Wayfarer

Chapter 739: The Careful Lou Yujing

Xiao Nanfeng and Ye Sanshui rushed toward the palatial valley in Shenfeng's capital as quickly as they could.

When the Divine Emperor saw Xiao Nanfeng's pallor, she rushed forward. "Have you been injured?"

"I'm fine. One of the zombie kings dealt me a heavy blow, but I've pretty much recovered now."

"That damn Lou Yujing," the Divine Emperor cursed. Her gaze was icy.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Nanfeng asked worriedly.

"My cultivation has advanced recently, and Yuan Wudi only managed to break through to the Boundless Immortal realm because of external support. I've beaten Tu Jiuniang once before. They could never best me!" the Divine Emperor said.

"I'm glad. Let's deal with the zombie kings in the black coffin for now, then."

The Divine Emperor nodded, then arranged for some of her subordinates to stand guard.

Ye Sanshui retrieved the black coffin.

The Divine Emperor opened it up to find black smoke gushing out. A figure attempted to escape, but the Divine Emperor slapped it back into the coffin.

"Let's go!" she said.

Ye Sanshui and Xiao Nanfeng nodded and followed her into the coffin.

Two figures shot toward them from within.

"Insolence!" Ye Sanshui shouted, punching back at them.

He sent one zombie king reeling back while the Divine Emperor took care of the other.

"His Majesty bisected both of these zombie kings, and they've only recently recombined. Their strength has been greatly diminished," Ye Sanshui explained.

"Let's seal them for now," Xiao NAnfeng said.

The Divine Emperor's bell tolled as a wave of sound rushed toward one of the zombie kings.

The zombie king would have been no match for the Divine Emperor even at peak strength, and certainly was no match for her in its injured state. The Divine Emperor strode forward and pointed at its chest. A beam of black light shot toward the zombie king's body, freezing it in place.

Meanwhile, Ye Sanshui had taken down the other zombie king, but he was having a harder time trying to seal it. The Divine Emperor stepped forward to help.

"Alright, Ye Sanshui. See if you can control these two zombie kings as well," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"Understood!"

The cultivators landed in a valley close by as Ye Sanshui attempted to master the two zombie kings.

He even opened his mouth wide to reveal two bloody fangs, then bit down on their exposed flesh. Even so, the zombie kings didn't seem to respond.

After some experimentation, Ye Sanshui frowned as he returned. "Your Majesty, I apologize. I can't seem to control them."

"What's the matter?"

"Though I'm an ancestral zombie, these two zombie kings aren't derived from me. They'll only obey Lou Yujing."

"You can't control them at all?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"I can't." Ye Sanshui smiled wryly.

"In the past, Emperor Feng managed to combine several Golden Immortal zombies into a Boundless Immortal zombie. If you can absorb these two zombie kings, would you grow stronger as well?"

"I suspect not."

"Why not?"

"I have the feeling that this body of mine is under a restriction of some sort. There's an upper limit to the strength that this body can support, and nothing beyond that limit will have any effect."

Xiao Nanfeng sighed. "No wonder Lou Yujing didn't devour his zombie subordinates."

"I feel as if I may be able to rectify this flaw by absorbing another ancestral zombie. All I can accomplish by absorbing these derivative zombies is replenish my supply of cursed spiritual energy."

"In that case, I'll hand these two zombie kings to you, along with all the zombies we caught. We're about to go to war with Hongyue, and you'll be able to restore any wounds you sustain with them."

Xiao Nanfeng handed over the storage artifact containing the zombies that Ao Zhou and the others had caught.

"Understood!"

"Very well, then. Let's go," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Ye Sanshui claimed the two zombie kings as the cultivators emerged from the black coffin.

Then, Xiao Nanfeng assigned him a few tasks and sent him on his way.

"And here I thought we'd be able to gain two more Boundless Immortals. What a pity." Xiao Nanfeng sighed.

"Don't worry. Look what I got you!" The Divine Emperor smiled.

She summoned a wall of bells before her.

"Is this the Bloodbell Aegis?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Indeed. I snatched it from Tu Jiuniang. I have my bell, so this is useless to me. Why don't you use it?" the Divine Emperor offered.

Xiao Nanfeng inspected the relic and rapped his knuckles against a bell. A wave of red sound emanated from it.

"Didn't you break this Bloodbell Aegis last time? How did it get restored?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"This relic is imbued with natural law that allows it to restore itself with sufficient energy. Lou Yujing must have fed it a tremendous quantity of energy," the Divine Emperor said.

