Chapter 205: Slaying Nalan Feng
The draconic palace was filled with fog. Rumbling noises came from many directions.
Xiao Nanfeng continued forward silently toward one source of commotion nearby. He saw dozens of cultivators fighting against a humongous creature, the skeleton of a giant, pitch-black dragon that was almost a hundred meters long. It seemed as though it were alive, and particularly ferocious at that. It swiped forward with one claw, instantly spearing the chest of a male cultivator flying through the air. The man was ripped to pieces and fell to the ground dead.
Xiao Nanfeng blanched. That had been a Spiritsong-realm cultivator! How could he have died so easily?
"I can't. I can't hold on any longer!" one cultivator shouted.
"Keep fighting! This monster won't be able to regenerate its strength. The more it fights, the weaker it becomes. It used to have the strength of an Immortal, but it's the equivalent of a Wingform-realm cultivator now at best. We'll be able to exhaust it to death!" another cultivator shouted.
"Once we kill it, we'll be able to get an Immortal relic. With all of us here, we'll surely succeed!" another cultivator shouted.
The skeletal dragon roared and began to rampage.
The cultivators all around were sent flying into the air, but they continued to attack. Madness and rage filled their eyes.
Xiao Nanfeng stood watching from afar, not entering the fray.
"Are these cultivators mad? How would killing this skeletal dragon reward them with an Immortal relic? It's completely unarmed—it doesn't even have a storage ring! Where would such a relic come from?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.
Just then, a gigantic radiant palm descended from the skies.
The palm pressed down on the skeletal dragon's head, causing it to roar as it was rendered immobile against the seafloor.
Everyone gasped and turned to see a white-robed Immortal floating in the air and staring coldly at the gathered cultivators.
"This monster is mine to handle now. Leave," the white-robed Immortal commanded.
The cultivators didn't know what to do. Wary of the Immortal's strength, they didn't charge forward.
Xiao Nanfeng recognized this Immortal as the one who had been the one to lead the charge into the draconic palace.
"Master, an Immortal relic is sealed within the body of each monster. If you kill it, the relic will appear. Master, please kill it quickly!" the scout from earlier yelled out, rushing forward.
The white-robed Immortal looked toward the skeletal dragon and frowned. "This monster's a little strange. Regardless, if it drops an Immortal relic... well, I'd like to see how that could be the case."
The white-robed Immortal's palm exerted tremendous strength as the skeletal dragon's bones cracked. It keened in despair; its body was about to be entirely crushed.
Just then, the white-robed Immortal blanched and looked up at the sky. "Who is it?"
A bright-red whip suddenly snapped and appeared through the thick fog, appearing so rapidly it was right in front of him before he could make a move.
The white-robed Immortal slapped at the whip, but the whip smashed his palm technique apart and wrapped around him.
"Impossible!" the white-robed Immortal cried out, struggling furiously.
No matter how he tried, however, he was unable to escape.
As the whip retracted, the Immortal was sent catapulting forward into the fog and quickly vanished from sight. All that remained of him was a loud, shrill scream—and then nothing.
"Where did Master go? What was that red whip?" a cultivator cried out.
"I, I don't know!"
"We have to chase after it. Save Master immediately!"
A group of cultivators gave chase after the white-robed Immortal.
The group of cultivators that had initially been fighting the skeletal dragon smirked. "So what if he's an Immortal? This is the second Immortal I've seen that's been snatched away by the red whip. This area is forbidden to Immortals. Serves him right for trying to steal our relic!"
"What? There were other Immortals who were forcibly extracted by a red whip, too?" the cultivators around all exclaimed.
"The Whip of Order..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.
He knew the same technique but at a far reduced strength.
Just then, a bestial howl rang out. The skeletal dragon had regained its freedom and was preparing to strike at the gathered cultivators.
"Let's continue!" one cultivator howled.
The fight resumed in earnest.
Xiao Nanfeng was planning to continue observing the fight from the depths of the fog when he suddenly felt a threat close by. He rushed off.
"Get back here!" Nalan Feng shouted from behind.
With the Mirror of Truth in hand, Nalan Feng gave chase after Xiao Nanfeng. He and Mr. Qi were both Spiritsong-realm cultivators, and it was trivial for them to catch up.
They quickly shot out from the fog and arrived overhead. Just then, purple light surrounded them both.
Nalan Feng and Mr. Qi's eyes widened as they blocked the light with their palms, but it was too late. They were knocked back by the light and fell to the ground in shock. How could Xiao Nanfeng have bested them?
Seeing the purple light all around them, however, they quickly understood what was going on.
"The Talisman of Phantasmagoria? This is an illusion?" Nalan Feng raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Nanfeng quickly appeared from within the purple light.
"Nalan Feng? Why have you been following me?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned at the two cultivators.
"Xiao Nanfeng, I was just coming over to greet you after sensing your presence. Why have you dragged me into an illusion?" Nalan Feng replied, smiling.
He had guessed that there had to be some reason for Xiao Nanfeng to bring them here. He was cautious by nature; rather than resisting him openly, he was stalling for time as he attempted to break out of the illusion.
"Why waste time? Let's cripple him first!" Mr. Qi, overconfident in his spiritual power, wasn't aware of the danger he was in.
He swept his arm forward, manifesting dozens of chess pieces around himself. Each piece burst into flame, then shot toward Xiao Nanfeng like meteors.
"Insolence!" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes grew cold as he punched forward. A mountain-sized fist crushed the chess pieces and instantly arrived before Mr. Qi.
"You're at the peak of Stellar Lake? No, you're at Lunar Deluge! Impossible!" Mr. Qi shrieked.
