Chapter 989: Yan Zhenhuo's Return

"My avatar has received news that Yu Banruo and the Void Saint are now tearing each other apart. Should we return and launch a surprise attack?" Xiao Nanfeng asked Madam Rouge.

Madam Rouge, her eyes filled with killing intent, replied, "A surprise attack? That's not enough. I want to return to court and mobilize my imperial might. I want him dead!"

Xiao Nanfeng considered her words. "Very well. You return to Danan's capital to rally the empire's forces. I'll quietly head back to the outskirts of Daxi's capital to observe the fight."

Madam Rouge handed Xiao Nanfeng a mirror and said, "Take this. I've already made the necessary adjustments. Also, be cautious—don't reveal yourself too soon. Wait for me to return."

"Don't worry!" Xiao Nanfeng assured her.

With that, the two parted ways, each flying off in a different direction.

By the time Xiao Nanfeng arrived at the outskirts of Daxi's capital, a fierce battle was still raging in the sky.

On the ground, Ye Dafu and his group were starting to retreat, only for their path was blocked by a group of black-robed figures.

"Who are you?" Ye Dafu demanded coldly.

The leader of the black-robed group sneered. "Release Yan Zhenshui, and we'll let you leave."

"So, you're Yu Banruo's people? Yan Zhenshui's two bodies are sealed inside this gourd on my waist. If you can take it, it's yours!" Ye Dafu patted the gourd at his waist and smirked.

"Attack!" the black-robed leader commanded.

"I'll protect Yan Zhenhuo. The rest of you, fight them off!" Ye Dafu shouted.

"Die!" the group of golden cultivators roared and charged forward.

They were all brimming with rage. Earlier, they had been helpless while Xiao Nanfeng was injured. Now that they had the chance to retaliate, they would unleash their full fury.

Their Indomitable Bodies were impenetrable to all manner of blades. They fought the black-robed figures to a standstill, generating shockwaves that swept across the battlefield.

"You're all mid-stage Boundless Immortals?!" a golden cultivator exclaimed.

"Xiao Nanfeng is but a parvenu. How could his reserves compare to that which our prince possesses? I suggest you hand over Yan Zhenshui, or none of you will leave here alive today," the leader of the black-robed figures replied.

From the sidelines, Yan Zhenhuo shouted, "Don't listen to them! If they truly had the strength, they'd just take us down by force. Why waste time talking?"

"That's right. Keep fighting!" Ye Dafu bellowed.

"Die!" the golden cultivators roared.

They unleashed another wave of devastating attacks.

"Yan Zhenhuo, I'll escort you away first," Ye Dafu told him.

Yan Zhenhuo shook his head. "That won't do. I'm the commander of this battle. If I abandon my troops and retreat first, it would damage the reputations of both Danan and Dazheng."

"But these black-robed figures are incredibly strong. We haven't fully assimilated the power of the Vajra Eidolon yet—we may not hold out much longer."

"I've already ordered the troops to scatter and retreat. Give it a little more time, and then I'll leave with you."

"Very well." Ye Dafu nodded firmly.

At that moment, one of the black-robed figures broke through the golden cultivators' defense and charged toward them.

"Get lost!" Ye Dafu threw a punch.

A fiery shockwave formed where their punches met.

"Ye Dafu, why not choose the winning side? Following Xiao Nanfeng will get you nowhere. Join Prince Banruo, and I'll guarantee you a position of high status," the black-robed man offered.

"He's unworthy!" Ye Dafu replied coldly.

"Ye Dafu, you should know that if you're not our ally, you're our enemy. I've heard that eight of the twelve of you have already found a sweetheart, and you're planning to hold a grand wedding together once all twelve of you find love. Those eight women really are quite beautiful, aren't they?" The man gave him a lascivious grin.

"How do you know that?" Ye Dafu shouted, alarmed.

"Was it a secret? We've already bribed their fellow disciples. If you don't cooperate, I'll ensure those eight women vanish from this world, sold to demonic cultivators as slaves for eternity."

Ye Dafu's eyes turned red with fury. "If you dare harm even a single hair on their heads, I'll kill you!"

He charged at the black-robed leader, enraged.

Yan Zhenhuo's eyes widened in alarm. He realized that Ye Dafu had been provoked and lured away. Just as he turned to flee, two more black-robed figures broke through the defenses and closed in on him.

"Damn it!" Yan Zhenhuo cursed.

"Yan Zhenhuo, you're not escaping this time," one of the black-robed figures sneered.

They shot toward Yan Zhenhuo at incredible speed, but just as they were about to grab him, the three of them disappeared in a flash of light.

The next moment, Yan Zhenhuo and the two black-robed cultivators appeared in a vast, starry void.

"This is a Deific Yin realm!" one black-robed man exclaimed in shock.

