Chapter 7: The Heavenly Demon

The Heavenly Demon’s Formlessness

"Another one!"

Although they were deep underground, the cultivators' sensitivity to changes in the world's Qi was far keener than that of mortals. Within the well, as three distinct bursts of spiritual energy erupted, the cultivators from the three sects could not help but stir. The woman in green frowned and said, "This is bad. The power of the earth veins has been fully triggered. I fear the collapse of the Great Array is now irreversible."

Liu Jizi let out a muffled grunt, looking up at the Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin inside the tripod. Under the scorching refinement of their magic power, the surrounding earth and stone had been melted away. The two coffins tumbled endlessly within the tripod; the stone exterior had long since burned off, revealing the crystalline, beautiful jade beneath. At this moment, the fire beneath the tripod was so intense that even the jade was gradually becoming transparent, faintly revealing two black shadows—one large, one small—inside the coffins. Just a moment ago, Xie Yanhuan had still been occasionally mocking and provoking them, but his voice had grown weaker and weaker, as if he could no longer withstand the heat of the Three Talents Tripod.

Liu Jizi, however, felt no joy. Instead, he frowned and said, "Senior Brother, this demon's abilities are far more than this. Just now, before the Great Array shattered, tremors came from the earth vein nodes in the capital. The powers of Fire, Wind, and Metal surged into the sky, echoing the Earth power here. With the Five Elements incomplete, the Four Spirits are draining the Water spirit with even greater ferocity. We are tied down here beneath the Three Talents Tripod, with no one to preside over the array's changes, which is why the Great Array was so easily broken... Hmph, it sounds simple enough, but this array was laid down by a Cave Heaven True Person. Even if it wasn't perfectly stable due to its reversal of the laws of heaven and earth, it is not something any ordinary cultivator could break. To simultaneously trigger the three spiritual powers at the earth vein nodes requires a cultivation base of at least the Nascent Soul realm; even then, it would be difficult for an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator to accomplish this in such a rush."

The long-bearded cultivator could not help but agree. "Indeed. The flaw in the array is right there; realizing how to break it is not actually difficult. But this array seals off the heavens and monitors spiritual energy; any cultivator channeling their power would be immediately detected by us. If someone had infiltrated this place to coordinate with Xie Yanhuan, I would not believe it. He is an enemy of the world; few would dare to defy the world's will and openly help him. In my opinion..."

He looked toward the woman in green and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps Senior Sister Jin was not being overly suspicious earlier. Xie Yanhuan was only using a distraction to stall for time here; his true self has already escaped."

"That scoundrel has always been full of tricks. However, even if that is the case, we haven't fallen into his trap. This Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin is extremely important to Xie Yanhuan. Seven hundred years ago, on Little Bamboo Island in the South Sea, he gave away all his magic treasures, keeping only this Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin. As long as he still intends to do that thing, he will definitely come to retrieve these coffins."

Chen Yuzi gestured with his fingers, and in an instant, a jade slip materialized from nothing and shot into the sky. "The Great Array is broken, which is actually a good thing for us. The Three Talents Tripod relies on the power of the array to function. Now that the array is broken, we can freely absorb the array's power to refine the Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin. Let's see if his true self comes back!"

Song Guo had always been under the jurisdiction of the Lingxiao Sect, so Chen Yuzi naturally cared more about this place. For seven hundred years, the Spirit-Severing Array had suppressed the Water spirit here, covering a radius of tens of thousands of miles. How immense was that array's power? Now that the array was broken, they could join forces to vent that power here, which would not only prevent the power from dissipating but also further disrupt the spiritual energy, causing even more chaotic weather in Song Guo.

Senior Sister Jin understood this in her heart. It was a good opportunity to do the Lingxiao Sect a favor. She smiled slightly at Chen Yuzi, not exposing his intentions, and said, "Indeed. This will save us some effort."

