Kuang Yanqi gazed at the situation on the opposite cliff, growing more despairing the longer he looked. He wanted to turn away and close his eyes, but his unwillingness kept him glancing at “Tu Du.” He thought that if this man hadn’t seized Elder Tu’s Yin Spirit, relying on the sect’s restrictions, there might still have been a chance to fight.
“Tu Du” stared at the Heavenly Wings Pavilion for a while, gaining no insight. Turning to see Kuang Yanqi’s expression, he instantly understood his thoughts and cackled, “Don’t be so greedy! You’ve hit the jackpot, kid. If this Tu fellow’s body wasn’t on the verge of collapse, his Yin Spirit unstable and unable to withstand the ‘Shadow Puppet’ pressure, I wouldn’t have rushed to plant the ‘Heavenly Demon Seed’ in anyone, let alone a talentless fool like you.”
The words stung, turning Kuang Yanqi’s face pale.
“Tu Du,” however, seemed displeased. “Now it looks like you’ve prospered, while I’ve hit bad luck. Judging by the Sun Light Sect’s situation, it won’t last past tonight. If the Sun Light Sect falls, your survival’s uncertain. If you die, my ‘Shadow Puppet’ won’t hold much longer either… Hmm, is it too late to find another host?”
Hearing “Tu Du’s” unmasked intentions, Kuang Yanqi felt a chill down his spine. Half an hour ago, he’d have welcomed such a plan, but now, if this monster abandoned him, he’d truly never see tomorrow’s sun.
Seeing “Tu Du’s” sinister stare, he blurted, “No!”
“Tu Du” cackled, patting Kuang Yanqi’s shoulder. With his power, the otherwise intangible Yin Spirit felt like flesh, though its cold touch seeped into Kuang Yanqi’s bones. “In that case, get ready to flee. I suggest climbing the cliff and escaping from the other side. I’ll cover you—no small fry will see through my tricks.”
Kuang Yanqi nodded, still clinging to hope. “Senior, with your vast divine abilities, can’t you turn the tide and help the Sun Light Sect survive tonight’s calamity?”
“Tu Du” chuckled. “In this situation, if my true body were here, it’d be nothing. But I’m just a Shadow Puppet left in the city—and your Elder Tu’s body’s about to collapse, his Yin Spirit riddled with holes. So save what? Besides, there are some people here I can’t face… Hmm?”
“Tu Du” suddenly fell silent.
Kuang Yanqi looked at him, puzzled, as “Tu Du’s” hollow eyes gazed into the night sky, murmuring, “Nice fireworks!”
Kuang Yanqi turned too, but this half of the sky was empty—no stars, nothing.
Confused, he noticed “Tu Du’s” gaze tracing an object’s fall, sliding downward until it locked onto his forehead, unblinking. That aged face showed unprecedented shock.
Unnerved by the stare, Kuang Yanqi reached to touch his forehead, but “Tu Du” grabbed his wrist with crushing force, nearly shattering his bones.
Amid his pained groan, “Tu Du” rasped, “Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror!”
“What?” Kuang Yanqi didn’t understand.
“It’s here—it’s actually here!”
“Tu Du’s” voice trembled.
Kuang Yanqi, who’d known him for days, had never seen him like this. As he marveled, his vision blurred—the grip on his arm vanished, along with the Yin Spirit’s shadow.
Kuang Yanqi’s scalp prickled. Whirling around, he saw a murky shadow lunge toward the brightly lit Heavenly Wings Pavilion, followed by a frenzied cackle: “I see you—you’re here!”
*****
Atop the Heavenly Wings Pavilion, in the Cloud Bamboo Garden, Yu Ci used his Divine Connectivity starlight to sense the cliff. He first detected Kuang Yanqi, who had no resistance to the starlight, instantly glowing with color. But beside him was a dark shadow, swallowing all spreading hues, retaining its somber form.
In that moment, Yu Ci met a pair of cold, sinister eyes—then saw molten madness erupt within them.
Tu Du!
As Yu Ci spotted him, Tu Du locked onto Yu Ci too!
Without warning, danger struck.
Instantly, Yu Ci’s body shifted from relaxed to tense, his innate Qi surging under his Yin Spirit’s command. Without hesitation, he seized the hovering Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror and retreated.
