Chapter 143: First Duel with the Moon‑Worship Sect

The spider spirit was nailed to the ground by Fengdu the instant it hit, letting out a mournful wail, and its figure flickered into a young married woman in a black sheer dress.

"Great one, spare me!"

Fengdu pierced her abdomen, and its powerful spiritual energy suppressed her thousand‑year cultivation, preventing her from casting spells; besides pleading for mercy, she had no other recourse.

Chu Yang slowly descended from midair, one hand pressing on the hilt of Fengdu's sword, indifferently looking down at the wailing spider spirit.

He took out a demon‑eating gu and tossed it onto the spider spirit.

Smelling the monster's aura, the demon‑eating gu became unusually excited and immediately burrowed into the spider spirit's body.

"What is this?"

The spider spirit's face turned deathly pale, emitting a painful scream.

Unfortunately, aside from that foolish butterfly nearby, no one else heard her cries.

Quickly, the spider spirit's cultivation was drained by the demon‑eating gu, and it was completely reduced to ash.

Chu Yang held the blood‑red demon‑eating gu in his hand; moments later it vanished, and Chu Yang's body gained nearly five hundred years of cultivation.

"The loss rate was around fifty percent, a bit better than last time; this newly‑bred variety shows improvement, and with continued refinement it should achieve perfect replication."

Having killed the spider spirit, Chu Yang still did not locate the Thunder Spirit Pearl, so the Thunder Spirit Pearl must be in Thunder Prefecture.

"Should I first rendezvous with my senior brother, or go straight to find the other spirit pearls?"

Chu Yang fell into contemplation.

The two wind‑fire spirit pearls might be in the Nanzhao Kingdom, or one could be in the Divine Realm and the other in the Ghost Realm; the Divine and Ghost Realms are hard to access, so a trip to Nanzhao to take a look is most appropriate.

Best case, he can obtain them smoothly; even if not, Chu Yang can at least eliminate two wrong options.

As Chu Yang prepared to depart with his sword, a butterfly suddenly fluttered before his eyes, lingering unwillingly.

"You see, I'm a Taoist, not a scholar; I didn't slash you just now because I considered your nature not bad and that you walk the righteous path. If you don't leave quickly, that thousand‑year cultivation you possess will make me envious!"

Chu Yang wore a stern face and scolded.

He was speaking sincerely; if it weren't for that butterfly spirit named Cai Yi, who was rather loyal, he would have acted long ago.

The little butterfly, as if startled, flailed about in the air and then vanished.

Chu Yang smiled knowingly, departed with his sword, but instead of heading straight to Thunder Prefecture, he went to the General's Tomb he had visited before.

Cai Yi's appearance reminded him of something: near Baihe Village, the Jade Buddha Temple still harbors a monster called Little Stone, whose true form is the Jade Buddha Pearl once held by Patriarch Bodhidharma, already possessing nine hundred ninety‑nine years of cultivation.

It was originally supposed to be subdued by Zhao Ling Er, but the plot changed; to this day it still dominates the Jade Buddha Temple, forcibly compelling others to become monks.

Even if the original storyline were followed, the Jade Buddha Pearl's future would not be good; after Zhao Ling Er's death, it would have no one to control it, again falling into demonic hands, and might even be the great BOSS Chiba Zen Master from The Legend of Sword and Fairy 2.

Thinking of future scenes like the "Little Thunder Sound Temple," Chu Yang felt a chill.

Rather than letting the Jade Buddha Pearl wreak havoc on the world, it's better to deal with it now—whether to forge it into a magical instrument or completely absorb its cultivation, the result is roughly the same.

A flash of sword light streaked across the capital's sky, heading straight for Baihe Village; Chu Yang, releasing his perception aura, quickly located the Jade Buddha Temple.

Many mortals here have been forced into monastic life, leaving families shattered, wives and children scattered.

Just for this reason alone, Little Stone must die.

Chu Yang strode like a meteor into the temple, murderous intent radiating; the incarnation of the old abbot, Little Stone, felt this terrifying killing aura, sensed something terribly wrong, and thus gathered the monks to prepare resistance.

"Taoist disciple?"

The Jade Buddha Pearl, looking at Chu Yang's pretended attire, couldn't help but sneer: "Since you're Taoist, I won't ferry you this time; I'll send you straight to meet the Patriarch."

Chu Yang grinned, "You little thing, your prejudice is strong; if you won't ferry me, I'll ferry you just the same!"

The Jade Buddha Pearl said in a mocking tone, "If you have the skill, kill everyone here!"

As soon as the words fell, countless monks swarmed out, charging straight at Chu Yang; Little Stone's thought was simple: since the opponent is a Taoist disciple, they certainly won't indiscriminately kill, so he could look for a chance to ambush him.

But the next second, an invisible storm centered on Chu Yang swept outward; faintly, Little Stone saw a pale golden sea.

The domineering aura engulfed these ordinary people, and the Jade Buddha Pearl watched helplessly as they fell one after another.

Until the impact struck itself, the Jade Buddha Pearl's face instantly twisted into a grotesque snarl.

When he came to his senses, Chu Yang had already grasped its neck and forced the demon‑eating gu into its mouth.