The cultivators loudly agreed, each forming seals and channeling their arts. The light flowing beneath the tripod intensified, and the invisible flames grew even stronger. Yet, the cultivators' expressions were much more relaxed. The Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin was burned until it was translucent, and wisps of black energy continuously seeped out, only to be dissolved by the spiritual energy within the tripod. Everyone felt a surge of spirit, except for Liu Jizi, whose brows were tightly locked. Suddenly, his expression shifted, and he turned his head to look toward the west. "Uncle-Master Li has arrived."

"He has come at the right time! If we have the help of his Old Self's Profound Spirit Divine Light, this Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin won't last a day."

Just as joy appeared on Chen Yuzi's face, Liu Jizi shook his head and said, "I sense that he has headed outside the capital. He must have discovered the location of that demon's true self—"

Just as he said this, everyone turned to look. To them, mundane mud and stone were as nothing. What the cultivators saw was not 'substance,' but 'momentum.' Although they could not see Uncle-Master Li and Xie Yanhuan, the image of that golden hand pressing down, only to be broken by a single jade hairpin, was incomparably clear in their senses.

Senior Sister Jin could not help but ask, "Wasn't it said that he gave away all his treasures on Little Bamboo Island? This hairpin, I fear it is—"

"It is not," Chen Yuzi said, his face looking extremely ugly. He shook his head. "It is just a mundane object, containing no spiritual power at all. It really was just a jade hairpin Xie Yanhuan took off on a whim."

The cave fell into silence. The cultivators remained speechless, save for Liu Jizi, who had long since thought of this possibility. He sighed, "As expected, he split into two bodies. The fake body is here, driving the Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin to contend with the Three Talents Tripod, while his true self was still able to break Uncle-Master Li's Profound Spirit Seal with a single hairpin. You must know that Uncle-Master Li is a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, only a step away from the Cave Heaven realm. Could it be... that in these seven hundred years, not only has he fully recovered from his injuries, but he has truly taken that step?"

"Hee hee, Liu Jizi, although your cultivation is low, you have a keen eye."

Inside the Mother Coffin, which had been silent for a long time, the black shadow suddenly laughed. With a 'bang,' the coffin lid sprang into the air. A black shadow stood up gracefully from the coffin, its face blurred, long sleeves fluttering. It tucked the two coffins into its sleeves. The cultivators shouted in unison, "Demon, don't run!"

The Three Talents Tripod was stimulated by magic power, glowing brightly. The black shadow let out a sharp whistle and took a step out of the tripod. Its figure flickered, passing through the wall without any obstruction, as if it had never touched the tripod wall at all—just two phantoms brushing past each other.

"Not good! Chase him!"

The cultivators took flight, chasing after the black shadow. At this moment, the difference in their cultivation levels became apparent. Liu Jizi was second only to Chen Yuzi; the Fairy Jin and the long-bearded cultivator followed closely behind. The others, lacking sufficient magic power, gradually fell behind. But even they were getting further and further away from Xie Yanhuan. With every step Xie Yanhuan took, he covered several miles, his figure appearing and disappearing. If it weren't for the fact that the Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin had just been refined by the Three Talents Tripod and still had a connection to their Qi, they would have had no way to track his direction.

"His Formless Heavenly Demon Escape Technique is actually this miraculous..." Chen Yuzi could not help but exclaim.

"Senior Brother, he is using the power of the Three Talents Tripod to refine his treasure!" Liu Jizi, shocked and angry, shouted from behind Chen Yuzi. "This Three Talents Tripod couldn't trap him at all. Xie Yanhuan stayed here just to refine the Mother-and-Son Yin Coffin, to purge the Yin energy and impurities so that he wouldn't attract the Yang Thunder when he breaks through to the world beyond!"

Chen Yuzi did not speak. Instead, the black shadow in the distance turned its head and glanced at him, seemingly smiling. A whisper reached Liu Jizi's ears, as if Xie Yanhuan were speaking right against his ear: "Liu Jizi, although you are smart and know to stay one step behind your senior brother, you are still a bit too talkative."