His reaction outpaced Tu Du’s—a hallmark of his style, his soul’s instincts acting directly on his body. No delay in judgment or response; the moment danger appeared, his Qi Cultivation kicked in, his body moved, buying him time and space for the next step.
A breath later, Tu Du reacted, his Yin Spirit shadow lunging forward, followed by a booming laugh that churned the blood: “I see you—you’re here!”
Yu Ci flew backward, crashing into the bamboo grove. After several snapping sounds, he smashed into the hall, where six Core Refinement cultivators stared in shock.
The next moment, the suspended base of the Cloud Bamboo Garden exploded. The outer symbolic restrictions didn’t even flicker—shattering the aerial garden.
Tu Du’s Yin Spirit shadow charged in, dimming the banquet hall instantly.
Yu Ci didn’t slow down, his form skimming the Precious Smoke Tree’s edge, piercing through the hall, and slamming toward the far wall.
In flickering light, Tu Du pursued like a shadow.
At close range, someone recognized him: “Elder Tu!”
A shrill cat yowl followed.
Zhao Ziyue’s cat, startled, tensed its plump body, white fur bristling.
The cry snapped many awake.
Zhou Youde, quickest to react, knew this chaos—swift as lightning—left no time for deep thought. Instinct and experience guided him. Focused on mending ties with Xie Yan and the Rifting Earth Sect, he couldn’t let Yu Ci die. He bellowed, “Protect Immortal Yu!”
He struck first, a “moo” rumbling from his throat. The “Heart-Connected Rhino Ring” on the Precious Smoke Tree buzzed, glowing brilliantly as Tu Du’s shadow passed, banishing the darkness with boundless Buddha light!
A searing hiss followed, like red-hot iron plunged into ice water.
Tu Du’s Yin Spirit, hypersensitive to the light, faltered, snarling, “Bold!”
Amid the roar, another echoed Zhou Youde’s call: “Elder Tu, know your place—don’t act rashly!”
Though preaching restraint, this man acted swiftly, unleashing a jade ruler that cast clear light onto Tu Du.
Zhou Youde’s five-word shout was masterful, especially “Immortal.” The ill-fitting title highlighted Yu Ci’s unique status, striking the hearts of guests tied to the Rifting Earth Sect.
Another man called Daoist Yu Chi from a northern ridge city-state, reliant on the Rifting Earth Sect and wary of Xie Yan’s wrath, wielded his signature Supreme Clarity Mysterious Light Jade Ruler to trap Tu Du.
Zhou Youde and Daoist Yu Chi acted fast; others prepared to join. But then, Tu Du chuckled, and the hall’s lamp-lit shadows surged upward.
Instantly, darkness blinded all six cultivators, a shadow curtain dropping over the floor. Isolated, they couldn’t sense their neighbors—only endless black tides roiling, boundless, with a primeval beast lurking within, its ferocious aura heating the air.
Each felt targeted, each felt their life threatened. Those who knew Tu Du were stunned: manipulating space, carving boundaries in a cramped hall—how could this be Tu Du’s doing?
Regardless, the six blinded cultivators prioritized self-preservation, their nascent encirclement collapsing.
With a boom, Yu Ci smashed through the far wall, leaping from the Heavenly Wings Pavilion. Wind roared as he plummeted. Looking up, he saw the pavilion’s top darken, explosive Qi bursts flashing, then a thunderous collapse—wooden structure and partial third floor crumbling under the Core Refinement cultivators’ clash, despite protective wards.
A twisted shadow darted out, and Yu Ci met those near-mad eyes again.
Pressure like a mountain crashed down.
“Where’s Uncle Xie at a time like this?”
That fleeting weakness vanished as Yu Ci gripped the cold jade talisman he’d drawn.
In critical moments, you rely on yourself!
Falling fast, he circulated Qi, shattered the talisman—a clattering sound as a black chain emerged from the void, locking onto Tu Du’s Yin Spirit shadow.
Sinister Yin Demon Binding Talisman—infused nine times with the “Qi Infusion Technique” was the strongest demon-binding chain he could muster!
Explosions rocked the void as the black chain lashed out, darkness seeping misty haze, deepening the murk.
Yu Ci drew his sword, and the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent thriving in the ethereal fog, nearly cloaked his form.
Tu Du didn’t dodge or falter, his shadow expanding into an irregular curtain, shedding its human shape.
Then, from above, a shout rang out: “He’s not Tu Du!”