“Should we keep pasting?” Jiu Hui asked Zhi You via voice transmission. “If we continue, the jade box will turn into a mountain of talisman papers.”
Zhi You stopped sticking talisman paper on it. The jade box covered with layer and layer of talisman papers had become a pile of talisman papers. No one would have guessed that there was a jade box buried under the thick talisman papers.
“Fellow Daoist Nan Feng, the Qi of Extreme Evil is suppressed by the talismans, so it won’t spread for a while. Why don’t you rest for a moment?” Jiu Hui turned around and faced Nan Feng. “Fortunately, you used your sword energy to suppress the spreading evil energy in time. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had time to collect the evil energy.”
Nan Feng silently pulled the sword out of the ground, poured two Essence-Recovering pills into his mouth, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He didn’t have the nerve to speak for a long time.
This remark was somewhat comforting, but not much, and the atmosphere was still extremely awkward.
The demonic cultivator hanging from the tree stirred, seeming to show signs of waking. Zhi You waved his sleeve, releasing a wisp of spiritual energy. Before the demonic cultivator could utter a sound, he fainted once more.
“Fellow Daoist Zhi You, you are so young and yet you have such a high cultivation level. I am very impressed.” Nan Feng looked at Zhi You. In his impression, Zhi You always followed Jiu Hui around and never liked to talk. If it weren’t for his handsome face, others might not have noticed him at all.
“My aptitude is mediocre, Fellow Daoist Nan Feng, you flatter me.” Zhi You seemed oblivious to the scrutiny in Nan Feng’s gaze. “This demonic cultivator’s cultivation is weak, capturing him should not be difficult.”
Zhi You was right. This demonic cultivator’s cultivation was indeed not high. Any of the demonic cultivators who had ambushed Daoist Master Yin Ji at the Body Integration Ceremony had a higher cultivation than this trash demonic cultivator.
“I thought that Fellow Daoist had just joined the Wangshu Pavilion and had only just reached the Qi Refining stage.” Nan Feng smiled. “I was being narrow-minded.”
“It’s fine.” Zhi You nodded, very magnanimous. “I don’t mind.”
Nan Feng: “…“carpreads.pages.dev
There was no way to continue the conversation. He looked up at the sky awkwardly, wondering when the people from the other sects would arrive.
Jiu Hui placed her hand on the outermost layer of the Zhenhe Cauldron’s enchantment. A surge of majestic spiritual energy instantly poured out from beneath the enchantment. She curled her fingers and retracted her hand, her gaze falling on the Zhenhe Cauldron at the center of the enchantment. “Such formidable spiritual energy.”
“In order to refine ten immortal cauldrons, the sect masters of the ten major sects all died of exhaustion, and the treasures they consumed almost emptied half of the cultivation world.” Nan Feng stood up with the help of a tree. “For five hundred years, Lord Fuguang has been infusing spiritual energy into the cauldrons every year, and the major sects have been continuously strengthening the formations, which has preserved the peace of the world for five hundred years.”
“All ten sect masters died of exhaustion?” Jiu Hui looked at Nan Feng in surprise, “The sect masters of the ten sects have such high cultivation…”
“Going against the will of heaven and casting cauldrons to control the world, how could heaven allow them to live?” Nan Feng took two Essence-Recovering pills and had already recovered some spiritual power. “The ten current sect masters all succeeded to their positions five hundred years ago, without exception.”
“If the cauldrons break…”
“That would be a cataclysmic event, a disaster that would wipe out all living beings in the world.” Nan Feng gently placed his hand on the barrier. “That’s why neither the demons nor the immortals would dare to covet the Ten Great Cauldrons.”
Jiu Hui and Zhi You turned their heads in unison to look at the demon cultivator hanging from the tree.
“But there will always be those in the world who seek to destroy it.” Nan Feng smiled wryly. “In recent years, there have been humans, demons, and yaos who have tried to destroy the Immortal Cauldrons. He is not the first, and he will not be the last.”
Therefore, all the major sects had set up layers of barriers and various protective formations around the Immortal Cauldrons, protecting them tightly.
