Chapter 351 - The Final Gift

A wave of tremendous Immortal energy swept the public square, suppressing the Devil Qi inside it. Some disciples, tainted by Xiao Chen’s Devil Qi, also began to recover. Many in the crowd started yelling, “First Elder Chanyu! First Elder Chanyu is here!”

With a flick of his sleeves, Chanyu Zheng stared at Xiao Chen with the intensity of a bolt of lightning. “So, you’re Xiao Chen?”

Xiao Chen’s expression didn’t change, remaining as cold and fearless as before. “Precisely.”

Yu Yifeng’s heart sank and turned even paler in the face. Xiao Chen could have left earlier, but not anymore now that he was facing Chanyu Zheng, an Apotheosis Realm cultivator. He understood Xiao Chen very well. Even if his Junior Brother fell to the dark side today, he would never harm the living in the future. Yet, everyone still wanted his life…

On the other end, Xiaoyue had her hand clasped over her horsetail whisk as her cyan robe fluttered in the wind. Not even the dreadful scene before her could change her expression. It was as if none of this concerned her. No one knew what she was thinking.

Perfected Immortal Fengxi looked downcast. He had half of the ancient scroll with him, but couldn’t find the other half. Xiao Chen was perhaps the only one capable of deciphering the secret inside it. Must this child indeed die here today…? He turned to Perfected Immortal Tai Yi and whispered, “Tai Yi.”

Perfected Immortal Tai Yi’s expression turned grim. He shook his head, indicating Fengxi not to take any hasty action.

In the public square, Chanyu Zheng’s gaze turned cold. “Xiao Chen, you have committed a heinous crime in the city today. Do you know your crime?” Toward the tail of his words, a loud burst of True Energy erupted from him. The energy shocked even the souls of many Orthodox disciples standing in the distance, striking fear in their minds. Someone in the Nirvana Realm was indeed no match for someone in the Apotheosis Realm.

Mellow, abundant Immortal energy began diffusing, filling the air around them. Xiao Chen remained cold. “I don’t!” he yelled, summoning a double crescent halberd. The atmosphere immediately took a turn. The dissipated Devil Qi gradually gathered, producing even a hint of demonic wailing in the background.

The halberd had a pure-black, foot-long body, with layers of black Qi entwining it. There was a terrifying human skeleton sitting at the end of the weapon. It was the Spirit-annihilation Halberd that Xiao Chen snatched out of Zuoqiu Yang’s hands back then.

The crowd turned pale. Rumor had it that the Spirit-annihilation Halberd was the top demonic weapon in ancient times, forged out of the souls of three thousand Rogue Immortals and three hundred True Immortals. It was also the top spirit-annihilating weapon in the world!

Demonic wailing continued to ring in everyone’s ears. Gusts of cold wind began picking up. Chanyu Zheng’s expression changed. He said sternly, “Devil’s Practice follower, how dare you use such an evil object! This world must not tolerate your existence!” He cast a spell, producing ten golden Sword Qi in the air. The Sword Qi began attacking Xiao Chen.

The power of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator was, no doubt, extraordinary. It was so strong that it seemed capable of tearing space apart. Nearby, cultivators in the mid-stage of Nascent Soul Realm and below felt a burst of dizziness and difficulty of breathing. Xiao Chen swung his halberd, instantly evoking changes in the weather. The demonic wailing stretched on as streams of black fog engulfed the golden Sword Qi.

Stunned, Chanyu Zheng swiftly retreated. He never expected a demonic weapon would produce such great restraint on cultivators of immortality. He couldn’t even imagine what would happen if such a halberd fell in the hands of the Devil’s sects.

The halberd, forged out of the souls of three thousand Rogue Immortals and three hundred True Immortals, was naturally mighty in restraining cultivators of immortality. However, it had been dormant for so long that Xiao Chen could only display one-hundredth of its real power.