Liu Jizi was struck with terror. Looking around, he saw that Fairy Jin and the Wang disciple from the Panxian Gate did not seem to notice anything, so he knew this sentence was meant only for him. He looked at Chen Yuzi's fleeing light, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. In the end, he sighed softly and thought to himself, "It really is Xie Yanhuan... Sigh, even if it were the him from seven hundred years ago, we wouldn't have been able to stop him, let alone now, when his cultivation seems to have reached an even higher level. We can only hope those old monsters in our South Zhuzhou can arrive in time."

While he was thinking, the black shadow had already reached the location of his true self, stepping onto the cliff. The cultivators did not dare to get too close, landing one after another beside the old man in the yellow shirt, calling out, "Uncle-Master Li, are you unharmed?"

The old man in the yellow shirt tapped his cane, let out a muffled grunt, and sat down dejectedly. He had just been confronting Xie Yanhuan from afar, his aura extremely powerful, and only dared to sit down to heal after everyone arrived. Chen Yuzi and the others naturally formed a formation to protect him. Liu Jizi thought to himself: Uncle-Master Li is already at the peak of Nascent Soul, yet he still couldn't withstand a single hairpin from Xie Yanhuan. It seems he has truly taken that step...

Mastering the Dao and refining the Law, a Cave Heaven Dharma-image True Person is extremely rare in the Langhuan Zhou Heaven. Compared to these Nascent Soul True Persons who cultivate the Dao and refine the Spirit, although it is only one realm apart, it feels as if they are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. Liu Jizi was certain that Xie Yanhuan had entered the Cave Heaven realm and, instead, stopped worrying. Having entered the Daoist gate, he had long since seen through life and death; his previous anxiety was merely due to lingering hope. Now that he knew Xie Yanhuan's departure had nothing to do with them, he calmed down. Seeing a young girl beside Xie Yanhuan, he felt a stir in his heart and thought, "This little girl has no aptitude at all. What does Xie Yanhuan want to do by keeping her by his side? Eh? The green talisman she is wearing... Is she from the Ruan family?"

Throughout Song Guo, the styles of wooden talismans varied, and great clans had their own unique emblems. Cultivators never forgot what they saw and were keen to the smallest detail. Liu Jizi had just slaughtered the Ruan family tonight, so he naturally recognized it. He looked closely at Ruan Ci's bone structure, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. He thought to himself, "Could Xie Yanhuan be trying to... Incredible, incredible. He is far too whimsical."

Just as he thought this, Xie Yanhuan looked over from afar, a smile on his lips. Liu Jizi's heart tightened, and he lowered his head, not daring to think further. He was only at the Core Formation stage; being able to suppress a Nascent Soul cultivator by relying on the power of the Great Array was already a stroke of luck. In the eyes of a Cave Heaven True Person, he was no different from an ant. If Xie Yanhuan wanted to kill them, it would be nothing more than a matter of a single hairpin.

However, the Langhuan Zhou Heaven had always frowned upon the strong bullying the weak. Xie Yanhuan did not move to kill them, so the group did not retreat, standing in a standoff from afar. The old man in the yellow shirt meditated for a while, his breathing steadying, and he spoke again, "Exalted Master Xie, you are a heaven-sent talent. You have cultivated for less than ten thousand years, yet you have stepped into the Cave Heaven realm. You are one of the most outstanding individuals in our Langhuan Zhou Heaven in this epoch. Now that your divine art is complete, you can go anywhere in the world; why must you insist on going your own way? My words are of little weight, and they may not reach your ears, Exalted Master, but please think of the people of South Zhuzhou. Although South Zhuzhou is remote, there are several Cave Heaven experts sitting in town. The anger of a Cave Heaven expert brings devastation to all living things. Since you have ascended to the Cave Heaven realm, you should naturally have the responsibilities of a Cave Heaven expert. I ask you to think thrice, Exalted Master."

