As they arrived nearby, Zuo Hanfeng instructed Yin Lenghui and Zhou Yong to hide separately and wait for the opportunity to attack from the flank, while he himself soared into the air. His eyes blazed with emerald light as his right hand suddenly shot downward in a grasping motion.
Known as the Green-Eyed Flying Dragon, he indeed possessed the bloodline of the divine dragon. When he launched his attack, scales emerged on the back of his hand, glowing with a sinister blue. Five streams of force extended like talons, slashing through the sky with a mighty momentum straight toward the courtyard of the merchant residence.
Bitter cold descended, snowflakes swirling. Trees withered one by one, their verdant leaves turning yellow before drifting into the stream. Even the evergreen pines and cypresses were coated in a layer of ice, as if sculpted from crystal, delicate and dreamlike.
The entire merchant courtyard seemed as though it had been transported to the northernmost reaches, the walls and tiles glowing with an eerie blue light, like a palace of ice.
The temperature plummeted sharply. Many people shivered from the cold, and the weakest among them had already collapsed lifelessly to the ground. If not for Zuo Hanfeng concentrating his power, the entire area would have become a silent, lifeless frozen wasteland.
Just as the five streams of force were about to seize the building, golden qi suddenly erupted from within. A fist the size of a monk’s begging bowl shattered the roof, solidifying the surrounding air, and struck the cold light head-on.
The sun rose in the east, melting the ice and snow into rain that poured down in torrents.
“Good!” Seeing that it was indeed Du Huaishang, Zuo Hanfeng felt delighted and prepared to unleash his full strength without holding back, no longer wary of a surprise attack.
At that moment, a majestic voice pierced through the clouds, reverberating directly within his yuan-shen.
A sound like this had long been etched into his very bloodline, an object of his devout worship and aspiration.
This was the roar of the dragon—the deep, resonant cry of a true dragon!
The majestic aura of the dragon exerted absolute dominance over inferiors, causing Zuo Hanfeng to tremble all over. For a moment, he nearly lost control of his bloodline power, almost compelled to prostrate himself on the ground. He barely managed to steady himself and avoid falling. Although his yuan-shen was not as powerful as those who had broken through by cultivating the ancestral窍 between the eyebrows, he still possessed the strength of an Outer Scenery expert and wouldn’t be as stunned as Jiang Hengchuan had been in the past, unable to react at all.
But the enemy he now faced was an opponent of equal cultivation level—a ninth-rank Earth-tiered Tian Wang, the Guardian King of the World!
Du Huaishang descended like a celestial deity, his entire body wrapped in golden light that dispelled the cold. He leaped into the air and threw a distant punch.
This punch seemed to harmonize with some cosmic principle, drawing nearby light to converge upon it, making it appear like a blazing sun—blinding and scorching, melting away the bitter cold as it flew straight toward Zuo Hanfeng’s chest.
Buzzing, a weapon resembling a dragon’s claw materialized before Zuo Hanfeng. It was dark blue, glowing with eerie light. With a slight swing, layers of ice walls formed.
The treasure weapon automatically defended its master!
Puff! The “sun” pierced through the layers of ice walls, melting large holes in their centers. However, Zuo Hanfeng was far from helpless. With a wave of his left palm, mountains of wind and waves of snow surged forward to block the incoming sun.
The winds scattered and the snow melted. Zuo Hanfeng appeared slightly disadvantaged. Du Huaishang seized the opportunity relentlessly, uttering soul-stabilizing sounds and throwing alternating punches. They seemed like raindrops from the blazing sun, fiery and golden, raining down upon Zuo Hanfeng.
However, with the treasure weapon aiding him, Zuo Hanfeng remained composed, defending flawlessly. At the same time, he channeled his bloodline power to reinforce his yuan-shen, resisting the influence of the twelve divine sounds of Langhuan.
As Zuo Hanfeng launched his attack, Yin Lenghui and Zhou Yong moved into action.
Yin Lenghui moved like a ghost, gliding silently into the courtyard. Yet, just as he cleared the wall, he saw a long sword rushing toward him, carrying the majestic decree of “Mandated by Heaven, Endowed with Authority,” suppressing his witchcraft techniques. It felt as if the heavens and earth were rejecting him, making it difficult to draw upon any external force!
