Archfiend

Chapter 262: Assassination and Warning

“Thank you for the warning, Senior.” Xu Yangyi cupped his hands. “But why are they doing this?”

Gao Muya replied with a smile that wasn’t a smile, “Haven’t you guessed?”

“Heavenly paradise.” Xu Yangyi said these words without the slightest hesitation and looked into Gao Muya’s eyes. “Senior Brother once mentioned these words to me… but said that I probably didn’t know about them. It seems that a heavenly paradise isn’t as simple as I thought it was back then.”

“Hehe… you’re pretty smart.” Gao Muya didn’t give an affirmative answer. “Some things… that the eyes see are nothing but illusions… The movement of heart is inferior to the movement of action. Why not go investigate?”

The light of Xu Yangyi’s eyes faintly glimmered. Jadesun had brought these words to his attention again and again. It seemed… that it was far more complex than he imagined. So complex that it caused great clans to set off a cultivator war!

Due to his insufficient gap in world view and realm, he was ignorant. There were too many things that he had no way of knowing.

“Look carefully… Clarify what you’re up against and come back here,” Gao Muya said. “In six months, the Ketu-Rahu Sword will be completely finished.”

Xu Yangyi nodded. “Senior… why are you being so special to me?”

“Yes… why?” Gao Muya gazed at the ceiling, seemingly pensive. After ages, he laughed, “Just an investment.”

“I think highly of you.” He turned his head and looked at Xu Yangyi. “Anyone capable of leaving Danxia Temple alive isn’t a normal person themself… Little girl Quan is my beloved disciple. When I heard she also entered Danxia Temple, I was originally planning to slap you dead… I didn’t expect… she would actually survive unharmed…”

“Right now, you’re still pretty young and inexperienced. If I don’t make an investment now, will I still be waiting to later?” He laughed, “Embroidering a lily is easy, sending charcoal during snowfall is hard. Besides, what have I invested?”

“The cost I charged you is still the same I should accept. It’s just a few more words… Such a broad-scale operation can’t be kept in the the dark before grand masters. Don’t tell me that they dare question us? A jest. But sooner or later, you’ll know about the qi reparation. It’s just a question of time.”

“So…” Gao Muya waved his hand. “Go. This time, things won’t be the slightest bit easier than your journey in Danxia Temple… Maybe against all kinds of illusions and demonbeasts you still managed to stay alive, but against cultivators… as long as you lose an arm, there’s absolutely no chance of survival. War is cruel like this. And a war between humans is even more merciless than any racial conflict…”

Xu Yangyi cupped his hands. Gao Muya couldn’t say more. However, Xu Yangyi also understood that while the current situation appeared to be calm and still like winds and waves, there were some things covered below the cloudbank that he still couldn’t clearly see.

“I’ll have to handle other business as fast as I can.” Walking out of the courtyard house entrance, he raised his head and looked at the sky. At some unknown time, the sky had already become packed with dark clouds. Silver-white electric dragons roamed the clouds.

“First, I’ll go straight to look at the SSS-rank demonbeast handbook.” In his mind, he surmised everything he was going to do next. He pondered to and fro about this matter. Although there was a chance that he wouldn’t succeed, it was impossible for him not to try!

This was the greatest thirst in his heart. The blood enmity of his parents had always been the true origin that motivated his unflagging advance.

He dared not forget for a single day.

“Second…” His gaze flashed. “I have to find out, get a clean understanding of things… Why do the lineages consider this time so important?”

“Master-Ancestor didn’t say so in detail, and Grandmaster Gao couldn’t say more. Qi reparation… Heavenly paradise… Both of these things can actually shock the cultivation world. Master-Ancestor assigned me this, but I don’t know what to do. Once this war starts, I’ll be at a disadvantage.”

He nodded firmly. “Know yourself and know your enemy. Only then will you be a hundred times victorious in a hundred battles.” [1]

Soon after, Xu Yangyi laughed wryly. He’d believed himself to be already quite rich, but unexpectedly he still couldn’t be considered wealthy in comparison to a clan’s financial resources… At most, he could be thought of as well-off.

