Chapter 428: Fighting All Around

The moment the doors to the Yanluo Court closed, Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath. His plan had succeeded—manipulating the Yanluo Lords against each other, tossing out bait, and adding fuel to fire. He would be safe for the moment.

As for the seal on his body, that didn't matter at all. He switched to his physical body.

"He's planning to resist! Stop him!" a horse-headed humanoid cried out.

Ten golden crows shot out. The horse-headed humanoids that had rushed over were sent flying, but there were simply too many of them this time around.

In the blink of an eye, the ten golden crows were restrained, and Xiao Nanfeng was surrounded by a group of horse-headed humanoids.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Die!"

"You dare resist? Attack him together!"

The horse-headed humanoids leapt at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Kill!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

He drew the divine undying blade and instantly killed the horse-headed humanoid at the forefront, but they came in such great numbers and were able to heal their cursed spiritual avatars near-immediately that even he was overwhelmed. Even the blood peach tree didn't dare absorb the defeated right then and there.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned Lady Yaoguang from the Divine Seal of Dazheng.

"Yaoguang, I need your help!" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

Lady Yaoguang's blue moon barrier was something even the Horse Yanluo couldn't break. He was certain she would be able to help.

Lady Yaoguang stepped out and widened her eyes at the scene before them. "Nanfeng, you're already an Earth Immortal?"

Xiao Nanfeng smiled and was just about to say something when Lady Yaoguang continued, "You're almost half as strong as I am now!"

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

He didn't know what to say. Despite the fact that they hadn't met in years, Lady Yaoguang's personality didn't seem to have changed much.

"Be careful! There's a cursed effigy headed your way," Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

Lady Yaoguang focused and drew a blue sword. "Evil, begone."

The horse-headed humanoid was instantly cut apart by a blue slash. He shrieked, large quantities of smoke emanating where he had been cut. He seemed unable to regenerate for a long time.

"Die!" Lady Yaoguang shouted, rushing forward with her sword.

Where the blue sword struck, the horse-headed humanoids were all cut apart, one slash for every cursed effigy. The sword never missed; compared to the horse-headed humanoids' own Immortal weapons, the blue sword was clearly superior. It met no resistance whatsoever.

Xiao Nanfeng relaxed, Lady Yaoguang having relieved him of much of his pressure. He stared at her in shock, not expecting that she would be so strong against these cursed effigies.

When the blood peach tree saw that the danger had passed, it too began to absorb the spoils of war.

"Die!" Lady Yaoguang shouted.

"Die!" Xiao Nanfeng picked up the chant.

The two cultivators each took care of a swathe of cursed effigies, none of whom now posed any threat to the two of them. They were quickly diced up—and then the blood peach tree took advantage.

"Run!" a horse-headed humanoid cried out.

"You won't be able to escape," Xiao Nanfeng said coolly.

"I won't let you flee!" Lady Yaoguang shouted.

The two cultivators seemed to be trying to compete with each other about how many cursed effigies they could kill. None of the horse-headed humanoids escaped; the blood peach tree had a grand feast,

"It's a pity that I wasn't able to kill twice as many cursed effigies as you did. Nanfeng, you've improved tremendously!" Lady Yaoguang made no mention of the fact that her blue sword had done much of the work. She raised her chin with a proud smile.

Xiao Nanfeng wanted to laugh. "I'm grateful for your kind words, Lady Yaoguang."

Lady Yaoguang preened. Then, she asked, "Nanfeng, aren't we heading out?"

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. He recounted what had just happened.

"Oh? There are a group of Yanluo Lords fighting each other outside?"

"The Dragon Yanluo's cursed spiritual avatar isn't just an infusion of strength. If the Horse Yanluo swallows it whole, he'll gain the strength and abilities of two Yanluo Lords and break the equilibrium in the Netherworld Palace. That would be a disaster for the remaining Yanluo Lords, so they must be fighting to the death. If we want to escape, the Yanluo Lords aren't the danger. The Heaven Immortal cursed effigies are," Xiao Nanfeng opined.

