Chapter 143: First Clash with Bai Yue
The moment the Spider Demon was pinned to the ground by Fengdu, she let out a piercing scream, and her figure flickered, transforming into a mature woman dressed in a black gauze dress.
"Spare me, great one!"
Fengdu had pierced through her abdomen, suppressing her thousand years of cultivation with its immense spiritual power, rendering her incapable of casting any spells. She had no choice but to beg for mercy.
Chu Yang slowly descended from midair, one hand pressing down on Fengdu's hilt, gazing indifferently at the wailing Spider Demon.
He took out a Devouring Demon Gu and tossed it onto the Spider Demon.
The moment it caught the scent of a demon, the Devouring Demon Gu became excited and burrowed into the Spider Demon's body.
"What is this?!"
Her face turned deathly pale as she screamed in agony.
Unfortunately for her, besides a certain foolish butterfly, no one else was around to hear her cries.
Before long, the Devouring Demon Gu drained the Spider Demon's cultivation completely, reducing her to dust.
Chu Yang grasped the now blood-red Devouring Demon Gu in his palm. Moments later, the Devouring Demon Gu disappeared, and he absorbed nearly five hundred years' worth of cultivation.
"The loss rate is about fifty percent, a slight improvement from last time. The new variant I created is showing progress. If I keep refining it, it should eventually reach a perfect replication rate."
Despite killing the Spider Demon, Chu Yang still hadn't found the Thunder Spirit Pearl. That meant it had to be in Leizhou.
"Should I meet up with my senior brother first, or go straight for the other Spirit Orbs?"
Chu Yang fell into contemplation.
The Wind and Fire Spirit Pearls could be in Nanzhao, or perhaps one was in the Divine Realm and the other in the Ghost Realm. Given that the Divine Realm and Ghost Realm were difficult to enter and exit, checking Nanzhao first made the most sense.
If he could obtain the Spirit Orbs easily, that would be ideal. But even if he failed, he would at least be able to eliminate two wrong options.
Just as he was about to take off, a butterfly fluttered before him, refusing to leave.
"Listen well, I'm a Daoist, not a scholar. I spared you just now only because you have a good heart and follow the right path. If you don't leave soon, I might start coveting your thousand years of cultivation!"
Chu Yang scolded with a stern expression.
He was telling the truth. If not for the butterfly Caiyi's loyalty and kindness, he would have already acted.
Startled, the little butterfly fluttered chaotically in the air before vanishing from sight.
Chu Yang smiled knowingly and then flew away on his sword. However, instead of heading directly to Leizhou, he set course for a place he had previously visited—the General's Tomb.
Caiyi's appearance had reminded him of something. Near Baihe Village, there was still a monster residing in Jade Buddha Temple—a creature named Little Stone.
His true form was the Jade Prayer Bead once held by Bodhidharma, and he had cultivated for nine hundred and ninety-nine years.
Originally, he was supposed to be subdued by Zhao Linger, but due to the changes in the story, he was still reigning over Jade Buddha Temple, forcing people to become monks against their will.
Even in the original timeline, Little Stone's fate wasn't good. After Zhao Linger's death, without anyone to restrain him, he degenerated into a demon again, potentially even becoming the great villain Chiba Zen Master in The Legend of Sword and Fairy 2 (Chinese Paladin 2).
Just thinking about a scene resembling Little Thunder Temple in the future made Chu Yang shudder.
Rather than leaving the Jade Prayer Bead to cause trouble, it was better to deal with him now—either refine him into a magical artifact or absorb his cultivation entirely. The outcome wouldn't be much different either way.
A flash of sword light streaked across the sky above the capital, heading straight for Baihe Village. Using Observation Haki, Chu Yang quickly located Jade Buddha Temple.
The place was filled with mortals, all forcibly converted into monks, their families torn apart.
That alone was reason enough—Little Stone had to die.
Chu Yang strode into the temple, exuding an overwhelming killing intent. The Little Stone, who had taken on the form of the old abbot, sensed the terrifying presence and knew something was wrong. He immediately summoned his monks to resist.
"A Daoist disciple?"
The Jade Prayer Bead sneered upon seeing Chu Yang's attire.
"Since you're from the Daoist sects, I won't bother trying to convert you. I'll just send you straight to meet your Grandmaster."
Chu Yang grinned. "What a stubborn little thing. If you won't convert me, then I'll just have to convert you instead!"
The Jade Prayer Bead scoffed. "Go ahead, try killing everyone here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless monks swarmed toward Chu Yang. Little Stone's plan was simple: since his opponent was a Daoist disciple, he wouldn't want to kill innocents. This would give him a chance to launch a sneak attack.
