Chapter 458

Western Niuhe Continent, Cuiyun Mountain.

The void split open, and Su Chen, Jiao Wang, and Shituo Wang stepped out from the space passage.

Ahead, mountains rose and fell; outside Bajiao Cave, banners stood in rows, demonic clouds pressed over the peaks, and the once-bustling cave now radiated a chilling aura, silent and devoid of wine, meat, and noise.

Each guard demon wore armor and wielded blades, arrows nocked on bows and crossbows.

Seeing Jiao Wang and Shituo Wang, the guard demons first froze in shock, then quickly cleared a path.

“Greetings, Two Great Sages!”

Jiao Wang frowned. “Where’s Elder Brother?”

The guard demon replied, “The King is severely wounded and lies within the cave.”

Upon hearing this, the three hurried toward the cave.

As soon as they entered Bajiao Cave, Su Chen smelled blood—and a strange demonic aura.

The aura was wild, cruel, bearing the devouring resonance of the Beiming lineage, yet mixed with martial hexes; Su Chen did not slow his steps, his gaze fixed deep within the cave.

Inside the inner chamber, Tie Shan Gongzhu stood beside the bed.

The once-fiery Rakshasa woman now had disheveled hair, swollen red eyes, and none of her former sharpness.

On the bed, Niu Wang leaned against the headrest, a wound piercing his chest.

The wound ran from below his left shoulder straight into his lungs and organs, flesh torn and curled, black demonic energy coiled around it, gnawing at his life force.

Niu Wang’s demonic body was formidable; by rights, such an external wound should have healed long ago—but the hex remained firmly embedded, preventing recovery.

Seeing Su Chen enter, Tie Shan Gongzhu paused, then stepped forward.

“Brother Su Chen, you’ve finally come.”

She spoke only one sentence before her voice cracked.

Jiao Wang stepped forward quickly. “Elder Brother, who did this to you?”

Niu Wang looked up at them, trying to laugh—but the motion aggravated his wound, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

“I was careless,” he said with difficulty.

Su Chen walked to his side, glanced at the wound, then turned to Tie Shan Gongzhu.

“Sister-in-law, don’t panic. First, tell us about Hong Haier.”

Tie Shan Gongzhu drew a breath and gathered her strength.

“Hong Haier has been training on Flame Mountain these past few years. He received the Six Ding Divine Fire seed you gave him long ago, and his cultivation has advanced rapidly—he recently reached Heavenly Immortal.”

“But a few days ago, one of his demon generals fled back, covered in blood, barely alive. He said a terrifying demon appeared on Flame Mountain and kidnapped Hong Haier.”

Jiao Wang asked, “Did he leave a name?”

“He did,” Niu Wang interjected, his face blazing with rage. “He demanded I come personally to ransom him.”

“I went. The one waiting for me there was Peng Wang.”

Upon hearing this, Jiao Wang froze, silent for a long moment.

Shituo Wang cursed loudly. “Is Peng Wang mad? Hong Haier is his nephew—he’d dare do this?”

Niu Wang gave a bitter smile.

“I asked him the same thing.”

Jiao Wang’s face darkened to its worst.

Once, the Seven Great Sages had sworn brotherhood. Though they later learned Peng Wang had joined the Kunpeng Sect and drifted apart, their brotherly bond still stood—yet he had turned on Hong Haier.

“Did he admit it himself?” Jiao Wang asked.

Niu Wang nodded.

“He sent word to Brother Su Chen: if Su Chen goes to Flame Mountain, he’ll release Hong Haier.”

Shituo Wang cursed bitterly. “This monster—he’s a dog serving that Kunpeng old devil!”

Su Chen’s expression remained unchanged; this was exactly Kunpeng’s style.

Niu Wang continued: “I fought him on the spot. He’s now at the peak of Taiyi Jin Xian, has mastered a divine technique, moves with incredible speed, and his magic power carries the devouring will of Beiming.”

Jiao Wang frowned. “Peak Taiyi Jin Xian?”

Their cultivations were once nearly equal; yet after Peng Wang joined Kunpeng, he advanced so swiftly.

Niu Wang gritted his teeth. “In pure cultivation, he’s my equal. In a direct fight, I wouldn’t necessarily lose to him.”

“But he has a spear.”

At the mention of the spear, the black energy in Niu Wang’s chest surged, making veins bulge on his forehead.

“The spear is saturated with lethal hexes; its shaft is engraved with demonic script, having devoured countless demonic bloods. I blocked one strike with my Iron Staff, but my protective technique shattered instantly. The second strike pierced straight through my chest.”