"Natural law?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"You aren't—" The Divine Emperor gave him a surprised look. "You aren't planning on consuming it, are you?"

"Why not?" Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"It's a Boundless Immortal relic. Even if it can't compare to my bell, it's still exceptionally strong. Isn't it rather a waste to just strip it for energy?"

"Not eating it would be the real waste. I'm a True Immortal. Could I really do much with a Boundless Immortal relic? Rather than have to work around my restrictions in combat, why not improve my cultivation instead?"

The Divine Emperor pursed her lips. She was at a loss for words. After all, what other True Immortal in the world would react like Xiao Nanfeng when given a Boundless Immortal relic?

"Will you guard me while I attune to it?"

"Very well," the Divine Emperor replied, nodding.

Xiao Nanfeng absorbed the relic into his dantian, then sat cross-legged in meditation. Within his dantian, ten golden crows rushed out and attacked the Bloodbell Aegis.

The Bloodbell Aegis instantly attempted to defend itself in flashes of red light, but its automated defenses could hardly compare to Xiao Nanfeng's targeted assault.

Before long, one of the bells burst apart in an explosion of energy, which was absorbed by his Sky of Ten Suns, Imposing Avatar of Rulai, and Jade Emperor's Frame.

The second bell burst, then the third, and then...

Xiao Nanfeng continued to activate his techniques as his aura flared.

Six whole hours passed before he finished off the Bloodbell Aegis.

Flames burst out of his body as he opened his eyes. Two rays of golden light shot out.

"The seventh stage of the True Immortal realm—just how much energy do you need to advance in cultivation?" The Divine Emperor laughed.

"Right? If not for the fact that the black coffin is a cursed effigy, I'd have eaten it too."

The Divine Emperor was taken back. A relic that even a saint wanted—Xiao Nanfeng had already destroyed one and wanted to consume another. She didn't know what to say.

In Dazheng's imperial study at Yongding, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar was chatting with Zhao Yuanjiao.

"Senior Brother, are you a Golden Immortal now?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

Zhao Yuanjiao smiled. "It's all thanks to that Golden Immortal pill you brought me."

"It was from Master," Xiao Nanfeng replied, sighing. "He gave all that he could extract from his body to you."

Zhao Yuanjiao grimaced. "Master—it really is a pity."

"Don't be too concerned, Senior Brother. Master still has a body in the red moon illusory realm, and we can still revive him."

Zhao Yuanjiao nodded. "You're right. Master has been wanting to kill Lou Yujing, that traitor, his entire life. We need to accomplish that goal on his behalf."

"I'm about to declare war on Hongyue," Xiao Nanfeng told him.

"Why didn't you ask me to participate in Yongding's defense?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked.

"I thought you were breaking through, Senior Brother, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Forget it. I would have been useless before advancing into a Golden Immortal, at any rate—but make sure you call on me for subsequent fights, alright?"

"Of course, Senior Brother. Except for a few disciples who are to remain safeguarding the sect in case something goes awry, I expect everyone to participate in the war against Hongyue. The Taiqing Immortal Sect finally has the ability to punish a traitor it's allowed to roam free for far too long. All the deceased elders of the sect will be watching over us from the heavens, I'm sure."

"Very good!" Zhao Yuanjiao nodded.

"Senior Brother, I know that the Taiqing Immortal Sect has a few nomadic disciples that roam the world and aren't part of the four divisions. Although we haven't contacted them for many years, I'd like them to return and do their part in this war. The sect master must contribute as well—we need everyone's participation," Xiao Nanfeng said seriously.

"I'll contact them all, then."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "Thank you."

In a hall in Hongyue's capital, Lou Yujing was seated with a particularly dour expression on his face.

To one side of the hall, Yuan Wudi was recuperating from his injuries. Tu Jiuniang seemed to have just finished doing so. She headed toward him and asked about how the fight at Yongding had gone.

"Husband, how did Xiao Nanfeng have Yu Fuli's heart sword? Could he have granted it to him? Does Yu Fuli intend to meddle in our business?"

"I doubt he will unless there's a very good reason to."

"Thank goodness."

Lou Yujing shook his head with a frown. "Xiao Nanfeng's as dangerous as I thought. We've lost quite a few resources."

"Husband, didn't you say that Xiao Nanfeng wouldn't be able to subvert those zombie kings he caught, regardless? We still have a decisive advantage over him."

"Never underestimate your opponent, especially one we've lost to several times. We need to treat Xiao Nanfeng seriously," Lou Yujing warned.

"In what sense?"

"Let's get the saint involved," Lou Yujing replied. Killing intent gleamed in his eyes.