novelraw Chapter 163 When Did They Become So Close
Chapter 163 When Did They Become So Close
Chapter 163: When Did They Become So Close?
One day later. The entrance to the desolate Minor World.
Dozens of colossal spirit vessels hovered in the void, their hulls gleaming under the starlight. A suffocating, murderous aura saturated the space between them, heavy enough to crush the lungs of a mortal.
Xia Xuanyin stood at the prow of the flagship, his imperial robes snapping in the cosmic wind. His eyes were like lightning, sweeping over the legion of cultivators standing in grim silence behind him.
His voice, infused with qi, rolled through the void like thunder:
"Fellow Daoists! Today, we gather not for exploration, nor for treasure! We are here for one purpose—to purge the demonic plague!"
"The corruption has ravaged our Southern Domain. It has slaughtered the innocent and rotted the foundations of our cultivation world. Their crimes are unrecordable, their evil intolerable to the Heavens!"
"Today, the Heavenly Dao watches. The Demon Nest has been found. It lies within the dead world before us. This war is not for private vengeance, but for public justice! For the peace of billions, for the souls of our fallen kin! For the dignity of every cultivator who walks the path!"
The Emperor drew his sword, pointing it at the swirling vortex of the entrance.
"I, Xia Xuanyin, swear this oath! I shall lead the vanguard. I will be the first to bleed and the first to kill. Cultivators of the Southern Domain, lend me your strength! We shall scour this filth from existence!"
His gaze sharpened, turning cold as absolute zero.
"Furthermore: Any among us found tainted by black energy or fallen to the demonic path—capture them for interrogation. But if they resist... kill them without mercy!"
"Follow me! SLAUGHTER THE DEMONS!"
"SLAUGHTER THE DEMONS!!!"
A roar like mountains collapsing and tsunamis crashing erupted from every vessel. The killing intent soared, piercing the very fabric of the void.
Xia Xuanyin wasted no more words. He transformed into a streak of golden light, plunging headlong into the spatial rift. Top-tier powerhouses like Xia Chengyan, Lin Xiaozhu, and Zhiyin followed close behind, trailing comets of spiritual energy.
Zhang Xian took a deep breath. He exchanged a glance with Li Fuxi, Yun Wanqing, and Lin Yinyin. He saw no fear, only steel resolve.
"Let's go."
The four of them rose into the air, merging into the river of light flowing into the Minor World.
Earlier, Lin Yinyin and Yun Wanqing had insisted on joining the front lines. Zhang Xian had worried, but he hadn't stopped them. The path to immortality defied the Heavens; true powerhouses could not be raised in a greenhouse. Still, he hadn't sent them in empty-handed. He had equipped them with [Void-Piercing Shuttles] and [Nine Nether Tribulation Puppets]. Between those trump cards and their own formidable artifacts, their survival was all but guaranteed.
Inside the desolate Minor World.
A leaden gray sky pressed down on a landscape of deathly silence.
This was the domain of the demons. Zhang Xian felt a chill run down his spine. He could taste the faint, foul negative energy in the air. It felt like maggots clinging to bone, constantly trying to burrow into his mind and erode his will.
As the army landed, the silence was shattered. Cultivators deployed their movement techniques—riding flying swords, clouds, or artifacts—and streaked toward the core of the world where the demonic energy was thickest.
Ahead, Xia Chengyan flew side-by-side with Lin Xiaozhu. The girl raised a fair hand, and a massive Eight Trigrams formation disk materialized beneath their feet, humming with soft, profound light.
"Big Bro! Sisters-in-law! Over here!"
Xia Chengyan waved enthusiastically at Zhang Xian. "Hop on Xiaozhu’s disk. It’s the Rolls-Royce of flight tools—fast and steady!"
Zhang Xian smiled and didn't stand on ceremony. He signaled Li Fuxi, Yun Wanqing, Lin Yinyin, and the silent Golden Core crone guarding Yun Wanqing to follow him. They landed lightly on the formation disk, which was spacious enough to hold a dinner party.
The women exchanged confused glances.
When did the Crown Prince become so tight with Zhang Xian? And... 'Sisters-in-law'? Plural?
However, sensing the gravity of the situation, they tacitly chose to stay silent.
Once everyone was secure, Lin Xiaozhu performed a hand seal. The disk’s runes flared, and it accelerated instantly, locking into position right behind Emperor Xia’s golden chariot.
