https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-133-First-Confrontation-with-a-Martial-Warrior/12554068/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-135-The-True-Meaning-of-the-Tai-Chi-Against-a-Mighty-Demon/12554070/
Chapter 134: Peacock Valley
Chapter 134: Peacock Valley
A gentle breeze swept through the mountainside.
Before a smooth stone wall, a figure silently appeared.
Yan Xingkong, dragging his right leg which had lost all sensation, clutched his stomach, his face still twitching uncontrollably. He took a couple of steps and spat out another mouthful of blood.
Wiping the corner of his mouth, a horrified expression appeared in his eyes.
Back in Tingyang County, Yan Xingkong had noticed among his pursuers a very young and unfamiliar face, likely a novice demon catcher just starting his journey.
He estimated that the Demon Suppression Division thought he was still playing games and didn't take the matter seriously.
Even after reaching demon territory, that young man was still on his trail.
Yan Xingkong had intended to show himself and warn the pursuer that this situation was entirely different from previous encounters.
But before he could do so, he was met with a powerful knee strike.
The terrifying force within it had almost led him to believe he had encountered a demon comparable to a fully condensed Golden Core cultivator.
"Good move! Good move!"
Yan Xingkong snapped out of the pain, not only unfazed but with an even more ferocious look in his eyes.
He made an odd hand gesture and then walked straight into the smooth stone wall.
The wall rippled as if disturbed, soon calming down again, leaving only a few crimson bloodstains on the ground as proof that someone had indeed been there.
About an incense stick's worth of time later.
Three figures approached from the foot of the mountain, two of them daoists filled with confusion. "The aura has disappeared?"
Xiao Qiangwei frowned slightly, not seeing any trace of Shen Yi. She lowered her gaze to the bloodstains on the ground.
She took a quick step forward, closed her eyes to sense the aura with her fingertips, then opened her eyes to scan the surroundings, finally fixing her gaze on the stone wall in front of her.
She reached out and gently touched it.
The next moment, her fair and slender hand disappeared into the stone wall.
"Illusion Art Array?" Pure Yang Daoist exclaimed, his eyes wide, no longer resembling the lofty figure of White Cloud Observatory.
Cleanse Daoist's face turned solemn. An array that could completely conceal auras was not something ordinary wild demons would possess; only those ancient demons that had been passed down through generations would have such extravagant resources.
They had only been pursuing Yan Xingkong, so how had they ended up in such a place?
He cautiously took a half-step back and warned, "Miss Xiao, stop! An array like this, if you don't have the corresponding incantation, even slight contact will attract the attention of demons..."
Recovering martial arts was indeed important, but not at the cost of their lives.
Perhaps this was Yan Xingkong's scheme, luring them here intentionally to play a trick and use the demons to kill them.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiangwei looked at the bloodstains on the ground again.
She didn't think Yan Xingkong could be Shen Yi's opponent, but from what she knew of Shen Yi, if she dared to enter Black Stone Pond, how could she be stopped by a mere stone wall?
With this in mind, she suddenly stepped forward and entered.
"..."
Seeing this, the two old daoists were stunned, exchanging a bitter glance. They followed suit, their faces filled with reluctance.
They were all Golden Core realm warriors, and with Miss Xiao injured, the duty of White Cloud Sect was to subdue demons and eliminate evil. There was no reason to retreat in the face of losing their signature martial arts to the demons.
...
The valley was deep and serene, the spring water as clear as jade.
At the bottom of the valley, by the spring, stood several wooden houses.
On the cliff above, Yan Xingkong crawled on the ground, his aura suppressed to the extreme. As the leader of thieves, this was his specialty.
At that moment, his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the windows of the wooden houses below.
His ears twitched slightly, and despite the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of conversation within.
In the largest wooden house, an elderly man in a white robe sat with his eyes closed, appearing immortal with his ethereal aura. The only strange thing was the brilliant feathers covering both sides of his cheeks.
