Chapter 184: Taking Righteousness

Zheng Fa had never witnessed such a large-scale Nascent Soul battle before.

Even standing within Lei Chi, surrounded by the roar of thunder, he could hear the fierce combat above.

Zheng Fa looked up, activated his Dongxu Spirit Eye, and gazed beyond Lei Chi toward the sky.

Five Dragon Heavenly Palace hung above Lei Chi.

Around the palace, the five originally majestic golden dragons had grown over a hundredfold; Zheng Fa roughly estimated each to be a thousand zhang in thickness and ten thousand zhang in length, their bodies linked end to end, slowly circling the palace to guard Master Pang within.

Around the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace, streaks of blood-red and black magic treasure light interwove, their momentum just as formidable as the palace's.

"Young Master Zheng, where are Master's allies?"

Sun Daoyu was also observing the battle with his Dongxu Spirit Eye and, seeing Master Pang alone, asked.

Zheng Fa shook his head.

He didn't know.

The Nascent Soul True Persons Master Pang had summoned were now nowhere to be seen—only Master Pang remained, relying solely on the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace.

Zheng Fa could see Master Pang's face was pale, far whiter than usual, as if his magic power were nearly depleted.

The five golden dragons encircling the palace also looked worn.

One dragon had lost a large patch of scales; another's eye seemed wounded by dark cultivation techniques, black smoke oozing from its socket.

The four attackers surrounding Master Pang belonged to the Great Freedom Demon Sect.

One was a withered old man, his face bluish-white, seated atop a bronze coffin.

One was a female cultivator, entwined by a thick, long human-faced red snake.

Another was a middle-aged man, accompanied by a child.

The child had arms like lotus stems and a face like a full moon—adorable at first glance.

But upon closer look, the child's eyes were utterly white—no pupils at all.

Zheng Fa didn't even know if the child could still be called human.

"Five Dragon True Person of Jiushan Sect," the old man spoke to Master Pang: "Your gaze perceives heaven and earth; your talismans sever life and death—truly remarkable."

Zheng Fa was momentarily stunned.

Did Master Pang have such a title?

He glanced at Sun Daoyu beside him—his expression was equally blank.

He clearly didn't know his master's former glory.

"Merely empty fame," Master Pang replied calmly: "I never expected…"

"Bronze Coffin Elder."

"Red Snake Immortal."

"And… Thousand Calamity Sword Immortal."

He glanced at the child, his eyes flickering with anger: "Though your deeds are vile, the Immortal Sects never knew all three of you were from the Great Freedom Demon Cult…"

Suddenly, a sweet laugh echoed.

Zheng Fa assumed it was the Red Snake Immortal speaking, but the voice came from the human face on the snake—its nose bridge even missing: "Not just us—didn't you also invite some Nascent Souls who are ours?"

The voice was soft and girlish, like an eighteen-year-old maiden.

So the snake was the Red Snake Immortal?

"The Turtle Elder originally planned to ambush you—but you ambushed him instead," the Red Snake Immortal continued. "Five Dragon True Person, your insight is indeed sharp—but the allies you summoned watched you two squabble, couldn't tell friend from foe, and finally just stood by… then fled."

"Leaving you alone here," the Red Snake Immortal gave a light laugh, laced with contempt.

Zheng Fa now understood why Master Pang stood alone.

Those allies had never truly intended to help; when Master Pang killed the Turtle Elder, they had no reason to stay within the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace.

…

As they exchanged words, their battle never ceased.

Observing from Lei Chi, Zheng Fa realized Nascent Soul battles seemed slow, almost tranquil—even the combatants had time for verbal sparring.

But the world through the Dongxu Spirit Eye was different.

Spiritual energy in the sky split into two streams.

Around the three attackers, it was black tinged with red.

Around Master Pang, it cycled through five colors.

These two streams clashed and retreated, testing each other, seeking openings.

Gradually, outnumbered, Master Pang fell into disadvantage; his five-colored energy shrank to the perimeter of the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace, leaving the sky almost entirely dominated by the black-and-red energy.

Master Pang's Five Element Heavenly Palace resembled a dim lantern in the night sky.

Perhaps due to the palace's defensive power, Master Pang's spiritual momentum stabilized—though the situation still seemed overwhelmingly one-sided.

Yet it had become a stalemate.

Time passed slowly.

The five golden dragons beside the palace remained thick, but their golden radiance gradually dimmed.

Yet Master Pang showed no urgency.

As if he could hold out until the end of heaven and earth.

The three attackers surrounding the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace remained calm, even smiling faintly.

"The Hundred Immortal Alliance says you're even more of a turtle than the Turtle Elder's ten-thousand-year shell—I see now it's true."

The Red Snake Immortal added with a laugh.

Master Pang didn't react to the taunt, merely maneuvering the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace to defend against their attacks.

A full day and night passed.

Even for Nascent Souls, such nerve-wracking combat was exhausting, especially when the battlefield showed no change.

Even Zheng Fa was growing weary.

"Bold!"

He heard the coffin-dwelling elder roar—then saw Master Pang leap forward, appearing suddenly before the Red Snake Immortal.

