novelraw Chapter 595: Trapped!
Chapter 595: Trapped!
Throughout the Eastern Tree Ocean, an unprecedented catastrophe is unfolding.
In the Bamboo Realm, Ning Fan also faces a crisis brought by Wan Changkong and the Ancestral Bamboo Tree Spirit.
At Wan Changkong’s command, Zhux Hong, Ling Zhuzi, the Baili King, Sunx Yu, and all the alchemists who had become Living Puppets there retreated to a golden bamboo mountain millions of miles away!
In the Bamboo Realm, there are over seventy thousand black bamboo mountains scattered across its regions.
Underground Bamboo Realm, a high-grade Immortal Void formation is arranged, suppressing four Nie Li fiendish beasts!
These seventy thousand black bamboo mountains are all the formation’s eyes!
And that golden bamboo mountain is the source of power for all the formation’s eyes, with multiple Medicine Soul seals arranged on it.
The person who suppressed the Nie Li fiendish beasts was a former Bamboo Sovereign. That Bamboo Sovereign was not only an Immortal Void-grade Array Master but also a Low Grade Seventh Revolution pill master.
This person combined alchemy and formation techniques into one, arranging a grand formation in the Bamboo Realm, suppressing four Nie Li fiendish beasts.
To unseal the Nie Li beneath the formation, the unsealer not only needs exceptional formation skills but also a large number of alchemists to provide the power of the Medicine Soul, break the seven revolution Medicine Soul seal on the golden bamboo mountain, exhaust the formation’s power, and only then is it possible to break the grand formation.
The Baili Clan once took responsibility for guarding the grand formation and suppressing the Nie Li. Each generation of clan leaders was a renowned Array Master and was thoroughly familiar with the Bamboo Realm grand formation.
This time, the Baili King is responsible for unlocking the Bamboo Realm grand formation, Ling Zhuzi is responsible for protector duties, and Zhux Hong, Sunx Yu, and other alchemists are responsible for breaking the seven revolution Medicine Soul seal of the golden bamboo mountain.
The layout of this massacre plan in the Bamboo Realm is meticulous, with the Vine Palace planning in the Eastern Tree Ocean for over ten thousand years.
Everything follows the script of the Vine Emperor and Wan Changkong, with the only miscalculation being Ning Fan!
Wan Changkong’s gaze is as sharp as an eagle, locking onto Ning Fan tightly, licking his lips.
Interesting, really interesting, a mere Void Refinement Master could become the only variable in this Bamboo Realm massacre plan.
Such an interesting ant, obviously so weak, yet it dares to anger the Vine Emperor and kill the Vine Emperor’s beloved disciple.
Obviously so weak, yet able to escape the killing tribulation of three Void Fragmentation realms and even counterattack by capturing Teng Xianrou.
Below the Void Fragmentation realm, all are ants...this one clearly is only a Void Refinement realm ant, yet can withstand his spirit sense’s strike, not turning into a puppet, that’s really interesting!"
Such an interesting junior must be toyed with to death bit by bit, wouldn’t that be even more interesting?
It must be said, Wan Changkong’s mindset is extremely perverse. He believes he has the prowess to instantly kill Ning Fan, yet deliberately wants to play Ning Fan to death step by step.
He controlled countless Living Puppets and clearly could have easily and ruthlessly slaughtered the Myriads and the fields, yet he preferred to make the Puppets slaughter each other with their friends and family...
The Vine Palace is Yin Yang Transformation, the Liu Hall is Demonic, the Bamboo Hall is Divine.
Because of certain incidents in his youth, Wan Changkong was betrayed by dearest kin, rendering his personality exceedingly twisted.
He despises so-called righteousness, despises sanctimonious Xuan cultivators, despises familial, friendly, and romantic bonds, despises those ants who think struggling can change their fate!
The number of people he killed is not much less than Ning Fan, and each slaughter is extremely brutal.
He lacks Ning Fan’s strong spirit sense; he kills not out of obsession, but merely for the thrill of it.
In his view, Ning Fan is an ant, and an ant must die at the hands of a strong person like him—this is the fate of ants.
A butterfly cannot cross the sea; an ant cannot shake a tree; a mantis cannot stop a cart; ants cannot challenge the strong!
In Wan Changkong’s view, Ning Fan, knowing defeat yet fighting to the death, is an immensely foolish act.
So, he decided to torture Ning Fan to death step by step, wanting to see Ning Fan gradually abandon hope, displaying utter despair, which would bring him joy.
"Hehe, Ancestral Bamboo Tree Spirit, go kill him, but remember to kill him bit by bit, don’t do it too fast, it would be boring that way."
