“This woman must have feigned weakness to launch a sneak attack. How dare she harm a member of the Tianxie Sect! She truly doesn’t know the meaning of death!” The two early Foundation Establishment stage demonic cultivators were furious. However, after their senior brother Jiang fell into the sea, neither dared to rescue him. Instead, they attacked Nan Yan from both sides.
This time, they unleashed their full power. The cultivator on the left summoned a swarm of strange insects with sharp mouthparts and venomous stingers. The one on the right released a pair of black and white magical pearls that circled each other, amplifying their power.
Sensing their murderous intent, Nan Yan closed her eyes slightly. Suddenly, a spectral image of Guanyin appeared behind her. This apparition was three times larger than when she was at the Foundation Establishment stage. Instead of the usual benevolent expression, its eyes were slightly open, revealing blood-red pupils.
As the insects approached, Nan Yan raised her right hand. The Thousand-Armed Guanyin mirrored her action, materializing a magical bowl in one of its hands. The bowl tilted slightly towards the oncoming swarm, causing the insects to falter and slow down. Though they still charged forward, they were deflected when they reached within three feet of Nan Yan.
Enraged, the demonic cultivator flung a handful of yellowish powder, shouting, “Steel-Biting Bees, devour her!” Thousands of bees, enveloped by the powder, buzzed loudly as they swarmed towards Nan Yan’s protective Buddhist light barrier.
The cultivator sneered, “Using the Elixir Flame consumes spiritual power rapidly. Her barrier won’t last ten breaths.” However, a faint golden light soon emanated from the bowl in the Thousand-Armed Guanyin’s hand, enveloping the insects completely.
The other Foundation Establishment cultivator, controlling the black and white pearls, exclaimed, “Something’s wrong. How is her Buddhist power growing stronger?” He halted the pearls’ rotation and commanded, “Go!” The pearls shot towards Nan Yan like meteors, resulting in a thunderous collision.
A cloud of mist engulfed Nan Yan’s location, followed by silence. “Hmph, she’s barely reached Foundation Establishment…” The bee-controlling cultivator was about to recall his swarm when his expression suddenly changed, cold sweat forming on his brow.
“What’s wrong?” his companion asked.
“I-I’ve lost control of my Steel-Biting Bees!”
At that moment, a distant bell chime echoed from within the mist. A spectral Guanyin hand emerged, holding a golden bowl that absorbed the mist and the barely visible bees within it.
As the mist dissipated, the cultivator controlling the Yin-Yang pearls gasped. Nan Yan held his now-dim pearls in her hand, enveloping them in white flames that sizzled as they refined the magical objects. She remained unscathed.
“Flee! She possesses the strength of an Emperor’s son!” The two demonic cultivators turned to escape, but Nan Yan disappeared in a golden lotus at her feet, reappearing before them.
“I am the Buddha of taking life and creating karma,” she said, her eyes slowly opening like Guanyin’s. Raising her hand, she continued, “I’ve attained enlightenment to offer to Mara.” She made a grasping motion in the air.
Panic-stricken, the cultivators attempted to escape using blood teleportation techniques, splitting in opposite directions. However, each was seized by a spectral Buddhist hand, their demonic energy completely suppressed.
“We’ll give you anything, Bodhisattva! Spirit stones, magical treasures, just spare our lives!” one pleaded.
“I’m the disciple of the Tianxie Sect’s Law Enforcement Elder! If you dare kill me, my master will slaughter your entire clan!” the other threatened.
Nan Yan had heard such threats countless times during her half-year in the mortal realm. Her expression remained serene, but her eyes were devoid of emotion as she murmured, “With lowered brows, I listen closely to the suffering of all beings…”
The giant Buddhist hands slowly closed, eliciting agonizing screams from the cultivators within. “Even as a ghost, I won’t let you off!” one shrieked. Blood dripped into the sea below as the hands dispersed, dropping two twisted human forms into the water.
“…With raised head, I slaughter ten thousand demons again.”
As the Guanyin apparition faded, a faint bloodiness tinged Nan Yan’s golden Buddhist light. She finished her recitation, gradually withdrawing her spiritual power. Closing her eyes to stabilize her internal energy, she reopened them, her beautiful face now bearing a solemn, cold demeanor.
“I should check on Big Brother now,” she said, about to head towards the still-raging vortex of flame. Looking down, she noticed a large simian face surfacing from the sea.
“Ruyi, what are you doing?” Nan Yan asked.
Ruyi kept its mouth shut, blinking its large eyes emphatically.
Nan Yan scanned the area with her divine sense, unable to find the bodies of the three demonic cultivators who had fallen into the sea. “Open your mouth,” she commanded.
Reluctantly, Ruyi opened its huge maw. It had already swallowed the two crushed demonic cultivators. The third cultivator, whose elixir had been shattered earlier, was trembling between Ruyi’s tongue and teeth, pale and despairing—his spirit broken.