Tie Shan Gongzhu added: “After Old Niu returned, the hex remained inside him. I used my magic power to heal him, but I couldn’t dispel the hex—only kept his wound from worsening.”

Su Chen looked down at Niu Wang’s wound.

The hex was indeed formidable—not ordinary martial hex energy, but a weapon’s malevolent aura, deliberately forged.

Jiao Wang frowned oddly. “If Peng Wang has such a weapon, why didn’t he kill Elder Brother?”

The question was harsh, yet undeniably strange.

Niu Wang didn’t mind. “When I retreated, he could have pursued me. With his speed and that spear, I couldn’t have escaped—but he didn’t chase me. He clearly wanted me to return and deliver this message to Brother Su Chen.”

Niu Wang looked at Su Chen.

Tie Shan Gongzhu could no longer hold back, her voice trembling. “Brother Su Chen, I know this is dangerous, but Hong Haier is still young—if he truly falls into Kunpeng’s hands...”

“Sister-in-law,” Su Chen interrupted, his tone calm. “Rest easy. Hong Haier won’t be harmed.”

Tie Shan Gongzhu stared at him, stunned.

Su Chen stepped before Niu Wang and placed his palm on his chest wound.

“First, heal the wound.”

Niu Wang opened his mouth to speak, but Su Chen’s palm already flooded his body with Hunyuan magic power.

Yin and yang interwove, the Five Elements flowed; the Hunyuan power entered without agitation, spreading through Niu Wang’s meridians, trapping the black hex near the wound.

The hex sensed danger and writhed like a living thing, burrowing toward his lungs.

Su Chen pressed down—his Hunyuan power formed a yin-yang grinding disc, dragging the hex back to the wound. Black energy churned, shrieking as it tried to burst free.

Su Chen closed his fingers.

“Shatter.”

The word spoken, the hex that had tormented Niu Wang for days was instantly crushed into nothingness.

Niu Wang grunted, then gasped deeply; without the hex blocking him, his chest flesh began to heal, scabbing over within moments.

"Thank you," Niu Wang said, pressing his hand to his chest and exhaling a long, heavy breath.

“Brother, your cultivation...”

Su Chen withdrew his hand.

“I’ve made some progress over the years.”

Jiao Wang sighed. “We haven’t seen each other in years—Brother Su Chen has already left us far behind.”

Niu Wang looked at Su Chen, his eyes complex—but quickly set those thoughts aside.

Cultivation level was secondary; rescuing his son was paramount.

“Brother, is Hong Haier truly safe?”

“At least until I appear, he’s safe. Peng Wang kidnapped Hong Haier not to kill him, but to force me out of Huaguo Mountain.”

Niu Wang blinked, confused.

Su Chen didn’t hide it—he briefly explained the matter of the Outer Void Star Abyss.

Upon hearing Su Chen had wounded Kunpeng and severed his path to Dao, Niu Wang fell silent for a long time.

He had thought his own cultivation had advanced swiftly—peak Taiyi Jin Xian, ruling Cuiyun Mountain, a formidable force across the Three Realms.

Yet Su Chen had already clashed with Kunpeng, an ancient titan, beyond the Outer Void.

If anyone else had said this, Niu Wang would have dismissed it as drunken nonsense—but the speaker was Su Chen, and Kunpeng’s retaliation was already here; he had no choice but to believe.

Su Chen continued: “He dares not enter Huaguo Mountain, so he set his trap in Western Niuhe Continent. Hong Haier is the bait. You, Brother Niu, are the bait—just to get word to me and lure me out of Huaguo Mountain.”

Niu Wang slammed his fist hard against the bed.

“So he deliberately left me alive.”

“Precisely,” Su Chen said, looking at Niu Wang. “So Brother Niu, rest assured—Kunpeng’s true target is me. Hong Haier is alive only because he has value. As long as I haven’t arrived, he won’t let Peng Wang move.”

Niu Wang’s chest heaved, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Brother Su Chen, tell me what to do—I’ll follow your lead.”

Su Chen looked at them all. “Use their own plan against them.”

Jiao Wang asked, “Go to Flame Mountain?”

“Yes,” Su Chen nodded, turning to Niu Wang. “Brother Niu, spread word far and wide: you’re on the brink of death, and the demons of Cuiyun Mountain are leaderless. That way, I’ll rush out in grief to avenge you—alone, heading straight for Flame Mountain.”

“Big Brother Niu, spread the word outside that you’re on the brink of death and the demons of Cuiyun Mountain are without a leader, so that I, eager to avenge you, will rush out alone to Flame Mountain seeking retribution.”