Chapter 507: The Counterattack Begins

In a secluded valley, almost a thousand purple-furred monsters had gathered. They were all suppressing their fellow purple-furred monsters from rampaging as a cloud of black fog began to awaken them all.

Xiao Nanfeng sat sipping tea not too far away as he patiently waited for the black lotus to grow stronger.

Just then, the documents for nominating a substitute Martial Aspect were sent to his manor, and the information communicated to his avatar. However, he had no interest in rescuing Ao Shuai immediately.

"General Zeng, aren't you going to catch more of the purple-furred lifeforms?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Beside him, Zeng Daniu shook his head. "Thousands of our comrades-in-arms have been awoken over the last few days. They can easily catch hundreds or thousands of purple-furred monsters in one fell swoop. I don't need to make a move personally anymore. They told me to protect you instead."

"My thanks."

"My comrades also want me to ask you if they should try to take down a True Immortal purple-furred lifeform. There are over twenty Heaven Immortals now, and we might be able to attempt it with your arhat armor," Zeng Daniu said expectantly.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "True Immortals are too strong. You're all Heaven Immortals and no match for it. The only way we can trap one is with my Yin-Yang Cauldron, but what would we do after that?"

"Could the senior assisting us from within that cloud of black fog help?"

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "In this monstrous form, you're stronger than a human. It can't handle True Immortal purple-furred lifeforms unless you suppress them first, which is why it'd be useless even if we trapped one in my Yin-Yang Cauldron. You hardly intend to melt it to death, do you?"

"Melt it to death? No! Each True Immortal is one of our commanders," Zeng Daniu replied, frowning.

"That's why we can't do anything to the True Immortal monsters at the moment." Xiao Nanfeng shook his head.

"Then can the senior handle the cursed effigy that has possessed the princess?"

"I will ask it for assistance. For now, let's focus on awakening your comrades first," Xiao Nanfeng advised.

"Very well. I'm counting on you, then!" Zeng Daniu replied.

Just then, a voice came from high up in the sky. "Ha! I've been wondering where all of you were hiding over the last few days. So this is where you are!"

Everyone looked into the air to find a blue-robed man standing there and staring at Xiao Nanfeng down below.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced up. "You've left the Palace of the Moon, then?"

He immediately guessed that this was one of the three cursed effigies that had been within the lotus pond. Had he left the palace specifically in search of Xiao Nanfeng? His aura was intense; it was evident that he had possessed a True Immortal.

The blue-robed man looked around him and exclaimed in surprise, "Full of surprises, aren't you, lad? You managed to hypnotize so many purple-furred monsters into obeying you. Do you have some sort of powerful spirit-based relic?"

The black lotus, shrouded in fog, suddenly vanished from sight. Simultaneously, the purple-furred monsters in the vicinity, as if trying to hide its disappearance, began to howl loudly.

"Howling at me? Do you think that frightens me? Don't make me laugh. The strongest among you are only Heaven Immortals." The blue-robed man sneered disdainfully, then called out toward the palace in the distance, "King, I've found Xiao Nanfeng. I'll bring him back immediately!"

Xiao Nanfeng turned to run. He dashed into a patch of thick fog.

"Trying to escape now? It's too late!" the blue-robed man shouted, giving chase.

Zeng Daniu and a group of purple-furred monsters rushed at him simultaneously.

The blue-robed man laughed. He was possessing a True Immortal at the moment. What could these Heaven Immortal purple-furred monsters do against him?

He chased Xiao Nanfeng into the fog, whereupon he blanched. "This is a trap!"

"Divine Seal of Dazheng, seal!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

A group of purple-furred monsters roared as they struck at the man.

"Arhat armor, seal!" the gathered Earth division disciples shouted.

"Yin and yang, circulate!" Chang Bing boomed.

A gust of energy caused the thick fog to dissipate, revealing the Yin-Yang Cauldron. Xiao Nanfeng had been on guard about the arrival of a True Immortal cultivator and had had Chang Bing and the others prepare an ambush in advance. Their combined attacks caused the blue-robed man to be sent tumbling into the Yin-Yang Cauldron, just as General Zhang had been in the past.

The cauldron's lid creaked shut.

"Damn you, Xiao Nanfeng! How dare you plot against me! When I get out, I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death. Now, break!" the blue-robed man roared from within the cauldron.

The cauldron creaked and rumbled, but the blue-robed man seemed unable to break free. A group of Earth division disciples infused their spiritual energy into the cauldron rapidly, inducing the yin and yang energies within to melt it down.

"No, no! Release me!" the blue-robed man roared.

There was simply no reason for the cultivators on the outside to do so. Rather, they began to infuse more and more energy into the cauldron.

"Is that one of the three cursed effigies within the palace? Did it trap itself?" Zeng Daniu exclaimed in delight.