Just a moment ago, he had used his full name, but now he called him 'Exalted Master.' One could say this was being arrogant first and respectful later, but no one showed any change in expression. A Cave Heaven True Person, regardless of whether they were righteous or evil, was naturally worthy of the title 'Exalted Master.'

Xie Yanhuan let out a loud laugh and said arrogantly, "My, Xie Yanhuan's, actions in life are guided only by the word 'pleasure.' You need not say more—if you are not a match for me in a single exchange, how are you qualified to converse with me? Those few people in your South Zhuzhou who are qualified to speak with me are on their way. Tell them to hurry; time is limited, do not keep me waiting too long."

Although he was an enemy and not a friend, his aura was overwhelming in his casual conversation. The group was unconsciously captivated by him. Chen Yuzi lowered his head and cast a ray of spiritual light from his sleeve, which transformed into a cloud of light at the peak. Liu Jizi glanced at him: the Thick Earth Divine Light had infinite uses, one of which was to serve as a catalyst for guiding escape lights. Any cultivator who practiced earth-attribute arts, as long as they were taught by the Lingxiao Sect, could borrow its power to increase their flight speed.

This Three Talents Array was also presided over by Chen Yuzi. Just now, when he called Xie Yanhuan 'Uncle-Master,' while it was true according to their seniority, it was a bit too intimate. Now that he was listening to Xie Yanhuan so obediently, Liu Jizi felt that many things over the past seven hundred years had suddenly become very intriguing. He naturally would not ask out loud. He flicked his sleeve and also shot out a ray of spiritual light. Xie Yanhuan looked into the distance along the light path they had cast and laughed, "You are so slow. It has been seven hundred years; has Qi Yaoxian's cultivation not improved at all?"

"Who says so!"

Before the words had faded, a sword light lit up from far away, reaching them in the blink of an eye. Liu Jizi felt his breathing stagnate. It seemed that the moment he saw the sword light, time had come to a standstill. Only that vast, mighty sword light, moving from stillness to motion, from far to near, occupied his entire field of vision, even reflecting within his sea of consciousness—

"Haha! A good sword!" Xie Yanhuan let out a loud laugh. Liu Jizi snapped back to his senses, and the illusion brought by the sword light seemed to be shattered by the laughter, retreating like a tide. A beautiful young girl landed in front of the old man in the yellow shirt, holding a long sword, and said indignantly, "Xie Yanhuan, why are you dressing as a woman again? How disgusting!"

Although Xie Yanhuan was dressed in men's clothing, his brows were curved and his face was like a hibiscus flower; it was the appearance of a woman, and a stunning one at that. He turned sideways and raised his left hand, his slender fingers pinching a piece of sword light—it was the very sword strike the girl had just unleashed. Following Qi Yaoxian's words, his face suddenly flickered, and his shoulders became broader. A face with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, quite similar to before but heroic and bold, emerged. The young girl beside him looked up and asked, "Sister Xie, are you... are you a man?"

As soon as the words 'Sister Xie' were spoken, Xie Yanhuan's face began to flicker again, as if he could grow into thousands of different appearances according to the thoughts of others. He smiled and said, "What do you think I look like?"

"This is the Formless Heavenly Demon Art..." Uncle-Master Li whispered behind the young girl. "Fellow Daoist Qi, be careful. Do not be deceived by him. The more you try to see his face clearly, the more you will fall into his arts. If he plants a demon seed in you unknowingly, that would be terrible."

"Hmph, what can a demon seed do to me?" Qi Yaoxian did not appreciate the advice, pointing her sword at Xie Yanhuan from afar and calling out, "Hey, stop playing these ghosts and gods tricks. You can't fool my Dharma eyes. You really don't have a single honest word in you. You are clearly still at the peak of Nascent Soul. What 'stepping into Cave Heaven'? You're a liar!"