Presently, the question wasn’t how to triumph in every battle. The issue was the pittance of manpower at his command, and he obviously couldn’t buy each major A-rank Legion in Longsu Province. The question was how to integrate.

If the whole integration wasn’t good… the enemy’s first wave offensive would claim his life!

In his contemplations, the corner of his eye suddenly jumped. Strange… the surrounding pedestrians were gradually decreasing. Furthermore… 

“Sigh…” He took a deep breath and stopped walking. The environment… all the mortals, he had seen all of them.

Jingle… A cart that sold stuffed pancakes slowly drove by. Xu Yangyi’s icy-cold eyes followed the vehicle as it went further away. A thousand meters away from him, another identical vendor cart slowly came. [2]

His gaze swept past little by little. On the left side, a woman wearing a black windbreaker was standing in front of a kiosk. And another thousand meters away, there was the same kiosk, the same black-clothed woman, and the same movement infinitely looping.

“A Looping Illusion. Seamlessly joined.” He inhaled deeply, and his right arm raised up alone and made a boxing stance in front of his chest. He didn’t budge half a step and stood in his original position. Able to cover 300 meters, his spiritual sense was fully unleashed, forming an absolute defense around him. 

“Come out.” His expression was motionless, but his gaze was like an eagle’s, running through everything in his surroundings. “How long do you risk maintaining this Looping Illusion?”

No one responded. Xu Yangyi licked his lips. “Twenty minutes? Half an hour?”

Still, no one answered. A bloodthirsty smile curved at the crook of his mouth. Like a stone carving, he stood in place, not making a single move. The opponent was looking for a gap in his defenses. He was also searching for the opponent’s true body. Inevitably, one side would act first.

The first peddler cart passed and so did the second. These scenes that he’d seen before repeated several times. Fifteen minutes had already went by.

Jingle… The tricycle towing a glass box came. On the surface, the plastic-paper words for “stuffed pancakes” were glued on. The cycling peddler yelled as he slowly rode by, “Stuffed pancakes, selling stuffed pancakes.”

The same voice and same appearance. However, in the instant the vendor passed Xu Yangyi’s side, the glass box exploded! Shards of broken glass mingled with rays of qi and rushed straight at him!

On the sixteenth minute, this invisible enemy had finally chose to take the lead and act!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xu Yangyi leaped back. At the same time, he analyzed his situation with lightning speed! It was public knowledge that his left arm was already wasted, and he was unable to form seals or use divine abilities at all. Only then had this foe decided to assassinate him...

Furthermore… he inhaled deeply, and his gaze swept through his surroundings.

This place was the Capital! Leaving aside the Cultivation Court’s upper and lower presidents, half-step Nascent Soul and Great Circle Core Formation, the Capital was a tiny piece of land. They could sweep over it completely with one eye! Even Ancestor Hiddenscent, who kept watch over the Capital, could easily prevent such a secret assassination if she wanted to. It would cost no more strength than blowing away dust.

However, there wasn’t a hint of a response! There was only one explanation… The acting clan had already went through some protocol that caused these figures to tacitly approve this matter. The law was nothing else but favor and friendship. Since ancient times to the modern era, China was never a society truly ruled by law.

But!

A cruel smile hung at the corner of Xu Yangyi’s mouth. He was afraid that this opponent simply didn’t know that the present him… could form seals!

Swoosh! In reality, these thoughts only occurred in a flash of lightning. As Xu Yangyi swiftly retreated, the tricycle peddler suddenly bounded up, not uttering a word. His originally normal face started to move forward and protrude. In a twinkling, the clothes on his body shredded into pieces, and arms grew out from his back with a crack. In less than five seconds, the peddler became a giant spider no less than twenty meters long, but his eight feet were humans hands. The demon was already rushing towards Xu Yangyi who was in midair!

Crash! Eight giant feet quickly moved on the ground. Shortly, trenches that were visible to the naked eye took shape. The tremendous and ugly mouthparts of the spider dripped with nauseating saliva. Like two blades, they lunged with razor speed!