He regretted ever provoking her, now realizing she had a Nascent Soul stage simian beast hiding underwater as a backup.
Ruyi spoke with a thick tongue, “Master, I didn’t break the precept against killing. I just thought since they were dead anyway, it would be better for them to rest in my stomach than float aimlessly at sea.”
Whether demon clan or demon beast, they all consumed humans. The flesh and blood of Foundation Establishment cultivators, rich in spiritual energy, were particularly nourishing for Ruyi, whose demonic power had been depleted by the Spirit-Subduing Lock.
Nan Yan felt his disciples needed further education. “I just told you to maintain a vegetarian diet. You can’t carelessly break the meat prohibition.”
Ruyi, having received Nan Yan’s guidance, asked curiously, “Master, didn’t you just break the no-killing precept?”
“As monks, we don’t speak of violence,” Nan Yan replied. “We’re helping them ascend to nirvana earlier.”
Heeding the lesson, Ruyi spat out the Golden Core cultivator. Nan Yan then suspended the cultivator over the sea for questioning. Upon learning that Li Chi had another release order and was about to free Huo Wuji, Nan Yan’s heart tightened with concern.
Although Nan Yi’s release order came earlier, the outcome remained uncertain given the Si State’s backup plan. Having achieved their goal, it was best for them to leave promptly.
Nan Yi glanced around, thinking Yin Ya must have hidden his true form somewhere to meditate. The urgent task now was to find Mu Zhanting.
With a light step, she bid Ruyi farewell and darted towards the pillar of fire rising from the sea.
“You mentioned a demonic cultivator called ‘Yin’ who took the Hanbing Chen down there. What does he look like?” she asked the Golden Core cultivator.
With his Golden Core shattered and spiritual power rapidly fading, the cultivator replied bitterly, “He was well-concealed. We couldn’t see his face. The Prince only entrusted him because he saved his life.”
Nan Yan stared at the flame pillar for a while before asking, “Did he have any other distinguishing features? For instance… missing fingers?”
After a moment’s recollection, the cultivator answered, “Yes… yes, he did. His fingers were replaced by mechanisms. He looked like some kind of puppet master.”
“How dull to perform alone. Let’s put on a group act,” Nan Yan thought to herself.
Suddenly enlightened, Nan Yan laughed exaggeratedly, “Since Hanbing Chen is inside and has encountered me, the Chosen One, the Hui Iron must be mine!”
Surrounded by a burst of Buddhist light, she plunged headfirst into the flame pillar without looking back.
The Golden Core cultivator was left dumbfounded.
He hurriedly found a reef to meditate and recover, his gaze fixed on the depths of the flame pillar with a hint of confusion.
About an hour later, as the sky began to turn pale blue, two immense auras swept across the sea from afar. The shockwave nearly knocked the barely-stabilized Golden Core cultivator into the sea.
It was a clash of Nascent Soul-level cultivators!
The cultivator clung to the ground, terror etched on his face.
Soon, an elderly voice echoed throughout the beast-sealing formation.
“Very well. This old man is eager to return to Si State. Let’s not interfere with each other. You take your people and leave, and the Hui Iron will be mine. How’s that?”
A cultured, gentle voice replied, “The Hui Iron belongs to whoever is capable of obtaining it. If Si State cultivators are destined for it, I won’t stand in their way.”
The Golden Core cultivator then saw two rifts appear in the void before him. First, a majestic old man with graying hair emerged, leaving blood-red footprints in the void. Behind him, other Si State demonic cultivators, including Li Chi, followed.
Blood Demon Clan! It’s the Vice Sect Leader!
Excited, the cultivator shouted, “Vice Sect Leader! This junior is a nineteenth-generation inner disciple of Tianxie Sect! I was guarding the Hui Iron’s emergence for our ancestors. A Buddhist cultivator just sneaked in. Please, Sect Leader, eliminate them!”
Huo Wuji, looking drastically different from before with strangely gray eyes, ignored the cultivator and coldly addressed another spatial rift, “Mr. Yigu, are the people you seek here?”
From the other rift emerged a figure with elegant steps. As he appeared, the turbulent sea suddenly calmed like a lake, and the thick fog in the sky dispersed, revealing a bright moon.
Nan Yi gently closed his eyes, his divine sense immediately enveloping the area. He frowned slightly, his eyelashes fluttering, and suddenly the sea before him seemed to be pulled up by an indescribable force.
The other Si State demonic cultivators dared not speak, their eyes fixed on the Great Sun Fire Essence dragged up from the seabed along with the water.
“So this is the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator! Capable of moving mountains and filling seas!” All the Golden Core cultivators were in awe.
As the seawater evaporated, the flame pillar gradually shrank but grew increasingly hot. Even the Golden Core cultivators, standing two hundred paces away, felt uncomfortable and had to retreat another hundred paces.
