Chapter 256 - 193: Sword Talisman and Teng Snake (2)

"No... My Sword Talisman hasn’t been successfully imprinted yet! Who’s trying to harm me!"

Hou Qi roared. The Sword Talisman in his palm grew clearer as he desperately tried to force its imprint onto his longsword.

However, the harder he tried, the more ethereal the Sword Talisman became.

PTHOO!

Hou Qi violently spat out a large mouthful of blood.

The blood and qi in his body reversed course, his organs feeling as if they were being pounded by a heavy hammer. With his hair in disarray, two streams of bloody tears trickled down his face. His eyes looked ready to burst from their sockets, giving him the appearance of a crazed demon.

CRACK!

A crisp snap rang out as the Lifebound Longsword in his hand broke in two.

...

「East Sea, Lin Yuan City」

"Come on, come on! Place your bets, no take-backs! What’s everyone betting on this round?" roared Shi Potian of the Punishment Hall’s Dominion Altar, his voice booming.

The Incense Masters of the Punishment Hall’s four altars were all present, gathered around a massive Cyan Wood Dice Cup placed in the center of the Spiritual Boat’s deck.

Surrounding them was a dazzling array of Tier Two Spirit Medicines, Spiritual Materials, and countless other rare treasures.

There were at least ten Storage Pouches, each capable of holding one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.

"I’m betting on big!" declared Pang Tunyun, the pot-bellied Incense Master of the Assassination Altar, his face flushed.

"Hehe, I’m betting on big too!" said Lei Wanjun, the Incense Master of the Dominion Altar, his eyes darting about.

"We agreed, no cheating! Anyone caught trying to pull a fast one gets thrown overboard to feed the Sea Demons!"

Shi Potian thumped his chest confidently. "Don’t worry. This Cyan Wood Dice Cup of mine is made from precious Tier Three Cyan Wood. It has the unique effect of blocking Purple Mansion-level Divine Sense. Not even Master Demon Child could see through it."

The group of fellow disciples from the Holy Sect’s Punishment Hall gathered together in a very harmonious atmosphere.

Nearby, goblets clinked and fragrant scents filled the air as a dozen young Foundation Establishment Female Cultivators from the Joy Pavilion sang and danced.

Chen Xuanba nodded slightly. "Po Yue’s Magical Treasure is indeed extraordinary. My Divine Sense cannot penetrate it."

He turned to Qin Xuan and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Qin, what are you betting on this round?"

Qin Xuan recalled the Divination that had just appeared in his mind.

[Top-Top Lottery: Bet on "small" for twelve consecutive rounds, then go all-in on the last one. You will win all the chips and receive a Ninth-Grade Opportunity. Great fortune!]

"All my senior brothers are betting on big, so I’ll bet on small! This is the seal of my Heart Rot Valley. I’m going all-in! I refuse to believe it can come up big twelve times in a row!"

Qin Xuan, whose eyes were red from losing, deliberately roared.

"Hahaha! Junior Brother Qin, you’re doomed to lose then! Heart Rot Valley is mine!"

Shi Potian let out a booming laugh and was just about to reveal the dice cup.

From the previously tranquil sea below, a golden roc the size of a mountain suddenly burst forth.

This golden roc had a Cultivation of at least the Purple Mansion Eighth Level and a formidable Flesh Body, yet it dazedly smashed its head right into the Spiritual Boat.

BOOM!

The Blood Demon Sword Sect’s Flying Traveling Tower Ship shuddered.

The demonic light dimmed, and ripples spread across the Array before it tore open a large gap. A great gust of wind swept across the deck, and the dice inside the cup suddenly flipped over.

"Three sixes... no, three ones! Small!"

Pang Tunyun’s expression froze. He looked at Shi Potian. "Old Shi, you lost..."

Qin Xuan’s face suddenly flushed with excitement. His breathing grew ragged and his chest heaved, as if he were trying to suppress the incredible thrill welling up inside him.

He looked at Chen Xuanba. "Senior Brother Chen, my win..."

Chen Xuanba smiled. "You won, so it’s naturally yours. Po Yue, you can’t go back on your word."

"Thank you, Master Demon Child!"

Overjoyed, Qin Xuan threw himself onto the table, scooping all the Storage Pouches full of Spirit Stones, the various rare treasures, and the Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Plants into his arms.

Seeing this, the corner of Shi Potian’s mouth twitched. His heart was bleeding.

Looking around, Shi Potian grew angrier the more he thought about it and abruptly shot to his feet.

"Damn feathered beast! You made me lose! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!"

He summoned his Lifebound Longsword and leaped directly from the sky-high vessel, standing suspended in mid-air.

Surrounding Demonic Qi billowed around him, yet his skin took on an eerie, dark-golden luster.

The golden roc had just regained its senses and was about to spread its wings to fly again when a giant net woven from the Power of the Stars suddenly appeared above it.

SCREECH!

It let out a terrified shriek, thrashing left and right, but the giant net seemed alive, trapping it completely.

"Hateful Human Race! I am of the Golden-Winged Roc Royal Family bloodline! I accidentally blundered into your Spiritual Boat’s Array. I will compensate you for any damages, why can’t you let me go?"

The golden roc roared, actually speaking in a human tongue.

It flapped its wings, its Demon Essence surging, and released streams of golden plumes that resembled a Golden Sword Aura—an attack of tremendous power!

"Such powerful Sword Feathers. This Demon Cultivator’s methods are not weak. I am no match for it," Qin Xuan said, shaking his head.