Xu Yangyi’s expression was bereft of the faintest ripple. He’d already experienced too many deadly situations. In particular, the present moment was still far from reaching the true juncture of life and death

In his hand, a blaze ignited. It was weak, far from attaining the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus’s level when he was brimming with power. Because his left arm had been ruined, the magnitude of a full cultivation cycle had been stopped. The barely remaining qi inside his body was pitifully lacking.

Swoosh. The blaze flung out easily and spread everywhere in a matter of moments! In spite of this, however, it didn’t even have a dragon’s shape. Still, the attack’s horrible temperature caused the giant spider to stop in its tracks.

“Hiss!” At this time, the spider screeched and oddly fell over in the air to Xu Yangyi’s surprise. The demon’s massive abdomen was aimed at him. Encompassing the entire sky, white spider silk instantly came churning out at full force!

Bang! The spider silk and the blaze clashed. Everything transformed into flying ash. The spider’s eyes flashed, and its upper body raised up high. It issued a heaven-shaking cry! 

“HISS!!!”

The sonorous roar caused the air to tremble! 

A cultivator who’s lost their qi is nothing more than prey. That move just now was the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus, one of the supreme skills that made Branchmaster Xu famous… but it only had this level of power. Today… he’s definitely going to die at my hands!

The creature stood up like a man, its four back legs propped on the ground and its four front claws actually beginning to form seals! 

A black ripple started to tremble in the demon’s hands. A trace of emotion that could even be said to be joy surfaced in the spider’s small eyes. Late-stage Qi Condensation… Such a young late-stage Qi Condensation! Was about to die to his hands!

Xu Yangyi’s gaze was heavy. He didn’t advance nor retreat, but in that stride just now, he unexpectedly discovered that he couldn’t move! At some unknown time, the ground was covered in spider silk! This webbing firmly bound his feet.

“Kekeke…” Sharp numbing laughter came from the spider’s ugly mouth, and it rasped out, “Suffer death!”

Just as the demon’s voice fell, a dot of cold golden light streaked across the air like a shooting star trying to chase the moon, a flying immortal beyond the heavens!

At the same time, somewhere in the illusion, black eyes that had been watching since the beginning flashed as well, completely recording this scene.

An incredulous look surfaced in the spider’s small eyes. In this instant, golden muslin awesomely filled the sky. On the ground, golden lotus flowers quietly grew!

“Hiss… HISS!!!” A terrified shriek came from the creature’s mouth. In its eyes, a cold star came racing forth with unavoidable speed! Before the spider-demon even reacted, it felt a violent pain coming from its forehead!

That golden light… seemed to be a hand stretching into his spiritual sense and ruthlessly tearing it into two!

Fast… Too fast! Supremely fast! Middle-stage Qi Condensation actually couldn’t react one bit!

The spider’s small eyes blinked. Afterwards, it fell to the ground with a loud rumble, kicking up dust and sand all through the air!

Young Master… did you see…? The assassin’s eyes carried a final unwillingness as it glared daggers at Xu Yangyi. This person… isn’t someone that one person can handle… 

Shwip… The spider silk under Xu Yangyi’s feet softened in an instant. He forcefully threw the webbing off and walked over neither slowly nor hurriedly. On the spider’s forehead, a small and exquisite sword point happened to be pierced in, the sword that he’d taken out from Danxia Temple.

He gently pulled out the sword point. Afterwards, he gazed coldly at the spider and sent his foot rocketing into its corpse!

Thump! Following a bang, the entire spider was kicked over. In the place where the sword point was pulled out, green liquid followed the the spider’s turn. In the air, this ichor drew an ugly arc!

“Go back and tell your master.” Xu Yangyi looked all around. “I know you’re watching.”

“If you want to take my life, send someone a bit more fierce.” He stomped on the spider’s corpse and uttered, “Don’t think this place is a little village in the neck of the woods, and middle-stage Qi Condensation can call themselves kings here… This is Beijing.”

“And I am Xu Yangyi.”

1. Famous line from Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

2. To be more precise, stuffed pancake is known as Jianbing Guozi (煎饼果子). It is a Chinese fried pancake filled with Chinese fried dough twist.