Archfiend

Chapter 248: Danxia’s Aftermath

“It’s that mongrel…” With a mere glance, those of the Ming Clan understood everything.

“He actually managed to come out alive…”

However, their gazes didn’t linger. The present scene resembled a disaster ground. Almost everyone’s jade slips had shattered. In fact… the Ming Clan’s leading elder clearly understood that the Ming Clan still had one person. Someone of the God Ming echelon who had survived!

Sister Nine!

The elder’s gaze didn’t stay over Xu Yangyi’s body for too long. At this moment, welcoming the surviving God Ming Sister Nine was proper business. 

After the Xingtian Legion’s six, the white light flashed again in quick succession. His expression seemed tranquil, but in truth, Xuan Chengzi carried a deep sliver of grief as he walked out.

“The Dao Sect’s disciple…” In the crowd, someone sighed gently with sorrow. As expected, a person of the Dao Sect had also survived.

“Master-Ancestor.” At this time in the sky, Jadesun said, “The heavenbound door’s reparation response is gradually becoming more violent. It seems… that there aren’t many people walking out.”

Ancientpine collected his gaze from Xu Yangyi’s body in gratification. Eventually, he whispered, “Nine.”

“Oh?

“This time, only nine are leaving,” Ancientpine sighed. “The other thousand… have all perished at the bottom of Danxia Temple…”

“Huff…” Jadesun inhaled sharply. Even if he hadn’t entered, at this moment, he likewise felt the desperation of this secret realm journey.

 In the end, a thousand had entered and only nine had come out alive to tell the tale. Yet all those who survived still carried wounds.

Jadesun and Ancientpine spoke no further. The atmosphere below was turning graver and graver.

The entire body of the heavenbound door’s qi was ascending streak after streak at lightning speed. The sky was already densely covered with pure-white spirit clouds! Everyone could see that in at most ten or twenty minutes, this storm of returning qi would immediately arrive!

But before that… how many would be able leave Danxia Temple with their lives?

“Damn it…” Already, an old cultivator couldn’t help but step forwards several times. He almost wanted to leave from the scope of his clan, but his fellow clansmen were prompt to pull him back.

“Hong’er…” An old cultivator’s eyes were strained entirely crimson, and he glared daggers at the great door. “I can’t accept this… even if you’re dead, I still must understand!”

“Could it be that our Cao Clan’s tens of clansmen have all taken refuge at the bottom of Danxia Temple! Not a single person come out?!

Numerous cultivators’ hearts were already in chaos like tangled hemp. This simply wasn’t the scene they’d imagined, one of their young juniors cheering as they came out and regaling their clans with tales of their Danxia Temple gains. It only seemed as if a death god had passed through. Far and few in between, seven people had come out! 

Not even one person from among a hundred had survived!

Swoosh! In the wake of the great door’s glimmering intensifying, the eighth silhouette walked out.

“Sister Nine!” In a twinkling, the Ming Clan rang out with cries of shock and cheer! It was unknown how many people screeched out in chorus as if she was a hero!

Sister Nine resembled a zombie, a walking corpse and moving flesh. Even so far away, the heavy injuries that she’d suffered could still be felt!

“Defend Honored Nine!” The Ming Clan elder yelled out angrily. In an instant, several figures carrying glittering treasure light rushed over.

But at this time, Sister Nine responded with collapse. She seemed to have just awaken, like she’d exhausted all of her strength. By chance, Xu Yangyi was at her side and extended his hand to support her.

Sister Nine’s face was pale. She couldn’t be considered beautiful, but a wisp of an enigmatic smile floated into view on her uniquely tempered face. Facing Xu Yangyi and nodding, she didn’t utter a word.

“LET GO, JUNIOR!!!” However, this ordinary action caused the Ming Clan elder to instantly roar in fury! Quick to follow, countless silk threads abruptly surged forth like a tide, madly winding towards Xu Yangyi!

“Release your filthy hand!!!” He glared daggers at Xu Yangyi, the fires of anxiety attacking his heart. Sister Nine… was the sole person to survive from the Ming Clan. What she represented was far from being so simple as one of the God Ming echelon! There was also the titanic secret within Danxia Temple! If the slightest error occurred, even he wouldn’t be able to bear it upon his return!