As the Jade Buddha Pearl perished and its Dao vanished, the monks in the temple regained their senses and fled down the mountain, while Chu Yang gained another five hundred years of cultivation.

In the world of Legend of Sword and Fairy, cultivation and realms are not a one‑to‑one correspondence, especially for the Demon Race.

The two thousand plus years of cultivation Chu Yang obtained from the Demon Race are insufficient to thrust him directly into the next great realm, but they can boost his combat power.

He can use this cultivation to refine his martial arts, thereby strengthening his primal true body.

Having lost its cultivation, the Jade Buddha Pearl no longer has spiritual intelligence, yet it still retains a fragment of sentience; given time, it may again give rise to a consciousness like Little Stone.

Chu Yang stored it in his soul space, leaving it for others to study, and then departed with his sword toward the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Bai Yue, having returned to the Moon‑Worship Sect, felt something, silently stepped out of the room, and looked toward the horizon with an expectant expression.

"Brother Ah Yang truly keeps his word, coming to the Nanzhao Kingdom so quickly to find me," Bai Yue said, seeing the sword light that sliced the sky; he did not linger in the Moon‑Worship Sect, but went straight to a farther place, his expression shifting from gentle to grim.

"Ha ha ha, your little brother Ah Yang seems to have an even more urgent matter to attend to."

"He doesn't even care about the appointment with you."

"I've long told you, those bull‑nosed guys on Shu Mountain cannot be trusted; I am part of them, knowing their hypocrisy better than anyone!"

"Now it's still in time; join me to deal with them—Old Qingwei and the elders of Cang Gu cannot escape the collapse of the Demon‑Locking Tower."

"Just a Sword Saint, the two of us can easily handle him!"

The Evil Sword Immortal, standing aside, reveled in the misfortune; two of his three statements were aimed at coaxing Bai Yue to oppose Shu Mountain with him.

With Shu Mountain eliminated, the life‑form formed from Qingwei and others' evil thoughts, the Evil Sword Immortal can absorb their cultivation and evolve into a true extrinsic heavenly demon.

Then, among the Three Realms and Six Paths, the number of those truly capable of matching him will be countable on one hand.

Facing the Evil Sword Immortal's scheming, Bai Yue was moved; in fact he had already guessed the opponent's intention.

"Had he not also considered using the Evil Sword Immortal to eliminate Shu Mountain?"

Originally Bai Yue didn't care about Shu Mountain, because they rarely meddle in mortal affairs; when the Witch Queen perished together with the Water Demon Beast, the Sword Saint merely watched from the sidelines.

But for some reason, Shushan has suddenly changed its attitude!

He only got a little closer to Yuzhou, and the Sword Saint suddenly appeared to warn him to leave; the two sides almost came to blows over it.

This made Baiyue realize that she might need to change her approach.

"I can cooperate with you, but on the condition that I gain something?" Baiyue crossed her hands, placed them on her abdomen, and asked with a smile. "You want to bring about destruction, but you can't avoid the Five Spirit Pearls; I can help you collect the Five Spirit Pearls, how about that?"

The Evil Sword Immortal confidently pounded his chest in assurance.

"To break the Witch Queen's seal, the Five Spirit Pearls are essential; this deal is fair, I can agree."

Baiyue nodded in agreement, then turned her gaze toward the direction where Chu Yang disappeared and asked, "You said Brother Ah Yang was in such a hurry—what for?"

The Evil Sword Immortal chuckled, "Since we've reached a partnership, how about we use this kid as a sacrificial banner?"

"That won't do. I still have many unanswered questions; until all my doubts are resolved, Brother Ah Yang cannot suffer any mishap."

Baiyue refused the Evil Sword Immortal's suggestion without a second thought.

The Evil Sword Immortal's gaze at Baiyue showed a hint of displeasure, but it vanished quickly, and he kept a smiling face, "You call the shots on this!"

Baiyue gave no reply, cast a technique similar to Shrink‑Earth to Inch, and vanished toward the direction Chu Yang had left.

Wielding his sword, Chu Yang arrived at the Divine Tree Forest, searching everywhere for the Golden‑winged Phoenix, but the forest spanned a vast area, merging into an endless expanse of ten‑thousand great mountains.

"Brother Ah Yang has come to Miao Frontier; why not visit the Baiyue Sect?"

Baiyue silently appeared behind Chu Yang.

"The Sect Leader's cultivation reaches heaven and earth, so he can naturally sense my location; no need for such a move."

Chu Yang turned his head toward Baiyue; the two locked eyes in the air, and he saw murderous intent in her gaze.

"So you deliberately lured me here?"

Baiyue was somewhat curious.

"I can't say it was intentional; I was just betting on whether the Sect Leader would come. If he doesn't, it shows he still trusts me to some degree, leaving room for negotiation. If he does…"

Chu Yang shook his head in disappointment and said, "It means the Sect Leader has made a decision, to go against me and Shushan."

"'Going against each other' sounds severe; I've always regarded Brother Ah Yang as a confidant, our thoughts and minds can align."

