Chapter 975: Beheading Ao Xi

Xiao Nanfeng's shout startled everyone.

"What? Was it Ao Xi who informed the Void Saint? How did you know?" Ao Zhou cried out in surprise.

"Don't worry about him right now. Go capture the fake Dragon King of the Western Sea and all related individuals—now!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!" the three spirits replied in unison.

They rushed toward a pile of ruins in the distance.

The cultivators who had witnessed the Void Saint's defeat were overjoyed, thinking that they would have a chance to flee—only for the three spirits' arrival to shatter their dreams.

The fake Dragon King of the Western Sea was the first to be captured. His subordinates roared and charged forward, only to be swiftly subdued. The three spirits sealed their cultivation and dumped them into a storage treasure before returning to Xiao Nanfeng.

By then, Xiao Nanfeng had grabbed Ao Xi by the neck. His gaze was cold as he berated him.

"Xiao Nanfeng, what makes you think I was responsible for informing the Void Saint?!" Ao Xi shouted.

"The Void Saint's tone earlier made it clear that he was targeting me. If not you, then who?"

"I wasn't responsible!"

"The only people who knew where we were headed were the five of us. If you didn't betray us, are you suggesting that Croak, Warble, or Ao Zhou did?"

"Ao Xi, are you a saint's lackey? Were you deliberately luring us to our deaths?" Ao Zhou demanded angrily.

Ao Xi grimaced. He realized that he couldn't conceal the truth any longer. His initial panic and anger gradually gave way to a calm, mocking smile. "Yes, it was me. So what? Xiao Nanfeng, you oppose the saints and defy the heavens. You're bound to ruin yourself."

"You really are a saint's lackey! Was your body really swapped? Or are you not Ao Xi at all?" Ao Zhou asked in shock.

"I am Ao Xi, and yes, my body was swapped. So what? Being a saint's lackey has its perks. I can survive this era and become the progenitor of the dragons in the next. Meanwhile, the rest of you will turn to dust."

"You traitor! I only helped you because I pitied you. And this is how you repay me?!"

"Ha"! You're nothing more than a little mongrel from the Eastern Sea. If the saints hadn't instructed me to use you to lure Xiao Nanfeng out, I wouldn't even have given you a second glance," Ao Xi replied, sneering.

"I'll kill you!" Ao Zhou lunged at him in fury.

"Go ahead, strike me. I'm dead anyway now that I'm in your hands. But it doesn't matter—I have another body," Ao Xi said with a smirk.

Ao Zhou moved to kill Ao Xi, but Xiao Nanfeng stepped in, pulling Ao Zhou back.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath and asked, "Do you know which faction orchestrated the body swap?"

"Yu Banruo, of course. I'm sure you've guessed it already. The saint originally planned for me to provoke a conflict between you and his faction, leading to mutual destruction. But unfortunately, you didn't take the bait."

"Why didn't you wait a few more days, then? Why have the Void Saint show up prematurely?"

"You locked me in that toad spirit's stomach for three whole days. Who knows what might have happened outside? I was worried you'd escape, so I called the saint earlier than planned. Did you already suspect something?" Ao Xi said gloomily.

"You truly are a lackey, aren't you? Traitors like you disgrace the rest of us," Xiao Nanfeng said coldly.

As he spoke, Xiao Nanfeng clenched his hand. With a boom, blazing solarfire engulfed Ao Xi.

"Killing this body of mine is meaningless. You'll never find my other body. You can't kill me! Hahaha!" Ao Xi laughed wildly.

Ao Xi's body burnt to a crisp, leaving nothing behind.

"Let's go!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

The group quickly left the ruins of the collapsed Western Sea Draconic Palace.

At the same time, in a secluded valley, Tang was being studied by several Saints, who surrounded him with radiant energy.

"Ah, it hurts! Your Eminences, please spare me!" Tang cried in pain.

"Relax, we won't kill you. We're interested in the cursed effigy you're connected to. As long as you cooperate, you'll be fine," one saint said with a sinister smile.

"Will you at least inform the Void Saint on my behalf, Your Eminences? I sense he's in danger!" Tang said anxiously.

"Oh? You're sensing something again? Predicting fortune and calamity?" The saints grew curious.

They tried contacting the Void Saint but were informed by one of his attendants that the Void Saint was out.

"Indeed? Try to contact him regardless. Ask his attendants where to find him."

Before long, the saint's subordinate returned. "The Void Saint is in the Western Sea. His avatar is residing at Holyspring Island at present, and can be found there."

"Oh?" The saints glanced at each other.

Tang had overheard the entire conversation.

Meanwhile, on Holyspring Island, the Void Saint's avatar stood with his followers as they observed the raging waves from afar. Beside him was another man that looked just like the fake Dragon King of the Western Sea.

