Chapter 2 A Grand Slaughter

Lie Jin transformed into a willow tree spirit and hastened southward. Determined to find Yearning Mountain as quickly as possible, he adopted a ruthless approach, intercepting several flying lesser spirits along the way and forcing them to act as guides.

These passing lesser spirits could not fathom why the normally gentle willow spirit had suddenly turned so tyrannical and overbearing, and they were utterly terrified. Guiding the cold, stoic fellow who called himself "Li Fan" all the way to the foot of Yearning Mountain, and seeing cranes flying chaotically everywhere in the sky—a clear sign of impending disaster—they frantically begged for mercy, pleading with Lie Jin to spare their lives. The moment they received his permission, they bolted, vanishing in a flash.

Lie Jin detected the unusual commotion at Yearning Mountain from afar. With his keen sense of smell, he caught a heavy, musky stench in the air. Without hesitation, he flew high into the sky to survey the surroundings before rapidly approaching the center of the swirling flock of cranes. Soon, he spotted Chiyang, who was tightly surrounded by the snake clan.

Ever since the barrier shattered, Chiyang had revealed herself only to find that Huang Sha and the others were nowhere in sight. The sky and earth were filled with dancing cranes and weaving serpents. Countless large and small, brightly colored snakes were closing in on her bit by bit. The foremost attacker was a massive, snow-white serpent as thick as a rice bowl. Its orange-yellow eyes locked onto Chiyang, and it lunged forward, opening its jaws to flick its forked red tongue.

A barely perceptible smile touched the corner of Chiyang's mouth. Though she was injured, such a trivial trick was unworthy of her concern. Without a second thought, she struck out with a single palm. An ice-cold, biting current of air burst forth from her palm, gently striking the crown of the giant white serpent's head. The massive snake shuddered in pain and instantly froze into a solid block of ice. The freezing aura rapidly expanded outward from Chiyang's palm, enveloping her and slowly lifting her into the air.

A flock of red-crowned cranes suddenly wheeled down, forming a dark, oppressive canopy above Chiyang's head to block her ascent. Chiyang was in no rush to leave—judging by the current situation, she could not break away smoothly anyway. Thus, she began employing some close-combat spells, calmly dueling the swarm of banded kraits that closed in around her while casting frequent glances toward the north, secretly praying that Shi Jun could successfully escape.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

Before long, the corpses of various snakes had piled up around her like a small mountain, yet the surrounding snake pack only grew larger. To fend off the venom sprayed by the viper formation, Chiyang had to continuously summon defensive barriers. Gradually, the spiritual energy she had managed to gather was severely depleted, and her complexion grew exceptionally pale from physical exhaustion. Stripped of her full spiritual power by the poison of the "Suffering Scattering Powder," she found the snake clan's relentless, guerrilla-style harassment increasingly difficult to endure. The spiritual energy she had accumulated through the "Blood Exchange and Soul Transfer" forbidden art was rapidly draining away.

Just then, a clear, piercing whistle echoed by her ear. Chiyang's chest tightened, and her eyes instantly regained their sharp brilliance. Filled with hope, she looked toward the direction of the sound—only to be stunned at the sight of a green willow spirit clad in moon-white armor flying toward her at an incredible speed. Though she had once fused and transformed alongside Zi Sheng and the others, she was not entirely familiar with their transformed appearances. Not recognizing Lie Jin in his guise as Li Fan for a moment, she mistook him for an ally of the snake clan arriving in the wake of the commotion. A trace of disappointment inevitably surfaced on her delicate, pale face.

The crane and snake clans were likewise astonished by Lie Jin's sudden arrival. A flock of gray cranes flew straight toward him in unison, attempting to block his path. Who would have guessed that after a mere blur before their eyes, that piercing whistle would already have swept past the rear of the crane formation? He parted his hands, wielding two reddish-brown ice flames that forcefully halted the closing circle of serpents, and shouted in a deep voice, "Commander Chi, come with me!"

***

Chiyang had all but concluded that the newcomer was reinforcements for the crane and snake clans. Hearing Lie Jin's voice, she felt momentarily dazed, as if caught in a dream. Her movements froze involuntarily as she turned toward Lie Jin, her eyes welling with an incredulous, overjoyed surprise. She anxiously demanded, "Where is Shi Jun? Is he all right?" It was as if an infinite well of vitality had suddenly been injected into her body, instantly making her look radiant and spirited.

