Under Tai Yin Mountain, the shadow of the raging demonic dragon can be seen. Wishing to wrap the matter with the demonic cultivators quickly, Yan Zhengming takes advantage of the moment when Xiaoxiang-jun is still stunned, and correctly finds out where his true body is among the skeletons. Without any mercy, Yan Zhengming slices him in two with just one strike.
The cursed peach blossoms, which reek of blood, quickly spread around.
Yan Zhengming shouts, âLetâs go!â
As if to sate his anger, Yan Zhengming grabs Cheng Qianâs shoulder and drags him along as he rides on the sword, then asks through gritted teeth, âRomantic entanglement?â
For the first time, Cheng Qian avoids Yan Zhengmingâs eyes. He says in a low voice, âSenior brother, Iâm sorry.â
He puts so many things that need to be said in those few words, but no one gets it. Yan Zhengming doesnât understand what Cheng Qian apologizes for. Hearing that, his anger just gets even more heated. The demon of the heart that was asleep for a while begins to rear its head again.
Yan Zhengming takes a deep breath and annoyedly recites the Scripture of Serenity in his head until the lines become like a lullaby. As his anxious heart reluctantly calms down, the fire of rage is replaced by cold ash. Yan Zhengming suddenly loses all of his earlier passion.
Without even looking back, he releases Cheng Qian. âIâll deal with you when weâre back. Follow me!â
The group glide across the sky like a rainbow and arrive at the destination within seconds, while the red-tinged curse still pursues them from behind. Looking back, Li Yun cautiously says, âLooks like that array maker wanted to borrow the energy of the Demon Execution Array to start his own array, then things ended up like this. These cursed peach blossoms have been merged with the Demon Execution Array. There is no telling what will happen. Iâm afraid itâll be tricky for us.â
Yan Zhengmingâs face is like a block of ice. âYou think no one else recognizes that? Would it kill you to show off a bit less?â
Li Yun glances at his seething senior brother. He knows right away that he is just collateral damage for Yan Zhengmingâs temper. As a true hero knows how to adapt to the circumstances, Li Yun doesnât argue back.
It doesnât take them long to get to their destination, but something unexpected has happened under Tai Yin Mountain.
Han Yuan has entered the Demon Execution Array, but the killing aura of the array is even worse than that of the demonic dragonâs.
In the array, countless blades of spiritual energy fly from all directions. Even a stray fallen leaf became like an ice knife. Someone inside the area of the array are attacked from any direction and become a meat skewer. Even flying in the air would be no help.
Li Yun frowns. âThis is wrong. This array has been changed!â
Yan Zhengming asks, âWhat?â
âThe Demon Execution Array has an extremely strong killing aura. It destroys whoever stands in its way, regardless of good or evil. To protect their own people, usually the side that mobilizes this array will leave an exception, such that the array will only attack what has demonic energy and leave purified energy alone,â Li Yun says in a rush, âBut the one here obviously comes after allies and enemies alike!â
As soon as he says that, a person dressed in the black uniform of the Celestial Divination Bureau runs like mad in their direction. Completely without any means to defend himself, that cultivator is as pitiful as a rabbit being pursued by an eagle. In a blink of the eye, a blade appears right in front of him without warning. Unable to react in time, the cultivator runs into the blade and gets run through in the chest, and then the wound splits wider until his body is torn into pieces.
Yan Zhengming is unable to find a fitting response to the situation. What kind of luck they have that after running into a bunch of demonic cultivators who turned against each other, they stumble upon a betrayal within the Celestial Divination Bureau?!
Now they have to deal with an unpredictable Demon Execution Array while being persistently pursued by the cursed peach blossoms.
To top it off, Cheng Qian has not been acting like himself!
Li Yun already spots a thrashing demonic dragon in the Demon Execution Array, âMost senior brotherâŚâ
âLetâs break this,â Yan Zhengming says without any emotion, âIn the present, whether itâs the schemers or the marks, everyone is all stuck in here. Itâs likely weâll all die here if we donât destroy this array.â
Terrified by the dark red glint in Yan Zhengmingâs eyes, Li Yun shakily reminds him, âI think you should look after yourself first.â
Yan Zhengming ignores that. He is determined to break this array. No way heâd let this damned thing trap and kill him here.
He thinks to himself, âI must find out who the person in Cheng Qianâs heart is.â
He stretches out his arms and shouts a command. As he turns his palms up, a small wooden sword appears between them, which keeps getting bigger. Then with a white flash, the sword becomes a full-sized weapon.
