect them!¡±


    The ladies had given their all to protect him. This time, let him be the one to protect them. He then circulated all the energy in his body and activated the Mystic Cyan Sect¡¯s taboo cultivation method¡ªthe Immolation Spell of the Three Elements! In an instant, he charged at the sword above like a bolt of golden lightning.


    Everyone turned pale. What was he doing? Was he going to fend off the Heaven Extermination Sword Formation with his power alone? Gui Xian¡¯s expression had transformed drastically. ¡°No! The kid is going to fight back with his life!¡±


    Xiao Chen stood high in the sky, with his robe rustling loudly and hair fluttering in the wind. His entire self was giving off rays of white light. He looked like a god that had descended on earth. He couldn¡¯t care less about the repercussions now and pushed the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements to its peak. His cultivation had now broken through the limits of the Apotheosis Realm to hit the Grand Completion Realm.


    ¡°Dragon¡¯s Decimation!¡±


    Following his cry, the weather began to transform and the world lost its light. The sky that was clear for miles and miles suddenly became dark and stormy. Dark clouds gathered and swiftly enveloped Wuyue Peak. Creatures within five kilometers became alarmed and started to flee. It was as if the daytime had plunged into an endless night.


    Everyone was so shocked that they could only stare at the dark clouds overhead with their mouths open. Lightning was flashing amid the clouds and the cry of a dragon could be faintly heard. They could even vaguely make out two thousand-foot-long living objects swimming in the sea of clouds. Those two objects were like two ancient dragons that had awakened from their long slumber. Nobody had ever seen such a terrifying scene in their lives. Some of the weaker cultivators were so terrified that they had collapsed on the ground.


    Xiao Chen continued to hover in the sky, with his hair fluttering wildly in the wind and his eyes a brilliant red. He was now an entirely different person. This was the sixth style of the Dragon Roar Palm that he performed at a steep price¡ªDragon¡¯s Decimation! Its power was far beyond that of the third style, Dragon¡¯s Wrath.


    Several of the older Apotheosis Realm cultivators from the Mo family were finally beginning to realize just how severe the situation had become. This surging power of ancient dragons was completely overshadowing their Heaven Extermination Sword Formation. Mo Tiannan cried, ¡°Retreat! Right now!¡±


    However, it was already too late. A terrifying voice rang inside their ears. ¡°You people killed Qingluan. I¡¯ll bury the entire Mo family with her. Don¡¯t you dare dream that any of you will leave this place alive¡­¡±

 Chapter 469 - The Ambush of the Grand Completion Realm Cultivators

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare dream that any of you will leave this place alive¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s terrifying voice echoed throughout the summit. To the Mo family, this sounded like the summoning of the netherworld. The remaining twenty or so disciples were frightened out of their wits.


    Xiao Chen stretched his arm and the world subsequently shook as if it was about to collapse. Two ear-piercing dragon¡¯s cries emerged from the dark clouds overhead.


    The dragon¡¯s cries were so loud that everyone felt their eardrums bleed. Then, they saw two black dragons that spanned a thousand feet long dove down from the clouds. The dragons were charging at the Mo family with a destructive force unlike any other.


    The fierce dragons looked so real that countless people collapsed on the ground with pale faces. A loud rumble shattered the air as a dazzling bolt of lightning peeked through the dark clouds and struck Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Heavenly Punishment! It¡¯s a Heavenly Punishment!¡± cried quite a few people. If an excessive force abruptly occurred in a certain place, Heavenly Punishment would surely follow. It was a natural phenomenon beyond the control of the gods. It was the same principle as when cultivators undergo the trial of thunderbolts and achieve true immortality.


    The Heavenly Punishment rained down mercilessly on Xiao Chen, determined to wipe out his body and soul. Gui Xian, Yi Tong, and the others were beside themselves with worry. ¡°Kid! Stop your skill at once!¡±


    But, Xiao Chen wasn¡¯t listening. He pointed at the sky angrily and yelled, ¡°Thieving heaven! Don¡¯t poke your nose into matters that don¡¯t concern you!¡± One of the dragons that were charging at the Mo family suddenly switched directions and flew upward. ¡°KABOOM!¡± The peak shuddered. The dragon was able to stop the Thunder Ordeal of the Heavenly Punishment.


    The other black dragon continued on its trajectory toward the Mo family. In an instant, Wuyue Peak began to shake violently with countless rocks sliding down. Many of the spectators watching from a distance were sent flying by this abrupt burst of power.


    Fog of blood instantly shrouded the summit. One could smell the stench of blood in the air. The remaining twenty or so members of the Mo family, including the eight disciples holding up the Heaven Extermination Sword Formation, were reduced into blood mist in a split second under the weight of the black dragon¡¯s fury. Not even their bones were left.


    The only survivors were Mo Tiannan and two old men in the peak of the Apotheosis Realm, but all of them were bleeding and badly hurt.


    Mo Tiannan stared at the blood mist before his eyes and shivered. These were all elites that the Mo family cultivated with immense effort, but now, now¡­ He looked up and glared at Xiao Chen. Even if he were to use all tricks up his sleeve, he swore he would wipe out this man¡¯s soul!


    Xiao Chen descended slowly until he was back on the ground. He looked weak and his face was pale too. In the past, Qingluan would have joined his side and supported him at once. But now¡­ he had lost her.


    The onlookers had yet to snap out of it. Several He family members had been watching in the shadows since the very start. Gui Xian immediately appeared in front of Xiao Chen and said solemnly, ¡°I can save the girl! Let¡¯s go! The Immortal¡¯s League is coming!¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately snapped out of it. He looked at Qingluan who was lying in her sister¡¯s embrace. None-flower Dust and Yi Tong had stopped fighting White-brow Solitarian and appeared next to him as well. The latter looked especially solemn. ¡°We have to go now!¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t think twice. He had wanted to wait for Xiao Ning¡¯s return, but that seemed impossible now. Out of the blue, several golden lights burst into the scene from the south and swiftly arrived at Wuyue Peak. Gui Xian¡¯s expression changed. ¡°D*mn it! The League¡¯s Grand Completion Realm stewards have come!¡±


    Three golden sword lights landed in front of them, transforming into three cyan-robed elders. The spectators watched in shock. The Grand Completion Realm cultivators from the Immortals¡¯ League had come!


    Soon after, a dozen or so sword lights landed as well. These were the ordinary envoys in the Nirvana Realm. Xiao Chen clenched his hands and put himself in front of Ziyun¡¯er and the rest. It seemed impossible for them to escape unscathed.


    The spectators held their breath. The Immortals¡¯ League had never interfered in the Wuyue Sword Conversation, much less come here. However, they had sent three of their Grand Completion Realm stewards here. It seemed that they were here to arrest a major criminal.


    On the eastern cliff, a dozen swordsmen dressed as common fighters exchanged glances after seeing the arrival of the Immortals¡¯ League. They lowered their heads and tried to sneak away. One of the Grand Completion Realm stewards flicked in their direction, shooting a ball of white light at them. A loud thump resounded. The shockwaves caused stones to tumble down from the cliff. The swordsmen no longer dared to move a single inch.


    ¡°Arrest them! Show no mercy to those who resist!¡± one of the stewards commanded. Four Nirvana Realm envoys immediately ran toward the eastern cliff. Clearly, the swordsmen were wanted criminals.


    The loud command also stunned many of the orthodox cultivators here. The steward then took out a flickering token with the word ¡°League¡± carved on it. It was the Immortals¡¯ Token from the League. Seeing the token was as good as seeing the Leader of the Immortals¡¯ League in person.


    The heads, as well as elders of various cultivation sects, present lowered their heads and saluted as soon as they saw the token, not daring to show disrespect in any way. The steward scanned the crowd and spotted Su Ying holding his hands behind his back. He immediately chided him, ¡°Seeing the token is as good as seeing the Leader of the Immortals¡¯ League in person! Why are you not showing your respect?¡±


    Su Zimu stepped forward and closed his folding fan. He saluted the steward with a smile. ¡°You must be mistaken. My grandfather is the former leader of the Daoist League of the Five Continents. He has no reason to bow to the Leader of the Immortals¡¯ League.¡±


    Su Wan twirled her hair with her finger. She smiled when she saw that they were the only ones who needed not bow, looking rather smug.


    The steward narrowed his eyes and said emotionlessly, ¡°So it¡¯s the former leader, Senior Su.¡± Su Ying¡¯s position was above his, after all. With that said, he turned around and glared at Xiao Chen. ¡°You¡¯re Xiao Chen?¡±


    ¡°Why ask when you already know the answer?¡± Xiao Chen looked just as stern as he met the steward¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t about to avoid his gaze.


    The steward narrowed his eyes, lamenting that this young man was indeed unordinary for remaining so calm in the face of death. It was no wonder that the higher-ups in the League placed such emphasis on this matter. He looked around and asked coldly, ¡°Did you kill all these people?¡±


    Xiao Chen continued to be neither servile nor overbearing. He repeated his words. ¡°Why ask when you already know the answer?¡±


    The temperature seemed to have dipped the moment he spoke. The three youngsters in the distance clenched their heads, all speechless. The wind swept their lapels, bringing with it a bitter coldness.


    The air was once again tense. Suddenly, Su Ying coughed and said loudly, ¡°Deaths aren¡¯t to be questioned in the Battle of the Five Emperors. I don¡¯t suppose the Immortals¡¯ League needs to interfere in this?¡±


    The tense mood eased significantly following his words. The crowd let out a sigh of relief. Su Ying was right. The Immortals¡¯ League had never interfered in the Battle of the Five Emperors, the duel of swords.


    Mo Tiannan immediately ran over and pointed to Xiao Chen with a shuddering finger. He began sobbing to the steward. ¡°This isn¡¯t a duel of swords, but this kid¡¯s blatant attempt to massacre my Mo family with his General of Soul!¡±


    Su Ying narrowed his eyes. The Immortals¡¯ League must have gotten here a long time ago and waited for Xiao Chen and the Mo family to battle it out. Once the Mo family¡¯s forces had weakened and their power diminished, they would then show up and arrest Xiao Chen with a legitimate excuse. What a smart scheme.


    ¡°What a joke!¡± Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves with a sneer. ¡°Weren¡¯t the Mo family the ones who went around and waged challenges? Weren¡¯t the Mo family who freely challenged people with the Battle of the Five Emperors as an excuse? I¡¯m just challenging you under the name of the Battle of the Five Emperors! You¡¯re the ones who were too weak! Who can you blame?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mo Tiannan was so furious that he couldn¡¯t speak. His finger that was pointing at Xiao Chen wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. His face was going from red to white to red again. Xiao Chen sneered at him. ¡°What about me? Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s the Battle of the Five Emperors in the Wuyue Sword Conversation if the Mo family wins, but a massacre if others do! What a joke!¡±


    Xiao Chen put one hand behind his back and lay his other hand freely. He held his head high and puffed his chest. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll call this your victory. The title of the Five Emperors is yours. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mo Tiannan¡¯s eyes were red. He was so infuriated that he nearly spat out blood. His finger continued to tremble as he pointed at Xiao Chen. In a trembling voice, he cried, ¡°You¡­ You! I¡¯ve never¡­¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Xiao Chen interrupted him. ¡°And you call yourself a senior of the cultivation sects. I¡¯ve never seen someone as shameless as you! I¡¯ve already given you the title of the Five Emperors! What more do you want?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± This time, Mo Tiannan was so angry that he coughed up blood. Another Mo family elder immediately supported his arm. The two of them glared at Xiao Chen. Just as they were about to speak, Xiao Chen raised his hand and said, ¡°Enough of that. Since this matter has come to an end, I won¡¯t be entertaining you anymore. I¡¯ll come back and claim the title in ten years. Farewell.¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and gave Yi Tong and None-flower Dust a look. The group was about to leave when a chiding voice erupted from behind them. ¡°Stop right there! Who said you could leave?¡±


    The air once again tensed up. Many onlookers held their breaths and kept quiet. Even though Xiao Chen and his friends were powerful, they were nonetheless no match for three Grand Completion Realm cultivators.


    The group stopped in their tracks. Xiao Chen, Yi Tong, and None-flower Dust exchanged looks and then made the slightest of nods. Suddenly, they fled far, far away. The rest followed suit. In a matter of seconds, they were already a thousand feet away.


    The cultivators nearby looked at each other. They had expected the group to fight back with all that they had, but who knew that they would slip away so quickly? The three stewards clearly didn¡¯t see this coming either. One of them was about to chase after the group when Su Ying¡¯s bright laughter resonated. ¡°Left Steward, since you¡¯re here at the summit of Mount Wuyue, why don¡¯t you entertain me a little?¡±


    Su Ying removed the jade-green reed from his belt and blew into it. Layer upon layer of sound waves emerged from the reed, making the spectators and dozen or so Nirvana Realm envoys so dizzy that they couldn¡¯t stand straight.


    The sound of the reed felt so tangible that everywhere it passed, it would evoke layers of swirling snow. Detecting an incoming onslaught, The Left Steward turned his body to the side and avoided the sound wave attack. Then, he charged at Su Ying all while screaming, ¡°Su Ying! How dare you! Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Su Ying laughed out loud. He stopped blowing the reed and said, ¡°You have your rules and Mount Wuyue has its own. Those who come to Mount Wuyue are all participants of the Battle of the Five Emperors. Hundred years ago, we couldn¡¯t decide a victor between us. Why don¡¯t we determine it for once and for all before we ascend to immortality?¡±

 Chapter 470 - On All Sides

    After Su Ying finished speaking, he started blowing his reed again, producing layer upon layer of overlapping sound waves. Mountains would collapse when he hit the low notes and cool breeze would sweep the summit when he hit the high ones. The dozen of envoys in the Apotheosis Realm was unable to resist his power. Even the three stewards in the Grand Completion Realm were becoming lightheaded.


    Xiao Chen and his friends were about to hop on their swords and flee. The Left Steward knew that if he escaped, hunting him down would be akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. He yelled, ¡°Stop him!¡±


    His fellow steward didn¡¯t think twice before decisively chasing after Xiao Chen and his friends. ¡°Cosmos Palm!¡± he shouted. Then, a thousand-foot-wide golden palm abruptly appeared in the air and fell on Xiao Chen and the rest with the weight of the Mount Five Fingers.


    This time, it was truly a demonstration of a Grand Completion Realm cultivator¡¯s supernatural power. The faraway spectators held their breath as they watched the golden palm descended like a mountain, with such force that the world shuddered. Xiao Chen felt a bad premonition the moment he detected a frightening pressure behind him. He turned around and shot out two Cyan Dragon Roars attacks.


    Unfortunately, it was futile trying to fend off a Grand Completion Realm cultivator¡¯s Cosmos Palm with his Cyan Dragon Roars attacks. Just as the mountain-like palm was about to fall on them all, Gui Feng cried, ¡°Watch out, my Lord!¡± Before anyone knew it, he had already put himself in front of Xiao Chen.


    A green light was also bursting out of the spiritual wooden puppet. It raised its hand to stop the golden palm in the sky. The others didn¡¯t have time to think about running either. All of them tried their best to counter the palm.


    Their combined efforts eventually, albeit with difficulty, stopped the famous palm attack of the Immortals¡¯ League, the Cosmos Palm. It was only then that Xiao Chen noticed that Huangfu Xin¡¯er had joined his side. He asked in surprise, ¡°Xin¡¯er, why are you here? It¡¯s me that they want. You should leave!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked as icy as ever. She kept quiet for a short while before replying emotionlessly, ¡°Did you think they¡¯d let me off?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned, not quite understanding her words. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to ponder over them. In the blink of an eye, the cyan-robed steward who launched the Cosmos Palm had caught up to them. He said coldly, ¡°Xiao Chen, I suggest that you stop your futile resistance and surrender!¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Xiao Chen said through gritted teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t belong to cultivation sects. What gives the Immortals¡¯ League the right to capture me?¡±


    ¡°On the basis of your murder of a senior of the cultivation sects with Devil¡¯s Sects followers!¡± A red-robed old man showed up with tens of people in tow. It was Qi Heng from the Order of the Divine Fire.


    ¡°B*stard Qi¡­¡± When Xiao Chen saw this man, all he wanted was to tear his flesh to shreds and drink his blood.


    Qi Heng came closer and saluted the stewards before looking at Xiao Chen with a sneer. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how you escape this time!¡± The tens of disciples of the Order of the Divine Fire immediately blocked Xiao Chen and his friends¡¯ way out.


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and looked at the cyan-robed steward. He pointed to Qi Heng and asked, ¡°What about the Order of the Divine Fire? They went to the Human World and massacred ordinary humans. Why didn¡¯t you arrest them for their crime?¡±


    Qi Heng sneered. ¡°Wan Gufeng made a grave mistake that day. We have already dealt with him. Everyone saw how I shattered his soul at Tianyuan City. We have also removed his name forever from our records.¡±


    Xiao Chen let out a humorless laugh. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t pulled the strings behind the scenes, Wan Gufeng wouldn¡¯t have dared to do so. You sure pushed all the blame to him cleanly!¡±


    Qi Heng smiled and said serenely, ¡°You can¡¯t just say whatever you want without proof.¡±


    The death of Wan Gufeng meant that there were no more witnesses around. Even if the Immortals¡¯ League realized that there was a conspiracy, they wouldn¡¯t go too far in penalizing the Order of the Divine Fire. Gui Xian was right. No matter which era they were in, the Immortals¡¯ League would never punish a sect severely. A sect that made a mistake would, at most, surrender a scapegoat to take on the blame. This was the same for both the Cultivation World and the Human World.


    ¡°Enough!¡± the cyan-robed steward shouted. He looked at Xiao Chen and said sternly, ¡°Every nation has its laws just as every family has its own rules. The Violet Manor has our own as well. Regardless of where you are from or whether you belong to the Violet Manor, you would do well to stop your resistance now!¡±


    ¡°Dream on! We won¡¯t let you take him even if we die in battle today!¡± Four ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon appeared next to Xiao Chen, protecting him.


    Xiao Chen suddenly let out a drawn-out sneer. His expression was frighteningly dark. How could he not know that leaving with them meant undergoing an unfair trial? It was akin to digging his own grave. Even if he somehow lived, they would abolish his cultivation and imprison him for a hundred years at the very minimum. It was a pity that he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect the people behind him today. He didn¡¯t even know how much longer the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements could last.


    The cold wind whizzed. Many had their attention focused on Xiao Chen. All they could see was a stern face. He spat out, in a solemn voice, ¡°You harp on your great cause of upholding the Great Dao of the world, yet all you do is make trouble for me. Since you can¡¯t tolerate the existence of any Devil¡¯s Sect followers, why aren¡¯t you going to Dark Shadow Hall to make trouble for Nether Emperor? Why aren¡¯t you going to Fort Raksasa to make trouble for Empress Raksasa? Why aren¡¯t you going to the Bloodied Fiend Sect to make trouble for the Venerable Bloodied Devil? Are you all trash?¡±


    ¡°You! You! You! And you!¡± Xiao Chen was looking a little deranged as his finger moved from Qi Heng to the stewards. Finally, his finger landed on the cyan-robed steward. ¡°Especially you! Which one of you here has shed less blood than I have? Huh?¡±


    The spectators fell silent. Who among them had clean hands? They were the so-called Orthodox Path, but the only thing that differentiated them from the followers of the Devil¡¯s Sects was their cultivation methods.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Xiao Chen threw his back in laughter, but his gaze soon turned sharp and cold. He shouted, ¡°Look at yourselves! The Cultivation Path thousands of years ago was such a glorious one, but look at what it became in your era! Look at yourselves, each and every one of you!¡±


    He then pointed to Qi Heng and the rest. ¡°I have no qualms about dying here today! But look at yourselves! The Cultivation Path thousands of years ago was such a glorious one, but look at what it became in your era! Look at how much it has declined! It wasn¡¯t because the ancient cultivation methods were lost to the times! It was because all of you have become hypocritical, despicable, greedy, cunning, sinister, and shameless!¡±


    Toward the end, he was close to howling. ¡°The filthiness of every last one of you! The darkness! The Soul-consuming Evil Flower should devour your greedy souls!¡±


    The spectators lowered their heads in silence, pondering Xiao Chen¡¯s words. The Cultivation Path had been declining year after year, while the Devil Path had been going on the rise. Was it really because they had lost ancient cultivation methods? Or was it because cultivators these days had lost the purity of their Dao pursuit¡­


    The cyan-robed steward frowned. He must not allow Xiao Chen to go on with his nonsense in front of so many members of the Orthodox Path. Just as he was about to berate Xiao Chen, the latter turned around and pointed to him. ¡°Shut your mouth! Especially you people! You, the Immortals¡¯ League, harp on about the people and the Orthodox Path! Yet as the leaders of the current Immortal¡¯s Practice, you turn a blind eye to evil, forsaking the innocent, and even commit trickery! What right do you have to punish me?¡±


    His fervent speech made everyone gasp. He must be the first person in a hundred years to dare criticize a Grand Completion Realm steward of the Immortals¡¯ League in such a manner.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The cyan-robed steward looked like Xiao Chen had nailed his weakness. His humiliation fanned the flames of his anger. He launched a palm attack and instantly, the weather around transformed. He was hell-bent on destroying Xiao Chen this time.


    ¡°Be careful, my Lord!¡± Guifeng rushed to Xiao Chen¡¯s side. A loud rumble resounded when a massive saber blocked the palm attack. The summit shook from the force of the collision. The spiritual wooden puppet had also joined Guifeng in stopping the attack.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fingers and said with hatred, ¡°Very well. Since you intend to kill me, then feel free to do so. I¡¯m still of the same opinion: If I kill one, I¡¯ll consider it breaking even. If I kill two or three, I¡¯ll consider it my profit!¡± He swung his bloody saber and a hundred-foot-long blood-red saber radiance exploded. Caught off guard, one of the envoys was cut in half.


    The battle was finally on! The spectators were alarmed. None-flower Dust and Yi Tong exchanged a look. The two of them were the only ones who could hold off the Grand Completion Realm cultivators, even if barely. Then, they moved. Yi Tong launched a series of purple lights at the cyan-robed steward while None-flower Dust waved his feathered fan, producing two doppelgangers of himself to keep the steward occupied.


    The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon ladies were also taking action. Xiao Chen pinpointed Qi Heng¡¯s location and yelled, ¡°Old b*stard Qi, hand over your life!¡± He swung his saber and Qi Heng promptly raised his sword to block it. A loud explosion shattered the air. To his horror, Qi Heng found himself taking steps backward. He cried, ¡°Heaven-binding Fire Formation! Kill this man!¡±


    Over on the summit platform, the ten or so swordsmen surrounded by the envoys from the Immortals¡¯ League exchanged glances. They knew that if they were taken back to the League, they would either be executed or imprisoned for tens of years. They might as well put their lives on the line and fight a way out! The swordsmen then started attacking the four Nirvana Realm envoys.


    The summit once again became embroiled in chaos. Su Ying was holding up two Grand Completion Realm stewards, and he told Su Yue through secret voice transmission, ¡°Yue¡¯er, take him and leave! Now!¡±


    Su Yue didn¡¯t think twice. He leaped into the air and arrived near Xiao Chen like a bolt of purple lightning. When the cyan-robed steward saw that she was going to take him, he attacked her with his palm. ¡°The Su family better not stand on the wrong side!¡±


    Su Yue nimbly moved aside, dodging the attack. She said coldly, ¡°The mistake of one is the mistake of all. He¡¯s just a child. You¡¯ve already cornered him to this state. Why do you continue to force him?¡±


    She swiftly moved on her feet with the grace of a lotus and reappeared next to Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were twisted with the fervor of murder. He had taken three or four slashes on his body. Blood was gushing from his wounds. Su Yue couldn¡¯t help but frown. This was her sister¡¯s child after all; she couldn¡¯t bear seeing him in such a state. She tugged onto Xiao Chen¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    To her surprise, Xiao Chen pushed her aside. ¡°This is the Xiao family¡¯s business! The Su family should stay out of this! Leave!¡± That said, he once again swung his saber and the blood-red light once again filled the sky, bringing with it an intense smell of hatred as he turned two disciples from the Order of the Divine Fire into blood mist.


    Xiao Chen pushed Su Yue so hard that she took a few steps backward. She saw nothing but hatred in his eyes, dyed from his incomparable hatred for the Orthodox Path. Her heart sank. She feared that this child was so deeply entrenched in his resentment that he would one day turn to the Devil Path completely and be consigned to eternal damnation.


    The thought made her shiver. She whispered to herself, ¡°Elder Sister, why is your child such an extremist¡­¡±


    Suddenly, tens of golden sword radiances came flying over. Su Yue¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Oh no!¡±

 Chapter 471 - Deathtrap

    Those dozens of golden sword radiance reached at an instant. They were people sent by Immortals¡¯ League. There were 30 to 40 Nascent Soul cultivators, 7 or 8 Nirvana Realm envoys, and 2 Grand Completion Realm¡¯s Stewards.


    The faces of the 2 Stewards changed when they saw what was in front of them. But soon, they calmed down. One said decisively, ¡°Don¡¯t let go of any, even if they may be innocent! Create the Inescapable Net Formation, and today catch these people in one fell swoop!¡± At the end of the speech, many people surrounded the group quickly.


    At this moment, Yi Tong and None-flower Dust were both injured, Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon was also injured to varying degrees. Gui Xian and Ziyun¡¯er had to take care of Qingluan, and Huangfu Xin¡¯er was also hit by a few Sword Qis. Guifeng¡¯s Soul power had been greatly damaged and had become translucent, and the Wooden Spirit Puppet had also been seriously damaged. At this moment, everyone was at the end of the road¡­


    Xiao Chen was still fighting hard with his blade, but the counterattack of the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements had arrived slowly. He was also suffering from several swords¡¯ cuts behind his back and was bleeding profusely. He was drenched in blood. His hair, his clothes, and his face were all stained with blood, from both enemies and his own.


    ¡°Lord!¡± A woman covered in blood stumbled to his side, said anxiously, ¡°Lord! We are surrounded! Our sisters can¡¯t hold any longer, but we¡¯ll escort you through the breakout!¡±


    ¡°Breakout¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s face was covered with blood, and he looked around. There were people in all directions and there was no way out.


    Suddenly, more than a dozen flying swords with gold rays struck. ¡°Go away!¡± Xiao Chen pushed the woman away and swang his blade. ¡°Dang Dang Dang!¡± A few flying swords were cut into half. However, there were a few more flying towards Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s Immortal-override Steps were cast to its limit in an instant. ¡°Dang!¡± He broke a few of the flying swords into half, but there were still three on his back, and there was a sudden surge of blood in his mouth.


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er supported him, but she was also seriously injured and was bleeding profusely from her mouth. Xiao Chen grabbed her arm and looked at the blood on her face. His heart felt as though being cut with a blade, and he said, ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    At this moment, tears finally gathered in his eyes, and he looked around and yelled, ¡°Break out!¡± He held Huangfu Xin¡¯er with one hand and took the Blood Lotus Demon Blade with the other and rushed to the east.


    A dozen people in the back immediately followed after and rushed to the east. Three Grand Completion Realm Stewards in the air combined forces with a dozen Nirvana Realm envoys in casting a Formation. A Steward yelled, ¡°Stop them!¡±


    Suddenly, a hundred or two hundred people rushed up from the mountain foot, and dozens of flying swords in golden rays swooshed and flew over. Xiao Chen rushed to the front, yelled, and cut off several incoming flying swords. However, he had to protect Huangfu Xin¡¯er as well and could not help but be with hit seven or eight swords.


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er burst out in tears and her heart was like being struck with a million needles as she saw blood flowing from his mouth like a spring, and his body full of flying swords, and yet, he was still protecting her.


    ¡°Continue to break out!¡± When Xiao Chen shouted, his blood also spurted out. He lifted the blade, slashed at the several Nascent Soul cultivators in front of him into blood mist, and continued to rush forward.


    At this moment, he did not know if he could break out, but only knew that he had to at least send Huangfu Xin¡¯er out. In a blink of an eye, dozens of flying swords struck again. The dozen people did their best to defend. All of the Levitating Dark Fragrance were seriously injured and Yi Tong and None-flower Dust were no exception.


    The cultivators in the distance saw that this group of people was already doing the final battle of the trapped beasts, and they felt more or less sad for them.


    ¡°General!¡± At this moment Xiao Chen had no less than ten flying swords inserted in him, some on his legs, some on his back, and some passed through his chest.


    ¡°Here! What does the Lord need!¡± Guifeng rushed over.


    Xiao Chen swallowed a mouthful of blood and bellowed, ¡°Protect her; send her away!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord! Mistress, get up!¡± Guifeng yelled and grabbed Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He swang his blade and chopped off the few Nascent Soul cultivators in front of him.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± A Steward in the air yelled. The Inescapable Net Formation was about to be formed. ¡°As long as the formation is completed, this group of people can¡¯t get away even if they had wings!¡±


    ¡°Still not surrendering?¡± A dozen Nascent Soul envoys immediately attacked Xiao Chen with their swords. ¡®Swoosh¡¯, a dozen swords penetrated Xiao Chen¡¯s body.


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er screamed, and a mouthful of blood came out of her mouth.


    Xiao Chen finally felt a little dizzy at the moment. He howled into the sky and swang his blade in a full circle on the spot. The heads of the dozen Nascent Soul cultivators were chopped off instantly. However, he also spewed out a mouthful of blood. He half-knelt on the ground, only to be supported by the blade so that he would not fall.


    ¡°You guys¡­ go¡­¡± He was already even struggling to talk now.


    The dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators left nearby were frightened, for they had never seen such a tenacious person, and for a while, no one dared to step forward.


    The envoys of the two Nirvana Realm saw that Xiao Chen was near the end of his strength, then they leaped and rushed up. Yi Tong turned around and punched while exerting his strength, which knocked the two back and then shouted, ¡°Brother Xiao! Go!¡±


    Xiao Chen spewed out a mouthful of blood. At this moment, he was even running out of the strength to stand up. Gui Xian gritted his teeth and handed Qingluan over to Ziyun¡¯er and quickly rushed over to get him up. One of the Steward in midair concentrated Qi on his finger and swept it at them. A Sword Qi immediately slashed at them, and like breaking through the sky, it reached them in an instant.


    ¡°Senior, beware!¡±


    Xiao Chen used the last of his strength and pushed Gui Xian away. ¡°CLANG!¡± He blocked the Sword Qi with the Blood Lotus Demon Blade but he was shocked by the impact and flew off to more than 100 feet away.


    In the distance, Su Yue gritted her teeth, moved and rushed towards him. Xiao Chen returned to his consciousness in mid-air and pushed her back with one palm, ¡°Take care of my mother, and tell her that I live well in the Human World¡­¡± At the end of his words, he fell heavily to the ground.


    Several Nascent Soul envoys nearby saw this, and immediately slashed at him with their swords. Huangfu Xin¡¯er and others in the distance were astounded. At this moment, Xiao Chen closed his eyes, and as the several Nascent Soul cultivators were about to reach him, he roared, ¡°First Diabolic Shift!¡±


    Suddenly, the sky changed, devil howling came, and seven to eight Nascent Soul envoys were directly shaken by a Devil Qi that burst out of Xiao Chen¡¯s body and became a blood mist.


    The crowd in the distance was horrified. At this moment, Xiao Chen was like a completely different person. His eyes were purple, and he was surrounded by dark Qi like a Great Devil awakened from ancient times. At this moment, everyone finally knew why Immortals¡¯ League was so determined in capturing him.


    In the distance, Su Ying¡¯s face also changed, and so were Mo Tiannan¡¯s and others. Gui Xian¡¯s expression changed greatly, and he screamed, ¡°Boy! Stop it immediately!¡±


    But Xiao Chen did not listen, and he slashed at the dozen Nascent Soul envoys blocking his way and yelled, ¡°Go!¡±


    At this moment, a gap was finally opened in the east direction, and more than a dozen people rushed over immediately. Then, the whole heaven and earth seemed to shake. A Steward in the air shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere! ¡± The sky suddenly became golden and dazzling, and the intense light almost outshone the sun in the sky, making it impossible to open their eyes.


    A huge golden formation with a thousand square feet radius appeared suddenly and quickly shrouded over in the direction of Xiao Chen and others. Xiao Chen yelled, kicked with both feet, and rushed towards the golden formation with his blade.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The powerful impact caused the whole Wuyue Peak to be shaken violently. But even with Xiao Chen running the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment at this moment, he was unable to defend the Inescapable Net Formation that cast by the combined force of a dozen Nirvana Realm cultivators and three Grand Completion Realm cultivators.


    The formation fluctuations were getting stronger and stronger, and the cultivators in the distance held their breaths. At this moment, everyone was trembling. Even someone as strong as Xiao Chen was unable to escape from the sanctions of the Immortals¡¯ League, and this was just a small part of the Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s power.


    Strong winds continued to blow, the gravels on the ground flew everywhere and Xiao Chen was in midair. His hair danced along with the wind and his Devil Qi was pushed back layer by layer from the pressure. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade in his hand could not stop trembling, as though it was about to break apart. However, the formation was still pressing down, it was already undefendable.


    ¡°Why are you still not leaving!¡± Xiao Chen yelled and hit a palm strength at the formation but he still failed to resist the downward pressure. The 10 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance fired up their True Energy and rushed forward as well.


    Yi Tong said hurriedly, ¡°Non-flower! Take Senior Gui Xian away!¡± At the end, he rushed up like a blast of lightning. None-flower Dust gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Where¡¯s your stupid gourd!¡±


    ¡°Gourd¡­ No, the space is too small, and it will hurt you!¡± Yi Tong looked at the gourd around his waist, finally clenching his teeth, and then chanted a spell. He exhibited the Demon realm and instantly switched positions with Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Take him away!¡± Yi Tong flicked his sleeves and sent Xiao Chen down. A Steward of the Immortals¡¯ League in the air shouted coldly, ¡°No one can get away!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud bang, the golden formation finally covered everyone under its hood. It shrank and shrank, trapping the dozen people in the formation.


    Seeing this, the remaining Immortals¡¯ League envoys and Order of the Divine Fire disciples were relieved, and the cultivators in the distance were silent. At this moment, watching Xiao Chen and others being shrouded into the Inescapable Net Formation was like watching the end of everything.


    The wind finally stopped, and the dozen people were shrouded in this formation. They could not get out anymore. The outside was already full of people and they could not escape no matter what. The Devil Qi faded away from Xiao Chen. Gui Xian immediately hurried over and pressed on several major acupuncture points of his body.


    ¡°Can you escape again this time?¡± Qi Heng, who had been hiding in the dark, finally appeared again at this time. He sneered at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen grinned bitterly. In this final moment, why waste a time talking to such people. Instead of paying attention to Qi Heng, he stumbled to Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Huangfu Xin¡¯er was injured rather heavily, the corners of her mouth were covered with blood and her eyes were full of tears.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen slowly stretched out his blood-stained hand and gently stroked Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s face, and tears quickly gathered in his eyes.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen¡­¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er sobbed, and leaned lightly on his chest, with tears in her eyes and blood in her mouth the could not stop flowing out.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡± Xiao Chen put her face on his chest and gently stroked her hair and two streams of tears also flowed out of his eyes. He said, ¡°For this year¡¯s Double Ninth Festival, the elder brother said that he would go back to the Xiao family, shall we go back as well? Father said that he hasn¡¯t seen you for a long time¡­¡± Towards the end, his voice gradually became astringent.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er nodded as she sobbed. Her tears fell off like a broken pearl necklace as she clutched onto his shoulders tightly.

 Chapter 472 - The Emperor Is Absent, So You Dare to Be Rampant!

    Chapter 472 The Emperor Is Absent, So You Dare to Be Rampant!


    Suddenly, a large number of cultivators surrounded the formation with swords. On the other side of the mountain platform, only the left Steward was still fighting with Su Ying, and the other ran over to reinforce the formation with the other Grand Completion Realm cultivators, for fear that Xiao Chen and others would break out of it.


    Gui Xian sneered and said sarcastically, ¡°Several Stewards need not be nervous, for we can¡¯t escape anymore.¡±


    Layers of mystic arts quickly surrounded the golden formation. It was difficult to fly even for a fairy. Xiao Chen looked at Yi Tong and None-flower Dust. He could not help but feel sad when he saw that both of them were injured, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I brought you guys into my trouble¡­¡± Yi Tong stretched out his hand, saying, ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    The cold wind whistled, blowing through the hair and clothes of each, and everyone in the distance was silent. An envoy wanted to be perfectly ¡®justifiable¡¯, and immediately yelled, ¡°Devil¡¯s Practice Demon is wicked and scourges the earth! Today we will take you down under our swords! I will teach you to wait under the sword! As a warning to the others! ¡±


    Xiao Chen was too lazy to even sneer and be sarcastic at him. He helped Huangfu Xin¡¯er sit on a big rock. At this moment, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was badly injured and with the counter-bite of the Heartless Mystic Skill back, blood kept flowing out of her mouth. But she still leaned on Xiao Chen¡¯s chest and sobbed, and her tears seemed like water that broke out of a dam.


    Numerous people outside holding the golden sharp swords slowly gathered around. The cold wind whistled with whimpering sounds, Xiao Chen sat on the big rock, holding Huangfu Xin¡¯er tightly in one hand, and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade in the other. On the ground, drops of blood dripped from his hair and on his face.


    ¡°My strength plucked up the hills, and my might shadowed the world; But the times were against me, and Dapple runs no more; When Dapple runs no more, What then can I do? Ah, Yu, my Yu, What will your fate be?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s voice was astringent as he slowly sang out this song, ¡°The Hegemon¡¯s Lament¡±. In that year where Hegemon-King of Western Chu was defeated, Han soldiers conquered the land and he was trapped with Concubine Yu in Gaixia was trapped, as they were surrounded by the enemies. It was probably the same.


    Suddenly, he looked up and looked at the Stewards on the outside, his eyes were firm, and he said, ¡°Xiao has run out of fortune today, it is my fate. You can take my life if you want, but there is one thing¡­¡±


    When Huangfu Xin¡¯er heard this, she suddenly raised her head, pressed her fingers against his lips and burst into tears. She choked and said, ¡°Say no more, whether it¡¯s life or death, I am with you. Alive with you, and die with you¡­¡± In the end, she suddenly condensed Qi on her finger and swang it. A flying sword in the distance trembled and like a lightning, it came towards her neck.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and caught the flying sword. Tears reappeared in his eyes, mixed with blood, and he looked at the people outside fiercely.


    Qi Heng¡¯s two hands were in his sleeve, his face with an indifferent sneer, and not far away, a Steward asked the head Steward in a green robe, ¡°How now?¡±


    The green-robed Steward squinted his eyes and said in a deep voice, ¡°This man is too dangerous to be kept, just take his soul back. As for the others¡­ None shall be left alive, so to rid of any troubles in the future!¡± At the end of his words, his eyes were cold. ¡°Even if many Orthodox Path people are present today, even if I inevitably am talked about by the others, I will remove the roots entirely!¡±


    As he finished speaking, nearly a hundred Immortals¡¯ League envoys joined forces to insert more Mystic Power, and the entire formation became dazzling. Xiao Chen and others who were trapped in the formation, felt as if their souls were to be refined. Several people in Levitating Dark Fragrance could not bear the pain and screamed like their organs were torn out from them.


    Blood had leaked from Xiao Chen¡¯s skin, he held onto Huangfu Xin¡¯er tightly, the Koo-chee beast also fell to the feet of the two and could not stop tumbling. All the cultivators in the distance took a deep breath of cold air. This was to refine these trapped people into blood alive, which was the means to deal with the devil of the people, but there were some of them that did not turn devil. It was too cruel for Immortals¡¯ League to do such a thing, many people clenched their fists tightly.


    An envoy hurried to the head Steward in a green robe with a pale face and said in a panic, ¡°Many people are watching here; with doing this, will it cause them to¡­ ¡±


    The green-robed Steward stretched out his hand, and his face becoming a bit terrifying, he said, ¡°I¡¯d rather kill thousands by mistake than to let anyone go!¡±


    That envoy was also scared by what he looked like at the moment, and could only announce aloud, ¡°People of the Devil¡¯s Practice, scourging the earth, their sins will not be tolerated and will be executed today, to reform the Immortal¡¯s Practice!¡±


    At the end of his speech, the hundred envoys outside fired up their True Energy even more. More than a dozen people in the formation were already unable to hang on. Xiao Chen hugged Huangfu Xin¡¯er, who was barely hanging on, and two lines of blood tears flowed out of his eyes. His hair fluttering, and he cried, ¡°Immortals¡¯ League! Immortals¡¯ League! I Xiao Chen will not let you go even as a ghost! IMMORTAL¡¯S LEAGUE! Ah¡­¡±


    The voice resounded throughout Heaven and Earth, full of resentment and full of unwillingness. At this moment, all the Rancorous Qi between Heaven and Earth were gathered together, making people felt chills on their back. One Hundred or so Immortals¡¯ League envoys outside were frightened by Xiao Chen¡¯s looks at the moment. Xiao Chen now, had two lines of blood and tears flowing out of the eyes, his hair disheveled, as if, like the eyes of a haunting ghost, giving them chills from deep in their hearts.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Xiao Chen yelled. He held Huangfu Xin¡¯er tightly in his left hand, swang the blade with his right hand, and a hundred-foot-long blood-red sword radiance whistled out, hitting on the wall of the formation Barrier. The entire formation shook violently and more than a dozen envoys were shocked and flew out.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Rancorous Qi between heaven and earth was quickly gathering. Xiao Chen screamed and slashed, then another loud bang was created, deafening, and the formation Barrier wall on the east had faded by a lot and even had cracks appearing.


    A few Stewards were frightened, and quickly joined forces to insert Mystic Power on the Barrier wall. The nearby Order of the Divine Fire disciples also came to help, which then successfully stabilized the formation.


    Everyone in the distance held their breath, eyes widened, and their faces were full of horror. Even if Xiao Chen died here today, he would still be in the history book in the future. Unfortunately, the history book was written by Immortals¡¯ League, so he could only be infamous forever.


    A dozen swordsmen on the platform, seeing Xiao Chen and the others near death, stopped resisting. Because if they continued to resist, they would end up like them.


    Seeing that things were not good, Su Ying shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± He rushed forward like a lightning, and the Left Steward moved to stop him, saying, ¡°Housemaster Su, he¡¯s just someone of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Why do you want to trouble yourself? Now the situation in Violet Manor is turbulent. Your every move affects the entire Su family. You are advised not to push the Su family to the cusp. ¡±


    The three teenagers in the distance, as well as Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and others were silent at this moment. Was Xiao Chen really unable to escape the disaster this time¡­


    The large formation was tightening with layers of golden mystic arts over it. Xiao Chen was already at wit¡¯s end, no matter how much he hacked, there was no way out of the formation Barrier. Ziyun¡¯er was in tears, she choked and said, ¡°Lord, stop, it¡¯s useless¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stumbled, and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade finally fell to the ground with a bang. He turned to look at the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance, all except Ziyun¡¯er had fallen on the snow that was red with blood in the ground.


    The wind blew through the long hair of 11 people, whimpering.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Xiao Chen raised his head and made the weakest howl into the sky, his voice was chilling, echoing repeatedly between Wuyue Peak.


    Just then, heaven and earth suddenly shook, and the earth beneath all shook. At this moment, many people were overwhelmed by a sudden powerful aura.


    Everyone looked up and saw a large souffl¨¦ of black clouds rolling in from the northern sky. Above the clouds, there was a tall devil shadow, holding a black Raging Dragon Blade. Along with it was a man with fluttering hair who held a war halberd, as if coming from ninth heaven!


    ¡°Northern Mad Emperor! East Peak Emperor! Northern Mad Emperor and East Peak Emperor are back!¡±


    The crowd suddenly exclaimed loudly. Xiao Ning and Gu Feng came side by side, majestically, like two Earthly Monarchs in person. Yesterday they still were fighting to death and today, it was as if the millennium grievances had been canceled.


    ¡°Big Brother is back!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s spirit lighted up at this moment, and Ziyun¡¯er was crying with joy, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Ning is back! We are saved!¡± She immediately injected True Energy into the rest of the Levitating Dark Fragrance to wake them up.


    None-flower Dust looked at the two men who were getting closer from the north horizon, and finally, let out a long sigh of relief. He looked at Yi Tong beside him, smiled and said, ¡°Where shall we go for a drink later?¡±


    Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°The last time I passed through Xiangling, I heard that there is a wine called Xiangfei Tears, which is made with seven parts of morning dew and three parts of rain. How about we go there for a taste?¡±


    Outside the formation, several Grand Completion Realm Stewards had their faces changed, and the green-robed head Steward bellowed, ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Speed up the spell! Be sure to refine¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish, Gu Feng had rushed to them, said, ¡°I, the emperor was not, and you tiny pediatric Immortals¡¯ League dared to rampant!¡± He swang his blade away and instantly wiped off the existence of the dozens Nascent Soul cultivators and the few Nirvana Realm cultivators.


    ¡°Little Brother Chen!¡± Xiao Ning also rushed down instantly, stretched out his hands, and squeezed in air, a loud sound of ¡°Poom!¡± was heard as the golden formation was crushed. Several Grand Completion Realm Stewards who were maintaining the formation was shocked so badly that they spat out blood and flew backward.


    ¡°Big Brother Xiao Ning! Senior Gu Feng!¡± Ziyun¡¯er wept with joy. Gu Feng looked at her and saw her clothes covered with blood, blood on her face, and he was even madder, and yelled, ¡°Raging Dragon Seven Slay!¡±


    The Seven Swords were unleashed in an instant. Whether it was Nascent Soul Realm or the Nirvana Realm, or even the several Grand Completion Realm cultivators, they were all chopped into countless segments. The flesh was destroyed in an instant, but the spirits of these people were still alive and immediately tried to escape. Gu Feng yelled again, ¡°Devil Devour Weather Spell!¡±


    Suddenly, the sky changed dramatically, heaven and earth lost their colors, and a thousand feet devil shadow suddenly appeared. It slammed both its palms down and directly shattered the vital soul of these people.


    The head green-robed Steward was frightened, he chanted a spell and was about to escape into the sky. Xiao Chen yelled, ¡°Old b*stard, you can¡¯t leave!¡± He followed after with his blade and slashed it thrice. In an instant, this green-robed Steward was cut into four sections, with the head for a section, the chest for a section, the abdomen for a section, and the lower body for a section.


    But this green-robed Steward already had a Grand Completion Realm cultivation. Naturally, the soul managed to escape. Xiao Ning¡¯s eyes were cold, he threw the halberd in his hand. ¡°Swoosh,¡± the halberd flew over like a lightning instantly wiped off the vital soul of the green-robed Steward.


    Immortals¡¯ League, annihilated.

 Chapter 473 - Rogue Immortals

    There was nothing but still silence with everyone gaping with disbelief. This was the might of both the Northern Mad Emperor and East Peak Emperor, both whose might could easily vanquish even the strongest mages of the Grand Completion Realm. Levels of strength too surrealistic for anyone to comprehend.


    ¡°STAY WHERE YOU ARE!¡± A deafening howl broke the silence. Qi Heng of the Order of the Divine Fire had apprehended Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Realizing that with the arrival of Xiao Ning and Gu Feng, he would never be able to escape unscathed, Qi Heng had quickly used the magic of psychokinesis to apprehend Huangfu Xin¡¯er when Xiao Chen was not looking.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Xiao Chen growled, his eyes going red with rage that even Qi Heng could not help but shudder. But the latter recollected himself and managed a croak. ¡°Let me leave this place freely. I¡¯ll release her when I¡¯m 500 kilometers from here. She will not be harmed, and you have my word! But stay away! Stay away or she¡¯ll be harmed!¡±


    It was unbecoming for a senior mage to hold an injured woman hostage in public. It was a sight so disgraceful and embarrassing for all younger mages to behold. Xiao Ning glowered at Qi Heng with a stare so cold that it could freeze the sun, growling, ¡°Let the girl go¡­¡±


    Another tremble shot up Qi Heng¡¯s shoulders. Xiao Ning¡¯s cold and furious stare was suffocating and it became a chance for Huangfu Xin¡¯er to deliver a blow at the elder man, which rebounding force she used to propel herself free.


    With the Immortal-override Steps, Xiao Chen darted forward and caught Huangfu Xin¡¯er and deftly whisked her away to safety, leaving her in the hands of Ziyun¡¯er before he lunged at Qi Heng with his saber. With three successive strokes, he dissected Qi Heng into several parts, but not before Qi Heng¡¯s soul had escaped from his physical body through astral projection and fled in a scarlet ray of light that streaked quickly away.


    ¡°Halt!¡± Xiao Chen roared, swinging his saber without mercy. Still, Qi Heng managed to escape, but not with some serious damages to his Soul.


    Silence once again returned with everyone¡¯s attention now turning to the couple of dozens of members of the Order of the Divine Fire now abandoned by their leader. They were gripped by panic and shock and none dared to move an inch. ¡°Meet your maker then!¡± Gu Feng hissed with contempt and delivered a slap that hurled a magic death ray that immediately pulverized all the whimpering members of the Order into dust.


    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡± Xiao Ning asked, helping Xiao Chen to his feet while injecting some of his inner powers into the latter to help him recover.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Xiao Chen replied, shaking his head. Su Xiaomei rejoined them, but she was frowning with concern. ¡°We should not stay long here, My Love. We should leave. I felt a strong presence stirring in the distance despite it trying to remain hidden¡­¡±


    He looked far away into the eastern skies and felt the scarcely perceptible presence of somebody powerful. ¡°Very well, let us leave.¡± Xiao Ning remarked to everyone.


    Everyone whirled around and began walking away. Suddenly, the air trembled and a huge, powerful wave of aura swept from the East, making everyone at the mountaintop hold their breaths.


    ¡°Parlor tricks!¡± Gu Feng spat, swinging his Raging Dragon Blade menacingly. ¡°Who goes there! Show yourself! Come out and have a taste of my blade!¡±


    A massively-tremendous aura churned in the distant skies, stirring like a monstrous behemoth waking up from its slumber, and another wave came. Only this time, the person whom the aura belonged to no longer made any attempt to conceal his might. The sheer might of the wave of invisible strength shook the whole Wuyue Peak and left many others reeling with confusion and chaos as some began coughing blood.


    The staggering presence had everyone on the mountaintop frozen with fear. ¡°This aura¡­ No, it cannot be any ordinary human! This is the presence of a demigod! And immortal, not just some common mage!¡± Gripped with fear, some were teetering on the edge of having their knees crumbling.


    The white nimbuses in the faraway eastern skies roiled and boiled, a stirring monstrosity in the horizons threatening to roar with anger. The ground beneath everyone¡¯s feet shook furiously in resonance and when they looked up once more, the clouds overhead rolled like galloping horses, thundering towards Wuyue Peak at incredible speeds, with three streaking rays of light in their midst, sundering the blue sky into halves.


    Everyone held their breaths in consternation. Xiao Chen¡¯s grip on his Demon Blade tightened as he instinctively formed up to stand abreast with Xiao Ning, who was beholding the strange phenomenon with a frown. He grabbed at Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and shoving him to his back, saying, ¡°Rogue Immortals of the League, stay back!¡±


    Before they knew it, the cluster of nimbuses was 2,000 feet from the Central Peak, looming ominously over everyone. The clouds broke and scattered, revealing the people inside, the sight of which had everyone holding their breaths. ¡°Immortals! True immortals!¡±


    Surrounded by strands of mists, standing imperiously besprinkled by specks of swirling clouds, were three ancient men, each clad in robes of purple, red, and green respectively. They towered aloft in the air with heights of 30 meters that they looked like mountains in the sky. Between their powerful aura and taming presence and their acrimonious stares, countless of the younger students of magic and sorcery were shaking with fear.


    Not even Xiao Chen could breathe easily himself. These were Rogue Immortals. Having prepared for their Ascension at the final stages of the Grand Completion Realm, mages would attain their first taste of immortality if they succeed. They would become Undying, even though it was but a mere traditional misconception; nothing is undying and indestructible.


    Mages who failed in their Ascension would become Rogue Immortals unless Fortunes smiled upon and bestowed upon them another chance. Rogue Immortals were half-demigods and their powers would never again be measured by Realms and stages, but Tiers. Tier-9 Rogue Immortals, the highest rank of cultivation of a Rogue Immortal, would once again be qualified for another attempt to achieve Earth Immortality.


    Earth Immortals are the preliminaries of true Immortality. Mages who were true Immortals although they did not yet belong in the Realm of Heaven. Their strengths would no longer be gauged by Tiers or Realms, but by stages.


    Xiao Chen took a long breath to calm himself as he beheld the sight of the three Rogue Immortals. ¡°So these are the Rogue Immortals of the Leagues? The aces of the League that could easily defeat even mages of the Grand Completion Realm? Why are they here then? For me? No, they¡¯re here for Big Brother Xiao Ning and Gu Feng!¡±


    It was as he feared. Xiao Ning and Gu Feng might have reconciled their differences, but their powers and strength were all but exhausted and spent after their long duel through day and night. ¡°Scheming b*stards of the League,¡± Xiao Chen cursed. ¡°They must be biding their time just for this! All the while they were ignoring the deaths of nearly 100 innocent lives cold-heartedly!¡±


    The Left Steward of the League on the distant top platform, the only living survivor from the entire 100-man squad of troops who had been despatched here at the League¡¯s orders to apprehend Xiao Chen, grimaced with agony. He looked up at the sky and saw the three Rogue Immortals and realized, with painful regret, what he and his men were: nothing more than cannon fodder for distraction while the League closed in on its true goal¡­


    On the other side, Gu Feng bellowed at the three Rogue Immortals. ¡°Do you think flying over us and looking bigger than us makes you stronger?¡± He leaped with a roar and swung his weapon, sending a magic blow that shot at the three newcomers with a screaming whistle, but it was easily parried by the leftmost Rogue Immortal in green robes with just a swing of an arm and a deafening bang.


    ¡°That must at least be a Tier-3 Rogue Immortal.¡± Xiao Chen observed and thought, ¡°Since he could deflect a blow from Gu Feng with apparent ease. And the Rogue Immortal at the center, the one clad in red, must be the strongest of the three. A Tier-4 Rogue Immortal.¡±


    Xiao Ning had yet to make a move. With no doubt of the purpose of the arrival of the League¡¯s three most powerful agents, he growled coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s do with some introductions.¡±


    ¡°Nanpuzi!¡± The elderly man dressed in green who took down Gu Feng¡¯s attack growled and his colleague, the ancient man in purple barked just as gruffly, ¡°Wuyouzi!¡±


    Their leader, the old, gnarly man in red cast a long, fixing stare at Xiao Chen before he finally said wearily, ¡°Xuanxuzi.¡± Without any more word from them, the three ancient men reverted back to their ordinary sizes.


    ¡°Hahahah!¡± Gu Feng let loose a frenzied guffaw and he roared, ¡°I¡¯ll kill all you three half immortals first today! Then I¡¯ll flatten the Citadel of the Immortals¡¯ League!¡± Brandishing his saber, he pounced and turned into a jet of black smoke that shot straight at Nanpuzi.


    ¡°IMPUDENCE!¡± Nanpuzi seethed with derision. He raised a palm and cried, ¡°Cosmic Palm!¡± A 300-meter gigantic silhouette in the shape of a human palm, but several times larger, appeared out of thin air and slammed at Gu Feng.


    ¡°Humph! Who do you think you are?! Gautama Buddha?! You think this stupid giant hand is enough to defeat me?!¡±


    The swinging of his weapon, accompanied by a thunderous, ear-splitting shriek, sent forth a wave of energy that completely obliterated the silhouette of the giant hand with a powerful explosion that shook the earth. But that was not all, Gu Feng quickly delivered his reprisal: the Raging Dragon Seven Slay! Seven magic bolts danced around the air atop the crest of Wuyue Peak, inflicting another series of explosions that pummeled the mountaintop with unforgiving ferocity.


    Tens of yards away, Xiao Ning snarled at Wuyouzi in purple, ¡°For ages, Mages and Warriors have contested each other for the title of the strongest. Let us settle that score today!¡± He lifted his halberd and took to the sky, but not before sending a telepathic message to Su Xiaomei, ¡°Take them away from here quickly, My Love.¡±


    Wuyouzi¡¯s eyes narrowed contemptuously. With a grunt as an answer to the challenge, he stepped forward. He weaved his fingers for a spell, and sent three magical bolts of Sword Qi, directing them at Xiao Ning. Xiao Ning defended himself with his halberd, deflecting the three magic bolts away and he bellowed, ¡°Spring Flow Sunder!¡± His halberd came down in a severing arc and two blows of magical bolts shot from it, charging towards Wuyouzi.


    Wuyouzi sidestepped the magical bolts and weaved another hand seal. Fumes smoldered from his finger and thirteen golden jets of Sword Qi sprouted rapidly and shrouded around Xiao Ning like a cocoon of deadly swords, who brought his halberd around in a fluid, continuous motion, screaming, ¡°Wind-crane Skill!¡±


    The air screamed with the sounds of wild flapping birds and the frenetic cries of cranes while Xiao Ning¡¯s halberd spun and flailed in a deadly dance, leaving trails of mirage like the vibrant hues of a dragon writhing madly, and all thirteen golden Sword Qi bolts were squarely repulsed. Leaving no room for his opponent to recover, Xiao Ning threw himself at Wuyouzi, screaming the name of his most-prized technique, ¡°The Doom From Grace!¡±


    With this stroke, Xiao Ning had imbued almost every ounce of his strength, might that could almost literally move mountains and seas, and the halberd looked as if its size had been magnified ten-fold. The sight of the gargantuan silhouette of the halberd bearing down on him filled Wuyouzi¡¯s vision that even he could not resist a tremble. Quickly, using magic to enhance his speed, he ran for at least 100 feet away until he could finally evade such a terrible attack.


    Wuyouzi felt a cold shudder up his spine even as he got to safety cleanly. The ancient martial skills that Xiao Ning had displayed had its unique strengths that could not only match his mage craft. Rather, the sheer intensity, strength, and ferocity of any one of his attacks were enough to rip to shreds his Vital Soul. He had to admit, that if it were not for Xiao Ning¡¯s long duel against Gu Feng beforehand, he would never be able to defeat him. Not even if he had the might of two more Tiers.


    The crowd far away watched the duels with enormous interest. Su Xiaomei hastened Xiao Chen and his companions to leave quickly. But before they could, another battery of soldiers of the Immortals¡¯ League rushed up the peak. Xuanxuzi, the last of the Rogue Immortals remaining merely regarded them with a dispassionate look and commanded indifferently, ¡°Arrest these people. Kill any who resists.¡± He would never lay a hand on mortals, at least not before public eye. Xuanxuzi was an extremely proud mage who was known to view himself as a true Immortal. He would never suffer his reputation being tarnished by slaying and executing ordinary mages.


    With their orders, the Envoys of the League drew their weapons and closed in. Xiao Chen quickly released his hold of Su Xiaomei¡¯s hand and swung his saber, slicing two of the Envoys half in one single stroke.


    ¡°Persistent fools.¡± An annoyed None-flower Dust breathed. ¡°You just refuse to learn. Let¡¯s have a recap then.¡± He unleashed his Embodiment Duplication Skill and easily dispatched five to six Envoys who bore the strength of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Another bout of death came round. But their injuries, added with their Envoys¡¯ superior numbers, they were losing ground. Huangfu Xin¡¯er sat on the ground, protected by four of the Levitating Dark Fragrance, assimilating hurriedly the Fourth Stage of the Heartless Cultivation Method that she had just taken from Chu Lingjiao.


    Before long, Xiao Chen and his companions were all under siege by the legions of the Immortals¡¯ League led by the three Rogue Immortals. Not even Gu Feng and Xiao Ning could hope to hold them back for long; they were simply too wearied and spent after their duel.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er concentrated all her efforts on assimilating the Fourth Stage of the Heartless Cultivation Method. Suddenly, her eyes blinked opened and a frosty piercing stares shot out of her eyes, startling the four girls guarding her that even they felt an abrupt chill down their spines.


    Her eyes grew red and so did her rosy lips which were now the color of blood. A vague scarlet mark of unknown shape blushed at the center of her forehead and her fingernails grew into sharp, talon-like claws protruding five to six inches and she stood ominous and silent against a pale red mist that shrouded her like a veil.


    Xuanxuzi, now in his ordinary girth and breadth, looked on from the sky. The Tier-4 Rogue Immortal had realized the aberration occurring to Huangfu Xin¡¯er and was watching her closely, murmuring, ¡°This young maiden¡­ Could she be¡­¡±

 Chapter 474 - What Youve Done

    The battery of soldiers of the Immortals¡¯ League threw forth all their strength. Xiao Chen and his companions were barely holding ground; he was surrounded and pinned down by three Envoys of the Nirvana Realm, Yi Tong and None-flower Dust were enclosed in a ring of soldiers that they were scarcely holding it together, while Su Xiaomei and Gui Xian, both Soul Bodies with no corporeal physical forms of their own, could hardly use their full power.


    ¡°Beam of Decimation!¡± A cry came from behind Xiao Chen. An Envoy set loose a golden Sword Qi bolt at Xiao Chen, its tail flowing 70 to 80 feet long like a serpent. ¡°Clang!¡± In a desperate attempt to defend himself, Xiao Chen took the blow with his saber with his other hand on the blade of his weapon, absorbing its force with his body.


    Realizing a chance, two other Envoys set loose a pair of magical bolts of their own. Xiao Chen knew he could not take on two more Sword Qi bolts. He evaded the energy shafts with a great leap to his back and landed 70 to 80 feet away. He staggered backward unsteadily as he struck ground, his knees threatening to buckle due to his fatigue until a firm hand from behind stopped and held him fast.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s head whirled frantically to see who it was and he gasped with shock, ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±


    A cold and solemn Huangfu Xin¡¯er loomed behind him, her eyes and her lips completely a morbid flush of blood red. The glowing red mark on her forehead flashed like a pulse and her aura burgeoned many times over rapidly.


    The three Envoys mounted another offensive, confident that they could take down Xiao Chen even with Huangfu Xin¡¯er meddling. The latter¡¯s hand gripped tightly on Xiao Chen¡¯s shoulder and she whisked him away to her back and she lunged like a black streak of lightning. She clicked her tongue hungrily, her talon-like claws glistening like rubies in the dark, and in a flash, the first envoy was dead, reduced into shreds of viscera and blood.


    The sight of blood and gore was enough to shatter any confidence that the other two Envoys had. But Huangfu Xin¡¯er was upon them before they could even react. She clutched their heads with both her hands. Then there was a pair of sickening crunches. With her bare hands, Huangfu Xin¡¯er shattered their skulls and the two men crumbled lifelessly with blood and gray matter flowing out of the five hollows and slicking the snow-swathed ground.


    They were dead even before they hit the ground, their insides and their Vital Souls utterly crushed.


    Xiao Chen breathed heavily with disbelief. He inhaled a long breath of cold air. ¡°Everything had happened just so quickly¡­ How¡­ Why is Xin¡¯er suddenly so powerful?!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er continued her dance of death like a lioness on the hunt. She dove at other Envoys of the League, leaving death and destruction in her wake. Everywhere she went, she left dead men in the snow, ripped into strips of flesh and blood or their skulls crushed beyond recognition and their Vital Souls destroyed.


    In just a matter of mere seconds, the soldiers of the League were all but vanquished. Everyone held their breaths, beholding the terrible scene. ¡°What is she¡­ This woman in red¡­ She¡¯s even more terrible than Xiao Chen himself and we have yet to see how powerful she really is!¡± Their stomachs lurching with fear, they glimpsed how merciless Huangfu Xin¡¯er had become.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­¡± Xuanxuzi muttered to himself ponderously as he observed Huangfu Xin¡¯er inflicting her carnage, his calm and composed countenance broke for the first time. He threw forth an arm and channeled his powers. The sky boiled with unnatural clouds swirling restlessly overhead and a colossal golden sword of magical energy, spanning hundreds of meters long, hung high up over Mount Wuyue.


    The sudden appearance took everyone by surprise that even the entire crest of Mount Wuyue turned dark and gloomy as if in reverence to the might of the Rogue Immortal. Wearing terrified looks on their faces, the very same thought shot through everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°The Tier-4 Rogue Immortal is making his move!¡±


    The monolithic sword of pure magical power came down like the Judgment of Heaven, aiming straight for Huangfu Xin¡¯er. The staggering pressure of the incoming strike tremored both air and ground; winds howled in pain and the earth seemed to groan in agony as the ground shivered. The blow had yet to fall, but countless gravels and stones were pounded to dust by its sheer strain.


    Underneath, standing right in the center of a cocoon of Sword Qi magic rays, was a helpless Huangfu Xin¡¯er who could only watch as the monstrous bolt of energy hammered down on her.


    The mountains shuddered as the stroke came down and all color left the faces of the people watching from afar. Xuanxuzi had been mustering his powers to channel enough magical force into his rendition of the Beam of Decimation only to defeat Gu Feng or Xiao Ning. Yet no one had expected that he would have to use it on Huangfu Xin¡¯er. This would be a blow so devastating that Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s soul would also be destroyed, and for a Rogue Immortal to strike down a mortal girl, Xuanxuzi would have to face a hefty penalty himself!


    Nanpuzi, who was still locked in battle against Gu Feng, immediately realized what was going on. He jerked his head back and looked at his colleague and senior with an aghast look, screaming, ¡°Senior Brother! No! Stop! You cannot!¡±


    But Xuanxuzi merely ignored him; he maintained his utmost concentration on directing the Beam of Decimation down on Huangfu Xin¡¯er. He only knew that he needed to kill her, although he could not well explain why himself.


    The Beam of Decimation was mere 200 feet away from Huangfu Xin¡¯er when the ground beneath her cracked and sank, forming a huge crater that marked her in the center and everyone nearby was thrown off their feet by the might force of the stroke.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er watched the gigantic golden shaft fell with her eyes wide with consternation and despair. She would never be able to withstand such a calamitous attack from a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal. Not even the fullest stage of the Heartless Cultivation Method would be of any help. Death was all but certain!


    ¡°XIN¡¯ER! NOOOO!¡±


    From a distance, Xiao Chen howled with crushing anguish. He stomped hard, willing himself to rise against the astounding pressure of the incoming stroke that the ground broke and splintered under his feet. Then he kicked and morphed into a ray of light that shot straight towards Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Ziyun¡¯er and her sisters screamed, terrified. But they could not chase up to Xiao Chen. The absolute behemoth of the golden sword smote at the top of Mount Wuyue without any trace of mercy and its destructive force threatening to impale the mountain whole.


    Another howl from Xiao Chen reverberated across the peak of Wuyue Peak. A howl that echoed the throes of excruciating pain he was feeling. Blood poured out like a spring from his shoulder as the powerful Beam of Decimation came down and lopped off his arm but he has successfully rescued Huangfu Xin¡¯er.


    Everyone froze, startled beyond belief, including Su Yue, Su Ying, Su Zimu, Su Wan, Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and the three young lads¡­


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er shrieked, her face now the color of milk before she regurgitated a mouthful of blood herself. Ziyun¡¯er and her sisters rushed to them and she was horrified to tears when she saw all that was left was a mangled wound, ¡°My Lord!¡±


    Xiao Chen quickly tapped on a few spots on his left shoulders, sealing off the major acupuncture points around the area to stop his bleeding. Despite the grievous wound, he looked relatively confident and self-assured. ¡°Don¡¯t fret! Retreat at once!¡±


    None-flower Dust and Yi Tong caught up to them, both looking visibly shaken. ¡°Brother Xiao,¡± they called frantically. Not far away, Gui Xian flitted across the battlefield like a wraith. He snatched up Xiao Chen¡¯s severed arm and encased it in a block of ice. He formed up to them and screeched, ¡°We must go now, Boy!¡±


    Up in the air, Xuanxuzi was readying himself for another salvo. But this was noticed by Nanpuzi. For a brief second, he dislodged himself from his battle with Gu Feng and hurried to his senior and colleague. ¡°Stop, Senior Brother! Too strong an intent to spill blood and you¡¯ll never achieve Earth Immortality!¡±


    Xuanxuzi stared blankly for a second but finally relented, bringing down his outstretched arm as he watched Xiao Chen and his companions retreating. Yet from afar, despite being defeated in battle, Xiao Chen gave him a look so dangerous and piercing that even he found it scary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember this, Xuanxuzi! I¡¯ll remember what you¡¯ve done this day, and I¡¯ll come back to exact my vengeance!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s ominous declaration resounded across the Wuyue Peak, his glare terrifying and fierce. Even as a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal who wielded tremendous strength and power way beyond Xiao Chen, he could not suppress the involuntary shudder that the chill running down his spine caused. Quietly, he began wondering if he should hasten his study and cultivation of magic. He would need to achieve Earth Immortality before coming of the second stage of the Annihilation Era, if he wished to fully feel safe from Xiao Chen.


    The sight of Xiao Chen being able to escape his attack, when most other mages of the Grand Completion Realm would have been utterly decimated to bits, with only one severed arm unsettled him greatly and left him brooding about his own safety.


    Seeing this, Gu Feng and Xiao Ning landed at once. It was not because they lacked the skills or power to defeat the three Rogue Immortals, but rather, the duel between them before had left them fatigued and wearied.


    ¡°After them!¡± Xuanxuzi squinted and growled, ¡°We cannot let them escape!¡±


    At the same time, at a hidden corner inside an unknown mystic domain was a man trapped in ice. His face was veiled by his silvery-white hair and his eyes opened suddenly.


    ¡­


    Prowling amid the frigid winds, perched on the top of Nanyue Peak, one of the peaks of Mount Wuyue, were two masked strangers. One of them, the one with a runic ¡°Luo¡± inscribed on his mask observed dryly. ¡°That really is the Undead Body. To think that he¡¯s able to escape with his life from the attack of a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal¡­¡±


    His companion, another man with a mask bearing the runic word of ¡°Ji¡± merely remarked indifferently without any whiff of emotion, ¡°One day. One day I will take back everything that is rightfully mine.¡±


    ¡­


    With Gu Feng and Xiao Ning leading the way, Xiao Chen and his companions fled North, fighting off whatever pursuers that the League had hurled at them. Only a paltry seven men remained of the band of swordsmen that escaped the custody of the Envoys of the League. ¡°Follow them,¡± one of them screamed, ¡°Follow them or we¡¯ll never make it away alive!¡±


    In a last-ditch attempt, the remaining seven swordsmen managed to free themselves from the encirclement of the Envoys in the Nirvana Realm and ran after Xiao Chen and his companions.


    They nearly caught up with Xiao Chen when Ziyun¡¯er screamed suddenly when she saw them emerging from the undergrowth of thorns and briars, ¡°Who goes there!¡±


    ¡°Please, my Lady! We¡¯re not your enemies! We¡¯re only poor folk from the Wastelands who have been oppressed by the Immortals¡¯ League!¡±


    The leader of the seven was a young man in his thirties. Dressed in green, he bore the distinctive mark on his face that marked him as a fugitive of the League.


    ¡°Go!¡± Xiao Chen croaked hoarsely. There was no way Xiao Ning and Gu Feng could hold back the three Rogue Immortals for long.


    The party retreated to the tall cliffs to the north that hung over chasms 30,000 meters deep. With most of the Levitating Dark Fragrance wounded, they could not fly away by riding on swords and that left only fleeing down the mountain paths.


    But a gust of wind came from nowhere, slamming into their face and throwing up stray blades of grasses and gravels. More Envoys of the League! Soldiers of the northern detachment of the Immortals¡¯ League that came with Flying-cloud Stones and they had already had men lying around the vicinity of Mount Wuyue in wait for them!


    ¡°All right,¡± Xiao Chen snarled and said, his face hard as stone, ¡°Impeccable timing!¡± He lunged at the soldiers closing in on them and sent one magical blow after another with his saber at any foe he laid eyes on. Behind him, Ziyun¡¯er shrieked a warning, ¡°No, My Lord! You should not be channeling your powers again!¡±


    None-flower Dust and Yi Tong rushed forward and were joined by the seven other swordsmen. They found a Flying-cloud Stone that was not carrying any soldiers of the Grand Completion Realm and killed everyone on board, allowing Gui Xian to commandeer it. ¡°Get yourself up here on the double, Boy!¡± He cried.


    Each holding on to Xiao Chen, Ziyun¡¯er and Huangfu Xin¡¯er hopped onto the flying stone conveyance followed by everyone else, with only Xiao Ning and Gu Feng still behind to hold off the three Rogue Immortals. The leader of the seven swordsmen cried, ¡°Please, bring us with you!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ziyun¡¯er snapped firmly. Her lord was in a critical condition and she could not risk having strangers with them now.


    But Xiao Chen, who never once let go of his Blood Lotus Demon Blade, drew a difficult breath and croaked, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let them up!¡±


    ¡°But, My Lord!¡± Ziyun¡¯er protested with horror, although any attempt to object was quickly stopped by Xiao Chen¡¯s resolute shake of his head and she could only trust his judgment for allowing the swordsmen onboard. She shouted to the swordsman in green, ¡°Come up quickly!¡±


    The seven swordsmen leaped up the Flying-cloud Stone and settled themselves in at once. ¡°All right, sit tight!¡± Gui Xian yelped as he steered the flying-cloud Stone towards north with all the speed he could muster.


    Atop Mount Wuyue, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng waited until the Flying-cloud Stone was far enough before they jointed their powers to deliver a pair of powerful blows at the three Rogue Immortals, using the force to propel themselves into the distance where they morphed into two blinding rays of light that streaked off after Xiao Chen and his companions.


    Xiao Chen looked visibly relieved to see Gu Feng and Xiao Ning rejoining them. Then he turned to the seven swordsmen from the Wastelands, putting up a calm and somber demeanor to put Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else to ease, ¡°Tell me about the Wastelands you mentioned earlier.¡±

 Chapter 475 - Aerial Assault

    ¡°Tell me about the Wastelands you mentioned earlier.¡±


    The seven swordsmen from the Wastelands could not help but shudder under Xiao Chen¡¯s stern and firm look. In his eyes that never once blinked with doubt, they could feel his greatness and his valor in battle earlier left them in awe that they would have readily bent their knees to him.


    ¡°The Wastelands are not part of the Five Continents. But its size is not smaller than the Five Continents put together¡­¡± The leader spoke carefully, although he paused in the end with a hint of hesitation.


    Xiao Chen held him in a glare that shredded him and uttered, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Humbled by Xiao Chen¡¯s commanding stature, he gulped hard and nodded before he went on, ¡°Then again, the Wastelands are not without a power structure of its own¡ªsocietal hierarchies that include mages and common folk of the Wastelands¡ªwhich is free from the influence of the Immortals¡¯ League. Only¡­¡±


    ¡°Only what?¡± Xiao Chen pressed.


    The swordsman paused uncertainly before he went on, ¡°The Wastelands are thus called, because much of the ground is either dry, barren, or desolate. Most of the Wastelands are covered by miles and miles of swamps and desert, unlike the lush verdant steppes of the Violet Manor, which is what the natives of the Wastelands call the Five Continents.¡±


    Xiao Chen took in a long, heavy breath. ¡°Am I now on the brink of ruin, on the run from the Immortals¡¯ League, that I have to seek refuge in the desolate Wastelands?¡±


    The leader of the swordsman saw his expression and guessed that Xiao Chen must be disparaging life in the Wastelands. He explained, ¡°It is the harshness of life in the Wastelands that demands the survival of the fittest. The strong grow stronger and the weak remain powerless. By virtue of this, the various factions wielding considerable influence and power inside the Wastelands are no weaker compared to their counterparts in the Violet Manor, especially¡­¡±


    ¡°Especially what?¡± Xiao Chen pressed, looking deeply at him.


    ¡°Especially the place called the Wasteland Sea. There is a city there, known as Sea City which serves as the seat of one of the strongest factions that terrorized the Wastelands, the Desolate Seas. The Desolate Seas gang has nine powerful lieutenants, called the Nine Lords of the Shining Stars. Each of them wears a mask and none alive has ever seen their true faces¡­¡±


    ¡°I know enough about the Wastelands myself,¡± Gu Xian interjected suddenly, ¡°The Wastelands are divided into eight provinces: Life, Aged, Sickly, Death, Sea, Abyss, Sky, and Hades, no? The first four regions are the four most barren places in the Wastelands where most of the common folk live. And that Desolate Seas gang you mentioned? They are in the Wasteland Seas, are they not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right on all counts, dear Sir,¡± the leader of the swordsmen smiled, ¡°You seem to know a lot about the Wastelands. Have you been there before?¡±


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Gui Xian snorted disdainfully and said nothing else, visibly displeased.


    The leader of the swordsmen chuckled and continued, ¡°The Wastelands are different from the Violet Manor. Like what I¡¯ve said before, the Wastelands are governed by one and only one law: the survival of the fittest. Hence there are no distinctions between Good and Evil, only Strong and Weak.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead creased in grim anticipation. ¡°Must I really go to the Wastelands to escape the pursuit of the Immortals¡¯ League? Is there really no other way?¡± Still, he asked, ¡°How can we enter the domain of the Wastelands?¡±


    ¡°Go north from here. Pass through the Northern Continent and through the Mountains of Kunlun, then through the Arctic Wilderness far north, and last you¡¯d be entering the region of the Wastelands by then. The journey would take around a month.¡±


    ¡°No! Not now!¡± Gu Xian barked suddenly. He glowered from the front of the flying stone conveyance, ¡°You need to have your arm reattached in seven days, Boy. Or else¡­ You will have to forfeit it forever.¡±


    The mention of his arm reminded Xiao Chen of his own wound and the bloody stub twanged with a shot of pain as if in a cue. Despite being temporarily dressed by a layer of his True Energy, the pain was still very much real to him. His teacher had gone through great lengths to resurrect him, his parents have always hope only the best for him, yet today, a Rogue Immortal of the League had clove off his arm in a stroke! A stroke that he¡¯d remember forever, and the taste of vengeance would be sweet then!


    Xiao Chen cracked his knuckles lividly as the memories of what happened just now came back to him. ¡°If only I have enough strength to match Xuanxuzi, if only I have enough power to tame the cantankerous Immortals¡¯ League¡­ But I will return. Someday I¡¯ll return nonetheless and I¡¯ll make sure vengeance is dispensed!¡±


    This encounter with the Rogue Immortals had also taught him a lesson. There were too many powerful individuals here around the world. Nevermind the true demigods and the Immortal Kings in the Heaven Realm, even a Rogue Immortal now could easily vanquish him with a lift of his finger and it was imperative that he improved himself.


    He inhaled another deep breath and looked at Gui Xian. ¡°Can my arm be reattached, Senior?¡±


    Gu Xian watched him wordlessly. Yi Tong¡¯s finger winced once but he too was silent. No one said a word. Huangfu Xin¡¯er was still unconscious and the Flying-cloud Stone sailed on quietly, save for Koo-chee¡¯s soft moaning.


    The Flying-cloud Stone shook violently and Gu Feng and Xiao Ning, who were resting at the edges, were jolted awake. Xiao Chen roused abruptly and his hands went immediately to his weapon. But before he could stand up, Ziyun¡¯er held him down. ¡°You need rest, My Lord! Leave this to us!¡±


    The commotion stirred Huangfu Xin¡¯er awake. Her eyes first caught the glimpse of Xiao Chen¡¯s missing arm and she reeled with disbelief. ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­ It was not a dream¡­ Not a dream at all¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen saw the morose look on her face and the beads of tears brimming her eyes and pulled her close. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Xin¡¯er,¡± he cooed softly, ¡°It¡¯s all fine¡­¡±


    BOOM!


    The Flying-cloud Stone gave another lurch, tossing Koo-chee off his feet and the little creature rolled like a barrel. When he finally got up, he cast a long bewildered look into the distance and saw several other Flying-cloud Stones racing towards them. There was already another just at their rear which the leader of the swordsmen spied and cried, ¡°Dammit! It¡¯s the Immortals¡¯ League! They¡¯ve found us!¡±


    He had barely finished when a deadly column of energy from one of other Flying-cloud Stone to their flank came and Gui Xian frantically maneuvered their stone conveyance to evade the giant death ray just in time.


    ¡°It¡¯s the League¡¯s Hit Squads! They¡¯re using Energy Cannons!¡± the man in green said hurriedly.


    The Flying-cloud Stones of the League¡¯s Hit Squads were all retrofitted with Energy Cannons. These were flying stone conveyances used specially for aerial assaults on fugitives or outlaws and one single volley from one of these cannons is enough to penetrate the protective barrier of ordinary Flying-cloud Stones and destroy them.


    ¡°Hold on tight!¡± Gui Xian screeched and struggled to pick up more speed even as he ducked and evaded every energy volley the Hit Squads were throwing at them. Ziyun¡¯er and everyone grew dizzy by the violent rocking and some of her sisters of the Levitating Dark Fragrance who were wounded were already on the verge of fainting.


    A loud Hum from overhead marked another impending volley. Gu Feng rose up, seething with indignance. He swung his saber and fired a magical missile at the incoming volley of energy. A terrible explosion ensued with both the skies and the earth quivering wildly and the shock rattled their Flying-cloud Stone that Gu Feng nearly fell off board.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try anything brash! A volley from these Energy Cannons is like a full-blast from a Rogue Immortal!¡± Gui Xian warned as he jerked the Flying-cloud Stone right to evade another volley coming from their left flank.


    Before long, Xiao Chen and his companions were tailed by seven to eight Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stones with each sending destructive volleys of energy at them whenever they could. The sky was sprinkled with myriad-colored rays crisscrossing and many-hued explosions that would have looked like celebratory fireworks from afar. But on the Flying-cloud Stones, Ziyun¡¯er and the rest of the passengers were gripped by intense fear; not one of them, save maybe Gu Feng and Xiao Ning, would survive a crash from so high an altitude if they were hit.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± The little creature hugged tightly at Xiao Chen¡¯s leg to avoid being toss overboard while Xiao Chen hugged Huangfu Xin¡¯er tightly in his arms. It was all up to Gui Xian now.


    The Hit Squads kept at their heels like bloodhounds on a scent with some even managing to overtake them and would have managed to stop them, if not for Gui Xian¡¯s quick reflexes at the helm.


    ¡°Brothers, look around!¡± The leader of the swordsmen yelled above the din, ¡°This Flying-cloud Stone might have a cannon of its own too!¡±


    It did not take long for the swordsmen to find the controls for the Energy Cannon. Only none of them were trained in using such contraptions. Fiddling with the controls desperately, they tugged at every lever, poked at every button, and jerked at every control column they found until suddenly, a huge Boom erupted and they saw a destructive volley of energy fired from their cannon at a Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stone that had managed to overtake them again.


    The commanding Steward and the Envoys onboard could only watch with wordless horror. But it was too late for them to do anything. A huge boom ensued with a blinding explosion and in its wake, a mushroom cloud that barreled up the sky. Nothing of the Flying-cloud Stone remained, including its passengers which had been reduced to bits and cinders.


    The shock from the blast shook Xiao Chen¡¯s flying stone conveyance. One of the swordsmen slapped his thigh with delight, ¡°Gods in Heaven! Look at that! That¡¯s awesome! Let¡¯s have another go!¡±


    They fired another blast of energy at another Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stone and destroyed it with ease. The swordsman who has been observing with glee broke into a fit of guffaws, ¡°Damned, don¡¯t these things made by the Immortals¡¯ League work so well! Let¡¯s have another!¡±


    Only Gui Xian remained dour. With the opening left by the two Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stones being struck down, he quickly steered them away from the others and sped towards North.


    Came dusk, they finally arrived at the Changyin Mountain Range that bordered the Northern and Middle Continents. By then, Xiao Chen has suffered a few times from the side-effects of using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements, but fortunately, there was Gui Xian to help him through them.


    The seven swordsmen introduced themselves, including the leader who revealed his name as Yang Qing. He had been pursued by enemies through the Wastelands and escaped into the Five Continents with twenty of his men, where they were later wanted for other crimes by the Immortals¡¯ League.


    ¡°Are we entering the Northern Continent now?¡± Xiao Chen gasped, his face was as pale as death and his voice feeble.


    Gui Xian nodded. ¡°The Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s reach is far and wide inside the Middle Continent. Going to the Northern Continent looks like our safest option for now. At least until we get your arm reattached.¡± He paused and sighed. ¡°The second phase of the Annihilation Times is indeed upon us. Even the Immortals League is not sparing any expense now; they are allowing their mages, including the Rogue Immortals, to consume enhancement supplements to increase their power to reach the Grand Completion Realm.¡±


    In fact, most, if not all of the mages of the Immortals¡¯ League present today were all artificially-enhanced using supplementary pills or elixirs. Only the Envoy named Zhuo, who had been fighting to isolate Su Ying away from Xiao Chen and the others, fought using his true strength. It was only mages like him and Su Ying who wielded true power. True power that could have easily vanquished any other artificially-enhanced mages who would have been nothing but mere expendables in the face of the Annihilation Times.


    None-flower Dust scoffed. ¡°The Immortals¡¯ League is digging its own grave,¡± he commented flatly, ¡°What can these inept fools do with their artificially-enhanced power when the true second stage of the Annihilation Time is indeed here? They¡¯d be nothing but scraps on the table for the Strong. Come the second stage, I would be allowed to unseal more of my power and I¡¯d be able to easily pound them to dust with a lift of my finger.¡±


    ¡°The North Continent¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s voice murmured suddenly out of nowhere, ¡°Fort Raksasa¡¯s there¡­¡±


    In his delirium, Xiao Chen dreamt of what Su Lianyue told him about her Blue-water Lagoon at her abode in the Northern Continent and the joke they shared about him coming to see her. ¡°Am I going to see her now? To take refuge with her?¡± The recollections of the time they shared together during their infiltration of the Corpse Refinery Sect came back to him and he shuddered.


    ¡°You should not concern yourself any more about Good and Evil, Boy¡­ Not when the League¡¯s hunting you now¡­¡± Gui Xian muttered under his breath but he was cut off before he could say anymore by a violent rock of the Flying-cloud Stone that followed with a whining siren.


    ¡°Blasted! An ambush!¡±


    A rumble of thunder shook the sky and another column of energy came before Gui Xian could maneuver their Flying-cloud Stone away. The flying stone conveyance gave a great jolt as if wincing in pain as the column of energy gashed at its left edge and it began spiraling rapidly downwards, losing altitude quickly.


    ¡°Hold tight!¡±


    With their Flying-cloud Stone¡¯s protective barrier destroyed, the stone conveyance plunged from the sky with the winds howling by everyone¡¯s ears and brushing by their faces as they braced with horror.

 Chapter 476 - The Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit

    Chapter 476 The Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit


    Standing at the edge of Flying-cloud Stone, with strengths that matched even the gods of war, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng did their best to defend the rapidly-falling Flying-cloud Stone, protecting it from any more attacks from the soldiers of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    Fortunately, the flying conveyance was able to reach ground safely with Gui Xian at the helm. They were gliding at an altitude barely 300 meters above when Xiao Ning shouted, ¡°Bail out!¡±


    Everyone leaped off at his call and Xiao Ning and Gu Feng immediately pooled their powers together to conjure a magical bubble that swallowed up everyone to cushion their fall into a forest. Still, the soldiers of the League pursued them. As the Flying-cloud Stones of the Hit Squad hovered around to land, Gu Feng looked up at them and cursed bitterly. ¡°Let me fight them! Enough running like rats!¡±


    ¡°Brother Gu Feng, no!¡± Xiao Ning stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget they have Energy Cannons!¡± As if in a cue, a volley of energy whizzed by, dangerously close to them, before ending with a loud explosion not far away, reducing part of the forest into charred, smoldering snags.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The party of twenty-plus people ran deeper into the wildernesses of the Changyin Mountain Range where no sunlight could reach and in this dusk, the lumbering peaks looked no less ominous as the party plunged themselves into its shadows, with no sense of direction at all.


    Having lost track of them, the Immortals¡¯ League Hit Squad could do nothing than conduct carpet-bombings of the entire area, hoping vainly that any of their cluster bombs could hit and kill their targets. But instead, the explosions and tremors did nothing more than to awaken the unknown horrors that have been slumbering peacefully for eons underneath the underground bowels of the mountains.


    An hour scarcely passed before darkness came and the entire mountain range was flooded by the pale gossamer illumination of the moon. Deep inside the thick of the wilderness, the shadows of the branches and thickets slanted and stretched sinisterly like talons and claws reaching out for them in the dark. Up overhead them on the jagged cliffs, howls and hoots of predators echoed across the valley, shrouding the forest in an eerily haunting ambiance.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Xiao Chen bolted awake, gasping for air before being hit with another fit of coughs. Even under the airy moonlight, he looked horribly pale. Ziyun¡¯er held him up. ¡°My Lord! Are you all right!¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Xiao Chen waved her off, his white lips struggling to speak. Gui Xian and Yi Tong looked at him in unison with deep frowns creasing at their foreheads. Their eyes met briefly but they said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er said curtly, taking him over into her arms. Holding his right arm, her eyes traveled to the bloody wound of his missing arm and felt a painful jolt in her heart.


    But Xiao Chen turned his head to look at her, his face putting up a smile. Wanting to touch her cheek, a pang of pain came instead from his left arm which reminded him that he no longer had his left arm.


    ¡°The Headquarters of the Immortals¡¯ League must have mobilized their forces in the Northern Continent. If my guess is right, their forces must now be surrounding this region,¡± None-flower Dust uttered suddenly.


    Yang Qing and his men watched in morose silence. The seven swordsmen only followed Xiao Chen in order to escape Mount Wuyue together. They could have left after breaking free from the beleaguerment of the soldiers of the League trying to arrest them but honor demanded that they stay and fight together instead of leaving Xiao Chen on his own.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fight to the death then! I have no fear of them! To our deaths it is!¡± A swordsman beside Yang Qing spoke fiercely.


    But no one else answered his call. Xiao Chen looked up at the sky in reflection. ¡°Was I here before? Yes, I was¡­ Because of someone from Clan Zuoqiu pursuing Xian¡¯er and me? Yes¡­ We were outside Canglan City then¡­ Then we came here¡­ And we encountered Yu Yangzi¡­ Then we met Su Xiaomei¡­¡±


    ¡°What will I encounter here this time? After being chased here by the forces of the Immortals¡¯ League?¡± The Changyin Mountain Range experienced changes every few thousand years, having laid witness to many a great historical event and the changes of its terrain had hidden just as many secrets underneath its feet. The ancient remains of an unknown Immortal King and the ancient scroll now kept by the Xianyong Sect were all found here.


    ¡°We should find a place to rest and decide tomorrow,¡± Xiao Chen croaked after seeing the girls of the Levitating Dark Fragrance, all of whom were injured, and even some of them were with a few gravely wounded, including Qingluan at death¡¯s door. Anymore further and Ziyun¡¯er and her sisters might collapse.


    After an hour¡¯s trek, they found a cave where they decided to spend the night in. They could not start a fire, fearing that one would alert any soldiers of the League lurking around to their presence. Yang Qing and his men kept watch not far away with Gu Feng and Xiao Ning guarding the entrance. Ziyun¡¯er and the rest of the Levitating Dark Fragrance recuperated inside and the shelter allowed Gui Xian to help with Qingluan¡¯s wounds. Xiao Chen rested not far away from the entrance, his countenance paling by the second as a layer of sweat slicked at his temples.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee screeched anxiously, circling around Xiao Chen like a distressed chicken. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Koo-chee,¡± a haggard and sickly Xiao Chen said to him.


    Koo-chee groaned mournfully in response. Suddenly, it tore out of the cave and vanished. ¡°Come back, Koo-chee! Don¡¯t run off!¡± Xiao Chen cried, but to no avail.


    Yi Tong stopped him from getting up. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Xiao Chen. Koo-chee is more intelligent than we often give him credit for. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Xiao Chen softened. It was right. Koo-chee had been with him since the Miasma Mountain Range, surviving through so many gritting and fierce battles with him and had many a time showed more gumption than even that dratted Leopard Cat Spirit. ¡°But how are they now,¡± he wondered, Xian¡¯er and that Leopard Cat Spirit¡­ Are they well at the Jade Qing Sect? This could be my end though and I may not yet see them again¡­¡± The thought of parting with Xian¡¯er made him felt even sadder. ¡°Brother Yi Tong, Brother None-flower¡­ I¡¯m afraid I have landed you both in a huge mess this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold it, Xiao Chen. We¡¯ll speak nothing of that sort.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er walked over to him. She looked at his arm wound and the telltale rings around her eyes deepened. They had always loved each other so much even as children, feeling sad for each other whenever the other got hurt. And here was Xiao Chen now, missing an arm for her, and for all the good that the Heartless Cultivation Method could do, nothing would ever help restore him once again, and for that, it pained her immensely so.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right¡­¡± Xiao Chen gasped feebly. Yet despite his smile, he seemed to have lost all color of his face and looked closer to be dying as if his very life was leaking out of the wound at his shoulder.


    Sitting at a corner not far away were Gui Xian and Yi Tong, both looking equally bothered and tense. They knew what was coming, although they could not quite bring themselves to be truthful to the others.


    Koo-chee reappeared suddenly after missing for almost half an hour, screeching ¡°Koo-chee¡± agitatedly as it darted back into the cave. Ziyun¡¯er walked up to him and crouched, asking him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Koo-chee?¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee squealed and ran back towards the entrance of the cave where it stopped and gave Ziyun¡¯er a knowing squawk, signaling at her to follow.


    Ziyun¡¯er followed him out of the cave. Gu Feng, who was watching at the mouth of the cave, saw her padding after Koo-chee. Fearing for her safety, he said, ¡°Wait! I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    The duo returned with Koo-chee after almost an hour, both bloodied and panting for breath. Gu Feng and his trusty Raging Dragon Blade were both greasy with blood as if he had been in a ferocious battle as he returned. With a curt look at the dismally lean and waned Xiao Chen, he wearily returned to his post at the mouth of the cave.


    Whereas Ziyun¡¯er was holding a little plant. A little shrub with seven fruits hanging from its bony branches, blazing bright red like flames. The fruits were all the size of walnuts, each not only oddly-shaped like a human heart, they were also beating spryly like a true human heart that one could feel goosebumps oozing just by looking at them!


    ¡°Wh-what are those¡­¡± Xiao Chen stammered, bewildered. Even with his vast knowledge, he had never seen something as morbidly weird as this.


    ¡°This is what Koo-Chee found for you, My Lord! I think he wants you to eat them!¡± Ziyun¡¯er beamed excitedly.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee nodded his head frantically. It leaped up to pick a fruit from the little shrub and dropped it in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand.


    Xiao Chen stared at the fruit. In his palm. In the center of his palm, the large purplish-red fruit sat, pulsating grotesquely, as if alive. ¡°How am I supposed to eat something as gross as this?!¡± But he remembered a similar occurrence long ago at the Devil Repressed Tower when Koo-chee had led him to a tree whose fruit had restored his powers after eating it.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Gui Xian yelped suddenly and he came over, saying, ¡°Let me have a look first!¡± But he froze when he saw the fruit, his eyes wandering to look at Koo-chee with disbelief.


    But a sanguinary Koo-chee peered intently at Gui Xian, his eyes yawning wide with confidence as it nodded profusely, squealing ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡±


    Gui Xian took one of the fruits in his fingers and studied it closely for seconds until he finally looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Thank the stars, boy. This is the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit. A fruit so priceless that it grows only once in ten thousand years, making it even rarer than a fully-grown Spirited Lingzhi.¡±


    ¡°The Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit?¡± Xiao Chen muttered under his breath, still perplexed how Koo-chee was always able to find strange and rare fruits like these.


    ¡°Heh heh heh,¡± Gui Xian sniggered suddenly and said, ¡°You¡¯re in luck this time. Not only you¡¯ll be able to have an arm back¡­ Heh heh heh¡­ I¡¯d like to see how would the dogs of the League fare against you later¡­ Enough talking for now. Eat up. Eat the Fruit and I¡¯ll tell you more.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee agreed by nodding incessantly, looking positively thrilled. ¡°Will this really help?¡± Xiao Chen wondered, Then it might help Qingluan and the others¡­ Seeing through his thoughts, Gui Xian remarked, ¡°It¡¯ll be of no use to them. The Fruit is only for you for it is too strong for them. The girls would immediately bleed through every orifice of their heads and die a most painful death if they took this.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee squealed again, urging him to consume the fruit. ¡°All right, Koo-chee, I¡¯ll listen to you,¡± Xiao Chen chuckled. He deposited the Fruit into his mouth and bit hard. Crisp juice burst against his taste bud and filled his mouth. Xiao Chen gagged and gulped it down with some difficulty. The Fruit tasted a hundred times more bitter than the fruit he ate at the Devil Repressed Tower!


    The taste was so bitter, almost rank, that Xiao Chen could not take it anymore. He gagged, his eyes smarting with tears and nearly threw up if not Koo-chee who pounced at him and brandished its claws, clamping his mouth shut.


    ¡°Hmm! All right! I¡¯ll swallow it! Gerroff, Koo-chee!¡±


    With tremendous frustration, Xiao Chen finally swallowed the fruit with his eyes welling with tears. The Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit was so bitter that he doubted if any other mage could ever endure its flavor.


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee bounded around happily. He scampered to the small tree and picked another Fruit and dropped it in Xiao Chen¡¯s lap. ¡°What?! Another one?!¡± He grumbled.


    ¡°Hum¡­ Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee grimaced and planted his paws at his waist, glowering at him as if incensed. Xiao Chen exhaled wearily and smiled. He swallowed the second fruit, feeling the sharp pangs of bitterness that almost forced him to vomit. But he could never consume a third ever again. The bitterness was just too much for him to handle.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t eat it again. I¡¯d rather lose my arm. So you¡¯d better stop forcing me, Brother Koo-chee¡­¡± Xiao Chen shook his head adamantly.


    That left Ziyun¡¯er and the rest of the Levitating Dark Fragrance with troubled frowns. ¡°Our Lord hasn¡¯t even wrinkled a brow even when he¡¯s lost an arm¡­ Yet here he is, refusing to eat the fruit like a child refusing his dose of medicine¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er frowned and muttered, ¡°But My Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough,¡± Xiao Chen cut her off flatly, ¡°I¡¯m not eating another one no matter what.¡±


    An irate Koo-chee groaned at him relentlessly, still trying to push him into eating another Fruit. Suddenly, Huangfu Xin¡¯er appeared from nowhere and snatched the Fruit from his paws, surprising Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else.


    ¡°All of you, out!¡±


    It was a stern cry that no one dared to oppose. Gui Xian, Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else retreated out of the cave, leaving only Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er alone inside. Xiao Chen stared at her, staggering backward hesitantly, ¡°Urm¡­ Xin¡¯er¡­ What are you doing¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er drew closer to him until they were a mere hair¡¯s breadth apart and he could smell her breath. She looked at him coolly in the eye, suddenly shoving the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit into her mouth and began chewing on it hard. ¡°Xin¡¯er, what are you¡­¡± Xiao Chen gasped, startled. But before he could speak anymore, her lips closed in on his.


    He shuddered, feeling unable to breathe. The pungent and sharp taste of the Octarine Core Fruit dribbled from her mouth into his and for that very moment, it no longer tasted bitter.


    He raised his right arm and his hand stroked the hair on her back.

 Chapter 477 - Impervious to Poisons

    It was a quiet night, and the Koo-chee beast blinked its big eyes. Huangfu Xin¡¯er chewed up the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit bit by bit and fed Xiao Chen mouth to mouth with the fruit pulp and juice.


    Xiao Chen held his breath, and his heart beat fast as he tasted a cool and bitter taste. At the moment, he had a strong desire to suck her tongue with great strength, but Huangfu Xin¡¯er withdrew her naughty tongue as soon as the two tongues touched. She let go of his neck and stepped backward gently and swiftly.


    Xiao Chen tried to pull her back to him, but he only managed to touch her cold fingertips. Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked at him with a more tender expression, yet her voice was still icy when she said to him, ¡°Does it still taste bitter?¡±


    Xiao Chen stared at her quietly, and he seemed to freeze. Huangfu Xin¡¯er continued in a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯ll share whatever you taste bitter.¡± After saying this, she stretched out for the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits in the hands of the Koo-chee beast. However, Xiao Chen took her hand and said with a smile, ¡°No¡­ no, thanks, Xin¡¯er.¡±


    At the moment, Xiao Chen recalled what happened decades ago. Back then, he was diagnosed to be born without spiritual roots and unable to practice martial arts. Xiao Yifan visited immortals all over the world for cures, and fetched Xiao Chen all kinds of medical herbs he could find to make him medical decoctions.


    However, Xiao Chen was very depressed during that time, and he once smashed a bowl of bitter decoctions. Later, when Huangfu Xin¡¯er visited him, she brought him a bowl of decoctions, drank half of it, and said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll share whatever you taste bitter.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡± Xiao Chen felt something cut his heart. Old memories rushed back to him at the moment. Back when the Huangfu family went to him to break off the engagement, they brought him a Nine-flowered Shrub of Jaded Leaves, which Xin¡¯er tried her best to win, and at that time, she knew nothing about the dissolution of the engagement.


    ¡°Hump!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er tossed his sleeves, scoffed lightly, and turned back. Xiao Chen cleared his throat and said with a serious expression, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, how many fruits do you have? Give them all to me.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee, Koo-chee, Koo-chee.¡± The Koo-chee beast looked happy and handed Xiao Chen four Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits.


    Xiao Chen did not frown even a little bit when he put the four fruits into his mouth one by one. He chewed and swallowed them. A moment later, Gui Xian walked in and said with a smile, ¡°It seems the girl always has a measure.¡±


    ¡°Burp¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen belched and suddenly felt a sharp pain from his stomach. After that, he felt as if he were to be burned into ashes, and his face was covered with bright red streaks. He seemed to be suffering from sharp pain as a restless force rampaged inside his body. Under the force, the Yin and Yang forces in his body became restive as well.


    The three forces bumped each other inside his body, seemingly to smash his internal organs. However, in a short time, the forces were neck and neck in terms of power. They supplemented each other yet counteracted each other.


    Seeing him in pain, Huangfu Xin¡¯er and Ziyun¡¯er walked to Xiao Chen immediately. However, Gui Xian waved his hand at them and said, ¡°He is fine. These are normal reactions.¡± After saying this, he walked to behind Xiao Chen, struck several parts of his body, and infused some Mystic Power into his body.


    Several moments later, Xiao Chen came to a stable situation and fell asleep. Gu Feng walked in at the moment, with a big bloody snake gall in his hands. Looking at the unconscious Qingluan, he said to Gui Xian, ¡°This is the gall of the seven-colored python I killed. Could you please check if it¡¯s helpful to her?¡±


    Gui Xian stared at the gall carefully and then looked at Qingluan before saying repeatedly, ¡°Great! Great!¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er was all smiles as she looked at Gu Feng and said, ¡°Thank you so much for your help, Senior Gu Feng!¡±


    ¡°Hump!¡± Gu Feng tossed his sleeves and threw the gall at Gui Xian, saying in a frosty tone, ¡°You lasses know nothing but weeping and making pitiful faces, saying that you lost your sisters. Hump!¡± After saying this, Gu Feng walked out of the cave.


    Ziyun¡¯er froze and smiled gently.


    At midnight, a gust of chilling air woke Xiao Chen up. He felt the force that came from the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits turned stable and gathered in his elixir field like an asleep volcano.


    Xiao Chen sat up, finding that his clothes had been changed into clean ones. Where his left arm was cut off was wrapped up and felt cool.


    ¡°Boy, you woke up? Don¡¯t move your left shoulder in the following several days. I put something on your wound to absorb the toxins in your body,¡± Gui Xian said slowly while sorting out something.


    ¡°Absorbing toxins?¡± Xiao Chen asked, puzzled. Gui Xian explained to him, ¡°The toxins extracted from Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits are the strongest poison in the world. Even an immortal would die once he touches it. If you had not lost one arm, you shouldn¡¯t have eaten the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits. Now, you¡¯re impervious to all kinds of poisons. Well, many people would use poison on their enemies when in danger. However, you are resistant to kinds of poisons. How lucky you are!¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned by the words ¡°resistant to all kinds of poisons¡±. He naturally knew that there were many peculiar people who were good at attacking others with strong poisons, and being attacked, even a Rogue Immortal would die.


    When Fort Raksasa besieged Danyang Zi on Miasma Mountain Range, the latter, a cultivator at the peak of the Nirvana Realm from Order of the Divine Fire, would not have been killed by those four people if he had not suffered a sneak attack and got poisoned by Su Lianyue. It showed that poison could be really frightening, especially the poison used by an expert.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I died from the toxins of the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits?¡± Xiao Chen wondered to himself. But soon, he figured out the reason¡ªhe lost one arm and had a special physique. The toxins were discharged from the wound on his shoulder. In other words, if he had not lost one arm, he would have died from the toxins.


    However, his case was special. Not all the toxins could be discharged by cutting off one arm.


    After straightening out his thinking, Xiao Chen massaged his shoulder, seeing which, Gui Xian immediately warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t move, boy. The toxins you excreted are the strongest poison in the world and very useful to me.¡±


    ¡°Useful?¡±


    None-flower Dust chimed in with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t know why he obtained the name Gui Xian, Brother Xiao? Many people regard him as a divine physician who saves the sick and can bring the dead back to life; they don¡¯t know that his strongest skill is to kill invisibly. That¡¯s why he is addressed as Gui Xian. Haha!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded his head and finally understood that in the past, if Gui Xian wanted a city to fall, he could turn this city into somewhere nothing could grow by using poison.


    Gui Xian snorted coldly, and a chilling light flashed within his eyes as he said in a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯ll give Immortals¡¯ League a ¡®great¡¯ gift for what they have done back then.¡±


    Xiao Chen stared at Gui Xian and could tell that Gui Xian hated Immortals¡¯ League much more than hating the Zuoqiu family. In this life, Gui Xian was a victim of the Zuoqiu family¡¯s crime, and in his previous life, he was possibly killed by Immortals¡¯ League, which was actually a blood feud, just like Xiao Chen, who did not hate Immortals¡¯ League, Order of the Divine Fire, or the Mo Clan as much as he hated who plotted against him back then.


    The moon dipped in the west, and the night seemed to be quieter. Ziyun¡¯er fell asleep by Qingluan¡¯s side when she looked after her. Gui Xian, Yi Tong, and None-flower Dust went out while others all fell asleep. Looking at Huangfu Xin¡¯er, who sat back against the wall, Xiao Chen said in a light voice, ¡°Xin¡¯er, why don¡¯t you sleep?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not reply. Bathed in moonlight, she looked as if she were covered by layers of gloom. Xiao Chen walked to sit beside her and pulled her into his arms, saying, ¡°Take a rest. We¡¯ll have to set off for the North Continent tomorrow, and we¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked up at him. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes and saw their reflections. Eyes fixed on her rosy lips, he lowered his head to kiss her. However, before his lips fell on hers, he felt a sharp pain from his heart.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she quickly struck several main acupuncture points on his chest while saying in a soft voice, ¡°You still bear Heartless Curse with you, so don¡¯t act recklessly. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    The night passed in peace, and when Xiao Chen woke up in the morning, he found he still hugged her tightly with his right arm. With a smile on his face, he kissed her on the forehead. However, the gentle kiss caused his heart to suffer from fierce pain. Awoken by his movement, Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately got up and moved away.


    ¡°Ahem, are you awake?¡±


    Gui Xian walked in with some herbs in his hands and looked at Xiao Chen, asking, ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    Xiao Chen stood up and looked much better than last night. He tried to stretch himself but found his left shoulder numb. Possibly because of the toxins of the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruits, he felt like a flame lay concealed in his elixir field, yet he did not know when he could absorb all the power of the flame.


    He had a hunch that if he could absorb and refine the power, he probably could reach the Apotheosis Realm. By then, the cultivators in the Grand Completion Realm who were raised by the Immortals¡¯ League with elixirs would pose no threat to him.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen squeezed his own fingers. Now, he was hunted by the Immortals¡¯ League, but he believed that someday, he could establish a force that even the Immortals¡¯ League would feel frightened at, just like the Immortals¡¯ League felt frightened at the Spirit Silence Room and the Administration of Heaven. By then, he would hold the same status with the three forces, able to stamp Order of the Divine Fire and the Mo Clan under his feet, and nobody would dare to provoke him.


    Gui Xian nodded and brought Xiao Chen back to reality by saying, ¡°You recovered well. We must set off for the North Continent right now. I need to go there to make some preparations and ask an old friend of mine for help, so as to reattach your arm.¡±


    After getting changed, they immediately set out for the first city in the North Continent, Cangyun City, whose size was similar to that of Xianyong City. They reached outside the city at noon, and looking from afar, they saw many people wait in a long line in front of the gate of the city. One would be carefully checked before he could enter the city, but it didn¡¯t seem to be people from the Immortals¡¯ League trying to find Xiao Chen and his companions.


    In any case, Xiao Chen and his companions decided to be careful. They dispersed and pretended that they were strangers, so as to avoid being suspected. Gu Feng and Xiao Ning hid their powerful auras, and Su Xiaomei went back into the jade. Though he had a soul body, Gui Xian looked like normal human beings after he put on a cloak. Others could not tell that Gui Xian had a soul body unless they were sensitive to souls like Xiao Chen was.


    When they got near to the gate, Xiao Chen became wary as well because he sensed two cultivators at the Apotheosis Realm from the city gate tower. The two cultivators reached the realm with their own power instead of elixirs. Things appeared strange since two cultivators in the Apotheosis Realm were arranged to stay in an ordinary gate tower.


    ¡°A lot of people have died recently, right?¡±


    While Xiao Chen was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a sharp voice. The speaker was a short and thin man, and the man walking beside him made a hush gesture and said, ¡°In one night, flowers blossomed all over the village, and all the villagers died, just like what happened in Mu Family Village a hundred years ago. Be quiet, let¡¯s stop talking and enter the city quickly.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked serious and suddenly paused his steps. In one night, flowers blossomed all over the village, and all the villagers died.

 Chapter 478 - Weird Puppets

    ¡°Are you moving or not?¡±


    A voice suddenly rang out behind Xiao Chen. It turned out that the man behind Xiao Chen bumped into him because Xiao Chen suddenly stopped moving.


    ¡°Sorry, please go ahead of me.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled at the man, walked out of the line, and went to Yi Tong. When he saw Yi Tong, his expression became serious. ¡°Brother Yi, that man said¡­¡± he whispered to him.


    ¡°Sh¡­¡± Yi Tong made a hush gesture and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get into the city.¡±


    When Xiao Chen and his companions entered the city, they went separate ways so as not to draw attention from others. Many people in the city were talking about the recent strange death cases. ¡°It¡¯s Soul-consuming Evil Flower,¡± Yi Tong whispered in Xiao Chen¡¯s ears.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was indeed Soul-consuming Evil Flower. The two people he met just now said that flowers bloomed all over the village and all the villagers died in one night, just like what happened in Mu Family Village a hundred years ago. According to the words, Xiao Chen guessed that the ¡°Mu Family Village¡± should be Mu Chengxue¡¯s hometown.


    Yi Tong looked around before continuing, ¡°To tell you the truth, Sister Bai once told me to investigate Soul-consuming Evil Flower. When I met you in Burg of the Feral Phoenix, I was investigating Soul-consuming Evil Flower there with None-flower. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get any information on Soul-consuming Evil Flower in Abyss of Devil¡¯s Aura.¡±


    Xiao Chen furrowed his eyebrows even harder. Soul-consuming Evil Flower not only showed up in Violet Manor but also in the Human World. Back when Xiao Chen¡¯s grandfather, Perfected Immortal Zixu, who was the leader of the Three Pure Sect, and Master Lingjue from Sanctum of the Arcane Spring went out to investigate Soul-consuming Evil Flower, they were missing since then as if they had disappeared from the world.


    Actually, Xiao Chen knew that his grandfather was very powerful, just that the old man always hid his power. Besides, Xiao Chen believed that his grandfather must know something about Violet Manor and the cultivation world. Both his grandfather and Perfected Immortal Zixu were very strong, just like Jade Qing Seven.


    Because of what happened in the Human Realm a thousand years ago, the Barrier between Violet Manor and the Human World almost collapsed. Thus, in the last several hundred years, as long as the Annihilation Times did not come, most people could not exert their power fully no matter how powerful they were, just like they were suppressed by the law of heaven and earth and could not break free bit by bit until the Annihilation Times came.


    Seeing Xiao Chen preoccupied, Yi Tong asked, ¡°Why did you care about it so much as well, Brother Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and sighed. How could he not be concerned? His grandfather and Perfected Immortal Zixu were missing and it was unknown whether they were alive or not. Though Senior Sister Luo had joined the Jade Qing Sect, Perfected Immortal Zixu would be her only master forever in her heart, just like Ling Yin would always be Xiao Chen¡¯s master.


    ¡°What exactly is this Soul-consuming Evil Flower¡­¡± Xiao Chen could not help but wonder.


    Yi Tong sighed and said, ¡°It was over a hundred years ago that Soul-consuming Evil Flower first appeared. Until now, Soul-consuming Evil Flower is still traceless and nowhere to be found. How powerful it is!¡±


    While talking, they walked into a tavern. Given their current power, Gu Feng and Xiao Ning didn¡¯t need to eat anything in a short period, but Ziyun¡¯er, Yang Qing, and others had to eat.


    The group of people dared not to be in a high profile. They sat separately, ate some foods casually, and left in a hurry. After that, they went to a commercial house which offered service of transporting customers with Flying-cloud Stones. Gui Xian wanted to visit one of his old friends in Pingxi Village in the eastern territory of the North Continent, so as to reattach Xiao Chen¡¯s broken arm.


    They arrived in the eastern territory at the noon of the following day. Because Flying-cloud Stone didn¡¯t go to remote areas, they had to transfer to a carriage when they were about 20 kilometers eastwards from Pingxi Village.


    They sped up all the way and arrived at the outside of Pingxi Village in half an hour. At the moment, in front of them were balks and narrow paths that carriage could not pass, so they had to get off the carriage. Looking from afar, they saw crisscross footpaths between fields, streams, and many mulberries beside the balks.


    It was midsummer, and mulberry leaves were luxuriant. Normally, there should be many farmers collecting mulberry leaves to feed silkworms; however, Xiao Chen and his companions only saw a bleak sight, and no smoke rose up from the village in the distance. Ziyun¡¯er asked in a low voice, ¡°Grandpa Gui Xian, does your old friend really live here? Why is this place so desolate?¡±


    Gui Xian answered with furrowed eyebrows, ¡°My old friend has a strange temperament, so remain quiet when you see him. Let¡¯s go and have a look in the village.¡±


    The group of people immediately headed to the village. It was always cool in the North Continent, so they did not feel sultry walking on the path among the fields even in midsummer. However, the closer they were to the village, the more they felt an unspeakably strange atmosphere.


    Gu Feng and Xiao Ning were on guard with fixed attention. After a moment of walking, they gradually sensed a suppressing aura of death from the place in front of them. The closer they were to the village, the stronger the aura was.


    Xiao Chen was very sensitive to Yin Qi and Qi of the dead, so he had a bad foreboding. It was impossible for a normal village to have such a strong aura of death unless all the people in the village died with resentment and caused Rancorous Qi to gather there. ¡°Something bad might have happened there,¡± said Xiao Chen in a low voice.


    Gui Xian shared his feeling and frowned. The group of people sped up and when they arrived in the village, Ziyun¡¯er let out a scream of horror. Levitating Dark Fragrance and other girls all looked pale and frightened. Though they had killed many people, they were still terrified by what they saw.


    Some buildings wrapped by thick tree vines scattered in the village orderly; however, the ground was covered with¡­ compared to corpses, they looked more like weird withered puppets.


    These puppets included men, women, the old, and the young, and each of them had a vivid terrified expression on their faces. Judging from their looks, it was very likely that they were the villagers of Pingxi Village instead of some puppets someone carved to kill time.


    After taking a closer look, Xiao Chen and his companions found that most of these puppets were dark and cracked. Besides, they looked like human beings so much that they formed an extremely terrifying scene. The fact that all the people in the village were turned into horrible puppets was really chilling. Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale with fear as she murmured, ¡°What¡­ what are these?¡±


    Xiao Chen also found it unbelievable, and the scene in front of them was so weird. Yi Tong kept his composure and said in a calm tone, ¡°It¡¯s Soul-consuming Evil Flower who killed them. If one¡¯s soul was swallowed by Soul-consuming Evil Flower, he will become a withered puppet. Soul-consuming Evil Flower slaughtered this village last night.¡±


    On hearing the words, Yang Qing, Ziyun¡¯er, and others were shocked and showed an expression of disbelief. Gui Xian patted his own head and yelled, ¡°Oh, no, my old friend!¡± After saying this, he flew toward a big tree in the distance.


    The tree was extremely tall and big, and a tree house was built on it. Gui Xian landed in front of tree house, which was covered by leaves, and pushed the wooden door open, but he only saw several dust-covered pots and pans in the empty house. He let out a sigh of relief and went back to Xiao Chen and his companions.


    ¡°My old friend seemed to have left home many days ago. It¡¯s so lucky that he is fine, but I don¡¯t know where he has gone. Alas¡­¡±


    As Gui Xian was speaking, a black figure flashed quickly. Yi Tong was the first one to notice the figure and shouted, ¡°Who is there?¡± After saying this, he chased after the figure like a purple light. None-flower Dust went after him. Gu Feng, Xiao Ning, Xiao Chen, and others reacted quickly and chased after the black figure in no time.


    ¡°Stop running!¡± Yi Tong growled. He jumped up and punched toward the black figure. With his attack, leaves and broken branches were sent flying in the air, and there were endless thundering sounds.


    Xiao Chen, who chased after him, was surprised. The Yi Tong he knew was always calm, and he had never seen him as agitated as at the moment. Just as he was about to go forward and lend him a hand, Gui Xian stopped him and said, ¡°Kid, you¡¯re injured and should not run your cultivation method.¡±


    Gu Feng caught up with the black figure as well and shouted, ¡°You sneaky guy, who are you?¡± He held his Raging Dragon Blade in his hand instantly, and as he brandished the blade, black saber radiance over 30 meters long rushed forward. The black figure turned back quickly and met Gu Feng¡¯s powerful blow with one hand, causing a booming sound.


    ¡°Have I been found¡­¡± the black figure¡¯s voice was hollow and low. After taking a careful look, Gu Feng found that the black figure was, in fact, a human being in a black cloak. The man was enveloped by a strange black mist, with his face hidden in the cloak.


    Yi Tong¡¯s expression changed, and he was no longer as calm as before. ¡°Who are you? Do you have something to do with Soul-consuming Evil Flower?¡± he asked in a cold tone.


    Xiao Chen looked sober at the moment and wondered why Yi Tong cared about Soul-consuming Evil Flower so much. Those who went after them were also shocked after hearing the words. Soul-consuming Evil Flower had appeared for over a hundred years, and even Immortals¡¯ League failed to find the whereabouts of it. Xiao Chen and his companions could not help but wonder if the man in the black cloak was the man behind Soul-consuming Evil Flower.


    ¡°Soul-consuming Evil Flower? So you call it Soul-consuming Evil Flower¡­¡± the man in the black cloak laughed coldly, turned back, and was about to leave. Gu Feng took a big step forward and shouted, ¡°Stop there!¡±


    Gu Feng was a warlike man. Since he had met a well-matched opponent, he would not let him go easily. Xiao Ning took out his weapon and rushed forward as well. Yi Tong would not let the man go either since the man had something to do with Soul-consuming Evil Flower. He turned into a purple light and charged at the man.


    The man in the black cloak was at ease even when facing quick attacks from the three men. He tossed his sleeves, and two black veils of mist spread out and transformed into two black-robed men with the same figure as the man.


    ¡°Embodiment Duplication Skill!¡± None-flower Dust was slightly shocked. He had been studying about Embodiment Duplication Skill for many years, but he had never seen such a superb Embodiment Duplication Skill. He waved his feather fan and created two doppelgangers before rushing toward one of the black-cloaked man¡¯s doppelganger.


    ¡°You¡¯re teaching fish to swim!¡± the doppelganger of the black-cloaked man roared and threw out a punch. Two black veils of mist immediately dived forward and shattered the two doppelgangers None-flower Dust created.


    ¡°Puff!¡± None-flower Dust spat out a mouthful of blood and seemed to be seriously injured. He was sent flying backward and was caught by Yi Tong, who shouted at him, ¡°None-flower!¡±


    None-flower Dust covered his chest with his hands and spat out another mouthful of blood, which stained his feather fan. Obviously, he was badly injured. Yi Tong gnashed his teeth and helped None-flower Dust rest aside. After that, he ran his True Energy inside his body quickly and hastily recited a spell.


    In an instant, his body was shining with dazzling purple light, and his hair fluttered wildly behind his back. His eyes became even more bloodshot, and his power increased several times in a second.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± With the loud shout, Yi Tong seemed to have changed into another person. His body bulged a lot, his eyes became dazzling red, and his arms transformed into two strong claws.


    A wild wind blew over the place, and a breathtaking Demon Qi spread around, at which, Yang Qing and others all looked astonished. ¡°Demon, Demon¡­ he is a Demon!¡±

 Chapter 479 - The Stranger in Black

    The Demon Realm has been in shambles since the last Annihilation and demons began resettling into the Human Realm. But that caused their population to dwindle at the hands of human mages who hunted and killed them, resulting in what remaining of the demon folk to seek refuge deep inside the wildernesses of the mountains. Some would come to achieve the ability to assume into human appearance and fully conceal their distinctive aura known as Demon Qi, even though demons able to do so numbered few. Added with the commonly-negative perception the Human race had for Demons, Yang Qing¡¯s and his men¡¯s consternation and shock were all too expected.


    But Xiao Chen was hardly perturbed or surprised; he has always known Yi Tong was no ordinary person. Many a time Yi Tong had remarked about the boredom of long life and it had never occurred to Xiao Chen that Yi Tong was actually being serious. ¡°Wow¡­ So he¡¯s really a demon with almost one thousand years of age?¡±


    The demonic aura only grew stronger, churning up winds that howled and shook trees around them, causing the branches to flail and swing with their leaves rustling restlessly overhead. Xiao Ning was locked in a fierce battle with the true physical self of the stranger in black, with Gu Feng engaging one of his doppelgangers. Another of his doppelgangers stared at Yi Tong, gasping with surprise, ¡°Such immense demonic might! Are you a demon of the Spirit Silence Room?¡±


    ¡°ARGHH!¡± Yi Tong roared with fury and stormed at the doppelganger. With every step stamping into the ground, he threw up dirt and dust and the sheer force of his thunderous charge caused several trees to be uprooted, flying far and away into the distance.


    The clone of the stranger in black merely snorted as he beheld Yi Tong charging at him with his demonic might in full display, muttering a contemptuous ¡°Meddling fool¡±. He raised a hand, and the silky-black silhouette of a hand, gigantic and monstrous, appeared in thin air and slammed down on Yi Tong with the force of a mountain.