But in the next instant, an invisible storm erupted from Chu Yang, sweeping out in all directions.
For a brief moment, Little Stone saw a vast golden ocean.
Conqueror's Haki washed over the ordinary monks, and Jade Prayer Bead watched in horror as they collapsed one by one.
When the shockwave finally hit him, his face twisted in terror.
Before he could react, Chu Yang grabbed him by the throat and shoved a Devouring Demon Gu into his mouth.
With Jade Prayer Bead's demise, the monks regained their senses and fled down the mountain, while Chu Yang gained another five hundred years of cultivation.
In the world of Chinese Paladin, cultivation level and realm do not always equate, especially for the demon race.
The two thousand years of cultivation that Chu Yang obtained from the demons were not enough to push him directly into the next major realm, but they could still enhance his combat strength. He could use this cultivation to refine his martial arts, thereby strengthening his True Origin Martial Body.
The Jade Prayer Bead, now devoid of its cultivation, had lost its sentience, but it still retained a trace of spiritual essence. Given enough time, it might once again give birth to a consciousness similar to "Little Stone." Chu Yang stored it in his Soul Space, leaving it for others to study, before riding his sword toward the Nanzhao Kingdom.
Meanwhile, in the Lunar Sect Cult, the returning Bai Yue sensed something and silently stepped out of his room, looking expectantly at the sky.
"Brother Ayang is indeed a man of his word—he's already coming to Nanzhao Kingdom to find me so soon."
Bai Yue watched as a sword light streaked across the sky, but instead of stopping at the Lunar Sect Cult, it headed directly toward a farther destination. His gentle expression darkened.
"Hahaha, your dear Brother Ayang seems to have more urgent matters to attend to."
"He doesn't care about his promise to you at all."
"I've told you before—those Daoist geezers from Shu Mountain cannot be trusted. I am a part of them; I know their hypocrisy better than anyone!"
"There's still time. Join me in dealing with them! Qingwei and those old fools are too occupied trying to prevent the Demon-Sealing Tower from collapsing. They won't be able to interfere!"
"A mere Sword Saint is nothing. The two of us can easily handle him!"
Beside him, Evil Sword Immortal spoke with malicious delight. Two out of every three sentences he uttered were meant to sow discord, urging Bai Yue to turn against Shu Mountain.
If Shu Mountain were eradicated, Evil Sword Immortal—being a being formed from Qingwei and the elders' accumulated evil thoughts—could absorb their cultivation and evolve into a true Outer-Realm Fiend.
At that point, there would be only a handful of beings across the Three Realms and Six Paths capable of opposing him.
Faced with Evil Sword Immortal's temptation, Bai Yue hesitated for a moment. In truth, he had already guessed the other party's motives.
But hadn't he, too, considered using Evil Sword Immortal to destroy Shu Mountain?
Originally, Bai Yue had not cared about Shu Mountain, as they rarely interfered with mortal affairs. Back then, when the Witch Queen perished along with the Water Demon Beast, the Sword Saint had remained a mere bystander from start to finish.
But for some reason, Shu Mountain's stance had suddenly changed!
He had merely approached the vicinity of Yuzhou, and the Sword Saint immediately appeared to warn him to leave. The situation had almost escalated into a full-blown battle.
This made Bai Yue realize that he might need to rethink his approach.
"I can cooperate with you. But what's in it for me?" Bai Yue crossed his hands over his abdomen, smiling as he inquired.
"You want to destroy the world, but you can't avoid the Five Spirit Orbs. I can help you collect them. How about that?"
Evil Sword Immortal pounded his chest confidently in assurance.
"To break the Witch Queen's seal, the Five Spirit Orbs are a necessity. This is a fair deal. I accept."
Bai Yue nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze toward the direction in which Chu Yang had disappeared.
"What do you think Brother Ayang is in such a hurry for?"
Evil Sword Immortal let out a sinister chuckle. "Since we're partners now, why don't we use that kid as a sacrifice to mark the beginning of our collaboration?"
"That won't do. I still have many unanswered questions. Until I get all my answers, nothing must happen to Brother Ayang."
Bai Yue rejected Evil Sword Immortal's suggestion without a second thought.
Evil Sword Immortal's gaze flickered with displeasure, but he quickly concealed it and smiled once more. "You're the one in charge of this, of course!"
Bai Yue said nothing more, casting a Distance-Reducing Technique and vanishing in the direction Chu Yang had gone.
—
Chu Yang, now in Divine Tree Forest, searched for traces of the Golden-Winged Phoenix. However, the forest was vast, stretching into an endless expanse of the Hundred-Thousand Great Mountains.
"Brother Ayang, you came to Miaojiang, so why not stop by the Lunar Sect Cult?"
