Wayfarer

Chapter 585: Ao Shuai's Death

Xiao Nanfeng's party stealthily made their way to the outskirts of Taiqing Island, where they saw it being sealed by a group of Dayin cultivators.

"Are these Dayin cultivators really not going to make a move? Did you manage to threaten them?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "Not necessarily."

"Oh?"

"How can the elite soldiers of a kingdom be threatened so easily? I had that Taiqing elder speak up so they wouldn't harm anyone while executing their plan. They were waiting for such an excuse themselves,too."

"You mean they're pretending to be threatened, but their goal was to surround Taiqing Island to lure us into rescuing them in the first place?" Zhao Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes.

"That's right. We're their targets. I'm sure there's more to these cultivators than meets the eye."

Zhao Yuanjiao frowned. "Are we going to show ourselves, then?"

"If we want to rescue them, that's what we'll have to do. What's more, that Taiqing elder's questioning revealed that the spy on Taiqing Island comes from a third party."

"Could that be a lie, too?"

"It's the truth. If a third party weren't involved, the golden-armored cultivators wouldn't have brought it up. The reason they deliberately exposed this third party means that they want to know who's meddling, too."

"Oh?"

"They're searching for that third party, as are my subordinates. We've found them, actually. They're right on that island over there." Xiao Nanfeng pointed in another direction.

"Who's there?" Zhao Yuanjiao glanced over.

"My subordinates didn't dare approach, but I'm sure there are strong cultivators there. We're going to have to make a move, but we can't give that third party an opportunity to leave so easily."

"What's your plan?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked curiously.

"I'll lure the third party into the fray. You all focus on rescuing the Taiqing disciples. We can give up on Taiqing Island for the time being and rebuild it later."

Zhao Yuanjiao sighed, but nodded. "Understood!"

On Ao Shuai's island, Ao Shuai, the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, and the others continued to stare at Taiqing Island from afar. Even so, the Dayin soldiers and Taiqing disciples both restrained themselves from fighting, as though they were waiting for something.

"Is nothing else happening on the island?" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost asked the red-robed man.

The red-robed man shook his head. "Nothing. All the Taiqing disciples are gathered on a plaza, and Xiao Nanfeng's speaker has been pacifying them."

"Violetfrost, you said that these Dayin soldiers wouldn't be threatened so easily, didn't you? Why aren't any of them making a move, then?" Ao Shuai wondered.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost frowned. "Master, there's something wrong with the situation. We'd better leave right now."

Ao Shuai was just about to nod when a figure emerged from the water and flew into the sky above their island.

"Xiao Nanfeng!" Ao Shuai exclaimed.

"So the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost himself is paying a visit to the Taiqing Immortal Sect! You should have let me know—I would have prepared a grand welcome, haha!" Xiao Nanfeng's voice boomed.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost and Ao Shuai blanched.

"Damn it. We have to flee!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost cried out, dragging Ao Shuai off.

Just then, a beam of golden light descended from the heavens. A golden-armored cultivator in the distance had discovered Xiao Nanfeng. His eyes lit up as he immediately tossed a gleaming golden relic over, a golden lotus.

The golden lotus flew up into the air and manifested a golden barrier in the form of a golden bowl. The bowl inverted itself and slammed down on the island in which Xiao Nanfeng was located.

The whole island was sealed; neither the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost nor Ao Shuai managed to escape in time.

"Xiao Nanfeng, how dare you?!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared.

He struck at the golden lotus, which shook violently but didn't break. He frowned.

"Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, we're both officials of the Imperial Court. What's this about harming each other? I simply greeted you," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Suddenly, death chants infused with cursed spiritual power began to ring out from within the barrier. Everyone was taken aback.

"Master, come over here!" The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost grabbed Ao Shuai and released golden light from his body to block the death chants. However, the other cultivators with him immediately grew dazed before swiftly being possessed thereafter.

"Die!" They charged toward Xiao Nanfeng.

"Hold it right there!" Ao Shuai cried out.

"For daring to assassinate a Martial Aspect, you'll all die!" Xiao Nanfeng declared, eyes cold, swinging his blade toward them.

The slashes struck the cultivators' bodies and tore them apart in splashes of blood. Golden lotus hoods bloomed and floated in the air.

They gradually transformed into monks.

"From the looks of it, there are three Golden Immortal and twenty True Immortal cursed effigies here. The Dayin soldiers came prepared!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost exclaimed.

"Three bodhisattvas and twenty arhats, then?" Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes.

Just then, the black lotus emerged from Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape, having transformed into the Past Buddha.

"Amitabha. Wherefore have you come, bodhisattvas?" the black lotus asked.

The three bodhisattvas blanched. One asked, "Just who are you? Why do you continue to pretend to be the Past Buddha?"

"I am the Past Buddha; there is no pretense. Now that the Buddhas of Three Aspects have split up, why don't you three bodhisattvas join my faction?"

