Chapter 407: Battle Over the Yanluo Courts

Worried that Huo Qing's testimony might be flawed, Xiao Nanfeng didn't intend on trusting it all. He simply wanted an accurate assessment of the Goat Yanluo's strength, which the blood peach tree would be able to verify.

When the blood peach tree absorbed Huo Qing's yin body, Xiao Nanfeng murmured, "A crystal barrier and a crystal knife...? The Goat Yanluo seems to be rather exceptional."

Peach blossoms scattered through the air. "I suspect the Goat Yanluo has returned to Fengdu to await the next full moon so that he might retrieve something from the abyss."

"I thought so too. I suspect that his subordinates only made it out last full moon, but Yin took them away. That was why he chased after Yin, and it looks like he's managed to reclaim them."

"I've seen what you've been doing these past few days. Do you intend to take on the Goat Yanluo?"

"I can't hide anything from you, Senior. Will you help me?"

The blood peach tree shook as more blossoms fell. "I'm not strong enough to do so, but I can handle his subordinates."

Xiao Nanfeng considered this briefly, then smiled. "Thank you, Senior."

The next full moon arrived quickly.

The Goat Yanluo and his subordinates waited by the mouth of the abyss.

"King, Xiao Nanfeng's staring at us from the eastern watchtower," one cursed effigy reported.

The Goat Yanluo was dressed in white brocade with draconic motifs lined in gold. He turned to Xiao Nanfeng and smirked. "He has made a miscalculation."

"Right, he's waiting until the Immortal Emperor's reinforcements arrive. Unfortunately, they haven't yet shown up. After tonight, when you retrieve your Yanluo Court, King, it'd be too late for any reinforcements." One of his subordinates smiled.

The Goat Yanluo shook his head and smiled coldly. "Perhaps the Immortal Emperor's reinforcements are planning something of their own."

"Oh?"

"There's no need to worry about such matters for now. After tonight, there'll be no one I need fear. What I've suffered will be worth it," the Goat Yanluo said.

"We've had to resist our urges to devour people from other neighboring cities lately in order to avoid additional complications. Bearing with those urges has been difficult," another subordinate joked.

"Worry not. Once I reclaim my Yanluo Court, I'll be able to break the barrier surrounding Fengdu. The whole city will be yours to feast on."

"Thank you, King!" the cursed effigies replied.

Just then, the full moon brimmed with light. A ray of moonlight illuminated the mouth of the abyss. Heaven's Hand seemed delineated for a moment. Black smoke surged out through its fingers, dyeing the skies black.

A huge chorus of roars emerged from its depths. Just like last time, demons were poised to emerge from deep within.

"Scram!" the Goat Yanluo shouted,

his imposing voice echoing all the way down. The black smoke roiled; the roars faded away.

No more demons tried to emerge. After some time, a blinding beam of light shot out with a tremendous aura, causing the black smoke to dissipate.

"King, it's coming!" one cursed effigy cried out in excitement.

The Goat Yanluo waited with anticipation. He motioned for the light to rise; the light shot forth. It was as though a gigantic object were slowly floating up the abyss.

From the eastern watchtower in the distance, Xiao Nanfeng and the others were eyeing the abyss.

"A hall shining white all over..." Chang Bing exclaimed.

"That's a Yanluo Court. It must belong to the Goat Yanluo!" Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes.

"It must be an incredible treasure. If the Goat Yanluo takes over the Yanluo Court, won't his strength rise rapidly? He might take advantage of the situation to attack Fengdu!" Chang Bing said in worry.

"There's no 'might' about it. He surely will," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"What should we do? The reinforcements from the Immortal Emperor haven't yet arrived. If they manage to take down the city, the people will all suffer!"

"How do you know the reinforcements haven't arrived?" Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"If they had, then... Hold on, do you mean to say that..." Chang Bing exclaimed in surprise.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "They've arrived, and there's more than one. They're likely hidden somewhere outside the city."

"If they're here, why haven't they shown themselves? Why haven't they done anything?" Chang Bing exclaimed in astonishment.

"What manner of treasure could have a cursed king lie in wait for so long despite the indignity? What's a little wait to them if they can obtain such a treasure?"

"You mean to say that the reinforcements have hidden themselves in order to seize the Goat Yanluo's treasure? But what if the people of Fengdu are decimated before they can stop him?"

"To some people, the life of ordinary people is no concern."