    No one said a word as the magically-conjured fist hammered hard on Yi Tong. Everyone was reeling with startle. Despite being only a copy of the stranger in black, the doppelganger not only looked just as invincible as its true body, it had also sentience of its own. The true manifestation of the perfect Embodiment Duplication Skill.


    Yi Tong leaped and threw forth both arms, releasing a pair of columns of deadly energy that rose up to meet the monstrous silhouette fist bearing down on him. The columns of destructive rays smashed together with the fist and a huge bang ensued and a terrible shockwave erupted, threatening to tear the continuum of Time and Space around them.


    Rage and anguish coursed through the veins on Yi Tong¡¯s face that surfaced as he struggled to funnel more power into the columns of energy spewing from his arms that were holding up the gigantic fist from pounding down on him. But he could hold on no more. A terrible bang ensued, and Yi Tong was thrown into the air by the blast.


    ¡°Brother Yi!¡± Xiao Chen cried. He dashed forward to help his friend when suddenly he felt a searing pain burning at his Dan Tian point below his waist. It was the power of the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit he ate before, stirring restlessly like an impatient beast.


    Xiao Chen let loose a grunt and strange, fiery-red, web-like marks began blazing brightly on his skin around his neck, stretching around his body like an unstoppable infection while he wrestled with the pain in his Dan Tian point that was growing like a volcano waiting to erupt. ¡°Control it, boy!¡± a distressed Gui Xian yelled frantically, ¡°Hold yourself together!¡±


    ¡°ARGGHHH!¡± Xiao Chen threw his head back and howled. His eyes turned blood-red as the power inside him burst forth, his hair thrashing wildly as the wave of energy exploded from him, tossing Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else who rushed to him off their feet.


    Yang Qing and the rest of the other swordsmen gaped with horror. ¡°Surely he¡¯s not a demon too?!¡± Naturally, Xiao Chen was not, although he looked no different from one. His right hand grabbed into thin air and the Blood Lotus Demon Blade appeared out of nowhere, its hilt falling into his grasp. With a fierce and murderous look at the stranger in black, he lunged straight at him.


    ¡°Dragon Slay!¡± Xiao Chen screamed, taking into the air with a stomp so powerful that the ground split. He swung his Saber and a thousands-of-foot blood-red magical bolt shaped like a scythe formed in the air.


    The sky screamed and darkened as if cowering in fear to Xiao Chen¡¯s terrible powers. The earth roiled and stirred as he sent forth the destructive blood-red scythe, churning up dust and stray blades of grasses in its wake, cutting a deep and wide gash on the ground as part of it sliced through the earth as it raced at the man in black¡¯s double.


    Everyone watched the spectacle with aghast attention. No one expected him to be able to wield such destructive powers. The mountains and earth shook as a deafening explosion ensued and a veil of dust rose and fell with the rumbles of the explosion echoing into the far distance.


    The village was almost completely destroyed by the blast of Xiao Chen¡¯s stroke; more than half of the tenements in the settlement had collapsed due to the shock. But when the dust finally settled, what everyone saw left them all dumbfounded. The doppelganger had managed to shield himself from Xiao Chen¡¯s awesome attack with only an arm!


    Yang Qing and the swordsmen each drew a long breath of cold air. This stranger in black was absurdly invincible! Xiao Chen remained floating in mid-air, staring down coldly at the stranger, the sleeve of his missing left arm snapping in the wind as he hissed, ¡°Who are you!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Is this all the infamous Xiao Chen can give me? Pathetic¡­¡± The stranger in black scoffed derisively.


    The scalding remark did little to ease the cold fury emanating from Xiao Chen, who ignored the jab and growled, ¡°There were three men who came from the Human World three years ago to investigate the Soul-consuming Evil Flower. Since then, no one has ever seen or heard about them. Where are they now? Speak!¡±


    ¡°A place you¡¯ll never find,¡± the man wrapped wholly in black answered darkly, his voice deep and distant as if he was speaking from a faraway dimension. Without warning, he threw forth a fist and Xiao Chen immediately felt an invisible force with the force of an ox blitzing him. He felt a knot in his chest tightening and he could not breathe and before he knew it, he was being thrown backward.


    ¡°Xiao Chen!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er screamed. She glided up quickly to catch him but the invisible force from the stranger was so powerful that both of them careened to the back as one for more than twenty meters before they could finally regain their balance.


    A spiteful Huangfu Xin¡¯er was about to charge at the cloaked stranger but a firm hand gripped at her arm. ¡°No,¡± Xiao Chen urged, ¡°He¡¯s too powerful. More powerful than the both of us.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Gu Feng and Xiao Ning, both of whom could only manage to barely hold their own against the doppelgangers engaging them. ¡°Who is this stranger who has such immense powers?! The strength he wields easily places him well over the Rogue Immortals of the League!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all the time I have for you today. I still have a business to attend to, so I¡¯d better take my leave now.¡± The stranger in black boomed hoarsely. With a curt look at his doubles, the doppelgangers merged themselves back into him and the stranger made ready to leave.


    But Gu Feng was far from willing to allow the stranger to leave freely. With a few skips, he caught up to the cloaked stranger, raising his saber high over his head and bringing it down viciously, unleashing the Raging Dragon Seven Slay. The ground broke asunder at the force of the massive stroke with dirt flying everywhere in the air.


    ¡°Deicide Ten-fold Slash!¡± Xiao Ning yelled, throwing forth ten slashes with his halberd in the blink of a second, the intense pressure from his lightning-quick attacks causing the ground to quiver. But the stranger whirled around to face them, sounding more annoyed than unnerved, snarling, ¡°Impudent fools!¡±


    He lifted both his arms and two jets of dark mists shot from his sleeves into the air and engulfed the magical missiles set forth by both Gu Feng and Xiao Ning¡¯s attacks!


    Boom!


    Another deafening crack of a thunderclap followed and pounded everyone¡¯s eardrums, temporarily dulling their hearing. Up in the air, Gu Feng and Xiao Ning instead were hit by a colossal force. Being threw on their backs, they crashed to the ground, both spewing mouthfuls of blood.


    ¡°Humph!¡± The cloaked stranger grunted coldly. With a fling of his sleeves, he morphed into a wisp of black fumes that flitted away and vanished.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Ning!¡± Xiao Chen and Su Xiaomei hurried to him together to help him up. But the proud warrior raised a hand to stop them. He turned to Gu Feng, ¡°Are you all right, Brother?¡±


    ¡°Just a little hurt, nothing to be worried about!¡± Gu Feng muttered, wiping away the blood that trickled out of his lips, never once taking his eyes off the direction where the stranger had disappeared to.


    No one else dared to speak. They could not yet believe that there existed such a person could defeat both the Northern Mad Emperor and the East Peak Emperor together.


    A pale-white Non-flower Dust was helped by Yi Tong and Gui Xian. The utter destruction of his doppelgangers had caused a severe blowback to his soul, grievously injuring him. A frown formed as Xiao Chen studied him. It was the first time he had seen Non-flower Dust looking so vulnerable and helpless. And who was this stranger in black who could do such damage to him?


    ¡°What should we do now, My Lord?¡± Ziyun¡¯er asked. She looked positively worried. Their quest to locate Gui Xian¡¯s former associate had only ended up in disaster with so many of them being wounded.


    Xiao Chen cracked his knuckles, looking into the direction where the cloaked stranger had vanished. ¡°If this is really the perpetrator behind the mystery of the Soul-consuming Evil Flower, the Immortals¡¯ League would be no match against him. He¡¯s just too powerful.¡± He inhaled deeply, brooding quietly, for the first time the thirst for more power churning inside him. He was just no strong enough and he needed more strength if he wanted to make a difference.


    ¡°The Six Domains are too vast to find out who this stranger really is,¡± Yi Tong said gravely after a deep sigh, ¡°But I¡¯m certain he¡¯s related to the mystery of the Soul-consuming Evil Flower. But why is he here? There are already Evil Flowers growing rampantly here. He did not have to show himself and risk being suspected. What was he actually after just now? And yet, he hastily left¡­ He does not want us to know who he is and was trying to keep his true identity hidden¡­¡±


    ¡°He wants to keep his identity hidden, you say? Is he one of the Administration of Heaven?¡± Xiao Chen asked suddenly.


    The remark left everyone tense and anxious. If it was true that the Administration of Heaven was responsible for unleashing the Evil Flowers, the Immortals¡¯ League would never be able to prove that.


    But Yi Tong shook his head. ¡°I mentioned my suspicions about this to Sister Bai before. But she was firmly invested that the Administration is just and honorable. They would never covet what is not theirs. If they wish for anything, they would willingly provide a matching offer to trade for it. She was certain that the Administration would never do anything as heinous as releasing this accursed flowers to wreak havoc in the worlds of men.¡±


    ¡°But who else would it be, if not the Administration of Heaven, everyone frowned in morose silence, Who else would have such resources and ability if not them?¡±


    For a fleeting second, Xiao Chen remembered something. But before he could dwell on it further, Gui Xian interrupted his thoughts, saying loudly, ¡°Well, anyway, we¡¯ll first have to reattach the boy¡¯s arm. We can worry about the rest later.¡±


    If there was anyone who truly feared the Administration of Heaven, that would be Gui Xian. It was he who owed the Administration his soul and he has always feared the day the Administration would come for him. Gui Xian had barely finished speaking when suddenly patters of footsteps began coming from an unseen corner. Gui Xian raised a hand to motion for silence when everyone heard a voice speaking, ¡°The demonic aura was coming from somewhere around here just now¡­¡±


    But before they knew it, another fierce voice came, ¡°Demon! Take this!¡±


    A steely whistle sliced through the air and a sword, gleaming gold and bright, shot straight at Yi Tong. Xiao Ning thrust his halberd at the incoming sword and parried it with a clang, just in time for a few figures to appear, all of them clad in the garb and robes customary of the Immortals¡¯ League.


    ¡°Who are you people and why are you here?¡± An old man in green robes growled at them as soon as he saw them. The golden sword earlier was hurled by one of his impatient subordinates.


    Gu Feng stepped front, eager to start another fight but Xiao Ning held him back with an arm held up against his chest. He said to the newcomers, ¡°We¡¯re just passing by, about to leave now.¡±


    With Gu Feng and him exhausted and injured from the fight against the stranger in black, Xiao Ning knew better than to antagonize any enemies now, nevermind two Immortals¡¯ League mages of the true Grand Completion Realm. These were not artificially-enhanced mages and they would be smart to avoid any altercation for now.


    With a look to everyone else behind him, he quietly motioned for the party to leave. Suddenly, the elderly man squawked, ¡°Wait a minute! I need to take all of you into custody for now. It¡¯s too coincidental that you are here when the Evil Flowers are found here too. And you have a demon in your midst!¡±


    Everyone tensed at the old man¡¯s demand for them to stay put when a voice from the soldiers of the League shattered any hopes of slipping away, ¡°Just a second! I know those faces! They look like the ones that are wanted by the Headquarters!¡±

 Chapter 480 - The Eerie Valley

    The two gnarly-old men stared hard at Xiao Chen and everyone when they heard the scream, gulping hard their saliva. ¡°The people wanted by the Headquarters?! Reports about the fugitives described two combatants with powers close to the levels of Rogue Immortals! How are we supposed to apprehend such power!?¡±


    But the consternation did little to quell the courage of the old man in green, who channeled his full might without further ado. The vast Mystic Powers in him churned and tossed up a storm of winds that rushed and whipped around violently like a raging beast struggling to break loose and the large voluminous sleeves of his robes flailed and snapped wildly. A column of deadly energy shot from the sky like a bolt of lightning and slashed down at Xiao Chen and his companions.


    The thrashing winds caused by the roiling Mystic Powers coughed up a whirlwind of dust, gravel, and broke twigs and branches. Xiao Ning leaped into the air, spinning himself quickly like a top to gather momentum before he thrust his halberd at the incoming strike from overhead. A gold-yellow missile of magical energy emitted from the tip of his halberd and clashed with the deadly bolt of magic from the sky and a shockwave rippled across the ground, flattening everything in its path.


    ¡°Run, all of you!¡± Xiao Ning snarled at the top of the bedlam as he withstood the attack.


    The Elder in green continued feeding his energy to the magical blast, wondering, ¡°This man must be one of those reported to be able to match equally against Rogue Immortals! But he seems weakened! Why?!¡± Beside him, his colleague, another Elder who was dressed wholly in red, noticed the dried blood caking on the edges of his lips and cried, ¡°They¡¯re hurt! What a good chance!¡± He too channeled his full might and delivered an attack of his own.


    Gu Feng stood in the way of the attack and took it himself. The blow hit him and the ancient warrior lurched several steps backward. He gritted his teeth. ¡°If only I have my full strength!¡± He cursed,¡± I would not have to look so pathetic under the attack of just two mages of Grand Completion Realm if not for the heavy exhaustion recently!¡±


    Xiao Chen almost threw himself forward to help but he was held back by a distressed Gui Xian. ¡°This is no time for your heroics now, boy!¡± And he yanked at his arm, dragging him away westbound to another exit of the village.


    Seeing this, the Elder in green yelped, ¡°After them! Don¡¯t lose them!¡±


    There was hardly any hunger for credit in the Elder¡¯s eagerness to arrest Xiao Chen and his band of companions. On the contrary, he was afraid of Xiao Chen¡¯s party especially after receiving the reports from the Headquarters about them, even with Xiao Ning¡¯s and Gu Feng¡¯s fatigue and injury. But more than that, he feared the repercussions that would come from the Headquarters if news were to escape that he allowed these wanted fugitives to escape.


    He quickly crushed a jade note, using its magic to convey his summons to other detachments of soldiers of the Leagues nearby. The four Envoys of the Nirvana Realm behind him, with another pair of the Apotheosis Realm, circled around Gu Feng and Xiao Ning in pursuit of Xiao Chen and his group.


    Xiao Chen turned his back to see the six Envoys at their heels and he bit his lips, calling out loud, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°At once, My Lord!¡± The thirty-foot spectral figure of his trusty subordinate materialized. He might have been injured since the fight at Mount Wuyue, but his sudden appearance startled the Envoys and two of them who were of the Apotheosis Realm panicked and pulled to a halt.


    The other four Envoys of Nirvana Realm continued chasing doggedly behind, sending deadly rays of gold energies whenever they could. But Xiao Chen and his companions could not fight back; with None-flower Dust too injured to fight and Yi Tong helping him and all of the Levitating Dark Fragrance either too weak or incapacitated, they could only flee as best as they could against the four Envoys of the Nirvana Realm.


    Frustrated, Huangfu Xin¡¯er attempted to channel her powers using the Heartless Cultivation Method. But Xiao Chen urged, ¡°No, Xin¡¯er! Just run!¡± He shoved her towards Yi Tong. Since the fight atop Mount Wuyue, Xiao Chen had been dreading the cruel and brutal Huangfu Xin¡¯er surfacing once more and he would give anything to stop her from becoming so again.


    But an embittered Gui Xian barked at him, ¡°Tell that to yourself, boy! Now run! Save your stubbornness for another day!¡±


    The four Envoys of Nirvana Realm drew closer and closer as they chased behind. Yang Qing screamed, ¡°Xiao Chen, you run on ahead! My men and I will try to hold them off!¡± With his men, he stopped and held off the four Envoys.


    Xiao Chen could not believe this. He had barely known Yang Qing and his band of swordsmen, yet here they were, willing to give up their lives for him. Ridden by guilt, he conjured his Blood Lotus Demon Blade and said to Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else, ¡°The rest of you, go on ahead!¡±


    But Gui Xian grabbed at the scruff of his collar, insisting hushedly, ¡°You fool, go! The swordsmen are nobody but strangers! But you! You cannot die here! Just go!¡±


    ¡°Please, My Lord! Please listen to Senior Gui Xian¡¯s advice! Go!¡± Ziyun¡¯er joined them and urged him. With a quick look at Gui Xian, they tugged at his arms and dragged him away from the fight.


    But a stubborn Xiao Chen could only look back at the fighting, his fingers still gripping firmly the hilt of his weapon. He watched with his own eyes as one of the seven swordsmen was impaled by a sword. But he knew understood full well that the Levitating Dark Fragrance and Xin¡¯er mattered above all else¡­ Bitterly, he grimaced quietly, resentful at his own weakness!


    Two of the four Nirvana Realm Envoys saw Xiao Chen and the girls fleeing and detached themselves from the turmoil to give chase. Within seconds, they caught up to Xiao Chen. Gui Xian jostled Xiao Chen out of the way and attacked one of the Envoys, who easily defended himself with a sweeping blow before retaliating with another attack that nearly caused Gui Xian to collapse.


    ¡°Senior!¡± Xiao Chen tried to help him up. But with one hand gripping his weapon and the other arm missing, he could not. Instead, he lunged at the Envoy and sent a blood-red scythe-shaped magical bolt at him which was also easily deflected away.


    ¡°Stop using your powers, boy! You¡¯ll lose your arm! Just run!¡±


    Gui Xian screamed at Xiao Chen as he weaved several hand seals to cast another spell. A tiny wisp of fumes, in wavering hues of green, wafted towards one of the Nirvana Realm Envoys. His colleague, who realized what it was, quickly pulled him away from the fume, shouting, ¡°Careful! It¡¯s poisonous!¡±


    But it was too late. With a sickening sizzle of flesh burning, the Envoy in front let out an anguished howl. The green fume had barely grazed the skin on his shoulder, but a sizable chunk of flesh had been gnawed away by the corrosive fumes.


    Xiao Chen and his companions used the distraction to put more distance like 300 meters between them and their pursuers. With more than ten kilometers between them, the two Envoys knew better than to come closer out of fear for Gui Xian¡¯s poisonous fumes. They attacked from afar, controlling their swords using telekinesis.


    They were just inside a jungle when the clamor of battle broke out from behind them. It was Gu Feng and Xiao Ning who had caught up. The two warriors made short work of the pair of Nirvana Realm Envoys and were subsequently joined by Guifeng and Yang Qing and his men, all of whom bloodied and hurt.


    ¡°Quick, get cover! The League¡¯s Hit Squads are coming!¡± Xiao Ning and Gu Feng hastened everyone into the refuge of the forest where they slipped into the shadows and shade of the glen provided by the thick and lush canopies of the trees. Before long, the entire forest itself was blanketed by a sudden dark shroud. The sky was filled with innumerable Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stones.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Three barrages of 300-meter destructive energy beams pounded the forestland, laying waste to the woods around the spot where Xiao Chen and his companions were hiding. Heatwaves rippled from the spot where the salvos of energy bolts struck, sweeping Ziyun¡¯er and everyone else off their feet.


    ¡°Ziyun¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen cried and he dashed to her and held her steady. Hurt by the blast of the heatwave, a drop of blood dribbled down her chin. ¡°I¡¯m fine, My Lord¡­ We need to move¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen bit his lips, resentful at his helplessness. If he could, he would have given anything to bring down the Flying-cloud Stones looming overhead. ¡°Into the deep of the forest! We¡¯ll shake them off in there!¡± Su Xiaomei cried.


    Everyone sped into the deeper parts of the forest with as much speed as possible with their movement techniques. The verdant canopies of the tall and strong oaks of the forest provided just the cover they needed, shielding them from the observations of the Hit Squads in the sky. In the end, the Hit Squads could only carpet-bomb the area, hoping vainly that this would yield results.


    Cascades of explosions reverberated through the mountainside woodland, scattering numerous birds and beasts from the area as the former flocked into the sky with haste and desperation, seeking to escape from the destruction and mayhem. As Xiao Chen and his party fled deeper out of sight, the Flying-cloud Stones descended on the ground to unload soldiers to canvass the forest for them.


    Xiao Chen and his companions did not slow down. But in mere moments, they were surrounded by their pursuers. Xiao Chen pounced, swinging his saber. But the soldiers took out an unknown weapon and fired a salvo of energy that came at him with a terrible bang.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Guifeng bellowed. He dashed to Xiao Chen, pushing him away and taking the blow himself. With a boom, he was sent flying tens of meters away, crumbling into a smoldering heap.


    ¡°Careful! Those are hand-carry energy cannons!¡± Yang Qing shouted. He leaped to the front, brandishing his weapon and sending a magical blow at a soldier that lopped off his head cleanly. Gu Feng joined in the fray with tremendous alacrity, taking down a few other soldiers too.


    Xiao Chen used the chance to check on Guifeng. His lamellar armor was all but shattered from the blast and the wounds he suffered were ghastly. ¡°This device is too dangerous,¡± Xiao Chen realized, ¡°I could have been dead if Guifeng did not save me!¡± ¡°General, retreat now!¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Understood, My Lord! Guifeng¡­ retreating as ordered!¡±


    As Guifeng¡¯s ethereal form dissipated, Xiao Chen began thinking, ¡°This device that the Immortals¡¯ League contrived is so powerful! We should put it to good use! If only I can use something like this, with Gui Xian¡¯s specially-concocted poison, and use them to destroy the Headquarters of the Immortals¡¯ League! The effect would be so much more epic than what I did to Tianyuan City then!¡±


    What was more, if he could come up with ways to miniaturize its size and make it a small firearm for assassinations, he could put it to tremendous use in tandem with Gui Xian¡¯s poison! Its application could be as potent as any magical treasure and relic and he would not need again to flee from the Rogue Immortals! A weapon like this might seem devious and deceitful, but Xiao Chen only felt it fitting to be used against the Immortals¡¯ League which was just as ignoble and treacherous! ¡°Why would I still want to defend myself with honor and regret when I might lose everyone dear to me? When I should attack them with all the craftiness and cunning I have and revel in the spoils? So be it then¡­ They are the ones asking for it with their frauds and hypocrisies¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen felt his heart racing with anger and anticipation. ¡°So be it then! If this is how they want it!¡±


    Another dark shadow soared overhead, blocking out the light as it drew closer, growing larger. Another Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stone had arrived. The soldiers on the flying conveyance saw Xiao Chen and his companions and fired their cannon, letting loose another volley of energy at them.


    The salvo hit the ground near Xiao Chen without warning, gushing up a heatwave that blasted towards all directions, hitting Yang Qing who tumbled and rolled a few times before he grabbed one of the energy cannons lying on the ground. He aimed it at the Flying-cloud Stone and fired a shot that shuddered the whole forest.


    A pillar of light shot up into the sky and struck the side of the Flying-cloud Stone. The stone conveyance wobbled violently and began circling down, leaving a trail of fumes in its wake.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great shot, Brother Yang!¡± One of his men shouted amid the whoops of joy from others, ¡°Give it another!¡±


    With another bang, Yang Qing fired another burst of energy. The deadly beam hit the Flying-cloud Stone again, this time striking its energy cannon apparatus and igniting all of the energy stored on board. The Flying-cloud Stone exploded into bits with its passengers all killed.


    ¡°Gods! Look at this device! Them Immortals League is just good at producing the good stuff!¡± The swordsman, now standing by Yang Qing¡¯s side, beamed again.


    Even Xiao Chen was awed by the power of the energy cannon. But such lethal output would surely require the consumption of a lot of Spirit Stones. ¡°Brother Yang,¡± he said to Yang Qing, ¡°You¡¯d better keep that weapon well. We might need it again!¡±


    A hasty Gui Xian urged, ¡°Enough prattling! We ought to leave!¡±


    With that, everyone continued running. In almost four hours, they covered almost a 500 kilometers into unknown territory, yet the Immortals¡¯ League Hit Squad remained stubbornly in pursuit, this time reinforced by several mages of the Grand Completion Realm who caught up on flying swords.


    By then, Xiao Chen and his companion were all fatigued and wearied and the power in the energy cannon that Yang Qing was carry was all but depleted. They were about to be cornered when they chanced upon a hidden path leading into an unknown valley. They immediately dove into the trail like desperate mice but the Grand Completion Realm mages of the Immortals¡¯ League immediately stopped short outside the entrance.


    One of them, an ancient mage clad in green who quickly raised up a gnarly arm to stop his colleagues, peered into the quiet little path shadowed by the jagged and tall precipices, looking positively worried, ¡°No. We cannot go in. With all the chaos that abounds with the absence of the Chief, we cannot suffer any conflict now.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve come so far!¡± One of his colleagues, a mage on his left, protested, ¡°We cannot just let them get away!¡±


    Another mage on the elderly mage¡¯s right sneered viciously, ¡°They¡¯re heavily injured. For all we know, those inside might just finish our jobs for us.¡±


    The three mages were still in a heavy debate when suddenly a few glimmers of sword radiance shone above them. Another troop of mages flew overhead and sped up the path, riding on their swords. The elderly mage in green gasped with horror, ¡°Gods in Heaven, that¡¯s the Enchanted Ice Troop! We must stop them! He shouted frantically, ¡°Wait! Come back! Don¡¯t enter!¡±


    But he was too late. The mages, in forms of streaking lights, shot straight into the eerily quiet valley. Strangely, they immediately vanished as soon as the streaking lights entered the grove.

 Chapter 481 - Blue-water Altar

    Xiao Chen and the others ran into the valley and saw that they were surrounded by ancient trees which green vines entwined, there were also strange-looking flowers that blossomed at their fullest under the trees, and colorful butterflies were dancing above them. In a distance, the sound of a flowing stream could be heard. There was a refreshing fragrance in the air.


    Just a moment ago, they were still in a chase of life and death, but now they had come to a place with such a quiet scenery. Everyone felt relaxed and even felt like lying down on the lawn for a while.


    However Yi Tong¡¯s frown grew deeper and deeper, and he suddenly said, ¡°Be careful, there is a strange Demon aura everywhere. It¡¯s a tad unusual.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone was immediately alert and they carefully moved forward. Indeed, there was too much difference between inside and outside. It was abnormal.


    After a while, they had moved deeper into the valley, the sound of gurgling water sounded in everyone¡¯s ears, but after walking for a long time, there was no sight of a stream nearby. Suddenly, a layer of fog shrouded over them, Xiao Ning said hurriedly, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    At the end of his words, the white fog had shrouded over them. The fog was so thick that everyone could not see each other. Xiao Chen shouted immediately, ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± But he got no response.


    ¡°Senior Gui Xian! Big Brother Xiao Ning! Ziyun¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen shouted everyone¡¯s name, but the people who were around him before seemed to have all disappeared at this moment. This feeling gave him a sudden chill on his back.


    ¡°Mister¡­¡±


    At this moment, a soft voice suddenly sounded from not far away. It sounded extremely charming, as though one could melt in it. Xiao Chen waved the fog in front of him and stared at the distance where the voice came from, faintly seeing a beautiful woman walking slowly towards him.


    ¡°Who are you!¡±


    Xiao Chen was immediately alerted, but with the fog in front of him, he could not see the woman¡¯s appearance clearly. He could only vaguely see that the woman was in thin clothes, wearing only a translucent gauze, and was pretty seductive.


    ¡°Mister¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s waist was so slim that it seemed as though it could break while walking. As she sashayed over, Xiao Chen held his breath. The woman was wearing only a light gauze, which was the same as being naked.


    ¡°Hee hee, Mister, am I beautiful?¡± The woman finally reached Xiao Chen. At a closer look, she was utterly gorgeous, with a beautiful face like snow that was flawless, her eyes were watery, her eyebrows like a crescent moon and there was a playful smile on her face.


    Xiao Chen frowned, and said coldly, ¡°Who are you? Where are my friends? Where did you move them to!¡± The bewitching girl smiled and blinked, saying, ¡°No, you tell me first, am I beautiful?¡± Then she stretched out her arms, trying to wrap them around Xiao Chen ¡®s neck.


    Xiao Chen took a step back and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t force my sword out!¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± The bewitching woman hummed softly and said coquettishly, ¡°Mister is really like a block of wood, since the Mister doesn¡¯t like this side of mine, then maybe I should change it to another face for the Mister?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°What you mean by to change to another face?¡±


    ¡°Change to another face means¡­¡± The bewitching woman suddenly turned her neck around, and a bloody skull face was presented in front of Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was so scared that he took a big jump back and shouted, ¡°Demon! Take this!¡±


    With a ¡®swoosh¡¯, the Unsullied¡¯s sword came out instantly, but the woman suddenly disappeared.


    The Unsullied sword flew back, the sword body was suffused with a layer of pale white radiance that guarded around Xiao Chen. After a while, Xiao Chen had walked out a few miles. He had slaughtered 3 of the seductive Demon beings as he walked but he had yet to find where the others were.


    No matter how much he shouted, no echoes came around, and this foggy forest seemed to go nowhere, no matter how much he walked, it was as if he kept returning to the same place.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression became more and more serious. This feeling reminded him of the time in Wuwang Wind Cloud City with Xiaoyue, Yu Yifeng, and others. At that time, everyone unknowingly entered the illusory land. Now in here, he was afraid that it was also an extremely powerful illusory land.


    After another half an hour, Xiao Chen was already sweating heavily. He had killed more than a dozen seductive Demon beings along the way, but the more he walked the Demon beings seemed to be more powerful. Even with the Unsullied sword, they had become difficult to deal with. To make matters worse, there was a constant heart-wrenching pain in his left shoulder where his arm was being broken, which made him felt like cutting his shoulder off. But Gui Xian had specifically told him not to touch the wound.


    ¡°Just got out of the tiger¡¯s mouth, and then I entered the wolf¡¯s cave. Is this really the end for me, haha¡­¡± Xiao Chen laughed bitterly, he leaned on a big tree and sat down slowly. His face was pale at the moment, a thick layer of sweat formed on his forehead, his lips were pale as well, and the wound on his left shoulder had become worse.


    At the same time, somewhere else in this valley in a courtyard full of cherry blossoms, a shallow hot spring was in the center of it. A layer of white smoke was floating on the water surface and in the water, there was a woman with snow-white skin bathing.


    The pool of water was about a foot deep. The woman was sitting by the pool. The water just reached her chest. A light breeze came and the cherry blossoms flew along with the wind and fell into the water, and on the woman¡¯s shoulders, hair, and chest.


    The woman had a faint smile on her face, and her beauty was truly unparalleled. She wore a pair of purple jade pendants on her earlobe, and she had a vermilion beauty teardrop mole on the lower part of her right eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed Mystic-Yin and Spirit-calling Enchantment. After I¡¯ve master all of it¡­ hehe¡­¡±


    Chuckling, the woman¡¯s two slim arms slowly flicked, creating the ripples on the water. Two white legs leaned together were faintly visible under the water as well as that secret area that was hidden by the poolside cherry tree reflection.


    ¡°By then, who else could threaten me, and so what it¡¯s her¡­¡±


    The woman smiled, gently cupped the pool of water with her palm, and slowly poured it onto her neck. The water droplets slowly dripped along her slender fingers and to her neck, and then slipped from the neck to the collarbone, and then fell to her chest before it lowly returned to the pool.


    Behind her was a small Phoenix Pavilion. The furnishings in the pavilion were clean and elegant. There was a small bronze mirror on the dressing table and some pearl and jade pieces of jewelry. A purple jade pearl curtain was hung on the back door facing the courtyard. There was a cherry blossom outside the door, and some light purple dresses were hanging on the tree, fluttering in the wind, with a faint fragrance.


    At this moment, a rush of footsteps was heard outside the courtyard, followed by a woman in blue walking into the Phoenix Pavilion. She seemed a little rushed as she bowed and said, ¡°Altar Master, someone broke into the water moon illusory land.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The woman in the pond did not panic, she gently cupped the water and slowly poured it on her shoulder, before slowly saying, ¡°Which fool?¡±


    ¡°Altar Master, it¡¯s four people from the Immortals¡¯ League North Continent branch¡­¡± the woman in blue said truthfully.


    ¡°The people in the Immortals¡¯ League branch are really getting bolder.¡± The woman in the pond was still not flustered, and asked, ¡°Who else?¡±


    ¡°There are more than twenty people who I haven¡¯t seen before They should be hunting down by Immortals¡¯ League. One of them seems to be Yu Eleven of Jade Qing Sect.¡± The woman in blue lowered her head and said with arched hands.


    ¡°Yu Eleven?¡± The woman in the pool frowned, saying to herself, ¡°Isn¡¯t Yu Eleven going to Kunlun? Why did he come here for? Why is he being hunted down by Immortals¡¯ League?¡±


    The woman in blue said, ¡°Yes, I saw him holding the Unsullied sword, and killed more than a dozen of our Charm Devils.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I see.¡± The woman in the pool smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not Yu Eleven, it¡¯s that cheeky boy. Humph. Not a word before coming here, I shall bully him then.¡±


    Speaking of which, the woman in the pond seemed to have a playful smile on her face. She turned her head and said, ¡°You, put a few more powerful Charm Devils, and teach him a lesson otherwise he won¡¯t remember how nice I am.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The woman in blue seemed to be in a dilemma, and the woman in the pool immediately shot her a cold glare. ¡°What?¡±


    The woman in blue instantly trembled, and then quickly bowed her head and arched, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey, but that Mister seems, seems to be injured.¡±


    The woman in the pool put away her cold glare and sneered. ¡°When is he ever not injured? Whenever there is a problem, he always loves to fight with people everywhere instead of using his brains. If he isn¡¯t injured, then that will be strange, humph.¡±


    The woman in blue frowned, and continued, ¡°The Mister¡¯s left arm was severed, and the injury was very serious. He must be treated as soon as possible. If he is a friend of the Altar Master¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say!¡± Without waiting for her to finish, the expression of the woman in the pool suddenly changed. ¡°Splash!¡± She stood up directly from the pool, the water drops fell along her body, and there were still a few cherry blossoms on the skin. It was beautiful to look at, as it reflected on the shallow water, along with the unobstructed scenery of the lakes and mountains.


    ¡°His arm is severed?¡± At this moment, the woman in the pool was frowning, her expression became very dignified. She stretched out her hands, several lilac skirts hanging on the tree immediately floated over and draped over her.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡­


    In the woods of illusory land, Xiao Chen leaned against a big tree, his face was extremely pale, and his body was gradually weakened. A lot of dark purple blood had flowed from where his left arm was severed. If it continued to worsen, he would not be able to reattach his arm.


    Some very powerful Charm Devils charms nearby came around again. Those women that the devil being transformed into were all very seductive, undressed, and said with charming voices, ¡°Is the Mister tired, why not let me serve the Mister¡­¡±


    ¡°You demons, don¡¯t you dare harm me!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed. The Unsullied sword flew out, but it could no longer cause any damage to these Charm Devils.


    ¡°Since the Mister doesn¡¯t like it nice, then you shall be punished!¡± Several Charm Devils suddenly made a loud whistle, turned into a bloody scary image and attacked Xiao Chen.


    The ferocious power made Xiao Chen a little breathless, and the surrounding leaves were rattling. With his state at the moment, he could not defeat these powerful Charm Devils. At this moment, a few purple radiances flew rapidly from a distance away. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The few Charm Devils suddenly made a shrill cry and were instantly cut to pieces.


    ¡°Who!¡± Xiao Chen shouted coldly and looked in the direction where the purple radiances came from, but he was obscured by the fog and could not see anything.


    Suddenly a light breeze blew, with a faint scent that seemed familiar.


    Gradually, the fog seemed to fade, Xiao Chen faintly saw a person approaching him. That person was wearing a light purple dress, as if he had seen it once before, as if he had a wonderful experience with it before.

 Chapter 482 - Meeting Su Lianyue Once Again

    Slowly, the surrounding fog gradually dissipated. Xiao Chen could already see the woman in the purple dress walking slowly across, while others, at this moment, seemed to wake up from a dream, and finally broke away from the illusory land.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er! Are you all right?¡± Xiao Chen immediately went to the others, but fortunately, everyone was okay. Gu Feng glared at the woman in purple. ¡°Demonic woman! Die!¡± Then he slashed at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Xiao Chen was shocked and shouted hurriedly. Gu Feng immediately took the blade back but it was not because of Xiao Chen¡¯s exclamation, but because for this moment the Raging Dragon Blade was only one foot above the woman¡¯s head, but the woman was smiling and calmed.


    The woman in purple looked at Xiao Chen and the empty sleeves on his left shoulder, smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s only been slightly more than a month since I last saw you. How did Mister Xiao become like this?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression finally relaxed, smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s only been more than a month, we have met again, Fairy Su.¡±


    The woman in purple was Su Lianyue. Xiao Chen did not expect that he would accidentally break into her Blue-water Altar as they fled in panic. He thought of the time when the two were in Corpse Refinery Sect and mystic domain in Flower Valley which were seemingly absurd and wonderful days. Xiao Chen felt that it was better to talk less.


    ¡°Fa-Fairy?¡± Yang Qing stared at Su Lianyue without blinking, as if his soul was going to be taken away, together with the other six swordsmen from Wastelands, at this time they looked at Su Lianyue in a daze. They had never seen such a charming woman before. At this moment, it felt as if the soul no longer belonged to themselves, the seven people swallowed their saliva in unison.


    Su Lianyue smiled charmingly, her gaze remained on Xiao Chen¡¯s face, and she did not look at the seven people. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from not far away, it was that four Immortals¡¯ League envoys who came in after had woken up as well.


    Su Lianyue glanced at the four men and waved her sleeve gently, and four purple veils of mist immediately tangled around the four men, wrapping around the four men¡¯s necks.


    After four purple veils of mist wrapped, it instantly felt like thousands of sharp spines rattan, tightly tied up the four. Here was where the Blue-water Altar located at, with Fort Raksasa¡¯s formation of traction, even if they had the cultivation of the Nirvana Realm, they could not do anything at the moment.


    The four of them showed fear, and looked at Su Lianyue, saying, ¡°How dare you! Who are you? We are the envoys of Immortals¡¯ League. You want to be rebellious!¡±


    Up to now, the four men still did not know where they had arrived at. Su Lianyue gently smiled, looked at Xiao Chen, and said, ¡°Mister Xiao, do you think these four should die?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were cold, and he turned around and looked at the four men. The two cold eyes were like Ghost Realm¡¯s Book of Life and Death. The four men were frightened. Before that, they were still chasing them for thousands of miles. In a snap, their lives had fallen into the other party¡¯s hands, and one person yelled, ¡°Xiao Chen! Don¡¯t you dare! Hurry up and go back with us to have your judgments!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were cold, and he only said the word coldly.


    Su Lianyue smiled gently. ¡°Since Mister Xiao said they should die, then they must die.¡± At the end of her words, a silent chill spread out.


    The four of them felt this cold killing intention in no time. This time, they finally had some real fear, but now they were trapped by mystic arts, and even their vital soul could not escape. One yelled, ¡°You dare! We are Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, ? few swooshes were heard and the four purple mists were like sharpened blades, severing the throats of the four instantly. The blood splattered and the four died at that instant, even their vital souls were shattered. They died with a grievance.


    ¡°Drag them down and throw them into the bug pool and feed the bugs.¡± Su Lianyue glanced at the four women behind her as if nothing had happened.


    Yang Qing and his party then recovered from shock. A layer of cold sweat was formed on their backs instantly, for they did not expect a woman this beautiful could be so cruel and kill with such decisiveness. The seven people secretly wiped the cold sweat away and dare not have any nonsense thoughts.


    Xiao Chen was a little surprised. He was just casually saying a word. It was also unexpected that in just less than two months, Su Lianyue¡¯s cultivation has increased so much. ¡°The four of them all had Nirvana Realm¡¯s initial cultivation, has she reached Apotheosis Realm?


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mister talking?¡± Su Lianyue looked at Xiao Chen, who was in a daze and said with a smile. At this moment, she had changed to that charming Ice Jade Fairy.


    Xiao Chen came back to his senses, arched his hands, and smiled, ¡°Sorry that we had disturbed the fairy.¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled and said, ¡°Mister Xiao doesn¡¯t have to be so polite, but, but fortunately you broke into my Blue-water Altar and not Dark-ocean Altar. Otherwise, you may end up like those four.¡±


    Gu Feng grunted coldly, and seemed very unconvinced. ¡°Just a few women! What¡¯s so great!¡±


    Su Lianyue gently smiled and said, ¡°I live alone in the valley, hence I must set up illusory land precautions. If this has offended you just now, please forgive me.¡± Then she looked up at the sky and continued, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I have helped you deal with those four people already, so please leave now.¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned for a while. ¡°He is at least a friend to her, is that such a need to chase them away so fast? He could not help but feel a little unhappy. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t dare to disturb for a long time, we will leave now then.¡± As he was about to turn around and leave, Gui Xian stretched out his hand. ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Boy, your wound has deteriorated so badly that you must immediately reattach your arm. If you delay, I¡¯m afraid there will be no hope in the future.¡± Gui Xian looked at him and said.


    Ziyun¡¯er also immediately stepped forward and said anxious, ¡°There are people from Immortals¡¯ League outside, so we can only stay here for one night, and we will leave tomorrow morning. Altar Master Su please consider that in the past the Lord had¡­¡±


    Before she finished speaking, Su Lianyue looked up at the sky and said lightly, ¡°Blue-water Altar has its rules. No one is allowed to stay here when it gets dark, no exceptions. Please leave.¡±


    Hearing her cold words at the moment, Xiao Chen was even more upset. Even if they were not friends of many years, they had at least experienced life and death together in the Corpse Refinery Sect before, and had spent three months together in the Flower Valley mystic domain, and now that only a month plus that they did not see each other, this woman had become so ruthless. It was really annoying.


    Xiao Chen got angrier and said coldly, ¡°Ziyun¡¯er, let¡¯s go! I don¡¯t believe in a world this big, there¡¯s no place for me!¡±


    At this time, Gui Xian coughed and said, ¡°Okay, Altar Master Su, let¡¯s put everything on the table. I will now need to borrow your treasure land for a few days, to reattach the arm for this boy, and may need to ask you for some medicinal herbs. Just take it that I owe you a favor today.¡±


    Hearing this, Su Lianyue then smiled and said, ¡°Since Senior Gui Xian has spoken, if I refuse more I¡¯ll be too inhumane.¡± Then she smiled and said to Xiao Chen, ¡°Mister Xiao, don¡¯t be angry. A favor from Senior Gui Xian can¡¯t be bought with money.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Gui Xian snorted coldly as he flicked his sleeves.


    Xiao Chen then came to understand that she just wanted Gui Xian to owe her a favor. She did not make that clear. This woman was really abominable.


    Su Lianyue saw his gloomy eyes, smiled, and shook her hand. ¡°Okay, okay, Mister Xiao, don¡¯t be angry, even if the senior Gui Xian did not say a word. With our relationship, do you think I won¡¯t care about you? What do you say?¡±


    In the end, Su Lianyue sashayed towards Xiao Chen with a slim waist, with a teasing smile and the look in her eyes seemed quite ambiguous. Huangfu Xin¡¯er moved forward, stopped in front of Xiao Chen and looked at her coldly.


    Su Lianyue chuckled. ¡°This younger sister, why do you look at me like this? Do you worry that I will eat him up?¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Yi Tong coughed, slightly smiled and said, ¡°Would Fairy Su lead the way?¡±


    The party followed Su Lianyue into the Valley. The Blue-water Altar was not like Heartless Palace, but its defense arrangement was very tight. Its Cloaking Barrier, illusory land fog, formation traps were more, not to mention ordinary people could not break in easily, people that were as strong as Xiao Ning and Gu Feng would also be trapped in the illusory land, and would not be able to leave easily.


    After 30 minutes, everyone finally arrived at Blue-water Altar with Su Lianyue. The building was towering, the sculpted fences and jade bricks extended to afar. The building was much more majestic than the Heartless Palace. It also had another interesting style of Phoenix Pavilion, with a small bridge over the flowing stream.


    Su Lianyue arranged for the guest rooms. Because Xiao Chen needed to reattached his arms, so he lived in a courtyard alone. The courtyard was full of fallen petals, pleasant fragrance, and the interior was quite simple and elegant.


    At the moment Xiao Chen was already weak, and time couldn¡¯t wait, Gui Xian immediately removed the gauze on his left shoulder, took the toxin from Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit, and looked at the wound on his severed arm, and frowned deeply.


    ¡°Boy, don¡¯t move around in bed. I¡¯ll get you some medicine first.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for troubling you, Senior.¡± Xiao Chen nodded, feeling a little sorry for always troubling him.


    After Gui Xian left, Xiao Chen was lying on the bed, silently watching the silk sachet hanging above the bed. It was unimaginable that he would one day be a guest living in a place of devil sect. Today, in his mind, the Devil¡¯s Practice or the Orthodox Path is not as important as before. Because he was now completely disappointed with the so-called Orthodox Path.


    He sighed deeply, and when he was full of sorrow, suddenly there were sounds of small footsteps outside. Xiao Chen immediately took away the negative emotion, smiled and said, ¡°Fairy Su.¡±


    Su Lianyue came in, but at the moment she did not have that seductive smile and was not as bewitching as before. She walked to the front of Xiao Chen¡¯s bed, frowned and asked, ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    Xiao Chen was stunned, and hearing her caring words at this moment, he felt a little surprised. He said hatefully, ¡°It is Xuanxu Zi, a Rogue Immortal of Immortals¡¯ League. As for this sword, I¡¯ll return it 10 times more in the future!¡±


    Having said that, Xiao Chen clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles crackled, and the scene of Wuyue Peak that day appeared again in his mind. ¡°Vengeance will be mine!¡±


    Su Lianyue frowned and said, ¡°Are you stupid? Can¡¯t you run? Rogue Immortal is what you can fight against now? Fortunately, you survived this time.¡± In the end, the words seemed a little reprimanding.


    Xiao Chen could not help but be stunned again, and he looked at her quietly, smelling the faint fragrance of her body at this moment. For some reason, there was something inexplicable in his heart, and he remembered the days when the two were at Corpse Refinery Sect. With a deep sigh, everyone in Orthodox Path now wanted him dead. Instead, she who was of the devil sect sided him. He smiled weakly, and Xiao Chen suddenly felt that he was a bit pathetic and ridiculous.


    Su Lianyue frowned, and said, ¡°I know this Xuanxu Zi. He has three thousand disciples, and is not completely obedient to Immortals¡¯ League. I know where his retreat is, and¡­ he has a fatal weakness.¡± At the end, there seemed to be two cold flashes in her eyes.

 Chapter 483 - Miss, Dont!

    Xiao Chen looked up. ¡°You know this person?¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded, frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the Empress mentioned before. This person used to be a top gun, but he has a murderous heart, so he failed to survive the Ordeal.¡±


    Having said that, she suddenly looked at Xiao Chen solemnly. ¡°You must be careful of this person, this person is very bloodthirsty. This time he has failed to kill you, he must know that you will seek revenge in the future. I¡¯m afraid he is now cautious of you, and so he will do everything possible to get rid of you.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned, for she was right. This Xuanxu Zi would find trouble with him again, Big Brother Xiao Ning and Gu Feng would not be beside him all the time. It seemed that this time he had to get to Wastelands as soon as possible after his arm was reattached. As long his cultivation leveled up, he would not be afraid of that Xuanxu Zi, and when he found the other four Fuxi Zither strings, he would not even be afraid of an Earth Immortal.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Did you just say you know where this person cultivates? And this person still has a fatal weakness?¡±


    Su Lianyue nodded. ¡°The place where he cultivates in is called Long Life Valley and it is located in the Middle Continent, as for his weaknesses¡­¡± Su Lianyue lowered her voice and leaned towards Xiao Chen¡¯s ear before she whispered.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Xiao Chen clenched his fist, his eyes cold and he said, ¡°Xuanxu Zi, you won¡¯t be living for long¡­¡±


    The two stopped talking, and there was a brief silence in the room. Su Lianyue sighed suddenly, looked at the wound on his shoulder, and asked softly, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    ¡°Miss, you¡­¡± Xiao Chen suddenly felt a little surprised, then his eyes softened, he slightly smiled and said, ¡°Senior Gui Xian had given me medicine, and it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Su Lianyue snorted softly. ¡°This time, take this as a lesson learned. Next time you should be more tactful, if you can avoid something, avoid it, if you can be forbearing, then don¡¯t attract attention.¡±


    Xiao Chen did not expect that she would say these things to him. ¡°Did she consider him as a friend already?¡± He smiled and said, ¡± Sorry to trouble Miss this time. I¡¯ll leave when I recovered from my injury, and thank Miss for this kindness in the future. ¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled slightly, with a bit of playfulness on her face. As if changing into another person, she looked at him and said, ¡°Little fool, if you want to stay, do you think I¡¯ll drive you away? Maybe you should just stay. ¡±


    In the end, Su Lianyue slowly approached him, her words and the look on her seemed a little ambiguous, and the whole room was filled with a touch of ambiguity. Xiao Chen smelled the fragrance on her as she was getting closer and looked at her watery eyes, rosy lips. Suddenly, he had an impulsive thought.


    ¡°Miss, now you and I are alone in this room, and so close together, it would be very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you want to do about it?¡± Su Lianyue smiled and looked at him.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen raised his right hand to his chest, opened his five fingers at her, and slowly said, ¡°But Senior Gui Xian has instructed that I can¡¯t move anyhow, so why not¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue leaned lower and lower, not paying any attention to where Xiao Chen put his hand, and smiled. ¡°What?¡­ Ah!¡± Near the end, she suddenly screamed.


    She yelled, and then retreated light-footed like a rabbit. She looking at Xiao Chen grievously. ¡°You only have one hand left and you¡¯re still so cheeky. Humph.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at her with an innocent look, and said, ¡°It is clear that you came to me yourself. I was only putting my hand here to block and just happened to touch it. It was never unintentional that I cupped¡­¡±


    ¡°You! Humph!¡± Su Lianyue narrowed her eyes and gave him a strange look, saying, ¡°You boy, I almost forgot. Back then, you wanted to bully me in the mystic domain. Now you¡¯re finally in my hands, heh heh¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue put her two fingers together, and a dark purple flame bounced from her fingertips. There were two tightly entangled poisonous insects in the flame. Xiao Chen felt a chill on his back and moved more inwards on the bed, saying, ¡°Well, Miss, let¡¯s not get violent. It was my fault previously. Then, didn¡¯t I still save Miss¡¯ life in the ice cave, so take it as we¡¯re even¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes narrowed with a very strange look, saying, ¡°You boy, you took advantage of me while I was in a coma back then and you still dare to mention this today. Now I¡¯ll let you have a taste of this Lust Bug, the sense of wanting something so much but unable to get it¡­¡±


    ¡°Lust Bug?¡± Xiao Chen suddenly felt cold and chilly. Hearing the name alone he knew that it was nothing good, and said quickly, ¡°About that, fairy please be nice, for I¡¯m a severely injured person who can¡¯t stand any torturous¡­¡±


    ¡°Now you know to be afraid? When we were in the mystic domain, I begged you to let go, why didn¡¯t you let go¡­¡± Su Lianyue¡¯s face hung a wicked smile, and as she spoke, she had already reached the bed.


    At this moment, her clothes were thin, her chest was half-covered, and her hair was beautiful and fragrant. Her eyes were a little teasing. It was something the ordinary men could not take it, and not even Xiao Chen could resist. He said hurriedly, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t! I was a bit ridiculous back then, but anyway, we¡¯re still acquainted¡­ ¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I just want to let you taste what it means to ask me to take my clothes off¡­ Ah, damn! I mean the taste of asking me to relieve you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was a little panicked, he could not bring up his power now. Although this woman would not harm him, if she put these weird bugs in him, and in the event of a desire, if Xin¡¯er saw it, he would be dead.


    ¡°Well¡­ We were just mentioning Xuanxu Zi, why not put this down on Xuanxu Zi. It will be more than enough for him take because of his age, then we will be a step closer to victory¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was now trying hard to shift the subject, just like when he pressed Su Lianyue on the grass in the mystic domain of the Flower Valley, Su Lianyue had also tried to shift the subject.


    However, Su Lianyue ignored him. She had made up her mind to take revenge for that humiliation she had today. At this moment, there was a sudden sound outside, it was Huangfu Xin¡¯er stood at the door without them knowing, holding a bowl of soup medicine, her eyes were cold and murderous.


    Su Lianyue noticed that someone was coming in, immediately extinguished the flames on her fingertips, chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, your little sister is here, I will not play with you anymore. Byebye.¡± Then she moved and backed away, bypassing Huangfu Xin¡¯er lightly and headed out to the yard.


    Xiao Chen was finally relieved, but then became a bit more nervous. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Why¡­ Xin¡¯er, why are you here? Is your injury better?¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not speak, but it was obvious she very angry. She walked in coldly as if the temperature of the whole house had suddenly dropped a lot. Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Ah, I just discussed a way to deal with Xuanxu Zi with Altar Master Su¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Get up to drink medicine!¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er interrupted him coldly.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen supported himself and sat up, smiling. Huangfu Xin¡¯er handed the bowl to him, picked up the spoon, and said coldly, ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen took a sip of the medicine, only to spit it out when he felt that it was extremely bitter. Huangfu Xin¡¯er stared at his face with two cold eyes. ¡°You dare to spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen swallowed and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    After feeding him a whole bowl of bitter medicine, Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately sat next to his bed, holding his right shoulder with one hand and put the palm of the other against his left shoulder, saying, ¡°Gui Xian has told me to help you perform the exercises to circulate your blood, and he will come back later. Sit still!¡±


    After a while, Xiao Chen only felt coldness on the wound on his left shoulder. Huangfu Xin¡¯er suddenly said, ¡°Su Lianyue is pretty huh?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao Chen froze, then he said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t get me wrong, just now I was really discussing with her on how to deal with Xuanxu Zi¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er sneered and said, ¡°You two knew a long time ago huh? Calling you Mister here and there, so affectionate huh?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Didn¡¯t I go to Miasma Mountain Range last time? Then I went to investigate Corpse Refinery Sect with her¡­¡±


    ¡°It takes more than three months to investigate the Corpse Refinery Sect? Did nothing happen at all in these three months¡­¡± At the end, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s two eyes were sharp like needlepoints, as if to be penetrating everything.


    Xiao Chen looked calm and immediately said, ¡°Absolutely nothing!¡±


    ¡°Really nothing¡­¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s eyes became sharper and sharper, and her fingers pinched hard on his left shoulder. Xiao Chen was in pain and said, ¡°Ah, it hurts! Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t, for there really isn¡¯t anything! Absolutely nothing!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er sneered and said, ¡°Nothing or not, what does it have to do with me?¡± She looked at him coldly again. ¡°Sit tight and stay still!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was sitting at the bedside, watching her as she concentrated on doing exercises for him at the moment. Her long eyelashes, watery eyes, rosy lips, jade-like chin. The lust that was ignited by Su Lianyue just now had yet to die down, so he could not help but slowly stretched his hands up to her thin waist.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately glared at him. ¡°Dare you to have any evil thoughts, I will make sure you¡¯ll be begging for mercy, do you believe it?¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and retracted his hands. At this moment, a cough sounded outside the house, it was Gui Xian and Yi Tong who had arrived.


    ¡°Okay, boy, it¡¯s not too late, and let¡¯s start,¡± Gui Xian said as he walked into the house, holding a few essential things in his hand.


    At the bed, Gui Xian handed out three elixirs of different colors. ¡°Take these elixirs first.¡± Naturally, Xiao Chen did not think too much and took all of them. After taking the three elixirs, he fell into a coma.


    The night came quietly. It was windy and the moon was bright. On the edge of a cliff, Su Lianyue stood with her hands behind her, her clothes fluttered as she looked up at the solitary moon alone. Behind her was an empty pavilion, where the tea was already cold.


    Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and a person appeared behind. It was visible in the moonlight that it was a woman in a blue shirt with a veil covering her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for you to leave him at Blue-water Altar, isn¡¯t it? If the Dark-ocean Altar knows about it, I¡¯m afraid there will be consequences,¡± the woman said suddenly.


    Su Lianyue took a deep breath and said lightly, ¡°Rest assured, I have my own plans. Besides, he has now forced into a dead-end by the Immortals¡¯ League.¡±


    The woman in the blue shirt stepped forward and looking at her with two sharp eyes staring at her face as if to penetrate her, probed, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be having feelings for him¡­¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and looked at her, saying, ¡°You thought too much.¡±


    ¡°It better be, there are some things that can¡¯t be touched, especially something that the Empress cares.¡±


    At this moment, it seemed that the surroundings suddenly became very cold. The two women looked at each other with a chill in their eyes. This atmosphere lasted for a moment, and the blue-shirted woman turned her eyes away and said, ¡°That person, has come back.¡±

 Chapter 484 - The Ability of Bai Susu

    ¡°He is back? Where?¡±


    At this moment, Su Lianyue¡¯s face seemed gloomier and her eyes became extremely cold. The woman in blue said, ¡°In Blue-water Lagoon, talking with your sister.¡±


    Su Lianyue squeezed her fingers tightly, and her knuckles crackled. Her eyes were getting colder and colder, and with a little bit of resentment. ¡°He didn¡¯t cherish sister when she was around. What¡¯s the use of this now¡­¡±


    The moonlight was like snow, and the night seemed colder.


    The night passed, and it continued until the twilight came but Xiao Chen still did not wake up. Gui Xian was already so anxious. He had tried all kinds of methods, but there was no way to reattach Xiao Chen ¡®s severed arm. If it was an ordinary person, he only needed two hours to succeed.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er was next to him for a night without closing her eyes. Seeing Gui Xian gradually becoming helpless, her heart seemed to sink gradually as well, and it came to her mind of that day when Xiao Chen rushed to her in desperation and that sword slashed at him fiercely severing¡­


    ¡°Senior Gui Xian, even you don¡¯t have a way?¡± Yi Tong frowned, helping aside and did not shut his eyes through the night.


    Gui Xian¡¯s frown grew deeper and deeper, and he put down the towel covered in blood, and slowly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to happen. His body is very different from ordinary people. He can heal himself after being injured. But with the severed arm, it actually¡­¡± At the end, he shook his head and sighed.¡± Probably, there¡¯s nothing I can do anymore¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er trembled slightly. Her heart that was hanging all night long had finally sunk, and it was sinking into the dark bottomless abyss.


    ¡°Is there really no way at all?¡± Yi Tong¡¯s frown grew deeper and deeper as well.


    Gui Xian shook his head, sighed, and looked at him. ¡°Maybe I have overestimated myself, his body¡­ it is really amazing, amazing!¡± He could not help but sigh endlessly.


    Yi Tong gradually opened his locked frown, but his face was covered with sorrow, and he murmured, ¡°Is there really only one person in the world who can reattach his arms¡­¡±


    Gui Xian was silent, and the room suddenly became quiet, but Xiao Chen¡¯s weak voice suddenly sounded after a while, ¡°Even Senior Gui Xian can¡¯t do anything¡­?¡±


    Gui Xian and Yi Tong were both shocked. It turned out that he already woke up, Yi Tong immediately walked over. ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t worry. I will send a message to Sister Bai. If Sister Bai comes, she will definitely have a way!¡±


    Xiao Chen had lost too much blood, his lips were a little pale, and he smiled weakly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve attracted attention everywhere, and had to involve you guys as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t say this, take a good rest, and it will be fine when Sister Bai comes tomorrow,¡± Yi Tong said while covering him with the quilt.


    Gui Xian sighed and said, ¡°Boy, don¡¯t think too much, even if you can¡¯t reattach your arm, when your cultivation reaches a certain level in the future, you may be able to reshape your body. Take a good rest, and I will come back tomorrow.¡±


    After Gui Xian and Yi Tong left, he was left with Huangfu Xin¡¯er in the room. Xiao Chen sat up and looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, you are also tired, go back and rest¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not speak, she slowly came over and sat on the edge of the bed. At this time, her eyes were no longer as cold as yesterday. It was because she thought that Xiao Chen¡¯s arm could be reattached initially, but now, but now it could not be able to.


    ¡°Well, Xin¡¯er, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t be sad,¡± Xiao Chen said with a pale smile.


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er moved her lips and wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing. The scene of that day appeared again in her mind. In the face of the endless sword rain, his body was full of swords and blood was dripping everywhere. He had swords on his shoulders, and on his back but he was still protecting her with all his might.


    Thinking of this, Huangfu Xin¡¯er felt more uncomfortable and more painful in her heart. She blinked twice, and her tears finally fell along the cheek on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡± Xiao Chen gently wrapped her around on his chest with his only right hand, stroking the long hair behind her, and said softly, ¡°OK Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er sobbed, reached out her hands and hugged him, and wiped her tears and snot on his right shoulder. Xiao Chen laughed, kissed her hair gently, and smiled. ¡°With Xin¡¯er around, it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m with or without the left hand¡­¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er sobbed, and her tears could not stop flowing. Xiao Chen caressed her cheek softly and saw her in tears and with a tender and emotional look, he could not help but feel sad. He lowered his head and kissed her lips involuntarily.


    This time, Huangfu Xin¡¯er no longer avoided, but closed her eyes gently and wrapped her arms around his neck. The two could not help but feel the temperature of each other and the affections of each other. Gradually, as if intoxicated in each other¡¯s dreams, they did not want to open their eyes, and did not want to wake up.


    Everything was like a dream and a fantasy, Xiao Chen was indulged in this dream, feeling her sweetness greedily, as if the two are about to melt in each other this time.


    Suddenly, they both had severe pain in their hearts. Xiao Chen opened his eyes sharply, Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately hugged him tighter, not wanting him to leave. Xiao Chen closed his eyes again, and the two remained unwilling to separate, slowly lay down along the bed.


    Over and over again, repeatedly, as if to vent out all the suppressed feelings at this time. But Xiao Chen had the Heartless Curse on him and Huangfu Xin¡¯er also affected by the backfire of the Heartless Mystic Skill. At this moment, the more they kissed, the more severe the pain, the more severe the pain, and the tighter the hug.


    Eventually, the corners of their mouths were overflowing with blood, but they remained together and they hugged more tightly. Finally, they could not take it anymore and lay unconscious together.


    The next morning, when Gui Xian came to the room, he exclaimed as he saw the two lying down together with the corner of their mouths stained with blood. The two were awakened, Huangfu Xin¡¯er immediately got up and backed away. Remembering the situation yesterday, she could not help but feel a little scared, and without saying a word, she hurried out.


    Xiao Chen also sat up, remembering that he had passed out yesterday from the Heartless Curse. Gui Xian glanced at him, and said, ¡°You wanna die? Pack up, and someone will help you to reattach your arm.¡±


    Xiao Chen froze. ¡°Is Bai Susu here?¡± After about 30 minutes, footsteps were heard from outside, followed by Yi Tong¡¯s voice, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    With a squeak, the door was pushed open. A young woman in white clothes stood by the door. The woman¡¯s face was pretty much expressionless, as light as still water, but when she saw the pale-faced Xiao Chen with a severed arm, there was a slight shock on her face.


    ¡°Bai¡­ Sister Bai.¡± Xiao Chen smiled slightly, greeting the woman at the door.


    Bai Susu did not say much, and hurriedly walked over, glanced at his wound, and frowned. This time, Gui Xian did not say a word.


    The atmosphere in the room became a little stern, and Xiao Chen¡¯s mind was a little dazed. ¡°Is this the real person? The last time in Canglan City, it was just a puppet doppelganger.¡±


    ¡°Sister Bai, what do you think?¡± Yi Tong whispered when no one spoke. Bai Susu nodded, then she looked at Xiao Chen, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Xuanxu Zi.¡±


    Xiao Chen froze. He did now quite understood what she meant. But Bai Susu did not explain more, and said, ¡°I can reattach your arm, and you go sleep for a while first.¡± After that, she pressed on a few acupuncture points on him.


    Xiao Chen immediately fell into a coma again. Bai Susu supported him, slowly laid him down, sighed softly, and said, ¡°You can go out first.¡± The rest said nothing, Gui Xian handed her the broken arm in ice to her and also retreated out to the yard.


    The time passed little by little, by one day, two days, and finally a few days past, Xiao Chen finally woke up in a daze. When he woke up, he found that his body was very stiff and he could not move as he wished. It was as if the body was taken apart and regrouped together again, as if it did not belong to him.


    ¡°Sister Bai?¡± Xiao Chen looked into the room and saw that he was alone. When he turned around again, he found that his left arm had been reattached. Although he was not very flexible for the time being, and it was strengthless, but it had finally returned. Naturally, he could not help but be extremely happy.


    ¡°Is the Lord awake?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er on the outside heard the noise and immediately came in through the door. Next to her was Qingluan, although still not looking very good, she should be all right. When Xiao Chen saw that she was around as well, he said happily, ¡°Qingluan, you better yet?¡±


    Qingluan arched her hands, and said, ¡°Sorry for letting the Lord worried. I¡¯m alright now.¡±


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± Xiao Chen said repeatedly. Now that his arm is back, Qingluan is all right, it really felt like it was close shave from death.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Bai? Is she gone?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er stepped forward, poured a cup of tea, and smiled. ¡°Well, sister Bai left yesterday evening.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen could not help but feel a sense of loss. Yi Tong said last time that if one day there was no one around him, she would be his dearest person. He still had a lot of things to ask her, and he did not even get to say ¡®Thank you¡¯ in person¡­


    Ziyun¡¯er said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord. Everyone is okay now.¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly took a jade note out of her clothes and continued, ¡°This is what Big Brother Xiao Ning gave to the Lord, just crush the jade note and he will come as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Is Big Brother Xiao Ning gone too¡­¡±


    ¡°Em, yes, Senior Gu Feng has left, and Senior Gu Feng said that he will come when the Lord establishes his city.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and nodded. No feast in the world can last forever, and they could not have been always at his side. He asked, ¡°What about Xin¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Huangfu Empress, she¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er said with a little hesitance, so Qingluan took over and said, ¡°Huangfu Empress has also left yesterday evening.¡±


    ¡°Is she gone too¡­¡± Xiao Chen felt a little disappointed for a while, remembering that the two could not help but entangle themselves that day. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the Heartless Curse, they would already¡­¡±


    With a long sigh, Xiao Chen suddenly thought of something, Ziyun¡¯er seemed to see his concerns, she smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord, Immortals¡¯ League has stopped their chase.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiao Chen was a little surprised. Qingluan said, ¡°That¡¯s right, and that Xuanxu Zi seems to have been forced to leave Immortals¡¯ League.¡±


    Xiao Chen understood it all of a sudden. It was Bai Susu. It must be her. Otherwise, no one else would have such a great ability. But this way, he really owed her too much. As he sighed, he seemed to remember something again. He suddenly raised his head, saying, ¡°Oh no! Qingluan! You have to send someone back to Xin¡¯er! Don¡¯t let her return to Heartless Palace! Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 485 - An Old Friend

    For a moment, Ziyun¡¯er did not understand why he was so anxious suddenly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord?¡± Xiao Chen said anxiously, ¡°There is no time to explain now, Qingluan, hurry!¡±


    Qingluan never saw him with such anxiety and did not ask much. She immediately arched her hands, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Lord, I¡¯ll get people to go after Empress Huangfu now.¡± Then she moved and quickly went outside.


    After a while, Xiao Chen then settled down a bit. Ziyun¡¯er poured him a cup of tea and asked softly, ¡°What happened, Lord?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and looked at the wound on the left shoulder. Any previous wound will heal automatically even if it was big, leaving no trace, but this time there was a scar on the shoulder. He said, ¡°Xuanxu Zi will definitely go hurt her.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er froze, the teacup in her hand almost slipped, and said, ¡°But Xuanxu Zi no longer belongs to Immortals¡¯ League. Why would he hurt us?¡± Xiao Chen shook his head and frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, because of this, now he has no more worries.¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen had completely understood, because Bai Susu, the Immortals¡¯ League would no longer do harm to him in the light, but they would definitely not let him go so easily, they would definitely let him be removed in secret, instead of under the name of Immortals¡¯ League.


    That day on Wuyue Peak, for an unknown reason, Xuanxu Zi was determined to kill Xin¡¯er, and now that he was not in Immortals ¡®League anymore, it would only be more convenient for him. So his first kill would be Xin¡¯er, the second would be himself, and the next would be everyone around him. This person was indeed bloodthirsty.


    Ziyun¡¯er also suddenly got it. She frowned and said angrily, ¡°This Immortals¡¯ League is so two-faced, in the light it¡¯s one thing and then another in the back. It¡¯s really hateful!¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and sighed. ¡°As Gui Xian said, he doesn¡¯t have enough strength now, he doesn¡¯t have enough power, so these people will be unbridled, but now it¡¯s good that the Immortals¡¯ League is not involved. At least he doesn¡¯t have to worry about those numerous underlings.¡±


    Somehow, he had a very bad feeling, that he would have a lot of enemies in the future. The Immortals¡¯ League, Order of the Divine Fire and Mo Clan from the so-called Orthodox Paths are just short-term bashing. His real powerful enemy in the future would be that guy named Feng You.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen frowned deeply. ¡°This person named Feng You seems to know many things about himself. Is he really just as simple as an Elder in Dark Shadow Hall? The origin of this person is very suspicious. In any case, he must raise his cultivation as soon as possible to cope with various future problems. He asked, ¡°Right, where¡¯re the other people? Brother Yi Tong?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er also put away her feelings, smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord. Everyone else is okay now, Mister Yi Tong, Mister None-flower get along well with Altar Master Su. Yesterday when they saw Lord¡¯s injury got better, they went drinking together.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°Although Su Lianyue is of the devil sect, she should be the same as None-flower Dust, whose idea about the difference of devil and the orthodox path is not as clear-cut as his. Whoever she can drink together with is a friend.


    ¡°Ziyun¡¯er, help me up, I want to go out for a walk.¡±


    Although Xiao Chen had recovered much from his injury, he still felt very stiff, and even walking on the ground was a bit too much. Ziyun¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± She helped him out of bed carefully now and slowly walked out.


    The courtyard was full of fallen petals, with a small pond, and a few narcissuses blooming by the pool. The breeze blew with the fragrance of flowers, and the petals of the tree fell on the shoulders of the two by the wind. After taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen felt more comfortable and not as depressed as before.


    After walking in the yard, Xiao Chen¡¯s body was not as stiff as when he first got up, but his left arm was still a bit inflexible and did not have much strength. The two then walked out of the courtyard. The scenery of Blue-water Altar was quite quiet. It was in the middle of summer, however, it was not sweltering, and there was a hint of coolness in the air, which was much cooler than other places in the North Continent.


    ¡°Actually, the Lord doesn¡¯t have to worry too much. One day, those people dare not come to mess with the Lord again. When that day comes, we¡¯ll walk so leisurely in the court every day and watch the moments of the sky, wouldn¡¯t it be nice?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Although his face was smiling, he was still deeply worried in his heart. Even if those people no longer come to provoke him, he still had to find his master to solve the thousands-years mystery. When else could he be strolling so leisurely?


    ¡°Although life is short, I don¡¯t insist on becoming an Immortal in the future. I just want to see the liveliness in all the capitals through the seasons. That¡¯s all I wish for. To live freely and stand aloof from worldly affairs. However, to do that, I have to put down everything, but how easy is that?¡±


    When they talked, they suddenly heard the sound of flutes coming from far away, and the sound varied between high and low, which was like stream water hitting onto rocks with a certain elegance. In this valley, it sounded relatively charming. They followed the sound and reached a hillside. They saw a small stone pavilion, surrounded by red fences, and three people were sitting in the pavilion.


    Two of them were drinking and toasting at each other. Naturally, it was the two alcoholics, None-flower Dust and Yi Tong, and the person who played the flute was Su Lianyue. Her face was slightly flushed and she seemed to be a little drunk. Her ten fingers pressed lightly on the flute holes and her wide sleeves were fluttering, which made her look very charming.


    After a song, both None-flower Dust and Yi Tong applauded, smiled and said, ¡°In life, we only know the meaning of wine. This time to hear the wonderful music of the fairy is far better than ten jars of good wines. ¡±


    Su Lianyue giggled, making the sleeves flutter, and looking more charming and pleasant. She smiled and said, ¡°No, if you talk about the rhythm, I¡¯m not that good, as compared to Mister Xiao¡¯s zither music, I¡¯m way far off from that.¡±


    Yi Tong lifted his head and laughed. ¡°Speaking Mister Xiao, he has arrived. Mister Xiao, will you not come up for two drinks?¡± At the end, he looked at Xiao Chen who was below.


    Ziyun¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°You two alcoholics. Don¡¯t think about it. The Lord¡¯s body is just better now, so he can¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°My wine only makes the heart sad but never hurts the body. Mister Xiao, what do you say?¡± Su Lianyue said with a graceful smile and looked at Xiao Chen as well. Xiao Chen saw that her watery and seductive eyes, with a hint of drunkenness on her face, and he felt she was very charmed. He smiled and said then, ¡°Since the Miss has invited, I had no choice but to drink.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er pulled his sleeves and frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t, Sister Bai has specifically exhorted before she leaves that we can¡¯t let you drink. Don¡¯t you listen to Sister Bai¡¯s words anymore?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Just two small drinks, it¡¯s okay.¡± As he spoke, he had walked to the pavilion and sat down. There were flower gardens outside the pavilion. Most of them are precious flowers such as beautiful tears and drunken concubines. They were glamorous yet elegant.


    Su Lianyue chuckled, held the White Jade jug, and slowly poured it into the sapphire cup. The wine was poured into the bottle, and it was as clear as a mountain spring, without the smell of wine, but with a slight fragrance.


    ¡°Mister, please.¡± Su Lianyue slowly raised the wine glass in front of him. Xiao Chen took it with both hands and smiled gently. ¡°I have troubled the Miss.¡± He then drank the wine. The wine was not spicy, but with a touch of sweetness as it entered the mouth.


    When Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue again, Xiao Chen could not help but feel a bit of pity. The wine was sweet with seven parts and three parts bitter, and he felt a bit grievance after drinking.


    Su Lianyue gently smiled and said, ¡°This is Xiangfei Tears. Can the taste be justified?¡±


    ¡°Xiangfei Tears?¡± Xiao Chen has never been heard of this wine before. Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°Come again.¡±


    At present, the four of them were drinking wine in the fragrant breeze, laughing and joking and Su Lianyue was also very good at talking. When it came to the situation of the world, she was no less of a man. However, with topics on Fort Raksasa, Dark Shadow Hall, and Bloodied Fiend, these Great Devil Sects, she always avoided talking, pushed the cup with a smile, and switched the subject.


    After a few rounds of wine, Su Lianyue¡¯s cheeks were redder and she was slightly drunk, but she looked more and more charming. Yi Tong wanted to toast again, but she shook her hands, saying, ¡°No, I¡¯ve had too much. If I drank more, I would be making a fool out of myself.¡±


    ¡°You really should stop there.¡±


    At this moment, a cold and emotionless voice of a man came from outside the pavilion, and the atmosphere was immediately destroyed. Su Lianyue frowned. This moment, she seemed to be awake, and immediately took another drink. She said coldly, ¡°In this world, only my sister can control me. Who do you think you are?¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen and Yi Tong felt a little embarrassed. Only None-flower Dust was still drinking, as if nothing had happened. Xiao Chen turned around and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. The man turned out to be Leng Ningfeng of Wuwang Wind Cloud City before, who was the former Junior Brother of Yu Yifeng, and the man behind Leng Ningfeng was¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± the two said in unison.


    The woman behind Leng Ningfeng was in fluttering white clothes, and her face was like still water, expressionless. It was Mu Chengxue. Xiao Chen did not expect to meet her here. After the Wuwang Wind Cloud City incident, Leng Ningfeng then took her away and he never heard from her again. He never expected to meet her here after two years.


    ¡°Miss Mu, why are you here?¡±


    Xiao Chen was a little agitated, and at this moment, many memories emerged out of his mind. When he could not practice back then, it was all because she had sacrificed three parts of her Life Span to break open the Spiritual Meridian seal for him. If he had not met her, he would have been expelled from the Xiao family, and be straying in the Human World. It could be said that she had changed his Destiny.


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± Mu Chengxue saw him, slightly surprised, came up and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Woodblock Yu?¡±


    ¡°Brother Yifeng¡­¡± Xiao Chen thought of the last incident at Corpse Refinery Sect, and could not help but feel a bit bitter, then he slightly smiled and said, ¡°He went to Kunlun.¡±


    ¡°He went to Kunlun huh¡­¡± Mu Chengxue muttered to herself as if there was a little wave in her heart upon her hearing Yu Yifeng¡¯s leaving at this moment.


    Xiao Chen looked at Leng Ningfeng and he could not help but recall the situation when he went to Wuwang Wind Cloud City with Xiaoyue and his party. At that time, the 18-member party was packed with the top-notched people of the sects of that time, but they were all trapped by Mu Luo in the back mountain and almost could not leave.


    In fact, for Mu Chengxue¡¯s brother Mu Luo, Xiao Chen really admired him. This person was able to bind an Earth Spiritual Meridian and become lord of a city, while the other sects did not dare to mess with him. He even had the ability to attract cultivators to fight for him and create favorable conditions for opening the Blood Soul Formation. In those 100 years, he had also created Mu Family Village illusory land that even he could not distinguish, and made Mu Chengxue half alive, but no one could see through it.


    All of the above, both the brains and strength, Xiao Chen was way beneath Mu Luo. Unfortunately, this man was willing to sacrifice himself in order to resurrect his sister. If he was still alive, he must be a top gun character in this troubled world.


    ¡°Oh yeah, Miss Mu, why are you here?¡± Xiao Chen put away these fragmented memories and asked Mu Chengxue.


    Hearing this, Mu Chengxue¡¯s eyes suddenly became extremely cold, as if with endless hatred, and she said coldly, ¡°Soul-consuming Evil Flower.¡±

 Chapter 486 - The Dark Soul

    ¡°Soul-consuming Evil Flower?¡±


    The moment the group heard the words, Soul-consuming Evil Flower, only Su Lianyue and None-flower Dust did not react a bit, whereas for Yi Tong, Xiao Chen, and Ziyun¡¯er, their expressions became more serious. Yi Tong, in particular, immediately asked, ¡°Did you find any clues?¡±


    Mu Chengxue shook her head, looking slightly helpless. It turned out that she had been hunting for Soul-consuming Evil Flower in the past two years. After all, Mu Family Village was killed by the Soul-consuming Evil Flower a hundred years ago, and because Leng Ningfeng and Su Lianyue¡¯s elder sister had a relationship, so they sometimes came to Blue-water Altar.


    Xiao Chen also frowned. ¡°How could he not know what she is thinking?¡± The Mu family was swept out by the Soul-consuming Evil Flower a hundred years ago. Obviously, she hated the Soul-consuming Evil Flower to the bones.


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen recalled the time when they went to Mu Family Village (Note ¢Ù), and at that time, he could see that she had deep feelings for Mu Family Village, which did not exist at all, but the reality was so cruel.


    In fact, a hundred years ago, when the Mu family was in great trouble, Mu Chengxue was not spared. But Mu Luo was resourceful and managed to save her soul with mystic arts, and imbued a void of memory in her mind. However, her memory was reset every seven years, and everything she had experienced in these seven years would not be remembered. Only until now, she managed to live like a normal person.


    Several people entered the small pavilion, and Su Lianyue said lightly. ¡°The Immortals¡¯ League can¡¯t find it for a hundred years. Do you think you can find it with just a few of you?¡± Then she sneered and said, ¡°Leng Ningfeng, oh, Leng Ningfeng, you are as conceited as always.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Leng Ningfeng stood and did not speak, Mu Chengxue¡¯s face became more and more worried, and Xiao Chen frowned, thinking that she used to be bubbly, always joking around and laughing with Senior Sister Luo, Brother Yifeng and the rest of Jade Qing Sect People. But since the last incident, she might have never laughed again.


    Thinking about this, Xiao Chen felt bad. Back then she did not hesitate to sacrifice three parts of her Life Span to help him unlock the Spiritual Meridian seal in Xiao family. This Cause and Effect had yet to have its ending. No matter what he got to do he has to help her to find the clues about the Demonic Flowers to find out who harmed her Mu family 100 years ago.


    And, more importantly, he has a bad hunch. ¡°This Soul-consuming Evil Flower does not seem to have any connection with himself, but is it really not related at all? It seems as if there are some connections somehow¡­¡±


    Yi Tong looked at Leng Ningfeng and said, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    At this moment, everyone, except Su Lianyue, looked at Leng Ningfeng. He said, ¡°I have found out that there are three types of targets that Soul-consuming Evil Flower spreads on, the most of which are the greedy and devious dark people, such as some county magistrates, some wealthy businessman, and some treacherous villains.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression had become serious. ¡°Does it only absorb the greedy and dark soul?¡± Su Lianyue sneered and said, ¡°By saying this, then Soul-consuming Evil Flower is actually doing good for the world by killing the evil? So everyone in Miss Mu¡¯s family is of the dark?¡±


    After hearing what she said, Mu Chengxue could not help but feel unhappy. Leng Ningfeng said, ¡°Can you let me finish first?¡± Su Lianyue sneered and drank her wine. Leng Ningfeng frowned and said, ¡°I told you to drink lesser.¡±


    Su Lianyue slammed the stone table. ¡°This is my place! Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother-in-law!¡±


    Su Lianyue¡¯s eyes were cold, and she said angrily, ¡°Piss off!¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly became awkward and stiff, and Xiao Chen had never thought that her sister was a taboo. Yi Tong coughed and smiled. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just talk about business?¡±


    Leng Ningfeng also stopped paying attention to Su Lianyue who went ape and continued, ¡°The second type is the cultivators, this type is in relatively small amount, but once such people are implanted with the Demonic Flowers, their internal strength will increase greatly in a short amount of time. For example, after a Nirvana Realm person was implanted a Soul-consuming Evil Flower, he will have enough strength to compete with a cultivator of Apotheosis Realm. But his life will soon end, and the flower and the man will die together. In the end, the soul cannot be found, so it must have been absorbed by the Demonic Flowers. This kind of soul has the most grievance.¡±


    After hearing this, everyone¡¯s look became serious again. Su Lianyue sneered and wanted to say something, but Leng Ningfeng said first, ¡°The third one is the most common recently, mostly happening to a village overnight, entirely wiped out by Demonic Flowers, and without leaving a living being, all the souls are sucked away. This kind of soul has the most Malicious Grudge.¡±


    Everyone listened and frowned. These three souls, the first one was greed and cunning, the second was grievance, and the third was resentment. These three souls belonged to the darkest souls of humankind.


    Leng Ningfeng looked at Mu Chengxue and said, ¡°As for Ah-Xue, the reason why the Mu family 100 years ago was wiped out by Demonic Flowers is unknown, but it is not the above three reasons.¡±


    ¡°Brother Leng¡¯s analysis is very reasonable.¡± Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°So in the view of Brother Leng, what are these dark souls collected for?¡±


    Everyone stopped talking. ¡°Regarding the purpose of releasing the Soul-consuming Evil Flower, it is really hard to guess now.¡± Ziyun¡¯er suddenly said, ¡°I know! I know!¡± Several people looked at her. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er pointed her index finger up and said excitedly, ¡°It must be to resurrect someone! It must be like this, collecting so many souls is to start the Blood Soul Formation!¡±


    When Blood Soul Formation was heard, Mu Chengxue¡¯s expression suddenly became very bitter, and the others did not speak as they pondered quietly. Xiao Chen thought, ¡°Opening Blood Soul Formation does require the blood and soul of many people. But in the past two hundred years, the souls that Soul-consuming Evil Flower has sucked out are countless, so many, what kind of person need such amount of souls and blood to resurrect? Besides, why must it be the dark souls? This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Several people fell into silence, and None-flower Dust suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Sister Zi, you are really getting more and more adorable.¡± Ziyun¡¯er flushed and said, ¡°Why? Am I not right?¡±


    None-flower Dust smiled and said, ¡°I believe there is no such ridiculous thing happening in our world.¡± Xiao Chen looked at him and said, ¡°How can Brother None-flower be so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m None-flower who knows things 800 years before and 500 years later! Haha!¡±


    Everyone looked at him with a boring expression, None-flower Dust coughed and said, ¡°Well, if you really want to resurrect someone, you don¡¯t have to go through so much trouble, don¡¯t you guys think so?¡±


    Several people nodded. Indeed, if it was just for resurrecting someone, there was no need to make it so complicated, so that must not be the reason. After a while, Yi Tong asked again, ¡°Who do you think is arranging everything behind this?¡±


    This time everyone was lost in thoughts. ¡°Now that there is not even a clue, how is possible to guess?¡± Ziyun¡¯er suddenly said excitedly again, ¡°I know I know!¡± None-flower Dust looked at her with interest. ¡°Oh? Sister Zi, will you like to share?¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er raised her index finger, nodded her head, and said very earnestly, ¡°It must have been done by someone in Devil¡¯s Practice! Only people in Devil¡¯s Practice will do this kind of thing!¡±


    As soon as this was said, several people suddenly stopped talking, and all of them looked at her stunned. Ziyun¡¯er blinked, her face puzzled and she said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Yi Tong put his hand to his mouth and coughed slightly. Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°Little sister, you are really cute. Although we are in Devil¡¯s Practice, we don¡¯t bother to do such improper and disgraceful activity.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er only then came to a realization. She had forgotten that she was now in Fort Raksasa¡¯s territory, and yet she dared to say ¡°Devil¡¯s Practice¡± without any discreet. She must have felt that her life was too long, and she quickly waved her hand, saying, ¡°Sister Su, don¡¯t be mad, that¡¯s not what I meant. I meant that the Devil¡¯s Practice has always been, ah no, I meant¡­¡± At the end, it seemed that the more she tried to explain the more confusing it got. Hence, she hid behind Xiao Chen, bit her finger down and stopped talking.


    Xiao Chen coughed, smiled, and looked at Su Lianyue. ¡°Miss, please be bothered. Ziyun¡¯er has always spoken without thinking.¡±


    Su Lianyue said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s still the same thing that you¡¯re lucky that you¡¯re in my Blue-water Altar, if it was the Dark-ocean Altar, you would already be dead a thousand times.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and returned to the subject. He looked at Mu Chengxue and said, ¡°What do you plan to do next, Miss Mu?¡±


    Mu Chengxue shook her head, her face still very troubled, and said, ¡°When some things here are settled, I will go to Wastelands with Brother Leng. Recently, Soul-consuming Evil Flower seems to appear frequently in Wastelands.¡±


    ¡°I see, and it is a coincidence that I will be going to Wastelands a few days later.¡± Having said that, Xiao Chen looked at Su Lianyue. ¡°Next, I am afraid I will still be disturbing you for a few more days.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said before, Mister Xiao shouldn¡¯t be polite. If one day you¡¯re tired, come to my Blue-water Altar to rest.¡± At the end, she looked at him with an ambiguous look.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Chen smiled a little awkwardly, and then the few people talked about something else. When the twilight was about to arrive, they went back to their place after dinner.


    Three days later, Xiao Chen was almost fully recovered, his body had lost the stiffness that he had before, and his left arm had become more flexible. These days, he had also tried to absorb the delicate power of Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit gathered in the elixir field, but it seemed that this power had fallen asleep, and it was difficult to wake it up in a short time.


    During these three days, Qingluan never returned, nor did she crush the jade note to send a message. Xiao Chen could not help but be a little worried. If she did not come back before dark, he planned to go to the East Continent in person.


    When the twilight was approaching, the shadows of the trees in the courtyard were tilted horizontally, and the setting sun was shining through the pane into the house. Ziyun¡¯er finally came to report. Qingluan and Huangfu Xin¡¯er had returned. Xiao Chen was finally relieved and went to greet them outside of the house. However, Huangfu Xin¡¯er looked sad and sullen, and Qingluan who was next to her did not speak either. Both of them looked heavy-hearted.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Chen frowned and immediately walked over. He had a bad feeling. Huangfu Xin¡¯er lowered her head and did not speak. Qingluan stepped forward and whispered in his ear, ¡°Heartless Palace was destroyed.¡±

 Chapter 487 - Discussion

    ¡°Heartless Palace was destroyed.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s body trembled as if he had been struck by a sudden cold lightning. He looked a little dazed. Qingluan whispered to him, ¡°Except for a few disciples of the Heartless Palace who were on a mission outside, all of them were killed and the Grand Defensive Formation was completely destroyed. From the means, I can infer that they were either Xuanxu Zi or the Mo Clan. The probability of the former is very high, and of course, there is also a possibility of them joining forces.¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist and said with a cold face, ¡°Okay, I know. You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er arched their hands. The two of them walked out of the courtyard together. Xiao Chen looked at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and said softly, ¡°Xin¡¯er¡­¡±


    Under the twilight, Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s shadow was pulled long. She walked to the stone table and sat down slowly. She looked blankly at the narcissuses beside the pool. Xiao Chen did not know what to say. He walked over and sat beside her. He said softly, ¡°Xin¡¯er.¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er still did not look at him. After a while, she suddenly leaned on the stone table and cried without warning. The crying was sad and heartbreaking. Xiao Chen¡¯s heart seemed to be stung by ten thousand needles. It seemed that countless holes were opened in his heart in an instant as if he was about to be dried up. He had never seen Huangfu Xin¡¯er cry so badly since he was a child.


    ¡°This, this is the only, only one thing that the master has left to me, but I, I can¡¯t protect it. I¡¯m so useless¡­¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er said intermittently as she cried.


    On this day, it seemed that she was going to shed all her tears of the rest of her life, then she would never cry again. She would never cry again, and would never again have any feelings.


    Xiao Chen listened to her heart-wrenching words at the moment, as if tens of thousands of arrows had penetrated his heart. At this moment, he realized how much pain he felt in his heart. He gently rested her head on his shoulder and gently stroked her back. This was the only thing he could do at this moment.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen¡­¡± Huangfu Xin¡¯er continued to sob. His shoulder was soaked in her tears. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes gradually reddened. He gently caressed her back and said softly, ¡°Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. One day in the future, I will definitely rebuild a new Heartless Palace for you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes gradually became fierce as he spoke. He looked at the narcissuses beside the pool. ¡°Xuanxu Zi and the Mo Clan, no matter who it is, if I can¡¯t take revenge, I swear not to be a human!¡±


    It was not until the night fell and the surroundings became dark that Huangfu Xin¡¯er gradually stopped crying. At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were dull. He did not know when everything changed. Xin¡¯er used to like to laugh, but now she never laughed again.


    ¡°When exactly did this happen? Since the day I stepped onto the path of cultivation, the Xiao family was in great danger at first, and then the Three Pure Sect was almost destroyed. The Teal Jade Sect in the Violet Manor was also destroyed, and Liu Fenghuang died for me. It was as if since the day I stepped on the path of cultivation, sorrows lingered layer by layer around me and refused to leave. But what on earth is the source of this sorrow¡­¡±


    In the night, the moon was like an eyebrow, hanging in the sky. The wind blew gently, and the shadows of trees swayed slightly. People were still awake, and their minds were hanging high.


    The candlelight in the hall flickered, and everyone looked melancholy. Gui Xian took a deep breath and asked with a straight face, ¡°Kid, what are you going to do next?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was solemn. His eyes were as sharp as blades with cold radiances. He said coldly, ¡°I must take revenge for this.¡± He clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked as he spoke.


    Everyone fell silent. The 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance were all in the hall, so was Yang Qing and the rest, as well as Yi Tong, None-flower, and Su Lianyue. Huangfu Xin¡¯er was so heartbroken that she had already been arranged to rest in the attic.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to defeat them now.¡± Su Lianyue said without hiding anything. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Xuanxu Zi has 3000 disciples, and there are countless experts in the Mo Clan. Even the weakest Order of the Divine Fire has already set up numerous traps. If you go now, it will be like throwing yourself into a trap.¡±


    Sitting in the front of the hall, Gui Xian said seriously, ¡°Fairy Su, you¡¯re right. Doing it alone with brute courage is the lowest strategy. To defeat others without fighting is the highest strategy. Let them kill each other, watch the fire across the shore, and then annihilate them all at once. That¡¯s the best strategy.¡±


    Xiao Chen remained silent. Indeed, he was too weak on his own. Whether it was Xuanxu Zi or the Mo Clan, the Ling Family and Zuoqiu family were no match for them. Moreover, he had ultimately relied on Bai Susu¡¯s help in the last battle against the Zuoqiu family. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thus, he could no longer act recklessly like before. At the very least, he needed to create a force that could stand up against them. However, if he was to establish a force, the Immortals¡¯ League would definitely intervene and stop him.


    Yi Tong frowned and said, ¡°Nowadays, the world is in chaos, and heroes are everywhere calling themselves kings. The Immortals¡¯ League is no longer able to manage this turbulent situation.¡±


    Speaking of this, Yi Tong paused for a moment, and None-flower Dust continued, ¡°Most of those people who set up their own forces have a criminal case, but it¡¯s not because the Immortals¡¯ League doesn¡¯t want to govern it, but because they won¡¯t choose to set up their own sects in the mountains. Instead, they will occupy a city and then become the City Master.¡±


    Gui Xian stared intently at Xiao Chen. ¡°Do you know why, boy?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°There are many civilians in the city. If the Immortals¡¯ League or the Orthodox Path attack, the civilians will inevitably suffer. Then, that will go against their rule of ¡®never hurt a civilian¡¯. Therefore, they won¡¯t do what the world is against.¡±


    Gui Xian stroked his beard and nodded, saying, ¡°Exactly. Right now, the devil and the Orthodox Path are in a turbulent state. The world is in chaos, and war is raging everywhere. The starving people are everywhere, and the civilians lost their homes. Those people take them in to protect the people in the city. In fact, they take them as shields. The Immortals¡¯ League has scruples and dare not to act rashly.¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his fist and frowned, saying, ¡°Using the civilians as shields¡­¡±


    If that was the case, the Immortals¡¯ League would not dare to attack them so easily. The Mo Clan who also stood on the side of the Orthodox Path would not easily break the taboo as well. As for those sects that boasted themselves as orthodox and prestigious sects, they would be more scrupulous. In this way, he would be able to expand his influence boldly, but¡­


    Gui Xian saw his hesitation and immediately said seriously, ¡°Kid, those who achieve great things don¡¯t care about trifles! If you¡¯re ambitious, I¡¯ll call you my king!¡±


    As soon as he said that, the candlelight in the hall suddenly moved. Xiao Chen slammed his palm on the table and no longer acted indecisively. He said, ¡°Okay! Today, I will thank you first for your help!¡±


    Yi Tong said with a smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. As for the city, there is now turmoil in all directions, and there are many places that have been engulfed by the flames of war. People have gone to the empty city, so we just need to find a desolate city.¡±


    Yang Qing immediately followed and said, ¡°As for the people, the few of us can gather a large group of people from the Wastelands to come over!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. All he needed to do now was slowly establish his own influence. At that time, Big Brother Xiao Ning and the others would come to help too. With him and Gu Feng, it would be like having two more experts at the level of Rogue Immortal. At that time, sects like Order of the Divine Fire could be destroyed in a snap.


    As for Xuanxu Zi, the Mo Clan, and even the Immortals¡¯ League, he had to level up his strength first. Thinking of this, he looked at Yang Qing and asked, ¡°By the way, Brother Yang, is the Primordial Qi cannon of the Immortals¡¯ League still there?¡± He thought to himself that since he wanted to build his city, he had to do a good job of defense. This thing that was made by the Immortals¡¯ League was undoubtedly the best defensive tool.


    Yang Qing said excitedly, ¡°I have kept this big fellow. It¡¯s just that the few of us don¡¯t dare to open it and take a look.¡±


    Gui Xian said, ¡°Very good. Kid, I know a person in the Wastelands. People call him a master of weapons. He can transform any weapon, even a magic treasure. If you can find this person, it may be helpful to you.¡±


    Then, they discussed some other matters. They only went back to their own places near midnight. When they arrived at a remote and quiet path, the shadows of the trees around them moved slightly. The cool breeze pierced through their skin. Su Lianyue suddenly said, ¡°Xuanxu Zi is fine, but do you really want to fight with those from the Mo Clan?¡±


    Xiao Chen stopped and turned around. This time, there was no one around. Su Lianyue frowned slightly and said, ¡°Listen to me. You are weak and can¡¯t defeat them. After all, they are from the Ancient Immortal Clan family that has been passed down for many years. They have their own alliances. Even the Empress is very wary of them.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said, ¡°Miss Su, thank you for your kindness this time. I will repay you in the future. But now, it¡¯s not me who wants to fight with them. It¡¯s them who forced me. I have no choice. Even if I don¡¯t want to fight, they will come to me again and again.¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡± Su Lianyue sighed. She looked at him and said, ¡°Forget it, but, but if one day you walked too far, feel tired, and want to take a rest. The Blue-water Altar is the inn that is built for you in the turbulent mortal world.¡±


    This time, the wind was clear and the moon was bright. Su Lianyue¡¯s clothes fluttered, and her eyes were like water. Xiao Chen looked at her. He could not help feeling a ripple in his heart. The most difficult thing to receive in the world was a favor, but the most difficult thing to accept was a favor from a beauty.


    Su Lianyue smiled gently. ¡°If one day you rule the world, don¡¯t forget me.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at her and his lips moved. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, Su Lianyue suddenly pressed her fingertip against his lips. Then, she gestured him to keep quiet. ¡°Shh, someone¡¯s here. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Then, she swung her sleeve and left.


    Xiao Chen watched her figure disappear and turned around. There seemed to be a figure slowly approaching from the end of the path. It was a woman in teal clothes. Her face was covered with a light veil, and her appearance could not be seen clearly.


    The two brushed past each other, and Xiao Chen felt a cold murderous intent from her. After they left for more than 100 feet, Xiao Chen quickened his pace and walked to his courtyard. On the way, he passed by Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s resting place and opened the window to look. Seeing that she was in a dream, he felt a little relieved and returned to his room.


    The next morning, after everyone finished their meal, they were about to leave the Blue-water Altar. Leng Ningfeng and Mu Chengxue had other things to do, so they did not travel with the others this time. Su Lianyue personally sent everyone out of the valley. Outside the valley, Xiao Chen turned around and bowed to her, ¡°Altar Master Su, please stop. I¡¯ve been bothering you for many days. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Su Lianyue smiled gently and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t see you off. See you again.¡±


    The rest of them saluted her and bid her farewell. Then, they left the place and walked for a few miles. Gui Xian, Yi Tong, None-flower Dust, Yang Qing, and the others walked in front. Xiao Chen, Huangfu Xin¡¯er, and the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance walked behind. Qingluan suddenly asked, ¡°Master, are you going to the Wastelands in the next couple of days?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°Well, after we find a desolate city, I will go to the Wastelands with Yang Qing and the others. All of you stay here to help Senior Gui Xian to take care of everything here.¡±


    Qingluan said, ¡°Master, you can¡¯t. The State of Wastelands is fraught with danger. We have to leave at least one person by your side.¡± After saying that, she turned to a woman behind her and said, ¡°Chu Qi, you will follow our master to the State of Wastelands this time!¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly stopped and slowly turned his head back a little. ¡°Why, why must you leave one person with me?¡±

 Chapter 488 - Ancient City

    ¡°Why, why do you have to keep one person by my side?¡±


    These faint words caused the 12 people of Levitating Dark Fragrance to tremble. Qingluan quickly cupped her hands together and said, ¡°I was just thinking that I would leave one of Levitating Dark Fragrance by your side. Once you run into danger, the rest of us will be able to catch up with you as soon as possible.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Along the way, the 12 people kept silent. Huangfu Xin¡¯er did not say anything as well. After they left the Blue Water Altar for more than 10 kilometers, they gathered together to discuss the next destination.


    Yi Tong said, ¡°I wonder if you have noticed that there was a strange energy fluctuation on the way when we were chased by the Immortals¡¯ League that day?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. When he was chased that day, he was in a hurry. How could he notice this? He asked, ¡°Brother Yi, what did you find?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the place that¡¯s 250 kilometers west from here? There¡¯s a mountain range with the terrain of the dragon vein there,¡± Gui Xian suddenly said.


    Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°Senior Gui Xian is very attentive. That¡¯s the place, but the source of power doesn¡¯t seem to come from the mountains. It seems to be coming through the mountain range. That¡¯s how the terrain of the dragon vein was formed after a long time.¡±


    The rest of the company had a rough idea of what was going on. They said no more and headed straight for the place Yi Tong was talking about. This time, everyone had recovered from their injuries and regained their strength. Naturally, they were flying on their swords. In less than an hour, they would be able to travel 250 kilometers.


    The crowd stepped on the flying swords and looked down. They saw a meandering mountain range, which was really like a dragon from ancient times. The place opposite the dragon head was in the direction of everyone. Xiao Chen could faintly feel that the dragon head seemed to have sent out an ¡®unusual force¡¯, but this did not seem to be an unusual force. Instead, it seemed more like a mutated spirit energy.


    ¡°Do you feel it?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Qingluan and the others and asked. Qingluan frowned tightly. Ziyun¡¯er held the Koo-chee in her arms and asked blankly, ¡°What? It¡¯s just an ordinary mountain range, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yang Qing and the others looked at each other with questions. Even though their cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, they could not sense any strange power at all. It was clearly just an ordinary mountain range with a terrain similar to that of a divine dragon. That was why it was called the Dragon Meridian Mountains.


    In fact, there was really a force fluctuation here, but not everyone could feel it. The Gui Xian¡¯s soul perception was extremely strong, so he could feel it. Xiao Chen, like him, had a strong soul perception ability, so he could also feel it, and so could Yi Tong.


    So among the twenty over people here, only three of them could feel the power. Yi Tong looked at the endless mountains and said slowly, ¡°The power seems like the power of the Earth Spiritual Meridian but it¡¯s not. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go through the Dragon Meridian Mountains and have a look.¡±


    Immediately, they rode their swords to the south again. The Dragon Meridian Mountains below, one after another mountain, was as though boundless. Finally, after a quarter of an hour, they crossed the Dragon Meridian Mountains. But Xiao Chen could feel that the force had not disappeared yet, which was enough to show that the source of the force was not from the Dragon Meridian Mountains.


    After moving for hundreds of miles, they suddenly saw dark clouds in front of them with purple lightning rolling in the clouds. The scene was terrifying. Xiao Chen immediately called everyone to stop, ¡°Stop! Get down quickly!¡±


    However, before he could finish his sentence, a bolt of purple lightning with a radius of thousands of feet suddenly came at them. Everyone¡¯s face changed, and they immediately joined forces to support the defensive Barrier. With a loud boom, the Barrier supported by the twenty over people was broken in an instant. Everyone was shocked, their bodies were numb, and they quickly fell to the ground.


    When they landed on the ground, everyone still felt scared. The purple lightning just now was comparable to the Heavenly Punishment. Even if a cultivator in the Apotheosis Realm was hit, his body and soul would be destroyed. ¡°But why is this place full of thunder and clouds? It is too weird.¡±


    Yang Qing and the others looked at each other in shock. The faces of the 12 people in the Levitating Dark Fragrance Under the Moon turned grave. Qingluan asked, ¡°Lord, what should we do now?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked to the front and saw that countless scorched soil, large rocks had fallen, and many trees were burnt. But since it used to have trees here, it meant that there were no thunderclouds in the past. This strange thundercloud should have only appeared recently, and it was very likely that it had been pulled by some kind of force.


    ¡°Be careful. When going through this place, put away all the flying sword weapons and other items.¡±


    At the moment, everyone put away the flying sword and other metal objects before they carefully walked to the front. The Koo-chee monster lay in Ziyun¡¯er¡¯s arms, blinking its big eyes and did not dare to move. Everyone also walked separately. When they walked for 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers, they only saw that their surroundings were charred and there were flashes of purple lightning coming down from time to time. Each time the lightning fell, it was accompanied by booming thunders. The impact was very strong.


    Everyone could feel that the air was vibrating, so they were careful. Although the lightning that fell on the ground was much weaker than the lightning in the sky, it also had a destructive force that could not be withstood by one or two people.


    Finally, after walking for more than five kilometers, they gradually left the thunderclouds. The flowers and plants in front of them gradually flourished, but because of the thunderclouds nearby, there were no birds or beasts, so it looked dead silent. Everyone looked back and saw the black clouds and purple lightning rolling. At this moment, they still felt a little shocked. If a cultivator could use such a powerful magic spell, it would be amazing. Perhaps only a Genuine Immortal had this ability.


    Xiao Chen frowned. There would not be such a large area of thunderclouds here for no reason. It must have been pulled by the strange force. It was easy to explain. Just like the cultivators who could control the wind and rain, freeze the ice and call upon thunder, in fact, they only used their own strength to lead the power between heaven and earth. Cultivators used powerful thunder magic, such as the Five Thunder Bombardment of Sky. In fact, they only used their own strength to pull the power between heaven and earth, not by themselves.


    ¡°That strange force seems to still exist. Brother Xiao, why don¡¯t we take a closer look?¡± Yi Tong said as he looked at him.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. He had the same idea. If he wanted to establish his own power now, he would need a huge amount of it. This power included manpower, as well as the Force of Nature. Both were indispensable.


    The company continued their journey for another 10 kilometers until they reached a river. The wind howled and grass and trees flew in all directions. Ziyun¡¯er looked at the river in the distance, her eyes wide open with shock. The rest of the company also revealed shocked expressions at this moment.


    ¡°Nine Dragons Drawing Water!¡±


    Yang Qing could not help but exclaim. The man next to him was even more shocked and his voice was trembling, ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s the Nine Dragons Drawing Water. I could actually see such a peculiar scene with my own eyes in my life! It¡¯s incredible!¡±


    Nine white water columns rushed into the sky. Each of the water columns was as thick as a palace pillar as if they were going to break through the clouds. There was no end to it. The momentum was horrifying and frightening.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Ziyun¡¯er said in a daze. She could not believe what she saw.


    Xiao Chen frowned. It was very rare for Nine Dragons Drawing Water to occur. Normal people would think that there was a Demon or the Dragon King had raged. Some cultivators believed that there was a dragon that appeared or a Dissimilated Man had born. In fact, the reason for the appearance of most of the Nine Dragons Drawing Water peculiar scenes was that the power of heaven and earth was attracted by some kind of force.


    ¡°Nine Dragons Drawing Water is a rare sight that appears once in a thousand years. Brother Xiao, there might be something good waiting for you in front,¡± Yi Tong said with a faint smile.


    Xiao Chen gradually relaxed his brows and said with a smile, ¡°I dare not covet the boundless power of heaven and earth easily.¡± Then he looked at the people behind him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, cross the river. Be careful. Remember to leave a thousand feet away from these water columns.¡±


    They took out their flying sword again and flew to the opposite bank of the river. When they were about to reach the opposite side of the river after leaving the nine water columns, they saw many deep blue vortexes in the center of the river below. Each whirlpool was more than 100 feet wide and was deep. It made people felt chills on their backs.


    ¡°Nowadays, there are frequent strange phenomena in all parts of Violet Manor. It seems that something big is going to happen.¡±


    They arrived at the opposite bank of the river. There were reeds growing on the bank that rose and fell with the wind. The scene on the other bank was completely different as if they had entered another world.


    ¡°It seems that the faint strange power has disappeared?¡± Xiao Chen said with a frown.


    Gui Xian looked grave and shook his head. ¡°No, it had not. The other side of the river should be the place where the power leaked. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a strange phenomenon. But the source of this power should be¡­¡± He turned to look in the southeast direction.


    After a moment of silence, Gui Xian turned back to look at him with a faint smile on his face. ¡°Kid, God never helped you in the past. This time, it seems that God is finally helping you.¡± In the end, he raised his head and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiao Chen did not quite understand what he meant, but he was very experienced. If he said so, it must be not a bad thing. He relaxed a little, and then everyone continued to ride on the sword to the southeast direction.


    This time, the speed of everyone on their swords was not very fast. They carefully observed the mountains and rivers below. When they flew hundreds of miles away, Gui Xian suddenly stretched out his hand and shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Everyone immediately stopped and looked down. They saw that there was a big city below, but there was no one in the city. Many houses had collapsed, weeds were everywhere, and the streets were full of thistles. The buildings were covered with vines, and some animals with strange shapes could be seen passing through the streets.


    Everyone was a little surprised. Although the ancient city below had been turned into ruins, the outline of the buildings could still be seen clearly. The architecture of these buildings was different from that of the present five continents of the Violet Manor. Moreover, judging from the age, it should have been from a long time ago, at least more than 3,000 years ago.


    Everyone looked at each other and felt very strange that no one here had ever discovered it. Yang Qing murmured, ¡°Could it be¡­ an ancient relic?¡±


    Xiao Chen did not speak. His brows were slightly furrowed. The ancient city below was at least a few thousand years old. Could it be the city of his era? Looking at the ruins below, and many buildings that had been buried in the soil, Xiao Chen could not help but feel a little sad.


    Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If I¡¯m right about the source of that strange power, it¡¯s right below this city.¡±

 Chapter 489 - The Dragon Veins

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go and look at it,¡± Xiao Chen said as he relaxed his brows. Since there was something strange about this city, it would be better to take a look. Even if he could not find any clues from a few thousands of years ago, he could also use it as his future base.


    He had already sensed it carefully. The city seemed to be shrouded by a mysterious force, and there was even a stranger force under the ground. If he could keep it as his own, it might be what Gui Xian had said about the Heavens helping him.


    At the moment, the group of people controlled their flying swords to land carefully to the ground in the city and did not dare to be too anxious. When they were about 400 feet above the ground, suddenly a fierce wave of vital force surged up, in this sudden impact from the force, everyone shivered and almost fell.


    After the impact of this force dissipated, everyone then managed to stand upright, and they were startled. Gui Xian¡¯s hand stretched out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is normal for some ancient ruins to have defensive enchantments laid down by predecessors, but¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, he looked at the center of the city in the distance. Because the distance was too far, he could not see it clearly, but he could vaguely see that there seemed to be dark clouds in the lower sky over there.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go down.¡±


    The crowd finally landed on the street in the city. Although it was a deserted city, it could still be seen that the city should be bustling in the past. The street was very spacious. Although the building has collapsed, it still had a style. No one had been here for at least a millennia.


    Many places on the street were covered with moss, and it was soft to step on Ziyun¡¯er seemed very excited. She stepped on the moss with Koo-chee beast and said with a smile, ¡°If you rebuild this place, it will absolutely not be worse than Tianyuan City.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee, Koo-chee!¡± Koo-chee beast was also very excited, it looked at Xiao Chen and kept nodding.


    Xiao Chen frowned and did not speak. For some reason, when he looked at the desolate scene here, those vines that covered the buildings looked like they had bright flowers blooming on them in one glance, and with one glance, it seemed like a beautiful shadow had passed by at the corner of the street. He seemed to be able to hear cheers and laughter of the past. But now, they were all gone, leaving only endless desolation.


    Seeing his strange expression, Huangfu Xin¡¯er frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Xiao Chen came to his senses and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± As his voice fell, the ground suddenly shook. There was an unusually strange force coming from the depths of the earth.


    The 12 people of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon were immediately on their guard and stood guarded beside Xiao Chen. Yang Qing and the rest also grabbed the sword hilt behind their shoulders and cautiously guarded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± Gui Xian was the calmest of them all. He crouched down and placed his palms on the ground. Moments later, his expression became more and more solemn. Finally, he slowly relaxed his brows and said with a smile, ¡°I was right, it¡¯s the dragon vein! There¡¯s a dragon vein here.¡±


    ¡°Dragon vein?¡± Xiao Chen frowned. Could it be that the Spiritual Qi of the dragon vein in here had all leaked out and caused the places that he had passed through before to have a strange phenomenon?


    The rest of the people were also puzzled. Yi Tong nodded and explained, saying, ¡°Some of the Earth Spiritual Meridian will produce branches. And once these branches leave the main meridian, as time goes by, there will be mutations. Some branches absorb a large amount of Negative Qi, and then it will form a Ghost Meridian. Some branches absorb Yang Qi, and then they will form a dragon vein. The dragon vein gathered the Yang and has great strength. If all the power of the dragon vein is gathered together, almost a state will be destroyed in an instant.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone finally understood what he meant. Gui Xian stood up and said with a smile, ¡°A dragon soaring up from the dragon vein is like a dragon in the sky and there will be am emperor. Boy, this time, the heavens are really helping you. You have a destiny of 9 deaths and 1 life, reborn after death, It seems that you are finally going to have your fate changed today.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Senior, you must be joking.¡±


    He had never thought of being the emperor that ruled the world. He just hoped that if he could use the Dragon Veins here to strengthen his strength, he then could make Mo Clan and Immortals¡¯ League not dare to provoke him in the future.


    Gui Xian nodded and said, ¡°The dragon vein is used to gather Yang. Naturally, there are things that can restrain them. Yin and Yang neutralize each other. Therefore, the only thing that can restrain the Dragon Vein is the Ghost Meridian.¡±


    ¡°Ghost Meridian¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned slightly. Last time in the Miasma Mountain Range, when he went to save Muxue, he seemed to have a vague feeling that there was a strange cold power under the ice cave. Later, the important figures of the Fort Raksasa Palace and Dark Shadow Hall came one after another. These people would never come to the Miasma Mountain Range for no reason. Could it be¡­


    He was deep in thought when he suddenly felt a strange aura fluctuation in the distance. It was from the center of the city. Gui Xian¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn as he said in a deep voice, ¡°I knew it. The place with the Dragon Vein is definitely not ownerless. Looks like there¡¯s going to be a fierce battle¡­¡±


    As his voice fell, the fluctuation of the strange aura became even more intense. Everyone focused their attention on the center of the city. They could vaguely see that there were dark clouds in the lower sky over there. Today, the sky was sunny and definitely not raining. It was in fact a trouble.


    ¡°I guess the Barrier attack we encountered just now was set up by this person. Let¡¯s go and see what it is!¡±


    Gui Xian immediately led the way and everyone else followed suit. Before long, they arrived at the center of the city on their swords. The area shrouded by the dark clouds was like a grand palace. It took up a vast expanse of land and had a nine-story platform. Standing on the corridor, one could almost overlook the entire city.


    But as time went by, many parts of the palace had collapsed. The walls and floors were covered with black vines, while the steps and the stone pillars were covered with moss and roots. It could not help but look a bit creepy.


    In this large palace, there were no longer ornamented balustrades and jade, but there was still a sense of security. Ziyun¡¯er stared into the palace with a fixed gaze, saying, ¡°Is this an ancient imperial palace? This must be an imperial city. No wonder even when there are only ruins left. It¡¯s still so magnificent.¡±


    The rest of the people were also secretly nodding, especially Yang Qing and the others. Although the imperial palace in front of them was dilapidated, it still had its majestic aura, and its scale was no less than that of the imperial palace of the present big country, and it was even larger than it.


    Qingluan and others had once stayed at the imperial palace of Xiyue State. Xiyue State was not a small country, but the palace was not as good as the one in front. When Xiao Chen first came to Violet Manor, he also visited the imperial palace of the Zhou State. But the palace of Zhou State was really too small as compared to the one in front.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down, be careful.¡± Xiao Chen reminded, and then everyone landed to the ground and walked step by step towards this imperial palace that was built on a nine-story platform.


    At the top, after crossing the main square, the group of people stopped in front of the gate of the square inside. The two doors were long gone, and everyone was alert. Ziyun¡¯er took a few steps forward, unknown of what she had stepped on, a gust of wind blew from the inside, followed by a ghostly voice.


    ¡°Is it you¡­ Is it you who came back?¡±

 Chapter 490 - The Phantom King

    With a sudden gust of evil wind, everyone retreated subconsciously. The ghostly voice that came as a shock also gave Ziyun¡¯er a good scare. She hurriedly picked up the Koo-chee beast and retreated to Xiao Chen¡¯s side.


    Xiao Chen pulled her behind. Gazing into the imperial palace, he asked coldly, ¡°Who is it? You don¡¯t have to use the spooky voice. Show yourself!¡±


    Before his voice fell, a strong wind rushed towards everyone. They immediately raised their hands to block their eyes from the sand blown by the wind. Abruptly, a dark shadow floated out quickly. It was about 3 meters tall, wearing an imperial robe and a crown. His eyes turned red, red rays coming out from there constantly. Besides, there was a two-meter-long heavy sword hanging on his waist.


    ¡°Who are you? Why don¡¯t you kneel when you see me, your honorable king?!¡± The black shadow yelled. His voice resounded through the skies. Being unable to endure the buzzing sound, everyone shrank back a little.


    Xiao Chen could not help feeling surprised. This person looked a bit like the Corpse King that he saw in the Miasma Mountain Rang. By gathering the Malicious Grudge, the Corpse King was reborn to be a Walking Corpse, but this one before him should be the soul body formed by Malicious Grudge. Instantly, Xiao Chen¡¯s expression darkened and he warned these people around him, ¡°Be careful, this is¡­¡±


    But before he could finish speaking, the Phantom King abruptly threw his sword to them. A fierce gale sprang up and came with extremely violent power, which directly pushed Ziyun¡¯er, Yang Qing and the others into the air in an instant.


    After falling back to the ground, all of them managed to stand still after stepping back several paces. Stunned, they thought, ¡°This Phantom King has such a powerful strength!¡± Yi Tong turned serious and said, ¡°Watch out! This person has absorbed the power from the Dragon Vein for a long time and is very powerful now. I¡¯m afraid he wants to resurrect by the power of the Dragon Vein.¡±


    Yi Tong had hardly finished his words when the Phantom King suddenly pointed his long sword to the sky and roared, ¡°Capture these traitors!¡±


    All of a sudden, chilly wind rose from all around with dark clouds rolling low. From all directions, seemingly came the heavy clatters of horses¡¯ hoofs. And there, coming out on them from the imperial palace, was a swarm of ghost soldiers and their devil rides, their imposing manner surging high to the skies. Then, the whole imperial palace began to rock violently.


    Everyone¡¯s face changed. Xiao Chen cried out in a hurry. ¡°Watch out!¡± Just when he finished speaking, he sent Gui Xian back. As a soul body, Gui Xian would be badly hurt if another soul body attacked him.


    After sending Gui Xian to a safe place, Xiao Chen leaped up, summoned his Unsullied Sword instantly and wielded the Storm of Swords in the next second. In mid-air, shadows of swords were everywhere. Tens of thousands of rows of sword radiance slashed at the sea of ghost soldiers and devil rides that was surging toward them.


    The wind kept whistling. Both Yi Tong and None-flower used their mystic arts, cutting at those ghost soldiers that moved toward them waves upon waves. However, after all, the power of the three of them was limited. By contrast, those ghost soldiers were incessant as if Xiao Chen and the others could never kill them all. Meanwhile, the rest of them could only try hard to deal with those little ghost soldiers that attacked from the mid-air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Chen ordered. He knew that these ghost soldiers were inexhaustible. Once these soldiers wounded them, they would suffer great loss. Therefore, Xiao Chen decided on the moment and covered others to withdraw. But before they could reach the steps, the Phantom King yelled, ¡°Ten-directions Icy-hell!¡±


    Everyone on the spot could see dark clouds gather from all sides quickly and block the space in a split second. They were all astounded because the strength of the Phantom King was surprisingly horrifying. ¡°This Phantom King is no weaker than the Corpse King in the Miasma Mountain Range,¡± Xiao Chen thought to himself. More importantly, it seemed that normal attacks could not do any harm to him.


    At the moment, all of them were trapped while ghost soldiers were coming to attack them from all directions. Beyond that, ordinary flying swords, including some magic spells, could hardly injure those soldiers effectively. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling a little regret in his heart. He blamed himself for his carelessness, which got everyone into trouble now.


    Those ghost soldiers became increasingly powerful, constantly whistling with their sharp voices. Now there was no room for retreat. Suddenly, Xiao Chen had a brainwave and found a good solution: since these ghost soldiers, including Phantom King, were soul bodies, how about using the Spirit-annihilation Halberd to handle them? Thinking of this, he immediately took out the Spirit-annihilation Halberd from the Divine Vessel.


    Suddenly, waves of devil howlings sounded. In Xiao Chen¡¯s hand, the entire Spirit-annihilation Halberd was cocooned in a layer of black Qi. Because this halberd was too evil, Xiao Chen found it hard to control it every time. Thus, he would basically not use this halberd.


    This time when Xiao Chen held this halberd, he nearly fell into a trance. There were three weapons of him. The Unsullied Sword could quiet him down, so he used it the most frequently. But when he confronted his personal or formidable enemies, he would choose his Blood Lotus Demon Blade for it could make him eager to kill. At this time, if he also ran the Mystic Diabolic Enchantment, he would ultimately go into the devil state. That was why he would not use the Spirit-annihilation Halberd easily.


    After he set his mind slightly calm, Xiao Chen whispered the Mystic Cyan Heart-clearing Incantation to prevent himself from being affected by the halberd. Then he waved his long halberd, and it went out fast, whistling. Those ghost soldiers who would never get hurt by ordinary flying swords now couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow. Both their bodies and the spirits were destroyed directly.


    In less than a few moments, those ghost soldiers no longer dared to approach. The light in Phantom King¡¯s eyes became much redder, and he glared at Xiao Chen, saying, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± After this scream, he flashed and cut right on Xiao Chen¡¯s head.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud noise, Xiao Chen held up his halberd and blocked this attack. But in the meantime, his legs sank, crushing the nearby floor tiles.


    ¡°Brother Xiao!¡± Yi Tong instantly flashed to him like a ray of purple light, but the Phantom King flung his left arm and pushed him into the air.


    ¡°Argh¡­!¡± With a deep bellowed, Xiao Chen seemed to have used his Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit¡¯s strength that was put aside in his elixir field. All at once, he pushed the Phantom King¡¯s heavy sword that weighed a ton back and then vehemently stabbed the Phantom King with his halberd.


    ¡°Clang!¡± Another loud sound. This time, the Phantom King raised his sword and blocked Xiao Chen¡¯s halberd. It seemed that he also knew that this halberd could cause fatal injuries to him.


    Yi Tong and None-flower Dust exchanged glances and moved. They attacked the Phantom King respectively from the left and right sides. Yi Tong formed a sword made of purple radiance on his palm while, and None-flower Dust turned his feathered fan into tens of thousands of rays of cold light.


    Following closely, Huangfu Xin¡¯er leaped into the sky, throwing five rays of red light over the top of the Phantom King¡¯s head. The twelve ladies of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon also launched their attacks and besieged the Phantom King from all directions. Aside, Yang Qing and the other six people joined their forces and slashed at the Phantom King with the flying sword.


    Facing the siege of more than 20 people, the Phantom King finally stepped back a little. Taking this chance, Xiao Chen moved the heavy sword away and stabbed his halberd into the Phantom King¡¯s abdomen. But unexpectedly, when his halberd was about 15 centimeters away from the Phantom King, it uttered a clear metallic sound, making Xiao Chen¡¯s whole face go numb and pushing him a few steps back.


    At this moment, a shield covered by a layer of golden light faintly emerged before the Phantom King¡¯s abdomen. In other parts of his body, the golden light was slightly lighter, which wrapped him like a suit of armor. Yi Tong looked solemn and said, ¡°It is the armor formed by the power of the Dragon Vein!¡±


    ¡°It is my city! Don¡¯t imagine you can take it away!¡± The Phantom King bawled. Exerting all his strength, he pushed these more than twenty people about twenty meters away.


    Falling back to the ground, everyone felt that their True Qi was somewhat in disorder. Secretly, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised because this Phantom King was indeed too powerful. He had thought before that he was going to take this city and the Dragon Vein underground. But since he obviously couldn¡¯t win this battle against the Phantom King, he had to put the ideas out of his head.


