Chapter Sixty-Three: Blow for Blow—A Chaotic Clash of Seven

The cry of the Bifang echoed as the Nine Yin Demon Array shattered. A mighty river of the underworld surged forth, shielding the disciples of the demon sect. On the other side, three layers of heavenly thunder guarded the disciples of the Celestial Sect.

Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong wore dark faces. When they had taken each other for rivals, neither imagined someone else would dare intervene. The Bifang fire might not be fatal to them, but it was certainly deadly to their sect brothers and sisters. The two shielded their companions, tacitly pulling away from each other.

“It’s better this way. Focus on attacking the demon sect, let the Celestial Sect off for now. If the Celestial Sect gives us trouble later, just call it collateral damage,” barked General Chen in red armor, ordering his men to fire the Bifang cannons once more.

At that instant, water and cloud shimmered in the sky as a beam of jade light gradually emerged.

“Collateral damage? Then if I accidentally injure you generals while purging evil, I trust you won’t hold it against me?” As a wave of water descended, the people below were swept away, and eighteen Bifang cannons exploded instantly. The soldiers who failed to escape perished on the spot.

General Chen dodged quickly, looking up in shock and suspicion.

There stood a man in the air, clad in a robe of watery blue, exuding the aura of wind and marsh, suffused with the glow of immortal spirit. He wore a jade coronet adorned with celestial stars, a golden belt at his waist, and held in his hand a scepter shaped like the Five Waters of the Cavern Spring, his gaze coldly cast below.

“Who are you?” General Chen shouted, startled. “How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Empire?”

“Remember this: the one who kills you is Du Yue of the Supreme Origin Palace.” The man casually struck downward with his scepter. Thunder shook the mountains and forests, and with a single blow, General Chen was reduced to pulp. The tremor forced another figure hiding nearby into the open.

“Well met, a worthy inheritor of Supreme Origin,” said a young man emerging from the blood-misted woods. His bearing was all wicked charm, his eyes smiling as he gazed at the man in the sky. “You attack at the slightest provocation—this true disciple of the Celestial Sect is even more ruthless than I, a demon.”

“If you’ve already struck at the Celestial Sect, do you expect us to spare you for the new year? Are mortal lives precious while those of immortals are cheap? Song, spare me your nonsense. If not for your Blood Sea’s scheming, would the Great Hong Empire dare openly move against us?” Du Yue glanced again at the soldiers below. Many had been swept away by the flood, while others lay paralyzed and motionless.

“Besides, your Bifang cannons are laced with hidden malice. Each shot sacrifices mortal life force. Otherwise, how could such immortal treasures be wielded by common men?”

The Blood Sea had refined the treasures for mortals to use as weapons. But activating them required spiritual power—an energy to trigger the array. Those few mortals with martial inner strength might manage, but for ordinary soldiers lacking such power, only their own life force could be offered in exchange.

To slay the immortals and demons beneath Golden Tortoise City? Even if every soldier here perished, they might not kill them all.

Du Yue from the Supreme Origin Palace and Song Shaoming of the Boundless Blood Sea were both formidable, their power rivaling Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong. The two faced each other in the forest—water vapor thickening around Du Yue, forming a vast spiritual sea, while beneath Song Shaoming's feet a bloody marsh surged and stank.

As the two stalemated, another upheaval erupted beneath Golden Tortoise City.

Qin Wu faced Zheng Qiong, Du Yue faced Song Shaoming. At this moment, a spiritual egg floated slowly upward, only to be snatched away by a shadowy figure. Looking closely, the newcomer was wreathed in black demonic energy, clad in dragon-scale armor like a human-shaped demon dragon.

“Ji Feichen?” Zheng Qiong’s heart stirred. Seeing Qin Wu move to intercept, she immediately unleashed a demonic wind to block him: “Junior brother, go now!”

Ji Feichen, having secured the spiritual egg, meant victory for the demon sect—no matter what.

Blocked by Zheng Qiong, Qin Wu could only watch helplessly as Ji Feichen fled.

But before Ji Feichen had gone far, a golden scroll fluttered in the wind nearby, and a white-robed youth streaked through the air, hacking downward with the golden scroll. Tu Shan spoke righteously: “Demon, surrender the treasure!”

Their eyes met. Ji Feichen feigned defeat, let Tu Shan wound him, then tossed the egg aside and vanished into the earth with a flicker.

Tu Shan reached out and caught the spiritual egg. Now it was Qin Wu’s turn to block Zheng Qiong.

“Haha! Just as you stopped me, don’t expect to make a move yourself! Young friend, go!” For the Supreme Heaven Palace, as long as the item didn’t fall into demon hands, it was enough.

Tu Shan had barely secured the egg when a demon burst out from Golden Tortoise City. Wei Chen transformed into a demonic giant three fathoms tall and struck at Tu Shan. “Leave it.”

