Chapter 278 - 153: Flames Rage in the Forbidden Heaven Sect, an Effortless Sword Slays the Saint Child

Chapter 278: Chapter 153: Flames Rage in the Forbidden Heaven Sect, an Effortless Sword Slays the Saint Child

Beneath the Yin Celestial Venerable, deeper still in the bowels of the earth.

The Grey-bearded Taoist looked up, having witnessed the entire process of Xuzhuang tearing the Yin Mountain Venerable apart through the layers of earth. Even with Shishi beside him, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "Such incredible Divine Techniques, such profound cultivation. He’s truly a genius for the ages."

Shishi, clad in a simple, pale dress, stood beside him. She held an Ancient Bronze Mirror and seemed not to have heard him at all. She was focused on her own magic, urging the mirror to release a hazy glow that pierced through the layers of rock and soil to illuminate the earth’s veins.

A closer look revealed a creature resembling a white carp within the earth’s veins. It was thrashing its tail, trying to swim away, but was held fast by the mirror’s light, unable to escape.

Just then, however, Shishi’s concentration seemed to waver. The white carp, which had appeared immobilized by the mirror’s light, suddenly flicked its tail and darted ten feet away. Shishi quickly performed a hand seal for her Magic Formula, causing the light to recapture the carp and begin dragging it upward.

Although the white carp had not escaped, this brief lapse had cost her precious time. Just then, a ball of bright flame passed through the rock and fell into the cavern. It burned out in an instant, delivering a message that made Shishi frown.

"One breath’s time..." she whispered. The Yin Mountain Venerable had been torn apart by Xuzhuang. That demon was forged from the convergence of countless lesser fiends; now that it was split, the chaotic demonic thoughts within were bound to erupt at any moment. It was far beyond what Shao Ying could hope to control.

One breath was all the time Shao Ying had left to forcibly maintain the Yin Mountain Venerable’s seal on the earth’s veins. The white carp captured by her precious mirror possessed the miraculous ability to travel through these veins. If the seal broke, she feared it would escape once more.

The white carp was crucial to the grand plan of the Demon Intent Sect. A Zhenren from her sect had personally tasked her with assisting Chi Ming and Shao Ying in this matter. Failure would be difficult to explain.

’After all, unlike the factions of the Righteous Path, with their three schools and six sects each looking out for themselves, the four great Demon Sects had built bonds of mutual aid during their years in hiding. Now, brought together under the Innate Demon Sect, they were allies, if not quite brothers in arms.’

’The thought had barely crossed her mind when Shishi realized she couldn’t avoid damaging her vital essence today. What was most infuriating was the sharp sword hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment. Even if she expended her vital essence, she might not succeed. Yet she had no choice but to try. It was a truly vexing situation.’

But this was no time for hesitation. Without any grand gesture, she simply traced the rim of the mirror with a slender finger, leaving behind a streak of blood.

Having drunk the blood essence of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, the Ancient Bronze Mirror buzzed and trembled as if in delight. Shishi then exhaled a wisp of misty light onto the back of the mirror. The mirror’s glow immediately condensed into a focused beam, yanking the white carp upward with far greater force than before. Seeing that it would be absorbed into the mirror in a matter of moments, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

—

Back on the surface, the sky-shaking death wail of the Yin Mountain Venerable, torn asunder by the Wood Element Divine Light, still echoed. The gloomy clouds and foul miasma began to dissipate as sunlight spilled down, instantly illuminating the mountain gorges.

Chi Ming escaped from the dissipating form of the Yin Mountain Venerable and saw the Daoist hovering in the air, his hands clasped behind his back, silhouetted against the sky. Though still reeling from shock, Chi Ming felt a surge of boldness well up in his chest.

’Overpowering a Venerable Demon and tearing it asunder was indeed incredibly impressive. But a cultivator’s power isn’t an endless spring. After expending so much Magical Power, how many tricks could he possibly have left?’

’He’s exhausted, and I’m at my peak. Even if I can’t defeat Xuzhuang, keeping him busy shouldn’t be a problem. I absolutely cannot let him interfere with the sect’s plans before Shishi succeeds.’

"Come on! Let this Saint Child see what else you’ve got!" With a flash in his eyes, Chi Ming shot into the sky. A black wind howled around him as he moved, its fierce currents shrieking, and in an instant, he was upon Xuzhuang.

"Chi Ming?" Xuzhuang glanced up, the divine light receding from his pupils, and frowned slightly.

As the Yin Mountain Venerable was torn apart, its chaotic demonic thoughts had erupted, and it showed signs of breaking down into countless lesser demons. Yet it seemed someone was desperately struggling to hold it together, delaying its complete collapse.

Looking with his Dharma Eye, he could see the Yin Mountain Venerable using the last of its strength to desperately suppress the flow of earth qi. Xuzhuang didn’t have to guess to know what that meant.

Xuzhuang narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know about the one-breath time limit, of course, but it wasn’t difficult to deduce that the Yin Mountain Venerable couldn’t maintain its current state for long.

’I don’t know what the Demon Sect is plotting here, but whatever my enemy desires, I certainly won’t let them achieve it.’

’I need to deal with this guy quickly, without wasting too much effort.’ As Chi Ming attacked, a flicker of resolve appeared in Xuzhuang’s eyes. With a slight shake of his body, he activated his sword light. It flashed through the air, and he vanished, leaving only a thunderclap in his wake.

"Sword Escape?" Chi Ming’s attack missed its mark, which was not entirely unexpected. What surprised him was that Xuzhuang actually knew Sword Escape. He couldn’t help but frown.

’For long-distance travel, a Sword Cultivator’s speed is fast, but not unbeatable. Both the righteous and demonic paths have their own Superior Escape Techniques that are not necessarily any slower.’

’But for maneuvering in combat—dodging, weaving, striking, and retreating—very few techniques could compare. At least, I don’t have such an Escape Technique at my disposal.’

However, before Chi Ming could devise a counter-strategy, Xuzhuang was already on the attack.

’Although he intended to finish Chi Ming quickly, he couldn’t afford to expend too much effort. If other enemies appeared afterward, or if he needed a large reserve of Magical Power for something else, he would be at a disadvantage.’

’Besides, the art of combat did not reward haste. Xuzhuang possessed many powerful Divine Techniques, and if any of them could kill Chi Ming instantly, he would not hesitate to use them. But a Demon Sect Saint Child like Chi Ming was no ordinary cultivator. If a single decisive strike failed, it would not only be a waste of Magical Power, but it would likely drag out the fight even longer.’