Chapter 103: Madam Rouge Ascends
Chapter 103: Madam Rouge Ascends
Xiao Nanfeng's unbelievable victory caused the other cultivators to rear back. He was like a mountain against which they could not hope to contend. Try again? To be beat up by Xiao Nanfeng, you mean?
The cultivators stepped back. One was even so frightened that he stumbled and fell from the twenty-fifth plaza to the one below.
Xiao Nanfeng snorted at the cultivators, turned, and began ascending once more.
"Hold it! Stand right there! That didn't count. I had to have overlooked something. You couldn't have grown that much stronger than I am in just a day. We'll go again!" the serpent howled.
Xiao Nanfeng ignored the serpent, having no time to waste on it.
"Champion, these other cultivators have nothing to do with me," Xiao Nanfeng began. The stairs behind him swiftly vanished; clearly, he had no interest in letting the other challengers hitch a free ride.
The champion of the previous plaza, the arhat, blocked the serpent's path. He bowed.
The serpent howled, "I was careless! Fight me again if you dare!"
Xiao Nanfeng turned to glance at the serpent. "I'll fight you if you can catch up to me."
Ignoring the serpent, he walked up to the next champion.
The serpent thundered, "Just you wait! I'll kill you!"
It turned to the arhat and leapt forward at him with a cry. Both combatants fought viciously, but within thirty minutes, the serpent was smashed to the ground in defeat.
"Ridiculous! Come over here and strike this monk with me. We'll take the baldy down together!" the serpent thundered.
"Envoy, we can't fight with you. If we try to do so, the champion's strength will increase multiple times. It's a death sentence!" Crown Prince Yan exclaimed.
"What?!" the serpent cried out in outrage.
"That said, all these challengers are merely eidola, and they strike only with fixed techniques. They're far less flexible than real cultivators. As long as we find their corresponding weaknesses, we'll be able to defeat them easily. We are unskilled and were unable to find the weaknesses of this arhat, honored envoy, but you may be able to do so easily," Crown Prince Yan suggested.
"Fight against this baldy. I'll identify his weakness," the serpent replied.
"Understood!" everyone chorused. The cultivators took turns challenging the monk, each sent flying one after the other. The arhat was particularly strong, and even Xiao Nanfeng had taken twice the usual time to learn his technique.
Finally, after the arhat had sent dozens of cultivators flying, the serpent's eyes lit up. "I've found it! Let me have a go."
"Yes, Envoy!" The cultivators retreated with a sigh of relief., as though they had just received a pardon
The serpent charged forward with a cry, viciously attacking the arhat. This time, having discovered its eidolon-specific weakness, it was able to exploit it easily and win within half an hour as it flung the arhat to the ground.
"Amitabha!" The arhat got up and bowed.
Behind him appeared the stairs to the next plaza.
"Haha, was that it? Come, watch me take down that damn brat!" the serpent cried out.
"Yes, Envoy!" The cultivators happily ascended to the next plaza, but they saw no one but the champion there.
Xiao Nanfeng had already made it further.
"He's made it to the next plaza in just a few hours?" Crown Prince Yan gasped in shock.
The serpent was so angry that it smacked its tail against the ground. "Stop running if you dare, brat!"
Xiao Nanfeng ignored the serpent making a fuss down below. He was immersed in comprehending a new fist technique.
"How dare it ignore me!" The serpent's features distorted in rage as it turned to the gathered cultivators. "What are you waiting for? Challenge that champion! I need to find their weaknesses to keep going!"
"Understood!" everyone chorused.
The cultivators once again took turns challenging the champion. After almost a hundred cultivators were sent flying, the serpent noticed the weakness, charged gleefully into battle, and finally won.
The group of cultivators ascended to the next plaza, but Xiao Nanfeng had already gone beyond. Indeed, it had already been some time since he began challenging the plaza up ahead.
The serpent's features distorted once more. "What are all of you waiting for? Keep going!"
"Yes, honored envoy!"
The cultivators continued taking turns challenging each champion as the serpent watched on intently, finding weakness after weakness.
It continued to give chase in this manner. After some time, however, it suddenly discovered that not only had it been unable to catch up to Xiao Nanfeng, the gap between them had only widened. Xiao Nanfeng was now two plazas ahead!
"Is this lad... who is this lad?!" The serpent's eyes were wild.
"Honored envoy, we've exhausted our spiritual power and are unable to continue," Crown Prince Yan panted weakly.
"That quickly? Aren't all of you too weak?" The serpent eyed them angrily.
