Chapter 613: The Hanging Arhats

By a small city close to the empire of Dazheng, an arhat glared in frustration as he attacked the city's defensive formation. The formation shook and rattled, as though it would shatter at any moment, but nevertheless continued to hold firm.

Within the city, countless citizens glanced at each other in panic.

Within the city lord's manor, a group of esteemed cultivators were staring at the arhats in the air. They were led by the city lord of Luye, Chen Xiaotian.

"Everyone, the five thousand cities of Dazheng's defensive formations would have been too weak to defend against the attacks of these True Immortals if not for your clans' borrowed relics," Chen Xiaotian exclaimed.

The cultivators by his side frowned. One said, "Chen Xiaotian, are you fully loyal to Dazheng now? Have you brought all the relics of Luye to Dazheng?"

Chen Xiaotian shook his head. "I'm not loyal to Dazheng. I simply want to seek revenge. I know many of you still doubt whether or not Yin Shenhua really has consumed your clans' disciples, and that you were forced to surrender your treasures because of Dazheng holding your clans' Immortals hostage. That said, Dazheng's intention is to have you understand precisely what's going on in this war."

"What's there to see? These arhats? There are plenty of arhats in Dayin, and we acknowledge that they came from Dayin. That doesn't mean that Yin Shenhua is a cursed effigy," one cultivator replied.

Just then, the arhat in the air snarled and released death chants all over the city.

Countless civilians staggered, but the city was, fortunately, prepared. The formation remained active, and although the death chants remained a persistent annoyance, the arhat wasn't able to make his way through the formation.

Furthermore, the arhat's death chants weren't as strong as those of a bodhisattva or Buddha. They were infused with thick, cloying cursed spiritual power.

"Do you still refuse to acknowledge that that's a cursed effigy?" Chen Xiaotian demanded.

The cultivators were silent.

"There are members of your clan in other cities at the moment, and you should be aware that this situation is representative of what's going on outside all five thousand cities of Dazheng. These are all True Immortal arhats! How do you think they managed to get so strong? Stop lying to yourselves!" Chen Xiaotian roared.

The cultivators clenched their fists tightly, though they remained silent.

"We're from different Immortal cities. I'm not here to stand up for Xiao Nanfeng, but isn't it clear to you how well Xiao Nanfeng treats his citizens compared to Yin Shenhua? How are you going to make it up to those relatives of yours whom you sent to your deaths? How are you going to make it up to your people?" Chen Xiaotian demanded.

"Stop!" one cultivator shouted, gritting his teeth. "I won't believe you!"

"Do you truly not believe me, or do you simply not dare to believe me?" Chen Xiaotian retorted.

The cultivators grimaced, their eyes red.

"This is all I'll say. On behalf of Xiao Nanfeng, I thank you for sharing your clans' relics. They were obtained through extraordinary means, but Dazheng will thank you for your kindness in saving its citizens."

The cultivators sighed as they exhaled.

As Xiao Nanfeng flew toward the black lotus, he found two figures tailing him. Even so, he rushed off as fast as he could.

Before long, he arrived where the black lotus was located.

The black lotus was taking on the peacock. The two cultivators were surrounded by a flaming tempest, and a peacock and a Buddha could barely be glimpsed through the flames.

Ye Dafu and his crew of golden cultivators continued to take on the arhat and a few of the peacock's subordinates. They currently had the upper hand. Though the opposing arhats had death chants, the black lotus was releasing its own death chants to nullify their effects.

Xiao Nanfeng paused. Meanwhile, the two bodhisattvas following him caught up, one at his front and the other at his back.

"Xiao Nanfeng, let's see how you plan to escape now," one bodhisattva called out.

"You won't be able to run!" the other bodhisattva said.

Xiao Nanfeng looked toward the two bodhisattvas and smirked. "Run? Why would I?"

"What?" One bodhisattva frowned.

"I said, I'm going to kill you demons and avenge my citizens!" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned his red spiritual moon. Red clouds filled the air, which took on a crimson tint. What looked like a sea of blood, filled with cursed spiritual power, covered up the sky.

"What's that?"

"What incredible cursed spiritual power..."

The two bodhisattvas were shocked by Xiao Nanfeng's move.

"Crimson moon in the sky, fog as far as the eye can see!" Xiao Nanfeng intoned.

Blood fog sprayed out from the blood-colored clouds, surrounding the two bodhisattvas.

The two bodhisattvas instantly felt a tremendous sense of threat. One said, "We have to make a move, now!"

The two bodhisattvas shot up to Xiao Nanfeng and each punched forward.

Xiao Nanfeng retaliated with his Hegemon's Fist, sending countless fists raining down on the two bodhisattvas.

The clash resulted in an explosion that sent the two bodhisattvas staggering back.