As soon as this wooden sword appears. Cheng Qian gets a strange feeling. Though it doesnât really affect him much, he can sense a link between him and that sword.
An earth-shatteringly powerful ray of sword energy strikes down like lightning. The strike shakes up the outer area of the Demon Execution Array and reveals its boundary with a loud explosion.
The demonic dragon suddenly raises his head.
The Demon Execution Array madly strikes back at the sword energy. Countless blades rain from the sky together with black clouds and target Yan Zhengmingâs sword.
The weapons clash together with a loud screech that seemingly could tear peopleâs ears. Sparks fly and explode everywhere like fireworks, which lights up the dark late evening sky like a sun.
Pain surges in Yan Zhengmingâs chest. The veins on his hands spasm, as blood is nearly squeezed out of his heart.
However, at the moment, he feels a gust of energy that doesnât belong to him seeping into his body from the sword formed of primordial spirit in his hands. Starting from his hands, the energy gently soothes his damaged meridians.
At the same time, a thin layer of frost appears on the wooden sword.
Yan Zhengming: ââŚâ
What the heck is in this unprecedented sword, which was made from primordial spirit?
Yan Zhengmingâs anger is close to driving him mad. How many things has that little brat been hiding from him?!
Meanwhile, in that life or death moment, the persistent cursed peach blossoms have caught up to them.
Like a drop of water falling into a frying pan full of hot oil, the cursed peach blossoms explode with a sizzling sound as they fall into the Demon Execution Array.
The cursed peach blossoms swarm the Demon Execution Array in the blink of the eye, filling everywhere with a thick fragrance. Everyone can smell a threat from that scent.
A demonic cultivator has his spiritual energy shield breached by the cursed peach blossoms. His expression turns dreamy, like he is lost in a mysterious sensation. He flies increasingly slowly then drops from the sky without any warning. His flesh and blood have all been sucked dry, making him a happy shrivelled corpse.
Right after that, the demonic dragon lets out a howl that echoes through the sky, then charges at the border of the Demon Execution Array that has been revealed by Yan Zhengmingâs attack. The dragonâs giant body thrashes angrily at the line.
Both Heaven and Earth shake as if mountains and rivers would be broken up. More than half of the Demon Execution Arrayâs firepower targets Han Yuan. Countless gleaming blades from all directions relentlessly slashes the demonic dragon.
The dragon screeches, his eyes glaring as his body is quickly filled with wounds. However, he doesnât pause a beat, but instead turns his body and fearlessly charges at the border of the array.
Li Yun canât help himself. He rummages in his item pouch, as the thought of taking out the True Dragon Flag overrides his heart. He holds the Dragon Flag, his hands trembling.
A hand grips his elbow. Startled, Li Yun lets the True Dragon Flag fall from his hand, but the person already catches it.
âSecond Brother, donât do that. If this thing falls in the demonic dragonâs hand, youâll go down in history as someone who commits an unforgivable sin,â With the True Dragon Flag in his hand, Cheng Qian says softly to Li Yun. âPlease watch over Puddle and Nian Dada. Iâll find a way to detect the âeyeâ of the array.â
Li Yun is shaken. âYouâŚâ
Cheng Qian rolls up the True Dragon Flag and puts it in his sleeve, then flies down the Tai Yin Mountain like an arrow.
As soon as he enters, countless blades from the Demon Execution Array appear to block his path. Shuang Ren gleams like fire in his hand as Cheng Qian forges a path in between the sea of blades. The weapons frozen by frost from the air to the ground on his trail are like a chilly white silk sash.
The spiritual energy swirls like a storm throughout Cheng Qianâs body, which affects all of his senses. If Li Yun is right that the it is impossible to use manpower to run such a large Demon Execution Array and that the âeyeâ of the array has to be a divine artifact, Cheng Qian, who is much more sensitive to such artifacts because of his Spirit Collection Jade body, should take his chances even if it isnât guaranteed he will find that âeyeâ.
Suddenly, someone blocks his way. Without thinking, Cheng Qian attacks. The two gusts of sword energy clash with each other, causing the newcomer to be nearly thrown to one side. That person hastily speaks up. âSenior, please stop!â
That is You Liang.
Cheng Qian of course knows who he is, but doesnât bother to hold back. He has had a grudge against these nosy Celestial Divination Bureau goons for a long time, so he plans to kill all of those that stand in his way without caring who that is.