"Stay on guard. Don't bring back any more purple-furred monsters for the time being. We can't stay here any longer, and will have to move right away. Chang Bing, isolate any noise from entering and exiting the cauldron," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!" everyone shouted.

Chang Bing and the others continued to melt down the True Immortal as the purple-furred monsters brought them away from the secluded valley.

At the same time, the black lotus stealthily returned to Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.

"Senior, can you handle the cursed effigy within the cauldron?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The black lotus wrote out, "I'll be able to devour it once its physical body has been melted down."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The cultivators found another secluded valley and spent the next day melting down the True Immortal until his physical body perished. The Yin-Yang Cauldron was silent, but no one dropped their guard. They awaited Xiao Nanfeng's command.

Then, the black lotus flew out in a cloud of black fog and stopped by the side of the Yin-Yang Cauldron.

"Unseal the cauldron," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Understood!" Chang Bing replied.

With a creak, the lid slowly opened up. Just then, a burst of golden light tried to flee from the cauldron, only to be encapsulated by the black fog waiting outside the lid and brought back into the cauldron.

"Seal the cauldron!" Xiao Nanfeng said again.

"Understood!"

With a creak, the lid slowly closed once again.

The cultivators waited patiently. After some time, Xiao Nanfeng drew his divine undying blade and walked close up to it. Warily, he commanded, "Unseal the cauldron."

The lid opened up as a cloud of black fog slowly flew out. Xiao Nanfeng sighed in relief.

The black fog and lotus returned to Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape. "It's done. The cursed effigy has been dealt with. It did grow significantly stronger than before. Thankfully, it was isolated in the Yin-Yang Cauldron before it was able to unleash any death chants."

"Senior, are you strong enough to deal with the Past Buddha now?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"More or less. Do you intend to strike immediately?"

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "We have an opportunity now, and shouldn't waste it."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Senior, are you able to emulate the aura of that cursed effigy you just devoured?"

"You intend to impersonate that cursed effigy?" the black lotus asked.

"That's right. Trying to rescue Zhang Lingjun won't be an easy undertaking. To prevent the other party from destroying her body, we'll need to use wits, not force."

"I can, but you have to be careful. If this fails, you'll be in grave danger."

"I know, but I have no choice. The cursed effigy has been missing for over an entire day, and the Past Buddha must be on alert. If we wait even longer, it'll start searching for us again. We'll be in even greater danger then. Rather than sit and wait, why not take the chance to strike?"

"Very well. It's not too difficult to impersonate that cursed effigy's aura. I'll be able to handle the Past Buddha as long as it isn't possessing anyone."

"I'm counting on you, Senior." Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

He turned toward the other cultivators. "I intend on heading to rescue the princess now. I need your cooperation."

He informed the cultivators what they would have to do next.

An hour later, Xiao Nanfeng flew into the air with the Yin-Yang cauldron in tow. His eyes were tightly shut. Blood surrounded his eyes, as though someone had rendered him blind. He was bloody all over and suffering from serious injuries.

The 'blind' Xiao Nanfeng, with the Yin-Yang Cauldron in tow, shakily made it toward the outskirts of a barrier by the Palace of the Moon. Purple-furred monsters leapt over, forcing him to fend them off arduously as he shouted, "King, let me in! I've been injured. It took me tremendous effort to possess Xiao Nanfeng. Something's wrong with his physical body! Argh, these purple-furred monsters are attacking me! Let me in!"

Because he was 'blind', the purple-furred monsters heading toward him from all over sent him flying once and again. He was grievously injured and vomited up fresh blood as a result.

Within the barrier, Zhang Lingjun and a red-robed man were frowning at Xiao Nanfeng.

"King, it's returned! It does seem very badly injured. Shall I allow it in?" the red-robed man asked.

Zhang Lingjun narrowed her eyes. "Something seems amiss. It's Xiao Nanfeng's body that has gone blind, not its eyes. Why wouldn't it be able to find its way back? Release the death chants and see what happens."

"Understood!" the red-robed man replied.

The red-robed man instantly flew to the side of the barrier and unleashed the death chants around him.

This time, however, Xiao Nanfeng wasn't hypnotized. Indeed, with the black lotus' help, he too unleashed the death chants.

"It's me! Xiao Nanfeng's body was injured, and I've been injured as well. Fetch me in! The purple-furred monsters are attacking me, and I can't hold out much longer!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

When the red-robed man saw that Xiao Nanfeng could release the death chants himself, he relaxed and looked toward Zhang Lingjun. Zhang Lingjun nodded, activating the Palace of the Moon's access token and forming a hole in the barrier.

The red-robed man rushed out of the barrier, sent the purple-furred monsters all around flying, and then dragged Xiao Nanfeng through it.