Mr. Qi's spiritual avatar exploded in a rain of light.
"Mirror of Truth!" Nalan Feng cried out.
A beam of white light shone into the illusory realm, splintering it as it broke apart. Both cultivators reappeared in reality.
Nalan Feng grabbed hold of a mirror as he floated in the air, looking warily at Xiao Nanfeng. Beside him, Mr. Qi had gone unconscious after his spiritual avatar had dissipated. He fell to the ground.
"How could your spiritual cultivation be so advanced?" Nalan Feng cried out.
Xiao Nanfeng glared at Nalan Feng. "You're here to cause trouble, aren't you?"
Nalan Feng scowled. He didn't dare underestimate Xiao Nanfeng any longer. Rather, he was filled with a growing sense of excitement. The fact that Xiao Nanfeng had such an advanced spiritual cultivation meant that he was hiding some tremendous secret in addition to his possession of the Immortal's Destruction.
Nalan Feng didn't hesitate. Wielding the Mirror of Truth in one hand and a longsword in the other, he slashed at Xiao Nanfeng.
"Nalan Feng, even ignoring the fact that you were tailing and skulking around me, your companion tried to kill me. I've only left him unconscious, but if you continue to attack me, I'll do far more than that," Xiao Nanfeng warned.
He blocked with a longsword, but was sent flying from the impact.
"And here I thought you were all that! It looks like your only talent is in spiritual cultivation; your physical cultivation is still at Ascension-realm. In that case, you won't be leaving here today." Nalan Feng brandished his longsword as he charged forward again.
Xiao Nanfeng activated another Talisman of Phantasmagoria, but Nalan Feng used the Mirror of Truth simultaneously. A beam of white light struck the purple light and nullified its effect.
Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying with another slash.
"You must be hiding a lot of secrets. Not only do you have the Immortal's Destruction, your spiritual power is immense. And what's this red light emerging from your body? Today, all your secrets will be mine! Haha!" Nalan Feng charged forward again.
Xiao Nanfeng was forced to parry and retreat once and again. Nalan Feng's sword slashed at Xiao Nanfeng's chest, leaving a huge, gaping wound. Blood sprayed out; Xiao Nanfeng had barely avoided being gutted.
"You're trying to kill me?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes flashed with frost.
"Later. I'll cripple you first, then torture and interrogate you. You won't be able to stop me, even with this mysterious red light around your body. This is the difference in our strength. Xiao Nanfeng, for humiliating me in the Taiqing Immortal Sect, I'll skin you alive!"
He broke Xiao Nanfeng's longsword with another slash, sending Xiao Nanfeng stumbling back until he crashed against a boulder. The boulder exploded from the force of the impact.
Without any hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng continued charging forward. He attempted to guard against Nalan Feng's blows, but he still took wound after wound.
"Are you crazy? Do you think you can do anything despite the disparity between us? What gives you such confidence?" Nalan Feng slashed forward again.
This time, however, Nalan Feng suddenly sensed the red light around Xiao Nanfeng reach a climax. It grew so bright that he had to avert his gaze; then, Xiao Nanfeng vanished from sight.
Nalan Feng looked around wildly. "Come out, Xiao Nanfeng! Do you think hiding amidst this red light will work? Get out here!"
He swung his longsword all around him, but he failed to notice Xiao Nanfeng by his side.
Xiao Nanfeng wiped at the blood trickling from his lip. He had allowed Nalan Feng's blows to land as he waited for the red moon's hypnosis to take effect on Nalan Feng. Now that it had succeeded, he slashed at Nalan Feng from the back.
Though Nalan Feng whirled around, it was too late. His arm was cut off in a spray of blood.
Nalan Feng cried out in pain, then threatened again, "Xiao Nanfeng, for daring to strike at me, the Tianshu Empire will never forgive you!"
Xiao Nanfeng ignored Nalan Feng and slashed forward again.
Although Nalan Feng was unable to see Xiao Nanfeng, he could sense killing intent draw near. Without any hesitation, he kept the Mirror of Truth and summoned a golden orb. He activated it, causing it to form a golden barrier around his body. Xiao Nanfeng's slash struck the barrier like metal scraping against rock.
Nalan Feng's scalp buzzed. He understood that he had just escaped a killing blow.
Xiao Nanfeng struck again. Nalan Feng had attempted to kill him, and Xiao Nanfeng had no intention of relenting now.
"Xiao Nanfeng, this is an Immortal relic. You won't be able to penetrate it. I'll take revenge for what happened today a hundred times over!" Nalan Feng flew into the air, attempting to escape.
"Do you think you can get away?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes grew cold.
He sent a red whip snapping at Nalan Feng, passing harmlessly through the barrier and curling around his neck.
"What?!" Nalan Feng cried out.
With just one arm, which was occupied with controlling the Immortal barrier, Nalan Feng was incapable of freeing himself from the red rope around his neck. He had no choice but to fly as fast as he could.
Xiao Nanfeng refused to relent. He held on even as Nalan Feng dragged him forward.
He would fight to the last. He couldn't let Nalan Feng get away now!
Xiao Nanfeng leapt up into the air as he pulled on the red whip. Simultaneously, the red whip loosened itself from Nalan Feng's neck and whirled around the golden orb in his hand instead.
Xiao Nanfeng tugged the golden orb away, causing the barrier to dissipate. Xiao Nanfeng's sword struck Nalan Feng's body.
Nalan Feng was sent crashing down. He released his energy to form a makeshift barrier against Xiao Nanfeng's blow, but blood sprayed out of his stump of a shoulder as a result of the blow. His face grew pale as his barrier flickered. Xiao Nanfeng struck at an opening.
Nalan Feng's head was sent flying.
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