At this moment, the sudden change had already left Abbess Shuiyue and the others completely stunned.One moment, Taoist Yi Chengzi had been showing off his divine might, hanging the mysterious black-robed figure in the sky to be beaten, and in the next, the winds and clouds had shifted, turning into the 'black-robed person' pummeling Yi Taoist into disarray.
"Yi Taoist, are you alright?"
Abbess Shuiyue and the others hurried over, concerned, a tremendous sense of despair arising in their hearts.
Their strongest, Yi Chen, seemingly had no strength to fight back against the mysterious 'black-robed person' before them, a feeling of powerlessness that made everyone's emotions complex and varied.
"Stand back, don't come closer."
Yi Chen used his gaze to stop the others from coming any closer, then turned his attention toward the 'black-robed' figure, licking the blood at the corner of his mouth, a long-lost taste of rust appearing on his tongue.
"No strength, no strength at all! Were you also taught by the master?"
"Hahaha."
A trace of madness appeared on his face.
He, stirring up his Inner Qi from his entire body, actually took the initiative to attack the 'black-robed' figure.
Boom!
Once again knocked flying.
The 'black-robed' looked at Yi Chen sprawled on the ground and couldn't help but shake his head; he was not affected by Yi Chen's trash talk.
How could someone who had lived for so many years be easily disturbed by a few words? Wouldn't that mean his lifelong cultivation had gone to waste?
In fact, the look of appreciation in the 'black-robed' figure's eyes grew even stronger.
He liked this young man.
He was sharp-witted, had principles, and possessed resolute willpower.
It was as if he saw his younger self.
Equally handsome.
If Yi Chen had readily agreed after he extended the olive branch, then he would have thought less of him, only fooling around with him and not truly nurturing him.
But now, he was truly moved.
He saw the will Yi Chen held within his do-or-die attack, a will to never compromise.
That will, as sharp as a blade's edge and as thick as a mountain, unwavering and dazzling.
After all, who in the world truly appreciates those consumed by greed?
Today I offer a high price, and without a backward glance, you would betray your sect and submit under my command.
If someone else offers a higher price tomorrow, would you also turn and betray me without a second thought?
The 'black-robed' now truly wanted to bring Yi Chen under his control.
He walked step by step, a surge of dark aura suddenly coiling around his hand.
"Edict: Imobilize."
He glanced in the direction of Abbess Shuiyue and others and spoke indifferently.
A terrifying force of spatial stagnation suddenly descended upon Abbess Shuiyue and the others, feeling as if the whole space was opposing them.
They felt as if they were enemies against the heavens and earth, what an unimaginable spell.
'Edict: Attraction.'
As the 'black-robed' walked, his hand continuously formed various mysterious seals, and as his words fell, the strange rhythm in the air became even more apparent.
Inside the Lanxiu Tower, the cracks that had appeared earlier once again widened, the dark aura churning violently within the crevice, as if something was about to burst forth.
No, something was indeed surging underneath.
In an unnamed corner under Fengyun County, an ancient jade box that had been lying in an underground river for countless years, lay quietly there.
Three unremarkable talisman scripts were attached to the jade box.
The scripts weren't made of talisman paper; they were crafted from an unknown beast's hide, dull and lightless.
Inside the jade box, a baby arm looking tender as lotus root rested quietly; a piece of emerald green jade suppressing it, sparking electric arcs that steadily depleted the arm's vitality.
The strange vibrations in the air reached the underground river and seemingly responding to a call, the arm inside the box began to tremble violently, racing toward the source of the vibrations at high speed.
The black aura steaming up from the crevices grew denser, with occasional groundwater spilling out.
After doing all this, the 'black-robed' once again turned his gaze towards Yi Chen.
"Impressive fighting spirit, I truly admire you," he said.
"Allow me to introduce myself; I am the Great Protector of the Corpse God Sect."
"You can call me—True Person Yan."
"This is your last chance, will you submit or will you not?"
"If you submit to me, I might spare the lives of those by your side."
"If my disciple fancies that beautiful nun, you can also take her into your room. In our sect, as long as you do not betray the sect, there are no taboos."
Abbess Shuiyue, restrained to one side, could not speak, her cheeks flushed with a crimson hue of shame and anger as delicate as jade. seaʀᴄh thё nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yi Chen did not answer the 'black-robed' man's question.
"You, hitting me—it really hurts!" He rose from the dust, blood streaming down his forehead.
It ran into his eyes, his nose, and dribbled to the corner of his mouth.
Eventually, it fell to the mud on the ground.
"But, this time, it really was powerful!"
"You hitting me was so satisfying, incredibly satisfying!"
He extended a finger, dabbed at the beads of blood on his head, then put it to his mouth and sucked it, his eyes growing increasingly wild.
"That's the feeling!"
"The feeling of being alive, of truly existing."
"Absolutely delicious, intoxicating."
"True Person Yan!"
"Please, you must beat me to death, or else I will absolutely kill you."
"True Person, do you know the principle of 'hearing the Way in the morning but dying in the evening'?" Yi Chen suddenly switched from crazy to calm.
The 'black-robed' man frowned, not understanding why Yi Chen suddenly brought this up.
But Yi Chen's previous abnormal demeanor only made him more excited.
It was just like when he was young. He too was abnormal when young.
Equally mad, equally frenzied, equally—resolute.
Damn it, it was the feeling of being moved.
I will take him as my disciple, I must conquer him.
If he does not submit, I will beat him continuously. I will beat him until he submits.
"Is it that one can die in the evening if they attain the Way in the morning?" Although puzzled, the black-robed man still answered Yi Chen's question.
After all, he was his future disciple, one he had reserved.
"No, it's that if I know the way to your house in the morning, then I must kill you by night!"
"That is the true meaning of 'hearing the Way in the morning but dying in the evening'!"
Yi Chen roared with rage!
"Soul Ignition Technique!"
"Ten years!"
"Try to kill me!"
"If you can't kill me, how can you become my master!"
In an instant, Yi Chen unleashed his ultimate trump card.
As soon as he made his move, it was as if he had ignited ten years of his lifespan.
It's not that he didn't want to burn more, but the most he could burn was ten years.
A powerful aura slowly gathered around him, his deeply purple Pure Yang Inner Qi burning intensely. It emanated from him as the epicenter, rippling out in all directions.
Invisible air currents kicked up the dust and weeds from the ground, coiling into a vortex, swirling violently around him.
His body swelled once more, growing more than ten centimeters taller than before, his veins bulging all over his body like coiling dragons entwined upon him.
His hands, legs, waist, neck—all of his muscles inflated and intensified once again.
His muscles, like a thick coat of armor, protected him while also providing an incomparable source of power to his entire body.
His heart throbbed violently again, pumping the surrounding energies with force.
All the Inner Qi in his body felt as if it would ignite due to the frantic circulation and friction.
Heat waves engulfed the area.
An overwhelmingly powerful aura, far surpassing his earlier might, spread out from him.