Chapter 127: Seizing the Infant

Ren Chen and Jing Xiaoyun’s divine senses were locked in combat, neither able to gain the upper hand for the moment. Ren Chen’s hands, however, were not idle. The enormous claw formed from his true essence released the demonic cultivator hidden in the bushes and turned toward Jing Xiaoyun’s chest.

The claw was wholly emerald green, its tips gleaming with a wintry radiance. Seeing this, Jing Xiaoyun did not dare be careless. She hurriedly summoned her magical treasure to block it. The treasure appeared both light and thin: a white bone shield, its entire surface covered in strange characters drawn, no one knew with whose blood.

The bizarre bone shield looked as though it could not withstand a single blow. Yet for some reason, Ren Chen abruptly raised the giant claw by half a foot, avoiding the shield and reaching instead for Jing Xiaoyun’s face.

Before the claw could land, Helian Yong’s spell had already arrived.

Hong Jian had never seen Helian Yong fight either. She simply felt instinctively that a man who possessed both lucidity and pride must surely be formidable.

Helian Yong did not disappoint her.

He possessed a Metal Spirit Root. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had cultivated White Rainbow Piercing the Sun. Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, however, he had not learned One Sword of Enlightened Heart, but the far less renowned Wrath-Slashed Bright Pool. As a wandering cultivator, he had not possessed many techniques to choose from, so he had trained Wrath-Slashed Bright Pool solidly and thoroughly. The moment he struck, it carried the metal element’s unique momentum of destroying heaven and earth, cleaving straight toward Ren Chen’s back.

Ren Chen was startled. Instinctively, he assumed that his attacker had wielded some formidable magical treasure. With enemies before and behind him, he too summoned his treasure.

Helian Yong’s Wrath-Slashed Bright Pool struck Ren Chen’s magical treasure. Metal and wood collided with a thunderous roar. Ren Chen’s body swayed, and the divine sense he was using to resist Jing Xiaoyun immediately began to falter.

His first strike unsuccessful, Helian Yong did not lose heart. He withdrew his attack and struck again, once more unleashing Wrath-Slashed Bright Pool.

By then, Hong Jian and Lu Yanchang had both seen the situation clearly. Ren Chen was facing two opponents at once. His soul was not much stronger than Jing Xiaoyun’s, and although his cultivation was higher, his wood-element true essence was restrained by Helian Yong’s metal element. He was relying solely on his magical treasure to hold on.

Lu Yanchang could no longer sit idle. He called out to Old Man Jing, “Old fellow, you actually managed to form a Nascent Soul, yet you’re nothing but an embroidered pillow! Watch me!”

He leaped out and shouted from a distance, “Behold my One Sword of Enlightened Heart!” After saying this, he truly made a sword gesture. A streak of golden light suddenly flashed from the side and slashed toward Ren Chen.

This was more than Ren Chen could endure. He bore Jing Xiaoyun’s assault on his divine sense while his magical treasure received another blow from Helian Yong. Then he brought both hands together in a clap. A massive tree as thick as a man’s embrace materialized in the air and flew toward Lu Yanchang, meeting the golden light head-on.

“Look out!” Hong Jian cried.

The golden light struck the enormous tree, cleaving it cleanly in two. Its momentum undiminished, the two halves continued hurtling toward Lu Yanchang. Meanwhile, Lu Yanchang’s One Sword of Enlightened Heart had been completely expended in resisting the overwhelming power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing that the situation was dire, Lu Yanchang turned and ran. His feet moved like a butterfly weaving through flowers, veering east and then west. Although the two halves of the tree could not be shaken off, they remained a few inches short of piercing him. He led them into the bushes, where they swept away a large swath of undergrowth.

Another thunderous boom rang out.

Ren Chen’s magical treasure failed to withstand Helian Yong’s next attack and shattered on the spot. The remaining force of Wrath-Slashed Bright Pool struck Ren Chen squarely in the back.