    And suddenly, Huangfu Xin¡¯er silently chanted a few spells. Immediately after that, her ten fingernails grew about centimeters longer. With waves of red light coming from her body, she went to attack the Phantom King again in a flash. Xiao Chen was greatly shocked. ¡°Xin¡¯er! What are you doing?!¡± While speaking, he rushed up as fast as a flash of lightning.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± The Phantom King bellowed and swept his sword across. A black beam of sword radiance that was more than ten meters cut the two of them at their waists. Xiao Chen raised his halberd and kept them away from the sword radiance. Once again, the Phantom King lifted his palm. This time, out of the void, he brought out a few black beams of sword radiance and hacked away at them.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a huge bang, they were sent up into the air by the black radiance. When they fell back to the ground, Xiao Chen supported Huangfu Xin¡¯er, exclaiming in a shock, ¡°Xin¡¯er! What are you doing?!¡±


    Huangfu Xin¡¯er flicked her sleeves, staring at the Phantom King with her cold eyes, and she said in an icy voice, ¡°Anything that you want, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± As she finished speaking, she began to run the high-level Heartless Cultivation Method.


    This time, the red radiance around her whole body became much redder, and even, her eyes turned red. A red mark between her eyebrows was partly hidden and partly visible. Then with a dip of her toes, she went forward to hit the Phantom King. The sudden fierce wind made the rest of them gasp.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen instantly shouted, but it was too late for him to stop her. Huangfu Xin¡¯er had already rushed into the midair, her five fingers slightly bending. She came at the Phantom King, rays of the red radiance constantly surging out of her. She and the Phantom King were now facing out.


    The wild wind was roaring. The sudden outbreak of Huangfu Xin¡¯er¡¯s terrifying strength was far more powerful than everyone had imagined. A shower of stones fell and shattered those thistles, thorns, and vines around. Even worse, numerous deep gashes were left on the square ground, which looked as if it were going to collapse.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Seeing that Huangfu Xin¡¯er would soon lose to the Phantom King, Xiao Chen unleashed his Immortal-overriding Steps. Holding his Spirit-annihilation Halberd, he rushed up and stabbed the Phantom King in the abdomen. Suddenly, his halberd was wrapped in a dark mist.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud sound, the Phantom King raised the sword and kept Xiao Chen from stabbing him with his halberd. The red radiance in his eyes increased sharply, and he growled, ¡°You can take nothing from me! All things here are mine!¡±


    As soon as he said these words, the entire square shook violently, and in an instant, there appeared numerous deep cracks, from which Black Qi was constantly oozing. Then, the Black Qi quickly crawled to the Phantom King and gathered on him. The scene looked really weird.


    ¡°Uh, ah!¡± The Phantom King cried out loud. With him as the center, an overwhelming force spread around fiercely and fast. Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin¡¯er bore before others the brunt of his attack and were washed away in an instant. Then the others were also knocked a dozen meters away into the air.


    Since the cultivation of Yang Qing and others were slightly weaker, each of them immediately sprayed a mouthful of blood. Xiao Chen steadied Huangfu Xin¡¯er. Seeing that she still tended to come forward and attack again, he immediately stopped her in an anxious voice, ¡°Xin¡¯er, go away! I want nothing now! ¡±


    Levitating their swords, all of them were leaving. However, there came a shout from the Phantom King, ¡°Don¡¯t think about escaping unharmed!¡± After that, his huge hand reached out. Then, rising from all directions, a layer of black cloud instantly envelope them. The space was blocked again.


    Knowing that there was no way to retreat, Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, thinking, ¡°Guifeng is definitely no match for this Phantom King. After all, Guifeng is the general human spirit so that he naturally feared a king.¡± Thinking of this, Xiao Chen simply jumped up and yelled, ¡°Dragon¡¯s Decimation!¡±


    After shouting, dark clouds rolled in mid-air and instantly covered the whole imperial palace. Two black dragons as long as 300 meters abruptly rushed down from the clouds. When the two dragons came over in full fury, they looked like they were going to destroy the whole world. All of a sudden, the entire imperial palace began to shake as if it would fall.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± Along with two loud explosion sounds, the heaven and earth trembled. And suddenly, the dust was rising in clouds so that all of them couldn¡¯t see anything distinctly.


    Gradually, the dust cleared off. The crown on the Phantom King¡¯s head had been shattered, and there were deep cracks that appeared on the heavy sword. Between the tangle of dark-brown hair falling around his shoulders was his pair of eyes, from which red light was seeping out. His breathing grew somewhat labored, and his chest heaved. Now the Phantom King appeared to be even more terrifying.


    The Phantom King glowered at Xiao Chen. Suddenly, the entire imperial palace shook violently, and even the city below started to vibrate. Now, even the whole city was quaking violently as if an unsettling force deep under the ground would breakthrough.

 Chapter 491 - The Forever City

    ¡°Hell, no! He will use the power of the Dragon Vein!¡± It was the first time that Yi Tong looked shocked. The two dozen of them couldn¡¯t even defeat the Phantom King. Thus, how could they possibly deal with the power of the Dragon Vein that had accumulated for thousands of years or even ten thousand years?


    At this moment, a thick layer of dark cloud capped the entire imperial palace. It blotted out the sky and covered the sun. There was gloom above and darkness below. Now it seemed that the Phantom King was the only master here. Then, there came a deep voice. ¡°All of you will die here today!¡±


    With his voice fell, the dark clouds in midair seemed to go much lower. At this instant, everyone felt a tremendous pressure like they were under an unbearable weight. They could not move anymore and even were almost breathless.


    ¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Xiao Chen called out, blue veins standing out on his face. He had already stabbed half of his halberd into the ground. At this moment, Huangfu Xin¡¯er was just less than 10 meters away from him. However, under this tremendous pressure, he was helplessly pinned down there and couldn¡¯t move a little closer to her.


    ¡°Today, I will have your souls disintegrate into dust!¡± roared the Phantom King. When he held out his hands, these rolling black clouds imbued with potent destructive power pressed down directly¡ªthey were going to destroy the body and the spirit of everyone.


    Just then, the emotionless voice of a young man came from behind. ¡°What a self-indulgent ruler! You were profligate and devoid of principles three thousand years ago. Now, do you still want to occupy this city after you died?¡±


    The Phantom King narrowed his eyes and bellowed with a deep voice, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    At the entrance of the square¡¯s steps, a teenager walked over slowly with his hands behind his back. He was in a bluish-white robe, and there were some strange talismans printed on his face. He looked indifferently at the Phantom King, his pupils dark reddish-purple, and he said lightly, ¡°Foolish king, your dynasty has long perished.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± The Phantom King was unable to contain his anger and raised his hand. Suddenly, large tracts of black clouds bore down on the teenager. Xiao Chen recognized his voice and turned to look at him at once, shouting, ¡°Evernight!¡±


    The young person was Fuxi Zither¡¯s soul, Evernight, who had been sleeping soundly in the Nine-heaven Jade Pendant for a very long time and would wake up only occasionally. He flicked his sleeves. Then, countless beams of white radiance rose steeply from the flat ground and rushed toward these black clouds that were pressing down on their head. In an instant, those dark clouds were flushed away.


    The Phantom King couldn¡¯t help feeling startled and said in a low voice. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Xiao Chen hurriedly answered, ¡°Evernight, you came here just in time. Hurry up! Help me to break the blockade of the space around!¡±


    Evernight¡¯s gaze was still on the Phantom King, and he said lightly, ¡°Boy, since I¡¯m out already, why are you still in panic?¡±


    ¡°SILENCE! I am waiting for your answer!¡± The Phantom King berated in a deep voice and slapped Evernight hard. Immediately, surging black clouds came up to him under cover. But merely by giving a flick of his sleeve, Evernight dispersed the black clouds and said coldly, ¡°Fatuous king, open your eyes and look around. You died many years ago, and so did your dynasty.¡±


    ¡°A pack of lies!¡± The Phantom King was angry beyond all control and pointed his long sword to the sky. In a flash, all the dark clouds rushed down, and the entire imperial palace began to tremble violently. The fierce power given by him seemed to be enough to destroy the world. Yang Qing and others, as well as girls from the Levitating Dark Fragrance, couldn¡¯t endure the power any longer.


    Evernight shook his head and suddenly rose. Hanging in midair, he kept moving his fingers to cast a spell while chanting. Finally, he thundered coldly, ¡°Birth-and-death of Everything!¡±


    As his voice fell, a great many glaring white radiance suddenly rushed out of the ground, and the beams of white radiance soared into the sky as if they would go up high to the clouds. In a twinkling, the white radiance cleared away those gloomy clouds floating above the imperial palace for a thousand years.


    At this point, the radiance made numerous holes in those overcast clouds. Through those holes, the sun cast its golden rays on the Phantom King, making a string of fizzy sounds. The Phantom King seemed to be quite afraid of the sun and quickly went to hide in the shade. With a deep voice, he yelled, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Evernight said, coldly, ¡°I was the Zither Spirit of the musician whose heart was dug out by you.¡±


    After finishing speaking, Evernight put his hands together and moved his fingers constantly to cast a spell while chanting incantations. All of a sudden, the white radiance became much stronger. Instantly, it swept away all the dark clouds that floated in midair. Tracts of sunlight fell all over the ground. As soon as the sunshine landed on those black vines on the wall of the imperial palace, they immediately turned to ashes.


    The Phantom King also seemed to be greatly battered. He promptly raised his arm to shield himself from the sun. Evernight said coldly, ¡°Bad king, look at your city now.¡±


    The Phantom King kept the sun off and looked into the distance. It was a city of desolation and ruin. In the city, the building collapsed, and the streets were utterly deserted. By contrast, spears of barbed wild grass flourished abundantly. He stepped two steps back and said with a look of surprise, ¡°How is this possible? My city, my country! Am I dead for real?¡±


    Yi Tong frowned a little. Previously, he guessed that the Phantom King wanted to resurrect by the Dragon Vein. But now, it seemed that even the Phantom King didn¡¯t know that he was dead already. What was weirder was that even he didn¡¯t know how many years had passed, which seemed to be a little wrong.


    Evernight asked coldly, ¡°Can you see everything clearly now?¡±


    But the Phantom King still didn¡¯t believe it. He murmured, ¡°How was it possible¡­ How was it possible? How could I die already? Then, she¡­¡±


    ¡°She was nothing but a fox demon and had long gone to the Six Paths of Samsara!¡± Evernight harshly rebuked.


    ¡°No!¡± The Phantom King¡¯s whole body shook all over. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen and the others could move again. When the Phantom King was absent-minded, Xiao Chen rushed up to him as quickly as a flash of lightning, piercing his abdomen with his halberd.


    ¡°Argh¡­!¡± The Phantom King gave a sharp scream as if he had been badly hit. Right after that, he gave Xiao Chen a ferocious slap. Evernight shouted hastily, ¡°Boy, watch out!¡±


    After the yell, Evernight rushed to Xiao Chen like a flash of lightning. With a loud bang, his palm hit against the Phantom King¡¯s. The stones around were showering, and the ground opened.


    After inverting his halberd, Xiao Chen rushed up again like a flash of lightning. Within a second, he stabbed the Phantom King thirteen times. This time, it seemed that the soul of the Phantom King had been severely damaged. He kept raising his head while falling back down. As streams of dark mist flowed out from him, his power was leaking away and his soul was also dispersing.


    ¡°No! I am still alive¡­¡±


    Finally, the Phantom King gradually vanished and left only his long mournful cries echoing in the imperial palace. But little by little, even his cries faded away. At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky finally dissipated, and the Malicious Grudge, which had been gathered by the Phantom King for thousands of years, disappeared. The rays of the sun shone onto the city, making everything look especially radiant and enchanting.


    These survivors of the disaster smiled at each other, but Yi Tong furrowed his brows, whispering to himself, ¡°How can the power of the Dragon Vein gather the scattered soul of the dead? Only the Ghost Meridian can do it. Is this place¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at Evernight and said with a slight smile, ¡°Evernight, thanks to your help again this time.¡±


    Evernight was silent. He put his hands behind his back and turned around, looking at the desolate city below, and said lightly, ¡°Previously, this city was called Morning Song.¡±


    ¡°Morning Song¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen also looked down at the barren city. He knew that for thousands of years, Evernight had spent his time flitting between many zithers. He must have a lot of memories in this place.


    Then, everyone sorted out their things. Fortunately, they did not suffer too many bad injuries. Finally, they walked to the long corridor outside the square, looking at the deserted city in the distance. A cool breeze brushed their faces, stirring the edge of everyone¡¯s clothes.


    Gui Xian said, ¡°Boy, just use this city as a place for development. As long as there is enough manpower, it can be repaired in less than one year. As for the underlying Dragon Vein, I will deal with it as soon as possible to avoid it being exposed to the world.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded slightly, still gazing into the distance and pondering, ¡°This time, it is the time to build my own sphere of influence. Everything in the future is difficult to predict, but I will do my best to protect the people around me.¡±


    This time, when the city began to take shape and gradually became stable, he would return to the Human World and bring in all his friends in the Human World, including Xiao Han, Xiao Wan¡¯er, Shangguan Yan, and the Third Elder, Bai Ying. It was the agreement made when he left the Three Pure Sect.


    ¡°Now that Xingzhen Zi, the Second Elder, is gone, and I don¡¯t know if she is fine in the Human World.¡± Thinking of this, Xiao Chen sighed deeply. Moreover, there was one person that made him feel the most regretfully: Prince Qi, Prince Zhao, and Prince Yan.


    Recalling the past, Xiao Chen remembered that the scene when they were selling the pills in the Sunset Peak to fight against Ye Fei and others. Now, the matter was over for a long time, and everything had changed. Prince Zhao returned and got himself embroiled in the fight for the throne. The Emperor of the State of Yan passed away, and so Prince Yan had no choice but to return to inherit the throne. A coup occurred in the State of Qi, and there was still no news of Prince Qi even now¡­


    Xiao Chen sighed deeply, thinking, ¡°Perhaps Evernight was right. Since I have concerned about the affairs in the Human World too much, I cannot become an Immortal in the future. But if I let go of these feelings, it will be meaningless even if I become an Immortal later.¡±


    ¡°Since Brother Xiao has decided to build this city, you might as well give it a name.¡± At this moment, Yi Tong interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°The city¡¯s name¡­¡± Xiao Chen said, watching the desolate area in the city below. He thought that the city was formerly called Morning Song, but now it would undoubtedly use a new name. So he said, ¡°Nowadays, the world situation is characterized by turbulence, and the world has sunk into chaos. In troubled times, I hope this city can come through unaffected, no matter how aggressive the invasions will be. How about calling it the ¡®Forever City¡¯?¡±


    None-flower Dust clapped his hands and laughed aloud. ¡°Forever City, whatever great changes have happened in this world, the city will last forever. Great! A good name!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. ¡°Forever, forever, the ability to last forever is the most important thing in the present changeable situation. But it will be a long time before the Forever City is completely rebuilt. During this long period, people from the Mo family and others may come to stir up trouble.¡±


    Gui Xian said, ¡°Boy, you can go to the Wastelands without anxiety. When you come back, I will give you a brand new Forever City. Keep in mind that you must find a person named Ren Tianxing. Only with his help can your Forever City stay truly safe.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. This time he went to the Wastelands was not to avoid the Immortals¡¯ League, but instead, he went there to start his own force. The first task he would accomplish was to get some people here from the Wastelands.


    The second task was given the top priority¡ª¡ªfind Ren Tianxing, who was honored as the Weapon Master, according to Gui Xian. With him, the Forever City would be completely secure against any assaults. Even if people from the Immortals¡¯ League came here with Hit Squad Flying-cloud Stones, it would be difficult for them to break through the defense.


    The third task was to see if he could find the other four strings of the Fuxi Zither. Evernight was getting weaker every day. Xiao Chen must find the rest of the strings as soon as possible to make a complete Fuxi Zither. After that, Evernight could enter into the zither again.


    Then, they rested for one night in the desolate imperial palace. The next morning, Xiao Chen was going to leave for the Wastelands. Only seven of them, including Yang Qing, would travel together with him, and the rest wouldn¡¯t go.


    Before leaving, Xiao Chen took Huangfu Xin¡¯er aside and told her a lot of things. Then, he found Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er, giving them a purple-gold card.


    ¡°Here is the card of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion¡¯s auction house in the Tianyuan City. You can go there to sell pills in the future,¡± Xiao Chen said.


    Rebuilding a city needed a large number of financial resources, but he couldn¡¯t earn so much money for the time being. Thus, he had to take the pills refined by Gui Xian to the auction. However, on second thought, Xiao Chen thought that perhaps nobody else in this world could make the same pills as those refined personally by Gui Xian.


    Qingluan put the purple-gold card away. Frowning, she finally turned around and said to a person behind her, ¡°Chu Qi, go to the Wastelands with our master this time; there must not be any mistakes!¡± After speaking, she looked back at Xiao Chen. ¡°Master, don¡¯t refuse. Chu Qi has the best ability of acting and assassinating among our twelve people. If she goes with you, she can make many things much more convenient for you, master.¡±

 Chapter 492 - The Arctic Wilderness

    Among the Levitating Dark Fragrance, a woman in purple who was about 20 years old came out. She stood there in silence with hidden murderous aura and an expressionless face. Her eyes looked as cold as blades, and her whole person gave others a feeling of iciness, which showed that she could kill people without a sound in the dark night.


    Xiao Chen looked at her. He seemed to pay little attention to her before. However, since Qingluan personally appointed her, she must be more outstanding than others. Thus, he nodded at once and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the end, Xiao Chen walked over to Gui Xian and the others. Clasping his hands, he saluted them and said, ¡°Senior Gui Xian, I¡¯ll leave everything here to you for the time being.¡±


    Gui Xian nodded. ¡°Boy, remember to find Ren Tianxing. I¡¯m waiting for you to come back.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Chen nodded and then arched his hands to say goodbye to None-flower and Yi Tong. Yi Tong smiled and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll also wait for you to come back. At that time, let¡¯s drink in your Forever City.¡±


    Ziyun¡¯er said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯ll then call you City Master, hee hee.¡±


    ¡°Koo-chee! Koo-chee! Woo¡­¡± The Koo-chee beast jumped on Xiao Chen and rubbed itself against his face. It seemed that it was reluctant to leave him too. Xiao Chen chuckled and said, ¡°Brother Koo-chee, rest assured and stay here. Wait for me to return.¡± In the end, he turned to look at Huangfu Xin¡¯er and nodded gently.


    After saying goodbye to everyone, Xiao Chen was still unwilling to leave. He didn¡¯t know when he could return. But when he returned, he would become the leader of a major force. He then would no longer be afraid of any sect deliberately making things difficult for him, and neither would he fear to tell anyone that he was the people of the Devil¡¯s Practice. At that time, no one would dare to provoke him again!


    ¡°Brother Yang, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group of people did not delay any longer, for they had to hurry to the north border of the Northern Continent before nightfall. After resting for a night, they would find a Flying-cloud Stone shop. Then, they could fly over the Kunlun Mountains by riding the Flying-cloud Stone. After that, they would pass through the Arctic Wilderness.


    At once, the nine people levitated their flying swords and flew to the northwest. Seeing that the nine rays of sword light finally disappeared into the sky, Gui Xian sighed with emotion. ¡°I hope he can grow up for real after this trip to the Wastelands. When he comes back, the second stage of the Annihilation Times will come. But if he is still like this, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡­


    It was not until dusk that the nine of them arrived at a city near the northern border. It was called the Northern Wilderness City, but in fact, it was not desolate at all. Instead, it was flourishing and busy like Xianyong City.


    No flying on swords was allowed in the city, so the few of them walked into the city. The city was crowded with carriages and people jostling each other in a crowd. If Ziyun¡¯er were here, she would surely jump up and down vivaciously, exclaiming that the scene was very lively here. But¡­ Xiao Chen turned his head around to look at Chu Qi, who was behind him. From the beginning to now, she seemed to have ever uttered a word.


    Xiao Chen felt as if an iceberg were following behind him.


    ¡°Well, Chu Qi, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you, Master?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all right.¡±


    Before nightfall, the few of them found a relatively large Flying-cloud Stone shop. Generally speaking, if they went to other places in the North Continent, it would only take them less than 500 Spirit Stones. If they went to other continents, the price would go up to 1,000 Spirit Stones. However, as soon as the owner heard that they would go through the Arctic Wilderness, he directly asked for a sky-high and fixed price¡ª200,000 Spirit Stones.


    ¡°200,000 Spirit Stones? Are you a robber? Master, let¡¯s go to other shops!¡± Then a voice came into Xiao Chen¡¯s mind.


    If Ziyun¡¯er were here, she would definitely say like that immediately. However, Chu Qi just stood quietly behind Xiao Chen like an iceberg. She said nothing and didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. She solely focused her attention on the passers-by nearby. As long as she encountered anyone who looked suspected, she would instantly be on the alert.


    Xiao Chen frowned and said, ¡°The price is too high, isn¡¯t it? Since we only have nine people, are 150,000 Spirit Stones enough?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t bear to use the Spirit Stones, but Gui Xian had told him that money was needed in many places of the Wastelands. Besides, people in the Wastelands might not want to buy pills. Now that Xiao Chen had only about 200,000 Spirit Stones left, the rest of the money that he earned by selling pills at the auction in the Myriad Immortals Pavilion.


    The shop owner smiled and said, ¡°Sir, we also know that there are only nine people. It is not because we are not willing to make it a lower price. Not all people can go to the Arctic Wilderness, right? To guarantee your safety, we will arrange the best Flying-cloud Stone and the most distinguished flyer for you.¡±


    Xiao Chen was still frowning. It was apparent highway robbery, but there was nothing he could do. All through the year, no one was willing to go to such a place. The Arctic Wilderness was nothing but a boundless ice plain. If they went there by riding their swords, they would be like birds crossing the seas. Xiao Chen could not bear to think of the result once their True Energy was exhausted or they lost their orientation.


    Xiao Chen clenched his teeth and finally took out the Spirit Stones, thinking, ¡°I will equip the Forever City with a few Flying-cloud Stones to save me from the trouble when I want to go somewhere.¡± So he immediately paid 30,000 Spirit Stones as the front money. He would pay the rest of the 170,000 Spirit Stones tomorrow after they decided to go there.


    Then, the few of them went to a nearby inn and ate some food. After a good rest at night, they went to the Flying-cloud Stone shop the next day. The shopowner had gotten the Flying-cloud Stone ready and quickly invited them to go to the square at the back.


    At the square at the back, when Yang Qing and the other six people saw the luxurious Flying-cloud Stone, they couldn¡¯t help feeling a little stunned. Even Xiao Chen was slightly surprised.


    On the Flying-cloud Stone, there were not only a lot of flowers, grass, and trees but also a courtyard. Outside the courtyard were tracts of flowerbeds and a pavilion with a chessboard placing inside¡­


    The shopkeeper saw the surprised expressions on their faces and asked with a smile, ¡°Dear guests, are you satisfied?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Although the price of this journey was a little expensive, it was also worth it. One should know that even many major sects didn¡¯t have the Flying-cloud Stone that was as luxurious as this one. At once, he paid the remaining 170,000 Spirit Stones. Then, he got on the Flying-cloud Stone with Chu Qi, Yang Qing, and the others.


    The speed of the Flying-cloud Stone was not bad. Only in the afternoon, they arrived at the Kunlun Mountains, which was known as the ancestor of ten thousand mountains. The towering snow mountains of Kunlun were endless, like a long dragon laying on this land.


    Xiao Chen stood on the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone, looking down at the Kunlun Mountains below. He could even faintly see some snowbirds flying between the peaks of the mountains.


    There were many myths about the Kunlun Mountains. It was said that that the Queen Mother of the West had a fairy tree, named Immortal Wood. Later, the Demon King caused a great disturbance within the Heaven Realm, which made the Immortal Wood descend to the Human Realm. It then fell on the Kunlun Mountain.


    The place where the Immortal Wood landed gradually evolved into a Kunlun Fairyland that was hard to be found by the people in the world. There were many immortals and rare beasts in the Kunlun Fairyland, such as Bai Ze, who knew the feelings of all things and Hun Dun, one of the four fierce beasts.


    However, these were only legends, after all. For thousands of years, countless cultivators had gone to the remote Kunlun Mountains to seek eternal fate. But none of them eventually had ever found the Kunlun Fairyland, and many of them froze to death there.


    Of course, some Rogue Immortals once said that they had entered the Kunlun Fairyland, but the truth was not known yet. In fact, the real existence was the Kunlun Sword Sect, which was called the ancestor of those sword practitioners. It was also because of the legends of the Kunlun Mountains, people in this world called Kunlun disciples the Sword Immortals of Kunlun.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t know where the Kunlun Sect was either. He thought, ¡°Perhaps it is hidden in the Kunlun Mystic Land (not the Kunlun Fairyland). I don¡¯t know how Brother Yifeng and Muxue are doing now. Can I see them when I come back from the Wastelands?¡±


    After flying about 30 minutes, they still hadn¡¯t crossed the Kunlun Mountains, but the temperature was getting lower and lower. Even though this luxury Flying-cloud Stone had several layers of defensive barriers, they could still feel the bone-chilling coldness outside.


    Although it was frigid, for some reason, Xiao Chen suddenly had some strange feelings in his heart. Somehow, when the Flying-cloud Stone arrived in the sky above this mountain range, he suddenly felt that the place below looked very familiar and friendly to him. This feeling became increasingly intenser, and it became so strong that he nearly wanted to go down there immediately.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Aside, Yang Qing asked when he saw Xiao Chen¡¯s strange expression.


    Finally, Xiao Chen came to his senses and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He answered with some frustrating meaning in his tone. Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know what was going on either, but suddenly, he felt¡­ It was an indescribable feeling, which strongly attempted him to go down.


    ¡°Elder brother, can you please stop for a while? I want to stay here and watch for a while longer,¡± asked Xiao Chen, looking at a middle-aged man who was controlling the Flying-cloud Stone not far away.


    The middle-aged man was dressed in a long green robe. When he heard Xiao Chen¡¯s request, he seemed to be in a dilemma. Smiling bitterly, he said, ¡°This is absolutely impossible. The mountains here are relatively high, and the physical features of this place are dangerous. Beyond these, it is very easy to encounter a cold current here. If we suddenly stop here, I¡¯m afraid that the Flying-cloud Stone will lose control. That will come to no good end.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling a little lost. Somehow, he suddenly had a feeling of attachment to this place.


    Just as he finished speaking, the entire Flying-cloud Stone suddenly shook violently. Before he could react, Chu Qi had already activated his weapon in an instant and cropped up beside Xiao Chen to protect him. ¡°Be careful, Master!¡±


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling a little startled. Her speed of reaction was much faster than Qingluan¡¯s. The middle-aged man, who was controlling the Flying-cloud Stone, smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s just an ordinary cold current. My guests, please come inside and have a rest. Someone will send food to you later.¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t say anything more. He just looked at the vast expanse of whiteness below, but still, he had this uncanny feeling. Finally, at dusk, the Flying-cloud Stone ultimately passed through the towering Kunlun Mountains and arrived at the Arctic Wilderness, which was outside the realm of the Five Continents.


    Looking from a distance, Xiao Chen found that it was a boundless ice plain. He couldn¡¯t help feeling emotional. It had been thousands of years, but the Arctic Wilderness was still here. In previous, it was a vast land in the Immortal Century and hadn¡¯t yet divided into five continents. But also, the ice plain of the Arctic Wilderness was there at that time.


    At that time, Immortal¡¯s Practice flourished, and so the evil demons withdrew and kept off. To avoid the Cultivators¡¯ sect of the Immortal¡¯s Practice, many small sects of the Devil¡¯s Practice fled to the Arctic Wilderness to hide. As time went by, thousands of years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, the sects of the Devil¡¯s Practice could stand up to the Cultivators¡¯ sect of the Immortal¡¯s Practice as an equal. Thus, there was no need for them to flee to such a barren and cold place now.


    At the thought of this, Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sad. After flying for a while, the Flying-cloud Stone slowed down. Below the floating yellow clouds in the sky was a vast glacier.


    Xiao Chen walked to the edge and looked down, thinking, ¡°Before the Yaoguang Temple, there were two lotus ponds, in which grew a few thousand-year-old wilderness Wilderness Ice-lotuses. Master said that she brought these lotuses back from the Arctic Wilderness when she was chasing after an evildoer of the Devil¡¯s Practice. Did my master really come to this place in the past?¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s heart was full of unspeakable bitterness, which had accumulated for seven thousand years. He really wanted to go down and see if there was any trace left by his master¡­


    Just then, something glittered on the glacier ahead of them. Xiao Chen fixed his eyes on it, and then his face changed dramatically.


    ¡°Stop! Stop now!¡± He shouted.

 Chapter 493 - The Wastelands

    The middle-aged man, who was controlling the Flying-cloud Stone, and the two assistants next to him were shocked by Xiao Chen¡¯s sudden shout. The middle-aged man immediately asked the two assistants to stop the Flying-cloud Stone and brought it down a little. Then he looked at Xiao Chen and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Yang Qing and the others did not know why he suddenly wanted to stop the Flying-cloud Stone, and so they asked, ¡°Brother Xiao, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He just stared blankly at the glittering thing on the glacier below. It was a rootless lotus, growing on the bank of the ice river. In the light of the sunset, it flickered.


    ¡°The Wilderness Ice-lotus!¡± Followed his gaze, Yang Qing and the others couldn¡¯t help exclaiming in surprise. Yang Qing looked a little excited and said, ¡°It¡¯s really a thousand-year-old Wilderness Ice-lotus, which is even rarer to see than the Kunlun Saussurea Involucrata!¡±


    The Wilderness Ice-lotus was a precious natural herb that was even more valuable than the Saussurea Involucrata, which usually grew in the snowy mountains like the Kunlun Mountains and the Thousand Summits Mountain. But only the glaciers that had existed since ancient times up to now had the Wilderness Ice-lotuses, which were extremely difficult to find.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes looked a little dull. Suddenly, he moved his feet and was about to go down. However, a figure stopped him in no time. It was Chu Qi who stepped in front of him.


    Chu Qi¡¯s poker face was still expressionless. She glanced at Yang Qing and others and said coldly, ¡°Protect master well.¡± After that, she went down to the glacier below.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Xiao Chen shouted, trying to stop her, but it was too late. The glacier below was extremely dangerous. It was even difficult for those cultivators of immortality to get out of danger if they fell into trouble there.


    If Qingluan saw that Xiao Chen wanted to go down, she would definitely go there with him. But Chu Qi¡­ Now she was sliding smoothly to the opposite side of the ice river. As she approached the ice lotus, she threw the Full Moon Blade in front of her and stepped on it. By taking advantage of the moving Full Moon Blade, she bent over and picked up the ice lotus on the bank of the ice river.


    Yang Qing and others were watching her on the Flying-cloud Stone. A series of Chu Qi¡¯s movements put them in a cold sweat. After all, no ordinary people could go to such a dangerous place. Then, Chu Qi stepped on the piece of floating ice and leaped toward the Flying-cloud Stone by the reverse thrust. With a wave of her hand, the Full Moon Blade flew back and carried her to the Flying-cloud Stone.


    The series of actions taken by her looked as natural and smooth as the floating clouds and flowing water. Even if Xiao Chen used his Immortal-override Steps, he would do no better than that.


    By the time she returned to the Flying-cloud Stone, a layer of ice had already formed on the tips of Chu Qi¡¯s brows, and her cheeks had also turned ghastly white because of the cold. Yang Qing, the few flyers who controlled the Flying-cloud Stone, and others all secretly praised her for her extraordinary skills. If it had been them, they would not have been able to land safely back on the stone if they rashly went down.


    ¡°Master, is this what you want?¡± Chu Qi handed the Wilderness Ice-lotus to Xiao Chen, but there was still no expression on her face. Her tone was still flat, without any emotion.


    Xiao Chen took the ice lotus and immediately felt a chill. This chill went straight into every acupuncture point of his body, making him feel indescribably comfortable. Seeing that Chu Qi¡¯s cheeks turned deathly pale in the cold, Xiao Chen said a little apologetically, ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    There was still no expression on Chu Qi¡¯s face, and she said calmly, ¡°Sister Qingluan asked me to protect you. If you have something to do later, please tell me first. Don¡¯t act rashly again to put yourself in danger.¡±


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling a little dazed. In the past two days, this was the first time that she spoke so many words to him. Yang Qing and the others were very envious. Was there anything happier than having such a subordinate? Moreover, she was such a rare iceberg beauty. The few of them couldn¡¯t help taking a few more glances at Chu Qi. But immediately, they drew back their sights and turned to look at the ice lotus in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand.


    This ice lotus had three layers of petals. There were eight petals in its outer layer, six petals in the middle layer, and four petals in the inner layer. With a faint layer of cold air, the jade-like ice lotus seemed to be carved out of the ice.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually the rarest Ice Lotus XVIII,¡± Yang Qing said in a daze.


    There were good ice lotuses and bad ones. For example, the ice lotus in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand had eight, six, and four petals in the outer layer, the middle layer, and the innermost layer, respectively. It was called the Ice Lotus XVIII, the rarest and most precious kind. If a True Immortal took it, he must be promoted to a higher realm. A Rogue Immortal could become an Earth Immortal after he used it. And the physical body of a person who ascended to heaven could keep his body from being destroyed. If a mortal used it, he might not be able to become an immortal, but he could stay away from all kinds of diseases from then on. Besides, his strength could grow explosively, or even he could be brought back to life and health.


    Although it was an outstanding rare treasure, ordinary people couldn¡¯t eat it easily. Otherwise, their bodies couldn¡¯t bear the medical effect of the ice lotus.


    Yang Qing and the others looked at the ice lotus with all their eyes. However, Xiao Chen gradually lost in thought. ¡°It is really the Wilderness Ice-lotus that has eighteen petals. It looks the same as the ice lotus outside the Yaoguang Temple in those years. Master had been to this place before, Master¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen looked down at the ice river, his heart full of sadness. At this moment, he felt like crying. It seemed that just as he closed his eyes, he could see the scene when his master was picking up lotuses. The reflection of his master seemed to be still on these glaciers.


    Now when the sun went down, its last light fell. Between heaven and earth was all pale yellow, the scene of which naturally added those vast glaciers a bit of desolation.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, what is wrong?¡± Seeing his miserable and sad expression, Yang Qing and the others asked, feeling much puzzled. Finding an ice lotus that was rare to be seen in a thousand years was clearly a good thing, but why was he so sad at this moment?


    Xiao Chen held the ice lotus in his hand, shook his head gently, and looked down at the glacier below. His eyes turned a little red because of the cold wind blowing in his face, and his voice sounded a little bit bitter as if he were going to cry. He murmured to himself, ¡°She had been here¡­¡±


    ¡°Who was here?¡± Yang Qing and others asked, feeling even more puzzled. It seemed that Xiao Chen had been acting weirdly since he passed through the Kunlun Mountains in the afternoon.


    In the next three days, Xiao Chen either stared blankly at the ice lotus or walked to the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone, looking at the vast glacier below in a trance. Like him, Chu Qi also remained silent. As long as Xiao Chen didn¡¯t talk to her, she would never take the initiative to speak to him.


    On the seventh day, the Flying-cloud Stone crossed these glaciers and arrived at an endless ice field in the extreme north. There was no alternation of day and night here. In summer, it was day time forever and in winter, it was the everlasting night.


    On the ninth day, the brilliant and colorful polar light appeared in the sky ahead, but it seemed that the polar light would hang on the horizon forever. No matter how fast the Flying-cloud Stone was, it could not reach the light just like people could never catch up with the sun.


    When Yang Qing saw the appearance of the polar light, his expression became extremely exhilarated. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. As long as we pass through this ice plain and the polar light disappeared, we reach the boundary of the Wastelands.¡±


    Xiao Chen also cleaned up the gloomy mood that he had in the past few days. He walked to the edge of the Flying-cloud Stone and stood side by side with Yang Qing and the others, looking at the colorful polar light before.


    A man next to Yang Qing smiled and said, ¡°Brother Yang, after going through so many things in these years, I have never thought that we would come back again.¡±


    Yang Qing sighed. ¡°Yeah. Back then, we had just entered the Foundation Building Realm. But now¡­ It¡¯s a pity that some of our brothers will never return.¡± When he said this, the other six people also heaved a deep sigh.


    Xiao Chen looked ahead and thought, ¡°That very year, they were just in the Foundation Building Realm, but now they have reached the Nascent Soul Realm. All of this is because the Annihilation Times has arrived.¡± Suddenly, a strange idea came to him.


    When the lamp was about to go out, it would definitely give out the most dazzling light at the last moment. People¡¯s potential would erupt at the last moment before they died. But now, since the Annihilation Times had arrived, everyone¡¯s cultivation speed was accelerating. Was it true that an era would end and be annihilated?


    Two more days later, the light in the sky gradually died away, and the weather became slightly warmer. Under the sky, the green vegetation gradually revealed, but there were still many places covered with thick ice and snow.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help sighing with emotion. ¡°It will only take three days to cross the five continents, but it took us more than ten days to pass through the Arctic Wilderness. The world is so big that no ordinary person can see through it. What I have seen in my past and present life is only the tip of the iceberg at most.¡±


    When it was almost noon, the Flying-cloud Stone finally crossed through the Arctic Wilderness, and they could no longer see any ice covers. Below them was a dark green mountain range with continuous mountains, among which were flying birds and running beasts. Compared with the Arctic Wilderness before, the range looked much livelier.


    The Flying-cloud Stone also slowly descended and landed on a wide grassland. The middle-aged man cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Now we have crossed the Arctic Wilderness. According to our previous agreement, our deal is cleared.¡±


    Xiao Chen naturally understood what he meant. They were businessmen, so they needed to be paid more if Xiao Chen wanted them to go further. But since there was a mountain range in front of them, Xiao Chen and others could fly on their swords. Thus, he didn¡¯t need to waste the extra money so that Xiao Chen clasped his hands and said while smiling, ¡°Then thank you for taking care of us these days, Brother Hu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Brother Xiao.¡± The middle-aged man surnamed Hu was still very enthusiastic.


    After they saluted and bidding each other farewell, the Flying-cloud Stone flew back the way it came. Looking at the sky in which the Flying-cloud Stone disappeared, Xiao Chen kept quiet, lost in thought. ¡°Five continents, wait for the day when I come back.¡±


    ¡°Brother Yang, we were chased by that mad dog all the way up here last time, right?¡± a man suddenly said.


    Yang Qing looked at the lofty mountains and high ranges in the distance and sighed. ¡°Yes. If we hadn¡¯t met some people who were on their way to the Violet Manor, we probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape, but unfortunately, six of our brothers had died.¡± In the end, his voice sounded a little desolate gradually.


    Xiao Chen looked at them, thinking that everyone had his own stories. He then asked, ¡°Brother Yang, who is your Nemesis?¡±


    Yang Qing smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a force from the Black-horn City. We cannot defeat them.¡± As he finished, he raised his head again and looked at the distant mountain ridge. ¡°Brother Xiao, let¡¯s go. After passing through this mountain ridge, we will be able to reach some barren areas of the Wastelands. Let¡¯s settle down first.¡±


    Xiao Chen asked nothing more. After spending so many days with them, he found that the seven of them were very loyal to their friends. Especially when they were hunted by the Immortals¡¯ League in the Pingxi Village that day, Yang Qing and his brothers chose to stay behind to buy some time for Xiao Chen and others.


    Immediately, they rode on their swords and flew forward. After flying for hundreds of kilometers, Yang Qing suddenly said, ¡°Brother Xiao, I just remembered one thing. A Demonic Beast mountain range is about 100 kilometers ahead of us, and there are many monster beasts hidden there. When we pass by that place later, will we go down and get some monster pills? Tomorrow, we can take these monster pills to the city and exchange them for some Spirit Stones.¡±


    Xiao Chen thought that he didn¡¯t have much money now, so it was just at the right moment. Anyway, they were not in a hurry. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, 100 kilometers away, on the top of a mountain stood two elders in fluttering robes. One was wearing a green robe, and the other was wearing a purple one.


    They looked down at the mountain range below. After a long time, the purple-robed elder whose face looked quite ruddy stroked his beard and said with a smile, ¡°Hehe, in the past, our Pure Mind Sect won every time. It seems that this time is no exception.¡±


    When the cyan-robed elder heard his words, his face became uglier. He gave him a sideways glance and then sneered. ¡°It¡¯s too early to say this now, isn¡¯t it? There are more than four hours left. Our Heaven Heart Pavilion may catch up with them before sunset, but we are just short of seven Monster Pills.¡±


    The purple-robed old man smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. In four hours, you will be short of dozens of pills. Haha!¡±


    Upon hearing his words, the cyan-robed elder became angrier. However, the disciples of him were all good-for-nothings, who were still useless after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. Though they had gone through rigid training in normal times, it was difficult for them to kill a few fourth-order Demonic Beast at the critical moment.


    The more the cyan-robed elder thought about it, the angrier he became. However, he could not reveal his emotions. When he was about to say something, the purple-robed elder suddenly withdrew his smile, and his expression became solemn. ¡°Wait, some other people have broken into the mountain range!¡±

 Chapter 494 - Chu Qi

    ¡°Brother Yang, is this the Demonic Beast Mountain Range that you mentioned?¡±


    Just now, Xiao Chen and the others had landed on this mountain ridge and had taken a look around. It seemed that Xiao Chen did not feel that the mountain ridge was much different from that of the five continents. There were only a few strange flowers and fruits, as well as some footprints of some wild beasts.


    Yang Qing also looked around and said with some uncertainty, ¡°I haven¡¯t been back for a long time. It should be here, right?¡± Then he squatted down and looked at the beast footprints on the ground carefully. He grabbed a handful of dirt, put it under his nose and smelled it. A man next to him asked, ¡°How is it? How does it taste?¡±


    ¡°Pooh! There¡¯s the smell of Demonic Beast¡¯s shit. It¡¯s here!¡±


    Xiao Chen subconsciously put his finger in front of his nose. Seeing him like this, he could not help laughing. When he was about to say something, Chu Qi suddenly shouted, ¡°Watch out!¡± Before she could finish her words, a loud bang was heard. A fierce force rushed out and shook the trees around him.


    Xiao Chen turned around like a bolt of lightning, only to see that Chu Qi had blocked a huge black bear that was about 10 feet tall. The black bear stood to the side, its two sturdy beast arms directly pulled up a towering ancient tree and it slammed it at the group.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, a forest nearby was directly smashed, the soli and rubbles flew. Xiao Chen exclaimed, ¡°Chu Qi, be careful! It¡¯s the Giant Bear Beast!¡±


    He knew this big guy very well. When he participated in the entrance test of Three Pure Sect, he encountered a Giant Bear Beast. At that time, he was only at Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm and was so badly beaten that he spat blood.


    At that time, the Giant Bear Beast was only at level 1, 40% power and could not yet be considered Demonic Beast. At most, it was a beast. However, this Giant Bear Beast was a Level 4 demonic beast. Its defense was at least above the Nirvana Realm. Even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator might not be able to defeat it.


    ¡°Howl¡­¡±


    The Giant Bear Beast roared, and its voice went straight into the clouds. Its two arms directly grabbed Chu Qi. Its blood-red claws actually left two bloody shadows in the air. However, Chu Qi¡¯s speed was even faster, and she jumped up in an instant to avoid the deadly attack.


    Xiao Chen was terrified when he saw this. Even though Chu Qi was fast, she was nevertheless only a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Furthermore, she was a woman. Her defense was far weaker than that of a Nirvana Realm cultivator. If she was caught by the Giant Bear Beast, she would surely die. Xiao Chen hastily unsheathed his Unsullied Sword and chanted an incantation. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Unsullied Sword instantly transformed into a white radiance that was ten feet tall and slashed at the Giant Bear Beast.


    ¡°Clang!¡± The sound of metal clashing was heard. The Unsullied Sword was actually bounced off by the Giant Bear Beast. Yang Qing and the others were shocked. This defensive power was too horrifying. After thinking for a while, they hurriedly took out their flying swords and slashed at the Giant Bear Beast. However, even Xiao Chen could not break the defense of the Giant Bear Beast, let alone hurt it.


    ¡°RARR, RARR, RARR¡­¡±


    Under the siege of the crowd, the Giant Bear Beast felt pain and had finally become angry. Its eyes turned blood red and its body expanded a lot. As it raised its hand and raised its foot, it destroyed more than half of the nearby woods. Xiao Chen was worried that if things went on like this, it would attract more Demonic Beasts. He said in a hurry, ¡°Chu Qi, come back!¡±


    Chu Qi tapped her feet and flew to the front of him like a bolt of lightning. She said in a calm tone, ¡°Lord, please retreat to the side.¡± After that, she moved and attacked the Giant Bear Beast again with the Full Moon Blade in her hand.


    ¡°RARR¡­¡± The Giant Bear Beast roared and grabbed at her with its arms. Suddenly, countless bloodred shadows appeared in the air. Chu Qi was so fast that she avoided the claw attack from the Giant Bear Beast like a purple shadow. Then, she jumped up and landed onto the Giant Bear Beast¡¯s back in an instant.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a sharp clang, the Full Moon Blade in her hand split into two and fiercely attacked the Giant Bear Beast¡¯s eyes from the back. With two sounds, blood splashed, and the Giant Bear Beast was blinded.


    ¡°RARR! RARR! RARR!¡±


    The Giant Bear Beast became even more violent and restless. In midair, the blood shadow was scampering in a disorderly manner as its strength impacted level by level. Not far away, Yang Qing and the rest were all covered in a cold sweat.


    The Giant Bear Beast suddenly turned around and tore at Chu Qi with its arms. However, Chu Qi was like lightning, and she instantly flew behind it again. The two Full Moon Blade slashed at its neck again. With two sounds, the beast¡¯s throat was directly cut open, and blood spurted out.


    Even Xiao Chen was frightened to see this scene. Her movements were indeed much faster than Qingluan. The two attacks just now were almost as quick as lightning.


    ¡°RARR!¡± The Giant Bear Beast was completely enraged. Its ferocious force spread out and sent a large portion of the surrounding earth flying. Dozens of towering ancient trees were smashed from within, while others were uprooted from the ground and thrown into the distance.


    Chu Qi leaped and jumped into midair and suddenly turned down from mid-air. Her figure instantly turned into seven illusions, and it was difficult to tell between which was real. This was how scary her speed was.


    Slashing sounds could be heard endlessly, blood was flying everywhere. In that instant, the Giant Bear Beast had been slashed at least 80 times. It was drenched in blood and one of its arms was also chopped off. At this moment, it was finally getting weak but it also seemed that it was going to self-destruct its Demon Pill.


    However, how could Chu Qi give it any chance? The last blow, with a ¡°ch¡± sound, instantly cut off its neck. A bear head immediately flew to the foot of Yang Qing and others, which scared them so much that their faces turned pale.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, the humongous body of the Giant Bear Beast finally fell. Chu Qi stretched out her fingers and took out a bloody Internal Elixir from its body. Then it walked to Xiao Chen and handed it over.


    At this moment, Chu Qi¡¯s face was stained with blood. Some even splattered onto her lips and her hands were stained with blood. Xiao Chen looked at the bloody Demon Elixir in her hand and was still in a daze.


    It was impossible for him to kill that Giant Bear Beast easily. However, what Chu Qi relied on was not brute force, but her ghost-like body movement and lightning-like assassination skills. Even he himself could not do that. Although it looked a little cruel, she was worthy of being No.1 in the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. Even Qingluan could not compare with her skills.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen approved of her in his heart. Although the cultivation of Chu Qi was at the Nascent Soul Realm, it was absolutely enough to assassinate a Nirvana Realm cultivator, which was even more immeasurable in the future.


    In the distance, on the top of a mountain, two white-bearded elders, one in green and the other in purple, were still there. In front of them, a virtual image transmission array was in front of them. They had witnessed the whole process of Chu Qi killing the Giant Bear Beast just now.


    The green-robed elder laughed and said, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Killing a Lv 4 late-stage Giant Bear Beast all by herself. This little girl is really amazing. I think she is at most at the middle Nascent Soul stage. Hey hey, your Pure Mind Sect is so powerful. Do you have a disciple like her? I¡¯m afraid that your disciples can only run away after seeing the Giant Bear Beast, right?¡±


    The purple-robed elder remained silent. With the advent of the Annihilation Times, everyone began to cultivate faster. Many disciples had reached the Nascent Soul Realm. However, the biggest drawback of this was that, although these disciples¡¯ cultivations were higher, their magic spell abilities, sword techniques, skills, and other aspects were far inferior to the older generation. In other words, they only had the strength of the Nascent Soul Realm, as though it was obtained from eating pills.


    But the little girl just now was really eye-opening to him. To be honest, even the proudest disciple of his sect, whose cultivation had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, would definitely be defeated if he fought with the little girl. He was afraid that he would not even survive ten moves from her.


    ¡°Where did these people come from? I¡¯ve never heard of such a powerful female disciple in any sect,¡± the purple-robed elder narrowed his eyes and said.


    Seeing that he was willing to admit defeat at this moment, the green-robed elder felt very happy. When he was about to say something, the purple-robed old man suddenly looked serious and said, ¡°Oh no! This unassuming boy seems to have found us!¡±


    In the mountains, Xiao Chen was about to pick up the Monster Pill in Chu Qi¡¯s hand when he suddenly felt a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Force. He immediately sensed that something was wrong and said coldly, ¡°Someone is peeping at us!¡± Then he immediately turned his head and looked at a looming mountain in the distance. The fluctuation of Spiritual Force was coming from there.


    On top of the mountain, the two elders looked at Xiao Chen¡¯s cold eyes in the Virtual Image Formation and could not help but tremble. Of course, they were too far away from each other. Xiao Chen could not see them at the moment unless he had Thousand-mile Eyes.


    The purple-robed elder¡¯s body and mind trembled again. This time, his face was full of disbelief, which was even more shocking than when he saw the Giant Bear Beast killed by Chu Qi. He murmured, ¡°Even those old boys can¡¯t notice my Thousand-mile-observation Skill. How is it possible that this boy could! This boy, this boy!¡± At the end of his words, he gradually became incoherent.


    Seeing his expression at the moment, the green-robed elder felt very happy in his heart. He laughed and said, ¡°Zi Xuanzi, Zi Xuanzi, you¡¯ve been studying this insight technique all day long, but now you¡¯ve been seen through by a younger Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Haha, it will be so funny to tell it to the others. Haha!¡±


    The purple-robed elder¡¯s face was still filled with disbelief. He muttered, ¡°Impossible. How is this kid possible¡­? Could it be him? How terrifying is his Divine Sense? It¡¯s impossible!¡±


    The green-robed elder kept laughing as if he was hitting him when he was down. He said, ¡°What¡¯s so impossible when he had already found you? Are you going to admit it only when he flies up here to catch you?¡±


    The elder in the purple robe clenched his fist and frowned, said, ¡°Where did they come from? Were they from the Desolate Seas? It¡¯s impossible. Why would people from the Desolate Seas come to such a small place¡­¡±


    ¡¤¡¤¡¤


    In the mountains, Chu Qi was on the alert, and so were Yang Qing and others. After a while, Yang Qing said slowly, ¡°Brother Xiao, did you make a mistake? There seems to be no one nearby.¡±


    Xiao Chen focused and said nothing. After a long time, he turned his head and said, ¡°Well, I guess I have mistaken.¡±


    Although that was what he said, he was absolutely sure that he had sensed it right. He was sure that someone was spying on him and others just now. The reason why he said so was to let the people on the other side lower their guard as he was still not sure what purpose the other side had.


    On the mountaintop in the distance, the purple-robed elder seemed to have finally recovered some of his pride. He snorted and said, ¡°Did you see that? Just now, I was distracted, and this kid just accidentally felt a slight fluctuation of the spirit energy. It¡¯s impossible for him to notice my Observation Spell.¡±


    The green-robed elder next to him sneered and said nothing, but it seemed that he could not find any words to refute him for the time being.

 Chapter 495 - The Battle for the Monster Pill

    Xiao Chen and the others walked through the endless mountains and aged forests. Along the way, they encountered seven or eight high-tier Demonic Beast, all of which were successfully killed. However, one Demon wolf beast had self-destructed its Internal Elixir, nearly hurting Yang Qing and the others.


    It was worth mentioning that Demonic Beasts were different from Demons. Demons were from a race that was leftover from ancient times. They were as intelligent as humans, and their abilities were better than humans in all aspects, especially their life span was much longer than humans¡¯.


    Demonic Beasts were some mutated beasts that had absorbed the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth. Most of them were bloodthirsty and cruel, fed on ordinary beasts or humans. Therefore, Demonic Beasts and Demon had to be distinct. They were not of the same and could not be mixed as one single thing.


    But now, most people had already regarded the two as one thing, especially ordinary people, who were full of hatred and fear for Demons. They thought that Demons were brutal, bloodthirsty, treacherous, and deceitful. In fact, they were not. Most Demons were very friendly, who also had feelings and hoped to coexist with human beings.


    Of course, there were exceptions to everything, just as there were scums among humans. This was also the reason why Demons were viewed as an evil and alien race, harming the common people. Hence, since ancient times, there had been countless cultivators¡¯ sects to eliminate Demons, especially the Shushan Sect, which was one of the major Ancient Immortal Clan cultivators¡¯ sects. They always took the responsibility of killing Demons. When the disciples of Shushan leave the mountain, the reason was mostly to kill the Demons.


    On the summit, the two elders were still watching every move in the mountains. The purple-robed elder frowned deeply. When he saw Xiao Chen and the others easily killed seven or eight high-tier Demonic Beasts in such a short time, his expression became more and more solemn. The efficiency of these people was even higher than that of several groups of disciples who participated in the competition under his sect.


    On the other hand, the green-robed elder was very relaxed and even wanted to sing. He thought, ¡°Anyway, my Heaven Heart Pavilion will lose to Pure Mind Sect every time, and can¡¯t even fight against them. If the Pure Mind Sect loses to a few outsiders this time, it will be really interesting. Let¡¯s see what they can boast about this time.¡±


    The more he thought about it this way, the more carefree the green-robed elder felt. The purple-robed elder¡¯s expression was solemn as he said, ¡°Can these people be disciples from the sects in the great realm¡­ who have been sent out to train?¡±


    After that, the purple-robed old man thought for a while, then he shook his head and said, ¡°No, I have to go down and have a look.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± The green-robed elder hurriedly stopped him. ¡°During the competition, other than the disciples and Lead Elder, we can¡¯t go down. Don¡¯t break the rules.¡±


    ¡¤¡¤¡¤


    Xiao Chen and the others were still in the woods. Two hours later, they had already collected more than a dozen Internal Elixir of Demonic Beasts, but Xiao Chen kept feeling that there was a faint aura lingering around them. It seemed that they had been spying on him and the others, which made him feel a little uncomfortable all the time.


    ¡°Brother Yang, if that¡¯s enough, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yang Qing turned around, with a little surprise on his face. ¡°Now?¡±


    At present, it was just in the season of Demonic Beast¡¯s appearance, and these Monster Pills were valuable. If they were to leave now, it would be a pity. He even wanted to stay here for a night and continue to hunt the beasts to get more pills tomorrow. Then, he would sell them in the city. At least, he would not have to worry about the lack of money during the recent period.


    When they were talking, a burning hurricane suddenly came. Wherever the hurricane passed, the grass and trees quickly withered. Everyone looked shocked. Looking back, they saw fire shooting up to the sky, and a huge Demonic Beast suddenly flew out from the raging flames.


    The Demonic Beast was huge. Its eyes were as bright as a lamp, and its wings grew on its ribs. Its wings were burning with raging flames, and they were spread open to about 50 to 60 feet long.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Flame-Winged Beast King!¡± Yang Qing exclaimed. This was a Tier-5 Demonic Beast. It was comparable to a human expert at the peak of the Nirvana Realm. Moreover, it was of an expert at the peak of the Nirvana Realm who was not created by Immortals¡¯ League¡¯s medicinal pill.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Xiao Chen shouted in a hurry and immediately pushed the crowd away. With a loud bang, the forest behind him was burned in an instant. The hot airwaves rushed over as if they were going to roast these people.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Chen did not think too much. Right now, this Tier-5 Beast King was not something they could fight against. Just as they were about to leave, the Flame-winged Beast King caught up with them like lightning. It let out a shrill whistle and suddenly turned into a sea of fire in the air. A large blaze swept toward the crowd.


    Xiao Chen had no choice but to turn around and pushed out his palms at the same time. Suddenly, the dragon¡¯s roar shook the sky, and the low-tier Demonic Beasts within the five-kilometer radius fled in panic.


    It was the fifth move of the Dragon Roar Palm, the Ice Dragon¡¯s Roar. Two 15 feet long blue ice dragons rushed toward the Flame-Winged Beast King in the sky and managed to defend for a while. The two palm strength condensed into the mystical ice, temporarily wrapping the Beast King¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Get going!¡± Xiao Chen shouted at the people behind him. However, Chu Qi leaped, her figure flashed and stepped on the two rows of ice formed by him to assassinate the Beast King.


    The Beast King roared and suddenly spurted fire from its mouth. Chu Qi instantly blocked the incoming flames with the Full Moon Blade, but she was pushed back by this ferocious force.


    ¡°Bang, bang!¡± With two crisp sounds, the two rows of ice that Xiao Chen had created were also shattered by the Beast King. In the blink of an eye, a large number of flames attacked the crowd again. Yang Qing and the others had no choice but to condense a barrier to resist.


    The wind on the mountain peak was cold. The two elders focused their attention on their battle with the Beast King. The green-robed elder smiled and said, ¡°This brat is not too bad with the magic spells. He is able to rely on palm strength to form the Mystic Ice. Have you seen such a Method before?¡±


    The purple-robed elder remained silent. Moments later, he said, ¡°This kid should have reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Otherwise, he won¡¯t be able to trap the Beast King. Alas¡­¡± In the end, he let out a deep sigh. His eldest disciple, Liu Qing, was also at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. However, compared to this kid, he was probably weaker.


    In the woods, after 30 minutes, they finally injured the Flame-winged Beast King with Xiao Chen¡¯s Roar of Ice Dragon Spirits after a bitter struggle. But they also looked a little like a drowned mouse. Yang Qing and the others¡¯ clothes were burned in many places, and even their hair curled from the burn.


    Chu Qi¡¯s clothes were thin in the first place, and after being burned by the fire, it was in rags and parts of her body were uncovered, which was like an eye feast. Fortunately, the Beast King seemed to be running out of its Mystic Power, so it was now a little worn out and could no longer launch a large-scale fire attack.


    At this moment, several sword radiance suddenly came from the distance. ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± They pierced the Beast King¡¯s wings. The Beast King let out a sharp whistle and dashed around in the air. But its wings were injured, so it finally fell from the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Tier-5 Beast King! Get the Monster Pill!¡±


    Following after was a shout that rang in the distance. A dozen or more people rapidly rushed over. Those ten over people were dressed in violet clothes. Only a man who was in the lead was dressed in white. Behind him were three other women. The rest were all young men.


    Yang Qing looked at the direction where the voice came from and frowned, ¡°Someone is coming to rob Monster Pill.¡± A man next to him cursed in a hurry, ¡°Fuck, these people are so shameless!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the white-robed man, who was the leader of the group, had already slashed at the seriously injured King of Beasts. Chu Qi moved and also rushed to attack.


    Seeing that someone was robbing the Beast King, the white-robed man¡¯s eyes turned cold and he hit Chu Qi with his palm. Chu Qi¡¯s body turned away speedily and dodged the palm strength. Ignoring this person, she continued to attack the Beast King.


    The man in white saw that she had underestimated him, then he said coldly, ¡°Young lady, are you going to snatch the Beast King¡¯s Inner Elixir from me?¡±


    The man spoke with a very domineering tone as if this Demonic Beast mountain range was owned by his family. However, Chu Qi¡¯s eyes were cold and she did not even look at him. She only said these words coldly, ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    The man could not help but be stunned, and then his eyes became colder. He said coldly, ¡°Well, according to the rules of Demonic Beast mountain range, whoever gives the final blow will have Monster Pill. It depends on whether you have the ability or not!¡± After saying that he chanted an incantation quickly, three or five rows of sharp golden Sword Qi rushed to the dying Beast King at full speed.


    In the distance, Yang Qing and the others were all angry. The man¡¯s cultivation was obviously above Chu Qi, and the battle just now had consumed a lot of her True Energy. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it obvious that he was bullying people?¡±


    Just as they were about to help her, several figures flashed and stopped them. A purple-robed man smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the rules of the Demonic Beasts Mountain Range? Whoever gives the last blow to the Demonic Beast gets the Internal Elixir. If you want to snatch the inner elixir, you have to ask us first if you want to intervene.¡±


    After hearing this, Yang Qing and the rest were furious. However, even though they were angry, they had no reason to refute it. They had once stayed in Wastelands and knew that this was the rule. It was not only in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range but also in other places.


    When people seized the same treasure, the treasure would belong to the one who gave the treasure-guardian beast the final blow. If they did not act according to the rules, the only thing they could do was to engage in a bloody battle. They would either fight to death or fight to the end until one side surrendered. In Wastelands, one had to rely on one¡¯s strength to speak. There were no principles, even if the Flame-winged Beast King was seriously injured by them first.


    The man in purple smiled contemptuously and then turned to the man in white and shouted, ¡°Senior Brother Liu, come on!¡±


    Not far away, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and he did not make a move. The man in white was at most at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, and he had used pills to arrive at that level. He was not like Xiaoyue and Su Zimu, who had cultivated to the peak of Nascent Soul by themselves. If he wanted to do anything, he could defeat him in one move.


    But he did not make a move, because he felt that the fluctuation of the spirit energy his Divine Sense had sensed earlier had seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, and there seemed to be a hint of threat in it as if it was warning him.


    This made him a little wary. He thought about whether he should stop Chu Qi. After all, the opponent might be a cultivator who was about to enter the Grand Completion Realm that was not driven by pills.


    Although The Annihilation Times was coming, the second stage had not arrived yet. The cultivators in the Apotheosis Realm still had an unshakable position, and they were the main force of a sect.


    As for the Immortals¡¯ League, they were just digging their graves by driving their cultivations with pills. When the second stage of the Annihilation Times came, these people who abused the pills could only be cannon fodder in the end. The real experts were people such as Zi Mo, Qingfeng and Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, who did not rely on pills to improve their cultivation. Even if they had to consume it, they would not abuse it.


    ¡°Clang! Clang!¡± Two sharp sounds interrupted Xiao Chen¡¯s train of thought. It turned out that the man in white blocked Chu Qi¡¯s two Full Moon Blades aimed at the Beast King.


    The man in white sneered and said, ¡°Girl, I advise you to give up. No one can take away the last blow from me.¡± After saying that, he pointed at the air, and a sharp Sword Qi rushed toward the Beast King¡¯s neck. With a sound, blood splashed, and the Beast King¡¯s head flew away.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good job, Senior Brother Liu!¡± The dozen or more people immediately cheered loudly. The man in purple looked at Yang Qing and said with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Yang Qing and the others were so angry that they gnashed their teeth, but there was nothing they could do. The rules were the rules. If they were to fight, both sides would suffer in the end. However, they had important things to deal with, so it was not suitable for them to fight with them.


    The man in white looked at Chu Qi with a proud face. He smiled and said, ¡°Miss, thanks for giving in to me. I¡­¡±


    Without finishing his words, Chu Qi moved like lightning. She had never paid attention to what he said from the beginning to the end. After rushing to the corpse of the Beast King, she directly took the Internal Elixir inside without saying a word.


    The dozen or more people in the distance were all shocked, and the eyes of the man in white suddenly turned cold. He said coldly, ¡°Girl, are you going to act against the rules?¡±


    The atmosphere was frozen for a moment. At this moment, everyone took out their magic treasures and weapons.

 Chapter 496 - Twelve Shadows Final Kill

    Yang Qing and others also immediately pulled out their long swords. The two sides were in a very tense situation. Yang Qing said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s true that the Wastelands has its own rules, but the Beast King was seriously injured by us first. You came here to take advantage of it. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡±


    The man in purple sneered and said, ¡°Are you kidding me? Without you, you think we can¡¯t beat the Beast King?¡±


    A man next to Yang Qing sneered and said, ¡°Do you think you can take down the Flame-Winged Beast King on your own? You would probably flee when you see a Giant Bear Beast, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yang Qing and others were now in conflict with the purple-clothed man and others. The white-clothed man stopped Chu Qi and said lightly, ¡°Rules are rules. Please hand over Monster Pill. I don¡¯t like to fight with women, especially a beautiful woman like you.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Chu Qi held Internal Elixir in her hand, and her tone was flat throughout as if she was talking to a passer-by who was blocking her way.


    The eyes of the man in white suddenly turned cold. He had never met such a woman before. It seemed that she had never acknowledged him from the beginning to the end, and she did not listen to what he said at all. She did not even look at him at all, which made him very unhappy. ¡°Whether it¡¯s in the sect or in the whole city of Yan Prefecture, which woman does not want to talk to me? Or just that does she not know who I am?¡±


    At the moment, the man in white hid his anger and smiling, said, ¡°My surname is Liu, and my only name is Qing. I¡¯m from the Pure Mind Sect, and my master is Zi Xuan¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way.¡± The tone of Chu Qi was still flat, without any emotion, neither happy, angry nor shocked.


    Liu Qing¡¯s eyes turned cold. This time around, he was really a little angry. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°If young miss insists on snatching the Beast King Pill, then I will have no choice but to snatch it. However, if I injure young miss later¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, a cold glint suddenly flashed. A full moon curved blade was already placed on his neck.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me by yourself.¡±


    Her calm words made everyone present feel a chill running down their spine. Chu Qi came in front of Liu Qing in the blink of an eye. Her movements were a little too fast.


    Liu Qing looked at the cold blade in front of his throat, and his back was immediately covered with a layer of cold sweat. If she wanted to kill him just now, he would be injured even if he did not die. He was too careless. Thinking of this, he instinctively jumped back and made a gesture with his finger. A golden Sword Qi rushed to attack Chu Qi.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud noise, sparks flew out. Chu Qi used the Full Moon Blade to resist the attack of the Sword Qi. However, her body could not help but step back a few meters, and her arm was also shocked numb.


    At the end of the day, Liu Qing¡¯s cultivation was already at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. No matter how fast she was, her strength was far inferior to Liu Qing¡¯s. Moreover, she had already consumed a lot of True Energy after the battle with the Flame-winged Beast King.


    ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh!¡±


    Another two rows of sharp Sword Qi flew from the top and the bottom. Chu Qi made a backward somersault, and a streak of Sword Qi slashed across her back, cutting off a strand of her hair. A streak of Sword Qi slashed between her legs. With two loud bangs, the two towering trees behind her were directly cut off from the middle.


    Falling back to the ground, Chu Qi waved her arm, and the Full Moon Blade suddenly split into two. They turned into two cold radiances and slashed at Liu Qing from both left and right. At the same time, she also attacked Liu Qing like lightning.


    Liu Qing was shocked and flew back seventy or eighty feet. He knew in his heart that he must not fight her at close quarters, otherwise, he would die. He quickly chanted a spell, ¡°Boom!¡± With a few loud noises, several dazzling lightning bolts fell from the sky and instantly blew up the grass and trees nearby into ashes.


    Chu Qi¡¯s movements were extremely fast. She dodged the lightning bolts and attempted to assassinate Liu Qing. Her cold gaze was like a death signal from the night sky. Liu Qing was so shocked that his entire body was covered in a cold sweat. He hurriedly flew into the sky and chanted a spell. Another wave of ice blades attacked.


    Ice blades were swirling all over the sky, and every strike was deadly. In the distance, the disciples of the Pure Mind Sect were all amazed. Liu Qing was the best in terms of magic spells, so he could use them in an instant. No one could defeat him in the competition of magic spells.


    In fact, what everyone did not know was that Liu Qing was being forced to do so. He did not dare to let Chu Qi be near him. To deal with a person whose cultivation was a few levels lower than his, he still needed to fight with a long-range magic spell. It was really a joke to be told to others.


    In the blink of an eye, Chu Qi dodged the ice blades that filled the sky and charged at Liu Qing. ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud bang, Liu Qing blocked her blade attacks. He leaped backward and made a quick spell gesture. With a loud boom, the earth trembled. A wall of earth more than a hundred feet high charged up and barely managed to hold off Chu Qi for a moment.


    When he landed on the ground, Liu Qing finally heaved a sigh of relief. He had not expected this woman to be so fast. He immediately chanted a spell, and dozens of rays of golden Sword Qi appeared out of thin air. They all charged at her at the same time.


    The wild wind howled and the grass and trees flew. Chu Qi dodged to the left and right like a ghost and avoided the heavy attacks of the Sword Qi. In a flash, she had already come to the front of Liu Qing. With a wave, the blade came at Liu Qing¡¯s head with a cold radiance.


    Liu Qing was shocked and quickly leaned back. With a bang, the cap on his head was cut into pieces, and his hair was immediately scattered. He looked quite like a drowned mouse.


    This made him shocked and angry. He turned his hand and slammed at Chu Qi. This palm was extremely fierce, causing the nearby grass and trees to fly everywhere. It was obvious that he had also made a deadly move. However, Chu Qi moved away at this moment, as if she had disappeared. The next moment, she had already appeared behind Liu Qing and kicked him to seventy to eighty feet away.


    More than a dozen people of the Pure Mind Sect in the distance were all shocked. Senior Brother Liu had the highest cultivation in the sect, so how could he be attacked so easily from behind? At this moment, everyone looked at Chu Qi. She took the Full Moon Blade that flew back and was about to attack Liu Qing. The man in purple exclaimed, ¡°Senior Brother Liu, be careful!¡±


    Liu Qing landed on the ground. His hair was scattered all over his shoulders and his eyes were bloodshot. He had never been in such a sorry state before. He had never been kicked away in front of so many Junior Brothers and Sisters. Furthermore, her cultivation was so much lower than his!


    In a flash, Chu Qi came up again, but this time, Liu Qing did not dodge. His eyes were red, and his whole body seemed to be covered with a layer of faint golden light in an instant. Xiao Chen was shocked and shouted, ¡°Chu Qi, be careful!¡±


    However, Chu Qi had already come to the front of Liu Qing. All of a sudden, the True Energy in Liu Qing¡¯s entire body shook. A monstrous force instantly erupted from him, directly shattering the stone and wood within the 100 feet radius.


    Chu Qi was also sent flying by this sudden and ferocious force. In terms of strength alone, she was ultimately inferior to Liu Qing, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Liu Qing¡¯s long hair fluttered in the air. With a deep roar, he raised his palm. Suddenly, a gigantic golden handprint appeared in midair and slammed down on Chu Qi. This time, he had truly used the power of a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. The wind howled all around him, and even the distant crowd could feel the terrifying power.


    ¡°Chu Qi, watch out!¡±


    Xiao Chen was worried that the continuous consumption of energy for Chu Qi would be too much, and would not be able to resist the violent Liu Qing. He was about to take action, but the moment he moved, he suddenly felt a great pressure. This pressure came from the top of a mountain in the distance, which made him faintly unable to breathe.


    It was a strength that was at least at the peak of the Apotheosis Realm!


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. He had been spied on by this person using mystic arts earlier. He did not doubt that the latter would attack him the moment he made a move. A cultivator at the peak of Apotheosis Realm who did not rely on pills could almost instantly kill him. Even Guifeng would not have a complete chance of victory.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± The sound was like thunder, and the whole forest trembled. Liu Qing slammed one palm after another, and the nearby woods were destroyed in an instant, and countless handprints that were several feet deep appeared on the ground.


    Chu Qi was calm and avoided these deadly attacks again and again, but it was not easy for her to get close to Liu Qing. Suddenly, she stretched out her body and shouted, ¡°Twelve Shadow¡ªFinal Kill!¡±


    The Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon focused on assassinations. It was rare that before an attack, they would use their shouts to run their True Energy. As her shouts came to an end, she suddenly split into twelve and instantly transformed into twelve shadows that charged at Liu Qing from all directions.


    Everyone was shocked. They had only seen twelve shadows, but what Liu Qing had seen were twelve figures with different appearances. They were very real people, and each of them had the same attack power.


    It was the Ultimate Skill of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. To perform this, the other eleven people must be absent. Even if one of them was present, one could not use it. The other eleven people who were transformed by this technique had almost the same attack power as the original one. That was to say, this attack was comparable to the joint attack of the twelve people of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    The wind howled and rocks flew in all directions. The twelve figures arrived in a flash, causing Liu Qing¡¯s expression to change drastically. When he was about to dodge, he realized that all directions had been sealed off. There was no breakthrough point.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± With a sharp sound, a bloody wound appeared on Liu Qing¡¯s arm. Immediately, fresh blood sprayed out, followed by his chest and back. In an instant, his entire body had already been cut open by over ten bloody wounds. Immediately, his body was covered in fresh blood.


    The expressions of the remaining ten or so people in the distance changed drastically. ¡°Senior Brother Liu!¡±


    However, without waiting for Liu Qing¡¯s counterattack, the twelve figures suddenly merged into one again and slashed towards his neck. This strike was extremely ferocious. It was obviously a deadly blow, and Liu Qing was certain to die!


    At this moment, Xiao Chen felt a strong aura approaching. He shouted, ¡°Be careful, Chu Qi!¡± Before he finished his words, he had already moved to the back of Chu Qi.


    ¡°Poom!¡± A loud noise shook heaven and earth, and everything within the 100 feet radius was turned into powder. Chu Qi and Liu Qing were also pushed away by a powerful force at this moment. The crowd was shocked. It was Xiao Chen and a gray-robed old man who had suddenly teleported had their palms against each other.


    The remaining force spread out, but it still made people suffocate. In the distance, more than a dozen disciples of Pure Mind Sect exclaimed in unison, ¡°Elder Xu!¡±


    This was the competition between Pure Mind Sect and the Heaven Heart Pavilion, but with the protection of an Elder of each sect, so that the disciples would not be attacked by high-tier Demonic Beast. Generally speaking, Elders would not easily show up until the last moment.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s long hair was fluttering, and he was still in the palm-to-palm position with the old man in the gray robe. He did not even take a step back. It was not until then that those dozen disciples of the Pure Mind Sect in the distance realized that he could fight with Elder Xu without being hurt at all. ¡°Could this unassuming young man have even higher cultivation than the girl? Has he already reached the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm?¡±


    All of them gasped in disbelief. It was beyond their wildest imagination that a man of the same age as them had reached the middle stage of Nirvana Realm!

 Chapter 497 - Yan Prefecture City

    In fact, Xiao Chen had reached the fourth level of the Nirvana Realm. Not long ago, he absorbed a portion of the Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit¡¯s power. Although there was only one level between the third and the fourth level, the difference between them was huge. One was at the Early-stage, and the other was at the Middle-stage. If he had not entered the fourth level, he would not be able to withstand the palm of the old man who was at the late-stage of Nirvana Realm.


    The old man in the gray robe finally reacted at this time. Although he only used seven parts of his strength, this person was able to take it, which meant that he was at least in the middle stage of the Nirvana stage. He took a step back, but he was still a little shocked.


    ¡°Even in The Annihilation Times, it¡¯s impossible to have such a young cultivator at the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm. Could it be an old man who has cultivated his Immortal Body? No, if he¡¯s an Immortal Body, it means that he¡¯s not using his full strength. Wouldn¡¯t that be even more terrifying?¡±


    It was true. Although The Annihilation Times was coming, it had not reached the second stage. Almost no one among the juniors could really enter the Nirvana Realm. Even people like Xiaoyue, Su Zimu, Yu Yifeng, and others stayed at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if they took the pills, it was difficult for them to break through to the Nirvana Realm.


    As for Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue, it was purely a coincidence when they entered the flower valley mystic domain by accident. That was why back then, there were so many seniors from the Cultivators¡¯ sects respected Mo Jinyan for entering the Nirvana Realm. It was not just because he was a member of the Mo family.


    The old man in the gray robe forced himself to calm down and said sternly, ¡°My friend, you are also a member of the Cultivators¡¯ sects. Isn¡¯t your friend¡¯s killing desire too strong? It¡¯s just a verbal dispute. Why the need to kill?¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen was still a little cautious of the Apotheosis Realm cultivator on the top of the mountain. He said placidly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you can be considered a senior of a Cultivators¡¯ sect. Why do you intend to kill a girl?¡±


    The palm strike just now was indeed fatal for Chu Qi, but the old man in the gray robe used only seven parts of force out of desperation. If he really wanted to kill someone, he would have used nine parts or even ten parts of his force.


    Although the strong were now respected in Violet Manor, most of them had the demeanor of an expert. They would not use all their strength to kill people if they did not get along with each other.


    Theoretically, Nirvana Realm cultivators could kill Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in seconds, but there was no real deep hatred. Why did they have to use 100 percent of their strength to kill people? If they had such strong killing desires, they would definitely fail to survive the ordeal and ascend in the future.


    The old man in the gray robe calmed down and said, ¡°I was just in a hurry just now. If you believe it, you believe it. If you don¡¯t believe it, then let it go.¡±


    Xiao Chen certainly knew that he was in a hurry, and he was able to retain 30 percent of his strength in such a hurry. This person really had the demeanor of a predecessor. He also cupped his hands gracefully and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Since the rule is the rule, then I dare not take this Monster Pill away.¡± After that, he said to the people behind him, ¡°Chu Qi.¡±


    In the back, Liu Qing had already been helped up by someone. At this moment, he was extremely unreconciled. Being defeated by Chu Qi was one of the reasons. More of it because of this young man who looked a few years younger than him in front of him.


    He had always regarded himself as the number one person in the Pure Mind Sect, and even the number one person in Yan Prefecture City. However, the young man in front of him had actually reached the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm. He was actually able to defend Elder Xu¡¯s palm strike.


    Chu Qi walked up and handed the Flame-winged Beast¡¯s Monster Pill to Xiao Chen with both hands.


    At this moment, on the mountaintop in the distance, the purple-robed old man and cyan-robed elder were both shocked. Especially the purple-robed old man from Pure Mind Sect, his back was covered with layers and layers of cold sweat. Originally, he thought that this person was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. However, he did not expect that this person was actually at the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm. This was completely beyond his imagination.


    The reason why he was so shocked was that before the second stage of the Annihilation Times came, there was a twenty-year-old Nirvana Realm cultivator who seemed to have an ancient cultivation method.


    The reason why there was layer after layer of cold sweat behind him was that such a strong young man would not suddenly appear in the Wastelands out of nowhere. The only reasonable explanation he could think of was that the origin of this person was not trivial.


    He seemed to have thought of something and his voice was trembling. He said in a quavering voice, ¡°Are these people from White Fog City?¡±


    At this moment, the cyan-robed elder of the Heaven Heart Pavilion was no longer as sarcastic as he had been earlier. His voice was also trembling. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. The Cloud Mist Academy disciples will not come here. Other than the Cloud Mist Academy disciples, it seems that no one in White Fog City has ever heard of such a powerful person. Could it be¡­¡± His face turned pale when he spoke until this point. He muttered, ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s someone from the Desolate Seas¡­¡±


    ¡°Desolate Seas¡­¡± When he heard these words, the old man in the purple robe trembled, and his face was also pale. Then he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly used the Thousand-mile Secret Voice Technique at the Elder Xu in the deep mountain below and said, ¡°This person may be from the Desolate Seas. Talk nicely. Let¡¯s give up the Monster Pill!¡±


    In the forest below, Xiao Chen handed the Beast King¡¯s Monster Pill to the old man in the gray robe. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Senior, please take the Monster Pill.¡±


    Since Liu Qing had lost, Elder Xu naturally did not intend to accept the Monster Pill. At this moment, when he heard Senior Brother¡¯s secret voice sent to him, he was even more shocked. His face turned pale, but he quickly recovered. He waved his hand and said, ¡°No, no, no. Since the Beast King was killed by my young friend, Monster Pill should belong to my young friend. My disciple offended you just now, so please don¡¯t keep it in mind. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡±


    Not far away, more than a dozen people from the Pure Mind Sect had doubts in their eyes. The rule of Wastelands was that whoever launched the last blow would be the winner. Even if this person had really entered the Nirvana Realm, Elder Xu could just reject accepting the Monster Pill. There was no need for him to be so polite in his words. It really destroyed their prestige. For a moment, the ten more people felt very unhappy.


    These juniors were all young and vigorous. They liked to compete and win. Naturally, they would not think so far like the older generation. If Xiao Chen was really a person from Desolate Seas, and Elder Xu insisted on taking Monster Pill, then it was very likely that from now on, a sect in the Wastelands would be gone forever.


    Xiao Chen did not know why he had such a great change in his attitude. But since he refused to accept Monster Pill, it would be pretentious for him to give it to them. He clasped his hands and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, then we¡¯ll take our leave first.¡± Then, he looked at Chu Qi and the others and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elder Xu did not let out a sigh of relief until the group of people walked far away. However, his inner robe was drenched with sweat. The purple-clothed man who had walked up earlier frowned and said, ¡°Elder Xu, are we just letting them leave like this?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Elder Xu glared at him, scaring him to take a step back. After a while, Elder Xu sighed again and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We won¡¯t take Monster Pill today. Just let the Heaven Heart Pavilion win this time.¡±


    ¡¤¡¤¡¤


    By the time Xiao Chen and the others left the Mountain Range of Demonic Beasts, it was already dusk. Xiao Chen looked at Yang Qing and the others and asked, ¡°Do you know those people just now?¡±


    The few of them stopped. Yang Qing thought for a long time, then he shook his head and said, ¡°The Wastelands is very large, and each place has its sect and force. I seem to have heard of the Pure Mind Sect just now before, but it has been too long, so I can¡¯t remember it clearly.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded slightly. The other party might be a force from a small place, but it was definitely not a major force at the Wastelands. He did not know why the Apotheosis Realm did not take action in the end. Maybe it was for some reason.


    ¡°So, Brother Xiao, where are we going now?¡± Yang Qing asked.


    Xiao Chen looked up at the sky and saw that the yellow clouds were rising and dusk was approaching. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and find a small town to stay in. After two days, we¡¯ll go to the city to find Ren Tianxing.¡±


    He had just arrived at the Wastelands, and there was nothing he could do about it now. Perhaps finding the weapon master Ren Tianxing that Gui Xian had mentioned was the most feasible way.


    Three days later, they came to a place called Yan Prefecture City. Along the way, they passed by a few desolate towns. But the big city at present made Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. Originally, he thought Wastelands was all barren places. Unexpectedly, there was such a prosperous big city. It was no less than Xianyong City.


    There was a long queue waiting under the city gate. It seemed that they needed to check their identities before entering the city. Xiao Chen could not help to frown. In these three days, he also had a general understanding of the Wastelands from Yang Qing and others.


    Wastelands was divided into eight realms. Among them, there were four minor realms and four major realms. The difference between the two was like the difference between Violet Manor and the Human World.


    Among them, the four minor realms were respectively Life (Wastelands provinces), Aged (Wastelands provinces) Realm, Sickly (Wastelands provinces), and the Death (Wastelands provinces). Now they were in the Life (Wastelands provinces). There were many barren places between Aged (Wastelands provinces) Realm and the Sickly (Wastelands provinces), but there were also many forces of Cultivation. The Death (Wastelands provinces) was the strongest among the four minor realms, and the Black-horn City was also in the Death (Wastelands provinces).


    The four major realms were Sea (Wastelands provinces), Abyss (Wastelands provinces), Sky (Wastelands provinces), Hades guidelight. In the Wasteland Sea, there was a force called Desolate Seas, whose strength was unfathomable. It had always been said that ¡°Once Sea (Wastelands provinces)¡¯s Token appears, the sun will not set¡±. That was to say, if any sect suddenly received Sea (Wastelands provinces)¡¯s Token one day, then this sect would be destroyed by Sea (Wastelands provinces)¡¯s Desolate Seas before sunset.


    The group of people came to the gate of the city. Two rows of black-armored soldiers stood on both sides of the gate. They were not ordinary soldiers. They were all martial artists who had reached Realm 3, equivalent to the Core Forming Realm or even the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.


    The identity check was not particularly strict. They were just checking whether they were residents. If they were, they could enter and exit freely. If they were not, they needed to pay 1,000 Spirit Stones each person. After the registration, they were allowed to enter and exit freely within a year.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. He had gone to so many places, but he had never heard of any place that needed money to enter the city. City Master of the Wastelands was really greedy for money, but he did not want to have a conflict with them. So he handed in the 9,000 Spirit Stones without any grudge.


    However, paying so much for no reason, he felt somewhat uncomfortable and heartache about the 9,000 Spirit Stones. Fortunately, the other people of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon did not follow him. Otherwise, he would have to pay 11,000 Spirit Stones instead.


    Of course, the money was not for free. After the money was paid, one would be protected by the forces of Yan Prefecture City this year when in the city. Of course, if it was a fugitive or someone who had provoked the major forces, it would be an exception.


    When he entered the city, he saw lots of carriages, pedestrians, and vendors on both sides of the street. It was very lively. Xiao Chen secretly nodded. Although it was a city of the Wastelands, it was not much worse than one of those prosperous cities in the Violet Manor.


    They immediately went to an inn. At the same time, in a house somewhere in the city, stood an imposing middle-aged man, and a white-bearded old man in a purple robe. There was also a big mirror in the room, which was connected to the virtual image at the gate of the city.


    ¡°Is this the man you¡¯re talking about?¡± the middle-aged man asked with a frown.


    The purple-robed elder also frowned deeply. ¡°It can¡¯t be wrong. Why did he come to the Yan Prefecture City? However¡­¡± After saying this, he paused for a moment before looking at the middle-aged man. ¡°Just now, he seemed to be a bit unwilling to hand over the city registration fee. City Master, why not, why not think about returning the money to him?¡±

 Chapter 498 - Wastelands Sword Tryout

    ¡°Return it to him?¡±


    The middle-aged man looked at the purple-robed old man. He seemed to be a little surprised as he waved his hand and said, ¡°It is indeed a good intention, but this is inappropriate. A young hero like him is not unwilling to part with the 9,000 Thousand Spirit Stones. Instead, he feels that he should have better treatment.¡±


    Speaking of this, the middle-aged man paused for a moment and continued to say, ¡°Just like that Baili Xiaohualuo, he has always enjoyed the highest treatment in Yan Prefecture City. And this person is the same as Baili Xiaohualuo. He is not lacking of money. So if we send the money back so abruptly, I am afraid that we will offend him. It¡¯s not appropriate.¡± In the end, he kept shaking his head.


    The purple-robed old man nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, City Master Jiang. I was not thoughtful enough.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°According to the City Master¡¯s opinion, if this person is not a member of Desolate Seas, why would he come to Yan Prefecture City?¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that he¡¯s here for Wastelands Sword Tryout?¡± The middle-aged man thought for a moment, then he raised his head and said.


    ¡­


    The sun was setting. Xiao Chen and the others found an inn and lived in an isolated courtyard. The water in the courtyard was shallow and the scent of incense was faint. The environment was not bad. However, the cost of this day was not small. Even if the nine of them did nothing every day, they had spent about 1,000 Spirit Stones.


    This was the case in the Wastelands. The more barren the land was, the lower the consumption was. The more prosperous the land was, the higher the consumption was. It could even be more than ten times higher than the prosperous area of the Five Continents. That was why the gap between the rich and the poor in the Wastelands was so large.


    Xiao Chen could not help but be a little worried. Now he still had more than 10,000 Spirit Stones on him. Originally, he thought that Monster Pill could be sold for a lot of money. However, because of the Annihilation Times, the Monster Pills that was supposed to be popular was now inundation at Wastelands. As a result, the Monster Pills that he had worked so hard for a few days ago could only be sold at most 5,000 or 6,000 Spirit Stones.


    He sighed deeply. Right now, he was really short of money. If he could not even guarantee his living standards, how could he draw forces over to his side? How could he talk about cultivation? Did it not cost him money to cultivate? He was not in the Violet Manor, where he had friends everywhere to help him.


    At the thought of this, Xiao Chen was worried. Yesterday, he heard Yang Qing said that there were mercenaries in many places in Wastelands. Some of them worked for money. Some of them were outlaws, and some of them were retired from some major forces. The fighting capacity of these people was very high. As long as they could afford the money, they would be absolutely loyal. If they wanted to build their own forces, there would be a need to use these mercenaries in the early stage.


    Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen paced back and forth in the yard. In the past, he never worried about money, but now he was in Wastelands and became desperate for it. ¡°No, I have to find a way to make money!¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao?¡± Just as Xiao Chen was feeling melancholic, Yang Qing stood at the gate of the courtyard. Xiao Chen turned around and asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Brother Yang?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve arranged food outside. Brother Xiao, are you going now?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiao Chen temporarily put away his lack-of-money mood and went to the restaurant outside the yard. This restaurant was with the inn, and it was full of people, causing the whole restaurant to be noisy.


    Up to the second floor, Xiao Chen sat in the window seat arranged by Yang Qing. Under the twilight, the pedestrians on the street kept coming and going. It seemed that there were more people than when they just came in.


    In a while, several waiters in the restaurant brought up the hot dishes. They saw that the table was full of all kinds of delicacies. Xiao Chen could not help but frown. There was not much money left. The price of the food in the Yan Prefecture City was so high, so it was a splurge to be spending at least a few hundred Spirit Stones on these two tables. But on second thought, it was no big deal to have a good meal since they had just arrived at Wastelands.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen began to eat. On one side, Chu Qi sat upright. Even when eating, she was still very well-behaved. She held the bowl with her left hand and picked up the chopsticks with her right hand. She picked up some food and chewed slowly. She did not pick the dishes like Ziyun¡¯er, who flipped the dishes here and there and ate while biting the chopsticks and commenting on which dish was not delicious.


    Chu Qi was always silent.


    By the time they were halfway through their meal, the second floor was almost full. The entire restaurant had become even noisier. Suddenly, the floorboards creaked as if a few more people were coming upstairs.


    ¡°I heard that the winner of Wastelands Sword Tryout will be able to get a million Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s more important is that there are three places in the Yan Prefecture to go to the Cloud Mist Academy, which is one more place than in previous years. Therefore, who will come to Yan Prefecture City to participate in the Sword Tryout for that million Spirit Stones, of course, they are here for the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    Xiao Chen was full of worry while eating. When he suddenly heard the conversation of these people, he almost spat out the rice in his mouth. One, one million Spirit Stones? He had been in Violet Manor for so long, but he had never seen what it looked like when one million Spirit Stones piled up together.


    If he got the reward, he would not have to worry about money when the time came. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen asked Yang Qing excitedly, ¡°Brother Yang, is what they said true?¡±


    Yang Qing glanced at the people who had just come up and whispered, ¡°I know about Wastelands Sword Tryout. Every few years, it will be held. It¡¯s mainly for selecting the admission spots of the Cloud Mist Academy. Only the winner of every place is qualified to get a spot. As for the Cloud Mist Academy¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Xiao Chen interrupted and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. Is the reward of the million Spirit Stones real or not?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Yang Qing said, ¡°Since they said so, then it should be true.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly put down his chopsticks. He decided to participate in the Wastelands Sword Tryout and win that one million Spirit Stones!


    ¡°That¡­¡± Yang Qing saw his expression at this time and asked, ¡°Is Brother Xiao going to participate in Wastelands Sword Tryout?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you want a million Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°Well, in fact, I just want to say, Cloud Mist¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. Let¡¯s talk about it when I win a million Spirit Stones. Haha!¡± It seemed that he was quite happy at this time. He did not have to worry about money anymore.


    ¡°Well, okay¡­¡± Yang Qing turned his head and looked out of the window. He wanted to say, ¡°The person who has built Desolate Seas, one of the major forces in Wastelands, seems¡­ It seems that he has graduated from the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    After dinner, they went back to the courtyard. On the way, Xiao Chen was in a good mood. It seemed that many people had come to the Yan Prefecture City recently to participate in Wastelands Sword Tryout.


    Wastelands Sword Tryout was something very simple. It was not like Wuyue Sword Conversation of Mount Wuyue. It was also different from the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly of the Daoist League of the Five Continents. To put it bluntly, Wastelands Sword Tryout was a preliminary to select people who were qualified to enter the Cloud Mist Academy for further study.


    Among the four minor realms of the Wastelands, the Wastelands Sword Tryout in every place was set up at the same time. The location was naturally in the main city of the province, and the Yan Prefecture City was the main city of Yan Prefecture. However, there were three places in Yan Prefecture to enter Cloud Mist Academy for further study. The winner was naturally one, and the other two were chosen.


    It was the beginning of September. The new moon was curved like an eyebrow and the autumn wind was cool. Xiao Chen stood at the edge of the pool and looked up at the crescent moon in the sky. Next, he was going to participate in Wastelands Sword Tryout. It seemed that the registration fee was not cheap.


    The next day, Yang Qing and others went to sell the Monster Pill and exchanged it for more than 5,000 Spirit Stones. At the same time, in the City Master¡¯s Manor in Yan Prefecture City, the City Master Jiang Bietian and Perfected Immortal Zixuan of the Pure Mind Sect stood in the room again this time.


    When he heard someone said that Xiao Chen and the others went to the trading company and exchanged Monster Pill for money, Perfected Immortal Zixuan immediately showed a very surprised look on his face. ¡°The last time they fought for Monster Pill with my disciples in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, did they¡­ just want to sell them for money?¡±


    To him, Xiao Chen and his team could never be short of money. It must be of great use to snatch the Monster Pill. But now, what he saw was them selling it for money?


    Jiang Bietian also looked a little surprised. A man in his twenties who had reached the Nirvana Realm must have a strong background. How could he be short of money?


    He frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Perfected Immortal Zixuan, do you think they have found out that they are being spied on? They¡¯re doing this just to deceive us and confuse us?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Zixuan narrowed his eyes. He nodded solemnly and said, ¡°We can¡¯t exclude such a possibility. It seems that these people are really careful.¡±


    As they were talking, a sudden noise came from outside. ¡°Alas, Miss, you can¡¯t go in. Old Master is in a meeting with Perfected Immortal Zixuan, and no one is allowed to disturb¡­¡± Before they could finish their words, they heard two ¡°bang¡± sounds, followed by a scream.


    Jiang Bietian¡¯s face changed. ¡°Why did Qianqian come back? Isn¡¯t she¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he heard a loud bang, and the door was kicked open.


    At the door, a woman in a light cyan dress suddenly appeared. The woman was in her twenties, with her hair as black as ink and neatly tied behind her back. Her shoulders were as thin as blades, and her skin was as white as snow. She wore an aquamarine hairpin on her head and a long aquamarine sword hanging on her waist. At this moment, her eyes looked as if she was going to kill.


    Jiang Bietian saw her furious face and said with a wry smile, ¡°Well, Qianqian, why did you come home instead of staying in the sect?¡±


    The woman was still angry, the movement of her chest was visible. She suddenly shouted, ¡°Jiang! Bie! Tian!¡±


    Jiang Bietian¡¯s whole body shook, and his face suddenly became stern. At this moment, the majesty of the City Master was revealed, and he snapped, ¡°How dare you! I am your father! How dare you call me by my full¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! If you don¡¯t make it clear today, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± the woman said and rushed over angrily.


    Jiang Bietian saw her approaching him with a murderous look, and the dignity of the City Master suddenly disappeared. He quickly retreated and said, ¡°Perfected Immortal Zixuan, hurry¡­ discipline your disciple.¡±


    The woman walked to the side of Perfected Immortal Zixuan and looked at him. Immediately, a chilling smile appeared on her face. ¡°Master, so you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Perfected Immortal Zixuan stroked his white beard and said, ¡°Well, I have something to do. Qianqian, remember to come back earlier.¡± After saying that, he slipped out of the room. Then, he pinched his fingers and immediately turned into a purple light and flew toward the direction of the Pure Mind Sect.


    Seeing Perfected Immortal Zixuan had left, Jiang Bietian hurriedly shook his hand with a wry smile and said, ¡°Well, Qianqian, let¡¯s talk nicely this time. Let¡¯s not be physical. This time, who is the one who makes my Qianqian angry? Tell me now, and I¡¯ll ask someone to teach him a lesson!¡±


    Jiang Qianqian was still angry. She grabbed his collar and shouted, ¡°That Baili Xiaohualuo, what¡¯s going on!¡±

 Chapter 499 - Sign Up

    ¡°Bai, Baili Xiaohualuo?¡±


    Jiang Bietian was stunned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She let go of his collar, then she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°This person is so shameless. Just now, he, he ran to Pure Mind Sect and told everyone that I was his fiancee. He also said that it was you who made the decision!¡± At this point, she stared at Jiang Bietian and said, ¡°Tell me! Is that true?¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Jiang Bietian was furious. ¡°How dare he! When did I say that?¡± After saying that, he slapped on the table next to him. With a bang, the table did not fall apart. Instead, he quickly retracted his hand and blew on the palm of his hand. It seemed that it was very painful, which made him look a little funny.


    At this time, a servant suddenly came from outside. The servant was in a hurry and was panting. ¡°Old¡­ Old Master, Baili¡­ Young Master Baili is outside the living room. He said he¡¯s here to see Miss.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Jiang Bietian looked at his daughter in a daze and said, ¡°Qianqian, look¡­¡±


    Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. She stomped her feet and complained, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you, you don¡¯t get rid of him today, I, I will sell myself to the brothel in the city! I, Jiang Qianqian, will do what I said!¡±


    Jiang Bietian smiled bitterly and said, ¡°If you go to the brothel, I¡¯m afraid no one will dare to go again in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°You, you!¡± Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she could not speak. Jiang Bietian coughed and said seriously, ¡°Well, don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯ll drive him away right now.¡±


    ¡­


    At dusk, Xiao Chen was sitting cross-legged in the yard, meditating to prepare for the Wastelands Sword Tryout in a few days. Because now he was going to find a way to go to Death (Wastelands provinces) Realm of the four minor realms. The weapon master, Ren Tianxing, mentioned by Gui Xian, might not be in a small place like Yan Prefecture City. It was better for him to go to the four major realms. But he might have to spend a lot of money on this road. With that one million of Spirit Stones, everything would be easy to deal with.


    He had asked the staff of the inn about the details of the Yan Prefecture City Wastelands Sword Tryout this morning. The preliminary contest was scheduled on the 9th of September, the Double Ninth Festival. The people between 16-28 years old could participate, but they had to go to the city center to register two days in advance. In the end, Pure Mind Sect and Heaven Heart Pavilion would host it.


    Of course, Xiao Chen also knew about Pure Mind Sect and Heaven Heart Pavilion. It turned out that the person he met that day in the Demonic Beasts Mountain Range was from Pure Mind Sect.


    He also knew something about Yan Prefecture City. It seemed that the City Master of Yan Prefecture City was not a cultivator, without any cultivation, but he had a gifted daughter who was born with nine Spiritual Meridians and had high comprehension ability. Now she was less than twenty years old, but she was already recognized as the first person among the juniors of Yan Prefecture City. Even her Senior Brother Liu Qing might not be comparable to her, although Liu Qing always thought that he was the first person.


    Of course, Xiao Chen did not seem to care much about other people¡¯s affairs. He just wanted to get a million Spirit Stones as soon as possible, and then went to the bigger place to find Ren Tianxing first.


    When it was getting dark, Chu Qi came back from the outside. Xiao Chen stood up and asked her, ¡°How was it? Have you found out anything about Ren Tianxing?¡±


    With an indifferent face, Chu Qi walked up to him and said, ¡°This person has been to many places, and the last time he appeared was seven years ago. Since then, there has been no trace of him.¡±


    ¡°Disappeared?¡± Xiao Chen frowned. According to Gui Xian¡¯s description, this person should be very famous in Wastelands. Since he was very famous, had no one seen him in seven years? Unless he really disappeared¡­


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s talk about it later. These days, I intend to¡­¡±


    At this point, Xiao Chen suddenly let out a muffled groan, and then his elixir field seemed to be gathered with a mass of flames. His whole body seemed as though to be instantly burned to ashes. Chu Qi moved and immediately held him.


    Xiao Chen raised his hand difficultly to indicate that he was fine. At the moment, many red runes appeared on his neck, and the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit gathered in the elixir field became agitated again.


    Over the past few days, he had discovered that each time he meditated, the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit would become frantic and agitated, causing the two energies in his body to feel uneasy as well. This was especially so after he had exchanged blows with a Nirvana Realm cultivator in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range.


    This feeling made him very uncomfortable as if his elixir field was about to explode and his whole body was burnt into ashes. However, he could only suppress it forcibly every time. The power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit was not all that could be absorbed in a short time.


    Back in his room, Xiao Chen let Chu Qi go out first and then ran the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Palace¡±, a mind cultivation method of the Yaoguang School. Two hours later, the night had completely fallen, but he could only barely suppress the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit. At this moment, he still felt very hot and very uncomfortable. It seemed that this time, the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit came very violently. Now that Gui Xian was not here, he had to find a way by himself.


    What worried him most was not that he could not suppress the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit this time. Instead, he was worried that if the power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit suddenly became irritable after a few days¡¯ Wastelands Sword Tryout, he would definitely lose at that time. The registration fee would be wasted, let alone the million Spirit Stones.


    Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He remembered his master¡¯s words from years ago. ¡°Chen¡¯er, the Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method is very mysterious. If you can understand all its mysteries, it¡¯d be wonderful. But remember, when you practice the Six Suns Burning Sky of the 6th level, you must use the fourth level of the Jade Palace of Frozen Heart to assist yourself. Otherwise, you can¡¯t bear the power of the most powerful Yang, then you¡¯ll suffer Qi Deviation and your body will be burned to ashes.¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen¡¯s face was full of cold sweat. He tried his best to recall what his master had said. ¡°This set of Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method was created for women, so I didn¡¯t consider that much in the past. Women can use their own yin power to balance the yang power of the Six Suns Burning Sky. But as a man, you only improve yang power when cultivating, so you must use the fourth level of the Jade Palace of Frozen Heart as a supplement. If it doesn¡¯t work, you can eat a piece of Wilderness Ice-lotus from the outside. But remember, you can only take one piece at a time. The yin power of the Ice Lotus is not what you can bear. It may be painful.¡±


    ¡°Ice Lotus¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen thought of something and immediately took out a brocade box from the Divine Vessel. He opened the box. The ice lotus he picked in the cold and bitter place was still well kept inside as if it was carved out of ice and jade. It would not wither or melt.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart ached when he saw this ice lotus. Every time he saw this ice lotus, he felt as if he had seen the ice lotus outside the Yaoguang Temple. It was as if he had returned to the Yaoguang Temple.


    Suddenly, a burning sensation surged from the elixir field. Xiao Chen snorted and took off a petal from the ice lotus. The ice lotus melted as soon as it entered his mouth, and a cold feeling immediately spread throughout his whole body. Then, this cold feeling gradually became freezing, as if it would freeze him into ice.


    At this moment, two forces, one of them was extreme yin and the other was extreme yang. The two forces collided in his body as if they would tear him apart. This kind of pain was beyond words. Ordinary people might have exploded and died at this time.


    Finally, after another two hours, the two forces began to gradually merge. They gradually turned into Mystic Power and were absorbed little by little by him. The next morning, Xiao Chen finally opened his eyes. At this time, he could no longer feel the two forces. The two forces had been absorbed by him, and the pain disappeared.


    Now, his six senses seemed to be a little more sensitive and his cultivation had become much more stable. He did not have that ¡®Emptiness¡¯ that Bai Ying had mentioned. It was just like having the Wisdom-forsaking Technique in the Nirvana Realm. The power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit that remained in his elixir field would probably not be raging in the near future.


    A few days passed quickly. Today was the day to sign up for the Wastelands Sword Tryout. The city of Yan Prefecture City was bustling with noise and excitement. Many people had already been waiting in line in the square in the center of the city. Xiao Chen and the others arrived late, so they waited in the back.


    Looking around, there were so many people that it was almost impossible to see the end. Of course, most of them were here to watch, or to accompany their friends. There were only about a few hundred people who were really signing up.


    Xiao Chen glanced and saw two people on a high platform in the east of the square. One was an imposing middle-aged man, and the other was a red-robed old man.


    Xiao Chen thought that this middle-aged man should be the City Master, Jiang Bietian. ¡°People all say that he has no cultivation, right? But why did I feel a flash of strange aura just now? Or did this strange aura come from the old man in red sitting next to him?¡±


    This red-robed old man gave Xiao Chen an unfathomable feeling. It seemed that as Yang Qing said, there were indeed experts in the Wastelands, even if they were in the minor four realms.


    After a second glance, Xiao Chen saw an island suspended above the square surrounded by many mystic arts. He had inquired about it before and found out that this was the Fighting Platform for the Wastelands Sword Tryout. And about the Wastelands Sword Tryout, there was another thing he had never thought of before, which was that it was absolutely fair.


    The so-called absolute fairness was because Wastelands Sword Tryout was mainly held to select talented people to enter Cloud Mist Academy. The age range was between the age of 16 and 28, there were exceptions, but it was very little. Because of the age gap, even if a 16-year-old person had a better aptitude, his cultivation was not as good as a 28-year-old. Therefore, the higher cultivation level people would be forced to seal part of Mystic Power to ensure the biggest balance between the two sides.


    In spite of this, the party with higher cultivation still had a slight advantage. But this was not the reason that the contestants did not need to work hard to improve their cultivation. After all, it was for a better cultivation that they wanted to enter Cloud Mist Academy!


    In the end, that was to say, although Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation was at Lv 4 Nirvana Realm, if he encountered a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, his cultivation would also be suppressed to the peak of Nascent Soul Realm. As for how to suppress him, it was entirely up to the Fighting Platform that was hanging above the square.


    From the outside, it seemed to be an ordinary floating island. It was no different from the other Fighting Platform. However, once the two sides went up, this battle platform would immediately weaken the higher level of cultivation and would not make any mistakes. Moreover, the space above the battle platform would be constantly changing. There was nowhere a hidden weapon could be used.


    Of course, this special Fighting Platform could only be found in Yan Prefecture City. The other places relied on the strength of the older generation to measure the higher level of cultivation. As for the reason, it was because this Fighting Platform was designed by Ren Tianxing many years ago!


    This was many years ago, and the reason Ren Tianxing had designed such a Fighting Platform for Yan Prefecture City was not known.


    After learning about this, Xiao Chen finally had some respect for Ren Tianxing. He had learned how powerful Ren Tianxing was from Gui Xian¡¯s description, but now it seemed that he had known it just at the tip of the iceberg. He had to rely on Ren Tianxing to establish the Forever City in the late stage.


    More than two hours later, it was finally his turn to sign up. After seeing him on the high platform, Jiang Bietian¡¯s face changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and continued to chat with the old man in red next to him.


    However, at this time, the old man in red seemed to set his eyes on Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 500 - Baili Xiaohualuo

    ¡°Is this the person you were talking about?¡± The red-robed old man¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Xiao Chen in the distance as he asked.


    Jiang Bietian smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know where he came from. His registered name is Xiao Chen. But I¡¯ve sent someone to investigate him. It seems that there¡¯s no such a person. He should be using an alias.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such a person? Could it be¡­¡± At this point, the red-robed elder frowned as if he was deep in thought. Jiang Bietian smiled and said, ¡°But it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t know what he came to the Yan Prefecture City for, but now it seems like he¡¯s also here to enter the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    The elder nodded and continued, ¡°His talent doesn¡¯t seem to be bad either. It would be good if he could achieve the Nirvana Realm without taking any pills. But I don¡¯t know what he is really capable of. After all, The Annihilation Times has come. Although the disciples¡¯ cultivations are higher, they are all superficial. What your daughter has is rare.¡±


    Under the platform, Xiao Chen walked to the registration counter. Chu Qi was also there. Because he had heard that the Wastelands Sword Tryout would weaken the stronger party, so for the sake of safety, he decided at the last minute to let Chu Qi to also sign up for the registration. In the battles of the same level, Chu Qi was almost guaranteed to win. Therefore, the one million Spirit Stones could not run away.


    Because of this, this time, Xiao Chen generously paid the registration fee of 2,000 Spirit Stones. He didn¡¯t feel distressed at all and even felt very happy in his heart.


    It was already afternoon after the registration. Next, it was time for him to prepare for the Sword Tryout in two days. Xiao Chen was not in a hurry because he was not as nervous as others. Anyway, his strength would be weakened at that time. Therefore, he had been wandering around in the city with Chu Qi in the past two days. He spent the money at where it was needed. He was not as distressed as he was when he first came.


    About this, Chu Qi had always been silently following him and did not say a word. In the past two days, Xiao Chen also learned something about the Cloud Mist Academy. For the disciple recruitment of the Cloud Mist Academy, as long as they were qualified, anyone could go, even someone like Liu Qing, who was a disciple of a sect.


    And after entering Cloud Mist Academy, they would not be requested to leave their previous sect. They could completely keep two identities, and Cloud Mist Academy would not force them to stay. One day, if you did not want to stay there, you could leave at any time.


    But generally speaking, people who went to the Cloud Mist Academy would have feelings for it. This kind of feeling was different from the feelings of sects. Even if they reached the legendary state in the future or had their own influence, they would not forget that they had learned skills there.


    They would never forget that there was always a teacher who carefully taught him. As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Therefore, even if there was a different standpoint in the future, they would never be its enemy and would never be his teacher¡¯s enemy. Of course, there was always an exception, and this exception already existed.


    In the past two days, Xiao Chen knew that this time, the people who took part in Wastelands Sword Tryout were all going for the qualifications of entering the Cloud Mist Academy. No one cared about the one million Spirit Stones, which made him very surprised. However, when he really knew about the Cloud Mist Academy, maybe he would not be this surprised.


    Finally, on the day of the 9th of September, the Double Ninth Festival, there were also customs such as dogwood insertion in the Wastelands. However, this day, the city of Yan Prefecture City was the most lively. Because of the Wastelands Sword Tryout, people from all walks of life gathered outside the square to watch. Of course, there were also many cultivators. In fact, there was not much difference between them and those in the Violet Manor. Every time there was a grand meeting, it was inevitable that there would be a scene of tens of thousands of people going out home and an empty alley left then, which caused some thieves to show up.


    Xiao Chen came to the square and saw a sea of people. There were more people than the registration two days ago. On the east side of the high platform sat City Master Jiang Bietian and the unfathomable old man in red. On the other two sides of the platform, there was a purple-robed old man and a cyan-robed elder. They were Perfected Immortal Zixuan of Pure Mind Sect and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan of Heaven Heart Pavilion. They were both seniors in the Apotheosis Realm. Everyone was very respectful to them. However, these two people were also very respectful to the old man in red.


    There were also many people who were puzzled about it. Perfected Immortal Zixuan and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan were both highly respected Cultivators¡¯ sect in Yan Prefecture City, but they had never seen this old man in red before. Therefore, some people started to whisper.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this senior sitting beside the City Master?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him at all? It¡¯s Perfected Immortal Chongyang, one of the three Spiritual Masters of Cloud Mist Academy!¡±


    ¡°Chong¡­ Perfected Immortal Chongyang? Is it really Perfected Immortal Chongyang?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This time, Perfected Immortal of Cloud Mist Academy come to our Yan Prefecture City in person, which is enough to show that Cloud Mist Academy also attaches great importance to our Yan Prefecture City. Otherwise, why would there be one more spot than other places?¡±


    For a moment, the crowd became noisy. Xiao Chen also calmed down. It turned out that the old man in red was a Perfected Immortal from the Cloud Mist Academy. No wonder he could not see through his cultivation. It seemed that there were really strong people in the Wastelands, which was no worse than the Violet Manor. This person¡¯s cultivation must be at least the same level as his grandfather, Su Ying.


    At the noisiest moment in the crowd, a pale cyan shadow suddenly flew over and fell on the high platform at the east end. The crowd immediately fell into a short silence, and then someone shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Jiang!¡±


    Some people from Pure Mind Sect also shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Junior Sister Jiang. As expected, she also participates in the Wastelands Sword Tryout this time!¡±


    For a moment, the crowd seemed to be even more excited, and everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Jiang Qianqian on the high platform. Many people had respected the beloved daughter of the City Master. Of course, there were also many people who secretly admired her.


    She was born with nine Spiritual Meridians and could be considered the number one person in the Yan Prefecture City. When the Annihilation Times had yet to come, at that time, most people were still in the Foundation Building cultivation. However, she was the first to enter the Core Forming Realm. Now, she was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. She was only one step away from entering the Nirvana Realm.


    People in Pure Mind Sect were cheering even more. As for a Junior Sister who came later, only Liu Qing was not convinced and the rest had never thought of surpassing her because it was impossible. Even if they took the pills, they could not catch up with her. Many people had already thought that she was the most talented person in the sect. Since she came to participate in the Wastelands Sword Tryout this time, the first place must be hers. There was no doubt that even Liu Qing was also slightly inferior.


    When she went to Cloud Mist Academy for further study in the future, it would be even more difficult for them to catch up. Maybe one day in the future, she would successfully Survive the Ordeal and ascend to Heaven Realm, but they would still be struggling in the Human Realm. These were two completely different destinies. At that time, perhaps they would really look up to her from the perspective of looking up to the immortals. At that time, they would no longer dare to call her Junior Sister.


    At this moment, most of the people in the crowd were looking forward to seeing her. Xiao Chen also narrowed his eyes. This woman gave him a very different feeling. It seemed that she was really different from others. His intuition told him that this woman was very strong. He was not sure if even Chu Qi would win against her.


    On the high platform, Jiang Qianqian gently walked with graceful steps. She walked to her father with a smile on her face and called him ¡°father¡± in a sweet voice. Then she respectfully greeted the old man in red next to her, ¡°Perfected Immortal Chongyang.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang nodded slightly, and there was a rare hint of praise in his eyes. At this moment, a young man in red flew over calmly in the distance. Everyone was stunned. This aura was from a Nirvana Realm cultivator! A young Nirvana Realm cultivator!


    The youth was dressed in a fiery red robe, holding a delicate folding fan in his hand. He had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes. His face was as white as white jade, and a strand of hair on his forehead slipped down, making him look elegant and handsome.


    Unlike Xiao Chen, he did not hide his aura at all. He went to the stage, cupped his hands, and also greeted Jiang Bietian and Perfected Immortal Chongyang. ¡°City Master Jiang, Perfected Immortal Chongyang.¡± Finally, he looked at Jiang Qianqian with a sunny smile on his face. ¡°Qianqian.¡±


    Such a gentle smile and a handsome figure made many innocent girls fall in love with him. However, Jiang Qianqian frowned and felt disgusted. She did not say a word and flew down the stage with a tap of her feet.


    Under the stage, many people were still talking endlessly, ¡°Is that Young Master Baili of the Cloud Mist Academy? Amazing, he is only in his twenties at most, and his cultivation is already at the middle stage of Nirvana Realm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Baili Xiaohualuo. It¡¯s really him. I heard¡­¡±


    The crowd kept talking and shouting. Xiao Chen also frowned slightly. Was this person called Baili Xiaohualuo? He always gave him a very unusual feeling. First of all, this person¡¯s cultivation was not lower than his, and it was definitely not improved by taking pills. More importantly, when Xiao Chen used his Divine Sense to explore the person¡¯s body just now, he found that there seemed to be a different aura from ordinary people.


    At this moment, he could not tell what kind of aura it was, but he still felt that it was very strange¡­ Suddenly, his entire body trembled, his Divine Sense was blocked by the other party.


    Xiao Chen could not help but be stunned. He looked up and saw Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s eyes fell on him, and then he smiled gently at him.


    Xiao Chen was stunned. If he could detect and block his Divine Sense, it meant that the other party could also release his Divine Sense. The other party¡¯s spiritual sense was no worse than his. This Cloud Mist Academy was indeed a place full of hidden talents.


    Finally, it was time for the official competition. On the two high platforms in the north and south, Perfected Immortal Zixuan of Pure Mind Sect and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan of Heaven Heart Pavilion worked together to insert a Mystic Power into the Fighting Platform in the air. Under the guidance of their Mystic Power, the Fighting Platform slowly rotated, and finally, it was divided into eight pieces, scattered in the air above the square in the direction of the Eight Diagrams, such as Universal Heaven and Earthation.


    Many people below were amazed. It was indeed worthy of being a Fighting Platform designed by the Great Weapon Master Ren Tianxing to be having such a miraculous effect. The size of the eight Fighting Platforms was completely the same. In this way, eight groups of competitors could proceed together. Naturally, it had saved quite a lot of time.


    The rules were also very simple. There was nothing more than the knockout round of drawing lots. The first few matches progressed very fast. When the last 16 participants would advance to the next eight participants, the competition would become more and more intense, and the Fighting Platform would also have some changes.


    By dusk, eight people had made it to the next round. Jiang Qianqian and Liu Qing, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi, two disciples from the Heaven Heart Pavilion, and two disciples from other places had made it to the next round.


    Most of them were expected to make it to the top eight. What had surprised them was Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. They were unnoticeable but they managed to made it into the top eight. They were the most unexpected dark horse in this time¡¯s Sword Tryout.


    On the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang seemed to have looked at Xiao Chen a few more times at this moment. He said slowly, ¡°This guy has been hiding his strength all the way. Tomorrow is the final round. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible for him to hide his strength anymore.¡±

 Chapter 501 - Midnight Assassination

    Today¡¯s competition was over, and the competitors who had been defeated were naturally in low spirits. It would take a long time for the next Sword Tryout. To enter Cloud Mist Academy was tantamount to climbing to heaven. Many people would not be able to enter even if they wanted to for a lifetime, let alone time does not wait. By the age of thirty, it was basically impossible for them to enter.


    Some of them left hastily, some chose to stay behind to watch the final contest, while others had a fluke mentality. Perhaps, among the three contestants, if the winner was excluded, the remaining two seats might be given to themselves, but this was almost impossible.


    At this time, the crowd was also talking endlessly, and they were guessing who the winner would be tomorrow. The winner could get a spot directly and enter Cloud Mist Academy. Most people looked at Jiang Qianqian. There was no doubt that she was the strongest. Even if she met someone whose cultivation was lower than hers and her strength was weakened, she could still win without a doubt.


    Of course, a small group of people looked at Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. They were the two largest dark horses this year. No one had expected these two inconspicuous people to be able to make it into the top eight. Most people thought that they were just lucky and met an opponent whose strength had been weakened.


    Generally speaking, if one¡¯s cultivation was higher, he always had a slight advantage. However, if one¡¯s cultivation was not pure or was much lower than the opponent¡¯s, once he met someone with lower cultivation but was very pure, his strength would be weakened and he would not be as powerful as his opponent.


    In the night, a crescent moon was hanging in the sky. Xiao Chen and Chu Qi lived in the courtyard arranged by the Wastelands Sword Tryout. Outside the courtyard, there were Apotheosis Realm cultivators guarding to prevent anyone from harming the eight people who were going to participate in the finals. Yang Qing and the others also moved to somewhere nearby.


    Xiao Chen was exhausted for a whole day, and then he went back to his room to sleep. It was probably midnight. In a daze, Xiao Chen felt a chill coming from the window. In his sleep, he seemed to see a big tiger with a white forehead rushing toward him. He was startled and woke up immediately. He opened his eyes, only to see four rows of cold radiances coming at him.


    Xiao Chen was so shocked that his whole body was covered with a layer of cold sweat. Instinctively, he rolled to the other side of the bed. ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± The bedding on the bed was instantly cut into pieces, and the whole room was immediately covered with cotton.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Xiao Chen jumped to the floor in an instant and saw four figures in the room. They were all covered and could not see who they were in the dark.


    ¡°Swoosh swoosh!¡±


    The four figures attacked him again and surrounded him almost instantly. The cold dagger in their hands went straight to his neck. Xiao Chen was shocked. The four people were so fast that they were not at all inferior to the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. He hurriedly jumped up to avoid the fatal attack of the four people.


    However, before he could react, the four figures followed after him like ghosts. In this narrow room, these four people could land silently and fiercely, but without touching anything in the room.


    Facing the four rows of cold radiance that came at him at the same time, Xiao Chen moved his body back and hit the person on the front with his palm. However, this palm strength was quietly dissolved by a strange Mystic Power from the other party.


    Xiao Chen was shocked again. He pushed his feet and rushed forward. He stretched out his hand to grab the neck of the man next to him. However, it was dark all around, and he could not tell where the man was standing. He did not grasp his neck, but it seemed that he was grabbing something soft. Then, he heard a woman¡¯s snort. In the boundless silence of the night, it could be heard clearly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a woman!¡± Xiao Chen was shocked. Before he could react, the three cold sabers from behind were quickly coming at him again. Xiao Chen pushed the woman in front of him away with his palm. He leaned back to avoid the three knives coming at his back. At the same time, he pushed his palms up and hit the lower abdomen of the two women behind him. The two women also snorted and were pushed back, but they attacked again in a flash.


    ¡°Chu Qi!¡± Xiao Chen shouted in a hurry, but there was no response at all. Obviously, this room had been set a soundproof barrier.


    In the blink of an eye, the four cold sabers were placed in front of him again. In this narrow room, Xiao Chen was completely restrained. These four women were obviously like Levitating Dark Fragrance. They were all professional assassination teams who had been strictly trained and had high cultivation.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s Nirvana Realm cultivation was higher than theirs, but why couldn¡¯t he kill them with one palm? In this narrow space, the four people¡¯s attacks were extremely fast and their body movements were as unpredictable as ghosts. Xiao Chen did not even have the time to run his True Energy. How could he kill them in one blow? Did it not need time to run his True Energy?


    Not to mention Nirvana Realm, even if the Immortal King wanted to kill people in seconds, it would take a certain amount of time to run True Energy. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to run the True Energy in the whole body in a short period of time. Moreover, after one strike, basically, the True Energy was used up. It was necessary to immediately run True Energy to make the next move. When all the True Energy stored in Sea of Qi was run out, it was what often said as True Energy had been used up, and the battle could only continue with the use of Natal True Energy.


    The attacks of the four women in the room were getting fiercer and fiercer. Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and pushed out the part of True Energy that was forced to run in his hand. The True Energy shook the four people away and then he jumped to the window. ¡°Bang¡±, sawdust flew everywhere and the window was smashed. However, what waited for Xiao Chen was three other fast and sharp cold radiance.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± With a sharp noise, Xiao Chen was caught off guard. His left arm was instantly cut open, and blood splashed. Only then did he see that three more women were lurking outside. If he had not dodged by his side just now, this knife would have cut his neck.


    The four women back in the room also broke out of the window in an instant. The seven of them attacked Xiao Chen together. At this time, the soundproof Barrier failed and finally alerted Chu Qi who was in the next room.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Full Moon Blade flew out of the window. ¡°Clank!¡± Like a flash of lightning, it blocked off several women¡¯s daggers and Chu Qi moved to Xiao Chen in an instant. The Full Moon Blade was split into two pieces. With a flash of cold radiance, it immediately forced the seven women away.


    Finally, Xiao Chen had time to take a breath. He jumped into the air, activated his True Energy, and punched out. Suddenly, the dragon¡¯s roar shook the sky and the stones and the earth in the yard rumbled. Several big trees were directly smashed into powder under the surging palm strength. The seven assassination women were also sent flying by this fierce force.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The seven women knew that the assassination attempt had failed. Without any further delay, they turned into seven shadows and disappeared under the curtain of the night without a trace.