Xiao Chen sneered. “Nefarious object? In Zuoqiu family’s hands, it’s a Legendary Weapon capable of suppressing the Demon Race. In my hands, it’s a nefarious object! Why don’t you go to hell?” he yelled, thrusting his halberd. The black fog intensified, this time aiming for Chanyu Zheng’s vital soul.

Not daring to oppose the halberd’s spear head-on, Chanyu Zheng shifted his weight backward and produced three seals bathed in a golden glow. The world shook, and the fog of Devil Qi dissipated in an instant.

“Listen to my command! Kill the Devil’s Practice follower!”

Chanyu Zheng once again produced another seal as he spoke. He hadn’t wanted help, but he didn’t expect Xiao Chen to possess a demonic weapon. He had no choice but to put aside his ego for the bigger picture.

The presence of an Apotheosis Realm cultivator had lifted the others’ spirits and dispelled their fears. Cries for blood shattered the air as countless cultivators controlled their flying swords to attack Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen twirled his halberd, and the flying swords that filled the sky snapped into pieces, making a symphony of clanging sounds as they fell. Chanyu Zheng’s eyes narrowed. He thrust his palms, producing an overwhelming force. Detecting the murderous attack, Xiao Chen abruptly hoisted the halberd. What followed was a rumbling sound of a collision. The aftershock sent him flying more than twenty feet away and left a long mark of the halberd on the ground.

Seeing that his attack worked, Chanyu Zheng leaped into action and unleashed the art of ground shrinkage. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Xiao Chen. Startled, Xiao Chen thrust his saber but found his target gone. By the time he recovered his senses, a gust of astral wind swept his ear and he knew an attack had come. With a loud bang, Chanyu Zheng sent him flying with his palm.

After crashing to the ground, Xiao Chen could feel his ears buzzing and his vision spinning from the impact. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer after using the Devil’s Three Turns. Suddenly, he saw Chanyu Zheng turned into three doppelgangers of himself. The crowd cried out in surprise. That was the Taoist supernatural ability that was characteristic of the Apotheosis Realm, the Embodiment Duplication Skill.

With one main body and two duplicates, Chanyu Zheng had Xiao Chen besieged and cut off all his escape routes. Xiao Chen laughed humorlessly and then yelled, “Three Thousand Illusive Demons!”

Immediately, specters filled the entire public square as nearly a hundred duplicates of Xiao Chen appeared. It seemed as if Xiao Chen’s duplicates had locked three duplicates of Chanyu Zheng in a siege instead.

Everyone outside the battle yelped in surprise. What kind of skill was that? Was it also a form of Embodiment Duplication Skill? But how could there be so many duplicates? It wasn’t as if Xiao Chen was the reincarnation of the Demon King, who could produce numerous clones by blowing a strand of his hair. Of course, some also found the skill to be similar to Thousand Feathers Sect’s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust.

Xiaoyue, who had retained her poker face all along, finally frowned. That was indeed her sect’s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust but demonstrated with much greater finesse than her or even her master. Which sect did Xiao Chen’s master come from…

That was one of the styles within the Immortal-override Steps. All of these duplicates looked like a real embodiment of Xiao Chen, but they were, in fact, just illusions. There was only ever one of him. The so-called Three Thousand Illusive Demons was just something that Xiao Chen yelled to frighten Chanyu Zheng.

The three embodiments of Chanyu Zheng looked grim. With his current cultivation, he couldn’t tell which was Xiao Chen’s true self. The illusion of Xiaoyue’s Coalesced Colors Equal to Dust was easily broken, but how could the same be said for a skill that Ling Yin personally taught? Many independent cultivators watching from a distance were exclaiming in surprise. After all, it wasn’t easy for someone to keep fighting an Apotheosis Realm cultivator until now.

Chanyu Zheng retrieved his two duplicates and abruptly thrust his palm, disintegrating more than ten of Xiao Chen’s illusions at once. However, the illusions that vanished were swiftly replaced. He dared not to use his great supernatural power now. It was one thing to ruin the buildings nearby, but this square was too close to the League and he could easily damage its ley lines if he weren’t careful. The gains wouldn’t be able to make up for the loss.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept the square. Sensing an attack coming from behind him, Chanyu Zheng abruptly spun around and attacked with his palm. He hit nothing, nothing, for the actual murderous intent was charging at him from the direction he was initially facing. When he turned around and attacked, he found that his hand hit the void yet again.