Next to him was an old woman preparing tea, her face also adorned with feathers. She sighed, "E'er is too willful. If she hadn't lied about me being in danger, she wouldn't have come back to visit."
The old man coldly smiled, "If she wasn't willful, how could she have followed a mere mortal man outside? Sister, we gave birth to her and raised her, but has she ever listened to a single piece of our advice? A daughter like that is better off forgotten."
(End of chapter)
Only by doing so could they ensure that each generation could produce both the Green Feather and the Red Feather.
Kong Ying was destined to be with her brother, but she defied fate and escaped from the valley to marry a martial artist in Qingzhou. Her actions were tantamount to severing their lineage.
The more the old man spoke, the angrier he became. He stood up abruptly. "I think it's our son who's at a disadvantage, having to share a wife with that mortal scum. It's a disgrace!"
Just then, the old woman looked out suspiciously. "Someone has intruded upon our valley?"
As she spoke, the two elders' gazes turned icy cold. Soon after, a sinister smile appeared on the old man's face. "I was planning to wait until after my breakthrough to go to Qingzhou and take his head, but I didn't expect this boy to be so sensible and take the initiative to come here to meet his death."
"Jing'er, keep an eye on your sister. I hear that boy is quite agile," the old woman said indifferently.
As her words fell, the small door of the neighboring wooden house creaked open.
A youth with a handsome and delicate face stepped out slowly. He wore a luxurious feathered robe, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing arms stained with blood.
He played with a beautiful red feather between his fingers and smiled coldly. "There's no need for that."
Behind him, inside the house, lay a large peacock on the bed. Its once-gorgeous feathers had lost their luster, and its long tail feathers hung limply on the ground. Its eyes were dull, and dried bloodstains covered the large bed, indicating that it had been dead for some time.
The two elders walked out of the house, glanced at the peacock, and looked a little surprised, but they didn't say much. "Look at you, you couldn't even keep things clean."
"While Ying was alive, she served Yan Xingkong. I can't be too far behind," Kong Jing said coldly, holding the fiery red feather. "I heard that when she was in Qingzhou, whenever Bai Ziming couldn't save someone, she would go and help. Using our clan's treasure to save someone from the Demon Suppression Division is truly laughable."
"There's no need for resentment. Wait until your father captures Yan Xingkong, and you can take your revenge," the old man said, standing with his hands behind his back and looking calmly towards the entrance of the valley.
He was a Demon with a fully condensed Golden Core. Outside of Qingzhou, unless a major general of the Demon Suppression Division arrived, there was no one who could make him flinch.
At the same time, Xiao Qiangwei and the others passed through the stone wall and finally saw the beautiful valley, a veritable utopia.
However, in just an instant, their expressions changed.
They couldn't sense any demonic energy on the entire mountain, but as soon as they stepped into the valley, a surge of demonic energy enveloped them.
Great Demons! And not just one!
The two Daoists swallowed hard and quickly clenched their jaws. Almost simultaneously, they formed sword fingers.
On the cliff above the valley, Yan Xingkong looked at the dead peacock in the house. His eyes, once filled with bloodshot threads, were now calm and chilling.
He showed no surprise because he had already sensed his wife's death.
There was no resentment in his eyes, either; they were now filled with dense and palpable killing intent, leaving no room for anything else.
Kong Ying was a demon, and so were the ones here, who never entered Qingzhou. No one would go out of their way to avenge the death of another demon, traveling thousands of miles to provoke them.
The Demon Suppression Division, the White Cloud Observatory... These were all the help Yan Xingkong could muster.
He slowly climbed to his feet and wiped his right hand over the small cloth bag at his waist. A brilliant golden bow instantly appeared in his palm.
The bow was incredibly heavy and ornate, with cloud patterns forming the bow arms and a large sun at its center. Even the bowstring emitted a faint white light!
(End of Chapter)
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