Chapter 288: Slaying an Immortal

High in the sky above the city of Yongding, the cultivators that had accompanied Xiang Pojun were in shock. They expected that Xiang Pojun would have been able to kill Xiao Nanfeng instantly, but he had been trapped by a bell! They were all unprotected outside the bell; what if someone launched a sneak attack on them?

Indeed, what they feared came to pass. You Jiu appeared behind them and slew half of their number in a single slash.

"Save us, King Pojun!" The remaining cultivators fled, but Croak and Warble had been waiting for them. They ate the cultivators one after another, killing them all.

Within the city, the common people who had been fearing the Immortal incursion were shocked by what they were seeing. Had the Immortal been dealt with so simply?

The Divine Emperor's bell had tolled twice before it shrank down and flew to the side. Two figures were apparent: the red-clad Xiao Nanfeng and Xiang Pojun, their eyes closed and their bodies immobile. A barrier of rainbow light surrounded Xiang Pojun's body and drew everyone's attention.

The Divine Emperor's bell floated not far away, humming as it maintained the illusory realm.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng's main body floated into the air from the Xiao manor. Beside him stood Yu'er, Zhao Yuanjiao, Ye Dafu, Ye Sanshui, two Wingform-realm Taiqing elders, the Sanyuan sect master, and Sage Hong'e.

"Everyone, strike at the barrier around Xiang Pojun's body simultaneously!" Xiao Nanfeng's main body commanded.

"Got it!" everyone replied.

"Now!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

The twelve Wingform-realm cultivators struck at once with swords, fists, and palms.

The frightening assault formed a mushroom cloud of extreme proportions above the city of Yongding. The resulting shockwaves sent tremors through the ground.

Even the defensive formation around the city was buffeted by the shockwaves in a shocking display of power.

At the center of the explosion, the radiant barrier flickered violently, as though it were almost about to crack, but barely survived intact.

The Wingform-realm cultivators gaped.

"Are Immortals that strong?" Croak asked.

"I'm at the peak of Wingform-realm. I thought I was just a step away from becoming a toad Immortal, but isn't this too large a gap?" Warble added.

"Let's try again." Yu'er refused to give in.

"The jade ornament in front of his chest released a burst of golden light to augment the radiant barrier's defenses. That was why we couldn't break through. Even if we were to try again, it'd be useless." Zhao Yuanjiao frowned.

"No, not quite! The radiant barrier was flickering violently. We just need a bit more strength," Xiao Nanfeng's main body said.

"But how? We've already been using our strongest attacks!" Zhao Yuanjiao frowned.

Xiao Nanfeng turned toward the outskirts of the city. "Mr. Zheng, let's do it!"

"Got it!" Zheng Qian replied. He had been stationed in a patch of land shrouded by fog.

Just then, the land around Yongding began to rumble as a dragon's keen emerged from underground. The mountains around Yongding collapsed, and many of the buildings within the city began to shake.

"Nanfeng, are you going to excavate the draconic vein under Yongding, too?!" Yu'er exclaimed.

"You intend to sacrifice the whole draconic vein for an empowered slash?" Zhao Yuanjiao exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng tossed out a talisman from the Immortal's Destruction as he shouted, "Everyone, get ready!"

Golden light radiated through the sky. A slash of incredible proportions shot straight toward Xiang Pojun.

"Now!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

"Kill!" the cultivators chorused.

In conjunction with the golden blade, all the cultivators attacked the rainbow barrier around Xiang Pojun's body simultaneously.

A frightening burst of energy lit up the sky, and a fiery mushroom cloud formed around the point of impact. The resulting shockwaves leveled the mountains around Yongding and covered up the sky in a layer of dust and grit. It was as though evening had suddenly dawned.

After the huge explosion, the radiant barrier shattered and revealed Xiang Pojun's exposed body.

"We succeeded!" Yu'er exclaimed.

"Kill!" The cultivators charged over.

Just then, the Spirit Emperor's charm flashed with golden light once more, forming a golden barrier that protected Xiang Pojun's physical body.

The barrier blocked everyone's attacks.

"What? Another barrier? Was all our hard work for naught?!" Zhao Yuanjiao shouted.

"No, hold on! That bell made it within the barrier!" Yu'er exclaimed.

The moment the barrier had dissipated, the Divine Emperor's bell had shrunk in size and plastered itself to Xiang Pojun's head like a hat. The new golden barrier hadn't excluded the bell from its interior.

"Something's rather suspicious about this bell, isn't it? How can it move on its own?" Zhao Yuanjiao wondered.

"Look! It looks as though there's something inside the bell!" Ye Dafu exclaimed.

A pair of pitch-black hands slowly formed around the rim of the Divine Emperor's bell. The Divine Emperor himself was reaching out as he placed both hands lightly above Xiang Pojun's forehead.