"Damn it, we're trapped! We'll have to break out!" the other replied.

They attacked furiously, but their strikes couldn't breach the space around them.

"This is an incredibly stable realm—our opponent must be a mid-stage Deific Yin cultivator!"

"We have to combine our strength. Hurry up and let's break out of here!"

Despite their best efforts, the two cultivators simply couldn't do any lasting damage to the realm.

Amid their frantic attacks, countless rays of starlight shot toward them, ensnaring them in starlit barriers. Starlight rained down toward them in a storm.

"No!" one black-robed cultivator screamed.

Meanwhile, Yan Zhenhuo was brought to another part of the realm.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Yan Zhenhuo glanced at Xiao Nanfeng in shock.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Yan Zhenhuo was momentarily stunned. He was familiar with the Imposing Avatar of Rulai, and he knew just how strong an attack had to be to penetrate its defenses. But Xiao Nanfeng was calling it nothing more than a 'minor injury'?

"Do you still have your physical body?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"It's right here." Yan Zhenhuo immediately retrieved a storage gourd.

It was identical to the one Ye Dafu had been carrying earlier; Ye Dafu had deliberately deceived the black-robed figures.

"Madam Rouge has adjusted this mirror. I should be able to help you reclaim your body now," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Wonderful!" Yan Zhenhuo's eyes lit up.

He released Yan Zhenshui's avatar, heavily chained and sealed, from the gourd, then passed his possessions to Xiao Nanfeng for safekeeping.

"What are you doing?" Yan Zhenshui's avatar demanded. He had an uneasy premonition.

Just then, Xiao Nanfeng placed a mirror between them and activated it. The mirror emitted a dazzling golden gleam that enveloped both Yan Zhenhuo and Yan Zhenshui.

"This can't be! That mirror belongs to the prince. How do you have it? No!" Yan Zhenshui screamed.

With a flash, both cultivators were shrouded in golden light. Then, the light slowly dissipated.

Yan Zhenhuo felt a surge of vitality. "I'm back! This is my body, my soul!"

Meanwhile, Yan Zhenshui's avatar cried out in shock. He lunged forward, screaming, "This can't be! Give me back my Imposing Avatar of Rulai!"

Xiao Nanfeng swatted him away effortlessly.

Then, he unsealed Yan Zhenhuo's body and broke his chains away.

Now freed, Yan Zhenhuo radiated an intense aura.

"I'll leave the rest to you." Xiao Nanfeng returned Yan Zhenhuo's possessions to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yan Zhenhuo replied gratefully.

He kept his things and turned to Yan Zhenshui's avatar, who was still screaming in the distance.

He slapped Yan Zhenshui's avatar with a palm until he spat out blood, then sealed his cultivation and stored him away in his storage gourd.

Then, he looked up and eyed the two black-robed cultivators who were being struck by beams of starlight.

Xiao Nanfeng ceased the aerial bombardment, allowing Yan Zhenhuo to fly over.

"Yan Zhenshui, you've been freed!" one of the black-robed cultivators cried out.

He clearly didn't understand the situation. Yan Zhenhuo turned toward him and pummeled him until he was vomiting out blood. Then, Yan Zhenhuo sealed his body as well.

"You're not Yan Zhenshui. You're Yan Zhenhuo!" the other black-robed cultivator exclaimed.

"I'm going to kill you, you rats," Yan Zhenhuo declared.

"No!" the black-robed man screamed.

Yan Zhenhuo struck him hard on the head, knocking him unconscious, sealing him, and storing his body.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to leave the realm to help Ye Dafu."

"Very well," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The next moment, Yan Zhenhuo emerged from the Realm of the Nine Heavens.

There, he saw the twelve golden cultivators being pummeled by a group of black-robed figures. Of course, none of the twelve were heavily injured; it was almost as if their opponents were just going through the motions.

"Ye Dafu, I'm here to help. Die!" Yan Zhenhuo shouted.

"Yan Zhenshui, what are you pulling?!" a black-robed figure shouted.

That figure was quickly sent flying.

"No—he's not Yan Zhenshui. He's Yan Zhenhuo!"

With another two punches, two more black-robed figures were sent careening toward the ground. They spat out blood.

Yan Zhenhuo had felt stifled and restrained ever since his truesoul was forcibly swapped. Now that he was back in his proper body, he intended to unleash hell on all those who had schemed against him.

Meanwhile, Madam Rouge's voice resounded across Danan.

"Citizens of Danan, I am Madam Rouge! Just now, while slaying the minions of the heavens, I was treacherously attacked from behind and nearly killed. Now, I ask that you raise your right hand and lend me your strength! I shall kill that treacherous villain and the saint behind him!"

Her voice carried to all the citizens of Danan.