Chapter 185: Cursed to Death Again
With the release of the signal flares, the Taiqing elders hurried over to the Isle of Xiao.
The first elder who arrived saw that the Isle of Xiao had been covered with a layer of unnatural fog, clearly part of a formation.
"Insolence! Who dares raid Taiqing Island?!" The elder slammed a palm into the fog. Suddenly, black smoke gushed out, forming into the head of a giant ghost that snapped and bit at the elder. The elder blanched and retreated.
"Something's wrong with this black smoke. Does it have the power to drag others into an illusory realm? What a sinister formation!" the elder cried out.
Another elder appeared behind him. "Be careful! This is the Ghosts' Parade!"
"What?" The elder seemed confused.
"I'm sure of it: this is the Ghosts' Parade! Using the Ghosts' Parade as the basis for a formation will generate an illusory realm, one that will suck you in if you attempt to barge into it.
More elders arrived, one after another. They probed the formation and determined that this was, in fact, the Ghosts' Parade.
"The Ghosts' Parade? I heard that it was a treasure in the possession of the Pestilence Sage of the demonic sect! Was he the one who set up this formation?"
"I heard that Xiao Nanfeng slew a group of demonic disciples when he was at the Thousand-Serpent Island a few days ago. Could the Pestilence Sage be here to seek revenge?
The elders conferred with each other and determined the crux of what had happened.
"What are you waiting for? We have to get inside!" one elder shouted.
"Don't risk it," a voice suddenly interrupted.
Everyone looked to the speaker, an elder in blue.
"Everyone, although the Taiqing Immortal Sect and Taiqing Demonic Sect have split into two distinct sects, they both belong to the Taiqing umbrella. A treaty binds us together: our philosophies might be distinct, but we're forbidden to kill each other out of personal grudges. Otherwise, both sects will be punished. That's why we've only ever detained demonic spies, rather than kill them outright. Am I wrong?"
"That's right, but the demonic sect has hardly kept their word these past few years. What's more, they've grown so bold as to head into our territory and raid us in this fashion! The Isle of Xiao currently harbors a large group of Taiqing disciples, and their fates are yet unknown. Do you intend to hinder us from rescuing them?"
"You're right that the younger generation of demonic disciples has been overly rash, but the Pestilence Sage has kept to his word. I believe that he's here to seek revenge because Xiao Nanfeng killed his disciples, and he's unlikely to harm the rest of the disciples in question. Elders, there's no need to worry too much about their safety," the blue-robed elder replied.
The other elders considered his argument and thought it reasonable. Their worry for the disciples abated.
"What's more, everyone here is at Stellar Lake. Upon entering this formation, we'll be on equal strength with one of the ghosts within. We won't be able to stop the assault of a hundred of them—and our spiritual power might be greatly diminished, too. We need to be prudent," the blue-robed elder advised.
The elders hesitated, having lost much of their urgency and impetus.
"But are we to just watch on as the demonic sect ravages Taiqing territory?" one elder asked.
"With all of us gathered here, the Pestilence Sage won't be able to escape. If he dares do something beyond the pale, he'll pay the price—but there's no need for us to rush into internecine strife at the moment."
"We might not be able to counter the Ghosts' Parade, but the four division leaders can surely do so. Only the Ascended division leader is in the sect at present. Where's Zhao Tianheng? Why hasn't he arrived yet?" one elder asked.
"The division leader is in secluded cultivation and unable to make his way here," the blue-robed elder replied smoothly.
"Surely we can't just do nothing? Even if we can't break the formation, we can destabilize its construction and damage it that way. Everyone, summon the seawater from nearby and erode the base of the formation! This is the territory of the Taiqing Immortal Sect. How dare cultivators of the demonic sect raid it?" one elder suggested.
"Let's do it!" the other elders replied.
About a dozen elders struck at once, sending waves of power into the ocean and forming huge waves. Some elders even activated their relics and directed them toward the ocean. As the waves struck the formation, thick fog shook and cavitated, as though destabilizing.
However, no elder risked barging in.
Some distance away from the elders was a cloud of white fog, stealthed in the distance and flickering in and out of visibility.
Two figures stood within it, one of whom was Zhao Tianheng.
"Division Leader, my senior brother, the blue-robed elder, has stalled the other elders and delayed their pursuit for the Pestilence Sage—but if the Pestilence Sage really does kill Xiao Nanfeng, with all these elders around, we might not be able to rescue him," the other person by his side worried.
"And why should we rescue the Pestilence Sage?"
"Ah—aren't we cooperating with him?"
"Xiao Nanfeng is the seniormost Ascended disciple. If he were to die, his treasures would naturally go to the Ascended division. When that happens, remember to exact revenge for Xiao Nanfeng and claim the Immortal's Destruction for the Ascended division," Zhao Tianheng commanded coldly.
"Y-Yes, Division Leader!"
Back on the Isle of Xiao, within the illusory realm, as Xiao Nanfeng punched a ghost so heavily that it exploded, everyone looked toward him in shock.