“If one bit of a mishap has happened to young Nine, This Throne will deliver unto you a death of a thousand cuts!!!”

Swoosh! The qi was like a tide. A silken ocean concealed the sky! This speed, simply unavoidable to a Qi Condensation cultivator, caused one’s courage to tremble upon contact. In spite of this, Xu Yangyi didn’t dodge at all.

BOOM! Just as the all-encompassing tide of surging silk rushed before Xu Yangyi like daggers, they suddenly began to collectively ignite!

This wasn’t an ordinary combustion, but rather… the transformation of black fire orbs! With a speed even faster than the rushing silk, these orbs turned back to burn and follow!

“This…” Everyone simultaneously gasped in shock. Understanding dawned on them, and they quickly raised their heads to the sky.

Over yonder, there was only a layer of clouds, a stratum of dense clouds that simply wouldn’t clear away.

“If the slightest mishap befalls This Dao Master’s disciple, you will not escape ten thousand deaths.” In the air, an imposing, unparalleled voice was heard. Soon… the cloud bank dispersed by airy wisps. Although not tall, a silhouette as heavy as a mountain emerged in the clouds!

Core Formation ancestor!!!

Everyone broke into cold sweats. Danxia Temple’s unforeseen transformations hadn’t concluded. They had only paid attention to the chaos. They had completely forgot… 

Xu Yangyi was Daomaster Ancientpine’s disciple!

If the Ming Clan elder took action, wouldn’t this be a public striking of a Core Formation ancestor’s face and honor?

“Respectful greetings, Dao Master!” 

“Respects, Ancestor Ancientpine!”

In the wake of voices expressing the same sentiment, everyone took a knee on the ground in unison. The Ming Clan elder was an exception. At this moment, endless black fire had already come before him! This horrific temperature caused his eyebrows and all of his hair to burn!

“Ancestor, spare me! Spare my life, Ancestor!” No longer caring for his appearance, the elder screeched himself hoarse.

Ancientpine glanced at him without a sliver of emotion. Without reining in the flames, he uttered, “With myself here and keeping watching, you, an insignificant late-stage Foundation Establishment, dare to act against my disciple?”

“Ancestor!!!” The elder was quick to prostrate himself, his head and limbs cast to the ground. His voice was shivering. “Junior has made a mistake! It is Junior’s mistake! I beseech the Ancestor to be magnanimous and show leniency!” 

The flames were in front of him. They didn’t take a step further, but they moreover didn’t disappear.

Ancientpine didn’t even look at the Ming Clan elder, yet didn’t will the flames to vanish, either. Like so, they encircled the demon’s surroundings. He turned his head to study Xu Yangyi. After ages, he nodded. “You have done well.”

“It was thanks to Master-Ancestor’s guidance.” Xu Yangyi wasn’t one to rely on such folly as favor and arrogance. He immediately formed a fist with his hand and answered.

“No, this is of no relation to myself.” Ancientpine smiled as he looked at Xu Yangyi and suddenly said, “Commander of the Xingtian Legion, Xu Yangyi, harken to my command.”

“Disciple is here!”

“From this day onwards, former Legion Commander Xu Yangyi of the Xingtian Legion is promoted to Longsu Province’s branch master. For a period… of ten years. Receive my command.”

“Yes!”

Although everyone was lowering their heads, they were shocked in their hearts.

Ancientpine hadn’t been obvious with his words but used action to tell everyone. Yes, they were the ones who came out with the most people alive. However, two of them were also his disciples! If someone dared to grumble and complain about this issue… then he wasn’t to be blamed for being vicious and merciless.

Such a degree of favor… was absolutely not something that an ordinary disciple could obtain!

The Ming Clan elder was soaked in cold sweat from head to toe!

His… offense towards a Core Formation master didn’t need to be stated. He had moreover offended future authorities! A Qi Condensation cultivator achieving a branch master’s position… What kind of interest was this from a Core Formation master!

