Chapter 604: The Golden Toad (Congratulating Catty's Night Alliance Leader! )
Chapter 604: The Golden Toad (Congratulating Catty's Night Alliance Leader! )
Clang!
Meng Zhuzi poured his spiritual energy into his finger ring, and an unusually thick light screen appeared, blocking the sneak attack of three emerald green flying needles.
A rogue cultivator, shrouded in a dark green glow and radiating late-stage Core Formation spiritual energy fluctuations, appeared. With a flick of his hand, three Blightfire Thunders slammed down on them!
Rumble!
Bursts of dark green flames exploded, spreading over the light shield like flowing magma, rapidly draining Meng Zhuzi's spiritual energy.
"Quick!"
Knowing there was no time to delay, Ke Pingyuan's jade talisman shimmered with light, soaring into the air and transforming into a colossal black hand.
Thud!
"Go!"
Although continuing the fight at this moment would surely subdue this rogue cultivator, Meng Zhuzi left without the slightest hesitation.
Even if they captured this one Core Formation cultivator, there was no telling how many more rogue cultivators would follow.
Every moment they stayed increased the danger.
"Big Brother, where are we going?"
An External Core flew out from behind Zuo Xiaoxuan's head, and she held a third-order artifact in her hand. Though a hint of alarm crossed her face, there was no trace of fear.
A female cultivator daring to fish in the Xuanming Abyss had long since grown accustomed to life and death; at this moment, she was merely somewhat disoriented.
"We'll go to Sangqing Peak, hoping Senior Qing Hezi can offer us some protection. . ."
Meng Zhuzi glanced at the deep, darkening sky outside and made his decision.
Outside the market town, there was no telling how many lurking predators there might be.
Rashly fleeing outside the Kongsang Mountain Range might prove even more perilous; there was a high possibility of being drawn into the main battlefield!
The three connected their escape lights and fled in disarray to the foot of Sangqing Peak.
Seeing the fully active mountain-protecting grand array, a flicker of relief appeared on their faces.
Meng Zhuzi immediately took out several sound transmission talismans and sent them flying into the array.
In just a flash, the array split open a seam, allowing the three to enter, where they saw Fang Xi leisurely watching the show.
"Senior Qing Hezi, tonight the Kongsang Market was suddenly breached. . ."
Meng Zhuzi bowed deeply: "Please, Senior, grant us three a place to take refuge. We, the three siblings, will be eternally grateful. . ."
"Enough. . ."
Fang Xi waved his hand, saying indifferently, "After all, I have some acquaintance with you all; I won't just stand by and watch you die."
Moreover, he was already prepared to reveal his strength as a 'great demonic cultivator', making preparations for his future advancement to the Soul Transformation realm.
Given the current chaotic situation, if he didn't display a bit of his strength, he might well be treated as a soft persimmon to be squeezed.
In truth, being squeezed wouldn't be much; he was just afraid that after killing a few minor figures, he'd truly face off against Soul Transformation powers, finding himself in an irreversible situation, which would be far from ideal.
It would be better to first demonstrate strength that makes him difficult to provoke, which would instead lead to him being courted.
Of course, probing would be inevitable, but given Fang Xi's cunning nature of always holding back a trump card, he certainly wouldn't be the one to suffer losses in the end.
"Many thanks, Senior."
Meng Zhuzi, along with Zuo Xiaoxuan and Ke Pingyuan, hastily expressed their gratitude.
"No rush for now; let's clear out the tails first."
Fang Xi chuckled, and demonic qi surged around him, transforming into a ferocious demonic hand.
He stood with his hands behind his back, at the center of the demonic hand, allowing this demonic palm to carry him as it flew out of Sangqing Peak.
At the same time, a terrifying spiritual pressure erupted outwards from him, rapidly spreading in all directions.
Several concealed escape lights scattered in panic like startled small beasts; these were cultivators coveting Sangqing Peak, not a few of whom were Nascent Soul cultivators.
