Chapter 422: Cornering the Beast (Triple Combination)

Chapter 422: Cornering the Beast (Triple Combination)



"...'

Nie Jun froze for a moment, then revealed himself and rushed towards the main hall without hesitation.

When he landed in the dark and quiet hall, he witnessed a startling scene.

Below the towering statue of the sect founder, the black-backed old dog stood taut. It raised its front paw, eyes narrowed in caution as it stared at the silver-armored figure walking towards it.

Shen Yi strolled forward unhurriedly until he stood before the dog. Then, he slowly crouched down, extending his hand and beckoning with his index finger.

"Whine."

A crisp sound echoed through the hall.

Nie Jun was stunned.

The old dog's pupils dilated, and its body froze.

In its line of sight, the silver-armored youth transformed into a figure clad in a white robe from Nanyang, his face blurred but exuding a hint of kindness as he reached out towards the dog.

"Laifu, come here."

This was the forgiveness it had waited for countless millennia.

However, in the next instant, the old dog's eyes nearly burst with killing intent. "Roar!"

This was preposterous.

There was no way the sect leader could know the name of a spirit dog guarding the back kitchen.

It abruptly lifted its front paw and viciously swiped forward! But in that moment of distraction, Shen Yi had already grabbed its paw, his body beneath the silver armor erupting with unimaginable power.

With a mighty swing,

Zhang Laifu's entire body was sent flying through the air. He crashed onto the stone steps outside the hall and tumbled down dozens of times before coming to a stop within the range of the Iron Painting Silver Hook Grand Formation.

Kill! Trap! Restrict!

The three styles merged into a complete grand formation, sealing the old dog within.

It stood there, dazed.

Even if it had been distracted for a moment,

The terrifying force it had just experienced far exceeded the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The next moment,

Zhang Laifu watched as Shen Yi strolled out of the hall, his silver armor gleaming. The mountain wind lifted his snow-white cloak, and he stood atop the Nanyang relief, looking down at the dog.

A pair of pitch-black, clear eyes seemed to pass judgment.

This was Zhang Laifu's worst nightmare.

After countless nights, he could no longer remember how many times he had dreamed of this scene.

The old dog instinctively lowered its head.

Then it noticed the iron chain around its neck.

It slowly reached out with its front paw, grasping the chain. Its whole body trembled as it made a strange sound, a mix of laughter and tears. "Heh... heh..."

Crack! Crack!

The iron chain didn't even have a chance to break before it turned to dust in the dog's palm.

"Aping humanity."

The old dog seemed to be muttering to itself as it slowly raised its head to look at Shen Yi. "Evil demon."

Then it looked up at the sky, its gaze sweeping past the slightly trembling figure. "Heretic."

"To trespass upon the domain of Nanyang, your sin deserves death!"

It was not the last disciple of the Nanyang Sect.

According to the sect's inheritance laws,

Zhang (insert surname), is the leader of the Nanyang Sect! No one has the right to judge its mistakes, and it has not made any mistakes. All that belongs to the Nanyang Sect is rightfully his to enjoy.

In the instant the old dog's gaze changed,

Ye Wenxuan seemed to see the terrifying figure that had once destroyed Wutong Mountain.

She even considered turning around and running away.

Fortunately, the old dog's attention wasn't focused on her.

Now, the only person in its eyes was the one holding the Dao plaque, standing in the main hall—Nie Jun.

"...'

Ye Wenxuan swallowed.

Although the original plan had been to cultivate Nie Jun so that he could play his part in this very moment, with the disciple holding the Dao plaque to attract the dog's attention while she used various means to restrain it,

When she saw the dog's claw swipe, she still felt a twinge of worry.

As expected, although the trap formation could seal the old dog within,

A massive dog paw still appeared in the air, smashing towards the main hall! Nie Jun had found the place to insert the Dao plaque—

The concave slot in the palm of the founder's statue.

His cultivation was too low, and he needed to infuse all the spiritual energy he could muster into the slot to barely activate the plaque and initiate the sect's protective formation.

It would take at least half an hour.

In this situation, the only thing he could rely on was the Dao Palace hidden between his brows.