Wei Chen’s cultivation was a bit short of Tu Shan’s. Tu Shan snorted, swept the golden scroll in a gleam of gold and clouds, and a golden crow flew out, forcing Wei Chen back.

“You think you can stop me?” Tu Shan shook the scroll again, unleashing a fire bull that sent several six-armed demon sect cultivators sprawling.

But as Tu Shan was about to depart, twin beams of red and blue divine light shot down from the distance.

Du Yue and Song Shaoming, as if by prior agreement, charged at Tu Shan.

One was the current inheritor of the Supreme Origin Palace, the other a distinguished disciple of the Boundless Blood Sea. Seeing Tu Shan about to escape, both moved to detain him.

Qin Wu’s eyelids twitched. “Du Yue, Tu Shan is one of us!”

“Hmph! One of us?” Du Yue could see Tu Shan was of the Celestial Fox lineage—hardly a compatriot. “Not of our race, his heart must be different. Qin Wu may be a fool, but I am not!”

Tu Shan possessed power on par with himself and Qin Wu, and in his hand was clearly a treasured artifact of the demon race. Clearly, this was the chosen scion of the demon clan’s fate.

As one of the Three Palace heirs, how could Du Yue let Tu Shan leave so easily?

Song Shaoming, too, would not watch Tu Shan walk away with the treasure. So the two joined hands: one wielded the scepter, the other churned up a tide of blood, forcing Tu Shan to stay.

Tu Shan’s expression grew grave. He struck the golden scroll nine times, each time summoning the phantoms of divine and demon beasts to block their attacks.

The Ten Thousand Demons Golden Roll was the supreme treasure of the demon race, not only containing their destiny, but also the foundation of their lineage. It recorded all the demon clan’s cultivation arts, granting the bearer the power to summon a myriad of demon spirits.

At last, dragons and phoenixes encircled Tu Shan. Hovering in the air, he looked at the four, saying, “What, you won’t let me leave? Do you wish to negotiate, perhaps? If the demon sect offers the right terms, I might hand the spiritual egg over.”

For now, Tu Shan’s faction was neutral, his strength nearly matching the other four. Should he switch sides, the outcome of the conflict would be decided instantly.

Qin Wu, face dark, glared at Du Yue. He had agreed yesterday that it didn’t matter if Tu Shan took the egg—so long as the demon sect didn’t get it. Now, thanks to Du Yue’s interference, Tu Shan was being driven to the opposing camp.

“Young friend, let’s talk. If this thing falls into demon hands, it will surely create a demon overlord, bringing disaster to the world. As a celestial fox, you embody the heavens—how could you do such evil?”

“Brother Qin, spare me the rhetoric. It’s just a spiritual egg—how could it possibly doom the world?” Tu Shan doubted that the Black Pool Master would succeed in his ascension and cared little for the egg’s fate.

“I was just here for sport, but I didn’t expect the Celestial Sect to strike at me! Hmph, then I may as well lean a little toward the demon sect!”

“Demons and monsters deserve death!” Du Yue’s attitude was icy—he would not yield, even outnumbered.

The heirs of Supreme Heaven and Supreme Origin were present—could the Supreme Elder heir be far behind?

Du Yue was confident that, now he and Qin Wu had arrived, the Supreme Elder’s disciple was surely lurking close by. This was no time for compromise—the Celestial Sect must assert its stance with strength.

The Celestial Sect was the true sovereign of the Mystic Continent!

The five stood in deadlock, while Tu Shan quietly negotiated the price of the egg with Zheng Qiong.

Suddenly, Song Shaoming attacked—not the Celestial Sect heirs, but Tu Shan, the demon youth.

“Leave the Ten Thousand Demons Golden Roll!” Song Shaoming had recognized the treasure and sought to claim it for the Blood Sea.

At his movement, Zheng Qiong instantly swept forth with a torrent of black water.

Du Yue seized the opportunity, hurling his scepter as wind, thunder and water transformed into a dragon attacking Tu Shan.

Finally, Qin Wu, helpless, also reached for the spiritual egg: “Give it to me and leave quickly—I won’t let them pursue you.”

The four attacked Tu Shan at once. Feeling their overwhelming power—each rivaling his own—Tu Shan gritted his teeth, summoned all his magic, and unleashed the golden scroll, spilling clouds of radiance dozens of yards wide to envelop his assailants.

In the golden light, python-dragons spat purple mist, lions and tigers roared gales of gold, roc-birds fanned fierce flames—a host of demon beasts charged the four.