"And when have I ever said that I was already a Cave Heaven True Person?" Xie Yanhuan asked with a smile. Qi Yaoxian glanced back, snorted, and said to Uncle-Master Li, "This level of insight is a disgrace to our South Zhuzhou."

Although the three were all at the peak of Nascent Soul, their strength and insight were worlds apart. Uncle-Master Li showed a look of shame, and Liu Jizi also bowed his head, thinking, "As expected, these genius disciples of the great sects roam the winds and clouds; they are absolutely incomparable to ordinary people. Realm and strength are two different things."

"Seven hundred years have passed, and Junior Sister Xie's style remains the same. A good thing, a good thing."

Just as they were speaking, a white cloud drifted by, seemingly slow but actually fast. A young man in white landed beside Qi Yaoxian and bowed, "In the battle seven hundred years ago, I, Liu Yin, benefited greatly. Today, upon our reunion, I wonder if I might once again experience Junior Sister Xie's sword."

"Oh, Liu Yin, you have come too." Xie Yanhuan remained empty-handed until this moment. She looked up and laughed, "Yun Zhongzi and Cao Tiannv are still on the way, and there are so many great powers watching from afar. Not bad, not bad. My, Xie Yanhuan's, reputation is still this sufficient."

She lowered her hands and rolled up her sleeves, revealing wrists like white jade. "Talking and talking is not a solution. How about this: the four of you come at me together. If you can withstand one move from my bare hands, the matter of South Zhuzhou will end here. If you cannot withstand it..."

She turned sideways and raised her palm, the smile on her face vanishing, replaced by a murderous aura that made people afraid to meet her gaze. She looked around and said coldly, "Then you shall die, and you will never be able to stop me again."

Uncle-Master Li formed a seal with his hands and let out a muffled grunt, "Hide behind me!" He led the disciples and retreated far away.

He moved fast, but Qi Yaoxian and Liu Yin had come specifically to stop Xie Yanhuan. She was willing to fight four against one; the two should have been delighted, but at this moment, locked by Xie Yanhuan's aura, warnings were flashing in their spiritual platforms. Qi Yaoxian let out a muffled grunt, flew backward a short distance, and leaned into Liu Yin's arms. Only by joining forces could they barely resist this aura. Her pretty face turned pale, and she said urgently, "How is this possible? You... have you really not broken through to Cave Heaven?"

"Enough nonsense has been spoken." Xie Yanhuan's aura continued to climb. She rose slowly from the cliff, her long hair dancing without wind, her purple robes fluttering. She raised her jade hand to her chest and slowly pressed it forward. "It is time to kill a few people."

Before this palm strike had even landed, Qi Yaoxian had already spat out a mouthful of blood. She wiped her mouth and shouted, "Good brother, spare me! I'm leaving!"

As she spoke, she flipped her body and transformed into a streak of escape light, reaching hundreds of miles away in the blink of an eye. Liu Jizi could barely sense it. Liu Yin, however, was unable to dodge in time and was struck squarely in the chest by Xie Yanhuan's palm. His eyes widened, and he said in disbelief, "You—are—not—injured—"

Before the words had faded, blood seeped from Liu Yin's seven orifices. A brilliant light erupted around his body, and he fell straight from the sky. He formed a seal with his hands, knelt, and lowered his head, choosing to dissolve his physical body and reincarnate.

This Liu Yin was a guest of the Panxian Gate and a top cultivator in South Zhuzhou, yet he had been killed by a single palm strike from Xie Yanhuan. Everyone was horrified. The two streaks of escape light that were approaching at high speed in the sky turned around and fled. Xie Yanhuan kept her palm raised, glanced at Uncle-Master Li and the others, and said coldly, "Get lost."