“In addition, Longsu Province’s Branchmaster Xu Yangyi is to immediately head to the Featherwood Guard and report of what has come to pass this time.” Formalities completed, Ancientpine’s eyes swept over everyone in the crowd. Like a great mountain, Core Formation spiritual pressure descended, and he said coldly, “Everyone… I believe that you all shouldn’t be thinking that your own clan’s failure is related to my disciple, yes… hmm?

“We dare not!”

“Branchmaster Xu is a titan among men. How could this be related with him!”

“Since it is Daomaster Ancientpine’s disciple, Longsu Province’s branch master, the Zhou Clan is ready to completely accept this as truth!”

In an instant, under Ancientpine’s strike, the people who were originally still holding a few thoughts followed the wind and promptly changed course.

Out of all who were still presently left, Xu Yangyi’s standing was the shallowest! The crowd dared not offend the Dao Sect. They also dared not provoke the Ming Clan. But Xu Yangyi… His original status as the pill master’s agent was enough to turn one’s eyes red with envy. He then became Daomaster Ancientpine’s disciple not long after. No one knew whether or not he’d received favor. The Ming Clan elder’s action also held probing thoughts.

Ancientpine had thwarted this attempt and then dismissed them. If he hadn’t obstructed… Xu Yangyi wouldn’t have been able to leave this place from a range of 500 meters today!

However, Ancientpine didn’t only just halt this action! He was moreover telling everyone that those with stirring hands would have their hands chopped off. Towards those with crooked thoughts, he made no guarantee that their heads would still be on their necks in the next second.

This was the might of Core Formation!

“Seventeenth Junior Apprentice-Brother… is actually going to lead Longsu Province?” In the crowd, a youth raised his head and looked at Ancestor Ancientpine in shock. “Master-Ancestor… just gave him Longsu Province?”

“Don’t question Master-Ancestor’s decision.” At this side, a resolute-faced man lowered his head and said lowly, “For Seventeenth Junior Brother to be able to leave Danxia Temple alive, this is something he deserves.”

“Deserves?” The youth gritted his teeth. “Longsu Province… might now transform into the cultivation center of the midwest! Its qi density level after reparation might directly chase after the Capital’s! The region was actually given to a recently accepted disciple?!”

“If you make it out alive from one of the Eight Great Deadlands, you can petition Master-Ancestor, too!” The man said angrily, “Don’t forget, the last person to achieve Core Formation in China was Ancestor Floatingcloud who managed to survive the Dragon Hole!”

Everyone said nothing. Even an idiot understood that once reparation came to an end, Longsu Province would quickly transform into a heavenly paradise. Currently, how many were there conferred with the title of a Featherwood Guard Branch Master? Xu Yangyi, this name, deepened a level further in everyone’s hearts. 

Not as the Pill Dao’s agent but rather as a cultivator, a cultivator with boundless prospects!

All of a sudden, the white light flashed for the last time.

A quickly walking shadow appeared. Everyone looked on with fiery gazes. Soon afterwards, an extremely joyous cry of surprise rang out from the Yi Clan!

“Fifth Young Master! It’s Fifth Young Master!”

“The heavens have taken pity… Fifth Young Master’s jade slip cracked but never shattered in the end!” 

“Congratulations, Fifth Young Master!”

The Yi Clan was so excited that they let out constant cries of surprise. However, they absolutely hadn’t expected that after Yi Old Five exited, his first action would be to deeply cup his fist towards Xu Yangyi and nod. Afterwards, he closed his eyes and immediately blacked out.

The scene was a domain of silence.

Even the Yi Clan, just wild with joy, was stunned.

What was Yi Old Five’s intention just now?

“The Yi Clan gives our many thanks for Branchmaster Xu’s considerations.” In the Yi Clan, a voice was suddenly heard. An old man, almost so old that it seemed that he was unable to move, trod into the air. He faced Xu Yangyi and cupped his hands. “Branchmaster Xu, the Yi Clan’s headquarters is located in Jianghan City. The distance is not too far from Longsu Province. I hope you can make a visit should you have the time.”

The first lineage had already extended an olive branch to Xu Yangyi!