Archfiend

Honk honk honk! Beep beep beep! In Beifeng City, the side opposite of District A-31 was presently a complete and total mess. A cacophony of blaring horns rang out. At the coffee shops along the street, everyone, including the baristas, had come out, looking at the sky like idiots.

Bang! A police officer jumped out from his car door as if he’d seen a ghost. With wide eyes and mouth ajar, he gazed at the crystallized mountain range. Very soon, a crash rang out behind him. His car had been slammed into by a truck. Likewise, the truck driver stuck his head out, mouth gaping and eyes saucered wide, and looked towards the same direction.

At this moment, the Beifeng City’s northern district was dead-calm.

Each person’s eyes carried shock and disbelief. Their pupils reflected an eternally unforgettable supernatural phenomenon!

The black sky formed stretches of mist and finally became a cave of black fog! And in this cave, a black claw, no less than several dozen meters in size, extended out! Furthermore… it seemed that there was something even more terrible inside the cave. Its penetrating voice rose and fell, slowly drifting out! 

And yet, a strange foundation platform cast out of azure qi oddly appeared above the clouds. It was large, a full 300 to 400 meters in size! It could be seen from any corner of Beifeng City!

“This… This is a spirit-master…” As the closest to the sight, State-Magus Mu was trembling from head to toe. “This is a spirit-master? This is a divine ability? This is a battle of magic?!?!”

His voice was raspy, but no one answered him. Right now, everyone here had been shocked speechless.

Since they were below the fight, they felt things even more clearly! When this move came into being, not only were they afflicted by this terrible feeling of their hearts instantly stopping… but also the crisis of life and death, leaving them wanting to flee but simply unable to move their legs!

“SCREECH!!!” Nine bird shrieks rang out. Five seconds later, the black cloud cave fully collapsed. There was a giant bird with black mist lingering upon its entire form. Likewise, it was several hundred meters in size! From inside the cloud cave, an aura of death came forth and loudly descended!

The stargazer altar! The Demonchariot Pheasant!

Heavenly Opening First Erosion!

Beifeng City was quiet.

Only the boring and tedious broadcast continued to fill the air, echoing through every nook and cranny.

“Attention, please pay attention. Because an unforeseen incident has occurred, all residents are to immediately evacuate Beifeng City…”

At the top of the school building, all the students were stuck in a daze. Afterwards, while it wasn’t known which schoolgirl it was, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “AAAHHH!!!!!!”

In moments, as if she was insane, she scrambled downstairs!

Her voice jolted everyone awake! Each person screeched and rushed downstairs!

“It’s not a joke… this isn’t a joke!”

“God! It’s a monster! A man-eating monster!”

“Heavens! This isn’t a joke! The government really ain’t playing!”

“Boohoohoo… what the heck is going on with Beifeng City? What is this thing!!!”

“Monster! Monster! Hurry up and run!”

Screaming and bawling rang out into one mass. The top of the school, still carefree and content moments ago, fell into a jumbled mess in a flash.

But it wasn’t just the school… After realizing that the broadcast was speaking the truth, Beifeng City descended into total chaos. However, groups of soldiers on the current road were already waiting with rifles. They guided everyone out of the city.

This was the consequences of power without restraint.

In a lower realm… The first appearance of Foundation Establishment cultivators was enough to instantly clear our a strategic city of several million people!

In the sky above, the two leading roles of the incident were simply unaware. Solemness had long since covered Zu Huai’en’s face. He firmly locked his eyes onto the descending Demonchariot Pheasant in the air, its enormous shadow circling in the air. Yet across from him, Xu Yangyi was only pointing at him like so, having established himself upon the stargazer altar. The demon slayer was seemingly ordinary. Still, he could feel… that in this moment, the surrounding hundred meters around his body had been completely locked down by a strange murderous desire! The light of blades and shadow of swords were everywhere!

In the instant the Demonchariot Pheasant took to the stargazer altar… was the time this move would be unleashed!

“This move… what is its name?” Zu Huai’en said with extreme caution. The hair on his back stood on edge!

