Chapter 148: Encountering Zhao Yuanjiao Again
The disciples quickly took down the ordinary sea serpents. Ye Dafu and his group, fighting six on one, defeated the Ascension-realm sea serpent as well.
"Die!" Ye Dafu howled. He thrust his blade through the serpent's neck, causing it to screech in pain.
"Die!" the other disciples howled. Five combined sword slashes killed the Ascension-realm sea serpent instantly.
"Third Uncle, I'll treat you to some Ascension-realm meat!" Ye Dafu happily dragged his spoils back onto the ship.
"Dafu, are you alright...?" Ye Sanshui couldn't help but worry about his nephew.
Ye Dafu had bite marks all over his body, which was swelling up in black and purple. He looked as though he might keel over at any moment.
"It does hurt a little. This Ascension-realm sea serpent's venom is even stronger than the others', but I'm not afraid of poison. I'll be just fine in a few days. Third Uncle, I'm growing stronger! I can even kill Ascension-realm spirits now!" Ye Dafu crowed.
"Stronger? You're the only one who ended up being bitten! Why did you go for its head rather than its tail?" Ye Sanshui scolded his nephew.
The five Ascension-realm disciples who had attacked the Ascension-realm sea serpent alongside Ye Sanshui felt a bout of shame. It was because Ye Dashui had taken all the bites that they were perfectly fine.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng wanted me to lead the group. Of course I had to fight from the front! Don't worry, I'm just fine." Ye Dafu patted himself on the chest.
Xiao Nanfeng watched the exchange with some interest. No wonder Ye Dafu was able to accrue a group of lackeys despite his obvious flaws! He never backed down and led from the front.
"Ye Dafu, I have an antidote you can have." Xiao Nanfeng handed him a pill he had retrieved from Marquis Wu.
"It's alright. I'll be back to normal in just a few days, Young—Senior Brother!" Ye Dafu replied in excitement.
Ever since he learned of Xiao Nanfeng's true identity, Ye Dafu had been far more courteous to him than before. He had been wanting to deepen his relationship with Xiao Nanfeng, and he was overjoyed that Xiao Nanfeng would suddenly make him an overture.
"Better to recover sooner," Xiao Nanfeng replied, handing the bottle to Ye Dafu.
"Accept the gift from your senior," Ye Sanshui whispered, nudging him.
"Then I'll accept with gratitude!" Ye Dafu shouted. He swallowed the pill in the bottle in one gulp. "Oh, it tastes good!"
"Steer the ship away for now," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.
"Despite the distress flares, Senior Brother?" a disciple asked.
"The ship's too large and visible a target. We'll hide it away first."
"Understood!" the disciples replied.
The ship sailed to a nearby island where it docked. The disciples stood on the island as they looked toward the distress flares in the distance.
"Senior Brother, is it necessary for us to hide this far away?" Ye Sanshui asked curiously.
"It is. There are many serpents in this stretch of the sea, and the ones we encountered were only a small fraction of their number," Xiao Nanfeng warned. He was able to sense everything clearly with his spiritual power.
"What?!" everyone cried out.
"Ascension-realm disciples, please accompany me to have a look at the scene. Ye Sanshui, stay on this island and prepare to receive us," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.
"Senior Brother, I'd like to go with you," Ye Sanshui volunteered, worried about the danger.
"Better if you're here to guard the Immortal's Destruction on my behalf," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
Ye Sanshui nodded seriously, understanding Xiao Nanfeng's intent.
"Ye Dafu, you're suffering from severe poisoning. You should stay and recuperate."
"I'm fine! I'd rather go with you, Senior Brother. I like being bitten by serpents—it's comfortable!"
Everyone goggled at the maniac.
"Very well," Xiao Nanfeng replied, giving Ye Dafu a strange look.
Xiao Nanfeng erected the Immortal's Destruction by the shore of the island, then began swimming toward the island afar with the gathered disciples.
The twelve disciples made for a particularly small target, and Xiao Nanfeng continued to scout ahead with his spiritual power to ensure that no harm would befall the group. They quickly arrived at the island with distress flares and swam ashore from a secluded part of the island.
The island was desolate and seemed to be nowhere extraordinary. A few hills were present on the island, but there were no living creatures in the vicinity.
The group of disciples walked halfway up one hill and saw a valley from which the flares were being sent.
There were dozens of Taiqing disciples in the valley, many of whom had been stricken with serpent venom. Their eyes were closed as they recuperated and meditated; a small group of cultivators were erecting small flags to form a barrier formation that would defend against the serpents beyond.
"Zhao Yuanjiao? How unlucky! What's he doing here?" Ye Dafu cursed.
At the center of the formation were a large group of Taiqing disciples, all surrounding Zhao Yuanjiao. His entire body was black and purple, as though he were suffering from an extreme case of poisoning.
"Senior Brother, there are so many serpents!" one junior disciple cried out.
