Chapter 175: Natural Bane

Chapter 175: Natural Bane

The Thousand-Serpent Island was a spiritbeast lair, and the island itself was swarming with countless sea serpents.

At the moment, there were a group of guests on the Thousand-Serpent Island.

They resided in a palatial complex within a valley, but their luxurious accommodations couldn't keep them from showing trepidation wherever they went. Venomous snakes slithered all around them—over their eaves, their wells, and even their bedframes.

The guests didn't dare move around; instead, they huddled together.

"Tang, you'd better not provoke these sea serpents!" one of them called out.

Tang's face contorted. "When have I ever provoked these sea serpents? Stop saying that! It's hardly as though I enjoy causing trouble!"

If Xiao Nanfeng were present, he would immediately recognize Tang as the demonic spy who had attempted to kidnap him with the help of a paralytic poison. Instead, Xiao Nanfeng had turned the tables on him, which caused a significant fiasco in conjunction with Zhao Yuanjiao's investigation.

"What do you mean, you don't enjoy causing trouble? You're disaster incarnate, a calamity!" the person beside him said.

Tang grew furious. "Don't slander me!"

"Who's slandering you? Have you forgotten why you were sent to the Taiqing Immortal Sect? It's because everyone who teamed up with you died, and no one wanted to work with you anymore! That's how you ended up as a spy in the Taiqing sect—and then you caused a large number of them to die, too! We've lost a tremendous amount of progress in infiltrating the Taiqing sect."

Tang frowned. "As I said, it's not my fault! Each time, I tell them not to risk it, but they never listen to me. In the Taiqing sect, I told them not to be in a rush to deal with Xiao Nanfeng, but they insisted—and now they're dead. When we finally broke out of prison, I tried to persuade them to leave Xiao Nanfeng be and to escape from the island, but they insisted on seeking revenge. In the end, they all died while trying to catch him. It's not my fault that they refused to listen to me!"

"You cursed them!" the first speaker asserted.

Tang sighed. "It doesn't have anything to do with me."

"You're an omen of calamity. Stay away from me!" one person beside him shouted.

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Tang looked at them angrily. Are you all crazy? Why do you keep throwing around false accusations?!

Just then, a voice called out from close by, "An omen of calamity? I don't believe it."

Everyone turned to find a cloud of black fog not too far away. Within the cloud was a man with dark blue skin, his eyes scorching and radiating killing intent.

"Elder!" Everyone bowed respectfully.

The Pestilence Sage suddenly turned his gaze toward Tang. "They call you an omen of calamity who brings misfortune to your companions: ridiculous. I cultivate the ghostly arts, and no sinister or macabre affair could be novel to me. I alone chart my fate, not the heavens above. The more extreme the curse, the more it shall enhance my cultivation. Are you an ill omen for your companions, Tang? Curse me, then."

Tang stiffened as he bowed. "Sage, I could never hope to surpass your divine might."

"Haha, haha!" The Pestilence Sage laughed in satisfaction.

Just then, a boom suddenly rang out nearby as a giant golden serpent was sent flying toward the cultivators.

The golden serpent smashed through a large portion of the palatial complex. Behind it was a monk whose body was radiating with golden light. There were still chains on the monk's body, as though he had just emerged from captivity.

Tang stiffened. "We can't, Sage!"

The Pestilence Sage cocked his head at Tang.

"Sage, I fully agree with your decision to take down Zhao Yuanjiao, but I'm worried about Xiao Nanfeng. There's something strange about him," Tang immediately added.

Everyone stared at Tang. That was what they all said of Tang; this was the first time they had heard Tang say that of someone else!

"It's true!" Tang stressed. "He was already able to break a cursed effigy apart while in mid-Acquisition. While in an illusory realm with him, I saw him take down a cursed effigy that even Elder Ku was stymied by. Despite how careful I am, he's managed to foil me multiple times. Furthermore, I've since discovered that, except for me, all those who opposed him have died—even Ma Shan and the others, who were far stronger than he was to begin with! There's something strange about Xiao Nanfeng. It's better to stay away."

"Weren't you the one who cursed them?" one of the other cultivators asked.

"Not by me, but by Xiao Nanfeng!"

The other cultivators clearly didn't believe Tang.

"Sage, I strongly recommend that we avoid Xiao Nanfeng. If he's around, we have to leave. Otherwise, calamity will befall us all. Please believe my intuition!"

"Are you crazy? I, the Sage of Pestilence, avoiding a puny Ascension-realm cultivator?"

"Please, Sage, you have to believe me!" Tang cried out.

Everyone stared at Tang. You might have lost to Xiao Nanfeng a few times, but how could he have traumatized you so severely? The Pestilence Sage could easily take down even Spiritsong-realm cultivators, let alone an Ascension-realm one!

"Oh? I wouldn't have been interested in him if not for how you're building him up. Such calamity is perfect for advancing my cultivation. I'll have to take on Xiao Nanfeng myself," the Pestilence Sage replied.

"Please, Sage, there's no need! There's really something wrong with him!"

"Not enough to best me," the Pestilence Sage replied.

Just then, a sea serpent shouted, "An intruder! All serpents, prepare to face the enemy!"

Countless sea serpents slithered toward the outskirts of the island.

Another voice could be heard from afar. "Croak, Warble, strike now! All disciples, charge ahead with me, Xiao Nanfeng! Kill these sea serpents!"

"Kill!" an ear-splitting shout rang out from all over.

The Pestilence Sage, Tang, and the other cultivators blinked. Xiao Nanfeng... was here?

"He's really here? Something is strange about him, isn't it?" someone cried out.

"Is it really Xiao Nanfeng? How convenient!" the Pestilence Sage exclaimed.

Only Tang stiffened. "Xiao Nanfeng's as sinister as ever. Sage, please, we have to flee. Something's wrong!"

"Silence! Accompany me to take down Xiao Nanfeng. I'd like to see just how ominous someone has to be for an omen of calamity like you to be so scared." Despite Tang's repeated pleas, the Pestilence Sage was unbelievably excited.

"Understood!" everyone chorused.

Tang frowned in worry. The last few times he had gone up against Xiao Nanfeng, the others around him had been equally cocksure and confident—and now they were all dead.