    At this time, the people outside were finally alarmed by the sound of the fight just now. Several figures flashed, and as Apotheosis Realm cultivator and several Nirvana Realm cultivators had landed into the courtyard.


    The Apotheosis Realm old man immediately knew what had happened when he saw that the messy courtyard. He could not help but be shocked. These eight people were strictly protected. Once something happened, he could not afford to take the responsibility. He quickly looked at Xiao Chen and asked, ¡°Are you okay, Young Master Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at the wound on his left arm. Dark purple blood was flowing out faintly. Obviously, there was poison on the dagger. But fortunately, he had eaten the Seven-apertured Octarine Core Fruit before, so he was immune to all poisons. Probably, it was beyond the assassin¡¯s expectation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Xiao. I¡¯ll send someone to investigate the assassins right now.¡± Noticing that Xiao Chen did not reply, the old man immediately spoke.


    Xiao Chen stretched out his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, sir. I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to make this public.¡±


    Now he did not know who the assassin was, but he did not offend anyone when he first entered Wastelands. ¡°Who will want to kill me? But it must have something to do with Wastelands Sword Tryout. And the seven people just now were swift and fast, and they were definitely not ordinary assassins.¡±


    Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside. It was the other six competitors who had rushed over. The six people were also surprised when they saw the scene in the courtyard. In the past, there had been contestants being assassinated when during the Wastelands Sword Tryout. There was nothing strange about this. After all, it was related to whether they could enter the Cloud Mist Academy. Losing an opponent would increase their chances of winning. However, now that things had happened around them, they were more or less a little surprised.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes quickly swept over the six people who just came in. Among the six people, Liu Qing was the most suspected, but of course, he was just suspecting. He could not be completely confirmed. He said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry you were disturbed. Please go back.¡±


    The Apotheosis Realm old man could not help but be stunned. In the past, those competitors who were assassinated were usually scared out of their wits. ¡°How could this person be so calm and relaxed? There¡¯s only one possibility. This person has experienced many life and death battles.¡± His words carried some admiration then without him noticing, ¡°Then young hero Xiao, why don¡¯t I arrange another courtyard for you?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s already late at night. I don¡¯t want to trouble you, sir.¡±


    The old man nodded, and there was a little praise in his eyes. Then he said to the people at the gate of the courtyard, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    They did not stay any longer and went outside. Before leaving, Jiang Qianqian turned around again and looked at Xiao Chen, asking, ¡°Your name is Xiao Chen?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Qianqian did not say much and immediately went outside.


    After everyone left, the courtyard became quiet again. Xiao Chen looked at Chu Qi and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. You can go back and rest.¡±


    In the next half of the night, Xiao Chen was no longer sleepy. After treating his wounds, he meditated in the room until dawn. However, Chu Qi did not go back to her room to rest but stayed at his door for the whole night.


    At daybreak, everyone gathered in the central square again. This day could be considered the noisiest. Yang Qing and the others somehow heard about Xiao Chen being sneak attacked last night. Hence, they went to find him early in the morning.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, what happened last night?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked around and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. After two days, we¡¯ll leave Yan Prefecture City immediately. We¡¯ll have to start acting cautiously. You should also be careful in the next two days.¡±


    The next was a quarter-final competition. There was no doubt that the four people who had advanced were Xiao Chen, Chu Qi, Jiang Qianqian, and Liu Qing. However, the semi-final competition was a little awkward. It turned out that Xiao Chen was fighting against Chu Qi, while Jiang Qianqian was fighting against Liu Qing.


    ¡°Well¡­ Chu Qi, why don¡¯t we have fun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going to forfeit.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay¡­¡±


    On Jiang Qianqian¡¯s side, Liu Qing had lost. Then, the next round would be the peak final. This time around, most of them did not expect that an unremarkable individual would be able to reach the peak finals. Even if he lost to Jiang Qianqian, it was highly possible that he would be able to obtain a spot.


    By noon, the few Fighting Platforms had once again merged into one. Layers of mystic arts encircled them. On the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang nodded slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not bad that he managed to advance to the peak finals. However, his strength will be weakened to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. It¡¯s inevitable for him to be a little powerless and not used to it. On the other hand, Qianqian¡¯s peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivation is already very stable. As a result, Qianqian has an advantage over him.¡±


    Below the stage, Yang Qing and the others naturally saw this too and could not help but worry. Xiao Chen focused and said nothing. Jiang Qianqian was indeed much better than he had expected. She was at the same level as Xiaoyue, and her cultivation was very stable. When he went to Fighting Platform later, his cultivation would be weakened to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. In this way, his cultivation would be unstable, and he was definitely no match for her.


    However, don¡¯t forget that First Elder Bai had taught him the Wisdom-forsaking Technique! Of course, he didn¡¯t want to undo cultivation, but compressed his cultivation! That Fighting Platform would be the best compressing tool. In this way, it could be said that he had all the advantages!

 Chapter 502 - A Mysterious Fight

    In the square, a feverish atmosphere was surging and enveloped all the people there. Everyone outside the high-platform fixed their eyes on Xiao Chen and Jiang Qianqian. Jiang Qianqian was expressionless, her face as calm as the surface of the still water, but her eyes stayed on Xiao Chen¡¯s face. It seemed that she was trying to find out Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation level and what he was thinking about at this very moment.


    She didn¡¯t expect that the last person to fight with her at the peak final would be an unknown person who had never turned up before. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t underestimate him, for she knew that everyone who entered the peak final was definitely not an ordinary person. Especially after seeing his composed look yesterday, she was even surer.


    And now, with a gentle smile on his face, Xiao Chen looked calm and at ease. It was always difficult to penetrate his thoughts and figure out his level of cultivation.


    All of a sudden, the crowd outside the square shouted in unison, ¡°Come on, Junior Sister! Come on, Junior Sister!¡±


    It was the people of the Pure Mind Sect who exclaimed with excitement. Aside, Baili Xiaohualuo was also there, smiling. He seemed to have always had the smile as warm as the sunshine on his face. Although he had reached the Nirvana Realm at a young age, he was still approachable and not arrogant. Or at least, he looked like that.


    Jiang Qianqian said nothing else. Slightly leaped, she landed gently on the Fighting Platform in the sky above like a swift bird. Knowing that the Fighting Platform would weaken her strength, she then started to operate the cultivation method to get prepared for that. Fully prepared in advance, she was determined to win the first place this time and enter the Cloud Mist Academy.


    However, to her surprise, after Xiao Chen flew up, the Fighting Platform didn¡¯t cripple her power as it did when she had fought with others. Her face suddenly changed. ¡°Is there anything wrong with the Fighting Platform?¡± It was the first thought that appeared in her mind. However, she soon calmed down, thinking, ¡°It has nothing to do with the Fighting Platform. It is because this young man¡¯s cultivation level is higher than mine.¡±


    ¡°His cultivation level is even higher above mine!¡± This idea never occurred to her. She had always thought that there would be no one in her generation who could enter the Nirvana Realm except for Baili Xiaohualuo, who was quite annoying. However, the young man in front of her had surprised her.


    ¡°Come on, Junior Sister! Come on, Junior Sister!¡± The crowd below them began to shout again. Although the Fighting Platform was placed above the square, they could see what was going on there through the Transmitting Formation, but they couldn¡¯t hear the voices of Xiao Chen and Jiang Qianqian.


    ¡°It seems that Qianqian is also very serious this time.¡± On the high platform in the due east of the square, Perfected Immortal Chongyang stroked his beard and said with a smile.


    Beside him, Jiang Bietian also smiled and said, ¡°My daughter has always been competitive since she was a child. This time, she has sort of met her match. Although that kid appears to be carefree, he also has the will to win. He looks like he wants to enter the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    Jiang Qianqian, who was as pretty as a picture, stood on the Fighting Platform, her hair behind her shoulders waving in the air. Even though she was confronting someone whose cultivation was higher than hers, she was still very confident. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Master Ren designed this Fighting Platform so that it makes no mistake. Your cultivation level will only be limited to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, so the fighting is very fair.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled, thinking, ¡°Sure enough, the thing designed by Ren Tianxing is really powerful. It nearly sealed my cultivation as soon as I came up. Fortunately, I ran the Wisdom-forsaking Technique in time and leveled down my cultivation level by using the power of the seal.¡±


    Now, he felt like he had wielded the Wisdom-forsaking Technique several times when he was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Although he couldn¡¯t exert the strength when he was in the Nirvana Realm, he stayed stably at the peak of Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Then, Miss Jiang, please.¡±


    As his voice fell, the whole Fighting Platform suddenly shook violently and then was enveloped in a dense fog. The two people on the platform suddenly couldn¡¯t see each other. There was only an endless fog in front of them as if they had entered another space.


    The change immediately caused an uproar from the crowd below. Although the Fighting Platform was shrouded in the fog and the two sides were out of each other¡¯s sight, the people below them could see everything clearly. The peak final was the last fight. To test the various abilities of both sides, it was naturally much more complicated than the previous ones. Any contestants depending solely on brute strength would be defeated without any doubt.


    The wonder of the Fighting Platform was that it had myriads of changes. The person standing on it would feel as if he had entered another space. In it, he would never fall or be able to hear the sound of the outside world.


    Xiao Chen grasped the Unsullied Sword and held his breath, moving slowly step by step. Now, he could see nothing but only a vast expanse of white before him, nor could he feel any trace of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s aura. Xiao Chen thought to himself, ¡°The thing designed by Ren Tianxing is really powerful. Now that it has even sealed my Divine Sense, which could find no way to get out to probe the present situation. This battle might be the most special one I have ever experienced. I can never defeat her by force alone.¡±


    Now, neither of them could feel each other¡¯s position. Step by step, they moved slowly, waiting to perceive the other¡¯s aura when they were close enough to each other. However, they could only feel each other¡¯s presence but could not orient each other at all. Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know whether Jiang Qianqian was in his front, behind him, on his left side, or on his right side, and neither did Jiang Qianqian know Xiao Chen¡¯s position.


    Now with swords in their hands, both of them were on high alert to look for each other. Finally, Xiao Chen felt a faint aura fluctuation¡ªJiang Qianqian appeared within his attacking range!


    Of course, the moment when he felt her presence, Jiang Qianqian must have also sensed him. The two of them became more vigilant. Now, not only did they need to find out where the other party was, but also they had to prevent the sudden attack from each other. ¡°Once her surprise attack successes, I will lose for sure,¡± Xiao Chen said in his heart.


    He held his breath, his heart beating increasingly faster. Now he couldn¡¯t even hear her footsteps. What he could sense was that she was creeping towards him little by little. ¡°But which direction is she coming from?¡± Xiao Chen pondered.


    The people below also held their breath in deep concentration. They could see the two people¡¯s position clearly, but they couldn¡¯t call the information out. Even if they did, it was useless because the two people above couldn¡¯t hear them at all. In fact, even their Divine Senses couldn¡¯t penetrate the barrier and get to Xiao Chen or Jiang Qianqian.


    Xiao Chen composed himself, for he couldn¡¯t be in a hurry at the moment. The more anxious he was, the more easily he would expose his position to Jiang Qianqian and hence being attacked by surprise. Now he had felt that Jiang Qianqian¡¯s aura was getting stronger, which indicated that they were approaching each other. Xiao Chen wondered, ¡°Is she on my left or right side? Or is she in front of or behind me? If I guess wrong, I¡¯m likely to expose myself and being killed by her instead.¡±


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen thought of something. ¡°At this point, to see whether she is on my left or right, all I needed to do was¡­ move a little to the right.¡± Thinking of this, Xiao Chen quickly moved two steps to the right. At this moment, he felt that Jiang Qianqian¡¯s aura became a little weaker. That was to say, she was a little further away from him, which indicated that she was not on his right side.


    Since she was not on his right side, there were still three positions left. Xiao Chen immediately took another step back, and then Jiang Qianqian¡¯s aura weakened a little at the same time. It showed that she was not behind him.


    The extremely acute spiritual sense was needed for him to feel the tiny changes of the opponent¡¯s aura accurately. Once again, Xiao Chen moved two more steps to the left. This time, her aura only increased a little. Xiao Chen made his judgment. ¡°If she were on my left, her aura would not merely grow such a little bit. She is right in front of me!¡±


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± In a flash, Xiao Chen turned into a swift light and sent his sword forward to stab Jiang Qianqian, like an eagle that had found its prey.


    ¡°Clang!¡± There was a sharp noise, and sparks flashed. It turned out that Jiang Qianqian reacted in less than no time and blocked his deadly blow with her sword.


    At this instant, they finally saw each other when they were so close. Without the least hesitation, they both used their most powerful killing moves on each other. ¡°Clang!¡± With another sharp sound, the blades of their swords collided. They felt that their arms sank and meanwhile were sent flying by each other¡¯s powerful strike. The next moment, neither of them could feel each other¡¯s aura again.


    As they witnessed the whole process, the crowd below gasped. All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Even before they could react, the two people above had already finished their first fierce confrontation.


    At this moment, there were many discussions among the crowd. Some people admired Xiao Chen¡¯s acute judgment, while some exclaimed Jiang Qianqian¡¯s extraordinary reaction ability. On the east side of the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang stroked his beard and seemed to be very impressed by Xiao Chen¡¯s move just now. He said, ¡°This kid did an excellent job to judge the position of Jiang Qianqian with this method. And Qianqian¡¯s counter-attack ability is also very strong. Both of them played pretty well.¡±


    In the distance, a layer of cold sweat covered Liu Qing¡¯s back. If it were him, he could never stand up to Xiao Chen¡¯s sudden attack just now. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help sighing secretly. ¡°In terms of cultivation level only, I am the same as her. However, as to other aspects, maybe I am inferior to her. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have lost to her in the semifinal.¡±


    The Fighting Platform was still in a dense fog. Once again, Xiao Chen and Jiang Qianqian moved with great caution. When they reappeared within each other¡¯s perception range, Jiang Qianqian seemed to have become much smarter this time. She kept moving around to disrupt Xiao Chen¡¯s judgment. At the same time, she was also trying to locate Xiao Chen.


    Just like that, they moved around constantly, simultaneously guessing where the other party would appear in the next instant. This time, they needed not only extremely sharp spiritual senses but also excellent reaction ability and judgment. If either of them were slightly inferior in any of these aspects, he or she would probably be defeated by the other¡¯s sudden attack.


    Suddenly, they moved a little. It seemed that they had confirmed each other¡¯s position at the same time. Then, they launched their attacks on each other. ¡°Clang!¡± After a tremendous crash, they started to fight again. But this time, they didn¡¯t immediately get away from each other after their swords touched. Instead, they engaged in a vicious fight.


    Jiang Qianqian performed a set of swordsmanship called the Heavenly Maids Blossoms-Scattering Swordplay. Her posture was like the Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens. The long sword in her hand left numerous shadows behind. It was like a rain of swords pouring down from midair. One after another, those shadows of her sword came to attack Xiao Chen.


    Of course, Xiao Chen would never stay there and wait to be killed. He chose to play the Phoenix¡¯s Cry Amid Bamboos of the Green Flute Swordplay. His sword uttered a long and loud whistle like a phoenix as soon as he started to wield it. Wherever his sword went, there would be a strong wind soughing. The dazzled sword shadows he made were all well ordered.


    For a moment, metallic sounds on the Fighting Platform could be heard without end. Those people down the Fighting Platform were completely bewitched in a daze. There were too many things for their eyes to see. Their swordsmanship was ingenious to the extreme. This fight between them could be truly considered as a Sword Tryout!


    On the east end of the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang¡¯s face finally changed at this moment. Initially, he thought that Xiao Chen only had a high cultivation level. And even, in his opinion, though Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation was high, it was inevitably a little superficial. But after seeing the fight, he found that Xiao Chen not only had an extremely acute spiritual sense but also had an outstanding reaction ability. Now he even displayed such an exquisite set of swordsmanship. Perfected Immortal Chongyang couldn¡¯t help pondering, ¡°Does this person only want to enter the Cloud Mist Academy? If he didn¡¯t intend to enter the Cloud Mist Academy, why would he take part in the Sword Tryout? Does he just want to make a name for himself?¡±

 Chapter 503 - Girl, Lets Have a Talk!

    On the Fighting Platform, they were still fighting fiercely. Both of them were capable of using exquisite and complex swordplay. In this case, they could prevent themselves from being hurt by the other¡¯s sword power and keep attacking each other¡¯s vital parts. It could be said that each move of their swords contained their intentions of killing.


    As blasts of their swords¡¯ power dropped down like raindrops, the surging Sword Qi was all over the sky. The audience under the platform had already been dazzled. Being immersed in the fine swordsmanship of the two competitors, they almost forgot that this was the peak final.


    On the high platforms of the south and north sides, Perfected Immortal Zixuan of the Pure Mind Sect and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan of the Heaven Heart Pavilion were also somewhat shocked. At first, they thought that except for his high cultivation level, Xiao Chen might not have real skills. But now the situation was obviously far beyond their expectations. They even had never seen the same Swordplay as Xiao Chen¡¯s. Therefore, they guessed that Xiao Chen would be a top talent and had a very promising future.


    On the east end of the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang couldn¡¯t help nodding while tasting the tea in his hand. Repeatedly, he showed his approval. Since he had seen countless people, he could be sure that this young man would come out on top. Some parts of Xiao Chen were still not perfect enough, but he would definitely make many great achievements in the future if he entered the Cloud Mist Academy. Thus, at this moment, Perfected Immortal Chongyang felt as happy as if he had accidentally picked up a piece of raw jade that had not been carved yet.


    Outside the square, Chu Qi stared at the virtual images sent by the Transmitting Formation. She was expressionless but was entirely absorbed. But Yang Qing, who was beside her, looked around with his keen insight and paid attention to the whole situation. Naturally, he noticed the look of the Perfected Immortal Chongyang, who was now on the east end of the high platform, knowing that he already appreciated Xiao Chen very much.


    Yang Qing couldn¡¯t help sighing in his heart, thinking, ¡°No matter how outstanding Xiao Chen was in the Violet Manor, those so-called sects of the Orthodox Path and elders of the Cultivators¡¯ sects always took him as a member of the Devil¡¯s Practice. They, who always want to eliminate Xiao Chen, were so stupid that they abandoned and tried to stifle such a talented man. However, in the Wastelands, Xiao Chen can immediately win recognition from the predecessor. Perhaps, the Wastelands is really suited to him. This time, he may get great accomplishments in the Wastelands.¡±


    On the Fighting Platform, the dense fog still lingered. Xiao Chen and Jiang Qianqian were close to each other the whole time, and their swords had never gone one meter away from the other. Xiao Chen obviously did not expect that Jiang Qianqian could be so strong. She was no worse than Xiaoyue. Actually, she was even stronger than Xiaoyue. If he had not leveled down his cultivation level, it was hard to tell who would be the winner.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen performed his swordplay more fiercely at an accelerated pace. ¡°I must not lose this time. If I lost, I would even waste my application fee of 2,000 Spirit Stones. It would be a big loss! In any case, I have to get the one million Spirit Stones and leave this troubled place as soon as possible.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s sword moves became swifter and more powerful, while Jiang Qianqian seemed to be soon defeated. This scene kept the disciples of the Pure Mind Sect in suspense. Those who hadn¡¯t seen Xiao Chen in Demonic Beast Mountain Range even snarled, ¡°If the strength of Junior Sister hadn¡¯t been weakened, he would never have gained the upper hand!¡±


    In fact, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s cultivation level hadn¡¯t been suppressed; instead, it was Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation level that had been reduced. But how could they have imagined that? On the east side of the high platform, when Jiang Bietian saw that his daughter was going to lose, he actually showed a smile and said, ¡°My daughter has had the desire to excel over others since she was a child. If she is defeated this time, it may be a good thing for her.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang smiled and said, ¡°Just like you?¡±


    Jiang Bietian shook his head and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Let¡¯s don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    While they were talking and laughing, the battle on the Fighting Platform was about to end. Apparently, Jiang Qianqian was no match for Xiao Chen. In a hurry, she leaped back, intending to hide in the fog. It had never occurred to her that this man would be so powerful. Now, she had to retreat first and then find a chance to kill him.


    However, Xiao Chen was sure to win, so how could he let her go? He shouted, ¡°Come back!¡± Then he jumped forward and grabbed her shank. For a moment, he only felt that he caught some soft jade, which was very soft and smooth. His hand slipped to her ankle. Under the Fighting Platform, Baili Xiaohualuo immediately stopped smiling and frowned.


    Xiao Chen caught Jiang Qianqian¡¯s foot and instantly stopped her from flying away. However, Jiang Qianqian did not panic because of this. Instead, she made use of Xiao Chen¡¯s pulling force and thrust at him with her sword.


    There was a 30-centimeter-long beam of green light flickering on the tip of her sword. Xiao Chen was clear that being wounded by such a sword would definitely cause great damage to him. So he hurriedly leaned back and let go of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s ankle at the same time. There was no time for Jiang Qianqian to withdraw herself, and hence she directly flew over him, which inadvertently revealed the scenery under her skirt to Xiao Chen.


    Since it was such a short period, and Xiao Chen¡¯s mind was full of the million Spirit Stones, he naturally couldn¡¯t see everything clearly. However, he immediately realized that he couldn¡¯t let his million Spirit Stones get away, so he instantly turned around and grabbed at her again. At this time, Jiang Qianqian also turned around. Nothing bad would happen if he didn¡¯t go to seize her. But now, it seemed that Xiao Chen got hold of something soft.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A scream went up high and pierced into the clouds in an instant, and even, it directly broke through the sound Barrier of the Fighting Platform and reached to the people under them. The ears of those people with weaker cultivation began to ring, and there were dancing spots that appeared before their eyes.


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t expect that either. He wanted to grab at her shoulder, but he seemed to misjudge the position. As a result, he gripped her left chest, especially with great strength. Hurriedly, Xiao Chen apologized, ¡°Miss! Miss! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Then why don¡¯t you bastard let go of me?! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jiang Qianqian completely lost control of herself. She slashed at him with her sword, vehemently. A little absent-mindedly, Xiao Chen nearly failed to dodge this strike. Even though he managed to escape, she still cut a strand of his hair off.


    At this time, the scene provoked an uproar from the audience. The face of Baili Xiaohualuo turned extremely ugly. As for the people of the Pure Mind Sect, they all roared, ¡°Shameless! Bawdy! Cheap! Rotten! Dirt eating! Dog kissing! Such a person can never enter the Cloud Mist Academy! He is simply a pervert! A pervert!¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡± Perfected Immortal Chongyang, who was on the eastern side of the high platform, spat out the tea in his mouth. Obviously, he did not expect such a funny scene. Beside him, Jiang Bietian¡¯s face had already turned purplish red. He got up and was about to fly to the Fighting Platform.


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang immediately pulled him back. ¡°Hey, hey, Lil Jiang, calm down! Calm down! Don¡¯t act on impulse!¡± Jiang Bietian was swollen with anger, ¡°I must kill this little bastard! I¡¯m going to chop off his hand!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang coughed and said, ¡°Well, you cannot¡­ you don¡¯t have cultivation.¡± Hearing this, Jiang Bietian finally sat back, but his eyes still looked ferocious as if he were going to kill at any time.


    On the Fighting Platform, Jiang Qianqian continued to hack and chop randomly with her sword, chasing incessantly after Xiao Chen. At this time, the dense fog on the stage gradually dissipated. Each of her sword strikes showed the matchless, violent power of a cultivator who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. If they were on an ordinary Fighting Platform, it would have long been destroyed.


    Xiao Chen dodged from the right and the left. Because of what happened just now, it was improper for him to fight back now. He hurriedly explained, ¡°Miss, miss. Let¡¯s have a talk first. Let¡¯s fight seriously, alright? Listen to my explanation. I really don¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Jiang Qianqian was still like an angry deer, hacking and cutting randomly for a while. But finally, she calmed down, thinking to herself, ¡°I cannot do this anymore. If I expose myself too much, he will find my weak points. As long as he counterattacks, I will definitely lose to him.¡±


    At the thought of this, Jiang Qianqian jumped back and glared at Xiao Chen. ¡°It is no big deal. I may as well consider that I was touched by a pig¡¯s hand. I will find a way to deal with him later. Today, I should win this match first.¡±


    Seeing that she finally calmed down now, Xiao Chen said with a wry smile, ¡°Well, Miss Jiang, listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Take this!¡± Jiang Qianqian yelled with a sweet voice, and then she sent her sword to him again. But this time, she didn¡¯t do it casually. Xiao Chen hastily avoided her attack. With a flick, he shot his finger forces at her sword point. ¡°Clang!¡± There was a clear and loud sound. When he was about to fight back, the floor under his feet suddenly shook, and Xiao Chen immediately felt a rush of scorching hot.


    Suddenly, on the originally flat ground, numerous cracks appeared with uprushing lava oozing out. At the same time, some large rocks rapidly protruded from the ground. Xiao Chen reacted extremely fast. He immediately jumped on a raised stone, but then Jiang Qianqian also jumped on one stone. Obviously, she had never expected this either. It seemed that the scenes that occurred today had never appeared before.


    Soon, the entire Fighting Platform seemed to have turned into a hell of lava. Since the lava was constantly seething, only a few protruding rocks had the room just enough for people to stand on. The crowd below was also shocked. They exclaimed that the platform designed by Master Ren was really awesome. It looked as amazing as the mystic domain created by the magic spell.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen was standing on a raised boulder. He had already felt it hard to breathe, and his face quickly turned ghastly pale. As if his whole body was going to be scorched, Xiao Chen felt extremely uncomfortable. Meanwhile, his vitality constantly flew away, just like what had happened when he went to get the Sword of the Vermillion Bird in the Valley of the Southern Vermilion.


    On the other side, Jiang Qianqian seemed not to be affected much. After chanting a spell, she used the Freezing Technique to attack Xiao Chen right away.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud noise, Xiao Chen barely managed to block her attack but was sent flying. Fortunately, he landed on another rock and did not fall into the lava.


    Jiang Qianqian noticed that his face was pale, and his strength was not as strong as before. She smiled proudly and said, ¡°You fear fire!¡± Then she moved forward to attack Xiao Chen again.


    After Xiao Chen endured several attacks in a row from her, his face became even paler. Below him, Perfected Immortal Chongyang also frowned, pondering, ¡°Even if the Fighting Platform is in the fire hell mode, how can he be suppressed so badly? Outside the square, Yang Qing also became a little anxious. He asked Chu Qi, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Brother Xiao?¡±


    Chu Qi remained silent. Still, like a cold iceberg, she watched the light curtain with the utmost concentration. After a long time, to Yang Qing¡¯s surprise, she began to talk, ¡°No, he cannot hold on there. Let him get down off the platform.¡±


    On the Fighting Platform, when Jiang Qianqian saw that Xiao Chen really had no strength to resist, she was secretly delighted. ¡°I will get back on him for what just happened.¡± Immediately, she repeatedly attacked him, not willing to give him any breathing space.


    Xiao Chen dodged in all directions. In the fire hell, even his body movements became much slower. Under the platform, seeing that Xiao Chen was in a series of dangers, Perfected Immortal Chongyang couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself with knitted brows, ¡°How can this be? How can he be in such a passive position¡­¡±


    On the platform, as Jiang Qianqian launched many swifter and fiercer attacks, a great cheer went up from the crowd. Those disciples of the Pure Mind Sect became especially excited. However, Xiao Chen had been pushed into a tight corner. There were several times that he almost fell into the lava. Once he fell into it, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly let out a heartrending scream. It turned out that the splashing lava scalded his left arm. If the lava touched an ordinary person¡¯s skin, a large area of it would definitely be burnt, but Xiao Chen¡¯s arm seemed to be fine. In spite of this, he felt ten times more painful than others.


    When Jiang Qianqian saw that the lava was effective against him, an idea suddenly came into her mind. Her sword that went to stab Xiao Chen suddenly turned to stir up the lava below. Her Sword Qi was so fierce that it brought up a great many layers of lava, which then came fiercely at Xiao Chen.


    Below them, Jiang Bietian froze all of a sudden, shocked. He knew that the lava could cause fatal injuries to Xiao Chen. Although he said that he wanted to kill Xiao Chen, he was reluctant to watch such a promising talent die after all. Thus, he shouted in no time, ¡°Qianqian, stop!¡±


    Next to him, the face of Perfected Immortal Chongyang changed more dramatically, and he even wanted to fly up quickly to save Xiao Chen. But in this thrilling moment, Xiao Chen formed a Barrier to prevent himself from being hurt by the incoming lava. He couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡°This woman is so vicious. I merely caught her breast by accident, and she actually wants to kill me because of that!¡±


    Of course, it was not that Jiang Qianqian was vicious, but she didn¡¯t know that the lava could do fatal damages to Xiao Chen. As many people below witnessed Xiao Chen¡¯s discomfiture at the moment, they burst into continuous cheers.


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and removed his Barrier, thinking, ¡°Gui Xian had once told me that my life and fate were closely related to the wood so that I could be restricted by fire. But even though fire restricts wood, it grows from wood. That¡¯s why I am very proficient in fire-based formations and magic spells. Especially when I am now in such a fire hell, the power that I exert can be ten times stronger than before. So¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen suddenly stood up. At this moment, his eyes became very sharp. He looked at Jiang Qianqian coldly and said, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    With this, he suddenly bellowed, ¡°Nine Heaven-scorching Flames!¡±

 Chapter 504 - The Moment of Life and Death

    ¡°Nine Heaven-scorching Flames!¡±


    As Xiao Chen¡¯s voice fell, nine fire pillars shot up to the sky along with the lava at this moment. It seemed that these pillars were going up in the sky. Before the glowing pillars, the square shone red. In next to no time, the nine fire pillars surrounded Jiang Qianqian in.


    All the people below turned pale with fear. It was a horrible fire-style magic spell that they had never seen. They felt that it was a horrifying force.


    The nine fire pillars continued rushing to the sky. They had already broken through the Barrier of the Fighting Platform. Perhaps, even Ren Tianxing did not expect that the Fighting Platform designed by him would be broken through by someone someday.


    On the eastern side of the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang¡¯s expression changed again and again. Even though he was proficient in various magic spells, he still felt a little shocked upon seeing the nine pillars of fire that were shooting up into the sky.


    In fact, the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames was not a magic spell, but a formation. However, Xiao Chen was able to set it up in an instant. Now with the fire hell¡¯s Fire Energy on the Fighting Platform, the formation looked the same as something created by a magic spell. Unless an expert in the formation, ordinary people could not tell at first glance that it was actually a formation.


    On the Fighting Platform, Jiang Qianqian was trapped in the nine fire pillars. No matter how hard she tried to use the Freezing Technique, she could not resist the burning heat. She was also drenched in sweat, drops of sweat dripping down her chin one after another. At this moment, her face became very ugly.


    Outside, Xiao Chen could control the nine fire pillars, but he was afraid that he would kill her if he continued to attack. It was just a competition. He didn¡¯t want to kill anyone, and he was also very uncomfortable at this time. His face was pale and ugly. Once he launched the nine fire pillars, he was afraid that even he would be hurt.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that I have won this round. If you give up now, I¡¯ll remove the fire pillars, without hurting you the slightest.¡± He stared at Jiang Qianqian and said word by word.


    Jiang Qianqian raised her head, and her face was covered with sweat. She looked at Xiao Chen coldly and gritted her teeth, saying, ¡°I, Jiang Qianqian, will only die in a battle. I will never be defeated!¡± She roared and flew toward the fire pillars, trying to fly out from the gaps between the pillars.


    Xiao Chen immediately move fingers to cast a spell. Instantly, the nine fire pillars moved and burst forth a fierce force, pushing Jiang Qianqian back.


    ¡°Qianqian!¡± Below the platform, Jiang Bietian¡¯s face had already turned ghastly pale. He certainly knew the horrible power contained in the nine fire pillars. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s cultivation was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. But even if she had the cultivation level of the Nirvana Realm, she could not withstand the power. Once the nine fire pillars hit her, they would instantly turn her into ashes.


    Jiang Qianqian retreated to the boulder. When she looked up, she saw the deathly pale face of Xiao Chen, who was also weakened a lot. Then, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯ll also be seriously injured. Perhaps, these pillars will hurt you more. Why do you have to win?¡±


    Xiao Chen had never seen such a stubborn person like her. Gazing at her, he asked in reply, ¡°Then, what about you? You¡¯d rather die than surrender. What are you fighting for?!¡±


    Jiang Qianqian¡¯s gaze fixed on Xiao Chen and said, ¡°I must enter the Cloud Mist Academy. I want to take the first place, and no one can stop me! But even if you don¡¯t win the first prize, you can also get into the Cloud Mist Academy. Then why are you still risking your life?!¡±


    Xiao Chen adjusted his breathing and wiped the sweat off his face. He smiled and said, ¡°When did I ever say that I would enter the Cloud Mist Academy? I¡¯m here for the million Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°One, one million Spirit Stones?¡± Jiang Qianqian seemed to be stunned. At this moment, she seemed to have heard the funniest joke. She asked incredulously, ¡°You? Are you doing this only for that one million Spirit Stones?¡±


    Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and stopped smiling. He said with a cold voice, ¡°What do you think? We had to pay to enter your Yan Prefecture City. And hotels here are ten times more expensive than those in other places! You¡¯re simply robbing money!¡±


    Jiang Qianqian was speechless. She felt that she was living in a different world from the person in front of her. Or in other words, all the others in the Wastelands lived in a different world from Xiao Chen. No one participated in the Sword Tryout only to win the Spiritual Stones.


    But now, the crowd below couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about. After a while, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes became cold, and she said with a firm look, ¡°I don¡¯t care why you do it. In short, I will never give in!¡±


    After that, Jiang Qianqian chanted a spell and rushed to the fire pillars again. The two forces bumped against each other, which shook the entire Fighting Platform. Xiao Chen also trembled, thinking that this woman was even willing to risk her life. If things went on like this, he would lose. Thinking of this, he stretched out his five fingers and controlled the nine fire pillars to attack her.


    In an instant, it looked as if the sky and the earth were falling apart. After being hit by the fierce vital force, the whole square was shaking. Many people retreated to the distance, fearing that the Fighting Platform would suddenly fall.


    Jiang Bietian¡¯s face changed all of a sudden. However, the worst hadn¡¯t yet happened. Xiao Chen extended his five fingers and separated the nine smaller fire pillars from the original nine fire pillars. In the end, he decided to go easy on her. The nine smaller fire pillars also formed a Nine Yang Extreme Heat Formation, but the power of this formation was far inferior to that of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, Jiang Qianqian was pushed back. At this time, everyone below them could see that Xiao Chen didn¡¯t want to hurt her. If it were a real battle against enemies, Jiang Qianqian would have been killed already. The outcome of this battle was evident.


    ¡°Miss Jiang, just give up. If you continue to fight, you will only be hurt. I have no grudges against you. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± Xiao Chen looked at her and said. He secretly thought in his heart, ¡°If I kill you for real, I will lose the million Spirit Stones. Beyond that, I¡¯m afraid that a gang of yours will also hunt me in the future.¡±


    Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she gnashed her beautiful white teeth and said, ¡°If you want to fight, then fight. Cut your crap! Take this!¡± Following her scream, she then controlled her Cyan Sword and slashed at Xiao Chen. However, she couldn¡¯t break through the defense of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames at all.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help frowning, and once again, he controlled the formation. Instantly, the nine fire pillars moved a little closer to Jiang Qianqian, who was in the middle. Great tongues of the flames shot up here and there. If he moved the formation closer to her, the fire might turn her into a burned beauty.


    At this moment, the entire Fighting Platform suddenly shook violently as if it was about to explode. The lava rolled even more fiercely. The people below were all stunned, ¡°Is the Fighting Platform going to change again?¡±


    However, Perfected Immortal Zixuan, Perfected Immortal Qingyuan, Perfected Immortal Chongyang, and Jiang Bietian all frowned. Perfected Immortal Chongyang frowned deeply and muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s not right. Can it be¡­¡± He seemed to have thought of something suddenly, and his expression changed. He shouted to Perfected Immortal Zixuan, ¡°Evacuate all of them quickly!¡±


    Perfected Immortal Zixuan also thought of something. His face changed, and he immediately evacuated the crowd outside the square. Under the guidance of the disciples of the Pure Mind Sect, the crowd quickly retreated to the distance. However, they didn¡¯t know what was going on. In midair, the Fighting Platform shook more and more violently, and the lava kept rolling as if it was going to explode.


    Jiang Bietian¡¯s expression had long changed. ¡°This Fighting Platform was designed by Ren Tianxing in his early years. In the final analysis, it was not perfect enough. Besides, Ren Tianxing had disappeared in the past seven years and had never returned to maintain it. Just now, Xiao Chen¡¯s nine fire pillars collided with it, so something big will very likely happen.¡±


    Thinking of this, Jiang Bietian immediately shouted at the two people on the Fighting Platform, ¡°Stop the competition immediately!¡±


    However, the two people on the Fighting Platform couldn¡¯t hear the shouts below and didn¡¯t notice what was happening. They were still confronting each other, but Xiao Chen sensed that something was wrong and was about to withdraw the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames. At this point, he found that the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames was out of his control.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, the entire Fighting Platform shook violently and sank more than 30 meters. The Nine Heaven-scorching Flames also disappeared in an instant. No, it did not disappear. Instead, it was sucked into the core structure of the Fighting Platform by suction.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    He seemed to have realized that something was wrong with the Fighting Platform. Now that his Nine Heaven-scorching Flames had been sucked in. When it exploded later along with the energy stored inside the Fighting Platform, the destructive power would far beyond imagination. It could almost blow Xiao Chen and Jiang Qianqian to ashes in an instant.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡±


    Just when he was lost in thought, a green light suddenly came at him from the side. It turned out that Jiang Qianqian broke out of the formation. ¡°Clang!¡± After a short-lived sound, Xiao Chen blocked her sword attack and said seriously, ¡°Stop fighting! This big thing has a problem! Let¡¯s get down first!¡±


    However, Jiang Qianqian did not care what he said at all, nor did she care that the Fighting Platform was rocking more vigorously. She repeatedly sent her sword to stab him with all her strength to avenge herself for being trapped by him just now.


    Xiao Chen protected himself from her sword power, but meanwhile, his heart was filled with anxiety. If this Fighting Platform suddenly exploded, he might even lose his life here. However, he was unwilling to give up the million Spirit Stones like that.


    In the distance, the people saw that the Fighting Platform was shaking more and more violently, and even many places had begun to explode. Dark smoke rose, covering the sky and the sun. The rumbling sound continued. The lava continuously spurted out and poured down, just as a volcanic had erupted in midair.


    Everyone finally realized that the Fighting Platform was out of order, but the two people above it were still fighting. The dangerous scene put all the people on the spot in a cold sweat.


    Jiang Bietian¡¯s expression had greatly changed. He hurriedly turned to look at Perfected Immortal Zixuan. Sure enough, Perfected Immortal Zixuan did not need to ask any more questions because the person on the platform was his disciple! He moved and flew toward the Fighting Platform. However, when he was near it, a ferocious power knocked him off.


    Now the Fighting Platform was broken, and its defense devices were in complete disorder. Now that only the persons inside could go out, but the people outside couldn¡¯t go up to the platform.


    At this moment, the Fighting Platform would explode at any time, but the two people on the platform were still fighting fiercely. Suddenly, the Fighting Platform shook violently again. With a loud bang, some places had already begun to explode. Dark smoke billowed, and the strong impact almost sent the two persons on the platform flying backward.


    This time, Jiang Qianqian finally noticed that something went wrong. However, after maintaining her position, she immediately went to attack Xiao Chen again. She said coldly, ¡°Today, either you admit defeat, or we die here together!¡±


    ¡°Psycho! Crazy woman!¡±


    Xiao Chen kept cursing while resisting her sword momentum. Suddenly, the entire Fighting Platform shook violently again. With a loud bang, the platform was directly split in half. The strong impact force sent the people who were close to it flying. Vast tracts of houses around the square also collapsed.


    ¡°Qianqian!¡± Jiang Bietian¡¯s face suddenly changed. This fierce force hit the two people above at the same time. Since the Fighting Platform had lost its effect, Xiao Chen restored his cultivation of Lv 4 Nirvana Realm, but Jiang Qianqian only had the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm. Under the impact of the force, she instantly lost control and fell to the lava below.


    But meanwhile, there was another fierce force rushing up from below, which would inevitably destroy her body and soul. She would have no chance to survive!


    At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes widened. Instinctively, she stretched out her hand to grab Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen also reached out his left hand to seize her. However, when his hand was halfway between him and her, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the wound on his broken left shoulder. Immediately, his left arm stiffened as if it was going to break again. Thus, he only managed to touch her fingertips but failed to pull her up.


    At this moment, everyone held their breath, their faces downcast. Jiang Bietian, Baili Xiaohualuo, Perfected Immortal Zixuan, Perfected Immortal Chongyang¡­ all of them could only watch Jiang Qianqian falling. And finally, her body and soul would be destroyed. No one could save her.

 Chapter 505 - The Jiang Manor

    Jiang Qianqian was still falling, holding up her hands. It seemed that at this moment, she finally felt what it was like to be stared in the face by death. When everyone¡¯s heart almost hopped out of their mouths, suddenly, there was a heaven-shaking dragon roar.


    Suddenly, a more than 30 meters long golden dragon shadow rushed out from Xiao Chen¡¯s right arm and entangled Jiang Qianqian in an instant. It was the Dragon-taming Divine Method that he created himself. In combination with the psychokinesis and the palm strength of the Dragon Roar Palm, Xiao Chen formed a dragon shadow, which could be used to bind the enemy.


    In the distance, everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open, and they held their breath. For one thing, it was a thrilling moment. For another, they had never seen such a magical method before.


    ¡°Go!¡± Xiao Chen thundered and instantly threw Jiang Qianqian to Jiang Bietian below. But at the same time, the core power of the Fighting Platform finally rushed up. Xiao Chen exerted the Immortal-override Steps to the extreme, trying to escape as far away as possible. However, he was a step late.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was an earth-shattering explosion as the entire Fighting Platform finally exploded. The sky above the square instantly shone with boundless radiance. The intense light made it hard for anyone to open their eyes. Under the shock, the dust within a radius of a dozen kilometers raised in all directions.


    Under the impact of this powerful force, the buildings around the square were turned into flying ashes. At this moment, countless people worked together to hold up the Barrier to resist this horrible impact.


    In the distance, Chu Qi¡¯s eyes seemed about to pop out and her face suddenly changed. She moved her feet and rushed toward the explosion point in midair, but how could she get any closer to there with such a strong impact force? Two elders, Perfected Immortal Zixuan and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan, who were in the peak of the Apotheosis Realm, also instantly rushed up to save Xiao Chen. However, the tremendous force also pushed them back.


    At this moment, Perfected Immortal Chongyang also rushed up. Only he could go up there. In the distance, everyone held their breath in deep concentration, greatly shocked. After all, such a powerful impact was comparable to a mighty blow from a Grand Completion Realm cultivator. It could even destroy the body and soul of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator.


    A moment later, as the impact finally dissipated, Perfected Immortal Chongyang landed on the ground from midair, holding Xiao Chen in his arms. Immediately, many people came up and surrounded them. Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes tightly closed, and his clothes were torn into pieces. His chest no longer rose and fell¡ªhe had stopped breathing.


    ¡°Xiao¡­ young hero Xiao.¡± Jiang Bietian squeezed through the crowd and quickly walked up to them. He looked at Xiao Chen in a daze and then looked at Perfected Immortal Chongyang.


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang let out a long sigh and finally shook his head. At this moment, he looked sorrowful as if he had lost a great talent.


    The wind gradually stopped, and everyone nearby also fell silent. Under the impact of that terrifying force, it was already a miracle of miracles that his body could still be completely intact.


    Not far away, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes were a little red. Of course, it was not because she was moved, but instead, she was scared. At this moment, she was still trembling with fear. She had never seen such a horrible explosive force in her life. If Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t sent her down at the last minute, she would have died already.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Chu Qi suddenly rushed up and strode fast to Perfected Immortal Chongyang. At this moment, she was still expressionless. But when she looked at Xiao Chen, a sad look still emerged on her face. Then she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles creaked. Meanwhile, she glared at Jiang Qianqian in the near distance with her horrifying, ice-cold eyes.


    Jiang Qianqian was still in shock, and when she was stared at by Chu Qi¡¯s horrifying eyes, she was so scared that she stepped back a little. At this time, Yang Qing and others also rushed over. ¡°Brother¡­ Brother Xiao¡­¡±


    After taking a deep breath, Chu Qi said calmly, ¡°Give him to me.¡±


    Without saying much, Perfected Immortal Chongyang slowly handed Xiao Chen to her. At this point, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, and a red light flashed through his pupils.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Everyone was shocked, and the crowd immediately became noisy. They were talking animatedly about it. ¡°Can he stay alive even after being hit by such a horrible force?¡± ¡°Does he have an Undead Body?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang was obviously shocked, too. Even though his cultivation was profound, he also showed a shocking look at the moment. ¡°It was true that Xiao Chen had no vital signs just now. But it seemed that he managed to come back to life within such a short period! How did it happen?¡±


    But now, Xiao Chen was still a little weak, and his mind seemed to be somewhat unconscious. He said with difficulty, ¡°One, one hundred¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he fainted again.


    ¡°What was he talking about? White?¡± The crowd was very surprised. Only Jiang Qianqian knew what he was talking about. She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°He is going to die, but he still thought of the million Spirit Stones. Is he a miser?¡±


    At this time, Perfected Immortal Chongyang still looked very dignified. He couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. After taking a deep breath, he said to Jiang Bietian, ¡°Ask some people to deal with the matter here first and to see if there are any casualties.¡±


    At night, under the flickering candlelight in the City Master¡¯s Manor, Perfected Immortal Chongyang¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted, and he said, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. I¡¯ve never seen anyone who could return to life after death.¡±


    Jiang Bietian asked, ¡°Is it possible that he played dead?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang pondered for a long time and nodded. ¡°Such a thing cannot be ruled out. But under the impact of such a powerful force¡­ Well, it¡¯s good that he¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. I¡¯m going back tomorrow.¡± After that, he walked out of the hall. When he walked to the door, he suddenly turned his head and added, ¡°This boy¡¯s background can¡¯t be that simple, but he¡¯s not a bad person.¡±


    ¡­


    Three days later, Xiao Chen finally woke up. In a daze, he opened his eyes and found himself lying on an exquisite wooden bed. The layout of the room was also excellent. Two pots of orchids were placed on the windowsill, and the whole room was filled with a faint fragrance.


    Xiao Chen rubbed his forehead. ¡°This should be the Jiang Manor, right?¡± He sat up from the bed and thought, ¡°In the end, I sent Jiang Qianqian down that day. Then she must have landed first, which means that I won eventually. So, the million Spirit Stones should belong to me now, right?¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen felt very happy in his heart, and hence he was not so courteous. He walked to the table and poured himself a cup of tea. The teapot was still hot. Obviously, someone had just changed it.


    ¡°The Jiang family is really rich. I am also a City Master. Why do I still live in poverty?¡± Xiao Chen looked up and down this exquisite guest room while drinking his tea. Even the curtains in this room were made of fine silks and purple agates.


    Finally, Xiao Chen rubbed his left shoulder again. It seemed that his arm was fine again. Then, he suddenly heard footsteps outside. A woman¡¯s cold voice followed. ¡°You, stop! You! Go to see if the miser has woken up!¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°It is Jiang Qianqian.¡± Then, he heard the timid voice of another woman. ¡°Ah? But Miss¡­ master doesn¡¯t allow us to enter Young Master Xiao¡¯s courtyard¡­ Or, Miss, you can¡­¡±


    ¡°I ask you to go, and then you go! My father even asked me to thank him in person. What a fantastic idea! Once the miser is in my sight, I¡¯ll be annoyed!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen unfolded his eyebrows and smiled. He slowly walked to the door. ¡°Squeak!¡± The door opened just as the maid came over to knock on it. Seeing that the door opened by itself, she was greatly shocked and retreated. But when she looked up and saw that it was Xiao Chen, she muttered, ¡°Master¡­ Master Xiao, you¡¯re awake. Miss¡­ Miss Jiang wants me to¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen faced the sun and stretched lazily. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m all right. Thanks to someone, I survived.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Qianqian had already appeared at the door of the courtyard. She looked at him coldly and said, ¡°If everything is okay, get out of here quickly. Don¡¯t hang on to my home!¡±


    ¡°Miss, why are you so rude? I saved your life that day. It¡¯s OK if you don¡¯t want to thank me, but how can you drive me away?¡±


    Xiao Chen would definitely say that if it was in the past when he first came to the Violet Manor. But now, Xiao Chen just looked at her with a smile. Then he lazily stretched himself and yawned, ¡°I¡¯ll go to get my Spirit Stones, a million Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she gnashed her white teeth. If it weren¡¯t for him, how could she lose? Although she also got an offer of the Cloud Mist Academy, she didn¡¯t win it by winning the first place of the Sword Tryout. It made her felt as uncomfortable as if she had eaten a fly. But by contrast, Xiao Chen participated in the Sword Tryout only to win the million Spirit Stones. In this case, she felt like she had eaten two flies in a row.


    The more Jiang Qianqian thought about it, the angrier she became. With a clanging sound, she pulled out the sword hanging by her waist and stabbed at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen smiled faintly. After putting his right hand behind his back, he put the two fingers of his left hand together. ¡°Clank!¡± He clamped her long sword that was thrusting at him.


    ¡°You!¡± Jiang Qianqian gritted her teeth. Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation was brought down, so they were somewhat on a par when they were in the Fighting Platform. Now, she was certainly no match for Xiao Chen. The sword seemed to be stuck between Xiao Chen¡¯s two fingers. She couldn¡¯t pull it out or send it in to stab him.


    The maid next to him was so scared that her face had already turned pale. Xiao Chen smiled gently and deliberately tilted his left hand to one side. As a result, Jiang Qianqian was pulled a little aside. Then Xiao Chen returned to the middle, and so Jiang Qianqian was immediately brought back to the middle.


    ¡°You! You¡­¡± Jiang Qianqian was so angry that she could not speak. Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°Well, Miss Jiang, I have to get my Spirit Stones, so I won¡¯t play with you.¡± Then, he let go of the sword and Jiang Qianqian immediately stepped back a few steps.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jiang Qianqian broke into a furious rage. She swung her sword at his left arm, vigorously to the extreme. In an instant, she formed a three-foot-long sword radiance. Xiao Chen smiled lightly, pressing his fingers together and flicking in the direction of her sword. However, at this moment, his left arm suddenly became numb and he couldn¡¯t exert any strength.


    The sword was about to cut off his arm in a split-second. But suddenly, a cold light came from outside the courtyard. ¡°Clank!¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s sword was pushed away a little. ¡°Poom!¡± A stone table next to her was directly smashed.


    A figure appeared in a flash. It was Chu Qi who hurried over.


    ¡°Master.¡± She called out.


    Xiao Chen had hardly recovered from the shock and looked at his left shoulder. It seemed that everything was fine now. ¡°What happened just now? And what happened on the Fighting Platform that day? What happened to my left arm? Didn¡¯t Sister Bai reattach it for me last time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After a while, Xiao Chen calmed down and looked at Jiang Qianqian. Then he walked out of the courtyard. Chu Qi followed him closely and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are we going to meet City Master Jiang now?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go to see him. He still owes me a million Spirit Stones! He can never expect to send me away just by a daughter of him! But if he sends two of his daughters to me, I can think about that.¡± Xiao Chen deliberately looked at the inside of the yard. After that, he laughed loudly and swaggered off with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°A shameless man¡­¡± Jiang Qianqian gnashed her teeth with anger, her chest rising and falling constantly. She had been spoiled since she was a child and had never been humiliated like this. She swore that she must improve her cultivation as soon as possible and teach this person a good lesson.

 Chapter 506 - Xiao Chen Changed His Mind

    The Jiang Manor was sort of extravagant in decorating. Bright red corridors and waterside pavilions could be seen everywhere. In the distance, there was a jade green lake. Though in the autumn, its backyard garden was full of blooming flowers. There, butterflies were dancing trippingly, and many green vines entangled the trees.


    After wandering around for a while, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi still hadn¡¯t reached the front hall. On the way, they met a delicate-looking maid. Then they followed her to the living room. When they arrived there, the maid made tea for them and said, ¡°Please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll go to invite the master here.¡±


    After that, the maid walked straight out. Xiao Chen sat on a chair, raising his head to look at the layout of the living room. By his side, Chu Qi remained silent. After about 15 minutes, footsteps gradually sounded outside, which were getting closer and closer.


    ¡°Young hero Xiao, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Right after Jiang Bietian walked swiftly in, Xiao Chen stood up. He saluted Jiang Bietian with a smile and said, ¡°City Master Jiang, thanks for taking care of me these days.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, young hero Xiao. Take a seat, please.¡± Jiang Bietian said with a smile on his face, appearing to be very enthusiastic.


    Xiao Chen looked at him and thought, ¡°Is it true that he has no cultivation at all?¡± He also smiled and sat back in his chair.


    The two of them chatted for a while. Xiao Chen said properly and tried not to mention his own business. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t mention the matter of the million Spirit Stones. After a while, Jiang Bietian smiled a little and asked a guard outside to come in.


    In the guard¡¯s hands was a large embroidered box, which seemed to be a little heavy. Xiao Chen took a quick glance at it, but his face still looked calm, revealing a light smile.


    Jiang Bietian took the embroidered box from the guard and opened it. Suddenly, the whole room was filled with pure Spiritual Qi. Twenty Spirit Stones with faint green light were placed neatly in the box. Each of them was as big as a palm and of extremely high purity. They were the best of the Spirit Stones. Not only could they be used as currency, but also people could absorb the Spiritual Qi inside directly.


    ¡°Here are twenty Tier Six Spirit Stones. Ten of them are the reward for you winning the Sword Tryout¡¯s championship, and the other ten stones are the gifts for you saving my daughter¡¯s life that day,¡± said Jiang Bietian with a smile.


    In the Violet Manor, the general currency took the Tier One Spirit Stone as a unit. One Tier Six Spirit Stone was equivalent to 100,000 Tier One Spirit Stones. Then the twenty Tier Six Spirit Stones was the equal of 2,000,000 Tier One Spirit Stones. But now, each of the twenty Tier Six Spirit Stones was the very pure stone of the best quality. Thus, their value was far more than two million Spirit Stones, and it would be a waste to use them as currency.


    Xiao Chen suppressed the excitement in his heart at the moment and remained calm. He still smiled and said, ¡°This¡­ How dare I accept such a valuable gift from you?¡±


    As he spoke, he did not even glance at the embroidered box. Jiang Bietian smiled and said, ¡°Young hero Xiao, if you refuse, you will somewhat embarrass me a little.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then thank you for your kindness.¡± Xiao Chen smiled and looked at Chu Qi. Then he immediately turned his head and changed the subject before Jiang Bietian could. ¡°By the way, City Master Jiang, there¡¯s something that I don¡¯t understand. May I ask you that?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to ask me.¡±


    Xiao Chen asked, ¡°I saw that the Fighting Platform ingeniously structured, but why did it suddenly go wrong?¡±


    Xiao Chen thought that since Ren Tianxing was missing, he had to start with his old friend if he wanted to find him. But Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t say openly that he was looking for Ren Tianxing, for he and Jiang Bietian hadn¡¯t yet been that close.


    Jiang Bietian said, ¡°To tell you the truth, Master Ren designed the Fighting Platform. It has been for long years out of repair, so it went wrong. Speaking of which, I feel sorry for you, young hero Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen replied, ¡°That¡¯s all right. It turns out that Master Ren designed it. No wonder that it¡¯s well designed. But haven¡¯t Master Ren come back in the past few years?¡±


    With this, Xiao Chen fixed his eyes on Jiang Bietian¡¯s face, trying to find even a slight emotion change on his face. Jiang Bietian sighed and said, ¡°Yes, it has been many years since I saw Master Ren come back last time.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then, after the last time you saw Master Ren, where did he go?¡± Xiao Chen did not look away and questioned closely. He felt that things would not be that simple.


    Jiang Bietian also raised his head and looked at him. At this moment, when they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, it seemed that both of them wanted to find something in each other¡¯s eyes. The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became a little weird. After a short silence, Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°City Master Jiang, don¡¯t get me wrong. I just asked it casually.¡±


    Jiang Bietian nodded and sighed again. ¡°In fact, there is nothing to hide. Master Ren is very famous. Many people have heard of him. But as for where he last appeared, some people said that it was in the Death (Wastelands provinces), some said that it was in the Life (Wastelands provinces), and others were saying that he had gone to some other realms. People hold all sorts of versions of what had happened.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled. He didn¡¯t believe Jiang Bietian¡¯s words. Jiang Bietian must know something, but he would never tell it to an outsider.


    ¡°By the way, I almost forgot about it when we are chatting.¡± With a smile, Jiang Bietian also changed the topic this time. He took out two delicate jade notes from the pocket on his chest and handed one of them to Xiao Chen. ¡°These are the jade notes of the Cloud Mist Academy. You won one of the places this time. As for the other place, Perfected Immortal Chongyang has decided to give it to Miss Chu Qi.¡±


    Xiao Chen took the jade notes, though he had never thought of going to the so-called Cloud Mist Academy. He smiled and said, ¡°Then thank you, City Master Jiang. Where are my friends now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re also in the manor. I¡¯ll bring you to them right now. Follow me, please.¡±


    At once, Xiao Chen followed him and found Yang Qing and others. After Jiang Bietian left, Yang Qing whispered, ¡°Are you all right, Brother Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head. With fixed attention, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave for the Yan Prefecture City today.¡± Yang Qing was stunned. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Don¡¯t you intend to go to the Cloud Mist Academy?¡±


    ¡°The Cloud Mist Academy? What am I going to do there?¡±


    Yang Qing was even more stunned, but it was no surprise. Xiao Chen was not from the Wastelands, so he did not know what the Cloud Mist Academy was. Thinking of this, Yang Qing looked outside and made sure that no one was around. Then he said, ¡°Brother Xiao, I have always wanted to tell you that if you want to draw people over to your side and form a force, the Cloud Mist Academy will be the best place for you to go.¡±


    When Xiao Chen heard his words, his expression turned serious. The first reason he came to the Wastelands was to find Ren Tianxing, and the second was to draw some people in. Thus, he asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    Yang Qing whispered in Xiao Chen¡¯s ear, ¡°The Cloud Mist Academy is not a certain force. Instead, it is equivalent to an academy. You have also seen its high admission requirements. Even someone as excellent as Liu Qing was unable to enter the academy. Therefore, it can be said that any person who can enter the Cloud Mist Academy is one in a hundred. Moreover, they will also enter a certain force in the future. Therefore, why don¡¯t you draw them over to your side as soon as possible¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stared intently at him, knowing what he meant. If what he said was right, it was indeed a good way. After all, he couldn¡¯t draw in those elders who had reached the Apotheosis Realm or the Grand Completion Realm. But if it were the new blood of the Cultivation World, it would be totally different.


    Now the Annihilation Times had come. With their strong combat strength and high status, those people of the older generation were extremely important. However, the strength of the bright younger generation should not be overlooked either. Time makes it inevitable that the rising generation is always worthier than the former one. In the future, these young talents would definitely surpass the elders! Thus, this group of people was more important than one or two cultivators in the Grand Completion Realm!


    Xiao Chen composed himself, thinking, ¡°Among the Five Continents, even the powerful Divine Mist Sect only has a few disciples who have reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, plus Zuoqiu Yang, who is at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. The rest of them are still at the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, or even in the Core Forming Realm. And the young cultivators whom I can bring back from the Cloud Mist Academy will become peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, or even the Nirvana Realm cultivators.¡±


    ¡°If Big Brother Xiao Ning and Gu Feng also come here to take charge, will we directly surpass those so-called big sects and become a major force in the Violet Manor with one action? At that time, we will not even fear the Mo Clan.¡±


    Seeing that Xiao Chen was about to change his mind, Yang Qing continued, ¡°It¡¯s more than that. The Cloud Mist Academy is the best place to cultivate. If you go there, you will make much greater progress in less than three years. I see no reason why you don¡¯t go there.¡±


    Xiao Chen thought carefully for a moment. ¡°Since I was in the Violet Manor, I have always been distracted by all kinds of things and have never cultivated well. Although my cultivation seems to be higher than others of the same generation, there are many powerful people in this world. Perhaps compared with the powerful ones, I am nothing. It seems that I must improve my cultivation. In this way, I can face the unpredictable future more calmly and make it easier for me to convince the public in the future.¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen nodded firmly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go to the Cloud Mist Academy!¡± Then he looked at Chu Qi, who still kept quiet. But since Xiao Chen had decided to go, she would undoubtedly stay by his side.


    Then they said good-bye to Jiang Bietian and left the Yan Prefecture City. Although Jiang Qianqian would also go to the Cloud Mist Academy, Xiao Chen certainly would not go with her.


    The Cloud Mist Academy was located in the southwest of the Death (Wastelands provinces). It was in a city called the White Fog City, which was tens of thousands of miles away from the Yan Prefecture City. The division of areas in the Wastelands was, in fact, the same as the division of the Violet Manor, which had five continents. The registration time of the Cloud Mist Academy was on the 28th of September, which was half a month away. Therefore, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t need to hurry on with his journey. When he was in a sparsely populated place, he would fly on his sword. While he was in a crowded place, he would take a carriage.


    Of course, although it seemed to be an easy and relaxing trip, Xiao Chen still did not let his guard down. Especially when he put up for the night, he was always on the alert. He still remembered that some unknown people surprisingly attacked him that evening after the Sword Tryout. Xiao Chen hadn¡¯t yet found out who those people were, but the person was onto him.


    Time passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. It was late autumn, and the grass and trees had withered. The whole world looked bleak. In the Wastelands, the poor places appeared to be extremely barren. In contrast, the prosperous places were much more prosperous and bustling. In the four minor realms, the White Fog City was the most flourishing and also the most dangerous because there was an evil force called the Black Horn.


    Gangsters of the Black Horn were all over the Wastelands, large or small. This place was only one of their ports. They engaged in the trade of human beings, including slaves, women, and children. Except for that, they also had close connections with the other forces. They organized many unknown and evil deals, including soul trading.


    Meanwhile, they took in desperados from all over the world. Some people might ask why the Cloud Mist Academy just let these evil people do whatever they liked. It was because they couldn¡¯t control these evil people at all. The White Fog City was very large. It was called a city, but in fact, it was bigger than a state. Compared with the White Fog City, even Tianyuan City was just a small one.


    There were three districts in the White Fog City. The Cloud Mist Academy was in the northern district. The southern district which connected to the Lifeless Sea was where the Black Horn was located. Therefore, some people called the southern district the Black-horn City or the Black-horn Port. As for the central district, it was a land of no one. It was the most chaotic place, in which bloody incidents happened every day.


    Today, when Xiao Chen just arrived in this city, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little shocked. In terms of size alone, perhaps no city in the five continents could compare with it, even if it was the Tianyuan City. After walking for more than an hour, it seemed that they had just walked through only a few blocks.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen suddenly felt that a faint murderous aura was approaching him slowly from behind. The aura was getting closer and closer. He turned around and saw a black-clothed man crop up before him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao.¡± The man greeted.

 Chapter 507 - The Cloud Mist Academy

    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao.¡± A black-clothed man greeted in a gentle voice. He stood in front of Xiao Chen, with a sunny smile on his face.


    Xiao Chen composed himself. ¡°It is precisely Baili Xiaohualuo. But why is there the murderous aura just now?¡± He looked behind Baili Xiaohualuo. With many people coming and going, it seemed that the murderous aura had disappeared.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, are you here to sign up?¡± Baili Xiaohualuo asked with a smile. His good-looking face and bright smile made others feel quite comfortable.


    Xiao Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at him, thinking to himself, ¡°But I haven¡¯t yet entered the Cloud Mist Academy. This person is really a born socializer!¡± He then smiled and answered, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just that the city is too big that we¡¯ve lost our way here. Newcomers, after all.¡±


    Of course, he was not lost. How could he get lost with Yang Qing and the others around? They just wanted to walk around and got familiar with everything around. Anyway, there was still one day before the enrollment, so Xiao Chen was not in a hurry.


    Baili Xiaohualuo said, smiling. ¡°Well, let me take you there.¡± With this, he looked at Chu Qi and asked, ¡°Do you also come here to sign up?¡±


    But Chu Qi was expressionless and silent. Then, Baili Xiaohualuo also nodded and smiled at Yang Qing and the others. After greetings, he took them to a carriage shop. The owner of the carriage shop who seemed to know him greeted enthusiastically, ¡°Mr. Baili, it has been a long time since we met last time. So, you are picking up new Junior Brothers again.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You must have been very busy these days.¡± Baili Xiaohualuo talked to the store owner in an easy-going manner. He was nothing like many of the young people in the Cloud Mist Academy who like putting on airs.


    After renting a carriage, they went directly to the Cloud Mist Academy. Along the way, Baili Xiaohualuo was very casual and friendly, talking and laughing. Some other disciples in the Nirvana Realm of the Cloud Mist Academy would not speak to newcomers as he did. Those people were always very arrogant, who were used to looking at people from the corners of their eyes.


    ¡°By the way, Junior Brother Xiao, did you see Junior Sister Jiang on the way?¡±


    Xiao Chen turned around and looked at him with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Miss Jiang. We were in a hurry all the way.¡±


    For some reason, Xiao Chen always felt that this person seemed to be overly enthusiastic. He didn¡¯t know if Baili Xiaohualuo always treated others like this. Somehow, he had this strange feeling about this person¡­ He couldn¡¯t tell what kind of feeling it was, but he thought that he¡¯d better not talk much to him.


    Baili Xiaohualuo added, ¡°You can walk freely in the northern district. But notice that you should not go to the central district because it is perilous there. As for the southern district, since it is the territory of the Black Horn, disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy definitely can¡¯t go there. Likewise, they won¡¯t come to our side either.¡±


    Along the way, Baili Xiaohualuo patiently explained some things about the White Fog City. Through him, Xiao Chen also learned that the Cloud Mist Academy would not interfere in the internal affairs of the Black Horn. None of the people in the Black Horn would come to the northern part of the city. The two sides would not invade each other. But if someone on either side went to the other side¡¯s territory to make trouble, he or she deserved to die.


    After traveling for an hour, they arrived at an area that was still under repair. The entire district was covered with a layer of a little choking smoke and dust. Xiao Chen noticed that many of the people who worked outside looked very strange. Some of them had bear heads, while others had wolf claws. All of them seemed to have infinite power. In shock, Xiao Chen asked, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are Orcs,¡± Yang Qing said lightly.


    ¡°Orcs?¡± Xiao Chen felt very strange. He had never seen such a race in the Five Continents. Was it also a race from ancient times?


    ¡°No, they are not Orcs. They are just half-demons,¡± Baili Xiaohualuo said suddenly. At this moment, slightly frowned, he stopped smiling.


    The half-demon was a mixed-race of human beings and demons in ancient times. They were born with infinite strength, but their cultivation was far less than that of pure demons and humans. So up to now, most of the half-demons had become slaves of human beings who disparaged them as ¡°Orcs¡±. In fact, half of their blood belonged to humans, and the other half belonged to demons. However, both humans and demons cast them out, regarding them as a different species and a low-class race.


    After listening to Yang Qing¡¯s explanation, Xiao Chen nodded. It turned out that there were many half-demons in the Wastelands, but most of them were slaves of human beings. Some of them became slaves as soon as they were born.


    When Xiao Chen looked around, he found that many half-demons were silently doing the heavy work that humans could not take on. The skins of many half-demons had been abraded, dripping with blood. However, they still needed to work. If they dared to stop, a series of brutal floggings would be waiting for them.


    ¡°Hurry up! Do it quickly and neatly. Anyone who gets lazy will not be allowed to eat for three days!¡± A soldier holding a black iron whip shouted fiercely. Not far away, a bear-headed half-demon who was covered with wounds finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He smashed the stone on his shoulder heavily to the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Immediately, three soldiers walked over and whipped him a few times. Not far from them, the eyes of the wolf-headed half-demon turned fierce all of a sudden. He extended his arms and unsheathed his ten sharp claws, pouncing on the three soldiers. However, in the distance, a beam of sword radiance suddenly flew over. ¡°Sizzle!¡± Blood splattered everywhere. Someone directly cut off the head of the wolf-headed half-demon.


    Xiao Chen was greatly shocked. ¡°In any case, he had at least half of the blood of a human being. But still, he was killed as if he were a Demonic Beast! Their lives were considered too mean and worthless.¡±


    With a completely changed expression, Baili Xiaohualuo clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. At this moment, he no longer smiled. His expression even looked a little frightening. With his eyes showing the light that looked as fierce as the beast¡¯s, he stared at the Nirvana Realm cultivator on the high platform who wielded his flying sword just now.


    ¡°Brother Baili?¡± Xiao Chen saw the strange look on his face and asked.


    Baili Xiaohualuo came to his senses and put down the curtains of the carriage. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°This is the fate of a half-demon. In the Demon¡¯s world, they are not recognized by demons. In the world of humans, they¡­ hehe.¡± In the end, he smiled feebly.


    Xiao Chen frowned. He didn¡¯t expect that he would actually sympathize with a half-demon.


    It was not until the afternoon that the carriage finally arrived at the district that the Cloud Mist Academy was in. Looking into the distance, Xiao Chen saw a towering mountain. The upper half of the mountain was lost in the cloud and mist. These buildings above were partly hidden and partly visible as if they were built in the clouds. Even when Xiao Chen watched from a distance, a feeling of deep awe filled his heart, and then a kind of heroic feeling arose.


    The carriage stopped in the urban area near the foot of the mountain, and they got out of the car. Baili Xiaohualuo smiled and said, ¡°Tomorrow is the official registration day. Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Sister Chu Qi, you can find an inn nearby to live in for now. If you think that you are not familiar with this place, I can take you to find a place.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Baili. Don¡¯t bother. We¡¯ll go by ourselves,¡± Xiao Chen immediately said.


    Baili Xiaohualuo smiled and nodded. ¡°All right. Remember that you should get up early tomorrow, for there will be an entry-level trial. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± After that, he moved his fingers to cast a spell. After turning into a beam of green light, he flew up to the Mist Mountain.


    Xiao Chen frowned. Somehow, he always felt that this person was strange, but he didn¡¯t know why. Perhaps, he overthought. Then, together with Yang Qing and the others, he found a nearby inn to stay in.


    At night, they had to discuss their next plan. He and Chu Qi would go to rope in people in the Cloud Mist Academy, while Yang Qing and the others would rent a nearby courtyard to inquire about the information related to Ren Tianxing.


    Early next morning, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi intended to go to the foot of the mountain where the Cloud Mist Academy was. Before leaving, Yang Qing exhorted, ¡°Due to the special nature of the Cloud Mist Academy, there must be other people who come here to draw talents over to their forces. Brother Xiao, you should be careful about everything and try not to have too many conflicts with them.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°You too. Be careful of the Black Horn. Try not to go to Black-horn City. I will send Chu Qi out to contact you if anything important happens.¡± Now, Xiao Chen naturally had known that the reason why Yang Qing and the others escaped to the Violet Manor was that the people of the Black Horn were hunting them.


    After that, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi went to the foot of Mist Mountain. When he just looked at it from a distance yesterday, he had a feeling of respect. Today, when he came to the foot of the mountain, he found that this place was much bigger than the places where some sects of the Violet Manor were.


    Such a towering mountain seemed to have connected heaven and earth, giving people a dignified and solemn feeling. For thousands of years, the lofty Mist Mountain had stayed unchanged, and at the same time, it made the Death (Wastelands provinces) remain as steady as a great mountain. Even the forces of the four major realms did not dare to invade the White Fog City rashly. The Mist Mountain was like a pillar between heaven and earth, which silently supported the whole Death (Wastelands provinces).


    Xiao Chen and Chu Qi came to an open place in a gorge. The lofty Mist Mountain rose straight up, but before them, it was an empty space full of clouds. They couldn¡¯t see what was on the opposite side of the gorge. Around them, thousands of people had gathered. Of course, only a few hundred people came here to sign up, and the rest were here to keep them company.


    Among the few hundred people, some were children from aristocratic families, and some were talented young men. They came from all parts of the Wastelands, including the four major realms. They had come so far to the Cloud Mist Academy, which was enough to show how alluring the Cloud Mist Academy was.


    The Cloud Mist Academy not only had these legends and myths, but it was a place with real strength. For thousands of years, they had trained one expert after another. These experts had already formed one force of the Wastelands.


    Now in the Cloud Mist Academy, there were three Perfected Immortals. Above the three Perfected Immortals were three Saints, the cultivation of whom was unknown. There was a rumor that the three Saints could have ascended to the Heaven Realm a long time ago. They actually had the strength above the true Immortals, but they still had to stay in the Human Realm just because of one person.


    That person was once the most outstanding disciple that they had carefully groomed a hundred years ago. In a short hundred years, that person had already established the largest force in the Wastelands.


    In the open space of the gorge, many people were talking in whispers. The majority of them were teenagers around seventeen or eighteen years old. It was the first time they came to the Cloud Mist Academy. Most of them were a little nervous. They were excited but kind of uneasy too.


    Looking at these people, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help but think of the scene when Xiao Han, Xiao Wan¡¯er, and he joined the Three Pure Sect in the Human World. At that time, he was also a teenager of sixteen or seventeen years old. In the blink of an eye, it had been nearly four years. Now when he recalled that he had taken the test with Shangguan Yan, Senior Sister Luo, and the three princes, he felt somewhat upset.


    Just as he was in a trance, the earth suddenly shook violently, and an earsplitting dragon roar followed. In an instant, the weather changed drastically. With layers of clouds rolling ceaselessly, the scene was shocking.


    Many people were utterly startled by this sudden change of weather, including these young men with the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm. Suddenly, another earth-shaking dragon roar sounded, and then all the people on the spot saw a purple dragon that reached a few thousand feet approaching them from the distant sky.


    ¡°A dragon! A Divine Archean Dragon!¡±


    At this moment, everyone was deeply shocked. Being struck dumb with astonishment, they stared at the divine purple dragon that flew closer and closer. It was wrapped in purple lightning flashes, which looked extremely horrifying. Under the powerful dragon aura, everyone held their breath. They all quite clear that the five claws of the Divine Archean Dragon could even turn an Apotheosis Realm cultivator to ashes.


    Xiao Chen calmed himself down. ¡°Is it really a Divine Archean Dragon? But hasn¡¯t dragons died out already? However, it is indeed a real dragon and definitely not the illusory image formed by my Dragon Roar Palm. Can it be¡­¡± When he thought of something, his face changed.

 Chapter 508 - The First Crisis

    In a flash, the purple dragon with lightning had already arrived in the sky above the gorge. All of a sudden, fierce winds blew, and clouds were rolling violently. On the ground, with the howling wind, the dust and sand that flew up in the air blurred people¡¯s eyes. Many of them looked at the dragon with ultimately horrified looks. Dragons were creatures in the legends of ancient times, which could summon the winds and command the rain as well as bring the thunders and drop the fire. These omnipotent dragons were capable of myriads of changes, and no ordinary people could resist them.


    No one had ever seen a dragon before, but now they saw a real one with their own eyes. How could they not be shocked? Suddenly, the purple lightning dragon roared at the crowd below. It seemed that its voice was going to split the ground. Right after that, a heavy gale came on to blow, along with stones flying in all directions. Also, countless towering trees were directly blown away.


    At this point, it seemed that even the ground also began to roar. The dragon roar reverberated through the gorge as though the sound alone could tear people apart. With fright, most of the newly joined disciples became as pale as ghosts and fled in all directions.


    Chu Qi moved, unsheathed her Full Moon Blade, and put it beside Xiao Chen to protect him. Xiao Chen gently pressed her hand and said seriously, ¡°Chu Qi, don¡¯t move. Put your weapon away.¡±


    ¡°Howl¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the purple lightning dragon roared again, but this time, it roared toward the place where Xiao Chen stood. The mighty dragon roar could nearly crack people¡¯s internal organs. Xiao Chen instantly started to run all his True Energy. While trying his best to resist the force from the dragon roar, he tightly pulled Chu Qi. The strong wind almost blew his face out of shape.


    A lot of people around him directly gave up their resistance and were sent flying by the dragon roar. Many of them escaped in fear of the powerful dragon aura, while others were so frightened that their legs went weak that they collapsed to the ground.


    A moment later, the purple lightning dragon finally stopped roaring, and the surging clouds in the sky finally quieted down. At this time, three beams of light with different colors suddenly rose in the distance and flew toward them in the sky. Upon arrival, they turned into three white-bearded old elders with large fluttering sleeves, like immortals.


    The one on the left was a red-robed elder. In the middle was a cyan-robed elder, and on the right was a purple-robed elder.


    The three elders stood on their swords, floating in the air like immortals. None of them had revealed any trace of the aura that only belonged to true masters, but a sense of respect would arise spontaneously in the people¡¯s hearts as soon as they saw them. These three elders were the three Perfected Immortals of the Cloud Mist Academy. All of them had a cultivation level of the Grand Completion Realm.


    The elder in a red robe on the left was Perfected Immortal Chongyang, who was proficient in the magic spell. Xiao Chen had seen him when he went through the Sword Tryout in the Wastelands last time. The cyan-robed elder in the middle was Perfected Immortal Qingxu, who was perfect in the swordsmanship and sword techniques. As for the purple-robed elder on the right was Perfected Immortal Zihui, who was well versed in formations.


    Now that the purple lightning dragon was circling the three Perfected Immortals. When they saw the arrival of the three Perfected Immortals, those new disciples below finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, the three Perfected Immortals looked a little disappointed as they saw that these disciples were in a state of disarray.


    Perfected Immortal Zihui¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd until he saw Xiao Chen, who was calm in the face of danger. His eyes showed a little appreciation. Then he looked at the purple lightning dragon and whispered, ¡°Tian Zhi, go back.¡±


    With a shrilling whistle, the purple lightning dragon roared and left immediately after turning into the winds and clouds. Xiao Chen calmed down. As he had expected, this was an ancient dragon soul. He didn¡¯t expect that this Perfected Immortal Zihui was also a high-level Imperial Spirit Commander.


    Xiao Chen estimated that this dragon was at least a Tier-Seven dragon soul, which had the strength above the Grand Completion Realm and could instantly destroy Guifeng¡¯s body and soul. Of course, the Tier-Seven dragon soul was just his speculation.


    The crowd slowly quieted down. They all looked up at the three Perfected Immortals with fluttering sleeves in midair. When they saw the stern looks of the three Perfected Immortals, they couldn¡¯t help but appear to be a little nervous. The three Perfected Immortals looked at each other. Then riding on the rows of sword radiance, they went to the distance. It wasn¡¯t until they had left that all the people presented felt a little more relaxed.


    At this moment, the fog on the opposite side of the gorge also dispersed. After that, four rays of sword light followed. As the four rays landed on the ground, they instantly turned into four young people. They were the senior brothers who were going to welcome the newcomers this time.


    It reminded Xiao Chen of the scene when he joined the Three Pure Sect that year. Everything was almost the same. But for Xiao Chen, this place was utterly a strange place without the three princes, Senior Sister Luo, and Bai Ying.


    ¡°Welcome to the Cloud Mist Academy. Next, let me tell you some matters about the entrance test.¡± A Senior Brother stood up and said with a light smile on his face. It seemed that he was not so stern. After saying that, he continued, ¡°Of course, it is only a test for new students. Even if you fail the test, you can still enter the Cloud Mist Academy. Therefore, you do not need to worry.¡±


    The meaning of his words was already obvious. Though all the new students who came to sign up this time were outstanding talents from all over the world, they had different levels of aptitude. Therefore, this test was aimed to screen out the students with the best ability who could be paid special attention to in the future. As for those with relatively ordinary aptitude, they naturally could only get ordinary treatment. It was a universal rule. In any place, there was no so-called absolute fair.


    In fact, all of them knew the rule in their hearts, but they would not say it out loud. Now, everyone around them had become a competitor. The more competitors that they defeated, the more attention of the academy they could gain. Of course, it was the idea of a part of them who had some extremely distorted thoughts in their minds. This part of people thought that if they dug pits for and climbed on others, they could reach an upper position.


    ¡°Well, please show me your jade notes of places in our academy for inspection. Then you have to cross the illusory land here and reach the opposite of the gorge by yourselves. Remember, you must reach the opposite side as fast as you can. No matter what happens, don¡¯t look back.¡±


    A Senior Brother said very seriously. After that, everyone stepped forward and handed over their jade notes of places for the four Senior Brothers to check. Of course, Jiang Qianqian also came here. However, she frowned slightly and looked very unhappy because she knew the information in the jade note that she didn¡¯t win the first place in the Sword Tryout.


    After the inspections, these Senior Brothers counted up that 543 people in total signed up today. Half of them were the winners of the Sword Tryouts from places all over the Wastelands. Next, these new students had to fly across the illusory land in this gorge. Xiao Chen was fully prepared. Since the bridges with iron chains in Three Pure Sect did not daunt him that year, the easy illusory land now could pose no threat to him. Well, at least, he thought so.


    When everyone was about to fly across the illusory land, a person behind them called out in an urgent voice. ¡°Wait! Wait! Here is one more student!¡±


    All the people here turned around to look, seeing a young man dressed like a scholar running towards them. The young man had a folding fan in his hand, and his hair was neatly tied around his shoulders. He looked gentle and refined. But when compared to those thickly built people, he seemed rather weak and fragile.


    The young man ran to the edge of the gorge and took a deep breath. He clasped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I went to the wrong place in the southern district yesterday. Senior Brothers, sorry to keep you waiting for such a long time.¡±


    Initially, the four Senior Brothers frowned a little when they saw that he came late. But after they heard that he ran to the southern district, they looked a little surprised, and so did the others. ¡°The southern district of the city is where the Black Horn is located. How could he come back alive from that place? More importantly, how could he return unscathed?¡±


    The young man smiled, taking out a jade note from his sleeve and handed it to a Senior Brother. ¡°This is my jade note. Please have a look, Senior Brother.¡±


    The Senior Brother took his jade note and sensed the information inside. He frowned and said, ¡°Yumu Shisan? Alright, join the team.¡±


    Yumu Shisan smiled gently and entered the group. Xiao Chen was a little dazed. ¡°This person gives me a different feeling. I cannot sense his cultivation at all. Can this person also hide his cultivation like me?¡±


    Then, under the guidance of the four Senior Brothers, they flew to the opposite of the gorge on their swords. As soon as they were above the abyss, a dense fog enveloped them. No one could hear the others¡¯ voices, nor could they see each other. When the fog dispersed, they felt like they had entered another world, and the opposite side of the gorge seemed to be out of reach to them now.


    Flying on his sword, Xiao Chen saw many ferocious beasts with wings around him. Although it was an illusory land, these ferocious beasts could attack them. Therefore, with caution, Xiao Chen carefully skirted around them, trying not to fight with them. In doing so, he could go his way with no delay. However, when he approached the opposite side, he suddenly heard many people that he knew calling his name behind him.


    Xiao Chen shook his head and ignored these sounds, knowing clearly that these were nothing but illusions. However, when the last voice rang out, he gradually slowed down.


    ¡°Chen¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my master¡¯s voice.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s body trembled slightly, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and continued to move forward without looking back. However, Ling Yin¡¯s voice seemed to follow him all the way. Xiao Chen felt extremely upset in his heart, but still, he struggled hard not to turn back. Finally, he arrived at the opposite side. But many people had arrived there before him, and so did Chu Qi.


    In this test, Xiao Chen was not among those distinguished ones, and even his performance was slightly inferior. He had increased his speed to the limit and had also bypassed those ferocious beasts. However, he failed to go around the memory ingrained in his mind. Hence, the two Elders, who were standing in front of him, didn¡¯t pay attention to him


    ¡°Well, congratulations to all of you for passing the first round of the test.¡±


    An Elder on the left said loudly. He had a smile on his face when he spoke, but he still could not hide the trace of disappointment in his eyes. After all, this group of new disciples acted too slow. Perhaps, the ability of these students was just above the average. Thus, now he put his hope on the disciples who would sign up in the next few days.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the Elder on the right coughed and said in a clear voice, ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the Spiritual Meridian Test.¡±


    The Spiritual Meridian Test was a must in every sect, including the Cloud Mist Academy. There was a large black stone standing beside the Elder. On the top of the stone were twelve small holes. In front of the stone were two palm prints. The stone was exactly the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone.


    Xiao Chen frowned again. It was another Spiritual Meridian Test! Last time, he couldn¡¯t enter the Three Pure Sect because his twelve Spiritual Meridians were black. There must be no exception if he wanted to join the Cloud Mist Academy this time. In the Three Pure Sect, Senior Sister Luo and Brother Yifeng could help him, but who would help him here?


    One after another, the new disciples went forward to test their Spiritual Meridians. They had long been familiar with the Spiritual Meridian Test and also, they had already known how many Spiritual Meridians they had. Therefore, they were not nervous at all. However, the two Elders who tested their Spiritual Meridian became more and more disappointed because almost all of them had only six ordinary Spiritual Meridians. Even seven Spiritual Meridians were quite rare to see.


    Suddenly, the crowd cried out in surprise, and the eyes of the two Elders lit up. On the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone, nine beams of pure white light without any flaws shot up into the sky. The person under test was precisely Jiang Qianqian.


    ¡°Nine Upper Spiritual Meridians!¡±


    The crowd marveled at this scene. Although they were all outstanding people from all the places, they had rarely seen someone who had such pure Spiritual Meridians. Both the two Elders who tested her Spiritual Meridians looked at Jiang Qianqian with admiration. Some senior disciples who were watching in the distance were also surprised. It seemed to them that this new student was bound to be one of their academy¡¯s key nurturing talents.


    Jiang Qianqian smiled gently and withdrew her hand as if nothing important had happened. With light steps, she gracefully returned to the crowd. However, with a hint of disdain, she landed her eyes on Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Next,¡± said a senior disciple next to the Elder, who was in charge of the Spiritual Meridian Test.


    The next one was Xiao Chen. At this moment, he tightly frowned. Though he didn¡¯t know what consequences the test result would lead to, he knew one crucial thing that he mustn¡¯t show his twelve beams of black light. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t enter the Cloud Mist Academy, definitely couldn¡¯t! Perhaps, they would catch him and cut him apart for anatomical study.

 Chapter 509 - Team Up

    ¡°Next,¡± the senior disciple said again. Seeing Xiao Chen standing still, he frowned slightly, seemingly to be a little impatient.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xiao Chen came back to his senses. At this moment, he had already thought of a solution, but he didn¡¯t know if it was useful. Without haste, he calmly walked up to them. Meanwhile, his Divine Sense had probed into the inside of the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone.


    After that, he put one palm on the palm print just as normally like others, but the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone made no response. In fact, as he had expected, the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone could not show light beams quickly once it detected something strange about his Spiritual Meridians.


    At this point, Xiao Chen immediately injected a stream of Mystic Power into the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone. With his current cultivation and Divine Sense, he could trick a small Spiritual Meridian Test Stone without anybody knowing it.


    By using the Mystic Power, he quickly sealed the 12 small channels leading to the top of the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone. Then, a burst of spirit energy rushed out from each of his five fingers, went through the channels above, and turned into five beams of light. Of course, they were fakes, though the five beams of light were indeed pure white. Seeing such an amusing scene, everyone around couldn¡¯t repress their smiles, and eventually, they all burst into laughter.


    At this moment, the faces of the two Elders who were in charge of the Spiritual Meridian Test became extremely ugly. They thought, ¡°He only has five Spiritual Meridians. Well, it is no big deal, but these five beams of light with different lengths and thicknesses are not the same at all. They simply look like clowns among all the other Spiritual Meridians.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ His Spiritual Meridians are excessively short and small. Hahaha!¡± Finally, some people couldn¡¯t help bursting their sides with laughter. They had no malicious intentions. It was just that these five uneven and short light beams of Spiritual Meridians looked really funny.


    Some young girls also stared at the five light beams on the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone as if they were looking at something fresh and interesting. They covered their mouths with smiles and said, ¡°They are indeed small and short. I¡¯ve never seen such short and small Spiritual Meridians before. Puff!¡±


    These girls were somewhat pure, so they didn¡¯t understand the hidden meaning in the ¡°short and small¡± said by those male disciples when they teased Xiao Chen. Therefore, the girls didn¡¯t blush a little when they repeated these words.


    But being a quite bashful man, Xiao Chen felt a little embarrassed at the moment. He exerted more strength and rose the five beams of light a little higher. However, because his spirit energy was unstable, these beams kept flickering, which made more people laugh out loud. ¡°Look! They can even dance. Haha!¡±


    This time, all the people here roared with laughter. Even the two Elders ran the Spiritual Meridian Test, who originally wore ugly looks, felt a little amused. They had never seen such funny Spiritual Meridians after living so many years.


    But the senior disciple next to the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone, who was in charge of the Spiritual Meridian Test, did not laugh. He looked serious and said, ¡°Well, Junior Brother, you can go down¡­¡± ¡°Puff!¡± In the end, he could no longer hold back his laughter and burst with laughing, holding his sides.


    After laughing for a while, he looked up again and said seriously, ¡°Sorry, I mean no harm. You can go down¡­¡± At the end of his words, he almost burst into tears because of trying not to laugh.


    Xiao Chen frowned a little. ¡°Am I that funny? Are these people out of their minds?¡± Just as he was about to leave, the Elder on the left suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait, show me your jade note of place in the academy.¡±


    Obviously, this Elder began to doubt if Xiao Chen got his place by some dishonest means.


    Helplessly, Xiao Chen took out the jade note and handed it to him. After the Elder felt the information in it for a while, a strange look flashed in his eyes. Then he returned the jade note to Xiao Chen and said, ¡°All right. You can go back now.¡±


    Xiao Chen walked back to the crowd and looked at Chu Qi next to him. He frowned and asked, ¡°Is it that funny?¡±


    Chu Qi was still expressionless and remained silent, standing there still like an iceberg. However, after a while, she couldn¡¯t help laughing a little. A trace of smile flashed across her face, but the next moment, she became an iceberg again.


    Xiao Chen was instantly stunned. ¡°I made this icy beauty smile a little. It seems that I performed successfully.¡± Not far away, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyebrows were slightly furrowed. She thought to herself, ¡°He has the cultivation of the Nirvana Realm. How is it possible that he only has five Spiritual Meridians?¡±


    After the Spiritual Meridian Test, the more than five hundred new disciples followed their Senior Brother to the next location. Before the gorge, there were only two Elders who were in charge of the test left. The Elder on the left side frowned deeply and said, ¡°I just found out that the information in his jade note was left behind by Perfected Immortal Chongyang. That is to say, Perfected Immortal Chongyang selected Xiao Chen.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± The Elder on the right was clearly very surprised. He muttered to himself, ¡°How could the Perfected Immortal Chongyang choose this person with such a poor aptitude?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I found it very strange.¡± With this, the Elder on the left looked at the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone¡­¡±


    The elder on the right narrowed his eyes and walked toward the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone. He put his palm on it and immediately sensed a trace of Mystic Power that remained there. His face suddenly changed, and he said, ¡°That guy has done something to the stone!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± The expression of the Elder on the left also changed. In a hurry, he walked over and placed his palm on the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone. As expected, he also felt a little fluctuation of the remaining Mystic Power in it.


    The expressions of them changed drastically. ¡°The inside of this Spiritual Meridian Test Stone is extremely exquisite. How could an ordinary disciple¡¯s Divine Sense probe into it? Moreover, he could do it secretly under our eyes without us noticing it. This kid¡­¡±


    The backs of two Elders were covered with cold sweat. Meanwhile, they looked in the direction in which the new disciples left. The Elder on the left murmured, ¡°This is our dereliction of duty. We can¡¯t tell anyone about it. If the matter is exposed in the future, Perfected Immortal Chongyang should be the one to take the blame. After all, he chose this guy¡­¡±


    About 30 minutes later, all the new disciples arrived at an empty valley, which was surrounded by mountains. Although it was late autumn, there were red flowers and green trees around. Groups of butterflies danced trippingly. In the distance, there was a clear, gurgling spring flowing. Even the water of the spring got some of the Mist Mountain¡¯s Spiritual Qi. After those ordinary people living along the lower stretch of the spring drank the water, they could even enjoy longer lives with fewer illnesses.


    The Spiritual Qi here was already abundant. Compared to many other places in the Wastelands, it was a relatively good place. Many newcomers here felt very relaxed and happy. It was not that they had never been to such a place with abundant Spiritual Qi, but they felt that even the Spiritual Qi in the flower valley at the foot of the Mist Mountain was so rich, the Spiritual Qi at the top of the mountain must be much thicker. For a moment, many people became more attracted to the Cloud Mist Academy that was well within reach now.


    Xiao Chen also nodded in his heart. ¡°Just in a flower valley at the foot of the mountain, the Spiritual Qi is more abundant than it is in the places of some sects in the Violet Manor. The Cloud Mist Academy deserves its reputation. No wonder so many people dream of entering it.¡± He also began to look forward to entering it. However, he saw only a tip of the Cloud Mist Academy¡¯s iceberg.


    A Senior Brother stood up and clapped his hands, saying, ¡°Well, everyone, be quiet. Next are the tests set up by the three Perfected Immortals. All of you need to pass these tests by yourselves. You have to arrive at Mountainside Square before the sunset tomorrow. Otherwise, you fail the test and have to take it once again in September next year. If you fail again at that time, you will be expelled from the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    Another Senior Brother added, ¡°I know that some of you have reached the Nascent Soul Realm, but please don¡¯t try to fly on your sword. After all, the restrictions made by the three Perfected Immortals are not so easy to break. There will be many formation traps along the way. Besides, there are fierce beasts in the illusory land. Our Cloud Mist Academy is not a shelter, so we don¡¯t want the weak. Some places are very cruel, which may threaten your lives. If some of you want to give up, you can leave now.¡±


    The crowd began to talk about it, and many people felt uneasy, especially the girl of 16 or 17 years old. However, they had strived hard to get the places of this academy, so they had to give it a shot even if they would face the most dangerous places in the world.


    After the few Senior Brothers made sure that there was no objection, one of them said, ¡°Well, then you can freely form your teams with a maximum of 20 people in each team. Remember, from the moment you left this valley, each act of all of you will be recorded by the Spiritual Formation, including how many fierce beasts you have killed, how many formations you have broken, and finally how much time you have spent. All of these are related to your future. Therefore, you should try your best to get better results as long as you can keep your lives.¡±


    After listening to the speech, the new disciples immediately began to team up. Of course, instead of forming a team, they were looking for a team to join in. Most of them were very young, about 16 or 17 years old. Although they were talented, their current cultivation was no better than the students in their twenties. Therefore, the majority of them, who were still in the Core Forming Realm, looked at the few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators with their pleading eyes, hoping that any one of them could allow them to join in.


    Jiang Qianqian had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, plus she had a beautiful face. Thus, most people rushed up to team up with her. Of course, these were people in the Nascent Soul Realm. Jiang Qianqian would never choose to team up with people below the Nascent Soul Realm. She would not even look at the people in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    The reality was cruel. After today, they would be brothers and sisters of the same sect. But this test was related to whether they could be valued in the future, so no one was willing to take weak ones with them. Therefore, no matter how talented these new disciples who were still in the Core Forming Realm were, they were still burdens even if they might reach the Nascent Soul Realm or the Nirvana Realm within three years. No one was willing to team up with them in this test now.


    Moments later, the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators had formed their teams. Though reluctant, some of them took in a few cultivators in the Core Forming Realm. Now, there still left some Core Forming Realm cultivators standing on the spot, not knowing what to do next. Regardless of their pleading or pitiful gazes, none of those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators were willing to leave their teams to lead them now. After all, everyone was selfish.


    The following test would be fraught with dangers. Any team without a single Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would be wiped out. There was no other possibility.


    ¡°Sister, can you lead us?¡±


    At this time, a few young girls of sixteen or seventeen years old came up to Chu Qi and asked. They blinked their big watery eyes and looked at her pitifully.


    These girls were pretty. In previous, they wanted Chu Qi to be their team leader. But seeing that Chu Qi was as cold as ice, they did not dare to talk to her. Now when they could not find anyone else to lead them, they had no choice but to come over to her.


    Girls around 16 or 17 were the most adorable. Their delicate and touching looks could especially make people feel it reluctant to refuse them. Xiao Chen frowned a little and said, ¡°Chu Qi, take them with you.¡±


    Chu Qi nodded and looked at the group of newcomers who couldn¡¯t find any team to join in. ¡°All those below the Nascent Soul Realm come to my team. Females only.¡±


    For a moment, all the girls rushed over, leaving the rest of the boys. With bitter faces, these boys even wanted to cry. Xiao Chen looked at them and said, ¡°All you guys come to me.¡±

 Chapter 510 - The Final Test

    When they heard this, all the teenagers were stunned at first, secretly thinking in their minds, ¡°This guy looked so funny when his Spiritual Meridians were tested before. But anyway, he has reached at least the middle-stage of Nascent Soul Realm.¡± Therefore, all the rest of the boys rushed over to him.


    Soon, Chu Qi had 19 team members now, which was the upper limit of a team, not counting the team leader. Meanwhile, the number of Xiao Chen¡¯s team members also had reached 19.


    Not far away, those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators glanced at them, taking pleasure in their misfortune. ¡°With such a group of burdensome team members, they can never be halfway up the mountain even before the day after tomorrow¡¯s sunset, not to mention before tomorrow¡¯s sunset. Anyway, it is perfect. After all, there are two fewer competitors for us.¡±


    Although the teams of both Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were full, many newcomers in the Core Forming Realm still could not find a team to join in. In fact, the aptitudes of them were not that bad, some of which were even better than the aptitudes of those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators or Nirvana Realm cultivators. Unfortunately, they were born a few years later. As long as they had enough time, they would surely surpass these cultivators in higher realms.


    Xiao Chen frowned a little and looked at the few senior disciples. He clasped his hands and said, ¡°Senior Brothers, can I take them with me?¡±


    After he said that, those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators who had already found themselves a team felt even more surprised. ¡°Is this guy crazy? It seems that he doesn¡¯t want to pass the test at all. The burden of a dozen much weaker team members seems not to be enough for him to bear, and he even asks for dozens of more people. His head must be out of work!¡±


    In fact, Xiao Chen had his own thoughts. Firstly, he was born a kind-hearted man so that he couldn¡¯t bear to see the future of these people who were left behind being destroyed. Secondly, he had a selfish motive. Since he wanted to win people¡¯s support, why not take advantage of the present situation? All these newcomers were outstanding and very promising talents.


    His request seemed to have put the few Senior Brothers into a quandary. Actually, they didn¡¯t expect it to be like this today that so many newcomers couldn¡¯t find a team. Nevertheless, this was the rule, and there was no exception to it. One of them said, ¡°Junior Brother, there is a rule in the Cloud Mist Academy, so I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a burst of hearty laughter sounded. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll take them with me.¡±


    After that, a young man who seemed to have reached the Nascent Soul Realm stepped out of the team. He was about the same age as Xiao Chen and dressed like a scholar. He was precisely Yumu Shisan, who was late before.


    ¡°Another nut.¡± Someone in the team scolded. However, Yumu Shisan only smiled faintly and quickly accepted 19 members to form his team. But now, there were still some people who couldn¡¯t find any team to join in.


    Yumu Shisan looked at these people and smiled. But before he could say anything, Xiao Chen smiled and said to the rest of newcomers, ¡°You can form a team by yourselves and follow me later.¡± Then he looked at several Senior Brothers, asking, ¡°It¡¯s not against the rule, right?¡±


    These Senior Brothers looked at each other and thought that there seemed to be no rule forbidding this. One of them said, ¡°Then, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Hearing this, the rest of the newcomers immediately formed a team happily and walked to Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. Xiao Chen smiled and then looked at Yumu Shisan, nodding and smiling. Yumu Shisan also nodded at him and returned a smile.


    Finally, all of them teamed up. The few Senior Brothers seemed relieved. After making some further explanations, one of them smiled and said, ¡°Then, Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, we wish all of you good luck.¡± After that, they turned into several rays of sword radiance and flew to the looming Mist Mountain.


    The few hundred newcomers were left in the empty valley, who stood in combat readiness. Of course, they immediately acted as their Senior Brothers had instructed and left the valley without delay. All of them knew it clearly that they had to arrive at Mountainside Square before the sunset tomorrow.


    Though located in the White Fog City, the Mist Mountain covered a vast area. It had several main peaks that had reached above the clouds. Around them, there was a stretch of relatively lower hills, which remained green throughout the year.


    It was noon. With dozens of young boys and girls, the teams of Xiao Chen and Chu Qi certainly moved much slower than those teams with Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. When the sun went down, they barely managed to cross two small mountains and had come across several Illusory Beasts along the way. But as long as Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were there, Illusory Beasts would never be a problem. As for the illusory fog and formations, Xiao Chen could deal with them with great ease.


    Soon, these young boys and girls regarded them as real leaders. It seemed to them that as long as Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were with them, they could deal with any difficulties. If they handled those Illusory Beasts that had Nascent Soul Realm cultivation by themselves, they would have been killed already.


    ¡°Brother Chen, let¡¯s rest for a while before we move on,¡± a teenager said, breathlessly.


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw that everyone was drenched in sweat and tired. They all had the Core Forming Realm cultivation, so it should not be so difficult for them to climb over two mountains. But since the three Perfected Immortals had set up a lot of restrictions here, this place certainly was different from any places outside. He instantly agreed, saying, ¡°Well, let¡¯s rest for a while before we leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find some water,¡± said Chu Qi. Then she went to the other side of the woods, followed by several girls. They said, ¡°Sister Chu Qi, let us go with you.¡±


    Xiao Chen sat under a tree, and the other boys and girls gathered around to talk with him. From their conversations, Xiao Chen learned that not all of them were members of the nobility. Many of them were even children from poor families and were born in some barren places in the Wastelands. Fortunately, by making use of their fairly good natural endowments, they won themselves better lives. Now that they had gotten the Cloud Mist Academy¡¯s offers, which brought them to a new height.


    Also, Xiao Chen also learned a lot about the Wastelands from them. But it seemed that they didn¡¯t know that there was the Violet Manor or the five continents, just like some juniors in the Violet Manor didn¡¯t know the existence of the Wastelands.


    But in fact, some of the older generation in the Wastelands knew about the existence of the Violet Manor, and some elders in the Violet Manor also knew that there was the Wastelands. Moreover, they knew one more thing. Of course, at present, Xiao Chen did not know about this matter, and even Yang Qing and the others did not know it.


    When Xiao Chen knew this matter in the future, perhaps, perhaps he needed to make the first difficult decision in his life. As for his second difficult decision, a decision that he would never forget, it would only appear many years later.


    About 15 minutes later, Chu Qi and the several girls came back with water. After drinking some water, they continued on their way. They should at least find a place to stay before dark. It was extremely dangerous at night, so Xiao Chen would not choose to push on with their journey. After all, they had found that both their True Energy and physical strength recovered very slowly in this place. Thus, they must keep their power to deal with the biggest challenge tomorrow.


    Two hours later, it was completely dark. Tonight, they had to rough it in a big cave that they found. Fortunately, with so many people, the cave became bustling. Especially these young girls, who were very lively and lovely, kept talking and laughing. Because of them, the silence and lifeless cave even seemed to come alive at this very night.


    ¡°Sister Chu Qi, why don¡¯t you like talking?¡± A girl asked, blinking her big eyes. Chu Qi turned around and glanced at her, giving her only an ¡°oh¡± as a reply.


    Xiao Chen sat in front of the fire, gazing into the flickering flames. He thought, his eyes reflecting the glaring light. ¡°I have been to the Wastelands for more than a month. I don¡¯t know how Xin¡¯er and the others in the Forever City are now. The Immortals¡¯ League, the Mo Clan, the Order of the Divine Fire, and Ling Ruoxu from the Ling Family who had escaped, I will make all of you pay for your debt in person!¡±


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen took a deep breath and clenched his fingers. He only hated that he didn¡¯t have enough strength to go back and revenge now. Whenever he thought that Xuanxu Zi destroyed the Heartless Palace and Xin¡¯er¡¯s heartbroken look that day, he would feel his stomach knot with pain.


    ¡°Xuanxu Zi, when I come back, it will be your time to die¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Chen, where do you and Sister Chu Qi come from?¡± At this time, a teenager suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    His question brought Xiao Chen back to reality. Xiao Chen reacted quickly and said while smiling, ¡°I came from the Life (Wastelands provinces). Yan Prefecture City, have you ever heard of it?¡±


    It was a vague answer. Somehow, Xiao Chen felt that he absolutely could not let anyone, especially the Cloud Mist Academy, know that he was from the Violet Manor.


    ¡°Yan Prefecture City? I seemed to have heard of it, but I¡¯ve never been there¡­¡±


    Nothing happened this night. The next morning, when it was dawn, they set off again. They must arrive at the Mountainside Square before sunset today, so it meant that there were about twelve hours left.


    But when they were near the main peak, it was almost noon. Those Illusory Beasts at the foot of the mountain were getting more and more ferocious. Many of these beasts had obtained the strength close to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. The dozens of young boys and girls made the right choice. If it had not been for Xiao Chen and Chu Qi, all of them would have failed this test or been killed long ago.


    As they arrived at the foot of the mountain, everyone looked up at the peak that went straight into the clouds. High in the clouds, pavilions were partly hidden and partly visible as if they were in the Heavenly Palace. Everyone looked delighted, knowing that it was precisely the Cloud Mist Academy that they had always dreamed of entering.


    In fact, with the size of the Cloud Mist Academy, it could also be named as the Cloud Mist Sect, the Cloud Mist Gate, or the Cloud Mist Pavilion. However, due to its special nature, it could not be named as any of these. Otherwise, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. Of course, the trouble here was not that other sects would go to provoke it, but because some people had already belonged to some sects or forces before they entered the Cloud Mist Academy.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡± Xiao Chen smiled faintly. He was now increasingly looking forward to being in the Cloud Mist Academy. Perhaps his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds in the near future.


    Not long after he finished speaking, bursts of footsteps came from the distance. Many people rushed over from both sides of Xiao Chen¡¯s and Chu Qi¡¯s teams. The other teams were coming. Xiao Chen was stunned, wondering, ¡°Did we arrive here before them?¡±


    Xiao Chen noticed that all these people looked a little embarrassed, including people in the teams full of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, Jiang Qianqian, and the others. Xiao Chen looked at them and asked, ¡°Hey? What happened to you?¡± As he spoke, his mouth curved into a faint smile as if he was teasing them. After all, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s team was the strongest.


    Evidently, some ¡°wicked¡± elders in the Cloud Mist Academy must have changed the rules of this test at the last moment. Now that the stronger the average battle strength of each team, the stronger the Illusory Beasts they would meet. In this way, Xiao Chen¡¯s team and the team alike got an advantage instead.


    Upon seeing that nothing had happened to them, Jiang Qianqian became so furious that she gritted her teeth with anger. How she wished that she could tear Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth apart, dig out and crush his eyeballs.


    ¡°Hehe, Brother Xiao, you¡¯ve arrived even earlier than us.¡± A slightly bitter voice rang out from behind Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw Yumu Shisan, who also looked somewhat miserable. But the 19 boys behind him were safe and sound.


    ¡°Haha, Brother Yumu, you are almost equally quick,¡± Xiao Chen said.


    Yumu Shisan made a wry smile and then said, ¡°I suppose that this final test of going up the mountain will not be simple. Since we have met, why don¡¯t we go there together?¡± With this, he turned to look at the others.


    The other people here had been tortured severely by all kinds of traps and Illusory Beasts before, so they naturally would not object to his proposal at this time. Even if they met something terrifying again, they would go through the rough patch together.


    Xiao Chen looked up at the mountain and thought, ¡°Before the few senior disciples left yesterday, they said mysteriously that there was the last test. What exactly will the last test be?¡±


    Then, more than 500 newcomers went up the mountain together. At the same time, somewhere on the mountain, a woman in white clothes was sitting on a fresh green branch.


    ¡°The group of little fellows this year is really interesting. In this case, I will play with these little kids a longer time¡­¡±

 Chapter 511 - Is It Her?

    ¡°How about me playing longer with these little fellows¡­¡±


    The woman said with a bright smile. The branch under her was quite soft, and the buds on it were getting ready to burst. Obviously, it was easily broken. However, when she sat on it, the branch only swayed up and down slightly, neither breaking nor bending.


    ¡°Well¡­ Third Grandmaster, the First Grandmaster is still in a hurry to meet them. Would you stop playing with them? If you continue to play your game, they will be ruined¡­¡±


    Just after the woman in white finished her words, a timid voice of a young man sounded behind her. As the woman turned back, her hair behind her shoulder blowing in the breeze happened to cover her face.


    The woman smiled. Her eyebrows were like the outlines of the distant mountains, and her limpid eyes looked like the flowing autumn water. While smiling, she said, ¡°Well, or¡­ How about making a bet with me first?¡±


    ¡°Atishoo!¡± Xiao Chen, who was going up the mountain with the others, suddenly sneezed for no reason. A girl next to him blinked at him and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, did you catch a cold last night?¡±


    ¡°Cold? Catch a cold?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned. Since he was a cultivator, how could he fall ill so easily like an ordinary person? But could it be that someone was talking about him?


    ¡°The weather in late autumn is cold. Brother Xiao, remember to put on more clothes.¡± Not far away, Yumu Shisan said with a smile. Then he looked at Chu Qi and said, ¡°Miss Chu Qi, aren¡¯t you cold with so few clothes on?¡±


    However, from beginning to the end, Chu Qi had never talked to anyone and only cared about going her own path. Xiao Chen thought to himself, ¡°Is this guy named Yumu Shisan also a natural socializer? He said that it became cool. It seemed that the weather is truly getting much colder.¡± When a gust of wind blew over, seemingly with ice chips, many people shivered.


    ¡°What happened? Why does it become so cold?¡±


    As everyone discussed the change of the weather, another gust of cold wind came. This time, it really came with ice chips. All of a sudden, the weather around dropped a lot. Many girls in thin clothes trembled with cold, holding their arms. This place with a lot of restrictions was nothing like the outside, so it was useless even if they had the Core Forming Realm cultivation.


    After walking for a long time, it was getting colder and colder as if they had entered the frozen world in the far north. Arms folded, many young girls kept shivering, and their little faces also turned ghastly pale because of the cold. A boy said, ¡°Are you cold, Junior Sister? Give me your hand and go with me.¡±


    Slightly annoyed, the girl looked at him and pouted, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hold my hand.¡± After that, she moved closer to Xiao Chen and giggled.


    Xiao Chen, on the other hand, remained silent. After a while, he said, ¡°Wait. Stop.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the dozens of young boys and girls behind him immediately stopped and looked up at him. At this point, many places before them were covered with ice and snow. The cold wind was whistling, and flakes of ice kept spinning. It seemed that late autumn suddenly turned into cold midwinter.


    The others also realized that something was wrong. The White Fog City was located in the southwest of the Death (Wastelands provinces), so it should not be so cold here in autumn. Even if the Mist Mountain was on higher ground, it should not have been covered with ice and snow.


    With a stern look, Xiao Chen said, ¡°We have walked in an illusory land.¡±


    ¡°An illusory land?¡± At this moment, everyone stopped and turned to look at him. But unlike the dozens of young boys and girls behind Xiao Chen, the majority of these people seemed to disagree with him.


    Xiao Chen said that they were already in an illusory land, a trap set up by someone. However, everything around them looked so real that no one had noticed they had stepped into an illusory land.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and start over. Otherwise, when we go deeper into this trap, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll meet some very powerful Illusory Beasts,¡± Xiao Chen said honestly. He looked serious enough to show that he was not kidding. In fact, Xiao Chen could feel that something dangerous was approaching.


    ¡°Go back? Are you crazy? We finally managed to come up. If we go back now, we can never arrive at Mountainside Square before sunset.¡± Someone in the crowd immediately expressed his discontent.


    Now, opinion was divided on this matter. Some of them agreed to go back and start over. According to their previous experience, once they were trapped in an illusory land, they should quit immediately and walk the way again. Then, everything would be fine. Otherwise, they would meet the ferocious Illusory Beasts.


    ¡°If you want to go back, then you can go. I will never go back,¡± a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator said coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± Xiao Chen said attentively. When he spoke, his eyes were fixed on an ice mountain in front of him.


    ¡°What?¡± The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator frowned and asked.


    ¡°I said it was too late. Let¡¯s prepare for the battle.¡± With that, Xiao Chen immediately unsheathed the Unsullied Immortal Sword. In next to no time, a deep roar rose. Both heaven and earth shook. The ice and snow were all over the sky, sweeping over the crowd.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Everyone immediately worked together to hold up the Barrier so as to resist the significant amount of ice and snow that came at them. When the ice and snow dispersed, they saw a huge monster suddenly appear in front of them.


    They were startled. All of a sudden, the monster gave them the creeps. The thing was as big as a small hill. With ice thorns all over its body, it looked extremely horrifying. Let¡¯s call it the Snow Beast for now.


    ¡°Howl¡­!¡± The Snow Beast let out a deep roar and pressed its arms down on the crowd. Immediately, the snow and ice shot in all directions. There was nothing but darkness between heaven and earth. Greatly shocked, all of them exerted their strength to the limit and avoided this fatal blow.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A loud noise was heard. It seemed as if the whole mountain was shaking. The force of the shock pushed some newcomers who had reached the Core Forming Realm into the air.


    Everyone trembled with fear. Perhaps, such a horrible attack could even crush Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Xiao Chen was secretly shocked. ¡°Damned! Which bastard made this monster?¡± This beast at least had the power at the late stage of Nirvana Realm. Even he found it hard to deal with it.


    ¡°Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!¡± In his heart, Xiao Chen cursed the ¡°bastard¡± who did this for more than a hundred times. However, he still had to take immediate action to kill this monster first.


    Under the fierce attacks of the Snow Beast, the group of people was utterly routed. At present, among the more than five hundred people, only a hundred of them had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, most of which were at the early-stage. Only Jiang Qianqian, who had a higher combat capability, leaped into the air and barely managed to hold the Snow Beast back. Under them, the rest of the people kept launching their attacks, using various magic spells.


    Although Jiang Qianqian¡¯s strength had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, the power of one person was too weak after all. At this time, Yumu Shisan also jumped up into the air. He could also release the strength of the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, which was beyond everyone¡¯s expectation.


    There were two cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, but after all, this Snow Beast had the power at the late stage of the Nirvana Realm. It was true that it was far less powerful than those human cultivators at the late stage of the Nirvana Realm, but Yumu Shisan and Jiang Qianqian still couldn¡¯t hold it off. Xiao Chen had to spring into the sky, wielding two strokes of his Dragon Roar Palm to attack the Snow Beast.


    This time, his moves completely surprised everyone. Since Xiao Chen acted like a clown in the Spiritual Meridian Test, they didn¡¯t expect him to be a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. No wonder he dared to bring so many Core Forming Realm newcomers with him. It seemed that all of them had underestimated Xiao Chen.


    The dozens of teenagers below them had never expected him to react that way, for they thought he was only at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. It turned out that Xiao Chen also had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± After being pinned down by the three of them, the Snow Beast became even more violent. The icicles on its body flew out in disorder. Each of the icicles was as powerful as the flying swords sent by the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. How could the several hundred beginners dare to block these icicles? They hurriedly went around to find places to hide.


    ¡°Howl¡­¡± The Snow Beast roared once again, shaking the rocks off the cliff. Suddenly, it broke free from the three of them and slammed towards the group of newcomers below it.


    No Core Forming Realm cultivator could withstand such a violent beat. Those people that Snow Beast attacked this time were exactly the dozens of young girls and boys that Xiao Chen had led earlier.


    Everyone¡¯s faces suddenly changed, and Xiao Chen¡¯s face also changed dramatically. Instantly, he used the Star-shifting Substitution and transferred the dozens of young boys and girls to the place below him.


    ¡°Rumble!¡± The Snow Beast¡¯s slap shocked the entire mountain. As for the dozens of teenagers, they had long been scared silly. For them, the one second before that was a matter of life and death.


    The crowd in the distance also looked at Xiao Chen, their mouths agape in surprise. From hundreds of feet away, Xiao Chen moved so many people to his side in an instant. They had never seen such a strange cultivation method before. Could it be the long-lost Sky-Land Change?


    However, there was no time for them to think about these questions at this moment. When the Snow Beast saw that all his targets suddenly disappeared, it went into furious and turned around, pouncing on Xiao Chen. Such a huge monster made everyone tremble with fear. Everyone quickly retreated as farther away as they could.


    What was worse, Jiang Qianqian and Yumu Shisan seemed to have no intention of helping. Needless to say, Jiang Qianqian was too anxious to see this Snow Beast tear Xiao Chen apart. Meanwhile, a profound intent flashed in Yumu Shisan¡¯s eyes. It seemed that he wanted to see Xiao Chen¡¯s real strength. After all, right in front of the elders who were in charge of the test, Xiao Chen secretly did something to the Spiritual Meridian Test Stone and tricked all of them without anybody noticing.


    Xiao Chen had certainly predicted that they would not come to help him. At once, he exerted all his True Energy and pushed out his palms. Along with the sudden deafening dragon roars, two 30-meter-long golden dragon shadows whizzed out, followed by a loud bang. Feeling the shock, the Snow Beast actually paused. By taking advantage of this attack¡¯s counterforce, Xiao Chen instantly escaped.


    These people in the distance were shocked again because this kind of power had vaguely surpassed the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    As soon as Xiao Chen landed on the ground, he immediately adjusted his breath. Since this place was under tough restrictions, it was difficult for him to restore his True Energy. Therefore, Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t do his best. He had to keep his strength to deal with the following difficulties.


    ¡°Howl¡­¡± The Snow Beast roared madly, and more than a hundred Nascent Soul Realm cultivators immediately joined forces to attack it. Xiao Chen, Jiang Qianqian, and Yumu Shisan were the anchors to suppress it. On the ground, those Core Forming Realm newcomers assisted them in the attack.


    Finally, it took more than 500 people half an hour to defeat the Illusory Beast together. Now everyone was sitting on the ground, gasping. If another monstrous creature like this came, no matter what, they could not handle it. If that were the case, they would rather fail the test than lose their lives.


    They rested for a while and continued their way. This time, the majority of them no longer looked down on Xiao Chen. They seemed to have totally forgotten the funny thing about Xiao Chen that happened in the Spiritual Meridian Test. After they walked for a while, a dense, endless fog suddenly enveloped them. Once again, they were all on the alert. However, when the fog dispersed, it seemed that they were in the midst of a different world.


    In the distance sky were many suspended pavilions, terraces, and open halls. Besides, there were countless floating islands. On those islands, waterfalls cascaded down, and the water smoke spread all over the place, forming many brilliant rainbows in the air. Among those colorful rainbows, many cranes moved back and forth. This place was simply like a fairyland!


    ¡°Congratulations to all of you for passing the test.¡±


    The fog dispersed, and a clear laugh followed. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Only then did they see quite many Senior Brothers standing not far away. Also, there was an elder with a majestic expression. It turned out that they had already arrived at the Mountainside Square, and the Snow Beast just now was the final test for them.


    Immediately, the more than 500 new disciples cheered, beaming with pleasure. One Senior Brother smiled and said, ¡°All right, all right. Everyone, please stand still.¡±


    Hearing this, all the new disciples instantly stood in neat rows according to the teams they formed in the test. Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Is that all? Why do I feel that the test could not be that simple? Is it possible that this place is also an illusory land?¡±


    When he was wondering, he glanced sideways and saw a figure flash across on a suspended island in the distance. The person was dressed in white, and her back looked very familiar to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen was startled, thinking, ¡°Is that her? No way. I¡¯m in the Wastelands. How can she be here?¡±

 Chapter 512 - The Mystic Stone

    ¡°Hey, Junior Brother, would you please stand in the queue?¡± a Senior Brother asked.


    Only at this time did Xiao Chen come to his senses. He clasped his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then he walked back to his team. The teenager behind him saw that Xiao Chen had stared at the floating island in the distance for a long time. He whispered his question, ¡°Brother Chen, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He thought that perhaps he had overthought. After all, she couldn¡¯t appear in the Cloud Mist Academy.


    ¡°All right. Everyone, please be quiet.¡± A Senior Brother counted the number of people and then said to an elder with a solemn look behind him, ¡°First Grandmaster, there are a total of 544 people. All of them have arrived here.¡±


    The old man nodded, but there was no smile on his face. He looked very stern. Then he flicked his sleeves, and suddenly little bits of golden light flew out, flying to everyone¡¯s chests. Immediately, a white badge was automatically put on everyone.


    ¡°From now on, all of you will be the disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy,¡± declared the First Grandmaster.


    The new students were excited when they heard that. They looked at the badges on their chests as if these badges were the most precious things in the world. However, when they looked up, the majestic older man was gone.


    The previous Senior Brother smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°The Eldest Senior Master has been busy. He is always like this, so please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Since these new disciples were very delighted now, they naturally did not pay attention to these details. However, in the distance, some senior disciples shook their heads and sighed in a low voice. ¡°This group of new disciples is not talented enough. Though their cultivation realms are not bad, their cultivation grade are too low. It seems that the First Grandmaster was a little disappointed and didn¡¯t even want to talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Unlucky guys, haha.¡± Some senior disciples even chuckled at their misfortunes.


    Xiao Chen looked around with special attention and discovered that all these senior disciples were wearing green badges. The lowest cultivation level of them was the initial stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Beyond that, the cultivation of these people gave him a very different feeling. It seemed that their cultivations were very pure, much purer than those of the people outside. The unsolid Nascent Soul Realm cultivators outside were no match for these senior disciples. The cultivations of the latter were even much purer than Xiao Chen¡¯s when he was at the Nascent Soul Realm. This fact slightly shook Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen thought to himself, ¡°This Cloud Mist Academy is indeed not an ordinary academy. Merely these dozens of ordinary disciples are already comparable to these elite disciples of some sects in the Violet Manor.¡± Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt a little stressed. Perhaps, this place was indeed where the strong gathered.


    ¡°All right, everyone, please be quiet.¡±


    A senior disciple, who welcomed these new arrivals, smiled and said. Although the First Grandmaster looked down on the group of new recruits, he needed to do his duty well. After that, he motioned to the two Junior Brothers next to him. The two Junior Brothers immediately took out something from the Divine Vessel and distributed them to each newcomer.


    These were green crystals that were half the size of a thumb with a faint halo outside, and it seemed that there were flows of Mystic Power inside. Each of them gotten, and they all looked at the crystals in their hands curiously. ¡°What are these crystals? They seem to be different from the Spiritual Stones.¡± They wondered.


    Xiao Chen also held the green crystals in his hand. Since his sensory ability was stronger than others, he immediately felt the pure Mystic Power in the crystals. These crystals were completely different from the Spirit Stones that contained the spirit energy. Usually, the higher the grade of the Spirit Stones, the purer and intenser the spirit energy would be.