The Red Snake Immortal had been distracted and never expected Master Pang to abandon the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace's defense.

Master Pang seized that tiny opening.

First, he released a Heaven-grade Cloud and Rain Talisman, then a Wind Summoning Talisman, and finally hurled a Heaven-grade Thunder and Fire Talisman.

Zheng Fa recognized this technique—

It was Master Pang's ultimate skill: the Linked Talisman Art, which fundamentally enhances talisman power by exploiting the Five Elements' mutual generation.

But in practice, it was far from simple.

The timing of each talisman's release and their coordination required the Dongxu Spirit Eye to observe shifts in Five Element spiritual energy and find the perfect moment.

The Cloud and Rain and Wind Summoning talismans had no direct offensive power.

But when the Thunder and Fire Talisman struck, thunder rode the rain's momentum, fire rode the wind's.

Lightning and flame illuminated half the sky.

The Red Snake Immortal, already exposed, had no time to react to Master Pang's linked talisman ambush.

But the other two were no ordinary foes.

The bronze coffin lid beneath the old man flew open with a bang—inside, utter darkness, like a bottomless abyss.

The coffin rotated, its mouth aimed at Master Pang—hundreds of purplish-blue arms emerged, reaching out through empty air.

Though separated by space, Master Pang felt as if gripped—he froze in place.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Calamity Sword Immortal, who had remained silent, finally moved!

The child beside him suddenly rose—his tender skin withered instantly, his plump muscles vanished in an instant, leaving only a tiny skeleton.

The skeleton transformed mid-air into a bone sword, lancing toward Master Pang; as it flew, wailing cries echoed—thousands upon thousands of children weeping together.

It made the heart ache.

…

Zheng Fa felt Sun Daoyu grip his shoulder—his fingers trembling.

He didn't turn, his eyes locked on Master Pang.

Master Pang was now pinned by the bronze coffin, the bone sword about to strike—his moment was dire.

Zheng Fa could imagine Sun Daoyu's tense face without looking.

At that instant, the five golden dragons behind Master Pang surged forward, crashing into the old man's bronze coffin.

The old man sneered: "Your Five Dragon Heavenly Palace's defense is decent…"

Boom!

He hadn't finished speaking when Zheng Fa saw one of the five golden dragons swell again—nearly becoming a sphere with pointed ends—then exploded.

"You're mad!"

The old man was caught off guard—he hadn't expected Master Pang to be so ruthless.

But Master Pang was even more ruthless than he imagined.

The Five Dragon Heavenly Palace seemed to be his core magic treasure; its self-destruction would hurt Master Pang deeply—but now, the other four dragons were also slowly swelling, as if they no longer wished to live.

The old man frantically retracted the bronze coffin, diving inside and sealing the lid shut, leaving no gap.

Without the bronze coffin, Master Pang's body lightened—he released another Thunder and Fire Talisman.

The Red Snake Immortal had already been badly battered by the first Thunder and Fire Talisman.

Now she couldn't defend herself—the exposed woman was instantly reduced to ash; the human-faced red snake, seemingly her true form, was covered in wounds, clearly mortally injured, barely clinging to life.

"... aster Pang, is this always the style?"

Zheng Fa blinked—he was fighting like he didn't care if he lived or died.

"Yes, in The Great Dao Competes for Immortality."

Sun Daoyu fell silent for a moment before answering.

The Great Dao Competes for Immortality...

That's not afraid of death.

But this time...

Master Pang glanced at Lei Chi, as if seeing the shock on Zheng Fa's face, and a faint smirk curled on his lips.

"Pang Qian of the Nine Mountains Sect, today I slay Xuan Gui the Immortal, traitor of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, and Chi Lian the Immortal of the Great Free Devil Cult here!" He finished with a long laugh: "Dying is worth it!"

"All disciples of the Nine Mountains Sect, do not grieve. Lie low in Lei Chi, endure hardship, and cultivate diligently for the future!"

"Zheng Fa, you and Sister Zhang must one day destroy the Great Free Devil Cult and avenge me!"

Saying this, he looked down at Zheng Fa and the others, his eyes softening slightly, then smiled at the bone sword hovering above his head.

At this moment, the Five Dragon Celestial Palace was shattered, and his talismans were all spent.

Self-destructing his life-bound magic treasure had left him with no way to dodge.

Yet his face was utterly calm.

"Brother Yan!"

Zheng Fa turned and called out.

"Master Han!"

"What's the rush? He's not dead yet!" came a voice: "This fellow Pang speaks quite movingly—let him say a bit more."

On the horizon, it seemed another red sun had risen—but upon closer look, it was a flying sword.

In an instant, the sword appeared on the horizon; the next, it plunged straight down onto the head of the Evil Sword Immortal. One strike—and the demonic Nascent Soul vanished without even reacting.

The bone sword in midair lost its master and fell from the clouds.

By Lei Chi, an old man yawned, glancing at the bone sword that landed beside him with clear disgust: "Carrying a sword that looks this repulsive, and you dare call yourself Sword Immortal?"

Master Pang glanced at the old man, then at his own ruined Five Dragon Celestial Palace.

Finally, he seemed to remember the words he had just spoken.

That expression—

It made him want to sacrifice himself even more.