Ren Chen let out a strange cry. Before he could react, Jing Xiaoyun’s bone shield flew from her hand and transformed into a gloomy prison of bone. Countless demonic tentacles coiled around it, and in an instant, it seized him.

Even the fiercest tiger could not withstand a pack of wolves. Ren Chen immediately realized that matters had taken a turn for the worse. His injuries were severe, and if he did not flee at once, the demons would seize him and leave him no chance of escape.

A ball of light rose from the crown of Ren Chen’s head. Jing Xiaoyun moved with lightning speed and shouted, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Several streaks of black light struck the glowing shape. It gave a cry of pain, then fled in panic toward the trees.

Helian Yong’s single strike shattered Ren Chen’s physical body. He shouted urgently, “His Nascent Soul is escaping! Catch it!”

Before his voice had faded, a great mass of black mist suddenly surged from the bushes and wrapped around Ren Chen’s Nascent Soul. The others then saw a black sphere rolling back and forth across the ground. From within came Ren Chen’s curses and pleas for mercy at irregular intervals.

After a while, the black sphere exploded with a bang, and a burly, wild-haired man appeared where it had been.

Though he was covered in dirt and looked disheveled, his face held a distinct air of triumph. Ren Chen’s Nascent Soul was clutched in his hand, still pleading incessantly for mercy.

“Little Uncle, hurry and give him to me!” Jing Xiaoyun exclaimed delightedly.

The demonic cultivator surveyed everyone, then very readily handed Ren Chen over to Jing Xiaoyun.

Jing Xiaoyun burst into laughter. “Old bastard, let’s see you run now.” She put away her magical treasure and seized Ren Chen firmly.

The demonic cultivator had apparently noticed that Helian Yong and Lu Yanchang were Dao cultivators and had nothing to say to them. He merely said to Jing Xiaoyun, “The enemy is formidable. I’ll head to the valley first. You should hurry as well.” With that, he nodded to the others and flew away at full speed.

Capturing Ren Chen’s Nascent Soul could be considered a complete victory. Since a Nascent Soul could not survive long after leaving the body, Hong Jian had originally intended to take the opportunity to avenge the Devouring Soul Needle Torture Ren Chen had inflicted upon her. But now that he had fallen into Jing Xiaoyun’s hands, he could hardly have suffered a worse fate. Hong Jian therefore simply stood by and watched how Jing Xiaoyun would deal with him.

Jing Xiaoyun frowned. “This old man’s cultivation is higher than mine. I’m afraid a soul search won’t reveal much.”

With that single sentence, Ren Chen sank into profound despair. He began viciously cursing everyone around him in the hope that they would kill him quickly.

Ren Chen no longer remembered Helian Yong or Lu Yanchang. As for Hong Jian, her clothing and appearance differed so greatly from the days when he had been imprisoned, and she now possessed the Celestial Radiance Veil, that he failed to recognize her as well.

Ren Chen hated these men and women who had helped the demonic cultivator capture him. He cursed them with righteous indignation, then threatened them all. “Do not celebrate too soon. Elder Ji is merely temporarily unable to spare himself. He knows everything. Soon, he will show you what he can do. You will all be dragged into the Demon Refining Prison, where you will beg for life and be denied death!”

Lu Yanchang spat. Still not satisfied, he told Jing Xiaoyun to raise her hand so he could spit on Ren Chen’s Nascent Soul.

“Together, together!” Jing Xiaoyun said gleefully.

Restrained by the two of them, Ren Chen could not struggle. He nearly choked with fury and cried out hoarsely, “Just kill me!”

“Ren Chen,” Hong Jian suddenly said, “answer a few questions properly, and I’ll let you die quickly.”

Everyone turned toward Hong Jian. Old Man Jing moved closer, but no one had any attention to spare for him.

Ren Chen struggled and shouted, “Then ask!”

“You followed Ji Youyun into the depths of the Endless Sea to break through the Heavenly Curtain. What was the result?” Hong Jian asked.

Her Great Tribulation Scripture could not bridge such an enormous gap between the Nascent Soul and Foundation Establishment realms. This question had to be answered by Ren Chen himself.