But upon seeing Fang Xi's true cultivation, they immediately tucked tail and fled as fast as they could!
Fang Xi, however, felt no particular joy at this sight. He merely looked in the direction Meng Zhuzi and the others had come from and said, "Since you've arrived, fellow Daoist, why not reveal yourself?"
With a flash of golden light, a male cultivator wearing a gold-embroidered robe emerged.
The man appeared to be around forty years old, with bronze skin and a resolute face. He, too, radiated the spiritual pressure of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Wang Lingdao of the Wang Family greets fellow Daoist 'Qing Hezi'."
Wang Lingdao looked at Fang Xi, a hint of awe appearing on his face: "Fellow Daoist truly lives up to his reputation as a dedicated ascetic; to have cultivated to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm without your fame spreading. . ."
A great late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator's combat strength was sufficient to crush ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators; even in the Earthly Immortal World, they would not be considered weak.
Furthermore, being merely a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and not a Nascent Soul Perfected cultivator, meant he was still a few steps away from Soul Transformation, which wouldn't immediately cause others to feel extreme apprehension.
This was precisely the level of strength Fang Xi had decided to display to the outside world after careful consideration.
"I only wish to meditate and cultivate. Is this chaos in Kongsang Market fellow Daoist's doing?"
Fang Xi shook his head and suddenly asked.
Wang Lingdao replied gravely, "This was a unanimous decision by the various powers of the Counter-Current Alliance. . . To be frank, by the time we made our move, the experts of the Dragon Taming Sect had likely already set off for the Black Water Sect. After tonight, whether the Black Water Sect will still exist remains to be seen. . ."
He did not transmit his voice via divine consciousness but deliberately let his words spread far and wide.
Inside the array, Meng Zhuzi's expression instantly changed upon hearing this! He had previously captured his Fifth Junior Sister and offered her to the Black Water Sect, which was a clear declaration of his stance. Now, it might instead become a death warrant!
"Those three within fellow Daoist's array are individuals explicitly required by my Wang Family. I ask fellow Daoist to grant us this convenience; my Wang Family will be immensely grateful. . ."
Wang Lingdao bowed in salutation.
In truth, the 'Five Sworn Siblings of Green Mountain' didn't even have a single Nascent Soul cultivator among them, so they were hardly anything to speak of.
Even if the other four had captured Tao Zhilan of the Counter-Current Alliance, it was merely a small matter.
For the sake of a great cultivator's face, letting them go would not have been out of the question.
However, these three were also involved with that Soul Transformation demon venerable from back then!
That demon venerable had appeared abruptly, killing the Wang Family's genius, Wang Qiao, causing the Wang Family Ancestor profound heartache. Moreover, a Soul Transformation demon venerable wandering nearby was a thorn in the side of all major powers.
Although the Wang Family knew there was little hope regarding these three, they still needed to be brought back for thorough interrogation.
"Take these three away? !"
Fang Xi looked at Meng Zhuzi and the other two, and amidst their uneasy gazes, he suddenly smiled: "But I have already promised them protection. What is to be done about this?"
Wang Lingdao's eyes narrowed slightly, making his emotions unreadable.
Just as he was guessing Fang Xi's thoughts, Fang Xi also spoke with a smile: "How about this. . . Since I advanced to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, I haven't yet exchanged blows with a cultivator of the same rank. . . Why don't we make a wager, limited to ten moves? Within ten moves, whoever gains the upper hand can make a small, achievable request of the one who is disadvantaged!"
"Ten moves? Acceptable!"
Wang Lingdao's eyes lit up, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
It was highly unlikely that two great cultivators would decide a winner in a short time. The other party's action clearly indicated an unwillingness to form an enmity with the Wang Family.
"Proceed!"
Wang Lingdao formed hand seals, rapidly chanting an incantation.
Ribbit!
Within the dim sky, a streak of golden light suddenly burst forth.
The golden light converged, forming the image of a three-legged golden toad, which let out an earth-shattering roar.