“The Heavenly Opening Six Erosions,” Xu Yangyi said dimly. “Fellow Daoist, you’ve only come as a thread of spiritual sense. You’re not my opponent.”

Zu Huai’en was silent, and Xu Yangyi didn’t make the Demonchariot Pheasant completely settle on the stargazer altar, as well. The two seemed to be deadlocked. A few seconds later, Zu Huai’en raised his head. “A divine ability that can bring forth a worldly anomaly… is not something that can be done unless at Core Formation. Such titanic destiny… I’ve only seen three times. Fellow Daoist’s fortune is not weak.”

Not weak?

Xu Yangyi laughed.

Perhaps… but if he knew where the Heavenly Opening Six Erosions originated from, what was there, and how many people had entered and how many people had left, would he still be able to speak this way?

“Concede,” he said indifferently, “Just by relying on a thread of spiritual sense, Fellow Daoist isn’t my opponent. And… if my guess isn’t wrong, we’re also the only two remaining Foundation Establishment in the Clearcloud Realm.”

This was the reason why neither of them engaged in a battle of life and death.

This was just a probe. An estimate of the other’s weight.

Zu Huai’en studied him deeply for several seconds and suddenly laughed, “Fellow Daoist, although this is only my spiritual sense, you’ve just entered Foundation Establishment. You’re so sure that you can defeat me?”

Xu Yangyi also laughed, “Wanna try?”

“Quite.” Zu Huai’en licked his lips and both his hands cast a strange art. All of a sudden, the space a thousand meters all around him began to oscillate!

“This is one of my kill moves.” In the seemingly rippling space, Zu Huai’en took slight steps and said lowly, “I have named it ‘Heavenly Punishment’.”

Hum hum hum… Swords… true bladed swords slowly came out from the qi cave and aimed towards Xu Yangyi!

Each sword emitted cold, heart-palpitating light. Each sword radiated extremely strong qi, much more crowded in number than the rain of red swords just now! Even in the sky they drew a curtain of resplendent light!

“With this move, I once fought against ten in China’s cultivation world. Within an hour, I slew ten cultivators that were one minor boundary lower than myself.” His gaze held some reminiscence as he gazed at the sharp blades extending out from the beehive-like qi cave. “I’m afraid that even the power of Daomaster Ancientpine’s Ten Thousand Shadows Heavenly Punishment might not surpass this. However, there is no one worthy of me using this move in the Clearcloud Realm.”

He slowly collected his gaze and looked at Xu Yangyi. “If Fellow Daoist is regretting it, there’s still time… You… This?!”

Xu Yangyi had actually removed all his protection! Not even the protective qi cover was there! In addition, with a wave of his hand, the Demonchariot Pheasant and the stargazer altar vanished without a trace. Xu Yangyi merely smiled as he looked at Zu Huai’en.

“Looking down on me?” A trace of rage flashed through Zu Huai’en’s gaze. Xu Yangyi was strong, very strong! Regardless, even if Xu Yangyi was stronger, he’d still just entered Foundation Establishment! Even in his current state, his great middle-stage Foundation Establishment kill move absolutely wasn’t something that a recently advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator could resist!

“You actually dare show contempt for me… You’ll regret it…” He sneered in his heart, already deciding to make Xu Yangyi understand the obvious difference of their positions. Both his hands clawed forward, and the infinite sword-rain behind him cut deathly scars through the air! Swoosh swoosh swoosh! Endless swords converged into a shining flood! The sword-light was dazzling, like a surging galaxy!

Unexpectedly, though… Xu Yangyi didn’t put up any defense!

“Such courage!” The shred of anger in Zu Huai’en’s heart burgeoned even more. Xu Yangyi hadn’t even dodged or evaded his absolute move; who did he think he was?

Furthermore, Xu Yangyi truly was without defense. All of his qi had been pulled back into his body!

However, Zu Huai’en simply had no time to get angry, because the event that followed left him pondering whether he was living in a dream.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh! The rain of swords approached Xu Yangyi in an instant, but what transpired in the next second stupefied Zu Huai’en. 

