Chapter 176: Cursed to Death

Chapter 176: Cursed to Death

Five ships had secretly arrived by the outskirts of the Thousand-Serpent Island.

"There are three large valleys in the Thousand-Serpent Island that serve as gateways in and out. We'll split into three groups and attack them simultaneously. Don't allow even a single sea serpent to escape," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"What if they escape to sea?" Ye Dafu asked, frowning.

"Elder Zhao Yuanjiao borrowed the 'Thundersea Mountain Formation' from the sect on our behalf, which can block off water access to the island. As long as the sea serpents can't fly, they won't be able to escape, and the formation will even form a lightning net underwater to force the sea serpents back to shore," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

The disciples were all very curious about this formation.

"Croak, Warble, and Elder Zhao will handle all sea serpents at Spiritsong-realm and above. Ye Dafu, Ye Sanshui, the two of you will lead the three thousand fighters of the Isle of Xiao into two of the three valleys," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Young Master, they're only at late-stage Acquisition! Will they be enough?" Ye Dafu asked in worry.

"I'm aware. The three thousand Taiqing disciples will accompany both of your groups and support my three thousand fighters," Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"What?" Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui gaped.

"The goal of this expedition is to train these fighters. They do need practical experience, after all," Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"What about the third valley?" Ye Dafu continued.

"I'm right here," Xiao Nanfeng asserted confidently.

Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui's eyes widened as they realized what Xiao Nanfeng meant. Was he going to take on a third of the sea serpents by himself?

"Young Master, won't it be dangerous?" Ye Sanshui asked carefully.

"The matter is settled," Xiao Nanfeng replied crisply. "Ye Dafu, make sure your lackeys are leading the troops well. I've requested that three thousand disciples be present to support your efforts, so don't lose too many of my fighters."

"Don't worry, Young Master. We'll bring them all back!" Ye Dafu promised.

"In that case, let's begin," Xiao Nanfeng announced.

Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui began their preparations in earnest. The ships quickly divided into three groups and sailed toward three different points on the island. Sea serpents rushed out to attack them, but the cultivators had all consumed antidotes and didn't fear serpent venom. Following the command, they jumped ashore.

"Kill!" Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui shouted, leading the charge. Everyone brandished their weapons at the sea serpent.

At the same time, over three hundred pillars of lightning formed around the Thousand-Serpent Island. Purple lightning shot out of each pillar and linked together to form a wall thirty meters tall all around the Thousand-Serpent Island.

The sea serpents who attempted to escape from the island by swimming were quickly forced back ashore.

At the same time, a golden serpent took to the air and howled, "An intruder! All serpents, prepare to face the enemy!"

Xiao Nanfeng stood by the entrance to one of the valleys in the Thousand-Serpent Island. As he looked at the golden serpent in the air, his eyes grew cold. He shouted, "Croak, Warble, strike now! All disciples, charge ahead with me, Xiao Nanfeng! Kill these sea serpents!"

"Kill!" the Taiqing disciples shouted. Croak and Warble swooped down from the air, smashing the flying serpent against a mountain peak.

Just then, black light burst forth from the storage ring on a finger on Xiao Nanfeng's left palm. A pitch-black palm emerged from that black light.

The Pestilence Sage frowned. What sort of technique was that?

The palm grabbed ahold of his ghostly claw and tugged.

"What?!" the Pestilence Sage cried out.

Suddenly, the Pestilence Sage was sucked into the storage ring by the pitch-black palm, leaving behind a withered, dark-blue husk of a corpse. The withered corpse struck the ground with an audible thud, causing Xiao Nanfeng to look around in surprise.

"What was that just now...?"

Because everything had happened in the flash of an eye, he hadn't had a clear look at his attacker. All he could sense was the ferocious beast in his ring suddenly striking at his assailant.

Xiao Nanfeng picked up the dark-blue husk of skin on the floor. It looked like a human doll of sorts.

"An inflatable doll? Where did this come from? Why does it look so ugly?" Xiao Nanfeng was confused by its sudden appearance before he suddenly frowned at his storage ring. "Just what did you drag into the ring?"

"Help!" the Pestilence Sage cried out from within his storage ring.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened. Had the beast nabbed another powerful spiritual avatar?

He looked at the inflatable doll in his hand. In that case, this could very well be a valuable possession. He didn't have time to inspect it carefully at the moment; rather, as though he were rolling up a carpet, he rolled up the inflatable doll and hung it by his waist.

"Kill!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out again, continuing to massacre the sea serpents in his vicinity.

The demonic disciples, watching the scene from high up on a mountain peak, saw the Pestilence Sage ready to peel Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual avatar away from his body—only to have his own be extracted in an instant. Then, Xiao Nanfeng rolled up the Pestilence Sage's corpse and hung it by his waist.

"Is he really an Ascension-realm cultivator? He has to be joking. He's pretending to be weak, isn't he?!" one disciple cried out.

"Xiao Nanfeng's grown even more sinister! I told you not to provoke him, but none of you listened. See? The sage ignored my warnings and ended up dying!" Tang cried out. He trembled as he backed away.

Suddenly, everyone looked toward Tang and retreated from him.

"What now?" Tang shouted.

"You were the one who cursed the Pestilence Sage to die."

"Right. Any of Tang's companions will die a gruesome death!"

"The sage didn't believe in the curse and chose to keep Tang beside him. In the end, he too perished!"

The cultivators stared at Tang in abject fear.

Tang frowned. "Xiao Nanfeng was the one who killed the sage. What does it have to do with me? You heard me advise the sage not to strike! He refused to listen to me."

The demonic disciples shook their heads. They were still staring at Tang in shock. "Omen of calamity, omen of calamity!"

"Are you all blind?! This has nothing to do with me!" Tang cried out.

"Omen of calamity, omen of calamity!" The chant grew even louder.