His second strike follows without any mercy in the blink of an eye. The sword energy of Shuang Ren leaves in its trail a huge white circle. You Liang dares not directly counter it. He hastily moves to one side out of the way. âSenior, please wait! I know where the âeyeâ of the array is!â
Glancing at him, Cheng Qian replies with a harsh smile. âIâve never trusted dogs of the Celestial Divination Bureau.â
âSenior Cheng!â You Liangâs eyes are red. âThere are thirty thousand local troops of the Tai Yin area here, not to mention hundreds of my sectâs members. Even if my honor is less than an animal, how can I stand watching them die here?!â
Cheng Qian pauses. After a few seconds, he glances at the young sword cultivator, who is close to tears, and says, âLead the way.â
Having said that, Cheng Qian points his finger in the air. A blinding ray of white light flies from his hand directly into the sky and explodes into a cloud of snow, which attracts the attention of everyone. Even the demonic dragon, who has been bashing the Demon Execution Array, turns back into human form. Wiping the blood on his lips, he looks in Cheng Qianâs direction with an apathetic expression.
Knowing that the mission to capture the demonic dragon in Tai Yin has failed, You Liang grits his teeth and says recklessly, âFollow me.â
Then he swings his sword and opens a narrow path. Risking everything, he takes Cheng Qian to a spot under Tai Yin Mountain.
Some corpses are hung on a great tree at that place. You Liang talks without looking back, âItâs them who meddled with the Demon Execution Array. I dealt with them, but the array had already started and couldnât be stopped. Senior, please have a look.â
There is a huge typhoon under Tai Yin mountain. It swirls like currents in the great sea, hiding countless sharp blades inside. Even a sword cultivator who has formed his primordial spirit like You Liang shakes when facing its killing aura from afar.
Cheng Qian pulls a short sabre from a corpse. He can tell itâs a good blade just by touching. The spells carved on its hilt are well-made too, which shows that it was made by an artisan of some major sect or family.
He weighs the blade in his hand and imbues it with his spiritual energy, then pushes it into the typhoon. The blade flies off with the power of a storm. However, in just a second, a fearsome clang can be heard, as the protective spells around the sabre dissolve like dust and the blade becomes pieces of junk.
Even steel ends up like that. How can a mortal body survive?
Cheng Qian frowns and turns his hands. Frost gathers around his body as a sphere of spiritual energy expands under his hands.
Yan Zhengming arrives at that moment. Seeing what is going on, he immediately rushes ahead and raises his hand to force the spiritual energy back in, shouting, âWithdraw it!â
Seeing that the spiritual energy full of aggression is about to clash with Yan Zhengmingâs hand, Cheng Qian hastily pulls it back into his sleeves. Yan Zhengmingâs hand comes down and stops just short of Cheng Qianâs face, as if about to give him a slap.
Cheng Qian stays on the spot without moving, thinking, âIf he really hits me, Iâll probably feel relieved.â
However, Yan Zhengming, after several expressions go through his face, still puts down his hand. He says harshly, âHow dare you test the âeyeâ of the Demon Execution Array like that?!â
Cheng Qian says nothing. At first glance, it looks like he is silently rebelling, so Yan Zhengming gets even angrier.
A harsh laugh comes from not far away. No one notices Han Yuan too has arrived. Without regard for anyone, he raises his hand and fires out a gust of aggressive demonic energy.
The demonic energy in the air transforms into a black dragon. The dragon rears its head and swallows all of the surrounding cursed peach blossoms, then arrogantly charges at the typhoon.
The ground shakes. As the âeyeâ of the array seems to be provoked, the typhoon suddenly doubles in size. Heaven and Earth darken, as even the wind and the dust become sharp as blades. The black dragon suffers countless cuts. You Liang is nearly pulled in, while big and small cracks appear in the protective spiritual energy around everyone, forcing them to fall back.
Yan Zhengming yells, âAre you crazy?!â
Before he finishes talking, the black dragon created from demonic dragon lets out a blood curdling screech and dissolves!
Han Yuanâs face pales as he wobbles. He has obviously sustained a serious injury. Yet even in that state, he still insists on pretending like nothing happened, and gives You Liang a condescending smile. âYour esteemed sectâs flair for internal conflict is indeed unparalleled. Today Iâve learnt a lot from you people.â
Cheng Qian touches the True Dragon Flag in his sleeve and suddenly says in a low voice, âMaybe I can give a try.â
Yan Zhengming angrily glares at him. As Cheng Qian reveals a bit of the True Dragon Flag and quickly glances in Han Yuanâs direction, Yan Zhengming is surprised at first, but he quickly gets the idea.
