Volume One: The Celestial Palace of Misty Clouds Chapter Sixty-Six: Fierce Battle with Cai Lingzi

Chapter Sixty-Six: Fierce Battle with the Peacock Spirit

The great hall, already a scene of chaotic fighting, now reached a fever pitch. Eleven overwhelming auras soared into the sky, surging waves of energy rippling outward like tides. The sheer force of their presence created an invisible domain; lesser soldiers and guards were thrown to the ground en masse, and even disciples from the four great factions struggled and faltered under the pressure. All were inwardly shaken—though they had trained for similar years and their cultivation realms were not far apart, the difference between themselves and the eleven before them was as vast as heaven and earth! The mere release of momentum before the battle began was enough to leave them unable to stand, a testament to the terrifying strength before them.

So formidable was this clash that, as the Peacock Spirit squared off against the other ten peerless young experts who had temporarily joined forces, the rest ceased their fighting and simply watched in silence, their eyes filled with yearning—a reverence for true power. Of course, the real reason for this pause was that, when the Peacock Spirit rose from the crystal throne, those under his command lost all will to fight.

A piercing cry rang out.

The dazzlingly handsome Peacock Spirit gazed coldly from his phoenix eyes. He left the crystal throne and stood lofty above the hall, surveying the ten below with contempt. He extended a slender hand forward, and in that instant, his pale, smooth palm burst forth with violet light, illuminating the entire hall. A clear, resounding peacock cry emanated from his hand!

“Ah! Enough with the screeching, I’m going deaf!” The turtle, hiding in Zhou Hao’s arms, began cursing loudly at the sound, its bulging eyes bloodshot and terrifying.

In the end, Zhou Hao had no choice but to knock it out with a slap to spare it further pain.

All around the hall, others suffered the same; clutching their ears, they writhed on the ground. The peacock’s cry was sharp and unbearable, shaking the very hall, and with the palace doors sealed, the torment was unimaginable. Even Zhou Hao struggled to endure it; only Su Qing and two other Golden Immortal level experts seemed unfazed by the sonic assault.

“Hmph, the weak are weak indeed—they can’t even withstand a mere peacock cry. Since that’s the case, enjoy it to your heart’s content!” The Peacock Spirit sneered, then suddenly swooped toward Zhou Hao’s group. The violet-glowing hand transformed into a talon, and the peacock’s cry thundered on, as if hundreds of peacocks were shrieking at once.

“Ah! I can’t take it!” As the Peacock Spirit drew closer, the cry intensified, pushing some to the brink. One young disciple from the four great factions died on the spot, blood streaming from his seven orifices, and more soon followed, their faces awash in blood and suffering.

“Give me your life!” The Peacock Spirit’s lips curled into a wicked smile. When he was within ten meters of Zhou Hao’s group, he vanished. When he reappeared, both hands were stained crimson, and behind him lay two young men in purple robes.

“Sigh, blame yourselves for wearing purple. That color is a grave taboo in my Peacock Hall!” The Peacock Spirit shook his head with a sigh, but his handsome face was radiant with mirth.

These two young men were the strongest disciples of Thunder Mountain, yet now their chests bore gaping, fist-sized holes, wounds that pierced through them horrifically. And the only reason they were the first to be targeted was the color of their clothes…

“Are you done with your tricks?” Suddenly, a strong, vibrant voice rang out from above. Two people sat atop the crystal throne.

One was a tall, valiant man with bronze skin and sword-like brows, exuding indomitable resolve. The other, a tall, striking woman with short hair, sat upright on his lap—not like a consort, but like a general at court. Most notably, both wore purple, and looked identical to the two Thunder Mountain disciples whose chests had just been pierced below.

“Well, this is getting interesting. It seems you’re not as weak as I thought!” The Peacock Spirit turned slowly, still smiling. The two “dead” disciples below transformed into lightning and flew back into the hands of the man and woman seated above.

“This Thunder Talisman’s substitute technique is indeed useful, but each use saps much of its power. After all, you didn’t forge these talismans yourselves, isn’t that right?” the Peacock Spirit remarked casually as he watched them retrieve their talismans.

“You do know quite a bit. But today you face the combined assault of the ten strongest young experts—knowledge alone won’t save you!” The short-haired woman spoke as well, her voice equally powerful and commanding, the very image of a mighty heroine.

At that moment, Zhou Hao’s heart sank upon hearing the explanation about the Thunder Talisman. He had thought possessing it would grant him a devastating weapon, never expecting it to have a “limited use.” He had hoped to wield thunderbolts at will, but now realized he was too naïve—such fortune would never fall so easily into his lap.

“Enough talk! Let’s kill him together!” came a crisp, angry shout. A young female immortal in a blue dress struck first to slay the Peacock Spirit. She was the strongest female disciple of Rain Lake, seeking vengeance for her brother, who had been killed by the peacock’s cry.

