Chapter 695: Rebellious

Chu Liang carried Di Nufeng’s Tracking Talisman. The barrier of the hidden realm obscured the talisman’s exact direction, but the moment the barrier to the Sea of Demons opened, Di Nufeng sensed it and sped in this direction.

Thus, shortly after Yang Bujue arrived, Di Nufeng followed.

Although both were at the seventh realm, Yang Bujue had arrived quietly, whereas Di Nufeng’s arrival was anything but silent. A blazing meteor shot down from the sky, instantly evaporating the surface seawater, boiling the mid-layer into waves, and sending the deep-sea fish and beasts fleeing in panic. It was as if a natural disaster had descended.

Yang Bujue, with a wicked grin, was still searching for Chu Liang when he first noticed Di Nufeng’s arrival. He immediately realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

Many of the most powerful members of the Celestial Charm Sect had fallen at the hands of Di Nufeng, and everyone knew all too well just how vicious she could be.

As for how to deal with Di Nufeng, the Celestial Master had once given the best advice.

"Run as fast as you can!"

Therefore, the moment that blazing meteor entered the sea, Yang Bujue had already fled far away, desperately hoping to leave before Di Nufeng noticed his presence.

Unfortunately, he had no idea that Chu Liang had not gone far at all.

Amid the deafening roar, Chu Liang sprang out from behind a coral thicket, a smug grin plastered across his face as he called out, "Esteemed teacher, I’m fine! He’s over there!"

To Di Nufeng, it didn't matter who "he" was. All she had to know was that "he" was an enemy.

Like an arrow guided to its mark, the blazing meteor veered sharply and hurtled in the direction that Yang Bujue was fleeing. Though Yang Bujue was a master of stealth techniques, his speed was no match for Di Nufeng while she was in her Divine Phoenix Transcendent Form.

In a split-second decision, he turned translucent, melding into the seawater and seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Bam!

As Di Nufeng landed, the remaining sea beasts had long disappeared, leaving the entire area devoid of life, stretching out endlessly in all directions.

"He ran away so fast..." she muttered unhappily.

"Esteemed teacher, he probably hasn’t gone far," Chu Liang said as he hurried over with a fawning expression. "This man is skilled in stealth techniques. He’s most likely hiding nearby and not daring to move too quickly."

He understood this all too well as he had been in the same situation just moments ago.

If one moved at a high speed, it would be very difficult to control and conceal one's energy.

For instance, plants withered and died wherever Di Nufeng passed because of the overflow of qi from her divine fire. This qi was much more powerful than even the divine techniques of other seventh-realm cultivators. If she wanted to control this qi, she would have to move slower.

"Hiding?" Di Nufeng muttered as she raised an eyebrow. "Let's see if I can force you to hide in the heavens!"

When Chu Liang heard this, he felt a sense of deja vu. This very moment felt very similar to something from an earlier moment.

With that, Di Nufeng opened her mouth, preparing to release a sea of divine fire that would evaporate the entire sea.

This was her usual approach:

If I can’t find you in the sea, I’ll just destroy the whole thing! Why overthink it?

"Esteemed teacher, please don’t!" Chu Liang quickly stepped in to stop her.

It wasn’t that he feared for himself, but rather he worried that all the sea beasts in the Sea of Demons would suffer. He had just found this delightful little paradise, and it would be a shame if his esteemed teacher destroyed it.

However, divine sense wasn’t Di Nufeng’s forte, so it was a little difficult for her to locate Yang Bujue.

And so, Chu Liang quickly took out the Crimson Devil Helmet. He popped it on his head and became this shrimp-headed man[1]. His enhanced divine sense swept over a vast area, significantly improving its penetrative power.

As his divine sense rolled out like a carpet, he immediately detected something unusual.

"There!" Chu Liang said, pointing in a direction.

By now, Yang Bujue had moved several hundred meters away.

"Hm?" Di Nufeng’s brows shot up, and in a flash, she propelled herself forward.

"You and I have nothing against each other. There are no grudges between us. Why must you insist on taking my life?" Yang Bujue wailed as he revealed himself in the seawater.

"Esteemed teacher, don’t listen to him!" Chu Liang exclaimed. "He just said he has a grudge against me for taking his wife away from him."

"Something like that happened?" Di Nufeng’s eyes suddenly lit up as she turned to look at Chu Liang, a proud expression that seemed to convey "That’s what you like to do too? As expected of my disciple!"