Wan Changkong stirred the silver threads between his fingers and, with an order, the Ancestral Bamboo Tree Demon, possessing the Third Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, suddenly took heavy steps, swinging tens of thousands of demonic arms.
In an instant, above Ning Fan in all directions, tens of thousands of massive void cracks abruptly shattered.
At the same time, giant meteors engulfed in emerald flames fell from each of the void cracks!
Tens of thousands of meteors fell head-on towards Ning Fan, with terrifying momentum enough to easily annihilate all masters below the Void Fragmentation realm!
"It seems you’ve gone a bit heavy-handed, this fellow will surely die under this technique..."
Wan Changkong sneered, thinking Ning Fan must perish under the Tree Spirit’s strike.
But as soon as he finished his words, his eyes suddenly sank, his expression turning extremely unsightly.
Tens of thousands of meteors successively fell, incinerating all the trees within millions of miles of the Bamboo Realm to ashes; a sea of fire stretched across the sky, with the land being struck to form huge craters, mountains, and rivers shattered, devastation as far as the eye could see!
Ning Fan was at the center of this technique’s assault but did not die under it!
As meteors rained from the sky, a cold gleam flickered in Ning Fan’s eyes!
He didn’t know what Wan Changkong and others were plotting; nevertheless, if the other party wanted to kill him, there was no way he’d sit back and wait to die!
He doesn’t need to know the enemy’s schemes; he only needs to know they are enemies, and that is enough!
Ning Fan abruptly vibrated the Cauldron Ring, and a pink light flashed beside him, from which emerged a woman in a pink dress.
Meanwhile, Ning Fan immediately ordered, "Rou’er, destroy these meteors!"
The woman in pink had just left the Cauldron Ring, not having even had a moment to argue with Ning Fan, when she heard a command from Ning Fan.
Seeing the outside world in such a terrifying spell assault, with meteors as far as she could see, the woman in pink felt a chill through her scalp.
Without another word, she immediately raised the Purple Vine Sword, cutting down seventy to eighty percent of the falling meteors.
She was none other than Teng Xianrou, who taught the female guards in the Cauldron Ring!
Seeing Teng Xianrou assisting Ning Fan in combating the Tree Demon, Wan Changkong immediately grew incensed,
"Teng Xianrou! You, the Palace Master of the Purple Vine Palace of my Vine Hall, how dare you aid an outsider against me! Are you tired of living? With your mere cultivation in Fragmented Realm First Level, to dare oppose me, you’re courting death!"
Teng Xianrou wanted to cry but had no tears!
With a sweep of her spirit sense, she discovered that not only is there a Third Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm Tree Demon initiating a meteor attack, but also Wan Changkong with killing intent surrounding!
"Lu Bei! Just what kind of trouble have you gotten into! A Fragmented Realm First Level incarnation of Wan Changkong, a Third Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm Tree Demon, hmm? In the distance, there’s also a presence of a First Layer Cultivator and a Return to Origin Invincible presence... let’s retreat; the enemies are too many. Even with all your powers and my help, we aren’t a match for these people! With Wan Changkong present, we must not provoke them!"
Teng Xianrou spoke with a hint of frustration.
No woman would have a good disposition when, in one moment she’s leisurely drinking tea in the Cauldron Ring, and in the next, she’s abruptly summoned to confront a thousand enemies...
Although she submitted to Ning Fan and secretly suspected him as an old monster in the Third Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, she didn’t believe he could stand against so many formidable foes—including Wan Changkong—in front of her.
Among the formidable foes present, the one Teng Xianrou feared the most was not the Third Heavenly Layer Tree Demon but Wan Changkong...
She didn’t know where this place was, didn’t know about the Vine Emperor’s Bamboo Realm massacre plan, nor why Ning Fan was both at odds with Wan Changkong and the Tree Demon.
What she even more doesn’t know is how many spirit sense incarnations Wan Changkong brought, as this was her utmost concern.
She had not been in the Vine Hall for a short time, fully aware of Wan Changkong’s terrifying nature.
She had personally witnessed Wan Changkong wield 12 spirit sense incarnations, able to battle with the Vine Emperor without falling behind.
Seeing among the enemies was Wan Changkong, and realizing that upon her appearance, she drew all Wan Changkong’s enmity, Teng Xianrou sensed doom, wanting to quickly flee the battlefield, devoid of any intent to fight...
"Flee? Running away is not the best strategy..." Ning Fan frowned tightly; at this moment, within his storage pouch’s transmitted Sound Lute, came intermittent pleas for help from the Fusang Clan.
