Chapter 429: Claiming Another Yanluo Court

The moment Xiao Nanfeng emerged from the Yanluo Court, he found himself swamped by fire.

These flames were particularly extraordinary, and they seemed to be even more vicious than the karmic flames that he had experienced before. However, they were unable to get through his Imposing Avatar of Rulai, and could only enter his body when he actively attempted to absorb them.

"What's going on now? Why is the Yanluo Court in flames?" Xiao Nanfeng wondered.

He retrieved Lady Yaoguang from the Divine Seal of Dazheng and released his ten golden crows, which surrounded Lady Yaoguang and helped her absorb the flames coming her way.

"Nanfeng, why is this place full of flames?" Lady Yaoguang exclaimed.

"I'm not sure either. I suspect it's coming from the pit of flames around the Yanluo Court." Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"You don't have to protect me with your golden crows. I have my blue moon barrier. These flames might be domineering, but they won't be able to do anything against me.

"Very well!" Xiao Nanfeng nodded and had his ten golden crows disperse.

Lady Yaoguang's body shimmered with blue light as a barrier formed, blocking the flames all around her.

The two cultivators crept toward the boundary of the flames, where they could vaguely see a huge melee taking place.

"The battle's growing more and more intense. There are horse-, ox-, monkey-, and even dog-headed cursed effigies out there now. We'd be discovered the moment we stepped out," Lady Arclight murmured in worry.

Xiao Nanfeng looked up at the sky. The sound of battle was ceaseless, but a thick layer of dust obscured what was happening within. He could vaguely hear the Yanluo Lords roar in outrage. Clearly, the battle had reached a white-hot frenzy.

"They're all mad with slaughter. Come on, let's head back inside the flames. We shouldn't expose ourselves," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The two cultivators slunk back toward the Yanluo Court.

"Let's wait, then. We'll have an opportunity to escape eventually," Lady Arclight said.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "I don't think our chances are good. The cursed effigies are massing—and the commotion will only draw even more over. It might become even harder for us to flee."

"Should we break out, then? If we're fast enough to make it to the forests, perhaps we stand a chance."

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "There are too many Heaven Immortal cursed effigies out there. If even one discovers us, we won't be able to flee at all. The safest method is possession."

"Possessing a cursed effigy, you mean?"

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "Perhaps we might be able to catch a horse-headed humanoid to possess."

"You managed to possess the Dragon Yanluo's cursed spiritual avatar easily because it didn't contain a will. These horse-headed humanoids do have wills, and they're different from ordinary people. If you try to possess them, they'd simply self-destruct. It's impossible!" Lady Arclight exclaimed.

"Why don't we try it anyway?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"We can't! It's too dangerous. If you fail, we'd be revealed immediately."

"But if we drag things out, the chances that we'll be able to escape grow vanishingly small, and we don't even have external support—no, hold on. We might have support." Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Support? From what?" Lady Yaoguang seemed disbelieving.

"From the cloud of annihilation."

"Oh?"

"If the cloud of annihilation attempts to eradicate the cursed effigies, won't we have a chance to flee?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Will the cloud of annihilation listen to you?"

"I heard that the Yanluo Courts are what blocks the clouds of annihilation from attacking. If we can claim the Yanluo Court, then the cloud of annihilation will be unleashed."

"Truly?"

"You saw a white Yanluo Court within the Divine Seal of Dazheng, didn't you? If we can absorb this black Yanluo Court into that space, everything will be resolved," Xiao Nanfeng promised.

"Let's try it, then!" Lady Yaoguang said expectantly.

The two cultivators began to push on the Yanluo Court.

The flames all around them flared up, but the Yanluo Court refused to move.

"Evil, begone!" Lady Yaoguang slashed forward with her blue sword.

The endless flames around her erupted, but the Yanluo Court remained immobile.

"It's useless. We can't budge this Yanluo Court at all," Lady Yaoguang said, shaking her head.

"No, it might be possible. When we attacked the Yanluo Court, the flames all around began to blaze. That means that there's a definite, close relationship between these flames and the Yanluo Court."

"Oh?"

"If the sea of flames were gone and the formation destroyed, the Yanluo Court should become mobile again."

"That's possible, but this sea of flames is startlingly strong. How could it just vanish?"

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the fighting occurring in the distance. He sucked in a deep breath. "If they fight for long enough, I'll be able to swallow up the entire sea of flames."

With a wave of his hand, he commanded his ten golden crows to start absorbing the flames. He did the same with his own body.

"What are you doing?!" Lady Yaoguang had a guess, but it seemed so ridiculous she didn't dare believe it.

