As they ventured deeper into the Beast Sealing Array, the fog thickened, severely limiting their spiritual sense detection. Lichi and seven other Core Formation cultivators from the Si State had been flying for an hour, barely passing through four layers of the array. Facing the impenetrable mist ahead, Lichi’s frustration mounted. Landing on a small island, he growled, “Why haven’t Xu Liang and the others caught up? Did they get lost?”
“Please calm down, Young Master,” a companion placated. “No one has tested this teleportation gate before. Perhaps there was an error, and they were sent elsewhere. We’ve dispatched someone with a guiding talisman to find them. They should return soon.”
Moments later, the scout returned with a grim expression. “Young Master, our people haven’t entered at the entrance. However, we found traces of other cultivators’ spiritual energy… Based on the footprints, only four people entered.”
Tension filled the air as the demonic cultivators anxiously watched Lichi’s reaction. Suddenly, he kicked over an ancient skeleton, shouting, “There were at least seven people outside the gate. How could they fail to stop just four?”
“Well… perhaps these four are all powerful late Core Formation cultivators,” someone suggested hesitantly.
Lichi’s expression darkened. After a long pause, he sneered, “It seems the cultivators of Si State are being underestimated.”
“Young Master, what should we do?”
“Whoever followed us at this time likely wants to intercept our Shi Ling,” Lichi replied, his gaze turning sinister. “I’m eager to see who dares.”
Meanwhile, as long as they didn’t fall into the sea, the Beast Sealing Array posed no threat to human cultivators. Yin Ya had obtained silver shark silk before his previous journey to the Filthy Valley, which, combined with his years of temple cultivation, allowed him to suppress his demonic aura to its lowest level.
Surrounded by mist in all directions, the group of four had to fly slowly. After an hour, boredom began to set in.
Qi Yang occasionally glanced back, noticing Nan Yan dutifully using her spiritual power to carry his wheelchair. Feeling guilty, he said, “It must be tiring to fly with the wheelchair. Can I get up?”
Nan Yan replied, “Just stay seated and enjoy the scenery. If you’re bored, I can lend you a Lankavatara Sutra blessed by Master Ji Kong. I haven’t even opened it myself.”
Qi Yang stared at her intently. “You just want your brother to purify his six senses, don’t you?”
Nan Yan retorted, “I simply want you to understand the boundless Buddhist teachings. If one day you’re troubled by demonic thoughts, converting to Buddhism could be your way out.”
Interesting, he’s becoming cautious, she thought.
Nearby, Mu Zhanting and Yin Ya, oblivious to the undercurrents between the siblings, chatted incessantly about Si State gossip.
“The demonic cultivators in Si State are truly despicable, especially that Lichi,” Mu Zhanting said. “He captures female cultivators on the battlefield and abuses any who are remotely attractive. His sister Liyan is even worse. She set up a den full of male concubines and cultivation vessels right at the Qitian Yuan frontline. I know a spy there who says Liyan has an ‘ecstasy bed’ with chains. Anyone she fancies gets locked there, and within minutes, they’re as if drugged…”
Yin Ya, increasingly enlightened, said, “I knew that woman was no good. She even dared to desire me. Nan Yan, next time you see her, make sure to hit her with your prayer beads. Flatten her chest if you can.”
Curious, Nan Yan asked, “Second Brother, weren’t you once a womanizer? What changed?”
Yin Ya looked at her wistfully. “Can’t I have purified my six senses?”
Encouraged by his words, Nan Yan was about to use Yin Ya as an example to preach Buddhism to Qi Yang when she sensed an immense demonic aura approaching.
“Shh, don’t move or make a sound,” she whispered.
The four froze, concealing their auras. Nan Yan looked down to see a massive shadow slowly emerging from the deep blue sea below.
The shadow was enormous, approaching like an island, emanating power equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage.
As Nan Yan discerned its outline, she realized it was a whale demon.
The whale demon moved sluggishly, seemingly of low intelligence. However, its beastly instincts detected the cultivators above, causing its massive body to pause directly beneath them in the sea.
The flesh and blood of cultivators are highly prized by demonic beasts. The whale demon slowly raised its body, its killing intent locking onto the four above, seemingly ready to leap from the sea depths and devour them.