    A cultivator could absorb the Spiritual Qi and the spirit energy into his body and convert them into the Mystic Power, which could then be stored as the True Energy in his body. When it was needed, the cultivator would release the Mystic Power. By doing so, he would be able to either exert the mighty power or activate the vital force between heaven and earth. It depended on the cultivator¡¯s cultivation realm and the purity level of his Mystic Power.


    However, what these green crystals contained now was precisely the pure Mystic Power, which could be used by cultivators directly. At this moment, Xiao Chen seemed to have understood why every disciple in the Cloud Mist Academy had very pure cultivation¡ªthe Mystic Power crystals definitely had contributed a lot.


    A Senior Brother who welcomed new arrivals smiled and said, ¡°This is a Stage-1 Mystic Stone. I¡¯m sure that all of you have seen the difference between the Mystic Stones and the Spirit Stones. In the Cloud Mist Academy, the Spirit Stone is not that important. Instead, the Mystic Stones is of crucial importance. You can change the Mystic Stones into many things that you want, or you can directly refine the stones to improve your cultivation grade. According to your performance, the corresponding number of Mystic Stones will be distributed to you each month¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xiao Chen suddenly interrupted him. The Senior Brother looked at him with a smile and asked, ¡°Junior Brother, is there anything that you¡¯d like to ask?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the cultivation grade that you just mentioned refer to the cultivation realm?¡±


    The Senior Brother smiled and said, ¡°I will give you the answer later, so please don¡¯t be anxious.¡± After saying this, he looked at the others and said, ¡°Then, please come with me. You need to pass through the Long-Gate Pass in front of you before you officially become the disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    Right after that, those new arrivers walked to the square after the few Senior Brothers. Of course, they stayed in their previous teams. The dozens of teenagers still followed behind Xiao Chen and Chu Qi.


    Along the way, Xiao Chen learned something about the Cloud Mist Academy. Those who wore green badges were the previous batch of disciples. The Cloud Mist Academy would recruit new disciples every three years. Thus, it meant that they had stayed at the Cloud Mist Academy for at least three years. As for the batch of disciples who arrived here before those green-badged disciples, they wore purple badges.


    Those purple-badged disciples could be considered as the seniors of those senior disciples, who were rarely seen by new disciples. They had their own cultivation caves. Besides, they were taught by their seniors or masters and would not have their lessons with the new disciples. Therefore, their treatment in the Cloud Mist Academy was completely different from that of newcomers.


    Sure enough, their strength was strong enough, which far exceeded Xiao Chen¡¯s strength. The strength here was not just limited to a person¡¯s cultivation level.


    After a quarter, they finally reached the so-called Long-Gate Pass. There were several towering stone pillars at the pass, and behind the stone pillars, there was an open square that could hold ten thousand people. Beyond these, many magnificent buildings, great places for cultivation, halls, and pavilions were built inside.


    When these new disciples saw the scene, great longings for their bright future immediately welled up in their hearts. But to their surprise, next to these stone pillars, three persons with green badges blocked their way. The two men and the woman all looked ice-cold. Like door-gods, they stood in the way that everyone had to pass. On the square behind the stone pillars, many green-badged senior disciples were standing there, watching the fun.


    Not knowing what had happened, these new disciples looked at each other with concern and turned to look at the four Senior Brothers who had shown them the way earlier. However, as the four Senior Brothers saw the three people by the stone pillars, they all silently retreated aside.


    Xiao Chen, Chu Qi, Jiang Qianqian, and Yumu Shisan walked at the forefront. Thus, Xiao Chen could feel the cultivation of these three people next to the stone pillars. They all had actually reached the initial stage of the Nirvana Realm. Moreover, their cultivation was very pure and did not appear to be superficial. Knowing this, Xiao Chen could not help exclaiming with surprise, ¡°This Cloud Mist Academy is indeed full of hidden talents, which is incomparable to organizations in the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister, why don¡¯t you let us go in there?¡± Xiao Chen, as a leader of the new disciples, felt obliged to ask for the reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m Bai Ling,¡± a woman who carried a long green sword on her back said flatly. She then turned to look at the four senior disciples who were responsible for the arrival of the new disciples. Frowned slightly, she asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you told them the rule?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The senior disciple, who had always been very friendly to the newcomers, wanted to say something, but in the end, he lowered his head without uttering another word. At this moment, those new disciples were even more surprised. ¡°Are there any other rules?¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned, thinking, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this Long-Gate Pass is the last barrier that the four senior disciples had mysteriously talked about yesterday.¡± He then asked, ¡°We are all newcomers of this year. If you have any rules, you can just tell us.¡±


    Bai Ling looked at him. She seemed to have realized that Xiao Chen was different from the rest of the new disciples. Frowning, she said, ¡°Each one of you should give me three Mystic Stones. You¡¯ll have to do that every month from now on.¡± The moment she finished speaking, the two senior Nirvana Realm disciples behind her also said indifferently, ¡°You must give us the equal number of Mystic Stones.¡±


    After hearing this, the newcomers looked at each other in dismay. ¡°We can only receive ten Mystic Stones per mouth. If each of them gets three stones, will there only be one left for each of us? Besides, do we really have to pay them every month in the following months?¡± The crowd knew that the four Senior Brothers who welcomed them could no longer protect them now, so they had no choice but to turn to look at Xiao Chen and the other few people.


    Xiao Chen frowned a little and asked, ¡°Why? Since we are all disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy, you should give us a reason for that first.¡± In fact, he wanted to say that they could not always be bullied only because they were newcomers. But in the end, he swallowed these words.


    ¡°Because this is the rule. When we just came here, we also had to hand over the Mystic Stones to our Senior Brothers and Sisters every month. Up until now, we still have to give them the Mystic Stones,¡± Bai Ling said in a flat voice as if she took the rule for granted and thought that there was nothing strange about it.


    ¡°Then, I have a question. Is it a rule set by the Cloud Mist Academy?¡± Xiao Chen gazed at her, asking with a tone that was neither humble nor pushy.


    However, as his voice fell, the atmosphere inside and outside the square suddenly became rather tense. Even the four Senior Brothers¡¯ faces darkened, for they feared something terrible would happen.


    Obviously, this was not the rule of the Cloud Mist Academy. Though everyone knew it in their hearts, they would not say it out like Xiao Chen. In fact, this unwritten rule formed a long time ago. They did not know when this rule was put into effect at first. The masters of the Cloud Mist Academy and even the three Perfected Immortals knew about it, but they would not interfere with the matters between the disciples.


    At the very beginning, it had been made clear that the Cloud Mist Academy was never a shelter, nor was it a greenhouse for cultivating people as delicate as flowers. In the Cloud Mist Academy, only the strong would be respected, and most of the time, it was very cruel here. People in the Cloud Mist Academy believed that the weak were destined to be stepped on. Nevertheless, just because of this atmosphere of competition, people in the academy tried their best to climb up, even being willing to risking their lives to make themselves stronger.


    Therefore, those who graduated from the Cloud Mist Academy were all experts that were fully capable of becoming great leaders. They were not those tender flowers that would wither under the wind and rain after leaving the greenhouse. In contrast, many disciples of the Cultivators¡¯ sects in the Violet Manor could not defeat those from the Devils¡¯ sects once they left their safety zone, just like those withered flowers that had left their greenhouses.


    It could be said that the Cloud Mist Academy was a scaled-down Wastelands. The strength-oriented Wastelands didn¡¯t make such a huge distinction between the good and evil like the Violet Manor, in which people always liked presenting facts and reasoning things out. In the Wastelands, whoever had the greater strength would be the master of the truth. Of course, the strength here didn¡¯t just refer to a person¡¯s cultivation.


    Xiao Chen looked at the three senior Nirvana Realm disciples and finally figured out what was going on. When he, the three princes, and the others just entered the Sunset Peak of the Three Pure Sect, they were also asked to hand over Spirit Stones to Ye Fei and the other senior disciples. The matter that was happening now was the same story.


    However, Xiao Chen would never make compromises at some certain things. Once he did that, he knew he would have to make concessions on many more things for the rest of his life. In the past, he didn¡¯t give in. Now, he wouldn¡¯t yield, either.


    Therefore, Xiao Chen fixed his eyes on the three senior disciples before him and said with a determined look, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But since it¡¯s not an expressly agreed rule of the Cloud Mist Academy, we won¡¯t hand over three Mystic Stones now and each of the following months.¡±

 Chapter 513 - A Different Realm

    The atmosphere seemed to freeze at this moment, and even the surrounding temperature dropped suddenly. Everyone could feel the coldness in the eyes of the Bai Ling and even the air seemed to be frozen. Everyone stopped talking, including the senior disciples from the last session, who were watching from a distance.


    ¡°On account that you have only recently arrived, I will give you a chance to take back what you just said.¡± Bai Ling¡¯s eyes were very cold. She stared at Xiao Chen¡¯s face and said this, one word at a time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have said it before. Since there is no clear rule at the Cloud Mist Academy, we will not hand over the Mystic Stone.¡± Xiao Chen held his head high and thrust his chest forward. He was calm and collected, and his words were as what he had stated before.


    The atmosphere once again froze. At this time, most of the freshmen moved closer to him. At present, their cultivation were not high enough, so they were not qualified to speak. The only person who was authorized to speak was Xiao Chen.


    Yumu Shisan and Jiang Qianqian, who were beside Xiao Chen, looked indifferent, as if their thoughts were elsewhere. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes were cold and her hand was already on her sword hilt. She was ready to fight at any time, although it was a bit¡­ absurd if she had to deal with the three who were at Nirvana Realm cultivation.


    In the past, there had been similar incidents, but most of them handed over the Mystic Stone readily enough, right after the newcomers had been beaten up.


    At this moment, the atmosphere was tense at the end of the Long-Gate Pass, until a slightly, cheery voice sounded, ¡°How come I was not aware that this year¡¯s freshmen are all so aggressive? Is it really because The Annihilation Times is coming, and do you think you are great, just because you think you are superior?¡±


    The speaker was a disciple at Nirvana Realm, who was standing behind Bai Ling. He smiled and looked at Xiao Chen placidly. ¡°Newcomer, you are speaking like this, because you are not familiar with this place. You will only realize how naive you are now, sometime in the future. Remember what I told you. It will happen for sure.¡±


    Xiao Chen ignored him. His gaze remained fixed on Bai Ling¡¯s ice-cold face. Bai Ling had not been that cold initially, but now that such a thing had happened, no one could maintain a cordial attitude. She said icily, ¡°I know some of you have reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Your cultivation is much higher than ours when we just arrived. But your so-called peak of the Nascent Soul Realm is nothing in the Cloud Mist Academy now!¡±


    At the end of her sentence, Bai Ling¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold and she looked at Jiang Qianqian. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s hand had been pressed on the hilt of her sword, but when she saw the look in Bai Ling¡¯s eyes, her whole body immediately trembled, as if she had been frightened right to the core of her soul. She immediately withdrew her hand from the hilt of her sword, and her face turned very pale and ugly.


    Bai Ling slowly turned around and continued to look at Xiao Chen. She stated clearly, word for word, ¡°Rules are rules. Since you want to try, then come and try. If you win, I will not ask you for the Mystic Stone again this month. Just like you said, why should you hand over the Mystic Stone? Then I will ask you, why are you so unwilling to hand it over? You have to display your abilities first!¡±


    The latter sentence made it impossible for everyone to refute. Indeed, everyone gave it to her readily. ¡°Why are you not giving it to her? You have to show that you are capable of not giving it to her!


    At this moment, all the senior disciples who were watching from a distance, looked at Xiao Chen. Some of them had smirks on their faces. ¡°This newcomer is a little interesting. Since he does not want to hand over the Mystic Stone and does not have the ability to defend it, is he going to tell the grandmasters about it? Tell them that we bullied him?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Newcomer, go tell the grandmasters that we bullied you.¡± Someone in the distance whistled at Xiao Chen and jeered at him.


    ¡°I accept the challenge!¡± Xiao Chen stared at Bai Ling. There were some things that he could not compromise on. Even if he knew that he had used up a lot of True Energy in fighting against the Snow Beast just now, and even though he knew that the realm of Bai Ling was only at the second level of Nirvana, her energy was very pure, much purer than his.


    A resounding voice reverberated through Long-Gate Pass. Many people were shocked. Was this newcomer really going to challenge Bai Ling? Even though he was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, he had no chance of winning. Bai Ling was considered the most outstanding in their batch this time, so they all addressed her as Senior Sister, respectfully.


    At this moment, Chu Qi¡¯s eyes were cold and her body moved. Xiao Chen immediately held her back. This Bai Ling in front of him had a very pure Nirvana Realm. She was not at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm that was superficial like Liu Qing¡¯s. It could be said that Chu Qi would not even last 10 moves against her.


    The atmosphere became more tense, which made it difficult for people to breathe. Among the dozens of teenagers behind them, a few of them walked up and whispered, ¡°Brother Chen, why don¡¯t we just give them the Mystic Stone? Don¡¯t fight with them¡­¡±


    Although they knew that Xiao Chen had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, or even higher than that, they had used up too much energy when they dealt with the Snow Beast earlier. Moreover, the enemy in front of them was a real cultivator in the Nirvana Realm.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. He raised his hand and turned around to look at them. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you all the way here, but there¡¯s still Long-Gate Pass that we have yet to get through. My mission is not finished yet!¡±


    ¡°Brother Chen¡­¡±


    Several teenagers raised their heads and looked at him. The dozens of teenagers behind him were clenching their fists tightly at this moment. Originally, they thought that the other party would merely treat them as a burden. However, they did not expect that¡­


    The teenagers gritted their teeth. No matter what would happen in the future, they must stand by Brother Chen¡¯s side. Many teenagers shouted in unison, ¡°You can do it, Brother Chen!¡±


    In the distance, many senior disciples were smiling. They looked at this group of newcomers with great interest and smiled and said, ¡°These freshmen are really interesting. But soon, they will soon realize how naive they are, just like us in the past, right?¡±


    A male disciple at the Nirvana Realm, standing under the stone pillar, walked up to them. He arched his eyebrows and looked at Xiao Chen, then smiled and said, ¡°Very good. You dare to challenge Senior Sister Bai Ling. But you have to know¡­¡±


    At this point, the man¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold, and a murderous aura flashed across them. He said coldly, ¡°You have to remember, my name is Ji Shangfei. I like to challenge those who think they are more powerful than others, especially people like you. You have to remember, in the Cloud Mist Academy, I have¡­¡±


    ¡°A thousand ways for me to die?¡± Xiao Chen shot him a cold glare. ¡°Someone said the same thing to me before, but now he¡¯s dead.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen abruptly turned his head and looked at Bai Ling. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    Ji Shangfei narrowed his eyes. At this moment, the murderous look in his eyes seemed to be more pronounced than before. Bai Ling¡¯s eyes narrowed. Before she could say anything, Xiao Chen said coldly, ¡°Use the sword in your hand to talk to me!¡±


    All the senior disciples off the field were surprised. ¡°This freshman is too arrogant, isn¡¯t he?¡± In the beginning, many people just wanted to watch the fun, but now they hoped Bai Ling could kill him with one strike as soon as possible, in order to dampen the morale of this group of newcomers, so no one would be like this person in the future.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Bai Ling said coldly. She shifted her feet, leaving behind a residual shadow in her original position. Her true form had instantly teleported to the middle of the square behind her. The rest of the bystanders also felt as though they had retreated a thousand feet back.


    Xiao Chen sprang off the ground, using his toes and flew over as well. The youngsters behind him wanted to follow him, but Ji Shangfei stretched out his hand out and stopped them, and with a faint smile, said, ¡°All you have to do now is to see how he is going to be defeated.¡±


    Several teenagers raised their heads and glared at him. Gnashing their teeth, they said, ¡°Brother Chen will not lose!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, do you know what annoys me most about you newbies? It is that you don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. You have a lot of things to learn. In the future, Senior Brother will teach you, bit by bit,¡± Ji Shangfei said with a faint smile.


    In the square, many people were looking forward to this battle. Some looked forward to Xiao Chen being defeated as soon as possible, while others looked forward to seeing what abilities such an arrogant newcomer had. After all, it was rare for a newcomer to challenge a senior brother or sister, who was at a higher level.


    In the middle of the square, the strong wind was cold, making Bai Ling¡¯s hair fly, and her eyes were blazing. She said, ¡°I was also a newcomer once, so I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you, but if I can¡¯t get the Mystic Stone, I can¡¯t hand it over either¡­¡± Speaking of this, she tilted her head, furrowed her eyebrows slightly, and her eyes seemed to become softer, but at the same time, seemed to be filled with a sense of helplessness.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say more. Please enlighten me.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were calm and his tone was cold. The reason why he challenged Bai Ling today was not because he was impulsive, but he had his own plans in mind.


    Bai Ling¡¯s eyes turned cold again. She gathered the sword skill with her left hand, pointed it to the ground, and put two fingers in front of her chest with her right hand. She shouted, ¡°Green Spirit! Out!¡±


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± With a sharp noise, the teal sword behind her turned into a blaze of green radiance and flew toward Xiao Chen. The sword Qi was so fierce that even the onlookers situated at 300 meters away, felt suffocated.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes remained calm as he bellowed, ¡°Unsullied! Go!¡±


    The Unsullied Sword had long been connected to his heart. With a whoosh, it transformed into a ray of white light and flew out. ¡°Clang!¡± The two swords collided with each other in mid-air, immediately causing a wave of air to spread out in all directions, which shook the grass and trees. Everyone was shocked that the rookie was able to defend against the sword skill of the Senior Sister Bai Ling. No wonder, he was that arrogant.


    However, Ji Shangfei did not expect this to happen. He knew very well how pure Bai Ling¡¯s cultivation was. This guy could easily resist her sword, which meant that his cultivation was also very pure. Was it at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm of Cave Ruins Level?


    Cave Ruins Level¡­ This absurd idea flashed across Ji Shangfei¡¯s mind, and then he shook his head. ¡°It is absolutely impossible, absolutely impossible. Even in the Cloud Mist Academy, there was no person with the cultivation of the Cave Ruins Level.¡±


    Bai Ling had not expected Xiao Chen to take her sword strike so easily. It was truly beyond her expectation. She smiled faintly. ¡°Interesting. No wonder he¡¯s the leader of the newcomers. Let¡¯s see if you are able to take another strike from me!¡±


    Xiao Chen slowed his breathing. From the outside, it seemed that he had easily absorbed the sword strike of Bai Ling. Only he knew how dangerous it was. If he had not used one of the Four Wonderful Techniques of the Mystic Cyan, An Rushan, he would have been knocked out.


    Even so, his True Qi was in chaos now, due to the shock. He had never imagined that a Level 2 Nirvana Realm cultivator could unleash such pure power, which was comparable to that of his Level 4 Nirvana Realm cultivator. She was completely different from the enemies he had fought before, especially the Nirvana Cultivators of the Immortals¡¯ League. Bai Ling¡¯s cultivation was indeed not higher than theirs, but her strength was much stronger. ¡°What was going on?¡±


    ¡°That Great Devil, Heaven¡¯s Bane, said that I¡¯ve achieved a certain true Nirvana Realm, but why does it look worse than the one in front of me?¡±


    While he was thinking, the next sword strike from Bai Ling was coming at him again. She jumped up like the Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens and shouted, ¡°Arrival of the Phoneix!¡±


    With the whistle from the Cyan Spirit Sword, it instantly turned into a thousand-foot-long teal blaze of light and rushed toward Xiao Chen. The power this time was far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. It seemed to tear the space apart. Even those who were watching the battle from a distance of a thousand feet away, felt a sharp pain on their faces at this moment.

 Chapter 514 - The Shameless and Despicable Chen

    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes widened at the sword that reached his face in an instant. He held his breath. Not only was he exhausted from battling the snow creature earlier, but he was also hiding some of his cultivation. Taking on this attack wasn¡¯t a walk in the park. He unleashed his Immortal-override Steps at once, leaving only his shadow behind as he reappeared a hundred feet away.


    Even so, the wind carrying the sword managed to graze his cheek, making him feel suffocated. A loud explosion rang beside his ears as a floating island was cut into smithereens. The pavilions and kiosks on the island were all reduced to dust.


    Xiao Chen was shocked. What unadulterated power would it take to destroy a floating island fitted with a defensive barrier from such a distance?


    Just pure strength wouldn¡¯t cut it. No matter how strong one was, if his strength wasn¡¯t pure, his power would surely scatter after traveling such a distance. He would, at most, push away the floating island. To destroy it, his power would have to be so concentrated that it wouldn¡¯t disperse, and this would have required absolutely pure cultivation.


    The same logic applied when you try to snuff out a candle from a distance. No matter how strong one was, if his breath wasn¡¯t concentrated, he could at most make the flame flutter. If he could condense his breath, then just a gentle blow would have been enough to extinguish the candle. Everything boiled down to whether one could condense his breath. Strength alone was insufficient.


    Realization suddenly dawned on Xiao Chen. He finally understood that while Bai Ling¡¯s cultivation was beneath his, his power was a little richer than his.


    Then, in a split second, the crushed island swiftly pulled together and once again became complete. It looked no different than before. Of course, the island had indeed fallen once, but the Cloud Mist Academy was fixed with a powerful Spirit Energy Restoration Formation capable of restoring anything that its disciples damage. Without it, the buildings inside the academy would have long been ruined by its war-mongering students.


    ¡°Immortals in the Sky!¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could snap out of it, Bai Ling was once again screeching. This time, Cyan Spirit Sword had produced two additional illusions of itself and was attacking Xiao Chen from three directions. It felt as if three fairies had appeared in the sky, with their sleeves fluttering in the wind.


    Of course, what appeared to be three beautiful fairies were nothing more than three terrifying Sword Qi to Xiao Chen. He rolled to the side in a panic, dodging the first attack. Following a loud explosion, a massive pit appeared on the ground, only to swiftly return to normal.


    ¡°KABOOM!¡± Another deafening explosion resounded. Once again, Xiao Chen was desperately avoiding the Sword Qi. He had no way of fighting back in his current state.


    Over at the Long-Gate Pass, a dozen or so youngsters were clenching their hands. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyebrows were weaved into a frown. Xiao Chen was able to pinch her sword with a single hand, but he was now being badly trashed by an ordinary disciple of the Cloud Mist Academy. This academy was indeed hiding many gifted students. Still, she felt more excited than ever.


    The older disciples who were watching from a distance inside the square started laughing when they saw Xiao Chen running with his tail behind his legs, without an ounce of his previous arrogance. One of them boasted, ¡°If Senior Sister Bai Ling gets serious, even ten of us won¡¯t be her match. This kid is going to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Maybe Senior Sister Bai Ling will let him off just because he¡¯s handsome?¡± said another female disciple, laughing.


    Another massive pit had appeared in the middle of the square, with stones scattered everywhere, but everything soon regathered. Xiao Chen pushed his Immortal-override Steps to its pinnacle so he could avoid the onslaught of Sword Qi. Sometimes, he would be rolling on the ground. Other times, he would be retreating in haste. The youngsters watching in the square watched him with bated breath.


    Xiao Chen was still dodging attacks, making him look like a sorry figure. His opponent¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t as high as his, but her power was purer. In Bai Ying¡¯s words, compared to Bai Ling¡¯s pure strength, his power seemed empty. Overcoming Bai Ling with strength alone seemed impossible, not even if he stopped hiding his strength.


    This made him yell, ¡°Jade for a Thousand Miles!¡±


    Most people would cry out the name of their attacks, not because the attacks relied on the yelling alone or because they wanted to scare their opponents. Rather, attacking required the rapid circulation of True Energy. The moment a person cried out the name of his attack, his Qi would sink in his Elixir Field and facilitate the demonstration of the attack. That would allow him to become truly one with his weapon.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡± Following several bursts of wind movements, four cyan-colored sword lights of nearly 300 meters long attacked Bai Ling from all around. Everyone was taken aback. His swordsmanship was pretty good; was he making a comeback?


    Bai Ling, being the target of the sword lights, could feel better than anyone just how terrifying the attacks were. She couldn¡¯t figure out why a peak of the Nascent Soul cultivator could unleash a Sword Qi that rivaled her Immortals in the Sky move, but knew that she couldn¡¯t fight him head-on. Instantly, her body became weightless as she deftly evaded the Sword Qi attack. She was lithe in the air, unlike Xiao Chen¡¯s pathetic rolling on the ground.


    ¡°Phoenix¡¯s Cry Amid Bamboos!¡± Before Bai Ling could fall to the ground, Xiao Chen was once again attacking. Since he couldn¡¯t win against her with strength, let them battle close-combat swordsmanship.


    The onlookers gasped when they saw him taking the initiative to get close to Bai Ling. Wasn¡¯t he underestimating his opponent a little too much? To think he would dare engage in close combat with Bai Ling. Didn¡¯t he know that Bai Ling trained her swordsmanship under Perfected Immortal Qingxu for seven days? Was he unaware that she was known to be the best swords master around? However, it seemed that he was indeed in the dark about all these.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A quick, sharp noise cut through the air as Bai Ling blocked Xiao Chen¡¯s sword. Even though his sword was like a maze of illusions that made it hard for people to distinguish reality from fantasy, she was still able to pinpoint the sword¡¯s body at once. She twisted her wrist and twelve copies of her sword materialized in the air, their shadows layering upon each other. This time, it was Xiao Chen who was surrounded.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s insides turned cold. She was the first person who could so easily shatter his Green Flute Swordplay. Her exquisite grasp of swordsmanship was truly beyond his expectations. Her swordsmanship was not at all beneath his.


    In a flash, Bai Ling¡¯s swords were flying toward him, leaving him no time to think. He used the move Undiscovered Talent, turning offense into defense. As if he was searching for a pearl in the vast sea, he aimed the sharp end of his sword at Bai Ling¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Clang!¡± Another loud clang resounded. Bai Ling deftly and swiftly pushed the tip of Xiao Chen¡¯s sword away. She followed up with the move Dream of a Thousand Years, launching a horizontal cut across Xiao Chen¡¯s neck.


    The shadow of the sword was so swift that it left Xiao Chen barely any room to dodge, forcing him to use the Clouds Obscure the Moon style of the Immortal-override Steps. His body blurred out of view before reappearing beside Bai Ling. He thrust his sword at her, prompting a loud clang. Bai Ling had once again blocked his sword.


    Both were so swift and deft at swordsmanship that they were able to exchange more than 20 blows in a matter of seconds. The audience was completely dazzled. Some were nodding. Xiao Chen was surely no ordinary person if he could exchange 20 or so sword attacks with Bai Ling without losing. As a newcomer, he had the right to be arrogant about his skills.


    Many had stopped mocking Xiao Chen. It was impressive for a newcomer to stand his ground against an outstanding disciple from the previous batch. It wasn¡¯t something that they could accomplish. Even now, they couldn¡¯t exchange so many blows with Bai Ling. It didn¡¯t matter if Xiao Chen lost today. They had no right whatsoever to laugh at him, because if they were in his shoes, they would have lost a long time ago.


    Xiao Chen and Bai Ling continued to cross swords in the square until a deafening clang shattered the air, bouncing them off by nearly 25 meters and once again putting distance between them. The collision seemed to have sent each other flying.


    Bai Ling adjusted her breathing. Xiao Chen was beyond her expectations. If she thought that this guy was simply showing off earlier, she wasn¡¯t thinking that now. ¡°You¡¯re strong, much stronger than the newcomer in my batch at that time,¡± she said. ¡°But unfortunately, this is the end.¡±


    She moved her fingers at rapid-fire pace as she chanted a spell. At the end of it, she yelled, ¡°Song of the Cyan Spirit Sword!¡±


    After her voice dissipated, birdsong swirled up into the air. The Cyan Spirit Sword instantly turned into a cyan light and charged at Xiao Chen. This time, the sword had produced a semi-illusory, cyan-colored divine bird.


    The gaze of the divine bird turned sharp. It unfurled its wings that spanned nearly three meters, prompting startled cries from the onlookers. ¡°Sword Spirit! She¡¯s summoned her Sword Spirit!¡±


    No one could have foreseen a Nascent Soul Realm newcomer forcing Bai Ling into summoning her Sword Spirit. Was he really just a cultivator at the peak of Nascent Soul Realm?


    The Sword Spirit arrived in Xiao Chen¡¯s face in the blink of an eye, startling him. This bird was weaker than Mo Jinyan¡¯s Northern Dark Cyan Bird, but was no easy opponent either. He instantly summoned his True Energy and used the Unsullied Sword to defend himself.


    ¡°Clang!¡± The charging of the Sword Spirit sent Xiao Chen backward by tens of feet. His feet dragged on the floor, leaving a long trail on the tiles, but all signs of damage were swiftly reinstated.


    Once again, the audience was alarmed by the fact that he remained standing even in the face of a Sword Spirit. They couldn¡¯t understand him at all.


    After multiple violent attacks, Xiao Chen¡¯s insides were on the verge of rupturing. He was almost done, and he thought, all that was left was the final step: to lure her closer to him. He gnashed his teeth and summoned his True Energy. Clenching his sword blade, he mustered up a considerable force to push the Sword Spirit nearly three meters away.


    The onlookers were shocked speechless. Bai Ling¡¯s pretty face was also marked by surprise. She leaped on the tip of her foot and rushed at him with her palm. This time, she used only 70 percent of her strength. Xiao Chen, who wasn¡¯t using all of his strength either, was sent staggering backward by her power and the Sword Spirit. A metallic sensation rose in his throat as he nearly spat blood.


    The audience was finally at ease. Even though his cultivation was pure, he was still just a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. He was still far weaker than Bai Ling, who was in the second-level Nirvana Realm.


    Bai Ling didn¡¯t intend to truly hurt him, so she frowned when she saw his pale face. ¡°Give up. You¡¯re still in the Nascent Soul Realm. No one will say anything even if you lose. I can forget about your three Mystic Stones, but not them.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Xiao Chen smiled craftily. ¡°Who said I¡¯m only in the Nascent Soul Realm?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Bai Ling¡¯s frown deepened. Right now, she finally understood what was going on. Her expression changed, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Cyan Dragon Roars!¡±


    This time, he no longer had to hold back. His strongest power erupted from within, producing two golden illusory dragons, and sent Bai Ling and her Sword Spirit flying. The moment Bai Ling hit the ground, Xiao Chen was already in front of her with his sword pressed against her fair neck.


    Bai Ling¡¯s face was a shocking shade of white. Right now, every person and every gust of wind was silent. The old and new disciples of the academy were all so astonished that words failed them.

 Chapter 515 - Mystic Sky Rankings

    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s my loss.¡±


    Bai Ling still looked pale. After uttering those words, she lowered her head in silence as if she was sinking into a deep pool of water. The old and new students at the academy looked at each other, shocked at her loss. It turned out that the newcomer had been hiding his strength all along. His cultivation was on par with Nirvana Realm.


    Under the Long-Gate Pass, Ji Shangfei and another Nirvana Realm disciple were similarly astounded. If even Bai Ling lost to the newcomer, that meant they were all the more so no match for him. And he was still laughing at him earlier¡­


    ¡°Thank you for letting me win, Senior Sister.¡±


    Xiao Chen put away his Unsullied Sword. He had planned this all along. Even though Bai Ling¡¯s cultivation was in the second level of the Nirvana Realm, her power was purer than his. To make things worse, he hadn¡¯t recovered from his injuries from battling the snow beast. Had he displayed the entirety of his strength right off the bat, victory would have been impossible.


    So, he put on a show from the start. He had behaved pathetically, rolling and crawling on the ground, so his opponent would underestimate him. Then, he demonstrated a portion of his power to exhaust Bai Ling¡¯s True Energy and force her to whip out her ultimate skill.


    Finally, he faked injuries so that Bai Ling would take him lightly, thus allowing him to hit her while she was unguarded. Truth to be told, using such a tactic against a lady was pretty despicable. If Jiang Qianqian was in her shoes, she would have just stabbed him with her sword at the very end, giving him no chance whatsoever. Bai Ling was careless this time.


    However, the battle taught Xiao Chen one thing. Considering how strenuous it was for him to win against a mere second-level Nirvana Realm cultivator, his cultivation was truly not substantial enough. This was a fatal flaw that he must swiftly amend or he would surely lose to the purple badge-bearing older disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy.


    Bai Ling raised her head to glance at him. She had been worried about hurting him, so she preserved 30 percent of her power. It turned out that he had been scheming against her since the very start. The thought made her smile weakly. She turned around and walked to the other side of the square with the Cyan Spirit Sword in hand. Her figure seemed lonely, almost desolate.


    Xiao Chen frowned. He might have won, but victory brought him no joy. In fact, he found himself to be pretty despicable. The look she gave him made him uncomfortable, no matter how fleeting the feeling was.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite lively here,¡± said a distant voice, carrying with a hint of mirth. What appeared next was a figure flying in their direction.


    Bai Ling trembled. She immediately lowered her head and cupped her hands in greeting. Her voice was shaking as well. ¡°Se-Senior Brother Baili.¡±


    The one who showed up was Baili Xiaohualuo. The smile on his face was as bright as the sun. His gaze lingered on Xiao Chen¡¯s face as he said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re here, Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. The purple badge fastened to the man¡¯s chest indicated that he was a student a rank higher than Bai Ling and the rest. His aura also appeared much stronger. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t read this person¡¯s cultivation.


    He returned the smile. ¡°Senior Brother¡­ Baili.¡±


    Right now, everyone on the square had their heads lowered, including the two Nirvana Realm disciples standing under the obelisk of the Long-Gate Pass. Baili Xiaohualuo smiled wanly as he looked around. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, my juniors.¡±


    His smile never left his face as he talked. The tense mood finally ceased, even if just a little, following his words.


    Then, he walked toward the Long-Gate Pass. The two Nirvana Realm disciples standing under the obelisk lowered their heads and stepped aside at once. Baili Xiaohualuo stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Welcome to the Cloud Mist Academy. I¡¯m your Senior Brother, Baili Xiaohualuo.¡±


    Several hundreds of the newcomers looked up at this senior brother. Even though his cultivation was far above theirs, the gentle smile on his face made him look like a dependable big brother. They relaxed. On the contrary, the four disciples responsible for welcoming the newcomers didn¡¯t even dare to lift their heads.


    In the end, Baili Xiaohualuo turned his attention to Jiang Qianqian. ¡°Junior Sister Jiang¡­¡± Jiang Qianqian frowned and turned her head away.


    Next, the newcomers were to visit a place called the Mystic Sky Pavilion and have their cultivation grade tested. That would decide who their master would be.


    Meanwhile, three white-bearded old men were hovering above a certain misty peak more than ten miles away from the square, their robes fluttering in the wind.


    The three of them were watching the situation in the square. Even at such a distance, even through the clouds and mist, they did not need to rely on Transmitting Formation to witness the battle in the square. Even the three Perfected Immortals, whose cultivation had reached the Grand Completion Realm, had no such supernatural power.


    The men were giving off a faint Immortal Qi¡ªand actual Immortal Qi, at that, not the aura that cultivators gave off.


    They stared in the direction of the square. The one in the middle said, ¡°That child is not ordinary. Can you tell?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very similar to that person¡­¡±


    Momentary silence later, the old man on the left finally responded. When he spoke, his eyes were filled with indescribable emotion. The other two sighed at the mention of ¡°that person¡± and said nothing more. Their eyes, too, were filled with unknown feelings.


    A long while later, the old man in the middle diverged from a topic that neither of them was willing to talk about. ¡°It¡¯s now the end of the first stage of the Annihilation Times. Do you still remember that legend?¡±


    This time, the two men with him looked grim. They turned to look south in unison. That direction led to the Violet Manor.


    ¡°For resources, for survival, there would surely be a great war between the Wastelands and the Violet Manor when the third stage of the Annihilation Times arrives,¡± the old man in the middle said slowly.


    ¡°Even though the Cloud Mist Academy has nurtured so many talents, the experts of the Violet Manor would also show up one after another when the war begins. This time, I fear that the Wastelands will be no match for the Violet Manor.¡±


    The three old men sighed. The one on the right said, ¡°The Northern Realm of Violet Manor has the Kunlun Sword Sect as their guardians. The Southern Realm has Mount Shu Sword Sect. These two forces are beyond our perception.¡±


    ¡°The battle between the Wastelands and the Violet Manor is inevitable. But this time¡­ Do you still remember the Devil clansmen who were forced to return to the Hopeless Realm thousands of years ago?¡±


    ¡°The Devil Clan has coveted the Human Realm for thousands of years. In recent times, the seal on the crack between the Six Domains has been getting weaker. Unnatural phenomena have been appearing in the Valley of God and Devil time and again. If the two realms wage war against each other, that would mean a genuine Annihilation Times. After being at peace for 7,000 years, the Six Domains are finally going to go through turmoil. Will this era also come to an end¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the seal on the fissures between the Six Domains is weakening? What say you, Senior Brother?¡±


    ¡°The half ancient scroll stated that during the previous Annihilation Times, that person sacrificed all the magic power he accumulated in his lifetime to lay down the greatest formation of Archean Eon and seal the cracks that had appeared between the Six Domains. Those cracks were the fissures of the Six Domains. 7,000 years have passed, but the fissures remain and are in fact getting worse. I fear it¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Xiao Chen and the rest were halfway up the mountain after nearly 30 minutes of climbing but still, there was no sign of the Mystic Sky Pavilion that Baili Xiaohualuo spoke of. Xiao Chen looked at the greenery and delightful scenery around him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the Sect Leader?¡±


    His question caught Baili Xiaohualuo off guard but he was soon smiling. ¡°You must still be confused, Junior Brother Xiao. The Cloud Mist Academy isn¡¯t a sect, so there¡¯s no such thing as a Sect Leader. When you leave the academy in the future, you¡¯re free to join any sect or even build your force. The academy wouldn¡¯t interfere with your choice.¡±


    This was true. Many students had built a name for themselves after leaving the Cloud Mist Academy, but they would never make an enemy of the academy. Even if their politics were no longer aligned with the academy, they were still emotionally attached to the place. Of course, as the saying went, there were always exceptions.


    A youngster beside them was full of excitement. ¡°If there¡¯s no Sect Leader, who oversees the Cloud Mist Academy then?¡±


    Baili Xiaohualuo laughed. ¡°There are four grandmasters overseeing the daily affairs of the academy. Sometimes, the three Perfected Immortals would show themselves and handle matters personally. Above them are Sword Saint, Chess Saint, and Zither Saint. However, the three Saints rarely make an appearance. I have yet to meet them even after staying here for so long.¡±


    ¡°Oh. The three Saints must all be very powerful¡­¡± The youngster nodded, and then asked curiously, ¡°Then do the three Saints accept disciples?¡±


    The moment the youngster voiced his questions, several older disciples nearby stopped in their tracks. That included Bai Ling. Their expressions were a little odd. Baili Xiaohualuo was briefly taken aback before laughing. ¡°The Mystic Sky Pavilion is right ahead. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group continued walking for a while before they finally reached another square surrounded by lush greenery and blooming flowers all around. In the middle of the square was a massive formation emitting a golden glow.


    ¡°That¡¯s the teleportation formation that will take us to the Mystic Sky Pavilion. There are many such formations in the Cloud Mist Academy,¡± Baili Xiaohualuo explained, smiling. He pointed to a distant island floating in the sky. ¡°That¡¯s the Mystic Sky Pavilion. Come, let¡¯s use the Teleportation Formation to get there.¡±


    Everyone followed Baili Xiaohualuo into the formation and reappeared on the floating island in the blink of an eye. When they looked down, they could see the square they previously were in. It was quite a magical experience.


    There was a large stone chamber on the island, with a green-colored restoration formation on its right. The most eye-catching things, however, were the objects on the left¡ªthree differently tall steles that gave off an inexplicable sense of dignity.


    Noticing everyone¡¯s attention on the steles, Baili Xiaohualuo smiled and explained, ¡°That¡¯s the Mystic Sky Rankings of the Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    ¡°Mystic Sky Rankings¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze lingered on the three steles. The one on the far left was the tallest and widest, with more complicated carving too. The entire stele, with its purple glow that soared into the sky, looked imposing. The middle one was a little shorter, with simpler carvings, and emitted a cyan glow. The one on the right was the shortest of them all. It looked like an ordinary stele that gave off a white light.


    ¡°These are the Heaven Ranking, Earth Ranking, and Human Ranking.¡±


    Following Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s explanation, the group slowly approached the steles and stared at the glowing characters on them. Those characters were the names of the students of the Cloud Mist Academy. There were 36 names on the Heaven Ranking, 70 on the Earth Ranking, and 200 on the Human Ranking. Anyone who could enter the rankings could be considered extraordinary.


    With a glance, Xiao Chen found Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s name on the Heaven Ranking¡ªplaced merely 36th. That meant that his cultivation put him at the very rear of the Heaven Ranking.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised. Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s cultivation was clearly above his own. Was he also just about qualified for the bottom place of the Heaven Ranking? He was ranked 8th on the Heaven List of the Violet Manor; where would he place here?


    The List of Experts in Heaven and Earth of the Violet Manor was decided through battles, but the Mystic Sky Rankings were different. How would they decide the rankings here?

 Chapter 516 - Strange Illusory Beast

    ¡°How are the Mystic Sky Rankings determined?¡± Xiao Chen asked, looking at Baili Xiaohualuo.


    Baili Xiaohualuo chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not battle-based, but Mystic Power-based. You can test your power by entering that stone chamber,¡± he replied, pointing at the stone chamber nearby.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. So, the rankings were determined by Mystic Power. The rankings were quite authoritative for the disparity between the Mystic Power of a Nascent Soul Realm and a Nirvana Realm cultivator was pretty significant.


    ¡°There are two main factors that determine one¡¯s Mystic Power,¡± Baili Xiaohualuo continued to explain. ¡°The first is your cultivation realm, the second your cultivation grade. Elder Wu will explain cultivation grades to you in a while. Let¡¯s talk about the Mystic Sky Rankings first.¡±


    ¡°To enter the Mystic Sky Rankings, you have to take the Mystic Power test. The results will be automatically reflected in the three steles. Those who didn¡¯t make the rankings wouldn¡¯t appear here, and vice versa.¡±


    ¡°For example, if your Mystic Power places you on the 11th of the Heaven Ranking, you will find your name there. The previous 11th will fall by one rank while the 36th will fall out of the Heaven Ranking. However, he won¡¯t fall to the Earth Ranking. He¡¯ll have to retest and enter the ranking himself.¡±


    Baili Xiaohualuo patiently explained the dynamics of the Mystic Sky Rankings, before finally reminding them, ¡°There¡¯s another thing. Some of the people on the rankings have already left the academy, but their names have always remained there because no one has ever managed to kick them off.¡±


    Everyone finally understood what was going on. Xiao Chen once again looked at the Earth Ranking, where he found Bai Ling¡¯s name in the 61st place. He couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised. Bai Ling¡¯s Mystic Power was surely higher than his, but even she could only barely make the bottom of the Earth Ranking? Were the people of this academy all monsters?


    The thought made him look at the Heaven Ranking again. Those who could make this ranking were surely all terrifyingly powerful people. After looking for a while, he noticed something strange. Each name on the ranking was hovering as if it could be kicked off anytime, with the exception being the first place. The name in the first place stood there as steady as a mountain.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s confused question prompted everyone to look up as well. They stared blankly at the name in the first place: Ye Cangming.


    Frowning, Baili Xiaohualuo rubbed his chin. ¡°I have never seen him. It¡¯s pretty strange. I have been studying at the academy for almost ten years and his name has been there for just as long. No one has ever kicked him off his place.¡± Toward the end, he looked at the other older disciples.


    The older disciples shrugged. If a ten-year-long student like Baili Xiaohualuo didn¡¯t know the person, why would they? Either way, the first name had never been eliminated by anyone.


    Suddenly, a strange voice emerged from the dark stone chamber. ¡°Ye Cangming entered the rankings a hundred years ago and has long left the academy. But in the past century, no one has ever managed to kick him down¡­¡±


    The spectral voice caused everyone to jump. Xiao Chen was startled too, and felt a slight chill running down his back. A name that no one could kick down after a hundred years! A hundred years ago, the Annihilation Times wasn¡¯t even here yet!


    Xiao Chen was overwhelmed with shock. Ye Cangming¡­ The name reminded him of something, but the shock was so great that he couldn¡¯t quite recall the details. His mind felt as gloopy as glue.


    ¡°Hehe, young people. Stop looking at the Heaven Ranking and focus on the Human Ranking instead. That¡¯s where you should target!¡±


    The ghost-like voice once again drifted out of the dark stone chamber. This time, the voice was accompanied by an old man dressed in a white-and-blue unlined robe. The thin old man had a head of grizzled hair. His face was so wrinkled that it resembled crumpled tree bark, striking fear in those who looked at him.


    ¡°Um¡­ Grandpa, can you stop talking in such a terrifying way?¡± asked a polite-looking young girl, her voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s quite¡­ scary¡­¡±


    The old man chortled, making the lines on his face even deeper. That just made him look even scarier, frightening the young girl so much that she trembled. She bit her lower lip and hid next to Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen patted her shoulder, assuring her that she would be fine, before saluting the old man. ¡°Senior, can you tell us who Ye Cangming is?¡±


    The old man shook his hand and took out a banana from behind him. Peeling the banana, he said serenely, ¡°Young man, some things are better left unknown. Knowing too much might not necessarily bring you any benefit¡­¡±


    His voice still sounded quite spectral. Baili Xiaohualuo saluted the old man and smiled. ¡°Elder Wu, I have brought the disciples here. Please excuse me.¡±


    The old man waved his hand. ¡°Thank you for giving them a lesson in my place. You may leave¡­¡±


    Baili Xiaohualuo nodded and then turned to look at Jiang Qianqian. ¡°Jiang¡­¡± Before he could say the words ¡°junior sister¡±, Jiang Qianqian was already frowning and turning her head away.


    He smiled. Without saying anything, he turned around and walked toward the teleportation formation. His smile disappeared when he walked past Bai Ling. He glanced at her, ever so briefly, but it was enough to make her shiver and lower her head.


    Then, Elder Wu started talking with his mouth full of banana. ¡°Alright, kids. Go and get your Mystic Power tested in the stone chamber. Remember: you must attack the Illusory Beasts with everything you have. This concerns your future. And relax, the beasts won¡¯t attack you. They¡¯ll just bear the brunt of your attacks. Though, I must advise you to go to the Spirit Energy Formation on the right to restore your condition before the test.¡±


    Everyone kept quiet and went straight to the spirit energy formation to reinstate their True Energy. A girl walked up to the stone chamber and peered inside. The chamber didn¡¯t look that big from the outside, but the inside seemed like a bottomless pit. It was so dark that she couldn¡¯t see anything. Moreover, there were Illusory Beasts inside. She was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to step inside.


    A boy behind her laughed cheerfully. ¡°Go in, Junior Sister. Don¡¯t be scared,¡± he said, and gave her a little push in the back. The girl couldn¡¯t react in time. With a little yelp, she was pushed inside the stone chamber and disappeared in the darkness within, along with her voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± the old man said serenely. ¡°You should all enter. You will find yourself in your room when you get in. You won¡¯t affect each other.¡±


    Only then did the several hundred newcomers enter the stone chamber in succession. Xiao Chen joined them. This was good too, he thought. He could test his capabilities and find out where he stood amongst the other disciples in the Cloud Mist Academy.


    The moment he entered the stone chamber, he felt as if he was transported to another dimension. His surroundings gradually lit up until he saw a large Illusory Beast tens of feet away from him, snoring thunderously as it slept. It drooled from the corner of its mouth, pooling water on the ground.


    What Xiao Chen must do now was waking up this beast. If he couldn¡¯t even beat this beast enough to awaken it, he might as well give up the test. And if he could kill this beast with a single strike, that would mean that he needed to fight against a stronger beast.


    He clenched his fingers and then stepped into the area past the red line on the ground. He took a deep breath, summoned the Qi in his Elixir Field, and struck the Illusory Beast with his palm. His palm energy instantly formed the illusion of a golden palm in the air and produced a loud explosion. The entire stone chamber seemed to shudder from the impact. However, the beast had merely moved a little. It was still snoring loudly. It didn¡¯t even open its eyes.


    Xiao Chen stood there, stunned. Was, was he this bad?


    Of course, the stone chamber would automatically determine one¡¯s cultivation. Xiao Chen¡¯s Nirvana Realm cultivation meant that he was assigned to an Illusory Beast much stronger than what Nascent Soul Realm and Core Forming Realm cultivators got. However, the test was ultimately fair and equal.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    He took a deep breath, gathered his Qi, and cycled it throughout his body nine times. This time, he thrust both palms, producing two golden illusory dragons. A deafening explosion ensued, but all it did was make the beast look around in confusion, saliva still dripping from the corner of its mouth, and lie down to sleep again. It didn¡¯t notice Xiao Chen at all.


    ¡°Is, is that thing¡­ looking down on me?¡±


    Xiao Chen summoned his Qi to start again. He couldn¡¯t use his Immolation Spell of the Three Elements here. It must be one of the mysteries of the stone chamber to prevent any form of cheating.


    ¡°KABOOM!¡±


    Another loud explosion shook the space, waking up the Illusory Beast again. This time, it finally noticed Xiao Chen. The series of movements it did next, however, was beyond Xiao Chen¡¯s expectations. He watched as the beast clasped its belly with one hand, hammered the ground with the other, and finally laughed as it pointed at him. The beast was mocking him!


    ¡°Is, is this beast¡­ an intelligent beast? Is it mad?¡±


    Xiao Chen stared blankly at the beast that couldn¡¯t stop laughing. It reminded him of how the Leopard Cat Spirit had jeered at him back in the Miasma Mountain Range. To think this beast possessed the intelligence of a human!


    ¡°Again! I swear I¡¯m going to succeed!¡±


    Xiao Chen once again summoned his True Energy and went all-out this time. The entire stone chamber seemed to be shaking from the surge of the violent burst of Mystic Power. He thrust his palms, producing two golden illusory dragons strong enough to instantly kill a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.


    ¡°KABOOM!¡±


    Another loud explosion sent the entire stone chamber quaking. However, the beast never even took a step back in retreat. It placed a hand next to its mouth, the other under its eye, and poked its tongue out at Xiao Chen. ¡°Bleeek¡­¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t believe it. Did, did this Illusory Beast truly gain intelligence? Most importantly, it was much stronger than the Illusory Beasts he had encountered so far.


    After a succession of seven or eight attacks, he finally gave up. He couldn¡¯t move the beast at all. Still, the results of his Mystic Power test were transmitted out of the stone chamber all the same.


    Suddenly, he saw the beast shrinking into a smaller version of itself and ran up to him to pat his head. The beast shook its head while making faces at him, as if it was saying, ¡°Don¡¯t let this dampen your spirits. Try again next time.¡±


    This beast, so full of spiritual nature and wisdom, knocked him speechless. Still, upon closer inspection, the beast was fair and fat. It was quite adorable. He laughed and said, ¡°Forget it. Hey, brother, I have to leave now. I won¡¯t be playing with you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Boohoohoo¡­¡± The Illusory Beast¡¯s wide eyes blinked. It looked quite reluctant to part with him.


    Xiao Chen turned around and left the red-lined area. Instantly, he found himself back inside the true stone chamber. The old man he saw earlier, Elder Wu, was sitting at a table and peeling a banana.


    Elder Wu noticed his dejected expression and asked, ¡°How did it go? Do you feel like you¡¯re very weak?¡±


    Xiao Chen didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. ¡°Um, Elder Wu, are all the Illusory Beasts here that strange?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about them? The beasts are all made from illusion spells. They have neither life nor thoughts. They don¡¯t move either. They¡¯re purely there to bear attacks and test students,¡± Elder Wu said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Then, then, why did the beast I saw laugh at me? It was mocking me too! In the end, it even ran up to comfort me!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Elder Wu¡¯s expression changed. The sudden tightening of his grip caused the banana to fly out of his hand.

 Chapter 517 - Cultivation Grade

    Xiao Chen turned his head, dodging the banana that was flying toward his face, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Elder Wu looked apologetic, but his expression soon returned to normal. He coughed and smoothened his beard. ¡°Um, ahem, ahem. Nothing. Nothing at all.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned, finding his behavior to be odd. Elder Wu seemed to be keeping a secret from him, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Oh, that reminded me,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s my grade?¡±


    Elder Wu picked up the other banana on the table and peeled it as he replied serenely, ¡°It¡¯s on the Mystic Sky Rankings outside. Look at it yourself. But I suggest you start looking from the Human Ranking lest you should waste your time.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, show-off.¡±


    Even though Xiao Chen found Elder Wu to be scary-looking, the man was pretty humorous. He chuckled and then walked out.


    Stepping outside felt like walking into a different domain. Bai Ling and the older disciples were still standing in front of the Mystic Sky Rankings, watching the name changes on the steles. They didn¡¯t seem to have heard his conversation with Elder Wu inside the stone chamber.


    Bai Ling was standing in front of the stele for the Earth Ranking. Her slender legs were pressed together and she had one hand placed in front of her chest, the other propping her fair chin. Her eyebrows were furrowed and the hair on her temples fluttered in the wind. Her eyes, as limpid as water, were focused on the ranking. From where Xiao Chen was standing, she looked rather breathtaking.


    Seeing her frown made Xiao Chen think that he must have ranked higher than she did. The thought filled him with satisfaction. He walked over to her. Just as he was about to scan the stele, Bai Ling gave him a sidelong glance. ¡°Stop looking. Your name isn¡¯t up there.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Chen was doing it on purpose. Naturally, he knew his current strength wasn¡¯t enough to put him on the Heaven Ranking. Moreover, Baili Xiaohualuo was only in the 36th place of the Heaven Ranking. He just found Bai Ling to be an interesting person. He followed her line of sight and found her name on the 61st place. Her ranking didn¡¯t fall.


    He faked a laugh. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re 61st. Not bad.¡± The banter in his voice was obvious. Bai Ling rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, ¡°Idiot.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Xiao Chen laughed and started scanning the names above the 61st place. However, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find his name anywhere. He was suddenly reminded of what Baili Xiaohualuo said. If he was able to rank somewhere, everyone under him would fall by one rank. Since Bai Ling¡¯s ranking didn¡¯t change, that meant he hadn¡¯t surpassed her at all.


    The thought prompted him to look at the names beneath the 61st place until he finally found his name in an unnoticeable spot. Even the cyan glow to the left of his name seemed to be lighting up with difficulty. He was ranked 69th.


    ¡°69th?¡± Xiao Chen felt the world spin around him. He was ranked 8th on the List of Experts in Heaven and Earth in the Violet Manor, but placed at the end of the Earth Ranking here?


    To be frank, the List of Experts in Heaven and Earth wasn¡¯t an authoritative one. Many truly powerful cultivators didn¡¯t bother trying to enter the ranking. Bai Ling sneered when she saw his expression. ¡°Did you only now know how weak you are?¡±


    Regardless of what she said, she must admit that she was taken aback when she saw him ranked 69th on the Earth Ranking. She was also relieved to know that he hadn¡¯t surpassed her yet, though she didn¡¯t know why it bothered her so much. Perhaps it was because she believed that he only won their battle at the Long-Gate Pass thanks to his dirty tricks.


    The disciples in the same batch as Xiao Chen, however, were amazed. It was incredible that a newcomer could break into the Earth Ranking. Some of them couldn¡¯t even make it into the Human Ranking. Even Bai Ling, back when she first entered the academy, barely made the bottom of the Human Ranking. It seemed that the Annihilation Times was truly in the works. Even though the newcomers these days didn¡¯t have pure cultivation, their cultivation realms were higher than the disciples before them.


    Even so, Xiao Chen had a hard time accepting the results. Was he, a fourth-level Nirvana Realm cultivator, truly no match for Bai Ling, who was merely in the second-level Nirvana Realm? Could Bai Ying be right? Was his cultivation not substantial enough?


    The thought made him turn around and run back inside the stone chamber. Elder Wu bit off a part of the banana and said indistinctly, ¡°What do you think? Happy with the results?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xiao Chen pulled a face and clenched his fingers. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Please give me some pointers, Elder.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Elder Wu chortled and put down the banana. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Xiao Chen immediately did as told, rolling his sleeve and offering his hand. Elder Wu pressed two fingers together and shot a ray of white light into his wrist. Then, as if he was a doctor examining his patient, he picked his fingers for a moment with a slight frown. ¡°Fourth-level Nirvana Realm. Your cultivation realm is decent, but what a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± Xiao Chen asked impatiently.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that your cultivation grade is too low. It¡¯s inferior,¡± Elder Wu replied bluntly, retrieving his fingers.


    ¡°Inferior?¡±


    Xiao Chen was in disbelief. He had learned a thing or two about cultivation grades on his way here. Cultivation grades referred to the purity of one¡¯s cultivation. He knew that his current grade was incomparable to some of the older disciples here, but it wasn¡¯t so bad as to be the lowest grade, was it? So, he asked, ¡°How are cultivation grades divided?¡±


    Elder Wu chortled and handed him a banana. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, young man. We can talk again after you have this banana.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thanks, Senior.¡±


    Xiao Chen took the banana off his hands but didn¡¯t peel it open. Elder Wu smoothened out his beard and said, ¡°Cultivation grades are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. Yours isn¡¯t as bad as the lower grade, but it can¡¯t be considered a middle grade either. Well, you can consider it a lower-middle grade.¡±


    ¡°Lower-middle grade¡­¡± He might have mentally prepared himself, but the answer still disappointed him. ¡°What about beyond the upper grade? Is there none?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, none? Who told you that?¡± Elder Wu glanced at him and continued, ¡°Beyond the upper grade is so much greater quality that upper, middle, and lower grades can no longer cut it. Rather, we go from the bottom to the top: Cave Ruins, Mystic Sky, and Supreme.¡±


    ¡°Cave Ruins, Mystic Sky, and Supreme grades¡­¡± Xiao Chen muttered. It seemed that he was really far behind in this. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Do we have any older disciples with Cave Ruins grade?¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡± Elder Wu choked on his water. He looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Did you think you can find Cave Ruins-grade cultivation anywhere? Never mind the Cloud Mist Academy, you can hardly find one in the entire Wastelands! Well, at least that¡¯s the case for now. Of course, that person may be the exception¡­¡±


    He hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. The gap between the two sets of grades is like that of heaven and earth. A peak Nascent Soul Realm expert with Cave Ruins cultivation grade can instantly kill any Nirvana Realm beginner with lower or even middle cultivation grade.


    Xiao Chen was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Isn¡¯t there also a heaven-and-earth difference between Nascent Soul Realm and Nirvana Realm? A Nirvana Realm cultivator was instantly killed by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? That sounds too crazy to be true.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Elder Wu threw him a sidelong glance and took a few more sips of water. ¡°Too crazy to be true? That was before the Annihilation Times. Now, it¡¯s no longer an exaggeration, especially in the final two stages.¡±


    He put down his cup and looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°See the Young people these days,¡± he said serenely. ¡°The Annihilation Times is already here, but all you care about is advancing your cultivation without any regard for its quality. Don¡¯t you regret it now? It¡¯s easy to advance your cultivation, but not your grade. Moreover, once your grade lags behind your cultivation realm, it¡¯ll be impossible to raise it again.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Suddenly, realization dawned on Xiao Chen. He finally understood that before the Annihilation Times, cultivation grades weren¡¯t at all an important factor. No one would have cared for their cultivation grade because let alone the grade, it was difficult enough to improve their cultivation realm,


    In the era of the Annihilation Times, where everyone¡¯s cultivation had improved, the disparity between cultivation grades became increasingly evident.


    Right now, Xiao Chen could finally understand what things that had confused him before. The arrival of the Annihilation Times had simply spurred everyone to improve their cultivation realm as quickly as possible, neglecting their cultivation grade. The faster their cultivation realm advanced, the lower their cultivation grade would be. It was easy to advance realms, but not grades. Those who prioritized realms would be destined for a tragic end. Those who went on a pill rampage were just digging their graves.


    Bai Ying, on the other hand, had been paying attention to her cultivation grade since the very start. That was why she invented the Wisdom-forsaking Technique, considered a mockery by others, and continuously refined her grade. Once her cultivation realm picked up, she would surpass everyone around her.


    Once the final two stages of the Annihilation Times take place, those who only prioritized their cultivation realm would be doomed to become cannon fodder. The thought sent a shiver down Xiao Chen¡¯s spine. Oh no! He might have understood this, but Xin¡¯er, Senior Sister Luo, and the rest didn¡¯t. He had to find a way to send them a message at once, telling them to stop their blind pursuit to raise their cultivation realm.


    But very soon, Xiao Chen calmed down. Xin¡¯er¡¯s side had Senior Gui Xian, Senior Sister Luo¡¯s side had Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Elder Zi Mo, and Elder Qingfeng, whereas Muxue and Brother Yifeng were in Kunlun. Since Elder Wu understood this logic, surely Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Senior Gui Xian, and the rest would too. They wouldn¡¯t lead Xin¡¯er and the rest astray.


    The thought restored his calmness. Sure enough, one required a teacher to guide his cultivation journey. Blindly pursuing cultivation would surely bring one away from the true path. Had he not come to the Cloud Mist Academy today, he would have truly gone down a path of no return. What a close call.


    He sighed, remembering Bai Ying¡¯s warning not to blindly advance his cultivation realm. He had been confident, thinking that he possessed the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method, believing in the glory of the Mystic Cyan Sect in the yesteryears, and thus ignored her words. Still, it wasn¡¯t too late to mend things now.


    Seeing the look of realization on Xiao Chen¡¯s face, Elder Wu laughed and asked, ¡°How is it? Do you finally understand it now, young man? Do you still believe that you can be content with your fourth-level Nirvana Realm cultivation now?¡±


    Xiao Chen saluted him with a smile. ¡°Your advice today is more useful than ten years of classroom learning. But, how do the people here improve their cultivation grade?¡±


    ¡°Do you still have to ask? Using Mystic Stones, of course. But the stones aren¡¯t all that effective as after all, cultivation grades aren¡¯t easy to raise.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Elder Wu¡¯s reply confirmed his speculation. The Mystic Stones could just barely remedy those with low cultivation grade. It was impossible to use them to advance from lower to upper grades. Moreover, the better one¡¯s cultivation realm was, the harder it would be to raise one¡¯s cultivation grade.


    ¡°You¡¯re beginning to understand how difficult it is, aren¡¯t you?¡± Elder Wu laughed. ¡°You were quite a good seedling, but unfortunately, you were too anxious for results. If your cultivation is merely in the first-level of the Nirvana Realm, it wouldn¡¯t have been that difficult for you to improve your cultivation grade. But your cultivation is in the middle stage now. The way I see it, there aren¡¯t enough Mystic Stones in the world to help you.¡±


    ¡°Your words are indeed true, but¡­¡± A cunning smile appeared on Xiao Chen¡¯s face as he left the rest of his sentence unspoken.

 Chapter 518 - Shui Yue

    Noticing the relaxed smile and thoughtful look on Xiao Chen¡¯s face, Elder Wu asked, ¡°What? Did you think I¡¯m just scaring you, young man?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Xiao Chen laughed. He still possessed Bai Ying¡¯s Wisdom-forsaking Technique, you know. People laughed off the technique before the Annihilation Times, but this cultivation method would prove to be a supreme one right now!


    It would be hard for him to raise his cultivation grade and the Mystic Stones wouldn¡¯t be of much help either. But what if he paired the stones with the Wisdom-forsaking Technique? ¡°Terrifying¡± would be the only appropriate word to describe the outcome.


    The technique didn¡¯t simply involve degenerating one¡¯s cultivation. If that was the case, everyone was free to undo cultivation as they pleased. Rather, it was about using a special cultivation method to remove the dross of the cultivation, leaving behind only its essence. The same logic applied to steelmaking. It took a lot of smoldering for iron to turn to steel.


    However, Xiao Chen still had misgivings. He frowned. He was in the Qi Refining Realm back then, so it was so easy to use the technique. Degenerating fourth-level Nirvana Realm would be a lot more challenging. Moreover, Bai Ying wasn¡¯t here to help him now. Could he pull this off on his own?


    Bai Ying¡­ Xiao Chen suddenly remembered catching a fleeting glimpse of a graceful silhouette when he first came here. From behind, the person resembled Bai Ying. Could it be¡­? No, it was impossible. He shook his head. How could Bai Ying appear in the Wastelands when she was in the Human World? It didn¡¯t make any sense at all.


    Moments later, the other disciples gradually poured out of the stone chamber after their Mystic Power test. Most understood the extent of their strength, so they didn¡¯t look too disappointed when they saw their placement on the rankings. Only a few of them actually made their name appeared on the Human Ranking.


    Jiang Qianqian made the 87th place of the Human Ranking, with Yumu Shisan in the 65th and Chu Qi in the 103rd. There were two other disciples who barely made the bottom of the Human Ranking. Xiao Chen was the only one who got into the Earth Ranking, in the 69th place.


    Many youngsters cheered for him. Some of the older disciples, who were here to check out the newcomers, looked amazed and approving when they saw that a newbie had broken into the Earth Ranking.


    Of course, Xiao Chen understood that their amazement would just serve as the worst poison if he were to be smug about it. There was still a long road ahead of him.


    He looked up at the Heaven Ranking, where he found Ye Cangming in his eternal number one spot. In second place was Qiansha Yufeng, in third place was Jiang Ranchou, in fourth place was Cui Hanyan¡­ In seventh place was Hua Lianyue¡­ In tenth place was Yu Hanying¡­


    He clenched his hands. One day, he swore his name would appear up there.


    ¡°All right, kids. Now, let me tell you how you can break into the rankings and get your hands on the Mystic Stones.¡±


    No one noticed when Elder Wu walked out of the stone chamber. Everyone turned to look at him and heard him say, ¡°You will get ten Stage-1 Mystic Stones every month and you can also earn them through completing missions. But the Mystic Sky Rankings are the key source of the stones.¡±


    He paused for a beat before saying, ¡°You will get your one-off reward for breaking into the rankings for the first time. You will also get a reward for staying in the rankings, to be accumulated every day and paid out every month. The higher your ranking is, the more rewards you accumulate. Do you understand, kids? You have to work hard. Of course, those who didn¡¯t make the rankings have to work hard too. Mystic Stones accumulation is still based on your achievements, except your rewards will be fewer than those who are in the rankings.¡±


    ¡°Let me put it this way. This kid who is in the 69th place can accumulate approximately 30 stones a month.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xiao Chen was feeling pretty awkward. To think that he could only get one stone a day. Elder Wu then pointed to the Heaven Ranking and said, ¡°The top ten of the Heaven Ranking can get more than 30 stones a day.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± The crowd let out cries of amazement.


    Xiao Chen was just as surprised. Wouldn¡¯t this just help the strong get even stronger? How could people even work their way up? But, to be frank, only such cruel and intense competition could nurture an environment where everyone would work tirelessly for their future. It was much better than many sects, where they would only organize a sword-fighting competition every few years.


    Elder Wu coughed twice, clearing his throat before continuing, ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about entering the rankings. There are two ways to get your name on the rankings. First, you can do it via testing your Mystic Power, as you did earlier. This is the usual way. You can try once a day but remember: Your good condition today might allow you to reach the 30th place, but your poor condition tomorrow can drop you to the 50th place. That¡­ would be pretty embarrassing. You might as well just stay in the 30th place and not do the test again.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Then what¡¯s the second way?¡±


    ¡°Good question, kid.¡± Elder Wu had quite a humorous way of talking. He looked at everyone and explained, ¡°The second way is to challenge the rankings. You can select a person and try to kick him off. Of course, this is also done through the Mystic Power test. If your results are better than his, you can replace him on the rankings. If he wants to reenter the rankings, he can either pick up the challenge or go through an ordinary Mystic Power test. The Mystic Stones that he¡¯s supposed to receive for the day would also be forfeited. I must make this clear: you cannot challenge someone who ranks lower than you.¡±


    Elder Wu¡¯s expression changed a little. Xiao Chen was so sharp-eyed that he instantly noticed this minute change. It seemed that there were quite a lot of cases where disciples issue challenges out of malice here. Even though there was a rule whereby one could not challenge a lower-ranking opponent, one could just get someone else to do it for him. That way, he could target anyone he wanted.


    ¡°Another thing,¡± Elder Wu added. ¡°You have to pay a certain amount of Mystic Stones to issue a challenge. If you succeed, you can get half of that back. If you lose, you¡¯ll surrender that amount to the person you challenged. For example, if you¡¯re going to challenge this kid in the 69th place, you have to cough up ten Mystic Stones.¡±


    Xiao Chen was speechless. Could this old man stop using him as an example¡­


    ¡°And if you want to challenge that person!¡± Elder Wu suddenly pointed to the first place on the Heaven Ranking, his expression turning solemn. ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay 1,000 Mystic Stones!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± The newcomers cried out in surprise.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s about it. Your fate is in your hands, not the Mystic Sky Rankings.¡±


    Xiao Chen lowered his head to compose his thoughts. Fighting to get into the rankings was one thing, but challenging the rankings seemed¡­ For some reason, he was getting a bad feeling about this. The main source of the Mystic Stones was the rankings reward. Even with the Wisdom-forsaking Technique, he would still need a lot of Mystic Stones.


    Meanwhile, four old men were sitting in a little pavilion atop a certain floating island. One of them was sitting upright and still. He was the strict old man responsible for distributing badges to the newcomers earlier, the First Grandmaster. Sitting in the middle of the old men was a large mirror showcasing the situation in the Mystic Sky Pavilion.


    ¡°Elder Lei, what do you think? These newcomers¡­¡± An old man in cyan clothes looked at his stern-looking companion.


    The stern-looking old man frowned and waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. No matter how bad the past three batches were, they can¡¯t compare with this batch. Let¡¯s just leave it to Shui Yue.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± The three other old men looked at each other. One of them said, ¡°But I noticed a few good disciples in this batch, too. The one named Xiao Chen is especially promising. He made the Earth Ranking as soon as he joined. Elder Lei, why don¡¯t you consider accepting a few of these good disciples? Leaving them to Shui Yue is a waste of their talents¡­¡±


    ¡°Talent?¡± The stern-looking old man cast a sidelong glance at the mirror and sneered. ¡°He¡¯s just relying on his fourth-level Nirvana Realm cultivation. If he¡¯s in the Nascent Soul Realm, he won¡¯t even make the Human Ranking. Just dump it on Shui Yue. I don¡¯t want them.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± His three companions hesitated. The one who spoke earlier added, ¡°Even though the child is relying on his Nirvana Realm cultivation, his cultivation grade still has room for improvement. Him humbly seeking Elder Wu for advice shows that he¡¯s the self-motivated kind. Why don¡¯t you reconsider your decision? After all, what our academy lacks the most right now is talent¡­¡±


    He then looked around and lowered his voice. ¡°It was the same with that person back then. Had you accepted that person as your disciple, Chongyang wouldn¡¯t have been able to become one of the Three Perfected Immortals¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± the strict-looking old man shouted. He swiftly scanned their surroundings before turning his attention on the mirror. His brows furrowed as he looked deep in thought.


    ¡­


    Back in the Mystic Sky Pavilion, Elder Wu continued to drone on to the newcomers until twilight arrived. He coughed twice before saying, ¡°That¡¯s about it. Kids, you will be meeting your masters. I¡¯ll tell you about the four grandmasters at the Cloud Mist Academy. The First Grandmaster is called Lei Yan. He¡¯s just like his name, thunderous and stern. He¡¯s very strict, but every disciple under him has been extraordinary. They occupy nearly half of the Heaven Ranking.¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. That must be the strict-looking old man who had issued them their badges. That man¡¯s cultivation was indeed unfathomable. He wasn¡¯t polite to Perfected Immortal Chongyang either, but for some reason, Xiao Chen just wasn¡¯t comfortable with him.


    ¡°The Second Grandmaster¡­¡± The mention of the Second Grandmaster put a bright smile on Elder Wu¡¯s face. ¡°The Second Grandmaster is named Feng Wuhen. Again, he resembles his name that means traceless wind. He became an immortal a long time ago. He¡¯s handsome and elegant. It¡¯s unfortunate that I wasn¡¯t able to achieve immortality¡­¡±


    His outlandish expression made everyone laugh. It seemed that after chatting for a while, he didn¡¯t seem all that scary anymore.


    ¡°The Third Grandmaster¡­¡± Elder Wu put his hand under his chin and narrowed his eyes. There was a strange smile on his face, which made him seem too cheeky for his status. He beamed and said, ¡°The Third Grandmaster has achieved immortality a long time ago. Her name is Shui Yue. Like the moon in the water, she is every bit as charming as her name. Tsk, tsk, tsk. She can take away the soul of a person even 400 kilometers away¡­¡± He gestured the number four as he spoke.


    Some in the crowd got tickled by his outlandish behavior. Some of the more innocent girls couldn¡¯t take their eyes away from him. This Third Grandmaster must have very high cultivation to be able to take the soul of a person even 400 kilometers away!


    Elder Wu shook his head, clicking his tongue as he droned on. He seemed to have forgotten about the Fourth Grandmaster altogether and didn¡¯t even notice the sudden appearance of an elegant person standing on the teleportation formation.


    ¡°Elder Wu, you seemed bored.¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice, carrying a hint of amusement, drifted into everyone¡¯s ears. The sound was like that of spring water hitting a bed of stones, of pearls hitting a jade plate, of the drizzle falling in the third month of the year. It was so mesmerizing that it felt like one¡¯s soul was being consumed.


    Xiao Chen was truly stunned at this moment.

 Chapter 519 - Wind-heeding Pavilion

    ¡°Third, Third Grandmaster!¡±


    Everyone, old and new disciples alike, swiftly stood at attention. They lowered their heads and saluted to show their respect. Only a few of the more courageous disciples were standing in a corner, secretly laughing and engaging in an inaudible conversation.


    Xiao Chen turned around and saw a woman dressed in white gradually getting closer. Right then, it felt like his vision was being enveloped by a fog so thick it could only have appeared in winter. It was only after he peeled away the layers of fog that he could finally see her face.


    ¡°Ma-master¡­¡± an emotional Xiao Chen muttered.


    The woman in white glanced at him and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re quite an interesting kid. The worshipping ceremony hasn¡¯t even started yet, but you¡¯re already calling me your master?¡±


    Xiao Chen was startled. He then trembled, as if there was a jolt of electricity running through his body. Only now did he see that this woman wasn¡¯t Bai Ying. She just looked and sounded like her. Even the way she spoke resembled Bai Ying.


    Elder Wu coughed once to dispel the awkward air. He smoothened his beard and said, ¡°Told you, didn¡¯t I? She can take the soul of a person even 400 kilometers away.¡± Elder Wu coughed once and smoothed his beard to dispel the awkward air.


    The woman in white walked up to Elder Wu and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Elder Wu, you must be really free. Why don¡¯t you help me remove weeds and harmful bugs at the back of my Wind-heeding Pavilion?¡±


    The old man immediately changed the topic and told everyone, ¡°Um, this is your Third Grandmaster, Shui Yue. What are you waiting for? Greet her.¡±


    Only then did the crowd snap back to their senses. They said in unison, ¡°Greetings from your disciples, Third Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°You may drop the courtesy.¡± Shui Yue waved her hand and said lazily, ¡°You¡¯re my disciples from now on. Come on, follow your big sister.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. The Third Grandmaster didn¡¯t quite match up to their imagination. Did she just skip the worshipping ceremony altogether?


    Elder Wu smoothened out his beard, daring only to sigh but not to speak. The other three grandmasters demanded a long, complicated worshipping ceremony, but all the steps could be omitted when it came to Shui Yue.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze continued to linger on Shui Yue, as if he had truly lost his soul to her. She really resembled Bai Ying, even the way she spoke without reverence.


    Some of the older disciples were wearing strange expressions. A few looked like they could no longer smile. The group of courageous disciples was whispering, ¡°Pfft! These kids are so unlucky. The grandmasters even skip the sorting and just leave them all to the Third Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡±! If I remember correctly, the Third Grandmaster hasn¡¯t had any disciple who entered the Earth Ranking so far?¡±


    ¡°Who said that? She has one now, doesn¡¯t she? Number 69th! ¡°Puff!¡±!¡±


    Their conversation reached Shui Yue¡¯s ears as clear as day, but she didn¡¯t pay them any mind. She waved at the disciples behind her. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± a panicked voice rang out. Baili Xiaohualuo ran out of the teleportation formation, looking like he was in a rush.


    ¡°Third Grandmaster.¡± He walked up to Shui Yue and saluted her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shui Yue asked flatly.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Baili Xiaohualuo had already come up with the lines in his head. He had to properly express the First Grandmaster¡¯s intentions while taking care not to offend Shui Yue. ¡°Junior Sister Jiang is an old friend of mine. Please allow me to take her to the First Grandmaster so that it¡¯ll be easier for us to exchange notes in the future.¡±


    Shui Yue frowned. Naturally, she could tell that Jiang Qianqian was quite talented. She shook her hand and said, ¡°So be it.¡±


    Baili Xiaohualuo smiled and saluted her again. ¡°Thank you, Third Preceptor.¡± He then turned to Jiang Qianqian and gave her a look.


    Jiang Qianqian might not like him, but this concerned her future. Having a good teacher in the Cloud Mist Academy triumphed everything. Without even thinking about it, she walked to his side. Then, Baili Xiaohualuo added, ¡°There are a few of my acquaintances here as well. I hope that¡­¡±


    Shui Yue was truly frowning this time. How could she not tell what Baili Xiaohualuo was doing? It took just one glance at the Mystic Sky Rankings for her to understand everything. She laughed and said indifferently, ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Third Grandmaster.¡± Baili Xiaohualuo saluted her and then walked over to the group of newcomers. He went up to Yumu Shishan and whispered, ¡°Junior Brother Yumu, come with me.¡±


    Yumu Shishan hesitated for a beat before nodding and joining him. Baili Xiaohualuo then came up to Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Sister Chu Qi, why don¡¯t you join me at the First Grandmaster¡¯s place?¡±


    This time, even the older disciples in the distance could see through Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s little tricks. It was obvious that the First Grandmaster was trying to get the more talented newcomers to his side. Many shook their head with a smile, not saying anything. These chosen newcomers were quite lucky. As expected, someone with good aptitude was also born with good luck. There was nothing to be argued about. The First Grandmaster had more than ten disciples on the Heaven Ranking. The other three grandmasters couldn¡¯t even hope to compare.


    Chu Qi remained expressionless. When her foot was about to move, Xiao Chen immediately pressed down on her hand. He smiled at Baili Xiaohualuo and said, ¡°Thank you for your offer, Senior Baili. It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s the same wherever we are.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The older disciples weren¡¯t the only ones shocked this time. So was Baili Xiaohualuo.


    Elder Wu smoothened his beard without commenting. It wasn¡¯t his place to interrupt. Shui Yue glanced at the Earth Ranking and also chose not to say anything.


    Xiao Chen chuckled and turned to look at the dozen or so of youngsters behind him. They stared back at him. They were just inexperienced newcomers, so they didn¡¯t understand the politics behind this. They were merely hoping that Xiao Chen would just stay here with them.


    A frowning Baili Xiaohualuo pulled Xiao Chen aside and whispered into his ear, ¡°These people are very mediocre cultivators. You don¡¯t have to pay them any mind. You, on the other hand, have been personally selected by the First Grandmaster. I know you understand that not every place is the same. The First Grandmaster has more than ten disciples who are on the Heaven Ranking. If you make it to the Mystic Sky Rankings in the future, your seniors will watch over you and no one will dare to challenge you either.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys done? If yes, I¡¯m going to take my disciples away.¡± Shui Yue¡¯s ice-cold voice entered their ears.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a choice sometimes. He could tell that the four grandmasters were different. Logically, he should join the First Grandmaster for a bright future. He might even make the Heaven Ranking before long. But, his heart was steering him toward Shui Yue.


    ¡°Sorry, Senior Brother Baili. I¡¯m going to stay with the Third Grandmaster.¡±


    Even Shui Yue¡¯s expression changed this time. Emotions rippled in the depth of her pupils. She looked at Xiao Chen as if she could see the traces of a person very similar to him from many years ago.


    The older disciples started talking without care. Not anyone could learn under the First Grandmaster. They couldn¡¯t even go even if they wanted to. Did this guy damage his brain somewhere? Even they were starting to get angry. This guy didn¡¯t know what was good for him. He would soon regret it.


    Xiao Chen laughed and pulled Chu Qi to Shui Yue¡¯s side. The group of several ten youngsters happily followed him when they saw that he wasn¡¯t leaving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shui Yue was so indifferent that she didn¡¯t even look at Xiao Chen. She just led the hundreds of newcomers to the teleportation formation.


    Baili Xiaohualuo¡¯s brows were still furrowed, but he led Jiang Qianqian and Yumu Shishan away. The dozen or so older disciples scattered as well, leaving behind Elder Wu standing in place by himself. He let out a long sigh.


    Twilight was inching closer and the glow of the setting sun was lighting up the horizon. The entire Mist Mountain seemed to be covered in a layer of muslin. The group went through several teleportation formations in succession. Shui Yue remained silent throughout the journey. Even though she didn¡¯t say anything about the incident earlier, it was clear that it made her unhappy.


    She wasn¡¯t terribly concerned about it, but still. Not only did they dump the worst disciples on her, but they even tried to take away the few good ones. She told herself that it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but she was still upset about it.


    ¡°Third Grandmaster¡­ Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± a petite girl behind her cautiously asked.


    Shui Yue turned her head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s already dark. Let¡¯s get to the Wind-heeding Pavilion first, where I¡¯ll arrange for your accommodation. We can talk about the rest tomorrow.¡±


    The so-called Wind-heeding Pavilion was a floating island similar to the Mystic Sky Pavilion, except it was countless times larger. The island was so big that it seemed boundless. Unless one was standing on the edge of the island, there was no way one could tell that this was a floating island.


    The twilight glow enveloped the running stream, little kiosks, pavilions over the water, the bed of flowers, towering mountains in the distance, dense forest, and halls and buildings that they could barely make out. It was a lot more impressive than Bai Ying¡¯s Moon-watch Peak. After all, one was in the Human World, the other in the Violet Manor.


    There were existing disciples at the Wind-heeding Pavilion, though not a lot. Their cultivation progress was different from newcomers too, so their dormitories were in different places. The hundreds of newcomers were temporarily housed in a make-shift dorm for the night before getting assigned to their new rooms tomorrow. After all, the boys and girls must be separated.


    Today was an exception. Several hundreds of newcomers, equally divided in genders, squeezed into a large courtyard. Their non-stop chattering filled the night, adding a touch of liveliness to the typically quiet Wind-heeding Pavilion by the time the final ray of the sunshine hit the earth.


    Xiao Chen returned to his room at night and closed the doors. He lay down a soundproofing barrier, closed his eyes, and sank into contemplation. It was only after coming to the Cloud Mist Academy today that he realized how inadequate he was. He still had a lot to learn compared to the truly powerful experts.


    He was quite relaxed as Yang Qing and the rest were tracking down Ren Tianxing. They would update him with a jade note as soon as they learned anything. His biggest concern now was advancing his cultivation grade.


    But, the Cloud Mist Academy wasn¡¯t the only problem he had to consider. He couldn¡¯t hastily use the Wisdom-forsaking Technique and he didn¡¯t have enough Mystic Stones either.


    He sighed. The night seemed to have gotten a little darker. In the sky, a half-moon hung there by its lonesome.


    Meanwhile, a cyan-clothed woman was walking down a certain quiet path, her every step appearing laborious. Under the faint moonlight, one could barely make out her face. Her brows were furrowed and she was biting hard on her lower lip.


    She finally stopped in front of a cave house. She lowered her voice and her voice shook as she said, ¡°Why, why are you looking for me, Senior Brother?¡±


    No reply came from inside the cave house. It was pitch-black inside as if the darkness would swallow everything that entered it, not allowing any escape.


    A long time later, the woman heard the rustling of the wind and then a sinister voice. ¡°Why do you think¡­¡±


    The voice was so low that it struck inexplicable fear in its listeners in the cold night. One couldn¡¯t distinguish who the voice belonged to either.

 Chapter 520 - Day One

    ¡°What do you think¡­¡±


    The voice was extremely gloomy. Outside cave house, the woman in green trembled and hurriedly lowered her head. She did not even dare to breathe, but her chest kept rising and falling. It was obvious that she was extremely scared.


    ¡°Please, please¡­ Senior Brother, don¡¯t, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Because of fear, the woman¡¯s voice was intermittent and could not be heard clearly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry? I never expected that you would lose to a newcomer. You really made your Senior Brother so disappointed¡­¡±


    There was a little light at the entrance of the cave, but the sound was still mixed with a ghastly atmosphere. It was creepy in such a cold night.


    The woman trembled with fear and knelt with a flop. Her face was pale and her voice was trembling. ¡°Please¡­ Senior Brother, please forgive me¡­ Please give me another chance¡­ Next time, I¡­ I will never¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying, give you¡­ another chance?¡±


    The voice was suddenly much closer, and then a black mist floated out. The woman trembled and instantly held her breath. At this moment, it was as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss, cold, horrifying, and desperate.


    ¡°You should be punished for doing something wrong. What do you think¡­¡±


    A ghostly voice came out of the black mist. The woman¡¯s face was pale, and her breathing became short and rapid. Her chest heaved up and down, and she was extremely scared.


    The black mist drifted to the woman¡¯s back and said in a gloomy voice, ¡°Should I do it myself or you do it yourself¡­¡±


    The girl¡¯s whole body twitched. Finally, she slowly lifted her left arm to her left shoulder and gently pulled down her clothes. Under the faint moonlight, her snow-white shoulders could be seen. Then she pulled down the clothes from her right shoulder, and the whole piece of clothing slid down.


    Under the moonlight, the woman¡¯s back was like a jade wall, reflecting the moonlight with a faint halo, white and flawless.


    ¡°Slap!¡±


    There was a sharp thud, but she bit her lips tightly, not letting herself make a sound. ¡°Slap!¡± There was another sharp thud, but the woman still bit her lips tightly, not making a single sound.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± A ghostly voice came from the black mist. At the same time, a black whip whipped hard on the back of the woman.


    The woman grunted and bit her lip tightly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°If you do something wrong, you should be punished¡­¡± The black fog whipped the woman on her back a dozen times in a row, but the woman did not make a sound from the beginning to the end. She knew that once she made a sound, it would only make her more painful.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you know you are wrong, but¡­¡± The black fog said indifferently. Suddenly, a black arm reached out from the fog and grabbed the left shoulder of the woman.


    At this moment, a chilly wind was blowing, and the whole cave house filled with a thick evil Qi. The woman seemed to feel something, and her breathing became more and more rapid. She kept shaking her head and said in a quavering voice, ¡°Senior Brother, no, I know I¡¯m wrong. I really know I¡¯m wrong, I¡­ ah!¡±


    A scream broke through the night sky, but the sound could not be heard. The nearby area had been sealed by a soundproof barrier.


    The arm stretched out from the black mist grabbed the woman¡¯s left shoulder, and five black fingers pierced into her shoulder bone. Blood kept gushing out, and streams of black gas were injected into her body through the five fingers.


    The woman¡¯s miserable cries continued, shocking countless black crows nearby. Finally, the black fog retracted his arm. The woman¡¯s face was already white, and the wound on her shoulder was gradually healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. But at this time, she was trembling non-stop.


    ¡°You should know that if it wasn¡¯t for me back then, you would have frozen to death by the side of the street a long time ago. Since I allowed you to enter Cloud Mist Academy, you should also know why¡­¡± the black fog spoke indifferently.


    The woman was still trembling. She nodded and the black fog said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Remember, don¡¯t let me down again, Bai Ling¡­¡± Then it floated back to the cave.


    Bai Ling put on her clothes as she wept and walked back from where she came from with her head down. 30 minutes later, she came to a clear stream. Under the moonlight, the ripples and moonlight on the surface of the water flashed.


    Bai Ling slid down her left shoulder and washed the wound on her shoulder. At the same time, she used her Qi to push out the evil Qi in her body. A long while later, she was sitting by the stream. Ripples suddenly appeared in the stream, gently drifting into the reeds. However, it was the tears on her face, drops by drops, which fell into the water.


    She hugged her knees and cried for a while. Suddenly, there was a faint sigh behind her. Bai Ling was shocked and stopped sobbing. She quickly pulled up her clothes and turned her head. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Xiao Chen woke up early in the morning. Birds were chirping and flowers were fragrant in the mountain, and the air was particularly fresh. After washing up, Xiao Chen went out of the courtyard and stretched at the morning sun. The freshmen in the back courtyard had not yet got up as they had been excited for the whole of last night.


    ¡°Little boy, why did you wake up so early?¡±


    A voice as clear as a silver bell came from a short distance away. Xiao Chen looked in the direction of the sound and could not help but be stunned. He saw Shui Yue walked over in small steps. But today, she changed into a dress that was thinner than yesterday. Her legs were straight and her arms were on the outside. Her shoulders were as white as jade. Compared with the enchanting appearance of Su Lianyue, she had more fairy aura, making it more uncontrollable for people when they see her.


    Back then, Xiao Chen was still 15 or 16 years old, and he almost could not control himself against Bai Ying when he had to see her every day. Now that he was in his twenties, he had more urges and felt an even more burning sensation on his face. No wonder Elder Wu said that she could take the soul of a person 400 kilometers away. If she met an enemy, there was no need to fight, and the enemy would surrender directly.


    Shui Yue frowned. ¡°Little boy, where you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Xiao Chen came to his senses and felt embarrassed. He had been staring at her just now. It was so rude. If she misunderstood that he was a lecher, it would be terrible.


    While he was thinking about it, Shui Yue came over. She had already cultivated into an Immortal Body and looked like she was in her twenties. On the contrary, she looked younger than Xiao Chen.


    Of course, the term ¡°cultivating an Immortal Body¡± here was only the traditional meaning to cultivate an Immortal Body. It was not a strange thing for cultivators to remain the same for decades. Some people, like Bai Ying, Shui Yue, and Moxuan Zi, were able to retain their looks forever. They had cultivated an Immortal Body, but their Immortal Bodies did not show any signs of aging. The true Immortal Body was the Indestructible Body that a Major had cultivated after ascending to the Ninth Heaven. Of course, the Indestructible Body here was also a traditional saying.


    ¡°Hm? Why don¡¯t you speak?¡± Shui Yue had already walked to his side. It was only now that Xiao Chen came to his senses. He quickly saluted her and said, ¡°Greetings, Third Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± said Shui Yue, waving her hand. Then she looked at him meaningfully, which made Xiao Chen a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Yesterday, Baili asked you to go to First Grandmaster¡¯s place. Why didn¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Xiao Chen had long thought about how to put it. He said, ¡°I think it doesn¡¯t matter where I am.¡±


    Shui Yue smiled and looked at him, saying, ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t think that I will take special care of you because of this. My principle is that the master takes you into the sect and you will cultivate on your own. I am busy enough, so I don¡¯t have so much time to take care of you.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. She was really like Bai Ying. Shui Yue looked at him again and said, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± At this point, her face suddenly became serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°In Cloud Mist Academy, personal cultivation is up to your wishes. But there¡¯s one thing you have to remember, that is¡ªnever meddle in other people¡¯s business. Remember that.¡±


    After that, Shui Yue turned and walked to the courtyard of the new disciples. At this time, the two senior disciples also arrived and bowed to her.


    Xiao Chen was still standing in the same spot. Asking me not to meddle in other people¡¯s business? He shook his head with a smile. He had been too busy to deal with so many things. How could he have time to meddle in other people¡¯s business?


    Back in the yard, the two senior disciples saw that the newcomers had not yet got up. They could not help but frown and shout in anger, ¡°Third Grandmaster is here!¡±


    However, the voice seemed to sink into the bottom of the lake, and there was no echo at all. It was still quiet in the courtyard. It was not until a moment later that there was a burst of noise.


    ¡°What? Third Grandmaster is here? Quick! Get up, dead pig!¡±


    ¡°My shoes? Where are my shoes?¡±


    ¡°My dress? Where is my dress?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my bowknot? Oh, you can help me find it. Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Stupid Tianyu! Did you sneak into my room last night?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Junior Sister Ling¡¯er, how dare I¡­¡±


    It was a complete mess. The Wind-heeding Pavilion, which had been quiet for many years, welcomed its busiest day in the morning. The two senior disciples were stunned. Shui Yue stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Her face was as calm as still water.


    ¡°Third Grandmaster and Senior Brother.¡± Chu Qi came out in a neat suit and greeted them in a soft voice.


    According to Xiao Chen¡¯s request, she could no longer call him Lord in front of others. She had to call him senior brother so as not to arouse others¡¯ suspicion. Moreover, she could not be as cold and full of murderous aura as before, and she had to be as gentle as possible.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Chu Qi coughed twice and cleared her throat. It was the first time for her to act so gently. She felt a little strange.


    However, the two senior disciples were deeply stunned. Their eyes were fixed on her face, and their eyes became a little dull. They had never seen such a spirited girl. Their hearts moved. The next moment, the two of them trembled at the same time, and they felt a chill behind them. Because they seemed to feel a trace of extremely cold and horrible murderous aura, but it disappeared in an instant.


    Xiao Chen frowned and gave Chu Qi a look. Chu Qi also frowned. It was not because she deliberately showed murderous aura, but because, for a long time, every time she raised her guard, there would be an invisible murderous aura.


    Shui Yue¡¯s eyes moved and she slightly turned her head to look at Chu Qi. There was a trace of a strange look on her face, but it quickly returned to normal. At this time, all the newcomers also came out. However, they were in a hurry, so some of their clothes were in disarray, and their hair was messy. There were still many young girls with bare feet and no time to wear their shoes. They came out in obscure close-fitting pajamas.


    After a while, the whole courtyard was filled with fragrance. The eyes of the two senior disciples lit up. It seemed that there were many fifteen or sixteen-year-old young girls in this batch of new disciples, and each of them was beautiful. They could not help but daydream about the future.


    On the other hand, the young men¡¯s clothes were even more in disarray. Some of them did not even wear shirts and ran out half-naked. When they saw the Junior Sisters were all wearing pajamas, they all grinned and even whistled.


    Most of the girls bowed their heads with shyness. They pinched their skirts with their little hands, and their faces were red. Some were more generous and outgoing, and they stuck out their tongues at the boys¡¯ faces while pretending to be a ghost. ¡°Bleagh¡­¡±


    Perhaps only in Shui Yue¡¯s place would it be like this. As for the rest of the three elders, they were all following the rules.


    ¡°All right, calm down! Those who were whistling and making funny faces come out!¡±


    The newcomers saw Third Grandmaster was angered and immediately stood in order with their hands behind their backs. They stopped whistling or making funny faces. Chu Qi also returned to the queue.


    Xiao Chen looked at these lively and lovely young boys and girls and smiled heartfully. ¡°What a good age! Suddenly, I feel so old.¡±


    While he was smile, Shui Yue suddenly gave him a sidelong glance and sternly said, ¡°What are you still doing here?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Xiao Chen pointed to his nose as if he just realized that although he was older than them, he seemed to be¡­ also a newcomer this time.

 Chapter 521 - The Formidable Enemy of the Cloud Mist Academy

    ¡°Puff!¡± The two senior disciples could not help but laugh and the young boys and girls burst out laughing too.


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Xiao Chen quietly walked back to the team. He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.


    Shui Yue swung her sleeves, and her eyes quickly swept through the crowd. Her face immediately became serious. ¡°No matter where you used to be, from now on, you are my disciples!¡±


    After a pause, Shui Yue continued, ¡°My purpose is to that the master brings you into the sect but one will cultivate by himself, so I won¡¯t supervise you every day like the other three masters. Whether you cultivate or not depends on you!¡±


    ¡°But!¡± Shui Yue did not allow the newcomers to interrupt. She changed the topic and said, ¡°If you want to go to Mystic Sky Rankings List and want to be a strong person, you have to work hard. All I can do is give you some guidance, or fight for a good place for cultivation for you. Well, I¡¯m done talking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± The newcomers looked at each other puzzledly. ¡°That¡¯s it? Only a few words?¡±


    A senior disciple coughed and reminded her softly while covering his mouth. ¡°Third Grandmaster, you seem to have forgotten one thing.¡±


    ¡°Really? What¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say last night? About the training area for the newcomers in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I really forgot.¡± After coughing twice, Shui Yue continued, ¡°Well, there is one more thing. You don¡¯t usually practice in the Wind-heeding Pavilion. After the other three groups of newcomers arrive, there will be an Elder who will put you into your respective cultivation area. Of course, there are four public areas for newcomers, among which the cultivation effects are different. At that time, an Elder will tell you the specific way of distribution! These days they haven¡¯t arrived yet, so you can go to the best area for the time being.¡±


    The new students were naturally looking forward to the training ground of Cloud Mist Academy. The Spiritual Qi at the foot of Mist Mountain was already so abundant. What would a real training place be like?


    Xiao Chen was also looking forward to it. It was just like the mystic domain of Immortals¡¯ League of the Five Continents. It was full of Spiritual Qi and was suitable for cultivation. Not only could it improve the realm, but more importantly, it could refine grades.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. When other matters are dealt with, the two Senior Brothers will guide you and dismiss you!¡± After that, Shui Yue went straight out, leaving only two senior disciples standing in the same place. They looked at each other with a bitter smile as they had picked up another difficult job again.


    When the new students in the yard saw Third Grandmaster had left, they began to be noisy again. Those who were whistling whistled and those who were making funny faces continued too. A Senior Brother said, ¡°Well, all of you hurry up and tidy up. There will be a lot of things to do later. If you delay, we can¡¯t take you to the cultivation ground today.¡±


    Of course, the two of them wanted to throw away their burden as soon as possible so that they could cultivate. But as soon as the newcomers heard that they could go to the training ground to have a look today, they were very excited and immediately went back to the house to tidy up.


    In less than a moment, all the newcomers had finished tidying up. Then they would follow the two senior brothers to the formal dormitory. Although it was called a dormitory, it was a courtyard of different sizes. Of course, there were pavilions and some low-rise small bungalows. If they wanted to live in a good place, it depended on whether they had enough Spirit Stones on them.


    However, the housing price of the Cloud Mist Academy was indeed quite steep. A small bungalow cost 2,000 Spirit Stones a month. Of course, these Spirit Stones were not in Shui Yue pocket but handed over to the Elder in charge. After all, it cost a lot of Spiritual Stones to operate such a large Mist Mountain.


    Previously, Xiao Chen had won two million Spirit Stones and had handed some to Yang Qing and the others. Now, he still had more than one million Spirit Stones left. He did not lack money, so he chose a place with a pleasant view and abundant Spiritual Qi. The place was full of flowers, and people could not bear to step on it. Every time the wind blew, petals fluttered in the air. In the distance, there was a mirror-like green lake, and a courtyard was built next to the lake.


    The mountain rocks in the courtyard were ancient and crude. The water in the courtyard was cold and clear, and many plants were planted. There was also a backyard that was specially used for swordsmanship practice. 20,000 Spirit Stones each month. If in exchange for silver, several similar courtyards like this could be built in the Human World.


    However, Xiao Chen was very satisfied with the layout of this courtyard. However, he felt that it was a waste to live in such a large courtyard alone. He said to Chu Qi next to him, ¡°Chu Qi, would you like to live with me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Chu Qi looked up at him, and her eyes seemed to become a little strange. Not far away, a teenager pulled a girl¡¯s sleeve and grinned. ¡°Junior Sister Ling¡¯er, would you like to live with me?¡±


    ¡°In your dreams! I don¡¯t want! Humph!¡±


    Only then did Xiao Chen realize how that sounded. He had simply felt that it was a waste to live in such a large courtyard alone. He had no other meaning. He hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Chu Qi. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to everything the Lord says,¡± Chu Qi said calmly.


    Xiao Chen looked around. Fortunately, the two guys earlier were leading other newcomers around. He whispered, ¡°Call me Senior Brother in the future so as not to provoke¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Although Cloud Mist Academy had a rule that men and women were not allowed to live together, it was only for the dormitories in large areas. For such a small courtyard, even if the men and women were to rent it together, it was not a big deal.


    Xiao Chen and Chu Qi entered the courtyard, followed by two young men and two young women. These four people talked the most with them, especially the young man named Qin Tianyu. He was chatty all day long and even pushed Xu Ling¡¯er into the Mystic Stone chamber yesterday.


    The girl in a lavender dress was called Chu Xuanxuan. She was not as lively as Xu Linger and always looked shy. She clenched her little hands tightly and plucked up the courage to speak to the young man in cyan beside her softly, ¡°Senior Brother Qianye, if you don¡¯t have classes this afternoon, let¡¯s go around for a walk¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± The young man in green was called Shen Qianye. He always liked to put his hands in front of his chest, and he did not like to laugh. He always looked cool. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t have classes in the afternoon, so I¡¯m going to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± The girl in lavender, Chu Xuanxuan, bit her lip and lowered her head, looking a little sad.


    On the other side, the young man in white, Qin Tianyu, grinned and said to the girl in red Xu Ling¡¯er, ¡°Junior Sister Ling¡¯er, I¡¯ll take you to fight spirit beasts this afternoon. Do you want to go with me?¡±


    ¡°Humph, I won¡¯t go with you. You pushed me into the stone room yesterday. It¡¯s not over yet! Humph!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er glared at him, and then her watery eyes moved. She ran to Xiao Chen and Chu Qi and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, will you take Sister Chu Qi to play this afternoon?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. These youngsters were really just big kids. But at his age, he was Mu Shaoai.


    In short, the matters of the dormitory had been settled. Next, there was a literary class. Every month, there was a literary class in the Cloud Mist Academy. The newcomers had to attend it once, and it would not matter whether they attend in the future.


    Seeing that it was almost noon, the two Senior Brothers were a little anxious. They quickly took all the new students to the hall where the teacher was. He was a white-bearded old man and looked a little dim-sighted.


    ¡°Alright. Next, I will tell all of you about the origin of the Cloud Mist Academy. Ahem¡­¡±


    When he was talking by the stand, some of the hundreds of newcomers listened to him and felt sleepy. Some were bored and were carving characters on the table with a small knife. Qin Tianyu sat behind Xu Ling¡¯er, grinning and sometimes poking her on the shoulder with a pen, or rolling her hair on the pen. Anyway, he was trying to attract her attention constantly.


    On the other side, Chu Xuanxuan and Shen Qianye were sitting at a table. Every time Chu Xuanxuan wanted to tell him something, Shen Qianye always said, ¡°Listen to the class attentively.¡±


    Xiao Chen sat at the same table as Chu Qi. Naturally, Xiao Chen listened very attentively. He only heard the old man say, ¡°The origin of Cloud Mist Academy began 3,000 years ago. At that time, a predecessor called Old Man Cloud Mist traveled here. He saw that this place was beautiful and would be an outstanding place in the future. Thus, he chose this mountain to cultivate. Later, he accepted 18 disciples¡­¡±


    The crowd was still in a state of drowsiness as they listened. The old teacher was not bothered and continued, ¡°The 18 disciples are very capable. One day, Old Man Cloud Mist reached the Grand Completion Realm stage, and he always has to ascend to the Ninth Heaven. The night before that, he called the 18 disciples to come to the bed and told them that they each have their own abilities. If you meet a good teacher again, you will surely achieve great things in the future¡­¡±


    The old scholar paused for a moment and continued, ¡°It means that the 18 people could join another sect. You should know that it¡¯s a big taboo for them to join another sect at that time. From this layer, we can see the old man¡¯s opened-minded attitude.¡±


    ¡°But the 18 people felt that one day as a teacher is one life as a father, how could they be willing to part with that? Later on, Old Man Cloud Mist eventually ascended to heaven. This was a good thing, but the 18 people wept bitterly and were unwilling to leave. So later, they named this mountain as the Mist Mountain and began to recruit disciples.¡±


    ¡°But they are also like the Old Man Cloud Mist. They don¡¯t force the disciples to stay and allow them to leave the mountain when they succeed in learning. They will either set up their own sects or become famous teachers. In short, they will not interfere with the disciples¡¯ choices. So, the Cloud Mist Academy was built up like this one generation after another. They will not force the disciples to stay, nor will they interfere with the disciples¡¯ choices in the future.¡±


    The old man explained patiently, while most of the people at the bottom were almost asleep. The two Senior Brothers waiting outside saw the shadow of the sun slightly slanting. It was already noon, and they were a little anxious.


    The old man said again, ¡°There is another thing worth mentioning, which is that the Old Man Cloud Mist had a very powerful spiritual beast. Unfortunately, the spiritual beast was unable to follow him to ascend Heaven Realm, so it stayed in Mist Mountain. It has been guarding here for 3,000 years. Until now, even if there are three Saints, they should respectfully call it the Spirit Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Wah¡­¡± Hearing this, the newcomers finally became interested. Qin Tianyu asked, ¡°Where is the Spirit Master now? Can we see it?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The old man stroked his beard and said, ¡°It is said that a hundred years ago, Cloud Mist Academy was in great trouble and was almost destroyed. The Spiritual Master was seriously injured at that time when it guarded Cloud Mist Academy. Now, nobody knows where it is¡­¡±


    The crowd below hissed incessantly. Xiao Chen, on the other hand, was shocked. ¡°The Cloud Mist Academy encountered a catastrophe? For a place as strong as the Cloud Mist Academy, who could nearly destroy the Cloud Mist Academy? Moreover, they could even seriously injure a 3,000-year-old spirit beast. That¡¯s too terrifying. The Annihilation Times hasn¡¯t come yet a hundred years ago!¡± He asked, ¡°Mister, could you please tell us more clearly? Is there a formidable enemy of Cloud Mist Academy out there?¡±


    ¡°Eh, this¡­¡± The old man stroked his beard and said, ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve only been here for less than sixty years, but the thing that happened a hundred years ago seemed too distant. I don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s brows were still furrowed. Why had he never heard Baili Xiaohualuo mentioned this before? He was afraid that they were even more ignorant. It seemed that the high-level leaders of Cloud Mist Academy had been keeping a secret about what happened a hundred years ago. Even the teacher had only heard of it.


    Shen Qianye, who had been listening carefully to the class, asked at this time, ¡°Will it be Black Horn?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± The old man waved his hand and said, ¡°The Black Horn is just the local bullies in the Southern City. At that time, they didn¡¯t have the strength to compete with Cloud Mist Academy. The Spiritual Master could drown them with a mouthful of saliva.¡±


    ¡°Who is it then?¡±


    This time, everyone¡¯s interest was piqued. Even the two senior disciples waiting outside the door were not in a hurry to leave. But Xiao Chen¡¯s eyebrows were getting deeper and deeper as if he had thought of something.

 Chapter 522 - The Cultivation Zone

    ¡°Well, these are all things that happened a long time ago. With the current strength of the Cloud Mist Academy, no one dares to offend us. Don¡¯t worry, everyone. You just need to focus on your cultivation.¡± The old man stroked his beard and said.


    Of course, no one would worry about it. They were just curious. Who could shake Cloud Mist Academy? 30 minutes later, the teacher finally finished his draggy lecture, and the new students also dispersed like a gust of wind.


    And the two Senior Brothers waiting outside could not wait any longer, so they led the hundreds of new students to the public training area. Of course, everyone was more interested in cultivation than the literary class.


    The public cultivation area was not on the floating island of the Wind-heeding Pavilion but on the back mountain of the main peak, where countless Energy-gathering Formations were at.


    Mist Mountain was very big. Fortunately, with the help of teleportation formation, they soon arrived at the back mountain. As soon as they arrived here, Xiao Chen immediately felt an unusual fluctuation of spiritual force, which was much more abundant than the outside.


    Of course, the new disciples also felt the abundance of spirit energy. With a smile on their faces, many young girls stretched out their arms and slightly ran their Mystic Power. The spirit energy was pulled over through the mountain mist, forming pieces of light white water droplets, leaping gently between their fingers.


    ¡°Wow¡­ to be able to condense into a bead, the Spiritual Qi here is so abundant.¡± The girls looked extremely excited.


    The two Senior Brothers gave a faint smile. ¡°This is only the Outer Area. The real training area is there.¡± As they say so, they point at several floating islands in the air in the distance.


    There were clouds and mountains in the sky. The floating islands were arranged in the east, south, west, and north. In the middle, there was a special floating island. The two Senior Brothers smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s the real cultivation area. There are four places, divided into First Class, Second Class, Third Class, and Fourth Class. Now I¡¯ll take you to the First Class area first, where the Spiritual Qi is the most abundant.¡±


    The new students were extremely excited and followed the Senior Brothers to the island. It was not impossible for them to ride on their swords to ascend. However, there was teleportation formation in many places in Mist Mountain, so they naturally saved their energy and went up through the teleportation formation.


    And the four floating islands were also very big, enough to accommodate thousands of people. Hundreds of new people came to the First Class cultivation area in the east. The island was surrounded by clouds and mist, and many drops of water with a faint white light floated in the air. Every time someone passed by, they would automatically drift away instead of touching people.


    ¡°These are all¡­ Pearl of the Mystic Springs automatically formed by Spiritual Qi!¡±


    Everyone exclaimed. How abundant the anima energy was in order to form such a droplet of Spiritual Qi through the clouds? This was not the normal rain in the clouds.


    Xiao Chen was also slightly surprised. The Spiritual Qi here was really abundant, and it was no less than that in the cultivation ground of Mystic Cyan Mountain. The crowd was surprised and walked forward for some distance. Only then did they find that there were already a hundred or two hundred old disciples in cyan badges sitting cross-legged in this cultivation area.


    The senior disciples all closed their eyes and were cultivating. Their breathing was steady and was not asleep. Obviously, they noticed that there were newcomers. But they pretended that they did not hear anything and continued to cultivate.


    Originally, this floating island was large enough to accommodate thousands of people, but because they were spread out, it became difficult for the 500+ newcomers to get in. The newcomers looked at each other in dismay. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the area for newcomers to cultivate? Why are there senior disciples?¡± For a moment, many people looked at the two senior brothers who brought them here.


    The two Senior Brothers obviously did not expect this. Of course, they knew that the training area of newcomers would be open to the public one month before the newcomers came, so some senior disciples would come here to cultivate. However, they did not expect that these senior disciples had not left yet. They were really a bit shameless.


    Xiao Chen frowned and immediately understood what was going on. The place where senior disciples cultivated was also divided into four classes. The Spiritual Qi there was relatively more abundant than that in the newcomer area. However, the First Class training area in the newcomer area was stronger than the Third or Fourth Class areas of the senior disciples no matter what. These old disciples were assigned to the Third or Fourth Class areas, so they came here to cultivate.


    The two Senior Brothers stepped forward and said, ¡°Today is the last day of September. Why are you still in the newcomer area?¡±


    However, after talking for a long time, no one paid any attention to them. Those senior disciples sat cross-legged in the cultivation area shamelessly as if they heard nothing.


    A few moments later, several senior disciples slowly opened their eyes and glanced at the newcomers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not October yet. Why are you in such a hurry? Do you think we still stay here and don¡¯t want to leave?¡±


    Subsequently, more and more senior disciples opened their eyes and looked impatient, as if they were disturbed by someone. All of them looked very agitated.


    Originally, the newcomer area was prepared for newcomers. It was already welfare for them to practice here for a month. Without newcomers, they could not even have that. Now that the newcomers were here, they should have made way for them. However, these people all seemed very annoyed. Since the newcomers were here, they could not cultivate here any longer. It was as if the newcomers had owed them a lot.


    ¡°Since October hasn¡¯t arrived yet, who told you to come?¡± a senior disciple asked impatiently.


    The Senior Brother who led the newcomers said, ¡°It¡¯s naturally the grandmaster who told us to come here.¡± He could not be said it was the Third Grandmaster. Otherwise, as soon as they heard that they were just disciples of Shui Yue, the more these people would not give up the place.


    ¡°Which Grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Third Grandmaster!¡± The newcomer did not understand the reason, so someone shouted loudly and even felt proud.


    ¡°Hehe, Shui Yue¡¯s disciple?¡± The senior disciple smiled faintly and narrowed his eyes again. He did not even bother to pay attention to them anymore.


    ¡°This¡­¡± The new students looked at each other in dismay. They dared to call the Third Grandmaster¡¯s name directly. They were so presumptuous.


    A few moments later, a few senior disciples saw that the group of newcomers was still unwilling to leave. One of them said, ¡°In this training area, at least one person has to be ranked on Earth Ranking. Have any of you managed to enter Earth Ranking?¡±


    Many senior disciples sneered a few times. In their opinion, no newcomer could enter Earth Ranking, but Xiao Chen just made it yesterday. This matter had not yet been spread.


    Two disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion looked at Xiao Chen at this time. Qin Tianyu, who was next to Xiao Chen, said loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on us! Brother Chen has reached the 69th place on Earth Ranking yesterday! He is stronger than many of you!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the senior disciples suddenly had more spirits. Some of them looked at the newcomers while others looked at the Mystic Sky Pavilion. There were three beams of light on the sky. It was the image of the three stone tablets of Mystic Sky Rankings. There was a real-time ranking on them, which allowed the disciples to observe the changes in the rankings at any time.


    Many people looked at the green light, only to see the word ¡°Xiao Chen¡± floating on the top of the list. Was there really a newcomer who got on Earth Ranking as soon as he came? After all, even they had been here for several years, but they could not get on Earth Ranking.


    All senior disciples looked at Xiao Chen. Of course, Mystic Sky Rankings could not represent everything. What was more, he had just barely made it to the bottom of Earth Ranking. As old disciples, they would not admit defeat because of a newcomer who ranked at the bottom of Earth Ranking.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± A senior disciple casually shook his hand and said, ¡°Anyway, there is only half a day left. There is nothing to fight for during this half a day. We will leave tomorrow. You can go to other areas first and make do with it.¡±


    The two Senior Brothers of the Wind-heeding Pavilion frowned. This group of people was really like sticky candy and refused to leave. It seemed that they would have to wait until all the other three groups of newcomers came. At that time, they would be willing to leave the area assigned by the First Grandmaster.


    One of them looked at Xiao Chen and said with a slight apology, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, why don¡¯t we go to another area first?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded slightly. Anyway, they were not short of two days. He did not want to have a conflict with them because of such a small thing. At the moment, everyone looked at the other areas and saw many people sitting in the Second Class district. There were not many people in the Third Class district, and no one in the Fourth Class district.


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go to the Fourth Class district first,¡± a Senior Brother said helplessly. If they were First Grandmasters disciples, these senior disciples would not dare to bully them.


    Then they went to the Fourth Class district. On this floating island, there was also a clear stream with green grass. As the stream flowed to the edge of the island, a colorful waterfall appeared.


    However, the scenery was not bad, but relatively speaking, Spiritual Qi was much thinner. There were no drops of Spiritual Qi floating in the air. Of course, there was plenty of Spiritual Qi here. However, they had just come down from the First Class district, so they naturally felt that the Spiritual Qi was much thinner. At this moment, many people showed some disappointment.


    The two Senior Brothers were slightly apologetic. They originally wanted to ask them to go to the best district in the next few days. Unexpectedly, it turned out like this. They smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. In a few days, when the other three groups of newcomers arrive and the district distribution is finished, they will naturally leave.¡±


    After hearing this, the newcomers finally relaxed their frowns. Qin Tianyu laughed loudly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Brother Chen has gotten into the Earth Ranking, the First Class District is ours for sure! We¡¯ll just make do with it for two days!¡±


    In addition to the four floating islands in the north, south, east, and west, there was the largest island in the middle. Xiao Chen felt a strong fluctuation of a formation from it. The clouds above the island looked like a huge whirlpool, which was very strange. It did not seem to be a place for cultivation. He asked, ¡°Senior Brother, what¡¯s the use of that island?¡±


    ¡°That one?¡± A Senior Brother looked over there and said with a mysterious smile, ¡°Not everyone dares to go up that one. You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡±


    A few days passed quickly. The hundreds of newcomers of Wind-heeding Pavilion had been staying in the Fourth Class district these days. Although they were a little depressed, when they thought that those senior disciples would leave soon and they soon would be able to go to the First Class district, they were less upset.


    Today was the third day of October. The other three groups of newcomers had also arrived. Now, they were all gathered at the back mountain to listen to the cultivation area arranged by the elders. Hundreds of newcomers from Wind-heeding Pavilion also set off to the back mountain early in the morning. Under Xiao Chen¡¯s leadership, they were all smiling.


    In the past few days, most people had regarded Xiao Chen as their Senior Brother. They all relied on him to cultivate in the first-class area. Of course, some of them, who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, were not so convinced. They thought that Xiao Chen could enter Earth Ranking because his cultivation was higher than theirs. If they were given enough time, they could also enter Earth Ranking.


    30 minutes later, they arrived at the back mountain and saw more than a thousand people standing in the open space in three batches. In the distance, many senior disciples also came. Some of them stepped on the flying swords, while others stood on the mountain peaks, talking incessantly.


    Something seemed to have happened.

 Chapter 523 - Beigong Qin

    ¡°Why do you come so late?¡±


    When an Elder saw that Xiao Chen and the others were leisurely walking over, he frowned impatiently. Xiao Chen and the others did not say much and immediately walked over.


    Xiao Chen saw three groups of newcomers standing upright in front of him. They held their heads high and chest out. Moreover, the team was also in order. They were as serious as the soldiers who were about to go out to battle. They were completely not as slack as they were.


    Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help but secretly nod in his heart. Although these three groups of newcomers came later, they must have received strict training in the past few days. However, on the side of Wind-heeding Pavilion, Shui Yue only saw them on the first day and did not care about them after at all. It seemed that the four grandmasters were really different.


    The Elder frowned even deeper when he saw that they were scattered and were still saying. He said sharply, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you all standing there? What are you doing?¡±


    Hearing this, the new students of the Wind-heeding Pavilion walked over and stood properly, but even if they stood there, they were still staggering, and the team was like a mess. Some of them even stood outside, as if they were directionless.


    Seeing this, many senior disciples in the distance laughed and said, ¡°See? I said, what good disciples can Shui Yue teach? Look at how they are like, what¡¯s the difference between them and those people in the Black Horn? Hehe, speaking of them will only bring shame to our Cloud Mist Academy.¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Chen felt that these words were very harsh. He said to the people behind him, ¡°Stand still, all of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, Brother Chen.¡±


    The young boys and girls listened to him and stood in order. However, Qin Tianyu was more active. After standing for a while, he saw that the other three groups were silent like stone sculptures. He could not help but feel a little funny and looked over there. ¡°Hey, where are you from?¡±


    However, everyone on the other side stood straight and looked steadily forward. No one paid any attention to him. An Elder in front of him shouted, ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    Qin Tianyu was startled. Only then did he pull back his neck and stand properly. The Elder flicked his sleeve and said, ¡°Alright. Next, I¡¯ll help you divide the training area. Disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion, count off!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± The hundreds of freshmen on the far left immediately shouted in unison. There was no chaos at all, and they were in perfect order.


    The Purple Thunder Pavilion was where First Grandmaster Lei Yan was. The Elder nodded slightly and felt very satisfied. He said again, ¡°Disciples of the Moon-watch Hall!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The Moon-watch Hall was the place where the Second Grandmaster Feng Wuhen was. The voice of these hundred people was also uniform, but their confidence was not as strong as that of the Purple Thunder Pavilion.


    ¡°Disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion!¡±


    ¡°He-here?¡± When it was the turn of the Wind-heeding Pavilion, only Xiao Chen and Chu Qi made a sound. The few hundred people behind them did not react until they finished reporting. For a while, they were like fried beans in a pot, and their voices were chaotic. the Elder frowned and looked extremely impatient. ¡°Okay! Stop! Stop!¡±


    The last one was the disciples of the fourth Grandmaster, Tie Ruxin, who was also disciples of the Broken Sword Pavilion. Their voices were also clear and orderly.


    The Elder coughed twice and said, ¡°Everyone is here. Next, the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion will go to the first-class cultivation area, the disciples of the Moon-watch Hall will go to the second-class cultivation area, the disciples of Broken Sword Pavilion will go to the third-class cultivation area, and the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion will go to the fourth-class cultivation area.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the crowd suddenly became chaotic. Of course, it was the people on the side of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Xiao Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. The few hundred new students behind him did not understand the reason, but he knew that Shui Yue was the least valued at Cloud Mist Academy. But even so, there was no need to arrange himself and others in the most rubbish place, right?


    For a moment, Xiao Chen also felt a little indignant. He asked the Elder, ¡°Elder, there¡¯s one thing that I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the reference point in the training area where the disciples are assigned? Are you using the grandmaster as a reference?¡±


    His last sentence obviously aggravated his tone, with a hint of questioning. The Elder immediately became unhappy and said in a lukewarm tone, ¡°With the Mystic Sky Rankings as a reference, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re using the Mystic Sky Rankings List as a reference, then Brother Chen has made it to the 69th position on the Earth Ranking List. Why did you still arrange for us to be at the lowest place! You just think that our people from the Wind-heeding Pavilion are easy to bully, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Qin Tianyu shouted angrily. Although he was usually naughty, he was more or less aware of the depth of the water of Cloud Mist Academy. Now, he felt that these people were too much. He had been thinking about going to the first class area for the past few days, but it turned out to be like this. At this moment, the rest of the people were also a little angry.


    ¡°Impudent!¡± Elder roared. He did not expect that someone dared to rebut him. He angrily swung his sleeve and said, ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡°I will come out as you wish. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you, old man?¡± Qin Tianyu¡¯s temper suddenly rose for no reason. The people around him were shocked. ¡°How dare he offend and Elder like this? Does he want to die?¡±


    Xu Ling¡¯er beside him, who was also scared out of her wits, quickly pulled him back. ¡°Tianyu, are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good! The good disciple taught by Shui Yue is very good! Very good!¡± The Elder was so angry that his face turned red and started panting.


    Xiao Chen frowned and felt that there might be something wrong with this matter. He reached out to stop Qin Tianyu, and then made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest to the Elder, saying, ¡°Young people don¡¯t know what is right or wrong. Don¡¯t be angry, Elder.¡±


    The Elder sneered and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not convinced. I¡¯ll let you have a look now!¡± He then waved his hand in the air. The clouds dispersed and three beams of light appeared in the sky above Mystic Sky Pavilion.


    ¡°Hehe, look at it now. Which one of your Wind-heeding Pavilion¡¯s names is on it!¡±


    Everyone immediately looked up at the light column Earth Ranking and could not help but be stunned. Xiao Chen was also stunned. The original 69th names were no longer his, and his own name was no longer on it.


    ¡°How, how is this possible!¡± Qin Tianyu cried out in shock.


    ¡°Hee hee, have you seen it clearly now?¡± The Elder sneered.


    Xiao Chen pinched his fingers. He understood. It was not that someone had deliberately kicked him out. Rather, some people had made it to Earth Ranking from the three new batches of freshmen. Moreover, their rankings were higher than his. If one of them got on the list, his ranking would drop by one. If two of them got on the list, he would lose two. If three of them got on the list, he would lose to the 72nd place. Now that he was no longer on the list, it meant that at least four of them had made it.