"I'm counting on my luck, on my ability to absorb this entire sea of flames before the fighting dies down. If I win, we'll be able to leave safely. If I lose, I'm afraid we're done for—but I don't see a better choice."

"But this sea of flames looks to be endless! How could you absorb it all?"

"I did so recently with a sea of flames of about equal size. It took me two days, but my cultivation has grown stronger since then. I might be able to do it in less time now."

Lady Yaoguang seemed doubtful. "In two days? Are you joking?"

"Let's see, then!" Xiao Nanfeng replied confidently.

As Lady Yaoguang watched Xiao Nanfeng and the ten golden crows devouring the flames as though they were black holes, she finally began to put a little faith into Xiao Nanfeng's statements.

"Try it and see," Lady Yaoguang finally said. She seemed to want to say more, but hesitated.

"If there's anything else, let's talk about it once we get out. I'm going to settle into meditation now. Please guard me."

"Very well!" Lady Yaoguang nodded.

Xiao Nanfeng sat cross-legged and began to invoke the Imposing Avatar of Rulai as he began to absorb the endless flames.

The flames surged toward him ever more quickly.

Lady Yaoguang was initially stunned. Then, looking at Xiao Nanfeng's handsome face, at his maturity derived from strife and struggle, she couldn't help but smile in relief. "He looks just like in my dream just now."

This sea of flames was indeed much like the sea of karmic flame that Xiao Nanfeng had absorbed. Despite what was occurring in its interior, its exterior looked superficially undisturbed. Of course, there were some small visible manifestations, but none of the cursed effigies were paying attention to them in the midst of heated fighting.

Indeed, they had all left the sea of flames behind, worried that they would activate the restrictions that the Horse Yanluo had imposed or be caught by Heaven's Hand.

Now that Xiao Nanfeng was an Earth Immortal, he was able to absorb flames ten times as quickly than when he was a Human Immortal—perhaps even twenty times.

After slightly more than two hours, the expansive sea of flames had shrunk to a fraction of its original size.

A huge rumble emerged from Xiao Nanfeng's body as a firestorm formed around him.

"The second stage of the Earth Immortal realm!" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes gleamed with light.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Nanfeng, just what sort of technique do you cultivate? You're consuming an incredible amount of resources just to advance a minor realm—and you're only an Earth Immortal! How are you going to keep progressing onward? Who gave you such a ludicrous technique? Are you sure they weren't trying to harm you?" Lady Yaoguang fumed.

"This is the Imposing Avatar of Rulai. It's true that it takes an extreme amount of resources to cultivate, but I can bear the blow of a Heaven Immortal even as an Earth Immortal."

"Oh? That's more like it."

"I can sense that this sea of flames is on its last legs. I'll shatter the formation here. Be careful."

"With me around, no cursed effigy shall get close to you. I can even block the blows of a Heaven Immortal cursed effigy. Feel free to get started," Lady Yaoguang replied.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded and began to suck.

He swallowed the remaining flames in one big gulp. The formation around him, having lost its source of power, began to collapse.

The Yanluo Court quaked, and the resulting commotion was so intense that even the cursed effigies in the distance looked back.

They saw Xiao Nanfeng absorbing the last of the volcanic flames, with Lady Yaoguang by his side.

"That lad's out of the Yanluo Court again? And he absorbed all that volcanic flame?!"

"That woman escaped too!"

"Quick, we have to catch them! We can't let them run off!"

The horse-headed humanoids rushed toward the two cultivators.

"Kill!" Lady Yaoguang roared.

Her blue sword struck in flashes of light, splitting apart Earth Immortal cursed effigies in an instant. However, there were plenty of Heaven Immortal cursed effigies in the fight present by now. They evaded Lady Yaoguang's blow, flashed up to her, and smashed down with their palms.

The blue moon barrier blocked the attack, but she was still sent flying from the force of the impact. The blue sword flew from her hands and struck the palm of the Heaven Immortal horse-headed humanoid, sending him back.

"Nanfeng, my cursebane sword's protecting me automatically, and I won't be able to control it any longer. The cursed effigies are heading toward you. Be careful!" Lady Yaoguang fretted.

Indeed, a group of horse-headed humanoids was charging toward Xiao Nanfeng with fierce expressions on their faces.

"Claim!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

The shuddering Yanluo Court flashed and vanished from sight.

"What? Where's the Yanluo Court?!" the cursed effigies exclaimed in shock.

Suddenly, a frightening aura descended from the heavens. A wave of death surrounded the cursed effigies.

They raised their heads in shock, only to find a huge Heaven's Hand breaking free of the bloody cloud of annihilation, heading straight for them.

"No!" the cursed effigies howled in panic.