Even though Lie Jin had never harbored favorable feelings toward Chiyang, seeing her in this state stirred a hint of emotion within him. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed the snake formation suddenly part with a rushing sound. The serpents moved as agilely as fish in water, retreating entirely to the rear in the blink of an eye. Sensing danger, he yelled internally, leaped forward, and landed right beside Chiyang.

Having received no answer from Lie Jin, Chiyang saw him arrive by her side and instinctively grabbed his arm. "Is he okay?"

Lie Jin's sharp gaze swept the surroundings. Retaining his expressionless face, he answered simply, "Yes."

That single word immediately caused Chiyang's tightly clenched heart to drop. She let out a gentle breath, a smile of supreme joy blooming across her face. But the very next instant, a sweet taste rose in her throat, and a large mouthful of fresh blood gushed from her mouth, splattering the ground as her protective barrier instantly vanished.

At that moment, hundreds of colossal pythons, as thick as tree trunks and a hundred meters long, surged from the rear of the snake formation to the front lines of the encirclement. Their bodies were densely covered in gleaming black scales, and two piercing, razor-sharp horns protruded from the tops of their heads. Baring their bloody, fangs-filled maws, they lunged forward like lightning toward the pair.

Lie Jin glanced at Chiyang. Under the bright sunlight, her complexion was as ashen and haggard as could be, and her once bright and piercing eyes had grown dim and lifeless. A chill gripped his heart, and he asked, "Can you still walk on your own?"

Chiyang offered a bitter smile. "What do you think?"

Lie Jin said in a deep voice, "Stick close to me and don't get separated. Shi Jun is waiting for us in the Weeping Tree Forest."

Having already reached the end of her tether, Chiyang heard these words and a smile touched the corners of her mouth. Gathering her remaining willpower, she replied in a low, strained voice, "Okay."

With that, the two naturally stood back-to-back. Chiyang's limbs were utterly weak and sore; now that her mental tension had dissipated, she could barely manage to stand and was forced to lean her entire weight against Lie Jin. She neither could nor wished to move again.

Lie Jin stood ramrod straight, a blazing, brilliant yellow flame erupting from his tall, sturdy frame to encase Chiyang within its center. Amidst a long laugh, he raised both hands and swiftly summoned pure fire elements from the air, slowly condensing two golden, flame-like bursts of fire-attribute energy into shape within his palms.

*...Although this fellow clearly dislikes me, he still came to save me because of it,* Chiyang thought dizzily, her eyes gazing hazily toward the north as her vision began to blur. A sob caught in her throat: *Shi Jun, are you waiting for me? Why didn't you come yourself? Do you know how exhausted I am after holding on for so long?*

A single tear slipped from the eyes of this fiercely resilient woman. Her body swayed; she could no longer maintain her footing and slipped away from Lie Jin, who was locked in fierce combat with the python pack. She tumbled backward, her messy long hair flying upward and brushing lightly across her unconscious face.

Seeing Chiyang collapse, Lie Jin reached out, grabbed her, and let out a furious roar. He unleashed a massive wave of flames, forcefully driving back the closing cranes and snakes. Forming a hand seal, he leaped into the air and dashed with supreme speed right through the flock of cranes in the sky, hurtling out of the valley.

***

Shi Buwei, commanding Xiao Tian, showed no intention of concealing their tracks whatsoever. Strutting with swagger, they barreled directly south in their true forms.

Things instantly became lively. Along the way, they ran into dozens of patrols and inspection parties of monsters. Before the others could even step forward to interrogate them, Shi Buwei and Xiao Tian attacked unprovoked. How could those low-level lackeys possibly match their strength? There was no need for Shi Buwei to lift a finger; eager to prove his loyalty, Xiao Tian had already resolved everyone with utmost diligence.

***

Shi Buwei searched through the memories left behind by Shi Jun and felt utterly disgusted—that big guy was simply too good-natured, always fond of preaching grand principles and following all sorts of rigid rules. Even when he finally got into a fight, he never encountered a suitable opponent, acting all bound and constrained, which was utterly tedious! Although they hadn't run into any formidable monsters along the way, venting like this finally allowed him to vent his pent-up frustration. Feeling immensely gratified, he burst out laughing. "Hey Xiao Tian, tomorrow when the two of us go to the mortal realm, let's just open a company dedicated to helping people fight..."

