Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 801: Beware of Penglai (II)

The overwhelming pressure spread to Chu Liang and the others, forcing them against the mountain wall and leaving them barely able to lift their heads.

A solemn-faced figure, clad in black and azure Daoist robes, hovered in midair. He gazed down coldly at Tan Qingfeng, who lay beside the Eye of the Nether River.

"Heh… heh…" Tan Qingfeng let out a bleak, miserable laugh. "So, you've come after all… how unwilling I am to accept this…"

Now it made sense why he had been so anxious and impatient. He had been worried about the arrival of this mysterious Daoist. From the moment the iron-eating beast broke the seal, Tan Qingfeng had known this man would inevitably come. It had merely been a matter of how quickly he would get there.

Unfortunately, due to Chu Liang and the others’ interference, Tan Qingfeng failed to complete his mission in time.

The mysterious Daoist was the one who had destroyed Jiuli’s legacy. He was the very same person Tan Qingfeng had once projected before everyone—Lu Cang.

"I knew you'd come back, but I didn’t expect you to return so quickly," Lu Cang said flatly. His gaze fell on Tan Qingfeng, and his voice remained void of emotion. "This time, you won’t escape. Tell me the incantation to control the Eye of the Yellow Spring."

If this had been any other enchanted artifact, Lu Cang could have easily seized control since he had a high level of cultivation. However, the Eye of the Nether River had been forged by God Jiuli. Without the formation incantation, no one could activate it, unless their cultivation level surpassed that of God Jiuli himself.

For this exact reason, when Lu Cang destroyed this hidden realm last time, he had been unable to do anything with this Nether River. And so, he had no choice but to seal it away.

Tan Qingfeng had been aware of this all along. Yet, like a moth drawn to the flame, he had no choice but to embrace the fire.

"Dream on," Tan Qingfeng replied. His corporeal body had already died; he was now waiting for his final rest. There was nothing left for him to fear, not even the powerful Daoist before him.

Lu Cang cast a cold, indifferent glance at him before shifting his gaze to the iron-eating beast. "If you refuse to hand it over, I'll kill it as well."

"You—" Tan Qingfeng froze. He turned to the iron-eating beast, his gaze filled with sorrow. He remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "If I give you the incantation... will you truly let it go?"

He didn’t care for his own well-being, but the weight of the iron-eating beast on his heart was far heavier than Mount Tai. It wasn’t only because it was the Jiuli Celestial Beast; it was the bond they had formed through years of companionship.

"Grraarrr." The iron-eating beast let out a deep, muffled growl, its entire body struggling desperately. However, having only just reached adulthood, how could it possibly match an Eminent One at the eighth realm…

"You have my word," Lu Cang said without hesitation.

"Haaaaaaaaaa!" Tan Qingfeng let out a deep sigh, his eyes flashing with divine light as a wisp of spirit sense emerged from his forehead, drifting toward Lu Cang. Lu Cang lightly pressed his fingers together, his eyes glowing with newfound understanding.

Whoosh!

The Nether River surged violently, but in an instant, all the Breath of the Yellow Springs was drawn back into the spring eye, halting its outward flow completely.

Tan Qingfeng shut his eyes in despair, knowing that his clan had utterly failed the mission that God Jiuli had given them. From now on, God Jiuli would never have a chance to be revived.

In the next instant, traces of the Breath of the Yellow Springs seeped out from his body, and with it, his last vestiges of life faded away—leaving behind a mangled, lifeless corpse.

"Raaaaaar!" The iron-eating beast's eyes burned with rage at the sight, no longer able to hold back!

Boom!

Overcome by grief and rage, it broke through the divine suppression Lu Cang had imposed upon it!

The iron-eating beast leaped high into the air, its massive maw wide open as it let out a furious roar and swung its colossal paw straight at Lu Cang!

However, Lu Cang remained unfazed. With a raise of a finger, a whoosh sounded.

In a flash of light, the iron-eating beast's massive form instantly shrank, reverting into a small, round furball. Its eyes closed, and it went limp, falling to the ground. Though it became small, it was still rather heavy and hit the ground with a heavy thud.

…

The two opponents, who had been so difficult for Chu Liang, Jiang Yuebai, and Xu Ziyang to handle just moments ago, were effortlessly dealt with by Lu Cang.