The Fusang Clan in Jishui City, unless Jishui had undergone a significant change, Tang Xiong and others wouldn’t be sending distress transmissions...
The sporadic transmissions from Fusang Clan couldn’t depict the whole affair clearly.
However, recalling the Vine Emperor’s earlier hasty departure from the Bamboo Realm, Ning Fan concluded that a colossal upheaval must have erupted in the Eastern Tree Ocean!
Outside, an unprecedented catastrophe was descending upon Jishui City!
Fleeing outside would still be a dead end; it would be better to eliminate all enemies here before making any more plans!
"Don’t be afraid, go hold off the Third Heavenly Layer Tree Demon, I will kill Wan Changkong’s spirit sense incarnation! Although this person gives me a very dangerous feeling, his spirit sense incarnate is only one, not necessarily unkillable!" Ning Fan assured Teng Xianrou while he smashed several meteors with his fists.
Although to Teng Xianrou, Ning Fan’s words were anything but comforting.
Upon hearing Ning Fan’s words, Teng Xianrou only felt her headache worsen.
What? What nonsense is he talking about? Asking her, a weak lady of Fragmented First Realm, to fight against the Three Realm Tree Demon? Is he crazy?
She dared not face Wan Changkong’s spirit sense, because she feared Wan Changkong’s infamous reputation.
Of course, she dared not fight against the Tree Demon of Three Fragments either; the gap between Fragmented First and Three is not small, and she isn’t someone who can defeat enemies beyond her level...
Though she is an old monster of the Void Fragmentation realm, with only First Heavenly Layer cultivation, she is utterly insignificant before Wan Changkong and the Three Fragment Tree Demon!
He tells her not to be afraid, but how can she not be scared!
"Relax, I will let them assist you in resisting the Ancestral Bamboo Tree Demon! Zhi Huo, Purple Lightning, Gust, Green Frost, Mountain and Earth Collapsed, reveal yourselves!"
Ning Fan abruptly slapped his storage pouch, summoning five clay doll puppets.
The five clay puppets grew with the wind, instantly transforming into five colossal giants in shades of red, purple, green, blue, and yellow!
These five colossal giants are all heavenly tribulation puppets of Fragmented First Realm. Teng Xianrou personally assisted Ning Fan in capturing these puppets and had seen them once before, so witnessing them again didn’t astonish her much.
But Wan Changkong’s eyes revealed a trace of shock.
"Heavenly tribulation puppets... they are Fragmented First Realm heavenly tribulation puppets!!!"
That shock quickly transformed into greed; although he possessed living puppets of the Void Fragmentation realm, none were Fragmented Void puppets.
He could use Mourning Secret Technique to refine living Fragmented puppets, but his puppetry skills were still insufficient to craft genuine Fragmented Void dead puppets.
Wan Changkong did not ponder over how Ning Fan acquired these heavenly tribulation puppets; his only plan was to kill Ning Fan and seize the puppets!
"Grievance Technique, Living Puppet!"
He waved his hand, causing countless silver threads to materialize, winding toward the five heavenly tribulation puppets.
His Living Puppet Art can not only refine living or dead beings into living puppets but also easily seize the puppets of others!
This technique is always effective, and Wan Changkong’s spirit sense, possessing Fragmented First Realm cultivation, confidently guaranteed the capture of five puppets.
Yet, at the moment the silver threads pierced these puppets, the black crescent moons on their bodies shimmered simultaneously.
Instantly, any silver thread that pierced the five puppets was incinerated into ashes by the Black Moon Mark!
"That is! That is!" Upon seeing those flickering black crescent marks, Wan Changkong felt fear and chill from the bottom of his heart for the first time in his life!
In his youth, he was a puppet master with mediocre talent. Had he not accidentally swallowed a treasure, awakening the Mourning Demonic Bloodline, and obtaining several secret technique legacies of the Lamenting Deceased Clan, he would have remained mediocre for life, never acquiring the title of Puppet Emperor!
Among the legacies he obtained from the Lamenting Deceased Clan, the terror of this black moon had been mentioned!
This black moon’s divine skills are the highest secret techniques of the Lamenting Deceased Clan, used only by the Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven!
The Lamenting Deceased Clan’s prowess lies in the strength of secret techniques like Living Puppet Art, which can puppetize enemies and add them to one’s forces.
Yet, no matter how mighty the puppetry skills of the Lamenting Deceased Clan people become, they must be suppressed by the Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven!
The Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven possesses a divine skill, marking puppets across all worlds with black moons, subjugating them to his will!
Even the mightiest puppet masters, upon facing the Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven, are bound for defeat!
