Chapter 138: The Copper Man's Tribulation
Xiao Nanfeng had a strange expression on his face because his forehead was, once again, a mess.
The third copper avatar had dragged the black lotus back into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape, thinking that he would be an easy target, but it quickly realized that something was wrong. There was a white orb in this mindscape that had turned toward it after eating half a copper avatar's body, baring its sharp canines.
"A cursed effigy? What sort of cursed effigy is this?!" the third copper avatar cried out.
Even the superior yin pearl was taken by surprise. What was going on today? It swallowed up the remainder of the second copper avatar's body and quickly leapt toward the third.
The third copper avatar's eyes grew wide. Sensing the imminent danger, it tried to flee—before it was sent flying by the superior yin pearl. The superior yin pearl then bared its fangs at the black lotus before knocking it away, as though threatening it.
The black lotus hesitated before giving up on that copper avatar, allowing the superior yin pearl to enjoy another feast. It began hunting down the copper avatar in the distance.
Xiao Nanfeng was silent for long moments. "Black lotus? You—you aren't a cursed effigy too, are you?"
The black lotus showed no sign of understanding Xiao Nanfeng's words, but he wasn't a fool. By now, there were far too many hints that it was what he feared.
"I really have enough cursed effigies to fill a mahjong table, then..."
As he watched the superior yin pearl bite off the arm of the third copper avatar, Xiao Nanfeng found himself shaking internally. What was he to do? He couldn't allow them to bully each other! The superior yin pearl was the most domineering; the black lotus, on the other hand, was being bullied.
He sucked in a deep breath. "Come on. I'll help you find more copper avatars."
No matter what, he couldn't let one of the cursed effigies grow too strong. Although the superior yin pearl hadn't yet hurt him, who knew what might happen in the future? He had to cultivate an opponent for the superior yin pearl.
Although the black lotus was weak, it showed that it was willing to listen to Xiao Nanfeng, and it was very obedient. It was well worth raising.
Xiao Nanfeng retrieved the black lotus from his mindscape and rushed toward Croak.
"Absorb it quickly," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.
The black lotus absorbed the golden talisman on Croak's forehead as it gave off even more concentrated energy.
The black lotus immediately dove into Croak's mindscape.
Emperor Wei had taught Croak some technique to avoid mental possession, and there was black fog in its forehead that was holding a copper avatar at bay. However, from the looks of it, Croak wouldn't be able to hold it back for long.
"Croak, it's me! Let me help you out." Xiao Nanfeng sent Croak a mental transmission.
Croak, who had been close to giving out, quickly rallied upon hearing Xiao Nanfeng's voice. It immediately dispersed its black fog and allowed the black lotus to fly up to the copper avatar's head, where it instantly began to send black smoke surging out toward the copper avatar.
"A spiritual treasure?" The copper avatar punched at the black lotus in rage.
This time, Xiao Nanfeng didn't touch Croak's forehead with his own—he didn't want this fourth copper avatar to become food for the superior yin pearl as well.
As Xiao Nanfeng continued to channel spiritual power into the black lotus, the copper avatar slowly became mired in the black fog.
"You? Lad, what happened to the copper avatar I placed in your mindscape? Why haven't you been controlled yet? How are you able to help this toad spirit?"
Sensing that something was amiss, the copper avatar dragged the black lotus with it as it rushed out of Croak's mindscape.
As it emerged, it saw Emperor Wei fighting against the cursed king. Two copper skeletons were holding its coffin down far below them, and the cursed effigies all around had been chased out of the valley.
"Emperor Wei? Die!" the copper avatar thundered.
The black lotus continued to restrain the copper avatar, but it continued to struggle as it attempted to fly into the air.
Just then, white light surged forth—an orb of light, complete with sawtooth canines. It bit down on the fourth copper avatar and dragged it into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.
The fourth copper avatar: ...
The black lotus: ...
Xiao Nanfeng's face spasmed. "This superior yin pearl is really..."
Black fog poured from the black lotus, as though having reached the apex of anger.
Xiao Nanfeng comforted it. "Don't worry, there are other copper avatars around. Come, let's find the next one."
The black lotus flew toward Warble's forehead, sucked up the golden talisman, and then into its mindscape.