"Ao Xi, what was that bone dragon? How could it have been so powerful?" the Void Saint's avatar thundered.

Ao Xi's other body grimaced. "I don't know, Saint. I was trapped in that toad spirit this entire time."

"How useless you are. You've ruined everything!" the Void Saint cursed.

Ao Xi lowered his head. He didn't dare refute the Void Saint.

"Saint, Xiao Nanfeng took advantage of you to capture the fake Dragon King of the Western Sea and kill my other body," Ao Xi reported.

The Void Saint replied, "Your other body was done for regardless. Did you really think Yu Banruo would have swapped your body back? Even he only has a limited supply of those truesoul shards. He wouldn't have wasted another on you."

"I understand, Saint. What should we do about Xiao Nanfeng, then?"

"What else can we do? My main body is under attack by the skeletal dragon. We'll have to wait—but not for long. That skeletal dragon is a remnant of a soul. It's channeling an immense quantity of heart force. Once that heart force depletes, it'll grow weaker and ultimately perish," the Void Saint said confidently.

"Once the skeletal dragon dies, so too will Xiao Nanfeng," Ao Xi said expectantly.

Just then, a powerful presence descended from above, accompanied by a cold voice. "Do you really think I'm going to die? You're sorely mistaken. You're the ones who will perish!"

"What?" Everyone looked up in shock as Xiao Nanfeng, Ao Zhou, Croak, and Warble appeared.

"Xiao Nanfeng? How are you here?" the Void Saint's avatar exclaimed in surprise.

"Ao Xi let it slip, of course," Xiao Nanfeng replied coolly. "Die!"

"Die!" Ao Zhou, Croak, and Warble roared in unison.

With a loud boom, the four Boundless Immortals charged into battle.

"I didn't let anything slip!" Ao Xi screamed in denial.

By then, Xiao Nanfeng was already in front of the Void Saint. He slashed at him with immense strength.

"Xiao Nanfeng, I'll kill you!" the Void Saint roared, raising his sword to block.

The immense force sent the Void Saint flying. His sword shattered with a resounding crack. He coughed up a mouthful of blood in mid-air, his arm fractured and his injuries severe.

"Void Saint!" his subordinates cried out in alarm, only to be immediately devoured by Croak and Warble. The others tried to flee, but the two toad spirits obliterated them all.

The Void Saint's avatar, heavily injured, turned to flee.

"It's too late now!"

Xiao Nanfeng swiftly closed in from behind, raising his blade to strike at the Void Saint's avatar.

"Ao Xi, you wretched traitor! You've doomed me!" the Void Saint screamed in fury.

It was too late for him to evade the blow. With a resolute expression, the Void Saint detonated himself in a fiery explosion.

Flames engulfed Xiao Nanfeng with a deafening roar, but Xiao Nanfeng cultivated the Imposing Avatar of Rulai. Such an attack was too weak to harm him.

The flames subsided to reveal Xiao Nanfeng standing unharmed in the sky.

The Void Saint's other subordinates, meanwhile, had been completely annihilated.

Elsewhere, a fierce battle erupted as Ao Xi immediately tried to flee.

"I won't let you escape," Ao Zhou said, striking at him with a palm.

The two dragons' palm strikes collided, unleashing a storm of flames. Ao Xi was sent flying as he coughed up blood.

"You've grown stronger? Impossible! Just what did you do these last few days?" Ao Xi cried out in disbelief.

"Why should I tell you, you traitor? Die!" Ao Zhou roared, charging forward.

With another explosion, the two dragons clashed again. Ao Xi spat out more blood, hurtling backwards as he attempted to flee once more.

"You won't escape!" Croak croaked, striking Ao Xi with a devastating palm.

"No!" Ao Xi screamed in terror as he was sent flying.

Warble followed with another strike, shattering Ao Xi's bones and leaving him critically injured.

Surrounded, Ao Xi was unable to escape.

Xiao Nanfeng approached, his voice icy. "Ao Xi, today is the day you die."

"I didn't reveal this location! How did you find me? It's impossible!" Ao Xi screamed in terror.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't bother explaining. With a cold snort, he raised his divine undying blade.

"No! Don't kill me! I can pledge allegiance to you! I can reveal all the secrets I know about the saint! Spare me!" Ao Xi begged in desperation.

"I don't intend to show any mercy to those who betray humanity. Die!"

With the omnipresent Tang by his side, Xiao Nanfeng had no need for Ao Xi. He slashed at him decisively.

"No!" Ao Xi let out a final, despairing scream.

Xiao Nanfeng split Ao Xi in two. Blood rained down from the sky as Ao Xi perished on the spot.