Chapter 296: An Epic Show

Nalan Yunhai and Qiangwei struck with a group of their subordinates. Within moments, they defeated the cultivator acting as You Jiu and retrieved the bloodied 'Xiao Nanfeng'.

The torturers fled in shock, but Nalan Yunhai's subordinates quickly gave chase.

"Xiao Nanfeng, wouldn't it have been far better to stay in Yongding? And yet here you are in the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm. You truly have a death wish, don't you? Where's my third brother, Nalan Feng? Did you kill him?" Nalan Yunhai demanded.

The fake Xiao Nanfeng suddenly knelt down and began to point insistently toward his tongue, as though trying to communicate something.

"His tongue's been cut off, and he can't speak?" Qiangwei guessed.

"Hold on! His face might be bruised and swollen, but the contours don't match Xiao Nanfeng's. He's someone else!" Mr. Hua exclaimed.

"What?!" the cultivators exclaimed.

Qiangwei retrieved a pill and had 'Xiao Nanfeng' ingest it. Simultaneously, she infused rainbow light into his mouth, allowing his tongue to regrow quickly.

"Your Highness, it's me! I was undercover as Xiang Tanlang's subordinate. You ordered me to induce him to kill Xiao Nanfeng, but he found out long ago that I was a spy. He didn't manage to catch Xiao Nanfeng; rather, he used me as bait. He killed my avatar and hung and tortured me here as bait for you. You've fallen for their trap!"

The cultivators blanched.

Just then, Xiang Tanlang shot toward Nalan Yunhai from afar alongside three cultivators clad in multicolored light.

"Nalan Yunhai? And you wench over there—did you really think I would be tricked so easily? You're dead meat now, haha!" Xiang Tanlang slashed at Nalan Yunhai with his blade.

"Protect His Highness!" Qiangwei cried out.

She drew her blade and met Xiang Tanlang's attack.

The clash of weapons spawned a shockwave of energy in the air, tossing aside the weaker cultivators all around.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Xiang Tanlang's initial assault failed, but he didn't give up. He slashed at Qiangwei again, who rapidly blocked. Sparks flared from their weapons.

"Xiang Tanlang, you'd rather scheme against His Highness than avenge your brother?" Qiangwei shouted.

"Xiao Nanfeng escaped from my clutches. What would you have me do? Rather than be upset at the loss, why not take the opportunity to kill Nalan Yunhai? He's the second prince of the Tianshu Empire. Killing him would be more meaningful." Xiang Tanlang roared in laughter.

"You!" Qiangwei blanched.

"Save me, Qiangwei!" Nalan Yunhai shouted from afar.

Although his subordinates had surrounded and protected him, his opponents were simply too strong. Three skeletal giants glowing with rainbow light were rampaging through the group. Each attack would kill a single cultivator. They were furiously attacking those around them, and were right about to approach Nalan Yunhai.

"Use your Immortal relics as bombs to protect His Highness!" Qiangwei shouted.

The cultivators tossed out their Immortal relics and destroyed them in mid-air. The resulting explosions barely held back the three skeletal giants in abeyance.

Qiangwei turned to Xiang Tanlang. "You've lured three Immortal divine slaves over? Are you trying to kill us all?!"

"No, not at all. All my subordinates have retreated, after all. You're the only ones who will suffer from the assault." Xiang Tanlang smirked.

Qiangwei grimaced to see Nalan Yunhai in dire straits. Even the exploding Immortal relics wouldn't suffice to hold the bone giants back for long. Meanwhile, Xiang Tanlang was holding her back from lending them support.

"Head to the peach orchard! Divine slaves can't enter. You'll be safe once you get inside!" Qiangwei cried out.

"Flee!" Nalan Yunhai howled in desperation.

Nalan Yunhai and what remained of his guards rushed toward the peach orchard surrounded by black fog.

Xiang Tanlang narrowed his eyes. He hadn't anticipated that Nalan Yunhai would flee toward the peach orchard.