Lei Wanjun chuckled. "What’s that? Senior Brother Shi is a Star Mansion Sixth Level Cultivator. Killing it is as easy as slaughtering a chicken for him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sword Feathers—powerful enough to shred an ordinary Purple Mansion Cultivator—landed on Shi Potian like a mere tickle.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A series of clear, bell-like chimes rang out. Shi Potian strode forward, and as the Sword Feathers struck his body, they exploded into a series of Brahma’s Golden Circles.

Golden light flowed over his body, leaving behind only a few white marks.

’Such powerful defense! It’s a Positional Divine Technique!’ Qin Xuan was shocked.

If his earlier claim of being weaker than the golden roc was a lie, the power Shi Potian was displaying now truly stunned Qin Xuan.

"Correct. This is Senior Brother Shi’s Positional Divine Technique, [Unbreakable Peak]. It can transform his body into Immortal Refined Gold, making him Vajra Indestructible. He can even withstand a Thunder Tribulation head-on. This blind feathered beast really picked the wrong person to mess with."

Pang Tunyun explained with a smile from the side.

But Qin Xuan suddenly felt that something was wrong. The appearance of this golden roc was too abrupt.

And Shi Potian’s reaction was a bit too extreme.

Who unleashes a Positional Divine Technique right from the start... especially here in the East Sea?

"That’s a Positional Divine Technique?"

The golden roc’s pupils shrank, clearly not expecting Shi Potian to be so ruthless.

"Heh, just a mere Yellow-Feathered Demon Peng of the Void Mansion Realm, and you dare to boast so shamelessly? You ruined my fun. Now, take this!"

Shi Potian let out a soft cry and suddenly accelerated. He moved like a shifting mountain, causing the very surface of the sea to tremble.

A blood-red sun materialized behind him, golden Sanskrit characters floating within it. As green smoke curled into the air, the script devoured countless vengeful souls and wisps of black qi.

The wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves echoed ceaselessly.

BZZZZ—

A stunning beam of golden sword light pierced through heaven and earth.

"Spare me! I was forced to come here—Ah!" The golden roc’s pupils shrank to pinpricks as it let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Before it could finish its words, its massive demonic body was instantly covered in a web of cyan cracks. It shattered into a million bloody pieces that fell into the boundless sea, dyeing a large patch of the water red.

Chen Xuanba’s pupils turned pitch-black as he shot to his feet.

Beside him, Pang Tunyun and Lei Wanjun’s expressions also changed. "It’s the Positional Divine Technique of the East Sea’s Cyan-Scaled Chi Flood Dragon Royal Family, [Broken Gold Cyan]!"

For no reason, alarm bells started ringing in Qin Xuan’s mind.

He looked down in horror and discovered that, at some unknown point, the same web-like cyan cracks had appeared on his own body!

’What’s going on? When did I become a target?!’

A cold sweat broke out over Qin Xuan.

But just then, Shi Potian below suddenly pulled a three-foot-long, translucent crimson Blood Candle from his robes and shouted.

"Demon Monarch, save me!"

As soon as he spoke, an immense and shadowy Golden Lamp Dharma Aspect appeared with a thunderous boom.

The cyan cracks on Qin Xuan and the others vanished as if they had never been there.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, bullying the juniors of my Holy Sect doesn’t seem to be in line with your Royal Family’s style," Ji Boyan said with a smile.

He held a blood-red lamp, his body wreathed in surging Demon Flames, his aura magnificent.

His presence painted half the sky a ghastly crimson!

"Then how do you explain your Blood Demon Sword Sect indiscriminately killing the innocent within my East Sea territory?"

A cold, clear voice rang out.

A massive, cyan flood dragon head, large enough to blot out the sun, emerged from the clouds, dyeing the other half of the sky indigo as wind and thunder raged.

Ji Boyan shook his head and chuckled lightly. "Fellow Daoist Yun, that’s an unreasonable accusation. I came here on the Sect Leader’s orders to congratulate the Venerable Lord on his birthday. It was you, Fellow Daoist, who wished to test the mettle of my Holy Sect, only to be unfortunately seen through by me."

RUMBLE!

Cyan lightning flashed across the sky, and the heavens themselves seemed to change color.

"Hmph. Remnants of the Demon Sect, truly silver-tongued. I hope you can maintain this arrogance during the rest of your time in the East Sea!"

The cyan flood dragon head, its face filled with pique, snorted coldly and vanished over the horizon.

The wind and waves calmed.

A team composed entirely of Purple Mansion Demon Cultivators emerged from the sea.

"This junior, Yun Nianqing, has come to welcome you all on the clan leader’s orders!"

Yun Nianqing said, her voice trembling.

But Qin Xuan recognized her. He had seen this demon in Ye Lan’s memories; she had even participated in the Foundation Establishment Chaos War!

"Heh heh. I am a dignified Nascent Soul, yet your East Sea sends a mere group of Purple Mansion cultivators to greet me. Interesting, truly interesting."

Ji Boyan chuckled, shook his head, and his figure dissipated.

Chen Xuanba remained expressionless the entire time and vanished shortly after.

But just then, Ji Boyan’s cold voice resounded in Qin Xuan’s mind.

"The East Sea sent Purple Mansion cultivators to greet us, so my Holy Sect naturally cannot be impolite. Qin Xiaoyou, I’ll leave the rest to you."

Qin Xuan: "???"