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly swallowed his words back down. Imagining that pedantic big guy would most likely disapprove, he felt quite deflated. At that moment, Xiao Tian ignorantly piped up, "What are you talking about? Boss, why don't I understand?"

Having lost his momentum, Shi Buwei frowned and snapped, "Cut the crap and fly faster!"

"Boss, are you really planning to just fly straight through like this? Won't that be a bit dangerous?" At this point, the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda chimed in with its squeaky, high-pitched voice.

Shi Buwei glared. "What of it?"

Xiao Tian was also someone who loved to stir up trouble. Seeing that Shi Buwei seemed dismissive of the pagoda's words, he immediately chimed in, "Don't listen to it, Boss! That Heaven-Reaching Pagoda is a total coward!"

Although Shi Buwei had inherited the rebellious and violence-worshipping aspects of Shi Jun's personality, he wasn't a complete fool. While he had thoroughly enjoyed the brawl along the way, he figured that once their tracks were exposed, endless trouble would follow. If any delays on the road prevented them from reaching Yearning Mountain in time, it might ruin the big guy's plans. Thinking of this, he pouted his lips. "Fine, fine, I've decided. I'll transform after all! But... into what? You both think of something!"

Xiao Tian felt a grievance in his heart: *Why does the boss ignore everything I say, yet treat the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda's words like golden jade?* Out of sheer exasperation, he blurted out, "Transform into what? We're going there to fight anyway, so what's wrong with just fighting our way through?"

To his surprise, Shi Buwei didn't get angry. Instead, he chuckled and said, "What are you getting worked up for, Xiao Tian? I'm telling you, you've got no brains. The big guy gave instructions, so as the boss, I at least have to show a little surface respect! Hmm... let's transform into a Butterfly-Bone Dragon. Butterfly-Bone Dragons are among the monsters in the demon realm who love fighting the most. Once we transform into them, I reckon no one will dare provoke us. It might not be as lively as right now, but it'll save us a ton of time. What do you think?"

Ever since they met, this was the first time Shi Buwei had spoken to Xiao Tian in such a "cordial" tone, leaving Xiao Tian rather flabbergasted. "Transform if you want, I'm just listening to you..." In his heart, he found this little demon star—who shifted unpredictably between violence and friendliness—even more inscrutable.

Just as he was secretly wondering why Shi Buwei was suddenly acting so agreeable, he heard the little fellow boast smugly, "Anyway, as the boss, my status is noble, so naturally I won't lower myself to flying. Xiao Tian, you transform immediately. I'll stay in my original form, and if any patrols ask, just say I'm your new master! My name is... nisu."

Ever since it lost the Nisu primordial spirit as its anchor, Lü Yan had long since lost its memories of Nisu, yet that name remained firmly etched in its subconscious. At that moment, it simply slipped out of his mouth.

How could Xiao Tian dare say no? With a bitter face, he transformed into his own former vanquished foe—a small Butterfly-Bone Dragon—allowing Shi Buwei to sit smugly upon his head as they resumed their journey. Sure enough, the path ahead grew much quieter.

***

Just as they flew right above Yearning Mountain, they discovered the sun and moon in the sky simultaneously fading away. Thick clouds suddenly gathered overhead, and a chilling northern wind swept past, causing snowflakes the size of giant palms to drift down in a scattered flurry. These pale blue snowflakes drifted lazily down, landing upon the fiery-red crane-dance grass, instantly accumulating a thin, sparkling layer that was dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful.

Shi Buwei could not help shouting in wonder—in his (or rather, Shi Jun's) memory, he had never laid eyes on such a breathtaking place: pale blue snow radiating diamond-like luster, fiery-red crane-dance grass covering the mountains and plains, and countless flocks of cranes circling and calling in the far reaches of the sky... The little fellow stared wide-eyed, extending his small hand to catch the falling snowflakes while crying out, "Pretty! So pretty!" even as he forcefully smacked Xiao Tian on the head.

"...Wait! What's that?" Suddenly, Shi Buwei's voice lowered. Xiao Tian immediately lowered his body, swaying as he darted into the dense, man-high crane-dance grass. The chilling snowflakes instantly stuck to Shi Buwei's small face and neck, yet he bore it without a single sound, his sharp little eyes darting around alertly.

Amidst the grass, footsteps grew closer, and the murmurs of several people drifted into Shi Buwei's ears.