Ren Chen stared at her in astonishment. “How do you know? Who are you?”

Hong Jian sneered. “Answer properly. Do not ask questions in return.”

“...Naturally, we succeeded. How could Elder Ji fail? He plans every move without error. You people are incredibly bold, opposing him like this. You are simply seeking death.”

Even in such dire circumstances, Ren Chen remained filled with confidence in Ji Youyun.

How could they have succeeded?

Hong Jian’s heart sank. “Nothing unexpected happened? Did he obtain that half of the Great Tribulation Scripture?”

“You... You even know about the Great Tribulation Scripture? If you know of it, then you should be even less willing to oppose Elder Ji. Were you hoping something would go wrong for us? Stop dreaming. Everything went smoothly. Elder Ji has already obtained the half of the cultivation manual stolen by the demonic cultivators. If you people have any sense, you will release me immediately. Otherwise, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, Elder Ji will find you, grind your bones to dust, and scatter your ashes!”

Hong Jian sneered. “Nonsense. If that were true, how could he have failed to foresee that today would be your day to die?”

Though she said this, unease stirred in her heart. Was Ren Chen telling the truth? If so, and if their calculations had gone awry, who in the world could stop Ji Youyun?

Jing Xiaoyun knew nothing of Hong Jian’s thoughts. Hearing her call Ren Chen’s words nonsense, she assumed the old man had indeed dared to lie. She spat directly at his Nascent Soul, then shook him violently with both hands. Black energy gathered in her palms as she prepared to make him suffer.

Ren Chen gradually felt his strength failing. Since these people had no intention of letting him possess another body, he knew he was doomed. Why would he meekly allow this undersized demonic cultivator to humiliate him? He immediately began cursing them at the top of his lungs.

After a while, he saw that Jing Xiaoyun merely grinned and paid him no heed. Panting heavily, he continued, “At worst, I’ll die together with you monsters. Do not think that merely relying on a demonic artifact means Elder Ji can do nothing to the remnants of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He has made thorough preparations this time. Just wait and see. Your valley will be breached before long. Then I would like to see where you rats who cannot bear the light will hide!”

Ji Youyun knew of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Body. Not only did he know of it, he had also found a way to neutralize it. For the Cheng clan, this was terrible news—news capable of driving them into an absolute dead end.

Hong Jian glanced at Jing Xiaoyun, and her heart sank.

Ji Youyun was not merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. His attainments in the Great Tribulation Scripture were impossible to measure against her own. With the future so uncertain and bleak, would she still have a chance to catch up with him?

While Hong Jian remained deep in thought, Ren Chen’s Nascent Soul grew smaller and smaller, on the verge of dispersing.

Hong Jian suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked Ren Chen, “Ji Youyun joined forces with the Talisman Diagram Sect. What about Dai Mingchi? Why didn’t he come?”

Ren Chen made one final struggle in Jing Xiaoyun’s hands and let out two shrill cries. Whether they were mockery or curses, no one could tell. Before he could answer Hong Jian, he vanished into nothingness.

Jing Xiaoyun carefully examined the two hands that had held Ren Chen, then clapped them together a few times to make certain the old bastard was truly dead and had left no trace behind. She raised her head and asked the others, “What should we do? I want to go back and take a look.”

Although she said that she wanted to go herself, the eager way she gazed at everyone made it clear that what she truly wanted was for them all to accompany her.

Lu Yanchang immediately said, “Go on, then. Your father isn’t very brave, so have him come with us. I’ll take good care of him.”

Jing Xiaoyun was about to speak when a world-shaking explosion suddenly erupted from the distant valley. Spiritual energy churned violently, and someone let out a long, ringing laugh. The laughter carried far across the land, audible for a hundred miles in every direction.

After a moment, the laughter ceased, and the man called out in a clear voice, “Do you people intend to refuse surrender until you see the coffin? Surrender at once and hand over the demonic artifact. In return, I, Nangong Jiu, will put in a good word for you and guarantee that none of you will die. How does that sound?”