Qin Wu pointed skyward, threefold thunder clouds blooming above his head. Countless bolts rained down, shattering the demon phantoms. Song Shaoming did much the same, a sea of blood devouring and refining the demon spirits. Around Zheng Qiong, black water hung inverted—within the underworld river, white-bone demon statues clashed with demon beasts. As for Du Yue, his scepter swept out, conjuring auspicious clouds and radiant blessings—pearls soared, golden lotuses blossomed, his supreme immortal arts protecting him so thoroughly that not a single attack touched him.

“These guys are tough nuts to crack!” Tu Shan fought on, realizing their powers were evenly matched—hundreds of exchanges would still yield no victor. Secretly, he reached out to Ji Feichen.

Then, stowing the golden scroll, Tu Shan suddenly cried at the top of his lungs, “Senior Brother Qinghong, help me!”

At that moment, twenty-four pearls soared into the sky. Clear, sparkling radiance rose like a jade pool, layer upon layer of waterlight veiling the heavens in dazzling white brilliance.

“Another master of water!” Qin Wu glanced over, remarking to Du Yue, “Your ‘Three Saint True Art’ harmonizes with the way of water—how do you judge his water path?”

As the twenty-four pearls appeared, Du Yue felt a series of omens, a realization dawning: “This treasure is fated for me!”

These pearls had been refined at great cost by Ji Feichen, attuned to the twenty-four solar terms. Were Du Yue to obtain them, not only would his cultivation advance, but with the merit from harmonizing the solar terms, he could ascend to Earth Immortal.

Ignoring Qin Wu, he fixed his gaze on the pearls.

The Azure Tide Divine Pearls hovered, cleansing filth with heavenly light, gradually dissolving the underworld river and the blood sea.

Zheng Qiong and Song Shaoming exchanged glances—the same thought flashing in their minds: “Another Celestial cultivator!”

The heavenly light shone brightly. Below, Zhou Yan’er was astonished: “Is that Senior Brother Qinghong?”

Ji Feichen, under the alias “Qinghong,” had ties to the Sect of Virtue. Now, under the guise of rescuing Tu Shan, he used the others to test his own power, all while displaying his status as a Celestial wanderer.

“Brother Daoist, let’s have a bout!” Ji Feichen activated the pearls, thunder rolling in the heavens as a bolt of profound yin and icy thunder struck at Qin Wu.

Qin Wu stood his ground as the pearls conjured clouds and thunder. The lightning blazed with righteous majesty, entirely lacking the sinister taint of the demon sect—instead, it bore the harmonious aura of orthodox Celestial cultivation.

“Fine thunder magic!” Qin Wu was delighted, responding in kind by hurling divine azure thunder to meet the icy thunder.

At the collision, two beams of cyan light burst in the sky, and Tu Shan, seizing the moment, swept his golden scroll and vanished into the shadows.

After testing his strength, Ji Feichen reflected, “In sheer magical power, I am not inferior to Qin Wu. But in thunder arts, my Profound Yin Icy Thunder is still a grade below his Divine Azure Thunder.”

The Divine Azure Thunder was the supreme art of the Supreme Heaven Palace—no ordinary thunder spell could match it. If Ji Feichen further refined his own thunder, then perhaps he could compete.

The twin thunders neutralized in the sky, a few bolts of azure thunder striking the twenty-four pearls. Ji Feichen flicked his sleeve, and the Azure Tide Pearls shot out white light, shattering the thunder.

Du Yue, seizing the chance, was about to snatch the pearls when he saw Zheng Qiong and Song Shaoming both lunge at Qin Wu.

Ji Feichen’s thunder was slightly weaker than Qin Wu’s, but their magical power was equal. With Qin Wu’s strength drained and no time to recover, the two demon cultivators closed in.

Du Yue, terrified, rushed to save him. The heir of the Supreme Heaven Palace could not die now!

He interposed his scepter, a beam of mystic light striking the underworld river, lotus blooms unfurling in endless succession as he blocked Zheng Qiong. But Song Shaoming had already reached Qin Wu’s back, striking silently at his heart.

Qin Wu frowned, secretly mustering his remaining strength to resist.

Suddenly, Song Shaoming grunted, then turned into a flash of blood and fled. “A fine heir of the Supreme Elder! Well played!” With those words, Qin Wu heard the faint sound of a sword.

The Supreme Elder’s name was unknown, the Dao unfathomable. Without word or sign, a formless sword intent had gravely wounded Song Shaoming. As he escaped, only Zheng Qiong remained to confront Qin Wu and Du Yue.

Meanwhile, the twenty-four pearls and Tu Shan vanished together.

Ji Feichen, now certain that he stood on the same level as the Holy Land heirs, had gauged the situation and felt no need to linger. He gathered the pearls and rejoined Tu Shan.

“I am not inferior to Qin Wu. The pressure he once exerted on Tu Shan and me can now be set aside. At last, I can peacefully seek the Human Immortal fruit.”