"He's calling on his empire's strength. He's as strong as we are for the time being!" one bodhisattva exclaimed.

"Die!" the other bodhisattva roared.

Just then, countless lengths of red rope were tossed down from the bloody clouds in the sky, each a whip of order that struck the two bodhisattvas.

"Break!" the two bodhisattvas shouted, attacking the lengths of red rope.

The red rope exploded from the impact, though a few stragglers managed to take advantage of the opportunity to wrap around the two bodhisattvas' limbs.

"Damn it, these lengths of red rope really are cursed!" a bodhisattva cried out.

He continued attacking the lengths of red rope binding his limbs, but more and more of the red rope wound around them and tied them together. Some even coiled around their necks and hoisted them up.

"Argh!" the two bodhisattvas cried out.

They stared at Xiao Nanfeng in fright, not expecting him to have grown so strong after invoking his empire's strength.

"Death chants!" the two bodhisattvas cried out.

With a hum, countless death chants surged toward him.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't seem to mind. "Do you know why I waited until I got here before I attacked you? It's because your death chants are useless here."

The next moment, another bout of death chants could be heard in the air. The black lotus had released its own death chants to help Xiao Nanfeng block out the other two bodhisattvas' assault.

"You're on borrowed time. Your strength will only weaken, and you won't last for long. The ancestral Buddha will make his way here shortly, and you won't be able to escape then," a bodhisattva roared.

"If we focus on protecting ourselves, all your red rope can do is bind us. You won't be able to hurt us. Just you wait. His Highness will win his fight soon enough—and then you'll be dead!" the other bodhisattva cried out.

They released rays of golden light from their bodies and protected themselves from the red rope with their strengthened defenses.

Xiao Nanfeng waved his hand, summoning even more lengths of red rope from the air that bound the two bodhisattvas until they looked like they were wrapped within red cocoons as they hung in the air.

Red fog surrounded them. Xiao Nanfeng looked into the distance to see a man that Ye Dafu had brought over.

"Did you hear what they said? Let's get started, then," Xiao Nanfeng sent the man a mental transmission.

The man nodded and suddenly shouted, "Xiao Nanfeng, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

The man was imitating the voice of one of the bodhisattvas and had done so quite well. Xiao Nanfeng caused the bloody fog to reverberate, making it sound as if the bodhisattva really had spoken in reality.

"You fools! What are you waiting for? Send for help, now! Have all those arhats who can't break down the defenses of their formation head over to deal with Xiao Nanfeng. Hurry!" the man shouted again.

Outside, the peacock's subordinates, who had been fighting with Ye Dafu and his crew, replied, "Understood!"

They had already been wanting to call for reinforcements, but none of their superiors had given that order yet. Now that one bodhisattva was ordering them to do so, they immediately sent out word to all the arhats.

All across Dazheng, the arhats who were infuriated by their inability to take down the cities' defensive formations were suddenly ordered to head toward Jinsha and assist the bodhisattvas in taking down Xiao Nanfeng.

The arhats carried out their orders immediately, arriving at Jinsha one after another and seeing the two battlefields at play.

On one battlefield, the black lotus continued to fight against the peacock. That fight was far too intense and overwhelming for the arhats. The other battlefield was Xiao Nanfeng's battlefield, filled with red fog. Although the sound of fighting could be heard from within, it was certainly within what the arhats could handle.

One arhat rushed into the red fog, at which point a length of red rope shot toward him.

The red rope coiled around his neck and hung him in the air. He struggled in pain as he tried to tear off the rope, but the cursed spiritual power the rope exuded suppressed its strength. Shocked, it tried to shout for help, but found itself unable to make any sound at all. The red rope coiled tightly around his neck, making him feel as though he were about to suffocate to death. He had no choice but to kick his legs repeatedly in an attempt to contort his body, as though he were hanging himself like a mortal.

Just then, that arhat saw that there were many arhats like him also hanging in the air, as though they were part of a mass suicide. It was a frightening scene to behold.

More and more arhats were lured into the red fog, at which point the same series of events unfolded.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, out in the world at large, after the peacock's subordinates had finished relaying the bodhisattva's 'orders', they were no longer of any use to Xiao Nanfeng. Ye Dafu and his crew killed them all.

More and more arhats surged toward Jinsha, rushing into the red fog and finding themselves hung in the air.

More and more arhats continued to hang themselves.

The peacock fighting against the black lotus swiftly noticed that something was amiss. He suddenly shouted, "Something's wrong. Xiao Nanfeng's laying a trap for all the arhats! I'll kill him for this!"

The peacock tried to rush over, but the black lotus held him back. "I'm your opponent."

The fighting between the black lotus and the peacock grew fiercer and fiercer.