Chapter 37: Heaven and Earth, No One Can Save You!

Chen Zheng, hearing the words, halted his cultivation, frowned, and gazed toward the source of the angry shout.

He saw, several li away, above a speckled mushroom cluster, a horse‑faced man about twenty‑seven or twenty‑eight years old, clad in an eight‑trigram purple‑gold Dao robe, flying toward him.

Indeed, the horse‑faced man was coming by flight.

But the man was not soaring through empty air with his own power; instead he stood on a three‑foot flying sword that glittered with white light.

Sword‑riding flight!

"How could a Taiyi Sect disciple appear here?"

Just as it regained composure and came back to Chen Zheng's side, the immortal crane, which was about to set up a fire to roast a flying Yaksha corpse for a snack, also saw the sword‑riding horse‑faced man and instantly shivered like a mouse encountering a cat.

It hurriedly scampered to Chen Zheng's side and said hastily, "That's a Taiyi Sect disciple; we must never provoke him. Quickly climb onto my back; while he hasn't arrived yet, we should leave at once."

Chen Zheng had no intention of getting on the crane's back; he shook his head and laughed, "He's just a Taiyi Sect disciple from a Mortal Secret Realm—nothing to be afraid of."

He could tell that the horse‑faced man was far from a divine‑power cultivator; otherwise it would be empty‑air soaring, not sword‑riding flight.

Nevertheless, a Mortal Secret Realm being possessing a spiritual flying sword is quite remarkable.

In the Feather Ascension Sect, most inner and outer disciples use only talismans; those who possess a spiritual weapon are exceedingly rare, and each is a renowned inner‑gate figure.

To put it bluntly, among the over 400,000 inner and outer disciples of the Feather Ascension Sect, fewer than five hundred have spiritual weapons.

The Taiyi Sect is entirely different.

It is said that the Taiyi Sect has seventy‑to‑eighty thousand inner disciples, almost one spiritual weapon per person.

Among the over a million outer disciples, many also wield spiritual weapons.

Thus the Taiyi Sect's wealth and influence are evident.

It truly lives up to being the number‑one sect in the world.

"Ah, Taiyi Sect disciples despise the Demonic Path the most, especially someone like you who walks the Correct Path yet practices Demonic Cultivation. When he comes, you'll be in trouble."

Seeing Chen Zheng unmoved, the immortal crane lost its temper, hung its head, and slunk behind him.

This time it didn't flee; it wanted to assess the situation first.

After all, the Taiyi Sect follows the Correct Path and observes propriety, unlike the Underground Demons who are ferocious and eat people on a whim.

Chen Zheng practices Demonic Cultivation; at worst he'll be harshly scolded by a Taiyi Sect disciple, but his life won't be at stake.

As for why it fears Taiyi Sect disciples so much, it's because the Feather Ascension Sect is inherently subordinate to the Taiyi Sect.

During the last Grand Assembly of the Ten Immortal Paths, senior brother Hua Tiandu of the Feather Ascension Sect set a rule that its disciples must keep a low profile; when traveling abroad, if they encounter a Taiyi Sect disciple, they should avoid them if possible.

If avoidance is impossible and both sides have disputes, regardless of who is right, Feather Ascension Sect disciples must strive to be tolerant.

Should anyone dare not tolerate a Taiyi Sect disciple, or even strike them, upon returning to the Feather Ascension Sect they will face Hua Tiandu's severe punishment.

Afterwards they must accompany Hua Tiandu to the Taiyi Sect to apologize in person, present gifts, and seek forgiveness.

There are precedents for all this.

Thus it further fuels the Taiyi Sect disciples' arrogance.

Feather Ascension Sect disciples have also lost their vigor; when they meet Taiyi Sect disciples abroad, every one cowers like a grandson before his grandfather.

At that moment, the horse‑faced man in the distance finally rode his flying sword and landed before Chen Zheng.

A white flying sword circled his body once, coiling around his waist like a belt.

He swept his brow over the haphazard Earth Demon Corpses on the ground, his expression growing angrier, and his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Zheng as he demanded, "What is your name? Which Demonic Cultivation do you use? And where did you learn it?"

"Do you not know that Hua Tiandu once promised my Taiyi Sect to purge disciples who practice Demonic Cultivation and to draw a clear line from the Demonic Path?"

The horse‑faced man's abrupt rebuke resembled a high‑ranking court official seated in a hall, striking the gavel and interrogating a heinously criminal from a lofty perch.

This was not a pretended affectation; it stemmed from his long tenure as an official, naturally cultivating such bearing.

Taiyi Sect disciples are officials.

Immortal Officials of the cultivation world!

