Chapter 363 - 103: Shocking the Wilderness
The Rakshasa Sect originally had nine Life Soul Cultivators presiding over it, ranking it among the top three of the Ten Great Sects of the East Wilderness.
When Ascendant Lingji’s treasures appeared in the world, the Rakshasa Sect’s Life Soul Elder Zi Kuang obtained the Fourth-rank Magical Artifact, the Star Moon Treasure Umbrella. He was later slain by Fang Cheng’s Dream Spirit Incarnation, causing the Rakshasa Sect to lose a top-tier cultivator.
Today, Fang Cheng had slain two more Life Soul Elders in one fell swoop, a truly devastating loss.
The remaining five exchanged a few words via voice transmission before all hiding within the Evil Cloud Array. They put away their two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts and resorted to besieging the Yinluo Villa’s grand array with an endless sea of green flames, intending to wear it down through attrition.
With those two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts on defensive alert, Fang Cheng couldn’t find a suitable opportunity to strike for the time being.
However, if this battle of attrition continued, the consumption of Upper-Grade Spirit Stones by Cai Li’s and Xun Yuanchu’s Mechanical Battle Armor was so immense that they certainly wouldn’t be able to last.
The Mountain Demon, unskilled in arrays, couldn’t be of much help. Relying on Sun Fuguo alone, the moment the array showed any signs of weakening, the five Rakshasa Sect Life Soul Masters would attack in unison. With their two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts, they had a decent chance of breaching the Mountain Protection Array.
That is, assuming the Yinluo Sect would simply let the enemy besiege their mountain.
High in the heavens.
Fang Cheng stood amidst the clouds, his expression grim as he looked down at the evil clouds blanketing Taiyue Mountain.
"Since you’ve all come, you might as well stay forever," he muttered. His voice was not loud, yet it echoed across the heavens.
A ray of light shot out from his storage pouch, coalescing in mid-air to reveal a pure white paper figure about a foot tall.
The paper figure’s features were astonishingly lifelike, identical to Fang Cheng’s. It wore wide robes with long sleeves, a broad sash, and a tall crown. It emanated a vast and turbulent aura, its expression dignified and serene.
The greatest difference between this Dream Spirit Incarnation and Fang Cheng’s many others was its majestic and unfathomably profound aura.
Back in the Dream Spirit World, this Dream Spirit Incarnation had entered the "Immortal Court" system and cultivated a Heaven-defying Killing Technique suspected to be from the Upper Realm. It could amplify the power of Divine Techniques a hundredfold, and with it, had slain multiple Tier Four Demon Emperors.
Of the dozen or so Dream Spirits Fang Cheng had developed, this one was the most special. Blessed with this opportunity, its power was comparable to the full-force strike of a Dharma Master.
He bowed deeply to the Dream Spirit and said in a solemn voice, "I must ask for your help, Daoist Brother."
The Dream Spirit glanced down below and smiled. "Lend me your flying sword."
Fang Cheng flicked his finger, and a streak of sword light shot out, stopping before the Dream Spirit. It was his Tier Three Flying Sword, Youhong.
The Dream Spirit reached out and took the flying sword, a hint of excitement on its face. Then, its figure flickered and, along with the Youhong Sword, vanished before Fang Cheng’s eyes.
Even with his Cultivation Realm, Fang Cheng was completely unable to perceive its tracks or form.
’Celestial Ghost Sword Technique...’
A light flickered in his eyes as he focused his gaze downward.
A booming, whistling sword cry echoed between heaven and earth. It seemed to come from an extreme distance, growing louder and louder until, after just a few breaths, it threatened to rupture the eardrums of every cultivator on and around Taiyue Mountain.
Within the evil clouds, the faces of the five Rakshasa Sect Life Soul Cultivators all changed. Each one guarded their position in the array’s core, maintaining vigilant defense.
On Taiyue Mountain, Sun Fuguo, Cai Li, and Xun Yuanchu heard the sword cry. The three exchanged glances, strange expressions on their faces, and all fell into silent contemplation.
Even the innately ferocious Mountain Demon grew quiet, looking up at the sky with curiosity, a trace of fear in its eyes.
Finally, the sword cry in the heavens erupted with a sky-rending shriek!
Above the evil clouds, an intensely bright beam of sword light tore through the void. It shot down like a streaking meteor, instantly blanketing the area with a Heaven-Slaying, Earth-Cracking aura.
The fourth form of the Netherworld Sword Technique: Immortal Slayer!
The sword light slashed into a corner of the evil clouds. Less than ten breaths later, a loud RUMBLE was heard as the array’s light shattered in that corner. A magnificent beam of sword light burst out from within and charged into the second array core.
The Rakshasa Sect Life Soul Cultivator guarding the second array core met the attack head-on. However, in less than ten breaths, another sound like the heavens themselves cracking apart was heard. The array’s light exploded, and a stream of sword light once again burst out, heading straight for the third array core.
Before long, this core also collapsed, pierced through by the sword.
