Chapter 138: Burning Blood! Follow! Shattering the Golden Core? Can't Afford to Follow!
The eccentric monster stopped holding back. He opened his mouth and spat out his Nascent Soul—a miniature version of himself glowing with green light—which shot toward Su Miaoqing with terrifying speed.
Simultaneously, his physical body blurred and split into two. One clone dissolved into a cloud of black mist, tangling with Lin Xiao, while his main body lunged at Mo Shuiyao.
He had correctly identified Su Miaoqing as the weakest link despite her Undead Bird Source Blood. Thus, he deployed his strongest weapon—his Nascent Soul—to eliminate her quickly.
The Nascent Soul was elusive as a ghost, wielding a tiny green trident that stabbed toward Su Miaoqing's heart. She barely parried the strike with her Immortal Sword, but the impact sent her flying backward.
The Nascent Soul gave her no respite. It transformed into streaks of green light, weaving a net of attacks around her. Su Miaoqing defended desperately, but the speed gap was insurmountable.
Pu!
Finding an opening, the Nascent Soul pierced through her lower abdomen. Blood sprayed into the air as she collapsed to the ground, the wound bleeding profusely. She was instantly incapacitated.
The situation for the others was grim. Lin Xiao, only at the early Golden Core stage, was completely suppressed by the shadow clone, barely holding on.
Mo Shuiyao fared even worse against the main body. The monster's teleportation and corrosive black mist left her scrambling. Her attacks landed on him with no effect, like scratching an itch.
Just as she committed to a desperate defense, the monster’s Nascent Soul abandoned the fallen Su Miaoqing and ambushed her from behind.
Bang!
Caught off guard, she blocked with her dagger but was blasted sideways. The eccentric teleported behind her mid-flight, wrapping his arm around her waist and clamping a hand over her dantian, sealing her Golden Core instantly.
Powerless, she fell limp in his grasp.
The eccentric held her close, leering at her torn clothes and exposed skin. "You're mine now," he cackled, inhaling her scent. "So fragrant!"
He extended a long, grotesque tongue and licked her cheek.
Mo Shuiyao retched in disgust, but with her Golden Core sealed, she couldn't even self-destruct to escape the humiliation.
The eccentric glanced at Su Miaoqing’s unmoving body in the distance. "A pity. Such a beautiful body... I suppose I’ll have to refine her into a puppet."
"YOU ARE COURTING DEATH!!!"
A voice cold as the Ninth Netherworld exploded from the void.
Slash!
A terrifying sword beam erupted from thin air, aiming straight for the monster’s neck.
Startled, the eccentric tried to teleport away with his prize, but the sword was too fast. It cleaved through the arm holding Mo Shuiyao, severing it cleanly at the shoulder.
Seeing a second wave of sword energy approaching—one that seemed ready to cut Mo Shuiyao in half just to get to him—he didn't dare hesitate. He abandoned her and teleported away.
Mo Shuiyao, staring at the sword energy that had missed her nose by a hair's breadth, broke out in a cold sweat. Freed from the seal, she regained her power and instantly retreated.
She was decisive. Without pausing, she launched her Moon Blade at the shadow clone suppressing Lin Xiao.
The clone, unwilling to take the hit, ducked behind Lin Xiao, using him as a shield.
Mo Shuiyao didn't flinch. Her blade continued its trajectory, looking as if she intended to slice through Lin Xiao to kill the clone.
"Crazy bitch!" the clone cursed. It dissolved into ash and shot back to rejoin the main body.
Lin Xiao snapped his folding fan open, absorbing the incoming Moon Blade. A small crack appeared on the fan’s surface.
"Fairy Mo," he said with a bitter smile, "couldn't you have saved me a little more gently?"
"That guy didn't save me gently either!" Mo Shuiyao retorted coldly, swallowing two recovery pills. Lin Xiao sighed and did the same.
Xiao Yifeng appeared beside Su Miaoqing as if teleporting. He checked her wound immediately.
Faint flames flickered around the injury, and the flesh was knitting together at a visible rate. Thanks to the Middle Grade Immortal Artifact feather garment absorbing the brunt of the impact, and the Undead Bird Source Blood healing her, the wound wasn't fatal.
Luckily, she didn't have a Golden Core yet. If a Golden Core cultivator had taken that hit, their core would have shattered, killing them instantly.
Because Su Miaoqing had displayed such terrifying combat power, the eccentric had assumed she was a Golden Core expert. He didn't realize she was merely Foundation Establishment, leading him to mistake her incapacitation for death.
Xiao Yifeng helped her up, placing a hand on her back to pour fire-attribute energy into her.
Su Miaoqing leaned weakly against him. Sensing the change in his aura, her eyes widened in anger. "Xiao Feng... you formed your core? How could you be so hasty?!"
She realized his "solution" was to rush Core Formation. And since there was no Heavenly Tribulation, it meant he had formed the lowest quality Nine Revolutions Golden Core.