Disciples of all other sects and factions are merely common folk.

Chen Zheng's expression turned cold in an instant, and he said flatly, "What stray dog are you, barking madly here? Kneel before me."

"What did you say?"

The horse‑faced man's angry expression froze on his face, staring at Chen Zheng in disbelief.

He didn't hear wrong, did he?

How could the person before him dare call him a stray dog?

And demand him to kneel?

That's utterly absurd.

It's even more ridiculous than a beggar storming the imperial palace and demanding the emperor to kneel.

"This fellow's nerve is just too great," the immortal crane muttered from behind Chen Zheng, surprised that he dared to rebuke even a Taiyi Sect disciple.

If Hua Tiandu learns of this, Chen Zheng will have no choice but to flee for his life.

Moreover, the horse‑faced man before him wields a flying sword.

Even if Chen Zheng could easily slay a flying Yaksha, he would struggle to fend off a flying sword's thrust.

Where does his confidence come from?

The immortal crane couldn't help but regret.

Regretting why it didn't flee earlier.

Now, with Chen Zheng's words spoken, he has completely offended the Taiyi Sect disciple before him.

There is no room for retreat left.

This person will definitely pursue Chen Zheng to the death.

What follows indeed unfolds as the immortal crane had anticipated.

You have reached this novel.

The horse‑faced man froze for a moment, then his complexion turned iron‑blue, and he barked, "You deranged demon, tarnishing the reputation of my immortal Dao, I will subdue you, strip you of your martial arts, and then haul you to the Splendid Heavenly Capital…"

"You won't kneel, huh? Then go die."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zheng's impatient voice cut him off.

Chen Zheng had no patience for idle talk with this man.

Boom!

He stepped forward in a single stride, lunged to the horse‑faced man's side, and unleashed the Reverse River and Sea Two Forms from the Nether King True Body. The fist wind roared like a tsunami, like a landslide, bearing the force of thunderous might, and a punch slammed toward his face.

"This beast is unbelievably strong!"

The horse‑faced man's complexion shifted slightly as Chen Zheng's fist wind surged at him, nearly choking him.

He is an inner disciple of the Taiyi Sect, having long cultivated to Rou Shen Di Shi Chong, and possesses the strength of ten horses, enough to dominate in this realm.

Yet before the momentum Chen Zheng unleashed, he felt exceedingly insignificant.

Chen Zheng wields the power of fourteen or fifteen horses at least.

One punch could pulverize him to dust.

But he's no pushover!

He quickly withdrew, and as his mind shifted, the flying sword he wielded began to hum incessantly, exhaling a cold white light. In an instant it shot from his waist, becoming a sky‑piercing beam, thrusting toward Chen Zheng's face.

"Heh, so this is your crutch."

Chen Zheng showed no fear on his face, snorted a laugh, altered his hand, turning his fist into a palm, and reached straight for the incoming flying sword.

"My white rainbow sword was forged by the Elder with Heavenly Fallen Iron; though it's only a low‑grade spirit weapon, a mortal body cannot hard‑cut it—you're courting death!"

"Wha…what?"

The horse‑faced man sneered repeatedly, but in an instant the sneer halted, his eyes bulging like copper bells.

Because at the moment Chen Zheng's flesh palm met the flying sword, not only was his palm not sliced, but it sparked massive shards of fire, accompanied by relentless clanging and ringing.

Moreover, Chen Zheng clenched his five fingers like an eagle snatching a chick, gripping the white rainbow sword.

No matter how he tried to drive it, the white rainbow sword fluttered in Chen Zheng's palm yet could not break free.

How is that possible?

"What kind of flesh body is that?"

Behind Chen Zheng, the celestial crane that had tried to slip away froze in place, its eyes nearly popping out.

Chen Zheng used his flesh body to hard‑resist the flying sword and seized it; it was unbelievably fierce.

It was downright ferocious!

"Thank you for giving me the flying sword; as a token of gratitude, you can go die."

While the man and the crane were shocked, Chen Zheng did not idle; gripping the flying sword, his expression cold, he stepped forward step by step toward the horse‑faced man.

"I am a disciple of the Taiyi Sect; my senior brothers are nearby. If you dare lay a finger on me, then heaven and earth alike, no one will be able to save you!"

The horse‑faced man recovered from his shock, and Chen Zheng's gaze, like looking at a corpse, sent a chill to his heart, prompting a fierce, inner‑raging howl.

At the same time he kept retreating, trying to put distance between himself and Chen Zheng.

Pfft!

Unfortunately, before he could retreat far, Chen Zheng's massive hand clamped onto his heavenly spirit crown.

(End of chapter)