Chapter 36: Thoroughly Entangled

Chapter 36: Thoroughly Entangled

The skeleton continued teleporting about even after Ma Shan's death. In the blink of an eye, two more disciples perished.

"Junior Brother Nanfeng, we were wrong! Please save us!" Five wounded disciples rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng in fear.

Xiao Nanfeng was just about to defend them when the skeleton blinked before him and swiped at his palms. Even with all his spiritual power, he was still forced back three steps before regaining his footing.

"It's growing this quickly?!" They had been fighting on equal footing just moments ago, but now it had already surpassed him in strength!

The skeleton flashed behind Xiao Nanfeng as alarm bells rang in his head. He swung with the back of his elbows, but the skeleton moved so quickly that it caught his elbows with one claw and slammed its claw into his lower back with the other. With a dull smack, he was sent flying.

Xiao Nanfeng grew very worried. If this were to continue, all his spiritual power would be used up.

The skeleton, however, had different plans. It immediately tossed Xiao Nanfeng aside and flashed to the side of the other incapacitated disciples. Two more were pierced through the chest.

"Argh! Save me!" They fell amidst pools of blood.

The skeleton sucked up the smoke that represented their souls and grew even stronger.

"Help!" The remaining three disciples were so scared that their mental states were nearing collapse. They fled in three different directions, giving the skeleton ample opportunity to take them down one by one. It flashed to one enemy disciple's side.

Xiao Nanfeng was sweating heavily. He had been trapped within an illusion and wasn't able to contact anyone on the outside. If the skeleton were able to kill everyone, he would be dead too.

The skeleton killed one more disciple, leaving just one still fleeing.

"It's grown even stronger. I don't have enough spiritual power to counteract it. What other forces might I call on? Would the superior yin pearl do anything here?"

Xiao Nanfeng had no idea what else he could do. He knew that objects in reality wouldn't manifest in illusory realms, but he still attempted to draw on the power of his only treasure.

Within his physical body's forehead, the superior yin pearl, suddenly sensing the flow of spiritual power, trembled almost imperceptibly. It didn't pass into the illusory realm, but did give off a gust of cold air. Excavate this data, retracing it to n0v*lbin★

The chilly air entered the illusory realm, along with a burst of spiritual power.

Within the realm, an aura of frost suddenly formed around Xiao Nanfeng, which swiftly transformed into a howling blizzard.

"It's so cold!" Xiao Nanfeng shivered.

The blizzard froze everything in sight. The frozen void then shattered, revealing a glowing opening.

Without any hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng escaped through that opening.

Subsequently, he felt a mental jolt, and his eyes suddenly opened. He awoke.

A layer of frost had formed over his physical body, making him shudder in the cold, but Xiao Nanfeng was exhilarated. He had escaped from the illusory realm!

"The superior yin pearl can help me escape from illusions? I can finally evade Madam Rouge, now?!" Xiao Nanfeng whispered to himself, his teeth chattering.

Within the illusion, the skeleton killed the final survivor, then looked toward the opening of the illusion from which Xiao Nanfeng had escaped.

As it sucked up the last unfortunate disciple's soul, it flashed to the opening, black smoke wafted up from its forehead. Its jaws clacked in anger.

Back in reality, Xiao Nanfeng circulated qi throughout his body, warming himself up, before checking his surroundings.

The corpses of Ma Shan and the others lay all around him, and there was ash on the ground in the shape of a talisman.

Zhao Yuanjiao glanced at the Arclight Villa with a measure of indignation. "The Lady Arclight? As if I would be afraid of her."

Just then, the music coming from the Arclight Villa halted. All was silent until an overwhelming aura of killing intent surged forth from within the villa, causing the fog all around the villa to grow turbulent.

"What frightening killing intent! Is the Lady Arclight planning on going on a killing spree?!" One junior disciple sucked in his breath.

"Senior Brother, I've never, ever encountered such murderous killing intent from the Arclight Villa! I'm getting goosebumps all over!" The other junior disciple's face was turning pale.

Zhao Yuanjiao's face likewise paled in alarm. He hurriedly picked up four of the corpses. "What are you two waiting for? Let's go!"

"Yes, Senior Brother!" Flustered, the two junior disciples picked up the remaining six corpses as the three of them fled from the Arclight Villa.

Four hours later, as Xiao Nanfeng returned to his lodgings, he had a hot bath, changed his clothes, and then requested another audience with Elder Ku.

Within Elder Ku's hall, Xiao Nanfeng recounted what he had just experienced.

"What do you intend to do about the fact that Yuanjiao set you up?" Elder Ku was frowning.

"Senior Brother was only doing so in an attempt to root out any demonic spies that had infiltrated the sect. I don't mind—let's drop the matter," Xiao Nanfeng replied, sighing and shaking his head.

Did he really not mind? Of course he did! However, Zhao Yuanjiao was the most senior of Elder Ku's disciples, and it would be improper to force his master into a quandary. I'll take revenge on my own—there'll be an opportunity sooner or later.

Elder Ku patted Xiao Nanfeng's shoulder. "You're a good child, but Yuanjiao has gone too far this time around. I'll punish him severely."

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Haha! Master's angry now, Zhao Yuanjiao—you're going to suffer the way you deserve to!

"When you fought together against Madam Rouge, Ma Shan used some treasure to break out of the illusion, forming a portal? You took the opportunity to escape as Madam Rouge killed the last of them?" Elder Ku asked for clarification.

"Yes, Master!" Although Xiao Nanfeng respected his master, the superior yin pearl was too large a treasure, and concerned too many secrets, for Xiao Nanfeng to be willing to reveal it just yet.

Elder Ku gave him a complicated look. "You were the only living being in the illusion before you escaped, so that illusory realm belonged solely to you. It looks as though... Madam Rouge has entered your mindscape for good."

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

"However, you were lucky to have been able to escape. Perhaps this will be a blessing in disguise," Elder Ku consoled him.

"What should I do now, Master?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in worry.

"What if you leave Taiqing Island for the time being and return to the mortal world at large? Perhaps Madam Rouge will lose interest in you," Elder Ku proposed.

Xiao Nanfeng: ...It spent a few months stalking me in an attempt to get into my mindscape. Would it really lose interest in me that quickly?!

"Don't scare yourself too much. Things might improve for the better—go out and have a walk, eat your fill, drink your fill, and you might be better before you know it," Elder Ku advised.

Xiao Nanfeng looked toward Elder Ku in silence. Why do I feel like you've given up all hope on me, Master?

"During this excursion, I have only one request to make of you," Elder Ku suddenly informed him severely.

"Yes, Master!"

"Keep the laws of the Taiqing sect in mind at all times. Many disciples have already forgotten them, but I hope that you will follow the Taiqing teachings strictly and seriously," Elder Ku intoned.

"The foundation of the Taiqing sect? The sect motto?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Be not party to evil; strive instead to be as a dragon!" Elder Ku proclaimed.