"Isn't that a shadow cursed effigy?" Ye Dafu exclaimed.

He had barely avoided having his head plucked off his body by a shadow cursed effigy in this manner, and he was very familiar with what the shadow was planning.

"Has the cursed king made its move?" Yu'er, knowing the truth, watched on in anticipation.

At the same time, within the illusory realm, Xiang Pojun's spiritual avatar self-destructed, causing him to wake up in his physical body with a start.

However, all his spiritual power had been consumed by his self-destruction, and his truesoul had sustained significant damage as well. He was barely able to open his eyes with what few mental faculties remained operational at the moment.

In this state, he was completely unable to harness the Immortal energy within his body. His sole thought was to flee from this accursed place.

"Xiao Nanfeng, once I recover my spiritual power, all of Yongding will perish alongside you!" Xiang Pojun howled as he fled.

The next moment, however, he found himself completely unable to move. There was a pair of pitch-black palms on his head. He suddenly sensed something deeply amiss.

"Impossible. Is this a shadow cursed effigy? How could it have closed in on me? Spirit Emperor's charm, save me! Save me! No—" Xiang Pojun shouted.

However, it was too late for him now. With a pop, the Divine Emperor plucked Xiang Pojun's head off his body. His struggles seized, and the golden barrier around his body dissipated.

His eyes were still open in shock and disbelief. Even Hong Lie had fallen to him. How had he perished to a group of Wingform-realm cultivators?

The Divine Emperor tossed Xiang Pojun's head to Xiao Nanfeng, then vanished alongside the Divine Emperor's bell. It had transformed back into a storage ring tattooed on Xiao Nanfeng's finger.

The cultivators gaped at what they had witnessed—the fall of an Immortal.

There still seemed to be at least a remnant fragment of Xiang Pojun's soul in his head, for it attempted to flee from Xiao Nanfeng's captivity. However, as Xiao Nanfeng sent his own spiritual power into the head, that remnant spiritual power was wiped out. Xiang Pojun had completely died.

With a wave of Xiao Nanfeng's hand, the Spirit Emperor's charm and Xiang Pojun's storage treasures flew into his hands.

Xiang Pojun's corpse was radiating light as the Immortal energy dissipated. Croak swallowed up the corpse as its body began to glow with light. It sighed in relaxation.

Xiao Nanfeng held Xiang Pojun's head as he looked toward Zhao Yuanjiao. "Senior Brother, thank you for lending me your support during my time of need. Let's return to the sect and sacrifice Xiang Pojun's head to put Senior Uncle to rest for good."

"Of course!" Zhao Yuanjiao replied.

Xiao Nanfeng's main body, along with a group of Taiqing disciples, quickly flew out of Yongding and toward Taiqing Island.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar had woken up. He looked toward the Sanyuan sect master and Sage Hong'e. "Sect masters, thank you for your assistance."

"Of course, Young Master Xiao. We're part of the Xiao forces now. Your aid is our responsibility."

The two sect masters were still agape at what had just transpired. They had struggled for a long time before finally agreeing to help deal with Xiang Pojun, and they wouldn't have dared to strike if they hadn't seen him trapped in an illusion with his physical body immobile. Fortunately, they had succeeded.

Their shock only heightened their respect toward Xiao Nanfeng. Regardless of how Xiao Nanfeng had managed to kill Xiang Pojun, his success indicated that his faction was growing rapidly in strength; it was strong enough to kill an Immortal. They were relieved that they had chosen to ally with Xiao Nanfeng early.

"Your contribution will be recorded and a reward given at a later date. For the moment, the Taiqing disciples among the troops will likely have to return to Taiqing Island to pay their respects to Division Leader Hong Lie again. For the time being, Marquis Wu's lands will be only sparsely defended, and I'll need to trouble you both to contribute to the defense," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Yes, Young Master!" The two cultivators bowed.

They were filled with hope for their sects' future, giving them the motivation and incentive to prove themselves. They immediately headed off toward the frontlines to join in the defense.

After that, Xiao Nanfeng returned to the city with Croak, Warble, and You Jiu.

The defensive formation around Yongding had been deactivated again, and the guards on patrol in the city were quickly tabulating the damage caused by the earthquake from the excavation of Yongding's draconic vein as they rescued the common people from disaster.

The common people cheered for Xiao Nanfeng. None made a big fuss; given what they knew of their young leader, they were certain that Xiao Nanfeng would arrange for everything.

The spies in Yongding had chills go down their spine upon seeing the slaughter of an Immortal. Momentarily at a loss, they hurried out of Yongding and began spreading word of what had happened.

The news of another fallen Immortal spread quickly throughout the Tianshu Empire, and then the Immortal sects of the Eastern Sea. Several sects that had been intending to participate in the internecine conflict between empires past and present hesitated as they turned toward Yongding.