"Better not look anymore; Commander Chi definitely won't get away," a lazy voice chuckled. "Damn it, that battle just now was truly terrifying! I was so terrified Ye Shuai and that woman Xuan Shi would slip away! Speaking of which, the weather in the demon realm is so bizarre! Snowing out of nowhere!"

"Good thing we ran fast," the person speaking next had a somewhat effeminate voice—soft, low, and carrying a tremor he couldn't quite control. "I hate snakes the most. If Yuan Hao and the others hadn't left first, why would we have been in such a sorry state?"

Shi Buwei, crouching atop Xiao Tian, suddenly frowned. He recognized Huang Sha's voice—it had left far too deep an impression on Shi Jun in the past. He couldn't help muttering to himself, "That yin-yang freak actually ran all the way here..." He pricked up his ears to keep listening.

Immediately afterward, a deep, resolute voice stated flatly, "Yuan Hao and the others wiped out Ye Shuai and Xuan Shi, and you and I will have to find a way to justify ourselves when we return. I keep worrying that that formidable woman Chiyang wasn't actually poisoned. Look at how calm and composed she was earlier; could it have been an act?"

The lazy voice laughed. "Old brother Houtu, you're worrying too much. It's not like we haven't heard of the terror of the 'Suffering Scattering Powder.' Stop overthinking it and let's just go back to report our mission."

"Right, right. This place is not somewhere to linger," Huang Sha said in his shrill, squeaky voice. "Ever since the Four Elders and the Golden Eagles claimed they received an emergency summons and left, I've felt uneasy in my heart, terrified that the next one to die will be me. You have to understand..." At this point, he lowered his voice: "When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden!"

"I still can't figure out who the Four Elders and the others went to deal with," Houtu mused. "That so-called Underworld Enceptor? It doesn't seem like he's heavy enough weight to deal with a traitor? There's no need to mobilize such a massive force either. But it looks like they must have arranged this long ago, which is why they left us behind to deal with Chiyang."

Huang Sha sighed regretfully, "Ah, what a pity really. That Underworld Enceptor is quite a looker, you know..." That single remark almost caused the other two—and the three eavesdropping—to tumble face down in the grass.

***

Chiyang! A thunderous shock reverberated through Shi Buwei's mind. The fragmented memories regarding Chiyang, Yaksha, and the events leading up to and following their arrival in the demon realm flashed through his brain: *That's right, the other two must be Houtu and Qingyan.*

Yaksha, the dark-skinned fellow who had proactively approached the big guy to borrow the token claiming he was going to save Chiyang—was he dead?

And Chiyang, wasn't she the big guy's sweetheart? Was she going to die too?

Yuan Hao, the Four Elders, the Golden Eagles... As these scattered fragments wove together, Nisu's residual memories lingering within his primordial spirit were stimulated and instantly surged to life. Tiny beads of sweat suddenly popped out on Shi Buwei's small forehead—*does that mean Chiyang is going to die?!*

Though Shi Buwei didn't care about the deaths of Yaksha and Xuan Shi, Chiyang was a different story. Thanks to Shi Jun, the little fellow naturally held a fond affection for her.

Just as he was hesitating whether to drag these three fellows out and interrogate them, he heard Qingyan ask with a chuckle, "So, haven't tasted a woman in a long time, have you? Huang Sha, why were you putting on such a pious act just now?"

"Hate you!" came Huang Sha's "charming" voice. "You know people don't like women!"

Houtu let out a "hum." "Forget it. As long as he doesn't provoke us, I don't care whether he's pretending to be pious or not."

With a soft snort of laughter, Qingyan said flippantly, "Not to mention, if I hadn't felt so unsure, I really would have wanted to stay behind. After all, Chiyang is much prettier than Xuan Shi!"

Hearing this, Shi Buwei, who had still been contemplating countermeasures, flew into a sudden rage. A small flame of fury burned straight to the top of his head. Without a second thought, he sprang up, standing with hands on his hips suspended in mid-air, and cursed at Qingyan and the other two, who had looked up in shock: "Fuck your mothers, you bastards! You dare set your sights on my boss's woman? I'm going to scrap the lot of you!"

With that, he spread both small hands and lashed out with lightning speed, sending two rotating cyan arcs slashing toward the three of them!

The suddenness of this turn of events caught them entirely off guard. A miserable shriek rent the air as blood soared to the skies!

