Chapter 184: The Ghosts' Parade
At sea, beyond the Isle of Xiao, the huge commotion resulted in tsunami-like waves that sent a piece of raft in the ocean flying high into the air before it crashed back down with a tremendous splash.
"Be careful, Boss!" one cultivator on the raft exclaimed.
"I'm fine. Damn it, that was a large wave." Ye Dafu's voice could be heard from the other side of the raft.
Two figures were hidden beneath the driftwood.
"Boss, just like the young master said, the Isle of Xiao has been shrouded by fog! Is it a formation?" Ye Dafu's lackey asked.
"I thought it was ordinary fog, but it's clear from the commotion that there's a huge problem. What are all of you waiting for? Fire the signal flare!" Ye Dafu commanded.
His lackeys hurriedly lit a flare and shot it into the air. It exploded in the air in a series of fireworks, particularly bright against the night sky.
That signal flare was just the start. All around the ocean, more and more flares rose into the air. Xiao Nanfeng had been prepared for the raid, and had had Ye Dafu and the others hide out in the ocean to signal the Taiqing Island immediately if something were to go wrong.
On a mountain peak by the Taiqing Immortal Sect, Zhao Tianheng continued to spy on the Isle of Xiao. The lack of visibility at night meant that the chance of discovery was low, and the fog that surrounded it made it impossible to discern what was happening on the island.
"Division Leader, if the Isle of Xiao does manage to get a signal flare out, should we respond?" one elder asked in worry.
"Don't worry. They won't be able to shoot out a flare," Zhao Tianheng replied confidently.
"Oh?"
"The area within five kilometers of the island will be shrouded by the formation, and nothing within will be able to pass without. I'll call myself Xiao Tianheng if he can get a signal out," Zhao Tianheng continued.
Just then, a flare rose into the air around the outskirts of the Isle of Xiao.
"Quick, look! There's a distress signal out at sea. It's the highest-grade distress signal from the sect!"
"There are so many more! Look over there. The Isle of Xiao is there!"
"Has something happened to the Isle of Xiao? We have to inform the elders immediately!"
The night guardsmen around the island let out startled cries.
When an elder of Taiqing Island noticed the signal flare, she immediately shot toward it. A second, third, and even more elders rapidly followed.
Atop the mountain, Zhao Tianheng sputtered, "The Pestilence Sage is useless! How could they have managed to send out a distress signal out of the formation?!"
Flags had been placed down in the ocean surrounding the Isle of Xiao, serving as markers for the formation of fog. The central marker was on a large ship at sea.
The ship was filled with demonic disciples who were manipulating a circular platform wreathed in fog. It gave off rays of black light that connected to the formations at sea.
Tang and the Pestilence Sage stood at the bow of the ship, able to clearly see what was going on on the island.
"Xiao Nanfeng's more decisive than I thought. He gave up on the draconic vein of the Isle of Xiao for a decisive blow," the Pestilence Sage remarked.
"Sage, the serpent king is dead. We have to flee now, too!" Tang urged.
"Flee? What for? The serpent king's death means little. It was just a spiritbeast," the Pestilence Sage replied.
"Ah?"
"The Immortal's Destruction is a true treasure. I'll claim it for myself this very day!" The Pestilence Sage's eyes lit up with greed.
"Sage, the Immortal's Destruction is exceptionally dangerous. The serpent king was a Wingform-realm lifeform, and it still perished to Xiao Nanfeng! Let's not take the risk," Tang fretted.
"The serpent king's death is because Xiao Nanfeng gave up an entire draconic vein in exchange for a supercharged attack. The Isle of Xiao doesn't have a second such vein, and his Immortal's Destruction is all but useless now. He's dead," the Pestilence Sage continued confidently.
"But even without a draconic vein, the Immortal's Destruction can still summon regular-sized blades! Xiao Nanfeng used these blades to kill the two giant golden serpents back then. Furthermore, you said that his ring traps a cursed effigy within, and he also has two strong Spirit-realm toads protecting the island. We can't take the risk!" Tang urged.
"That's why I set up this formation. I want his Immortal's Destruction to lose effect and for him to have no chance to summon the cursed effigy in his storage ring. I'll make those two toad spirits defenseless. I'll slay him today, then claim the Immortal's Destruction for myself!"
Tang was anxious. He was certain that targeting Xiao Nanfeng was a bad idea, but the sage refused to listen to him no matter what he said.
"Sage, there was a huge commotion just now. We might not be able to get away if the Taiqing elders come to check it out. We had better leave now while we can!" Tang continued.
"Don't you know that this formation can block sound and light? Unless someone launches signal flares from outside the formation, there's no way the elders will know to check on the island. That's why we scouted the vicinity and ensured that no ships were present. There could hardly be a signal released," the Pestilence Sage replied confidently.