His future is ruined! He had traded his limitless potential for a momentary power boost.
Xiao Yifeng shook his head, smiling gently. "It's fine, Senior Sister. Leave the rest to me."
He turned to face the eccentric, his voice ringing across the hall. "Lin Xiao! Mo Shuiyao! Do you two still have your courage? Dare you join me in killing a Nascent Soul with Golden Core strength?!"
Lin Xiao felt a surge of adrenaline. He laughed, snapping his fan shut. "Killing a Nascent Soul? Why not!"
"Since you gentlemen are so heroic," Mo Shuiyao smiled charmingly, wiping blood from her lip, "this woman can only sacrifice her life to accompany you."
"Good! Then stop holding back! Use everything you have!" Xiao Yifeng roared, his eyes burning with killing intent. "He dared to hurt my Senior Sister! I am taking his dog life today!"
Boom!
Xiao Yifeng ignited his Essence Blood without hesitation.
Seeing him go all out, Lin Xiao and Mo Shuiyao exchanged a glance. Still shaken by their near-death experience, they knew this was do-or-die. They, too, ignited their Essence Blood.
Their auras surged, climbing section by section.
The eccentric watched them with a sneer. "Ants burning their lives. Do you think this is enough to kill me?"
Xiao Yifeng wasn't finished.
"Wentian Sect Secret Art: Sacrificing Life and Forgetting Death!"
"Wuxiang Temple Secret Art: Sacrificing Self for Righteousness!"
"Star Palace Secret Art: Blood Demon!"
Three distinct, forbidden blood-burning techniques activated simultaneously. His aura stacked layer upon layer, reaching a terrifying crescendo.
He vomited several mouthfuls of blood, grinning through teeth stained red. "Is this enough? No? Then try this!"
"Jade Shattering Art!"
CRACK!
A sickening sound echoed from his dantian.
Xiao Yifeng used a secret technique to manually shatter the Golden Core he had just formed.
The energy released was cataclysmic. He turned into a pillar of living flame, his aura exploding from Early Golden Core to Mid-Stage, then skyrocketing to Peak Golden Core before stabilizing.
Mo Shuiyao and Lin Xiao stared at him, their faces turning green.
When he burned blood, we followed. When he used secret arts, we followed. But shattering the core?!
Big Brother, we can't afford to follow that! You're on your own for that one!
Shattering a Golden Core meant falling back to Foundation Establishment, often with permanent damage that made reforming a core nearly impossible. It was professional suicide.
They didn't know that Xiao Yifeng couldn't care less about a trash-tier Nine Revolutions Golden Core.
Xiao Yifeng gripped the Ink Snow Sword, his body trembling with overflowing power. He clenched his fist, savoring the surge.
Usually, stacking so many forbidden techniques would make a cultivator lose control or explode. But Xiao Yifeng’s soul was Mahayana. Controlling this level of power was child’s play.
Chapter 139: Backstabbing Expert Luo Yun, Three Heroes Battle the Eccentric
Su Miaoqing stood to the side, worriedly looking at Xiao Yifeng. She hadn't expected this guy to hastily form a Golden Core, and then hastily shatter it! But she knew now wasn't the time to talk, so she could only bite her red lips tightly.
Xiao Yifeng laughed loudly and said, "You ghostly thing, you hurt my Senior Sister, I'll make your soul scatter! Attack!"
The three simultaneously activated their Dharma Treasures and rushed forward, surrounding and attacking the eccentric.
Xiao Yifeng was the fastest, slashing at him with the Ink Snow Sword in his hand. The eccentric was about to teleport away when Xiao Yifeng shouted, "Teleportation is forbidden here!"
The eccentric's body, halfway through teleporting, suddenly stopped, and Xiao Yifeng struck him with the Ink Snow Sword, heavily slashing him away.
Ink Snow was, after all, a divine weapon, cutting a deep, bone-visible wound on him.
The eccentric climbed up from the ground in disbelief and said, "You can actually control this place? Have you become the master of this immortal mansion?"
Then he looked at the Ink Snow Sword in Xiao Yifeng's hand, revealing a fiery light, and said, "What kind of weapon is this?"
The others also looked at Xiao Yifeng with suspicion and doubt. Xiao Yifeng smiled and said, "Guess."
Then he thrust the sword into the ground and shouted, "Extreme Deep Freeze!" The entire hall instantly became a world of ice and snow, with solid ice blocks beginning to condense all around. The eccentric felt his movements slow down again.
It was one of the Ink Snow Sword's innate abilities. Xiao Yifeng's water-attribute spiritual root, when using a technique, was actually transformed into an ice attribute.
Mo Shuiyao and the other no longer hesitated. Mo Shuiyao's Moon Blade transformed into countless crescent moons, slashing toward the eccentric.
Lin Xiao, meanwhile, hovered in mid-air. He waved his fan, and a huge mountain flew out from the fan, smashing toward the eccentric. Then a long, great river flew out from it, rushing toward the eccentric.