"Nonsense! Die, demon!" a bodhisattva shouted, striking at the black lotus.

The bodhisattva and black lotus began to attack each other as they gave off waves of energy.

Xiao Nanfeng shouted, "Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, these cursed effigies are descending upon us! Please fight alongside me."

Then, he dashed behind the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you're doing this deliberately, aren't you?!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost thundered.

The other two bodhisattvas and the twenty arhats were heading straight for him, Ao Shuai, and Xiao Nanfeng.

"We have no business with Xiao Nanfeng. Don't drag us into your fight!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost shouted.

The two bodhisattvas frowned and hesitated.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately shouted, "Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, if you can escape, make sure you summon reinforcements for me. Your subordinates all died because of them—we'll take them all down when you return!"

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost blanched.

"You intend to take revenge? Dream on!" A bodhisattva slammed a palm toward the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost.

"Die!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost raged, counterattacking with his own palm.

The attacks gave rise to a flaming tempest all around them.

"Don't you know who I am? Didn't Yin Shenhua tell you about the grudges between me and Xiao Nanfeng? Why would I cooperate with him to deal with you?!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared.

However, the bodhisattvas and arhats had been cultivating in a Buddha's Grotto all this time, and were naturally unaware of the enmity between the two Martial Aspects.

"Die!" the bodhisattvas and arhats shouted, charging forward.

Their tremendous strength sent the cultivators flying.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost was unharmed, while Xiao Nanfeng took little damage thanks to the strength of his physical body. Ao Shuai, however, suffered grievously. He was badly wounded and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"He's the son of the Eastern Aspect of the Imperial Court. If you dare kill him, the Eastern Aspect will surely take revenge on you!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost shouted even as he defended Ao Shuai.

The two bodhisattvas hesitated.

"I'm a Martial Aspect of the Imperial Court!" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly shouted. "If you dare kill me, the Heavenly Emperor will take revenge on you!"

The two bodhisattvas came to a sudden realization. If they were already taking down a Martial Aspect and ignoring potential retaliation from the Heavenly Emperor himself, why would they care about an Eastern Aspect and his son?

"Die!" The bodhisattvas and arhats charged forward again.

These bodhisattvas weren't like those from the illusory realms in the past. In reality, they were far stronger, and power surged from them.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost stumbled back from a heavy blow, while Xiao Nanfeng and Ao Shuai were sent flying as well.

"Xiao Nanfeng, if you kill Ao Shuai, the Eastern Aspect would never forgive you!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared.

"Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, don't malign me. It's clear that these cursed effigies are the ones targeting him, not me," Xiao Nanfeng retorted.

He then shouted at the bodhisattvas, "Did you hear that? If you kill these two cultivators, you'll be putting me in dire straits! Their companions won't forgive me."

The bodhisattvas and arhats narrowed their eyes. Indeed, that was a good thing!

What's more, they had already attacked those two cultivators and started a feud. It didn't make sense to back down now.

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost blocked a bodhisattva as Xiao Nanfeng hung around Ao Shuai while attracting the attention of another bodhisattva. Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying by a heavy blow, a trickle of blood dripping from his lip, while Ao Shuai's injuries worsened as he vomited out blood violently.

He transformed into the form of a golden dragon and roared, "Xiao Nanfeng, this was a deliberate scheme to kill me! My father isn't going to forgive you!"

"Nonsense. I simply saw the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost beyond Taiqing Island and came to greet him. How should I have known that you were here too? Why would you be hanging around Taiqing Island, anyway?"

Ao Shuai: ...

The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost: ...

How were they to respond to such a pointed question? It was obvious Xiao Nanfeng knew what was going on!

The cursed effigies began to attack more and more ferociously. Death chants continued to ring out within the golden bowl that had manifested. Xiao Nanfeng, protected by the black lotus, was perfectly unharmed, but Ao Shuai suffered more and more damage. Even the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost was unable to defend him.

As Ao Shuai's injuries worsened, the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost opened his mouth and spat out a few relics, then detonated them.

"Break!" he roared.

The explosions, combined with the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost's strongest blow, shattered the golden lotus and the barrier it had conjured. Because the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost was so close to the explosion, he too suffered incredible damage.

"Flee, Master!" he roared at Ao Shuai.

"It's too late!" a bodhisattva shouted, slamming down on the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost with a palm.

The bodhisattva held the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost back.

"Flee, Master!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared again.

Ao Shuai dove deep into the sea.

"You won't get away!" The arhats charged forward and struck Ao Shuai's head with their strongest blows.

Ao Shuai's head exploded as he died on the spot.

"Master!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared, having transformed into a violet dragon.

The violet dragon writhed in outrage, knocking aside the bodhisattva blocking his way and charging forward.

However, he was too late. As Ao Shuai's yin body escaped from his corpse, a group of arhats struck it and caused it to dissipate. With his body and spirit gone, Ao Shuai perished in truth.

"No!" the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost roared.