The three of them stood silently to the side, not making a sound. Chu Liang held Jiang Yuebai's hand tightly. Though she appeared calm, he could feel the subtle tremors in her palm.

After searching for a long time, it was her first time directly encountering someone from the Divine Ruins Monastery. This man might very well be her enemy in the future, so it was only natural that her emotions were stirred.

After dealing with Tan Qingfeng and the iron-eating beast, Lu Cang turned his gaze toward the three young disciples of Mount Shu and spoke calmly. "Where is Wen Yuan? He must be waiting for me, right?"

Hearing his question, Chu Liang chuckled lightly. "Esteemed Senior, it seems there's nothing we can hide from you."

Indeed. Aside from them, Venerable Wen Yuan had also entered the hidden realm. However, he had hidden himself deep within the Primordial Chaos, and no one knew where he truly was.

The reason he hadn’t interfered in the battle was because he had been betting that if Tan Qingfeng were about to succeed, Lu Cang would have no choice but to show up.

Venerable Wen Yuan had arrived here solely for the purpose of waiting for Lu Cang.

Of course, if Tan Qingfeng had truly succeeded in reviving God Jiuli through the Nether River, Venerable Wen Yuan would have acted without hesitation. It was impossible for the Mount Shu Sect to let the guardian of the Legacy of God Jiuli, whose motives were unclear, return to the hidden realm without any safeguards.

Thus, Tan Qingfeng’s mission had been doomed from the start. After guarding this tomb for countless ages, how many in the Tan Clan had ever truly believed they could succeed?

As Lu Cang spoke, a black rift suddenly tore open in midair, and from within, Venerable Wen Yuan stepped out. He gazed at Lu Cang with a complicated expression.

Two hundred years ago, they had been the most brilliant young disciples of the Mount Shu Sect. A hundred and fifty years ago, they were bitter rivals that were constantly at odds. Now, after decades apart, both stood as powerful Eminent Ones at the peak of the eighth realm.

Yet Lu Cang’s expression remained unchanged. He spoke first in a calm and indifferent tone, "You must have questions for me."

Wen Yuan replied without hesitation, "I do."

Before either of the two could say anything, Chu Liang spoke first. "Then I'll leave the two esteemed seniors to their conversation. We juniors won’t disturb you."

While he was speaking, he helped Xu Ziyang to his feet and tried to sneak away as fast as possible.

Before he could make his exit, Lu Cang’s voice rang out coldly, "Stop!"

Chu Liang stiffened, and a helpless smile appeared on his face.

Lu Cang’s tone remained utterly emotionless. "How much Breath of the Yellow Springs did you gather just now? Hand it over. This thing should not exist in this world. Keeping it in your possession is a death sentence."

"Heheh," Chu Liang chuckled. "Many thanks for the reminder. I almost forgot."

He had tried to slip away precisely because he thought Lu Cang might not know about this. If he could take the Breath of the Yellow Springs he had collected inside the Azure Wave Lamp, it would be an unimaginable fortune.

After all, back then, just a tiny trace of it had been enough to make the entire Dark King Sect mobilize their forces. Now, the amount in Chu Liang’s possession was at least dozens of times that much! Unfortunately, it seemed that Lu Cang was absolutely determined to reclaim it.

Chu Liang glanced at his sect leader, but Venerable Wen Yuan showed no intention of intervening.

Instead, Venerable Wen Yuan simply asked, "I wonder. How will the Divine Ruins Monastery deal with the Breath of the Yellow Springs?"

Lu Cang's answer was calm but firm. "A thing of the heavens and the earth must be returned to the heavens and the earth. This eye of the spring will be destroyed, and no one shall ever refine the Breath of the Yellow Springs again."

At that, Venerable Wen Yuan fell silent.

Having no other choice, Chu Liang retrieved the Azure Wave Lamp and poured all of the Breath of the Yellow Springs back into the spring eye, not leaving a single drop behind. Any attempt at clever tricks now would be the act of a fool.

Upon seeing Chu Liang's cooperation, Lu Cang showed a hint of satisfaction. He nodded slightly and said, "You have done well this time. In return, I’ll offer you a piece of advice."

Chu Liang immediately looked up and saw Lu Cang staring directly at him.

A brief hesitation flickered in Lu Cang’s eyes, but in the end, he said, "Beware of Penglai."