But faced with that overpowering claw strike,

His proud Purple Xia True Thunder Sword Palace seemed incredibly fragile.

Boom!!

As the massive dog paw descended, the silver-armored youth suddenly appeared.

Blinding golden flames surged from the gaps in his armor, instantly transforming into two fiery wings—a blazing inferno that collided head-on with the dog's paw!

Like the golden crow in the sky, stirring up boundless waves of fire!

Shen Yi looked down, his gaze intense, but he said nothing.

Nie Jun immediately understood his intent.

All he needed to do was focus on activating the formation; he could even channel the energy from the Dao Palace into the slot. The rest could be left to Shen Yi.

"...'

Shen Yi retracted his gaze, and the fiery wings of golden flame swept forward once more, shattering the dog's claw shadow.

His figure burst into motion, soaring into the air and hovering above the formation.

With a wave of his hand, a massive brush appeared, using the flames as ink. He casually waved the brush in the air, creating a mysterious array symbol that descended upon the old dog.

The restriction formation would seal its demonic power.

With their combined efforts, the Iron Painting Silver Hook formation finally unleashed its true might.

The old dog swiped its claws again, rushing towards Nie Jun!

It was evident that even without the use of its demonic power and various cultivation techniques, relying solely on its demonic physique and the innate abilities gained from consuming countless celestial treasures, it was more than enough for it to look down upon the entire Nanyang Sect with disdain.

Dong!

Shen Yi dove down from the sky, his golden flame-clad fist slamming onto the old dog's snout.

With his movement,

the sharp cry erupted from within the phoenix egg, and the surrounding crimson flames surged into his limbs and bones.

With this all-out burst of power, the black-backed yellow dog's lips curled, and its entire body was sent flying again, the golden flames scorching its fur.

By the time Zhang Laifu landed, he had become a pitiful sight, his body covered in patches.

"Hss!"

The old dog quickly flipped over, blood dripping from its nose, its eyes wide open.

If the previous attack was unexpected, then this punch made it truly realize Shen Yi's strength.

"Heavenly Phoenix Undying True Body... Is this the great elixir you gave me?"

This Ling Qiu technique was somewhat famous in the former Nanyang Sect. When cultivated to perfection, it could even rival a Nascent Soul cultivator at the sixth layer.

Zhang Laifu suddenly remembered the Spirit Emperor he had released.

No... The phoenix bloodline is too violent. Even if the Spirit Emperor had just emerged from the Thousand Demon Cave and was immediately killed, the opponent wouldn't have had enough time to digest its essence blood.

Even the cultivators of the former Nanyang Sect, with the assistance of various elixirs, would have needed at least a thousand years.

The Ling Qiu technique is only related to the Dao Infant and does not benefit from any comprehension bonuses.

"There's something wrong with you!"

Zhang Laifu slowly took a step forward.

In this place, no one understood better than it how long it would take to digest the medicinal strength.

It stared intently at the young man before it.

Its initial plan was to kill the one holding the Dao plaque first, and then slowly deal with these two heretics, but now it seemed that if it didn't take care of this young man, with its demonic power sealed, it would be difficult to find a way to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator from outside the formation.

"Let me see what exactly you're hiding."

The old dog bared its fangs, actually feeling flustered. Now that it looked closely, with Nie Jun's cultivation, he would need quite some time to activate the formation, and it still had ample time.

As it spoke, it suddenly pounced!

Without the terrifying illusion from before, its claws looked no different from an ordinary dog's, only slightly larger.

But the wings that Shen Yi had casually torn apart earlier were easily shredded by these dog claws.

Zii!

The golden sea of fire cracked and dispersed into a myriad of golden lights, slowly gathering once more.

In this fleeting moment, Zhang Laifu's claws had heavily slammed onto Shen Yi's chest.

Ka-ka!

The silver armor suddenly cracked.

However, compared to the previous robe, it at least didn't explode.

The mighty force poured onto the young man.

Shen Yi's golden flames seemed to be scattered by the gale, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he threw an even fiercer punch back.