"If it's as chaotic as you say, we might be able to sneak out," Lady Yaoguang replied contemplatively.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. Let me have a look. I can pass through the doors to the Yanluo Court, but only on my own at the moment. The cost of bringing another person with me is too significant. Please return to the Divine Seal of Dazheng for now."

"Once we emerge, release me immediately. You're not strong enough yet, and you'll have to rely on me," Lady Yaoguang said.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled wryly and nodded. He knew that Lady Yaoguang simply wanted to protect him.

By then, the blood peach tree had finished its meal, and it vanished once again.

After Xiao Nanfeng sent Lady Yaoguang into the Divine Seal of Dazheng, he waved a hand. Candle flames flared up, turning the void red. He darted out of the Yanluo Court, only to find himself swamped by a sea of flames.

"Where did all these flames come from?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Just now, when the Ox and Monkey Yanluos turned against the Horse Yanluo, they had deliberately knocked the Horse Yanluo into the air to prevent him from activating the power of his Yanluo Court.

"He's rushing toward his Yanluo Court again. Stop him!" the Monkey Yanluo howled.

"He won't succeed. At best, he can only control it remotely," the Ox Yanluo replied.

The Horse Yanluo roared, "You dare rob me? Dream on! This is the nexus of my power!"

"If you can't interact with your Yanluo Court, everything's useless," the Ox Yanluo retorted.

Just then, a huge commotion rang out from below the Yanluo Court. A huge firestorm formed in the air.

"More Yanluo Lords?" the Horse Yanluo raged.

"King, it's the Dog Yanluo! He's trying to run off with the Yanluo Court!" an ox-headed humanoid reported from down below.

"Haha, Dog Yanluo, you're here too? You hid so well I didn't even notice you. Well done. Take his Yanluo Court away and prevent him from using it ever again! Don't worry, we'll hold him back!" The Ox Yanluo laughed.

"Hold it!" the Horse Yanluo roared.

However, with the two Yanluo Lords opposing him, there was little he could do.

As time progressed, more and more cursed effigies of immense strength gathered in the capital of Wu. If the Horse Yanluo were to seize the Dragon Yanluo for himself and disrupt the balance of the Netherworld Palace, everyone else would suffer. As a result, the Yanluo Lords all struck ruthlessly at the Horse Yanluo.

Afar, the Dog Yanluo continued to attack the Yanluo Court. If he could claim the Yanluo Court and drag it away, the cloud of annihilation would rain down on Wu, and the Horse Yanluo would lose the source of his power.

"Volcanic realm of hell, seal the Yanluo Court!" the Horse Yanluo shouted.

Heaven and earth collapsed around the Yanluo Court as endless flames burst out from underground, roaring up into the air in a giant plume that covered the Yanluo Court.

The next moment, the cloud of annihilation overhead began to roil. A copy of Heaven's Hand emerged and headed straight for the sea of flames.

"Beware!" the cursed effigies shouted.

The cursed effigies in the sea of flames found themselves caught by Heaven's Hand and smashed into powder.

The cursed effigies all around retreated from the sea of flames in fear, and the Heaven's Hand likewise returned to the cloud of annihilation.

"Horse Yanluo, are you trying to emulate the Dragon Yanluo? You're using the shards of the volcanic hell to seal your Yanluo Court away?" the Dog Yanluo thundered.

"My formation does emulate the sea of karmic flame. If you want to try to seize my Yanluo Court, it might only heavily wound you. Why don't you give it a try?" the Horse Yanluo suggested with a smile.

"Do you think I can't do anything against you?!"

The Dog Yanluo leapt into the air and joined the two other Yanluo Lords in attacking the Horse Yanluo, while no cursed effigy dared brave the sea of flames below.

Just then, Xiao Nanfeng stepped out of the Yanluo Court and was completely immersed in raging flames.