"Not me! It was the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner who captured his wife," Chu Liang quickly clarified.

Hearing this, Di Nufeng was even more intrigued.

"That old man with thick brows and big eyes is into this sort of thing too?" she asked.

"Esteemed teacher, let’s focus on the task at hand," Chu Liang said helplessly.

While they were bantering, Yang Bujue had quietly slipped away.

"Do you think you can escape after offending someone from Silver Sword Peak?" Di Nufeng cackled evilly, leaping forward with a thunderous motion.

As her fist struck the ground, Yang Bujue only had time to shout, "You can’t kill me! I’m a descendant of Hallowed Yang!"

"And I am your mama!"

Boom!

On that day, the volcanoes beneath the Sea of Demons erupted, causing countless sea beasts to perish or be severely injured.

...

"Ahh..."

In the Sword-Hanging Kingdom, an eerie quiet settled over the streets as the citizens looked upward with their mouths agape in disbelief and their hands covering their faces.

The fight for the Great Dao seemed to have ended in a way that was hard to accept.

Just moments ago, Daoist Yan unleashed an explosive surge of demonic qi, transforming into a sword. Crimson and white clouds of qi swirled in the sky, rushing toward the Sword Emperor.

Meanwhile, the Sword Emperor summoned his sea of sword qi, channeling all his cultivation power as he prepared for a full-force clash.

But at that moment, the ancient sword Shadow Bearer in his hand suddenly started trembling. Then, a spectral figure with the head of a dragon, dressed in white, materialized above the blade, flashing a sinister grin.

The Sword Emperor’s expression shifted drastically.

Something’s wrong!

The ancient sword Shadow Bearer had only gained its current power after gaining a sword spirit.

Previously, he thought that Baili Tong had sacrificed himself to become the sword spirit since the energy that he felt in the sword was of Baili Tong.

But now, the spirit within the sword had suddenly become someone else’s.

This was clearly the soul of a Jimeng Clansman. It was definitely not Baili Tong’s!

For a legendary sword, it was crucial to have the right swordmaster and sword spirit. Usually, if a sword turned against its master, the master could just seal it away and the sword spirit would never be able to harm its master. But in a situation like this, with lightning and fire raging all around, any conflict or lack of coordination between the swordmaster and the sword spirit could be fatal for the swordmaster!

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

Daoist Yan’s overwhelming sword qi crashed down like a world-ending catastrophe. When Daoist Yan sensed something weird going on with the Sword Emperor, she wanted to retract her attack. However, such a heavy force could not simply be withdrawn on a whim. Moreover, demonic qi raged within her. It made her stronger, but it influenced her thoughts.

Her mind was overwhelmed with voices screaming,

Kill him, and the Great Dao will be yours!

She managed to hold back briefly, but she still unleashed at least ninety percent of her power upon the Sword Emperor.

With the rebellious flying sword turning against him, the Sword Emperor hastily flipped his palm to form a shield. Yet, how could he withstand this strike that had shattered countless fragments of Dao essence?

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The citizens of the Sword-Hanging Kingdom below had no idea what had happened as it all happened too quickly. They only saw the Sword Emperor suddenly falter in midair as Daoist Yan’s overwhelming sword qi surged toward and struck him.

Thunder rolled across the heavens as the boundless sword qi engulfed his body.

Even an actual deity would have been reduced to dust.

When the clouds dispersed, the Sword Emperor was nowhere to be seen. Only Daoist Yan remained, standing suspended in the air with a somewhat dazed expression.

The shattered Dao essence in the sky gathered into her body like vapor. Feeling this transformation, Daoist Yan’s brows furrowed even more deeply.

She seemed to have won, but it didn’t bring her any joy.

In the pavilion, Ji Lingjue, whose skin was as fair as jade, smiled faintly and was about to leave when he saw a weathered man wearing a conical hat at the doorway.

The man smiled as he looked at Ji Lingjue and said, "Leaving after causing such trouble? Won’t the wrath of the Sword-Hanging Kingdom’s people now be directed at the Mount Shu Sect?"

He paused for a moment and continued, "Or is this how you planned it all along?"

As the man slowly lifted his head and revealed his face, Ji Lingjue’s gaze sharpened and his expression became increasingly grave. "It really is you... Jiang Tiankuo!"

1. 虾头男, which means shrimp-headed man, is a phrase that describe a guy who has real good body but bad looks. ☜