Chapter 298: Unexpected Disaster

The cultivators were all at Wingform- or Spiritsong-realm, and they would be core disciples or elders of their sects outside of the hidden realm. Within, however, they were nothing more than weaklings. Their bodies were quickly drained of all vitality until they were nothing more than dehydrated corpses. The shadows restraining them finally let go.

The blood peach of the peach tree had more than doubled in size, and it now radiated crimson light.

"Xiang Tanlang, Qiangwei, and Nalan Yunhai are all absent. Where are they?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"They're nearby, hidden in the darkness. Just like you, they're observing that peach tree," the Divine Emperor whispered.

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng glanced around himself in a guarded fashion.

Qiangwei and Nalan Yunhai were hidden in another part of the mountain range, shrouded by a layer of black smoke.

Nalan Yunhai's eyes twitched as he glanced at the blood peach tree. "Qiangwei, aren't we going to rescue them? Half of those cultivators are my subordinates!"

"No, we can't! They're all to be fertilizer for the blood peach tree. As long as you become an Immortal, there'll be plenty more cultivators willing to follow your lead. The deaths of these cultivators won't mean anything," Qiangwei replied coolly.

"Become an Immortal? Could you have become an Immortal by consuming a blood peach like that one there?" Nalan Yunhai exclaimed.

"How else?"

"You—aren't going to make me eat such a peach, are you?" Nalan Yunhai's brows furrowed.

"This blood peach was prepared specifically for you. Once you ingest it, you'll be able to become an Immortal."

Nalan Yunhai's eyes flashed. He struggled internally to accept this reality, but in the end, the desire for a shortcut to become an Immortal won out.

"But there's a group of shadows in the vicinity. Will we be able to seize the blood peach for ourselves?" Nalan Yunhai asked.

"I'm familiar with these shadows, and they'll cooperate with me. You should be concerned with the fact that the blood peach isn't yet mature. There's still an important component of the fertilizer missing," Qiangwei said.

"Ah? You mean, Xiang Tanlang?"

"That's right! Those cultivators' vitality will be able to bring you to the peak of Wingform-realm at most. To become an Immortal, the blood peach tree must use an Immortal's body as fertilizer. It took me tremendous effort to lure Xiang Tanlang in here."

"You knew of Xiang Tanlang's plan from the beginning? You were using me as bait to lure him in?" Nalan Yunhai grimaced.

He felt as though he was playing the role of a fool; Xiang Tanlang and Qiangwei had both managed to manipulate him into doing their bidding.

"Your Highness, how did Xiang Tanlang discover your spy? It's because he has a spy among your subordinates as well. I didn't want to raise a fuss and alert him, so I kept the secret to myself. All of what I've done has been to make you an Immortal, Your Highness. Please forgive me," Qiangwei said immediately.

"What? Xiang Tanlang has a spy among my subordinates?" Nalan Yunhai blanched. "Who?"

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, Your Highness. He's become fertilizer for the blood peach tree by this point."

Nalan Yunhai was still rather upset. His plan to set Xiang Tanlang against Xiao Nanfeng had been little more than a joke!

"But where's Xiang Tanlang?" Nalan Yunhai finally asked, ignoring his annoyance for the time being.

"I don't know myself. He's been bypassing the shadows somehow, which caught me off guard. However, since he's in this peach orchard, he won't be able to make it out. Once he exposes himself, he's dead meat."

"Xiang Tanlang's right there!" Nalan Yunhai exclaimed, pointing into the distance.

"Oh? He found his way here, too? And he's even revealing himself?" Qiangwei seemed surprised as well.

A figure floated in the air, none other than Xiang Tanlang himself.

Xiang Tanlang stared at the blood peach tree with unabashed glee. "What a treasure. This must be how that wench, Qiangwei, became an Immortal! The blood peach itself pales in comparison to the tree. If I bring it back to the Xiang clan, wouldn't the Xiang clan be able to produce an endless supply of Immortals?"

A few cultivators that had yet to die suddenly sensed hope in the form of Xiang Tanlang. They begged weakly, "King Tanlang, please save us!"

Xiang Tanlang ignored the cultivators, clearly indifferent to their survival. He simply wanted the blood peach tree.

"Catch him!" a shadow suddenly growled.

A group of shadows shot toward Xiang Tanlang.

"Catch me? Ha!" Xiang Tanlang flashed them a cold smile. "Do you know what happened to all the shadows that have tried to catch me along the way here?"

The moment the first shadow approached him, Xiang Tanlang punched at it. The shadow vanished.

"What? He has a treasure that can handle the shadow cursed effigies?" Qiangwei exclaimed.

Xiang Tanlang continued to punch at the shadows, which vanished one after the other. All the shadows that closed in on him were absorbed by the treasure in his hand.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"A dragon-quelling spike!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed from afar.