Baiyue spread her hands, a powerful aura descended like a sky curtain, and she proclaimed loudly, "Brother Ah Yang, you and Shushan are the ones at odds. Why not stay in the Baiyue Sect? I'll make you a Vice Sect Leader, and together we can change this world."

Chu Yang shook his head and said, "There are many ways to change the world, but never through disaster; I still prefer a more peaceful approach."

"You keep testing A Nu and Tang Yu, merely to prove whether true love exists in the world. They've shown it many times, you've seen it, but you just don't believe."

Baiyue was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "That's not true love; it's just children's play."

"Self‑deception and stubbornness; if you don't know what love is, how can you understand it when you miss it?"

Chu Yang stood in midair, and the Fengdu beneath his feet suddenly rose, spiraling around him, "If you want to force me into the sect, show some real skill, and stop dreaming here!"

"Is it really necessary?" Baiyue shook her head, seeming very disappointed with Chu Yang's attitude, then extended a hand, gathering her aura like mist, and lightly pressed it toward Chu Yang.

In an instant, the heavens and earth shifted, and countless hundred‑zhang ancient trees in the Divine Tree Forest were crushed, as if an invisible force raged.

Chu Yang's entire body flashed with light, entering the True Form of Source Martial Arts; an anomaly of sun and moon sharing the sky appeared behind him, blocking Baiyue's overwhelming aura.

"Oh? Brother Ah Yang is always surprising. I thought you were just knowledgeable, but for someone so young, your cultivation is not shallow."

Baiyue grew interested, her expression turning serious; as her aura rose, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning began to swirl around her.

A raging wind swept by, trees were sliced as if by blades, leaving only piles of dust.

Raindrops fell, striking the ground with huge craters, as if weighing ten thousand jin.

Thunder and lightning intertwined, stretching for ten thousand li, like divine punishment.

Now Baiyue is powerful enough to command nature, using it as a weapon against Chu Yang.

The Divine Tree Forest thus suffered a devastating blow.

The terrifying might reminded Chu Yang of the Grim Reaper World's commander Shanben Yuanliuzhai Zhongguo.

He even thought that even without the Water Demon Beast, the opponent could still achieve world‑destruction using his own power.

Fengdu hovered above Chu Yang's head, and then a tawny underworld water surged from the void behind him, rolling up a thousand layers of waves, shielding Chu Yang from wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

Chu Yang rode the waves forward, charging straight at Baiyue; a fist thundered out, making the whole world shudder violently.

Baiyue had expected Chu Yang to unleash some earth‑shaking sword technique, but instead he came with a single punch, shattering the natural power surrounding her.

"Even an ancient divine beast would likely be no match for this power," Baiyue thought, then marshaled massive aura for defense, only to have it dispersed by Chu Yang's punch.

Baiyue realized she couldn't resist directly; her form instantly vanished like an illusion before Chu Yang.

Because Baiyue also emitted aura interference, Chu Yang's perception couldn't predict her movements, so he could only rely on speed to chase her.

Both were teleporting; Chu Yang used the Flying Thunder God, while Baiyue employed Shrink‑Earth to Inch; neither could gain the upper hand.

Chu Yang grasped sunlight with his left hand, moonlight with his right, and pushed forward; under the mingling sun and moon, a dual‑colored rolling disc suddenly materialized.

The disc, the size of a football field, was thrust by Chu Yang toward Baiyue, who wielded natural power to bombard it, trying to erase its force.

Massive ancient trees in the Divine Tree Forest fell amid their clash, countless animals fled in panic, ultimately drawn by a crisp cry.

A golden ray shot up from the forest; massive twin wings resembled clouds hanging from the sky, and the tail bore a multicolored rainbow glow.

"Golden‑winged Phoenix?"

Chu Yang turned back in surprise, not expecting the Golden‑winged Phoenix to appear at that moment.

The Golden‑winged Phoenix hovered in the sky, its expression proud as it stared at Chu Yang and Baiyue, both the chief culprits of the Divine Tree Forest's destruction.

After a while, the Golden‑winged Phoenix let out a cry and surged toward Baiyue.

Chu Yang, though detestable, was not as bad as Baiyue in the Phoenix's eyes; she considered the latter the truly unforgivable villain.

"Interesting?" Baiyue crossed her hands behind her, her gaze indifferent, and said, "You, a mere beast, think you can kill me?"

"If you were a true phoenix, I'd still fear you three points, but you're just a spirit beast with phoenix blood, daring to bark before me?"

A terrifying pressure spread, the Golden‑winged Phoenix seemed grasped by a pair of giant hands, its body frozen in midair, emitting a painful screech.

Clack clack clack~~~ the sound of bones snapping rang continuously; the phoenix's divine light dimmed, its body shrank, turning into the shape of a woman.

His whole body bathed in blood.

In the dire instant, Chu Yang surged forward again, sky‑filled fist imprints crushing the heavens, and he brutally shattered Bai Yue's spell.

The sword light flashed and vanished, sweeping away the Golden‑winged Phoenix, disappearing before Bai Yue's eyes.

Watching the direction the two departed, Bai Yue remained silent for a long while, then chose to turn and leave.

(End of Chapter)