"A ghost at Stellar Lake, defeated in a single blow?"
"Could Senior Brother Xiao's spiritual cultivation already be at Stellar Lake?"
"It can't be! He defeated it in one blow. He has to be at late-stage Stellar Lake at the very least!"
The disciples were shocked and simultaneously excited about the possibility of being saved.
As Xiao Nanfeng caused another ghost to explode, he shot toward the Pestilence Sage.
The Pestilence Sage's eyes widened. "Impossible. How could he have such tremendous spiritual power? Block him, block him!"
The ghosts shrieked as they launched themselves at Xiao Nanfeng and shielded the Pestilence Sage.
"Ha. Do you think you'll be safe hiding behind these ghosts, Pestilence Sage? You dare cause trouble for me, but not to face me head-on?"
"Kill him!" the Pestilence Sage screeched.
Two ghosts punched forward with huge fists, prepared to obliterate Xiao Nanfeng.
Xiao Nanfeng reached out with his hands and stopped their fists in mid-air.
The Taiqing disciples gulped in shock, awed by the spiritual prowess that Xiao Nanfeng was demonstrating. The two Stellar Lake ghosts' faces contorted in pain as Xiao Nanfeng grabbed onto their fists. They were even forced to their knees.
"Im-Impossible!" the Pestilence Sage cried out.
Xiao Nanfeng leapt forward and kicked at both ghosts, causing them to dissipate in puffs of red light.
"Attack him together!" the Pestilence Sage commanded.
The malevolent ghosts shot forward. Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes, no longer pulling his punches. He kicked at each ghost that drew near, each kick accompanied by a red puff as a ghost dissipated. Within moments, the ghosts vanished in resplendent explosions.
The entire illusion was silent. The Pestilence Sage and the Taiqing disciples were astounded by the display of strength they had just witnessed.
The Pestilence Sage glanced skeptically at the scroll of Ghosts' Parade that he held, disbelieving how weak it was against Xiao Nanfeng.
"Pestilence Sage, is that the treasure that controls this illusion? The Ghosts' Parade? It doesn't seem strong at all!" Xiao Nanfeng scoffed disdainfully as he walked up to him.
The Pestilence Sage's features distorted. "No wonder you dared to place a cursed effigy in your storage ring. Your spiritual cultivation must be immense. Did Ku Jiang teach you the Taiqing Immortal Sect's transcendent spiritual cultivation technique? That old fogey, doesn't he know that that technique can't be imparted to regular disciples?"
"For daring to insult my master, you'll die!" Xiao Nanfeng charged toward the Pestilence Sage.
The Pestilence Sage gave him a grim smile. "Lad, do you think you can take me on just because you've defeated these ghosts? We'll meet again in the future. I'll return."
The Pestilence Sage waved the scroll in his hand, as though intending to dispel the illusion.
Just then, his body shook. It stopped moving. He widened his eyes as he looked disbelievingly at his chest, where a skeletal hand had just pierced through it from the back, along with copious amounts of fresh blood and organs. He was unable to move any longer.
"Don't kill him yet, Madam Rouge!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out, leaping forward.
He didn't want to save the Pestilence Sage; rather, with the illusion not yet dispelled, if Madam Rouge were to go on a killing spree, the thousands of cultivators behind him would all be in danger.
The Pestilence Sage, hearing Xiao Nanfeng calling for the skeleton, thought he understood everything. He frowned mightily. "You know each other? There's a second cursed effigy in your possession? No!"
With a tremendous rip, Madam Rouge bisected the Pestilence Sage's body, which transformed into a cloud of smoke that she absorbed.
As Xiao Nanfeng leapt toward her, she sent him flying. However, Xiao Nanfeng barely grabbed the scroll that the Pestilence Sage had dropped as he perished, and he immediately attempted to activate it.
The scroll burst into black smoke as the illusory realm collapsed.
In an instant, everyone returned to reality, to the plaza where a magnificent bonfire burned. Xiao Nanfeng stood by the Immortal's Destruction, with the Wingform-realm serpent carcass beside him.
"We've escaped!" the disciples cried out, exhilarated.
"The culprit has been caught, but the fog formation remains. Juniors, please help me search the area in case there are any accomplices," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
On a large ship in the ocean, Tang and the other demonic disciples fretted as they glanced at a cloud of thick, concentrated black smoke before them.
Suddenly, the black smoke dispersed, revealing the Pestilence Sage's body within.
"Did you win, Sage?" Tang asked urgently.
The Pestilence Sage's body deflated like a balloon, crumpling into nothing more than skin. The disciples blanched and stepped forward to investigate.
"Did the sage die again? We're in danger!" a disciple cried out.
"I knew it! Xiao Nanfeng's far too sinister to provoke. Sage, if only you had listened to me! There's a group of elders outside waiting for this formation to dissipate. We have nowhere to run. What should we do?!" Tang cried out.
"Tang, did you curse the sage to death again?!" one disciple heckled.
Tang stiffened. What do you mean, 'again'?
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