There’s a proverb among the legacy of Wan Changkong:
’Grievance Puppet Art, unmatched under heaven! Should you encounter the black moon, resist and face extinction!’
Wan Changkong did not know precisely what divine skill the black moon referred to.
But at this moment, upon seeing the black moon on the five puppets, he couldn’t muster the courage to battle Ning Fan!
He felt as if the puppetry path he had honed over his lifetime was unraveling under that black moonlight!
His Mourning Demonic Bloodline, his puppetry bloodline, everything seemed destined to be consigned beneath that black crescent moon!
Even his spirit sense, refined according to the Mourning Secret Techniques, almost crumbled under the black moonlight!
Too dangerous! This black crescent moon is incredibly dangerous! To Wan Changkong, it’s akin to a nemesis!
At this moment, Wan Changkong dared not rashly engage the five puppets!
At this moment, even if Ning Fan were merely a Void Refinement realm expert, Wan Changkong still deemed Ning Fan more hazardous than the Three Realm Tree Demon!
All because his lifelong reliance was on puppetry, and that puppetry seemed worthless before the black moon!
Wan Changkong suddenly slapped his storage pouch, releasing a golden jade scroll.
That jade scroll recorded a Fragmented Sixth Realm sealing technique, gifted to him by the Vine Emperor in hopes of winning him over!
Such a sealing technique can trap even a Bamboo Sovereign level expert for quite some time!
Without any hesitation, Wan Changkong employed this life-saving artifact, crushing the golden jade scroll with one hand!
"Bind!"
At the moment the golden jade scroll shattered, a gigantic golden vortex suddenly appeared on the earth, its golden light illuminating the world, affecting the Bamboo Realm over thousands of miles!
The vortex exerted an immense suction force, drawing Ning Fan, the five puppets, and Teng Xianrou into it!
The suction indiscriminately sealed all cultivators within the Bamboo Realm, even the Three Realm Tree Demon was drawn into the vortex.
Baili King, Zhux Hong, and numerous other living puppet cultivators also were sucked into the vortex!
In an instant, the entire Bamboo Realm found itself devoid of life, save for Wan Changkong.
He, being the spell caster, remained unaffected by the vortex.
All who were pulled into the golden vortex were temporarily sealed within a spell space.
After sealing Ning Fan, Wan Changkong realized his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
He was not afraid of Ning Fan; he merely dreaded that divine skill of the black crescent moon...
After sealing Ning Fan and others completely, Wan Changkong looked at the deserted Bamboo Realm and gradually calmed his mind.
"That black moon divine skill is too dangerous; hence I had no choice but to resort to this last measure to seal Lu Bei and others... Facing this lad head-on might be risky!"
"It was absolutely necessary to seal Lu Bei! ’Should you encounter the black moon, resist and face extinction,’ I carry the Mourning Demonic Bloodline, which might be innately restrained by that black moon... However, the trouble is, Baili King, Zhux Hong, and others have also been sealed by me... They were pivotal to unsealing the Nie Li Fiendish Beasts this time. Without them, unraveling the array will be much harder..."
"Forget it, luckily I still have numerous living puppets at hand, some of which are high-level Array Masters or Alchemists. I hope their power can unseal the fiendish beast Nie Li..."
"With Lu Bei sealed, I will unseal Nie Li in the Bamboo Realm. Among the four Nie Li beasts sealed here, the lowest cultivation is the Tree Demon of the Three Realms, the highest being a beast of the Fifth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm... If all four Nie Li beasts are unsealed, even if Lu Bei’s black moon divine skill is formidable, I will not fear! By borrowing the power of these four beasts, I shall annihilate Lu Bei and avoid direct combat with this lad!"
"Except for the eerie black moon technique, mere Lu Bei is hardly worth considering!"
Wan Changkong’s escape light flashed rapidly, bringing him to a golden bamboo mountain, where he slapped his puppet pouch, releasing more than fifty spirit sense and Void Refinement realm living puppets.
Among these living puppets, some were Grandmasters in formation arrays, and the remainder included 2 Sixth Revolution Pill Masters and 18 Fifth Revolution Pill Masters.
"I order you to spare no effort in breaking this array; if you fail, I have ways to make you live in agony!"
Wan Changkong harshly threatened this batch of living puppets.
...
In the golden world, Ning Fan’s gaze darkened.
He found himself trapped within this golden world...
Beside him was the Tree Demon of the Three Fragments, looming near.
Roar!
Amidst a demonic roar, the Tree Demon seemed to go berserk, charging toward Ning Fan and others...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)