"You bitch, what are you still watching? Hurry up and help me!" the eccentric snarled at Luo Yun.
Having lost his teleportation ability and one arm, facing the combined attacks of several people, he was actually at a disadvantage for a moment.
Luo Yun hesitated for a moment but still chose to obey his words. However, she was suddenly intercepted by Su Miaoqing, who flew out from the side.
Su Miaoqing, with the help of the Undead Bird Source Blood, had already recovered. She secretly hated this woman's ruthlessness, who had even attacked Liu Yue, who was infatuated with her.
As soon as she came up, she used her signature Vermilion Bird Burning the Heavens, a huge Vermilion Bird flying toward Luo Yun.
Luo Yun was entangled by her and couldn't break away for a while, so the two fought fiercely, evenly matched, and it was unclear whether Luo Yun was intentionally holding back.
Xiao Yifeng and the other two fought with the eccentric, shaking heaven and earth. All three were top-tier geniuses, using various methods frequently.
The combat power each displayed was already no weaker than an ordinary Golden Core Grand Perfection, and Xiao Yifeng was even close to Nascent Soul early stage.
All of them were highly intelligent individuals, often understanding each other's intentions with just a glance. Their coordination was extremely seamless, switching between offense and defense flawlessly.
Xiao Yifeng had countless sword lights flowing around him, constantly using Five Elements techniques, Nine Songs Wind Ballad, Nine Li Fire Dragon, etc., taking on the role of main attacker.
Mo Shuiyao had Moon Blades coiling around her, following her like a shadow, blocking the eccentric's attacks one by one.
Lin Xiao continuously waved his folding fan, with mountains, rivers, vines, flames, and other means flying out from the fan in turn.
He frequently controlled the eccentric's movements, interfering with his actions, trapping him in one place, unable to run around.
Moreover, the things he used also carried severe poison. The eccentric, in the midst of battle, inevitably inhaled quite a bit, causing his movements to slow down more and more.
The eccentric was being suppressed by them, covered in wounds, in a sorry state. Defeat was only a matter of time.
The three looked at each other, seeing the exhilaration in each other's eyes. With such divine teammates, what did it matter how strong the opponent was?
"This is the first time in my life I've cooperated with someone so seamlessly. It's truly exhilarating," Lin Xiao laughed loudly.
"Brother Lin, if you want to say these words, wait until we kill this guy, then we can drink and chat happily," Xiao Yifeng also smiled.
"Don't forget me then. I can pour wine for you two. Provided you two help me vent this anger—this ghostly thing actually wanted to take me as a cauldron!" Mo Shuiyao said.
"Haha, Fairy, this anger will be vented by the two of us for you," Lin Xiao closed his folding fan and flung it forward. The fan bones actually transformed into several huge swords slashing out.
Several huge swords slashed the already exhausted eccentric until he was drenched in blood, howling in pain.
Xiao Yifeng wasn't surprised at all. After all, Lin Xiao was once a master on par with him and Mo Shuiyao back in the day—how could he not have some hard goods in his hands?
Under the combined efforts of the three, the eccentric screamed repeatedly, roaring incessantly, no longer having his previous imposing manner. It seemed he was about to be killed on the spot by the three.
At this moment, the Book of Destiny finally condensed completely and fell from mid-air. The book fell halfway and suddenly turned into a round pearl, enveloped by a golden barrier.
The eccentric, overjoyed, roared and used a secret technique, forcibly pushing back the attacks of the three, transforming into a stream of light rushing toward the Book of Destiny. Xiao Yifeng and the others quickly chased after him.
"Haha, the Book of Destiny is mine!" The eccentric rushed toward the Book of Destiny, grabbing the round pearl formed by it with one hand, but was struck away by the golden lightning released from the barrier.
"Why? Why exactly?" he shouted frantically.
He immediately thought it was because he didn't have the Reincarnation Jade Pendant, so he wasn't qualified to take the book. For a moment, he trembled with anger. Then he suddenly thought of something and shouted at Luo Yun,
"You come over and take this Heavenly Book out for me."
Luo Yun was already closely following behind. Hearing this, she shook off the others and flew up.
How could they let her succeed? They all attacked Luo Yun, but unexpectedly, the eccentric flew out to block all attacks, covering for Luo Yun.
The eccentric landed in front of her and shouted, "You go get the book."
Luo Yun nodded behind him, then heavily plucked the strings of her zither in hand. All the strings instantly snapped, transforming into sharp swords piercing out from behind the eccentric, piercing through his body and nailing him in place.
The others were stunned for a moment. Only Xiao Yifeng quickly captured this scene and stepped forward.
A complex formation appeared under Xiao Yifeng's feet, with layers of brilliant light shining around him. Then the Ink Snow Sword in his hand radiated brightly.
Those present only saw a dazzling silver light flash by, too fast to see clearly, a terrifying aura flashing past.
By the time they reacted, the eccentric had been cut in half at the waist, falling to the ground in two pieces.