On the brink of crisis, Xu Yangyi’s figure… unexpectedly started to turn hazy! As if he was a shadow in the sky! All of the swords… shockingly passed through him! Not a single one had pierced the opponent!

Akin to rain, swords fell for no less than tens of minutes. The flying swords only stabbed into a transparent figure. After the flight of swords came to an end, Xu Yangyi was surprisingly like a fog, and started to turn clear again. 

“What the hell is this?!?!” Zu Huai’en nearly sprayed out a mouthful of old blood. He had cultivated for so long, and someone actually didn’t need qi to dodge the entirety of his supreme skill?!

No… not dodge, but rather… immunity?!

Xu Yangyi was immune to spiritual weapons attacks?!

Xu Yangyi didn’t care at all for Zu Huai’en’s astonishment. Instead, he looked at his body in satisfaction.

There wasn’t even a damaged thread on his clothes.

“Pretty good… although the Voidspirit Immortal Physique is just at Initial Completion, it allowed me to dodge so many attacking magik artifacts. In that case… what kind of divine abilities will there be after Minor Completion?”

“Fellow Daoist.” He raised his head and looked at the flabbergasted Zu Huai’en. “This is your supreme skill?”

Zu Huai’en’s mouth opened, and he looked at Xu Yangyi as if he was looking at a ghost.

Should I say yes?

He was embarrassed to say yes… about something that another was immune to.

Should I say no?

Regardless… the answer was truly yes… Each sword was a supreme-grade magik artifact! He was tantamount to a walking swordbox. Collecting these 4,100 magik artifacts used up a great deal of his time and energy. This was also how he’d made his name back then, the one and only way he’d defeated ten enemies by himself!

“I have received instruction.” Several seconds later, a solemn expression finally made its way across his entire countenance. He faced Xu Yangyi and clasped his hands. “Dare I ask Fellow Daoist’s Daoist title?”

Xu Yangyi didn’t answer. After ages, he said in a soft voice, “Wolfbane.”

“Wolfbane…” Zu Huai’en softly repeated once, “This Throne will remember it.”

Silence. A minute later, Zu Huai’en said lowly, “There are surely many questions in Fellow Daoist’s heart. But… I have an approximate understanding of your questions. Still, now isn’t the time to explain. I came to Fellow Daoist’s Dao sanctum on a sudden impulse. I only have five minutes of time on this Junior’s body.”

Xu Yangyi didn’t mince words and cut straight to his question, “How do I return? Where is this place?”

“Return?” Zu Huai’en heaved out a sigh. “If I could return, why would I stay here?”

“As for where this place is… here is known as ‘Inside’. Three half-step Nascent Soul ancestors keep watch. Each realm possesses its own unique ‘Realm Anchor’ and ‘Star Position’. Earth relies on these two orientated contact surfaces in a Lesser Thousand Realm. But… this place actually broke free of the Realm Anchor and Star Position’s orientations sixty years ago.”

Xu Yangyi inhaled deeply.

Three half-step Nascent Soul!

This definitely wasn’t in any of Earth’s records!

In other words… the amount of Core Formation ancestors in China’s cultivation world wasn’t ten, wasn’t twelve, but rather… at least fifteen! 

Well, Daomaster Ancientpine had said something to this effect.

In addition, to the half-step Nascent Soul Daomaster Skybearer who oversaw the Cultivation Court, there were at least four half-step Nascent Soul!

On Earth, all of them were an influential power! It was no exaggeration to say that in the present records, besides Greece, India, Saudi Arabia, and a few other countries that could be counted on one’s fingers, no country’s cultivation power whatsoever could surpass China!

“What are these Dao Masters’ names?”

“Daomaster Scriptdraw, Daomaster Firestream, and Daomaster Clearmoon.” Zu Huai’en laughed and said, “This Clearcloud Realm… is not simple. Have you heard of ‘The Final 10,000 Miles’?”

  Spoiler Meme