    ¡°Brother Chen¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Qin Tianyu said in a low voice. Now that he knew what he had said and done just now, he had embarrassed Xiao Chen at this moment.


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    In the distance, many senior disciples sneered and said, ¡°As I said, how could Shui Yue have a disciple who had entered Earth Ranking? After occupying the space on the rank for a day and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Xiao Chen. He was so remarkable a few days ago. Hehe, he challenged Senior Sister Bai Ling the moment he arrived. He¡¯s so arrogant that he doesn¡¯t even look at us as his Senior Brothers. Now, look at how he is looking like a dog that fell into the water, he¡¯s really like Shui Yue.¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists tightly. It was not because those people mocked him, but why did they have to bring Shui Yue in? He had just been here for a few days, and it was his own business to drop the ranking. What did it have to do with Shui Yue? It was really too much for them to be so scornful.


    The Elder snorted coldly and said, ¡°Now, have you seen it clearly?¡±


    The disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion all lowered their heads and remained silent. Everyone was a little dispirited. The Elder flicked his sleeve and continued to speak to the rest of the new disciples, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll tell you about the floating island in the middle! That island is called the Five Elements Platform. It¡¯s the smelting area. As its name implies, it¡¯s a place for tempering one¡¯s body and improving one¡¯s cultivation realm and grade¡­¡±


    Originally, the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion were very curious about the island in the middle. They had long wanted to know where it was, but now they suddenly felt that they were not interested in it anymore. At this moment, only the other three groups of newcomers were listening with full attention.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Five Elements Formation on that island. It¡¯s called the Qian Metal Formation, the Xun Wood Formation, the Kan Water Formation, the Li Fire Formation, and the Kun Earth Formation. Each formation has its own special function for Body Refining Realm. If you think there¡¯s a bottleneck in your cultivation, you can choose to cultivate in a Body Refining Realm way. After each Body Refining Realm, you¡¯ll be able to cultivate better.¡±


    At this point, the Elder paused for a moment with a very serious look and continued, ¡°You can choose a suitable Five Elements Formation for yourselves to refine your body. It can be the Li Fire Formation or the Kan Water Formation. But remember, each formation has 12 levels of elements. The higher the level, the more powerful the element is. You just need to do what you have to do. Don¡¯t force yourself. Otherwise, you will be destroyed. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The crowd replied in unison.


    The Elder nodded and said, ¡°Also, don¡¯t try to drag the five formations of the elements to refine your body at the same time. Unless you have a super strong body, it will only destroy you. You know, in the past 100 years, only two disciples have been able to bear the power of the five elements at the same time!¡±


    Upon hearing this, many people turned to look at the floating island in the middle. There was a powerful undulation from the formation on it. However, it was already very terrifying in this place. If one wanted to lead the five formations¡¯ Mystic Power to temper one¡¯s body at the same time, unless one had an Undead Body, one would be courting death. Don¡¯t mention a small Nascent Soul Realm, even if it was someone of the Apotheosis Realm, under the attack by the five powerful formations, it was likely that one would be reduced to dust and smoke.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s one last thing!¡±


    The Elder suddenly bellowed coldly and then looked at Xiao Chen intentionally or unintentionally. He said coldly, ¡°In Cloud Mist Academy, there is no sword conversation for newcomers, so you can¡¯t beat others to go to the high-level area to cultivate. If you want to go to the high-level area, you have to get into the Mystic Sky Rankings first! Anyone who dares to take other areas by force will be imprisoned for a year!¡±


    After that, he flicked his sleeve and turned into a cloud and left.


    After the Elder left, everyone felt slightly more relaxed. Most of the people in Wind-heeding Pavilion lowered their heads in silence. Xu Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows were slightly knitted as she looked at Qin Tianyu and asked, ¡°What happened to you just now?¡±


    Qin Tianyu wanted to say something, but in the end, he grinned and said, ¡°Are you worried about me, Junior Sister Ling¡¯er?¡±


    Xu Ling¡¯er immediately glared at him. ¡°Bah! Shameless!¡±


    At this moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded not far away. ¡°You¡¯re Xiao Chen, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion looked up and saw a purple-clothed young man slowly walking over from the Purple Thunder Pavilion. He looked a little younger than Xiao Chen, but his eyes were particularly sharp, like the sharp edge of a needle that pierced through people¡¯s hearts.


    Xiao Chen looked over as well. He said placidly, ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°My name is Beigong Qin.¡± When the young man in purple spoke, he was already about three meters away from Xiao Chen. At this moment, the two looked at each other. For some unknown reason, the people nearby suddenly felt a sense of oppression. It was a kind of oppressive feeling from a strong person.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a newcomer this time. I¡¯m even later than you guys. But you can call me Senior Brother Beigong,¡± said Beigong Qin as he looked sharply at Xiao Chen.

 Chapter 524 - The Past of Shui Yue

    The atmosphere around him froze in an instant. By right, this person was younger than Xiao Chen, and had arrived later. He should be addressing Xiao Chen as Senior Brother. But he still made it very clear by turning up late, as if he was afraid that others did not know that he was intentionally out to provoke Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen became more alert. There was a different aura on this person, and he could not sense the depth of his cultivation at all. At this time, a senior disciple in the distance exclaimed, ¡°Is it Beigong Qin? The Beigong Qin who made it into the Earth Ranking list two days ago?¡±


    Beigong Qin hid the alert look in his eyes and smiled faintly. ¡°I heard that Junior Brother Xiao refused to come to our Purple Thunder Pavilion a few days ago?¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced behind him and did not see Jiang Qianqian and Yumu Shisan. They must have gone straight to the senior disciple¡¯s cultivation area, because of Baili Xiaohualuo.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    Beigong Qin smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t get me wrong. Senior Brother was just a little curious. Why did you choose to stay in a¡­ a place without any future?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s tone remained ice-cold.


    Beigong Qin shrugged and suddenly waved his hand in the air. The mist dissipated and three columns of light appeared in front of the Mystic Sky Pavilion. Everyone immediately looked in that direction and saw that the name Beigong Qin was listed in the 27th position on the Earth Ranking.


    ¡°It¡¯s real! It¡¯s him, Beigong Qin!¡±


    This time, all the senior disciples in the distance exclaimed aloud. A few days ago, they heard that a new person had made it to the top 36 positions of the Earth Ranking, which was unbelievable. Even the last cyan-badge disciple could not make it to the top 36 positions of the Earth Ranking, It was completely occupied by the last batch of purple-badge senior disciples. However, this white-badged new disciple had made it to the 27th ranking.


    This was incredible. One should know that from the 36th position and below, there were still a lot of purple-badge senior disciples, it was unbelievable that the Mystic Power of a newcomer could directly surpass that of many senior disciples.


    There were constant exclamations all around. This would really cause a great hoo-ha in the Cloud Mist Academy. This person would definitely attract the attention of the Three Perfected Immortal. He might even be able to defeat the first person on the Heaven Ranking List in the future. Of course, this was only because they did not understand how terrifying the powers of the first person on the Heaven Ranking List was, and that was why they had these thoughts.


    Beigong Qin took two steps forward, looked at Xiao Chen, then he smiled and said, ¡°Did you see that? You are much weaker than me, so it is not my fault that you have been forced out of the list. You don¡¯t have to be so hostile toward me. Even if I am not here, you will still be pushed out of the list¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you done talking¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s voice became a little gloomy.


    Beigong Qin smiled, looked at the two groups of newcomers, and said, ¡°Although you have been assigned to other areas, if you are willing to call me Senior Brother, then you can come to the area where I cultivate, at any time.¡±


    It would be best if they could go to the First-class Cultivation Area. Many youngsters of the Broken Sword Pavilion and the Moon-watch Hall agreed and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Beigong!¡±


    Xiao Chen finally understood that this person known as Beigong Qin, likely had the same purpose of coming to the Cloud Mist Academy. Beigong Qin smiled and looked at the people on his side. ¡°If you are willing to call me Senior Brother, then I will not stop you from coming to the first-class district to cultivate.¡±


    As soon as he said that, many people were tempted. After all, they had been to the first-class district, which was totally different from the fourth-class district. Especially for the few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, at the moment, their eyes were flickering, as if they were trying to weigh something.


    In their eyes, some of the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were even weaker than them in cultivation and qualification. Why should they be assigned to the fourth-class district? Was it because their teacher was Shui Yue and not the First Grandmaster?


    ¡°Haha.¡± Qin Tianyu sneered. ¡°Any one of you who wants to acknowledge him as your Senior Brother, can leave.¡± Then, he looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother Chen.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± The dozens of young boys and girls who had been following Xiao Chen all this while, spat at Beigong Qin. Then, they followed Xiao Chen and left.


    There were still some people who were hesitant, but in the end, they still followed after the group. Only a dozen Nascent Soul Realm disciples remained in the same place.


    Seeing that everyone had left, the dozen or so people cupped their hands toward Beigong Qin, smiled and said, ¡°Senior Brother Beigong, please take care of us from now on.¡±


    No one would laugh at them. This was how it was in the Cloud Mist Academy. It was almost impossible for them to survive alone. It was like a small scale Wastelands, which was the truth.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s group went to the teleportation formation. Along the way, there were still many senior disciples with cyan badges, talking about them. Most of the time, they were talking about what Shui Yue did, and how useless she was.


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists tightly. He did not want to argue with this group of people. Many young boys and girls behind him lowered their heads and said nothing. They did not understand before, but now they finally understood. It turned out that the previous disciples from Wind-heeding Pavilion were all looked down upon by others. They were the worst¡­


    When they were nearing the teleportation formation, a man wearing a purple badge suddenly appeared. Seeing the disciple who was 2 batches before them, all the new people in the Wind-heeding Pavilion were stunned. Xiao Chen frowned. The earlier incident had made him detest these senior disciples. He said coldly, ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    The man smiled gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Junior Brother. I¡¯m your Senior Brother and I¡¯m the disciple of the Third Grandmaster.¡±


    Hearing that he was Shui Yue¡¯s disciple, Xiao Chen was a little surprised. Then he felt sad. He had just been despised by the disciples of several grandmasters along the way. Now he finally met someone from his side.


    The man smiled and sighed again. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand the Third Grandmaster, Master. It¡¯s not that she does not care about you. She is not so bad. When compared to the Second and Fourth Grandmasters, she is even more¡­ It¡¯s just that now, she¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, the man took a deep breath and said, ¡°Remember what the Elder told you, that in the past 100 years, there have been two people who could withstand the tempering of the Five Elements Array Body Refining Realm at the same time? The first one was Ye Cangming. There is nothing to say. The second one is the disciple of the Third Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± All the new disciples were shocked. Xiao Chen was also stunned. ¡°Has Shui Yue taught such a powerful person?¡±


    The man nodded and said, ¡°He is naturally inferior to Ye Cangming, but that person was indeed the most outstanding at that time. At that time, no one could surpass him, including those senior disciples.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned and said to the crowd of newcomers, ¡°You go up first. I¡¯ll come over later.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Brother Chen, hurry up.¡±


    After everyone left, Xiao Chen made an obeisance by cupping his fists and said, ¡°How should I address you, Senior Brother?¡± The man smiled and said, ¡°My surname is He. You can call me Senior Brother He.¡±


    ¡°Well, Senior Brother He, could you please tell me what happened to that person? What is his name?¡± Xiao Chen felt that things were a little unusual.


    The man sighed and shook his head. ¡°That was many years ago. There was no record of his name in the Cloud Mist Academy. Moreover, the name that he left on the Mystic Sky Rankings was ranked second back then. However, it has already been erased¡­¡±


    ¡°Erased?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned and immediately realized what was going on. Baili had told him that even if anyone leaves the Cloud Mist Academy after he had completed his training, the names would still be kept in the Mystic Sky Rankings until that person was kicked out or dropped off the list. If his name had been erased, it must mean that this person had been expelled. Since he was so outstanding, why would he be expelled?


    Mr. He shook his head and said, ¡°It happened a long time ago, and it¡¯s hard to talk about it now.¡± Speaking of which, he smiled and said, ¡°But you have to believe in the Third Grandmaster, she is still very great.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. ¡°Thank you for telling me, Senior Brother He.¡±


    After the two of them bid each other farewell, Xiao Chen returned to the training area. The new disciples saw his return and noticed that he seemed to be preoccupied. They asked, one after another, ¡°Is there anything wrong, Brother Chen?¡±


    Xiao Chen came to his senses and said with a smile, ¡°Nothing.¡± He sat back in his seat and said to the crowd, ¡°Remember, although the Third Grandmaster does not come to see us often, she will never give up on us.¡±


    Everyone nodded and said, ¡°Yes! We must win honors for the Third Grandmaster!¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and lowered his head again. He was lost in thought. When he saw Shui Yue that morning, she had asked him why he did not go to the First Grandmaster¡¯s place. At that moment, she seemed to look at him with a strange look in her eyes, as if she was talking to another person.


    But now, she did not like managing disciples. Sometimes it was more like a kind of¡­ an unclear feeling. Was the reason why she became like this, because of the person that Senior Brother He mentioned just now?


    While he was deep in thought, there was a sudden rumbling of thunder in the distance. The crowd looked up and saw fire columns on the floating island in the middle island, shooting up to the sky. In the air, the person who was wrapped in flames, was Beigong Qin from before.


    Streaks of raging flames charged at him. Each blow was comparable to a strike from a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, and he had to bear such high temperatures. He was going through the Body Refining Realm with the Li Fire Formation of the Five Elements Formation!


    Many senior disciples were about to leave, but when they heard the strange noises behind them, they turned around again. On the Five Elements Platform, fire pillars entwined Beigong Qin¡¯s body, like fire dragons. However, Beigong Qin remained unfazed and protected his vital points with True Energy.


    ¡°Body Refining Realm! He¡¯s doing the Body Refining Realm!¡±


    Many people exclaimed. They had never heard of a rookie who did Body Refining Realm of the Five Elements Formation on the first day of his arrival. Many people were stunned and looked at the fire pillars on the Five Elements Platform. ¡°He must have reached the sixth level of the Body Refining Realm, right?¡±


    ¡°Using Level 6 Li Fire Formation to do the Body Refining Realm¡­ no wonder this person is able to make it to the 27th spot in the Earth Ranking. We are not on the same level as him. Ugh¡­¡±


    Moments later, the fire pillars finally subsided until they were completely withdrawn into the Li Fire Formation. Beigong Qin was still suspended in midair. He looked completely unscathed at this moment, causing many senior disciples to marvel at him. ¡°He managed to refine with the Level 6 Li Fire Formation for half an hour without getting hurt. Is he¡­ an Undead Body?¡±


    However, before everyone could finish speaking, Beigong Qin smiled faintly again. He stretched out his hand and shot a stream of Mystic Power at the Kan Water Formation. Immediately, the element of the Kan Water Formation was drawn over by the Mystic Power.


    ¡°What!¡±


    This time, the exclamations of the crowd became even louder. It was already very difficult to undergo the complete Body Refining Realm. This person was actually going to do it twice in a row! Moreover, it was two completely different formations, made of water and fire!

 Chapter 525 - Body Refining Realm with Five Elements

    Several water columns shot up into the sky and transformed into countless water dragons that charged at Beigong Qin. The water froze into ice and at the same time, countless sharp ice blades slashed at him. The surging Mystic Power of the formation was so terrifying that even those who were thousands of feet away, could feel its power. However, Beigong Qin continued to hold on for 15 minutes and did not seem to be injured at all.


    Everyone gasped. Was he a monster? It was a known fact that the Five Elements Formation would increase its Mystic Power according to the cultivation of the person who was doing the Body Refining Realm. Although it was not withstanding the impact of the Mystic Power of the five formations at the same time, this person still looked relaxed, even after facing two completely different Body Refining Realm. Was he over exaggerating it? Even many old disciples could not do that.


    However, before the crowd could recover from the shock, Beigong Qin once again sent out a stream of Mystic Power toward the Kun Earth Formation. The crowd immediately went wild. ¡°He will still continue!¡±


    The exclamations from all directions were continuous. The huge Mystic Power of the formation also alarmed the senior disciples in other areas, as well as the elders of the Cloud Mist Academy. At this moment, they all sensed that the five elements formation in the newcomer area had already been induced three times in a row.


    However, it was not over. After the Kun Earth Formation, Beigong Qin continued to direct a Mystic Power at the Qian Metal Formation. At last, it was the Xun Wood Formation. He did the Body Refining Realm in every formation of the Five Elements Formation perfectly. But at the moment, he looked a little tired, but was not hurt in any way.


    The new and senior disciples had long been dumbstruck. In the past 20 to 30 years, it seemed that there had never been such a genius. For a time, even those senior disciples, including a few former disciples wearing purple badges, were all looking at Beigong Qin differently. Even if they were Senior Brothers, they still looked at Beigong Qin with respect.


    In the past 100 years, there had only been two geniuses in the Cloud Mist Academy. The first one was Ye Cangming, who was ranked first on the Heaven Board. He was the most extraordinary person in the Cloud Mist Academy in 3,000 years. No one, including many Elders, had ever seen him.


    The second person was a person who had suddenly disappeared 30 to 40 years ago. There were even fewer people who knew of this person. No one knew whose disciple he was, not even his name. This person was like a mystery, but he did exist.


    Now, there was Beigong Qin. Although he was unable to go through the Body Refining Realm from the five formations at the same time like the other two, he was just a newcomer who had just arrived 3 days ago. His future should be limitless.


    At this moment, the expressions of many seniors disciples had totally changed. Some of them had the intention to draw him over to their side, while others felt that they were a joke. They had wanted to suppress the newcomer before, but now that he was here, how could they do that?


    There were also a few senior disciples wearing purple badges, who were frowning. With this person present, how could they collect the Mystic Stone every month, in the future? Perhaps they had to find the Senior Brother on the Heaven Ranking List to suppress this person.


    At the same time, many Elders in front of the mountain were also alarmed. They saw the situation in the newcomer area through the virtual image transmission formation. They all nodded and stroked their beards. ¡°This child is the most promising person in the past 20 or 30 years. No wonder he can enter the top 36 of the Earth Ranking. In time to come, he will definitely be ranked on the Heaven Ranking. Tsk tsk tsk, a newcomer on the Heaven Ranking.¡±


    In the Purple Thunder Pavilion, First Grandmaster Lei Yan was also staring at the image on the virtual image transmission formation. Beside him, a teal-robed elder smiled and said, ¡°Congratulations, First Elder. You have obtained this superb talent.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lei Yan continued to stare at the image, nodding his head slightly. The performance of Beigong Qin did surprise him, but for some reason, he still felt that something was missing. Just what exactly was missing?


    His eyes involuntarily moved to the fourth-class district, and his eyebrows became more and more furrowed.


    ¡°Brother Chen, that person seems to be quite capable,¡± Qin Tianyu said, as he stood beside Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Chen nodded and frowned. This person¡¯s physique was indeed very strong, and his cultivation was also very pure, which was beyond his previous expectations.


    On the Five Elements Platform, Beigong Qin landed slowly on the ground. With a faint smile on his face, he had done the Body Refining Realm five times in a row, perfectly. He did not know why he did this. Maybe he just wanted to shock the senior disciples, but he could not figure out the other reason.


    ¡°Junior Brother Beigong is indeed powerful. Although we were here first, we are ashamed. After being here for so many years, we are still not as good as you.¡±


    At this time, there were more than a dozen senior disciples who had arrived at the vicinity of the Five Elements Platform, on their flying swords. They congratulated Beigong Qin, one after another. Beigong Qin smiled and did not seem to be very humble. He said, ¡°It is a pity that I can¡¯t draw the power of the five formations at the same time. However, if you give me another three years, it may be possible.¡±


    After hearing this, although they felt that this statement might be too arrogant, they naturally had to go with his words, since they were here to draw him over to their side. They smiled and said, ¡°With Junior Brother Beigong¡¯s talent, it is a possibility. At that time, we will have to rely on you, haha!¡±


    Beigong Qin smiled faintly. He could not help but feel a sense of superiority in his heart. This was strength. When other newcomers came to the Cloud Mist Academy, they would only be suppressed by the senior disciples. However, when he came to the Cloud Mist Academy, he was able to make them speak to him with respect.


    With a smile, Beigong Qin said placidly, ¡°Senior Brothers, you are too modest. Naturally, the Purple Thunder Pavilion¡¯s strength is beyond doubt. It is not a place that any random person can enter. A useless master can only teach a group of useless disciples¡­¡± In the end, he looked in Xiao Chen¡¯s direction.


    ¡°This bastard, he is too arrogant!¡± Many people on the side of Wind-heeding Pavilion clenched their fists so tightly that their bones creaked. The useless master that Beigong Qin referred to was obviously Shui Yue, and they were the useless disciples.


    A lot of senior disciples on the other side also looked over. They knew that Beigong Qin was trying to win people over, but the people on the side of the Wind-heeding Pavilion were very stubborn. Naturally, they angered him, so it was not surprising for him to make such sarcastic remarks.


    In addition, in recent years, the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion had always been the worst. Not a single one of them had made the Earth Ranking. Naturally, they had become the laughing stock of many people. At this time, many people were talking about it.


    ¡°Hey! With someone like the Third Grandmaster, what kind of good disciples could she produce? In that year, there seemed to be a person who pretended to be strong and ran up to the Five Elements Platform. In the end, he almost lost his life. That person was from the Wind-heeding Pavilion, right?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? Those from the Wind-heeding Pavilion do not have any abilities, and yet they do not want to be disrespected. With the Third Grandmaster¡¯s ability? Puff! What else does she have other than being good-looking? It is better for a good-looking woman like her to go¡­ Heh heh.¡±


    The discussions around them grew louder. Some of the senior disciples from the Wind-heeding Pavilion who had come to see the newcomers, lowered their heads silently at this moment. They were powerless to refute, even though they had been on the receiving end of supercilious looks over the past few years.


    On the other side of the fourth class zone, the new people of the Wind-heeding Pavilion also lowered their heads. Xiao Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles creaked. At this moment, when he heard those people¡¯s gossip about Shui Yue, he only felt that it was very harsh. He did not know why it was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Body Refining Realm¡­¡± Xiao Chen said gloomily. He got up and was about to fly to the middle Five Elements Platform. Chu Qi stopped him. ¡°Lor¡­ Senior Brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Xiao Chen raised his hand. His cultivation was not very pure now. Perhaps it was not a bad thing to go to the Five Elements Platform to do the Body Refining Realm. Thinking of this, he leaped up and flew to the Five Elements Platform.


    There was a protective barrier around the Five Elements Platform. Xiao Chen directly broke through the Barrier and landed on the ground. Many people in the distance saw that someone was going up again, and it was someone from the Wind-heeding Pavilion. The gossips started again.


    ¡°Hey, another disciple of the Wind-heeding Pavilion!¡±


    ¡°It seems to be Xiao Chen?¡±


    On the Five Elements Platform, Beigong Qin looked at Xiao Chen and said placidly, ¡°Why? Junior Brother Xiao, are you also here to try? But Senior Brother has to remind you, I had sensed it thoroughly just now that among the five big formations, Qian Metal Formation is the most¡­¡±


    ¡°Stand a distance away, so that it will not hurt you.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s tone was flat and indifferent. He did not even look at him. After saying that, he ignored him and leaped up to the platform.


    ¡°Is he really going to do the Body Refining Realm?¡± Many people in the distance were talking non-stop. After the impact just now, they were not so surprised now. However, Beigong Qin was someone who was able to make it to the 27th place on the Earth Ranking, while Xiao Chen was a person who was forced out of the list. There was no comparison between the two at all.


    However, before the crowd could finish speaking, Xiao Chen had already drawn the elemental Mystic Power of the Kan Water Formation over. Numerous water columns rushed toward him, and countless ice blades were also flying and slashing at him. The terrible force was raging. Many people gasped and said, ¡°He did it too!¡±


    On the other side of the fourth class area, dozens of teenagers also unclenched their fists and cheered loudly, ¡°Good job, Brother Chen! Good job!¡±


    Beigong Qin frowned slightly and smiled coldly. Just as everyone was in the midst of talking about it, Xiao Chen suddenly directed a stream of Mystic Power toward the Xun Wood Formation. Instantly, the horrifying power of the Xun Wood Formation¡¯s elemental essence was drawn over by him.


    ¡°What!¡±


    This time, everyone cried out in surprise. The amount of energy required to drag the two formations to Body Refining Realm at the same time was not just the sum of the energy. The expression of Beigong Qin changed for the first time. Even he had to think twice before he could endure the power of the two formations at the same time. However, this person in front of him had actually done it with ease.


    Just as everyone was exclaiming, suddenly, the elemental force of the Kun Earth Formation charged at Xiao Chen. The entire Five Elements Platform, along with the other four cultivation islands, began to tremble slightly at this moment.


    ¡°Using three formations for the Body Refining Realm at the same time!¡±


    At this moment, everyone seemed to be going mad. They could not believe what they saw, but it was true. Beigong Qin¡¯s face finally changed completely. He frowned and muttered to himself, ¡°How¡­ how could it be possible¡­¡±


    On the other side of the fourth class zone, the cheers of the new recruits were deafening. Chu Qi, who had always been expressionless, frowned at this moment. Some of the senior disciples of Wind-heeding Pavilion standing in the distance, could not believe what they saw at this time. To use three formations to Body Refining Realm at the same time was not something they even dared to think about.


    The Mystic Power of the three formations was more than just a stack of forces. At this moment, the horrifying energy was raging, and the wind was a gale between heaven and earth. The horrifying Mystic Power quickly spread throughout the entire Misty Mountain.


    All the disciples of the Heaven Ranking List who were cultivating in their cave houses, as well as those elders who were comprehending the Immortality Spell in the cave residences, felt this power at this moment. They all opened their eyes at the same time.


    However, no one noticed that the mysterious cloud above the Five Elements Platform, which looked like a bottomless whirlpool, was being pulled by the power of the three formations at the moment. It seemed to become more and more weird, as if it was going to devour the entire Mist Mountain.


    It seemed that he fell just a little bit short.

 Chapter 526 - Heartshaking

    The ferocious force of the elemental essence of the formation slammed into the space. Many people retreated into the distance, only to see Xiao Chen hovering above the Five Elements Platform and enduring the force of the three formations at the same time. The veins on his face stood out, and his bones felt as if they were about to be crushed.


    He was in great pain at the moment, but he did not endure it in vain. In order to withstand the huge power, every inch of his bones and muscles were constantly increasing, and his Mystic Power was becoming purer and purer.


    The crowd had long lost it. However, just as they were about to lose their composure, Xiao Chen slowly extended his hand toward the Qian Metal Formation. At this moment, everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically. ¡°He is still going to draw the fourth formation! He will surely die!¡±


    Everyone cried out in shock as if they were going crazy. They did not believe that anyone could withstand the attacks from the four formations at the same time.


    On the other side of the fourth-class zone, the teenagers also became very nervous. Even the face of Chu Qi changed. She had already felt the terrifying power of the Five Elements Platform. If it were her, she would be exterminated as soon as she got close to it.


    Beigong Qin¡¯s expression changed as well. He leaped backward and flew a few dozen feet away on his flying sword. Earlier, he could barely hold on to the edge of the Five Elements Platform, but now that Xiao Chen was trying to draw the forces of the four formations at the same time, he could no longer stay on it. Otherwise, he would not be able to withstand the shock of the remaining energy.


    At this moment, the veins on Xiao Chen¡¯s face were bulging, and there was a trace of resentment in his eyes. Perhaps it was because he did not entirely want the Body Refining Realm, or perhaps it was because those people had scoffed at Shui Yue earlier.


    ¡°Uh-ah!¡±


    With a deep bellow, Xiao Chen finally managed to draw the elemental Mystic Power of the Qian Metal Formation over as well. Immediately, the earth quaked and the clouds began rolling across the sky. The Terrifying Mystic Power appeared layer after layer. Even the crowd a thousand feet away could feel the suffocating sensation. They hastily retreated further away.


    The Mystic Power made everyone tremble in fear. No one dared to believe that they were looking at this scene with their own eyes. The legends about the two people who could resist the attacks of five formations at the same time in the Cloud Mist Academy were just legends. No one had ever seen it. But now, they saw someone who could withstand four formations at the same time with their own eyes.


    At this moment, the four forces of the formations had quickly spread throughout the Mist Mountain. The senior disciples who were cultivating were shocked. Many people immediately took out their flying swords and rushed to the area of the newcomer. When they saw Xiao Chen hanging above the Five Elements Platform, and who was performing the Body Refining Realm with the four formations, they were all shocked.


    ¡°Swoosh swoosh!¡± Two beams of sword radiance landed on a green peak in the back mountain. It was Jiang Qianqian and Yumu Shisan. Following after, another two rays of sword radiance descended. They were Baili Xiaohualuo and another cyan-robed man.


    The four of them revealed similar expressions of surprise, when they saw the scene in front of them. Baili Xiaohualuo immediately narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s him¡­¡±


    After a short moment of surprise, the cyan-robed man showed a slight cynical smile and said slowly, ¡°I have been here for almost ten years, and I have not seen anyone who can do the Body Refining Realm with four of the Five Elements Formation at the same time. But since it is so, why not lead the Li Fire Formation over? Will that not be perfect?¡±


    Jiang Qianqian frowned, thought for a while, and finally said, ¡°He seems to be very afraid of fire, but¡­ but he is particularly proficient in the fire-style magic spell.¡±


    Until now, she still had memories of the Wastelands Sword Tryout, when she was trapped in the terrible fire pillar of the opponent. She still felt that it was terrifying. If it had been a real fight against the enemy, she would have died.


    ¡°Oh? Both afraid of fire and yet skilled in fire skills. This is really interesting. In that case¡­¡± The cyan-robed man gave an insinuating smile. As he spoke, his finger had already begun to form a seal toward the distant Five Elements Platform.


    On the Five Elements Platform, Xiao Chen came under the attack of four formations at the same time, which was the limit of his strength. Even if he was reckless, he still had a sense of propriety. He would never dare to pull the Li Fire Formation over. If the Li Fire Formation was drawn over, it would turn him into ashes.


    However, just as he was thinking, the Li Fire Formation suddenly moved, followed by a burst of fire. Xiao Chen was shocked and immediately realized that someone was controlling the Li Fire Formation. However, it was impossible to escape. If he suddenly stopped and left, he would be destroyed by the four forces from the formations.


    On top of the mountain, Baili Xiaohualuo was also surprised. He quickly said to the man in cyan beside him, ¡°What are you doing? Stop!¡±


    ¡°Oh? It seems that I can¡¯t stop now,¡± the man in cyan said, with a smile. He looked relaxed as he spoke. He looked at the Five Elements Platform and seemed to find it very interesting.


    On the Five Elements Platform, a few terrifying fire pillars burst from the Li Fire Formation and rushed directly toward Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was shocked. ¡°Sh*t, I¡¯m in big trouble this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, the five formations were finally induced at the same time. Suddenly, the Mystic Power spread all over the sky, as if the whole Mist Mountain was shaking violently, and the huge strange cloud in the sky seemed to spin wildly.


    Terrifying flames engulfed Xiao Chen¡¯s entire body in an instant. On the other side of the fourth-class zone, all the teenagers shouted, ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    Chu Qi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She was able to detect that Xiao Chen¡¯s expression had changed at the last moment. He was definitely not the one who had drawn the formation over.


    She narrowed her eyes. Chu Qi saw Baili Xiaohualuo and the others on the distant green mountain, and her eyes immediately turned extremely cold.


    The crowd nearby was already in a chaotic state. This kind of shocking scene was something they had never seen in their lives. At this moment, the fluctuations of the Mystic Power of the five formations finally made the three Spiritual Masters in the depths of the Mist Mountain, alarmed. They were Perfected Immortal Chongyang, Perfected Immortal Qingxu, and Perfected Immortal Zihui.


    The faces of the Three Perfected Immortals changed. ¡°Oh no! Someone induced the five formations at the same time!¡± Before they finished speaking, the three turned into three beams of light and went over to the newcomer area of the Back Mountain at the same time.


    On the Five Elements Platform, the Mystic Power of the five formations was surging. The terrible power seemed to be out to destroy everything nearby. Everyone was stunned. No one believed that Xiao Chen would survive. In the distance, Beigong Qin¡¯s face had already turned pale. Five formations. Someone who was able to withstand the attacks of five formations at the same time. In the past 3,000 years, there were only two people from the Cloud Mist Academy¡­


    The crowd exclaimed. The next moment, a strange scene appeared again. The fire pillars were quickly disappearing. No, they were not disappearing, but being sucked into Xiao Chen¡¯s body.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on? He can actually absorb the elemental energy of the Li Fire Formation into his body!¡±


    This time, everyone was really going crazy. They saw the most bizarre thing happening. What kind of person was able to absorb the elemental energy of the five formations? And it was the most violent Li Fire Formation! Even the legendary two could only withstand the power of the five formations, right? How could someone absorb the elemental energy into his body!


    The dazzling red fire pillars were indeed being sucked into Xiao Chen¡¯s body. However, this was only what everyone saw. In fact, at this moment, a burst of cynical laughter rang in Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. ¡°Li Fire or whatever, it¡¯s my favorite.¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. Fortunately, Li Xie saved him this time. It was the formation spirit of the Flames of the Southern Vermilion Bird, that was absorbing these fire elements. Last time, Xiao Chen used the Sword of the Vermillion Bird to deal with the Corpse Refinery Sect. Later, he did not have time to send the sword back to the Southern Vermilion Valley, so he stored it in the Divine Vessel.


    However, since it belonged to Li Xie, he could not take it out like his other weapons and use it casually. Since Li Xie had attached a spirit to the sword, would it not be a breeze for it to absorb these ordinary Li fire?


    Therefore, the current situation was that Xiao Chen had only induced four formations. He did not need to bear the power of the Li Fire Formation at all. Moreover, the Mystic Power of the Li Fire Formation would not merge with the other four formations. Otherwise, even if he was not afraid of the fire, he would be reduced to ashes.


    Although there was only one Formation difference between the five formations and the four formations, there was a huge difference in their strength. He could not withstand that for the time being.


    Moments later, the elemental force that burst from the Li Fire Formation was being absorbed. The fire gradually subsided, and the Mystic Power from the other four formations too. However, Xiao Chen stood in the air, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Monster! Monster!¡±


    Countless people exclaimed and looked at Xiao Chen as if he was a monster. In the distance, the three Spiritual Masters stood in the air. Perfected Immortal Zihui said, ¡°Fortunately, the five formations were not really induced at the same time. I guess he must have some magic treasure on him. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    With that, the three Perfected Immortals left silently. The dark, swirling vortex of clouds in the sky also seemed to have calmed down, because the five formations came to a halt. It was as if nothing had happened.


    Xiao Chen slowly landed on the ground. Although he was not injured, he had almost run out of True Energy. He could not even return to the fourth district on his flying sword.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± A figure appeared in a flash. It was Chu Qi. Chu Qi gently held him and whispered, ¡°Senior¡­ Senior Brother, let¡¯s go. Ahem.¡±


    When they reached the edge of the platform, Xiao Chen looked at Beigong Qin, who was not far away and saw that his face had paled and he did not look too good. He smiled faintly and asked, ¡°Are you all right, Junior Brother?¡±


    Beigong Qin squeezed his fingers and said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of having a strong physique? I will wait for the day you will kick me down!¡±


    ¡°Kick you down? I¡¯m sorry, you are 27th in the Earth Ranking. I am not interested in doing that. Help me up, Chu Qi.¡±


    Without saying a word, Chu Qi put her left hand around his waist and her right hand on his arm. With a kick of her feet, she took him to the island in the fourth zone.


    ¡°Are you all right, Brother Chen?¡± The dozens of youngsters led by Qin Tianyu immediately ran up to him. Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    The crowd was still in a heated discussion for a long time, before they finally left, one after another. This time, Xiao Chen was afraid that he would be well-known in the Cloud Mist Academy. Of course, there would also be people who thought that he had used a magic treasure for the final Li Fire Formation. Although the final strength was indeed very strong, it did not look as if the power of the five formations had been induced at the same time.


    At this moment, in the Purple Thunder Pavilion, Lei Yan had used the Transmitting Formation and witnessed everything that had happened. His expression grew even gloomier, as he finally understood what was missing.


    At this time, all the other three old men lowered their heads and said nothing. It was a pity that they did not manage to bring Xiao Chen to the Purple Thunder Pavilion. Even ten Beigong Qins were not as good as one Xiao Chen.


    Even though they could tell that Xiao Chen did not resist the final Li Fire Formation with his own strength, it was already a one-in-100-year thing, to be able to withstand the refinement of four formations at the same time.


    The teal-robed elder lowered his voice and said, ¡°First Elder, what do you think we should do now? This boy is unusual. Could it be¡­¡±


    Lei Yan¡¯s face was very gloomy. He knew that it was Xiao Chen¡¯s own choice to refuse to come to the Purple Thunder Pavilion that day. At this moment, he was focused and silent, as if he was thinking about something.

 Chapter 527 - Cultivation Obstacle

    In the night, a crescent moon hung in the sky and it was curved like the arched eyebrow of a beautiful woman. In the courtyard, the wind blew the leaves and they rustled across the floor. Xiao Chen was bathing in the house. After going through Body Refining Realm today, he felt very tired, as if his True Energy had not been fully restored yet.


    No, in truth, it was not because his True Energy was not completely restored. Rather, his body had become stronger and was able to store even more and purer True Energy. Just like the bathtub that he was currently bathing in. If the bathtub had been double its size, then the water inside would only fill half of it, and that would not be enough for him to bathe in.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He knew that he had to refine his cultivation level as soon as possible, otherwise, he would be in such an inoperative state. He could not even make use of the strength that was available before. It was supposed to be a good thing, but it became a bad thing instead.


    Moreover, if this continued for a long time, his body would then adapt to the empty True Energy, and would slowly return to its previous state. If so, today¡¯s Body Refining Realm would have been in vain.


    Frowning, he thought, ¡°If only Bai Ying was here. She would surely think of a way to help me and even use all kinds of herbs to give me a medicated bath. But now¡­¡± Xiao Chen looked at the meagre amount of herbs floating in the water. These had been hastily picked by him on the island of Wind-heeding Pavilion on the way back this afternoon, while enduring the pain.


    ¡°Alas¡­ changing a master is like changing from a biological mother to a stepmother¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed. In the past, when he was in Three Pure Sect, Bai Ying had always been there for him. Now in the Cloud Mist Academy, he had created such a hoo-ha in the newcomer area and almost lost his life. However, after returning in the afternoon, Shui Yue did not even come to look in on him. To think that he was so angry, when she had been mocked by others.


    For some reasons, Xiao Chen felt a little aggrieved. If it had been any of the other three grandmasters, if their disciples made such a big hoo-ha in the newcomers¡¯ district, they might turn up at the newcomers¡¯ district in person. As for Shui Yue¡­ why was she like this?


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen sighed again. Now, he finally knew how great Bai Ying was. But back then, he did not even address her as master¡­ and did not even address her nicely.


    While he was sighing, there were light footsteps in the corridor outside the house. The footsteps stopped at the door. Xiao Chen picked up the towel on the bathtub and covered his body. He said, ¡°Come in, Chu Qi.¡±


    ¡°Creak!¡± The door opened and Chu Qi came in with a stack of clean clothes. After putting them on the table next to the bathtub, she turned around and wanted to leave. Xiao Chen called to her. ¡°Wait, you stay here first.¡±


    Chu Qi stopped in her tracks and turned around again. She said placidly, ¡°I can kill someone on behalf of you, Lord, but I won¡¯t¡­¡± In the end, her voice gradually tapered off.


    Xiao Chen turned his head and looked at her in a strange manner. ¡°I did not ask you to kill anyone. I am just saying that I was not the one who induced the Li Fire Formation today. Did you see who did it? I bet that Beigong Qin did not even have the guts to do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi pursed her lips and said, ¡°I saw Baili Xiaohualuo.¡±


    ¡°Baili Xiaohualuo?¡± Xiao Chen frowned. Then he hit the edge of the bathtub with his palm, which almost cracked it. He said resentfully, ¡°He wanted to kill me. I knew that bastard had no good intentions from the start!¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao Chen stopped her and said, ¡°Be careful these few days. Also, I am going to enter into cultivating mode completely. I will leave Yang Qing to you.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen took out a few jade notes from his Divine Vessel and said, ¡°This is a Spiritual message jade note. If Yang Qing and the others have any news, they will send a message through the jade note from their side.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi took the jade note and was about to leave, when Xiao Chen stopped her again and said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other orders, Lord?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xiao Chen touched his head and said bashfully, ¡°Well¡­ can you, can you, um¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Chu Qi said coldly. Then she immediately turned around and left.


    ¡°Ah! Chu Qi, wait! Don¡¯t get me wrong!¡± Xiao Chen immediately stopped her and said with a smile, ¡°I just want to say, can you¡­ lend me your ten Mystic Stones first?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely return it!¡± Xiao Chen immediately added. He had no choice now. He always felt that something big was about to happen in the future, but his 10 Mystic Stones were not enough. His position on the Earth Ranking had also been pushed down. The next time he would be receiving the Mystic Stones would be at least a month later, but he could not wait anymore.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi moved her lips gently. She then took out eight Mystic Stones from her Divine Vessel and placed them on the table. She said, ¡°I used two of them earlier.¡± After that, she walked out of the house.


    ¡°I will definitely return it to you!¡± Xiao Chen shouted from behind. However, Chu Qi had already left. He always felt that it was a little embarrassing to ask a girl for something.


    The next morning, Xiao Chen regained some of his energy upon waking up, but he still felt a little tired. Probably because he had over exerted himself yesterday, but he still had to go to the training area in the back mountain today. Although the Spiritual Qi in the fourth district was not as good as the qi in the first and second district, it was still better than nothing.


    Chu Qi had been waiting at the gate of the courtyard. Today, she was wearing a light purple dress. The sunlight seemed to cast a faint purple halo over her.


    ¡°Morning, Chu Qi.¡± Xiao Chen walked over and greeted her.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Chu Qi nodded slightly, without even looking back.


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. Even though they had known each other for such a long time and were now living in the same courtyard, it seemed that the two of them did not have much to say to each other. If he had known earlier, he would have asked Ziyun¡¯er to come with him. At least, the days would be more cheery.


    When they were about to go out, there was a sudden rush of footsteps coming from outside. A man dressed in white, came running in hurriedly, with several bags of medicine in his hand.


    ¡°Morning, Junior Brother Xiao.¡± The man greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Senior Brother¡­ What is the matter?¡± As he spoke, Xiao Chen glanced at the bags filled with herbs in his hand, out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Oh, here¡¯s the thing.¡± The man smiled and said, ¡°Yesterday, the Third Grandmaster saw you picking herbs on the island. Those herbs are not mature yet. The Third Grandmaster asked me to give these to you.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, thank you very much.¡± Xiao Chen smiled and took the man¡¯s medicine bag. The man smiled and said, ¡°Then I will not disturb you anymore, Junior Brother. Farewell.¡±


    After the man left, Xiao Chen looked at the medicine bag in his hand and handed it to Chu Qi with a smile. ¡°Put it in my room.¡±


    Next, the two of them went to the newcomer area in the back mountain. There was a short delay as the courtyard on Xiao Chen¡¯s side was some distance away from the living area of the others. Qin Tianyu and the other youths had already gone to the training area.


    Strictly speaking, today was the first day for the freshmen to formally start their cultivation. Yesterday, all the old disciples had already left. Xiao Chen went to the island of the fourth zone and saw the worried faces of the boys and girls. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, you are here. See for yourself¡­¡± Xu Ling¡¯er said, with a sad face.


    Xiao Chen immediately felt that the Spiritual Qi here was not as abundant as yesterday. He frowned and saw that the faint white mist around the island was slowly drifting over to the other three islands. Obviously, some of the Spiritual Qi here, had been absorbed by the other three districts.


    Qin Tianyu said, ¡°I have asked the other Senior Brothers. They said that because the Spirit Qi Gathering Spiritual Formation on the other three islands is relatively strong, as long as they use a little of spirit energy, it will end up like this. There is nothing they can do about it¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen clenched his fists and said, ¡°Okay, I know. You can calm down and cultivate first.¡±


    In the morning, Xiao Chen searched every corner of the island, but failed to find the location of the Spirit Qi-gathering Formation. It was useless, even if he was proficient in formations. The reason why the four islands had different effects was because the strength of the formations varied.


    A few days later, because the other three districts continuously plundered the Spiritual Qi, the Spiritual Qi in the fourth district became thinner and thinner. The hundreds of freshmen of Wind-heeding Pavilion were worried all day long. If this continued, they could not keep up with the other three districts¡¯ freshmen at all. It was undoubtedly more difficult for them to rush into the Mystic Sky Rankings.


    And these days, many people in the second and third districts would go to the first district to cultivate every day. As long as they addressed Beigong Qin as Senior Brother, they could cultivate for 2-4 hours in the first district. Some people even exchanged a Mystic Stone for one day¡¯s cultivation time. These days, Beigong Qin earned a lot of Mystic Stones because of this.


    On the side of Wind-heeding Pavilion, some people wanted to go to the first district to cultivate. However, this would undoubtedly be the greatest embarrassment for Xiao Chen, so they held back. However, a dozen Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would secretly go there, once a day.


    Xiao Chen was equally worried about this. If he wanted to lead everyone to the first district to train, he would have to at least be ranked higher than Beigong Qin on the Earth Ranking, if he wanted to get rid of Beigong Qin and his people. However, he only had 18 Mystic Stones now. It was very likely that he would lose more than he gained, if he used the Wisdom-forsaking Technique rashly.


    ¡°Brother Chen, why don¡¯t you enter the Human Ranking first? Otherwise, you will only be able to obtain ten Mystic Stones next month,¡± Qin Tianyu said with a frown.


    Xiao Chen frowned. Indeed, he had been pushed down on the Earth Ranking. There would not be any Mystic Stones for him to obtain every day. However, with his strength, it would not be difficult for him to enter the top three Human Ranking, but it was inevitable for others to look at him with disdain.


    The current situation was that Beigong Qin was earning Mystic Stones every day, but he was badly in need of them. His biggest obstacle now was the Mystic Stone.


    ¡°No! I need to think of a way to earn Mystic Stones!¡± Xiao Chen clenched his fists. As long as the Mystic Stones were given to him, he was confident that he could use the Wisdom-forsaking Technique and get into the Earth Ranking by the end of the month. As long as he surpassed Beigong Qin, he would be able to lead everyone to cultivate in the first area, next month.


    At dusk, the freshmen left the training area, one after another. Because the Cloud Mist Academy, like other sects, had to maintain the Spirit Gathering Spiritual Formation at night, the training area was not open at night.


    Along the way, Beigong Qin was talking and laughing with the others. In order to please him, many people addressed him as Senior Brother all the time. Xiao Chen was very annoyed. He quickened his pace and arrived at the mountain. When he reached the mountain, he saw Bai Ling, whom he had not seen for a long time, coming toward him.


    However, the expression on her face today seemed a little strange. It was very strange indeed.


    Xiao Chen thought about how she was afraid of hurting herself that day, but had ended up being tricked by him instead. It was quite interesting. He walked up to her and grinned cheekily, saying, ¡°Bai Ling¡­ Senior¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Suddenly, everyone in the surrounding area cried out in surprise.

 Chapter 528 - The Terrifying Bai Ling

    ¡°Bai Ling Senior¡­¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could finish speaking, Bai Ling, who was as stealthy as a shadow, hit his abdomen with her knee. Xiao Chen was caught completely off guard. He spat out a mouthful of blood and flew back several feet, breaking a big tree which was located in his path.


    ¡°Ou!¡±


    Everyone exclaimed, including the senior disciples passing by. Just now, Xiao Chen had been sent flying in an instant.


    ¡°Swish!¡± A cold light flashed. Chu Qi instantly took out her Full Moon Blade to counterattack. However, with a clanging sound, the Full Moon Blade was directly sent flying by a mere flick of Bai Ling¡¯s fingers, and was embedded into a big stone at the side.


    Chu Qi moved as fast as lightning, leaving a residual shadow with every step she took. Everyone around gasped. They did not expect that the ¡°junior sister¡± who had been following Xiao Chen all the time, seemed even more powerful than Xiao Chen.


    However, before everyone could react, Bai Ling stretched out her left hand. In an instant, she grasped Chu Qi¡¯s neck and lifted her in the air. The crowd was shocked again. ¡°When did Senior Sister Bai Ling become so powerful?¡±


    ¡°Chu Qi!¡±


    Xiao Chen gritted his teeth. Ignoring the pain in his body, he slammed his hands on the ground and his body turned into a ray of light that flew toward Bai Ling.


    Bai Ling¡¯s eyes turned cold, and a strange black light seemed to flash through her pupils. With a huge force, she threw Chu Qi directly out. At this time, Xiao Chen had rushed to her side. However, Bai Ling¡¯s figure flashed, leaving only a residual shadow behind. Her body, like a ghost, instantly moved behind him. She kicked him on the back and sent him flying.


    ¡°Ou!¡±


    This time, the crowd exclaimed even louder. Compared to a few days ago, Bai Ling¡¯s strength seemed to have increased by leaps and bounds. Many people exclaimed, ¡°Could it be that Senior Sister Bai Ling has already reached the middle stage of Nirvana Realm?¡±


    In the distance, Beijing Qin was also shocked. Was this Senior Sister Bai Ling? He had heard that Xiao Chen had defeated Bai Ling. He thought that her cultivation was not very good, but now he realized things were quite different now.


    He had wanted to meet this Senior Sister Bai Ling a few days ago, but now, he swallowed his saliva. He was afraid that he would not even be able to survive three blows from her.


    The young men from the Wind-heeding Pavilion also ran over and cried out in alarm, ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    Qin Tianyu extended his hand and blocked the group behind him. Right now, it was a battle between Nirvana Realm experts. If they went up, they would only be courting death.


    Xiao Chen landed on the ground and quickly adjusted his breathing, but he could not help being shocked. He had not seen Bai Ling for the past few days, so how could her cultivation have increased so much? Moreover, she seemed to have changed completely into a totally different person, and her moves had become so ruthless and decisive.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen did not bother about it. He shouted hurriedly, ¡°Unsullied!¡±


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± In an instant, the Unsullied Sword transformed into a hundred-foot-long ray of light and slashed at Bai Ling. The terrifying Sword Qi caused the surrounding trees and grass to shake, sending rubble flying everywhere. Everyone retreated far away, afraid that they would be unintentionally injured by the impact.


    Even as the Unsullied Sword was about to slash Bai Ling, she did not summon her Immortal¡¯s Sword. Her figure flashed and she actually dodged the attack of the Unsullied Sword in an instant. The next moment, she appeared in front of Xiao Chen and sent him flying with her knee.


    Even though Xiao Chen¡¯s Divine Sense was very sharp, he could not dodge this sudden blow. His surroundings were filled with exclamations. Since when had Bai Ling become so fast? She had changed into a completely different person!


    At this moment, the crowd was in constant discussion. ¡°No wonder I have not seen Senior Sister Bai Ling at the cultivation area in the past few days. It turns out that she is looking for an opportunity to avenge herself. This guy is going to get into trouble today!¡±


    ¡°Even if he can withstand the attacks from the four formations at the same time, after all, his Mystic Power is not as strong as Senior Sister Bai Ling. This time, he is done for¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, why does Senior Sister Bai Ling look so horrifying today? She seems to have turned into another person¡­¡±


    In midair, Xiao Chen was still being pushed backward by Bai Ling¡¯s knee. Although he did not know when Bai Ling became so strong, at this moment, he faintly felt a trace of¡­ Devil Qi from Bai Ling!


    Yes, Devil Qi!


    He was extremely sensitive to the aura of Devil Qi, Negative Qi, and Death Qi. He could not have sensed wrongly. At this moment, the whole of Bai Ling¡¯s body was suffused with a vague Devil Qi! However, the rest of the people could not sense it at all.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Chen suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed her left shoulder. This action pulled her collar down and revealed her collarbones. He narrowed his eyes and immediately saw that there were several shallow scars on her left shoulder. The Devil Qi was oozing out, bit by bit, from the wounds.


    With a cold look in her eyes, Bai Ling flipped backward in midair and kicked him away with one foot. ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, dust filled the sky and a small hill was smashed to pieces.


    However, before Xiao Chen could get up, Bai Ling had teleported to him in an instant. She put one knee on his chest and pressed him to the ground this time. At the same time, one hand held on to his shoulder, and the other hand pulled out a dagger, which had been strapped to her calf and she placed it against his neck.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Everyone around gasped. The speed and attack were so fierce that Xiao Chen did not even have a chance to fight back.


    At this moment, Bai Ling was half-kneeling on Xiao Chen¡¯s body. Her posture seemed to be a little ambiguous. Xiao Chen could even smell the faint fragrance from her body.


    Xiao Chen smiled. He looked at her snow-white thighs that were pressed against his chest, as well as her heaving chest. He smiled and said, ¡°Senior Sister Bai Ling, we don¡¯t have to do this. So many people are watching¡­¡±


    ¡°Swish!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the dagger in Bai Ling¡¯s hand had already stabbed his neck, and rivulets of blood flowed down along the blade.


    At this moment, the look in the Bai Ling¡¯s eyes was extremely cold. She was no longer the same person she was, a few days ago.


    ¡°Brother Chen!¡± The teen behind him exclaimed. Chu Qi moved and attacked again. Bai Ling¡¯s eyes were cold. With just a glare, both her eyes seemed to contain a horrifying power which directly sent Chu Qi flying.


    Seeing that she was going to kill him, Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Are you out of your mind today? Did you take the wrong medicine?¡±


    Bai Ling¡¯s eyes were very cold. ¡°Do you think I am joking with you? Mystic Stones! 3 from each of you this month! Otherwise, I will kill you today!¡±


    Her tone was very cold, as if she had completely changed into another person at this moment. Xiao Chen was suppressed by her and was completely defenseless, so he could not do anything. When the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion heard this, dozens of teenagers immediately ran up and quickly took out 3 Mystic Stones from their Divine Vessel.


    ¡°We will give it to you! Don¡¯t hurt Brother Chen!¡±


    Bai Ling did not speak anymore. She waved her sleeve and kept their Mystic Stones into the Divine Vessel. Then, she looked at the remaining disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion behind her. Her cold eyes were like sharp swords. The hundreds of people behind her did not dare to breathe. They immediately stepped forward and handed over 3 Mystic Stones.


    After collecting the Mystic Stones, Bai Ling got off from Xiao Chen¡¯s body. She gave him a cold look and said, ¡°You still have to hand it over next month!¡±


    After saying these cold words, Bai Ling turned around and walked away. Some of the senior disciples who were watching on the street saw this, and quickly made way for her. They did not even dare to greet her. Although Bai Ling did not like to speak much in the past, she was not as terrifying as she was today.


    The crowd continued to talk non-stop. Today, Bai Ling had changed a lot. The new members of Moon-watch Hall and the Broken Sword Pavilion were also scared. But they did not have to worry, because they had already handed their Mystic Stones to their other Senior Brothers. Bai Ling was not in charge of collecting the Mystic Stones from them.


    ¡°Senior Brother.¡± Chu Qi walked over and helped Xiao Chen up. The other boys and girls also ran to him and said, ¡°Brother Chen, are you okay?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his hand and continued to look in the direction where Bai Ling left. Why was she so abnormal today? And what was that Devil Qi emitting from her? When he fought with her before, there were no traces of Devil Qi on her at all. She should not have cultivated the Devilish Skill. What was going on¡­


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, you are not hurt, are you?¡± At this time, a sneering voice sounded behind him. It was Beigong Qin who walked over.


    Xiao Chen patted the dust off his clothes and shrugged as if he did not care. He sneered and said, ¡°Senior Sister Bai Ling smells so good. Her skin is so fine and her thighs are snowy white¡­¡±


    The senior disciples began to point at him. ¡°He is really shameless. If Senior Sister Bai Ling heard what he said, he will probably be beaten up again. I pitied him earlier, but now he seems to deserve what he got.¡±


    ¡°Hoho, then Junior Brother Xiao, you can continue to enjoy the beauty¡¯s embrace next month. Anyway, no one dares to come to my Purple Thunder Pavilion to collect the Mystic Stones. I don¡¯t care.¡± After saying this, Beigong Qin left with a loud laugh.


    The others gradually dispersed, but Xiao Chen slowly clenched his fists. Qin Tianyu said, ¡°Brother Chen, it is fine. At worst, we can give them 3 Mystic Stone every month from now on. When our cultivation rises and we can fight side by side with Brother Chen, we will not be afraid of them anymore.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen did not say anything. It was because when he was in the Violet Realm earlier, he could not protect the people around him, so he came to the Wastelands to learn. But now¡­ he needed strength! He needed strength!


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Seeing him clenching his fists tightly and saying nothing, Xu Ling¡¯er and Chu Xuanxuan also walked up to him, frowning slightly.


    ¡°Sister Chu Qi, are you all right?¡± Xu Ling¡¯er asked Chuqi.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Chu Qi said lightly.


    Xiao Chen released his grip and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your Mystic Stones will not have been given in vain. Give me some more time!¡±


    While speaking, Xiao Chen looked at the sunset glow in the sky. He now needed time and Mystic Stones. He did not want to use the Devil¡¯s Three Turns. They did not care too much about Immortals and Devils in Wastelands, so even if he used the Devil¡¯s Three Turns, the Cloud Mist Academy would not expel him.


    Moreover, if he used the Devil¡¯s Three Turns, he would not even be afraid of those who ranked in the top ten of the Heaven Ranking in the Cloud Mist Academy! However, he did not want to use that Devilish Skill. Every time he used it, he would become even more obsessed. When he thought of that time when he killed and set off a blood bath in Tianyuan City, his heart felt heavy. It seemed that the cries of the innocent would come to his dreams at night.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao! Haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    At this time, a man wearing a purple badge came over. Seeing that he looked a little beaten up, the man asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiao Chen did not seem to have seen this person before.


    The man smiled and said, ¡°I am Elder Wu¡¯s disciple. Just in time, Elder Wu wants you to go to the Mystic Sky Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°Go to the Mystic Sky Pavilion?¡± Xiao Chen frowned. Elder Wu was the strange old man who liked bananas. He was responsible for the distribution of the Mystic Sky Rankings and the Mystic Stones. Although the old man was very strange, Xiao Chen could not see through his cultivation.


    ¡°Heh heh!¡± The man was not as serious as the other senior disciples. He smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°In short, it is nothing bad!¡±

 Chapter 529 - Forbidden Area in the Back Mountain

    Seeing that he was being so mysterious, Xiao Chen frowned and said to Qin Tianyu and the others behind him, ¡°Then, you go back first.¡± Chu Qi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    After everyone left, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi followed the man to the Mystic Sky Pavilion. When they arrived at the Mystic Sky Pavilion, Xiao Chen looked at the rankings on the Earth Ranking. 27th place, Beigong Qin. He clenched his fists, and walked to the dark stone chamber without looking at it anymore.


    When they reached the stone chamber, the man cupped his fists and said, ¡°Elder, Junior Brother Xiao has arrived. I will take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, go¡­go.¡± Elder Wu¡¯s ghastly voice could be heard from within the stone chamber.


    After a while, Elder Wu walked out of the stone room. When he saw Xiao Chen¡¯s battered face, he stopped speaking, smiled and said, ¡°Oh? Did you get beaten up by someone?¡±


    Xiao Chen said grumpily, ¡°All thanks to Bai Ling. She is behaving as if she has gone mad today. She did not say anything as soon as she walked up to me. Instead, she sent me flying with her knees. From there to there¡­¡± He was measuring the distance as he spoke.


    Seeing that he was getting more and more agitated as he spoke, Elder Wu chuckled and said, ¡°Young man, don¡¯t get so worked up. Have a banana first.¡± He then took out a banana from behind him.


    ¡°Damn it! I don¡¯t know where her strength is from!¡± Xiao Chen was still chattering on. Then he looked at him suspiciously and asked, ¡°Elder, why did you ask me to come here?¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Elder Wu smiled and threw a small bag to him. It was quite heavy. Xiao Chen opened it and was stunned when he saw that it was full of Mystic Stones.


    He looked around warily as if he had committed a crime. Xiao Chen covered his mouth with his hand and said in a low voice, ¡°What do you mean? Let¡¯s make it clear that I will not carry out any acts of murder or arson!¡±


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t get so agitated.¡± Elder Wu stroked his beard and said with a smile, ¡°You deserve it.¡±


    ¡°I deserve it?¡± Xiao Chen did not quite understand. How could there be such a good thing as manna falling from the sky? Moreover, even if it fell, it did not fall on him every time.


    Elder Wu nodded and said, ¡°You are right. This is your reward for entering the Earth Ranking the last time. It was the first time and you managed to enter the top 72 of the Earth Ranking. The one-time prize is 100 Mystic Stones. The other 150 will be given if you are placed in the top 36 and another 150, if you are in the top 10 and top 3 placings. For each feat, you will get a prize.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ is it true?¡± Xiao Chen felt that happiness had come too suddenly. 100 Mystic Stones was enough for him to use the Wisdom-forsaking Technique.


    ¡°Yes, but remember, the first award for the following ranking must be received on the list. The first reward can be counted as your good fortune, as you were squeezed out of the list only after your rewards were counted out.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiao Chen did not say anything and put the Mystic Stone bag into the Divine Vessel. Then, he looked at the Mystic Sky Rankings, his eyes shining with a blazing light.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Elder. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Boy, since the old man asked to see you alone, of course¡­ ahem, ahem.¡±


    Well, Xiao Chen had expected that things would not be so simple. When he looked at Chu Qi, she immediately went to the teleportation formation without saying anything.


    Elder Wu led Xiao Chen into the room and said mysteriously, ¡°Last time you told me that you met¡­ a strange Illusory Beast when you entered the stone room?¡±


    Xiao Chen gave him a strange look. ¡°That¡¯s right. It smiled and then stuck its tongue out at me. Are all the Illusory Beasts here so weird?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Elder Wu coughed twice and moved closer to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ why don¡¯t you enter again and draw the Illusory Beast out?¡±


    ¡°Draw it out?¡± Xiao Chen hurriedly stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me. That thing can reduce me into meat puree with a single slap. By the way¡­ Is there something wrong with this Illusory Beast? Tell me honestly, what this Illusory Beast is?¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Elder Wu stroked his beard. ¡°There is no problem at all. It¡¯s probably¡­ probably that it has now gained its own mind. Ahem, that is it. There is no other problem. Right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Xiao Chen rolled his eyes. Even an idiot could tell that there was a problem from the expression on his face at the moment. He said, ¡°Forget it. I will see if I can help you when I come back to and get into the list at the end of the month. Now, I do not want to be on the Human Ranking.¡±


    Elder Wu pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. He stroked his beard and said, ¡°Very well. Remember, don¡¯t mention this matter to anyone else, understand?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh!¡± Xiao Chen chuckled wickedly. He rubbed his fingers together and said, ¡°Would you be willing to pay some money to seal my mouth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kick you to the air!¡±


    ¡°Then I will go to the city tomorrow and tell everyone there is a strange Illusory Beast here.¡±


    ¡°If you are tired of living, go ahead. No one will stop you.¡±


    After bickering for a while, Xiao Chen did not manage to get any benefits. In the end, he left. Before he left, Elder Wu frowned again, gave him a withering look and said, ¡°After staying in the Wind-heeding Pavilion for so many days, how do you feel about the Third Grandmaster?¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°What else? I have not seen her since she asked her disciples to send me a few packs of medicinal bath herbs last time. As for the other three grandmasters, their disciples will receive tests and training after returning from the training area in the afternoon. However, when the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion went back, they did not see Shui Yue-er at all.¡±


    When it was almost dark, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi returned to the island of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. At that time, dusk was falling, and it was dark everywhere. When they were about to return to the courtyard, Xiao Chen suddenly reached out his hand to stop Chu Qi and then made a gesture to her to keep quiet.


    The two looked in the direction of the courtyard, only to see several figures sneaking around outside. Xiao Chen¡¯s six senses were sharp, and he immediately saw that they were those several Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, among the new disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. He observed them for a while and saw that their actions were very sneaky, as if they wanted to do something, but at the same time, they were afraid.


    Those people wandered around for a while and seemed to be still afraid of something. They whispered to each other and then sneaked away into the distance.


    Xiao Chen frowned. After a while, he returned to the courtyard with Chu Qi. As soon as he returned to the courtyard, Chu Qi immediately became alert. Xiao Chen stretched out his Divine Sense and instantly scanned every corner of the front yard, but found nothing unusual.


    After a while, he calmed down and said, ¡°Next, I am going to prepare to practice a special Cultivation Method. Go and tell Tianyu, Qianye, Ling¡¯er, Xuanxuan and the others that I will not be going to the cultivation area these days. Tell them to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Qi moved and went outside. Xiao Chen went to the house, boiled a bucket of hot water, threw the rest of the medicinal herbs into the bucket, took off his clothes, and soaked in it.


    Xiao Chen felt a stabbing pain the moment he soaked in the water. Of course, most of it was due to the fact he had been beaten up by Bai Ling today.


    ¡°Well, Bai Ling. Today, you pushed me to the ground. Next month, I will push you back. I will take off your clothes one by one, so that you will cry and beg me to spare you¡­ Hiss, alas, it hurts so much.¡±


    Xiao Chen groaned as he massaged the bruises on his body. However, at the thought of Bai Ling¡¯s tall figure, evil intentions floated into his mind. Of course, it was only an illusion.


    Today, he was no longer the boy of 15 or 16 years old. Although he had the memory of the last life, after all, his physical age had also increased with the body. Now he was already 20 years old, and he was in the prime of his life.


    After the medicated bath, Xiao Chen had a good rest for the night and had enough energy. He would not go to the cultivation area this day, but he would use the Wisdom-forsaking Technique in the courtyard. Now that Bai Ying was not around, he had to be very cautious. If he was disturbed when he was cultivating, he would be doomed and lose all his skills.


    Therefore, although no one came to this courtyard during normal days, it was definitely not safe. He needed to find a place that was absolutely safe, and let Chu Qi help him run his cultivation instead of Bai Ying. It would take at least three days to dispel his cultivation and reach the first level of Nirvana. During these three days, there should not be any mistakes.


    In the morning, Xiao Chen decided to look for Shui Yue, because he was not familiar with the island of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. He did not know which place he could go to and which place he could not.


    When they arrived at the Wind-heeding Building, they saw that the flowers were blooming and the scenery outside was good. There was a courtyard outside, and a pavilion inside. Xiao Chen approached the outside of the courtyard and whispered, ¡°Are you here, Third Grandmaster?¡±


    A moment later, a lazy voice came from the pavilion into the courtyard, ¡°Come in¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen heard her yawning. She must have not woken up yet. It was almost 9 a.m. and she was still lying in bed. She was really a little lazy. He pushed open the fence at the gate of the courtyard and walked in. When he walked to the front of the small pavilion, the door opened with a squeak and Shui Yue came out from inside.


    She was wearing thin gauze pajamas. Her hair was still scattered messily on her shoulders and she was barefooted. She walked to the railing and cupped her chin with her hands. She opened her sleepy eyes and looked at Xiao Chen. She said lazily, ¡°Young man, why are you looking for me so early?¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile, ¡°Third Grandmaster, it is not early anymore. Look at the flowers in this courtyard. They are all looking up and laughing at you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Shui Yue yawned and said.


    ¡°Uh¡­ well, I want to ask, is there any place in the Wind-heeding Pavilion for a closed-door training?¡±


    ¡°Closed-door training?¡± Shui Yue frowned and muttered, ¡°Why do you have to do that? We still have a mission next month.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, I will be having a breakthrough soon. I need to find a place where there is no one around, so that I will not be disturbed.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Shui Yue bit her fingertips and thought for a moment. ¡°There is a forbidden area in the back mountain. It seems that no one has been there for so many years, even I have not been there for decades¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ What?¡± The corners of Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth twitched twice. He felt that she was a little unreliable.


    Shui Yue looked at him and said, ¡°It is the Punishment Cliff of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. When a disciple makes a mistake, he or she is made to go there as a punishment. But after so many years, no one has ever been there. If you want to go, go on your own. But I have to remind you not to go too deep into the cave.¡±


    Xiao Chen began to understand. Every Grandmaster had a Punishment Cliff. Of course, the other three Grandmasters, especially the First Grandmaster, Lei Yan, were more strict in their management of the people. Thus, many disciples must have been banished to the cliff. As for Wind-heeding Pavilion, Shui Yue did not care about the disciples, so how could there be a Punishment Cliff?


    Therefore, the Punishment Cliff on the side of the Wind-heeding Pavilion had probably been long deserted. However, the Punishment Cliff was a forbidden area after all, and no disciple would go there.


    Xiao Chen frowned. No one had ever gone there? In other words, even if someone went there, no one would know¡­

 Chapter 530 - Beyond Expectation

    ¡°Well, kid, is there anything else?¡± Seeing that he was deep in thought, Shui Yue asked him.


    Xiao Chen came back to his senses. He thought that the Punishment Cliff behind the mountain was the best place to go. No one would normally go to such a place. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Thank you, Third Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is good that you are all right,¡± Shui Yue said, as she stretched her neck. She frowned and muttered, ¡°I seem to have fallen asleep on my neck last night. It feels stiff. It is good that you are fine. Come up and help me massage it.¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment. Then he walked up with a smile, and went over to Shui Yue¡¯s side. But when he looked at her snow-white neck and shoulders, he did not know where to start.


    15 minutes later.


    ¡°Well, Third Grandmaster, do you think it is enough?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it is okay. Be gentle with my left shoulder¡­Well, give me a harder massage on the right side¡­ Hey, why are you so clumsy¡­¡±


    ¡°Er¡­¡± Xiao Chen smiled. He had never massaged anyone¡¯s shoulders before.


    The breeze blew gently in the courtyard, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers. Shui Yue supported her hands on the vermilion railings and looked at the lake and mountains in the distance. Gradually, she was lost in thought.


    Xiao Chen gently massaged her shoulders, and his fingertips touched her soft and smooth skin. Looking at her profile, he gradually became absent-minded. Why was she so similar to Bai Ying? One was in the Wastelands, and the other was in the Human World. They were more than 5,000 kilometers away. After a while, he asked, ¡°Well, Third Grandmaster, what is your real name?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shui Yue came to her senses and gave him a strange look. Then she turned her head and muttered, ¡°Just massage my shoulders properly. Don¡¯t ask nonsensical questions.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­¡±


    After a while, Xiao Chen asked with a smile, ¡°How long has Third Grandmaster been in the Cloud Mist Academy?¡±


    The strange thing was that this time Shui Yue did not forbid him from asking all sorts of questions. Instead, she bit her finger and thought about it. After a while, she said vaguely, ¡°It has been at least 80 years. I can¡¯t remember it clearly. Why?¡± Then she looked at him.


    ¡°Nothing, I am just concerned about you,¡± Xiao Chen said with a smile. He thought to himself that since it was between 80-100 years, then that would be about the same time when Bai Ying went to the Three Pure Sect.


    ¡°Humph, cunning little thing.¡± Shui Yue smiled and cursed. Then she turned her head and looked at the scenery outside the courtyard. After a while, Xiao Chen asked again, ¡°Does the Third Grandmaster have any sisters?¡±


    This time, the atmosphere seemed to change suddenly. Xiao Chen¡¯s hands also stopped, because he felt that Shui Yue¡¯s face had changed.


    ¡°Ah¡­ It does not hurt anymore, and it is no longer sore.¡± Shui Yue stretched herself and looked at Xiao Chen with a smile. ¡°Hurry and go back, kid. I will call you next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Chen smiled and watched her walk into the house. Then he slowly walked out of the pavilion. But at this time, his back was covered with a layer of cold sweat. He did not know why, but at that moment, he felt his heart was pounding fast. Shui Yue at that moment, seemed to be a little terrifying.


    When he returned to his courtyard, Chu Qi was already waiting for him in the courtyard. After they prepared some things, Xiao Chen brought her with him to the back mountain of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Although the pavilion was a floating island, it was very large, almost without borders. There was also a main peak in the middle of the island. Shui Yue had said that the Forbidden Area of the back mountain, Punishment Cliff, was behind the peak.


    When they arrived, they saw that even though the grass and trees were flourishing, there were also many withered thistles and vines. Compared to other places, it was more autumn-like. It seemed that no one had been here for a long time.


    ¡°Lord¡­ why did you bring me here?¡± If it was Ziyun¡¯er, she would definitely look around at the desolate area and then ask. However, Chu Qi just followed him quietly, without saying a word.


    ¡°This place should be the Punishment Cliff. Let us go and look for the cave Shui Yue mentioned.¡±


    Although no one was here, Xiao Chen was still vigilant. The two of them searched for a moment and passed through some thorny bushes. Finally, they found a cave camouflaged by grass and trees.


    Xiao Chen immediately probed the cave with his Divine Sense, but he did not find any trace of people. Then he and Chu Qi went over. It took them a lot of effort to remove the thorns at the entrance of the cave.


    Inside the cave, he saw words carved on a stone wall. They were all words that the past disciples wrote, as they regretted their actions. However, because they had been written long ago, the words were a little faded. Xiao Chen did not take a closer look at them, but explored the depths of the cave with his Divine Sense. It seemed that he did not find anything.


    ¡°This is the place. There should not be anyone here.¡± Xiao Chen looked around and said. He only needed to stay here for three days. It was the safest place here.


    After that, Xiao Chen looked at Chu Qi again, just in time to see her looking at him with a strange expression on her face. When Chu Qi saw him looking at her, she immediately turned her head away.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Well, don¡¯t get me wrong, Chu Qi. You are the only person I trust the most here, so I asked you to help me with this¡­¡±


    ¡°Do we need to take off our clothes?¡± Chu Qi interrupted, before he could finish his sentence.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned. Chu Qi turned her head away and said coldly, ¡°I will not do it.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need¡­¡± Xiao Chen quickly shook his hand. The last time when Bai Ying used her Qi to help him with the Wisdom-forsaking Technique, she said that they had to take off all their clothes. She must be talking nonsense. How could there be such a strange and shameful skill in the world?


    ¡°Ahem, let me explain to you first about this Wisdom-forsaking Technique.¡±


    At the moment, Xiao Chen explained to her how the Wisdom-forsaking Technique was used. The Wisdom-forsaking Technique was not about clearing all of his cultivation. It was equivalent to refining, and a portion of his pure cultivation would be preserved.


    Now if Xiao Chen used the Wisdom-forsaking Technique and reached the first level of Nirvana Realm, he would definitely be able to return to the fourth level of Nirvana Realm much faster than before. Coupled with the help of a hundred Mystic Stones, he would definitely be able to make a qualitative leap, when he returned to the fourth level.


    Chu Qi also understood. Although she did not understand why Xiao Chen needed to undo his cultivation, she did not ask more questions. She would do whatever Xiao Chen said.


    At the moment, the two sat cross-legged, facing each other and pressed their palms against each other. When running the cultivation method, no one could be restless and distracted. Needless to say, Chu Qi had no problem with that. But Xiao Chen¡­ Anyway, should there be any traces of distracting thoughts in his heart, he would lose all his cultivation and he would have Qi Deviation.


    Moreover, once he began to run the cultivation method, he must not stop or be disturbed during the process. Otherwise, he would be doomed. When Bai Ying helped him with the Qi Refining Realm, it only took him two or four hours to undo his cultivation. But now, it would take at least three days and nights for him, being in the Nirvana Realm.


    With everything ready, the two started their cultivation process. Time passed slowly, and there were no errors in the midst of the process. Xiao Chen could feel that his cultivation was slowly disappearing, but this kind of disappearance was not really a true disappearance, but was more of a sealing up. This was the subtlety of the Wisdom-forsaking Technique. Although it was called Wisdom-forsaking Technique, it was not really Wisdom-forsaking.


    Several hours later, it was already nightfall. Although the moon had not reached the highest point, a bright moon could be seen in the sky. The wild grasses were blowing all over the place. Those flowers, grass, and trees appeared beautiful in the daytime, but under the moonlight, they seemed to have a rather sinister and ghostly appearance.


    None had stepped into the back mountain of the Wind-heeding Pavilion for years. The place was deathly quiet. Occasionally, one could hear the screech of a night owl, which was extremely creepy. At this moment, moonlight shrouded the place, but it did not shine on the two who were in the cave.


    All of a sudden, a nightingale¡¯s cries could be heard amidst the dead silence, ¡°Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle¡­¡±


    But the sound was so weird and seemed to be different from that of a regular nightingale. Then there was a gust of wind, followed by the rustling sounds of grass.


    The voice was getting closer and closer to the cave where Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were. Finally, the voice stopped at the foot of the cave, and then the delicate voice of a woman could be heard, ¡°Why are you here so late?¡±


    In the cave, Xiao Chen was shocked. But this little shock almost made him gasp on the spot. However, on the other side, Chu Qi¡¯s face remained calm, and her arms were still emitting energy.


    Xiao Chen calmed down. How could anyone come to this place so late at night? He felt a little anxious at the moment. This was really an unexpected occurrence. If these two people broke in and interrupted his exercise, he was afraid that they would be doomed this time.


    ¡°Junior Sister, I miss you so much. Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why are you in such a hurry? Where are those things?¡±


    ¡°There! Look what this is? Come on, I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    ¡°Aye, someone is watching, ah¡­ you! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t touch me¡­ Ah¡­¡± The woman protested coquettishly.


    ¡°Come on, there is no one in this damned place of your Wind-heeding Pavilion. Hey, let us go above, there is a cave there.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Alas, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t let anyone see us.¡± The woman said in a delicate voice. Under the moonlight, the two of them hugged each other and walked to the entrance of the cave.


    In the cave, Xiao Chen was really shocked this time. One of them was at the Early-stage of Nascent Soul and the other was at the expectant Nascent Soul Realm. Normally, he could kill them with one finger. But now¡­ If he was seen by these two people now, the consequences would be unimaginable!


    The footsteps of the two people were getting closer and closer to the entrance of the cave. At this moment, the look on Chu Qi¡¯s face finally changed. It was not because she had the same worries as Xiao Chen, but she was worried that the two people would make love in front of her and her Lord. This was too¡­


    Outside the cave, the woman said, ¡°Zhou Yahoo, I have not seen the ¡®big brother¡¯ you mentioned yet. When will you take me to meet him?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to see him?¡± The man smiled evilly. When he spoke, his eyes were still fixed on her generous chest, and he was drooling in anticipation.


    ¡°Hey, I am talking to you about serious things! Be serious! Look up and look at me!¡± The woman said angrily.


    ¡°Well, it is not the right time now. I am afraid that when you see him, you will be so scared that you will not dare to sleep for a month.¡± This time, the man was a little serious.


    ¡°Hum, is he so powerful? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± The woman rolled her eyes at him. The man smiled and said, ¡°As long as Junior Sister is willing to do what I say, what else is there to worry about? You can have everything you want in the future.¡±


    ¡°Humph, do you think it is so easy to get it? The Secret Technique of the Hundred Flowers and the Ghost Map of the Netherworld are well hidden by that woman, Shuiyue. How can it be so easy to get it? If someone finds out about this, I will die without a burial place!¡±


    While they were talking, they had already walked to the entrance of the cave. The man pressed the woman onto the stone wall which had the words carved on it, and said with a smile, ¡°It depends on Junior Sister¡¯s ability. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, come¡­¡± Then he moved closer to the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Hey!¡± The woman turned her head and said, ¡°No, someone is watching!¡±


    ¡°There is no one here. Junior Sister, don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± The man smiled evilly. As he spoke, his hand suddenly reached into the woman¡¯s clothes. The woman let out a scream, and her face quickly turned red.

 Chapter 531 - Midnight Killing Intent

    ¡°Aiya¡­ Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do that. Someone is watching¡­ watching¡­¡±


    The woman began to push and retreat, and the end gradually became a light snort. The man moved to her face like a hungry tiger. The woman¡¯s face had already turned red, and she kept feeling that someone was watching. She pushed him away and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry¡­ go inside. If someone sees me later¡­ I¡¯m done¡­ Ermph¡­¡±


    The man said with an evil smile, ¡°It¡¯s dark inside, and we can¡¯t see anything. What¡¯s the meaning of that¡­¡±


    ¡°You! No¡­ If anyone sees us¡­ Ah¡­¡± Under the faint moonlight, the woman¡¯s face quickly turned red again. Of course, it was not completely because she was shy, but because the man¡¯s hand was getting bolder and bolder.


    ¡°Come on, Junior Sister. Don¡¯t be afraid. If anyone sees us later, I can just kill him, can¡¯t I?¡± As the man said, he continued to untie her inner clothing. The woman gnashed her teeth, but she could not resist him. Finally, she gently leaned on the stone wall and let him continue.


    His clothes were thrown to the ground in disorder one by one. The man could not wait anymore and said, ¡°Junior Sister, here I come¡­¡±


    It was pitch-dark inside the cave. Although the two people outside could not see the two inside, Xiao Chen was frightened. At the moment, his breath was beginning to be chaotic. If these two people continued to act like this, Xiao Chen was afraid that his breath would be exposed. At that time, he would be dead, not only him, even Chu Qi would be injured greatly. Also, these two people would surely kill them to keep their mouths shut.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The woman suddenly snorted, making Xiao Chen¡¯s heart tremble again. He had realized that his power was beginning to go against the current. The Wisdom-forsaking Technique could not be interfered with by the outside world. Otherwise, if things went on like this, he would have Qi Deviation. But if he suddenly stopped, he was afraid that he would not be able to keep his life, including Chu Qi¡¯s. This time, no gods from Heaven and Earth could help him.


    The breathing of the two people at the entrance of the cave became heavier and heavier. The woman said intermittently, ¡°You, you should slow down¡­ ah, I¡­ I keep feeling, feeling that there is someone inside¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Junior Sister. No matter how loud¡­ your voice is, don¡¯t worry, no one will come here¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s strength was getting greater and greater. He held the woman¡¯s waist with one hand and pressed the woman¡¯s shoulder with the other. After a while, both of them were sweating all over. The woman did not care so much anymore. Her voice gradually became louder and it seemed that she was carried away.


    The voice echoed throughout the cave. Xiao Chen¡¯s face was pale, and beads of cold sweat kept coming out of his forehead. Chu Qi held her breath, and her face was getting redder and redder. Hearing the woman¡¯s voice was simply shameful to the ears. Moreover, she was still sitting opposite Xiao Chen at the moment. When she went out, she could not recall what had happened tonight.


    Because of the light, the inside could not be seen from the outside, however, the inside could see what was on the inside. Xiao Chen saw Chu Qi¡¯s face was getting redder and redder. In addition to the woman¡¯s delicate voice at the entrance of the cave, in the instant, his breathing was even more out of control. Chu Qi frowned and tried to calm her breathing down, but she seemed to have lost control of herself. If she went on like this, she would be doomed eternally!


    Finally, after 15 minutes, the two at the entrance of the cave came to a slow stop. The woman was drenched in sweat and hurriedly looked out of the cave. When she saw that there was no sign of disturbance, she calmed down, then she squatted down quickly to pick up the clothes on the ground and put them on.


    The man sat on the stone and rested for a while. Then he smiled and said, ¡°Junior Sister, how was it?¡±


    Under the moonlight, the woman¡¯s face was red. She glared at him and said in a low voice, ¡°Hurry up! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Junior Sister. Hehe.¡± The man smiled while slowly putting on his clothes. At this time in the cave, Xiao Chen¡¯s face was already pale, and his body began to tremble slightly. Finally, he could not hold back and made a muffled snort, and blood slowly spilled from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    The cave was silent. Even this muffled sound startled the two who were about to leave. The woman¡¯s face turned pale. The first thought that came to her mind was to escape, but then she sobered up. She must silence them!


    The man reacted faster and immediately condensed a faint white light ball. He saw Xiao Chen and Chu Qi in the cave. The woman shrieked, ¡°There were really people! Hurry up! Hurry up! Zhou Yizhuo! Kill them now!¡±


    When she spoke, she was in a panic. And when she thought that the whole process had been seen by others, she was still a disciple of the Cloud and Clouds Academy, not a slutty woman in the brothel. For a moment, her heart was pounding, and her face quickly blushed. No matter who these two people were, she could not let them leave alive tonight!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The man was calm at the moment. He stared at the two people inside the cave and saw that Xiao Chen¡¯s face was pale and there was blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He guessed that Xiao Chen must have been seriously injured. The two were only here to heal their wounds.


    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±


    The man slowly took a step forward and tentatively asked. Tonight, no matter who the other party was, whether he was a disciple of the Cloud Mist Academy or someone sneaked in, he would not let him live. It was not because the sex with the woman had been seen, but because the words he had said before had been heard.


    ¡°Who cares who they are! Kill them right now!¡± the woman yelled from behind. Even though her cultivation was close to the Nascent Soul Realm, she did not dare to do it herself. Since the two of them could hide their aura, their cultivation must be far beyond hers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again¡­ Who are you? I don¡¯t like to be enemies with people. As long as you two pretend that you didn¡¯t see what happened tonight, I¡¯ll pretend that I didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    The man walked slowly toward the two men inside. Although he said so, he had made up his mind to kill them. He just wanted them to relax their vigilance because he felt that their cultivations were unfathomable, especially the man bleeding from his mouth. He did not doubt that if the man had not been limited, he would have killed them just now.


    The woman behind him saw that his hand was facing outwards and secretly formed a Qi blade. Naturally, she could guess what he was thinking at this time. Therefore, she was not as panic as before. She did not want to kill anyone, but it was related to her reputation, so she could not allow the two of them to live.


    Seeing that the man was getting closer and closer, Xiao Chen held his breath. If he moved now, he would die. If he did not move now, he would die. He really could not do anything about it. At present, he had no choice. Once he suddenly withdrew his cultivation method, it was not only him but also Chu Qi that would be seriously injured.


    All of a sudden, the man¡¯s eyes turned cold, and his eyes were full of killing intent. He said coldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two talk¡­¡± At the end of his words, he was less than 20 feet away. Finally, he waved his right hand, and a sharp Qi blade suddenly rushed toward them.


    At this critical moment, Chu Qi suddenly withdrew her hands. Her body turned into a bolt of lightning and blocked the flying Sword Qi with a clanging sound. At the same time, Xiao Chen spurted out a mouthful of blood. Obviously, he was seriously injured because of the sudden withdrawal of his power.


    The man¡¯s eyes were wide open. Apparently, he did not expect this woman to be so fast. Before he could react, the curved moon blade of Chu Qi had come to his neck. At this moment, Xiao Chen shouted, ¡°Chu Qi!¡±


    Chu Qi reacted instantly and took back the Full Moon Blade. She hit the man with her palm and sent him flying. He crashed into the stone wall and spat out a mouthful of blood. The woman at the entrance of the cave saw that something was wrong and was about to move fingers to cast a spell to escape. Chu Qi stretched out her hand and a powerful force directly enveloped her.


    When the man was about to resist, the man was kicked away by Chu Qi, and then his power was quickly sealed. The woman at the entrance of the cave also had her power sealed in an instant. The two people were so scared that they trembled. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?!¡±


    The woman¡¯s face had long turned pale. She had no idea when such a powerful talent had appeared in the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Neither had she seen Xiao Chen and Chu Qi before.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Finally, Chu Qi spat out a mouthful of blood. Just now, she just held it back. Seeing that she was also seriously injured, the man immediately wanted to break the seal. Unexpectedly, a Full Moon sharp radiance slashed at him and directly left a wound on his leg, so deep that the bone was almost visible.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The man screamed in pain, and the woman next to him was so scared that her face changed dramatically. She said in a trembling voice, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kill me¡­¡±


    Although their cultivation bases were not low, they were still disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy after all, and not those who had experienced the ruthlessness of the world like those in the Black Horn. How could they not be panicked when faced with such bloody things? In other words, the woman had not even seen anyone being killed.


    Right now, she was so frightened that her legs were no longer listening to her. She leaned against the stone wall and sat down. She had just experienced the joy of sex. Who would have thought that her life would be in danger in the blink of an eye?


    At this moment, Xiao Chen still could not move. He swallowed a mouthful of blood and said in a deep voice, ¡°Take out a wisp of their Soul¡¯s Life Source!¡±


    The reason why he told Chu Qi not to kill the two people was that he guessed that the senior disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy were under protection. Once they died, the people of the Cloud Mist Academy would immediately know the location of their deaths. If they were killed by Chu Qi in a slash just now, troubles would follow. However, they would also never allow the two people to leave safely.


    ¡°Who, who the hell are you!¡± When the two of them heard that they were about to extract their Soul¡¯s Life Source, they were so frightened that their souls were about to leave their bodies. If their Soul¡¯s Life Source ended up in someone else¡¯s hands, how was that different from handing their lives over to someone else?


    Chu Qi did not say much. She immediately took out two jades and said coldly, ¡°Name!¡±


    At this moment, the murderous aura on her body leaked out. The two had never felt such a heavy murderous aura before. It was like they had fallen into a cold icehouse in an instant. The woman was so scared that she spoke incoherently, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kill me¡­ My, my name is Zhao Yingying¡­¡±


    Chu Qi¡¯s eyes were cold. She held the jade note in her left hand and put two fingers of her right hand together. Immediately, she pierced a white radiance into her head. After a while, she pulled out a wisp of smoke from above her head and sealed it in the jade note.


    Zhao Yingying¡¯s face was covered with sweat, and she fell to the ground. She did not even dare to breathe.


    ¡°What about you!¡± Chu Qi once again looked coldly at the man.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The man¡¯s breathing gradually became heavy. Zhao Yingying could hand over her Soul¡¯s Life Source, but he, he could never hand over his Soul¡¯s Life Source¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question¡­¡± The eyes of Chu Qi were getting colder and colder, and the killing intent quietly spread out. Zhao Yingying was so scared that she trembled and quickly said, ¡°His name is Zhou Yizhuo!¡±

 Chapter 532 - Class Upgrade

    ¡°Junior Sister! You!¡±


    Zhou Yizhuo immediately looked at Zhao Yingying. Zhao Yingying looked at him and said, ¡°We are hanging on the thread now. I have already handed it over. Do you still want to not hand it over? Tonight, we will pretend that we have seen nothing. The two, the two seniors will not make it difficult for us¡­¡± At the end of her words, her voice gradually became lower.


    Zhou Yizhuo still wanted to say something, but he suddenly felt suffocated. It was that Chu Qi had pressed her fingers on his Tianling acupuncture point. He did not dare to move now, because a slight movement could hurt himself.


    Moments later, Chu Qi sealed a strand of Zhou Yizhuo¡¯s Soul¡¯s Life Source into the jade note as well. Zhou Yizhuo immediately collapsed. Zhao Yingying, who was next to Zhou Yizhuo was so scared that she trembled all over. She knelt on the ground as she stuttered, ¡°Seniors¡­ we pretend that we haven¡¯t seen anything tonight. I just beg you¡­ I only beg that when you leave, you return our Soul¡¯s Life Source to us¡­¡±


    After that, Zhao Yingying suddenly raised her head again. Her life was in their hands, and she was so scared that she cried, ¡°Please rest assured, I¡­ We will never say a word! Absolutely nothing!¡±


    Chu Qi was not moved at all. She looked at Xiao Chen. As long as Xiao Chen gave an order, she would immediately kill the two people. She asked softly, ¡°Lord?¡±


    When Zhou Yizhuo heard that she called this man Lord, she felt even more that the other party had a big background and was scared to death. He did not think about anything else now, and he did not care whether the other party had heard his conversation with Zhao Yingying just now and only hoped that he could keep her life. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Please spare my life! We will never say a word!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was getting paler and paler, and blood was constantly dripping from the corner of his mouth. In fact, he did not pay attention to what these two people were talking about before. Back then, when he saw someone coming up, all he was thinking about was how to deal with it. How could he have time to care what these two people said?


    Now he did not want to care what these two were going to do even more. He took it as that it was their rendezvous in the middle of the night. He just wanted them to leave as soon as possible. He shouted coldly, ¡°Get out!¡±


    When the two heard this, they felt as if they had been granted amnesty. At least now they did not have to die. Whatever else shall be taken care of in the future? Zhao Yingying said in a quavering voice, ¡°Thank, thank you, senior. Don¡¯t worry¡­ As for tonight¡¯s event, we will not say one more word.¡± After that, she helped Zhou Yizhuo up and they limped and hurried out.


    After they left, Chu Qi immediately returned to Xiao Chen¡¯s side. Seeing that his face looked even more ghastly, she exclaimed, ¡°Lord!¡± She then sat down cross-legged and was about to help Xiao Chen run the cultivation method. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Xiao Chen took a breath and said slowly, ¡°For the time being, I have sealed up my energy and acupuncture points. I can¡¯t move now, so you don¡¯t move either.¡±


    Right now, he felt like he was stepping on a mine. He did not dare to move at all or run his power. Otherwise, he would lose everything and become useless. Fortunately, it was not long after he started channeling his power. If this happened two days later when he entered deep into channeling his power, he might have lost all of it.


    Blood was flowing out of the corner of Chu Qi as well, but it was much better than Xiao Chen¡¯s. She frowned and asked, ¡°What do I do now?¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± A cold sweat broke out on Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead. He contemplated for a long time before saying, ¡°Take off my shirt first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chu Qi would not have said anything if this was a normal day. But now, when she thought of the two just now¡­ when the two did it in front of her and Xiao Chen¡­ She felt uncomfortable at the thought of that scene.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Xiao Chen gave a muffled snort and said with a frown.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi slowly stretched out her hand and carefully undid his shirt. When her fingertip touched his burning red skin, it felt like she had touched charcoal.


    ¡°Find the acupuncture points of Zigong, Shenfeng, Spirit Ruin, Guanmen, Tianchi, and Yunmen Acupuncture Points. Do you know how to find the acupuncture points?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Qi nodded.


    ¡°Do it in the order I said just now. Guide the True Qi from the Zigong acupuncture point to the Yunmen acupuncture point. Be careful and don¡¯t be too hasty.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Chu Qi frowned slightly. After finding these acupuncture points, she gently pressed her fingertips on them and began to run her cultivation. After four hours like this, it seemed that she was carefully dismantling mines. Xiao Chen gave a muffled groan and a mouthful of blood gushed out of his mouth.


    ¡°Lord!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about m, continue,¡± Xiao Chen said with blood in his mouth. His breath was getting weaker and weaker. At the last moment, he finally could not hold on any longer. His eyes darkened and he fell to the side and fell on Chu Qi.


    Chu Qi¡¯s True Energy had been severely damaged and she did not have much strength left. Under his weight, she could not push him away at that moment. Now that she was pressed against Xiao Chen¡¯s boiling hot skin, she remembered the scene of those two people. She could not help but frown and climb out difficultly. Just as she was about to stand up, darkness came over her eyes. She also fainted and fell on Xiao Chen.


    The next morning, when they woke up, they found that they were lying together. They immediately separated from each other. Chu Qi tidied up her clothes and returned to her usual appearance.


    Xiao Chen sat up and put on his clothes. He ran his Qi slightly and found that his cultivation was still there. He then let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was nothing serious. Now he thought about it carefully. Yesterday, those two people were very strange. They seemed to be talking about some secret and ghost map, and it seemed to have something to do with Shui Yue.


    ¡°Are you feeling better, Lord?¡± asked Chu Qi.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After arranging his thoughts, Xiao Chen got up and looked into the depths of the cave. It was so dark that he could not see the end of it. He thought that it was just an accident last night. Now that those two people had their Soul¡¯s Life Source in his hands, he was sure that they would not dare to make it public. He could not give up now no matter what now. The Wisdom-forsaking Technique had to continue.


    ¡°Find some vines and thorns to cover the entrance. We¡¯ll go in deeper later.¡±


    ¡­


    The next five days passed. Their original plan was to take three days, but the incident with the two people had cost them twice the time. Fortunately, Xiao Chen had succeeded in the Wisdom-forsaking Technique, and now his cultivation had returned to the first level of Nirvana Realm.


    However, at this time, he could clearly feel that this first level of Nirvana Realm was much purer than the last time when he and Su Lianyue had just entered the Nirvana Realm in the mystic domain in the flower valley. This was exactly the subtlety of the Wisdom-forsaking Technique.


    On this day, Xiao Chen consumed another 30 Mystic Stone and tempered his cultivation grade to Medium. At least he felt that he should be at the Medium. If he was at the Qi Refining Realm or the Foundation Building Realm, there might be no obvious difference between the Medium and the Lower. But in the Nirvana Realm, there was an obvious difference. The further he went, the more obvious the difference would be.


    The first level of cultivation grade was divided into Lower, Medium, Upper. The second level had a qualitative leap, which was divided into Cave Ruins, Mystic Sky, and supreme.


    Right now, the Cave Ruins still seemed very far to reach for him. It was difficult to find even one person with such a level in the entire Wastelands. Even those disciples of Cloud Mist Academy on the Heaven Ranking were most likely Medium or Mid-Upper.


    ¡°This Mystic Stone does have its own specialty. Take some, Chu Qi.¡± Xiao Chen thought that although Chu Qi was fast, after all, her strength was not enough. So she was no match for Bai Ling last time. But when her cultivation grade and level came up, she could only be described as ¡°frightening¡± at that time.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi did not refuse but just nodded.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how Tianyu and Xuanxuan are now. Let¡¯s go and have a look at the cultivation area today.¡±


    When the two came out of the cave, the sun had just risen outside. They rode on their swords and went to the front mountain.


    At this time, in the newcomer¡¯s cultivation area at the back mountain of the main peak, a lot of people were gathered on the open space of the teleportation formation. In the center, dozens of young people and some girls were surrounded by more than a hundred people.


    The ones who were being surrounded in the middle were the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. The one leading them was Qin Tianyu and the others. As for the over a hundred people outside, they were the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Once you handed it over today, we¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened today. If you don¡¯t¡­ If you don¡¯t hand it over, then you can forget about going to the training island!¡± The leader, a purple-clothed youth, sneered.


    Qin Tianyu clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles were creaking. At this moment, there were several obvious bruises on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You want us to hand Mystic Stone after absorbing the Spiritual Qi from our side? Let¡¯s not talk nonsense. If you have the guts, we¡¯ll fight again today! Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of you having more people on your side?¡±


    ¡°Tianyu¡­ Let¡¯s forget it. Now that Brother Xiao Chen and Sister Chu Qi not here, we can¡¯t beat them¡­¡± Chu Xuanxuan, the quieter girl next to him whispered.


    Xu Ling¡¯er squeezed her fingers and glared at the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion. ¡°Now that our Senior Brother Xiao isn¡¯t here, you dare to bully us. If you have the ability, wait for Senior Brother Xiao to come back, then you can talk about it!¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen?¡± The young man in purple scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t say he¡¯s not here. Even if he¡¯s here!¡± His expression turned grim as he pointed to the bottom of his feet. ¡°If I make him kneel today, he won¡¯t dare to get up!¡±


    ¡°Say it again¡­¡± Qin Tianyu clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles creaked. His voice grew more and more gloomy.


    A man next to the purple-clothed youth sneered and said, ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with saying it again? Last time, that guy was beaten by Bai Ling. Now, he is afraid to come to the training area, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bullshitting!¡± Qin Tianyu in a low voice. His entire body immediately explodes with a layer of golden light. With a kick of his feet, he charges at that young man like a flash of lightning. However, with a loud bang, he was sent flying back by a kick of the young man¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Tianyu!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er immediately propped him up. No matter how talented he was, he was still only at the peak of the Core Forming Realm now. Compared to his opponent who was at the early Nascent Soul stage, he was still quite a distance away.


    At this moment, Shen Qianye, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly took a step forward. He circulated his True Energy in his palm and pressed it against Qin Tianyu¡¯s shoulder. He then looked over at the Purple Thunder Pavilion and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a lot of Mystic Stones yesterday. Humans, must learn to be content.¡±


    Compared to Qin Tianyu, he appeared to be much calmer. Although he was currently only at the peak of the Core Forming Realm, when he said those words, a chill started to rise from the back of the surrounding onlookers.


    Especially that pair of black eyes, which were as deep as the night without stars and moon, made people feel inexplicably cold.


    Just like that, the crowd suddenly quieted down after hearing Shen Qianye¡¯s words.


    At this time, a young man came from another direction. He looked at the other side of the Purple Thunder Pavilion and said, ¡°Both parties have suffered losses in this matter. Moreover, they have already compensated you a lot of Mystic Stones yesterday. We¡¯re in the same sect. Why don¡¯t we just let it go? We don¡¯t want to put the Grandmasters in a dilemma by bringing it to them.¡±

 Chapter 533 - The Flames of War on the Verge!

    The person who tried to make peace negotiations was a disciple from the Moon-watch Hall. The purple-clothed youth from the Purple Thunder Pavilion glanced at him and sneered. ¡°Junior Brother, didn¡¯t your Second Great Master tell you that it¡¯s best not to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs in the Cloud Mist Academy?¡±


    After that, the purple clothed youth no longer paid attention to the person from the Moon-watch Hall. He looked to Qin Tianyu and the rest. ¡°300 Mystic Stones. Otherwise, don¡¯t even talk about today. In the rest of the month, you all can forget about going to the Training Island!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The youths clenched their fists. There were many disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion outside, but many of them had suffered minor injuries. They did not dare to get close.


    ¡°In a word, hand it over or not!¡± The purple clothed youth also seemed to have lost some patience.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Qin Tianyu stared at him, gritting his teeth so hard that ¡®creaking¡¯ sounds could be heard. His fingers were also clenched so tightly that they were creaking.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to hand it over? Then we¡¯ll beat you up until you do!¡±


    The purple-clothed young man¡¯s eyes flashed with fierceness. Afterward, as if he had transformed into a rapid beam of light, he arrived in front of Qin Tianyu in the blink of an eye. His fist was immediately wrapped in a layer of golden light. He then threw a punch at Qin Tianyu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Bang!¡± There was a quick sound. It was Shen Qianye who blocked the punch. Chu Xuanxuan frowned and said, ¡°Senior Brother Qianye!¡±


    At this time, the other one hundred or so disciples of Purple Thunder Pavilion also rushed up. Suddenly there was chaos. Of course, it was just a fistfight of pugnacious youths. They did not use weapons or powerful magic spells. They only used fists and kicks. Otherwise, it would be hard to account for any deaths.


    Even so, the Wind-heeding Pavilion had suffered a series of defeats. The 100 to 200 people on the other side had been intimidated by several middle Nascent Soul stage cultivators and did not dare to move. The dozens of people were surrounded and attacked by 100 people with punches and kicks. In an instant, Qin Tianyu¡¯s body had suffered more than 10 muffled punches.


    On the other hand, Shen Qianye wanted to protect Chu Xuanxuan, so he was not doing well too. He was similarly kicked a few times. There were also three to four youths on the ground who were stomped and kicked by a group of people.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, there was a scream. It was Xu Ling¡¯er who was entangled by the Vine Thorn Method of a few disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion who were able to use wood magic. She was brought up to mid-air.


    ¡°Ling¡¯er!¡± Qin Tianyu let out a cry and was about to step forward to help. However, the purple clothed youngster from before kicked him on the back and violently threw him out.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± The young man in purple sneered. With a shift of his body, he reappeared in front of him in an instant. He stepped on Qin Tianyu on the ground with one foot and said ruthlessly, ¡°You were so provocative just now. Are you still not going to play with me? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He then trampled on Qin Tianyu¡¯s head with another hard stomp.


    ¡°Ah! Tianyu!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er exclaimed, but she was chained by a few people in the air and could not move at all. Shen Qianye was also held back by seven or eight people, so he could not come forward to help.


    ¡°Hehe! You guys from the Wind-heeding Pavilion are the most disobedient, aren¡¯t you!¡± The purple clothed youth took advantage of his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation to trample Qin Tianyu firmly on the ground. In the distance, although the people from the Broken Sword Pavilion and Moon-watch Hall could not bear to look at him, because they were afraid Beigong Qin, no one dared to come forward and help him.


    In the past few days, Beigong Qin had not shown up. He had been asking his subordinates to carry out tasks, but everyone was afraid of him. Therefore, the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion had almost become the overlords of the newcomer area. No one dared to compete with them. Generally, they would make a detour when they saw them. But the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion had a conflict with them a few days ago because of the Spiritual Qi being plundered.


    As a result, it was obvious that the Wind-heeding Pavilion had suffered a setback, but the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion did not let them go. They asked them to compensate Mystic Stone. Not only that they had paid 400 Mystic Stone yesterday, but today, they had to pay 300 more.


    If Beigong Qin did not come forward, with the strength of the Wind-heeding Pavilion, they could be on par with them. But some Nascent Soul Realm cultivators did not dare to offend Beigong Qin, so the remaining Core Forming Realm cultivators and some Early-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivators could not defeat them.


    As for the senior disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion, there were not many of them in the first place, and once they intervened in the affairs of the newcomers, the senior disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were bound to intervene as well. A dozen of them occupied the Heaven Ranking List, and two of them would be enough to overpower all the new and senior disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion.


    At this moment, the scene was chaotic. The whole area of the back mountain was filled with dust, which was as chaotic as the previous days when the two sides were having a group fight. But this time, the Wind-heeding Pavilion was obviously at a more disadvantage. Many teenagers were pushed and kicked by a group of people, and they could not care about what was in front and what was behind.


    Qin Tianyu was in an even worse state. His head was trampled on the ground by the purple clothed youth. He struggled but was unable to set free. Seeing that his mouth was full of dirt, the purple clothed youth laughed and said, ¡°How? Are you still going to speak to me in a harsh tone?¡±


    Qin Tianyu spat out the mud in his mouth and says fiercely, ¡°When I reach the Nascent Soul Realm, I¡¯ll beat you up so hard that you¡¯ll find your teeth on the ground!¡±


    ¡°Still reluctant to admit defeat? Reluctant! Reluctant!¡± The eyes of the young man in purple were fierce and he stepped hard on his head several more times.


    ¡°Tianyu!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er was so anxious that she was about to cry, but she was bound by several people¡¯s vines and could not break out.


    ¡°This is for being stubborn!¡±


    A fierce light suddenly flashed across the purple clothed youth¡¯s eyes. He grabbed a hard rock on the ground and was about to smash it on Qin Tianyu¡¯s head. This smash would definitely take half of Qin Tianyu¡¯s life away. In that split second, a cold light flew over from the distance. With a ¡®clang¡¯ sound, the rock was smashed to pieces.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± That purple-clothed young man suddenly raised his head. However, what he saw was a silhouette in front of him swaying and the next second he was already been kicked away.


    ¡°Sis, Sister Chu Qi!¡± Seeing the person that appeared in an instant, Qin Tianyu quickly climbed up from the ground.


    All of a sudden, a suffocating sense of oppression instantly enveloped the whole back mountain. Everyone, including those who were watching in the distance, felt a shiver in their hearts, and a sense of fear inexplicably rose in their hearts.


    ¡°Da, da, da¡­¡±


    Heavy footsteps sounded gradually. Each step seemed to tread on the hearts of people. The crowd looked over and saw a young man with a gloomy face walking over. At this moment, for some unknown reason, many people felt a tremor in their hearts and exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s Xiao Chen!¡±


    ¡°Heh-ah!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s face was gloomy. He stepped hard on the ground, and the whole ground shook as if Mount Tai collapsed. More than a hundred disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were directly sent flying into the air, and all of them looked horrified.


    Before the hundreds of people could fall down, Xiao Chen flicked his sleeve again, and a majestic force rolled up the sand and stones all over the sky, directly sending the 100 people flying.


    The onlookers in the distance were stunned and stared at him. They couldn¡¯t feel the realm of Xiao Chen¡¯s cultivation before. Now they also could not feel it, but they could clearly feel that Xiao Chen¡¯s Mystic Power was much purer than when he was beaten by Bai Ling. It was known that it was more than a hundred times harder to improve one¡¯s cultivation grade than the level. What on earth did he do?


    ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    When the youths from Wind-heeding Pavilion saw Xiao Chen had returned, they stumbled over. Many of them had never made a sound despite being brutally beaten and kicked earlier, but when they saw Xiao Chen¡¯s return, their eyes reddened with tears.


    Xiao Chen saw that many of them had bruises on their faces, and some of them even had bleeding on their mouth. He was angry and clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles creaked.


    On the other side of the Purple Thunder Pavilion, the purple clothed youth was momentarily stunned. He immediately shouted. ¡°Attack together!¡±


    However, when he shouted out these words, only himself who had been acting ruthlessly because he had Beigong Qin as his backer ran a few steps forward, the more than one hundred Purple Thunder Pavilion disciples behind him were all afraid and did not move.


    Xiao Chen turned his head and shot him two ice-cold glare. The young man in purple felt a shiver in his heart and was about to say something. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and cast out the psychokinesis spell. In an instant, he caught him in mid-air.


    ¡°Who gave you the balls to do so?¡±


    The angry voice sounded a little low at this moment, and it made people nervous. The young man in purple was so scared that his face turned pale, but then his eyes became fierce. ¡°Do you dare to kill me?!¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Xiao Chen thundered and directly smashed him to the ground. With a loud boom, the dust immediately flew all over the sky. Qin Tianyu shouted, grabbed a hard stone on the ground, rushed up in an instant, and smashed it hard on his head. Immediately, blood splashed, and his head bled profusely.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The purple-clothed youth¡¯s face was covered in blood and his appearance was extremely terrifying. In the distance, the people watching all sucked in a cold breath. The hundred or so Purple Thunder Pavilion disciples were even more panicked.


    Just when they were in a panic, a ¡°clang¡± sound suddenly came from the distance. The sound of the zither was particularly harsh to the ear as if it had a breathtaking weird power that made people dizzy. Everyone immediately covered their ears.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Another three zither notes sounded three times in a row. However, these three notes were like three materialized Sword Qi that came hurtling from the northwest. Xiao Chen reached out his hand and instantly pulled Qin Tianyu back.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Three loud explosions sounded. The Sword Qi that was formed from the three zither sounds directly left three deep gashes in the place where Qin Tianyu had stood previously.


    ¡°Senior Brother Beigong!¡±


    More than a hundred people of Purple Thunder Pavilion were suddenly full of confidence when they saw the Beigong Qin coming. They saw Beigong Qin coming step by step with cold eyes. Beside him floated a Jade Zither. It was somewhat different from other zithers. Its body was black, and there were strange dark red lines in the middle. The whole zither was full of an unspeakable evil aura.


    The people around them immediately dispersed and went further away. If the two of them fought, it would not be as simple as a group battle between the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion and the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion.


    At this moment, the two people¡¯s eyes were extremely cold. They stared at each other like ice arrows. It seemed that the temperature of the air around them suddenly dropped by a lot as if they wanted to freeze people into ice. It was freezing cold.


    ¡°Beigong Qin¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    Both of them spoke each other¡¯s names at the same time. At this moment, their aura spread out and it was suffocating. The people around them immediately retreated a little further.


    Although they knew that among the newcomers this time, only Xiao Chen and Beigong Qin had reached the Nirvana Realm, no one dared to judge who was stronger and who was weaker. Although Beigong Qin was ranked 27th on the Earth Ranking, which was far superior to Xiao Chen¡¯s, this time, Xiao Chen seemed to have changed into another person.


    On the other side of Purple Thunder Pavilion, more than one hundred people retreated to the back of Beigong Qin. On the other side of Wind-heeding Pavilion, Chu Qi led the crowd to retreat to a distance. After all, they could not interfere in the battle between Xiao Chen and Beigong Qin at the moment.


    At this moment, the two people in the middle were still confronting each other, much like two volcanos that were about to erupt. Their powerful auras caused one to be unable to breathe.


    The wind, blew fiercely, the flying sand in the eyes, and the flames of war, were all to be ignited at one touch!

 Chapter 534 - Preparation for Counterattack

    ¡°Senior, Senior Brother Beigong!¡±


    At this moment, a young man in white suddenly ran over from a distance. Judging from the young man¡¯s flustered look, he must have been frightened by the two people¡¯s stance. The man whispered into Beigong Qin¡¯s ears.


    After hearing this, Beigong Qin frowned and then said coldly, ¡°You may leave.¡± After that, he turned his head and continued to stare at Xiao Chen. He knew that it was not the right time to fight with Xiao Chen now. Moreover, Xiao Chen¡¯s aura seemed to be a little different today.


    The atmosphere in the court was getting tenser and tenser. Beigong Qin suddenly said coldly, ¡°Have you ever killed someone¡­¡±


    As soon as he said that, the temperature around him suddenly dropped a lot, and a strong murderous aura was emitted from his body, which suddenly made everyone feel suffocated.


    ¡°Murderous aura! A real murderous aura!¡±


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s hearts trembled. Although they were all outstanding people from all over the country, they were still disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy, not the Black Horn people who fought and killed all day long. Who really did survive on the edge of the blade? Many people had not even seen the killing before.


    At this moment, they felt a strong murderous aura from Beigong Qin. Only people who had killed people could have such a murderous aura. It was obvious that Beigong Qin had killed many people. This time, people were more afraid of him.


    ¡°Do you know what I like the most¡­¡± Beigong Qin looked coldly at Xiao Chen and said word by word, ¡°What I like the most is to see their desperate, helpless, and fearful eyes before they die¡­¡±


    In the distance, the crowd was terrified. Although they did not know the true strength of Beigong Qin, they now understood that they must never provoke this person in the future.


    ¡°There was once a person like you. Then, I killed a total of 108 of them in the span of one day. Even now, I still remember the despair in their eyes before they died. I hope that you will not follow that person¡¯s footsteps¡­¡± Beigong Qin said coldly.


    In the distance, everyone¡¯s heart trembled. He killed more than a hundred people in a day. Was this person a homicidal maniac¡­


    However, Xiao Chen only looked at him coldly and said indifferently, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at him and said coldly, ¡°Beigong Qin, I don¡¯t care what you came to the Cloud Mist Academy for, or how many people you have killed. Don¡¯t come to offend my people again. Remember this.¡±


    After saying this, Xiao Chen turned around and walked to Chu Qi and the rest. Beigong Qin shouted coldly, ¡°Stop!¡±


    The atmosphere once again froze. Xiao Chen¡¯s steps seemed to have frozen as well. He slowly turned his head and looked at him and said, ¡°You have a lot of time, but I, I have a lot of things to do. I don¡¯t have time to play these little tricks with you all day long¡­¡±


    This time, Xiao Chen did not look back again. He walked to the side of Chu Qi and looked at the youths and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The fight was ended in this way. The crowd in the distance looked at Xiao Chen¡¯s back and secretly let out a sigh of relief. But they also felt that they could not see the two people fighting was a little¡­ pity?


    Beigong Qin was still standing behind him. He stared at Xiao Chen¡¯s back as he walked toward the teleportation formation. He took a deep breath and his gaze grew colder and colder.


    After walking out for 500 meters, Qin Tianyu raised his head and looked at Xiao Chen. ¡°Brother Chen, why didn¡¯t you teach him a lesson?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath and said nothing. If he was still the 16 or 17-year-old youngster who killed Ye Fei as soon as he entered the Three Pure Sect for a small conflict, perhaps he had already fought with Beigong Qin.


    But he was no longer that. He clearly understood that Beigong Qin¡¯s current strength was not weaker than his. It was no good for him to fight with him. Moreover, he could not fight against the senior disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion with his current strength, so he could only endure.


    On the other hand, he did not want to conflict with too many people in the Cloud Mist Academy now. After all, he had his real purpose. His real purpose was to return to the Violet Realm in the future and avenge himself!


    Therefore, as long as Beigong Qin did not go overboard, he could bear with it.


    The youngsters also fell silent. They knew that Xiao Chen was definitely not a coward. Otherwise, he would not have challenged Bai Ling for them when he first came here.


    The group of people walked to the teleportation formation in the fourth zone. Xiao Chen saw that there were also some injured among the two or three hundred disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. He frowned and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to the cultivation area?¡±


    Everyone lowered their heads and said nothing. Xiao Chen looked at the fourth district and saw hundreds of people standing on it. It was obvious that they were disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion. Suddenly, he felt furious.


    Xu Ling¡¯er lowered her head and said, ¡°From the day before yesterday, they have been occupying the top. We can¡¯t go up. If we go up, they will stop us.¡±


    ¡°They have gone too far¡­¡± Xiao Chen clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles creaked. His eyes looked as if they were about to burst out flames. After all, no matter how much he tried to put up with it, he was still the same. He was a true man who could not bear to see the people around him being humiliated.


    ¡°Heh-ah!¡±


    With a deep bellow, Xiao Chen stomped his feet and seven or eight cracks appeared on the ground. He then rushed to the sky above the island in the fourth district.


    The hundreds of Purple Thunder Pavilion disciples on the platform were scared out of their wits when they saw him charging at them. The next moment, they saw Xiao Chen spread out his arms and use the Star-shifting Substitution. ¡°Boom!¡± The entire island of the fourth district shook with a loud thud and nearly caused the people on the island to fall.


    ¡°Eh-ah!¡±


    The veins on Xiao Chen¡¯s face popped as his power was pushed to the limit. Everyone on the other side of the empty ground exclaimed at this moment, ¡°What! What¡¯s going on?¡±


    All of a sudden, the island in the fourth district was out of its original positions and quickly moved left and right repeatedly. The hundreds of people on them were scared out of their wits. They grabbed onto the branches and rocks to prevent themselves from being thrown out. They looked like a complete mess and did not seem as arrogant as they were two days ago.


    Exclamations came from the other side of the empty ground. Evidently, Xiao Chen was not using his Mystic Power to rapidly move the island. This was because the island was so large and was being reinforced by a formation. Not even an Apotheosis Realm cultivator could do that. Evidently, he had used some kind of magical cultivation method.


    At this moment, Beigong Qin was also stunned. He had never seen or heard of this magical skill. Was it the Sky-Land Change that had been lost since the Cultivation Era?


    ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± Xiao Chen bellowed. Using his final ounce of strength, he caused the entire island to turn to the side and flung the hundred or so people to the first district.


    ¡°Ah! Ah! Help! Help me¡­¡± In mid-air, the one hundred or so disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion who were thrown out were so scared that they kept screaming.


    ¡°This, this! Incredible!¡± The people on the other side of the empty ground in the distance had already been stunned, and even began to ramble. This was simply more exciting than watching the battle between him and Beigong Qin.


    Beigong Qin¡¯s face was already ashen. There were some things that did not need to be made clear. However, everyone knew that without his orders, how could the hundreds of disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion dare to occupy the fourth district? Now that his people were directly thrown back, what difference was it from giving him a tight slap in the face?


    ¡°Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    Beigong Qin squeezed his fingers, and his eyes became colder and colder. The black Jade Zither suspended next to him seemed to have a little bit of strange dark red lines on it. Then a thin old man¡¯s voice entered his mind. ¡°Kid, this person is not simple. I can feel that there seems to be a Zither Spirit following him¡­¡±


    Beigong Qin then only calmed his thoughts when he heard the old man¡¯s voice in the zither. However, his gaze remained cold.


    ¡­


    In the distance, Xiao Chen threw the 100 people back to the area and then flew back to the teleportation formation. He looked at the teenagers and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    They returned to the fourth district. On the other side of the empty ground, several Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from the Wind-heeding Pavilion were hiding in the dark. Naturally, they would not go up there at this moment.


    Xiao Chen checked everyone¡¯s injuries. Fortunately, most of them were slightly injured and did not have their internal organs hurt. There were also some who were seriously injured. Chu Xuanxuan and other girls who were good at wood healing magic spell were treating them.


    ¡°Senior Brother Qianye, are you alright?¡±


    Earlier, to protect Chu Xuanxuan, Shen Qianye was also punched a lot, and there was blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. He said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chu Xuanxuan lowered her head and walked over to Qin Tianyu¡¯s side, casting a few healing techniques on him.


    After a sigh, Xiao Chen asked the crowd, ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    Xu Ling¡¯er frowned. ¡°It¡¯s all because they plundered our Spiritual Qi and they were getting worse and worse. So Tianyu fought with them, and then¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen roughly learned about the fighting between the two sides. Xu Ling¡¯er continued, ¡°They said that their men were injured by us and asked us to compensate them with Mystic Stones. But there were obviously more people on our side who were injured, and they also offered many unfair clauses¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡± Xiao Chen squeezed his fingers and looked over the first-class cultivation area. He saw more Spiritual Qi water beads floating around the island. Obviously, they had plundered a lot of Spiritual Qi from the other three districts these days.


    Turning around, Xiao Chen looked at the young boys and girls and said, ¡°In the remaining twenty days, you just focus on your cultivation here. No one will dare to come up again.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯re not afraid of them!¡± The youngsters nodded in unison. With Xiao Chen around, they felt at ease. Even though the Spiritual Qi in the Fourth District was the thinnest, it was still their own territory. Being occupied by others would be even more humiliating than being beaten.


    ¡°Chu Qi, come with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two of them walked into a small forest on the island. Xiao Chen looked around and said, ¡°Do you remember those sneaky people we saw when we went back that evening? I didn¡¯t see them today. You should pay attention to those people in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Next, Xiao Chen had to get his cultivation improved as soon as possible. Twenty days later, it would be the end of the month. At that time, there would be a fierce competition between all the disciples in the Cloud Mist Academy because it concerned which district they could cultivate in next month.


    Five days later, the full moon was round like a plate. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged in the courtyard to practice. In the past few days, he had been practicing in the cultivation area during the day, and at night, he had been practicing in the courtyard. He slept less than four hours a day.


    Yesterday, news came from Yang Qing¡¯s side. He seemed to have found a trace of the Weapon Master Ren Tianxing, and it seemed to have something to do with the Black Horn.

 Chapter 535 - A Night for Killing

    The moon was gradually moving across the sky and eventually sank into the west. When it was almost midnight, Xiao Chen was still sitting cross-legged and running his cultivation method. This time, he was trying to cultivate the sixth step of the Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method, Sixfold Dazzling Sun, which he dared not to begin in the past.


    The fourth step of the Yaoguang School¡¯s mind cultivation method, Jade Palace of Frozen Heart, was aimed at cultivating the Yin Qi, which was complementary with his Yang Qi. Thus, it was not hard for him to cultivate it. However, since Sixfold Dazzling Sun aimed at cultivating the purest Yang Qi, he had no other choice but to cultivate such a method two hours before midnight. During that period of time, the Yin Qi was the most powerful and purest.


    However, it was already midnight. Between heaven and earth, the Yin Qi was weakening while the Yang Qi was strengthening. Xiao Chen¡¯s face turned redder and redder under the moonlight. It seemed that there was a raging fire burning inside his body. Gradually, his body also became red. The power of Seven-apertured Exquisite Fruit in his elixir field was almost out of control.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    Xiao Chen finally let out a muffled groan and abruptly opened his bloodshot eyes. Being aware of his trend of Qi Deviation, he moved his fingers and hurriedly put a piece of the Wilderness Ice-lotus into his mouth. Only then did his red skin slowly went back to normal.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and frowned. He had realized that he was too hasty to cultivate the sixth-step method now. If not for the Wilderness Ice-lotus, which Chu Qi picked from the Arctic Wilderness, he might undergo Qi Deviation again. It seemed that he had to make more efforts to stabilize the fourth step, Jade Palace of Frozen Heart, and the fifth step, Star-shifting Substitution.