As the flames contracted further, Nan Yi’s gaze sharpened. He said solemnly, “Friend Huo, tell your disciple to release the innocent.”
In the air, two sides faced off. A black-clad figure was restraining Nan Yan from behind, while opposite them, Mu Zhanting, wearing flame armor, glared.
“You coward, what’s the point of holding my sister hostage? If you’ve got the guts, let’s settle this from a thousand miles away!”
Most people present didn’t understand what he meant, but Li Chi’s eyes reddened with anger at the sight of Mu Zhanting.
“Mu Zhanting, you’re still here?! Did you subdue the Great Sun Fire Essence?!”
Having faced each other multiple times on the Chen-Si battlefield, Li Chi was familiar with Mu Zhanting’s abilities. He knew Mu Zhanting must have come to subdue the Great Sun Fire Essence, and now the Hui Iron, born with the Fire Essence, must also be in his possession.
Li Chi was consumed by jealousy and hatred, but seeing that Yin had captured Nan Yan, he suddenly rejoiced, “Brother Yin, quickly bring that woman back here. This is your master!”
Huo Wuji spoke first: “Is that my disciple, Yin?”
Yin turned, his face hidden under his hat brim, and replied, “Master, it’s been a long time.”
Huo Wuji suddenly laughed, “Indeed, Li Chi was right. My disciple has suffered these years. Once we return to Tianxie Sect, I’ll make you my disciple.”
“Thank you, Master,” Yin said, seemingly tightening his grip on the scowling Nan Yan. “This Chen State prince refuses to hand over the Hui Iron. I had no choice but to resort to this. Master, can you make the decision?”
Mu Zhanting’s gaze shifted for a moment, thankfully hidden by his flame armor that concealed his strange expression.
“Release my sister, and I’ll hand it over!” he demanded.
Li Chi shrieked, “Master, he’s obtained the Great Sun Fire Essence. It’s extremely detrimental to my Mountain Sea Forbidden Technique. Just kill him, and the Hui Iron will belong to our Si State.”
Despite his words, Li Chi’s greedy gaze remained fixed on Nan Yan.
Huo Wuji turned to Nan Yi, “Mr. Yigu, what do you think?”
Nan Yi, staring anxiously at Nan Yan, replied, “We can hand over the Hui Iron. First, release this… young Buddhist friend. I owe them my life and must ensure their safety.”
Li Chi quickly interjected, “Uncle, we can’t! Letting the tiger return to the mountain is not what Father would want.”
Huo Wuji sneered, “Don’t take me for a fool. I can see who this girl resembles.”
Li Chi immediately fell silent, though still dissatisfied. He could sense that Huo Wuji seemed deeply injured, while Nan Yi was in much better condition. If it came to a fight, they might not have the upper hand.
“Let’s do this,” Huo Wuji proposed. “I won’t make things difficult for the younger generation. Hand over the Hui Iron, and Mr. Yigu can take these impudent Golden Core cultivators away.”
With Nan Yi present, Mu Zhanting gave an almost imperceptible nod toward Nan Yan. He passed over a fist-sized piece of Hui Iron. Simultaneously, Yin released his hold, even stumbling as Nan Yan elbowed him. He caught and wrapped the Hui Iron with the Hanbing Chen.
Nan Yan and Mu Zhanting quickly flew toward Nan Yi. Before they could speak, a sudden tremor shook the seabed.
“What’s this?” Nan Yi’s expression changed instantly. He addressed Huo Wuji, “Someone has tampered with the seal of the Spirit Lock Grand Formation. Friend Huo, though we’ve escaped, we still must guard the Beast Sealing Formation. We must work together to suppress it for three days.”
The Si State demonic cultivators had already noticed black smoke billowing from the seabed, causing panic.
After a moment’s hesitation, Huo Wuji agreed, “Very well. I’ll stay here for three days. Chi, with this development, you all must quickly leave the Beast Sealing Formation. Once I’ve dealt with this, I’ll use the Space-Ripping Shadow Transmission to meet up with you outside the formation.”
Nascent Soul cultivators, wielding the power of heaven and earth, possessed the Space-Ripping Shadow Transmission technique, allowing them to tear open space and move to other locations.
Nan Yi naturally agreed. He turned to Nan Yan and transmitted, “Ah Yan, the fox spirit’s true form is on an island thirty miles north. Leave the Beast Sealing Formation for now and seek temporary refuge in a nearby Yin State city. If I can get away, I’ll find you.”
He then pointed at the void before him, opening a small rift. From it, he retrieved a bone hairpin and handed it to Nan Yan.
“This is a protective treasure. Take care of yourself.”
Nan Yan didn’t say much. She nodded to her uncle and flew back the way they came. As she looked back one last time, she caught sight of a black-clad figure blending into the group of demonic cultivators, nearly grinding her teeth in frustration.
“Well played, you troublemaker,” she thought to herself.