After exchanging that glance, they immediately make their move.
Cheng Qian deploys the True Dragon Flag. He isnât like that piece of junk Bian Xiaohui. As his immense spiritual energy reserve pours into the dragon flag, the soul of the ancient divine dragon lets out a loud roar and flies out. It gives off a blazing light, as if itâs become alive again.
As it turns out, they managed to win the True Dragon Flag not because the ancient dragon soul was weak, but because Bian Xiaohui was a terrible user for it, so the flagâs power was severely restricted. All it had was the primordial spirit lingering in the flag to support the dragon. Nevertheless, it could still bully quite a few powerful cultivators.
This time, itâs Cheng Qian who uses this dragon flag.
Initially Han Yuan was surprised, but then upon realizing what the artifact is, his face turns into a mad delight. As he makes his move, Yan Zhengming, who is already prepared, immediately strikes at him.
Han Yuan is forced to fight, but he was already injured by the Demon Execution Array. Not having enough strength left, he is cornered by Yan Zhengmingâs attack.
As the divine dragon appears, the Demon Execution Array is even more agitated. Cheng Qian puts away Shuang Ren. As he holds the dragon spine in his hand, it transforms into a lance. He flies up and relies on the divine dragonâs protection to enter the earth-shattering center of the Demon Execution Array.
Even if the divine dragon is in front of him, the killing aura that smashes in his face still makes Cheng Qian feel like his chest is being crushed, as the spiritual energy that protects his body shatters. He holds the lance from the dragon spine in his hands and draws a circle in front of his chest. The divine dragon immediately curls around him.
The golden light around the dragon soul immediately dims.
Cheng Qian has to make a push and concentrates all of his spiritual energy into the True Dragon Flag.
That moment is like when he rushed in and carved a spell without caring if he could handle it in his childhood. When he stands up, pains flare up all over his body like being pierced by needles, as his energy reservoir has nearly dried up and his meridians canât take it anymore. The dragon soul is ablaze once again, as the divine dragon opens its mouth and spits out a pair of golden dragon pearls.
As if being sentient, the seemingly useless dragon pearls fly out and open a narrow path in the typhoon. Thanks to that, Cheng Qian can see the âeyeâ of the array, where something is shining.
Lack of courage has never been Cheng Qianâs problem. Being the kind of person who must get to his target even if he must crawl, he ignores how his spiritual energy is getting low, such that he canât even ride his sword, and jumps on the dragonâs back. He keeps his body low and charges into the gleaming storm of blades.
Cheng Qianâs back is quickly filled with wounds big and small, as if he is a fish on the cutting board. The divine dragon lets out an angry roar and directly follows the dragon pearls to the center, where the âeyeâ of the array is.
Feeling that he is already at his limit, Cheng Qian doesnât bother to see what artifact the âeyeâ of the array is. He tosses it in the air with the lance and catches it with his hand.
As soon as he catches it, his palm burns with indescribable pain. Cheng Qian canât help himself and lets out a groan.
The âeyeâ of the array has been moved from its position.
With a loud explosion, the sea of sharp blades suddenly changes direction and flies to the sky with increasing speed. Then there is a loud crash at the border of the Demon Execution Array as it collapses.
Countless pits of all sizes explode in the ground. The demonic cultivators and forces of the Celestial Divination Bureau, who have been stuck in the array, no longer bother to fight each other. They all look relieved to escape this tribulation.
At that moment, the divine dragon slowly descends.
Having no strength left, Cheng Qian falls down from the dragon.
Ignoring Han Yuan, Yan Zhengming rushes to catch Cheng Qian. Before he can check Cheng Qianâs injuries, the cursed peach blossoms fall around them into the ground and transform into an endless field of beautiful but threatening pink flowers.
With a cold sneer, Han Yuan waves his hand and sends out a sphere of infernal fire. The fire burns the field of flowers into black ash, sending thick smoke full of cursed energy into the sky.
However, an unexpected event which stuns everyone happens right that moment.
As if the thick smoke has stirred up something, lightning strikes from the sky, then a loud explosion echoes from all directions. Suddenly, a crack appears in the middle of the sky where the many demon-execution blades were just a while ago.
The crack, which spans from the sky to the ground, increasingly widens, as if to tear apart the whole area. Everything, whether living or not, is swallowed into it.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Zhengming and Cheng Qian as well as the True Dragon Flag disappear on the spot.