    Fortunately, now his cultivation had recovered and reached the second level of the Nirvana Realm. With the help of the Dark Stone, though he only reached the second level, his power was much stronger than that of the fourth level of the Nirvana Realm. However, compared with those listed on the Heaven Ranking, he was still far below par.


    While Xiao Chen was deep in thought, there was a sudden and strange gust of wind outside the courtyard, but he kept calm and closed his eyes peacefully.


    Before long, he noticed some stealthy footsteps outside the courtyard. If Xiao Chen didn¡¯t have acute spiritual sense, it would have been hard for him to detect such footsteps as quiet as the sound caused by insects passing through the grass. He used his Divine Sense to sweep the surroundings and found two sneaky men peeping at the courtyard on tiptoes under the moonlight.


    Xiao Chen recognized these two men. They had been secretly tailing Xiao Chen and Chu Qi for some time. The two men looked around for a while and exchanged a glance with each other. Then, they went away again.


    In the courtyard, Xiao Chen opened his eyes with a cold smile. The last two nights, he also noticed that these two men come but they only looked around for a while and left. Thus, he didn¡¯t want to pay any attention to these strange men for the moment.


    Another 10 days passed, and the Heaven Ranking was going to be updated at the end of the month. Many disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy began to pay more attention to their cultivation. These days, Beigong Qin and his companions had stopped plundering the Spiritual Qi from the other two newcomer areas. However, they snatched more from the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Obviously, they intended to provoke Xiao Chen.


    The Spiritual Array in the first district was the most powerful. With its help, they could plunder Spiritual Qi in any other area if they wanted. Even Xiao Chen, who was proficient in formations, could not do anything about it.


    The Spiritual Qi in the Wind-heeding Pavilion was getting thinner and thinner day by day. Facing such a dilemma, hundreds of disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion had begged the Elders and their Grandmasters to solve it. However, that should be overcome only by the juniors. If they wanted to protect the Spiritual Qi from being snatched, they should try their best to be stronger.


    Finally, half of the disciples couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so they made an application to the Elders to replace their Grandmasters. The Elders agreed to their application, and Shui Yue also saw no objection. Therefore, now there were only less than 300 newcomers of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Among them, more than 100 were loyal to Xiao Chen. Even if they were asked to follow the Purple Thunder Pavilion, they wouldn¡¯t go.


    Beigong Qin was satisfied with what had happened in Wind-heeding Pavilion and was getting more and more aggressive. He wanted to hinder the development of all new disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. He clearly remembered that when he first came here, he frightened all the newcomers from the other two districts, but those of the Wind-heeding Pavilion refused to follow him because of Xiao Chen. That was so shameful for Beigong Qin.


    Of course, Xiao Chen saw all this, but he held back his emotions because it was not time to take action. These days, he was practicing in the cultivation area during the day and went back to the courtyard to continue cultivating at night. He shortened his time spent in sleeping from four hours a day to two hours; sometimes he even did not sleep for two consecutive days.


    Cultivators could stay awake for several consecutive days, but only when they were not in the state of cultivation all the time. Thus, out of concern, Chu Qi, who never took the initiative to talk to Xiao Chen, suddenly came out of the room and talked to him last night. She said, ¡°Lord, you haven¡¯t slept for two days and two nights. You¡¯d better go take a rest.¡±


    However, Xiao Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Chu Qi, this is the Wind-heeding Pavilion, not the Violet Illusory Land. I¡¯m not who I used to be. I am no longer the most powerful warrior who won the Immortal¡¯s Sword Assembly.¡±


    Chu Qi lowered his head and said, ¡°I understand.¡± Then she sat down beside Xiao Chen and began cultivating.


    This was not the Violet Illusory Land where None-flower, Yi Tong, Bai Susu, and Gui Xian would help him. This time, he could only rely on himself! If he couldn¡¯t become powerful enough, he would be stepped on by Beigong Qin forever!


    Now, he might really understand what Yang Qing said before. In the Wastelands, there was no distinction between good and evil. Only the fittest and strongest would survive and be respected! If he didn¡¯t want to be suppressed, he had to become stronger first! Just like Ye Cangming, whose name had been listed on the Heaven Ranking hundreds of years ago, no one was able to replace his name successfully or dared to provoke him.


    Therefore, if he could not defeat Beigong Qin, how could he be qualified to investigate what had happened a few millennia ago?


    ¡­


    Time passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of the month. For every disciple in the Cloud Mist Academy, tomorrow was an extremely important day. They would take part in fierce battles to win a place on the Heaven Ranking. The moon and stars were hidden by dark clouds and lost their brilliant light.


    This night was very peaceful.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to bed early tonight.¡±


    In the courtyard, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and took a few deep breaths. It was the first time in the past few years that he had cultivated with all his might. Yesterday, he even tried to use the Li Fire Formation for the Body Refining Realm, which left behind a burning scar on his left arm.


    Now, his cultivation had not only returned to the fourth level of the Nirvana Realm, but had also made a breakthrough. He made great progress compared with the month before.


    ¡°Yes, Lord.¡±


    Chu Qi also opened her eyes. These days, they practiced together every night. Sometimes, they would talk to each other. However, Xiao Chen still could not understand Chu Qi¡¯s secret cultivation method, Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon, especially the Twelve-Shadow Final Kill displayed by Chu Qi before.


    The night was quiet. Under the faint moonlight, Chu Qi had a peaceful look on her face. She was always quiet and never said any unnecessary words, just like a deep pool in a bamboo forest. She would not chatter and laugh all day long like Ziyun¡¯er.


    With a smile, Xiao Chen looked at her and said, ¡°Chu Qi, you can call me Senior Brother from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, go back and rest. Tomorrow¡­¡± Xiao Chen paused, with his eyes turning sullen. He gazed at the sparkling pool and said coldly, ¡°Tomorrow, the counterattack starts!¡±


    ¡­


    For those who were immersed in dreams in the Cloud Mist Academy, a night¡¯s time so short that it was like a dream. However, for some people, it was so long; as long as a lifetime.


    For those restless people in the alley of the Black-horn City, night might be their best hiding place, but at the same time, a dark night was also an abyss that swallowed up their lives.


    Some people were destined to die tonight.


    ¡°Leader¡­ leader, someone has killed our fellows¡­ More than 170 were lying outside. All¡­ all of them are dead¡­¡±


    In a secret hall of the Black-horn City, a panic-stricken man in black suddenly ran in. On the walls of the hall hung several torches with a little spark. It could be seen that a middle-aged man with a pale face was sitting on a large chair in the hall.


    There were four other people in the hall, and just like the man, their faces turned as white as a sheet once they heard that bad news.


    ¡°They are all¡­ all dead¡­¡± Sweat beaded on the middle-aged man¡¯s face. The messenger in black said in a panic, ¡°Leader, please¡­ please hurry up to leave from behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡± A crisp sound resonated as the sword chopped off the messenger¡¯s head before he finished his words. The blood splashed on the torch hanging on the stone wall. The fire flickered a few times, but it could still be seen clearly that the body of the messenger who was beheaded fell down with a flop.


    ¡°You¡­ you guys!¡±


    Seven figures appeared at the entrance of the hall. Each of them had a different stance. They were like shadows in the dark, approaching silently and taking away the lives of those who were hiding in the darkness and thought they had hidden themselves well.


    They showed up at night and looked as horrible and foreboding as death, judging who would live and who would die.


    ¡°You¡­ you are¡­ Seven Night Queens¡­¡±


    Before he finished his words, his blood had splashed, and the last flaming torch on the hall was extinguished.


    ¡­


    A dark night passed. For those in the Cloud Mist Academy, this day was exciting, but for some people, they would stay in yesterday forever.


    The morning sun had just risen. On this day, the Cloud Mist Academy seemed to be busier than usual. They were all discussing the competition for the Heaven Ranking. In fact, on the last day of each month, all disciples would compete for the Heaven Ranking. It was not only about whether they could go to the high-level area for cultivation next month, but also about the final score and reward of this month.


    Therefore, the day at the end of the month was the busiest day. Some wanted to gain a higher place on the Heaven Ranking this day, and naturally, some had to prevent themselves from being challenged on the ranking list or getting a lower rank.


    On this day, the Mystic Sky Pavilion would only open after noon, so in the morning, all disciples still had to go to the cultivation area and maintain their best condition. Along the way, both newcomers and senior disciples were full of discussion. They were all guessing how far Beigong Qin could go on the Earth Ranking, or even if he was able to win a place on the Heaven Ranking.


    Regarding this, Beigong Qin only wore a smile on his face, as if he had a well-thought-out plan. Every time a senior disciple came to greet him and asked him which place he was going to enter, he always smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s all up to luck.¡±


    In the Wind-heeding Pavilion, Xiao Chen walked in silence. Of course, there were many senior disciples talking about him. After all, among all the newcomers, he and Beigong Qin were the most outstanding ones. As for Jiang Qianqian and Yumu Shisan, they didn¡¯t get much attention because they entered the cultivation area for senior disciples from the beginning.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s that guy. Pfft! I heard that he was once beaten by Senior Sister Bai Ling. You see, he seems to have become well-behaved this time. He doesn¡¯t raise his head when walking.¡±


    ¡°He can use four formations for the Body Refining Realm at the same time, but that only depends on his strong body. At first, he was so arrogant as to challenge our Senior Brother, but now he has lost his place on the ranking list. He can¡¯t even be listed on the Earth Ranking!¡±


    Seeing Xiao Chen and his companions, many senior disciples on the way began their discussion. However, Xiao Chen always turned a deaf ear to what they said. He walked his own path silently but firmly. He didn¡¯t care about their discussion, and he was sure that he would have the last laugh.


    ¡°But he seems to be quite unlucky. He has just become the first newcomer to enter the Earth Ranking in recent years, but he was defeated and lost his place on the ranking list in just a few days. Do you think he will go to compete for the ranking list today?¡±


    Because of Xiao Chen¡¯s arrival, it seemed that people¡¯s attention had transferred from Beigong Qin to Xiao Chen. When people talked about Beigong Qin, they always showed their respect for him. But while talking about Xiao Chen, most of them used a sneering tone.

 Chapter 536 - The Counterattack Begins!

    It was not that because Xiao Chen was squeezed out of the list and that was why so many people mocked him. It was that he led the freshmen to not hand over the Mystic Stone on the first day, but also challenged Bai Ling, and even won. Wasn¡¯t this embarrassing to them senior disciples? How could a newcomer be so headstrong like this?


    However, Beigong Qin was different. Although Beigong Qin was the king among the newcomers, he never provoked the senior disciples because he knew that some senior disciples were not people he could afford to offend now, while the newcomers had no one to rely on.


    Therefore, when he first came here, he handed over the Mystic Stone without saying a word and politely invited the other party to take care of him in the future. He did not say it like Xiao Chen, ¡°Why should I hand it over? Is it stipulated in the Cloud Mist Academy?¡± Such words which offended the senior disciples.


    Therefore, from a certain perspective, maybe people like Beigong Qin were more suited to survive in places like Wastelands.


    But then again, the last time Bai Ling beat Xiao Chen, it was not what the senior disciples said¡ªBai Ling did it for the sake of saving face. This month, Bai Ling rarely came out. Even some female disciples who used to have a good relationship with Bai Ling rarely saw her.


    Finally, when they were about to reach the newcomer area in the back mountain, the senior disciples and freshmen gradually walked away, and the sound of the discussion gradually became softer. As usual, Xiao Chen went directly to the fourth district and then sat down to cultivate. It seemed that he rarely talked to others in the past half a month. It seemed that he had become quieter than ever before.


    The closer it got to noon, the more restless the disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy became. Finally, at 3:15 p.m., three columns of light from the Mystic Sky Pavilion shot up to the sky. One was purple, one was green, and the other was pale white. They were the three rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Human.


    At this moment, many people had rushed over to the Mystic Sky Pavilion. Some of them were already waiting at the teleportation formation. Of course, some of them were going to the Mystic Sky Pavilion to watch the show, and the rest were for the Mystic Stone bet. The last group was to those who were serious about either entering the ranking or keeping the ranking.


    Time passed by. On the other side of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, there were three towering pillars of light. The 36th place on the Heaven Ranking List had not changed at all. Baili Xiaohualuo was still in the 36th position. There were some changes below the 10th place on the Earth Ranking, but the Human Ranking had been changing all the time.


    In fact, the Human Ranking was the most intense because most people could not enter the Earth Ranking, while the Heaven Ranking List was occupied by the senior disciples. The top 10 of the Earth Ranking was occupied by the senior disciples as well and they were unmovable like mountains. Beigong Qin¡¯s goal this time was to get into the top 10.


    Finally, at the end of the day, there was still no change between the top 10 of the Heaven Ranking and the top 10 of the Earth Ranking. In the newcomer area, there were people in the other three districts who could not help but go to the Mystic Sky Pavilion one after another. But there was no movement in the Mystic Sky Pavilion. In other people¡¯s eyes, that was nothing strange because only a few people could even enter the Human Ranking.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew. Immediately after, a figure landed on the island of the fourth district. It was Beigong Qin who suddenly appeared. When the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion saw that person¡¯s arrival, their faces immediately displayed expressions of hatred. Qin Tianyu clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Beigong Qin, this place does not welcome you peeps from the Purple Thunder Pavilion. Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡±


    Beigong Qin smiled faintly without getting annoyed. He walked to Xiao Chen¡¯s side and said with a faint smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to challenge the Human Ranking? At least you can take first place.¡±


    When the newcomers in the other two districts saw Beigong Qin went to the fourth district to mock them in public, they all looked over. They already knew that the two of them were at loggerheads with each other. Sooner or later, there would be a fight.


    However, Xiao Chen still closed his eyes lightly and did not say a word. Even Chu Qi next to him, also pretended that she did not hear him.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Beigong Qin felt snubbed. With a faint smile, he flew toward the teleportation formation with a leap. Before he left, he even deliberately kicked a large amount of sand and stones onto Xiao Chen¡¯s body. However, there seemed to be an invisible layer of True Qi protecting Xiao Chen¡¯s body that blocked those sand and stones outside.


    Another hour passed. The competition over at the Mystic Sky Pavilion¡¯s ranking list was getting more and more intense. There was still no movement from the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Many people in the other two areas were whispering. ¡°Looks like he really doesn¡¯t want to even compete for a spot on the Human Ranking. To be honest, he¡¯s better than us in terms of talent. It¡¯s a pity that he ran into Beigong Qin.¡±


    Time passed by. Many people in the Wind-heeding Pavilion finally began to worry. They did not wish for the first district, they just wanted to change to the third district. But if Xiao Chen refused to compete in the rankings, none of them could even enter the Earth Ranking.


    Qin Tianyu paced back and forth. One moment he went to the edge of the island to read the list, and then he walked back and forth again. He could not sit still anyway. This time, he finally could not stand it anymore. He walked to Xiao Chen¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Brother Chen, are you really not going?¡±


    At this time, Xiao Chen finally opened his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Tianyu, sit down.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hearing this, Qin Tianyu obediently sat cross-legged in front of him. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and pressed it on his shoulder. He then secretly sent some Mystic Power into his body. Qin Tianyu was startled and raised his head. His face was filled with shock. He wanted to say something but immediately covered his mouth.


    Xiao Chen nodded slightly and said, ¡°Tianyu, sometimes you are too impatient. Cultivators should not be impetuous. Remember, you should learn from Qianye more.¡±


    Shen Qianye sat cross-legged at the side, his eyes closed, not saying a word. No matter what happened in the outside world, it was as if he would never be disturbed.


    Qin Tianyu was happily looking at Shen Qianye. He pointed at Shen Qianye and laughed. ¡°Hahaha! He¡¯s just a dull gourd. I, Qin Tianyu, will become a wind-like man!¡±


    Chu Xuanxuan frowned and said in a soft voice, ¡°Senior Brother Qianye is not a dull gourd. I think you are the one who is chattering all day long. Like¡­ Like¡­¡± In the end, she did not know what to use to describe him. Her face turned red as she did not know how to continue.


    ¡°Like what? Say it.¡± Qin Tianyu looked at the blushing Chu Xuanxuan with blinking eyes and deliberately teased her.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a monkey! Hahaha!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Monkey Qin from now on, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the monkey, Monkey Xu!¡± Qin Tianyu immediately retorted.


    ¡°How dare you! Come over and apologize to me!¡±


    ¡°Lueluelue¡­¡±


    ¡°You still dare to lueluelue me? Somebody, take this monkey away and beat him 30 times! Beat his ass until it blooms¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The atmosphere suddenly became lively. Xiao Chen shook his head and smiled. He then looked at Chu Qi and said, ¡°Go and take a look at their rankings.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Qi walked to the side of the island and opened up the clouds. After a while, she returned and said, ¡°One of them has made it to the 53rd spot on the Earth Ranking.¡±


    ¡°Is it an ordinary list, or did he kicked someone out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the ordinary list.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Very well. Together with Beigong Qin, there should be a total of three people who managed to enter the Earth Ranking. Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±


    As for the Mystic Sky Rankings, one could only challenge the kicking list thrice a day, but there was once for the ordinary list. After the ordinary list was carried out, one could not challenge the kicking list again on the same day. That was to say, once the ordinary list was kicked, and then they could only wait for the next day to challenge the list again. Therefore, on the last day of each month, there would be so many people who would guard the list.


    After a while, Chu Qi came back and said, ¡°There¡¯s another person who made it to the 57th of the Earth Ranking. They¡¯re both on the ordinary list.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes were getting colder and colder.


    After a while, Chu Qi came back and said, ¡°They¡­ Another one. He made it to the 61th on the Earth Ranking.¡±


    Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Why is there one more?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t worry. Leave the 61th on the Earth Ranking to me,¡± said Chu Qi.


    Xiao Chen nodded. At this moment, the newcomer area suddenly burst into an exclamation. On the other side of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, there were three beams of light. The cyan light in the middle of the three beams suddenly increased in intensity. This meant that the rankings of some of the top 36 people were rising sharply.


    The person who was rising rapidly was the name of Beigong Qin. From the 27th place to within the top 20, it finally stopped on the 13th place and squeezed the original 13th to 26th place to one rank below.


    ¡°Rank 13th!¡±


    No matter if it was the newcomer area, the senior disciples¡¯ area, or the side of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, at this moment, all of them burst into thunderous gasps. A newcomer who had just arrived a month ago actually managed to enter the 13th place of the Earth Ranking! He was ranked among the senior disciples with purple badges!


    At this moment, many elders who were paying attention to the Mystic Sky Rankings also suddenly changed their faces. This was far beyond their expectations. Originally, they thought that Beigong Qin could only be ranked 20th at most, but they did not expect that he could get to the 13th! This could be said to be the best disciple in recent years!


    Just when everyone was exclaiming, the corner of Xiao Chen¡¯s mouth finally curved into a cold smile. ¡°Then, the game time has begun¡­¡±


    Chu Qi looked at the youngsters and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go. To the Mystic Sky Pavilion and take back what was ours.¡±


    Everyone was stunned. Sister Chu Qi actually took the initiative to speak today. Soon, this group of lively young boys and girls understood that Xiao Chen was going to fight for the ranking list. For a moment, cheers burst out.


    When the newcomers from the other districts saw that they were cheering and jumping for joy, they were all stunned. ¡°Are they going to fight on the ranking list?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for them to pay their debts back.¡±


    At the moment, dozens of young boys and girls led by Qin Tianyu and others cheered and went with Xiao Chen. The rest stayed in the cultivation area and looked at the changes on the list here.


    On the way, Xiao Chen saw Shen Qianye keeping silent. He smiled and asked, ¡°Has Qianye reached the Nascent Soul Realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thanks to Sister Chu Qi¡¯s advice a few days ago.¡± Shen Qianye nodded.


    ¡°Wow! Senior Brother Qianye has reached the Nascent Soul Realm!¡±


    The girls all cheered. Qin Tianyu humped and said, ¡°What¡¯s so great about that? In the next month, I, Qin Tianyu, will also be able to enter the Nascent Soul stage!¡±


    Half an hour later, they came to the Mystic Sky Pavilion. During this period, the Earth Ranking had basically not changed, and the Heaven Ranking List had not changed at all. Only the Human Ranking kept changing. However, there were more than a thousand people gathered on the island of the Mystic Sky Pavilion.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Junior Brother Xiao.¡± At the moment, Beigong Qin was surrounded by many people. When he saw Xiao Chen and the others coming, he smiled lightly and said.


    ¡°Yes, we are here,¡± said Chu Qi placidly.


    She had never liked to talk, but today, it seemed that this was the second time that she took the initiative to speak.


    ¡°Junior Sister Chu Qi has always been a person who doesn¡¯t like to talk. I¡¯m flattered to hear you speak to me today.¡± Beigong Qin smiled faintly and pushed the crowd aside as he walked over.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be even more flattered a while later.¡± Xiao Chen looked at him and said with a faint smile.

 Chapter 537 - Challenge the Kicking List

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Beigong Qin also looked at Xiao Chen. At this moment, the eyes of both of them became sharp. They were like the tips of a needle, pressing against each other.


    In the distance, many people started to discuss. ¡°This is Xiao Chen? A newbie who was squeezed down from the Earth Ranking? I heard that he has been fighting with Beigong Qin openly and secretly all the time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he defeated Senior Sister Bai Ling in the beginning, and he was able to use his sword very quickly. But in the past half month, he seemed to have become unknown to the public. As the saying goes, it¡¯s easy to fail if you¡¯re too headstrong¡­¡±


    Because of the sudden arrival of Xiao Chen and the others, those who were still talking about the Mystic Sky Rankings now began to talk about him and Beigong Qin. Needless to say, the new disciples knew that these two people were not harmonious. Most senior disciples had heard rumors about them. The other things were not clear. Anyway, they knew that these two people were fighting each other.


    Even those who did not know what was going on were able to guess the tit for tat from the tense atmosphere.


    Of course, Xiao Chen completely ignored these discussions. He turned to his side and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Chu Qi.¡±


    The group of people walked toward the Mystic Sky Rankings. Along the way, many people were pointing at them and whispering. When they reached the Mystic Sky Rankings, they saw three stone steles with a Kylin on each side, looking very majestic.


    The Fire Kylin on the left was 20 feet tall. Its eyes were as bright as lamps, and its entire body was wrapped in a layer of raging flames. With just a glance, it gave off an inexplicable sense of fear and no one dare to approach.


    On the right was an icy blue Water Kylin. Of course, these two Kylins were not real Kylins, but Illusory Beasts with offensive properties. This was to prevent people from fighting each other because they did not get along with each other because of rank kicking. This was not like it did not happen in the Cloud Mist Academy in the past.


    In addition to the two Illusory Beasts at the Mystic Sky Rankings List, there was also one more Cexuan illusory land Stone Room in the middle. One was used for the ordinary ranking list, and the other was used for rank kicking.


    There were many disciples from the Mystic Sky Pavilion sitting in front of the two stone rooms. They were in charge of recording today¡¯s ranking list and the final results. It was obvious that today was a very formal day. It was not like usual days where people come and go as they wish to challenge the rank list.


    There was also a green restoration formation on the right. The restoration formation had been increased from the original one to three. There were a few tables next to the formation, and a large group of people was doing something there.


    ¡°Junior Brother, are you here to make a list or to place a bet? If you¡¯re here to place your bet, please go over there.¡± One of the Senior Brothers in front of the stone chamber said to Xiao Chen in a friendly manner. After saying so, he pointed to the area where the restoration formation was.


    Xiao Chen looked over there and could not help but feel a little absurd. It turned out that a group of people was gambling. The Cloud Mist Academy openly allowed their disciples to gamble. How nice would it be if Bai Ying were here right now?


    But why didn¡¯t Shui Yue show up at this time? According to the senior disciples, Shui Yue seemed to have the title of ¡°Bad Grandmaster¡±, and she seemed to like gambling as well. It did not make sense that she did not show up at this time.


    ¡°Uh, this Junior Brother¡­¡± One of the senior brothers who was in charge of the list saw that Xiao Chen was motionless. He smiled and said, ¡°If you want to place your bets, you can go there. There is a specialized senior brother who is responsible for it¡­¡±


    ¡°We are here to fight for the ranking,¡± Chu Qi said placidly. This was the third time she had taken the initiative to speak today. When the people nearby heard that they were here to fight for the ranking as expected, they immediately looked over.


    Only now did the Senior Brother in charge of the list notice Chu Qi. He could not help but feel stunned. He had never seen such an icy-spirit girl before, and his attitude immediately improved. He said warmly, ¡°I wonder if Junior Sister is here for the Earth Ranking or the Human Ranking? On my side, I¡¯m in charge of the Earth Ranking. If Junior Sister is here for the Human Ranking, you can go to this Senior Brother next to me¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here for the Earth Ranking.¡± Xiao Chen added without waiting for the other party to finish speaking.


    This time, more and more people looked over and began to whisper. After all, Xiao Chen was pushed down by someone previously. After being silent for a month, was he going to get it back now? Many people began to look forward to the competition there would be between him and Beigong Qin.


    In the distance, Beigong Qin kept that faint smile on his face. He wanted to see what kind of tricks Xiao Chen was playing.


    The Senior Brother in charge of the list was obviously having the first time on this job today. He did not know Xiao Chen. He just felt that a newcomer with the white badge had entered the Earth Ranking. Was there another newcomer who wanted to challenge the Earth Ranking now? When did the newcomers become so powerful?


    After a short moment of absent-mindedness, the Senior Brother quickly came to his senses and said with a smile, ¡°Please register first in the ordinary ranking list.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not for the ordinary list, it¡¯s for kicking the list,¡± Xiao Chen said placidly.


    ¡°Kick the ranking list?¡±


    The Senior Brother was obviously stunned. Since when are there newcomers who challenge to kick the Earth Ranking? Although the competition at the end of the month had lasted for nearly four hours, everyone was just challenging the ordinary list. No one tried to kick the list because it was easy to provoke hatred. So unless there was enmity, no one would kick the list. After all, enemies were not the best choice to solve problems.


    At this moment, many people in the crowd were discussing loudly. They rarely saw anyone kick the list because they would become enemies if they kicked the list. But now, they heard that Xiao Chen was going to kick the list. Was he going to kick the 13th place of Beigong Qin?


    There was an uproar in the crowd. Even those who were betting looked at them in surprise. The whole Mystic Sky Pavilion was talking about Xiao Chen. Since Beigong Qin had charged into the 13th place, could Xiao Chen kick him down? After all, if Xiao Chen failed to kick the list, it was equivalent to giving the Mystic Stones to the other party. It would not matter much to lose the Mystic Stones, however that was not the case for one¡¯s pride.


    ¡°Heh heh, it¡¯s going to be a good show. He¡¯s going to kick Beigong Qin down. Will the two of them fight later?¡±


    ¡°Puff! If he fails to kick the list, the Mystic Stone paid for kicking will be accumulated to the other party¡¯s Mystic Stone. He is not here to give the Mystic Stones to Beigong Qin, is he?¡±


    Everyone in the crowd had different opinions. Some believed that Xiao Chen could certainly get back the lost ranking after a month of silence. Some believed that Xiao Chen was purely looking for humiliation. Even some senior disciples with purple badges would not dare to say that he could succeed in kicking Beigong Qin down.


    In the distance, Beigong Qin folded his arms in front of his chest and looked at Xiao Chen with great interest. He ignored the comments around him and turned a deaf ear to them.


    The Senior Brother who was responsible for the ranking felt a little difficult and said with a wry smile, ¡°Junior brother, you don¡¯t really intend to kick those who are in the top 20, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Xiao Chen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to kick the 57th place.¡± He pointed to the 57th place on the Earth Ranking of the Mystic Sky Rankings. That person was one of Beigong Qin¡¯s subordinates.


    Chu Qi said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going to kick the 61th one.¡± She then pointed to the Mystic Sky Rankings.


    The people around him were relieved. It turned out that they had picked out two of the worst ones from the Purple Thunder Pavilion. Just now, they really thought that he was going to kick Beigong Qin.


    ¡°Cheh, let¡¯s go. I thought he was going to kick Beigong Qin, but it turned out that they found two soft persimmons to pinch.¡± The crowd immediately booed. Some people even said angrily, ¡°What are you doing! Aren¡¯t you kicking Beigong Qin? I¡¯ve already made a bet. What do you mean by choosing two softies to kick? If you don¡¯t have the ability, get out of here! You wasted my Mystic Stones!¡±


    The crowd kept on cursing. No one knew why they were disappointed. Maybe it was because they thought that Xiao Chen would kick Beigong Qin, but they picked two weaklings. In the distance, Beigong Qin smiled slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s a little interesting.¡±


    As for the two Purple Thunder Pavilion disciples who were going to be kicked, their faces were ashen. It was not because they were being challenged to be kicked, but it was already good enough for them to enter the Earth Ranking. In the end, they were called softies now. One of them sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just stand here and let you kick. Go and do it!¡±


    Xiao Chen and Chu Qi said no more. Each of them handed over 10 Mystic Stones. After registration, they went to the Mysterious Testing Stone Room on the left, which was located on the list. When they reached the door, the two looked at each other, nodded, and entered.


    Many were still discussing, but it was not about Xiao Chen. They were talking about Chu Qi. ¡°That junior sister is so special¡­¡±


    ¡­


    This time, Xiao Chen did not meet the strange Illusory Beast from the last time when he entered the stone room for the ranking list. Instead, he saw a fierce-looking Illusory Beast glaring at him. It looked as if it was the one being kicked.


    With a smile, Xiao Chen raised his right palm. Under his palm, a huge ball of white light gradually condensed. With a wave of his arm, the ball of white light dashed toward the Illusory Beast. With a loud boom, the entire stone room shook and the fierce-looking Illusory Beast was directly blown away.


    As for kicking the list, it would only be successful after the other party¡¯s Guardian Illusory Beast disappeared within the time limit. Outside, the name of the 57th person on the Earth Ranking faded gradually, and finally, it was replaced by Xiao Chen¡¯s name.


    This was the effect of kicking the list. If it was an ordinary ranking, then it meant that the name kept rising, and finally, the ranking would be stabilized at a place where it should be.


    ¡°Succeeded! He successfully kicked the list!¡±


    Someone immediately shouted out, and the originally 57th person¡¯s face was as ugly as it was. The pride was just one of the reasons. What was more important was that today was the last day of this month. If he wanted to be on the list, he could only challenge again tomorrow. The final score of this month was gone, and the Mystic Stone rewards were gone as well.


    The discussions in the crowd continued. However, before the voices of the crowd could fade, the name of the 61st person gradually faded and finally became the name of Chu Qi.


    ¡°Wow! So that Junior Sister¡¯s name is Chu Qi. What a beautiful name. This reminds me of my first love¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, my birthday is on the seventh day of the month. It seems that I¡¯m really fated with Junior Sister Chu Qi. This must be the fate that was continued from my previous life. It¡¯s destined that the heaven let Junior Sister Chu Qi come to the Cloud Mist Academy to let us renew our acquaintance¡­¡±


    ¡°Bah! Where is your face? Where did your face go? Where is your face? Everyone, help me find it. This person¡¯s face is gone!¡±


    ¡°My birthday is also on the seventh of the month. Junior Sister Chu Qi is mine!¡±


    The cheers in the crowd suddenly grew louder, and many people whistled. It seemed that Chu Qi was much more popular than Xiao Chen.


    A moment later, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi walked out of the stone room calmly. Qin Tianyu and the rest immediately gathered around them and cheered. Over at the Purple Thunder Pavilion, the expression on their faces was as ugly as ever. They had lost two rankings on the Earth Ranking in such a short amount of time.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and walked over to the Senior Brother, who was in charge of the ranking. The Senior Brother forced a smile. Now you offended the Purple Thunder Pavilion just for the ranking, didn¡¯t you? He said, ¡°Congratulations, Junior Brother and Junior Sister for your success in challenging the rank. Here are 10 Mystic Stone, and the other 10 will be added to the award pool.¡±


    After one succeeded in kicking the list, he could take half Mystic Stone back, but Xiao Chen did not take it. He said, ¡°No need. I¡¯m going to continue to kick the list. This time, I¡¯m going to kick the 53rd one!¡± As he said this, he pointed to the Mystic Sky Rankings.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The crowd once again shouted. This time, he was going to kick one of those from the Purple Thunder Pavilion again. Could it be¡­ that he was going to wipe out all the Purple Thunder Pavilion¡¯s people today?

 Chapter 538 - Keep Kicking!

    This time, the cheers from the crowd became louder. If all the people of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were kicked out today, they would have to go to the lowest fourth zone to cultivate next month.


    The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking list did not expect that he would go to compete in the ranking list. Although one could compete in the ranking list three times a day, how much hatred was there? He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Well, Junior Brother, what don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you say that one can challenge the ranking three times a day? Besides, I didn¡¯t challenge anyone who¡¯s ranked lower than me. That doesn¡¯t count as ill-will kicking right?¡± Xiao Chen looked at him and said seriously.


    The Senior Brother smiled bitterly and thought, ¡°If you don¡¯t count this as ill-will kicking, what else is?¡± He said helplessly, ¡°Well, let me register¡­¡±


    In the distance, the faces of the people in the Purple Thunder Pavilion were extremely ugly, and Beigong Qin¡¯s face was even gloomier. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles creaked. He finally understood Xiao Chen¡¯s intention today, but he was not afraid. He did not believe that Xiao Chen could still kick him down at the end of this. He did not believe that Xiao Chen had the ability!


    Xiao Chen did not say a word after registration. He did not even go to the recovery formation for the Mystic Power recovery. He went straight into the stone room.


    In fact, he did not intend to kick all the people of the Purple Thunder Pavilion out of the list. After that conflict between the two sides, he wanted to just let it go, but he did not expect that after half a month, the other side not only did not restrain themselves but became more and more aggravated!


    Sometimes, if you blindly gave in, it would only make others think that you were afraid of him, and make him even more insatiable!


    This time, in the stone room, Xiao Chen still encountered a ferocious Illusory Beasts, which seemed to be stronger than the previous one. But this time, Xiao Chen continued to hit the Illusory Beast with a single palm and made it disappeared.


    With Lv 5 Medium Nirvana Realm cultivation, his Mystic Power could no longer be compared to what it was a month ago!


    After destroying the Illusory Beast, Xiao Chen smiled and calmly turned and walked to the outside of the stone house. He had thought that there must be a great disturbance outside this time, but what he saw was¡­


    ¡°Junior Sister Chu Qi, where are you from? You look like a girl next door of my home when I was a kid¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Chu Qi, there¡¯s a vacation next month. I¡¯ll take you to the city to have fun. You haven¡¯t been there yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister Chu Qi, why don¡¯t you talk to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister Chu Qi, are you not feeling well? I know a very famous pharmacist¡­¡±


    Countless old disciples wearing purple badges surrounded Chu Qi. Xiao Chen was completely dumbfounded. What was going on? Now that he had succeeded in winning the game, why didn¡¯t anyone talk about him? Why did they surround Chu Qi?


    At this moment, Chu Qi lowered her head and clenched her fists. She did not say a word and stood still. If she was outside, probably these people would be having their worst day.


    Qin Tianyu and the rest walked over to Xiao Chen. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Brother Chen, Sister Chu Qi¡­¡±


    Chu Xuanxuan lowered her head and muttered, ¡°In the future, I will be like Chu Qi Sister, beautiful and bright. Liked by many people¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Xiao Chen shook his head. If this continued, if Chu Qi lost control, people would die. Thinking of this, he immediately rushed forward and pushed those people away. ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who are you! Do you know the rules? Go line up in the back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you? Aren¡¯t you the one who went to challenge the ranking list? Go and challenge your list. Don¡¯t disturb my conversation with Junior Sister Chu Qi¡­¡±


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Xiao Chen shook his head. These people were too exaggerated, weren¡¯t they? They were old disciples with purple badges and did not look like senior brothers at all.


    ¡°Come with me, this group of people is sick.¡±


    Before Chu Qi could react, Xiao Chen had pulled her and ran toward the Mystic Sky Rankings. The senior disciples behind him shouted, ¡°Hey! Hey! What¡¯s going on! Don¡¯t go, Junior Sister Chu Qi!¡±


    ¡°Huff, what the heck¡­¡± Xiao Chen pulled Chu Qi and ran all the way to the Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking list. Only then did he give out a sigh of relief. Chu Qi looked up and said, ¡°Well, can you let go now?¡±


    ¡°Ahh? Ah! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Xiao Chen quickly let go of Chu Qi¡¯s hand and gave an awkward laugh. Then he looked at the senior brother who was in charge of the ranking list.


    The Senior Brother smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Congratulations, Junior Brother. You¡¯ve successfully won the challenge.¡±


    At this time, on the side of the Purple Thunder Pavilion, everyone¡¯s face was gloomy. In the past month, they had been the overlords in the area of newcomers. No one had dared to provoke them like this.


    Beigong Qin clenched his fists so tightly that they were cracking. This had affected their score in the Purple Thunder Pavilion. This time, he was finally a little angry, and his eyes seemed to be blasting fire. ¡°Xiao Chen! What the fuck are you trying to do! Come on if you want to kick me. Why did you kick all my people out?¡±


    After that, he stepped heavily on the ground and walked toward Xiao Chen step by step. His powerful aura made many senior disciples tremble. Several Senior Brothers who were in charge of the ranking list turned pale. At this time, the Fire Kylin from the Mystic Sky Rankings suddenly roared.


    Its voice shook the sky, causing many people to tremble and sit on the ground in fear. Beigong Qin also trembled on the spot. He immediately stopped and forcefully suppressed his anger. This Fire Kylin Illusory Beast was specially used to prevent people from fighting for the list. He had no doubt that if he took another step closer to Xiao Chen, this Fire Kylin would immediately attack him.


    Xiao Chen smiled and looked at him calmly. ¡°Senior Brother Beigong, don¡¯t worry. The next one is you.¡±


    ¡°What! He¡¯s really going to kick Beigong Qin! He is really going to kick them all out!¡±


    This time, a burst of exclamation broke out from the crowd. Even those senior disciples who had their eyes glued on Chu Qi finally fixed their eyes on him.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, this newcomer is really interesting. He has kicked out all the newcomers of the Purple Thunder Pavilion at one go. Hehe, he¡¯s really bold. Is he trying to demonstrate his strength at the First Grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°He seems to be under Shui Yue, isn¡¯t he? Isn¡¯t he afraid of annoying the Senior Brothers on the Heaven Ranking List? There are more than a dozen Senior Brothers under the First Grandmaster who occupy the Heaven Ranking List.¡±


    Some senior disciples with purple badges chatted from a short distance away. They did not care as much about the newcomers as the disciples with cyan badges did, and they would not even exclaim, but just took it as something fun.


    Beigong Qin¡¯s bones creaked as he clenched his fists. He sneered coldly and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just stand here. If you can¡¯t kick me out of the list, you¡¯ll bring your own ass out of the Cloud Mist Academy!¡±


    The atmosphere had become very tense. The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking seemed to be in a dilemma. He felt that Xiao Chen was indeed a little unreasonable. He would think so because he did not know the things Beigong Qin had done in the newcomer area. If he knew, he would definitely applaud.


    ¡°Well, this Junior Brother, why don¡¯t you go to challenge the ordinary ranking list? Top 20 is not so easy to defeat. Here are the five Mystic Stone from just now. Here you go¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Xiao Chen reached out his hand and took out another five Mystic Stones and placed them on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another five stones to kick him! Whichever rank of the list he¡¯s at, I¡¯ll challenge whichever rank!¡± Then, he pointed at Beigong Qin. His imposing manner made some Junior Sisters blush. He looked absolutely handsome.


    The atmosphere became even tenser. Of course, for some reason, some people suddenly laughed with their hands covering their mouths. Xiao Chen looked at the Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking list. Seeing that he was in a dilemma, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I kick out people three times a day?¡±


    The Senior Brother said with a bitter smile, ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Then he looked at the five Mystic Stone on the table and said with a wry smile, ¡°You need to pay 100 Mystic Stone to kick those who are in the top 20 of the Earth Ranking. This is not enough¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡± Indeed, his handsomeness did not last more than 30 minutes. Many of the Senior and Junior Sisters around him covered their mouths and laughed. Beigong Qin seemed to have finally regained some face. With a sneer, he said, ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing. You don¡¯t even have enough Mystic Stone to kick me. Do you think you can kick me off the list? You¡¯re really funny.¡±


    ¡°Well, Junior Brother, if the Mystic Stone is not enough, you can¡¯t kick the list. Here¡­¡± The Senior Brother on the list smiled bitterly and handed the ten Mystic Stone back.


    Qin Tianyu and the rest frowned. This month, some of them were taken by Bai Ling, some by the Purple Thunder Pavilion, and some were used by themselves. Now, the total amount of the Mystic Stone on everyone does not even amount to 50 stones.


    Xiao Chen coughed and said discontentedly, ¡°Um, isn¡¯t Cloud Mist Academy too corrupted? Even if I can kick him out, my 50 Mystic Stones will be wasted in vain?¡±


    The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking smiled bitterly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. 100 is too expensive. You can give me a discount. 50 will be enough for me to kick!¡± Xiao Chen shook his hand.


    ¡°What?¡± This time, the Senior Brothers who were in charge of the ranking were stunned. ¡°Is this grocery shopping? Can we bargain?¡±


    The crowd burst into laughter. However, Beigong Qin¡¯s face became more and more gloomy. How could he not see that Xiao Chen was pretending to be stupid and deliberately mocking him? He was saying that he was not worth even a hundred Mystic Stone. He was so angry that he laughed and looked at the Senior Brother who was in charge of the list. ¡°Heh heh! Good! Very good! Let him kick! These hundred Mystic Stone are on me! I¡¯ll see if he can kick me out!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The Senior Brother who was in charge of the list was feeling a little difficult. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°The Mystic Sky Pavilion has its rules. This won¡¯t work¡­¡±


    At this time, Chu Qi came up and put a few Mystic Stone on the table, but they were far from enough. The group of senior disciples behind her saw this and immediately rushed up to her. ¡°Junior Sister! I have Mystic Stone! As many as you want!¡±


    ¡°Sister Chu Qi! Don¡¯t be afraid! Here are 10 Tier-2 Mystic Stone! Take them and spend them casually! Senior Brother got nothing but plenty of Mystic Stone. If there are not enough stones, come and get them again!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chu Qi took the 10 Tier-2 Mystic Stones from a Senior Brother and put them on the table.


    Xiao Chen looked at her in a daze. Did she just accept the things given by others just like that? Did she not know what this group of people is thinking of doing? But who cares? He was going to kick Beigong Qin off the list first. Then, he looked at the Senior Brother in charge of the list and asked, ¡°Can I kick him already?¡±


    The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll register first¡­¡±


    After registration, some people who were gambling on the other side of the recovery formation immediately shouted, ¡°Xiao Chen who was beaten up by Bai Ling before is kicking the top person of the newcomer area, Beigong Qin. Hurry up and place your bets! It¡¯s time for you to bet! Once you placed your bet, you can¡¯t regret it!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The crowd immediately swarmed over. Xiao Chen strode toward the stone room. The Senior Brother who was in charge of the list kindly reminded him, ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯ve kicked the list twice in a row. Go and restore your Mystic Power in the recovery formation, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and walked to the stone room with ease. The people behind him shook their heads and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy too arrogant? That¡¯s the 13th on the Earth Ranking. Did he think it was only the 50+th ranking? I don¡¯t believe he won¡¯t go recover his Mystic Power!¡±


    When Xiao Chen was about to step into the stone room, he finally stopped. After thinking for a moment, he still chose to go to the recovery formation. The Senior Brother in charge of the ranking shook his head and smiled. ¡°Junior brothers cared too much about their faces¡­¡±


    The rest of the company burst into laughter as well. ¡°I knew it. What kind of confidence does he have¡­¡±


    But before the crowd could finish their words, Xiao Chen walked to the gambling area on the other side of the recovery formation. He took out a handful of Mystic Stone and put it on the table. ¡°Twenty Mystic Stone! I bet on myself that I¡¯ll win!¡±

 Chapter 539 - The Power of Heavenly Sky Palm

    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    Everyone was stunned and speechless. They thought that he was going to recover Mystic Power, but it turned out that this guy was going to gamble. Moreover, he was in the mood to gamble at this time, and even shamelessly bet on himself to win. This guy was too arrogant!


    ¡°Haha!¡± Xiao Chen raised his head and laughed. He turned around and strode into the stone room.


    After he entered, Qin Tianyu smiled and ran to the recovery formation with the Mystic Stone that he had just gathered from the others.


    ¡°Monkey Qin! You are not allowed to gamble!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er stomped on the ground behind him and shouted immediately.


    ¡°Tsk! I¡¯m supporting Brother Chen!¡±


    On the side of the Mystic Sky Rankings, Beigong Qin was cracking from squeezing his fingers. But soon, a strange look flashed in his eyes and he began to sneer.


    ¡­


    Time passed little by little, but there was no change in the Mystic Sky Rankings. Beigong Qin sneered even more coldly. It was well-known that if the name of the person who was kicked flickered, it meant that the person who kicked the list was trying hard to attack the Illusory Beast.


    If the name did not change at all, there were only two possibilities. One was that the person who kicked the ranking list did not attack in the stone room, and the other was that the Illusory Beast could not be beaten at all.


    After such a short while, the name of Beigong Qin was still as stable as a mountain. Many people began to talk about it. Maybe there was still a gap between Xiao Chen and the top 20. Those who intended to bet on him winning the list had changed their bets to lose.


    ¡°Well, Junior Sister Chu Qi, why don¡¯t you sit for a while?¡± The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking list saw that Chu Qi had been standing all the time, so he got up and gave up his seat courteously.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi did not say much. She walked over and sat down. She put his legs together and put her hands on her knees. She did not talk to him. Her face was as calm as the lake in September. If a maple leaf fell, it would not cause even the slightest ripple.


    The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking had never seen such a quiet and charming girl. The silence of Chu Qi was not the kind of arrogance that was deliberately put on, but a kind of calmness. Maybe this time he was a little tempted. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pour a glass of water for Junior Sister.¡±


    ¡­


    In the stone room, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged and channeled his powers for a while. Finally, he opened his eyes. His eyes were sharp and not as carefree as before. Now, he looked at the fierce Illusory Beast in front of him, as if he was looking at Beigong Qin.


    ¡°Beigong Qin¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen stood up and squeezed his fingers. Suddenly, he channeled his Mystic Power into his arms and pushed out his palms. Immediately, two golden dragon shadows whizzed out. There was a loud rumble. However, the Illusory Beast did not move. It was still glaring at him, like the look on Beigong Qin.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Xiao Chen frowned. Perhaps he was too careless. There was still a difference between kicking the list and the ordinary ones. It required a lot of Mystic Power to kick the list. Even if the Mystic Power exceeded the opponent¡¯s, it might not be able to destroy the other party¡¯s Illusory Beast. Previously, he had kicked the list twice, so he should have gone to recover his mystic Power.


    At this time, on the Mystic Sky Rankings, the name of Beigong Qin flickered slightly, but it immediately stabilized. The discussion around became louder. Beigong Qin sneered and said, ¡°Is that all you have?¡±


    Qin Tianyu and the rest clenched their fists tightly, as well as the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion in the novice area of the back mountain. They had already known that Xiao Chen was kicking Beigong Qin off the list.


    Other places in the Cloud Mist Academy, many disciples, and even Elders were staring at the light column of the Mystic Sky Pavilion. It seemed that they were also very interested in this game.


    In the stone room, Xiao Chen channeled his True Energy again and punched at the Illusory Beast twice again. This time, the Illusory Beast finally took two steps back, but it still stared at him fiercely and even said, ¡°You want to kick me down with just this strength¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen could not help but be stunned. Sure enough, this was different from ordinary Illusory Beasts, but this only made him more powerful! Thinking of this, he punched several times again.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was a violent vibration in the stone room. Of course, the outside world could not feel it at all. The only thing that could be seen was that the name of Beigong Qin on the Mystic Sky Rankings flickering all the time. But after flickering for so long, it did not disappear. It even became more stable as time passed.


    Beigong Qin sneered and said, ¡°I thought he was amazing.¡±


    Because Chu Qi, the Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking seemed to hope that Xiao Chen would succeed. He frowned and said, ¡°I asked him to recover before, but he didn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    Now he understood that since the name of the Beigong Qin was flickering, it meant that Xiao Chen¡¯s Mystic Power could defeat the Illusory Beast of Beigong Qin. If Xiao Chen had gone to recover his Mystic Power just now, it would not be so difficult for him to deal with it now.


    In the stone room, Xiao Chen was gasping for breath. The time limit was almost up. If he did not kill this Illusory Beast, it would be a small thing if he lost his face for failing. But he had made a promise to Tianyu and the others¡­


    The Illusory Beast said in a low voice, ¡°Time is running out. Do you still have any strength?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh!¡± A sinister smile flashed across the corners of Xiao Chen¡¯s lips. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Until now, he had a basic understanding of the Illusory Beast of the rank kicking challenge. He only needed to destroy it. It was completely different from the ordinary Illusory Beast on the ranking list. Now that because he had consumed a lot of Mystic Power in the previous two fights, he could no longer destroy it with Mystic Power. But don¡¯t forget that he also had a set of palm style called the Heavenly Sky Palm!


    He swung his arms. His left palm was facing the sky and his right palm was facing the ground. At this moment, the sealed stone room seemed to have a gust of wind blowing. It was the Xiao family¡¯s ancestral Divine Skill, Heavenly Sky Palm!


    If the palm style encountered a strong opponent, it would be stronger. Once it was blocked, he would release nine palm strength later. Each one was more ferocious than the previous one. When he reached the Perfection of Martial Arts, he could move mountains and fill seas. In the past, in the Sunset Peak of the Three Pure Sect, he used this palm style to severely injure Ye Fei, who was two levels higher than him at that time. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have killed Ye Fei so easily at that time.


    ¡°Hah ah!¡±


    Following Xiao Chen¡¯s bellow, the palm strength of the Heavenly Sky Palm rushed toward the Illusory Beast. ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, the Illusory Beast was knocked back by the force.


    The essence of the Heavenly Sky Palm was that the stronger the resistance was, the stronger the following nine palm strength would be. It could completely surpass the Dragon Roar Palm¡¯s power, so the opponent could not take it head-on. However, the Illusory Beast does have its own mind, so how could it think like a human?


    Therefore, the Illusory Beast used its utmost strength to resist. Then, the nine palm strength that followed after would be enough to destroy its body and soul.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was a thunderous sound, and the whole stone room seemed to collapse. The nine palm strength later was like dragons coming out of the sea. When the fourth one was sent out, it had already shocked the Illusory Beast to disappear. However, Xiao Chen was also shaken badly and almost spurted out a mouthful of blood.


    At this time, there was a burst of exclamation outside. Because on the Hidden Heaven List, the name Beigong Qin suddenly flickered four times quickly. Finally, it gradually faded away and finally became Xiao Chen¡¯s name.


    ¡°Oh my god! He really did it!¡±


    The crowd exclaimed incessantly. This time, even the Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking also changed his face. It was more difficult to kick the ranking than challenge the ordinary ones. Moreover, Xiao Chen had consumed his energy twice earlier on!


    Of course, he did not know that Xiao Chen had the Heavenly Sky Palm, a mystical palm style. This kind of palm style was useless at winning the ordinary rankings challenge, but for kicking the rankings, it was considered as cheating. However, this kind of cheating was uncheckable.


    However, it did not mean that Xiao Chen, who possessed the Heavenly Sky Palm, could kick anyone on the Heaven Ranking freely. If he used the Heavenly Sky Palm to hit the Illusory Beast of Ye Cangming, he would end up bleeding to death. Therefore, he could only do what one could do with the Heavenly Sky Palm. Otherwise, it would only result in the opposite of what he had wanted.


    At this moment, the crowd exclaimed again and again. Qin Tianyu and the others shouted crazily and jumped up and down. Those who had bought Xiao Chen losing were now dumbfounded. Those who had bought Xiao Chen for fun laughed so hard as if they had inexplicably made a fortune.


    At this moment, the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion, who were in the newcomer area, also cheered, ¡°Brother Chen! Brother Chen kicked Beigong Qin out! We won! Our Wind-heeding Pavilion won!¡±


    At this moment, almost all the people in the Cloud Mist Academy were clamoring. After all, it was very eye-catching for a rookie to make the 13th place on the Earth Ranking. But now, this newcomer was kicked down by another newcomer.


    This time around, the new members of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were completely wiped out. Those who were made Beigong Qin their leader had long changed their expressions. In the Purple Thunder Pavilion, the First Grandmaster Lei Yan¡¯s expression also became increasingly ugly¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Beigong Qin¡¯s face was deathly pale. He kept shaking his head. He did not believe that Xiao Chen could kick him out!


    A moment later, Xiao Chen came out of the stone room with a smile on his face. He looked calm. Qin Tianyu and the others immediately cheered and surrounded him. For a month, they had been oppressed by Beigong Qin, and now they finally turned over.


    ¡°Beigong Qin, you¡¯ve lost! What else do you have to say now?!¡± Qin Tianyu pressed his two fingers together and pointed them at Beigong Qin.


    ¡°No¡­ No! Impossible!¡± Beigong Qin¡¯s eyes were red. He pointed at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°It must be you! You must have cheated! If you have the ability, come and fight with me now!¡± He then chanted a spell and immediately took out his strange mysterious Jade Zither.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± The Fire Kylin growled again, and the crowd immediately quieted down. Then a ghastly voice came out of a stone room, ¡°Cheating, do you think this old man is blind¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder¡­ Elder Wu!¡± The senior disciple in charge of the Mystic Sky Rankings immediately became respectful, but he did not see Elder Wu coming out.


    Beigong Qin forcibly suppressed his anger. He clenched her fists so tightly that his knuckles creaked. His gaze was extremely fierce. ¡°Xiao Chen, very good! A Mystic Sky Rankings isn¡¯t a big deal. I¡¯ll kick you out sooner or later. But you, you wait¡­¡± He then turned around and pushed the two people in front out of his way. With a kick of his feet, he flew into the sky in the distance.


    ¡°Cheh!¡± Xiao Chen waved his hand. Then, he imitated Bai Ying¡¯s behavior and ran to the casino, drooling. ¡°How much did I win? How much did I win?¡±


    In the distance, everyone looked at each other in dismay. This person was really supercilious. Didn¡¯t he seem too carefree to be kicking someone out of the list?


    The new disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion were all gnashing their teeth in hatred when they saw that he was completely unconcerned. However, there was nothing they could do. They immediately turned around and left. There was no longer anyone among them who could enter the Earth Ranking. It would only be a disgrace if they were to stay behind.


    On the other side of the gambling area, the Senior Brother who was in charge of placing the bets said with a bitter smile, ¡°The odds are one to ten. Here are the 200 Mystic Stone that you have won.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯ve made a fortune!¡± Qin Tianyu ran over.


    Realizing that the disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion had left, Xiao Chen sneered and handed the 200 Mystic Stone to Qin Tianyu. At this time, faint laughter sounded behind him, ¡°Brother Xiao, it¡¯s been a long time since we last met.¡±

 Chapter 540 - Top 10

    Xiao Chen turned around. It turned out to be Yumu Shisan and Jiang Qianqian, whom he had not seen for a month. He smiled and said, ¡°Brother Yumu, Jiang¡­ Miss Jiang.¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Jiang Qianqian said, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. Her hands were crossed in front of her chest, and she tilted her head to one side. It was obvious that she already knew about the fact that he had kicked the ranking today.


    ¡°Congratulations, Brother Xiao,¡± Yumu Shisan said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Brother Yumu, are you also here to challenge the ranking list today?¡±


    Xiao Chen could tell that their cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds in the past month. He could not see through Yumu Shisan, but Jiang Qianqian was already in the Nirvana Realm. She had the strength to enter the Earth Ranking.


    ¡°Brother Xiao¡¯s move today is indeed earth-shattering, which is really eye-opening and admirable.¡± Yumu Shisan still had a smile on his face, and he slightly cupped his hands and said.


    Xiao Chen also smiled and cupped his hands and said, ¡°No, no. But I forgot one thing. It seems that although Brother Yumu and Miss Jiang are cultivating in other places, but are also newcomers to the Purple Thunder Pavilion, right?¡±


    Although Xiao Chen was smiling, he had already guessed the reason for the sudden arrival of these two people. The reason why he wanted to defeat all the people of the Purple Thunder Pavilion on the Earth Ranking today was not only so that Wind-heeding Pavilion can go cultivate in the first area, but also that Beigong Qin and his company would have to go to the fourth area to cultivate.


    As long as no one from Beigong Qin and his gang was in the Earth Ranking, they could only go to the fourth zone for cultivation next month. However, after thousands of calculations, he still miscalculated. He did not expect these two people to come all of a sudden. These two people were also the new disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion. As long as they entered the Earth Ranking, Beigong Qin and the others could still go to the second zone to cultivate.


    However, it was definitely not because of Beigong Qin that they had suddenly arrived. They did not have any relationship with him, so there was no reason for them to save Beigong Qin¡¯s face. The only possibility was that the First Grandmaster asked them to come.


    ¡°Hehe, I think that Brother Xiao must have gained quite a lot during this month, right?¡± Yumu Shisan continued to smile as he spoke.


    ¡°Brother Yumu, same to you¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen was also smiling, but he was thinking carefully about this. With their current cultivation, they could at least make it into the top 60 of the Earth Ranking. Then even if Beigong Qin could not go to the first zone next month, Beigong Qin could at least stay in the second zone. Then what he had just done would be in vain, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°But what can I do now? Can I stop them from getting on the list? Besides, it¡¯s impossible for Chu Qi to kick them out. Even if she can, she can¡¯t go to kick them out.¡±


    Everyone knew that it was only because Beigong Qin and he were not on good terms with each other and that was why he was kicking them out of the list. Hence, that could not be considered as being enemies with the Purple Thunder Pavilion. However, if he went to kick Yumu Shisan and Jiang Qianqian, it would mean that he was targeting the entire Purple Thunder Pavilion. At that time, not only that would make Shui Yue difficult, but he would also be provoking the senior disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion. At that time, he would not be able to stay in the Cloud Mist Academy anymore. At least, from the perspective of his current strength, that would be the case.


    After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Chen smiled and soon felt relieved. He made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to wish Brother Yumu and Miss Jiang all the best at getting a good place in the list.¡±


    Jiang Qianqian sneered and said, ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant. I thought you were going to kick the two of us as well¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, Yumu Shisan who was next to her, immediately reached out to stop her and gave a look. Jiang Qianqian snorted, turned around, and walked back to the Mystic Sky Pavilion.


    Yumu Shisan chuckled, then he smiled at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Junior Sister was rude with her words. Brother Xiao, please don¡¯t mind it. In this case, I¡¯ll count on Brother Xiao¡¯s lucky words and go off first.¡± After that, he smiled and nodded, then he turned around and went to the Mystic Sky Rankings.


    Xiao Chen squeezed his fingers, thinking that since the First Grandmaster sent these two people to save the situation, then his actions just now must have annoyed him. Now he was not strong enough, and Shui Yue probably would not be like Bai Ying, protecting him all the time.


    As such, he could only endure. Beigong Qin, you were lucky this time!


    ¡°Senior Brother¡­¡± Chu Qi noticed that something was wrong, so she also came over at this time.


    ¡°Well, I know. Let them go.¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes became a little sharp. But no matter what, at least next month, the first zone would belong to the Wind-heeding Pavilion, and he finally did not fail to fulfill the promise he made to Tianyu and the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to restore my Mystic Power. You can lead Tianyu and the others to compete in the Human Ranking.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen walked to the recovery formation. After a while, he would fight for the ordinary ranking list again to see which place he would be at this time.


    At dusk, the number of people at the Mystic Sky Pavilion gradually decreased. The competition for the rankings this time was not as fierce as expected. The rankings on the Heaven Ranking List had not changed at all, and only Xiao Chen had made a small stir on the Earth Ranking List. As for the rankings on Human Ranking, although they were changing all the time, they obviously could not stir up any trouble.


    When he opened his eyes, Xiao Chen¡¯s Mystic Power had completely recovered. He walked toward the Mystic Sky Rankings. The Senior Brother who was in charge of the ranking list saw him coming and his attitude became even better this time. He smiled and asked, ¡°Are you going to challenge the ordinary ranking list?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. He had carefully observed the place just now. There should be no one targeting him. Therefore, after he made the list, no one would come here to challenge him deliberately. After he registered, he walked to the stone room for the ordinary ranking list.


    When the people behind him saw that he went for the ordinary ranking list, they immediately began to discuss again. After all, if he could kick down Beigong Qin on the 13th ranking, it meant that he could go more than 13th. This time, everyone was more curious about his ranking. After all, the top ten were all purple badge senior disciples with high cultivation. If a newcomer could rank in the top ten, that would be record-breaking for the past few decades.


    Inside the stone room, this time, Xiao Chen met that strange Illusory Beast again. Although it was huge, it did not look fierce. On the contrary, it looked stupidly cute, lying on the ground and sleeping. Its saliva wet all over the ground.


    With a smile, Xiao Chen put away his unpleasant mood and punched the Illusory Beast twice. This time, he woke it up. The Illusory Beast raised its head and looked around blankly. When it saw Xiao Chen, it immediately felt refreshed as if it had seen an acquaintance. It suddenly stood up and began to stick its tongue out. ¡°Pthbbpt¡­¡±


    ¡°Little fellow, you still dare to blow me raspberries today. Take this!¡±


    For some reason, although Xiao Chen knew that the Illusory Beast might be very powerful, he was not afraid. Instead, he even felt a sense of intimacy. After that, he launched another two strikes with his Dragon Roar Palm, shaking the entire stone room. However, the beast did not move.


    ¡°Pthbbpt¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen forced a smile. It seemed that no matter how high his cultivation was, he could not hurt this Illusory Beast. What exactly was the background of this Illusory Beast? He smiled and said, ¡°Blowing raspberries? Come again!¡± After that, he launched several continuous attacks, and the stone room immediately shook as if it was going to collapse.


    After a series of attacks, Xiao Chen had used all his strength. At this moment, he was panting heavily, but he still could not beat this Illusory Beast. However, his result had been passed out.


    Seeing him gasping for breath, the Illusory Beast held its round belly like a child and laughed loudly. Then its body shrank as it did last time and came over. Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t beat you. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Woo¡­ Gollum?¡± The Illusory Beast looked at him with a pair of big eyes and then laughed. In the end, it stuck its tongue out at him again. Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Well, then I call you Brother Gollum.¡±


    The Kuru beast blinked and looked at him with interest. Then it put its hand on his shoulder. Xiao Chen suddenly felt that his whole body sank, his shoulder seemed to be dislocated, and his legs seemed to sink into the ground. He was shocked to find that the strength of this Illusory Beast was so horrifying.


    ¡°Brother Gollum¡­ Quick, stop! My shoulder is going to be broken by you¡­¡±


    ¡°Phew, phew, phew¡­¡± The beast laughed twice and withdrew its furry claws. Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°Brother Gollum, you¡¯re amazing. I really admire you¡­¡± At the end of his words, a sly look suddenly flashed across his face.


    ¡¤¡¤¡¤


    At this moment, outside, the crowd exclaimed. Xiao Chen¡¯s name kept rising. He had passed the tenth place, but he was still rising, and then he passed the top five. Finally, he slowly stopped at the top three and squeezed the third person to the top four.


    ¡°The third! The third! He made it to the third place!¡±


    The cheers from the crowd shook the heavens. This was even more shocking than Xiao Chen¡¯s attempt to kick the Beigong Qin. At this moment, the entire Cloud Mist Academy was in an uproar. The pillar of light on the Earth Ranking shot up into the sky, and Xiao Chen¡¯s name shone brightly on it. This time, even the elders who were living a secluded life had changed their expressions.


    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s only been a month, but he has made it to the top three of the Earth Ranking. He¡¯s almost comparable to that disciple of Shui Yue in the past, isn¡¯t he?¡± Many senior elders stroked their white beards and sighed at this moment.


    ¡°Alas, will Shui Yue be able to cheer up this time around? After all, that person from back then¡­ alas, hopefully¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd was still exclaiming. Qin Tianyu and the others were going crazy. Even those senior disciples with cyan badges could not believe it at this moment. A month ago, he could not even fight back when being beaten by Bai Ling. In just a month, what kind of method did he use? No matter how many Mystic Stone he had, it couldn¡¯t be possible!


    At this time, on the island of the Wind-heeding Pavilion, a disciple wearing a cyan badge rushed to the Wind-heeding Tower where Shui Yue was located.


    ¡°Third Grandmaster! Third Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shui Yue¡¯s calm voice came from the building.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao! Junior Brother Xiao, he¡­¡± The disciple was overjoyed. He was so excited that he choked and could not speak. After a short pause, he said in surprise, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao! He made it to the third on the Earth Ranking!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± In the Tower, Shui Yue¡¯s tone was still flat.


    The disciple at the entrance of the courtyard was stunned, but then he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the Mystic Sky Pavilion to have a look? Many Senior Brothers and Sisters have gone to the Mystic Sky Pavilion to congratulate Junior Brother Xiao!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    The disciple was even more surprised. Why was the Third Grandmaster not happy at all? When he was about to say something, Shui Yue¡¯s flat voice came from the courtyard, ¡°You can go back.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± The disciple was befuddled. He scratched his head and walked back to the way where he had come from, wondering if he had said something wrong.


    There was no sound in the courtyard. The sky gradually darkened, and the breeze was light. In front of the pavilion, Shui Yue stood motionless. She looked up at the light column of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, and her eyes seemed to have ripples caused by the wind. In her hands, she seemed to have something in her hand.


    After a while, Shui Yue lowered her head and slowly released her hand. In the palm of her hand, there was a purple badge that had faded.

 Chapter 541 - The Beigong Clan

    In the stone room of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, Xiao Chen sat with his legs crossed. ¡°This Illusory Beast is so strange. It must come from a mysterious place. Last time I asked Elder Wu about it, he faltered and didn¡¯t give me any details. It seemed that he was hiding some secrets that could not be revealed!¡± As Xiao Chen thought of this, a cunning smile flashed through his face.


    Elder Wu once mentioned that he wanted Xiao Chen to draw the Illusory Beast out of the stone room. Of course, Xiao Chen had to do so when no one was around. At the moment, there were so many disciples outside. He wanted to see what would happen if he successfully drew the Illusory Beast out right now. Then, if Elder Wu asked Xiao Chen for an explanation, Xiao Chen could explain that it was only an accident.


    A sinister smile emerged on Xiao Chen¡¯s lips. He beckoned to the Gollum Beast and said, ¡°Come on, Brother Gollum, come with me. I¡¯ll take you to a fun place¡­¡±


    ¡°Woo¡­ Gollum?¡± The Gollum Beast blinked its eyes and then burst into laughter. Finally, it stuck out its tongue, but it seemed to be unwilling to go with Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xiao Chen kept smiling and walked closer to the Gollum Beast. He patted it on the shoulder and said with a more gentle smile, ¡°Brother Gollum, you don¡¯t want to go with me?¡±


    ¡°Woo¡­¡± The Gollum Beast threw itself on Xiao Chen. Its chubby body nearly threw Xiao Chen to the ground. It licked Xiao Chen¡¯s face and then jumped back to the ground.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said to the Gollum Beast, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll come back to see you next time I challenge the ranking list.¡± Then he touched its forehead, turned around, and went out of the stone room. He realized that although this Illusory Beast had intelligence, it would take more time to take it out.


    Xiao Chen was surrounded by many disciples once he came out of the stone room. This time, no one would laugh at him by mentioning that he was once beaten by Bai Ling, and no one would taunt him anymore. Even the senior disciples with purple badges, who just gathered here in pursuit of watching the battles as pleasure-seekers, became serious at this moment.


    As a newcomer, Xiao Chen entered the top three of the Earth Ranking. His achievements proved that he was stronger and more powerful than everyone here. After one or two years, he would enter the Heaven Ranking. It should be known that the senior brothers listed on the Heaven Ranking seemed like superhuman demi-gods living on a higher plane. Everyone admired and respected them.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, congratulations!¡±


    At this time, the senior disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion also came up and congratulated Xiao Chen one after another. In recent years, no disciple of the Wind-heeding Pavilion had been able to enter the Earth Ranking. This time, Xiao Chen was considered to be part of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. Meanwhile, Qin Tianyu and some disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion were also listed on the Human Ranking. ¡°Is the rise of the Wind-heeding Pavilion coming soon?¡± Some people in the distance discussed.


    It was bustling with noise and excitement in the Mystic Sky Pavilion, while in a valley in the floating island of the Purple Thunder Pavilion, only a constant sound of crashing could be heard. ¡°Poom! Poom!¡± Under the sunset, the leaves were falling from the trees and the stones splintered. It turned out that a man with disheveled hair was launching attacks at the surrounding vegetation and flowers crazily.


    That person was Beigong Qin. His clothes were ragged, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a madman as he launched attacks at random and crushed all the flowers, grass, and trees around him. ¡°Why! Why! Why¡­¡±


    His voice sounded particularly shrill, full of resentment and unwillingness. At this time, the grudge in his body was the most intense. If he died right now and then his corpse was well preserved, more of the grudge would be absorbed into his corpse and condense into the Heavy Grudge, and it would be possible for him to become a Walking Corpse who carried at least 1,000 years¡¯ worth of Heavy Grudge.


    Suddenly, the stern voice of an old man sounded behind Beigong Qin. ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Upon hearing this familiar voice, Beigong Qin was startled. He quickly turned around and said with his head lowered, ¡°Senior Zhong¡­ Zhongli.¡±


    A white-bearded old man in a cyan robe appeared a foot above the ground. Like Evernight, the elder¡¯s face and clothes were also stamped with runes, but his runes were red, which seemed to be weird.


    He was Zhongli Zhen, the Zither Spirit inside the strange Jade Zither owned by Beigong Qin.


    ¡°Look! Look at yourself!¡± Zhongli Zhen¡¯s voice was stern. With a flick of his sleeve, a mirror appeared in front of Beigong Qin.


    Looking at his own messy hair and bloodshot eyes in the mirror, Beigong Qin lowered his head and said, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what your name is!¡± Zhongli Zhen asked seriously.


    ¡°Beigong¡­ Beigong Qin¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak louder!¡±


    With his body trembling slightly, Beigong Qin replied loudly, ¡°Beigong Qin!¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± Zhongli Zhen landed on the ground gracefully and walked toward Beigong Qin step by step. He stared at Beigong Qin and said, ¡°You must remember that you are a member of the Beigong Clan! The Beigong Clan once was a clan comparable to the Heaven Realm!¡±


    ¡°Sir, I know I was wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhongli Zhen flicked his sleeve again. ¡°I¡¯ve assisted the Beigong Clan for a thousand years. Back then, your Lord Ancestor also encountered innumerable setbacks just like you, but he never lost his fighting spirit! I didn¡¯t expect that you would fail to overcome such a small challenge. You¡¯ve really disappointed me so much!¡±


    Beigong Qin still lowered his head and gritted his teeth. Zhongli Zhen snorted in anger and continued, ¡°Your Lord Ancestor was once an ace genius, but it¡¯s a pity that he was so unlucky back then. In order to escape punishment from the Heaven Realm, he had to lead his clansmen to flee to this desolate land. In the end, he died with regrets¡­¡±


    At this point, Zhongli Zhen glanced at Beigong Qin and added, ¡°At that time, some clans were punished by the Heaven Realm. Half of their clan members were exiled to the Human World while the other half were sealed in the mystic domains. In comparison, the Beigong Clan was very lucky!¡±


    Next, Zhongli Zhen added a blunt warning to Beigong Qin. ¡°So in the future, don¡¯t let me see you looking the way you do today! That person!¡± Speaking of this, he pointed at Xiao Chen¡¯s name carved onto the light pillar of the Mystic Sky Rankings. ¡°I can defeat him only with 10 percent of my power! But¡­¡±


    Beigong Qin said in a firm tone, ¡°What I lost should be taken back by myself!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhongli Zhen swung his sleeves and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it! You will meet many people like Xiao Chen in the future. However, they will be merely stepping stones on your advancement. You are a member of the Beigong Clan! You are responsible for the revitalization of the Beigong Clan, instead of fighting with a small potato all day long!¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Beigong Qin balled his hands into fists to show respect, his voice resounding throughout the valley. He no longer looked as lifeless as before.


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s good that you understand. Don¡¯t let me down again!¡± Zhongli Zhen frowned. Then, he looked at the light pillar of the Mystic Sky Rankings and said gloomily, ¡°If necessary, I¡¯ll take action¡­¡±


    Before he finished his words, there were light footsteps heard from outside the valley. Zhongli Zhen said hurriedly, ¡°Someone is coming. I must go back.¡± After that, he disappeared and returned to the Jade Zither in the Divine Vessel of Beigong Qin.


    ¡°Senior¡­ Senior Brother Beigong¡­¡± Two youngsters walked in from outside the valley. They were new disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion. Beigong Qin glanced at them and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Beigong, don¡¯t worry. The First Grandmaster has already sent Senior Brother Mu and Senior Sister Jiang to challenge the ranking list. They¡¯ve entered the Earth Ranking. Next month, we will¡­ will be at least qualified to go to the second district for cultivation.¡± One of the two youngsters replied with a bit of disappointment.


    Beigong Qin clenched his fingers tightly and sneered. He never expected that he would have to reply to these two people who were weaker than him. He looked at the light pillar of the Mystic Sky Rankings. His eyes remained cold, like the cold spring in hell, making everyone who saw him frigid and frightened. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Xiao Chen¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The sun was slowly sinking in the west, and night fell. The crowd gathering in the Mystic Sky Pavilion also dispersed. Only Xiao Chen was left behind by Elder Wu. Just like last time, Chu Qi went to the teleportation formation and waited for Xiao Chen quietly.


    Xiao Chen followed Elder Wu and walked into the stone room at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°Lad, do you remember the promise we made to each other that evening?¡± Elder Wu blinked his eyes and smiled mischievously.


    ¡°What? What promise?¡± Xiao Chen pretended to be stunned. Suddenly, he felt that Elder Wu was quite similar to Zi Mo. It would be great if he could get some more Mystic Stones from Elder Wu.


    Elder Wu looked at Xiao Chen with a smile and said, ¡°So, do you need me to help you remember it?¡± He rotated his wrists as if he was ready to give someone a beating.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I remember all of a sudden, so I won¡¯t trouble you anymore, sir!¡± Xiao Chen chuckled and continued, ¡°I tried many methods before, but the Gollum Beast was still unwilling to come out with me.¡±


    ¡°Gollum Beast? You call it Gollum Beast?¡± Elder Wu asked in a daze.


    Xiao Chen shrugged his shoulders and threw up his hands. ¡°What else can I do? It always sticks out its tongue and makes strange noises which may be a kind of mysterious language that I don¡¯t understand. So I have no idea whether there is a better name or not.¡±


    Elder Wu was once again stunned. Suddenly, he slapped himself on the forehead and had realized that it was unnecessary to care about the name of that Illusory Beast. Following that, he flew into a rage and stared at Xiao Chen. ¡°Damn you! You said that you were trying to lure him out! Do you know how many disciples were waiting outside just now?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? You didn¡¯t tell me that earlier¡­¡± Xiao Chen responded in turn. He looked at Elder Wu with wide, innocent-looking eyes.


    ¡°You!¡± Elder Wu said, pointing at Xiao Chen, ¡°You are really a troublemaker! Fortunately, you didn¡¯t make any trouble this time.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, hehe¡­!¡± Xiao Chen grinned slyly and moved closer to Elder Wu. ¡°Sir, I have a question for you. How can I encounter this Illusory Beast in the stone room? As far as I know, except for me, no one has seen it.¡±


    Elder Wu glanced at Xiao Chen and coughed. Stroking his beard with his hand, Elder Wu said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps this is the fate between you.¡±


    ¡°Fate?¡± Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, moved closer to Elder Wu, and said in a low voice, ¡°I heard that 3,000 years ago, the founder of the Cloud Mist Academy left a spiritual beast to guard the Misty Mountain before he ascended. That spiritual beast grew into the Spirit Master. However, the Spirit Master was seriously injured 100 years ago and has been missing until now¡­¡±


    At this point, Xiao Chen got closer and closer and said in a gloomy voice, ¡°Is that Illusory Beast your Spirit Master?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Elder Wu¡¯s face turned somber and dim. He looked outside in a hurry, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°Our Spirit Master is a Divine Archean Beast. How can it be that stupid beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that Illusory Beast is a child of the Spirit Master?¡± Xiao Chen covered his mouth with his hand and deliberately put on a surprised expression.


    ¡°A child?¡± Elder Wu glared at him. ¡°It is too ridiculous, lad! Our Spirit Master isn¡¯t female. How can it give birth to a baby?¡± After finishing his words, Elder Wu also covered his mouth in a hurry. ¡°If the three Saints hear what I said, I¡¯ll be in deep trouble. Spirit Master, please forgive me. Spirit Master, please don¡¯t be angry¡­¡±


    Elder Wu seemed to be really full of fear, instead of pretending to be frightened. ¡°That strange Illusory Beast may not be the Spirit Master, but they definitely have something to do with each other.¡± Seeing that, Xiao Chen thought. Then, he continued to ask, ¡°Sir, if someone told you that the Gollum Beast has nothing to do with the Spirit Master, I am sure you wouldn¡¯t believe it, would you? So, why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡± Xiao Chen paused for a moment, his expression turning solemn. ¡°I still want to know why is it that I¡¯m the only one who can meet that Illusory Beast.¡±

 Chapter 542 - Enter the First District

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Elder Wu also glanced at Xiao Chen seriously and said, ¡°Lad, why are you so curious? There are some things that I don¡¯t know as well. So how can I tell you?¡± It seemed that Elder Wu didn¡¯t know about the secret of that Illusory Beast.


    ¡°All right, sir. If you are unwilling to tell me the truth, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen turned around and walked out of the stone room. He thought to himself, ¡°Well, if Elder Wu asks me for help next time, I will refuse to help unless he tells me everything he knows.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Elder Wu stopped Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Remember what I have told you. Don¡¯t mention what happened to anyone. When you come here next time, try to find a way to¡­ lure the Gollum Beast out.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his right hand and went out. Night was coming. A gentle breeze ruffled Xiao Chen¡¯s hair, which made him feel very comfortable. He went to the Transmission Formation and said to Chu Qi, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Under the moonlight, they returned to the island of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. On the way, the breeze gently released the scent of blossoms, combining the fragrance of different species together. Chu Qi walked silently. Xiao Chen looked at her and said, ¡°Chu Qi, if someone gives you something, don¡¯t take it casually, understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Chu Qi moved her lips slightly and only managed to utter a single word.


    Xiao Chen smiled gently. In fact, he had noticed that although Chu Qi didn¡¯t like to talk or laugh, she wasn¡¯t as cold and unfeeling as Qingluan. Moreover, Qingluan would take every matter into consideration, while Chu Qi never took the initiative to do things unless Xiao Chen asked her to do. She seemed to be¡­


    ¡°By the way, Chu Qi, how is Yang Qing now?¡±


    ¡°I received a message from him yesterday. It said that you¡¯d better go back to Forever City in person.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll go once all the problems here are solved.¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. After all, Ren Tianxing was the person whom Gui Xian told Xiao Chen to find. Whether Xiao Chen was able to find Ren Tianxing might be of great importance to Xiao Chen¡¯s success in the future, so he had to try his best to find him. Now, it was the early winter, and he had been in the Wastelands for two months. He wondered how Forever City was doing.


    Just as he was deep in thought, two men in green walked up to him and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Sister Chu Qi.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and greeted them as well. Since Xiao Chen got into the Earth Ranking in 3rd place and won honor for the Wind-heeding Pavilion, he was now a celebrity in the Wind-heeding Pavilion.


    Back in the courtyard, Xiao Chen ordered some pickled vegetables as usual. Today, he also ordered a pot of wine. Together with Chu Qi, he began to enjoy his dinner at the stone table in the courtyard.


    ¡°By the way, Chu Qi, I suddenly remembered something. Do you remember that seven women tried to assassinate me when I took part in the Wastelands Sword Tryout last time?¡± Xiao Chen took the bowl, picked up a piece of cauliflower, and put it into his mouth.


    ¡°Well, when we get out, you should be more careful, Lord. I will do my best to protect you.¡±


    After dinner, Xiao Chen let Chu Qi returned to her room for a bath and rest. He tidied up all the utensils and channeled his powers. He had reached the fifth level of the Medium Nirvana Realm and would need even more Mystic Stones in the future.


    The moon was hidden by thick clouds. After a month of cultivation, Xiao Chen was extremely exhausted. Thus, he also went back to his room early to rest. The Mist Mountain was shrouded in boundless darkness. In a large hall, there were several Illumination Formations emitting faint and white light. It could be seen that four people were sitting in the hall.


    They were Elder Wu of the Mystic Sky Pavilion, and the three Perfected Immortals in the Cloud Mist Academy, namely Perfected Immortal Chongyang, Perfected Immortal Zihui, and Perfected Immortal Qingxu.


    The four people looked a little solemn. Perfected Immortal Qingxu said, ¡°Elder Wu, do you mean that Xiao Chen can enter the stone room where the Wood-like Spirit is? And the Wood-like Spirit is very kind and even attached to him?¡±


    Elder Wu frowned deeply and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It really makes me wonder. If the Wood-like Spirit accidentally broke into the mystic room back then, I¡¯ve entered the room countless times over the years, but I still failed to find which room it¡¯s hiding in. Why is this child able to find the Wood-like Spirit so easily each time?¡±


    The three Perfected Immortals all frowned. Perfected Immortal Qingxu said, ¡°At that time, the Spirit Master was seriously injured by that person and had to¡­ And the Wood-like Spirit was once cultivated by the three Saints¡­ However, even though the Wood-like Spirit developed intelligence because of the Spirit Master, it would not have an attachment to human beings. Is that guy¡­¡±


    Perfected Immortal Zihui shook his head and said, ¡°Senior Brother, you think too much. How can there be such an absurd thing in the world? What¡¯s more, even the three Saints can¡¯t be of much help. I don¡¯t think there is someone else comparable to the three Saints.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Qingxu nodded, while Perfected Immortal Chongyang still frowned as if he was getting more and more worried. For the last Wastelands Sword Tryout, the Fighting Platform suddenly exploded and burst out mighty power. Even for him, it was still hard to guarantee that he could be uninjured. However, Xiao Chen not only survived the explosion but also kept from being injured. Was he really in possession of an extraordinary treasure? Moreover, on that day, Xiao Chen seemed to be dead, but in the end, he still came back to life¡­


    Perfected Immortal Qingxu sighed and added, ¡°Well, it is not a bad thing to discover the Wood-like Spirit. I¡¯m just worried¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, are you worried that that guy will also have an inseparable feeling for the Wood-like Spirit in the future?¡± Perfected Immortal Zihui took over the words.


    Perfected Immortal Qingxu nodded, with his face turned more gloomy. The other three people fell silent for a few minutes. Finally, all of them heaved a long and deep sigh.


    ¡­


    The next morning, more than 200 new disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion got up early. They were very excited and chatted with each other, just like a group of noisy birds in the woods. Today, they could go to the first district for cultivation!


    Led by Xiao Chen, these naughty, noisy, and undisciplined disciples went to the training area behind the main peak. There was no doubt that they were still the last to go. The other three groups of newcomers had already lined up neatly.


    Seeing that, the Elder in charge of distributing the training areas frowned and wanted to reprimand them. But in the end, he only said with a gentle face, ¡°Come here, quickly.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The new disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion lined up in a hurry, like a swarm of bees, but they still stood in a mess again. The Elder still didn¡¯t say anything. After all, Xiao Chen had gotten No. 3 on the Earth Ranking.


    ¡°Okay! Be quiet!¡± The Elder frowned and said, ¡°Listen carefully to the new arrangement about the training areas! According to the updated Mystic Sky Rankings, all disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion have been arranged to cultivate in the first district¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Before the Elder finished his words, the disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion immediately began to cheer and bounce around. The Elder coughed to ask for silence. ¡°Be quiet! Be quiet!¡± Then he continued, ¡°All disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion will go to the second district, the Moon-watch Hall will go to the third district, and the Pavilion of Swords will go to the fourth district. All right, now you can go to your training areas!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s go to the first district! Someone is being kicked down!¡± The cheering youths of the Wind-heeding Pavilion rushed toward the teleportation formation in the first district.


    Beigong Qin clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles cracked. He glared at Xiao Chen, who walked past him. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll take back what I lost! You! I¡¯ll kick you down myself! I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never be able to turn back!¡±


    Xiao Chen walked with his hands clasped behind his back and smiled gently. ¡°Let¡®s talk about this when you have kicked me off from the rankings. What¡¯s the point of talking so much now?¡± He ignored Beigong Qin and headed for the teleportation formation.


    ¡°Xiao Chen, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay a heavy price for this¡­¡± Beigong Qin was infuriated by the scorn in his voice. Then, he focused his eyes on Qin Tianyu, Xu Ling¡¯er, and the others. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Chen! Hurry up! Hehe!¡± Xu Ling¡¯er took Xiao Chen¡¯s left hand while Qin Tianyu took Xiao Chen¡¯s right hand. The three people quickly ran toward the teleportation formation.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t run too fast!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Almost all the disciples couldn¡¯t help exclaiming once they arrived at the first district covered with vegetation.


    Since last month Beigong Qin took the liberty of using the Spiritual Array to plunder the Spiritual Qi in the other three areas, the Spiritual Qi in the first district was more abundant than before. Many girls stretched out their fingers and gently touched the droplets of Spiritual Qi floating in the air. Those droplets did not disperse, instead, they slowly floated to other places.


    Xiao Chen also felt that the Spiritual Qi here was really different from that in the fourth district, and was even several times more abundant than in the Flower Valley where Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue were once trapped. For a time, he was reluctant to leave here.


    The time passed so quickly. In the afternoon, the new disciples went to the Mystic Sky Pavilion to get their last month¡¯s Mystic Stones. Because Xiao Chen was listed in 3rd place on the Earth Ranking, he received nearly 700 Mystic Stones at a time. It was as if he had made a fortune. In short, the youths were having a good time on this day. They almost could not help going down the mountain to celebrate.


    At night, a crescent moon gradually hung overhead, like a sharp blade, cold and silent. Chu Qi knocked on Xiao Chen¡¯s door and whispered, ¡°Yang Qing just sent me another message. Lord, are you going back in person tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to prepare some things. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow. You should go to bed early tonight.¡±


    In the room, Xiao Chen was sitting on the floor, making some seal talismans and jade notes, which were prepared for Qin Tianyu and the other disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. In the beginning, he only intended to draw them over to his side, but after getting along with them for a month, he had built close relationships with them. Thus, Xiao Chen didn¡¯t want those led by Beigong Qin to find trouble with Qin Tianyu and the other disciples of the Wind-heeding Pavilion again after Xiao Chen left.


    The next morning, accompanied by Chu Qi, Xiao Chen went to the training area behind the main peak as usual. But today, he saw many disciples gathered at the fork in the road, where newcomers and senior disciples would go their separate ways to different training areas. Some senior disciples stopped the newcomers to ask for the Mystic Stones they had received yesterday.


    ¡°Six Mystic Stones? Why is it twice as much as last month?¡±


    At this moment, many newcomers showed dissatisfaction and complained. Except for those who got a high place on the Mystic Sky Rankings, most newcomers could only collect about 10 Mystic Stones a month. There would not be many left if they handed over six Mystic Stones.


    A senior disciple with a cyan badge said, ¡°I am only conveying the message from our Senior Brothers. All right, guys who have handed over the Mystic Stones can pass, but if you haven¡¯t, then stay here.¡±


    Another senior disciple impatiently added, ¡°This is the rule here. In the first three years, the only thing you need to do is learn. The Mystic Stones are useless for you. In the future, if you get more Mystic Stones, you should hand over more respectively. All right, hurry up.¡±


    Beigong Qin frowned and said to the crowd behind him, ¡°Hand them over.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it! We¡¯ll hand the Mystic Stones over!¡± The disciples of the Purple Thunder Pavilion had been already extremely vexed. They reluctantly handed over the Mystic Stones one after another and headed toward their training area. They avoid these senior disciples like the plague and didn¡¯t want to see them again.


    The disciples of the other two districts had handed over their Mystic Stones. Only those of the Wind-heeding Pavilion seemed to be a bit reluctant to do that. Qin Tianyu shouted loudly, ¡°Wait! Why should we give our own things to them every month? They¡¯re just stealing! Last month, we suffered all kinds of humiliation. Do they care about our lives? Brother Xiao led us up here. This month, we won¡¯t hand over our Mystic Stones!¡±


    Bai Ling, the leader of those senior disciples, stood with her hands behind her back, showing no emotion. She said calmly, ¡°This the rule here. If you don¡¯t want to follow it, you should survive my sword first.¡±


    As her voice fell, she heard loud and clear laughter behind her. ¡°Senior Sister Bai Ling, do I have the opportunity to challenge you again?¡±

 Chapter 543 - Raging Dragons VS Sword Spirit

    Xiao Chen¡¯s voice came unexpectedly, which captured the attention of the nearby newcomers and senior disciples. When they saw Xiao Chen, they were all stunned. Last time, Xiao Chen was beaten and taught a lesson by Bai Ling. This time, he shouldn¡¯t be¡­


    ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Bai Ling turned around and looked at Xiao Chen coldly.


    Xiao Chen smiled and looked at her slender, snow-white legs. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting colder by the day and Senior Sister Bai Ling is wearing so little. Don¡¯t you feel cold?¡±


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± Bai Ling thrust her sword toward Xiao Chen¡¯s throat. She was so swift, just like a beam of cyan light, which quickly flashed in the air. The wind howled and the stones splintered. Everyone was shocked because it was obvious that Bai Ling was much stronger than she had been last month.


    ¡°Clank!¡± A loud clang sounded and a flash of light caught everyone¡¯s eyes. Xiao Chen reached out with his palm. His power instantly condensed into an ice-blue defensive barrier that resisted the attack of the Cyan Spirit Sword belonging to Bai Ling.


    The crowd was stunned. Obviously, Xiao Chen had also made great progress. It was hard to imagine how he managed to make such a breakthrough in such a short time.


    ¡°Chu Qi, get out of my way!¡± Xiao Chen moved his fingers to cast spell quickly. Then, three beams of golden Sword Qi shot out from his palm and launched an attack at Bai Ling.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± Bai Ling leaped up into the air to dodge the golden light. At the same time, she swung her sword and formed a gigantic Pentacle Sword Formation with her Sword Qi to strike back against Xiao Chen.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Their momentums clashed with each other, causing the leaves to fall from the trees. A huge pentacle was printed on the ground. Xiao Chen dashed upward into the sky in the blink of an eye and kept casting spells with both hands and shouted, ¡°Boundless heaven and earth, universal Storm of Swords! Unsullied Sword! Go!¡±


    As his voice fell, the Unsullied Sword flew out with a whoosh. Thousands of golden Sword Qi streams shot out and lit up the sky. Everyone was surrounded by rows of dazzling golden lights that contained surging Mystic Power. ¡°Storm of Swords! He is using Perfected Immortal Qingxu¡¯s Myriad Sword Defeating!¡±


    The golden Sword Qi just like a sharp claw came right at Bai Ling. The earth trembled and the mountains swayed in different directions. Xiao Chen¡¯s intense momentum permeated the air and was soon condensed into an intangible cyclone, whirling toward everyone present. Bai Ling jumped back and shouted, ¡°Song of the Cyan Spirit Sword!¡±


    Before her voice faded completely, the Cyan Spirit Sword let out a cry. In an instant, it turned into a cyan light that enveloped a radius of a thousand feet, which resisted the powerful Sword Qi burst out from Xiao Chen. ¡°Boom!¡± The raging Mystic Power swept around the sky and even shattered the clouds in an instant. Many disciples nearby flew away under the impact of the energy wave.


    Right in midair, both sides kept reciting their own spells. After a while, their attacks came to a deadlock just between the roars of airwaves. Seeing that, Xiao Chen changed his spell again. He drew back all his Sword Qi. Then, two beams of mighty Sword Qi burst out and flew at Bai Ling rapidly. Bai Ling was forced to retreat. After regaining her balance, she cast a spell. The Cyan Spirit Sword divided into three parts and dashed at Xiao Chen.


    It seemed like it had all happened in the blink of an eye, but the whole area was in a total mess with dust flying out everywhere. All disciples nearby had already retreated to a place more than 300 meters away and couldn¡¯t help exclaiming, ¡°Excellent! Both of them have their own advantages!¡±


    Floating in midair, Xiao Chen kept moving his fingers to cast spells to resist the attacks from Bai Ling. It was a battle of Mystic Powers. Xiao Chen clearly felt that Bai Ling was stronger than last month.


    Bai Ling also felt that Xiao Chen¡¯s Mystic Power had become much purer than it had been last month, and his cultivation had also improved by quite a bit.


    ¡°Senior Sister Bai Ling, I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Why don¡¯t we stop fighting?¡± At this moment, although Xiao Chen kept casting spells to resist the attacks from Bai Ling, he was still calm and unhurried.


    In the past, if Xiao Chen had said such words, no one would believe him and would even sneer at his overconfidence. But now, no one dared to do that, except for those who still did not know that Xiao Chen had gotten 3rd place on the Earth Ranking.


    Bai Ling felt dizzy and weak, but she breathed in, forcing calmness. She answered with more than the usual coldness in her voice, ¡°You are still too weak to challenge me!¡±


    After that, she suddenly jumped up about a hundred feet. It seemed that she had sunk into the clouds. Then, a layer of cyan light emerged on her body, and her Cyan Spirit Sword also burst out with abundant shining light. She continued to recite spells, as if all the vital force between heaven and earth had gathered and been absorbed by her.


    Everyone was stunned. ¡°Senior Sister Bai Ling is really going to summon the Spirit of the Cyan Spirit Sword this time! Get out of the way!¡±


    Bai Ling was floating hundreds of meters in the air. Her body was covered by a faint cyan light and her clothes were rippling gently in the wind. She was just like a charming fairy. Behind her, a 30-meter-long cyan-colored divine bird slowly appeared.


    The feathered tail of the cyan-colored divine bird fluttered in the air, like clouds that covered the sky for a thousand miles. The crowd exclaimed, ¡°Sword Spirit! It¡¯s a real sword spirit!¡±


    Xiao Chen held his breath and concentrated. This time, he felt the powerful immortal energy of the Green Spirit Divine Bird. It was a pity that the Spirit of the Unsullied Sword had not been awakened. Otherwise, it would not have been so hard for him to fight Mo Jinyan last time.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Bai Ling¡¯s expression was indifferent. In the first battle with Xiao Chen at the Long-Gate Pass, she didn¡¯t want to hurt Xiao Chen. But now, she no longer cared about that. With her ice-cold eyes, she released all her power. It seemed that she would even kill Xiao Chen.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Bai Ling¡¯s cold voice echoed in the sky above the back mountain. The Green Spirit Divine Bird roared and rushed at Xiao Chen fiercely. The vital force of heaven and earth was surging back and forth at this moment, summoning gales and splintering stones that obscured everyone¡¯s vision. Horror welled up inside the eyes of Qin Tianyu and the other disciples from the Wind-heeding Pavilion. ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    Xiao Chen stood high in the sky, with his robe rustling loudly and hair fluttering in the wind. He focused his eyes on the Green Spirit Divine Bird that was getting closer and closer to him. He didn¡¯t panic at all and murmured as if he was talking to himself, ¡°Bai Ling, you didn¡¯t use all of your Mystic Power during our battle at Long-Gate Pass, so I also didn¡¯t want to hurt you that time. But now you still insist on fighting with me, so¡­ Dragon¡¯s Decimation!¡±


    As his voice fell, Xiao Chen ran his True Energy and unleashed the sixth move of the Dragon Roar Palm¡ªDragon¡¯s Decimation. In an instant, the wind blew around fiercely and the entire back mountain shook violently. Large pieces of dark clouds gathered in the sky as bolts of lightning and thunder raged.


    At this moment, it seemed that the whole sky turned dark and gloomy. The dark clouds blocked out the sun, and the whole back mountain seemed to be at dusk.


    ¡°Howl¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, dark clouds were rolling in the air. A dragon roar, loud enough to shake heaven, resounded and shocked people¡¯s souls. The whole back mountain trembled and everyone¡¯s ears were about to be deafened by the roar. They looked up at the sky and cried out, ¡°Goodness! What¡¯s that?¡±


    The dark clouds opened up to reveal two 300-meter-long black dragons that were covered in thunder and lightning. Their eyes were like lamps as they glared at everyone below in fury. All the people were shocked. They widened their eyes and exclaimed, ¡°Oh, my god! Dragons! They¡¯re dragons!¡±


    Many of them had seen the purple lightning dragon summoned by Perfected Immortal Zihui before, but at this moment, when they saw Xiao Chen summoning the Divine Archean Dragon, they could only open their mouths in astonishment.


    In fact, the purple lightning dragon of Perfected Immortal Zihui was the spirit of a Divine Archean Dragon, which could be regarded as a real dragon. While the two dragons summoned by Xiao Chen were just phantoms formed by Dragon¡¯s Decimation, not real dragons. However, since everyone didn¡¯t calm themselves down from the amazement, it was hard for them to distinguish whether the two black dragons were real dragons or not.


    Seeing that, Bai Ling¡¯s face became more gloomy and she cast spells more quickly. Cyan light flashed between her fingers and produced more power to support the Green Spirit Divine Bird to launch attacks. The Green Spirit Divine Bird kept making sharp whistling sounds. It must have sensed the mighty power of the black dragons and realized that the dragons should be great threats.


    ¡°Howl¡­¡±


    Lightning was rolling in the clouds above. The two black dragons roared loudly, and one of them suddenly rushed to the Green Spirit Divine Bird. The dragons¡¯ bodies were covered with black scales, which looked frightening. Some disciples with lower levels of cultivation were so scared that their faces turned white and their legs trembled.


    After all, dragons were horrible creatures only existing in the ancient legends. They had terrifying power that could destroy the world. According to legend, there were two dragons, namely Yinglong, a Divine Archean Dragon, and Qiongtian, an Evil Archean Dragon. These two dragons had been fighting for thousands of years and once destroyed the whole world. Finally, Fuxi Emperor in the Human Realm subdued them and sealed their power.


    Of course, the two raging dragons summoned by Xiao Chen were naturally much weaker than those two dragons in the ancient legends.


    The Green Spirit Divine Bird and the black dragon, which had flown away from the black clouds, were at a stalemate. Intense momentum permeated the air, sending shockwaves through the crowd. It could be seen that the black dragon was hundreds of feet long, and its angry eyes were like lamps. It was surging its destructive energy. The Green Spirit Spiritual Bird was only 10 feet in height, but its eyes were sharp and sparkling with cyan light. Its momentum was not inferior to that of the dragon.


    All of a sudden, the whole scene changed again, along with surging Mystic Power. A strong blast swept through the air, resulting in the collapse of mountains and cracks in the ground. Seeing that, most of the disciples had to condense barriers to block this powerful remnant force.


    Because of the loud noise, not only the disciples nearby, but also other disciples in a distance had been attracted by the fierce battle between the dragon and the cyan-colored divine bird. Their faces were filled with shock.


    On the top of a mountain in a distance, the three Perfected Immortals were also focusing on the fight. Perfected Immortal Zihui stroked his beard and nodded, saying, ¡°He transformed his Mystic Power into phantoms of Divine Archean Dragons to fight against the Spirit of the Cyan Spirit Sword. This kind of cultivation method is really mysterious. That might be handed down from ancient times.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°But I am afraid that he is still unable to defeat Bai Ling. It is because the Green Spirit Sword Spirit is a real immortal spirit, while his dragons are only phantoms.¡±


    ¡­


    Once again, the throng broke out into chaotic chatter, both excited and a little scared. In the air, Xiao Chen moved his fingers at rapid-fire pace as he chanted spells to produce enough power for the raging dragon. He felt very tired. It seemed that he had really underestimated Bai Ling, or the strength of her Sword Spirit.


    Bai Ling did not look any better either. Her face had turned a little pale and her long hair fluttered wildly in the wind. Obviously, she had exerted her nearly maximum power. It was her Sword Spirit that resisted Xiao Chen¡¯s raging dragon, but she should provide her own spirit energy for the Sword Spirit.


    Bai Ling bit the tip of her lips and spat some Essence Blood on her palm, using it to cast some strange spells. Suddenly, strange, unnatural winds began to blow. Bai Ling¡¯s eyes became bright red. At the same time, the cyan light around her brightened and gathered into a beam of strong cyan light that connected Bai Ling with her Sword Spirit. Then, both the size and power of the Green Spirit Divine Bird increased by several times in an instant. The raging dragon was unprepared for that and was forced to back 20 meters away!


    The crowd on the ground took notice of that increasing power, and they immediately exclaimed, ¡°She! What did she do?¡±


    In the distance, the three Perfected Immortals grew stone-faced in an instant. Perfected Immortal Qingxu said in astonishment, ¡°Bai Ling is asking for death by doing so! She has signed a blood contract with her Sword Spirit. If her Sword Spirit is hurt, she will be doomed! Hurry up! Go and make Xiao Chen stop striking back!¡±


    After thinking for a while, Perfected Immortal Chongyang was the first to calm down. He stretched out his hand and stopped Perfected Immortal Qingxu. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother. Xiao Chen knows what he¡¯s doing. He won¡¯t really hurt Bai Ling.¡±


    Perfected Immortal Chongyang just remembered that in the last Wastelands Sword Tryout, Xiao Chen risked his life to send Jiang Qianqian back to a safe place at the last minute. From this, it could be seen that Xiao Chen was not a cold-hearted person.

 Chapter 544 - The Battle Hung in the Balance

    The crowd exclaimed repeatedly. The Green Spirit Divine Bird kept launching attacks to force the black raging dragon back. At this time, blue veins stood out on Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead. Obviously, he could not hold on any longer. If his raging dragon was defeated, Xiao Chen would be seriously injured if not dead. Seeing that, Qin Tianyu and the other disciples from the Wind-heeding Pavilion below were so worried about Xiao Chen that their faces turned deathly pale and their hearts almost jumped out of their throats.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen gave a muffled snort, then moved his fingers and cast spells. The other raging dragon also swooped down from the black clouds and took part in the battle. Then, the two raging dragons intertwined with each other, sucked into the black clouds again, and swooped down swiftly. With a thundering sound from the sky, the ground began to shake violently. The Green Spirit Divine Bird was forced back meters by the two dragons.


    Bai Ling also stepped back more than 10 feet. Her face turned pale and she almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Then she regained her balance and cast a spell again. The next moment, the cyan light bursting out from the Green Spirit Divine Bird became much brighter again.


    The terrifying Mystic Power once again began to fluctuate and triggered waves of energy in the sky, which scattered all the black clouds. The crowd below had already changed their expressions. At the same time, they couldn¡¯t help sighing with admiration. Xiao Chen was so powerful that he was able to withstand such a powerful Sword Spirit. If they were in his shoes, they would have already been crushed into pieces by the Sword Spirit.


    In the distance, Beigong Qin was also startled to see that. This time, he had known well about Xiao Chen¡¯s real strength and had been aware that the contrast between their strength was so blatantly stark. But then, the astonishment in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by intense hatred. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.


    The battle was so fierce. If Xiao Chen were to veer his attention away for even a second, his soul would be seriously hurt by Bai Ling. Thinking of this, a trace of ferocity flashed in Beigong Qin¡¯s eyes. Then, he pressed his fingers together and shot a ferocious finger force at Xiao Chen in the air.


    No one took notice of this finger force that could put Xiao Chen in a life-or-death situation, except for Chu Qi, whose Divine Sense was sharp enough. She kept taking precautions against every sneak attack from Beigong Qin. So, once she noticed the finger force, she moved immediately and blocked it timely. Then, Chu Qi¡¯s face sank and she immediately fired two rows of cold light from her eyes at Beigong Qin.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Beigong Qin sneered and turned to walk in the direction of the training area. Since his sneak attack had failed, he did not want to stay here to draw more attention to himself.


    Seeing what had happened on the ground, Xiao Chen sighed. ¡°Thank god! If Chu Qi hadn¡¯t taken action, I would have died!¡±


    At the same time, Bai Ling¡¯s fingers were moving faster and faster. The momentum of the Green Spirit Divine Bird steadily rose and reached the extremes of its limits. Even though he had the help of the two raging dragons, it was still painstaking for Xiao Chen to block the attacks from the Green Spirit Divine Bird. He had no choice but to pour almost all his True Energy into the two dragons.


    ¡°Roar¡ª¡±


    The dragon¡¯s roar resounded continuously. For all the disciples of Cloud Mist Academy, it was rare to see such a fierce battle. However, they didn¡¯t know that those two people in the air were in extreme danger. If the two of them were a little careless or were sneak-attacked, they would be doomed eternally.


    Bai Ling¡¯s face became paler and paler, but she still kept running her spirit energy. Xiao Chen knew that she had signed a blood contract with her Sword Spirit. As long as her Sword Spirit was hurt, she would be more seriously injured or even die.


    ¡°You are so crazy! I¡¯m now taking back my dragons. You should also recall your Sword Spirit. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be seriously injured!¡± The veins on Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead stood out and he shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    Bai Ling didn¡¯t take Xiao Chen¡¯s suggestion. She even enhanced the spirit energy of the blood contract. All of sudden, an overwhelming power forced Xiao Chen to retreat a few steps. After regained his balance, Xiao Chen stretched out both his arms with a groan. The sky-shaking dragon roar resounded again. The two black raging dragons charged forward ferociously and pushed the Green Spirit Divine Bird back dozens of feet. Bai Ling¡¯s face was deathly pale as blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. It seemed that she had been seriously injured.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The crowd below exclaimed. It was obvious that Bai Ling could no longer hold on. On the distant peak, Perfected Immortal Qingxu furrowed his eyebrows, worry written all over his face. ¡°That kid takes it seriously!¡± Then, he stood up and was about to stop the battle. However, Perfected Immortal Chongyang pulled him aside and said in a calm tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother! I won¡¯t misjudge him. That kid knows what he¡¯s doing!¡±


    In the sky above the back mountain, Xiao Chen had also pushed his True Energy to the limit. The wind was roaring as the clouds were rolling. Everyone on the ground could see that both Xiao Chen and Bai Ling had exerted all their True Energy at this moment. It was time to see who the winner would be!


    Everyone held their breath and concentrated. They didn¡¯t want to miss anything, so they opened their eyes wide and looked at the scene in the sky. Qin Tianyu and the others also clenched their fingers tightly. They were all extremely worried about Xiao Chen¡¯s safety.


    High in the sky, Xiao Chen moved his fingers at rapid-fire pace as he chanted spells. Bai Ling¡¯s appearance took on a frailer and paler complexion as blood was constantly flowing out of the corner of her mouth. Suddenly, she shouted, ¡°Ah!¡±


    However, she had no more spirit energy to strengthen the power of the Sword Spirit. Xiao Chen frowned and thought to himself, ¡°If I continue to fight with her, she will be seriously injured or even lose her life. Actually, I have no hatred for her. Further, if she hadn¡¯t held back some of her strength in our battle at Long-Gate Pass, I would have been seriously injured at that time¡­¡±


    At this moment, all sorts of thoughts ran through Xiao Chen¡¯s mind. He thought over and over again. Finally, he gritted his teeth and waved his hand to call back the two black dragons.


    ¡°What is he doing?!¡± In an instant, a wave-like shock traveled among the crowd. Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. They couldn¡¯t understand why Xiao Chen withdrew his attack at this moment. He was asking for death by doing that. Qin Tianyu and his companions cried out in alarm, ¡°Brother Chen!¡±


    As Xiao Chen pulled back the two black dragons, the Green Spirit Sword Spirit instantly rushed toward him. He felt like there was a huge mountain that was about to crush him. With a loud bang, Xiao Chen was thrown away by a surge of overwhelming Mystic Power.


    ¡°Puff!¡± Lying on top of a small hill, Xiao Chen spurted out a mouthful of blood. He felt that his internal organs were cracked. Suddenly, another loud noise sounded and dust filled the sky. The small hill where Xiao Chen lay on was smashed to pieces.


    Masses of gravel were sent flying at Xiao Chen. Everyone was stunned by Xiao Chen¡¯s crazy decision. If they were hit by the Sword Spirit just now, they might have turned into ashes¡­


    In the distance, the three Perfected Immortals finally felt relieved. Perfected Immortal Chongyang stroked his beard and said with a smile, ¡°Senior Brother, do you still think that my judgment is wrong?¡±


    Perfected Immortal Qingxu laughed and nodded his head. ¡°Fortunately, Bai Ling¡¯s Sword Spirit is running out of spirit energy at this time. Otherwise, that kid would be seriously injured.¡±


    ¡­


    After launching its last attack, the Sword Spirit went back into the Cyan Spirit Sword because Bai Ling had run out of spiritual energy. Bai Ling did not expect that Xiao Chen would stop striking back at the last moment. After a short moment of distraction, she gritted her teeth, as if she had made an important decision. Then, she summoned the Cyan Spirit Sword and rushed toward Xiao Chen, who was still lying on the small hill. At that very moment, everyone could sense that Bai Ling was completely aloof, murderous, and ruthless.


    Xiao Chen detected Bai Ling¡¯s action. He channeled his True Energy and raise his palm to resist. However, when the Cyan Spirit Sword nearly reached him, he found that its attack was so weak.


    Bai Ling had almost used up her spiritual energy just now, and now she could not hold on any longer. Her Cyan Spirit Sword slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground. At the same time, she lost all her strength and fell from the sky.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The sounds of surprise emanated from the crowd. Xiao Chen turned around, swooped down from above, and caught Bai Ling gently. Then he slowly landed on the ground with her in his arms.


    Bai Ling¡¯s face was pale and she could not exert even the slightest bit of strength. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Let me go. I don¡¯t want any of you to pity me!¡± As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°If I let go of you, you¡¯ll fall to your death,¡± Xiao Chen said placidly.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t show your mercy to me. Let me go¡­¡± Bai Ling cried out and suddenly bit Xiao Chen hard on the shoulder. Xiao Chen groaned in pain and stared at her. He said, ¡°You¡¯re so crazy!¡±


    After landing on the ground, Xiao Chen immediately let go of her. Without another word, Bai Ling stretched out her hand and summoned the Cyan Spirit Sword. She thrust the sword at Xiao Chen¡¯s throat, but she was still too weak to launch a powerful attack. At this moment, she was unable to hurt a Foundation Building Realm cultivator, let alone Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen frowned. He couldn¡¯t understand why Bai Ling became such an unreasonable woman. He pressed his two fingers together and pinched the Cyan Spirit Sword. He said lightly, ¡°Well, you lost. From now on, you are not allowed to steal any Mystic Stones from my Wind-heeding Pavilion!¡± Then, he gave her a little push through the sword, which made the weak girl take a few steps back and fall down to the roadside lawn.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves and turned to stare at the other senior disciples who snatched Mystic Stones from the newcomers. He said loudly, ¡°From now on, our Wind-heeding Pavilion will be independent. We will no longer hand over our own Mystic Stones to anyone or any group!¡±


    Hearing that, the feet of those senior disciples were trembling in fear. They were secretly glad that they didn¡¯t need to collect Mystic Stones from the Wind-heeding Pavilion.


    After saying that, Xiao Chen looked at Qin Tianyu and the others and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to our training area.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± The youths immediately cheered and followed up.


    After Xiao Chen and his companions left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Bai Ling was still sitting on the lawn. Seeing that, some senior disciples didn¡¯t leave her alone, but they didn¡¯t know whether she needed help or not.


    At this moment, a sword radiance shone. The senior disciples staying there immediately lowered their heads and cupped their hands to show respect. ¡°Senior Brother Baili¡­¡±


    Bai Ling trembled. She immediately stood up. Her voice was shaking as well. ¡°S-Senior Brother Baili.¡±


    Baili Xiaohualuo glanced at her indifferently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± After that, he looked in the direction in which Xiao Chen left.


    ¡­


    ¡°Brother Chen, you are far more powerful than I expected! Those two dragons scared many people so much that they didn¡¯t even dare to stand up. Haha!¡± At this moment, the youths in the first district had caused a huge ruckus. They were full of praise for the battle just now.


    Xiao Chen had just suffered some internal injuries. After meditating for a while, Chu Qi came over and whispered, ¡°Senior Brother.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Xiao Chen nodded. He then opened his eyes and said to Qin Tianyu, ¡°All right, you should all focus on your cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The youths sat down and began to cultivate. Xiao Chen got up and walked over. He took out some seal talismans from his Divine Vessel and passed them to Qin Tianyu and the other disciples. Qin Tianyu held the colorful seal talismans in his hand and murmured, ¡°Fire Manipulation Talisman, Lightning Blockade, Ice Freezing Talisman¡­¡± Then he looked at Xiao Chen and asked, ¡°Brother Chen, why do you give these seal talismans to us?¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and replied, ¡°I have to leave with Chu Qi for some time. During this period¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, the crowd immediately burst into an uproar. ¡°Is Brother Chen leaving? Where to?¡±


    They regarded Xiao Chen as an anchor of the Wind-heeding Pavilion. As long as Xiao Chen stayed here, they didn¡¯t fear being teased or bullied by anyone. Now Xiao Chen was leaving, what should they do? Qin Tianyu pinched the seal talismans in his hand and shouted, ¡°Be quiet, everyone. Let¡¯s listen to Brother Chen!¡±


    The crowd immediately quieted down. Xiao Chen said, ¡°I will go outside with Chu Qi for at least one week¡­ or even for a long time. I don¡¯t know when I will come back either. Anyway, after I leave here, all of you, don¡¯t make trouble.¡±

 Chapter 545 - Black-horn City

    Hearing that he was not sure when he would be back, the youths once again became noisy. Qin Tianyu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Everyone, be quiet. We¡¯ll wait here for Brother Chen to come back!¡±


    Chu Xuanxuan walked over and whispered, ¡°Will Brother Xiao Chen and Sister Chu Qi take long to come back?¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can just focus on your cultivation here with peace in mind.¡± After that, he walked to Shen Qianye and handed him three jade notes. Each jade note seemed to be burning with three cyan flames.


    ¡°There¡¯s a formation I¡¯ve carved inside. It¡¯s called the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames Formation. It¡¯s incredibly powerful. If you meet a strong opponent, just toss the spell out.¡±


    Xiao Chen then told Shen Qianye how to use it. The Nine Heaven-scorching Flames Formation was too powerful, so he dared not hand it over to Qin Tianyu. He could only hand it over to the calm and composed Shen Qianye.


    Next, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi went to the Mystic Sky Pavilion and asked Elder Wu to start the recovery formation. Elder Wu thought that Xiao Chen was here to lure the Woods Spirit (Gollum Beast). He was so happy and served Xiao Chen with bananas and tea. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen sneaked away after he went to the recovery formation and restored his Mystic Qi.


    ¡°Ahem. I was just going to recover some of my Mystic Power. Let¡¯s hurry and leave lest the old man hunts us down,¡± Xiao Chen said softly as he snuck to the other side of the teleportation formation.


    As a result, the two went back to the Wind-heeding Pavilion. After all, he was a disciple of the Cloud Mist Academy. The disciples could not come and go as they wished. If a disciple wanted to go down the mountain, he must first get the approval of his grandmaster. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to break out of the Mist Formation.


    ¡­


    ¡°What? Request for leave? No way, no way, why are you taking a leave for nothing, and you¡¯re asking for a two-week¡¯s leave. No way.¡± The grumbling words of Shui Yue came from the Wind-heeding Tower.


    ¡°Aye, Third Grandmaster, please allow it. Junior sister and I will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°No way, no way. In the path of cultivation, it must last for a long time. Oh no, I meant to persevere. If you want to go out to hunt the net for 3 days and dry the fish in the sun for 2 days, that¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    ¡°Third Grandfather, it¡¯s fishing for 3 days and drying the net in the sun for 2 days. You said it wrongly.¡±


    ¡°Whether to fish or to dry the net, no means no. Be gentle on your left side and put more strength on your right side. Uh-huh, that¡¯s it.¡±


    On the attic, Xiao Chen massaged Shui Yue¡¯s shoulders with a bitter smile and said, ¡°Third Grandmaster, do you have anything you want? I¡¯ll bring you something when I come back.¡±


    ¡°Well, let me think about it¡­¡± Shui Yue bit her fingertips and said to herself, ¡°The pearl powder is running out soon. I don¡¯t know if there are any Dragon Clam produced in East Sea¡­ Hmm? No! Don¡¯t try it. I said ¡®no means no¡¯. Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s useless to pretend to be pitiful. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I really have something to do. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Shui Yue looked at him and said seriously, ¡°Then you have to tell me what it is first. I tell you, White Fog City is not like other places. As for Black-horn City, you can¡¯t enter it with even half of your feet. Otherwise, no one will collect your body even if you die.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say that? Why will I go to that kind of place for no reason?¡± Xiao Chen said with a smile as he massaged her back and shoulders.


    Shui Yue looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, more real than pearls.¡±


    Shui Yue thought for a moment and finally said, ¡°Alas, okay, but only seven days at most. If you dare not come back in seven days, you will not get any leave in the future. I tell you, there¡¯ll be no way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely be back!¡±


    ¡°Humph, you¡¯re quite quick with your promise.¡± Shui Yue snorted and then condensed Qi on her fingertip, inserting a streak of white light into the badge that he wore on his chest.


    ¡°Heh heh, thank you, Third Grandmaster. I shall take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Well, go ahead. Remember my East Sea Dragon Clam. Just the pearl. Don¡¯t bring back the whole clam like someone else did. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Sure!¡± Xiao Chen chuckled and was about to leave when the sound of footsteps came from outside. Following that, he heard a woman asking, ¡°Is Third Grandmaster in?¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned solemn. The voice sounded familiar as if he had heard it somewhere before.


    Shui Yue said, ¡°Yes, come in.¡±


    A short while later, a woman in purple in her early twenties walked in. When she raised her head and saw Xiao Chen, she looked as if she had seen a ghost. Her face was as white as a sheet.


    Xiao Chen smiled and said, ¡°Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°Junior¡­Junior Brother.¡±


    The woman was Zhao Yingying who rushed in to have an erotic night with Zhou Yizhuo that night when Xiao Chen performed the Wisdom-forsaking Technique in the cave in the back mountain. She had never expected to meet Xiao Chen here. For a time, her heart was beating fast, and she was shocked and scared.


    Shui Yue narrowed her eyes and thought, ¡°Why is she so afraid when she sees Xiao Chen?¡± She asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    Zhao Yingying raised her head and tried her best to calm down. Originally, she came here for things, but now that she saw Xiao Chen here, she only wanted to leave as soon as possible. However, if she suddenly left, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. She said, ¡°I want to ask for a day off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for leave!¡± Shui Yue frowned. ¡°Why are you asking for leave too? Forget it.¡± She condensed her Qi on her fingertips and struck the badge on her chest with a white radiance.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Grandmaster. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Zhao Yingying immediately turned around and walked out. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going as well.¡± He then followed her out.


    Zhao Yingying was walking in a hurry, but she dared not to use her flying sword to leave. Xiao Chen followed her all the way. After walking for 3 miles, he said, ¡°Why are you walking so fast, Senior Sister?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhao Yingying suddenly stopped. She could not stop trembling. In a quavering voice, she said, ¡°Sen¡­Senior, please rest assured. I, I didn¡¯t mention what happened that night to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡± Xiao Chen walked to her side with his hands clasped behind his back and said only one word.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes.¡± Zhao Yingying squeezed her hands tightly and did not dare to raise her head. She would do whatever Xiao Chen said. Even if Xiao Chen wanted that ¡®thing¡¯ now, she would obediently take off her clothes and never dare to disobey him.


    Xiao Chen glanced at her. He was not able to see her clearly that night. Now that he saw her, he could also tell that she was somewhat pretty. He said, ¡°I¡¯m not a senior. I¡¯m just a rookie of this batch.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes.¡± Zhao Yingying was still frightened. She did not want to know anything now. The more she knew, the sooner she would die.


    ¡°You can rest assured that I will return the vital soul to you. However, you should also remember¡­¡±


    Before Xiao Chen could finish speaking, Zhao Yingying immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will never tell anyone about this!¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After all, taking another person¡¯s vital soul as a threat was a common trick of the people of the Devil¡¯s Practice. He did not want to leave Shuiyue a bad impression now.


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore, Senior Sister. But there¡¯s one thing¡­¡± Xiao Chen paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Senior Sister, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t have any thoughts on Third Grandmaster.¡±


    At the end of his words, Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp, and his aura was let out a little bit. Zhao Yingying did not dare to move. She quickly said, ¡°Absolutely¡­ never!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After that, Xiao Chen instantly used the Immortal-override Steps. In the blink of an eye, he was a hundred feet away. In Zhao Yingying¡¯s eyes, he seemed to have disappeared. For a moment, she was more afraid of him.


    When he returned to the courtyard, he saw that Chu Qi was wiping the Full Moon Blade. Even though the sun was high up in the sky, it was still unable to conceal the cold glint on the edge of the blade.


    Xiao Chen also took out the Blood Lotus Demon Blade, which had not been used for two months. In an instant, the whole courtyard was full of evil wind and bloody mist. A burst of creepy and strange laughter came from the blade. ¡°Kiddo, am I finally getting blood again? It¡¯s been more than two months¡­¡±


    Of course, only Xiao Chen could hear its voice. He smiled and also passed a wisp of Divine Sense into the blade. ¡°Maybe.¡± Then he put the blade away and said to Chu Qi, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them went down the mountain. With Shui Yue¡¯s ¡°permission pass,¡± the two of them passed unimpeded. In a short while, they went down the mountain through various transmission formations.


    Turning around to take a look, he saw a towering mountain with mist that was halfway up the mountain. It was already impossible to see those floating islands and palaces on the mountain clearly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Where did Yang Qing say we should meet?¡±


    ¡°In Black-horn City, a place called Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so far away. We¡¯ll need to hurry up.¡±


    They quickly went to the city, found a carriage, and then headed for the border between White Fog City and Black-horn City.


    In fact, formerly, these two city districts were just called White-Fog City. However, since the port of southern Seaside Area was occupied by the Black Horn, and the influence of the Black Horn was getting bigger and bigger, then the south district was called Black-horn City, while the north district was still called White Fog City.


    Until now, the difference between the two cities had become more and more obvious, but there was a non-aggression agreement between the two sides. Therefore, people in the northern city district generally did not go to the southern city district, and vice versa.


    Meanwhile, White Fog City was extremely large. It was more of a province rather than a city. Even if they took the fastest carriage and traveled over from the Mist Mountain, it would still take at least half a day.