Chanyu Zheng turned ashen-faced after getting duped by a youngster in front of so many Orthodox cultivators. If they were battling outside the city, he would have destroyed this entire space! He roared in anger, “Listen to my command, everyone! Attack with your flying swords until he’s forced to reveal his true self!”

In an instant, countless Sword Qi glowing in gold rained down on the sea of illusions in the public square. Chanyu Zheng held his breath and concentrated entirely on his surroundings. When he detected a bloody Qi in the northwest direction, he made a palm attack without hesitation, producing a loud explosion. Every last illusion in the square vanished, leaving Xiao Chen flying through the air from the impact.

“Just a petty diversionary tactic that can’t even withstand a single blow!” Chanyu Zheng said coldly, flicking his sleeves.

Xiao Chen wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth with a sneer. “Brute, you’re only winning because you have numbers on your side. To think that you need to spare so much effort to kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like me. Why don’t you just slam your head into a wall and kill yourself?”

“You!” Chanyu Zheng wanted to retort but ultimately decided to save his breath. He chose to make a direct palm attack, causing the weather to change. This majestic palm force was surely not something Xiao Chen could bear. Following a loud explosion, Xiao Chen was sent flying more than a hundred feet away. Not even the Spirit-annihilation Halberd was of much help this time.

Back on the ground, Xiao Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood. He chuckled wryly. “Fine. I’m about to die anyway. Why don’t I give the League one final gift…”

He tossed the Spirit-annihilation Halberd into the air, and the weapon began spinning around him. Then, out of nowhere, a translucent Jade Zither appeared in his hands.

The majority of the crowd had never witnessed the might of the Fuxi Zither, but instinctively knew it was an impressive magic treasure. Those who had, however, cried out in surprise. “Stop him now! Hurry!”

Chanyu Zheng was among those who had never seen the zither’s power. However, Xiao Chen’s comment about sending the League one final gift gave him a bad feeling. The warnings just deepened this feeling, and he threw all caution to the wind. He moved lightning-fast to reach Xiao Chen, but he was ultimately too late.

The downcast sky, filled with dark clouds, cast down rays of white light on Xiao Chen. Those lights entwined the black Qi surrounding him, now revolving around him. It made him look like he was a half-devil, half-god creature.

When Chanyu Zheng came close to him, these twin forces sent him flying. A horrified expression crept onto his face. What kind of magic treasure possessed such magnificent divine power?

With a sneer, Xiao Chen leaped into the air. The weather transformed in an instant. It felt as if every sliver of force in the world was beginning to gravitate toward him. Everyone watched in shock. Was he trying to ruin the entire eastern city district?!

Bad premonition dawned on the independent cultivators, and they immediately increased their distance from their battle. Chanyu Zheng’s eyes were filled with fright. “Xiao Chen! What are you doing?! The citizens have no grudge against you! Don’t tell me you’re going to kill them as well! Do you truly want to commit the worst crime against humanity?!”

Xiao Chen’s mocking laughter resounded. “You’re right. The citizens and I share no grudge. Why would I kill them?” He then pointed the Jade Zither toward where the League was, a location that was neither far nor close.

Chanyu Zheng and the others from the Immortals’ League were startled. So his final gift was the destruction of the League! If this ancient divine power were to hit the League, it would inevitably disintegrate into dust in an instant. It didn’t matter if the quarters were destroyed, or even if the people inside died. Still, the attack would undoubtedly destroy the formation of protecting the Earth Spiritual Meridian in Tianyuan City. If those from the Devil’s sects were to take advantage of the lapse in security and break-in at this time…

Chanyu Zheng finally understood the crux of everything that happened today. He immediately yelled, “Xiao Chen, my friend, stop! You’re making a massive mistake! I’ll let you go! I’ll let you go!”