He swung his left hand, his sleeve flying off to reveal an arm that was horrifying to behold.
It was composed of infant heads linked together, each one exhaling black mist filled with resentment, coldness, and bone-chilling malice.
Yin Lenghui had transformed his left arm into a grotesque whip, lashing through the air and stirring up wails of anguish that pierced the very soul.
Dark flames ignited around him, burning not inanimate objects but withering weeds while leaving walls intact.
Zhao Heng’s forehead glowed with a bright golden mark, emitting a yellowish light that conveyed a sense of sincerity and righteousness, protecting his yuan-shen from the infantile cries.
The blade clashed against the bone whip, invoking the decree of “By the Mandate of Heaven” to purge wickedness, instantly dispersing the dark mist. Yet Yin Lenghui unleashed his whip techniques with relentless ferocity, coiling around the weapon in a bold attempt to wrest the sword directly from its wielder.
Just then, a purple starry river surged forth from the side, dazzling with countless stars, enveloping Yin Lenghui at its center.
The starry river spun rapidly, transforming Yin Lenghui’s position into a vortex. Even with his formidable physical strength, it seemed he would be ground into pulp!
Suddenly, Zhao Heng clenched his left fist and struck sideways. Behind him, the air condensed into a dragon, glowing with a noble yellow hue.
With a single punch, the air-dragon lunged forward, shaking the earth and collapsing walls.
Puff! His left fist struck something like a burst drum, forcing out a shadowy figure.
This figure had no sleeves, its left arm composed of infant skulls, its right hand stripped to dry, shriveled skin—clearly Yin Lenghui! The Yin Lenghui trapped within the purple starry river!
The purple starry river dissipated, and an object fell to the ground—an ordinary wooden stake!
The witchcraft art was indeed miraculous.
Zhao Heng was about to strike again when his expression suddenly changed. Without hesitation, he swung his right sword and severed his left arm at the shoulder, blood gushing forth.
As his severed arm hit the ground, the skin grotesquely swelled, emitting a sickening squelching sound from within. Then, countless small, wriggling creatures emerged—resembling centipedes or serpents, yet as thin as fingers, shimmering with multicolored hues.
Zhao Heng hastily retreated, sealing his blood points with acupuncture. With a slash of his sword, a stream of force erupted, igniting flames that reduced the creatures to ashes.
Yin Lenghui did not take advantage of the moment to attack him, as he was now engaged by Qi Zhengyan, who wielded his sword.
The Purple Star River was both gentle and powerful, flowing effortlessly, while the icy chill of Bixue Bing seeped deep within, making it difficult for Yin Lenghui to overcome.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sounds reverberated within Qi Zhengyan’s protective purple starry river—proof that the gu insects had been crushed, unable to breach this formidable defense.
Zhao Heng, now cautious, employed the Emperor’s Sword Technique, coordinating with Qi Zhengyan, forming a mutual defense, effectively pinning down Yin Lenghui.
Zhou Yong, the blindfolded man, “glanced” upward at Du Huaishang in midair. He retrieved an object from a finger ring and concealed it in his palm, preparing for emergencies. Then, he launched a flank attack from another direction.
Amidst the interference of the Outer Scenery battle, he could no longer clearly perceive the situation inside the small courtyard, only vaguely discerning its approximate location. Therefore, he headed straight toward the young girl in green and the fiery man who were attempting to encircle Yin Lenghui.
As soon as his figure appeared, he found Meng Qi turning toward him, directly throwing out an object glowing with golden light, resembling a long serpent.
“A rope?” He hadn’t expected the opponent to easily change direction while charging at high speed toward Yin Lenghui, as if prepared in advance, causing his judgment to falter!
The rope was divided into countless segments, each seemingly inscribed with talisman-like marks.
Before Zhou Yong could react, it tightly bound him. The talismans glowed and shifted, locking his yuan-shen, true qi, and physical body, preventing even the act of biting his tongue to commit suicide!
A secret treasure? A treasure for dealing with Outer Scenery experts? Zhou Yong opened his previously closed eyes, but instead of the usual void-like depth or blood-soaked killing intent, they now reflected disbelief and shock.