"Honored envoy, your spiritual cultivation is exceptionally advanced, and you can easily replenish the spiritual power you've consumed via your physical body. However, we're fully drained and will need to recuperate for a day or so," Crown Prince Yan sighed.
"A day or so? How would I be able to catch up to that brat then? Come over here. I'll lend all of you some of my spiritual power. Keep fighting!" the serpent commanded.
"Understood, envoy!" The cultivators had no choice but to continue fighting.
The serpent and cultivators continued to challenge plaza after plaza, motivated by their desire to take revenge on Xiao Nanfeng. Unfortunately, the gap between them only widened. After a day and a night, Xiao Nanfeng was eight plazas ahead of the serpent.
By this point, the serpent was despairing.
Not only were the cultivators incredibly tired, even the serpent felt helpless against this gap. "Just who is this brat? Only Elder Blue Lantern could ascend at such a rapid clip!"
As the serpent and the cultivators wearily sat down to rest, another figure appeared at the foot of the dragon's head mountain.
A skeleton had emerged from the darkness, none other than Madam Rouge.
She had been hiding in the divine capital all this time as she observed what was happening. By now, feeling as though she had seen all that she needed to, she stepped into the first plaza.
The first champion, Black Vajra, showed no sign of surprise upon seeing a skeleton approached.
Black Vajra bowed, then leapt toward Madam Rouge.
Madam Rouge remained still, as though not having reacted to what was happening. Right as Black Vajra was about to punch Madam Rouge, however, she suddenly stuck out her right pointer finger. It appeared by the center of Black Vajra's forehead in a flash, then pierced through his head.
Black Vajra remained motionless after being instantly killed by the finger. Subsequently, it transformed into a cloud of black smoke, which Madam Rouge absorbed.
After that point, the first plaza became still and silent. Black Vajra never reappeared. The stairs leading up to the second plaza gradually came into existence.
Madam Rouge stared carefully into the air for some time, as though able to see past the layers of fog and at the giant dragon-quelling spike hovering in the air. Once she confirmed that the spike wasn't about to target her, she headed toward the second plaza. Rather than teleport, she walked slowly.
Not long later, she killed and absorbed the second champion.
Madam Rouge was slow and silent. Only when she had to kill did she act quickly. Her progress chasing Xiao Nanfeng toward the top of the peak was an inexorable advance.
High above, the serpent and the group of cultivators chased Xiao Nanfeng for another two days and two nights before the serpent gave up. Xiao Nanfeng was fifteen plazas above him at this point—how was it to succeed?
"Don't you dare run, you brat! Are you fleeing because you don't think you can beat me? Are you scared?!" the serpent yelled out.
Everyone gave the serpent a strange look. Who else would have been able to say something so shameless?
"Honored envoy, shall we continue?" Crown Prince Qi looked expectantly at the serpent.
"Continue? Do you think we can catch up?!" the serpent thundered.
The two crown princes glanced at each other. Although they chafed at the serpent's orders, they were making very good time toward the peak of the mountain, where a treasure lay in wait. How could they give up on it? They had to seek the serpent's assistance!
"Honored envoy, that brat surely doesn't have the same reserves of spiritual power that you possess. He'll have to stop sooner or later. Why don't we continue?" Crown Prince Yan suggested.
"That's right! He must have used a trick to get ahead so quickly. With our assistance, honored envoy, you'll be able to trap and kill him easily when we catch up!" Crown Prince Qi added.
The serpent glanced coldly at the two crown princes. "Don't you think I know what you have in mind? You're trying to claim the inheritance of the emperor who left his mark on this mountain, and attempting to take advantage of me to do so!"
"Honored envoy, we really do think you invincible!" Crown Prince Yan replied respectfully.
"Truly, honored envoy, your divine might cannot be suppressed. Only you deserve the emperor's inheritance. We ask only that you allow us to share in the smallest fruits of your labor."
"You might be right, but why should I do you this favor? Even if I can't catch up to that brat, I can wait at the top. The black-armored cultivators have already gone beyond him. All I have to do is head out and enter the illusory realm in conjunction with the black-armored cultivators. Why should I assist you, then?" The serpent glanced at his 'helpers' disdainfully.
The two crown princes stilled, not having anticipated this response.
Just then, someone shouted, "Your Highness, there's another challenger approaching! It's not a person. It's—a ghost?!"
As the crown princes' subordinates screamed, the serpent and the two crown princes turned to see Madam Rouge step onto their current plaza. Black aura surrounded her as her skull slowly moved, as though counting just how much food there was for her here.
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