Bai Yue appeared behind Chu Yang without a sound.
"With your unparalleled cultivation, Cult Master, you could easily sense my location. There was no need for me to make the extra effort."
Chu Yang turned to face Bai Yue, their gazes locking in midair. He saw the murderous intent flickering in Bai Yue's eyes.
"So, you led me here on purpose?" Bai Yue sounded intrigued.
"Not quite. I was merely gambling on whether or not you'd come. If you didn't, it would mean you still had some trust in me, and we could still negotiate. But if you did…"
Chu Yang shook his head in disappointment. "It would mean you've already made your decision—to oppose me and Shu Mountain."
"'Oppose' is a strong word. I've always regarded Brother Ayang as a kindred spirit. Our thoughts and ideals align."
Bai Yue spread his hands, his overwhelming magical power surging forth like a sky-covering dome. He declared loudly, "Brother Ayang, it's you who opposes Shu Mountain! Why not stay in the Lunar Sect Cult? I'll make you my Vice Cult Master, and together, we can change this world."
Chu Yang shook his head. "There are many ways to change the world, but disaster should never be one of them. I prefer a more peaceful approach."
"You keep testing A'nu and Tang Yu just to see if true love exists. They have shown it time and time again, and you've witnessed it. You simply refuse to believe."
Bai Yue was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "That is not true love. Just childish infatuation."
"Self-deception. Stubbornness. If you don't know what love is, then how could you recognize it when you lose it?"
Chu Yang stood in midair, his Fengdu sword suddenly flying forth, hovering around him. "If you want to force me into your cult, then show me your true strength. Stop spouting delusions!"
"Is this necessary?" Bai Yue shook his head, seeming deeply disappointed in Chu Yang's stance. He lifted a hand, his magic condensing into mist that drifted lightly toward Chu Yang.
Instantly, the heavens and earth changed color. Countless towering ancient trees in Divine Tree Forest were crushed to dust as an invisible force rampaged through the land.
Chu Yang's body shone brightly as he activated his True Origin Martial Body. Behind him, a vision of the sun and moon appearing in the sky at the same time materialized, blocking Bai Yue's overwhelming magic.
"Oh? Brother Ayang never ceases to surprise me. I thought you were just knowledgeable, but your cultivation is far beyond your years."
Bai Yue's interest grew, and his expression turned serious. As his magic surged, the surrounding area was filled with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.
The storm howled, slicing through trees like blades, reducing them to dust.
Raindrops fell, each striking the ground like a weight of ten thousand pounds, leaving massive craters.
Lightning crackled across the sky, stretching for miles, like divine punishment descending upon the earth.
At this moment, Bai Yue had become so powerful that he could control nature itself, wielding it as his weapon against Chu Yang.
The destruction of Divine Tree Forest was inevitable.
A terrifying pressure bore down, and for a moment, Chu Yang was reminded of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni from Bleach.
He even felt that, without relying on the Water Demon Beast, Bai Yue alone could still destroy the world with his power.
Then, amid the chaos, a piercing cry echoed.
A golden light streaked across the sky, its massive wings casting a shadow like a descending cloud. Its tail feathers shimmered with a multicolored radiance.
"The Golden-Winged Phoenix?"
Chu Yang turned back in surprise, not expecting the phoenix to appear at this moment.
Suspended in the sky, the Golden-Winged Phoenix gazed down arrogantly at both Chu Yang and Bai Yue—the two culprits responsible for the devastation of the Divine Tree Forest.
After a brief silence, the phoenix let out a piercing cry and charged straight at Bai Yue.
Chu Yang might have been detestable, but in the eyes of the Golden-Winged Phoenix, he was nothing compared to Bai Yue. The latter was the true unforgivable villain.
"Interesting." Bai Yue clasped his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. "Do you think a mere beast like you can kill me?"
"If you were a true phoenix, I might fear you slightly. But you're nothing more than a spiritual beast with phoenix blood—how dare you bark at me?"
A terrifying pressure surged forth, as if a pair of invisible hands had seized the Golden-Winged Phoenix. Its body froze midair, and it let out a cry of agony.
Crack, crack, crack—
The sound of breaking bones echoed through the sky. The divine radiance surrounding the phoenix dimmed, and its body began to shrink.
In an instant, the majestic phoenix transformed into a woman, her figure drenched in blood.
At the brink of disaster, Chu Yang struck once more. His fists filled the heavens, shattering Bai Yue's magic with sheer force.
A flash of sword light cut through the air, sweeping up the Golden-Winged Phoenix and vanishing from Bai Yue's sight.
Bai Yue stood in silence, watching the direction they had fled. After a long pause, he finally turned and left.
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