With a roar, she lashed out with her bone whip, from which issued a dragon’s roar. A massive blue flood dragon materialized in the hall, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at the Peacock Spirit. He remained smiling, but a peacock feather fan appeared in his hand.

“Paltry trickery!”

The Peacock Spirit sneered and lightly waved the fan. The colossal flood dragon instantly shattered, and blue rain fell throughout the hall.

“Don’t be afraid, junior sister, I’ll help you!” Another top expert from Rain Lake joined in, his weapon arriving before him with a shattering whoosh, as if tearing space asunder.

It was a lance as blue as sapphire, flying through the air, its tip blazing with light, transforming the whole weapon into an arrowhead, piercingly sharp. It was the same killer move Zhou Hao and Su Qing had faced against Rain Lake’s disciples before, but this time its power was greater than ever. Zhou Hao realized that if he faced it head-on, he would die instantly.

“Man and weapon as one?” The Peacock Spirit’s eyes narrowed, showing seriousness for the first time.

He had no time to parry—the arrowhead strike was too fast, a meteor flashing across the sky, leaving him no chance to dodge or counter.

A metallic clang reverberated through the hall, followed by two crisp bursts. Twin clouds of blood exploded in the air. When the dust settled, the Peacock Spirit’s long arms lay quietly at his feet, and the lance hovered in the air, its tip buried in his chest.

In that instant, the Peacock Spirit had tried to block with his forearms, counting on their armor to deflect the lance, but underestimated the power of the man-weapon union—his arms were severed, and his chest was pierced.

Boom! Boom!

Two thunder-wreathed fists thundered down from above, accompanied by the sound of rolling thunder—the twin disciples of Thunder Mountain striking together.

“Sacrifice!” The Peacock Spirit’s eyes turned icy as he chanted. With a single word, his peacock fan reappeared, growing larger to shield him.

The fierce thunder punches struck, but hitting the fan was like striking water; it trembled only slightly, dispersing the lightning and dissolving the blows into sparkling rain.

“Wind Drill!”

“Fiery Cloud Blade!”

Two more unleashed their fusion with their weapons. A green tornado roared, slicing even the air with a piercing hum. On the other side, a golden-red blade, wreathed in fire, seemed forged from magma, the flames surging endlessly.

Even the legendary peacock feather fan could not withstand this assault—its surface was pierced by the wind drill, and its plumes incinerated by the fiery blade. Yet, unfortunately, these two ultimate moves exhausted themselves before reaching the Peacock Spirit; man and weapon parted.

“He’s wounded—this is our chance! If we strike together, we can take his life!” Zhou Hao urged from the side. The Peacock Spirit’s arms were broken, and the Rain Lake expert’s spear threatened him, ready to pierce his heart at any distraction.

“Yes, take his bird life! Take his bird life!” The turtle, now awake, joined in the clamor.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three figures streaked across the air toward the Peacock Spirit, their auras terrifying—apart from the Peacock Spirit, only these three radiated such power. The woman in white was Su Qing; the men in green and red were none other than the top young experts of Wind Desert and Fire Plains. All three were of Golden Immortal rank!

It was only then that Zhou Hao recalled: the strange silence when Su Qing had fought the Rain Lake disciples earlier—could it have been because she broke through to Golden Immortal in that moment? But if so, why hadn’t she triggered a heavenly tribulation?

Green, silver, and crimson lights flared, as if three suns of different hues rose in the hall, all bearing down on the Peacock Spirit.

“Surrounding me? Very well—let me show you what true strength looks like! Five-Colored Divine Radiance, brush them away!”

Though seemingly at an utter disadvantage, the Peacock Spirit suddenly raised his head, unleashing another peacock cry. His body transformed into a giant peacock a hundred meters tall. He swatted the lance from his chest with a taloned foot, sending it clanging into the wall.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The giant peacock faced the three suns and flared its dazzling tail feathers—a full display. But instead of beauty, streams of five-colored divine light shot forth, slashing toward the three suns like blades, filling the air with the sound of swords singing.

Pop! The green sun shattered. The man in green was relentlessly struck by the five-colored radiance, unable to withstand it—it was like a whip, like sword energy, and in moments, his body was riddled with wounds. Though a Golden Immortal, he could not unravel its mystery, barely able to defend himself.

Pop! The red sun fared no better. The man in red was hounded by the five-colored radiance, his skin split and raw, burning with pain, unable to counter the mysterious power.

But Su Qing was far more composed. She drew her iridescent silver celestial sword, channeling the five-colored radiance into her blade, making it glow even more brilliantly.

“What sword is this? It can absorb my five-colored radiance?!” Even the Peacock Spirit was shaken, exclaiming in shock.

“Defeat me, and I’ll tell you!” Su Qing brandished her sword, stepping through the air, her voice cold and resolute.