    It was not until dark that they arrived in the middle city district at the border, and the carriage would not continue to move forward. The middle city district was not big, so they quickly passed through it and came to the outside of Black-horn City. They saw many black-armored soldiers stationed on the city tower.


    Of course, it was not difficult for them to sneak in with their skills. Before this, they also had already taken off the badges of the Cloud Mist Academy.


    After entering Black-horn City, Xiao Chen found that there was really a big difference between the South City and the North City. Many places in the North City were under construction, and the residents mostly worked at sunrise and slept at sunset. But on the Black-horn City¡¯s side¡­


    There were lanterns on the street, and pedestrians were everywhere, but all of them were young men and women, who were playing acrobatics, singing operas, selling barbecues, and selling all kinds of gadgets. It was more lively than the daytime in the northern city district. This was simply a nightless city.


    ¡°Haha, interesting. It¡¯s not like what they said. I thought it was a dangerous place.¡±


    Xiao Chen looked at the street scenery and said with a smile. Of course, he did not let down his guard because he knew that this was only the appearances he saw. There were many things in Black-horn City that many people could not see, especially people like him who had just arrived.


    Then, the two of them went to a carriage store called ¡°Fallen Leaf.¡± Xiao Chen was about to ask for the carriage when he was stopped by Chu Qi, who then said to the shopkeeper, ¡°98 Spirit Stones and two less. To Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    The shopkeeper raised his head and looked at the two of them. He then said to the people behind him, ¡°Please follow me to Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    A moment later, a middle-aged man came out of the backroom. Chu Qi took out a Tier Four Spirit Stone from her clothes and placed it on the counter. A Tier Four Spirit Stone was equivalent to a thousand Spirit Stones. The shopkeeper accepted the Spirit Stone and smiled as he took out two items from the cabinet and handed them back to her. ¡°A change of 2 Spirit Stones. Please keep them well.¡±


    Chu Qi took the items and put them into her Divine Vessel immediately. Although she was quick, Xiao Chen saw clearly that they were not Spirit Stones.

 Chapter 546 - Illusive Aroma Lane

    ¡°Please come with me.¡± The middle-aged man said to them with a smile, and they followed him to get into a carriage.


    The carriage moved unhurriedly along the way. Xiao Chen sat inside the carriage, listening to the noise outside. He opened the window curtain and saw thousands of lanterns hanging on the streets. The pedestrians shuttled back and forth like shuttles. In the distance, the colorful lights reflected on the river banks, as bright as the Milky Way.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be such a night in the Wastelands.¡± Xiao Chen put down the curtains and looked at Chu Qi sitting opposite. Chu Qi immediately took out the items that she had obtained from the carriage shop owner from her Divine Vessel.


    It turned out to be two jade badges the size of a thumb. They were exquisitely made. On one side, there were three orchids. On the other side, there were three words that wrote ¡°Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    With a smile, Xiao Chen kept one of the jade badges in his pocket. He thought that Yang Qing was well-prepared. In other words, Black-horn City might not be like what he had seen now. Perhaps the invisible corners hidden in the shadows were the real Black-horn City.


    The carriage finally stopped after about an hour. Xiao Chen opened the window curtain and saw that the street was much wider. Colorful lanterns hung high. It was more prosperous than the place before and seemed to be more dangerous, too.


    ¡°Two distinguished guests, we¡¯ve arrived at Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you, bro.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, bro.¡±


    Xiao Chen got off the carriage and looked up. There was a very large courtyard in front of him, like a palace. In the center of the courtyard, there was a seven-story pavilion. The pavilion was also vast, and a string of red lanterns hung on each eave, fluttering in the wind.


    A plaque was erected in front of the gate outside the courtyard, with three words, ¡°Illusory Aroma Lane,¡± written on it.


    The Illusive Aroma Lane was a famous money-losing den in Black-horn City. It was a place where high officials and noble lords spent their money for pleasure. It was also a heaven for rich young masters to be willful. Even if ordinary people were to take a look outside, they would feel that it was extravagant.


    At this moment, under the main entrance of the courtyard stood two rows of black-armor soldiers. Each of them held a long spear, but it seemed that they did not belong to the Illusive Aroma Lane.


    At this moment, Xiao Chen felt a murderous aura, but it came from Chu Qi next to him.


    ¡°Relax.¡± Xiao Chen said in a low voice. He then glanced at the black-armored soldier and said placidly, ¡°It seems that it¡¯s a bit of bad timing that we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go. We should slowly get close.¡±


    The two slowly approached. When they were close to the carpet in front of the main gate, two soldiers at the outermost stopped them immediately and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Xiao Chen did not say much and immediately took out the jade badge from his chest pocket. At this moment, the charming voice of a woman came from inside the attic. ¡°Officers, don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s a guest from my Lane.¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­ Sister Zi!¡± The soldiers immediately took back their spears, bowed their heads, and said respectfully, as if there was a trace of fear in them.


    A beautiful woman wearing a purple dress slowly walked out from within. That woman looked particularly charming. Her shoulders were exposed and her collarbones could be seen clearly. Her white chest bounced as she walked.


    She held a purple pipe in her hand and breathed out a thin mist. With a charming smile on her face, she stared at Xiao Chen and walked toward him step by step, twisting her waist.


    Ordinary people would be mesmerized by this exceedingly beautiful woman just by glancing at her. But Xiao Chen felt that this woman seemed to be unusual.


    ¡°Young man, why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    The woman in purple exhaled a puff of smoke, with a faint smile on her face. She looked at Xiao Chen and said.


    ¡°I apologize.¡± Xiao Chen came to his senses and smiled gently. He handed over the jade badge in his hand. The woman picked up her slender fingers and took the jade plate in his hand. She smiled charmingly and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The two of them followed the woman in purple into Illusive Aroma Lane. Xiao Chen walked behind and saw the woman slowly walking and twisting her slender waist. Even if it was just her back view, she looked even more enchanting than Su Lianyue. An ordinary man would fall for her with a single glance.


    In the courtyard, there was also a different world. Looking from the outside, you could only see the iconic seven-story building, but inside, you could see many long corridors and bridges. Many places were covered with flowers and trees. The place between the flowers and trees was filled with colorful lanterns. Under the trees, there was a shallow pool for feeding koi.


    The pool water was about one foot deep. The pool was paved with bluestones, which were the paths to the courtyard buildings in Illusive Aroma Lane. The layout was very interesting, and ordinary people could not see the mystery of it.


    Along the way, the woman in purple only led the way. She did not speak much. From time to time, she would take a breath of the tobacco pipe and then gently exhaled the thin smoke. On the way, Xiao Chen saw many dancers dressed glamorously. When these dancers saw the woman in purple, they would bow their heads and greet her respectfully.


    Xiao Chen also carefully observed the construction of the Illusive Aroma Lane. He nodded in his heart. Not to mention that there was none in the Human World, even in the Violet Realm, it was rare to see. The owner of this shop must be someone with a strong background.


    Although there were many dancers and buildings in the Illusive Aroma Lane, people would never stay overnight. That was to say, this was not a brothel.


    About 10 minutes later, Xiao Chen finally came to the front of the seven-story pavilion of the main building. The pavilion was quite big, and it was not an ordinary pavilion. When he arrived here, Xiao Chen could already hear the sound of the pipe instruments inside, as well as the sound of clapping and applauding.


    Upon entering, one could see twelve beautiful dancers dancing in the center of the hall on the first floor. Musicians were on both sides of the hall. The second and third floors were filled with people. They were either the young masters of wealthy merchants or high officials and nobles.


    On the fourth floor, the woman in purple led Xiao Chen and Chu Qi to a small house. She gently knocked on the door with her tobacco pipe. After a while, the door opened. Yang Qing and the others were sitting inside, as well as four young ladies who were persuading them to drink.


    When the four women saw the woman in purple, they immediately greeted her respectfully and then went out in an orderly manner. In the room, Yang Qing and the others also stood up. Yang Qing smiled and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, you¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Mister Xiao, please come in.¡± The woman in purple said gently with an enchanting smile.


    Xiao Chen stepped into the house and said nothing. The woman in purple at the door said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take my leave for now.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh! Thank you so much, Sister Zi!¡± Yang Qing said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The woman in purple smiled gently and closed the door.


    Xiao Chen took a few steps inside. There was a light fragrance like that of orchid in the room. He saw only Yang Qing and 3 others, but another 3 were missing. He asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t the other three brothers here?¡±


    Yang Qing stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, sit down first. The three of them have other things to do, so they didn¡¯t come.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Chen nodded and sat down on the chair. He asked again, ¡°Who is the girl in purple just now?¡±


    ¡°Sister Zi is the owner of the Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Xiao Chen did not ask more. They must have known each other before. With a flick of his sleeve, a sound-proof Barrier was set up in the room. He then asked, ¡°Do you have any clues about Master Ren?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yang Qing frowned. He concentrated and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t find Master Ren after searching for more than a month, but I have a clue. Seven years ago, Master Ren once appeared in Black-horn City and then disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that the last time he showed up in Black-horn City was seven years ago? That¡¯s to say, he disappeared in Black-horn City, right?¡±


    Yang Qing frowned and said, ¡°Now, we can¡¯t be sure if the last time he showed up was in Black-horn City, but we can be sure that we can start from here. Everyone who has seen him will be a clue. As long as these clues are connected together, it won¡¯t be difficult to find him.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Chen picked up the wine pot and filled the cup with wine. He said, ¡°Brother Yang, tell me, where is the first clue?¡±


    ¡°Black-Wind Pass, Bluestone Hall.¡±


    ¡°Bluestone Hall?¡±


    ¡°The Bluestone Hall is a small hall in Black Horn and is located in a place called the Black-Wind Pass. The Black-horn City is very large, and members of the Black Horn are all over the area, so there are many such small halls in the city,¡± Yang Qing explained.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Chen drank the wine and slowly put the cup back on the table. His eyes became a little sharp. Finally, he smiled lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s actually related to the Black Horn. It seems that things have become interesting.¡±


    Yang Qing nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, so I¡¯ve been worried. Therefore, I asked Brother Xiao to come out and discuss in person whether we should investigate the Black Horn or not next.¡±


    ¡°Black Horn, huh¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and poured another glass of wine into his cup. He said, ¡°We must find Ren Tianxing. Whether it¡¯s a Black Horn or a White Horn, we must find him! Moreover¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Xiao Chen paused for a moment and looked at him, saying, ¡°I think I¡¯m not the only one who is looking for Ren Tianxing, right?¡±


    Yang Qing¡¯s expression froze. He nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, someone else seems to be looking for this person, but I don¡¯t know who.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen composed himself. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°In that case, no matter who it is, we must find Ren Tianxing before these people. Tomorrow, we will go to Bluestone Hall.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a loud noise came from downstairs. The pipe music stopped immediately, followed by a woman¡¯s scream. Xiao Chen frowned and said to his side, ¡°Chu Qi, go and see what¡¯s going on outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Chu Qi said and was about to go to the door. Yang Qing stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Wait! There¡¯s no need to go. It¡¯s King Shen.¡±


    At this moment, an angry voice came from downstairs. ¡°Whoever I want dares not to refuse me! Ask her to come out immediately, or there will be blood flowing like the river in Illusive Aroma Lane tonight! No one can leave!¡±


    The voice sounded very domineering. It could be imagined that at this moment, not only the dancers downstairs were scared, but those high officials and dignitaries who came to consume tonight were all hiding in the corner and shivering.


    Xiao Chen frowned and asked Yang Qing, ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    Yang Qing¡¯s look had become very dignified at this time. He said, ¡°King Shen, one of the four kings of the Death (Wastelands provinces), has millions of soldiers. In Black-horn City alone, he has more than 300,000 elite soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Chen smiled thinly. ¡°I knew it. We came at quite a bad timing, tonight.¡±

 Chapter 547 - King Shen

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the relationship between King Shen and the Black Horn?¡±


    After saying that, Xiao Chen poured another glass of wine. When he was about to drink, he heard the sound of armored soldiers coming from downstairs. Their voices were very united. Then King Shen thundered, ¡°Seal the entire Illusive Aroma Tower for me. If anyone is allowed to leave tonight, you¡¯ll bring your head to me!¡±


    As soon as the voice fell, the sound of countless heavy-armored soldiers coming upstairs could be heard. For a moment, it seemed that the whole tower was trembling. Then, there came the sounds of people kicking the doors, screams, and cries. The whole Illusive Aroma Tower was in a mess.


    The high officials and nobles, as well as the wealthy merchants, who were drinking and laughing in the house, did not have time to react at this moment. The soldiers who broke through the door and entered the corridor forced them out to the outer corridor. They knelt on the ground and hugged their heads with both hands. In the crowd, everyone was in a state of panic.


    Yang Qing said, ¡°King Shen is a force of the empire. In Black-horn City, a relationship of mutual constraint exists between Black Horn and King Shen. But in the dark, the two sides also have a subtle cooperative relationship.¡±


    As he spoke, the sound of the soldiers was getting closer and closer. The other three people were on their guard. Xiao Chen still looked relaxed. He drank the wine in his cup and said lightly, ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Before his voice fell, the door was kicked open with a ¡°Poom!¡± Two black-armor soldiers with long spears in their hands appeared at the door and screamed, ¡°People inside! Hold your head with both hands! Come out immediately¡­¡±


    However, before the two soldiers could finish their words, with a ¡°swoosh¡± sound, the wine glass in Xiao Chen¡¯s hand flew over. With two bangs, the wine glass directly knocked the two soldiers away and smashed them down.


    ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± With two loud bangs, two black-armored soldiers fell and smashed a few carved sandalwood tables into pieces. Without mercy, the fruits and snacks on the tables were scattered on the ground, and the wine in the wine pot flowed out.


    At this moment, the pavilion suddenly quieted down. Everyone¡¯s faces were pale and their eyes were full of horror. They were the soldiers of King Shen!


    On the fourth floor, a woman was standing at the door. She was about to deliver wine to Xiao Chen and the others. But now, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. She stood rooted to the spot with a jade plate in her hand. The jade plate kept trembling, making a soft sound.


    ¡°Tonight, maybe it¡¯s not much of bad timing.¡± In the house, Xiao Chen said lightly with a smile. While speaking, he stretched out his hand and took the wine pot from the woman at the door.


    At this moment, the whole Illusive Aroma Tower suddenly became so quiet that it was a little strange. Everyone held their breath as if they were waiting quietly for the last darkness before dawn to fade away.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the man in the middle of the first floor. He looked fierce and had a scar on his face. His body shape was much larger than that of an ordinary person. His two arms were muscular and stronger than the legs of an adult man. He wore a red armor of a general with a sawtooth broadsword about half a foot long hanging on his waist.


    This man was King Shen. He was glaring at the railings of the corridor that had been knocked down by two soldiers on the fourth floor.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± There was a sound of the wind, and then a ghost-like shadow shot toward the fourth floor. However, with a ¡°clang,¡± the man was stopped by a Full Moon Blade that flew out in an instant.


    It was a man in black clothes. His eagle-like eyes stared at Chu Qi who appeared suddenly a foot away. Suddenly, Chu Qi moved. The next moment, she had appeared about a meter in front of him. She held the Full Moon Blade and cut toward his neck.


    Time seemed to slow down at this moment. The man in black leaned back to avoid this fatal cut. He put his two fingers together again and pointed to Chu Qi¡¯s waist. However, Chu Qi¡¯s figure seemed to disappear at this moment. The next moment, she appeared again on his left.


    She was so fast that the people downstairs could not see her clearly. But they knew that if King Shen was angered, blood would flow like a river. Tonight, there might be someone who would stay here forever.


    ¡°Swish!¡± Another sound of the wind came, and another man in white clothes next to King Shen also flew up. These two people were the right and left arms of King Shen. The man in black¡¯s name was Windchaser, and the man in white¡¯s name was Sunchaser.


    At this moment, the two of them were fighting Chu Qi at the same time, and their body movements were extremely fast. However, the body movements of Chu Qi were also like ghosts and spirits. When the three people fought, the people downstairs could only hear ¡°clang clang¡±. They could only see three shadows shuttling back and forth. It was impossible to see how the three people fought.


    King Shen¡¯s face became more and more gloomy and then he shouted, ¡°Back off!¡± With a shout, he lifted the sawtooth blade on his waist and forcefully leaped, smashing the ground within a foot radius into pieces.


    In the flying wood chips, King Shen flew to the fourth floor like a flash of horrifying lightning. He lifted his blade and cut toward Chu Qi. The fierce wind of the blade made it difficult for people to breathe.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s face was as painful as being cut by a knife, and the whole Illusive Aroma Tower was in a strong wind. The pavilion shook violently at this moment as if it was about to collapse.


    Everyone downstairs, at this moment, had a look of fear and uneasiness on their faces.


    ¡°Clank!¡± With a shrill sound, the Illusive Aroma Tower seemed to have stopped vibrating. But the next moment, a chilly wind blew. Everyone felt an unprecedented sense of bloodthirstiness coming, and a chill came from their backs. In the air of the fourth floor, strange patches of blood fog pervaded. Then, waves of the blood fog went down as if they were going to suck everyone¡¯s blood dry.


    ¡°Wha¡­ What the hell is this?¡±


    Finally, some people could not help but scream because of fear. Those beautiful dancers and maids were so scared that their faces turned pale and they hid in the corner trembling. And those high officials and noble lords all knelt on the ground and did not dare to stand up at this moment.


    Everyone looked up and saw a young man confronting King Shen. The strange bloody mist was seeping out from the blood-red broadsword in the young man¡¯s hand.


    At this moment, everyone held their breath and was scared to death. It was not because they were afraid of the blood mist, but because they saw a person who dared to fight King Shen.


    ¡°Ha-ah!¡± Veins popped up on King Shen¡¯s face. He looked terrifying. He slashed down again. The cyan blade wind seemed to tear everything in front of him apart. Xiao Chen raised his knife to resist. ¡°Clang!¡± With a loud sound, he felt his arms go numb.


    One must know that he now had the cultivation of the Nirvana Realm. It was imaginable how strong the cultivation of the other person was such that the blow could numb his arms.


    ¡°Come on!¡± King Shen shouted again and slashed with his blade. The cyan blade wind with horrifying power surged out. Xiao Chen lifted his blade and slashed forward. The red blade radiance met the attack. ¡°Clang!¡± The whole pavilion shook again.


    Both of them could move mountains and go against the current, so it was a piece of cake to destroy the whole pavilion. However, the confrontation between pros was not to see who had the stronger destructive power but to see who could kill the opponent first without damaging the surrounding flowers and trees.


    Clang, clang, clang. In an instant, they had already exchanged more than 10 blows. The cyan blade wind and the red blade radiance interweaved. No one dared to go up there at the moment. If they went up there, they would be ground to pieces.


    Finally, King Shen stopped, panting heavily. His chest, which was twice as wide as an ordinary man¡¯s, leaned forward. He stared fixedly at Xiao Chen and asked solemnly, ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just an alcoholic who came to the Illusive Aroma Lane to have fun.¡± Xiao Chen took back the Blood Lotus Demon Blade and said calmly with a faint smile on his face.


    The drinkers below were so scared that their faces turned pale. At this moment, a woman with a wonderful figure wanted to sneak away. King Shen suddenly shouted, ¡°Did I allow you to leave?¡± He then stretched his hand backward. The woman seemed to be grabbed by the throat by an invisible force, and her body slowly floated in the air. Her face was flushed red and her hands and feet were constantly struggling.


    ¡°You¡­r Highness, please spare my life!¡±


    The woman kept struggling and begging for mercy, but King Shen seemed to exert more force. Soon, the woman¡¯s body quickly shriveled up, and in the end, she completely turned into a horrifying black dried-up corpse.


    A moment ago, she was still a young woman in her prime, but in the next moment, she became a mummy. The people around her were so scared that they kept quiet out of fear. This was the cultivation method that King Shen cultivated, the Shen-luo Formless Skill.


    With a thud, the woman¡¯s mummified corpse was thrown down by King Shen. Then, she was dragged down by two black-armored soldiers. Then, King Shen turned his head and stared at Xiao Chen. He said in a cold voice, ¡°You will be like her soon. Do you believe it or not?¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± A crisp sound broke the silence. The jade plate in the hand of the woman who delivered the wine to Xiao Chen fell. She had already been dumbfounded because the woman who turned into a mummified corpse just now was a sister of hers in the dormitory.


    ¡°Spare my life, Your Highness! Spare my life, Your Highness! Spare my life, Your Highness¡­¡±


    The woman immediately knelt and kowtowed to beg for mercy. King Shen shouted and immediately grabbed her. Xiao Chen waved his sleeve and instantly sent the woman to the room. He smiled and said lightly, ¡°I think it¡¯s nothing good to gain for Your Highness to kill an alcoholic.¡±


    At this moment, the whole pavilion was quiet. Everyone could clearly hear Xiao Chen¡¯s voice. Xiao Chen smiled and continued, ¡°Those people who can really kill Your Highness must be the wild animals hiding in the dark corner of the shadows. They peeked at every move of Your Highness, and they would rush out and tear Your Highness into pieces at any time, just like the unarmed woman that Your Highness just killed. They are prey, and so is Your Highness.¡±


    Everyone below trembled and held their breath at this moment. No one dared to talk to King Shen in this way. If King Shen got angry, he would kill not only him but also them.


    However, King Shen King was not angered this time. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed heartily. In the end, he stared fixedly at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°Very well! Who are you really?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just an alcoholic,¡± Xiao Chen said with a smile.


    At this moment, a light sound of heels being touched suddenly came from outside the pavilion. It was the sound of a woman¡¯s footsteps. The sound was very slow, and even a little lazy.


    Then, a beautiful woman in purple walked in slowly. Her eyes were as beautiful as water, and her chest was half-covered. She held one hand in front of her chest and a purple pipe in her other hand. Seeing her coming, everyone in the pavilion felt as if they had seen a savior.


    ¡°Please stop fighting. If you keep fighting, I¡¯m afraid that my Illusive Aroma Tower will be torn down by you two.¡±


    The woman spat out a mouthful of smoke and said slowly. Her voice sounded extremely charming as if it could instantly turn hard steel into soft water.

 Chapter 548 - Extermination of the Hall

    With the arrival of the purple-clothed woman, the frozen atmosphere in the building seemed to melt at once. She twisted her slender waist and walked step by step toward the hall ahead. When she saw the mess in front of her, she said loudly, ¡°Your Highness hasn¡¯t been here for a month and when you come, look what has happened to this place. It scared my little heart. Oh¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she frowned and placed one of her fingertips on her chest. Her voice and actions alone were enough to make many people lose their patience. King Shen raised his head and laughed. ¡°I scared the beauty Zi Qin; it¡¯s my fault!¡± He then jumped down and landed on the ground, causing the entire Illusive Aroma Tower to tremble once more. The crowd once again became as quiet as cicadas in the cold.


    With a smile on his face, King Shen walked to Zi Qin step by step. He reached out and wanted to take her. Unexpectedly, Zi Qin¡¯s body was as agile as a fish in the water. With light steps, she instantly moved to another place. She said coquettishly, ¡°Hua Ying is not well and it¡¯s inconvenient for her to see guests. Please don¡¯t be angry, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± King Shen raised his head and laughed. He raised his hand, and the several groups of heavily armored soldiers immediately retreated in unison. The surrounding soldiers came like a tide earlier, but now, they also left like a tide.


    With a smile on his face, King Shen looked at Zi Qin and said, ¡°Such a beauty, I¡¯ll come back again!¡± He then looked at Xiao Chen, who was on the fourth floor and then strode out. Windchaser and Sunchaser also immediately followed after.


    Only after he and the soldiers left did the people in Illusive Aroma Tower let out a sigh of relief. In the short 15 minutes, it was as if they had been living for two lives.


    Zi Qin looked around and said coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that that ruined everyone¡¯s mood. Tonight, I treat you to a drink as an apology.¡±


    At this moment, everyone had already lost the mood to drink. Those who were drunk had already woken up from the fright and immediately walked out in an orderly manner. After a while, when everyone had left, Zi Qin looked up at the fourth floor and said, ¡°Are you still gonna stand there?¡±


    Xiao Chen and the others also came down immediately. Yang Qing smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Sister Zi, are you going to give me a guest-leaving order?¡±


    Zi Qin took a breath from the cigarette mouth and exhaled a puff of smoke. She said in a coy voice, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. It¡¯s just that this friend of yours¡­¡± She looked at Xiao Chen and said, ¡°You have such guts.¡±


    ¡°It is just like crossing the river. If you¡¯re not bold enough, how will you know if the river is deep or shallow?¡± Xiao Chen smiled gently, and there was a deep meaning in his smile.


    Zi Qin covered her mouth and giggled, and then her eyes changed. ¡°If tonight were a full-moon night, you would be dead.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said you were brave.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, thank you very much, Miss Zi Qin.¡± Xiao Chen saluted her with a smile. He then walked out with Yang Qing and the rest. The waiters and dancers in the attic did not know what they were talking about.


    It was now 9.30 p.m., and the new moon hung in the sky. However, because of the accident just now, there were only a few people in the streets nearby. The cold wind that blew onto the face was like a sharp knife. In fact, Yang Qing was secretly wiping his cold sweat just now. At this moment, he smiled and said, ¡°What Brother Xiao did just now was really dangerous.¡±


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°How can I not be in danger when fighting a tiger for its skin? I hope that the woman in the Illusive Aroma Lane didn¡¯t die in vain.¡±


    Yang Qing nodded and felt that after he had been in Wastelands for two months, he seemed to have begun to change slightly compared to when he was in the Violet Realm. This was a good thing.


    The next morning, the six people went to the Bluestone Hall in the Black-Wind Pass. The Bluestone Hall was one of the 72 small halls in the Black Horn. It did not have many people, only about three or four hundred people. When Xiao Chen and the others arrived, it was already 9.45 a.m.


    The Bluestone Hall was located in a small bluestone alley in the east of the Black-Wind Pass. Normally, no one would come here, but when Xiao Chen got closer, he could faintly smell the stench of blood. The deeper he walked into the alley, the stronger the smell.


    ¡°Lord, watch out!¡± Chu Qi suddenly unsheathed the Full Moon Blade. Yang Qing and the others were shocked as well. ¡°This! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    In the lane ahead, there were many bodies lying on the ground. Xiao Chen frowned and said lightly, ¡°It seems that someone came here earlier than us.¡±


    When they got closer, they saw that most of them died in the same way. All of them had a shallow bloodstain on their throats. Xiao Chen frowned. These people did not struggle or fight with others before they died, which showed that the murderer¡¯s method was very fast. The blood in the dead¡¯s throats was not much. This was somewhat similar to Yi Yeqiu¡¯s Fatal-thrust.


    From the way they died, this was not a battle, but an assassination. It was to the extent that the other party¡¯s methods were even more efficient than Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiao Chen quickened his pace. Along the way, he saw nearly two hundred corpses. There were even more than one hundred bodies inside. However, the ones inside seemed to have already detected the murderer when they were alive. Unfortunately, these people were already dead after only drawing half of their blades.


    Moments later, the six of them arrived at a large hall. This was the place where Bluestone Hall was located. There were a total of six corpses in the hall. The one at the far end was a headless corpse.


    There was a chair in the center of the hall. When the man died, his face was full of horror and his mouth was still open. It seemed that he was killed before he finished speaking. Below him, there were four dead bodies, all of whom were killed in an instant.


    ¡°This¡­ the Bluestone Hall was exterminated. What¡¯s going on?¡± Yang Qing and the other three people were shocked. Xiao Chen frowned slightly and did not speak. Instead, he stepped into the hall and squatted down to look at the bloodstains on the ground.


    ¡°Even though the blood has already congealed, it still hasn¡¯t turned black. These people should have been killed three days ago.¡±


    After saying that, Xiao Chen looked carefully at the neck of the headless body. The wound was flat and neat, but the wounds on the left and the right were slightly different. The flesh on the left was slightly curled inward, indicating that the flying knife was cut from the left. Therefore, the person who used the blade should have used his left hand.


    Using his left hand¡­ Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. At this moment, he seemed to think of something. He looked again at the stone wall on the left. There were several burn-up torches hanging on them, stained with blood.


    ¡°The clue is broken, huh¡­¡± Yang Qing walked in and murmured.


    Xiao Chen stood up and said slowly, ¡°No, the clues have not been lost. They have been hidden. Sometimes, some people are anxious to hide the truth, but they¡­ expose the only truth.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that they wanted to hide the truth¡­ but yet exposed the truth that others didn¡¯t know?¡± Yang Qing frowned and asked as if he did not understand what he said.


    Xiao Chen did not answer in a hurry. Instead, he looked at the person who died of infinite fear in the chair at the head of the hall and said, ¡°He was full of fear when he died. I think he knew the identity of the murderer, but he didn¡¯t hide in advance because no matter where he hid, he would die. He knew that he would die.¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, what do you mean¡­¡± Yang Qing still did not quite understand.


    Xiao Chen still did not answer. He looked at him and asked, ¡°Which hall is the closest to the Bluestone Hall?¡±


    As Yang Qing heard this, his expression changed slightly, and then he thought carefully and said, ¡°It¡¯s the Purple Wind Hall. The Hall Master is the brother of that person.¡± Then he pointed to the dead man sitting on the chair in the center of the hall.


    ¡°The Bluestone Hall was destroyed three days ago, but nothing happened. Brother Yang, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little strange¡­¡±


    Yang Qing¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°They wanted to hide, but they accidentally exposed the clue. It¡¯s the Purple Wind Hall. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the moment, they quickly left the Bluestone Hall and then rushed to the Purple Wind Hall. Purple Wind Hall was slightly different from the Bluestone Hall. The location of where it was built belonged to the jurisdiction of King Shen.


    By the time they arrived, it was almost noon. Xiao Chen could not be as fearless as he was when he entered the Bluestone Hall. He had to bypass the patrolling soldiers on the streets. At present, he could not attract the attention of King Shen.


    Right now, the few of them quietly entered Purple Wind Hall. Similar to the Bluestone Hall, there were almost no outsiders here. However, when they entered the alley, they discovered that there were already many corpses lying on the ground.


    ¡°How¡­ How is this possible?! This is the jurisdiction of King Shen. Can it be exterminated quietly?¡± Yang Qing said in surprise.


    Xiao Chen said indifferently, ¡°Have you forgotten that King Shen came to the Illusive Aroma Lane last night? It seems that these people were killed at midnight last night. At that time, King Shen happened to go to Illusive Aroma Lane.¡±


    After saying that, Xiao Chen thought for a moment. Last night, King Shen seemed to have come to find a woman named Hua Ying, but Zi Qin said that Hua Ying was unwell, and it was inconvenient for her to see guests. King Shen could have known that, but yet he made such a big fuss deliberately.


    A moment later, the six of them came to the hall of the Purple Wind Hall. As expected, the people here all died. However, unlike the Bluestone Hall, it seemed that they did not know that they would die.


    ¡°Asshole, who was it? Why does he always take one step ahead of us?¡± Yang Qing said, squeezing his fingers tightly.


    Xiao Chen said indifferently, ¡°No, the people of the Bluestone Hall died three days ago. We found out today, and the people of the Purple Wind Hall died last night. We discovered it today, indicating that we are catching up with them¡­¡±


    Before his voice fell, a soft voice came from the back of the chair in the front of the hall. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Chu Qi moved instantly. Xiao Chen stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Chu Qi! Don¡¯t move!¡± After that, he walked over in person.


    Behind the chair lay a man whose face was covered in blood. The man was still breathing when he suddenly opened his eyes. Xiao Chen asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hurry¡­ hurry¡­¡± The person stuttered as he stretched out two fingers that were dripping with blood. ¡°Ren Yuntian, they¡¯re looking for¡­ Ren Yuntian¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is Ren Yuntian?¡± Xiao Chen frowned and asked.


    ¡°Ren Yuntian is locked up in¡­ Bloodmoon Hall¡­ save¡­¡± After saying these words, the man finally swallowed his last breath. Xiao Chen squatted down and put his two fingers together. He pierced a white radiance into the middle of the man¡¯s eyebrows. He tried to find some information by seance, but nothing could be found.


    Xiao Chen took back his finger and said in a low voice, ¡°They are looking for Ren Yuntian. Who are they? Is Ren Yuntian locked up in the Bloodmoon Hall? Save¡­ save who?¡±


    Yang Qing suddenly said, ¡°Ren Yuntian seems to be Ren Tianxing¡¯s half-brother. He disappeared with Ren Tianxing seven years ago. Ren Tianxing is famous, and many people know him. However, Ren Yuntian is not well-known, so many people don¡¯t know that Ren Tianxing has a younger brother.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes and sneered. ¡°He disappeared seven years ago and Ren Yuntian was imprisoned in the Bloodmoon Hall. Does his disappearance have anything to do with the Black Horn?¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen looked at the man who died just now on the ground and said lightly, ¡°You wanted to hide the clues but left such a big clue. Did you accidentally not kill all of them or intentionally miss one¡­¡±


    Yang Qing concentrated and said, ¡°Then what are you going to do next, Brother Xiao? To save people? The Bloodmoon Hall is one of the 12 halls in the Black Horn, unlike the 72 small halls. There are top masters guarding the Bloodmoon Hall, so you can¡¯t break in rashly.¡±


    Xiao Chen stood up and said placidly, ¡°We may be in trouble next.¡± He then turned around and looked out of the hall.

 Chapter 549 - Sneaking

    ¡°What?¡± Before Yang Qing could react, the sound of soldiers striding outside the hall could be heard. Chu Qi instantly took out her Full Moon Blade. Xiao Chen raised his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡±


    After saying that, Xiao Chen slowly walked to the door. At this time, there was a burst of clapping outside. It was King Shen who slowly walked over.


    Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s a small world to meet again. I¡¯ve met King Shen again so soon.¡±


    King Shen had a strange smile on his face. He glanced at him and then looked at the corpses in the hall. He smiled grimly, ¡°Did you kill these people?¡±


    Xiao Chen shook his head with a faint smile on his face. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Do you think anyone will believe you?¡± King Shen let out a cold laugh.


    ¡°No.¡± Xiao Chen smiled and said.


    ¡°Since that is the case¡­¡± King Shen¡¯s expression suddenly became cold as he shouted, ¡°Take down these six people who committed murder. Leave them to the Black Corner Head Hall to be dealt with!¡±


    ¡°Bam bam bam!¡± As King Shen¡¯s words fell, a hundred black-armored soldiers immediately rushed in from outside and surrounded the six people in the middle.


    The three men behind Yang Qing immediately pulled out their swords. Xiao Chen smiled faintly, and his face was still relaxed. He did not underestimate the strength of King Shen. This was King Shen¡¯s territory. He believed that even if he summoned Guifeng, he would not be able to escape.


    ¡°Has King Shen thought it through? Last night, King Shen made a big scene in the Illusive Aroma Lane, and these people were killed at that time. Can I think that King Shen let me in on purpose to kill people?¡± Xiao Chen said faintly with a smile.


    King Shen¡¯s eyes narrowed. At this time, the noon sun shone on his body, and the shadow covered a large area of the ground, looking a little ferocious. As the breeze blew gently, King Shen raised his head and laughed, ¡°Good!¡± After that, he narrowed his eyes and waved his hand backward, and the one hundred soldiers immediately retreated in an orderly manner.


    Xiao Chen clasped his hands and smiled. ¡°Many thanks, King Shen.¡± He then said to the people behind him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group of people immediately left. When they passed King Shen, they heard him say coldly, ¡°I hope that you are not teasing me. Otherwise, you and the people around you will all die a miserable death¡­¡±


    Even though the sun was high up in the sky, the voice still sounded very chilling. Xiao Chen smiled lightly and said nothing. When the group of people left, Yang Qing secretly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°King Shen is really sly.¡±


    ¡°If I sit in this position with a sense of unwillingness and ambition, maybe I¡­ Heh heh.¡± Speaking of this, Xiao Chen smiled and stopped talking.


    Next, the six of them went to the place where Yang Qing and the others hid before. Yang Qing arranged for the three men who did not meet Xiao Chen at the Illusive Aroma Lane to go to the Bloodmoon Hall to investigate first, while the others discussed in the small room. After all, the 12 halls in the Black Horn were not like the 72 small halls, which could be exterminated unknowingly.


    An hour later, Xiao Chen frowned slightly and said with concentration, ¡°In this case, the Bloodmoon Hall has two martial artists who are close to the Lv 6. It¡¯s really tough to deal with.¡±


    He had experienced the strength of King Shen last night in Illusive Aroma Tower. King Shen had at least a martial cultivation of Lv 6, but he had not used his full strength last night. If King Shen had used his full strength, Xiao Chen would not be a match for a Lv 6 martial artist with a unique skill.


    Martial arts were divided into seven realms, which were equivalent to the seven realms for the cultivators of immortal cultivation. Lv 6 was equivalent to the Apotheosis Realm, and Lv 7 was equivalent to the Grand Completion Realm. People in the higher realms were called Martial Saints, which were equivalent to Rogue Immortals, Earth Immortals, and True Immortals. Xiao Ning and Gu Feng were at least the early-stage Martial Saints.


    In the world of martial arts, the martial artists¡¯ yearning for Martial Saint was also equivalent to the yearning of the cultivators for immortals in the Cultivation World.


    And in a sense, it was more difficult to deal with martial artists than cultivators, especially for martial artists like King Shen who practiced unique skills. Although they did not have those magnificent magic spells, their speed, their strength, and their unique skills were the nightmare of these cultivators nowadays.


    Yang Qing¡¯s expression was grave as well. He frowned and said, ¡°If they¡¯ve cultivated Devilish Skill, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more troublesome. Demonic and martial arts practitioners are sometimes even more terrifying than cultivators who have practiced both Immortal skills and martial arts, but it¡¯s not a big deal. The only thing I¡¯m worried about is¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that the person from the Purple Wind Hall is lying? A dying man speaks kindly. I think there¡¯s no reason for him to lie to us. Moreover, he didn¡¯t look like he¡¯s lying at the time either,¡± Xiao Chen said.


    Yang Qing nodded. ¡°That sounds right. How are you going to act then, Brother Xiao? If the two peak Lv 5 people are guarding the dungeon, and that¡¯s their territory, and they¡¯re proficient in mechanisms and traps, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll succeed.¡±


    ¡°A man at the peak of Lv 5 was used as a jailor! I don¡¯t think there are so many talented people in the Black Horn. Let¡¯s take action tonight. We¡¯ll hold the two of them back, and Chu Qi will go to save the person.¡±


    After that, Xiao Chen looked at Chu Qi. ¡°There¡¯s only you this time. Are you confident enough?¡±


    ¡°I alone will be enough.¡±


    Xiao Chen nodded. Regarding Chu Qi, he still believed in her abilities very much. Then, he would wait and see, until night fell.


    At dusk, the three people that Yang Qing sent were not yet back. They paced back and forth in the room. Yang Qing frowned and said, ¡°Forget it. We won¡¯t wait for them anymore. Let¡¯s go there and meet them.¡±


    They quietly walked out of the inn. The sky was a little gloomy as if it was going to rain. An hour later, the night was falling quietly, and a fine rain was falling from the sky. It was a little cold as if it had brought along a hint of blood smell.


    Tonight, Black-horn City was especially quiet, and the atmosphere was rather oppressive. There were a few people on the streets, all of them quietly lowering their heads, allowing the icy cold rain to land on their faces.


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    The six men¡¯s steps were slow and heavy, and the splashing water scattered around. Occasionally, lightning flashed across the sky, which exposed the corners that had been shrouded in shadows to the eyes of the six men.


    At the moment, in those dark corners, there were many people huddled up. They were unkempt, but their eyes were very sharp, like the wolves in the dark night, shining with a chilling and fierce light, looking at the six people passing by them.


    They were not refugees of Wastelands. They were spies from the Black Horn. They were scattered in every shadowed corner of the Black-Corner City. They never killed, but many people died because of them.


    At 9 o¡¯clock, they finally arrived at the area where Black Horn Bloodmoon Hall was located. The six people hid in a high ground with trees as cover, quietly observing the area below.


    There were many guards below, and they were scattered everywhere. Each of them held a machine crossbow. The lethality of these crossbows was very strong, and their arrowheads were coated with poison. Although the guards¡¯ martial arts were not high, once they were disturbed, trouble would follow. Even Xiao Chen could only choose to sneak in instead of going in by force.


    Lightning continued to flash in the sky, and the sound of thunder was extremely muffled. The night was their best cover.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, use the thunder to cover your actions. Remember, before lightning arrives, you must hide well in the shadows.¡±


    Xiao Chen concentrated and said. This was their first plan, sneaking into the hall to save people. If this plan failed, they would execute the second plan. They would hold back a large number of masters and two martial artists of the Lv 5. Chu Qi would go to the Bloodmoon Hall to save the person alone.


    After he finished speaking, Xiao Chen quietly moved downward. With two whooshing sounds, he used two Qi blades to deal with the two guards a few meters away. The two men behind Yang Qing also moved and quickly dragged the bodies into the grass. They must not be seen.


    The air began to shake, and the next lightning bolt was coming. The six figures flashed and quickly hid in the corner. They must not expose themselves in the sight of the guards on the observation platform.


    Xiao Chen held his breath. This was the first time he had carried out this kind of sneak-in task. Needless to say, as a member of the Levitating Dark Fragrance, Chu Qi was good at this kind of task. At this moment, her breathing was steady and her face was calm. Droplets of water fell from her face drop by drop.


    Lightning passed, and the surroundings were plunged into darkness again. The sound of thunder was about to arrive. The six of them moved swiftly again. There was a shallow river in front of them. On the bridge, there were two shifty crossbow guards. The two guards were about 10 feet away from each other. In the distance, there were two teams of patrols coming this way. Xiao Chen said to Chu Qi, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the one on the right to you.¡±


    He then flicked his finger and a finger force shot toward the guard on the left and pierced the guard¡¯s head with a whizzing sound. At the same time, the guard on the right was also killed by Chu Qi. Yang Qing and the other two people behind him immediately moved and hid the two corpses under the bridge along with the dull thunder.


    Xiao Chen moved along with Chu Qi. The six of them hid under the bridge and waited for the next lightning bolt. They also waited for the two patrols to pass.


    Soon, the two groups of patrols arrived. The bridge creaked as they stepped on the bridge plank. Xiao Chen remained half-squatting. He placed one hand on the jade-like shoulder of Chu Qi, which was covered with droplets of water. He used the other hand to wave gently, motioning them to go over.


    The river was very cold. Xiao Chen could feel that the shoulders of Chu Qi were also very cold. At this moment, they did not dare to move. Finally, after the two patrols finished handing over, the two teams walked back in the direction of each other, leaving only two people on the two sides of the bridge.


    Lightning finally passed. Xiao Chen quietly moved to the man on the right. With a ¡°squeak,¡± he twisted the man¡¯s neck from the back. The man on the left was also cut in the throat from the back by Chu Qi.


    Yang Qing and the others immediately dragged the bodies down the bridge, and they went forward again with the dull thunder. In this way, they sneaked all the way. After an hour, they finally approached the block where the main hall of the Bloodmoon Hall was located, and under the main hall of the Bloodmoon Hall was the dungeon where Ren Yuntian was locked up.


    The six of them walked a few miles ahead. The number of guards seemed to be fewer and fewer. Xiao Chen could faintly sense that something was amiss. He reached out his hand and said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    As his voice fell, with a ¡°Swish¡± sound, a poisonous arrow came from a distance and pierced through the rain in the air. Xiao Chen turned back to avoid the toxic arrow. At this time, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and countless people stood in all directions.


    ¡°We have been discovered¡­¡±


    Yang Qing and the others immediately unsheathed their swords and stood with their backs against each other. Xiao Chen frowned. ¡°Chu Qi!¡±


    Chu Qi did not say much and could only carry out the second plan. She moved toward the Bloodmoon Hall. However, as soon as she took a step, a terrifying force rushed toward her as if it was going to tear up space.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Xiao Chen thundered and swiftly rushed forward to hold her behind him. At the same time, he punched out. ¡°Rumble!¡± It was as dull as thunder. He was sent flying backward for dozens of feet by this sudden force.


    ¡°Interesting. There will indeed be guests tonight¡­¡±

 Chapter 550 - The Night of Chu Qi

    ¡°Interesting. There will indeed be guests tonight¡­¡±


    Two people slowly came out of the darkness. One of them, dressed in white, was a man in his twenties. He had a faint smile on his face and held an iron-bone fan in his hand. The person who spoke was him.


    The other person was around 10 feet tall. His body was even larger than King Shen¡¯s. It was as though he was a small moving hill. The earlier frightening strength had been unleashed by him.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. These two people might be the Lv 5 martial artists of the Bloodmoon Hall. Their strength was not weaker than his. The man in white gently waved his folding fan and smiled and said, ¡°Forget it. Take good care of our guests.¡±


    As his voice fell, countless bolts flew from all directions. The lethality of these bolts was very strong, and they were poisonous. Xiao Chen jumped up and used the Star-shifting Substitution. Even the raindrops in the air were shot back together.


    The people who were shot by arrows started to scream. A dark green flame immediately burned on those who were shot by arrows. In a moment, they were burned into chilling white bones.


    Xiao Chen could not help but feel surprised. The Black Horn¡¯s weapon was indeed terrifying. If it burst out among a crowd, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°Roar!¡± The abnormal-bodied man let out a deep roar and swung his 2 huge axes in his hands at Xiao Chen in an instant. ¡°Clang!¡± There was a loud explosion and sparks flew in all directions. Xiao Chen instantly used his Blood Lotus Demon Blade to block the attack, but his body was forced backward by the force. This monster was extraordinarily strong.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The white-clothed man laughed sinisterly and charged at Yang Qing in a blink of an eye. How could Yang Qing and the rest be this man¡¯s match? Xiao Chen bellowed, ¡°Guifeng!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    A ten-meter-high demonic shadow appeared out of thin air, frightening the nearby Black Horn followers to the core. ¡°Clang!¡± There was a quick clang as Guifeng slashed the attacking white-clothed man away with his blade.


    Being hit by such a powerful force, the man in white flew backward for tens of feet before landing on the ground. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Guifeng. Then, he calmed down and said with a faint smile, ¡°General of Soul? Interesting¡­¡± After that, he suddenly looked fiercely and said, ¡°Shen-luo Blood-Fiend!¡±


    As his voice fell, countless blood-red, ghastly phantoms suddenly appeared nearby. Countless phantoms immediately pounced on the few people in the middle. Guifeng raised his hand and shouted madly, ¡°Heaven is nothing without me, Devil Devours Three Thousand!¡±


    ¡°Shahh, shahh, shahh!¡±


    In an instant, the wind blew violently, and the mountains fell, and the earth cracked. There seemed to be a black cloud pressing down in the air, and in an instant, the blood-colored phantoms transformed by the white-clothed man were shattered.


    Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, the Black Horn people had practiced Devilish Skill. He shouted, ¡°General, go and hold that monster back. Leave this pretty boy to me!¡±


    ¡°I obey!¡± Guifeng shouted and slashed at the gigantic man with his blade. The black blade radiance seemed as though it was about to tear apart space as the nearby Black Horn followers who rushed over were all torn apart by the blade wind. The air was immediately filled with a thick bloody stench.


    ¡°Clang!¡± With a sharp sound, the monster actually managed to block Guifeng¡¯s tyrannical strike with his two axes.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. This monster could only be dealt with by Guifeng. He would not be to take it at all. Thinking about this, he looked at Chu Qi. ¡°Chu Qi! Now! While you¡¯re at it, ask those people in the Black Horn if they have any final wishes!¡±


    Chu Qi did not say more. She moved her feet and immediately went to the Bloodmoon Hall. The man in white immediately tried to stop her. Xiao Chen said, ¡°Toyboy, I¡¯m your opponent!¡± At the end of his words, he instantly used the Immortal-override Steps and blocked in front of him.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± The white-clothed man bellowed. Instantly, dozens of people charged at her from all around. A cold glint flashed in Chu Qi¡¯s eyes. The Full Moon Blade was divided into two and flew through the crowd on both sides. Blood splattered everywhere as dozens of people were killed in an instant.


    The night was ice-cold; the rain was ice-cold, and the blood was also ice-cold.


    Chu Qi rushed out of the siege and killed nearly a hundred people. After half an hour, she came to the main hall of the Bloodmoon Hall. This area was not heavily guarded like the previous area, but the smell of blood seemed to be heavier. In each dark and damp corners, dangerous signals were delivered.


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    Footsteps slowly sounded in the alleys covered with moss. The pace of Chu Qi was not fast, and the Full Moon Blade in her hand was still dripping blood. From time to time, several frightened mice came out of the sewer. In the dirty corners, there were several fierce wild dogs eating decayed bodies. It was unknown whether they were bodies of humans or animals.


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    Footsteps slowly echoed. In the alley in front, there was a faint flame flashing. Those were some unkempt people shivering from the cold. Under the broken eaves, they set up a fire to keep warm. They were informers of Black Horn.


    When they saw Chu Qi, a beautiful woman walking in alone in the middle of the night, their eyes were like those of greedy wolves. They stared at the snow-white and slender legs of Chu Qi, staring at the moving chest of Chu Qi as if they were staring at prey.


    One, two, three¡­


    People stood up one after another, slowly approaching Chu Qi like a pack of wolves, but they overlooked the blood-dripping Full Moon Blade in the hand of Chu Qi. Tonight, they were doomed to die.


    The fire went out, and lightning flashed across the sky. Chu Qi was still moving forward, but dozens of freshly fallen bodies appeared behind her. Their blood flowed along with the rain into the dirty sewer.


    After going through another block, Chu Qi arrived at the place where the Bloodmoon Hall¡¯s main hall was located. The doors of the hall were closed, and about 20 people were guarding in the alley.


    ¡°Stop right there! Who¡¯s that?!¡±


    ¡°Beauty, this isn¡¯t a place you should have come. What are you doing here¡­¡±


    The eyes of Chu Qi were very cold. The Full Moon Blade in her hand was split into two. With two swishing sounds, more than 20 people were beheaded in an instant and they fell into the puddles of water. Their blood gradually dyed the ground red.


    This was Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon. No matter how long they had been by Xiao Chen¡¯s side, they would never show mercy to anyone, whether they deserved to die or not.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Chu Qi said coldly as she walked up to the doors of the hall. Perhaps tonight, it was the real her.


    The two guards at the entrance were already so frightened that their faces had turned deathly pale. The person on the left suddenly thrust his blade at Chu Qi, but his arm had already flown away before the blade had even struck out. Then, his head flew off as well. His body fell to the ground with a thud. The person on the right was so frightened that his heart and soul were about to burst out of his body. He hastily pulled the mechanism to open the door.


    After the door opened, there were dozens of stone steps leading down. Chu Qi¡¯s face was cold and she slowly stepped into the hall. After the stone steps, it was much more spacious. Many torches were hanging up in the hall. There were about 70 or 80 people in the hall.


    As those several dozens of people saw a beautiful woman suddenly come in, their eyes brightened. Afterward, a man in black sitting on a large chair in the front of the hall smiled and said, ¡°Little beauty, do you know where this place is?¡±


    ¡°Yo, little beauty, you didn¡¯t go to the wrong place, did you? What are you doing here?¡± Many people slowly approached. They had never seen such a beautiful woman in Black Horn.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for someone,¡± Chu Qi¡¯s face was calm, and she said placidly.


    ¡°Looking for someone?¡± The man in black in the middle of the hall laughed. He looked at her white breasts under her collarbones and smiled wickedly, ¡°Little beauty, we have many people here. Which one are you looking for?¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at the people in the hall.


    ¡°Ren Yuntian.¡± The eyes of Chu Qi were still cold as she said calmly.


    All of a sudden, the hall became quiet. No one dared to laugh. Just like that, after a moment of silence, the man in black at the front of the hall suddenly burst into laughter. He then looked at her and said, ¡°Little beauty, I can give you this man, but you¡­ you must stay here tonight, hehe¡­¡±


    A man below slowly walked toward Chu Qi. He stretched out his hands and said with a wretched smile, ¡°How about that, little beauty? Is this a good deal? We have so many people here, and you can be with every single one of them tonight. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be in seventh heaven¡­¡±


    At the end of his words, the man had come to the front of Chu Qi. His eyes were fixed on the chest of Chu Qi. He was going to grab them with both hands, but only to hear a ¡°sizzle¡± sound. The man immediately let out a heartrending scream because both his hands were cut off in an instant.


    Everyone¡¯s expression immediately changed. The man in black sitting in the middle of the hall also revealed a ferocious glint. The expression on Chu Qi¡¯s face was still as calm as still water. She said indifferently, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Get her! Alive!¡± The eyes of the man in black were full of ferocity. With a roar, seventy or eighty people around immediately rushed to Chu Qi like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.


    At this moment, it was as if time had slowed down. Those people seemed to be frozen in mid-air. However, it was only because their time had slowed down. Chu Qi¡¯s time did not. The Full Moon Blade passed through their bodies. Some of them had their four limbs chopped off, some had their heads chopped off, some had their waist cut off, and some were chopped in half like vegetables¡­


    Time had finally returned to normal. The bodies that were cut into countless pieces in the air fell to the ground. Their broken intestines and shattered internal organs were scattered all over the ground. The entire hall was immediately filled with a thick smell of blood.


    It seemed that this happened in an instant, and the man in black in the front of the hall had already been stunned.


    ¡°Tap¡­tap¡­tap¡­¡±


    Chu Qi stepped on the blood all over the ground and slowly walked toward him. There was no emotion in her eyes. Only then did the man react and quickly climb behind. He said in a trembling voice, ¡°Who¡­ who are you?!¡±


    ¡°Ren Yuntian, where is he?¡± asked Chu Qi placidly as she walked near him.


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s¡­¡± The man in black looked around. Suddenly, a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He thrust his dagger at the abdomen of Chu Qi. However, the dagger had not even reached within an inch of her abdomen when his hand flew away.


    Following that, Chu Qi grabbed the dagger and stabbed it into the back of his other hand. The man suddenly screamed in pain and hurriedly said, ¡°He¡¯s in the dungeon! The third floor of the dungeon, the innermost one!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi released the dagger and stood up. He looked at her in horror. ¡°Can¡­ can you spare my life? I can tell you everything I know¡­¡±


    Chu Qi looked at him and asked, ¡°Do you have any last wishes?¡±


    When the man heard this, his face turned ashy, and he said in a quavering voice, ¡°Then¡­ will you help me finish it?¡±


    Chu Qi shook her head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t. My lord only told me to ask the question.¡± As she finished speaking, she waved the Full Moon Blade, and the man¡¯s head fell to the ground.


    ¡­

 Chapter 551 - Seven-Night Queens

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that the Lord asked me to ask for him.¡±


    The voice still echoed in the cold and bloody hall. After keeping the Full Moon Blade, Chu Qi turned to walk to the stone door behind the hall. After she pressed the mechanism, a passage slowly opened on the floor, and a rotten smell immediately came to her nose.


    Stone steps were leading down. The light was dim inside, and only a few flickering torches hung on the wall. Chu Qi stepped in and the clicking of shoes echoed slowly. The dungeon was very damp, with the sound of dripping water and the squeaking of mice.


    The air was filled with a dark and moist rotting smell. There were about a dozen rooms in the dungeon on the first floor, each of which was filled with all sorts of torture tools. There was still half of an arm or a corpse hanging from these instruments. The corpses had long rotted, and the corners were filled with skeletons. The rotten flesh had long been gnawed clean by the rats.


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    The sound of footsteps echoed out. Chu Qi found the passageway and headed directly toward the third floor. It was the darkest floor, and the sound of the wind could be heard. It was as if the ghosts who had died in this place were howling.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough cough¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a cough came from the innermost corner of the room. The sound was gloomy. If an ordinary person came to a place like this, he or she would be so scared that his or her legs would go weak. However, Chu Qi¡¯s face was as calm as still water. She slowly walked into the room step by step.


    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­ cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    The voices of the two were getting closer and closer. One of them was the weak cough, and the other was the clear and crisp sound of a woman¡¯s heels. When Chu Qi came to the innermost corner, she saw a man with disheveled hair and a dirty face tied to the torture tools.


    Two of the man¡¯s fingers were cut off, one of his ears was cut off, and his scapulae were worn with iron hooks. Both his hands and feet were covered with scars, and his chest too. Obviously, he had been tortured. However, these scars seemed to have been added recently.


    The man raised his head and looked at the fairy-looking woman in front of him. After suffering a terrible torment, he met such a woman. He swore that this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He said slowly in a weak voice, ¡°Fairy¡­¡±


    It was obvious that he had been so tortured that he was a little unconscious.


    ¡°Clang! Clang!¡± Two crisp clanging sounds resounded. With a flash of lightning, Chu Qi cut off the chain that bound him. The man fell to the ground. Chu Qi placed two fingers together and infused True Energy into the man¡¯s body. She said placidly, ¡°Follow me.¡± With that, she turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Fairy¡­ Fairy, are you here to save me?¡± With the support of True Energy from Chu Qi, the man with the fluffy hair immediately got up from the ground and chased after her.


    However, Chu Qi did not speak. When they returned to the hall, they saw the blood and broken corpses all over the place. The man with a fluffy head was so frightened that his eyes were wide open, his heart was jumping and his whole body was trembling. He tiptoed carefully and was scared out of his wits at once when he occasionally touched a rolling head.


    ¡°Fairy, they¡­ Why are they all dead¡­¡±


    Chu Qi was still silent. When they walked outside, the rain had stopped, but lightning flashed across the sky once in a while. The two walked forward for a while, and the unkempt man took a deep breath of the air outside as if he had returned from hell to the human world.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Chu Qi stretched out his hand and suddenly said.


    ¡°Fairy¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± The unkempt man immediately stopped. He turned his head and looked around, looking quite nervous.


    Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed past, and seven figures stood on the roofs on both sides of the alley. There were three on the left and four on the right. Everyone stood in different ways. Judging from their postures, they should be women.


    ¡°Follow closely¡­¡± The eyes of Chu Qi were as sharp as blades. Swiftly, the Full Moon Blade was drawn out and slowly split into two.


    ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± With a burst of wind, the seven shadows attacked at the same time like ghosts. ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡± Sparks flew in all directions, and the unkempt man could not see them clearly. He was so frightened that he shouted, ¡°What¡­ what the hell!¡±


    ¡°Clang!¡± A sharp sound rang out. Chu Qi was sent flying several feet away by the impact. She held the Full Moon Blade in her hand and stood in front of the unkempt man. Her gaze remained incomparably sharp.


    ¡°Tap, tap, tap¡­¡±


    Footsteps slowly sounded, and the seven women slowly walked to the front. Under the faint light, they could then see the appearance of the seven people. They were all extremely beautiful women, but there was a murderous aura hidden between their eyebrows. This hidden murderous aura was no less than that of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    Their code name was Seven-Night Queens.


    ¡°Leave him here, and you can take your life with you.¡± The leading woman slowly said. Her voice was extremely cold, especially on this cold night. It made people shudder.


    As soon as the voice fell, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky. The unkempt finally had a clear look at the appearance of the seven people. They must have come to take him away. Although he did not know what these people were going to do, it was better to follow the person who had just saved him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take the person away from me, nor can you leave my life here.¡± The cold glint in the eyes of Chu Qi gradually intensified. As soon as she finished speaking, the Full Moon Blade in her hand was instantly divided into seven parts. They spun rapidly in the air, making constant fiendish wind noises.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± With the sound of the wind, a cold blade was sent to her. Chu Qi leaped and did a reverse somersault. The cold blade flew between her legs, but the wind brought by the cold blade left a shallow blood mark on her leg.


    Before she could land on the ground, another six cold blades flew from the opposite side. Chu Qi slammed her hands on the ground and pushed her body a few feet high. At the same time, she waved her two arms and the seven Full Moon Blade also flew toward the seven people.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡± The seven women immediately blocked with their sabers. Chu Qi used offense as a means of defense. In an instant, she rushed forth and slammed a palm on a person¡¯s chest, sending the person flying a few feet away. At the same time, she jumped up and kicked the other person out as well.


    Chu Qi now could no longer be compared to that Chu Qi, who just came to the Wastelands with Xiao Chen. Now, her body movements were even faster, and her attacks were even swifter and fiercer. The two strikes just now happened almost in the blink of an eye.


    However, the other seven women were not slow, either. Two of them immediately swung their sabers at her neck. Chu Qi leaned back to avoid the deadly attacks of the two blades. However, a wisp of her hair was sliced off by the wind blades.


    ¡°Poom! Poom!¡± Two quick explosions resounded. It was the palm strike launched by Chu Qi that hit the stomachs of the two women. The two women groaned and flew backward. Simultaneously, the five women from behind attacked again. The five of them joined forces to strike at Chu Qi. ¡°Poom!¡± There was a loud explosion. The palm force that hit Chu Qi sent her flying.


    ¡°Swoosh, swoosh!¡± Before she could steady herself, another two streaks of cold light chopped at her. Chu Qi tilted her head to avoid the two streaks of cold light attack, but two shallow bloodstains were left by the wind blades on her shoulder.


    She took a few steps back and steadied herself. Chu Qi gave a muffled snort as blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. The joined palm attack by the five women had been too much for her to handle.


    The man with a fluffy head was already scared out of his wits. Seeing that she was injured, he asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Fairy, you¡­ are you okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay away,¡± said Chu Qi coldly. She wiped off the blood at the corner of her mouth and retrieved her Full Moon Blade. Then, she leaped into the air and bellowed, ¡°Twelve shadows¡ªIllusion Kill!¡±


    ¡°Shah, shah, shah!¡±


    Suddenly, a cold wind blew in all directions, and eleven more figures appeared in the air. The figures gradually became solid, and they were of the looks of Qingluan, Ziyun¡¯er, and the rest. Together with Chu Qi, the twelve figures instantly surrounded Seven-Night Queens.


    The seven women held the cold blades in their hands, and their expressions instantly became solemn. They had never seen such a cultivation method before.


    ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡±


    In mid-air, the 12 shadows attacked the seven people from different directions, respectively. With the ultimate skill of the Levitating Dark Fragrance, the Twelve-Shadow Final Kill was used to launch a deadly attack on a single enemy. The power of the attack was strong, and the Twelve-Shadow Illusion Kill was used to attack many enemies. Though the speed of the attack was very fast, it was not as strong as the Final Kill.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡± Suddenly, the sound of weapons colliding rang in their ears. Sparks flew in all directions, and the air was gradually filled with a layer of blood.


    The seven women in the Seven-Night Queens were surrounded by the twelve shadows of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting around them. On their arms and shoulders, several bloody wounds were immediately cut open. The leading woman¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together as she shouted, ¡°Seven-Night¡ª¡ªShadow Sacrifice!¡±


    As her voice fell, the seven people left their residual shadows where they were, and their bodies seemed to become one in an instant. The next moment, the seven people¡¯s residual shadows were killed by the twelve figures of Levitating Dark Fragrance. However, the bodies of the seven people had already broken away from the encirclement and appeared more than 10 feet away.


    At this moment, the seven people seemed to be joined together, and there was a formation between them. Then the seven people raised their hands, and a huge blood-red Killing Formation suddenly appeared in the air and quickly covered the twelve people on the ground.


    ¡°Shah, shah, shah!¡±


    The strong wind kept blowing. The Blood-red Killing Formation enveloped the twelve silhouettes of Hidden Fragrance Wafting in the air. The eleven phantoms immediately dispersed. Chu Qi seemed to be seriously injured as she retreated while clutching her chest. A mouthful of blood gushed out of her mouth.


    Seeing this, the leading woman cried again. Another huge Blood-red Killing Formation flew at Chu Qi and shrouded over her. At this time, they suddenly heard a deafening dragon roar coming from a distance.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud noise, the buildings on both sides of the alley were turned into flying ash under the attack of the powerful force. It turned out that Xiao Chen and the others had arrived.


    ¡°Chu Qi!¡± Xiao Chen moved like lightning and instantly moved to the side of Chu Qi. He held her shoulders and quickly sent a force of True Energy into her body. Then, he looked coldly at the seven women in the air and asked, ¡°Who are you? Who sent you here?¡±


    Of course, he could recognize that these seven people were the seven ladies who had come to assassinate him that night during the Wastelands Sword Tryout. Now, he also understood that the Bluestone Hall was destroyed by these seven people. The most important clue in the Purple Wind Hall was left by them deliberately. They wanted to wait until he broke into the Bloodmoon Hall and dragged back a large number of masters and they would sit back and collect the benefits. Their aim was also Ren Yuntian, or rather, Ren Tianxing.


    At this time, Yang Qing and the others also caught up. However, the four of them seemed to be injured, especially Yang Qing. His face was pale and his lips were dark. He probably had been shot by a poisonous arrow.


    Yang Qing glanced at the unkempt hiding in the corner and said in a low voice, ¡°The man has been rescued, and their men are catching up. It¡¯s not safe to stay here for a long time. Brother Xiao, leave now!¡±


    Xiao Chen glanced at the unkempt man and said coldly, ¡°Chu Qi, bring him along. Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 552 - Falling into the Trap

    When the seven women in midair saw that the group was about to leave with Ren Yuntian, the leading woman bellowed. The seven of them once again propped up another blood-red killing formation to envelop the group. Xiao Chen¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating yourself! Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll capture you all alive tonight and make you spill out everything!¡±


    At the end of his words, the Dragon¡¯s Wrath was instantly activated. With a loud boom, the dragon shadow dispersed the Blood Killing Formation of Seven-Night Queens. Xiao Chen then looked at Yang Qing and the others and said, ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll hold them back!¡±


    Yang Qing and the others did not say much. They immediately took the unkempt man and went to the distance with Chu Qi. Seeing this, the Seven-Night Queens immediately went to chase after them. Xiao Chen shouted coldly, ¡°Stay here!¡± Then he stretched out his hand and used the supernatural power of the Nirvana Realm. A huge black hand seal suddenly appeared in midair and pressed toward the seven women as if it had locked up the nearby space.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The noise was like thunder. The buildings nearby were turned into ash under the palm force, and a huge palm print was printed on the ground. However, the seven women had already dodged in an instant. The seven women shouted delicately and attacked Xiao Chen from all directions again.


    The cold lights came one after another. The speed of the seven women was extremely fast. In a short time, Xiao Chen could not run his True Energy every time, so he had to dodge every deadly attack quickly.


    If they were seven ordinary Nirvana Realm cultivators, Xiao Chen would not even have to feel so strenuous. The cultivation of these seven women was obviously not yet in the Nirvana Realm, but he was already having some difficulty. It was obvious that the origins of these seven women were unusual, just like the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.


    In all fairness, even if Xiao Chen were to face the 12 people from the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon, he might not necessarily win. In this world, it was not definite that one with higher cultivation could instantly kill someone of lower cultivation.


    ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± Several beams of light slashed at Xiao Chen. The seven women had surrounded him from all directions. At the same time, they were constantly changing positions. Even if Xiao Chen was powerful, it was not certain that he could hit them accurately every time.


    Xiao Chen avoided the attack of the cold blades. When he was about to get up, a woman suddenly threw out a chain to wrap him. At the end of the chain, there was a sharp knife covered with a chilling radiance. If it hit, even bones would be broken.


    Xiao Chen turned his head to avoid the chain¡¯s attack, and at the same time, he grabbed the chain with his hand and pulled it hard. The woman opposite him was not as strong as him. She was pulled over by him before the blow hit him.


    Xiao Chen grabbed the chain with his right hand and grabbed the woman¡¯s neck with his left hand. However, it was in the dark, and everything happened in an instant, and he seemed to have grabbed something soft. Following that, the woman let out a muffled groan. It was probably the second time that the same bawdy in front of her grabbed the wrong place.


    However, as he was in a hurry, Xiao Chen did not care about where he caught her. He only knew that he did not grab her neck. He exerted his strength in his palm and sent the woman flying.


    With a muffled groan, the woman bent her body and spat out a mouthful of blood. However, before she flew more than a feet away, Xiao Chen waved the chain in his right hand and wrapped it around her body. Then, he pulled her back. This time, he did not grab the wrong place.


    ¡°Come with me!¡± Xiao Chen shouted fiercely as he grabbed her neck. He knew that the true experts from the Black Horn were coming soon. It was not a good time to continue fighting with these seven people.


    All of a sudden, a horn sounded in the distance. Then, it was dark in the sky, and something was approaching quickly. Xiao Chen¡¯s heart sank. He immediately loosened the woman¡¯s neck and shook off the attack of several women in front of him. He then wrapped several circles around the woman before pulling her to fly in the direction of Yang Qing and the others.


    After an incense stick¡¯s worth of time, Xiao Chen landed in a pitch-black forest. Yang Qing and the others had only been here for a short while before they immediately propped up a ball of light. Then, Yang Qing looked at the item that he was holding behind him in a daze. He asked puzzledly, ¡°Brother Xiao, what did you bring back?¡±


    ¡°The person who tried to assassinate me the last time. I caught one of them. Later, I¡¯ll ask who ordered these seven people!¡± After saying this, Xiao Chen pulled the chain hard, and there was no tenderness. He shouted coldly, ¡°Come up!¡±


    However, when the chain was pulled up, the woman wrapped around the chain was long gone. She had turned into a puppet that was about the same size as her. Even the puppet was still wearing clothes, just like the woman¡¯s clothes. When the woman used a magic spell to escape, her body was probably naked.


    ¡°This¡­ bastard! The escaping skill of a golden cicada!¡± Xiao Chen threw the chain down angrily and then looked at the unkempt man next to Chu Qi. Fortunately, Ren Yuntian was still there. He took a breath and asked, ¡°Where is Ren Tianxing?¡±


    Yang Qing and the others also shifted their gazes over at this time. They had just arrived in the forest, so they did not have the time to ask Ren Yuntian as they were treating themselves.


    A moment later, the unkempt man raised his head and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Who¡­ who is Ren Tianxing?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s gaze suddenly turned cold, as if he wanted to kill someone. The man with the fluffy hair was so frightened that he immediately sat down. Then, Xiao Chen looked at Chu Qi and said in a sharp voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    After following him for so long, Chu Qi had never seen Xiao Chen¡¯s expression this ugly. Her gaze turned cold and the Full Moon Blade was instantly placed against the man¡¯s neck. The man was so frightened that his entire body was shaking. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He quickly walked over and lifted him by the collar. He said sternly, ¡°Who are you? If you¡¯re not Ren Yuntian, I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± The unkempt man was so frightened that his entire body was shaking. Incoherently, he said, ¡°I was captured by them three days ago. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening either¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Yang Qing sat down feebly. ¡°We¡¯ve been busy all night, and ended up bringing back a fake one.¡±


    Then, Xiao Chen also understood what was going on. It was not that Chu Qi made a mistake, but he had been tricked by Black Horn from the beginning. At the moment, he threw the unkempt man away. He sneered and said, ¡°What a Black Horn. It seems that I have underestimated you. I was just thinking that how things could progress so smoothly¡­¡±


    Yang Qing shook his head and said, ¡°Not only did we not expect that, but the other person who wanted to find Master Ren must also have not expected that. The Black Horn spies are all over the place. I¡¯m afraid that they already knew that someone wanted to rescue Ren Yuntian, so they transferred the real Ren Yuntian three days ago. They must have wanted to kill all of us tonight at one go¡­¡±


    Everyone fell into silence. The unkempt man on the ground was so frightened that he could not help but tremble. He said in a trembling voice, ¡°I¡­ can I leave now?¡±


    Xiao Chen waved him off. ¡°Go¡­¡±


    ¡°T-thank you!¡± The unkempt man said in a trembling voice. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Xiao Chen suddenly sensed that something was amiss. He bellowed, ¡°Watch out!¡± In the blink of an eye, he cast out a Barrier to protect the rest.


    ¡°Boom!¡± There was a loud noise, and the unkempt man exploded. The whole woods was blown up in an instant. Even if there was a barrier against it, everyone was blown out in an instant.


    Yang Qing and the others were already injured. Now that they were hit by such a great force, they immediately coughed up blood. Chu Qi also spewed out a mouthful of blood. Xiao Chen was closest to the unkempt man. At this moment, he also felt as if his internal organs were going to be torn apart. He spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Bastard Black Horn, what the hell is wrong with you?!¡± Xiao Chen pressed a hand to his chest and looked at the others. If he had not detected it in time, Yang Qing, Chu Qi, and the rest would have died here tonight. This Black Horn weapon was indeed terrifying. Fortunately, this person¡¯s body was not with poison.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Brother Xiao, what about you¡­¡± Yang Qing coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood. It was a little difficult for him to speak. It was obvious that he was seriously injured.


    Xiao Chen walked over and looked at Chu Qi. ¡°Did you ask the Bloodmoon Hall members about anything?¡±


    Chu Qi looked up at him and said, ¡°They said they had their last wishes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiao Chen was stunned. It was only now that he remembered that when he had asked her to rescue Ren Yuntian earlier, he jokingly said something extra, but she had taken his words seriously.


    Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head. He felt helpless, but he could not blame Chu Qi for this. If it were Qingluan, she would have made things clear from beginning to the end, and whatever happened just now would never occur. But for Chu Qi, probably only after he gave a clear order would she do as she was told.


    After a while, Xiao Chen calmed down and said to her again, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t blame you. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Qi moved her lips and uttered only one word.


    The few of them stayed on the same spot and adjusted their breathing. One of the men beside Yang Qing asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡±


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. What should he do next? It would be even more difficult to save Ren Yuntian now. It was no wonder that the Cloud Mist Academy was unwilling to have conflicts with Black Horn. This Black Horn did not act like the well-known sects in the Violet Manor.


    When he left, Shui Yue repeatedly reminded him not to go to Black-horn City. Presumably, if something happened to the disciples of the Cloud Mist Academy in Black-horn City, the Cloud Mist Academy would not show up. But they had already reached this point. Was he going to give up?


    Yang Qing looked at Chu Qi and his voice was a little weak. He asked, ¡°Miss Chu Qi, did you see the other three people?¡±


    Chu Qi shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Yang Qing frowned and muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s weird. They didn¡¯t respond when they sent the signal. Where did these three guys go?¡±


    The person next to him said, ¡°Could it be that he slipped somewhere else to drink?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Tonight, there is a very important matter. I¡¯m sure they all know that and won¡¯t act recklessly.¡±


    Just as the few of them were about to descend into silence, a man¡¯s voice slowly sounded from the darkness, ¡°Some people have died¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Xiao Chen immediately became alert. With his Divine Sense, he did not detect anyone approaching. But now, he still could not judge the position of the person. It seemed that he could not detect the person¡¯s aura at all. It was as if the person did not exist.


    ¡°But he is still alive¡­¡± The strange man¡¯s voice slowly sounded again. And it got closer and closer, and it was a little creepy. At this moment, Yang Qing¡¯s face changed, and his originally pale face suddenly became a little red.


    ¡°Some people are still alive, but he¡¯s already dead¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice in the darkness was getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a cold wind blew around them. It sounded like a ghost¡¯s cry. A chill Negative Qi gradually came over them.


    Yang Qing¡¯s face had completely changed. He was still very weak, but at this moment, his face was flushed and blue veins popped on his forehead. His eyes suddenly became very scary and full of strong hatred.


    ¡°It¡¯s him¡­ it¡¯s him!¡±

 Chapter 553 - Meng Wuyan

    ¡°That¡¯s him! That¡¯s him!¡±


    With his eyes lividly furious, Yang Qing looked nothing like the man he usually was. He clenched his fists so tightly that they cracked as he struggled to keep his boiling emotions and his reddened face in control. But with his injury now aggravated by the spike in his emotion, he choked and coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Hold on, Brother Yang!¡± A man quickly helped him up while two others kept a close watch on their surroundings.


    At the same time, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi maintained vigilance. His fingers gripped taut the hilt of his Blood Lotus Demon Blade as he scanned everywhere for any signs of their enemy, for he could not sense where was he nor where could he be coming from.


    ¡°That¡¯s him! That MUST BE him!¡± Yang Qing howled, his eyes now flushed red and veins throbbed at his temples with raging madness. The enemy¡¯s voice filled him with so much hate that Yang Qing looked as if he wanted to feast on his flesh and taste his blood.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ are you looking for him?¡±


    The eerie voice resounded again. Only this time, the enemy showed himself. He stepped into the light, freeing himself from inside the darkness, gliding barely inches over the ground. His pale-white skin gave off a deathly luster, as was his blood-red lips, that everything about him reeked of the stench of a rotting corpse.


    Behind him, stood another pair of men, both looking similar to him, but they were holding up a man between them; one of the three men whom Yang Qing had sent out earlier!


    ¡°Meng Wuyan! So it really was you!¡± bellowed Yang Qing with so much anger that his bloodied eyes threatened to burst. There was only so much his men could do to prevent him from lunging to his own death as they cried, ¡°NO! NO! Brother Yang, calm down! He¡¯s too strong! We won¡¯t win him¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡±


    Meng Wuyan, the Chief of Wuyan Chamber¡ªthe Chamber of Nightmare¡ªone of the twelve Chambers of Black Horn, smiled thinly. ¡°Strange¡­ strange indeed,¡± he said suddenly, ¡°There is this smell¡­ a smell that reminds me of myself¡­ a scent that attracts me so of¡­ immortality¡­ undeath¡­¡± His scrutinizing eyes panned around and rested on Xiao Chen.


    Chu Qi bolted and threw herself in front of Xiao Chen but was quickly stopped by his hand on her shoulder. He slowly eased her to his back. He felt only an indescribable dread from the enemy in front. He could not grasp how powerful he could be, but he was certain that Chu Qi would be no match for him.


    ¡°Brother, Brother Yang¡­¡± moaned the man apprehended by Meng Wuyan¡¯s corpse-like underlings; he looked weak and impaired.


    ¡°Zhao Jiu!¡± Yang Qing who saw him now, growled through gritted teeth. Glaring at Meng Wuyan, he exclaimed, ¡°What are you doing, Meng Wuyan! Release him!¡±


    ¡°Release him? Of course¡­ but¡­¡± Meng Wuyan smiled viciously and he dragged Zhao Jiu forward. The sight of his man being tortured made Yang Qing grew angrier. ¡°If you dare lay a hand on him¡­ Meng Wuyan¡­ I¡¯m warning you¡­¡±


    An anguish shriek of pain coming from Zhao Jiu cut him off. Yang Qing glowered with uncontrollable rage, ¡°Zhao Jiu¡­!¡±


    A sharp, black spike¡ªthat Meng Wuyan magically shaped with a pair of his fingers¡ªspeared through Zhao Jiu¡¯s rib cage and abdomen. With his life ebbing away, the latter croaked, ¡°Yang, Yang¡­ Run¡­¡±


    Before he finished, he erupted once more into another excruciating shriek. Meng Wuyan¡¯s spike-like appendage burst inside Zhao Jiu and countless other tiny spikes pierced everywhere out of him that he resembled a sea urchin, destroying everything inside him. With his last breath, he groaned, ¡°R-R-Run¡­¡± And his head hung limply on his neck.


    ¡°ZHAO JIU¡­!¡± Yang Qing howled. He would have thrown himself forward if not for his two men clinging desperately to him. Beside them, Xiao Chen hardly moved an inch. Their enemy was powerful. He might be able to win a fight with his full might. But he had only just got wounded and Guifeng remained too heavily exhausted before he could reappear.


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡± A pleased Meng Wuyan withdrew his bloodied spike, swinging it and unceremoniously tossing Zhao Jiu¡¯s corpse aside. ¡°Yang Qing my friend¡­ For so many years, you¡¯ve escaped and I thought you¡¯ve found somebody powerful enough to stand up for you. Is this the champion you¡¯ve found?¡± He cast Xiao Chen a cursory smirk filled with disgust and contempt.


    ¡°Meng Wuyan¡­ I swear I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± Yang Qing growled, his fists balled and his eyes bloodshot with fury.


    Meng Wuyan let out a callous simper. ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ I daresay you made that same vow the last time we met. You were watching your sister being ravaged by my men again and again before her Essence Blood was finally bled dry by me then. You said those same words that time, did you not?¡±


    ¡°My sister¡­ Yingying! ARGGGHHH!¡± Yang Qing roared like a nightmarish beast on the rampage. His voice thundered as he held on to his head as if to clinch on his last remaining shred of sanity even as his two men urged, at a complete loss, ¡°Hold on to yourself, Yang! Calm down!¡±


    Seeing this, Xiao Chen quickly sent a white bolt of his magic into his forehead and that finally calmed him down.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­¡± Meng Wuyan sniggered vilely again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never let you die¡­ easily. You require some lessons. Lessons about consequences.¡±


    He turned around and walked casually away, his entire form melting slowly into the darkness. His disembodied voice echoed as if from a distance, saying, ¡°Take this back if you will. I¡¯ll keep the other two for myself. The Wuyan Chamber has a need for fresh meat¡­¡±


    ¡°J-J-Ji Xiu¡­ C-C-Chang Ning¡­¡± whimpered Yang Qing helplessly.


    His face began to grow pale white under the influence of the poison. His hand groped at the darkness where Meng Wuyan vanished as he muttered the names of his two other companions and he fainted.


    Xiao Chen took a deep breath. This must be the nemesis that Yang Qing had spoken to him about. ¡°That man spoke about Yang Qing¡¯s sister,¡± he asked, ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Many years ago, that cur of a bitch¡­¡± hissed the man holding Yang Qing, ¡°He forced Brother Yang to watched his own little sister defiled by four of his men¡­ Then he absorbed her blood, bleeding her alive¡­ Yingying was only sixteen then¡­¡± He shook his head in the end, his eyes closed with grief as he drew in a long, heavy breath. ¡°This was a nightmarish memory for Brother Yang¡­ One that he would rather forget¡­ But he¡­ he swore to take revenge¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen squeezed his own fingers. No wonder Yang Qing was so enraged that he lost control¡­ He has had to endure such torment¡­ What would happen if I was in his shoes? What would happen if Xian¡¯er was taken¡­


    It was but only a fleeting notion, but the hint of malice flashed through his eyes for a moment. If it was Xian¡¯er who had been taken¡­ He would have killed everyone and his rage would still be no less assuaged.


    He did not know why. Just a simple notion and malice budded inside him. It was a form of hatred. A grudge that haunted him whenever he experienced a rise in his emotions would be exemplified, just like the time when he fought against Red Sleeve at the stronghold of the Corpse Refinery Sect.


    Xiao Chen drew another breath to help cast aside the needless, if not superfluous, thoughts. He glanced at Zhao Jiu¡¯s corpse and promised in a low tone, ¡°Take Zhao Jiu¡¯s body back. I will save the others.¡±


    He could not ignore what he had seen. Yang Qing and the others were caught by Black Horn only because they were doing his bidding. Their meeting at Mount Wuyue was but a chance encounter, but up until now, they have repaid his kindness then with everything they have¡ªincluding their own lives.


    He took another breath and walked over to examine Yang Qing. The ashen hues on his face growing stronger was a sign that the poison was taking hold. A special concoction unique to Black Horn, Xiao Chen could only delay its effects temporarily. And not being able to remove the poison just now, the emotional upheaval that Yang Qing experienced had made things worse by forcing the poison to spread further inside him.


    ¡°There is someone though¡­¡± said another man beside him, ¡°Who might be able to cure Brother Yang¡­¡±


    ¡­


    A pale crescent hung mid-sky four hours later into the quiet night. Inside a room wafting with the faint scent of fragrant candles, a woman clad in purple sighed. ¡°Everything was fine up until last night, and yet here you are, a complete mess tonight. Come another hour late and not even the gods shall be able to do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°My apologies for coming so late, but thank you so much¡­¡± said a man apologetically.


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Zi Qin waved dismissively. She reached for her pipe on the table and peered at Yang Qing lying unconscious on the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be fine when he wakes up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you so much, Miss Zi Qin,¡± thanked Xiao Chen, bowing deeply.


    The woman glanced at him briefly, waving him off and said, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not interested in any of your affairs. Even King Shen is cautious of anything that has to do with Black Horn. Yet you¡­ Forget it. I¡¯m leaving.¡± And she sauntered out the door.


    The Illusive Aroma Lane had never allowed anyone to overnight there, but for Xiao Chen, they made an exception. Xiao Chen and his companions stayed until the next morning. When he came to check on Yang Qing, he had barely entered, when Yang Qing leaped from his bed, screaming, ¡°Yingying! Yingying!¡±


    His face was a complete pallid white, although the poison has been purged. Still, beads of cold sweat mottled his body, soaking almost the whole bed and the sheets. Xiao Chen shut the door and said to him, ¡°Are you feeling any better, Brother Yang? It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°B-B-Brother Xiao¡­¡± Yang Qing stammered, wiping more sweat off his brows, ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yang, everyone is fine.¡± He reached for the teapot from the table, emptied the cup of the tea from last night, before pouring him a fresh cup. Parched, an eager Yang Qing upended the cup and drank everything thirstily, looking very much better finally.


    Before any of them could say anything, hurried footfalls came from outside. Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead creased uneasily, knowing that the anxious footsteps portended nothing else but trouble. He placed the teapot down on Yang Qing¡¯s bedside table and went to the door, pushing it out. The door swung outwards, revealing Chu Qi and another three of Yang Qing¡¯s men along with Zi Qin.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No time to explain! Take Brother Yang, Brother Xiao! We need to go NOW!¡± said one of the men frantically and Xiao Chen spied the troubled frown on Zi Qin¡¯s face.


    Yang Qing heard the commotion from inside. He appeared at the door, with his clothes already put on, and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°No time to talk! We need to go now, Brother Yang!¡±


    ¡°Use the back door,¡± Zi Qin hissed grimly, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    It was hardly time for questions, and everyone seemed to agree. They followed Zi Qin¡¯s lead to the rear courtyard until they reached a little compound and there was a well. They peered inside and saw the sparkle of water greeting cheerily from below. ¡°There¡¯s a secret passage at the bottom of the well,¡± Zi Qin revealed, ¡°I will activate the mechanism that opens the passage. Just follow the passage until you reach the exit. That should bring you out to the suburbs somewhere 5,000 meters away.¡±


    With no one protesting the idea, they threw themselves into the well. Down below, the ice-cold chills of the water pierced through their skins, threatening to burrow right into their bones. Xiao Chen dived below to find a passage and he took the lead, entering it with the others right behind his heels. They entered the passage and slowly, they clambered up a slope allow them to keep their heads out of the water. But it was very dark and cold inside with only the intermittent drips of droplets from somewhere in the distance to accompany them.

 Chapter 554 - The Black Sands

    Xiao Chen conjured a ball of light that illuminated their surroundings. In the dark, all they could see was the wet, moss-slicked walls. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, already expecting what laid ahead.


    After an hour of plowing through the half-submerged tunnels, they finally saw light. The water began to deepen and ordinary people would have needed boats to leave the tunnel. But being mages¡ªpractitioners of arcane magic¡ªthey effortlessly leaped out of water and glided over the surface of the river to reach ground.


    With the vastness of Black-horn City, the sprawl of its outskirts were equally as large. They traveled on foot back to the outer peripheries of the city to hear the people whispering rumors about.


    ¡°Have you heard? Something big happened last night at the Bloodied Moon District. More than a thousand of Black Horn men were killed, including the members of two of its Halls¡­ That¡¯s terrifying¡­¡±


    ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true? But who would have such powers? Gods¡­ is there going to be turmoil again? Heaven forfend helpless peasants like us be caught in the middle of all this carnage¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Look at how the sky is dark today. King Shen is leading raids to apprehend the suspects. Word on the street is that there are six of them.¡±


    ¡°Six?! Look that way, there¡¯re six people there¡­ Do you think they look like the criminals? Gods, we¡¯d better get out of here¡­¡±


    Huddling together under a roof, one of Yang Qing¡¯s men spat bitterly, ¡°Damn that King Shen! He¡¯s led us into a trap!¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead wrinkled deeply in thought. He knew that it was King Shen¡¯s guards who had come hunting for them at the Illusive Aroma Lane in the morning. The monarch had been hinting to him about how they shared a common enemy in Black Horn and how he wished to weaken them. That encouraged him to turn a blind eye to Xiao Chen¡¯s and his companions¡¯ movements, in addition to provide some degree of assistance.


    However, the catastrophic failure last night had forced King Shen into supporting Black Horn instead and King Shen had had to disavow them like pawns.


    So, here they were inside Black-horn City, hunted by both factions like dogs. Unless they retreat back to White Fog City, they were as good as sitting ducks here.


    Xiao Chen squeezed his fingers as he calculated a plan. This, naturally, was all a game laid out by Meng Wuyan. He had the chance to kill them last night, yet he chose not to. He was enjoying this like a cat with a vole¡­


    The rest of his companions could see this too themselves. They slipped quietly into a tavern. They needed to find a place to stay while they discuss their next recourse.


    Inside the room, everyone frowned. With two factions now pursuing them, they were caught between anvil and hammer with no way out.


    Not even Xiao Chen could come up with any ideas. He had admittedly underestimated the might and influence of Black Horn, and for that, two of Yang Qing¡¯s companions have become prisoners of the Wuyan Chamber, to be tortured mercilessly until they die. Ren Yuntian could possibly be there too. But they could not know; storming Wuyan Chamber with their inferior numbers and strength was tantamount to committing suicide.


    Xiao Chen rubbed his fingers again, taking a deep breath to think clearly. This was the Wastelands, not the Violet Manor, where he could always count on allies such as Yi Tong and None-flower, and even the occasional assistance from Su Lianyue, if the Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng and his friends at the Jade Qing Sect were not able to. Last but not least, there was also Fengxi from the Xianyong Sect too.


    But this was the Wastelands, where he would have to fend for himself. The Cloud Mist Academy could never be in open conflict against Black Horn for him. No one, probably¡­ And the notion of being lonely here roused a certain forlorn sadness in him.


    Time passed on and the company came no nearer to finding a solution to extricate themselves from the kettle of fish they found themselves in. If anything, the news about the death of the one thousand Black Horn members blazed through the Wastelands so quickly that even the people in the White Fog City heard about it.


    Admittedly, Chu Qi and the others had killed no more than two or even three hundred Black Horn members last night. Apparently, King Shen had conveniently attributed the massacres at both Bluestone Hall and Purple Wind Hall to them.


    Before long, the whole of White Fog City swirled with whispers and hushed voices discussing the massacres, including the Cloud Mist Academy. Since the early hours after daybreak, disciples and acolytes of the Academy, old and new alike, could be found huddling together to talk about this. Yet it was only natural. The deaths numbering up to a thousand, within which included the complete wipeout of two Halls of Black Horn, would have been great news anywhere.


    At the Mystic Sky Pavilion, a relaxed Elder Wu nibbled casually on his banana. ¡°I say, Elder Shui Yue,¡± said he to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m sure the brat is only out somewhere for some fun. I know young people like him. He won¡¯t be in any trouble, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    That did little to quell the worried frown on Shui Yue¡¯s forehead. ¡°No,¡± she muttered sourly, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong about him when he wanted a leave to leave the mountain¡­ Yet he refused to tell me why¡­¡± She paused, only to give Elder Wu a very hard look, ¡°I bet one hundred Mystic Stones, that that damned brat must have gone to Black-horn City!¡±


    ¡°Pfttt!¡± Elder Wu almost spat out his banana. Startled by what he heard, he hastily recollected himself and gasped, ¡°Wait! Do you mean to¡­ You think it¡¯s him, don¡¯t you?! You think it¡¯s possible?!¡±


    Quietly, a distressed Shui Yue replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But there has been disturbing word from the Abyss of the Hidden Dragon. With the three Perfected Immortals allowing some of the students to venture outside, I¡¯m sure that damned boy won¡¯t be returning in seven days. I should have known! I should have stopped him!¡±


    ¡°There, there, Elder Shui Yue,¡± Elder Wu waved her off with gentle dismissal, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come back sure enough when he¡¯s had his fill of fun. But then again,¡± he paused and glanced at Shui Yue again, saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you behaving strangely these days? I¡¯ve never seen you being so concerned with any students before?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think so?¡± Shui Yue stared at him, irritated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± Elder Wu remarked with a shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Shui Yue responded curtly and she spun around to leave. With a little tap of her heels, she floated into the air, gliding towards the magical teleportation formation and disappeared, leaving only Elder Wu sighing alone inside the granite chamber.


    At the same time, inside the training areas, scores of students clustered together to talk. A youngster went to Qin Tianyu, looking worried, and whispered to him, ¡°It¡¯s been two days Brother Xiao Chen has left¡­ I do hope everything is all right¡­¡±


    That earned him a glare from Qin Tianyu who hissed, ¡°What piffle you speak!¡±


    The boy slapped a hand over his own mouth as if he had uttered something foul. But a split-second later, he went again, ¡°But it¡¯s scary, don¡¯t you think? A thousand men dead in one single night¡­ It¡¯s a terrible coincidence that Xiao Chen¡¯s away for these two days¡­ and he refused to tell us why is he away for¡­ Gods, I¡¯m only worried¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough with all that nonsense,¡± spat Qin Tianyu, glaring at him again, ¡°Just work on your practice. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be back in a few days!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­¡±


    On the other hand, at the next area, Beigong Qin sulked in silence. A youngster went to him and spoke hushedly, ¡°Senior Brother Beigong, have you heard what happened last night? One thousand Black Horns were killed last night. Gods, a thousand¡­ What monstrosity is this¡­ It¡¯s terrible¡­¡±


    ¡°What is there to be afraid of?!¡± an irate Beigong Qin, whose dark look only intensified, scowled exasperatedly, ¡°You bumbling bumpkin! This is nothing compared to real battles which would have thousands of more corpses strewn around everywhere!¡±


    Beigong Qin could not suppress a cold snort right after finishing his admonishment of his fellow student. His eyes wandered to the Mystic Sky Rankings and spied Xiao Chen¡¯s name. ¡°Could he really¡­ No¡­ Impossible¡­ He lacks the means even if he is indeed so reckless¡­ No one would be reckless enough to attack Black Horn¡­¡±


    More buzzings abounded the training areas, and no one knew who it was behind the huge ruckus last night. But one. Only one person knew who.


    Perched atop the lush-green crest of a mountain with his robes snapping and his long hair fluttering proudly in the wind, he studied Xiao Chen¡¯s name on the board of the Mystic Sky Rankings with utmost silence.


    Noon came, and far away, inside the tavern in Black-horn City, Xiao Chen and his companions were still at a loss as to how should they proceed. It was foolhardy, if not impossible, for them to storm the Wuyan Chamber to save Yang Qing¡¯s two companions and Ren Yuntian.


    ¡°I can see no other way,¡± breathed Yang Qing dejectedly, ¡°We can only go to the Black Sands.¡±


    ¡°Black Sands?¡± asked Xiao Chen.


    ¡°The Black Sands are a company of underground sellswords that spills blood in return for payment. Unlike regular mercenaries, the Black Sands do anything. Inciting chaos and anarchy in any nation-state, pilfering of intelligence and secrets, assassination; you name it. They¡¯d do anything so long as you can afford them.¡±


    Xiao Chen mulled in silence, his brows furrowing in deep thought. Enlisting the help of the Black Sands sounded viable to him. They needed to rescue Yang Qing¡¯s men. And quick. They have had a glimpse of his savagery last night that one could even argue that he was more monster than human after all.


    ¡°Very well. So be it then. We leave at once!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but Brother Xiao, there is one thing you should know: Lord Black Sand, the chief of the Black Sands, is a mercurial, if not difficult, figure. I need not remind you that we need to be careful when we speak to him. I¡¯ll tell you more on the way. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They set off at once for the stronghold of the Black Sands, which was quite a distance away from the Moon-river District they were at. The journey took almost four hours. Despite being within the limits of Black-horn City, the Black Sands ruled this district freely, without any trouble from King Shen and Black Horn.


    They came to a building and they saw four sentries guarding the stone steps leading to the entrance. ¡°We¡¯re here to do business,¡± Xiao Chen revealed quickly before they could say anything.


    ¡°I see,¡± said one of them politely, ¡°On you go then. Inside.¡±


    The company of six followed the guard until they came to a wide chamber. Scores of people scurried about inside, each of them seemed to be busy with work and among them, there were also others who were here like them¡ªto talk business.


    The guard arranged a large table for them to sit and wait. ¡°If you¡¯re here seeking audience with Lord Black Sand,¡± informed the guard, smilingly, ¡°Please wait here a moment. He¡¯s dealing with some guests at the moment and shall join you shortly.¡±


    The sentry left to return to his post. Xiao Chen sat at the table and brooded quietly. There was something about the atmosphere here that did not quite agree with him, although he could not say what. A foreboding and ominous sensation that tingled at his senses, unlike the stronghold of usual Cultivators¡¯ sects of the Orthodox Path. Yet it varied differently from the lairs of those belonging to the Devil¡¯s Practice too. He thought of Shui Yue suddenly, wondering how would she chastise him for coming to a place like this.


    After a quarter of an hour and some tea, one of the doors leading to an antechamber opened. A dark-robed stranger, looking almost in his late-twenties with his heavily-tattooed arms and a vicious scar down one of his eyes that accentuated an air of ferocity and viciousness about him, appeared. No one needed any telling that this was a dangerous man. More so, when everyone got to their feet reverently and greeted him, ¡°Lord Black Sand.¡±


    Enter Lord Black Sand. The leader of the Black Sands sellswords company strolled over to Xiao Chen¡¯s table and sank pompously into a chair and propped his feet on the edge of the table. He raised a hand into the air and snapped, and a servant came scuttling over, offering him something that could only be a cigar and lighted it for him.


    Lord Black Sand took a swig and exhaled a smog of fumes before he finally regarded Xiao Chen and his companions. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± he muttered bluntly.


    Xiao Chen frowned on the inside. His instincts confirmed what Yang Qing had warned him: Lord Black Sand was a difficult person with an effervescent temperament indeed. Knowing words could hardly impress their host, Xiao Chen¡¯s hand snuck into his robes and he produced two plaques that he slid across the table.


    Lord Black Sand eyed narrowly the words inscribed on the two little plaques, reading them aloud, ¡°Ji Xiu, Chang Ning.¡± He looked up and peered at Xiao Chen, ¡°To save or to slay?¡±


    Those were the names of the two companions who were being taken. Xiao Chen needed only to speak a one-syllable word, ¡°Save.¡±


    Lord Black Sand snapped again and a servant materialized next to him. He nudged a chin at the plaques on the table and uttered, ¡°These two names. To save.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied the servant who retrieved the plaques and walked away. ¡°You have not asked me the location where they¡¯re held,¡± Xiao Chen observed quietly.


    The remark made the servant froze. But Lord Black Sand took in another draft from his cigar and blew a mouthful of smoke at Xiao Chen, hissing brusquely with ice, ¡°I know what to do. What are you being so anxious for?!¡±


    The atmosphere grew tense suddenly.

 Chapter 555 - Arrogance

    ¡°I know what to do. Why are you so anxious?!¡±


    The brusque remark made many heads turn this way and the atmosphere turned suddenly palpably still. Whispering from over his shoulder, Yang Qing cautioned him. ¡°Urm¡­ Brother Xiao¡­¡±


    Xiao Chen said nothing. He waved a hand as if dispelling an imaginary smog of unease and leaned back into his chair. The servant came back just moments later and spoke softly into Lord Black Sand¡¯s ear, saying, ¡°It¡¯s confirmed, my Lord. It can be done.¡±


    The commander of the Black Sands did not take his feet off the table. Still leaning heavily into his chair, he waved the servant away and narrowed his eyes at Xiao Chen, nonchalantly saying, ¡°All right then. Tell me, where are these people now?¡±


    ¡°With the Black Horns.¡±


    Despite his muffled tone, Xiao Chen¡¯s voice rang like a tower bell on the words ¡°Black Horns¡± in the silence of the hall that the same awkward silence pervaded the entire length and breadth of the chamber once more, and more eyes turned around again. Hardly anyone presented failed to catch the rumors about how a thousand Black Horn soldiers were killed in one single night, including how two of their Halls were utterly decimated.


    The look on Lord Black Sand¡¯s face hardened at those words. He removed his feet from the table and shifted himself uneasily in his chair. Looking deeply into Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes, he asked, ¡°Which part of the Black Horn?¡±


    ¡°One of the Twelve Halls, Wuyan Chamber.¡±


    Lord Black Sand¡¯s expression changed, as taut as a bowstring. Coolly, Xiao Chen asked again, ¡°What is it? Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± the commander of the Black Sands threw his head back in a boisterous fit of laughter. ¡°Be it the highest strata of the High Heavens, or the deepest abyss of the Underworld, rest assured that the Black Sands will finish the job!¡±


    The servant standing as still as a statue at Xiao Chen¡¯s flank broke into movement. The task of recovering targets from the gaols of the Black Horn was no easy feat and would certainly cost a king¡¯s ransom, and that made Xiao Chen an important client.


    He scurried off and returned with some drinks. Xiao Chen and Chu Qi sat at the table, whilst Yang Qing and the rest of the companions stood behind them. Hence believing them as the leaders of this party, the servant came with only two cups. One of them, he placed it before Xiao Chen, while the other, he placed it in front of Chu Qi. But he stole a glance at the girl, and her beauty mystified him for one fleeting second so that he accidentally spilled some tea on her shoulders.


    Horrified, the servant wanted to use a napkin to wipe away the water. But he could not do so, not without offending the modesty of Chu Qi as a woman. He stared at the fair-white skin of her shoulder, aghast and not knowing what to do, stammering, ¡°E-E-Errr¡­ M-M-My apologies, my lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Fool!¡±


    Lord Black Sand pounded a fist on the table. He hurled his cigar into the face of the servant, and reached a hand at the shivering man, magically summoning him into his grasp. He grabbed the poor man and slammed him onto the tabletop, then he drew a dagger from his waist and lanced its blade right through his hand, impaling it into the hard timber of the table with a sickening crunch of flesh and blood.


    Under the man¡¯s hand, a puddle of blood grew across the surface of the table as his screaming agony pierced the otherwise silence in the hall. Hundreds of eyes looked this way, but no one dared to utter a word.


    ¡°THIS IS MY GUEST! YOU SEEK DEATH, YOU FOOL?!¡± bellowed Lord Black Sand, his terrible rage in full display.


    Two burly men, both fully-clad in black, but with their fully-tattooed chest peeking out, appeared. Lord Black Sand withdrew his dagger from the table and tossed the servant like a bag of filth to them, growling, ¡°Toss him out. But take his hands.¡±


    ¡°AH!? Please, my Lord! My Lord! Have mercy¡ª!¡± the servant begged and begged, but to no avail; the two burly men dragged him away to punish him.


    Lord Black Sand returned his dagger to its sheathe on his waist and gestured for everyone to calm down. With a smile, he said, ¡°My apologies for the disturbance. My fool of a servant needed some disciplining. I hope that hasn¡¯t offended decorum.¡±


    Xiao Chen hardly said anything. If anything, the whole brouhaha sounded more like an attempt to intimidate him. But he brushed it away casually, and went back into their subject, ¡°How much will it cost? For two men?¡±


    ¡°Three million Spirit Stones,¡± said Lord Black Sand.


    Xiao Chen frowned, ¡°Three million?!¡±


    ¡°Three million APIECE,¡± shrugged Lord Black Sand, ¡°That would mean six million stones altogether.¡±


    Xiao Chen¡¯s eyes burned with cold fury. Yang Qing placed a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Peace, Brother Xiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Six million stones,¡± repeated Lord Black Sand again, ¡°If you pay the sum now, we¡¯ll get your men tonight.¡± He snapped a finger and another servant came up, producing another cigar.


    He took a lazy sip and exhaled a smoke ring, then he asked, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°How about a question instead: do you know how high a heap six million Stones can be?¡± Xiao Chen asked coldly.


    The air tensed between them. Lord Black Sand removed his leg and leaned forward. Looking across the table with equal iciness, he hissed, ¡°Then do you know from what place I¡¯ll get your men out? Surely you don¡¯t expect me to just pick them off the streets, do you?¡±


    His voice rose like a thunderclap suddenly, ¡°My men will be risking their lives to free your men! Do you think it¡¯s easy getting into the stronghold of the Black Horns like going to the market?! How dare you haggle my price, you sniveling oaf!¡±


    He shoved the table once with intense irritation, and collapsed back into his chair, vaulting his legs back onto the table with a loud thud. Silence lingered in the hall, but in the faraway background, one could almost make out the hushed whispers and murmurs from other guests present, all of whom were discussing and pointing at Xiao Chen with interest.


    Xiao Chen squeezed his hands, suppressing his rage. He would have really relished the idea of running through the man before him with his sword, but he knew he could not. Then came a woman, gorgeous and ravishing, clothed in a white shirt and a red short skirt.


    The woman sauntered to Lord Black Sand¡¯s side and whispered into his ears. The latter nodded, only to shoot a sudden quick look at Xiao Chen, before he plucked his cigar from his mouth and said to him, ¡°Take the time to consider my offer.¡± With that, he got up.


    The servant beside him came at once, with his hands reaching out. Lord Black Hand stuffed his cigar into the man¡¯s hand and walked away, leaving through a portal leading to an antechamber. The young woman flashed a smile to Xiao Chen and nodded before trailing after him.


    Yan Qing waited until he saw the last glimpse of Lord Black Sand, and he heaved a long sigh, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Brother Xiao. His temper is well-known here, and Lord Black Sand is hardly the most humble figure¡­¡±


    The wrinkles on Xiao Chen¡¯s forehead only deepened with thought. He was not so much as angered by Lord Black Sand¡¯s demeanor than worried about how they could amass six million Spirit Stones. He had, at most, three times less than that number. Could he sell everything he had, including his tools and relics? But he would hardly have enough time anyway.


    Lord Black Sand and the beautiful woman reappeared. The latter looked rather pleased. She stood aside demurely, her hands folded before her waist, her legs long and ivory-fair. Lord Black Sand plopped back into his chair, wearing a grin, and he asked, ¡°So, what say you?¡±


    In his hands, he fiddled with two milky-white pills, twirling them between his fingers. The shade of the pills, denoting its quality and maturity, looked common, although Lord Black Sand¡¯s mood seemed to have improved because of them. One could have thought that he would even agree to a discount.


    Xiao Chen did not reply. His focus instead was upon the two pills, and with his Divine Sense, he instantly recognized them for what they are: two Pills of Massing Vigor.


    Instead of increasing one¡¯s magical powers or cultivation levels directly, Pills of Massing Vigor could help enhance the speed of one¡¯s training. In all supplements of similar uses like it, Pills of Massing Vigor could only be seen as middling in potency. In fact, the use of the Pills would come with great risk and side-effects. More so, for the two pills now fingered by Lord Black Sand: a pair of Tier-5 handiwork of ordinary quality most likely produced by a Tier-6 Elixir Saint.


    Xiao Chen withdrew his gaze and smiled thinly, ¡°Pills of Massing Vigor, Tier-5 at most. Is that it? Is this what the great and illustrious Lord Black Sand consumes every day? Two pieces of scraps of shoddy workmanship?¡±


    The atmosphere in the hall turned cold and apprehensive again. Most shuddered at Xiao Chen¡¯s insolence towards the famous Lord Black Sand, while some, who knew better, had heard about how Long Black Sand had had a Tier-6 Elixir Saint on his retainer to painstakingly concoct the pills. It had taken great effort and resources to finally see his efforts coming to fruition, only to be dismissed as mere ¡°scraps¡± by Xiao Chen.


    The young woman shuddered, her face appalled with dismay as her smile froze. Yang Qing and the others too turned dismay, fearing that Xiao Chen¡¯s pride might have been hurt during Lord Black Sand¡¯s previous outburst, and now he was reciprocating the treatment.


    In mere seconds, hordes of men ¨C Lord Black Sand¡¯s subordinates and his band of assassins ¨C surrounded the table. Everything in the hall turned still and silently awkward bordering on hostility. Even the smile on Lord Black Sand¡¯s face had evaporated. He lifted a hand, and gestured everyone to retreat. Leaning forward testily, he breathed, ¡°This is scrap, you say?¡±


    Xiao Chen leaned forward too as if meeting an enemy in battle, and their eyes met. Word by word, he hissed, ¡°So I¡¯ve said it: scrap.¡±


    ¡°IMPUDENT FOOL!¡± roared one of his guards. But a hand shot up to stop him: Lord Black Sand, who never once took his eyes away from Xiao Chen and he spoke with a steely voice, ¡°Look closely, if you will.¡± He flicked one of the pills at Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen¡¯s hand came up and he caught the pill between two fingers. With not so much as a look at the pill, he maintained his gaze on Lord Black Sand, saying placidly, ¡°Yep. Scraps, indeed. One would get sick eating this.¡±


    He tossed the pill back on the table. It hit the hard, timber surface with a raspy thud and bounced dangerously high, hitting Lord Black Sand¡¯s face with another smack.


    ¡°My Lord¡­¡± gasped the woman in a short skirt, trembling with trepidation, tugging out a handkerchief to wipe his face. The commander of the Black Sands let loose an eerie fit of laughter, cackling insidiously that one could have sworn that winter came to the hall. There was no missing the incredibly thick aura of bloodlust emanating from him, that even his own men could not help shivering with fear.


    Anxious and disquiet, everyone could hardly think nor react, when another figure glided out of the portal of an antechamber: an elderly man dressed in a green robe. Seething, he wore an ugly look on his face and on his garb one could hardly miss the embroidered six-leaf clover insignia that denoted his rank as a Tier-Six Elixir Saint.


    ¡°This young man¡­¡± His growling voice rumbled as he drew near. He regarded Xiao Chen with an unfriendly look, saying, ¡°This Pill is my handiwork, and I do not appreciate the sting of haughty words. On what grounds do you judge me? Prove yourself or you will never walk out of here alive.¡±


    Everyone behind Xiao Chen felt a cold running down their spines. Yang Qing grimaced quietly. He had been trying his best to warn Xiao Chen, hoping to avoid getting on the wrong side of anyone here at the Black Sands, yet still, the very situation which he dreaded unfolded before him. They would be lucky to walk away from here unscathed, never mind saving Ji Xiu and Chang Ning.


    Yang Qing stepped forward, offering a salute, ¡°My Lord Black Sand, and Senior Elixir Saint, I¡¯m afraid this friend of mine is¡­¡± Xiao Chen¡¯s hand shot up, cutting him off. He stuck a hand into the folds of his robe and took out a little jade bottle from his Divine Vessel and he tossed it at the elderly man in green.


    It contained the last of his stores of Evolution of Tao Pills he produced to be auctioned off during his last visit to Tianyuan City for the Sword Assembly tournament and he had been keeping it inside this little jade vase in his Divine Vessel.


    As recorded in the Elixir King Scripture, the Evolution of Tao Pill ¨C just like the Pill of Massing Vigor ¨C helps its user to increase the efficiency of one¡¯s training instead of increasing one¡¯s magic and level of cultivation directly. At that time of the auction, the Pills were sold off by Qingluan and Ziyun¡¯er as Reborning Pills and One-day Decade Pills at his behest.

 Chapter 556 - Intimidation

    The creases on the forehead of the elderly man in green only grew deeper as he sniffed at the contents in the jade vial. Then his expression shifted, and so did the gorgeous young lady in short skirt and Lord Black Sand when they realized it. Everyone in the hall peered curiously, their faces changing too as buzzing and murmurs began running through the hall.


    Beset with doubt and disbelief, the teal-robed elder tipped over the vial and a round little pill ¨C glowing palely with a gloss of opal-white with hardly any flaws ¨C rolled out and fell on his palm and a rich, aromatic smell of herbs filled the entire chamber, its scent soothing and invigorating.


    More furtive whispers began buzzing all around. Most might know little to nothing about concocting pills and elixirs, but it was apparent even to a layman that Xiao Chen¡¯s handiwork had better quality than the teal-robed elder¡¯s.


    The teal-robed elder could hardly suppress his indignation anymore as his hands trembled. Xiao Chen¡¯s pill might only be a Tier-2 elixir, yet its quality was top-notch. The Pill of Massing Vigor that he produced however was a Tier-5 concoction with potent effects and heavy side-effects too whilst Xiao Chen¡¯s Tier-2 pill had only negligible or zero aftereffects.


    Producing pills and concoctions of different grades depended greatly on one¡¯s skill and level of cultivation; the higher-tiered one was, the greater the tier of the pills one could produce. Yet there were also a plethora of factors which could affect the quality of a produced concoction ¨C choice of ingredients and one¡¯s skill and talent among them.


    The teal-robed elder knew full well, that he would never be able to replicate the quality Xiao Chen put into this Tier-2 pill. Whether he knew the full list of ingredients needed for this concoction or not, he lacked the sharp and strong Divine Sense needed to properly produce a pill of such quality.


    With a thin smile on his face, Xiao Chen asked, ¡°So, Senior? What say you of this?¡±


    Frowning, Lord Black Sand gave the teal-robed elder a sharp, piercing look as the latter fumbled to calm himself, before finally managing to put up a stern countenance. ¡°Where did you find this?¡±


    Xiao Chen leaned back into his chair comfortably and muttered coolly, ¡°As a matter of fact, I made it myself.¡±


    ¡°You made it?!¡± the teal-robed elder¡¯s voice rose but a few decibels, clearly doubting what he heard. Even as the Annihilation Times loomed near, the standing of Elixir Masters in the Violet Manor remained very strong, especially those highly-ranked, whose crafts and skills hardly confined only to potion-brewing. Could it be that this young man, a young man only in his early twenties, be a highly-ranked Elixir Master?


    Yet, Xiao Chen could never be viewed as an Elixir Master in the strictest sense. It was common for practitioners of the arcane arts to wield a certain degree of knowledge in concocting or brewing elixirs but that did not make them qualified Elixir Masters. To be one, one had to study a specialized field of medicine and Xiao Chen knew nothing about healing at all.


    The teal-robed elder¡¯s gaze turned keener and his voice deeper. ¡°There are words that one such as you should never say, young friend. You¡¯d better be able to back up what you just say, or you might not walk out of here alive¡­¡±


    His tone was enough to make cold sweat break out on the backs of Yang Qing and his friends, yet Xiao Chen looked calm and composed enough. His casual and lackadaisical gaze turned as sharp as a blade as he hissed quietly, ¡°If you¡¯d like a test¡­¡±


    The atmosphere congealed into a tense silence. The teal-robed elder was undoubtedly an Elixir Saint specialized in brewing elixirs, Xiao Chen was sure, but unlike Liu Liancheng, who was also an Elixir Saint himself, his healing skills paled abysmally.


    Elixir Masters came in two breeds: masters of brewing elixirs and masters of healing. The former usually wielded higher levels of magical cultivation whilst the latter, despite their incredible and unfathomable talent in saving lives and restoring health, could hardly swing a sword as well as a child. Nevertheless, Elixir Masters skilled in healing were often regarded as ¡°thwarters of Death¡±, for they could even reserve the direst state of a man¡¯s sickness. Yet, Elixir Masters skilled in brewing elixirs were not without their own brand of terror, for they were skilled enough to concoct poison that could easily kill people without shedding not even a drop of blood.


    And since ages ago, the divide between both schools of medicine had only grown wider with the contest for standing and prestige between either faction raged on. The Masters exclusive in elixir-brewing have only the deepest loathing for Masters uniquely skilled in healing and similarly, the latter belittled the former for being ignorant and incompetent.


    ¡°Bring in the cauldron!¡± Lord Black Sand growled.


    ¡°No need!¡± Xiao Chen barked, ¡°No Elixir Master travels without bringing his own cauldron.¡± He flailed his sleeve and produced his Wonder Wood Cauldron. The teal-robed elder gawked at the sight of the little purplish cauldron, unable to take his eyes off it.


    Xiao Chen waved a hand, magically summoning the Pill of Massing Vigor to him. With a burst of True Energy, he broke down the pill into dust that hovered in midair, shocking everyone with his ability to instantly dissolve and anatomize pills!


    The teal-robed elderly Elixir Saint¡¯s gaze changed completely. A pill that he had worked for one full day and night to brew had just been easily broken down to its barest in just a single blink of an eye. Just how strong was his Divine Sense?! Right from that very moment, the Elixir Saint had no more reason to doubt the words of the young man before him.


    A faint smile lined across Xiao Chen¡¯s face as he magically directed the levitating contents of the pill into the Wonder Wood Cauldron. His other hand came up and pointed at the Cauldron, shooting three little spurts of greenish flames, and more voices cried out, ¡°The True Fire of Samadhi!¡±


    All three little flames formed three layers of conflagration that engulfed the Wonder Wood Cauldron, the sight of which filled the teal-robed elderly Elixir Saint with amazement, for he could not properly conjure the True Fire of Samadhi.


    After a half-hour, the soft scent of medicinal herbs wafted from inside the Cauldron. Knowing that the pill was ready, Xiao Chen waved a hand, dispelling the magic of his True Fire of Samadhi and the Cauldron¡¯s lid popped open with a thicker aroma flooding the room. A white little pill floated into the air, rising from inside the Cauldron. It remained the same Pill of Massing Vigor, glowing with a faint white luster, but without its former flaws.


    ¡°Th-This¡­¡± the expression on the face of the teal-robed Elixir Saint had utterly shifted. With just a half-hour, his Pill of Massing Vigor had been further refined to a higher tier. What incredible skills in brewing elixirs this young man wielded and what impossibly-powerful spiritual senses he possessed?


    Even Lord Black Sand could no longer rein in his apprehensiveness and curiosity. He took the pill into his hand and studied it closely himself amidst the surprised and amazed looks around him. Yet the teal-robed elderly Elixir Saint was the only one person in this chamber who fully comprehended the wondrous skills Xiao Chen possessed in elixir-making ¨C a testament to the young man¡¯s prowess and talent which could easily eclipse his own rank and stature.


    In truth, he overestimated Xiao Chen, who had had experience in brewing pills of similar nature and after much study with the Elixir King Scripture, it was hardly a wonder his skill in elixir-making improved.


    The teal-robed Elixir Saint immediately put on a more respectful tone. Clasping his hands in salute, he spoke, ¡°My name is Ouyang Zi. May I know yours, young friend?¡±


    ¡°I hail from the family Xiao, and my name is Chen. Xiao Chen,¡± said Xiao Chen coolly.


    On by then, Yang Qing and his companions breathed easily, fully relieved at last. They did not expect Xiao Chen to possess such great skill in elixir-making. Even the other guests in the hall braced with awe and astonishment at Ouyang Zi¡¯s sudden change of demeanor, which made Xiao Chen a more valuable guest than all of them put together. Still, only Lord Black Sand remained relatively glum and gloomy.


    Ouyang Zi bowed again and said with a friendly tone, ¡°If I may ask, from whence did you learn your skills from, young friend?¡±


    He found it hard to imagine that anyone in the Wastelands was able to produce a student with such remarkable aptitude. He felt it unbelievable, if not dissatisfied and jealous.


    Xiao Chen peered at him and said gently, ¡°Truth be told, Master Ouyang. My teacher is a¡­¡± Every pair of ears in the hall were trained his way to pick up every syllable that escaped his lips. ¡°¡­ a Sage of Healing.¡±


    A still silence pervaded the entire chamber as if the words ¡°Sage of Healing¡± reverberated through the crowd like the echoing toll of a bell. Even Lord Black Sand¡¯s expression shifted uncontrollably and the pretty young woman in short skirt hid her opened mouth behind a hand quickly, with admiration rippling in her eyes.


    Ouyang Zi¡¯s face turned a pallid pale. A Sage of Healing¡­ Tier-7 Elixir Masters were acclaimed as Elixir Immortals, Tier-8 as Sages, and Tier-9 as Gods. One might have heard of Sages of Healing, but almost never clapped eyes on one; not even once in a lifetime for most people, for even Elixir Immortals came as rare as a hen¡¯s teeth.


    With hardly anyone able to make not so much as a croak, Xiao Chen¡¯s chuckle broke the still silence, ¡°And I am out on my pilgrimage of the lands. Unfortunately, two of my friends were taken away by the Black Horns. So here I am, hoping that I can solve this problem without bothering my teacher.¡±


    The mood in the chamber began to soothe. Lord Black Sand, maintaining his sharp glare, growled, ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s dispense with the six million Spirit Stones. But in return for saving your people, you will produce twenty Pills of Massing Vigor with similar quality as this tonight! You¡¯d have your friends back tomorrow night!¡±


    Ouyang Zi thought he heard wrongly. Producing a pair of Medium-tiered Pills had cost him one full day and night, and one could almost argue that even gods or deities could hardly replicate the feat in half the time, let alone producing Pills of higher quality. But before he could say anything to object, Xiao Chen murmured calmly, ¡°So be it.¡±


    He peered at Ouyang Zi as soon as he finished and said, ¡°If I might trouble you, Master Ouyang, to help me with the preparations.¡±


    Ouyang Zi smiled weakly. A Elixir Saint, to do the menial jobs that acolytes and slaves performed? That sounded too ludicrous for words.


    ¡°Good!¡± Lord Black Sand hooted loudly, his fist banging into the table. To the gorgeous young lady in short skirt by his side, he said, ¡°Ningyan, take our guests to have a rest.¡± His gaze quickly panned back to Xiao Chen and he leaned forward, his glare turning fierce and menacing, ¡°And if you fail¡­¡± He let his voice hang as his eyes traveled up to study at everyone behind Xiao Chen and Yang Qing immediately felt a chill running down his back.


    The young woman called Ningyan smiled. She came to Xiao Chen with the grace of a swan and smile at him. ¡°Please come with me, Master Xiao.¡±


    The company of six followed the young lady in short skirt to the back of the hall where they found themselves in a scenic courtyard adorned with bridges hanging over bubbling little brooks, gazebos and artificial rockeries and beautiful ponds. A tranquil and peaceful little garden. As if intentional, Ningyan left Xiao Chen there alone, while she arranged for the others further elsewhere, most likely under supervision.


    Come evening, Ouyang Zi had people brought Xiao Chen the items he needed. To brew twenty Pills of Massing Vigor in one single night was no easy feat. In truth, he had zero confidence; it was all just a facade to intimidate the Black Sands.


    As night descended mildly, Lord Black Sand sat in his chair in his penthouse, looking absolutely gloomy. The young lady called Ningyan stood before him, her legs clasped together nervously, her arms crossed before her little belly and her head lowered with not a word from her.


    ¡°Ningyan¡­¡± Lord Black Sand glared at her, hissing her name.


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± answered Ningyan meekly.


    ¡°Use whatever means tonight. Even if it means losing your chastity to him. I want to know about him ¨C his truth and his origins¡­ or else¡­¡± His voice stopped and he shot a sharp look at Ningyan that she shuddered and whimpered, ¡°I¡¯d do my best¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your best. I expect only success!¡± snarled Lord Black Sand. ¡°Or come the fifteenth of this month, I¡¯d have you given as a gift to the Ancient Horror of the Mountains. Everyone knows how he loves chaste and pure maidens, especially on the night of a full moon¡­¡±


    ¡°Th-The¡­ An-Ancient Horror of the Mountains¡­¡±


    All color drained from Ningyan¡¯s face as the grotesquely horrible image of a monster appeared in her mind. Her heart raced, and she panted wildly and rapidly, her fair chest heaving and puffing uncontrollably in terror.