“Don’t move! Whatever you do, don’t move!” Yin Ya warned telepathically.
Nan Yan tensed. The whale demon was enormous; if it breached the surface, they’d have no chance of escape. She instinctively wanted to flee.
“Don’t be afraid,” Qi Yang teased, “If you’re scared, we can switch places. I’ll push you.”
“…”
The whale demon gathered its power for several breaths. A massive surge of demonic energy rippled through the water as it sank slightly. Nan Yan could almost see its pale, dark maw gradually becoming clearer underwater. She even caught the scent of the cold, deep-sea mist.
Just as the whale’s gigantic mouth was about to break the surface, the sea trembled slightly. Suddenly, countless chains appeared from nowhere. These chains, interspersed with dice-shaped locks on every foot, writhed like snakes. In an instant, they latched onto the whale demon’s enormous body, breaking apart and recombining at the dice-locks’ joints. The moment they touched the whale, its immense demonic aura vanished completely. Soon after, the chains dragged the whale back into the deep.
The chains continued to sweep across the sea’s surface but didn’t reach for Nan Yan and her companions. After searching within a ten-meter radius, they slowly sank back into the sea and disappeared.
“What were those chains?” someone asked.
“Stealth Spirit-Suppressing Chains,” came the reply. “The sea looks normal, but many invisible chains roam within. They capture any living thing, cutting off demonic, spiritual, or magical energy. Unless you’re a Nascent Soul cultivator who can harness elemental energy, there’s almost no escape.”
“…There is a way out,” Qi Yang murmured, watching the direction the whale had disappeared. His voice was too soft for anyone else to hear.
Nan Yan collected herself, then suddenly frowned. She vanished from her spot, reappearing a hundred feet away to her right front. She unleashed a palm strike infused with Buddhist power towards a nearby reef.
The reef exploded, revealing a terrified demonic cultivator hiding behind it. He couldn’t fathom how Nan Yan had detected him so quickly.
“A Si State demonic cultivator!” someone shouted.
The demonic cultivator spotted Mu Zhanting and, without hesitation, bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood. He turned his tail and fled using a blood escape technique.
Blood escape was the fastest life-saving method for cultivators, consuming their essence blood. Nan Yan, not yet at Core Formation, could use the ground-contracting technique from the Seven Buddha Karma Sutra for short distances, but couldn’t keep up over long distances.
“Slow down, Big Brother! We can’t catch up!” she called out.
The group hurried after him, but Mu Zhanting was too fast, soon disappearing into the distant mist. They pursued for nearly half an hour before finally stopping.
“There are more exiled cultivators ahead,” someone warned.
Everyone, including the fleeing demonic cultivator, instinctively concealed their auras. However, they soon realized the trapped cultivator was merely at the Core Formation stage.
Nan Yan, highly sensitive to demonic cultivators and able to trace the blood escape technique’s residual demonic energy, quickly determined that the demonic cultivator was hiding on this island.
“Something seems off,” she mused. “Why would this demonic cultivator flee to an island with an exiled Core Formation cultivator? They’re of the same level and might not even know each other. Isn’t this suicide?”
Just as Nan Yan voiced her doubts, a pillar of flame shot up from the island. Mu Zhanting had begun fighting.
“Let’s go help,” someone suggested.
Qi Yang glanced down at the sea, seeming to want to say something, but for some reason didn’t stop them from entering the island.
The island was small. As Nan Yan stepped onto it, she immediately saw a disheveled cultivator tied to a bronze pillar. Behind a small hill, Mu Zhanting was engaged in battle with the demonic cultivator.
Something felt wrong.
As soon as this premonition surfaced, the seemingly exiled Core Formation cultivator broke free from his illusory chains. His five fingers transformed into claws, instantly becoming five black pythons that ensnared Nan Yan, the closest target, swallowing her whole.
“Nan Yan!” someone cried out.
The Core Formation cultivator sneered, “Don’t move, or this female cultivator’s life is forfeit.”
Simultaneously, a wild laugh rang out.
“Trying to outwit me? You don’t have the brains for it!”
An array suddenly lit up on the island, strong enough to withstand a late Core Formation cultivator’s full-power attack for two days. Someone had prepared this trap long in advance.
