Volume One: The Misty Immortal Palace Chapter 118: A Brother's Debt

Chapter 118: A Brother’s Debt

Mid-air, the bound Hanhuo and the yellow gourd brushed past each other. Although she desperately wanted to help Zhou Hao retrieve the gourd, she was powerless to do anything and could only watch as it flew toward Nangong Xun.

Simultaneously, Zhou Hao took a step forward, his speed as swift as a ghostly phantom. Pushing the Lingxu Immortal Track footwork to its limit, he reached out and pulled Hanhuo into his embrace. Yet, two familiar figures appeared before his eyes: the Night Envoys of the Night Palace, both of whom possessed extreme speed.

In that moment, amidst the pouring rain, the scene froze in the air within a ten-meter radius!

Nangong Xun was clearly a beat behind; he trailed the two Night Envoys. Zhou Hao had initiated his movement the moment he saw Hanhuo being pushed forward, arriving at her position—and the space occupied by the yellow gourd—at almost the exact same time as the Envoys.

The appearance of the Night Envoys did not surprise Zhou Hao. He knew that in everyone’s eyes, the yellow gourd was a priceless artifact; why would the Envoys care for fair trade when such a prize was at stake? Thus, seeing them before him, he felt no panic, even knowing they were genuine High Immortal powerhouses.

Boom! Boom!

The air exploded. The Envoys wanted not only the gourd but also Zhou Hao’s primordial spirit. Both condensed head-sized black spheres in their right hands and smashed them toward Zhou Hao’s face. Two charred trails were left in the void, a testament to the terrifying power of the blow.

At such close range, how could one possibly dodge?

Zhou Hao’s Golden Heavy Pupils erupted with golden light, and the Great Sun behind him pushed his immortal power to its peak. Yet, against two High Immortals, this was far from enough; a direct confrontation would undoubtedly lead to his death.

A smile played on the faces of the Envoys beneath their black cloaks. Their technique, the Night Demon Jade, was designed to destroy the physical body and extract the primordial spirit. At this range, Zhou Hao’s Golden Immortal body should have been blasted into a bloody mist, his soul falling into the hands of the Night Palace.

But in this flash of lightning, the yellow gourd suddenly unsealed itself. A dazzling white light, like an unsheathed immortal sword, erupted with a chilling, snowy sword aura that suppressed all directions, instantly reducing the terrifying black spheres to ash.

As the saying goes, things rarely go exactly as planned. The moment the Night Demon Jade was launched, the Envoys had already lost. Zhou Hao had tampered with the gourd; the moment he used it to trade for Hanhuo, he had prepared for this very "accident."

Seeing this, the Envoys panicked and retreated, not daring to clash with the mysterious artifact despite their fury.

Zhou Hao would not waste such an opportunity. Holding Hanhuo with his left hand, he gripped the gourd with his right, pouring his immortal power into it. The white light from the gourd’s mouth became even more brilliant.

Holding the gourd like a sword of light, Zhou Hao swept it forward. Everything in the path of the white light was obliterated. The Night Envoys and Nangong Xun, being too close to retreat in time, bore the brunt of the strike.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

After being bisected by the sword light, the three figures vanished at top speed, not daring to reappear. This time, they had truly lost everything.

"Hoo!" Zhou Hao let out a long breath and once again activated the gourd, a sliver of white sword energy cutting the binding ropes on Hanhuo, restoring her freedom.

The battle had finally reached a temporary lull. Nangong Xun and the two Envoys were severely wounded. The former, in particular, had surely lost half his life to that strike.

***

Zhou Hao felt fortunate that his quick wit had turned the situation around. By exploiting the psychological state of his opponents during the hostage exchange, he had cleverly activated the gourd, turning a desperate situation into a counterattack.

The cost, however, had been immense. Failure would have meant death for himself, Hanhuo, the Turtle, the Green Snake, Yu Nan, and Xiao Shanshan. He was no match for three High Immortals; his survival was entirely due to the terrifying mystery of the yellow gourd.

"I estimate that even if Nangong Xun and the others remain within the Immortal Palace, they won't dare to trouble us for a while. Let’s head down," Zhou Hao said, flying down with the three women to the gate of the azure pagoda.

The pagoda was empty. However, Zhou Hao’s senses were sharp. With a wave of his right hand, a golden palm reached up to the fourth floor, snatching two young men dressed as Yunmiao disciples and slamming them onto the first floor.

"Nangong Ying! Cheng Yan! You bastards, die, die, die!" Xiao Shanshan recognized them instantly and began kicking them mercilessly.

"Shanshan, wait," Yu Nan called out after watching for a moment.

"Why, Senior Sister? Are you still clinging to old ties? Don't forget how they treated us!" Xiao Shanshan protested.

Nangong Ying and Cheng Yan were bleeding from their seven orifices, their heads battered. They had been hiding, hoping to avoid notice, but Zhou Hao’s golden hand had not only captured them but also shattered their century of cultivation. They were now nothing more than low-level mortals.

Seeing Yu Nan intervene, they crawled toward her, begging for mercy. Yu Nan ignored them, winked at Xiao Shanshan, and said, "Don't misunderstand. I meant we should beat them together. Let me thrash these sons of bitches!"

She produced a bone whip and transformed into a demon, lashing out at them. Xiao Shanshan laughed, "Senior Sister is right, the whip hurts the skin more!"

Zhou Hao watched coldly. He knew this vengeance was for Cao Shuang. Cao Shuang had suffered greatly under these men because of his loyalty to Zhou Hao. He had endured the prison, always believing his brother would return to avenge him.

Thinking of Cao Shuang’s final moments, Zhou Hao’s heart erupted with volcanic rage. The power of a Golden Immortal shook the hall.

"Cheng Yan, did you use your left hand to torture my brother, or your right? Or did you use both?" Zhou Hao’s voice was cold as death.

The bloodied Cheng Yan trembled, unable to answer.

"Since you won't answer, I'll assume it was both!" Zhou Hao reached out, and his black stone sword appeared. With a brutal swing, Cheng Yan’s arms were severed. He collapsed into a pool of blood, unconscious.

Zhou Hao turned the sword toward Nangong Ying.

"Nangong Ying, I have no personal grudge against you, but your father murdered the Palace Master, killed my master, and slaughtered the innocent. I will settle those debts with him later. As for you, consider this just a down payment."

"Hmph, history is written by the victors. I won't beg for mercy," Nangong Ying said defiantly.

"Very well, I'll make it quick." Zhou Hao swung his sword, and Nangong Ying was decapitated.

Cheng Yan, having regained consciousness, saw his senior brother’s headless corpse and screamed, "Don't kill me! I have information!"

Zhou Hao paused. "Speak."

"There is a Purple-Gold Crimson Fruit tree sealed beneath the Yunmiao Immortal Mountain. It is said to be the treasure of the Qingyun Immortal King, capable of helping a High Immortal reach the Great Immortal realm!"

The turtle in Zhou Hao’s arms suddenly bubbled up, its eyes gleaming with greed. "A Purple-Gold Crimson Fruit tree? We’ve hit the jackpot!"

The turtle, posing as an expert, explained that the fruit was a legendary ingredient for the Nine-Turn Golden Pill—a miraculous medicine that could heal even a shattered soul or a destroyed body.

Zhou Hao murmured to himself, "Healing a shattered soul..."

In his mind, a graceful figure in plain robes appeared, her cold expression causing him to lose himself in a trance.