Xiang Tanlang held a dragon-quelling spike in his hand, which was absorbing the shadows one after another.

The shadows stopped short as they glanced at the spike in surprise.

"Is that copper spike a cursed effigy?" one shadow exclaimed.

"That's right. Only cursed effigies can counter other cursed effigies. To deal with you lot, the Xiang clan spent quite some time searching for a batch of cursed effigies with a power that counteracts yours. This dragon-quelling spike's a relic of considerable strength, isn't it? Come at me if you dare!" Xiang Tanlang taunted.

"Charge at him together!" the shadows growled as they shot forward.

However, Xiang Tanlang was even faster than they were. He shot toward the shadows like a beam of light, repeatedly absorbing them into the spike.

"You've been trapped for far too long, haven't you? All of you are weaklings!" Xiang Tanlang laughed as he easily took down the shadows.

The shadows were about as strong as Wingform-realm cultivators. No matter how fast they were, they could hardly hope to compete against an Immortal in speed.

Within a short amount of time, all the shadows had been absorbed into the dragon-quelling spike. Xiang Tanlang's surroundings quieted down.

Xiang Tanlang stepped through the air and smiled in a relaxed fashion as he turned toward his surroundings.

"Where are you, Qiangwei? Weren't you going to lure me into the peach orchard? Here I am. I have to thank you for cooperating with these shadows to reveal this peach tree to me. Otherwise, if I had charged in on my own, I might not ever have found it, haha!" Xiang Tanlang roared in laughter.

Nalan Yunhai widened his eyes as he whispered to Qiangwei, "Did he know of your plan?"

Qiangwei frowned, her face dark. "How does he know so much about the peach orchard? He had a cursed effigy that countered these shadows, but pretended to be fearful of the peach orchard all this time? What a schemer."

Xiang Tanlang continued to taunt Qiangwei from the air, as though attempting to uncover her location. Just then, he stopped short. His eyes lit up as he grinned with malice. "Found you."

Nalan Yunhai and Qiangwei blanched as they prepared to muster a defense,

but the next moment, they were both taken aback. Xiang Tanlang had shot toward a different direction entirely.

Xiao Nanfeng, seeing Xiang Tanlang head toward him, scrunched up his face in annoyance.

"Are you mad? Go attack Qiangwei if she's the one you're interested in. Leave me alone!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

He had no choice but to defend against Xiang Tanlang's attack with his blade.

Sparks flashed as Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying by a tremendous force. Xiang Tanlang stilled.

"Xiao Nanfeng? What are you doing here?" Xiang Tanlang exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng stabilized himself and replied, "If you didn't know it was me, why were you attacking me?"

Xiang Tanlang frowned. He hadn't expected this turn of events, either. He thought he had found Qiangwei, but he had ended up with Xiao Nanfeng instead!

"What are you carrying with you? Why is the dragon-quelling spike reacting to your presence?" Xiang Tanlang demanded.

Xiao Nanfeng looked toward his divine undying blade. He understood what had happened, now—his blade had revealed his location. He was hoping to see Xiang Tanlang and Qiangwei take on each other, but things had suddenly turned in Qiangwei's favor!

"You're not a bad consolation prize. I have to take revenge for Xiang Pojun, anyway. Xiao Nanfeng, die!" Xiang Tanlang shouted, charging forward at him.

Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes as he swung his divine undying blade at full strength.

The blade met the fist in a scorching explosion of flames. Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying again, and Xiang Tanlang himself stilled.

"Haven't you just stepped into Wingform-realm? Why is your strength on par with cultivators at the peak of Wingform? Something's very strange about it—it's not much different from mine. You've almost managed to gain an Immortal's strength! How did you do it?" Xiang Tanlang exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng considered what Xiang Tanlang had said. He had made use of his spiritual power to defend against Xiang Tanlang's blow. He was at the peak of Lunar Deluge, just barely brushing against the threshold into Yin Body. In this place where reality and illusion melded together, his spiritual power bolstered his strength significantly.

"You don't need to know." Xiao Nanfeng charged forward.

"You dare?" Xiang Tanlang's eyes flashed.

The two cultivators exchanged blows once again as Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying. In terms of strength, he was still no match for Xiang Tanlang.

"Is it because of spiritual power? Have you already reached Yin Body, lad? Even so, you're weaker than I am. You'll die today!" Xiang Tanlang declared.

"Says who?"

Xiao Nanfeng sheathed his blade and charged forward with a punch.

Xiang Tanlang was taken aback. "You're going to fight me with your bare fists? Are you trying to commit suicide?"

"Again!" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

Compared to the blade, Xiao Nanfeng was far more proficient with the fist. Since he couldn't win against Xiang Tanlang with strength, he might as well switch to his specialty.

"Insolence. Die!"

"Hegemon's Fist!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.