Outside the array, Si State demonic cultivators appeared. In the center stood a man with crimson lips and purple robes, handsome but with a malevolent air. Upon seeing Mu Zhanting, his eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
“You lowly cultivators from Fan State, how dare you stand alongside us from the Upper States?” he sneered. “Your Chen State has already lost one Imperial Son. What’s one more?”
Only one scenario would prevent the State Lord’s divine sense from activating on the Imperial Heir: a life-or-death battle between Imperial Heirs without outside interference. When an Imperial Heir kills another, it’s considered fair competition, and the State Lords have no right to intervene.
Nearby, a demonic cultivator from Si State, seeing the situation settled, hurriedly flattered, “The Imperial Heir’s strategy is brilliant! Not only can you take away the Vice Sect Master, but you’ve also slain the Chen State’s Imperial Heir. What an unexpected delight!”
“Indeed! Among all states, other Imperial Heirs are mere fireflies. In terms of martial prowess and cunning, how could they possibly compete with our state’s brilliance?”
Li Chi snorted coldly, his gaze lowering to Nan Yan, who was engulfed by dark energy. “Two early Foundation Establishment cultivators, a cripple, and a female cultivator… This Imperial Heir has always been gentle with the fairer sex. Pity though, they’ve likely turned to us by now. Mu Zhanting, why don’t you go fish them out? Perhaps before they died—”
Before he could finish, a demonic cultivator’s agonized scream pierced the air. Mu Zhanting tossed out the cultivator’s charred corpse. “To hell with you! My sister is far stronger than yours.”
Only then did Li Chi realize that after his arranged cultivators had ensnared Nan Yan with the Black Snake Demonic Mist, the other two beside her hadn’t even moved. Suddenly, golden light, reminiscent of a sunrise, burst forth from within the black mist.
“Buddhist energy!” exclaimed the cultivator who had released the Black Snake Mist, his face drastically changing. It was his first encounter with such pure and forceful Buddhist energy. The Black Snake Mist let out a hiss before dissipating. The figure within had her veil blown off by the aftershock, revealing feet like blooming golden lotuses. Her delicate hand rose from her sleeve, with dragon scales faintly visible on the back. As her five fingers clenched, the demonic cultivator was involuntarily drawn in, his neck caught in her grip.
Having consumed the Blood Jiao Pill obtained on the whale ship, her strength now rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Which Buddhist sect is she from? How can her power be so formidable?!”
“We can’t let this woman live! Kill her!”
These demonic cultivators from Si State, far more discerning than those from Fan State, instantly recognized that if Nan Yan were allowed to grow, she would become a nemesis to all demonic cultivators. Without hesitation, they moved to eliminate her.
The last departing demonic cultivator looked back, puzzled. “Imperial Heir, why aren’t you attacking?”
Li Chi, finally seeing Nan Yan’s face, stood frozen, momentarily speechless.
Years ago, barely of age, he had accompanied his father to Zi State to negotiate his uncle’s exoneration. Outside the Hall of Justice, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of Madam Nan Fang, a memory that had lingered for years.
The concubines and vessels he had collected, though each uniquely beautiful, couldn’t compare to even a fraction of Madam Nan Fang’s allure. Never did he imagine he’d encounter someone so similar to her here, in this beast-sealing formation… and a Buddhist cultivator at that.
Snapping back to reality, he blurted out, “I want her! Don’t kill her!”
The demonic cultivators, who had nearly reached her, hesitated, assuming it was Li Chi’s old habit resurfacing. In that moment of indecision, the surrounding sea suddenly trembled, and the dense fog rapidly descended.
“What’s happening?!”
The island before them began to disappear inch by inch, along with its mist. Yin Ya’s cold laugh rang out, “Who’s the brainless one now? The beast-sealing formation shifts daily at a set time, relocating the island and sea area. Entering without this knowledge—where did you find such courage?”
Through the encroaching mist, Li Chi saw the quiet man in the wheelchair suddenly pull the woman who resembled Madam Nan Fang—the one he desperately wanted—into his embrace.
Then, the man looked up at Li Chi. Perhaps it was an illusion, but in those pitch-black eyes, like the darkest night, a river of the underworld seemed to flow.
“She’s not for you,” he mouthed silently.