Just then, a loud thump came from beyond the formation as a signal flare rose into the air—no, not just one, but a whole group of them, exposing the raid for all to see.
The Pestilence Sage: ...
Where did these signal flares come from?
"Look over there! Some Taiqing disciples are releasing signal flares from underneath some driftwood! Xiao Nanfeng's planned all this in advance!" Tang cried out.
The moment Ye Dafu and the others finished firing the signal flares, they dove back down into the ocean. The Pestilence Sage roared in frustration.
"Sage, we've been exposed! We have to run!" Tang fretted.
"There's no need. Some elders within the Taiqing Sect will cover things up for me. They want the Immortal's Destruction even more than I do. This is a rare opportunity to strike, and I have to acquire the Immortal's Destruction at any cost," the Pestilence Sage replied, gnashing his teeth.
He walked up to a platform of fog that the gathered demonic disciples had activated, reached in, and retrieved a scroll which he quickly unfolded. Black air rushed out and surrounded the formation, dyeing it black.
"Release the Ghosts' Parade!" the Pestilence Sage commanded.
Sinister howls and shrieks resounded from within the scroll, causing everyone around to tremble.
At the same time, on the Isle of Xiao, Xiao Nanfeng's slaughter of the serpent king left everyone astounded.
"Senior Brother, you're amazing!"
"I can't believe it!"
The Taiqing disciples all began to cheer, but Xiao Nanfeng didn't drop his guard. There was still thick fog in the vicinity. He clutched his blade with one hand and a talisman for the Immortal's Destruction in the other as he stared warily at his surroundings.
Just then, a gust of black smoke shot straight at him.
"Everyone, beware!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
"What?" Everyone looked at their surroundings in shock.
The black smoke that accompanied the fog sent everyone flying. The disciples shrieked and shouted.
Xiao Nanfeng suddenly broke them all off. "Everyone, gather around me! This is an illusion."
When the disciples got to their feet, they looked at their surroundings in shock. Their weapons had vanished, and their environment was wholly different from before. Dense, concentrated fog surrounded the disciples, giving off a sinister feeling.
"There are thousands of us here! How could we all have entered an illusion together?"
"It must have been because of the formation. What sort of illusion is this?"
"Look! What's that?"
Everyone turned to see a fifteen-meter-tall malevolent specter not too far away from them. It had a horn on its head, and its eyes and skin were a bright, burnished red. Black smoke poured from its mouth. As it stepped forward, a destructive aura emanated from it, making all the disciples feel as though they were suddenly unable to breathe.
Not only that, more and more horned red ghosts emerged from the fog, each the size of a small mountain, resulting in mounting pressure for the gathered disciples. They bared their fangs and drooled at the sight of so many cultivators.
"What are these? They're all so frightening!"
"This is the Ghosts' Parade, a treasure of the Taiqing Immortal Sect that was taken by the demonic branch."
"I heard my master mention that each ghost in the Ghosts' Parade is at Stellar Lake. A hundred such ghosts—they'd be undefeated within the illusory realm!"
Many of the more knowledgeable disciples recognized the treasure at once, and they were shocked by its strength. They felt as though they were doomed.
Within the sect, those who had reached a spiritual cultivation of Stellar Lake were elders by and large. Facing these ghosts would be like facing a hundred elders, an impossible affair.
The disciples quickly noticed another strange figure in the illusion—the Pestilence Sage.
The Pestilence Sage stood in the distance, a scroll in hand. He smirked. "Xiao Nanfeng, will you surrender to me, or are you going to force me to strike?"
The Pestilence Sage threatened Xiao Nanfeng as he waved the scroll in his hand. Simultaneously, dozens of malicious specters shot toward Xiao Nanfeng and the gathered disciples as though commanded.
"No!" the Taiqing disciples screamed in despair.
The Pestilence Sage, believing victory to be at his fingertips, smiled more and more widely.
Xiao Nanfeng gave him an odd look, thinking to himself, "Is the Pestilence Sage an idiot?"
If the Pestilence Sage had chosen to attack him in reality, he would hardly be able to do anything about it, but for the sage to have struck in an illusion...
Xiao Nanfeng shot forward and punched at a horned red ghost, his body seeming frail and weak in comparison to their mountainous forms.
"You won't give up until you've had a taste of their strength, I see!" The Pestilence Sage laughed.
"Be careful, Senior Brother!" the Taiqing disciples shouted.
With a huge bang, however, the malicious specter before Xiao Nanfeng dispersed in a gale of wind. Everyone reared back in shock, as if they were dreaming.
They couldn't understand just how Xiao Nanfeng's tiny form was able to best such a huge ghost with just a single punch.
"It can't be! Again!" the Pestilence Sage commanded.
He suddenly felt an uneasy premonition. Tang's warning echoed in his head: "Sage, Xiao Nanfeng's very sinister!"
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