The fifth copper avatar quickly rushed out of Warble's mindscape, only to have history repeat itself. The superior yin pearl conjured up a mouth with its yin frost, then dragged the copper avatar into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.
Xiao Nanfeng and the black lotus were both silent for long moments. Had they wasted their time again?
"Nanfeng? What just happened? What dragged that copper avatar away?" Croak asked, not understanding what was going on.
Warble slowly opened her eyes as well. She looked toward them curiously.
"It's nothing important. Go cultivate," Xiao Nanfeng urged.
Croak and Warble glanced at each other, then nodded. Although they were confused, black fog was roiling within their mindscape, and they would have to deal with it.
The black lotus was extremely enraged. This time, without Xiao Nanfeng saying a word, it floated up into the air.
A cyclone of black fog billowed around it as it absorbed all the golden talismans from their forehead.
"You're going to release all the copper avatars at once?" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
Black tendrils of fog shot into the fifteen exposed foreheads.
"You dare harm my physical body?!" a loud roar came from one unconscious cultivator.
A copper avatar flew out of her mindscape.
The black lotus snatched it up with a tendril of black fog, then floated toward Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
It zipped inside, then dragged the copper avatar in with it—no, ten copper avatars! The black lotus immediately went into hiding by his stellar lake, exposing the half-eaten copper avatar that the superior yin pearl was consuming.
"What cursed effigy is this? It's devouring our avatars!"
"Take it to pieces!"
"Make it vomit out everything it's eaten!"
The group of copper avatars all attacked the superior yin pearl simultaneously, causing a series of explosions within Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape. The tremendous destruction caused waves to form over the surface of his stellar lake.
Xiao Nanfeng couldn't interrupt the fight at all—he felt as though his head were about to explode.
Just then, the black lotus stealthily appeared, launching a sneak attack on one copper avatar and dragging it into the depths of his stellar lake.
"It's... using tactics?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned despite the pain.
Suddenly, it understood why Madam Rouge had been so unwilling to be sealed by the black lotus, so much so that it would rather self-destruct.
Xiao Nanfeng sighed. The superior yin pearl and black lotus were duking it out within his mindscape, ignoring him, its proper owner!
"No, wait a minute. The black lotus only dragged in ten copper avatars. What happened to the other five?"
He opened his eyes to find that the possessed cultivators and spirits, even with the copper avatars extracted from them, seemed pale and lifeless. They were likely dead.
A copper avatar poked out of each of Marquis Wu and his four subordinates' mindscapes. The five of them broke the black lotus' tendrils of fog, each holding on to a length of red rope, as they stared at Xiao Nanfeng in shock.
"What's in your forehead, lad?" one copper avatar asked fiercely.
They had all seen the black lotus drag ten of their number into his forehead, shocked by the sight. Even though their main body was fighting with Emperor Wei overhead, none went to lend him assistance; to them, Xiao Nanfeng seemed like the larger threat.
"That black lotus didn't seem very strong at all. How could it have dragged ten of us inside?" one copper avatar questioned.
"Avoid his forehead. Restrain him first," another commanded.
"That's right. As long as we don't enter his forehead, he's nothing more than a puny cultivator at Lunar Deluge. Killing him would be like squashing an ant."
"Take this!"
The five copper avatars rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng.
"Don't come over!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
"Are you scared now? It's too late!"
Just then, Xiao Nanfeng extended his left hand and opened up his storage ring.
A roar came from the beast trapped inside. Tremendous suction overwhelmed the five copper avatars, sucking them and even the red rope they held within the storage ring.
"A cursed effigy! There's another one within the ring?"
"Multiple cursed effigies all over his body—is he tired of living?"
"Why is this cursed effigy so strong? That's impossible! Is this a cursed king?!"
"Stop what you're doing, brat!"
The five copper avatars cried out in shock and panic, but the beast within the ring had noticed the delicious feast outside. It was overjoyed; it certainly wasn't about to stop. It sucked and sucked, dragging the five copper avatars closer into the ring.
Xiao Nanfeng smiled wryly. "I warned you. I'm not afraid of you—I'm afraid they'll grow too strong for me after eating you."
"No!" the five copper avatars cried out. They were simultaneously sucked into Xiao Nanfeng's storage ring.
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