"The fight's on?" Xiao Tian, who had been lying idly in the grass, immediately leaped up upon seeing Shi Buwei make a move. He shook his head and wagged his tail in excitement, his bright, gleaming eyes locked onto the three figures in the grass as he laughed inwardly: *Time to vent!*

Without waiting for Shi Buwei's command, Xiao Tian abruptly materialized, swaggering out with a ferocious snarl. He leaped directly over Houtu's head, slashing down with his razor-sharp claws—

*—Kill! Kill! Kill, kill, kill!*

In less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, Xiao Tian and the enraged Shi Buwei thoroughly and cleanly "cleared out" Houtu and Qingyan, leaving only a dying Huang Sha collapsed in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

Normally, these three underworld generals would not have been so utterly incompetent; it was simply their misfortune to run into two maniacs who fought with absolute disregard for consequences. Xiao Tian was formidable to begin with, and having been bullied by his "boss" for so long, he had long been harboring a furious grudge, eager to vent his frustrations. He had struck with lethal force from the outset, while Shi Buwei harbored a burning hatred for these shameless scoundrels, executing every single move with toxic precision and leaving no quarter whatsoever.

Caught completely by surprise, Qingyan was slain on the spot by Shi Buwei using a wood-attribute spell, "Myriad Wood Staff." Not long after, Houtu also perished under Xiao Tian's "Reversing Universe." Ironically, Huang Sha possessed the highest combat prowess of the three, yet even so, he failed to last more than a few rounds before being beaten to the verge of death by the infuriated Shi Buwei.

***

The bloody massacre unleashed by Shi Buwei and Xiao Tian, coupled with the lingering black-and-white energy raging through the crane-dance grass, quickly drew the attention of the crane flock. Countless figures of cranes gliding with elegance swept across the sky, accompanied by clear, angry screeches. The snake clan besieging Lie Jin within the valley split a detachment off instantly, slithering like phantoms toward Shi Buwei and the others to launch an unprovoked attack.

Shi Buwei and Xiao Tian, having warmed up to their fighting rhythm, were thrilled rather than alarmed. Undaunted, they hollered and hurled every single one of their most effective and lethal spells all at once. Before long, the fiery-red crane-dance grass at the foot of the mountain was littered with the corpses of snakes and cranes alike.

"Boss! Boss!" the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda cried out anxiously inside Shi Buwei's embrace.

Shi Buwei was already blood-drunk with slaughter, roaring, "Don't bother me!" His two pitch-black little eyes stared down at Huang Sha as a grim smile touched the corner of his lips. "I'm in a bad mood today! Those who stand in my way die!"

The only redeeming quality of this boss was that he loved to fight! From that perspective, following him was far more exhilarating than following Shi Jun, even if his temper was truly wretched. Xiao Tian had already entered "the zone," spiritedly venting his frustrations while training himself and absorbing the scarce mental energy of the fallen snakes and cranes—what could be better? Hearing the pagoda speak, he let out a bizarre shriek: "Boss, ignore him! He's full of crap!"

The Heaven-Reaching Pagoda yelled frantically, "Boss, don't you have a mission at Yearning Mountain? Don't ruin things by getting distracted!"

Shi Buwei paused, his hands freezing in mid-motion. Reaching out, he gave the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda a hard knock and muttered, "That's right! Damn it, I almost forgot about this! And you too—these cranes are national protected animals, killing too many isn't very good... hehe, not very good at all!" He promptly hailed Xiao Tian, "Cut the crap, we're done fighting for now, let's get out of here!"

Though somewhat reluctant, Xiao Tian felt a surge of secret glee upon seeing the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda take a blow: *That'll teach you to suck up! Don't you know this boss loves hitting people who tell the truth?* Dropping the matter, he gave a cheerful response, casually sliced open a giant python's chest with one claw, and flew swaggering back to Shi Buwei's side.

Right at that moment, two figures swept past at top speed. Xiao Tian's sharp eyes caught them immediately, and he hollered, "Boss, boss! Look over there! Your boss's uncle and his sweetheart are here!"

Shi Buwei delivered a sharp rap to Xiao Tian's head. "What boss's uncle?" His eyes, however, locked onto the newcomers, and he muttered, "They look awfully familiar... who could that be? Oh, whatever, who cares who they are, I can always keep fighting!" With that, he bounced three feet into the air and hollered at the top of his small lungs, "Hey! Come over here! I'm right here! Come fight me, I'm Shi Jun..."