"But they're reinforcements sent by the Immortal Emperor himself! How can they neglect the people? Aren't they afraid of recrimination? Division Leader Xiao, could you be mistaken?"

"We'll see in a moment."

Chang Bing's features distorted in a frown.

"Remember, don't worry about anyone else but the Goat Yanluo's subordinates. When we make a move, we can't allow any of them to escape," Xiao Nanfeng warned.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

With a hum, the white Yanluo Court steadily flew out of the abyss. However, there were ten black chains wrapped around it and holding it down, refusing to let it go free.

"Crystalline annihilation!" the Goat Yanluo shouted, slashing at the chains.

His crystal knife easily shattered one chain, allowing the Yanluo Court to fly up higher.

Without any rest, the Goat Yanluo continued to shatter the remaining chains one by one, freeing the Yanluo Court. Every chain that shattered caused it to shine brighter and give off even more energy.

With a final strike, the Goat Yanluo cut apart the last chain. A huge tempest formed in the void as the Yanluo Court radiated with intense light, illuminating the land.

Just then, a figure shot toward the Goat Yanluo so quickly it seemed like a meteor falling from the heavens. The figure slashed at the Goat Yanluo with a blade; the resulting shockwave of energy was so intense that the Goat Yanluo might have fallen to a single slash.

"A Heaven Immortal!" Chang Bing cried out from the watchtower.

"The Goat Yanluo was deliberately giving any attackers an opening to strike. This Heaven Immortal was far too impatient—he exposed himself too early. He's done for!" Xiao Nanfeng analyzed.

The figure found himself blocked by a crystal barrier. His blade chipped it; all that energy spent just for a crack in the barrier.

"Bind, crystalline barrier!" the Goat Yanluo commanded.

The figure was trapped within a crystal orb. He furiously attacked the interior of the orb, but couldn't break free at all.

"Crystalline annihilation!" The Goat Yanluo slashed right through the orb, shattering the man's blade and cutting all the way through his body.

"No! Save me, Crown Prince!" the man shouted.

"Hold it!" a furious shout came from the forest in the distance.

Unfortunately, the crystal knife was too fast to stop.

The cultivator was bisected as blood sprayed through the air. A Heaven Immortal had died in an instant. Everyone watched on, shuddering.

"Insolence! Kill him!" another shout came from within the forest.

The next moment, several figures shot toward the Goat Yanluo, brandishing their weapons.

"There are quite a few of them, aren't there?" The Goat Yanluo frowned.

With a wave of his hand, a crystalline barrier formed around him, blocking the Immortals' charge.

The Heaven Immortals were relatively strong. They struck furiously, shattering the crystal barrier and continuing on toward the Goat Yanluo. The Goat Yanluo frowned, using his palms as blades as he slashed at the incoming cultivators.

The Goat Yanluo, fighting one against many, repelled the gathered Heaven Immortals, but they had no intention of stopping. They continued to charge toward the Goat Yanluo.

The Heaven Immortals waged a heated battle by the mouth of the abyss in waves of terrible force. Reverberations of incredible magnitude caused the mountains all around the abyss to collapse.

The strength of Heaven Immortals was beyond compare. Even the Goat Yanluo was mired in the fighting.

Just then, a man in red flew into the battlefield, guarded on either side by a Heaven Immortal. The ordinary cursed effigies that shot toward him from all around were sent flying.

"Crown Prince, this is the legendary Yanluo Court, a treasure of the deep abyss!" one guard said.

"Although some of my subordinates have been killed, this treasure is well worth the effort of claiming it," the crown prince said.

He manifested a huge facsimile of his palm, then clawed at the white Yanluo Court with it, as though intending to hold it firmly in his hand.

Just then, a figure appeared before the Yanluo Court, shattering the crown prince's manifestation with a palm strike of his own. A tempest formed from the impact.

"Who dares?" the crown prince shouted.

Afar, Chang Bing and the others gasped. "Yin! He's back!"

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Yin stood before the Yanluo Court and stared at the crown prince, smiling coldly. "You have no right to this Yanluo Court."

"Insolence!" shouted the crown prince's two Heaven Immortal guards. They slashed at Yin with their swords.

Yin howled, sound waves manifesting in the form of a huge black tiger that charged forward, swiping at everything in its way. It shattered the two Heaven Immortals' nascent attacks—and their Immortal swords as well.

The two Heaven Immortals blanched, attacking instead with their palms. A devastating tempest formed at the point of impact as they pulled the crown prince away.