One golden copper coin after another appeared in the void, instantly strung together by red threads, transforming into flying swords made of copper coins.
"Go!"
Wang Lingdao pointed at Fang Xi, and countless golden lights shimmered as dozens, even hundreds, of artifact-level coin swords descended from the sky.
This scene caused the expressions of Meng Zhuzi and the other two to change drastically.
"Is this the might of a great late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? A casual spell like this, and I fear the few of us would perish without a burial place. . ."
Ke Pingyuan looked at the sky full of coin swords, despair appearing on his face.
"Senior Qing Hezi is actually a great late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator; he can certainly protect us."
Zuo Xiaoxuan's eyes were full of hope.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhuzi's expression, however, grew somewhat grim.
"Cleave!"
Fang Xi's right hand closed into a void grip, and a jet-black demonic saber materialized in his hand. This saber gleamed with a biting chill, its surface shimmering with demonic light as blood-red runes flared one after another.
With a mere casual swing of the saber, the sky full of coin swords disintegrated into countless golden specks of light.
He seemed unconcerned, yet he swung another saber strike towards Wang Lingdao.
Swish!
In the void, a saber light hundreds of zhang long appeared, like a roaring fierce tiger, its chilling gale threatening to sweep Wang Lingdao into its embrace.
"Ribbit!"
The three-legged golden toad let out an earth-shattering roar, uncoiling its tongue to completely envelop Wang Lingdao within it.
Swish, swish!
Streaks of black saber light struck the seemingly soft tongue, yet surprisingly, they dissipated one after another.
"Hehe, this is a wondrous treasure I fortuitously obtained while journeying through the Starry Sky Domain. Fellow Daoist, you must be careful."
A golden copper coin appeared in Wang Lingdao's hand.
The surface of this copper coin was mottled with traces, the ancient seal script imprinted upon it long since indecipherable. But with a swift spin, countless giant copper coins materialized in the void, hurtling down towards Fang Xi.
Seeing this, Fang Xi opened his mouth and exhaled, a jet-black flame appearing – none other than the Six Paths Demonic Flame!
This demonic flame could change colors and carried the might of various demonic fires.
At this moment, Fang Xi had reined in most of its power, presenting it merely as a pure black demonic flame.
Sizzle!
A wisp of jet-black sparks touched one of the giant copper coins.
A flash of fire in the void, and that copper coin instantly transformed into a ball of jet-black flame.
Immediately after, as if contagious, the sky full of copper coins was instantly ignited, turning into a rain of fiery meteors that surged back towards Wang Lingdao.
His expression shifted slightly as he poured spiritual energy into the ancient copper coin in his hand.
The golden copper coin immediately grew immense, spewing a beam of golden light from its central square hole.
Whoosh!
A surprising scene unfolded: when the jet-black demonic flame encountered the golden light, it actually ignited the golden light as well!
The fire spread, reaching the copper coin itself.
Crack!
Wang Lingdao's face greatly changed as he quickly retrieved the copper coin, a pained expression evident. He saw that the coin had melted by more than half, clearly rendered useless.
"What kind of demonic flame is this? It actually rendered my 'Myriad Treasure Gold Coin' useless with just one strike?"
He gazed at the mass of jet-black demonic flame, an expression of profound apprehension on his face, just as he was preparing to pull out his trump card for a desperate struggle. Then, he saw the omnipresent black fire suddenly recede, gathering in Qing Hezi's palm, forming a flame the size of an egg.
To have tamed the demonic flame to operate so freely and effortlessly was precisely a sign that he had completely refined this type of demonic flame.
While some demonic flames possess immense power, they are exceedingly prone to backfiring on their masters. To be able to tame one to the extent Fang Xi had, manipulating it as easily as one's own arm, was truly another realm of mastery!
"This 'Black Sun Demonic Flame' of mine is also newly learned. . ."
Fang Xi casually fabricated a name: "This flame is rather unruly; after reluctantly deploying it, I've already expended a great deal of spiritual energy. . . How about we call this ten-move wager a draw?"
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