As they flew, Lin Xiaozhu spoke, her voice calm but serious. "The dangers ahead are unpredictable. Allow me to cast a hexagram to glimpse our fortune."
She produced a bamboo tube carved with esoteric runes.
Tapping the tube, she murmured an incantation. The cylinder spun rapidly, emitting a high-pitched hum.
Snap.
A jade lot jumped out.
Xia Chengyan leaned in to read the characters carved into the jade. "'Upper Middle'? Hah! That’s an auspicious sign! I told you, with this dream team, sweeping the Demon Nest will be a walk in the park!"
Lin Xiaozhu didn't smile. She frowned, shaking her head.
"The qi mechanism is chaotic. This reading feels... false." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Let me test the fortune bond of 'Diu Diu'."
She formed a new set of seals. The tube spun again.
Snap.
Another lot jumped out.
Lower Upper.
A faint, mirthless smile touched Lin Xiaozhu’s lips. "I thought so. I used a 'Qi-Locking Technique' to permanently fix Diu Diu's fate as 'Middle'. But this hexagram shows 'Lower Upper'. The heavenly secrets in this realm have been scrambled by a powerful force. The enemy is prepared for us."
Lin Yinyin blinked, curiosity overcoming her nerves. "Miss Lin, what is a 'Diu Diu'?"
"A little spiritual fox I adopted years ago," Lin Xiaozhu explained patiently. "Because its fate is magically locked, any deviation in a reading about it proves that the surrounding divination field is compromised. We are flying blind."
Lin Yinyin nodded, looking impressed.
Suddenly, Xia Chengyan caught his father’s eye across the void. Emperor Xia gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Everyone, heighten your vigilance!" The Emperor’s command boomed across the formation.
Before the echo faded, four figures moved in perfect synchronization.
Perfected Being Shouheng, Zhiyin, Lin Xiaozhu, and the Supreme Elder of the Spirit Sword Sect took positions at the cardinal directions—Southeast, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest.
BOOM!
Four pillars of blinding golden light erupted from them, piercing the gloom. The beams converged high above the army, weaving together to form a colossal, mirror-like screen. Runes flowed across its surface like liquid fire. It hung in the gray sky like an artificial sun.
"Four Symbols Break Evil, Clear Heart Shines Universally!" Perfected Being Shouheng’s voice resonated like a temple bell.
Warm, purifying light cascaded down from the golden mirror, bathing the entire expeditionary force.
Zhang Xian felt a rush of coolness penetrate his forehead. His Divine Sense instantly sharpened, the fog lifting from his mind. The subtle, irritating bloodlust that had been creeping into his psyche vanished like smoke in a gale.
"ARGHHH—!"
"NO! NOOO!"
But beneath the holy light, hell broke loose.
Screams of agony tore through the ranks. Dozens of cultivators suddenly convulsed. Their eyes turned pitch black, veins bulging with necrotic energy as black smoke poured from their pores.
Some clutched their heads, wailing as the light burned them. Others snapped, roaring like beasts as they drew their weapons and slashed at the allies standing next to them.
Zhang Xian watched in shock as a Golden Core supervisor from the Yunmiao Sect raised his sword and tried to behead his own junior brother.
"It is the corruption of [Desire]. They have been turned," Emperor Xia’s voice cut through the chaos, cold and merciless. "They are no longer your kin. They are claws of the demon. Kill them."
Panic flared, but these were the elites of the Southern Domain. The hesitation lasted only a heartbeat.
Blades flashed. Spells detonated.
The corrupted cultivators, disoriented by the purifying light, were swiftly cut down by their comrades. The internal rebellion was crushed before it could truly begin.
At that moment, Zhiyin stepped forward.
Countless palm-sized, lifelike miniature puppets flew out from her sleeves. They swarmed over the army like hummingbirds, flying to every single cultivator. Each puppet held a jade pendant glowing with warm yellow light.
"These are improved [Clear Heart Pendants]," Zhiyin announced, her voice carrying a soothing mental frequency. "Wear them. They will shield your mind from the corruption of Desire. All pendants are linked to form a grand mental defense array."
Her tone hardened slightly.
"Furthermore, look to your left and right. If you see anyone not wearing a pendant... strike first. They are likely a hidden demon."