Beyond the barrier were thousands of sea serpents. The two largest were golden-hued and each thirty meters long. Their bodies were coiled, their expressions fierce. Even from afar, the disciples could sense the frightening aura they gave off.
The two golden serpents struck the barrier simultaneously. It flickered violently, as though it would dissipate at any moment.
"Zhao Yuanjiao, now that my venom's coursing through your body, you won't survive for long. Come out here and die!" one of the golden serpents hissed.
Xiao Nanfeng and his group, hiding within a forest from afar, frowned.
"This golden serpent can speak? It must be at Spiritsong—a serpent king?!" Ye Dafu cried out.
"Are both golden serpents at Spiritsong?" the other disciples wondered, worried.
"Senior Brother, we won't be of any help. We'd better leave now. It's not worth it to give up our lives for Zhao Yuanjiao. Shouldn't we try to inform the elders as quickly as possible instead?" Ye Dafu seemed rather fearful.
Just then, a group of sea serpents swam up to the two golden serpents, as though reporting something.
"There was another Taiqing ship in the vicinity and clashed with you? They already know about the situation here? Quick, we can't delay any longer!" one golden serpent called out.
"We'll invoke our latent potential and break through this barrier with force!"
"Alright!"
Huge quantities of blood mist erupted from the two golden serpents. As their strength grew by leaps and bounds, the two golden serpents smashed into the barrier.
The other serpents all did the same in synchrony. The ground and hills on the island quaked and rumbled. After two whole hours of that assault, the barrier broke apart.
The Taiqing disciples who had been maintaining it for as long as they could all stumbled back, vomiting blood from the backlash of the attack. They fell to the ground.
"Don't leave even a single one alive. Kill them all!" one golden serpent commanded.
The serpents swarmed into the valley.
"They've breached the barrier! They're coming over now..."
"Are we going to die here? No!"
"Kill them!"
The Taiqing disciples struck at the gathered serpents, ignoring their wounded bodies.
Just then, Zhao Yuanjiao's eyes opened wide as he drew his sword. A huge sword slash flew toward the golden-orb serpent, sending it flying.
"You think to resist despite the fact that you're at your wit's end? Die!" The other golden serpent leapt toward Zhao Yuanjiao, sending him flying. He fell back again and again in the two-on-one fight.
"Who sent you? How did you know what route we would take? Why are you attacking us?!" Zhao Yuanjiao howled as he fought.
"Do you think we'd tell you? Die!" one golden serpent replied.
Zhao Yuanjiao fought the two serpents at significant risk to his life.
"Save us, Elder!" The Taiqing disciples in the valley were having a hard time resisting the serpents' incursion as well.
Thousands of serpents were swarming toward them. Even if there were only a few dozen Ascension-realm ones, they were unable to defend against the overwhelming force. It looked as though everyone was about to perish to the serpents.
"Charge!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.
Xiao Nanfeng and Zhao Yuanjiao harbored bad blood, but he was still a disciple of Elder Ku. Everyone present bore witness; he had no choice but to do what he could. How would he face his master otherwise?
"Yes, Senior Brother!" The disciples charged down the valley.
Xiao Nanfeng held the divine undying blade in his hand. He slashed forward, instantly killing a wide swathe of sea serpents and cutting apart the two Ascension-realm ones as well.
"What?!" The disciples stared at Xiao Nanfeng in shock, none having imagined that he was such a strong combatant.
"Is that Nanfeng?" Cries came from within the valley.
As Xiao Nanfeng swung his blade once again, another huge swathe of sea serpents was wiped out.
Noticing the threat posed by the newcomer, the sea serpents quickly changed their target and surged toward him.
Xiao Nanfeng snorted.
Roiling flame burst forth from Xiao Nanfeng's body, surrounding him like a glowing sun and burning the Immanence-realm sea serpents to a crisp. The Ascension-realm ones blocked the majority of the flame, but they too were forced back—just in time to be struck by Xiao Nanfeng's divine undying blade.
Xiao Nanfeng was a juggernaut. Where he roamed, the sea serpents fell. Against these serpents, he seemed all but invincible.
The Taiqing disciples trapped within the valley stared out in surprise.
"That's Nanfeng?"
"I managed to seize and take him down half a year ago. How did he suddenly grow so strong?"
"Just what happened in the intervening six months?!"
The disciples all cried out in surprise.
Ye Dafu and the others charged forward behind Xiao Nanfeng, but there was nothing for them to do but to kill the stragglers that Xiao Nanfeng hadn't managed to. It was surprisingly relaxing.
"No wonder you were able to establish a relationship with the strong within the hidden realm. I didn't know you were this strong, Senior Brother!"
"Our senior brother is amazing!"
Ye Dafu and his lackeys were gobsmacked.
Ye Dafu stared open-mouthed at the carnage Xiao Nanfeng had unleashed. "Father once told me that, if I were to meet Marquis Xiao and his family, that I would be beaten to death for showing any disrespect. Was Father trying to protect, rather than to scare me? I was crazy!"
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