The old dog's eye sockets made a crisp sound, neither dodging nor evading, and it opened its mouth to bite towards Shen Yi's neck.

Shen Yi withdrew his fist and fiercely slammed his elbow into the opponent's mouth.

The robust golden flames and boundless blood energy intertwined as they soared into the sky, causing a heat wave to roll throughout the entire Thousand Demon Cave.

"..."

Ye Wenxuan covered her face with the back of her hand, her pupils shrinking to dots.

The old dog was still the old dog, as fierce as it had been before. But now, there was a person in this world who could rival its demonic body with his physical strength.

Whether it was either of them.

She was far from being able to contend.

The plan that had been plotted for so many years seemed like a ridiculous joke under the old dog's three or four moves.

She didn't have the strength to stop it.

She had to lure it out of the Thousand Demon Cave to have a chance to leave this place.

But from the old dog's reactions, if it didn't have absolute certainty, it wouldn't leave the grand hall.

If one wanted to force their way out like Shen Yi, the probability was high that Nie Jun would have become its tonic.

So, from beginning to end, she had never had any hope of leaving the Nanyang Sect.

But... How did Shen Yi grow to such a terrifying extent? Could it be that the seal of this world ignored him alone?!

Ye Wenxuan lowered her hand, and light burst from her brow.

With the palace-sealing object, the Dao Palace was separated from the heavens and earth and hidden within her sea of consciousness.

After so many years, her Spirit Extreme Heaven's Origin Palace finally saw the light of day again.

At the same time.

Hidden far away, Tong Xinquan seized the opportunity and flicked the God-Refining Heavenly Silk between his fingers.

He had always wanted to find a chance to launch a sneak attack on a strong person's back to test the power of his formation.

But he never thought that his target would change from Nie Jun or Ling Xi to the only Nascent Soul great demon in this world.

Tong Xinquan's hands trembled with excitement.

The huge brush in the formation suddenly drew the character 'kill', which heavily struck the old dog's back.

"Ao!"

Zhang Laifu's teeth had been shattered by Shen Yi's elbow strike, and he had intended to focus on biting off the opponent's arm. But suddenly, he received this scorching heavy blow and couldn't help but cry out in pain.

Then, like a torrential downpour, his fists rained down relentlessly on the dog's skull.

Towering golden flames surged forth, engulfing the old dog completely.

At the same time, another crimson Dao Palace materialized in the sky. The Immortal Emperor sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, while the Nine-Headed Celestial Beast let out a unified roar, and four imposing guardian stones gazed out over the mortal realm.

All demons bowed in reverence.

Break the Illusion! Red Sun! Golden Wind Soul Capture!

Three consecutive Dao techniques were unleashed.

The eerie and terrifying bloodshot eyes, the crimson Great Sun, and the surging bloody wind rushed towards Zhang Laifu, who was enveloped in golden flames!

"Roar!"

The old dog seemed to be drowning in a sea of blood and fire, the howling wind sounding like tigers roaring through the mountains, shaking its spirit.

Marks of scorching fire appeared in Shen Yi's palms as he slapped them viciously onto the old dog's skull.

"Do you know... just how many precious pills I've consumed...?"

Zhang Laifu's eyes glazed over, his dog face drenched in blood plasma, yet it didn't smell putrid at all; instead, a thick medicinal fragrance permeated the air.

With its mediocre bloodline, it couldn't possibly digest so many heavenly treasures.

But at this moment, the accumulated medicinal power was surging forth like a raging river!

It suddenly lashed out with its claws, channeling all its might into a brutal strike on Shen Yi.

The already cracked silver armor shattered completely.

Shen Yi's body was engulfed in golden flames, his figure cracked, and the demonic poison within him began to stir, emitting a faint black mist.

His body was sent flying and tumbled on the ground a couple of times.

He clumsily got to his feet, wiping the corner of his mouth, his pitch-black pupils unperturbed.

"..."

The old dog landed a successful hit, but there was no hint of joy in its eyes; instead, it panted heavily.

The fluctuations in the atmosphere were gradually calming down.

This indicated that Nie Jun's efforts to activate the formation were nearing completion.

Although Shen Yi appeared injured, he was still far from the brink of death.

This almost signaled his impending demise.

Zhang Laifu paused for a moment, his body slowly beginning to twitch. After guarding the Nanyang Sect for so many years, it had finally been breached by intruders.

"..."

Nie Jun, who was in the main hall, finally spared a glance outside.

He finally understood why Shen Yi had been so decisive.

Up until now, his master hadn't even made a move, and the activation of the grand formation was already a done deal.

Shen Yi's overwhelming strength exceeded the imagination of mortals.

"Since it's come to this, let's die together."

The old dog's voice suddenly turned calm as it shifted its gaze away from Shen Yi.

From this moment on, its goal shifted from guarding Nie Jun to pure slaughter.

And when it came to slaughter, it naturally started with the easiest target.

It slowly turned around and extended its claw towards Tong Xinquan, the furthest away. Once this formation was broken and its demonic power was unleashed, none of them would be able to escape.

At this moment, in the distant Dao Palace in the sky, after so many years of accumulation,

An immense spiritual pressure, covering an area of tens of miles, had formed.

It had condensed into a fist-sized mass, within which the spiritual sea churned, containing an awe-inspiring might.

Ye Wenxuan lowered her gaze, staring at the old dog on the ground, and reluctantly swung her palms downward.

The fist-sized spiritual pressure descended silently, crashing onto the old dog's waist.

She should have been in Shen Yi's position.

At the very least, she should have taken the place of Nie Jun, who had just broken through.

Yet, at this moment, she felt like an outsider, ignored by everyone.

Let this old dog see the consequences of ignoring her.

Puff—

Half of the old dog's body was crushed under the spiritual pressure.

Fragrant blood splattered everywhere.

However, it showed no reaction, merely swinging its claw towards Tong Xinquan.

And under everyone's watchful eyes,

The old dog's wounds began to heal at a visible rate, not because of any special ability it possessed, but because it wanted to showcase the profound heritage of the Nanyang Sect.

"Heh! Heh! Heh!"

Tong Xinquan had felt a sense of dread watching Shen Yi and the old dog clash from a distance, but now that he had become the target of the dog's claw,

His cultivation at the later stage of the Transformation Realm seemed to have suddenly vanished.

He felt like an ordinary mortal.

Under the immense pressure, he couldn't even twitch a finger.

As he watched the dog's claw grow larger,

It suddenly vanished, as if everything had been an illusion.

Within the formation,

Shen Yi grabbed the old dog by the scruff of its neck and casually threw it aside.

The toxin attacked the five vital organs, and the golden flames struggled to suppress it. Even so, black flame-like patterns appeared on his bare upper body, giving him a terrifying appearance.

He seemed to have reached his limit.

Just then, a crisp buzzing sound rang out from the sky.

It sounded like the call of death.

The old dog, which had not yet stood up, trembled a few times.

It stared blankly at the radiant light emanating from the main hall, and even its roar lacked conviction.

"I will kill you!"

Zhang Laifu's eyes turned bloodshot as he lunged at Shen Yi!

Ye Wenxuan watched as the old dog's wounds completely healed, her pupils constricting. Her full-power strike had been so easily negated.

She looked towards the main hall again and saw that the expected outsider cultivator had not yet appeared.

"Let's go!"

Ye Wenxuan shouted, and with a final wave of her hand, a spiritual pressure descended from the Dao Palace, helping Shen Yi barely repel the old dog.

Without hesitation, she rushed towards the main hall.

She landed beside Nie Jun and screamed, "Give me the Dao plaque! Let's go!"

"...'

Nie Jun stood below the statue of the sect founder, holding the Dao plaque that emanated a radiant spiritual light.

He silently watched his master, then glanced outside.

That young figure, drenched in blood, seemed to have ignored his master's reminder. Shen Yi merely glanced casually at Tong Xinquan outside the formation and then looked towards the distant horizon before ruthlessly charging towards the old dog!

Nie Jun retracted his gaze and pointed at the light screen beside him. "I'll attract the old dog's attention, as you asked me to do, and I've done it."

"But this..."

He gestured with the Dao plaque in his hand and said indifferently, "You're not suitable."

With that, Nie Jun suddenly threw the Dao plaque towards Shen Yi in the formation and then stepped out, the Purple Xia True Thunder Sword Palace erupting and filling the sky.

However, what the people present didn't know was that at the moment the protective sect formation was activated, their figures had already occupied the sky like immortal gods.

From the Thousand Demon Cave to Dagan, and to every corner of the world.

Whether cultivators or ordinary mortals, as long as they glanced up, they could clearly see that majestic main hall.

"Madman! They're all madmen!"

Ye Wenxuan watched wide-eyed as the Dao plaque flew out of the main hall, her heart suddenly sinking.

She shook her head and breathed heavily, striding into the light screen.

Those inside the Thousand Demon Cave, strong like Ling Xi and Miao Qinghui, or weak like Jiang Qiuluan and Zhu Jue, all rushed towards the main hall. When they saw their master turn and leave,

Ling Xi and the other Wutong Mountain disciples froze for a moment.

They probably understood their master's character.

But when this scene actually unfolded before their eyes, it still made their hearts ache inexplicably.

"Purple Xia True Thunder, heed my command!"

Nie Jun stood on the Xuan Sword, and in the Dao Palace throne, that illusory longsword was suddenly covered by purple thunder.

It pierced through the sky, aiming straight for the old dog's head!

Swish!

The Purple Xia True Thunder Sword Art tore through the sky, accompanied by deafening thunderclaps, piercing the old dog's brow and sinking in by an inch.

Nie Jun's figure fell, having almost exhausted all his accumulated energy when he activated the Dao plaque.

But he grabbed the Xuan Sword with his other hand and continued to slash at the old dog.

Zhang Laifu glanced at him indifferently and swiped his claws to strike him down.

In that moment, Shen Yi's golden wings slammed Nie Jun away, his black eyes fixed on the purple thunder in the old dog's brow. The next moment, he reached out towards it.

The Purple Xia True Thunder crackled and exploded on his fingers.

But those slender fingers still tightly grasped the sword hilt.

As Zhang Laifu watched in astonishment,

Shen Yi transformed into a fierce murderous god, his calm expression twisting into a sinister grin.

He grabbed the old dog by the scruff of its neck and slammed it to the ground!

Under the corrosion of the Dan toxin, a few cracks appeared on the phoenix egg, from which a vigorous vitality burst forth, turning into a dazzling golden light that flowed into his arms.

Shen Yi pressed the old dog's head down with his knee.

He held the sword with both hands and raised it above his head. Within the purple thunder, the straight sword edge faintly appeared, carrying a strong killing intent.

He ruthlessly stabbed towards the old dog's neck!

Puff!

Scalding dog blood splattered onto Shen Yi's face. That handsome and fair face showed no signs of cruelty, only a resolute killing intent.

The sword edge tore through the old dog's neck, creating a deep gash in its abdomen.

Just as the accumulated medicinal power began to repair its injuries,

Shen Yi skillfully reached out, almost without needing to search, and instantly grasped the old dog's demon core, moving so fast that Zhang Laifu didn't even have a chance to react.

With a pull, another spray of blood flew up.

Shen Yi released the longsword and fiercely pressed down on Zhang Laifu's head with his hand, not stopping until he no longer felt any struggling in his palm.

Then, he sat down on the ground, panting heavily.

In the entire sky, only one man and one dog remained.

"...'

Nie Jun fell onto the Nanyang relief, his eyes fixed on the youth with his bare upper body.

After a moment, he silently walked into the main hall.

In the compartment behind the statue of the sect founder, he searched around.

Nie Jun couldn't think of anything that could be used to cover his master's body, so he could only use what he had in his hands.

In Zhang Laifu's collection, a white Nanyang robe was placed on top.

He respectfully held the robe and stepped into the formation, draping it over Shen Yi's exhausted body. He also picked up the Dao plaque from the ground.

Then, he knelt on one knee and presented it to his master.

"...'

Shen Yi glanced at Nie Jun and finally adjusted his breathing, raising an eyebrow, "Stop being sentimental."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end