"The peach orchard is filled with shadows. Are you trying to kill them even more rapidly?" Xiang Tanlang sneered.

"You've never been in the orchard, have you? How do you know that what awaits them is a group of shadows?" Qiangwei sniffed with disdain.

Xiang Tanlang frowned. He felt as though he had miscalculated. He struck Qiangwei and knocked her aside, then rushed off toward Nalan Yunhai.

"Hold it!" Qiangwei shouted, giving chase.

The two Immortals began to fight once more. Qiangwei held Xiang Tanlang back to buy time for Nalan Yunhai.

Before they reached the peach orchard, a cultivator asked, "Your Highness, isn't the orchard filled with shadows? Can we really enter?"

"Qiangwei wouldn't harm me. Follow me!" Nalan Yunhai shouted.

Nalan Yunhai led the cultivators into the peach orchard surrounded by black fog. The next moment, the three Immortal divine slaves halted, as though there were some mysterious strength restricting them from entering.

Just then, Xiang Tanlang sent Qiangwei flying toward the three Immortal divine slaves, who instantly began to attack her.

"No!" Qiangwei cried.

She was hardly strong enough to fight one-on-three, and quickly began to suffer.

Meanwhile, Xiang Tanlang left the battlefield. He considered his options. What was he to do? Should he chase Nalan Yunhai into the peach orchard? Indeed, he wouldn't be satisfied until he saw him dead!

"Everyone, head into the peach orchard with me!" Xiang Tanlang shouted.

He followed Nalan Yunhai's tracks within. His subordinates, who had lain hidden, rushed out and followed him in.

"Hold it!" Qiangwei shouted anxiously.

Unfortunately, it was no use. Surrounded by three Immortal divine slaves, she couldn't halt Xiang Tanlang's advance at all.

After all the cultivators had rushed into the peach orchard, Qiangwei allowed one divine slave to deal her a heavy blow as she escaped from their assault and rushed into the peach orchard herself.

When the three divine slaves looked around to see everyone gone, they twisted their heads, patrolled the area once, and then left the region.

Only after everyone had vanished did Xiao Nanfeng finally climb out of the ruins within which he had been ensconced.

"That woman, Qiangwei... Why did she smile in such a sinister fashion as she charged into the peach orchard? Could she have been planning all this? Was she acting, too? Was her goal to lure Xiang Tanlang within? From the looks of it, even Nalan Yunhai was caught in her trap. She's a dangerous one," Xiao Nanfeng murmured to himself.

He strolled toward the corpses of the cultivators who had been killed by the divine slaves. They had plenty of treasure on them—two Immortal swords in addition to their storage artifacts—and left Xiao Nanfeng rather pleased with his haul.

Just as he was about to reach for the next corpse, it moved.

"Oh? Feigning death, I see. Let me finish the job, then." Xiao Nanfeng was about to slash at the cultivator with his Immortal sword.

"No, please! Young Master Xiao, spare me! I was simply too injured to move. I wasn't playing dead!" The cultivator hastily stood up and begged for mercy.

"Oh? Mr. Hua, we meet again." Xiao Nanfeng's eyes flashed.

"Young Master Xiao, what a coincidence..." Mr. Hua trailed off awkwardly.

Why was he this unlucky?!

"This isn't another avatar, is it?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"No, Young Master Xiao! This is my main body. Please spare me. I was only acting on orders. I'm innocent!" Mr. Hua pleaded.

"In that case, what should I do about your attempt to trick me? If I hadn't escaped quickly, I would already have died. Why don't you pay for your transgression with your life?" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"No, don't kill me! I'll provide compensation in terms of Immortal relics! His Highness and a part of his subordinates have entered the peach orchard, but another part is still searching for Immortal relics in the vicinity. They haven't returned, and they likely have a big haul by now. I can bring you to their camp and allow you to ambush them there," Mr. Hua cried out.

Xiao Nanfeng pursed his lips and considered the offer for a moment before he nodded. "Lead the way!"

"Please, follow me!" Mr. Hua exclaimed.