They actually wasted such a treasure like this!
Wasn’t it supposed to be used against Zuo Hanfeng?
He believed that with Zuo Hanfeng, an Outer Scenery expert, at the forefront, the enemy would naturally target him first. He never expected to be met immediately with an Outer Scenery treasure, as if they had an endless supply to squander!
He struggled desperately, but against the Immortal Binding Rope, even ordinary Outer Scenery experts were helpless. The more he moved, the tighter the bindings became.
At this moment, a sword light entered his vision—pure, refined, brimming with deathly intent, sending chills down his spine.
“It’s over…”
“I refuse to accept this!”
Filled with frustration, he hadn’t even begun to unleash his techniques before being captured like a helpless lamb.
He wished he had used his secret treasure from the start!
The sword light struck his forehead, shattering his yuan-shen. Bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, Zhou Yong was like a sacrificial lamb under Jiang Zhimei’s sword, utterly defenseless.
Just then, a sinister and bloody aura surged from the depths of Zhou Yong’s yuan-shen, crossing vast distances to summon a mighty force!
Even from such a distance, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhimei could smell the pungent stench of blood, their yuan-shen seemingly submerged in blood, paralyzed with icy fear.
“He must not be allowed to descend!” This thought surged in Meng Qi’s mind. Without caring about revealing his identity, his right hand drew out the Tian Zhi Shang sword, slashing downward like a whip, directly targeting Zhou Yong!
He must destroy Zhou Yong and sever the connection before the opposing force could fully descend!
Dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed, and thunderous roars dispelled the ground’s malevolence.
The long blade descended from high above, like thunder from the heavens, embodying the five sensations of speed, slowness, emptiness, weight, and intensity.
Boom!
Lightning converged, forming a bolt of Azure Thunder as thick as a bucket.
Boom! Boom! Boom!…
Five consecutive Azure Thunders struck down, guiding the long blade to slam into Zhou Yong.
Due to the Immortal Binding Rope’s effect, Zhou Yong’s true qi and yuan-shen couldn’t coordinate the descent. At this moment, the mighty force had yet to tear through this space.
Boom!
The long blade cleaved Zhou Yong in two, electricity surging and engulfing his body.
Azure Thunder, embodying supreme yang energy, was the nemesis of all yin evils. The sinister, bloody aura struggled briefly before being decisively crushed.
The mighty force lost its connection and gradually dissipated into the void.
A cold snort echoed faintly in the emptiness.
Meng Qi gasped heavily, extending his left hand to retrieve the remaining items amidst the electricity.
It was a cracked Jizi Ring and an ancient mirror, divided into yin and yang, containing the power of life and death.
“A replica of the ‘Yinyang Mirror’?” A sudden realization struck Meng Qi, followed by a wave of dread.
If Zhou Yong had used the “Yinyang Mirror” immediately upon confrontation, at least one of their companions would have perished, and whether they could be revived through the yang side was uncertain…
Meng Qi and Jiang Zhimei exchanged glances, both seeing the sorrow in each other’s eyes. Zhou Yong had cultivated for many years, yet due to a mere replica of the Immortal Binding Rope, he died without even using a single technique. If it had been either of them, the outcome would likely have been the same.
Secret treasures were terrifying, and the cycle of reincarnation was perilous!
Suddenly, Meng Qi recalled the tale of *Investiture of the Gods*. Even cultivators at the Dharmakaya level or above, if they lost their treasures, could be humiliatingly pursued by disciples far inferior in cultivation and strength…
Thankfully, thankfully his Eight-Nine Mystical Art could withstand treasures directly. Yang Jian, the Second Son of Heaven, was truly a model to follow!
At this moment, Zuo Hanfeng had just shaken off the lingering effects of the “Dragon’s Roar” and witnessed Zhou Yong’s death.
His gaze turned icy cold, his aura slowly but seemingly endlessly increasing. His clothes tore, revealing skin etched with strange, glowing patterns.
These patterns emitted a mysterious glow, as if they were something extraordinary.
The icy chill intensified, and even Du Huaishang’s body surface began to freeze, taking great effort to dispel.
“Still a day or two away from full success, but enough to kill you all,” Zuo Hanfeng said coldly.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage