Chapter 135: Rescue (Part Two)

Your battle experience is still severely lacking. Hmph, little scumbag, that was merely an afterimage; the true Nether Power Claw is right here! Jue's voice echoed directly within Jiang Feng's sea of consciousness, yet it sounded identical to Jiang Feng's own, making it completely impossible for outsiders to distinguish.

A massive claw materialized once again right before Liu Xiayuan's chest, grasping downward with ferocious force.

Bang!

This time, no matter how desperately "Liu Xiayuan" tried to condense his nether power to resist, it was already too late. All of his nether power shattered with a succession of popping sounds. His body took the strike squarely, sending a torrent of blood violently spraying from his mouth. His entire chest collapsed inward, nearly cleaving his torso directly in two.

Fortunately, the physical bodies of those in the True Nether Realm are exceptionally resilient, and the majority of the claw's destructive force had been blunted by his nether power, sparing Liu Xiayuan from being blasted to pieces on the spot.

"Nether Power Disintegra—"

Even as he was sent flying backward through mid-air, Liu Xiayuan proved to be a ruthless individual. Realizing that he was utterly doomed this time, he whipped up his formidable demonic will, attempting to unleash the lethal Nether Power Disintegration Art.

However, Jue's methods were incomparably seasoned and ruthless; having anticipated this exact move, it struck like a phantom. The claw reappeared directly above "Liu Xiayuan's" head and lashed down viciously.

A "Rotting Immortal Formation" took shape once more, sinking deep into the opponent's mind. It instantly assaulted Liu Xiayuan's demonic will, dragged his entire being into the Rivers and Mountains Bottle, and suppressed him heavily at the very bottom, leaving him with no hope of turning the tables.

By now, "it" was already capable of driving several of the wondrous functions of the Rivers and Mountains Bottle.

Just how formidable was the Rivers and Mountains Bottle? It was a supreme nether artifact; even a fraction of its utility possessed boundless might. Combined with Jue's nether arts and its wealth of combat experience, Liu Xiayuan was simply too green after all. How could he possibly be a match for Jue?

In terms of sheer mastery in combat, even Liu Xiayuan's master, the Moon-Worshipping Ancestor, might not compare.

Wailing winds howled continuously...

Seeing their master instantly suppressed, the demonic blade "Eight Desolations Pale Flame" seemed to sense the mortal danger. With a sudden flight, it broke free from Jiang Feng's grip, tore through the void, and shot upward into the sky, attempting to escape.

"Fine piece of work! This treasure has actually birthed its own sentience. Even the White Emperor Glazed Tripod isn't as spirited as you. How could I possibly let you escape? Extraction Net!"

Jue chuckled maliciously, spreading its claws to unleash streams of nether power that transformed into an earthly net, trapping the demonic blade within. Yet, this fierce demonic blade seemed to have its bloodlust thoroughly incited. It emitted a intense wave of a bloody stench from within the net, thrashing wildly from side to side. Completely ignoring the corrosive power of the earthly net, it resembled a blood demon bent on devouring the heavens and the earth.

"Such a powerful demonic blade. If only it could be used by me."

Jiang Feng had never witnessed such a terrifying demonic blade before; its murderous intent was truly unparalleled. Fortunately, Liu Xiayuan had been successfully ambushed just now. Had he been given the chance to unleash the full might of this demonic blade, the consequences would have been...

Seeing that Jue had suppressed Liu Xiayuan, but was finding it somewhat strenuous to subdue the demonic blade, Jiang Feng immediately activated several grand formations within the King Tripod. Sweeping outward, they tightly coiled around the demonic blade. He then soared into the air himself, plunging into the nether earthly net to do battle with the demonic blade "Eight Desolations Pale Flame."

He was intentionally tempering himself through this, unwilling to let slip even the slightest opportunity. Condensing nether power into his fists, he struck out from all directions, occasionally opening his palms to grasp outward, engaging in an exhilarating clash with the demonic blade.

Constrained by the extraction net and suppressed by the grand formations of the King Tripod, the ferocity of the demonic blade "Eight Desolations Pale Flame" was greatly diminished. Thus, as it fought with Jiang Feng, they remained relatively evenly matched.

"Jiang Feng, hurry up and subdue this demonic blade! Although Liu Xiayuan has been suppressed by me, he is still capable of making waves. We cannot capsize in a drainage ditch and let such a magnificent situation be ruined in an instant."

"Understood!"

Jiang Feng unleashed his divine abilities back-to-back, pouring every ounce of his available nether power into the effort. Simultaneously driving the King Tripod and exerting his own nether power, he gradually forced the demonic blade "Eight Desolations Pale Flame" under control. He then suppressed it deep within the King Tripod, locking it down firmly, waiting only for an opportunity to refine it.

"For a demonic blade that has lost its master to still be this formidable—truly an eye-opener." Having suppressed the blade, Jiang Feng praised it inwardly, growing all the more convinced that the destructive power of the Eight Desolations Pale Flame suited him to perfection.

***

"Jiang Feng, congratulations on your soaring strength! Looking at it now, among the true disciples of our Jiuyan Town Langya Chamber of Commerce, aside from the five senior brothers and senior sisters, very few can hold a candle to you. Especially after refining this demonic blade, the Eight Desolations Pale Flame, your reputation will undoubtedly skyrocket. Jiuyan Town has produced yet another prodigy!" Duan Xingyun finally regained his composure and flew out from the King Tripod.

"You..."

Jiang Feng smiled faintly, opening his mouth to speak.

"Well?" Duan Xingyun waved his hand, flashing a mischievous smile. "Don't ask me, I didn't see a thing!" This gesture clearly indicated that he would never leak the secret.

"This time, your share of the spoils is naturally guaranteed. Since Liu Xiayuan is the chief disciple of the Moon-Worshipping Sword Sect, the treasures he carries and the reserves within this castle are bound to be substantial. Right now, we are going to ransack the place!" Having reaped enormous benefits this time, Jiang Feng naturally intended to share a portion with Duan Xingyun. This Moon-Worshipping Hall had all the hallmarks of the Moon-Worshipping Ancestor's personal palace; it was bound to house some fine treasures and deserved a thorough plundering.

"Agreed, let's ransack it!"

Duan Xingyun brandished the Nine-Turn Earth-Rock Sword from the ground and took flight, searching in all directions. Before long, he discovered a variety of medicinal herbs cultivated within the castle's garden, packing them all into the King Tripod.

Simultaneously, a collection of precious ores stored in the rear warehouse of the castle was also scooped up by Duan Xingyun.

Aside from those, flying swords, spirit artifacts, and other high-grade magical treasures were nowhere to be found. Jiang Feng knew very well that items at the spirit artifact level were exceptionally precious and invariably kept close to their owners. While storage pouches were rare and valuable items, as a chief disciple and an expert in the first stage of the True Nether Realm, it was impossible for him to lack a vessel for storage.

"This alms bowl used for holding the Nine-Sun Holy Water—I wonder what kind of magical treasure this is?" Seeing that Duan Xingyun had finished his looting, Jiang Feng picked up the alms bowl. Directing a sliver of his consciousness to probe inside, he discovered a space within that resembled a small pond.

"Jue actually absorbed this much Nine-Sun Holy Water? No wonder it recovered so rapidly, reaching the True Nether Realm in a single bound," Jiang Feng exclaimed in shock.

Duan Xingyun took the alms bowl and similarly extended his consciousness to investigate. "This bowl has an inner space as vast as a small pond. Just how much Nine-Sun Holy Water is stored in here? I wager the entire reserve of a major immortal sect wouldn't amount to much more than this. He took a massive loss this time around, though it's a pity not a single drop was left behind. Otherwise, had my Star-Sand Divine Art absorbed the Nine-Sun Holy Water, my true qi would have been refined to an even higher degree."

"You might as well keep this alms bowl; it'll come in handy for carrying things."

Jiang Feng suggested.

Duan Xingyun accepted it cheerfully. By now, his relationship with Jiang Feng was far from ordinary, so naturally, he stood on no ceremony.

"There is likely something fishy beneath this throne! While it's true that precious treasures are usually kept on one's person, the foundations beneath the thrones of ancient castles invariably conceal hoards—that is standard practice for the architecture of most sects." Jue suddenly cast its consciousness outward to inspect all directions, finally fixing its gaze upon the throne at the center of the castle.

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Jiang Feng's heart stirred. With a flick of his hand, his Wood Emperor Nether Power transformed into a three-fingered palm, mimicking the Earthly Fiend Sky-Breaking Hand. With a single strike, he shattered the throne into pieces. A gentle pull caused the shattered remnants to lift away, revealing a shallow cave beneath.

Sure enough, there were treasures hidden here.

Nestled within this shallow cave sat a gigantic egg the size of a millstone. The egg was stark white, its surface covered in densely packed runic inscriptions that seemingly sealed away the colossal vitality throbbing within.

"What kind of egg is this, Jue?" Jiang Feng asked.

"It should be the egg of some nether beast. It possesses boundless life force within, likely kept by Liu Xiayuan to cultivate by absorbing its vitality. The nether beasts of this world—perhaps originating from some starry expanse beyond the realm—are too numerous to fully identify. Just pack it away and find a chance to hatch it later."

Jue stated indifferently.

"Very well! Stowed away!" Jiang Feng waved his hand and collected the giant egg.

"Now, let's go harvest the external army. With Liu Xiayuan suppressed, the disciples of the Moon-Worshipping Sword Sect are utterly leaderless and ripe for our taking!" That was what interested Jue the most; by "harvesting," it naturally meant having Jiang Feng use Infinite Devouring to suck away the nether power of those individuals.

***

"Let's go!"

Jiang Feng was equally fascinated by the prospect of devouring nether power. How could he possibly let slip this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? He immediately soared outside.

He was in no rush to refine the demonic blade "Eight Desolations Pale Flame" because the more nether power he harvested, the more formidable the King Tripod would become. If he could absorb the nether power of a hundred Void Nether Realm disciples, refining the demonic blade would be effortless—even Liu Xiayuan could be melted down right along with it.

The three of them shot out into the open air on the spot.

Sure enough, outside the Moon-Worshipping Hall, the Moon-Worshipping disciples had descended into total chaos! Demons danced wildly across the sky, and Moon-Worshipping disciples flew haphazardly in all directions in such dense swarms that Jiang Feng was reminded of ants scurrying away from boiling water.

Originally, the Moon-Worshipping Hall stationed several legions, with Liu Xiayuan acting as the supreme commander for all disciples. Now that Liu Xiayuan had been suppressed and several senior disciples had fled in a panic, how could the legions formed by the Moon-Worshipping disciples avoid falling apart?

Witnessing this scene, Jiang Feng was instantly overjoyed.

This was tantamount to walking straight into a treasure vault, leaving him free to take whatever he pleased.

Without hesitation, he raised the King Tripod, which began to spin wildly across the sky. Heavenly demons were sucked into it one after another, and the grand formations within the tripod surged into full operation. Wherever the sweep reached, entire sections of the sky were instantly emptied out!

Before long, the tripod already held the nether power of seventy to eighty Void Nether Realm disciples.

Yet this was still far from enough. Fortunately, Jiang Feng possessed the Sacred Tree of the Immortal Realm, which provided surging vitality with every breath he took. He suffered no exhaustion or fatigue whatsoever, and the might of the King Tripod grew increasingly terrifying.

Finally, the King Tripod suspended itself in mid-air, forming a black hole dozens of acres wide. Its formidable suction was so intense that no heavenly demon within a hundred miles could escape being captured.

One hundred!

Two hundred!

Three hundred!

Five hundred!

The number of disciples kept climbing!

Harvesting the nether power of these disciples was exceptionally fluid and exhilarating. It reminded Jiang Feng of his childhood when he used boiling water to scald ants—a single pour would wipe out a massive swarm.

Just as he was reveling in the harvest, an explosion suddenly echoed from within the pitch-black oceanic passage high in the sky, and streams of golden light came plummeting downward. The overwhelming magical power caused countless Moon-Worshipping disciples within the Moon-Worshipping Hall to disintegrate on the spot!

"Demon Commander! Did you truly think you could escape?"

Numerous majestic voices reverberated through the air, the brilliance of their flying swords resembling a multitude of miniature suns!

"Such an immense spectacle!" Jiang Feng jerked his head upward, a chill running through his entire body.