Uncle-Master Li did not say another word, stood up, bowed, and unfurled his escape light, wrapping everyone up and turning to leave. Although they were Xie Yanhuan's enemies, they could not help but feel gratitude and lingering fear in their hearts, and even more so, they felt fortunate. With Xie Yanhuan's abilities, killing them one by one would have been nothing more than a matter of a hairpin. Fortunately, she was exceptionally arrogant and disdained to haggle with juniors, sparing their lives.

Xie Yanhuan stood before the cliff, watching them go, then turned back and laughed, "Alright, now that the annoying fellows are gone, we can talk properly."

For Ruan Ci, everything today had long since exceeded her knowledge. Furthermore, as a mere mortal, her understanding was limited. She had been shocked to the extreme at the beginning, but now she didn't feel anything strange, not even as shocking as seeing the raindrops for the first time. She just leaned out and looked curiously at the bottom of the cliff, asking, "If that person falls from such a height, will he turn into a pile of meat?"

"Nascent Soul cultivators have tough bodies; they can be considered magic treasures themselves. He won't rot." Xie Yanhuan also leaned out to take a look with her. "Seven hundred years ago, this Liu Yin intercepted me on Little Bamboo Island along with a dozen others. Taking advantage of my distraction, he struck my left shoulder, causing me pain for three days. Today, this palm strike debt is considered repaid."

A debt repaid with a life for just a single palm strike—Ruan Ci could not help but feel that Xie Yanhuan was somewhat ruthless, worthy of being the great demon who made people turn pale at the mention of her name. She said somewhat naively, "Sister Xie, you are so powerful, why do these people still dare to oppose you?"

Xie Yanhuan smiled slightly. "Everyone in the world opposes me; they are naturally the same."

Ruan Ci did not quite understand. In her mind, since Xie Yanhuan was so powerful, even if they didn't join her, they should have found a way not to be her enemy. She looked at Xie Yanhuan, and Xie Yanhuan said, "Do you want to know why they oppose me?"

She reached over her shoulder, and Ruan Ci suddenly noticed that there was actually a long sword behind her. Xie Yanhuan had nothing else with her, and she had been empty-handed when fighting just now. She did not know why she hadn't used this sword.

Xie Yanhuan slowly untied the sword and held it horizontally in front of her. She was very tall, and her movements were graceful and charming, indescribably beautiful. "Because I have this sword, I am the top figure in the Langhuan Zhou Heaven for ten thousand years—but even I, compared to this green sword, am like a firefly seeing the sun. This sword is an extremely precious treasure. You could never imagine how many people have died in the Langhuan Zhou Heaven for it."

She gripped the sword body and handed the hilt to Ruan Ci, smiling, "I want to lend this sword to you, okay?"

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Updated, sorry for the wait, everyone. I will send out red packets for the previous chapter in a moment.

Q&A time: 1. Do the people of Song Guo excrete, cry, etc.? They do all of these, and they also produce water, but it dries up immediately. The people of Song boil jade for drink, so they know about water, but Ruan Ci had never seen rain. Look closely at the description in the previous chapter; she knows what water is, she just didn't know what it meant for so much water to fall from the sky.

2. Can Xie Yanhuan use the water produced by the people of Song Guo to heal? No. According to the principles of the Great Array, the people of Song carry talismans, and if the talisman power comes into contact with spiritual energy, there will be a reaction.

3. Is Xie Yanhuan a man or a woman? This relates to the plot and will be explained later. I won't explain it now~

I am very happy that everyone likes this story! It's only been serialized to the sixth chapter, which can be said to be the beginning of the beginning, and there are already so many comments. This shows that my writing is indeed quite good. Throwing flowers~ I, as an author, think the happiest point is being able to hit the points that touch me, and also touch everyone. The feeling of aesthetic resonance is really great!

Thanks to the little angels who cast overlord votes or irrigated nutrient solution for me between 2020-06-27 12:05:31 and 2020-06-28 12:05:05!

Thanks to the little angel who cast a rocket launcher: Guo Guo Zi (1);

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