Jiu Hui stared at the Zhenhe Cauldron for a long time, then slowly lowered her eyelids. “But how long can we protect the world’s creatures by relying on the Immortal Cauldrons?”
Nan Feng remained silent, for he did not know either.
A bird’s cry came from the sky. It was the sect masters of Wanhuo Sect and Wenxing School who had arrived. The Sect Master of Wanhuo Sect jumped down from his mount and, without exchanging pleasantries, pinched a spell formula and circulated spiritual energy around the Zhenhe Cauldron. After confirming that the Zhenhe Cauldron was undamaged, he breathed a sigh of relief. “The Zhenhe Cauldron is fine, but the surrounding land and trees have been infected by the Qi of Extreme Evil.”
He sacrificed his natal magic treasure, forced out the blood from his heart, and drew a simple absorption formation on the magic treasure. He was actually preparing to absorb all the evil energy in the trees and soil into his own magic treasure.
A natal magic treasure was one with a cultivator, so if the natal magic treasure was damaged, the cultivator would naturally suffer great harm.
“Wait.” The Palace Master of Changshou Palace descended from the sky. “This is not ordinary evil energy. This is Qi of Extreme Evil refined from countless resentful spirits and corpses. Your natal magic weapon can’t dissolve it at all.”
Jiu Hui remembered that when she was in the Jiutian Sect, these two sect masters almost fought in public because of their disciples. She didn’t expect that at this moment, the Palace Master of Changshou Palace would actually stop the Sect Master of Wanhuo Sect.
She turned her head to glance at the Zhenhe Cauldron under the barrier, then looked at the three sect masters with solemn expressions, closed her eyes, and sighed softly.
The three sect masters heard her sigh and turned their heads to look at her in unison.
“Little friend Jiu Hui?” The Palace Master of Changshou Palace naturally recognized her disciple’s savior. She noticed the demonic cultivator hanging from the tree: “This demonic cultivator, is he the one who released the Qi of Extreme Evil?”
Jiu Hui bowed to the three sect masters and said, “He claimed to be the younger brother of the First Prince of the Demon Cult and wanted everyone in the world to be buried with his elder brother.”
“Buried with him?” The Palace Master of Changshou Palace sneered. “A mere prince of the Demon Cult, and he expects the entire world to be buried with him?”
She turned her head and saw that the Sect Master of the Wanhuo Sect had already begun to chant an incantation, preparing to absorb the Qi of Extreme Evil into his natal magic weapon. She pulled out her sword and slapped the Sect Master of the Wanhuo Sect away, frowning and saying, “Didn’t I tell you to wait? If you want to sacrifice yourself for the world, now is not the time. Can you think before you act?”
Clang.
The incantation was interrupted, and the natal magic weapon fell powerlessly from the air, heading straight for the spot where Jiu Hui was standing.
Zhi You expressionlessly waved his sleeve to knock away the natal magic weapon, pulling Jiu Hui back two steps.
“I knew fire would be my bane, and a powerful one at that.” Jiu Hui stole a glance at the natal magic weapon and took two steps behind Zhi You.
“Did you manage to contain the Qi of Extreme Evil?” The Sect Master of Wenxing School noticed that, apart from the nearby soil, flowers, and trees that contained the Qi of Extreme Evil, the rest of the area was completely clean.
“It was all thanks to Fellow Daoist Nan Feng who used his sword and spiritual energy to control the spread of the evil energy,” Jiu Hui explained. “The demonic cultivator intended to throw the jade bottle containing the Qi of Extreme Evil into the lake, but we stopped him.”
“Where is the jade bottle?!” The Sect Master of the Wanhuo Sect scrambled to his feet and asked Jiu Hui anxiously.
“Here it is.” Jiu Hui pointed her finger at the pile of talisman papers on the ground.
The three sect masters: “…”
The three of them looked at the pile of talisman papers that were four feet high and three feet wide, and for a moment, they didn’t know what to say. The Sect Master of Wenxing School looked at Nan Feng with a puzzled expression. Nan Feng had always been a steady child, so when did he become so extravagant?
Under the questioning gaze of the Sect Master of Wenxing School, Nan Feng blushed and explained, “Fortunately, Daoist Friend Jiu Hui and Daoist Friend Zhi You stopped the evil cultivator in time, so as not to cause a great disaster.”