Next were the fourth and fifth array cores...
BOOM!
The Evil Cloud Array shattered with a deafening roar, and two pathetic figures came tumbling out.
A malevolent long saber and a massive flywheel were sent flying.
A gruesome, terrifying wound appeared on the chests of the two Rakshasa Sect Elders, nearly slicing their bodies in two.
The Dream Spirit Incarnation appeared above the remnants of the Evil Cloud Array. The Youhong Sword before it shattered inch by inch, turning to dust.
A lonely expression crossed its face. It scanned the heavens and laughed heartily. "How exhilarating!"
With that, its body dissolved. Vast sheets of pure white paper danced through the air before spontaneously combusting and turning to ash.
Seeing this, the two Rakshasa Sect Elders were even more terrified, their faces etched with disbelief.
"Flee!"
The two exchanged a look, cast a spell to retrieve their two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts, and fled rapidly into the distant sky.
High in the heavens, two more Dream Spirit Incarnations materialized beside Fang Cheng and gave chase.
The thick evil clouds that had shrouded Taiyue Mountain finally began to disperse slowly.
The sky brightened, and brilliant sunlight once again shone upon the majestic mountain peak.
Fang Cheng calmly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting storage pouches and refining the corpses of the Rakshasa Sect’s Life Soul Cultivators with practiced ease.
「Soon after.」
A beam of Profound Light flew in from the horizon, carrying within it two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts and the last two corpses of the Rakshasa Sect Elders.
As for the two Dream Spirits, they had already dissipated into the world.
Fang Cheng waved his sleeve, collecting the Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts. A dark Demonic Light surged around him, making him seem like a peerless Celestial Demon hidden within a human shell.
’The Rakshasa Sect only has one Life Soul Cultivator left now, I suppose.’
He gazed into the distance, his expression calm.
...
「A few days later.」
News that seven Life Soul Masters from the Rakshasa Sect, armed with two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts, had attacked the Yinluo Villa spread throughout the entire Eastern Wilderness.
The outcome, however, shocked the entire Wilderness Domain.
All seven of the Rakshasa Sect’s masters had fallen outside Taiyue Mountain, with none to escape!
The Yinluo Villa sent messages to the various major powers, declaring that the Rakshasa Sect had launched an unprovoked attack and that the sect had only fought back in self-defense, which was why such a slaughter had occurred.
In the message, the Yinluo Villa reiterated its stance—
"We will not attack unless we are attacked. But if we are attacked, we will surely annihilate them!"
There was no word from the Rakshasa Sect. They only secretly recalled many of their Late-Life Talisman Stage Elders who were still outside the sect, activated their main gate’s grand array, and sealed themselves off from the outside world.
Throughout the Eastern Wilderness, and even the entire Wilderness Domain, the major powers all began to reassess the Yinluo Villa’s strength.
First, there was Fang Cheng’s feat of single-handedly slaying three Life Soul Loose Cultivators. Then came the miracle of turning the tables and killing the Rakshasa Sect’s seven top masters. In just over a month, ten Life Soul Cultivators had fallen near Taiyue Mountain!
The balance of power in the Eastern Wilderness shifted as a result. The Yinluo Villa faintly began to replace the Rakshasa Sect’s former position, becoming a major sect on par with the Nine Truths Sect and the Nine Nether Demon Sect.
When cultivators of the world spoke of the Yinluo Villa now, their curiosity was mixed with a great deal of awe and fear.
Everyone was speculating that the Yinluo Sect might be a front for some top-tier Dharma Level power from the East Cyan Domain. The true force hidden behind the scenes had to be an Immortal Dao Giant comparable to the Jin Country’s Nine Truths Tower.
The Rakshasa Sect had been arrogant for years, thinking no one in the Eastern Wilderness could keep them in check. Who would have thought they’d finally run into an iron wall this time? They had been bloodied and battered, their vitality severely damaged. If things went poorly, they might even face the danger of sect annihilation.
However, the rise of the Yinluo Villa soon became the new normal, something people grew accustomed to.
Everyone knew that the powers of the world rose and fell. There were no eternal sects or cultivators. The Yinluo Villa of today might very well be the Rakshasa Sect of tomorrow.
...
「After the great battle.」
Fang Cheng handed over the affairs of Taiyue Mountain to Hua Yutang and Cai Li, while he himself returned to the Abyssal Marsh with Sun Fuguo and Xun Yuanchu.
He left two Dream Spirit Incarnations on Taiyue Mountain to handle any unexpected situations that might arise.
He returned to the Primordial Qi Celestial Island, spending his days with his wives and children, guiding his family’s cultivation. He would only occasionally go to cultivate himself, but each session would only last for a few days.
After more than two years of this, he suddenly entered his Quiet Chamber one day and announced he was entering secluded cultivation.
At first, Ye Yan and the other women thought he would be like before, emerging after just three to five days.
Who would have thought that their wait would last for several years.
...
[End of Volume]