This pile of talisman papers had nothing to do with him.
“The Qi of Extreme Evil is so powerful that neither Zhi You nor I know how to deal with it. We could only temporarily seal the jade bottle with talismans. I wonder if this is the right thing to do?” Jiu Hui looked at the three sect masters with innocent eyes, as if waiting for their praise.
Even the most hot-tempered Sect Master of the Wanhuo Sect couldn’t bear to utter a single word of reproach in the face of such expectant eyes.
“You did a great job,” the Palace Master of Changshou Palace smiled gently. “With the help of these talisman papers, the evil energy was prevented from spreading. This method is very effective.”
The child just wanted to be praised by her elders. What was wrong with that?
She turned her head and glanced at the Sect Master of Wenxing School and the Sect Master of Wanhuo Sect. What were you still waiting for?
Couldn’t even praise a child?
“Yes, yes, yes, this method is excellent.”
“These talismans are drawn very well. Did you draw them yourselves?”
“Thank you for the Sect Masters’ compliment, Master said we still have much to learn.” Jiu Hui smiled with a blush after listening to the compliment, and said in a very good mood: “Junior is young and inexperienced, I have a question I would like to ask, but I am too embarrassed to ask.”
“If you have any questions, just ask.” The Palace Master of Changshou Palace said with a smile: “As elders, it is our duty to preach and resolve doubts for the younger generation.”
“Junior heard that…”
A stream of light flashed across the sky, and Jiu Hui stopped talking and looked up.
“Disciple greets Master.” Nan Feng took two steps forward to welcome the newcomer and bowed with clasped hands.
Bu Ting glanced at him but said nothing. After exchanging greetings with the three sect masters, he glanced at Jiu Hui out of the corner of his eye and walked to the edge of the lake, reaching his hand into the ice. “You did well to place the Water-Condensing Pearl in the lake to prevent the water tainted with evil energy from flowing elsewhere.”
Nan Feng’s face was flushed red. “This is thanks to Daoist Friend Jiu Hui. This disciple is foolish. Please punish me, Master.”
Bu Ting stood up. He was probably in a hurry when he left. His black hair was untied and hung slightly messy behind him.
“Little friend Jiu Hui is very clever.” He took two steps forward, saw the damaged silk scarf on the ground, and stopped: “Is this your magic weapon, little friend?”
Jiu Hui nodded with heartache, “This was a gift from an elder in my family, but it was no match for the evil energy and has been destroyed.”
“Young friend, your actions have saved all living beings. Bu-mou will help you repair this item.” Bu Ting took out a jade box and used his spiritual power to put the silk scarf into the jade box. “In ten days, I will return a perfect magic weapon to you.”
After he finished speaking, he turned to the Palace Master of Changshou Palace without waiting for Jiu Hui to speak, “Everyone, don’t worry. I will take care of this evil energy.”
He put the jade box into his storage ring, summoned his natal Cosmos Sword, and inserted the blade into the soil.
Jiu Hui raised an eyebrow. Immortal Venerable Bu and Nan Feng were indeed master and disciple. Their sword-drawing actions were so similar.
“Seal!”
From the soil, underwater, and the grass and trees, the Qi of Extreme Evil surged towards the Cosmos Sword. In less than a stick of incense, the originally withered trees sprouted tender green buds in the winter, and flowers bloomed in the grass.
Jiu Hui looked down at the small flower blooming at her feet and spoke again amidst the solemn expressions of the crowd, “This junior has an immature suggestion. As we all know, the Qi of Extreme Evil will bring endless harm to all living beings in the world. If we seal this Qi of Extreme Evil in the highest level of Zhenyao Prison, will the Ten-Thousand-Year great yao purify all this evil energy in the end, or will the evil energy kill the Ten-Thousand-Year great yao?”
The three sect masters turned their heads to look at Jiu Hui, their expressions dull.
Even Bu Ting was momentarily stunned.
Nan Feng looked at Jiu Hui with his mouth wide open.
Was this a living… King of Hell?!
Author’s Note:
Ten-Thousand-Year-Old great yao: This suggestion is terrible, don’t mention it again in the future!